.
In Uganda, where malaria transmission is high, insecticide treated nets (ITNs) have been distributed nationwide every 3 years since 2013. In West Nile, northern Uganda, indoor residual spraying (IRS) was first implemented with clothianidin-deltamethrin (Fludora Fusion®) in 2022, followed by pirimiphos-methyl (Actellic® 300CS) in 2023. We utilised a quasi-experimental study to assess the impact of IRS + ITNs on malaria incidence in West Nile. Data were collected from three malaria reference centres (MRCs) in West Nile (IRS + ITNs, intervention) and five MRCs in neighbouring Acholi (ITNs only, control) over 4 years: (1) Baseline (December 2020–November 2022), prior to IRS; (2) IRS-1 (December 2022–December 2023) following IRS with clothianidin-deltamethrin; (3) IRS-2 (January 2024–December 2024) following IRS with pirimiphos-methyl. The primary outcome was monthly malaria incidence from each MRC target area per 1000 person-years. Data were analysed using negative binomial regression models with a difference-in-difference approach, comparing pre-post trends in malaria incidence between arms. Adjusted models accounted for 2-month lagged rainfall and seasonality. During IRS-1, mean observed malaria incidence fell from baseline in both arms (intervention: 720.9 to 547.9; and control: 523.4 to 455.2 per 1000 person-years). We detected a 15
Dysregulated inflammation during pregnancy can result in an adverse intrauterine environment, potentially disrupting fetal growth and development and increasing the risk of childhood obesity. This study aimed to assess the association between maternal inflammation during the second trimester of pregnancy and childhood adiposity at ages 7 and 13 years. Utilizing the Seychelles Child Development Study Nutrition Cohort 2 (SCDS NC2), we measured maternal inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-2, IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-6, CRP, MCP-1, sFlt-1, and VEGF-D) at 28 weeks gestation and childhood body mass index (BMI)-for-age z-scores, waist-to-hip circumference ratios, and the odds of overweight and obesity at ages 7 and 13 years. The associations between maternal inflammatory markers and childhood adiposity measures were analyzed using linear regression for BMI-for-age z-scores and waist-to-hip ratios and multinomial logistic regression for weight status. Potential effect modification by child sex was explored using interaction terms. Among the 1,351 mother-child pairs, 57.1
The benefit–risk profile of prophylactic non-adjustable ring augmentation added to primary Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (ring-augmented RYGB) remains uncertain. We conducted a PRISMA 2020–reported systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of prospective randomized trials comparing ring-augmented (rRYGB) versus standard non-ring-augmented RYGB (nrRYGB) in adults. PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and CENTRAL were searched from inception through December 2025. Five randomized trials including 920 patients from the USA, Mexico, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Egypt were included. Rings were typically placed 2–3 cm above the gastrojejunostomy, most commonly with a 6.5 cm circumference. rRYGB did not improve • Weight loss: Similar early outcomes, but rRYGB shows a modest
Periodontitis can lead to the formation of intrabony defects. Enamel matrix derivative (EMD) is a well-established biomaterial for regeneration. Currently, hyaluronic acid (HA) has emerged as a promising alternative with anti-inflammatory and osteoinductive properties. This meta-analysis compares the clinical efficacy of HA and EMD in the regenerative treatment of periodontal intrabony defects. In December 2025, we conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for randomized and non-randomized controlled trials directly comparing HA to EMD in patients with periodontitis and intrabony defects. The primary outcomes were clinical attachment level (CAL) and probing pocket depth (PPD). For the meta-analysis, we used R 4.5.0 with R Studio 2024.12.1 + 563. We included four studies with a total of 167 defects in 156 patients. There were no statistically significant differences between HA and EMD in CAL at 6 months (MD = 0.08 mm, 95
Abstract Background Threatened miscarriage affects pregnancies globally, necessitating reliable diagnostic markers. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, yet its diagnostic value and response to progesterone support remain unclear. This prospective study aimed to assess the diagnostic significance of GDF-15 levels in maternal serum during the first trimester of threatened miscarriage and evaluate the impact of progesterone-based hormonal support. The study included 120 pregnant women: 60 diagnosed with threatened miscarriage and 60 healthy controls. In the patient group, serum β-hCG and GDF-15 levels were measured before and after a two-week course of progesterone therapy, while the control group underwent a single measurement. Results Women with threatened miscarriage exhibited significantly lower mean serum β-hCG and GDF-15 levels compared to the control group. Following progesterone therapy, GDF-15 levels in the patient group showed no significant change (p = 0.179), whereas β-hCG levels declined significantly (p < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated initial diagnostic potential for GDF-15, yielding an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88. Conclusions Maternal serum GDF-15 demonstrates effective potential as a promising candidate biomarker for identifying threatened miscarriage. Its levels did not show a significant short-term change following standard progesterone administration, suggesting it potentially reflects underlying placental dysfunction rather than temporary hormonal fluctuations. GDF-15 holds potential as an early, stable biomarker for risk stratification in threatened miscarriage cases.
