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Backgrounds: This study aimed to determine community-initiated Lassa fever prevention and control strategies in Africa.
Materials & Methods: Literature search was performed on four databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, African Journal OnLine (AJOL), and BioMed Central, using different combinations of the following search terms. A three-stage methodology was employed to conduct the study. At first, related articles were identified using pre-defined key terms, such as Lassa fever, Lassa fever control, Lassa fever prevention, community engagement and Lassa fever, and community participation and Lassa fever. Thereafter, articles were screened to remove duplicates and articles not relevant to the study objectives.
Findings: Community mobilization and sensitization and risk communication were some of the community-directed activities towards Lassa fever prevention and control. Also, stakeholders’ advocacy and engagement, rodent control practices, environmental sanitation, and proper food processing and preservation were practiced to prevent Lassa fever. In addition, a referral mechanism from the community to the health facility was constituted through the engagement of community health workers.
Conclusion: Health program managers should strive to provoke coordinated and sustainable community-initiated efforts to improve rodent preventive and control measures. Strategies should be developed and implemented to promote environmental sanitation and restrict cultural practices facilitating contact with rodents or infected persons.

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Cancer stem cells are responsible for the formation the resistance to treatment, tumor relapse, and metastasis. miRNAs play an important role in the regulation of biological processes. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to candidate miRNAs that are involved in the regulation of all three properties including stemness, metastasis, and drug resistance and find their target genes and signaling pathways by using literature learning and data mining. The present systematic review is done to identify stemness-regulating miRNAs. By using CORMINE database, metastasis and drug resistance regulating miRNAs collected. Finally, we compared these three lists of miRNAs and found common miRNAs in these three properties. ONCO.IO database and KEGG pathway have been done to obtain the interaction between miRNA-miRNA target and cancer-related signaling pathway respectively. We collected 191 stemness-regulating miRNAs from 21 excluded studies. Based on CORMINE database, 161 miRNAs and 57 miRNAs had metastasis and stemness features respectively. We obtained 7 common miRNAs that 4 of them including has-miR-34a, has-miR-23a, has-miR-30a, has-miR-100 has a significant role for targeting signaling pathways involved in cancer and their most important targets regulate many processes of cells. These data suggest that three important properties can regulate by common miRNAs. Therefore, target these miRNAs or their targets can be helpful to stop tumor growth and metastasis and may be useful biomarkers for early detection of gastric cancer.

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Chemical modification of starch is of the prevalent used methods in order to improve its physicochemical attributes. In this study phosphorylated and hydroxypropylated wheat starches were produced with 0.096 and 2.106% degree of substitution, respectively; and then some of their physicochemical and rheological attributes were studied. The implemented chemical changes due to hydroxypropylation and phosphorylation on native wheat starch were exhibited by FT-IR. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that the native and phosphorylated wheat starches had the most and least amount of crystallinity with 17.34 and 16.14%, respectively. The influence of temperature on swelling power revealed that the native (E_a=46.111) and hydroxypropylated (E_a=26.603) wheat starches had the most and least thermal sensitivity, respectively. Besides, in the case of solubility index, it was observed that native (E_a=77.674) and phosphorylated (E_a=44.478) starches had the most and least thermal sensitivity, in the order given.  The high value of determination coefficient (0.895-0.979) attained from the modeling results of the solubility changes with temperature using two power law equations, demonstrated the high capability of these models in prediction. It was seen that hydroxypropylation and phosphorylation of wheat starch resulted in 2.65 times increase and 17.58 times decrease in paste clarity compared to native starch (p<0.05), respectively. Among the used rheological models, the Herschel-Bulkley model was found to be more suitable to predict the flow characteristics of the starch samples.

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The majority of cancer treatments are invasive. Gonadal injuries cause reductions in fertility which results in lack of hope for conception in cancer patients and frustration for their partners. Fortunately, current advancements in cryopreservation and transplantation sciences regarding fertility preservation lead to cryostorage of gonads and preservation prior to the onset of chemo- and radiotherapy treatments. Accordingly in women, the main goal of ovarian cryopreservation is establishment of fertility and hormonal cycle restoration after auto-transplantation. Although the history of ovarian transplantation dates back to the 19^th century, there are reports of live human births following ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation since the past 100 years. Despite this success and additional research in the field of ovarian cryopreservation and transplantation, numerous questions remain unanswered. Among these questions, growth factors and hormonal changes because of their effects on follicular function appear to be more important during ovarian tissue transplantation. This review attempts to address hormones and growth factor functions with the specifics of ovarian cryopreservation and auto-transplantation.

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 Pomegranate fruit maturity status is commonly assessed based on external (skin) colour, juice colour and acidity of juice. Some researchers have studied the correlation between the parameters of the skin colour and acidity, total soluble solids, citric acid and anthocyanins. This study describes the relationship existing between solar radiation and a colorimetric maturity index in the pomegranate varietal group “Mollar de Elche”. We propose a fuzzy methodology. The aim of this kind of study is to obtain on estimation a range of possible values that reflects reality. Using this methodology four phases were obtained, in which there is no relationship between radiation and the colorimetric Maturity Index (MIc) in phases 1 and 4, but there is such a relationship in phases 2 and 3. Fuzzy math demonstrates the positive relationship between radiation and MIc, confirming that fuzzy regression is appropriate for making estimations that reflect reality among variables showing a weak relationship. There is a high degree of uncertainty in the relationship between the colorimetric maturity index and the incident radiation. The individual values of radiation do not correspond to one sole value of MIc, but to a wide range of the same, due to several factors, such as fruit orientation, luminosity, etc. Fuzzy math reveals the positive relationship between net radiation and MIc in phases 2 and 3. All this shows that the fuzzy regression may be appropriate for making estimations reflect reality when the variables show a weak relationship.

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The types and varieties of peppers grown in Mediterranean areas are a response to the demand of European markets, although in each Autonomous Community local varieties are grown to satisfy the national demand. Nowadays, the range of shapes, colours, tastes and uses is wider than ever as a result of greenhouse cultivation, national and international tendencies and increased demand. In Murcia, the growing cycle runs from December to July or August, depending on the market and the growth of the crop. Sweet pepper is normally grown in greenhouses, using a variety of technologies: from simple shaded greenhouses, to the most-advanced multitunnels (large, in the form of a round arch or Gothic arch and with sophisticated ventilation). Due to the high cost of fuel, it is impossible to use heating during winter after transplanting, so alternative techniques are used to raise the temperature a few degrees and improve crop production. The aim of this work was to increase the precocity and productivity of sweet pepper grown in greenhouses. The effect of a Polypropylene Spunbonded Nonwoven Microtunnel (PSNM) was studied. The results show that, although the increase in production was not great (lower than 5% in both years of the study), precocity increased by 16% in both years. Since the increased cost of using this technology is not excessive, crop profitability increases if precocity is taken into account, as all our indicators show. The study suggests that the use of a PSNM raises the marketable production and brings forward the first harvests.

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The influence of the minimum air temperatures on the lemon fruits color change from green to yellow was studied in three climatic change scenarios. With the drop in temperature in early autumn, chlorophylls in the lemon fruits break down and they naturally take on their characteristic yellow colour. In this work, based on three climate models, in which the temperature change is predicted until 2100, the effect of climate change on natural degreening of lemons fruits was analyzed. According to these models, due to the rise in air temperature, the start of color development would be delayed by one week to two months. But, in none of these cases would the fruits reach their characteristic colour on the tree, therefore, it would be necessary to use degreening chambers to achieve the commercial coloration, implying an increase in production costs.
 

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The effect of storage at 0 and 20°C for 30 days with and without a passive Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) and the effect of a freezing storage at -20, -40 and -80°C for 10 months followed by 1 week at 5°C on overall quality of Deglet Nour dates were studied. After the storage time, the physicochemical properties and sensory quality, microbial development, and moth infestation (Ectomyelois ceratoniae) of dates were monitored. It was observed that the storage temperature greatly affected the overall quality of dates. The 0°C was recommended for a short-term storage of fresh dates of one month. The MAP technique (6 kPa O₂+12 kPa CO₂) showed a positive effect on keeping overall quality of dates at 20ºC. However, for a long-term storage (10 months in frozen conditions plus 1 week at 5ºC), all freezing temperatures assayed kept the overall quality of dates and no differences were observed among them. In order to minimize the global costs, -20°C was considered as the most adequate temperature for a long-term freezing storage period. In conclusion, these chilling and freezing techniques could be recommended for commercial use at industrial scale.
 

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The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most popular and widely consumed vegetables in the world, being also the most common vegetable within the Mediterranean diet. The last few years have seen the appearance on the market of several types of agricultural plastic developed to alter the spectrum of radiation that enters the greenhouse, sometimes filtering it and, in other cases, intensifying certain wavelength bands. The objective of this study was to evaluate the production of tomato cultivated under different covers and to analyze the profitability of the yield, under each of them. A study was carried out in six tunnel greenhouses, with an area of 100 m² each, to evaluate the effect of different types of plastic roof, with different radiation properties. The yield of tomatoes was recorded and valued economically as a function of the mean prices of the Consejería de Agricultura de la Región de Murcia (CARM) (Department of Agriculture of the Region of Murcia) of the last years and one survey of the wholesale markets network (Mercas) and farmers, in order to know the weekly prices according to the caliber. The production costs of each of the alternatives were determined and the net present value of the yield and the annualized value were obtained. The highest annualized value was obtained with the UVA100%e cover (€24,856.04 per year), followed by UV90%e and PeTc (€18,931.49 and €16,205.53 per year, respectively). The LDe and Anti NIR covers provided the poorest results (€3,954.93 and €10,480.40 per year, respectively).
 

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Construction of buildings using non-industrial traditional systems have lots of shortcoming in both quality and quantity. During recent years considerable needs to increase the efficiency in building sector has indicated the fact that using old building construction systems is not responsive to community needs and using superior technology in this field is quite inevitable. Constructing building systems with potential, for industrial and prefabricated production, can meet the quantitative and qualitative needs of the construction industry.
  In this paper, the structural behavior of precast concrete sandwich panels (PCSPs) to feasibility of their usage as slab elements in the construction industry is experimental (EXP) ­and numerical analyses studied. These panels consist of three layers: 1) a regular reinforced concrete layer as the upper face, 2) a thick lightweight concrete (LC) layer as the core, and 3) a normal concrete and tension-resistant reinforced lightweight concrete layer as the bottom face. These layers are joined via a rebar network with truss-shaped shear connectors. The structural behavior of precast concrete sandwich panels under flexure is studied. For this purpose, First, laboratory samples were made and tested for bending. Subsequently, a finite element analysis (FEA)­was performed on a sandwich panel model with the specifications and mechanical properties similar to the EXP model in the ABAQUS software. Comparing the results of the experimental and numerical studies revealed a good level of accuracy.  The effect and orientation of the shear connectors in one or two directions were also investigated. The results of experimental and numerical investigation, show a logical behaviour of load-deflection curves According to the results, the PCSPs with two concrete layers had a smaller stiffness and load capacity than those with three concrete layers, When the prefabricated sandwich panels behave as one-way slabs, placing shear connectors parallel to the x-axis (larger dimension) is sufficient to bond two concrete layers for them to act as a single unit, , and­ the ultimate strength and the composite action of desired were found to depend to a large extent upon the stiffness of the shear connector used. This sandwich panel system can constitute an effective step toward lightening regarding its high bearing capacity and ductility, industrial manufacturing capability, prefabricated nature, multi-layer nature, high quality, lightweight, high construction speed, and reduced costs. Hence, the precast concrete sandwich panels slabs with high-strength faces and LC cores can be a suitable replacement for regular slab systems in buildings Based on the economic and weight comparisons under the code dead and live loads, the proposed prefabricated sandwich composite slab system is approximately 20 percent lighter than the regular slab. Due to possibility of industrial production of precast sandwich panels under standard conditions and simplicity of construction, the introduced novel panels system can be a viable alternative for common floor systems. Besides, the novel system can save amount of material, labor, time, and cost in building construction. ­ This research aims to investigate the composite performance and influential parameters in bearing capacity and improve and develop hybrid concrete sandwich panels for structural purposes to lighten and industrialize construction, a topic of interest in structural engineering.

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In recent years, the use of photoselective shading nets to mitigate the harmful high radiation caused by the increase in temperatures is growing. The objective of this work was to study the positive effects - in terms of yield and profitability of photoselective shade nets in two types of pepper: Lamuyo (cultivars Alcudia and Pompeo) and California (cultivars Bendigo and Cayetano). The weekly yields, classified into different calibre, were analysed over two years, and for the analysis of economic profitability, the Equivalent Annual Value (EAV) was used with an analysis of sensitivity. The yields obtained with the pearl-colored net giving 30% shading were superior to open cultivation (no netting), in all the studied cultivars; in particular, Cayetano and Pompeo had 136 and 86% greater yields, respectively. This same trend was observed for the red-colored net giving 30% shading, with 88 and 74% increase in yield in Cayetano and Pompeo, respectively. In economic terms, the EAV was superior with the use of the pearl net, especially for the cultivars Alcudia and Cayetano - being €14,864 and €13,326 ha^-1 yr^-1, respectively. The yield and profitability were better for the crops grown under the pearl-colored photoselective net, especially for cultivars Alcudia and Cayetano. The sensitivity analysis showed that the probability of obtaining negative returns was higher in the absence of netting, while under the shade nets it was below 10%.

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Photoselective nets are used to protect horticultural plants from sunburn and prolong the cropping period in conditions of excess light. In this work, we studied the influence of four photoselective shading nets (Pearl 30, Red 30, Silver 30, Red 40), a standard black-colored net (Black 35), and a control (no cover) on the evolution of color during the ripening of two types of pepper, namely, Lamuyo and California. For this purpose, the evolution of the colors of the fruit was followed from the beginning of their formation until the harvest, and was correlated with the total radiation and the temperature. The plant material used were peppers of the California type -cultivars Bendigo and Cayetano- and of the Lamuyo type, cultivars Alcudia and Pompeo. The results showed that the rate of change of the pepper coloration depended on the net used in the greenhouse. The speed of the change in color from green to red was more dependent on the cultivar and the total radiation, as conditioned by the different photoselective nets, than on the type of pepper. The greatest differences were between the control (without a net) and the black net, the increase in the red color of the peppers being faster in the former. Radiation values below 75 W m^-2 or greater than 110 W m^-2 negatively affected the yield. The temperature below the net was not affected significantly by the type of net, and thus its effect on the different cultivars was similar.