The straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and is widely hunted for bushmeat. It is known to harbour a range of paramyxoviruses, including rubuloviruses and henipaviruses, but the zoonotic potential of these is unknown. We previously found a diversity of paramyxoviruses within a small, captive colony of E. helvum after it had been closed to contact with other bats for five years. In this study, we used under-roost urine collection to further investigate the paramyxovirus diversity and ecology in this colony, which had been closed to the outside for ten years at the time of sampling. By sampling urine weekly throughout an entire year, we investigated possible seasonal patterns of shedding of virus or viral RNA. Using a generic paramyxovirus L-gene PCR, we detected eight distinct paramyxovirus RNA sequences. Six distinct sequences were detected using a Henipavirus-specific PCR which targeted a different region of the L-gene. Sequence detection had a bi-annual pattern, with the greatest peak in July, although different RNA sequences appeared to have different shedding patterns. No significant associations were detected between sequence detection and birthing season, environmental temperature or humidity, and no signs of illness were detected in any of the bats in the colony during the period of sample collection.

The International Health Regulations (2005) promote national capacity in core institutions so countries can better detect, respond to and recover from public health emergencies. In accordance with the ‘all hazards’ approach to public health risk, this systematic review examines poisoning and toxic exposures in Myanmar. A systematic literature search was undertaken to find articles pertaining to poisoning in Myanmar published between 1998 and 2020. A number of poisoning risks are identified in this review including snakebites, heavy metals, drugs of abuse, agro-chemicals and traditional medicine. Patterns of poisoning presented in the literature diverge from poisoning priorities reported in other lower-middle income countries in the region. The expe-rience of professionals working in a Yangon-based poison treatment unit indicates that frequently observed poisoning as a result of substances including pharmaceuticals, methanol, and petroleum products were absent from the literature. Other notable gaps in the available research include assessments of the public health burden of poisoning through self-harm, household exposures to chemicals, paediatric risk and women’s occupational risk of poisoning. There is a limited amount of research available on poisoning outcomes and routes of exposure in Myanmar. Further inves-tigation and research is warranted to provide a more complete assessment of poisoning risk and incidence.

A tunable quantum cascade laser (QCL) spectrometer was used to develop methods for detecting and quantifying high explosives (HE) in soil based on multivariate analysis (MVA) and artificial intelligence (AI). For quantification, mixes of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) with concentrations from 0% to 20% w/w were investigated using three types of soils: bentonite, synthetic soil, and natural soil. A Partial least squares regression model was generated for predicting 2,4-DNT concentrations. To increase its selectivity, the model was trained and evaluated using additional analytes as interferences, including other HEs such as PETN, RDX, and TNT and non-explosives such as benzoic acid and ibuprofen. For detection, mixes of different explosives in soils were used to implement two AI strategies. In the first strategy, the spectra of the samples were compared with those of soils recorded in a database to identify the most similar soils based on QCL spectroscopy. Next, a Classical Least Squares preprocessing (Pre-CLS) was applied to soils spectra selected from the database. The parameter obtained based on the sum of the weights of Pre-CLS was then used to generate a simple binary discrimination model for distinguishing between contaminated and uncontaminated soils, achieving an accuracy of 0.877. In the second AI strategy, the same parameter was added to a principal component matrix obtained from spectral data of samples and used to generate multi-classification models based on different machine learning algorithms. A Random Forest model worked best with 0.997 accuracy and allowing to distinguish between soils contaminated with DNT, TNT, or RDX and uncontaminated soils.

This study applies a cluster analysis to identify typical physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) patterns in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) before starting pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). We implemented an observational design which assessed baseline data on objectively measured PA and SB from the STAR (Stay Active after Rehabilitation) study. 355 persons wore a accelerometer (Actigraph wGT3X) for seven days before the start of their PR. Sociodemographic and disease-related parameters were assessed at the start of PR. We applied cluster analysis and compared groups applying univariate variance analyses. Data was available for 326 persons (31.6% women; age ø = 58 yr.). Cluster analysis revealed four movement clusters with distinct PA and SB patterns: sedentary non-movers (28.5%), sedentary occasional movers (41.7%), sedentary movers (19.6%), and sedentary exercisers (10.1%). The four clusters showed very different levels of moderate PA before rehabilitation (Ø daily minutes: 9; 28; 38; 70). Notably, all four clusters displayed considerably long average sitting time per day (Ø daily minutes: 644; 561; 490; 446). The groups differed significantly in disease-related parameters of GOLD severity, FEV1, CAT, and 6-Min-Walk-Test. In addition to PA promotion, PR programs should consider the reduction of sitting time as a valuable goal.

Recent pollinator declines have focused efforts on their conservation which require clear estimates of pollination value to agriculture. Our socio-economic producer surveys and agronomic field research data were used to present a new way of estimating ecosystem service value of native pollinators. Using two regionally important U.S.A. crops, Maine wild blueberry and Massachusetts cranberry as models, we present perceived values of native bee pollinators from both consumer and producers. Wild blueberry’s Replacement Cost (RC) was greater than Attributable Net Income (ANI), since greater rented honey bee stocking densities are required. Attributable Net Income for native bees were similar for wild blueberry ($613/ha) and cranberry ($689/ha). Marginal Net Farm Income (MNFI) from incrementally adding more hives per ha was greater from stocking a third/fourth hive per ha for cranberry ($6,206) than stocking a ninth/tenth hive per ha for wild blueberry ($556), given greater responsiveness of yield, revenue, and profit to using rented honey bee hives in cranberry compared to wild blueberry. Both crops’ producers were only willing to annually invest $140–188/ha in native pollination enhancements on their farms, justifying government support. Consumers are willing to pay ~6.7 times more to support native bees than producers, supporting market-based support for invertebrate conservation.

The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is a significant environmental threat, and an economic and social challenge to manage. As such, the efficient treatment of OFMSW is a significant key factor in achieving sustainable waste management. Decentralized Composting (DC) develops a new framework of waste management. The DC Analysis Model (DCAM), proposed in our previous study, provides a powerful tool for decision makers, based on the quantification of the DC project characteristics. In this paper, we focus on the qualitative analysis as a complementary tool to support decision making, in cases where quantitative analysis is unequivocal. The qualitative analysis identifies the main players in the field, the critical stakeholders and the potential conflicts between them. It also reveals the root problems and the core competencies for the project's implementation. DCAM qualitative analysis in Shefa-Amr (case study) indicates that unresolved root problems, such as the “lack of national regulation”, “clear ownership of the project” and “lack of ongoing budget” can result in an unsustainable composting system. Countering that, “the commitment of the municipality”, together with “economic viability” and securing “suitable areas for placing composters” are among the most important core competencies for the effective implementation of DC projects.

Background: Neonatal transportation of sick newborns is a major predictor of outcome. Prompt identification of the sickest newborns allows immediate corrective intervention and outcome optimization. Multiple severity scores were developed, however an optimal score has not yet been identified. Aim: To identify a rapid, accurate, and easy to perform score predictive for neonatal mortality in outborn neonates. Material and methods: All neonates, irrespective of gestational age, admitted by transfer in our level III regional neonatal unit between 01.01.2015 and 31.12.2021 were included. Infants with congenital critical abnormalities were excluded. Sick neonatal score (SNS) was calculated and compared between survivors and non-survivors. Gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW), gender, Apgar score, place of birth, time between delivery and admission (AT), early onset sepsis were collected from medical records and compared between study groups. Subgroup analysis was performed based on gestational age (preterm versus term infants). A new score was elaborated, including GA, BW, and AT, namely MSNS-AT score, to further improve mortality prediction. The main outcomes were mortality prediction using SNS and MSNS-AT score. Univariable and multivariable analysis, including Cox regression, were performed using SPSS Statistic 22.0. P-value was considered statistically significant if <0.05, 95% confidence intervals, odds ratio and hazard ratios were calculated were appropriate. Results: A total of 418 outborn infants were admitted during study period; 15 infants were excluded due to critical congenital defects. Out of 403 outborn infants, 217 born prematurely (53.8%), 224 males (55.6%), 20 died (4.96%). Compared to the survivors, the non-survivor neonates had significantly lower GA, BW, and SNS score (p<0.05), although only SNS score remained significantly lower in all subgroups (preterm vs term infants). A SNS score ≤8 was associated with mortality both in the whole study group and in subgroups (p<0.001). Time to admission was significantly associated with increased mortality rate in the whole group (p<0.05) and in preterm infants but not in term ones (p>0.05). In univariable and multivariable Cox regression models, MSNS-AT score, with a cut-off optimal value of ≤10 was more precise in predicting mortality compared to SNS (AUC 0.735 vs. 0.775) when applied to the entire group, had a lower accuracy in the term infants (AUC 0.765 vs 0.809) and a better accuracy the preterm infants group (AUC 0.885 vs. 0.810). Conclusions: The MSNS-AT score – calculated by adding GA, BW, and AT to the SNS score - significantly improved mortality prediction at admission in the whole study group as compared to SNS score. The best accuracy prediction of MSNS-AT score was observed in preterm infants suggesting that, besides GA and BW, TA may be decisive for the outcome of outborn preterm infants. Further studies are necessary to confirm the predictive value of MSNS-AT score and to identify variables that can improve its value in term infants without affecting the simplicity, ease, and rapidity of the scoring system.

ObjectivesAbrus precatorius (AP) is a medicinal plant seldomly studied for its beneficial effects and as such significant gap exists in understanding the basis by which AP leaf bioactives (APLBs) elicit beneficial effects against diabetes mellitus (DM) type-1. MethodsWe estimated DM type-1 related parameters - total protein (TP), direct bilirubin (DB), urea, creatinine, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and serum glucose (SG) after treatment with methanol extracts of AP leaves (APMLE) for 21 days followed by histopathological analysis of kidney and liver sections. APLBs were collected from GCMS fractions, database and literature searches and common targets were cross-intersected with annotated DM type-1 genes from experimental GSE14503 microarray dataset and genecard database. Overlapping differentially expressed genes were collected, their protein-protein interaction network was constructed and analyzed using various bioinformatics tools: Enrichr, SRplot, GSEA, Cytoscape, PyRx, and Discovery Studio to provide insight into the potential molecular basis of APLBs in DM-type-1.Results 15 compounds were identified from GCMS analysis of APMLE. Antidiabetic potential of APMLE was observed with significant (p <0.05) normalization of SG, TP, DB, ALT, AST, ALP, urea & creatinine while hepatorenal photomicrographs indicated moderate safety of use. Erucic acid, oleic acid, phytol and stigmasterol interact with 25 type-1 DM biomarkers revealed to be enriched in lipid and prostaglandin metabolic processes, neuroactive ligand receptor interaction, PPAR signaling pathway, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and cAMP signaling pathway. Furthermore, PPARalpha (peroxisome proliferator-activated alpha) and SCD (stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase) were revealed as core biotargets interacting with APLBs via hydrogen bond, hydrophobic interaction and van der Waals forces from docking study. ConclusionThis study demonstrated the potency of APLBs in vivo against type-1 DM. The potential basis of action has been studied from computational perspective. Future interests may provide additional experimental data into mechanisms by which APLBs elicit this remarkable ability.

Silicon-based microchannel technology offers unmatched performances for cooling high energy physics silicon-pixels detectors. Although Si-Si direct bonding, used for the fabrication of cooling plates, meets the stringent requirements of this application, in particular high-pressure resistance (~200 bar), it is reported to be a challenging and expensive process. In this work, we have evaluated two alternative bonding methods towards a more cost-effective fabrication process: Si-Glass-Si anodic bonding (AB) with a thin-film glass and Au-Au thermocompression (TC). The bonding strength of the two methods were evaluated with destructive pressure burst tests (0 - 690 bar) on test structures, each made of a 1×2 cm² silicon die etched with a tank and an inlet channel and sealed with a plain silicon die using AB or TC bonding. The pressure resistance of the structures was measured to be higher for the TC sealed samples (max. 690 bar) than for the AB ones (max. 530 bar) but less reproducible. The failure analysis indicates that the AB structure resistance is limited by the adhesion force of the deposited layers. Nevertheless, both the TC and AB methods provided sufficient bond quality to hold the high pressure required for the high energy physics pixel detectors cooling application.

With the current technological transformation in the automotive industry, autonomous vehicles are getting closer to the Society of Automative Engineers (SAE) automation level 5. This level corresponds to the full vehicle automation, where the driving system autonomously monitors and navigates the environment. With SAE-level 5, the concept of a Shared Autonomous Vehicle (SAV) will soon become a reality and mainstream. The main purpose of an SAV is to allow unrelated passengers to share an autonomous vehicle without a driver/moderator inside the shared space. However, to ensure their safety and well-being until they reach their final destination, it is required an active monitoring of all passengers. In this context, this article presents a microphone-based sensor system that is able to localize sound events inside an SAV. The solution is composed of a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) microphone array with a circular geometry connected to an embedded processing platform that resorts to Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology to successfully process in hardware the sound localization algorithms.

The aim of this study is to have an idea on the molecular mechanisms of C. albicans resistance to fluconazole in Burkina Faso, by studying the polymorphism of the ERG11 gene, and its implication in the C. albicans virulence and resistance in vivo according to the Galleria mellonella model; (2) Methods: Ten (10) clinical strains including, 5 resistant and 5 susceptible and 1 virulent and susceptible reference strain SC5314 are used. For the estimation of virulence, the larvae were inoculated with 10 μL of C. albicans cell suspension at variable concentrations: 2,5.105, 5.105, 1.106, and 5.106 CFU/larva of each strain. For the in vivo efficacy study, fluconazole was administered at 1, 4 and 16 mg/kg respectively to G. mellonella larvae, after infection by inoculum 5.106 CFU / larvae of each strain; (3) Results: Six (6) non-silent mutations in the ERG11 gene (K143R, F145L, G307S, S405F, G448E, V456I on ERG11p) were found in 4 resistant isolates. Larval mortality depended on fungal burden and strain. The inoculum 5.106 CFU caused 100% mortality in 2 days for the 2 CAAL-1 and CAAL-2 strains carrying the F145L mutation, in 3 days for the reference strain SC5314, in 4 days for the ensemble of resistant strains, and in 5 days for the ensemble of susceptible strains. The comparison of the mortality due to the reference strain SC5314 CFU / larva and the average mortality due to the two mutant F145L strains, shows a significant difference (P <0.05).Fluconazole significantly protected (P> 0.05) the larvae from infection by susceptible strains and the reference strain. However, 100% mortality in 6 days after injection of the resistant strains, was observed (4) Conclusions: Certain mutations in the ERG11 gene such as the F145L mutation are thought to be a source of increased virulence in Candida albicans. Fluconazole effectively protected larvae from infection by susceptible strains in vivo, unlike resistant strain

The rural communities are affected by gaseous emissions from intensive livestock production. Practical mitigation technologies are needed to minimize emissions from stored manure and improve air quality inside barns. In our previous research, the one-time surficial application of biochar to swine manure significantly reduced emissions of NH3 and phenol. We observed that the mitigation effect decreased with time during the 30-day trials. In this research, we hypothe-sized that bi-weekly reapplication of biochar could improve the mitigation effect on a wider range of odorous compounds using larger scale and longer trials. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of biochar dose and reapplication on mitigation of targeted gases (NH3, odor-ous VOCs, odor, GHGs) from stored swine manure on a pilot-scale setup over 8-weeks. The bi-weekly reapplication of the lower biochar dose (2 kg/m2) showed much higher significant percent reductions of emissions for NH3 (33% without & 53% with reapplication) and skatole (42% without & 80% with reapplication), respectively. In addition, the reapplication resulted in the emergence of statistical significance to the mitigation effect for all other targeted VOCs. Spe-cifically, for indole, the % reduction improved from 38% (p=0.47, without reapplication) to 78% (p=0.018, with reapplication). For phenol, the % reduction improved from 28% (p=0.71, without reapplication) to 89% (p=0.005, with reapplication). For p-cresol, the % reduction improved from 31% (p=0.86, without reapplication) to 74% (p=0.028, with reapplication). For 4-ethyl phenol, the percent emissions reduction improved from 66% (p=0.44, without reapplication) to 87% (p=0.007, with reapplication). The one-time 2 kg/m2 and 4 kg/m2 treatments showed similar effectiveness in mitigating all targeted gases, and no statistical difference was found between the dosages. The one-time treatments showed significant % reductions of 33% & 42% and 25% & 48% for NH3 and skatole, respectively. The practical significance is that the higher (one-time) biochar dose may not necessarily result in improved performance over the 8-week manure storage, but the bi-weekly reapplication showed significant improvement in mitigating NH3 and odorous VOCs. The lower dosages and the frequency of reapplication on the larger-scale should be explored to optimize biochar treatment and bring it closer to on-farm trials.

The immune system is a dynamic network of cells and cytokines are the major mediators of immune responses which combat pathogens. Based on the cytokine production, effector T cells differentiate into subsets known as Th1, Th2, Th17 or Treg (T regulatory). This system serves as a barrier to intracellular pathogens, bacterial infections and stimulates the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) and nitric oxide (NO), which diffuses across membranes and engulfs intracellular pathogens. Oxidative stress occurs when ROS, reactive nitrogen species (RNS) production and antioxidant defences become imbalanced. Oxidative stress generated by infected cells produces a substantial amount of free radicals which enables killing of intracellular pathogens. Intracellular pathogens are exposed to endogenous ROS as part of normal aerobic respiration, also aexogenous ROS and RNS are generated by the host immune system in response to infection. Nanoparticles which are designed for drug delivery are capable of trapping the desired drug in the particles which protects the drug from enzymatic degradation in a biological system. The small (subcellular) size of nanoparticles enables higher intracellular uptake of the drug which results in the reduction of the concentration of free drugs reducing their toxic effect. Research on the modulation of immune response and oxidative stress using nanoparticles used to encapsulate drugs has yet to be explored fully. In this review we illustrate the immune activation and generation of oxidative stress properties which are mediated by nanoparticle encapsulated drug delivery systems which can make the therapy more effective in case of diseases caused by intracellular pathogens.

Background: Nodal peripheral T-cell lymphomas (nPTCLs) encompass a heterogeneous group of mature and aggressive lymphoid malignancies, including peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL/NOS), angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) ALK-positive and ALK-negative. Their differential diagnosis and prognosis are an issue in the clinical practice. Accurate biomarkers to refine the different subtypes of nPTCLs and to stratify their prognosis are essential to improve their treatment approach. The aim of this study was to test the prognostic impact of GATA3 gene expression, and its capability to discriminate the different subtypes of nPTCLs. Patients and Methods: From 2000 to 2017, 80 patients with nPTCLs were eligible for GATA3 gene expression analysis that was assessed retrospectively by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) of neoplastic biopsies in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded samples (FFPE). Results: Median age was 49 years old (IqR 34-59), 43/80 (53.7%) were male. Median follow-up was 1.72 years. Of them, 36.3% were classified as PTCL/NOS, 31.2% ALK-negative ALCL, 21.2% ALK-positive ALCL and 11.3% AITL. The majority of cases had advanced stage (III/IV). Two-year estimated overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 52.2% and 39.5%, respectively. The median GATA3 gene expression level was 0.49% (range 0 – 7.07) in all cohort, it was 0.11% for ALK-positive ALCL, 0.46% for ALK-negative ALCL, 0.86% for PTCL/NOS and 0.67% for AITL. The difference of GATA3 gene expression among distinct variants of nPTCLs was statistically significant (p < 0.001). GATA3 gene expression levels ≥ 0.71% discriminate PTCL/NOS from ALK-negative ALCL and AITL with sensitivity of 62% and specificity of 80.3%. GATA3 gene expression levels ≥ median was associated with poor 2-year OS for PTCL/NOS (46.7% x 21.4%, p=0.04) and for ALK-negative ALCL (85.7% x 54.5%, p=0.04). Conclusion: Despite the relative small and heterogeneous group of patients with nPTCLs, GATA3 gene overexpression may be an important biomarker associated with poor prognosis in PTCL/NOS and ALK-negative ALCL. Moreover it may also discriminate different subtypes of nPTCLs. Further studies with larger series of patients should confirm our findings.

Satellite-based rainfall estimation products provide a vital alternative source of rainfall data in areas where conventional precipitation measurement is not readily available. In order to facilitate the use of these products there is the need to evaluate their accuracies. This study evaluated the accuracy of three satellite rainfall products; TMPA 3B42RT, TMPA 3B42 and CMORPH in the Pra basin (23,330 km²) of Ghana. The evaluation was through the point-to-pixel method by comparing 0.25°x 0.25° satellite grids to gauged rainfall based on gauge locations and analyzed statistically using correlation coefficient (r), bias and percent bias (pBias) as the performance verification methods. Seven (7) gauge stations with no missing data for the period of 2003-2008 was used in the evaluation. The analysis was based on daily, monthly, annual and seasonal timescales. Our results showed a good correlation between the TMPA products and the gauged data on all timescales considered. The CMORPH on the other hand showed huge overestimation at all gauge locations. The TMPA 3B42 was seen to be the best amongst the three products. The overall rainfall in the basin was well depicted by the TMPA 3B42 and 3B42RT. Although there wasn’t a perfect match between the 3B42RT and 3B42 products and the gauged rainfall, these products can be used to supplement gauged rainfall measurements in the basin and in estimation of rainfall in ungauged basins with similar characteristics.

Opioids have served as a cornerstone in pain management for decades. However, the emergence of increasingly potent synthetic analogs brings forth a range of side effects, including respiratory depression, tolerance, dependence, constipation, and, more importantly, the development of severe and debilitating opioid use disorder (OUD). Search for therapeutics to mitigate OUD has been challenging and this has called for novel approaches that include design of small molecules targeting neuronal circuits involved in addiction (opioid, dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and glutamate receptors, etc.) and development of biologics that target circulating opioids/opiates. In this review, we retrieved and discussed over two dozen of relevant patents filed in the past twelve (12) years that focus on novel approaches to produce therapeutics for OUD. The current review excluded patents on biologics and concentrated on small molecules, which will be discussed separately in a subsequent sequel. The chemical entities disclosed were highlighted and specific examples were provided where necessary. Although the number of patents in the realm of drug discovery for OUD is currently limited, we foresee a continued expansion in the quest for therapeutics for OUD in the years to come.

The vacuolar H+-ATPase is a multisubunit enzyme which plays an essential role in the acidification and functions of lysosomes, endosomes, and synaptic vesicles. Many genes encoding subunits of V-ATPases, namely ATP6V0C, ATP6V1A, ATP6V0A1 and ATP6V1B2, have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy. The autosomal dominant ATP6V1B2 p.Arg506* variant can cause both deafness, congenital, with onychodystrophy, autosomal dominant (DDOD) and deafness, onychodystrophy, osteodystrophy, mental retardation, and seizures syndromes (DOORS). Some but not all individuals with this truncating variant have intellectual disability and/or epilepsy, suggesting incomplete penetrance and/or variable expressivity. To further explore the impact of the p.Arg506* variant in neurodevelopment and epilepsy, we generated Atp6v1b2emR506* mutant mice and performed standardized phenotyping using the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) pipeline. In addition, we assessed the EEG profile and seizure susceptibility of Atp6v1b2emR506* mice. Behavioral tests revealed that the mice present locomotor hyperactivity and show less anxiety-associated behaviors. Moreover, EEG analyses indicate that Atp6v1b2emR506* mutant mice have interictal epileptic activity and that both heterozygous (like patients) and homozygous mice have reduced seizure thresholds to pentylenetetrazol. Our results confirm that variants in ATP6V1B2 can cause seizures and that the Atp6v1b2emR506* heterozygous mouse model is a valuable tool to further explore the pathophysiology and potential treatments for vacuolar ATPases-associated epilepsy and disorders.

Botanical biopesticides have emerged as sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic pesticides, whose indiscriminate use leads to several drawbacks to human and environment health. The present study reports on the evaluation of the roots extract from Magonia pubescens, species from the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah), on the phytopathogenic fungi, Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium oxysporum. In addition, its insect antifeedant effect was assayed against Chrysodeixis chalcites. Thus, an in vitro test-assay was used to determine the fungicide potential (percentage growth inhibition, % GI) of the ethanolic extract of this plant species, whereas a leaf-disk bioassay on the 5^th instar larvae of C. chalcites was performed to evaluate the insecticide potential. The ethanolic extract was further fractionated by liquid-liquid extraction, using organic solvents of increasing polarity. The hexane/dichloromethane fraction exhibited a moderated potency, and similar to the ethanolic extract on the three assayed fungi (around % GI 30 at 1 mg/mL), whereas the n-butanol fraction showed a slight improvement of the fungicide effect against B. cinerea (% GI 39.18 at 1 mg/mL). Moreover, the etanolic extract exhibited a strong antifeedant activity, with a refusal rate (FR) higher than 90% in both choice and non-choice assays against C. chalcites, while the ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions behaved as appetite suppressors. These results highlight M. pubescens as a promising source of biopesticides and deserve further investigations to optimize extraction procedures.

Windthrows in the forestry fund, which have become more frequent due to the increase in extreme weather events, have had and continue to have negative economic and ecological effects, making them a pressing issue in forestry research. Their urgency has been amplified in light of the need to develop sustainable forest management systems. The main objectives of this study are to evaluate the effects of windthrows on some microbiological properties of forest soils and to monitor the evolution of the degraded tree regeneration, 4 years after the event, for three tree species: Norway spruce (Picea abies L.), sessile oak (Quercus petraea), and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). The experimental plot used is arranged in dispersed blocks and subdivided plots, with three repetitions, bifactorial, factor A representing the tree species, and factor B the windthrows: in two situations: affected (AW) and not affected by felling (WW). Three representative soil profiles were studied for each tree species, including dehydrogenase activity (DA) and the number of fungi (NF) in the organic horizon at the soil surface. Dehydrogenase activity was determined by the extraction of triphenylformazan, and NF was evaluated using the Plate Count Method (Petri plates) and the Sabouraud Agar culture medium. The values of Current Dehydrogenase Activity (CDA) and Potential Dehydrogenase Activity (PDA) did not show significant statistical differences in relation to the windthrow factor, but were distinctly significant (p &lt; 0.01) for the tree species factor. On the other hand, NF showed statistical significance for both tree species and windthrows factors, at a level of p &lt; 0.01. Correlations were highlighted between the differences in AW and WW of CDA, PDA, and NF with the number of naturally regenerated seedlings (NRS), and the type of soil. The regressions established between NRS and the differences in CDA and PDA, the dependence of the differences in PDA on the differences in NF, and the regression between the differences in NF and the type of soil demonstrate the importance of soil characteristics in the natural regeneration process of the main tree species - Norway spruce, sessile oak, and European beech. Stimulating NRS in AW forests and increasing the volume of terrestrial organic carbon (TOC) biomass is directly dependent on soil fertility, primarily determined by soil organic carbon (SOC), which accumulates in the soil as a result of organic matter, deposited on the surface. Sustainable forest management of AW plots should stimulate the accumulation of SOC, including the partial or total preservation of dead trees, provided that the attack of specific diseases and pests is avoided.

Background: Pregnancy can be a period of increased psychological susceptibility for women living with HIV. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with depression and psychological stress among women living with HIV during their perinatal period in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: This study was a facility-based cross-sectional survey conducted in three HIV treatment centers. The study population consisted of women living with HIV 18 years and above who were pregnant or had given birth within the last two years. Data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 25. Results: A total of 402 participants were eligible for this study. About 69.0% and 78.0% of the participants were depressed and had perceived stress respectively. Women who had positive partners (OR=0.60, 95% CI=0.20-1.30) were found to be significantly associated with perceived depression. Women who reported having a gestational age between 29-40 weeks (OR=0.054 95% CI = 0.006, 0.500) were found to be significantly associated with perceived stress. Factors associated with the co-occurrence of symptoms of depression and perceived stress were partner status, income level, family support, gestational age, and years on ART. Conclusions: Given the high prevalence of major depression, perceived stress, and the co-occurrence of depression and perceived stress among women living with HIV, mental health care should be incorporated into the routine maternal healthcare for all women, especially those living with HIV.

Malignant gliomas are heterogeneous neoplasms. Glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) are undifferentiated and self-renewing cells that develop and maintain these tumors. These cells are the main population that resist current therapies. Genomic and epigenomic analyses has identified various molecular subtypes. Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) reduces the number of GSCs through differentiation and induction of apoptosis, thus increasing therapeutic sensitivity. However, the short half-life of BMP4 impedes its clinical application. We have previously reviewed BMP4 signaling in central nervous system development and glioma tumorigenesis and its’ potential as a treatment target in human gliomas. Recent advances in understanding both adult and pediatric malignant gliomas highlight critical roles of BMP4 signaling pathways in the regulation of tumor biology, and indicate its’ potential as a therapeutic molecule. Furthermore, significant progress has been made on synthesizing BMP4 biocompatible delivery materials, which can bind to and markedly extend BMP4 half-life. Here, we review current research associated with BMP4 in brain tumors, especially in pediatric malignant gliomas. We also summarize BMP4 delivery strategies, with a focus on biocompatible BMP4 binding peptide amphiphile nanostructures as promising novel delivery platforms for treatment of these devastating tumors.

This study addresses the gap in methodological guidelines for Neuroergonomic attention assessment in safety-critical tasks, focusing on validating EEG indices including the Engagement Index (EI) and Beta/Alpha ratio alongside subjective ratings. A novel task-embedded reaction time paradigm was developed to evaluate the sensitivity of these metrics to dynamic attentional demands in a more naturalistic multitasking context. By manipulating attention levels through varying secondary tasks in the NASA MATB-II task while maintaining a consistent primary reaction-time task, the study successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of the paradigm. Results indicate that both Beta/Alpha ratio and EI are sensitive to changes in attentional demands, with Beta/Alpha being more responsive to dynamic variations in attention, and EI reflecting more the overall effort required to sustain performance, especially in conditions where maintaining attention is challenging. The potential for predicting the attention lapses through integration of performance metrics, EEG measures, and subjective assessments was demonstrated, providing a more nuanced understanding of dynamic fluctuations of attention in multitasking scenarios, mimicking those in real-world safety-critical tasks. These findings provide a foundation for advancing methods to accurately monitor attention fluctuations and mitigate risks in critical scenarios, such as train-driving or automated vehicle operation, where maintaining high attention level is crucial.

Thrombotic microangiopathies (TMA) can be attributed to a wide variety of causes and the diagnostic process is often challenging, especially when the clinical scenario is full of other confounding factors. Hemolysis can be due to complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathies and drug-induced hemolytic anemia in the appropriate clinical context. In this case presentation, two patients with TMA including a patient diagnosed with complement-mediated TMA after a through screen of other differential diagnoses, and a multiple myeloma patient on chemotherapy with primaquine-induced hemolytic anemia in the background of treatment for possible pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. A thorough review of the drug history of patients presenting with TMA should be conducted, along with a heightened index of suspicion for complement-mediated disorders such as complement-mediated TMA, which should be entertained after ruling out a wide variety of differential diagnoses.

The integration of AI in educational settings, particularly through Large Language Models (LLMs), is accelerating, reshaping pedagogical approaches due to students' interactions with new learning tools. This study assesses the impact of generative AI on the educational experiences of computer and data science students at the Center for Informatics, University of Paraíba (CI/UFPB), Brazil. Through Exploratory Factorial Analysis (EFA) of five psychometric scales, the research examines students' acceptance of LLMs, their associated burnout levels, technology anxiety, and the prevalence of metacognitive and dysfunctional learning strategies associated with LLMs. Results indicate significant adoption of AI technologies among students, accompanied by a low incidence of technology anxiety, manifesting as fears of losing jobs to AI. However, a significant correlation was observed between academic burnout and dysfunctional learning strategies, which could likely be attributed to the rigorous academic environment. Additionally, the employment of metacognitive strategies in conjunction with LLMs reflects an advanced learning approach, yet challenges with functional learning strategies persist. This study contributes to the discourse on AI in education, highlighting the need for educational frameworks that support effective AI adoption while addressing the psychological demands on students.

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative approach for blood cancers, yet its efficacy is undermined by a range of acute and chronic complications. In light of mounting evidence to suggest that these complications are linked to a dysbiotic gut microbiome, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) delivered during the acute phase after HSCT. Of note, this trial opted for FMT prepared using the individual’s own stool (autologous FMT) to mitigate risks of disease transmission from donor stool. Adults (>18 years) with multiple myeloma were recruited from a single centre. Stool was collected prior to starting first-line therapy. Patients that progressed to HSCT were offered FMT via 3 x re-tention enemas before day +5 (HSCT = day 0). Feasibility was determined by recruitment rate, number and volume of enemas administered, and retention time. Longitudinally collected stool samples were also col-lected to explore the influence of auto-FMT using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. N=4 (2F:2M) participants received auto-FMT in 12 months. Participants received an average of 2.25(1-3) enemas (43.67(25-50)mL total, retained for an average of 60.78(10-145)minutes). No AEs, attributed to the FMT, were identified. Although minimum requirements were met for the volume and retention of auto-FMT, recruitment was significantly impacted by the logistical challenges of pre-therapy stool collection. This ultimately under-mined the feasibility of this trial and suggests that third party (donor) FMT should be prioritised.

leaf beetle (BLB) (Ootheca mutabilis) has emerged as an important bean pest in Uganda, leading to devastating crop losses. There is limited information on the population genetic structure of BLB despite their importance. In this study, novel microsatellite markers and the partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene sequences were used to analyze the spatial population genetic structure, genetic differentiation, gene flow and haplotype diversity of 87 O. mutabilis samples from five populations. We identified 19,356 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) (mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, and hexa-nucleotides) of which 81 di, tri and tetra-nucleotides were selected for primer synthesis. Five highly polymorphic SSR markers (4-21 alleles, heterozygosi-ty 0.59-0.84, polymorphic information content (PIC) 50.13-83.14%) were used for this study. Analyses of the five O. mutabilis populations with these five novel SSRs found 89% of genetic variation occurring within individuals, 9% among individuals and 2% among populations. Genetic differentiation was low but significant for SSR and insignificant for mtCOI partial sequence data while gene flow was high across the populations. There was no evidence of isolation by distance between geographical and genetic distances. Bayesian clustering identified signature of admixture that suggests genetic contributions from two ancestral genetic lineages, and the median-joining haplotype network showed low differentiation of many different haplotypes from the most common haplotype. Low genetic differentiation and high gene flow indicates unrestricted migrations between populations. This information will contribute to the design of BLB control strategies.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a prototypical neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons to severely effect the functionality to control voluntary muscle movement. Most of the non additive genetic aberrations responsible for ALS make its molecular classification very challenging along with limited sample size, curse of dimensionality, class imbalance and noise in the data. Deep learning methods have been successful in many other related areas but have low minority class accuracy and suffer from the lack of explainailbilty when used directly with RNA expression features for ALS molecular classification. In this paper we propose a deep learning based molecular ALS classification and interpretation framework. Our framework is based on training a convolution neural network (CNN) on images obtained from converting RNA expression values into pixels based on DeepInsight similarity technique. Then we employed Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) to extract pixels with higher relevance to ALS classifications. These pixels were mapped back to the genes which made them up. This enabled us to classify ALS samples with high accuracy for a minority class along with identifying genes that might be playing an important role in ALS molecular classifications. Taken together with RNA expression images classified with CNN, our preliminary analysis of the genes identified by SHAP interpretation demonstrate the value of utilising Machine Learning to perform molecular classification of ALS and uncover disease-associated genes.

SARS-CoV-2 caused a large outbreak since its emergence in December 2019. The COVID-19 diagnosis became a priority to isolate and treat infected individuals in order to break the contamination chain. Currently, the reference test for COVID-19 diagnosis is the molecular detection (RT-qPCR) of the virus from nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) samples. Although this sensitive and specific test remains the gold standard, it has several limitations, such as the invasive collection method, the relative high cost and the duration of the test. Moreover, the material shortage to perform tests due to the discrepancy between the high demand for tests and the production capacities puts additional constraints on RT-qPCR. Here, we propose a PCR-free method for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 based on Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) profiling and machine learning (ML) models from salivary samples. Kinetic saliva samples were collected at enrollment and ten and thirty days later (D0, D10 and D30), to assess the classification performance of the ML models compared to the molecular tests performed on NPS specimens. Spectra were generated using an optimized protocol of saliva collection and successive quality control steps were developed to ensure the reliability of spectra. A total of 360 averaged spectra were included in the study. At D0, the comparison of MS spectra from SARS-CoV-2 positive patients (n=105) with healthy healthcare controls (n=51) revealed nine peaks that significantly distinguished the two groups. Among the five ML models tested, Support Vector Machine with Linear Kernel (SVM-LK) provided the best performance on the training dataset (accuracy = 85.2 %, sensitivity = 85.1 %, specificity = 85.3 %, F1-Score = 85.1 %). The application of the SVM-LK model on independent datasets confirmed it performances with 88.9% and 80.8% of correct classification for samples collected at D0 and D30, respectively. Conversely, at D10, the proportion of correct classification fallen to 64.3%. The analysis of saliva samples by MALDI-TOF MS and ML appears as an interesting supplementary tool for COVID-19 diagnosis, despite the mitigated results obtained for convalescent patients (D10).

A smartphone plummeted from a stratospheric height of 36 km (~119,000 feet), providing a complete record of its rapid descent and abrupt deceleration when it hit the ground. The smartphone was configured to collect internal sensor data at high rates. We discuss the state-of-the-art of smartphone environmental and sensing capabilities at the closing of year 2020 and present a flexible mobile sensor data model. The associated open-source application programing interface (API) and python software development kit (SDK) used in this work is transportable to any hardware platform and operating system.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major global health challenge. Emerging evidence suggests that poor knowledge and stigma are impacting HBV control efforts in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), however their role is not well understood. We conducted a cross-sectional study of adults aged ≥ 18 years in a community and pharmacy setting in Freetown, Sierra Leone. A structured questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes, and health-seeking behaviors regarding HBV. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of HBV knowledge and related stigma. A total of 306 adult participants were enrolled (50.7% male, 7.5% HBV positive and 11.7% vaccinated). Overall, 52.2% had comprehensive HBV knowledge and 49.3% expressed a stigmatizing attitude towards people with HBV. Notwithstanding, 72.2% stated they would receive the HBV vaccine if offered, 80.4% would take anti-HBV medication and 78.8% would be willing to attend clinic regularly. Comprehensive HBV knowledge was associated with HBV positive status (aOR 4.41; p = 0.029) and being vaccinated against HBV (aOR 3.30; p = 0.034). HBV-related stigma was associated with secondary or higher level of education (aOR 2.36; p &lt; 0.001), good HBV knowledge (aOR 2.05; p = 0.006) and pharmacy setting (aOR 1.74, p = 0.037). These findings suggest that education and stigma reduction may benefit HBV elimination efforts in SSA.

(1) Background: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is heavily affected by malaria despite availability of effective treatments. Ignorance and unrecommended behaviour toward a suspected malaria case in households may contribute to this problem. (2) Method: In communities of one rural and one urban Health Centers in each of the 11 previous provinces of DRC, all households with a case of malaria in the 15 days prior to the survey were selected. The patient or caregiver (responder) were interviewed. Logistic regression was used to assess predictors of knowledge of recommended antimalarials and good behaviour in case of suspected malaria. (3) Results: 1,732 households participated; about 62% (1060/1721) of the responders were informed about antimalarials, 70.1% (742/1059) knew the recommended antimalarial and 58.6% (995/1699) resorted on self-medication. Predictors of knowledge of antimalarials were education to secondary school or university, information from media and smaller households. Predictors of good behaviour were catholic religion and smaller households. Receiving information from CHW failed to be determinants of knowledge or adequate attitude. (4) Conclusion: malaria control in DRC is hampered by ignorance and non-adherence to national recommendations. These aspects are influenced by unsuccessful communication, size of households and level of education.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most diagnosed non-cutaneous cancer in men. Despite therapies such as radical prostatectomy, which is considered curative, distant metastases may form resulting in biochemical recurrence (BCR). This study used radiomic features calculated from multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) to evaluate their ability to predict BCR and PCa presence. Data from a total of 279 patients, of which 46 experienced BCR, undergoing MP-MRI prior to surgery were assessed for this study. After surgery, the prostate was sectioned using patient-specific 3D-printed slicing jigs modeled using the T2-weighted imaging (T2WI). Sectioned tissue was stained, digitized, and annotated by a GU-fellowship trained pathologist for cancer presence. Digitized slides and annotations were co-registered to the T2WI and radiomic features were calculated across the whole prostate and cancerous lesions. A tree regression model was fitted to assess the ability of radiomic features to predict BCR, and a tree classification model was fitted with the same radiomic features to classify regions of cancer. We found that 10 radiomic features predict eventual BCR with an AUC of 0.97 and classifying cancer at an accuracy of 89.9%. This study showcases the application for a radiomics-based tool to screen for the presence of prostate cancer and assess patient prognosis, as determined by biochemical recurrence.

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) patients respond better to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) than mucosal and uveal melanoma patients (MM/UM). Aiming to explore these differences and understand the distinct response to ICI, we evaluated the serum metabolome of advanced CM, MM, and UM patients. Levels of 115 metabolites were analyzed in samples collected before ICI, using a targeted metabolomics platform. In our analysis, molecules involved in the tryptophan-kynurenine axis distinguished UM/MM from CM. UM/MM patients had higher levels of 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HKyn), whilst patients with CM were found to have higher levels of kynurenic acid (KA). The KA/3-HKyn ratio was significantly higher in CM versus the other subtypes. UM, the most ICI-resistant subtype, was also associated with higher levels of sphingomyelin-d18:1/22:1 and the polyamine spermine (SPM). Overall survival was prolonged in patients with lower SPM levels. Our study revealed distinct metabolomic profile between the most resistant melanoma subtypes, UM and MM, compared to CM. Alterations within the kynurenine pathway, polyamine metabolism and sphingolipid metabolic pathway may contribute to the poor response to ICI. Understanding the different metabolomic profiles introduces opportunities for novel therapies with potential synergic activity to ICI, to improve responses of UM/MM.

Live-attenuated, oral rotavirus vaccines have significantly reduced rotavirus-associated diarrhoea morbidity and infant mortality. However, vaccine immunogenicity is diminished in low-income countries. We investigated whether maternal and infant intrinsic susceptibility to rotavirus infection via histo-blood group antigen (HBGA) profiles influenced rotavirus (ROTARIX®) vaccine-induced responses in Zambia. We studied 135 mother-infant pairs under a rotavirus vaccine clinical trial aged 6 to 12 weeks at pre-vaccination up to 12 months old. We determined maternal and infant ABO/H, Lewis, and secretor HBGA phenotypes, and infant FUT2 HBGA genotypes. Vaccine immunogenicity was measured as anti-rotavirus IgA antibody titres. Overall, 34 (31.3%) of children were seroconverted at 14 weeks, and no statistically significant difference in seroconversion was observed across the various HBGA profiles in early infant life. We also observed a statistically significant difference in rotavirus-IgA titres across infant HBGA profiles at 12 months though no statistically significant difference was observed between study arms. There was no association between maternal HBGA profiles and infant vaccine immunogenicity. Overall, infant HBGA was associated with RV-Vaccine immunogenicity at 12 months as opposed to early infant life. Further investigation into the low efficacy of ROTARIX® and appropriate intervention is key to unlocking full vaccine benefits for U5 children.

Computer vision is a rapidly developing field that focuses on highly sophisticated picture analysis, manipulation, and comprehension. Its objective is to analyze what is happening in front of a camera and utilize that understanding to control a computer or robotic system or to present users with fresh visuals that are more enlightening or appealing than the original camera images. Computer vision technologies make it feasible for new user interfaces, augmented reality gaming, biometrics, automobile, photography, movie creation, Web search, and many more applications. This essay seeks to explain how computer vision can be utilized to play blackjack successfully.

Guided by the Conceptual Model of Implementation Research, we explored the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of: 1) automated screening approaches utilizing existing health data to identify those who require subsequent diagnostic evaluation for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and 2) family communication methods including chatbots and direct contact to communicate information about inherited risk for FH. Focus groups were conducted with 22 individuals with FH (2 groups) and 20 clinicians (3 groups). These were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using deductive (coded to implementation outcomes) and inductive (themes based on focus group discussions) methods. All stakeholders described these initiatives as: 1) acceptable and appropriate to identify individuals with FH and communicate risk with at-risk relatives; and 2) feasible to implement in current practice. Stakeholders cited current initiatives, outside of FH (e.g., pneumonia protocols, colon cancer and breast cancer screenings), that gave them confidence for successful implementation. Stakeholders described perceived obstacles, such as nonfamiliarity with FH, that could hinder implementation and potential solutions to improve systematic uptake of these initiatives. Automated health data screening, chatbots, and direct contact approaches may be useful for patients and clinicians to improve FH diagnosis and cascade screening.

Coastal protection solutions can be categorized as grey, hybrid, or natural. Grey infrastructure includes artificial structures like dykes. Natural habitats like seagrasses are considered as natural protection infrastructure. Hybrid solutions combine both natural and grey infrastructure. Evidence suggest that grey solutions can negatively impact the environment, while natural habitats prevent flooding without such adverse effects and provide many ecosystem services. New types of protective solutions, called biomimetic solutions, are inspired by natural habitats and reproduce their features using artificial materials. Few studies have been conducted on these new approaches. This study aims to quantify wave dissipation observed in-situ above a biomimetic solution inspired by kelps, known for their wave dampening properties. The solution was deployed in full water column nearby Palavas-les-Flots in southern France. A one-month in-situ experimentation showed that the biomimetic solution dissipates around 10% of total wave energy on average, whatever the meteo-marine conditions. Wave energy dissipation is frequency dependent: short waves are dissipated, while low-frequency energy increased. An anti-dissipative effect occurs for forcing conditions with frequencies close to the eigen mode linked to the biomimetic solution's geometry, suggesting that resonance should be considered in designing future biomimetic protection solutions.

Air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5), poses a significant threat to public health, especially in rapidly urbanizing areas like Lagos State. Despite the severity of the issue, there is a lack of comprehensive data on PM2.5 levels and the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Lagos. This study leverages data from AirQo, an innovative air quality monitoring network using low-cost sensors, to provide a detailed assessment of PM2.5 concentrations and AQI across eight locations in Lagos State, Nigeria. This approach offers real-time, continuous monitoring, filling a critical data gap in the region's air quality management efforts. This study uses AirQo data to assess the concentration levels and spatial distribution of PM2.5 and AQI across the selected eight locations. Data on PM2.5 concentrations were obtained from AirQo sensors deployed across the eight strategic locations in Lagos. The spatial distribution of PM2.5 levels and AQI were analyzed, and the results were compared with national and international air quality standards. The findings revealed that PM2.5 levels (minimum – 6.28 µg/m3 (Ikeja) and maximum - 204.68 µg/m3 (Banana Island) in many areas of Lagos exceed annual WHO and national air quality guidelines, indicating significant health risks. The spatial analysis identified pollution hotspots, particularly in densely populated and industrial regions. The data suggested vehicular emissions and industrial activities as major contributors to high PM2.5 levels. This study underscores the severe air quality issues in Lagos State, emphasizing the need for immediate and targeted interventions to mitigate PM2.5 pollution. The use of AirQo sensors proved effective in providing accurate and timely data for air quality assessment. It is recommended that Lagos State implements stricter emission controls, promotes cleaner technologies, and enhances public transportation systems to reduce traffic-related pollution. Additionally, expanding the air quality monitoring network and incorporating more environmental data will provide a more comprehensive understanding of air pollution impacts, thereby facilitating better policy and public health decisions.

The recent commercial availability of stacked dielectric elastomer actuators (SDEAs) has unlocked new opportunities for their application as "artificial skeletal muscles" in rehabilitation robots and powered exoskeletons. Composed of multiple layers of thin, elastic capacitors, these actuators present a lightweight, soft, and acoustically noiseless alternative to traditional DC motor actuators commonly used in rehabilitation robotics, thereby enhancing the natural feel of such systems. Building on our previous research, this study aimed to evaluate the most recent version of commercial SDEAs to assess their potential for mechanizing rehabilitation robots. We quantified the stress and strain behavior and stiffness of these actuators in both single and 1x3 configurations (with three SDEAs connected in series). The actuators demonstrated the capability to generate up to 25 N of force, 103 KPa, a value closely resembling human biceps, with a longitudinal strain measured at about 11%. The significant increase in force generation from 10 N, in the previous version, to 25 N and displacement from 3.3% to 11% substantially enhances the applicability of this actuator rehabilitation robotics. SDEAs' high force generation capability, combined with their strain and stress characteristics comparable to that of human biological muscles make them ideal alternative actuators for biomimetic robots and applications where actuators must operate in the vicinity of the human body.

: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) cemiplimab and pembrolizumab have revolutionized the treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ICI in a real-world cSCC population, including patients with conditions which would exclude clinical trial participation. In this single-center, retrospective cohort study, we included all non-trial patients with advanced cSCC treated with ICI between 2017 and 2022. We evaluated investigator-assessed best overall response (BOR) and immune-related adverse events (irAEs). We correlated survival outcomes with age, performance status, immune status and irAEs. For the 36 patients identified, best overall response (BOR) to ICI was partial response (PR) in 41.7%, complete response (CR) in 27.8%, and stable disease in (SD) 13.9% of patients. The PFS rate at 1 year was 63%; median PFS was not reached (NR). The median OS was 38.6 months (95% CI 25.4-NR). Immune compromised patients, ECOG performance 2-3, and age ≥75 years were not significantly associated with PFS or OS. IrAE grade 3-4 were seen in 13.9% of patients. In our Canadian experience with real-world patients, ICI was an effective and safe treatment for advanced cSCC patients. Patients achieved great benefit with ICI regardless of age, immune status or ECOG performance status.

Background and Objective: In an experiment designed to explore the mechanisms of fludrocortisone-induced high blood pressure, we serendipitously observed aortic aneurysms in mice infused with fludrocortisone. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether fludrocortisone induces aortic pathologies in both normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic mice. Methods and Results: Male adult C57BL/6J mice were infused with either vehicle (85% polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) and 15% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); N=5) or fludrocortisone (12 mg/kg/day dissolved in 85% PEG-400 and 15% DMSO; N=15) for 28 days. Fludrocortisone-infused mice had higher systolic blood pressure, compared to mice infused with vehicle. Fludrocortisone induced aortic pathologies in 4 of 15 mice with 3 having pathologies in the ascending and aortic arch regions and 1 having pathology in both the ascending and descending thoracic aorta. No pathologies were noted in abdominal aortas. Subsequently, we infused either vehicle (N=5/group) or fludrocortisone (N=15/group) into male ApoE -/- mice fed a normal laboratory diet or LDL receptor -/- mice fed either normal or Western diet. Fludrocortisone increased systolic blood pressure, irrespective of mouse strain or diet. In ApoE -/- mice infused with fludrocortisone, 2 of 15 mice had ascending aortic pathologies, but no mice had abdominal aortic pathologies. In LDL receptor -/- mice fed normal diet, 5 had ascending/arch pathologies, 1 had pathologies in the ascending, arch, and suprarenal aortic regions. In LDL receptor -/- mice fed Western diet, 2 died of aortic rupture in either the descending thoracic or abdominal region, and 2 of the 13 survived mice had ascending/arch aortic pathologies. Aortic pathologies included hemorrhage, wall thickening or thinning, or dilation. Given the low incidence, only ascending aortic diameter in LDLR -/- mice fed Western diet reached statistical significance, compared to their vehicle. Conclusion: Fludrocortisone induces aortic pathologies independent of hypercholesterolemia. The findings in mouse studies have the potential to provide caution to people who are taking or have taken fludrocortisone that could have an increased risk of aortic pathologies.

Hearing impairment (HI) is a common sensory disorder that is defined as the partial or complete inability to detect sound in one or both ears. This diverse pathology is associated with a myriad of phenotypic expressions and/or syndromes. HI can be caused by various intrinsic, environmental and/or unknown factors. Some ontologies capture some relevant HI forms, phenotypes and syndromes, but there is no comprehensive knowledge portal which includes aspects specific to the HI disease state. This hampers inter-study comparability, integration and interoperability within and across disciplines. This work describes the HI Ontology (HIO) that was developed based on the Sickle Cell Disease Ontology (SCDO) model. This is a collaboratively developed resource built around the 'Hearing Impairment' concept by a group of experts in different aspects of HI and ontologies. HIO is the first comprehensive, standardized, hierarchical and logical representation of existing HI knowledge. HIO allows researchers and clinicians alike to readily access standardized HI-related knowledge in a single location and promote collaborations and HI information sharing, including epidemiological, socio-environmental, biomedical, genetic and phenotypic information. Furthermore, this ontology illustrates the adaptability of the SCDO framework for use in developing a disease-specific ontology.

A major cause of genital discomfort in women around the world is bacterial vaginosis, which results from excessive growth of pathogenic bacteria in the vaginal ecosystem. Current treatment consists of antibiotics and/or probiotics, which show favourable therapeutic effects, but also cause problems such as drug resistance and recurrence. Considering faecal transplantation's success, transplantation of vaginal fluid from healthy donors could provide the most effective treatment for bacterial vaginosis. However, experimental treatments have shown that vaginal microbiome transplantation may not be a one-size-fits-all solution. The present article examines the limitations of current standardized therapy, the advantages of vaginal microbiome transplantation, and presents future novel strategies for treating bacterial vaginosis based on current research findings and clinical trials development worldwide.

The energy supply for isolated systems remains a current challenge in Brazil and worldwide, particularly when known solutions are compared regarding cost, the ability to supply energy on demand, and sustainability. In this context, green hydrogen, which has been considered one of the main paths for the decarbonization of the energy chain, is also seen as a potential solution for energy supply in isolated systems. Based on a literature review of articles addressing the topics of green hydrogen and isolated systems, an analysis is conducted on the application of green hydrogen as an energy supply solution for isolated systems. The review identified and collected data on important parameters for comparing solutions, such as CAPEX, OPEX, energy cost, and the price per kilogram of hydrogen. Using these data, analyses were performed to provide an overview of the application of green hydrogen in isolated systems. One of the objectives of this work is to present a comprehensive analysis of the green hydrogen chain and its application in the context of electricity generation, particularly for isolated systems in Brazil.

Lakes across the globe, including the Volta Lake in Ghana, face insidious threats from pollutants driven by high dependency on aquatic ecosystems. Cage aquaculture is expanding in Africa due to its potential to address food insecurity, provide livelihoods, and contribute to local economies. However, the uncontrolled expansion of cage aquaculture can have significant negative impacts on water resources, including environmental footprints that threaten biodiversity. Considering the intensification of cage aquaculture on the Volta Lake, we argue for a shift to sustainable alternative aquaculture systems. Deepening stakeholder collaborations are needed to enhance competence in mapping inland aquaculture areas, identifying eco-friendly alternatives, and strengthening aquaculture regulations and their enforcement in general and cage culture in particular on Lake Volta. This approach would promote best management practices. While competence building must be a continuous process to address knowledge gaps, the establishment of workable preparedness plans is needed in the event of emergencies. As the Lake is a hotspot for certain fish pathogens, implementing these strategies can reduce disease risks and subsequently decrease the development of resistance associated with excessive antimicrobial use in farmed fish.

We describe a forecast system based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for the prediction of high-impact weather events affecting power utilities, particularly conditions conducive to wildfires. The system was developed for Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation (PG&E) to operationally forecast conditions in Northern and Central California. It was established in 2014 and has been periodically improved. In the current configuration, WRF forecasts are routinely performed multiple times each day on a 2-km grid, and the results are used as input to wildfire fuel moisture, fire probability, and wildfire spread models. Components of the system include a stochastically perturbed ensemble; an annually updated reanalysis covering more than 30 years; and validation against PG&E’s extensive mesonet and other observing networks. We describe the development and validation of the next operational edition. Configurations tested include irrigation triggered by crop growing season and an ensemble-based approach with intelligently sub-selected Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) members. The latter approach allows for enhanced uncertainty sampling in WRF forecasts and can greatly improve WRF forecasts when calibrated by observations.

The Akosombo Nile tilapia is the only approved local strain for aquaculture production in Ghana. In this study, an exotic red tilapia sample suspected to be cultured in a fish farm within the Lower Volta River Basin of the Lake Volta was collected for species identification. A molecular screening using DNA barcoding sequencing was performed on the samples targeting the cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 mitochondrial gene (COX1). We confirmed the identity of the red tilapia fish to be a non-native Oreochromis sp. recently introduced into the country. The data obtained clearly demonstrates a breach of biosecurity that potentially threatens Ghana’s native tilapia genetic resources and aquaculture development.

Ammonia synthesis is one of the most important chemical reactions. Due to thermodynamic restrictions and the reaction requirements of the current commercial iron catalysts, it is also one of the worst reactions for carbon dioxide emissions and energy usage. Ruthenium-based catalysts can substantially improve the environmental impact as they operate at lower pressures and temperatures. In this work, we provide a screening of more than 40 metals as possible promoter options based on a Ru/Pr2O3 catalyst. Cesium was the best alkali promoter and was held constant for the series of double-promoted catalysts. Ten formulations outperformed the Ru-Cs/PrOx benchmark, with barium being the best second promoter studied and the most cost-effective option. Designs of experiments were utilized to optimize both the pretreatment conditions and the promoter weight loadings of the doubly promoted catalyst. As a result, optimization led to more than a five-fold increase in activity compared to the unpromoted catalyst, therefore creating a possibility for low ruthenium ammonia synthesis catalysts to be used at scale. Further, we have explored the roles of promoters using kinetic analysis, XPS, and in situ infrared spectroscopy. Here, we have shown that the role of barium is to act as a hydrogen scavenger and donor, which may permit new active sites for the catalyst, and have demonstrated that the associative reaction mechanism is likely used for the unpromoted Ru/PrOx catalyst with hydrogenation of the triple bond of the dinitrogen occurring first before any dinitrogen bond breakage.

Coal fly ash (CFA) generated from coal-fired power plants (C-FPPs) is continuing to be an environmental health concern due to its potential to contaminate groundwater, surface water, air, and soil, leading to the degradation of land. This study investigated the effectiveness of Helichrysum splendidum Less. for phytoremediation of CFA-polluted sites by conducting pot trials experiments in 14 weeks. Plants of the same age were transplanted into CFA collected from Hendrina Power station to assess their potential in assimilating metallic pollutants (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) into their tissues and untreated plants were used as controls. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to quantify the amount of trace elements in samples and the translocation factor (TF) and bioconcentration factor (BCF) were determined to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of Helichrysum splendidum. The results revealed that higher concentrations of As, Ni and Zn were accumulated in the aerial parts as indicated by the TF values greater than 1. In contrast, higher amounts of Cu, As and Zn were found in the roots for CFA grown plants, as demonstrated by their BCF values 1.22, 1.19 and 1.03, respectively. Although CFA medium had restricted growth of some plants as compared to the controls, the results showed an interesting removal efficiency ranging between 18.0 to 56.7% with highest reported for Cu and Zn. Gas exchange analysis revealed that photosynthetic parameters were almost similar in the CFA and control soil pots. The study can confirm that Helichrysum splendidum has phytoextraction and phytostabilization potentials and can be effectively employed for restoration of CFA dams.

This research explores the application of Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Digital Surface Models (DSM) derived from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) data for a vertical-horizontal classification of mangrove ecosystems in Tongke-tongke and Samataring Village. The study focuses on integrating high-resolution DSM subtracted from Digital Terrain Models (DTM) to classify mangrove vegetation into sixteen distinct vertical-horizontal classes based on vegetation type and elevation. The analysis revealed that older mangroves, particularly those within the 25-35 meters elevation range, dominate the landscape, accounting for 43.40% of the total classified area. This dominance suggests a mature and ecologically stable mangrove ecosystem, which is crucial for biodiversity conservation and carbon storage. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of SVM and UAV technologies in providing detailed and accurate ecological assessments of mangrove forests. The classification results contribute valuable insights into the structural diversity and health of mangrove ecosystems, facilitating targeted conservation and management strategies. Additionally, the research highlights the utility of advanced remote sensing and machine learning techniques in enhancing the precision of environmental monitoring and the assessment of carbon sequestration capabilities within mangrove ecosystems. The findings underscore the potential of UAV-based remote sensing for ecological studies, offering a replicable method for similar assessments in other regions, thereby supporting global environmental management and climate action initiatives.

Background: Locally advanced rectal cancers (10-20%) can present with infiltration into adjacent viscera. R0 resections remain the key factor for better survival. Traditionally these cases have been managed with open surgery. There are some limitations of laparoscopic surgery in these case, which can potentially be overcome by robotic surgery. Objectives: To determine the feasibility and outcome results of robotic multi-visceral resection of stage T4 rectal carcinoma. Methods: Consecutive patients having locally advanced carcinoma of rectum, who undergone robotic multi-visceral resection as the primary treatment between 2015 -2018 were included, through our database which was maintained prospectively. All perioperative and intraoperative parameters were analyzed. Patient demographics, co-morbidities, preoperative imaging, endoscopic findings, operative data, histopathology results, postoperative hospital course and procedure related postoperative adverse events were noted and analyzed. Results: Twenty-one patients with the diagnosis of nonmetastatic locally advanced rectal cancers were operated with Robotic Si/X platform. The median body mass index was 28.5 kg/m2 (range 21-42). The mean blood loss during operation was 20 ml (range 5-200), and the mean duration of surgery was 280 min (range 240-430). The median hospital stay after operation was 6 days (range 4-25 days). On postoperative histopathology, R0 resection rate was 90.5% (19/21). Conclusions: The robotic multi-visceral en-bloc resection of stage T4 rectal carcinoma is technically feasible and oncologically safe. Advanced technical skills, accurate radiological staging and careful patient selection can allow the extension of minimal access surgery to this challenging group of patients.

DNA polymerases replicate cell genomes and/or participate in the maintenance of genome integrity. DNA polymerases sharing high sequence homology with E. coli DNA polymerase I (pol I), have been grouped in Family A. Pol I participates in Okazaki fragment maturation and in bacterial genome repair. Since its discovery in 1956, pol I has been extensively studied, primarily to get deeper insights into the mechanism of DNA replication. As research on DNA polymerases advances, many novel functions of this group of polymerases are uncovered. For example, human DNA polymerase θ (a Family A DNA pol) has been shown to synthesize DNA using RNA as a template, a function typically attributed to retroviral reverse transcriptase. A heightened interest in drug discovery against pol θ has emerged due to its roles in cancer. Likewise, Pol I family enzymes also appear attractive drug-development targets against microbial infections. Development of antimalarial compounds targeting apicoplast apPOL, an ortholog of Pol I, further extends the druggability of this family of enzymes. Here, we summarize reported drug-development efforts against Family A polymerases, and future perspective regarding these enzymes as antibiotic targets. Current techniques such artificial intelligence can be used to facilitate the goal of new drugs.

The cassava whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, causes direct damage to cassava in the tropics by feeding on the phloem of leaves, inducing leaf chlorosis and abscission which can result in considerable yield loss of up to about 50% on susceptible varieties. The pest is also known to impart its indirect damage through sooty mold formation. Most of the improved cassava varieties in Uganda were developed for CMD resistance and CBSD tolerance and little is known about their reaction to whitefly infestation. A study was conducted to evaluate the reaction of 24 improved cassava varieties which were sourced from 5 different countries in the region (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique) to whitefly infestation. These varieties were evaluated in three agro-ecological zones of Uganda, namely; North-Western Savannah Grassland, Lake Victoria Crescent and the Kyoga Plains in the second rains of 2016. Monthly data were taken on adult and nymph counts, whitefly and sooty mold damage, CMD and CBSD severities from 2 up-to 9 Months after planting (MAP). Results show that the whitefly population was highly significantly (P

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had devastating impacts on the global economy and public health. This study aimed to assess the level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, hesitancy, and associated factors among staff and students of the Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria. A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2021 and April 2022, and data were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 150 completed and analyzed questionnaires, the majority of respondents (80.0%) were between 16 and 45 years old. The study found that 58.4% of participants indicated vaccine hesitancy, with skepticism about the vaccine's fast production/rollout and fear of vaccine side effects being the most common reasons for hesitation. Respondents' age, religion, and category were significant factors influencing vaccine acceptance and hesitancy (P < 0.05). The university community has a high level of awareness of COVID-19 but low vaccine acceptance, resulting in high levels of vaccine hesitancy. The study recommends that policymakers and public health officials should prioritize testing and vaccination for job categories with higher risk of exposure to COVID-19. They should provide accurate information about COVID-19 testing and vaccination and implement workplace-based testing and vaccination programs. These interventions can help to increase COVID-19 testing and vaccination uptake among the university community and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

We synthesized a small series of five 3-[4-arylmethoxy)phenyl]propanoic acids using an easy and short step synthetic route. All compounds were tested in vitro against a set of four protein targets identified as key elements in diabetes: GPR40, aldose reductase (AKR1B1), PPARγ and GLUT-4. Compound 1 displayed an EC₅₀ value of 0.075 μM against GPR40 and was an AKR1B1 inhibitor, showing IC₅₀ = 7.4 μM. Compounds 2 and 3 behave as AKR1B1 inhibitors, GPR40 agonists and showed an increase of 2 to 4-times in the mRNA expression of PPARγ, as well as the GLUT-4 levels. Docking studies were conducted in order to explain the polypharmacological mode of action and the interaction binding mode of the most active compounds on these targets. Compounds 1-3 were tested in vivo at 100 mg/kg dose, being 2 and 3 orally actives, reducing glucose levels in a non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus mice model. Compounds 2 and 3 showed robust in vitro and in vivo efficacy, and could be considered as promising multitarget antidiabetic drug candidates. This is the first report of a single molecule with these four polypharmacological target action.

Indigenous Peoples in Canada are disproportionately affected by chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. HCV prevalence in Indigenous Peoples is estimated at approximately five to 10-fold higher than it is in non-Indigenous persons, while the reported rate of newly diagnosed HCV cases in First Nations communities was six times the respective rate in the general Canadian population in 2022. This review explores the reasons underlying the disproportionate burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Indigenous Peoples, including significant over-representation of Indigenous Peoples in the major risk categories for HCV acquisition, such as substance abuse, incarceration, homelessness or inadequate shelter, and disruption of family/social supports. The impact of these risk factors is aggravated by many access barriers to healthcare services despite the availability of universal healthcare system and free curative antiviral therapies. These stem from the legacy of colonialism, discrimination and disenfranchisement, and are exacerbated by racism in the justice and healthcare systems, stigmatization and victimization. Recent recognition of historical harms and early steps towards nation-to-nation reconciliation along with support for culturally safe, wholistic and Indigenous People-led wellness programs instill hope that elimination strategies to eradicate HCV infection in Indigenous populations will be successful in Canada.

Particle acceleration, and the thermalisation of energetic particles, are fundamental processes across the universe. Whilst the Sun is an excellent object to study this phenomenon, since it is the most energetic particle accelerator in the Solar System, this phenomenon arises in many other astrophysical objects, such as active galactic nuclei, black holes, neutron stars, gamma ray bursts, solar and stellar coronae, accretion disks and planetary magnetospheres. Observations in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) are essential for these studies but can only be made from space. Current spectrographs operating in the EUV use an entrance slit and cover the required field of view using a scanning mechanism. This results in a relatively slow image cadence on the order of minutes to capture inherently rapid and transient processes, and/or in the spectrograph slit `missing the action'. The application of image slicers for EUV integral field spectrographs is therefore revolutionary. The development of this technology will enable observations of EUV spectra from an entire 2D field of view in seconds, over two orders of magnitude faster than what is currently possible. The Spectral Imaging of the Solar Atmosphere (SISA) instrument is the first integral field spectrograph proposed for observations at 180A combining the image slicer technology and curved diffraction gratings in a highly efficient and compact layout, while providing important spectroscopic diagnostics for characterization of solar coronal and flare plasmas. SISA's characteristics, main challenges and the on-going activities to enable the image slicer technology for EUV applications are presented in this paper.

Fungi of the genus Aspergillus are widespread in the environment where they produce large quantities of airborne conidia. Inhalation of Aspergillus spp. conidia in immunocompromised individuals can cause a wide spectrum of diseases, ranging from hypersensitivity responses to lethal invasive infections. Upon deposition in the lung epithelial surface, conidia encounter and interact with complex microbial communities that constitute the lung microbiota. The lung microbiota has been suggested to influence the establishment and growth of Aspergillus spp. in the human airways. However, the mechanisms underlying this interaction have not yet been sufficiently investigated. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the presence of commensal bacteria antagonistic to Aspergillus in the lung. To this end, we enriched and isolated bacterial strains able to inhibit the germination of conidia from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples of lung transplant recipients. We used a novel enrichment method based on a soft agar overlay plate assay in which bacteria are directly in contact with conidia and for which inhibition can be readily observed during enrichment. We isolated a total of five bacterial strains, identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and able to inhibit the germination and growth of Aspergillus fumigatus in a soft agar confrontation assay, as well as in a high-throughput multiplate assay. Moreover, we also showed a strong inhibition of A. fumigatus growth on Calu-3 cell culture monolayers. However, the isolated P. aeruginosa strains were shown to cause significant damage to the cell monolayers. Overall, we validated this novel one-step enrichment approach for the isolation of bacterial strains antagonistic to A. fumigatus from BALF samples. This opens up a new venue for targeted enrichment of antagonistic bacterial strains against specific fungal pathogens.

Histologically poor differentiation is associated with lymph node metastasis. Thus, pathological evaluation of biopsy specimens is crucial when treating stomach cancers. Deep learning of WSIs is challenging because the images are enormous. Given the computing limitations, patch-level supervised learning methods have been proposed. However, valuable information is lost when dividing WSIs into smaller patches. Another drawback is the need for pixel-level annotation by a pathologist. It is acceptable to differentiate, i.e., grade, gastric cancer at the holistic tissue level (i.e., under low magnification). We developed a weakly supervised learning technique for tissue-level gastric adenocarcinoma histological differentiation (well-to-moderately or poorly differentiated) and applied global reasoning to tissue-level features. The tissue-level AUROCs of the histological differentiation classifiers were 0.953, 0.969, and 0.943, respectively when data from five hospitals were subjected to threefold cross-validation. Comparison of the Grad-CAM heatmaps of the trained classifier and the pathologists’ annotations confirmed that our weakly supervised model exhibited performed well.

Drought severity still remains a serious concern across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) due to the destructive impact on multiple sectors of our society The interannual variability and trends in the changes of self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index based on Penman–Monteith (scPDSIPM) and Thornthwaite (scPDSITH) methods for potential evapotranspiration (PET), precipitation (P) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) anomalies, and sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly were investigated through statistical analysis of modelled and remote sensing data. It is shown that scPDSIPM and scPDSITH differed in the representation of drought characteristics over SSA. The scPDSI and remotely-sensed-based anomalies of P and NDVI showed wetting and drying trends over the period 1980-2012. The trend analysis showed increased drought events in the semi-arid and arid regions of SSA over the same period. A correlation analysis reveals a strong relationship between scPDSI variability and P, and NDVI anomalies for monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons. The correlation analysis of scPDSI variability with SST anomalies indicates significant positive and negative relationships, respectively. This study has demonstrated the applicability of multiple data sources for drought assessment and provides useful information for regional drought predictability and mitigation strategies.

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is an extremely rare, aggressive sarcoma affecting adolescents and young adults with male predominance. Generally, it originates from serosal surface of abdominal cavity. The hallmark characteristic of DSRCT is the EWSR1-WT1 gene fusion. This translocation up-regulates the expression of PDGFRα, VEGF and other proteins related to tumor and vascular cell proliferation. Current management of DSRCT includes a combination of chemotherapy, radiation and aggressive cytoreductive surgery plus intra-peritoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy (HIPEC). Despite advances in multimodal therapy, outcomes remain poor since the majority of patients present disease recurrence and die within 3 years. The dismal survival makes DSRCT an orphan disease with urgent need of new drugs. The treatment of advanced and recurrent disease with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as pazopanib, sunitinib, and mTOR inhibitors have been evaluated in small studies. Recent works using comprehensive molecular profiling of DSRCT identified potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we aim to describe the current studies conducted to better understand DSRCT biology and to explore the new therapeutic strategies under investigation in preclinical models and in early phase clinical trials.

Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) is a heterogeneous, inherited, and severe optical neuropathy caused by apoptotic degeneration of the retinal ganglion cell layer. Whole-exome sequencing analysis of one PCG family identified two affected siblings who carried a low-frequency homozygous nonsense GUCA1C variant (c.52G>T/p.Glu18Ter/rs143174402). This gene encodes GCAP3, a member of the guanylate cyclase activating protein family, involved in phototransduction and with a potential role in intraocular pressure regulation. Segregation analysis supported the notion that the variant was coinherited with the disease in an autosomal recessive fashion. GCAP3 was detected immunohistochemically in the adult human ocular ciliary epithelium and retina. To evaluate the ocular effect of GUCA1C loss-of-function, a guca1c knockout zebrafish line was generated by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated the presence of GCAP3 in the non-pigmented ciliary epithelium and retina of adult wild-type fishes. Knockout animals presented up-regulation of the glial fibrillary acidic protein in Müller cells and evidence of retinal ganglion cell apoptosis, indicating the existence of gliosis and glaucoma-like retinal damage. In summary, our data provide evidence for the role of GUCA1C as a candidate gene in PCG and offer new insights into the function of this gene in the ocular anterior segment and the retina.

Containers are gaining popularity in life science research as they provide a solution for encompassing dependencies of provisioned tools, simplify software installations for end users and offer a form of isolation between processes. Scientific workflows are ideal for chaining containers into data analysis pipelines to aid in creating reproducible analyses. In this manuscript we review a number of approaches to using containers as implemented in the workflow tools Nextflow, Galaxy, Pachyderm, Argo, Kubeflow, Luigi and SciPipe, when deployed in cloud environments. A particular focus is placed on the workflow tool’s interaction with the Kubernetes container orchestration framework.

We tested the use of mosquito traps as an alternative to insecticide spraying in Camargue (France) following the significant impacts observed on the non-target fauna through Bti persistence and trophic perturbations. In a village of 600 inhabitants, 16 Techno-Bam traps emitting CO₂ and using octenol lures were set from April to November 2016. Trap performance was estimated at 70% overall based on mosquito landing on human baits in areas with and without traps. Reduction of Ochlerotatus caspius and Oc. detritus, the two species targeted by Bti spraying, was respectively 74 and 98%. Traps were less efficient against Anopheles hyrcanus (46%), which was more attracted by lactic-acid than octenol lures based on previous tests. Nearly 300 000 mosquitoes from nine species were captured, with large variations among traps, emphasizing that trap performance is also influenced by surrounding factors. Environmental impact, based on the proportion of non-target insects captured, was mostly limited to small chironomids attracted by street lights. Breeding success of a house martin colony was not significantly affected by trap use, in contrast to Bti spraying. Our experiment confirms that deployment of mosquito traps can offer a cost-effective alternative to Bti spraying for protecting local populations from mosquito nuisance in sensitive natural areas.

Introduction: Rotavirus-induced acute diarrhoea continues to pose a significant health threat to children under 5 years old worldwide, despite the availability of effective vaccines. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, associated risk factors, and circulating genotypes of rotavirus among children under 5 admitted to Ikom Medical Centre due to diarrhea. Methodology: Stool samples were collected from 294 children under 5 with diarrhoea at Ikom Medical Centre. Rotavirus antigen detection was performed using rapid chromatographic immunoassay. Molecular techniques such as polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), RT-PCR, and semi-nested multiplex RT-PCR were used to analyze rotavirus strains. Data were obtained through questionnaires, and statistical significance was assessed using the chi-square test (P < 0.05). Results: Among the 294 samples, 20.4% (60/294) tested positive for rotavirus. Significant risk factors influencing rotavirus prevalence included feeding status, toilet system, and duration of diarrhoea. The most prevalent genotype for VP7 was G4 (26.7%), and for VP4, it was genotype P[4] (23.3%). Predominant genotype combinations were G4P [4] (11.6%) and G12P[4] (6.7%), while non-typeable P[NT] was observed in 41.7% of cases. Conclusion: This study highlights the circulation of rotavirus in Ikom, Cross River State, emphasizing its neglected status despite its significant global impact on child mortality. Urgent attention is needed to address rotavirus as a serious public health concern, particularly in low-resource settings.

The extract of the fruit chasteberry has phytotherapeutic effects, making it an important ally in women's well-being during premenstrual syndrome (PMS); however, it contains alcohol in the composition, has a bitter taste and spicy flavor, and can also cause a burning sensation. Encapsulation techniques can minimize these problems. In this context, the present study aimed to encapsulate the concentrated extract of chasteberry and develop dark chocolate with the potential for minimizing PMS symptoms by adding 2.5% free or microencapsulated chasteberry extract in the chocolate bar formulation. Microparticles loaded with chasteberry extract were produced by spray drying and covered by spray-chilling using Arabic gum and vegetable fat as the carriers, respectively. The particles were characterized by morphology, size, X-ray diffraction, TGA, and stability of total phenolics and casticin – the molecule responsible for phytotherapeutic effects-. The best particle was added to a dark chocolate mixture. The chocolate samples produced with free and encapsulated extracts were submitted to sensory trials. The two paired comparison tests proved that particles efficiently for masking the chasteberry extract burning sensation and bitterness in the chocolates. Besides, particles were also efficient in protecting casticin. In this context, the encapsulation using the combination of both techniques was efficient in promoting casticin and total phenolics stability and producing chocolate with good sensory aspects. Therefore, it was possible to develop a product that can be used in clinical trials to evaluate its potential to minimize PMS symptoms.

The recycling of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has become increasingly important due to the rising demand for energy storage solutions and the need to mitigate environmental impacts. Among the valuable materials within spent LIBs, lithium metal oxide is particularly sought after for its role in battery production. This review explores the application of microwave technology in combination with froth flotation and magnetic processes for the recovery of lithium metal oxide from spent LIBs. Microwave technology has emerged as a promising method for LIB recycling due to its ability to selectively heat materials and accelerate chemical reactions. In the context of lithium metal oxide recovery, microwave irradiation offers advantages such as rapid and uniform heating, selective heating of target compounds, and enhanced reaction kinetics. These attributes contribute to reduced processing times, lower energy consumption, and improved recovery efficiency. Froth flotation is a widely used separation technique that exploits differences in surface hydrophobicity to separate minerals. In LIB recycling, froth flotation has been adapted to recover lithium metal oxide from electrode materials. The incorporation of microwave technology into froth flotation processes provides several benefits. Microwaves selectively heat lithium metal oxide particles, facilitating their detachment from the electrode surface and enhancing their recovery. Additionally, microwave-assisted pretreatment promotes the liberation of active materials, leading to increased exposure to flotation reagents and improved recovery rates. Moreover, microwave-assisted froth flotation requires lower temperatures and shorter flotation times, resulting in energy savings and reduced operating costs. Magnetic separation is another method commonly used in LIB recycling to recover magnetic materials such as cobalt and nickel. By exploiting the magnetic properties of these materials, magnetic separation enables their separation from non-magnetic components. Integrating microwave technology into magnetic separation processes offers opportunities for enhanced efficiency and selectivity. Microwave irradiation can assist in the liberation of magnetic materials from electrode materials, promoting their separation. Furthermore, microwave-assisted magnetic separation can operate at lower temperatures and shorter processing times, contributing to energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The application of microwave technology in conjunction with froth flotation and magnetic processes shows promise for the efficient recovery of lithium metal oxide from spent LIBs. The synergistic effects of microwave irradiation with these separation techniques lead to improved recovery rates, reduced energy consumption, and lower environmental impact. However, further research is needed to optimize process parameters, scale up operations, and address challenges such as material heterogeneity and equipment design. With continued innovation and collaboration, microwave-assisted recycling processes have the potential to play a significant role in advancing sustainable battery recycling practices.

Purpose: To explore how race and residential zip codes' socioeconomic index (SES) influenced COVID-19 testing rates in St. Louis during the early and peak phases of the pandemic. Method: An ecological study was conducted using COVID-19 testing data from March to November 2020 in St. Louis City. The study included 16,915 individual tests from 30 residential zip codes. Results: The overall testing rate in St. Louis was 303.97 per 10,000 population. Testing rates among Blacks, Whites, American Indian/Alaskan Natives, and Asians were 374.26, 247.77, 360.63, and 242.41 per 10,000, respectively. Higher testing rates were observed in low and middle SES zip codes compared to high SES zip codes. Adjusted for SES, testing rates were 1.68% higher among Blacks and 0.43% higher among American Indian/Alaskan Natives compared to Whites, and 0.033% lower among Asians. Geographical mapping showed higher testing rates in the inner core and lower rates in the periphery of St. Louis. Conclusion: Race and SES influence testing rates. Areas with low testing rates should be targeted for intervention in St. Louis.

There is a considerable increase in the use of substances and medical procedures aimed at changing the esthetics of the face, particularly the appearance of the lips. Permanent fillers such as polydimethylsiloxane, also called liquid silicone, are widely used, but their application for facial esthetics is currently obsolete. However, the long-term complications remain a reality, as they can occur decades after the application. Thus, the goal of this case report was to present a complication after 16 years of treatment using liquid silicone. This case report involved a 52-year-old male with a complication of bilateral permanent filler in the upper lip performed 16 years ago, its surgical removal, and histological analysis. Histologically, it was possible to identify a chronic inflammatory, lymphoplasmacytic, and granulomatous reaction, with foreign body giant cells’ reaction, in relation to non-polarizable exogenous material due to the reaction to silicone. The most common complications are granulomas' appearance and material displacement. The case report shows these granulomas are characterized as chronic low-caliber inflammation around the silicone. They have an unknown etiology but are probably multifactorial, from continuous trauma, friction or irritation, iatrogenic factors, infection, immunological mechanisms, and genetic and molecular variations, and can be highly related to the impurity of the injected material.

Introduction: The choice of Cardiac Preservation Solution (CPS) for myocardial protection at the time of heart procurement remains controversial and uncertainties persist regarding its effect on the early and midterm Heart Transplantation (HTx) outcomes. Thus, we retrospectively analyzed our adult HTx performed with two different CPS, during a period of 12 years, in terms of hospital mortality, mid-term survival, inotropic score, primary graft dysfunction and rejection score. Methods: From January 2009 to December 2020, 154 adult HT were performed in our hospital. Patients were divided in two groups according to the CPS used: St. Thomas (n=75, group P 1) and HTK-Custodiol (n=79, group P 2). The choice of CPS was related to an institutional policy; from 2009 to 2015, St. Thomas solution was exclusively used, and after that, HTK-Custodiol alone. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of preoperative and intraoperative features. Postoperatively, the Custodiol group showed significantly lower inotropic score (p&lt;0.0001), mean rejection score (p= 0.036) and 30 days mortality (p=0.0068). The use of HTK-Custodiol was the only variable that improved midterm survival (HTK-Custodiol vs St Thomas, HR= 0.20 (95% CI: 0.069 -0.6) p=0.0039). Conclusion: In our single center experience, using HTK-Custodiol as myocardial protection during heart procurement leads to improved outcomes after HTx, including postoperative inotropic score, rejection score, 30-days mortality and midterm survival.

Genomic selection (GS) can accelerate variety improvement when training set (TS) size, and its relationship with the breeding set (BS) are optimized for prediction accuracies (PA) of genomic prediction (GP) models. Sixteen GP algorithms were run on phenotypic best linear unbiased predictors (BLUPs) and estimators (BLUEs) of resistance to both fall armyworm (FAW) and maize weevil (MW) in a tropical maize panel. For MW resistance, 37% of the panel was the TS, and BS was the remainder whilst for FAW, random-based training sets (RBTS) and pedigree-based training sets (PBTS) were designed. PAs achieved with BLUPs varied from 0.66 to 0.82 for MW resistance traits, and, for FAW resistance, 0.694 to 0.714 for RBTS of 37%, and 0.843 to 0.844 for RBTS of 85%, and, these were at least two-fold those from BLUEs. For PBTS, FAW resistance PAs were generally higher than those for RBTS, except for one dataset. GP models generally showed similar PAs across individual traits whilst the TS designation was determinant since a positive correlation (R=0.92***) between TS size and PAs was observed for RBTS and, for the PBTS, it was negative (R=0.44**). This study pioneers the use of GS for maize resistance to insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa.

Several herbivores feed on maize in field and storage setups making the development of multiple-insect resistance a critical breeding target. In this study, an association mapping panel of 341 tropical maize lines was evaluated in three field environments for resistance to FAW (fall armyworm) whilst bulked grains were subjected to MW (maize weevil) bioassay, genotyped with Diversity Array Technologies single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers. A multi-locus genome-wide association study (GWAS) revealed 62 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) associated with FAW and MW resistance traits on all 10 maize chromosomes, of which, 47 and 31 were discovered at stringent Bonferroni genome-wide significance level of 0.05 and 0.01, respectively, and located within or close to multiple-insect resistance genomic regions (MIRGRs) concerning FAW, SB, and MW. Sixteen QTNs influenced multiple-traits of which six were associated with resistance to both FAW and MW suggesting a pleiotropic genetic control. Functional prioritization of candidate genes (CGs) located within 10-30kb of the QTNs revealed 64 putative GWAS-based CGs (GbCGs) showing evidence of involvement in plant defense mechanisms. Only one GbCG was associated with each of five of the six combined-resistance QTNs, thus, reinforcing the pleiotropy hypothesis. In addition, through In-silico co-functional network inferences, an additional 107 Network-based CGs (NbCGs), biologically connected to the 64 GbCGs, differentially expressed under biotic or abiotic stress were revealed within MIRGRs. The provided multiple-insect resistance physical map should contribute to the development of combined-insect resistance in maize.

In metropolitan regions, which are particularly vulnerable to seismic damage, numerous reinforced concrete (RC) buildings are being constructed. Public safety has been an important consideration to safeguard and protect people, buildings, and infrastructure from the potential effects of earthquakes. The assessment of seismic vulnerability within urban areas encompassed an analysis of both building vulnerability and the scale of seismic hazards prevalent in the locality. This assessment aimed to ascertain the likelihood of building damage resulting from ground motion induced by an earthquake of a specific magnitude. In recent decades, considerable efforts have been made to develop and improve methods for assessing earthquake damage to reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. These efforts included the creation of seismic hazard and seismic risk indices that were used to quantify the potential destruction of individual building components or the entire building. This scholarly review article presents an in-depth analysis and concise summary of the primary techniques (including qualitative or empirical, quantitative, analytical, and experimental test methods) devised for appraising the seismic vulnerability of reinforced concrete frame buildings, pre- and post-earthquake occurrences. It is a valuable reference for policymakers, engineers, researchers, and specialists engaged in earthquake risk mitigation efforts.

The elasticity of red blood cells (RBCs) is crucial for their ability to fulfill their role in the blood. Decreased RBC deformability is associated with various pathological conditions. This study explores the application of machine learning to predict the elasticity of RBCs using both image data and detailed physical measurements derived from simulations. We simulated RBC behavior in a microfluidic channel. The simulation results provided the basis for generating data on which we applied machine learning techniques. We analyzed the surface-area-to-volume ratio of RBCs as an indicator of elasticity, employing statistical methods to differentiate between healthy and diseased RBCs. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test confirmed significant differences between healthy and diseased RBCs, though distinctions among different types of diseased RBCs were less clear. We used decision tree models, including random forests and gradient boosting, to classify RBC elasticity based on predictors derived from simulation data. The comparison of the results with our previous work on deep neural networks shows improved classification accuracy in some scenarios. The study highlights the potential of machine learning to automate and enhance the analysis of RBC elasticity, with implications for clinical diagnostics.

Nitrates can cause severe ecological imbalances in aquatic ecosystems, with considerable consequences for human health. Therefore, monitoring this inorganic form of nitrogen becomes essential for any water quality management structure. This research aimed at developing a novel Nitrate Portable Measurement System (NPMS) for monitoring nitrate concentrations in water samples. NPMS is a reagent-free ultraviolet system developed using low-cost electronic components. Its operation principle is based on Beer-Lambert law for measuring Nitrate concentrations in water samples through light absorption in the spectral range 295-315 nm. The system is equipped with ready to use ultraviolet sensor, Light Emission Diode (LED), op-amp, microcontroller, liquid crystal display, quartz cuvette, temperature sensor, and battery. All the components are assembled in a 3D-printed enclosure box which allows a very compact self-contained equipment, with high portability, enabling field and near real time measurements. The proposed methodology and the developed instrument were used to analyse multiple nitrate standard solutions. The performance was evaluated in comparison with the Nicolet Evolution 300, a classical UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The results demonstrate a strong correlation between the retrieved measurements by both instruments within the investigated spectral band and for concentrations above 5 mg NO3- /l.

Saliva, as a diagnostic medium, offers a promising alternative to blood by virtue of its non-invasive collection, which enhances patient compliance, especially in paediatric and geriatric populations. In this study, we assessed the utility of saliva as a non-invasive medium for measuring V. cholerae-specific serum antibodies in naturally infected individuals. We tested paired serum and saliva samples obtained from a total of 63 cholera patients enrolled in a cohort study. Vibriocidal antibodies assay (IgM/IgG) as markers for accurate determination was used to determine cholera specific antibody levels. Using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, we found that the best cut-off that maximizes (sensitivity + specificity) is 10 titers. At this saliva titer, the sensitivity is 76.9% (95%CI: 60.9%, 87.7%) and specificity is 80.0% (95%CI: 56.6%, 92.5%). Using Spearman’s correlation coefficient, we also found evidence of a positive correlation between Vibrio Cholerae saliva and serum antibodies (rho=0.66, p&lt;0.001). In conclusion, saliva-based diagnostic cholera tests has high diagnostic accuracy, and would be advantageous, cheaper, and quicker for early diagnosis of severe cholera outcomes.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected millions of people worldwide since its emergence in 2019. The current global pandemic was driven by human-to-human transmission. Knowing the zoonotic origin of the disease and the potential capacity of the virus to adapt to other species, it is important to understand the extent of natural SARS-CoV-2 infection of animals, in particular cats and dogs in households that are in direct contact with their owners. Hong Kong and Seoul are two of the most densely-populated urban cities in Asia, where companion animals often live in close contact with humans. In this study, we screened sera from 1,040 cats and 855 dogs during the early phase of the pandemic in Hong Kong and Seoul for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies by using an ELISA that detects antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein. Sera testing positive on ELISA were also tested for the presence of neutralizing antibodies using a surrogate virus neutralization (sVNT) and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). Among feline sera, 4.51% and 2.54% of samples from Korea and Hong Kong, respectively, tested ELISA positive. However only 1.64% of samples from Korea and 0.18% from Hong Kong tested positive by sVNT, while only 0.41% of samples from Korea tested positive by PRNT. Among canine samples, 4.94% and 6.46% from Korea and Hong Kong, respectively, tested positive by ELISA, while only 0.29% sera from Korea were positive on sVNT and no canine sera tested positive by PRNT. These results confirm a low seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in companion animals in Korea and Hong Kong. The discordance between RBD-ELISA and neutralization tests may indicate possible ELISA cross-reactivity with other coronaviruses, especially in canine sera.

The objective of the study was to investigate the gap between data and evidence-based decisions among healthcare professionals considering the enormous amount of individual and aggregate data collected. Our study assessed the capacity, skills, and knowledge of the Ministry of Health leadership staff to understand data management, analysis, utilization, and dissemination. Three key components were assessed: 1) Knowledge through true/false questions, 2) Level of Skill (and Competency) using a Likert scale, and 3) Understanding of Key Concepts and Tools based on a Likert scale. The 183 study respondents were diverse healthcare professionals from Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Majority of respondents had not received any training on data management, analysis, interpretation, and utilization techniques, further there was a significant difference between those who had received training versus those who had not(p=0.005). The respondents were competent in work-related experiences but lacked skills and knowledge on: data concepts and tools, study designs, and types of data analysis. These findings explain the gap between data management, analysis, utilization, and dissemination among health professional’s cadre. To enhance service delivery and optimal provision of health care, it is imperative to have all health care professionals receive a well-designed training on data management, analysis, interpretation, and utilization.

Research on the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) has waxed and waned over the last few decades, mostly in accordance with the occurrence of population outbreaks at key locations, such as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. This review considers advances in our understanding of the biology and ecology of CoTS based on the latest resurgence of research interest, which culminated in this current special issue on the Biology, Ecology and Management of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish. More specifically, this review considers progress against 41 specific research questions posed in the seminal review by P. Moran 30 years ago, as well as exploring new directions for CoTS research. Despite the plethora of research on CoTS (>1,200 research articles), there are persistent knowledge gaps that constrain effective management of outbreaks. Although directly addressing some of these questions will be extremely difficult, there have been considerable advances in understanding the biology of CoTS, if not the proximal and ultimate cause(s) of outbreaks. Moving forward, researchers need to embrace new technologies and opportunities to advance understanding of CoTS biology and behaviour, with focus given to key questions that will improve effectiveness of management to reduce the frequency and likelihood of future outbreaks, if not preventing them altogether.

Background: Front-of-pack-labels (FOPLs) on packaged foods provide consumers with essential information about the nutritional content of food products, enabling them to make informed choices and align their dietary habits with their health goals. However, evidence on the comprehensibility, use, and effectiveness of FOPLs remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Kenya. Objective: In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of three FOPLs in helping consumers identify excess nutrients of concern in packaged food products and their potential influence on food purchases in Kenya. Methods: A total of 2198 shoppers with diverse backgrounds were recruited from selected supermarkets in three Kenyan main cities (Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu) and a small town (Garissa). Participants were randomized to three FOPLs: Red and green Octagon label (RG), Red and Green Octagon with icons (RGI) and a black Octagon Warning label (WL). In the control phase, participants were shown unlabeled images of packaged food products and they responded to a set of questions. In the experimental phase, the same product images were presented with one of the three front-of-pack labels they were randomized to, and participants answered the same questions again. Differences in the proportions of participants correctly identifying the nutrients of concern and the changes in intention to purchase unhealthy foods before and after exposure to FOPLs were analyzed using frequency tables and Chi-Square tests. The effectiveness of the three FOPLs was further assessed using a modified Poisson regression. Results: Results showed that exposure to FOPLs significantly improvement participants' ability to correctly identify nutrients of concern across various food categories. Additionally, FOPLs reduced consumers’ intentions to purchase unhealthy foods, with the Warning Labels (WL) emerging as particularly effective in enhancing consumers' understanding of product healthiness and reducing the intention to purchase unhealthy foods compared to the other two FOPLs. Conclusion: These findings underscore the potential role of FOPLs, particularly the WL as an effective regulatory tool for promoting healthier food choices in Kenya.

Explosion monitoring is performed by infrasound and seismoacoustic sensor networks that are distributed globally, regionally, and locally. However, these networks are unevenly and sparsely distributed, especially in the local scale as maintaining and deploying networks is costly. With increasing interest in smaller yield explosions, the need for more dense networks has increased. To address this issue, we propose using smartphone sensors for explosion detection as they are cost-effective and easy to deploy. Although there are studies using smartphone sensors for explosion detection, the field is still in its infancy and new technologies need to be developed. We applied a machine learning model for explosion detection using smartphone microphones. The data used were from the Smartphone High-explosion Audio Recordings Dataset (SHAReD), a collection of 326 waveforms from 70 high-explosive (HE) events recorded on smartphones, and the ESC-50 dataset, a benchmarking dataset commonly used for environmental sound classification. Two machine learning models were trained and combined into an ensemble model for explosion detection. The resulting ensemble model classified audio signals as either “explosion,” “ambient,” or “other” with true positive rates (recall) greater than 96% for all three categories.

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci MEAM1, is a pest known to significantly impact tomato development and yields through direct damage and virus transmission. To manage this pest, the current study compared the effectiveness of various insecticide rotations. Field trials included rotations involving synthetic insecticides, biochemicals, and microbial agents, applied according to their labeled highest concentrations. Results indicated that while standard synthetic insecticides consistently reduced whitefly egg and nymph counts significantly, microbial biopesticide rotations also achieved reductions, although less consistently. This study demonstrated that while traditional chemical treatments remain highly effective, integrating microbial biopesticides containing Beauveria bassiana and Cordyceps javanica present a viable alternative that could mitigate resistance development and reduce environmental impact. The findings suggest the potential for optimizing integrated pest management (IPM) and Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) strategies by incorporating a variety of modes of action to sustainably manage B. tabaci MEAM1 populations in agricultural settings.

In 2021, an operational research study in two tertiary hospitals, Freetown, showed poor hand hygiene compliance. Recommended actions were taken to improve the situation. Between February-April 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the same two hospitals using the WHO Hand Hygiene tool to assess hand hygiene practices and compare hand hygiene compliance with that observed between June-August 2021. In Connaught hospital, overall hand hygiene compliance improved from 51% to 60% (P&lt;0.001), and this applied to both handwash actions with soap and water and alcohol-based-hand-rub: significant improvements were found in all hospital departments and amongst all healthcare worker cadres. In 34 Military Hospital (34MH), overall hand hygiene compliance decreased from 40% to 32% (P&lt;0.001), with significant decreases observed in all departments and amongst nurses and nursing students. The improvements in Connaught Hospital were attributed to more hand hygiene reminders, better handwash infrastructure and more frequent supervision assessments compared with 34MH where interventions were less well applied, possibly due to extensive hospital reconstruction at the time. In conclusion, improved distribution of hand hygiene reminders, better handwash infrastructure and frequent supervision assessments are effective, and need to be strengthened, scaled-up and combined with other innovative ways to promote good hand hygiene practices.

Reliable evapotranspiration (ET) estimation is a key factor for water resources planning, attaining sustainable water resources use, irrigation water management, and water regulation. During the past few decades, researchers have developed a variety of remote sensing techniques to estimate ET. The Earth Engine Evapotranspiration Flux (EEFlux) application uses Landsat imagery archives on the Google Earth Engine platform to calculate the daily evapotranspiration at the local field scale (30 m). Automatically calibrated for each Landsat image, the EEFlux application design is based on the widely vetted Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC) model and produces ET estimation maps for any Landsat 5, 7 or 8 scene in a matter of seconds. In this research we evaluate the consistency and accuracy of EEFlux products that are produced when standard US and global assets are used. Processed METRIC products for 58 scenes distributed around the western and central United States were used as the baseline for comparison. The goal of this paper is to compare the results from EEFlux with the standard METRIC applications to illustrate the utility of the EEFlux products as they currently stand. Given that EEFlux is derived from METRIC, differences are expected to occur due to differing calibration methods (automatic versus manual) and differing input datasets. The products compared include the fraction of reference ET (ETrF), actual ET (ETa), and surface energy balance components net radiation (Rn), ground heat flux (G), and sensible heat flux (H), as well as Ts, albedo and NDVI. The product comparisons show that the intermediate products of Ts, Albedo, and NDVI, and also Rn have similar values and behavior for both EEFlux and METRIC. Larger differences were found for H and G. Despite the more significant differences in H and G, results show that EEFlux is able to calculate ETrF and ETa values comparable to the values from trained expert METRIC users for agricultural areas. For non-agricultural areas such as semi-arid rangeland and forests, the automated EEFlux calibration algorithm needs to be improved in order to be able to reproduce ETrF and ETa that is similar to the manually calibrated METRIC products.

Construction projects' unsatisfactory performance has been linked to factors influencing individuals' well-being and mental alertness on projects. Drowsiness is a significant indicator of sleep deprivation and fatigue, being able to identify the cognitive and physical preparedness of workers on site to engage in construction tasks. As a consequence of the strenuous nature of the work involved in construction, long work hours, and environmental conditions, drowsiness is commonplace and has received less attention despite being a leading cause of accidents occurring on-site. Detecting drowsiness is essential for determining the safety and well-being of site workers. This study presents a vision-based approach using an improved version of the You Only Look Once (YOLOv8) algorithm for real-time drowsiness exposure among construction workers. The proposed method leverages computer vision techniques to analyse facial and eye features, enabling early detection of drowsiness signs, effectively preventing accidents, and enhancing on-site safety. The model showed significant precision and efficiency in detecting drowsiness from the given dataset, accomplishing a drowsiness class with a mean average precision (mAP) of 92%. However, it also exhibited difficulties handling imbalanced classes, particularly the underrepresented 'Awake with PPE' class, which was detected with high precision but comparatively lower recall and mAP. This highlighted the necessity of balanced datasets for optimal deep learning performance. The YOLOv8 model's average mAP of 78% in drowsiness detection compared favourably with other studies employing different methodologies. The vision-based drowsiness detection system has broad applications in the construction industry. It can be integrated into existing safety protocols, enabling real-time alerts to supervisors or workers when drowsiness is detected. The system improves productivity and reduces costs by preventing accidents and enhancing worker safety. However, limitations, such as sensitivity to lighting conditions and occlusions, must be addressed in future iterations.

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive bone and soft-tissue pediatric cancer. High vitronectin (VN) expression has been associated with poor prognosis in other cancers, and we aimed to determine the utility of this extracellular matrix glycoprotein as a biomarker of aggressiveness in ES. Silk-fibroin plus gelatin-tyramine hydrogels (HGs) were fabricated with and without cross-linked VN and cultivated with A673 and PDX73 ES cell lines for two and three weeks. VN secretion to culture media was assessed using ELISA. Morphometric analysis was applied for phenotypic characterization. VN release to culture media was higher in 3D-models than in monolayer cultures, and intracellular, intercellular and pericluster presence was also observed. A673-HGs showed lower density of clusters but a proportion of larger clusters than PDX73-HGs, which presented low cluster circularity. The cluster density of A673-HGs without added VN was higher than with added VN, and slightly lower in the case of PDX73-HGs. Furthermore, a culture time of three weeks provided no benefits in cluster growth compared to two weeks, especially in A673 -HGs. These advances in 3D modeling and digital quantification pave the way for future studies in ES and other cancers to deepen understanding about intra- and intercellular heterogeneity and anti-adhesion VN therapies.

Vitronectin is a glycoprotein, present in plasma and extracellular matrix, implicated in cell migration. The high amount of vitronectin found in neuroblastoma biopsies was associated with poor prognosis. However, there are almost no studies of vitronectin levels in neuroblastoma cell culture media nor in plasma of neuroblastoma patients. Vitronectin concentration in culture media of four neuroblastoma cell lines grown in monolayer and in 3D-models, and in plasma of 114 neuroblastoma patients, was quantified using ELISA. Three of the neuroblastoma cell lines secreted vitronectin to culture media when cultured in monolayer and 3D-models. Vitronectin release was higher by neuroblastoma cells cultured in 3D-models than in monolayer, and was still great when cells grown in 3D-scaffolds with cross-linked vitronectin. Vitronectin secretion occurred independently of cell numbers in cultures. Its concentration in plasma of neuroblastoma patients ranged between 52.4 and 870µg/mL (median, 218µg/mL). A ROC curve was used to establish a cutoff of 361µg/mL, above which patients over 18-months-old had worse prognosis (p=0.0018). Vitronectin could be considered a new plasma prognostic biomarker in neuroblastoma, and warrants confirmation in collaborative studies. Drugs inhibiting vitronectin interaction with cells and/or extracellular matrix could represent a significant improvement in survival for neuroblastoma patients.

Rice (Oryza spp.) is mostly grown directly from seed and sown on wet or dry seed beds or usually used as transplants on nursery bed. With all the economically important viral diseases in the world, Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV), is only prevalent in rice-growing countries in Africa. RYMV had turned out to be the main rice production constraint in Africa, throughout the last 20–25 years, causing yield loss of 10 to 100%, depending on age of the plant at the time of infection, degree of varietal susceptibility and the exiting climatic conditions. Good agricultural practices and utilization of biotechnological tools in the development of improved resistant cultivars have been extensively active in controlling the disease. This review focused on RYMV, its epidemiology, serological and molecular typing, disease management and the way forward for sustainable rice production.

Exacerbated inflammatory responses are a hallmark of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Zileuton (Zi) is a selective inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase, an enzyme involved in the production of several inflammatory/pro-resolving lipid mediators. Herein, we investigated the effect of Zi treatment in a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) model. Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)3-infected mice treated with Zi significantly improved the clinical score, weight loss, cardiopulmonary function, and survival rates compared with infected untreated animals. The protection observed in Zi-treated mice was associated with a lower inflammatory score, reduced dendritic cell-producing tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and increased neutrophil-producing interleukin (IL)-10 in the lungs 3 days after infection (dpi). At 5 dpi, the lungs of treated mice showed an increase in Th2-, Treg CD4+-, and Treg CD8+-producing IL-10 and reduced Th1 infiltrating cells. Furthermore, similar results were found upon Zi treatment after SARS-CoV2 infection in transgenic mice expressing the human angiotensin I-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor driven by the cytokeratin-18 (K18) gene promoter (K18-hACE2), significantly improving the clinical score, weight loss, and lung inflammatory score compared with untreated animals. Our data suggest that Zi protects against developing severe lung disease during SARS induced by betacoronavirus without affecting the host’s capacity to deal with infection.

This study presents a comparative analysis of indoor air quality (IAQ) across health centers in Arakale, Iju, Owode, FECA, and Oba Ile, Ondo State, Nigeria. Particle count data were analyzed to identify common trends, similarities, and differences in IAQ parameters, with the aim of informing targeted interventions for improving indoor air quality in healthcare settings. The findings reveal consistent positive skewness in particle count distributions, indicating occasional spikes in pollution levels amidst generally lower concentrations. Fine particles in the size range of PC 2.5 were consistently dominant across all locations, emphasizing their significance in IAQ assessment. Similar variability in particle count data suggests comparable levels of fluctuations in IAQ among the health centers. However, variations in PCA patterns highlight unique factors influencing IAQ in specific locations, such as combustion sources and control strategies. Targeted interventions, including enhancing ventilation systems, controlling indoor pollution sources, and promoting smoking cessation programs, are proposed to mitigate health risks associated with indoor air pollution exposure. Ongoing monitoring and collaboration with environmental experts are crucial for assessing IAQ trends and implementing evidence-based interventions to safeguard the health of patients, staff, and visitors in healthcare facilities.

Despite substantial evidence supporting the efficacy of prebiotics for promoting host health and stress resilience, few experiments present evidence documenting the dynamic changes in microbial ecology and fecal microbial-modified metabolites across time. Furthermore, the literature reports a lack of reproducible effects of prebiotics on specific bacteria and bacterial-modified metabolites. The current experiments examined whether consumption of diets enriched in prebiotics (galactooligosaccharides, GOS and polydextrose, PDX) compared to control diet, would consistently impact the gut microbiome and microbial-modified bile acids across time and between two research sites. Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed control or prebiotic diets for several weeks, and their gut microbiome and metabolome were examined using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted LC-MS/MS analysis. Dietary prebiotics altered beta diversity, relative abundances of bacterial genera, and microbially modified bile acids across time. PICRUSt2 analyses identified four inferred functional metabolic pathways modified by prebiotic diet. Correlational network analyses between inferred metabolic pathways and microbial-modified bile acids revealed deoxycholic acid as a potential network hub. All these reported effects were consistent between the two research sites supporting the conclusion that dietary prebiotics robustly changed the gut microbial ecosystem. Consistent with our previous work demonstrating that GOS/PDX reduces the negative impacts of stressor exposure, we propose that ingesting a diet enriched in prebiotics facilitates the development of a health-promoting gut microbial ecosystem.

The gut, often referred to as the "second brain," has significant contributions in the maintaining of the good bacteria contribute enormous role such as digestion, produce essential vitamins, support the immune system, and protect against harmful bacteria. The beneficial flora including Akkermansia muciniphila, Adlercreutzia equolifasciens, Barnesiella, Christensenella minuta, and Oxalobacter formigenes, along with their derived bioactive metabolites emerged as a key player in maintaining host metabolic and immune health. Dietary choices such as blending of prebiotic, fermented, symbiotic, anti-inflammatory foods, and secondary metabolites from a wide variety of plants and fruits promotes the diversity, composition, and stability of beneficial intestinal microbes. The colourful plant foods rich in phytochemicals bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, anthocyanins, and capsaicin offer a wide array of unique properties such as analgesics, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobials effect and promoting the abundance of beneficial gut bacteria and their bioactive metabolites confer numerous health-promoting effects. Here, we present knowledge about most beneficial gut bacteria and their derived metabolites in terms of their sources and health benefits. Finally, we discuss best foods that skew towards promoting healthy intestinal microbes.

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of thermogravimetric pyrolysis of carnauba biomass (Copernicia prunifera), a palm tree native to northeastern Brazil, belonging to the Arecaceae family. The objective was to analyze the scientific production and methods used to evaluate the kinetic parameters of biomass pyrolysis. A bibliographic survey was conducted using the Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases. The results were analyzed using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix software, which facilitated the generation of clusters and tables of scientific production. The analyses covered a range of variables, including authors, co-authors, countries of affiliation, academic institutions, journals, and keywords. The search yielded 1,983 articles, and after the application of exclusion criteria, 919 articles were retained, forming the basis for the bibliometric analysis. The data provided a more detailed and accurate overview of thermogravimetric pyrolysis of carnauba research and identified areas for further study. Furthermore, it was possible to ascertain which universities and researchers have devoted the most effort to this line of research, the principal findings, and areas that require further investment to complement existing research. Additionally, the study indicated the suitability of the Friedman kinetic method for determining kinetic parameters in biomass pyrolysis.

Community mobilisation is a vital process for raising awareness and increasing participation in healthcare interventions, research and programs that require human sample collection and mass management. In this report, we present the community mobilisation approach undertaken for the implementation of granular schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths operational mapping and assessment in Ekiti State Nigeria. The mobilisation was conducted in 177 communities/wards of the 16 Local Government Areas. A total of 15,340 urine and stool samples were collected in 34 days. The efficacy and success of the strategy was evaluated through three performance metrics: Community compliance rate, the participant response rate at community level and overall compliance response rate of the 4 most sensitive LGAs. Community compliance was 93.7% as sample collection was denied in 9 communities. Two other communities demanded return of collected samples. Participant response rate at the community level was 86.7%. Three of the 4 sensitive LGAs (based on previous assessment programs) demonstrated satisfactory compliance rates of 100%, while a response rate of 64.0% was computed for one of the LGAs. We believe our approach contributed to effective community mobilisation &amp; awareness and the developed model has potential for improving participation rates in large healthcare assessments and intervention programs.

The influence of playing formations and team ranking on the physical performance of professional soccer players is an open question that needs to be explored. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of these factors on the physical exertion of Serie A soccer players. We analyzed match data from 375 players, categorizing teams based on their final ranking and comparing performance across different playing formations. Krustal-Wallies test, and Dunn test with Bonferroni adjustment, revealed that high-ranking (HR) teams exhibited a higher percentage of high-intensity (HI) accelerations compared to mid-ranking teams, suggesting the critical role of HI efforts in achieving favorable match outcomes. Moreover, the 4-3-3 playing formation was associated with greater acceleration demands than other formations, particularly in HR teams. Our study also established benchmarks for various performance metrics, enabling coaches to assess player performance and identify potential signs of overtraining. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the physical demands in soccer and offer practical implications for coaches and players in optimizing training and performance strategies.

This study evaluates and contrasts the changes in vegetation cover over three decades in two forest areas in northern Mexico with different management statuses: one with sustainable forest exploitation and the other under protection as a Flora and Fauna Protection Area (FFPA). The hypothesis proposed that both areas would maintain or increase their vegetation cover since 1995. Using QGIS 3.32 “Lima” software and supervised and unsupervised classification methods, satellite images from the periods 1995-2008, 2008-2014, 2014-2021, and 1995-2022 were analyzed. The results showed that the Ejido El Largo y Anexos significantly increased forest areas and reduced grasslands due to sustainable management practices, with notable expansion of pine-oak and pine forests. In contrast, the Tutuaca Flora and Fauna Protection Area (FFPA) showed a notable loss of oak and oak-pine forests, suggesting ineffectiveness in its conservation policies. However, a lesser loss of Douglas fir forest was observed, indicating some effective protection efforts. The comparison reveals opposing dynamics: while Ejido El Largo y Anexos demonstrates success in sustainable management, the Tutuaca FFPA faces conservation challenges. In conclusion, this study highlights the need for active management approaches to maintain ecosystem cover and functionality.

Acanthamoeba genus amoebae can affect humans with diseases such as Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis (GAE), a highly lethal neuroinfection. Several aspects about the disease still need to be elucidated. Animal models of GAE have allowed advances in these aspects. This work tested Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) as an animal model of GAE. For this, 32 animals were infected with 1x10⁶ A. castellanii trophozoites, T4 genotype. Ameba recovery tests were carried out on plates of agar, vascular extravasation assays, behavioral tests and histopathological technique with H/E staining. Data were submitted to linear regression analysis, one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test, performed in the GraphPad Prism® 8.0 program, with a significance level of p<0.05. The results revealed the efficiency of the model. There was recovery of amoebae from the liver, lungs and brain of infected animals, significant encephalic vascular extravasation and behavioral changes in these animals, but not in the control animals. However, not all infected animals showed positive histopathology for the analyzed organs. The nervous tissue was the least affected, demonstrating the role of the BBB in the defense of the CNS. Supported by the demonstrated evidence, we confirm the difficulty, but also the feasibility of using rats as an animal model of GAE.

Exosome-based therapy has emerged as a promising strategy for addressing diverse disorders, indicating the need for further exploration of the potential therapeutic effects of the exosome cargos. This study introduces "enhanced exosomes," a novel type of exosomes developed through a novel cell culture system. These specific exosomes may become potent therapeutic agents for treating ovarian disorders. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the protein and miRNA cargo compositions of enhanced exosomes and naïve exosomes. Our findings revealed distinct cargo compositions in enhanced exosomes, featuring upregulated proteins such as EFEMP1, HTRA1, PAM, RSU1, and SDF4, suggesting their potential for treating ovarian disorders. MicroRNA profiling revealed that miR-1-3p, miR-103a-3p, miR-122-5p, miR-1271-5p, miR-133a-3p, miR-184, miR-203a-3p, and miR-206 are key players in regulating ovarian cancer and chemosensitivity by affecting cell cycle progression, cell proliferation, and cell development. We examined polycystic ovary syndrome and premature ovarian insufficiency and identified altered expression of various miRNAs, such as miR-106a-5p, miR-130b-5p, and miR-130b-3p, for diagnostic insights. This study highlights the potential of enhanced exosomes as new therapeutic agents for women's reproductive health, offering a detailed understanding of the impact of their cargo on ovarian disorders.

Present research focus on the effect of different processing routes on physical and mechanical properties of nano Ti(CN) based cermet’s with metallic binders. Tungsten carbide (WC) is added as secondary carbide and Ni-Co are added as metallic binders in nano Ti(CN) based cermet processed via Conventional and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). Systematic comparison of composition and sintering conditions for different cermet’s’ systems is done to design the novel composition and sintering conditions. Nano TiCN powder was prepared by 30hr of ball milling. Highest density of >98.5% percent was achieved for SPS processed cermet’s sintered at 1200°C and 1250°C for 3 min. at 60 MPa pressure in comparison to conventionally sintered cermet’s at 1400°C for 1hr with two stage compaction process, uniaxially at 150 MPa and isostatically at 300 MPa pressure respectively. Comparison of XRD analysis of milled powders of different time intervals was done to understand the characteristics of the as received and milled powders. Peak broadening was observed after 5 hr. of ball milling, and it increased till 30hr. Also, peak broadening and refined carbide size was observed in XRD and SEM micrograph of SPS processed cermet. TEM analysis of milled powder showed internal structure having regular periodic arrangement of planes. SEM (BSE) images of all cermets primarily showed three major microstructural phases of core-rim-binder with black, grey and white contrast respectively. In the present sintering conditions high hardness of ~16 GPa and fracture toughness of ~9 MPa m1/2 was obtained for SPS processed cermets sintered at higher temperature.

Background: Application of enhanced recovery after surgery principles decrease postoperative complications (POCs), length of stay (LOS), and readmissions. Pharmacoprophylaxis decreases morbidity, but the effect of specific regimens on clinical outcomes is unclear. Methods and Materials: Records of 476 randomly selected adult patients who underwent elective colorectal surgeries (ECRS) at 10 US hospitals were abstracted. Primary outcomes were surgical site infection (SSI), venous thromboembolism (VTE), postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), pain, and ileus rates. Secondary outcomes included LOS and 7- and 30-day readmission rates. Results: POC rates were SSI (3.4%), VTE (1.5%), PONV (47.9%), pain (58.1%), and ileus (16.1%). Cefazolin 2g/metronidazole 500mg and ertapenem 1g were associated with the shortest LOS; cefotetan 2g and cefoxitin 2g with the longest LOS. No SSI occurred with ertapenem and cefotetan. More Caucasians than Blacks received oral antibiotics before intravenous antibiotics without impact. Enoxaparin 40 mg subcutaneously daily was the most common inpatient and discharge VTE prophylaxis. All in-hospital VTEs occurred with unfractionated heparin. Most received rescue rather than around the clock antiemetics. Scopolamine patch, spinal opioids, and IV lidocaine continuous infusion were associated with lower PONV. Transversus abdominis plane block with long-acting local anesthetics, celecoxib, non-anesthetic ketamine bolus, ketorolac IV, lidocaine IV, and pregabalin were associated with lower in-hospital pain severity rate. Gabapentinoids and alvimopan were associated with lower ileus rate. Acetaminophen, alvimopan, famotidine, and lidocaine patch were associated with shorter LOS. Conclusions: Significant differences in pharmacotherapy regimens that may improve primary and secondary outcomes in ECRS were identified. Future research should identify latent pharmacotherapy variables that impact patient outcomes.