Using Functionalized Liposomes to Harvest Extracellular Vesicles of Similar Characteristics in Dermal Interstitial Fluid.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are used by living cells for the purpose of biological information trafficking from parental-to-recipient cells and vice versa. This back-and-forth communication is enabled by two distinct kinds of biomolecules that constitute the cargo of an EV: proteins and nucleic acids. The proteomic-cum-genetic information is mediated by the physiological state of a cell (healthy or otherwise) as much as modulated by the biogenesis pathway of the EV. Therefore, in mirroring the huge diversities of human communications, the proteins and nucleic acids involved in cell communications possess seemingly near limitless diversities, and it is this characteristic that makes EVs so highly heterogeneous. Currently, there is no simple and reliable tool for the selective capture of heterogeneous EVs and the delivery of their undamaged cargo for research in extracellular protein mapping and spatial proteomics studies. Our work is a preliminary attempt to address this issue. We demonstrated our approach by using antibody functionalized liposomes to capture EVs from tumor and healthy cell-lines. To characterize their performance, we presented fluorescence and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) results, TEM images, and Western blotting analysis for EV proteins. We also extracted dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) from healthy individuals and used our functionalized synthetic vesicle (FSV) method to capture EVs from their proteins. We constructed three proteomic sets [EV vs ISF, (FSV+EV) vs ISF, and (FSV+EV) vs EV] from the EV proteins and the free proteins harvested from ISF and compared their differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). The performance of our proposed method is assessed via an analysis of 1095 proteins, together with volcano plots, heatmap, GO annotation, and enriched KEGG pathways and organelle localization results of 213 DEPs.

Addressing Proficiency Gaps in Future Skills Between Employers and Learners Through Data Visualization.

The pandemic has principally changed the way the construction industry operates. It has caused a profound shift in how we conduct our work, with a large-scale take-up of remote working and changes in our digital approach. The way we work is changing. All these impacts challenge the traditional supply chain and working practices of the construction industry negatively, resulting in price escalations, additional costs, loss of revenue, payment delays and increase in disputes and claims. This study aimed to assess the skill proficiency of learners and narrow the employers' and young engineers' perspectives on what are the future skills requirements in the construction industry in the world of digitalization. This study, which comprised two surveys entitled "Future Skills-What does the future look like for young engineers?" (for employers) and "WLA Survey in "Future Skills"-The Proficiency Analyses of Young Engineers-to-be" (for learners), was a part of the Workplace Learning and Assessment (WLA) Engagement Series for students. This research attempts to map skill proficiency of learners (or young engineers-to-be) with the future skill requirements of the employers and to make recommendations on the construction-related institutional arrangements. A quantitative approach by using online surveys as the main data collection tool was adopted. A sample of 20 WLA-participating employers and 23 WLA-participating students in construction companies was generated. In December 2021, the project team initiated two surveys to explore the expectation for the future workforce in the construction industry. Interview results covering various construction-related disciplines, including civil engineering, building studies, surveying and building technology, were analysed and illustrated using Microsoft Power BI. Content analysis with data visualizations was used to identify major themes. This study has shown that employers and students have different perceptions of skills and attributes as critical competencies for a successful workforce. On a positive note, there was a high level of satisfaction for both employers and learners in "Training Structure" and "Training and Development". This study highlighted that students did not have the appropriate level of knowledge as expected by their employers in key subject areas of the construction industry. Employers expressed a clear expectation for the roles and responsibilities of young engineers in their organizations. Areas of practice such as building information modelling (BIM), "Problem Solving", and "Presentation Skills" were highlighted as critical for the future. The competency of youngsters in achieving targeted vision and goals as well as the competency in striving for continual improvement was identified as highly relevant for the future. There was potential for young engineers to play a more active role in their organizations and to repackage their technical skill and interpersonal skill sets for anticipated future roles. The choice of the quantitative research design approach was guided by the need to capture numerical data in the construction industry of Hong Kong for the purpose of illuminating differences in perspectives among participants about future skills for WLA implementation in vocational and professional education and training (VPET). This study can help to investigate the skill proficiency gaps that employers will be looking for and how WLA can bring maximized benefits to students and companies. Based on the results, the students can be better informed about the workplace settings and be prepared for the upcoming industrial attachment or apprenticeship programme with WLA. Feedback provided by the companies can help support students' transition into the world of work. On the other hand, by understanding learners' self-perception, this adaptation made by the companies could result in what looks to be part of a longer-term change in how we work, particularly with a move to increased use of hybrid working. The statistical models with data visualization based on Power BI can also lead to the experimentation and inference that inform the institution's strategy.

Presumptive Prostate Cancer Presenting as Low Back Pain in the Chiropractic Office: Two Cases and Literature Review.

Prostate cancer is a common type of cancer in men and may metastasize to the spine and pelvis, causing back and/or radicular pain that appears to be musculoskeletal. This presents a diagnostic challenge and can be complicated by a lack of routine screening for prostate cancer. In two similar cases, elderly males (ages 78 and 82) with no known history of cancer and no previous prostate-specific antigen screening presented to a chiropractor with chronic, worsening radiating low back pain. In each case, a previous provider obtained radiographs and ascribed symptoms to a non-cancerous etiology (i.e., lumbar spondylosis, osteoporotic compression fracture), treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and physiotherapy. Given each patient's progressive worsening and neurologic deficits, the chiropractor ordered lumbar magnetic resonance imaging, revealing potential spinal metastasis. The chiropractor referred each patient to an oncologist who performed additional testing, making a presumptive diagnosis of prostate cancer. A literature review identified seven cases of previously undiagnosed prostate cancer presenting to a chiropractor. Including the current cases, patients were often older, presenting with thoracolumbar pain caused by spine or pelvic metastasis. The current cases and literature review illustrate that men with undiagnosed metastasis from prostate cancer may present to chiropractors complaining of spinal pain. Chiropractors should be aware of red flags warranting imaging such as older age and new or progressive symptoms and should refer patients to an oncologist when suspecting prostate cancer.

KBG syndrome mimicking genetic generalized epilepsy.

•Several conditions may mimic Genetic Generalized Epilepsy GGE.•GGE is less frequently misdiagnosed compared to other subtypes of epilepsy.•KBG syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant condition.•KBG syndrome may mimic GGE.

Evaluating the quality of remote sensing products for agricultural index insurance.

Agricultural index insurance contracts increasingly use remote sensing data to estimate losses and determine indemnity payouts. Index insurance contracts inevitably make errors, failing to detect losses that occur and issuing payments when no losses occur. The quality of these contracts and the indices on which they are based, need to be evaluated to assess their fitness as insurance, and to provide a guide to choosing the index that best protects the insured. In the remote sensing literature, indices are often evaluated with generic model evaluation statistics such as R2 or Root Mean Square Error that do not directly consider the effect of errors on the quality of the insurance contract. Economic analysis suggests using measures that capture the impact of insurance on the expected economic well-being of the insured. To bridge the gap between the remote sensing and economic perspectives, we adopt a standard economic measure of expected well-being and transform it into a Relative Insurance Benefit (RIB) metric. RIB expresses the welfare benefits derived from an index insurance contract relative to a hypothetical contract that perfectly measures losses. RIB takes on its maximal value of one when the index contract offers the same economic benefits as the perfect contract. When it achieves none of the benefits of insurance it takes on a value of zero, and becomes negative if the contract leaves the insured worse off than having no insurance. Part of our contribution is to decompose this economic well-being measure into an asymmetric loss function. We also argue that the expected well-being measure we use has advantages over other economic measures for the normative purpose of insurance quality ascertainment. Finally, we illustrate the use of the RIB measure with a case study of potential livestock insurance contracts in Northern Kenya. We compared 24 indices that were made with 4 different statistical models and 3 remote sensing data sources. RIB for these indices ranged from 0.09 to 0.5, and R2 ranged from 0.2 to 0.51. While RIB and R2 were correlated, the model with the highest RIB did not have the highest R2. Our findings suggest that, when designing and evaluating an index insurance program, it is useful to separately consider the quality of a remote sensing-based index with a metric like the RIB instead of a generic goodness-of-fit metric.

Environmental Toxins Found Historically in the Polycythemia Vera Cluster Area and their Potential for Inducing DNA Damage.

In 2006, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry received a request to determine whether a cluster of polycythemia vera patients existed in a northeast Pennsylvania community. A significant cluster of PV cases was identified at the nexus of three counties near several hazardous waste sites. The current study evaluated the potential for a select number of environmental contaminants previously detected in the cluster area to induce DNA damage using in vitro assays with hematopoietic stem-cell derived progenitor cells. CD34+ cells were isolated from normal cord blood samples and were cultured for 48-72 hours to generate erythroid progenitor cells. Eighteen compounds were chosen for the assay; arsenic trioxide, benzo(a)pyrene, benzene, methylene chloride, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), trichloroethylene, potassium chloride, ethylbenzene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, styrene, cadmium chloride, hydroquinone, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, sodium cyanide, manganese chloride, chromium oxide, lead oxide, and sodium arsenite. Genotoxicity of the compounds was determined using the comet assay, and toxicity determined via the cell viability assay. Using the comet assay, 16 compounds at 10 nM concentration, induced a significant amount of DNA damage compared to the control. When evaluating whether a dose-dependent relationship was present, seventeen of the eighteen compounds led to greater DNA damage with increasing exposure concentrations. 2,3,7,8-TCDD was particularly potent, inducing DNA damage in virtually all cells at 1 µM. In conclusion, most of the toxins evaluated using the comet assay showed potential to induce DNA damage in hematopoietic cells, and the genotoxic effects were dose-dependent.

Arabica coffee leaf images dataset for coffee leaf disease detection and classification.

This article introduces Arabica coffee leaf datasets known as JMuBEN and JMuBEN2. Image acquisition was done in Mutira coffee plantation in Kirinyaga county-Kenya under real-world conditions using a digital camera and with the help of a pathologist. JMuBEN dataset contains three compressed folders with images inside. The first file contains 7682 images of Cerscospora, the second contains 8337 images of rust and the last one contains 6572 images of Phoma. JMuBEN2 contains two compressed files where the first file contains 16,979 images of Miner while the other contains 18,985 images of healthy leaves. In total, the dataset contains 58,555 leaf images spread across five classes (Phoma, Cescospora, Rust, Healthy, Miner,) with annotations regarding the state of the leaves and the disease names. The Arabica datasets contain images that facilitates training and validation during the utilization of deep learning algorithms for coffee plant leaf disease recognition and classification. The dataset is publicly and freely available at https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/tgv3zb82nd/1 and https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/t2r6rszp5c/1 respectively.

Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies among truck drivers and assistants in Kenya

In October 2020, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG seroprevalence among truck drivers and their assistants (TDA) in Kenya was 42.3%, higher than among other key populations. TDA transport essential supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic, placing them at increased risk of being infected and of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 infection over a wide geographical area.

How complete were maternal death reviews in Central Kenya 2015 - 2018?

In response to high maternal mortality ratio (MMR) Kenya implemented mandatory maternal death reviews (MDR) in 2004. This retrospective study used MDR data to assess the completeness of MDR process in seven hospitals of Thika sub-county, central Kenya from January 2015 to June 2018. Of all 43 maternal deaths that occurred, 98% were notified while 64% were audited. MDR forms were filled in 55% of the cases of which only 7% had complete documentation. The median age of patients was 30 years majority of whom died within 24 hours of admission. Caesarean sections were associated with 48% of deaths, with haemorrhage accounting for most of the direct causes. Data on hospital-related delays, missed opportunities and action points were most frequently omitted in MDR forms. Capacity building for audit teams is recommended to improve quality of MDR process particularly focusing on identifying causes of preventable maternal deaths.

Autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD) in Ireland.

Introduction: Autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD) is a rare genetic cause of renal impairment resulting from mutations in the MUC1, UMOD, HNF1B, REN, and SEC61A1 genes. Neither the national or global prevalence of these diseases has been determined. We aimed to establish a database of patients with ADTKD in Ireland and report the clinical and genetic characteristics of these families. Methods: We identified patients via the Irish Kidney Gene Project and referral to the national renal genetics clinic in Beaumont Hospital who met the clinical criteria for ADTKD (chronic kidney disease, bland urinary sediment, and autosomal dominant inheritance). Eligible patients were then invited to undergo genetic testing by a variety of methods including panel-based testing, whole exome sequencing and, in five families who met the criteria for diagnosis of ADTKD but were negative for causal genetic mutations, we analyzed urinary cell smears for the presence of MUC1fs protein. Results: We studied 54 individuals from 16 families. We identified mutations in the MUC1 gene in three families, UMOD in five families, HNF1beta in two families, and the presence of abnormal MUC1 protein in urine smears in three families (one of which was previously known to carry the genetic mutation). We were unable to identify a mutation in 4 families (3 of whom also tested negative for urinary MUC1fs). Conclusions: There are 4443 people with ESRD in Ireland, 24 of whom are members of the cohort described herein. We observe that ADTKD represents at least 0.54% of Irish ESRD patients.

Cytochrome c-poly(acrylic acid) conjugates with improved peroxidase turnover number.

Cytochrome c-poly(acrylic acid) (cyt c-PAA) conjugates with 34-fold enchancement in peroxidase turnover number (kcat) are reported. Cyt c-PAA conjugates were prepared by carbodiimide coupling. PAA with molecular weight (Mw) ranging from 1.8k to 250k g mol-1 were employed, and the effect of PAA Mw on peroxiodase kinetics was assessed. The kcat value increased with increased Mw of PAA, ranging from 0.077(±0.002) s-1 in the absence of PAA to 2.66(±0.08) s-1 for the conjugate of cyt c with 250k PAA. Enzymatic activity studies over pH 6-8 indicated improved activity for cyt c-PAA conjugates at neutral or slightly alkaline pH. Examination of the cyt c heme spectroscopy in the presence of H2O2 revealed that formation of compound III, a reactive intermediate that leads to enzyme inactivation, was supressed in cyt c-PAA conjugates. Thus, we suggest the kcat enhancement can be attributed to acidification of the pH microenvironment and inhibition of the formation of a reactive intermediate that deactivates cyt c during the catalytic cycle.

Relating DSM-5 section III personality traits to section II personality disorder diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: The DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders Work Group formulated a hybrid dimensional/categorical model that represented personality disorders as combinations of core impairments in personality functioning with specific configurations of problematic personality traits. Specific clusters of traits were selected to serve as indicators for six DSM categorical diagnoses to be retained in this system - antisocial, avoidant, borderline, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive and schizotypal personality disorders. The goal of the current study was to describe the empirical relationships between the DSM-5 section III pathological traits and DSM-IV/DSM-5 section II personality disorder diagnoses. METHOD: Data were obtained from a sample of 337 clinicians, each of whom rated one of his or her patients on all aspects of the DSM-IV and DSM-5 proposed alternative model. Regression models were constructed to examine trait-disorder relationships, and the incremental validity of core personality dysfunctions (i.e. criterion A features for each disorder) was examined in combination with the specified trait clusters. RESULTS: Findings suggested that the trait assignments specified by the Work Group tended to be substantially associated with corresponding DSM-IV concepts, and the criterion A features provided additional diagnostic information in all but one instance. CONCLUSIONS: Although the DSM-5 section III alternative model provided a substantially different taxonomic structure for personality disorders, the associations between this new approach and the traditional personality disorder concepts in DSM-5 section II make it possible to render traditional personality disorder concepts using alternative model traits in combination with core impairments in personality functioning.

Behavioral activation and problem-solving therapy for depressed breast cancer patients: preliminary support for decreased suicidal ideation.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common psychiatric disorder in breast cancer patients. The prevalence of suicidal ideation in breast cancer patients is considerable, and relative to the general population, the prevalence of completed suicide is elevated, particularly in cancer patients with MDD. A major component of suicide prevention is effective treatment of MDD. Although some research has explored the utility of psychotherapy with breast cancer patients, only three trials have explored the benefits of behavior therapy in patients with well-diagnosed MDD and there has been no systematic investigation of the potential benefits of psychotherapy toward reducing suicidal ideation in breast cancer patients. As a follow-up to a recently completed randomized trial, this study examined the efficacy of 8 weeks of behavioral activation treatment for depression (BATD) and problem-solving therapy (PST) in reducing depression and suicidal ideation, as well as increasing hopefulness in breast cancer patients with MDD (n = 80). Across both treatments, GEE analyses revealed decreased depression and suicidal ideation and increased hopefulness at posttreatment, results that were maintained at 12-month follow-up. Moreover, follow-up patient contact at approximately 2 years posttreatment yielded no indication of completed suicide. Although these data are preliminary, BATD and PST may represent practical approaches to decrease suicidal ideation in depressed breast cancer patients.

Glass transition and relaxation processes of nanocomposite polymer electrolytes.

This study focus on the effect of δ-Al(2)O(3) nanofillers on the dc-conductivity, glass transition, and dielectric relaxations in the polymer electrolyte (PEO)(4):LiClO(4). The results show that there are three dielectric relaxation processes, α, ß, and γ, in the systems, although the structural α-relaxation is hidden in the strong conductivity contribution and could therefore not be directly observed. However, by comparing an enhanced dc-conductivity, by approximately 2 orders of magnitude with 4 wt % δ-Al(2)O(3) added, with a decrease in calorimetric glass transition temperature, we are able to conclude that the dc-conductivity is directly coupled to the hidden α-relaxation, even in the presence of nanofillers (at least in the case of δ-Al(2)O(3) nanofillers at concentrations up to 4 wt %). This filler induced speeding up of the segmental polymer dynamics, i.e., the α-relaxation, can be explained by the nonattractive nature of the polymer-filler interactions, which enhance the "free volume" and mobility of polymer segments in the vicinity of filler surfaces.

Changes in the thickness and stiffness of plantar soft tissues in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the thickness and stiffness of plantar soft tissues between people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and healthy subjects. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects with DPN (n=70 [35 men, 35 women]; mean age ± SD, 65.4 ± 8.6y) and healthy control subjects (n=54 [12 men, 42 women]; mean age ± SD, 57.9 ± 6.1y) were recruited. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The thickness and stiffness of the plantar soft tissues were measured by the tissue ultrasound palpation system over the pulp of the big toe (BT), first metatarsal head (MTH), second MTH, and the heel. RESULTS: No significant difference in the thickness of the plantar soft tissues was found in any measurement site between the diabetic group and control group. The plantar soft tissues of the DPN group were significantly stiffer than those of the control group at the BT (85.29 kPa vs 50.49 kPa), first MTH (96.29 kPa vs 62.05 kPa), second MTH (84.77 kPa vs 52.93 kPa), and the heel (65.62 kPa vs 44.95 kPa) (all P<.01). CONCLUSIONS: People with DPN tend to have stiffer plantar tissues than do healthy control subjects. The stiffer plantar soft tissues may reduce the cushioning effects of the foot during walking for people with DPN.

Emergence of multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a Western Australian hospital.

Multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPa) has been isolated from patients in a Western Australian teaching hospital with increasing frequency since first encountered in 2006. Between 2006 and 2008 the number of patients with MRPa increased from three to nine per annum, and their location shifted from intensive care to a high dependency unit. A novel water-saving device (aerator) in a staff hand basin was identified as a likely disseminator, with MRPa being isolated from biofilm in the basin's plumbing. The disposal of patient waste, surplus intravenous antibiotic infusions and solid items via hand basins were possible contributory factors. Genotyping of MRPa from patients in other hospitals showed distinct genotypic lineages. The third seasonal cluster persisted for longer, indicating adaption to environment. More effective environmental control of P. aeruginosa is urgently needed.

In vitro fertilization and sperm cryopreservation in the black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) and sand cat (Felis margarita).

Studies of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and sperm cryopreservation have been conducted in several small cat species, but virtually no data exist for black-footed cats (Felis nigripes) (BFCs) or sand cats (Felis margarita) (SCs). The objectives of this study were 1) to compare in vitro motility and acrosome status of fresh and cryopreserved (frozen in pellets on dry ice or in straws in liquid nitrogen vapor) BFC and SC spermatozoa cultured in feline-optimized culture medium (FOCM) or Ham F-10, 2) to assess ovarian responsiveness in BFCs and SCs following exogenous gonadotropin treatment and laparoscopic oocyte recovery, and 3) to evaluate the fertility of fresh and frozen-thawed spermatozoa from both species using homologous and heterologous (domestic cat oocytes) IVF in the two culture media. Motility and acrosomal integrity of fresh and frozen-thawed spermatozoa from BFCs and SCs were similar (P > 0.05) in both media during 6 h of culture. Although effects were more pronounced in SCs, cryopreservation in straws was superior (P < 0.05) to cryopreservation in pellets for both species. Gonadotropin stimulation produced approximately 16 ovarian follicles per female, and >80% of recovered oocytes were of optimal (grade 1) quality. The BFC and SC spermatozoa fertilized 60.0%-79.4% of homologous and 37.7%-42.7% of heterologous oocytes in both culture media, with increased (P < 0.05) cleavage of homologous (SC) and heterologous (BFC and SC) oocytes in FOCM. These results provide the first information to date on the gamete biology of two imperiled cat species and further our capacity to apply reproductive technologies for their conservation.