Estimating Likelihood of Severe Damage due to Earthquakes in Reinforced Concrete Frame Buildings in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has a history of devastating earthquakes claiming many lives and causing extensive damage. It is important to identify buildings vulnerable to ground shaking in an efficient manner and to upgrade or rebuild them to avoid losses during earthquakes in the future. In June 2017, 51 reinforced concrete (RC) school buildings with solid masonry infill walls and no structural walls were surveyed in Kabul, Afghanistan. Besides photographic documentation and location information, building dimensions including column dimensions and masonry wall dimensions, as well as wall orientation information, and number of stories above ground were recorded. To rank these buildings in vulnerability and to identify which ones, if any, would need to be upgraded to avoid high likelihood of severe damage at different levels of ground shaking, a method based on the Priority Index (Hassan and Sozen, 1997) was used. Ratios of total cross-sectional areas of ground story columns and masonry walls to total floor area above ground formed two of the key parameters. Peak ground acceleration (PGA) was used as the parameter to indicate the level of ground shaking. Column-to-total floor area and masonry wall-to-total floor area ratios were divided by PGA to differentiate between different levels of shaking intensity. The method is calibrated and a threshold relationship is established to distinguish whether a building is more likely to sustain severe damage (“more vulnerable”) or less likely to do so (“less vulnerable”) using data from buildings surveyed following the 2016 Meinong, Taiwan earthquake. In particular, observations and measurements from survey of 50 RC frame buildings with no structural walls but with solid brick infill walls and located near ground motion recording stations were used. Peak ground acceleration recorded by the nearest ground motion recording station (within 5 km of a building) is used to scale the column and infill wall ratio based indices. Various combinations of the indices were studied to find a threshold description. Threshold expression choice was based on 1) the success rate in identifying buildings that sustained severe damage as “more vulnerable” while 2) minimizing the likelihood of identifying buildings that did not sustain severe damage as “more vulnerable.” The primary objective in establishing this threshold is to minimize loss of life while the secondary objective is to be effective and feasible to implement. Threshold expression found for buildings surveyed in Taiwan was then used to identify school buildings in Kabul that are more vulnerable to severe damage at different seismic hazard levels expressed in terms of PGA. The buildings were ranked in vulnerability using the Priority Index (Hassan and Sozen, 1997)

Does ART attenuate or prevent HIV encephalopathy?

Many times HIV remains undetected because patients are asymptomatic and thus unaware that they are infected, or they are unaware because they have not had complete STD screening. By the end of 2016, 36.7 million adults and children globally were reportedly living with HIV/AIDS.2 These facts highlight the importance of early detection and treatment of HIV infections. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can prevent, stall, or even reverse many of the HIV-related illnesses. Whether ART can prevent or ameliorate HIV-related cognitive impairment is unclear, though

Prestige Restoration According to Afghan Legal System

Prestige Restoration is the means by which the convicted person returns to original state after being charged and convicted, and the convicted person acts to restore his or her dignity after serving imprisonment or punishment through legal and judicial channels. There several conditions for the restoration of prestige according to law, which are; to serve whole punishment, amnesty and mitigation of punishment, or suspension of punishment. In addition, two types of restoration of dignity are considered; restoration of dignity based on the law, and restoration of dignity according to the judiciary; Or Legal restoration dignity and judicial restoration of dignity.

Characteristics and Effects of Amnesty and Pardon

Forgiveness is one of the most important concerns in criminal law, with the result that Forgiveness helps the community achieve stability, rehabilitation, and well-being by allowing the offender to be improved. Amnesty is granted under the law and is considered a cause of prosecution and dismissal of criminal proceedings. Pardon is only oversight of punishment and is subject to revocation, on the recommendation of the judiciary and with the approval of the head of state. In amnesty, prosecution and criminal proceedings are dropped, the sentence is suspended, and the effects of the conviction are removed. Pardon also removes the effects of a conviction. But it does not affect compensation and debt. Amnesty is applicable at all stages of a criminal case (detection, investigation, prosecution, and execution of a sentence), whereas a pardon is applicable only after the issuance of a final order and can’t be applied before

Role of retrotransposons in hepatocellular carcinoma origin and progression – potential biomarker and therapeutic target?

PhD ThesisIntroduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has the fourth highest cancer-related mortality worldwide and is associated with a poor 5-year survival. Current therapies are limited and provide short median survival. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapies. Long interspersed class elements1 (LINE1 or L1) activation has been demonstrated in several cancers including HCC and can inhibit tumour suppressor genes or activate oncogenes. However, the role of L1 in hepatocarcinogenesis is still unknown. Methods L1 expression was evaluated in the RNAseq data of HCC (n=372) from the cancer genome atlas liver hepatocellular carcinoma (TCGA LIHC) study and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) patient biopsies (n=48) from our own biobank. RNAseq data was analysed for L1 counts and their distribution was assessed in different HCC subclasses based on previously known molecular classifications and associations with clinical parameters were explored. Likewise, FFPE samples were stained for L1orf1p using an automated immunohistochemistry machine and were scored by a pathologist; associations between L1orf1p expression in HCC and clinical parameters like cirrhosis, tumour stage, albumin, bilirubin, alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and survival were explored. The role of L1 was further characterised in different liver cancer cell lines utilising L1 knockdown and overexpression systems. L1 knockdown was achieved using a lentivirus-based shRNA expression vector targeting L1orf1 in Huh-7 cells. The influence of L1-knockdown on functional properties such as proliferation, migration and invasion of the cells were investigated by comparing L1-knockdown cells with wild type and non-targeted controls. RNAseq evaluated the influence of L1-knockdown on whole transcriptome. Transient L1 full-length overexpression and conditional L1orf1p overexpression were used to further validate the influence of L1 on cell signalling pathways. Results L1 expression was elevated in HCC both at transcript and protein level compared to adjacent nontumour tissues. L1 transcripts correlated with high AFP, TP53 mutation, macrovascular invasion and activated TGF-β signalling. Likewise, L1orf1p expression correlated with AFP, activated TGFβ signalling and poorly differentiated tumours. A positive association between L1orf1p and pSMAD3 confirmed the relationship between L1 expression and TGF-β signalling in HCC. L1 knockdown in Huh-7 cells led to decrease in migratory and invasion capacity of the cells compared to control cell lines. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of the RNAseq data demonstrated downregulation of TGF-β pathway in Huh7-L1knockdown cells compared to non- targeting control cells, which was confirmed by Pai1-lucifease reporter assay. Conversely, L1 overexpression (full-length and L1orf1 alone) increased TGF-β signalling as confirmed by Pai1- lucifease reporter assay, RT-qPCR and FACS analysis in HepG2, PLC/PRF-5 and HHL5 cell lines. Conclusion L1 is upregulated in human HCC and associated with high AFP, TP53 mutation and activated TGFβ signalling. Further in vitro studies demonstrated a crosstalk between L1orf1p and TGFβsignalling. Overall, our data demonstrates a causal link between L1orf1p and TGFβ signalling, which presents a novel therapeutic avenue and potential treatment stratification biomarker for HCC

Point-Of-Care Testing Curriculum and Accreditation for Public Health—Enabling Preparedness, Response, and Higher Standards of Care at Points of Need

Objectives: To develop awareness of benefits of point-of-care testing (POCT) education in schools of public health, to identify learning objectives for teaching POCT, to enable public health professionals and emergency responders to perform evidence-based diagnosis and triage effectively and efficiently at points of need, and to better improve future standards of care for public health practice, including in limited-resource settings and crisis situations.Methods: We surveyed all U.S. schools of public health, colleges of public health, and public health schools accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH). We included accredited public health programs, so that all states offering public health education were represented. We analyzed survey data, public health books, and board certification guidelines. We used PubMed to identify public health curriculum papers, and assessed 2019 CEPH accreditation requirements. We merged POCT knowledge bases to design a new curriculum for teaching public health students and practitioners the principles and practice of POCT.Results: Public health curricula, certification requirements, and textbooks generally do not include POCT instruction. Only one book, Global Point of Care: Strategies for Disasters, Emergencies, and Public Health Resilience, and one online course on public health preparedness address POCT and public health intervention issues. The topic, POC HIV/HCV ED testing, appeared in one course and POC diagnostics in local clinics, in another. Papers on public health curriculum have not incorporated POCT. No curriculum addresses POCT in isolation units during quarantine, despite evidence that recent Ebola virus disease cases in the U.S. and elsewhere proved unequivocally the need for POCT. The modular learning objectives identified in this paper were customized for public health students. Public health graduates can use boot camps, online credentialing, and self-study to acquire POCT skills.Conclusions: Enhancing accreditation requirements, academic training, board certification, and field experience will generate public health healthcare professionals who will rely upon evidence-based medical decision making at points of care, including during crises when time is of the essence. A POCT-enabled public health workforce can help prevent and stop outbreaks. Public health-based medical professionals urgently need the skills necessary to perform POCT and prepare America and other nations for threats portending significant adverse medical, economic, social, and cultural impact

A Quasi Experimental Study of Helicobacter Pylori Eradication in Afghanistan: Comparison of Treatment Preferences for Helicobacter Pylori Eradications, Sequential Therapy Versus Hybrid Therapy

Colonization by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) of the gastric epithelial lining epitomizes a pervasive and clinically consequential infectious etiology. Therapeutic strategies aimed at bacterial eradication inherently hinge on a confluence of determinants-regional antimicrobial resistance spectra, localized clinical algorithms, and pharmaceutical attainability. Best practices in the medical milieu underscore sagacious antibiotic stewardship, predicated on a patient-centric antibiotic historiography prior to therapeutic commencement. The overarching objective of this study-executed in a quasi-experimental comparative framework at Sheikh Zayed University Teaching Hospital, Khost, Afghanistan-was to discerningly evaluate and contrast two paradigms of treatment: Sequential Therapy and Hybrid Therapy. The subject pool encapsulated a demographically diverse set of individuals, aged 16 to 80, manifesting symptoms of peptic ulcer diseases or gastritis. Those ineligible for inclusion included follow-up patients, immunocompromised subjects, and individuals undergoing oncological interventions. Employing the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25 for data stratification, the Hybrid Therapy arm was subjected to an initial seven-day treatment window with amoxicillin (1g, BID) and omeprazole (20mg, BID), succeeded by a seven-day regimen involving clarithromycin (500mg, BID) and metronidazole (400mg, TID). Conversely, the Sequential Therapy cohort received a bifurcated, five-day course of omeprazole and amoxicillin, followed by an additional five-day regimen of omeprazole, metronidazole, and clarithromycin. Outcome variables, inclusive of treatment efficaciousness, regimen completion, and patient adherence, were rigorously evaluated via Chi-Square statistical testing. Encompassing 145 patients, the study observed a gender dispersion of 156 males (41.1%) to 224 females (58.9%). Per-protocol analysis unveiled a statistically significant eradication rate-86.8% vs 83.0% (P=0.021)-tilted in favor of Hybrid Therapy. Both Modified Intention-to-Treat and Intention-to-Treat analyses corroborated this proclivity, registering significant eradication rates of 92.1% versus 67% (P=0.031) for Hybrid Therapy. Conclusively, Hybrid Therapy demonstrated a superior safety and efficacy profile vis-à-vis Sequential Therapy in extirpating H. pylori, intimating its plausible preferability for the clinical management of associated peptic ulcer diseases and gastritis

Study the Sources of Work Related Stress Risk at Construction Sector of Afghanistan

This research was carried out to study the sources of work related Stress risk at the construction sector of Afghanistan. Stress risk is major problem not only in Afghanistan but also all over the world. It is important to ensure that workers can perform best, considering the highly competitive demands and competition of the construction industry. The objectives of this research are to study the sources of work related stress risk at the construction sector of Afghanistan. The methodology of this study includes data collection, and data analysis. Data was collected using questionnaire survey in Afghanistan through email from the construction industry professional such as project manager, site supervisor, project engineer, quantity surveyor, and architect. The data was analyzed using frequency analysis, the average index. To visualize the result, tables, figures like bar, and pie charts were used to clarify the results. The research revealed that the physical environment, the job itself, and the organization is the key factor for the source stress risk at construction industry of Afghanistan. Based on the analysis of likelihood and severity from eighteen fifteen were main sources were in the very high and high stress risk category for the factors such as workload, work pattern, and work environment.