Commercial Market Research Articles

Review of Rapid Diagnostic Methods for Vibrio Cholerae Detection in the Last Decade (2011-2022).

Cholera epidemic poses a global public health threat, heavily impacting the global economy and societies, with Africa and Asia particularly affected due to factors like; inadequate sanitation, contaminated water, and overcrowding. The associated high rates of morbidity and mortality strain productivity and healthcare costs while complicating control measures. Consequently, the World Health Organization's cholera control initiative and the Diarrhoeal Diseases Laboratory Network advocate for rapid responses to outbreaks and continuous environmental surveillance, since traditional cholera detection methods relying on phenotypic fingerprinting, although considered the gold standard, suffer from labour-intensiveness, time-consumption, and skill requirements. This results in inadequate surveillance and delayed treatment in remote areas lacking well-equipped laboratories. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the development and performance of cholera rapid diagnostic techniques for detecting cholera in clinical samples and for environmental surveillance purposes over the past decade. Twenty-four commercially produced diagnostics were identified in January 2011. Ten more were mentioned in the literature and yet did not provide enough relevant data due to suspected production withdrawal or fall-back. The vast bulk of tests were discovered to be based on antigen or antibody detection, with DNA accounting for a large proportion of the residual tests. This study revealed a plethora of diagnostic methods, some of which have not yet made it to the commercial market. Promising approaches, such as; Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), ELISA, and simplified PCR protocols, are likely to play a significant role in future cholera screening. Findings are herein summarised in tables and figures. Cholera epidemic continues to present a formidable global health challenge with economic and social repercussions. Traditional detection methods fall short in resource-limited areas, necessitating the exploration of advanced molecular techniques, like aptamers, to improve diagnosis, surveillance, and control measures, especially in regions vulnerable to cholera outbreaks.

Determinants of Commercial Real Estate Market Performance: The Case of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Numerous social and economic problems are brought on by urbanisation, including worse-than-ever housing shortages in emerging nations and an increase in the number of people living unlawfully in slums without permits or property rights. This is also applicable to Ethiopia. The investigation of the factors influencing Addis Ababa’s commercial real estate market performance was the study’s principal goal. Explanatory sequential mixed method design was used in the study, which took a mixed research strategy. Senior specialists, top business leaders, and other professionals from 35 commercial real estate developers active in Addis Abeba made up the study sample for the quantitative phase. It was decided to employ 163 of the 231 structured and self-administered sets of questions that were provided. This resulted in an actual response rate of 71%, which was deemed both necessary and sufficient for running the relevant statistical analyses. 15 key informants from important government ministries or agencies, as well as relevant industrial sectors, were chosen to participate in in-depth interviews for the qualitative phase of the study. Only ten significant informants, however, volunteered to be interviewed. The quantitative study’s findings revealed that every factor—firm efficiency, supplier dependability, and customer purchase intentions, as well as credit availability, marketing strategy, legal considerations, land availability, infrastructure development, technological adoption, and leadership quality—had a significant and positive impact on Addis Ababa’s commercial real estate market performance. The qualitative analysis found that additional variables such as political and economic instability, the degree of coordination and stakeholder participation, political interference, and house purchasers’ purchasing power influenced commercial real estate performance. To improve performance, the researcher suggests that real estate enterprises adopt an effective strategy that focuses on performance-improving variables and collaborate closely with the government and other stakeholders. Finally, the proposed framework for measuring performance in the commercial real estate business should guide commercial real estate developers.

496. Maternal Participation in Enrollment Interview and Risk of Bias in a Multicenter Pediatric Network Evaluating COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in Infants

Abstract Background The Overcoming COVID-19 network uses a case-control design to estimate effectiveness of maternal COVID-19 vaccination on COVID-19 associated hospitalization of infants. Vaccination history is asked in a maternal interview and verified with jurisdictional immunization information systems (IIS). In the absence of an interview, IIS data alone are used. These data may become less complete as the public health emergency ends and COVID-19 vaccines move to the commercial market. Vaccination status may rely more on interviews, potentially biasing VE estimates. We analyzed possible future participation bias. Methods Maternal interview participation was assessed for 699 case infants < 6 months hospitalized with COVID-19 and 613 SARS-CoV-2 test-negative control infants < 6 months with COVID-like illness admitted to 29 U.S. hospitals from December 19, 2021–January 31, 2023. To assess recent changes in participation, two Omicron subvariant periods were defined: Period 1 (December 19, 2021–July 18, 2022) and Period 2 (July 19, 2022–January 31, 2023). Interview participation percentages for vaccinated and unvaccinated cases and controls, overall and by subvariant, were used to calculate interview participation bias factors (BF) (Table 1). The BF can be used to adjust observed estimates of VE for potential participation bias. Results Overall, vaccination was more frequent among participating case (25%) vs. non-participating case (16%) mothers (Table 2). Vaccination status did not differ by interview participation among controls. Participation was highest in Period 1 (68% in vaccinated cases) and lowest in Period 2 (31% in vaccinated controls) (Table 3). During Period 1, the BF was 1.0, suggesting no participation bias would occur by limiting to interviewed participants. During Period 2, the BF was 1.9. Independent of other possible biases, differences in participation by case/control and vaccination status would be biased by a factor of 1.9, lowering the observed VE. Conclusion Participation in the interview differed by case/control and vaccination status during recent Omicron subvariant circulation. Independent of other biases, our results suggest that future estimates of maternal VE could be biased if future estimates of maternal VE include only women who complete an interview. Disclosures Regina Simeone, PhD, Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds Natasha B. Halasa, MD, MPH, Merck: Grant/Research Support|Quidell: Grant/Research Support|Quidell: donation of kits|Sanofi: Grant/Research Support|Sanofi: vaccine support

Effect of oxygen supplement on post-mortem metabolic profile of shrimp during cold storage

Shrimp, renowned for its exceptional nutritional value, holds a pivotal position within the realm of aquatic products. The supplementation of extra oxygen to shrimp throughout the entire supply chain has found application within the commercial seafood market. In this study, a dual-platform metabolic analysis, coupled with multivariate data analysis, was employed to discern the impact of supplementary oxygen. Furthermore, this approach facilitated the construction of the post-mortem metabolic profile of shrimp during cold storage. A noticeable decrease of alcohols, ketones and carbohydrates which are related to the energy metabolism in shrimp has been found during cold storage, compared to the fresh shrimp. The degradation of nutritional amino acids was alleviated in shrimp after 4 h of extra oxygen supplement. Furthermore, a higher concentration of identified fatty acids, integral to lipid metabolism and functioning as flavor compounds was observed in shrimp subsequent to oxygen supplementation. Therefore, the additional oxygen supplementation exerted influence on multiple metabolic pathways, including nitrogen metabolism, amino acid and peptide metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and lipid metabolism. This study has constructed a comprehensive post-mortem metabolic profile of shrimp during cold storage, thereby establishing a theoretical foundation for the utilization of oxygen supplements in the preservation of seafood.

Biotechnological production of ectoine: current status and prospects.

Ectoine is an important natural secondary metabolite in halophilic microorganisms. It protects cells against environmental stressors, such as salinity, freezing, drying, and high temperatures. Ectoine is widely used in medical, cosmetic, and other industries. Due to the commercial market demand of ectoine, halophilic microorganisms are the primary method for producing ectoine, which is produced using the industrial fermentation process "bacterial milking." The method has some limitations, such as the high salt concentration fermentation, which is highly corrosive to the equipment, and this also increases the difficulty of downstream purification and causes high production costs. The ectoine synthesis gene cluster has been successfully heterologously expressed in industrial microorganisms, and the yield of ectoine was significantly increased and the cost was reduced. This review aims to summarize and update microbial production of ectoine using different microorganisms, environments, and metabolic engineering and fermentation strategies and provides important reference for the development and application of ectoine.

Use ofPrize Competitions to Develop Advanced Military Medical Capabilities.

Research and development of military-required innovations are usually funded through the issuance of grants and contracts. The limitations of these funding methods are the a priori specifications and objectives that limit creativity and often do not produce capabilities beyond the desired outcomes or leverage the best ideas and solutions available. This limited engagement of commercial industry to develop military-required innovations usually relies solely on government funding and receipt of proposals from companies whose business model is built on receiving government grants and contracts, with the government owning most of the risks. Because the produced capabilities or products are designed to be military-unique, there is a limited or no commercial market available, usually driving the price per unit extremely high to the point that the military cannot afford to procure products in quantities sufficient to enable businesses to keep production lines open, however, for military-required or desired capabilities or products that have a commercial market, there are other funding pathways available to develop products by partnering with industry, academia, and other non-government organizations and leveraging their ideas and funding. One such way of engaging the commercial industry is through the use of prize competitions. This often under-utilized pathway has several notable strengths such as (1) reduced risks and costs for the military to develop novel capabilities and products; (2) new and novel creative solutions to solve military problems; (3) utilizing a results-oriented approach that funds the successful achievement of acceptance criteria versus funding of potential to achieve; (4) enticing investors by increased competition for a successful product or capability; and (5) delivery of a commercially available, affordable, field-tested, and viable capabilities and products. Prize competitions may be used by any/all federal agencies as authorized by Congressional Public Laws and Federal regulations. The specifics of this pathway for funding pathway and applications for use by medical researchers, developers, and project/program managers are spelled out in the article, along with the regulatory guidance and resources for finding out more about current and past prize competitions.

Microwave assisted synthesis for ϵ-MnO2 nanostructures on Ni foam as for rechargeable Li–O2 battery applications

Lithium-air batteries exhibits high practical energy densities ranging from 1000 to 4000 Wh Kg−1, rendering them appealing for applications in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. Nevertheless, they grapple with challenges like low charge–discharge efficiency, limited stability over multiple cycles, and electrode degradation stemming from undesirable side reactions, thus impeding their commercial market. In this study, ϵ-MnO2 petal-like nanostructures were synthesized on Ni foam via simple, microwave-assisted synthesis approach. The resulting ϵ-MnO2/Ni electrode demonstrated storage capacities (1982 mAh g−1 discharge capacity at 200 mA g−1) alongside enhanced cyclability and stability over 100 cycles, independent of discharge depth. This electrochemical performance can be attributed to its 3D morphology, oxygen defects, and the absence of side reactions from carbon-based additives. Overall, ϵ-MnO2/Ni electrode catalysts hold potential for realizing cost-effective Li-O2 based energy storage technologies.

Exploring the Antimicrobial Properties of 99 Natural Flavour and Fragrance Raw Materials against Pathogenic Bacteria: A Comparative Study with Antibiotics

Currently, one of the most serious global problems is the increasing incidence of infectious diseases. This is closely related to the increase in antibiotic use, which has resulted in the development of multidrug resistance in microorganisms. Another problem is the numerous microbiological contaminations of cosmetic products, which can lead to dangerous bacterial infections in humans. Natural fragrance raw materials exhibit a wide spectrum of biological properties, including antimicrobial properties. Despite their prevalence and availability on the commercial market, there is little research into their effects on multidrug-resistant microorganisms. This study examines the inhibitory effect of natural substances on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. For this purpose, screening and appropriate assays were carried out to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of individual substances, using the alamarBlueTM reagent. The lowest MIC values were observed for Staphylococcus aureus (black seed (Nigella sativa) expressed oil, MIC = 25 µg/mL), Kocuria rhizophila (fir balsam absolute, MIC = 12.5 µg/mL), and Pseudomonas putida (cubeb oil and fir balsam absolute, MIC = 12.5 µg/mL). The most resistant Gram-negative species was Enterobacter gergoviae, while Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most resistant Gram-positive species.

Pros and Cons of Data Pricing and Access Policies

The sharing of benefits of space activities is a principle that is repeated throughout several legal instruments that regulate outer space as a key principle. These legal instruments offer very little guidance in how to interpret this principle and what the scope of its corresponding obligation is. Considering the shift to privatization and commercialization of space activities, defining this principle becomes ever more pressing to be able to assess and solve the discrepancy between legal obligations and contemporary developments in the use of space. The supply and use of Earth Observation (EO) data provides a particularly fertile case study to illustrate this. Different pricing policies are analysed with particular regard for the benefit principle, but also taking into account the interests of commercial and private actors as participants of a developing EO data market. Currently, there is no definite consistency in pricing and access policies. To secure this balance between the needs of the EO data market and the obligation that the benefits principle holds, a binding international regulation on EO data access, pricing and further (re)distribution could offer the consistency and stability the commercial EO data market needs to mature while also protecting social and scientific interests. Earth Observation, EO, data pricing policies, open data policies, benefits, New Space, outer space, law, principles, Outer Space Treaty

Content analysis of family physician plan using social marketing approach: Qualitative- document analysis

BACKGROUND: The family physician plan formed at the heart of the health system can play a vital role in the results and the optimal cost of resources. Social marketing is a process that uses the basics and principles of commercial marketing in the field of health to develop and implement a health plan. This study seeks to analyze the documents related to the program from the perspective of social marketing components. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative document analysis study was conducted in 2021 by reviewing the documents and content of the texts related to family physician plan. The obtained data were analyzed by the directed content analysis method after extraction and collection. RESULTS: The results showed the identification of social marketing components in the family physician plan. However, the two most essential parts of “insight” and “behavior theory,” which address the underlying issues in an intervention, were not found in the analyzed documents and texts. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to use a coherent and appropriate approach to revise and develop the family physician plan. To resolve the current challenges and problems of the family physician plan, the application of components and the social marketing approach that addresses all the required aspects of a health plan is a suitable model and approach.

Ecotoxicology of the herbicide paraquat: effects on wildlife and knowledge gaps.

Paraquat (PQ) is an organic herbicide introduced to the commercial market in 1962 and since linked to a variety of human health effects, including lung fibrosis, liver tumors, and Parkinson's disease. Although PQ is banned in the European Union, it is still frequently used in agricultural areas of the United States and Asia. The general mechanism of PQ's toxicity is the disruption of the redox cycle in cells. This mini-review summarizes our current understanding of PQ toxicity in non-target plants and animals. Among vertebrates, PQ sensitivity tends follow the pattern of fish > amphibians > mammals > birds. Aquatic plants are particularly vulnerable to PQ, with EC50 values ranging from ~28-280 μg/L. A number of convenient but non-specific biomarkers have been identified for non-target species, including the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, histological changes in the gill structures of fish, and the upregulation of genes associated with the cytochrome p450 monooxygenase system. Significant literature gaps include a lack of data for environmentally realistic conditions (i.e., chronic, low concentration, multi-stressor), toxicity in reptiles, and population- and ecosystem-level effects. Although PQ is a useful herbicide, considering the many human and ecological health impacts, it may be time for regulators and the agricultural industry to reconsider its use.

Yenilebilir yılan pancarı (Arum maculatum) yumru tozu enkapsülasyonu

Cuckoopint (Arum maculatum), an edible wild plant species, grows in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. The aerial parts of the plant are consumed as food. The plant's tubers are used in traditional folk medicine to treat gastrointestinal disorders. When consumed fresh, the plant's tubers have a toxic effect, and the dried form is safe if it does not exceed a certain amount. Tuber powders can also have a poisonous effect when taken in excessive amounts accidentally and unconsciously. In this study, it was investigated whether it is possible to prepare the powder obtained by drying the tubers of the edible wild plant A. maculatum by encapsulating it with chitosan, an edible, biocompatible, mucoadhesive polysaccharide, in specific doses. A. maculatum-chitosan microcapsules were prepared with A. maculatum tuber powder and chitosan. The effects of medium parameters such as pH, temperature, and ionic strength on the microcapsules' structural integrity and release properties were investigated. Encapsulation of tuber powders prepared in specific formulations into microcapsules can help prevent accidental overdose by the public. Commercial storage, transport, and marketing of cuckoopint tuber powder may be possible through encapsulation.

Creating a commercial segment of space services: Tasks, conditions, economy

Subject. The article investigates the process of formation of the commercial space services market. Objectives. The requirement to develop the commercial segment of space services is driven by the emergence of new space technologies, the need for deep space exploration and attraction of funds from private investors. Methods. We employ the consistent comparative analysis of space technologies, which serve as a necessary basis for the research. The tools to analyze costs and pricing processes for the services offered are based on an in-depth analysis of various approaches used in the space economy. It also enables to visualize the results of the data obtained. Results. Justification of ways to increase revenues from the sale of space services is associated with an increase in the life cycle of spacecraft, during which they and provided services will be in demand by a wide range of solvent consumers. The paper considers practical and theoretical knowledge of the problem, offers an approach to ensure the consistency of the process of evaluating and analyzing the prospects for diversification of production at a machine-building enterprise. The latter is a final commercial segment, with which the main trends in the development of space technologies are associated. Conclusions. In-orbit services can be divided into two groups, i.e. with short and prolonged life cycle. The costs of such services may or may not take into account the costs of manufacturing and launching, depending on the life cycle of spacecraft.

Identification of Various InDel-II Variants of the White Spot Syndrome Virus Isolated from Frozen Shrimp and Bivalves Obtained in the Korean Commercial Market.

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) poses a significant threat to the global shrimp industry. We investigated the presence of WSSV in frozen shrimp (n = 86) and shellfish (n = 185) from the Korean market (2010-2018). The detection rate of first-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in domestic shrimp was 36.8% (7/19), whereas that in imported shrimp was 0.01% (1/67). Furthermore, the WSSV genome was amplified from domestic bivalve mollusks by first- and second-step PCR with accuracies of 3.4% (5/147) and 15.6% (23/147), respectively. The genetic relatedness of InDel-II regions among WSSVs detected in domestic shrimp groups revealed four variants (777, 5649, 11,070 and 13,046 bp insertion or deletion), and imported shrimp groups had four variants (10,778, 11,086, 11,500 and 13,210 bp) compared with the putative ancestor WSSV strain. The 5649 bp variant was the dominant type among the WSSV variants detected in domestic shrimp (54.5%, 6/11). Notably, bivalve mollusks exhibited six variants (777, 5649, 5783, 5876, 11,070 and 13,046 bp), including four variants detected in shrimp, indicating that bivalve mollusks could facilitate WSSV tracking. In a challenge test, whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) exhibited varying mortality rates, indicating a link between InDel-II deletion and viral replication. These findings highlight the complexity of WSSV transmission.

Assessment of quality and safety aspects of homemade and commercial baby foods

Dietary Guidelines in some countries recommend avoiding commercially processed baby food, while others encourage the consultation of ingredients and nutritional information. Therefore, the objective of this study was to systematically analyze different baby foods obtained from commercial market and “homemade” produced, in order to verify whether comercial products have low nutritional and unsafety attributes. The samples were analyzed for chemical composition, physicochemical aspects, texture, microbiological and mycotoxin contamination, and pesticide residues. Results showed that, in general, commercial samples have a higher energy density and better ratio of macronutrients. The sodium, pH, and texture of both products were in accordance with the recommendations. None of the baby foods evaluated were contaminated with yeast and molds, total coliforms, or Escherichia coli; however, Salmonella sp. was confirmed in one homemade sample. Pesticide residues were detected in all analyzed baby food samples; however, at lower levels than the limit of quantification. Ochratoxin A was detected in one homemade baby food sample (5.76 µg /kg). Considering the samples evaluated, commercial baby food samples appeared to be safer in relation to microbiological, pesticide residue standards, and mycotoxin contamination. Therefore, it could be concluded that the quality of commercial and homemade baby foods still needs to be improved, as well as more studies related to a critical analyses of both types of processes used.

Do Sanitation Marketing Activities Increase Households' Likelihoods of Reaching Improved Sanitation or Involving Women in Decision Making?

Poor sanitation causes 30% of diarrheal deaths globally, and much of the world has struggled to finance top-down interventions. Sanitation marketing is a demand-led approach that uses a mixture of social and commercial marketing methods and direct sales to households. However, little is known about its impacts on household decision making. This mixed-methods study uses data from eight focus groups and 86,666 household surveys from participants in a five-year sanitation marketing program in Uganda. Logistic regression models identified 10 variables predicting attainment of improved (limited or basic) sanitation and four variables predicting female involvement in decision making. Triggering session attendance increased chances of reaching improved sanitation by 15-28%, depending on who attended, and by 19% if the household found the session motivational. Although women were engaged in decision-making conversations, they were not viewed as primary decision makers, even in female-headed households. Women were more likely to become involved in decision making if they had attended triggering sessions with men (+70%) or engaged with sales promoters alone (+74%) or with men (+78%). For both outcomes, joint activity engagement was more effective than male or female engagement alone. This work highlights two sanitation marketing activities as pathways to improving latrine coverage and women's decision-making agency.

A novel approach for study of straightness in commercially produced round metal bars based on deflection measurements

Round metal bars are available at various sizes at commercial markets and in industries. These bars are used in various branches of industry, for instance in automobile, aerospace, power and manufacturing engineering as well as paper industry, printing and packaging industry and construction industry. It is often found that round bars as available in open market are not often straight at various sections along the length. As the round bars usually fulfil responsible functions, their surface irregularities should be precisely measured. In the present investigation, straightness of bars is measured section-wise across the length of the bar in order to understand the actual scenario of production quality. An attempt has been made by choosing various different types of materials of different sizes to ascertain the actual availability of bar sizes at commercial market and also to understand the level of straightness of these bars along the axis of the bar. 3D surface plot is also used here to find out whether such bars as commercially available can be utilised for precision industrial applications or not. Finite element analysis is also performed to compare the deformations of different solid round metal bars. Results show that commercially available aluminium bars are showing nearly straight having less deformations compared to bars of other materials.

Optimizing extraction of Pelargonium sidoides roots: Impact of ethanol concentration on biological activity of extracts

Pelargonium sidoides DC. (Geraniaceae) is an important indigenous medicinal plant in South Africa, historically employed by various ethnic groups to treat respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments. The proprietary herbal tincture, Umckaloabo®, utilizes an ethanolic extract (EPs® 7630) from the roots of P. sidoides, and has demonstrated effectiveness in alleviating symptoms of respiratory infections.P. sidoides roots contain numerous highly oxygenated coumarins and phenolic metabolites, notably the marker compound umckalin. While Umckaloabo® is prepared using 11 % ethanol extraction, the South African commercial market predominantly employs 60 % ethanol extraction due to its consistent umckalin yield and antimicrobial activity. The effects of these extraction methods on chemical composition and in vitro pharmacological activity remain poorly understood.This study confirmed superior antibacterial and antifungal activity in the 60 % ethanol extracts prepared from six root samples compared to the 11 % ethanol extracts. MIC values for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria ranged from 0.078 to 2.5 mg/mL in the 60 % extracts. Remarkably, two of the root extracts exhibited excellent to very good activity against C. albicans and C. neoformans with MIC values of 0.039 and 0.078 mg/mL, respectively.A positive correlation was identified between total minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) levels and polyphenol content, rather than umckalin levels. The influence of these extracts on the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 was assessed. Both 60 % and 11 % root extracts of P. sidoides at 100 µg/mL significantly reduced IL-6 production, with the 60 % extracts demonstrating a more pronounced effect (p = 0.008).Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between 11 % and 60 % ethanol extractions in terms of average MIC overall, average Gram-negative MIC, average Gram-positive MIC, fungal MIC, and IL-6 levels. Extracts with higher polyphenol values exhibited superior antimicrobial activity and antioxidant potential, suggesting that polyphenol content may serve as a more reliable indicator of antimicrobial activity than umckalin levels. Additionally, polyphenol levels in the roots may vary with altitude and other environmental factors, warranting further research.

Vaccine value profile for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the leading bacterial causes of diarrhoea, especially among children in low-resource settings, and travellers and military personnel from high-income countries. WHO’s primary strategic goal for ETEC vaccine development is to develop a safe, effective, and affordable ETEC vaccine that reduces mortality and morbidity due to moderate-to-severe diarrhoeal disease in infants and children under 5 years of age in LMICs, as well as the long-term negative health impact on infant physical and cognitive development resulting from infection with this enteric pathogen. An effective ETEC vaccine will also likely reduce the need for antibiotic treatment and help limit the further emergence of antimicrobial resistance bacterial pathogens.The lead ETEC vaccine candidate, ETVAX, has shown field efficacy in travellers and has moved into field efficacy testing in LMIC infants and children. A Phase 3 efficacy study in LMIC infants is projected to start in 2024 and plans for a Phase 3 trial in travellers are under discussion with the U.S. FDA. Licensing for both travel and LMIC indications is projected to be feasible in the next 5–8 years.Given increasing recognition of its negative impact on child health and development in LMICs and predominance as the leading etiology of travellers’ diarrhoea (TD), a standalone vaccine for ETEC is more cost-effective than vaccines targeting other TD pathogens, and a viable commercial market also exists. In contrast, combination of an ETEC vaccine with other vaccines for childhood pathogens in LMICs would maximize protection in a more cost-effective manner than a series of stand-alone vaccines.This ‘Vaccine Value Profile’ (VVP) for ETEC is intended to provide a high-level, holistic assessment of available data to inform the potential public health, economic and societal value of pipeline vaccines and vaccine-like products. This VVP was developed by a working group of subject matter experts from academia, non-profit organizations, public private partnerships, and multi-lateral organizations. All contributors have extensive expertise on various elements of the ETEC VVP and collectively aimed to identify current research and knowledge gaps. The VVP was developed using only existing and publicly available information.

A review of the factors that influence aging and degradation in crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) polyolefin

In today's world, the use of products made of crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) is critical. The total share of polyethylene accounts for more than 40% of the entire commercial plastics market. Polyethylene is the most widely used because of its low cost and ease of processing. However, at high temperatures, simple polyethylene loses its physical properties, limiting its application. The crosslinking of polyethylene is done to preserve the desired properties of the material while also acquiring new qualities. XLPE is the densest of polyethylene materials and has superior technical and operating properties due to its polymer base and molecular structure. XLPE has several distinct properties, including thermal resistance, durability, chemical resistance, and resistance to stress fracture, low dielectric losses, high resistance to microorganisms, and many others, which have allowed its products to be used in the majority of modern human activities. This study aims to review the performance of crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation and factors influencing changes in its properties during the service.