Evaluation of dose distribution to the tumor and organs at risk for cervical cancer patients treated using HDR-ICBT without central tandem applicator: A single center based experience.

Background And Purpose: Cervical cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among women in numerous low and middle-income countries. Tandem-based applicator is a widely used technique in High Dose Rate Intercavitary Brachytherapy (HDR-ICBT) for treating cervical cancer. For cases where central tandem insertion is not feasible due to patient-specific conditions, a ring-only applicator is used as an alternative.

Automated quantitative mineralogy and plastics - A new view of the plastic surface in aquatic environments.

Plastics are a ubiquitous pollutant, and are rapidly colonized by biofilms that sorb inorganic and organic components, forming the interface between plastics and the environment. This study provides a proof of concept for the use of automated quantitative mineralogy (AQM) to illuminate and analyse the metal and mineral component of the plastisphere on plastics sampled from temperate and tropical aquatic localities. The method is non-destructive and requires minimal sample preparation, providing a 2-dimensional visualisation and semi-quantitative analysis of the arrangement of biogenic and abiogenic components, highlighting potential interactions between these components.

Insecticide tolerance of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae following larval exposure to microplastics and insecticide.

Microplastic (MP) pollution poses a global threat to urban and rural environments and can have negative effects on a range of organisms. Mosquito larvae often breed in water contaminated with MPs, and given their important role as disease vectors, understanding the effects of larval exposure to MPs is critical for understanding the potential impact on their life history traits and subsequent methods for their control. Here, we have exposed first instar larvae of Anopheles gambiae s.

Computational analysis of Urolithin A as a potential compound for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neurodegenerative pathways.

Urolithin A, an active precursor derived from the metabolism of ellagitanins in rats and humans, is known for its potential health benefits, including stimulating mitophagy and promoting muscular skeletal function. While experimental studies have demonstrated Urolithin A's potential to enhance cellular health, the detailed molecular interactions through which Urolithin A exerts its effects are not fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory, antioxidation and neuroprotective abilities of Urolithin A in selected targets using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation methods.

Indigenous Knowledge and Quantitative Analysis of Medicinal Plants Used to Remedy Respiratory Tract Disorders in Mid-Western Tanzania.

This study is aimed at documenting the indigenous knowledge and quantitative analysis of medicinal plants (MPs) used by traditional health practitioners (THPs) of Urambo District in mid-western Tanzania to manage respiratory tract disorders (RTDs). The ethnomedicinal data were collected using semistructured interviews with 55 THPs using a snowballing technique in the district. The data were analysed for indigenous knowledge among gender, age groups, education status, and experience.

Mitochondria-Targeting Fluorescent Probes for Hydrogen Sulfide Detection and Imaging.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is a potent redox-active signaling molecule commonly dysregulated in disease states. The production of HS and its involvement in various pathological conditions associated with mitochondrial dysfunction has been extensively documented. During stress, cystathionine gamma-lyase and cystathionine beta-synthase enzymes residing in cytosol are copiously translocated into the mitochondria to boost HS production, confirming its pivotal role in mitochondrial activities.

Has stakeholder participation in health facility governing committees promoted social accountability? A qualitative study in Tanzania.

Background: Since the 1990s, Tanzania has actively encouraged stakeholder participation in health services through Health Facility Governing Committees (HFGCs) to promote social accountability within its broader health system reforms. While previous studies have explored the functionality of the HFGCs, this study aimed to understand whether stakeholder participation in the HFGCs contributes to promoting social accountability in the health system.

Methods: Between July and October 2022, a qualitative study in two districts of Tanzania was carried out.

Update on antimicrobial resistance in Somalia: Current status, challenges, opportunities, and future perspectives.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health challenge, and Somalia is no exception. This update examines the current status of AMR in Somalia, highlighting the prevalent patterns of resistance, contributing factors, and significant health impacts. Despite limited surveillance data, evidence suggests rising resistance to key antibiotics, exacerbated by inadequate healthcare infrastructure, overuse of antimicrobials, and lack of regulatory oversight.

The workshops on computational applications in secondary metabolite discovery (CAiSMD).

We report the outcomes of the second session of the free online open-access workshop "Computational Applications in Secondary Metabolite Discovery (CAiSMD) 2022" that took place from 09 to 11 March 2022. The first session was held from 08 to 10 March 2021 and drew the attention of many early career scientists from academia and industry. The 23 invited speakers of this year's workshop also came from academia and industry and 222 registered participants from five continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, South, and North America) took part in the workshop.

Assessing community awareness and participation in health facility governing committees in two districts of Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Tanzania has been promoting community participation in health, either directly or through health facility governing committees (HFGCs), as part of its wider, ongoing health system reforms since the 1990s. Although some studies have assessed the functioning of the HFGCs, little is known about community knowledge and involvement in their activities.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey assessing community awareness and participation in HFGCs was conducted between July and October 2022, involving two rural districts of Tanzania, which were selected based on their performance: Handeni, showing low performance and Mbarali, high performance.

Child maltreatment in a high adversity context: Associations of age, type and timing of exposure with psychopathology in middle childhood.

Background: While cumulative childhood maltreatment (CM) has been linked to psychopathological outcomes, recent studies point to the relevance of the type and timing of exposure. The aim of the current study was to better understand their importance beyond the cumulative burden of CM for psychopathological symptoms in middle childhood.

Methods: A total of N = 341 children (M = 9.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Schistosomiasis in Pujini Shehia, Pemba Island, Tanzania: A Blueprint for Planning Community-based Interventions.

Background: Lack of insight into the community's knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding schistosomiasis stands as a significant obstacle in controlling the disease in endemic regions. Understanding communities' KAP is crucial for designing and implementing appropriate disease control measures. The present study was conducted to assess community's KAP on shistosomiasis in Pujini, Pemba.

Antiasthmatic Medicinal Plants of Tanzania: An Ethnomedicinal and Ethnopharmacological Review.

Traditional medicinal plants (TMPs) are a significant part of people's quality of life, offering a natural substitute for modern drugs with numerous side effects. In Tanzania, data on antiasthmatic TMPs are highly fragmented. This review, a comprehensive compilation of ethnobotanical research evidence, aimed to provide a thorough understanding of TMPs used by the locals for asthma management and identify species that have already been investigated in preclinical studies.

School-based prevention of teacher and parental violence against children: Study protocol of a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Tanzania.

Background: Violence against children at home and at school is particularly prevalent in Africa and is associated with adverse and persistent health effects on children. The violence prevention intervention Interaction Competencies with Children - for Teachers (ICC-T) is an effective tool to reduce violence against children by fostering teachers' non-violent communication and interaction skills. To enhance these effects, in the present study, ICC-T will be extended to parents (ICC-P) aiming to increase children's experience of consistent behavior and application of non-violent discipline strategies between teachers and parents.

Estimation of Carleman operator from a univariate time series.

Reconstructing a nonlinear dynamical system from empirical time series is a fundamental task in data-driven analysis. One of the main challenges is the existence of hidden variables; we only have records for some variables, and those for hidden variables are unavailable. In this work, the techniques for Carleman linearization, phase-space embedding, and dynamic mode decomposition are integrated to rebuild an optimal dynamical system from time series for one specific variable.

Association between exposure to heavy metals and the risk of breast cancer: A case-control study in Tanzania.

Exposure to heavy metals is suspected to influence breast cancer development, although epidemiological evidence regarding this association remains controversial. This study investigated the association between urinary heavy metal levels and breast cancer risk through a hospital-based case-control design, involving 50 breast cancer patients and 40 healthy females. Heavy metals were quantified using an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer (ICP-AES).

Co-occurrence of Overweight, Stunting, and Anemia among Adolescents (10-19 Years) in Tanzania Mainland: A School-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Evidence on double and triple burdens of malnutrition among adolescents is an essential key to informing policy design, implementation, and tracking progress of adolescent nutritional programs. Tanzania has a scarcity of studies on the double and triple burden of malnutrition among adolescents.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the co-occurrence of malnutrition (overweight, stunting, and anemia) among adolescents (10-19 y) in mainland Tanzania.

A comprehensive review of antimalarial medicinal plants used by Tanzanians.

Context: Tanzania has rich medicinal plant (MP) resources, and most rural inhabitants rely on traditional healing practices for their primary healthcare needs. However, available research evidence on antimalarial MPs is highly fragmented in the country.

Objective: This systematic review compiles ethnomedicinal research evidence on MPs used by Tanzanians as antimalarials.

Explaining the rise of economic and rural-urban inequality in clean cooking fuel use in Tanzania.

Despite the high rate of economic growth and electrification in the last two decades in Tanzania, only 6.9 % of the nation's households have access to clean cooking fuel technology which is concentrated among the rich urban households. Analysing data from two waves of the Tanzania National Panel Survey (2014/15 and 2020/21), we estimate the economic and rural-urban inequalities in the use of clean cooking fuel.

Exosomes: New Insights into the Pathogenesis of Metabolic Syndrome.

Exosomes are a subtype of extracellular vesicles (EVs) with a diameter of 30~150 nm (averaging ~100 nm) that are primarily produced through the endosomal pathway, and carry various components such as lipids, proteins, RNA, and other small molecular substances. Exosomes can mediate intercellular communication through the bioactive substances they carry, thus participating in different physiological activities. Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a disease caused by disturbances in the body's metabolism, mainly including insulin resistance (IR), diabetes, obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis (AS).

Assessing online sexual exploitation among secondary school students in Tanzania from a routine activity theory perspective.

Objectives: In this study, we first assessed whether four routine activity theory (RAT) variables (Internet exposure, target suitability, proximity to offender, and guardianship) determine Tanzanian adolescents' online sexual exploitation (OSE). Second, we identified two types of guardianship that moderate the relationships between these variables and adolescents' OSE. Third, we assessed the moderating effect of locality (rural area) on the relationships among the RAT variables and OSE.

Facile biosynthesis of Ag-ZnO nanocomposites using Launaea cornuta leaf extract and their antimicrobial activity.

The quest to synthesize safe, non-hazardous Ag-ZnO nanoomposites (NCs) with improved physical and chemical properties has necessitated green synthesis approaches. In this research, Launaea cornuta leaf extract was proposed for the green synthesis of Ag-ZnO NCs, wherein the leaf extract was used as a reducing and capping agent. The antibacterial activity of the prepared nanoomposites was investigated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus through the disc diffusion method.

Microplastics in agriculture - a potential novel mechanism for the delivery of human pathogens onto crops.

Mulching with plastic sheeting, the use of plastic carriers in seed coatings, and irrigation with wastewater or contaminated surface water have resulted in plastics, and microplastics, becoming ubiquitous in agricultural soils. Once in the environment, plastic surfaces quickly become colonised by microbial biofilm comprised of a diverse microbial community. This so-called 'plastisphere' community can also include human pathogens, particularly if the plastic has been exposed to faecal contamination (e.