Developmental basis of natural tooth shape variation in cichlid fishes.

While most dentate non-mammalian vertebrates possess simple conical teeth, some demonstrate complex tooth shapes. Lake Malawi cichlid fishes are an extreme example of this, exhibiting a myriad of tooth shapes driven by an ecologically derived rapid evolution of closely related but distinct species. Tooth shape in mammals is generally considered to be established by signaling centers called primary and secondary enamel knots, which are not believed to be present in non-mammalian vertebrates.

Tax and noncommunicable diseases attributable to tobacco and alcohol consumption in 5 Sub-Saharan African countries.

Background: Increased taxation on alcohol and tobacco is among the cost-effective measures used to deal with the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) globally. Despite adopting such efforts, the impacts of taxation on alcohol and tobacco are yet to be fully understood.

Objective: The study's objective is to find empirical evidence regarding changes in the NCD mortality rate associated with changes in the tax rates of tobacco and alcohol.

Physicochemical Properties and Contents of Amino Acids, Fatty Acids, and Phytanic Acid in Goat Meat Produced by Grazing System in an Abandoned Rice Field.

This study evaluated carcass weight and physicochemical properties of loin and leg meat parts of Saanen castrated goats (n = 4) reared by grazing for 5 months in an abandoned rice field with concentrate supplements, comparing with meat of goats (n = 4) reared by confined feeding with grass silage and concentrate. Carcass and meat part weights of goats in the grazing group were lower (p < 0.01) than confined group.

Quantifying natural amyloid plaque accumulation in the continuum of Alzheimer's disease using ADNI.

Brain amyloid beta neuritic plaque accumulation is associated with an increased risk of progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD) [Pfeil, J., et al. in Neurobiol Aging 106: 119-129, 2021].

Cross-cultural insights into internet addiction and mental health: a network analysis from China and Malawi.

Background: Internet addiction has emerged as a significant mental health issue among university students. The study aimed to compare the network structures of Internet addiction and mental health symptoms among university students in China and Malawi, which provide insights into culturally sensitive prevention and intervention strategies.

Methods: Network analysis was used on two datasets: Malawi (n = 688) and China (n = 975) using the Internet Addiction Test and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire.

Acceptability, feasibility and appropriateness of intensified health education, SMS/phone tracing and transport reimbursement for uptake of voluntary medical male circumcision in a sexually transmitted infections clinic in Malawi: A mixed methods study.

Introduction: Uptake of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) remains a challenge in many settings. Innovative implementation strategies are required to scale-up VMMC uptake.

Methodology: RITe was a multi-faceted intervention comprising transport reimbursement (R), intensified health education (IHE) and SMS/Telephone tracing (Te), which increased the uptake of VMMC among uncircumcised men with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Malawi.

Evidence of human exposure and associated risk factors to Rift Valley fever in selected districts of Central and Western Zambia.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an important viral zoonotic disease that not only affects ruminants but causes serious morbidity and mortality in humans. In humans, its symptoms range from mild flu-like signs to a severe form such as retinal damage, meningoencephalitis to haemorrhagic fever. In this study, 202 human serum samples were collected from central and western parts of Zambia and tested for RVF-specific antibodies using a commercially available ELISA kit.

Biological and Social Predictors of HIV-1 RNA Viral Suppression in ART Treated PWLH in Sub-Saharan Africa.

HIV remains a significant health issue, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. There are 39 million people living with HIV (PLWH) globally. Treatment with ART improves patient outcomes by suppressing the HIV RNA viral load.

Topographic and morphometric characterization of the humerii nutrient foramina and their implications for fracture repair and healing.

Fractures of the humerus are common on the midshaft of the bone, often causing injury to the nutrient artery. Successful fracture repair and healing requires preservation of the blood supply to the long bones which is conveyed through the nutrient foramina (NF). The topography of long bone NF varies in different populations.

Evaluation of Tele-Education in Malawi for Detection of Macular Features Using Optical Coherence Tomography.

Purpose: The study aimed to assess the reliability of tele-education in training a Malawian ophthalmology resident to interpret optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of patients with macular conditions.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 1000 macula-centered OCT image series from 1000 eyes of 1000 consecutive patients from Malawi, which involved initial interpretation by a German retina specialist (observer 1) (T). Observer 1 then trained a Malawian resident (observer 2) via email, and observer 2 independently interpreted images at T, followed by face-to-face training in Malawi and reinterpretation at T and T (3-month intervals).

A comparison of CXR-CAD software to radiologists in identifying COVID-19 in individuals evaluated for Sars CoV-2 infection in Malawi and Zambia.

AI based software, including computer aided detection software for chest radiographs (CXR-CAD), was developed during the pandemic to improve COVID-19 case finding and triage. In high burden TB countries, the use of highly portable CXR and computer aided detection software has been adopted more broadly to improve the screening and triage of individuals for TB, but there is little evidence in these settings regarding COVID-19 CAD performance. We performed a multicenter, retrospective cross-over study evaluating CXRs from individuals at risk for COVID-19.

Impact of multiple maize technology package adoption on the production efficiency and food security of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia: Evidence from the Sidama region.

This study aimed to investigate the individual or combined impacts of multiple maize technology package adoption on the production efficiency and food security of smallholder farmers in the selected districts of Sidama region of Ethiopia. The cross-sectional data of 424 sample farmers owing 545 maize plots were collected using multistage sampling approaches. The selection-bias corrected multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) model was employed to assess the impact of improved maize seed, chemical fertilizers, and row planting adoption on the production efficiency and food security of smallholder maize-producing farmers.

Determinants of hypertension-related knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) among caregivers in Neno, rural Malawi: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Hypertension, a significant health concern, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. Caregivers play a crucial role in ensuring optimal care for hypertensive patients and reducing associated complications. Caregivers' basic knowledge, good attitude, and relevant practices are necessary to ensure high-quality care for patients with hypertension.

Looking under the hood of a hybrid two-way texting intervention to improve early retention on antiretroviral therapy in Malawi: an implementation fidelity evaluation.

Background: While key to interpreting findings and assessing generalizability, implementation fidelity is underreported in mobile health (mHealth) literature. We evaluated implementation fidelity of an opt-in, hybrid, two-way texting (2wT) intervention previously demonstrated to improve 12-month retention on antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in a quasi-experimental study in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Methods: Short message service (SMS) data and ART refill visit records were used to evaluate adherence to 2wT content, frequency and duration through the lens of the Conceptual Framework for Implementation Fidelity.

Dynamic co-evolution of transposable elements and the piRNA pathway in African cichlid fishes.

Background: East African cichlid fishes have diversified in an explosive fashion, but the (epi)genetic basis of the phenotypic diversity of these fishes remains largely unknown. Although transposable elements (TEs) have been associated with phenotypic variation in cichlids, little is known about their transcriptional activity and epigenetic silencing. We set out to bridge this gap and to understand the interactions between TEs and their cichlid hosts.

An exploration of unusual antimicrobial resistance phenotypes in Salmonella Typhi from Blantyre, Malawi reveals the ongoing role of IncHI1 plasmids.

Typhoid fever is a significant public health problem endemic in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Antimicrobial treatment of typhoid is however threatened by the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) Typhi, especially in the globally successful lineage (4.3.

Examination of adolescent and youth modern contraceptive users' perceptions on how religion influences contraceptive use and their rationale and circumstances of use: qualitative evidence from Burkina Faso, Kenya and Niger.

While religion is a key determining factor of contraceptive use, few studies examine how religion influences adolescent and youth contraceptive attitudes, beliefs, and use. We use recently collected (August-November 2022) qualitative data from Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Niger among young users of modern contraception who practice Christianity or Islam. In-depth interviews with married and unmarried young women ages 18-24 years were conducted in two sites in each country to obtain a mix of religions and method users.

Creating codes of ethics for public health professionals and institutions.

Background: The World Health Organization and the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region called for the professionalization of the public health workforce, including the creation of codes of ethics. In this article, the Public Health Ethics and Law Network provides guidance on creating such codes, based on values and principles commonly identified for public health.

Methods: Our interest was in codes addressing public health broadly rather than disciplines within public health.

High unmet needs for cervical cancer screening among women living with HIV in six African countries: A population-based study.

Background: Cisgender women living with HIV (WLWH) are disproportionately impacted by cervical cancer. Nevertheless, disparities in uptake and implementation of cervical cancer services persist in sub-Saharan Africa, where population-level estimates of screening coverage remain scarce.

Methods: We pooled data from nationally representative Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) surveys conducted in Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (2015-2019).

Socio-economic and demographic determinants of undernutrition among 6-59 months old children living in Malawian stunting hotspots: a cross-sectional community study.

Background: Malnutrition is a global burden, with 171 million under-five children stunted and 45% of child deaths linked to it. Despite high undernutrition such as stunting in Mchinji, Mangochi, and Mzimba, no study has focused on all three hot spots. This study examined socio-economic and demographic determinants of undernutrition among children aged 6-59 months, offering insights to guide targeted interventions in these areas.

Mixed vulnerabilities: the biological risk of high parity is aggravated by emergency referral in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.

Identification of interacting vulnerabilities is essential to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). High parity (≥ 5 previous births) is an underemphasized biological vulnerability linked to poverty and affecting a sizeable proportion of SSA births. Despite increased risk, high parity women rarely use hospitals for childbirth.

Child Death and Mothers' Subsequent Mental Health in a High-Mortality African Community.

Despite declines in child mortality rates, experiencing a child death remains a common feature of motherhood in many contemporary African populations. Yet, we lack population insights into the consequences of child death for mothers' well-being in the high-mortality regions where it concentrates. Contrasting an extensive psychology literature on the severe and long-lasting consequences of child death for parents in low-mortality settings, a long-standing thesis in multiple social science literature is that the normativity of child death in high-mortality settings can lead to a numbing effect-muting parents' reactions to child loss.

Heme oxygenase/carbon monoxide system affects the placenta and preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia affects 2% to 8% of pregnancies worldwide and results in significantly high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, with delivery being the only definitive treatment. It is not a single disorder, but rather a manifestation of an insult(s) to the uteroplacental unit -whether maternal, fetal, and/or placental. Multiple etiologies have been implicated, including uteroplacental ischemia, maternal infection and/or inflammation, maternal obesity, sleep disorders, hydatidiform mole, maternal intestinal dysbiosis, autoimmune disorders, fetal diseases, breakdown of maternal-fetal immune tolerance, placental aging, and endocrine disorders.

Factors associated with delayed referrals of patients with sepsis from primary to tertiary healthcare in Blantyre, Malawi: a qualitative study.

Background: Sepsis is defined as invasion of pathogens into the blood stream together with the host response to this invasion. Thus, sepsis consists of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)caused by infection. It is a life-threatening condition that requires prompt detection and early definitive medical intervention.

Healthcare provider perspectives on integrating HIV care into cancer centers in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Background: In East and Southern Africa, treatment of people with concomitant cancer and HIV is complicated by siloed service delivery pathways, which exacerbate barriers to care and impact clinical decision-making. Integrating HIV care into cancer treatment centers may improve service delivery and overall patient outcomes.

Methods: We administered a questionnaire to clinicians and support staff at tertiary cancer referral centers in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and South Africa to assess level of concern about clinical management of people with HIV (PWH) and cancer, barriers to integrating HIV service delivery into cancer treatment delivery, and beliefs related to HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART), and integrated care.