Epidemiology and Management of Pediatric Fractures in Malawi.

Background: Pediatric fractures are common in Malawi, and surgical care, when needed, remains inaccessible to many. Understanding which children in Malawi receive surgery or nonsurgical treatment would help set priorities for trauma system development.

Methods: We used multivariate logistic regression to evaluate associations between surgical treatment and age, sex, school enrollment, injury mechanism, fracture type, open fracture, referral status, hospital of presentation, delayed presentation (≥2 days), healthcare provider, and inpatient vs outpatient treatment.

Mobile health-delivered narrative intervention to increase cervical cancer screening among Malawian women living with HIV: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and evaluate a mobile health (mHealth)-delivered, theory-guided, culturally tailored storytelling narrative (STN) intervention to increase cervical cancer screening among Malawian women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Methods: This study involved two phases: Phase 1: development of a theory-guided and culturally adapted STN intervention and Phase 2: a pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three arms: Arm 1: tablet-based video (mHealth) with STN ( = 60); Arm 2: mHealth with a video of nonnarrative educational materials ( = 59); and Arm 3: control group with only reading nonnarrative educational materials in person ( = 60).

Intermittent preventive treatment with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine but not dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine modulates the relationship between inflammatory markers and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Malawi.

Women in malaria-endemic areas receive sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) as Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Pregnancy (IPTp) to reduce malaria. While dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) has superior antimalarial properties as IPTp, SP is associated with superior fetal growth. As maternal inflammation influences fetal growth, we investigated whether SP alters the relationship between inflammation and birth outcomes.

Cassava brown streak virus evolves with a nucleotide-substitution rate that is typical for the family Potyviridae.

The ipomoviruses (family Potyviridae) that cause cassava brown streak disease (cassava brown streak virus [CBSV] and Uganda cassava brown streak virus [UCBSV]) are damaging plant pathogens that affect the sustainability of cassava production in East and Central Africa. However, little is known about the rate at which the viruses evolve and when they emerged in Africa - which inform how easily these viruses can host shift and resist RNAi approaches for control. We present here the rates of evolution determined from the coat protein gene (CP) of CBSV (Temporal signal in a UCBSV dataset was not sufficient for comparable analysis).

Prothrombotic autoantibodies targeting platelet factor 4/polyanion are associated with pediatric cerebral malaria.

BACKGROUNDFeatures of consumptive coagulopathy and thromboinflammation are prominent in cerebral malaria (CM). We hypothesized that thrombogenic autoantibodies contribute to a procoagulant state in CM.METHODSPlasma from children with uncomplicated malaria (UM) (n = 124) and CM (n = 136) was analyzed by ELISA for a panel of 8 autoantibodies including anti-platelet factor 4/polyanion (anti-PF4/P), anti-phospholipid, anti-phosphatidylserine, anti-myeloperoxidase, anti-proteinase 3, anti-dsDNA, anti-β-2-glycoprotein I, and anti-cardiolipin.

Thin layer chromatography-direct bioautography guided isolation of β-sitosterol from the leaves of .

The aim of the study was to isolate and characterise antimicrobial agents from the leaves of using thin-layer chromatography-direct bioautography (TLC-DB). is a medicinal plant used traditionally to treat various ailments. Previous studies have shown that species of the genus contain several classes of secondary metabolites, including sterols.

An ensemble model predicts an upward range shift of the endemic and endangered Yellow-throated Apalis () under future climate change in Malawi.

Climate change poses a significant threat to endemic and endangered montane bird species with limited elevation and temperature ranges. Understanding their responses to changes in climate is essential for informing conservation actions. This study focused on the montane dwelling Yellow-throated Apalis () in Malawi, aiming to identify key factors affecting its distribution and predicting its potential distribution under different climate change scenarios.

An Assessment of Open Fracture Management in Hospitals in Malawi Before and Immediately After Implementing Open Fracture Guidelines.

Background: Open fractures, a common consequence of road traffic collisions, are associated with a high risk of complications. The introduction of standard guidelines has been shown to improve patient care and reduce the risk of complications in several countries. In September 2021, the Malawi Orthopaedic Association/Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen Alliance (MOA/AOA) guidelines and standards for open fracture management were introduced in Malawi.

Epidemiology and Treatment of Distal Radius Fractures at Four Public Hospitals in Malawi.

Background: Little is known about the burden or management of distal radius fractures (DRFs) in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to describe the care of DRFs in Malawi.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a registry of all patients with fractures who presented to the orthopaedic departments at four public hospitals in Malawi.

(In)visibilising pregnancy loss in Southern Malawi.

Miscarriages, stillbirths and neonatal deaths have received limited attention in global health programmes and research, even though pregnancy loss is common, traumatic and stigmatised. This paper seeks to illuminate lived experiences of pregnancy loss in southern Malawi, drawing on findings from semi-structured interviews and focus groups with women who have experienced loss, health professionals and community members, and observations of maternity care. Combining thematic and discourse analysis, we show how societal and medical discourses frame women as responsible for (failed) reproduction, and restrict possibilities to speak about, and respond to, loss.

investigations of the structure-stability, mechanical, electronic, thermodynamic and optical properties of TiFeAs Heusler alloy.

In this study, we employed density functional theory coupled with the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method (FP-LAPW) to investigate the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of the TiFeAs alloy adopting the HgCuTi-type structure. Our findings demonstrate that all the examined structures exhibit ferromagnetic (FM) behaviour. By conducting electronic band structure calculations, we observed an energy gap of 0.

The Socioeconomic consequences of femoral shaft fracture for patients in Malawi.

Background: Femoral shaft fractures are common in Malawi, with an annual incidence of 44 per 100,000 people. Inadequate treatment and delayed presentation often result in functional, biopsychosocial, and financial challenges for patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the socioeconomic consequences of femoral shaft fractures for patients in Malawi.

Incidence and health risk assessment of hydrogen cyanide and multi-mycotoxins in Nigerian garri.

Garri is a granular, starchy food prepared by the fermentation of mashed cassava. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and mycotoxins are contaminants in certain foods at different points along the food value chain. The incidence and contamination levels of HCN and multi-mycotoxins in garri from five agroecological zones of Nigeria were determined using a spectrophotometric method and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (UHPLC-MS/MS), respectively.

Update on pathology laboratory development and research in advancing regional cancer care in Malawi.

The pathology laboratory at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe, Malawi was established in 2011. We published our initial experiences in laboratory development and telepathology in 2013 and 2016, respectively. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on our work by highlighting the positive role laboratory development has played in improving regional cancer care and research.

Exploring the mechanical, vibrational optoelectronic, and thermoelectric properties of novel half-Heusler FeTaX (X = P, As): a first-principles study.

In this study, the density functional theory (DFT) was employed to study the structural, electronic, optical, and thermoelectric characteristics of half-Heusler (HH) FeTaX (X = P or As). Optimization of the structures was achieved using Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) parametrized generalized gradient approximation (GGA). These HH FeTaX (X = P, As) showed indirect bandgaps of 0.

Chemoprevention for malaria with monthly intermittent preventive treatment with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine in pregnant women living with HIV on daily co-trimoxazole in Kenya and Malawi: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: The efficacy of daily co-trimoxazole, an antifolate used for malaria chemoprevention in pregnant women living with HIV, is threatened by cross-resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to the antifolate sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. We assessed whether addition of monthly dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine to daily co-trimoxazole is more effective at preventing malaria infection than monthly placebo plus daily co-trimoxazole in pregnant women living with HIV.

Methods: We did an individually randomised, two-arm, placebo-controlled trial in areas with high-grade sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance in Kenya and Malawi.

Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella Typhi culture-based wastewater or non-sewered sanitation surveillance in a resource-limited region.

Background: In resource-limited regions, relying on individual clinical results to monitor community diseases is sometimes not possible. Establishing wastewater and non-sewered sanitation surveillance systems can offer opportunities to improve community health.

Objective: We provide our experience of establishing a wastewater and non-sewered sanitation surveillance laboratory in Malawi, a resource-limited region, for Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella serotype Typhi.

Unlocking the anti-diabetic potential of , , and their combination thereof: An in-vivo evaluation.

The current study aimed to explore the anti-diabetic effect of aqueous extracts of , and mixture of both the plants in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits. A total of 30 rabbits were grouped into six equal groups as: normal control, diabetic control, diabetic treated with 300 mg/kg body weight (bw) , diabetic treated with 300 mg/kg bw , diabetic treated with 300 mg/kg bw mixture of both the plants and diabetic treated with 500 mg/kg bw metformin for 4 weeks. Diabetes was induced to all the study group animals except normal control by intravenous administration of alloxan monohydrate (80 mg/kg bw).

The burden of long bone fracture and health system response in Malawi: A scoping review.

Objectives: Fractures pose serious health and socioeconomic consequences for individuals, their families, and societies more broadly. In many low-resource settings, case fatality and long-term sequelae after a fracture remain high due to individual- and system-level barriers affecting timely access to care. This scoping review explored the burden of fractures in Malawi using long bone fracture (LBF) as a case study by examining the epidemiology of these injuries, their consequences, and the accessibility of quality healthcare.

Physical, optoelectronic and thermoelectric characteristics of double perovskite (SrScBiO) for green energy technology using computations.

This work presents the investigation of physical characteristics including structural, electronic, elastic, optical and thermoelectric, of the double perovskite (DP) oxide SrScBiO with the aid of the FP-LAPW method, dependent on DFT combined with BoltzTraP code. To incorporate the inclusion of exchange as well as correlation effects, approximations like LDA and three different forms of GGA [PBE-GGA, WC-GGA & PBEsol-GGA] are applied. The mBJ-GGA method including spin-orbital coupling (SOC) & not including SOC was utilised in this investigation and it was carried out in the WIEN2k code.

Many Cooks in the Kitchen: Iterating a Qualitative Analysis Process Across Multiple Countries, Sites, and Teams.

Establishing and proving methodological rigor has long been a challenge for qualitative researchers where quantitative methods prevail, but much published literature on qualitative analysis assumes a relatively small number of researchers working in relative proximity. This is particularly true for research conducted with a grounded theory approach. Different versions of grounded theory are commonly used, but this methodology was originally developed for a single researcher collecting and analyzing data in isolation.

Comprehensive analysis of novel cubic HgCrO perovskite: a first principles, structural, thermodynamic, and magnetic properties study for spintronic applications.

The main goal of modern manufacturing is to create products that are affordable, eco-friendly, and energy-efficient. With a focus on HgCrO, this study sought to discover molecules that meet these requirements. The structural, electrical, thermodynamic, and transport properties of the material were investigated using Wien2K, a full-potential, linearized augmented plane wave program (FP LAPW).

Addressing the challenges of establishing quality wastewater or non-sewered sanitation-based surveillance, including laboratory and epidemiological considerations, in Malawi.

Learning from clinical laboratories, wastewater or environmental (including non-sewered sanitation) environmental microbiology laboratories can be established in resource-limited settings that focus on pathogen detection and pandemic prevention. Transparent discussions on the laboratory challenges and adaptations required for this can help meet the future requirements of health research and surveillance. This report aims to describe the challenges encountered when setting up a wastewater or environmental laboratory for multipathogen surveillance in Malawi, a resource-limited setting, as well as the lessons learnt.

Active Spaghetti: Collective Organization in Cyanobacteria.

Filamentous cyanobacteria can show fascinating examples of nonequilibrium self-organization, which, however, are not well understood from a physical perspective. We investigate the motility and collective organization of colonies of these simple multicellular lifeforms. As their area density increases, linear chains of cells gliding on a substrate show a transition from an isotropic distribution to bundles of filaments arranged in a reticulate pattern.