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Background: Vector-borne diseases transmitted by various arthropods account for approximately 17% of the global burden of infectious diseases. These arthropods, especially mosquitoes, are particularly rampant in Mangalore because of the humid coastal climate and scaling urbanization.

Objectives: To identify key environmental and household determinants of mosquito presence in urban Mangalore, to assess household-level prevention practices, and to evaluate community perceptions and self-reported disease burden towards mosquito-borne diseases.

Methods: The study involved households in selected wards of the urban field practice area of the Department of Community Medicine, a teaching and service field area under the Mangalore City Corporation, selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic details, mosquito proliferation, breeding determinants, behavioral measures, perception of mosquito control, and self-reported cases of mosquito-borne diseases. The data were analyzed using Jamovi version 2.6.26.

Results: Among 95 respondents (70.5% female and 94.8% literate), 42.1% reported an increase in mosquito breeding sites over the past year, 69.4% recognized the rainy season as the peak period of mosquito activity. Water stagnation [74.7% (95% CI: 64.8-83.1)] and ongoing construction activity [32.4% (95% CI: 21.8-44.1)] emerged as significant environmental determinants of higher mosquito density which was not statistically significant. A large majority of households (91.6%) reported using chemical measures for mosquito prevention, while 92.6% of participants were aware of mosquito-borne diseases. Despite this, nearly one-third (29.4%) of respondents had experienced a mosquito-borne illness in the preceding year, with 71.4% dengue infection. The use of mosquito repellents was paradoxically associated with a higher prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases (OR = 3.7; 95% CI: 1.4-9.6; p = 0.024).

Conclusion: Although awareness and preventive measure uptake were high, gaps remain in consistent environmental control and municipal interventions. Strengthening local authority action on water stagnation and construction-site management is essential for sustainable vector control.

Introduction: The brachial plexus block is one of the most commonly used anaesthesia techniques for upper limb surgeries. The supraclavicular brachial plexus block (SCBB) has been a frequently performed technique because it provides excellent quality of blockade, faster onset, and dense blockade. Different adjuvants and local anaesthetics are used to improve the onset and quality of the blockade. In our study, the local anaesthetic used was 0.5% levobupivacaine, and the adjuvants used were buprenorphine and nalbuphine.

Materials and methods: Our study, a randomised, prospective double-blinded investigation, was conducted on 60 patients scheduled for elective upper limb orthopaedic surgeries. We performed the Supraclavicular brachial plexus block with 25 ml of 0.5% levobupivacaine plain (Group L) or with buprenorphine (Group LB) or with nalbuphine (Group LN) as adjuvants. We recorded the onset, duration of blockade (motor and sensory), sedation score, and time for rescue analgesia.

Results: The onset of sensorimotor blockade was notably faster in Group LB than in Group LN or Group L. The sensorimotor blockade duration was significantly prolonged in Group LB compared to LN and L. Group LB also had a delayed time after 12 hrs for rescue analgesia compared to the other two groups.

Conclusion: Buprenorphine as an adjuvant to 0.5% levobupivacaine in ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block significantly shortens the onset of sensorimotor blockade and enhances the duration of blockade when compared to nalbuphine. Both the adjuvants delayed the time for request of rescue analgesia compared to plain levobupivacaine.

Background: The neoliberal approach to higher education management has significantly transformed collegiality and university governance. This study identifies and analyzes how and where these changes have occurred, as well as their impact on the efficiency and competitiveness of universities. It addresses existing research gaps and provides new insights for adaptation strategies.

Methods: We selected all retrieved sources based on the keywords and analyzed all the documents we obtained. This study obtained data from Scopus retrieved on October 27, 2023. There are 416 sources were retrieved in Scopus Database within 1971 to 2023 publication year, then 662 documents were obtained. This study utilized bibliometric analysis to ensure a structured review of the literature on collegiality, change management, and neoliberalism in higher education.

Results: The findings show that organizational management, leadership, education, technology, curriculum, innovation, organizational change, decision-making, and human beings are significant trajectories of neoliberalism in higher education.

Conclusions: This study offers other constructs for accelerating leadership success in higher education. This relates to how change leadership can navigate changes resulting from neoliberal ideology.

Background: Flare-ups may occur after root canal treatment which consist of acute exacerbation of asymptomatic pulpal and/or periradicular pathologic condition. The causative factors of interappointment pain include mechanical, chemical or microbial irritation to the pulp or periradicular tissues. The potential role of microorganisms in interappointment pain is why the success of endodontic treatment depends on complete eradication of microorganisms capable of causing an intraradicular or extraradicular infection. This can be achieved by mechanical cleaning and shaping, in conjunction with irrigation and antibacterial agents. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of triple antibiotic paste with the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac potassium versus calcium hydroxide used as an intra-canal medication in reducing post-operative pain.

Methods: 84 patients with asymptomatic uniradicular necrotic teeth were randomly assigned into two groups according to the intra-canal medication used: calcium hydroxide group (CH) and triple antibiotic paste with diclofenac potassium group (TAPC). In the first treatment session, intracoronal cavity preparation was performed after rubber dam isolation followed by chemo-mechanical preparation using rotary Protaper Universal files with saline irrigation followed by intra-canal medication placement then postoperative pain was assessed at 24, 48 and 72 hours postoperatively using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). In the second treatment session, intracanal medications were removed by irrigation using saline followed by obturation.

Results: Both intracanal medicaments resulted in a statistically significant decrease in mean pain value from 24 to 48 and 72 hours postoperatively. While when comparing both groups, TAPC intracanal medication showed less post-operative pain compared to that of the CH group at 24, 48 and 72 hours with a statistically significant difference at 48 hours only.

Conclusion: Both intracanal medicaments were efficient in reducing post-operative pain in asymptomatic uniradicular necrotic teeth.

Trial registration: Clinicaltrial.gov NCT02907489, 20/09/2016.

Background: Crop residue application can maintain soil fertility and sustain agriculture. However, the effects of residue application for crop growth are unstable because of variable weather conditions and the residual effects of crop residue application. Furthermore, residue application often reduces crop yields. Therefore, I tried to clarify effective residue application factors in an environment which was has stable weather conditions and low residualafter effects.

Methods: Majuro atoll, a coral sand atoll near the equator, was selected for the experiment site because of its stable weather and low residualafter effect of coral sand. A factorial design experiment using sweet corn was conducted based on the following four factors: fungi propagation before application, cutting residue into pieces, dispersion (or accumulationwindrowing) of applied residue, and placement (on the surface or incorporation) with an equal amount of crop residue. The effects of each factors on the corn yields were evaluated using Cohen's effect size analysis.

Results: The dispersion showed the largest effect (1.2 in Cohen's), which exceeded the effect of incorporation (0.7). The interaction of dispersion and incorporation showed a huge effect (4.9) on corn yield.

Discussion: The effect of dispersion was not positive but it avoided the negative effects of residue clustering. Because, the toxicity of the plant residue and generation of toxic substances by anaerobic decomposition are widely known. Anaerobic decomposition occurs inside the residue clusters. However, dispersion reduced the toxicity by adsorption in soil and avoiding anaerobic decomposition. Furthermore, incorporation showed an interaction effect, but surface placement did not.

Conclusion: The dispersion of crop residue enhanced the positive effect of crop residue incorporation by avoiding the toxicity from crop residue. This finding adds a new viewpoint for the controversy between conventional and conservation agriculture.

Cinnamomum burmanni (Nees & T.Nees) Blume (Lauraceae) belongs to the Magnoliids group and is mainly distributed in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. The complete chloroplast (cp) genome of C. burmanni sampled from Indonesia was assembled and annotated for the first time in this study. The length of the cp genome is 152,765 bp with a GC content of 39%, and it consists of four subregions: a large single-copy (LSC) region of 93,636 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,893 bp and two inverted repeats (IR) regions (IRA 20,121 bp; IRB 20,115 bp) . The cp genome of C. burmanni encodes a total of 173 unique genes, which are 96 protein-coding genes, 19 rRNA genes, and 68 tRNA genes that can be utilized for advanced genetic and genomic studies of the species.

The human GBA1 gene encodes glucocerebrosidase (GCase), a lysosomal enzyme that hydrolyzes glucosylceramides. Variants in GBA1 and reduced GCase activity have been linked to Parkinson's disease and Gaucher's disease. Here we have characterized twenty-four GCase commercial antibodies for western blot, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence using a standardized experimental protocol based on comparing read-outs in knockout cell lines and isogenic parental controls. These studies are part of a larger, collaborative initiative seeking to address antibody reproducibility issues by characterizing commercially available antibodies for human proteins and publishing the results openly as a resource for the scientific community. While the use of antibodies and protocols vary between laboratories, we encourage readers to use this report as a guide to select the most appropriate antibodies for their specific needs.

Background: Sleep disturbances frequently occur in concomitance with chronic pain, exacerbating its detrimental effects and diminishing patients' quality of life. Although various studies have explored the relationship between chronic pain and sleep disturbances, comprehensive evidence on detailed assessment methods and their bidirectional interactions remains limited. This scoping review aimed to examine the characteristics and prevalence of assessment methods for sleep and pain-related outcomes in individuals with chronic pain.

Methods: A comprehensive search of nine databases identified observational and interventional studies examining the relationship between sleep disturbances/disorders and chronic pain in adults. A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) as well as gray literature sources, Open Grey. In addition, the following trial registries were searched for ongoing or unpublished trials: the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and ClinicalTrials.gov.

Results: This review included 81 of 3,513 studies. Approximately 90.1% of studies relied on self-report sleep assessments, whereas only 9.9% incorporated objective measures. Additionally, 7.4% of studies used a combination of self-report and objective sleep assessments. The visual analog and numeric rating scales were the most frequently used methods for assessing pain-related outcomes (59.3%). Despite extensive research on sleep and chronic pain, critical gaps persist, particularly in the integration of multidimensional assessment tools.

Conclusions: This scoping review discovered imbalances in the content of both sleep and pain assessments. Future studies should integrate both objective and self-report assessment tools to provide a more comprehensive understanding of this interaction.

Background: Breastfeeding is vital for maternal and child health, yet breastfeeding practices and duration vary globally. In Tunisia, data on factors influencing breastfeeding, especially initiation timing, are limited. This study assessed breastfeeding practices, initiation timing, and associated maternal and delivery factors among Tunisian women, focusing on breastfeeding duration up to 12 months postpartum.

Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study was conducted over a four-month period, from November 1, 2023, to February 29, 2024, in the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department B of Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis- Tunisia. Women who delivered during the study period were included. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, medical and obstetric history, breastfeeding knowledge and preparation, delivery, postpartum and breastfeeding practices were collected through a questionnaire. Breastfeeding duration was grouped into 1-3, 3-6, and >6 months. Associations with breastfeeding duration were analyzed.

Results: In total, 400 women were included. Most women were Tunisian (99%), urban residents (91.5%), and of higher socioeconomic status (84.3%). Obesity was present in 20.5%, and cesarean delivery rate was 52.8%. Early breastfeeding initiation (within 1 hour) occurred in only 19.3%, with 80.8% delayed initiation. Breastfeeding continuation at 12 months was 44% and was significantly associated with early initiation (p < 0.001); 77.9% of women who initiated breastfeeding within the first hour continued at 12 months, compared to markedly lower rates among those with delayed initiation. Maternal obesity predicted shorter breastfeeding duration (p = 0.026). Cesarean delivery showed no significant impact. Skin-to-skin contact was low (38.3%), and less than half received breastfeeding education (46%). Family support was not linked to breastfeeding duration.

Conclusions: Breastfeeding continuation at 12 months was associated with early initiation and negatively influenced by maternal obesity. Despite high breastfeeding intention, delays in initiation, obesity and limited breastfeeding education hinder optimal breastfeeding outcomes. Interventions promoting early initiation, skin-to-skin contact, and tailored postnatal support are needed to improve breastfeeding continuation.

Background: Extrusion-spheronization is the most commonly used technology to produce pellets using microcrystalline cellulose as a pelletizing agent. However, it has the major drawbacks of lack of disintegration and prolonged drug release. This study aimed to develop rapidly disintegrating microcrystalline cellulose-based pellets.

Methods: Several pellet formulations were prepared via extrusion spheronization using a combination of microcrystalline cellulose, mannitol, polyethylene glycol 400(PEG 400), polyplasdone (PPXL), and croscarmellose sodium (CCS). Subsequently, they were evaluated for their physical characteristics.

Results: Process optimization indicated that 500 RPM is the ideal extrusion speed. Furthermore, the best spheronization speed was to start with a speed of 3000 RPM speed to cut off the extrudate at a shorter length and then lower the speed to 1000 RPM to reduce fine production and allow for spherical pellet formation. Increasing the polyethylene glycol content to 20% and maintaining the percentages of croscarmellose sodium (15%), 15%), and polyplasdone xl (5%), respectively, demonstrated a significant improvement in disintegration time (DT).

Conclusions: MCC-based pellets with fast-disintegrating characteristics were obtained by extrusion and spheronization. Incorporating the soluble filler mannitol, hydrophilic polymer PEG 400 with super-disintegrant CCS, and PPXL 400 resulted in a more porous matrix that facilitated water entry and rapid swelling of the pellets to explode and disintegrate quickly (2 min).