A combined school survey and reactive case detection reveals minimal local transmission of malaria in the Highlands Region of Papua New Guinea.

Background: The Highlands of Papua New Guinea are non-endemic for malaria compared to the rest of the country. This study aimed to explore the local transmission of malaria in the Highlands through a cross-sectional school survey coupled with reactive case detection.

Methods: Between July and November 2019, 5575 schoolchildren and 1048 household members were screened for malaria using Rapid Diagnostic Tests, subsequently validated by light microscopy.

Stroke Epidemiology in Asia.

Background Stroke is a major cause of death and disability globally, with different stroke burdens in different regions. This paper reviews the epidemiology of stroke in Asia. Summary There is a wide range in age and sex-standardised stroke incidence, highest in China, lowest in Bhutan.

Factors influencing women's and men's place of birth decisions in rural Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea: A qualitative descriptive study.

Background: Evidence shows that birthing with a skilled birth provider improves maternal and neonatal health outcomes. However, whilst most women in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea seek skilled health care during pregnancy in a health facility, more than half give birth at home or in the village without a skilled birth provider.

Aim: To explore the factors influencing women's and men's decisions about place of birth in rural Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea.

Investigation of electrochromic performances of multicolor VO devices fabricated at low processing temperature.

In recent decades, poorly insulated windows have increased the energy consumption of heating and cooling systems, thus contributing to excessive carbon dioxide emissions and other related pollution issues. From this perspective, the electrochromic (EC) windows could be a tangible solution as the indoor conditions are highly controllable by these smart devices even at a low applied voltage. Literally, vanadium pentoxide (VO) is a renowned candidate for the EC application due to its multicolor appearance and substantial lithium insertion capacity.

Prevalence and factors associated with neonatal sepsis in Mali: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors for neonatal sepsis among neonates admitted to selected health facilities in the Bamako district and Koulikoro region in Mali.

Design: This is a prospective cross-sectional study. Data were analyses using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Neurosteroid replacement therapy using tiagabine and zuranolone restores cerebellar neurodevelopment and reduces hyperactive behaviour following preterm birth.

Preterm birth exposes the neonate to hypoxic-ischaemic and excitotoxic insults that impair neurodevelopment and are magnified by the premature loss of placentally supplied, inhibitory neurosteroids. The cerebellum is a neuronally dense brain region, which undergoes critical periods of development during late gestation, when preterm births frequently occur. We propose that neurosteroid replacement therapy using tiagabine and zuranolone will protect the cerebellum against preterm-associated insults.

Safety and Immunogenicity of the Live Attenuated Vaccine QazCOVID-Live Against Coronavirus Infection COVID-19: Pre-Clinical Study Results.

The research conducted in this preclinical study assesses QazCovid-live, a live attenuated COVID-19 vaccine created in Kazakhstan, by conducting preclinical evaluations of safety, immunogenicity, and allergenicity in various animal models, including mice, rats, hamsters, and guinea pigs. The vaccine, developed by attenuating SARS-CoV-2 via numerous Vero cell passages, had no significant adverse effects in acute and subacute toxicity assessments, even at elevated dosages. Allergenicity testing indicated the absence of both immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reactions.

Herbal Extracts Mixed with Essential Oils: A Network Approach for Gastric and Intestinal Motility Disorders.

Background: Three herbal extracts ( Willd., Lorentz, and L.) were mixed with three essential oils ( Mill.

Comparative Analysis of Cryptic Species of 'Sugar Glider' from Australia and New Guinea Using 3D Geometric Morphometrics.

The description of the sp. has been ongoing since first described and especially within the last fifteen years. Recently from the known species, three subspecies have been recognized at the species level.

Corrigendum to "Rescue and characterization of the first West African Marburg virus 2021 from Guinea" [Heliyon Volume 9, Issue 9, September 2023, e19613].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.

Dr. George Papanicolaou: Inventor of the Pap Smear and Father of Modern Cytology.

The Pap smear is widely recognized in medicine as the single most successful contributor to cancer screening and preventative care. Women have Dr. George Papanicolaou (1870-1962) to thank for this groundbreaking contribution to their healthcare-a discovery that, fascinatingly, was made incidentally during his study of ovulation cycles in guinea pigs.

A new genus and species of isosporoid coccidium from captive green tree frogs, (Anura: Hylidae).

A new genus and a new species of isosporoid coccidium (Apicomplexa: Conoidasida: Eimeriorina) are described and illustrated from green tree frogs () (Anura: Hylidae) imported from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The described species has disporocystic and tetrasporozoic oocysts without a Stieda body. Nine species originally belonging to the genus Schneider, 1881 in the family Eimeriidae Minchin, 1903 described from Anura are recognized as members of the new genus and new combinations of the species names are proposed.

Do credit constraints affect non-farm entrepreneurship entry decisions of rural agricultural households in Benin?

This paper analyses the credit constraints' effect on non-farm entrepreneurship entry decisions in Benin. Using data from a sample of 512 farmers, we determine the factors that influence credit constraints and then assess the effect of credit constraints on non-farm entrepreneurship decisions based on an endogenous switching probit model and propensity score matching (PSM). The results of endogenous switching regression reveal that age and access to extension services are the main determinants of credit constraints while age, sex, household size, marital status, education level and farmer-based organisation (FBO) membership significantly increase farmers' decisions to engage in non-farm entrepreneurship.

Metastatic mineralization and renal intratubular crystals associated with hard drinking water in guinea pigs.

This report describes cardiovascular and renal soft tissue mineralization and renal intratubular crystals in 13 out of 16 guinea pigs that were given very hard drinking water for 9 months. These animals, aged 14 to 20 months, were experimentally naïve. No clinical symptoms were observed, but 1 guinea pig was found dead in its cage.

The potential of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells in treating cisplatin induced sensorineural hearing loss in a guinea pig animal model.

Background: Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most common sensory deficit worldwide. Current solutions for SNHL, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and hearing assistive devices, do not provide consistent results and fail to address the underlying pathology of hair cell and ganglion cell damage. Stem cell therapy is a cornerstone in regenerative medicine.

Cinnamic acid lowers blood pressure and reverses vascular endothelial dysfunction in rats.

Cinnamic acid (CA) possesses important cardiovascular effects such as cardioprotective, antiatherogenic, antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant, which predicts its potential role in the treatment of hypertension. The study was executed to investigate the antihypertensive potential of CA in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats followed by evaluation in diverse vascular preparations. Invasive blood pressure monitoring technique was used in normotensive and hypertensive rats, under anesthesia.

Human and entomological determinants of malaria transmission in the Lihir Islands of Papua New Guinea: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The Lihir Islands of Papua New Guinea, located in an area with high burden of malaria and hosting a large mining operation, offer a unique opportunity to study transmission. There, we investigated human and vector factors influencing malaria transmission.

Methods: In 2019, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 2,914 individuals assessing malaria prevalence through rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), microscopy, and quantitative PCR (qPCR).

Genomic and epidemiological analysis of SARS-CoV-2 variants isolated in Guinea: a routine sequencing implementation.

Background: Several variants of SARS-CoV-2 have a demonstrated impact on public health, including high and increased transmissibility, severity of infection, and immune escape. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the SARS-CoV-2 lineages and better characterize the dynamics of the pandemic during the different waves in Guinea.

Methods: Whole genome sequencing of 363 samples with PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values under thirty was undertaken between May 2020 and May 2023.

Modeling saturation exponent of underground hydrocarbon reservoirs using robust machine learning methods.

Precise estimation of rock petrophysical parameters are seriously important for the reliable computation of hydrocarbon in place in the underground formations. Therefore, accurately estimation rock saturation exponent is necessary in this regard. In this communication, we aim to develop intelligent data-driven models of decision tree, random forest, ensemble learning, adaptive boosting, support vector machine and multilayer perceptron artificial neural network to predict rock saturation exponent parameter in terms of rock absolute permeability, porosity, resistivity index, true resistivity, and water saturation based on acquired 1041 field data.

High correlated color temperature white light-emitting diodes disrupt refractive development in guinea pigs.

Ubiquitous white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) possess optical properties that differ from those of natural light. This difference can impact visual perception and biological functions, thus potentially affecting eye health. Myopia, which leads to visual impairments and potentially irreversible vision loss or blindness, is the most prevalent refractive error worldwide.

Protective effects of docosahexaenoic acid combined with bilberry extract on myopic Guinea pigs.

This study aims to investigate the protective effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) combined with bilberry extract (BE) on myopic guinea pigs. In total, 105 healthy pigmented guinea pigs aged 2 weeks were selected and randomly divided into five groups. The normal control (NC) group received no treatment, while the experimental groups wore -6.

Prevalence and correlates of child labour in five low-income countries: a descriptive study based on UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys 6 (MICS6).

Background: The Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children need to be protected from 'any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development'. We aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of child labour in five low-income African countries using the sixth wave of UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS6).

Methods: Data on child labour, reported by the household respondent for a randomly selected child (5-17 years), were extracted from MICS6 reports from Chad, Guinea Bissau, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Immune cell infiltration and modulation of the blood-brain barrier in a guinea pig model of tuberculosis: Observations without evidence of bacterial dissemination to the brain.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, is a chronic inflammatory disease. Although typically associated with inflammation of the lungs and other peripheral tissues, increasing evidence has uncovered neurological consequences attributable to Mtb infection. These include deficits in memory and cognition, increased risk for neurodegenerative disease, and progressive neuropathology.

Effects of Extracellular Matrix Changes Induced by a High-Fat Diet on Gallbladder Smooth Muscle Dysfunction.

Background: Gallstone formation is a common digestive ailment, with unclear mechanisms underlying its development. Dysfunction of the gallbladder smooth muscle (GSM) may play a crucial role, particularly with a high-fat diet (HFD). This study aimed to investigate the effects of an HFD on GSM and assess how it alters contractility through changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM).