113 research outputs found
Risk communication sources and knowledge of Lassa fever in Nigeria: An impact analysis
This study examined the predominant risk communication sources for Lassa fever, and explored the correlation
between risk communication sources and knowledge of Lassa fever in the most endemic states (Ebonyi, Edo and
Ondo) of the disease outbreak in Nigeria, through a mixed-methods approach. Using the multi-stage sampling
technique, 72 Focus Group Discussants and 653 survey respondents were selected for the study. Statistical
analysis was conducted on the acquired quantitative data, whereas thematic analysis was employed for qualitative
analysis. The results suggest that radio, posters and healthcare workers are predominant sources of information
about Lassa fever in the endemic states. The majority of the respondents possess adequate knowledge of the Lassa
fever vector, transmission routes, risk factors, and preventive measures, but knowledge of asymptomatic patients
was generally poor across the selected states. The regression analysis indicates that radio and healthcare workers
are the strongest predictor of the knowledge of Lassa fever at (beta ¼ .191, p < .05, Significant. .000) respectively,
followed by television and family members/relatives at (beta ¼ .124, p < .05, Significant. .002.) (beta ¼ .110, p <
.05, Significant. .007) respectively. The study recommends among others that; more efforts in risk communication
should be geared towards the dissemination of the health risk information through radio, healthcare workers,
television, and informal communication within the family network to further promote the knowledge of Lassa
fever and other epidemics in Nigeria at larg
Ultrathin 2 nm gold as ideal impedance-matched absorber for infrared light
Thermal detectors are a cornerstone of infrared (IR) and terahertz (THz)
technology due to their broad spectral range. These detectors call for suitable
broad spectral absorbers with minimalthermal mass. Often this is realized by
plasmonic absorbers, which ensure a high absorptivity butonly for a narrow
spectral band. Alternativly, a common approach is based on impedance-matching
the sheet resistance of a thin metallic film to half the free-space impedance.
Thereby, it is possible to achieve a wavelength-independent absorptivity of up
to 50 %, depending on the dielectric properties of the underlying substrate.
However, existing absorber films typicallyrequire a thickness of the order of
tens of nanometers, such as titanium nitride (14 nm), whichcan significantly
deteriorate the response of a thermal transducers. Here, we present the
application of ultrathin gold (2 nm) on top of a 1.2 nm copper oxide seed layer
as an effective IR absorber. An almost wavelength-independent and long-time
stable absorptivity of 47(3) %, ranging from 2 m to 20 m, could be
obtained and is further discussed. The presented gold thin-film represents
analmost ideal impedance-matched IR absorber that allows a significant
improvement of state-of-the-art thermal detector technology
Acquired resistance to oxaliplatin is not directly associated with increased resistance to DNA damage in SK-N-ASrOXALI4000, a newly established oxaliplatin-resistant sub-line of the neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-AS
The formation of acquired drug resistance is a major reason for the failure of anti-cancer therapies after initial response. Here, we introduce a novel model of acquired oxaliplatin resistance, a sub-line of the non-MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-AS that was adapted to growth in the presence of 4000 ng/mL oxaliplatin (SK-N-ASrOXALI4000). SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells displayed enhanced chromosomal aberrations compared to SK-N-AS, as indicated by 24-chromosome fluorescence in situ hybridisation. Moreover, SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells were resistant not only to oxaliplatin but also to the two other commonly used anti-cancer platinum agents cisplatin and carboplatin. SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells exhibited a stable resistance phenotype that was not affected by culturing the cells for 10 weeks in the absence of oxaliplatin. Interestingly, SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells showed no cross resistance to gemcitabine and increased sensitivity to doxorubicin and UVC radiation, alternative treatments that like platinum drugs target DNA integrity. Notably, UVC-induced DNA damage is thought to be predominantly repaired by nucleotide excision repair and nucleotide excision repair has been described as the main oxaliplatin-induced DNA damage repair system. SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells were also more sensitive to lysis by influenza A virus, a candidate for oncolytic therapy, than SK-N-AS cells. In conclusion, we introduce a novel oxaliplatin resistance model. The oxaliplatin resistance mechanisms in SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells appear to be complex and not to directly depend on enhanced DNA repair capacity. Models of oxaliplatin resistance are of particular relevance since research on platinum drugs has so far predominantly focused on cisplatin and carboplatin
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