Maize consumption and circulating aflatoxin levels in Mexican middle- and older-aged adults: A cross-sectional analysis.

Background: Maize is frequently contaminated by aflatoxin B (AFB), an established liver carcinogen.

Objective: To estimate the effect of maize and maize tortilla consumption on AFB-lysine adduct (AFB-lys) concentrations in middle- and older-aged adults living in south and eastern Mexico.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis in a representative sample of 915 adults aged ≥40 years living in south and eastern Mexico in 2018-19.

The importance of microbiology reference laboratories and adequate funding for infectious disease surveillance.

Microbiology reference laboratories perform a crucial role within public health systems. This role was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this Viewpoint, we emphasise the importance of microbiology reference laboratories and highlight the types of digital data and expertise they provide, which benefit national and international public health.

Evaluating the need for standardised disease manifestation categories in patients infected with the tick-borne encephalitis virus: A Delphi panel.

Categorization systems for tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection lack consistency in classifying disease severity. To evaluate the need for a standard, consensus-based categorisation system for TBEV infection across subtypes, we gathered an expert panel of clinicians and scientists with diverse expertise in TBEV infection. Consensus was sought using the Delphi technique, which consisted of 2 web-based survey questionnaires and a final, virtual, consensus-building exercise.

The HPV prevention and control program in Poland: progress and the way forward.

This review assesses Poland's activities in preventing and managing human papillomavirus (HPV)-related diseases, summarizing information from the 2023 HPV Prevention and Control Board meeting. Progress in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention identifies opportunities to strengthen control of cervical cancer. Poland's national HPV vaccination program, launched in June 2023, initially achieved suboptimal coverage.

Global impact of ten-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on invasive pneumococcal disease in all ages (the PSERENADE project): a global surveillance analysis.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) that are ten-valent (PCV10) and 13-valent (PCV13) became available in 2010. We evaluated their global impact on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence in all ages.

Methods: Serotype-specific IPD cases and population denominators were obtained directly from surveillance sites using PCV10 or PCV13 in their national immunisation programmes and with a primary series uptake of at least 50%.

Association of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Ratio with the Incidence of Sleep Apnea Syndrome.

Study Objectives: Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is potentially linked to life-threatening conditions. Decline in kidney function is involved in the development of various diseases; however, it remains unclear whether it is implicated in the onset of SAS. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between kidney function and the incidence of SAS.

Human Exposure to Asbestos in Central Asian Countries and Health Effects: A Narrative Review.

The discovery of the detrimental effects of asbestos on human health came long after its widespread use, with the first scientific evidence of asbestos-related diseases emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite efforts to ban its use, asbestos continues to be mined and used in Central Asia (as well as in Russia, China, and other countries). To gain a deeper understanding of the situation in Central Asia, we have conducted a systematic review of scientific literature on the use of asbestos, exposure assessment, and health consequences of asbestos exposure in this geographic area.

Effect of seasonal malaria chemoprevention on incidence of malaria among children under five years in Kotido and Moroto Districts, Uganda, 2021: time series analysis.

Background: Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) refers to monthly administration of full treatment courses of anti-malarial medicine to children <5 years during high malaria transmission seasons. SMC has demonstrated effectiveness in Sahel and sub-Sahel countries in Africa. However, it was not implemented in Uganda until April 2021, when the country began SMC in the highly malaria-endemic Kotido and Moroto Districts.

Emergency call utilization over a 10-years period: an observational study in Region Zealand, Denmark, 2013-2022.

Background: Improving prehospital emergency care requires a comprehensive understanding of the efficiency of emergency medical services and demand fluctuations. The medical emergency call is the primary contact between citizens and the emergency medical dispatch center, serving as the gateway to accessing emergency assistance. This study aimed to characterize the emergency call population and analyze the development of emergency call utilization in Region Zealand in Denmark during a 10-years period.

[Associations between fall injury rates and instrumentation, equipment, and use among community-dwelling older adults: Computation using emergency medical service records].

Objective　This study aimed to examine the instrumentation, equipment, and use associated with falls among community-dwelling older adults, assess the injury rates by instrumentation, equipment, and use according to the characteristics of individuals with injuries, and identify the instrumentation, equipment, and use that cause severe injury.Methods　We analyzed individuals aged ≥ 65 years who experienced falls on their property and required emergency medical transport to a hospital in 2019. The fire departments in Saitama Prefecture provided relevant emergency records.

Assessing PFAS in Drinking Water: Insights from the Czech Republic's Risk-Based Monitoring Approach.

This study investigates the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the drinking water supplies in the Czech Republic using a risk-based monitoring approach. Tap water samples (n=27) from sources close to areas potentially contaminated with PFAS were analysed. A total of 28 PFAS were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry after solid phase extraction.

Prevalence of non-tuberculous mycobacteria among people with acid-fast positive presumptive tuberculosis in Mali.

Background: Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental agents that can cause opportunistic pulmonary disease in humans and animals, often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis (TB). In this study, we describe the cases of NTM identified during the first national anti-TB drug resistance survey conducted in Mali and explore associated risk factors.

Methods: Sputum was collected from people presenting for pulmonary TB diagnosis from April to December 2019, regardless of age.

Barriers for Responding to Pediatric Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest During Emergency Medical Calls: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Rapid recognition of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (POHCA) is a critical component to prompt initiation of bystander interventions. We aimed to investigate barriers for responding to POHCA during emergency medical calls.

Methods And Results: We included all POHCA calls (aged 0-18 years) from the emergency dispatch center in the Capital Region of Denmark between 2018 and 2021 and excluded POHCAs with no resuscitation order, found dead, where trained health professionals were on site, or where there was no possibility for initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Regional and seasonal drivers of metals and PAHs concentrations in road dust and their health implications in the Czech Republic.

While car exhaust emissions in the EU are clearly decreasing, the future of non-exhaust emissions looks more pessimistic. The relative importance of the latter is thus expected to increase in terms of air quality and human health. The aim of the study was to assess regional and seasonal differences in the chemical composition of road dust across the Czech Republic and the health impact of its resuspension, with special respect to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy as metastasis-directed therapy in oligometastatic prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The use of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to definitively treat oligometastases in prostate cancer has drawn large clinical and research interests within radiation oncology. However, the evidence is considered in its early stages and there is currently no systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in this field. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SBRT as metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) in oligometastatic prostate cancer (OMPC) compared to no MDT reported in RCTs.

The use of patient-derived xenografts and patient-derived organoids in the search for new therapeutic regimens for pancreatic carcinoma. A review.

Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and xenografts (PDXs) are powerful tools for personalized medicine in pancreatic cancer (PC) research. This study explores the complementary strengths of PDOs and PDXs in terms of practicality, genetic fidelity, cost, and labor considerations. Among other models like 2D cell cultures, spheroids, cancer-on-chip systems, cell line-derived xenografts (CDX), and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), PDOs and PDXs uniquely balance genetic fidelity and personalized medicine potential, offering distinct advantages over the simplicity of 2D cultures and the advanced, but often resource-intensive, GEMMs and cancer-on-chip systems.

Challenges of menstrual health: Knowledge and prejudices in Mexican public lower-secondary school female students.

A cross-sectional study describing aspects of menstrual poverty was analyzed with 201 female lower-secondary students in Mexico. The 15.5% indicated having a lot of knowledge about menstruation before experiencing it, increasing to 36.

Three Decades of Adolescent Health: Unveiling Global Trends Across 41 Countries in Psychological and Somatic Complaints (1994-2022).

Objectives: This study examined (non-)monotonic time trends in psychological and somatic complaints among adolescents, along with gender differences.

Methods: Repeated cross-sectional Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) data from 1994 to 2022 covering 15-year-old adolescents from 41 countries (N = 470,797) were analysed. Three polynomial logistic regression models (linear, quadratic, cubic) were tested for best fit, including separate analyses by gender and health complaints dimension.

Determinants of alcohol consumption among men and women aged 15-49 years in Cambodia: Evidence from the Cambodia demographic and health survey 2021-2022.

Introduction: Alcohol consumption is a global health issue linked to over 200 diseases and accounts for 5.3% of all deaths annually. We aimed to determine the sociodemographic factors associated with alcohol consumption among Cambodian women and men aged 15-49 years.

PET Foils Functionalized with Reactive Copolymers as Adaptable Microvolume ELISA Spot Array Platforms for Multiplex Serological Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Infections.

Microvolume ELISA platforms have become vital in diagnostics for their high-throughput capabilities and minimal sample requirements. High-quality substrates with advanced surface properties are essential for these applications. They enable both efficient biomolecule immobilization and antifouling properties, which are critical for assay sensitivity and specificity.

Gut Microbiota: Association with Fiber Intake, Ultra-Processed Food Consumption, Sex, Body Mass Index, and Socioeconomic Status in Medical Students.

Unlabelled: The gut microbiota plays a vital role in various physical and physiological processes, including immune system regulation, neurotransmitter production, inflammatory response modulation, and the inhibition of pathogenic organisms. An imbalance in the microbial community, known as dysbiosis, has been associated with numerous health issues. Biological influences, health behaviors, socioeconomic determinants, and nutritional status can disrupt this balance.

Analysis of Genetic Determinants Encoding Resistance to Heavy Metals and Disinfectants in .

is an important foodborne pathogen causing listeriosis. , existing in the natural environment, can also contaminate food products, which poses a serious threat to human health and life, especially for high-risk groups: pregnant women, newborn babies, and the elderly. Environmental adaptation of refers to the various strategies and mechanisms used by this bacterium to survive and thrive in diverse and often hostile environments that include, among others, toxic heavy metals and disinfectants.

Current Treatment Methods in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent malignant tumour worldwide. Depending on the stage of the tumour and liver function, a variety of treatment options are indicated. Traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy are ineffective against HCC; however, the U.