Prevalence and correlates of atypical patterns of drug use progression: findings from the South African Stress and Health Study

Objective: Atypical sequences of drug use progression are thought to have important implications for the development of substance dependence. The extent to which this assumption holds for South African populations is unknown. This paper attempts to address this gap by examining the prevalence and correlates of atypical patterns of drug progression among South Africans. Method: Data on substance use and other mental health disorders from a nationally representative sample of 4351 South Africans were analysed. Weighted cross tabulations were used to estimate prevalence and correlates of atypical patterns of drug use progression. Results: Overall, 12.2% of the sample reported atypical patterns of drug use progression. The most common violation was the use of extra-medical drugs prior to alcohol and tobacco. Gender was significantly associated with atypical patterns of drug use with the risk pattern varying by the type of drug. None of the anxiety or mood disorders were associated with atypical patterns of use. Atypical patterns of drug use were not associated with increased risk for a lifetime substance use disorder. Conclusion: Atypical patterns of drug use initiation seem more prevalent in South Africa compared to other countries. The early use of extra-medical drugs is common, especially among young women. Drug availability and social environmental factors may influence patterns of drug use. The findings have important implications for prevention initiatives and future research.Key words: Substance use; Gateway violations; Mental disorders; South Afric

DSM-IV-defined common mental disorders: Association with HIV testing, HIV-related fears, perceived risk and preventive behaviours among South African adults

Background. There are few reports from South Africa on how common mental disorders may be associated with HIVrelated perceptions and behaviours.Methods. Between 2002 and 2004, 4 351 South African adults were interviewed. Psychiatric diagnoses of depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorders were based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th edition (DSM-IV). HIVrelated fears, perceived risk and behaviour change were measured using multi-item scales. We analysed forms of behaviour change that were appropriate for risk reduction (such as changes in sexual behaviour) separately frombehaviour changes that were inappropriate to prevent HIV (such as care over things touched or avoiding certain social situations).Results. The presence of any DSM-IV-defined disorder during the previous 12 months was associated with previous HIV testing, increased HIV-related fears, and high levels of perceived risk of HIV. There were no associations between depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorders and appropriate forms of behaviour change for HIV riskreduction. However, individuals with an anxiety or a depressive disorder were more likely to report inappropriate forms of behaviour change. For example, individuals with any depressive and/or anxiety disorders were 1.57 and 1.47 times more likely, respectively, to report avoiding certain social situations to prevent HIV/AIDS compared withthose who did not have such disorders (

Leveraging Proteomics to Understand Plant–Microbe Interactions

Understanding the interactions of plants with beneficial and pathogenic microbes is a promising avenue to improve crop productivity and agriculture sustainability. Proteomic techniques provide a unique angle to describe these intricate interactions and test hypotheses. The various approaches for proteomic analysis generally include protein/peptide separation and identification, but can also provide quantification and the characterization of post-translational modifications. In this review, we discuss how these techniques have been applied to the study of plant–microbe interactions. We also present some areas where this field of study would benefit from the utilization of newly developed methods that overcome previous limitations. Finally, we reinforce the need for expanding, integrating, and curating protein databases, as well as the benefits of combining protein-level datasets with those from genetic analyses and other high-throughput large-scale approaches for a systems-level view of plant–microbe interactions

Genetic versus Rearing-Environment Effects on Phenotype: Hatchery and Natural Rearing Effects on Hatchery- and Wild-Born Coho Salmon

With the current trends in climate and fisheries, well-designed mitigative strategies for conserving fish stocks may become increasingly necessary. The poor post-release survival of hatchery-reared Pacific salmon indicates that salmon enhancement programs require assessment. The objective of this study was to determine the relative roles that genotype and rearing environment play in the phenotypic expression of young salmon, including their survival, growth, physiology, swimming endurance, predator avoidance and migratory behaviour. Wild- and hatchery-born coho salmon adults (Oncorhynchus kisutch) returning to the Chehalis River in British Columbia, Canada, were crossed to create pure hatchery, pure wild, and hybrid offspring. A proportion of the progeny from each cross was reared in a traditional hatchery environment, whereas the remaining fry were reared naturally in a contained side channel. The resulting phenotypic differences between replicates, between rearing environments, and between cross types were compared. While there were few phenotypic differences noted between genetic groups reared in the same habitat, rearing environment played a significant role in smolt size, survival, swimming endurance, predator avoidance and migratory behaviour. The lack of any observed genetic differences between wild- and hatchery-born salmon may be due to the long-term mixing of these genotypes from hatchery introgression into wild populations, or conversely, due to strong selection in nature—capable of maintaining highly fit genotypes whether or not fish have experienced part of their life history under cultured conditions

Factors associated with antiretroviral treatment initiation amongst HIV-positive individuals linked to care within a universal test and treat programme: early findings of the ANRS 12249 TasP trial in rural South Africa

Prompt uptake of antiretroviral treatment (ART) is essential to ensure the success of universal test and treat (UTT) strategies to prevent HIV transmission in high-prevalence settings. We describe ART initiation rates and associated factors within an ongoing UTT cluster-randomized trial in rural South Africa. HIV-positive individuals were offered immediate ART in the intervention arm vs. national guidelines recommended initiation (CD4≤350 cells/mm3) in the control arm. We used data collected up to July 2015 among the ART-eligible individuals linked to TasP clinics before January 2015. ART initiation rates at one (M1), three (M3) and six months (M6) from baseline visit were described by cluster and CD4 count strata (cells/mm3) and other eligibility criteria: ≤100; 100–200; 200–350; CD4>350 with WHO stage 3/4 or pregnancy; CD4>350 without WHO stage 3/4 or pregnancy. A Cox model accounting for covariate effect changes over time was used to assess factors associated with ART initiation. The 514 participants had a median [interquartile range] follow-up duration of 1.08 [0.69; 2.07] months until ART initiation or last visit. ART initiation rates at M1 varied substantially (36.9% in the group CD4>350 without WHO stage 3/4 or pregnancy, and 55.2–71.8% in the three groups with CD4≤350) but less at M6 (from 85.3% in the first group to 96.1–98.3% in the three other groups). Factors associated with lower ART initiation at M1 were a higher CD4 count and attending clinics with both high patient load and higher cluster HIV prevalence. After M1, having a regular partner was the only factor associated with higher likelihood of ART initiation. These findings suggest good ART uptake within a UTT setting, even among individuals with high CD4 count. However, inadequate staffing and healthcare professional practices could result in prioritizing ART initiation in patients with the lowest CD4 counts

Structure of pair winds from compact objects with application to emission from bare strange stars

We present the results of numerical simulations of stationary, spherically outflowing, electron-positron pair winds, with total luminosities in the range 10^{34}- 10^{42} ergs/s. In the concrete example described here, the wind injection source is a hot, bare, strange star, predicted to be a powerful source of electron-positron pairs created by the Coulomb barrier at the quark surface. We find that photons dominate in the emerging emission, and the emerging photon spectrum is rather hard and differs substantially from the thermal spectrum expected from a neutron star with the same luminosity. This might help distinguish the putative bare strange stars from neutron stars.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, added references, to appear in the proceedings of the conference "Isolated Neutron Stars: from the Surface to the Interior", London, UK, 24-28 April 200

Qualitative evaluation of a physical activity-based chronic disease prevention program in a low-income, rural South African setting

Introduction: Chronic diseases, an increasing global concern, are prevalent in the low-income communities of South Africa, where rural health systems bear the double burden of infectious and chronic diseases. The Discovery Healthy Lifestyle Programme (DHLP) is a physical activity-based chronic disease prevention program that has been implemented in a low-income, rural setting in South Africa. The DHLP consists of both school- and primary healthcare clinic-based interventions for learners (Healthnutz) and adults (Live it Up), facilitated by teachers, nurses and community volunteers. The aim of this evaluation was to qualitatively assess the process by which the DHLP was implemented, identifying enabling factors and barriers. Methods: Data were collected in target communities at schools and clinics from semi-structured focus groups of program leaders and members, teachers and community members (n=45), situational analyses of the school physical activity environment, informal community observations and informal interviews with program coordinators. Results: The target communities faced socioeconomic and health inequalities and remained under-resourced and under-served. In spite of these and other challenges, the DHLP was well received by community members and stakeholders. It was valued by respondents for its health and psychosocial outcomes, evidenced by increased knowledge and awareness of the importance of physical activity and healthy lifestyles, and positively altered perceptions of physical activity. Program implementers believed the Live it Up component was growing, and this suggested the sustainability of the program. There were, however, some concerns about the fidelity of the Healthnutz intervention, due to timetabling difficulties. Despite this, teachers were positive about the program and its value for their learners, staff and school. The community characteristics of being under-resourced and underserved appeared to positively influence DHLP implementation. Local government involvement in the DHLP resulted in greater ownership of the program, which enabled successful implementation. Conclusions: This study presents a unique opportunity to assess the implementation and sustainability requirements of programs in environments of limited resources, considerable burden of infectious and chronic diseases and extensive socioeconomic challenges. The findings suggest that through enhancement of knowledge, transfer of appropriate skills and the provision of an enabling environment, participation in physical activity can be effectively promoted in a low-income, rural setting. Physical activity interventions that promote the participation and empowerment of rural communities can be feasible and accessible, thereby assisting in addressing the growing burden of chronic diseases in low-income

Durability of interior renderings in schools: optimization of envelope insulation for mitigation of mould growth risk

A high standard education is, nowadays, a clear objective for anymodern society. In Portugal, the retrofit of educational buildings has an enormousrelevance as demonstrated by the Program for Retrofit and Upgrade of HighSchools. Educational buildings specific characteristics such as high occupancyrates and high amount of time children spend in classrooms make them a specialcase compared to other buildings. Mould growth on envelope surfaces is frequentlyobserved in these buildings, reducing the expected durability of renderingsand coatings. The present work consisted of two main lines of research: one ofsimulation and other of optimization. The simulation part included modelling ofInterior Surfaces Temperature, Indoor Air Temperature and Relative Humidityvariation, before and after a hypothetical retrofit process. Optimization techniqueswere applied in the definition of insulation thickness to be numerically tested in theafter retrofit scenario. The objective was to minimise insulation thickness ineach building element of the envelope. The constraints were derived from thecontrol of surface temperature values that would result in mould growth risk

Medicago PhosphoProtein Database: a repository for Medicago truncatula phosphoprotein data

The ability of legume crops to fix atmospheric nitrogen via a symbiotic association with soil rhizobia makes them an essential component of many agricultural systems. Initiation of this symbiosis requires protein phosphorylation-mediated signaling in response to rhizobial signals named Nod factors. Medicago truncatula (Medicago) is the model system for studying legume biology, making the study of its phosphoproteome essential. Here, we describe the Medicago PhosphoProtein Database (MPPD; http://phospho.medicago.wisc.edu), a repository built to house phosphoprotein, phosphopeptide, and phosphosite data specific to Medicago. Currently, the MPPD holds 3,457 unique phosphopeptides that contain 3,404 non-redundant sites of phosphorylation on 829 proteins. Through the web-based interface, users are allowed to browse identified proteins or search for proteins of interest. Furthermore, we allow users to conduct BLAST searches of the database using both peptide sequences and phosphorylation motifs as queries. The data contained within the database are available for download to be investigated at the user’s discretion. The MPPD will be updated continually with novel phosphoprotein and phosphopeptide identifications, with the intent of constructing an unparalleled compendium of large-scale Medicago phosphorylation data