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Abstract Background and aim The perennial underperformance of the Nigerian Health System necessitated enhanced advocacy for health to be placed at the centre of a renewed social contract and as a means of bolstering public trust. The hospital management of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) introduced initiatives to improve the hospital’s operational environment and service performance in response to the population served. Following these changes, an Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) is critical to direct further development in the organization. Methods A comprehensive Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted for the UNTH across twelve broad areas. The Modified Delphi Technique was adopted for the identification and prioritization of the organizational SWOTs. Thirty key stakeholders and leaders in the organization were first consulted to identify the SWOTs. This was followed by a structured ranking of the SWOTs by 109 staff of UNTH to isolate the priority assets and needs of the organization. Results The top strengths were mainly related to the hospital's resources like its large expanse of land, staff capabilities like their skills and training, as well as their prevailing language, and existing hospital partnerships. The identified weaknesses were associated with challenges such as transportation for staff to work, infrastructure (lack of staff accommodation and office space), and health workforce shortages due to migration. The highest ranked opportunity was in the Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance broad area while the highest ranked threat was in the leadership and governance broad area. Conclusion This SWOT analysis has highlighted the strategic aspects of UNTH's operations. By identifying its internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats, the hospital can thus formulate effective strategies to enhance its performance and maintain its position as a leading healthcare institution.

Existe una demanda de hortalizas con alto contenido de nutrientes y calidad. Sin embargo, la agricultura convencional busca el aumento de la producción centrándose en el monocultivo y el uso de agroquímicos, sin tomar en cuenta las consecuencias que esto provoca a la salud, medio ambiente y al suelo. La agroecología surge como una alternativa para contrarrestar estos efectos negativos, ya que se enfoca en la producción de alimentos sanos y con alto contenido nutricional. Algunos estudios demuestran que el kale es un superalimento debido a su alto valor nutricional y beneficios para la salud, sin embargo, en Ecuador no existe información sobre la calidad nutricional de esta hortaliza, por lo cual, el objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar la calidad nutricional y las propiedades fisicoquímicas del kale en los sistemas de producción agroecológico y convencional. La metodología consistió en medir el pH, acidez, °Brix, color, ancho y largo de la hoja, finalmente, se determinó la calidad nutricional considerando los macro y micronutrientes. Los resultados muestran que las propiedades fisicoquímicas del kale, entre los dos sistemas de producción no existieron diferencias estadísticamente significativas, ya que los valores de pH (6 - 6,17), acidez (0,18 - 0,20%) y °Brix (4,96 – 5,29) son similares. La calidad nutricional del kale proveniente del sistema agroecológico fue mayor que del cultivo proveniente del sistema convencional, ya que fue superior en macronutrientes entre un 12 a 48%, en minerales aumento entre el 25 y 76%, y 6,44% para vitamina C.

Introduction: Regular intake of dietary fiber (DF) can counteract the negative impacts of obesity on physical health and chronic disease risk. DF mitigates obesity by promoting fullness, reducing calories, slowing nutrient absorption, stabilizing glucose, preventing fat storage, and influencing gut microbiota. High-performance (HP) inulin, a highly fermentable water-soluble DF, shows promise, but its palatability is limited in powder form. Combining HP inulin with beneficial triglycerides like Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) could overcome this issue. Aim of study: This study investigates the effects of HP inulin-MCT on lipid metabolism and immune modulation in high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS) diet-induced obese mice. Methods: Obese mice were orally administered with 20 % (w/v) HP inulin-MCT ad-libitum for 30 days. We measured their peripheral blood lipid profile, including LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. Additionally, the atherogenic coefficient, a parameter for assessing cardiovascular disease risk, was determined by calculating the ratio of non-HDL-C to HDL-C. Flow cytometry was used to identify splenic regulatory CD4 + and CD8 + T cells (Tregs). The Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis Score was assessed through histological examination. Results: Significant reduced body mass index, improved lipid profiles, and reduced cardiovascular disease risk were observed in the obese mice treated with HP inulin-MCT. Moreover, HP inulin-MCT appeared to ameliorate non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a liver condition associated with obesity. These health improvements were linked to immune system modulation, associated with an increase of CD4+ T-regulatory cells after HP inulin-MCT supplementation. Conclusion: HP inulin-MCT is a promising and palatable dietary intervention to combat obesity-related noncommunicable diseases, offering the potential for better overall health outcomes.

Abstract The proportion of data generated is constantly growing as the number and variety of connected devices increase, advances in data storage and mining supporting this evolution bring along the development of new techniques for searching and accessing data and realizing applications. This article was developed to carry out a comparative analysis of three databases: Redis, CouchBase, and Amazon DynamoDB to provide key characteristics to choose the right key-value NoSQL system for the type of applications, data used, and data processing. This was done through qualitative and quantitative research by expressing the results through comparative tables with characteristics that were obtained through a literature review and defined by the authors after the use of each of the databases. It can be concluded from the study of quantitative data that DynamoBD is highly rated for its ease of use, easy configuration, automatic retrieval, and data replication. However, in the qualitative data, CouchBase is the best option for the user considering it is cross-platform and can be adapted to websites, apps, etc.

Abstract This research aims to determine the relevance that the use of chatbots has gained. We conducted a scientific literature review and mapped the research trends that address the paradigms of using chatbots, in achieving benefits in education, communication, or economics, as well as the benefit that this technology provides in the field of health. It is required to find the most suggested architecture used for a distributed chatbot system in e-commerce to automate human-machine communication through natural language queries. Personalized conversational agents are promising tools to complement existing online resources for mathematics education. The results revealed that these applications positively affect the current medical sector and we determined that chatbots are designed to interact with people in mostly text-based conversations. In conclusion, chatbots are very useful, easy to adapt, and used more continuously in research and also in health applications that require symptom tracking and treatment.

Abstract Apoptosis occurs during development when a separation of tissues is needed. Synovial joint formation is initiated at the presumptive site (interzone) within a cartilage anlagen, with changes in cellular differentiation leading to cavitation and tissue separation. Apoptosis has been detected in phalangeal joints during development, but its role and regulation have not been defined. Here, we use a mouse model of brachydactyly type A1 (BDA1) with an IhhE95K mutation, to show that a missing middle phalangeal bone is due to the failure of the developing joint to cavitate, associated with reduced apoptosis, and a joint is not formed. We showed an intricate relationship between IHH and interacting partners, CDON and GAS1, in the interzone that regulates apoptosis. We propose a model in which CDON/GAS1 may act as dependence receptors in this context. Normally, the IHH level is low at the center of the interzone, enabling the “ligand-free” CDON/GAS1 to activate cell death for cavitation. In BDA1, a high concentration of IHH suppresses apoptosis. Our findings provided new insights into the role of IHH and CDON in joint formation, with relevance to hedgehog signaling in developmental biology and diseases.

As companies increasingly undergo digital transformation, the value of their data assets also rises, making them even more attractive targets for hackers. The large volume of weblogs warrants the use of advanced classification methodologies in order for cybersecurity specialists to identify web traffic anomalies. This study aims to implement Isolation Forest, an unsupervised machine learning methodology in the identification of anomalous and non-anomalous web traffic. The publicly available weblogs dataset from an e-commerce website underwent data preparation through a systematic pipeline of processes involving data ingestion, data type conversion, data cleaning, and normalization. This led to the addition of derived columns in the training set and manually labeled testing set that was then used to compare the anomaly detection performance of the Isolation Forest model with that of cybersecurity experts. The developed Isolation Forest model was implemented using the Python Scikit-learn library, and exhibited a superior Accuracy of 93%, Precision of 95%, Recall of 90% and F1-Score of 92%. By appropriate data preparation, model development, model implementation, and model evaluation, this study shows that Isolation Forest can be a viable solution for close to accurate web traffic anomaly detection.

Summary: Background: In June 2023, a local cluster of 15 Zika cases was reported in a neighbourhood in Northeastern Singapore. The last significant local transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV) with more than 450 cases was in 2016–2017. To monitor the situation and mitigate further transmission, case, entomological and wastewater-based surveillance were carried out. Methods: Primary healthcare practitioners and the community were alerted to encourage timely case identification. Surveillance was enhanced through testing of Aedes mosquitoes collected from the National Gravitrap surveillance system, and wastewater samples were collected from a network of autosamplers deployed at manholes across the country. Findings: ZIKV RNA was detected in mosquito pools (3/43; 7%) and individual mosquitoes (3/82; 3.7%) captured, and in wastewater samples (13/503) collected from the vicinity of the cluster of cases. Respective samples collected from other sites across the country were negative. The peak detection of ZIKV RNA in mosquitoes and wastewater coincided temporally with the peak in the number of cases in the area (15–25 May 2023). Interpretation: The restriction of ZIKV signals from wastewater and mosquitoes within the neighbourhood suggested limited ZIKV transmission. The subsequent waning of signals suggested effectiveness of control measures. We demonstrate the utility of wastewater-based surveillance of ZIKV, which complements existing case- and entomological-based surveillance. The non-intrusive approach is particularly useful to monitor diseases such as Zika, which generally causes silent or mild infections, but may cause severe outcomes such as congenital Zika syndrome. Funding: This study was funded by Singapore’s Ministry of Finance and the National Environment Agency, Singapore.

Members of the serine-arginine protein kinase (SRPK) family, SRPK1 and SRPK2, phosphorylate the hepatitis B core protein (Cp) and are crucial for pregenomic RNA encapsidation during viral nucleocapsid assembly. Among them, SRPK2 exhibits higher kinase activity toward Cp. In this study, we identified Cp sites that are phosphorylated by SRPK2 and demonstrated that the kinase utilizes an SRPK-specific docking groove to interact with and regulate the phosphorylation of the C-terminal arginine rich domain of Cp. We determined that direct interaction between the docking groove of SRPK2 and unphosphorylated Cp inhibited premature viral capsid assembly in vitro, whereas the phosphorylation of the viral protein reactivated the process. Pull-down assays together with the new cryo-electron microscopy structure of the HBV capsid in complex with SRPK2 revealed that the kinases decorate the surface of the viral capsid by interacting with the C-terminal domain of Cp, underscoring the importance of the docking interaction in regulating capsid assembly and pregenome packaging. Moreover, SRPK2-knockout in HepG2 cells suppressed Cp phosphorylation, indicating that SRPK2 is an important cellular kinase for HBV life cycle.

The rapid advancements in technology have spurred interest in electronic voting systems as a means to modernize and enhance the democratic electoral process. However, ensuring the security and integrity of electronic voting systems remains a critical challenge. In this study, we present a highly secure and efficient model for an electronic voting system, featuring a robust three-layer security architecture that includes the device authentication, user authentication and network security. The proposed system incorporates Kerberos authentication and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to fortify device and user authentication. The segmentation of the system network into zones that includes the Virtual Private Network, the Public Network and the Demilitarized Zone also helps to mitigate potential cyber-attacks and fraudulent activities. Leveraging biometric security (fingerprint) and user tokens (voter's cards), the system ensures the accurate identification and authentication of voters, thereby enhancing the overall integrity of the voting process. Through a series of tests involving 500 enrolled users, the proposed electronic voting system demonstrated remarkable efficacy, achieving a 100 percent accuracy rate in ballot tallying. Having addressed key concerns related to security and transparency, the proposed voting system has the potential to instil trust and confidence in electoral processes.

Abstract Background Lineage‐tracing experiments have established that the central region of the mature intervertebral disc, the nucleus pulposus (NP), develops from the embryonic structure called “the notochord”. However, changes in the cells derived from the notochord which form the NP (i.e., notochordal cells [NCs]), in terms of their phenotype and functional identity from early developmental stages to skeletal maturation are less understood. These key issues require further investigation to better comprehend the role of NCs in homeostasis and degeneration as well as their potential for regeneration. Progress in utilizing NCs is currently hampered due to poor consistency and lack of consensus methodology for in vitro NC extraction, manipulation, and characterization. Methods Here, an international group has come together to provide key recommendations and methodologies for NC isolation within key species, numeration, in vitro manipulation and culture, and characterization. Results Recommeded protocols are provided for isolation and culture of NCs. Experimental testing provided recommended methodology for numeration of NCs. The issues of cryopreservation are demonstrated, and a pannel of immunohistochemical markers are provided to inform NC characterization. Conclusions Together we hope this article provides a road map for in vitro studies of NCs to support advances in research into NC physiology and their potential in regenerative therapies.

To acquiesce to the increase in territorial invasion of communities by hoodlums, bandits and kidnappers every day, some communities have resorted to engage the services of security agents or guards to watch over and alert them in the case of any security breach. However, the neighbourhood s found in some locations especially, in the rural areas impact on the cost of employing guards, and the consequent disagreement amongst residents in the neighbourhood security meeting. This paper proposes an Internet of Things (IoT) based system for alerting residents in a neighbourhood as well as reporting the actual location of a particular neighbour in distress. To achieve this, a hardware system based on NodeMCU with built-in Wi-Fi chip for internet routing is designed. Communication is established remotely between the hardware system and the cloud through the server Application Programming Interface (API) that utilizes cloud resources such as Short Message Service (SMS) gateway and Google map API to craft SMS and fetch location coordinate from Google map Uniform Resource Location (URL) respectively. This piece of information is then displayed on the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device on users’ machine and mobile phones in real time for notification. The test carried out shows that the developed system is reliable and affordable for use in a neighbourhood.

This article considers the potential payoffs of the diasporic as an analytical category developed from Indian Ocean histories that are related to and distinct from various castings of the global. Historically tracing the Indian Ocean trajectories of a Sufi Muslim family from Hadhramawt in relation to changing terms of sovereignty from the late-eighteenth century through the interwar period, the contours and crises of a normative framework for collective and individual life are recuperated and reexamined. The history of these individuals and the theory of life they presuppose and at times explicitly predicate or oppose afford the historian a view of the diasporic as capable of materializing the simultaneity of this- and other-worldly modes of existence. The article concludes that mystical interruptions of historical time that a critical diasporic lens again makes legible as an enduring global form of life represent rarely appreciated sites of emancipation.

Background: The majority of colorectal cancers (CRCs) are detected after symptomatic presentation to primary care. Given the shared symptoms of CRC and benign disorders, it is challenging to manage the risk of missed diagnosis. Colonoscopy resources cannot keep pace with increasing demand. There is a pressing need for access to simple triage tools in primary care to help prioritise patients for referral. Aim: To evaluate the performance of a novel spectroscopy-based CRC blood test in primary care. Design & setting: Mixed-methods pilot study of test performance and GP focus group discussions in South Wales. Method: Patients on the urgent suspected cancer (USC) pathway were recruited for the Raman spectroscopy (RS) test coupled to machine learning classification (‘Raman-CRC’) to identify CRC within the referred population. Qualitative focus group work evaluated the acceptability of the test in primary care by thematic analysis of focus group theorising. Results: A total of 532 patients aged ≥50 years referred on the USC pathway were recruited from 27 GP practices. Twenty-nine patients (5.0%) were diagnosed with CRC. Raman-CRC identified CRC with sensitivity 95.7%, specificity 69.3% with area under curve (AUC) of 0.80 compared with colonoscopy as the reference test (248 patients). Stage I and II cancers were detected with 78.6% sensitivity. Focus group themes underlined the convenience of a blood test for the patient and the test’s value as a risk assessment tool in primary care. Conclusion: The findings support this novel, non-invasive, blood-based method to prioritise those patients most likely to have CRC. Raman-CRC may accelerate access to diagnosis with potential to improve cancer outcomes.

Background and aims: Meals with high protein and fiber could reduce weight and improve diabetes risk factors. Isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO), a form of dietary fiber, could induce the afferent signal that causes appetite suppression. However, the direct effect of fiber supplementation in the form of IMO combined with a high-protein diet (HPF) on those parameters is still unknown. This study aims to investigate the effect of HPF on anthropometric parameters and blood glucose regulation of healthy subjects. Methods: Thirteen healthy subjects were given a hypocaloric high protein diet (HPD) mixed with their prepared meals for two weeks. Followed by the HPF diet for another two weeks. Their anthropometric parameters, such as body composition (total body weight, body fat percentage, and fat-free mass), BMI and waist circumference, and fasting plasma glucose, were measured. Results: Compared to pre-intervention, HPF could significantly (p ≤ 0.004) reduce the anthropometric parameters and fasting plasma glucose. Compared to HPD, HPF could significantly (p ≤ 0.005) reduce more total body weight, body fat percentage, and BMI. In addition, HPF could induce more satiety than HPD (higher VAS score). Conclusion: HPF could improve the subject's anthropometric parameters which is obviously beneficial in preventing the risk of developing diabetes.

La determinación y aplicación de parámetros óptimos de desinfección durante el proceso poscosecha de frutas y hortalizas es primordial, mantiene al producto en buenas condiciones y asegura que no constituya un riesgo en la salud del consumidor. Esta investigación estuvo enfocada en garantizar la calidad e inocuidad de los productos agrícolas, específicamente en maracuyá, limón y aguacate, producidos en el barrio La Era del Cantón Catamayo, provincia de Loja. Para ello, se determinó un tamaño de muestra de 68 unidades por producto, posteriormente se desarrollaron pruebas preliminares empleando cinco concentraciones de desinfectante Bioperac (0,25; 0,50; 1,00; 1,50 y 2,00%) y mediante un análisis organoléptico se establecieron los tratamientos definitivos; en estos se evaluaron las características de calidad: organolépticas, físico-químicas y microbiológicas; finalmente, se determinaron los costos de producción requeridos en el manejo poscosecha de los productos. Los resultaron obtenidos respecto a los análisis de calidad e inocuidad de los tratamientos definitivos indicaron que los factores óptimos de desinfección para maracuyá, limón y aguacate corresponden al 1,00% de Bioperac, con un tiempo de contacto de 3 minutos, a una temperatura de refrigeración de 7 oC, empacados en bolsas de polietileno (limón) y polipropileno (maracuyá y aguacate). El tiempo de vida útil para maracuyá y aguacate fue de 35 días, mientras que en limón fue de 49 días, cuyos costos de producción son más bajos a los ofertados por los supermercados en la ciudad de Loja.

This dataset was collected one year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic from December 2020 to January 2021 in Macao Special Administrative Region, China. The aim was to investigate the behaviour changes of employees working in the service industry under the stress of pandemic, and the roles of job satisfaction and corporate social responsibility (CSR) as individual and organizational mediators respectively at alleviating undesirable job habits. Data collection was done both offline and online due to stringent pandemic preventive measures during the collection period. Respondents of this survey included employees in different sectors of the service industry, for instance, travel agencies, hotels, casinos, food and beverage, and retails. A total of 895 responses were collected, in which 23 responses were removed during data cleaning, and 872 responses were retained in the dataset. The dataset can serve as the base of reference for future studies on employee habit change, both within and under crisis. It can also serve as a reference for future studies that examined effective ways of minimizing negative job habit changes that ensued from crises.

Structural insights into the small heat shock proteins (sHsps) complexes with their substrates are sparse. Here, cryo-EM structure of a plastid sHsp, Hsp21, in complex with a bona fide substrate 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXPS), suggests the anti-aggregation mechanism employed by sHsps.

Background: Maternal attitude to health-seeking behavior of their under-five children in the COVID-19 pandemic is not well-known. Objectives: This study is aimed at determining mothers' perception of COVID-19 pandemic among their under-five children and associated factors. Methodology: This is a prospective and observational study carried out in two health institutions in South-East Nigeria. Results: Most subjects, 243 (65.3%) noted that someone without showing symptoms of COVID-19 could transmit the virus. Of the mothers of children under-five, 271 (72.8%) highlighted the possibility of COVID-19 infection in the under-five. A small number of participants 53 (14.2%) showed awareness that people should cough into their elbows as a way of preventing the transmission of COVID-19. A small number of participants, 160 (43.0%) had a good perception of COVID-19. Majority of mothers who were married, 148 (44.7%) showed a good perception of COVID-19 when compared with those who were single, 12 (29.3%); however, this is not significant, (χ2 = 3.550, P = 0.060). A large number of participants who have attained tertiary education, 92 (48.9%) had a good perception of COVID-19 which is higher than that seen in mothers with secondary education 68 (37.0%) (χ2 = 5.444, P = 0.020). Participants who were 30–34 years had 1.8 times higher odds of good perception of COVID 19 compared with mothers who were more than 35 years (adjusted odds ratio = 1.803, 95% confidence interval = 1.026–3.170). Conclusion: Although most mothers affirm that a child could be infected by COVID-19, a small number of them actually had a good perception of COVID-19 infection. Good perception of COVID-19 among the under-five is enhanced by the high level of education and age of 32–34 years.

Understanding the impact of nitrogen oxides, common contaminants in CO2 emission from industries is a key to commercializing CO2 electrolysis technologies. Here, the authors conduct an investigation of CO2 electroreduction on copper, silver, and tin catalysts in the presence of nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, or nitrous oxide.

Abstract Background TB remains a major global health problem. It is particularly prevalent in prisons in sub-Saharan Africa due to overcrowding, malnutrition, high HIV prevalence and insufficient medical services. Prisoners have experienced worse TB treatment outcomes than the general population. The researchers investigated the TB treatment outcomes and predictors of unsuccessful treatment outcomesamong prisoners and the general population in Zomba, Malawi. Methods We retrospectively reviewed TB registers of prisoners and the general population diagnosed with TB from January 2011 to December 2016 at Zomba Maximum Central Prison and Zomba Central Hospital, Malawi. The study used routinely collected data extracted from national, standardized TB treatment monitoring tools. Successful treatment outcome was classified as the total for cured and completed treatment while unsuccessful treatment outcome was classified as the total of deaths and treatment failures. We used descriptive statistics to compare the demographics and TB treatment parameters among prisoners and non – prisoners and computed multivariate analysis to predict the independent factors of unsuccessful treatment outcomes. Results Of 1652 registered cases, 27% were prisoners (all males) and 72% were non-prisoners (58% males). The median age was 35 years (IQR: 29–42); 76% were Pulmonary TB cases (78% among prisoners vs 75% among general population); 83% were new TB cases (77% among prisoners vs 86% among general population); and 65% were HIV positive (50% among prisoners vs 71% among general population). Regarding treatment outcome, 1472 (89%) were cured and/or completed treatment (93% among prisoners vs 88% among general population), 2(0.2%) were treatment failures, 122 (8%) died (5% among prisoners vs 8% among general population) and 55 (3%) were not evaluated (1% among prisoners vs 4% among general population). Unsuccessful TB treatment outcomes were associated with age greater than 35 years (aOR = 0.68: 95% C.I: 0.58–0.80), Extra-Pulmonary TB (aOR = 1.69: 95% C.I: 1.08–2.63) andHIV positive status (aOR = 0.63: 95% C.I: 0.42–0.94). Conclusion Maximum prisons provide a stable population that can be easily monitored throughout the course of TB treatment. Good TB treatment outcomes which are comparable to the general population can be achieved among Malawian prisoners despite the challenging prison conditions.

Background Cataract has been known to cause high intraocular pressure which may lead to secondary glaucoma. Some anatomical changes in cataract patients are assumed to be factors contributing to increased intraocular pressure (IOP). The changes in IOP after cataract surgery tend to help surgeons to predict clinical outcomes. Therefore, IOP control is very important in these patients. This study aimed to determine the ocular biometric parameters and pressure-to-depth (PD) ratio associated with IOP in non-glaucomatous patients who undergo cataract surgery. Methods A prospective study using secondary clinical data collected from 81 non-glaucomatous patients. Data were collected by examining each subject pre- and post-operatively. The changes in ocular biometry parameters and IOP were measured one week before surgery and 8 weeks after the surgery. Univariate and multivariate linear regression were performed to analyze the data. Results The mean anterior chamber depth (ACD) change was 0.73 ± 0.16 mm, mean PD ratio was 5.04 ± 1.16, and the mean pre-operative IOP was 16.07 ± 2.92 mmHg, decreasing by 2.35 mm Hg (14.6 %) to 13.72 ± 3.42 mm Hg at 8 weeks postoperatively. Univariate linear regression results showed a significant correlation between PD ratio and post-operative IOP (p=0.000), but no significant association was observed between PD ratio and post-operative IOP in multiple linear regression (p=0.126). However, pre-operative IOP was significantly associated with post-operative IOP (Beta=1.244; p=0.004) Conclusions Our data demonstrated that pre-operative IOP was the most influential risk factor of IOP reduction after phacoemulsification in non-glaucomatous patients.

Phishing performs by trying to trick the victim into accessing any computing information which looks original, then instructing them to send important data to unrestricted/unwanted privacy resource. For prevention, it is essential to develop a phishing detection system. Recent phishing detection systems are based on data mining and machine learning techniques. Most of the related work literature require collection of previous phishing attack logs, analyze them and create a list of such activities and block traffic from such sources. But this is a cumbersome task because the data size is very large, continue changing and dynamic nature. [1]. Instead of using single algorithm approach it would be better to use a hybrid approach. A hybrid approach would be better at mitigating phishing attacks because classification of different format of data is handled; whether the intruder want to use images or textural input to gain into another user system for phishing. Hybrid recommendation decision tress enhances any of machine learning and deep learning algorithms performance. The decision path of the model followed a series of if/else/then statements that connect the predicted class from the root of the tree through the branches of the tree to detect true positive and false negatives of phishing attempts. 10 decision trees were considered and used the features to train the recommendation decision regression model. The developed hybrid recommendation decision tree approach provided an overall true positive rate of the model of 92.28 % and false negative rate is 7.4%.

Esta investigación se enfoca en desarrollar un sistema de control para aplicarlo en una silla de ruedas convencional a través de distintas herramientas tecnológicas (teclado virtual, jostick y Neurosky MindWave) que ayude a las personas con discapacidad motriz con pro- blemas de lenguaje (comunicación) y movilidad de distinto grado, mediante la utilización de hardware y software libre. La movilidad joystick, el dispositivo Neurosky MindWave y la comunicación se la realiza junto con la manipulación de un dispositivo móvil (celu- lar/tablet) utilizando la pantalla táctil, implementado sobre la silla de ruedas para el control de la persona con discapacidad, el hardware (Arduino) y los tipos de software (Xamarin studio, PHP, java) que utilizan son open source cumpliendo con el decreto 1014 y código ingenios establecido en la república del Ecuador. Se propone implementar este sistema y que brinde ventajas importantes frente a similares en términos de costo y de fácil adapta- bilidad a cualquier silla de ruedas estándar. De esta forma las personas con discapacidad puedan comunicarse y movilizarse cuando lo requieran.

Metabolic enzymes often form supramolecular complexes to improve product yield. Here the authors use short peptide tags to create scaffold-free assemblies and synthetic metabolic nodes.

Abstract Background Electronic medical record–based interventions such as best practice alerts, or reminders, have been proposed to improve evidence‐based medication prescribing. Formal implementation evaluation including long‐term sustainment are not commonly reported. Preprocedural medication management is often a complex issue for patients taking antithrombotic medications. Methods We implemented a best practice alert (BPA) that recommended referral to an anticoagulation clinic before outpatient elective gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopies. Eligible patients were taking an oral anticoagulant (warfarin or direct oral anticoagulant [DOAC]) and/or antiplatelet medications. Patients referred to the anticoagulation clinic were compared to those managed by the ordering provider. Outcomes assessed included guideline‐adherent drug management before endoscopy, documentation of a medication management plan, guideline‐adherent rates of bridging for high‐risk patients taking warfarin, and evaluation for sustained use of BPA. Results Eighty percent of patients (553/691) were referred to the anticoagulation clinic during the initial 13‐month study period. Most referrals came from gastroenterologists (397/553; 71.8%) followed by primary care providers (127/554; 22.9%). Patients referred had improved rates of guideline‐adherent medication management compared to those who were not referred (97.4% vs 91.0%; P = .001). Documentation of medication plan was significantly higher in the referred group (99.1% vs 59.4%; P ≤ .001). There were no differences in rates of appropriate bridging for patients taking warfarin. Implementation of the BPA also resulted in sustained, consistent use over an additional 18 months following the initial study period. Conclusion Implementation of a BPA before elective outpatient GI endoscopies was associated with improved rates of guideline‐adherent medication management and documented management plan, while streamlining preprocedural medication management.

Cellular plasticity refers to the ability of cell fates to be reprogrammed given the proper signals, allowing for dedifferentiation or transdifferentiation into different cell fates. In vitro, this can be induced through direct activation of gene expression, however this process does not naturally occur in vivo. Instead, the microenvironment consisting of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and signaling factors, directs the signals presented to cells. Often the ECM is involved in regulating both biochemical and mechanical signals. In stem cell populations, this niche is necessary for maintenance and proper function of the stem cell pool. However, recent studies have demonstrated that differentiated or lineage restricted cells can exit their current state and transform into another state under different situations during development and regeneration. This may be achieved through (1) cells responding to a changing niche; (2) cells migrating and encountering a new niche; and (3) formation of a transitional niche followed by restoration of the homeostatic niche to sequentially guide cells along the regenerative process. This review focuses on examples in musculoskeletal biology, with the concept of ECM regulating cells and stem cells in development and regeneration, extending beyond the conventional concept of small population of progenitor cells, but under the right circumstances even “lineage-restricted” or differentiated cells can be reprogrammed to enter into a different fate.

Resumen: Introducción: La motivación como elemento en el proceso formal de planificación, desarrollo o evaluación, no es considerada formalmente, a pesar de que hay evidencia de su papel en el proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje. El presente estudio busca describir los perfiles motivacionales de estudiantes de la carrera de medicina en 3 universidades de Ecuador. Material y métodos: Se realizó un análisis transversal de los perfiles motivacionales de los estudiantes de 3 facultades de medicina de Ecuador. La motivación se identificó a través de la Escala de motivación educativa validada en español a través de un formulario en línea autosuministrado, utilizando la herramienta Formularios de Google®. Resultados: Previo una prueba piloto que evaluaba la claridad de la herramienta virtual, se enviaron entre las 3 universidades un total de 538 invitaciones, obteniéndose 124 respuestas (tasa de respuesta de 23,04%). De las variables evaluadas se encontraron asociaciones entre tener motivación extrínseca y el nivel de instrucción, el tener hijos, así como la asociación en el deseo de intentar nuevamente ingresar en la carrera de medicina y motivación intrínseca. Se encontró además una asociación entre más horas de estudio reportadas y estados de motivación intrínseca. Conclusión: Es conveniente profundizar el estudio de la motivación estudiantil universitaria, tanto en su descripción como en posibles intervenciones incluidas dentro de las actividades curriculares formales. La asociación entre horas de estudio y motivación intrínseca sugiere la inclusión de actividades formales de fomento de la motivación para obtener mayor adherencia a los programas académicos. Abstract: Introduction: Motivation has an obvious role in the teaching-learning process, which unfortunately has not been considered formally in planning, developing, or evaluation processes. The aim of the present study is to describe motivational profiles of medical students in three universities of Ecuador. Material and methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was performed on the motivational profiles of medical students in three Medical Schools of Ecuador. Motivation was assessed using Academic Motivation Scale validated in Spanish and applied using Google Forms®. Results: A pilot test was performed first to evaluate clarity of the virtual tool used. After which, a total of 538 invitations were sent to the three universities. There were 124 responses (response rate of 23.04%). During the analysis, an association was found between extrinsic motivation, instructional level, and having children. Intrinsic motivation was associated with trying to enter to the university and number of hours dedicated to study. Conclusion: More detailed studies need to be conducted on motivation in university students, both on descriptions and interventions in curricula. The association between hours dedicated to study and intrinsic motivation suggests the reinforcement of motivation activities to obtain adherence to academic programs. Palabras clave: Motivación, Estudiantes de medicina, Escala de motivación educativa, Formulario en línea, Teoría de la autodeterminación, Keywords: Motivation, Medical students, Academic motivation scale, Online form, Self-determination theory

Summary: Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a bone marrow failure syndrome associated with telomere dysfunction. The progression and molecular determinants of hematopoietic failure in DC remain poorly understood. Here, we use the directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells harboring clinically relevant mutations in telomerase to understand the consequences of DC-associated mutations on the primitive and definitive hematopoietic programs. Interestingly, telomere shortening does not broadly impair hematopoiesis, as primitive hematopoiesis is not impaired in DC cells. In contrast, while phenotypic definitive hemogenic endothelium is specified, the endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition is impaired in cells with shortened telomeres. This failure is caused by DNA damage accrual and is mediated by p53 stabilization. These observations indicate that detrimental effects of telomere shortening in the hematopoietic system are specific to the definitive hematopoietic lineages. This work illustrates how telomere dysfunction impairs hematopoietic development and creates a robust platform for therapeutic discovery for treatment of DC patients. : By directly assessing primitive or definitive hematopoiesis derived from telomerase-mutant hESCs, Batista and colleagues show that telomere shortening specifically impairs definitive hematopoietic potential, while primitive hematopoiesis is instead enhanced. This system offers the unprecedented capability to study hematopoietic failure and suggests that bone marrow failure in DC patients is reversible. Keywords: embryonic stem cells, hematopoiesis, bone marrow failure, telomerase, dyskeratosis congenita, disease modeling, telomeres, telomere damage

Inúmeras indústrias de cosméticos têm direcionado suas pesquisas no desenvolvimento de novos produtos utilizando matérias-primas de origens vegetais, representando uma alternativa de substituição dos materiais sintéticos por naturais. Uma tendência evidenciada ultimamente é a utilização de resíduos do processamento de alimentos tais como sementes e cascas, devido o grande potencial dos componentes bioativos dos mesmos. O uso do caroço de azeitona na área cosmética apresenta características favoráveis devido à qualidade dos mesmos ajudar na esfoliação da pele. O caroço da azeitona constitui um dos principais resíduos gerados nas indústrias de processamento de azeite. Atualmente estes resíduos são geralmente queimados, a fim de recuperar o calor residual da sua combustão. Devido as suas substâncias químicas e físicas, o caroço é rico em componentes bioativos para sua utilização ser restringida apenas a processos de combustão. Diante do exposto o objetivo deste trabalho foi produzir um sabonete esfoliante em barra à base de caroço de azeitona, agregando valor a este resíduo.

An important area of research required for fusion reactor design is the study of materials under high energy neutron irradiation. Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) reactions release 14.1 MeV neutrons and material studies of such high energy neutrons focusing on transmutation and activation are paramount for fusion tokamak devices such as ITER and DEMO. In order to understand neutron damage and transmutation-induced radioactivity in fusion regime energies, a series of experimental campaigns were performed at the ASP facility based at Aldermaston in the UK, which uses a deuteron accelerator to bombard a tritiumloaded target and generate 14 MeV-neutron emission rates of up to 2.5 × 1011 s−1. In this work, a holistic treatment of the 11,000 gamma spectra (time series data) collected over five experimental campaigns is applied to identify radioisotopes and validate nuclear data and the inventory code, FISPACT-II. Whilst previous analysis has examined single spectra and foil irradiation’s using traditional, human-driven methods, this work applies novel methods using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and classification algorithms to allow a fully automated approach. Using such methods we show good broad agreement with FISPACT-II inventory simulations, and an overview of results are given as C/E values.

INTRODUCTION: In the past, the need for regular blood pressure screening in children was doubtful, and the main reason against it is that hypertension is an adult illness and there is no evidence that screening healthy children for hypertension was worthwhile. We did this study to determine the prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension as well as some risk factors for hypertension among secondary school adolescents in an urban area of the South-East, Nigeria. METHODS: this was a cross-sectional study of 984 adolescents aged 10-19 years in secondary schools in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra state, South-East, Nigeria. The multi-stage sampling method was used to select the subjects. Data were collected from all eligible subjects with the aid of a questionnaire administered to them. Weight, height, and blood pressure were measured and recorded. RESULTS: nine hundred and eighty-four adolescents were recruited for this study, and they comprised 470 (47.8%) males and 514 (52.2%) giving a male: female ratio of 1:1.1. Their ages ranged from 10-19 years. The mean systolic blood pressure and mean diastolic BP were 110.510.2mmHg 71.5,8.5mmHg respectively. Prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension were 6.3% and 5.0% respectively. There were a higher proportion of females (7.3%) than males (5.4%) with hypertension, and more female,s (5.8%) than males (4.2%) with prehypertension but these were not statistically significant. Overweight and obesity were significantly associated with hypertension. CONCLUSION: hypertension exists among secondary school adolescents in Awka South Local government area of Anambra state, with a prevalence of 6.3%. Early detection and treatment will forestall the early development of complications.