Implications of conflict on vaccination in the Sahel region.

The Sahel region is a geographical belt in Africa that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, between the Sahara Desert in the north and the Savannah in the south. It is characterised by challenging environmental crises and conflicts. This analysis highlights the potential implications of conflict on vaccination across five Sahel countries, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger and Sudan, from 2019 to 2023.

ConciliaMed: an interactive mobile and web tool to reconcile chronic medications of patients undergoing elective surgery.

Objective: The last decade has seen exponential growth in electronic health tools. However, only a limited number of electronic medication reconciliation tools have been developed and implemented in healthcare settings. Here, we present ConciliaMed, a mobile and web-based tool for healthcare professionals to reconcile the chronic medications of patients undergoing elective surgery.

Diagnostic prediction model for screening of elevated low-density and non-high-density lipoproteins in young Thai adults between 20 and 40 years of age.

Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levels are paramount in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk management. However, 94.4% of Thai young adult are unaware of their condition.

Medication-related hospitalisations in patients with SLE.

Objectives: Patients with SLE take multiple medications. Within a large prospective longitudinal SLE cohort, we characterised medication-related hospitalisations and their preventability.

Methods: We identified consecutive admissions to our tertiary hospitals between 2015 and 2020.

Reducing outpatient wait times through telemedicine: a systematic review and quantitative analysis.

Objectives: Population ageing and the rise in chronic diseases place continual stress on healthcare systems. Scarce resources often impede equitable access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas, resulting in prolonged waiting times and heightened risks of morbidity and mortality. Telemedicine has emerged as a promising solution, offering remote and equitable care that could potentially bridge access gaps and enhance health outcomes.

Conflicts of interest in the International Agency for Research on Cancer process of identifying carcinogenic hazards to humans.

Managing conflicts of interest (COIs) in scientific decision-making is important for minimizing bias and fostering public trust in science. Proper management of COIs has added significance when scientists are making decisions that impact public policy, such as assessing substances for carcinogenicity. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) organizes expert working groups to identify putative carcinogens and determine whether or not the hazard is likely to present significant potential harm to humans.

Diagnostic accuracy of self-collected tongue swabs for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex detection in individuals being assessed for TB in South Africa using the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay.

Objectives: Tongue swabs (TS) have shown potential for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) through downstream molecular testing. Analytical performance varies, depending on the processing protocol and the molecular test used. This study aimed to first investigate ease-of-use of TS collection in addition to acceptability by individuals being assessed for TB and second to determine the performance of self-collected TS on the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Ultra) assay (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) for MTBC and Rifampicin (RIF) resistance detection.

Vaccine efficacy of NVX-CoV2373 against SARS-CoV-2 infection in adolescents in the USA: an ancillary study to a phase 3, observer-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Although existing COVID-19 vaccines are known to be highly effective against severe disease and death, data are needed to assess their ability to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aimed to estimate the efficacy of the NVX-CoV2373 protein subunit vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection, regardless of symptoms, among adolescents.

Methods: We performed an ancillary observational study (SNIFF) to the phase 3, observer-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled PREVENT-19 trial that assessed vaccine efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 in the USA.

A solvent-free thermal desorption-gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method (TD-GC-MS/MS) for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in gas phase airborne samples.

A solvent-free, thermal extraction method for analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in gas phase airborne samples was developed. A fully automated thermal desorber (TD) coupled with highly selective and sensitive gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was used to determine the concentration of trace level PAHs. Air sampling was conducted to tune the sampling and analytical conditions.

The effect of run duration, gait variable and Lyapunov exponent algorithm on the inter-session reliability of local dynamic stability in healthy young people.

Local dynamic stability (LDS) of gait has been used to differentiate between healthy and injured populations, establishing its potential as an indicator of healthy gait and a new objective measure to assess gait function following injury. For LDS to be a reliable assessment tool of healthy gait progression during rehabilitation, it must provide consistent and sensitive inter-session measures. Methodological factors such as trial duration, gait variable, and Lyapunov Exponent (LyE) algorithm can influence LDS estimation and its reliability.

Factors influencing healthcare workers' perceived compliance with infection prevention and control standards, North Bank East region, The Gambia, a cross-sectional study.

Background: This study evaluated Health Care Workers' (HCWs) knowledge, attitude, perceived compliance, and potential influencing factors related to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) standards in the North Bank East region of The Gambia.

Method: The study was an analytic cross-sectional study, conducted in 2021 using a multistage sampling technique. Thirteen health facilities were sampled from the North Bank East Region of The Gambia.

Antenatal care visits and its determinants among women in Afar regional state: North Eastern Ethiopia.

Background: Antenatal care is an essential component of maternal healthcare that plays a crucial role in promoting the health and well-being of both mother and baby. While previous studies have examined factors influencing antenatal care visits in other parts of Ethiopia, there is a lack of research specifically focusing on the Afar region. This study aimed to assess determinants of antenatal care visits among pregnant women in Afar region, Ethiopia.

The challenges and opportunities clinical education in the context of psychological, educational and therapeutic dimensions in teaching hospital.

Background: An appropriate clinical environment by providing learning opportunities, plays an important role in preparing students to apply the knowledge learned at the bedside. Since the lived experiences of patients in the clinical environment are effective on the quality of student's learning, the present study was conducted with the aim of explaining the lived experiences of patients regarding bedside teaching.

Materials And Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted using a content analysis approach in 2023 at the Imam Sajjad educational and therapeutic center affiliated with Tabriz Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences.

Women and birth partners' experiences of cervical ripening at home and in hospital.

Background: In the United Kingdom, induction of labour rates are rapidly rising, and around a third of pregnant women undergo the procedure. The first stage, cervical ripening, traditionally carried out in hospital, is increasingly offered outpatient - or 'at home'. The current induction of labour rates place considerable demand on maternity services and impact women's experiences of care, and at home cervical ripening has been suggested as potential solution for alleviating these.

Neuroactive steroid biosynthesis during pregnancy predicts future postpartum depression: a role for the 3α and/or 3β-HSD neurosteroidogenic enzymes?

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects ~10-15% of childbearing individuals, with deleterious consequences for two generations. Recent research has explored the biological mechanisms of PPD, particularly neuroactive steroids (NAS). We sought here to investigate associations between NAS levels and ratios during pregnancy and the subsequent development of depressive symptoms with postpartum onset.

An analytical cross-sectional study on optimal (timely or cumulative age-appropriate) routine childhood immunization coverage in the communities of Ebonyi state, Nigeria.

Optimal (timely or cumulative age-appropriate) routine childhood immunization coverage (the receipt of every recommended vaccine dose at the recommended age and time-interval between doses) will enhance optimal protection against vaccine-preventable infectious diseases (VPDs) which have been causing significant morbidity and mortality and recurring outbreaks among children younger than five years. This study evaluated optimal routine childhood immunization coverage, and the predictors, in Ebonyi state, Nigeria. This study was a baseline cross-sectional household survey within a cluster-randomised controlled trial and was conducted from July 2 to 16, 2022 among consenting mother-child pairs, in which the children were aged 5-23 months (subdivided into 5-11 and 12-23 months), in 16 randomly selected geographical clusters where the primary health care (PHC) facilities were providing maternal and child health care services including weekly routine childhood immunization.

Rhesus Cytomegalovirus-encoded Fcγ-binding glycoproteins facilitate viral evasion from IgG-mediated humoral immunity.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes four viral Fc-gamma receptors (vFcγRs) that counteract antibody-mediated activation in vitro, but their role in infection and pathogenesis is unknown. To examine their in vivo function in an animal model evolutionarily closely related to humans, we identified and characterized Rh05, Rh152/151 and Rh173 as the complete set of vFcγRs encoded by rhesus CMV (RhCMV). Each one of these proteins displays functional similarities to their prospective HCMV orthologs with respect to antagonizing host FcγR activation in vitro.

Therapeutic Focus on Strengths is Associated with Improved Functioning and Higher Clinical Progress in Children's Public Mental Health Care.

Prior findings suggest a greater therapeutic focus on strengths is associated with a higher likelihood of successful treatment discharge in youth public mental health treatment. To build upon previous research, the present study examined whether and to what extent therapeutic focus on strengths was associated with changes in day-to-day functioning and treatment progress over the course of therapy. This study used multilevel modeling techniques to analyze 12 consecutive years of standardized routine clinical service data from a public mental health care system which served youth and families who were typically from underserved and low-income backgrounds.

Strategies for Implementing Integrated Behavioral Health into Health Centers.

Background: Integrated behavioral health (IBH) is a promising approach which embeds behavioral health services into primary care. Yet, IBH has had limited implementation. Our objective was to identify strategies to successfully implement the "Cherokee" IBH model by examining a 2013 to 2019 IBH demonstration project in New Jersey that included Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs).

Care Coordination: How Is It Implemented and Is It Different If a Social Worker Is on the Team?

Objective: To understand how primary care clinics coordinate services for complex patients and whether clinics with an integrated social worker do it differently.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey of the 213 most experienced care coordinators for each of the 317 participating clinics.The survey asks about staffing, communications, care model (nursing vs integrated social worker), resources, support, services, how services are available and delivered, payment approach, and satisfaction.

Ten proposed measures to improve vaccination: Health care providers' perspectives on promoting the vaccination intake of children with special healthcare needs in China.

Introduction: Children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN) often experience vaccination delays or missed vaccines in China. The coverage rate of the age-appropriate National Immunisation Programme vaccine was suboptimal. This study aimed to explore attitudes, behaviours, and suggestions regarding the improvement of routine vaccination services for CSHCN among healthcare providers.