Secreted extracellular heat shock protein gp96 and inflammatory cytokines are markers of severe malaria outcome.

Malaria caused by Plasmodium spp., is a major public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa. The fight against malaria has stalled due to increasing resistance to treatments and insecticides.

Identifying populations at high risk of malaria: a mixed-methods case-control study to inform targeted interventions in Senegal.

Background: Senegal has made significant progress in reducing the burden of malaria, but transmission remains highly heterogeneous, with specific population subgroups likely at higher risk. Consultations with the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) and a review of available data identified nomadic pastoralists, gold miners, and Koranic school students as potential high-risk populations (HRPs). This study aimed to evaluate whether these populations are at higher risk of malaria and better characterize their exposure patterns to inform the design of targeted intervention strategies.

Advancing the prediction of bath penetration and electrochemical degradation in Hall-Héroult cell cathodes: Insights into ionic species transport in a porous electrode model.

This study presents a groundbreaking approach to modeling the Hall-Héroult cathode used in aluminum production. Our innovative model is grounded in a sophisticated porous electrode methodology coupled with state-of-the-art numerical simulations. This enables us to capture the intricate physicochemical processes within the system precisely, encompassing the migration, diffusion, and convection of ionic species.

Non-invasive point-of-care optical technique for continuous in vivo assessment of microcirculatory function: Application to a preclinical model of early sepsis.

Increased amplitude of peripheral vasomotion is a potential early marker of sepsis-related microcirculatory impairment; however, previous reports relied on clinically unsuitable invasive techniques. Hyperspectral near-infrared spectroscopy (hsNIRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) are non-invasive, bedside techniques that can be paired to continuously monitor tissue hemoglobin content (HbT), oxygenation (StO), and perfusion (rBF) to detect vasomotion as low-frequency microhemodynamic oscillations. While previous studies have primarily focused on the peripheral microcirculation, cerebral injury is also a common occurrence in sepsis and hsNIRS-DCS could be used to assess cerebral microcirculatory function.

Long-Term Body Weight Trends in Gobra Zebu Cattle Reared at the 'Centre de Recherches Zootechniques' of Dahra (Senegal): A Historical Perspective (1952-2018).

The socio-economic impact of rearing Gobra zebu cattle in rural areas has yet to be demonstrated in Senegal. This impact was evident in the 1950s when a genetic breeding programme for this breed was initiated by the 'Centre de Recherches Zootechniques' of Dahra. The management of animals in this programme has evolved considerably, particularly due to the constraints encountered and the progressive acquisition of knowledge about the animals.

Prognostic Communication, Symptom Burden, Psychological Distress, and Quality of Life Among Patients With Decompensated Cirrhosis.

Background & Aims: Timely prognostic communication is a critical component of care for patients with decompensated cirrhosis (DC). However, few studies have examined the association of prognostic communication with symptoms, mood, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in this population.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 218 outpatients with DC, we assessed their self-reported health status (terminally ill vs not terminally ill), their prognostic communication with their hepatologists (Prognosis and Treatment Preferences Questionnaire), symptom burden (Revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale), psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and HRQOL (Short-Form Liver Disease Quality of Life scale).

Serological survey in a university community after the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Senegal.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted at Polytechnic High School (PHS) to assess the spread of COVID-19 infection among students and staff. A random cluster sampling was conducted between May 19 and August 18, 2022, after the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Senegal. IgM and IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were screened using WANTAI SARS-CoV-2 ELISA assays.

Social innovation in access to healthcare: community-based health insurance among Senegalese migrants in Spain.

Background: In several European Union countries, undocumented migrants face significant barriers to accessing universal healthcare. In Spain, Royal Decree-Law 16/2012 introduced restrictions that limited undocumented migrants' access to healthcare services, offering only emergency, maternal, and paediatric care. The implementation of this law created significant disparities in access to healthcare across regions.

Artificial Intelligence Tracking of Otologic Instruments in Mastoidectomy Videos.

Objective: Develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model to track otologic instruments in mastoidectomy videos.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: Tertiary care center.

Psychological Distress Is Prevalent and Interdependent Among Patients With Decompensated Cirrhosis and Their Caregivers.

Introduction: Little is known about the interdependence of psychological distress among patients with decompensated cirrhosis and their caregivers.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we examined the interdependence of psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) among 127 patient-caregiver dyads using Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling.

Results: Among dyads, 26% had both partners reporting clinically significant anxiety and 18% reporting clinically significant depression.

Changes in early HIV/AIDS mortality rates in people initiating antiretroviral treatment between 2013 and 2023: A 10-year multicenter survival study in Senegal.

Background: HIV/AIDS-related early mortality has long been a significant challenge. Subsequent to recent policy changes and treatment advancements, we aimed to assess changes in early mortality rates in 2017-19 and 2020-23 compared to 2013-16.

Methods: This is a 10-year multicenter survival study in people living with human immunodeficiency virus having initiated ART between 2013 and 2023.

The Pluripotent Path to Immunotherapy.

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) enhances the patient's own immune cells' ability to identify and eliminate cancer cells. Several immune cell types are currently being applied in autologous ACT, including T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and macrophages. The cells' inherent antitumor capacity can be used, or they can be targeted toward tumor-associated antigen through expression of a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR).

A comprehensive overview of diffuse correlation spectroscopy: Theoretical framework, recent advances in hardware, analysis, and applications.

Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) is a powerful tool for assessing microvascular hemodynamic in deep tissues. Recent advances in sensors, lasers, and deep learning have further boosted the development of new DCS methods. However, newcomers might feel overwhelmed, not only by the already-complex DCS theoretical framework but also by the broad range of component options and system architectures.

A Systematic Review of the Impact of Spinal Cord Injury on Costs and Health-Related Quality of Life.

Objective: To systematically review the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) burden and costs of spinal cord injury (SCI) on health services, patients and wider society.

Methods: A systematic review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement was conducted in March 2021 through Scopus, PubMed and Embase databases. Inclusion criteria were quantitative studies on SCI reporting healthcare costs, social costs and/or HRQoL measured with the Euroqol EQ-5D or Short-Form 36.

Mental Health Hospitalizations in Canadian Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Over the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Importance: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in multiple socially restrictive public health measures and reported negative mental health impacts in youths. Few studies have evaluated incidence rates by sex, region, and social determinants across an entire population.

Objective: To estimate the incidence of hospitalizations for mental health conditions, stratified by sex, region, and social determinants, in children and adolescents (hereinafter referred to as youths) and young adults comparing the prepandemic and pandemic-prevalent periods.

Pandemic Stringency Measures and Hospital Admissions for Eating Disorders.

Importance: Hospitalizations for eating disorders rose dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health restrictions, or stringency, are believed to have played a role in exacerbating eating disorders. Few studies of eating disorders during the pandemic have extended to the period when public health stringency restrictions were lifted.

Artificial Intelligence in Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery.

Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly computer vision and large language models, will impact facial plastic and reconstructive surgery (FPRS) by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, refining surgical planning, and improving post-operative evaluations. These advancements can address subjective limitations of aesthetic surgery by providing objective tools for patient evaluation. Despite these advancements, AI in FPRS has yet to be fully integrated in the clinic setting and faces numerous challenges including algorithmic bias, ethical considerations, and need for validation.

A metagenomic assessment of bacterial community in spices sold open-air markets in Saint-Louis, Senegal.

Natural spices play an essential role in human nutrition and well-being. However, their processing on different scales can expose them to potential sources of contamination. This study aimed to describe the bacterial community genomic footprint in spices sold in Senegal.

Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Non-melanoma Skin Cancers of the Head and Neck.

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy will change the standard of care for advanced resectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and possibly other non-melanoma skin cancers. With pathological complete response rates around 50% for cSCC in early studies, neoadjuvant therapy allows patients the possibility of significant reduction in tumor size, de-escalation of adjuvant therapy, and improved long-term outcomes. Patients must be carefully selected to ensure that there is a margin of safety with respect to resectability, such that if a tumor progresses on neoadjuvant therapy, there remains a curative surgical option that is acceptable to the patient.