Four COVID-19 screening strategies for early case identification within the homeless shelter population: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: To compare the effectiveness of four surveillance strategies for detecting SARS-CoV-2 within the homeless shelter population in Hamilton, ON and assess participant adherence over time for each surveillance method.

Methods: This was an open-label, cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in eleven homeless shelters in Hamilton, Ontario, from April 2020 to January 2021. All participants who consented to the study and participated in the surveillance were eligible for testing by self-swabbing.

Isolation and characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from bovine mastitis in North West Cameroon: public health implications.

Objectives: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a zoonotic pathogen that poses a serious threat to veterinary and public health worldwide. We investigated mastitis milk samples for contamination with MRSA and also characterized the MRSA isolates by investigating antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors.

Result: We confirmed MRSA in 69 of 201 (34.

Validation of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale and prevalence of depression among adolescent mothers in a Cameroonian context.

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is the screening tool for perinatal depression, and its cut-off score varies according to context and population. In Cameroon, no study has yet defined a cut-off score or the prevalence of perinatal depression in adolescent mothers. Our aim is to determine the cut-off for teenage mothers in Cameroon.

Evaluating the effectiveness of oral HIV self testing according to distribution models in Cameroon.

Innovative strategies such as HIV self-testing (HIVST) are useful for identifying hard-to-reach people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), especially in developing settings where considerable gaps still exist in reaching the first 95% UNAIDS target. We evaluated the effectiveness of HIVST in Cameroon using several distribution models and investigated the predictors of HIV seropositivity among self-testers. The study was conducted from 2021 to 2022 in three regions in Cameroon.

Micronutrient Biomarkers and Their Association with Malaria Infection in Children in Buea Health District, Cameroon.

Recently malaria and micronutrient deficiencies have become a major worldwide public health problem, particularly in Africa and other endemic countries with children under 5 years old being the most vulnerable. Apart from nutritional problems that cause micronutrient deficiencies, studies have also reported that parasitic infections like malaria can affect the levels of micronutrients. Thus, this research was aimed at assessing the serum levels of micronutrient biomarkers and their association with malaria infection in children under 5 years old in the Buea Health District.

Snakebites in Cameroon by Species Whose Effects Are Poorly Described.

Snakes responsible for bites are rarely identified, resulting in a loss of information about snakebites from venomous species whose venom effects are poorly understood. A prospective clinical study including patients bitten by a snake was conducted in Cameroon between 2019 and 2021 to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a marketed polyvalent antivenom. Clinical presentation during the first 3 days of hospitalization was recorded following a standardized protocol.

Breast Ironing from the Perspective of Transcultural Nursing by Madeleine Leininger: A Narrative Review.

(1) Background: This article addresses the harmful traditional practice of breast ironing, which primarily affects girls and adolescents in several countries, particularly in Cameroon. The practice involves applying heat and pressure to developing breasts to delay their growth, with the goal of protecting girls from sexual abuse, early pregnancy, and forced marriages. While culturally accepted, breast ironing has severe physical, psychological, and social consequences, including damage to mammary glands, pain, infections, and potential long-term health complications.

Chemical constituents and antibacterial activities of Cameroonian dark brown propolis against potential biofilm-forming bacteria.

Propolis is a resinous material collected by different bee species from various plant exudates and used to seal holes in honeycombs, smoothen the internal walls, embalm intruders, improve health and prevent diseases. From its -hexane extract, eight compounds were isolated and characterised as: mangiferonic acid (); 1-hydroxymangiferonic acid (), new natural product; mangiferolic acid(); 27-hydroxymangiferolic acid (), reported here for the first time as propolis constituent; 27-hydroxymangiferonic acid (); -amyrin (); -amyrin () and lupeol (). The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic methods, such as 1D and 2D-NMR, mass spectrometry and comparison with previous published reports.

Evaluation of HPLC Profile, Antioxidant, Quorum Sensing, Biofilm, Swarming Motility, and Enzyme Inhibition Activities of Conventional and Green Extracts of .

The current study aims to prepare a green extract using a new method in addition to conventional extraction methods including; methanolic and ultrasonic extraction of , to compare their phenolic composition utilizing high-performance liquid chromatograph equipped with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD), anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and enzyme inhibition activities. The results of HPLC-DAD analysis showed that Rosmarinic acid was found the highest amount in the methanolic extract followed by ultrasonic and green extracts as 169.7 ± 0.

Outbreak of cholera in the Southwest region of Cameroon, 2021-22: an epidemiological investigation.

Background: In October 2021, a large outbreak of cholera was declared in Cameroon, disproportionately affecting the Southwest region, one of 10 administrative regions in the country. In this region, the cases were concentrated in three major cities where a humanitarian crisis had concomitantly led to an influx of internally displaced persons. Meanwhile, across the border, Nigeria was facing an unprecedented cholera outbreak.

Understanding the interaction mechanisms of active compounds extracted from Tabernaemontana penduliflora on the surface of magnetite (111) nanoparticles in aqueous medium by DFT and MD approaches.

Computational techniques have been used to analyze the molecules of 10-hydroxycoronahydine (HC) and voacangine hydroxyindolenine (VH) molecules with the aim of studying the effect of base and temperature on their interaction mechanisms during synthesis green magnetite nanoparticles. Density functional theory (DFT) descriptors such as: energy gap, overall reactivity descriptors, dipole moment and adsorption energy have all been explored in depth to understand the nature of the interaction. The DFT results showed that the molecules studied (HC and VH) are interactive and stable in an aqueous medium, due to the fact that these molecules have free electronic doublets on the nitrogen atom and the bond of the aromatic ring.

[Oral health status of Baka Pygmies in the city of Dimako, Cameroon: a cross-sectional study of 205 cases.].

Introduction: the epidemiological profile of oral diseases is characterised by disparities between specific groups. The purpose of this study was to assess oral health status of Baka Pygmies in Dimako, Cameroon.

Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional study from January 1 to June 14, 2021 in the Baka camps in Dimako.

Cytotoxicity, Antiadipogenic, Low-Density Lipoprotein Oxidation Inhibitory Activities, and Acute Toxicity Study of Hydroethanolic Leaf and Bark Extracts.

Obesity is increasingly taking an important stage as a cause of death worldwide, and interventions with a good cost-effectiveness ratio are needed. is one of these natural products with health benefits. Objective.

Physicochemical, nutritional, antioxidant properties and stability monitoring of coconut ( L.) water from two localities in Cameroon.

The nutritional value of a food is linked to the quality and quantity of the nutrients it contains. It offers a major advantage in establishing a food table composition (FTC) which is a tool that provides information on the quantity of nutrients contained in a food. Furthermore, certain natural beverage are not taken into account in the FTC.

Health Expenditure, Governance Quality, and Health Outcomes in West African Countries.

The study investigates the role of governance quality on the effect of health expenditure on health outcomes captured by life expectancy at birth, infant mortality, under-five mortality, crude mortality and maternal mortality rates in West African Countries. Although these countries have made significant efforts to increase health expenditure over the years, health outcomes have only responded marginally in West African Countries, raising concerns about the importance of health expenditure in improving health outcomes. This study analyses the relationship between the role of governance and health expenditure and health outcomes using the feasible generalised least squares estimation techniques.

Decision-making factors: Exploring the influences on high school girls' decisions to choose science subjects in Cameroon: A qualitative case study.

This study investigates the factors influencing high school girls' decisions to choose science subjects in Cameroon, focusing on the underrepresentation of girls in these fields. Using a qualitative interview method with 42 participants-including students, teachers, and parents-the findings reveal that interest in science, future career motivations, and relationships with parents and teachers are critical determinants in girls' decision-making. It highlights the necessity for supportive environments and role models that underscore the impact of pedagogical quality, resource availability, societal norms, and prejudices on girls' confidence and engagement in science, providing insights into the new complexities for understanding the underrepresentation of girls in science fields in Cameroon.

'I am a father but not pregnant': a qualitative analysis of the perspectives of pregnant couples on male partner role during pregnancy care in Bamenda, Cameroon.

Background: The reduction of maternal mortality has stagnated globally. Estimates project a rise to 140.9 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030, which is double the Sustainable Development Goal target.

Epidemiological pattern of trauma among children 0-9 years in Cameroon.

Background: In low- and middle-income countries, trauma is the leading cause of death among youth and it is also a major cause of disability. Globally, more than 1,600 children and adolescents below the age of 19-years die every day from preventable injuries. Traffic-related injuries, falls, sports-related injuries, assaults, burns, and drownings are the most commonly reported causes of traumatic mortality among children.

Trichuriasis in Human Patients from Côte d'Ivoire Caused by Novel Trichuris incognita Species with Low Sensitivity to Albendazole/Ivermectin Combination Treatment.

Albendazole/ivermectin combination therapy is a promising alternative to benzimidazole monotherapy alone for Trichuris trichiura control. We used fecal DNA metabarcoding to genetically characterize Trichuris spp. populations in patient samples from Côte d'Ivoire showing lower (egg reduction rate <70%) albendazole/ivermectin sensitivity than those from Laos and Tanzania (egg reduction rates >98%).

Epidemiology of in Sheep and Goats in the Tropics: A Systematic Review.

Sheep and goat influence the socioeconomic sustainability of rural communities in tropical countries, but parasitic diseases and in particular are responsible for their low productivity. The occurrence of in most affected regions of the world has been associated to the presence of stray dogs in the grazing area, which play vital roles in the life cycle of the parasite and poor disposal of contaminated and seized offal, organs, and carcasses. The aim of this paper is to systematically review the epidemiology of infection in sheep and goats in the tropics between 2010 and 2022 through the analysis of published qualitative and quantitative data on prevalence, risk factors, organ distribution, and interventions.

Investigation on the regular and chaotic dynamics of a ring network of five inertial Hopfield neural network: theoretical, analog and microcontroller simulation.

The studies conducted in this contribution are based on the analysis of the dynamics of a homogeneous network of five inertial neurons of the Hopfield type to which a unidirectional ring coupling topology is applied. The coupling is achieved by perturbing the next neuron's amplitude with a signal proportional to the previous one. The system consists of ten coupled ODEs, and the investigations carried out have allowed us to highlight several unusual and rarely related dynamics, hence the importance of emphasizing them.

Plasma Viral Load of 200 Copies/mL is a Suitable Threshold to Define Viral Suppression and HIV Drug Resistance Testing in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Evidence From a Facility-Based Study in Cameroon.

Introduction: In low-and-middle-income-countries (LMIC), viral suppression is defined as plasma viral load (PVL) below 1000 copies/mL (low-level viremia [LLV]) and threshold for HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) testing. However, there is evidence that drug resistance mutations (DRMs) may emerge at LLV, thus compromising antiretroviral treatment (ART) response We evaluated sequencing success rates (SSR) at LLV, described HIVDR profiles and adequacy with potential efficacy of tenofovir-lamivudine-dolutegravir (TLD).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals with LLV at the Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre, Yaoundé, Cameroon from January 2020 through August 2021.

Periodontal disease and serum uric acid levels in the absence of metabolic syndrome: is there a link? A study on a sample of Cameroonian adults.

Background: The relationship between serum uric acid level (SUA) and periodontal diseases (PD) is still controversial, and few studies have been carried out in population with no element of metabolic syndrome especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between PD and SUA in Cameroonian adults not suffering from metabolic syndrome.

Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study including Cameroonians aged over 18 years recruited in the general population and free of metabolic syndrome elements.

A Variational Network for Biomedical Images Denoising using Bayesian model and Auto-Encoder.

Auto-encoders have demonstrated outstanding performance in computer vision tasks such as biomedical imaging, including classification, segmentation, and denoising. Many of the current techniques for image denoising in biomedical applications involve training an autoencoder or convolutional neural network (CNN) using pairs of clean and noisy images. However, these approaches are not realistic because the autoencoder or CNN is trained on known noise and does not generalize well to new noisy distributions.

Ethanolic Extracts of Linn. (Vitaceae) Attenuate Vincristine-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Rats: An Evidence of the Antioxidant, Calcium Inhibitory, and Neuromodulatory Properties.

Linn. (, Vitaceae) is a plant reported to treat injured tendons, broken bones, asthma, stomach ache, scurvy, and digestive disorders. The present study evaluated the antihyperalgesic effects of ethanolic extract of Linn.