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Abstract Purpose To elucidate the global epidemiology of Ophthalmia Neonatorum (ON), as well as its causative organisms and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Methods A systematic review of studies reporting the epidemiology of ON was performed using four electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Medline. Data were extracted and study-specific estimates were combined using meta-analysis to obtain pooled proportions. Results A total of 25 studies, which evaluated the epidemiology of ON in 1,117,966 live births, were included in this study. A total of 2,902 cases of ON were identified. The global incidence and prevalence of ON are 2.04% [(95% CI 0.70–5.79%), I 2 = 99.4%] and 7.79% [(95% CI 2.93–19.10%), I 2 = 99.1%], respectively. Staphylococcus spp. (gram-positive) and Serratia marcescens (gram-negative) were the most frequently isolated bacteria associated with the incidence of ON. The pooled resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli are highest to Penicillin [91.67% (95% CI 87.96–94.31%) and 100.00% (95% CI 0.00–100.00%), respectively], and lowest to Gentamicin [20% (95% CI 15.85–24.91%) and 59.30% (95% CI 52.36–65.89%), respectively]. The pooled resistance of Pseudomonas spp. and Klebsiella spp. to Gentamicin are 50% [(95% CI 43.11 to 56.89%), I 2 = 0.00%] and 50.02% [(95% CI 27.50–72.53%), I 2 = 95.3%], respectively. Conclusion ON is a common ocular morbidity in neonates, especially in those from low-income settings. It is important that all newborns receive adequate preventive care, regardless of their socioeconomic status, in order to reduce the risk of visual impairment and blindness.

Dicephalic parapagus conjoined twins, a rarely occurring form of conjoined twinning has poor prognosis and remains a significant cause of perinatal deaths. Since majority of cases of conjoined twins are not compatible with life, early and reliable detection with diagnostic medical imaging remains crucial for adequate patient counselling, medical and surgical management. We present a case of dicephalic parapagus twin gestation with associated congenital anomalies detected for the first time with ultrasound in the third trimester in a 29-year-old pregnant woman. An initial first trimester ultrasound at 14 weeks gestational age was unremarkable.Ultrasound fetal anatomical survey in the third trimester remains reliable for the detection of rare fetal anomalies such as dicephalic parapagus twins that might have been missed in earlier scans. Continuous efforts should therefore be made for the inclusion of detailed anatomical survey in the early third trimester; particularly in women with unremarkable earlier ultrasound scans and in those reporting late for obstetric care.

Object categorization is a fundamental visual function, via which primates group items based on perceptual similarity. Neurons that respond to a class of complex objects, such as faces, can be found in inferior temporal cortex of macaque monkeys, comprising areas TEO and TE. The ability of monkeys to categorize cat/dog images is greatly impaired when both TE and TEO are removed, but is only modestly impaired if either region is left intact. This suggests that both TE and TEO can support object categorization. We investigated what differences exist in category information processing between areas TEO and TE. For cat and dog stimulus images, we found that category decoding performance increased during the initial phase of a stimulus presentation, then remained stable in area TEO for the duration of the presentation in a passive fixation task. In area TE, category decoding performance continued to improve into later in the time window than in TEO. Furthermore, we found that, after cat/dog category training, area TE neuronal populations encode cat and dog category information more strongly than do TEO neurons even in a fixation task (Mann-Whitney U-test, p < 0.05). Together, our results suggest that area TEO processes category information without changing its representation, whereas the category information representation in area TE evolves over time (both within a trial and across category training sessions), indicating that responses in TE may be influenced by top-down feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytotoxic interface dermatitis (CID) is a pattern reaction predominantly at the dermo-epidermal junction that encapsulates numerous chronic non-communicable inflammatory skin conditions in which the basal keratinocytes are attacked by T-cell infiltrate leading to apoptosis, lymphocytic satellitosis and vacuolar degeneration. Though many diseases include CID, the type of clinical presentation and tissue patterns expressed from disease to disease varies. In this study, we evaluate the commonalities and discrepancies in significantly expressed biomarkers across several CID conditions to examine their impact on clinical presentations in canines. Among the uniquely expressed genes in each disease, we observed significantly expressed IFNG in Discoid Lupus Erythematosus, TRAT1 in Epitheliotropic Lymphoma, and CXCL8 and CSF3R in pemphigus affected dogs. With this knowledge, we may be able to use molecular signatures in combination with current treatment practices to develop a more targeted treatment plan for patients with CID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections in pediatric populations are major public health concerns. Addressing these challenges necessitates effective preventative and therapeutic strategies. This study assessed the efficacy of the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis B8762 (0.5 × 1010 CFU) in reducing the duration and frequency of these infections in young children. In a randomized trial, 115 eligible children were assigned to either the probiotic (n = 57; 3.51 ± 0.48 months old) or placebo (n = 58; 2.78 ± 0.51 months old) group, with daily consumption for 4 weeks. The probiotic group demonstrated a lower duration of infections than the placebo group (p < 0.05). The probiotic group also showed fewer clinical visits due to respiratory and gastrointestinal problems as compared to the placebo group (p = 0.009 & p = 0.004, respectively). Oral swab samples revealed that the placebo group had higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α after 4 weeks (p = 0.033), while the probiotic group demonstrated a balanced cytokine response, indicating modulation of the immune system. Genomic analysis showed that B8762 harbors various genes for the synthesis of proteins and vitamins crucial for the gut health of children. Both the clinical and genomic findings suggested that B8762 offered a therapeutic effect on gut and respiratory health in children, highlighting its potential in managing common pediatric infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Without a cure, antiretroviral therapy (ART) continues to be the primary mode of managing HIV, transforming it from a formerly lethal disease to a less severe one. Adherence to ART can be impacted by several factors, including poor quality of care. Methods A quantitative cross-sectional study design was used to assess the factors that influence adherence to ART among adults receiving care at two health facilities in Accra. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on factors associated with medication adherence using a modified four-item Medication Adherence Rating from 255 people living with HIV (PLHIV). Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data, while multiple binary logistic regression was used to assess the factors influencing adherence to ART. Results Adherence to HIV medication was 44.7% among PLHIV. Adherence was positively correlated with high client health service satisfaction (adjusted OR [AOR]: 26.59, 95% CI 7.46 to 94.82, p<0.001), increased privacy at the HIV clinics (AOR: 3.40, 95% CI 1.40 to 8.21, p<0.007) and among PLHIV who had been diagnosed with HIV for ≥5 y (AOR: 7.59, 95% CI 2.76 to 20.85, p<0.001). Conclusions Adherence to ART was significantly low among study participants. The study highlights the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality at the facility while ensuring client satisfaction with HIV care to promote adherence to ART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study examined what specific aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to psychopathology symptoms among college students during the initial stages of the pandemic. Participants: One thousand and eighty-nine college students (Mage = 20.73, SDage = 2.93) enrolled at a university in New York participated in the study between March and May 2020. Methods: Participants completed self-report measures assessing pandemic-related experiences and psychopathology symptoms. Results: Results indicated that greater COVID-19-related life changes were uniquely associated with greater depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Greater concerns about school, home confinement, and basic needs were uniquely associated with greater depression symptoms. Finally, greater COVID-19 infection concerns were uniquely associated with greater generalized anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Conclusion: The present study indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic had a multifaceted impact on undergraduate students and that specific COVID-19 experiences contributed to higher rates of psychopathology symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon farming has recently been advocated for as climate change and variability mitigation and/or adaptation strategy in global agriculture. In this study, we address an important research question of whether carbon farming training can improve household resilience capacity as well as food security by employing internationally standardized indicators. Household resilience capacity and its components are measured using the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)'s resilience capacity index while the food security measures used include household and child food insecurity experience scale (FIES and CFIES), food consumption score (FCS) and household dietary diversity score (HDDS). We relied on doubly robust treatment effect estimators to account for potential selection bias and heterogeneity. We find that carbon farming training has no statistically significant effect on overall household resilience capacity. However, we find a large and statistically significant effect on key components of resilience (specifically, access to basic services, assets and social safety nets) and a marginal improvement in adaptive capacity. We also find statistically significant effect on FCS and HDDS but not for the other food security indicators (FIES and CFIES). Overall, the results suggest that agricultural training programs, particularly climate change adaptation capacity building initiatives, could improve important welfare measures in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]