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Uncontrolled hypertension among hypertensive patients in public hospitals at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background In both high- and low-income nations, uncontrolled hypertension poses a serious threat to public health for those who suffer from it. After it starts, hypertension needs to be controlled throughout the remainder of the person’s life. Both drug and non-drug treatments are effective in preventing and managing hypertension. In Addis Ababa, little research was done on hypertensive individuals who had uncontrolled hypertension. Methods An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted at three public hospitals in Addis Ababa. A simple random sampling technique was used to choose the research participants. To assess factors associated with uncontrolled hypertension a binary logistic regression analysis was performed. Result A total of 621 study participants with a response rate of 98.2% were included in this study. The study revealed that the magnitude of uncontrolled hypertension was 48%. The factors significantly associated with uncontrolled hypertension were duration of illness (AOR = 1.72, 95% CI= (1.01–2.96)), sex (AOR = 1.80, 95% CI= (1.20–2.70)), physical activity adherence (AOR = 2.48, 95% CI= (1.39–4.41)), occupational status (AOR = 0.38, 95% CI= (0.22–0.68)) and educational status (AOR = 2.45, 95% CI= (1.37–4.39)). Conclusion Uncontrolled hypertension was seen in almost half of the study participants. Variables that were substantially associated with uncontrolled hypertension were sex, educational attainment, employment position, length of illness, and physical activity adherence. Healthcare providers should encourage patients to exercise frequently and make sure they take their hypertension medicines as directed.

Platelet apheresis with additive solution and plasma rinseback affects the cellular composition of LRS chamber products

Abstract Human leukocyte concentrates recovered from leukocyte reduction system (LRS) chambers of the Trima Accel automated blood collection device are a by-product of platelet apheresis that is often used in research. The Trima Accel software was obligatorily updated in 2023 from version 6 to 7. Here, we investigated software-dependent differences in the cellular composition of LRS concentrates when performing apheresis with either plasma or platelet additive solution. When using plasma as suspension medium, the software update to Trima 7 led to higher fraction of B cells as revealed by flow cytometry. Compared to platelets-in-plasma collection, the total recovered volume and leukocyte density was significantly reduced when running Trima 7 software with platelet additive solution including a plasma rinseback. Moreover, the proportion of lymphocytes and monocytes in these products was lower, whereas the proportion of neutrophils and eosinophils was higher. Researchers working with leukocytes isolated from LRS chambers should be aware that performing apheresis with platelet additive solution alters the composition of their starting material, which could affect the interpretation of some experiments.

Kaempferol inhibits oxidative stress and reduces macrophage pyroptosis by activating the NRF2 signaling pathway

Kaempferol exhibits various biological activities, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Its role in modulating lipid metabolism and inhibiting inflammatory responses to suppress the progression of atherosclerosis has been confirmed. However, its impact on macrophage pyroptosis and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of kaempferol (Kae) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage pyroptosis and its potential mechanisms. In the experiments, we used the CCK8 assay to evaluate cell viability, ROS detection kits to measure intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, Western Blot to detect the expression of proteins such as NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), gasdermin D (GSDMD), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and immunofluorescence to observe NRF2 nuclear translocation. The results showed that kaempferol alleviated LPS-induced cell viability decline and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, inhibited excessive ROS generation, and suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation by increasing glutathione (GSH) and HO-1 levels, thereby reducing the expression of inflammatory factors. Additionally, kaempferol promoted NRF2 nuclear translocation, and the application of the NRF2 inhibitor ML385 reversed its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In vivo experiments further confirmed that kaempferol inhibited oxidative stress and reduced macrophage pyroptosis by activating the NRF2 pathway.

Design and synthesis, and experimental-computational analysis of an acetic acid-functionalized zinc tetrapyridinoporphyrazine catalyst for synthesizing acridine and quinoline derivatives

GlowGrow: Designing an ambient biofeedback system for pregnancy stress management

Pregnancy can be challenging for women as they experience various physical, psychological, and social changes that can lead to stress and potential mental health concerns. Being neglected in the long-term, sustained stress can increase the likelihood of postpartum depression, which can have significant negative impacts on mothers, families, and society. Therefore, managing stress promptly and maintaining emotional well-being is crucial for pregnant women to give a healthy birth and improve their postpartum life quality. Biofeedback is a secure and effective treatment for anxiety; nevertheless, conventional biofeedback systems often depend on intrusive sensors and require clinician support, thereby restricting their utilization primarily to clinical settings. To address this challenge, in this study, by incorporating biofeedback techniques with wearable sensors, musical displays, and ambient light, we created an immersive biofeedback environment where pregnant women could practice slow-paced resonant breathing to promote relaxation and reduce stress. GlowGrow system has been deployed in a regional hospital’s ante-natal clinic and evaluated by 24 pregnant women regarding its effectiveness and user experience. The results show that GlowGrow, as an effective relaxation intervention, could efficiently guide pregnant women to perform deep breathing and manage physiological stress.

Strain engineering of doped hydrogen passivated silicon quantum dots

Abstract Silicon quantum dots are nanomaterials that are attractive candidates for photovoltaic applications. Doping of these materials creates p-n junctions and is important for solar cells. In this work, we present a first-principles study of the coupled influence of doping and strain on the stability, energy gap, Fermi level, electronic density, and density of states of hydrogen-passivated silicon quantum dots. We find that the cohesive energy and the energy gap decrease with increasing quantum dot size and are strongly influenced by strain. Furthermore, the response to strain also depends on the size of the quantum dot and dopant type. We present expressions of cohesive energy and energy gap as power-law of size and polynomial dependence on strain. We also show that the Fermi energy increases with size for pristine and p-type doping but decreases with size for n-type doping. We also discuss the influence of strain and dopant type on the density of states and electron density of the quantum dots.

Caregiving in rural areas: A qualitative study of challenges and resilience

Background and objectives Informal caregivers are critical to providing support to adults with functional limitations or disease in rural areas. There is a need to understand factors that impact rural caregiving to build equitable health services, yet there is a lack of research that weighs both strengths and challenges. Our goal is to examine these factors as identified by rural caregivers in qualitative interviews. Research design and methods A purposive sample of rural-dwelling caregivers (n = 18) was recruited from a state-wide registry in a predominantly rural state. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by phone and interview transcripts were qualitatively analyzed. Results We identified areas of strengths and resilience among rural caregivers, including informal support from friends and neighbors, which often bridged gaps in formal services. Rural caregivers also identified barriers to service use, such as long distance, travel and a lack of awareness within the healthcare system. Discussion and implications These challenges increase caregivers’ needs for tailored family centered care coordination and highlight the necessity of providing diverse care delivery options. Our findings highlight that community-based efforts and policy should address barriers and rural disadvantage, while also fostering and empowering the resilience of caregivers in their rural home environment.

A novel efferocytosis-related gene signature for predicting prognosis and therapeutic response in bladder cancer

Generation and characterization of BAC transgenic mouse lines expressing a fluorescent protein in trigeminal and dorsal root ganglion neurons

Genetic tools to identify and isolate specific cell types are required to study different model systems in an organism. Such tools to study sensory neurons in trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia are insufficient, making research progress in somatosensation difficult. Our study aimed to distinctly visualize and identify these peripheral sensory neurons in the mouse somatosensory system. We generated bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic mouse lines expressing the red fluorescent protein (RFP) in nuclei of Advillin (Avil)-positive neurons to help with the scarcity of bioresources. In these mice, RFP was specifically expressed in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in adulthood, consistent with previous reports. We also assessed RFP expression in the TG and DRG of these mice during embryonic and postnatal development. The TG RFP expression became evident around embryonic day 16.5 and continued across the postnatal period; in the DRG, it became apparent around postnatal day 0, continuing further. Lastly, almost all TG neurons (~90%) expressed RFP. These transgenic lines are valuable for studying the murine somatosensory system across developmental stages.

Analysis of dynamic network reconfiguration in HIV patients with cognitive impairment based multilayer network

Comparison of TENS electrodes and textile electrodes for electrocutaneous warning

Electrocutaneous stimulation can be employed to alert workers in potentially hazardous situations. Previous parameter studies used TENS electrodes during the developmental process of the electrical warning system. As a step towards more practicability, we now focus on electrocutaneous stimulation through wearable textile electrodes. In order to determine the feasibility of a novel textile electrode cuff in comparison to previously used TENS electrodes, two studies were conducted. In a study on n  = 30 participants, perception, attention, muscle twitch, and intolerance thresholds as well as qualitative and spatial perceptions, were determined for eight pairs of electrodes circumferentially placed around the upper right arm for TENS and for textile electrodes. In a second study on n  = 36 participants, these thresholds were also determined during vibration, and a warning signal pattern was presented during vibration. We found smaller perception thresholds for the textile electrodes in comparison to the TENS electrodes for all 8 electrode pairs and occasional differences for the attention and intolerance thresholds, which might be mainly explained by the varying electrode sizes due to the manual production process of the textile electrodes. Stimulation using textile electrodes within the cuff showed less frequent muscle twitches compared to TENS electrodes. Other qualitative and spatial perceptions appeared comparable. The perception, attention, and intolerance thresholds increased during vibration comparable to previous results with TENS electrodes. The feasibility of using the textile electrodes during vibration and for the application of a warning signal was successfully demonstrated. Occasional cases occurred where the transition impedance was too high while using the textile electrodes. Future studies will focus on electrode optimization to achieve a wearable solution with both low electrode-skin transition impedance and minimal muscle twitching.

Investigation of postmortem change in the human corneal epithelium via impression cytology

Strategic risk analysis for the selection of stable and high-potential maize genotypes in multi-environment trials

Plant breeders are increasingly utilizing stability parameters as valuable tools for selecting cultivars in the context of genotype × environment interaction (GEI). Neglecting GEI in multi-environment trials (MET) can significantly heighten the risk of making inaccurate cultivar recommendations to farmers. Consequently, breeders must strive to find an optimal balance between yield and stability, favoring varieties that minimize the risk of extremely low yields. Recent advancements in probability theory, along with specialized software packages, have made the decision-making process more efficient for identifying suitable candidates across diverse environments. Under this scenario, a study was conducted to evaluate 15 promising maize hybrids alongside one control commercial hybrid (hybrid No. 16). The research employed a randomized complete block design with four replications across eight diverse locations over two consecutive years. The hybrids evaluated resulted from crosses involving temperate × temperate and tropical/subtropical × temperate. The objectives of this research included estimating the stability of these hybrids and assessing the associated risks related to their release, as well as evaluating the success and potential of lines derived from subtropical and tropical materials. A Bayesian approach was applied to estimate the probability that each genotype outperformed its competitors. The variance component estimates indicated that “location” was the most significant factor influencing overall variability, with values of 0.756 for genotype, 11.304 for location, and 0.621 for genotype × location effects. To enhance the mean grain yield within the selection panel, a selection intensity of 20% was implemented based on computed probabilities of superior performance and stability among selected candidates. Hybrid H2 exhibited the highest probability of superior performance (0.99), closely followed by Hybrid H5 with 0.97 of probability of belonging to the top subset. Hybrid H2 outperformed hybrid H16 (check hybrid) in all cases across tested environments; however, it demonstrated lower stability in 55% of comparisons. This finding suggests that the hypothesis asserting H2’s superiority over H16 in both stability and performance was not supported. H5 was the only hybrids common to both the top-performing (H2, H5, H4, H3) and most stable (H13, H15, H5, H7) groups. It is essential for breeders to jointly consider the probabilities of superior performance and stability when determining optimal genotypes. Considering the joint probability of superior performance and yield stability, the hybrids H5, H4, H15 and H2 stand out. High-performing and stable hybrids like H5 and H2 reduce cultivar introduction risks. Overall, these results indicated that employing a risk/probability analysis approach can significantly enhance decision-making accuracy for cultivar recommendations in METs.

Computational discovery of novel aryl hydrocarbon receptor modulators for psoriasis therapy

Integrating geospatial tools in mapping forest fire severity and burned areas in the Western Usambara Mountain Forests, Lushoto, Tanzania

Despite the numerous negative effects of tropical forest fires in Tanzania, the sources and effects remain insufficiently documented. This study aimed to develop an integrated approach that combines geospatial tools and socio-economic data to assess the sources and effects of forest fires and map burn severity and its trends over 10 years in West Usambara Mountain Forests. Three approaches including Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), satellite image analysis, and direct observation were used to generate information on spatial and temporal forest fire severity. Findings revealed that farm preparation (38.2%) and charcoal preparation (21.2%) are the primary source of these forest fires. Burn severity maps showed 32.12% to 20.31% of combined high and low severity areas, with a total burned area of 3,296.96 hectares, accounting for 15.86% of the reserves. The differenced Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (dNDVI) maps revealed 36.30% to 21.10 of high and low severity areas, while post-fire NBR and NDVI time series indicated a significant vegetation loss (0.21 to 0.36). This study demonstrates the integration of remote sensing and socio-economic approaches to enhance forest fire management, conservation, policy enforcement, and community awareness that can be upscaled to other forest areas for effective management.

Unlocking sea turtle diving behaviour from low-temporal resolution time-depth recorders

Abstract Biologging is a rapidly advancing field providing information on previously unexplored aspects of animal ecology, including the vertical movement dimension. Understanding vertical behaviour through the use of time-depth recorders (TDRs) in marine vertebrates is critical to aid conservation and management decisions. However, using TDRs can be particularly problematic to infer animal behaviour from elusive animals, when tags are difficult to recover and collected data is satellite-relayed at lower temporal frequencies. Here, we present a novel method to process low-resolution TDR data at 5-minute intervals and infer diving behaviour from loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) during their elusive pelagic life stage spanning extended periods (> 250 days). Using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) we identify four behavioural states, associated with resting, foraging, shallow exploration, and deep exploration. Three of the four behavioural states were found to have strong seasonal patterns, corroborating with known sea-turtle biology. The results presented provide a novel way of interpreting low-resolution TDR data and provide a unique insight into sea turtle ecology.

Lateralized cerebellar connectivity differentiates auditory pathways in echolocating and non-echolocating whales

We report the first application of diffusion tractography to a mysticete, which was analyzed alongside three odontocete brains, allowing the first direct comparison of strength and laterality of auditory pathways in echolocating and non-echolocating whales. Brains were imaged post-mortem at high resolution with a specialized steady state free precession diffusion sequence optimized for dead tissue. We conducted probabilistic tractography to compare the qualitative features, tract strength, and lateralization of potential ascending and descending auditory paths in the mysticete versus odontocetes. Tracts were seeded in the inferior colliculi (IC), a nexus for ascending auditory information, and the cerebellum, a center for sensorimotor integration. Direct IC to temporal lobe pathways were found in all animals, replicating previous cetacean tractography and suggesting conservation of the primary auditory projection path in the cetacean clade. Additionally, odontocete IC-cerebellum pathways exhibited higher overall tract strength than in the mysticete, suggesting they may play a role in supporting the rapid sensorimotor integration demands of echolocation. Further, in the mysticete, contralateral right IC to left cerebellum pathways were 17x stronger than those between left IC and right cerebellum, while in odontocetes, the laterality was reversed, and left IC to right cerebellum pathways were 2-4x stronger than those between right IC and left cerebellum. This lateralization may also relate to echolocation. Right cerebellum is responsible for integrating sensory and motor signals from the left cortical hemisphere, and in odontocetes, this hemisphere likely controls the contralateral right-side phonic lips, which have been empirically implicated in the production of echolocation clicks. We also found differences in the specific subregions of cerebellum targeted by the IC between the mysticete and odontocetes, some of which may also bear on hearing and vocal production. This study establishes foundational knowledge on mysticete brain connectivity and extends knowledge on pathways supporting hearing and auditory-motor integration across the order Cetacea.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress sensor protein PERK in hepatic stellate cells promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma via p38δ MAPK/IL-1β axis

Study on energy dissipation law of vibration disturbance damaged Zhanjiang Formation structural clay

This study aims to investigate the energy dissipation laws and underlying mechanisms of damage in Zhanjiang Formation structural clay following vibrational disturbances. Based on the test results of the unconfined compressive strength of the disturbed Zhanjiang Formation structural clay, and in conjunction with theories related to energy dissipation, the analysis revealed that: (1) An increase in the disturbance degree leads to higher compaction strain and compaction dissipation energy, thereby enhancing the ductility of the sample; (2) Although disturbance reduces the strength of the sample, it increases its deformation capacity, indicating that the interplay between strength and deformation affects the level of energy dissipation; (3) The variation in the logarithmic value of the elastic energy dissipation ratio can be categorized into three phases: initial lgK > 0; lgK < 0 to (lgK)min; and an increase from (lgK)min, with (lgK)min marking the critical turning point for the transition from the elastic to the plastic phase of the soil. The study also profoundly analyzed the dynamic regulation mechanisms of vibrational disturbance energy from two perspectives: dynamic regulation and structural change, as well as energy dissipation and damage evolution. High-frequency vibrations expedite the damage process, and post-damage energy dissipation involves friction, microcrack propagation, and plastic deformation, ultimately leading to the collapse of the soil structure. This study not only enhances the understanding of the complex mechanical behavior of such soils but also paves the way for innovative applications and theoretical advances in soil mechanics.

Advantages of digital twin technology in orthopedic trauma Surgery – Exploring different clinical use cases

Abstract Digital twin technology offers significant benefits for addressing fracture non-unions in orthopedic trauma surgery, particularly in cases requiring revision surgery. In this study, we developed a clinically applicable digital twin workflow that integrates patient-specific imaging, motion capture, musculoskeletal modeling, and finite element simulation. We applied this workflow to five real patient cases involving different anatomical sites and treatment strategies, including implant modification, augmentative fixation, and corrective osteotomy. Each case was virtually reconstructed to evaluate mechanical conditions before and after revision surgery. The results demonstrated that digital twins can predict improvements in implant stress distribution and fracture strain states, offering valuable insights for optimizing surgical decisions. This work highlights the feasibility of digital twins and their clinical value in supporting individualized revision strategies, laying the foundation for their broader use in trauma care. .