Correcting near vision impairment and women's empowerment: a before-after mixed-methods study among older Zanzibari craftswomen.

Objective: To understand if presbyopia correction could empower older craftswomen entrepreneurs living in Zanzibar.

Design: Mixed-method, before-after intervention study.

Setting: Unguja and Pemba islands, Zanzibar.

Antibacterial effect and biocompatibility of silver nanoparticle-coated bone allograft substitutes.

Osteoinduction, and/or osteoconduction, and antibacterial characteristics are prerequisites for achieving successful bone grafting. This study aimed to coat bone allografts with silver nanoparticles and assess their antibacterial activity and biocompatibility compared to uncoated bone allografts. In this study, the bone allografts were coated with varying concentrations of silver nanoparticles (5 mg/l, 10 mg/l, and 50 mg/l) through a simple adsorption technique.

Needs and views on eye health and women's empowerment and theory of change map: implication on the development of a women-targeted eyecare programme for older Zanzibari craftswomen.

Objectives: To assess needs and views regarding eye health and empowerment from craftswomen's perspectives to develop a theory of change (ToC) for a women-targeted eyecare programme.

Material And Methods: Eighteen stakeholders participated in a 2-day consultation workshop in Zanzibar. The composition was (1) 15 women and 3 men; (2) Unguja (n=8), Pemba (n=6) and Tanzania mainland (n=4) and (3) craftswomen (n=14) and governmental stakeholders (n=4).

Evaluating the health risks of heavy metal pollution in dust storms in the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

This study examined the heavy metal content in dust storm samples from Erbil, Iraq, along with four other locations. Using ICP-MS, Cd, Ni, Cr, Hg, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cu, Co, Fe and As were determined. The health risks due to exposure to these metals through ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact were assessed for both adults and children.

Refractive error, eye care needs and attitude towards spectacle wearing among older Zanzibari craftswomen and implications for developing women-targeted services: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Aged Zanzibari women are in a disadvantaged position, having high demand for near-vision spectacles. Currently, there is no information on the eye health status of craftswomen, which makes planning a women-targeted project to deliver eye health services to older craftswomen in Zanzibar difficult. We assessed the prevalence of vision impairment, refractive error, presbyopia, effective spectacle coverage (distance and near) and attitude towards spectacle wearing among older Zanzibari craftswomen.

How does a pair of near-vision spectacle correction empower older Zanzibari craftswomen?: A qualitative study on perception.

Background: Studies have shown that correcting presbyopia among women could increase short-term income and quality of life. However, it is unclear whether these short-term outcomes translate to long-term empowerment. This is partly due to women's empowerment being under-studied in the eye health field.

COVID-19 deterministic and stochastic modelling with optimized daily vaccinations in Saudi Arabia.

In this paper, we investigate the stochastic nature of the COVID-19 temporal dynamics by generating a fractional-order dynamic model and a fractional-order-stochastic model. Initially, we considered the first and second vaccination doses as multiple vaccinations were initiated worldwide. The concerned models are then tested for the Saudi Arabia second virus wave, which is assumed to start on 1st March 2021.

Fractional stochastic models for COVID-19: Case study of Egypt.

In this paper, COVID-19 dynamics are modelled with three mathematical dynamic models, fractional order modified SEIRF model, stochastic modified SEIRF model, and fractional stochastic modified SEIRF model, to characterize and predict virus behavior. By using Euler method and Euler-Murayama method, the numerical solutions for the considered models are obtained. The considered models are applied to the case study of Egypt to forecast COVID-19 behavior for the second virus wave which is assumed to be started on 15 November 2020.

Generation mean analysis of grain quality traits in selected rice populations derived from different amylose characteristics.

Background: Genetic analysis using generation mean analysis is a tool for designing the most appropriate breeding approaches to developing varieties of rice. It estimates the gene actions that control quantitative traits, as well as the additive, dominance and epistatic effects. This study was conducted using three rice populations that were derived from parental lines with different amylose content.

Strategic feeding of ammonium and metal ions for enhanced GLA-rich lipid accumulation in Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1.

Strategic feeding of ammonium and metal ions (Mg(2+), Mn(2+), Fe(3+), Cu(2+), Ca(2+), Co(2+), and Zn(2+)) for enhanced GLA-rich lipid accumulation in C. bainieri 2A1 was established. When cultivated in nitrogen-limited medium, the fungus produced up to 30% lipid (g/g biomass) with 12.

Exploring views on long term rehabilitation for people with stroke in a developing country: findings from focus group discussions.

Background: The importance of long term rehabilitation for people with stroke is increasingly evident, yet it is not known whether such services can be materialised in countries with limited community resources. In this study, we explored the perception of rehabilitation professionals and people with stroke towards long term stroke rehabilitation services and potential approaches to enable provision of these services. Views from providers and users are important in ensuring whatever strategies developed for long term stroke rehabilitations are feasible and acceptable.

Lipid biosynthesis in Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1 in N-limited and N-excess media.

Lipid biosynthesis and fatty acids composition of oleaginous zygomycetes, namely Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1, cultured in media with excess or limited nitrogen were quantitatively determined at different times of culture growth. Accumulation of lipids occurred even when the activity of NAD(+)-ICDH (β-Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-isocitrate dehydrogenase) was still detectable in both media. In C.

Preventive role of phyllosilicate clay on the Immunological and Biochemical toxicity of zearalenone in Balb/c mice.

Zearalenone (ZEN), a mycotoxin produced by several Fusarium spp., is most commonly found as a contaminant in stored grain and has chronic estrogenic effects on mammals. ZEN and its metabolites have anabolic activities and induced severe stress on liver, kidney and immune system.

The protective effect of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate against haematological, biochemical and pathological changes induced by Zearalenone in mice.

Hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS), an anticaking agent for mixed feed, was added alone or simultaneously with a toxic Zearalenone (ZEN) dose to balb/c mice and was evaluated for its ability to restore damages induced by ZEN. The latter is a mycotoxin produced by fusarium genera; it is mainly known to induce several toxic effects such as hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity and nephrotoxicity on animals and humans. The experimental approach consisted of eight treatments of six mice each by 400 mg/kg bw or 5 g/kg bw of HSCAS.

Azithromycin prophylaxis and treatment of murine toxoplasmosis.

Objective: To evaluate the azithromycin effects alone and in combination with other agents in the prophylaxis and treatment of murine toxoplasmosis.

Methods: A total of 280 BALB/c mice were included, and 2 x 103 Toxoplasma organisms of the RH strain Toxoplasma gondii strain ATCC50174 were given intraperitoneally to each mouse. In experiment one, 40 animals were given azithromycin 200 milligram/kilogram/daily for 3 days starting the day of inoculation, 40 mice were control.