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Background Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to experience poorer health outcomes than other population groups. While data specific to Indigenous Australians are scarce, a known social health literacy gradient exists linking low health literacy and poor health outcomes within many minority populations. Improving health literacy among Indigenous Australians is an important way to support self-determination and autonomy in both individuals and communities, by enhancing knowledge and improving health outcomes. This review aims to rigorously examine the effectiveness of health literacy interventions targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Methods A systematic review across six databases (The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS, ProQuest Dissertation and Thesis and Web of Science) was performed for publications evaluating interventions to improve health literacy among Indigenous Australian adults using search terms identifying a range of related outcomes. Results Of 824 articles retrieved, a total of five studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. The included studies evaluated the implementation of workshops, structured exercise classes and the provision of discounted fruit and vegetables to improve nutrition, modify risk factors for chronic diseases, and improve oral health literacy. All interventions reported statistically significant improvement in at least one measured outcome. However, there was limited involvement of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members in the research process and participant retention rates were sub-optimal. Conclusion There is limited evidence on interventions to improve health literacy in Indigenous Australian adults. Participation in interventions was often suboptimal and loss to follow-up was high. Future studies co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members are needed to improve health literacy in this population.

Purpose This paper aims to examines the moderating effect of small vs large supply base size on the relationship between strategic sustainable purchasing (SSP) and organizational sustainability performance (OSP). SSP is conceptualized as a dynamic capability consisting of strategic purchasing and environmental purchasing. Environmental collaboration is conceptualized as a mediator between SSP and OSP. Extant research has not examined the effect of the size of the supply base on the relationship between SSP and OSP. Design/methodology/approach The hypothesized relationships are tested using a two-step multi-group analysis in partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings A small supply base size positively moderates the relationship between SSP and environmental collaboration, thus achieving OSP. In contrast, when the supply base is large, strategic purchasing is positively associated with environmental collaboration, while environmental purchasing is negatively related to environmental collaboration. A large supply base has a positive relationship to environmental collaboration and economic sustainability, while the relationship between environmental collaboration and environmental and social performance is not significant. Practical implications This research argues that despite the nuances in the moderating effects of small versus large supply base size, managers need to invest in both dynamic and relational capabilities to achieve organizational sustainability. Originality/value Scant research is available in supply chain management research that has examined the important effect of the supply base size on the relationship between SSP and OSP. This research aims to fill this gap. The study helps practitioners understand the effects of supply base sizes for their organizations, increase interrelationships among suppliers, reduce the level of differentiation among them, and, thereby, reduce costs and increase revenues.

Postnatal care (PNC) is essential for early identification and management of life-threatening obstetric complications. Despite efforts by the Ethiopian government to improve maternal and child health service use, PNC service has remained low, and disparity across geographic locations is a major public health problem. This study aimed to investigate the change and contributing factors in PNC service use across geographical locations (rural-urban) and over time (2016 to 2019) in Ethiopia. We analyzed data on women who gave birth from the 2016 and 2019 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys. A total of 6,413 weighted samples (4,308 in 2016 and 2,105 in 2019) were included in the analysis. A multivariate decomposition analysis technique was used to determine the change and identify factors that contributed to the change across geographical locations and over time. Statistical significance was defined at a 95% confidence interval with a p-value of less than 0.05. The prevalence of PNC use was higher among urban residents, and the urban-rural disparity reduced from 32.59% in 2016 to 19.08% in 2019. The difference in the composition of explanatory variables was the only statistically significant for the urban-rural disparity in PNC use in both surveys. Specifically, female household heads (4.51%), delivery at a health facility (83.45%), and birth order of two to three (5.53%) and four or more (-12.24%) in 2016 significantly contributed to the urban-rural gap. However, in 2019, middle wealth index (-14.66%), Muslim religion (3.84%), four or more antennal care contacts (18.29%), and delivery at a health facility (80.66%) significantly contributed to the urban-rural gap. PNC use increased from 16.61% in 2016 to 33.86% in 2019. About 60% of the explained change was due to the difference in the composition of explanatory variables. Particularly, urban residence (-5.79%), a rich wealth index (2.31%), Muslim (3.42%), and other (-2.76%) religions, having radio or television (1.49%), 1-3 (-1.13%), and 4 or more (11.09%) antenatal care contacts, and delivery at a health facility (47.98%) were statistically significant contributors to the observed change. The remaining 40% of the overall change was due to the difference in unknown behaviors (coefficient) of the population towards PNC. There was a significant change in PNC service use by residence location and over time in Ethiopia, with urban women in both surveys being more likely to use PNC service. The urban-rural disparity in PNC uptake was due to the difference in the composition of explanatory variables, whereas the change over time was due to the change in both the composition of explanatory variables and population behavior towards PNC. Increased antenatal care contacts and delivery at a health facility played a major role in explaining the gap in PNC services across residences and over time in Ethiopia, highlighting the importance of stepping up efforts to enhance their uptake in rural settings.

In the ever-increasing demand of construction and construction materials worldwide, concrete is the most extensively used material for construction purposes almost next to the water. Therefore, there is a dire need of clean, green and durable concrete. Recently, an environmentally friendly strategy has been employed to manufacture bio-concrete by the usage of microorganisms in the traditional concrete to enhance its durability and compressive strength. In this review, we discuss the role of microbes in influencing the various properties of concrete such as compressive strength, flexural strength and tensile strength by reducing the concrete porosity and diminishing water absorption. The mechanism of microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) in the traditional concrete by the action of microbes which resulted in the formation of bio-concrete as an improved building material has also been discussed. Additionally, an in-depth comparative analysis of the performance of bio-concrete with the traditional concrete synthesized from various industrial wastes such as silica fume, rice husk ash and metakaolin in terms of different properties such as compressive strength, flexural strength and percentage water absorption has been presented. This review highlights the impact of usage of microbes in the conventional concrete to produce novel and eco-friendly bio-concrete in construction technology.

The large amount of strain combined with high temperature during Friction Stir Welding and Processing (FSWP) results in dynamic recrystallization and grain growth. The final properties of the processed material depend on the recrystallized grain structure. The ability to predict recrystallized microstructural features would take the FSWP modeling efforts one step closer to estimating the final weld mechanical properties. Here we present a computational framework for microstructural feature prediction based on the Discontinuous Dynamic Recrystallization (DDRX) principle considering plastic deformation, nucleation, and growth. The computed strains, strain rates and temperatures from an existing Heat Transfer and Material Flow (HTMF) model are utilized as input parameters for the DDRX model. The microstructural features such as average grain size, dislocation density, Taylor’s factor, number of new grains formation and grain size distribution are predicted using the DDRX model. The grain size prediction is validated against experimentally measured grain size, demonstrating a remarkable 97% accuracy and the reliability of the DDRX model.

A heat transfer numerical model is developed for friction stir welding of dissimilar materials Al 6061 and AZ31 alloy. Thermo-physical properties were experimentally determined for the stir zone and compared with the base alloys. Experimentally determined thermo-physical properties of the stir zone are not strictly the average values of the base alloys but exhibit a complex relationship with the microstructural features and the intermixing of Al and Mg in the weld region. The numerical model is employed to predict the temperature distribution on the advancing and retreating side. A good agreement between computed and experimentally measured results was obtained at 24-mm, 20-mm, and 16-mm tool shoulder diameter. The proposed model can be used to predict the thermal cycle, peak temperature, and thermo-mechanically affected zone for welding of dissimilar materials on friction stir welding.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a prevalent vaginal dysbiosis that disproportionately affects women of reproductive age and is associated with adverse reproductive and sexual health outcomes. Despite its substantial global burden, diagnosis of BV remains challenging due to its polymicrobial nature, ecological complexity and lack of definitive biomarkers, contributing to recurrence rates exceeding 50%. Conventional diagnostic methods are intrinsically subjective and limited in capturing full taxonomic and ecological landscape of the vaginal microbiota. In this study, we aimed to comprehensively characterize the vaginal microbiota across BV-negative, BV-intermediate and BV-positive states in women from Northern India, using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We found that BV-positive women exhibited significantly greater microbial richness and diversity, marked by a shift from Lactobacillus -dominated communities to polymicrobial consortia enriched with Gardnerella, Sneathia, Prevotella, Atopobium, Megaspharea and Dialister . In contrast, BV-negative profiles were dominated by Lactobacillus , reflecting a stable eubiotic state, while BV-intermediate samples showed a transitional microbiota state. Differential abundance analysis revealed significant enrichment of BV-associated genera in dysbiotic states. Random Forest modeling identified Lactobacillus, Gardnerella, Atopobium, Veillonellaceae, Sneathia, Prevotella as the top predictors of BV status. Functional predictions indicated enrichment of secondary metabolite biosynthesis and pathogen-associated pathways in BV-positive samples, suggesting a metabolically altered and dysbiotic vaginal environment.

A 57-year-old man presented with progressively worsening pain and decreasing vision in the right eye. Examination showed a pigmented nodule in the iris, and a diagnosis of iridociliary melanoma was made.

The community-based health insurance (CBHI) scheme is a growing initiative aimed at enhancing healthcare access for the most impoverished members of the community. The Ethiopian CBHI scheme aims to enhance access to essential healthcare services, including medical laboratory services, for the poorest members of the community, but there is limited evidence on satisfaction levels. The aim of this study was to assess the satisfaction level of CBHI beneficiaries with laboratory services and their associated factors among selected public hospitals in Jimma Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted on selected public hospitals in the Jimma Zone from September to October 2023. A total of 421 CBHI beneficiaries were enrolled in the study using a convenient sampling technique, and interviewers administered structured questionnaires to collect data. Data were entered into Epi-data and analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 25. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize independent variables; bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to test the association between independent and dependent variables; and statistical significance was declared at P<0.05. More than half (55.8%) of the 419 study participants were female. Above half, 57.5% of the respondents were satisfied by the clinical laboratory services at public hospitals in Jimma Zone. Components with a higher satisfaction rate were providers' professional appearances (98.3%), procedures for specimen collection (87.6%), and availability of entertainment facilities at the waiting area (67.8%). On the contrary, longer waiting times to receive the test results (76.6%), inefficiency of the reception area (74.7%), and the inability of professionals to explain diagnostic procedures (58.0%) were associated with higher rates of dissatisfaction. Educational status and the number of hospital visits were found to have a statistically significant association with level of satisfaction with laboratory services. CBHI beneficiaries' satisfaction with laboratory service was at a moderate level in Jimma Zone public hospitals. Therefore, attention should be given to continuous monitoring of patients' satisfaction with services, improving reception areas, and practicing routine explanations about the purposes and procedures during specimen collection to improve the beneficiaries' satisfaction level with clinical laboratory services.