Review of Impact of Risk Reduction Sessions on Sexual Behaviors in HIV Prevention Trials: Insights from Africa.

Over the past two decades, numerous HIV prevention trials have targeted thousands of young African women, aiming not only to reduce transmissions through biomedical interventions but also to promote safe sexual practices through intensive risk reduction sessions. The primary objective of this study was to review the impact of risk reduction sessions in HIV prevention trials conducted in Africa. We assessed changes in sexual behaviors among women enrolled in various biomedical intervention trials across the African region using both visual and quantitative evaluations.

Using evidence from civil society in national and subnational health policy processes: a qualitative evidence synthesis.

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (qualitative). The objectives are as follows: To explore the use of evidence from civil society in national and subnational health policy processes. The specific research questions will include the following.

A Highly Divergent Mitochondrial Genome in Extant Cape Buffalo From Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa.

The reduced cost of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has allowed researchers to generate nuclear and mitochondrial genome data to gain deeper insights into the phylogeography, evolutionary history and biology of non-model species. While the Cape buffalo () has been well-studied across its range with traditional genetic markers over the last 25 years, researchers are building on this knowledge by generating whole genome, population-level data sets to improve understanding of the genetic composition and evolutionary history of the species. Using publicly available NGS data, we assembled 40 Cape buffalo mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from four protected areas in South Africa, expanding the geographical range and almost doubling the number of mitogenomes available for this species.

Pre-race medical clearance in 60,609 distance running race entrants: which entrants sought clearance, what physicians did, and what was the outcome? SAFER XXXVII.

Background: Medical clearance is often recommended for athletes prior to endurance exercise. The primary aim was to determine the percentage (%) of race entrants that sought medical clearance prior to participation in endurance running events, describe the diagnostic modalities used by doctors to assess entrants seeking medical clearance, and the clearance advice given. Secondary aims were to investigate the factors associated with seeking and outcome of clearance.

Predictive Methods and Probabilistic Mapping of Subcortical Brain Components in Fossil Carnivora.

Paleoneurology reconstructs the evolutionary history of nervous systems through direct observations from the fossil record and comparative data from extant species. Although this approach can provide direct evidence of phylogenetic links among species, it is constrained by the availability and quality of data that can be gleaned from the fossil record. Here, we sought to translate brain component relationships in a sample of extant Carnivora to make inferences about brain structure in fossil species.

Pulmonary Function Testing in Healthy Infants in Rural Bangladesh: Feasibility Study.

Background: Infant pulmonary function testing (iPFT) in low- and middle-income countries is limited. We evaluated the early feasibility of iPFT in rural Bangladesh.

Methods: Experts established an iPFT laboratory at Zakiganj Upazila Health Complex in Sylhet, Bangladesh and trained staff.

The paradigm of stem cell secretome in tissue repair and regeneration: Present and future perspectives.

As the number of patients requiring organ transplants continues to rise exponentially, there is a dire need for therapeutics, with repair and regenerative properties, to assist in alleviating this medical crisis. Over the past decade, there has been a shift from conventional stem cell treatments towards the use of the secretome, the protein and factor secretions from cells. These components may possess novel druggable targets and hold the key to profoundly altering the field of regenerative medicine.

Socioeconomic inequality in the outcomes of a psychological intervention for depression for South Africans with a co-occurring chronic disease: A decomposition analysis.

Task-shared psychological interventions are effective for reducing the severity of depression symptoms, but differences in treatment outcome by socioeconomic status is uncertain. This study examines socioeconomic inequalities (SEI) in depression outcomes among people with HIV and/or diabetes who participated in a cluster randomised controlled trial in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The trial took place at 24 primary care clinics randomised to deliver a task-shared psychological intervention or treatment as usual (TAU).

Serious mental health conditions and exposure to adulthood trauma in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.

Background: There is a strong link between trauma exposure and serious mental health conditions (SMHCs), such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The majority of research in the field has focused on childhood trauma as a risk factor for developing an SMHC and on samples from high-income countries. There is less research on having an SMHC as a risk factor for exposure to traumatic events, and particularly on populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Costs of home-delivered antiretroviral therapy refills for persons living with HIV: Evidence from a pilot randomized controlled trial in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is needed across the lifetime to maintain viral suppression for people living with HIV. In South Africa, obstacles to reliable access to ART persist and are magnified in rural areas, where HIV services are also typically costlier to deliver. A recent pilot randomized study (the Deliver Health Study) found that home-delivered ART refills, provided at a low user fee, effectively overcame logistical barriers to access and improved clinical outcomes in rural South Africa.

Statistical methods in the analysis of multicentre HIV randomized controlled trials in the African region: a scoping review.

Background: The majority of phase 3 clinical trials are implemented in multiple sites or centres, which inevitably leads to a correlation between observations from the same site or centre. This correlation must be carefully considered in both the design and the statistical analysis to ensure an accurate interpretation of the results and reduce the risk of biased results. This scoping review aims to provide a detailed statistical method used to analyze data collected from multicentre HIV randomized controlled trials in the African region.

Compounds Inhibit MtrCDE Efflux Pump Transport Protein for the Potential Management of Gonorrhoea Infection.

The progressive development of resistance in to almost all available antibiotics has made it crucial to develop novel approaches to tackling multi-drug resistance (MDR). One of the primary causes of antibiotic resistance is the over-expression of the MtrCDE efflux pump protein, making this protein a vital target for fighting against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in . This study was aimed at evaluating the potential MtrCDE efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) and their stability in treating gonorrhoea infection.

Genomic Medicine in the Developing World: Cancer Spectrum, Cumulative Risk and Survival Outcomes for Lynch Syndrome Variant Heterozygotes with Germline Pathogenic Variants in the and Genes.

: Although genetic testing has improved our ability to diagnose Lynch syndrome (LS), there is still limited information on the extent of variations in the clinical and genetic landscape among LS variant heterozygotes (LSVH) in Africa. We sought to investigate the cancer spectrum, cumulative risk, and survival outcomes of LSVH with pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (P/LPVs) in the and genes using a LS registry in South Africa over the last 30 years. : A retrospective study was conducted to retrieve demographic, clinical, and genetic data of all LSVH with P/LPVs in the and genes from our LS registry.

Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Rural Eastern Cape, South Africa: A Study of Patients' Characteristics in Selected Healthcare Facilities.

This study investigated the characteristics and outcomes of drug-resistant tuberculosis patients in selected rural healthcare facilities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. A retrospective review of clinical records from 456 patients, covering the period from January 2018 to December 2020, revealed a statistically significant relationship between DR-TB types and age groups (Chi-square statistic: 30.74, -value: 0.

Evaluation of Metronidazole Resistance of Vaginal Swab Isolates from South African Women Treated for Bacterial Vaginosis.

: The high recurrence rate of bacterial vaginosis (BV) after antibiotic treatment is at least partially attributed to resistant bacteria. The CAPRISA 083 (CAP083) study investigated the influence of metronidazole (MTZ) treatment on the vaginal microbiome in 56 South African women diagnosed with BV. To explore the etiology of recurrent BV in this cohort, we retrospectively analyzed vaginal swabs collected in CAP083 before and after MTZ treatment.

Potential Interactions Between Soil-Transmitted Helminths and Herpes Simplex Virus Type II: Implications for Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Saharan African.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) bears a disproportionate and overlapping burden of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and sexually transmitted viral infections. An estimated 232 million pre-school and school-aged children in SSA are vulnerable to STH infections. Together with this, SSA has a high prevalence of herpes simplex virus type II (HSV-2), the primary cause of genital herpes.

microGalaxy: A gateway to tools, workflows, and training for reproducible and FAIR analysis of microbial data.

Microbial research generates vast and complex data from diverse omics technologies, necessitating innovative analytical solutions. microGalaxy (Galaxy for Microbiology) addresses these needs with a user-friendly platform that integrates >220 tool suites and >65 curated workflows for microbial analyses, including taxonomic profiling, assembly, annotation, and functional analysis. Hosted on the main EU Galaxy server (microgalaxy.

Sex hormone-binding globulin, testosterone and type 2 diabetes risk in middle-aged African women: exploring the impact of HIV and menopause.

Objectives: Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone are differentially associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk. We investigated whether these associations differ by HIV and menopausal status in Black South African women living with (WLWH) and without HIV (WLWOH).

Design: Cross-sectional observational.

Effect of ketamine on anxiety: findings from the Ketamine for Adult Depression Study.

Background: Anxiety disorders and treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD) are often comorbid. Studies suggest ketamine has anxiolytic and antidepressant properties.

Aims: To investigate if subcutaneous racemic ketamine, delivered twice weekly for 4 weeks, reduces anxiety in people with TRD.

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.

"Men Take Care of Each Other": Evaluation of a Community-Based Model for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Services Among Male Bar Patrons in Rural South Africa.

Low engagement with HIV services persists among young men with harmful alcohol use in South Africa. We previously piloted a rural community-based HIV service delivery model to engage this key population. In the initial study, male nurses visited alcohol-serving venues to provide HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services.

The relationship between immune markers and tryptophan-kynurenine metabolites in South African people with HIV.

HIV-1 remains a global challenge, especially in high-prevalence areas like South Africa. This study explores the relationship between inflammation and metabolism in people with HIV, focusing on immune markers and the tryptophan-kynurenine (Trp-Kyn) pathway. We examined immune markers (hsCRP, suPAR, IL-6, NGAL, and sCD163) and Trp-Kyn metabolites (QUIN, Trp, Kyn, Trp/Kyn ratio, and kynurenic acid) in n = 69 treatment-naive South African people with HIV.