Demographic, social and health system factors associated with maternal mortality in Pakistan: A nested case-control study.

Background: Pakistan has experienced a significant reduction in maternal mortality with a decline of 33 percent between 2006 and 2019. However, the country still grapples with a high number (186 per 100,000 live births) of maternal deaths each year. This study aims to identify socio-demographic and health system related factors associated with maternal mortality.

A NOTCH3 pathogenic variant influences osteogenesis and can be targeted by antisense oligonucleotides in induced pluripotent stem cells.

Lateral Meningocele Syndrome (LMS), a disorder associated with NOTCH3 pathogenic variants, presents with neurological, craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities. Mouse models of the disease exhibit osteopenia that is ameliorated by the administration of Notch3 antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) targeting either Notch3 or the Notch3 mutation. To determine the consequences of LMS pathogenic variants in human cells and whether they can be targeted by ASOs, induced pluripotent NCRM1 and NCRM5 stem (iPS) cells harboring a NOTCH36692-93insC insertion were created.

CD206+ Trem2+ macrophage accumulation in the murine knee joint after injury is associated with protection against post-traumatic osteoarthritis in MRL/MpJ mice.

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a painful joint disease characterized by the degradation of bone, cartilage, and other connective tissues in the joint. PTOA is initiated by trauma to joint-stabilizing tissues, such as the anterior cruciate ligament, medial meniscus, or by intra-articular fractures. In humans, ~50% of joint injuries progress to PTOA, while the rest spontaneously resolve.

Technical and management coaching for government institutions: Lessons learned and health systems transformations across 8 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and India.

Traditional engagement with local governments often relies on financial and human resources from international or local partners, leading to direct implementation by organizations, which can hinder sustainability. While some organizations include sustainability indicators, few focus on transferring technical and financial ownership to governments. The Challenge Initiative (TCI) uses a phased coaching model-lead, assist, observe, and monitor-to build local government capacity for scaling family planning (FP) and adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH) programs.

Age-related disparities in national maternal mortality trends: A population-based study.

Objective: An upward trend in maternal age has been observed in the United States (US) over the last twenty years. The study objective was to examine the association of maternal age with maternal mortality in the US and examine temporal trends in mortality by maternal age.

Methods: A retrospective population-based analysis in the US between 2000-2019 was conducted using records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Mortality Multiple Cause" and "Birth Data" files.

Weeds and agro by-products for sustainable farming of edible field cricket, Gryllus madagascarensis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).

Gryllus madagascarensis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) is a cricket species that shows promise to mitigate food insecurity and malnutrition. But whether this species will accept low- to no-cost weeds and agro by-products as feed, and how these feeds affect its performance, remains unknown. This study assessed the acceptability of 66 weed species and agro by-products (derived from a single plant species) by adult G.

Repellency and toxicity of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs) to bed bugs.

Vector control is essential for eliminating malaria, a vector-borne parasitic disease responsible for over half a million deaths annually. Success of vector control programs hinges on community acceptance of products like long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs). Communities in malaria-endemic regions often link LLIN efficacy to their ability to control indoor pests such as bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L.

Antibiotic prescribing patterns at outpatient clinics in Western and Coastal Kenya.

Antimicrobial resistant pathogens are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with overuse and misuse of antimicrobials being key contributors. We aimed to identify factors associated with antibiotic prescriptions among patients presenting to clinics in Kenya. We performed a retrospective, descriptive cohort study of persons presenting to outpatient clinics in Western and Coastal Kenya, including symptoms, physical exams, clinician assessments, laboratory results and prescriptions.

Fast exact gap-affine partial order alignment with POASTA.

Motivation: Partial order alignment is a widely used method for computing multiple sequence alignments, with applications in genome assembly and pangenomics, among many others. Current algorithms to compute the optimal, gap-affine partial order alignment do not scale well to larger graphs and sequences. While heuristic approaches exist, they do not guarantee optimal alignment and sacrifice alignment accuracy.

Flexible Electrode Arrays Based on a Wide Bandgap Semiconductors for Chronic Implantable Multiplexed Sensing and Heart Pacemakers.

Implantable systems with chronic stability, high sensing performance, and extensive spatial-temporal resolution are a growing focus for monitoring and treating several diseases such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, and cardiac arrhythmias. These systems demand exceptional bendability, scalable size, durable electrode materials, and well-encapsulated metal interconnects. However, existing chronic implantable bioelectronic systems largely rely on materials prone to corrosion in biofluids, such as silicon nanomembranes or metals.

Real-World Particle Emissions from a Modern Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicle during Normal Operation and DPF Regeneration Events: Impacts on Disadvantaged Communities.

We assessed the real-world particulate emissions of a goods movement diesel vehicle, with an emphasis on total particle number and solid particle number emissions at different cutoff sizes. The vehicle was tested on routes in the South Coast Air Basin (SCAB) of California, representative of typical goods movement operation between the ports to warehouses and logistic centers with a mixture of urban and highway driving, as well as elevation change. We evaluated emissions during normal vehicle operation and diesel particulate filter (DPF) active regeneration events.

Functionalization of Pyridines at the C4 Position via Metalation and Capture.

The functionalization of pyridines at positions remote to the N-atom remains an outstanding problem in organic synthesis. The inherent challenges associated with overriding the influence of the embedded N-atom within pyridines was overcome using n-butylsodium, which provided an avenue to deprotonate and functionalize the C4-position over traditionally observed addition products that are formed with organolithium bases. In this work, we show that freshly generated 4-sodiopyrdines could undergo transition metal free alkylation reactions directly with a variety of primary alkyl halides bearing diverse functional groups.

ChatGPT's Attitude, Knowledge, and Clinical Application in Geriatrics Practice and Education: Exploratory Observational Study.

Background: The increasing use of ChatGPT in clinical practice and medical education necessitates the evaluation of its reliability, particularly in geriatrics.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate ChatGPT's trustworthiness in geriatrics through 3 distinct approaches: evaluating ChatGPT's geriatrics attitude, knowledge, and clinical application with 2 vignettes of geriatric syndromes (polypharmacy and falls).

Methods: We used the validated University of California, Los Angeles, geriatrics attitude and knowledge instruments to evaluate ChatGPT's geriatrics attitude and knowledge and compare its performance with that of medical students, residents, and geriatrics fellows from reported results in the literature.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Multimodal Psychotherapy Training Program for Medical Students in China: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Psychotherapy is central to the treatment of mental disorders, highlighting the importance of medical students and residents developing competencies in this area. Chinese medical residents have expressed a strong need for psychotherapy training, yet they are generally dissatisfied with the current offerings. This paper presents the protocol for an evidence-based, well-structured psychotherapy teaching program aimed at medical students and residents.

US State Public Health Agencies' Use of Twitter From 2012 to 2022: Observational Study.

Background: Twitter (subsequently rebranded as X) is acknowledged by US health agencies, including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as an important public health communication tool. However, there is a lack of data describing its use by state health agencies over time. This knowledge is important amid a changing social media landscape in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Improving Social Media-Based Support Groups for the Rare Disease Community: Interview Study With Patients and Parents of Children with Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases.

Background: The rarity that is inherent in rare disease (RD) often means that patients and parents of children with RDs feel uniquely isolated and therefore are unprepared or unsupported in their care. To overcome this isolation, many within the RD community turn to the internet, and social media groups in particular, to gather useful information about their RDs. While previous research has shown that social media support groups are helpful for those affected by RDs, it is unclear what these groups are particularly useful or helpful for patients and parents of children with RDs.

Systems-level liquid biopsy in advanced prostate cancer.

Treatment for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) primarily involves the suppression of androgen receptor (AR) activity using androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSIs). While ARSIs have extended patient survival, resistance inevitably develops. Mechanisms of resistance include genomic aberrations at the AR locus that reactivate AR signaling, or lineage plasticity that drives emergence of AR-independent phenotypes.

Needle tract seeding of thyroid cancer after biopsy of distant metastasis: a retrospective cohort.

Imaging-guided percutaneous core needle biopsy (PCNB) is currently the most common technique for the investigation of potentially malignant bone lesions. It allows precise needle placement and better visual guidance, leading to improved diagnostic accuracy. Needle tract seeding (NTS) is a rare complication of biopsies in general, and its true incidence remains unknown.

Advanced Child Tax Credit Monthly Payments and Substance Use Among US Parents.

Importance: 2021 Advance child tax credit (ACTC) monthly payments were associated with reduced US child poverty rates; however, policymakers have expressed concerns that permanent adoption would increase parental substance use.

Objective: To assess whether 2021 ACTC monthly payments were temporally associated with changes in substance use among parents compared with adults without children.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The primary sample included adults aged 18 to 64 years who responded to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2021.