Development of predictive equations for total body water using the deuterium-dilution method as the gold standard in a population of asymptomatic HIV-positive Zulu women in South Africa

Objectives: The study aimed to derive predictive equations for total body water determinations with bioelectrical impedance and anthropometricmeasurements in a population of asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) -positive Zulu women.Design: Cross-sectional data from within an ongoing prospective study that observed the effect of infant feeding mode on maternal and childhealth in a cohort of asymptomatic HIV-positive women were used for this objective.Setting: A community health centre in Durban.Subjects: Asymptomatic HIV-infected women who were not eligible for antiretroviral therapy. They were resident in the area and were of Zuluethnicity.Outcome measures: Development of predictive equations for total body water.Results: Success was achieved in developing predictive equations for total body water using bioelectrical impedance analysis andanthropometric measurements that were specific to the HIV-positive female Zulu population. These equations were developed using the totalbody water that was obtained from deuterium-dilution method as a gold standard.Conclusion: These predictive equations are likely to be more valid for the HIV-positive female African populations of similar build than thecurrent predictive equations that derive from the Western population

A review of HIV and AIDS curricular responses in the higher education Sector: Where are we now and what next?

Curriculum integration of HIV and AIDS in higher education is a strategic priority of the Higher Education AIDS programme (HEAIDS), yet little progress has been made in this area. To address this, HEAIDS is leading a project aimed at capacitating the development of HIV curriculum initiatives. The purpose of this article is to present a critical overview of internationally published work concerning the integration of HIV and AIDS into the curriculum of higher education, to determine what has been done in terms of integration, to assess what has been evaluated as successful, and to determine what lessons we can draw from it to inform the way forward. A total of 106 sources were identified by conducting key word searches in three main search engines; additional references from these and back issues of leading HIV and AIDS education journals were also consulted. We critically discuss the findings to draw conclusions about best practices concerning theoretical underpinnings, pedagogy and curriculum content. We conclude by highlighting some aspects that can help to inform the infusion of HIV and AIDS into the curricula of higher education in South Africa and beyond

The effects of antibiotics and illness on gut microbial composition in the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat (Melomys cervinipes)

The gut microbiota are critical for maintaining the health and physiological function of individuals. However, illness and treatment with antibiotics can disrupt bacterial community composition, the consequences of which are largely unknown in wild animals. In this study, we described and quantified the changes in bacterial community composition in response to illness and treatment with antibiotics in a native Australian rodent, the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat (Melomys cervinipes). We collected faecal samples during an undiagnosed illness outbreak in a captive colony of animals, and again at least one year later, and quantified the microbiome at each time point using 16s ribosomal rRNA gene sequencing. Gut bacterial composition was quantified at different taxonomic levels, up to family. Gut bacterial composition changed between time periods, indicating that illness, treatment with antibiotics, or a combination affects bacterial communities. While some bacterial groups increased in abundance, others decreased, suggesting differential effects and possible co-adapted and synergistic interactions. Our findings provide a greater understanding of the dynamic nature of the gut microbiome of a native Australian rodent species and provides insights into the management and ethical well-being of animals kept under captive conditions

Examining The Role Of Social-Cultural Capital In Youth Entrepreneurship : A Comparative Study Between Malaysia And Laos

This comparative study explores the role of social-cultural capital in youth entrepreneurship through social network between the efficiency-based economy of Malaysia and the factor based economy of Laos/Lao PDR.Two non-homogenous sovereign contexts are compared to unveil the potent role of social-cultural capital in youth entrepreneurship through social network dynamics.Central to this discussion is the Theory of Social Network with its emphasis on network structure,type and ties coupled with social context within the theoretical frameworks of Bourdieu,Coleman and Putnam etc.A qualitative case study research approach was employed through the strategy inquiry tools of in-depth interviews and focus groups studies in analysing youth entrepreneurship contexts and contents.This preferred approach is focused on garnering in-depth information: thematically rich with meaningful interpretation and significant application.Furthermore, case study method encapsulates,demarcates and facilitates diverse cases for comparison between two sovereign contexts through a comprehensive case study protocol.Key findings emerging from thematic pattern at synthesis level include:the emergence of two tier prominent categories,with the first tier codes such as family members and entrepreneurial ecosystem governing the stimulating or stifling factor of social-cultural capital on youth entrepreneurship,both in Malaysia and Laos.The second tier codes unveil the role of value system, acquaintance,informal groups,culture and community in supporting first tier codes in the actualization of youth entrepreneurship.The ancillary codes such as technology and social media equally affect the governing and second tier codes in influencing youth entrepreneurship.Three types of primary network system are unveiled through the collaboration of these prominent codes and categories including privileged,preferred and laissez faire networks,which dynamically intermingle with four types of social context network ties.The outcome of this study contributes theoretically in asserting the likelihood of comparing two non homogenous socio-economic contexts in determining the role of social-cultural capital through social network in youth entrepreneurship,at micro-,meso- and macro- level.From practical perspective,this study reveals the capability of social-cultural capital in opening up pathways to the avenues of financial,physical, human and knowledge capitals,making it applicable to the broader regional context of ASEAN which is made up of factor-,efficiency and innovation- based economies. Further research study is recommended in exploring the possibility of two different sovereign socio-economic contexts sharing the capability of social network system in influencing youth entrepreneurship beyond the pursuit of uniformity in economic status or development

Connected OFCity Challenge: Addressing the Digital Divide in the Developing World

Over the past 50 years, the development of information and communications technology has provided unprecedented support to the steady economic growth of developed countries. In recent years, some of the largest growth has been reported in emerging economies, which, however, often lack adequate telecommunications infrastructure to further sustain their development. Although a number of service providers and system vendors have started to address the issue, the challenges they encounter are substantially different from those in the developed world, including an unreliable electricity grid, poor fiber infrastructure, low revenue expectations, and often a harsh climate environment. This paper reports use cases and solutions pertinent to the development of the networking infrastructure in emerging economies, provided by organizations directly involved in such activities. After providing some background information on the current state of network infrastructure and the main challenges for Africa and rural China, the paper provides details on two proposed solutions. The first focuses on the provisioning of services and network infrastructure through the development of low-cost data centers, whereas the second proposes cost-effective adaptation of both fiber and hybrid copper-fiber technology to rural areas. The article is concluded with a brief discussion on the complementarity of the two approaches

Resilience to droughts in mammals: a conceptual framework for estimating vulnerability of a single species

The frequency and severity of droughts in certain areas is increasing as a consequence of climate change. The associated environmental challenges, including high temperatures, low food, and water availability, have affected, and will affect, many populations. Our aims are to review the behavioral, physiological, and morphological adaptations of mammals to arid environments, and to aid researchers and nature conservationists about which traits they should study to assess whether or not their study species will be able to cope with droughts. We provide a suite of traits that should be considered when making predictions about species resilience to drought. We define and differentiate between general adaptations, specialized adaptations, and exaptations, and argue that specialized adaptations are of little interest in establishing how nondesert specialists will cope with droughts. Attention should be placed on general adaptations of semidesert species and assess whether these exist as exaptations in nondesert species. We conclude that phenotypic flexibility is the most important general adaptation that may promote species resilience. Thus, to assess whether a species will be able to cope with increasing aridity, it is important to establish the degree of flexibility of traits identified in semidesert species that confer a fitness advantage under drying conditions

Decision-making by bushveld gerbils (Gerbilliscus leucogaster)

Decision-making reflects an individual’s behavioral motivation, shaped by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. We investigated the motivation and decision-making to forage in captive bushveld gerbils (Gerbilliscus leucogaster) using an individually tailored experimental protocol. Individual gerbils were subjected to 4 experiments, where we assessed behavior and decision-making in response to: (a) food quality when resources were clumped (Experiment 1), (b) food quality when resources were scattered (Experiment 2), (c) changing food distribution (clumped vs. scattered; Experiment 3), and (d) predation risk. Each experiment comprised 4 treatments, where both cost (a weighted door) and incentive (preferred vs. nonpreferred seeds; clumped vs. scattered seeds) varied according to the mass and personal preferences of individual gerbils. We counted the number of seeds eaten, assessed the frequency of door usage, and measured the duration of exploration, vigilance, and foraging (as a proportion of total time) of gerbils in each experiment. Gerbils showed individual preferences for different seed types although all preferred sunflower or sorghum seeds. Generally, gerbils ate more seeds and used the door more frequently when the costs were low. Similarly, gerbils tended to forage more when the costs were low and predation risk was low. We also found that males, in general, were more vigilant than females in Experiments 3 and 4, likely because of risk of intrasexual competition over a high-resource patch. There was considerable individual variation in behavior, but there was also consistency in most behaviors, indicating that individual gerbils perform consistently differently to other gerbils

The art of HIV elimination: past and present science

Introduction: Remarkable strides have been made in controlling the HIV epidemic, although not enough to achieve epidemic control. More recently, interest in biomedical HIV control approaches has increased, but substantial challenges with the HIV cascade of care hinder successful implementation. We summarise all available HIV prevention methods and make recommendations on how to address current challenges. Discussion: In the early days of the epidemic, behavioural approaches to control the HIV dominated, and the few available evidence-based interventions demonstrated to reduce HIV transmission were applied independently from one another. More recently, it has become clear that combination prevention strategies targeted to high transmission geographies and people at most risk of infections are required to achieve epidemic control. Biomedical strategies such as male medical circumcision and antiretroviral therapy for treatment in HIV-positive individuals and as preexposure prophylaxis in HIV-negative individuals provide immense promise for the future of HIV control. In resourcerich settings, the threat of HIV treatment optimism resulting in increased sexual risk taking has been observed and there are concerns that as ART roll-out matures in resource-poor settings and the benefits of ART become clearly visible, behavioural disinhibition may also become a challenge in those settings. Unfortunately, an efficacious vaccine, a strategy which could potentially halt the HIV epidemic, remains elusive. Conclusion: Combination HIV prevention offers a logical approach to HIV control, although what and how the available options should be combined is contextual. Therefore, knowledge of the local or national drivers of HIV infection is paramount. Problems with the HIV care continuum remain of concern, hindering progress towards the UNAIDS target of 90-90-90 by 2020. Research is needed on combination interventions that address all the steps of the cascade as the steps are not independent of each other. Until these issues are addressed, HIV elimination may remain an unattainable goal

Challenges in Linking Cognition and Survival: A Review

Linking cognitive performance with fitness outcomes, measured using both reproductive and survival metrics, of free-living animals is crucial for understanding the evolution of cognition. Although there is increasing evidence showing a link between cognitive traits and reproductive success metrics, studies specifically exploring the link between cognition and survival are scarce. We first explore which cognitive traits related to survival have been investigated in free-living animals. We also discuss the challenges associated with investigating the links between cognition and survival. We then review studies that specifically consider survival of animals of known cognitive abilities that are either free-living or in captivity and later released into the wild. We found nine studies exploring cognitive traits in wild populations. The relationships between these cognitive traits and survival were equivocal. We found a further nine studies in captive-reared populations trained to predator cues and later released into the wild. Training to recognize predator cues was correlated with increased survival in the majority of studies. Finally, different individual intrinsic characteristics (i.e., age, body condition, personality, sex) showed varied effects between studies. We argue that finding ecologically relevant cognitive traits is crucial for gaining a better understanding of how selection impacts certain cognitive traits, and how these might contribute to an individual's survival. We also suggest possible standardized, easy to implement, cognitive tests that can be used in long-term studies, which would generate large sample sizes, take into account intrinsic characteristics, and provide an opportunity to understand the mechanisms, development and evolution of cognition

Detection of Presumptive Pathogens in Ground Beef from Supermarket and Farmers\u27 Market Sources

This study investigates whether specific pathogens are more prevalent in retail meat sold by supermarkets compared to locally sourced markets. Ground beef samples were obtained from conventional ‘big box’ supermarkets and from local, farmers’ markets and examined for the presence of two pathogens, Escherichia coli O157,H7 and Salmonella. For the detection of E. coli O157,H7, homogenized meat samples were enriched overnight in modified EC medium with novobiocin. The enriched cultures were selected onto MacConkey agar with sorbitol, cefixime and tellurite. Presumptive positive colonies were subcultured onto tryptic soy agar with yeast extract and further tested for positive indole and motility, and negative oxidase reactions. For Salmonella detection, homogenized meat samples were incubated first in universal pre-enrichment broth, then enriched overnight in Rappaport-Vassiliadis broth, and further plated onto Salmonella selective medium. Presumptive Salmonella colonies were further incubated on triple sugar iron agar and lysine iron agar to confirm glucose fermentation, sulfide production, and lysine decarboxylase. Oxidase assays were conducted on all presumptive strains. Presumptive colonies of both E. coli and Salmonella were subjected to rapid identification assays and serological tests to confirm identity. Isolates were then tested for antibiotic sensitivity using the Kirby-Bauer assay. The presence of E. coli O157 was observed in one sample of meat sourced from a supermarket, and Salmonella was isolated from ground beef purchased from a different retail supermarket. Neither pathogen was detected from ground beef sourced from farmers’ markets. Our preliminary results demonstrate a potential difference in the prevalence of both E. coli O157 and Salmonella species based upon food source