Reducing hyperuricemic events with SGLT2 inhibitors: An updated systematic review with meta-regression.

Introduction: Although sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) were shown to lower hyperuricemic events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the extent of this effect in the general population is yet to be elucidated. We performed an updated systematic review and meta-analysis on a large sample of patients with and without T2DM to evaluate the influence of SGLT2i therapy on clinically relevant hyperuricemic events, defined as the composite of acute gout flare episodes, acute anti-gout management or urate-lowering therapy initiation. Furthermore, we conducted a multivariate meta-regression to assess the relationship between different covariates and the pooled effect size.

Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae among children and their household members in southern Mozambique five years after PCV10 introduction.

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis, which are leading causes of child mortality. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) protect against disease and nasopharyngeal colonization with vaccine serotypes, reducing transmission to and among unvaccinated individuals. Mozambique introduced 10-valent PCV (PCV10) in 2013.

HIV-1 Antiretroviral Drug Resistance in Mozambique: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review assessed the prevalence of transmitted and acquired HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) and the associated risk factors in Mozambique. A search of the PubMed, Cochrane, B-On, and Scopus databases up to December 2023 was conducted and included 11 studies with 1118 HIV-1 pol sequences. Drug resistance mutations (DRMs) to NNRTIs were found in 13% of the drug-naive individuals and 31% of those on ART, while NRTI resistance occurred in 5% and 10%, respectively.

Toxicological Assessment of 2-Hydroxychalcone-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy: Comparative In Vitro and In Vivo Approaches.

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality that uses light to activate a photosensitizing agent, destroying target cells. The growing awareness of the necessity to reduce or eliminate the use of mammals in research has prompted the search for safer toxicity testing models aligned with the new global guidelines and compliant with the relevant regulations.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of PDT on alternative models to mammals, including in vitro three-dimensional (3D) cultures and in vivo, in invertebrate animals, utilizing a potent photosensitizer, 2-hydroxychalcone.

Mapping Antimalarial Drug Resistance in Mozambique: A Systematic Review of Genetic Markers Post-ACT Implementation.

Malaria continues to be a significant public health burden in many tropical and subtropical regions. Mozambique ranks among the top countries affected by malaria, where it is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for 29% of all hospital deaths in the general population and 42% of deaths amongst children under five. This review presents a comparative analysis of data on five critical genes associated with antimalarial drug resistance: , , , , and , along with the copy number variation (CNV) in genes and .

Malaria Prevention for Pregnant Women and Under-Five Children in 10 Sub-Saharan Africa Countries: Socioeconomic and Temporal Inequality Analysis.

Background: Malaria remains a public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite gains from strategies like Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) and Intermittent Preventive Treatment during pregnancy (IPTp), significant socioeconomic inequalities persist, particularly among pregnant women and children under five. This study analyzed temporal and socioeconomic inequalities in malaria prevention in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Effects of an Extreme Weather Event on Primate Populations.

Objectives: With contemporary, human-induced climate change at a crisis point, extreme weather events (e.g., cyclones, heatwaves, floods) are becoming more frequent, intense, and difficult to predict.

Drug utilisation research and medicine access in Mozambique: An overview.

Access to medicine is fundamental to the provision of equitable health systems. However, availability of affordable quality-assured medicines continues to be poor, especially in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Targeted efforts associated with transparency and accountability around medicine utilisation are required in LMICs to address this problem.

Antipsychotic use during pregnancy and outcomes in pregnant individuals and newborns.

Background: Despite the increasing use of antipsychotics during pregnancy, comprehensive evaluations of their individual safety profiles using global data remain limited. This study aimed to assess the safety of various antipsychotics during pregnancy by comparing them to quetiapine, which has a relatively large body of safety data.

Method: Utilizing the World Health Organization pharmacovigilance database (1967-2023; n = 131,255,418 reports), we identified 11,406 reports of antipsychotic exposure during pregnancy.

Human and entomological determinants of malaria transmission in the Lihir Islands of Papua New Guinea: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The Lihir Islands of Papua New Guinea, located in an area with high burden of malaria and hosting a large mining operation, offer a unique opportunity to study transmission. There, we investigated human and vector factors influencing malaria transmission.

Methods: In 2019, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 2,914 individuals assessing malaria prevalence through rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), microscopy, and quantitative PCR (qPCR).

Correction: Short-term effects of the COVID-19 state of emergency on contraceptive access and utilization in Mozambique.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Antibiotic Resistance in Fermented Foods Chain: Evaluating the Risks of Emergence of as an Emerging Pathogen in Raw Milk Cheese.

Fermented foods, particularly fermented dairy products, offer significant health benefits but also present serious concerns. Probiotic bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB), found in these foods have been strongly linked to the selection and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study aims to examine the potential risks associated with fermented foods, despite their importance in human nutrition, by analyzing the entire production chain from raw material acquisition to storage.

Spatial distribution and determinants of anemia among under-five children in Mozambique.

Worldwide, anemia in under-five children is a serious public health problem that causes significant morbidity and mortality. It also negatively impacts children's physical growth, focus, memory, and academic performance. Despite this, there is a paucity of up-to-date information on the spatial distribution and determinants of under-five anemia in Mozambique.

Quality intrapartum care and associated factors in East Africa: multilevel analysis of recent demographic and health survey.

Background: The time during labor and delivery is crucial for the survival of both women and their infants, as complications that occur during this period can significantly increase the risk of morbidity and mortality. In developing nations, women of reproductive age and their infants are still at risk of morbidity and death from complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Morbidity and death from complications of pregnancy and childbirth can be prevented through the utilization of quality care during labor and delivery.

Strontium isoscape of sub-Saharan Africa allows tracing origins of victims of the transatlantic slave trade.

Strontium isotope (Sr/Sr) analysis with reference to strontium isotope landscapes (Sr isoscapes) allows reconstructing mobility and migration in archaeology, ecology, and forensics. However, despite the vast potential of research involving Sr/Sr analysis particularly in Africa, Sr isoscapes remain unavailable for the largest parts of the continent. Here, we measure the Sr/Sr ratios in 778 environmental samples from 24 African countries and combine this data with published data to model a bioavailable Sr isoscape for sub-Saharan Africa using random forest regression.

Geographic variation in modern contraceptive utilization among women of reproductive age in Mozambique: a multilevel analysis.

Background: Modern contraceptives are crucial for reducing maternal and child mortality, yet Mozambique's contraceptive prevalence rate is very low, with significant regional disparities. This study investigates geographic variation in contraceptive use and the individual, community, and regional factors influencing it to guide equitable family planning interventions.

Methods: This study utilized data from the 2022/23 Mozambique Demographic and Health Survey, analyzing a weighted sample of 9,316 women aged 15-49.

Disparities in PrEP use and unmet need across PEPFAR-supported programs: doubling down on prevention to put people first and end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

Background: In 2023, an estimated 1.3 million people newly acquired HIV. In the same year, 3.

Genomic analysis of DS-1-like human rotavirus A strains uncovers genetic relatedness of NSP4 gene with animal strains in Manhiça District, Southern Mozambique.

Post rotavirus vaccine introduction in Mozambique (September 2015), we documented a decline in rotavirus-associated diarrhoea and genotypes changes in our diarrhoeal surveillance spanning 2008-2021. This study aimed to perform whole-genome sequencing of rotavirus strains from 2009 to 2012 (pre-vaccine) and 2017-2018 (post-vaccine). Rotavirus strains previously detected by conventional PCR as G2P[4], G2P[6], G3P[4], G8P[4], G8P[6], and G9P[6] from children with moderate-to-severe and less-severe diarrhoea and without diarrhoea (healthy community controls) were sequenced using Illumina MiSeq platform and analysed using bioinformatics tools.

Aflatoxin Contamination of Various Staple Foods from Angola and Mozambique.

Aflatoxins constitute a significant risk in staple foods produced in African countries. This research aimed to analyze the total aflatoxin (AFT) contamination of various staple foods in Angola and Mozambique. A total of 233 samples of corn, peanuts, beans, rice, and cassava flour collected from farmers or local markets from the province of Cuanza Sul, Angola, and the provinces of Gaza and Inhambane, South Mozambique, were analyzed for the presence of AFT using the lateral flow strip method via AgraStrip Pro WATEX (Romer).

Intimate Partner Violence and Level of Household Food Scarcity in Mozambique.

Although food insecurity in its various forms is consistently associated with the presence of intimate partner violence (IPV), it is still unknown if various levels of severity of hunger predict IPV when important extraneous mental health, interpersonal, and social support indicators are considered. The study applied a posttest-only comparison group quasi-experimental design. The samples were randomly drawn from married women ( = 202) in Mozambique.

Molecular surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2/3 gene deletions in Mozambique, 2023.

Background: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) based on the detection of Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) are widely used for the diagnostic of P. falciparum in Africa. However, deletions of the pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes can lead to false negative test results and compromise appropriate case management.

Effects of growth hormone replacement therapy in childhood-onset craniopharyngioma: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Craniopharyngiomas (CPs) often lead to growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children. Growth hormone replacement therapy (GHRT) is essential for managing GHD but its impact on body mass index (BMI) and metabolic outcomes is controversial. Concerns exist that GHRT might contribute to tumor recurrence, with guidelines varying on when to start therapy post-surgery.