Search

Abstract People who nonmedically use drugs (PWUD) face intricate social issues that suppress self-actualization, communal integration, and overall health and wellness. “Strengths-based” approaches, an under-used pedagogy and practice in addiction medicine, underscore the significance of identifying and recognizing the inherent and acquired skills, attributes, and capacities of PWUD. A strengths-based approach engenders client affirmation and improves their capacity to reduce drug use-related harms by leveraging existing capabilities. Exploring this paradigm, we conducted and analyzed interviews with 46 PWUD who were clients at syringe services programs in New York City and rural southern Illinois, two areas with elevated rates of opioid-related morbidity and mortality, to assess respondents’ perceived strengths. We located two primary thematic modalities in which strengths-based ethos is expressed: individuals (1) being and advocate and resource for harm reduction knowledge and practices and (2) engaging in acts of continuous self-actualization. These dynamics demonstrate PWUD strengths populating and manifesting in complex ways that both affirm and challenge humanist and biomedical notions of individual agency, as PWUD refract enacted, anticipated, and perceived stigmas. In conclusion, programs that blend evidence-based, systems-level interventions on drug use stigma and disenfranchisement with meso and micro-level strengths-based interventions that affirm and leverage personal identity, decision-making capacity, and endemic knowledge may help disrupt health promotion cleavages among PWUD.

Project delay has been a phenomenon contending with the construction sector opposing time, cost, and quality. This study develops a model, which is a combination of two mathematical decision-making methods DEMATEL and system dynamics modeling, to investigate the impact of the factors on the entire project schedule. The simulation results reveal the importance of minimizing design error to reduce the project delay at the beginning (or preconstruction stage) of the project. Rework, design changes, and change orders must also be closely monitored during the construction to ensure work productivity and on-time project completion. The results also reveal that experienced designers and the use of updated design technology help reduce design errors, thus enhancing work performance in the long term. As shown in the simulation results, the actual project completion time and magnitude of delay steadily reduce with the project series. This explains the fact that the more the consistency and effectiveness in handling the delay factors as similar projects are performed in turns, the better the project performance in terms of time. Therefore, careful consideration of the delay factors reduces the time lag and delay magnitude in construction projects. Other improvements, such as effective supervision during construction which is a function of experienced supervisors, good project management, and cooperation among key stakeholders, including owners, consultants, and contractors, also assist in reducing the construction delay in the long term.

Aim: While the traditional use of Cola rostrata in treating illnesses and diseases has not been reported, the presence of cytotoxic principles has been reported in phylogenetically and biogeographically related species within the Cola genus. This study, therefore, evaluated the cytotoxic potential of extracts of the plant, and the associated cellular and molecular mechanisms. Methods: Activity-based fractionation of the extracts was carried out and cytotoxicity was assessed in the human cervical cancer cell line, HeLa, and the transformed human lung cell line, MRC5-SV2, using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay complemented with brightfield imaging. The 2ʼ,7ʼ-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) assay was used to assess induction of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), while flow cytometry of 5,5ʼ,6,6ʼ-tetrachloro-1,1ʼ,3,3ʼ-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine iodide (JC-1)-stained cells assessed the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (∆ΨM). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was carried out on an active fraction. Results: Extracts of the fruit epicarp and leaf were cytotoxic against the cell lines. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for the 48 h cytotoxicity of the ethanol extract of the epicarp against HeLa and MRC5-SV2 cells were 48.0 μg/mL ± 12.1 μg/mL and 40.4 μg/mL ± 7.2 μg/mL, respectively, while fractions from second-level partitioning of the hexane fraction of the leaf extract elicited cytotoxicity with IC50 values ranging from 12.8 μg/mL ± 1.0 μg/mL to 39.6 μg/mL ± 7.2 μg/mL in both cell lines, following 48 h treatment. GC-MS revealed the presence of seventeen compounds in a hexane fraction of the leaf extract, including even- and odd-chain fatty acids, the most abundant of which were n-hexadecanoic acid, decanoic acid 10-(2-hexylcyclopropyl); and octadecanoic acid. The mechanisms of cytotoxicity of most active fractions involved generation of ROS and mitochondrial membrane depolarisation. Conclusions: The findings show that C. rostrata is rich in cytotoxic phytochemicals which could be isolated for developing new anti-cancer agents.

Background: Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) assume pivotal roles in aiding clinicians in diagnosis and treatment decisions. The rapid evolution of imaging technology has established three-dimensional (3D) CNNs as a formidable framework for delineating organs and anomalies in medical images. The prominence of 3D CNN frameworks is steadily growing within medical image segmentation and classification. Thus, our proposition entails a comprehensive review, encapsulating diverse 3D CNN algorithms for the segmentation of medical image anomalies and organs. Methods: This study systematically presents an exhaustive review of recent 3D CNN methodologies. Rigorous screening of abstracts and titles were carried out to establish their relevance. Research papers disseminated across academic repositories were meticulously chosen, analyzed, and appraised against specific criteria. Insights into the realm of anomalies and organ segmentation were derived, encompassing details such as network architecture and achieved accuracies. Results: This paper offers an all-encompassing analysis, unveiling the prevailing trends in 3D CNN segmentation. In-depth elucidations encompass essential insights, constraints, observations, and avenues for future exploration. A discerning examination indicates the preponderance of the encoder-decoder network in segmentation tasks. The encoder-decoder framework affords a coherent methodology for the segmentation of medical images. Conclusion: The findings of this study are poised to find application in clinical diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. Despite inherent limitations, CNN algorithms showcase commendable accuracy levels, solidifying their potential in medical image segmentation and classification endeavors.

Globally, herbal contraceptives remain a viable option for women in rural settlements with unmet contraceptive needs. Pharmacological reports of the male contraceptive potential of Xylopia aethiopica fruit exist in literature, but there is a paucity of information on its female contraceptive potential. This study evaluated the efficacy of aqueous extract of X. aethiopica fruit (AEXAF) as a reversible contraceptive remedy in female Sprague Dawley rats against a combined oral contraceptive drug containing ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel (COC-EEL). AEXAF was obtained by boiling air-dried pulverized fruit samples in water for 15 minutes. Phytochemical screening of AEXAF was carried out. Mature female rats (30) were assigned into six groups, five per group, with ±20 g weight difference within each group. Group A received water; Groups B, C, D and E received 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg/B.W. doses of AEXAF, respectively; Group F received 3.6 µg/kg/B.W. dose of COC-EEL. COC-EEL and AEXAF were administered orally, once daily, for 21 days. After 14 days of treatment, mature male rats were introduced to the females, two males per group, for 7 days. Litter size was recorded after delivery. Rats that did not produce pups were immediately re-introduced to male rats for 7 days and sacrificed after another 7 days; the number of fetuses in their uteri was determined. The data obtained was analyzed using Unpaired-t test. Phytochemical screening of AEXAF revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins. High contraceptive efficacy (80%) with 100% reversibility was observed at 50 and 300 mg/kg/B.W. doses of AEXAF, whereas COC-EEL showed 60% efficacy and 100% reversibility. The 100 and 200 mg/kg/B.W. doses of AEXAF did not protect against conception. X. aethiopica possesses contraceptive potential worthy of further scientific consideration.

The production of Portland cement (PC) is associated with carbon emissions. One-part geopolymer “just add water” is a user- and environmentally-friendly binder that can potentially substitute PC. However, there is limited research on the setting time, fresh, and strength properties of one-part metakaolin (MK)-based geopolymer concrete (OMGPC) incorporating recycled aggregates. Hence, the study explored the fresh, mechanical (compressive, flexural, splitting tensile, and E-modulus) and microstructural properties of ambient cured (7-, 28-, and 90-day) OMGPC containing recycled waste plastics (RESIN8) and recycled fine waste glass aggregate (FWG) at 5% and 10% by volume of the sand. The study result shows that 2% trisodium phosphate by wt. of the binder retard the initial and final setting times of OMGPC. At the same time, the incorporation of RESIN8 and FWG aggregates improved the workability of geopolymer concrete. The lightweight properties of RESIN8 aggregate reduce the hardened density of OMGPC, while the FWG specimens show a similar density to the control. The compressive strength of RESIN8 and FWG OMGPC range from 19.8 to 24.6 MPa and 26.9 to 30 MPa, respectively, compared to the control (26 to 28.9 MPa) at all curing ages. The flexural and splitting tensile strength of the OMGPC range from 2.2 to 4.5 MPa and 1.7 to 2.8 MPa, respectively. OMGPC is a viable alternative to Portland cement, and FWG can substitute sand in structural concrete by up to 10% and RESIN8 aggregate at 5% by volume of the natural sand.