Attitudes of Students at Sultan Qaboos University towards the Nursing Profession

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the attitudes of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) students towards the nursing profession. Methods: A sample of 377 students (male = 130; female = 247) were selected from different colleges of SQU, including the College of Nursing. A questionnaire was constructed and validated to assess the attitudes of SQU students towards the nursing profession. Results: Findings revealed that both male and female students in all academic years and colleges had positive attitudes toward the nursing profession. The findings also revealed that gender and academic year created no significant differences (P <0.05) among the study participants, but that the students’ college affiliation did have a significant effect on their attitudes. In particular, nursing students had more positive attitudes than students of other colleges. Conclusion: Findings indicated that the attitudes of SQU students towards the nursing profession were positive, especially those of the nursing students. This means that serious efforts should be made to continue to promote the nursing profession and so ensure that it remains positively regarded by all concerned

Effects of a Training Module on Omani Teachers' Awareness of Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the use of online and e-learning in Omani general and higher education institutions. Consequently, the pandemic imposed contemporary technological challenges when considering training programs for Omani teachers. This research seeks to record proactive steps, at the Omani and Arab levels, to examine the effectiveness of online, in-service teacher training programs. In addition, this research seeks to explore the effects of online training modules on teachers' knowledge of Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities (GSLD). In other words, the research aims to examine the effects of a training module on Omani teachers’ awareness of GSLD. According to a convenience sampling method, a total of 60 Omani teachers participated in the research. Participants were teachers of students with Learning Disabilities (LD) at the resource room program in the Muscat Governate, in the Sultanate of Oman. They were distributed equally into two groups: control (n=30), and experimental (n=30). Following the development of a Self-Awareness Scale (SAS) and the training program module, the SAS was administered to both groups as a pre-test and a post-test. The teachers in the experimental group received a two-week online training module to improve their awareness of GSLD. Results indicated that there were significant differences in the post-test of the SAS in favor of teachers in the experimental group

Valproic acid and butyrate induce apoptosis in human cancer cells through inhibition of gene expression of Akt/protein kinase B

BACKGROUND: In eukaryotic cells, the genomic DNA is packed with histones to form the nucleosome and chromatin structure. Reversible acetylation of the histone tails plays an important role in the control of specific gene expression. Mounting evidence has established that histone deacetylase inhibitors selectively induce cellular differentiation, growth arrest and apoptosis in variety of cancer cells, making them a promising class of anticancer drugs. However, the molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer effects of these inhibitors have yet to be understood. RESULTS: Here, we report that a key determinant for the susceptibility of cancer cells to histone deacetylase inhibitors is their ability to maintain cellular Akt activity in response to the treatment. Also known as protein kinase B, Akt is an essential pro-survival factor in cell proliferation and is often deregulated during tumorigenesis. We show that histone deacetylase inhibitors, such as valproic acid and butyrate, impede Akt1 and Akt2 expression, which leads to Akt deactivation and apoptotic cell death. In addition, valproic acid and butyrate induce apoptosis through the caspase-dependent pathway. The activity of caspase-9 is robustly activated upon valproic acid or butyrate treatment. Constitutively active Akt is able to block the caspase activation and rescues cells from butyrate-induced apoptotic cell death. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that although the primary target of histone deacetylase inhibitors is transcription, it is the capacity of cells to maintain cellular survival networks that determines their fate of survival

Karakteristik Alterasi dan Mineralisasi Hidrotermal Daerah Hulawa, Gorontalo, Indonesia

Gold is one of the precious metals with high economic value, so the exploration process becomes an important stage to find new resources so that gold production remains optimal. The research was aimed at investigating the geological condition and characteristics of hydrothermal alteration and mineralization developed in the research site. The research site was included in the area CoW of PT. Gorontalo Sejahtera Mining exactly lied in Hulawa Village, Gorontalo, Indonesia. This research integrated the fieldwork with laboratory tests and analysis, including petrography, Analytical Spectral Devices, and mineragraphy. Based on data that had been conducted and data analysis results, it can be concluded that the research site consisted of lithology in the form of Oligocene granodiorite and Pliocene rhyodacite and diatreme breccia that rolled as host rock\u27s mineralization. Normal right-slip fault directing E-W is interpreted as a pre-mineralization structure, while normal left-slip fault directing NNE-SSW is interpreted as syn-mineralization structure or controlling structure during alteration and mineralization process. Alteration developed in research area consisted of the phyllic zone (sericite + quartz ± pyrite ± montmorillonite ± chlorite ± carbonate), argillic zone (illite + kaolinite ± smectite ± montmorilonite), and chloritic zone (chlorite + carbonate + pyrite ± quartz ± illite ± sericite ± montmorillonite). Hydrothermal deposits controlled by geological structure and volcanic mechanism. Mineralization in the research site was found in stockwork quartz veins and hydrothermal breccia, and some were found in dissemination with ores such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, galena, sphalerite, bornite, covelite, gold, and electrum. Based on its alteration and mineralization characteristics, the epithermal deposits in the research site was the type of low sulphidation deposite in-depth level in the model of open-vein and breccia

Karakteristik Alterasi dan Mineralisasi Hidrotermal Daerah Hulawa, Gorontalo, Indonesia

Gold is one of the precious metals with high economic value, so the exploration process becomes an important stage to find new resources so that gold production remains optimal. The research was aimed at investigating the geological condition and characteristics of hydrothermal alteration and mineralization developed in the research site. The research site was included in the area CoW of PT. Gorontalo Sejahtera Mining exactly lied in Hulawa Village, Gorontalo, Indonesia. This research integrated the fieldwork with laboratory tests and analysis, including petrography, Analytical Spectral Devices, and mineragraphy. Based on data that had been conducted and data analysis results, it can be concluded that the research site consisted of lithology in the form of Oligocene granodiorite and Pliocene rhyodacite and diatreme breccia that rolled as host rock\u27s mineralization. Normal right-slip fault directing E-W is interpreted as a pre-mineralization structure, while normal left-slip fault directing NNE-SSW is interpreted as syn-mineralization structure or controlling structure during alteration and mineralization process. Alteration developed in research area consisted of the phyllic zone (sericite + quartz ± pyrite ± montmorillonite ± chlorite ± carbonate), argillic zone (illite + kaolinite ± smectite ± montmorilonite), and chloritic zone (chlorite + carbonate + pyrite ± quartz ± illite ± sericite ± montmorillonite). Hydrothermal deposits controlled by geological structure and volcanic mechanism. Mineralization in the research site was found in stockwork quartz veins and hydrothermal breccia, and some were found in dissemination with ores such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, galena, sphalerite, bornite, covelite, gold, and electrum. Based on its alteration and mineralization characteristics, the epithermal deposits in the research site was the type of low sulphidation deposite in-depth level in the model of open-vein and breccia

Down's Syndrome with Alzheimer's Disease-Like Pathology: What Can It Teach Us about the Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis?

Down's syndrome (DS, trisomy 21) represents a complex genetic abnormality that leads to pathology in later life that is similar to Alzheimer's disease (AD). We compared two cases of DS with APOE ε3/3 genotypes, a similar age at death, and comparable amyloid-beta 42 peptide (Aβ42) burdens in the brain but that differed markedly in the severity of AD-like pathology. One exhibited extensive neurofibrillary pathology whereas the other showed minimal features of this type. Comparable loads of Aβ42 could relate to the cases' similar life-time accumulation of Aβ due to trisomy 21-enhanced metabolism of amyloid precursor protein (APP). The cases' significant difference in AD-like pathology, however, suggests that parenchymal deposition of Aβ42, even when extensive, may not inevitably trigger AD-like tau pathology (though it may be necessary). Thus, these observations of a natural experiment may contribute to understanding the nuances of the amyloid cascade hypothesis of AD pathogenesis

Rhamnolipid Nano-Micelles Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Have No Dermal or Eye Toxic Effects in Rabbits

Hand hygiene is considered to be the key factor in controlling and preventing infection, either in hospital care settings or in the community. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are commonly used due to their rapid action and broad spectrum of microbicidal activity, offering protection against bacteria and viruses. However, their frequent administration during COVID-19 pandemic was associated with serious hazards, such as skin toxicity, including irritation, skin dermatitis, skin dryness or cracking, along with peeling redness or itching, with the higher possibility of getting infections. Thus, there is a need to find alternative and novel approaches for hand sanitation. In our previous publications, we reported that rhamnolipids nano-micelles had a comparable antibacterial activity to alcohol-based hand sanitizer and a lower cytotoxicity against human dermal fibroblast cells. In the current study, we investigated the antiviral activity of rhamnolipids nano-micelles against SARS-CoV-2. There was no cytotoxic effect on Vero cells noted at the tested concentrations of rhamnolipids nano-micelles. The rhamnolipids nano-micelles solution at 20, 78, and 312 µg/mL all demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) decrease of virus infectivity compared to the virus only and the blank vehicle sample. In addition, an acute irritation test was performed on rabbits to further ascertain the biosafety of rhamnolipids nano-micelles. In the eye and skin irritation tests, no degree of irritation was recorded after topical application of rhamnolipids nano-micelles. In addition, histopathological, biomarker, and hematological analyses from animals treated with rhamnolipids nano-micelles were identical to those recorded for untreated animal. From the above, we can conclude that rhamnolipids nano-micelles are a good candidate to be used as a hand sanitizer instead of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. However, they must still be tested in the future among healthcare workers (HCW) in a health care setting to ascertain their antimicrobial efficacy and safety compared to alcohol-based hand sanitizers

Global alterations to the choroid plexus blood-CSF barrier in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

© 2020 The Author(s). The choroid plexus (CP) is a highly vascularized structure located in the ventricles that forms the blood-CSF barrier (BCSFB) and separates the blood from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In addition to its role as a physical barrier, the CP functions in CSF secretion, transport of nutrients into the central nervous system (CNS) and a gated point of entry of circulating immune cells into the CNS. Aging and neurodegeneration have been reported to affect CP morphology and function and increase protein leakage from blood to the CSF. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with both upper and lower motor neuron loss, as well as altered proteomic and metabolomic signatures in the CSF. The role of the BCSFB and the CP in ALS is unknown. Here we describe a transcriptomic and ultrastructural analysis of BCSFB and CP alterations in human postmortem tissues from ALS and non-neurologic disease controls. ALS-CP exhibited widespread disruptions in tight junctional components of the CP epithelial layer and vascular integrity. In addition, we detected loss of pericytes around ALS blood vessels, accompanied by activation of platelet aggregation markers vWF and Fibrinogen, reminiscent of vascular injury. To investigate the immune component of ALS-CP, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of cytokines and chemokine panels in CP lysates and found a significant down-regulation of M-CSF and V-CAM1 in ALS, as well as up-regulation of VEGF-A protein. This phenotype was accompanied by an infiltration of MERTK positive macrophages into the parenchyma of the ALS-CP when compared to controls. Taken together, we demonstrate widespread structural and functional disruptions of the BCSFB in human ALS increasing our understanding of the disease pathology and identifying potential new targets for ALS therapeutic development

Insights into the mechanisms of phreatic eruptions from continuous high frequency volcanic gas monitoring: Rinc\uf3n de la Vieja Volcano, Costa Rica

Understanding the trigger mechanisms of phreatic eruptions is key to mitigating the effects of these hazardous but poorly forecastable volcanic events. It has recently been established that high-rate volcanic gas observations are potentially very suitable to identifying the source processes driving phreatic eruptions, and to eventually detecting precursory changes prior to individual phreatic blasts. In February-May 2017, we deployed a Multi-GAS instrument to continuously monitor gas concentrations in the crater lake plume of Rincon de la Vieja, a remote and poorly monitored active volcano in Costa Rica, site of frequent phreatic/phreatomagmatic eruptions. Forty-two phreatic/phreatomagmatic eruptions were seismically recorded during our investigated period, 9 of which were also recorded for gas by the Multi-GAS. To the best of our knowledge, these represent the first instrumentally measured gas compositions during individual phreatic/phreatomagmatic explosions at an active volcano. Our results show that during background quiescent degassing the Rincon de la Vieja crater lake plume was characterized by high CO2/SO2 ratios of 64 +/- 59 and H2S/SO2 ratios of 0.57 +/- 0.20. This composition is interpreted as reflecting hydrothermal (re) processing of magma-sourced gas in the sub-limnic environment. Phreatic blasts were recorded by the Multi-GAS as brief (1-2min long) pulses of elevated gas mixing ratios (up to similar to 52 ppmv SO2 and > 3,000 ppmv CO2), or more than an order of magnitude higher than during background degassing (similar to 1 ppmv SO2 and similar to 450 ppmv CO2). During the phreatic eruption(s), the H2S/SO2 ratio was systematically lower (< 0.18) than during background degassing, but the CO2/SO2 ratio remained high (and variable), ranging from 37 to 390. These S-poor compositions for the eruptive gas imply extensive processing of the source magmatic gas during pre-eruptive hydrothermal storage, likely by deposition of native S and/or sulfate. Our gas results are thus overall consistent with a mechanismof phreatic eruptions triggered by accumulation of magmatic-hydrothermal gases beneath a hydrothermal seal. We claim that real-time Multi-GAS monitoring is urgently needed at other crater lake-hosting volcanoes (e.g., Ruapehu, Aso), where phreatic eruptions may similarly be preceded by phases of reduced S degassing at the surface