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Cloning of nf-profilin and intercellular interaction with nf-actin in Naegleria fowleri cysts

Tailoring the surface pore morphology of bioceramic scaffolds through colloidal processing for bone tissue engineering

In this study, porous bioceramic scaffolds are developed with two materials, β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and hydroxyapatite (HA), with order of 10 micron-scale surface pores and approximately 40–60% volume porosity fabricated by soft templating of oil. Suitable oil and surfactant concentrations are determined for the creation of particle-stabilized emulsions with nearly spherical pores, as well as the capillary suspensions with elongated pores. The bioceramic scaffolds surfaces are then assessed for their ability to support osteoblast adhesion and growth, for applications as scaffolds for bone regeneration. The porous scaffolds’ surfaces are compared to denser surfaces of the same material, where only submicron porosity arise from partial sintering, to interrogate the impact of surface topography on cell behavior. On the denser surfaces where no large pores are templated, β-TCP supports a larger number of osteoblasts compared to HA. Templated surface porosity significantly impacts the morphology and growth of the osteoblasts. Amongst the pore morphologies, the capillary suspension demonstrates enhanced biological function, whereas the emulsion performs the poorest. The β-TCP capillary suspension scaffold surface appears to provide the most favorable conditions for the osteoblasts.

In silico and in vitro analyses reveal the potential use of Streptomyces parvulus VNUA74 as bioagent for sustainable banana production

Self-medication practices in Ethiopia: An umbrella review protocol

Background Self-medication is the practice of obtaining and using drugs without proper guidance or supervision. It can involve various behaviours that may harm individuals and society. Self-medication can cause serious health and economic problems for countries and healthcare systems. Therefore, current review aimed at examining self-medication practices in Ethiopia. Methods This umbrella review will consider all systematic reviews that include self-medication practices of adult age greater than 18 years in Ethiopia. Study protocols, papers other than systematic reviews, papers not reporting on self-medication practices, and papers published in languages other than English will be excluded from the review. MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews will be searched. Two reviewers will screen the titles and abstracts against the eligibility criteria. Data extraction will be performed by 2 independent reviewers on the reviews selected for inclusion. The characteristics of studies like author name, year published, databases searched, number of studies/patients included, and self-medication practices will be extracted. The quality of included studies will be reported using the JBI critical appraisal checklist for systematic reviews and research syntheses. A summary of the extracted data will be presented in tabular format and a narrative synthesis will be performed on the collected systematic reviews that meet the inclusion criteria. Discussion This protocol is expected to bring pooled evidence on self-medication practice among different population groups like pregnant mothers, adult population, students, and general population. Evidence from this review will be used to tackle current global problem related with anti-microbial resistance. Therefore, our review will call for government and non-government interventions in reducing current challenge of global issue related with anti-microbial resistance in resource limited country like Ethiopia. Systematic review registration number PROSPERO CRD42023182552

Diurnal variations of atmospheric electric fields on fair weather days and its correlations with aerosols, wind speed, irradiance, and relative humidity

Low capacity for molecular detection of Alphaviruses other than Chikungunya virus in 23 European laboratories, March 2022

Alphaviruses comprise over 30 identified species spread worldwide and carry a large global health burden. With vector expansion occurring in and around Europe, it is anticipated this burden will increase. Therefore, regular assessment of the diagnostic capabilities in Europe is important, e.g., by conducting external quality assessments (EQAs). Here we evaluated molecular detection of alphaviruses in expert European laboratories by conducting an EQA in March 2022. Molecular panels included 15 samples: nine alphaviruses, Barmah Forest virus (BFV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), Mayaro virus (MAYV), o’nyong-nyong virus (ONNV), Ross River virus (RRV), Sindbis virus (SINV), Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), and Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) and four negative control samples. Alphavirus detection was assessed among 23 laboratories in 16 European countries. Adequate capabilities were lacking for several viruses, and approximately half of the laboratories (11/23) relied on pan-alphavirus assays with varying sensitivity and specificity. Only 46% of laboratories characterized all EQA samples correctly. Correct result rates were > 90% for CHIKV, RRV and SINV, but laboratories lacked specificity for ONNV and MAYV and sensitivity for VEEV, BFV, and EEEV. Only two alphaviruses causing human disease circulate or have circulated in Europe, CHIKV and SINV. Molecular detection was satisfactory with both CHIKV and SINV, but < 50% correct for the entire alphaviruses panel. With continued imported cases, and a growing global concern about climate change and vector expansion, focus on progress toward rapid, accurate alphavirus diagnostics in Europe is recommended, as well as regular EQAs to monitor quality.

Study on the technology and application of cooperative roadway protection with roof cutting pressure relief and CO2 mineralization and filling

Effects of building resilience skills among undergraduate medical students in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic setting in the United Arab Emirates: A convergent mixed methods study

Introduction Although curricula teaching skills related to resilience are widely adopted, little is known about needs and attitudes regarding resilience training of undergraduate-medical-trainees in Middle-East-and-North-Africa-region. The purpose of this study is to investigate the value of an innovative curriculum developed through design-based-research to build resilience-skills among undergraduate-medical-trainees in the United-Arab-Emirates. Methods Convergent-mixed-methods-study-design was utilized. Quantitative data collection was through controlled random group allocation conducted in one cohort of undergraduate medical students(n = 47). Students were randomly allocated into the respective resilience-skills-building-course(study-group) versus an unrelated curriculum(control-group). All students were tested at baseline(test-1), at end of 8-week course(test-2), and again 8 weeks after end of course(test-3). Then students crossed over to the opposite course and again tested at end of 8 weeks(test-4). Testing at four timepoints consisted of questionnaires related to burnout-Maslach-Burnout-Inventory; anxiety-General-Anxiety-Disorder-7; and resilience- Connor-Davidson-Resilience-Scale. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and inferentially. Qualitative data, constituting of students’ perception of their experience with the course, was captured using virtual-focus-group-sessions. Qualitative analysis was inductive. Generated primary inferences were merged using joint-display-analysis. Results Significant proportion of the students, at baseline, seemed to be at risk for burnout and anxiety, and would benefit from developing their resilience. There appeared to be no statistical differences in measures of burnout, anxiety, and resilience related to course delivery. Overall risk for anxiety among students increased following the COVID-19 lockdown. Qualitative analysis generated the ‘Resilience-Skills’-Building-around-Undergraduate-Medical-Education-Transitions’ conceptual model of five themes: Transitions, Adaptation, Added Value of course, Sustainability of effects of course, and Opportunities for improving course. Merging of findings led to a thorough understanding of how the resilience-skills’-building-course affected students’ adaptability. Conclusion This study indicates that a resilience-skills’-building-course may not instantly affect medical trainees’ ratings of burnout, anxiety, and resilience. However, students likely engage with such an innovative course and its content to acquire and deploy skills to adapt to changes.

Preparation and adsorption properties of microsphere geopolymers derived from calcium carbide slag and fly ash

Testing the role of spontaneous activity in visuospatial perception with patterned optogenetics

A major debate in the field of consciousness pertains to whether neuronal activity or rather the causal structure of neural circuits underlie the generation of conscious experience. The former position is held by theoretical accounts of consciousness based on the predictive processing framework (such as neurorepresentationalism and active inference), while the latter is posited by the integrated information theory. This protocol describes an experiment, part of a larger adversarial collaboration, that was designed to address this question through a combination of behavioral tests in mice, functional imaging, patterned optogenetics and electrophysiology. The experiment will directly test if optogenetic inactivation of a portion of the visual cortex not responding to behaviorally relevant stimuli will affect the perception of the spatial distribution of these stimuli, even when the neurons being inactivated display no or very low spiking activity, so low that it does not induce a significant effect on other cortical areas. The results of the experiment will be compared against theoretical predictions, and will provide a major contribution towards understanding what the neuronal substrate of consciousness is.

Predicting the spatial demand for public charging stations for EVs using multi-source big data: an example from jinan city, china

The role of digitalization and ESG on financial performance: An empirical analysis on the Energy and Utilities sectors

In recent years authorities and regulators around the world are showing great interest in the concept of sustainability. Sustainable practices are a growing phenomenon around the world and there is increasing research on the correlation between Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and corporate financial performance (FP). In parallel with the increasing focus on ESG, digitalization has gained a pivotal role in the business environment. The paper wants to investigate the relationship between ESG factors and financial performance. Moreover, it tries to understand how digitalization influences that relationship. We use panel data regression using pooled ordinary least squares, fixed effects or least squares dummy variables. The panel covered by our study consists of a sample of listed companies belonging to the Energy and Utilities sectors observed from the year 2019 to 2021. In particular, our data set includes financial indicators closely related to the corporate profitability, sustainability indicators and an indicator use as a proxy of digitalization. The results provide interesting insights on how digitalization can moderate the relationship between ESG and profitability goals within the business environment, and especially the correlation that exists between sustainability and profit. The results suggest that ESG integration in corporate organizations positively affects FP because a strong ESG proposition enables businesses to grow both in existing and new markets. The findings further support the need to invest in digitalization since they show a substantial gain in financial efficiency, which can eventually boost corporate revenues. The research results support the minimization of the corporate social cost and, more generally, of social well-being. We contribute to the literature by studying the moderating role of investments in digital technologies in the context of sustainability, to understand whether or not digitalization can accelerate the impact of ESG on corporate profitability.

Carbon dynamics of silvopasture systems in the Northeastern United States

Protocol for a theory-based, mixed methods evaluation of Cynnau|Ignite: an active learning programme to foster positive research culture through leadership development at Cardiff University

A recent UKRI call for training programmes to improve research culture at Higher Education Institutions led Cardiff University to design Cynnau|Ignite. This active learning programme intends to foster positive research culture practices through empowering staff towards leadership on this agenda, and by embedding learners in environments where these practices are highly valued. Cynnau|Ignite will be implemented within Cardiff University as three tailored programmes, dependant on job roles: Teaching and Research (64 learners), Research-Only (32 learners), and Professional Services, Technicians and Specialists (32 learners). This protocol details a theory-based, mixed methods evaluation of Cynnau|Ignite’s effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility as a tool to improve research culture practices and perceptions within Cardiff University. This knowledge will help inform future iterations of Cynnau|Ignite and similar initiatives, while advancing methods for the evaluation of positive research culture practices, and has potential to inform choices regarding funding and evaluation of research culture initiatives at other Higher Education Institutions. Here, we outline the Cynnau|Ignite Theory of Change used to inform our primary outcomes and describe our plan to evaluate the programme’s effectiveness by measuring learners’ self-reported positive research culture practices (intentions and behaviours) before and after taking part in Cynnau|Ignite, in comparison to a control group of staff who were not involved in the programme. Additionally, data monitoring, sessions observation, and semi-structured interviews will be conducted to establish programme acceptability and feasibility for stakeholders including learners, the delivery team, and university management. We hypothesise Cynnau|Ignite will be largely acceptable and effective in boosting learners’ positive research culture intentions compared to a control group, but believe behavioural implementation may be adversely affected by common barriers such as insufficient time and resources. Overall, we expect Cynnau|Ignite to improve short-term positive research culture practices and perceptions at Cardiff University, but its potential long-term impact is unclear. Study registration Number: ISRCTN15575518

A phase 3 clinical trial on the immunogenicity and safety of booster vaccination after Zagreb or Essen regimens

Addressing information and credit barriers to making India open defecation free and improving child health: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in rural India

Background Open defecation (OD) remains a significant public health challenge in India, contributing to adverse child health outcomes. Eliminating OD and improving child health necessitates both universal access and adoption of toilets. Despite the success of removing credit constraints and enhancing access to subsidized toilets through national sanitation campaigns, the adoption of these toilets is still lagging in India. This is because households might also be lacking information about the benefits of using toilets (information constraint). Methods In this paper, we test for the joint efficacy of the removal of information and credit constraints versus solely addressing the credit constraint at eliminating OD, based on a cluster randomized control trial in rural India. We implemented two interventions: a universal community-led behavior change campaign along with subsidized construction of individual household toilets for every household that opted for subsidy (cluster A) and only subsidized construction of individual household toilet construction for every household that opted for the subsidy (cluster B). No behavior change was provided in cluster B. The control group did not receive any intervention. Results We find that the removal of information and credit constraints at a near-universal level in cluster A resulted in improved toilet access and adoption, eliminating OD at the community level, with a significant gain in child weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ scores). There was an increase in the percentage of households that owned individual household toilets from 2% to 98% and a decline in female respondents practicing OD from 98% to 4% in cluster A. In cluster B, ownership of individual household toilets improved by 78 percentage points (from 6% to 84%), but OD decreased by only 45 percentage points (from 95% to 50%) for the respondents. The control group saw no significant changes. For children under five, there was a statistically significant increase in WAZ scores by 0.68-0.69 standard deviations in cluster A, while cluster B showed insignificant changes when compared to the control group. Conclusions The study implies that supplementing universal financial support with community-level information intervention enhances sustainable adoption of improved sanitation facilities, aiding India’s progress towards an open defecation-free nation and improving child health outcomes.

The association between metabolite concentrations and wellbeing in adults

Evaluation of cortical thickness and cortical thickness index in the proximal femur—CT, dual energy absorptiometry (DXA), trabecular bone score (TBS) –

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the anatomical size of proximal femur in South Korea. This study measured cortical thickness and cortical thickness index (CTI) based on computed tomography (CT) and additionally, evaluated the T-score and trabecular bone score (TBS) based on the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Materials and methods This retrospective study is a cross-sectional study based on data from 600 patients aged from 20 to 93 years during the time from 2011 to 2021 were enrolled and selected the patients who did the examination of both pelvic CT and DXA scan. Age, sex, BMI, T-score, TBS, cortical thickness, CTI and the size of proximal femur were analyzed. Among these patients, 200 patients each corresponding to femoral neck fracture group(N = 200), trochanteric fracture group(N = 200), and non-fracture group(N = 200) were randomly selected and studied. The differences of three groups were compared statistically. Results Mean outer diameter of proximal femur was 24.34 mm, inner diameter of proximal femur was 15.28 mm, cortical thickness was 4.55 mm and CTI was 0.37 at the lesser trochanter (LT) level. The outer diameter was 24.00 mm, inner diameter of proximal femur was 13.04 mm, cortical thickness was 4.97mm and CTI was 0.44 at 3cm below LT. In the hip fracture group, T-score of hip, outer diameter of proximal femur and cortical thickness at LT were lower than non-fracture group. BMI, T-score of spine, T-score of hip, inner diameter at 3cm below LT, CTI of LT and TBS were lower in femoral neck fracture group compared to the trochanteric fracture group. Conclusion Analysis of 600 patients of pelvic CT might be a representative of real size of proximal femur in South Korea. Outer diameter of proximal femur at LT and cortical thickness at LT level were significantly lower in hip fracture group. Narrower outer diameter of proximal femur and thinner cortical thickness at LT level from the CT might be a risk factor of hip fracture.

Extraction and purification of total flavonoids from Zanthoxylum planispinum Var. Dintanensis leaves and effect of altitude on total flavonoids content

Perceived paternal emotional fertility intention and its correlates in Ethiopia among a cohort of pregnant women: Community based longitudinal survey; A secondary data analysis of the 2019/20 baseline survey

Background Perceived paternal emotional fertility intentions were measured by asking pregnant women how their husbands felt when they have learnt about the index pregnancy. Paternal emotion during pregnancy and childbirth is imperative for better maternal and newborn health outcomes, though policy and strategic framework has been lacking in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to explore perceived paternal emotional fertility intentions of their husbands and/or their male partners and examine its correlates among a panel of pregnant women in Ethiopia. Methods Nationally representative data from cohort one baseline cross-sectional survey were used. A total of 2,115 pregnant women from a total of 217 enumeration areas were included in this further analysis. Frequencies were computed to describe pregnant women. Multinomial logistics regression statistical modeling was fitted to identify correlates of perceived paternal emotional fertility intentions. Results were presented in the form of percentages and odds ratio with 95% Confidence Intervals. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of 0.05. Result The proportion of perceived paternal emotional fertility intentions of being a sort of happy and very happy were found to be (35.40%; 95%CI: 33.00%, 37.87%) and (49.03%; 95%CI: 46.48%, 51.6%) respectively. The likelihood of perceived paternal emotional fertility intentions of being very happy was (AOR: 95%CI: 5.06: (1.73, 14.85) and (AOR: 95%CI: 2.65: (1.67, 4.20) times higher among older pregnant women and those who intended having another child respectively. On the contrary, those with higher birth order, who wanted no more another child, those living as a partner and; those residing in Addis Ababa and SNNPR had (AOR: 95%CI: 0.25: (0.15, 0.40), AOR: 95%CI: 0.14: (0.07, 0.27); (AOR: 95%CI: 0.54: (0.33, 0.90), (AOR: 95%CI: 0.34: (0.17, 0.67), (AOR: 95%CI: 0.27: (0.14, 0.53) and AOR: 95%CI: 0.25: (0.15, 0.40) times lower likelihood of perceived paternal emotional fertility intention of being very happy about the index pregnancy respectively. The likelihood of perceived paternal emotional fertility intentions of being a sort of happy was found to be (AOR: 95%CI: 1.93 (1.21, 3.10) times higher among those wanting to have another child. This likelihood was found to be (AOR: 95%CI: 0.62 (0.43, 0.89), (AOR: 95%CI: 0.43 (0.22, 0.85) and (AOR: 96%CI: 0.45 (0.28, 0.74) times lower among those whose desired place of delivery was health facility, with higher birth order and residents of Oromiya region respectively. Conclusion Half of the pregnant women perceived that their husband felt very happy with calls up on a region specific age sensitive interventions in improving couples communication, and discussion on the spacing and timing of pregnancies as well as to work on improving childbirth preparedness and complication readiness. The ministry and relevant partners need to work strategically on male’s involvement in fertility desire along with emotional care and support. Women with future fertility intention, lower birth orders and those who have not legally married need to be targeted. Installing inter pregnancy preconception care package; improving counseling and provision of postpartum contraceptives; increasing men fertility knowledge and their emotional readiness; and lifestyle adjustment before pregnancy to improve psycho-social health during the perinatal period and paternal emotional fertility intentions are imperative.