Current Practices for Mental Fatigue Quantification and Induction in Movement Science: Introducing the SPeCIFY Guidelines.

Mental fatigue (MF) is a complex phenomenon with significant implications for human performance, for which there are numerous studies investigating the effects of MF. Nevertheless, there is considerable variability in the approaches used to induce and quantify MF, making it hard to compare findings across studies and draw well-supported conclusions. This review addresses the methodological variability in the induction and quantification methods of MF in movement science in the following ways: on the one hand, by providing an overview of task design strategies to induce MF, emphasizing the importance of tailoring task duration, difficulty, and nature to individual participants and specific research contexts; on the other hand, by providing an overview of current methods used to quantify MF, including behavioural, subjective, and physiological measures, and highlighting the strengths and limitations of each.

Who is at the table and who has the power? Case study analysis of decision-making processes for the Global Financing Facility in Tanzania.

Background: In 2015, Tanzania joined the Global Financing Facility (GFF), a global health initiative for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH-N). Despite its resource mobilization goals, little is known about power dynamics in GFF policy processes. This paper presents the first power analysis of Tanzania's GFF engagement.

Examining self-employment policies for persons with disabilities in South Africa: Perspectives from policy actors.

Background: Despite robust global and national efforts to promote inclusive development, a significant gap persists in countries such as South Africa's self-employment policies for persons with disabilities. The existing legislative framework, although well-intentioned, lacks clear and comprehensive guidance on self-employment as a viable placement option for persons with disabilities. Consequently, this ambiguity hinders effective policy implementation, limiting economic empowerment and social inclusion.

Modeling the population dynamics of HIV/AIDS with opportunistic infections at the severe stage of HIV.

In this paper, we present a deterministic model for the population dynamics of HIV/AIDS, wherein some individuals at the severe symptomatic phase of HIV develop serious opportunistic infections (OIs) such cryptococcal, tuberculous, pneumococcal, and other bacterial meningitis due to an inappropriate treatment or lack of counseling. OIs are responsible for significant mortality and disability on individuals with HIV in many countries. Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is among frequent OIs responsible for significant mortality and disability of individuals with HIV in limited resource settings.

Trauma Exposure, Insomnia, and Fatigue: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Pathways to Burnout Among South African First Responders.

Background And Aims: First responders are disproportionately vulnerable to the development of insomnia, fatigue and burnout, due to chronic exposure to trauma inherent in their occupational roles. This study examined the mediating roles of insomnia and fatigue in the relationship between trauma exposure and burnout among South African first responders.

Methods: Participants included police officers ( = 309) and paramedics ( = 120) in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Institutionalising community participation in decision-making in maternal and newborn health services in low-and middle-income countries: An analysis from 102 national health ministries.

In 2024, 194 countries endorsed World Health Assembly Resolution (WHA77.2) to strengthen participation in health-related decision-making. Achieving this requires strong leadership to institutionalise community participation by embedding it into health system functions.

Knowledge translation platforms: Broker, intermediary or more? A scoping review of definitions, functions and characteristics.

Background: Knowledge translation platforms (KTPs), also referred to as intermediaries, play a key role in supporting evidence-informed decision-making. Numerous KTPs exist globally, striving to translate evidence into policy. However, these platforms are described in varying ways, and some KTPs do not explicitly identify themselves as such.

Patterns of Transition of Adolescents in an HIV Care Programme in Peri-Urban Cape Town, South Africa: A Photovoice Study.

Successful transition from paediatric to adult HIV care programme is a critical developmental milestone in the care trajectory of adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV). The transition process involves a shift from a structured, caregiver-supported healthcare model to one that requires independence and self-management. This process should be guided and supportive to ensure continued engagement in care and optimal adherence when ALHIV are transferred.

Drivers and levers of the double burden of malnutrition in Cape Town, South Africa: insights from in-depth interviews with multi-sectoral stakeholders.

Background: South Africa faces a high burden of malnutrition, including undernutrition, overweight, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases. This coexistence and interaction of multiple forms of malnutrition within individuals and communities across the life-course is referred to as the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) and has complex, interrelated causes that need to be concurrently addressed. This qualitative study explored the drivers and potential leverage points of the DBM at individual, household, community, and (local) policy level in the Cape Town Metropolitan region.

Making sense of the outcome of a rehabilitation implementation trial in the intensive care unit: Mixed methods.

Background: Evidence for implementation of evidence-based protocols (EBPs) in resource-constrained intensive care units (ICUs) is sparse.

Objectives: To evaluate a tailored best-practice multifaceted strategy for implementation of a validated physiotherapy EBP for the management of surgical ICU (SICU) patients. Also, to explore the physiotherapists' perceptions regarding the implementation process and factors affecting protocol adherence, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

Psychological Hardiness and Burnout in the Context of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among South African First Responders.

Unlabelled: Abstract.

Background: Exposure to traumatic events is an inherent aspect of first responder work, placing individuals at heightened risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and burnout. This study examined the relationship between PTSD symptoms and two key dimensions of burnout-emotional exhaustion and depersonalization-among South African first responders, with a particular focus on the mediating role of psychological hardiness.

Informal waste pickers and non-motorised transport: A mini-review of contemporary literature.

Informal waste pickers (IWPs) - individuals who collect, sort and sell recyclable materials outside formal waste management systems - play a critical role in urban waste recycling and landfill reduction. Despite their vital contributions, their reliance on non-motorised transport (NMT) - such as pushcarts, bicycles and wheelbarrows - remains underexplored. This mini-review assesses the relationship between IWPs and NMT, highlighting key challenges, opportunities and research needs.

Promoting recreational opportunities and experiences of students with disabilities, at a University, in Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Introduction: The Limpopo Province is one of the nine provinces in South Africa and has only two universities that serve students with disabilities coming from historically disadvantaged communities. The two universities within the Limpopo Province are categorically classified as Historical Disadvantaged Institutions of higher learning. Therefore, students with disabilities deserve the right to recreational opportunities and experiences while continuing with their tertiary education.

Bridging Health Disparity Gaps in Alzheimer's Disease among Marginalized Populations: Clinical Proteomics as a Case Study.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD) represent a significant health challenge, with a growing impact on marginalized populations who often experience inequities in overall healthcare access and outcomes. Many factors contribute to these inequalities and can impact the benefits of broad appreciation of new technologies in AD/ADRD to these populations. For example, clinical proteomics offers a promising avenue for early and timely detection of disease and elucidation of the mechanisms of AD/ADRD.

Motor-cognitive interaction in adults with spina bifida: dual-task effects.

Study Design: Cross-sectional design.

Objectives: To study motor-cognitive interaction during walking while performing a cognitive task (dual-task [DT]) in ambulatory adults with spina bifida (SB).

Setting: A specialized spinal cord center, The Spinalis clinic at Aleris Rehab Station Stockholm, Sweden.

IGFBP3-mediated effects of an effective combination therapy on HCC.

As all known, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for the majority of cases of liver cancer, which is the third leading cause of cancer mortality globally. Moreover, HCC is always accompanied with HBV infection. Here, we used CMAP, a systematic approach for the discovery of functional connections among diseases and drug actions, to identify quercetin as an effective compound to potentially treat HCC.

The effects of cynaroside on lipid metabolism and lipid-related diseases: a mechanistic overview.

Cynaroside is a natural flavonoid compound, which is widely found in plants. It has the effects of lowering fat, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial and liver protection. Recent studies have shown that cynaroside regulates fat metabolism through multiple mechanisms, including modulating lipase activity, enhancing gut health and suppressing inflammatory responses.

Factors influencing non-communicable disease policy process in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.

Introduction: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been the leading global cause of death for two decades, with a disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income countries. Despite the development of technical packages such as the WHO Best Buys, the adoption and implementation of NCD policies pose significant challenges. This scoping review explores the factors influencing the NCD policy process, including agenda setting, formulation, adoption, implementation and evaluation stages.

BioSoundSCape: A bioacoustic dataset for the Fynbos Biome.

Most biodiversity data are collected at fine spatial scales, but threats to species and ecosystems occur at broad spatial scales. Remote sensing allows broad-scale assessment of biodiversity but these data need to be ground-truthed with contemporaneous in situ datasets. Various faunal groups produce sounds or vocalizations which can then be related to remotely-sensed data.

Target-enriched multilocus assay on poriferan museum collections unsettles tethyid classification.

Marine biodiversity collections are critical resources for understanding biodiversity and evolutionary patterns. However, their taxonomic utility is limited due to challenges in morphological identification and cryptic speciation, particularly in sponges (Porifera). This study applied a novel target-enriched multilocus assay to a decades-old unidentified collection of Tethyidae from the Queensland Museum.

Strong polymer-cellulose interfacial engineering enables hydrogel-enhanced separators with multiscale networks for zinc-ion batteries.

Cellulose paper-based separators have attracted significant attention as promising materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) owing to their excellent wettability, chemical stability, and environmental compatibility. However, water molecules penetrate into the amorphous regions of cellulose to induce plasticization, thus increasing the mobility of molecular chains and disrupting the intermolecular hydrogen bonding within cellulose. This degradation mechanism severely deteriorates battery cycling performance and capacity retention, thereby hindering the utility of cellulose paper-based separators in aqueous ZIBs.

Does cooling affect skeletal muscle glycogen replenishment after an acute bout of fear-induced exertional hyperthermia in blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi)?

Rhabdomyolyses is a clinical sign of capture myopathy in wild animals and may be linked to glycogen metabolism. To study potential mechanisms, 26 wild blesbok were chased for 15 min and immobilised, whereafter 12 of these blesbok were doused with ice-water (n = 14 chased only group; n = 12 chased + cooled group). An additional 12 blesbok served as resting (not chased) uncooled controls.

Perceived accuracy and utilisation of DHIS2 data for health decision making and advocacy in Kenya: A Qualitative Study.

Reliable health information systems (HIS) are critical for effective decision-making in the delivery of Primary Health Care and Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (PHC/RMNCAH+N) services. In Kenya, the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) platform serves as the primary HIS for tracking health indicators. This qualitative study explored perceptions of DHIS2 data accuracy and use for decision-making among PHC/RMNCAH+N stakeholders across 15 counties in Kenya.

Patient-cost studies on self-administered treatment (SAT) for drug-sensitive tuberculosis compared to facility-based directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS): a protocol for a systematic review.

Introduction: Many patients with tuberculosis (TB) suffer from a huge economic burden, even though TB services are often provided free of charge at the point of care. Costs can create significant barriers, hindering patients' access to TB treatment. These costs include direct medical costs (such as consultation fees), direct non-medical costs (such as transportation costs) and indirect costs (such as wages foregone).