Marek’s Disease (MD) has a significant impact on both the global poultry economy and animal welfare. The disease pathology can include neurological damage and tumour formation. Sexual dimorphism in immunity and known higher susceptibility of females to MD makes the chicken Z chromosome (GGZ) a particularly attractive target to study the chicken MD response. Previously, we used a Hy-Line F6 population from a full-sib advanced intercross line to map MD QTL regions (QTLRs) on all chicken autosomes. Here we mapped MD QTLRs on GGZ in the previously utilized F6 population with individual genotypes and phenotypes, and in eight elite commercial egg production lines with daughter-tested sires and selective DNA pooling (SDP). Four MD QTLRs were found from each analysis. Some of these QTLRs overlap regions from previous reports. All QTLRs were tested by indiviuals from the same eight lines used in the SDP and genotyped with markers located within and around the QTLRs. All QTLRs were confirmed. The results exemplify the complexity of MD resistance in chickens and the complex distribution of P-values and LD pattern and their effect on localization of the causative elements. Considering the fragments and interdigitated LD blocks while using LD to aid localization of causative elements, one must look beyond the insignificant markers, for possible distant markers and blocks in high LD with the significant block. The QTLRs found here may explain at least part of the gender differences in MD tolerance, and provide targets for mitigating the effects of MD.

Heat stress results in significant economic losses to the poultry industry. Genetics plays an important role in chickens adapting to the warming environment. Physiological parameters, including hematochemical parameters, change in response to heat stress in chickens. To explore the genetics of heat stress resilience in chickens, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using Hy-Line Brown (HLB) layer chicks treated with either high ambient temperature or combined high temperature and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection. Hematochemical parameters were measured during three treatment phases: acute heat stress, chronic heat stress, and chronic heat stress combined with NDV infection. Significant changes in blood parameters were recorded for 11 parameters across the three treatments. The GWAS revealed 39 significant SNPs (P < 0.05) for 7 parameters, located on Gallus gallus chromosomes (GGA) 1, 3, 4, 6, 11, and 12. The significant genomic regions were further investigated to examine if the genes within the regions were associated with the corresponding traits under heat stress. A candidate gene list including genes in the identified genomic regions that were also differentially expressed in chicken tissues under heat stress was generated. Understanding the correlation between genetic variants and resilience to heat stress is an important step in improving heat tolerance in poultry.

This study evaluates eight-year ownership costs for battery electric vehicles (BEV) versus non-plugin hybrid vehicles using forecasting to estimate future electricity and conventional gasoline prices and incorporating these in a multiple design of experiments simulation. Results suggest that while electric vehicles are statistically dominant in terms of variable costs over an 8-year life-span, high-performance hybrid non-plugins achieve variable fuel costs nearly as good as low-performing electric vehicles (those attaining only 3 miles per kilowatt hour) and that these hybrid acquisition costs are (on average) lower yet the vehicles retain higher residual values. In general, the six smallest ownership costs are split evenly between hybrid and electric vehicles; however, inflation for conventional regular gasoline is estimated to outstrip inflation per kilowatt hour. Thus, non-plugin hybrid cars are likely to require considerably more advanced engineering to keep pace.

Alzheimer's is a disease for which there is no cure. Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease (AD) early facilitates family planning and cost control. The purpose of this study is to predict the presence of AD using socio-demographic, clinical, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data. Early detection of AD enables family planning and may reduce costs by delaying long-term care. Accurate, non-imagery methods also reduce patient costs. The Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS-1) cross-sectional MRI data were analyzed. A gradient boosted machine (GBM) predicted the presence of AD as a function of gender, age, education, socioeconomic status (SES), and Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE). A Residual Network with 50 layers (ResNet-50) predicted CDR presence and severity from MRI's (multi-class classification). The GBM achieved a mean 91.3% prediction accuracy (10-fold stratified cross validation) for dichotomous CDR using socio-demographic and MMSE variables. MMSE was the most important feature. ResNet-50 using image generation techniques based on an 80% training set resulted in 98.99% three class prediction accuracy on 4,139 images (20% validation set) at Epoch 133 and nearly perfect multi-class predication accuracy on the training set (99.34%). Machine Learning methods classify AD with high accuracy. GBM models may help provide initial detection based on non-imagery analysis, while ResNet-50 network models might help identify AD patients automatically prior to provider review.

Pathogenic water-borne protozoa and helminths sometimes cause debilitating infections in children and immunocompromised people, and the poorest of the poor communities living adjacent to wildlife protected areas in sub-Saharan Africa are at risk. This study aimed to assess the existence of protozoan cysts/ trophozoites, and helminth eggs in fresh surface and piped tap water utilised by locals and tourists in the Queen Elizabeth Protected Area (QEPA) in western Uganda. Water samples were taken from natural (environmental) sources and domestic water sources (piped tap water). The samples were analysed for helminth eggs, free-living amoeba (FLA) trophozoites, Cryptosporidium oocysts, and Giardia cysts. The parasites were examined under the microscope, after which they were identified, counted, and recorded. The overall prevalence of the protozoan parasites, from highest to lowest, were: FLA (56.6%), Cryptosporidium spp. (38.2%), Giardia spp. (36.5%), Eimeria spp. (20.3%), and Paramecium spp. (2.7%). Similarly, helminth parasite prevalence was: Strongyle (38.2%), Ascaris spp. (33.3%), Trematodes (25%), Strongyloides (10.5), Toxocara spp. (8.3%), and Capillaria spp. (3.2%). Necessary steps should be taken to improve the water quality in QEPA.

Proposed fundamental laws of biology and a model of health and disease underscore the importance of the lymphatic system. The lymphatics are responsible for two of the laws of biology and the fulcrum of health and disease balancing proliferation with regeneration through the immune system. It is responsible for protection from the environment and repair of senile and damaged tissue. Life is constantly bombarded by forces that increase entropy. Lymphatics provide negative entropy to maintain health. Lymphatics help maintain cellular homeostasis removing products of metabolism. Using these principles, the role of lymphatics is investigated in salt sensitivity hypertension, cardiorenal system, the new pillar of heart failure and kidney disease - Sodium-Glucose Transport Protein 2 (SGLT2) Inhibitors, and brain diseases. The realization of organ lymphatics in maintenance of health and disease opens the avenue to new therapeutics. This is the unrealized potential of lymphatic study.

The number one leading cause of death in 2017 for Americans was cardiovascular disease, and health disparities can exacerbate risks. This study evaluates the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n=437,436) to estimate population risks for behavioral, socio-economic, psychological, and biological factors. A general linear model with a quasi-binomial link function indicated higher risks for the following groups: smokers, individuals with higher body-mass index scores, persons unable to work, individuals with depression, workers who missed more days due to mental issues, the elderly, those in race categories “indigenous Americans, Alaskan non-Hispanics” or “other, non-Hispanic,” and individuals with lower income. The results confirm previous studies and raise more questions about drinking and cardiovascular disease. Policy and ethical considerations are also discussed.

The Metropolitan Economic Freedom Index (MEFI) ranks cities based on their support of free market enterprise. In its current state, MEFI purports to measure three constructs (government spending, taxation, and labor market freedom) with three equally weighted variables for each one, assuming perfect substitutability of variables. This study investigates the statistical consistency of MEFI through Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Multiple models investigate current variable selection by providing a potentially better indicator of labor market freedom, aggregation assumptions by removing the requirements for fixed and equal weights, and statistical consistency by evaluating the fit between the data and models. Results indicate that the current MEFI model is not statistically consistent with the data, that weighting of variables should not be equal, that variable selection should be investigated, and that constructs should be re-imagined. The models investigated provide an initial starting point for redefining MEFI.

Systematic traders employ algorithmic strategies to manage their investments. As a result of the deterministic nature of such strategies, it is possible to determine their exact responses to any conceivable set of market conditions. Consequently, sensitivity analysis can be conducted to systematically uncover undesirable strategy behavior and enhance strategy robustness by adding controls to reduce exposure during periods of poor performance / unfavorable market conditions or increase exposure during periods of strong performance / favorable market conditions. In this study, we formulate both a simple systematic trend-following strategy (i.e., trading model) to simulate investment decisions, and a market model to simulate the evolution of instrument prices. We then map the relationship between market model parameters under various conditions and strategy performance. We focus, in particular, on identifying the performance impact of changes in both serial dependence in price variability and changes in the trend. The long-range serial dependence of the true range worsens performance of the simple classic trend-following strategy. During periods of strong performance, the dispersion of trading outcomes increases significantly as long-range serial dependence increases.

In 2014, a whistleblower reported that many U.S. veterans died while waiting for care at the Phoenix VHA. Problems with veteran’s care through 2018 reveal ongoing and systematic problem. In March 2018, the VA Inspector General identified critical deficiencies at the Washington, DC VA Medical Center including failures to track patient safety events accurately, ineffective sterile processing, and more than 10 thousand open or pending prosthetic / sensory aid consults. The VHA clearly has problems with access and quality in a budget-constrained environment. In this policy analysis, four separate interventions that address the gap between the magnitude as well as the use of the VHA’s fixed budget versus access and cost expectations are explored. These policy interventions include maintaining the status quo, returning to a “VHA-only” option, transitioning to a CMS central payer system, and consolidating care under the DoD TRICARE insurance plans. An objective evaluation suggests that extending TRICARE to veterans while phasing out the VHA’s care responsibilities, while politically unpalatable, would likely provide the best of four possible solutions under various criterion weighting schemes. A central payer solution under the CMS would also be viable consideration. A Friedman’s test with Wilcoxon rank sum post-hoc tests suggests that TRICARE patient perceptions of quality are superior to VHA and non-VHA / non-DoD (p<.001), that access provided by the TRICARE program is ranked second in terms of venue acceptance only to the CMS solution set based on primary provider acceptance, and that the cost per beneficiary of a TRICARE solution ($6.5K / beneficiary) is far better than a VHA-only solution ($14.0 K / beneficiary), the CMS central payer solution ($12.2K / beneficiary), or the status quo (between $12.2K and $14.0K / beneficiary). The intent of this paper is to provoke thoughtful consideration of solutions for providing access to high-quality healthcare for veterans within our outside of the VHA. In this policy analysis, separate interventions that address the gaps between cost, quality, and access are explored. These policy interventions include maintaining the status quo, returning to a VHA-only option, transitioning to a CMS central payer system, and consolidating care under TRICARE.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a disruptive technology in various areas, and medicine is no exception. In the last decade, there has been rapid progress in the application of AI in healthcare, from diagnosing and prognosticating diseases to improving operational efficiency in hospitals. This literature review explores the advances of artificial intelligence in the field of medicine, discusses its benefits, and discusses the ethical and regulatory challenges that need to be addressed to maximize its potential.

We explores the relational, dynamic elements of Complex Buildings, a type of architecture designed to incubate uses, located in urban areas with high housing density. The uses of Complex Buildings concern different elements, including the network of agents using or managing them, the environment, and the activities and functions that take place occasionally, temporarily or permanently. Data was gathered through ethnographic research lasting 6 months and a chronotopian approach was used to describe time and space. We analyzed and discussed the interaction of the elements of Complex Buildings through a cellular automaton model, a computational method that simulates the growth of complex systems. It was used here to generate patterns that suggest configurations of uses that can optimize management and therefore increase economic and social capital. The cellular automaton model was also used to develop an abstraction of the Centquatre, a public cultural center in Paris. This center is a good example of a Complex Building, being based on a public-private partnership and having an architectural configuration designed to host a wide range of art, social and productive activities. The building includes a large central space used as an urban public area open to different types of people. The importance of this case study lies in its capacity to produce economic value by combining different uses, and also by welcoming different people to the public space. Regarding the building as a living organism, the cellular automaton model reveals the determinant nature of the concepts of configuration, compatibility of uses and economic value generated by the presence of people. We argue that this approach makes it possible to show that the space-time design and public space dimensions are determinant factors in Complex Buildings.

Solid state fermentation (SSF) is considered more sustainable than traditional fermentation because it uses low amounts of water and transforms agro-industrial residues into value added products. Enzymes, biofuels, nanoparticles and bioactive compounds can be obtained from SSF. The key factor in SSF processes is the choice of microorganisms and their substrates. Many fungal species can be used and are mainly used due their lower requirements of water, O2 and light. Residues rich in soluble and insoluble fiber are utilized by lignocellulolytic fungi because they have the enzymes that break fiber hard structure (lignases, celullases or hemicelullases). During the hydrolysis of lignin, some phenolic compounds are released but fungi also synthetize compounds such as mycophenolic acid, dicerandrol C, phenylacetates, anthraquinones, benzofurans and alkenyl phenols that have health beneficial effects such as antitumoral, antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiviral activities. Another important group of compounds synthetized by fungi during fermentation are polysaccharides that also have important health promoting properties. Fungal biofermentation has also proved to be a process which can release high contents of phenolics and it also increases the bioactivity of these compounds.

The question of building sustainable in a geographical locality is inexorably linked to cost. In 2011, one of the authors built a sustainable house that was (at the time) the highest certified sustainable home based on the National Association of Home Builder’s standards for sustainable construction. This Texas house has been used for residential and research purposes for the past decade. In this case study, the authors evaluate components of the construction and their effectiveness as well as unseen secondary and tertiary effects. Some of the specific components discussed are home site placement; rainwater harvesting (100% of residential requirements); aerobic septic system; grid-tied solar array power; electric car charging; geothermal heating and cooling; reclaimed wood framing; spray foam installation; selection of windows, fixtures, and appliances; on-demand electric water heaters for guest areas; generator backups; and use of local items. Electric bills and water system improvements are discussed in detail, as improvements were made as part of residential and research requirements. This case study suggests that the financial outlay is worth the extra up-front costs if residents in this geographical area and climate will occupy the residence 7 years.

Background: As the opioid epidemic continues, understanding the geospatial, temporal and demand patterns is important for policymakers to assign resources and interdict individual, organization, and country-level bad actors. Methods: GIS geospatial-temporal analysis and extreme-gradient boosted random forests evaluate ICD-10 F11 opioid-related admissions and admission rates using geospatial analysis, demand analysis, and explanatory models, respectively. The period of analysis was January 2016 through September 2018. Results: The analysis shows existing high opioid admissions in Chicago and New Jersey with emerging areas in Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. High rates of admission (claims per 10,000 population) exist in the Appalachian area and on the Northeastern seaboard. Explanatory models suggest that hospital overall workload and financial variables might be used for allocating opioid-related treatment funds effectively. Gradient-boosted random forest models accounted for 87.8% of the variability of claims on blinded 20% test data. Conclusions: Based on the GIS analysis, opioid admissions appear to have spread geographically, while higher frequency rates are still found in some regions. Interdiction efforts require demand-analysis such as that provided in this study to allocate scarce resources for supply-side and demand-side interdiction: prevention, treatment, and enforcement. Based on GIS analysis, the opioid epidemic is likely to spread or diffuse through the country, and interdiction efforts require demand-analysis such as that provided in this study to allocate scarce resources for supply-side and demand-side interdiction: prevention, treatment, and enforcement.

Cigarette butts, also known as tobacco product waste (TPW), are the single most collected item in environmental trash cleanups worldwide. This study used an online survey tool (Qualtrics) to assess knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about this issue among individuals representing the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA). The FCA has about 683 members on its listserv, including non-governmental tobacco control advocacy groups that support implementation of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Respondents (n = 65) represented countries from all six WHO regions. The majority (82%) had heard the term TPW, and all considered TPW as an environmental harm at some level. Additionally, 29% of respondents failed to identify that “cigarette filters make smoking easier.” Most (73%) correctly identified TPW components; however, fewer (60%) correctly identified the composition of cigarette butts. The majority (57%) were unfamiliar with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Product Stewardship (PS) as possible environmental intervention strategies. Respondents expressing opinions concurred that adding a litter fee to fund TPW programs will aid in reducing tobacco use and reduce the environmental impacts of TPW (100%); that prevention, reduction, and mitigation of TPW could be an important part of international tobacco control programs (98%); and that banning smoking in outdoor venues could reduce TPW (95%). Only 16% reported effective prevention or clean-up efforts in their countries. Weighted rankings revealed that respondents’ saw the national government, the tobacco industry, and state governments as most important in addressing TPW. The results of this research will inform continuing international discussions by the FCTC Conference of the Parties (COP) regarding environmental policies that may be addressed within FCTC obligations.

Background. COVID-19 efforts were often ineffective in controlling the spread of the pandemic. Identifying ineffective controls during a pandemic is thus vital. Method. Utilizing publicly available data on COVID deaths in the counties of US states, we create an index to capture and interpret ineffectiveness in the efforts to reduce the spread of the pandemic in US counties. This index is based on the Intervened Poisson Distribution (IPD) introduced originally by Shanmugam. Motivation for the research idea occurred while we noticed the data dispersion of the COVID deaths is smaller than the average only in some counties. Under-dispersed data is common in statistical modeling. A novel approach we adapted in this article includes the estimation of an intervention parameter estimated through iterative non-linear optimization. Results. Twenty-five counties in California, Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Texas, and Utah were found to be ineffective in controlling for fatalities based on the expected probability distribution. A review of the policies enacted in these areas would provide insight into ineffective prevention efforts, and some of these issues are documented in current literature. Conclusion. The IPD index an innovate way to document efficacy of interventions during pandemics. The IPD may identify ineffective efforts prior to statistical models intended to evaluate efficacy of efforts.

Breast cancer poses a global health challenge, yet the influence of ethnicity on the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains understudied. In this investigation, we examined immune cell infiltration in 230 breast cancer samples, emphasizing diverse ethnic populations. Leveraging tissue microarrays (TMAs) and core samples, we applied multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) to dissect immune cell subtypes across TME regions. Our analysis revealed distinct immune cell distribution patterns, particularly enriched in aggressive molecular subtypes triple-negative and HER2-positive tumors. We observed significant correlations between immune cell abundance and key clinicopathological parameters, including tumor size, lymph node involvement, and patient overall survival. Notably, immune cell location within different TME regions showed varying correlations with clinicopathologic parameters. Additionally, ethnicities exhibited diverse distributions of cells, with certain ethnicities showing higher abundance compared to others. In TMA samples, patients of Chinese and Caribbean origin displayed significantly lower numbers of B cells, TAMs, and FOXP3-positive cells. These findings highlight the intricate interplay between immune cells and breast cancer progression, with implications for personalized treatment strategies. Moving forward, integrating advanced imaging techniques, and exploring immune cell heterogeneity in diverse ethnic cohorts can uncover novel immune signatures and guide tailored immunotherapeutic interventions, ultimately improving breast cancer management.

In 2016, the global environmental impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was 49.3 gigatons CO₂ equivalent. Worldwide, the transportation sector is responsible for 14% of GHG. Electric vehicles (EV) powered by less-polluting energy sources are one way to reduce the environmental impact of the transportation sector, but immediate transportation demands cannot be met by existing EV technology. Use of less polluting biofuel in place of petroleum-based gasoline or diesel fuel to power the existing transportation fleet is a widely accepted transitional solution, including in the Republic of Korea. The purpose of this research is to investigate approaches to biofuels in the US and the UK in order to evaluate Korea’s current energy policies related to use of biofuels and to make recommendations for strengthening Korea’s energy policy. This article addresses only policies for use of biodiesel rather than ethanol (widely used in the US) because ethanol is not used in Korea. This research shows that Korea calculates GHG using the principle that biofuel is carbon neutral, but energy policies in the US and the UK treat biofuel as not entirely carbon neutral. Korea should examine how to calculate GHG from biodiesel according to the standard set by the UK in order to work toward a more environmentally sustainable energy policy.

Background: Grades in clinical courses matter. They are often used to determine clinical academic awards, scholarships, and—most importantly—interns’ suitability for graduate medical education opportunities. Aware of these stakes, clinic preceptors may feel pressure to grade too leniently or uniformly. A fair method of adjusting for differences in preceptor bias is then needed. Approach: The authors propose a technique that employs the advantages of both criterion- and normative-based grading to adjust for differences in both grader leniency and uniformity. Evaluation: The technique produces fair adjustments to any raw assign grades, and the authors demonstrate how easily this process can be administered in any clinical setting where multiple preceptors are evaluating interns. Implications: This work provides a grading framework that is transparent to all stakeholders but places responsibilities at the appropriate level. That is, clinic performance evaluations are left to clinic preceptors but grading to clinic academic managers.

COVID-19 is a potentially fatal viral infection. This study investigates geography, demography, socioeconomics, health conditions, hospital characteristics, and politics as potential explanatory variables for death rates at the state and county levels. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Census Bureau, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Definitive Healthcare, and USAfacts.org were used to evaluate regression models. Yearly pneumonia and flu death rates (state level, 2014-2018) were evaluated as a function of the governors’ political party using repeated measures analysis. At the state and county level, spatial regression models were evaluated. At the county level, we discovered a statistically significant model that included geography, population density, racial and ethnic status, three health status variables along with a political factor. State level analysis identified health status, minority status, and the interaction between governors’ parties and health status as important variables. The political factor, however, did not appear in a subsequent analysis of 2014-2018 pneumonia and flu death rates. The pathogenesis of COVID-19 has greater and disproportionate effect within racial and ethnic minority groups, and the political influence on the reporting of COVID-19 mortality was statistically relevant at the county level and as an interaction term only at the state level.

This publicly available simulation analysis compares baseline construction options versus sustainable options and evaluates both break-even costs as well as environmental effects. The simulation (https://rminator.shinyapps.io/sustain4/) provides users with comparative estimates based upon existing research on costs. This is the first simulation of its type that quantifies multiple sustainable construction options, associated break-even points, and environmental considerations for public use. Results estimate that a 100% solar solution for the baseline 3,000 square foot / 279 square meter house with 2 occupants results in a break-even of 9 years. The simulation includes options for rainwater harvesting or wells, Icynene foam, engineered lumber, Energy Star windows and doors, low flow water fixtures, aerobic / non-aerobic waste treatment or municipal services, and many other options. This is the first simulation of its type to provide publicly available sustainable construction analysis based on research, and it illustrates that sustainable construction might be both green for the environment and green for the pocketbook.

Back pain is a common symptom that affects all age groups across the globe, when left untreated may eventually lead to disability. A convenient sample selection method was used in this study due to the global Covid-19 pandemic lockdown which was effective in Turkey during the investigation period. Thus, virtual data collection and health education including some health risks were employed. A total population of two hundred adult women was involved in the study but one hundred and twenty-one responses were collected. Findings show that, for socio-demographic characteristics, the pain was found highest in women between the ages of 41-50 and obese/overweight individuals. Although, there was no significant difference recorded in the marital status category. Moreover, statistical mean differences were detected between the scales for ODI (4.18) and BPFS (6.09). Also, p<0.05, paired sample t-test was 0.001 ODI and 0.001 BPFS after the training exercise. This suggests that exercise training is inversely correlated with pain severity which implies that training has a significant influence on pain intensity. Thus, it could be concluded that there is a relationship between the training exercise and ODI/BPFS.

The evolution of sentence representation learning, especially with parse tree encoders, has shown remarkable progress. Traditional approaches predominantly rely on recursive encoding of tree structures, which impedes parallel processing capabilities. Additionally, these methods often overlook the significance of dependency tree arc labels. To overcome these limitations, we introduce the Syntax-Enhanced Transformer (SET), incorporating a novel dual-attention mechanism that integrates relation-focused attention alongside traditional self-attention. This design effectively encodes both dependency and spatial positional relationships within sentence dependency trees. Our approach innovatively incorporates syntactic information into the Transformer framework without compromising its inherent parallelizability. The SET demonstrates superior or comparable performance to contemporary methods across various sentence representation tasks, significantly enhancing computational efficiency.

Gut microbiota plays a critical role in physiological regulation throughout life and is specifically modified to meet the demands of individual life stages and during pregnancy. Maternal gut microbiota is uniquely adapted to the pregnancy demands of the mother and the developing fetus. Both animal studies in pregnant germ-free rodents and human studies have supported a critical association between the composition of maternal microbiota during pregnancy and fetal development. Gut microbiota may also contribute to the development of the fetal gut-brain axis (GBA), which is increasingly recognized for its critical role in health and disease. Most studies consider birth as the time of GBA activation and focus on postnatal GBA development. This review focuses on GBA development during the prenatal period and the impact of maternal gut microbiota on fetal GBA development. It is hypothesized that adaptation of maternal gut microbiota to pregnancy is critical for the GBA prenatal development and maturation of GBA postnatally. Consequently, factors affecting maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy, such as maternal obesity, diet, stress and depression, infection, and medication, also affect fetal GBA development and are critical for GBA activity postnatally. Altered maternal gut microbiota during gestation has been shown to have long-term impact postnatally and multigenerational effects. Thus, understanding the impact of maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy on fetal GBA development is crucial for managing fetal, neonatal, and adult health, and should be included among public health priorities.

Over the last decades, microalgal biomass has gained a significant role in the development of different high-end (nutraceuticals, colorants, food supplements, and pharmaceuticals) and low-end products (biodiesel, bioethanol, and biogas) due to rapid growth and high carbon fixing efficiency. Therefore, microalgae are considered a useful and sustainable resource to attain energy security while reducing our current reliance on fossil fuels. From the technologies available for obtaining biofuels using microalgae biomass, thermochemical processes (pyrolysis, HTL, gasification) have proven to be processed with higher viability, because they use all biomass. However, because of the complexity of the biomass (lipids, carbohydrates , and proteins), the obtained biofuels from direct thermochemical conversion have large amounts of heteroatoms (oxygen, nitrogen , and sulfur). As a solution, catalyst-based processes have emerged as a sustainable solution for the increase in biocrude production. This paper's objective is to present a comprehensive review of recent developments on catalyst mediated conversion of algal biomass. Special attention will be given to operating conditions, strains evaluated, and challenges for the optimal yield of algal-based biofuels through pyrolysis and HTL.

Over the last decades, microalgal biomass has gained a significant role in the development of different high-end (nutraceuticals, colorants, food supplements, and pharmaceuticals) and low-end products (biodiesel, bioethanol, and biogas) due to rapid growth and high carbon fixing efficiency. Therefore, microalgae are considered a useful and sustainable resource to attain energy security while reducing our current reliance on fossil fuels. From the technologies available for obtaining biofuels using microalgae biomass, thermochemical processes (pyrolysis, HTL, gasification) have proven to be processed with higher viability, because they use all biomass. However, the biocrudes obtained from direct thermochemical conversion have substantial quantities of heteroatoms (oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur) due to the complexity of the biomass's content of chemical components (lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins). As a solution, catalyst-based processes have emerged as a sustainable solution for the increase in biocrude production. This paper's objective is to present a comprehensive review of recent developments on catalyst mediated conversion of algal biomass. Special attention will be given to operating conditions, strains evaluated, and challenges for the optimal yield of algal-based biofuels through pyrolysis and HTL.

Throughout the eukaryotic tree of life, amoeboid organisms have evolved that aggregate upon starvation and form multicellular fruiting bodies, consisting of a ball of spores atop a stalk. This chapter discusses the remarkable convergent evolution of a stalked fruiting body in these different taxa. It then discusses a well-studied group of aggregative fruiters, the cellular slime molds, in more detail. These organisms exhibit substantial variation in their stalk formation and composition, which allows a better understanding of the evolution, maintenance and possible functions of stalked fruiting bodies, but also points to potential costs and benefits of different types of stalks.

This systematic review followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement to synthesizes the existing literature with a goal to review current conceptual frameworks of mental health of forced migrants for further practice research priorities in social work. The search was done between January 2015 to January 2021. As a result, 29 studies met inclusion criteria. Medicalizing mental health issues by relying solely on the effectiveness of medicine was a controversial risk factor that negatively affected the daily life activities of refugees and reduced their willingness for seeking professional mental health services. Empowering vulnerable minorities by giving them back their power and agency to be able to speak for themselves and raise voices of trauma and recovery was the missing protective factor for sustainable mental health practice. The benefits of group-based interventions are highlighted in which communities and individuals address mental health issues as well as isolation through building collective identities and support networks. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can add more strength to any kind of mental health intervention. Finally, the benefits of applying ecological perspective for the mental health of refugees, and its implications for a sustainable intercultural practice are discussed. Social workers in this model are the representatives of at-risk groups, thus need more agency and creativity in reflecting client’s concrete needs.

Worldwide initiatives currently aim to reduce free sugar intakes, but success will depend on consumer attitudes towards sugar and the alternatives. This work aimed to explore attitudes towards sugar, sweeteners and sweet-tasting foods in the general public of the UK, including attitudes towards personal consumption and related policies. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 34 adults (7 males, ages: 18-65 years). Thematic analysis identified six themes: ‘Value’ (e.g. pleasure, emotions), ‘Angle’ (e.g. disinterest), ‘Personal Relevance’ (to be concerned and/or change one’s own behaviour), ‘Personal Responsibility’ (one has an active relationship with these food items), ‘Understanding’ (the acquisition, comprehension and application of information surrounding these food items) and ‘It’s Not Up to Me’ (a passive approach towards these food items, because intake is subjected to other factors). Both positive and negative attitudes towards sugar, sweeteners and sweet-tasting foods were expressed in all themes, largely dependent on the individual. Potential strategies for reducing free sugar intakes were also reported, but differences in likely value were suggested by different individuals. Future work should assess associations between attitudes and intakes. For greatest population benefit, evidence of the dominant attitudes in those in greatest need of reduced free sugar intakes would be of value.

The impact of organizational accreditation and professional certification and the evidence-based measurable impact of those for both academic programs and affiliates is one of specific interest to universities and individuals in the healthcare management field [1]. The authors’ analysis examined the impact of hiring graduates from higher education programs that held external accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). Graduates’ affiliation with the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) professional healthcare leadership organization was also assessed as an independent variable. Study outcomes focused on these graduates’ respective healthcare organization’s performance measures (cost, quality, and access) to assess the researchers’ inquiry into the perceived value of a CAHME-accredited graduate degree in healthcare administration and a professional ACHE affiliation [2]. The results from this study found no effect of CAHME accreditation or ACHE affiliation on healthcare organization performance outcomes. The study findings support the need for future research surrounding healthcare administration professional graduate degree program characteristics and leader development affiliations, as perceived by various industry stakeholders.

Utilising Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) as a case example, this report will provide information about the strategic challenges that many modern universities in the UK face in creating a flexible delivery of education. Using strategic concepts and analysis, the current short report will examine the competitiveness within the higher education sector in the UK and explore key external and internal environmental factors of CCCU, gaining a greater understanding of their current position. From these analyses, strategic recommendations as to how universities such as CCCU can create a competitive advantage through a new form of flexible learning delivery.

The art of observing and describing behaviors has driven diagnosis and informed basic science in Psychiatry. In recent times, studies of mental illness are focused on understanding the brain’s neurobiology but there is a paucity of information on the potential contributions from peripheral activity to mental health. In Precision Medicine, this common practice leaves a gap between bodily behaviors and genomics that we here propose to address with a new layer of inquiry that includes genes’ expression on tissues inclusive of brain, heart, muscle-skeletal and organs for vital bodily functions. We interrogate genes’ expression on human tissue as a function of disease-associated genes. By removing genes linked to disease from the typical human set, and recomputing the genes’ expressions on the tissues, we can compare the outcomes across mental illnesses, well-known neurological conditions, and non-neurological ones. We find that major neuropsychiatric conditions that are behaviorally defined today (e.g. Autism, Schizophrenia, Depression) through DSM-observation criteria, have strong convergence with well-known neurological ones (e.g. Ataxias, Parkinson), but less overlap with non-neurological ones. Surprisingly, tissues majorly involved in the central control, coordination, adaptation and learning of movements, emotion and memory are maximally affected in psychiatric diagnoses along with peripheral heart and muscle-skeletal tissues. Our results underscore the importance of considering both the brain-body connection and the contributions of the peripheral nervous systems to mental health.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a key method for continuous monitoring of COVID-19 prevalence including circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages. WBE addresses limitations of traditional clinical COVID-19 surveillance such as clinical test availability, fluctuating testing rates and increased reliance on rapid antigen tests. Our study in Perth, Western Australia, found a significant positive correlation between SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in wastewater and clinical PCR positivity rates (rs = 0.772; p < 0.001) over an 18-month period that included four successive COVID-19 waves. A strong positive correlation was apparent between the proportions of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in wastewater and clinical cases within the same region (rs = 0.728; p < 0.001), including earlier detection of Omicron and recombinant lineages in wastewater before clinical case confirmation. The successful integration of WBE with healthcare data underscores its critical role in enhancing public health decision-making and pandemic management. This approach not only demonstrates the value of WBE in current global health surveillance efforts but also highlights the potential of WBE to address future public health challenges, as a comprehensive disease monitoring and response approach.

As a kind of converse of the celebrated Erd˝os-Szekeres theorem, we present a necessary and sufficient condition for a sequence of length n to contain a longest increasing subsequence and a longest decreasing subsequence of given lengths x and y, respectively.

Parent education programs, offered via family-school partnerships, offer an effective means for promoting the mental health and educational functioning of children and adolescents at a whole-of-school level. However, these programs often have low uptake. This study aimed to identify strategies for increasing the uptake of parent education programs within preschool and school settings. A three-round Delphi procedure was employed to obtain expert consensus on strategies that are important and feasible in educational settings. First, thirty experts rated statements identified from the literature and a stakeholder forum. Next, experts re-appraised statements, including new statements generated from the first round. Ninety statements were endorsed by ≥ 80% of the experts. Primary themes include strategies for program selection, strategies for increasing the accessibility of programs and the understanding of educational staff on parent engagement and child mental health, strategies for program development, promotion, and delivery, as well as strategies for increasing parent and community engagement. This study offers a set of consensus strategies for improving the uptake of parent education programs within family-school partnership.

Hyperuricemia (HU), characterized by elevated uric acid (UA) levels in the blood, represents a global health concern associated with various conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, gout, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, renal dysfunction, and neurodegenerative diseases. This review offers a contemporary analysis of HU, encompassing its causes, associated health risks, diagnosis, treatment, and future outlook. Recent studies have underscored the multifaceted origin of HU, implicating genetic predisposition, dietary patterns, lifestyle choices, and environmental influences. Genetic variations affecting enzymes and transporters involved in purine metabolism and UA excretion have been identified, laying the groundwork for personalized treatment strategies. Advances in diagnostic imaging and omics technologies provide enhanced precision in the detection and evaluation of risks. While pharmacological interventions remain central to managing HU, persistent challenges such as treatment resistance prompt exploration of novel drug targets and lifestyle modifications. Chinese herbal medicines offer a potentially alternative approach with fewer side effects. Emerging research on the impact of gut microbiota on UA metabolism opens new therapeutic avenues. Despite progress, challenges such as optimizing treatment duration and understanding long-term effects persist. Collaborative efforts are crucial to address these challenges and advance our comprehension of HU. The integration of precision medicine and holistic patient care approaches holds promise for improving outcomes and enhancing quality of life for individuals with HU.

The Sustainable Development Goals provide a global development agenda that is meant to be inclusive of all people. However, the development needs for vulnerable populations such as youth are not reflected within the policy agenda of some developing countries. One of the reasons for this is that research that explores health and wellbeing concerns for young people are sparse in the region and where they exist, the focus has been on marginalized subgroups. To address this gap, this cross-sectional study explored the health and wellbeing of youth in Kenya. We conducted 10 focus group discussions and 13 in-depth interviews with youth ages 15 to 24 years. A thematic analysis of the data revealed that structural factors are important influencers of youth perceptions and their social constructions of health and wellbeing. Kenyan youth are concerned about the health status and healthcare services in their communities, as well as issues of community trust of youths and perceived risks of political misuse and emotional suffering. Our findings suggest that youth transitioning into adulthood in resource constrained areas experience feelings of being powerless and unable to take charge over their own life. This impacts how they perceive and socially construct health and wellbeing.

This study aimed to determine the persistence of Salmonella Javiana, Listeria monocytogenes, and Listeria innocua in hydroponic nutrient solution (NS) at 15, 25, 30, and 37°C over a 21-day period to mimic time from seedling to mature lettuce. Bacteria were inoculated in modified Hoagland's NS at 106 CFU/ml and maintained at 15, 25, 30, and 37°C. Samples were collected at various time points and quantified. Data were analyzed using a mixed effect model to compare mean log CFU/ml obtained from each sampling point for all three bacteria at four different temperatures. Least mean squares were calculated to compare mean log CFU/ml. Tukey-Kramer honest significant difference test was used to compare mean values. At all temperatures, S. Javiana persisted in NS throughout the 21-day study period, compared to L. innocua and L. monocytogenes where persistence was limited to d 5 to d 14 and d 1 to d 14, respectively. Similarly, decimal reduction values (D-values) of S. Javiana indicated longer persistence in nutrient solution than L. innocua and L. monocytogenes at most temperatures. For instance, at 15°C and 25°C D-values for S. Javiana were estimated at 82 and 26 d, respectively, compared to D-values of 3.6 and ~3 d for L. monocytogenes. Data indicate that temperature has minimal effect on S. Javiana and thus may pose a greater risk during hydroponic production of leafy greens due to longer survival in NS when compared to Listeria spp. This study furthers the understanding of potential food safety risks associated with hydroponic systems and may aid in developing management strategies to reduce foodborne outbreaks, fresh produce recalls, and economic losses.

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a causal agent of severe emergent diseases in Solanaceae hosts with agronomic relevance, such as tomato and pepper. Herein, we analyzed the seed transmission rate and efficacy of different seed disinfection treatments and performed a comparison of molecular biology techniques seeking rapid and sensitive detection in seed lots. We evaluated several total RNA extraction and RT-PCR protocols using a distinct combination of PCR primers to test for the presence of the ToBRFV Mexican strain in tobacco host. Our results showed that the percentage of seed and seedlings transmission was less than 1% and that a 3% sodium hypochlorite solution was effective as a seed disinfection treatment. Finally, the most sensitive molecular method identified for virus detection consisted of a CTAB-Trizol RNA extraction followed by nested PCR using primers reported by Dovas et al. (2004). Additionally, we tested potential natural hosts in selected Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae species. Our results showed that the ToBRFV Mexican strain is capable of experimentally infecting eggplant (Solanum melongena), tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa), and tobacco (Nicotiana rustica).

We investigated how Artificial Intelligence (AI) reveals factors shaping COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers by examining their open-text comments. We conducted a longitudinal survey starting in spring of 2020 with 38,788 current and former female nurses in three national cohorts to assess how the pandemic has affected their livelihood. In January and March-April 2021 surveys, participants were invited to contribute open-text comments and answer specific questions about COVID-19 vaccine uptake. A closed-ended question in the survey identified vaccine-hesitant (VH) participants who either had no intention or were unsure of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. We collected 1,970 comments from VH participants and trained two Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to identify behavioral factors related to VH. The first predictive model classified each comment into one of three Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs (barriers, severity, and susceptibility) related to adopting disease prevention activities. The second predictive model used the words in January comments to predict the vaccine status of VH in March-April 2021; vaccine status was correctly predicted 89% of the time. Our results showed that 35% of VH participants cited barriers, 17% severity, and 7% susceptibility to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Out of the HBM constructs, the VH participants citing a barrier, such as allergic reactions and side effects, had the most associated change in vaccine status from VH to later receiving a vaccine.

Chronic diseases affect a disproportionate number of United States (U.S.) Veterans, causing significant long-term health issues and affecting entitlement spending. This longitudinal study examined the health status of U.S. Veterans as compared to non-Veterans pre- and post-COVID utilizing the annual Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey data. Age-adjusted descriptive point estimates were generated independently for 2003 through 2021, while complex weighted panel data were generated from 2011 and onward. General linear modeling revealed that the average U.S. Veteran reports a higher prevalence of disease conditions except for mental health disorders when compared to the non-Veteran. These findings were consistent with both pre- and post-COVID, however, both groups reported a higher prevalence of mental health issues during the pandemic years. The findings suggest that there have been no improvements in reducing Veteran comorbidities to non-Veteran levels and that COVID adversely affected the mental health of both populations.

Conventional models do not fully explain composition of the solar system – for example, the presence of p-nuclei and post-post-Fe-nuclei remains not yet understood (and is one of the great unresolved puzzles of nuclear astrophysics in general); other puzzles exist. We offer a hypothesis which can explain the appearance of non-native elements in the solar system, and a feasible scenario for its implementation. The hypothesis suggests that a nuclear-fission "event" occurred in the inner part of the solar system at the time currently defined as the birth of the system. Conventional models have never considered fission as a contributing nuclei-production mechanism. Upon examination of the existing models and factual data (presented in volumes of publications but never combined into an aggregate), we identified one plausible scenario by which a fission event (not demolishing the entire solar system) could occur: an encounter with a compact super-dense stellar "fragment" (with specific properties) and its "explosion" in fission-cascades. Such scenario also helps resolve other long-standing puzzles of the solar system. For example, it provides that the fission-produced nuclei subsequently transformed into the material that (eventually) accreted into the "rocky" objects in the system (terrestrial planets, asteroids, etc.) and enriched the pre-existed hydrogen-helium objects (the Sun and the gaseous giants) – this offers an explanation for the planets’ inner position and compositional differences within the predominantly hydrogen-helium rest of the solar system. Other implications also follow.

As breast cancer continues to take a devasting public health toll, most primary prevention approaches are targeted at individual actions. We have proposed, instead, developing systemic, population approaches to preventing the disease. We used a combined qualitative-quantitative methodology, Group Concept Mapping (GCM), to identify Importance and Feasibility ratings of systemic interventions across a wide spectrum of approaches and stakeholders. Participants (n=351) from across the state of California sorted 84 potential interventions into topical piles, and then rated each intervention on perceived Importance and Feasibility. Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis identified eleven clusters or themes of interventions. Participants rated interventions on Importance and Feasibility differently depending on the region of the state in which they lived. The results of this study underscore the importance of sharing health information with and seeking public health solutions from community partners in general and from beyond the urban areas usually studied.

Urination on carpet and subflooring can develop into persistent and challenging to mitigate odor. Very little or no information is published on how these VOCs change over time when urine is deposited on the carpet covering a plywood-type subflooring. This research has investigated the VOCs emitted from carpet+subflooring (control), carpet+subflooring sprayed with water (control with moisture), and cat urine-contaminated carpet+subflooring (treatment) over time (day 0 and 15). In addition, the effect of popular cleaning products on VOCs emitted and evaluated their efficacy in eliminating those indoor odors over time (day 0 and 15). Carpet-subflooring with all treatments were also contaminated with Micrococcus luteus, nonmotile obligate aerobe commonly found in household dust, to observe the impact of the aerobe on carpet-subflooring VOCs emission. VOCs emitted from carpet+subflooring receiving different treatments were collected from headspace using solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The VOCs were analyzed using a multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometer attached to an olfactometry (GC-MS-O). Many common VOCs were released from the carpet on day one and day fifteen, specifically from urine contamination. Cleaning products were effective in masking several potent odors of cat urine contaminated carpet VOCs on day one but unable to remove the odor appeared on day 15 in most cases.

Background Recent studies indicate that donor innate immune responses participate in initiating and accelerating innate responses and allorecognition in the recipient. These immune responses negatively affect recipient outcomes and predispose recipients to allograft coronary artery vasculopathy (CAV). We hypothesized that donor cause of death (COD) associated with higher levels of innate immune response would predispose recipients to more adverse outcomes post-transplant, including CAV. Methods We performed a single-institution retrospective analysis comparing donor characteristics and COD to recipient adverse cardiovascular outcomes. We analyzed the medical records of local adult donors (age 18-64) in a database of donors where adequate data was available. We linked donor characteristics and COD to recipient adverse cardiac outcomes after transplant, including cardiovascular (CV) death and incidence of significant antibody-mediated rejection (pAMR) after transplant (>2 episodes of pAMR within 90 days post-transplant). The data were analyzed using logistic regression, log-rank test of differences, and Tukey Contrast. Results Donor advanced age, female sex, and CODs of motor vehicle accident and intracranial hemorrhage were significantly associated with a higher incidence of recipient CV death and early pAMR compared to other donor characteristics and CODs. Conclusions In this single institution study, we found that recipients with hearts from donors over 40 years, donors who were female, or donors who died with a COD of motor vehicle accidents or intracranial hemorrhage had a higher frequency of CV related deaths and early pAMR. Donor monitoring and potential treatment of innate immune activation may decrease subsequent recipient innate responses and allorecognition stimulated by donor derived inflammatory signaling which lead to adverse outcomes.

TGF-ꞵ signaling is a vital regulator for maintaining articular cartilage homeostasis. Runx transcription factors, downstream targets of TGF-ꞵ signaling, have been studied in the context of osteoarthritis (OA). Although Runx partner core binding factor β (Cbfβ) is known to play a pivotal role in chondrocyte and osteoblast differentiation, the role of Cbfβ in maintaining articular cartilage remains obscure. This study investigated Cbfβ as a novel anabolic modulator of TGF-ꞵsignaling and determined its role in articular cartilage homeostasis. Cbfβ significantly decreased in aged mouse articular cartilage and human OA cartilage. Articular chondrocyte-specific Cbfb-deficient mice (Cbfb△ac/△ac) exhibited early cartilage degeneration at 20 weeks old and developed OA at 12 months old. Cbfb△ac/△ac mice showed enhanced OA progression under the surgical-induced mice OA model. Mechanistically, forced expression of Cbfβ rescued Col2α1 and Runx1 expression in Cbfβ-deficient chondrocytes. TGF-ꞵ1-mediated Col2α1 expression failed despite the pSmad3 activation under TGF-ꞵ1 treatment in Cbfβ-deficient chondrocytes. Cbfβ protected Runx1 from proteasomal degradation through Cbfβ/Runx1 complex formation. These results indicate that Cbfβ is a novel anabolic regulator for cartilage homeostasis, suggesting that Cbfβ could protect OA development by maintaining the integrity of the TGF-ꞵ1 signaling pathway in articular cartilage.

Glycerol conversion to valuable biomolecules has been a research avenue that has attracted a significant interest in recent years due to its increasing over production, with possibilities for chemical transformation for eco-friendly processes and distinct compounds with biological activities. Also, in the current climate change in which a major emphasis is being placed on the design of green processes, solvents are key factors from both an economic and environmental point of view. In this context, due to its abundance and low-price, glycerol represents an innovative solvent coming from biomass and produce in high amount. On the other hand, Epichlorydrin, Glycidol and Solketal have become useful intermediates in chemical transformations when using glycerol as a raw material. This review focuses on glycerol as a green solvent in the synthesis of complex molecules, Epichlorydrin, Glycidol, Solketal and Tosyl solketal as an efficient recycling process for glycerol, as well as building blocks in the synthesis of glycerol derivatives, which are undeniable new source of potentials drugs.

The expansion of unconventional oil and gas development (UD) across the US continues to be at the center of debates regarding safety to health and the environment. This study evaluated the water quality of private water wells in the Eagle Ford Shale within the context of community members’ perceptions. Community members (n=75) were surveyed regarding health status and perceptions of drinking water quality. Water samples from respondent volunteers (n=19) were collected from private wells and tested for a variety of water quality parameters. Of the private wells sampled, 8 had exceedances of MCLs for drinking water standards. Geospatial descriptive analysis illustrates the distributions of the well exceedance as well as the well owners’ overall health status. Surveys showed that the majority of respondents received their water from a municipal source and were significantly more distrustful of their water source than of those on private wells. In many cases, there are statistically significant differences between self-reported, provider undiagnosed conditions and self-reported, provider diagnosed conditions. Attitudes and perceptions of water quality may play an important role in the overall perceived health status of community members in high fracking regions.

This paper draws on data from a representative city-wide household food security survey of Nairobi conducted in 2017 to examine the importance of food remitting to households in contemporary Nairobi. The next section of the paper provides an overview of urbanization and the rapid growth of Nairobi which has led to growing socio-economic inequality, precarious livelihoods for the majority, and growing food insecurity, as context for the more detailed empirical analysis of food security and food remittances that follows. It is followed by a description of the survey methodology and sections analyzing the differences between migrant and non-migrant households in Nairobi. Attention then turns to the phenomenon of food remitting, showing that over 50% of surveyed households in the city had received food remittances in the previous year. The paper then uses multivariate logistic regression to identify the relationship between Nairobi household characteristics and the probability of receiving food remittances from rural areas. The findings suggest that there are exceptions to the standard migration and poverty-driven explanatory model of the drivers of rural-urban food remitting and that greater attention should be paid to other motivations for maintaining rural-urban connectivity in Africa.

Open campus policies that grant access to the off-campus food environment influence U.S. high school students’ exposure to unhealthy foods, yet predictors of these policies are unknown. Policy holding and built (walkability), food (access to grocery stores), social (school-to-neighborhood demographic similarity), and organizational (policy holding of neighboring schools) environment data were collected for 200 Oregon public high schools. These existing data derived from the Oregon School Board Association, WalkScore.com, 2010 Decennial Census, 2010-2014 American Community Survey, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, TDLinex, Nielson directories, U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, and Common Core of Data. Most (67%) of Oregon public high schools had open campus policies. Logistic regression analyses modeled open campus policy holding as a function of built, food, social, and organizational environment influences. With health and policy implications, results indicate that schools’ walkability, food access, and extent of neighboring open campus policy-schools are significantly associated with open campus policy holding in Oregon.

NF-κB is a central mediator of inflammation, response to DNA damage and oxidative stress. As a result of its central role in so many important cellular processes, NF-κB dysregulation has been implicated in the pathology of important human diseases. NF-κB activation causes inappropriate inflammatory responses in diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Thus, modulation of NF-κB signaling is being widely investigated as an approach to treat chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmunity and cancer. The emergence of COVID-19 in late 2019, the subsequent pandemic and the huge clinical burden of patients with life-threatening SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia led to a massive scramble to repurpose existing medicines to treat lung inflammation in a wide range of healthcare systems. These efforts continue and these efforts continue to be con-troversial. Drug repurposing strategies are a promising alternative to de-novo drug development, as they minimize drug development timelines and reduce the risk of failure due to unexpected side effects. Different experimental approaches have been applied to identify existing medicines which inhibit NF-κB that could be repurposed as anti-inflammatory drugs.

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 changed the way we interact and engage in commerce at a fundamental level. Social distancing and stay-at-home orders leave businesses and cities wondering what economic activity will look like in the future. Given a likely reduction in face-to-face interactions, it is important to better understand how social interactivity influences economic outcomes. Here we measure the effect of social interactions in the workforce on patent production and economic efficiency. We decompose U.S. occupations into individual work activities, determine which of those activities are associated with face-to-face interactions, and reaggregate the labor force of each U.S. metropolitan statistical area (MSA) into a metric of social interactiveness. We then calculate each MSA’s density of social work activities and find that this measure is more highly correlated with an MSA’s per capita patent production than simple population density. This suggests that density of face-to-face interactions is the important driver of a city’s rate of invention. We close by exploring analogies between the development of cities and the development of stars, suggesting ways these analogies may help frame future research on cities.

Introduction: Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease. The objective was to elaborate a cream with natural products and salicylic acid. Hypothesis: ¿Will the topical cream made from natural products reduce the characteristic clinical signs of psoriasis? Methodology: Quasi-experimental clinical trial, in 100 healthy volunteer subjects, five formulations of the new product were prepared and applied to each 20 healthy subjects. The universe was 270 patients with different type of dermatology disease, 120 volunteer patients were selected with Psoriasis, of which he creams was applied to 60 volunteer patients with mild and moderate psoriasis were no randomly administered the full formulation of the new product at TMC Hospital. The database for this study is in the Figshare and Dryad repository. Outcome: In healthy subjects showed that 99% had no side effects. In psoriasis patient mild and moderate psoriasis at TMC Hospital was evaluated the results before and after treatment with the new formulation, Using T Student for paired tests, in the clinical variables, as well as the PASI index and the SBA, the alternative hypothesis was proved, the new formula is effective in the control post treatment of psoriasis (p=0.000). Discussion: The new formulation showed greater efficacy after 10 days treatment. This cream is recommended as an alternative and complementary therapy for psoriasis, since it did not show secondary reactions in healthy subjects, so its effectiveness was demonstrated in this study. A new population study is recommended by regions in Ecuador: coast, highlands, Amazon and Galapagos Island, to evaluate the response to treatment.

Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review was to ascertain critical care nurses’ understanding and experiences of patient advocacy in adult critical care settings. The specific objectives were to identify how critical care nurses define patient advocacy, to explore the understanding and experiences of critical care nurses regarding patient advocacy, to explore critical care nurses’ role in patient advocacy, and to ascertain the barriers to encouraging advocacy in the critical care setting. Research design: Systematic literature search of CINAHL and Medline databases, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, as well as grey literature search, was conducted. Search dates were restricted from January 2005 to 2015 in both CINAHL and Medline. Findings: 62 studies were identified, of which 6 qualitative research papers were included. Nurses gave varied definitions of patient advocacy, which were categorized into three themes: communication, protection, and doing. Nurses perceive advocacy as truly listening to patients and their families. Conclusion: For critical care nurses to be effective advocates, there must be support, collaboration, and improved working relationship between professional groups. Moreover, nurses must be empowered to be able to give power to patients and family.

While current studies have focused on adoption and the relevant content of the app to become a decision support system, very few studies have focused on the farmer's intention and initial decision to adopt. Based on a survey of 394 smallholder farmers this study investigated Mexican farmers’ willingness to adopt an agricultural advice app. A Structural Equation Modelling approach, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was applied. To understand farmers’ adoption decision, extended constructs were studied (e.g. mastery-approach goals) along with farmers’ age and participation in an innovation hub. Results showed that the intention to adopt the app is predicted by how farmers believe that technical infrastructure exists and by the expectation of the farmers using the app to acquire new knowledge. The multi-group analysis revealed that performance expectancy is a relevant predictor of the intention to adopt, whereas the mastery-approach goal is relevant only for younger and farmers not connected to the innovation hub. The results may well be a baseline to research further suitable non-financial incentives for different farmers’ groups, then encourage initial adoption and enhance uptake. The findings are useful for practitioners and app developers designing digital decision support tools.

Background: The work and life of a junior doctor has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. Descriptions of historic working conditions are usually anecdotal and tinted with nostalgia. But presented with the facts, do heath care professionals feel working conditions things have improved or declined in the last 50 years? Methods: An interview was conducted with a retired surgeon who, in 1970, worked as a house surgeon (Foundation Year 2, FY2 equivalent) at a regional burns service. This was compared with a review of available literature to assess objectively working conditions in that period. The information generated from this produced a poster summarizing the key differences over a 53-year timeframe. This information was presented to the current medical work force and a survey was conducted to determine their preference. Statistical analysis including binary logistic regression was performed. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 76 respondent healthcare workers of mixed grades and backgrounds. The majority of respondents (64%) would choose to work in today’s burns unit. The age of the respondent was the best predictor for preference of working conditions (p = 0.043). Conclusions: Multiple changes in the working conditions were identified. The majority of respondents consider today’s working conditions to be better than that of the past. However, more senior clinicians were more likely to prefer the conditions of 1970 to present day, suggesting a generational shift in opinion.

We evaluated progress towards animal biodiversity research in Georgia, a key area in the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot. By reviewing recently (1990-2018) published articles in all areas of animal diversity research, we unmasked the trends in biodiversity inventory, ecological and biogeographical studies, and conservation issues in Georgia. We concluded that species inventory and biodiversity research in Georgia has significantly increased during the last ten years, however the rate and extent of investigation is far from satisfactory. Major gaps remain in all branches of animal diversity research in Georgia, and consequently existing knowledge is inadequate to address modern challenges related to species and ecosystem conservation. We urge local governmental authorities and international scientific societies to support development of stronger research facilities and cultivate interest in biodiversity inventory and research in Georgia as an important step towards maintaining globally important biodiversity in the Caucasus.

Vitamin D has previously been quantified in some plants and algae, particularly in leaves of the Solanaceae family. We measured the vitamin D content of Australian native food plants and Australian-grown edible seaweed. Using liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, 13 samples (including leaf, fruit and seed) were analysed in duplicate for vitamin D₂, vitamin D₃, 25-hydroxyvitamin D₂ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃. Five samples contained vitamin D₂: raw wattleseed (Acacia victoriae) (0.03 µg/100 g dry weight (DW)); fresh and dried lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) leaves (0.03 and 0.24 µg/100 g DW, respectively); dried leaves and berries of Tasmanian mountain pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata) (0.67 and 0.05 µg/100 g DW, respectively). Fresh kombu (Lessonia corrugata) contained vitamin D₃ (0.01 µg/100 g DW). Detected amounts were low; however, it is possible that exposure to ultraviolet radiation may increase the vitamin D content of plants and algae if vitamin D precursors are present.

Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemics in South Africa have been closely related and persistent, posing a significant burden for healthcare provision. We explored the patients perspectives on challenges and barriers of scaling up TB and HIV integrated services. A descriptive cross-sectional study applying a qualitive research approach was used. Through focus group discusssions (FGDs), we interviewed 29 patients accessing TB and HIV services at the study sites which were selected at primary health care (PHC) clinics in the O.R Tambo district in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Anonymised data was analysed using both content and thematic analysis technique. Challenges and barriers identified included a lack of health education about TB and HIV; an inadequate counselling for antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) and HIV; a lack of awareness of the National TB control program; and poor quality of services provided by the health care facilities. These findings suggest that the O.R. Tambo district needs to strengthen its TB-HIV integration immediately. Keywords: TB-HIV integration; Challenges and barriers; Patients; O.R Tambo District; Eastern Cape; South Africa

A well-prepared public health workforce is essential for reducing disease burdens and improving population health, requiring an education that addresses global and complex challenges. This paper examines the integration of the relational employability framework in public health education to cultivate critical global citizenship among students and graduates. Our research, conducted at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia, involved two case studies using qualitative interviews. Case Study 1, drawn from Cook’s doctoral research, explored student experiences with the relational employability framework within an undergraduate capstone unit. Case Study 2, a school-funded project, gathered graduate perspectives to inform ongoing curriculum development. The findings indicate that the relational employability framework enhances global competencies among students and graduates, through research skills development and critical reflective practice. Students reported improved awareness of their learning needs, self-confidence, and an increased ability to engage with diverse perspectives and societal challenges. Graduates highlighted the framework’s role in understanding ethical standards, conducting rigorous research and applying evidence-based practices in professional settings. Additionally, the framework supported the development of a reflective mindset, enabling graduates to make informed, value-based career decisions and advance their professional growth. The study suggests that adopting a relational employability approach can effectively prepare globally competent and reflective public health professionals. We advocate for the broader implementation of this framework in health education and higher education, offering practical recommendations for curriculum transformation. Such an approach will equip future professionals to contribute meaningfully to public health debates and embody the principles of global citizenship in their practice.

Radiological imaging is an essential component of a swallowing assessment. Artificial intelligence (AI), and especially deep learning (DL) models, have enhanced the efficiency and efficacy through which imaging is interpreted, and subsequently have important implications for swallow diagnostics and intervention planning. However, the application of AI for the interpretation of videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) is still emerging. This review showcases recent literature in the use of AI to interpret VFSS and highlights clinical implications for speech pathologists (SPs). With a surge in AI research, there have been advances made in dysphagia assessment. Several studies have demonstrated successful implementation of DL algorithms to analyze VFSS. Notably, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been used to detect pertinent aspects of the swallowing process with high levels of precision. DL algorithms have the potential to streamline VFSS interpretation, improve efficiency and accuracy, and enable precise interpretation of instrumental dysphagia evaluation, which is especially advantageous when access to skilled clinicians is not ubiquitous. By enhancing precision, speed, and depth of VFSS interpretation, SPs can obtain a more comprehensive understanding of swallow physiology and deliver targeted and timely intervention that is tailored towards the individual. This has practical applications for both clinical practice and dysphagia research. As this research area grows and AI technologies progress, the application of DL in the field of VFSS interpretation is clinically beneficial and has the potential to transform dysphagia assessment and management. With broader validation and inter-disciplinary collaborations, AI-augmented VFSS interpretation is likely to transform swallow evaluation and ultimately improve outcomes for individuals with dysphagia.

Malaria remains an important cause of death, especially in sub-Saharan Africa with about 228 million malaria cases worldwide and an estimated 405,000 deaths in 2019. Currently, malaria is diagnosed in the health facility using a microscope (BS) or rapid malaria diagnostic test (MRDT) and with area where these tools are inadequate the presumptive treatment is performed. Apart from that self-diagnosis and treatment is also practiced in some of the households. With the high-rate self-medication on malaria drugs, this study aimed at computing the most significant features using feature selection methods for best prediction of malaria in Tanzania that can be used in developing a machine learning model for malaria diagnosis. A malaria symptoms and clinical diagnosis dataset were extracted from patients’ files from four (4) identified health facilities in the regions of Kilimanjaro and Morogoro. These regions were selected to represent the high endemic areas (Morogoro) and low endemic areas (Kilimanjaro) in the country. The dataset contained 2556 instances and 36 variables. The random forest classifier a tree based was used to select the most important features for malaria prediction. Regional based features were obtained to facilitate accurate prediction. The feature ranking as indicated that fever is universally the most influential feature for predicting malaria followed by general body malaise, vomiting and headache. However, these features are ranked differently across the regional datasets. Subsequently, six predictive models, using important features selected by feature selection method, were used to evaluate the features performance. The features identified complies with malaria diagnosis and treatment guideline provided with WHO and Tanzania Mainland. The compliance is observed so as to produce a prediction model that will fit in the current health care provision system in Tanzania.

Many middle-aged and older adults (MAOA) do not engage in sufficient physical activity (PA) despite its well-documented benefits for healthy aging. Existing PA interventions often fail to reach or engage the target population effectively. This study investigates MAOA's preferences for recruitment strategies to optimize the reach and uptake of PA interventions, thereby enhancing their impact on healthy aging and public health. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 39 MAOA participants (69% female, mean age = 69.46, SD = 7.07), guided by McGuire's Theory on Persuasive Communication. Factors related to the source, message content, channel, receiver characteristics, and target behavior of recruitment strategies were analyzed. Findings suggest a preference for trustworthy sources (e.g., healthcare professionals over commercial entities) and positive, non-ageist messaging. MAOA vary in channel preferences but emphasize the importance of personalization. Despite heterogeneity, MAOA commonly perceive themselves as sufficiently active, necessitating improving knowledge on what constitutes sufficient PA, and easy enrollment or trying-out interventions. Tailoring recruitment strategies to diverse MAOA segments, based on age, seems crucial for effective engagement. Future research could explore quantitative research into how communication factors relate to various target population characteristics.

Cytoglobin has been implicated in a range of pathological conditions including fibrosis and cancer, where cytoglobin expression is linked to hypoxia- and drug-resistance. One disease where there is evidence of a role for cytoglobin is head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, a disease with a poor prognosis and where clinical resistance to platinum-based drugs is common. In the current study, we demonstrate that 3D-culture of head and neck cancer cells (PE/CA-PJ41, Liv-22K) and normal oral keratinocyte cells (NOK-hTERT) results in changes in sensitivity to cisplatin cytotoxicity compared to 2D-cultures. Relative to 2D-cultures, 3D-cultures of PE/CA-PJ41 and NOK-hTERT cells demonstrated increased cisplatin resistance. In contrast, 3D-cultures of Liv-22K cells were more sensitive to cisplatin. Evidence for cisplatin genotoxicity was observed in the form of GADD45A activation in PE/CA-PJ41 cells but not the other two cell types investigated. Furthermore, DNA-strand breaks were also detected by the alkaline comet assay in PE/CA-PJ41 cells although levels were not significantly affected by 3D-culture. Cytoglobin expression levels were elevated by 3D-culture in all three cell lines investigated and there were also changes in expression of genes related to cell division (MKI57, GJB6), cell adhesion (CDH1), stress response (NFkB, NQO1) and apoptosis (Casp3) but these changes were cell line specific. We also observed consistent transcriptional activation of HIF1a in 3D-cultures of all three cell lines, suggestive of hypoxic conditions in spheroids. In support of a direct role of hypoxia in cytoglobin induction, the HIF1a stabiliser cobalt chloride also induced cytoglobin expression in spheroids. Transcriptomic profiling of PE/CA-PJ41 cells over-expressing cytoglobin identified 121 differentially regulated genes, when cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions. Major changes identified included, upregulation of G1/S cell cycle regulation as well as wnt- and RhoGTPase-signalling pathways. In conclusion, 3D-cultures are a useful model to further study the biological function of cytoglobin in head and neck cancer and we provide evidence that further supports a role for cytoglobin in hypoxia-dependent cellular proliferation and phenotypic changes that could contribute to cisplatin resistance in vivo.

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a species is widely distributed in Córdoba, despite this, there are few studies that have been carried out to understand its genetic diversity. For this reason, the objective of this research was to evaluate the genetic diversity and variability of guava (Psidium guajava L) using microsatellite markers in Montería, Córdoba-Colombia. Forty-five accessions were evaluated. For DNA extraction, the CTAB 2x extraction protocol was used with modifications. The extracted DNA was amplified by the PCR technique using seven microsatellite markers. A total of 46 alleles were found with an average of 6.5 alleles per locus. A total of 28 private alleles were identified in the populations, possibly fixed by different evolutionary forces. The evaluated population presented an average expected heterozygosity of 0.572 and the observed heterozygosity was lower (0.058). The fixation index presented a total average of 0.906, indicating that in Montería there is an excess of homozygotes. The PIC values allowed us to determine that the markers mPgCIR9, mPgCIR11, mPgCIR13, mPgCIR16, mPgCIR19 and mPgCIR22 are highly informative, while mPgCIR23 is moderately informative. The guava population in Montería presented a low genetic diversity within the subpopulations, which could be related to inbreeding events such as self-pollination..

The NF-κB (nuclear factor K-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) transcription factor family is critical for modulating the immune proinflammatory response throughout the body. During the resting state, inactive NF-κB is sequestered by IκB in the cytoplasm. Proteasomal degradation of IκB activates NF-κB, mediating its translocation into the nucleus to act as a nuclear transcription factor in the upregulation of proinflammatory genes. Stimuli that initiate NF-κB activation are diverse, but are canonically attributed to proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Downstream effects of NF-κB are cell type specific and, in the majority of cases, result in activation of pro-inflammatory cascades. Acting as the primary immune responders of the central nervous system, microglia exhibit upregulation of NF-κB upon activation in response to pathological conditions. Under such circumstances, microglial crosstalk with other cell types in the central nervous system can induce cell death, further exacerbating the disease pathology. In this review, we will emphasize the role of NF-κB in triggering neuroinflammation mediated by microglia.

Jabulile Ndlovu1 and Kebogile Mokwena1, 2 1 Department of Public Health, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa 2 Research Chair in Substance abuse and population Mental Health, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract An estimated 6% of the world population has serious mental illness, with one in four families having a member with some form of psychiatric disorder, who are mostly cared for by their relatives within a family setting. Although caregiving in a home setting is reported to be associated with significant mental distress, the burden of such distress is rarely measured. The purpose of this study was to quantify the burden of care among family caregivers of relatives with serious mental disorders, as well as to explore possible association between the caregiver burden of care and a range of caregiver and Mental Health Care User (MHCU) variables in a rural district in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) scale was used to collect data from 357 caregivers, and STATA 14 was used to analyze data. The ages of the sample ranged from 18 to 65, with a mean of 50.29, and the majority (86%) were female and unemployed (83%). The ZBI scores ranged from 8 to 85, with a mean of 41.59. The majority (91%) tested positive for caregiver burden of care, which ranged from mild to severe. Using the Pearson Chi-square test of association (p=0.05), variables that were significantly associated with the burden of care were clinically related (caregiver self-reported depression, MHCU diagnosis, recent relapse of the MHCU), socio-economic (caregiver family monthly income, MHCU disability grant status and MHCU employment status) and socio-demographic (MHCU gender and MHCU level of education). The prevalence of burden of care is high and severe, and scarcity of resources in families and communities contribute to the high burden of care in these rural communities.

Aging is accompanied by frontal lobe and non-dominant hemisphere recruitment that supports executive functioning, such as inhibitory control, which is crucial to all cognitive functions. Yet, the spatio-temporal sequence of processing underlying successful inhibition and how it changes with age is understudied. Thus, we assessed N200 (conflict monitoring) and P300 (response inhibition, performance evaluation) event-related potentials (ERPs) in young and healthy older adults during comparably performed successful stop-signal inhibition. We additionally interrogated the continuous spatio-temporal dynamics of N200- and P300-related activation within each group. Young adults had left hemisphere dominant N200, while older adults had overall larger amplitudes and right hemisphere dominance. N200 activation was biphasic in both groups but differed in scalp topography. P300 also differed, with larger right amplitudes in young, but bilateral amplitudes in old, with old larger than young in the left hemisphere. P300 was characterized by an early parieto-occipital peak in both groups, followed by a parietal slow wave only in older adults. A temporally similar but topographically different final wave followed in both groups that showed anterior recruitment in older adults. These findings illuminate differential age-related spatio-temporal recruitment patterns for conflict monitoring and response inhibition that are critically important for understanding age-related compensatory activation.

Despite the proposal of minimum reporting guidelines for metabolomics over a decade ago, reporting on the data analysis step in metabolomics studies has been shown to be unclear and incomplete. Major omissions and a lack of logical flow render the data analysis’ sections in metabolomics studies impossible to follow, and therefore replicate or even imitate. Here, we propose possible reasons why the original reporting guidelines have had poor adherence and present an approach to improve their uptake. We present in this paper an R markdown reporting template file that guides the production of text and generates workflow diagrams based on user input. This R Markdown template contains, as an example in this instance, a set of minimum information requirements specifically for the data pre-treatment and data analysis section of biomarker discovery metabolomics studies, (gleaned directly from the original proposed guidelines by Goodacre at al.). These minimum requirements are presented in the format of a questionnaire checklist in an R markdown template file. The R Markdown reporting template proposed here can be presented as a starting point to encourage the data analysis section of a metabolomics manuscript to have a more logical presentation and to contain enough information to be understandable and reusable. The idea is that these guidelines would be open to user feedback, modification and updating by the metabolomics community via GitHub.

The purpose of this research is to determine if the tradeoffs that Kissick proposed among cost containment, quality, and access remain as rigidly interconnected as originally conceived in the contemporary health care context. Although many have relied on the Kissick model to advocate for health policy decisions, to our knowledge, the model has never been empirically tested. Some have called for policy makers to come to terms with the premise of the Kissick model tradeoffs, others have questioned the model given the proliferation of quality enhancing initiatives, automation, and information technology in the health care industry. One wonders whether these evolutionary changes alter or disrupt the originality of the Kissick paradigms themselves. Methods: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to evaluate the Kissick hypothetical relationships among the unobserved constructs of cost, quality, and access in hospitals for the year 2018. Hospital data were obtained from Definitive Healthcare a subscription site which contains Medicare data as well as non-Medicare data for networks, hospitals, and clinics (final n= 2,766). Results: Reporting significant net effects as defined by our chosen study variables, we find that as quality increases costs increase, as access increases quality increases, and as access increases, costs increase. Policy and Practice Implications: Our findings lend continued relevance to a balanced approach to health care policy reform efforts. Simultaneously bending the health care cost curve, increasing access to care, and advancing quality of care is as challenging now as it was when the Kissick model was originally conceived.

The oral microbiome, studied by sampling the saliva or oral rinse, has been long thought to have diagnostic capacity for head and neck cancers (HNC). However, previous reports on the HNC oral microbiome provide inconsistent results. The aim of this study is to consolidate these datasets and determine the oral microbial composition between HNC patients to healthy and premalignant individuals. We analyzed 16 published head and neck cancer (HNC) short-read 16S rRNA sequencing datasets, specifically targeting the V3V4, V4 and V4V5 regions. These datasets included saliva and oral rinse samples from donors with HNC, as well as from healthy and premalignant donors. Differences in diversities and microbial abundance were determined. HNC saliva displayed lower alpha diversity than healthy donors. In contrast, the opposite trend was observed for oral rinse samples. Beta diversity were largely similar across different patient types. Similar oral phyla were detected for all samples, but proportions were largely dependent on sample type (i.e. saliva or oral rinse) and primer set utilised for 16S rRNA sequencing. Neisseria, Leptotrichia and Megasphaera were elevated in healthy saliva, while Mycoplasma was elevated in HNC saliva. Oral rinse and saliva displayed similar enrichment for Fusobacterium, while Veillonella, Alloprevotella, and Campylobacter had conflicting results. The sparse partial least squares discriminant analysis model performed effectively in discriminating HNC from healthy or premalignant patients using V3V4 saliva (AUC = 0.888), and V3V4 oral rinse (AUC = 0.928), while poor discriminative capacity was observed for V4 saliva (AUC = 0.688). In conclusion, our meta-analysis highlighted the limitations of 16S rRNA sequencing, particularly due to variations across study batches, primer sets (i.e. V3V4, V4), and sample types. Hence, caution should be exercised when interpreting 16S rRNA sequencing results across studies, especially when different primer sets and sample types are used.

This document aims to adapt the dimension of the Socially Responsible Brand Personality (SRBP), proposed by Mayorga (2017), in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. The interest of this work is to contribute with the management of the CSR, contributing from a communicational perspective with a tool that optimizes the construction of a socially responsible image by the different stakeholders. The results allow us to conclude that there is a structural modification of the brand personality, which can be presumed to be generated by the current environment and can be established as a pillar of CSR management in the new normality.

: The performance of the students in academics depends on many different factors. One of these factors is the economic status of their families. Education in public schools, though it is free, some parents cannot afford to send their children to school due to financial constraints. Education as a free is every individual's right in society, but it becomes a privilege because of a lack of financial support. This research work is a comparative study of students' or learners' performance in mathematics among students from working and non-working. This research article's ultimate objective is to investigate and compare a significant difference in their performance in the subject mathematics. The research methodology utilizes a t-test to analyze and synthesize primary data sources collected via interview and academic records, and diverse literature on the study area. However, the research findings revealed no significant difference in the two groups (the working and non-working group of learners). Therefore, it is recommended that secondary schools should be provided with adequate books and facilities and faculty school interventions and programs and promote the usage of SIM or Strategic Intervention Materials for learning and memory enhancement among learners.

The global trend towards increased demand for organic food, greener environments, and the integration of biological control agents into pest management strategies has greatly enhanced the need for biological pesticides (biopesticides). Biopesticides are generally environmentally friendly and are made from micro-organisms or other natural substances. Despite their great potential, relatively few have been registered and commercialised in Nigeria compared to other African countries such as South Africa and Kenya. Biological active agents are so diverse such that ap-plying the same safety standards or environmental conditions to all of them is almost impossible. A review of risk assessment processes and comparative assessments of Nigeria's biopesticide regulations with other developing African countries and developed regions was conducted. Prolonged field testing, lack of bridged risk assessments and technical checklists have been identified as key factors hampering the timely development and commercialisation of biopesti-cides in Nigeria. Recommendations on necessary changes to the existing Nigeria biopesticide regulations have been made. Risk assessment matrices for microbial and biochemical biopesti-cides and a scientific/technical checklist have also been developed. Harmonisation and data ex-change among other countries in the region will also enhance the advancement of scientific and technical knowledge for sustainable regulation and cross-border trade.

Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience significantly higher rates of sleep disturbances than their typically developing peers. Pre-sleep anxiety and waking emotional content is known to affect the content and frequency of nightmares, which can be distressing to children and caregivers. This is the first study to analyse nightmare frequency and content in FASD, and to assess its association with psychometric outcomes. We assessed reports from 277 caregivers of children with ASD (n=61), FASD (n=112), and TD children (n=104) using the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and the Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Functioning (BRIEF). Within the ASD group, 40.3% of caregivers reported their children had nightmares. Within the FASD group, 73.62% of caregivers reported their children had nightmares and within the TD group, 21.36% of caregivers reported their children had nightmares. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between anxiety and nightmares, maladaptive behaviour and nightmares, and executive functioning and nightmares in the TD and FASD groups, but not ASD group. This paper adds to the emerging body of work supporting the need for sleep interventions as part of clinical practice with regard to children with ASD and FASD. As a relatively niche but important area of study this warrants much needed further research.

Reservoir computing is a machine learning method that uses the response of a dynamical system to a certain input in order to solve a task. As the training scheme only involves optimising the weights of the responses of the dynamical system, this method is particularly suited for hardware implementation. Furthermore, the inherent memory of dynamical systems which are suitable for use as reservoirs mean that this method has the potential to perform well on time series prediction tasks, as well as other tasks with time dependence. However, reservoir computing still requires extensive task dependent parameter optimisation in order to achieve good performance. We demonstrate that by including a time-delayed version of the input for various time series prediction tasks, good performance can be achieved with an unoptimised reservoir. Furthermore, we show that by including the appropriate time-delayed input, one unaltered reservoir can perform well on six different time series prediction tasks at a very low computational expense. Our approach is of particular relevance to hardware implemented reservoirs, as one does not necessarily have access to pertinent optimisation parameters in physical systems but the inclusion of an additional input is generally possible.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the cross-linguistic influence of previously learned languages and working memory capacities on the vocabulary performance of two different typological languages. The objectives of this study were (1) to compare the working memory capacities of bilingual adults in relation to the vocabulary performance of two different languages never learned by the participants, and (2) to analyze to what extent the typology of previously learned languages influences working memory capaci-ties in relation to the vocabulary performance of French and Nahuatl. A group of 43 Mexican-Spanish college students participated in this experimental study. The participants completed a series of working memory tasks in Nahuatl and French. The results showed that working memory capacities were lower in Nahuatl than in French. Thus, a correlation was found between their first and second language and vo-cabulary performance in French. We can consider the influence of previously learned languages as a significant factor in vocabulary acquisition in accordance with the participants' working memory capacities.

In this study, the microbiological quality of traditionally made yoghurt from Northern Uganda and Western Kenya were analysed. Six samples of typical traditionally fermented milk were randomly collected from traditional cattle keepers from Karamojong (UG 1) and Acholi (UG 2) in Northern Uganda), and Kalenjin in Western Kenya (KE). Analysis was carried out for microbial quality of the collected samples and was assessed using the conventional methods for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, total coliform, lactic acid bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, yeasts, and mould counts. The results showed that the pH of the samples was low (2.9- 3.6). The mean aerobic mesophilic bacterial counts were 5.14 x 109 cfu/ml. The mean counts for mesophilic lactobacilli ranged from x 106 to x 108, cfu/ml. The mean thermophilic lactobacilli count ranged from x 107, to x 109, cfu/ml. However, the thermophilic lactococci counts ranged from x 106, to x 109, cfu/ml. On the other hand, the Streptococci counts were between x 106 to x 108 cfu/ml. The mean counts for the non-Sorbitol E. coli was 3.87 x 103 cfu/ml. The results suggest that although the pH of the yoghurt made in the Acholi and Karamojong (Northern Uganda) and in Kalenjin (Kenya) areas was low, the level of bacteria, yeast, and mould counts indicated poor microbiological quality control. This poses public health concerns. Therefore, attention of the appropriate government agencies is needed to ensure that environment of yogurt produced in a traditional setting in most appropriate condition to reduce contamination.

Abstract: Background: Cancer and cancer treatments may affect aging processes, altering the trajectory of cognitive aging, but extant studies are limited in interval of assessment (2-5 years). We studied cognitive performance in a cohort of survivors and controls utilizing cross-sectional cognitive performance data from age 60 to 89 years as an indicator of potential aging trajectories and contrasted these trends with longitudinal data collected over two years. Methods: Female breast cancer survivors who had been diagnosed and treated at age 60 or older and were 5– to 15-year survivors (N=328) and non-cancer controls (N=158) were assessed at enrollment and at 8, 16 and 24 months with standard neuropsychological tests and comprehensive geriatric as-sessment. Results: Cross-sectional baseline analysis found the expected inverse association of age with cognition in both groups, with survivors performing lower than controls in learning and memory (LM) but not in attention, processing speed and executive function (APE). Younger survivors, i.e., those under 75 years of age, exhibited early decline in performance in both LM and APE compared to controls, with no differences between older survivors and controls, which tracked with deficit accumulation trends. Conclusion: Differences between survivors and controls were prominent in younger survivors, as was deficit accumulation, suggesting a mediating effect on cognition. Deficit accumulation may represent a modifiable risk factor in cancer survivorship that may be targeted for prevention and intervention.

Background: As a result of the pandemic, families and children have faced physical, emotional, and mental challenges. However, there has been little attention given to the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and child development. This systematic review aims to identify the impact of the pandemic on child development, globally. Methods: This study follows the PRISMA guidelines for the systematic review of 16 quantitative and qualitative studies conducted between 2020-2023. Results: This systematic review suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic played a crucial role in hindering child development in early childhood. Conclusion: Therefore, it is important to promote and implement the use of policies and strategies to overcome these obstacles.

Purpose Violence against paramedics is a complex – but underreported – problem. Extant research suggests organizational culture may play a role in sustaining cultural norms that downplay the significance and limit reporting. Our objective was to qualitatively explore paramedics’ experience with violence, with particular emphasis on understanding how organizational culture contributes to under-reporting. Approach We surveyed paramedics from a single, large, urban service in Ontario, Canada, asking participants to describe their experiences with violence, including whether – and why or why not – the incidents were reported. Within a constructivist epistemology, we used inductive thematic analysis with successive rounds of coding to identify and then define features of organizational culture that limit reporting. Findings A total of 196 (33% of eligible) paramedics completed the survey. Fully 98% of participants disclosed having experienced some form of violence; however only a minority (40%) reported the incidents to management, or the police (21%). We defined a framework within which a lack of support from management, and consequences for offenders, implicitly positions the ability of paramedics to “brush off” violent encounters as an expected professional competency. Disclosing emotional or psychological distress in response to violent encounters invited questions as to whether the individual is personally suited to paramedic work. Originality While the extant research has indicated that underreporting is a problem, our findings shed light on why – a critical first step in addressing what has been described as a serious public health problem.

Given their severity and non-healing nature, diabetic chronic wounds are a significant concern to the 30.3 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (2015). Peripheral arterial diseases, neuropathy, and infection contribute to the development of these wounds, which lead to an increased incidence of lower extremity amputations. Early recognition, debridement, offloading, and controlling infection are imperative for timely treatment. However, wound characterization and treatment are highly subjective and based largely on the experience of the treating clinician. Many wound dressings have been designed to address particular clinical presentations, but a prescriptive method is lacking for identifying the particular state of chronic, non-healing wounds. The authors suggest that recent developments in wound dressings and biosensing may allow for the quantitative, real-time representation of the wound environment, including exudate levels, pathogen concentrations, and tissue regeneration. Development of such sensing capability could enable more strategic, personalized care at the onset of ulceration and limit the infection leading to amputation. This review presents an overview of the pathophysiology of diabetic chronic wounds, a brief summary of biomaterial wound dressing treatment options, and biosensor development for biomarker sensing in the wound environment.

Resistance to the existing drugs and increasing numbers of diseases result in identifying new drug candidates with new forms of activity. Marine sources of alkylglycerols such as the liver oil Shark (SLO) mixture of certain species or rat fish (elasmobranch fishes) contain high levels of these compounds as a mixture of few species varying by length and unsaturation or saturation of the alkyl chain. They have multiple biological activities such as hematopoiesis stimulation, lowering radiotherapy-induced injuries, reducing tumor growth and improving vaccination efficiency. The synthesis of two Alkylglycerols (AKGs) containing at least one alkyne moiety in the alkyl chain has been reported. In this work, we describe the synthesis of others unknown AKGs based alkyne 1-O-(hexadec-11’-ynyl)-sn-glycerol 4 and 1-O-(octadec-9’-ynyl)-sn-glycerol 5 as analogues of bioactive ether lipids found in the SLO mixture.

Clinical academics experience dual workplaces; the clinical and the research environment. However, working in two workplaces leads to difficulty in forming an integrated identity, and hence affects a person’s work environment and well-being. The aim was to explore how clinical academics experience the psychosocial work environment and their suggestions for improving and changing work well-being. A multicenter qualitative approach with group interviews inspired by participatory action de-sign was used. A purposeful criterion sampling strategy was used, selecting researchers affiliat-ed with the university's research network (n=12). Data were analyzed by thematic analysis and the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research was applied. The main finding “lack of integration of research in clinical practice”, revealed how clinical academics balanced between the two practices, how their need for belonging in both work environments were established by fellowship, and how motivational factors and role models could be enhanced through a joint commitment of responsibility in research units and clinical practice. This study provides a contemporary understanding of the challenges that clinical academics en-counter and what solutions they would offer. This study adds to knowledge on psychological work well-being and provides solutions on how clinical academics can achieve integration of research in clinical practice.

Few studies have examined the pros and cons of integrated TB and HIV service delivery in public healthcare facilities, and even fewer have proposed conceptual models for improved integration. This study intends to fill that vacuum by outlining the development of a facility-based paradigm for integrating TB, HIV and patients services. The design of the proposed model were in stages that involved the evaluation of existing TB-HIV integration model and synthesis of both quantitative and qualitative data from the study sites which were selected public healthcare facilities at both rural and peri-urban settings in Oliver Reginald (O.R) Tambo District Municipality in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Secondary data on 2009-2013 TB-HIV clinical outcomes were obtained from multiple sources for quantitative analysis. Qualitative data involved focus group discussions among patient and heath care staff, which was thematically analysed. The development of a possibly better model and validation of this model show that the district's health system was reinforced by the model's guiding principles, which placed a strong emphasis on inputs, processes, outcomes, and integration effects.The model is adaptable to different healthcare delivery systems but will require support from healthcare stakeholders and professionals to be successful.

Neural stem cell (NSC) based therapies are at the forefront of regenerative medicine strategies to combat illness and injury of the central nervous system (CNS). In addition to their ability to produce new cells, NSCs secrete a variety of products, known as the NSC secretome, that have been shown to ameliorate CNS disease pathology and promote recovery. As pre-clinical and clinical research to harness the NSC secretome for therapeutic purposes advances, a more thorough understanding of the endogenous NSC secretome can provide useful insight into the functional capabilities of NSCs. In this review, we focus on research investigating the autocrine and paracrine functions of the endogenous NSC secretome across life. We also compare the NSC secretome across species, finding signs of conserved parallels between rodent, human and zebrafish NSC secretomes. Throughout development and adulthood, we find evidence that the NSC secretome is a critical component of how endogenous NSCs regulate themselves and their niche. We also find gaps in current literature, most notably in the clinically relevant domain of endogenous NSC paracrine function in the injured CNS. Future investigations to further define the endogenous NSC secretome and its role in CNS tissue regulation are necessary to bolster our understanding of NSC-niche interactions and to aid in the generation of safe and effective NSC-based therapies.

Role identity theory describes the purpose and meaning in life that comes, in part, from occupying social roles. While robustly linked to health and well-being, this may become, however, when an individual is unable to fulfil the perceived requirements of an especially salient role in the way that they believe they should. Amid high rates of mental illness among public safety personnel, we interviewed a purposely selected sample of 21 paramedics from a single service in Ontario, Canada to explore incongruence between an espoused and able-to-enact paramedic role identity. Situated in an interpretivist epistemology, and using successive rounds of thematic analysis, we developed a framework for role identity dissonance wherein chronic, identity-relevant disruptive events cause emotional and psychological distress. While some participants were able to recalibrate their sense of self and understanding of the role, for others, this dissonance was irreconcilable, contributing to disability and lost time from work. In addition to contributing a novel perspective on paramedic mental health and well-being, our work also offers a modest contribution to the theory in using the paramedic context as an example to consider identity disruption through chronic workplace stress.

Background: Exercise is increasingly understood as an important resource for people with harmful substance use, including those in prison. Little is known about how inmates adopt various health behaviors during incarceration, without interventions. Methods: This study analyzed self-reports from 1468 inmates in Norwegian prisons, compared them according to harmful substance use pre-incarceration, and explored changes in exercise and nicotine use during incarceration. Results were presented in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. Results: Inmates with harmful substance use reported higher rates of smoking, smokeless tobacco, and physical inactivity pre-incarceration than inmates without harmful use. However, inmates with harmful use also exhibited more behavioral changes: they adopted exercise, ceased smoking, and adopted smokeless tobacco at higher rates during incarceration than the non-harmful group. Conclusions: Exercise is being taken up by a significant proportion of inmates, and may in particular be a replacement behavior for substance use. However, unhealthy behaviors are also begun or maintained. If prisons were used as an arena to facilitate healthy behaviors, the public health benefits to a marginalized group such as substance-using inmates could be substantial.

Precipitation processes are technologies commonly used in hydrometallurgical plants to recover metals or to treat wastewaters. Moreover, solid-liquid separation technologies, such as thickening or filtering, are relevant unit operations, included in the precipitation technologies. These methods are strongly dependent on the characteristics of the solid precipitates formed during the specific precipitation reaction. One of these characteristics is the particle size distribution (PSD) of the solid precipitates which are fed into a solid-liquid separation process. Therefore, PSD determination is a typical practice for the characterization of the slurries generated in a precipitation plant. Furthermore, the precipitates generated in these processes have a colloidal or aggregation behavior, depending on the operational conditions. Nevertheless, the conventional methods used to estimate PSD (e.g., laser diffraction and/or ciclosizer) have not been designed to measure particles that tend to aggregate or disaggregate, since they include external forces (e.g., centrifugal, agitation, pumping and sonication). These forces affect the true size of the aggregates formed in a unit operation, thereby losing representativity in terms of aggregates particle size. This study presents an alternative method of measuring the size distribution of particles with aggregation behavior, particularly, by using non-invasive microscopy and image processing and analysis. The samples used have been obtained from an experimental precipitation process by applying sulfidization to treat the cyanide-copper complexes contained in a cyanidation solution. This method has been validated with statistical tools and compared with a conventional analysis based on laser diffraction. Our results show significant differences between the methods analyzed, demonstrating that image processing and analysis by microscopy is an excellent and non-invasive alternative to obtaining size distribution of aggregates in precipitation processes.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a common medical complication of pregnancy, which is associated with increased risk of future diabetes. mHealth (mobile health, in this paper applica-tions abbreviated to apps) can facilitate health modifications to decrease future risks. This study aims to understand mHealth app use and preferences among women with past GDM and healthcare professionals (HCP) in Australia. An explorative cross-sectional online survey was disseminated via social media, a national diabetes registry, and professional networks. Descrip-tive analyses were conducted on valid responses (women with prior GDM: n=1475; HCP: n=75). One third (33%) of women with prior GDM have used health apps, and a further 80% of non-app users were open to using a health app if recommended by their HCP. Over half (53%) of HCPs supported health information delivery via mHealth, although only 14% had recommended a health app to women post-GDM, and lack of knowledge about mHealth apps was common. Health app users reported that they preferred tracking features, while non-users desired credible health and dietary information and plans. Expanding mHealth app use could facilitate healthy behaviours, but endorsement by HCPs is important to women and currently lacking.

Cellular therapy has emerged as an attractive option for the treatment of cancer, and adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) expressing T cells has gained FDA approval in hematologic malignancy. However, limited efficacy has been observed utilizing CAR-T therapy in solid tumors. Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial for tumor surveillance and exhibit potent killing capacity of aberrant cells in an antigen-independent manner. Adoptive transfer of unmodified allogeneic or autologous NK cells has shown limited clinical benefit due to factors including low cell number, low cytotoxicity and failure to migrate to tumor sites. To address these problems, immortalized and autologous NK cells have been genetically engineered to express high affinity receptors (CD16), CARs directed against surface proteins (PD-L1, CD19, Her2, etc.) and endogenous cytokines (IL-2 and IL-15) that are crucial for NK cell survival and cytotoxicity, with positive outcomes reported by several groups both preclinically and clinically. With a multitude of NK cell-based therapies currently in clinic trials, it is likely they will play a crucial role in next-generation cell therapy-based treatment. In this review we will highlight the recent advances and limitations of allogeneic, autologous and genetically enhanced NK cells used in adoptive cell therapy.

Mining is one of the main economic activities of several developing countries as Chile. Due to the progressive fall of the ore grades and the increasingly refractory composition of minerals, concentrating plants have increased that has led to an increase in the generation of tailings. Tailings, especially those obtained in the past, have remaining copper and other valuable species in quantities that can potentially be recovered, such as gold, silver, vanadium and rare earth elements. This transforms this abundant waste into a potential source of precious or strategic metals for secondary mining. One of the techniques of solid-liquid separation that allows the processing of solutions with low concentrations of metals corresponds to the adsorption, and more recently the biosorption, which is based on the use of biological matrices that do not constitute an environmental liability after application. Biosorption occurs as a consequence of the wide variety of active functional groups present in the different types of biomass. Bacterial, fungal, plant and algal biomasses have been described as biosorbents, mainly for the treatment of diluted and simple solutions. This work aims to recover copper from leached tailings using biomass of the red algae Gracilaria chilensis as a biosorbent. The tailing samples were taken from an abandoned deposit in the north of Chile and after an acid leaching copper was biosorbed, for which the kinetics of adsorption and the equilibrium isotherms were studied, applying the Freundlich and Langmuir models. Operational parameters such as adsorbent dose, pH and initial metal concentration were studied.

Only by understanding the ability to take third-person perspective can we begin to elucidate the neural processes responsible for one’s inimitable conscious experience. The current study examined differences in hemispheric laterality during a first-person perspective (1PP) and third-person perspective (3PP) taking task, when using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Participants were asked to take either the 1PP or 3PP when identifying the number of spheres in a virtual scene. During this task, single-pulse TMS was delivered to the motor cortex of both the left and right hemispheres of 10 healthy volunteers. Measures of TMS-induced motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) of the contralateral abductor pollicis brevis (APB) were employed as an indicator of lateralized cortical activation. The data suggest that the right hemisphere is more important in discriminating between 1PP and 3PP. These data add a novel method for determining perspective taking and add to the literature supporting the role of the right hemisphere in meta representation.

The Philippines has the highest HIV incidence rate in the Asia-Pacific region. Previous studies identified multilevel factors contributing to this phenomenon. This scoping review describes the extent of the literature on HIV contributory factors and identifies gaps to guide directions for HIV prevention research. The keywords HIV incidence, individual, sociocultural, environmental factors, and Philippines, were used to search for evidence on Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. A total of 1,017 peer-reviewed articles published in the English language from 2014 to 2024 were reviewed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Scoping Review protocol. Thirty articles were included in this review. The majority of the available evidence was quantitative studies published between 2020 and 2024. Individual, sociocultural, economic, educational, political, and environmental factors shaped the Philippines’ HIV epidemic. Low levels of HIV knowledge, low testing rates, high-risk sex behaviors, stigma, lifestyle, location, lack of HIV education in schools, conservative society, and restrictive policies are HIV contributing factors. The Philippine HIV epidemic is multifactorial. Identifying the contributory factors is crucial in developing targeted interventions for high-risk populations. A dedicated HIV research program is needed to provide evidence-based information to guide the development of HIV preventive programs and research.

Objective: We tested a model of individual health literacy information sharing with family members, personal preventive behaviours and family well-being during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong. Methods: We analysed data of 1501 randomly selected Chinese adults from a cross-sectional survey in Hong Kong from 9 to 23 April, 2020. Individual health literacy about COVID-19 with the items extracted from the questionnaire in World Health Organization Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Action Plan Guidance for COVID-19 preparedness and response, COVID-19 information sharing with family members, preventive behaviours against COVID-19 and family well-being were measured. Structural equation modelling analysis tested the proposed model. Findings: COVID-19 information sharing with family members partially mediated the association between individual health literacy and personal preventive behaviours. The direct effect of 0.24 was shown, and the indirect effect through COVID-19 information sharing with family members was small at 0.03 (Z = 3.66, p < 0.001). Family well-being was associated with personal preventive behaviours against COVID-19. The model was adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic status factors and had good fit with RMSEA = 0.04, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.96, and SRMR = 0.02. Conclusion: COVID-19 information sharing with family members was a partial mediator between individual health literacy and personal preventive behaviours against COVID-19. Strategies for enhancing health literacy and preventive measures against COVID-19 are needed to promote family well-being in the pandemic.

The goal of this study was to analyze the forest degradation in the Reserve for San Rafael National Park, Paraguay, during the period 2005-2019. This Reserve is one of the most important forest remnants of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest Ecoregion. A multitemporal analysis of degradation was carried out due to the occurrence of three disturbances: forest fires, a twister and illicit crops, using the Continuous Degradation Detection (CODED) algorithm, for which 3 factors were considered: variations due to pixel in the NDFI index values before, during and after every disturbance registered. In this context, the phenomenon with the greatest impact in terms of magnitude of degradation were the forest fires of 2005, being that year at the same time, the one that reported the highest degradation values. Secondly, there are the illicit crops established until the first semester of 2019, and lastly, the twister that occurred in 2017. Our findings demonstrate that CODED algorithm can detect multi-temporal degradation events in a Subtropical Broadleaf Forest, and the post-disturbance regeneration process after every disturbance tends to occur immediately. The response in terms of degradation-regeneration is highly variable, depending of the nature and severity of each disturbance and the vegetation recovery dynamics.

Microalgal harvesting is one of the most challenging processes in the development of algal research and development. Several methods, such as centrifugation, flocculation, and filtration, are available at the laboratory scale. However, the requirement of expensive pieces of equipment and the possibility of biomass contamination are recurring gaps that hinder the development of microalgae I+D in different parts of the world. Recently, the electroflotation has been proved as a suitable method for the harvesting of different species of microalgae and cyanobacteria. To this day, there are no companies that sell laboratory-scale electroflotation equipment; this is mainly due to the gap in the knowledge on which factors (time, mixing rate, number of electrodes, and others) will affect the efficiency of concentration without reducing the biomass quality. This paper aims to build an innovative low-cost electroflotation system under 300 USD with cheap and resistant materials. To achieve our goal, we test the interaction of three variables (time, mixing rate, and amount of electrodes) were evaluated. Results showed that an efficiency closer to 100% could be achieved under 20 minutes using >10 electrodes and 150 rpm. We hope this innovative approach can be used by different researchers to improve our knowledge of the concentration and harvesting of algae and cyanobacteria.

Understanding the factors which control endothelial cell (EC) function and angiogenesis is crucial for developing the horse as a disease model, but equine ECs remain poorly studied. In this study we have optimised methods for the isolation and culture of equine aortic endothelial cells (EA-oECs) and characterised their angiogenic functions in vitro. Mechanical dissociation, followed by magnetic purification using an anti-VE-cadherin antibody, resulted in EC-enriched cultures suitable for further study. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) increased EAoEC proliferation rate and stimulated scratch wound closure and tube formation by EAoECs on extracellular matrix. Pharmacological inhibitors of FGFR1 (SU5402) or MEK (PD184352) blocked FGF2-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation and functional responses, suggesting that these are dependent on FGFR1/MEK-ERK signalling. In marked contrast, VEGF-A had no effect on EAoEC proliferation, migration or tubulogenesis and did not promote ERK1/2 phosphorylation, indicating a lack of sensitivity to this classical pro-angiogenic growth factor. Gene expression analysis showed that, unlike human ECs, FGFR1 is expressed by EAoECs at a much higher level than both VEGFR1 and VEGFR2. These results suggest a predominant role for FGF2 versus VEGF-A in controlling the angiogenic functions of equine ECs. Collectively, our novel data provide a sound basis for stud-ying angiogenic processes in the horse and lay the foundations for comparative studies of EC biology in horses versus humans.

The optimum conditions for the fermentation of African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) into a vegetable protein based condiment (Iru) were developed using Levenberg-Marquardt (or Powell) method (using PSI software) with three (3) variables namely; inoculum concentration (bacillus subtilis), temperature and the fermentation duration. African locust bean seeds were fermented at various temperature of 40 - 70 °С for five days (120 hours) with different concentrations of Inoculum. The proximate analysis shows that fermentation increased the percentage protein. Protein had the highest composition with about 51 % after 72 hours at the lowest fermentation temperature of 40°С.