The introduction of video-enabled directly observed therapy (video-DOT) for patients with drug-resistant TB disease in Eswatini amid the COVID-19 pandemic - a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Video-enabled directly observed therapy (video-DOT) has been proposed as an additional option for treatment provision besides in-person DOT for patients with drug-resistant TB (DRTB) disease. However, evidence and implementation experience mainly originate from well-resourced contexts. This study describes the operationalization of video-DOT in a low-resourced setting in Eswatini facing a high burden of HIV and TB amid the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Interfacial engineering of a multijunctional InO/WO@TiNT S-scheme photocatalyst with enhanced photoelectrochemical properties.

Achieving high photoelectrochemical conversion efficiency requires the logical layout of a composite photocatalyst with optimal charge separation and transfer with ideal light harvesting capabilities to enhance the photocatalytic performance and the degradation rate towards organic pollutants. Herein, a novel InO/WO@TiNT S-scheme heterojunction was successfully synthesized and confirmed through valence band VB-XPS and Mott Schottky combined analysis. The formed MXene-doped InO/WO@TiNT S-scheme significantly enhances the charge flow and spatial separation with an improved oxidation and reduction ability.

Sustained high fatality during TB therapy amid rapid decline in TB mortality at population level: A retrospective cohort and ecological analysis from Shiselweni, Eswatini.

Objectives: Despite declining TB notifications in Southern Africa, TB-related deaths remain high. We describe patient- and population-level trends in TB-related deaths in Eswatini over a period of 11 years.

Methods: Patient-level (retrospective cohort, from 2009 to 2019) and population-level (ecological analysis, 2009-2017) predictors and rates of TB-related deaths were analysed in HIV-negative and HIV-coinfected first-line TB treatment cases and the population of the Shiselweni region.

Antenatal depression across trimesters as a risk for postpartum depression and estimation of the fraction of postpartum depression attributable to antenatal depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed at estimating the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) at different postpartum timepoints in women with antenatal depression (AD) in the three trimesters. We also examined the association between AD and PPD, and estimated the population attributable fraction of PPD to AD.

Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis identified cohort studies that determined the prevalence of PPD in women who had AD, and those that examined the association between AD and PPD from PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO.

Prevalence of sleep disturbance among adolescents with substance use: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Sleep disturbance has become a major challenge among adolescents worldwide. Substance use is among the most common factors contributing to sleep disturbance. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the prevalence and categories of sleep disturbance among adolescents with substance use.

Maternal Self-Efficacy as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Postpartum Depression and Maternal Role Competence: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Introduction: This study aimed to (1) examine the relationships among postpartum depression, maternal self-efficacy, and maternal role competence, and to (2) test whether maternal self-efficacy mediates the relationship between postpartum depression and maternal role competence.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, we conveniently sampled 343 postpartum mothers from 3 primary health care facilities in Eswatini. Data were collected using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Maternal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and Perceived Competence Scale.

The impact of financial incentives on HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women in Eswatini: Sitakhela Likusasa, a cluster randomised trial.

Introduction: Incentives conditional on school attendance or on remaining free of sexually transmitted infections have produced mixed results in reducing HIV incidence.

Methods: HIV-negative adolescent girls and young women aged 15-22%-50% of whom were out of school-were recruited from 293 clusters in Eswatini from urban (30%) and rural areas (70%).Financial incentives conditional on education attendance were randomly allocated at the cluster level.

Factors associated with HIV testing among youth in a generalised hyperendemic setting: findings from a national survey in Eswatini.

: Even though Eswatini was the first country in Africa to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets among people living with HIV nationally, youth aged 15-24 years lag behind in HIV testing. This study determined the overall prevalence of HIV testing among the youth and the factors associated with HIV testing.: Data were analysed for 1 834 young people from the 2016-2017 Swaziland HIV Incidence Measurement Survey (SHIMS2) using multivariable logistic regression.

Validity and reliability of the spiritual care competency scale for oncology nurses in Taiwan.

Background: Nurses must have spiritual competence to provide holistic patient care. Therefore, the designed instrument to assess nurses' competence could be a practical guide for health care professionals. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the spiritual care competency scale (SCCS) for oncology nurses in Taiwan.

Associations between pediatric asthma and age at menarche: evidence from the Indonesian Family Life Survey.

Objective: To examine the association between pediatric asthma and age at menarche, and to assess whether early life factors modify the association.

Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study using the Indonesian Family Life Survey Fifth Wave which had a total of 11 822 females aged 15-57 years to evaluate whether those with pediatric asthma were associated with earlier menarche, compared to females without asthma. We performed a weighted linear regression model adjusting for age, urbanicity, parental smoking, infectious disease history during childhood, childhood socioeconomic status, and health status during childhood.

Factors associated with poor maternal health care services utilization in Eswatini: A secondary analysis of a nationally representative household survey.

Background: This study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with poor maternal health care services utilization (MHCSU) i.e., having < 4 antenatal care (ANC) visits, not delivering at a health facility, and not receiving institutional postnatal care (PNC).

Acquired HIV drug resistance and virologic monitoring in a HIV hyper-endemic setting in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.

Background: Introduction of tenofovir (TDF) plus lamivudine (3TC) and dolutegravir (DTG) in first- and second-line HIV treatment regimens in South Africa warrants characterization of acquired HIV-1 drug resistance (ADR) mutations that could impact DTG-based antiretroviral therapy (ART). In this study, we sought to determine prevalence of ADR mutations and their potential impact on susceptibility to drugs used in combination with DTG among HIV-positive adults (≥ 18 years) accessing routine care at a selected ART facility in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Methods: We enrolled adult participants in a cross-sectional study between May and September 2019.

A pilot study of inflammatory mediators in brain extracellular fluid in paediatric TBM.

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most fatal form of tuberculosis and frequently occurs in children. The inflammatory process initiates secondary brain injury processes that lead to death and disability. Much remains unknown about this cerebral inflammatory process, largely because of the difficulty in studying the brain.

Brain interstitial glycerol correlates with evolving brain injury in paediatric traumatic brain injury.

Purpose: A better understanding of the complex pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is needed to improve our current therapies. Cerebral microdialysis (CMD) is an advanced method to monitor the brain, but little is known about its parameters in children. Brain glycerol, one of the CMD variables, is an essential component of the phospholipid bilayer cell membrane and is considered a useful marker of tissue hypoxia in adults.

Perceptions of radiographers regarding establishing a self-regulatory body for radiation safety in Eswatini.

Introduction: Eswatini remains one of the countries in Southern Africa without a regulating authority for radiation safety in the radiography departments. Quality control (QC) tests and radiation protection practices are unmonitored. This study sought to explore radiographers' perceptions regarding establishing a self-regulatory body that will formulate, implement and monitor compliance of standardised guidelines for radiation safety.

Photocatalytic degradation of nevirapine with a heterostructure of few-layer black phosphorus coupled with niobium (V) oxide nanoflowers (FL-BP@NbO).

The degradation and removal of antiviral drugs in water has emerged remains a major challenge. This work presents, the photodegradation of nevirapine (NVP) with a novel p-n heterostructure of FL-BP@NbO nanoparticles synthesized via hydrothermal method. Several characterization techniques revealed a successful formation of the heterostructure with well aligned band positions that promoted excellent separation of charge carriers.

Predicting Sexually Transmitted Infections Among HIV+ Adolescents and Young Adults: A Novel Risk Score to Augment Syndromic Management in Eswatini.

Background: Despite poor predictive power, syndromic screening is standard of care for diagnosing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in low-resource, high HIV-burden settings. Predictive models may augment syndromic screening when diagnostic testing is not universally available for screening high-risk patient populations such as adolescents and young adults living with HIV.

Setting: Four hundred fifteen adolescents and young adults living with HIV, age 15-24 years, participated from 3 clinical sites in Eswatini, provided urine, sexual and medical history, and completed physical examination.

Intercalation of NbO nano-flowers into the walls of few-layer black phosphorus creating a heterostructure of FL-BP@NbO with the potential for environmental application.

Herein we report the successful exfoliation of few-layer BP (FL-BP) from bulk BP via ultrasonication in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). FL-BP exhibited an orthorhombic phase structure similar to that of bulk BP with weak electrostatic out-of-plane interactions and strong ionic in-plane bonds. The weakened out-of-plane bonds allowed the intercalation of Nb2O5 nano-flowers that were hydrothermally synthesized, forming an intimate contact with the exfoliated BP.

Photoreduction of chromium (VI) by a composite of niobium (V) oxide impregnated with a Ti-based MOF.

Herein, we report a novel composite material of NbO@MIL-125 that exhibited enhanced photoreduction of hexavalent chromium. The composite material was fabricated through an impregnation approach, which comprised of a two-step hydrothermal synthesis. As-prepared NbO nanospheres exhibited very poor charge separation; MIL-125 (Ti) which is a Ti-based metal-organic framework was introduced into the lattice of the spheres to improve charge recombination rate.

Point-of-Care Testing to Guide Treatment and Estimate Risk Factors for Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescents and Young People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Eswatini.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 127 million new cases of (CT), 87 million new cases of (NG), and 156 million new cases of (TV) each year, which corresponds to 355 (219-606), 303 (216-468), and 243 (97.6-425) thousand disability-adjusted life-years. In low-resource settings, however, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are treated syndromically and many individuals with asymptomatic infection may be missed, especially adolescents and young adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Synthesis of a semi-conductor-like MOF with black phosphorous as a composite for visible light-driven photocatalysis.

The fabrication of nanocomposites of a metal-organic framework with two-dimensional materials for photocatalytic water splitting and environmental remediation has been the focus of the scientific community for many years now. In the work reported here, MIL-125 (Ti) was functionalized using few-layer black phosphorus (FLBP) a two-step hydrothermal and sonication approach. The as-synthesized composite materials were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy.

Prevalence and factors associated with postpartum depression at a primary healthcare facility in Eswatini.

Background: Routine mental health screening has not been integrated into maternal and child health (MCH) services in many developing countries, including in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). As a result, the burden of postpartum depression (PPD) is not well understood and thus PPD remains untreated in such settings.

Aim: To describe the prevalence and factors associated with PPD among women seeking postnatal and child welfare services at a primary healthcare facility in Eswatini.

A composite of platelet-like orientated BiVO fused with MIL-125(Ti): Synthesis and characterization.

The development of heterojunctions is the current focus of the scientific community as these materials are visible light active and the staggered positioning of their band edges combats electron-hole recombination which is the downside of most photocatalysts. In this work, a two- step hydrothermal synthesis protocol was utilized to fabricate a novel observable-light active material, composed of platelet-like BiVO and a titanium-based metal organic framework (MOF) called MIL-125(Ti). The tuning of specific morphologies, such as platelet-like in BiVO, provides the exposure of most reactive facets which are more reactive towards photooxidation of organics in water, thus increasing their efficiency.

Photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) using Mg-doped WO nanoparticles.

The hydrothermal synthesis method was employed for the fabrication of pristine tungsten trioxide (WO) and that of varying dopant percentages (1, 3 and 5% m/m) of magnesium (Mg-WO). The optical and structural properties of the synthesized materials were characterized using DRS, XRD, FTIR, TEM, BET, FESEM, XPS, PL, and Raman. Rectangular shaped nanostructures were observed through FESEM, wherein confirmed as monoclinic with the aid of XRD, FTIR and Raman analysis.