Using HIV and Hepatitis C Molecular Epidemiology to Investigate Assisted Partner Services Recruitment Among People Who Inject Drugs in Kenya.

Sexual and/or injecting partners of people who inject drugs (PWID) may have an elevated risk of HIV infection either from sharing a transmission network or an epidemiological environment. We estimated the degree of similarity between HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) sequences from PWID and their partners to assess whether partner-based recruitment identifies sexual or injecting partners within transmission networks. We used assisted partner services (APS) to recruit sexual and injecting partners of PWID living with HIV in Kenya and evaluated trends in the TN93 distances (an adjusted measure of sequence similarity) of the HIV-1 and HCV sequences from partner pairs.

Can Endogenous or Exogenous Ketosis Tackle the Constraints of Ultra-Endurance Exercise?

A high-fat, low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet has already appealed to athletes for a long time due to its purported ability to improve exercise performance and post-exercise recovery. The availability of ketone supplements has further sparked such interest. The review therefore focuses on the potential beneficial impact of exogenous and endogenous ketosis in the context of ultra-endurance exercise.

Smokeless tobacco (snuff) and site-specific cancer risks in adult Black South African women: Findings from the Johannesburg Cancer Study.

Smokeless tobacco (SLT) use is an established carcinogen to the nasal cavity, lip, and oropharynx, however, few studies have examined cancer risks in older African women among whom SLT use is common. We investigated snuff use and the risk of site-specific cancers among 15,336 newly diagnosed female cancer patients in the Johannesburg Cancer Study, South Africa. We designed case-control comparisons across multiple cancer outcomes: (a) known SLT-associated cancers; (b) other tobacco-related cancers and (c) genital cancers owing to intravaginal snuff use.

Exploring the learning environment through an organizational theory lens: A case study from nursing education.

Background: The calls for curricula review to adequately prepare nursing graduates have increased over the last decade. In response, many nursing education institutions across the world have considered ways to review and renew their curricula. Part of these renewal processes seeks to prepare nursing graduates to function within highly dynamic and challenging environments.

A phylogenetic assessment of HIV-1 transmission trends among people who inject drugs from Coastal and Nairobi, Kenya.

Although recent modeling suggests that needle-syringe programs (NSPs) have reduced parenteral HIV transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Kenya, the prevalence in this population remains high (∼14-20%, compared to ∼4% in the larger population). Reducing transmission or acquisition requires understanding historic and modern transmission trends, but the relationship between the PWID HIV-1 sub-epidemic and the general epidemic in Kenya is not well understood. We incorporated 303 new (2018-21) HIV-1 sequences from PWID and their sexual and injecting partners with 2666 previously published Kenyan HIV-1 sequences to quantify relative rates and direction of HIV-1 transmissions involving PWID from the coast and Nairobi regions of Kenya.

Human papillomavirus self-sampling versus provider-sampling in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review of accuracy, acceptability, cost, uptake, and equity.

Introduction: HPV self-sampling is a relatively new, cost-effective and widely accepted method, however, uptake in LMICs remains limited. We aimed to map out the evidence and identify gaps in accuracy, acceptability, cost, equity and uptake of self-sampling vs. provider-sampling in LMICs.

Association between Food Insecurity, Socioeconomic Status of the Household Head, and Hypertension and Diabetes in Maputo City.

Metabolic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are increasingly recognized as not just medical issues, but as complex conditions influenced by various factors. This study aimed to explore the association between food insecurity (FI) and hypertension and diabetes and how socioeconomic status influences this relationship. Based on a cross‑sectional study of 1,820 participants conducted in Maputo City, FI was measured using a modified version of the US Department of Agriculture scale; metabolic diseases were assessed using self‑reports of the actual diagnoses, and data were analyzed through multinomial regression and interaction terms.

Unveiling the fitness of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains for lignocellulosic bioethanol: a genomic exploration through fermentation stress tests.

Lignocellulosic biomass holds significant promise as a substrate for bioethanol production, yet the financial viability of lignocellulosic fermentation poses challenges. The pre-treatment step needed for lignocellulosic substrates generates inhibitors that impede Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth, affecting the fermentation process and overall yield. In modern sugarcane-to-ethanol plants, a rapid succession of yeast strains occurs, with dominant strains prevailing.

Disentangling faculty development: A scoping review towards a rich description of the concept and its practice.

Background: There is wide variation in how faculty development (FD) is practiced globally and described in the literature. This scoping review aims to clarify how FD is conceptualised and practiced in health professions education.

Methodology: Using a systematic search strategy, 418 papers, published between 2015-2023, were included for full text review.

Dengue virus importation risks in Africa: a modelling study.

Background: Dengue is a significant global public health concern that poses a threat in Africa. Particularly, African countries are at risk of viral introductions through air travel connectivity with areas of South America and Asia in which explosive dengue outbreaks frequently occur. Limited reporting and diagnostic capacity hinder a comprehensive assessment of continent-wide transmission dynamics and deployment of surveillance strategies in Africa.

Protocol to phenotype and quantify mycobacteria-specific myeloid cells from human airways by mass cytometry.

Alveolar macrophages and other myeloid cells in the human airways are the primary cell types responding to respiratory pathogens. Here, we present a protocol for in vitro stimulation of cryopreserved human bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells with mycobacterial antigens for phenotyping and quantifying proinflammatory cytokine responses in myeloid cells by mass cytometry. We demonstrate that the measure of markers of myeloid lineage and function is stable after freezing stained cells thereby allowing for batched analyses and/or machine downtime.

Exogenous binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP) enhance immune regulatory phenotype in ex-vivo Mtb infected PBMCs stratified based on QuantiFERON response.

Even though anti-tuberculosis (TB) treatment is readily available, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection continues to be a global threat with a high death rate recorded from a single infectious agent. This highlights the significance of developing new strategies to curb the growing Mtb infection cases. Host-directed therapies (HDT) offer a promising approach that includes both drug discovery and drug repurposing, aimed at identifying host targets and promoting immune cell populations that can lead to better infection outcomes.

Characterization and Inhibition of the Chaperone Function of Plasmodium falciparum Glucose-Regulated Protein 94 kDa (PfGrp94).

Plasmodium falciparum expresses four heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) members. Among these, one, glucose-regulated protein 94 (PfGrp94), is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Both the cytosolic and ER-based Hsp90s are essential for parasite survival under all growth conditions.

Is home environment predictive of early grammar development?

Research shows that children's home environment (e.g., the composition of their household and the resources available in it) has an impact on children's language development.

Genomic epidemiology and immune escape of SARS-CoV-2 recombinant strains circulating in Botswana.

Objectives: We characterized the molecular and mutational landscape of SARS-CoV-2 recombinant strains in Botswana.

Methods: We performed genomic, phylogenetic, and immunoinformatic analyses of 5254 near-complete genomes from 2020 to 2023. We assessed the presence of mutations of interested (MutOI) that may be associated with immune escape .

Seascape Genomics of the Smooth Hammerhead Shark Reveals Regional Adaptive Clinal Variation.

Globally, hammerhead sharks have experienced severe declines owing to continued overexploitation and anthropogenic change. The smooth hammerhead shark remains understudied compared to other members of the family Sphyrnidae. Despite its vulnerable status, a comprehensive understanding of its genetic landscape remains lacking in many regions worldwide.

Ectopic pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy, defined as the implantation of a developing pregnancy outside of the endometrial cavity of the uterus, is the leading cause of early-pregnancy maternal mortality. The majority of ectopic pregnancies implant in a fallopian tube. Acute complications may include rupture of the fallopian tube or rupture of ectopic pregnancy, haemorrhage and hypovolaemic shock, or occur secondary to treatments such as emergency surgery or blood transfusions, and ultimately increase the risk of maternal death.

Rapid Sex Chromosome Turnover in African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus) and the Origins of New Sex Chromosomes.

Sex chromosomes of some closely related species are not homologous, and sex chromosome turnover is often attributed to mechanisms that involve linkage to or recombination arrest around sex-determining loci. We examined sex chromosome turnover and recombination landscapes in African clawed frogs (genus Xenopus) with reduced representation genome sequences from 929 individuals from 19 species. We recovered extensive variation in sex chromosomes, including at least eight nonhomologous sex-associated regions-five newly reported here, with most maintaining female heterogamety, but two independent origins of Y chromosomes.

Temporary Circular External Fixation for Spanning the Traumatized Ankle Joint.

Background: Temporary ankle-spanning circular fixation aims to provide osseous stability while (1) allowing access to and recovery of the traumatized soft-tissue envelope and (2) facilitating safe, comfortable, and clinically relevant cross-sectional imaging for surgical planning. It is most commonly utilized in a "span-scan-plan" treatment strategy in cases of peri-articular fractures around the ankle. Conventional monolateral fixators are prone to morbidity at the half-pin sites in the foot and variation in construct stability.

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, Raynaud's Phenomenon, and Biomechanical Soft Tissue Injuries in an Adolescent Boy: A Case Report.

A 16-year-old male with hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) and Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) was referred to a clinical exercise physiologist (CEP) by their pediatric rheumatologist. The patient presented with arthralgia in the left knee and shoulder. Specifically, the left knee presented discomfort during activities of daily living (ADL), and the left shoulder had a reduced range of motion resulting from pain.