Isothermal amplification method for next-generation sequencing.

We report an approach for generating immobilized monoclonal templates for next- generation sequencing applications. Our isothermal amplification method is based on a template walking mechanism using a pair of low-melting temperature (Tm) solid-surface homopolymer primers and a low-Tm solution phase primer. The method can generate more than one billion submicrometer-sized colonies in a single lane of a next-generation sequencing flowchip. An alternative paired-end sequencing method using interstrand DNA photo cross-linking to covalently link the complementary strands of the original templates to the solid surface is also demonstrated.

Correlates of access to hand hygiene resources in Ghanaian households: An exploratory analysis of the 2014 demographic and health survey.

OBJECTIVES: Handwashing with soap and water remains the most effective public health measure to reduce the risk of infectious diseases, which kill over 2.5 million people annually, mostly children in developing countries. The absence of hand hygiene resources in homes put many at risk of these infectious diseases. In the wake of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and governments around the world have stressed the importance of regular handwashing to prevent the spread of the virus. This suggests that research on water, sanitation, and hygiene issues deserve continuous scholarly attention. In Ghana, studies on household's access to hand hygiene resources are few and relatively old. Therefore, this study estimated the proportion of Ghanaian households with access to hand hygiene resources and their associated determinants using data from a recent national survey. METHODS: The study used the cross-sectional 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys dataset. We used STATA-14 to perform data analyses on a weighted sample of 11,710.06 households. We used complex samples analysis technique to adjust for sample units, stratification and sample weights for both the descriptive statistics and multivariate robust Poisson regression. RESULTS: The result showed that about one fifth of Ghanaian households had access to hand hygiene resources. Households with heads who attained a Middle/JHS/JSS or Secondary/SSS/SHS/Higher level education, those headed by persons having at least 30-44 years, and non-poorest households, and from the Volta region were more likely to have access to hand hygiene resources. Further, households in urban areas, households that spent between 0-30 min to get to a source of water, and households in Eastern and Brong-Ahafo regions were less likely to have access to hand hygiene resources. CONCLUSION: This study identified key socioeconomic and demographic correlates of a household's access to hand hygiene resources in Ghana. In the interim, the government and development partners can provide hand hygiene resources to households with limited or no access. For the long term, we recommend that the government should implement measures and policies that facilitate citizens' economic independence and their attainment of higher formal education.

A Multilevel Analysis of Regressors of Access to Improved Drinking Water and Sanitation Facilities in Ghana.

People's access to quality water and sanitation resources significantly improves their health. Using the 2014 Ghana DHS dataset, multilevel robust Poisson regression modelling was performed to investigate the factors that enhance Ghanaian households' access to improved sources of drinking water and toilet facilities. The results indicated that household head and household socioeconomic factors have significant effects on access to improved sources of drinking water and toilet facilities, and this varies from one community of residence to another. The following households had a higher probability of having access to improved sources of drinking water: female-headed households, households with heads who had at least attained middle-school-level education, urban households, and nonpoorest households. Correspondingly, the following households were more likely to have access to improved toilet facilities: female-headed households had a higher chance of access, as well as those whose heads had at least middle-school-level education, were at least 35 years old, or were currently married, rural households, households with a minimum of seven members, and households who attained at least middle wealth status. In their efforts to increase citizens' access to improved water and sanitation facilities, the government and other development organizations should develop citizens' wealth-creation capacities and enable their attainment of formal education.

Medical association calls for routine HIV testing of pregnant women.

The Canadian Medical Association says that routine HIV testing of pregnant women is necessary because there are still babies being born with HIV infection. Critics respond that routine testing is the same as mandatory testing, that there is no reason to waive the requirement for informed consent accompanied by pre-test counselling, and that physicians need to do a better job of offering HIV testing to pregnant women.