A case of respiratory syncytial virus-associated encephalopathy in which the virus was detected in cerebrospinal fluid and intratracheal aspiration despite negative rapid test results.

We report a first case of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection-associated encephalopathy in which RS virus was detected in the patient's intratracheal aspiration and cerebrospinal fluid despite negative rapid test results of the nasal swab. The patient's findings and clinical course coincided with those of acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion (AESD) with severe subsequent sequelae. Our case indicates that clinicians should consider RSV infection when patients have AESD with unknown etiology.

Advancing diabetes primary care education and knowledge in Nepal: A scoping review and case study discussion.

AIMS: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disorder of insulin and glucose metabolism. It affects more than 463 million people worldwide and is expected to reach 700 million by 2045. In the Southeast Asian region, the prevalence of DM has tripled to 115 million due to rapid urbanization, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyles, and genetic factors. In Nepal, a developing country, DM affects 8.5% of adults, with an alarming increase in recent years. Lack of diabetes education and limited populational adoption of behavioural changes further hamper care. METHODS: In the present study, we performed a scoping review to determine the status of awareness, attitudes, and knowledge about diabetes in the Nepalese population with a focus on the educational initiatives that have been implemented. We also conducted a two-week international case study discussion among medical students to brainstorm viable intervention strategies. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that limited data is available on the level of education or initiatives to improve knowledge and practice among healthcare professionals and community members. Targeted studies of people with diabetes also present heterogeneous results due to differences in the sample population, geographic location, education, age, and gender. Accordingly, we propose five interrelated education-based strategies that leverage existing networks to expand community outreach and engagement, improve system resilience, and improve health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Effective education for healthcare professionals, community, and patients with diabetes is vital in improving diabetes outcomes in Nepal and South Asia. Collaboration, funding, and evaluation are key areas needing reform.

Combating malaria in Kenya through collaborative population health education: a systematic review and pilot case study.

BACKGROUND: Malaria continues to be a public health problem in Kenya, with an estimated 37.2 million people at high risk of the disease. The disease burden is compounded by inequalities in health service availability, housing, socioeconomic conditions, and access to education. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the status of community-based, health education interventions. Based on the findings, to develop an educational module for medical students to combat malaria in Kenya. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to identify different educational interventions, their successes and limitations, and legal challenges leading to low uptake and adherence to malaria prevention interventions from 2000-2023. Consequently, a 6-week online educational pilot was conducted with healthcare students from Kenya, Japan, the UK, and Cyprus. RESULTS: Despite developing a national malaria strategy and monitoring and evaluation strategies, Kenya has not been able to meet the incidence reduction targets set by the World Health Organisation, underscoring the need for more work in identifying the barriers to implementing strategies and optimising the distribution of public health interventions. Student teams proposed innovative solutions, including two-tier malaria control strategies, maternal malaria clinical education, community awareness through schools and NGOs, and a 10-year health system strengthening and immunisation plan. CONCLUSIONS: Public education regarding prevention strategies and increasing their adoption remains a key challenge in combating malaria in Kenya. In this regard, digital tools can facilitate international collaborative health education and exchange of best practices, allowing students and faculty to engage across boundaries and prepare them to be future-ready physicians connected to the global community.

A Biochemical Corrosion Monitoring Sensor with a Silver/Carbon Comb Structure for the Detection of Living Escherichia coli.

For the detection and monitoring of live bacteria, we propose a biochemical corrosion monitoring (BCM) sensor that measures galvanic current by using a Ag/C sensor comprising silver and carbon comb electrodes. The deposition of an Escherichia coli suspension containing an LB liquid medium on the Ag/C sensor increased the galvanic current. The time required for the current to reach 20 nA is defined as T20. T20 tends to decrease as the initial number of E. coli in the E. coli solution increases. A linear relationship was obtained between the logarithm of the E. coli count and T20 in a bacterial count range of 1-108 cfu/mL under culture conditions in which the growth rate of the bacteria was constant. Hence, the number of live E. coli could be determined from T20. Ag2S precipitation was observed on the surface of the Ag electrode of the Ag/C sensor, where an increase in the current was observed. This generation of galvanic current was attributed to the reaction between a small amount of free H2S metabolized by E. coli in the bacterial solution during its growth process and Ag-the sensor anode. The Ag/C sensor can detect a free H2S concentration of 0.041 µM in the E. coli solution. This novel biochemical sensor can monitor the growth behavior of living organisms without damaging them.