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Purpose: Trachoma was suspected to be endemic in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We aimed to estimate prevalences of trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF), trichiasis, and water and sanitation (WASH) indicators in suspected-endemic Health Zones. Methods: A population-based prevalence survey was undertaken in each of 46 Health Zones across nine provinces of DRC, using Global Trachoma Mapping Project methods. A two-stage cluster random sampling design was used in each Health Zone, whereby 25 villages (clusters) and 30 households per cluster were sampled. Consenting eligible participants (children aged 1-9 years and adults aged ≥15 years) were examined for trachoma by GTMP-certified graders; households were assessed for access to WASH. Results: A total of 32,758 households were surveyed, and 141,853 participants (98.2% of those enumerated) were examined for trachoma. Health Zone-level TF prevalence in 1-9-year-olds ranged from 1.9-41.6%. Among people aged ≥15 years, trichiasis prevalences ranged from 0.02-5.1% (95% CI 3.3-6.8). TF prevalence in 1-9-year-olds was ≥5% in 30 Health Zones, while trichiasis prevalence was ≥0.2% in 37 Health Zones. Conclusion: Trachoma is a public health problem in 39 of 46 Health Zones surveyed. To meet elimination targets, 37 Health Zones require expanded trichiasis surgery services while 30 health zones require antibiotics, facial cleanliness and environmental improvement interventions. Survey data suggest that trachoma is widespread: further surveys are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) is the second most popular spice in the world and one of the important medicinal plants in Iran. Cumin seed yield is highly affected by water stress, which is one of the most important abiotic stresses affecting seed yield. So far, drought tolerance studies in cumin have been done on limited cumin ecotypes. In the present investigation, forty-nine diverse cumin ecotypes were tested under normal and water stress conditions during 2013 and 2014. The experiment was conducted under two different irrigation regimes of normal irrigation and mid/late season water stress i.e., during flowering. Each of experiments was conducted in a simple lattice design with two replications. The combined analysis of variance showed significant differences among all sources of variation. Twelve drought tolerance indices were calculated based on seed yield under drought and irrigated conditions. Yield under stress and non-stress conditions was significantly and positively correlated with Geometric Mean Productivity Geometric Mean Productivity (GMP), Stress Tolerance Index (STI), Harmonic Mean (HM), Drought Resistance Index (DI), modified Stress Tolerance Index in normal irrigation (K1STI), modified Stress Tolerance Index in stress irrigation (K2STI), Stress Non-stress Production Index (SNPI) and Stress Tolerance Score (STS). PCA and cluster analysis were followed to reveal the relationship among different indices. To visualize the GE interaction effects on cumin seed yield, the data were subjected to GGE-Biplot analysis. Finding superior ecotypes in each environment was done using GGE-Biplot. Regarding mean yield and drought tolerance indices, ecotypes from Maneh (Northern Khorasan), Shahmirzad (Semnan), and Rafsanjan (Kerman) were identified as the most favorable candidates for further research in cumin breeding programs. GC/MS analyses of elite ecotype Kerman (Rafsanjan) was also done for both conditions, the main components of essential oil were found to be γ-terpinene, β-pinene, m-cymene, and cuminic aldehyde. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Trachoma was suspected to be endemic in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We aimed to estimate prevalences of trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF), trichiasis, and water and sanitation (WASH) indicators in suspected-endemic Health Zones. Methods: A population-based prevalence survey was undertaken in each of 46 Health Zones across nine provinces of DRC, using Global Trachoma Mapping Project methods. A two-stage cluster random sampling design was used in each Health Zone, whereby 25 villages (clusters) and 30 households per cluster were sampled. Consenting eligible participants (children aged 1-9 years and adults aged ≥15 years) were examined for trachoma by GTMP-certified graders; households were assessed for access to WASH. Results: A total of 32,758 households were surveyed, and 141,853 participants (98.2% of those enumerated) were examined for trachoma. Health Zone-level TF prevalence in 1-9-year-olds ranged from 1.9-41.6%. Among people aged ≥15 years, trichiasis prevalences ranged from 0.02-5.1% (95% CI 3.3-6.8). TF prevalence in 1-9-year-olds was ≥5% in 30 Health Zones, while trichiasis prevalence was ≥0.2% in 37 Health Zones. Conclusion: Trachoma is a public health problem in 39 of 46 Health Zones surveyed. To meet elimination targets, 37 Health Zones require expanded trichiasis surgery services while 30 health zones require antibiotics, facial cleanliness and environmental improvement interventions. Survey data suggest that trachoma is widespread: further surveys are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most important part of the second law of thermodynamics is described as determining the value and source of wasted exergy in processes, and suggests concepts for reducing those losses in order to enhance effciency. So, the main purpose of this paper is to study the effect of alcoholic additives, load and engine speed on combustion irreversibilities and second law effciency. The mentioned alcoholic fuel is ethanol, which is combined with gasoline in different percentages of 5, 10 and 15%. The experiments have been done for 2500, 3000, 3500 and 4500 rpm, and 25%, 50% and 75% full load. The results show that, mostly, when alcoholic fuel is used, the combustion internal irreversibility increases and second law effciency decreases, which is due to the increase in temperature difference between burned combustion products and unburned mixtures, but, an increase in load and engine speeds increases second law effciency. Another important outcome of the present study is in demonstrating brake specific fuel consumption (bsfc) reduction, due to using recovered exergy from water, whose average value is 14.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hydrolyzed protein is a blend of peptides and amino acids which is the result of hydrolysis by enzymes, acids or alkalis. The Bioactive Peptides (BPs) show important biological roles including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, and anti-hypertensive effects, as well as positive effects on the immune, nervous, and digestive systems. Despite the benefits of BPs, challenges such as undesired organoleptic properties, solubility profile, chemical instability, and low bioavailability limit their use in functional food formulations and dietary supplements. Nanocarriers have emerged as a promising solution for overcoming these challenges by improving the stability, solubility, resistance to gastric digestion, and bioavailability, allowing for the targeted and controlled delivery, and reduction or masking of the undesirable flavor of BPs. This study reviews the recent scientific accomplishments concerning the loading of BPs into various nanocarriers including lipid, carbohydrate and protein based-nanocarriers. A special emphasis is given to their application in food formulations in accordance to the challenges associated with their use., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Chronic hepatitis B infection affects 65 million people in the WHO African Region, but only 4.2% of these are diagnosed and 0.2% on treatment. Here, we present a short report describing establishment of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) programme in Kenya. We share experiences, successes and challenges to support development of future programmes., Methods: From March 2023, we began the 'STRIKE-HBV' Study to identify people living with HBV (PLWHB) in Kilifi, Kenya. We employed local staff and provided education and training. Individuals were identified through three routes: (1) we offered free-of-charge HBV testing for all non-pregnant adults attending Kilifi Country Hospital (KCH) outpatient department; (2) we invited PLWHB to reattend for review; and (3) we invited close contacts of PLWHB for screening and vaccination if HBV was negative. All those seropositive for HBV were offered a comprehensive liver health assessment., Results: We have established a framework for HBV screening, assessment and linkage to care in Kilifi. Between March 2023 and March 2024, we collected data for 80 PLWHB, comprising (1) screening of 1862 people of whom 30 were seropositive, (2) enrolment of 38 people known to be living with HBV and (3) testing of 97 close contacts of PLWHB, of whom 12 were positive. Among a limited subset with elastography data, we identified 9 of 59 as having significant fibrosis, and a further 6 people had laboratory aspartate transaminase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI) scores in keeping with fibrosis. We encountered challenges including procurement delays for hepatitis B surface antigen testing kits and HBV vaccinations, and issues accessing liver elastography., Conclusions: HBV screening was well received by the Kilifi population, has identified people at risk of liver disease progression and is improving linkage to care and vaccination at KCH. Future HBV programmes in WHO Africa can build on this experience as we work to develop accessible, affordable and acceptable care pathways., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Recent trends in bone tissue engineering have focused on the development of biomimetic constructs with appropriate mechanical and physiochemical properties. Here, we report the fabrication of an innovative biomaterial scaffold based on a new bisphosphonate-containing synthetic polymer combined with gelatin. To this end, zoledronate (ZA)-functionalized polycaprolactone (PCL-ZA) was synthesized by a chemical grafting reaction. After adding gelatin to the PCL-ZA polymer solution, the porous PCL-ZA/gelatin scaffold was fabricated by the freeze-casting method. A scaffold with aligned pores and a porosity of 82.04 % was obtained. During in vitro biodegradability test, 49 % of its initial weight lost after 5 weeks. The elastic modulus of the PCL-ZA/gelatin scaffold was 31.4 MPa, and its tensile strength was 4.2 MPa. Based on the results of MTT assay, the scaffold had good cytocompatibility with human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hADMSCs). Furthermore, cells grown in PCL-ZA/gelatin scaffold showed the highest mineralization and ALP activity compared to other test groups. Results of the RT-PCR test revealed that RUNX2, COL 1A1, and OCN genes were expressed in PCL-ZA/gelatin scaffold at the highest level, suggesting its good osteoinductive capacity. These results revealed that PCL-ZA/gelatin scaffold could be considered a proper biomimetic platform for bone tissue engineering., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no Conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Vast black carbon (BC) emissions from sub-Saharan Africa are perceived to warm the regional climate, impact rainfall patterns, and impair human respiratory health. However, the magnitudes of these perturbations are ill-constrained, largely due to limited ground-based observations and uncertainties in emissions from different sources. This paper reports multiyear concentrations of BC and other key PM 2.5 aerosol constituents from the Rwanda Climate Observatory, serving as a regional receptor site. We find a strong seasonal cycle for all investigated chemical species, where the maxima coincide with large-scale upwind savanna fires. BC concentrations show notable interannual variability, with no clear long-term trend. The Δ 14 C and δ 13 C signatures of BC unambiguously show highly elevated biomass burning contributions, up to 93 ± 3%, with a clear and strong savanna burning imprint. We further observe a near-equal contribution from C3 and C4 plants, irrespective of air mass source region or season. In addition, the study provides improved relative emission factors of key aerosol components, organic carbon (OC), K + , and NO 3 - , in savanna-fires-influenced background atmosphere. Altogether, we report quantitative source constraints on Eastern Africa BC emissions, with implications for parameterization of satellite fire and bottom-up emission inventories as well as regional climate and chemical transport modeling.

The development of highly bioactive engineered scaffolds is required to promote bone regeneration and the success of bone tissue engineering treatment approaches. This study attempts to fabricate a biofunctional magnetic scaffold based on new phosphorylated polycaprolactone combined with gelatin (MNPs-PCL-P/gelatin). Phosphorylated polymer and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized and characterized by NMR, FT-IR, TEM, and DLS instruments. The synthetic polymer, MNPs, and biopolymer were mixed then freeze-dried to prepare a porous scaffold. Physiochemical assessments showed that a scaffold with well-developed porous morphology, and stable structure was obtained. MNPs-PCL-P/gelatin scaffold had no toxicity on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). The use of phosphorous-containing polymer resulted in improvement of the scaffold's osteoconductivity to support proper cell attachment and promote cell proliferation. Phosphate group by mimicking function of bone phosphate groups stimulate bone mineralization that reflected by alizarin red S staining assay. The presence of MNPs resulted in higher ALP activity and increased expression level of RUNX2, BMP2 osteogenic biomarkers. Also, phosphorylation enhanced osteoinductivity of scaffold and upregulate RUNX2, BMP2, COL1A1, and OCN genes in phosphors-containing scaffold test groups. It seems that biocompatible MNPs-PCL-P/gelatin scaffold possesses the potential of applications in bone tissue engineering., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The treatment of unhealable and chronic cutaneous wounds is a significant challenge for the healthcare system. Hence, there has been heightened interest in the development of innovative therapeutic approaches for the acceleration of wound healing. Regenerative medicine based on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has shown appropriate potential in skin repair. The regenerative properties of stem cells are mainly attributed to paracrine effects of secreted products, including exosomes. There are advantages to using exosomes as a cell-free approach instead of direct application of stem cells. Exosomes have the nanoscale dimension and are immune-tolerant. They can easily endocytose, and transfer the cargo content to recipient cells. They contribute to the regulation of the wound healing process by activating specific signaling pathways. To preserve exosome bioactivity and controlled release of effective concentration during prolonged wound care, the design of an optimized delivery system is necessary. Accordingly, hydrogels with their unique properties are promising candidates as exosome delivery and wound management products. This article investigates the characteristics of exosomes, their molecular mechanism in wound healing, and the advantages of the hydrogel delivery system. Also, published reports on the potential of exosome-loaded hydrogels in skin regeneration have been reviewed., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The growing need for treatment of the impaired bone tissue has resulted in the quest for the improvement of bone tissue regeneration strategies. Bone tissue engineering is trying to create bio-inspired systems with a coordinated combination of the cells, scaffolds, and bioactive factors to repair the damaged bone tissue. The scaffold provides a supportive matrix for cell growth, migration, and differentiation and also, acts as a delivery system for bioactive factors. Bioactive factors including a large group of cytokines, growth factors (GFs), peptides, and hormonal signals that regulate cellular behaviors. These factors stimulate osteogenic differentiation and proliferation of cells by activating the signaling cascades related to ossification and angiogenesis. GFs and bioactive peptides are significant parts of the bone tissue engineering systems. Besides, the use of the osteogenic potential of hormonal signals has been an attractive topic, particularly in osteoporosis-related bone defects. Due to the unstable nature of protein factors and non-specific effects of hormones, the engineering of scaffolds to the controlled delivery of these bioactive molecules has paramount importance. This review updates the growth factors, engineered peptides, and hormones that are used in bone tissue engineering systems. Also, discusses how these bioactive molecules may be linked to accelerating bone regeneration., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Reconstruction of the damaged bone is a striking challenge in the medical field. The bone grafts as a current treatment is associated with inherent limitations; hence, the bone tissue engineering as an alternative therapeutic approach has been considered in the recent decades. Bone tissue engineering aims at replacing the lost tissue and restoring its function by recapitulating the natural regeneration process. Concerted participation and combination of the biocompatible materials, osteoprogenitor/ stem cells and bioactive factors closely mimic the bone microenvironment. The bioactive factors regulate the cell behavior and they induce the stem cells to osteogenic differentiation by activating specific signaling cascades. Growth factors (GFs) are the most important bioactive molecules and mediators of the natural bone repair process. Although these soluble factors have approved applications in the bone regeneration, however, there are several limitations such as the instability, high dose requirements, and serious side effects which could restrict their clinical usage. Alternatively, a new generation of bioactive molecules with the osteogenic properties are used. The non-peptide organic or inorganic molecules are physiologically stable and non-immunogenic due to their small size. Many of them are obtained from the natural resources and some are synthesized through the chemical methods. As a result, these molecules have been introduced as the cost-effective osteogenic agents in the bone tissue regeneration. In this paper, three groups of these bioactive agents including the organic small molecules, minerals and metallic nanoparticles have been investigated, considering their function in accelerating the bone regeneration. We review the recent in vitro and in vivo studies that utilized the osteogenic molecules to promote the bone formation in the scaffold-based bone tissue engineering systems., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Hyperbilirubinemia is one of the most common problems in newborns, and it is reported in about 60% of infants. Phototherapy is used extensively to treat these patients, and hypocalcemia is one important side effect of the phototherapy. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypocalcemia after phototherapy in full-term newborns that underwent phototherapy in Koodakan Hospital in Bandar Abbas in 2013., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 neonates admitted to Koodakan Hospital in Bandar Abbas. All of the newborns were full-term, healthy, weighed more than 2,500 g, and were candidates for phototherapy. The newborns were divided into two groups, i.e., 1) those who were more than three days old and 2) those who were less than three days old. Serum bilirubin and calcium levels were measured for each newborn before phototherapy and 48 hours after phototherapy, and the before and after levels were compared. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 21.0 statistical software. The Fisher Exact test, the independent samples t-test, and the paired t-test were used to test the research hypothesis., Results: Among the 100 newborns studied, 54% had decreased calcium levels after phototherapy. The prevalence of hypocalcemia was 9% in this study, and the prevalence was not significantly different in the two age groups (P = 0.217)., Conclusion: Phototherapy does not increase the risk of hypocalcemia in healthy, full-term neonates. Therefore, prophylactic calcium is not recommended for healthy, full-term neonates who have undergone phototherapy.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee joint has often been regarded as a noninvasive alternative to diagnostic arthroscopy. In day-to-day clinical practice, the MRI scan is routinely used to support the diagnosis for meniscus or ligamentous injuries prior to recommending arthroscopic examination and surgery. On the other hand, rapidly progressing medical technology sometimes obscures the importance of history and physical examination. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of physical examination and MRI scanning in the diagnosis of knee injury, including meniscus tears and cruciate ligament ruptures., Methods: In a cross-sectional, descriptive analytical study, 120 patients with knee injury who were candidates for arthroscopy were referred to Tabriz Shohada Hospital during a one-year period. Prior history of arthroscopy or knee surgery was considered as exclusion criteria. Before ordering an MRI and arthroscopy, a thorough physical examination of the affected knee was performed and a preliminary diagnosis made. The results of arthroscopy were considered as the definitive diagnosis, therefore the results of the physical examination and MRI were judged accordingly., Results: Of the 120 evaluated patients with knee injuries, there were 108 males and 12 females with a mean age of 29.13 ± 7.37 (16-54) years. For medial meniscus injuries, clinical examination had an accuracy of 85%, sensitivity of 94.8%, and specificity of 75.8%. Lateral meniscus injuries had the following results: accuracy (85%), sensitivity (70.8%) and specificity (88.5%). Clinical examination of anterior cruciate injuries had an accuracy of 95.8%, sensitivity of 98.6% and specificity of 91.7%. According to MRI results, for medial meniscus injuries there was an accuracy of 77.5%, sensitivity of 84.2%, and specificity of 71.4%. In lateral meniscus injuries, MRI had an accuracy of 85.8%, sensitivity of 56.5% and 92.8% specificity. MRI evaluation of anterior cruciate injuries was 92.5% for accuracy, 98.6% for sensitivity, and 83.3% for specificity. Both clinical examination and MRI were 100% for posterior cruciate injuries. Overall, in isolated injuries, the accuracy of clinical examination was relatively better than with complicated cases. The opposite results were seen for MRI findings in this regard., Conclusion: According to our results, both physical examination and MRI scans are very sensitive and accurate in the diagnosis of knee injuries, with a mild preference for physical examination. MRI should be reserved for doubtful cases or complicated injuries.