Nelson Mandela University

• We designed a multi-epitope-based vaccine candidate against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) through an in-silico approach . • Immune simulation and docking with toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) confirmed strong binding affinity and robust immunological properties. • Simulations predicted elevated levels of CD4 and CD8, T- lymphocytes, B- lymphocytes, plasma cells, and natural killer cells in secondary and tertiary immune responses. • While the construct showed high antigenicity and lacked allergenic or toxic properties, this study demonstrated the potentials of reverse vaccinology and in-silico methods for designing effective multi-epitope vaccines. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains a global health challenge, necessitating innovative strategies to enhance control and prevention. The emergence of drug-resistant MTB strains underscores the need for advanced tuberculosis (TB) vaccines beyond the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). This study used computational approaches to design a multi-epitope MTB vaccine. Conserved antigenic proteins (PE_PGRS, ESAT-6, and CFP-10) were identified via MTB genome analyses from the NCBI database. Cytotoxic T cell (CTL), helper T cell (HTL), and B cell epitopes were predicted using the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) and assembled with adjuvants and linkers to optimize stability and immunogenicity. The vaccine construct underwent rigorous assessments of epitope mapping, allergenicity, antigenicity, and tertiary structural modeling. Immune simulation and docking with toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) confirmed strong binding affinity and robust immunological properties. The final construct, consisting of 512 amino acids and a molecular weight of 48,937.61 Da, demonstrated favorable structural and immunological attributes, including 91% of residues in acceptable regions (Ramachandran analysis). Simulations predicted elevated levels of CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, plasma cells, and natural killer cells in secondary and tertiary immune responses. Additionally, the vaccine was successfully cloned into an Escherichia coli (strain K12) pET-28a (+) plasmid for expression analysis. This study highlights the promise of reverse vaccinology and in-silico methods for designing effective multi-epitope vaccines. While the construct showed high antigenicity and lacked allergenic or toxic properties, further in vivo evaluations are crucial for confirming human efficacy.

The 21st century has immensely shaped the face and art of governance with the rise of globalisation, technological innovations and rising public expectations. With this in mind, research methods, designs, and approaches have emerged as foundational pillars for advancing modern public Administration for practice and scientific research. Modern Public Administration faces countless challenges and problems ranging from policy misalignments, service delivery failures, lack of citizen participation and engagement, and many other issues requiring systematic and analytical approaches. Thus, these research methods, designs, and approaches serve as a backbone for understanding and resolving societal problems in a manner that allows public administrators to make evidence-based decisions. This study employed a qualitative approach relying on secondary data and thematic content analysis of relevant scholarly literature and documents. This analysis revealed that well-applied research methods and designs enable public administrators to trace and resolve public policy and other public administration problems. The study found that research methods extend beyond academic research and that these methods are practical solutions for the existing governance challenges. The study concluded that Afrocentric approaches and methods are central to resolving African governance problems and Public Administration shortfalls.

Political events in major economies generate uncertainty that can propagate through global financial markets, influencing investor behaviour and asset prices. The 2024–2025 U.S. presidential election cycle, including presidential debates, assassination attempts, the election outcome, the inauguration, and major policy announcements, such as liberation day tariffs, provides a unique setting to examine these effects. This study investigates how international stock markets responded to these sequential political events, focusing on abnormal returns (ARs) and cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) across G20 countries. Using both mean-adjusted and market models, complemented by cross-sectional regressions, the analysis captures heterogeneous market reactions while accounting for the role of market fundamentals. The results indicate that markets often anticipate events, react strongly to new information, and gradually adjust as uncertainty dissipates. Emerging markets generally exhibited positive reactions, whereas developed markets responded more cautiously or negatively to political shocks. Cross-sectional regression analysis further shows that market fundamentals have a limited influence on ARs but significantly shape CARs, consistent with overreaction and uncertain information hypotheses. Overall, these findings provide evidence on how global financial markets process political uncertainty and underscore the importance of sequential political events for investors, portfolio managers, and policymakers.

OBJECTIVE: To (1) examine Malawian physical therapists' knowledge and beliefs about osteoarthritis (OA), and their perceived capabilities to deliver an OA management program to people with knee and hip OA, and (2) identify barriers and facilitators for an OA management program in Malawi. DESIGN: Two-phased mixed-methods formative evaluation. METHODS: In phase 1, Malawian physical therapists participated in the Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark (GLA:D) Australia training course and answered quantitative precourse and postcourse questions that were descriptively summarized, and analysed using McNemar's test, where appropriate. In phase 2, semistructured focus groups generated qualitative data that were thematically analyzed and mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Mixed-methods data were integrated through triangulation. RESULTS: Eleven Malawian physical therapists (9 [82%] female, 10 [91%] with 5-10 years of clinical experience) participated. From pretraining to posttraining course, participants' knowledge of OA management (percentage change) increased regarding the benefits of therapeutic exercise (91%), importance of weight management (82%), and acceptable symptoms profile (73%). Participants' confidence and beliefs in managing knee and hip OA also increased. Implementation barriers included program costs, current medical management of OA with painkillers, and infrastructure challenges. Implementation facilitators included the content and organization of GLA:D, adaptability of the program, and OA awareness and education among other health professionals. CONCLUSION: Knowledge, confidence, and beliefs in managing knee and hip OA improved post-GLA:D training in Malawian physical therapists. Increasing education of physical therapists, other health professionals, and the public about evidence-based OA management and making contextual adaptions to the GLA:D training and program structure may facilitate implementation of OA management program, such as GLA:D, in low- and-middle-income countries. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2026;56(3):193-208. Epub 4 February 2026. doi:10.2519/jospt.2026.13317.

Malaria in Latin America is largely caused by Plasmodium vivax, but the closely related monkey parasite Plasmodium simium has recently been observed in humans, thus raising new public health concerns. By screening 719 monkey samples from five Latin America countries, we identified 23 Plasmodium-positives. However, only four samples yielded sufficient mitochondrial DNA sequencing data to allow reliable species identification, and their inclusion in genome-wide population analyses. Using whole-genome variation data from these samples together with whole genome variations of 19 P. simium and 405 P. vivax isolates, we investigated their evolutionary history and population genetics. P. vivax, typically restricted to humans, was identified in three Colombian and one Brazilian monkeys, suggesting possible host niche expansion. Genetic analyses reveal recent genetic exchanges between both species and indicate that P. simium originated from a host jump approximately one to two centuries ago. Also other alternatives are possible, this host shift may have followed P. vivax migration from Central/North America to Brazil. Genome-wide scans revealed signals of positive selection in P. simium genes implicated in interactions with primate hosts, including PvRBP2a and PvRBP1b, as well as genes involved in interactions with mosquito vectors, such as PvCMRP1, PvPAT, and Pvs47. These findings shed light on P. simium evolutionary history. They also underscore the zoonotic risks, and the need to include monkeys in malaria prevention measures while ensuring human-wildlife coexistence.