Characterization of Vibrio cholerae from the Jukskei River in Johannesburg South Africa.

The current study aimed to isolate and characterize Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) isolated from the Jukskei River, one of the largest Rivers in Johannesburg, South Africa. Water samples collected from the Jukskei River were subjected to culture-based methods for the detection and isolation of V.

Involvement of microRNA-146a-5p, but not -155-5p and -29b-5p, in left ventricular remodeling and dysfunction in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The contribution of microRNAs remain poorly understood in the context of hypertensive cardiac pathology. The role of miR-146a-5p, miR-155-5p, and miR-29b-5p in cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction was investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Seven-month-old SHR (n=7 male, n=9 female), and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY; n=7 male, n=9 female) underwent echocardiography.

Population shift in antibody immunity following the emergence of a SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) exhibit escape from pre-existing immunity and elicit variant-specific immune responses. In South Africa, the second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections was driven by the Beta VOC, which coincided with the country-wide National COVID-19 Antibody Survey (NCAS). The NCAS was conducted between November 2020 and February 2021 to understand the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection through seroprevalence.

Exploring the relationship between established HIV risk factors and depressive symptoms amongst young women without HIV in two sites in South Africa.

Purpose: Adolescent girls are at high risk for depression and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition. Poor mental health can increase vulnerability to risky sexual behaviours. Therefore, this study aims to determine the prevalence of depressive symptomology and explore the convergence of HIV risk factors with depressive symptoms amongst cis-gender adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in rural KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and peri-urban Western Cape (WC) communities in South Africa.

Unearthing the determinants of digital innovation adoption in the agricultural sector: The role of food security awareness and agricultural experience.

Extant research has widely acknowledged the role of digital innovation as a facilitator of digital transformation, presenting solutions for various challenges in various industries. However, prior research demonstrates inadequate discussions on the determinants of digital innovation adoption for digital transformation in developing countries, particularly in the agricultural sector. To address this gap, this study investigates the effect of food security awareness, innovation characteristics, and the moderating role of agricultural experience on behavioral intention to adopt digital innovation in the agricultural sector.

Breaking down global barriers: A multinational and multi-community approach to combat stigma and enhance mental wellbeing in people with HIV.

Introduction: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Global 2025 targets prioritize action to overcome the collective barriers affecting the people and communities sitting on the outer margins of HIV care. Addressing the social and structural disparities that drive greater HIV prevalence and burden requires well-resourced, community-led responses that are fully integrated into national and global HIV initiatives.

Methods: The HIV Community Council (HCC), composed of 10 leaders from diverse global communities, convened to share their insights, amplify the community's voice, and identify barriers and solutions to empower all to live well with HIV through a dynamic, stepwise process of preparative work, deep discussion, prioritization, and consensus.

Resistance mutations that distinguish HIV-1 envelopes with discordant VRC01 phenotypes from multi-lineage infections in the HVTN703/HPTN081 trial: implications for cross-resistance.

The Antibody Mediated Prevention (AMP) trials showed that passively infused VRC01, a broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) targeting the CD4 binding site (CD4bs) on the HIV-1 envelope protein (Env), protected against neutralization-sensitive viruses. We identified six individuals from the VRC01 treatment arm with multi-lineage breakthrough HIV-1 infections from HVTN703, where one variant was sensitive to VRC01 (IC < 25 ug/mL) but another was resistant. By comparing Env sequences of resistant and sensitive clones from each participant, we identified sites predicted to affect VRC01 neutralization and assessed the effect of their reversion in the VRC01-resistant clone on neutralization sensitivity.

Mapping the HPV Landscape in South African Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Viral Genotypes, Microbiota, and Immune Signals.

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluate human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence, genotype distribution, and associations with cervicovaginal microbiota and cytokine profiles among South African women, where cervical cancer ranks as the second most common cancer. PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science were searched for studies on HPV infection up to 21 September 2024. The pooled prevalence was estimated using a random-effects model, with subgroup analyses by province, sample type, and HIV status.

Water use efficiency (WUE) and nutrient concentration of selected fodder radish (Raphanus sativus L.) genotypes for sustainable diets.

Changing climates threaten crop growth and fodder yields in dryland farming. This study assessed two radish genotypes (LINE 2, ENDURANCE) under three water regimes (W1 = well-watered, W2 = moderate stress, W3 = severe stress) and two leaf harvesting options over two seasons (2021/22 and 2022/23). Key findings revealed that water regime significantly (P < 0.

Disparities in quality of life by race, gender, and sexual orientation: An intersectional analysis of population-representative data in Gauteng, South Africa.

Background: South Africa's history of apartheid has led to persistent inequalities. While progress has been made since 1994, disparities in quality of life (QoL) remain, particularly along racial lines. This study examines how race, gender, and sexual orientation intersect to influence QoL in Gauteng - South Africa's most populous and economically vibrant province.

Decreased blood pressure with acute administration of quercetin in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats.

Quercetin is known to reduce blood pressure (BP); however, its acute effects are unclear. We investigated the acute effects of quercetin on BP, aortic mechanical properties and vascular reactivity in female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Hypertension was induced using L-NAME (40 mg/kg/day).

Optimization of Setpoint Conditions for Enhanced Biofabrication of Silver Nanoparticles Using Extracts.

This study investigated the optimization of setpoint conditions used for the enhanced biofabrication of silver nanoparticles (H.C-AgNPs) using extracts. A Box-Behnken Design (BBD) model was used to evaluate the effects of reaction time, temperature, an extraction volume, and a 0.

Natural History of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus in Kenyan and South African Women: Implications for Vaccination Campaigns and Cervical Cancer Screening Programs.

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines and DNA testing roll out in resource-constrained settings. We evaluated the natural history of HPV infections in African women to contribute to normative guidance.

Methods: Women aged 16 to 35 years were enrolled from 3 sites in South Africa and Kenya and followed quarterly for 18 months.

Clinical and audiological characteristics in adults with tinnitus in South Africa.

Background:  In South Africa, the prevalence of tinnitus and its associated clinical and audiological characteristics remain underexplored, posing challenges in the assessment and management of the condition. This knowledge gap affects clinician preparedness and effectiveness in treating tinnitus.

Objectives:  This study aimed to explore the clinical and audiological characteristics of adult patients reporting tinnitus at a tertiary academic hospital in South Africa.

Nurses' knowledge to identify, prevent and manage hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are major contributors to maternal mortality in South Africa. Preventative strategies in low- and middle-income countries emphasise frequent antenatal visits, symptom identification, patient education and the prophylactic use of calcium and low-dose aspirin to prevent HDP for nurses because they are the frontline workers at antenatal clinics countrywide.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study where a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among nurses (midwives and professional nurses) employed at hospitals and clinics in Durban, South Africa, to assess their understanding and practices regarding identification and initial management of HDP, particularly for eclampsia and PE with severe features.

The COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery: The mediating role of governance, a global perspective.

The COVID-19 pandemic, arguably the most extensive economic shock after the Great Depression, has drawn attention from policy custodians over the past three years. Governments' response brought to the limelight the role that governance plays in mitigating the economic shrinking effects of a pandemic. This study investigated the mediating role of governance in the post-pandemic recovery process using structural equation modelling of cross-sectional data from 125 countries for the years 2020 and 2021.

Safety and implementation of a phase 1 randomized GLA-SE-adjuvanted CH505TF gp120 HIV vaccine trial in newborns.

Background: The neonatal immune system is uniquely poised to generate broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) and thus infants are ideal for evaluating HIV vaccine candidates. We present the design and safety of a novel glucopyranosyl lipid A (GLA)-stable emulsion (SE) adjuvant admixed with a first-in-infant CH505 transmitter-founder (CH505TF) gp120 immunogen designed to induce precursors for bnAbs against HIV.

Methods: HVTN 135 is a phase I randomized, placebo-controlled trial of CH505TF+GLA-SE or placebo.

Involvement of pentraxin-3 in the development of hypertension but not left ventricular hypertrophy in male spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Hypertension drives the development of concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). However, the relative contribution of pentraxin-3 (PTX-3), a novel marker for inflammatory cardiovascular disease, in the hypertrophic response to pressure overload has not been adequately elucidated. We investigated the role of PTX-3 in the development of LVH in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), untreated and treated with either captopril (an ACE inhibitor) or hydralazine (a non-specific vasodilator).

Patient Safety Incident Reporting and Learning Guidelines Implemented by Health Care Professionals in Specialized Care Units: Scoping Review.

Background: Implementing Patient Safety Incident Reporting and Learning (PSIRL) guidelines is critical in guiding clinical practice and improving clinical outcomes in specialized care units (SCUs). There is limited research on the evidence of the implemented PSIRL guidelines in SCUs at the global level.

Objective: This review aims to map the evidence of PSIRL guidelines implemented by health care professionals in specialized care units globally.

Safety and immunogenicity after a 30-month boost of a subtype C ALVAC-HIV (vCP2438) vaccine prime plus bivalent subtype C gp120/MF59 vaccine boost (HVTN 100): A phase 1-2 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Induction of broad, durable immune responses is a challenge in HIV vaccine development. HVTN 100 Part A administered subtype C-containing ALVAC-HIV at months 0 and 1, and ALVAC-HIV with bivalent subtype C gp120/MF59 at months 3, 6 and 12. As IgG binding antibody and T-cell responses were similar or greater at month 12.

Increasing densities of Leucosidea sericea have minimal effects on grazing capacity and soil characteristics of a high-altitude communal rangeland at Vuvu, South Africa.

Increasing densities of woody plants, known as woody plant encroachment, is a phenomenon affecting savannas and grasslands in many parts of the world. Yet, these ecosystems sustain a significant proportion of the human population through the provision of ecosystem services, such as forage for livestock and wildlife production. While low to medium altitude rangelands are encroached by many species of woody plants, high altitude rangelands in southern Africa show increasing densities of Leucosidea sericea, a woody shrub or small to medium-sized tree.