Učinci nekih biljaka porodice mlječika na hematološke i biokemijske pokazatelje u štakora.

The effects of five suspected poisonous plants of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) i.e. Alchornea cordifolia Schum and Thorn, Cnidoscolus acontifolius Mill, Phyllanthus amarus Schum and Thorn, Phyllanthus muelleriarus Exell and Securinega virosa Baill, which are commonly found in Nigerian pasture were evaluated in albino rats using crude aqueous extracts for 14 days. All the extracts were administered orally. Changes in haematological and biochemical parameters were used as indices of toxicosis. The extracts of the plants caused a significant reduction (P<0.05) in the levels of PCV and haemoglobin concentration. All except C. acontifolius caused a significant reduction in RBC level. The extract of four plants (A. cordifolia, C. acontifolius, P. amarus and P. muellerianus) caused significant changes of the total white blood cells when compared to that of the control. The extracts also caused a significant increase in the levels of total protein, albumin and AST activity. The extracts of A. cordifolia, P. muellerianus and S. virosa caused a significant increase in the level of ALT. Only P. muellerianus and virosa produced significant changes in the globulin level.Učinci sirovih vodenih iscrpaka pripravljeni od pet vrsta biljaka porodice mlječika (Euphorbiaceae) sumnjivih da su otrovne: Alchornea cordifolia Schum i Torn, Cnidoscolus acontifolius Mill, Phyllanthus amarus Schum i Torn, Phyllanthus muellerianus Exell i Securinega virosa Baill, koje se često nalaze na nigerijskim pašnjacima, istraženi su na albino štakorima u tijeku 14 dana. Svi iscrpci davani su oralno. Promjene u hematološkim i biokemijskim pokazateljima uzete su kao znakovi otrovanja. Davanje iscrpaka prouzročilo je značajno smanjenje (P<0,05) vrijednosti hematokrita i koncentracije hemoglobina. Svi su, osim iscrpka Cnidoscolus acontifolius, uzrokovali značajno smanjenje broja crvenih krvnih stanica. Iscrpci biljaka Alchornea cordifolia, Cnidoscolus acontifolius, Phyllanthus amarus i Phyllanthus muellerinanus uzrokovali su značajne promjene ukupnog broja bijelih krvnih stanica u usporedbi s kontrolom. Iscrpci su također doveli do značajnog povećanja razina ukupnih bjelančevina, albumina i aktivnosti AST. Iscrpci Alchornea cordifolia, Phyllanthus muellerianus i Securinega virosa uzrokovali su značajno povećanje razine ALT. Samo Phyllanthus muellerianus i Securinega virosa uzrokovali su značajne promjene u razini globulina

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in blood plasma of neurology patients

The etiology of many neurological cases cannot be easily delineated, making the investigation, and treatment to be challenging.This study aimsto screen the blood of neurology patients presenting for the first time in the hospital for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) using Flame Ionization Detector –Gas Chromatography. Fourteen PAHs were detected in the samples. The results showed that flourene and phenanthrene were common to all the patients in the range (1.37to8.08 and 1.66 to8.34 ng/mL respectively), but were not detected in the control samples. Pyrene, fluoranthene and acenaphthene were present in 80, 75 and 70% in the blood plasmaof the patients at the range of 2.96 to236.86 ng/mL, 1.96 to 11.55ng/mL and 1.08 to 1.81 ng/mL respectively. These were not found in the control samples. The body burden of these congeners wasmuch higher in neurology patients than controlsand literature values of similar study. The concentrations detected were statistically significant, and could be possible causative agents. This can also become one of the investigative tools for these disease

Migrant construction workers’ demography and job satisfaction: a New Zealand study

Purpose: The demand for construction-related occupations has increased consistently over many years in New Zealand (NZ). This has necessitated recourse to migrant workers to address capacity and capability requirements. Migrant construction workers hail from various backgrounds with a complex set of their needs being met through employment in NZ. Research on understanding the satisfaction levels of this category of construction workers is scarce. With recent insinuations about migrant exploitations, research investigations into this knowledge area are significant. In this study, the authors sought to establish the moderating effect of migrants' demography on the determinants of job satisfaction in NZ's construction sector. Design/methodology/approach: Data were obtained from migrant construction workers of Chinese extraction through a structured questionnaire survey. From 200 questionnaires administered, 108 samples were completed by migrant construction workers involved in major projects in Auckland city, NZ. Data obtained were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to establish the moderating effects of their demography on job satisfaction. Findings: Results from this study support the internal validity and reliability of these personal characteristics as moderators of job satisfaction for migrant construction workers. These results suggest the relevance of personal characteristics of Chinese migrants in any improvement initiatives being developed for this group of construction workers. Research limitations/implications: The findings from this study contribute to the discourse on the relevance of construction migrants as a strategic alternative to addressing skill shortages within the NZ construction sector. They also provide evidence that contributes to an improved understanding of the migrant workforce to meet their aspirations and enhance their general well-being. Originality/value: Although the study is ethnic-specific, the conclusions show the relevance of personal characteristics in the experiences of construction migrant workers. The study is representative of the catchment of temporary migrant workers in the construction industry in NZ. The study provides insights for organisations employing migrants about putting in place appropriate measures to enhance their satisfaction levels. Finally, this study's findings may contribute to policy initiatives on the optimal categories of migrants engaged on construction activities to derive the maximum benefits for NZ

Human immunodeficiency virus awareness and condom use among female adolescent prostitutes in Lagos, Nigeria

Introduction:&nbsp;the cornerstone of HIV prevention among female adolescent prostitutes is awareness promotion complemented with advocacy on consistent and correct use of condom. The study aimed at reviewing HIV awareness and condom use among female adolescent prostitutes in Lagos communities, Nigeria. Methods:&nbsp;it was a mixed-method study realized through a questionnaire-based survey and in-depth interviews of adolescent sex workers in Oyingbo and Yaba communities of Lagos State, Nigeria; conducted between 1st&nbsp;of April, 2014 and 30th&nbsp;of September, 2014. SPSS version 17.0 and content analysis were used in analyzing quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Results:&nbsp;97.3% had heard about HIV/AIDS; with 86.9% being tested for HIV in the preceding 6 months. While there was consistent use of male condom in 99.7% of the respondents, 90% had experience with the use of female condom, however, 95.5% would allow non- use of condom for higher financial reward. Conclusion:&nbsp;although the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS was high among the respondents, there is need to improve on the level of awareness and preventive strategies for HIV/AIDS, with more emphasis laid on the consistent and correct use of condom in this highly vulnerable class of people

Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor Context

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are commonly dys-regulated in tumors, but only a handful are known toplay pathophysiological roles in cancer. We inferredlncRNAs that dysregulate cancer pathways, onco-genes, and tumor suppressors (cancer genes) bymodeling their effects on the activity of transcriptionfactors, RNA-binding proteins, and microRNAs in5,185 TCGA tumors and 1,019 ENCODE assays.Our predictions included hundreds of candidateonco- and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs (cancerlncRNAs) whose somatic alterations account for thedysregulation of dozens of cancer genes and path-ways in each of 14 tumor contexts. To demonstrateproof of concept, we showed that perturbations tar-geting OIP5-AS1 (an inferred tumor suppressor) andTUG1 and WT1-AS (inferred onco-lncRNAs) dysre-gulated cancer genes and altered proliferation ofbreast and gynecologic cancer cells. Our analysis in-dicates that, although most lncRNAs are dysregu-lated in a tumor-specific manner, some, includingOIP5-AS1, TUG1, NEAT1, MEG3, and TSIX, synergis-tically dysregulate cancer pathways in multiple tumorcontexts

Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome Atlas

Although theMYConcogene has been implicated incancer, a systematic assessment of alterations ofMYC, related transcription factors, and co-regulatoryproteins, forming the proximal MYC network (PMN),across human cancers is lacking. Using computa-tional approaches, we define genomic and proteo-mic features associated with MYC and the PMNacross the 33 cancers of The Cancer Genome Atlas.Pan-cancer, 28% of all samples had at least one ofthe MYC paralogs amplified. In contrast, the MYCantagonists MGA and MNT were the most frequentlymutated or deleted members, proposing a roleas tumor suppressors.MYCalterations were mutu-ally exclusive withPIK3CA,PTEN,APC,orBRAFalterations, suggesting that MYC is a distinct onco-genic driver. Expression analysis revealed MYC-associated pathways in tumor subtypes, such asimmune response and growth factor signaling; chro-matin, translation, and DNA replication/repair wereconserved pan-cancer. This analysis reveals insightsinto MYC biology and is a reference for biomarkersand therapeutics for cancers with alterations ofMYC or the PMN

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin

Spatial Organization and Molecular Correlation of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Using Deep Learning on Pathology Images

Beyond sample curation and basic pathologic characterization, the digitized H&E-stained images of TCGA samples remain underutilized. To highlight this resource, we present mappings of tumorinfiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) based on H&E images from 13 TCGA tumor types. These TIL maps are derived through computational staining using a convolutional neural network trained to classify patches of images. Affinity propagation revealed local spatial structure in TIL patterns and correlation with overall survival. TIL map structural patterns were grouped using standard histopathological parameters. These patterns are enriched in particular T cell subpopulations derived from molecular measures. TIL densities and spatial structure were differentially enriched among tumor types, immune subtypes, and tumor molecular subtypes, implying that spatial infiltrate state could reflect particular tumor cell aberration states. Obtaining spatial lymphocytic patterns linked to the rich genomic characterization of TCGA samples demonstrates one use for the TCGA image archives with insights into the tumor-immune microenvironment