The impact of a couple-based intervention on one-year viral suppression among pregnant women living with HIV and their male partners in Malawi: A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Couple-based behavioral interventions (CBIs) have been associated with improved HIV virological outcomes for pregnant women and their male partners living with HIV in observational settings, but have never been tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Setting: Bwaila District Hospital Antenatal clinic (Lilongwe, Malawi).

Methods: An RCT was conducted among 500 pregnant women living with HIV (index clients) randomized 1:1 to the standard of care (SOC) or CBI and followed for one year.

A Model for Decoding Resistance in Precision Oncology: Acquired Resistance to FGFR inhibitors in Cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors have significantly improved outcomes for patients with FGFR-altered cholangiocarcinoma, leading to their regulatory approval in multiple countries. However, as with many targeted therapies, acquired resistance limits their efficacy. A comprehensive, multimodal approach is crucial to characterizing resistance patterns to FGFR inhibitors.

Pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis: a Belgian single-center retrospective analysis reveals real-life difficulties in diagnosis and treatment.

Introduction: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic immune-mediated disorder characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the esophageal mucosa.

Methods: This study aimed to provide insights into the clinical characteristics, diagnostic evaluation, treatment modalities, and outcomes of EoE in a pediatric population through a retrospective analysis of 79 patients followed in a single tertiary referral center between 2014 and 2020.

Results: As expected, a higher male prevalence was observed.

Evaluating the impact of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis on pregnancy, infant, and maternal health outcomes in Malawi: PrIMO study protocol.

Background: Incident HIV during the perinatal period significantly impedes elimination of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission (eMTCT) efforts. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) effectively reduces HIV acquisition, and new agents like injectable Cabotegravir (CAB-LA) offer potential advantages for pregnant and breastfeeding women. The Pregnancy, Infant, and Maternal health Outcomes (PrIMO) study will compare rates of composite adverse pregnancy outcomes, and infant adverse events, growth and neurodevelopment between mother-infant dyads receiving CAB-LA and those receiving oral PrEP in Malawi.

Discovery of TYRA-300: First Oral Selective FGFR3 Inhibitor for the Treatment of Urothelial Cancers and Achondroplasia.

Activating FGFR3 alterations have been identified in up to 15-20% of muscle-invasive bladder cancer and metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC), and as high as 80% in nonmuscle invasive bladder cancers. FGFR3 germline mutations have also been associated with a variety of skeletal dysplasias. Achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism in humans, results from a G380R mutation in FGFR3.

Updated Risk Score Algorithms for Acute HIV Infection Detection at a Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Background: Detection of acute (pre-seroconversion) HIV infection (AHI), the phase of highest transmission risk, requires resource-intensive RNA- or antigen-based detection methods that can be infeasible for routine use. Risk score algorithms can improve the efficiency of AHI detection by identifying persons at highest risk of AHI for prioritized RNA/antigen testing, but prior algorithms have not considered geospatial information, potential differences by sex, or current antibody testing paradigms.

Methods: We used elastic net models to develop sex-stratified risk score algorithms in a case-control study of persons (136 with AHI, 250 without HIV) attending a sexually transmitted infections (STI) clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi from 2015 to 2019.

Exploring parental thoughts and clinical experiences on blended food in a paediatric population, a qualitative study.

Background: There's a growing interest in blended food (BF) as an alternative to commercial food (CF) for tube-fed children. Thus, we investigated parental and medical experiences with BF as an option for tube feeding in children.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all patients were already using BF, chosen by parents.

Systemic Adverse Events Associated with Locally Administered Corticosteroids.

Topical corticosteroids are a mainstay in the treatment of many pediatric disorders. While they have proven beneficial therapeutic effects and are generally considered safe, systemic adverse events may occur. This study presents four cases of children who experienced systemic adverse events after using inhaled and intranasal topical corticosteroids, as well as topical corticosteroids in other forms.

A Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI) to reduce alcohol use and improve PrEP outcomes among men who have sex with men in Vietnam: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: In Vietnam and other global settings, men who have sex with men (MSM) have become the population at greatest risk of HIV infection. Although HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been implemented as a prevention strategy, PrEP outcomes may be affected by low persistence and adherence among MSM with unhealthy alcohol use. MSM have a high prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use in Vietnam, which may affect PrEP outcomes.

Determination of the source location of anthropogenic radionuclides collected in Finland and Sweden in June 2020 using a multi-technology analysis.

In June 2020, observations of anthropogenic radionuclides in Estonia, Finland, and Sweden that were not related to any acknowledged environmental release led to a comprehensive investigation on the source and cause of the unusual emissions. Several of the observed radionuclides were on the list of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) relevant radionuclides as an indicator of a potential nuclear test, and warranted detailed investigation. While analysis of aerosol samples coupled with Atmospheric Transport and Dispersion Modelling (ATDM) is a standard approach for environmental particulate releases, several new techniques were employed to better characterize the samples that allowed for useful inferences to be made.

The Association Between Breastfeeding and Growth Among Infants with Moderately Low Birth Weight: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To assess the association between breastfeeding competency, as determined by Latch, Audible swallowing, Type of nipple, Comfort, and Hold (LATCH) and Preterm Infant Breastfeeding Behavior Scale (PIBBS) scores, and exclusive breastfeeding and growth among infants with low birth weight (LBW) in India, Malawi, and Tanzania.

Study Design: We conducted LATCH and PIBBS assessments among mother-infant dyads enrolled in the Low Birthweight Infant Feeding Exploration (LIFE) observational study of infants with moderately LBW (1500g-2499 g) in India, Malawi, and Tanzania. We analyzed feeding and growth patterns among this cohort.

Expression of intestinal drug transporter proteins and metabolic enzymes in neonatal and pediatric patients.

The development of pediatric oral drugs is hampered by a lack of predictive simulation tools. These tools, in turn, require data on the physiological variables that influence oral drug absorption, including the expression of drug transporter proteins (DTPs) and drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) in the intestinal tract. The expression of hepatic DTPs and DMEs shows age-related changes, but there are few data on protein levels in the intestine of children.

Faecal microbiota transplantation in children: A systematic review.

Aim: Novel technologies offer insights into the potential role of the intestinal microbiota in human health and disease. Dysbiosis has been associated with several diseases, and it is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of different gastrointestinal diseases. Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is emerging as a method to modulate the gastrointestinal microbial ecosystem.

Nutritional management of high-output ileostomies in paediatric patients is vital and more evidence-based guidelines are needed.

Aim: Paediatric patients with high-output ileostomies (HOI) face an elevated risk of complications. This study aimed to comprehensively review the existing literature and offer nutritional management recommendations for paediatric patients with an HOI.

Methods: PubMed and Embase were searched for relevant English or French language papers up to 31 June 2022.

Identifying risk factors of anti-TNF induced skin lesions and other adverse events in paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Objectives: While higher infliximab (IFX) trough concentrations (TCs) are associated with better outcomes in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), they could pose a risk for adverse events (AEs), including IFX-induced skin lesions. Therefore, we studied correlations between IFX TCs and occurrence of AEs in paediatric IBD patients.

Methods: In this single-centre study, all children with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) receiving IFX maintenance therapy who underwent proactive drug monitoring between March 2015 and August 2022 were included.

A baseline for source localisation using the inverse modelling tool FREAR.

A global network of monitoring stations is set up that can measure tiny concentrations of airborne radioactivity as part of the verification regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. If Treaty-relevant detections are made, inverse atmospheric transport modelling is one of the methods that can be used to determine the source of the radioactivity. In order to facilitate the testing of novel developments in inverse modelling, two sets of test cases are constructed using real-world Xe detections associated with routine releases from a medical isotope production facility.

The Effectiveness of Direct Supervision by an Attending Compared To a Senior Resident on Quality of Supervision of Novice Anesthesiology Residents: A Randomized Study.

Background: New trainees are directly supervised by either an attending physician or a senior resident under indirect supervision from an attending physician. The main objective was to evaluate which type of direct supervision (attending vs. senior resident) would result in better quality of supervision to novice residents during their first month of training.

Radionuclide measurements of the international monitoring system.

The International Monitoring System (IMS) is a unique global network of sensors, tuned to measure various phenomenology, with the common goal of detecting a nuclear explosion anywhere in the world. One component of this network collects measurements of radioactive particulates and gases (collectively known as radionuclides) present in the atmosphere; through this, compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) can be verified. The radionuclide sub-network consists of 120 sensors across 80 locations, supported by 16 measurement laboratories.

Facilitators, barriers, and key influencers of breastfeeding among low birthweight infants: a qualitative study in India, Malawi, and Tanzania.

Background: Low birthweight (LBW) infants are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Exclusive breastfeeding up to six months is recommended to help them thrive through infection prevention, growth improvements, and enhancements in neurodevelopment. However, limited data exist on the feeding experiences of LBW infants, their caregivers and key community influencers.

A genomic appraisal of invasive Salmonella Typhimurium and associated antibiotic resistance in sub-Saharan Africa.

Invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) disease manifesting as bloodstream infection with high mortality is responsible for a huge public health burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is the main cause of iNTS disease in Africa.

Dramatic Shift in the Etiology of Genital Ulcer Disease Among Patients Visiting a Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Background: Genital ulcer diseases (GUDs) are a common syndrome associated with sexually transmitted infections. Genital ulcer diseases increase the risk of HIV transmission, necessitating appropriate diagnosis and treatment. We provide an updated GUD etiology assessment in Malawi to guide diagnostic development and treatment algorithms.

Clinical and genomic diversity of A global, multi-center study of early syphilis to inform vaccine research.

Background: The continuing increase in syphilis rates worldwide necessitates development of a vaccine with global efficacy. We conducted a multi-center, observational study to explore subsp. ( ) molecular epidemiology essential for vaccine research by analyzing clinical data and specimens from early syphilis patients using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and publicly available WGS data.