Cockroaches as Reservoirs, Vectors, and Potential Sentinels of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in Ugandan Communities: A Retrospective Analysis.

Cockroaches could play a role in the transmission dynamics of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) at variable interfaces in Ugandan communities, acting as both reservoirs and vectors. This study investigated the burden and diversity of ARB carried by cockroaches in human settlements in Uganda, so as to understand their role in the spread of these pathogens and their potential as sentinels in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance programs. A retrospective analysis was conducted on two unpublished studies by Makerere University students.

Global Health research abstracts: June '24.

The African Journal of Emergency Medicine, in partnership with several other regional emergency medicine journals, publishes abstracts from each respective journal. Abstracts are not necessarily linked to open access papers however, all abstracts are accessible without subscription.

Global health research abstracts: December '24.

The African Journal of Emergency Medicine, in partnership with several other regional emergency medicine journals, publishes abstracts from each respective journal. Abstracts are not necessarily linked to open access papers however, all abstracts are accessible without subscription.

Cytotoxic Effects Of (Planch.) Extract and Triterpenoids-derived Gold Nanoparticles On MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

Background: The prevalent disease known as breast cancer has a significant impact on both men's and women's health and quality of life.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the potential roles of Lecaniodiscus cupanioides (planch.) extract and triterpenoid-derived gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in cancer therapy, specifically targeting MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines.

Shared decision-making between patients and healthcare providers at rural health facilities in Eastern Uganda: an exploratory qualitative study.

Background: Shared decision-making in healthcare is a collaborative process where patients are supported to make informed decisions according to their preferences. Healthcare decisions affect patients' lives which necessitates patients to participate in decisions concerning their health. This study explored experiences and ethical issues related to shared decision-making in a rural healthcare setting.

Antenatal care and breastfeeding practices in Sub-Saharan Africa: an analysis of demographic and health surveys.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends immediate breastfeeding (within the first hour after birth) and exclusive breastfeeding (for the first six months of life), particularly in low-resource settings such as sub-Saharan Africa. In 2016, WHO updated its antenatal care (ANC) guidelines, recommending at least eight (8+) ANC contacts during pregnancy to improve maternal and child health outcomes. This study investigates i) trends in breastfeeding practices across sub-Saharan Africa following the rollout of the revised WHO 2016 ANC policy and ii) the relationship between ANC uptake and exclusive or early breastfeeding.

Determinants maintaining healthcare personnel's motivation during COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda.

Background: Maintaining the physical and psychological well-being of healthcare workers (HCWs) is crucial for health system resilience. In sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Uganda, HCWs faced significant challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, compounded by pre-existing resource constraints. This study investigated challenges faced by HCWs at a designated COVID-19 hospital ('the Hospital') and explored determinants of maintaining healthcare personnel's motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda.

Spectrum and trends of cancer among HIV patients in Southwestern Uganda.

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) restores cellular immunity, significantly reducing AIDS-related mortality and morbidity thus improving the quality of life among People living with HIV (PLHIV). Studies done in several countries show a decline in AIDS defining cancers (ADCs) with the introduction of ART however the increased longevity has led to the increase of Non-AIDS defining cancers (NADCs). The study was aimed at studying the changing spectrum and trends of cancer among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients in southwestern Uganda.

Near Full-Length Genomic Characterization of a Novel HIV-1 Unique Recombinant (A1/D/K) from an Immigrant Worker in China Using Nanopore Sequencing.

Recombination contributes substantially to the genetic diversity of HIV-1. Here we reported a novel HIV-1 recombinant detected from a Chinese labor who had been to Uganda as an immigrant worker using nanopore sequencing. Near full-length genome (NFLG) phylogenetic analysis showed that the novel HIV-1 recombinant HIV-sd1801 stood in a distinct branch between the CRF130_A1B/CRF131_A1B and CRF50_A1D/CRF84_A1D reference sequences.

Successful Penile Refashioning Plus Glans Reconstruction With a Buccal Mucosa Graft: A Case Report.

Poorly performed circumcisions can lead to severe complications, including penile injury and psychological distress. We present the case of a 9-year-old male who suffered from glans amputation following a poorly performed circumcision. The patient underwent successful penile refashioning and glans reconstruction with a buccal mucosa graft.

Assessing COVID-19 Pandemic-Era Vaccine Uptake and Adherence to Prevention Measures: A Comparative Analysis Among Men and Women Using Lot Quality Assurance Sampling in Central Uganda.

Aim: This study examined citizens' knowledge and compliance with COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs), vaccine acceptance and hesitancy, and factors that could influence these behaviors.

Methods: The study that utilised the Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) approach was conducted in eight districts of Central Uganda; Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Kasanda, Mityana, Luwero, Nakaseke, and Nakasongola districts. Each district was divided into five supervision areas (SAs).

Alcohol use and HIV suppression after completion of financial incentives for alcohol abstinence and isoniazid adherence: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: In a recent randomized trial, six months of financial incentives contingent for recent alcohol abstinence led to lower levels of hazardous drinking, while incentives for recent isoniazid (INH) ingestion had no impact on INH adherence, during TB preventive therapy among persons with HIV (PWH). Whether the short-term incentives influence long-term alcohol use and HIV viral suppression post-intervention is unknown.

Methods: We analyzed twelve-month HIV viral suppression and alcohol use in the Drinkers' Intervention to Prevent Tuberculosis study, a randomized controlled trial among PWH with latent TB and unhealthy alcohol use in south-western Uganda.

Atypical hyperendemicity of Rift Valley fever in Southwestern Uganda associated with the rapidly evolving lineage C viruses.

Introduction: Recent Rift Valley fever (RVF) epidemiology in eastern Africa region is characterized by widening geographic range and increasing frequency of small disease clusters. Here we conducted studies in southwestern (SW) Uganda region that has since 2016 reported increasing RVF activities.

Methods: A 22-month long hospital-based study in three districts of SW Uganda targeting patients with acute febrile illness (AFI) or unexplained bleeding was followed by a cross-sectional population-based human-animal survey.

Orofacial cleft research in Nigeria: a bibliometric analysis.

Orofacial cleft (OC) is a group of heterogeneous congenital abnormalities affecting the orofacial region. All over the world, several studies have been conducted on OC. This study aims to analyze OC research outputs in Nigeria.

Development of maximum power point tracking algorithm based on Improved Optimized Adaptive Differential Conductance Technique for renewable energy generation.

Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is a technique employed in photovoltaic (PV) systems to ensure that the modules transfer the maximum generated power to the load. An advanced algorithm, the Improved Optimized Adaptive Differential Conductance (IOADC), was developed by applying Kirchhoff's law within a single diode model framework. The algorithm's performance was evaluated under various solar irradiance levels of 500 W/m, 750 W/m, and 1000 W/m at a constant temperature of 298K, analyzing its impact on power generation and transfer.

The role of social-psychological factors in the adoption of push-pull technology by small-scale farmers in East Africa: Application of the theory of planned behavior.

Push-pull technology (PPT) continues to gain relevance among smallholder farmers across the East African region in managing the constraints affecting cereal crop yields including stemborers, fall armyworm, striga weed, and low soil fertility. While previous research has emphasized the significance of socioeconomic factors in explaining farmers' decisions to adopt PPT, the social-psychological factors that influence farmers' adoption intentions have not been extensively studied. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of social-psychological factors on the intention to adopt or increase the land area under PPT based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies of inhibitor candidates against 3-hydroxykynurenine transaminase and implications on vector control.

Isoxazole and oxadiazole derivatives inhibiting 3-hydroxykynurenine transaminase (3HKT) are potential larvicidal candidates. This study aims to identify more suited potential inhibitors of 3HKT (3HKT) through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. A total of 958 compounds were docked against 3HKT (PDB ID: 2CH2) using Autodock vina and Autodock4.

Ageing Healthy: Perceptions of Older Persons, Community Members, and Other Stakeholders in Uganda.

Promoting healthy ageing would benefit from an understanding of what this means to stakeholders. We explored healthy ageing perceptions in rural and peri-urban Ugandan communities. Community dialogues, focus group discussions with older persons, community members, community-based organization leaders, key informant interviews with Ministries of Gender (2), Health (1), non-governmental organizations (3) and elderly representatives (5) were held.

Consensus recommendations for measuring the impact of contraception on the menstrual cycle in contraceptive clinical trials.

Objective: We sought to develop consensus recommendations for measurement and analysis of data on contraceptive-induced menstrual changes (CIMCs) in contraceptive clinical trials. We built upon previous standardization efforts over the last 50 years and prioritized input from a variety of global experts and current regulatory authority guidance on patient-reported outcomes.

Study Design: We completed a formal consensus-building process with an interdisciplinary group of 57 experts from 30 organizations and 14 countries in five global regions who work across academia, nonprofit research organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, and funding agencies.

Characterizing Telehealth Barriers and Preferences to Promote Acceptable Implementation Strategies in Central Uganda: Multilevel Formative Evaluation.

Background: Telehealth approaches can address health care access barriers and improve care delivery in resource-limited settings around the globe. Yet, telehealth adoption in Africa has been limited, due in part to an insufficient understanding of effective strategies for implementation.

Objective: This study aimed to conduct a multi-level formative evaluation identifying barriers and facilitators for implementing telehealth among health service providers and patients in Central Uganda.

Depression symptom severity and behavioral impairment in school-going adolescents in Uganda.

Background: During adolescence, a critical developmental phase, cognitive, psychological, and social states interact with the environment to influence behaviors like decision-making and social interactions. Depressive symptoms are more prevalent in adolescents than in other age groups which may affect socio-emotional and behavioral development including academic achievement. Here, we determined the association between depression symptom severity and behavioral impairment among adolescents enrolled in secondary schools of Eastern and Central Uganda.

Evaluating the accuracy of multiple rapid diagnostic tests for HIV detection in serum samples analysed during point-of-care proficiency testing assessments.

Background: HIV rapid diagnostic tests are crucial for timely diagnosis, especially in resource-limited settings. The World Health Organization recommends sensitivity ≥99 % and specificity ≥98 %. This study assessed RDT performance across South Africa's provinces using a proficiency testing program.

Myiasis by Cordylobia anthropophaga and C. rodhaini (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Polish travelers to Africa with new molecular data.

Myiasis is a parasitic infestation of soft vertebrate tissues by larval stages of Diptera. We briefly described the lesion-causing genus Cordylobia Grünberg (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Three Polish travelers to Uganda, Gambia, and Senegal returned with furuncular myiasis.

Proteins and DNA Sequences Interacting with Tanshinones and Tanshinone Derivatives.

Tanshinones, biologically active diterpene compounds derived from , interact with specific proteins and DNA sequences, influencing signaling pathways in animals and humans. This study highlights tanshinone-protein interactions observed at concentrations achievable in vivo, ensuring greater physiological relevance compared to in vitro studies that often employ supraphysiological ligand levels. Experimental data suggest that while tanshinones interact with multiple proteomic targets, only a few enzymes are significantly affected at biologically relevant concentrations.