Decoding the blueprint of receptor binding by filoviruses through large-scale binding assays and machine learning.

Evidence suggests that bats are important hosts of filoviruses, yet the specific species involved remain largely unidentified. Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) is an essential entry receptor, with amino acid variations influencing viral susceptibility and species-specific tropism. Herein, we conducted combinatorial binding studies with seven filovirus glycoproteins (GPs) and NPC1 orthologs from 81 bat species.

Knowledge of Mandatory Reporting Laws and Recording of Clients' Abuse Data: Effects of a Sexual Health Curriculum Training for Health Students in Tanzania.

Tanzania mandated reporting laws aim to identify and address child abuse, yet healthcare students' awareness and reporting are limited. This study assessed training's impact on their knowledge of reporting laws and handling confidential child abuse data. The study involved 412 medical and nursing students in a randomized controlled trial (RCT), with 206 participants receiving sexual health training and a waitlist control group of equal size receiving no intervention.

Bedford, 1931, a sole extant species of the genus - a scoping review.

Bedford, 1931 is the sole extant tick species that belongs to the genus and family and Nuttalliellidae respectively. With the characteristics that are respectively distinctive to hard and soft ticks, it is regarded as the species closest to the ancestral lineage of ticks as well as the missing link between the Argasidae and Ixodidae families. In this review, literature search of the articles reporting on was done in Google Scholar and PubMed databases.

Development of a rapid and highly sensitive nucleic acid-based diagnostic test for schistosomes, leveraging on identical multi-repeat sequences.

Introduction: Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia), a neglected tropical disease caused by parasites, afflicts over 240 million people globally, disproportionately impacting Sub-Saharan Africa. Current diagnostic tests, despite their utility, suffer from limitations like low sensitivity. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) remain the most common and sensitive nucleic acid amplification tests.

Incidence and Progression of Diastolic Dysfunction in People With HIV in Tanzania: A Comparative Cohort.

Background: People living with HIV (PLWH) have a higher prevalence of diastolic dysfunction and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in cross-sectional studies. Longitudinal data are lacking, especially from Africa.

Objectives: The aim was to examine: 1) the incidence of diastolic dysfunction in PLWH compared to community controls in Tanzania; 2) the progression of diastolic function and LVH in PLWH after antiretroviral therapy initiation; and 3) traditional, endemic, and HIV-specific risk factors for diastolic function and LVH.

Utility of glass slide morphology (GSM) and whole slide image (WSI) in the diagnosis of acute leukemia (AL) by types.

Acute leukemia (AL) is a diverse group of hematological malignancies characterised by the accumulation of immature blast cells in the bone marrow. Accurate classification into acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is essential for treatment and prognosis. This study aimed to assess the performance of glass slide morphology (GSM) using a light microscope versus whole slide imaging (WSI) in diagnosing and classifying AL, using flow cytometry as the gold standard test.

Efficient Detection of West Nile Virus in Urine Specimens by a Novel In-House RT-qPCR Detection Kit.

West Nile Virus (WNV) infection represents a major global public health challenge. Even though most of the patients are asymptomatic, some cases progress to critical condition which may be fatal. Diagnosis traditionally relies on serological methods, but their limitations, including cross-reactivity, highlight the need for alternative approaches.

Larviciding for malaria control and elimination in Africa.

Background: Global progress toward malaria elimination and eradication goals has stagnated in recent years, with many African countries reporting increases in malaria morbidity and mortality. Insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying are effective, but the emergence and increased intensity of insecticide resistance and the challenge of outdoor transmission are undermining their impact. New tools are needed to get back on track towards global targets.

Sinonasal extramedullary plasmacytoma: A case report and review of the literature.

Primary solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma is a malignant neoplasm characterized by the monoclonal proliferation of plasma cells outside the bone marrow. The tumor rarely occurs in the sinonasal tract, accounting for about 4% of all non-epithelial sinonasal tumors. Herein, the authors describe a rare case of sinonasal extramedullary plasmacytoma in a 33-year-old man who presented with a 3-month history of progressively increasing nasal mass, causing obstruction.

Knowledge of and perception towards eclampsia among women and men in Unguja Island, Zanzibar: A qualitative study.

Background: Eclampsia is among the primary causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in Zanzibar. Many women and men are not aware of the signs, symptoms and causes of eclampsia and may have different explanatory models. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the community understanding of pre-eclampsia, as a key stage to improve maternal and perinatal health in Unguja Island, Zanzibar.

Bayesian predictive modelling to ascertain factors affecting cattle milk production in Tanzania: Evidence from the national panel surveys 2012 - 2021.

This study aimed to evaluate and compare Bayesian predictive models to identify and quantify the key household inputs affecting cattle milk production in Tanzania. A sample of 1,266 households with at least one milked cow was extracted from the National Panel Survey datasets, the data were collected in 2012/2013 (wave 3), 2014/2015 (wave 4), and 2020/2021 (wave 5). Two generalized linear and generalized additive mixed models were fitted using the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation.

Reducing fragmentation of primary healthcare financing for more equitable, people-centred primary healthcare.

Despite primary healthcare (PHC) being recognised in global declarations-Alma Ata in 1978 and Astana in 2018-and prioritised in national health strategies, chronic under-resourcing of PHC persists in most low-income and middle-income countries. More public spending is needed for PHC, but macrofiscal and political constraints often limit the ability of governments to allocate more public resources to PHC. Under-resourcing has been compounded by fragmented and rigid funding flows, which are inefficient and may erode equity, quality of care and public trust in PHC.

Laparoscopic appendectomy secondary to afebrile acute perforated appendicitis mimicking threatened abortion in first trimester pregnancy in Tanzania: A case report.

Introduction: Appendicitis in pregnancy is the most common non-obstetric surgical condition which requires urgent evaluation and immediate intervention in a multidisciplinary approach. Pregnancy anatomical and physiological changes can mask the presentation of appendicitis and poses both diagnostic and management challenges.

Case Presentation: A 32 year old female, G3P2L2 at gestation age of 11 weeks by USS, presented with recurrent episodes of acute abdominal pain for one day, afebrile but accompanied with poor appetite, nausea and vomiting along episodes of per vaginal spotting which started three days prior.

Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections Among Hemodialysis Patients in Northern Tanzania: Insights From a Single-Centre Retrospective Study.

Background And Aims: A catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is a life-threatening complication of hemodialysis. It is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality and a costly long hospital stay. Despite its burden, little is known about the factors associated with it and the antibiogram of its responsible causative bacteria.

Identifying risk factors for vomiting during diarrhea: A secondary analysis of a randomized trial of zinc supplementation.

Objectives: Supplemental zinc during acute diarrhea reduces illness duration but also increases vomiting. In a recent trial, we found that children receiving lower daily doses of zinc (5 mg or 10 mg vs. 20 mg) had lower rates of vomiting with comparable stool output and duration of diarrhea.

Prevalence and factors associated with burnout among healthcare providers at Kasulu district in Kigoma region, 2024: an analytical cross-sectional study in a primary healthcare setting.

Background: Burnout among healthcare providers affects their well-being and quality of care. Despite its importance, limited data exist on burnout among primary healthcare providers in Tanzania.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of burnout and associated factors among healthcare providers in Kasulu district, Kigoma region, 2024.

Scaling up of parenting support to prevent violence against children in Tanzania: insights from policymakers and service providers.

Background: Evidence shows that parenting behaviours, including the use of violent discipline, can be changed through programmatic interventions. This study seeks to examine how policymakers and service providers in Tanzania perceive the provision of parenting support as a strategy to prevent violence against children and what the enabling and hindering factors are for the scale-up of existing evidence-based parenting supports. It does this by applying Daly's analytical framework for parenting support.

Modeling maize aflatoxins and fumonisins in a Tanzanian smallholder system: Accounting for diverse risk factors improves mycotoxin models.

Human exposure to mycotoxins is common and often severe in underregulated maize-based food systems. This study explored how monitoring of these systems could help to identify when and where outbreaks occur and inform potential mitigation efforts. Within a maize smallholder system in Kongwa District, Tanzania, we performed two food surveys of mycotoxin contamination at local grain mills, documenting high levels of aflatoxins and fumonisins in maize destined for human consumption.

Multifaceted barriers associated with clinical breast examination in sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel analytical approach.

Objectives: Clinical breast examination (CBE) open the pathway to early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. This study examined barriers to CBE uptake in seven sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.

Methods: Data from the most current Demographic and Health Surveys of Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Kenya Mozambique, Senegal and Tanzania was used.

Recent Incarceration and HIV Risk Among Women Who Use Heroin.

Importance: Women who use heroin in sub-Saharan Africa face elevated HIV risk linked to structural vulnerability including frequent incarceration. However, little is known about the association between incarceration and drug use and HIV outcomes among women who use heroin in Africa.

Objective: To estimate associations between incarceration and adverse HIV-related and drug use-related outcomes among women who used heroin.

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Severity of Undernutrition Among Children Aged 6-59 Months in Tanzania.

Undernutrition has been identified as a significant public health challenge in developing nations like Tanzania. Severe childhood undernutrition is a life-threatening problem that can result in impaired growth, weakened immune systems, and even death. The primary aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of multiple forms of severe undernutrition and factors associated with the severity of childhood undernutrition in children aged 6-59 months in Tanzania.

Annual consumption rate of fish types in Tanzania's Singida municipality during 2022.

This study assessed the annual fish consumption among the households in Singida Municipality. This was due to the long-time of unsatisfactory pupil performance in joining secondary schools which may be linked to a lack of Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The study used a questionnaire based on a random household consumer survey of 204 households.

Adsorption of phenol and methylene blue contaminants onto high-performance catalytic activated carbon from biomass residues.

Organic contaminants from wastewater toxicity to the environment has increased during the last few decades and, therefore, there is an urgent need to decontaminate wastewater prior to disposal. This study aimed to create a high surface area catalytic activated carbon (AC) under same carbonization conditions for phenol and methylene blue (organic wastewater) decontamination. husk (MH), sesame husk (SH), and baobab husk (BH) were used to prepare activated carbon for the removal of methylene blue (MB) and phenol (Ph).

Perceptions and satisfaction of oncology pharmacy services among cancer patients and healthcare providers at the central zone hospital's oncology section.

Background: Our research focused on assessing the satisfaction of cancer patients with oncology pharmacy services, as well as evaluating the satisfaction levels of other healthcare and supportive staff associated with the oncology pharmacy unit.

Methodology: This qualitative cross-sectional study, based on a questionnaire, aimed to evaluate the best practices of oncology pharmacy services for patients and the efficiency of services provided by healthcare professionals and administrators at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH). The study was conducted at the adult oncology unit from July to August 2022.

Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial application of carrageenan/TiO composite materials.

In this study, a highly crystalline anatase/rutile mixed phase carrageenan/TiO nanocomposite with a larger surface area was synthesized via the sol-gel process and calcined at 450 °C and 650 °C. The synthesized composite materials were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX, TEM, BET and TGA. FTIR confirms the presence of C-Ti-O bond formation in composite.