A revision of the genus Extenuipalpus Reck, 1959 (Trombidiformes: Tetranychoidea: Tenuipalpidae), with description of a new species.

Extenuipalpus is reviewed, covering its taxonomic history, a new genus diagnosis, body and leg chaetotaxy, and redescriptions of the three previously known species E. niekerkae (Meyer, 1979), E. quadrisetosus (Lawrence, 1940) and E. sagittus (Meyer, 1993) based on type material. We also describe a new species, E. situngu Beard & Ueckermann sp. nov. from glossy forest grape, Rhoicissus rhomboidea (E. Mey ex Harv.) Planch. (Vitaceae), and provide a key to species of Extenuipalpus.

A New Species of Ultratenuipalpus (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from Brazil and Re-Description of Ultratenuipalpus meekeri (De Leon), the Type Species of the Genus, with DNA Barcodes.

Species of the genus Ultratenuipalpus bear a broad subquadrate propodosoma with many large, flattened, lanceolate to ovate dorsal setae. They also bear some plesiomorphic character states, such as the presence of three pairs of ventral ps setae. Here, we describe Ultratenuipalpus parameekeri Castro, Ochoa & Feres sp. nov. based on adult females, males, and immatures, collected on ferns from Brazil. We also re-describe Ultratenuipalpus meekeri (De Leon), the type species of the genus, based on types and newly collected material from Mexico, and include additional novel data (e.g., dorsal and ventral ornamentation, leg chaetotaxy, and setal measurements) in a standardized form. We include highly detailed images obtained using LT-SEM, accompanied by DNA barcodes, for both species. The ontogenetic additions of leg chaetotaxy are presented and discussed.

Antibiotic resistance trends for common bacterial aetiologies of childhood diarrhoea in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review.

Background: Diarrhoea is the second most common cause of death among children under the age of five worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends treating diarrhoea with oral rehydration therapy, intravenous fluids for severe dehydration, and zinc supplements. Antibiotics are only recommended to treat acute, invasive diarrhoea. Rising antibiotic resistance has led to a decrease in the effectiveness of treatments for diarrhoea. Methods: A systematic literature review in PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE was conducted to identify articles relevant to antibiotic-resistant childhood diarrhoea. Articles in English published between 1990 to 2020 that described antibiotic resistance patterns of common pathogens causing childhood diarrhoea in low- and middle-income countries were included. The studies were limited to papers that categorized children as 0-5 years or 0-10 years old. The proportion of isolates with resistance to major classes of antibiotics stratified by major WHO global regions and time was determined. Results: Quantitative data were extracted from 44 articles that met screening criteria; most focused on children under five years. Escherichia coli isolates had relatively high resistance rates to ampicillin and tetracycline in the African (AFR), American (AMR), and Eastern Mediterranean Regions (EMR). There was moderate to high resistance to ampicillin and third generation cephalosporins among Salmonella spp in the AFR, EMR, and the Western Pacific Region (WPR). Resistance rates for ampicillin, co-trimoxazole, and chloramphenicol for Shigella in the AFR started at an alarmingly high rate ( ~ 90%) in 2006 and fluctuated over time. There were limited antibiotic resistance data for Aeromonas, Yersinia, and V. cholerae. The 161 isolates of Campylobacter analysed showed initially low rates of fluoroquinolone resistance with high rates of resistance in recent years, especially in the Southeast Asian Region. Conclusions: Resistance to inexpensive antibiotics for treatment of invasive diarrhoea in children under ten years is widespread (although data on 6- to 10-year-old children are limited), and resistance rates to fluoroquinolones and later-generation cephalosporins are increasing. A strong regional surveillance system is needed to carefully monitor trends in antibiotic resistance, future studies should include school-aged children, and interventions are needed to reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics for the treatment of community-acquired, non-invasive diarrhoea. Registration: This systematic review was registered in Prospero (registration number CRD42020204004) in August 2020.

The call for science communication and public scholarship.

This commentary calls for a collective shift in the sciences and academia to prioritize and invest in communicating research in ways that are engaging, relevant, and accessible to public audiences. We provide the context and rationale for increasing and enhancing science communication, and identify barriers that prevent health researchers, educators, and practitioners from engaging with the public. Academic institutions need to develop and implement policies that encourage and support science communication and public scholarship initiatives that are sustainable and scalable.

Importance of breastfeeding and complementary feeding for management and prevention of childhood diarrhoea in low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Early and exclusive breastfeeding have been shown to protect young infants from all-cause and diarrhoea-related mortality. Ideally breastfeeding should be initiated within the first hour of birth. Despite efforts to increase rates of early and exclusive breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), challenges with uptake remain. This analysis reviews trends in early and exclusive breastfeeding, and the impact of infant feeding interventions in reducing childhood diarrhoea. Methods: We conducted a detailed review of articles written in English between 1990 and 2020 on the impact and efficacy of breastfeeding and complementary feeding on diarrhoea in children aged 0-2 years in LMICs. Using data from 86 countries and all WHO global regions collected from the mid-1980s through 2018 obtained from publicly available Demographic Health Surveys, we assessed trends in five-year intervals of timing of breastfeeding initiation, exclusive breastfeeding, median and mean duration of exclusive breastfeeding, and complementary feeding. Results: The literature search identified ten articles that described variable rates of early initiation of breastfeeding from 20% in Pakistan to 76% in Egypt. An analysis of 288 DHS studies found that the proportion of women who reported initiating breastfeeding within an hour of birth increased from 32% in the early 1990s to 55% between 2016 and 2020. Exclusive breastfeeding increased from 20% in the late 1980s to 48% between 2016 and 2020 and the mean duration of exclusive breastfeeding of 2-to-4-month-old infants doubled. Early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding was associated with reductions in diarrhoea prevalence in the South East Asian, Western Pacific, Eastern Mediterranean, and African regions. Eight studies evaluating the effectiveness of different maternal education interventions, health care worker training, and media campaigns demonstrated improvements in exclusive breastfeeding, and most resulted in reductions in the incidence or duration of diarrhoea. Conclusions: During the last two decades, early and exclusive breastfeeding have increased. Nevertheless, the uptake of this basic, low-cost intervention remains suboptimal across all global regions. Given the potential benefits the in reduction of diarrhoea and diarrhoea-associated mortality, interventions for improving the uptake of early and exclusive breastfeeding in different sociological contexts need to be designed, implemented, and evaluated.

Report of Tuckerella pavoniformis (Acari: Tuckerellidae) on Mamey, Mammea americana (Calophyllaceae), in Northwestern Peru.

The family Tuckerellidae, or peacock mites, is a monogeneric group comprising approximately 32 species, which are usually collected from the fruits or woody parts of their host plants. Fruits and branchlets of mamey, Mammea americana L. (Calophyllaceae) trees in north-western Peru were sampled for peacock mites throughout spring and summer for two consecutive years. This is the first record of Tuckerella pavoniformis (Ewing) (Acari: Tuckerellidae) feeding on mamey. Aggregations of mites were much higher and more common on the fruit epicarps than on branchlets. Recommendations for the development of an Integrated Pest Management strategy for this peacock mite are included.

"Getting Started": A Pilot Introductory Narrative Writing Session for Interprofessional Faculty in Academic Health Sciences.

Purpose: We designed and implemented a pilot introductory narrative writing session with the two-fold goal of fostering the dissemination of faculty writing for submission to peer-reviewed journals and other publication venues while simultaneously creating a framework for establishing collaborative and empathic interprofessional teams by enhancing narrative-related competencies. Methods: The session was open to interprofessional faculty at our academic health sciences center. Participants were accepted via a competitive application process, with group size limited to 18 individuals due to the workshop-style format. Learners were reflective of our diverse campus regarding sex, race/ethnicity, department, rank, and professional role. The session began with an experiential seminar providing instruction on writing theory and practice, discussion questions, and reflective writing prompts. The seminar was followed by a writing workshop. We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation to gauge participant satisfaction and educational efficacy. Results: The mixed-methods evaluation revealed that faculty reported high satisfaction with the session as a designated space to contemplate, discuss, practice, share, and critique narrative writing. All learners (18, 100%) rated it "very good" or "excellent" in overall quality and value as well as in relevance to personal growth. Participants reported growth in communication (13, 72%), self-reflection (12, 67%), active listening (12, 67%), writing confidence (11, 61%), perspective-taking (11, 61%), writing skills (10, 56%), and empathy (8, 44%). Discussion: Faculty valued the session as a venue for improving their writing skills and sharing with a diverse group of colleagues about the significance of narrative in relation to their professional lives. Conclusion: Seminar outcomes suggest that narrative-based education for interprofessional health sciences faculty can be effective in achieving the two-fold goal of enhancing writing competencies while simultaneously fostering essential skills for building collaborative and empathic teams to promote high-quality education, research, and whole person clinical care.

High levels of used syringe use and unsafe sex among people who inject drugs in Kumasi, Ghana: an urgent call for a comprehensive harm reduction approach.

BACKGROUND: Drug use is a growing concern in Ghana. People who inject drugs (PWID) are highly vulnerable to HIV and other infectious diseases. Ghana's National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS 2016-2020 identifies PWID as a key population, but efforts to address the needs of PWID have lagged behind those targeting sex workers and men who have sex with men. Lack of information about PWID is a critical barrier to implementing effective HIV prevention and treatment. We aimed to learn more about the vulnerability of the PWID population in order to inform much-needed harm reduction interventions. METHODS: From April to July 2018, we conducted a mixed methods study in Kumasi, Ghana, to identify all major drug using locations, count the numbers of PWID to obtain rough population size estimations, and administer anonymous surveys to 221 PWID regarding drug use and sexual behavior. We also tested for HIV, HCV, and HBV from syringes used by survey participants. RESULTS: Key informants identified five major drug using locations and estimated the total PWID population size to be between 600 and 2000. Enumerators counted between 35 and 61 individuals present at each of the five bases. Sharing syringes and reusing discarded syringes are common practices. Over half of survey participants (59%) reported past-month syringe sharing (34% used a used syringe and 52% gave away a used syringe). Individuals with higher injection frequency (≥ 21 times weekly) and who injected with four or more people had higher odds of syringe sharing. Of the survey participants reporting sex in the last month (23%), most reported having one partner, but only 12% used condoms. Nearly all women (11/13) reported exchanging sex for drugs and 6/13 reported exchanging sex for money in the last six months. Fifteen percent of participants (all men) reported paying for sex using drugs or money. Of the used syringes, prevalence estimates were 3% (HIV), 2% (HCV), and 9% (HBV). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm the urgent need to implement harm reduction interventions targeting PWID and to build a strong and enabling legal and policy environment in Ghana to support these efforts.

A newly available database of an important family of phytophagous mites: Tenuipalpidae Database.

This paper announces a database on the taxonomy, distribution and host plants of mites of the family Tenuipalpidae Berlese (Acari: Tetranychoidea), available online at https://www.tenuipalpidae.ibilce.unesp.br/. In the Tenuipalpidae Database the recorded world distribution and range of host plants are provided for each tenuipalpid species, including synonyms, with a list of all relevant publications.

Lessons Learned From a Peer Writing Coach Program in a School of Public Health.

Clear writing is a critical component of public health research and practice. The ability to convey information in a concise, engaging, and insightful manner influences stakeholder engagement and is the backbone of program and policy development, organization, and implementation. To help master of public health (MPH) students adapt their writing skills to these specialized demands, Boston University School of Public Health launched the Peer Writing Coach Program in 2010 staffed by MPH students. The service is open to all students enrolled in public health classes. They can schedule up to 2 appointments per assignment for both individual and team papers. Student use increased from 55 appointments in academic year 2010-2011 (the first year of the program) to 767 appointments in academic year 2017-2018. For the 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 academic years, 1128 (74%) of 1530 appointment requests asked for assistance "writing clearly and concisely," 886 (58%) for assistance "organizing and synthesizing main points of argument," and 529 (35%) for assistance "tailoring writing for a specific audience." This case study describes the rationale for creating the program, outlines the chronology of its development since 2010, and provides an overview of peer coach training, student use, and lessons learned as we addressed logistical challenges.

Challenges of developing a district child welfare plan in South Africa: lessons from a community-engaged HIV/AIDS research project.

The Amajuba Child Health and Wellbeing Research Project measured the impact of orphaning due to HIV/AIDS on South African households between 2004 and 2007. Community engagement was a central component of the project and extended through 2010. We describe researcher engagement with the community to recruit participants, build local buy-in, stimulate interest in study findings, and promote integration of government social welfare services for families and children affected by HIV/AIDS. This narrative documents the experience of researchers, drawing also on project reports, public documents, and published articles, with the objective of documenting lessons learned in this collaboration between researchers from two universities and a community in South Africa during a period that spanned seven years. This experience is then analyzed within the context of an applied research, community-engagement framework.

Effectiveness of community outreach HIV prevention programs in Vietnam: a mixed methods evaluation.

BACKGROUND: In 2014, Vietnam was the first Southeast Asian country to commit to achieving the World Health Organization's 90-90-90 global HIV targets (90% know their HIV status, 90% on sustained treatment, and 90% virally suppressed) by 2020. This pledge represented further confirmation of Vietnam's efforts to respond to the HIV epidemic, one feature of which has been close collaboration with the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Starting in 2004, PEPFAR supported community outreach programs targeting high-risk populations (people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, and sex workers). To provide early evidence on program impact, in 2007-2008 we conducted a nationwide evaluation of PEPFAR-supported outreach programs in Vietnam. The evaluation focused on assessing program effect on HIV knowledge, high-risk behaviors, and HIV testing among high-risk populations-results relevant to Vietnam's push to meet global HIV goals. METHODS: We used a mixed-methods cross-sectional evaluation design. Data collection encompassed a quantitative survey of 2199 individuals, supplemented by 125 in-depth interviews. Participants were members of high-risk populations who reported recent contact with an outreach worker (intervention group) or no recent contact (comparison group). We assessed differences in HIV knowledge, risky behaviors, and HIV testing between groups, and between high-risk populations. RESULTS: Intervention participants knew significantly more about transmission, prevention, and treatment than comparison participants. We found low levels of injection drug-use-related risk behaviors and little evidence of program impact on such behaviors. In contrast, a significantly smaller proportion of intervention than comparison participants reported risky sexual behaviors generally and within each high-risk population. Intervention participants were also more likely to have undergone HIV testing (76.1% vs. 47.0%, p < 0.0001) and to have received pre-test (78.0% vs. 33.7%, p < 0.0001) and post-test counseling (80.9% vs. 60.5%, p < 0.0001). Interviews supported evidence of high impact of outreach among all high-risk populations. CONCLUSIONS: Outreach programs appear to have reduced risky sexual behaviors and increased use of HIV testing services among high-risk populations in Vietnam. These programs can play a key role in reducing gaps in the HIV care cascade, achieving the global 90-90-90 goals, and creating an AIDS-free generation.

Love, power, resilience and vulnerability: relationship dynamics between female sex workers in Ghana and their intimate partners.

Little is known about female sex workers' daily lives or emotional relationships. Using relational-cultural theory, this study explored the relationship dynamics between sex workers and their intimate partners in Kumasi, Ghana. We collected qualitative data from 37 male intimate partners through 24 in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions (FGDs) with 13 male partners. We also conducted three FGDs with 20 women involved in sex work. Relationships between sex workers and their intimate partners were mutual, reciprocal and transactional. Male partners provided protection for financial support, a place to sleep and intimacy. Both men and women described their relationships in terms of friendship, love and a hopeful future. Women were reluctant to quit sex work because they depended on it for income. Most respondents did not use condoms in these romantic relationships, citing trust, love, faithfulness and commitment. Both men and women described high levels of violence in their relationships. The context of sex work heightens vulnerability but also appears to facilitate resilience and creative coping strategies. The relational dynamics between sex workers and their intimate partners in Ghana merit further exploration to examine the extent to which women involved in sex work hold and exert power within these relationships.

Raoiella of the world (Trombidiformes: Tetranychoidea: Tenuipalpidae).

We describe 16 new species and redescribe six established species in the genus Raoiella-R. argenta sp. nov. Beard, R. australica Womersley, R. bauchani sp. nov. Beard Ochoa, R. calgoa sp. nov. Beard Ochoa, R. crebra sp. nov. Beard Ochoa, R. davisi sp. nov. Beard, R. didcota sp. nov. Beard, R. eugeniae (Mohanasundaram), R. goyderi sp. nov. Ochoa Beard, R. hallingi sp. nov. Beard, R. illyarrie sp. nov. Beard Ochoa, R. indica Hirst, R. karri sp. nov. Ochoa Beard, R. macfarlanei Pritchard Baker, R. marri sp. nov. Beard Ochoa, R. pandanae Mohanasundaram, R. pooleyi sp. nov. Beard Ochoa, R. shimpana Meyer, R. tallerack sp. nov. Beard Ochoa, R. taronga sp. nov. Beard Ochoa, R. todtiana sp. nov. Beard Ochoa, R. wandoo sp. nov. Beard Ochoa. We discuss molecular evidence of species separation, shared character states among groups of species, and patterns in the additions of leg setae throughout ontogeny that occur in the genus. We provide a key to the known species of Raoiella.

Acarine biocontrol agents Neoseiulus californicus sensu Athias-Henriot (1977) and N. barkeri Hughes (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) redescribed, their synonymies assessed, and the identity of N. californicus (McGregor) clarified based on examination of types.

In 1954, McGregor described two species of phytoseiids from lemon, in California, USA: Typhlodromus californicus McGregor and T. mungeri McGregor, the former represented by one male, and the latter by two females. Since its description, T. mungeri was synonymised under T. californicus, and the name T. (now Neoseiulus) californicus has been used extensively to represent a species that is now commonly used as a biocontrol agent of crop pests worldwide. However, the true identity of the biocontrol agent is uncertain because the original descriptions of T. californicus and T. mungeri were not adequate enough to allow an irrefutable identification, with each description being based on specimens of a single sex. An examination of the types of N. californicus and N. mungeri revealed that they are morphologically identical to the male and female of N. barkeri Hughes, 1948, respectively, and that they are in fact junior synonyms of N. barkeri-and are therefore distinct from the biocontrol agent globally called N. californicus (sensu Athias-Henriot, 1977; see Griffiths, 2015). This is further supported by a comparison with male and female syntypes of N. barkeri, as well as other specimens of N. barkeri including some collected from the type host in the vicinity of the type location (i.e. lemon in southern California, 1952-1958). We redescribe the male and female of both N. barkeri and N. californicus sensu Athias-Henriot (1977), based on representative specimens from at least 14 and 19 populations, respectively. Based on examination of types, we confirm the synonymy of N. mckenziei (Schuster Pritchard, 1963), N. picketti (Specht, 1968), and N. oahuensis (Prasad, 1968) with N. barkeri, and that the names N. chilenensis (Dosse, 1958b) and N. wearnei (Schicha, 1987) represent the same species as N. californicus sensu Athias-Henriot (1977). We also provide a hypothesis as to why Chant (1959) had erroneously synonymised T. californicus and T. mungeri under T. marinus (Willmann). Finally, we suggest maintaining the prevailing usage of the name N. californicus (McGregor) for the species concept of Athias-Henriot (1977) as followed by subsequent authors, through submission of a separate application to the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). In the meantime, the current meaning of N. californicus should be maintained until a ruling by the ICZN is made on the application.

"Too Much Sex and Alcohol": Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Male Adolescents and Young Men Who have Sex with Men in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that men who have sex with men (MSM) often engage in high-risk sex and use illicit substances. OBJECTIVE: To increase understanding of HIV knowledge and vulnerability among adolescent and young adult MSM, with a focus on alcohol and drug use and transactional sex. METHODS: We conducted in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with adolescent (aged 15-17 years) and young adult (aged 18-29 years) MSM in Kumasi, Ghana. MSM who reported recent alcohol and/or substance use or engagement in transactional sex were eligible. Questions covered HIV-related knowledge, experiences with substance-use and transactional sex, and attitudes regarding sexual risk-taking and HIV-related services. Data were analyzed thematically using NVivo 10.0 software. RESULTS: Ninety-nine MSM participated in 44 interviews and 8 FGDs. Most were attending or had completed secondary school. HIV knowledge was high, but with major gaps. Most consumed alcohol; one-fourth used drugs. Alcohol and substances were consumed to enhance pleasure during sex with another man. Transactional sex was common and positively viewed. Half of the participants used condoms inconsistently or never, and self-perceived HIV risk was high. Nearly half faced stigma-related barriers to accessing HIV-related services. CONCLUSION: As Ghana strives to achieve the UNAIDS's 90-90-90 global targets (90% of people living with HIV know their status, 90% who know their status are on sustained treatment, and 90% of those on treatment are virally suppressed), we recommend enhancing MSM-targeted prevention programs, improving care options, and increasing use of critical clinical HIV-services by ensuring that MSM receive unbiased, confidential care.

Intimate partner violence during pregnancy and perinatal mental disorders in low and lower middle income countries: A systematic review of literature, 1990-2017.

Mental health consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant and postpartum women are poorly understood in low and lower-middle-income countries (LLMIC). We systematically reviewed the evidence from 24 studies (1990-2017) selected via a comprehensive search strategy with 14 inclusion, exclusion, and quality-control criteria to assess the extent to which intimate partner violence during pregnancy adversely affects perinatal mental disorders among participants in 10 LLMIC across 4 economic regions. Mostly cross-sectional, studies included 61-1369 participants selected randomly (88%) or non-randomly (12%) from purposively selected 1-6 clinics or 1-50 communities. Multivariate logistic regression was most frequently used (68%) for association estimates, adjusting for 3-16 socio-demographic variables pertinent to: women; husbands; and/or households. The prevalence of physical IPV ranged 2-35% among participants; sexual IPV ranged 9-40%; and psychological IPV ranged 22-65%. The prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression ranged 15-65% and 5-35% among participants, respectively. Suicidal ideation ranged 5-11% during pregnancy and 2-22% during the postpartum period. Study participants who had experienced IPV had 1.69-3.76 and 1.46-7.04 higher odds of antenatal and postnatal depression compared to those who had not, depending on country, and IPV type and severity. Considering the strong association between IPV and mental disorders, efforts should focus on developing IPV interventions aimed at preventing pregnancy during IPV and promoting mental health resilience among pregnancy and postpartum women in low and lower-middle-income countries.

Two new species of Tenuipalpus sensu stricto (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from Brazil, with a discussion on the ontogeny of leg setae.

The Amazon and the Cerrado are the two largest biomes in Brazil, and combined represent nearly 70% of the natural vegetation in the country. Recent surveys of the mite fauna present in these two biomes have revealed a great number of new species. In this paper, we describe the adult females, deutonymphs, protonymphs, larvae and eggs of two new species of Tenuipalpidae (Trombidiformes: Tetranychoidea), Tenuipalpus protium sp. nov., collected on Protium heptaphyllum (Burseraceae), and Tenuipalpus kitajimai sp. nov., collected on an unidentified plant of the family Sapindaceae, from the Cerrado and the Amazon Rainforest, respectively. Females of these two new species bear two distinct cuticular crests on the dorsal opisthosoma, one transverse crest anteriorly and one longitudinal crest mesally. The ontogenetic changes in the idiosomal and leg chaetotaxy of all stages are presented for both species. Adult males are not known for either species.

Orphans and Vulnerable Children Affected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, 15.1 million children have been orphaned because of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). They face significant vulnerabilities, including stigma and discrimination, trauma and stress, illness, food insecurity, poverty, and difficulty accessing education. Millions of additional children who have living parents are vulnerable because their parents or other relatives are infected. This article reviews the current situation of orphans and vulnerable children, explores the underlying determinants of vulnerability and resilience, describes the response by the global community, and highlights the challenges as the HIV pandemic progresses through its fourth decade.