Abstract In the frame of radiotherapy treatment of cancer, radioresistance remains a major issue that still needs solutions to be overcome. To effectively improve the radiosensitivity of tumors and reduce the damage of radiation to neighboring normal tissues, radiosensitizers have been given increasing attention in recent years. As nanoparticles based on the metal element gadolinium, AGuIX nanoparticles have been shown to increase the radiosensitivity of cancers. Although it is a rare nanomaterial that has entered...

Abstract Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza viruses are important global causes of morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the Luminex NxTAG respiratory pathogen panels (RPPs)™ (index) against other RPPs (comparator) for detection of RSV and influenza viruses. Studies comparing human clinical respiratory samples tested with the index and at least one comparator test were included. A random-effect latent class meta-analysis was performed to assess the specificity and sensitivity of the index...

Abstract Background Snail control is critical to schistosomiasis control efforts in China. However, re-emergence of Oncomelania hupensis is challenging the achievements of schistosomiasis control. The present study aimed to test whether the amphibious snails can spread across watersheds using a combination of population genetics and geographic statistics. Methods The digital maps and attributes of snail habitats were obtained from the national survey on O. hupensis. Snail sampling was performed in 45 counties of Sichuan Province....

BackgroundThe AHA/ACC Adult Congenital Heart Disease guidelines recommend that most adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) follow-up with CHD cardiologists every 1 to 2 years because longer gaps in care are associated with adverse outcomes. This study aimed to determine the proportion of patients in North Carolina who did not have recommended follow-up and to explore predictors of loss to follow-up.MethodsPatients ages ≥18 years with a healthcare encounter from 2008 to 2013 in a statewide...

Abstract Background A recent trial of 5920 children in Burkina Faso and Mali showed that the combination of seasonal vaccination with the RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine (primary series and two seasonal boosters) and seasonal malaria chemoprevention (four monthly cycles per year) was markedly more effective than either intervention given alone in preventing clinical malaria, severe malaria, and deaths from malaria. Methods In order to help optimise the timing of these two interventions, trial data were reanalysed...

Abstract Backgrounds Individuals with chronic medical conditions are considered highly exposed to COVID-19 pandemic stress, but emerging evidence is demonstrating that resilience is common even among them. We aimed at identifying sustained resilient outcomes and their predictors in chronically ill people during the first year of the pandemic. Methods This international 4-wave 1-year longitudinal online survey included items on socio-demographic characteristics, economic and living situation, lifestyle and habits, pandemic-related issues, and history of mental disorders....

Abstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and devastating psychiatric illness. Unfortunately, the current therapeutic practice, generally depending on the serotonergic system for drug treatment is unsatisfactory and shows intractable side effects. Multiple evidence suggests that dopamine (DA) and dopaminergic signals associated with neuroinflammation are highly involved in the pathophysiology of depression as well as in the mechanism of antidepressant drugs, which is still in the early stage of study and well worthy...

Abstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and devastating psychiatric illness. Unfortunately, the current therapeutic practice, generally depending on the serotonergic system for drug treatment is unsatisfactory and shows intractable side effects. Multiple evidence suggests that dopamine (DA) and dopaminergic signals associated with neuroinflammation are highly involved in the pathophysiology of depression as well as in the mechanism of antidepressant drugs, which is still in the early stage of study and well worthy...

Metalenses are attracting a large interest for the implementation of complex optical functionalities in planar and compact devices. However, chromatic and off-axis aberrations remain standing challenges. Here, we experimentally investigate the broadband behavior of metalenses based on quadratic phase profiles. We show that these metalenses do not only guarantee an arbitrarily large field of view but are also inherently tolerant to longitudinal and transverse chromatic aberrations. As such, we demonstrate a single-layer, silicon metalens with...

Abstract Background Antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence is still suboptimal among some key populations, highlighting the need for innovative tailored strategies. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the effect of a differentiated digital intervention on ART adherence among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV in China. Methods The two-armed parallel RCT was conducted at one HIV clinic in Jinan of China from October 19, 2020, to June 31, 2021. Men...

Abstract Background Data from High Income Countries have now linked low nurse staff to patient ratios to poor quality patient care. Adequately staffing hospitals is however still a challenge in resource-constrained Low-middle income countries (LMICs) and poor staff-to-patient ratios are largely taken as a norm. This in part relates to limited evidence on the relationship between staffing and quality of patient care in these settings and also an absence of research on benefits that might...

Abstract Background Data from High Income Countries have now linked low nurse staff to patient ratios to poor quality patient care. Adequately staffing hospitals is however still a challenge in resource-constrained Low-middle income countries (LMICs) and poor staff-to-patient ratios are largely taken as a norm. This in part relates to limited evidence on the relationship between staffing and quality of patient care in these settings and also an absence of research on benefits that might...

Abstract Background The prevalence of small for gestational age (SGA) may vary depending on the chosen weight-for-gestational-age reference chart. An individual participant data meta-analysis was conducted to assess the implications of using a local reference (STOPPAM) instead of a universal reference (Intergrowth-21) on the association between malaria in pregnancy and SGA. Methods Individual participant data of 6,236 newborns were pooled from seven conveniently identified studies conducted in Tanzania and Malawi from 2003–2018 with data on...

Abstract Background Our study aimed to explore the associations between solid fuels burning for either heating or cooking and all-cause mortality based on 2859 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study during 2011–2018. Methods Logistic regression models were performed to estimate the risk for all-cause mortality between different types of fuels in the current longitudinal study. Furthermore, the combined impacts of applying solid fuels for both cooking and heating and the effect among...

Abstract The 'Cost of Health Services in India (CHSI)' is the first large scale multi-site facility costing study to incorporate evidence from a national sample of both private and public sectors at different levels of the health system in India. This paper provides an overview of the extent of heterogeneity in costs caused by various supply-side factors. A total of 38 public (11 tertiary care and 27 secondary care) and 16 private hospitals were sampled...

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the real-world implementation of the Friendship Bench (FB) – an evidence-based brief psychological intervention delivered by community health workers (CHWs) – three years after its implementation in three city health departments in Zimbabwe. Implementation sites were evaluated according to their current performance using the RE-AIM framework making this one of the first evaluations of a scaled-up evidence-based psychological intervention in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods Using the RE-AIM guide...

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the real-world implementation of the Friendship Bench (FB) – an evidence-based brief psychological intervention delivered by community health workers (CHWs) – three years after its implementation in three city health departments in Zimbabwe. Implementation sites were evaluated according to their current performance using the RE-AIM framework making this one of the first evaluations of a scaled-up evidence-based psychological intervention in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods Using the RE-AIM guide...

Abstract Background Vector control interventions in sub-Saharan Africa rely on insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying. Insecticide resistance, poor coverage of interventions, poor quality nets and changes in vector behavior threaten the effectiveness of these interventions and, consequently, alternative tools are needed. Mosquitoes die after feeding on humans or animals treated with ivermectin (IVM). Mass drug administration (MDA) with IVM could reduce vector survival and decrease malaria transmission. The entomological impact of MDA of combined...

Abstract Understanding how health systems respond to shocks has become a pressing need to strengthen response efforts. With already fragmented and disrupted health services, fragile and conflict affected [FCA] countries are more vulnerable to shocks. Previous studies have focused more on conceptualizing health system resilience rather than how health systems [especially in FCA countries] respond to or are resilient to acute shocks. To understand how health systems in FCA countries respond to the shocks and...

Abstract Objectives Dealing with uncertainty is one of the critical topics in health technology assessment. The greater decision uncertainty in appraisals, the less clear the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of the health technology. Although the development of targeted cancer therapies (TCTs) has improved patient health care, additional complexity has been introduced in drug appraisals due to targeting more specific populations. Real-world data (RWD) are expected to provide helpful information to fill the evidence gaps in appraisals....

Abstract Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease with poor prognosis. Proteogenomic characterization and integrative proteomic analysis provide a functional context to annotate genomic abnormalities with prognostic value. Methods We performed an integrated multi-omics analysis, including whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic analysis of 217 PDAC tumors with paired non-tumor adjacent tissues. In vivo functional experiments were performed to further illustrate the biological events related to PDAC tumorigenesis and progression. Results A comprehensive...

Abstract Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease with poor prognosis. Proteogenomic characterization and integrative proteomic analysis provide a functional context to annotate genomic abnormalities with prognostic value. Methods We performed an integrated multi-omics analysis, including whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic analysis of 217 PDAC tumors with paired non-tumor adjacent tissues. In vivo functional experiments were performed to further illustrate the biological events related to PDAC tumorigenesis and progression. Results A comprehensive...

Abstract Background Antenatal care coverage has dramatically increased in many low-and middle-income settings, including in the state of Telangana, India. However, there is increasing evidence of shortfalls in the quality of care women receive during their pregnancies. This study aims to examine dimensions of antenatal care quality in Telangana, India using four primary and secondary data sources. Methods Data from two secondary statewide data sources (National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019–21; Health Management Information System...

Abstract Background C-glycosylated flavonoids are a main type of structural modification and can endow flavonoids with greater stability, bioactivity, and bioavailability. Although some C-glycosylated flavonoids have been biosynthesized in vivo or vitro, only a few C-glycosylflavonols have been prepared by these methods. Results In this study, several uridine 5’-diphosphate (UDP)-glucose biosynthesis pathways and Escherichia coli hosts were screened to reconstruct recombinant strains for producing the novel C-glycosylflavonols kaempferol 8-C-glucoside and quercetin 8-C-glucoside. To increase C-glycosylflavonol...

Abstract Background The prevalence of small for gestational age (SGA) may vary depending on the chosen weight-for-gestational-age reference chart. An individual participant data meta-analysis was conducted to assess the implications of using a local reference (STOPPAM) instead of a universal reference (Intergrowth-21) on the association between malaria in pregnancy and SGA. Methods Individual participant data of 6,236 newborns were pooled from seven conveniently identified studies conducted in Tanzania and Malawi from 2003–2018 with data on...