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Within the social sciences, there is a wealth of literature that examines the challenges and ethical dilemmas encountered by researchers in conceptualising, conducting and understanding their research. In this article, we share our reflections on experiences we encountered carrying out a qualitative evaluation of a prison gardening intervention with male substance misusing prisoners. Our aim is to suggest that there is much we can gain when researchers engage in a process of reflexivity, which includes consideration to the intersection of identity of the researcher, the researched and the forces of various kinds, operating upon and within such situations. As such, here we share our fieldwork experiences and shed light on how, for us, the evaluation was a subjective, power-laden, emotional, embodied experience. We highlight how a human geographer and a sociologist working as part of a multidisciplinary evaluation team encountered issues associated with choices in terms of how we conduct our work, the emotional labour expended and how we had to assume both chosen and imposed identities. We have been challenged to consider and reflect upon aspects of gender, class, age and professional status throughout our research experience, with the ‘researched’ and between the ‘researchers’. Finally, we suggest that embarking on qualitative research in a prison setting is an outcome of complex negotiations, but in theorising our subjectivities is a means of illuminating issues that often remain invisible within prison research.

Abstract Elephantiasis, also known as lymphatic filariasis (LF), is a debilitating condition characterized by the thickening of the skin and muscles, primarily affecting the limbs, genitalia, and female breasts. Lymphatic filariasis is a major global health concern, affecting approximately 120 million people worldwide and having a significant impact on people's quality of life, mobility, and socio-economic status. Although LF is endemic in many parts of the world, including Africa, it is a neglected issue in Southern Africa, with little information available. According to the World Health Organisation, approximately 882.5 million people in 44 countries worldwide are at risk of contracting LF, making it the second most common vector-borne disease after malaria. The primary goal of this review was to assess the prevalence of elephantiasis in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Lymphatic filariasis is endemic in four of the sixteen SADC countries, three countries have administered MDA to the population that required it and they are now under post-intervention surveillance, while LF is no longer a public health problem in Malawi. Global efforts to eliminate LF have been hampered by the non-availability of MDA in some SADC countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Despite the implementation of mass drug administration programs, a review of the literature reveals gaps in knowledge about LF prevalence cases in SADC countries. Each country faces unique challenges and successes in combating LF due to varying levels of available data and healthcare infrastructure. Some SADC countries continue to bear the burden of LF-related diseases, necessitating ongoing disease prevention and elimination efforts. This review emphasizes the importance of ongoing research, data collection, and novel policies to combat the spread of elephantiasis disease in the SADC region and beyond.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus poses major health risks due to increased vulnerability to infections stemming from weakened immune systems and physiological complications. With antimicrobial resistance worsening prognosis, diabetic infections affecting multiple body systems present critical treatment challenges. This review examines the antimicrobial properties of alternative medicines used in the management of diabetic infections and addresses the apparent research gap in this area. Method: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on databases (PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar) using specified keywords. Exclusion criteria removed non-relevant articles, resulting in the selection of articles published between 2012 and 2023, focusing on medicinal plants, polyherbal formulations, and antimicrobial effects against pathogens associated with diabetic infections. Results: The study revealed a significant research gap regarding the use of alternative medicines for diabetic infection treatment, as only 14 articles published between 2012 and 2023 were relevant to this review. Selected articles primarily addressed wound infections (39 %), diabetic foot ulcers (28 %), foot infections (17 %), urinary tract 11 %), and skin infections (5 %). Commonly used medicinal plants include Curcuma longa, Azadirachta indica, Zingiber officinale, and Glycyrrhiza glabra among others. The alternative medicines demonstrated significant antimicrobial potential against common microorganisms associated with diabetic infections, especially Gram-positive bacteria. Discussion: This review shows the potential of alternative medicines in the management of diabetic infections. This efficacy was attributed to diverse secondary metabolites present in medicinal plants, offering promising prospects for novel antimicrobial agents. Given the susceptibility of diabetic patients to microbial infections, further investigation into the efficacy of medicinal plants for the treatment of infections in diabetic patients is essential. Further research is also imperative to validate and standardize these therapies and conduct clinical trials to evaluate their safety and efficacy in diabetic infection management.

Transgender and gender diverse youth and young adults (TGDY) experience higher mental health morbidity, including self-harm, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts, as compared to cisgender peers. Support from family members is associated with improved mental health outcomes for TGDY. However, little is known about the process that caregivers who consider themselves supportive undergo and how caregiver-youth relationships evolve through a TGDY's gender journey. Through a reflexive thematic analysis of 14 interviews conducted with caregivers of TGDY from April–July 2022, we sought to understand how caregivers who considered themselves supportive of TGDY navigated shifting relationships with themselves, their children, and their communities. Applying theories of Ambiguous Loss and Thriving Through Relationships, findings coalesced around several themes including reflecting on change, re-negotiating interpersonal relationships, and educating through relationships. The gender journeys of TGDY required caregivers to navigate relationships with self (feeling loss and wrestling with worry for their child), negotiate relationships with others (disclosing to extended family and social networks), and educate themselves and others through relationships (connecting through personal narratives from other families, parents supporting parents, learning to advocate for their child). The process of caregivers learning to support their children was facilitated through profound intrapersonal and interpersonal reflection, connection, and community. Understanding this process is important to inform educational interventions and programs that help caregivers learn to support and advocate effectively for TGDY.

Purpose: To assess the performance of a proton-specific knowledge based planning (KBPP) model in creation of robustly optimized intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plans for treatment of patients with prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients with localized prostate cancer, who had previously been treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy, were selected and replanned with robustly optimized IMPT. A KBPP model was generated from the results of 30 of the patients, and the remaining 15 patient results were used for validation. The KBPP model quality and accuracy were evaluated with the model-provided organ-at-risk regression plots and metrics. The KBPP quality was also assessed through comparison of expert and KBPP-generated IMPT plans for target coverage and organ-at-risk sparing. Results: The resulting R2 (mean ± SD, 0.87 ± 0.07) between dosimetric and geometric features, as well as the χ2 test (1.17 ± 0.07) between the original and estimated data, showed the model had good quality. All the KBPP plans were clinically acceptable. Compared with the expert plans, the KBPP plans had marginally higher dose-volume indices for the rectum V65Gy (0.8% ± 2.94%), but delivered a lower dose to the bladder (−1.06% ± 2.9% for bladder V65Gy). In addition, KBPP plans achieved lower hotspot (−0.67Gy ± 2.17Gy) and lower integral dose (−0.09Gy ± 0.3Gy) than the expert plans did. Moreover, the KBPP generated better plans that demonstrated slightly greater clinical target volume V95 (0.1% ± 0.68%) and lower homogeneity index (−1.13 ± 2.34). Conclusions: The results demonstrated that robustly optimized IMPT plans created by the KBPP model are of high quality and are comparable to expert plans. Furthermore, the KBPP model can generate more-robust and more-homogenous plans compared with those of expert plans. More studies need to be done for the validation of the proton KBPP model at more-complicated treatment sites.

Background: Nigeria is one of the countries with a high burden of tuberculosis (TB) in the world. TB associated inflammation is reported to be central to progression from latent TB to active TB or drug sensitive TB (DSTB) to drug resistant TB (DRTB). Inflammatory cytokines, especially interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), act synergistically in the control of TB infection. They activate macrophages to produce effector molecules such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nitric oxide, and ultimately 3-nitrotyrosines(3-NTs), which are involved in the control of TB. This study investigated the potential involvement of TNF-α, IFN-γ, iNOS, and 3-NT in differentiating DRTB and DSTB in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: One hundred participants above 18 years were recruited into this study and were grouped as follows: 32 DRTB, 34 DSTB, and 34 apparently healthy controls. Plasma from the patients was used for the analyses of inflammatory (TNF α and IFN-γ) and oxidative stress (iNOS and 3-NT) biomarkers using the ELISA. Mann–Whitney test was applied for the statistical test. Results: Mean levels of plasma TNF-α, IFN-γ, iNOS, and 3-NT were higher in DRTB (19.74 ± 3.62 pg/mL, 4.41 ± 0.96 pg/mL, 1791.07 ± 419.42 pg/mL, and 20.27 ± 1.80 ng/mL, respectively) and DSTB (17.02 ± 1.84 pg/mL, 5.59 ± 1.40 pg/mL, 2823.42 ± 685.32 pg/mL, and 25.06 ± 2.15 ng/mL, respectively) compared with controls (12.18 ± 0.92 pg/mL, 1.58 ± 0.21 pg/mL, 1275.86 ± 166.12 pg/mL, and 19.98 ± 1.23 ng/mL, respectively). In addition, higher plasma levels of IFN-γ (P > 0.05), iNOS (P > 0.05), and 3-NT (P < 0.05) were observed in DSTB compared with DRTB patients. Conclusion: The 3-NT may be used as differentiating markers of DSTB from DRTB.

PurposeTo assess the performance of a proton-specific knowledge-based planning (KBP) model in the creation of robustly optimized intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plans for treatment of advanced head and neck (HN) cancer patients.MethodsSeventy-three patients diagnosed with advanced HN cancer previously treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) were selected and replanned with robustly optimized IMPT. A proton-specific KBP model, RapidPlanPT (RPP), was generated using 53 patients (20 unilateral cases and 33 bilateral cases). The remaining 20 patients (10 unilateral and 10 bilateral cases) were used for model validation. The model was validated by comparing the target coverage and organ at risk (OAR) sparing in the RPP-generated IMPT plans with those in the expert plans. To account for the robustness of the plan, all uncertainty scenarios were included in the analysis.ResultsAll the RPP plans generated were clinically acceptable. For unilateral cases, RPP plans had higher CTV_primary V100 (1.59% ± 1.24%) but higher homogeneity index (HI) (0.7 ± 0.73) than had the expert plans. In addition, the RPP plans had better ipsilateral cochlea Dmean (−5.76 ± 6.11 Gy), with marginal to no significant difference between RPP plans and expert plans for all other OAR dosimetric indices. For the bilateral cases, the V100 for all clinical target volumes (CTVs) was higher for the RPP plans than for the expert plans, especially the CTV_primary V100 (5.08% ± 3.02%), with no significant difference in the HI. With respect to OAR sparing, RPP plans had a lower spinal cord Dmax (−5.74 ± 5.72 Gy), lower cochlea Dmean (left, −6.05 ± 4.33 Gy; right, −4.84 ± 4.66 Gy), lower left and right parotid V20Gy (left, −6.45% ± 5.32%; right, −6.92% ± 3.45%), and a lower integral dose (−0.19 ± 0.19 Gy). However, RPP plans increased the Dmax in the body outside of CTV (body-CTV) (1.2 ± 1.43 Gy), indicating a slightly higher hotspot produced by the RPP plans.ConclusionIMPT plans generated by a broad-scope RPP model have a quality that is, at minimum, comparable with, and at times superior to, that of the expert plans. The RPP plans demonstrated a greater robustness for CTV coverage and better sparing for several OARs.

The consumption of molluscan shellfish is associated with health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart diseases, lowering the amount of cholesterol in the blood and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Despite these benefits, there is a potential risk of bacterial infections attributed to the consumption of mussels. Sequences of DNA that encode to 16S rRNA were determined from Perna perna collected in Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The bacterial DNA was amplified by PCR with universal primer sets GM5F and 40 bp GC clamp 907R and visualized on agarose gel electrophoresis. Target amplicons 586 bp from each DNA were further purified and sequenced in ABI 3500 XL genetic analysers. Sequences of each of the bacterium were aligned while evolutionary history was inferred using the neighbour-joining method and a phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA 6 software. Twenty-eight bacterial strains were identified in the samples; while 89.30% of which belong to the Phylum Actinobacteria and were all Gram-positive, the remaining 10.70% belong to the Phylum Spirochaetes and were all Gram-negative. The bacterial isolates identified were predominantly members of the genera Saccharothrix with six species (21%) followed by Kocuria and Streptomyces with five species respectively (18%). Others include Spirochaeta (11%), Arthrobacter (7%), Rhodococcus (7%), Zhihengliuella (4%), Nesterenkonia (4%), Lechevalieria (4%), Citricoccus (3%) and Micrococcus (3%). This showed that Perna perna inhabiting Algoa Bay are reservoirs of various bacterial populations. This in turns emphasizes on proper cooking of Perna perna before consumption in order to safeguard the health of the consumers.

The tables included in this article will allow the user to implement shot within shot optimization for Gamma Knife radiosurgery planning and delivery. The method is intended to reduce treatment time when treating small to medium sized brain metastasis. The tables were previously developed by extracting profiles from Gamma Plan for three collimator settings and modeling their behavior when combined or prescribed at different isodose lines. For a given target size, the tables represent the optimal selection of shot weighting and prescription isodose line to reduce beam on time while maintaining an acceptable dose gradient. The method was recently validated in a large patient cohort and the data is this study is related to the research article titled “Clinical evaluation of shot within shot optimization for Gamma Knife radiosurgery planning and delivery” (Johnson et al., in press).

Though information extraction (IE) research has more than a 25-year history, F1 scores remain low. Thus, one could question continued investment in IE research. In this article, we present three applications where information extraction of entities, relations, and/or events has been used, and note the common features that seem to have led to success. We also identify key research challenges whose solution seems essential for broader successes. Because a few practical deployments already exist and because breakthroughs on particular challenges would greatly broaden the technology’s deployment, further R&D investments are justified.

Application of cooking oil during thermal processing can influence the nutritional qualities of meat products during consumption. This study determined the effect of frying with sunflower and olive oil on the fatty acid profile of sausage fortified with edible meat waste (EMW) as a fat replacer was evaluated. Fresh beef sausages were formulated in ratios of 30% lean meat (LM) and 70% EMW, 50% LM and 50% EMW, and 90% LM and 10% fat (control) and designated as T1, T2, and T3, respectively. The proximate analysis results revealed significant differences (P

The traditional systems of medicine have significantly become more accepted in the developed and developing countries due to their curative property, less toxicity and minimal side effects. However, several studies have shown that they are associated with microbial contaminants. This study aimed at identifying fungi in nine polyherbal medicines used for the treatment of tuberculosis in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Sequences of fungi DNA that encodes internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region were retrieved from the remedies. The ITS region of the fungal rRNA operon was amplified using ITS1 and ITS4 primers. The amplicons were visualized on agarose gel electrophoresis, followed by end repair and adaptor ligation. They were further purified and quantified using Library Preparation kit NEBNext® UltraT DNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina and run on Illumina’s MiSeq platform. The study revealed that the polyherbal medicines are contaminated with fungi species. The predominant mycoflora obtained belongs to different genera or species of fungi. They include Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Candida, Ramularia, Cladosporium and Malassezia among others. Some of these organisms are capable of causing infections in immunocompromised patients. Thus, the study identified various fungal contaminants in polyherbal remedies sold to tuberculosis patients in five communities in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

The need to increase the use of renewable biomasses for energy supply, such as fuel pellets is significant. However, different types of biomasses have different mechanical properties to be pelletized, which entails a limitation in available raw materials for pellet producers. Within this study eleven different pure substances from biomasses were separately mixed with European beech and Scots pine, to identify its impact on the densification process. Beech and pine pellets were used as control materials against their corresponding pellets mixed with substances representing: cellulose, hemicelluloses, other polysaccharides, lignin, protein, and extractives. The mechanical properties were investigated as well as FT-IR and SEM analyses on the pellets. The results showed that the addition of the substances xylan and galactan created the hardest pellets for both pine and beech and that adding extractives to wood affects pine more than beech in relation to hardness. The FT-IR data could not provide clear explanations as to the variation in hardness and springback behavior through the identification of major functional groups in each pellet. It can be concluded that biomass residues rich in xylan and galactan increase pellet quality in terms of strength and durability without affecting the production process.

Context: Tuberculosis (TB) has remained a devastating global public health problem. In the continuing search for effective treatment, polyherbal remedies used as alternative medicines in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were surveyed. Objective: The survey collected information and documents the list of ingredients such as the name of the plants used including the non-herbal inclusions, type and dosage of polyherbal formulations used for the treatment of TB. Materials and methods: The survey was conducted over a period of 6 months using semi-structured questionnaires amidst informal conversations with the traditional healers in five communities in the study area. The chosen study area is the third infected Province with TB in South Africa. Results: A total of nine polyherbal preparations were collected. Information on the parts of the plant used, mode of preparation and the dosage used were documented. In total, the herbs belong to 20 families of which Apiaceae, Liliaceae, Strychnaceae, Rutaceae and Hypoxidaceae are the most prominent. However, members of Apiaceae were commonly mentioned for the preparation of the remedies. The two most frequently used plants were Allium sativum L. (Liliaceae) and Strychnos decussata (Pappe) Gilg. (Strychnaceae). Rhizome was the commonest parts used, followed by the roots and barks. Conclusions: This paper provides significant ethno-medicinal information on polyherbal medicines used for the treatment of TB in the study area. The therapeutic claims made on medicinal plants used for the preparations are well supported by the literature, with many of the species having antimicrobial properties.

Background: Urbanisation has put enormous strain on the limited resources and services provided by city management. This means that the city must find new ways to manage their resources more effectively. One option is to collect data in a smart city from the citizens in order to make better decisions about resource management. Objectives: The aim of this study was to provide a participatory crowdsourcing incentive model that can be used by the city of East London, South Africa, to collect information continuously from citizens in order to improve public safety in the city. Method: This study made use of a quantitative approach to gather and analyse data. Data were collected using a questionnaire sent to all 91 East London citizens who had registered on the project website. The response rate was 81.3%. Results: A model was proposed that can be used by the city to increase the participation rate of citizens in smart city projects. Three factors: intrinsic, internalised-extrinsic and extrinsic, were identified as central to the incentive model. Conclusion: The recommendation of the study is that city management can use the crowdsourcing participatory incentive model to ensure citizen participation in smart city projects.

The mechanism of bonding in biomass pellets is such a complex event to comprehend, as the nature of the bonds formed between combining particles and their relevance to pellet quality are not completely understood. In this study, pure and blended biomass pellets made from Norway spruce and pea starch were characterized using advanced analytical instruments able to provide information beyond what is visible to the human eye, with intent to investigate differences in bonding mechanism relevant to quality. The results, which were comprehensively interpreted from a structural chemistry perspective, indicated that, at a molecular level, the major disparity in bonding mechanism between particles of the pellets and the quality of the pellets, defined in terms of strength and burning efficiency, were determined by variation in the concentration of polar functional groups emanating from the major organic and elemental components of the pellets, as well as the strength of the bonds between atoms of these groups. Microscopic-level analysis, which did not provide any clear morphological features that could be linked to incongruity in quality, showed fracture surfaces of the pellets and patterns of surface roughness, as well as the mode of interconnectivity of particles, which were evidence of the production of pellets with dissimilarities in particle bonding mechanism and visual appearance.

Biogenic emissions affect the urban air quality as they are ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) precursors and should be taken into account when applying photochemical pollution models. The present study presents an estimation of the magnitude of non-methane volatile organic compounds (BNMVOCs) emitted by vegetation over Greece. The methodology is based on computation developed with the aid of a Geographic Information System (GIS) and theoretical equations in order to produce an emission inventory on a 6 × 6 km2 spatial resolution, in a temporal resolution of 1 h covering one year (2016). For this purpose, a variety of input data was used: updated satellite land-use data, land-use specific emission potentials, foliar biomass densities, temperature, and solar radiation data. Hourly, daily, and annual isoprene, monoterpenes, and other volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) were estimated. In the area under study, the annual biogenic emissions were estimated up to 472 kt, consisting of 46.6% isoprene, 28% monoterpenes, and 25.4% OVOCs. Results delineate an annual cycle with increasing values from March to April, while maximum emissions were observed from May to September, followed by a decrease from October to January.

El presente trabajo se propone caracterizar la política de extensión de la Universidad del Zulia (LUZ) durante el período 1995-2006. Se realizó una revisión de la literatura especializada en materia de extensión, así como la búsqueda de información empírica proveniente de documentos normativos oficiales y la realización de entrevistas a informantes clave de la gestión de extensión en LUZ durante el período de estudio. Los resultados dan cuenta de la existencia de congruencia entre la concepción de extensión formalmente manejada por LUZ y la asumida por este trabajo. Durante el período de estudio se han realizado varias iniciativas tendentes a conformar una política de extensión, en las cuales ha privado actividades de fomento de la extensión entre el personal académico. Se concluye que a pesar de que en LUZ se realizan intentos por adecuar su política de extensión a los lineamientos establecidos por el Estado venezolano, persisten acciones institucionales que se encuentran al margen de estos lineamientos

En el año 1999 en Venezuela se promulgan las bases constitucionales y legales del país con propósitos formales de contribuir con la profundización de la democracia y la justicia social. Entre las transformaciones previstas se encuentra incorporar la contraloría social a la gestión pública. Las gobernaciones en este proceso continúan siendo instancias clave del gobierno nacional para el desarrollo social, económico y político del país. El propósito de este trabajo es explorar las condiciones de la Gobernación del Estado Zulia para el ejercicio de la contraloría social. La metodología se basó en el análisis de documentos teóricos y jurídicos; así como de entrevistas semiestructuradas a funcionarios de la mencionada gobernación. Los resutados dan cuenta de: 1) La incorporación amplia del deber y derecho del ciudadano a realizar control social, en el nuevo marco jurídico, 2) El derecho de los ciudadanos de acceder a la información para ejercer el control social, 3) Ausencia de acciones por parte del aparato público regional para aplicar este marco institucional, explicables por diferencias políticas con el gobierno nacional; 4) Falta de transparencia por parte de la gobernación, lo cual obstaculiza las posibilidades de contraloría social y 5) Ausencia de capacitación a los funcionarios en materia de control social. Se concluye que existen condiciones legales nacionales y estadales favorecedoras del control social pero la gobernación no desarrolla acciones que impulsen su práctica.

A previous Nigerian study had reported high incidence of periodontal disease in young Nigerians though global studies show the contrary. Aim: To determine the periodontal status and treatment needs of adolescents attending private and public secondary schools in Ibadan, south-western Nigeria. Methods: One thousand, five hundred and twenty two secondary school children in Ibadan were assessed. Sociodemographic data was obtained using a data extraction form. Intraoral examination was performed on all participants. Oral cleanliness was assessed using the plaque index of Silness and Loe, while periodontal health status and treatment needs were assessed using the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN). Data were analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Statistical significance was set at p