Mode choice model analysis between ridesouring and ridesplitting service in DKI Jakarta

Beside the ridesoucing service, ridesplitting service is also offered by Transport Network Companies (TNC). The ridesplitting service have more benefit than ridesourcing because it is using the concept of carsharing. The current condition for ridesplitting service is not popular and only have small demand than ridesourcing service. This study aims to establish a mode choice model between ridesourcing and ridesplitting service in DKI Jakarta and to estimate the potential of demand shifting from ridesourcing to ridesplitting service in DKI Jakarta. The mode choice model is developed from binary logit model with stated preference survey using fare saving, additional time travel and security presented by gender parameter of ridesplitting service. the sensitivity of logit model show that highest sensitivity rate to increase mode switching to ridesplitting service is in 20% to 50% fare saving level. The probability of current condition to switch to ridesplitting service is 20%

A review of stem cell therapy:An emerging treatment for dementia in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease

AIM: This article aims to study the benefits and disadvantages of stem cell therapy, especially for patients who have dementia. METHODS: The databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and the National Library of Medicine were searched for literature. All papers on Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's disease, stem cell therapy, and its effect on dementia treatment were considered. RESULTS: Stem cell treatment has demonstrated promising outcomes in animal studies by positively modifying the degenerative alterations in dementia. However, it is not without drawbacks, such as ethical concerns while using embryonic stem cells and the danger of developing cancer if the cells undergo uncontrolled differentiation. CONCLUSION: Although stem cell therapy has its risks, it has the potential to be a viable therapeutic option for patients with dementia if developed appropriately. Hence, more research and clinical trials are needed to establish its efficacy in this context

A resource sharing (sharing platform) scheme on online taxi services

This paper will review the match between single driver and single rider in online taxi services through a resource sharing (sharing platform) for the operators with the objectives to maximize the profit for drivers (operators) and minimize waiting time for passengers so that the matching rate is higher. A low matching rate between rider and driver can cause the consumer to drop the services. The matching between single driver and single rider in online taxi services through a sharing platform scheme is formulated in maximum weighted bipartite matching problem. To solve the proposed model, we use Kuhn Munkres Algorithm, while to solve the shortest path for the driver to pick up the passenger and the shortest path of passenger's origin destination, modified Dijkstra with adaptive algorithm based on Wei Peng et.al (2012) is used. Based on illustrative example with several cases, we found a resource sharing scenario can optimize the matching between driver and rider and moreover can solve the surge pricing problem which is deemed as less transparant to custome

The impact of COVID-19 on patients with neurological disorders and their access to healthcare in Africa:A review of the literature

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has hampered the progress of neurological healthcare services for patients across Africa. Before the pandemic, access to these services was already limited due to elevated treatment costs among uninsured individuals, shortage of medicines, equipment, and qualified personnel, immense distance between residing areas and neurological facilities, and a limited understanding of neurological diseases and their presentation by both the health workers and the African population. METHODOLOGY: The databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and the National Library of Medicine were searched for literature. All articles on neurological disorders in Africa were considered. AIM: This review article explores the challenges of providing the best services for patients suffering from neurological disorders in Africa amid the COVID‐19 pandemic and provides evidence‐based recommendations. RESULTS: As Africa's governments made more resources available to support patients affected by COVID‐19, neurological care received less priority and the capacity and competency to treat patients with neurological disorders thus suffered substantially. Both short‐term and long‐term strategies are needed to improve the quality of neurological services after the pandemic in the region. CONCLUSION: To strengthen Africa's neurological services capability during and after the COVID‐19 pandemic, African governments must ensure appropriate healthcare resource allocation, perform neurology management training, and increase health security measures in medication supply. Long‐term strategies include incorporating responsible finance and resource procurement and advancement of tele‐neurology. International collaboration is essential to promote the sustainable improvement of neurological services in Africa

Posterior Segment Ophthalmic Drug Delivery: Role of Muco-Adhesion with a Special Focus on Chitosan.

Posterior segment eye diseases (PSEDs) including age macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are amongst the major causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. Due to the numerous barriers encountered, highly invasive intravitreal (IVT) injections represent the primary route to deliver drugs to the posterior eye tissues. Thus, the potential of a more patient friendly topical route has been widely investigated. Mucoadhesive formulations can decrease precorneal clearance while prolonging precorneal residence. Thus, they are expected to enhance the chances of adherence to corneal and conjunctival surfaces and as such, enable increased delivery to the posterior eye segment. Among the mucoadhesive polymers available, chitosan is the most widely explored due to its outstanding mucoadhesive characteristics. In this review, the major PSEDs, their treatments, barriers to topical delivery, and routes of topical drug absorption to the posterior eye are presented. To enable the successful design of mucoadhesive ophthalmic drug delivery systems (DDSs), an overview of mucoadhesion, its theory, characterization, and considerations for ocular mucoadhesion is given. Furthermore, chitosan-based DDs that have been explored to promote topical drug delivery to the posterior eye segment are reviewed. Finally, challenges of successful preclinical to clinical translation of these DDSs for posterior eye drug delivery are discussed

The burden of monkeypox virus amidst the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa:A double battle for Africa

The Coronavirus Disease - 19 (COVID-19) pandemic has put additional strain on Africa's fragile healthcare systems and has impacted the rise of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Currently, there is a rise in cases of Monkeypox Disease, a zoonotic viral disease caused by the Monkeypox virus, which was first documented in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Most of the clinical symptoms of Monkeypox resemble that of smallpox, whose virus also belongs to the same genus. Initial symptoms include headache, fever, and fatigue, followed by lymphadenopathy and a rash. This study aims to provide more insight into Monkeypox by exposing its current burden and efforts to combat it amidst COVID-19 in Africa. Since Monkeypox disease is re-emerging and is less contagious than COVID-19, prevention and treatment are much more manageable. Still, African countries face several crucial challenges in responding to the Monkeypox in times of the covid-19 pandemic. These include lack of a well-functioning surveillance system for early detection of the disease, lack of awareness and knowledge of the monkeypox disease across the general population, lack of healthcare facilities already burdened by COVID-19 cases, and shortage of trained healthcare professionals. On the other hand, one significant factor contributing to the minimized risk in Africa was the smallpox vaccination done before 1980. However, a declining cross-protective immunity is seen in those inoculated with the smallpox vaccine and the ever-increasing risk to the unvaccinated population. Thus, focusing on vaccination and disease surveillance operations and diligent monitoring, as well as cross-border collaborations with international sectors, including One Health, FOA, OIE, and WHO is critical to achieving the ultimate eradication of monkeypox in Africa

Two randomized trials of effect of live attenuated influenza vaccine on pneumococcal colonization

The human nasopharynx is frequently colonized by Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus), serving as the reservoir for transmission, a state which necessarily precedes invasive pneumococcal infection. Influenza infection increases pneumococcal colonization density and dysregulates host immune responses, increasing the risk of secondary bacterial pneumonia and death

Management of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection:WHO guidelines for low tuberculosis burden countries

ABSTRACT Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is characterised by the presence of immune responses to previously acquired Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection without clinical evidence of active tuberculosis (TB). Here we report evidence-based guidelines from the World Health Organization for a public health approach to the management of LTBI in high risk individuals in countries with high or middle upper income and TB incidence of <100 per 100000 per year. The guidelines strongly recommend systematic testing and treatment of LTBI in people living with HIV, adult and child contacts of pulmonary TB cases, patients initiating anti-tumour necrosis factor treatment, patients receiving dialysis, patients preparing for organ or haematological transplantation, and patients with silicosis. In prisoners, healthcare workers, immigrants from high TB burden countries, homeless persons and illicit drug users, systematic testing an

Human Infection Challenge with Serotype 3 Pneumococcus

Rationale: Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3 (SPN3) is a cause of invasive pneumococcal disease and associated with low carriage rates. Following the introduction of pediatric 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) programmes, SPN3 declines are less than other vaccine serotypes and incidence has increased in some populations coincident with a shift in predominant circulating SPN3 clade, from I to II. A human challenge model provides an effective means for assessing the impact of PCV13 on SPN3 in the upper airway. Objectives: To establish SPN3’s ability to colonise the nasopharynx using different inoculum clades and doses and the safety of an SPN3 challenge model. Methods: In a human challenge study involving three well characterised and antibiotic sensitive SPN3 isolates (PFESP306 [clade Ia], PFESP231 [no clade] and PFESP505 [clade II]), inoculum doses (10,000, 20,000, 80,000, 160,000 CFU/100μL) were escalated until maximal colonisation rates were achieved, with concurrent acceptable safety. Outcome measures: Presence and density of experimental SPN3 nasopharyngeal colonisation in nasal wash samples, assessed using microbiological culture and molecular methods, on days 2, 7 and 14 post-inoculation. Results: 96 healthy participants (median age 21, interquartile range 19-25) were inoculated (n=6-10 per dose group, 10 groups). Colonisation rates ranged from 30.0-70.0% varying with dose and isolate. 30.0% (29/96) reported mild symptoms (82.8% sore throat, [24/29]), one developed otitis media requiring antibiotics. No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusions: An SPN3 human challenge model is feasible and safe with comparable carriage rates to an established SPN6B human challenge model. SPN3 carriage may cause mild upper respiratory symptoms