Isolated Large Lateral Thoracic Meningocele.

Intrathoracic meningocele is a condition characterized by the protrusion of dura mater and cerebrospinal fluid within the thoracic cavity. This can be associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and other connective tissue disorders. Less commonly, it can occur in isolation.

Sodium alginate/carboxymethylcellulose gel formulations containing plant extract for wound healing.

Using appropriate wound dressings is crucial when treating burn wounds to promote accelerated healing. Sodium alginate (SA)-based gels containing Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and Pluronic F127 were prepared. The formulations.

Professional nurses' perspectives of an ideal performance management process.

Background: A well-managed performance management process can significantly influence professional nurses' job satisfaction and improve patient outcomes. Conversely, ineffective management of the process can lead to demotivation of the nursing staff.

Aim: This study aimed to understand professional nurses' perspectives on an ideal performance management process.

Paediatric cerebral palsy in South Africa: Prevention and care gaps at hospital level.

Background: Population-based data show high proportions of severe cases of cerebral palsy (CP) in resource-poor regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, where most children have potentially preventable risk factors (factors that may increase the likelihood of CP occurrence but can be mitigated through medical interventions).

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical profile of children living with CP accessing services at Tygerberg Hospital over a period of 10 years (2010-2020), identify the potential gaps in care (proportion of individuals in a country requiring but not receiving suboptimal or inadequate care), and comparison with a similar study at the same centre two decades ago.

Method: This 10-year retrospective study investigated causes and morbidities in children with CP, attending a central hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa.

-Loaded Sodium Alginate Single- and Double-Layer Membrane Composites for Wound Healing.

: Effective wound dressing is the key solution to combating the increased death rate and prolonged hospital stay common to patients with wounds. : Sodium alginate-based single- and double-layer membranes incorporated with root extract were designed using the solvent-casting method from a combination of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Pluronic F127 (PF127), and gum acacia. : The successful preparation of the membranes and loading of the extract were confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).

Implemented nutritional intervention algorithm in pediatric oncology compared to standard nutritional supportive care outcomes.

Aim: To implement a childhood cancer-specific nutritional algorithm adapted for the South African context for interventions at time-set intervals to evaluate differences in the nutritional status of newly diagnosed children with cancer.

Method: Children with newly diagnosed cancer were assessed for stunting, underweight, wasting, and moderate to severe malnutrition (MUAC < -2SD and < - 3 SD) between October 2018 and December 2020 in a longitudinal nutritional assessment study with monthly assessments. Two pediatric oncology units (POUs) served as the intervention group that implemented the nutritional algorithm-directed intervention and three other POUs formed the control group that implemented standard supportive nutritional care.

Characterization of susceptibility patterns and adaptability of the newly emerged Candida auris.

The emergence of Candida auris has caused a major concern in the public health worldwide. This novel fungus is characterized by its multidrug resistance profile, ability to thrive in harsh and stressful conditions, as well as high temperatures and salt concentrations, persistence on hospital surfaces, causing nosocomial infections and outbreaks, and unique fitness properties. Here, we study the antifungal susceptibility patterns, thermotolerance, and halotolerance of 15 putative C.

Sodium alginate-based nanofibers loaded with plant extract for wound healing.

Burn wounds are associated with infections, drug resistance, allergic reactions, odour, bleeding, excess exudates, and scars, requiring prolonged hospital stay. It is crucial to develop wound dressings that can effectively combat allergic reactions and drug resistance, inhibit infections, and absorb excess exudates to accelerate wound healing. To overcome the above-mentioned problems associated with burn wounds, SA/PVA/PLGA/ and SA/PVA/ nanofibers incorporated with plant extract were prepared using an electrospinning technique.

Effect of ball milling time on SrSmFeCoO perovskites and their application as semiconductor layers in dye-sensitized solar cells.

The practical utilization of TiO as a semiconductor in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has been set back by poor visible light absorption, high charge carrier recombination, and low electrical conductivity, which reduce the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and sustainability of the device. In this respect, perovskites with excellent properties, such as large surface area, good optical properties, high electrical conductivity, and superior electrochemical stability, have recently emerged as promising alternatives capable of overcoming the drawbacks of TiO. Herein, SrSmFeCoO (SSFC) perovskites were prepared via the ball milling method at various milling times of 0, 5, and 10 h, and the obtained samples were denoted by SSFC-0, SSCF-5, and SSCF-10, respectively.

Anti-HIV Activity and Immunomodulatory Properties of Fractionated Crude Extracts of .

Developing new anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drug candidates that target different sites in HIV-1 replication, with better resistance profiles and lower drug toxicity, is essential to eradicating HIV. This study investigated the potential of fractionated crude extracts of as immunomodulatory or anti-HIV drug candidates. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used to fractionate PO4PR2 using three different columns: MAX (Mixed-mode, strong Anion-eXchange), MCX (Mixed-mode, strong Cation-eXchange), and HLB (Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance) with methanol gradient methods (5%, 45%, and 95%).

Precious Metal Recovery from Wastewater Using Bio-Based Techniques.

The recovery of metals from waste material has been on the increase in the past few years due to a number of reasons such as supporting the diversification of metal supply resources. In addition, the alternative use of the waste material for metal recovery can add to the main production line, boosting production throughput and profitability thus, allowing companies to sustain their activities during times of low commodity prices. While there has been a lot of research and interest in the recovery of precious metals such as platinum group metals (PGMs), Au, and Ag from solid waste material, there has been limited focus on the recovery of these value metals from wastewater.

Health-Related Quality of Life of Adolescent and Young Adult-Aged Childhood Cancer Survivors in a South African Cohort: A Pilot Study Using the Minneapolis-Manchester Quality of Life Instrument.

We investigated the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of an adolescent and young adult (AYA)-aged South African childhood cancer survivor (CCS) cohort. Participants completed the Minneapolis-Manchester Quality of Life adolescent and adult forms. The overall Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.

Development of a leakage impact assessment for patients with a stoma, who may be impacted by leakage.

For people living with a stoma leakage is unpredictable. Despite advances in stoma products, leakage can lead to soiling and this, along with worrying about leakage, can significantly affect patients' everyday lives and impact their quality of life. It is also associated with excessive product use and increased healthcare resources.

Interventions to improve young men's utilisation of HIV-testing services in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: perspectives of young men and health care providers.

HIV-testing services (HTS) are an important point of entry to prevention and treatment of HIV in South Africa. Despite the availability of HTS across the region and in SA, the uptake among men remains low, especially young men residing in rural and peri-urban communities. This study aimed to explore interventions that could improve the uptake of HTS among young men in KwaZulu-Natal.

More Than a Decade of GeneXpert/Rifampicin (Ultra) Testing in South Africa: Laboratory Insights from Twenty-Three Million Tests.

This study seeks to describe the rollout and current state of South Africa's GeneXpert molecular diagnostic program for tuberculosis (TB). Xpert MTB/RIF was introduced in 2011 with a subsequent expansion to include extra-pulmonary and paediatric testing, followed by Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in 2017. Through a centralised laboratory information system and the use of a standardised platform for more than a decade, over 23 million tests were analysed, describing the numbers tested, complex detection, rifampin resistance, and the unsuccessful test rates.

Cellulose Acetate-Based Wound Dressings Loaded with Bioactive Agents: Potential Scaffolds for Wound Dressing and Skin Regeneration.

Wound healing and skin regeneration are major challenges in chronic wounds. Among the types of wound dressing products currently available in the market, each wound dressing material is designed for a specific wound type. Some of these products suffer from various shortcomings, such as poor antibacterial efficacy and mechanical performance, inability to provide a moist environment, poor permeability to oxygen and capability to induce cell migration and proliferation during the wound healing process.

Endophytic fungal species Nigrospora oryzae and Alternaria alternata exhibit antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative multi-drug resistant clinical bacterial isolates.

Background: The emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens and the lack of new antimicrobial drugs is a major public health concern that needs urgent and innovative solutions. Endophytic fungi living in unique niches such as in endosymbiosis with plants are increasingly drawing attention as alternative sources of novel and chemically diverse compounds with unique mechanisms of action.

Methods: In the present study, ten endophytic fungi isolated from the medicinal plant, Sclerocarya birrea were screened for bioactivity against a panel of indicator bacteria.

HIV Viral Load Testing in the South African Public Health Setting in the Context of Evolving ART Guidelines and Advances in Technology, 2013-2022.

HIV viral load (VL) testing plays a key role in the clinical management of HIV as a marker of adherence and antiretroviral efficacy. To date, national and international antiretroviral treatment recommendations have evolved to endorse routine VL testing. South Africa (SA) has recommended routine VL testing since 2004.

Evaluation of Potential Factors Influencing the Dissemination of Multidrug-Resistant and Alternative Treatment Strategies.

The increasing reports of multidrug-resistant have emerged as a public health concern, raising questions about the potential routes for the evolution and dissemination of the pathogenic into environmental reservoirs. Potential drivers of the increased incidence of antimicrobial-resistant environmental include the eminent global climatic variations as a direct or indirect effect of human activities. The ability of microorganisms to adapt and grow at an exponential rate facilitates the distribution of environmental strains with acquired resistant mutations into water systems, vegetation, and soil which are major intersection points with animals and humans.

Knowledge of HIV and/or AIDS and HIV testing services among young men in South Africa.

Background: The youth is at a heightened risk of immunodeficiency virus and/or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV and/or AIDS) infection because of risk-taking behaviour. There remains a gap in understanding young men's knowledge of HIV and/or AIDS and HIV testing services (HTS) in hard-to-reach communities in South Africa.

Aim: This article aimed to explore young men's knowledge of HIV and/or AIDS, including HTS in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

Developments in Exploring Fungal Secondary Metabolites as Antiviral Compounds and Advances in HIV-1 Inhibitor Screening Assays.

The emergence of drug-resistant Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 strains against anti-HIV therapies in the clinical pipeline, and the persistence of HIV in cellular reservoirs remains a significant concern. Therefore, there is a continuous need to discover and develop new, safer, and effective drugs targeting novel sites to combat HIV-1. The fungal species are gaining increasing attention as alternative sources of anti-HIV compounds or immunomodulators that can escape the current barriers to cure.