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Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Current WHO-recommended strategies for diagnosing TB among hospitalized PLHIV rely on symptom screening and disease severity to assess eligibility for urine lipoarabinomannan lateral flow (LF-LAM) and molecular testing. Despite these recommendations, autopsy studies show a large burden of undiagnosed TB among admitted PLHIV. The EXULTANT trial aims to assess the impact of an expanded screening strategy using three specimens (sputum, stool, and urine) for TB diagnosis among PLHIV admitted to hospitals in two high HIV and TB burden African countries. Methods: This is a multicenter, pragmatic, individually randomized controlled trial conducted across eleven hospitals in Tanzania and Mozambique. Participants in the intervention arm will be tested with Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra® from expectorated sputum, stool, and urine samples, with additional urine LF-LAM testing in the first 24 h after hospital admission, irrespective of the presence of the symptoms. The control arm will implement the WHO standard of care recommendations. Hospitalized adults (≥ 18 years) with a confirmed HIV-diagnosis, irrespective of antiretroviral (ART) therapy status or presence of TB symptoms will be assessed for eligibility at admission. Patients with a pre-existing TB diagnosis, those receiving anti-tuberculosis therapy or tuberculosis preventive treatment in the 6 months prior to enrolment, and those transferred from other hospitals will not be eligible. Also, participants admitted for traumatic reasons such as acute abdomen, maternal conditions, scheduled surgery, having a positive SARS-CoV2 test will be ineligible. The primary endpoint is the proportion of participants with microbiologically confirmed TB starting treatment within 3 days of enrolment. Discussion: The EXULTANT trial investigates rapid implementation after admission of a new diagnostic algorithm using Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra® in several non-invasive specimens, in addition to LF-LAM, in hospitalized PLHIV regardless of TB symptoms. This enhanced strategy is anticipated to detect frequently missed TB cases in this population and is being evaluated as an implementable and scalable intervention. Trial registration: Trial reference number: NCT04568967 (ClinicalTrials.gov) registered on 2020–09-29. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CT angiography might be a suitable procedure to avoid arterial puncture in combined intracavitary and interstitial brachytherapy for cervical cancer curatively treated with combined chemoradiation and brachytherapy boost. Data in the literature about this technique are scarce. We introduced this method and collected brachytherapy data from patients treated in our department between May 2021 and April 2024. We analyzed the applicator subtype, needle insertion (planned versus implanted), implanted depth and the role of CT angiography in selecting needle trajectories and insertion depths. None of the patients managed through this protocol experienced atrial puncture and consequent hemorrhage. Needle positions were accurately selected with the aid of CT angiography with proper coverage of brachytherapy targets and avoidance of organs at risk. CT angiography is a promising method for guiding needle insertion during interstitial brachytherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We were the first to report that epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells and tissues express myeloperoxidase (MPO) that is known to play a role in immune surveillance and inflammation by myeloid cells. Additionally, we reported that MPO is colocalized with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), a key pro-oxidant enzyme, and plays a key role in regulating apoptosis in EOC cells. Whereas myeloid cells express MPO in a dimeric form, intriguingly, here we report the unique expression of only the monomeric form of MPO in EOC cells, tissues, and blood of an ovarian cancer patient. Additionally, we have identified a cell membrane receptor, αV/β1 integrin, that is uniquely expressed by both chemosensitive and chemoresistant EOC cells with significantly higher expression in chemoresistant EOC cells. More importantly, we have demonstrated that monoclonal antibodies against αV/β1 integrin induced cytotoxicity in EOC cells, but not in normal cells, that is also synergistic with conventional chemotherapies. Cytotoxicity of αV/β1 antibodies is due to conformational changes in αV/β1 integrin which prevents monomeric MPO binding to αV/β1 integrin inhibiting the activation of MPO, leading to increased apoptosis. Since normal epithelial cells and macrophages lack monomeric MPO and αV/β1 integrin system, targeting this unique MPO-dependent survival mechanism will selectively eliminate EOC cells and will be the target for developing specific ovarian cancer therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's world, the discovery of deposits of useful mineral substances is no longer the fruit of chance or the flair of a prospector. Patience, tenacity and luck have been replaced by systematic research programs and complex equipment for the structural analysis of the Earth's crust. However, this effort represents only the first step in the long process of transforming an "anomaly" in the basement into an exploitable deposit under certain technical and economic conditions. Certainly, the defining element of the process (with durations of the order of years, or even more) is the continuous investment of capital, ultimately materialized, in the end, in the building of a mining property. Its development in the form of an underground or surface mining enterprise requires other investment efforts, much higher than the previous ones. In addition, the very overall results of a mining enterprise in operation are decisively conditioned by the extent to which the operating expenses, as well as other expenses are "controlled". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PTH resistance is characterized by hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia in the presence of elevated PTH concentrations, resulting in pseudohypoparathyroidism, which is subdivided into different types according to its different pathogenesis and phenotype. PTH receptor is the alpha subunit of stimulatory G protein (Gsα)-coupled receptor. Pathogenic variants of GNAS gene, encoding for Gsα, lead to reduced Gsα function and PTH resistance. We report a patient with PHP type 1a, with no documented evidence of hypocalcemia, presenting with AHO phenotype and multihormone resistance to PTH, TSH, and GnRH. Her genetic testing showed a novel heterozygous pathogenic variants, a c.934T > G change in exon 11 in adenylate cyclase stimulatory G protein that has not been reported in the literature so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholesterol is one of the essential intrauterine factors required for fetal growth and development. Maternal high cholesterol levels are known to be detrimental for offspring health. However, its long-term effect on offspring skeletal development remains to be elucidated. We performed our studies in two strains of mice (C57BL6/J and Swiss Albino) and human subjects (65 mother--female newborn dyads) to understand the regulation of offspring skeletal growth by maternal high cholesterol. We found that mice offspring from high-cholesterol- fed dams had low birth weight, smaller body length, and delayed skeletal ossification at the E18.5 embryonic stage. Moreover, we observed that the offspring did not recover from the reduced skeletal mass and exhibited a low bone mass phenotype throughout their life. We attributed this effect to reduced osteoblast cell activity with a concomitant increase in the osteoclast cell population. Our investigation of the molecular mechanism revealed that offspring from high-cholesterol-fed dams had a decrease in the expression of ligands and proteins involved in hedgehog signaling. Further, our cross-sectional study of human subjects showed a significant inverse correlation between maternal blood cholesterol levels and cord blood bone formation markers. Moreover, the bone formation markers were significantly lower in the female newborns of hypercholesterolemic mothers compared with mothers with normal cholesterolemic levels. Together, our results suggest that maternal high cholesterol levels deleteriously program offspring bone mass and bone quality and downregulate the hedgehog signaling pathway in their osteoblasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, circular and octagonal collars together with sacrificial piles are tested for their efficiency as protection devices against local scour in the non-uniform sand bed of geometric standard deviation 2.29 and median grain size 1.18 mm. To examine the effect of width and elevation on scour depth, experiments are conducted with circular and octagonal collars of widths 1.5 b and 2 b placed on the bed and 0.25 y above the bed where b is the pier diameter and y is the flow depth. The octagonal and circular collars of width 2 b placed in flush with the bed achieved maximum scour reductions of 78.33 % and 75 %, respectively. The efficiency of the collars decreased when their width is reduced and when they are placed above the bed. Among the sacrificial piles in transverse and staggered arrangements, a maximum scour reduction of 55 % is observed when the piles are placed transverse to the flow at a distance of 2 b from the pier center. The efficiency of the sacrificial piles decreased when they are moved away from the pier center. A maximum scour reduction of 86.67 % is seen for the combination of the octagonal collar of width 2 b on the bed and piles in the transverse arrangement. A new empirical equation is proposed for temporal and equilibrium scour for collar around the pier, including the armor effects. The sensitivity analysis revealed that b c / b is the most sensitive parameter followed by H / y , k s and T c where where b c is the collar width, H is the location of the collar from the water surface, k s is the shape factor and T c is dimensionless time. • Non-uniform sediment is used in the experiments; less scour than the uniform sediment. • Incorporating armor ratio effect on collar and sacrificial pile protected pier scour. • Octagonal collars and sacrificial piles in transverse arrangement reduce scour more than circular collars. • Octagonal collars and transverse piles combined reduce scour significantly. • Equation for predicting scour includes armor ratio and collar shape factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present the mechanism of scour and empirical equations for evaluating local scour with and without a countermeasure around the bridge pier. A critical review of scour countermeasures, mainly hydraulic, structural, and biotechnical, extending to the present time is done. Hydraulic countermeasures consist of river training structures and bed armoring. Structures placed parallel, perpendicular, or at an angle to the flow aiming to modify it is the purpose of river training works. Armoring is done through the use of riprap, partially grouted riprap, cable-tied blocks, grout-filled containers, and gabions. Structural countermeasures include foundation strengthening and pier geometry modifications. Extending footings, underpinning, and pile- underpinning are related to foundation strengthening, while pier geometry modifications include different pier features such as shapes, textures, slots, and collars. Biotechnical countermeasures include using vegetation riprap, geosynthetic polymer, live staking, and bio-stabilization using extracellular polymeric substances. Different combinations of countermeasures are also discussed. In hydraulic and structural countermeasures, riprap and collars are most commonly used due to their efficiency in scour reduction and economic feasibility. Bio-stabilization using extracellular polymeric substances is a novel measure for scour prevention. From the literature, it is concluded that pier modifications are the most effective and active area of research in which lenticular pier shape, lenticular hooked, and airfoil-shaped collar are best suited for reducing the local scour around the pier. Finally, the limitations of the countermeasures mentioned above are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of "natural resource" is a complex and dynamic one, whose evolution is conditioned by the states of interaction of the three fundamental elements: man, civilization (especially expressed through the level of scientific and technological development) and nature. The continuous development of human knowledge, science and technologies has led to an expansion of the physical, technical and economic limits of capitalizing the natural environment, thus contributing to the identification and putting into use of new natural resources, not considered as such in previous periods. These aspects may cause, at a certain moment, due to economic and/or technical considerations, some components of the natural environment to be excluded from the notion of "natural resources". Hence, the need for a scientific definition of the concept, which eliminates any tendency to absolutize or overestimate some components of the environment and to underestimate or ignore others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even if the problem of establishing certain levels of exploitation of mineral resources in order to ensure the sufficiency necessary for the perpetuation of human civilization has been analyzed by numerous economists, the crisis triggered by the oil shock (in 1973), sharpened and focused the debates, especially in the direction of establishing a certain level exploitation of national energy resources. Thus, a problem that was treated at the beginning as a simple geological curiosity became of the greatest importance, especially when, for its solution, it was necessary to integrate concepts and information of geological nature (resources, reserves, content in useful components) with those of technical and economic nature (cost of exploitation, economic efficiency of exploitation). Regarding the classification of resources/reserves of useful mineral substances, in Romania, until 1998, it was used a Soviet-inspired classification. However, the promulgation of the Mines Law established another classification, in accordance with the methodologies promoted by the United Nations Organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Globally, large numbers of children die shortly after birth and many of them within the first 4 wk of life. This study aimed to determine the trends, patterns and causes of neonatal mortality in hospitals in Tanzania during 2006–2015. Methods This retrospective study involved 35 hospitals. Mortality data were extracted from inpatient registers, death registers and International Classification of Diseases-10 report forms. Annual specific hospital-based neonatal mortality rates were calculated and discussed. Two periods of 2006–2010 and 2011–2015 were assessed separately to account for data availability and interventions. Results A total of 235 689 deaths were recorded and neonatal deaths accounted for 11.3% (n=26 630) of the deaths. The majority of neonatal deaths (87.5%) occurred in the first week of life. Overall hospital-based neonatal mortality rates increased from 2.6 in 2006 to 10.4 deaths per 1000 live births in 2015, with the early neonates contributing 90% to this rate constantly over time. The neonatal mortality rate was 3.7/1000 during 2006–2010 and 10.4/1000 during 2011–2015, both periods indicating a stagnant trend in the years between. The leading causes of early neonatal death were birth asphyxia (22.3%) and respiratory distress (20.8%), while those of late neonatal death were sepsis (29.1%) and respiratory distress (20.0%). Conclusion The majority of neonatal deaths in Tanzania occur among the early newborns and the trend over time indicates a slow improvement. Most neonatal deaths are preventable, hence there are opportunities to reduce mortality rates with improvements in service delivery during the first 7 d and maternal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, plastic pollution has become a global environmental problem, posing a potential threat to agricultural ecosystems and human health, and may further exacerbate global food security problems. Studies have revealed that exposure to micro/nano-plastics (MPs/NPs) might cause various aspects of physiological toxicities, including plant biomass reduction, intracellular oxidative stress burst, photosynthesis inhibition, water and nutrient absorption reduction, cellular and genotoxicity, seed germination retardation, and that the effects were closely related to MP/NP properties (type, particle size, functional groups), exposure concentration, exposure duration and plant characteristics (species, tissue, growth stage). Based on a brief review of the physiological toxicity of MPs/NPs to plant growth, this paper comprehensively reviews the potential molecular mechanism of MPs/NPs on plant growth from perspectives of multi-omics, including transcriptome, metabolome, proteome and microbiome, thus to reveal the role of MPs/NPs in plant transcriptional regulation, metabolic pathway reprogramming, protein translational and post-translational modification, as well as rhizosphere microbial remodeling at multiple levels. Meanwhile, this paper also provides prospects for future research, and clarifies the future research directions and the technologies adopted. [Display omitted] • MPs/NPs impacts plant growth, depending on properties of MPs/NPs and plant species. • MPs/NPs exposure leads to the transcriptome reprogramming in plants. • MPs/NPs exposure results in the reprogramming of proteome and metabolome. • MPs/NPs exposure disturbs community structures of rhizosphere microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a fundamental factor of production in the mining industry, the deposit must be remunerated. However, the reserves of useful mineral substances are exhaustible, and their supply is fixed on a global scale. Ownership and control over the reserves of useful mineral substances, the substantiation of their decisions to put them into use (for the exploitation of deposits), as well as the appropriation of the financial results of their profitable exploitation have become, in the conditions of global economic globalization. whose correct solution cannot bypass the conceptual-theoretical system of rent, as a form of remuneration of the deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The approached issue imposes the conceptual delimitation between two fundamental notions: "factors of production", respectively "resources". These notions designate two distinct categories of real economy entities, although the terms themselves are often used with the same meaning. In essence, the notion of "resources" expresses the state of availability of certain goods (tangible and / or intangible), without unambiguously associating them with a specific destination of use (such as, for example, production or consumption). By their simple existence, related to the production processes, the resources manifest the character of a productive potential. Under certain conditions, through appropriate decisions and actions, resources are activated, by attracting them in a concrete use, receiving a certain destination and thus becoming factors of production. The idea of specificity of each category of resources, both in terms of their intrinsic nature and the contribution they make to the production process, has led to the development of a representative typology of factors of production, considered in the variety of their forms of production existence, in a continuous expansion and diversification. In economic theory it is considered that the natural environment, in which all human activities take place, regardless of their specificity, was the source of the first resources attracted and used in productive processes. It is about natural resources and labor resources. For the mining industry, the resource of useful mineral substances, materialized in the form of the deposit, is decisive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation (LTI) is associated with undesirable haemodynamic (HD) responses. Both clonidine and dexmedetomidine have been tried to attenuate this HD response. The present study was to assess whether single pre-induction dose of intravenous clonidine (2 µg/Kg) or dexmedetomidine (1 µg/Kg) is more efficient to attenuate the HD response to LTI. Methods: Sixty patients belonging to American Society of Anesthesiologists Grade I and II were randomly divided into two groups: group C (clonidine 2 µg/Kg) and Group D (dexmedetomidine 1 µg/Kg). Study drug was given as an infusion over 10 Min before induction of anaesthesia followed by standardised anaesthetic technique. Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were studied at baseline, before study drug infusion (BSD), after study drug infusion, before LTI and at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 m in after intubation. Sedation score was analysed BSD, after study drug infusion and at the end of surgery. Results: This study revealed suppression of HR and BP at all time points in both the groups without any significant difference in suppression of HR between the groups. The magnitude of fall in BP in the clonidine group is more compared to the dexmedetomidine group before LTI and at 3, 5, and 10 min after tracheal intubation. The patients in the dexmedetomidine group were more sedated than in the clonidine group at the end of the study drug infusion. Conclusions: Both clonidine and dexmedetomidine were effective in attenuating HD response to LTI. Dexmedetomidine appears to be superior to clonidine in maintaining stable HD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of the article "State, Democracy and Human Rights in Africa" which appeared in the periodical "African Journal of Democracy & Governance" is presented.

Constitutionalism is based on three main pillars, namely the rule of law, limitation of powers and respect for human rights. Covid-19 has hit the world from China since the end of 2019 to such an extent that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it a world health emergency. Many countries declared a state of emergency in order to contain the pandemic. This article reflects on the state of emergency as a constitutional law response to Covid-19 in Africa, particularly in the DRC. It deals with the conditions and circumstances of its proclamation and its prorogation, the authorities intervening in the process, its duration and limitations. It concludes that in view of its nature, the state of emergency cannot by itself end the pandemic or constitute a panacea to all its problems. Therefore, the end of the state of emergency will not constitute "the end of the history" of Covid-19 that humanity will continue to live with for several months or years still to come. Nevertheless, the state of emergency helps establish the necessary framework for the organisation and success of other responses to Covid-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of the article "Africa and the COVID-19 as an international wealth emergency" which appeared in the periodical "African Journal of Democracy & Governance" is presented.

The labor standardization system is the basis of the wage system in the mining branch. Given the critical economic efficiency of many mining enterprises, the approach of analyzing the way of calculating the norms appears as fully justified. The organization of the mining production processes is done in extremely varied geological and mining conditions. As a result of these conditions, machines and equipment specialized in complex operations and diversified in type and dimensions are used: (perforators, loaders, conveyors, etc.). Workers are specialized in some jobs but often work with complex teams in which a worker has a multiqualification, being able to perform two or more complex operations or even all the complex operations of the simple process, being able to be frequently passed from one complex of operations to another. All these particularities can be found in the calculation of the norms in the mining branch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]