Evaluation of Quality Indicators of Breast Cancer Management at a Tertiary Cancer Center in Nepal.

Purpose: Breast cancer is the second commonest cancer among female in Nepal. This is our first attempt to audit breast cancer management in our institute and compare with standard quality indicators (QIs) available.

Methods: The retrospective study included 104 female patients with breast cancer who had taken treatment at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital in 1 year.

Persistence on oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among female sex workers in eThekwini, South Africa, 2016-2020.

Background: Despite the established efficacy of PrEP to prevent HIV and the advantages of a user-controlled method, PrEP uptake and persistence by women in both trials and demonstration projects has been suboptimal. We utilized real-world data from an HIV service provider to describe persistence on oral PrEP among female sex workers (FSW) in eThekwini, South Africa.

Methods: We examined time from PrEP initiation to discontinuation among all FSW initiating PrEP at TB HIV Care in eThekwini between 2016-2020.

Interventions to reengage people living with HIV who are lost to follow-up from HIV treatment programs: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Optimizing services to facilitate engagement and retention in care of people living with HIV (PLWH) on antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) is critical to decrease HIV-related morbidity and mortality and HIV transmission. We systematically reviewed the literature for the effectiveness of implementation strategies to reestablish and subsequently retain clinical contact, improve viral load suppression, and reduce mortality among patients who had been lost to follow-up (LTFU) from HIV services.

Methods And Findings: We searched 7 databases (PubMed, Cochrane, ERIC, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the WHO regional databases) and 3 conference abstract archives (CROI, IAC, and IAS) to find randomized trials and observational studies published through 13 April 2020.

HIV Testing Approaches to Optimize Prevention and Treatment for Key and Priority Populations in Malawi.

Background: Despite progress in improving antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people with HIV in Malawi, the burden of HIV infections and HIV treatment outcomes among key populations is suboptimal. Client-centered differentiated service delivery approaches may facilitate addressing HIV prevention and treatment needs of key populations in Malawi.

Methods: De-identified program data routinely collected as part of the LINKAGES project-Malawi were assembled from October 2017 to September 2019.

Comprehensive Anaemia Programme and Personalized Therapies (CAPPT): protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial testing the effect women's groups, home counselling and iron supplementation on haemoglobin in pregnancy in southern Nepal.

Background: Anaemia in pregnancy remains prevalent in Nepal and causes severe adverse health outcomes.

Methods: This non-blinded cluster-randomised controlled trial in the plains of Nepal has two study arms: (1) Control: routine antenatal care (ANC); (2) Home visiting, iron supplementation, Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) groups, plus routine ANC. Participants, including women in 54 non-contiguous clusters (mean 2582; range 1299-4865 population) in Southern Kapilbastu district, are eligible if they consent to menstrual monitoring, are resident, married, aged 13-49 years and able to respond to questions.

Crystal packing reveals rapamycin-mediated homodimerization of an FK506-binding domain.

Chemically induced dimerization (CID) is used to induce proximity and result in artificial complex formation between a pair of proteins involved in biological processes in cells to investigate and regulate these processes. The induced heterodimerization of FKBP fusion proteins by rapamycin and FK506 has been extensively exploited as a chemically induced dimerization system to regulate and understand highly dynamic cellular processes. Here, we report the crystal structure of the AtFKBP53 FKBD in complex with rapamycin.

Ceria-doped SnO nanocubes for solar light-driven photocatalytic hydrogen production.

The photocatalytic generation of hydrogen via solar energy using metal oxide semiconductor catalysts is a clean and renewable process which has the potential of solving the current energy nexus. SnO is one such well-studied and established photocatalyst currently in practice but is only ultraviolet-light active which accounts for only 4% of the total incoming solar energy. The current study focuses on bringing this SnO into the visible range using ceria as a dopant.

Health-related quality of life of female sex workers living with HIV in South Africa: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important HIV outcome beyond viral suppression. However, there are limited data characterizing HRQoL of key populations, including female sex workers (FSW) living with HIV.

Methods: We used baseline data (22 June 2018-23 March 2020) of FSW who were diagnosed with HIV and enrolled into a randomized trial in Durban, South Africa.

Stringency of containment and closures on the growth of SARS-CoV-2 in Canada prior to accelerated vaccine roll-out.

Background: Many studies have examined the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on SARS-CoV-2 transmission worldwide. However, less attention has been devoted to understanding the limits of NPIs across the course of the pandemic and along a continuum of their stringency. In this study, we explore the relationship between the growth of SARS-CoV-2 cases and an NPI stringency index across Canada before the accelerated vaccine roll-out.

Global assessment of existing HIV and key population stigma indicators: A data mapping exercise to inform country-level stigma measurement.

Background: Stigma is an established barrier to the provision and uptake of HIV prevention, diagnostic, and treatment services. Despite consensus on the importance of addressing stigma, there are currently no country-level summary measures to characterize stigma and track progress in reducing stigma around the globe. This data mapping exercise aimed to assess the potential for existing data to be used to summarize and track stigma, including discrimination, related to HIV status, or key population membership at the country level.

Health systems resilience in fragile and shock-prone settings through the prism of gender equity and justice: implications for research, policy and practice.

Fragile and shock-prone settings (FASP) present a critical development challenge, eroding efforts to build healthy, sustainable and equitable societies. Power relations and inequities experienced by people because of social markers, e.g.

Geographic concentration of SARS-CoV-2 cases by social determinants of health in metropolitan areas in Canada: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Understanding inequalities in SARS-CoV-2 transmission associated with the social determinants of health could help the development of effective mitigation strategies that are responsive to local transmission dynamics. This study aims to quantify social determinants of geographic concentration of SARS-CoV-2 cases across 16 census metropolitan areas (hereafter, cities) in 4 Canadian provinces, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.

Methods: We used surveillance data on confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases and census data for social determinants at the level of the dissemination area (DA).

A Systematic Review of Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response Interventions for HIV Key Populations: Female Sex Workers, Men Who Have Sex With Men, and People Who Inject Drugs.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is that perpetrated based on sex, gender identity, or perceived adherence to socially defined gender norms. This human rights violation is disproportionately experienced by HIV key populations including female sex workers (FSW), people who inject drugs (PWID), and men who have sex with men (MSM). Consequently, addressing GBV is a global priority in HIV response.

Barriers to Treatment Compliance of Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse among Pulmunary Tuberculosis Patients.

Background: Treatment compliance is an important aspect for tuberculosis prevention and control. Poor compliance to treatment can lead to the development of drug-resistant tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to explore the factors affecting treatment compliance for tuberculosis patients.

A Systematic Review of Linkage-to-Care and Antiretroviral Initiation Implementation Strategies in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Linkage to care (LTC) and initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) are key components in the longitudinal care cascade for people living with HIV. Many strategies to optimize these stages of HIV care have been implemented, though there is a paucity of analyses comparing the outcomes of these efforts in low- and middle-income countries. We conducted a systematic review of studies assessing interventions along all stages of the HIV care continuum published between 2008 and 2020.

The Detection of Postprandial Hypoglycemia with 5-Hour Oral Glucose Tolerance Test.

Introduction: Postprandial hypoglycemia (PH) is a poorly understood phenomenon. Five-hour oral glucose tolerance test (5-OGTT) is often a useful laboratory investigation to understand and establish a diagnosis of PH. The aim of this study is to present the patterns observed during 5-OGTT performed in cases with PH in a tertiary hospital in Nepal.

In Vitro Characterization of Histone Chaperones using Analytical, Pull-Down and Chaperoning Assays.

Histone proteins associate with DNA to form the eukaryotic chromatin. The basic unit of chromatin is a nucleosome, made up of a histone octamer consisting of two copies of the core histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, wrapped around by the DNA. The octamer is composed of two copies of an H2A/H2B dimer and a single copy of an H3/H4 tetramer.

Male genital injuries treated at a tertiary hospital in the western region of Nepal: A two-year snapshot.

Male genital injuries are urological emergencies which if not promptly treated with correct therapeutic intervention may lead to loss of fertility due to infections and anatomical disruption of normalcy. This study highlights the clinical scenarios, etiology and outcome of male genital injury cases that were managed at a tertiary care center in Nepal. Such injuries are not frequently encountered as patients are hesitant to report such injuries.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of multiple sclerosis patients with COVID-19 in Toronto, Canada.

Objective: To report clinical characteristics and outcomes of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) who developed COVID-19 infection in Toronto, Canada.

Methods: Descriptive, retrospective, single-center study that included all known PwMS at the St. Michael's Hospital MS Clinic who had PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection between March 2020 and May 2021.

Transgender Women's Internet Survey and Testing: Protocol and Key Indicators Report.

There is a need for ongoing behavioral surveillance of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk among transgender women, using assessments adapted to this population. We therefore developed and piloted the Transgender Women's Internet Survey and Testing (TWIST) study, a cross-sectional behavioral survey of transgender women in the United States coupled with remote biospecimen collection and testing. Participants age 15+ were recruited by using social media advertisements.

Engaging Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) for cardiovascular diseases risk screening in Nepal.

Introduction: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have become the leading public health problems worldwide and the cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is one of the major NCDs. Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) in Nepal are the key drivers to implementing frontline health services. We explored the potential for engaging FCHVs for CVD risk screening at the community level in Nepal.

COVID-19 Infection in Pregnancy: A Review.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is a highly contagious viral illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has had a catastrophic effect on the world's demographics, resulting in more than 3.8 million deaths worldwide and establishing itself as the most serious global health crisis since the 1918 influenza pandemic. Several questions remain unanswered regarding the effects of COVID-19 disease during pregnancy.

Brief report: HIV-related healthcare stigma/discrimination and unmet needs among persons living with HIV in England and Wales.

We characterized the prevalence of, and estimated associations between, (1) HIV-related healthcare stigma/discrimination and (2) unmet social, mental, and chronic condition healthcare needs among persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in England and Wales. We used data from Positive Voices 2017, a national, cross-sectional probability survey of PLHIV in England and Wales, in which  = 3,475 PLHIV provided complete data on demographic characteristics (control variables; age, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity), HIV-related healthcare stigma/discrimination (exposures; treated differently from other patients, care was refused/delayed, worried about being treated differently, avoided seeking needed care, all due to HIV status), and unmet needs (outcomes; unmet peer support, psychological care, management of chronic health conditions, and isolation help needs). Modified Poisson regression models with log links and robust variance estimators were used to produce prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for unadjusted and adjusted associations between demographic characteristics, HIV-related healthcare stigma/discrimination (individual items and total scale score), and unmet needs variables.