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Personal mobility data from mobile phones and other sensors are increasingly used to inform policymaking during pandemics, natural disasters, and other humanitarian crises. However, even aggregated mobility traces can reveal private information about individual movements to potentially malicious actors. This paper develops and tests an approach for releasing private mobility data, which provides formal guarantees over the privacy of the underlying subjects. Specifically, we (1) introduce an algorithm for constructing differentially private mobility matrices and derive privacy and accuracy bounds on this algorithm; (2) use real-world data from mobile phone operators in Afghanistan and Rwanda to show how this algorithm can enable the use of private mobility data in two high-stakes policy decisions: pandemic response and the distribution of humanitarian aid; and (3) discuss practical decisions that need to be made when implementing this approach, such as how to optimally balance privacy and accuracy. Taken together, these results can help enable the responsible use of private mobility data in humanitarian response., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) have shown impressive clinical activity with approval of many agents in hematologic and solid tumors. However, challenges remain with both efficacy and safety of ADCs. This study describes novel trastuzumab-auristatin conjugates with the hydrophilic monomethylauristatin E (MMAE) prodrug MMAU, and optimization of a glycopeptide linker leading to a wider therapeutic window. Trastuzumab was conjugated with auristatin payloads via a series of linkers using a stabilized maleimide handle. The ADCs were characterized in vitro and their relative in vivo antitumor efficacies were assessed in HER2+ xenograft models. Relative linker stabilities and the mechanism of linker cleavage were studied using in vitro assays. Toxicity and toxicokinetics of the best performing ADC were evaluated in cynomolgus monkey (cyno). The trastuzumab-MMAU ADC with stabilized glycopeptide linker showed maleimide stabilization and higher resistance to cleavage by serum and lysosomal enzymes compared with a valine-citrulline conjugated trastuzumab ADC (trastuzumab-vc-MMAE). A single dose of 1 or 2 mg/kg of trastuzumab-MMAU at drug-to-antibody ratios (DAR) of eight and four respectively resulted in xenograft tumor growth inhibition, with superior efficacy to trastuzumab-vc-MMAE. Trastuzumab-MMAUDAR4 was tolerated at doses up to 12 mg/kg in cyno, which represents 2- to 4-fold higher dose than that observed with vedotin ADCs, and had increased terminal half-life and exposure. The optimized trastuzumab-MMAU ADC showed potent antitumor activity and was well tolerated with excellent pharmacokinetics in nonhuman primates, leading to a superior preclinical therapeutic window. The data support potential utility of trastuzumab-MMAU for treatment of HER2+ tumors., (©2024 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Biomaterials play an increasingly critical role in bone tissue engineering. However, achieving effective clinical translation requires a careful choice of biomimetic materials and thorough assessment of their efficacy and safety. Existing in vitro and in vivo models have drawbacks including time and cost constraints, invasive procedures, and discordance between animal models and clinical outcomes. Therefore, there is a demand for an alternative model. We hypothesized that the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane can serve as a bioreactor to evaluate the initial sign of bone formation on scaffolds. In parallel, we investigated the osteogenic potential of a previously fabricated fibrin-alginate-calcium phosphate biomaterial (FACaP). Blood vessels were observed to infiltrate the scaffolds with early signs of bone formation, confirmed via RUNX-2 and alpha smooth muscle actin markers. The scaffolds' chemical composition was evaluated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and ion chromatography was used to assess calcium ion release. Finally, the topography was examined by atomic force microscopy. In conclusion, this system offers simple refinement for in vivo models in bone tissue engineering and highlights the great potential of FACaP as an angiogenic and osteogenic biomaterial for non-load-bearing applications.

Although the precise molecular mechanisms responsible for neuronal death and motor dysfunction in late-onset Parkinson's disease (PD) are unknown, evidence suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammation occur early, leading to a collective increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and oxidative stress. However, the lack of methods for tracking oxidative stress in the living brain has precluded its use as a potential biomarker. The goal of the current study is to address this need through the evaluation of the first superoxide (O 2 •- )-sensitive radioactive tracer, [ 18 F]ROStrace, in a model of late-onset PD. To achieve this goal, MitoPark mice with a dopaminergic (DA) neuron-specific deletion of transcription factor A mitochondrial ( Tfam ) were imaged with [ 18 F]ROStrace from the prodromal phase to the end-stage of PD-like disease. Our data demonstrate [ 18 F]ROStrace was sensitive to increased oxidative stress during the early stages of PD-like pathology in MitoPark mice, which persisted throughout the disease course. Similarly to PD patients, MitoPark males had the most severe parkinsonian symptoms and metabolic impairment. [ 18 F]ROStrace retention was also highest in MitoPark males, suggesting oxidative stress as a potential mechanism underlying the male sex bias of PD. Furthermore, [ 18 F]ROStrace may provide a method to identify patients at risk of Parkinson's before irreparable neurodegeneration occurs and enhance clinical trial design by identifying patients most likely to benefit from antioxidant therapies.

The regenerative capacity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is now attributed to their ability to release paracrine factors into the extracellular matrix that boost tissue regeneration, reduce inflammation and encourage healing. Understanding the MSC secretome is crucial for shifting the prototypic conventional cell-based therapies to cell-free regenerative treatments. This systematic review aimed to analyse the functional annotations of the secretome of human adult adipose tissue and bone marrow MSCs and unveil the gene clusters responsible for bone formation. Bioinformatics tools were used to identify the biological processes, molecular functions, hallmarks and KEGG pathways of adipose and bone marrow MSC secretome proteins. We found a substantial overlap in the functional annotations and protein compositions of both adipose and bone marrow MSC secretome indicating that MSC source may be noninfluencial with regards to tissue regeneration. Additionally, a novel network pharmacology-based analysis of the secreted proteins revealed that the commonly secreted proteins within a single source interact with multiple drugable targets of bone diseases and regulate various KEGG pathway. This study unravels the secretome profile of human adult adipose and bone marrow MSCs based on the current literature and provides valuable insights into the therapeutic use of the MSC secretome for cell-free therapies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure is a prevalent concern for patients with end-stage kidney disease on hemodialysis. Recognizing the efficacy of ultrasound Doppler in post-operative AVF evaluation, this study sought to discern the predictive capabilities of various ultrasonographic and color-Doppler metrics for early AVF outcomes., Methods: This single-center, prospective cohort study spanned 1 year and, post ethical clearance, included all patients who underwent native AVF creation surgery and were subsequently referred for standard post-operative ultrasound Doppler assessment. Parameters such as fistula size, cephalic vein area and diameter, and AVF flow velocity and rates were assessed on post-operative day 2, week 2, and week 6. These initial findings were juxtaposed with later outcomes to determine unassisted AVF results., Results: Of the initial cohort of 40 patients, 75% encountered AVF failure, whereas 25% realized successful unassisted AVF maturation. A notable observation was the significant variance in AVF flow rates as early as post-operative day 2. A threshold of >246 ml/min was indicative of successful unassisted AVF maturation, leading to a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 70%. Although the cephalic vein diameter on post-operative day 2 lacked a robust association with AVF outcomes, a cut-off of >3.4 mm, when combined with flow rate testing, augmented the cumulative sensitivity to 92%., Conclusion: Ultrasound Doppler stands out as a valuable quantitative imaging modality, adept at prognosticating AVF outcomes from as early as post-operative day 2. In particular, a flow rate exceeding 246 ml/min and a cephalic vein diameter surpassing 3.4 mm are salient indicators for the early prediction of successful AVF outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Purpose: Sexual minority prostate cancer patients have worse health-related quality of life outcomes than heterosexual patients. We conducted the first study to test whether sexual and urinary rehabilitation tailored for sexual minority patients was acceptable, feasible, and efficacious at improving their sexual and urinary function., Methods: Restore-2 was a 24-month randomized controlled trial of an online biopsychobehavioral rehabilitation study for sexual minority men treated for prostate cancer experiencing sexual and/or urinary problems. Participants were 401 US sexual minority men treated for prostate cancer and experiencing sexual and/or urinary problems at baseline. Intervention components included phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, sexual aids, a pelvic floor exercise regimen and video, a guide to good gay sex following treatment, and coaching. Quality of life assessments were completed at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months., Results: We confirmed good acceptability and feasibility, but only minimal improvement was observed over time and no differences were found between treatment and control arms., Conclusions: We found no evidence that the intervention improved sexual or urinary outcomes for participants. However, we confirmed excellent acceptability and feasibility for a sexual rehabilitation program tailored to sexual minority participants. In addition, participants reported enduring usage and acceptability of sexual aids (including vacuum pump, anal dilators, and penile constriction rings) as well as masturbation and pelvic floor exercises to accommodate their sexual challenges., Implications for Cancer Survivors: Sexual "accommodation," rather than "rehabilitation," may be a more accurate and realistic goal for this population. Patients should be provided sexual aids to help accommodate their sexual and urinary challenges., Trial Registration: This study was retrospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, study number: NCT03923582; date: 22/04/2019., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Measurement of cellular resting membrane potential (RMP) is important in understanding ion channels and their role in regulation of cell function across a wide range of cell types. However, methods available for the measurement of RMP (including patch clamp, microelectrodes, and potential-sensitive fluorophores) are expensive, slow, open to operator bias, and often result in cell destruction. We present non-contact, label-free membrane potential estimation which uses dielectrophoresis to determine the cytoplasm conductivity slope as a function of medium conductivity. By comparing this to patch clamp data available in the literature, we have demonstratet the accuracy of this approach using seven different cell types, including primary suspension cells (red blood cells, platelets), cultured suspension cells (THP-1), primary adherent cells (chondrocytes, human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells), and adherent (HeLa) and suspension (Jurkat) cancer cell lines. Analysis of the effect of ion channel inhibitors suggests the effects of pharmaceutical agents (TEA on HeLa; DMSO and neuraminidase on red blood cells) can also be measured. Comparison with published values of membrane potential suggest that the differences between our estimates and values recorded by patch clamp are accurate to within published margins of error. The method is low-cost, non-destructive, operator-independent and label-free, and has previously been shown to allow cells to be recovered after measurement., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing K pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) bloodstream infections are associated with high mortality. We studied clinical bloodstream KPC-Kp isolates to investigate mechanisms of resistance to complement, a key host defense against bloodstream infection., Methods: We tested growth of KPC-Kp isolates in human serum. In serial isolates from a single patient, we performed whole genome sequencing and tested for complement resistance and binding by mixing study, direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, and electron microscopy. We utilized an isogenic deletion mutant in phagocytosis assays and an acute lung infection model., Results: We found serum resistance in 16 of 59 (27%) KPC-Kp clinical bloodstream isolates. In 5 genetically related bloodstream isolates from a single patient, we noted a loss-of-function mutation in the capsule biosynthesis gene, wcaJ. Disruption of wcaJ was associated with decreased polysaccharide capsule, resistance to complement-mediated killing, and surprisingly, increased binding of complement proteins. Furthermore, an isogenic wcaJ deletion mutant exhibited increased opsonophagocytosis in vitro and impaired in vivo control in the lung after airspace macrophage depletion in mice., Conclusions: Loss of function in wcaJ led to increased complement resistance, complement binding, and opsonophagocytosis, which may promote KPC-Kp persistence by enabling coexistence of increased bloodstream fitness and reduced tissue virulence., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. All authors: No reported conflicts of interest. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Repatriation of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is common in regional health care programs. We examined the short- and long-term safety of early repatriation after PPCI in stable STEMI patients., Methods: Consecutive stable STEMI patients undergoing PPCI between 2016 to 2018 in the Fraser Health Authority were included. Outcomes were compared between early and nonrepatriated cohorts. Co-primary outcomes were a composite of death, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and stroke at 30 days and 1 year. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine association between early repatriation and outcomes, and to assess impact of transfer to cardiologist- vs internist-based care centres., Results: A total of 788 patients were included, with 62% being repatriated early. Primary composite and individual outcomes rates were similar between both cohorts. Early repatriation was not an independent predictor of 30-day (odds ratio [OR] 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50-1.72; P  = 0.82) or 1-year (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.67-1.65; P  = 0.8) primary outcome, or of 30-day (OR 1.35, 95% CI 0.41-4.47, P  = 0.63) or 1-year (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.44-2.40; P  = 0.95) mortality. Among early repatriated patients, transfer to cardiologist- vs internist-based care centres was not an independent factor for 30-day (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.45-2.54; P  = 0.87) or 1-year (OR 1.17, 95% 0.55-2.50, P  = 0.69) primary outcome., Conclusions: Early repatriation of stable STEMI patients after PPCI appears to be safe based on short- and long-term outcomes, and transfer to internist- vs cardiology-based centres did not affect outcomes. After PPCI, early repatriation allows for redistribution of stable STEMI patients to lower-acuity settings across regional hospitals., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Low- and middle-income countries face a disproportionate impact of sexual health problems compared to high-income countries. To address this situation proper interpersonal communication skills are essential for clinician to gather necessary information during medical history-taking related to sexual health. This study aimed to evaluate the interrater reliability of ratings on sexual health-related interpersonal communication and medical history-taking between SPs and trained HCP faculty for health care professional students., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional comparative study to evaluate the interrater reliability of ratings for sexual health-related interpersonal communication and medical history-taking. The data were collected from medical and nursing students at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, who interviewed 12 Standardized Patients (SPs) presenting with sexual health issues. The video-recorded interviews rated by SPs, were compared to the one rated by 5 trained Health Care Professional (HCP) faculty members. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated using percent agreement (PA) and kappa statistics (κ)., Results: A total of 412 students (mean age 24) were enrolled in the study to conduct interviews with two SPs presenting with sexual health concerns. For interpersonal communication (IC), the overall median agreement between raters was slight (κ 2 0.0095; PA 48.9%) while the overall median agreement for medical sexual history-taking was deemed fair (κ 2 0.139; PA 75.02%)., Conclusion: The use of SPs for training and evaluating medical and nursing students in Tanzania is feasible only if they undergo proper training and have sufficient time for practice sessions, along with providing feedback to the students., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The cancer burden in Africa is on the rise. A Cancer Training Course on screening, prevention, care, and community education is crucial for addressing a wide range of cancer health issues. When appropriately educated healthcare providers on cancer provide care, patient care improves, and healthcare costs decrease. However, in Tanzania, doctors and nurses receive little or no training in primary cancer care in their bachelor's program., Aim: This study assessed the need and acceptability of a cancer training course for nursing and medical doctor students at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania., Methods: This study was a cross-sectional parallel mixed method study during the 3-month follow-up within the larger study on sexual health training for health professionals. The study was a randomized controlled (RCT), single-blind, parallel trial of sexual health training versus a waitlist control among health students at MUHAS in Tanzania. Descriptive analysis was performed to analyze the participants' demographic information, need, and acceptability of the cancer training courseto determine the frequencies and percentages of their distribution between disciplines. In addition, inductive thematic analysis was performed for the qualitative data. The RCT study was registered at Clinical Trial.gov (NCT03923582; 01/05/2021)., Results: Data were collected from 408 students (272 medical doctors and 136 nursing students). The median age of the participants was 23 years. Most (86.0%) medical and 78.1% of nursing students reported receiving little to no cancer training. On the other hand, most (92.3%) medical and nursing (92.0%) students were interested in receiving cancer training. Furthermore, 94.1% of medical and 92.0% of nursing students needed a cancer training course in their undergraduate program. In addition, participants said a cancer training course would be important because it would help them improve the quality of cancer care and enhance the quality of life for patients by ensuring early diagnosis and treatment., Conclusion: A cancer training course is both highly needed and acceptable to medical and nursing students. Implementation of this cancer training course will improve students' knowledge and skills and eventually improve the quality of cancer care and patients' quality of life by ensuring early diagnosis and management., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Crossed random effects models (CREMs) are particularly useful in longitudinal data applications because they allow researchers to account for the impact of dynamic group membership on individual outcomes. However, no research has determined what data conditions need to be met to sufficiently identify these models, especially the group effects, in a longitudinal context. This is a significant gap in the current literature as future applications to real data may need to consider these conditions to yield accurate and precise model parameter estimates, specifically for the group effects on individual outcomes. Furthermore, there are no existing CREMs that can model intrinsically nonlinear growth. The goals of this study are to develop a Bayesian piecewise CREM to model intrinsically nonlinear growth and evaluate what data conditions are necessary to empirically identify both intrinsically linear and nonlinear longitudinal CREMs. This study includes an applied example that utilizes the piecewise CREM with real data and three simulation studies to assess the data conditions necessary to estimate linear, quadratic, and piecewise CREMs. Results show that the number of repeated measurements collected on groups impacts the ability to recover the group effects. Additionally, functional form complexity impacted data collection requirements for estimating longitudinal CREMs., (© 2024 The Authors. British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.)

Introduction: Chronic refractory cough is defined as cough lasting greater than 8 weeks and with an unclear etiology. Blockade of the internal branch superior laryngeal nerve (iSLN) has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of chronic cough. It remains unknown, however, if underlying comorbidities impact patient response to iSLN blockade., Methods: A total of 44 patients aged 18 years and older were seen at our institution's Laryngology clinics between 2019 and 2022 and treated with iSLN blockade. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and pre- and post-treatment cough severity index (CSI) scores were collected from electronic medical records. Two-tailed independent T tests were used to compare CSI scores between groups with and without 4 underlying comorbidities: GERD, pulmonary history, smoking history, and evidence of vocal fold paresis or asymmetry on stroboscopy., Results: Patients with a history of GERD or smoking and those with evidence of glottic insufficiency had similar improvements in CSI compared to those who did not (22.5 ± 26.4 vs 45.0 ± 47.1, P  = .36; 32.7 ± 27.8 vs 29.0 ± 38, P  = .85; 41.3 ± 18.8 vs 27.2 ± 37.7, P  = .195). Patients with underlying pulmonary conditions had a significantly reduced response to iSLN blockade than did patients without underlying disease (9.85 ± 15.0 vs 47.4 ± 38.1, P  = .028)., Conclusion: Underlying lung pathology may contribute to decreased iSLN blockade efficacy in the treatment of chronic refractory cough from laryngeal hypersensitivity and its treatment is likely necessary for optimal symptom reduction. Characterizing patient comorbidity profiles can help guide patient counseling on expected treatment efficacy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk for human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-OPC). The objective of this analysis was to create a psychometrically validated scale to measure perception of risk for HPV-OPC., Methods: We conducted an exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis to determine and confirm the latent factor structure. We used a path diagram to evaluate the relationship between the validated scale and perceived risk for HPV-OPC. The model was determined to be a good fit if it met all criteria: root mean square error of approximation ≤0.06, standardized root mean residual ≤0.08, Comparative Fit Index ≥0.90, and Tucker-Lewis Index ≥0.90. We report standardized estimates and 95% confidence intervals., Results: This cross-sectional study recruited 1315 MSM. A majority (73.33%) of MSM had performed fellatio on ≥20 partners, 36.98% had rimmed ≥20 partners, and 5.31% had performed cunnilingus on ≥10 partners in their lifetime.Six sexual history survey items loaded onto 2 latent factors: sexual risk behaviors: class 1 and sexual risk behaviors: class 2. The final model statistics indicated good fit: root mean square error of approximation = 0.064, standardized root mean residual = 0.059, Comparative Fit Index = 0.996, and Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.993. Sexual risk behaviors: class 1 was associated with greater perceived risk for HPV-OPC (0.217; 95% confidence interval, 0.138-0.295). Age, HIV status, HPV vaccination status, and sexual risk behaviors: class 2 were not associated with perceived risk for HPV-OPC., Conclusion: Men who have sex with men assessed risk for HPV-OPC based on their lifetime number of cisgender male sexual partners, rimming partners, and fellatio partners but not other sexual behaviors. Men who have sex with men may be responsive to future HPV-OPC educational interventions and opportunities for screening., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest and Sources of Funding: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association.)

Background: Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is tied to one of the most conservative cultures in the Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan Africa. More than 200 million girls and women in 30 African, Asian and the middle Eastern countries have undergone FGM/C. However, healthcare professionals are not adequately trained to prevent and manage FGM/C-related complications including sexual health problems. This study aimed to assess the need and acceptability of a curriculum to train nursing and medical students in the sexual healthcare of clients with FGM/C in Tanzania., Methods: We used a descriptive and cross sectional study design to collect and analyse information from 271 medical and 137 nursing students in Tanzania. A Qualtrics online survey was used to obtain quantitative data on training interest, previous training received, and the curriculum delivery method. Open-ended questions were used to explore their insights on significance to obtain the necessary competencies to treat and prevent FGM/C. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data while qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic approach., Results: Almost half of the participants reported they had little to no training in sexual healthcare for women with FGM/C (47%). In all, 82.4% reported the training to be acceptable. Following thematic analysis of open-ended questions, participants expressed a desire to improve their competencies to meet the current and future sexual and psychological health needs of women and girls who have undergone FGM/C., Conclusion: It is a necessary and acceptable to develop a curriculum to train healthcare students to diagnose, treat and prevent sexual health complications related to FGM/C. In our study, designing a culturally sensitive curriculum and its delivery method, that includes practical sessions with simulated patients, was considered the most beneficial and favorable., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Achieving osseointegration is a fundamental requirement for many orthopaedic, oral, and craniofacial implants. Osseointegration typically takes three to 6 months, during which time implants are at risk of loosening. The aim of this study was to investigate whether osseointegration could be actively enhanced by delivering controllable electromechanical stimuli to the periprosthetic bone. First, the osteoconductivity of the implant surface was confirmed using an in vitro culture with murine preosteoblasts. The effects of active treatment on osseointegration were then investigated in a 21-day ex vivo model with freshly harvested cancellous bone cylinders (n = 24; Ø10 mm × 5 mm) from distal porcine femora, with comparisons to specimens treated by a distant ultrasound source and static controls. Cell viability, proliferation and distribution was evident throughout culture. Superior ongrowth of tissue onto the titanium discs during culture was observed in the actively stimulated specimens, with evidence of ten-times increased mineralisation after 7 and 14 days of culture ( p < 0.05) and 2.5 times increased expression of osteopontin ( p < 0.005), an adhesive protein, at 21 days. Moreover, histological analyses revealed increased bone remodelling at the implant-bone interface in the actively stimulated specimens compared to the passive controls. Active osseointegration is an exciting new approach for accelerating bone growth into and around implants., Competing Interests: Authors TH, FC and RA have filed for intellectual property relating to active osseointegration technology. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Hall, Theodoridis, Kohli, Cegla and van Arkel.)

In psychological research and practice, a person's scores on two different traits or abilities are often compared. Such within-person comparisons require that measurements have equal units (EU) and/or equal origins: an assumption rarely validated. We describe a multidimensional SEM/IRT model from the literature and, using principles of conjoint measurement, show that its expected response variables satisfy the axioms of additive conjoint measurement for measurement on a common scale. In an application to Quality of Life data, the EU analysis is used as a pre-processing step to derive a simple structure Quality of Life model with three dimensions expressed in equal units. The results are used to address questions that can only be addressed by scores expressed in equal units. When the EU model fits the data, scores in the corresponding simple structure model will have added validity in that they can address questions that cannot otherwise be addressed. Limitations and the need for further research are discussed., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Psychometric Society.)

Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate and compare the antibacterial efficacy and remineralization potential of acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) gel with herbal dental gel containing Zingiber officinale, Salvadora persica, and Cinnamomum zeylanicum., Materials and Methods: Ethanolic extracts of Z. officinale, S. persica, and C. zeylanicum were prepared. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of these extracts were determined against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus using the resazurin method and agar plate streaking method, respectively. The herbal dental gel was formulated, and its cytotoxicity was evaluated using an 3-(4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The antibacterial susceptibility of APF gel and the herbal dental gel was assessed using the agar well diffusion method and time-kill assay. The remineralizing potential was evaluated using a stereomicroscope., Results: Herbal dental gel showed better antibacterial efficacy as depicted by the zone of inhibition of 20 and 21 mm obtained against S. mutans and L. acidophilus, respectively, compared to 11.50 and 16.50 mm zone of inhibition obtained by APF gel. The herbal dental gel also showed better remineralization potential than APF gel after a time interval of 24 and 48 hours, as depicted with a statistically significant p -value of 0.0061 and 0.0219, respectively. In the cytotoxicity test, the fibroblasts showed 100% viability in the presence of both study groups., Conclusion: The results of our study concluded that herbal dental gel is safe and nontoxic, having anticariogenic potential due to its good antibacterial action and remineralization potential as compared to conventional APF gel., How to Cite This Article: Kohli N, Hugar SM, Hallikerimath S, et al. Comparative Evaluation of Antibacterial Efficacy and Remineralization Potential of Acidulated Phosphate Fluoride Gel with Herbal Dental Gel Containing Zingiber officinale, Salvadora persica, and Cinnamomum zeylanicum: An In Vitro Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(3):307-315., Competing Interests: Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: NoneConflict of interest: None, (Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).)

The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of parents of preterm babies and health-care providers related to human milk and human milk banking in a tertiary-care hospital in North India. A descriptive study was conducted on 280 samples (200 parents and 80 health-care providers) of neonatal units of a tertiary-care hospital in North India. Self-developed 25-item knowledge-related questionnaire and 15-item attitude scale was used for health-care providers. Whereas ten-item knowledge-related interview schedule and five-item open-ended attitude assessment tools were used for parents. The content validity index was more than 0.72 for all the tools. Among health-care providers, majority (93.3%) of doctors and nursing officers (80%) were aware of human milk banking, but they demonstrated lack of knowledge about the processing and safety of such milk. Majority of mothers (89.3%) and fathers (90%) reported that they don't have problem in accepting the breast milk from other mothers if provided by human milk bank, while others had certain concerns related to infection and religious/cultural beliefs. There is a need to spread public awareness about human milk and human milk banking to foster its acceptance. The health-care providers also need regular update to ensure adequate knowledge and acceptability.