Attitudes, Beliefs, and Predictors of Gestational Weight Gain and Postpartum Weight Retention in South Africa: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

Suboptimal gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with pregnancy complications and postpartum weight retention (PPWR). Little data exists about GWG and PPWR attitudes and beliefs in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) to inform interventions. We examined GWG and PPWR attitudes, beliefs, and intentions among pregnant people, with and without HIV, in Cape Town, South Africa.

Does disability modify the association between poor mental health and violence victimisation over adolescence? Evidence from the CoVAC cohort study in Uganda.

We aimed to estimate the impact of poor mental health in early adolescence on subsequent poor mental health, depression, and violence victimisation in late adolescence and to determine whether young people living with disabilities experienced a stronger relationship between mental health and these outcomes. Data from two waves of a longitudinal cohort study of 2773 Ugandan adolescents were used to assess the impact of mental health difficulties in early adolescence (aged 11-14) on presence of subsequent mental health difficulties, depression and past year violence victimisation in later adolescence (aged 15-18). We used g-computation to examine how these outcomes changed dependent on levels of poor mental health in early adolescence and explored functional difficulties as an effect modifier.

Routine Electronic Mother-Infant Data (REMInD): a proof-of-concept Data to Care study to support retention in maternal HIV treatment and infant HIV testing in Cape Town, South Africa.

Data to Care (D2C) strategies - using routine data to facilitate identification and linkage back to care of people living with HIV who are not in care - have shown promise in high-income settings but received little attention in lower resourced or vertical HIV transmission prevention (VTP) contexts. In this proof-of-concept study, we monitored existing linked electronic medical records in near real-time to identify key gaps in postpartum VTP steps among 336 mothers living with HIV and their infants in Cape Town, South Africa (recruited March 2021 - April 2022). We attempted to confirm observed gaps through source data systems and telephonic tracing, and facilitated re-engagement in care where needed.

Health System Factors Influencing the Integration of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis into Antenatal and Postnatal Clinic Services in Cape Town, South Africa.

Introduction: Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective and safe option to prevent HIV acquisition and vertical HIV transmission in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Understanding health system factors influencing the integration of PrEP into care for pregnant and breastfeeding women is key to increasing access. We explored managers' and health care workers' (HCWs) experiences with integrating PrEP into antenatal care and postnatal care services in primary health care clinics in Cape Town, South Africa.

Enhancing childhood immunization coverage in Mozambique and Malawi: Study protocol of a mixed methods evaluation of the 'Let's talk about vaccines' multisite community-based participatory project.

Background: Full coverage of childhood vaccines is a persistent challenge in low- and middle-income countries, suggesting the presence of specific contextual barriers. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic further worsened the situation. The complementary use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and human-centered design (HCD) approaches has the potential to effectively create tailored interventions for improving public health outcomes.

Exploring the effects of mental health on bonding and caregiving among pregnant and postpartum persons with likely depression and/or PTSD in South Africa: A qualitative analysis.

Perinatal mental health disorders place a particularly high public health burden on South Africa (SA) via negative health outcomes for the birthing parent and adverse health outcomes for infants (e.g., low birth weight, preterm deliveries, malnourishment) as well as emotional and behavioral problems in children.

Segregative phase separation of strong polyelectrolyte complexes at high salt and high polymer concentrations.

The phase behavior of polyelectrolyte complexes and coacervates (PECs) at low salt concentrations has been well characterized, but their behavior at concentrations well above the binodal is not well understood. Here, we investigate the phase behavior of stoichiometric poly(styrene sulfonate)/poly(diallyldimethylammonium) mixtures at high salt and high polymer concentrations. Samples were prepared by direct mixing of PSS/PDADMA PECs, water, and salt (KBr).

Inc Ct226 is vital for FLI1 and LRRF1 recruitment to the chlamydial inclusion.

The obligate intracellular pathogen, , establishes an intracellular niche within a host membrane-derived vacuole called the chlamydial inclusion. From within this inclusion, orchestrates numerous host-pathogen interactions, in part, by utilizing a family of type III secreted effectors, termed inclusion membrane proteins (Incs). Incs are embedded within the inclusion membrane, and some function to recruit host proteins to the inclusion.

The HIV prevention decision-making cascade: Integrating behavioural insights into HIV prevention efforts.

The syndemic of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and early pregnancy remain a key challenge to global public health. Decision-making around sexual and reproductive health (SRH) behaviours is critical to ensuring the uptake of biomedical technologies. Drawing from behavioural science theories, we propose a novel conceptual framework-the Decision Cascade-to describe the decision-making process that a user will go through as they navigate these decisions.

"I Have to Stand Up on My Own and Do the Best I Can for My Kids": Work (Re-)entry Among New Mothers Living with HIV in Cape Town, South Africa.

In recent years, significant progress has been made in treatment access for women living with HIV (WLHIV). For example, option B+, which requires that all pregnant persons who test positive for HIV start on antiretroviral treatment, has been instrumental in reducing the risk of vertical transmission. For birthing individuals who have a low HIV viral load, there is a minimized risk of vertical transmission during breastfeeding.

Investigating the etiology of ocular changes in Monodactylus argenteus housed in a shoaling ring exhibit.

Objective: To evaluate the pathologic ocular changes in a population of aquarium-housed Monodactylus argenteus and investigate potential underlying causes for the large number of affected fish in this exhibit.

Animals: 11 Monodactylus argenteus were evaluated from a shoaling ring exhibit within an aquarium, and 19 control fish without ocular abnormalities were obtained from commercial fish suppliers.

Methods: Physical and ocular examinations were performed antemortem.

Including the Household: Individual, Community and Household Factors Affecting Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence After ART Initiation in Cape Town, South Africa.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence is crucial for health outcomes of people living with HIV (PLHIV), influenced by a complex interplay of individual, community, and household factors. This article focuses on the influence of household factors, as well as individual and community factors, on ART adherence among PLHIV in Cape Town who have recently initiated ART. Baseline data for a cluster-randomized controlled trial were collected from 316 PLHIV in 12 districts in Cape Town between 6th May 2021 and 22nd May 2022.

Sedaconda ACD-S for Sedation with Volatile Anaesthetics in Intensive Care: A NICE Medical Technologies Guidance.

Intensive care unit (ICU) patients receive highly complex care and often require sedation as part of their management. ICU sedation has traditionally been delivered using intravenous (IV) agents due to the impractical use of anaesthetic machines in this setting, which are used to deliver volatile sedation. Sedaconda anaesthetic conserving device (ACD)-S (previously known as AnaConDa-S) is a device which allows for the delivery of volatile sedation via the majority of mechanical ventilators by being inserted in the breathing circuit where the heat and moisture exchanger is normally placed.

Structure-Based Design and Synthesis of Covalent Inhibitors for Deubiquitinase and Acetyltransferase ChlaDUB1 of .

Upon infection by an intracellular pathogen, host cells activate apoptotic pathways to limit pathogen replication. Consequently, efficient proliferation of the obligate intracellular pathogen , a major cause of trachoma and sexually transmitted diseases, depends on the suppression of host cell apoptosis. secretes deubiquitinase ChlaDUB1 into the host cell, leading among other interactions to the stabilization of antiapoptotic proteins and, thus, suppression of host cell apoptosis.

Violence outcomes in later adolescence with the Good School Toolkit-Primary: a nonrandomized controlled trial in Uganda.

Background: We sought to determine whether the Good School Toolkit-Primary violence prevention intervention was associated with reduced victimisation and perpetration of peer and intimate partner violence four years later, and if any associations were moderated by sex and early adolescent: family connectedness, socio-economic status, and experience of violence outside of school.

Methods: Drawing on schools involved in a randomised controlled trial of the intervention, we used a quasi-experimental design to compare violence outcomes between those who received the intervention during our trial (n = 1388), and those who did not receive the intervention during or after the trial (n = 522). Data were collected in 2014 (mean age 13.

When Vaping Isn't Actually Safer: A Death From Toxic Alcohol Contaminated Vape Juice.

Vape juice is a diluent for e-cigarette active ingredients, nicotine or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Lack of strict regulation in vape juice production is a concern as ingredients and their concentrations may vary widely from the labeling.A 43-year-old woman was transported via ambulance to the hospital after ingesting homemade vape juice, presenting unresponsive with decerebrate posturing.

Experiences of transfer of care among postpartum women living with HIV attending primary healthcare services in South Africa.

Transfers between health facilities for postpartum women living with HIV are associated with disengagement from care. In South Africa, women must transfer from integrated antenatal/HIV care to general HIV services post-delivery. Thereafter, women transfer frequently e.

Longitudinal Trajectories of Antiretroviral Treatment Adherence and Associations With Durable Viral Suppression Among Adolescents Living With HIV in South Africa.

Background: Compared with other age groups, adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) are estimated to have lower levels of adherence to antiretroviral treatment. Despite this, we lack evidence on adolescents' adherence patterns over time to inform the customization of intervention strategies.

Setting: Eastern Cape province, South Africa.