Risky sexual behavior and associated factors among people with severe mental illness in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Individuals, who suffer from severe mental illnesses (SMI), such as bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and major depressive disorder (MDD), are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. A severe mental illness can lead to a decrease in impulse control, a reduction in cognitive function and memory, and a psychosocial impairment that increases risky sexual behavior. Risky sexual behavior (RSB) can lead to health problems such as sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, early pregnancy, and unplanned pregnancies.

Microplastic pollution in the marine environment: Distribution factors and mitigation strategies in different oceans.

As the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, plastic usage spiked, and microplastic (MP) generation has increased dramatically. It is documented that MP can transfer from the source to the ocean environment where they accumulate as the destination. Therefore, it is essential to understand their transferring pathways and effective environmental factors to determine the distribution of MPs in the marine environment.

Methodology for the Positive Voices 2022 Survey of People With HIV Accessing Care in England, Wales, and Scotland: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.

Background: Due to advances in treatment, HIV is now a chronic condition with near-normal life expectancy. However, people with HIV continue to have a higher burden of mental and physical health conditions and are impacted by wider socioeconomic issues. Positive Voices is a nationally representative series of surveys of people with HIV in the United Kingdom.

Perceptual link between inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) stressors and common mental symptoms in Ethiopian health workers: A qualitative study.

Background: Despite the rising prevalence of common mental symptoms, information is scarce on how health workers make sense of symptoms of mental disorders and perceive a link with inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as work stressors to understand causation and produce useful knowledge for policy and professionals. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how health workers perceive the link between inadequate WASH and common mental symptoms (CMSs) at hospitals in central and southern Ethiopian regions.

Methods: We used an interpretive and descriptive phenomenological design guided by theoretical frameworks.

Brief Report: Cystatin C Provides Substantially Higher Glomerular Filtration Rate Estimates Than Creatinine in a Subset of Black People With HIV on Current Antiretroviral Regimens.

Background: In African populations, estimated glomerular filtration rate by cystatin C (eGFRcys) is better aligned with gold-standard GFR measurements than eGFR by creatinine (eGFRcr). Moreover, eGFRcys is unaffected by the effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on tubular secretion and may thus provide better estimates of GFR in people with HIV on ART.

Setting: Observational cohort study of people of African ancestry living with suppressed HIV RNA on ART in London, United Kingdom.

A murine model of induced myocarditis and cardiac dysfunction.

Unlabelled: is a protozoan parasite that causes human and animal African trypanosomiases (HAT and AAT). Cardiac symptoms are commonly reported in HAT patients, and intracardiac parasites with accompanying myocarditis have been observed in both natural hosts and animal models of infection. Despite the importance of as a cause of cardiac dysfunction and the dramatic socioeconomic impact of African trypanosomiases in sub-Saharan Africa, there are currently no reproducible murine models of associated cardiomyopathy.

Consistency in Self-Reported Race-and-Ethnicity Over Time: Implications for Improving the Accuracy of Imputations and Making the Best Use of Self-Report.

Background: Medicare Bayesian Improved Surname and Geocoding (MBISG), which augments an imperfect race-and-ethnicity administrative variable to estimate probabilities that people would self-identify as being in each of 6 mutually exclusive racial-and-ethnic groups, performs very well for Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AA&NHPI), Black, Hispanic, and White race-and-ethnicity, somewhat less well for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and much less well for Multiracial race-and-ethnicity.

Objectives: To assess whether temporal inconsistency of self-reported race-and-ethnicity might limit improvements in approaches like MBISG.

Methods: Using the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) baseline (2013-2018) and 2-year follow-up data (2015-2020), we evaluate the consistency of self-reported race-and-ethnicity coded 2 ways: the 6 mutually exclusive MBISG categories and individual endorsements of each racial-and-ethnic group.

Identifying Access Barriers to PrEP Among Cisgender Black/African American Women in the United States: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background/objectives: Cisgender Black women in the U.S. face disproportionately high HIV rates due to systemic inequities rooted in institutional racism, not individual behaviors.

Prevalence of Depression Among People Living with HIV on Antiretroviral Therapy in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: HIV is a global health issue, with the highest number of infected individuals found in sub-Saharan Africa. The coexistence of HIV with depression is a huge challenge. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression in people living with HIV (PLWHIV) who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Africa.

"Atlanta Is Like Wakanda… but With Real Big, Big Issues": A Focus Group Study of Community Strengths and Health Issues in Diverse Groups in Atlanta, Georgia.

Background And Objectives: This qualitative study explored perceived community strengths and health issues among 3 underserved and under-studied populations in the Atlanta, Georgia-older adults, Black or African American persons, and refugees/immigrants/migrants.

Methods: Eight focus groups were conducted with 92 participants who were members of the 3 populations in Atlanta between November 2022 and March 2023.

Results: Although there were variations among groups, all groups emphasized diversity within their community as the foundation of community strength.

Health system and environmental factors affecting global progress towards achieving End TB targets between 2015 and 2020.

Background: Health system and environmental factors play a significant role in achieving the World Health Organization (WHO) End Tuberculosis (TB) targets. However, quantitative measures are scarce or non-existent at a global level. We aimed to measure the progress made towards meeting the global End TB milestones from 2015 to 2020 and identify health system and environmental factors contributing to the success.

Ethnic Inequity in the Current Approach to H. pylori Testing and Treatment: Linked Data Cohort Analysis.

Background: As seen globally, there are up to sixfold differences in gastric cancer mortality by ethnicity in Aotearoa New Zealand, and H. pylori is the major modifiable risk factor. This study investigates whether current H.

Trigger Point Dry Needling to Reduce Pain and Improve Function and Postural Control in People With Ankle Sprain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: The purpose of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of dry needling (DN) to improve function, proprioception, and balance and to reduce pain in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI).

Methods: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for this review. We searched PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and ProQuest databases from inception until July 2022 using the PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) method.

HLA-E/ specific CD4 and CD8 T cells have a memory phenotype in individuals with TB infection.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest infectious disease worldwide and novel vaccines are urgently needed. HLA-E is a virtually monomorphic antigen presentation molecule and is not downregulated upon HIV co-infection. HLA-E restricted specific CD8 T cells are present in the circulation of individuals with active TB (aTB) and infection (TBI) with or without HIV co-infection, making HLA-E restricted T cells interesting vaccination targets for TB.

Investigating the Uptake of Hypofractionation for Breast and Prostate Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Qualitative Study of Physician and Medical Physicist Perspectives.

Purpose: In prostate and breast cancer, moderate hypofractionation (HF) has demonstrated comparable, if not greater, efficacy than conventional fractionation. There is a stark disparity in the uptake of HF between North America and Africa. Using the Consolidative Framework for Implementation Research, we evaluated barriers and facilitators for implementing HF in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

A Highly Divergent Mitochondrial Genome in Extant Cape Buffalo From Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa.

The reduced cost of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has allowed researchers to generate nuclear and mitochondrial genome data to gain deeper insights into the phylogeography, evolutionary history and biology of non-model species. While the Cape buffalo () has been well-studied across its range with traditional genetic markers over the last 25 years, researchers are building on this knowledge by generating whole genome, population-level data sets to improve understanding of the genetic composition and evolutionary history of the species. Using publicly available NGS data, we assembled 40 Cape buffalo mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from four protected areas in South Africa, expanding the geographical range and almost doubling the number of mitogenomes available for this species.

A cross-sectional study of differences in medication for opioid use disorder receipt among pregnant people enrolled in Medicaid in Oregon, United States.

Background And Aims: Medication is the gold standard to support a healthy pregnancy for pregnant people with opioid use disorder (OUD). This study measured inequities and differences in OUD medication treatment among pregnant people in Oregon, USA.

Design, Setting, Participants And Measurements: Our study population consisted of Medicaid enrollees across the US state of Oregon who had at least one live hospital birth between 2012 and 2020 and one diagnosis of OUD prenatally (n = 4363).

VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION AND PROMOTION AMONG SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN WEST AFRICA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND NARRATIVE SYNTHESIS.

Low vegetable consumption among school-age children and adolescents put them at risk of micronutrient malnutrition and non-communicable diseases. There is a dearth of synthesized literature on vegetable intake and interventions to promote increased consumption among this age-group in West-Africa. This study pooled evidence on vegetable consumption and interventions to promote vegetable consumption among school- age children and adolescents (6-19 years) in West-Africa.

Depression and Distress Screening in Oncology Patients: A Descriptive Analysis.

This retrospective study aimed to describe the characteristics of cancer patients undergoing depression and distress screening at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and to assess factors associated with their screening results. Data were retrieved from electronic medical records of adult Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center patients with at least one oncology encounter between January 2021 and June 2022, who underwent both depression and distress screening using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2/9 for depression and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network distress thermometer for distress during the encounter. Demographics, clinical factors, and screening results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression.

Antimelanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA5) antibody-positive dermatomyositis: clinical features and outcomes in a racially diverse patient cohort.

Background: The anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA5) antibody-positive dermatomyositis is known for its association with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) and ulcerative skin lesions, often presenting with or without muscle involvement. The aim of this study was to identify distinct clinical and laboratory features that could be used to evaluate disease progression in an ethnically diverse cohort of anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis patients at a U.S.

Global profiling of alternative splicing in non-small cell lung cancer reveals novel histological and population differences.

Lung cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in the US. African-American (AA) men are more likely to develop lung cancer with higher incidence and mortality rates than European-American (EA) men. Herein, we report high-confidence alternative splicing (AS) events from high-throughput, high-depth total RNA sequencing of lung tumors and non-tumor adjacent tissues (NATs) in two independent cohorts of patients with adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC).

Geospatial mapping of drug-resistant tuberculosis prevalence in Africa at national and sub-national levels.

Objective: To map subnational and local prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) across Africa.

Methods: We assembled a geolocated dataset from 173 sources across 31 African countries, comprising drug susceptibility test results and covariate data from publicly available databases. We used Bayesian model-based geostatistical framework with multivariate Bayesian logistic regression model to estimate DR-TB prevalence at lower administrative levels.

Implementation of Ambulatory Kidney Supportive Care in a Safety Net Hospital.

Context: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) disproportionately impacts lower socioeconomic groups and is associated with many symptoms and complex decisions. Integration of Kidney Supportive Care (KSC) with CKD care can address these needs. To our knowledge, this approach has not been described in an underserved population.

Pre-race medical clearance in 60,609 distance running race entrants: which entrants sought clearance, what physicians did, and what was the outcome? SAFER XXXVII.

Background: Medical clearance is often recommended for athletes prior to endurance exercise. The primary aim was to determine the percentage (%) of race entrants that sought medical clearance prior to participation in endurance running events, describe the diagnostic modalities used by doctors to assess entrants seeking medical clearance, and the clearance advice given. Secondary aims were to investigate the factors associated with seeking and outcome of clearance.

Trends in Ethnic Disparities in Stroke Care and Long-Term Outcomes.

Importance: Reducing the burden of stroke is a public health priority. While higher stroke incidence among ethnic minority populations (defined in the context of this study as individuals who are not White) is well established, reports on ethnic inequalities in care or outcomes are conflicting and often limited to hospital-admitted patients and short-term outcomes.

Objective: To investigate ethnic differences in stroke care and outcomes up to 5 years after stroke and describe temporal trends and contributory factors.