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Abstract Background Cross-validation techniques in genetic evaluations encounter limitations due to the unobservable nature of breeding values and the challenge of validating estimated breeding values (EBVs) against pre-corrected phenotypes, challenges which the Linear Regression (LR) method addresses as an alternative. Furthermore, beef cattle genetic evaluation programs confront challenges with connectedness among herds and pedigree errors. The objective of this work was to evaluate the LR method's performance under pedigree errors and weak connectedness typical in beef cattle genetic evaluations, through simulation. Methods We simulated a beef cattle population resembling the Argentinean Brangus, including a quantitative trait selected over six pseudo-generations with a heritability of 0.4. This study considered various scenarios, including: 25% and 40% pedigree errors (PE-25 and PE-40), weak and strong connectedness among herds (WCO and SCO, respectively), and a benchmark scenario (BEN) with complete pedigree and optimal herd connections. Results Over six pseudo-generations of selection, genetic gain was simulated to be under- and over-estimated in PE-40 and WCO, respectively, contrary to the BEN scenario which was unbiased. In genetic evaluations with PE-25 and PE-40, true biases of − 0.13 and − 0.18 genetic standard deviations were simulated, respectively. In the BEN scenario, the LR method accurately estimated bias, however, in PE-25 and PE-40 scenarios, it overestimated biases by 0.17 and 0.25 genetic standard deviations, respectively. In herds facing WCO, significant true bias due to confounding environmental and genetic effects was simulated, and the corresponding LR statistic failed to accurately estimate the magnitude and direction of this bias. On average, true dispersion values were close to one for BEN, PE-40, SCO and WCO, showing no significant inflation or deflation, and the values were accurately estimated by LR. However, PE-25 exhibited inflation of EBVs and was slightly underestimated by LR. Accuracies and reliabilities showed good agreement between true and LR estimated values for the scenarios evaluated. Conclusions The LR method demonstrated limitations in identifying biases induced by incomplete pedigrees, including scenarios with as much as 40% pedigree errors, or lack of connectedness, but it was effective in assessing dispersion, and population accuracies and reliabilities even in the challenging scenarios addressed.

Abstract Electrospinning is a technique used to fabricate polymer fibers in micro- and nanoscales. Due to the large distance between the nozzle and collector, there is a limited positioning accuracy of electrospun fibers. To enhance the possibility of fabricating structures with micrometer placement, an electroprinting technique has been developed. By reducing the distance between the nozzle and the collector it is demonstrated that it is possible to get an improved control over fiber positioning which gives a possibility to fabricate designed 3D structures at the micron scale. In this study, cellulose acetate (CA) has been selected as a biomaterial to advance the 3D printing of membranes with possible use in separation applications. Various parameters, such as CA concentration and molecular weight, printing speed, printing pattern, applied voltage, etc. are evaluated with respect to printing control. Results indicate that by optimizing the printing parameters it is possible to print structures with inter- fiber distances down to 3 µm and fiber diameters at a sub-µm scale. This electroprinting development is promising for the fabrication of customized separation membranes. However, printing speed still remains a challenge.

Abstract Intravenous arachnoid granulations (AGs) are protrusions of the arachnoid membrane into the venous lumen and function as contributors to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow circuit. Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) often present with accumulation of alpha synuclein. Previous works have provided evidence for neurofluid circulation dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases associated with changes in CSF egress, which may have implications regarding AG morphology. The present study aims to investigate group differences in AG volumetrics between healthy and PD participants, as well as relationships between AG characteristics and clinical assessments. Generalized linear models revealed significant increases in AG volumetrics and number in PD compared to healthy controls. Partial Spearman-rank correlation analyses demonstrated significant relationships between AG metrics and motor and cognitive assessments. Finally, AG volumetrics were positively correlated with objective actigraphy measures of sleep dysfunction, but not self-report sleep symptoms.

Abstract The Yang–Mills–Chern–Simons theory in three-dimensional Minkowski space-time is studied in a gauge-fixing scheme which interpolates between the covariant gauge and light-cone gauge, the interpolating gauge-fixing. The ultraviolet finiteness of the theory is proved via the Becchi–Rouet–Stora (BRS) algebraic renormalization procedure, which allows us to demonstrate the vanishing of all $$\beta $$ β -functions and all anomalous dimensions to all orders in perturbation theory.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic arthropod-borne virus infecting mostly livestock, and sometimes, humans across Africa. It is transmitted primarily by mosquitoes, and occasionally, other arthropod vectors. In this study, arthropod vectors were trapped in Anambra, Benue, Borno and Sokoto States of Nigeria, sorted and pooled according to genera. These vector pools (n = 32), including mosquito (Culex = 17, Aedes = 2, Anopheles = 3 and Mansonia = 3), Culicoides (n = 4) and Phlebotomus (n = 3), were analysed for RVFV using Reverse Transcriptase-nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-nPCR). The RVFV-positive samples were Sanger-sequenced, and the sequence data subjected to nBLAST search, phylogenetic analysis and genotyping. Overall, RVFV was identified in four pools, including one each of Culex, Mansonia, Culicoides and Phlebotomus species. The identified RVFV sequences were closely related, with nucleotide sequence identity of 98.5–99.8 %. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis showed that they clustered with other Nigerian sequences obtained from humans and domestic ruminants, and with the Ugandan Smithburn strain, but differed from other West African reference strains. Genotyping analysis classified them into Lineage-K. This first molecular detection and characterization of RVFV in arthropod vectors in Nigeria confirms its presence in these insects, highlighting the need for effective vector control to avoid RVFV transmission to humans and susceptible animals in the country.

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are powerful tools whereby, using nature as the template, societal challenges can be addressed, while simultaneously achieving co-benefits for the environment. NbS have been successfully demonstrated in different ecosystems around the globe, but for savanna ecosystems - the planet's largest terrestrial biome - there is a lingering lack of clarity of what constitutes an NbS. We undertook a systematic review of literature in the savanna belt of Africa - stretching from Senegal to Tanzania. This review examined 3,714 journal articles from 2018 to 2022, out of which 271 papers met the inclusion criteria. Results show that there are a wide variety of nature-based techniques and strategies being used in the savanna-belt. Yet upon greater scrutiny, few qualified as NbS according to the IUCN criteria. Less than 2 % of papers met all the criteria, falling short in the areas of biodiversity gains, economic viability, governance processes, trade-offs, and adaptive management. The geographical and sectoral scopes of these solutions were also limited: 72 % of papers were from just 5 countries, and 80 % were from the agriculture/livestock sectors. Notably, 5 % involved creation of new ecosystems. Author collaborations between countries of the global south with savanna ecosystems were few. Our findings suggest research silos in NbS discourses: the peer-reviewed literature revolves around smallholder farming in just a few countries, where the research is generally driven by the global north. These factors prevent NbS from becoming truly transformational in addressing societal challenges in the savanna belt of Africa.

IntroductionA defining aspect of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports (AR) is a formal uncertainty language framework that emphasizes higher certainty issues across the reports, especially in the executive summaries and short summaries for policymakers. As a result, potentially significant risks involving understudied components of the climate system are shielded from view.MethodsHere we seek to address this in the latest, sixth assessment report (AR6) for one such component—the deep ocean—by summarizing major uncertainties (based on discussions of low confidence issues or gaps) regarding its role in our changing climate system. The goal is to identify key research priorities to improve IPCC confidence levels in deep ocean systems and facilitate the dissemination of IPCC results regarding potentially high impact deep ocean processes to decision-makers. This will accelerate improvement of global climate projections and aid in informing efforts to mitigate climate change impacts. An analysis of 3,000 pages across the six selected AR6 reports revealed 219 major science gaps related to the deep ocean. These were categorized by climate stressor and nature of impacts.ResultsHalf of these are biological science gaps, primarily surrounding our understanding of changes in ocean ecosystems, fisheries, and primary productivity. The remaining science gaps are related to uncertainties in the physical (32%) and biogeochemical (15%) ocean states and processes. Model deficiencies are the leading cited cause of low certainty in the physical ocean and ice states, whereas causes of biological uncertainties are most often attributed to limited studies and observations or conflicting results.DiscussionKey areas for coordinated effort within the deep ocean observing and modeling community have emerged, which will improve confidence in the deep ocean state and its ongoing changes for the next assessment report. This list of key “known unknowns” includes meridional overturning circulation, ocean deoxygenation and acidification, primary production, food supply and the ocean carbon cycle, climate change impacts on ocean ecosystems and fisheries, and ocean-based climate interventions. From these findings, we offer recommendations for AR7 to avoid omitting low confidence-high risk changes in the climate system.

Researchers have repeatedly emphasized how urgently we have to decrease the massive nitrogen fertilizer consumption to support agricultural productivity and maintain a sustainable ecosystem. Using chitosan (CS) as a carrier for slow release is considered a potential tool for reducing synthetic fertilizer and improving crop productivity. Therefore, two field experiments were arranged in a randomized complete block design to investigate the effects of seven treatments including synthetic fertilizer and exogenous application of chitosan-based NPK nano-structure (Ch/NPs-NPK) on growth, productivity, and nutrient uptake traits of rice as a worldwide strategy crop during 2022 and 2023 growing seasons. The experimental treatments were: T1 = full recommended synthetic NPK (recommended urea, superphosphate, potassium sulfate; control treatment), T2 = 70% of T1 + Ch/NPs-NPK 100 ppm, T3 = 70% of T1+ Ch/NPs-NPK 200 ppm, T4 = 70% of T1+ Ch/NPs-NPK 300 ppm, T5 = 30% of T1+ Ch/NPs-NPK 100 ppm, T6 = 30% of T1+ Ch/NPs-NPK 200 ppm, and T7 = 30% of T1 + Ch/NPs-NPK 300 ppm. The results revealed that T4 (i.e., 70% of recommended NPK+ Ch/NPs-NPK 300 ppm) and T1 (full recommended synthetic NPK) resulted in the highest and most significant growth and yield traits of rice as well as nutrient grain contents compared to other treatments. Therefore, combining 70% of recommended NPK with Ch/NPs-NPK 300 ppm as an exogenous application can be a smart choice for reducing synthetic NPK fertilizers by 30% in paddy fields without producing a significant decline in terms of growth, yield characteristics, or nutrient grain contents when applying the full recommended synthetic NPK.

BackgroundA wide range of household secondary infection rates has been reported, and the role of children in population transmission dynamics for SARS-CoV-2 remains ill-defined. We sought to better understand household infection early in the pandemic.MethodologyA cross-sectional study of 17 households in the Atlanta metropolitan area with at least one child and one case of COVID-19 in the prior 1–4 months were recruited between December 2020 and April 2021. Self-collected saliva samples were tested on a multiplexed platform to detect IgG antibodies that bind to SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Secondary infection rates (SIR) were calculated and compared.ResultsWe report results on 17 families, including 66 individuals. We found an average SIR of 0.58; children and adults were similarly infected (62% children vs. 75% adults) (p = 0.2). Two out of 17 households had a pediatric index per our definition. Number of pediatric infections per household (p = 0.18), isolation (p = 0.34), and mask wearing (p = 0.80) did not differ significantly among households with an SIR above the mean vs. those with SIR below the mean. Households with higher SIR also had a higher number of symptomatic cases (p

The genotype evaluation process requires analysis of GxE interactions to ascertain the responsiveness of a genotype to various environments, including the development of early maturing rice. However, the concept of interaction is relatively specific to grain yield. In contrast, grain yield is highly polygenic, so assessment should be carried out with multivariate approaches. Therefore, multivariate assessment in evaluating GxE interactions should be developed, especially for early maturing rice genotypes. The study aimed to develop a comprehensive multivariate approach to improve the comprehensiveness and responsiveness of GxE interaction analysis. The study was conducted in Bone and Soppeng districts, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, in two seasons. The study used a randomized complete block design, where replications were nested across two seasons and locations. Two check varieties and five early maturing varieties were replicated three times in each environment. Based on this study, a new approach to GxE interaction analysis based on multiple regression index analysis, BLUP analysis, factor analysis, and path analysis was considered adequate, especially for evaluating early maturing rice. This approach combined days to harvest, biological yield, and grain yield in multiple linear regression with weighting based on the combination of all analyses. The effectiveness of the GxE interaction assessment was reflected by high coefficient of determination (R2) and gradient (b) values above 0.8 and 0.9, respectively. Inpari 13 (R2 = 0.9; b=1.05), Cakrabuana (R2 = 0.98; b=0.99), and Padjajaran (R2 = 0.95; b=1.07) also have good grain yield with days to harvesting consideration, namely 7.83 ton ha-1, 98.12 days; 7.37 ton ha-1, 95.52 days; and 7.29 ton ha-1, 97.23 days, respectively. Therefore, this index approach can be recommended in GxE interaction analysis to evaluate early maturing rice genotypes. Furthermore, Inpari 13, Cakrabuana, and Padjajaran are recommended as adaptive early maturing varieties.

Abstract Background Parkinson’s disease is characterized by dopamine-responsive symptoms as well as aggregation of α-synuclein protofibrils. New diagnostic methods assess α-synuclein aggregation characteristics from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and recent pathophysiologic mechanisms suggest that CSF circulation disruptions may precipitate α-synuclein retention. Here, diffusion-weighted MRI with low-to-intermediate diffusion-weightings was applied to test the hypothesis that CSF motion is reduced in Parkinson’s disease relative to healthy participants. Methods Multi-shell diffusion weighted MRI (spatial resolution = 1.8 × 1.8 × 4.0 mm) with low-to-intermediate diffusion weightings (b-values = 0, 50, 100, 200, 300, 700, and 1000 s/mm2) was applied over the approximate kinetic range of suprasellar cistern fluid motion at 3 Tesla in Parkinson’s disease (n = 27; age = 66 ± 6.7 years) and non-Parkinson’s control (n = 32; age = 68 ± 8.9 years) participants. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were applied to test the primary hypothesis that the noise floor-corrected decay rate of CSF signal as a function of b-value, which reflects increasing fluid motion, is reduced within the suprasellar cistern of persons with versus without Parkinson’s disease and inversely relates to choroid plexus activity assessed from perfusion-weighted MRI (significance-criteria: p

Abstract Introduction Deutetrabenazine is a vesicular monoamine transporter 2 inhibitor used to treat tardive dyskinesia (TD) and chorea associated with Huntington disease (HD). To enhance detection of safety signals across individual trials, integrated safety analyses of deutetrabenazine in TD and HD chorea were conducted. Methods For TD, safety data were integrated from two 12-week pivotal studies (ARM-TD and AIM-TD) and through week 15 of the open-label extension (OLE) study (RIM-TD). Data were analyzed by deutetrabenazine treatment group and placebo. For HD, safety data were integrated from the 12-week pivotal study (First-HD) and through week 15 of the OLE study (ARC-HD) for patients previously receiving placebo. Integrated deutetrabenazine data were compared with placebo from the pivotal study. Results For TD, deutetrabenazine (n = 384) was generally well tolerated compared with placebo (n = 130). Adverse event (AE) incidence was numerically higher in the response-driven deutetrabenazine vs the fixed-dose deutetrabenazine and placebo groups, respectively (any AE, 59.5% vs 44.4–50.0% and 53.8%; treatment-related AE, 38.1% vs 18.1–25.0% and 30.8%). Serious AEs were reported for 2.8–8.3% of patients in the deutetrabenazine groups and 6.9% in the placebo group. Common AEs (≥ 4%) included headache, somnolence, nausea, anxiety, fatigue, dry mouth, and diarrhea. AE incidence was higher during the titration vs maintenance periods. For HD, AE incidence was numerically higher with deutetrabenazine (n = 84) vs placebo (n = 45; any AE, 64.3% vs 60.0%; treatment-related AE, 38.1% vs 26.7%); serious AEs were reported for similar proportions for the deutetrabenazine and placebo groups, 2.4% and 2.2%, respectively. Common AEs (≥ 4%) included irritability, fall, depression, dry mouth, and fatigue. Conclusions Data from an integrated analysis of studies in TD and an integrated analysis of studies of chorea in HD showed that deutetrabenazine has a favorable safety profile and is well tolerated across indications. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers, NCT02291861, NCT02195700, NCT01795859, NCT02198794, NCT01897896.

Objective. The aim of the study was to determine Vitamin C content in some fruits and vegetables (FAV) including apple, banana, orange, pineapple, watermelon, carrot and cucumber, sold in the local markets in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria as well as Vitamin C content in two-component and three-component homogenates FAV. The work was also designed to investigate the dietary exposure and health effects of excess vitamin C intake in adults and children. Material and methods. Vitamin C as total ascorbic acid (AA) after reduction of dehydroascorbic acid was analyzed using both titrimetric and spectrophotometric methods. The titrimetric method involved iodometric back-titration while the spectrophotometric method was done at an absorbance of 530 nm. The dietary exposure was evaluated as the total FAV intake multiplied by chemical concentration in the FAV whereas the health effect of excess vitamin C intake was conducted using the hazard quotient (HQ). Results. The results revealed that Vitamin C for single fruits ranged from 11.76 - 41.17 mg/L for spectroscopic method and 16.9 – 31.84 mg/L for titrimetric method. Fruit homogenates showed Vitamin C concentrations of 14.70 – 220.58 mg/L and 17.23 – 209.09 mg/L for two-components homogenates: 29.41-132.35 mg/L and 31.05–113.10 mg/L for tri-components homogenates for spectrophotometric and titrimetric methods respectively. The results of dietary exposure and the health effects of excess vitamin C intake showed that children are more susceptible to health issues than adults in illnesses such as nausea, gastrointestinal pains, increased kidney stones and hyperactivity. Conclusion. There is therefore the need for a national recommended dietary allowance for total ascorbic acid (AA) in FAV homogenates from a stakeholder point of view in Nigeria.

Background: In a rapidly evolving educational landscape, blended learning is becoming an increasingly popular transition from traditional forms of learning and teaching to e-learning. It is therefore important that lecturers adapt their practice and transform their teaching in line with the online platform in use, as this has the potential to benefit students, lecturers and the institution alike. However, little research exists regarding the perspectives of nurse educators on the use of blended learning as a teaching method. Aim: The study aimed to explore and describe the perspectives of nurse educators on the use of blended learning as a teaching method at the Faculty of Health Sciences at a university in Namibia. Setting: The study was conducted at a public nurse education institution in Namibia. Methods: A qualitative exploratory, descriptive design that was contextual was applied to collect data from a convenient sample of 15 lecturers using semi-structured interviews. Results: Four themes emerged in this study, namely, understanding of blended learning, benefits of utilising blended learning, challenges of utilising blended learning, and recommendations to ensure effective use of blended learning. Conclusion: The study findings identified potential areas of both strengths and shortcomings in nurse educators’ use of blended learning as a teaching and learning strategy. Contribution: These findings may be used to develop ongoing strategies and targeted interventions that can strengthen nurse educators’ abilities to design learning environments that are conducive to blended learning.

Summary:. Augmentation mastopexy has attracted the attention of numerous authors seeking to improve surgical outcomes and ensure breast implant stability. The utilization of the dual plane technique with a lateral sling, pioneered by Ono and Karner, has demonstrated effectiveness in providing long-term implant support. However, challenges arise in cases of anatomical variations, such as a short pectoralis major (PM) muscle or chest, necessitating alternative approaches like the composite sling. This study presents a technique designed to elongate and broaden the lateral sling to enhance implant support. The composite sling incorporates components from the abdominal part of the PM muscle, the aponeurotic/muscular part of the external oblique muscle, and the cranial part of the rectus abdominis. Procedures were performed on 29 patients using the composite sling technique from July 2022 to October 2023. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 18 months (average of 11.89 months). The lateral sling approach was successfully extended to cases with a short PM muscle or chest, previously managed using the dual plane technique without inferolateral support. No increase in complications or implant displacements was observed compared with the original lateral sling approach. However, four reoperations addressed issues such as dog ears, scarring, and minor asymmetries. Consistent results were observed throughout the follow-up period, particularly in maintaining upper pole fullness and preventing lower pole ptosis. The composite sling approach provides a viable solution for cases where the original sling technique is impractical. Its implementation could broaden surgical options and optimize results, particularly in cases of unfavorable anatomy.

The issue of non-renewable energy scarcity has persisted over an extended period, primarily due to the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and the adverse effects of their utilization. This scarcity stems from the finite nature of fossil energy resources. The development of oil energy or biofuels aims to utilize oil-producing plants such as Jatropha curcas to develop alternative energy resources. However, metabolomic studies in Jatropha curcas are limited and need more investigations. Therefore, this research was essential to find biomarkers of metabolites among the fruit, leaf, and stem of Jatropha curcas using the GC-MS technique. We tested the metabolite profile with the R program, especially the metaboanalystR package, to determine fold change metabolite and pathway analysis. We found that 54 metabolites were detected in both fruit, leaf, and stem tissues of Jatropha curcas L, of which 19 metabolites were upregulated in the fruit, 20 metabolites in the leaf, and 15 up-regulated metabolites in the stem. The metabolites found formed three clusters based on correlation and networking metabolites analysis. The three clusters showed a relationship with the lipid biosynthesis pathway. In this study, provisional information was obtained that there was a different pattern of expression of metabolites between fruit, leaf, and stem tissues in Jatropha curcas, which was thought to be related to the critical metabolites of oleic acid and methylcyclohexane carboxylate in the biosynthetic pathway of fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids. This information is essential as an initial reference for genetic engineering Jatropha curcas so that it can be used to transform plants, especially lipid-producing plants, as a source of oil.

Introducción: Hasta el 85% de la población padecerá, al menos, un episodio de dolor lumbar a lo largo de su vida. Representa una de las principales quejas del personal de salud, y tiene una prevalencia anual del 77%; los traumatólogos tenemos múltiples factores de riesgo para desarrollar este cuadro. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la prevalencia de lumbalgia e identificar posibles factores asociados, en una muestra de médicos traumatólogos. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio analítico observacional transversal sobre el padecimiento de dolor lumbar en médicos especialistas en Ortopedia y Traumatología, miembros de la AAOT. El cuestionario se envió semanalmente durante un mes. Resultados: Se recibieron 393 respuestas, predominó el sexo masculino, y la media de la edad era de 46 años. Más del 50% de la muestra refirió sobrepeso, y el 43%, sedentarismo. La media de autopercepción de estrés laboral fue de 7. Un 86% afirmó haber sufrido, al menos, un episodio en el último año y un 38%, más de 4 episodios. Conclusiones: La prevalencia de lumbalgia fue alta. Predominaron los episodios agudos, no fueron necesarios estudios complementarios. Menos del 10% hizo reposo laboral. El hábito sedentario, el número de comorbilidades y la edad se asociaron con un riesgo más alto de sufrir >2 episodios de dolor.

Abstract Background Peri-sinus structures such as arachnoid granulations (AG) and the parasagittal dural (PSD) space have gained much recent attention as sites of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) egress and neuroimmune surveillance. Neurofluid circulation dysfunction may manifest as morphological changes in these structures, however, automated quantification of these structures is not possible and rather characterization often requires exogenous contrast agents and manual delineation. Methods We propose a deep learning architecture to automatically delineate the peri-sinus space (e.g., PSD and intravenous AG structures) using two cascaded 3D fully convolutional neural networks applied to submillimeter 3D T 2-weighted non-contrasted MRI images, which can be routinely acquired on all major MRI scanner vendors. The method was evaluated through comparison with gold-standard manual tracing from a neuroradiologist (n = 80; age range = 11–83 years) and subsequently applied in healthy participants (n = 1,872; age range = 5-100 years), using data from the Human Connectome Project, to provide exemplar metrics across the lifespan. Dice-Sørensen and a generalized linear model was used to assess PSD and AG changes across the human lifespan using quadratic restricted splines, incorporating age and sex as covariates. Results Findings demonstrate that the PSD and AG volumes can be segmented using T 2-weighted MRI with a Dice-Sørensen coefficient and accuracy of 80.7 and 74.6, respectively. Across the lifespan, we observed that total PSD volume increases with age with a linear interaction of gender and age equal to 0.9 cm3 per year (p

Abstract Background The choroid plexus functions as the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier, plays an important role in CSF production and circulation, and has gained increased attention in light of the recent elucidation of CSF circulation dysfunction in neurodegenerative conditions. However, methods for routinely quantifying choroid plexus volume are suboptimal and require technical improvements and validation. Here, we propose three deep learning models that can segment the choroid plexus from commonly-acquired anatomical MRI data and report performance metrics and changes across the adult lifespan. Methods Fully convolutional neural networks were trained from 3D T1-weighted, 3D T2-weighted, and 2D T2-weighted FLAIR MRI using gold-standard manual segmentations in control and neurodegenerative participants across the lifespan (n = 50; age = 21–85 years). Dice coefficients, 95% Hausdorff distances, and area-under-curve (AUCs) were calculated for each model and compared to segmentations from FreeSurfer using two-tailed Wilcoxon tests (significance criteria: p

Neural network-based nonlinear system identification is crucial for various multi-step ahead prediction tasks, including model predictive control and digital twins. These applications demand models that are not only accurate but also efficient in training and deployment. While current state-of-the-art neural network-based methods can identify accurate models, they often become prohibitively slow when scaled to achieve high accuracy, limiting their use in resource-constrained or time-critical applications. We propose FranSys, a Fast recurrent neural network-based method for multi-step ahead prediction in non-autoregressive System Identification. FranSys comprises three key innovations: 1) the first non-autoregressive RNN model structure for multi-step ahead prediction that enables much faster training and inference compared to autoregressive RNNs by separating state estimation and prediction into two specialized sub-models, 2) a state distribution alignment training technique that enhances generalizability and 3) a prediction horizon scheduling method that accelerates training by progressively increasing the prediction horizon. We evaluate FranSys on three publicly available benchmark datasets representing diverse systems, comparing its speed and accuracy against state-of-the-art RNN-based multi-step ahead prediction methods. The evaluation includes various prediction horizons, model sizes, and hyperparameter optimization settings, using both our own implementations and those from related work. Results demonstrate that FranSys is 10 to 100 times faster in training and inference with the same and often higher accuracy on test data than state-of-the-art RNN-based multi-step ahead prediction methods, particularly with long prediction horizons. This substantial speed improvement enables the application of larger neural network-based models with longer prediction horizons on resource-constrained systems in time-critical tasks, such as model predictive control and online learning of digital twins. The code of FranSys is publicly available.

Two new 2p–3d complexes, (Et3NH)[ML(hfac)2], have been obtained using the nitronyl-nitroxide radical (HL) derived from 2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-nitrobenzaldehyde (M = Mn 1; Co 2). The two compounds are isomorphous and their structures consist of anionic mononuclear species, [M(hfac)2L]−, M = Mn 1; Co 2, and triethylammonium cations, Et3NH+. The metal ions adopt an octahedral geometry, being coordinated by phenoxido and aminoxyl oxygen atoms from the ligand and four oxygen atoms from the hexafluoroacetylacetonato (hfac−) ligand. The cryomagnetic behaviors of the two compounds reveal relatively strong antiferromagnetic M(II)-Rad interactions (JMnRad = −191 cm−1, JCoRad = −166 cm−1 with H = −JSMSRad). The EPR spectra (X- and Q-band) of compound 1 below 70 K show the characteristical features of a S = 2 spin system with zero field splitting terms of D = 0.26 cm−1 and E = 0.031 cm−1.

This paper describes the study of a floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) blade in terms of its dynamic response due to structural damage and its repercussions on structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. Using a finite element model, natural frequencies and mode shapes were derived for both an undamaged and a damaged blade configuration. A 35% reduction in stiffness at node 1 was applied in order to simulate significant damage. Concretely, the results are that the intact blade has a fundamental frequency of 0.16 Hz, and this does not change when damaged, while higher modes exhibit frequency changes: mode 2 drops from 2.05 Hz to 2.00 Hz and mode 3 from 6.15 Hz to 6.01 Hz. The shifts show a critical loss in the capability of handling vibrational energy due to the damage; higher modes (4, 5, and 6) show larger frequency deviations going down to as low as 18.06 Hz in mode 6. The mode shape change is considerable for the edge-wise and flap-wise deflection of the 2D contour plots, indicating possible coupling effects between modes. These results indicate that lower modes are sensitive to stiffness reductions, and the continuous monitoring of the lower harmonic modes early is required to detect damages. These studies have helped to improve blade design, maintenance, and operational safety for FOWT systems.

Objectives: To determine the relationship between lipoprotein particle size/number with hepatic steatosis (HS), given its association with traditional lipoproteins and coronary atherosclerosis. Methods: Individuals with available CT data and blood samples enrolled in the PROMISE trial were studied. HS was defined based on CT attenuation. Lipoprotein particle size/number were measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used for dimensionality reduction. The association of PCA factors and individual lipoprotein particle size/number with HS were assessed in multivariable regression models. Associations were validated in an independent cohort of 59 individuals with histopathology defined HS. Results: Individuals with HS (n=410/1,509) vs those without (n=1,099/1,509), were younger (59±8 vs 61±8 years) and less often females (47.6 % vs 55.9 %). All PCA factors were associated with HS: factor 1 (OR:1.36, 95 %CI:1.21–1.53), factor 3 (OR:1.75, 95 %CI:1.53–2.02) and factor 4 (OR:1.49; 95 %CI:1.32–1.68) were weighted heavily with small low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride-rich (TRL) particles, while factor 2 (OR:0.86, 95 %CI:0.77–0.97) and factor 5 (OR:0.74, 95 %CI:0.65–0.84) were heavily loaded with high density lipoprotein (HDL) and larger LDL particles. These observations were confirmed with the analysis of individual lipoprotein particles in PROMISE. In the validation cohort, association between HS and large TRL (OR: 8.16, 95 %CI:1.82–61.98), and mean sizes of TRL- (OR: 2.82, 95 %CI:1.14–9.29) and HDL (OR:0.35, 95 %CI:0.13–0.72) were confirmed. Conclusions: Large TRL, mean sizes of TRL-, and HDL were associated with radiographic and histopathologic HS. The use of lipoprotein particle size/number could improve cardiovascular risk assessment in HS.

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended for people who are at substantial risk of HIV infection, in conjunction with other HIV prevention tools and strategies. Unfortunately, the uptake of PrEP among potential users in Namibia’s Okongo district is low. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore and describe the factors that hinder the uptake of HIV PrEP by potential users at the Okongo District Hospital in Namibia. Method: A qualitative exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was used. The study sought to understand the factors hindering uptake of HIV PrEP by potential users in the peri-urban setting of Okongo District Hospital, Namibia. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for this study, with qualitative data being gathered from semi-structured interviews with 20 potential PrEP users. The data were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Participants reported numerous factors hindering uptake, including level of understanding, non-compliance on the part of the health department, distances, and attitudes. Additionally, participants maintained that health workers do not put enough effort into educating patients in the different hospital departments about PrEP, and sometimes there is insufficient stock of the medicine, both of which hinder PrEP uptake. Conclusion: Despite the PrEP rollout, multiple obstacles continue to hinder PrEP uptake, especially in the outskirts of Okongo district. This study recognises that there is a need to work hand in hand with the support systems of both potential users.

Background: Despite the efforts of Namibia’s Ministry of Health and Social Services to build maternity waiting homes (MWHs), few pregnant women make use of them. Long distances among the general population in Namibia limit the utilisation of MWHs. Little research has investigated what factors are limiting the use of these facilities despite the urgent need for them. The aim of this study thus was to explore and describe the perspectives of pregnant women on the utilisation of the MWHs near Onandjokwe Lutheran Hospital in Oshikoto Region. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was employed. The accessible population in this study comprised 18 participants who were selected for the study using a purposive sampling technique. Results: Participants reported numerous barriers to visiting MWHs in Namibia, including an inadequate number of rooms, theft, food scarcity and the effects of poverty on the living conditions of the MWH users. Enablers visiting MWHs included the safe delivery of babies by skilled staff, reduced transport costs, access to timely management of labour complications and affordable accommodation. Conclusion: The study revealed that a number of barriers must be overcome before the desired number of women take advantage of MWHs. Multiple factors act as constraints to their use, including inadequate number of rooms, theft, food scarcity and the long distance between patients’ homes and MWH services. Contribution: The study’s findings can be used to develop targeted interventions and strategies that can be used by MWH providers to address the identified barriers.

Implementing a cropping intensity program with rice cultivation four times a year (CI 400) can be achieved using early maturing varieties of rice. However, this development needs to pay attention to the adaptability of the varieties planted to ensure successful implementation. The adaptability approach is a combination of assessing stability and productivity potential. This concept has been developed and applied in several studies, including research on rice. However, this approach is considered less comprehensive because it is non-parametric and only focuses on one stability analysis. Therefore, a systematic integration of various stability analyses, including index methods, is needed to comprehensively assess adaptability, particularly for early-maturing rice in South Sulawesi. This region is characterized by a dynamic climate zone and is one of the top four highest rice producers in Indonesia. Meanwhile, this study aims to develop a comprehensive adaptability index and select the best early-maturing rice varieties, especially in South Sulawesi. The investigation was conducted in Bone, Soppeng, and Gowa over two seasons using a nested randomized complete block design, with organized replications in each environment (location-season). Additionally, there was a significant focus on the application of five early-maturing and two check rice varieties, with each factor repeated three times at each location, totaling 126 experimental units. The results showed that the adaptability index, by combining stability rank accumulation with yield min max standardization, was effective at assessing the yield potential and stability of early-maturing rice varieties in supporting CI 400. Inpari 13 had the best index value at 0.55, followed by Cakrabuana at 0.31; hence both were recommended as adaptive early-maturing rice varieties, especially in South Sulawesi.

ObjectivesBisphosphonates (BFs) show clinical effectiveness in managing osteoporosis and bone metastases but pose risks of bisphosphonate-related jaw osteonecrosis (BRONJ). With no established gold standard for BRONJ treatment, our focus is on symptom severity reduction. We aimed to assess the preventive effects of bioactive glass and/or pericardial membrane in a preclinical BRONJ model, evaluating their potential to prevent osteonecrosis and bone loss post-tooth extractions in zoledronic acid (ZA)-treated animals.MethodsRats, receiving ZA or saline biweekly for four weeks, underwent 1st and 2nd lower left molar extractions. Pericardial membrane alone or with F18 bioglass was applied post-extractions. Microarchitecture analysis and bone loss assessment utilized computerized microtomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-FDG and 18F-NaF tracers. Histological analysis evaluated bone injury.ResultsExclusive alveolar bone loss occurred post-extraction in the continuous ZA group, inducing osteonecrosis, osteolysis, osteomyelitis, and abscess formation. Concurrent pericardial membrane with F18 bioglass application prevented these outcomes. Baseline PET/CT scans showed no discernible uptake differences, but post-extraction 18F-FDG tracer imaging revealed heightened glucose metabolism at the extraction site in the ZA-treated group with membrane, contrasting the control group.ConclusionThese findings suggest pericardial membrane with F18 bioglass effectively prevents BRONJ in the preclinical model.

Background: Globally, enrolled nurses (ENs) are embarking on an educational journey to become registered nurses (RNs) in order to enhance their knowledge and career opportunities. However, their aspiration is not without challenges. In Namibia, the experiences of these nurses have not been extensively researched. Objectives: This study aims to explore and describe the experiences and challenges of ENs undertaking a Bachelor of Nursing Science at the University of Namibia. Method: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research strategy was followed as the basis of conducting the study. A sample of 15 nursing students was purposively selected from the target population of 73 nursing students. This sample size was determined by the saturation of data as reflected in repeating themes. The collected data were analysed thematically using an inductive approach. Results: Three main themes subsequently emerged from the study: ENs’ positive experiences advancing in the Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) programme; nurses’ negative experiences advancing in the BNSc programme; and recommendations to ensure effective advancement in the BNSc programme Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that ENs positively experience becoming a RN when it comes to self-development; however, they have negative experiences such as not receiving exemptions for prior learning and having to learn a new curriculum. Contribution: These findings may be used by the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing and Public Health management in order to develop targeted interventions and ongoing strategies during their curriculum review cycles to ensure positive student experiences and success within the programme.

Background: The issue of the mode of entry to nursing programmes and its effect on student success is a key concern among researchers globally. Identifying the mode of entry, which has the potential to improve academic success, decrease the failure rate and lead to the successful completion of a degree, is crucial to increase the nursing workforce. Aim: The objectives of this study were to assess the association of mode of entry to a nursing programme on student success among undergraduate students. Setting: The study was conducted at a public nursing education institution (NEIs) in the northeast of Namibia. Method: A retrospective multi-cohort study was conducted to assess the association of mode of entry on student success. Academic outcomes were analysed, observing two cohorts of nursing students. Results: Results show that 76.2% (f = 16) of mature-age entry students and 53.7% (f = 29) of direct entry students completed their programme on time. However, 42.1% (f = 8) of access students were expected to return. Female students 56.8% (f = 25) and male students 56.0% (f = 28) completed on time. There was no significant relationship between the mode of entry and completion status with p 0.05, respectively. Conclusion: A higher percentage of mature-age entry students was found to complete their studies on time than direct entry and English access entry students. Contribution: These findings could be used in the revision of student recruitment strategies to select nursing students who are more likely to achieve the best academic outcomes.

Root restriction, reduced growth and poor yield due to an insufficient quantity of soil are the major limitations of pot-grown maize (Zea mays L.). Hence, to determine the actual quantity of soil required for optimal growth and yield performances of pot-grown maize, two maize varieties; BR9943 DMR-SR (yellow) and BR9928 DMR-SR (white), were evaluated in pots of 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 kg of topsoil in a 2 x 4 factorial (r = 4) using complete randomised design at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan, Nigeria. Data were collected on plant height (PHT), leaf area (LA), cob length (CBT), number of kernels per row (K/R), number of rows per cob (R/C), number of kernels per cob (K/C) and total grain weight (TGW). The results obtained showed that all the evaluated parameters were significantly different at P < 0.05 across the soil weights. Maize planted in 30 kg of soil had the highest LA (774.25 cm2), R/C (15.25), K/C (405.62) and TGW (73.84 g), compared with maize planted in 5 kg and 10 kg soils. Plant height and CBT were highest when 40 kg of soil was used. The maize varieties BR9928 DMR-SR (yellow) and BR9943 DMR-SR (white) were not significantly different across the growth and yield parameters except for LA, where the yellow maize (651.91 cm2) had a substantially higher LA than the white maize variety (588.19 cm2). Based on the results of this study, 30 kg of topsoil is recommended for optimum growth and yield performances of pot-grown maize.

Abstract 3D printing is envisioned to play an important role in the production of membranes for e.g., water purification and bio-separation applications due to the prospect of creating new and cleverly designed structures. Among different 3D printing techniques, direct ink writing offers the opportunity to print a wide variety of materials with high-detail resolution. There is a range of parameters that need to be optimized in order to develop robust printing techniques at that scale. In this study, cellulose acetate (CA), which is a biocompatible material, has been used as an ink. In order to examine the printability and the possibility of printing features as small as a few µm, nozzles with different diameters and inks with varying amounts and molecular weights of CA were investigated. Findings in this study indicate that, depending on the wetting on the underlaying structure, the nozzle's internal and external diameter affects the detail resolution of the printed structure. Different inks result in different widths of printed strands and generally a higher amount and higher molecular weights of CA results in higher detail resolution. However, too high amount of CA and molecular weight will increase the clogging risk in the nozzle. In this study, the internal size of the nozzle was 3 µm, and by selecting a suitable ink, it was possible to print strands down to 1 µm size and 6 µm inter-strand distance in the air, bridging supports with limited sagging. Furthermore, wall structures consisting of 300 layers, corresponding to about 300 µm in total height, were successfully printed.

Carbothermal reduction using biochar (BC) is a green and effective method of synthesizing BC-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nanoFe0) composites. However, the effect of BC surface area on the structure, distribution, and performance such as the heavy metal uptake capacity of nanoFe0 particles remains unclear. Soybean stover-based BCs with different surface areas (1.7 − 1 472 m2/g) were prepared in this study. They have been used for in-situ synthesis BCs-supported nanoFe0 particles through carbothermal reduction of ferrous chloride. The BCs-supported nanoFe0 particles were found to be covered with graphene shells and dispersed onto BC surfaces, forming the BC-supported graphene-encapsulated nanoFe0 (BC-G@Fe0) composite. These graphene shells covering the nanoFe0 particles were formed because of gaseous carbon evolved from biomass carbonization reacting with iron oxides/iron salts. Increasing BC surface area decreased the average diameters of nanoFe0 particles, indicating a higher BC surface area alleviated the aggregation of nanoFe0 particles, which resulted in higher heavy metal uptake capacity. At the optimized condition, BC-G@Fe0 composite exhibited uptake capacities of 124.4, 121.8, 254.5, and 48.0 mg/g for Cu2+, Pb2+, Ag+, and As3+, respectively (pH 5, 25 °C). Moreover, the BC-G@Fe0 composite also demonstrated high stability for Cu2+ removal from the fixed-bed continuous flow, in which 1 g of BC-G@Fe0 can work for 120 h in a 4 mg/L Cu2+ flow continually and clean 28.6 L Cu2+ contaminated water. Furthermore, the BC-G@Fe0 composite can effectively immobilize the bioavailable As3+ from the contaminated soil, i.e., 5% (w) of BC-G@Fe0 composite addition can immobilize up to 92.2% bioavailable As3+ from the contaminated soil.

We consider certain class of second order nonlinear nonautonomous delay differential equations of the form a(t)x^{\prime\prime} + b(t)g(x,x^\prime) + c(t)h(x(t-r))m(x^\prime) = p(t,x,x^\prime) and (a(t)x^\prime)^\prime+ b(t)g(x,x^\prime) + c(t)h(x(t-r))m(x^\prime) = p(t,x,x^\prime), where $a$, $b$, $c$, $g$, $h$, $m$ and $p$ are real valued functions which depend at most on the arguments displayed explicitly and $r$ is a positive constant. Different forms of the integral inequality method were used to investigate the boundedness of all solutions and their derivatives. Here, we do not require construction of the Lyapunov-Krasovskiǐ functional to establish our results. This work extends and improve on some results in the literature.

BACKGROUND: Academic self-efficacy refers to the student’s beliefs and attitudes toward their capabilities to achieve academic success, as well as belief in their ability to fulfil academic tasks and the successful learning of the materials. The influence of dyslexia on academic self-efficacy and psychological distress among Nigerian students is underresearched in this study. This study investigated the relationship between dyslexia, psychological distress, and academic self-efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A total of 460 undergraduates purposively drawn from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, of over 10,000 undergraduate population, with a mean age of 26 ± 5 years, responded to the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, the dyslexia adult checklist, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, and Adult Reading History Questionnaire. Data were analyzed descriptively, and the regression analysis and T-tests were used for statistical analysis, with a significance threshold of P < 0.05. RESULTS: The results showed that dyslexia is a significant predictor of academic self-efficacy (β = 0.34, t = 7.31, P < 0.01). Dyslexia strongly predicted performance in examination [β = 0.32, F = 48.18, P = 0.00], comprehension [β = 0.32, F = 33.54, P = 0.00], school adjustment [β = 0.32, F = 35.86, P = 0.00], reading skill [β = 0.21, F = 18.65, P = 0.00], working memory [β = 0.26, F = 28.5, P = 0.00], and time management [β = 0.21, F = 19.8, P = 0.00] among the undergraduates. In addition, dyslexia significantly predicted psychological distress [t 41) = 1.40, P = 0.65]. Gender had no significant influence on academic self-efficacy and psychological distress among the participants [t 41) = 1.33, P = 0.19]. CONCLUSION: Dyslexia is a strong predictor of academic self-efficacy and psychological distress. Male and female Nigerian undergraduates have similar academic self-efficacy and psychological distress.

A conventional hydrocyclones is a versatile equipment with a high processing capacity and low maintenance cost. Currently, several studies aim to alter the typical structure of the conventional hydrocyclone in order to modify its performance and purpose. For this, filtering hydrocyclones have emerged, where a porous membrane replaces the conic or cylindrical wall. During the operation of this equipment, in addition to the traditionally observed streams (feed, underflow, and overflow), there is a liquid stream resulting from the filtration process, commonly referred to as filtrate. This work proposes to numerically investigate the solid particle/liquid water separation process in a filtering hydrocyclone using the commercial software Ansys CFX® 15.0. The proposed mathematical model for the study considers three-dimensional, steady state and turbulent flow, using the Eulerian–Eulerian approach and the Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model. This study presents and analyzes the volume fraction, velocity, and pressure fields, along with flowlines and velocity profiles. The results indicate that the proposed model effectively captures the fluid dynamic behavior within the filtering hydrocyclone, highlighting higher pressures near the porous membrane and a higher concentration of solid particles in the conical region, with water being more concentrated in the cylindrical part of the hydrocyclone. Additionally, the findings show that the volumetric flow rate of the filtrate significantly influences the internal flow dynamics, with conventional hydrocyclones demonstrating higher pressure gradients compared to the proposed filtering hydrocyclone.

Abstract Quantitative isotopic paleoaltimetry has been applied in regions where Rayleigh distillation controls isotopic lapse rates. Air mass mixing and moisture recycling are viewed as complicating factors. We show here that, because of such effects, a cross‐Andean transect of meteoric water δD values precisely marks the geographic position of the Western Cordillera crest. This modern water signal is also recorded in Pliocene‐Pleistocene hydrated volcanic glass δD values. δD values between the Pacific coast and Western Cordillera exhibit no trend up to 2.5 km elevation and 100 km inboard, consistent with an arid climate in which Amazonian moisture is topographically blocked and Pacific moisture is efficiently recycled. The result is a large δD lapse rate (−98‰/km) and an abrupt horizontal δD shift (2‰/km) at the Western Cordillera crest. Therefore, we conclude that cross‐orogen δD transects could locate the ancient Western Cordillera crest.

Abstract Mountains near the equator have very unique temperature regimes due to the tropical latitude and alpine altitude. How climate change will impact these temperature regimes is not clear as there are so few temperature records in these environments. This study attempts to characterize the near‐surface air and ground temperature regime for the Teleki Valley (3,200–4,200 m. a.s.l) on the western slope of Mount Kenya using a set of six temperature loggers placed at 200 m elevation intervals. Temperature was recorded at 30 min intervals from September 2021 to October 2022. The mean diurnal temperature range varied from 6°C to 14°C, with maximum daily swings in excess of 25°C. There was a distinct seasonality in temperature, with a hot season during the months of January‐March, where it was roughly 3°C warmer than the coolest months. Diurnal temperature swings were also highest in March. This seasonality is driven by radiation and moisture: higher radiation during the vernal equinox combined with clear skies during the dry season made for higher temperatures. Elevation was the dominant spatial gradient determining temperature regimes, but rock and vegetation cover played a large role in modifying near‐surface air and ground temperature. The highest elevation logger (4,200 m. a.s.l), measuring ground temperature, showed muted seasonal and diurnal swings, creating for warmer temperatures than lower elevation loggers. This demonstrates the importance of thermal refugia at these high elevations. This also makes predictions of plant and animal responses to climate change difficult, as uniform upward shifts would not necessarily maintain thermal niches.

This study uses inflorescence stalk node as explants to establish an efficient and quick Phalaenopsis orchids cloning procedure for the most significant monopodial orchid in floriculture, without callus formation. The current study aimed to develop a rapid and easy regeneration process utilizing flower stalk nodes as explants, while also evaluating the clonal fidelity of the in vitro micropropagated plants through the analysis of RAPD markers. The tissue-cultured plantlets were grown on a solidified half-strength Murashig and Skoog (MS) base medium enriched with 15% coconut water (CW), 150 mg L−1 activated charcoal, and a mixture of 6-benzylaminopurine, BAP (cytokinins) and α-napthalene acetic acid, NAA and indole 3-butyric acid, IBA (auxins). After 14 weeks of growth, the early production of shoot bud was reported in ½ MS medium enriched with 2.5 mg L−1 BAP alone. Maximum shoot bud multiplication was observed in ½ MS fortified with BAP (2.5 mg L−1) + NAA (1.0 mg L−1), while the lowest was observed in 1.5 mg L−1 BAP + 0.5 mg L−1 IBA after 4 months of culturing. In this investigation, roots emerged simultaneously with shoot elongation from the axil, indicating the absence of a distinct rooting stage. The largest number of roots (3.25) was produced by BAP (2.5 mg L−1) + IBA (1.0 mg L−1) compared to NAA. Control, on the other hand, displayed no signs of root growth. Tissue cultured plantlets with well developed root systems while planted in a potting mixture of brick and charcoal (1: 1) resulted in a 70% survival rate during hardening. The clonal faithfulness of in vitro regenerated crop plantlets to the mother plant was demonstrated by the DNA extraction method with ten micropropagated plants’ young leaves as well as the mother plant using random amplification of a polymorphic DNA marker.

The present work reports the influence of the presence of different ions (Cl−, Br−, NO3−, or SO42−) on the formation and proprieties of Cu(II) complexes with pyridoxal-benzoylhydrazone (PLBHZ). Four new complexes were successfully synthesized, [CuCl2(PLBHZ)] (1), [CuBr2(PLBHZ)] (2), [CuCl(PLBHZ)H2O]⋅NO3⋅H2O (3), and [CuSO4(PLBHZ)H2O]⋅3H2O (4), and characterized by spectroscopic and physicochemical methods. A single-crystal X-ray study reveals the Schiff base coordinated to the metal center tridentate by the ONS-donor system, resulting in distorted square pyramidal coordination geometries. Noncovalent interactions were investigated by 3D Hirshfeld surface analysis by the dnorm function, 2D fingerprint plots, and full interaction maps. The ion exchange is important in forming three-dimensional networks with π⋅⋅⋅π stacking interactions and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The in vitro biological activity of the free ligand and metal complexes was evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains and the free pyridoxal-hydrazone ligand showed higher activity than their Cu(II) complexes. Molecular docking was used to predict the inhibitory activity of the ligand and complexes against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria.

The West Africa One Health project is a multi-country project designed to utilise the One Health approach and deploy the Community Action Networks (CAN), a concept rooted in the principles of community-based participatory research, to improve knowledge of high-risk communities on zoonoses. The majority of emerging zoonoses occur at the human-wildlife interface, of which wildlife hunters and traders are critical stakeholders. We assessed the effectiveness of a CAN-based intervention involving the use of a video documentary and case studies as model tools in improving the knowledge of zoonoses among wildlife hunters and traders in Epe, an established hunting community in Lagos State, Nigeria. A single-group pre-post design involving a total of 39 consenting registered wildlife stakeholders was adopted. A pre-tested, semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on the participant's sociodemographic characteristics, awareness level, and knowledge of zoonoses pre and post CAN-based intervention. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics McNemar and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests at a 5% level of significance. The mean age of the participants was 46.7 ± 10.9 years. Most (76.9%) identified as male and had at least secondary education (89.7%). The number of participants who were aware that diseases could be contracted from animals and that it could be through inhalation and close contact increased significantly from 13 (33.3%), 2 (5.1%), and 9 (23.1%) pre-intervention to 37 (94.9%), 11 (28.2%), and 21 (53.8%) post-intervention, respectively. The overall median knowledge score increased significantly from 1 (Interquartile range (IQR): 0-2) pre-intervention to 3 (IQR: 2-4) post-intervention. The CAN-based intervention involving the use of a video documentary and case studies as model tools was effective in improving the knowledge of zoonoses among wildlife hunters and traders in the hunting community and may be beneficial for future practice.

Introduction: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, with a global prevalence exceeding 95%, typically manifests in children as infectious mononucleosis. However, clinical practice frequently encounters diverse atypical presentations characterized by multisystem involvement, often resulting in an unfavorable clinical course. Our objective is to describe the clinical manifestations and results of EBV infection in a tertiary pediatric hospital in Mexico. Method: An observational, transversal, retrospective, and descriptive study that included a systematic review of medical records (2012-2022) of patients under 18 years of age with detectable EBV particles in peripheral blood. Results: The study included 26 patients with a median age of 5 years and a male predominance of 53.8%. Predominant symptoms were fever (85%) and lymphadenopathy (35%). Sixty-five percent had severe and atypical manifestations, including pneumonia and hepatic, hematologic-oncologic, and autoimmune diseases. Anemia, thrombocytopenia and leukopenia were common, with lymphocytosis in 19% of cases. The median EBV viral load was 2816 copies/mL (range: 555-355,500 copies/mL). Four deaths related to EBV infection were reported. Viral load in these cases also varied widely from 594 to 121,000 copies/mL. Supportive care was administered to 85% of patients, while others received antiviral treatment, steroids, and rituximab. Conclusion: Atypical manifestations were common, especially in children with multisystem involvement. EBV should be considered as a potential contributor to a diverse spectrum of clinical presentations, emphasizing the need for comprehensive evaluation and awareness in clinical diagnosis.

Background: Osteoarthritis is a frequent rheumatic disease. Some single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the gene associated with fat mass and obesity are associated with increased body mass index and knee osteoarthritis. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the association of single nucleotide polymorphism rs1477196 of the fat mass and obesity gene with primary knee osteoarthritis. Methods: This observational and cross-sectional study included 347 Mexican participants. We performed the genotypification analysis with TaqMan® probe C_2031262_10 for rs1477196 (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Multivariate analysis included covariables such as age, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and postmenopause. Results: Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and postmenopause were associated with primary knee osteoarthritis in female participants. We did not find an association between rs1477196 and obesity. In the codominant and dominant genetic models, rs1477196 was significantly associated with primary knee osteoarthritis only in the female group, including in the model adjusted by other covariables (odds ratio = 2.517; 1.035-6.123; p = 0.042 and odds ratio = 2.387; 1.054-5.407; p = 0.037, respectively). The interaction between rs1477196 and obesity was significantly associated with primary knee osteoarthritis in female participants (p = 0.039 and p = 0.043). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the rs1477196 variant of the fat and obesity mass gene may be associated with the risk of primary knee osteoarthritis in women.

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in high levels of morbidity and mortality world-wide, and severe complications can occur in older populations. Humoral immunity induced by authorized vaccines wanes within 6 months, and frequent boosts may only offer transient protection. GRT-R910 is an investigational self-amplifying mRNA (samRNA)-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine delivering full-length Spike and selected conserved non-Spike T cell epitopes. This study reports interim analyses for a phase I open-label dose-escalation trial evaluating GRT-R910 in previously vaccinated healthy older adults (NCT05148962). Primary endpoints of safety and tolerability were assessed. Most solicited local and systemic adverse events (AEs) following GRT-R910 dosing were mild to moderate and transient, and no treatment-related serious AEs were observed. The secondary endpoint of immunogenicity was assessed via IgG binding assays, neutralization assays, interferon-gamma ELISpot, and intracellular cytokine staining. Neutralizing antibody titers against ancestral Spike and variants of concern were boosted or induced by GRT-R910 and, contrasting to authorized vaccines, persisted through at least 6 months after the booster dose. GRT-R910 increased and/or broadened functional Spike-specific T cell responses and primed functional T cell responses to conserved non-Spike epitopes. This study is limited due to small sample size, and additional data from ongoing studies will be required to corroborate these interim findings.

One takes advantage of some basic properties of every homotopic \(\lambda\)-model (e.g. extensional Kan complex) to explore the higher \(\beta\eta\)-conversions, which would correspond to proofs of equality between terms of a theory of equality of any extensional Kan complex. Besides, Identity types based on computational paths are adapted to a type-free theory with higher \(\lambda\)-terms, whose equality rules would be contained in the theory of any \(\lambda\)-homotopic model.

Railway infrastructure is generally classified as either fixed or movable infrastructure assets. Failure in any of the assets could lead to the complete shutdown and disruption of the entire system, economic loss, inconvenience to passengers and the train operating company(s), and can sometimes result in death or injury in the event of the derailment of the rolling stock. Considering the importance of the railway infrastructure assets, it is only necessary to continuously explore their behavior, reliability, and safety. In this paper, a proactive multi-criteria decision-making model that is based on an interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set and some reliability quantitative parameters has been proposed for the evaluation of the reliability of the infrastructure assets. Results from the evaluation show that the failure mode ‘Broken and defective rails’ has the most risk and reliability concerns. Hence, priority should be given to the failure mode to avoid a total system collapse.

Summary: Background: Autochthonous transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV) has been reported in 87 countries since 2015. Although most infections are mild, there is risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Vaccines are urgently needed to prevent Zika, but sufficient understanding of humoral responses and tools to assess ZIKV-specific immunity are lacking. Methods: We developed a blockade-of-binding (BOB) ELISA using A9E and G9E, two strongly neutralising ZIKV-specific monoclonal antibodies, which do not react with dengue virus. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis assessed A9E and G9E BOB serodiagnostic performance. BOB was then applied to samples from a surveillance cohort in Risaralda, Colombia, and phase 1 ZIKV vaccine trial samples, comparing results against traditional serologic tests. Findings: In the validation sample set (n = 120), A9E BOB has a sensitivity of 93.5% (95% CI: 79.3, 98.9) and specificity 97.8 (95% CI: 92.2, 99.6). G9E BOB had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 89.0, 100.0) and specificity 100% (95% CI: 95.9, 100). Serum from natural infections consistently tested positive in these assays for up to one year, and reactivity tracks well with ZIKV infection status among sera from endemic areas with complicated flavivirus exposures. Interestingly, a leading ZIKV vaccine candidate elicited minimal BOB reactivity despite generating neutralising antibody responses. Interpretation: In conclusion, A9E and G9E BOB assays are sensitive and specific assays for detecting antibodies elicited by recent or remote ZIKV infections. Given the additional ability of these BOB assays to detect immune responses that target different epitopes, further development of these assays is well justified for applications including flavivirus surveillance, translational vaccinology research and as potential serologic correlates of protective immunity against Zika. Funding: R21 AI129532 (PI: S. Becker-Dreps), CDC BAA 2017-N-18041 (PI: A. M. de Silva), Thrasher Fund (PI: M. H. Collins), K22 AI137306 (PI: M. H. Collins).

AbstractSerialization technology was introduced to protect the pharmaceutical supply chain from falsified and substandard medicines infiltration. The implementation of serialization systems required a substantial investment by pharmaceutical manufacturers. This study investigated the impact of Serialisation on operational efficiency and productivity in the pharmaceutical industry. A literature review demonstrated limited publications on Serialisation concerning its costs and effects on packing line operational efficiency and productivity. Therefore, a literature review was carried out to assess the relationship between Serialisation, operational efficiency, and productivity. The study revealed that Serialisation had the potential to impact pack line Operational Equipment Effectiveness negatively and line availability, as well as the unit cost of packaged pharmaceuticals and that actual capital costs of Serialisation were greater than the costs originally outlined by policymakers. In addition, the study identified a trend where pharmaceutical sites move away from smaller batch production and toward larger batches to gain greater efficiencies. This is the first study of Serialisation literature from a manufacturing viewpoint.

The excessive intake and bioaccumulation of sodium fluoride (NaF) through water, toothpaste or pesticides could trigger cardiac oxidative stress. The effects of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) fractions on biochemical markers of the heart in NaF-induced rats. Thirty male and female rats were grouped into five: Normal control (NC) received water only, Sodium fluoride (NaF, 300 mg L−1), the others were exposed to 300 mg L−1 NaF while the treated animals received100 mg kg−1d−1 of aqueous, n-hexane and butanol -H. sabdariffa (AQE-HS, HEE-HS, BTE-HS) fractions orally for 14 days respectively. This study revealed that NaF exposure increases TBARS, TC, TG, LDL-c, AI, AC, CRI-I, CRI-II and arginase activity with a decrease in catalase, GST, SOD, GSH, HDL-c, and NO level whilethe HS treatment stimulates antioxidant production which eventually reduce oxidative stress. The AQE-HS suppressed TBARS, lipid profile, and cardiac indices. Therefore, bioactive constituent of HS attenuates NAF-induced cardiac oxidative stress.

Background: COVID-19 made it mandatory for Namibian education institutions to transition from traditional face-to-face classroom learning to online learning. Minimal time was available to prepare nursing students to adopt this model of learning, which subsequently influenced their learning experiences. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore and describe nursing students’ experiences regarding their preparedness to migrate to online learning during the COVID-19 lockdown at a public university in Namibia. Setting: Semi-structured interviews were conducted in English at the public university in Kavango East, Namibia. Methods: A qualitative approach utilising an exploratory and descriptive design was used. Convenience sampling and a semi-structured interview guide was used to assess the experiences of undergraduate nursing students. Data saturation was achieved after 15 interviews. ATLAS.ti 8 software assisted with management of data that was analysed inductively following the six steps of thematic analysis. Results: The following themes emerged from analysis of the data: (1) students’ readiness to migrate to online learning; (2) challenges faced by nursing students during the migration to online learning; and (3) strategies to support the transition from face-to-face to online learning. Conclusion: The study’s findings show that the student nurses were unprepared for online learning due to lack of skills and the ability to use technology to navigate online learning platforms. Access to online learning was also hampered by poor Internet connectivity and unreliable electronic devices. Contribution: These findings may be used to develop targeted interventions and strategies to mitigate challenges faced during transition from face-to-face to online learning.