This work is aimed at promoting a healthier means of livelihood by investigating insignificant areas of pollution. In this work, soy candles produced from soybeans were proven as healthier alternatives to paraffin candles. Soxhlet extraction method was used with hexane as solvent. The extracted oil were then solidified. The wax was moulded into candle and tests were carried out to prove its claims as a safer alternative to paraffin wax. The results supported this claims that soy candles is more economical and produced lesser soot than the paraffin candles.

Bioactive compound profiles in organic and conventional sweet basil were analyzed by HPLC, and the enzymatic status and antioxidant status of plants cultivated with the two systems were also examined. Unique chemical compound locations in the basil leaves were also estimated by fluorescence microscopy. The experiment was conducted from 2019-2021. Organic and conventional basil samples were obtained directly from the largest Polish herb producers. The results showed that the chemical structures of organic and conventional basil leaves are different. Not only cultivation method but also experimental year had a significant impact on the antioxidants content in basil leaves. Organic basil contained significantly more dry matter (11.97 g 100 g-1 FW) compare to conventional one (10.54 g 100g-1 FW) and showed a higher tendency for total phenolic (5.24 mg g -1 DW) concentrations than conventional basil (4.99 mg g-1 DW). The higher bioactive compound content reflects the antioxidant activity ( 61.0%, 54.33% and 46%) in organic basil compare to conventional 46.87%, 38.055 and 39.24%), respectively to analysis method (ABTS, DPPH and FRAP), as well catalase activity (39 µmol H2O2 min-1 mg-1) in organic compare to conventional (23.19 µmol H2O2 min-1 mg-1) of examined basil plants. The obtained results are a very unique and could be used by herbs producers as a key for q high quality basil production.

There has been a recent revival of interest in the notion of a `trajectory' of a quantum particle. In this paper we detail the relationship between Dirac's ideas, Feynman paths and the Bohm approach. The key to the relationship is the weak value of the momentum which Feynman calls a transition probability amplitude. With this identification we are able to conclude that a Bohm `trajectory' is the average of an ensemble of actual individual stochastic Feynman paths. This implies that they can be interpreted as the mean momentum flow of a set of individual quantum processes and not the path of an individual particle. This enables us to give a clearer account of the experimental two-slit results of Kocsis {\em et al.}}

Cream cheese presents a favorable environment for the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. The antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of plant extracts are well known, but their use is limited because they affect the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of products. Encapsulation presents an option to limit or prevent these changes. The paper presents the composition of individual polyphenols (HPLC–DAD-ESI-MS) from basil extracts (BE) with significant antioxidant activity (644.75±21.37 mM Trolox/g DW) and inhibitory effect against strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Geobacillus stearothermophilus, Bacillus cereus, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella Abony. The basil extract was encapsulated in sodium alginate (Alg) using the drop technique. The encapsulation efficiency of microencapsulated basil extract (MBE) was 78.59±0.01%. SEM and FTIR analyzes demonstrated the existence of weak physical interactions between the components. In the optimal concentration range of 0.6-0.9% MBE determined the inhibition of the post-fermentation process and the improvement of the degree of water retention. This led to the improvement of the textural parameters of the cream cheese, contributing to the extension of the shelf life of the product by 7 days. The influence of storage period and MBE concentration on texture parameters, pH and sensory analysis (overall acceptability) were evaluated by mutual information analysis.

There is considerable interest in the use of doxycycline post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to reduce the incidence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs). An important concern is that this could select for tetracycline resistance in these STIs and other species. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar, (1948–2023) for randomized controlled trials comparing tetracycline PEP with non-tetracycline controls. The primary outcome was antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to tetracyclines in all bacterial species with available data. Our search yielded 140 studies, of which three met the inclusion criteria. Tetracycline PEP had no effect on the prevalence of tetracycline resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae in any of the three trials or the pooled estimates. PEP did, however, have a marked effect on the tetracycline MIC distribution in the one study where this was assessed. Prophylactic efficacy was 100% at low MICs and 0% at high MICs. In the one study where this was assessed, PEP resulted in a significant increase in tetracycline resistance in commensal Neisseria species compared to the control group but no significant effect on the prevalence of tetracycline resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. The available evidence suggests that PEP with tetracyclines could be associated with selecting tetracycline resistance in N. gonorrhoeae and commensal Neisseria species.

Basil, renowned for its aromatic properties, exhibits commendable drought tolerance and holds significant value both as an edible and medicinal plant. Recognizing the scarcity of studies addressing basil’s response to drought stress, we undertook a comprehensive analysis of the volatile metabolome and transcriptome of sweet basil across four distinct levels of drought stress. Our metabolic analysis meticulously identified 830 metabolites, with 215 differentially accumulated metabolites discerned. Notably, the primary constituents of sweet basil volatiles exhibited minimal alterations, while the differentially accumulated metabolites were predominantly lipids and terpenes. The transcriptome analysis unveiled 27,181 differentially expressed DEGs, with a predominant focus on metabolic pathways and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Integrating insights from both transcriptome and volatile metabolomic analyses highlighted the pivotal roles of Alpha-linolenic acid, flavonoid, and lignin metabolism in fortifying the resistance of sweet basil against drought stress. This holistic approach not only enriches our understanding of the molecular intricacies underpinning basil’s drought resistance but also furnishes valuable insights for the molecular breeding of basil varieties endowed with enhanced drought tolerance.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is one of the important medicinal and aromatic plants. Light intensity is an indispensable factor for plants due to its effect on photosynthesis and physiological processes. Here, we investigated the impact of light intensities and harvesting times on the photosynthesis of green and purple basil. The experiment involved subjecting the plants to three different sunlight levels for 12 days: complete – 100%, 50%, and 30% sunlight. In addition, we scrutinize the harvesting time. The highest levels of photosynthetic and protective pigments were detected under full sunlight conditions in the purple basil harvested at noon. The highest levels of soluble and storage carbohydrates were recorded in the purple basil grown under full sunlight and harvested in the early morning. In contrast, their lowest levels were obtained in plants grown under 30% sunlight and harvested at noon time. Under all light treatments, the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (FV/FM) was detected at 4 a.m. in both basil varieties; it decreased at noon and increased again at 5 p.m. Non-Photochemical Quenching (NPQ) got most elevated in the green variety under all light intensities at noon. However the highest NPQ was detected in the purple variety at 8 a.m. The NPQ was lowest in both basil varieties during the early morning and afternoon. Full sunlight at noon caused temporary photoinhibition and reduced car-bohydrates while enhancing pigment concentration and photo-protective mechanisms in basil plants.

Not a lot is known about either death or the dying process. Politicians and many in the medical profession in the UK tend to shy away from interfering with it by not allowing euthanasia as an end of life option for the patient. This is the first paper in a series of two, comparing the situation in human medicine and veterinary medicine, in which euthanasia is well practiced for relieving suffering at the end of an animal’s life. This first part takes the form of a literature review including best practice around end of life care, its deficiencies and the need for assisted dying. Veterinary surgeons are well trained in the ethics of euthanasia and put it to good use in the best interest of their animal patients. In countries which have legalized physician assisted suicide for the terminally ill reporting indicates that it works well, without increases in involuntary euthanasia and most importantly without intimidation of the vulnerable. However, there is still an ever increasing tendency to overuse sedation and opioids at the end of life, which merits further investigation. With advances in medical science able to significantly prolong the dying process, patient autonomy demands a review of the law in the UK.

This is the second of a series of two papers comparing the end of life issues in human and veterinary medicine. We outline the main differences between human and animal patients such as patient communication, finance and ‘conflicts of interest’ between animal, owner and veterinarian. We discuss striking similarities between human and veterinary issues such as assessing quality of life and the primary role of the attending veterinarian or doctor being the welfare and care of the patient. This paper takes the form of an ethical argument in favour of allowing euthanasia in human medicine, by providing insights into end of life issues for humans from an independent veterinary perspective. Veterinary surgeons are well trained in the ethics of euthanasia and put it to good use in the best interest of their animal patients. Doctors in the UK are limited and unwilling to put forward a case for the option of euthanasia for those patients who face a slow and agonizing death. With advances in medical science being able to significantly prolong the dying process, autonomy for the patient demands a review of the law regarding patient choice in the UK.

The adoption of a fully battery-based Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Kuwait apparently seems to be less than one percent and hence Kuwait has the lowest indexed-rank among countries around the globe. The absence of fast-charging stations for fully-battery-based EVs and landlords' reluctance to install home fast-charging plugs are the primary reasons for extremely low adoption rates in this country. Because the government of Kuwait is reluctant to give permission for expatriates to own property in Kuwait, fully battery-based EV ownership is restricted to Kuwaiti nationals who reside in their private properties. To accomplish the present objectives, a quantitative de-scriptive method (closed-ended questions) was used to collect data from a sample of 227 Kuwaiti nationals who owned gasoline cars. The finding of the present study indicates that more than half of the participants stated that they preferred to purchase an EVs within the next three years if certain criteria were met, inclusive of government-controlled pricing policies and charging stations availability, fast-driving lanes, and free of charge parking spaces. Furthermore, more than 40 percent of respondents stated that they would contemplate purchasing an electric vehicle if the price of gasoline or diesel increased by 19 to 50 percent. The finding also indicates that more than forty percent of respondents said that believed that EVs are fire- and crash-safe and roughly half of the participants would pay between 6 and 20% more for an EVs because they be-lieve that EVs are environmentally friendly and significantly faster than gasoline vehicles. In addition, participants rewarded EVs with an excellent mark for their environmental, economic, and technological attributes and benefits.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) manifests itself primarily in the lungs as pulmonary disease (PTB) and sometimes disseminates to other organs to cause extra-pulmonary TB, such as lymph node TB (LNTB). This study aimed to investigate the role of host genetic polymorphism in immunity related genes to find a genetic basis for such differences. Methods: Sixty-three, Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in twenty-three, TB-immunity related genes including eleven innate immunity (SLCA11, VDR, TLR2, TLR4, TLR8, IRGM, P2RX7, LTA4H, SP110, DCSIGN and NOS2A) and twelve cytokine (TNFA, IFNG, IL2, Il12, IL18, IL1B, IL10, IL6, IL4, IL1RA, IL8 and TNFB) genes were investigated to find genetic associations in both PTB and LNTB as compared to healthy community controls. The serum cytokine levels were correlated for association with the genotypes. Results: PTB and LNTB showed differential genetic associations. The genetic variants in the cytokine genes (IFNG, IL12, IL4, TNFB and IL1RA and TLR2,4 associated with PTB susceptibility and cytokine levels but not LNTB (p < 0.05). Similarly, genetic variants in LTA4H, P2RX7, DCSIGN and SP110 showed susceptibility to LNTB and not PTB. Pathway analysis showed abundance of cytokine related variants for PTB and apoptosis related variants for LNTB. Conclusions: PTB and LNTB outcomes of TB infection have a genetic component and should be considered for any future susceptibility and functional studies.

: The objective of this work is to elucidate the role of partnerships and the number of partners necessary for lead user innovation outcomes. Lead user theory identifies these users as being ahead of market trends and experiencing significant benefits from innovating. So far, most lead user research has concentrated on firms and not individual lead users’ perspective. Data were obtained using a quantitative design during which 321 respondents participated. The SPSS software was used to analyze the data and determine significance. These findings indicate a connection between number of partners and lead user innovation success. This demonstrates that number of partners is significant in determining the success or failure of an innovation. This study provides empirical evidence that the number of partners is an essential factor that influences the success of innovation, and establishes the absolute numbers for achievement of successful innovation. Future studies must investigate the possible implications of integrating the partner variables with other characteristics of the lead user.

Aim: The overall aim of the study was to assess the reasons and experiences of participants involved in Antibody Mediated Prevention (AMP) HIV prevention clinical trial at University of North Carolina (UNC) Project, Lilongwe, Malawi. We determined the participants’ reasons for participating in HIV Prevention clinical trials; and the experiences of participants in HIV Prevention clinical trials. Methods: We adopted the qualitative cross-sectional study method. Data were collected using in-depth interviews (IDIs). Purposive sampling was used to select 12 study participants who consented to take part in the study. All participants were the ones taking part in the AMP HIV prevention study at the UNC Project. Data analysis was done concurrently with data collection using content analysis. Results: Individuals were motivated to participate in HIV research due to a range of perceived benefits. These included personal, health, and financial benefits. Participants' research experiences and their continued participation in HIV research were influenced by the research clinic context and the nature of their interactions with research staff. Conclusion: When the clinical trial study participants’ expectations are met through what they experience in the study, the chances of them adhering to the study visits and procedures are high. Even for those who did not have any expectations prior to the study, feeling welcomed and being able to open up to the study staff encouraged their continued participation. In the end, this outweighed the negative comments made by the people in their communities or their friends

The speech-to-song illusion is a type of auditory illusion that the repetition of a part of a sentence would change people’s perception tendency from speech-like to song-like. The study aims to examine how pace, emotion, and language tonality affect people’s experience of the speech-to-song illusion. It uses a between-subject (Pace: fast, normal, vs. slow) and within-subject (Emotion: positive, negative, vs. neutral; language tonality: tonal language vs. non-tonal language) design. Sixty Hong Kong college students were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions characterized by pace. They listened to 12 audio stimuli, each with repetitions of a short excerpt, and rated their subjective perception of the presented phrase, whether it sounded like a speech or a song, on a five-point Likert-scale. Paired-sample t-tests and repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyze the data. The findings reveal that a faster speech pace could strengthen the tendency of the speech-to-song illusion. Neither emotion nor language tonality show a statistically significant influence on the speech-to-song illusion. This study suggests that the perception of sound should be in a continuum and facilitates the understanding of song production in which speech can turn into music by having repetitive phrases and to be played in a relatively fast pace.

Understanding the stability limit of crystalline materials under variable tensile stress conditions is of capital interest for their technological applications. In this study, we present results from first-principles density functional theory calculations that quantitatively account for the response of selected covalent and layered materials to general stress conditions. In particular, we have evaluated the ideal strength along the main crystallographic directions of 3C and 2H polytypes of SiC, hexagonal ABA stacking of graphite and 2H-MoS2. Transverse superimposed stress on the tensile stress was taken into account in order to evaluate how the critical strength is affected by these multi-load conditions. In general, increasing transverse stress from negative to positive values leads to the expected decreasing of the critical strength. Few exceptions found in the compressive stress region correlate with the trends in the density of bonds along the directions with the unexpected behavior. In addition, we propose a modified spinodal equation of state able to accurately describe the calculated stress-strain curves. This analytical function is of general use and can also be applied to experimental data anticipating critical strengths and strains values and providing informattion on the energy stored in tensile stress processes.

In this work, we adapt the fine-tuning algorithm of the Naïve Bayesian (FTNB) classifier to make it more suitable for imbalanced datasets. In particular, we boost misclassified instance probability terms by an amount that is disproportional to the harmonic mean of actual and predicted classes. The intuition is that discriminative attributes when the instance is misclassified would have small probability term pair values in both the actual class due to data scarcity and the predicted class due to weak correlation. Conversely, if both values are relatively high, then the attribute has good data coverage (support) and it should not be a cause for misclassification. Since the harmonic average is dominated by the smaller value and we have an imbalanced dataset, we should enact a large update if both or either term probabilities of actual and predicted classes are small. We used several benchmark datasets (60 different balanced and imbalanced datasets) to determine if the poor performance of the NB classifier is due to the scarcity of data and compared the performance of the proposed algorithm with NB, original FTNB, and other relatively new SOTA Ensemble Imbalanced Classifiers. Our empirical results reveal that the new proposed algorithm significantly outperforms all other classifiers.

We give a topological condition for a generic sliced space to be globally hyperbolic, without any hypothesis on the lapse function, shift function and spatial metric.

Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics can be used to assess user perception and satisfaction in data services applications delivered over the Internet. End-to-end metrics are formed because QoE is dependent on both the users’ perception and the service used. Traditionally, network optimization has focused on improving network properties such as the QoS. In this paper we examine the Adaptive streaming over a software defined network environment. We aimed to evaluate and study the media streams, aspects affecting the stream, and network. This was done to eventually reach a stage of analysing the network’s features and their direct relationship with the perceived QoE. We then use machine learning to build a prediction model based on subjective user experiments. This will help to eliminate future physical experiments and automate the process of predicting QoE.

The triplet excited state reactivity towards phenolic hydrogen of the -diketones benzil and 2,2´-furil in the ionic liquid 1-n-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate [bmim.PF6] was investigated employing the nanosecond laser flash photolysis technique. Irradiation (lmax=355 nm) of benzil yields its triplet excited state with lmax at 480 nm and tT=9.6 μs. Under the same conditions, 2,2’-furil shows a triplet-triplet absorption spectrum with bands at 380, 410, 450, and 650 nm and tT=1.4 μs. Quenching rate constants (kq) of the reaction between benzil triplet and substituted phenols ranged from 1.4x107 L mol-1 s-1 (para-chlorophenol) to 1.8x108 L mol-1 s-1 (para-methoxyphenol). A new transient was formed in all cases, assigned to the benzil ketyl. Similar results were obtained for the quenching of 2,2’-furil triplet by phenols, for which kq ranged from 1.9x108 L mol-1 s-1 (para-chlorophenol) to 2.2x108 L mol-1 s-1 (para-methoxyphenol). The 2,2’-furil ketyl radical was also observed in all cases (lmax=380 nm). The quenching rate constants are almost independent of the substituent and diffusion-controlled (kq ~ 108 L mol-1 s-1). The proposed mechanism for the phenolic hydrogen abstraction by benzil and 2,2´-furil triplet may involve a proton-coupled electron transfer reaction, ultimately leading to the radical pair ketyl/aryloxyl.

The objective of this work is to evaluate and compare the levels of bioactive compounds in basil leaves (Ocimum basilicum), fresh and after thermal drying processing freeze-dried, using methodological procedures that follow internationally recommended and accepted standards. Fresh basil leaves had 9.50 -63.3 mg/100g (vitamin C), 1.8 -3.9 mg EAG/g (total polyphenols), 0.73-1.78 mg/g (flavonoids), 2287.8-1003,8 μg/100g (chlorophyll a), 2606-2287 μg/100g (chlorophyll b), 16.71-20.6 (total carotenoids).Regarding color, there was variation in the parameters L*, a* and b* of the dry sample, but maintained the tendency towards green e (a+) and yellow (b-). Infrared analysis (FTIR) demonstrated the presence of functional groups related to cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, confirmed by micrography (SEM) with visualization of plant parenchyma residues and fiber bundles. Thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) shows stability in the range of 234 °C, showing more intense mass loss at 294.6 °C. Given the data, it is possible to infer that basil is little affected by freeze-drying, with few changes in bioactive compounds, chemical groups and with good thermal stability. Thus, the application of the freeze-drying technique is a viable alternative to the commercialization of basil leaves, prolonging their useful life and increasing the forms of food applications.

Little theoretically-informed research investigates how non-standard eyewitness identification tasks or metacognitive instructions might improve identification accuracy. We used a continuous dual-process model of recognition to explain familiarity-based identification errors and design modified lineup tasks and metacognitive instructions that increased eyewitness recollection and discriminability. In four studies we examined identification performance across lineups (standard simultaneous, elimination, delayed-choice) and instructions (task-related, phenomenological, standard). Participants viewed photos of targets and made identification decisions about a lineup for each target. Instructions about memory phenomenology improved discriminability in delayed-choice lineups, while task-related instructions were ineffective. Metacognitive instructions about how to better evaluate memory quality in modified lineup tasks could improve recollection for greater identification accuracy even when memory is poor. While immediate post-decision confidence is a good predictor of identification accuracy, lineup modifications that improve eyewitness memory use would provide better evidence of suspect guilt or innocence. We discuss implications for lineup theory and design.

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic is thought to began in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Mobility analysis identified East-Asia and Oceania countries to be highly-exposed to COVID-19 spread, consistent with the earliest spread occurring in these regions. However, here we show that while a strong positive correlation between case-numbers and exposure level could be seen early-on as expected, at later times the infection-level is found to be negatively correlated with exposure-level. Moreover, the infection level is positively correlated with the population size, which is puzzling since it has not reached the level necessary for population-size to affect infection-level through herd immunity. These issues are resolved if a low-virulence Corona-strain (LVS) began spreading earlier in China outside of Wuhan, and later globally, providing immunity from the later appearing high-virulence strain (HVS). Following its spread into Wuhan, cumulative mutations gave rise to the emergence of an HVS, known as SARS-CoV-2, starting the COVID-19 pandemic. We model the co-infection by an LVS and an HVS, and show that it can explain the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and the non-trivial dependence on the exposure level to China and the population-size in each country. We find that the LVS began its spread a few months before the onset of the HVS, and that its spread doubling-time is $\sim 1.59\pm 0.17$ times slower than the HVS. Although more slowly spreading, its earlier onset allowed the LVS to spread globally before the emergence of the HVS. In particular, in countries exposed earlier to the LVS and/or having smaller population-size, the LVS could achieve herd-immunity earlier, and quench the later-spread HVS at earlier stages. We find our two-parameter (the spread-rate and the initial onset time of the LVS) can accurately explain the current infection levels (R^2$\mathrm{=0.74}$; correlation p-value (p) of 5x10^-13$$). Furthermore, countries exposed early should have already achieved herd-immunity. We predict that in those countries cumulative infection levels could rise by no more than 2-3 times the current level through local-outbreaks, even in the absence of any containment measures. We suggest several tests and predictions to further verify the double-strain co-infection model and discuss the implications of identifying the LVS.

In this research paper an algorithm for the derivation of methods based on theorems and axioms of fuzzy logic is presented, analyzed and applied. This new proposed procedure generates fuzzy methods and evaluates the value of fuzzy propositions through fuzzy implication. The new implications of the family should satisfy a number of axioms. Also, we denote the conditions in order to satisfy the maximum number of axioms. Moreover, authors state and prove theorems focusing on fuzzy implication, observing the rule: the fuzzy function of fuzzy implication is strong and that lead to fuzzy negation. In addition, the optimal number of repetitions is calculated according to the expected truth value. The formulas produced are verified through the use of temperature and humidity values over a certain period of time and in a certain geographical area in Greece. The basic steps of the methodology are the fuzzification of the data given ​​using four membership degree functions and the application of the membership degrees of temperature and humidity values on a new type of fuzzy implication. Finally, we observed that the isosceles trapezium gave the best results and the type of fuzzy implication can be effectively applied.

The production of olives and olive oil in the Mediterranean region is one of the most important cultivation. The continuous changes of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) towards strengthening the influence of market forces, has increased the necessity for assessing the efficiency of production protocols or patterns being implemented by the farmers. The case of olive trees cultivation, despite the fact that it is very important for both farmers and consumers, has not been in depth analyzed regarding the efficiency of inputs being used during the production process. This study evaluates the efficiency rates of 100 agricultural holding specialized on olive trees cultivation in Greece, by implementing a DEA input oriented model. The inputs being used are land, fertilizers, agrochemicals, labour, and energy. The output being used is the revenue of each holding. The results quantify the significant differentiation of efficiency scores, providing evidence that there is space for restructuring the production process, in order to improve efficiency and decrease by this way the production cost of inefficient farmers.

A method for measuring the real part of the weak value of spin for non-zero rest mass atoms is presented using a variant on the original Stern-Gerlach apparatus. The experiment utilises helium in the metastable 2³S₁ state. A full simulation for observing the real part of the weak value using the impulsive approximation has been carried out and it predicts a displacement of the beam, Δ_w, that is within the resolution of our detector. It also indicates how this shift might be increased. The full analysis also indicated that there is a limit, L, to the applicability of the weak value approximation and has been evaluated for our apparatus. This experiment has the possibility to be expanded to utilise other nobal gas species such as neon and argon in the ³P₂ metastable state, but we shall restrict this paper to metastable helium only.

For women giving birth, every moment of delay in receiving skilled care significantly increases the risks of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal death. More than half of all births in developing countries including South Africa, take place outside a health facility and without skilled birth attendants. This has therefore, made it difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of global reduction in maternal mortality, which is a key health challenge globally, especially in developing countries and sub-Saharan Africa in particular. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the views of pregnant women regarding facility-based delivery. Focus group discussions were used to gather information from the pregnant women. Information was collected from six groups of pregnant women who had delivered babies at the antenatal care facilities in the past years. Results showed several factors associated with the failure to use institutional delivery service, such as long distance from the health care facility, lack of transport, lack of transport fare, shortages of skilled staff, failure to disclose pregnancy, cultural and religious beliefs, and staff attitudes.

Background Neisseria gonorrhoeae can acquire antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from other Neisseria spp. such as commensals like Neisseria subflava. The prevalence of Neisseria subflava in the oropharynx is close to 100%. Low doses of antimicrobials in food could select for AMR in N. subflava, which could then be transferred to N. gonorrhoeae. In this study, we aimed to determine the lowest concentration of ciprofloxacin that can induce ciprofloxacin resistance (minimum selection concentration – MSC) in N. subflava. Methods Neisseria subflava Co000790/2 was serially passaged on GC agar plates containing ciprofloxacin concentrations ranging from 1:100- to 1:10,000-below its ciprofloxacin MIC (0.006 µg/ml) for six days. Results After 6 days of serial passaging at ciprofloxacin concentrations 1/100th of the MIC, 24 colonies emerged on the 0.06 µg/ml ciprofloxacin plate. Their ciprofloxacin MICs were between 0.19 to 0.25 µg/ml, and whole genome sequencing revealed a missense mutation T91I in the gyrA gene, which has previously been found to cause reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones. Conclusion The N. subflava MSCde novo was determined to be 0.06 ng/mL or 1:100 below the MIC. The implications of this finding are that the low concentrations of antibiotics found in certain environmental samples and even the food we eat may be able to select for ciprofloxacin resistance in N. subflava.

It is argued that if the non-unitary measurement transition, as codified by Von Neumann, is a real physical process, then the ‘probability assumption’ needed to derive the Second Law of Thermodynamics naturally enters at that point. The existence of a real, indeterministic physical process underlying the measurement transition would therefore provide an ontological basis for Boltzmann’s Stosszahlansatz and thereby explain the unidirectional increase of entropy against a backdrop of otherwise time-reversible laws. It is noted that the Transactional Interpretation (TI) of quantum mechanics provides such a physical account of the non-unitary measurement transition, and TI is brought to bear in finding a physically complete, non-ad hoc grounding for the Second Law.

Muscle mass, strength and physical function are known to decline with age. This is associated with the development of geriatric syndromes including sarcopenia and frailty. These conditions are associated with disability, falls, longer hospital stay, higher readmission rates, institutionalisation, osteoporosis, and death. Moreover, they are associated with reduced quality of life, as well as substantial costs to health services around the world. Dietary protein is essential for skeletal muscle function. Older adults have shown evidence of anabolic resistance, where greater amounts of protein are required to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and therefore require higher daily amounts of dietary protein. Research shows that resistance exercise has the most beneficial effect on preserving skeletal muscle. A synergistic effect has been noted when this is combined with dietary protein, yet studies in this area lack consistency. This is due, in part, to the variation that exists within dietary protein, in terms of dose, quality, source, amino acid composition and timing. Research has targeted participants that are replete in dietary protein with negative results. Inconsistent measures of muscle mass, muscle function, physical activity and diet are used. This review attempts to summarise these issues, as well as introduce the possible role of the gut microbiome and its metabolome in this area.

Blood perfusion quantification is important vital parameters in different diagnostic procedure, using infrared thermography imaging; it is reliable to use this technique as non-contact, non-invasive blood flow measurement method. Therefore, we developed a measurement protocol for blood flow over the arm's anterior surface. By using the superficial brachial and radial veins to be monitored under the impact of cold-excitation of (2 °C to 5 °C), the blood perfusion signal was detected using thermal imager of long-wave infrared spectral range (LWIR, 7μm - 14 μm). The simulation of Penne's bioheat transfer equation was performed to be compared with results obtained from the infrared thermography. Furthermore, the proposed blood flow monitoring using external adjusting of the excitation temperature, by using (cold-compress, or cold air-stream) applied to the region under testing. The signal detected resembles to the hemodynamic pulse of the superficial veins, in the definition of systolic and diastolic phases of the cardiac cycle. Moreover, statistical analysis applied to the BFIRT signals from 24 subjects to estimate the skin's mean temperature after recovery from the thermal excitation.

The role of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on enhancing tolerance of plants to abiotic stresses is well reported, but the effects of RGPRs on plants under salinity stress are not widely studied in the literature. Our study aimed to investigate the effect of Halomonas sp. and Azotobacter sp. on antioxidant activity, secondary metabolites, and biochemicals changes of purple basil under salinity stress conditions. The applied salt concentrations in this study were 50, 100, and 150 mM sodium chloride (NaCl). Salinity stress had a negative effect on plant growth parameters. Moreover, a reduction in some of the osmolytes and oxidative stress markers was observed. Inoculated plants ameliorated the oxidative damage by reducing the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents and by increasing osmolytes (proline, total proteins, and soluble sugars), antioxidant enzymes activities (catalase, ascorbate peroxidase) and secondary metabolites (flavonoids). Overall, among treatments, plants inoculated with Azotobacter showed a better impact on physiological attributes to alleviate the adverse effects of 150 mM NaCl salinity stress on basil growth.

Mitochondria are involved in many cellular processes and their main role is cellular energy production. They constantly undergo fission and fusion, and these counteracting processes are under strict balance. The cytosolic dynamin-related protein 1, Drp1 or dynamin-1-like protein (DNM1L) mediates mitochondrial and peroxisomal division. Defects in the DNM1L gene results in a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with heterogeneous symptoms affecting multiple organ systems. Currently there is no curative treatment available for this condition. We have previously described a patient with a de novo heterozygous c.1084G>A (p.G362S) DNM1L mutation and studied the effects of a small molecule, Bezafibrate, on mitochondrial functions in this patient’s fibroblasts compared to controls. Bezafibrate normalized growth on glucose-free medium, ATP production, oxygen consumption and s improved mitochondrial morphology in patient’s fibroblasts, albeit concomitantly causing a mild increase ROS production. Further studies would be needed to show the consistency of the response to Bezafibrate, possibly using fibroblasts from patients with different mutations in DNM1L, and this treatment should be confirmed in clinical trials. However, taking into account the favorable effects in our study, we suggest that Bezafibrate could be a possible treatment option for patients with certain DNM1L mutations.

This article analyzes the assessment of the four development levels of the Digital Teaching Competence (DTC) to recognize the needs and formulation of challenges in training and educational innovation required in the pedagogical practices of university professors under the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The study used an empirical-analytical methodology with a non-experimental, transactional, descriptive design. The sample design was probabilistic, estimated with 95% confidence and 5% error among 252 teachers from various faculties of the University of La Guajira. The selected instrument corresponded to the rubric's application to evaluate the university professor's digital teaching competence in Latin America. Among the study's significant results, we highlight that the rubric presented a high Cronbach's alpha reliability (α: 0.947). In the general assessment of DTC development, it was estimated that 78.2% of teachers are in the first two levels of DTC development assessment (Beginning and Middle). The evaluation rubric allows identifying challenges and opportunities that teacher training must address to advance the professional development of professors.

Background: Distance to a health facility for inpatient care in developing countries has been a huge hindrance towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal three. The United Nation encourages countries to research on access to inpatient care, so as to form health policies based on data. Methods: Data on four hundred and eighty-one participants of all ages from forty-seven counties in Kenya who sought inpatient care in Kenya in 2018 were analyzed. Distance to a health facility was captured as a continuous variable and was self-reported by the respondent. The response exhibited a discrete mass at zero and continuous characteristic, therefore a Tweedie distribution was adopted for modelling. Due to the correlation nature of clustered data, we embraced the Generalized Estimating Equations approach with an exchangeable correlation. Since no standard software was available to analyze this problem, we developed an R functions. We assessed the best model fit using the QICu and criteria, in which the lowest value for the former and the highest for the later are preferred.Findings: Differences in employment, ability to pay for the service and household size are associated with the distance covered to access government facilities. Interpretation: Poor people tend to have large households and are more likely to live in rural areas and slums, thus are forced to travel for long distance to access inpatient care. Compared to unemployed, the employed could have better socio-economic status and possibly live within reach of the inpatient health facilities, therefore travel less distances to access. Longer distances are associated with high payments, signifying some form of specialized treatment care due to the complexity of the medical cases, that are expensive to treat.

Background: In antibiotic naïve populations, there is a strong association between the use of an antimicrobial and resistance to this antimicrobial. Less evidence is available as to whether this relationship is weakened in populations highly exposed to antimicrobials. Individuals taking HIV PrEP have a high intake of antimicrobials. We previously found that there was no difference in the prevalence of pheno- and genotypic antimicrobial resistance between two groups of PrEP clients who had, and had not, taken antimicrobials in the prior 6-months. Both groups did, however, have a higher prevalence of resistance than a sample of the general population. Methods: In the current study, we used zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to evaluate if there was an individual level association between the consumption of antimicrobials and 1. the minimum inhibitory susceptibilities of oral Neisseria subflava and 2. the abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes in the oropharynges of these individuals. Results: We found no evidence of an association between the consumption of antimicrobials and the minimum inhibitory susceptibilities of oral Neisseria subflava or the abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes in these individuals. Conclusions: We conclude that in high antimicrobial consumption populations, the association between antimicrobial consumption and resistance may be attenuated.

Objective: To explore motivation to exercise, support, and self-management needs among people with Parkinson’s (PwP), family-members and physiotherapists. Methods: Purposeful and maximum difference sampling methods (age, sex, geographical setting, and disease severity) were employed. PwP and family-members were recruited through physiotherapy services and local support groups. Semi-structured interviews with 12 PwP, focus groups with four family-members, and five physiotherapists were conducted. Interview guides were informed by patient-public input, and a recent systematic review. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Four common themes emerged: 1) The value of an intrinsic connection with exercise: but there are challenges. A greater connection to exercise led to long-term compliance. 2) Tailoring exercise is essential. Preferred exercises and environments were mixed, with differences emerging between sexes. 3) Physiotherapists’ aim to only maintain physical function led to frustration. Limited self-management opportunities, stigma and dehumanisation were discussed. 4) Non-motor symptoms, stigma, fear, and determination. Apathy, pain, and low mood were discussed. Conclusion: Exercise provided physical, emotional, and social rewards. Supports are necessary; however, challenges arise when PwP’s motivation are mismatched to family-members’ and physiotherapists’ goals. Co-created goals, tailored to their preferences, and exercise plans with supported self-management are recommended.

In 2013, the CMA at the İstanbul Stock Exchange increased the weight assigned to the Board of Directors component of its Corporate Governance Index to 35% from the previous 25%. Interpreting this as a recognition of the increasing vital role of the board, this study seeks to enhance the work of Abdıoğlu and Kılıç (2015) by putting more focus on the role of women in the boards and the effect of the busy chairman as well as the presence of outside directors on the effectivity of the Board. (The general business structure is associated with family owned groups and holdings which results into a network of intertwined board membership and cases of multiple directorship where, one board chairman can hold the same position or any directorship in as many as ten firmshence the busy chairman). I employ a different method of evaluating performance (EVA) together with the accounting measures of ROE and ROA (as opposed to the overused Tobin’s Q), which I regress against the Board Index to be created. The focus is on firms on the BIST 100 index (excluding financial) between 2009 and 2013. The results reveal that the BINDEX has a significant and positive relationship with firm performance as measured by EVA. A second model reveals no relationship between the BINDEX and firm ROA, similar to the results of Kiliç and Abdioğlu (2015). ROA however has a positive relationship with the proportion of female directors in the board, as earlier reported by LückerathRovers (2013). Another model using ROE as the proxy for performance registers a significant negative relationship with the index. The contradiction obtained in the results from these three models underscore the importance choosing the right methods when estimating the performance of a firm.

Periodontitis is a disease that originates from gingival tissue, and if left untreated, can cause inflammation to spread to deeper tissues, altering bone homeostasis, and even leading to tooth loss. When the bacteria in plaque reach sufficient numbers, the immune system responds by activating immune cells that will produce cytokines, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). These immune signaling molecules will coordinate the inflammatory responses. IL-1 binds to the IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) on the surface of target cells, initiating an inflammatory response by activating intracellular signalling pathways. Inhibition of IL-1R can prevent the interaction of IL-1 with this receptor, thereby halting the activation of the inflammatory pathway. By substituting this connection with active anti-inflammatory substances, it is possible to prevent the contact between IL-1 and IL-1R. The licorice plant, Glycyrrhiza glabra, includes eight types of flavonoids with significant anti-inflammatory potential, namely isoliquiritigenin, glyzaglabrin, prunetin, shinpterocarpin, licochalcone A, glabridin, glisoflavone, and isoangustone A. This study aims to assess the potential of such flavonoids as candidates for periodontitis treatment through molecular docking, using AutoDock Tools v.1.5.6. All tested compounds showed highly stable bonds to IL-1R, with a binding affinity values below -7 kcal/mol. Van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophobic bonds all contribute to the stability of these interactions. Among the eight tested compounds, glisoflavone, which has a Ki value of 90.89 nM and a ΔG value of -9.61 kcal/mol, has the highest binding stability to IL-1R.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic in March 2020, which led to the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions that had inadvertent physical, mental and social effects. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences and responses of Canadians to these interventions on Twitter using the Kübler-Ross Change Curve (KRCC) during the first six months of the pandemic. Tweets were analyzed using sentiment analysis, thematic content analysis and KRCC. The findings highlight that many Canadians attempted to adapt to the changes but had a predominantly negative outlook on policies due to the financial and social repercussions

The Human Herpesviruses persist in the form of a latent infection in specialized cell types. During latency, the herpesvirus genomes associate with cellular histone proteins and the viral lytic genes assemble into transcriptionally repressive heterochromatin. Although there is divergence in the nature of heterochromatin on latent herpesvirus genomes, in general the genomes assemble into forms of heterochromatin that can convert to euchromatin to permit gene expression and therefore reactivation. This reversible form of heterochromatin is known as facultative heterochromatin and is most commonly characterized by polycomb silencing. Polycomb silencing is prevalent on the cellular genome and plays a role in developmentally regulated and imprinted genes, as well as X chromosome inactivation. As herpesviruses initially enter the cell in an un-chromatinized state, they provide an optimal system to study how de novo facultative heterochromatin is targeted to regions of DNA and how it contributes to silencing. Here, we describe how polycomb-mediated silencing potentially assembles onto herpesvirus genomes, synergizing what is known about herpesvirus latency with facultative heterochromatin targeting to the cellular genome. A greater understanding of polycomb silencing of herpesviruses will inform on the mechanism of persistence and reactivation of these pathogenic human viruses and provide clues regarding how de novo facultative heterochromatin forms on the cellular genome.

Selenium and iodine are essential micronutrients for humans. They are often deficient in food supply due to low phytoavailable concentrations in soil. Agronomic biofortification of food crops is one approach to overcome micronutrient malnutrition. This study focused on German consumers’ willingness to purchase selenium- and/or iodine-biofortified apples. For this purpose, an online survey was carried out. In this context, consumers were asked to choose their most preferred apple product from a set card of product alternatives (Discrete Choice Experiment). The multinomial logit model results demonstrated that German consumers’ have a preference in particular for iodine-biofortified apples. Furthermore, apple choice was mainly influenced by price, health claims, and plastic-free packaging material. Viewed individually, selenium did not exert an effect on product choice whereas positive interactions between both micronutrients exist.

International students were – and continue to be – particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. 625 international students in Israel completed an online survey assessing risk and protective factors (socio-demographics, health status, COVID-19 related experiences/concerns, financial difficulties, academic challenges/experiences, social support, and coping) for student’s depression, perceived need for help, and seeking help from the university. Approximately 15% of participants had moderately-severe or severe depression. Over half needed at least a little help, but only 19.7% had asked for help. Depression symptoms were related coping (β=-.34) and health (β=.12). Need for help was related to being a postdoc (β=-0.26) and experiencing food insecurity (β=0.20). Universities need to develop services which address international students’ unique needs during global crises.

Introduction: These days, obesity is considered an important factor for many medical problems such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and joint degeneration. Obesity is one of the leading causes of osteoarthritis and the need for arthroplasty. We aim to study the effect of obesity and the duration of knee replacement surgery.Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the orthopedic department between February 2023 and July 2023. We had 68 patients who underwent total knee replacement surgery. Variables like age, gender, smoking history, ASA grade, BMI, and side of injury (unilateral or bilateral) were studied.Results: Out of 68 patients, we had 37 (54.4 %) of patients were female. The most common age group was 44- 54 years. 60.3 % of patients were non-smokers. We had 50 patients with unilateral injury and the rest were bilateral. ASA grade II (51 patients) were more than ASA grade I (17 patients). In this study, 41 patients were obese and the duration for total knee replacement was 90 - 120 minutes, in contrast to overweight patients (75 – 90 minutes) and normal patients (60-75 minutes).Conclusion:We found a significant correlation between BMI and the duration of total knee replacement surgery. The time could be doubled if the arthroplasty was bilateral.

BackgroundThe use of antimicrobials to treat food animals may result in antimicrobial residues in foodstuffs of animal origin. The European Medicines Association (EMA) and World Health Organization (WHO) define safe antimicrobial concentrations in food based on acceptable daily intakes (ADIs). It is unknown if ADI doses of antimicrobials in food could influence the antimicrobial susceptibility of human-associated bacteria. ObjectivesThis aim of this study was to evaluate if the consumption of ADI doses of erythromycin could select for erythromycin resistance in a Galleria mellonella model of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Methods A chronic model of S. pneumoniae infection in G. mellonella larvae was used for the experiment. Inoculation of larvae with S. pneumoniae was followed by injections of EMA (0.0875 μg/ml) and WHO (0.012 μg/ml) ADI doses of erythromycin proceeded by isolation of S. pneumoniae colonies on selective agar plates. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of resistant colonies were measured, and whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed followed by variant calling to determine the genetic modifications.   Results Exposure to single doses of both EMA and WHO ADI doses of erythromycin resulted in the emergence of erythromycin resistance in S. pneumoniae. Emergent resistance to erythromycin was associated with a mutation in rplA. Conclusion In our in vivo model, even single dose of erythromycin that are classified as acceptable by the WHO and EMA induced significant increases in erythromycin MICs in S. pneumoniae. These results suggest the need to include the induction of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a significant criterion for determining ADIs.

Several factors enhance the possibility of vertical HIV transmission in the pediatric population. Unfortunately, the data of the prevalence of HIV and associated risk factors in these populations remain limited in Rwanda. The study aimed to assess HIV prevalence and risk factors for infants born to mothers on ARV treatment at CHUB/Rwanda. MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out on infants who were born to mothers under ARV treatment at CHUB. The associated risk factors were retrospectively assessed using prevention vertical HIV transmission records, and Dried Blood spots (DBS) were prospectively tested using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Data were analyzed by logistic regression. Ethical clearance (Ref: CMHS/IRB/198/2017) was issued by University of Rwanda to fulfill research ethical consideration.ResultsAmong 185(100%) infants born to HIV-positive mothers under ARV treatment, 5(2.7%) were HIV positive. The most associated risk factors were increased to over 1log copies/ml mother’s viral load (OR 9.3, 95% CI 1.01-85.45, P= 0.04) and mother’s CD4 count lower than 350 cells/µl (OR 6.4, 95% CI 1.03-40.06, P=0.04). The factors found to reduce the rate of vertical transmission of HIV were health facility as a delivery place (P=0.03), exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months (P= 0.006), and attending the antenatal care (P=0.01) while feeding children and vaginal delivery were associated risks but not statistically significant.ConclusionThe current study supports that the more mothers’ viral load and CD4 count decrease, so does the risk of HIV to their infants. A fact which indicates that both prevalence and risk factors remain an alarming issue. Much effort and multi-disciplinary approach are highly recommended.

Thai basil is a renowned medicinal plant and a rich source of bioactive antioxidant compounds having several health benefits, with actions to prevent of cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Plant cell and tissue culture technologies can be routinely established as an important, sustainable and low-cost biomass source for the production of high-value phytochemicals. The current study aimed at developing an effective protocol for the production of Thai basil leaf derived callus cultures with sustainable and high production of biomass and antioxidants as an alternative of leaves production. MS basal medium with various concentrations of plant growth regulators (PGRs) compatible with nutraceutical applications (i.e., gibberellic acid (GA3) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) either alone or in combination with naphthalene acetic acid (NAA)) were evaluated. Among all tested PGRs, the combination BAP:NAA (5 mg/L:1 mg/L) yield maximum biomass accumulation (fresh weight (FW): 190 g/L and dry weight (DW): 13.05 g/L) as well as enhanced phenolic (346.08 mg/L) production. HPLC quantification analysis indicated high productions of chicoric acid (35.77 mg/g DW) and rosmarinic acid (7.35 mg/g DW) under optimized callus culture conditions. Antioxidant potential was assessed using both in vitro cell free and in vivo cellular antioxidant assays. Maximum in vitro antioxidant activity DPPH (93.2 % of radical scavenging activity) and ABTS (1322 µM Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) was also observed for the extracts from callus cultures grown on optimal conditions. In vivo cellular antioxidant activity assay confirmed the effective protection against oxidative stress of the corresponding extract by the maximum inhibition of ROS and RNS production. Compared to commercial leaves, callus extracts showed higher production of chicoric acid and rosmarinic acid associated with higher antioxidant capacity. In addition, this biological system also has a large capacity for continuous biomass production, thus demonstrating its high potential for possible nutraceutical applications.

Understanding the function of a locus is a challenge in molecular biology. Although numerous molecular data have been generated in the last decades, it remains difficult to grasp, how these data are related at a locus? In this study, we describe an analytical workflow that can solve this problem using the knowledge available at single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) level. The underlying algorithm uses SNPs as connectors to link omics data and identify correlation between them through a joint bioinformatical/statistical approach. We describe its application in finding the mechanism whereby a mutation causes a phenotype and in revealing the path whereby a gene is being regulated and impacts the phenotypes. We translated our workflow into freely available shell scripts that carry out the analyses. Our approach provides a basic framework to solve the information overload problem in biology.

Spending on out-patient health care by citizens in limited resource countries has received little attention.The purpose of this study is to determine the predictors of household spending on out-patient expenses in a cross-sectional study in Kenya. We applied the GEE methods to determine the effect of various variables on outpatient care. We established that the best predictors for outpatient spending in Kenya are Age of the household head, wealth index, marital status and education, which had the lowest QICu of 976341.2. There were no differences on age in mean spending on outpatient care and was changing in a sinusoidal manner. The rich spend more on outpatient care, due to financial ability. Spending increased across the wealth quantiles while gender had a significant effect in the general performance of the models, it didn’t assist in lowering the QICu

There is a major clinical need for accurate biomarkers for prostate cancer prognosis, to better inform treatment strategies and disease monitoring. Current clinically recognised prognostic factors, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, lack sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing aggressive from indolent disease, particularly in patients with localised intermediate grade prostate cancer. There has therefore been a major focus on identifying molecular biomarkers that can add prognostic value to existing markers, including investigation of DNA methylation, which has a known role in tumorigenesis. In this review, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of DNA methylation biomarker studies in prostate cancer prognosis, and highlight the advances that have been made in this field. We cover the numerous studies into well-established candidate genes, and explore the technological transition that has enabled hypothesis-free genome-wide studies and the subsequent discovery of novel prognostic genes.

This work is based on identifying the analysis techniques used to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects using the zebrafish model. In this context, a literature review was performed with the Web of Science database. We used the terms zebra fish, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, model, and Danio rerio. Fifty articles were reviewed, of which thirty-three were chosen to perform this review and were classified according to the source of plant extracts, compounds extracted from plants, chemical compounds, and other sources. This paper is an effort to provide a literature review on zebrafish models and elucidate their pros and cons to evaluate anti-inflamatory and antioxidant activity.

Most recent studies of doxycycline PEP have assessed doxycycline's effect on antimicrobial resistance by measuring the proportion of colonies of the target species with AMR as the outcome measure. In this study, we show that this method is insufficiently sensitive to detect shifts in MIC distribution.

Introduction: Bone fractures may be the result of high force impact or stress, or a minimal trauma injury as a result of certain medical conditions that weaken the bones, such as osteoporosis, osteopenia, bone cancer, or osteogenesis imperfecta, where the fracture is then properly termed a pathologic fracture. Bone cancer can be primarily or secondary to metastasis. Case presentation: We report a rare case of left humerus fracture in a 59-year-old male patient due to metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Our patient had no important past medical history. He suffered from two months of left arm pain, moderate disability and fever at night. Analgesics consumption resulted in minimal relieve. Trauma history was negative. X-ray of the left arm showed an osteolytic lesion with humerus fracture. Abdominal computed tomography with contrast showed right renal mass.Radical right nephrectomy was performed in addition to alignment nailing of the left humerus fracture with biopsy. Pathology report documented clear cell carcinoma with metastatic bone. The treatment was completed by chemotherapyDiscussion: Secondary bone tumors are metastatic lesions which have spread from other organs, most commonly carcinomas of the breast, lung, and prostate, and rarely from kidney. In some cases, bone metastasis could be the first symptoms of renal cell carcinoma. Conclusion: suspected pathological bone fractures should be investigated completely. It may hide a tumor as a cause.

In the present work, a portable device system applied in the detection and classification of different metallic ions was proposed and developed, aiming at its application in the monitoring of hydrological systems like rivers, lakes and groundwater. Considering the system features, a portable colorimetric system was developed by using a multispectral optoelectronic sensor. All the technology of quantification and classification of metallic ions using Optoelectronic Multispectral sensors was fully integrated in the embedded hardware FPGA technology and software based on virtual Instrumentation (NI LabView ®). The system was used as a colorimeter by using the chromogen reagent of 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) as an indicator and the results obtained together with the signal processing and pattern analysis using the method of the linear discriminant analysis, allowed to obtain excellent results in detection and classification of Pb(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Fe(III) and Ni(II) ions, with almost the same level of performance in relation to those obtained from the UV-VIS spectrometers of high spectral resolution.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains the most lethal gynecologic malignancy, largely due to metastasis and drug resistant recurrences. Fifteen percent of ovarian tumors carry mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2, rendering them vulnerable to treatment with PARP inhibitors such as olaparib. Recent studies have shown that TGFβ can induce “BRCAness” in BRCA wild-type cancer cells. Given that TGFβ is a known driver of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and the con-nection between EMT and metastatic spread in EOC and other cancers, we asked if TGFβ and EMT alter susceptibility of EOC to PARP inhibition. Epithelial EOC cells were transiently treated with soluble TGFβ and their clonogenic potential, expression and function of EMT and DNA repair genes, and response to PARP inhibitors compared with untreated controls. A second epithelial cell line was compared to its mesenchymal derivative for EMT and DNA repair gene expression and drug responses. We found that TGFβ and EMT resulted in downregulation of genes responsible for homologous recombination (HR) and sensitized cells to olaparib. HR efficiency was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, mesenchymal cells displayed sensitivity to olaparib, cis-platin, and the DNA-PK inhibitor Nu-7441. Therefore, treatment of disseminated, mesenchymal tumors may represent an opportunity to expand clinical utility of PARP inhibitors and similar agents.

This paper presents a new engagement model for climate change education (CCE) as a result of analysing interactive digital narratives (IDNs) created during the You and CO2 Climate Change Education Programme. Young people aged 13-15 from two schools in Wales participated in three workshops, which culminated in students producing IDNs about climate change using Twine storytelling software. An inductive, grounded-theory approach informed by Bourdieusien principles of habitus and value was used to explore students’ responses to the Programme. Stage 1 coding identified ‘Core Themes’ and located student responses along tri-axial continua showing engagement, agency, and power. Stage 2 coding combined ‘Core Themes’ to build upon Cantell’s 2019 Bicycle Model of Climate Change Education to create a new ‘Holistic Engagement Model for Climate Change Education and Action’ (HEMCCEA), where learners’ journeys towards full engagement with and understanding of CCE and action could be traced. Barriers to students’ engagement with and understanding of CCE were identified through Bourdieusien analysis of responses. Results show that engagement was related to children’s views on their capacity to effect change on individual, local and governmental level. The HEMCCEA provides a model for adjusting CCE curricula to accommodate young people’s varying cultures and views.

The autosomal recessive disorder Ataxia-Telangiectasia is caused by dysfunction of the stress response protein ATM. In the nucleus of proliferating cells, ATM senses DNA double-strand breaks and coordinates their repair. This role explains T-cell dysfunction and tumor risk. However, it remains unclear whether this function is relevant for postmitotic neurons and underlies the cerebellar atrophy, since ATM is cytoplasmic in postmitotic neurons. Here, we used ATM-null mice that survived early immune deficits by bone-marrow transplantation, and reached initial neurodegeneration stages at 12 months of age. Global cerebellar transcriptomics demonstrated ATM depletion to trigger upregulations in most neurotransmission and neuropeptide systems. Downregulated transcripts were found for the ATM interactome component Usp2, many non-coding RNAs, ataxia genes Itpr1, Grid2, immediate early genes and immunity factors. Allelic splice changes affected prominently neuropeptide machinery, e.g. Oprm1. Validation experiments with stressors were performed in human neuroblastoma cells, where ATM localized only to cytoplasm, similar to brain. Effect confirmation in SH-SY5Y cells occurred after ATM depletion and osmotic stress better than nutrient / oxidative stress, not after ATM kinase inhibition or DNA stressor bleomycin. Overall, we provide pioneer observations from a faithful A-T mouse model, which suggest general changes in synaptic and dense-core vesicle stress adaptation.

This study aimed to explore the effects of raloxifene (Rx) and estradiol (E2) on prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (APTT), coagulation factors (VII, X, XI), and fibrinogen concen-trations in rats. Rats were ovariectomized 11 days prior to starting the treatment. Then they re-ceived Rx or E2 (1 to 1000 µg/Kg) or propylene glycol (0.3 ml; vehicle, V) subcutaneously for three consecutive days. Plasmas were collected to measure the hemostatic parameters. Rx significantly increased PT (8%, at 1000 µg/Kg; p<0.05) and APTT at all doses evaluated (32, 70, 67, 30%; p<0.05, respectively). Rx (1 to 1000 µg/Kg) decreased the activity of factor VII by -20, -40, -37, and -17% (p<0.05), respectively, while E2 increased it by 9, 34, 52, and 29%; Rx reduced factor X activity at 10 and 100 µg/kg doses (-30, and -30% p<0.05), while E2 showed an increment of 24% with 1000 µg/kg dose only; Rx (1-100 µg/Kg) diminished FXI activity (-71, -62, -66; p<0.05), while E2 (1 and 10 µg/Kg) diminished it in -60 and -38, respectively (p<0.05); Rx (1000 µg/Kg) produced an increment of 29% (p<0.05) in fibrinogen concentration, but not E2. Our findings suggest that raloxifene has a pro-tective effect on hemostasis in rats.

Tug-of-war (TOW) is an internationally played activity including professional and amateur athletes and defined as early (4000 years ago as a rope less version) in the artwork on Egyptian tomb engravings and is played as per the rules laid out by TWIF, which has 73 member countries and administrative headquarters in the USA. Typically, two teams of “pullers” participate and apply enormous contra directional forces on the pulling rope. Originally, two types of competition are used: knockout and points. This narrative review describes the scientific state of the art about of TOW. For the best of the author’s knowledge no previous information has been published. Anthropometric parameters are near 83.6, lean body mass 69.4, and body fat 16. The VO2MAX is 55.8 ml/kg/min. Relative strength, the dynamic leg power was 4659.8 N. Endurance TOW elicits minimal muscle damage. The injured strains and sprains comprised over half of all injuries: back (42%), shoulder–upper limb (23%) and knee (17%). Pulling movement in TOW contests can be divided into three phases: namely "Drop", "Hold" and "Drive" phase. The maximal pulling forces was 1041.6 ± 123.9 N. The percentage of dynamic pulling force in static maximal pulling force was 75.5 ± 14.4% and the dynamic ranged from 106.4 to 182.5%. There are two gripping styles, indoor and outdoor. The friction characteristics between surface and shoe in TOW is important to determine a suitable shoe for indoor TOW. Waist Belt might be a useful piece of equipment for TOW sport. The EMG technique in Tow described a high activity of dorsal muscle during the pulling. The factor of force vanishing was the coordination among athletes. The force vanishing percentage goes from 8.82±5.59 for 2 contenders to 19.74±2.22 for 8 athletes, 6.4 % in the sum of 2 pullers. However, in the drop phase, for female elite TOW team, only the 0.5 % of them pulling force was wasted. Future studies are need in order to understand better this historical sport activity.

The abnormal assembly of α-synuclein (α-Syn) is an initial step in the formation of Lewy bodies in the brain, which finally causes the neuronal death, being considered as a pathological hallmark in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Certain food bioactives or their metabolites at very low concentrations can trespass the blood brain barrier (BBB) that might, thereafter, act simultaneously. The aim of this work was to evaluate the inhibitory and destabilising capacities on α-Syn kinetics and the neuroprotective effects of three well-known bioactive compounds able to cross the BBB and present in foods; melatonin (MEL), protocatechuic acid (PCA) and hydroxytyrosol (HT), and their combinations. For this purpose, different in vitro techniques (Thioflavin T (ThT), Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM), electrophoresis and MTT assay) were used. All tested compounds and their combinations were able to abolish the toxicity induced by α-Syn. In addition, the combination of PCA (100 µM) +HT (100 µM) showed the highest inhibitory effect against α-Syn fibril formation and destabilises α-Syn fibrils (88 and 62%, respectively). This is the first time that MEL, PCA and HT prove a joint effect against α-Syn aggregation and toxicity when they are tested together.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a challenge in Kenya, while the extent remains unknown. To assess the knowledge, cultural beliefs, practices, and behavioral patterns among multisectoral stakeholders in Kenya. The cross-sectional survey was conducted in August 2021 among farmers, animal health service providers and AMR researchers. Regional digital data collection tool developed by FAO was shared and responses obtained through mail, phone calls and direct interviews. Descriptive and inferential analysis were conducted. Antimicrobials were mostly sourced from agro-veterinary shops and from veterinary professionals. Farmers, often implement self-treatment and reported overuse, unnecessary use, and sometimes fail to complete the dosage in livestock. More farmers reported to have heard about antibiotics as compared to antimicrobials, mostly from friends and radio program, however only 9.2% could correctly differentiate the two. Animal Health Service Providers (AHSP) were the source of information to farmers regarding AMR. AHSPs mainly relied on suppliers and distributors for information about antibiotics. Both farmers and AHSPs treated viral infections with antibiotics. One Health Partners (OHPs) had higher knowledge and largely favorable attitudes towards AMR. Up to 72.7% of OHPs from training institutions had AMR included in training curriculum however, they were optimistic livestock farmers and government were less concerned about AMR. Gaps in knowledge and practice on Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) were observed in all categories of stakeholders. Given the documented knowledge-practice gap, innovative solutions are needed for both AHSPs and farmers to promote good antimicrobial stewardship practices and to mitigate burdens of AMR. Outcomes of this research should deepen the understanding of critical information and trigger behavioral change in usage and stewardship of antimicrobials.

Hospital-based adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring and reporting programs intend to identify and quantify the risks associated with the use of drugs. To examine the causality, preventability and severity of ADR in a hospital setting; a prospective cohort study on spontaneous ADR reporting was conducted from December 2015 to May 2016. Incidence of ADRs, causality, type, severity and preventability were assessed using necessary assessment scales. The study included 3157 hospitalized individuals, in whom 51 ADRs were detected among 49 patients. The overall incidence of suspected ADRs was found to be 1.6%. According to the causality assessment, most of the ADRs reported were probable (n = 26, 51.0%), and type A (augmented/pharmacological) reactions (n = 39, 76%) were the most common type of ADR found. The majority of ADRs were moderate to severe (n = 35, 68.6%), of which 37.3% were found to be potentially preventable. Predictability was observed in 28 (54.9%) reported ADRs. The drugs most frequently associated with ADRs were antibiotics, antiepileptics and antihypertensives. This feasibility study was able to highlight the clinical pharmacist’s role in ADR monitoring service and create awareness about the way it could be done to promote safer drug use. Similar ADR reporting programs are necessary to educate and to improve awareness among the healthcare professionals in developing countries.

Background: The resurgence of syphilis, primarily in MSM populations, has necessitated novel prophylactic strategies, such as the use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy-PEP). However, the potential for increased doxycycline use to select for tetracycline resistance represents significant challenges in managing this sexually transmitted infection. This study aims to identify chromosomal mutations associated with tetracycline resistance in Spirochaetales to inform treatment strategies and surveillance measures.Methods: Whole genome sequences (WGS) from the Spirochaetales order, including 4,355 genomes, were analyzed for the presence of mutations in 16S rRNA and non-synonymous mutations in the rpsC and rpsJ genes. The study utilized WGS from GenBank® and sequence data from the PubMLST Treponema pallidum isolate collection. Genetic resistance to tetracycline was detected using a combination of BLASTN searches and gene-gene analysis. Results: A transition mutation TGA to TGG at positions 965-967 in the 16S rRNA gene was detected in 5.6% of Treponema spp. and 3.97% of Spirochaeta spp. genomes. The rpsJ gene exhibited a V57G amino acid substitution across a significant subset of Treponema spp. Notably, the V57K mutation was common in Spirochaeta spp. The rpsC gene had the H178Q mutation and was found to be present in the Spirochaetales bacterium.Conclusion: The identification of mutations associated with tetracycline resistance in Spirochaetales provides a foundation for the development of rapid molecular diagnostics and guides the clinical selection of antibiotics for syphilis treatment. This study underscores the complexity of antibiotic resistance mechanisms and the critical importance of surveillance in the era of antibiotic prophylaxis for STI management.

Along with climate change, the native forest replacement by exotic species, such as Eucalyptus globulus, is contributing to a highly fire-prone environment. Since E. globulus detains several post-fire regeneration strategies, sustainable practices are needed to manage eucalyptus stands. Thus, eucalyptus allelopathic potential can be used for weed control. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the herbicidal potential of post-fire regenerated E. globulus leaves in Portulaca oleracea, and unraveling the main physiological processes disturbed by biocide application. For this, an aqueous extract prepared with fresh leaves (FLE; 617 g_{fresh weight}L^-1) and other with oven-dried leaves (DLE; 250 g_{dry weight}L^-1) were prepared and foliar-sprayed twice-a-week at different dilutions in 7-days-old purslane plants. As positive control, glyphosate was used. After five weeks, results revealed that DLE at the highest dose detained the greatest herbicidal activity against P. oleracea. To understand how DLE impacted weed physiology, several biochemical and redox-related parameters were evaluated in purslane plants treated with DLE highest dose. Results suggested an overproduction of hydrogen peroxide, causing severe oxidative damage in roots. Overall, this study showed that young E. globulus dried leaves had powerful herbicidal properties against P. oleracea and can represent a feasible approach for weed management, while reducing fire hazard.

Kinesiophobia (fear of movement) has been recognized as a significant barrier to recovery and rehabilitation in patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Our goal was to identify predictors of kinesiophobia and examine its correlation with early functional outcomes in TKA recipients. On the first and fifth postoperative days (POD1 and POD5), we evaluated pain using the International Pain Outcomes Questionnaire (IPO-Q) and created multidimensional pain composite scores (PCS). Pain Composite Score-total (PCStotal) assesses the overall impact of pain, taking into account outcomes of pain intensity, pain-related interference with function, and emotions and side effects. Functional status on POD 5 was determined by the Barthel index, 6-minute walking test, and knee range of motion. Kinesiophobia was measured on POD5 using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with kinesiophobia. Among 75 TKA patients, 27% exhibited kinesiophobia. The final regression model highlighted PCStotal on POD5 (OR=6.2, CI=1.9-19.9), PCStotal (OR=2.1, CI=1.2-3.8) on POD1, and the intensity of chronic pain before surgery (OR=1.4, CI=1.1-2.1) as significant kinesiophobia predictors. On POD5, those with kinesiophobia showed increased dependency, slower gait, and poorer knee extension recovery. This study highlights the importance of identifying and addressing kinesiophobia in TKA patients to optimize functional outcomes and improve recovery. Also, it is important to assess not only pain intensity but also the physical and emotional interference caused by pain, which can contribute to the development of kinesiophobia.

(1) Background: We reviewed the logistics of the implementation of pathogen inactivation (PI) using the INTERCEPT Blood System™ for platelets and the experience with routine use and clinical outcomes in the patient population at the Sírio-Libanês Hospital of São Paulo, Brazil. (2) Methods: Platelet concentrate (PC), including pathogen reduced (PR-PC) production, inventory management, discard rates, blood utilization, and clinical outcomes were analyzed over the 40 months before and after PI implementation. Age distribution and wastage rates were compared over the 10 months before and after approval for PR-PC to be stored for up to 7 days. (3) Results: A 100% PR-PC inventory was achieved by increasing double apheresis collections and production of double doses using pools of two single apheresis units. Discard rates decreased from 6% to 3% after PI implementation and further decreased to 1.2% after 7-day storage extension for PR-PCs. The blood utilization remained stable, with no increase in component utilization. A significant decrease in adverse transfusion events was observed after the PI implementation. (4) Conclusion: Our experience demonstrates the feasibility for Brazilian blood centers to achieve a 100% PR-PC inventory. All patients at our hospital received PR-PC and showed no increase in blood component utilization and decreased rates of adverse transfusion reactions.

Introduction:Stoma formation is among the most commonly performed surgical procedures to redirect gut contents for various reasons. Parastomal hernia (PSH) is characterized as the protrusion of abdominal contents through the abdominal wall defect in the locality of the stoma. Material and Methods:We reviewed retrospectively 65 patients with stoma formation from January2021 to January 2023. Age, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) criteria, the etiology (benign or malignant), type of surgery, location of stoma exit, and type of stoma formed were documented.The data was collected for all patients from the hospital database. Results:We studied 65 patients. The mean age 55.96 years, with males in the majority: (70.8%).Out of 65, we had 34 patients had diabetes mellitus. Most of cases were performed trans-rectus stomas electively. The majority of cases due to malignancy.During an overall median follow-up of 12 months, 25 (38.4%) developed a parastomal hernia postoperativelyConclusion:In this study, we found an elevation in number of patients who had a parastomal hernia (PSH). Many risk factors were detected to be the main cause. One of these factors, a non-trans-rectus stoma is a risk factor for PSH. Larger studies are required.

Temperature and pH can expedite the ability of pathogens to cause diseases in cold-water corals (CWCs). The present study employed a combination of histology and polymerase chain reaction diagnostic techniques to investigate potential pathogens present in the CWCs Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata in the Porcupine Bank Canyon (PBC), NE Atlantic. No pathogen was observed in the Madrepora samples. Neither histology nor standard PCR detected Vibrio spp. in the corals, although using Illumina technology, V. shilonii was observed in some L. pertusa samples in low abundances (0.22%). A Rickettsiales-like organisms (RLOs) occurred at a prevalence of 8.0% and at a low infection intensity of 1 - 4. Lophelia showed a few RLOs infection from the PBC canyon head (2.7%) and high infections in the south branch (5.3%). Similarly, unidentified cells observed in L. pertusa from the south branch (4.0%) were more common than those found in the canyon head (1.3%) with a prevalence of 5.3%. Although the route of pathogen infection is unclear, a likely mode of entry could be associated with particulate availability and the feeding strategies of the scleractinian corals. This suggest that L. pertusa invests energy into an enhanced immune function and reduced susceptibility to global pathogens despite a changing ocean environment.

The soil and water contamination by metals from hazardous waste confined with urban solid wastes, highlights the importance of enhance the monitoring of disposal sites once closed. It is common to fail to comply with the regulations on their location, operation and post-closure, and located in areas that affect the environment and the health of the population. In the closed dump of Morelia, contamination of the soil and groundwater by leachates with heavy metals in the water from supply wells has been reported. The objective of this study was to determine the presence of heavy metals and arsenic in the confined wastes of the Morelia closed dump, in order to diagnose the affectation from the contaminants. Composition, degradation status and the presence of heavy metals were analyzed in samples of confined solid wastes from eight wells with different age of confinement. The results of this study ratify the contamination of the leachates of the site and are associated with the contamination of the water for human consumption in the area. The actual regulation does not apply in the case of urban solid waste, so it is crucial to regulate monitoring and management for correct decision-making during post-closure management.

LPA3 receptors were expressed in TREx HEK 293 cells, and their signaling and phosphorylation were studied. The agonist, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), increased intracellular calcium and ERK phosphorylation through pertussis toxin-insensitive processes. Phorbol myristate acetate, but not LPA, desensitizes LPA3-mediated calcium signaling. The agonists and the phorbol ester-induced LPA3 internalization. Pitstop 2 (clathrin heavy chain inhibitor) markedly reduced LPA-induced receptor internalization; in contrast, phorbol ester-induced internalization was only delayed. LPA induced rapid β-arrestin-LPA3 receptor association. The agonist and the phorbol ester induced marked LPA3 receptor phosphorylation, and phosphorylation sites were detected using mass spectrometry. Phosphorylated residues were detected in the intracellular loop 3 (S221, T224, S225, and S229) and in the carboxyl terminus (S321, S325, S331, T333, S335, Y337, and S343). Interestingly, phosphorylation sites are within sequences predicted to constitute β-arrestin binding sites. These data provide insight into LPA3 receptor signaling and regulation.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) type 3 (LPA3) receptor mutants were generated in which the sites detected phosphorylated were substituted by non-phosphorylatable amino acids. Substitutions were made in the intracellular loop 3 (IL3 mutant), the carboxyl terminus (Ctail), and both domains (IL3/Ctail). The wild-type (WT) receptor and the mutants were expressed in T-REx HEK293 cells, and the consequences of the substitutions were analyzed employing different functional parameters. Agonist- and LPA-mediated receptor phosphorylation was diminished in the IL3 and Ctail mutants and essentially abolished in the IL3/Ctail mutant, indicating that the main sites were substituted and distributed in both domains. The WT and mutant receptors increased intracellular calcium and ERK 1/2 phosphorylation in response to LPA and PMA. An increase in baseline ERK phosphorylation was detected in the IL3/Ctail mutant. LPA and PMA-induced receptor interaction with β-arrestin 2 and LPA3 internalization were severely diminished in the mutants. Mutant-expressing cells also exhibit increased baseline proliferation and response to different stimuli, which were inhibited by the antagonist Ki16425, suggesting a role of LPA receptors in this process. Migration in response to different attractants was markedly increased in the Ctail mutant, which the Ki16425 antagonist also attenuated.

Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is an important framework utilized worldwide to provide students and young people with accurate, affirming, and socially conscious sexuality education. However, there is still a lack of CSE curricula in school contexts that is relevant for students with various disabilities. This article takes the Ontario, Canada context as an example of where and how CSE can improve to be more inclusive for students with disabilities. This article reviews the current context of CSE in Ontario, Canada, including its controversies while providing recommendations for meeting the needs of students with various disabilities, including psychological, intellectual, and physical disabilities. This article aims to provide recommendations that are relevant for scholars, researchers, and policymakers in various international contexts for improving CSE for students with disabilities in schooling.

3,4-Dihydro-2(1H)-pyridones (3,4-DHPo) and their derivatives are privileged structures present in natural products, which has been increased its relevance due to its biological activity in front of a broad range of targets, but especially for its importance as synthetic precursors of a variety of compounds with marked biological activity. Taking into account the large number of contributions published over the years regarding this kind of heterocycle, here we presented a current view of 3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-pyridones (3,4-DHPo), which include general aspects such as those related to nomenclature, synthesis, and biological activity; but also highlighting the importance of DHPo as building blocks of other relevance structures.

Two distinct isolates of the facultative parasite, Tetrahymena rostrata were compared, identifying and utilising markers that are useful for studying clonal variation within the species. The mitochondrial genomes and several nuclear genes were determined using Illumina short read sequencing. The two T. rostrata isolates had similar morphology and were pathogenic for Deroceras reticulatum slugs. The linear mitogenomes had the gene content and organisation typical of the Tetrahymena genus, comprising 8 tRNA genes, 6 ribosomal RNA genes and 45 protein coding sequences (CDS), twenty-two of which had known function. The two isolates had nucleotide identity within common nuclear markers encoded within the histone H3 and H4 and small subunit ribosomal RNA genes and differed by only 2-4 nucleotides in a region of the characterised actin genes. Variation was observed in several mitochondrial genes and was used to determine intraspecies variation and may reflect the natural history of T. rostrata from different hosts or the geographic origins of the isolates.

The soil and water contamination by metals from hazardous waste confined with urban solid wastes, highlights the importance of enhance the monitoring of disposal sites once closed. It is common to fail to comply with the regulations on their location, operation and post-closure, and located in areas that affect the environment and the health of the population. In the closed dump of Morelia, contamination of the soil and groundwater by leachates with heavy metals in the water from supply wells has been reported. The objective of this study was to determine the presence of heavy metals and arsenic in the confined wastes of the Morelia closed dump, in order to diagnose the affectation from the contaminants. Composition, degradation status and the presence of heavy metals were analyzed in samples of confined solid wastes from eight wells with different age of confinement. The results of this study ratify the contamination of the leachates of the site and are associated with the contamination of the water for human consumption in the area. The actual regulation does not apply in the case of urban solid waste, so it is crucial to regulate monitoring and management for correct decision-making during post-closure management.

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2. In Colombia, many commercial methods are now available to perform the RT-qPCR assays, and the laboratories must evaluate its diagnostic accuracy to ensure reliable results to suspected COVID-19 patients. The purpose of the study was to compare four commercial RT-qPCR assays for detection of SARS-CoV2 virus, from nasopharyngeal swab samples referred to Laboratorio Carvajal IPS, SAS of Tunja, Boyacá - Colombia. Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 152 samples of respiratory tract samples (Nasopharyngeal Swab) from patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. Diagnostic accuracy of GeneFinderTM COVID-19 Plus RealAmp (In Vitro diagnostic), One-Step Real-Time RT-PCR (Vitro Master diagnostica), Berlin modified protocol and gold standard Berlin protocol (Berlin Charite Probe One-Step RT-qPCR Kit, New England Biolabs) as reference was assessed. Operational characteristics were estimated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, agreement, and predictive values. Results: Using Berlin Charite Probe One-Step RT-qPCR Kit as reference, the sensitivity/specificity for the diagnostic tests were found to be GeneFinderTM COVID-19 Plus RealAmp Kit 100%/92.7%, One-Step Real-Time RT-PCR, One-Step Real-Time RT-PCR 92.75%/67.47%, and Berlin modified protocol 100%/96.39%. The results of four commercially available methods were found to be consistent with those obtained from Berlin Modified protocol analysis for % of the samples and showed good agreement (κ= 0.96). Concordant SARS-CoV2 negative and positive RT-qPCR results were reported for xxx and xxx samples, respectively. Summarize something about the Ct. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that all commercially available methods are rapid and reliable for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 virus associated with COVID-19. One-Step RT-qPCR Kit and GeneFinderTM COVID-19 Plus RealAmp assay show optimal sensitivity compared with Belin modified protocol. In addition, there is no significant correlation between xxxxx

Introduction: Determination of radiological bone age (BA) is a diagnostic method that consists of estimating chronological age (CA) from the bone maturation of children. Although environmental and hormonal factors can interfere with bone ossification, the process is essentially dependent on ancestral inheritance. These ethnic backgrounds are not usually considered, which can lead to biased interpretations and inadequate decision-making by pediatricians or forensic experts. The objective of this study was to determine the precision and accuracy of these radiological procedures among different ethnic groups. Methods: A qualitative systematic review carried out following MOOSE statement and previously registered in the International Prospective Registry of Systematic Reviews PROSPERO (CRD42023449512). Search was performed in MEDLINE (PubMed) (n=561), Cochrane Library (n=261), CINAHL (n=103), Web of Science (WOS) (n=181) and public institutional repositories (n=37) from inception to 31st December 2022 using Mesh as “Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures”, “Diagnostic imaging”, “Radiography”, “Age Determination by Skeleton” and free terms combining with booleans “AND” and “OR”. PEDro scale, and Risk of Bias in non-randomized Studies of Exposure (ROBINS-E) were used to assess methodological quality and risk of bias of included studies respectively. Results: 51 articles (n=19,531) were included according to the inclusion criteria previously established. There was a good to moderate methodological quality and a high to very high risk of bias. Skeletal methods for determining BA were precised in terms of intra-observer and inter-observer reliability in all ethnic groups. Regarding to accuracy of Skeletal methods in Caucasians and Hispanic children, GPA was accurate at all ages, but in youths, TW3 RUS could be a consistent alternative. In Asian and Arab, GPA and TW3 overestimated BA in adolescents near adulthood. In African youths, GPA overestimated BA while TW3 was more accurate in estimating CA. Dental and Cervical radiographic methods are equally precise but lesser accurate than Skeletal BA determination. Conclusion: Skeletal radiographic methods GPA and TW3 are both precise for BA determination among all ethnical groups, but their accuracy in estimating CA can be altered by racial bias.

Background: Bacteria can survive antibiotic exposure by mechanisms like tolerance without a shift in antimicrobial susceptibility. In this study, we investigated the presence of tolerance to three antimicrobials, ceftriaxone (CRO), azithromycin (AZM), and ciprofloxacin (CIP), in clinical isolates and WHO reference panel of N. gonorrhoeae and explored the prevalence between urogenital and anorectal infection sites. Methods: We examined 66 N. gonorrhoeae clinical isolates, evenly divided between anorectal and urogenital infection sites, using a modified tolerance disk (TD test) for three antibiotics. The isolates underwent a three-step incubation process wherein the isolates were exposed to an antibiotic disc for 20 hours of incubation (Step I), followed by the replacement of the antibiotic disc with a nutrient disc for overnight incubation (Step II) and additional overnight incubation with extra nutrients (Step III). Results: Four isolates were lost due to contamination. Of 62 clinical isolates, 7 exhibited tolerance to AZM, with 6 from anorectal and 1 from urogenital sites (p = 0.0496). Tolerance to CRO was observed in 11 isolates, which was significantly associated with the infection site, with 9 from the anorectum, and 2 from the urogenital site being tolerant (p = 0.02). Tolerance to CIP was found in 11 isolates, but was not significantly associated with the infection site. Tolerance was also detected in 8 (K, M, N, O, P, U, V, W) out of the 14 WHO (World Health Organization) reference strains, with varying patterns of tolerance to CRO (n=8), CIP (n=2) and AZM (n=1). Conclusion: This study identified CRO, AZM, and CIP tolerance in clinical Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates. Significant variations in tolerance proportions between anorectal and urogenital infection sites, particularly for CRO, were observed. Additionally, tolerance was detected in WHO reference strains.

Background: Accurate estimation of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for guiding public health strategies. Underreporting from PCR-based testing, especially in low- and middle-income countries, often obscures the true extent of exposure and immunity to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2 among patients visiting hospital-based sentinel sites in Kenya's Rift Valley region following the Omicron wave. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study in four hospital-based sentinel sites among patients with acute respiratory infection symptoms. Patients aged six months or older visiting the sites between January 2022 and December 2022, presenting with symptoms of acute respiratory infection, were enrolled. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire. We used a quantitative ELISA kit to detect IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 S protein in serum samples. Results: Among 557 individuals enrolled in the study, the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 97.8% (n=545). Vaccinated individuals demonstrated significantly higher odds of seropositivity compared to unvaccinated counterparts, with an odds ratio of 3.33 (95% CI: (0.4, 27.87)). While seropositivity remained consistent across age groups, older adults exhibited the highest odds. Site-specific differences in enrolment and vaccination rates highlight potential access-related disparities. Conclusion: Our findings indicate widespread prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2 within the study region, underscoring the significant impact of both natural infection and vaccination efforts in driving SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence within the Rift Valley region. Despite the underestimation of infections and disparities in vaccination access, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of vaccination for conferring SARS-CoV-2 immunity. Targeted interventions are crucial to address accessibility barriers and vaccine hesitancy, ensuring equitable vaccination coverage.

Central metabolic pathways may play a major role in the virulence of pathogenic fungi. Here, we have investigated the susceptibility of a Candida parapsilosis mutant deficient in trehalase activity (atc1Δ/ntc1Δ strain) to the azolic compounds Fluconazole and Itraconazole. A time-course exposure to Itraconazole but not Fluconazole induced a significant degree of cell-killing in mutant cells compared to the parental strain. Flow cytometry determinations indicated that Itraconazole was able to induce a marked production of endogenous ROS together with a simultaneous increase in membrane potential, these effects being irrelevant after Fluconazole addition. Furthermore, only Itraconazole induced a significant synthesis of endogenous trehalose. The recorded impaired capacity of mutant cells to produce structured biofilms was further increased in the presence of both azoles, with Itraconazole being more effective than Fluconazole. Our results in the opportunistic pathogen yeast C. parapsilosis reinforce the study of trehalose metabolism as an attractive therapeutic target and allow extending the hypothesis that the generation of internal oxidative stress may be a component of the antifungal action exerted by the compounds currently available in medical practice.

Soil quality assessment based on crop yields and identification of key indicators of it can be used for better management of agricultural production. In the current research, the weighted additive soil quality index (SQIw), factor analysis (FA) and multiple linear regression (MLR) method are used to assess the soil quality of rainfed winter wheat fields with two soil orders on 53.20 km2 of agricultural land in western Iran. A total of 18 soil quality indicators were determined for 100 soil samples (0-20 cm depth) from two soil orders (Inceptisols and Entisols). The soil properties measured were: pH, soil texture, organic carbon (OC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), electrical conductivity (EC), soil microbial respiration (SMR), carbonate calcium equivalent (CCE), soil porosity (SP), bulk density (BD), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), mean weight diameter (MWD), available potassium (AK), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), available Fe (AFe), available Zn (AZn), available Mn (AMn), and available Cu (ACu). Mean wheat grain yield for the two years for all of the 100 sampling sites was also gathered. The SQIw was calculated using two weighting methods (FA and MLR) and maps were created using a digital soil mapping framework. The soil indicators taken in the minimum data set (MDS) were AK, clay, CEC, AP, SMR, and sand. The correlation between the MLR weighting technique (SQI-M) and the rainfed wheat yield (r=0.62) was slightly larger than that the correlation of yield with the FA weighted technique (SQI-F) (r=0.58). Results showed that the means of both SQI-M and SQI-F and rainfed wheat yield for Inceptisols were higher than for Entisols although these differences were not statistically significant. Both SQI-M and SQI-F showed that areas with Entisols had lower proportions of good soil quality grades (Grade I and II), and higher proportions of poor soil quality grades (Grade IV and V) compared to Inceptisols. Based on these results, soil type must be considered for soil quality assessment in future studies to maintain and enhance soil quality and sustainable production. The overall soil quality of the study region was of poor and moderate grades. To improve soil quality, it is therefore recommended that effective practices such as the implementation of scientific integrated nutrient management involving the combined use of organic and inorganic fertilizers in rainfed wheat fields be promoted.

Introduction: Infection of a wound during the thirty days after surgery is considered a surgical site infection (SSI). Because of lack of large studies or documented guidelines for SSI after surgery, we aimed to study risk factors and comorbidities that may lead to SSI.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in one month (May, 2023) included 111 patients. All patients underwent to either abdominal or urological surgeries. Inclusion criteria were: patients aged 18 or older, any type of abdominal or urological open surgery, and no documented history of infection at surgical site infection.Results: we found 24 (21.6 %) patients out of 111 developed SSI after surgery. Male predominance was clear in this study. The number of patients with age 40 years or less was 60 (54 %) and 10 of them developed SSI (14.2 %).Patients who stayed more than 24 hour of preoperative at hospital were less in number than patients who did not (36.9% vs. 63%; p=0.002) respectively. Patients with emergency procedure were 12 patients (10.8 %) in contrast to 99 patients (89.1 %) who underwent a planned surgery (p-value= 0.003). Conclusion: our study revealed a higher incidence of SSI after surgery. Older patients with comorbidities, preoperative stay, emergency surgery, male sex are all correlated to the developing SSI.

Background: Abdominal wall hernias are a common condition that is seen in daily general surgery patients. However, still more researches are needed to be conducted regarding hernias. The aim of this study is to see the prevalence of hernias among patients admitted to the Department of Surgery of a tertiary care center. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed among patients who admitted to the department of surgery in a tertiary care center between 1 August 2023 and 20 September 2023. All patients data were extracted to an excel sheet. Results: We had 760 patients who visited in this period. Only 272 patients (27.9 %) were diagnosed with hernias. We found 52.6 % of patients were male and 47.4 % of patients were female. The age between 46- 60 years old was the most to have hernias (97 patients). Inguinal hernias were the common among other types. Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, COPD, and hydrocele were found in 10.7 % of all patients. Conclusion: The prevalence of hernias in this study was nearly to other studies that conducted in the same conditions. Early diagnosis and patient’s education are the corner stone to prevent morbidities and mortalities.

Antibiotic-sparing treatments are required to prevent the further emergence of anti-microbial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Commensal Neisseria species have previously been found to inhibit the growth of pathogenic Neisseria species. For example, a previous study found that 3 out of 5 historical isolates of Neisseria mucosa could inhibit the growth of N. gonorrhoeae. In this study, we used agar overlay assays to assess if 24 circulating and historical isolates of Neisseria mucosa could inhibit the growth of 28 circulating and historical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae. Although pitting around each colony of N. mucosa created an optical illusion of decreased growth of N. gonorrhoeae, we found no evidence of inhibition (n=24). In contrast, positive controls of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Escherichia coli demonstrated a strong inhibitory effect against the growth of N. gonorrhoeae.

We used agar overlay assays to assess if 24 circulating and historical isolates of Neisseria mucosa could inhibit the growth of 28 circulating and historical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae. We found no evidence of inhibition by N. mucosa (n=24). Positive controls Streptococcus pneumoniae and Escherichia coli demonstrated a strong inhibitory effect against the growth of N. gonorrhoeae.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a leading form of human cardiovascular disease and commonly associated with systemic hypertension. Unique evolved adaptations in giraffe myocardia may be a natural animal model of resistance to HFpEF. In humans, pressure-overload induced left ventricular thickening (PLVT) impairs diastolic relaxation, elevates left atrial pressures and may progress to heart failure with symptoms including exercise intolerance. In healthy giraffe, the left ventricle thickens as developmental neck lengthening widens the vertical distance between the heart and head increasing pressures needed to maintain constant brain perfusion. Yet, diastolic relaxation and exercise capacity are unimpaired, a critical adaptation for prey species such as giraffe. The proximate mechanisms underlying this unique cardiovascular physiology are not yet characterized. Developmental PLVT in giraffe emerges as a species-specific evolved adaptation which offers a roadmap for identifying innovations in therapeutic and prevention strategies for HFpEF.

Despite the available literature on traumatic brain injury (TBI) biomarkers elsewhere, data are limited or non-existent in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The aim of the study was to analyse associations in acute TBI between admission serum biomarker concentrations and TBI severity, CT-scan findings and outcome as well as explore the influence of concurrent Toxoplasma gondii infection. Concentrations of serum biomarkers (GFAP, NFL Tau, UCH-L1, and S100B) were measured and Toxoplasma gondii detected in samples obtained <24 hours post-injury. The GOSE was used to evaluate 6 months outcome. All biomarkers levels increased with severity of TBI, but this increase was significant only for NFL (P=0.01). GFAP values significantly increased (P=0.026) in those with unfavorable outcome. Tau levels were higher in those who died (P=0.017). GFAP and NFL were sensitive to CT-scan pathology (p values respectively 0.004 and 0.002). S100B levels were higher (P<0.001) in TBI patients seropositive to Toxoplasma gondii. NFL was found to be sensitive to TBI severity while NFL and GFAP were predictive of CT intracranial abnormalities. Increased levels of GFAP and Tau were associated with poorer outcomes 6 months after TBI. S100B levels were significantly higher in T. gondii seropositive TBI patients.

The blood counts of α thalassemia carriers (α-thal) are similar to those of β thalassemia carriers, except for Hgb A2 that is not elevated. The objective of this study was to determine whether mathematical formulas are effective for detecting suspected α-thal. The data were obtained from the database of the prevention program for detecting couples at risk for having a child with hemoglobinopathy. RBC indices were analyzed using mathematical formulas and the sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) calculated. Among 1334 blood counts suspected α-thal analyzed, only the Shine&Lal and the Support Vector Machine formulas revealed high sensitivity and NPV. Sensitivity was 85.54 and 99.33% and NPV 98.93 and 99.93%, respectively. Molecular defects were found in 291, 81 had normal α genes. Molecular analysis was not performed in 962. Based on these results, mathematical formulas incorporating one of these reliable formulas for detecting suspected α or β thalassemia carriers in the program of the automatic analyzers can flag these results and increase the awareness of the primary physicians about the carrier risk and send an alert with a recommendation for further testing.

N-maleimide-derivatized phospholipids are often used to facilitate protein anchoring to membranes. In autophagy studies, this is applied to the covalent binding of Atg8, an autophagy protein, to a phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in the nascent autophagosome. However, the question remains on how closely the N-maleimide PE derivative (PE-mal) mimicks the native PE in the bilayer. In the present paper, spectroscopic and calorimetric techniques have been applied to vesicles containing either PE or PE-mal (together with other phospholipids) to compare the properties of the native and derivatized forms of PE. According to differential scanning calorimetry, and to infrared spectroscopy, the presence of PE-mal did not perturb the fatty acyl chains in the bilayer. Fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy showed that PE-mal did not alter bilayer permeability either. However, fluorescence emission polarization of Laurdan and DPH probes indicated an increased order, or decreased fluidity, in the bilayers containing PE-mal. In addition, infrared spectral data from the phospholipid phosphate region revealed a PE-mal-induced conformational change of the polar heads, accompanied by an increased hydration. Globally considered, the results suggest that PE-mal would be a reasonable substitute for PE in model membranes containing reconstituted proteins.

A novel drive current model covering the effects of source/drain voltage (VDS) and gate voltage (VGS) and incorporating drift and diffusion current on the surface channel at the nano-node level, especially beyond 28nm node is presented. The effect of the diffusion current added is more satisfactory to describe the behavior of the drive current in nano-node MOSFETs, fabricated with the atomic-layer-deposition (ALD) technology. This breakthrough in model establishment can expose the long and short channel devices together. Introducing the variables of VDS and VGS, the mixed current model more effectively and meaningfully demonstrates the drive current of MOSFETs under the operation of horizontal, vertical, or mixed electrical field. In comparison between the simulation and experimental consequences, the electrical performance is impressive. The error between both is less than 1%, better than the empirical adjustment to issue a set of drive current models.

Background: Commensal Neisseria species are part of the oropharyngeal microbiome and important for health, but also serve as a reservoir for antimicrobial resistance. Little is known about the prevalence of these species in the general population, how this varies by age and how antimicrobial susceptibility varies between species. Methods: We assessed the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Neisseria species in the parents (n=38) and children (n=50) of 35 families in Belgium.Results: Various commensal Neisseria (n=5) could be isolated from the participants. Most abundant were N. subflava and N. mucosa. N. subflava was detected in 77 of 88 (87.5%) individuals and N. mucosa in 64 of 88 (72.7%). N. mucosa was more prevalent in children (41/50 [82%]) than parents (23/38 [60.5%]; P<0.05), while N. bacilliformis was more prevalent in parents (7/36 [19.4%]) than children (2/50 [4%]; P<0.05). N. bacilliformis showed high ceftriaxone minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs; median MIC 0.5mg/L; IQR 0.38-0.75) and these high MICs explained the higher ceftriaxone MICs of all Neisseria isolates from the parents than the children. The median azithromycin MIC of all Neisseria isolates per individual was positively correlated with the median family MIC (rho=0.24; P=0.033). The same association was found for the analysis limited to N. subflava (rho=0.36; P=0.004) and N. mucosa (rho=0.30; P=0.027). Interpretation: The most abundant commensal Neisseria species found in this population were N. subflava and N. mucosa, of which the prevalence of N. mucosa varied by age. The prevalence of N. bacilliformis also varied by age and showed concerningly high ceftriaxone MICs which warrant further investigation. We found evidence of clustering of azithromycin, but not ceftriaxone, MIC by family.

The association between obesity and clinical as well as radiological outcomes in patients suffering non-traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) remains unclear. The obesity paradox suggests a protective effect regarding in-hospital mortality. This study evaluates the impact of body mass index (BMI) on functional long-term outcome and bleeding volume in patients with non-traumatic ICH. A retrospective cohort study including all consecutive patients with spontaneous ICH treated at a tertiary referral centre between December 2017 and June 2021, aged 80 years or younger (n = 218), were included. Patients were dichotomized into overweight (OW, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and normal weight (NW, BMI < 25 kg/m2). Functional outcomes were assessed by the modified Rankin scale (mRS), extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS-E) and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) at 1, 3, 6 and 12-months follow-up. Bleeding volumes were calculated as ABC/2. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to assess clinical predictors of favourable outcome in the long-term. Of 218 patients (66.04 ± 15.18 years) suffering non-traumatic ICH, 115 (52.75%) were OW (29.72 ± 3.82). Female sex (p = 0.1), NIHSS (p = 0.69), cardiovascular risk factors (p = 0.55), ICH volume (p = 0.19), and presence of anticoagulation (p = 0.67) did not significantly differ between the OW and NW cohort. At discharge, functional outcome did not significantly differ between both cohorts (NW, mRS 3.92 ± 2.54 vs. OW, mRS 3.21 ± 2.43, (p = 0.28)). Multivariate analysis revealed that haemorrhage volume (p = 0.01) was the only robust risk factor to predict functional outcome after 1 year. Our data suggests that in ICH patients, neither obesity nor patient’s age are negative predictors for functional outcome in the long-term. Instead, bleeding volume is a robust risk factor predicting poor functional status after ICH. Therefore, prospective randomized trials analysing this coherence are highly warranted.

Brucellosis is an infectious zoonosis that has huge economic and public health implications globally. The disease is prevalent in humans, livestock and wildlife in Sub Saharan Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted between 6th May 2017 and 31st July 2020 during which 1712 sera from 177 cattle herds in Southern, Western and Eastern provinces of Zambia was collected and screened against brucellosis. Rose Bengal Test and c-ELISA were used in serial testing for detection of antibodies against Brucella species. Results: A total of 127 animals and 37 herds tested positive, giving an overall individual and herd seroprevalence of 7.42% (CI: 0.61-0.86) and 20.9% respectively. Namwala district recorded the highest seroprevalence (12.2%) while Lundazi had the lowest (0%). A higher seropositivity was observed among female animals (8.5%), those aged between 11 and 17 years (14.1%) and pregnant cows (13.8%). Conclusions: Brucella seroprevalence among traditional cattle in Zambia remains high. It is vital that control programmes against bovine brucellosis are introduced in order to reduce its zoonotic impact on human health and increase animal production.

Increasing rates of infection by antibiotic resistant bacteria have led to a resurgence of interest in bacteriophage (phage) therapy. Several phage therapy studies in animals and humans have been completed over the last two decades. We conducted a systematic review of safety and toxicity data associated with phage therapy in both animals and humans reported in English-language publications from 2008 – 2021. Overall, 69 publications met our eligibility criteria including 20 animal studies, 35 clinical case reports or case series, and 14 clinical trials. After summarizing safety and toxicity data from these publications, we discuss potential approaches to optimizing safety and toxicity monitoring with the therapeutic use of phage moving forward. In our systematic review of the literature, we found few, but no serious, adverse events associated with phage therapy. Comprehensive and standardized reporting of potential toxicities associated with phage therapy has generally been lacking in the published literature. Structured safety and tolerability endpoints are necessary when phages are administered as anti-infective therapeutics.

The holistic approach of One Health, which sees human, animal, plant, and environmental health as a unit, rather than discrete parts, requires not only interdisciplinary cooperation, but standardized methods for communicating and archiving data, enabling participants to easily share what they have learned and allow others to build upon their findings.Ongoing work by NCBI and the GenomeTrakr project illustrates how open data platforms can help meet the needs of federal and state regulators, public health laboratories, departments of agriculture, and universities. Here we describe how microbial pathogen surveillance can be transformed by having an open access database along with Best Practices for contributors to follow. First, we describe the open pathogen surveillance framework, hosted on the NCBI platform. We cover the current community standards for WGS quality, provide an SOP for assessing your own sequence quality and recommend QC thresholds for all submitters to follow. We then provide an overview of NCBI data submission along with step by step details. And finally, we provide curation guidance and an SOP for keeping your public data current within the database. These Best Practices can be models for other open data projects, thereby advancing the One Health goals of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable (FAIR) data.

This study aimed to identify sociodemographic and health indicators of diet quality in pre-frail community-dwelling older adults. Pre-frail older adults are those at risk of progression to clinical manifestations of frailty and are targets for preventative intervention. We previously reported that pre-frail older adults have reasonably good overall diet quality. However, further analyses found low intake of energy, protein and several micronutrients. Methods: We collected detailed dietary intake from pre-frail (FRAIL scale 1-2) older adults using NZ Intake24, an online version of 24-hour multiple pass dietary recall. Diet quality was ascertained with the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I). We used regression Generalised Linear Models to determine predictors of diet quality and Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis to examine the complex relationships of predictors and identified profiles of sub-groups of older adults that predict diet quality. Results. The median age in this sample (n=468) was 80.0 years (77.0-84.0). Living with others, high deprivation index and a higher BMI were independent predictors of poorer diet quality. With CART analysis, we found that those with a BMI &gt;29 kg/m2, living with others and younger than 80 years were likely to have a lower diet quality. Conclusions: We found BMI, living arrangement and socioeconomic status were independent predictors of diet quality in pre-frail older adults, with BMI being the most important variable in this sample when the interacting relationships of these variables were considered. Future research is needed to determine the similarities and/or differences in the profile of subgroups of older adults with poorer diet quality.

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6 months of life improves the growth, health and survival status of newborns. Breastfeeding has been accepted as the most vital intervention for reducing infant mortality and ensuring optimal growth and development of children. Objectives: The general objective was to identify the factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding among working class women in selected wards in Egbedore Local Government in Osun state, Nigeria. Methodology: This was descriptive cross-sectional study. Leslie Kish formula was used for sample size calculation and multistage sampling was used in selecting 316 working class women for the study. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 and level of significance was set at 5%. Results: 58% of the respondents were between the ages of 25-30. 72% demonstrated good understanding of exclusive breastfeeding based on the 6 months WHO recommendation for exclusive breast feeding, 25.9% had a fair knowledge and awareness of exclusive breastfeeding. 63.3% of the working class mother has a good practice of exclusive breast feeding, 19.6% of the women moderately practices exclusive breastfeeding while 17.1% poorly practices exclusive breastfeeding. Less than 3-months maternity leave for mothers, lack of crèche closer to place of work and lack of breastfeeding break were identified as barriers to exclusive breastfeeding practices among the working class women. The findings demonstrated a significant relationship between knowledge and practices of exclusively breastfeeding among working class women (P-value .009). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that working class women had good knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding and this influenced their breastfeeding practices. A good knowledge was associated with favorable attitudes to the practice of exclusive breast feeding. To derive long-term benefits from early childhood nutrition, interventions should focus on health education and community-based sensitization programs on the needs for mothers to engage in exclusive breast needing for global development.

BODIPY dyes have recently raised attention as potential photosensitizers. In this work, commercial and novel photosensitizers (PSs) based on BODIPY chromophores (haloBODIPYs and orthogonal dimers strategically designed with intense bands in the blue, green or red region of the Visible spectra and high singlet oxygen production) were covalently linked to mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) further functionalized with PEG and folic acid (FA). MSNs of approximately 50 nm in size with different functional groups were synthesized to allow multiple alternatives of PS-PEG-FA decoration of their external surface. Different combinations varying the type of PS (commercial Rose Bengal, Thionine and Chlorine e6 or custom-made BODIPY-based), the linkage design and the length of PEG are detailed. All the nanosystems were physicochemically characterized (morphology, diameter, size distribution and PS loaded amount) and photophysically studied (absorption capacity, fluorescence efficiency, and singlet oxygen production) in suspension. For the most promising PS-PEG-FA silica nanoplatforms, the biocompatibility in dark conditions and the phototoxicity under suitable irradiation wavelengths (blue, green, or red) at regulated light doses (10-15 J/cm2) were compared with PSs free in solution in HeLa cells in vitro.

Introduction: Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease of autoimmune etiology that is highly prevalent in childhood. In the last decade, the possibility of using the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine for the treatment of this disease has been studied thanks to its immunomodulatory action . Objectives: The objective of this work is to carry out a systematic review of the available scientific evidence on the relationship between the tuberculosis vaccine and the treatment of diabetes in childhood. Secondarily, the aim is to study the incidence of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in a cohort of children from the Basque Country according to whether or not they have received the vaccine. Methods: An exhaustive bibliographic search has been carried out on the evidence available to date. For the epidemiological study in Euskadi, a comparison of accumulated incidences between vaccinated and unvaccinated population groups was made. Results: According to the literature analyzed, There is more and more evidence about the possible use of the tuberculosis vaccine in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. The results of our study were not conclusive, but we believe that it is necessary to continue with long-term studies to eliminate biases. Conclusions: The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine could be used for the treatment of autoimmune, allergic, infectious or oncological processes, although more studies are still necessary in this regard.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a non-AIDS-defining cancer closely tied to the chronic HIV infection and associated with the release of inflammatory cytokines, immune system dysfunction, and genetic alterations within mitochondria. However, our understanding of how these factors contribute to HCC risk in PLWH is limited. The objective of the study was to ascertain the differential secretion of cytokines and mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) deletion in PLWH, and individuals diagnosed with HCC without HIV. A cross-sectional study was conducted with PLWH and HCC participants from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from whole blood. The plasma samples were used to measure cytokines using ELISA and Luminex techniques. We determined mtDNA deletions from PBMCs. We found that the secretion of the cytokines TGF-β, FGF-2, IL-8, TNF-α, VEGF, and RANTES implicated in the pre-cancer, initiation, and early stages of HCC were similar in PLWH compared to HCC participants without HIV. PBMCs of PLWH exhibited high mtDNA deletion (60%) comparable to HCC participants without HIV (64%). These findings underscore the underlying risks associated with HCC development in PLWH. There is a need for HCC surveillance among PLWH and these cytokines could be used as biomarkers.

The primary aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of the Mediterranean diet (MD) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in Caucasian subjects between 35 and 74 years. The secondary aim is to analyze sex differences. Methods: A cross‑sectional trial. This study utilized data from the EVA, MARK, and EVIDENT studies, a total of 3417 subjects with a mean age of 60.14±9.14 years (57% men). MetS was defined based on the Joint Scientific Statement National Cholesterol Education Program III. Waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and lipid profile were measured. Adherence to the MD was assessed with the 14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) questionnaire used in the PREDIMED study. Good adherence was considered when the MD value was higher than the median value. Results: The mean value of the MEDAS questionnaire was 5.83±2.04; (Men 5.66±2.06 and women 6.04±1.99; p&lt;0.001). Adherence to the MD was observed by 38.6% (34.3% men and 40.3% women; p&lt;0.001). MetS was observed in 41.6% (39.0% men and 45.2%women p&lt;0.001). In the multiple regression analysis after adjusting for possible confounders, the mean MD value showed a negative association with the number of MetS components per subject (β=-0.336), and with the different components of MetS: Systolic blood pressure (β=-0.011), Diastolic blood pressure (β=-0.029), glycemia (β=-0.009), Triglycerides (β=-0.004), Waist circumference (β=-0.026), except with the HDL-cholesterol value which showed a positive association (β=0.021); (p&lt;0.001 in all cases). The adjusted logistic regression models showed that an increase in MDA decreases the probability of MetS (OR =0.56) and its components: blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg (OR = 0.63), fasting plasma glucose ≥100 mg/dL (OR = 0.62); triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL (OR = 0.65); waist circumference ≥88 cm in women and ≥102 cm in men (OR = 0.74), and increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol &lt;40 mg/dL in men or &lt;50 mg/dL in women (OR = 1.70); (p&lt;0.001 in all cases). The results by sex were similar, both in multiple regression and logistic regression. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that a greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet decreases the probability of presenting Mets globally and by sex.