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Objective. This paper examines the prevalence and socioeconomic correlates of unintended pregnancy among rural women in Bangladesh. Material and Methods. The study used data from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression were performed using the data set. Results. Overall, 30.0% of the most recent births were unplanned. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses confirm that age, ever use of contraceptive method, religion and wealth index were important determinants of unintended pregnancy. Pregnancy order appeared as the most single determinant of unplanned pregnancy. Women with fourth or higher order pregnancies were at higher risk (OR=4.31, 95%CI; 4.31-6.56) of unintended pregnancy than those who experienced pregnancy for the first time. Conclusion. Unintended pregnancy is common in rural Bangladesh. Intervention programs regarding reproductive health and services should be undertaken. Awareness should be created to continue the use of modern contraceptive methods to avoid unintended pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Pharmaceutical care programmes delivered by pharmacists are known to improve quality of care for both ambulatory and hospitalized patients with a variety of chronic and acute conditions. • Reduction of HbA1c and normalization of blood pressure are key targets for diabetes care programmes, since they are key to reducing diabetes complications. • Good knowledge about disease, medications, diet and exercise requirements can improve the effectiveness of self-management of diabetes. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • In a randomized, controlled clinical trial, a comprehensive pharmaceutical care programme (consisting of patient education and advice on medication adherence, metabolic control and life style) delivered by a clinical pharmacist over a 12-month period, significantly improved glycaemic control and health-related quality of life in Type 2 diabetes patients attending a military hospital outpatient clinic in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). • A significant reduction in HbA1c was important in the reduction of the 10-year coronary heart disease risk scores (by British National Formulary and Framingham methods) seen in patients who received the present care programme. • The outcomes of this study advocate an increased role for clinical pharmacists in the healthcare system in the UAE. AIMS To examine the influence of a pharmaceutical care programme on disease control and health-related quality of life in Type 2 diabetes patients in the United Arab Emirates. METHODS A total of 240 Type 2 diabetes patients were recruited into a randomized, controlled, prospective clinical trial with a 12-month follow-up. A range of clinical measures, medication adherence and health-related quality of life (Short Form 36) were evaluated at baseline and up to 12 months. Intervention group patients received pharmaceutical care from a clinical pharmacist, whereas control group patients received their usual care from medical and nursing staff. The primary outcome measure was change in HbA1c. British National Formulary and Framingham scoring methods were used to estimate changes in 10-year coronary heart disease risk scores in all patients. RESULTS A total of 234 patients completed the study. Significant reductions ( P < 0.001) in mean values (baseline vs. 12 months; 95% confidence interval) of HbA1c[8.5% (8.3, 8.7) vs. 6.9% (6.7, 7.1)], systolic [131.4 mmHg (128.1, 134.7) vs. 127.2 mmHg (124.4, 130.1)] and diastolic blood pressure [85.2 mmHg (83.5, 86.8) vs. 76.3 mmHg (74.9, 77.7)] were observed in the intervention group; no significant changes were noted in the control group. The mean Framingham risk prediction score in the intervention group was 10.56% (9.7, 11.4) at baseline; this decreased to 7.7% (6.9, 8.5) ( P < 0.001) at 12 months but remained unchanged in the control group. CONCLUSIONS The pharmaceutical care programme resulted in better glycaemic control and reduced cardiovascular risk scores in Type 2 diabetes patients over a 12-month period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pedicle screw fixation the gold standard for lumbar spine stabilization. Pedicle screw has fixation offers multiple advantages, allowing superior correction of spinal deformities, and reduced rates of loss of non-union. Cortical Bone Trajectory (CBT) is a new technique in which screws follow a caudal-tocephalad path in the sagittal plane and a medial-to-lateral directed path in the transverse plane. CBT is reducing operative and post-operative complications and has high fixation strength. Purpose: To Compare the clinical outcomes between CBT and traditional trajectory (TT) in surgical management of degenerative spondylolisthesis. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive electronic search in Pubmed, MEDLINE and Chocrane library databases, Google scholar and Research gate for articles that published between 2009 to 2020 using these keywords: Cortical bone trajectory, Cortical bone trajectory-pedicle screw, Pedicle screw. Results: The majority of literature suggests that the CBT technique results in similar or decreased postoperative back and leg pain compared to TT. Regarding the disability ODI and the operative time showed no significant differences between the CBT and TT. Radiographic outcomes between both studies show no statistical difference in fusion rates and vertebral slippage. Intraoperative blood loss was significantly less with CBT compared to TT. Conclusion: there is no widely accepted consensus regarding comparison of clinical outcomes and complications between the CBT and TT procedures. Generally, indications for CBT and TT are similar between most studies, especially for common pathologies resulting in spondylolisthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial tension (IFT) is a key physical property that affects various processes in the oil and gas industry, such as enhanced oil recovery, multiphase flow, and emulsion stability. Accurate prediction of IFT is essential for optimizing these processes and increasing their efficiency. This article compares the performance of six machine learning models, namely Support Vector Regression (SVR), Random Forests (RF), Decision Tree (DT), Gradient Boosting (GB), Catboosting (CB), and XGBoosting (XGB), in predicting IFT between oil/gas and oil/water systems. The models are trained and tested on a dataset that contains various input parameters that influence IFT, such as gas-oil ratio, gas formation volume factor, oil density, etc. The results show that SVR and Catboost models achieve the highest accuracy for oil/gas IFT prediction, with an R-squared value of 0.99, while SVR outperforms Catboost for Oil/Water IFT prediction, with an R-squared value of 0.99. The study demonstrates the potential of machine learning models as a reliable and resilient tool for predicting IFT in the oil and gas industry. The findings of this study can help improve the understanding and optimization of IFT forecasting and facilitate the development of more efficient reservoir management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial tension (IFT) is a key physical property that affects various processes in the oil and gas industry, such as enhanced oil recovery, multiphase flow, and emulsion stability. Accurate prediction of IFT is essential for optimizing these processes and increasing their efficiency. This article compares the performance of six machine learning models, namely Support Vector Regression (SVR), Random Forests (RF), Decision Tree (DT), Gradient Boosting (GB), Catboosting (CB), and XGBoosting (XGB), in predicting IFT between oil/gas and oil/water systems. The models are trained and tested on a dataset that contains various input parameters that influence IFT, such as gas-oil ratio, gas formation volume factor, oil density, etc. The results show that SVR and Catboost models achieve the highest accuracy for oil/gas IFT prediction, with an R-squared value of 0.99, while SVR outperforms Catboost for Oil/Water IFT prediction, with an R-squared value of 0.99. The study demonstrates the potential of machine learning models as a reliable and resilient tool for predicting IFT in the oil and gas industry. The findings of this study can help improve the understanding and optimization of IFT forecasting and facilitate the development of more efficient reservoir management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid, cost-effective, and simple nucleic acid isolation technique coupled with a point-of-need DNA amplification assay is a desirable goal for programmatic use. For diagnosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) rapid tests for the detection of Leishmania DNA are versatile and have operational advantages over qPCR. To facilitate the delivery of the RPA test at point-of-need for VL diagnosis, we compared two rapid DNA extraction methods, SwiftDx (SX) and an in-house Boil and Spin (BS) method, coupled with RPA amplification, versus more widely used methods for DNA extraction and amplification, namely Qiagen (Q) kits and qPCR, respectively. A total of 50 confirmed VL patients and 50 controls, matched for age and gender, were recruited from Mymensingh, Bangladesh, a region highly endemic for VL. Blood samples were collected from each participant and DNA was extracted using Q, SX and BS methods. Following DNA extraction, qPCR and RPA assays were performed to detect L. donovani in downstream analysis. No significant differences in sensitivity of the RPA assay were observed between DNA extraction methods, 94.00% (95% CI: 83.45–98.75%), 90% (95% CI: 78.19–96.67%), and 88% (95% CI: 75.69–95.47%) when using Q, SX, and BS, respectively. Similarly, using qPCR, no significant differences in sensitivity were obtained when using Q or SX for DNA extraction, 94.00% (95% CI: 83.45–98.75%) and 92.00% (80.77–97.78%), respectively. It is encouraging that RPA and qPCR showed excellent agreement (k: 0.919–0.980) when different extraction methods were used and that the DNA impurities using BS had no inhibitory effect on the RPA assay. Furthermore, significantly higher DNA yields were obtained using SX and BS versus Q; however, a significantly higher parasite load was detected using qPCR when DNA was extracted using Q versus SX. Considering the cost, execution time, feasibility, and performance of RPA assay, rapid extraction methods such as the Boil and Spin technique appear to have the potential for implementation in resource-limited endemic settings. Further clinical research is warranted prior to broader application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malnutrition including undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies are considerable problems worldwide, with variable burdens among different communities. Its complications include physical and cognitive impairment, with the probability of irreversible lifelong consequences. We aimed to assess the prevalence of undernutrition, overweight, obesity, and anemia in preschoolers, being a risk group for developmental adverse events. Methods: We recruited 505 healthy preschool children, with a male: female ratio of 1.05:1. Children with chronic diseases were excluded. We used anthropometry and complete blood count to screen for malnutrition and anemia. Results: The mean age of the study group was 3.8 ± 1.4 years (1.02–7). The screening results were average in 228 (45.1%) children, while 277 (54.9%) children had either abnormal anthropometry, anemia, or both. We observed undernutrition in 48 (9.5%) children; among them, 33 (6.6%) were underweight, 33 (6.6%) wasted, and 15 (3%) were stunted, with no significant difference between children aged below or above five. We identified overnutrition in 125 (24.8%); 43 (8.5%) were overweight, 12 (2.4%) were obese, and 70 (13.9%) had a high body mass index Z score, not qualifying the definition of overweight. Anemia was diagnosed in 141 (27.9%) children and was significantly more frequent among older children without gender discrimination. About 10% (50 children) had both anemia and abnormal anthropometry. The frequency of abnormal anthropometry was comparable between children with anemia and those with normal hemoglobin. Conclusion: Malnutrition and anemia in preschoolers are still a heavy burden affecting about half of our study group, with an upward trend towards the overnutrition side. Anemia is still a moderate public health problem in preschoolers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) have a disproportionately high burden of chronic diseases, with inequalities in health care access and quality services. This study aimed to assess patients' preferences for healthcare services for chronic disease management among adult patients in Bangladesh. Methods: The present analysis was conducted among 10,385 patients suffering from chronic diseases, drawn from the latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2016–2017. We used the multinomial logistic regression to investigate the association of chronic comorbid conditions and healthcare service‐related factors with patients' preferences for healthcare services. Results: The top four dimensions of patient preference for healthcare services in order of magnitude were quality of treatment (30.3%), short distance to health facility (27.6%), affordability of health care (21.7%) and availability of doctors (11.0%). Patients with heart disease had a 29% significantly lower preference for healthcare affordability than the quality of healthcare services (relative risk ratio [RRR] = 0.71; 0.56–0.90). Patients who received healthcare services from pharmacies or dispensaries were more likely to prefer a short distance to a health facility (RRR = 6.99; 4.80–9.86) or affordability of healthcare services (RRR = 3.13; 2.25–4.36). Patients with comorbid conditions were more likely to prefer healthcare affordability (RRR = 1.39; 1.15–1.68). In addition, patients who received health care from a public facility had 2.93 times higher preference for the availability of medical doctors (RRR = 2.93; 1.70–5.04) than the quality of treatment in the health facility, when compared with private service providers. Conclusions: Patient preferences for healthcare services in chronic disease management were significantly associated with the type of disease and its magnitude and characteristics of healthcare providers. Therefore, to enhance service provision and equitable distribution and uptake of health services, policymakers and public health practitioners should consider patient preferences in designing national strategic frameworks for chronic disease management. Patient or Public Contribution: Our research team includes four researchers (co‐authors) with chronic diseases who have experience of living or working with people suffering from chronic conditions or diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Agonist form of CXCL10 is undetectable in chronic HCVg4 patients. [•] Increased sDPPIV concentration and DPP activity in HCVg4 patients. [•] CXCL10 expression does not correlate with localization of CXCR3+ cells in liver. [•] Chemokine antagonism as a general mechanism of immune modulation in chronic HCV. [•] Highlights role for DPPIV as a drug target for treatment of HCVg4 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]