The Challenge of Implementing Decentralization in Kenya： An Analysis of the Teething Problems Rocking the Implementation

Kenya promulgated her new constitution in 2010 and since then, there have been various political wrangles about its implementation. These wrangles started when the government drafted laws that sought to retain the Provincial Administration, which was meant to operate parallel to the structures under county governments. The opposition accused the government of undermining devolution and even of attempting to kill it. At the county level, there have been boycotts of sessions by County Assembly Members over salaries, and Governors continue to complain about inadequate financial resources to fulfill their mandates. This paper examines these wrangles to determine whether they are just teething problems or serious implementation problems needing redress. The analysis involves comparing Kenya＇s implementation to that of other African and Latin American countries that implemented their devolution earlier.

Regulation of one-carbon metabolism may open new avenues to slow down the initiation and progression of Huntington's disease

Huntington’s disease (HD)(OMIM 143100) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a monogenic mutation in the huntingtin gene (HTT),which induces typical midlife onset and age-dependent progression with major symptoms including choreic movements,psychiatric disorders,and cognitive impairment(Gusella et al.,2021).After the 1993 discovery of a pathogenic expansion of the CAG trinucleotide repeat beyond 35 in HTT exon 1 as a causative factor for HD,many animal,mammalian cell and yeast models expressing mutant HTT (mHtt) with abnormal CAG repeats have been created to study CAG repeat-induced toxicity (Naphade et al.,2019;Gusella et al.,2021).

Research on Grid Planning of Dual Power Distribution Network Based on Parallel Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm

A distribution network plays an extremely important role in the safe and efficient operation of a power grid.As the core part of a power grid’s operation,a distribution network will have a significant impact on the safety and reliability of residential electricity consumption.it is necessary to actively plan and modify the distribution network’s structure in the power grid,improve the quality of the distribution network,and optimize the planning of the distribution network,so that the network can be fully utilized to meet the needs of electricity consumption.In this paper,a distribution network grid planning algorithm based on the reliability of electricity consumption was completed using ant colony algorithm.For the distribution network structure planning of dual power sources,the parallel ant colony algorithm was used to prove that the premise of parallelism is the interactive process of ant colonies,and the dual power distribution network structure model is established based on the principle of the lowest cost.The artificial ants in the algorithm were compared with real ants in nature,and the basic steps and working principle of the ant colony optimization algorithm was studied with the help of the travelling salesman problem(TSP).Then,the limitations of the ant colony algorithm were analyzed,and an improvement strategy was proposed by using python for digital simulation.The results demonstrated the reliability of model-building and algorithm improvement.

Immp2l Mutation Induces Mitochondrial Membrane Depolarization and Complex Ⅲ Activity Suppression after Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Mice

Objective We previously reported that mutations in inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase 2-like(Immp2l)increase infarct volume,enhance superoxide production,and suppress mitochondrial respiration after transient cerebral focal ischemia and reperfusion injury.The present study investigated the impact of heterozygous Immp2l mutation on mitochondria function after ischemia and reperfusion injury in mice.Methods Mice were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion for 1 h followed by 0,1,5,and 24 h of reperfusion.The effects of Immp2l^(+/−)on mitochondrial membrane potential,mitochondrial respiratory complex III activity,caspase-3,and apoptosis-inducing factor(AIF)translocation were examined.Results Immp2l^(+/−)increased ischemic brain damage and the number of TUNEL-positive cells compared with wild-type mice.Immp2l^(+/−)led to mitochondrial damage,mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization,mitochondrial respiratory complex III activity suppression,caspase-3 activation,and AIF nuclear translocation.Conclusion The adverse impact of Immp2l^(+/−)on the brain after ischemia and reperfusion might be related to mitochondrial damage that involves depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential,inhibition of the mitochondrial respiratory complex III,and activation of mitochondria-mediated cell death pathways.These results suggest that patients with stroke carrying Immp2l^(+/−)might have worse and more severe infarcts,followed by a worse prognosis than those without Immp2l mutations.

Zyflamend对实验性口腔癌前病变化学预防作用的研究

目的通过局部应用抗炎中药混合制剂Zyflamend,观察二甲基苯并蒽(7,12-dimethybenz[α]anthracene,DMBA)诱发金黄地鼠口腔癌前病变的化学预防作用。方法实验分5组:阴性对照组正常饲养;其余用0.5%的DMBA涂于左侧颊囊,每周3次,涂3周,再随机分为4组,阳性对照组不用药物治疗,其余3组用低、中、高浓度Zyflamend进行治疗,每周涂药3次,第4周末处死动物,处死前2h腹腔注射50mg/kg的5-溴脱氧尿嘧啶(5-bromo-deoxyuridine,BrdU)。取左侧颊囊进行组织病理学观察和BrdU免疫组化染色。结果低、中、高浓度Zyflamend治疗后,每平方毫米炎症细胞的数量分别为54.70±38.73、36.90±8.63和35.23±15.13,各组与阳性对照组(158.65±56.12)相比均有显著性差异(P<0.01);单纯增生的灶数分别为2.31±0.94,1.40±1.31和1.16±0.52,对照组为4.60±3.63;异常增生的灶数分别为2.10±1.78,1.80±0.94和1.03±0.97,对照组为3.47±2.03。中、高浓度治疗组BrdU增殖指数显著降低(P<0.01)。结论抗炎中药混合制剂Zyflamend对DMBA诱发的金黄地鼠口腔癌前病变具有一定的化学预防作用,其机制可能与抑制炎症和细胞增殖有关。

Barrett食管诊治共识(修订版2011年6月重庆)

为规范我国Barrett食管（BE）的诊断和治疗,中华医学会消化病学分会于2011年6月4日在重庆召开了＂全国第二届Barrett食管专题学术研讨会＂,就BE有关问题进行了广泛的讨论,并对2005年制定的＂Barrett食管诊治共识（草案）＂作了修订和补充,达成以下共识。

Microvessel density is a prognostic marker of human gastric cancer

AIM: To investigate whether microvessel density (MVD) is related with prognosis in gastric cancer patients, and the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vessel endothelial growth factor (VEGF) so as to determine the possible role of COX-2 and VEGF in gastric cancer angiogenesis.METHODS: Forty-seven formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples of gastric cancer were evaluated for COX-2, VEGF by immunohitochemical staining. To assess tumor angiogenesis, MVD was determined by immunohitochemical staining of endothelial protein factor Ⅷ-related antigen. The relationship among COX-2 and VEGF expression, MVD, and clinicopathologic parameters was analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 67 samples, high MVD was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis and poor survival. Multivariate survival analysis showed that MVD value and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors. The expression rate of COX-2 and VEGF was significantly higher than that of the adjacent tissues. COX-2 and VEGF expression in gastric cancer was significantly correlated with tumor differentiation and depth of invasion, but not with survival. The mean MVD value of COX-2 or VEGF positive tumors was higher than that of COX-2 or VEGF negative tumors. A significant correlation was found between the expressions of COX-2and VEGF. CONCLUSION: MVD may be one of the important prognostic factors for gastric cancer patients. COX-2 and VEGF may play an important role in tumor progression by stimulating angiogenesis. VEGF might play a main role in the COX-2 angiogenic pathway. The inhibition of angiogenesis or COX-2, VEGF activity may have an important therapeutic benefit in the control of gastric cancer.

Therapeutic effects of Clostridium butyricum on experimental colitis induced by oxazolone in rats

AIM： To evaluate the therapeutic effects of a probiotic supplement （Clostridium butyricum, CGMCC0313 ） in a chemically-induced rat model of experimental colitis. METHODS： An experimental ulcerative colitis model was established by rectal injection of oxazolone into the colon of 40 Wistar rats randomly divided into four groups. The positive control group was sacrificed 3 d after colitis onset. The remaining groups were fed daily with either 2 mL of C. butyricum （2.3 × 10^11 CFU/L）, 2 mL of mesalamine （100 g/L）, or 1 mL of sodium butyrate （50 mmol/L） for 21 d. The animals＇ body weight, behavior, and bowel movements were recorded weekly. After sacrifice, visual and microscopic observations of pathological changes of colon tissue were made, body weight and wet colon mass index were measured and recorded, and serum levels of interleukin-23 （IL-23） and TNF-α were measured using ELISA. Expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide in colon tissue was measured by RT-PCR. Finally, changes in rat intestinal microflora status were measured in all groups.lowered the serum levels of both IL-23 and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） with similar or even better efficiency than that of mesalamine or sodium butyrate. The rat intestinal flora appeared to recover more quickly in the group treated with C. butyricum than in the mesalamine and sodium butyrate groups. Finally, we found that the expression level of calcitonin gene related peptide was elevated in colon tissue in the sodium butyrate treated group but not in the C. butyricum or mesalamine treated groups, indicating a sensitization of colon following sodium butyrate treatment. CONCLUSION： In our experimental colitis model, treatment with C. butyricum CGMCC0313, a probiotic supplement, is at least as efficient as treatment with mesalamine.

Rethinking the necessity of low glucose intervention for cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Glucose is the essential and almost exclusive metabolic fuel for the brain.Ischemic stroke caused by a blockage in one or more cerebral arteries quickly leads to a lack of regional cerebral blood supply resulting in severe glucose deprivation with subsequent induction of cellular homeostasis disturbance and eventual neuronal death.To make up ischemiamediated adenosine 5′-triphosphate depletion,glucose in the ischemic penumbra area rapidly enters anaerobic metabolism to produce glycolytic adenosine 5′-triphosphate for cell survival.It appears that an increase in glucose in the ischemic brain would exert favorable effects.This notion is supported by in vitro studies,but generally denied by most in vivo studies.Clinical studies to manage increased blood glucose levels after stroke also failed to show any benefits or even brought out harmful effects while elevated admission blood glucose concentrations frequently correlated with poor outcomes.Surprisingly,strict glycaemic control in clinical practice also failed to yield any beneficial outcome.These controversial results from glucose management studies during the past three decades remain a challenging question of whether glucose intervention is needed for ischemic stroke care.This review provides a brief overview of the roles of cerebral glucose under normal and ischemic conditions and the results of managing glucose levels in non-diabetic patients.Moreover,the relationship between blood glucose and cerebral glucose during the ischemia/reperfusion processes and the potential benefits of low glucose supplements for non-diabetic patients are discussed.

Personalized targeted therapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma continues to heavily burden clinicians worldwide. Researchers have discovered the genomic landscape of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, which holds promise for an era of personalized oncology care. One of the most pressing problems facing this issue is to improve the understanding of the newly available genomic data, and identify the driver-gene mutations, pathways, and networks. The emergence of a legion of novel targeted agents has generated much hope and hype regarding more potent treatment regimens, but the accuracy of drug selection is still arguable. Other problems, such as cancer heterogeneity, drug resistance, exceptional responders, and side effects, have to be surmounted. Evolving topics in personalized oncology, such as interpretation of genomics data, issues in targeted therapy, research approaches for targeted therapy, and future perspectives, will be discussed in this editorial.

中国口吃现状分析及案例研究

口吃影响全世界约1%的人。中国约有1300万口吃患者,他们具有语音重复、停顿和拉长声音的现象。国内口吃治疗师除语言治疗师外,还有心理治疗师、针灸康复师、内科医生等。口吃评估主要包括病史、言语行为、生理伴随动作和情感态度四方面内容。口吃直接治疗方法主要包括流畅度塑形法(fluency shaping)和口吃修定法(stuttering modification)两类,具体技巧包括软起音、放慢语速、停顿、改述、拉长声音、加入插入语等。本文分析讨论了口吃在中国的现状,包括口吃的特征、评估和治疗等。通过1例成人口吃个案印证了轻度口吃患者存在辅音、音节、词组重复、相对长时间的停顿、语速快等现象。

A Clique-Based Approach to the Identification of Common Gene Association Sub-Networks

We developed a computational framework to identify common gene association sub-network. This framework combines graphical lasso model, graph product and a replicator equation based clique solver. We applied this method to find common stress responsive sub-networks from two related Deinococcus-Thermus bacterial species.

Challenges and Recommendations to Recruiting Women Who Do Not Adhere to Follow-Up Gynecological Care

Purpose: Non-adherence to recommended follow-up visits after an abnormal cytological finding is associated with poorer outcomes and higher health care costs. The purpose of this paper is to describe the challenges when examining reasons for non-adherence to cervical cancer screening follow-up and to discuss the recommendations to overcome those challenges. Methods: We conducted a telephone survey with two subgroups of women: 1) those which adhered to recommended follow-up care after an abnormal Pap test, and 2) those which did not adhere. Results: The follow-up accrual among non-adherent women lagged behind that of adherers. We were able to contact and conduct a survey with 51% of the adherers and 26% of the non-adherers. The challenges in studying non-adherent women were related to several distinct factors: 1) the definition of non-adherence, 2) the availability of alternate contact information, 3) the amount and type of financial incentives, and 4) the availability of staffing. We describe strategies employed to increase the accrual of non-adherent women. Discussion: This paper describes four recommendations that may play a role in understanding and reducing non-adherence to follow-up gynecological care.

Molecular phylogeny of oligotrich genera Omegastrombidium and Novistrombidium(Protozoa,Ciliophora) for the systematical relationships within Family Strombidiidae

The phylogeny of the oligotrich ciliates is currently a hot debate despite the availability of both morphological and molecular data.In the present paper,further small subunit rRNA(SS rRNA) genes were analyzed from the Genera Omegastrombidium and Novistrombidium,as well as from Strombidium,and combined with three new SS rRNA sequences from Strombidium basimorphum,S.sulcatum population QD-1,and Novistrombidium testaceum population GD.The phylogenetic positions of these organisms were inferred using Bayesian inference,Maximum Likelihood,and Maximum Parsimony methods.The main results are:(1) the SS rRNA gene sequence analyses match the recent findings about the molecular evolution of oligotrichs,indicating that the family Strombidiidae is paraphyletic;(2) the Genus Omegastrombidium is separated from the Genus Strombidium,as shown in recent cladistic analyses;(3) morphospecies in Genus Novistrombidium,based on similarity of somatic ciliature,are separated from each other in all topological trees,indicating that this genus could be a paraphyletic group;(4) the molecular data indicate a possibility of paraphyly for the genus Strombidium;and(5) the similarities of the SS rRNA gene of specimens identified as S.sulcatum and S.inclinatum are 99.8%-100%.However,present knowledge on the oligotrichs sensu stricto is still insufficient and further studies based on both molecular and other technologies are required.

Timely Mammography Use among a Sample of Black American Women: A Community-Based Study

Breast cancer deaths are more common among Black American women than White women. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Black American women had a higher incidence rate (130.0) compared to White women (128.9). But it is the double burden of incidence and low survival that is particularly alarming (American Cancer Society, 2011). While research is underway to better understand the role that genes play, such as those that are associated with the aggressive triple negative breast cancer which is more commonly diagnosed in Black American women, there is more to learn about the utilization of the screening mammography. At the time this study was conducted the age controversy to receive a baseline screening was just beginning. The American Medical Association, the American College of Radiology, and the American Cancer Society all supported baseline screenings at age 40 but, currently the United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines recommend biennial screening for women aged 50 to 74 years who are at average risk for breast cancer. Furthermore, mammograms are not routinely recommended for women age 40 to 49 because they are more likely to have false biopsies. We do not yet know the long-term impact of implementing a longer timeline to screen for breast cancer. Although Black American women, have narrowed the gap, they still lag behind regarding mammography screening and are more likely to be diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. This paper investigates the predictors of mammography use among a small, low-income, U.S. community-based sample of Black African American women age 42 and older.

Environmental Impacts of Feeding High-fiber Diet to Pigs

The concentration of volatile fatty acids （VFA） determined from a previous study was used to determine the concentration of carbon dioxide （CO2） and methane （CH4） in pig digesta using the model developed for ruminant animals. Digesta from the stomach, cecum and colon of pigs （n = 3 dietl） were used for the determination of VFA. The pigs were fed either a low fiber diet （LFD; 8.3% aNDF） as control, or one of the high-fiber diets （HFD, 22.4% aNDF; D1, D2 and D3） containing 1：2, 1：1 and 2：1, oats to barley ratios, respectively. Results indicated that the concentrations of CO2 and CH4 in pigs fed HFD were, on the average, 25.8 and 24.2%, respectively lower （P 〈 0.05） than pigs fed LFD. Pigs fed the highest oat to barley ratio also showed higher （P 〈 0.05） levels of CO2, （8.3%） and CH4 （5.1%）, compared to the average of the two lower ratios （CO2, 5.3% and CH4, 3.3%）. Molar proportions of VFA, CO2 and CH4 in the gut were in the order of VFA 〉 CO2 〉 CH4, at 53.0%, 28.6% and 18.4%, respectively, and CO2 and CH4 combined represented 47% of total gas.

Preliminary Study of Selenium (Se) Toxicity in Human Prostate Carcinoma (PC3) Cells with the Overexpression of Selenocysteine Synthase (SecS) Gene

Selenium (Se) is a trace element required for normal body function. Its supplementation of human diet at standard optimum amount prevents oxidative damages in cells and could be a viable method in the prevention of diseases related to DNA damage, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and aging. While Se anticancer properties have been linked to its ability to remove excess Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in cells, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. Recent studies have shown that the removal of ROS alone cannot account for Se anticancer properties. To really comprehend the molecular basis of Se anticancer properties, current researches now focus on the metabolism of Se in the cell, especially Se-containing amino acids. Selenocysteine (Sec) is a novel amino acid and one of the selenium-containing compounds in the cell. It is essential in the maintenance of the integrity of its parent proteins, some of which include enzymes such as Glutathione Peroxidases (GPXs) and Thioredoxin Reductases (TrXs). We propose in this study that the overproduction of Sec via the overexpression of Selenocysteine synthase (SecS) gene and Se supplementation induced cell death in Prostate Carcinoma (PC-3) cells. Although the mechanism underlying the cell death induction is unknown, we propose it could be due to the random incorporation of Sec into proteins at high concentration, causing premature protein degradation and cell death. The outcome of this study showed that increasing the concentration of intracellular Se-containing amino acids may provide important clinical implications for the treatment of cancer.

The Influence of Diode and He-Ne Lasers on Corn and Wheat Seeds

The paper presents a study on the effects of low intensity laser irradiation on morphological changes in plants sprouted from maize hybrid seeds （two hybrids） and wheat seeds. Pre-sowing laser irradiation treatment on the seeds was done, intervals from 10 s to 15 min （approximately）, by using a diode laser output power of 12 mW at 904 nm wavelength or with He-Ne laser with output power of 50 mW and 632.8 nm wavelength. Before irradiation seeds were divided into groups （wet and dry, and then in subgroups-irradiated or control groups）. We used maize hybrids, Amilacea and Identata and wheat （Triticum aestivum）. The reflection coefficient in visible range was done for maize varieties. Obtained data show the influence of laser beam to better plant growth. Better results are obtained for dry seed irradiation than for wet. In order to investigate the effect of laser beam and in general to clarify a lot of unsolved photo processes related to bioorganisms at macroscopic and microscopic levels, some optical constants of selected plant families were researched. At the same time, the influence of laser beams of common wavelengths to the selected plants was monitored. Morphological processes of plants （seeds and leaves） irradiated under different conditions and plant growing dynamics were contemplated. The definite correlation analyses of obtained results were made, clearly speaking about the influence of small-dose radiation to characteristics （quantitative and other genetic, bio-stimulating effects） of future plant growth.

基于超强拉曼增强金纳米粒子修饰的过渡金属双硫属化合物纳米片的分子检测（英文）

本文报道用不同尺寸的金纳米粒子(AuNPs)来修饰单层WS2和MoS2纳米片,通过表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)技术检测微量的罗丹明6G染料,并对比了它们在不同波长的激光激发下的等离子体特性。AuNPs在WS2和MoS2纳米片上的均匀沉积是通过种子介导的生长方法还原HAuCl4来实现的。我们进一步使用扫描电子显微镜和拉曼光谱对所制备的异质结构进行了表征。几种优化结构的拉曼增强因子接近108,几乎达到检测单分子需要的灵敏度。我们的研究结果表明,通过贵金属纳米粒子对超薄过渡金属双硫属元素化合物进行可控修饰是完全可行的。这个策略也适合于制备高效且灵活的基底,用在新一代基于表面增强拉曼散射的化学传感器和生物传感器上。Jason D Orlando 1,Ethan Kahn 2,Cindy Y Wong 3,Yin-ting Yeh 4,5,Tej B Limbu 1,Basant Chitara 1,Ana L Elias 4,5,Mauricio Terrones 4,5,YAN Fei(1.Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry,North Carolina Central University,Durham,NC.27707,USA;2.Department of Materials Science and Engineering,The Pennsylvania State University,University Park,PA.16802,USA;3.School for Engineering of Matter,Transport and Energy,Arizona State University,Tempe,AZ.85287,USA;4.Department of Physics,The Pennsylvania State University,University Park,PA.16802,USA;5.Center for Nanoscale Science,The Pennsylvania State University,University Park,PA.16802,USA)