BMC Research Notes最新文献

Objective: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is spread through the air. Although extensive data has shown that TB case notifications decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is little known about the extent to which these reductions were due to a decrease in transmission, rather than delays in healthcare seeking and diagnosis. We used data from CONTEXT, a population-based cross-sectional study which enrolled newly diagnosed cases of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) or pre-extensively drug resistant (pre-XDR) TB in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa from 2019 to 2023 and recorded information on their contacts.

Results: We found that close contacts declined by 36% from 2019 to 2020 (p = 0.005). Casual contacts at locations where participants routinely spent time declined by 30% (p = 0.16). Based on our findings, substantially lower population-level risk of transmission could be expected between 2020 and 2022 in this region of South Africa. These data are useful for understanding the extent of the reduction in Mtb transmission during the pandemic.

Objectives: Publicly available datasets are essential for the development, evaluation, and benchmarking of fall detection and human activity recognition algorithms. Although numerous datasets include falls and activities of daily living (ADLs), prayer movements-despite exhibiting motion patterns that may resemble falls-remain largely underrepresented. The objective of this study is to present a publicly available IMU-based dataset that explicitly includes prayer movements alongside falls and ADLs, thereby addressing an important gap in existing datasets and supporting methodological research on activity classification and false-positive reduction.

Data description: The dataset comprises motion recordings of 11 types of fall movements, 13 types of activities of daily living (ADLs), and 5 types of prayer movements. Data were collected from 17 healthy young adult participants using two wearable IMU sensors placed on the forehead and forearm. Each activity was performed three times by each participant. Tri-axial accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer signals were recorded at a sampling frequency of 200 Hz. All recordings were manually labeled by direct observation during data acquisition. The dataset is publicly available and systematically organized to support algorithm development, benchmarking, and reproducible research in fall detection and human activity recognition. Although data were collected from young adults, the dataset is intended as a controlled reference resource, and applicability to other populations requires further validation.

Objective: Sub-Saharan Africa produces less than 4% of global scientific output, despite significant health and development challenges. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a pilot scientific writing workshop in Cameroon aimed at building writing skills and publication readiness of early career researchers. We conducted two workshops' sessions in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in April and November 2023. A mixed-methods approach was used. Quantitative data were obtained via pre- and post-workshop questionnaires designed to capture participants' self-assessed knowledge, skills, and confidence related to the workshop content. Qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to the survey data, and thematic content analysis was used to assess qualitative responses.

Results: A total of 86 participants completed both the pre- and post-workshop surveys (response rate: 86.9%). The majority had never published scientific papers (62.8%) nor had they received formal writing training (61.6%). The quantitative results showed statistically significant improvements in participants' overall understanding of scientific writing and publishing (mean difference = 0.93, p < 0.001) and confidence regarding writing skills (mean difference = 0.94, p < 0.001). Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed high satisfaction with the learning environment, perceived knowledge gains, and a strong demand for mentorship and sustained training opportunities.

Introduction: Global trends in population aging and declining fertility pose significant challenges to sustainable development. As frontline healthcare professionals, midwives play a pivotal role in addressing these issues through reproductive health education and advocacy. This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate an educational package based on Merrill's Instructional Design Model to enhance midwives' competencies in promoting population rejuvenation strategies.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 41 midwives from comprehensive health centers (2023). The Merrill-based educational intervention included four in-person sessions focused on demographic policies, counseling techniques, and family support frameworks. Data were collected via validated knowledge tests (pre-/post-intervention), satisfaction surveys, and demographic questionnaires. Statistical analyses (SPSS v.26) employed paired t-tests and Pearson's correlation.

Results: Post-intervention knowledge scores (17.78 ± 1.89) showed a statistically significant improvement compared to pre-test scores (12.78 ± 2.05; p < 0.0001), with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 2.536). All participants (100%) reported high satisfaction with the training (mean score: 222.5 ± 18.75). A strong positive correlation was observed between knowledge gains and satisfaction levels (r = 0.65, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The Merrill Model-based educational package demonstrated effectiveness in improving knowledge and engagement among the 41 participating midwives in North Tehran. Its structured approach shows promise as a context-sensitive strategy for reproductive health training within similar settings, though further research is needed to evaluate its applicability in broader healthcare contexts.

Objective: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of childhood cancer. Fingolimod (FTY720) is a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor agonist that prevents lymphocytes from egressing from lymphoid tissues and has shown a cytotoxic effect on T-cell ALL (T-ALL) cells. However, the mechanism of action of FTY720 cytotoxicity in hematological malignancies is still unclear, and cell-specific effects have been reported. Here, we investigated the mechanism of cytotoxicity of FTY720 in T-ALL cells using a CRISPR-Cas9 genomic screening. Our goal was to identify novel positive regulators for the cytotoxic effect of FTY720 in T-ALL.

Results: Cells treated with FTY720 were enriched for single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) such as ZNF575, GPX3, FBXL15, DNAJB5, UBE2D1, ATXN7, C6orf201, RIC8A, RAB13, and C10orf12 when compared to the DMSO (vehicle control) samples. Altogether, our study identified novel genes that, when silenced, were positively correlated with the survival of T-ALL cells treated with FTY720.