Effect of soil salinity on the growth, amino acids and ion contents of rice transgenic lines

Rice seedling of different transgenic lines (T-99, T-112, T-115 and T-121) were grown in sand culture with salt concentration of 0, 50, 100 and 150 mM to determine the effect of salinity on growth, amino acid, and ion contents. It was observed that all the lines could tolerate concentration of up to 50 mM of salt solution. The lines (T-99, T-112 and T-115) were more salt tolerant even at a concentration of 100 mM of NaCl with their relative growth rate (RGR), and net assimilation rate (NAR) were unaffected as compared to the control. With the increase in salt concentrations, the proline contents increased for all the transgenic lines. On the other hand, a gradual decrease in the contents of glycine and arginine were observed with the increase in salinity treatments. A massive increase in the Na+ contents was measured in all the transgenic lines by application of the saline solutions. The K+ and Ca++ contents decreased with the increase in salt concentrations. The present study shows that although the plants accumulated Na, the lines T-99, T-112 and T-115 could tolerate concentrations of up to 100 mM.Key words: Salt stress, proline, glycine, Na, K, Ca, Oryza sativa

Should 16-Year-Olds Be Allowed to Donate Blood? A Vermont Perspective

Introduction: Supplying adequate blood for transfusions is an ongoing challenge for blood collection agencies. One potential source of increased Whole Blood (WB) supply is among 16-17 year-olds, whose donation rates are still quite low. In 2010, donors aged 16-18 years-old provided 14% of all WB collected by the American Red Cross. Young donors may represent an opportunity to establish a committed, long-term blood donation base as they are more likely to return after first donation and donate at a higher yield rate than older donors. However, younger donors also have higher rates of adverse events during donation. Currently, 38 states allow 16 year-olds to donate blood with parental consent but Vermont is not among them. Our study examines the public’s comfort with 16 year-olds donating blood. As blood donation is a voluntary system, ascertaining the perspective of the general population regarding this issue could contribute to a policy debate surrounding the minimum age of donation.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1065/thumbnail.jp

Optical Transmission Plasmonic Color Filter withWider ColorGamut Based on X-Shaped Nanostructure

Extraordinary Optical Transmission Plasmonic Color Filters (EOT-PCFs) with nanostructures have the advantages of consistent color, small size, and excellent color reproduction, making them a suitable replacement for colorant-based filters. Currently, the color gamut created by plasmonic filters is limited to the standard red, green, blue (sRGB) color space, which limits their use in the future. To address this limitation, we propose a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) color filter scheme, which may provide a RGB-wide color gamut while exceeding the sRGB color space. On the surface of the aluminum film, a unique nanopattern structure is etched. The nanohole functions as a coupled grating that matches photon momentum to plasma when exposed to natural light. Metals and surfaces create surface plasmon resonances as light passes through the metal film. The plasmon resonance wavelength can be modified by modifying the structural parameters of the nanopattern to obtain varied transmission spectra. The International Commission on Illumination (CIE 1931) chromaticity diagram can convert the transmission spectrum into color coordinates and convert the spectrum into various colors. The color range and saturation can outperform existing color filters.Funding: This project has received funding from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant 801538

Job Dissatisfaction and Its Predictors among Healthcare Workers of ‘Type 2 Health Clinics’ in North-Eastern Malaysia

It is crucial to comprehend factors associated to job dissatisfaction among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Malaysia’s primary health clinics, especially those working in ‘Type 2 Health Clinics’ which cater for populations of >50,000 and a daily average number of patients between 500 and 800. It is essential to ensure that effective strategies can be proposed to promote job satisfaction. A total of 314 HCWs from ‘Type 2 Health Clinics’ in north-eastern Malaysia consented to participate in this cross-sectional study, conducted between October 2020 and December 2021. The Job Satisfaction Survey was used to assess job dissatisfaction. The prevalence of job dissatisfaction was 35.7%. The significant factors associated with job dissatisfaction were younger age and those who were dissatisfied with their yearly performance mark. Targeted interventional activities for young HCWs and for those who are dissatisfied with their yearly performance mark are recommended to improve job satisfaction

Factors Contributing to Sharp Waste Disposal at Health Care Facility Among Diabetic Patients in North-East Peninsular Malaysia

Background: Type 2 diabetic patients are major users of medical sharps in the community. Proper sharp disposal practice among them, however, was reported to be low. The current study was aimed to determine the factors contributing to sharp waste disposal at a health care facility among Type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, Type 2 diabetic patients who were on insulin therapy attending health clinics were randomly selected and interviewed using a validated questionnaire. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied. Results: Out of 304 respondents, only 11.5% of them brought their used sharps to be disposed at health care facilities. Previous advice on sharp disposal from health care providers, knowledge score, and duration of diabetes were significant contributing factors for sharp waste disposal at health care facilities: (Adj. OR 6.31; 95% CI: 2.63, 15.12; p < 0.001), (Adj. OR 1.05; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.08; p < 0.001), and (Adj. OR 2.51; 95% CI: 1.06, 5.93; p = 0.036), respectively. Conclusion: Continuous education and a locally adapted safe sharp disposal option must be available to increase awareness and facilitate diabetic patients adopting proper sharp disposal behavior

Supplementary Figure 3 from Incident Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Older Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Breast Cancer Survivors

Supplementary Figure 3 shows the clinical characteristics of ANHPI subgroups of older breast cancer patients and older NHW breast cancer patients in SEER Medicare.</p