Carrion in Bomas: Multiple Observations of Cheetah () Scavenging Events and Potential Causes in Managed Populations.

Facultative scavenging can be observed across a large range of carnivorous mammals but is an uncommon behavioural trait in cheetahs (). Very few incidents of cheetahs scavenging have been reported, with no explanation given as to why it may occur. In this paper, we provide three more observations of cheetahs scavenging between 2019 and 2023 in three different protected areas in South Africa and Malawi.

Transverse versus Vertical Incision in the Surgical Management of Placenta Accreta Spectrum.

Objectives:  Traditionally, midline vertical skin incisions have been utilized during surgery for placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), as it is considered to maximize exposure and allow for a uterine incision to avoid the placenta. However, literature directly comparing outcomes of vertical versus transverse incisions in PAS is sparse. Our objective was to compare maternal outcomes between patients who underwent a vertical versus a transverse skin incision for PAS.

Proteinuria and albuminuria among a global primary cardiovascular disease prevention cohort of people with HIV.

Objectives: To determine baseline prevalence of proteinuria and albuminuria among participants from the Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE) and evaluate associated risk factors.

Design: Cross sectional analysis of a baseline sample of participants from the REPRIEVE Trial.

Methods: REPRIEVE is an international primary cardiovascular prevention randomized controlled trial (RCT) of pitavastatin calcium vs.

Comparison of Two High-Dose Versus Two Standard-Dose Influenza Vaccines in Adult Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients.

Background: Adult hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients are at high risk for influenza-related morbidity and mortality and have suboptimal influenza vaccine immune responses compared to healthy adults, particularly within 2 years of transplant.

Methods: This phase II, double-blind, multicenter randomized controlled trial compared 2 doses of high-dose trivalent (HD-TIV) to 2 doses of standard-dose quadrivalent (SD-QIV) influenza vaccine administered 1 month apart in adults 3-23 months post-allogeneic HCT. Hemagglutinin antibody inhibition (HAI) titers were measured at baseline, 4 weeks following each vaccine dose, and approximately 7 months post-second vaccination.

Pitavastatin is Well-Tolerated with no Detrimental Effects on Physical Function.

Background: Little is known about the potential benefits or harms of statins on physical function among people with HIV (PWH).

Methods: REPRIEVE was a double-blind randomized controlled trial evaluating pitavastatin for primary prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in PWH. Time to complete ten chair rises, 4-meter gait speed, grip strength, and a modified short physical performance test were assessed annually for up to 5 years in the ancillary study PREPARE and analyzed using linear mixed models.

Coronary Plaque in People With HIV vs Non-HIV Asymptomatic Community and Symptomatic Higher-Risk Populations.

Background: People with HIV (PWH) have a high burden of coronary plaques; however, the comparison to people without known HIV (PwoH) needs clarification.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine coronary plaque burden/phenotype in PWH vs PwoH.

Methods: Nonstatin using participants from 3 contemporary populations without known coronary plaques with coronary CT were compared: the REPRIEVE (Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV) studying PWH without cardiovascular symptoms at low-to-moderate risk (n = 755); the SCAPIS (Swedish Cardiopulmonary Bioimage Study) of asymptomatic community PwoH at low-to-intermediate cardiovascular risk (n = 23,558); and the PROMISE (Prospective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Pain) of stable chest pain PwoH (n = 2,291).

Risk factors for progression from prediabetes to diabetes among older people with HIV.

Objective: Risk factors for progression from prediabetes mellitus (pre-DM) to diabetes mellitus (DM) among people with HIV (PWH) receiving modern antiretroviral therapy (ART) require better characterization.

Design: AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) A5322 (HAILO) was an observational cohort study of PWH ≥40 years old. Participants initiated ART through ACTG randomized clinical trials.

Association of Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitor-Based Antiretroviral Therapy With Blood Pressure and Sustained Hypertension in People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Background: Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are a commonly used antiretroviral therapy (ART) class in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and associated with weight gain. We studied the association of INSTI-based ART with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP).

Methods: We recruited 50 people taking INSTI-based ART and 40 people taking non-INSTI-based ART with HIV and hypertension from the University of Alabama at Birmingham HIV clinic.

Safety and immunogenicity of a polyvalent DNA-protein HIV vaccine with matched Env immunogens delivered as a prime-boost regimen or coadministered in HIV-uninfected adults in the USA (HVTN 124): a phase 1, placebo-controlled, double-blind randomised controlled trial.

Background: An effective HIV vaccine will most likely need to have potent immunogenicity and broad cross-subtype coverage. The aim of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) 124 was to evaluate safety and immunogenicity of a unique polyvalent DNA-protein HIV vaccine with matching envelope (Env) immunogens.

Methods: HVTN 124 was a randomised, phase 1, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, including participants who were HIV seronegative and aged 18-50 years at low risk for infection.

Safety and Immune Responses Following Anti-PD-1 Monoclonal Antibody Infusions in Healthy Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus on Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background: T cells in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) demonstrate an exhausted phenotype, and HIV-specific CD4 T cells expressing programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) are enriched for latent HIV, making antibody to PD-1 a potential strategy to target the latent reservoir.

Methods: This was a phase 1/2, randomized (4:1), double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adults with suppressed HIV on antiretroviral therapy with CD4 counts ≥350 cells/μL who received 2 infusions of cemiplimab versus placebo. The primary outcome was safety, defined as any grade 3 or higher adverse event (AE) or any immune-related AE (irAE).

Effects of Pitavastatin on Coronary Artery Disease and Inflammatory Biomarkers in HIV: Mechanistic Substudy of the REPRIEVE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increased in people with HIV (PWH) and is characterized by premature noncalcified coronary plaque. In the Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE), pitavastatin reduced major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 35% over a median of 5.1 years.

Cytomegalovirus IgG is Associated With Physical Function But Not Muscle Density in People With HIV.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) seropositivity is associated with poor outcomes, including physical function impairment, in people without HIV. We examined associations between CMV IgG titer and physical function in virologically suppressed people with HIV (PWH).

Methods: REPRIEVE is a double-blind randomized trial evaluating pitavastatin for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in PWH.

The role of the hospital bed in hospital-onset : A retrospective study with mediation analysis.

Objective: To determine whether residing in a hospital bed that previously held an occupant with increases the risk of hospital-onset infection (HO-CDI).

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we used a real-time location system to track the movement of hospital beds in 2 academic hospitals from April 2018 to August 2019. We abstracted patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results from the medical record.

A COVID-19 monitoring process for healthcare workers utilizing occupational health.

Background: Hospital-based occupational health (HBOH) is uniquely positioned to not only prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission, but to care for healthcare workers (HCWs) sick with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Aims: The primary objective of this study is to describe a system where HBOH services were adapted to provide a monitoring programme whereby HCWs with SARS-CoV-2 received daily evaluations and treatment options in order to improve access to care, and to report the clinical outcomes and predictors of hospitalization in HCWs enrolled in the programme. A secondary objective is to compare clinical outcomes to data on national HCWs with COVID-19.

Outcomes associated with peripartum hysterectomy in the setting of placenta accreta spectrum disorder.

Background: Although peripartum hysterectomy for placenta accreta spectrum disorder is known to be associated with complications at the time of delivery, there are limited data on postpartum outcomes and readmission risk in this population.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze risks for adverse outcomes and postpartum readmissions in the setting of peripartum hysterectomy for placenta accreta spectrum disorder by severity of placenta accreta spectrum disorder subcategory.

Study Design: Using the 2016-2020 Nationwide Readmissions Database, this retrospective cohort study identified peripartum hysterectomies with a diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum disorder.

Intrauterine devices in the management of postpartum hemorrhage.

Obstetrical hemorrhage is a relatively frequent obstetrical complication and a common cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The majority of maternal deaths attributable to hemorrhage are preventable, thus, developing rapid and effective means of treating postpartum hemorrhage is of critical public health importance. Intrauterine devices are one option for managing refractory hemorrhage, with rapid expansion of available devices in recent years.

Pitavastatin to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease in HIV Infection.

Background: The risk of cardiovascular disease is increased among persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, so data regarding primary prevention strategies in this population are needed.

Methods: In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned 7769 participants with HIV infection with a low-to-moderate risk of cardiovascular disease who were receiving antiretroviral therapy to receive daily pitavastatin calcium (at a dose of 4 mg) or placebo. The primary outcome was the occurrence of a major adverse cardiovascular event, which was defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, hospitalization for unstable angina, stroke, transient ischemic attack, peripheral arterial ischemia, revascularization, or death from an undetermined cause.

Associations of Muscle Density and Area With Coronary Artery Plaque and Physical Function.

Objective: Skeletal muscle quality and mass are important for maintaining physical function during advancing age. We leveraged baseline data from Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE) to evaluate whether paraspinal muscle density and muscle area are associated with cardiac or physical function outcomes in people with HIV (PWH).

Methods: REPRIEVE is a double-blind randomized trial evaluating the effect of pitavastatin for primary prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events in PWH.

Sex differences in incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events among women and men with HIV.

Background: The protective advantage against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) experienced by women compared to men in the general population is diminished in some high- risk populations. People with HIV have a higher risk for ASCVD compared to the general population.

Objective: Compare the incidence of ASCVD among women versus men with HIV.

Association Between Metformin Use and Cognitive and Physical Function in Persons with HIV and Diabetes.

Older persons with HIV (PWH) experience high rates of cognitive impairment and frailty, and accelerated decline in physical function compared with the general population. Metformin use has been associated with beneficial effects on cognitive and physical function among older adults without HIV. The relationship between metformin use on these outcomes in PWH has not been evaluated.

Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Individuals With Versus Without HIV.

Background: A high proportion of individuals with HIV have hypertension, and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is high in individuals with HIV.

Methods: We determined if the association between hypertension and CVD, including acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, and heart failure, differs between individuals with and without HIV. We analyzed data for 108 980 adults with HIV matched (1:4) to 435 920 adults without HIV in 2011 to 2019 from the Marketscan database, which includes US adults with health insurance.