Introduction: Statistical data indicate a link between war and the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), then it is necessary to carefully analyze the factors that directly affect the identified pattern in order to overcome this problem. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to systematically analyze the factors that influence the spread of STIs during war. Methods: The study included all original research articles and meta-analyses on the impact of war on the spread of sexually transmitted infections that met the following eligibility criteria: (1) articles published exclusively in English; (2) articles published in the period 2013-2023; (3) studies with quantitative, qualitative or mixed design. The search for relevant literature was conducted using four databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Ebsco. Results: The articles selected for our systematic review had different research designs and were mainly published as original studies (n = 8) and literature reviews (n = 6). As a result of the evaluation of the selected articles for the systematic review, the authors identified migration, a decrease in access to health care, difficult access to contraception, sexual violence as the most frequent factors directly affecting the spread of STIs during the war. Conclusion: This systematic review systematizes data on the impact of hostilities on the spread of STIs and outlines the main factors that contribute to the dissemination of pathogens far beyond the territory at the epicenter of the conflict.Systematic review registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023479808, CRD42023479808.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases , Humans , Sexually Transmitted Diseases/epidemiology , Warfare , Risk Factors , Female
Understanding nanoscale mechanisms responsible for the recently discovered ferroelectric nematics can be helped by direct visualization of self-assembly of strongly polar molecules. Here, we report on scanning tunneling microscopy studies of monomolecular layers of a ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal on a reconstructed Au(111) surface. The monolayers are obtained by deposition from a solution at ambient conditions. The adsorbed ferroelectric nematic molecules self-assemble into regular rows with tilted orientation, resembling a layered structure of a smectic C. Remarkably, each molecular dipole in this architecture is oriented along the same direction giving rise to polar ferroelectric ordering.
Preparedness to endure extreme situations such as natural disasters or military conflicts is not commonplace in healthcare training programs. Moreover, multidisciplinary teams in health services rarely (if ever) include experts in security. However, when emergency situations occur, prevailing healthcare demands do not cease to exist, and unexpected demands often surge due to the shortage of other services and supplies or as a consequence of the emergency condition itself.With services in 45 countries, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has operated in several conflict zones, facing broad and challenging security demands. Since 2017 AHF has implemented the Global Department of Safety and Security (GDSS), a dedicated intelligence and safety program that had a key role in the security monitoring, preparedness, and defense responses, assisting staff members and clients during recent conflicts.In this manuscript, we describe the experience of AHF's GDSS in three recent military conflicts in Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Ukraine, and provide insights into steps that can be taken to assure staff safety and support the mission of caring for patients throughout catastrophic events.
Ukraine stands out among European countries concerning HIV epidemiological data. Since February 2022, the military conflict with Russian forces has posed unprecedented challenges to HIV prevention and care. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), a global non-profit organisation with operations in Ukraine since 2009, implemented a preparedness plan to protect staff members and support local facilities in the continuity of care throughout the war. In this manuscript, we describe the strategies adopted by AHF to anticipate the risk of military conflict, steps to implement a preparedness plan, main challenges faced by local staff members and managers, adaptations needed as the conflict evolved, and indicators of HIV care 1 year before and 1 year after the onset of the conflict. Our experience shows that safeguarding the organisation's human resources has been a prerequisite to sustain services throughout the war.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , Armed Conflicts , HIV Infections , Humans , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiology , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/prevention & control , Europe , HIV Infections/epidemiology , HIV Infections/prevention & control , Ukraine
Seeded supramolecular polymerization (SSP) is a method that enables the controlled synthesis of supramolecular structures. SSP often relies on structures that are capable of self-assembly by interconverting between intramolecular and intermolecular modes of hydrogen bonding, characterized by a given kinetic barrier that is typically low. The control of the polymerization process is thus limited by the propensity of the hydrogen bonds to interconvert between the intramolecular and intermolecular modes of binding. Here, we report on an engineering of the polymerization kinetic barriers by sophisticated molecular design of the building blocks involved in such SSP processes. Our designs include two types of intramolecular hydrogen-bonded rings: on one hand, a central triazine tricarboxamide moiety that prevents self-assembly due to its stable intramolecular hydrogen bonds and on the other hand, three peripheral amide groups that promote self-assembly due to their stable intermolecular hydrogen bonds. We report a series of molecules with increasing bulkiness of the peripheral side chains exhibiting increasing kinetic stability in the monomeric form. Owing to the relative height of the barrier, we were able to observe that the rate constant of seeding is not proportional to the concentration of the seeds used. Based on that, we proposed a new kinetic model in which the rate-determining step is the activation of the monomer, and we provide the detailed energy landscape of the supramolecular polymerization process. Finally, we investigated the hetero-seeding of the building blocks that shows either inhibition or triggering of the polymerization.
