IntroductionThere is limited evidence demonstrating the benefits of community-based water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes on infections with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) and intestinal protozoa. Our study aims to contribute to that evidence base by investigating the effectiveness of combining two complementary approaches for control of STH: periodic mass administration of albendazole, and delivery of a community-based WASH programme.Methods and analysisWASH for WORMS is a cluster-randomised controlled trial to test the hypothesis that a community-based WASH intervention integrated with periodic mass distribution of albendazole will be more effective in reducing infections with STH and protozoa than mass deworming alone. All 18 participating rural communities in Timor-Leste receive mass chemotherapy every 6 months. Half the communities also receive the community-based WASH programme. Primary outcomes are the cumulative incidence of infection with STH. Secondary outcomes include the prevalence of protozoa; intensity of infection with STH; as well as morbidity indicators (anaemia, stunting and wasting). Each of the trial outcomes will be compared between control and intervention communities. End points will be measured 2 years after the first albendazole distribution; and midpoints are measured at 6 months intervals (12 months for haemoglobin and anthropometric indexes). Mixed-methods research will also be conducted in order to identify barriers and enablers associated with the acceptability and uptake of the WASH programme.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval was obtained from the human ethics committees at the University of Queensland, Australian National University, Timorese Ministry of Health, and University of Melbourne. The results of the trial will be published in peer-reviewed journals presented at national and international conferences, and disseminated to relevant stakeholders in health and WASH programmes. This study is funded by a Partnership for Better Health—Project grant from the National Health and Research Council (NHMRC), Australia.Trial registration numberACTRN12614000680662; Pre-results

This study on Women’s Collective Action and the Village Law seeks to understand in what contexts, to what extent and through what mechanisms has local collective action by women influenced the implementation of the Village Law. And, what has been the role for CSOs in this process. The study draws on research conducted in nine provinces, 12 districts, and 14 villages—from Sumatra, to Java, to Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and East and West Nusa Tenggara.

Kajian mengenai Aksi Kolektif Perempuan dan UU Desa ini bermaksud untuk memahami dalam konteks apa, sejauh mana dan melalui mekanisme apa aksi kolektif oleh perempuan memengaruhi implementasi UU Desa, dan apa peran yang telah OMS jalankan dalam proses tersebut? Kajian ini membahas hasil penelitian yang dilakukan di sembilan provinsi, 12 kabupaten, dan 14 desa—di Sumatera, Jawa, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, NTT dan NTB.

Two speech functions have traditionally been ascribed to the velum: opening and closing the velopharyngeal port and providing a passive surface against which the tongue can produce oral constrictions. Contrary to this passive oral function, the present x-ray study finds that a substantial portion of the velum moves to constrict the oropharyngeal isthmus for French uvular /ʁ/. This substructure, designated the velic traverse, functions independently of the parts of the velum used for velopharyngeal port closure, thus acting as an oral articulator. An active velic traverse challenges methods for estimating vocal tract shapes based on tongue posture alone.