In order to localize the neural circuits involved in generating behaviors, it is necessary to assign activity onto anatomical maps of the nervous system. Using brain registration across hundreds of ...larval zebrafish, we have built an expandable open-source atlas containing molecular labels and definitions of anatomical regions, the Z-Brain. Using this platform and immunohistochemical detection of phosphorylated extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) as a readout of neural activity, we have developed a system to create and contextualize whole-brain maps of stimulus- and behavior-dependent neural activity. This mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP)-mapping assay is technically simple, and data analysis is completely automated. Because MAP-mapping is performed on freely swimming fish, it is applicable to studies of nearly any stimulus or behavior. Here we demonstrate our high-throughput approach using pharmacological, visual and noxious stimuli, as well as hunting and feeding. The resultant maps outline hundreds of areas associated with behaviors.
Neuroscientists are now able to acquire data at staggering rates across spatiotemporal scales. However, our ability to capitalize on existing datasets, tools, and intellectual capacities is hampered ...by technical challenges. The key barriers to accelerating scientific discovery correspond to the FAIR data principles: findability, global access to data, software interoperability, and reproducibility/re-usability. We conducted a hackathon dedicated to making strides in those steps. This manuscript is a technical report summarizing these achievements, and we hope serves as an example of the effectiveness of focused, deliberate hackathons towards the advancement of our quickly-evolving field.
An evaluation of the use of cancer education on the practice of breast self-examination among adult women. The study utilized 90 adult women, their ages ranged from 30 to 50 years of age, with mean ...age of 38.33. The paticipants were randomly assigned to three groups: experimental group I (EGI), exeprimental group II (EGII) and the control group. The study utilized a 10-item index test of the practice of breast self-examination which was subjected to inter-rater face validity. Paired sample T-test was used to test four hypotheses. The first hypothesis stated that there will be a significant difference between pre-test and post-test exposure to different treatment condition on the practice of breast self-examination was accepted at p < 0.5, the second hypothesis stated that there will be a significant difference between women exposed to written/oral education and pictorial/oral education on the practice of breast self-examination was accepted at p < 0.5, the third hypothesis stated that there will be a significant difference between women exposed to written/oral education and control group on the practice of breast self-examination was accepted at p < 0.5 and the fourth hypothesis stated that there will be a significant difference between women exposed to pictorial/oral education and control group on the practice of breast self-examination was also accepted at p < 0.5. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that breast cancer sensitization should go along with a pictorial/visual form of educating women on how to practise breast self-examination.
This paper has presented hard braking control system based on Adjustable Gain Enhanced Fuzzy Logic Controller (AGE-FLC) for optimal wheel slip ratio tracking performance. The purpose of the study was ...to improve slip ratio tracking and eliminate cycling while achieving very much shortened distance during emergency braking. The model of a braking vehicle at speed of 30 m.s^-1 subject to wheel locking was developed and implemented in MATLAB/Simulink environment. Simulation was conducted without a controller to study the slip ratio performance of the system on different road surfaces. The simulation results showed that stopping distance was 135.2 m in 5 seconds. A Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) whose control signal was enhanced by adding an adjustable gain mechanism to its output was designed. Simulation results showed that the AGE-FLC controller offered optimal tracking of desired wheel slip ratio of 0.1 as fast as possible on all road surface scenarios, while improving the stopping distance by 70.4% on dry road surface, 63.3% on wet road surface, 57.5% on cobblestone road surface and 48.8% on snow road surface in 2.651seconds.
Background: The burden of childhood obesity is increasing in most developing countries particularly in the urban areas owing to globalization; and children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) in such ...environment do not live in isolation. The study is aimed at determining the prevalence of obesity in younger children with SCA. Methods: A consecutive recruitment of 58 children with SCA aged between 1 year and 5 years 4 months (subjects) and their age and sex matched controls selected using multistage sampling technique were carried out. The weight and height of the children were obtained using standard equipment. The WHO Anthro and Anthro-Plus software were used for analyzing the nutritional status of the children based on standard deviation (z-scores). The data were analyzed using SPSS version 19.0 while the level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean BMI for the subjects was 15.38 ± 1.93 (range from 11.50-20.80) and 17.10 ± 2.28 (range from 13.4-23.20) in the controls. Overweight (z-score > + 1≤2) and obesity (z score >+2) were recorded in 10 (17.2%) and 2 (3.4%) of the subjects while in the controls overweight and obesity were observed in 16 (27.6%) and 13 (22.4%), respectively (p = 0.000). Conclusions: Obesity and overweight is becoming prevalent among children with SCA and so awareness and preventive health education about obesity should be created among caregivers of children with sickle cell anemia in our setting to avert its possible complications
Abstract
Background p16 is a marker for p16-induced transformation of high-risk human papilloma virus (hrHPV)-infected cervical epithelium. HPV is a known etiologic agent of cervical cancer. ...Persistent hrHPV infection of cervical epithelium causes transformation of the infected epithelial cells resulting in increased proliferative potential of the cells and subsequent progression to frank malignancy. Early detection of transformation in cervical cells is crucial in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with cervical cancer.
Materials and Methods We aimed to study the clinicopathologic profile of nonmalignant cervical lesions and their p16 staining pattern. Histopathology requisition forms, blocks, and slides of cases containing cervical tissue with nonmalignant diagnosis received into the morbid anatomy department of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, from 2009 to 2018 were studied. Fresh sections from the blocks were immunohistochemically stained with p16 and examined.
Results One-hundred and ninety-one cases were studied. Majority of the cases are normal cervical epithelium. Chronic nonspecific cervicitis was the major non-neoplastic lesion present and accounted for 33.3% of the biopsy and the mean age was 50.5 years. Other lesions were nabothian cyst (8.4%), cervical polyp (10.5%), low-grade and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL and HSIL; 6.3 and 2.6%, respectively). The mean age for LSIL was 40.3 years, while that of HSIL was 45.2years. Four LSIL, two HSIL, one polyp, one chronic nonspecific cervicitis, and one lobular endocervical hyperplasia stained positively with p16.
Conclusion The most common benign lesion of the cervix is cervicitis. Chronic cervicitis is negative to p16 immunoreactivity. There are more low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) than high-grade CIN. The low-grade CIN overexpress p16 in one-third of cases. There are more cases of p16-negative high-grade CIN in this study.
Ancient civilizations employed medicinal herbs to treat ailments. Medicinal herbs are essential for treating chronic disorders. Different medicinal plants can treat comparable ailments, depending on ...the country. In many rural communities in developing countries, particularly in Africa, therapeutic medicines and remedies derived from indigenous plants are almost invariably the only readily available and cost-effective alternatives to traditional diarrhea medicines. The study aims to evaluate the anti-diarrheal activity of the Eleusine indica ethanol extract in mice. The study used fresh Eleusine indica leaves. The extracts were administered at concentrations of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg for 28 days. On the 29th, the rats were induced with diarrhea, and blood samples were collected through the retro-orbital plexus before being sacrificed. The serum from the collected blood was used to run hematological and electrolyte tests. The liver and kidney function tests were analyzed using standard methods. The determination of antidiarrheal activity was done using the following models: Castor oil (CO) induced diarrhea, CO induced enteropooling activity, and CO induced gastrointestinal motility. The 80% ethanol extract produced significant (p<0.001) antidiarrheal activity in all three models tested. The hematological, renal, hepatic, and electrolyte parameters of extract-treated mice were not significantly (p > 0.05) different from those of the control group. There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in the chloride, sodium, potassium, calcium, and bicarbonate levels of the extract-treated groups when compared to the control group. The findings of the studies demonstrated the antidiarrheal activities of Eleusine indica leaves, which could be a therapeutic option against diarrhea.
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