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Abstract Introduction Despite the significant contribution of postnatal care (PNC) to maternal and newborn survival, few studies have explored the concept of the quality of PNC received by mothers in Kenya. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the quality of PNC in Kenya. Methods Secondary data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) of 2022 were analyzed, comprising 11,863 women who were aged 15 to 49 years. The quality of PNC was indicated as receiving all components of PNC in the first two days after childbirth. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to determine the factors associated with the quality of PNC, using SPSS, version 20. Results Out of the 11,863 women, 39% (95% CI: 37.0-40.9) had received all components of PNC in the first two days after childbirth. Additionally, older women aged 35–49 years (AOR 1.88, 95%CI: 1.07–3.29), those who made decisions to seek health care jointly (AOR 1.48, 95%CI: 1.18–1.85), those who owned a telephone (AOR 1.36, 95%CI: 1.05–1.76), women who received quality antenatal care (AOR 4.62, 95%CI: 3.69–5.76), older women aged 30–34 years at the time of their first childbirth (AOR 2.25, 95%CI: 1.11–4.55), those who gave birth through cesarean section birth (AOR 1.93, 95%CI: 1.49–2.49), those who gave birth at public health facilities (AOR 1.69, 95%CI: 1.01–2.82) and those who received quality intrapartum care (AOR 1.87, 95%CI: 1.43–2.43) when compared with their counterparts were more likely to receive quality PNC. On the other hand, women from other provinces of Kenya i.e., Western (AOR 0.51, 95%CI: 0.33–0.80), and Rift Valley (AOR 0.57, 95%CI: 0.39–0.81), those who gave birth to female children (AOR 0.75, 95%CI: 0.61–0.91) and those who reported to have not been respected at all times during their hospital stay (AOR 0.49, 95%CI: 0.29–0.82) when compared with their counterparts were less likely to receive quality PNC. Conclusion The proportion of mothers receiving quality PNC was found to be low. The study also highlights the need to continue encouraging mothers to attend numerous ANC visits. Moreover, emphasis should be placed on providing quality ANC, intrapartum care, and respectful maternity care by health workers. Targeted interventions to increase access to quality PNC may need to focus on young mothers, mothers living in certain regions of Kenya, and those giving birth to female babies, most especially at private health facilities, and through vaginal birth.

Abstract Background Sexual violence against women is a global public health issue with both short- and long-term effects on the physical and mental health of women. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sexual violence and its associated factors among women of reproductive age in Rwanda. Methods We used secondary data from the 2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey of 1,700 participants, who were selected using multistage stratified sampling. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to explore factors associated with sexual violence using SPSS (version 25). Results Of the 1,700 women of reproductive age, 12.4% (95%CI: 11.0–14.1) had experienced sexual violence. Justified beating (AOR = 1.34, 95%CI: 1.16–1.65), not having health insurance (AOR = 1.46, 95%CI: 1.26–2.40), not being involved in healthcare decision-making (AOR = 1.64, 95%CI: 1.99–2.70), having a husband/partner with primary (AOR = 1.70, 95%CI: 5.47–6.21) or no education (AOR = 1.84, 95%CI: 1.21–3.37), as well as having a husband/partner who sometimes (AOR = 3.37, 95%CI: 1.56–7.30) or often (AOR = 12.87, 95%CI: 5.64–29.38) gets drunk were positively associated with sexual violence. However, women from male-headed households (AOR = 0.52, 95%CI: 0.29–0.92) were less likely to experience sexual violence. Conclusions There is a need to demystify negative culturally-rooted beliefs favouring sexual violence, such as justified beating, as well as increase efforts to promote women’s empowerment and healthcare access. Moreover, engaging men in anti-sexual violence strategies is paramount to addressing male-related issues that expose women to sexual violence.

Kenya one of the African countries has pledged to reduce neonatal death as per the 2030 World Health Organization target. Providing high-quality newborn care is critical in minimizing neonatal mortality. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence the quality of newborn care in Kenya. Secondary data from 11,863 participants of the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) were analyzed. The participants were chosen using two-stage stratified sampling. The quality of newborn care was operationalized as receiving all components of newborn care after childbirth, as reported by the mother. Using SPSS (version 29), univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to analyse the data. In this study, 32.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 31.0%-34.5%) of the mothers reported that their newborns had received all components of quality neonatal care after childbirth. Mothers who spent an average of one hour accessing the health facilities compared with those who spent less than half an hour were 1.33 (95%CI: 1.01-1.75) times more likely to report that their newborns had received quality newborn care. Mothers who gave birth in a non-government organization health facility were 30.37 (95%CI: 2.69-343.20) times more likely to report that their newborns had received quality newborn care compared with those who delivered from a faith-based organization. On the contrary, in terms of regions, mothers who lived in Nyanza, Eastern, and Rift Valley provinces compared with those who lived in the coastal regions were 0.53 (95%CI: 0.34-0.82), 0.61 (95%CI: 0.39-0.94), and 0.62 (95%CI: 0.41-0.93) times less likely to report that their newborns had received quality newborn care, respectively. Mothers who subscribed to other religions or faith (0.28 (95%CI: 0.10-0.76) compared with those from the Christian faith, were less likely to report that their newborns had received quality newborn care. Finally, mothers who gave birth through cesarean section were 0.44 (95%CI: 0.32-0.61) times less likely to report that their newborns had received quality newborn care than mothers who gave birth through spontaneous vaginal delivery. The study indicates that about a third of the neonates received quality newborn care and that facility-related and parental social factors were associated with receiving quality newborn care. Stakeholders need to pay more attention to newborn babies whose mothers come from certain regions of Kenya where the quality of newborn care was found to be low, minority religious faith denominations, and those who delivered by ceasearen section. Stakeholders also should focus on strengthening collaborations with NGO health facilities and achieving universal health coverage to improve the quality of newborn care provided in health facilities.

Abstract Background Sexual violence is a public health concern globally and locally, and trauma-informed services are put in place to mitigate its consequences. A few studies have evaluated the quality and uptake of these trauma-informed services for sexual violence. This study aimed at; i) assessing the knowledge of participants about trauma-informed services, ii) exploring the attitudes of females about trauma-informed services, and iii) assessing different factors associated with the utilization of trauma-informed services. Methods This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional qualitative design. The participants were females at Kyangyenyi health center III and Kigarama health center III in Sheema district, southwestern Uganda. We used a purposive sampling procedure for all participants and then a consecutive sampling of females. Data about; knowledge of trauma-informed services for sexual violence, attitudes towards trauma-informed services, and factors influencing the utilization of trauma-informed services were collected using an in-depth interview guide. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results We interviewed 32 participants. There was a high prevalence of sexual violence, and it was a big concern in the community. Many of the respondents were not sensitized about trauma-informed services. Most of them knew only about HIV treatment. Our study shows that a good section of females did not seek the services after being sexually violated due to the fear of the perpetrator, bribing of the family of the affected and authorities, or even fear of family breakup and stigmatization. There were a lot of bribery, poor road networks, and inadequate health care services. These hindered survivors of sexual violence from utilizing trauma-informed services. Conclusions There was a knowledge gap about trauma-informed services for survivors of sexual violence. There was sexual violence in the community. Sensitization needs to be done among the populations by respective authorities to iron out issues of ignorance about the services and health workers evaluated for competence in offering the trauma-informed services.

Motivated by the increasing needs for reliable seasonal climate forecasts for enhanced living and protection of property, this study evaluates the predictive skill of the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecast's Sub-seasonal to Seasonal (ECMWF-S2S) precipitation forecasts during the peak of West Africa Monsoon in Nigeria. It investigates the ability of the ECMWF-S2S model to reproduce the atmospheric dynamics that influence the monsoon variability in West-Africa. Rain gauge values of 46 meteorological stations and 10-member ensemble of ECMWF-S2S forecasts from the Ensemble Prediction System (EPS) version of the ECMWF were subjected to quantitative statistical analyses. Results show that the model has weak capability in predicting wind strength at 700 mb level to depict the African Easterly Jet (AEJ). However, irrespective of the ENSO phases, ECMWF-S2S model is capable of adequately and reliably predicting the latitudinal positions of the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity (ITD), mean sea level pressure component of the thermal lows and sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. On inter-annual time-scales, results also show that ECMWF-S2S model performs best over the Savannah in forecasting of rainfall anomalies (synchronization = 75%) and over the Sahel in the prediction of rainfall accumulation. The model may however not be able to forecast extreme precipitation reliably because the disagreement between the model's ensemble members increases as higher rainfall accumulation values are attained. The implication here is that the reproducibility of the atmospheric dynamic by the model is a better measure of rainfall prediction than the actual quantitative rainfall forecasts especially in areas south of latitude 10°N. The study therefore suggests considering some climate driving mechanisms as predictability sources for the ECMWF-S2S model to enable the atmospheric dynamics to be better represented in the model.

Enlarged perivascular spaces have been previously reported in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy, but their significance and pathophysiology remains unclear. We investigated associations of white matter enlarged perivascular spaces with classical imaging measures, cognitive measures and plasma proteins to better understand what enlarged perivascular spaces represent in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy and whether radiographic measures of enlarged perivascular spaces would be of value in future therapeutic discovery studies for cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy. Twenty-four individuals with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy and 24 age- and sex-matched controls were included. Disease status was determined based on the presence of NOTCH3 mutation. Brain imaging measures of white matter hyperintensity, brain parenchymal fraction, white matter enlarged perivascular space volumes, clinical and cognitive measures as well as plasma proteomics were used in models. White matter enlarged perivascular space volumes were calculated via a novel, semiautomated pipeline, and levels of 7363 proteins were quantified in plasma using the SomaScan assay. The relationship of enlarged perivascular spaces with global burden of white matter hyperintensity, brain atrophy, functional status, neurocognitive measures and plasma proteins was modelled with linear regression models. Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy and control groups did not exhibit differences in mean enlarged perivascular space volumes. However, increased enlarged perivascular space volumes in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy were associated with increased white matter hyperintensity volume (β = 0.57, P = 0.05), Clinical Dementia Rating Sum-of-Boxes score (β = 0.49, P = 0.04) and marginally with decreased brain parenchymal fraction (β = -0.03, P = 0.10). In interaction term models, the interaction term between cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy disease status and enlarged perivascular space volume was associated with increased white matter hyperintensity volume (β = 0.57, P = 0.02), Clinical Dementia Rating Sum-of-Boxes score (β = 0.52, P = 0.02), Mini-Mental State Examination score (β = -1.49, P = 0.03) and marginally with decreased brain parenchymal fraction (β = -0.03, P = 0.07). Proteins positively associated with enlarged perivascular space volumes were found to be related to leukocyte migration and inflammation, while negatively associated proteins were related to lipid metabolism. Two central hub proteins were identified in protein networks associated with enlarged perivascular space volumes: CXC motif chemokine ligand 8/interleukin-8 and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2/monocyte chemoattractant protein 1. The levels of CXC motif chemokine ligand 8/interleukin-8 were also associated with increased white matter hyperintensity volume (β = 42.86, P = 0.03), and levels of C-C motif chemokine ligand 2/monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 were further associated with decreased brain parenchymal fraction (β = -0.0007, P < 0.01) and Mini-Mental State Examination score (β = -0.02, P < 0.01) and increased Trail Making Test B completion time (β = 0.76, P < 0.01). No proteins were associated with all three studied imaging measures of pathology (brain parenchymal fraction, enlarged perivascular spaces, white matter hyperintensity). Based on associations uncovered between enlarged perivascular space volumes and cognitive functions, imaging and plasma proteins, we conclude that white matter enlarged perivascular space volumes may capture pathologies contributing to chronic brain dysfunction and degeneration in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy.

Background. The specific role of 18F-flurodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) in staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains to be validated. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to assess the accuracy of staging FDG-PET/CT for newly diagnosed NPC. Methods. We searched various biomedical databases and conference proceedings for relevant studies. We determined the pooled sensitivities and specificities, diagnostic odds ratios (DOR) and constructed summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves using the hierarchical regression model. Results. 15 relevant studies including 851 patients were identified. Five addressed primary tumor (T), nine addressed regional lymph nodes (N) and seven addressed distant metastasis (M). The combined sensitivity estimate for FDG-PET/CT in T classification was 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-0.95). For N classification, combined sensitivity was 0.84 (95% CI 0.76-0.91), specificity was 0.90 (95% CI 0.83-0.97), DOR was 82.4 (23.2-292.6) and Q*-index was 0.90. For M classification, the combined sensitivity estimate was 0.87 (95% CI 0.74-1.00), specificity was 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-1.00), DOR was 120.9 (43.0-340.0) and Q*-index was 0.89. Conclusion. FDG-PET/CT showed good accuracy in N and M but not T classification for newly diagnosed NPC. FDG-PET/CT, together with Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the nasopharynx, should be part of the routine staging investigations

This ethnographic study utilized border theory to examine how a bilingual Latinx teacher created equitable instruction for Mexican immigrant second-graders in a 50-50 dual-language (DL) classroom in the U.S. Midwest. Approximately half the students in the DL classroom came from Spanish-speaking, working-class homes, and half from English-speaking, middle-class homes. The teacher reduced linguistic borders when she drew from her personal experiences and knowledge of bilingualism to forbid linguistic discrimination, separated students' second-language mastery from their conceptual understanding, and facilitated translanguaging (bilingual individuals' use of integrated linguistic resources). She promoted class border crossings when she intentionally grouped students and told the English-dominant students that they were disrespecting their Spanish-dominant classmates when they refused to speak Spanish. Borders that the teacher could not change were the high status of English at the school and the English-dominant students' expectation that the Spanish-dominant students would help them with their Spanish but that they did not have to reciprocate. Educational implications included training DL teachers so that they know how to reduce the privileges of the English speakers and how to support translanguaging. A call for more classroom research to address the power dynamics between language-minority and majority students in DL classrooms was made.

The human genome contains 61 codons encoding 20 amino acids. Synonymous codons representing a given amino acid are decoded by a set of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) called isoacceptors. We report the surprising observation that two isoacceptor tRNAs that decode synonymous codons become modulated in opposing directions during breast cancer progression. Specifically, tRNAIleUAU became upregulated, whereas tRNAIleGAU became repressed as breast cancer cells attained enhanced metastatic capacity. Functionally, tRNAIleUAU promoted and tRNAIleGAU suppressed metastatic colonization in mouse xenograft models. These tRNAs mediated opposing effects on codon-dependent translation of growth-promoting genes, consistent with genomic enrichment or depletion of their cognate codons in mitotic genes. Our findings uncover a specific isoacceptor tRNA pair that act in opposition, divergently impacting growth-regulating genes and a disease phenotype. Degeneracy of the genetic code can thus be biologically exploited by human cancer cells via tRNA isoacceptor shifts that causally facilitate the transition toward a growth-promoting state.

Validating the intended interpretations for proposed uses of tests scores is paramount for making valid inferences in educational and psychological research. Ascertaining measurement invariance for measurement instruments is an assumption for comparing means. If measurement invariance does not hold for groups of interest, comparison of means will be invalid since making valid inferences presupposes that the instrument measures the same construct across subgroups. One of the most widely used instruments for measuring learning strategies for college students is the "Learning and Study Strategies Inventory"-second edition. The inventory has 10 subscales namely, information processing, selecting main ideas, test strategies, anxiety, attitude, motivation, concentration, self-testing, study aids, and time management with eight items for each subscale. Although it is stated that the learning and study strategies inventory is internationally adopted to measure students' use of learning and study strategies, little is known about its measurement invariance across gender (males/females) and discipline (science/humanities) in Egyptian college students. The authors utilize an adapted Arabic version of the "Learning and Study Strategies Inventory" administered to 522 Egyptian college students to investigate if the adopted model has measurement invariance across gender (males/females) and discipline (science/humanities). Results revealed that the effort-related activities, goal orientation, and cognitive activities model was confirmed for these students. Using multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses, results also showed that the factorial structure of the adopted model had partial measurement invariance across gender and full measurement invariance across discipline. Centers for teaching and learning at universities can use the validated instrument to measure students' learning and study strategies across gender and discipline. More implications and suggestions for future research are also addressed.

Purpose: Identification of children with specific language impairment (SLI) can be difficult even though their language can lag that of age peers throughout childhood. A clinical grammar marker featuring tense marking in simple clauses is valid and reliable for young children but is limited by ceiling effects around the age of 8 years. This study evaluated a new, more grammatically challenging complex sentence task in children affected or unaffected with SLI in longitudinal data, ages 5-18 years. Method: Four hundred eighty-three children (213 unaffected, 270 affected) between 5 and 18 years of age participated, following a rolling recruitment longitudinal design encompassing a total of 4,148 observations. The new experimental grammaticality judgment task followed linguistic concepts of syntactic sites for finiteness and movement within complex clauses. Growth modeling methods evaluated group differences over time for four different outcomes; three were hypothesized to evaluate optional omissions of overt finiteness forms in authorized sentence sites, and one evaluated an overt error of tense marking. Results: As in earlier studies of younger children, growth models for the SLI group were consistently lower than the unaffected group, although the growth trajectories across groups did not differ. The results replicated across four item types defined by omissions with minor differences for an item with an overt error of tense marking. Covariates of child nonverbal IQ, mother's education, and child sex did not significantly moderate these effects. Conclusion: The outcomes support the task as having potential screening value for identification of children with SLI and are consistent with linguistic interpretations of task demands.

In this longitudinal, qualitative case study, critical pedagogical and sociocultural perspectives were employed to analyze the language and literacy strengths, challenges, inequities, and gentrification issues that characterized the first three years of a two-way, 50-50 Spanish-English dual-language (DL) program's implementation, and how the DL staff addressed the challenges, inequities, and gentrification issues. Examples of strengths were a balanced Spanish-English instructional schedule, literacy materials in Spanish and English, and the presence of translanguaging. Some challenges were the required use of instructional reading materials and English report cards employed with the district's monolingual English-speaking students, and finding time to teach literacy in both languages. Several initial gentrification issues were allowing more students from English-speaking families to enroll in the DL program than students from Spanish-speaking families and not providing Spanish report cards. Although the DL personnel resolved some of the inequities and gentrification issues, the district's actions and policies undermined the DL program's bilingual and biliteracy goals. The English-dominant students were privileged compared to the Spanish-dominant students, and the DL students' English performance was prioritized over their Spanish performance. The importance of working with district staff to develop political and ideological clarity along with educational and research implications are highlighted.

Drawing on racial battle fatigue as theoretical framing and critical race methodology, we offer the counterstories of 16 Black men doctoral scientists and engineers who relied on same race peer support to successfully persist in their science and engineering (S&E) doctoral programs. Our analysis of narratives and interviews yielded three themes that illustrate the men's engagement with Black peers and how racism influences the types of peer relationships they formed in their S&E doctoral programs. Further, we describe three types of same race peer relationships that support Black men as they pursue S&E doctoral degrees. We underscore the salience of racism and recommend expanding research in S&E by: (1) including the lived experiences of Black men scientists and engineers in the scholarly literature, and (2) highlighting the importance of same race peer networks as academic, emotional, and social structures for Black men persisting in S&E. Within, we offer implications for science education, higher education, and S&E researchers interested in creating supportive S&E environments for Black men.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Reading aims to measure reading comprehension for students in the United States and to monitor progress in our education system. NAEP Reading is developed based on an assessment framework document that is periodically revised to reflect the latest understandings about reading comprehension and its assessment. A key goal of the Visioning Panel (VP) and the Development Panel (DP) charged with updating the NAEP Reading Assessment Framework for 2026 was to lay the foundation for an assessment that made progress toward greater fairness, equity, and validity. In this essay, we discuss how the Framework development process unfolded and its results. We document the unusual ways the National Assessment Governing Board ("the Board") shaped the development process. We provide evidence that a small group of Board members aimed to preserve the status quo in reading assessment by downplaying reliance on expertise and authoritative sources of research on reading, learning, and assessment and by removing attention to equity in NAEP Reading. We also discuss both successful (i.e., approved by the Board) and unsuccessful (i.e., rejected by the Board) recommendations for changes to the 2026 Framework that initially were proposed by the DP. We end by considering how, despite the efforts of the small group of Board members, we as a literacy field can improve the nature and impact of our large-scale reading assessments, and NAEP in particular.