Costing Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy for Malaria in Tanzania

Malaria continues to be a major contributor to the burden of disease in Tanzania, with a prevalence of 33.39 percent nationally. As antimalarial resistance to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in Tanzania continues to grow, the government is in the process of changing its national policy regarding first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria to an artemisinin-based combination therapy (ART). ACT, a new type of antimalarial drug combination, has proved to be effective at treating malaria and reducing malaria transmission. The PHRplus project, on behalf of the Roll Back Malaria \ud Partnership in conjunction with the World Bank, undertook a costing study to estimate the five-year financing needs and identify financing gaps for procurement of three possible ACT combinations, Coartem®, artesunate amodiaquine (ART AQ), and ArtecomTM. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria award for malaria during the fourth round of proposals will cover the majority of the first year of public sector ACT implementation if Coartem® (with a financing gap of US$1.4 million) is chosen, or the bulk of public sector implementation for the full five-year period under ART AQ or Artecom. ACT funding must be secured for the medium- to long-term future. Financing for the purchase of ACTs is likely to come from the Global Fund, the World Bank, and the various other partner agencies

Evaluation Of Sociodemographic Factors And Presence Of Oil And Gas Waste Disposal Wells In Kansas

Background and objective: Kansas hosts the second-largest number of wells in the United States for the disposal of oil and gas waste (n = 13,396), which can contain chemicals toxic to human health. In this study we evaluate potential associations between oil and gas waste disposal well locations and sociodemographic characteristics in Kansas. Methods: We obtained oil and gas production and disposal well data from the Kansas Geological Survey and sociodemographic data at the census block group level from the United States 2013–2017 American Community Survey. We used two-variable t-tests, logistic regression with and without thin plate spatial splines, and generalized additive modeling to evaluate associations between disposal well presence and sociodemographic variables including population density, sex, age (percent 0–17 and percent 65+), percent white, percent high school completion rate, percent without health insurance, renter occupancy rate, percent unemployment, median household income, median home value, income concentration at the extremes, percent in poverty, median individual earnings, and production well counts, among others. Results: Bivariate analyses showed block groups with disposal wells (n = 489) compared to those without disposal wells (n = 1,850) to have lower population density (7 versus 978 person/km2), percent female (49.7% versus 50.7%), percent without health insurance (7.6% versus 8.6%), renter occupancy rate (19.7% versus 32.3%), unemployment rate (3.1% versus 4.1%), home values ($101,050 versus$112,800), and percent in poverty (9.2% versus 10.9%); and higher percent white (92.7% versus 80.9%) and percentage 65+ (18.5% versus 13.6%). After adjustment in multivariable models, the odds of disposal well presence in a block group were 22% lower per 100-person/km2 increase in population density (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.74–0.83) and 4% higher per additional production well (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.03–1.04). No other covariates significantly predicted disposal well presence. Conclusions: Disposal well presence in Kansas was negatively associated with population density and positively associated with oil and gas production well count after adjustment for sociodemographic variables

Accommodation to Minimalist Footwear During a Landing Activity

Minimalist footwear is a current trend that has many purported benefits and advantages to running. These claims arise from the idea that this type of footwear is designed to mimic barefoot running by featuring low cushion and negligible arch support. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether this type of footwear could be beneficial in other ballistic activities such as landing. The study included ten participants with an inclusion of five males and five females of various movement backgrounds. The participants conducted twelve trials in two footwear conditions on a force platform. The first condition was a self-selected athletic footwear and the other was the minimalist footwear. The force variable results were inconclusive but statistical significance was found from kinematic analysis in three areas (ankle angle, foot inclination, and ankle ROM) at two contact points (heel contact and maximum knee flexion) during the landings. Ultimately, this complex activity is dependent on many variables and more future studies are needed in order to state whether minimalist footwear can be beneficial in the reduction of injuries during ballistic activities

Best Practices for Research Analytics & Business Intelligence within the Research Domain

While an increased number of industries with business operations have been shaping their use of data analytics, the use of such tools and methods within the higher education research domain, specifically research administration, is still in its infancy. This mixed-methods study collected data to identify best practices in how universities and other research organizations use data analytics to drive their strategic agendas, create efficiency in operations, and promote complex research proposals throughout their institutions. Research methods included a survey to collect data on how research offices are using analytics and business intelligence tools, Rasch analysis (Rasch, 1993) to examine survey instrument quality and provide insights into the use of analytics and business intelligence tools in research offices, and interviews with research administrators and stakeholders to identify best practices in using data tools to impact their decisions, processes, and programming. Results from the Rasch analysis showed that except for two recommendations for individual scales, all survey scales exhibited satisfactory reliabilities and rating scale performance. Findings from interviews revealed best practices such as clear ownership and definitions of the data entry process, identified stewards of each of the high-level areas of data, and confirmed understanding of terms after data requests

Triple Helix, Fall 2018

Table of Contents: Science Agenda: The Politics of Grant Writing / by Kavya Rajesh (p. 4) -- From the Experts / by Katherine Bruner (p. 5) -- 3D Printed Drugs: The Future of Pharmaceuticals / by Ethan Wang (p. 6) -- Computerized Markets: Wall Street Takeover / by James Kiraly (p. 10) -- The Evolution of Fear / by Alisha Ahmed (p. 14) -- ADDing Up / by Victor Liaw (p. 18) -- The Clone Wars / by Jina Zhou (p. 22) -- Physician-Assisted Suicide: Drawing the Line / by Haley Wolf (p. 26) -- Supervised Injection Sites / by Alex Gajewski (p. 30) -- On Emerging Medicalization and Health Care / by Patrick Lee (p. 33) -- The Future of Human Gene Modifications / by Elizabeth Robinson (p. 36)College of Natural SciencesUT LibrariesLiberal Art

Katherine Whitfield Wolf to Governor Ross Barnett, 20 September 1962

Wolf expresses support for Barnett and states that he has the admiration and respect of every true Southerner.https://egrove.olemiss.edu/west_union_gov/1024/thumbnail.jp

Description and evaluation of a ventriculo-coronary artery bypass device that provides bi-directional coronary flow

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess acute patency of a new myocardial revascularization device that connects the left ventricular cavity to a coronary artery (termed ventriculo-coronary artery bypass, VCAB) thereby providing proximal and distal blood flow from the site of the anastomosis. Methods: A device made of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and low density polyethylene was implanted from the base of the left ventricle to the mid left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in 11 juvenile domestic pigs using a beating heart approach. Flow rates were measured in the distal LAD before and after implant using ultrasonic flow techniques, and patency was assessed at explant at either 2 or 4 weeks post-implantation. Myocardial perfusion using positron emission tomography (PET) was assessed in a separate set of pigs (n=2) revascularized by VCAB 2 weeks post-implant. Results: Net forward flow distal to the implanted device was 73±15% of native LAD flow. PET demonstrated that the target myocardium was perfused at 85% of that seen in the remote, control myocardium. Device patency rate was 80% (4/5) at 2 weeks in one set of pigs and 83% (5/6) at 4 weeks in a second set of pigs. Histologic analysis showed formation of neointima along the extraventricular segment of the device. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the promise of perfusing ischemic myocardium using a VCAB approach with a device that provides blood flow both proximal and distal to the anastomosis. Patency of the transmyocardial device was encouraging at 2 and 4 weeks and warrants further investigatio

Transcriptomics of temperature-sensitive R gene-mediated resistance identifies a WAKL10 protein interaction network

© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Understanding temperature-sensitivity of R gene-mediated resistance against apoplastic pathogens is important for sustainable food production in the face of global warming. Here, we show that resistance of Brassica napus cotyledons against Leptosphaeria maculans was temperature-sensitive in introgression line Topas-Rlm7 but temperature-resilient in Topas-Rlm4. A set of 1,646 host genes was differentially expressed in Topas-Rlm4 and Topas-Rlm7 in response to temperature. Amongst these were three WAKL10 genes, including BnaA07g20220D, representing the temperature-sensitive Rlm7-1 allele and Rlm4. Network analysis identified a WAKL10 protein interaction cluster specifically for Topas-Rlm7 at 25 °C. Diffusion analysis of the Topas-Rlm4 network identified WRKY22 as a putative regulatory target of the ESCRT-III complex-associated protein VPS60.1, which belongs to the WAKL10 protein interaction community. Combined enrichment analysis of gene ontology terms considering gene expression and network data linked vesicle-mediated transport to defence. Thus, dysregulation of effector-triggered defence in Topas-Rlm7 disrupts vesicle-associated resistance against the apoplastic pathogen L. maculans.Peer reviewe

“It’s embarrassing. I get angry. I get frustrated.”: Understanding severe hypoglycemia and glucagon usage from the perspectives of people with type 1 diabetes

Introduction This study characterized the emotional impact of severe hypoglycemia, views of glucagon, and barriers to glucagon use from the perspective of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods Participants included individuals recruited from the T1D Exchange online community. The current study conducted 7 focus groups consisting of adults with T1D (N = 38, average age 49.4, SD = 16.11 years). Average duration of diabetes was 34.4 years (SD = 17.3) and average self-reported A1c was 6.8 % (SD = 0.7). Focus group interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Results A range of emotions was expressed about severe hypoglycemia including fear, anxiety, stress, frustration, shame, and embarrassment. Participants frequently identified prescription cost and insurance deductibles as barriers to glucagon use. Participants were also concerned about ease of administration—how difficult it is to prepare the glucagon in an emergency. Many participants expressed a preference for auto-injectables over nasal administration. Timing of glucagon action and time to recovery were high priorities. Some participants, while they had not self-administered glucagon, were interested in a mini-dose glucagon they could self-administer. They also identified desirable characteristics of glucagon treatment including reduced cost, long shelf-life, and quick activation. Conclusions These results highlight the attitudes about severe hypoglycemia and emergency treatment with glucagon. Healthcare professionals should assess glucagon training needs and knowledge when they meet with their patients with diabetes