Corrigendum: Association of household fuel with acute respiratory infection (ARI) under-five years children in Bangladesh.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.985445.].

Association of household fuel with acute respiratory infection (ARI) under-five years children in Bangladesh.

In developing countries, acute respiratory infections (ARIs) cause a significant number of deaths among children. According to Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), about 25% of the deaths in children under-five years are caused by ARI in Bangladesh every year. Low-income families frequently rely on wood, coal, and animal excrement for cooking. However, it is unclear whether using alternative fuels offers a health benefit over solid fuels. To clear this doubt, we conducted a study to investigate the effects of fuel usage on ARI in children. In this study, we used the latest BDHS 2017-18 survey data collected by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and estimated the effects of fuel use on ARI by constructing multivariable logistic regression models. From the analysis, we found that the crude (the only type of fuel in the model) odds ratio (OR) for ARI is 1.69 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-2.71]. This suggests that children in families using contaminated fuels are 69.3% more likely to experience an ARI episode than children in households using clean fuels. After adjusting for cooking fuel, type of roof material, child's age (months), and sex of the child-the effect of solid fuels is similar to the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for ARI (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.05-2.72). This implies that an ARI occurrence is 69.2% more likely when compared to the effect of clean fuel. This study found a statistically significant association between solid fuel consumption and the occurrence of ARI in children in households. The correlation between indoor air pollution and clinical parameters of ARI requires further investigation. Our findings will also help other researchers and policymakers to take comprehensive actions by considering fuel type as a risk factor as well as taking proper steps to solve this issue.

Pediatric Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the lateral skull base.

OBJECTIVE: Describe the presentation, imaging characteristics, management, and outcomes of pediatric patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) of the temporal bone. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed between 2000 and 2014 at a single tertiary care children's hospital. Fourteen patients were identified with a diagnosis of LCH and involvement of the temporal bone. RESULTS: Ten patients were female and ten were Caucasian. Mean age at diagnosis was 3 years (range 0.3-9.6 years). The most common presenting symptoms were scalp lesions, postauricular lesions, otalgia, and persistent ear infections. Three patients had documented hearing loss. Four cases had otic capsule invasion. Computed tomography demonstrated a lytic temporal bone lesion within the following subsites: mastoid, squamous temporal bone, external auditory canal, middle ear, and petrous apex. Four patients had intracranial disease. Extent and location of disease prompted all patients to be initially managed with chemotherapy. Surgical excision was limited to one case of localized recurrence. After a mean follow-up of 85.2 months (SD 42.4 months) there were no deaths but eight patients had a recurrence. Two patients developed long-term otologic sequelae requiring surgery. One patient developed labyrinthitis ossificans. CONCLUSION: LCH has a varied presentation, age distribution, and treatment algorithm. This series of 14 pediatric patients with temporal bone involvement supports a limited role for surgical resection. Long-term follow-up is critical for detection of local and disseminated disease, and for monitoring of otologic complications.

Non-covalent surface engineering of an alloplastic polymeric bone graft material for controlled protein release.

Alloplastic materials, derived from poly(methylmethacrylate), such Bioplant-HTR, are a promising alternative to autologous bone in implant-dentistry and maxillofacial reconstruction. The clinical utility and outcomes using alloplasts such as HTR can be enhanced through the incorporation and release of proteins and growth factors. A simple, water-based process to surface engineer alloplast material to bear proteins has been developed. In this non-covalent process, the protein of choice is formulated into granules using gelatin-wet granulation and immobilized on the HTR alloplast surface, using water-soluble polymeric binders such as poly(vinyl alcohol) and Pluronics. The utility of this process has been verified using bovine serum albumin and horseradish peroxidase as model proteins. The process is capable of rendering these proteins on HTR surface in a reproducible manner, with formulated protein:HTR ratios less than 1:1 favoring more uniform surface coatings. By varying the ratio of the granulated protein to the HTR, surface protein concentration as high as 30 mug/mg of HTR particle can be achieved. By incorporating the protein-modified HTR particles with photocurable polymeric matrices and varying its hydrophobicity, sustained release of active HRP for at least 30 days was observed, with cumulative release ranging from 7-35% of loaded protein, depending on the protein:HTR ratio and the polymeric binder. The integrity of the released protein was also verified using SDS-PAGE gel and enzymatic assay. The simplicity of the surface modification strategy may make this suitable for ceramic and metal substrates as well.