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Biosynthesis of monodispersed nanoparticles, along with determination of potential responsible biomolecules, is the major bottleneck in the area of bionanotechnology research. The present study focuses on an ecofriendly, ambient temperature protocol for size controlled synthesis of gold nanoparticles, using the fungus Aspergillus terreus IF0. Gold nanoparticles were formed immediately, with the addition of chloroauric acid to the aqueous fungal extract. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM-EDX, and XRD analysis. Particle diameter and dispersity of nanoparticles were controlled by varying the pH of the fungal extract. At pH 10, the average size of the synthesized particles was in the range of 10–19 nm. Dialysis to obtain high and low molecular weight fraction followed by FTIR analysis revealed that biomolecules larger than 12 kDa and having –CH, –NH, and –SH functional groups were responsible for bioreduction and stabilization. In addition, the synthesized gold nanoparticles were found to be selectively bactericidal against the pathogenic gram negative bacteria, Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT. The value added by the work force varies greatly among Ohio's 88 counties. In the aggregate, the value added equals the gross domestic products (GDP) of the county. With [...]

In 2018 the Program for International Students Assessment (PISA) result indicates that Indonesia is at a very low literacy level (ranked 71st out of 77th countries). Furthermore, there is a declining trend (64 points) in 10 years in terms of the English Proficiency Index (EPI) as recorded by English First (EF). This fact, however, does not encourage us to move away from using the traditional pedagogy that is oriented toward the memorization of grammar and vocabulary. Recent research conducted by Sudimantara (2021) shows that there is a new alternative to teaching English academic writing without relying on grammar and vocabulary. In this study, Sudimantara (2021) develops a new pedagogy (multisensorial load reduction strategies) that activates the nonverbal components of language (rhythm, intonation, movement, emotion, and aesthetics), which are first processed in the right hemisphere, as the foundation of grammatical processing in the left hemisphere of the brain. This research, in fact, has generated a surprising result where the experimental group has made a highly significant learning improvement. Fletcher (2021) notes that humans do not only thinks in story but also recalls and reconstruct events in their memory in the form of story. The study was undertaken within a qualitative Research and Development framework. All research steps (Research and Information Collecting, Planning, Develop Preliminary Form of Product, and Evaluation) were completed. The result shows that this new digital literacy resource is applicable in the current curriculum context with some expected future improvement. This study is expected to generate more research on the development of brain-compatible digital literacy resources.

This article introduces an enhanced energy management strategy that employs the state of charge (SoC) of batteries in standalone DC microgrids with photovoltaic (PV) modules. Efficient energy management is crucial to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the load units in microgrids. To address the challenges posed by external factors such as temperature fluctuations and variations in solar irradiance, energy storage systems are deployed to compensate for the negative effects of the external factors on the output power of PV modules. The proposed approach takes into account various parameters of the microgrid elements, including the available power from the sources, demand power, and the SoC of batteries, in order to develop an efficient energy control mechanism with load-shedding capability. By considering these parameters, the strategy aims to optimize the utilization of available resources while ensuring a reliable power supply to the connected loads. The SoC of the batteries plays a critical role in determining optimal charging and discharging profiles, enabling effective energy management within the microgrid. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an algorithm is designed and simulations are conducted. The proposed algorithm utilizes a hybrid approach by combining power and SoC-based methods for efficient control. Through analysis of the simulation results, it is found that the presented approach is capable of delivering the intended load power while increasing the life cycle of the batteries with the pre-defined SoC levels.

The notion of transformative learning has been echoed by the Indonesian government in the National Standard of Education (2020, 2015). A shift from the teacher-centric into the student-centric pedagogy is a prerequisite to trigger the learning transformation. However, in the field of English language teaching (ELT) in particular, there remains a firm reliance on the dogma of modern linguistics that positions linguistic description and grammatical mastery as the key for meaning-making mechanism. Consequently, such monolithic ELT pedagogy expects a steady compliance from the students in relation to learning, and thus learners’ creative agency was removed. This paper is a reflection on how the learning of academic writing unit was approached differently by using a multisensorial-multicognitive pedagogy as informed by neuroscience, thus breaking away from linguistics as the sole informing theory for learning language. This new academic writing pedagogy embraces language learning as a complex system, thus incorporating other bio-psychological components in learning such as rhythm, intonation, movement, emotion, and aesthetics. This paper highlights how these components were used creatively in the three innovative learning tools – Verbotonal Approach, Reading for Emotions, and Aesthetics – to support agentive learning practice in academic writing course. This new pedagogy was developed in a doctoral research project in an Australian university and was proven effective to help students transform their learning practices.

The article is dedicated to the methods developed to calculate the main parameters of “heat islands” that appear in densely built-up urban area. Although remote sensing imaging is ideally used to track and detect frequent land cover changes in urban and surrounding areas as a result of sustainable urbanization and to calculate key parameters of "heat islands" seen in densely populated urban areas, satellite imagery is digitally manually The transformation of a parametric image into a land cover map using existing methods of classification is a long process, and therefore methods are proposed to determine the main indicators of the impact of "heat islands" in urban areas. A modified building density index has been formulated, which is highly informative, involving: (a) the proposed index reaches an extremum when the known building density index BDI and NDVI are equalized, (b) when the specified maximum is reached, it is easy to calculate the LST indicator using the known regression dependences of BDI and NDVI from LST. The method has been developed to calculate the area of “heat islands” on the base of the equivalent radius calculation using the known dependence function of the building density on the distance to the center of the urban area. Our study shows that the distribution of buildings and the slope of the relief affect the surface temperature (LST), in addition, the ratios of different LSTs vary in cities of different sizes, and each city has a temperature difference in LSTs, so the urban heating island To reduce the impact, it is important to identify the characteristics of the thermal environment in cities of different sizes. Urban greening is increasingly valued by cities around the world as an effective measure to reduce the negative effects of the urban heating islands, with different numbers and types of landscape dimensions, different statistical methods used in different surveys, as well as metric scale dependence and contextual differences between cities and we can overcome these challenges by conducting comparative research on time and space using a consistent methodology.

Background. Leiomyosarcomas (LMS) represent a heterogeneous subset of soft tissue sarcomas. Factors influencing prognosis for patients with metastatic extrauterine LMS (euLMS) are not well described. Limited data are available regarding responses to systemic therapy. Methods. We collected clinical and pathologic information for all patients with metastatic euLMS seen at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center between 1989 and 2012. Objective responses to first-line therapy were analyzed for a subset of patients with available baseline and on-treatment imaging using RECIST 1.1. Results. 215 patients with metastatic euLMS had a median overall survival (OS) of 2.6 years from the time of metastasis. Older age, male sex, and ≥3 initial sites of metastasis were associated with worse OS on multivariate analysis. Objective response rate (ORR) in N=113 was 19% overall and 25%, 26%, and 25% for gemcitabine, gemcitabine plus docetaxel, and anthracycline-alkylator combinations. Patients whose tumors objectively responded to first-line therapy had a lower risk of death versus those who did not (Hazard Ratio 0.46; 95% CI: 0.26–0.79, p=0.005). Conclusions. Anthracycline- and gemcitabine-based regimens have similar activity in this cohort of euLMS. Prognostic factors for OS include older age, male sex, and ≥3 initial sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese (Mn) ranks twelfth among the most exuberant metal present in the earth's crust and finds its imperative application in the manufacturing steel, chemical, tannery, glass, and battery industries. Solubilisation of Mn can be performed by several bacterial strains which are useful in developing environmental friendly solutions for mining activities. The present investigation aims to isolate and characterize Mn solubilising bacteria from low grade ores from Sanindipur Manganese mine of Sundargh district in Odisha state of India. Four morphologically distinct bacterial strains showing visible growth on Mn supplemented plates were isolated. Mn solubilising ability of the bacterial strains was assessed by visualizing the lightening of the medium appearing around the growing colonies. Three isolates were gram negative and rod shaped while the remaining one was gram positive, coccobacilli. Molecular identification of the isolates was carried out by 16S rRNA sequencing and the bacterial isolates were taxonomically classified as Bacillus anthrasis MSB 2, Acinetobacter sp. MSB 5, Lysinibacillus sp. MSB 11, and Bacillus sp. MMR-1 using BLAST algorithm. The sequences were deposited in NCBI GenBank with the accession number KP635223, KP635224, KP635225 and JQ936966, respectively. Manganese solubilisation efficiency of 40, 96, 97.5 and 48.5% were achieved by MMR-1, MSB 2, MSB 5 and MSB 11 respectively. The efficiency of Mn solubilisation is suggested with the help of a pH variation study. The results are discussed in relation to the possible mechanisms involved in Manganese solubilisation efficiency of bacterial isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare tumor with low-grade malignant risk mainly occurring in soft tissues and lungs, and it is extremely rare in the breast. Meanwhile, imaging findings of the tumor often present with non-specific features that lead to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. Here, we report a case of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in the breast with the imaging findings of mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and pathologic findings to improve the understanding of the disease. The patient was treated by surgical operation, and was followed up for 44 months, no local recurrence and distant metastasis.

Предметом дослідження є математична модель забезпечення аутентифікації переданого повідомлення на основі схеми Мак-Еліса на укорочених і подовжених модифікованих еліптичних кодах з використанням модифікованого алгоритму UMAC. Метою даної роботи є розробка такої схеми обміну інформацією по каналах зв'язку мережі Інтернет, яка забезпечила б належний рівень верифікації та цілісності інформації, що передається з урахуванням недопущення збільшення витрат на проведені дії. Завдання, які було вирішено: проведено аналіз існуючих способів підвищення стійкості до зломів переданих повідомлень по телекомунікаційних мережах; проведено аналіз схеми передачі повідомлення з використанням технології блокчейн; розроблено формалізований опис математичної моделі забезпечення аутентифікації відкритого тексту з використанням модифікованого алгоритму UMAC; для формування ключових даних запропоновано використовувати крипто-кодову конструкцію (ККК) на схемі Мак-Еліса на модифікованих еліптичних кодах (МЕС); розроблено алгоритми шифрування і дешифрування даних із застосуванням ККК на основі Мак-Еліса на МЕС і алгоритму UMAC. Був запропонований підхід перевірки аутентифікації і верифікації інформаційної посилки під час передавання або по телекомунікаційних каналах, що дозволяє за допомогою вже відомих методів хешування проводити порівняння сформованих кодограм і переданих повідомлень на їх відповідність, що підвищує рівень криптостійкості переданих даних і ступінь достовірності отриманих даних. Розроблені схеми алгоритмів формування кодограм і їх розшифровки із застосуванням запропонованого підходу дозволяють поетапно продемонструвати здійснення процедур формування кодограм і їх хеш-кодів з використанням як укорочення, так і подовження коду. Подальші дослідження повинні з точки зору практики довести ефективність використання даного підходу при передачі повідомлення відносно його цілісності та автентичності. Тому необхідно розробити тестову систему, яка повинна реалізовувати запропонований підхід, а також оцінити отримані результати

10:45 The Ohio Department of Health along with University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, and the Centers for Disease Control, Alanta GA, are collaborating in a study of the outbreak of West [...]

The burden of encephalitis and its associated viral etiology is poorly described in Africa. Moreover, neurological manifestations of COVID-19 are increasingly reported in many countries, but less so in Africa. Our prospective study aimed to characterize the main viral etiologies of patients hospitalized for encephalitis in two hospitals in Dakar. From January to December 2021, all adult patients that met the inclusion criteria for clinical infectious encephalitis were enrolled. Cerebrospinal fluids, blood, and nasopharyngeal swabs were taken and tested for 27 viruses. During the study period, 122 patients were enrolled. Viral etiology was confirmed or probable in 27 patients (22.1%), with SARS-CoV-2 (n = 8), HSV-1 (n = 7), HHV-7 (n = 5), and EBV (n = 4) being the most detected viruses. Age groups 40–49 was more likely to be positive for at least one virus with an odds ratio of 7.7. The mortality was high among infected patients, with 11 (41%) deaths notified during hospitalization. Interestingly, SARS-CoV-2 was the most prevalent virus in hospitalized patients presenting with encephalitis. Our results reveal the crucial need to establish a country-wide surveillance of encephalitis in Senegal to estimate the burden of this disease in our population and implement strategies to improve care and reduce mortality.

Biosynthesis of monodispersed nanoparticles, along with determination of potential responsible biomolecules, is the major bottleneck in the area of bionanotechnology research. The present study focuses on an ecofriendly, ambient temperature protocol for size controlled synthesis of gold nanoparticles, using the fungus Aspergillus terreus IF0. Gold nanoparticles were formed immediately, with the addition of chloroauric acid to the aqueous fungal extract. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM-EDX, and XRD analysis. Particle diameter and dispersity of nanoparticles were controlled by varying the pH of the fungal extract. At pH 10, the average size of the synthesized particles was in the range of 10-19 nm. Dialysis to obtain high and lowmolecular weight fraction followed by FTIR analysis revealed that biomolecules larger than 12 kDa and having -CH, - NH, and -SH functional groups were responsible for bioreduction and stabilization. In addition, the synthesized gold nanoparticles were found to be selectively bactericidal against the pathogenic gram negative bacteria, Escherichia coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the case of a 29 year old woman with post traumatic epilepsy which began at 20 year old. She presented multi-daily absence seizures, motor automatisms and headaches. Brain CT-scan performed, highlighted several punctiform hyperdense images like calcifications leading to the conclusion of intracerebral and subcutaneous bullet fragments. Her personal history reported head injuries at the age of 2 years in a context of unexplored and little followed armed conflict. Awake and sleep EEG found a well-organized EEG diagram with diffuse inter ictal spikes and spike-waves discharges mainly in bi-fronto-temporal area compatible with focal epilepsy with secondary generalization. Valproic acid 1500 mg/day had been used and evolution at 3 months (April 2020) found no seizures increasing, sometimes headaches relieved by drugs.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is an acute autoimmune polyradiculoneuropathy, that often follows an antecedent infection. Leishmaniasis is a zoonosis due to a flagellate protozoan of the Leishmania genus and transmitted by the sandfly. Here we report a 15 years old teenager who presented with an ascending installation of the motor deficit in three weeks associated with dysphonia and swallowing disorders. The physical examination showed a flaccid proximo-distal quadriparesis, akinesthesia, apallesthesia and cutaneous lesions on the forehead, wrist and calf that appeared two months earlier. The HIV serology was negative and cerebro-spinal fluid examination was normal. The electroneuromyography showed a reduction in motor and sensitive amplitudes with an increase in distal latencies and F waves in the upper limbs and segmental and focal conduction blocks. Parasitological examination of the dermal juice around the edges of the skin lesions revealed amastigote forms of leishmaniasis. The evolution was favorable with only symptomatic treatment.

Objetivo • La planificación de la comunicación interna sugiere la necesidad de un análisis de la percepción de esta materia, tanto desde el punto de vista de los directivos como desde la perspectiva de los propios profesionales, con el fin de conocer las posibles coincidencias y divergencias entre la percepción de unos y otros y poder así dirigirnos a una mejor sintonización. Este estudio se plantea conocer dicha percepción por parte de los dos actores del sistema, directivos y profesionales y a demás en dos entornos, hospitales y atención primaria. Material y métodos • La opinión de los directivos se obtuvo a través de un cuestionario de Comunicación Interna, diseñado y pilotado para este contexto. El cuestionario fue autoadministrado, con preguntas con una escala de respuesta de Likert entre 1 y 7, y otras de respuesta múltiple, utilizándose el email como medio de envío y recolección de estos cuestionarios. Ámbito: España. Universo: Directivos de hospitales públicos de todo el territorio nacional. Tamaño de la muestra: 135 entrevistas (Tasa de respuesta alcanzada 63%). Procedimiento de muestreo: aleatorio estratificado, con afijación proporcional. Los estratos se han formado tomando como elemento diferenciador el tamaño del hospital según número de camas. Análisis: Se hizo un análisis descriptivo de las variables del cuestionario, junto a la Prueba T para la comparación de medias entre muestras independientes. Se realizó un análisis de alpha de Cronbach del cuestionario, que fue de 0,85. Además, se hizo un análisis discriminante. Opinión de los profesionales: La información se obtuvo a través de un cuestionario de Clima, Cultura y Comunicación Interna, que incluía un apartado específico sobre Comunicación Interna. Algunas variables se midieron a través de una escala de respuesta de Likert con puntuaciones entre 1 y 7, mientras que otras preguntas eran de respuesta múltiple. El cuestionario fue autoadministrado y se distribuyó a todos los profesionales (facultativos, personal de enfermería y personal no sanitario) y mandos intermedios (subdirectores, jefes de servicio y supervisores de enfermería) de 6 hospitales del Servicio Andaluz de Salud (SAS), uno regional (H5), tres de especialidades (H1, H2 y H3) y dos comarcales (H6 y H7), junto a dos áreas de atención primaria. N = 2156. % de respuesta = 42%. Análisis: Análisis descriptivo univariante y bivariante. Resultados • Existen diferencias significativas en la valoración de las características examinadas de la Comunicación Interna entre los profesionales de base y los directivos. Sin embargo, no se observan diferencias significativas para ninguna de estas variables entre el personal de base sanitario y el no sanitario, ni entre mandos intermedios y directivos. En la valoración de los directivos, se observan diferencias significativas a favor de los hospitales de menos de 500 camas en cuanto a la claridad y formalidad de la información. Asimismo existen diferencias significativas para todas las variables comparadas entre jefes de servicio y facultativos y entre jefes de bloque y supervisoras con respecto a las enfermeras. Los compañeros son la fuente por la que los profesionales reciben la mayor parte de la información, con un rango entre hospitales que oscila entre el 58% y el 67% (al preguntarles de donde les gustaría recibir la información, los compañeros ocupan entre el 1% y 14%) mientras que los directivos son la fuente principal para un % de profesionales que varia entre 4 y 14 según hospitales (en el deseo de los profesionales varia entre el 32 y el 71%) y los responsables intermedios que oscilan como fuente principal entre el 7 y el 22% (esperarían porcentajes entre el 43 y el 71%). Por otra parte, los gerentes creen que son los directivos, incluyendo al propio gerente, la fuente más importante por la que los profesionales reciben la información (44%), seguido de los compañeros (32%) y los cargos intermedios (19%). Se detectó como en los hospitales de 500 camas y menos, para los gerentes, la importancia de los mandos intermedios, las Juntas facultativas y de Enfermería o el uso de los tablones de anuncios tienen un papel significativamente mayor como transmisores de información descendente que el que juegan en los hospitales de mayor tamaño, en los cuales tienen un papel significativamente superior el correo electrónico o los compañeros. Entre los canales a través de los cuales los directivos afirman recibir la opinión de los profesionales, destacan las reuniones de equipo y las entrevistas con los responsables con un 86,2%, seguido por las entrevistas con la dirección con un 82,8%.. Por su parte, los profesionales señalan las reuniones de equipo como canal preferido tanto para dar su opinión (el 45,5% opinó así) como para recibir información sobre el hospital (71% opinó así). Las entrevistas personales tienen también un peso importante tanto para dar (38,5%) como para recibir (28%). Además, encontramos las encuestas, los grupos de discusión y los buzones de sugerencias como canales preferidos para dar su opinión, mientras que el boletín y las cartas lo son para recibir. Si miramos lo que ocurre en los centros de salud, encontramos que la información es clara, creíble, llega por canales formales, periódica y en cantidad suficiente. Además, respecto a las fuentes de información de los profesionales, destacan que la mayoría llega por canales formales, sea el coordinador del centro, el adjunto de enfermería, el responsable de enfermería o el Director del Área. Al analizar la relación entre variables, los profesionales que reciben información de sus compañeros tienen una satisfacción laboral más baja, perciben que su centro ofrece una imagen al exterior peor de lo que piensan sus compañeros, consideran que la calidad de la información que reciben es baja. Por otra parte, los que reciben la información de los coordinadores o responsables, se caracterizan por todo lo contrario. Además los que reciben la información a través de las reuniones de equipo o las entrevistas individuales, tienen una satisfacción más alta y una percepción positiva del centro hacia el exterior. Además, hemos encontrado una relación entre la satisfacción laboral, el contenido del trabajo (ligado al ambiente del trabajo) y la comunicación. Conclusiones • La comunicación interna es valorada de forma positiva por los directivos y negativa por parte de los profesionales. Existe un bloqueo entre la Dirección y los trabajadores y entre los cargos intermedios y los responsables y el personal de base. Por tanto, la comunicación interna es valorada de forma diferente en diferentes contextos hospitalarios y muy diferente en los hospitales que en atención primaria.

Abstract: This paper offers an alternative to the teaching of a functional grammar course in Indonesian TEFL tertiary level context. An issue raised here is whether the course should directly require students to undertake textual analysis or provide them first with subjective reading experiences. This issue is inspired by Jones and Lock¹s approach to teaching grammar in context (2011). This paper reports on a study that focused on two related phases of dealing with texts: responding and analyzing. In the first phase, students were encouraged to take a personalised approach in responding to written English texts. They had the freedom to decide whether the texts were meaningful for them in certain ways. Mckee (2003) and Lehtonen (2000) posit that as the sole decision maker in meaning negotiation, readers perceive the meaningfulness of texts in very diverse ways. In the second phase of the study, the students undertook an individual analysis of different text types. This study reveals that a successful textual analysis is determined by how students make sense of the texts. The analysis of context of situation, for example, becomes meaningful to students after they demonstrate a proper position as a reader. This, in turn, helps them in gaining insights into the structure and grammar of those texts. Keywords: systemic functional linguistics, genre-based approach, textual analysis

Abstract: This present study explores the female and male EFL learners’ process types in their narrative text to connect the linguistics and gender. According to Bank (2007, 3-4) school help to shape the sex-role socialization theorists: that is, the theory which focuses on how people learn the role of male and female in the society. Thus, this study is intended to: 1) find out the differences between both female and male in term of process types in narrative text, 2) find out the relation between gender of writers and the choice of process types in writing narrative text. This study shows that female EFL learner uses eleven process types; material (37%), attributive intensive (22,6%), mental affection (7,5%), behavioral (7,5%), identifying intensive (6,1%), mental perceptive (5,4%), verbal (4,8%), attributive possessive (4,1%), mental cognition (2,7%), causative (1,3%), and existential process (0,7%). In contrast, the male respondent tends to use and produce only nine kinds of process types in his narrative text. Those process types are the material (47%), Verbal (13,3%), behavioral (12,2%), attributive intensive (8,1%), identifying intensive (5,8%), mental cognition (4,6%), mental perceptive (4%), attributive possessive (3,4%), mental affection processes (1,1%). Key words: process types, gender,Male EFL learner, Female EFL learner

Abstract: This study was primarily intended to capture the English as foreign language learners’ (henceforth EFL learners) experience in making sense of the text: to what extent the meaning-making elements of the texts are comprehended and interpreted by EFL learners as readers. The investigation itself was centered around the notion of metafunctions – ideational, interpersonal, and textual – of the text for several reasons. This study tries to reveal how EFL learners make sense of the two selected articles taken from “The Jakarta Post” entitled “Australia Stops Some Cattle Exports to Indonesia” and “Australia’s ban on Cattle Exports to RI Political”. The two articles were downloaded from thejakartapost.com in June 2011. The main reason why newspaper articles were chosen was because, as Lehtonen (20006) puts it, “newspaper descriptions of reality are always produced from a certain perspective”. In the context of this study, the two groups of respondents were involved: two respondents who have not taken Functional Grammar class (group one) and two respondents who have attended functional grammar class (group two). The four respondents are English Department students at one private university in Kuningan, West Java. The study shows that reading is not simply a matter of recognizing the alphabetical orders of the texts. Reading is, in fact, a discursive activity which is influenced by the previous textual experiences. The quality of interpretation is always affected by the background knowledge of readers, the ability in recognizing the features of the texts, and, of course, the ability to identify the metafunctions of the texts. An interaction with a discourse will automatically generate a new discourse. The reading of particular texts will in turn trigger the reading (and the discussion and analysis) of the other texts. Key words: metafunctions, meaning making, metacognitive system, subculture

DNA binding transcription factors possess the ability to interact with lipid membranes to construct ion-permeable pathways. Herein, we present a thiazole-based DNA binding peptide mimic TBP2, which forms transmembrane ion channels, impacting cellular ion concentration and consequently stabilizing G-quadruplex DNA structures. TBP2 self-assembles into nanostructures, e.g., vesicles and nanofibers and facilitates the transportation of Na + and K + across lipid membranes with high conductance (~0.6 nS). Moreover, TBP2 exhibits increased fluorescence when incorporated into the membrane or in cellular nuclei. Monomeric TBP2 can enter the lipid membrane and localize to the nuclei of cancer cells. The coordinated process of time-dependent membrane or nuclear localization of TBP2, combined with elevated intracellular cation levels and direct G-quadruplex (G4) interaction, synergistically promotes formation and stability of G4 structures, triggering cancer cell death. This study introduces a platform to mimic and control intricate biological functions, leading to the discovery of innovative therapeutic approaches., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The G-quartet-like supramolecular assembly present in guanosine hydrogel templates macrocyclization between bis-azide and bis-alkyne fragments. The resulting macrocycle enhances viscoelastic properties, and strengthens the hydrogel network. This approach holds potential for the in situ synthesis of drugs and their simultaneous delivery in a stimuli-responsive manner.

Background:  While work related musculoskeletal disorders have been well recognized among all surgeons, and microsurgeons in particular; their prevention and treatment are presently unknown. Our study aims to define the impact of musculoskeletal ailments on microsurgeons and investigate trends in microsurgeon musculoskeletal injury treatment., Methods:  An electronic survey was sent to all members of the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery. The survey solicited surgeon demographics, microsurgical volume, equipment usage, history of musculoskeletal injury, impact of injury, and interventions / treatment modalities used to address / prevent these issues., Results:  Of the 883 microsurgeons surveyed, 203 responded (23% response rate). The average age was 45 years (IQR 39-52 years). Most microsurgeons were male (80.8%). Musculoskeletal injury or symptoms related to microsurgery were reported by 137 respondents (67.0%). Fifty surgeons (37.9%) reported that their musculoskeletal injury had adversely affected their practice. Formal medical intervention was sought by 53 respondents (26.1%), with 17 surgeons (8.4%) undergoing surgical intervention. Self-treated was used by 127 microsurgeons (62.6%) for musculoskeletal ailments. Preventative treatments such as strength training, stretching, yoga, massages, and diet were the most beneficial, each with utilization scores of 4 out of 5., Conclusion:  A majority of microsurgeons experience musculoskeletal injury, and some even require surgery to treat their musculoskeletal pathology. Prophylactic practices such as strength training, stretching, yoga, massages, and diet maintenance, are the superior treatment for musculoskeletal injury. Microsurgeons should incorporate training routines in their lives as injury prophylaxis to improve their career longevity and patient care., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

The development and intensification of tilapia farming depends on the manipulation of some physiological functions, such as the sexual inversion of larvae using a synthetic androgen (17α-methyltestosterone). This inversion, however, may represent a potential oxidative stress factor and cause damage to animals in the short, medium, and long term. Dietary supplementation of natural antioxidant compounds is an interesting alternative to combat such damage. To test this hypothesis, an experimental trial was carried out involving sexual inverted and non-inverted Nile tilapia fingerlings, both supplemented and not supplemented with a blend of organic acids and essential oils protected by microencapsulation. Animals were divided into four experimental groups: NI (non-inverted animals), I (sexual inverted animals), NI + M (non-inverted animals supplemented with microcapsules), and I + M (sexual inverted animals supplemented with microcapsules). Blood parameters (WBC - white blood cells; LY - lymphocytes; RBC - red blood cells; HGB - hemoglobin; HCT - hematocrit number; MCH - mean corpuscular hemoglobin; MCV - mean corpuscular volume and MCHC - mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration), as well as oxidative stress markers (enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase - SOD and catalase - CAT; and total antioxidant capacity - 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH)) and gene expression (heat shock protein 70 kDa - HSP70) were evaluated. The HGB (p < 0.001) and HCT (p = 0.005) parameters were reduced beyond the recommended limits for the animals in group I. The MCV varied statistically between the groups (p < 0.001). However, all values were within the recommended range for the species, jointly indicating normocytic anemia in group I fingerlings at the time of collection. The activity of CAT and SOD, as well as DPPH differed statistically between the experimental groups (p < 0.001), with the lowest SOD and CAT activity, as well as the highest DPPH registered in animals supplemented with microcapsules. The expression of HSP70 was lower in I + MI animals (p < 0.001). The synergistic evaluation of the results indicates that animals sexual inverted during the larval stage have a lower total antioxidant capacity in the fingerling stage, which reflects a worsening in hematological and enzymatic parameters related to immunity; and that dietary supplementation with blend of organic acids and essential oils protected by microencapsulation is sufficient to improve the immunological response both in sexual inverted and non-inverted fingerlings., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In tilapia aquaculture, the cultivation of single-sex animals is extremely widespread, as it allows for the standardization of lots, in addition to improving the general performance of the animals. However, it is possible that hormonal inversion interacts with other factors, such as environmental and nutritional management, and modulates the immune response and antioxidant system of animals in a distinct manner. In order to test this hypothesis, an experiment was carried out using Nile tilapia larvae six days after hatching, divided into four experimental groups: NI (non-inverted animals), I (sexual inverted animals), NI + M (non-inverted supplemented with microencapsulated products) and I + M (sexual inverted and supplemented with microencapsulated products; half of which were subjected to transportation-related stress after 28 days of the experiment. At the end, the survival rate was evaluated; the gene expression of heat shock protein (HSP70), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX 2) via RT-PCR; also evaluated were the activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes, as well as the total antioxidant capacity by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH). Animals from the I and I + M groups had the highest survival rate (p < 0.001) regardless of transportation stress. The highest expressions of HSP70 were found in the NI group (p < 0.001, with and without transportation). For the IL-1β gene, there was an increase in expression for animals belonging to groups NI and NI + M (no transportation); and NI (p < 0.0001, with transportation). Increased COX 2 expression was observed for all groups after transportation (p < 0.0001). The highest SOD activities were observed in groups I and I + M (without transportation, p = 0.0004), and I (with transportation, p < 0.0001). The transportation decreased the total antioxidant capacity of DPPH in all treatments (p < 0.001). Finally, when evaluating all of the results together, we came to a conclusion that sex inversion improves the immune response and antioxidant profile of animals under stressful conditions when associated with microencapsulated dietary supplementation., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Despite advances in multi-modal treatment approaches, clinical outcomes of patients suffering from PAX3-FOXO1 fusion oncogene-expressing alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) remain dismal. Here we show that PAX3-FOXO1-expressing ARMS cells are sensitive to pharmacological ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related protein (ATR) inhibition. Expression of PAX3-FOXO1 in muscle progenitor cells is not only sufficient to increase sensitivity to ATR inhibition, but PAX3-FOXO1-expressing rhabdomyosarcoma cells also exhibit increased sensitivity to structurally diverse inhibitors of ATR. Mechanistically, ATR inhibition leads to replication stress exacerbation, decreased BRCA1 phosphorylation and reduced homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair pathway activity. Consequently, ATR inhibitor treatment increases sensitivity of ARMS cells to PARP1 inhibition in vitro, and combined treatment with ATR and PARP1 inhibitors induces complete regression of primary patient-derived ARMS xenografts in vivo. Lastly, a genome-wide CRISPR activation screen (CRISPRa) in combination with transcriptional analyses of ATR inhibitor resistant ARMS cells identifies the RAS-MAPK pathway and its targets, the FOS gene family, as inducers of resistance to ATR inhibition. Our findings provide a rationale for upcoming biomarker-driven clinical trials of ATR inhibitors in patients suffering from ARMS., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Introduction: As computed tomography (CT) usage increases, so have concerns over radiation-induced malignancy. To mitigate these risks, low-dose CT (LDCT) has emerged as a versatile alternative by other specialties, although its use in plastic surgery remains sparse. This study aimed to investigate validated uses of LDCT across surgical specialties and extrapolate these insights to expand its application for plastic surgeons., Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines using search terms "low dose CT" OR "low dose computed tomography" AND "surgery," where the name of each surgical specialty was substituted for word "surgery" and each specialty term was searched separately in combination with the 2 CT terms. Data on radiation dose, outcomes, and level of evidence were collected. Validated surgical applications were correlated with similar procedures and diagnostic tests performed routinely by plastic surgeons to extrapolate potential applications for plastic surgeons., Results: A total of 3505 articles were identified across surgical specialties, with 27 ultimately included. Depending on the application, use of LDCT led to a 25% to 97% reduction in radiation dose and all studies reported noninferior image quality and diagnostic capability compared with standard-dose CT. Potential identified uses included the following: evaluation of soft tissue infections, preoperative and postoperative management of facial and hand fractures, flap design, 3D modeling, and surgical planning., Discussion: Low-dose CT is a valid imaging alternative to standard-dose CT. Expanded utilization in plastic surgery should be considered to minimize the iatrogenic effects of radiation and to promote patient safety without compromising outcomes., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: none declared., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Facial trauma is associated with significant long-term morbidity and pain. These patients are routinely prescribed opioid medication and are at risk for opioid dependence. Rates and trends in opioid prescription in the ambulatory setting for management of craniofacial trauma are unknown., Methods: The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data were analyzed from 2006 to 2016. Using International Classification of Diseases codes, 7,997,454 visits for craniomaxillofacial trauma were identified. Trends in opioid and nonopioid prescriptions were studied, with variables of interest including demographics, geographic region, expected source of payment, and injury location., Results: Over the study period, trends in both opioid and nonopioid prescriptions remained stable, with about 13.4% of all visits receiving opioid prescriptions. Patients aged 18 to 44 (P < .001) and lower face trauma (P = .047) were associated with increased rates, while Medicare and charity payers (P < .001) were associated with lower rates of opioid prescriptions. There was no significant difference in prescription rates across geographical regions, by ethnicity, or sex., Conclusion: Opioid medication forms the cornerstone for ambulatory management of craniofacial trauma. Despite increased awareness and emphasis on multimodal pain management, opioid prescription trends have remained relatively stable over time., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Shoulder injuries in cricket are often undetected and untreated., Objectives: To determine whether there are associations between shoulder internal and external rotation range of movement (ROM), throwing arc (TA) ROM, glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD), external rotation gain (ERG), pectoralis minor muscle length and the incidence of shoulder injury during the first 3 months of a cricket season amongst provincial and club cricketers., Method: Male, actively participating, provincial and club cricketers were included in this prospective longitudinal cohort study. The independent variables included shoulder pain, which did not limit participation in cricket training and matches; shoulder external and internal rotation (ROM, TA ROM, GIRD and ERG) and pectoralis minor muscle length. Time-loss dominant shoulder injury was recorded for 3 months., Results: Nine of the 32 participants sustained dominant shoulder injuries. Initial non-time-loss shoulder pain during baseline testing was associated with time-loss in-season shoulder injury ( p = 0.007). Statistically significant side-to-side differences were found for all of the independent variables (internal rotation ROM, TA ROM and pectoralis minor muscle length distance), with the exception of external rotation ROM, amongst the uninjured players., Conclusion: Non-time-loss-defined shoulder pain in actively participating cricketers seems to be a precursor to time-loss shoulder injury. Asymmetries in ROM and pectoralis minor muscle length in uninjured cricketers may have a protective role to play in the case of shoulder injury., Clinical Implications: The presence of shoulder pain and asymmetries in ROM should be investigated during the pre-season screening procedures, and early intervention should be implemented where appropriate., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© 2020. The Authors.)

Infections caused by Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive Staphylococcus aureus (PVL-SA) mostly present as recurrent skin abscesses and furunculosis. However, life-threatening infections (eg, necrotizing pneumonia, necrotizing fasciitis, and osteomyelitis) caused by PVL-SA have also been reported.We assessed the clinical phenotype, frequency, clinical implications (surgery, length of treatment in hospitals/intensive care units, and antibiotic treatments), and potential preventability of severe PVL-SA infections in children.Total, 75 children treated for PVL-SA infections in our in- and outpatient units from 2012 to 2017 were included in this retrospective study.Ten out of 75 children contracted severe infections (PVL-methicillin resistant S aureus n = 4) including necrotizing pneumonia (n = 4), necrotizing fasciitis (n = 2), pyomyositis (n = 2; including 1 patient who also had pneumonia), mastoiditis with cerebellitis (n = 1), preorbital cellulitis (n = 1), and recurrent deep furunculosis in an immunosuppressed patient (n = 1). Specific complications of PVL-SA infections were venous thrombosis (n = 2), sepsis (n = 5), respiratory failure (n = 5), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (n = 3). The median duration of hospital stay was 14 days (range 5-52 days). In 6 out of 10 patients a history suggestive for PVL-SA colonization in the patient or close family members before hospital admission was identified.PVL-SA causes severe to life-threatening infections requiring lengthy treatments in hospital in a substantial percentage of symptomatic PVL-SA colonized children. More than 50% of severe infections might be prevented by prompt testing for PVL-SA in individuals with a history of abscesses or furunculosis, followed by decolonization measures.

This work aims at evaluating shelf life of meat from Boer-Saanen cross goats fed on diets containing vitamin E. Thirty-five feedlot-fed goats with an initial body weight of 21.6±2.8kg were subjected to four treatments in a completely randomized design: a control treatment with vitamin E plus others containing 50, 150, and 450mg dl-α-tocopherol acetate/kg DM. Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle samples were stored at temperatures between 4 and 6°C during 15days, and evaluated for lipid peroxidation using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) method and for visual acceptance by consumers by different survival analysis techniques. The addition, vitamin E in diets influenced shelf life of LL muscle, indicating longer meat preservation as the levels of the vitamin in diet increased, as the results obtained in chemical and subjective visual assessments showed. TBARS analysis showed to be more accurate in predicting shelf life of meat than subjective visual assessment by consumers, which reached a saturation threshold of 2mg malonaldehyde/kg of meat earlier at all tested levels of vitamin E inclusion., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) results in lung functional impairment and there are no surrogate markers to monitor the extent of lung involvement. We investigated the clinical significance of S100A12 and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) for predicting the extent of lung involvement. We performed an observational study in India with 119 newly diagnosed, treatment naïve, sputum smear positive, HIV-negative PTB patients and 163 healthy controls. All patients were followed-up for six months. Sociodemographic variables and the serum levels of S100A12, sRAGE, esRAGE, HMGB-1, TNF-α, IFN-γ and CRP were measured. Lung involvement in PTB patients was assessed by chest radiography. Compared with healthy controls, PTB patients had increased serum concentrations of S100A12 while sRAGE was decreased. S100A12 was an independent predictor of disease occurrence (OR 1.873, 95%CI 1.212-2.891, p = 0.004). Under DOTS therapy, S100A12 decreased significantly after 4 months whereas CRP significantly decreased after 2 months (p < 0.0001). Importantly, although CRP was also an independent predictor of disease occurrence, only S100A12 was a significant predictor of lung alveolar infiltration (OR 2.60, 95%CI 1.35-5.00, p = 0.004). These results suggest that S100A12 has the potential to assess the extent of alveolar infiltration in PTB.

This study was carry out to evaluate mRNA expression of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase III in the Pectoralis superficialis muscle of 28-day-old quails fed diets containing 0, 8, and 12% glycerol. Total RNA was extracted (N = 10) and cDNA was amplified using specifics primers for qRT-PCR. Feed efficiency and feed intake were evaluated. COX III mRNA expression in breast muscle was higher in the group fed with 12% glycerol (0.863 AU); no differences were observed in the expression of this gene between the muscle of animals fed diets without glycerol (0.357 AU) and 8% glycerol (0.415 AU). Quails that showed greater COX III mRNA expression also showed the lowest feed efficiency. These results show that there is a difference in COX III mRNA expression in breast muscle of 28-day-old quail fed diets different concentrations of glycerol.

Background: Existing reading schemes for chest X-ray (CXR) used to grade the extent of disease severity at diagnosis in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) are often based on numerical scores that summate specific radiographic features. However, since PTB is known to exhibit a wide heterogeneity in pathology, certain features might be differentially associated with clinical parameters of disease severity., Objective: We aimed to grade disease severity in PTB patients at diagnosis and after completion of DOTS treatment by developing a reading scheme based on five different radiographic manifestations and analyze their association with the clinical parameters of systemic involvement and infectivity., Methods: 141 HIV-negative adults with newly diagnosed sputum smear-positive PTB were enrolled in a prospective observational study in Hyderabad, India. The presence and extent on CXRs of five radiographic manifestations, i.e., lung involvement, alveolar infiltration, cavitation, lymphadenopathy and pleural effusion, were classified using the new reading scheme by using a four-quadrant approach. We evaluated the inter-reader reliability of each manifestation, and its association with BMI and sputum smear positivity at diagnosis. The presence and extent of these radiographic manifestations were further compared with CXRs on completion of DOTS treatment., Results: At diagnosis, an average lung area of 51.7% +/- 23.3% was affected by radiographic abnormalities. 94% of the patients had alveolar infiltrates, with 89.4% located in the upper quadrants, suggesting post primary PTB and in 34.8% of patients cavities were found. We further showed that the extent of affected lung area was a negative predictor of BMI (β value -0.035, p 0.019). No significant association of BMI with any of the other CXR features was found. The extent of alveolar infiltrates, along with the presence of cavitation, were strongly associated with sputum smear positivity. The microbiological cure rate in our cohort after 6 months of DOTS treatment was 95%. The extent of the affected lung area in these patients decreased from 56.0% +/- 21.5% to 31.0 +/- 20% and a decrease was also observed in the extent of alveolar infiltrates from 98.4% to 25.8% in at least one quadrant, presence of cavities from 34.8% to 1.6%, lymphadenopathy from 46.8% to 16.1%, and pleural effusion from 19.4% to 6.5%., Conclusions: We established a new assessment scheme for grading disease severity in PTB by specifically considering five radiographic manifestations which were differently associated with the BMI and sputum smear positivity, changed to a different extent after 6 months of treatment and exhibited an excellent agreement between radiologists. Our results suggest that this reading scheme might contribute to the estimation of disease severity with respect to differences in disease pathology. Further studies are needed to determine a correlation with short and long-term pulmonary function impairment and whether there would be any benefit in lengthening or modulating therapy based on this CXR severity assessment.

Background: Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), degenerative myopia, angioid streaks, presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome, and numerous other ocular and systemic conditions. Idiopathic CNV is also a common form of the condition. However, CNV has rarely been noted after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and a cause-and-effect relationship has not been found. A case of CNV after uneventful LASIK is reported here, along with a literature review of previously reported cases and suggested pathophysiology. A link between LASIK and CNV is sought., Methods: A case report of CNV in a young, healthy eye after uneventful LASIK is presented. Review of the pertinent literature reporting a relationship between LASIK and CNV was conducted through 2007, and few studies are reported after 2005., Conclusion: To date, there is anecdotal evidence of CNV after LASIK. The incidence from prior reports ranges from 0.003% to 0.33%. However, a causal link cannot be disregarded and merits further study. Each patient undergoing LASIK warrants a thorough preoperative dilated fundus examination, including a thorough examination of the macula. This occurrence, albeit rare, should be considered for inclusion in the refractive surgery consent form., (Copyright © 2010 American Optometric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)