Ancient landscapes of the Namib Desert harbor high levels of genetic variability and deeply divergent lineages for Collembola.

Aim: To assess spatial patterns of genetic and species-level diversity for Namib Desert Collembola using mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences. Location: Namib Desert gravel plains. Taxon: Collembola (springtails). Methods: A total of 77 soil samples were collected along NE-SW (60 km) and E-W (160 km) transects from within a 4,000 km2 area of the Namib Desert gravel plains. We extracted 434 springtails from the 37 samples which contained Collembola and sequenced them at the COI gene locus. In the absence of specific taxonomic keys and previous genetic data for these taxa, we used Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) analyses to provide putative species-level designations. Results: We obtained 341 successful COI sequences, 175 of which were unique haplotypes. GMYC analyses identified 30 putative species, with up to 28% sequence divergence (uncorrected p-distance). The distribution of genetic variants was disjunct, with 97% of haplotypes and 70% of "GMYC species" found only at single sites. Main conclusions: Dispersal events, although rare, may be facilitated by environmental events such as prevailing onshore winds or occasional flow of rainwater to the coast. We conclude that the high genetic diversity we observed is the result of ancient springtail lineages, patchy distribution of suitable habitats, and limited dispersal (gene flow) among habitable locations

Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives About the Engagement of Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Parents in Their Children’s Early Education

The present study explores the perceptions of teachers about the engagement of immigrant and non-immigrant parents in preschool. Data were drawn from a larger evaluation study of a government initiative for preschools in Germany, which was designed to foster inclusive pedagogy and parent cooperation. In these analyses, teachers’ perceptions of the engagement of immigrant parents and non-immigrant parents were rated for each parent group, on a 10-item measure, to identify how teacher ratings varied for the different parent groups. Data from 1397 preschool teachers, employed across 203 preschools, were analyzed using multilevel modeling. This statistical approach takes account of the clustered nature of the data. Teacher ratings of engagement for immigrant and non-immigrant parent groups differed between preschools. Most variability in the ratings could be ascribed to preschool characteristics. In preschools, in which staff held a shared understanding of dealing with cultural diversity and in which the director of the preschool had a multicultural mindset, teachers perceived engagement of parents more positively, especially for immigrant parents. Overall, the findings identified the importance of self-efficacy for inclusion and more positive beliefs about multiculturalism among preschool teachers. Such qualities are important for working with all parents. However, unfavorable social structures, such as those found in disadvantaged areas, may present major challenges for parent cooperation and engagement

Prevalence of HIV-related stigma among people with HIV in Switzerland: addressing the elephant in the room

Objectives: We aimed to determine the prevalence of HIV-related stigma among people with HIV (PWH) in Switzerland Design: A cross-sectional multicentre study nested within the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS). Methods: We included adult PWH enrolled in the SHCS, attending follow-up between March 1st, 2020, and January 31st, 2021. Inability to speak English, French, German, or Italian was the only exclusion criterion. Participants were invited to complete a validated 12-item HIV-stigma questionnaire comprising four stigma subscales (negative self-image, personalised stigma, disclosure concerns, and concerns regarding public attitudes), plus two healthcare-related stigma items. Questionnaire responses were graded using a four-point Likert-type scale, higher scores indicating higher stigma. “Non-applicable”, inferring HIV-status non-disclosure, was possible for personalised stigma; stigma scores from participants answering “non-applicable” to ≥1 items were analysed separately. Factors associated with HIV-stigma were identified through multivariable linear models. Results: Of 9643 PWH with a SHCS visit, 5563 participated in the study: 26% were female, 13% Black and 37% heterosexual; median age was 53 years (interquartile range 44–59); 2067 participants (37%) gave ≥1 “non-applicable” responses. Disclosure concerns had the highest stigma scores and were reported by 4656/5563 (84%). HIV-stigma was reported across all demographic groups. However, being female, Black, and heterosexual were independently associated with higher scores. Higher education and longer follow-up duration were associated with lower scores. Healthcare-related stigma was reported in 37% of participants. Conclusions: HIV-stigma was prevalent across all demographic groups. The association with being female and Black suggests that HIV-stigma accentuates pre-existing gender and race inequalities

External validation of the PAGE-B score for HCC risk prediction in people living with HIV/HBV coinfection

Background & Aims: HBV coinfection is common among people living with HIV (PLWH) and is the most important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While risk prediction tools for HCC have been validated in patients with HBV monoinfection, they have not been evaluated in PLWH. Thus, we performed an external validation of PAGE-B in people with HIV/HBV coinfection. Methods: We included data on PLWH from four European cohorts who were positive for HBsAg and did not have HCC before starting tenofovir. We estimated the predictive performance of PAGE-B for HCC occurrence over 15 years in patients receiving tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy. Model discrimination was assessed after multiple imputation using Cox regression with the prognostic index as a covariate, and by calculating Harrell's c-index. Calibration was assessed by comparing our cumulative incidence with the PAGE-B derivation study using Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: In total, 2,963 individuals with HIV/HBV coinfection on tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy were included. PAGE-B was <10 in 26.5%, 10–17 in 57.7%, and ≥18 in 15.7% of patients. Within a median follow-up of 9.6 years, HCC occurred in 68 individuals (2.58/1,000 patient-years, 95% CI 2.03–3.27). The regression slope of the prognostic index for developing HCC within 15 years was 0.93 (95% CI 0.61–1.25), and the pooled c-index was 0.77 (range 0.73–0.80), both indicating good model discrimination. The cumulative incidence of HCC was lower in our study compared to the derivation study. A PAGE-B cut-off of <10 had a negative predictive value of 99.4% for the development of HCC within 5 years. Restricting efforts to individuals with a PAGE-B of ≥10 would spare unnecessary HCC screening in 27% of individuals. Conclusions: For individuals with HIV/HBV coinfection, PAGE-B is a valid tool to determine the need for HCC screening. Impact and implications: Chronic HBV infection is the most important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among people living with HIV. Valid risk prediction may enable better targeting of HCC screening efforts to high-risk individuals. We aimed to validate PAGE-B, a risk prediction tool that is based on age, sex, and platelets, in 2,963 individuals with HIV/HBV coinfection who received tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy. In the present study, PAGE-B showed good discrimination, adequate calibration, and a cut-off of <10 had a negative predictive value of 99.4% for the development of HCC within 5 years. These results indicate that PAGE-B is a simple and valid risk prediction tool to determine the need for HCC screening among people living with HIV and HBV

Hepatitis delta infection among persons living with HIV in Europe

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A high prevalence of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection, the most severe form of viral hepatitis, has been reported among persons living with HIV (PLWH) in Europe. We analysed data from a large HIV cohort collaboration to characterize HDV epidemiological trends across Europe, as well as its impact on clinical outcomes. METHODS: All PLWH with a positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study and EuroSIDA between 1988 and 2019 were tested for anti-HDV antibodies and, if positive, for HDV RNA. Demographic and clinical characteristics at initiation of antiretroviral therapy were compared between HDV-positive and HDV-negative individuals using descriptive statistics. The associations between HDV infection and overall mortality, liver-related mortality as well as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were assessed using cumulative incidence plots and cause-specific multivariable Cox regression. RESULTS: Of 2793 HBsAg-positive participants, 1556 (56%) had stored serum available and were included. The prevalence of HDV coinfection was 15.2% (237/1556, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 13.5%–17.1%) and 66% (132/200) of HDV-positive individuals had active HDV replication. Among persons who inject drugs (PWID), the prevalence of HDV coinfection was 50.5% (182/360, 95% CI: 45.3%–55.7%), with similar estimates across Europe, compared to 4.7% (52/1109, 95% CI: 3.5%–5.9%) among other participants. During a median follow-up of 10.8 years (interquartile range 5.6–17.8), 82 (34.6%) HDV-positive and 265 (20.1%) HDV-negative individuals died. 41.5% (34/82) of deaths were liver-related in HDV-positive individuals compared to 17.7% (47/265) in HDV-negative individuals. HDV infection was associated with overall mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.6; 95% CI 1.2–2.1), liver-related death (2.9, 1.6–5.0) and HCC (6.3, 2.5–16.0). CONCLUSION: We found a very high prevalence of hepatitis delta among PWID across Europe. Among PLWH who do not inject drugs, the prevalence was similar to that reported from populations without HIV. HDV coinfection was associated with liver-related mortality and HCC incidence

Discourse and Regulation Failures: The Ambivalent Influence of NGOs on Political Organizations

In the last decades, NGOs have become an important participant in the work of political organizations (e.g., national authorities, the EU or the UN). This development brings many opportunities and also some challenges, including discourse failure which is one of the topics discussed in this paper. We present a case study that illustrates the interdependence of discourse failure and regulations failure. We conclude that discourse failure is frequently not merely an accidental by-product, but rather, a non-intended consequence of deliberate NGOs’ campaigns. We make particular note of probable discourse failure when campaigns attempt to deal with complex issues in an environment rife with wide-spread prejudices and where the NGO’s work is transparent. In this situation, regulation failure may be consequent upon discourse failure. We present collectively binding commitments for NGOs and binding services enforced by political organizations to prevent discourse failure. In conclusion, we argue that the field of political economy can benefit from this challenging environment if it systematically researches the interdependencies between discourses and regulations.In den letzten Jahrzehnten kamen NGOs als wichtige Akteure im politischen Regelsetzungsprozess hinzu (z. B. in der EU, der UN und auch auf den nationalen Ebenen). Aus dieser Entwicklung ergeben sich für die Zivilgesellschaft vielfältige Chancen, allerdings auch einige Herausforderungen. Zu den Herausforderungen zählt unter anderem Diskursversagen, woraus häufig Regulierungsversagen resultiert. Der Beitrag präsentiert eine Fallstudie, die das Zusammenspiel aus Diskurs- und Regulierungsversagen aufzeigt. Das Beispiel illustriert, dass Diskursversagen nicht nur ein zufälliger Nebeneffekt von öffentlichen Diskursen ist, sondern eine nicht-intendierte Folge zielgerichteter Kampagnen von NGOs sein kann. Insbesondere Kampagnen, die sich mit komplexen Themen auseinandersetzen, über die es in der Öffentlichkeit weitverbreitete Vorurteile gibt, neigen zu Diskursversagen. Durch transparente Kampagnen seitens der NGOs wird dies sogar begünstigt. Zur Überwindung dieser Defizite stellt der Beitrag verschiedene Bindungsmechanismen für NGOs und Bindungsservices durch Behörden und Politik vor. Abschließend zeigt der Beitrag auf, dass die Politische Ökonomik davon profitieren kann, wenn sie systematisch das Zusammenspiel zwischen Diskurs und Regulierung erforscht

Wahrgenommene Zielkonflikte zwischen Gesundheitszielen: Ergebnisse einer Intervention zur Förderung von körperlicher Aktivität und Ernährung

Objectives: Unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are main causes of many diseases and hence, the development of effective interventions is warranted. However, targeting both health behaviors simultaneously might overburden participants. Thus, the aim of the study was to (a) investigate the relationship between these two health behaviors, (b) assess the perceived intergoal conflict and coherence, and (c) test the effects of stage-matched and mismatched interventions on perceived intergoal conflict and coherence. Methods: Based on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA; Schwarzer, 2008), which describes behavior change as a process with qualitatively different stages, an internet-based health prevention program was tested. The quasi-experimental study with two different interventions included N = 1260 and a longitudinal subsample with n = 300 participants. Results: Results showed that both health behaviors are correlated, and that participants perceived more intergoal facilitation than conflicts. Perceived conflict varied between participants in the different HAPA stages. Stagematched interventions successfully reduced intergoal conflict. Conclusion: Health promotion programs that simultaneously target physical activity and dietary behavior seem not to overburden participants. On the contrary, participants report high levels of intergoal coherence between the two goals. Nonetheless, intergoal conflicts do play a role in the early stages of behavior change and intention formation. Health promotion programs should take these results into consideration when more than one health behavior is to be targeted