Polygyny and intimate partner violence among married women: Sub-national estimates from a cross-sectional study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global issue with several social and health consequences. Global estimates indicate that one-third of women have experienced lifetime IPV. In 2013, sub-Saharan Africa recorded the highest rates of IPV.

Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia Treatment: New Developments.

Purpose Of Review: Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH) is characterized by marked elevation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) and premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This is a review of novel pharmacological therapies to lower LDLC in patients with HoFH.

Recent Findings: Novel therapies can be broadly divided by whether their efficacy is dependent or independent of residual low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) function.

A morphometric study of posterior tibial slope differences by sex and ethnicity in a South African population.

Purpose: Posterior tibial slope (PTS) influences knee kinetics and kinematics. The purpose of this study was to investigate morphology and variation within a sample of the black and white male and female population.

Method: 480 randomly selected lateral knee radiographs were included.

TiO-ZnO functionalized low-cost ceramic membranes from coal fly ash for the removal of tetracycline from water under visible light.

Hybrid wastewater treatment systems offer viable solutions to enhance the removal of complicated contaminants from aqueous system. This innovation has opened new avenues for advanced wastewater treatment processes. Herein, a novel TiO-ZnO functionalized coal fly ash-based ceramic membrane was fabricated by utilizing a combined pressing and sintering method.

Microfragmented Adipose Tissue Has No Advantage Over Platelet-Rich Plasma and Bone Marrow Aspirate Injections for Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Microfragmented adipose tissue has been proposed for intra-articular treatment of knee osteoarthritis. There are little data comparing the outcomes of treatment between microfragmented adipose tissue and other biological treatments.

Purpose: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing microfragmented aspirated fat injections to other orthobiologics, hyaluronic acid, and corticosteroid injections for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

The Incidence and Aetiology of Maxillofacial Trauma and Concomitant Traumatic Brain Injury in a Johannesburg Tertiary Hospital.

Objective: To investigate the incidence and etiology of maxillofacial trauma (MFT) and its association with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Background: Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is an association between MFT and TBI and that higher incidences of TBI are associated with frontal bone and mid-facial fractures. Despite the large volume of maxillofacial facial fractures treated in the authors' unit, no study has been undertaken to establish the relationship between TBI and maxillofacial fractures.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Accurate assessment of cognitive impairment in low-income settings may require consideration of complex psychosocial variables (PV). Failure to consider the association of PV with biological factors, such as HIV, could lead to false classification of cognitive impairment. We investigated the impact of PV on cognitive performance in people with HIV (PWH) and without in a low-income area of Cape Town, South Africa.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: People with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) often have neuropsychiatric symptoms. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) is a validated tool for assessing the severity of these symptoms, but its applicability in a South African context remains unexamined. This study evaluated NPI-Q, a brief version of the NPI, in relation to cognitive performance and markers of brain atrophy and emotional regulation among older South African adults.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Dementia criteria require not only memory impairment, but additional impairment in at least one other cognitive domain, like visuospatial functioning. Cognitive measures assessing visuospatial function often involve drawing shapes. While these measures have proven reliable and valid in developed countries, their use in Low and Middle-income Countries (LMICs) is challenging due to cultural differences and low literacy.

Detection of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli in the abattoir wastewater-impacted Iyi-Etu River and other water types at the Amansea livestock market settlement, Anambra State, Nigeria: a matter of public health concern.

Background: Globally, diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) has been implicated in the spread of waterborne diseases and abattoir wastewater has played a role in its dissemination into watersheds. This study isolated and characterised DEC from the abattoir wastewater-impacted Iyi-Etu River and other water sources at the Amansea livestock market settlement.

Methods: A total of 96 water samples comprising river water (upstream, downstream 1, downstream 2), borehole, well, sachet and abattoir wastewater samples were tested for DEC.

Expert Consensus on an Exercise Prescription Framework for Older People Living With HIV in a South African Setting-A Delphi Study.

Well-established, regular exercise interventions for older people living with HIV (OPLWH) are beneficial. However, the fundamental principles of exercise prescription for this population have not been sufficiently explored. An expert panel of health care professionals engaged in a modified Delphi technique to explore their perceptions of, and gain their consensus on, an exercise prescription framework for OPLWH in a resource-poor South African setting.

Genetic variability in snake venom and its implications for antivenom development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Snake venom, a complex mixture of proteins, has attracted human attention for centuries due to its associated mortality, morbidity and other therapeutic properties. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where snakebites pose a significant health risk, understanding the genetic variability of snake venoms is crucial for developing effective antivenoms. The wide geographic distribution of venomous snake species in SSA countries demonstrates the need to develop specific and broad antivenoms.

The incidence of snakebite in South Africa and the challenges associated with lack of reporting.

Background: Snakebite is a public health challenge that has a substantial impact on humans and snakes. Annually, millions of people are affected by snakebite globally but there is a paucity of detailed data on snakebite incidences. The aim of this study was to assess the patterns of snakebite incidences in South Africa.

Awareness, Acceptability and Factors Influencing Malaria Vaccine Uptake Among Caregivers of Children Under 5 in South-Western Nigeria.

Background: Malaria remains a major cause of preventable deaths among children worldwide, despite the availability of several interventions for controlling and eliminating the disease. The WHO recommended the first malaria vaccine, RTS, S/AS01 in October 2021 to immunize children in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we set out to evaluate the knowledge, awareness and acceptability of the malaria vaccine among mothers of under 5 in south-west Nigeria before the vaccine's rollout in Nigeria.

Solitary fibrous tumor of the bladder: A rare cause of bladder outlet obstruction in an adult male.

Introduction: Solitary fibrous bladder tumors are extremely uncommon, with only a few cases reported. These fibroblastic mesenchymal neoplasms are typically benign, indolent, and slow growing.

Case Presentation: A 44-year-old male patient with obstructive uropathy was referred to our unit for workup.

Generalizing the intention-to-treat effect of an active control from historical placebo-controlled trials: A case study of the efficacy of daily oral TDF/FTC in the HPTN 084 study.

In many clinical settings, an active-controlled trial design (e.g., a non-inferiority or superiority design) is often used to compare an experimental medicine to an active control (e.

The African Initiative for Bioinformatics Online Training in Neurodegenerative Diseases (AI-BOND): Investing in the next generation of African neuroscientists.

Unlabelled: Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and AD-related dementias (AD/ADRD), pose significant challenges to health care systems globally, particularly in Africa. With the advances in medical technology and research capabilities, especially in next-generation sequencing and imaging, vast amounts of data have been generated from AD/ADRD research. Given that the greatest increase in AD/ADRD prevalence is expected to occur in Africa, it is critical to establish comprehensive bioinformatics training programs to help African scientists leverage existing data and collect additional information to untangle AD/ADRD heterogeneity in African populations.

Evaluating client functioning in a harm reduction program in South Africa: insights from a tool derived from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

South Africa faces the detrimental effects of problematic substance use. The Community Oriented Substance Use Program (COSUP) is a research-based, community-situated harm-reduction program. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was used as the framework to develop a unique tool to determine the functioning of COSUP clients.

A Narrative Review of Invasive Candidiasis in the Intensive Care Unit.

species is the most common cause of invasive fungal infection in the critically ill population admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Numerous risk factors for developing invasive candidiasis (IC) have been identified, and some, like the breach of protective barriers, abound within the ICU. Given that IC carries a significant mortality, morbidity, and healthcare cost burden, early diagnosis and treatment have become an essential topic of discussion.

Baricitinib Treatment in RNU7-1-Associated Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome in a South African Child: A Case Report.

Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) is a rare monogenic type I interferonopathy. Janus kinase (JAK) inhibition has emerged as a potential treatment for AGS. RNU7-1 is one of the most recently discovered genes for AGS, and the clinical effects of JAK inhibition in these patients have not been reported.

Monitoring for advanced disease in the universal test and treat era: trends in CD4 count testing in South Africa.

Background: Under South Africa's Universal Test and Treat (UTT) policy, CD4 counts are no longer required to determine HIV treatment eligibility. However, CD4 count at presentation remains an important marker of disease progression. We assessed whether CD4 testing declined in the UTT era and, if so, by how much.

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis technique failure in adult patients treated at a tertiary hospital in central South Africa: a retrospective analytical study.

Background: Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is one of the kidney replacement therapy (KRT) modalities used in patients with kidney failure. It is the preferred modality in most resource-limited settings as it is more accessible and cost-effective. CAPD technique failure remains a challenge and is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality.

Characterization and Analytical Method Validation for Potential Impurities of a Merchantability Drug Substance Fluoxetine HCl.

A new selective and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the quantification of potential impurities in fluoxetine hydrochloride. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an end-capped octadecylsilyl silica gel (Gemini-C18 150 mm × 4.6 mm, 3.

Evaluation of long-acting cabotegravir safety and pharmacokinetics in pregnant women in eastern and southern Africa: a secondary analysis of HPTN 084.

Introduction: Long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) for pre-exposure prophylaxis significantly reduced HIV acquisition in HPTN 084. We report on the safety and CAB-LA pharmacokinetics in pregnant women during the blinded period of HPTN 084.

Methods: Participants were randomized 1:1 to either active cabotegravir (CAB) plus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) placebo or active TDF/FTC plus CAB placebo.

Late re-engagement into HIV care among adults in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Introduction: Little is known about the clinical status of persons with HIV (PWH) who re-engage in care after an interruption. We evaluated the immunological and clinical characteristics of individuals re-engaging in care within the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Methods: Participants who re-engaged in care after an interruption >14 months with a viral load ≥100 copies/mL were classified as having interrupted ART.