Effects of exercise training on bone health in adults living with HIV: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

We investigated the effects of exercise training on bone mineral density (BMD) in people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (PLHIV). Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ScienceDirect databases were searched for trials investigating exercise training-induced changes in BMD of PLHIV at baseline vs. post-intervention assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Hedge effect sizes (ES) were calculated incorporating fixed effects for BMD variation assumptions. Disaggregated comparisons were performed for trials with more than one intervention or BMD site assessment. Seven trials included 210 PLHIV and 35 non-HIV-infected controls. Methodological quality evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale ranged from poor to moderate. Interventions applied isolated resistance, combined aerobic and resistance, and multimodal exercise protocols performed 3 d/wk for 12-to 104 week. One controlled and another uncontrolled trial presented significant effects, reporting improvements at the femoral neck and total (ES 2.14 and 0.49, respectively). Magnitude of those specific ES influenced the overall effect (controlled and uncontrolled trials), which was small but significant (k = 12, ES 0.277, 95% confidence interval 0.120-0.434). Resistance training may promote favorable adaptations in BMD of PLHIV, particularly in femur. Future research should elucidate the optimal dose-response relationship and physiological mechanisms underlying exercise-induced adaptations on the BMD of PLHIV.

The impact of determinants of health on the relationship between stigma and health in people living with HIV.

Determinants of health are important drivers of health states, yet there is little work examining their role in the relationship between HIV stigma and health. This study uses moderation analysis to examine how determinants of health affect the relationship between enacted, internalized, and anticipated stigma and mental health. Quantitative data was collected on 337 participants in Ontario, Canada at baseline (t1) between August 2018 and September 2019 and at follow-up (t2) between February 2021 and October 2021. Separate moderation models were created with each determinant of health (age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, geographic region, education, employment, and basic needs) acting as the moderator between types of stigma at t1 and mental health at t2. Age was a significant moderator for the relationship between internalized and enacted stigma at t1 and mental health at t2. Region was a moderator for enacted and anticipated stigma and mental health. Sexual orientation was a moderator for anticipated stigma and mental health. Lastly, having basic needs was a moderator for enacted and anticipated stigma and mental health. Our findings suggest that intervention strategies may be more effective by incorporating supports for these determinants of health in addition to stigma reduction to improve mental health.

Mapping and Analyzing Ecosystem Services Hotspots and Coldspots for Sustainable Spatial Planning in the Greater Asmara Area, Eritrea.

Rapid urbanization in African metropolises like the Greater Asmara Area, Eritrea, poses numerous environmental challenges, including soil sealing, loss of vegetation cover, threats to protected natural areas, and climate change, among others. Mapping and assessing ecosystem services, particularly analyzing their spatial and temporal distribution is crucial for sustainable spatial planning. This study aims at mapping and analyzing ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots dynamics in the Greater Asmara Area to identify recent trends and opportunities for enhancing ecosystem services supply. Utilizing remote sensing images, we produced land cover maps for 2009 and 2020 and mapped six ecosystem services through a lookup table approach. The study includes provisioning, regulating and maintenance, and cultural ecosystem services. We analyzed their spatio-temporal variations, identifying ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots and their changes over time. Results show that overall ecosystem services potential in the Greater Asmara Area remains low but stable, with some improvements. By 2020, areas with no ecosystem services potential decreased in southern regions like Gala Nefhi and Berik, and new hotspots and coldspots emerged in central Gala Nefhi. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility and key challenges of the ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots approach for sustainable spatial planning in rapidly urbanizing African metropolitan regions. Despite limitations, the study offers valuable insights into ecosystem services potentials, and related hotspots and coldspots dynamics, raising awareness and paving the way for further research and application.

Views of adolescents living with perinatally acquired HIV on HIV status disclosure in Eswatini.

HIV is recognised as a multifaceted chronic disease, bearing psychosocial consequences that potentially impact on the personal and social well-being of those living with it. Adolescents and youth bear a significant proportion of the burden of the HIV epidemic but they have low rates of disclosure of their HIV status. This study aims to determine the views of adolescents living with perinatally acquired HIV on HIV status disclosure among 361 adolescents aged 15-19 in Eswatini. A cross-sectional study was conducted on adolescents who already knew their status, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. A majority of the participants, 55% (n = 200), were females, and 44% (n = 160) were males. A low number of adolescents (22%) had disclosed their HIV status to anyone. Adolescents who found it difficult to understand disclosure themselves had low levels of onward disclosure (27%) compared to adolescents who better understood the disclosure event. Our results revealed that adolescents' prevalence of HIV status disclosure was low. This raises concerns as some of the adolescents were in relationships with partners who were not aware of their status. However, older adolescents displayed some level of disclosure self-efficacy in that a higher proportion of them disclosed better than younger adolescents.

Hemp Fiber-Reinforced Polymers Composite Jacketing Technique for Sustainable and Environment-Friendly Concrete.

This research suggested natural hemp fiber-reinforced ropes (FRR) polymer usage to reinforce recycled aggregate square concrete columns that contain fired-clay solid brick aggregates in order to reduce the high costs associated with synthetic fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs). A total of 24 square columns of concrete were fabricated to conduct this study. The samples were tested under a monotonic axial compression load. The variables of interest were the strength of unconfined concrete and the number of FRR layers. According to the results, the strengthened specimens demonstrated an increased compressive strength and ductility. Notably, the specimens with the smallest unconfined strength demonstrated the largest improvement in compressive strength and ductility. Particularly, the compressive strength and strain were enhanced by up to 181% and 564%, respectively. In order to predict the ultimate confined compressive stress and strain, this study investigated a number of analytical stress-strain models. A comparison of experimental and theoretical findings deduced that only a limited number of strength models resulted in close predictions, whereas an even larger scatter was observed for strain prediction. Machine learning was employed by using neural networks to predict the compressive strength. A dataset comprising 142 specimens strengthened with hemp FRP was extracted from the literature. The neural network was trained on the extracted dataset, and its performance was evaluated for the experimental results of this study, which demonstrated a close agreement.

Using machine learning algorithms to enhance IoT system security.

The term "Internet of Things" (IoT) refers to a system of networked computing devices that may work and communicate with one another without direct human intervention. It is one of the most exciting areas of computing nowadays, with its applications in multiple sectors like cities, homes, wearable equipment, critical infrastructure, hospitals, and transportation. The security issues surrounding IoT devices increase as they expand. To address these issues, this study presents a novel model for enhancing the security of IoT systems using machine learning (ML) classifiers. The proposed approach analyzes recent technologies, security, intelligent solutions, and vulnerabilities in ML IoT-based intelligent systems as an essential technology to improve IoT security. The study illustrates the benefits and limitations of applying ML in an IoT environment and provides a security model based on ML that manages autonomously the rising number of security issues related to the IoT domain. The paper proposes an ML-based security model that autonomously handles the growing number of security issues associated with the IoT domain. This research made a significant contribution by developing a cyberattack detection solution for IoT devices using ML. The study used seven ML algorithms to identify the most accurate classifiers for their AI-based reaction agent's implementation phase, which can identify attack activities and patterns in networks connected to the IoT. The study used seven ML algorithms to identify the most accurate classifiers for their AI-based reaction agent's implementation phase, which can identify attack activities and patterns in networks connected to the IoT. Compared to previous research, the proposed approach achieved a 99.9% accuracy, a 99.8% detection average, a 99.9 F1 score, and a perfect AUC score of 1. The study highlights that the proposed approach outperforms earlier machine learning-based models in terms of both execution speed and accuracy. The study illustrates that the suggested approach outperforms previous machine learning-based models in both execution time and accuracy.

Biomimetic Adaptive Building Façade Modeling for Sustainable Urban Freshwater Ecosystems: Integration of Nature's Water-Harvesting Strategy into Sun-Breakers.

Urban freshwater ecosystems have many critical functions, such as providing water to all living things and supporting biodiversity. Factors such as water pollution, increased water consumption, habitat loss, climate change, and drought threaten the health of urban freshwater ecosystems. Looking for solutions to these challenges, this article aims to recycle water and return it to its life cycle using a climate-sensitive water collection strategy. The model focuses on the biomimetic method as a basic strategy. In this regard, the concept of water-harvesting has been examined in detail by conducting a deep literature review, including architecture and engineering disciplines. With all these data obtained, a synthesis/integration study was carried out by developing a model proposal based on adaptive building façade elements to solve the water problems experienced in cities. The model proposal, which is directly related to the titles of "Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6)" and "Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)", which are among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to provide different perspectives on the disciplines with its superficial and functional features. In this context, it is anticipated that the article will become an indispensable resource for other researchers working on the subject.

Analyzing One Health governance and implementation challenges in Mexico.

Establishing a robust One Health (OH) governance is essential for ensuring effective coordination and collaboration among human, animal, and environmental health sectors to prevent and address complex health challenges like zoonoses or antimicrobial resistance. This study conducted a mixed-methods environmental scan to assess to what extent Mexico displays a OH governance and identify opportunities for improvement. Through documentary analysis, the study mapped OH national-level governance elements: infrastructure, multi-level regulations, leadership, multi-coordination mechanisms (MCMs), and financial and OH-trained human resources. Key informant interviews provided insights into enablers, barriers, and recommendations to enhance a OH governance. Findings reveal that Mexico has sector-specific governance elements: institutions, surveillance systems and laboratories, laws, and policies. However, the absence of a OH governmental body poses a challenge. Identified barriers include implementation challenges, non-harmonised legal frameworks, and limited intersectoral information exchange. Enablers include formal and ad hoc MCMs, OH-oriented policies, and educational initiatives. Like other middle-income countries in the region, institutionalising a OH governance in Mexico, may require a OH-specific framework and governing body, infrastructure rearrangements, and policy harmonisation. Strengthening coordination mechanisms, training OH professionals, and ensuring data-sharing surveillance systems are essential steps toward successful implementation, with adequate funding being a relevant factor.

Leveraging virucidal potential of an anti-microbial coating agent to mitigate fomite transmission of respiratory viruses.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory tract infections have emerged as a significant global threat, yet their impact on public health was previously underappreciated. This study investigated the antiviral efficacy of the nano-coating agent BARRIER90, composed of silicon-quaternary ammonium compound and a naturally derived biopolymer, against three distinct respiratory viruses: Influenza A (H1N1), Adenovirus Type 1, and Enterovirus-Coxsackie B1. BARRIER90 exhibited robust and sustained virucidal activity, persisting up to 90 days post-coating, against the enveloped virus, Influenza A, with significant reduction in viral plaques. Contrastingly, its efficacy against non-enveloped viruses revealed transient activity against Enterovirus-Coxsackie B1, with almost no antiviral activity observed against Adenovirus Type 1. These findings indicate the potential of antimicrobial coatings in mitigating viral transmission through contaminated surfaces (fomites), which harbour pathogenic viruses for longer periods. Antimicrobial coatings may facilitate infection control in various settings, including healthcare facilities and shared workspaces.

Putative interactions between transthyretin and endosulfan II and its relevance in breast cancer.

The unregulated use of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) has been linked to spread of breast cancer (BC), but the underlying biomolecular interactions are unknown. Using a case-control study, we compared OCP blood levels and protein signatures among BC patients. Five pesticides were found in significantly higher concentrations in breast cancer patients than in healthy controls: p',p' dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), p'p' dichloro diphenyl dichloroethane (DDD), endosulfan II, delta-hexachlorocyclohexane (dHCH), and heptachlor epoxide A (HTEA). According to the odds ratio analysis, these OCPs, which have been banned for decades, continue to raise the risk of cancer in Indian women. Proteomic analysis of plasma from estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients revealed 17 dysregulated proteins, but transthyretin (TTR) was three times higher than in healthy controls, which is further validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies revealed a competitive affinity between endosulfan II and the thyroxine-binding site of TTR, pointing towards the significance of the competition between thyroxin and endosulfan, resulting in endocrine disruption leading to breast cancer. Our study sheds light on the putative role of TTR in OCP-mediated BC, but more research is needed to decipher the underlying mechanisms that can be used to prevent the carcinogenic effects of these pesticides on women's health.

Assessment equity for remote multilingual Australian Aboriginal students through the lens of Sustainable Development Goals.

PURPOSE: The Foundations of Early Literacy Assessment - Northern Territory (FELA-NT) was funded, developed, and implemented as part of a strategy designed to address the English literacy learning needs of the Northern Territory's Aboriginal student population. In this paper we question whether the FELA-NT English literacy learning benchmarks are representative of remote and very remote Aboriginal students since many speak English as an Additional Language (EAL) or Dialect (EAD). RESULT: Using a new data set of scores from 72 Aboriginal students from remote, very remote, and outer-regional communities on the FELA-NT, we demonstrate that it is the student's experience with Standard Australian English, not their remoteness, that impacts their early literacy development. CONCLUSION: We use this example to illustrate how current practices and policies homogenise the Australian Aboriginal student population, silencing linguistic diversity in the process. We call for clinical practitioners and educators to shift their practices to assessments and tools that recognise children and youths' diverse linguistic skills and pathways. We talk about what empowerment, participation, and inclusion might really mean in current Australian educational and clinical contexts. We argue here that we need to fundamentally rethink how we work with children with diverse language and literacy knowledge, skills, and backgrounds if we are to reduce inequalities (SDG 10), honour quality education (SDG 4), and support sustainable communities (SDG 11).

Amplifying children's voices: Sustainable Development Goals and inclusive design for education and health architecture.

PURPOSE: This scoping review advocates for integrated approaches to the architectural design of education and health environments for children and young people, driven by diverse stakeholder perspectives. RESULT: Limited empirical research specifically focuses on children and young people's direct involvement in architectural design decision-making processes. Few studies specifically include those experiencing communication disability, or articulate universal strategies to facilitate accessible consultation processes. Despite international agreement of the importance of children and young people's participation in decision-making (e.g. Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs]), there is limited application in architectural design consultation. Development of consistent guidance supporting inclusive, accessible co-design processes for all potential users and decision-makers is crucial. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to integrate perspectives of those habitually marginalised or excluded from consultation processes, including children experiencing communication disability or with alternative communicative preferences. Doing so amplifies the imperatives articulated in the SDGs, specifically those relating to inclusivity and representativeness in decision-making (SDG 16.7), and designing and building inclusive, safe, child and disability-friendly environments (SDG 4a). This article addresses good health and well-being (SDG 3); quality education (SDG 4); sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11); peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16).

Community and university partnerships: Integrating Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 10, 11, and 17.

PURPOSE: Speech-language pathology graduates are not only expected to be proficient in their area of expertise but to have developed skills that contribute to society as a whole. The purpose of this paper is to illuminate the relationship between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, good health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), reduced inequalities (SDG 10), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), and partnerships for the goals (SDG 17) through the involvement of experts-by-experience in the classroom on a pre-registration speech-language pathology course. RESULT: An innovative approach to student-centred learning involved Tom, a person with autism, his family, and his speech-language pathologist (SLP). This commentary is co-written with Tom's mother and advocate, his SLP, and a university educator. Tom's mother's writing was not changed in anyway as agreed in the writing contract. CONCLUSION: Co-teaching with experts-by-experience (a parent, and a person with a communication disability) has the potential to strengthen the bonds between communities and universities. Involvement by experts-by-experience promotes equality in teaching and sees the person and the ability behind the disability. SLPs and university educators must collaborate to make this a reality. This commentary paper focusses on SDG 17 to illuminate the relationship between SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 10, and SDG 11.

The impact of climate-related disasters on children's communication and wellbeing: Addressing Sustainable Development Goals.

PURPOSE: Natural disasters can significantly impact children's health, development, and wellbeing, as well as their access to education and support services (including speech-language pathology). Children's needs are often overlooked in the urgent aftermath of natural disasters. This is especially true for children with communication difficulties. This commentary explores the impacts of bushfire on Australian children, to propose a sustainable, community-based approach to supporting children's health, wellbeing, and communication. RESULT: The Royal Far West Bushfire Recovery Program, a multidisciplinary allied health program, supported children's recovery, resilience, and development in the aftermath of Australia's Black Summer bushfires in 2019-2020. Children learnt coping strategies and were more able to communicate with adults and peers about their feelings and experiences, but residual impacts of bushfires remained for some children. Allied health telepractice services, including speech-language pathology, enhanced access for vulnerable children, highlighting the potential for technology to provide high-quality services to support recovery, particularly in remote areas. CONCLUSION: Climate change increases the frequency and severity of bushfires and other natural disasters with significant consequences for vulnerable and at-risk communities. Children with communication needs are particularly vulnerable during and following these disasters. High quality, evidence-based interventions are needed to support the health, wellbeing, and communication needs of children, with opportunities for involvement of speech-language pathologists. This commentary paper focusses on SDG 1, SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 9, SDG 10, SDG 11, SDG 13, and SDG 15.

Maximise your impact: Sustainable Development Goals-Focussed content in communication intervention and teaching.

PURPOSE: Communication specialists strive to develop communication skills of students and clients using evidence-based practices. There is limited discussion of the topic content of speech-language pathology interventions and language education strategies that act as the vehicle to deliver intervention/education. In this commentary we demonstrate ways materials based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs; United Nations, 2015) can be integrated into daily practices when working with people with communication disability and people acquiring additional languages. RESULT: Examples are provided as to how any or all SDGs can be used as the content base within speech-language pathology interventions and language education. A number of situations are presented illustrating SDG-focussed content across diverse settings. CONCLUSION: This commentary paper focusses on how content from all 17 SDGS that can be embedded into speech-language pathology and language education services to enhance the speech, language, and literacy skills and SDG knowledge of both children and adults. In addition, educational and therapy resource developers are called to rise to the challenge of creating materials based on the SDGs.

Accelerating urea hydrolysis in fresh urine by modifying operating conditions of a sequencing batch reactor.

A number of existing and emerging technologies can recover nitrogen from urine. A preliminary step in many nitrogen recovery processes is hydrolyzing urea to ammonium, a biologically-mediated process that can take days to weeks without intervention. The ability to achieve urea hydrolysis quickly and reliably would increase the feasibility of decentralized nitrogen recovery, especially where space and treatment time are constrained. The goal of this research was to determine whether urea hydrolysis could be accelerated by providing an inoculum containing microorganisms likely to have urease activity (feces or soil), providing a carrier to support attached growth (plastic carriers, granular activated carbon, or no carrier), and modifying the hydraulic retention time (HRT; 1.3, 2, and 4 days) and feeding frequency (Δt = 4, 24 h). Inoculated reactors achieved significantly more urea hydrolysis, and reactors inoculated with soil were able to sustain higher urea hydrolysis rates over time than those inoculated with feces. The mean zero-order rate constants (mM/hr) for reactors with a soil inoculum (15.1) were about three times higher than that of reactors with an inoculum of feces (4.9). A reactor with GAC and an inoculum of soil fed daily with fresh urine achieved greater than 90% hydrolysis with an HRT of 2 days; results suggest the HRT could be reduced to 16 h without reducing performance. No significant benefit was provided by increasing the frequency of feedings for the same HRT, likely because urease enzymes were saturated and operating at maximum hydrolysis rates during most of the reaction period.

Do Differences in Social Environments Explain Gender Differences in Recreational Walking across Neighbourhoods?

Within a city, gender differences in walking for recreation (WfR) vary significantly across neighbourhoods, although the reasons remain unknown. This cross-sectional study investigated the contribution of the social environment (SE) to explaining such variation, using 2009 data from the How Areas in Brisbane Influence healTh and AcTivity (HABITAT) study, including 7866 residents aged 42-67 years within 200 neighbourhoods in Brisbane, Australia (72.6% response rate). The analytical sample comprised 200 neighbourhoods and 6643 participants (mean 33 per neighbourhood, range 8-99, 95% CI 30.6-35.8). Self-reported weekly minutes of WfR were categorised into 0 and 1-840 mins. The SE was conceptualised through neighbourhood-level perceptions of social cohesion, incivilities and safety from crime. Analyses included multilevel binomial logistic regression with gender as main predictor, adjusting for age, socioeconomic position, residential self-selection and neighbourhood disadvantage. On average, women walked more for recreation than men prior to adjustment for covariates. Gender differences in WfR varied significantly across neighbourhoods, and the magnitude of the variation for women was twice that of men. The SE did not explain neighbourhood differences in the gender-WfR relationship, nor the between-neighbourhood variation in WfR for men or women. Neighbourhood-level factors seem to influence the WfR of men and women differently, with women being more sensitive to their environment, although Brisbane's SE did not seem such a factor.