Intersectionality of HIV stigma and masculinity in eastern Uganda:implications for involving men in HIV programmes

Background Stigma is a determinant of social and health inequalities. In addition, some notions of masculinity can disadvantage men in terms of health outcomes. However, few studies have explored the extent to which these two axes of social inequality intersect to influence men's health outcomes. This paper investigates the intersection of HIV stigma and masculinity, and its perceived impact on men's participation in and utilisation of HIV services in Uganda. Methods Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted in Mbale and Jinja districts of Uganda between June and October 2010. Participants were men and women living with HIV (n = 40), their family members (n = 10) and health providers (n = 15). Inductive analysis was used to identify mechanisms through which stigma and masculinity were linked. Results Our findings showed that HIV stigma and masculinity did not exist as isolated variables, but as intersecting phenomena that influenced men's participation in HIV services. Specifically, HIV stigma threatened masculine notions of respectability, independence and emotional control, while it amplified men's risk-taking. As a result, the intersection of masculinity and HIV stigma prevented some men from i) seeking health care and accepting a 'sick role'; ii) fulfilling their economic family responsibilities; iii) safeguarding their reputation and respectability; iv) disclosing their HIV status; and v) participating in peer support groups. Participation in some peer support activities was considered a female trait and it also exacerbated HIV stigma as it implicitly singled out those with HIV. In contrast, inclusion of income-generating activities in peer support groups encouraged men's involvement as it enabled them to provide for their families, cushioned them from HIV stigma, and in the process, provided them with an opportunity to redeem their reputation and respectability. Conclusion To improve men's involvement in HIV services, the intersection between HIV stigma and masculinity should be considered. In particular, better integration of and linkage between gender transformative interventions that support men to reconstruct their male identities and reject signifiers of masculinity that prevent their access to HIV services, and stigma-reduction interventions that target social and structural drivers of stigma is required within HIV programmes

Whole exome-seq and RNA-seq data reveal unique neoantigen profiles in Kenyan breast cancer patients

Background: The immune response against tumors relies on distinguishing between self and non-self, the basis of cancer immunotherapy. Neoantigens from somatic mutations are central to many immunotherapeutic strategies and understanding their landscape in breast cancer is crucial for targeted interventions. We aimed to profile neoantigens in Kenyan breast cancer patients using genomic DNA and total RNA from paired tumor and adjacent non-cancerous tissue samples of 23 patients. Methods: We sequenced the genome-wide exome (WES) and RNA, from which somatic mutations were identified and their expression quantified, respectively. Neoantigen prediction focused on human leukocyte antigens (HLA) crucial to cancer, HLA type I. HLA alleles were predicted from WES data covering the adjacent non-cancerous tissue samples, identifying four alleles that were present in at least 50% of the patients. Neoantigens were deemed potentially immunogenic if their predicted median IC50 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) binding scores were ≤500nM and were expressed [transcripts per million (TPM) \u3e1] in tumor samples. Results: An average of 1465 neoantigens covering 10260 genes had ≤500nM median IC50 binding score and \u3e1 TPM in the 23 patients and their presence significantly correlated with the somatic mutations (R2 = 0.570, P=0.001). Assessing 58 genes reported in the catalog of somatic mutations in cancer (COSMIC, v99) to be commonly mutated in breast cancer, 44 (76%) produced \u3e2 neoantigens among the 23 patients, with a mean of 10.5 ranging from 2 to 93. For the 44 genes, a total of 477 putative neoantigens were identified, predominantly derived from missense mutations (88%), indels (6%), and frameshift mutations (6%). Notably, 78% of the putative breast cancer neoantigens were patient-specific. HLA-C*06:01 allele was associated with the majority of neoantigens (194), followed by HLA-A*30:01 (131), HLA-A*02:01 (103), and HLA-B*58:01 (49). Among the genes of interest that produced putative neoantigens were MUC17, TTN, MUC16, AKAP9, NEB, RP1L1, CDH23, PCDHB10, BRCA2, TP53, TG, and RB1. Conclusions: The unique neoantigen profiles in our patient group highlight the potential of immunotherapy in personalized breast cancer treatment as well as potential biomarkers for prognosis. The unique mutations producing these neoantigens, compared to other populations, provide an opportunity for validation in a much larger sample cohort

Maziwa Zaidi / More Milk in Tanzania (Phase 2) - Scoping Study and Market Agent (Agripreneur) Baseline Survey and Women in Livestock Business Baseline Survey (WELBI)

Maziwa Zaidi Phase II (2019-2021) is centred around a catalytic core project titled “Agri-entrepreneurship, technology uptake and inclusive dairy development in Tanzania”. The project aims to catalyze uptake of “proven” dairy technology packages that improve the livelihoods of small holder farmers. It will do so by consolidating previous research to date and translating it into an integrated package of pilot interventions. The pilot interventions will generate the evidence needed to attract public and private development investment to take them to scale. This dataset contains (1) an initial scoping survey of agripreneurs in project intervention areas, (2) a baseline survey of selected agri-preneurs (intervention and control) to understand the profiles of the actors in the non-producer dairy value chains node and (3) a baseline survey of women agri-preneurs (intervention and control) using the Women in Livestock Business (WELBI) survey tool

Maziwa Zaidi / More Milk in Tanzania (Phase 2) - Household (Rhomis) Baseline Survey

Maziwa Zaidi Phase II (2019-2021) is centred around a catalytic core project titled “Agri-entrepreneurship, technology uptake and inclusive dairy development in Tanzania”. The project aims to catalyze uptake of “proven” dairy technology packages that improve the livelihoods of small holder farmers. It will do so by consolidating previous research to date and translating it into an integrated package of pilot interventions. The pilot interventions will generate the evidence needed to attract public and private development investment to take them to scale. This is a a baseline survey of households in project sites (both intervention and control), including both cooperative and non-cooperative member