Human Immunodeficiency Virus Preexposure Prophylaxis Awareness and Acceptability among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Persons in India: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

With increasing importance being given to preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus prevention among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender persons (TG), we undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of PrEP awareness and acceptability among these key populations in India, and their sociodemographic and behavioral determinants. The systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023390508). Studies were included if they provided quantitative data on PrEP awareness or acceptability among MSM or TG in India. MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase were searched from inception to February 29, 2024, using keywords and database-specific terms. Relevant websites were also searched. Critical appraisal was done using the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Prevalence Studies. Random-effects meta-analysis was done for common outcomes reported by the studies. Reporting was as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses 2020 statement. Ten studies providing cross-sectional data, mostly from South West India, were included for qualitative synthesis. All were conducted in settings where PrEP was not available. The pooled prevalence among MSM and TG was 18.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 8.7%, 28.7%) for awareness and 79.8% (95% CI 57.4%, 100.0%) for willingness to use daily oral PrEP. This review highlights the felt need for PrEP among MSM and TG in India. Further research is needed to understand user attitudes in different parts of the country.

Test concordance and diagnostic accuracy of three serological assays for detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody: result from a population-based sero-epidemiological study in Delhi.

BACKGROUND: Several methodological tests are available to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibody. Tests are mostly used in the aid of diagnosis or for serological assessment. No tests are fully confirmatory and have variable level of diagnostic ability. We aimed at assessing agreement with three serological tests: quantitative anti receptor binding domain ELISA (Q-RBD), qualitative ELISA (WANTAI SARS-CoV-2 Ab) and qualitative chemiluminescence assay (CLIA). METHODS: This study was a part of a large population based sero-epidemiological cohort study. Participants aged 1 year or older were included from 25 randomly selected clusters each in Delhi urban (urban resettlement colony of South Delhi district) and Delhi rural (villages in Faridabad district, Haryana). Three type of tests were applied to all the baseline blood samples. Result of the three tests were evaluated by estimating the total agreement and kappa value. RESULTS: Total 3491 blood samples collected from March to September, 2021, out of which 1700 (48.7%) from urban and 1791 (51.3%) from rural. Overall 44.1% of participants were male. The proportion of sero-positivity were 78.1%, 75.2% and 31.8% by Wantai, QRBD and CLIA tests respectively. The total agreement between Wantai and QRBD was 94.5%, 53.1% between Wantai and CLIA, and 56.8% between QRBD and CLIA. The kappa value between these three tests were 0.84 (95% CI 0.80-0.87), 0.22 (95% CI 0.19-0.24) and 0.26 (95% CI 0.23-0.28). CONCLUSIONS: There was strong concordance between Wantai and QRBD test. Agreement between CLIA with other two tests was low. Wantai and QRBD tests measuring the antibody to same S protein can be used with high agreement based on the relevant scenario.

Estimating the Need for Palliative Care in an Urban Resettlement Colony of New Delhi, North India.

Objectives: This study was aimed to estimate the need for palliative care in an urban resettlement colony of Dakshinpuri Extension, New Delhi. Material and Methods: This was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted in New Delhi. We trained four multipurpose workers to screen the households during their routine household-to-household visits. The screening for the need for palliative care was done using three questions - that is, (1) presence of a bedridden patient or (2) person in need for help in activities of daily living or (3) not able to go for work due to any physical chronic illness. If the answer to any of the three screening questions was yes for any member in a household, then these households were visited by a community physician trained in palliative care and a medical social service officer to confirm the need for palliative care. Patients were administered a semi-structured questionnaire containing the sociodemographic details and an assessment of disease status and review of health records was done. The patient and his/her caregiver were also assessed for awareness regarding palliative care. Results: A total of 2028 households were screened and the need for palliative care was found to be 1.5/1000 population (95% CI: 0.9-2.1). The mean age (SD) of patients who need palliative care was 60 years (SD-12.9). The common diseases which required palliative care were stroke with a focal neurological deficit (45.8%), osteoarthritis with marked dependence (20.8%) and cancer (12.5%). None of the patients was receiving palliative care as patients and their caregivers were not aware of the term palliative care/end of life care/home care for bedridden people/community-based care. Conclusion: The need for palliative care in an urban resettlement colony of North India was found to be 1.1/1000 population. Further studies are required to estimate the need for palliative care in North India.

Significance of super spreader events in COVID-19.

The number of secondary cases from each primary case determines how fast an epidemic grows. It is known that all cases do not spread the infection equally; super spreaders play an important role as they contribute disproportionately to a much larger number of cases including in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Super spreaders have been reported for more than a century, but limited information is available in scientific literature. An epidemic containment strategy needs to include early identification of super spreaders to limit an explosive growth. Super spreaders tend to get stigmatized, resulting in late reporting and hiding of cases. It is important for program managers to be sensitive to the manner in which related information is shared with media and general public.

Non-participation of female sex workers in HIV sentinel surveillance 2017 in the central zone, and its effect on observed HIV prevalence rate.

BACKGROUND: During HIV sentinel surveillance (HSS) 2017 round, the sampling strategy to recruit female sex workers (FSWs) was changed from consecutive to random sampling. This may affect the participation and HIV positivity rates among FSWs. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to estimate the nonparticipation rates among FSWs and its effect on the observed HIV prevalence rate during HSS-2017. METHODS: The data were collected from FSW sentinel sites located in the states of Delhi, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand (Central Zone). The HIV positivity rate among FSWs who participated in HSS-2017 was compared with the HIV positivity rate of those who did not participate. HIV status of the participants was obtained from HSS-2017 data. The master list of participating targeted intervention sites was accessed to obtain the last known HIV status of the eligible nonparticipants. RESULTS: Nonparticipation rate of FSWs from the central zone during HSS2017 was 10.8%. The HIV positivity rate among nonparticipant FSW was four times and six times higher in Delhi and UP, respectively. CONCLUSION: Selective nonparticipation of eligible FSWs might have led to the underestimation of the HIV positivity rate in the central zone during the HSS-2017 round.

Site preparedness and quality of HIV sentinel surveillance at antenatal care clinic sites in India, 2019.

BACKGROUND: Quality of HIV sentinel surveillance (HSS) depends on preparedness of the site and adherence to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for HSS. A designated sentinel site is considered prepared for the round of sentinel surveillance based on the availability of infrastructure, human resource, and consumables. OBJECTIVES: The study objectives were to describe the site level preparedness and adherence to SOP of antenatal care clinic (ANC) sites during the 16th round of HSS in India. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on the findings of the supervisory visits conducted by public health specialists in ANC sites during the 16th round of HSS from January to March 2019. Semi-structured checklists were used to assess site-preparedness and adherence to the SOP for HSS. All supervisors were expected to upload the filled pro forma to the HSS management information system (MIS). We present here a descriptive analysis of the uploaded visit reports. RESULTS: Of 870 HSS sites, 783 (90%) were visited, and 479 (61.2%) reports were uploaded to MIS. Preround HSS training was not attended by one-fifth (22.6%) of the site in-charges; 35.8% of them had never received any HSS training. SOP was followed at most (94%) of the sites. The most frequently reported problem at the sites was inadequate or delayed availability of consumables. CONCLUSION: The overall quality of site-level preparedness at antenatal clinic sites in India was good. Attention needs to be given to timely and adequate availability of consumables at sentinel sites along with proper administrative support and preround training of site in-charges.

Did Inclusion of informed consent affect the observed hiv prevalence rate among injecting drug users during hiv sentinel surveillance 2017 in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand States of Central Zone of India?

BACKGROUND: In 2017, the sampling procedure for HIV sentinel surveillance (HSS) among all high-risk groups was changed from the consecutive sampling to random sampling along with the introduction of linked anonymous testing strategy with informed written consent. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess whether the inclusion of informed consent affects the HIV positivity rate among the participants and nonparticipants injecting drug users (IDU) in HSS 2017 in four states of Central Zone of India. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional study. All sentinel sites from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand located at targeted intervention facilities in 2017 were included in the study. Information about the participation and nonparticipation of each high-risk individual at the sentinel site was gathered from the master list, respective registers, and website portal of the National AIDS Control Organization. A total of 8639 individuals were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 16 sites in four states were included in the study. Overall, the nonparticipation rate of IDUs was 14.3%; highest being for Delhi (17.2%), followed by Uttar Pradesh (14.6%), Uttarakhand (10.9%), and Jharkhand (4.4%). Overall, the HIV-positivity rate among nonparticipants (9.6%) was significantly higher (P = 0.009) compared to the participants (6.7%). CONCLUSION: Change in methodology and seeking written informed consent might have an effect on the nonparticipation in all four states. This, in turn, could have led to the underestimation of HIV-positivity rates among IDU in the states.

Epigenetic control of UV-B-induced flavonoid accumulation in Artemisia annua L.

MAIN CONCLUSION: UV-B-induced flavonoid biosynthesis is epigenetically regulated by site-specific demethylation of AaMYB1, AaMYC, and AaWRKY TF-binding sites inAaPAL1promoter-causing overexpression ofAaPALgene inArtemisia annua. The present study was undertaken to understand the epigenetic regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis under the influence of ultraviolet-B radiation using Artemisia annua L. as an experimental model. In-vitro propagated and acclimatized plantlets were treated with UV-B radiation (2.8 W m-2; 3 h), which resulted in enhanced accumulation of total flavonoid and phenolics content as well as eleven individual flavonoids measured through HPLC-DAC. Expression of eight genes (phenylanaline ammonia lyase, cinnamate-4-hydroxylase, 4-coumarate: CoA ligase; chalcone synthase, chalcone isomerase, cinnamoyl reductase, flavonoid-3'-hydroxylase, and flavones synthase) from upstream and downstream flavonoid biosynthetic pathways was measured through RT-PCR and RT-Q-PCR and all were variably induced under UV-B irradiation. Among them, AaPAL1 transcript and its protein were most significantly upregulated. Global DNA methylation analysis revealed hypomethylation of genomic DNA in A. annua. Further epigenetic characterization of promoter region of AaPAL1 revealed cytosine demethylation at five sites, which in turn caused epigenetic activation of six transcription factor-binding sites including QELEMENT, EBOXBNNAPA/MYCCONSENSUSAT, MYBCORE, MYBCOREATCYCB1, and GCCCORE. MYB transcription factors are positive regulators of flavonoid biosynthesis. Epigenetic activation of transcription-enhancing cis-regulatory elements in AaPAL1 promoter and subsequent overexpression of AaMYB1 and AaMYC and AaWRKY transcription factors under UV-B irradiation may probably be the reason for higher AaPAL1 expression and hence greater biosynthesis of flavonoids in A. annua L. The present study is the first report that provides mechanistic evidence of epigenetic regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis under UV-B radiation in A. annua L.

Estimation of Burden of Influenza among under-Five Children in India: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: We estimated the burden of influenza-related acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) among under-fives in India through meta-analysis. METHODOLOGY: We estimated pooled incidence and proportional positivity of laboratory-diagnosed influenza among under-fives using data from observational studies published from 1 January 1961 to 31 December 2016. Death due to influenza was estimated using a multiplier model. RESULTS: Influenza-associated ARI incidence was estimated as 132 per 1000 child-years (115-149). The patients positive for influenza among ARI in outpatients and inpatients were estimated to be 11.2% (8.8-13.6) and 7.1% (5.5-8.8), respectively. We estimated total influenza cases during 2016 as 16 009 207 (13 942 916-18 082 769) in India. Influenza accounted for 10 913 476 (9 504 666-12 362 310) outpatient visits and 109 431 (83 882-134 980) hospitalizations. A total of 27 825 (21 382-34 408) influenza-associated under-five deaths were estimated in India in 2016. CONCLUSION: Influenza imposes a substantial burden among under-fives in India. Public health approach for its prevention and control needs to be explored.

Decadal transition of adult mortality pattern at Ballabgarh HDSS: evidence from verbal autopsy data.

BACKGROUND: Mortality levels and patterns are significant indicators of population health, and are of importance to prioritize the goals of health systems and efficient resource allocation. We ascertained the decadal transition of mortality pattern in adult population aged 15 years and above during the years 2002-2011. METHODS: All adult deaths aged 15 years and above during the years 2002 to 2011 were included in the study. Cause of death was ascertained by verbal autopsy tool for adults which is a validated questionnaire developed at Ballabgarh Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS). Cause and age specific mortality, and mean age at death was determined for individual years. RESULTS: A total of 4,276 deaths (≥15 years) occurred in the Ballabgarh HDSS during the years 2002 to 2011. Of these, 96.8 % deaths were investigated using verbal autopsy tool. Of total deaths investigated, 60.6 % were males. Cardiovascular diseases (19.6 %) were the leading cause of death, followed by respiratory diseases (16.5 %). In the age group of 15-59 years, the most common cause of mortality was external causes of mortality (28.9 %). Most common cause of death was senility (20.8 %) in females, whereas cardiovascular diseases were commonest cause (19.6 %) in males. Road traffic injuries contributed 6.7 % deaths in males compared to 1.5 % in females. Over the years, the proportions of mortality due to cardiovascular diseases had increased (12.6 % to 18.8 %). Mortality proportions had decreased for infectious diseases (12.1 % to 9.5 %) and respiratory diseases (24.7 % to 10.9 %). Mortality due to neoplasms remained nearly stagnant (6.6 % to 6.4 %). Mean age at death due to cardiovascular diseases and neoplasm had increased from 57 years (95 % CI: 52.2-62.9) to 62 years (95 % CI: 59.2-65.4) and 58 years (95 % CI: 53.1-63.2) to 62 years (95 % CI: 57.0-66.7), respectively, during the decade. Mean age at death had decreased for road traffic injuries and infectious diseases from 41 years (95 % CI: 31.7-50.8) to 39 years (95 % CI: 34-43.4) and 53 years (95 % CI: 48.3-58.6) to 50 years (95 % CI: 44.1-55.8), respectively over the years. CONCLUSION: Mortality surveillance using verbal autopsy tool revealed a transition in cause specific deaths from respiratory diseases to cardiovascular diseases over the decade. The apparent epidemiological transition in the community demands reorientation of healthcare priorities.

Induced abortion in villages of Ballabgarh HDSS: rates, trends, causes and determinants.

BACKGROUND: Induced abortion has been legal in India on a broad range of medical and social grounds since 1980s. Often, induced abortion is resorted to as a means for contraception, and has a potential to be misused for sex selective feticide. We assessed the rates, trends, causes and determinants of induced abortions from 2008-12 in a rural community of northern India. METHODS: Present study is a secondary data analysis of pregnancy outcomes at Ballabgarh Health and Demographic Surveillance System from 2008-12. The data was retrieved from the Health and Management Information System maintained at Ballabgarh. Cause of abortion was self-reported by the women who underwent abortion. RESULTS: Of the 11,102 pregnancies, 1,226 (11%) culminated as abortions of which 425 (3.8%) were induced abortions. Spontaneous abortion rate (7.2%) was twice that of induced abortion rate (3.8%). Both abortion rates had an increasing trend during the course of the study period. Self-reported reasons for opting for induced abortions were bleeding per vaginum (23%), unwanted pregnancy (16%), and unviable fetus diagnosed by ultrasonography (11%). Eight percent of the induced abortions were due to the female sex of the fetus. About 11% of the abortions were performed beyond 20 weeks of gestation which was the upper legal permissible gestational age for performing induced abortions in India. About 10% of the abortions were performed by unqualified practitioners. Caste, wealth index, birth order and size of the village population were the factors that were significantly associated with induced abortion. CONCLUSIONS: Though the abortion rate was low, the proportionate contribution of induced abortion was more than what could be expected. Unsafe and sex selective abortion, though illegal, was prevalent. Upper caste and higher socio-economic status families were more likely to opt for induced abortion.

Prevalence and determinants of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among male migrant factory workers in Haryana, North India.

BACKGROUND: Male migrant workers display high risk sexual behavior and have been shown to have higher prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which make them more vulnerable to HIV infection. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-reported STIs and delineate their determinants among male migrant factory workers in Faridabad, Haryana. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male workers in two selected factories, who were aged ≥18 years, were born outside Haryana (destination), and who had migrated to Haryana after the age of 15 years were eligible. Socio-demographic information, HIV/AIDS knowledge and behavior, and self-reported STI symptoms in the last 1 year were ascertained by face-to-face interview. Determinants of STIs were identified by regression analysis. RESULTS: Totally 755 eligible workers participated. Mean ± SD age was 31.4 ± 8.2 years and migration duration was 9.5 ± 6.7 years. At least one STI symptom was reported by 41.7% of the participants (burning micturition- 35%, inguinal bubos-5.2%, genital ulcers- 2.6%, urethral pus discharge- 1.3%). Factors associated with STIs were higher age at migration, lower HIV/AIDS knowledge, paid sex in the last year, non-use of condoms during the last non-spousal sex, and unfavorable intention to use condom. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of self-reported STIs among these migrant men was high. Targeted Interventions among migrant workers need to be strengthened for control and prevention of STIs.

Functional disability among elderly persons in a rural area of Haryana.

BACKGROUND: The number and proportion of elderly persons is increasing, in India, as well as the world. Disability is an important indicator to measure disease burden in this group. While some chronic conditions may not be amenable to complete cure, their functional disabilities can be improved with timely and appropriate management. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the following study is to estimate the prevalence of functional disability and study its association with socio-demographic variables and self-reported chronic conditions among elderly persons in a rural area of Haryana. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All persons aged 60 years and above in the randomly selected six clusters were included in this community-based cross-sectional study. Information was collected on socio-demographic variables and self-reported chronic conditions. Functional disability was defined as having disability in activities of daily living, or blindness or hearing impairment, or a combination of these. In multivariate analysis, backward stepwise logistic regression was carried out to study the association between the independent and dependent variables, after adjusting for confounding variables. RESULTS: Among the 836 participants studied, the prevalence of functional disability was estimated to be 37.4% (95% confidence interval: 34.2, 40.7). The prevalence was less among men (35.9%) than women (38.8%). The prevalence increased with age, was more common among persons who were not currently married, had diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. CONCLUSION: Functional disability is common among elderly persons in the rural area. Community-based interventions are needed to address them. Management of chronic conditions should include prevention and control of associated disability.

Extruded Fracture Dislocation of Talus, A Rare and Devastating Injury. A Series of Five Cases.

Introduction: Extrusion of the talus with fracture dislocation is a very rare and devastating ankle injury usually caused by high-energy impact. There is no common consensus on the management for this type of injury. We intend to report on our experiences with its management and outcomes. Case Report: We received a total of five cases of extruded fracture dislocation of the talus between March 2016 and April 2020. All fracture talus was Hawkins Type IV fracture. All five patients were male with an age range between 18 and 54 years and have sustained an injury in road traffic accidents. They were managed with wound debridement, talar preservation open reduction, and internal fixation with an application of an external fixator for wound care. All were followed up for 2 years. Conclusion: Extruded fracture dislocation of the talus is a rare and devastating ankle injury. Its management is time-dependent and involves meticulous planning for a favorable outcome.

Long-Term Kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing and Anti-Receptor Binding Domain Antibodies among Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Delhi National Capital Region, India: A Prospective, One-Year Follow-Up Study.

Background: This study was conducted with the objective of measuring the neutralizing and anti-receptor binding domain antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2 among laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and exploring its long-term kinetics over a period of 1 year. Methods: One hundred laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases were recruited. Serum samples of the participants were collected within three months from the date of the positive COVID-19 report. The participants were prospectively followed up every three months for symptoms and the collection of blood samples for three additional rounds. The presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies), anti-receptor binding domain antibodies (anti-RBD), and neutralizing antibodies were measured. Findings: Median plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) titers showed a rising trend in the first three rounds of follow-up. The quantitative anti-receptor binding domain ELISA (QRBD) values showed a declining trend in the initial three rounds. However, both the PRNT titers and QRBD values showed significantly higher values for the fourth round of follow-up. Total antibody (WANTAI) levels showed an increasing trend in the initial three rounds (statistically significant). Interpretation: Neutralizing antibodies showed an increasing trend. The anti-receptor binding domain antibodies showed a decreasing trend. Neutralizing antibodies and anti-RBD antibodies persisted in the majority.

Development of reduced volume endosseous cuspid tooth implant using topology optimization by SIMP technique for improved osseointegration.

The article aims to design and develop a topology-optimized endosseous cuspid tooth implant of the maxilla region. The manuscript presents a numerical analysis of the resulting von Mises stresses and effective strain resulting in the topology-optimized implant with occlusal loading of 110 N. Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) method is employed for topology optimization and four different models, namely model-1, model-2, model-3, and model-4, are developed based on volume reduction rates of 8%, 16%, 24%, and 32%, respectively. FEA results highlight that the maximum stress and strain in the screw increases with volume reduction rates. The comparative analyses of the resulting stresses in the compact and cancellous bone along with the strain in the screw led to the conclusion that model-1, model-2, and model-3 resulted in moderate stresses on compact and cancellous bone compared to the original model of the implant. However, the screw and bones are subjected to maximum stress and strain in the model-4. The study concludes that model-2, with 16% reduced volume and 14.2% reduced mass as compared to the original implant, may be considered as the optimized design of the model. The resulting model offers a significant reduction in the weight and volume with a minor increase in effective stress and strain without negatively impacting the functionality and bio-mechanical performance of the implant. The optimized dental implant prototype is also fabricated as a proof of concept by the Fused Deposition Modelling process.

Comparison between all-on-four and all-on-six treatment concepts on stress distribution for full-mouth rehabilitation using three-dimensional finite element analysis: A biomechanical study.

Purpose: The current study intended to provide a comparison of biomechanical behaviors of two different treatment concepts for full-mouth rehabilitation with dental implants placed according to the "All-on-four" concept and "All-on-six" concept with analysis of the stress patterns of the implant support system using three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). Materials and Methods: The edentulous mandible was treated with two different implant designs. "All-on-Four" implant placement concept was used in Model 1 with two central axial implants and two distally tilted implants at 17° and in Model 2, "All-on-Six" concept was applied with six vertically placed implants. Individual vertical and horizontal load of 100 N and oblique load of 141 N at 45° was applied to all implants. To evaluate and compare the results in terms of maximum principal stress, we used FEA. Results: All-on-six showed smaller maximum principal stress values on the cortical bone and implants. However, maximum principal stress values obtained on trabecular bone was smaller in the All-on-four design for vertical and horizontal loading conditions. Conclusions: The All-on-six approach showed more favorable biomechanical behavior.

Low awareness but high acceptability of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV among men who have sex with men and transgender persons in Delhi, India.

Background: HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is part of India's HIV prevention policy. We aimed to determine awareness of and willingness-to-use PrEP among men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) and transgender-persons (TG) in Delhi, India.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at five purposively selected targeted-intervention projects in Delhi. Participants included self-identified MSM/TG aged ≥18 years, with negative/unknown HIV serostatus. A structured interview schedule, developed using formative research, was used. Primary outcomes were awareness of, and willingness-to-use PrEP. Socio-demographic and behaviour variables included age, living situation, education, anal-sex, condom-use and experiences of physical-violence. Determinants of outcome were identified in univariable logistic regression; variables associated at p < .25 were included in multivariable regression models.Results: Of 400 (224 MSM, 176 TG), mean ± SD age 25.7 ± 7.2 years, 14.5% (95% CI 11.0, 18.0) were aware of PrEP, while 63.3% (95% CI: 58.6, 68.1) reported willingness-to-use PrEP. PrEP-awareness was independently associated with formal-education (adjusted odds ratio; AOR = 1.20), professional occupation (AOR = 5.45) and condom-use (AOR = 3.07). Willingness-to-use PrEP was higher if participants had recent anal-sex (AOR = 2.29), had used condoms during anal-sex (AOR = 2.09), or recently experienced physical-violence (AOR = 3.65).Conclusions: PrEP awareness was low, but most were willing to use PrEP, implying that communication is key to PrEP awareness and uptake.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody kinetics up to 6 months of follow-up: Result from a nation-wide population-based, age stratified sero-epidemiological prospective cohort study in India.

Repeated serological testing tells about the change in the overall infection in a community. This study aimed to evaluate changes in antibody prevalence and kinetics in a closed cohort over six months in different sub-populations in India. The study included 10,000 participants from rural and urban areas in five states and measured SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in serum in three follow-up rounds. The overall seroprevalence increased from 73.9% in round one to 90.7% in round two and 92.9% in round three. Among seropositive rural participants in round one, 98.2% remained positive in round two, and this percentage remained stable in urban and tribal areas in round three. The results showed high antibody prevalence that increased over time and was not different based on area, age group, or sex. Vaccinated individuals had higher antibody prevalence, and nearly all participants had antibody positivity for up to six months.

Maxwell-Wagner Relaxation-Driven High Dielectric Constant in Al2O3/TiO2 Nanolaminates Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition.

Multilayer nanolaminates (NLs) of alternate ultrathin sublayers of Al2O3 and TiO2 (ATA) with the thickness ranging ∼2 to 0.5 nm were fabricated by optimized pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Maxwell-Wagner (M-W) relaxation-induced interfacial polarization was realized and engineered by precisely controlling the sublayer thicknesses and the number of interfaces. X-ray reflectivity and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy measurements of ATA NLs revealed an artificial periodicity with well-defined uniformly thick amorphous sublayers with chemically and physically distinct interfaces down to a sublayer thickness of ∼0.8 nm. The dielectric constants and loss of ATA NLs were found to increase from ∼60 to 670 and decrease from ∼0.9 to 0.16, respectively, as sublayer thicknesses reduced from ∼2 to 0.8 nm. However, for a sublayer thickness below 0.8 nm, the trend was reversed. Furthermore, temperature-dependent impedance spectroscopy studies revealed two distinct thermally activated relaxation processes, corresponding to TiO2 and Al2O3 sublayers, corroborating the M-W relaxation. The conductivity contrast between the sublayers of ATA NLs enhanced with reducing sublayer thickness and plateaued at a sublayer thickness of ∼0.8 nm, resulting in dominant M-W interfacial polarization and a high cut-off frequency of ∼50 kHz. These results demonstrate that ATA NLs grown by PLD may find application as potential high-k materials for next-generation nanoelectronic devices.