Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum sialic acids enhance macrophage infection.

Leishmaniases affect millions of people around the world, caused by Leishmania parasites. Leishmania are transmitted by female sandflies from Phlebotominae subfamily during their blood meals. In mammals, promastigotes are phagocytosed mainly by macrophages, differentiate into amastigotes and multiply.

High prevalence of reverse transcriptase inhibitors associated resistance mutations among people living with HIV on dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy in Francistown, Botswana.

Objectives: We assessed HIV-1 drug resistance profiles among people living with HIV (PLWH) with detectable viral load (VL) and on dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Botswana.

Methods: The study utilised available 100 residual HIV-1 VL samples from unique PLWH in Francistown who had viraemia at-least 6 months after initiating ART in Botswana's national ART program from November 2023 to January 2024. Viraemia was categorized as low-level viraemia (LLV) (VL: 200-999 copies/mL) or virologic failure (VF) (VL ≥1000 copies/mL).

Decreased frequency of sugar sweetened beverages intake among young children following the implementation of the health promotion levy in South Africa.

Objective: This study assessed the association between baseline sociodemographic variables, body composition and 4-year changes in the intake of food groups, including sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) among children, after implementation of the health promotion levy.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: 10 schools in North West Province, South Africa.

Early Initiation of Breastfeeding and Exclusive Breastfeeding in Anglophone and Francophone West African Countries: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prevalence.

Early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF) and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) are highly effective forms of preventive medicine in many low- and middle-income countries, including Anglophone and Francophone West African countries. Despite the proven benefits of EIBF and EBF in reducing mortality and morbidity, there is limited systematic evidence from West African countries. Hence, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the pooled prevalence of EIBF and EBF in Anglophone and Francophone West African countries.

Electronic cigarette usage amongst high school students in South Africa: a mixed methods approach.

Background: The WHO has highlighted that: "promotion of e-cigarettes has led to marked increases in e-cigarette use by children and adolescents." The long-term neuropsychiatric and psychological consequences of substance abuse in adolescence is well recognised. Limited data exists on the adolescent burden of vaping-related nicotine addiction and behavioural and/or psychological dependence to guide pharmacological or behavioural interventions to stop electronic cigarette usage.

Nevus of Hori in African patients: an entity that is most likely underdiagnosed in clinical practice.

Background: Nevus of Hori (HN) has been primarily reported in patients of Eastern Asian descent, with a paucity of data regarding HN occurring in African patients. In this study, we report on South African patients with HN initially thought to have melasma.

Objective: To characterize the histopathological and clinical phenotypes of HN in African patients.

Objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity does not attenuate prospective weight gain among African-origin adults spanning the epidemiological transition.

Traditional obesity-related public health messaging often includes physical activity (PA) recommendations. However, at the population level, the data are conflicting, especially when comparing different self-reported vs measured techniques across different settings and populations. We measured the association between moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) and prospective weight change across five African-origin populations and the extent to which MVPA attenuated weight change over time.

'We need to be part of the solution': lessons from the 2024 PPRI Conference on ensuring access to affordable medicines through innovative policies.

On 25-26 April 2024, the 5th PPRI (Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Information) Conference on ensuring equitable access to affordable medicines took place in Vienna (Austria). Twenty-four accepted contributions were presented either as oral presentations or posters, adding to invited keynote lectures, stakeholder debates and workshops. The global multi-stakeholder audience discussed a range of approaches in pharmaceutical policies, which have the potential to successfully and sustainably address current and future challenges in ensuring patient access to affordable medicines globally.

An optimized support vector machine for lung cancer classification system.

Introduction: Lung cancer is one of the main causes of the rising death rate among the expanding population. For patients with lung cancer to have a higher chance of survival and fewer deaths, early categorization is essential. The goal of thisresearch is to enhance machine learning to increase the precision and quality of lung cancer classification.

Stool processing methods for Xpert Ultra testing in childhood tuberculosis: A prospective, multi-country accuracy study.

Background: Centrifuge-free processing methods support stool Xpert Ultra testing for childhood tuberculosis (TB), but there are limited data on their accuracy, acceptability and usability.

Methods: We conducted a prospective evaluation of stool Xpert Ultra in India, South Africa, and Uganda with three methods: Stool Processing Kit (SPK), Simple One-Step (SOS), and Optimized Sucrose Flotation (OSF). Children <15 years old with presumptive TB had respiratory specimen testing with Xpert Ultra and culture.

Incisor cross-sectional area at the cementoenamel junction correlates with an increased reliance on frugivory in anthropoid primates.

Diet is one of a limited set of key ecological parameters defining primate species. A detailed understanding of dental functional correlates with primate diet is a key component for accurate dietary inference in fossil primates. Although considerable effort has been devoted to understanding post-canine dental function, incisor function remains poorly understood.

Head and Neck Rhabdomyosarcoma in Pediatric Patients: An International Collaborative Study.

Background: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a rare malignant tumor, frequently affects pediatric patients, with 35%-40% occurring in the head and neck. This study analyzes the clinicopathologic profile of pediatric head and neck rhabdomyosarcomas from Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, and South Africa.

Methods: We reviewed 44 cases from 10 Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology services, conducting immunohistochemical analyses of desmin, myogenin, Myo-D1, and Ki67, with quantification via QuPath software.

Molecular basis of human angiotensin-1 converting enzyme inhibition by a series of diprolyl-derived compounds.

Angiotensin-1-converting enzyme (ACE) is a zinc-dependent carboxypeptidase of therapeutic interest for the treatment of hypertension, inflammation and fibrosis. It consists of two homologous N and C catalytic domains, nACE and cACE, respectively. Unfortunately, the current clinically available ACE inhibitors produce undesirable side effects due to the nonselective inhibition of these domains.

G9a an Epigenetic Therapeutic Strategy for Neurodegenerative Conditions: From Target Discovery to Clinical Trials.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the role of G9a/EHMT2, focusing on its structure and exploring the impact of its pharmacological and/or gene inhibition in various neurological diseases. In addition, we delve into the advancements in the design and synthesis of G9a/EHMT2 inhibitors, which hold promise not only as a treatment for neurodegeneration diseases but also for other conditions, such as cancer and malaria. Besides, we presented the discovery of dual therapeutic approaches based on G9a inhibition and different epigenetic enzymes like histone deacetylases, DNA methyltransferases, and other lysine methyltransferases.

Seasonal monitoring of forage C:N:ADF ratio in natural rangeland using remote sensing data.

In recent decades, natural rangelands have emerged as vital sources of livelihood and ecological services, particularly in Southern Africa, supporting communities in developing regions. However, the escalating global demand for food, driven by a growing human population, has led to the extensive expansion of cultivated areas, resulting in continuous nutrient leaching in rangelands. To ensure the long-term viability of these ecosystems, there is a need to develop effective approaches for managing and monitoring the seasonality of forage quality.

Aboveground biomass estimation in a grassland ecosystem using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and machine learning algorithms.

The grassland ecosystem forms a critical part of the natural ecosystem, covering up to 15-26% of the Earth's land surface. Grassland significantly impacts the carbon cycle and climate regulation by storing carbon dioxide. The organic matter found in grassland biomass, which acts as a carbon source, greatly expands the carbon stock in terrestrial ecosystems.

An intelligent incentive-based demand response program for exhaustive environment constrained techno-economic analysis of microgrid system.

The cost-effective scheduling of distributed energy resources through sophisticated optimization algorithms is the main focus of recent work on microgrid energy management. In order to improve load factor and efficiency, load-shifting techniques are frequently used in conjunction with additional complex constraints such as PHEV scheduling and battery life assessment. Pollutant reduction, however, is rarely highlighted as a primary goal.

Effect of tropical climates on the quality of commonly used antibiotics: the protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Medicine quality can be influenced by environmental factors. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with tropical climates, storage facilities of medicines in healthcare settings and homes may be suboptimal. However, knowledge of the effects of temperature and other climatic and environmental factors on the quality of medicines is limited.

'I'm not ok, we are not ok': an exploration into the embodied precarity experienced by disabled people and their family members living in rural South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research suggests that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on disabled people was magnified compared with the impact on non-disabled people; however, little is known about the experiences of disabled people living in rural areas, particularly those in the Global South. Disabled people living in rural areas experience significant challenges related to poverty, food insecurity and access to information and healthcare. Data were collected in the Nkomazi East Municipality in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Turning the band alignment of carbon dots for visible-light-driven enzymatic asymmetric reduction of aromatic ketone.

Keto reductases are crucial NAD(P)H-dependent enzymes used for the enantioselective synthesis of alcohols from prochiral ketones. Typically, the NADPH cofactor is regenerated through a second enzyme and/or substrate. However, photocatalytic cofactor regeneration using water as a sacrificial electron and hydrogen donor presents a promising alternative, albeit a challenging one.

Tuning the properties of soy protein isolate-based adhesive using various sustainable additives.

This work investigates the adhesive property of Soy Protein Isolate(SPI)polymer solution by studying mechanical properties of composites formed using waste wood granules and SPI solutions. To improve the adhesive strength of SPI solution, Carboxymethyl Cellulose Sodium(NaCMC)was mixed (in the weight ratios of 9:1 and 8:2) due to its strong gel formation capabilities. The adhesive performance of these composites was further investigated in the presence and absence of non-toxic additives, including sorbitol (SOR) and stearic acid (SA).

Biome conservatism prevailed in repeated long-distance colonization of Madagascar's mountains by Helichrysum (Compositae, Gnaphalieae).

Colonization and diversification processes are responsible for the distinctiveness of island biotas, with Madagascar standing out as abiodiversity hotspot exceptionally rich in species and endemism. Regardless of its significance, the evolutionary history and diversification drivers of Madagascar's flora remain understudied. Here we focus on Helichrysum (Compositae, Gnaphalieae) to investigate the evolutionary and biogeographic origins of the Malagasy flora.

Target product profile for cell-based and gene-based therapies to achieve a cure for HIV.

This target product profile (TPP) highlights the minimal and optimal characteristics for ex-vivo and in-vivo cell and gene therapy-based products aimed at achieving an HIV cure (ie, durable antiretroviral-free viral control). The need for an effective, safe, scalable, affordable, accessible, and acceptable cure for HIV infection remains a major global priority. The possibilities for cell and gene therapy-based products for an HIV cure are rapidly expanding.

Frequency and Distribution of Perinatal Arterial Ischemic Stroke in a Cohort of Patients With Cerebral Palsy Using Delayed MRI.

Purpose: This study examined the occurrence and MRI characteristics of perinatal arterial ischemic stroke (PAIS) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and suspected term hypoxic-ischemic injury (HII).

Methods: A retrospective review of brain MRI scans was conducted on children with CP and suspected term HII in South Africa.

Results: Out of 1620 children with CP included in the study, 15 (0.

Toxoplasma gondii from Gabonese forest, Central Africa: First report of an African wild strain.

The protozoan Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous and highly prevalent parasite that can theoretically infect all warm-blooded vertebrates. In humans, toxoplasmosis causes infections in both immunodeficient and immunocompetent patients, congenital toxoplasmosis, and ocular lesions. These manifestations have different degrees of severity.