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OBJECTIVE: HIV viral load (VL) monitoring is generally conducted 6-12 monthly in low- and middle-income countries, risking relatively prolonged periods of poor viral control. We explored the effects of different levels of loss of viral control on immune reconstitution and activation. DESIGN: : 208 participants starting Protease Inhibitor (PI)-based second-line therapy in the EARNEST trial (ISRCTN37737787) in Uganda and Zimbabwe were enrolled and CD38+/HLA-DR+ immunophenotyping performed (CD8-FITC/CD38-PE/CD3-PerCP/HLA-DR-APC; centrally gated) in real-time at 0, 12, 48, 96 and 144 weeks from randomisation. METHODS: Viral Load (Viral load (VL) was assayed retrospectively on samples collected every 12-16 weeks and classified as (1) continuous suppression (40, 5000 copies/ml). RESULTS: Immunophenotype reconstitution varied between that defined by numbers of cells and that defined by cell percentages. Furthermore, VL dynamics were associated with substantial differences in expression of CD4+ and CD8+ cell activation markers, with only individuals with high-level rebound/non-response (>5000 copies/ml) experiencing significantly greater activation and impaired reconstitution. There was little difference between participants who suppressed consistently and who exhibited transient blips or even low-level rebound by 144 weeks (p > 0.2 vs suppressed consistently). CONCLUSION: Detectable viral load below the threshold at which WHO guidelines recommend that treatment can be maintained without switching (1000 copies/ml) appear to have at most, small effects on reconstitution and activation, for patients taking a PI-based second-line regimen.

This report presents initial findings from the third survey of the Covid Sex Lives project. Public health measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are translated into media messaging by organisations that target the health of different groups. This research studies the experiences of Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Our focus is on uses of dating and hook up apps, sexual activity and how this has changed during the pandemic as restrictions such as social distancing and lockdowns have been introduced. We are conducting this research with a view to help improve policy and practice around MSM sexual wellbeing and public health messaging, shed light on what to look for where MSM are concerned, and provide learning about COVID public health messaging that will benefit MSM and the general population. The research is a collaboration between the University of Salford, King's College London, Birmingham City University and Newcastle University and is funded by UKRI. You can find out more and view our past reports here: https://hub.salford.ac.uk/health-and-society-research/public-health- messaging-during-the-covid-pandemic-dating-app-usage-and-sexual-wellbeing-among-men- who-have-sex-with-men/

This report presents initial findings from the second survey of Covid Sex Lives project. Public health measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus are translated into media messaging by organisations that target the health of different groups. This research studies the experiences of Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Our focus is on uses of dating and hook up apps, sexual activity and how this has changed during the pandemic as restrictions such as social distancing and lockdowns have been introduced. We are conducting this research with a view to help improve policy and practice around MSM sexual wellbeing and public health messaging, shed light on what to look for where MSM are concerned, and provide learning about COVID public health messaging that will benefit MSM and the general population. The research is a collaboration between the University of Salford, Kings College London, Birmingham City University and Newcastle University and is funded by UKRI. You can find out more and view our past reports here: https://hub.salford.ac.uk/health-and-society-research/public-health-messaging-during-the-covid-pandemic-dating-app-usage-and-sexual-wellbeing-among-men-who-have-sex-with-men/

This report presents initial findings from the first survey of Covid Sex Lives project. Public health\ud measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus are translated into media messaging by\ud organisations that target the health of different groups. This research studies the experiences of\ud Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Our\ud focus is on uses of dating and hook up apps, sexual activity and how and how this has changed\ud during the pandemic as restrictions such as social distancing and lockdowns have been introduced.\ud We are conducting this research with a view to help improve policy and practice around MSM\ud sexual wellbeing and public health messaging, shed light on what to look for where MSM are\ud concerned, and provide learning about COVID public health messaging that will benefit MSM and\ud the general population. The research is a collaboration between the University of Salford, Kings\ud College London, Birmingham City University and Newcastle University and is funded by UKRI. You\ud can find out more here: https://hub.salford.ac.uk/health-and-society-research/public-healthmessaging-\ud during-the-covid-pandemic-dating-app-usage-and-sexual-wellbeing-among-menwho-\ud have-sex-with-men/

Background: Mapping of health-related quality-of-life measures to health utility values can facilitate cost-utility evaluation. Regression-based methods tend to lead to shrinkage of variance. This study aims to map the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey (MOS-HIV) to EuroQoL 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D-3 L) utility index, and to characterize the performance of three mapping methods, including ordinary least squares (OLS), equi-percentile method (EPM), and a recently proposed method called Mean Rank Method (MRM). Methods: This is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized HIV treatment trial. Baseline data from 421 participants were used to develop mapping functions. Follow-up data from 236 participants was used to validate the mapping functions. Results: In the training dataset, MRM and OLS, but not EPM, reproduced the observed mean utility (0.731). MRM, OLS and EPM under-estimated the standard deviation by 0.3, 26.6 and 1.7%, respectively. MRM had the lowest mean absolute error (0.143) and highest intraclass correlation coefficient (0.723) with the observed utility values, whereas OLS had the lowest mean squared error (0.038) and highest R-squared (0.542). Regressing the MRM- and OLS-mapped utility values upon body mass index and log-viral load gave covariate associations comparable to those estimated from the observed utility data (all P > 0.10). EPM did not achieve this property. Findings from the validation data were similar. Conclusions: Functions are available for mapping the MOS-HIV to the EQ-5D-3 L utility values. MRM and OLS were comparable in terms of agreement with the observed utility values at the individual level. MRM had better performance at the group level in terms of describing the utility distribution. Trial registration: NCT00988039. Registered 30 September 2009., The EARNEST trial was funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP, Grant Code: IP.2007.33011.003) with contributions from the Medical Research Council, UK; Institito de Salud Carlos III, Spain (Grant A107/90015); Irish Aid, Ireland; Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Sweden; Instituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS), Italy; The World Health Organisation; and Merck, USA. Substantive in-kind contributions were made by the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, UK [MC_UU_12023/23], CINECA, Bologna, Italy, Janssen Diagnostics, Beerse, Belgium; GSK/ViiV Healthcare Ltd., UK; Abbott Laboratories, USA. Trial medication was donated by AbbVie, Merck, Pfizer, GSK and Gilead. The Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, University of Malawi

Background In sub-Saharan Africa, individuals infected with HIV who are severely immunocompromised have high mortality (about 10%) shortly after starting antiretroviral therapy (ART). This group also has the greatest risk of morbidity and mortality associated with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), a paradoxical response to successful ART. Integrase inhibitors lead to significantly more rapid declines in HIV viral load (VL) than all other ART classes. We hypothesised that intensifying standard triple-drug ART with the integrase inhibitor, raltegravir, would reduce HIV VL faster and hence reduce early mortality, although this strategy could also risk more IRIS events. Methods and findings In a 2×2×2 factorial open-label parallel-group trial, treatment-naive adults, adolescents, and children >5 years old infected with HIV, with cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) 0.7) and despite significantly greater VL suppression with raltegravir-intensified ART at 4 weeks (343/836 [41.0%] versus 113/841 [13.4%] with standard ART, p < 0.001) and 12 weeks (567/789 [71.9%] versus 415/803 [51.7%] with standard ART, p < 0.001). Through 48 weeks, there was no evidence of differences in mortality (aHR = 0.98 [95% CI 0.76–1.28], p = 0.91); in serious (aHR = 0.99 [0.81–1.21], p = 0.88), grade-4 (aHR = 0.88 [0.71–1.09], p = 0.29), or ART-modifying (aHR = 0.90 [0.63–1.27], p = 0.54) adverse events (the latter occurring in 59 [6.5%] participants with raltegravir-intensified ART versus 66 [7.3%] with standard ART); in events judged compatible with IRIS (occurring in 89 [9.9%] participants with raltegravir-intensified ART versus 86 [9.5%] with standard ART, p = 0.79) or in hospitalisations (aHR = 0.94 [95% CI 0.76–1.17], p = 0.59). At 12 weeks, one and two raltegravir-intensified participants had predicted intermediate-level and high-level raltegravir resistance, respectively. At 48 weeks, the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) mutation K219E/Q (p = 0.004) and the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) mutations K101E/P (p = 0.03) and P225H (p = 0.007) were less common in virus from participants with raltegravir-intensified ART, with weak evidence of less intermediate- or high-level resistance to tenofovir (p = 0.06), abacavir (p = 0.08), and rilpivirine (p = 0.07). Limitations of the study include limited clinical, radiological, and/or microbiological information for some participants, reflecting available services at the centres, and lack of baseline genotypes. Conclusions Although 12 weeks of raltegravir intensification was well tolerated and reduced HIV viraemia significantly faster than standard triple-drug ART during the time of greatest risk for early death, this strategy did not reduce mortality or clinical events in this group and is not warranted. There was no excess of IRIS-compatible events, suggesting that integrase inhibitors can be used safely as part of standard triple-drug first-line therapy in severely immunocompromised individuals. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01825031.

Background Limited viral load (VL) testing in HIV-infected individuals on treatment in low-income countries often results in late detection of treatment failure. The impact of remaining on failing second-line, protease inhibitor (PI) containing regimens is unclear. Methods We retrospectively tested VL from 2,164 stored plasma samples from 386 patients randomised to receive PI-monotherapy (ritonavir-boosted lopinavir, after initial PI+raltegravir induction) in the EARNEST trial. Protease genotypic resistance testing was performed in samples with VL>1000 copies/ml. We assessed evolution of drug resistance mutations from virological failure (confirmed VL>1000 copies/ml) until discontinuation of PI-monotherapy and examined associations using Poisson and linear mixed-effects models. Results 118 patients had a median 68(IQR 48-88) weeks on PI-monotherapy post-failure. At failure, 21/107(20%) had intermediate/high resistance to lopinavir. 40-48 weeks post-failure, 49/72(68%) and 36/71(51%) had intermediate/high-level resistance to lopinavir and atazanavir. Most remained susceptible to darunavir (12/72[17%] intermediate, no high resistance). Common PI mutations were M46I, I54V, and V82A. On average, 1.7(95% CI 1.5,2.0) PI mutations developed per year; this increased after the first mutation developed, but decreased with subsequent mutations (p≺0.0001). Modest VL changes were mainly driven by non-adherence (p=0.006) and PI-mutation development. I47A was associated with a larger increase in log10 VL(+0.53[+0.18,+0.87], p=0.003) than other PI mutations (+0.15[+0.07,+0.23] p≺0.001; heterogeneity p=0.05). Conclusion Most develop intermediate/high-level lopinavir resistance within one year when lopinavir/ritonavir is exposed to sustained VL replication without protection from other drugs. Even in this extreme situation, annual VL testing (current WHO recommendation) would identify failure when most would still benefit from switching to darunavir.

REALITY was funded by the Joint Global Health Trials Scheme (JGHTS) of the UK Department for International Development, the Wellcome Trust, and Medical Research Council (MRC) (grant number G1100693). Additional funding support was provided by the PENTA Foundation and core support to the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London (grant numbers MC_UU_12023/23 and MC_UU_12023/26). Cipla Ltd, Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare/GlaxoSmithKline, and Merck Sharp & Dohme donated drugs for REALITY, and ready-to-use supplementary food was purchased from Valid International. A. J. P. is funded by the Wellcome Trust (grant number 108065/Z/15/Z). J. A. B. is funded by the JGHTS (grant number MR/M007367/1). The Malawi-Liverpool–Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, University of Malawi College of Medicine (grant number 101113/Z/13/Z) and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)/Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi (grant number 203077/Z/16/Z) are supported by strategic awards from the Wellcome Trust, United Kingdom. Permission to publish was granted by the Director of KEMRI. This supplement was supported by funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Background. Severely immunocompromised human immunodefciency virus (HIV)-infected individuals have high mortality shortly afer starting antiretroviral therapy (ART). We investigated predictors of early mortality and "late presenter" phenotypes. Methods. Te Reduction of EArly MortaLITY (REALITY) trial enrolled ART-naive adults and children =5 years of age with CD4 counts .1). Results. Among 1711 included participants, 203 (12%) died. Mortality was independently higher with older age; lower CD4 count, albumin, hemoglobin, and grip strength; presence of World Health Organization stage 3/4 weight loss, fever, or vomiting; and problems with mobility or self-care at baseline (all P

Background: The occurrence of stroke is sudden and devastating. Patients and caregivers are ill prepared to deal with the resultant disability. There are no data about the challenges they face and their needs in Zimbabwe.Objective: To explore the challenges faced and needs of stroke survivors and their caregivers at three major referral hospitals in Harare, Zimbabwe. This was done with the view of developing a curriculum to train caregivers of survivors of stroke.Design: A cross-sectional survey.Setting: Chitungwiza, Harare and Parirenyatwa Central Hospitals.Participants: People who had survived a stroke and their caregiversMaterials and Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted using researcher-administered questionnaires with 56 caregivers and 53 patients. In-depth interviews were also carried out with a different group of 12 selected caregivers. Ethical clearance was obtained from relevant Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). Data were descriptively analysed for frequencies and percentages. Thematic issues from interviews were grouped and analysed.Results: The majority of caregivers who responded to the questionnaires were female (57%), married (54%) and in the age group 18-45 years (64%). Caregivers were mainly related to patients as children (41%) or spouses (27%). Main challenges were encountered during activities of daily living like bathing, toileting and mobilisation. Information needs regarding warning signs of stroke (77%), risk factors of stroke (68%) and how to help patients who had physical limitations meet their physical needs were highlighted. Caregivers wanted to be educated about the stroke and how to care for the patients before they were discharged home. Patients were mainly female (59%) aged above 65 years (55%) They also wanted to know about the condition (87%) and warning signs of stroke (81%). Their main challenge was in doing activities of daily living.Conclusion: This study provides insight into the challenges and needs of people affected by stroke in local communities in Zimbabwe. The caregivers also highlighted the need to improve caregiving skills through training.

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, severely immunocompromised HIV-infected individuals have high mortality (10%) from infections shortly after starting antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: The REALITY factorial open-label trial (ISRCTN43622374) randomized Ugandan/Zimbabwean/Malawian/Kenyan ART-naïve HIV-infected adults and children ≥5 years with CD4 Results: 1733(96.0%) adults and 72(4.0%) children/adolescents (median 36 years; 961(53.2%) male) were randomized to enhanced-prophylaxis (n=906) or standard-prophylaxis (n=899) and followed for 48 weeks (56(3.1%) lost-to-follow-up). Median baseline CD4 count was 37 cells/mm3 (IQR 16-63) but 854(47.3%) were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic (stage 1/2 using the WHO clinical disease staging). 80(8.9%) individuals on enhanced-prophylaxis versus 108(12.2%) on standard-prophylaxis died before 24 weeks (hazard ratio[HR]=0.73 (95% CI 0.55-0.98) p=0.03), and 98(11.0%) versus 127(14.4%) respectively died before 48 weeks (HR=0.76 (0.58-0.99) p=0.04, number-needed-to-treat=29), with no evidence of interaction with other randomizations (p>0.7). Enhanced-prophylaxis significantly reduced cases of tuberculosis (p=0.02), cryptococcal disease (p=0.01), oral/oesophageal candidiasis (p=0.02), deaths of unknown cause (p=0.03), and new hospitalisations (p=0.03) but not presumed severe bacterial infections (p=0.32). Serious (p=0.08) and grade-4 (p=0.09) adverse events were marginally less common with enhanced-prophylaxis. Viral suppression (p=0.80) and ART adherence (p=0.31) were similar between groups. Conclusions: Enhanced infection prophylaxis at ART initiation reduced mortality among HIV-infected individuals with advanced immunosuppression, without compromising viral suppression or increasing toxicity.

Background Cross-resistance after first-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) failure is expected to impair activity of nucleoside-reverse-transcriptase-inhibitors (NRTIs) in second-line therapy, but evidence for effect on virological outcomes is limited. Methods We performed an observational analysis of a randomised-controlled trial of second-line ART (EARNEST) in sub-Saharan Africa. 1277 HIV-infected adults/adolescents failing first-line ART (WHO criteria, virological confirmation) were randomised to a boosted protease-inhibitor (PI; standardised to lopinavir/ritonavir) with either 2/3 NRTIs (clinician-selected, without resistance testing; PI/NRTI); raltegravir (PI/RAL); or as monotherapy (PI-mono; discontinued after week 96). Predicted activity of prescribed second-line NRTIs was determined by genotypic resistance testing on stored baseline samples in PI/NRTI. Viral load was measured on stored samples in all patients obtained every 12-16 weeks. Findings Baseline genotypes were available in 391 (92%) in PI/NRTI. For the 230 (59%) taking no predicted-active NRTIs, there was a high rate of VL suppression (89%(176/198) Interpretation Genotypic resistance testing may not accurately predict NRTI activity in PI-based second-line ART. Our results do not support the introduction of routine resistance testing in ART programmes in low-income settings for the purpose of selecting second-line NRTIs.

We investigate (2,1):1 structures, which consist of a countable set $A$ together with a function $f: A \to A$ such that for every element $x$ in $A$, $f$ maps either exactly one element or exactly two elements of $A$ to $x$. These structures extend the notions of injection structures, 2:1 structures, and (2,0):1 structures studied by Cenzer, Harizanov, and Remmel, all of which can be thought of as infinite directed graphs. We look at various computability-theoretic properties of (2,1):1 structures, most notably that of computable categoricity. We say that a structure $\mathcal{A}$ is computably categorical if there exists a computable isomorphism between any two computable copies of $\mathcal{A}$. We give a sufficient condition under which a (2,1):1 structure is computably categorical, and present some examples of (2,1):1 structures with different computability-theoretic properties., 15 pages, 6 figures, submitted for publication to the Journal of Knot Theory and its Ramifications

Life-long ART for pregnant and breastfeeding women (Option B+) was rolled-out in Zimbabwe from 2014 with simultaneous raising of the CD4 treatment-threshold in non-pregnant/breastfeeding adults and children >5 years to 500 cells/mm. \ud \ud Lablite is an implementation project in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Uganda evaluating ART rollout. Routine patient-level data were collected for 6 months prior to and 12 months after Option B+ rollout at a district hospital and three primary care facilities in Zimbabwe (two with outreach ART; one with no ART provision prior to Option B+). \ud \ud Between September 2013-February 2015 there were 1,686 ART initiations in the four facilities; 91% adults and 9% children aged 350 after the CD4-threshold increase. Estimated 12-month retention on ART was 79% (69%-87%) in Option B+ women (significantly lower in younger women, p=0.01), versus 93% (91%-95%) in other adults (difference p

In a randomized comparison of nevirapine or abacavir with zidovudine plus lamivudine, routine viral load monitoring was not performed, yet 27% of individuals with viral failure at week 48 experienced resuppression by week 96 without switching. This supports World Health Organization recommendations that suspected viral failure should trigger adherence counseling and repeat measurement before a treatment switch is considered.

Objective To describe the prevalence, incidence and predictors of severe anaemia in previously untreated symptomatic HIV-infected adults with CD4+ T-cells 3 initiating zidovudine-containing regimens in Africa. Design DART is a randomized trial comparing two strategies for HIV/AIDS management in Uganda and Zimbabwe. Methods We analysed the occurrence of anaemia at weeks 4 and 12, and then every 12 weeks. We also evaluated sex, age, WHO stage, body mass index (BMI), baseline laboratory measurements and first regimen as predictors of developing grade 4 anaemia (Results To May 2005, 3,314 participants (65% women, 23% at WHO stage 4, median age=37 years, baseline CD4+ T-cell=86 cells/mm3 and median baseline haemo-globin=11.4 g/dl) had a median 72 weeks follow-up. Prevalence of grade 4 anaemia was 0.7%, 2.0%, 0.5% and + T-cell count and BMI at baseline were at significantly higher risk ( PConclusions We observed a higher incidence of grade 4 anaemia than in studies from industrialized countries, which is likely to be due in part to population characteristics and in part to a higher rate of concurrent HIV-related clinical events. Clinical vigilance and haemoglobin measurements 4, 8 and 12 weeks after starting zidovudine could help to manage serious anaemia.

OBJECTIVES: To describe associations between different summaries of adherence in the first year on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the subsequent risk of mortality, to identify patients at high risk because of early adherence behaviour. METHODS: We previously described an approach where adherence behaviour at successive clinic visits during the first year on ART was seen as a Markov chain (MC), and the individually estimated transition probabilities between 'good', 'poor' and 'non-response' adherence states were used to classify HIV-infected adults in the DART trial into subgroups with similar behaviour. The impact of this classification and classifications based on traditional 'averaged' measures [mean drug possession ratio (DPR) and self-reported adherence] were compared in terms of their impact on longer-term mortality over the 2-5 years on ART using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Of 2960 participants in follow-up after 1 year on ART, 29% had never missed pills in the last month and 11% had 100% DPR throughout the first year. The poorest adherers by self-reported measures were more likely to have only none/primary education (P < 0.01). Being in the poorest adherence subgroup by MC and DPR was independently associated with increased mortality [HR = 1.57 (95% CI 1.02, 2.42); 1.82 (1.32, 2.51) respectively]. CONCLUSIONS: Classification based on dynamic adherence behaviour is associated with mortality independently of DPR. The classifications could be useful in understanding adherence, targeting focused interventions and improving longer-term adherence to therapy.

BACKGROUND: Decentralization of ART services scaled up significantly with the country wide roll out of option B plus in Uganda. Little work has been undertaken to examine population level access to HIV care particularly in hard to reach areas in rural Africa. Most work on ART scale up has been done at health facility level which omits people not accessing healthcare in the community. This study describes health service usage, particularly HIV testing and care in 2/6 parishes of Lapono sub-county of northern Uganda, prior to introduction of ART services in Lira Kato Health Centre (a local lower-level health centre III), as part of ART decentralization. METHODS: Household and individual questionnaires were administered to household members (aged 15-59 years). Logit random effects models were used to test for differences in proportions (allowing for clustering within villages). RESULTS: 2124 adults from 1351 households were interviewed (755 [36%] males, 1369 [64 %] females). 2051 (97%) participants reported seeking care locally for fever, most on foot and over half at Lira Kato Health Centre. 574 (76%) men and 1156 (84%) women reported ever-testing for HIV (P < 0.001 for difference); 34/574 (6%) men and 102/1156 (9%) women reported testing positive (P = 0.04). 818/850 (96%) women who had given birth in the last 5 years had attended antenatal care in their last pregnancy: 7 women were already diagnosed with HIV (3 on ART) and 790 (97%) reported being tested for HIV (34 tested newly positive). 124/136 (91%) HIV-positive adults were in HIV-care, 123/136 (90 %) were taking cotrimoxazole and 74/136 (54%) were on ART. Of adults in HIV-care, most were seen at Kalongo hospital (n = 87), Patongo Health Centre (n = 7) or Lira Kato Health Centre (n = 23; no ART services). 58/87, 5/7 and 20/23 individuals walked to Kalongo hospital (56 km round-trip, District Health Office information), Patongo Health Centre (76 km round-trip, District Health Office information) and Lira Kato Health Centre (local) respectively. 8 HIV-infected children were reported; only 2 were diagnosed aged