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Limited health literacy is high among patients with chronic kidney disease, which can pose challenges in health care. Evidence of health literacy in Indonesia, particularly regarding patients undergoing hemodialysis, is lacking. In this study, we aimed to explore health literacy in adult patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. An inductive qualitative study was conducted. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 adult patients undergoing hemodialysis, four family caregivers, and four healthcare professionals. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Three themes emerged from the data: "Trying to understand the illness," "searching and obtaining health information," and "applying health information." Understanding and accepting the illness included raising awareness of the changes in their lives and accepting these changes. Participants actively sought information from healthcare professionals and other sources and used it carefully. Behavioral changes included patients' adherence to therapy, although participants often felt bored during the illness trajectory. Understanding the illness and being willing to seek and critically evaluate health information before implementing it are important. These aspects may affect patient outcomes and require further intervention and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to understand how strategic alliances and dynamic capabilities influence the performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Indonesia. The research was conducted on a sample of 235 CEOs/top leaders of MFIs spread across all provinces in Indonesia. Data collection used survey questionnaires. Data testing used SPSS version 25, and structural modeling used Amos version 25. The findings show that strategic alliances significantly influence dynamic capabilities and dynamic capabilities significantly influence social performance. Social performance has a significant effect on financial performance. MFIs are important in establishing strategic alliance and strengthening their dynamic capabilities to improve social performance (depth and breadth of reach) and affect financial performance. Social performance includes the depth of the reach to contribute to improving the quality of life of people experiencing poverty around the MFI's operations and the social responsibility of MFIs to the community through scholarships, free medical assistance, basic food assistance, and building/renovating houses of worship and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing demand for sustainable energy sources has spurred significant studies to optimize the potency of fuel cell technology. Direct urea fuel cell (DUFC) has gained attention due to their energy density, eco‐friendliness, and potential applications in power generation using urea from various sources, including wastewater and urine. Efficient electrocatalysts are pivotal in DUFCs, and nickel‐based catalysts, particularly in the form of NiOOH, have demonstrated cost effectiveness, excellent stability in alkaline media, and good activity for urea oxidation reaction. However, low‐density and durability are still the major limitation in the overall DUFC performance. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the latest development in Ni‐based catalysts, covering synthesis methods, factors influencing the catalytic activity as well as their implications for DUFC performance durability and commercial viability. In addition, another important factor including the use of different oxidant and electrolyte medium is also elaborated. Based on this review, 2D‐3D Ni‐based materials with the addition of other metals and the use of non‐oxide nickel binary compound are predicted to be the future evolution of the effective nickel‐based catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the clinical characteristics, DMARD treatment pattern, remission rate, and factors associated with disease remission of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in Indonesia. Method: A multicenter survey was conducted in 2019–2020 involving 16 hospitals in Indonesia. Inclusion criteria were RA patients who fulfilled the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria, were aged ≥18 years, and have been treated with 1 DMARD or more for at least 6 months, with exclusion criteria being the co‐existence of other autoimmune diseases or pain syndromes. Disease activities and remission rate were defined using DAS28‐ESR. Results: A total of 870 patients were completed for analysis. Remission was achieved in 24.5% of patients, while low disease activity in 18.5%, moderate disease activity in 44.6%, and high disease activity in 12.4%. The distribution of conventional DMARDs from subjects was methotrexate 69.9%, leflunomide 15.9%, sulfasalazine 12.0%, chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine 8.9%, and cyclosporine 4.8%. Patients treated with biologic DMARDs were only 0.3%. The mean methotrexate dose was 11.2 ± 4.0 mg/week, and the mean methotrexate duration was 45.1 ± 36.6 months. The majority of patients received glucocorticoids (65.5%). 71.1% received DMARD monotherapy, while 28.9% had combined DMARDs. According to the multivariate analysis, delayed time to diagnosis and treatment (>6 months), DMARD monotherapy, and glucocorticoid use were negatively associated with disease remission. Conclusion: The remission rate of Indonesian RA patients is 24.5%, and low disease activity is 18.5%. Methotrexate and leflunomide are the most frequent conventional DMARDs used. Delayed diagnosis, delayed treatment, and DMARD monotherapy contributed to the current low remission rate in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants in the genus Erythrina is a potential source of chemical constituents, one of which is flavonoids, which have diverse bioactivities. To date, literature on the flavonoids from the genus Erythrina has only highlighted the phytochemical aspects, so this review article will discuss isolation techniques and strategies for the first time. More than 420 flavonoids have been reported in the Erythrina genus, which are grouped into 17 categories. These flavonoid compounds were obtained through isolation techniques and strategies using polar, semi‐polar, and non‐polar solvents. Various chromatographic techniques have been developed to isolate flavonoids using column flash chromatography, quick column chromatography, centrifugally accelerated thin‐layer chromatography, radial chromatography, medium‐pressure column chromatography, semi‐preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography, and preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography. Chromatographic processes for isolating flavonoids can be optimized using multivariate statistical applications such as response surface methodology with central composite design, Box–Behnken design, Doehlert design, and mixture design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent in individuals with Down syndrome (DS), who cease growing earlier than individuals without DS. These characteristics may be associated with increased obesity and subsequent SDB signs, such as snoring and apnoea or excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Thus, we assessed the influence of growth on the association between obesity and SDB signs or EDS; we used questionnaires sent to young individuals with DS and their caregivers, in a cross‐sectional study. Methods: We sent out 2000 questionnaires to individuals with DS and their caregivers. The surveys included questions about SDB signs (witnessed snoring or apnoea), subjective sleeping time including witnessed midnight arousal, the Epworth sleepiness scale and witnessed napping as well as sex, age, body weight and body height. Results: Of the 1222 questionnaires we received, 660 were from young individuals and were included in the analysis. SDB signs were highly prevalent (77.1%), and frequency of SDB signs increased with growth (P‐trend: P = 0.02) in individuals with DS. Multivariate analyses showed that EDS (Epworth sleepiness scale > 10 points) was associated with body mass index Z‐score (Z‐BMI) in the 6–9 years age group (odds ratio [OR] 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.69 [1.09–2.62], P = 0.02). Conversely, SDB signs were associated with Z‐BMI in the 13–15 (OR [95% CI]: 1.99 [1.06–3.72], P = 0.03) and 16–18 years age groups (OR [95% CI]: 3.04 [1.22–7.59], P = 0.02). For the 19–21 years age group, SDB signs were associated with only male sex (OR [95% CI]: 7.28 [1.22–43.38], P = 0.03). Conclusions: This study showed that the association between Z‐BMI and SDB or EDS was age dependent. In early school‐age children with DS, high Z‐BMI could not accurately predict the presence of SDB, but it was associated with EDS. In the pubescent period (i.e. 13–18 years), high Z‐BMI was associated with SDB signs but not with EDS. Overall, obesity affected SDB signs and EDS differently based on age in young individuals with DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The relationship between molecular weight (MW) and antibacterial activity of depolymerised polysaccharides has often been inconsistent. Therefore, a meta‐analysis was performed to elucidate the effectiveness of depolymerisation methods in improving the antibacterial capabilities of polysaccharides. Chitosan was the most studied polysaccharide (65.55% of the included studies) with antibacterial activities, followed by sulfated algal polysaccharides, alginate, β‐glucan, pectin, xanthan, gum, xylan, agar, maltodextrin and miscellaneous polysaccharides extracted from various natural sources. The meta‐analysis revealed that regardless of polysaccharide type, depolymerised polysaccharides exerted superior inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli than against Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, low MW (<10 kDa) anionic and non‐ionic polysaccharides were more effective than chitosan (10–100 kDa) in this regard. Though the high heterogeneity of the current meta‐analysis (I2 > 80%) limits the interpretation of results, it also implies that an understanding of polysaccharide bioactivity is currently lacking. More studies are needed to reach a reliable conclusion about the possible antibacterial activity of low‐MW polysaccharides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Following the prohibition of in‐feed antibiotics, poultry nutritionists are increasingly interested in the use of functional feed. Unripe banana flour (UBF) contains significant amounts of oligosaccharides (which may act as prebiotics) and antioxidants, making it a potential functional feed for broilers. However, research on the use of UBF as a functional feed ingredient for broilers is limited. Objectives: The study investigated the effect of UBF with or without probiotic and multienzyme on growth, internal organ weight and carcass characteristics of broilers. Methods: A total of 392 broiler chicks were distributed into 4 groups included CONT (chicks receiving control feed), UBF (chicks receiving 5% UBF in feed), UBFPRO (5% UBF plus 0.05% probiotics) and UBFZYM (5% UBF plus 0.05% multienzyme). Data on growth performance were weekly recorded, whereas data on internal organs and carcass were collected on day 38. Results: Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was lower (p < 0.05) in UBF, UBFPRO and UBFZYM than that in CONT chicks, with no significant difference in body weight, body weight gain and feed intake. There was a tendency that gizzard was higher (p = 0.08) in CONT than in UBF chicks. Also, pancreas tended (p = 0.09) to be lower in UBFZYM than in CONT birds. There was a notable effect (p < 0.05) of dietary treatments on the yellowness (b*) values of thigh meats, in which UBFPRO had lower b* values than that of CONT but did not differ from that of UBF and UBFZYM. There was no difference (p < 0.05) in carcass and commercial proportion of broilers. Conclusions: Feeding of 5% UBF with or without probiotic and multienzyme improved FCR, without negatively affecting the carcass characteristics of broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensors rely on a plurality of transduction methods, and among the available selections, electrochemical techniques offer the peculiar advantage of an easy interfacing between biological recognition elements and electronic signal transduction processes. Furthermore, electrochemical devices are qualified for decentralized point‐of‐care testing as they can be easily downsized and made at low cost for a wide range of potential applications, for example biomedical or environmental. Electrochemical methods of transduction differ for the technique used, as it can be voltammetry, chronoamperometry, impedance spectroscopy, or electrochemiluminescence. The latter is peculiar among electrochemical techniques since in electrochemiluminescence the analytical signal is light emission, and this offers several advantages, mainly related to background suppression and detection limit, combined with fast measurement. This review introduces the principles of enzyme biosensors coupled with electrochemiluminescence transduction, summarises the research, and finally highlights the strategies to take full advantage of this detection method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to analyse the effect of the School‐Based Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Programme (Program Prevensi Pelecehan Seksual Berbasis Sekolah (P3SBS)) on first‐grade primary school students' ability to protect themselves from sexual abuse. The study was conducted in two primary schools in Surakarta, Indonesia. Fifty‐five students participated in the P3SBS and 55 participants were in the control group. The pre‐test and post‐test of the control group were designed to test the effectiveness of the P3SBS. In total, 110 first‐grade primary school students who participated in the P3SBS and the control group were tested using the 'What If' Situation Test. Measurement of children's self‐protection from sexual abuse was undertaken. The results show that there is a significant difference between the P3SBS and the control group regarding children's ability to self‐protect themselves from sexual abuse. These results suggest that the P3SBS is effective in enhancing children's ability to protect themselves from sexual abuse. Suggestions for expanding sex education for older children are related to puberty. 'Analyse the effect of the School‐Based Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Programme on first‐grade primary school students' ability to protect themselves from sexual abuse' Key Practitioner Messages: Child sexual abuse prevention should be school based to be effective.Child sexual abuse prevention programmes should be designed in accordance with children's characteristics.Parent–teacher collaboration is very important for the successful implementation of a sexual abuse prevention programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem: Soluble immune checkpoint molecules constitute the emerging novel mediators in immune regulation. Their role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis has not been fully addressed. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the clinical manifestation of endometriosis‐associated infertility and the level of four soluble immune checkpoints: sCTLA4, sHLA‐G, sPD‐1, and sPD‐L1. Method of study: The soluble immune checkpoint concentrations in serum and peritoneal fluid from 88 patients who underwent laparoscopy were evaluated by the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Clinical and hematological parameters were documented and analyzed. Results: Endometriosis cases were evident to have significantly higher levels of serum sPD‐L1 and all four molecules in peritoneal fluid compared to non‐endometriosis control. Contrary, no significant differences were found in the concentration of serum sCTLA‐4, sHLA‐G and, sPD‐1 between endometriosis and control group. There were significant positive correlations between serum and peritoneal fluid concentrations of sCTLA‐4, sPD‐L1, and sHLA‐G. Serum sPD‐L1 could discriminate endometriosis‐related infertility to other pathological control. At a cutoff of 14,61 pg/mL, serum sPD‐L1 had a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 83%. Moreover, sPD‐L1 level showed positive correlations with pelvic adhesion score and myeloid cell count. Conclusion: The elevated level of sPD‐L1 in serum and immune checkpoint molecules in the peritoneal fluid could represent the hallmark of immune regulation in endometriosis. Serum sPD‐L1 could serve as a potential noninvasive endometriosis biomarker. Also, the immune compartment related to the local immune checkpoint molecules may be implicated in biological mechanisms underlying endometriosis‐related infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Tourism communities will be heavily affected by climate change. However, our understanding of how corporate social responsibility (CSR) of tourism businesses plays a role in building community adaptive capacity to climate change remains limited. This research aims to develop a framework to allow a better understanding of how CSR practices can enhance tourism community adaptive capacity to climate change. Design/methodology/approach: This research takes a qualitative approach using Bali as a case study. In‐depth interviews and focus group discussions with tourism stakeholders in Bali were used for data collection. Purposive random sampling was used as sampling technique. Findings This study provides evidences that CSR of tourism industry can help in building community adaptive capacity to climate change both for the individuals living in a community and for the community leader to lead collective actions. The framework formulated in this research shows that government support and collaboration with tourism stakeholder are needed in harnessing CSR initiatives at the destination level for a greater positive impact for the local community. Research limitation/implication: The findings cannot be assumed as representative of all tourism businesses in Bali. This model should be tested in other tourism destinations. Practical implication: The empirical data presented in this research are relevant for policy makers in designing future policy or regulation on climate change. Originality/value: Community and NGOs were involved in this research to enrich the data and give a balanced perspective on this subject matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Many cell migration-related molecules are associated with endometriosis. Tensin 1 (TNS1), which has been implicated in cell migration, may play a role in endometriosis. The study goal was to evaluate the TNS1 expression in endometrial tissue and serum from women with endometriosis treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa).Material and Methods: Tissue and serum samples were collected from women with endometriosis who were treated (n = 29) with GnRHa or untreated (n = 30). TNS1 mRNA was examined using quantitative PCR. TNS1 protein levels in tissue and serum samples were investigated using Western blot, immunohistochemistry and ELISA. Eleven women with endometriosis participated in a follow-up investigation of serum TNS1 before and after GnRHa treatment.Results: TNS1 mRNA (P = 0.006) and protein (P = 0.001) were significantly downregulated in endometriotic tissue from women with endometriosis who received GnRHa. Immunolocalization of TNS1 showed strong expression in the epithelial and stromal cells of endometriotic tissue from women untreated with GnRHa, whereas endometriotic tissue from GnRHa-treated women showed low TNS1 expression. Follow-up monitoring of serum TNS1 concentration in 11 women showed an average decrease in concentration of 53%, from 294.9 ± 66.69 to 140.3 ± 55.21 pg/mL, following GnRHa treatment (P = 0.003).Conclusions: GnRHa induces downregulation of TNS1 in tissue and serum in women with endometriosis. These results emphasize the importance TNS1 as a potential therapeutic molecular target for the treatment of endometriosis with GnRHa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: The severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is assessed by the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) determined from polysomnography (PSG). However, PSG requires a specialized facility with well‐trained specialists and takes overnight. Therefore, simple tools, which could distinguish severe OSA, have been needed before performing PSG. Objectives: We propose the new index using cine‐MRI as a screening test to differentiate severe OSA patients, who would need PSG and proper treatment. Methods: Thirty‐six patients with suspected OSA (mean age 54.6 y, mean AHI 52.6 events/h, 33 males) underwent airway cine‐MRI at the fourth cervical vertebra level during 30 s of free breathing and PSG. The minimum airway ellipticity (AE) in 30 s duration was measured, and was defined as the severity of OSA. Patients were divided into severe OSA, not‐severe OSA, and normal groups, according to PSG results. The comparison of AE between any two of the three groups was performed by Wilcoxon rank‐sum test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cut‐off of AE for identifying severe OSA patients. Results: The minimum AE for severe OSA was significantly lower than that for not‐severe OSA and normal (severe, 0.17 ± 0.16; not severe, 0.31 ± 0.17; normal, 0.38 ± 0.19, P < .05). ROC analysis revealed that the optimal cutoff of the minimum AE 0.21 identified severe OSA patients, with an area under the curve of 0.75, 68% sensitivity, and 83% specificity. Conclusion: AE is a feasible quantitative index, and a promising screening test for detecting severe OSA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common sleep disorder characterized by repetitive episodes of airway closure which usually occurs in the retropalatal region of the oropharynx. It has been known that upper airway mucosa in OSA patients is described as edematous, but not fully clarified. Objectives This study aimed to investigate and establish magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameter to estimate tissue water content at retropalatal level and its relationship with sleep parameters in OSA patients. Methods Forty-eight subjects with OSA underwent overnight polysomnography and cervical MRI with 1.5-tesla [mean (SD) age 55 (14) years and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) 45.2 (26.1) events/hour, 79.2% male]. On the axial T2-weighted images from epipharynx to oropharynx, the signal intensities of masseter muscle and peripharyngeal mucosa [T2 mucous-to-masseter intensity ratio (T2MMIR)], was used as water content estimation in the retropalatal region. Partial correlation analysis was performed to examine the correlation between T2MMIR and polysomnography parameters. Results We found that there were strong and positive correlations between the T2MMIR and AHI ( r = 0.545, P < 0.05), supine AHI ( r = 0.553, P < 0.05) and REM AHI ( r = 0.640, P < 0.01) by partial correlation analysis. Besides, in patients with less efficient sleep who had more stage 1 sleep, significantly higher T2MMIR was noted ( r = 0.357, P < 0.05). Conclusions This study confirmed that peripharyngeal T2MMIR can be a simple parameter representing peripharyngeal tissue water contents related to severe OSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background People with Down syndrome (DS) often have sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Unusual sleep postures, such as leaning forward and sitting, are observed in people with DS. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of unusual sleep postures and their relationships with SDB-related symptoms (SDB-RSs), such as snoring, witnessed apnoea, nocturnal awakening and excessive daytime sleepiness. Methods A questionnaire, including demographic characteristics and the presence of unusual sleep postures, as well as SDB-RSs, was completed by 1149 parents of people with DS from Japan. Results Unusual sleep postures were recorded in 483 (42.0%) people with DS. These participants were significantly younger and had a history of low muscle tone more frequently than people without unusual sleep postures. In all ages, the leaning forward posture was more frequent than sitting. People with DS with unusual sleep postures suffered from SDB-RSs. Those who slept in the sitting posture had more frequent SDB-RSs than did those who slept with the leaning forward posture. Snoring, witnessed apnoea and nocturnal awakening were observed in 73.6, 27.2 and 58.2% of participants, respectively. Snoring increased with aging. Witnessed apnoea was more common in males and in those with hypothyroidism than in females and in those without hypothyroidism. Conclusions Our study shows that there is a close relationship between unusual sleep postures and SDB-RSs. We recommend that all people with DS with unusual sleep postures should be checked for the presence of SDB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Breast cancer is a hormonally driven disease. Cellular senescence is an age-related irreversible cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase upon induction. The aim of this study was to characterize the expression patterns of the senescence markers p14ARF, p16INK4a and p21WAF1/Cip1 during breast cancer progression in a large patient cohort. Methods and results We conducted a retrospective study of 1080 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma, no special type, over an 11-year period. We performed immunohistochemical staining on tissue microarrays that included normal, benign hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma tissue from each patient. Invasive ductal carcinomas showed higher expression of p14ARF and p16INK4a but lower expression of p21WAF1/Cip1 than non-malignant tissues. There were significant correlations of normal, benign, preinvasive and malignant tissues with p14ARF, p16INK4a and p21WAF1/Cip1 expression ( P < 0.05). Univariate comparison showed a correlation between high p16INK4a expression and poor survival ( P = 0.000) and an increased risk of relapse ( P = 0.000), whereas high p14ARF expression correlated only with an increased risk of relapse ( P = 0.038). Multivariate analysis showed p16INK4a to be an important prognostic factor for overall survival ( P = 0.011) and disease-free survival ( P = 0.004), with p14ARF also being a significant prognostic factor for disease-free survival ( P = 0.043). Moreover, patients showing both high p16INK4a expression and and high p14ARF expression had an adjusted three-fold increased risk of disease recurrence ( P < 0.05) and a two-fold increased risk of all-cause-related death ( P < 0.05). Conclusions These finding suggest p16INK4a expression and p14ARF expression may play an important role in the progression of proliferative breast tissue to invasive cancer, and may be useful as prognostic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) have been established for primary and secondary prevention of fatal arrhythmias. However, little is known about the influence of ICD indications on quality of life (QOL) and psychological disturbances. This study aimed to examine whether there were differences in QOL and psychological distress in patients that have an ICD for primary or secondary prevention of fatal arrhythmias. Methods A multicenter survey of 179 consecutive outpatients (29.1% primary prevention) with ICD implantations completed the Short Form-8 (SF-8), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Worries about ICD (WAICD). Results Patients with an ICD for primary prevention had a higher trait anxiety score and worries about ICD score than patients with an ICD for secondary prevention (41.7±12.4 vs. 34.7±12.3, p =0.001 and 39.6±18.0 vs. 30.0±18.9, p =0.002, respectively), even after adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. In multivariable analysis of variance, primary prevention ICD recipients reported a poorer QOL on the vitality subscale of the SF-8. Conclusions In our study population, which mostly consisted of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I and II subjects, primary prevention ICD recipients were more prone to experience worries about their ICD, anxiety, and a poorer QOL compared to secondary prevention ICD recipients. In clinical practice, primary prevention ICD patients should be closely monitored. If warranted, they should be offered psychological intervention, as anxiety and low QOL were predictors of mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolation of α-cellulose from rice straw has been successfully carried out having 26.95% yield, with 74.28% crystallinity index. The α-cellulose is then chemically modified by grafting acrylic acid monomer onto cellulose using pre-irradiation graft copolymerization technique. The optimum condition for grafting is obtained at 30 kGy radiation doses, 10% monomer concentration, 60 °C grafting temperature and 120 min reaction time, with 84.12% grafting average. The infrared spectroscopy showed a new absorption band at 1720 cm−1 in the modified cellulose, which can be attributed to the presence of carbonyl group of acrylic acid. FESEM imaging showed that the acrylic acid grafting leads to an increase in the roughness and width of the cellulose. The grafting process was found to increase final decomposition temperature of the fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Evaluating the impact of nutrition interventions on developmental outcomes in developing countries can be challenging since most assessment tests have been produced in and for developed country settings. Such tests may not be valid measures of children's abilities when used in a new context. Aims. We present several principles for the selection, adaptation, and evaluation of tests assessing the developmental outcomes of nutrition interventions in developing countries where standard assessment tests do not exist. We then report the application of these principles for a nutrition trial on the Indonesian island of Lombok. Sample. Three hundred children age 22-55 months in Lombok participated in a series of pilot tests for the purpose of test adaptation and evaluation. Four hundred and eighty-seven 42-month-old children in Lombok were tested on the finalized test battery. Methods. The developmental assessment tests were adapted to the local context and evaluated for a number of psychometric properties, including convergent and discriminant validity, which were measured based on multiple regression models with maternal education, depression, and age predicting each test score. Results. The adapted tests demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties and the expected pattern of relationships with the three maternal variables. Maternal education significantly predicted all scores but one, maternal depression predicted socio-emotional competence, socio-emotional problems, and vocabulary, while maternal age predicted socio-emotional competence only. Conclusion. Following the methodological principles we present resulted in tests that were appropriate for children in Lombok and informative for evaluating the developmental outcomes of nutritional supplementation in the research context. Following this approach in future studies will help to determine which interventions most effectively improve child development in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater fish demand in West Java is supported by cage aquaculture in reservoirs. Cirata Reservoir is one of three cascading hydropower reservoirs built along the Citarum River that receives domestic and industrial wastes. Water pollution by heavy metals, such as copper and lead, increases the health risk of humans who consume the fish. The study was aimed to evaluate the concentration of copper and lead in fish, specifically on Cyprinus carpio, that are widely cultivated in the Cirata Reservoir. Two sizes of fish were collected from five sampling points around floating-cage area. The liver of the fish was found to contain the highest copper level, followed by gills, skin, and muscle. In contrast, lead was also high in the liver, followed by skin, gills, and the muscle, but the copper concentration found in the tissues studied was much higher (31.111 ± 17.911 mg/kg dry wt) than the lead content (0.290 ± 0.346 mg/kg dry wt). The concentration of metals in smaller fish was always higher than than that in bigger fish. The metals content was also compared to those in fish exposed in a semistatic laboratory-scale study using Oreochromis niloticus. After 28 days exposure with 0.01 mg Cu/L, fish accumulated 21.53 mg Cu/kg dry wt, whereas for Pb exposure of 0.016 mg/L, fish accumulated up to 7 mg/kg dry wt. However, estimates of Cu and Pb intake from C. carpio consumption were still below the average daily intake (ADI) limit. This study suggested that monitoring of water quality and heavy metals in cultured fish is important in protecting human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some markers of angiogenic endothelial cells are emerging as targets for cancer therapy. The present study compared the expression of CD105 with that of other endothelial markers in cancers from various organs. Surgically resected cancer tissues from 188 patients comprising brain ( n = 17), lung ( n = 38), breast ( n = 30), stomach ( n = 30), colon ( n = 31), liver ( n = 32), and kidney ( n = 10) cancers were immunohistochemically analyzed on tissue microarrays using a panel of eight endothelial markers. CD31 was expressed in vascular endothelial cells in cancer lesions as well as in non-cancerous areas (30–100%) in all core tissue samples. CD105 expression was intense and restricted to capillary endothelial cells in cancer lesions (>73%). In contrast, positive expression of CD105 was seen in <20% of non-cancerous areas in the same organs. However, no significant difference in CD105 expression in vascular endothelial cells between cancer lesions and non-cancerous areas from liver and renal cancer samples was found. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Flt1, and Flk1 were also expressed, but only sporadically and in few samples (<30%), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and TGF-βRII were negative in vascular endothelial cells but generally positive in cancer cells. CD44 was strongly expressed in sinusoidal endothelial cells of the liver (90–100%). These results show that CD105 is expressed specifically in the tumor angiogenesis of brain, lung, breast, stomach, and colon cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]