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Gaps, challenges and opportunities towards achieving the 95-95-95 targets in Cameroon: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Background Given HIV elimination by 2030, the World Health Organization and the United Nations’ Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) have set three programmatic goals that all countries should have achieved before 2025; 95% of people living with HIV should know their status (target-1); 95% of people who know their status should be linked to treatment (target-2); and 95% of people on treatment should achieve viral load suppression (i.e. VL<1000 copies/ml; target-3). Despite considerable global progress over the past decade, many low-middle-income countries are still below the expected targets. This review protocol aims to provide a standardized document for in-depth analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) towards achieving these programmatic targets in Cameroon. Methods This systematic review will include randomized and non-randomized trials, cohorts, case-controls, cross-sectional studies, case reports and governmental notices addressing the achievements, the gaps, the challenges and the opportunities towards the 95-95-95 targets in Cameroon. The search will consider studies from 2017 to 2024, retrieved from PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar, online African journals, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. We will include studies reporting HIV diagnosis, HIV link to treatment or HIV viral suppression in Cameroon. Results will be stratified according to time, age-group (adults’ vs adolescents/children) and geographic locations. Primary outcomes will be “estimates on 95-95-95 programmatic goals at the national level”. Secondary outcomes will consist of the SWOT analysis towards achieving these programmatic targets. A random-effects model will be used to calculate pooled prevalence if data permits. Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol will guide global estimation on the achievement of the 95-95-95 targets as well as the stakes and challenges within the Cameroonian setting. Final evidence from the systematic review will allow identification of the gaps and measures to be taken to fasten our move towards the 95-95-95 in Cameroon by 2025. Systematic review registration Systematic review registration: CRD42024502755.

Bioinformatics Analysis of coagulation-related genes in lung adenocarcinoma: unveiling prognostic indicators and treatment pathways

In vitro antibiofilm efficacy of ertapenem, tobramycin, and moxifloxacin against biofilms grown in a glass bead or CDC Biofilm Reactor®

Laboratory grown biofilms are used to simulate bacterial growth in diverse environmental conditions and screen the effectiveness of anti-biofilm therapies. Recently, we developed a glass bead biofilm reactor that utilizes low broth volume to provide high-throughput biofilm growth for testing and translation across the research continuum (e.g., benchtop assays to preclinical models). Bioburden per mm2 surface area of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms were comparable on beads and CDC Biofilm Reactor® coupons. In this study, we hypothesized that biofilms grown on beads would be more susceptible to ertapenem, moxifloxacin, and tobramycin than those grown on coupons. Results indicated a significant reduction in S. aureus bioburden on glass beads compared to glass coupons following treatment with ertapenem (p = 0.005) and tobramycin (p = 0.014). P. aeruginosa biofilms had smaller differences in antibiotic response between the two systems. There was a significantly greater reduction in bead P. aeruginosa biofilm than coupon when treated with tobramycin (p = 0.035). This work offered insight into how the bead biofilm reactor could be used as a tool for antibiotic screening and translation across the continuum of in vitro to in vivo systems that support development of antimicrobial technology.

Development of a wireless electroretinogram recording system

Abstract A novel device consisting of amplifiers, an analogue-digital converter, offset correction units, and a microcontroller with Bluetooth wireless functionality was fabricated. Electroretinography (ERG) recordings were captured in dark-adapted and light-adapted full-field flash stimulations in an anaesthetised animal model using the novel wireless system. Recordings were repeated using a standard ERG recording setup of the Espion E3 system for comparison. The electroretinogram signal a-wave and b-wave amplitudes, peak times, signal offset, potential drift, and power line noise were compared between the recording setups. Signals from the novel system were found to have similar waveforms to those recorded from the standard ERG setup. There were no significant differences in the a-wave amplitudes ( P > 0.43), a-wave peak times ( P > 0.61) and b-wave peak times ( P > 0.55). The offset potential drift when using the novel system was significantly smaller than the reference system ( P < 0.02). The novel system also showed stronger resilience against powerline noise interference, as evidenced by a statistically significant performance increase during recordings with substantial noise interference ( P < 0.01). The on-source signal processing and wireless transmission can improve the quality of recorded ERG signals. Our study demonstrates a proof of concept for performing wireless ERG recordings, which enhance the performance by reducing noise and potential drift in the recorded signals.

Perception of four intellectual and developmental disabilities based on search engine and news portrayal

Background For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, other’s perceptions of them based on their condition often begin before birth and go on to impact relationships, opportunities, and self perception across the life course. Search engine results and news media, which may portray these conditions stereotypically or in poor light, are often a key source in these perceptions. Our purpose was to understand how search engine results and available news media can shape perceptions on certain intellectual and developmental disabilities. Methods We developed an online Likert-scale survey to measure differences in perceptions based off first available search engine results, images, and news headlines of four intellectual and developmental disabilities: cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Angelman syndrome. These four conditions were selected to compare less prevalent (Prader-Willi and Angelman) and more prevalent conditions (Down syndrome and cerebral palsy). Perception questions addressed general impression and aspects of the disability experience expected to be impacted by perception from others. We recruited via multiple social media platforms, flyers posted in the Boston area, and word of mouth to local communities and friends. Findings 229 individuals opened the survey, and 125 responses were used in analysis. Mean responses to Prader-Willi syndrome were significantly more negative than responses to cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and Angelman syndrome across all variables. Responses to Angelman syndrome were also more negative than responses to Down syndrome. Significant differences between conditions found when treating the data as continuous were confirmed when treating the data as ordinal. Conclusion Lesser-known intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as Prader-Willi syndrome and Angelman syndrome, are subject to more negative portrayal in media, leading to more negative perception, which may impact social opportunity and quality of life. Combined with our finding that the perception of Prader-Willi syndrome follows the ideals of the medical model of disability more closely than the social model, a need for social model of disability training and education for physicians and other medical providers is clear.

Optimization of toilet bowl ventilation technology for odor control and energy efficiency enhancement in public toilet

Outcome of COVID-19 in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy during the Omicron wave in China: A longitudinal observational study

Objective The coronavirus disease pandemic brought unknown challenges to patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, who are often heavily immunosuppressed and have comorbidities. We aimed to investigate the outcomes and risk factors of coronavirus disease in Chinese patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy during the Omicron wave. Methods This observational study included patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy who visited the China-Japan Friendship Hospital. Data on baseline characteristics and coronavirus disease-related information were collected through medical records and surveys, and subsequently analysed. Results Overall, 204 patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy were identified; dermatomyositis was the most common idiopathic inflammatory myopathy subtype. Data were collected from 185 patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 via polymerase chain reaction or antigen tests; of these, 20 experienced a severe course of the disease, and 9 died. All patients with severe coronavirus disease had idiopathic inflammatory myopathy-associated interstitial lung disease, and the most common antibodies observed in patients with mortality were anti-aminoacyl tRNA synthetase and anti-MDA-5 antibodies. Furthermore, 45.0% of patients in the severe disease group took > 15.0 mg of prednisone daily before infection, a significantly higher proportion than that in the non-severe disease group. Advanced age, mechanics’ hands, dyspnoea, chronic cough and fever during the course of myositis, low lymphocyte count, low serum albumin level, and high D-dimer and ferritin levels before infection were prominent in patients with severe coronavirus disease. Albumin levels below 35.0 g/L and ferritin levels above 306.8 ng/mL were independent risk factors of severe coronavirus disease. Conclusion Omicron did not worsen the overall outcomes of coronavirus disease for patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy; however, specific risk factors were identified, highlighting the need for targeted management strategies.

CaV2.3 channels in the mouse central medial thalamic nucleus are essential for thalamocortical oscillations and spike wave discharges

Adolescent weight management counseling: The effectiveness of an online training program for primary healthcare professionals in Indonesia

Background Overweight and obesity are growing public health concerns globally for which innovative prevention and care delivery efforts are required. We recently developed a web-based training program to improve the quality of health professionals’ weight management counseling of adolescents in Indonesia. Having previously confirmed its acceptability, this study aimed to measure the effectiveness of the program through a randomized controlled trial. Methods We recruited 64 primary healthcare professionals from 17 provinces across Indonesia who were randomized to participate in a 4-week online training program (intervention group [IG, n = 32] or a waitlist control group [CG, n = 32]). Using active learning approaches, the training program focused on adolescent development, psychosocial assessment, motivational interviewing (MI), and parent engagement. Participants in each arm were asked to record two counseling sessions with adolescents. These were objectively rated by trained psychologists using a validated tool, and also by qualitative assessment of counseling quality. In both groups, the first recorded counseling session occurred before the training. The second recording took place after the training for IG participants, but not for CG participants. Results IG participants demonstrated significant improvements in their knowledge and counseling skills (p<0.001, t-test). This included improvements in introductory remarks, quality of psychosocial assessment, and MI skills. There was no change in the extent of parental involvement. The MI training successfully oriented the counseling sessions towards a more collaborative and participatory conversation for supporting behavioral change. Conclusion This novel online training program improved the knowledge and counseling skills of Indonesian primary healthcare professionals. Greater emphasis on engaging parents and more guidance on conducting telehealth counseling may improve parental involvement in future iterations.

Advanced and hybrid machine learning techniques for predicting compressive strength in palm oil fuel ash-modified concrete with SHAP analysis

Breaking language barriers: ‘Not being fluent in English is often viewed as being an inferior scientist’

Healthcare utilization during acute medically attended episodes of respiratory syncytial virus-related lower respiratory tract infection among infants in the United States

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States. Understanding healthcare utilization associated with medically attended (MA) RSV lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) might inform research priorities aimed at reducing RSV-associated pediatric morbidity. We described healthcare utilization during acute MA RSV LRTI episodes within a geographically diverse cohort of infants in the United States. Methods We created retrospective cohorts of infants born in the United States from July 1, 2016 through February 29, 2020 in each of three de-identified insurance claims datasets: Merative MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters, Multi-State MarketScan Medicaid, and Optum’s de-identified Clinformatics ® Data Mart. We identified infants’ first MA RSV LRTI diagnosis during their first RSV season and followed them for 7 subsequent days to record outpatient, emergency department, and inpatient hospital utilization. We calculated the number of outpatient visits, emergency department visits, and inpatient hospital stays occurring during this acute episode and estimated the proportion of episodes involving ≥ 2 visits to a given healthcare setting. Results In the CCAE database, we identified 25,409 acute MA RSV LRTI episodes under the specific RSV definition and 69,068 under the sensitive definition. In the MDCD database, these totals were 67,357 and 170,744, while in the CDM database, they were 12,402 and 31,363, respectively. Across data sources, 34%–69% of infants’ first acute MA RSV LRTI episodes involve 2 or more visits to a healthcare setting within 7 days. The percentage of episodes involving at least 2 visits ranged from 34–62% among healthy term infants, 38–65% for Palivizumab-eligible infants, and 38–69% for infants with other comorbidities. Conclusions Within a week of their first MA RSV LRTI diagnosis, infants frequently experience at least 2 visits to one or more healthcare settings, regardless of their comorbidity profile. The percentage of MA RSV LRTI episodes involving at least 2 visits to a healthcare setting may vary by insurance claims database, even between commercial payers.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of gait when walking on an uneven surface in children with cerebral palsy

‘Devastating’ cuts to NIH grants by Trump’s team put on hold by US judge

Modelling protein-protein interactions for the design of vaccine chimeric antigens with protective epitopes

Ticks and tick-borne diseases are a growing burden worldwide and vaccines are effective control interventions. Vaccine formulations with tick antigens such as BM86/BM95 (BM) and Subolesin (SUB) have shown reduction in tick fitness and infestation in immunized hosts. However, antigen combination is a challenging approach to improve vaccine efficacy (E) against multiple tick species. Herein, in silico and in music algorithms were integrated to model BM-SUB protein-protein interactions to apply a quantum vaccinology approach for combining protective epitopes or immunological quantum in the chimeric antigen Q38-95. Cattle immunized with Q38-95 and infested with African blue tick Rhipicephalus decoloratus showed an 82% E similar to BM86 and higher than SUB. The immune mechanisms activated in cattle in response to vaccination with Q38-95 were mediated by anti-BM/SUB antibodies that interfered with BM-SUB interactions and through activation of other innate and adaptive immune pathways. The results support modelling protein-protein interactions affecting E to identify and combine candidate protective epitopes in chimeric antigens.

Author Correction: Cancer and One Health: tumor-bearing individuals can act as super spreaders of symbionts in communities

Patient perceived weight stigma and patient-centered language use preferences: A cross-sectional mixed methods analysis conducted in a large academic medical center

Background Due to the rising prevalence of obesity and its impact on healthcare, patient-specific context is needed to optimize weight management with an emphasis on reducing health care-associated weight stigma. Our survey aimed to explore institution-specific patient experiences of weight stigma and preferences for patient-centered language use regarding weight management care. Methods This cross-sectional analysis adopted a concurrent mixed methods design with a sample of individuals who opted in to complete patient experience surveys after receiving care at a large academic medical center in the United States (U.S.). Categorical and continuous variables were assessed using Chi-squared and analysis of variance. We used classical content analysis to qualitatively analyze free-text data for thematic coding. Results After a 1-week survey fielding period, 3,219 of 16,758 patients completed the survey, yielding a response rate of (19.2%) with 2,816 having available electronic health record body mass index (BMI) data. Patients were comfortable discussing weight with their primary care providers but showed variation in the preferred approach and terms. Female patients with higher BMIs reported higher rates of delayed and canceled care due to prior weight stigma (25.6% and 12.2% for patients with class 3 obesity), and preferred a slower, gentler, and less direct approach with term preferences for “healthy eating plan” and against “obesity.” Qualitative analysis yielded 27 themes grouped into three domains: Emotional Hinderances, Perceptual Hinderances, and Perceived Helpfulness. Conclusions Findings from our large single institution cohort expand on the existing weight stigma literature by identifying patient language preferences and healthcare experiences according to patient weight class and sex. Given the potential impact of understanding context-specific patient language use preferences to reduce weight stigma, we recommend other healthcare systems use a similar process to address weight stigma as part of a coordinated health system improvement initiative to enhance patient-centered weight management care.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound induces multifaced alterations in chromosome segregation, cytoskeletal filaments and cell junctions

How and why my company pivoted from energy to agritechnology

The recombinant spike S1 protein induces injury and inflammation in co-cultures of human alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages

The current lack of a straightforward and convenient modeling approach to simulate the onset of acute lung injury (ALI) has impeded fundamental research and hindered the screening of therapeutic drugs in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The co-cultured human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells (HPAEpics) and alveolar macrophages (AMs) were exposed to the complete medium, three concentrations of recombinant spike S1 protein (0.1, 1, and 10 μg/mL), or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (10 μg/mL). The cells were harvested at 1, 2, and 3 days post-exposure. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and IL-6, TNF-ɑ, and malondialdehyde (MDA) production were quantified and compared. Compared to those exposed to medium, co-cultures of HPAEpics and AMs exposed to a concentration of S1 protein at 10 μg/mL demonstrated significantly increased levels of LDH release (22.9% vs. 9.1%, and 25.7%), IL-6 (129 vs. 74, and 110 pg/mg of protein), and TNF-ɑ (75 vs. 51, and 86 pg/mg of protein) production, and similar to those exposed to LPS. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in MDA production. Compared to those harvested at 1 or 2 days post-exposure, co-cultured cells harvested at 3 days post-exposure exhibited increased levels of LDH release (23.4% vs. 14.9%, or 16.7%), IL-6 (127 vs. 81, or 97 pg/mg of protein) and MDA (5.6 vs. 3.2, or 3.8 nmol/mg of protein) production, but exhibited lower TNF-ɑ (58 vs. 79 pg/mg of protein) production than those harvested at 2 days post-exposure. After 3 days of exposure, co-cultures of HPAEpics and AMs showed significantly increased levels of LDH release (25.3% vs. 18.4%), and MDA production (5.5 vs. 4.3 nmol/mg of protein) compared to HPAEpics monocultures, and increased levels of LDH release (25.3% vs. 13.8%), IL-6 (139 vs. 98 pg/mg of protein) and MDA (5.5 vs. 4.7 nmol/mg of protein) production, and decreased TNF-ɑ (59 vs. 95 pg/mg of protein) production compared to AMs monocultures. Conclusions: The exposure to a concentration of S1 protein at 10 μg/mL in co-cultures of HPAEpics and AMs induced significant injury and inflammation three days post-exposure. This methodology for establishing a COVID-19-associated ALI model may have promising potential applications and value.