Cancer and Syria in conflict: a systematic review.

Background: Armed conflict can disrupt oncology care profoundly, resulting in worsened health outcomes for cancer patients. Syria has endured armed conflict for over a decade, resulting in a severe breakdown of its healthcare services. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the available evidence on the burden of cancer and oncology services in Syria and how they have been affected during the conflict.

Quadrivalent HPV (4vHPV) vaccine immunogenicity and safety in women using immunosuppressive drugs due to solid organ transplant.

Introduction: Immunocompromised persons are at high risk of persistent Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection and associated diseases. Few studies evaluated HPV vaccines in immunocompromised persons. This study aimed to evaluate the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (4vHPV) immunogenicity and safety in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, in comparison to immunocompetent women (IC).

Beliefs surrounding the use of inhaled asthma medication in The Gambia: a qualitative study of asthma patients and healthcare workers.

Asthma-related mortality is high in low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about public perceptions of inhaled medicines. We conducted semi-structured interviews with asthma patients and healthcare workers at three secondary care facilities in The Gambia, between August and November 2022.

SD-Bioline malaria rapid diagnostic test performance and time to become negative after treatment of malaria infection in Southwest Nigerian Children.

Context And Aim: Given the challenges of microscopy, we compared its performance with SD-Bioline malaria rapid diagnostic test (MRDT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and evaluated the time it took for positive results to become negative after treatment of children with acute uncomplicated malaria.

Subjects And Methods: We present the report of 485 participants with complete MRDT, microscopy, and PCR data out of 511 febrile children aged 3-59 months who participated in a cohort study over a 12-month period in rural and urban areas of Ibadan, Nigeria. MRDT-positive children received antimalaria and tested at every visit over 28 days.

RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine pilot implementation in western Kenya: a qualitative longitudinal study to understand immunisation barriers and optimise uptake.

Background: Malaria is a significant public health threat in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly among children. The RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine reduces the risk and severity of malaria in children. RTS,S/AS01 was piloted in three African countries, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, to assess safety, feasibility and cost-effectiveness in real-world settings.

Drivers of Resistance in Uganda and Malawi (DRUM): a protocol for the evaluation of One-Health drivers of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL) resistance in Low-Middle Income Countries (LMICs).

In sub-Saharan Africa (sSA), there is high morbidity and mortality from severe bacterial infection and this is compounded by antimicrobial resistance, in particular, resistance to 3rd-generation cephalosporins. This resistance is typically mediated by extended-spectrum beta lactamases (ESBLs). To interrupt ESBL transmission it will be important to investigate how human behaviour, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices, environmental contamination, and antibiotic usage in both urban and rural settings interact to contribute to transmission of ESBL E.

Linkage to HIV care and hypertension and diabetes control in rural South Africa: Results from the population-based Vukuzazi Study.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for half of all deaths in South Africa, partly reflecting unmet NCDs healthcare needs. Leveraging existing HIV infrastructure is touted as a strategy to alleviate this chronic care gap. We evaluated whether HIV care platforms are associated with improved NCDs care.

GloveCare: a pilot study in preparation for a cluster crossover randomized controlled trial of non-sterile glove-based care in preventing late-onset infection in the NICU.

Background: Late-onset infections (LOI) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Gloving after hand hygiene may be a pragmatic approach to prevent infections that arise when healthcare workers' hands transmit pathogens to neonates.

Objective: To determine the feasibility of conducting a multicenter, open-labeled randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine whether a protocol that requires healthcare workers (HCWs) in a level 3 NICU to wear non-sterile gloves plus hand hygiene reduces the occurrence of a late-onset infection, compared to hand hygiene alone.

Understanding depression treatment and perinatal service preferences of Kenyan pregnant adolescents: A discrete choice experiment.

Background: Understanding mental health treatment preferences of adolescents and youth is particularly important for interventions to be acceptable and successful. Person-centered care mandates empowering individuals to take charge of their own health rather than being passive recipients of services.

Methods: We conducted a discrete choice experiment to quantitatively measure adolescent treatment preferences for different care characteristics and explore tradeoffs between these.

MUC5AC Genetic Variation Is Associated With Tuberculous Meningitis Cerebral Spinal Fluid Cytokine Responses and Mortality.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in lung mucins MUC5B and MUC5AC are associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis outcomes.

Methods: Independent SNPs in MUC5B and MUC5AC (genotyped by Illumina HumanOmniExpress array) were assessed for associations with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) concentrations (measured by immunoassay) in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) from tuberculous meningitis (TBM) patients. SNPs associated with CSF TNF concentrations were carried forward for analyses of pulmonary and meningeal tuberculosis susceptibility and TBM mortality.

Disruption to water supply and waterborne communicable diseases in northeast Syria: a spatiotemporal analysis.

Background: In Syria, disruption to water and sanitation systems, together with poor access to vaccination, forced displacement and overcrowding contribute to increases in waterborne diseases (WBDs). The aim of this study is to perform a spatiotemporal analysis to investigate potential associations between interruptions to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and WBDs in northeast Syria using data collected by the Early Warning Alert and Response Network (EWARN) from Deir-ez-Zor, Raqqa, Hassakeh and parts of Aleppo governorates.

Methods: We reviewed the literature databases of MEDLINE and Google Scholar and the updates of ReliefWeb to obtain information on acute disruptions and attacks against water infrastructure in northeast Syria between January 2015 and June 2021.

Cross-sectional analysis of the association between personal exposure to household air pollution and blood pressure in adult women: Evidence from the multi-country Household Air Pollution Intervention Network (HAPIN) trial.

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a leading risk factor for the global burden of disease. Household air pollution (HAP), resulting from the burning of biomass fuels, may be an important cause of elevated BP in resource-poor communities. We examined the exposure-response relationship of personal exposures to HAP -fine particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), and black carbon (BC) - with BP measures in women aged 40-79 years across four resource-poor settings in Guatemala, Peru, India and Rwanda.

Strategies for enhancing uptake of HIV self-testing among Nigerian youths: a descriptive analysis of the 4YouthByYouth crowdsourcing contest.

Introduction: Youth are often the intended beneficiaries of HIV programs but are rarely involved in program design. Engaging youth in program design is one potential way of identifying promising approaches for HIV service delivery. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of using a crowdsourcing contest to solicit ideas on ways to promote HIV self-testing (HIVST) services among Nigerian youths.

The health of internally displaced people in Syria: are current systems fit for purpose?

Introduction: Syria has the largest number of internally displaced people (IDPs) globally with 6.7 million forced from their homes since the uprising erupted in 2011. Most face multiple intersecting vulnerabilities with adverse health impacts.

leucine-rich repeat protein 1 downregulates protein phosphatase 1 activity and is required for efficient oocyst development.

Protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) is a key enzyme for development. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying its regulation remain to be deciphered. Here, we report the functional characterization of the leucine-rich repeat protein 1 (PbLRR1), an orthologue of SDS22, one of the most ancient and conserved PP1 interactors.

Non-Malaria Causes of Fever among under-5 Children with Negative Results for Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test in South-Western Nigeria.

Background: Although the global malaria burden is decreasing, there are still concerns about overdiagnosis of malaria and the danger of misdiagnosis of non-malaria causes of fever. Clinicians continue to face the challenge of differentiating between these causes despite the introduction of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs).

Aim: To determine the prevalence and causes of non-malaria-caused fever in children in South-Western Nigeria.

Deciphering the Role of Protein Phosphatases in Apicomplexa: The Future of Innovative Therapeutics?

Parasites belonging to the Apicomplexa phylum still represent a major public health and world-wide socioeconomic burden that is greatly amplified by the spread of resistances against known therapeutic drugs. Therefore, it is essential to provide the scientific and medical communities with innovative strategies specifically targeting these organisms. In this review, we present an overview of the diversity of the phosphatome as well as the variety of functions that phosphatases display throughout the Apicomplexan parasites' life cycles.

REL and BHLHE40 Variants Are Associated with IL-12 and IL-10 Responses and Tuberculosis Risk.

The major human genes regulating -induced immune responses and tuberculosis (TB) susceptibility are poorly understood. Although IL-12 and IL-10 are critical for TB pathogenesis, the genetic factors that regulate their expression in humans are unknown. CNBP, REL, and BHLHE40 are master regulators of IL-12 and IL-10 signaling.

Should parents be asked to consent for life-saving paediatric interventions?

Informed consent, when given by proxy, has limitations: chiefly, it must be made in the interest of the patient. Here we critique the standard approach to parental consent, as present in Canada and the UK. Parents are often asked for consent, but are not given the authority to refuse medically beneficial treatment in many situations.

Quality of care and respect of human rights in mental health services in four West African countries: collaboration between the mental health leadership and advocacy programme and the World Health Organization QualityRights initiative.

Background: Although recent reports suggest that service users in West African psychiatric facilities are exposed to poor quality of care and human rights violations, evidence is lacking on the extent and profile of specific deficits in the services provided to persons with mental health conditions.

Aims: To evaluate the quality of care and respect of human rights in psychiatric facilities in four West African countries, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, using the World Health Organization QualityRights Toolkit.

Method: Trained research workers collected information through observation, review of records and interviews with service users, caregivers and staff.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) seroprevalence, cervical HPV prevalence, genotype distribution and cytological lesions in solid organ transplant recipients and immunocompetent women in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Introduction: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at increased risk of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) persistent infection and disease. This study aimed to evaluate HPV seroprevalence, cervical HPV prevalence, genotype distribution, and frequency of HPV-related cervical lesions in SOT recipients in comparison to immunocompetent women.

Methods: Cross-sectional study including SOT and immunocompetent women aged 18 to 45 years who denied previous HPV-related lesions.