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This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability of smartphone-based text message- and voice-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods among a sample of low-income housing residents in New York City. Using data from the community-based NYC Low Income Housing, Neighborhoods and Health Study (n = 112), the acceptability of text message- and voice-based EMA methods were assessed via survey. Overall, 88.4% of participants reported that they would participate in a study that utilized text message-based EMA. These analyses showed no appreciable differences by sub-groups (p > .05). Overall, 80.2% of participants reported that they would participate in a study that used voice-based EMA. This voice-based method was least acceptable among participants younger than 25 years old compared to participants of all other ages, χ2(2) = 10.107, p = .006 (among the younger participants 60.7% reported “yes” regarding the anticipated acceptability of voice-based EMA and 39.3% reported “no”). Overall, this work suggests that text message- and voice-based EMA methods are acceptable for use among low-income housing residents. However, the association between age and the acceptability of voice-based EMA suggests that these methods may be less suited for younger populations.

The VACTERL association is a typically sporadic, non-random collection of congenital anomalies that includes vertebral defects, anal atresia, cardiac defects, tracheoesophageal fistula with esophageal atresia, renal anomalies, and limb abnormalities. Although several chromosomal aberrations and gene muta tions have been reported as disease-causative, these findings have been sparsely replicated to date. In the present study, whole exome sequencing of a case with the VACTERL association uncovered a novel frameshift mutation in the PCSK5 gene, which has been reported as one of the causative genes for the VACTERL association. Although this mutation appears potentially pathogenic in its functional aspects, it was also carried by the healthy father. Furthermore, a database survey revealed several other deleterious variants in the PCSK5 gene in the general population. Further studies are necessary to clarify the etiological role of the PCSK5 mutation in the VACTERL association.

To determine antibiotic susceptibility pattern of S. aureus isolates from clinical specimens collected from patients at Kenyatta National Hospital from March 2014–February 2016, and to determine the prevalence and quarterly trends of MRSA throughout the study period. A total of 944 S. aureus isolates were analyzed. High sensitivity of S. aureus was observed for quinupristin/dalfopristin (100%), tigecycline (98.2), imipenem (98%), nitrofurantoin (97.6%), linezolid (97.3%), teicoplanin (97.1%) and vancomycin (95.1%). High resistance was recorded against penicillin G (91.9%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (56.9%) and tetracycline (33.2%). MRSA prevalence among the patients at KNH was 27.8%. Highest proportion (80%) of MRSA was in burns unit. Both MRSA and MSSA were highly susceptible to quinupristin/dalfopristin, tigecycline, linezolid, nitrofurantoin, ampicillin/sulbactam and vancomycin and showed high resistance to commonly used antibiotics such as gentamycin, erythromycin, levofloxacin and tetracycline. A majority of isolates were from pus specimen (68%).

Infections due to nontyphoidal Salmonella have increased worldwide over the last couple of decades. Salmonella enterica serotype Blockley (Salmonella Blockley) infections is associated with chickens and is a rarely isolated serotype in human infections in most countries. We report a case of human infections due to Salmonella Blockley in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in 2011. Three African males (aged 4, 14 and 16) presented to a clinic with diarrhoea, stomach cramps and headache. They started experiencing signs of illness a day after they consumed a common meal, consisting of meat, rice and potatoes. Stool specimens from the patients cultured Salmonella Blockley. The strains showed an indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern. This is the first recorded case of human infections due to Salmonella Blockley in South Africa.

We appraised time trends of Japanese life expectancy (LE) and healthy life expectancy (HALE) by gender, LE-HALE and (LE-HALE)/LE figures, along with the women–men’s differences. Using the Japanese LE and HALE values from 1990 through 2013 by gender in the article by the GBD 2013 DALYs and HALE Collaborators, we examined trends of LE and HALE, and their 5- or 3-year changes. We also probed LE-HALE and (LE-HALE)/LE values, and the women–men’s differences. LE consistently elongated as reported 76.0, 76.5, 77.6, 78.7, 79.3 and 80.1 years for men from 1990 to 2013; and 82.0, 82.8, 84.3, 85.5, 86.1 and 86.4 years for women, respectively. Both time trends demonstrated a significant linear increase (p for trend < 0.001). LE changes were 0.4, 1.1, 1.1, 0.7 and 0.7 years for men, and 0.9, 1.5, 1.2, 0.6 and 0.3 years for women. The trends were statistically significant (p < 0.001), except for 2010–2013 partly due to 3-year interval. HALE also steadily lengthened as seen 68.1, 68.4, 69.1, 69.9, 70.8 and 71.1 years for men from 1990 through 2013; and 72.2, 72.9, 74.0, 74.8, 75.4 and 75.6 years for women. Both time trends showed almost a linear increase (p < 0.05). HALE changes were 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 0.9 and 0.3 years for men, and 0.7, 1.0, 0.8, 0.6 and 0.2 years for women, without statistical significant trends. LE-HALE values were 8.0, 8.0, 8.5, 8.8, 8.6 and 8.9 years for men; and 9.7, 9.9, 10.4, 10.7, 10.7 and 10.8 years for women. (LE-HALE)/LE figures were 10.5, 10.5, 10.9, 11.1, 10.8 and 11.2% for men, and 11.9, 12.0, 12.3, 12.5, 12.4 and 12.5% for women. LE women–men’s differences were 5.9, 6.4, 6.8, 6.8, 6.8 and 6.3 years, and the HALE figures were 4.2, 4.5, 4.9, 4.9, 4.6 and 4.5 years. LE and HALE consistently linearly elongated for both sexes over the study period. Not only LE-HALE but also (LE-HALE)/LE values were still growing for both sexes. Public health measures, nursing-care/services as well as social security schemes are called for to further elevate longevities, HALE in particular, and enhance quality of life and well-being.

The aims of the present study were to investigate last dental visit as a mediator in the relationship between socioeconomic status and lack of functional dentition/severe tooth loss and use a machine learning approach to predict those adults and elderly at higher risk of tooth loss. We analyzed data from a representative sample of 88,531 Brazilian individuals aged 18 and over. Tooth loss was the outcome by; (1) functional dentition and (2) severe tooth loss. Structural Equation models were used to find the time of last dental visit associated with the outcomes. Moreover, machine learning was used to train and test predictions to target individuals at higher risk for tooth loss. For 65,803 adults, more than two years of last dental visit was associated with lack of functional dentition. Age was the main contributor in the machine learning approach, with an AUC of 90%, accuracy of 90%, specificity of 97% and sensitivity of 38%. For elders, the last dental visit was associated with higher severe loss. Conclusions. More than two years of last dental visit appears to be associated with a severe loss and lack of functional dentition. The machine learning approach had a good performance to predict those individuals.

We have taken a positional approach to assign the spontaneous squiggle tail (squig) mutation in mice to a specific gene defect. A large panel of backcross mice was produced and characterized to map squig to high genetic resolution on mouse Chromosome (Chr) 11. Two overlapping candidate genes that co-localized with squig (Meox1, for mesenchyme homeobox 1; and Gm11551, which encodes a lncRNA located entirely within the first intron of Meox1) were fully sequenced to discover any squig-specific defects. This analysis revealed a 3195 bp deletion that includes all of Meox1, Exon 1 but does not disrupt Gm11551. We recommend that the squig mutation be renamed Meox1squig, and suggest that this variant may offer an appropriate animal model for Klippel-Feil syndrome 2 (KFS2) in humans.

In sub-Saharan Africa, 45% of the rural population uses boreholes (BHs). Despite recent gains in improved water access and coverage, parallel use of unimproved sources persists. Periodic infrastructure disrepair contributes to non-exclusive use of BHs. Our study describes functionality of BHs in 2014, 2015, and 2016 in 15 rural towns in the Eastern Region of Ghana sourced from three groundwater quality clusters (high iron, high salinity, and control). We also assess factors affecting cross-sectional and longitudinal functionality using logistic regression. BH functionality rates ranged between 81 and 87% and were similar across groundwater quality clusters. Of 51 BHs assessed in all three years, 34 (67%) were consistently functional and only 3 (6%) were consistently broken. There was a shift toward proactive payment for water over the course of the study in the control and high-salinity clusters. Payment mechanism, population served, presence of nearby alternative water sources, and groundwater quality cluster were not significant predictors of cross-sectional or longitudinal BH functionality. However, even in the high iron cluster, where water quality is poor and no structured payment mechanism for water exists, BHs are maintained, showing that they are important community resources.