Individual and community-level factors associated with lifetime number of sexual partners among women aged 15-49 in Eswatini.

Introduction: Understanding the risk factors for behavioral patterns in sexual relationships play a significant role in the reduction of the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.

Objective: To investigate individual and community level factors on the lifetime number of sexual partners of women in Eswatini.

Material And Methods: The study was a secondary cross-sectional analysis of the 2014 Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).

A multilevel analysis of individual, household and community level factors on stunting among children aged 6-59 months in Eswatini: A secondary analysis of the Eswatini 2010 and 2014 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys.

Introduction: Child stunting is a significant public health problem in Eswatini. It is associated with a range of child health outcomes, including morbidity, physical and cognitive growth.

Objective: To determine the individual, household, and community-level factors associated with child stunting in Eswatini in 2010 and 2014.

Impact of climate change on primary agriculture, water sources and food security in Western Cape, South Africa.

Climate change is undoubtedly one of the biggest crises that humanity is facing today. There is a robust scientific consensus that human-induced climate change is occurring not only in the Western Cape but around the world. The objective of this research was to assess the impact of climate change on primary agriculture and food security.

The adaptive capacity of smallholder mixed-farming systems to the impact of climate change: The case of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

Climate change poses a serious threat to efforts by developing countries to ensure food security and poverty reduction. The National Development goals of South Africa envisage the agricultural sector as a key driver for job creation and economic growth. This article seeks to investigate the adaptive capacity of the Ncunjane farming community in Msinga, KwaZulu-Natal in response to drought spells of 2010 and 2014.

Enrichment of maize and triticale bran with recombinant ferulic acid esterase.

Ferulic acid is a natural antioxidant found in various plants and serves as a precursor for various fine chemicals, including the flavouring agent vanillin. However, expensive extraction methods have limited the commercial application of ferulic acid, in particular for the enrichment of food substrates. A recombinant ferulic acid esterase Type A (FAEA) was expressed in D15#26 and purified with anion-exchange chromatography (3487 U/mg,  = 0.

Tuberculosis active case finding: uptake and diagnostic yield among minibus drivers in urban South Africa.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) active case finding is a part of TB control in areas of higher TB prevalence. Congested public transportation settings may be areas of increased TB transmission. We evaluated the uptake and diagnostic yield of an active TB screening program among minibus drivers in a large public transportation facility in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The frequency of cerebral ischemia/hypoxia in pediatric severe traumatic brain injury.

Introduction: The frequency of adverse events, such as cerebral ischemia, following traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often debated. Point-in-time monitoring modalities provide important information, but have limited temporal resolution.

Purpose: This study examines the frequency of an adverse event as a point prevalence at 24 and 72 h post-injury, compared with the cumulative burden measured as a frequency of the event over the full duration of monitoring.

The relationship between intracranial pressure and brain oxygenation in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

Background: Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is a cornerstone of care for severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Management of ICP can help ensure adequate cerebral blood flow and oxygenation. However, studies indicate that brain hypoxia may occur despite normal ICP and the relationship between ICP and brain oxygenation is poorly defined.

The effect of increased inspired fraction of oxygen on brain tissue oxygen tension in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

Background: This study examines the effect of an increase in the inspired fraction of oxygen (FiO2) on brain tissue oxygen (PbO2) in children with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods: A prospective observational study of patients who underwent PbO2 monitoring and an oxygen challenge test (temporary increase of FiO2 for 15 min) was undertaken. Pre- and post-test values for arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), PbO2, and arterial oxygen content (CaO2) were examined while controlling for any changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension and cerebral perfusion pressure during the test.

Childhood tuberculosis infection and disease: a spatial and temporal transmission analysis in a South African township.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in South Africa. While adult TB results from both recent and past infection, childhood TB results from recent infection and reflects ongoing transmission despite current TB control strategies.

Setting: A South African community with high rates of TB and HIV disease.

Pressure autoregulation, intracranial pressure, and brain tissue oxygenation in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

Object: Cerebral pressure autoregulation is an important neuroprotective mechanism that stabilizes cerebral blood flow when blood pressure (BP) changes. In this study the authors examined the association between autoregulation and clinical factors, BP, intracranial pressure (ICP), brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO(2)), and outcome after pediatric severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). In particular we examined how the status of autoregulation influenced the effect of BP changes on ICP and PbtO(2).

The effect of blood transfusion on brain oxygenation in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

Objective: The indications for blood transfusion in traumatic brain injury are controversial. In particular, little is known about the effect of blood transfusion in childhood traumatic brain injury. This study aimed to examine the influence of blood transfusion on brain tissue oxygen tension in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

Transcranial Doppler pulsatility index is not a reliable indicator of intracranial pressure in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

Background: The TCD-derived PI has been associated with ICP in adult studies but has not been well investigated in children. We examined the relationship between PI and ICP and CPP in children with severe TBI.

Methods: Data were prospectively collected from consecutive TCD studies in children with severe TBI undergoing ICP monitoring.

Genital human papillomavirus prevalence and human papillomavirus concordance in heterosexual couples are positively associated with human immunodeficiency virus coinfection.

This study examined the concordance of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in 254 heterosexually active couples and the impact of HIV coinfection. Genital HPV detection was significantly more common among HIV-infected women than among HIV-seronegative women (99 [68%] of 145 women vs. 33 [31%] of 107 women; P < .

Brain tissue oxygen tension monitoring in pediatric severe traumatic brain injury. Part 2: Relationship with clinical, physiological, and treatment factors.

Introduction: Brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO(2)) monitoring is used increasingly in adult severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) management. Several factors are known to influence PbtO(2) in adults, but the variables that affect PbtO(2) in pediatric TBI are not well described. This study examines the relationships between PbtO(2) and (1) physiological markers of potential secondary insults commonly used in pediatric TBI, in particular intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), and systemic hypoxia, and (2) other clinical factors and treatment received that may influence PbtO(2).

Brain tissue oxygen tension monitoring in pediatric severe traumatic brain injury. Part 1: Relationship with outcome.

Introduction: Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) management are the current standards to guide care of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, brain hypoxia and secondary brain injury can occur despite optimal ICP and CPP. In this study, we used brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO(2)) monitoring to examine the association between multiple patient factors, including PbtO(2), and outcome in pediatric severe TBI.

Acute clinical grading in pediatric severe traumatic brain injury and its association with subsequent intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure, and brain oxygenation.

Object: The goal of this paper was to examine the relationship between methods of acute clinical assessment and measures of secondary cerebral insults in severe traumatic brain injury in children.

Methods: Patients who underwent intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), and brain oxygenation (PbtO(2)) monitoring and who had an initial Glasgow Coma Scale score, Pediatric Trauma Score, Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 score, and CT classification were evaluated. The relationship between these acute clinical scores and secondary cerebral insult measures, including ICP, CPP, PbtO(2), and systemic hypoxia were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analysis.

Loss to follow-up and mortality among pregnant women referred to a community clinic for antiretroviral treatment.

In a retrospective cohort analysis, loss to follow-up and mortality rates were compared between pregnant and nonpregnant women referred to a community-based antiretroviral treatment program in South Africa. Although there was no significant difference in adjusted mortality rates between the two groups, the pregnant women had a substantially higher risk of loss to follow-up both pretreatment and on-treatment. This finding highlights the need for programmatic interventions to address retention in care for this patient population.

Analysing capture--recapture data when some variables of heterogeneous catchability are not collected or asked in all registrations.

Registrations in epidemiological studies suffer from incompleteness, thus a general consensus is to use capture-recapture models. Lately, there has been a thrust to incorporate covariates which relate to the capture probabilities in order to improve the estimate of population size. Current approaches utilize covariates observed in all the pertinent registrations.

The multiple-record systems estimator when registrations refer to different but overlapping populations.

In multiple-record systems estimation it is usually assumed that all registration relate to the same population. In this paper, we develop a method which can be used when the registrations relate to different populations, in the sense that they cover, for example, different time periods or regions. We show that under certain conditions ignoring that the registrations relate to different populations results in correct estimates of population size.

The tyrosinase-positive oculocutaneous albinism locus maps to chromosome 15q11.2-q12.

Tyrosinase-positive oculocutaneous albinism (ty-pos OCA), an autosomal recessive disorder of the melanin biosynthetic pathway, is the most common type of albinism occurring worldwide. In southern African Bantu-speaking negroids it has an overall prevalence of about 1/3,900. Since the basic biochemical defect is unknown, a linkage study with candidate loci, candidate chromosomal regions, and random loci was undertaken.

In quest of the tyrosinase-positive oculocutaneous albinism gene.

The gene which causes tyrosinase-positive oculocutaneous albinism (ty-pos OCA) is not known. Forty-seven Bantu-speaking Negroid families with ty-pos OCA were studied in an attempt to find linkage to the gene. Fifteen 'classical' and seven DNA polymorphisms were used in the search for linkage.