Flourishing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study in South Africa.

In this longitudinal study, we examine changes in psychological distress and multidimensional well-being from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic among South African adults. As a secondary purpose, we explore whether pre-pandemic flourishing is protective against subsequent psychological distress during the public health crisis. The analytic sample ( = 293; = 44.

Factors Influencing Hearing Help-Seeking and Hearing Aid Uptake in Adults: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade.

This systematic review examined the audiological and nonaudiological factors that influence hearing help-seeking and hearing aid uptake in adults with hearing loss based on the literature published during the last decade. Peer-reviewed articles published between January 2011 and February 2022 were identified through systematic searches in electronic databases CINAHL, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. The review was conducted and reported according to the PRISMA protocol.

Strengthening Social Compact and Innovative Health Sector Collaborations in Addressing COVID-19 in South African Workplaces.

Workplaces are nodes for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 transmission and require strategies to protect workers' health. This article reports on the South African national coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) strategy that sought to ensure workers' health, protect the economic activity, safeguard livelihoods and support health services. Data from the Occupational Health Surveillance System, Surveillance System of Sentinel Hospital Sites, and government databases (public sector health worker and Compensation Fund data) was supplemented by peer-reviewed articles and grey literature.

Hearing aid Experiences of Adult Hearing aid Owners During and After Fitting: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.

There has been an increasing number of qualitative studies exploring the experiences and perceptions of adult hearing aid owners throughout their hearing aid journey. As these studies and reported experiences vary greatly, a systematic review was conducted to identify and synthesize the key concepts in adult hearing aid owners' experiences during and after fitting. A systematic search of three electronic databases was conducted, yielding 443 results.

Aerobic exercise for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders in individuals on antiretroviral therapy: A randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: The increasing burden of self-limiting forms of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in the antiretroviral therapy era calls for adjunctive interventions. The study aimed to determine the effects of a 12-week aerobic exercise programme on HAND.

Methods: This is a parallel-group, randomized controlled trial with concealed allocation and intention-to-treat analysis.

Unilateral, Rostral Maxillary Sinusitis Resulting from Displacement and Retention of an Alveolar Plug in a 4-Year-Old Horse.

Sinusitis is a common occurrence in horses and often develops secondary to dental disease. Extraction of cheek teeth in horses is associated with variable degrees of complications and although postoperative displacement and retention of alveolar plugs has been identified as one such potential complication, few cases of resulting sinusitis have been reported. This manuscript describes a four-year-old Thoroughbred mare that was presented for chronic unilateral left-sided mucopurulent nasal discharge after extraction of the left maxillary second molar tooth two months earlier.

Research Site Anonymity in Context.

This paper utilizes critical theory to interrogate and problematize the practice of anonymising research sites as an ethical imperative. The contributing authors conduct research in and with various communities in southern Africa, position themselves and work from and within diverse areas and specialities of the social sciences. This article is developed from their rich and wide spectrum of field experience with a great diversity of communities, but mainly the poorer, under-resourced, socially and economically marginalized.

Ectomesenchymal Chondromyxoid Tumor: A Rare Association With an Asymmetrical Soft Palate Cleft.

Ectomesenchymal chondromyxoid tumor (ECT) is a rare oral lesion first described by Smith et al. in 1995. These tumors are typically painless, slow growing and benign masses occurring predominantly on the anterior tongue dorsum.

MHC Class II Heterozygosity Associated With Attractiveness of Men and Women.

The genes of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), which plays a fundamental role in the immune system, are some of the most diverse genes in vertebrates and have been connected to mate choice in several species, including humans. While studies suggest a positive relationship between MHC diversity and male facial attractiveness, the connection of MHC diversity to other visual traits and female attractiveness is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate further whether MHC heterozygosity, indicating genetic quality, is associated with visual traits affecting mate preferences in humans.

Judgment and decision-making in clinical dentistry.

The development of clinical judgment and decision-making skills is complex, requiring clinicians-whether students, novices, or experienced practitioners-to correlate information from their own experience; from discussions with colleagues; from attending professional meetings, conferences and congresses; and from studying the current literature. Feedback from treated cases will consolidate retention in memory of the complexities and management of past cases, and the conversion of this knowledge base into daily clinical practice. The purpose of this narrative review is to discuss factors related to clinical judgment and decision-making in clinical dentistry and how both narrative, intuitive, evidence-based data-driven information and statistical approaches contribute to the global process of gaining clinical expertise.

mHealth developmental screening for preschool children in low-income communities.

Children are often only identified with a developmental delay when they enter primary school due to developmental delays hindering academic progress. Detection of at-risk children in low-income communities is typically unavailable due to several challenges. This study validated an mHealth-based developmental screening tool as a potential time- and cost-effective way of delivering services for preschool children.

Ovine Fetal and Placental Lesions and Cellular Tropism in Natural Rift Valley Fever Virus Infections.

Infection with (RVFV) causes abortion storms and a wide variety of outcomes for both ewes and fetuses. Sheep fetuses and placenta specimens were examined during the 2010-2011 River Valley fever (RVF) outbreak in South Africa. A total of 72 fetuses were studied of which 58 were confirmed positive for RVF.

Refined experimental design may increase the value of murine models for estimation of bluetongue virus virulence.

Bluetongue is a serious non-contagious vector-borne viral disease in ruminants, causing poor animal welfare and economic consequences globally. Concern has been raised about the development of novel bluetongue virus (BTV) strains and their possibly altered virulence through the process of viral reassortment. Virulence is traditionally estimated in lethal dose 50 (LD) studies in murine models, but agreement with both and virulence in ruminants is questionable, and a refined experimental design is needed.

Bacterial pathogens in peritoneal dialysis peritonitis: Insights from next-generation sequencing.

Background: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) peritonitis is a feared complication of PD, with significant sequelae for the patient. The cause of PD peritonitis is largely due to a single organism (≥75% of cases) and rarely due to multiple organisms.

Methods: In this pilot study, we investigated 25 cases of PD peritonitis with 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques.