Quality of Neonatal Health Care: Learning From Health Workers’ Experiences in Critical Care in Kilimanjaro Region, Northeast Tanzania

Neonatal deaths are generally attributed to suboptimal standards of health care. Health care worker motivation and adherence to existing guidelines are rarely studied. To assess the performance of health workers for neonatal health care in the hospitals of Kilimanjaro region. A descriptive study using a semi-structured interview for health care workers at a tertiary referral hospital and peripheral health facilities (regional referral, district hospitals and health centres).was used. Health Care Workers (HCW) were asked to recall a scenario of a critically ill neonate admitted in the wards and the treatment that was provided. The WHO Emergency Triage Assessment and Treatment (ETAT) guidelines were used as a standard reference for knowledge of critical care. Birth asphyxia was the most recalled health problem requiring critical care, reported by 27.5% of 120 HCW at both peripheral hospitals and by 46.4% of 28 health workers in tertiary referral centres. Half of the HCW commented on their own performance (47.5%, n=140). HCW presented with low to moderate levels of knowledge for critical care were at 92%. Supplementary training was associated with a higher levels of knowledge of neonatal critical care (p value = 0.05). HCW in peripheral hospital had lower levels of knowledge (only 44.7% at peripheral hospitals had sufficient ratings compared to 82.1% at the referral centre). [Pearson χ2 (2) = 12.10, p value = 0.002]. Guided Practical-Competence Diagnostic Specific neonatal health care training is highly needed in the peripheral facilities of rural Kilimanjaro region

Identification and Characterization of Small Regulatory RNA in Streptococcus

Background: The human gut is a rich habitat for a diverse population of bacteria. These bacteria play a vital role in a multitude of functions. They affect immune responses, metabolism, and even neurological activities. Some inhabitants of the gut biome include the lactic acid bacteria: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. These bacteria are essential members of the flora and are non-pathogenic, however, some of their relatives like Streptococcus pyogenes cause severe diseases such as flesh-eating disease. The metabolic functions of these bacteria are mediated by small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs), which are noncoding RNA sequences that fold into complex stem-loop structures. Goal of Study: The goal of this project was to identify and characterize sRNAs that mediate bacterial metabolism and host interactions in non-pathogenic, lactic acid bacteria with homologous RNAs in pathogenic strains. Methods and Results: A small regulatory RNA that is conserved among different streptococcal species was identified. In S.pyogenes, this conserved sRNA, named MarS, is associated with virulence, however, the function of its homolog found in non-pathogenic bacteria, AsdS sRNA, has not been characterized. Computational methods were used to elucidate the function of this sRNA and predict its 2D and 3D structures. The gene containing the target sRNA was isolated and RNA constructs were designed to characterize regions that are part of it. Conclusions: A conserved sRNA species was successfully identified in S.thermophilus and cloned for synthesis by in-vitro transcription. Future work will be focused on structure determination and characterizing interactions to target sRNA through biophysical methods

A Practical Guide for Managing Interdisciplinary Teams: Lessons Learned from Coupled Natural and Human Systems Research

Interdisciplinary team science is essential to address complex socio-environmental questions, but it also presents unique challenges. The scientific literature identifies best practices for high-level processes in team science, e.g., leadership and team building, but provides less guidance about practical, day-to-day strategies to support teamwork, e.g., translating jargon across disciplines, sharing and transforming data, and coordinating diverse and geographically distributed researchers. This article offers a case study of an interdisciplinary socio-environmental research project to derive insight to support team science implementation. We evaluate the project’s inner workings using a framework derived from the growing body of literature for team science best practices, and derive insights into how best to apply team science principles to interdisciplinary research. We find that two of the most useful areas for proactive planning and coordinated leadership are data management and co-authorship. By providing guidance for project implementation focused on these areas, we contribute a pragmatic, detail-oriented perspective on team science in an effort to support similar projects

Geological Field Trips

This field trip guide organized in the framework of the Goldschmidt Conference 2013, held in Florence from August 25 to 30, 2013, is here presented. The two-days field trip, shows some of the many geological, naturalistic and cultural features in the Fiorano area (Modena), in which history, geology and passion for Ferrari come together in a perfect marriage. The first excursion day is dedicated to visit the Natural Reserve of Salse di Nirano, where the mud volcanoes, produced by the cold mud, salt water and hydrocarbons - mainly methane- can be observed. The second day is devoted to visit the Ferrari Museum and goes on at the Spezzano Castle, hosting the Ceramics Museum. Clays are, in fact, abundant in the hilly margin, where they form badlands, characteristic narrow crests washed out by running waters. In the Castle there is also a Balsamic Vinegar producing Consortium, it’s a peculiar and typical product of Modena province. The itinerary ends with the tour to Enzo Ferrari’s Birthplace at Modena

Nonlinear landscape and cultural response to sea-level rise

Dataset S1 (separate file). Relative sea-level database for Scilly comprising directly dated radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence samples with corresponding metainformation (lithostratigraphy, elevation, depositional environment and indicative meaning interpretations, paleotidal range change and sea-level calculations) following the ‘HOLSEA’ (‘Geographic Variability of Holocene Relative Sea Level’) protocol (Khan et al., 2019*). Dataset S2 (separate file). Table containing pollen results as relative abundance (genus level), modelled ages and age uncertainty for pollen samples, landcover index results (community cluster numbers and nMDS ordination axes 1 and 2), foraminifera results as species counts and transfer function results as paleomarsh elevations with uncertainty (1σ). Foraminifera samples with low test concentrations have indicative ranges (from mean high water neap tides to highest astronomical tides) in place of paleomarsh elevation estimations. Foraminifera abbreviations: H.wil – Haplophragmoides wilbertii ; J.mac – Jadammina macrescens ; M.fus – Miliammina fusca ; P.ipo – Polysaccammina ipohalina ; T.inf – Trochammina infalta ; T.och – Trochammina ochracea ; A.bat - Ammonia batavus ; A.mam – Asterigerinata mamilla ; B.var – Bolivina variablis; E.cri – Elphidium crispum ; E.wil – Elphidium Williamsoni ; F.spp. – Fissurina spp. ; Elphidium spp. ; H.ger – Haynesina germanica ; L.lob – Lobatula lobatula ; O.spp. – Oolha spp. ; Q.sem – Quinqueloculina seminula; R.spp. – Rosalina spp.. Dataset S3 (separate file). Database containing three worksheets for developing archaeological indices for Scilly. ‘SWBritain’ – Radiocarbon dates from Devon and Cornwall used to develop a summed probability distribution curve as an estimate of population demographic variation in Southwest Britain. ‘NWFrance’ - Radiocarbon dates from Brittany and Normandy used to develop a summed probability distribution curve as an estimate of population demography in Northwest France. ‘Scilly’ – Archaeological monuments from Scilly used to develop a probabilistic index of population variability.The article associated with these datasets is located in ORE at: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/123489Rising sea levels have been associated with human migration and behavioral shifts throughout prehistory, often with an emphasis on landscape submergence and consequent societal collapse. However, the assumption that future sea-level rise will drive similar adaptive responses is overly simplistic. Whilst the change from land to sea represents a dramatic and permanent shift for pre-existing human populations, the process of change is driven by a complex set of physical and cultural processes with long transitional phases of landscape and socio-economic change. Here we use reconstructions of prehistoric sea-level rise, paleogeographies, terrestrial landscape change and human population dynamics to show how the gradual inundation of an island archipelago resulted in decidedly non-linear landscape and cultural responses to rising sea-levels. Interpretation of past and future responses to sea-level change requires a better understanding of local physical and societal contexts to assess plausible human response patterns in the future.Historic EnglandWelsh GovernmentHigher Education Funding Council for Wale

A database of microRNA expression patterns in Xenopus laevis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNAs around 22 nucleotides long. They inhibit gene expression either by translational repression or by causing the degradation of the mRNAs they bind to. Many are highly conserved amongst diverse organisms and have restricted spatio-temporal expression patterns during embryonic development where they are thought to be involved in generating accuracy of developmental timing and in supporting cell fate decisions and tissue identity. We determined the expression patterns of 180 miRNAs in Xenopus laevis embryos using LNA oligonucleotides. In addition we carried out small RNA-seq on different stages of early Xenopus development, identified 44 miRNAs belonging to 29 new families and characterized the expression of 5 of these. Our analyses identified miRNA expression in many organs of the developing embryo. In particular a large number were expressed in neural tissue and in the somites. Surprisingly none of the miRNAs we have looked at show expression in the heart. Our results have been made freely available as a resource in both XenMARK and Xenbase

Micrometeoroid Events in LISA Pathfinder

The zodiacal dust complex, a population of dust and small particles that pervades the Solar System, provides important insight into the formation and dynamics of planets, comets, asteroids, and other bodies. Here we present a new set of data obtained using a novel technique: direct measurements of momentum transfer to a spacecraft from individual particle impacts. This technique is made possible by the extreme precision of the instruments flown on the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft, a technology demonstrator for a future space-based gravitational wave observatory that operated near the first Sun-Earth Lagrange point from early 2016 through Summer of 2017. Using a simple model of the impacts and knowledge of the control system, we show that it is possible to detect impacts and measure properties such as the transferred momentum (related to the particle's mass and velocity), direction of travel, and location of impact on the spacecraft. In this paper, we present the results of a systematic search for impacts during 4348 hours of Pathfinder data. We report a total of 54 candidates with momenta ranging from 0.2$\,\mu\textrm{Ns}$ to 230$\,\mu\textrm{Ns}$. We furthermore make a comparison of these candidates with models of micrometeoroid populations in the inner solar system including those resulting from Jupiter-family comets, Oort-cloud comets, Hailey-type comets, and Asteroids. We find that our measured population is consistent with a population dominated by Jupiter-family comets with some evidence for a smaller contribution from Hailey-type comets. This is in agreement with consensus models of the zodiacal dust complex in the momentum range sampled by LISA Pathfinder.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures, accepted in Ap

The Impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Menopause on Bone Mineral Density: A Longitudinal Study of Urban-Dwelling South African Women

An estimated 25% of South African women live with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antiretroviral therapy roll-out has improved life expectancy, so many more women now reach menopause. We aimed to quantify changes in bone mineral density (BMD) during the menopausal transition in urban-dwelling South African women with and without HIV and determine whether HIV infection modified the effect of menopause on BMD changes. A 5-year population-based longitudinal study recruited women aged 40-60 years residing in Soweto and collected demographic and clinical data, including HIV status, anthropometry, and BMD, at baseline and at 5-year follow-up. All women were staged as pre-, peri-, or postmenopausal at both time points. Multivariable linear regression assessed relationships and interactions between HIV infection, menopause, and change in BMD. At baseline, 450 women had mean age 49.5 (SD 5.7) years, 65 (14.4%) had HIV, and 140 (31.1%), 119 (26.4%), and 191 (42.4%) were pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal, respectively; 34/205 (13.6%) women ≥50 years had a total hip (TH) or lumbar spine (LS) T-score ≤ -2.5. At follow-up 38 (8.4%), 84 (18.7%), and 328 (72.9%) were pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal. Those with HIV at baseline lost more total body (TB) BMD (mean difference -0.013 [95% confidence interval -0.026, -0.001] g/cm2 , p = 0.040) and gained more weight 1.96 [0.32, 3.60] kg; p = 0.019 than HIV-uninfected women. After adjusting for age, baseline weight, weight change, and follow-up time, the transition from pre- to postmenopause was associated with greater TB BMD losses in women with HIV (-0.092 [-0.042, -0.142] g/cm2 ; p = 0.001) than without HIV (-0.038 [-0.016, -0.060] g/cm2 , p = 0.001; interaction p = 0.034). Similarly, in women who were postmenopausal at both time points, those with HIV lost more TB BMD (-0.070 [-0.031, -0.108], p = 0.001) than women without HIV (-0.036 [-0.015, -0.057], p = 0.001, interaction p = 0.049). Findings were consistent but weaker at the LS and TH. Menopause-related bone loss is greater in women with HIV, suggesting women with HIV may be at greater risk of osteoporotic fractures. HIV services should consider routine bone health assessment in midlife women as part of long-term HIV care delivery. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR)

Imiquimod has strain-dependent effects in mice and does not uniquely model human psoriasis

Abstract Background Imiquimod (IMQ) produces a cutaneous phenotype in mice frequently studied as an acute model of human psoriasis. Whether this phenotype depends on strain or sex has never been systematically investigated on a large scale. Such effects, however, could lead to conflicts among studies, while further impacting study outcomes and efforts to translate research findings. Methods RNA-seq was used to evaluate the psoriasiform phenotype elicited by 6 days of Aldara (5% IMQ) treatment in both sexes of seven mouse strains (C57BL/6 J (B6), BALB/cJ, CD1, DBA/1 J, FVB/NJ, 129X1/SvJ, and MOLF/EiJ). Results In most strains, IMQ altered gene expression in a manner consistent with human psoriasis, partly due to innate immune activation and decreased homeostatic gene expression. The response of MOLF males was aberrant, however, with decreased expression of differentiation-associated genes (elevated in other strains). Key aspects of the IMQ response differed between the two most commonly studied strains (BALB/c and B6). Compared with BALB/c, the B6 phenotype showed increased expression of genes associated with DNA replication, IL-17A stimulation, and activated CD8+ T cells, but decreased expression of genes associated with interferon signaling and CD4+ T cells. Although IMQ-induced expression shifts mirrored psoriasis, responses in BALB/c, 129/SvJ, DBA, and MOLF mice were more consistent with other human skin conditions (e.g., wounds or infections). IMQ responses in B6 mice were most consistent with human psoriasis and best replicated expression patterns specific to psoriasis lesions. Conclusions These findings demonstrate strain-dependent aspects of IMQ dermatitis in mice. We have shown that IMQ does not uniquely model psoriasis but in fact triggers a core set of pathways active in diverse skin diseases. Nonetheless, our findings suggest that B6 mice provide a better background than other strains for modeling psoriasis disease mechanisms.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136167/1/13073_2017_Article_415.pd