Human Papillomavirus-Associated Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Among Adults Living in South-Central Asia: A Systematic Review.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) related oral cancers are increasing and are associated with sexual risk behaviours. An increase in the incidence of oral cancer has been observed in South-central Asian countries. The objective was to systematically review the evidence on the association of HPV and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) among adults living in South-central Asia.

Culture-Independent Detection and Identification of Serovars.

Pathogenic , the causative agents of leptospirosis, comprise >200 serotypes (called serovars). Most have a restricted reservoir-host range, and some, e.g.

Does snake envenoming cause chronic kidney disease? A cohort study in rural Sri Lanka.

Background: There is limited information on the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) following snakebite and its relationship with chronic interstitial nephritis in agricultural communities (CINAC). We aimed to investigate CKD in patients with a confirmed snakebite in rural Sri Lanka.

Methods: Patients prospectively recruited to the Anuradhapura snakebite cohort with authenticated bites were followed up.

Household preferences for pet keeping: Findings from a rural district of Sri Lanka.

Pet ownership is an integral part of a modern-day family. It provides a wide range of benefits to humans. However, data on pet ownership are relatively limited from rural regions, Southern Asia and low-middle-income countries.

Prevalence and correlates of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: a cross-sectional study from a teaching hospital southern Sri Lanka.

Introductions: This study assessed the prevalence of cognitive impairment, the degree of impairment in individual cognitive domains and sociodemographic and clinical correlates among patients attending to psychiatry clinics at Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Sri Lanka.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the psychiatry outpatient clinics of Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Sri Lanka. Their cognitive functions were assessed using the culturally validated Sinhala version of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination - III (ACE-III-S).

Primary Health Care System Strengthening Project in Sri Lanka: Status and Challenges with Human Resources, Information Systems, Drugs and Laboratory Services.

A Primary Healthcare-System-Strengthening Project (PSSP) is implemented by the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, with funding support from the World Bank for providing quality care through primary medical care institutions (PMCIs). We used an explanatory mixed-methods study to assess progress and challenges in human resources, drug availability, laboratory services and the health management information system (HMIS) at PMCIs. We conducted a checklist-based assessment followed by in-depth interviews of healthcare workers in one PMCI each in all nine provinces.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of ecological security in a typical conservation region of southern China based on catastrophe theory and GIS.

Ecological security assessment can effectively reflect the ecological status of a region and reveal its level of sustainable development. In this paper, an ecological security-oriented evaluation system was constructed, and the ecological security level of the Dongjiangyuan region from 2000 to 2020 was evaluated based on catastrophe theory and GIS. The results were as follows: (1) As shown in the land use and cover maps, by 2020, the forestland area had decreased the most, and the artificial surface area had increased the most.

Cardiometabolic risk profiles in a Sri Lankan twin and singleton sample.

Introduction: Prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes is a priority in low- and middle-income countries, especially in South Asia where these are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The metabolic syndrome is a tool to identify cardiometabolic risk, but the validity of the metabolic syndrome as a clinical construct is debated. This study tested the existence of the metabolic syndrome, explored alternative cardiometabolic risk characterisations, and examined genetic and environmental factors in a South Asian population sample.

Comparison of bedside clotting tests for detecting venom-induced consumption coagulopathy following Sri Lankan viper envenoming.

Background: The whole blood clotting test (WBCT) is commonly used for diagnosing venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC) in resource-poor settings. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the WBCT and capillary blood clotting test (CBCT) for detecting VICC in viper envenoming in Sri Lanka.

Methods: All confirmed snakebites admitted to Teaching Hospital Anuradhapura from July 2020 to June 2021 were included.

Acertannin attenuates LPS-induced inflammation by interrupting the binding of LPS to the TLR4/MD2 complex and activating Nrf2-mediated HO-1 activation.

Acertannin (ACTN) is a polyphenol known for its powerful anticancer and antioxidant effects. However, its anti-inflammatory effects have not been investigated at the molecular levels. Therefore, to evaluate anti-inflammatory effects of ACTN and its signaling pathway, the expression of proinflammatory markers was measured in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.

A health promotion intervention to address youth violence among students in a technical college in Sri Lanka guided by the participatory action research approach: a study protocol.

Background: Youth violence is a global public health issue and the highest rates are reported in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Higher rates of youth violence are reported in Sri Lanka as well. Students who fail to continue higher studies in schools or enter the universities in Sri Lanka, enroll in technical colleges and are associated with a higher number of risk factors of violence.

Glyphosate and its breakdown product AMPA elicit cytoprotective responses in haemocytes of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis).

This study investigates the effects of glyphosate (GLY) and its metabolite AMPA on cytoprotective and detoxification mechanisms in haemocytes of Mytilus galloprovincialis. Cells were treated in vitro with 0.1 and 1.

Factors associated with early pregnancy anemia in rural Sri Lanka: Does being 'under care' iron out socioeconomic disparities?

Globally, more than a third of pregnant women are anemic, and progress in its prevention and control is slow. Sri Lanka is a lower-middle-income country with a unique public health infrastructure that provides multiple interventions across the lifecycle for anemia prevention, despite which anemia in pregnancy remains a challenge. Studying the factors associated with maternal anemia in this context would provide unique information on challenges and opportunities encountered as low-and-middle-income countries attempt to control anemia by improving health care coverage.

Sri Lankan Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus) Attacks on Humans.

The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) is an omnivore that has been reported around most parts of South Asia. Although rare, sloth bear attacks can inflict potentially life-threatening injuries. This cross-sectional study analyzed 10 patients who had been mauled by sloth bears and who presented to rural hospitals in the Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka between 2015 and 2019.

Exploring the cultural effects of gender on perceptions of cutaneous leishmaniasis: a systematic literature review.

Background: More than one million people each year become infected by parasites that cause the disease cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). This disease manifests as one or more skin lesions or ulcers that are slow to heal with variable response rates to drug treatments. Thus far, little attention has been paid to how the cultural effects of gender shape perceptions and experiences of CL.

Description of a telephone and Internet-based intervention to improve community responses to COVID-19 spread.

Background: This paper describes the process and results of a health promotion intervention to engage lay communities using telephone and online communication, to improve their current responses to the spread of COVID-19.

Methods: An intervention was conducted from March to July 2020 in three districts of Sri Lanka. Seven 'trigger' stories were shared through telephone or online communication to stimulate brainstorming and to engage selected community members.

Consequences of Oviposition Site Choice for Geckos in Changing Environments.

Most lizards lay eggs inside nests where embryos experience daily fluctuations in temperature. As embryos are sensitive to exposure to high temperatures, increases in nest temperatures may pose a risk to lizards. In the velvet gecko , nest temperatures are positively correlated with air temperatures, so nests may get hotter in future.

Energy, environmental degradation, and health status: evidence from South Asia.

Energy is considered a vital factor of economic growth that contributes to improve quality of life and health status. However, global warming, climate change, and environmental degradation are due primarily because of energy emissions, whereas environmental degradation is detrimental to health. Since one-fifth of the population lives in South Asia, it is necessary to analyze the impact of energy and environmental degradation on health status in this region.

The magnitude of out-of-pocket expenditure for antenatal care in low and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Owing to the lack of compiled global evidence on out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) for antenatal care (ANC), this systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the magnitude of OOPE for ANC in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods: An electronic search was conducted using 10 databases and a hand search of the eligible studies' reference lists. Studies on OOPE for ANC in LMICs, published in English without time restriction, were included.

Kounis syndrome following an anaphylactic reaction to antivenom in a patient with Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) bite: A case report.

Kounis syndrome is the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome associated with mast cell and platelet activation in the setting of allergic or anaphylactic insults. Kounis syndrome has been previously reported following snake envenoming rarely, with or without antivenom therapy. We report a case of inferolateral ST elevation myocardial infarction 32 hours from a confirmed Russell's viper bite.

Risk of methicillin-resistant prosthetic joint infection in elective total hip and knee arthroplasty following eradication therapy.

Re-screening following methicillin-resistant (MRSA) decolonization will be helpful to minimize the development of prosthetic joint infection among MRSA colonizers.

Long-term health effects perceived by snakebite patients in rural Sri Lanka: A cohort study.

The acute effects of snakebite are often emphasized, with less information on long-term effects. We aimed to describe the long-term health effects perceived by patients followed up after confirmed snakebites. Two groups of snakebite patients (>18y) from the Anuradhapura snakebite cohort were reviewed: Group I had a snakebite during August 2013-October 2014 and was reviewed after 4 years, and group II had a snakebite during May 2017-August 2018, and was reviewed after one year.

Quality of life among community-dwelling older adults: evidence from a large population-based study in rural Sri Lanka.

Purpose: Against the backdrop of the ever-increasing aging population in Sri Lanka and the scarcity of local evidence on quality of life (QoL) among rural elderly, this study was conducted to assess the QoL of the community-dwelling older adults in rural Sri Lanka.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among community-dwelling older adults (60-74 years) in a selected rural setting in Sri Lanka. K-means cluster analysis was used to stratify participants into 'low' and 'high' levels of QoL and then significant associations between these clusters and underlying socio-demographic and self-reported health related factors were estimated using bivariate and subsequent multivariable binary logistic regression models.