Pathological variations in mummified feet between two near-distance/long-time populations in Ancient Egypt

Background: In ancient populations, a significant quantity of foot pathology was related either to the type of footwear they used or the underlying terrain they walked on. Our study was carried out to analyze these parameters with the foot pathologies the mummies presented. - Methods: Between 2006 and 2012, more than 650 individuals were recovered from the Sharuna and Qarara necropolis (Middle Egypt) dating from the VIth Dynasty of the first Ptolemaic Period to the second Coptic Period. From among them, a total of 73 mummified feet (41 from Sharuna and 32 from Qarara) were studied. We took into account the differences existing between both sites in location (15 km apart) and in time (2500 years apart). - Results: Almost all feet from Sharuna were wrapped and impregnated with a preservative substance (anthropological mummification), while the mummification process in Qarara was quite natural. Pathologies were found in 36 of the 73 ft (20 from Sharuna and 16 from Qarara). The differences in foot pathologies between the two sites were analysed. - Conclusions: The foot pathologies we found in both necropolises have led us to hypothesise that the majority of the diachronic differences could be related more to progressive changes in the type of the terrain brought out through droughts, than the changes in footwear habits

Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes among Eclamptic Patients Admitted to Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania

Eclampsia continues to be a major problem, particularly in developing countries such as Tanzania, contributing significantly to high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. We conducted a study to establish the incidence of eclampsia and the associated maternal and perinatal outcomes among eclamptic patients admitted to our center. A descriptive cross-sectional study of all women presenting with eclampsia was performed from June 2009 to February 2010. Seventy-six patients presented with eclampsia out of a total 5562 deliveries during the study period (incidence of 1.37%). Antenatal attendance was 96% among patients with eclampsia; however, only 45.21% and 24.66% were screened for blood pressure and proteinuria respectively. Maternal and perinatal case fatality rates were 7.89% and 20.73% respectively. The main factors contributing to maternal deaths were acute renal failure (10.5%), pulmonary oedema (10.5%), maternal stroke (8.8%), HELLP syndrome (50.9%), and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy (3.5%). Perinatal deaths were caused by prematurity (42.9%) and birth asphyxia (57.1%). Forty-eight babies had low-birth weight (58.54%). The high incidence of eclampsia and its complications during this study period may indicate the need for earlier and more meticulous intervention at both the clinic and hospital levels Keywords: Eclampsia, maternal, perinatal, morbidity, mortality, TanzaniaAfr J Reprod Health 2012; 16[1]:35-4

Nanocrack-induced leakage current in AlInN/AlN/GaN

Here we report on the study of nano-crack formation in Al1−xInxN/AlN/GaN heterostructures, on its association with composition fluctuation and on its local electrical properties. It is shown here that indium segregation at nano-cracks and threading dislocations originating from the non-pseudomorphic AlN interlayer could be the cause of the high reverse-bias gate leakage current of Ni/Au Schottky contacts on Al1−xInxN/AlN/GaN heterostructures and significantly affects the contact rectifying behavior. Segregation of indium around crack tips in Al1−xInxN acting as conductive paths was assessed with conductive atomic force microscopy

Decreased expression of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation in human pancreatic islets from patients with type 2 diabetes

Objective: Gene expression alterations, especially in target tissues of insulin, have been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this study, we examined if genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) show differential gene expression and DNA methylation in pancreatic islets from patients with T2D compared with non-diabetic donors. Design and methods: Gene expression was analyzed in human pancreatic islets from 55 non-diabetic donors and nine T2D donors using microarray. Results: While the expected number of OXPHOS genes with reduced gene expression is 7.21, we identified 21 downregulated OXPHOS genes in pancreatic islets from patients with T2D using microarray analysis. This gives a ratio of observed over expected OXPHOS genes of 26.37 by a χ-test with P=2.81 × 10. The microarray data was validated by qRT-PCR for four selected OXPHOS genes: NDUFA5, NDUFA10, COX11, and ATP6V1H. All four OXPHOS genes were significantly downregulated in islets from patients with T2D compared with non-diabetic donors using qRT-PCR (P≤0.01). Furthermore, HbAlc levels correlated negatively with gene expression of NDUFA5, COX11, and ATP6V1H (

Design, synthesis, conjugation and reactivity of novel trans,trans-1,5-cyclooctadiene-derived bioorthogonal linkers

Funding Information: The authors thank Irene Feiner, Marion van Leeuwen-Chomet, and Joey Muns for their helpful insight. We acknowledge financial support from the University of Aberdeen and European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 675417.Peer reviewedPostprin

What Happened to Patients With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Multicentre Report From Tertiary Clinics in Northern Italy

After the outbreak of Coronavirus disease was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, this resulted in extraordinary public health measures to control the infection, such as entire countries being placed under quarantine. The psychopathological consequences of the pandemic and quarantine were anticipated to be of particular relevance, especially in patients with psychiatric disorders such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Aim of the present report was to describe the impact of COVID-19 pandemics within a sample of Italian patients affected by OCD. Sociodemographic and clinical variables of a sample of 123 OCD outpatients, currently attending three OCD tertiary clinics in Northern Italy, were assessed through telephone and in-person interviews. Patients showing a clinical worsening of OCD represented more than one third of the sample and reported a significant emergence of new obsessions and compulsions phenotypes along with a significant exacerbation of past ones. Moreover, they were more frequently found to experience suicidal ideation, increased Internet checking, sleep disturbances, avoidance behaviors, and work difficulties. A significantly increased need of therapy adjustment and family accommodation was also observed. Further research is warranted to clarify the potential risk and related consequences of the current COVID-19 pandemic on OCD patients

Prevalence and risk factors associated with depression in pregnant adolescents in Nairobi, Kenya

Background: Adolescent parenthood can be associated with a range of adverse outcomes for young mothers such as depression, substance abuse, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Identification of depression and understanding risk factors among pregnant adolescents is important for development of appropriate interventions and programs focused on adolescent mental health. This paper reports on the findings of the prevalence of depression and its associated risk factors among pregnant adolescents in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: We recruited 153 pregnant adolescent (14-18 years) who were accessing maternal health services in one of two Nairobi County primary health care facilities in the cross-sectional survey conducted in 2021. The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 was used to screen for depression. Multivariate Stepwise linear regression modelling was used to identify key predictors of depression. Results: Using a cut off of 10 and above on PHQ-9, we found that 43.1% of the respondents were depressed. Depressive symptoms in were independently associated with being in school, experience of intimate partner violence, substance use within the family and having experienced pressure to use substances by family or peers. Limitations: Cross-sectional by design and the applications of our findings are limited to settings that are similar to our study population. The PHQ-9 used has not been psychometrically validated locally in this sample. Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of depressive symptoms among respondents. These risk factors identified merit further investigation. Comprehensive mental health screening needs to be integrated in primary and community health services on the possible presence of depression

Intercultural competencies for fostering technology-mediated collaboration in developing countries

With the rapid global spread and application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the question is whether every culture makes similar use of the ideology that often underlies its creators’ design. ICT applications are designed with underlying beliefs or principles about e.g., work, communication, and individuality. These beliefs or principles are invisible and hidden in software and, as such, in many instances not recognized by users in other cultures. These hidden principles might even frustrate the understanding, use, knowledge-sharing, and e-collaboration between people from different cultures. In this article, we aim to explore, from a historical point of view, the early years of adaptation of ICT in developing countries, and we will highlight the importance of the use of intercultural (ICT-)skills to learn to recognize cultural differences from a relationship-based definition in technology-mediated collaboration. A semi-systematic or narrative review approach is used that is particularly suitable for topics that have been conceptualized differently. Our review firstly summarizes and categorizes the cultural factors impacting the adaptation and diffusion of ICT, especially in developing countries, and investigates which factors could hinder and/or facilitate the collaboration with other countries. Secondly, the findings of a thorough comparison between different intercultural competencies’ frameworks indicate that intercultural competencies show a combination of motivation, knowledge (-management), and skills, which are key competencies in the light of successful technology-mediated collaboration