Ability to use oral fluid and fingerstick HIV self-testing (HIVST) among South African MSM.

Background: HIV self-testing (HIVST) may increase HIV testing uptake, facilitating earlier treatment for key populations like MSM who experience barriers accessing clinic-based HIV testing. HIVST usability among African MSM has not been explored.

Methods: We assessed usability of oral fluid (OF) and fingerstick (FS; blood) HIVST kits during three phases among MSM with differing degrees of HIVST familiarity in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Plasmodium genomics: an approach for learning about and ending human malaria.

Malaria causes high levels of morbidity and mortality in human beings worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about half a million people die of this disease each year. Malaria is caused by six species of parasites belonging to the Plasmodium genus: P.

Hearing treatment for reducing cognitive decline: Design and methods of the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Hearing impairment is highly prevalent and independently associated with cognitive decline. The Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders study is a multicenter randomized controlled trial to determine efficacy of hearing treatment in reducing cognitive decline in older adults. Clinicaltrials.

Healthcare resource use in XALIA: A subgroup analysis of a non-interventional study of rivaroxaban versus standard anticoagulation for deep vein thrombosis.

Introduction: The non-interventional XALIA study compared the safety and effectiveness of rivaroxaban with standard anticoagulation for the treatment of venous thromboembolism in routine clinical practice. This substudy assessed the effect of treatment with rivaroxaban on healthcare resource use, hospital length of stay (LOS) and frequency of hospitalisation.

Methods: In XALIA, patients aged ≥18 years scheduled to receive ≥3 months of rivaroxaban or standard anticoagulation treatment for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) were eligible.

A Novel Approach for Sericin-Conjugated Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis and Their Potential as Microbicide Candidates.

Silver nanoparticles have been widely applied for biomedical areas owing to their potent antiviral and antibacterial activities. Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using biomacromolecules is more efficient, environment-friendly, and cost-saving compared with the traditional approach. In this paper, a novel approach was developed to establish a reaction system with Ag-BH4-sericin to synthesize silver nanoparticles conjugated to sericin (AgNPs-Sericin).

Correction to: Genomic characterization of three novel Basilisk-like phages infecting Bacillus anthracis.

Following the publication of this article [1], the authors noted two typographical errors: one in Table 1 with regard to the location of the Basilisk Phage, which was incorrectly captured as "Kutaisis, country of Georgia Utah, USA" but should be "Utah, USA".

Undiagnosed and Untreated HIV Infection Among Persons Who Inject Drugs: Results of Three National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Surveys, San Francisco, 2009-2015.

We examined three waves of National HIV Behavioral Surveillance surveys of persons who inject drugs (PWID) in San Francisco to assess meeting UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. Diagnosis of PWID living with HIV increased from 64.4% in 2009 to 80.

Acceptability of pharmacotherapy for hazardous alcohol use among men who have sex with men: Findings from a qualitative study.

Introduction: Men who have sex with men (MSM) experience high rates of binge drinking, alcohol use disorder (AUD), and alcohol-related health issues. Pharmacotherapy for AUD can reduce hazardous drinking, yet remains underutilized among MSM. This qualitative study examined knowledge and perceptions regarding AUD medications among MSM, with an emphasis on naltrexone.

High and Stable Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevalence Among Transwomen With Low Income Recruited With Respondent-driven Sampling, San Francisco, 2010-2016.

Background: Studies have documented high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence among transwomen in the United States; however, to our knowledge, no studies have documented trends in HIV prevalence in this population.

Methods: We used respondent-driven sampling to sample transwomen in San Francisco for 3 HIV prevalence and behavioral surveys in 2010, 2013, and 2016. Our analysis of point estimates and trends were weighted for the sampling method.

Genomic characterization of three novel Basilisk-like phages infecting Bacillus anthracis.

Background: In the present study, we sequenced the complete genomes of three novel bacteriophages v_B-Bak1, v_B-Bak6, v_B-Bak10 previously isolated from historical anthrax burial sites in the South Caucasus country of Georgia. We report here major trends in the molecular evolution of these phages, which we designate as "Basilisk-Like-Phages" (BLPs), and illustrate patterns in their evolution, genomic plasticity and core genome architecture.

Results: Comparative whole genome sequence analysis revealed a close evolutionary relationship between our phages and two unclassified Bacillus cereus group phages, phage Basilisk, a broad host range phage (Grose JH et al.

Compliance with the New 2017 Child and Adult Care Food Program Standards for Infants and Children before Implementation.

Background: Nationally, child care providers serve nutritious food to over 4.5 million children each day as part of the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). As implementation of the first major revisions to the CACFP standards occurs in 2017, understanding how to support compliance is critical.

COSIMO - patients with active cancer changing to rivaroxaban for the treatment and prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism: a non-interventional study.

Background: Around 20% of venous thromboembolism (VTE) cases occur in patients with cancer. Current guidelines recommend low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) as the preferred anticoagulant for VTE treatment. However, some guidelines state that vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are acceptable alternatives for long-term therapy in some patients if LMWHs are not available.

Deficient humoral responses and disrupted B-cell immunity are associated with fatal SFTSV infection.

Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), an emerging infectious disease caused by a novel phlebovirus, is associated with high fatality. Therapeutic interventions are lacking and disease pathogenesis is yet to be fully elucidated. The anti-viral immune response has been reported, but humoral involvement in viral pathogenesis is poorly understood.

FOXO3a-dependent up-regulation of Mxi1-0 promotes hypoxia-induced apoptosis in endothelial cells.

Endothelial cell apoptosis induced by hypoxia is implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. However, the underlying mechanism is not clearly elucidated. In this study, we found that hypoxia increased Mxi1-0 expression, and the Mxi1-0 siRNA could inhibit caspase-8 activation and apoptosis in HUVECs induced by hypoxia.

Prevalence and correlates of hazardous alcohol consumption and binge drinking among men who have sex with men (MSM) in San Francisco.

Objectives: To describe heavy alcohol use patterns and correlates in a diverse sample of MSM.

Methods: We used respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to enroll 252 alcohol-using MSM in San Francisco from March 2015-July 2017. We examined heavy alcohol use patterns and conducted RDS-adjusted multivariable analyses to characterize correlates of hazardous alcohol consumption and binge drinking.

The identification of novel single nucleotide polymorphisms to assist in mapping the spread of Bacillus anthracis across the Southern Caucasus.

Anthrax is common as a zoonotic disease in the southern Caucasus area including parts of Turkey and Georgia. In this region, population genetics of the etiological agent Bacillus anthracis comprises, where known, the major canonical single nucleotide polymorphism (canSNP) groups A.Br.

Variations in osteoporosis medication utilization. A population-based ecological cross-sectional study in the region of Valencia, Spain.

Little is known about the contextual variability in osteoporosis medication utilization. Our aims were 1) to describe variations in utilization and spending on osteoporotic medication between the Primary Care Health Zones (PHZ) of the Valencia region, Spain, 2) to analyze observed variations using Small Area Variation Analysis methods, and 3) to quantify the influence of the specialized care level on variations in utilization. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional ecological study of expenditure and utilization of five therapeutic groups marketed as osteoporosis treatments in Spain in 2009.

Promyelocytic Leukemia Restricts Enterovirus 71 Replication by Inhibiting Autophagy.

The promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein, also known as TRIM19, functions as a major organizer of PML nuclear bodies (NBs) in most mammalian cells and plays important roles in antiviral activities against both DNA and RNA viruses. In this study, we found that the downregulation of PML rendered HeLa cells more susceptible to infection by enterovirus 71 (EV71), and the overexpression of the PMLIII or PMLIV isoforms inhibited viral protein expression and resulted in viral titers that were 2-3 log units lower than those in the control. Using short interfering RNAs, the downregulation of either the PMLIII or PMLIV isoform increased both viral protein VP1 expression and viral production.

Housing and income effects on HIV-related health outcomes in the San Francisco Bay Area - findings from the SPNS transwomen of color initiative.

Transwomen of color are disproportionately impacted by HIV and may have worse health outcomes than other populations. This analysis was conducted to examine structural factors associated with poor health outcomes among transwomen of color living with HIV in the San Francisco Bay Area (N = 159). Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to determine if structural factors were associated with poor HIV-related health outcomes.

Circulating cotinine concentrations and lung cancer risk in the Lung Cancer Cohort Consortium (LC3).

Background: Self-reported smoking is the principal measure used to assess lung cancer risk in epidemiological studies. We evaluated if circulating cotinine-a nicotine metabolite and biomarker of recent tobacco exposure-provides additional information on lung cancer risk.

Methods: The study was conducted in the Lung Cancer Cohort Consortium (LC3) involving 20 prospective cohort studies.

Nutritional status and association of demographic characteristics with malnutrition among children less than 24 months in Kwale County, Kenya.

Introduction: Malnutrition is an underlying cause of mortality in about half of the cases that occur among children less than five years in developing countries. In Africa including Kenya, this problem may be exacerbated by socio-demographic and socio-economic factors. This study aimed at determining nutritional status and association of demographic characteristics with malnutrition among children aged 1 day to 24 months in Kwale County, Kenya.

Vegetation diversity protects against childhood asthma: results from a large New Zealand birth cohort.

We assessed the association between the natural environment and asthma in 49,956 New Zealand children born in 1998 and followed up until 2016 using routinely collected data. Children who lived in greener areas, as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index, were less likely to be asthmatic: a 1 s.d.

Harmine, a small molecule derived from natural sources, inhibits enterovirus 71 replication by targeting NF-κB pathway.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection of young children can cause neurological manifestations, which is mainly responsible for the fatality. Although a vaccine is recently available for preventing enterovirus 71 infection, its efficacy remains to be seen. Therefore, there is a pressing need for anti-viral agents for the treatment of EV71 infection.

Patient-Reported Treatment Experience with Oral Rivaroxaban: Results from the Noninterventional XALIA Study of Deep-Vein Thrombosis.

For venous thromboembolism (VTE) treatment, patient satisfaction was shown to improve with rivaroxaban versus standard anticoagulation in the phase III EINSTEIN DVT and EINSTEIN PE trials. This substudy of the prospective, noninterventional XALIA study of rivaroxaban for deep-vein thrombosis treatment assessed if this was also observed in routine clinical practice. Patients enrolled in XALIA who received rivaroxaban or standard anticoagulation treatment were eligible for inclusion in this substudy.