Integrated assessment of irrigation and agriculture management challenges in Nepal: An interdisciplinary perspective.

Agriculture plays a critical role in ensuring food and nutrition security, livelihood, and rural employment in Nepal. Despite substantial investments and institutional reforms, irrigation projects have faced consistently low performance. While existing studies have shed light on technical aspects of irrigation performance, they often focus on specific themes rather than holistic evaluations of sustainability. This research systematically assesses barriers and challenges to effective irrigation water management in Nepal by assessing and ranking the challenges faced by three irrigation systems in western Nepal: Mahakali, Rani Jamara Kulariya, and Babai. To investigate these challenges, we collected data from 449 households, which provided insights into 33 indicators representing key barriers to effective irrigation and agricultural management. The identified challenges were categorized into four broad thematic areas: physical and structural, agricultural and water, socioeconomic and market, and gender and governance. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted to compare these challenges among the three irrigation schemes, different thematic areas, and various locations within each scheme (namely, the head, mid, and tail sections of the system). The findings revealed that timely access and availability of fertilizers, spring water availability and fair market prices of agricultural products are the most significant challenges. The Babai irrigation system faced the most substantial challenges among the three systems, particularly in the mid section. These findings emphasize the interconnectedness of these challenges, highlighting the need for a holistic approach to planning, implementation, and management. Integrated strategies are essential to address socioeconomic, market, and endogenous farming issues, ensuring reliable irrigation water availability for sustainable agricultural production.

Inactivation of highly transmissible livestock and avian viruses including influenza A and Newcastle disease virus for molecular diagnostics.

There is a critical need for an inactivation method that completely inactivates pathogens at the time of sample collection while maintaining the nucleic acid quality required for diagnostic PCR testing. This inactivation method is required to alleviate concerns about transmission potential, minimize shipping complications and cost, and enable testing in lower containment laboratories, thereby enhancing disease diagnostics through improved turn-around time. This study evaluated a panel of 10 surrogate viruses that represent highly pathogenic animal diseases. These results showed that a commercial PrimeStore® molecular transport media (PSMTM) completely inactivated all viruses tested by >99.99%, as determined by infectivity and serial passage assays. However, the detection of viral nucleic acid by qRT-PCR was comparable in PSMTM and control-treated conditions. These results were consistent when viruses were evaluated in the presence of biological material such as sera and cloacal swabs to mimic diagnostic sample conditions for non-avian and avian viruses, respectively. The results of this study may be utilized by diagnostic testing laboratories for highly pathogenic agents affecting animal and human populations. These results may be used to revise guidance for select agent diagnostic testing and the shipment of infectious substances.

Acute Conjunctivitis among Patients Visiting the Outpatient Department of Ophthalmology in a Tertiary Care Centre.

Introduction: Conjunctivitis is a highly prevalent ocular disease that flares up every year. The humidity and high temperature favour the causative agents responsible for the epidemic. Acute infective conjunctivitis may be either viral or bacterial, a distinct type of condition with unique clinical features and treatment approaches. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of acute conjunctivitis among patients visiting the outpatient Department of Ophthalmology in a tertiary care centre. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the patients visiting the outpatient Department of Ophthalmology. Data of 30 August 2023 to 30 September 2023 was collected between 21 November 2023 to 24 November 2023. All patients presenting in the Ophthalmology Department having complete hospital record were included in the study. Patients having missing data on the medical records of the hospital were excluded. A convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. Results: Among 5,507 patients, acute conjunctivitis was seen in 1240 (22.52%) (21.42-23.62, 95% Confidence Interval). The majority were male 732 (59.03%) and adults 760 (61.29%) with a mean age of 32.56±18.74 years. Conclusions: The prevalence of conjunctivitis among patients visiting the outpatient Department of Opthalmology was found to be higher than other studies done in similar settings. Keywords: conjunctivitis; disease outbreaks; enterovirus.

Coxiella burnetii seroprevalence in domestic goat does in the United States: Prevalence, distribution, and associated risk factors.

Infection with the bacterium Coxiella burnetii can cause coxiellosis in animals and Q fever in humans. Coxiellosis a consistently underreported infectious disease. The infection can result in reproductive consequences for humans and animals. Ruminants are a reservoir for infection and humans are generally infected via aerosolized secretions, making it a public health concern. Studies of ruminant seroprevalence are generally limited in size and scope. This study determined seroprevalence in a large-scale U.S. population of female goats using serum samples from 7736 does from 24 states. This study identified C. burnetii seroprevalence in the United States domestic goat population. Overall, 14.5 % (SE = 2.3) of does were seropositive and 21.0 % (SE = 2.4) of operations had at least 1 seropositive doe. Further, operation demographics and herd management practices associated with seropositivity were as follows: the suspected or confirmed presence of caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE), caseous lymphadenitis (CL), Johne's disease, or sore mouth in the herd in the previous 3 years, not cleaning or disinfecting the kidding areas or removing aborting does from other does, allowing visitors to access the kidding areas, and a lower percentage of adult goat inventory that were adult bucks or wethers. Furthermore, goat breed was associated with seropositivity. These data show C. burnetii seroprevalence in the United States and identify operation and animal characteristics and management practices associated with C. burnetii seropositivity. Together, this information can be used to help limit animal transmission, inform public health measures, and help educate and protect individuals working with goats.

Estimating the Cost-Effectiveness of HIV Self-Testing in the United States Using Net Benefit Regression.

BACKGROUND: Cost-effectiveness analysis of HIV self-testing using patient-level data from a randomized clinical trial can inform HIV prevention funding decisions. Cost-effectiveness analysis using net-benefit regression addresses the sampling uncertainty in the trial data and the variability of policymakers' willingness to pay (WTP). METHODS: We used published data from a 12-month longitudinal randomized clinical trial that enrolled 2665 men who had sex with men randomly assigned to the self-testing arm (participants receiving self-test kits) and control arm (participants receiving standard-of-care), and the self-testing arm identified 48 additional new HIV cases. We used net-benefit regression to investigate the cost-effectiveness of an HIV self-testing intervention, which compared the incremental cost per new HIV diagnosis with policymakers' WTP thresholds. We addressed the uncertainties in estimating the incremental cost and the policymakers' WTP per new diagnosis through the incremental net-benefit (INB) regression and cost-effectiveness acceptability curve (CEAC) analyses. RESULTS: From the health care provider's perspective, the INB analysis showed a positive net benefit of HIV self-testing compared with standard-of-care when policymakers' WTP per new HIV diagnosis was $9365 (95% confidence interval: $5700 to $25,500) or higher. The CEAC showed that the probability of HIV self-testing being cost-effective compared with standard-of-care was 58% and >99% at a WTP of $10 000 and $50 000 per new HIV diagnosis, respectively. CONCLUSION: The INB and CEAC analyses suggest that HIV self-testing has the potential to be cost-effective for relatively low values of policymakers' WTP.

Analyzing the Costs and Impact of the TakeMeHome Program, a Public-Private Partnership to Deliver HIV Self-Test Kits in the United States.

BACKGROUND: HIV testing is an entry point to access HIV care and prevention services. Building Healthy Online Communities developed a website ( TakeMeHome.org ) where participants can order HIV home test kits. The purpose of this study was to analyze the costs and impact of the TakeMeHome program. METHODS: We estimated the costs of TakeMeHome across all participating jurisdictions for the first year of the program. We estimated program costs using purchase orders and invoices, contracts, and allocation of staff time, and the costs included website design, participant recruitment, administration and overhead, HIV self-test kits, and shipping and handling. Primary outcomes of the analysis were total program cost, cost per HIV test, and cost per new HIV diagnosis. RESULTS: The TakeMeHome program distributed 5323 HIV self-tests to 4859 participants over a 12-month period. The total program cost over this period was $314,870. The cost per HIV test delivered was estimated at $59, and the cost per person tested was $65. The program identified 18 confirmed new HIV diagnoses (0.6% positivity) verified with surveillance data in 7 health jurisdictions at $169,890. The cost per confirmed new HIV diagnosis was estimated at $9440. CONCLUSIONS: The TakeMeHome program delivered HIV self-testing at a reasonable cost, and the program may be a cost-effective use of HIV prevention resources. The public-private partnership can be an effective mechanism to validate HIV diagnoses identified with self-testing and provide HIV prevention and linkage to care services.

Chemical Characterization of Corydalis chaerophylla D.C. Extracts and Preliminary Evaluation of Their in Vitro and in Vivo Biological Properties.

Genus Corydalis is a rich source of isoquinoline alkaloids reported to having potential bioactivities. Corydalis chaerophylla collected from Nepal at an altitude of 2400-4800 m was extracted using hexane, methanol and chloroform as solvents. The resulting hexane, methanol and chloroform extracts were subjected to LC-DAD-MSn analysis to yield fifteen different alkaloids. To assess any potential pharmacological properties, antimicrobial activity against two Gram-positive, two Gram-negative bacterial strains and one fungal strain was assessed, revealing significant inhibitive action of the methanol and chloroform extracts. Of the extracts obtained using chloroform contained the highest content of phenolic compounds at 113 mg GAE/g, while the highest total flavonoid content was found for the hexane extract with a value of 46.45 mg QE/g. The chloroform extract also exhibited a considerable antioxidant activity at IC50 value, 261.5±3 µg/mL, for the DPPH assay. Conversely, the methanol extract exhibited the highest LC50 value for Brine Shrimp cytotoxicity at 196±3 µg/mL being least potential for the test. The methanol extract was found to be the most active against α-amylase inhibition with an IC50 of 51.52±2 µg/mL. In an in vivo acute oral toxicity study against mice, methanol and chloroform extracts presented harmful effects with 1000.36 mg/kg BW and 515 mg/kg BW for LD50 , respectively. By analyzing all the results of the solvents used, the chloroform extract was found to be the most active, a feature that will be used in future isolation procedures and other pharmacological tests.

Burden of human metapneumovirus infections among children with acute respiratory tract infections attending a Tertiary Care Hospital, Kathmandu.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are one of the most common causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Every year millions of children suffer from viral respiratory tract infections (RTIs) ranging from mild to severe illnesses. Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is among the most frequent viruses responsible for RTIs. However, HMPV infections and their severity among children have not been explored yet in Nepal. PURPOSE: Therefore, the study was focused on HMPV infections and other potential viral etiologies or co-infections using multiplex PCR among children attending Kanti Children's Hospital and assessed the clinical characteristics of the infections as well as found the co-infections. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was designed and a convenience sampling method was used to enroll children of less than 15 years with flu-like symptoms from both outpatients and inpatients departments over three months of the study period. RESULTS: HMPV infection (13.3%) was the most predominant infection among the different viral infections in children with ARIs in Kanti Children's Hospital. The HMPV was more prevalent in the age group less than three years (21.8%). Cough and fever were the most common clinical features present in all children infected with HMPV followed by rhinorrhea, sore throat, and wheezing. HMPV-positive children were diagnosed with pneumonia (42.9%), bronchiolitis (28.5%), upper respiratory tract infections (14.3%), and asthma (14.3%). The prevalence of HMPV was high in late winter (14.3%) followed by early spring (13.5%). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the baseline information on HMPV and associated co-infection with other respiratory viruses for the differential diagnosis based on molecular methods and also the comparison of clinical presentations among the different respiratory syndromes.

Solanum americanum genome-assisted discovery of immune receptors that detect potato late blight pathogen effectors.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) crops suffer severe losses to late blight caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans. Solanum americanum, a relative of potato and tomato, is globally distributed and most accessions are highly blight resistant. We generated high-quality reference genomes of four S. americanum accessions, resequenced 52 accessions, and defined a pan-NLRome of S. americanum immune receptor genes. We further screened for variation in recognition of 315P. infestans RXLR effectors in 52 S. americanum accessions. Using these genomic and phenotypic data, we cloned three NLR-encoding genes, Rpi-amr4, R02860 and R04373, that recognize cognate P. infestans RXLR effectors PITG_22825 (AVRamr4), PITG_02860 and PITG_04373. These genomic resources and methodologies will support efforts to engineer potatoes with durable late blight resistance and can be applied to diseases of other crops.

Factors affecting nutritional knowledge, attitude, practices and dietary intake among national players in Kathmandu, Nepal: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Good nutrition knowledge and nutrient intake have been regarded as significant determinants in enhancing athletes' performance and overall health status. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices of nutrition and dietary intake among athletes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to April 2022 among national athletes from two sports clubs in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Anthropometric measurements and dietary intake were recorded. Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression was used to estimate the crude odds ratios (cOR), and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 270 players were included in this study (mean age, 25 years; 49.6% male, 50.4% female). Almost half of the athletes had good nutrition knowledge [54.1% (146/270)], attitude [56.7% (153/270)], and practices [50% (135/270)] scores. The mean energy, carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake were 35.0 kcal/kg/day, 5.6, 0.9, and 0.9 g/kg/day, respectively. Likewise, mean calcium and iron intake were 370, and 12.5 mg, respectively. In the multivariate model, families with monthly household income less than 50,000 Nepalese rupees ($400) (adjusted Odds Ratio/aOR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.12 to 5.96), and those who did not receive diet plan (aOR = 3.14; 95% CI: 1.25 to 7.84) were more likely to have poor nutrition knowledge. Players who did not check food labelling (aOR = 1.44; 95% CI: 0.78 to 2.63) were more likely to have negative attitude towards nutrition. Players who did not ever attend nutrition class (aOR = 3.54; 95% CI: 1.46 to 8.54) and those who did not consume different food during off and on the season of sports (aOR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.39 to 4.01) were more likely to have poor nutrition practice. CONCLUSIONS: Half of the athletes' nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and practices score were satisfactory. Nutrient intake among athletes was suboptimal. Nutrition intervention programs are critical to improve nutritional knowledge, attitude and practice related to dietary intake among national athletes in Nepal.

Clinical manifestations of delayed reaction following mass hornet envenomation: a case report.

Delayed reaction following mass hornet envenomation is associated with various clinical manifestations. Case Presentation: The authors present a case of a 24-year-old male from eastern Nepal, who presented following mass envenomation by hornet stings. He had progressive yellowish discoloration of skin and sclera, myalgia, fever, and dizziness. He had passage of tea-coloured urine followed by anuria. Laboratory investigations suggested acute kidney injury, rhabdomyolysis, and acute liver injury. The authors managed the patient with supportive measures and haemodialysis. There was complete recovery of liver and renal function in the patient. Discussion: The findings in this patient were similar to other cases reported in the literature. These patients must be managed supportively, with few requiring renal replacement therapy. Most of these patients recover completely. In low-middle-income countries like Nepal, delay in seeking care and delay in reaching care is associated with severe clinical manifestations. Delayed presentation can lead to renal shutdown and mortality; hence, early intervention is simple, and, crucial. Conclusion: This case highlights the occurrence of delayed reaction following mass envenomation by hornets. Also, the authors show an approach to managing such patients, similar to managing any other case with acute kidney injury. In these cases, an early simple intervention can prevent mortality. It is crucial to train healthcare workers regarding toxin induced acute kidney injury and the importance of early identification and intervention.

Genomic surveillance uncovers a pandemic clonal lineage of the wheat blast fungus.

Wheat, one of the most important food crops, is threatened by a blast disease pandemic. Here, we show that a clonal lineage of the wheat blast fungus recently spread to Asia and Africa following two independent introductions from South America. Through a combination of genome analyses and laboratory experiments, we show that the decade-old blast pandemic lineage can be controlled by the Rmg8 disease resistance gene and is sensitive to strobilurin fungicides. However, we also highlight the potential of the pandemic clone to evolve fungicide-insensitive variants and sexually recombine with African lineages. This underscores the urgent need for genomic surveillance to track and mitigate the spread of wheat blast outside of South America and to guide preemptive wheat breeding for blast resistance.

Cost Analysis of the Positive Health Check Intervention to Suppress HIV Viral Load and Retain Patients in HIV Clinical Care.

CONTEXT: Digital video-based behavioral interventions are effective tools for improving HIV care and treatment outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To assess the costs of the Positive Health Check (PHC) intervention delivered in HIV primary care settings. DESIGN, SETTING, AND INTERVENTION: The PHC study was a randomized trial evaluating the effectiveness of a highly tailored, interactive video-counseling intervention delivered in 4 HIV care clinics in the United States in improving viral suppression and retention in care. Eligible patients were randomized to either the PHC intervention or the control arm. Control arm participants received standard of care (SOC), and intervention arm participants received SOC plus PHC. The intervention was delivered on computer tablets in the clinic waiting rooms. The PHC intervention improved viral suppression among male participants. A microcosting approach was used to assess the program costs, including labor hours, materials and supplies, equipment, and office overhead. PARTICIPANTS: Persons with HIV infection, receiving care in participating clinics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the number of patients virally suppressed, defined as having fewer than 200 copies/mL by the end of their 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 397 (range across sites [range], 95-102) participants were enrolled in the PHC intervention arm, of whom 368 participants (range, 82-98) had viral load data at baseline and were included in the viral load analyses. Of those, 210 (range, 41-63) patients were virally suppressed at the end of their 12-month follow-up visit. The overall annual program cost was $402 274 (range, $65 581-$124 629). We estimated the average program cost per patient at $1013 (range, $649-$1259) and the cost per patient virally suppressed at $1916 (range, $1041-$3040). Recruitment and outreach costs accounted for 30% of PHC program costs. CONCLUSIONS: The costs of this interactive video-counseling intervention are comparable with other retention in care or reengagement interventions.

Inheritance and Fitness Costs of Laboratory-Selected Resistance to Gpp34/Tpp35Ab1 Corn in Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a serious pest of corn and is currently managed with corn hybrids that produce insecticidal proteins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Bt corn kills rootworm larvae and reduces larval feeding injury to corn roots. The Bt protein Gpp34/Tpp35Ab1, previously named Cry34/35Ab1, has been widely used in transgenic Bt corn for management of western corn rootworm, and field-evolved resistance has been found in some populations. In the United States, the refuge strategy is used to manage Bt resistance, with refuges of non-Bt host plants serving as a source of Bt-susceptible individuals, which in turn reduce the frequency of homozygous resistant individuals within a population. As such, the dominance of resistance strongly influences resistance evolution, with faster evolution of resistance when resistance is not recessive. Additionally, selection for resistance by a Bt crop leads to the accumulation of resistance alleles within refuge populations, thereby reducing the capacity of refuges to delay resistance. However, fitness costs can remove resistance alleles from refuge populations and preserve the dynamic of refuges producing Bt-susceptible genotypes. Bt-susceptible and Gpp34/Tpp35Ab1-resistant western corn rootworm were used to quantify the inheritance and fitness costs of resistance. We found that Gpp34/Tpp35Ab1 resistance was not recessive and had the accompanying fitness costs of slower developmental rate to adulthood and lower egg viability. This research will help improve insect resistance management by providing a better understanding of the risk of western corn rootworm evolving resistance to transgenic corn that produces Gpp34/Tpp35Ab1.

Costs and cost-effectiveness of a collaborative data-to-care intervention for HIV treatment and care in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Data-to-care programmes utilize surveillance data to identify persons who are out of HIV care, re-engage them in care and improve HIV care outcomes. We assess the costs and cost-effectiveness of re-engagement in an HIV care intervention in the United States. METHODS: The Cooperative Re-engagement Control Trial (CoRECT) employed a data-to-care collaborative model between health departments and HIV care providers, August 2016-July 2018. The health departments in Connecticut (CT), Massachusetts (MA) and Philadelphia (PHL) collaborated with HIV clinics to identify newly out-of-care patients and randomize them to receive usual linkage and engagement in care services (standard-of-care control arm) or health department-initiated active re-engagement services (intervention arm). We used a microcosting approach to identify the activities and resources involved in the CoRECT intervention, separate from the standard-of-care, and quantified the costs. The cost data were collected at the start-up and recurrent phases of the trial to incorporate potential variation in the intervention costs. The costs were estimated from the healthcare provider perspective. RESULTS: The CoRECT trial in CT, MA and PHL randomly assigned on average 327, 316 and 305 participants per year either to the intervention arm (n = 166, 159 and 155) or the standard-of-care arm (n = 161, 157 and 150), respectively. Of those randomized, the number of participants re-engaged in care within 90 days in the intervention and standard-of-care arms was 85 and 70 in CT, 84 and 70 in MA, and 98 and 67 in PHL. The additional number of participants re-engaged in care in the intervention arm compared with those in the standard-of-care arm was 15 (CT), 14 (MA) and 31 (PHL). We estimated the annual total cost of the CoRECT intervention at $490,040 in CT, $473,297 in MA and $439,237 in PHL. The average cost per participant enrolled was $2952, $2977 and $2834 and the average cost per participant re-engaged in care was $5765, $5634 and $4482. We estimated an incremental cost per participant re-engaged in care at $32,669 (CT), $33,807 (MA) and $14,169 (PHL). CONCLUSIONS: The costs of the CoRECT intervention that identified newly out-of-care patients and re-engaged them in HIV care are comparable with other similar interventions, suggesting a potential for its cost-effectiveness in the US context.

Costs of Providing Preexposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention at Community Health Centers in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended for people at risk of acquiring HIV. We assessed billable costs associated with PrEP delivery at community health centers. METHODS: The Sustainable Health Center Implementation PrEP Pilot (SHIPP) study is an observational cohort of people receiving daily oral PrEP at participating federally qualified health centers and other community health centers. We assessed health care utilization and billable costs of providing PrEP at 2 health centers, 1 in Chicago, Illinois, and 1 in Washington, DC, from 2014 to 2018. The health centers followed the clinical practice guidelines for PrEP provision, including regular visits with health care providers and ongoing laboratory monitoring. Using clinic billing records and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding, we retrospectively extracted data on the frequency and costs (in 2017 US dollars) of PrEP clinic visits and laboratory screening, for each patient, for 12 months since first PrEP prescription. RESULTS: The average annual number of PrEP clinic visits and associated laboratory screens per patient was 5.1 visits and 25.2 screens in Chicago (n = 482 patients) and 5.4 visits and 24.8 screens in Washington, DC (n = 56 patients). The average annual PrEP billable cost per patient was $583 for clinic visits and $1070 for laboratory screens in Chicago and $923 for clinic visits and $1018 for laboratory screens in Washington, DC. The average annual total cost per patient was $1653 (95% CI, $1639-$1668) in Chicago and $1941 (95% CI, $1811-$2071) in Washington, DC. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis, which provides PrEP billable cost estimates based on empirical data, may help inform health care providers who are considering implementing this HIV prevention strategy.

Sexual Practice Changes Post-HIV Diagnosis Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) often change sexual behaviors following HIV diagnosis. This systematic review examined such changes, including sero-adaptive behaviors (i.e., deliberate safer-sex practices to reduce transmission risk) to better understand the magnitude of their association with HIV diagnosis. We searched four databases (1996-2017) and reviewed references from other systematic reviews. We included studies conducted in the United States that compared sexual behavior among HIV-infected "aware" versus "unaware" MSM. We meta-analytically pooled RRs and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) using random-effects models, and assessed risk of bias and evidence quality. Twenty studies reported k = 131 effect sizes on sexual practices outcomes, most of which reported changes in unprotected sex (k = 85), and on sex with at-risk partners (k = 76); 11 reported sero-adaptive behaviors. Unprotected anal intercourse with an HIV-uninfected/unknown-status partner was less likely among aware MSM (insertive position: k = 2, RR 0.26, 95% CI 0.17, 0.41; receptive position: k = 2, RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.37, 0.77). Risk of not always serosorting among aware MSM (k = 3) was RR = 0.92 (0.83, 1.02). Existing evidence, although low-quality, suggests that HIV-infected MSM tend to adopt safer sexual practices once aware of their diagnosis. Variation in reporting of outcomes limits their comparability. Sero-adaptive behavior data are sparse.

Crops' response to the emergent air pollutants.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Consequences of air pollutants on physiology, biology, yield and quality in the crops are evident. Crop and soil management can play significant roles in attenuating the impacts of air pollutants. With rapid urbanization and industrialization, air pollution has emerged as a serious threat to quality crop production. Assessing the effect of the elevated level of pollutants on the performance of the crops is crucial. Compared to the soil and water pollutants, the air pollutants spread more rapidly to the extensive area. This paper has reviewed and highlighted the major findings of the previous research works on the morphological, physiological and biochemical changes in some important crops and fruits exposed to the increasing levels of air pollutants. The crop, soil and environmental factors governing the effect of air pollutants have been discussed. The majority of the observations suggest that the air pollutants alter the physiology and biochemical in the plants, i.e., while some pollutants are beneficial to the growth and yields and modify physiological and morphological processes, most of them appeared to be detrimental to the crop yields and their quality. A better understanding of the mechanisms of the uptake of air pollutants and crop responses is quite important for devising the measures ‒ at both policy and program levels ‒ to minimize their possible negative impacts on crops. Further research directions in this field have also been presented.

Evaluation of the effects of natural isoquinoline alkaloids on low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) in hepatocytes, as new potential hypocholesterolemic agents.

Nine different isoquinoline alkaloids, berberine, govaniadine, stylopine, adlumine, adlumidine, bicuculline, sanguinarine, protopine and californidine have been evaluated for their effects on a cellular model of hepatocyte for their effect on low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) expression compared to simvastatin. Berberine, californidine and govaniadine induced LDLR with an effect similar to 2.5 µM simvastatin. Californidine and berberine at tested doses reduced the expression of PCSK9, with an opposite behaviour to simvastatin on this target. Govaniadine, on the other hand, showed a statin-like effect, although less potently, by increasing both LDLR and PCSK9 levels. Berberine californidine and govaniadine were then tested on the same cellular model to assess possible effect of reduction of total cholesterol, compared to simvastatin. All compounds were able to reduce total cholesterol level in the hepatocytes.