Search Results (26)

Background: Poliomyelitis is a vaccine-preventable disease, with oral poliomyelitis vaccines (OPVs) and injectable poliomyelitis vaccines. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs) persist due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including the quality of the cold chain, which may make the vaccines less effective. This study’s objective was to evaluate the cold chain’s quality of OPVs and its effect on the vaccine’s viability and potency at different levels in health systems in Kinshasa. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kinshasa, collecting OPVs at different levels of the health pyramid. Vaccine viability was assessed by cell culture using a modified World Health Organization (WHO) protocol, and the viral titer was determined using the Karber formula. The vaccine titer was classified as “very good”, “good”, or “poor” according to the WHO standard’s viral titer. Results: A total of 53 vaccines were collected and analyzed, compressing 38 bivalent oral poliomyelitis (bOPV) vaccines and 15 novel oral poliomyelitis vaccines, type 2 (nOPV2). The viral titer ranged from log10^5.8 to log 10^7.3 and from log10^5.4 to log10^8.9 for the nOPV2 and the bOPV, respectively. Of these 53 vaccine samples, 10% of the bOPVs showed viral titers below the recommended WHO threshold (>10⁶ CCID₅₀/dose), 100% of the nOPV2 had viral titers within the WHO standards (>10⁵ CCID₅₀/dose), and a significant decline in the viral titer was observed for both types of vaccines (nOPV2 and bOPV) as the distribution progressed along the level of the health pyramid. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the viral titer of OPV declined from central to peripheral areas in routine and campaign strategies in Kinshasa. Full article

Background and objective: Currently, there is no universal newborn hearing (UNHS) screening in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), partly due to financial and organizational reasons. The aim of this study was to adapt the LittlEARS^® Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ) into the Kiswahili and Lingala languages for use as a screening tool for auditory development in children less than two years of age, as objective hearing screening cannot be performed nationwide. Methods: For this purpose, norm data were collected from n = 723 infants (Lingala) and n = 648 infants (Kiswahili) aged between 0 and 24 months in a random selection of four out of seven health zones with pediatric services in the DRC. A non-linear regression model was derived for total scores by age. Pearson correlations were performed to determine whether there were differences between total scores of the questionnaire by region (urban/rural areas). A Mann–Whitney U-test was calculated to determine if there were differences depending on who completed the questionnaire (mother/other caregiver). In addition, a one-way ANOVA was used to determine whether there were differences in the total scores of the questionnaires according to the educational background of the person completing the questionnaire. Results: The Pearson correlation coefficient between total scores and age was 0.81 for Kiswahili and 0.77 for Lingala. There were no significant differences in total scores for all conditions tested (total scores by age, language, region, person who completed the questionnaire, educational background). Conclusions: The LEAQ can be used effectively in a large region such as the DRC, regardless of the region, respondent, and the educational background. Full article

In October 2024, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and other departments released the “Work Plan for Improving the Carbon Emission Statistics and Accounting System”, which explicitly proposed the promotion of municipal-level energy balance tables and the development of carbon emission prediction and early warning models. Currently, China has not yet released municipal-level energy balance tables, making it impossible to directly estimate municipal carbon emissions using the IPCC inventory-based method. This paper draws on the electricity–energy–carbon model at the industry level and conducts high-frequency carbon emission estimation for 14 municipalities in Guangxi as a case study. Based on this, the Prophet model is introduced, incorporating planned electricity consumption data to construct a carbon emission prediction and early warning model, enabling long-term carbon emission forecasting at the municipal level. The results indicate the following: First, among the 14 municipalities in Guangxi, Baise has the highest share of carbon emissions (27%), followed by Liuzhou (13%). In terms of carbon emission intensity, six municipalities exceed the regional average, including Baise, Chongzuo, and Fangchenggang. Second, the total carbon emissions in Guangxi (from energy consumption) are expected to peak by 2030, and all 14 municipalities are expected to achieve peak carbon emissions from energy consumption before 2030. Full article

Introduction: Pharmacies are important points of access and information for women seeking medication abortion. In the context of the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC], where the legal conditions for abortion have expanded in recent years and now allow pharmacies to dispense medication abortion with a prescription, little is known about medication abortion counseling and care offered by pharmacy staff. The aim of this study was to explore the quality of information provided by pharmacy staff to customers seeking medication abortion in Kinshasa. Methodology: A cross-sectional study using the mystery client (MC) approach was conducted in 480 pharmacies between April and May 2023. Trained female (n = 9) and male (n = 3) investigators played the role of mystery clients seeking abortion medication for themselves (or their partner or relative), and they asked questions to assess the performance of pharmacy staff and the quality of the provided information. The MCs recorded the results of their visits immediately after they left the pharmacy. Data were analyzed using Stata 17.0 and QGIS. The research protocol received ethical approval from the Kinshasa School of Public Health, and the need for informed consent was waived as pharmacy providers were being observed acting in their professional capacity. Results: Misoprostol was available at 40% of pharmacies visited, while mifepristone–misoprostol was available at less than 2%. Correct dosage information for misoprostol was provided by only 23% of the providers, with the lowest proportion observed in interactions involving male partners (2.4%). During discussions, only 10.6% of the providers explained what to expect during the abortion process. The quality of information differed according to the client profile, the district, and whether the client had a prescription. Conclusions: While medication abortion can provide a safe option for women seeking to manage their own abortion, the lack of adequate information on the correct dosage and administration can hinder the effectiveness of this regimen. To fully realize the potential of this medication for reducing unsafe abortion, it is essential that pharmacy staff are trained and supported to provide high-quality information and services, and that inequities in access to medications are addressed. Full article

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) accounts for 22% of the new cases diagnosed in Hispanic/Latino (H/L) men in the US. PCa has the highest incidence (38.3%) and mortality (16.4%) among all types of cancer diagnosed in Puerto Rico. We previously showed that PCa patients (n = 41) have a significant reduction of 59% in their levels of DNA repair capacity (DRC) when compared to controls (n = 14). This study aimed to evaluate DRC levels through the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway for the first time in 16 Puerto Rican H/L men with metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPCa) while establishing comparisons with controls and PCa patients with indolent and aggressive disease. Methods: Blood samples and clinicopathological data from PCa cases (n = 71) and controls (n = 25) were evaluated. PCa cases were stratified into mCRPCa (n = 16), aggressive (n = 31), and indolent (n = 24). DRC levels through NER were measured in lymphocytes with the CometChip assay. The stratification by Gleason score (GS) was GS6 (n = 7), GS7 (n = 23), GS ≥ 8 (n = 20), and mCRPCa patients (n = 16). Results: Significant statistical differences were found when comparing the DRC values of the controls with any other of the four PCa patient groups. mCRPCa patients had the lowest mean DRC level of all four patient groups studied. The mean DRC level of mCRPCa patients was 6.65%, and compared to the controls, this represented a statistically significant reduction of 62% (p < 0.0001). Further analysis was performed to evaluate the contributions of age, anthropometric measurements, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels to the DRC. Kaplan–Meier curves of mCRPCa revealed that survival probability decreased by approximately 50% by 30 months. This pilot study uses a blood-based phenotypic assay to present the first report of mCRPCa in Puerto Rican men and at a global level of DRC levels of mCRPCa patients. Conclusions: This study evaluated DRC levels through the NER pathway for the first time in 16 Puerto Rican H/L men with mCRPCa. Significant differences in DRC values were found between the controls and the three PCa patient groups. Kaplan–Meier curves revealed that survival probability decreased by approximately 50% by 30 months, and only 20% of the cohort was alive at 50 months, confirming the lethality of mCRPCa in this H/L population. This pilot study represents the first report of metastatic PCa in Puerto Rican men at a global level of DRC levels of mCRPCa patients using a blood-based phenotypic assay. Full article

Two experiments evaluated the impact of the reduction in the percentage of corn oil remaining in distillers grains plus solubles (DGS) after the ethanol plant de-oiling process or by adding corn oil back to DGS following de-oiling on finishing cattle performance and nutrient digestion. Experiment 1 utilized 320 yearling steers (initial BW = 413 kg; SD = 25 kg) fed in 32 pens (10 steers/pen) and assigned to one of four treatments (n = 8 pens/treatment). The four treatments consisted of a blended DRC:HMC corn control diet (CON), de-oiled modified distillers grains plus solubles included at 40% of diet DM (DODGS), de-oiled modified distillers grains plus solubles included at 38% of diet DM plus 2% added corn oil (DODGS + Oil), and full-fat modified distillers grains plus solubles included at 40% of diet DM (FFDGS). The DODGS product contained 8.9% fat while the FFDGS product contained 11.6% fat. Dry matter intake (DMI) was impacted by treatment (p = 0.01) with steers fed DODGS having the greatest DMI and steers fed CON, DODGS + Oil, and FFDGS having lower DMI. Dietary treatment tended to impact ADG (p = 0.06) with steers fed DODGS and DODGS + Oil having greater gains than CON, with FFDGS being an intermediate. As a result of increased ADG, G:F differed between treatments (p < 0.01) with the greatest feed efficiency observed for steers fed DODGS + Oil and FFDGS. Including MDGS in the diet improved G:F by 6 to 11% compared to feeding DRC:HMC corn blend, with an improvement in G:F of 4.9 and 1.2% for DODGS + Oil and FFDGS, respectively, compared to DODGS. Hot carcass weight was impacted by dietary treatment (HCW; p = 0.05), with DODGS- and DODGS + Oil-fed steers having the heaviest HCW, CON steers having the lightest HCW, and FFDGS being an intermediate. Experiment 2 was a 5 × 4 unbalanced Latin rectangle digestion experiment with four diets, five ruminally cannulated steers, and five periods that utilized the same treatments as Exp. 1. Dietary fat measured 4.2, 6.0, 7.9, and 7.1% for CON, DODGS, DODGS + Oil, and FFDGS, respectively. Intakes of DM, OM, and energy as well as total tract fat digestibility and DE (Mcal/d) were not impacted by dietary treatment (p ≥ 0.46). When corn oil was added back to de-oiled MDGS, there was a negative impact on digestibility of OM (p < 0.01) and NDF (p = 0.07) compared with DODGS, FFDGS, and CON. Partially removing oil from modified distillers grains plus solubles did not significantly impact cattle performance, carcass traits, energy content, or digestibility when MDGS was included at approximately 40% of diet DM. Full article

Onchocerciasis is a neglected tropical disease targeted for elimination using ivermectin mass administration. Ivermectin kills the microfilariae and temporarily arrests microfilariae production by the macrofilariae. We genotyped 436 microfilariae from 10 people each in Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Maridi County, South Sudan, collected before and 4–5 months after ivermectin treatment. Population genetic analyses identified 52 and 103 mitochondrial DNA haplotypes among the microfilariae from DRC and South Sudan, respectively, with few haplotypes shared between people. The percentage of genotype-based correct assignment to person within DRC was ~88% and within South Sudan ~64%. Rarefaction and extrapolation analysis showed that the genetic diversity in DRC, and even more so in South Sudan, was captured incompletely. The results indicate that the per-person adult worm burden is likely higher in South Sudan than DRC. Analyses of haplotype data from a subsample (n = 4) did not discriminate genetically between pre- and post-treatment microfilariae, confirming that post-treatment microfilariae are not the result of new infections. With appropriate sampling, mitochondrial haplotype analysis could help monitor changes in the number of macrofilariae in a population as a result of treatment, identify cases of potential treatment failure, and detect new infections as an indicator of continuing transmission. Full article

Dental caries, particularly secondary caries, which is the main contributor to dental repair failure, has been the subject of extensive research due to its biofilm-mediated, sugar-driven, multifactorial, and dynamic characteristics. The clinical utility of restorations is improved by cleaning bacteria nearby and remineralizing marginal crevices. In this study, a novel multifunctional dental resin composite (DRC) composed of Sr-N-co-doped titanium dioxide (Sr-N-TiO₂) nanoparticles and nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) reinforcing fillers with improved antibacterial and mineralization properties is proposed. The experimental results showed that the anatase-phase Sr-N-TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized successfully. After this, the curing depth (CD) of the DRC was measured from 4.36 ± 0.18 mm to 5.10 ± 0.19 mm, which met the clinical treatment needs. The maximum antibacterial rate against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) was 98.96%, showing significant inhibition effects (p < 0.0001), which was experimentally verified to be derived from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Meanwhile, the resin exhibited excellent self-remineralization behavior in an SBF solution, and the molar ratio of Ca/P was close to that of HA. Moreover, the relative growth rate (RGR) of mouse fibroblast L929 indicated a high biocompatibility, with the cytotoxicity level being 0 or I. Therefore, our research provides a suitable approach for improving the antibacterial and mineralization properties of DRCs. Full article

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 is the main etiological agent of cervical cancer worldwide. Mutations within the virus genome may lead to an increased risk of cancer development and decreased vaccine response, but there is a lack of information about strains circulating in Sub-Saharan Africa. Endocervical cytology samples were collected from 480 women attending a voluntary cervical cancer screening program at Monkole Hospital and four outpatient centers in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The prevalence of HPV infection was 18.8% and the most prevalent high-risk types were HPV16 (12.2%) followed by HPV52 (8.8%) and HPV33/HPV35 (7.8% each). HPV16 strains were characterized: 57.1% were classified as C lineage; two samples (28.6%) as A1 and one sample belonged to B1 lineage. HPV33, HPV35, HPV16, and HPV58 were the most frequent types associated with low-grade intraepithelial lesion while high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were predominantly associated with HPV16. Several L1 mutations (T266A, S282P, T353P, and N181T) were common in Kinshasa, and their potential effect on vaccine-induced neutralization, especially the presence of S282P, should be further investigated. Long control region (LCR) variability was high with frequent mutations like G7193T, G7521A, and G145T that could promote malignancy of these HPV16 strains. This study provides a helpful basis for understanding HPV16 variants circulating in Kinshasa and the potential association between mutations of LCR region and malignancy and of L1 and vaccine activity. Full article

Objective: In this evaluation of COVID-19 preventative response programs in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we aimed to explore community understandings of COVID-19, assess operational successes and challenges of COVID response activities, and identify barriers to practicing COVID-19 preventative behaviors. Methods: Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted from April to September 2021 in South Kivu, DRC, with community members (n = 16) and programmatic stakeholders (n = 15) (healthcare providers, government officials, and developmental and NGO staff engaged in COVID-19 response). Findings: Most community members were aware of COVID-19 and its global burden, but few were aware of local transmission in their area. Some community members attributed COVID-19 to actions of malevolent neighbors, miasma (“bad air”), or spirits. Awareness of COVID-19 preventative measures was widespread, largely because of radio and TV health promotion programs. Community members and programmatic stakeholders both said community-level non-compliance to COVID-19 preventative measures was high despite high awareness of preventative methods. Community members expressed concern that face masks distributed as part of preventative programs contained the COVID-19 virus. Programmatic stakeholders emphasized the need for broader health system strengthening with improved coordination, provision of resources to health facilities at the provincial level, and prioritization of research. Lessons learned from addressing Ebola were leveraged for COVID-19 health promotion, rapid training of healthcare personnel, and surveillance. Conclusions: Community-informed approaches are needed for effective COVID-19 preventative response programs in South Kivu, DRC. Our study identified successes and challenges in COVID-19 response activities. Future research should assess the effectiveness of integrating preventive programs with COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Full article

Prostate cancer (PCa) accounts for 22% of the new cases diagnosed in Hispanic men in the US. Among Hispanics, Puerto Rican (PR) men show the highest PCa-specific mortality. Epidemiological studies using functional assays in lymphocytes have demonstrated that having low DRC is a significant risk factor for cancer development. The aim of this study was to evaluate variations in DRC in PR men with PCa. Lymphocytes were isolated from blood samples from PCa cases (n = 41) and controls (n = 14) recruited at a hospital setting. DRC levels through the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway were measured with the CometChip using UVC as a NER inductor. The mean DRC for controls and PCa cases were 20.66% (±7.96) and 8.41 (±4.88), respectively (p < 0.001). The relationship between DRC and tumor aggressiveness was also evaluated. Additional comparisons were performed to evaluate the contributions of age, anthropometric measurements, and prostate-specific antigen levels to the DRC. This is the first study to apply the CometChip in a clinical cancer study. Our results represent an innovative step in the development of a blood-based screening test for PCa based on DRC levels. Our data also suggest that DRC levels may have the potential to discriminate between aggressive and indolent cases. Full article

In recent years, research interest has been revolutionized to predict the rigid projectile penetration depth in concrete. The concrete penetration predictions persist, unsettled, due to the complexity of phenomena and the continuous development of revolutionized statistical techniques, such as machine learning, neural networks, and deep learning. This research aims to develop a new model to predict the penetration depth of the ogive nose rigid projectile into concrete blocks using machine learning. Genetic coding is used in Python programming to discover the underlying mathematical relationship from the experimental data in its non-dimensional form. A populace of erratic formulations signifies the rapport amid dependent parameters, such as the impact factor (I), the geometry function of the projectile (N), the empirical constant for concrete strength (S), the slenderness of the projectile (λ), and their independent objective variable, X/d, where X is the penetration depth of the projectile and d is the diameter of the projectile. Four genetic operations were used, including the crossover, sub-tree transfiguration, hoist transfiguration, and point transfiguration operations on supervised test datasets, which were divided into three categories, namely, narrow penetration (X/d < 0.5), intermediate penetration (0.5 ≤ X/d < 5.0), and deep penetration (X/d ≥ 5.0). The proposed model shows a significant relationship with all data in the category for medium penetration, where R² = 0.88, and R² = 0.96 for deep penetration. Furthermore, the proposed model predictions are also compared with the most commonly used NDRC and Li and Chen models. The outcome of this research shows that the proposed model predicts the penetration depth precisely, compared to the NDRC and Li and Chen models. Full article

The objective of this pooled statistical analysis was to evaluate Syngenta Enogen^® Feed Corn (EFC) versus conventional corn (CON) when fed as either dry-rolled corn (DRC) or high-moisture corn (HMC) for effects on finishing beef cattle performance and carcass characteristics. Corns were evaluated in diets with byproduct inclusion rates of 0, 15, 18, 20, and 30% distiller grains or 25 and 35% Sweet Bran^® (a commercial corn gluten feed product). Seven trials (n = 1856) consisting of 200 pen means comparing 26 diet treatments were analyzed using regression in a pooled analysis. When EFC was processed as DRC, the gain efficiency (G:F) improved compared with CON, but the response to feeding EFC decreased from a 4.8% improvement to no improvement compared to CON as distiller grains increased from 0 to 30%, but was significantly improved due to feeding EFC in diets with 0 to 18% distiller grains. Feeding cattle EFC as DRC increased the average daily gain (ADG) and G:F by 4.5% compared with CON corn in diets containing Sweet Bran^®. No improvements in animal performance were observed when cattle were fed EFC compared to CON when processed as HMC in any situation. Feeding Enogen^® corn improved the gain efficiency of finishing cattle compared with conventional corn when processed as dry-rolled corn and fed in diets with less than 20% distillers or diets that include Sweet Bran^®. Full article

Introduction and Objectives: It is well-documented that single mothers in sub-Saharan Africa face unique psychosocial challenges which can lead to child health and developmental disadvantages, often impacting life trajectories for both the mother and child. Years of instability, conflict, and widespread poor governance within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have resulted in magnified challenges for parents, making it more difficult to provide supportive and effective parenting. To address gaps in knowledge regarding the specific challenges experienced and adaptations made among single mothers raising children in contexts of adversity, the present study aimed to investigate the phenomenon of single mother parenting in the DRC. Methods: Cognitive Edge SenseMaker, a mixed-method data collection tool, was used to collect self-interpreted narratives among parents in eastern DRC. Quantitative SenseMaker data were uploaded into Tableau, a data organization and analysis tool, to visualize differences in response patterns between single mother (n = 263) and two-parent family study participants (n = 182). Single mother micronarratives (n = 251) were then coded line-by-line and analyzed thematically. Qualitative themes identified in the single mother micronarratives were used to facilitate a deeper and more nuanced understanding of key quantitative SenseMaker findings. Findings and Conclusions: Our study found that single mothers experienced immense challenges raising children in the DRC, including financial-, health- and parenting-related hardships. Single mothers described negative emotions and higher levels of household adversity while providing for their children in situations of extreme poverty compared to two-parent family respondents. Self-reliance was exhibited among most single mothers in an attempt to overcome challenges, primarily financial barriers, and to prioritize the health and well-being of their children. However, many children still lacked access to sufficient food, education, and healthcare. Limited governmental and social security support for single mothers was identified as contributing to heightened challenges and the self-reliance observed among single mothers. Findings emphasize that additional research and attention should be directed towards identifying the specific needs of, and available resources for, single mothers in different localities in an effort to inform policies and programs that best support families. Full article

Continental crossbred beef heifers were used in a randomized complete block design experiment to evaluate the effects of replacement of dry-rolled corn with unprocessed rye on the finishing-phase growth performance and efficiency of dietary net energy (NE) use. Fifty-six heifers (433 ± 34.0 kg) were transported 241 km from a sale barn in North Central South Dakota to the Ruminant Nutrition Center in Brookings, SD. Heifers were blocked by weight grouping and allotted to treatment pens (n = 7 heifers/pen and 4 pens/treatment). Treatments included a finishing diet that contained 60% grain (diet dry matter basis) as dry-rolled corn (DRC) or unprocessed rye grain (RYE). On study day 14, all heifers were consuming the final diet and were implanted with 200 mg of trenbolone acetate and 28 mg of estradiol benzoate (Synovex-Plus, Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ, USA). The RYE heifers had decreased (p ≤ 0.01) final body weight, average daily gain, and gain efficiency; however, they tended (p = 0.08) to have a greater dry matter intake compared to DRC heifers. RYE heifers had decreased (p ≤ 0.01) observed dietary NE and decreased (p ≤ 0.01) observed-to-expected dietary NE ratio for maintenance and gain compared to DRC heifers. The dressing percentage, 12th rib fat thickness, ribeye area, and the distribution of yield and quality grades were not altered (p ≥ 0.12) by dietary treatment. The hot carcass weight, calculated yield grade, estimated empty body fat (EBF), and body weight at 28% EBF decreased (p ≤ 0.02) and retail yield increased (p = 0.01) in RYE compared to DRC heifers. These data indicate that unprocessed rye is a palatable feed ingredient for inclusion in finishing diets for beef cattle and that rye inclusion only minimally influences the carcass quality grade. The feeding value of unprocessed rye is considerably less (21.4%) than that of dry-rolled corn using current standards and approximately 91% of the NE value of processed rye (processing index = 78.8%). Rye grain fed as processed or unprocessed grain has an NE value that is less than 90% of that of dry-rolled corn. Full article