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The authors acknowledge the original source of publication. Final publication is available from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.: http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ten.teb.2020.0096 ; Human meniscus is a fibrocartilaginous structure that is crucial for an adequate performance of the human knee joint. Degeneration of the meniscus is often followed by partial or total meniscectomy, which enhances the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis. The lack of a satisfactory treatment for this condition has triggered a major interest in drug delivery (DD) and tissue engineering (TE) strategies intended to restore a bioactive and fully functional meniscal tissue. The aim of this review is to critically discuss the most relevant studies on spatiotemporal DD and TE, aiming for a multizonal meniscal reconstruction. Indeed, the development of meniscal tissue implants should involve a provision for adequate active molecules and scaffold features that take into account the anisotropic ultrastructure of human meniscus. This zonal differentiation is reflected in the meniscus biochemical composition, collagen fiber arrangement, and cell distribution. In this sense, it is expected that a proper combination of advanced DD and zonal TE strategies will play a key role in the future trends in meniscus regeneration ; This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 814444 (MEFISTO); and from Xunta de Galicia's Grupos de referencia competitiva (grant number ED431C 2017/09) ; SI

This document is the preprint manuscript version of a published work that appeared in final form in Tissue Engineering Part B: Reviews, Copyright 2020, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see: https://doi.org/10.1089/ten.teb.2020.0096 ; Human meniscus is a fibrocartilaginous structure that is crucial for an adequate performance of the human knee joint. Degeneration of the meniscus is often followed by partial or total meniscectomy, which enhances the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis. The lack of a satisfactory treatment for this condition has triggered a major interest in drug delivery (DD) and tissue engineering (TE) strategies intended to restore a bioactive and fully functional meniscal tissue. The aim of this review is to critically discuss the most relevant studies on spatiotemporal DD and TE, aiming for a multizonal meniscal reconstruction. Indeed, the development of meniscal tissue implants should involve a provision for adequate active molecules and scaffold features that take into account the anisotropic ultrastructure of human meniscus. This zonal differentiation is reflected in the meniscus biochemical composition, collagen fiber arrangement, and cell distribution. In this sense, it is expected that a proper combination of advanced DD and zonal TE strategies will play a key role in the future trends in meniscus regeneration ; This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 814444 (MEFISTO); and from Xunta de Galicia's Grupos de referencia competitiva (grant number ED431C 2017/09)

Here, we study the temperature-dependent transport properties of OFETs with the prototypical OSC 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) co-processed with polystyrene (PS) as the active layer. The active layer is deposited directly on SiO2 using the bar-assisted meniscus shearing (BAMS) method. The co-processing with PS favors a consequential decrease in interfacial trap densities as previously reported. Furthermore, we demonstrate how this processing method leads to devices exhibiting activation energies well below the current state of the art for TIPS-pentacene on SiO2 or other dielectrics. Altogether, our study reports on TIPS-pentacene thin films exhibiting an activation energy (Ea) as low as 15 meV when the active material is blended with PS and processed via BAMS. Such an unprecedentedly low value originates not only from a decrease in the interfacial trap densities but also from trapping energies much shallower than previously reported elsewhere for the same material. This allows us to clarify the previously reported notion that significant passivation of interfacial traps occurs following the separation of PS from TIPS-pentacene into an individual layer at the interface with the insulator and to confirm that the enhanced transport originates from a synergistic effect wherein both trapping density and depth are reduced. ; E.O. and I.S. acknowledge the financial support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) (funding Reference Nos. RGPIN-201805092 and RGPIN-2017-06748), the Fonds de recherche du Québec-Nature et technologies (FRQNT). E.O. also acknowledges the financial support of the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) through the John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF). M.M.T. acknowledges funding by the Spanish Ministry with the Project No. GENESIS PID2019-111682RB-I00 and through the "Severo Ochoa" Programme for Centers of Excellence in R&D (No. FUNFUTURE CEX2019-000917-S) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (No. 2017-SGR-918). A.T. acknowledges his FPU fellowship and is enrolled in the UAB Materials Science Ph.D. program. M.B.R. cordially thanks NSERC for support through the Canada Graduate Scholarships–Master's program and the Centre québécois sur les matériaux fonctionnels (CQMF) for his summer scholarship. ; With funding from the Spanish government through the 'Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence' accreditation (CEX2019-000917-S). ; Peer reviewed

Meniscal lesions represent one of the most common orthopedic injuries, and the standard of care, partial meniscectomy, often leads to long-term joint deterioration. The current meniscal replacement devices fail to recreate the native meniscus biomechanics that may explain the uncertainty of their clinical efficacy. A biomechanically functional, collagen-hyaluronan infused, three-dimensional printed polymeric scaffold was implanted into 18 sheep for up to 24 weeks to assess the scaffold's fixation, cellular response, tissue generation, integration to the host tissue, and effect on the surrounding articular cartilage. The scaffolds were assessed via gross inspection, histology, immunofluorescence, and biochemical analysis and the articular cartilage was assessed via gross inspection and histology. Scaffolds were ingrown with cells that generated a dense fibrocartilage-like tissue with significant collagen and glycosaminoglycan deposition. The stability of the surgical fixation was variable, however, with three partially displaced and five completely displaced implants at 12 weeks and three anatomic, four partially displaced, and two completely displaced implants at 24 weeks. Those implants remaining in the anatomic position displayed markedly improved outcomes. There was no significant degeneration observed in the surrounding articular cartilage for any condition. This study demonstrated the scaffold induces fibrochondrocytic tissue ingrowth, integrates robustly, and continues to mature as late as 24 weeks, and the articular cartilage is not adversely changed. The surgical model and fixation method must be improved and longer time points need to be investigated to further determine the scaffold's efficacy and chondroprotective abilities. IMPACT STATEMENT: The only FDA-approved partial meniscus scaffold, the Collagen Meniscus Implant (CMI), is not approved for reimbursement by government and only reimbursable by certain private insurers. Scaffolds with improved mechanical properties and greater efficacy are needed. ...

OBJECTIVES: Achieving good menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) is a public health challenge and there is little evidence to inform interventions. The aim of this study was to pilot test an intervention to improve MHH and school attendance in Uganda, in preparation for a future cluster-randomised trial. DESIGN: Longitudinal study with pre-post evaluation of a pilot intervention. SETTING: Two secondary schools in Entebbe, Uganda. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 473 eligible students in secondary 2 (S2) at baseline, 450 (95.1%; 232 girls and 218 boys) consented/assented. 369 students (188 girls; 81.0%; and 181 boys; 83.0%) participated in the endline survey. INTERVENTION: The intervention comprised training teachers to improve delivery of government guidelines for puberty education, training in use of a menstrual kit and pain management, a drama skit, provision of analgesics and improvements to school water and sanitation hygiene facilities. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Feasibility and acceptability of delivering the intervention. Baseline and endline quantitative surveys were conducted, with qualitative interviews conducted at endline. School attendance was assessed using self-completed daily diaries among a nested cohort of 100 female students. RESULTS: There were high levels of uptake of the individual and behavioural intervention components (puberty education, drama skit, menstrual hygiene management (MHM) kit and pain management). The proportion of girls reporting anxiety about next period decreased from 58.6% to 34.4%, and reported use of effective pain management increased from 76.4% to 91.4%. Most girls (81.4%) reported improved school toilet facilities, which improved their comfort managing menstruation. The diary data and qualitative data indicated a potential intervention impact on improving menstrual-related school absenteeism. CONCLUSIONS: The pilot study showed that the multicomponent MHM intervention was acceptable and feasible to deliver, and potentially effective in improving menstruation knowledge and management. A cluster-randomised trial is needed to evaluate rigorously the intervention effects on MHM and school attendance. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04064736; Pre-results.

OBJECTIVES: Achieving good menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) is a public health challenge and there is little evidence to inform interventions. The aim of this study was to pilot test an intervention to improve MHH and school attendance in Uganda, in preparation for a future cluster-randomised trial. DESIGN: Longitudinal study with pre–post evaluation of a pilot intervention. SETTING: Two secondary schools in Entebbe, Uganda. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 473 eligible students in secondary 2 (S2) at baseline, 450 (95.1%; 232 girls and 218 boys) consented/assented. 369 students (188 girls; 81.0%; and 181 boys; 83.0%) participated in the endline survey. INTERVENTION: The intervention comprised training teachers to improve delivery of government guidelines for puberty education, training in use of a menstrual kit and pain management, a drama skit, provision of analgesics and improvements to school water and sanitation hygiene facilities. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Feasibility and acceptability of delivering the intervention. Baseline and endline quantitative surveys were conducted, with qualitative interviews conducted at endline. School attendance was assessed using self-completed daily diaries among a nested cohort of 100 female students. RESULTS: There were high levels of uptake of the individual and behavioural intervention components (puberty education, drama skit, menstrual hygiene management (MHM) kit and pain management). The proportion of girls reporting anxiety about next period decreased from 58.6% to 34.4%, and reported use of effective pain management increased from 76.4% to 91.4%. Most girls (81.4%) reported improved school toilet facilities, which improved their comfort managing menstruation. The diary data and qualitative data indicated a potential intervention impact on improving menstrual-related school absenteeism. CONCLUSIONS: The pilot study showed that the multicomponent MHM intervention was acceptable and feasible to deliver, and potentially effective in improving menstruation knowledge ...

The Indian society is one of the most unequal societies of the world and divided into different social hierarchies of caste, class, religion, etc. Caste is a determinant of power, economic inequality, poverty and discrimination in contemporary India. When it comes to women, they face the dual burden of discrimination, first gender based and, second, caste based. The practice of discrimination persists between Dalit/tribal and upper-class women, but still, Dalit women are trying to come out of this unequal treatment. Hence, this study investigates the magnitude of discrimination among women workers in terms of the social hierarchy and relative factors responsible for workforce discrimination. Furthermore, this study examines the extent of wage differential between Dalit/tribal and upper-class women workers. The study has used the data of the 50th Employment and Unemployment Survey to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) from 1993–1994 to 2017–2018 by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). In the first part of the analysis, this study explains how and why the women workforce is decreasing, particularly as far as Dalit/tribal women are concerned. Subsequently, the relative contributions of socio-economic conditions in the women workforce have been assessed using logistic regression. However, the second part of the study examines the wage differential between general and Dalit/tribal women and the extent of wage discrimination using the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition method. The study reveals that the women workforce has been consistently declining and the vulnerability is intense among Dalit/tribal women. Furthermore, it has been observed that the social hierarchy (caste) is a decisive factor for the remuneration (wage) in the labour market and over the period of study, the wage discrimination between Dalit and upper-caste women has significantly increased.

BACKGROUND: Poor menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) is a globally recognised public health challenge. A pilot study of an MHH intervention was conducted in two secondary schools in Entebbe, Uganda, over 9 months. The intervention included five components delivered by the implementing partner (WoMena Uganda) and the research team: (i) training teachers to implement government guidelines for puberty education, (ii) a drama skit to reduce stigma about menstruation, (iii) training in use of a menstrual kit (including re-usable pads), (iv) guidance on pain relief methods including provision of analgesics and (v) improvements to school water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities. The aim of the process evaluation was to examine implementation, context and possible causal pathways. METHODS: We collected information on fidelity, dose, reach, acceptability, context and mechanisms of impact using (i) quantitative survey data collected from female and male students in year 2 of secondary school (ages 13–21; 450 at the baseline and 369 at endline); (ii) qualitative data from 40 in-depth interviews with parents, teachers and female students, and four focus group discussions with students, stratified by gender; (iii) data from unannounced visits checking on WASH facilities throughout the study; and (iv) routine data collected as part of the implementation. Quantitative data were used primarily to assess fidelity, dose and reach. Qualitative data were used primarily to assess acceptability, context and possible mechanisms. RESULTS: Both schools received all intervention elements that were delivered by the research team and implementing partner. The drama skit, menstrual kit and pain management intervention components were delivered with fidelity. Intervention components that relied on school ownership (puberty education training and WASH improvements) were not fully delivered. Overall, the intervention was acceptable to participants. Multilevel contextual factors including schools' social and physical environment, and ...

Background: Poor menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) is a globally recognised public health challenge. A pilot study of an MHH intervention was conducted in two secondary schools in Entebbe, Uganda, over 9 months. The intervention included five components delivered by the implementing partner (WoMena Uganda) and the research team: (i) training teachers to implement government guidelines for puberty education, (ii) a drama skit to reduce stigma about menstruation, (iii) training in use of a menstrual kit (including re-usable pads), (iv) guidance on pain relief methods including provision of analgesics and (v) improvements to school water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities. The aim of the process evaluation was to examine implementation, context and possible causal pathways. Methods: We collected information on fidelity, dose, reach, acceptability, context and mechanisms of impact using (i) quantitative survey data collected from female and male students in year 2 of secondary school (ages 13-21; 450 at the baseline and 369 at endline); (ii) qualitative data from 40 in-depth interviews with parents, teachers and female students, and four focus group discussions with students, stratified by gender; (iii) data from unannounced visits checking on WASH facilities throughout the study; and (iv) routine data collected as part of the implementation. Quantitative data were used primarily to assess fidelity, dose and reach. Qualitative data were used primarily to assess acceptability, context and possible mechanisms. Results: Both schools received all intervention elements that were delivered by the research team and implementing partner. The drama skit, menstrual kit and pain management intervention components were delivered with fidelity. Intervention components that relied on school ownership (puberty education training and WASH improvements) were not fully delivered. Overall, the intervention was acceptable to participants. Multilevel contextual factors including schools' social and physical environment, and family, cultural and social factors influenced the acceptability of the intervention in the school setting. The intervention components reinforced one another, as suggested in our theoretical framework. Conclusion: The intervention was feasible to deliver and acceptable to the schools and students. We propose a full-scale cluster-randomised trial to evaluate the intervention, adding a school-based MHH leadership group to address issues with school ownership. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04064736. Registered August 22, 2019, retrospectively registered.