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Actinium-225-PSMA radioligand therapy of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (WARMTH Act) : a multicentre, retrospective study
(Elsevier, 2024-02) Sathekge, Mike Machaba; Lawal, Ismaheel Opeyemi; Bal, Chandrasekhar; Bruchertseifer, Frank; Ballal, Sajana; Cardaci, Giuseppe; Davis, Cindy; Eiber, Mathias; Hekimsoy, Türkay; Knoesen, Otto; Kratochwil, Clemens; Lenzo, Nat P.; Mahapane, Johncy; Maserumule, Letjie C.; Mdlophane, Amanda H.; Mokoala, Kgomotso M.G.; Ndlovu, Honest; Pant, Vineet; Rathke, Hendrik; Reed, Janet D.; Sen, Ishita B.; Singh, Aviral; Sood, Ashwani; Tauber, Robert; Thakral, Parul; Yadav, Madhav Prasad; Morgenstern, Alfred; mike.sathekge@up.ac.za
Please read abstract in the article.
A guide to implementation science for Phase 3 clinical trialists : designing trials for evidence uptake
(Elsevier, 2024-11) Van Spall, Harriette G.C.; Desveaux, Laura; Finch, Tracy; Lewis, Cara C.; Mensah, George A.; Rosenberg, Yves; Singh, Kavita; Venter, Francois; Weiner, Bryan J.; Zannad, Faiez
The delayed and modest uptake of evidence-based treatments following cardiovascular clinical trials highlights the need for greater attention to implementation early in the development and testing of treatments. However, implementation science is not well understood and is often an afterthought following phase 3 trials. In this review, we describe the goals, frameworks, and methods of implementation science, along with common multilevel barriers and facilitators of implementation. We propose that some of the approaches used for implementation well after a trial has ended can be incorporated into the design of phase 3 trials to foster early post-trial implementation. Approaches include, but are not limited to, engaging broad stakeholders including patients, clinicians, and decision-makers in trial advisory boards; using less restrictive eligibility criteria that ensure both internal validity and generalizability; having trial protocols reviewed by regulators; integrating trial execution with the health care system; evaluating and addressing barriers and facilitators to deployment of the intervention; and undertaking cost-effectiveness and cost utility analyses across jurisdictions. We provide case examples to highlight concepts and to guide end-of-trial implementation.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Cardiovascular disease remains inadequately treated, highlighting the need for greater attention to implementation science.
• Trialists and clinicians could harness key principles of implementation science to foster better end-of-trial uptake.
• Phase 3 trials could use less restrictive eligibility criteria, engage broad stakeholders in trial design, use existing health care systems to execute the trial, evaluate barriers and facilitators to implementation, and improve workflow processes within the trial.
• When trial results are positive, trial sites could be engaged in early implementation research and deployment of the intervention.
A best way forward to the organisation of entomological training courses in sub-Saharan Africa
(Elsevier, 2024-05) Jordaens, Kurt; De Meyer, Marc; Van Nuffel, Muriel; Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H.; Sabuni, Christopher; Mwatawala, Maulid; Mujabwa, Ramadhani; Kabota, Sija; Bellingan, Terence; Goergen, Georg; Mansell, Mervyn W.; Manrakhan, Aruna; Sinzogan, Antonio; Schutze, Mark K.; Thomas-Cabianca, Arianna; Copeland, Robert; Muller, Burgert; Virgilio, Massimiliano; Bert, Ella; November, Eva; Midgley, John
Despite their significant impact on human life in the Afrotropical Region, Diptera remain understudied. For a large part this is due to a lack of Diptera taxonomic experts and collection curators from the Afrotropical Region (except for South Africa perhaps), the difficulties some developing countries face in maintaining collections, and the low number of digitised specimens. This impedes the use of these Diptera collections for identification services, taxonomic and phylogenetic research, and other biological research areas. The dire need for knowledge transfer and training of young and emerging entomologists in the Afrotropical Region has prompted the Royal Museum for Central Africa and collaborating institutes to organise entomological training courses in the Afrotropical Region. The training courses take place in Africa, in strategic locations, cover a period of ten working days, are taught in English, and are free of cost to participants and lecturers. Here, we first provide a brief history of the evolution of the training courses. Second, we give a short description of the gender, age, educational and professional profile of the applicants and participants of the training courses. Third, we provide as much information as possible on all aspects of the organisation of the training courses. All information is freely available and documents are provided in Word or Excel format to facilitate future use by others. It is to be hoped that this information shall stimulate and facilitate the organisation of other entomological (or similar) training courses in the Afrotropical Region and other biogeographical regions. Such training courses will stimulate South-South networks for entomology research and the simultaneous training of participants with a different educational or professional background might foster collaborations between universities, other scientific institutes in postgraduate training and research. They may also initiate collaboration between scientific institutes and those involved in management, policy making, outreach, or implementation of legal procedures. We believe that this kind of training courses presents a best way forward in the organisation of similar capacity building activities that will contribute to a sustainable network of entomologists. Finally, these training courses may be one of the many possible ways to reduce the gender inequality gap in biological sciences in the Afrotropical Region.
Diversity and functionality of soil prokaryotic communities in antarctic volcanic soils : insights from penguin-influenced environments
(Springer, 2024-09) Segura, Diego; Jordaan, Karen; Diez, Beatriz; Tamayo-Leiva, Javier; Doetterl, Sebastian; Wasner, Daniel; Cifuentes-Anticevic, Jeronimo; Casanova-Katny, Angelica
In the nutrient-limited Antarctic terrestrial habitat, penguins transfer a significant amount of nutrients from the marine to the terrestrial ecosystem through their depositions (i.e., guano). This guano influences soil physicochemical properties, leading to the formation of ornithogenic soil rich in nutrients and organic matter. We hypothesize that soil prokaryotic communities will be strongly influenced by the contribution of nitrogenous nutrients from penguin rookeries, maintaining the influence over long distances. The objective was to establish how the soil prokaryotic diversity and community structure change with distance from a penguin colony, which provides large amounts of guano and nitrogenous compounds, and to study the effects of these nutrients on the functional role of these communities. Methods include volcanic soil sampling along a 1200 m transect from the penguin active rookery and the characterization of soil nutrient content and soil prokaryotic communities using 16S rRNA high-throughput amplicon sequencing. In contrast to our hypothesis, the results showed that the impact of guano from the penguin colony was restricted to the first 300 m. Probably because the penguin rookery was sheltered, strong wind and wind direction did not affect the transport of nutrients from the penguin rookery. Areas close to the penguin rookery were dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, while areas situated further away were dominated by Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospirae, and Planctomycetes. Beta diversity analysis among the soil prokaryotic communities revealed a high degree of community heterogeneity, strongly associated with N compound characteristics (NH4, NO3, and %N), C, and pH. Inferences from N metabolism genes suggest a high potential of the microbial community for dissimilatory nitrate reduction genes (DNRA) to ammonium, assimilatory nitrate reduction (ANR), and denitrification. Although it is assumed that the nitrogenous compounds of the penguin colonies reach long distances and affect the prokaryotic community, this effect can vary with wind directions or the morphology of the site, reducing the impact of the guano over long distances, as our results indicate. On the other hand, functional predictions give some clues about the main actors in nitrogen cycling, through processes like dissimilatory nitrate reduction, assimilatory nitrate reduction, and denitrification.
Occurrence and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from goats on communal rangeland in Gauteng South Africa
(University of Pretoria, 2022-05) Karama, Musafiri; Marufu, Munyaradzi Christopher; u28556021@tuks.co.za; Malahlela, Mogaugedi Nancy
Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli is a foodborne pathogen commonly associated with human disease characterized by mild or bloody diarrhoea hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. This study investigated the occurrence of STEC in fecal samples of 289 goats in South Africa using microbiological culture and PCR. Furthermore, 628 goat STEC isolates were characterized by serotype (O:H) and major virulence factors by PCR. STEC was found in 80.2% (232/289) of goat fecal samples. Serotyping of 628 STEC isolates revealed 63 distinct serotypes including four of the major top seven STEC serogroups which were detected in 12.1% (35/289) of goats: O157:H7, 2.7% (8/289); O157:H8, 0.3%, (1/289); O157:H29, 0.3% (1/289); O103:H8, 7.6% (22/289); O103:H56, 0.3% (1/289); O26:H2, 0.3% (1/289); O111:H8, 0.3% (1/289) and 59 non-O157 STEC serotypes. Twenty-four of the sixtythree serotypes were previously associated with human disease. Virulence genes were distributed as follows: stx1, 60.6% (381/628); stx2, 72.7% (457/628); eaeA, 22.1% (139/628) and hlyA, 78.0% (490/628). Both stx1 and stx2 were found in 33.4% (210/628) of isolates. In conclusion, goats in South Africa are a reservoir and potential source of diverse STEC serotypes that are potentially virulent for humans. Further molecular characterization will be needed to fully assess the virulence potential of goat STEC isolates and their capacity to cause disease in humans.