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The fiber characteristics and basic density of Acacia melanoxylon were investigated for its potential as a raw material for pulp and paper production. Six trees from the even-aged stand and similar diameter class were selected randomly from the Chencha district of Ethiopia. Wood disks were systematically cross-cut from a log along tree height levels, at the bottom (10%), middle (50%) and top (90%) of the merchantable height and blocks of wood (2 cm x 2 cm x 2 cm)were taken from pith to periphery at near pith (10%), middle (50%) and near bark (90%) of disk radius. Fiber maceration and basic density were determined, by 50% nitric acid solution and water displacement method respectively. All the data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance at α = 0.05. The fiber characteristics of the selected trees; the fiber length, fiber diameter, lumen diameter and cell wall thickness were measured while the-slenderness ratio, Runkel ratio, flexibility coefficient and wall coverage ratio of the fibers were derived from the measured fiber dimensions. The result showed that- the overall mean were, 1.04 mm, 21.60 µm, 15.36 µm, 3.75 µm, 0.48, 48.05%, 71.10%, 0.34 and 0.56 g/ml, for fiber length, fiber width, lumen diameter, cell wall thickness, Runkle ratio, slenderness ratio, flexibility ratio, wall coverage ratio and basic density, respectively. Generally, Acacia melanoxylon wood is suitable for pulp-and-paper-production, to due-to-its adequate-fiber dimension, derived fiber value and basic density. Therefore, attention should be given to tree growers, government and non-governmental organizations on the plantation expansion of Acacia melanoxylon.

Aim of the study: Conduct long-term monitoring of recovered patients with pulmonary TB and study the frequency of relapses of pulmonary TB and factors contributing to their development in the Republic of Tajikistan.Material and research methods: Of the total number of patients with pulmonary TB, 820 people in 2010-2011 after successful treatment, were transferred for further dispensary observation to PHC facilities, whose health status we monitored for 10 years (including 2020). Of the 820 patients, we were able to track the health status for 10 years in 622 patients (320 men and 302 women, age groups 19-44 years old - 330 people and 45-69 years old - 292 people). The rest - for various reasons were lost from further dispensary observation. All patients in PHC facilities annually during the period of dispensary observation underwent clinical, instrumental, laboratory, and X-ray examinations to exclude the recurrence of TB. Data for each patient were tracked using the National TB Registry OpenMRS data.Research results: The elimination of preventive anti-relapse measures in people with residual post-tuberculosis changes in the lungs led to an increase in the number of relapses of the disease. The analysis of the conducted studies shows that the incidence of relapses of pulmonary TB does not depend on the regions and the severity of TB burden, they often develop with insufficient follow-up after the end of treatment and inadequate preventive measures in dispensaries patients.The study of the reasons for the development of relapses makes it possible to timely identify a group of patients who need anti-relapse measures and prolongation of dispensary observation.Conclusion: Thus, the results of this observation revealed the occurrence of relapses within 10 years in 19.3% of cases. A retrospective analysis of the initial forms of the disease showed that relapses of pulmonary tuberculosis occurred more often in patients who had had fibrous-cavernous pulmonary tuberculosis, than in patients who had disseminated pulmonary TB, and less often after suffering infiltrative pulmonary TB. Relapses of the disease occurred more often in men aged 19-44 years. The results obtained indicate the development of relapses of pulmonary tuberculosis has a statistically significant dependence on the form of the initial disease, the presence of RPTCL, comorbid diseases such as HIV, diabetes mellitus, COPD, and the regularity of taking anti-TB drugs. At the same time, it turned out that the social status of all patients with relapses corresponds to the level of poverty, which should also be taken into account.

Acute Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic infection due to C. burnetii that may be associated with hepatitis. Nonspecific clinical and biological manifestations may accompany liver involvement, including hepatomegaly and elevated liver biological tests. However, the presence of jaundice is rare. Therefore, making a diagnosis of Q fever hepatitis may be difficult in an afebrile patient with jaundice of recent onset, altered liver function tests, excessive alcohol intake and no reported contact with animals. We report here the diagnostic work-up and complex clinical management of a patient presenting with acute hepatitis resulting from both C. burnetii infection and severe alcoholic steatohepatitis. Positive serology together with a detailed examination of the liver biopsy was able to reveal the coexistence of both Q fever hepatitis with typical fibrin-ring granulomas as well as florid lesions of alcoholic steatohepatitis. A combination of antibiotics, hydroxychloroquine and steroids, guided by the helpful description of changes in histological alterations on repeated liver biopsies during the course of the disease contributed to the slow but favorable outcome.

Heterologous expression of proteins often pursues high expression levels, but it can easily result in misfolding and loss of biological function. L-α-glycerophosphate oxidase (GlpO) is a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-dependent oxidase which is widely used in the clinical determination of triglycerides. We found that the total enzymatic activity of GlpO expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) was extremely low, probably due to the absence of FAD cofactors and the misfolding of GlpO at a high synthesis rate. Therefore, decreasing the expression rate was used to improve the activity of GlpO. The specific activity of GlpO expressed on the pUC19 vector with lac promotor was approximately 30 times higher than that expressed on the pET28a vector with T7 promotor, but the expression levels of GlpO on the two vectors were completely opposite. It indicated that the specific activity of GlpO was increased as the expression level decreased. However, too low expression greatly influences the total amount and activity of the functional enzyme. In order to resolve this problem, two new plasmids, GlpO-CG4 and GlpO-CG6, were constructed by inserting 4 or 6 nucleotides, respectively, between the ribosome binding site (RBS) and the start code (ATG) on pET28a. Compared with the expression on the GlpO-pET vector, the expression rates of GlpO on the GlpO-CG4 and GlpO-CG6 were dramatically decreased. The total activity of GlpO expressed on GlpO-CG6 was 11 times and 1.5 times higher than that expressed on the GlpO-pET and GlpO-pUC, respectively. Results suggest that the activity of GlpO can be improved by decreasing the expression rate. 

Objective: Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly infectious and economically important disease affecting cloven-hoofed domestic and wild animals. Early diagnosis and serotyping of the agent are very important to effectively design and implement the control approach. This study was conducted on serum samples collected from Amhara, Tigray, Oromia and Addis Ababa between October 2018 to February 2020. The animals were kept under a semi-intensive to an extensive system of rearing. Serum samples with low OD values (positive) using competition NSP-ELISA were subjected to serotyping ELISA. Results: In the present study, three serotypes were identified from 186 NSP ELISA positive sera of which 156 serotype O, 40 serotypes A and 28 serotype SAT2. In this analysis, multiple serotype infection was observed which is why the number of serotypes was beyond the samples analyzed. Among 23 samples from Addis Ababa 10, 3 and 5 were O, A and SAT2 serotypes respectively, while in samples from the Oromia region 12 were O and 3 were SAT2 serotypes. From the Amhara region, 99 samples analyzed were found to be serotype O and SAT2 in 7 of the serum samples. From the Tigray region, 30 samples were seen to have Serotype O infection, whereas 13 of them were SAT2. The proportion of serotypes identified based on the production system practices was also found that semi-intensive production takes the largest share in all three serotypes followed by extensive production. Generally, early determination of the serotype from past infection helps to aware of the epidemiology as well as the infection immunity of the herd/individual animals.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a serious long-term condition with a major impact on the lives and well-being, of societies worldwide. Poor disposal practices of devices potentially result in personal injury and injuries to people in the household and the general community. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and self-reported practice of insulin injection device disposal and associated factors among diabetes patients in TASH, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 182 adults with diabetes. The study participants were selected through systematic random sampling. Data were collected from March/17/2020 - May/18/2020. Patients were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi-data version 4. 6 and exported to SPSS version 25.0 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression with crude and adjusted odds ratios along with the 95% confidence interval was computed and interpreted accordingly. Good practice and adequate knowledge were defined based on median calculation; a result above the median value of good practice and adequate knowledge with a p - value < 0.05 was considered to declare a result as statistically significant.Results: About 54% of the participants had inadequate knowledge about safe insulin injection waste disposal. More than two-thirds (73%) of respondents had poor practice and 92.3% of respondents did not know how to dispose of lancets after use.Conclusion: This study revealed that the knowledge and practice of diabetic patients were inadequate and poor towards safe insulin injection waste disposal in the study area. Educating patients and awareness creation training on proper insulin injection device disposal should be considerable. 

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood and is very rare in the neonatal period. At this age, the alveolar type is a remarkably uncommon variety.We report a 56 days old female with alveolar RMS of the right eye noted since the age of 7 days with fast progression and unfavorable prognosis. Congenital alveolar RMS is an important cause of neonatal onset rapidly progressive proptosis. Early onset, alveolar type, and late diagnosis were poor prognostic factor.

An established side-effect of neck dissection (ND) for head and neck (HNC) tumour management includes shoulder dysfunction (SD), which can impact quality of life (QOL). Shoulder strength and range of movement (ROM) are key parameters to be monitored in SD. However, such evaluations are not routinely conducted in the clinical setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate objectively the impact of ND on shoulder functions. Methods: This is a pilot exploratory study in a tertiary cancer centre. Five participants with unilateral ND and advanced HNC, completed the study. Outcome measures consisted of self-reported QOL questionnaires, C2–T1 dermatomes and shoulder ROM and strength testing. Data was collected at baseline, 1.5-months after surgery and 6-months after diagnosis (after adjuvant treatment completion). Results: Most outcome measures on the surgically affected side were negatively impacted post-operatively, with varied recovery seen at follow-up. Sensory loss was noted at C3–4 dermatome levels. Shoulder ROM and strength was reduced on the surficial side for all participants, with some recovery after six months except for two participants.Conclusion: Results of SD after ND are diverse and unique to each patient. Findings from this pilot study indicate that regular rehabilitation/exercise may facilitate recovery of shoulder function post HNC surgery. However, customised rehabilitation may yield better outcomes. Future studies with a larger sample are indicated to validate the findings of this study.

Calcinosis cutis (CC) [1] is an unusual disorder characterized by calcium-phosphate deposition into cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues. There are five subtypes: dystrophic, metastatic, idiopathic, iatrogenic and calciphylaxis.Calciphylaxis or calcifying panniculitis is defined as small vessel calcification mainly affecting blood vessels of the dermis and subcutaneous fat. Despite the predominance of cases in patients with ESRD, calciphylaxis can also be found in patients with normal renal function and normal levels of calcium and phosphate. These cases are often referred to as nonuremic calciphylaxis (NUC), a heterogeneous category with several associations. Literature reveals an association with hyperparathyroidism (28%), malignancy (22%), alcoholic liver disease (17%) and connective tissue diseases (11%) while obesity, liver disease, high-serum calcium (Ca) × phosphorus (P) levels, combined therapies of calcium salts with vitamin D, warfarin and corticosteroids have been observed to increase the likelihood of this disease [2]. The lesions in both nonuremic and uremic calciphylaxis tend to be indistinguishable from each other, initially presenting as tender subcutaneous plaques that progress into nonhealing ulcers with overlying black eschar. Skin changes often begin with a livedo reticularis pattern that can progress to livedo racemes and ultimately retiform purpura.In our clinical case, we describe a patient with multiple risk factors for calciphylaxis, intense widespread calcification (vessels, tendons, joints) and cutaneous calcific stone of calcium and phosphate oxalate not elsewhere described before.

Through the development of new analysis technologies, many issues regarding the approach to tumoral diseases have been elucidated. With analytical assays developed in the last years, various omics technologies have evolved in such a manner that the characteristics of tumor cells and products can be evaluated (assessed) in the bloodstream of cancer patients at different times. Ovarian Cancer (OC) is one of the most difficult to diagnose umors, with low survival rates due to the high heterogeneity of these diseases that are distinct in terms of etiology and molecular characteristics, but which simply share an anatomical appearance. Recent findings have indicated that several types of ovarian cancer classified into different histotypes are in fact derived from non-ovarian issues and share few molecular similarities. Within this context, ovarian cancer screening and diagnosis can be made through the evaluation of circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood using liquid biopsy technologies. Advances in the study of various molecules analyzed by liquid biopsy have shown that elucidation of intratumoural and intertumoural heterogeneity and spatial and temporal tumor evolution could be traced by serial blood tests rather than by histopathological analyses of tissue samples from a primary tumor. Therefore, evaluation of some molecules such as circulating tumor cells (CTC), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating cell-free RNA (non-coding and mRNA, extracellular vesicles), tumor-educated platelets or different miRNAs using liquid biopsy could lead to improvement of patient management.

Photocatalysis has attracted a lot of attention in recent years due to its potential in solving energy and environmental issues. Efficient light absorption and charge separation are two of the key factors for the exploration of high-performance photocatalytic systems, which are generally difficult to obtain from a single photocatalyst. The combination of various materials to form heterojunctions provides an effective way to better harvest solar energy and facilitate charge separation and transfer, thus enhancing photocatalytic activity and stability. This review concisely summarizes the recent development of visible light responsive heterojunctions, including the preparation and performance of semiconductor/semiconductor junctions and semiconductor/metal junctions and their mechanism for enhancing light harvesting and charge separation/transfer. In this regard, this review presents some unitary, binary and ternary CeO2 photocatalysts used for the degradation of organic pollutants. We expect this review to provide the type of guidelines for readers to gain a clear picture of nanotechnology and the fabrication and application of different types of heterostructured photocatalysts.

Neuropathy is when nerve damage interferes with the functioning of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). When the cause can’t be determined, it’s called idiopathic neuropathy(Idiopathic neuropathy, now designated as chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy (CIAP).There are three kinds of nerves within the PNS. Sensory nerves relay messages from the sense organs to the brain. This allows sensations of temperature and touch. Motor nerves transmit signals from the brain to the muscles. This helps the brain control the muscles. Autonomic nerves control body functions like heart rate, breathing, and digestion.Damage to nerve cells can affect how the PNS communicates with the rest of the body. Symptoms can include numbness, pain, and balance issues.It’s called acute neuropathy when symptoms develop suddenly. Alternately, it’s called chronic neuropathy when symptoms start slowly and increase over time. Diagnosis involves physical examination and review of medical history. Diagnostic testing may include blood tests, nerve testing, and imaging tests.There is no cure for idiopathic neuropathy. Treatments including medication, physical therapy, and lifestyle modifications can help you function and feel better.We report a case of idiopathic polyneuropathy presented with frequent acute pulmonary edema for a year.

We developed multiple equations to observe the two and three flavors of neutrino oscillation with the mixing angle based on L/E=0.1 to 0.9 in this study. In different settings, the nature of the neutrino oscillation probability was discovered to be varied in different equations. The observation indicates increasing likelihood in one equation and decreasing probability in the other equations in two flavor oscillation neutrinos. To characterize the probability of neutrino oscillation, we use four distinct angles: 50, 100, 150, and 200. The probability of neutrino oscillation was determined to be highest at an angle of 150 degrees. However, with increasing mixing angles, the likelihood of oscillation increases on the basis of created equation (25) and decreases on the basis of equations (26) and (27) in the three-flavor neutrino oscillation. From generated equations (25) and (26) the maximum neutrino oscillation of probability is discovered at an angle of 150, however, from equation (27), the maximum probability is observed at 50. The greatest neutrino oscillation is found to be 0.9999 and the minimum is zero in all of these two and three flavors of oscillation.

In the twentieth century, the works of W. Wien, M. Planck and A. Einstein. Lord Rayleigh, Sh. Bose, L. Landau, M. Weinstein, Yu. Chukova and P. Landsberg [1-5] created a new science – quantum thermodynamics, which formulated the law of the efficiency of conversion of electromagnetic radiation into other types of energy for isothermal processes in open thermodynamic systems. This efficiency is of the greatest interest since the whole living world is a huge factory of isothermal processes.

The birth of a high-risk infant such as an extremely premature infant can represent an important traumatic experience for mothers. Perinatal Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire (PPTSDQ) explores retrospectively maternal post-traumatic stress reaction. This shelf-rating questionnaire explores the potential for experiencing posttraumatic symptoms related to childbirth and the ensuing post-natal period. The PTSD questionnaire was originally developed by DeMier and Hynan and their colleagues at the University of Wisconsin and has been widely used in research and in clinical practice for identifying mothers experiencing significant emotional distress during the post-natal period, so they may be referred for mental health services. The present study aims to introduce this tool in perinatal settings as an early intervention. It has been widely used with other measures of post-traumatic stress and depression, such as the Openness Scale from the NEO-PR, the self-report measure of depression BDI-II, the IES (Impact Event Scale) and the EPDS (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale). Although already a useful clinical instrument the current study used the revised version. This modification refines the response options from dichotomous choices to a Likert scale format by Callahan Borja and Hynan. Numerous qualitative and quantitative studies state that premature delivery is a highly stressful event and document the full range of post-traumatic sequelae, such as intrusive recollections, behavioral avoidance, and hyperarousal, as well as attachment difficulties following childbirth. Furthermore, the severity of neonatal complications and gestational age have been found to be predictive of PTSD symptomatology in parents as measured by the PPQ. For this reason, the current study aims to give increased focus to mothers having a premature birth and often expecting their children to die. The sample comprises 25 mothers of prematurely born infants hospitalized in the NICU and 25 mothers of full-term infants born in the maternity ward of the same Greek hospital who responded to the Perinatal PTSD Questionnaire and equally the PERI a postnatal complication rating inventory and the clinical interview for parents CLIP.Mothers of high-risk infants present post-traumatic stress reactions related to prematurity. The Perinatal PTSD Questionnaire identifies postnatal maternal distress but should not substitute a clinical interview, yet findings indicate that equally identifies pre-existing distress symptoms associated with maternal personality traits that emerged with the traumatic event of the unexpected birth.Due to the consistency of the population of the experimental group, who come mostly from the provinces, the possibility of a follow- up of the cases is quite limited.

Many researchers in their publications on tuberculosis (TB) in high-burden countries recommended the integrated work of different ministries and departments with the involvement of non-governmental public associations, volunteers, and activists, including former patients [1-8].

Pretreatments and drying are commonly used before drying tomatoes to inactivate enzymes, improve the drying process, and improve the quality of dried tomato powders. In this review, the effects of different pretreatments (osmotic solutions), dehydration methods, and packaging materials on the quality attributes of tomato powder were summarized. These include pretreatments and osmotic agent solutions (potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, sodium metabisulphite, ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium chloride, and sodium benzoate), thermal blanching (steam blanching and hot water) and non-thermal-processes-like-freezing, sulfuring, etc. and drying methods (oven, sun, and indirect solar dryer). The tomato powders were dried to preserve, store, and transport them. Drying implies not only physical changes, which the consumer can easily detect through visual inspection but also chemical modifications. These are responsible for alterations in color, flavor, and nutritional value, which compromise the overall quality of the final tomato powder. Maximum lycopene, vitamin A, and C contents were found in freeze-dried and direct sundried than samples dried using other methods at low drying temperatures. Freeze driers showed in keeping the nutritional quality of tomato powder with a combination of different pretreatments. Different pretreatments including osmotic agent solutions have their own merits and demerits for the final tomato powder. To overcome the drawbacks of nutritional quality, non-thermal pretreatment categories may be a better alternative to thermal blanching, and more fundamental research is required for better design and scale-up.

Among the conditioning factors of Diabetic Foot (DF), neuropathy is considered the main factor, arteriopathy the aggravating factor, and foot deformities the triggering factor. The preventive interventions for DF and its complications are distributed by levels of care. At the higher level, hospital care focuses on reducing DF amputations. At the lower level, Primary Care (PC) and Podiatry, focused on preventing DF. PC is considered the ideal place to identify the conditioning factors of DF. In this area, prevention follows the recommendations of the International Working Group on Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) by screening neuropathy focused on the sensitive or insensitive foot. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) a recommends person-centered assessment of neuropathy by clinical examination of symptoms and signs testing sensory, motor, and autonomic neuropathy. This controversy lead us to investigate which methodology (screening or clinical examination) could be more accurate in identifying the conditioning factors of DF in a group of people recruited in the TERMOPIEDI study. Neuropathy was assessed following the definition of diabetic neuropathy, the Young MJ diagnostic criteria, and the Toronto Council diagnostic category. These results allowed us to know the applicability of this procedure in PC within nursing competencies, detecting a greater number of patients with neuropathy compared to the screening method. People with neuropathy presented higher plantar temperature, concluding that neuropathy interferes with foot thermoregulation.

The aim of this work is to report some interesting references and documents related to the mRNA vaccine. Every cited reference can act as an instrument to better understand what some independent researchers find: this work is mainly focused on the public debate related presence/absence of graphene derivates in some vaccine vials for COVID-19. Relevant classic articles White Papers or other kinds of a document are useful instruments to better clarify some crucial aspects of this infectious disease, its epidemiology and the efficacy of the measure adopted (preventive, therapeutic, or vaccine).If the reviewed article show an intrinsic recognized international value other kinds of source like a White Paper or other documents can be of interest to generate hypotheses or to open public discussion on crucial topics. For this reason, it is useful to use this method also in the discussion related to impurity profiles in new innovative bio-pharmaceuticals like the mRNA vaccine. The fact that this product was introduced with an emergency authorization, whit reduced the time of experimentation and due to the lack of official quality information related to some raw materials used authorizes us to use also this method.Even if the international official regulatory agency does not find this substance in the control for release of the lots it is interesting to more deeply investigate what funded by an independent researcher in some vials of vaccine or sample patient’s blood after vaccination. This reference even if not a smoking gun the same can stimulate the reasoning about the general concept involved. It is needed, to read this work, to consider the intrinsic limitation of some of the study research reported (White Paper) or the other documents.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of dietary components, physical activity, smoking and Obesity in colorectal cancer.Materials and methods: With a population-based case-control study, 49 colorectal cancer patients and 72 controls were interviewed with uniform questionnaires. Conditional logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis of colorectal cancer. A total of 121 pairs of case controls were interviewed.Results: Relationship between body mass index (BMI) and colorectal cancer was shown in this study, obesity was shown in 21 patients (42.86) before cancer and in 0% of patients during colorectal cancer. Physical activity was a significant risk factor p < 0.0001. Malnutrition was noted in 48 patients (97. 96%) according to Brachial muscular circumference in patients with colorectal cancer (p = 0.002). Daily consumption of sugar Khi² of Wald (5.423) and butter Khi² of Wald (7.694) is higher in cases than in controls.  During that time, high daily consumption of pasta (p = 0.018) and vegetables (p = 0.045) was a protective factor for colorectal cancer.Conclusion: Colorectal cancer in Algeria was related to dietary and environmental factors. The research results support the colorectal cancer etiological hypothesis of deficiency vegetable and high consumption of lipids and sugar.  Obesity and lack of physical activity were also correlated with colorectal cancer.