Contradictory mortality results in early 2-dose measles vaccine trials: interactions with oral polio vaccine may explain differences.

Objectives: Between 2003 and 2019, three trials (randomised controlled trials [RCTs]) in Guinea-Bissau randomised infants to an early 2-dose measles vaccine (MV) schedule at 4 and 9 months vs standard MV at 9 months. The RCTs produced contradictory mortality results; the effect being beneficial in the 2-dose group in the first but tending to have higher mortality in the last two RCTs. We hypothesised that increased frequency of campaigns with oral polio vaccine (C-OPV) explained the pattern.

"Pioneers, yes. We all should think that way" Improving Papua New Guinea Cancer Nurses Education through an International Partnership.

Objectives: First, to understand Papua New Guinea (PNG) oncology nursing issues perceived through the nurses' lens of unmet supportive care needs of people affected by cancer and to identify nurses' self-perceived educational priorities in cancer care. Second, to evaluate the tailored bidirectional learning and knowledge transfer among the participants of the Australia Capital Territory Health and PNG Oncology Nursing Development Program hosted in Australia in June 2023.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted.

Collaborative study for the characterisation of the BINACLE Assay for detection of tetanus toxicity in toxoids - Part 1.

For several decades the European Pharmacopoeia monographs and required that Specific toxicity and Absence of toxin and irreversibility of the toxoidof each bulk of tetanus toxoids had to be tested by an toxicity test in guinea pigs before it could be included in vaccines for human or veterinary use. In line with the 3Rs concept of replacing, reducing and refining animal experiments, an method for the detection of active tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) has been developed at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI, Germany). This method, the so-called BINACLE (binding and cleavage) assay, uses the receptor-binding and proteolytic properties of TeNT for the specific detection of active toxin molecules.

Collaborative study for the characterisation of the BINACLE Assay for detection of tetanus toxicity in toxoids - Part 2.

Tetanus vaccines for human and veterinary use are produced by formaldehyde-induced inactivation of tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) purified from cultures. Due to the high morbidity caused by exposure to TeNT it is essential that the quality control of tetanus vaccines includes testing for absence of tetanus toxin as prescribed by European Pharmacopoeia monographs and . Currently this test is carried out in guinea pigs for each bulk of tetanus toxoid.

Can the delayed effects of climatic oscillations have a greater influence on global fisheries compared to their immediate effects?

Climatic oscillations affect fish population dynamics, ecological processes, and fishing operations in maritime habitats. This study examined how climatic oscillations affect catch rates for striped, blue, and silver marlins in the Atlantic Ocean. These oscillations are regarded as the primary factor influencing the abundance and accessibility of specific resources utilized by fishers.

Vicariant speciation resulting from biogeographic barriers in the Australian tropics: The case of the red-cheeked dunnart ().

Global biodiversity loss continues unabated, and in Australia, the rate of recent mammal extinctions is among the worst in the world. Meanwhile, the diversity among and within many endemic mammal species remains undescribed. This information is crucial to delineate species boundaries and thus inform decision-making for conservation.

Epileptic seizures revealing tuberous sclerosis in a tropical environment: A study of 12 case series.

Background: Epilepsy remains a significant public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where diverse etiological factors contribute to its prevalence. Among these factors are conditions originating from the neuroectoderm, such as tuberous sclerosis. Insufficient medical attention and a lack of comprehensive multidisciplinary care contribute to its under-recognition.

Mapping Asia Plants: Plant Diversity and a Checklist of Vascular Plants in Indonesia.

Indonesia, located in Southeast Asia, is the world's largest tropical island country. It is globally recognized as a unique center of biodiversity in the Asian-Australian transitional zone. To date, however, no national plant checklist of Indonesia has been published.

Biocompatibility and Antibacterial Activity of Eugenol and Copaiba Essential Oil-Based Emulsions Loaded on Cotton Textile Materials.

The present study was focused on the preparation, characterization and application onto cotton fabrics of different topical oil-in-water emulsions based on chitosan, eugenol and copaiba essential oil for potential topical applications. Different amounts of copaiba essential oil (oil phases) and eugenol were used, while the water phase consisted of hamamelis water. The designed formulations were evaluated via optical microscopy and rheological parameters assessment.

A Comparative Study of the Rapid (I) and Slow (I) Delayed Rectifier Potassium Currents in Undiseased Human, Dog, Rabbit, and Guinea Pig Cardiac Ventricular Preparations.

To understand the large inter-species variations in drug effects on repolarization, the properties of the rapid (I) and the slow (I) components of the delayed rectifier potassium currents were compared in myocytes isolated from undiseased human donor (HM), dog (DM), rabbit (RM) and guinea pig (GM) ventricles by applying the patch clamp and conventional microelectrode techniques at 37 °C. The amplitude of the E-4031-sensitive I tail current measured at -40 mV after a 1 s long test pulse of 20 mV, which was very similar in HM and DM but significant larger in RM and GM. The L-735,821-sensitive I tail current was considerably larger in GM than in RM.

Enhanced Late I Induces Intracellular Ion Disturbances and Automatic Activity in the Guinea Pig Pulmonary Vein Cardiomyocytes.

The effects of enhanced late I, a persistent component of the Na channel current, on the intracellular ion dynamics and the automaticity of the pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes were studied with fluorescent microscopy. Anemonia viridis toxin II (ATX- II), an enhancer of late I, caused increases in the basal Na and Ca concentrations, increases in the number of Ca sparks and Ca waves, and the generation of repetitive Ca transients. These phenomena were inhibited by eleclazine, a blocker of the late I; SEA0400, an inhibitor of the Na/Ca exchanger (NCX); H89, a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor; and KN-93, a Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitor.

Lithium Ions as Modulators of Complex Biological Processes: The Conundrum of Multiple Targets, Responsiveness and Non-Responsiveness, and the Potential to Prevent or Correct Dysregulation of Systems during Aging and in Disease.

Lithium is one of the lightest elements on Earth and it has been in the environment since the formation of the galaxy. While a common element, it has not been found to be an essential element in biological processes, ranging from single cell organisms to . Instead, at an early stage of evolution, organisms committed to a range of elements such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron to serve essential functions.

Lassa Fever: Critical Review and Prospects for Control.

Lassa Fever is a deadly viral haemorrhagic disease, causing annually several hundreds of deaths in West Africa. This zoonotic disease is primarily transmitted to humans by rodents of the genus , even though other rodents reportedly carry the Lassa virus, while secondary interhuman transmission accounts for approximately 20% of cases. Although this disease has been endemic in rural zones of Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberfia, and Guinea for hundreds of years, it is also characterised by epidemic outbreaks in the dry season, responsible for heavy death tolls.

Electrophysiological and sick sinus syndrome effects of Remdesivir challenge in guinea-pig hearts.

Remdesivir (RDV) is the first drug approved by the FDA for clinical treatment of hospitalized patients infected with COVID-19 because it has been shown to have good antiviral activity against a variety of viruses, including Arenaviridae and Coronaviridae viral families. However, it has been reported that its clinical treatment leads to the symptoms of sick sinus syndrome such as sinus bradycardia, conduction block, and sinus arrest, but the electrophysiological mechanism of its specific cardiac adverse events is still unclear. We report complementary, experimental, studies of its electrophysiological effects.

Prevalence of hepatitis and HIV infection among 18-months old children in Guinea-Bissau before vaccination.

Objectives: This study reports on the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in children in Guinea-Bissau before the hepatitis B vaccine was introduced.

Methods: Cross-sectional study. From 2005 to 2008, 187 children aged 18 months were enrolled in a vaccine trial and had blood samples taken to test for HBV (HbsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV.

Optimization of the vertical transmission prevention program in Guinea: impact of the improvement plan on performance indicators at large-cohort sites.

Introduction: Vertical transmission of HIV remains a major challenge in Guinea, especially, in low-resource rural areas. This paper presents the results of a pilot project designed to enhance the prevention of vertical transmission through a comprehensive improvement plan implemented across 66 large-cohort sites.

Methods: Data from 66 large-cohort of mother to child transmission prevention (PMTCT) sites from 2019 to 2022 were analysed to compare PMTCT metrics before (2019-2020) and after (2021-2022) the improvement initiative.

20S-Ginsenoside Rh2, the major bioactive saponin in Panax notoginseng flowers, ameliorates cough by inhibition of NaV1.7 and TRPV1 channel currents and downregulation of TRPV1 expression.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Panax notoginseng flowers, which are the buds of the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Sanqi, are widely used in China for their cough-ameliorating properties, with demonstrated therapeutic effects in the treatment of both acute and chronic coughs. However, both the antitussive mechanism and active compound basis of P. notoginseng flowers remain poorly understood.

Dispersion-Selective Band Engineering in an Artificial Kagome Superlattice.

The relentless pursuit of band structure engineering continues to be a fundamental aspect in solid-state research. Here, we meticulously construct an artificial kagome potential to generate and control multiple Dirac bands of graphene. This unique high-order potential harbors natural multiperiodic components, enabling the reconstruction of band structures through different potential contributions.