Consecutive Evaluation of Systematic Community-Based COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Testing in Three Different Populations in Jamaica during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The rise in COVID-19 cases in late 2021 posed a grave threat to the public health system and the economy of Jamaica. A key pillar of controlling COVID-19 includes rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals and their contacts. Hence, we evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of weekly deployment of antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) by conducting three 6-week studies within high-risk populations in Jamaica.

Acceptability, Feasibility, and Uptake of COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Self-Testing at the Community Level in Tanzania.

The rapid diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is critical for comprehensive public health response strategies, and self-testing with antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) presents opportunities to test in hard-to-reach communities. Therefore, we evaluated the acceptability, feasibility, and uptake of Ag-RDT self-testing at the community level in Tanzania. From June to October 2022, symptomatic individuals or those with recent contact with a known or suspected COVID-19 patient were offered assisted testing and self-testing within mining communities and at transport hubs.

Implementing SARS-CoV-2 Testing during a Large-Scale Sporting Event in Africa: Lessons Learned from the Africa Football Cup of Nations Tournament in Cameroon.

During the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) football tournament in Cameroon, organizers and health authorities required a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result <48 hours before entry and provided free SARS-CoV-2 testing and vaccination at stadium and fan zone entrances. We describe the outcomes and implementation of mandatory SARS-CoV-2 testing at fan zones during AFCON. All consenting fan zones attendees were administered an electronic questionnaire capturing exposure factors, COVID-19-like symptoms, and COVID-19 vaccination status, before being tested for SARS-CoV-2 using an antigen rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT).

Uptake, Acceptability, and Results of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Testing in Community Settings in Cameroon.

Mass gathering event restrictions were part of mitigation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic that were lifted as prevalence decreased and after vaccination rollout. We explored SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid diagnostic test acceptability and positivity in community settings in Cameroon. In August-October 2022, community workers sensitized and referred individuals for COVID-19 testing to nearby testing points in Douala and Yaoundé.

Operational Research to Support Rapid Evidence-Based Responses to Outbreaks: Learnings from COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for making testing readily available was recognized as an important factor for individuals to help make informed decisions, including to isolate or seek care, and for policymakers to control transmission. Toward this end, FIND and the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator funded 16 rapid operational research studies and one implementation project in Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia evaluating the utility, acceptability, and feasibility of different community-based SARS-CoV-2 testing approaches. Here, we discuss common factors and challenges encountered during study implementation.

Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil Using Bidens pilosa: Effect of Varying Concentrations of Sophorolipids.

The current study investigates the impact of biosurfactant (sophorolipids, SL) concentrations (0.1 to 1 g kg) on the removal of cadmium (29 mg kg) from soil using Bidens pilosa. The results showed that increasing concentrations of SL increased the plant biomass.

New Insights into the Degradation Path of Deltamethrin.

Pyrethroids are among the insecticidal compounds indicated by the World Health Organization for mitigation of vector-borne diseases. Active deltamethrin (with chiral configuration α-,1--) is one of the most effective pyrethroids characterized by low toxicity to humans, and it is currently tested as active ingredient for insecticidal paints. Nevertheless, several degradation processes can occur and affect the insecticidal efficacy in the complex paint matrix.

A multivariate approach to investigate the NMR CPMG pulse sequence for analysing low MW species in polymers.

Detection and quantification of low molecular weight components in polymeric samples via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can be difficult due to overlapping signal caused by line broadening characteristics of polymers. A way of overcoming this problem could be the exploitation of the difference in relaxation between small molecules and macromolecular species, such as the application of a T filter by using the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) spin-echo pulse sequence. This technique, largely exploited in metabolomics studies, is applied here to material sciences.

Pleiotropic effects of a cold shock protein homolog PprM on the proteome of Deinococcus radiodurans.

An extremophile D. radiodurans encodes a non-cold shock inducible cold shock protein homolog DR_0907 (also known as PprM). The DR_0907 ORF was deleted by knockout mutagenesis and the resultant deletion mutant (ΔpprM D.

Regulation of potassium dependent ATPase (kdp) operon of Deinococcus radiodurans.

The genome of D. radiodurans harbors genes for structural and regulatory proteins of Kdp ATPase, in an operon pattern, on Mega plasmid 1. Organization of its two-component regulatory genes is unique.

Association and expression of the antigen-processing gene PSMB8, coding for low-molecular-mass protease 7, with vitiligo in North India: case-control study.

Background: Vitiligo is a multifactorial, autoimmune, depigmenting disorder of the skin where aberrant presentation of autoantigens may have a role.

Objectives: To study the association of two antigen-processing genes, PSMB8 and PSMB9, with vitiligo.

Methods: In total 1320 cases of vitiligo (1050 generalized and 270 localized) and 752 healthy controls were studied for the PSMB9 exon 3 G/A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), PSMB8 exon 2 C/A SNP and PSMB8 intron 6 G/T SNP at site 37 360 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Indications for Cesarean Sections in Rural Nepal.

Objective: Globally, cesarean section (CS) rate is close to 26 %. Nepal has a reported CS rate of 5 %, with huge differences in rural (3.5 %) and urban (15 %) areas.

Notch pathway activation is essential for maintenance of stem-like cells in early tongue cancer.

Background: Notch pathway plays a complex role depending on cellular contexts: promotes stem cell maintenance or induces terminal differentiation in potential cancer-initiating cells; acts as an oncogene in lymphocytes and mammary tissue or plays a growth-suppressive role in leukemia, liver, skin, and head and neck cancer. Here, we present a novel clinical and functional significance of NOTCH1 alterations in early stage tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC).

Patients And Methods: We analyzed the Notch signaling pathway in 68 early stage TSCC primary tumor samples by whole exome and transcriptome sequencing, real-time PCR based copy number, expression, immuno-histochemical, followed by cell based biochemical and functional assays.

IFN-γ signaling maintains skin pigmentation homeostasis through regulation of melanosome maturation.

Cellular homeostasis is an outcome of complex interacting processes with nonlinear feedbacks that can span distinct spatial and temporal dimensions. Skin tanning is one such dynamic response that maintains genome integrity of epidermal cells. Although pathways underlying hyperpigmentation cascade are recognized, negative feedback regulatory loops that can dampen the activated melanogenesis process are not completely understood.

Solubility advantage from amorphous etoricoxib solid dispersions.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate kinetic solubility advantage of amorphous etoricoxib solid dispersions prepared with three water soluble polymers and correlate it with solid state and supersaturated drug solution stabilization potential of these polymers.

Methods: Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) of etoricoxib were prepared with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) at 70:30w/w ratio and characterized for glass transition temperature (Tg), miscibility and intermolecular interactions. Kinetic solubility profiles of amorphous etoricoxib and its ASDs were determined in water at 37 °C.

Characterisation and tissue distribution of the PISCF allatostatin receptor in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum.

The insect PISCF/allatostatins (ASTs) are pleiotropic peptides that are involved in the regulation of juvenile hormone biosynthesis, are myoinhibitory on the gut and the heart, and suppress feeding in various insects, but their roles in beetles are poorly understood. To provide further insight into the significance of PISCF/ASTs in beetles, the PISCF/AST receptor from Tribolium castaneum has been characterised and its tissue distribution determined. The biological activity of the T.

Quantification of chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate in danaparoid sodium by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and PLS regression.

Danaparoid sodium (the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Orgaran; Merck Sharp and Dohme) is a biopolymeric non-heparin drug used as anticoagulant and antithrombotic agent approved for the prophylaxis of post-operative deep-vein thrombosis, which may lead to pulmonary embolism in patients undergoing, e.g., elective hip replacement surgery.

Pharmacoscintigraphy: a blazing trail for the evaluation of new drugs and delivery systems.

The drug development process is becoming increasingly sophisticated; as a result, the need for rapid and accurate means of predicting the in vivo behavior of drug products continues to grow. Preclinical in vivo evaluations involve the sacrifice of many animals and hence raise ethical issues. Therefore, noninvasive methods for assessing the in vivo behavior of drug products in animals have become an attractive alternative.

Detection of antibody to the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) non-structural polyprotein 3ABC in sheep by ELISA.

The specificity and sensitivity of an ELISA for detecting IgG to the 3ABC non-structural protein of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus was evaluated in FMD naive, aerosol-infected, aerosol plus direct contact infected and field-exposed sheep. All 12 sheep that were experimentally infected without prior vaccination seroconverted in the test, although fewer field sera from FMD-exposed sheep were scored seropositive compared to test results for structural protein antibodies. The 3ABC test specificity was 98 or 100% according to whether sera reacting in the doubtful range were scored as positive or negative.

Emergency vaccination of sheep against foot-and-mouth disease: protection against disease and reduction in contact transmission.

The ability of several emergency FMD vaccine formulations to elicit early protective immunity in sheep was examined. All vaccine formulations were shown to protect sheep against airborne challenge with homologous FMDV within 4 days of vaccination. Protection was associated in part with the induction of serum antibody responses but was also demonstrated in the absence of any detectable antibody response at the time of challenge.

The Drosophila melanogaster-related angiotensin-I-converting enzymes Acer and Ance--distinct enzymic characteristics and alternative expression during pupal development.

Drosophila melanogaster express two distinct angiotensin-I-converting enzymes (ACEs) called Ance and Acer, which display a high level of primary structure similarity. We have expressed Acer in the yeast Pichia pastoris and purified the recombinant enzyme with a view to developing biochemical tools to distinguish between Acer and Ance. Purified Acer and Ance expressed in yeast were used to raise anti-Acer Ig and anti-Ance Ig that specifically cross-reacted with the respective enzyme on immunoblotting, but did not act as specific inhibitors.

Emergency vaccination of pigs against foot-and-mouth disease: protection against disease and reduction in contact transmission.

The protective ability of two novel oil-based FMD vaccines in pigs was examined. Both vaccine formulations were shown to protect pigs against airborne challenge with homologous FMDV within four days of vaccination, but not at two and three days post-vaccination. Protection was associated with the induction of variable and low titre serum antibody responses.