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Weijie V Lin,1,* Megan N Scott,2,3,* Chosang Tendhar,4 Shazia F Ali,2,3 Zaina Al-Mohtaseb,2,3 Rizwan Shaikh,2,3 Christina Y Weng2,3 1School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; 3Ben Taub General Hospital, Harris Health System, Houston, TX, USA; 4Office of Research, Assessment and Planning, Adelphi University, New York, NY, USA*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Christina Y WengDepartment of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, MBA Alkek Eye Center 1977 Butler Blvd., 3rd Floor, Houston, Texas 77030, USATel +1 713 798-6100Email christina.weng@bcm.eduObjective: To analyze outcomes and complications related to cataract surgery complicated by retained lens fragment (RLF) requiring pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in a county hospital where procedures are performed by trainees.Methods: Retrospective study of consecutive patients who met inclusion criteria and underwent PPV for RLF in the vitreous cavity at an urban teaching hospital between January 2010 and January 2016 (N=20).Main Outcomes/Measures: Visual acuity was recorded pre- and post-operatively over a follow-up period of 3 to 12 months. Complications and patient factors contributing to outcomes were assessed using paired and unpaired t-tests and multiple linear regression.Results: The average rate of cataract surgery with RLF requiring PPV was 0.75%. Twenty patients met inclusion criteria. Mean pre-operative visual acuity (VA) was logMAR 1.7 (Snellen 20/1000). Nearly half (8/20) had nuclear cataracts grade 3+ or higher. The majority (14/20) had factors predisposing them to cataract surgery complications. Most patients underwent PPV within 1 week (median 6.5 days). At 12-month follow-up, significant (p=0.001) visual acuity (VA) improvement from initial VA was observed, with final mean logMAR 0.6 (± 0.75; Snellen 20/80) and median logMAR 0.35 (Snellen 20/45). Nearly half of the patients had a final Snellen VA ≥ 20/40. Factors associated with less VA improvement were older age and greater proportion of lens dropped (p< 0.01). Complications following PPV included hypotony (5 patients), corneal edema (4), elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) (3), and cystoid macular edema (3).Conclusions/Relevance: Despite patients with advanced pathology and trainee surgeons, rates of cataract surgery-associated RLF requiring PPV at a large tertiary care teaching hospital are similar to reported rates in the literature.Keywords: trainee, complicated cataract surgery, retained lens fragments, resident, fellow, pars plana lensectomy, pars plana vitrectomy, teaching, surgical education

We report high-precision measurements of the deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) cross section at high values of the Bjorken variable x_{B}. DVCS is sensitive to the generalized parton distributions of the nucleon, which provide a three-dimensional description of its internal constituents. Using the exact analytic expression of the DVCS cross section for all possible polarization states of the initial and final electron and nucleon, and final state photon, we present the first experimental extraction of all four helicity-conserving Compton form factors (CFFs) of the nucleon as a function of x_{B}, while systematically including helicity flip amplitudes. In particular, the high accuracy of the present data demonstrates sensitivity to some very poorly known CFFs.

We present new precision measurements of the elastic electron-proton scattering cross section for momentum transfer (Q^{2}) up to 15.75  (GeV/c)^{2}. Combined with existing data, these provide an improved extraction of the proton magnetic form factor at high Q^{2} and double the range over which a longitudinal or transverse separation of the cross section can be performed. The difference between our results and polarization data agrees with that observed at lower Q^{2} and attributed to hard two-photon exchange (TPE) effects, extending to 8  (GeV/c)^{2} the range of Q^{2} for which a discrepancy is established at >95% confidence. We use the discrepancy to quantify the size of TPE contributions needed to explain the cross section at high Q^{2}.

We report measurements of the exclusive neutral pion electroproduction cross section off protons at large values of x_{B} (0.36, 0.48, and 0.60) and Q^{2} (3.1 to 8.4  GeV^{2}) obtained from Jefferson Lab Hall A experiment E12-06-014. The corresponding structure functions dσ_{T}/dt+εdσ_{L}/dt, dσ_{TT}/dt, dσ_{LT}/dt, and dσ_{LT^{'}}/dt are extracted as a function of the proton momentum transfer t-t_{min}. The results suggest the amplitude for transversely polarized virtual photons continues to dominate the cross section throughout this kinematic range. The data are well described by calculations based on transversity generalized parton distributions coupled to a helicity flip distribution amplitude of the pion, thus providing a unique way to probe the structure of the nucleon.

Positron beams, both polarized and unpolarized, are identified as important ingredients for the experimental programs at the next generation of lepton accelerators. In the context of the hadronic physics program at Jefferson Lab (JLab), positron beams are complementary, even essential, tools for a precise understanding of the electromagnetic structure of nucleons and nuclei, in both the elastic and deep-inelastic regimes. For instance, elastic scattering of polarized and unpolarized electrons and positrons from the nucleon enables a model independent determination of its electromagnetic form factors. Also, the deeply-virtual scattering of polarized and unpolarized electrons and positrons allows unambiguous separation of the different contributions to the cross section of the lepto-production of photons and of lepton-pairs, enabling an accurate determination of the nucleons and nuclei generalized parton distributions, and providing an access to the gravitational form factors of the energy-momentum tensor. Furthermore, positron beams offer the possibility of alternative tests of the Standard Model of particle physics through the search of a dark photon, the precise measurement of electroweak couplings, and the investigation of charged lepton flavor violation. This document discusses the perspectives of an experimental program with high duty-cycle positron beams at JLab.

We present new precision measurements of the elastic electron-protonscattering cross section for momentum transfer (Q$^2$) up to 15.75~\gevsq.Combined with existing data, these provide an improved extraction of the protonmagnetic form factor at high Q$^2$ and double the range over which alongitudinal/transverse separation of the cross section can be performed. Thedifference between our results and polarization data agrees with that observedat lower Q$^2$ and attributed to hard two-photon exchange (TPE) effects,extending to 8~(GeV/c)$^2$ the range of Q$^2$ for which a discrepancy isestablished at $>$95\% confidence. We use the discrepancy to quantify the sizeof TPE contributions needed to explain the cross section at high Q$^2$.

We report measurements of the exclusive neutral pion electroproduction crosssection off protons at large values of $x_B$ (0.36, 0.48 and 0.60) and $Q^2$(3.1 to 8.4 GeV$^2$) obtained from Jefferson Lab Hall A experiment E12-06-014.The corresponding structure functions $d\sigma_L/dt+\epsilon d\sigma_T/dt$,$d\sigma_{TT}/dt$, $d\sigma_{LT}/dt$ and $d\sigma_{LT'}/dt$ are extracted as afunction of the proton momentum transfer $t-t_{min}$. The results suggest theamplitude for transversely polarized virtual photons continues to dominate thecross-section throughout this kinematic range. The data are well described bycalculations based on transversity Generalized Parton Distributions coupled toa helicity flip Distribution Amplitude of the pion, thus providing a unique wayto probe the structure of the nucleon.

Positron beams, both polarized and unpolarized, are identified as essentialingredients for the experimental programs at the next generation of leptonaccelerators. In the context of the hadronic physics program at Jefferson Lab(JLab), positron beams are complementary, even essential, tools for a preciseunderstanding of the electromagnetic structure of nucleons and nuclei, in boththe elastic and deep-inelastic regimes. For instance, elastic scattering ofpolarized and unpolarized electrons and positrons from the nucleon enables amodel independent determination of its electromagnetic form factors. Also, thedeeply-virtual scattering of polarized and unpolarized electrons and positronsallows unambiguous separation of the different contributions to the crosssection of the lepto-production of photons and of lepton-pairs, enabling anaccurate determination of the nucleons and nuclei generalized partondistributions, and providing an access to the gravitational form factors.Furthermore, positron beams offer the possibility of alternative tests of theStandard Model of particle physics through the search of a dark photon, theprecise measurement of electroweak couplings, and the investigation of chargedlepton flavor violation. This document discusses the perspectives of anexperimental program with high duty-cycle positron beams at JLab.

Phencyclidine (PCP; angel dust) is a drug of abuse known to produce a behavioral state in humans resembling schizophrenia/psychosis. PCP is a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist and produces a variety of behaviors in rats including circling. The behavioral effects of other noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists such as (+)-MK-801 are still being elucidated. Here, adult female rats were dosed with PCP (10 mg/kg, IP), or (+)-MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg, IP) and circling preference was recorded for 2 h before sacrifice to determine monoamine levels by HPLC/EC. Animals injected with PCP or (+)-MK-801 showed a preference to turn to the left (65% and 72%, respectively). PCP and (+)-MK-801 also produced a significant increase of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) in whole striatum on both sides of the brain. Further dissection of the striatum into medioventral and dorsolateral regions revealed that HVA was increased bilaterally except in globus pallidus where we found significant increases in dopamine (DA), DOPAC, and HVA only on the left side after PCP and (+)-MK-801 administration. These data suggest that PCP and (+)-MK-801 produce a greater preference to turn left than right, a finding similar to that found in human psychosis. Furthermore, it is possible that this preference to turn toward the left hemispace is due to an asymmetry in dopamine function found in the globus pallidus after administration of PCP and similar drugs.

Methamphetamine treatment of mice rapidly and severely depleted levels of dopamine and its metabolites, homovanillic acid (HVA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the caudate nucleus. Exposure of mice to cigarette smoke by means of nose-only breathing apparatus for 20 min twice daily over 3 days prior to drug treatment significantly attenuated the neurotoxicity of methamphetamine as judged by a lesser depletion of dopamine, DOPAC and HVA. The lesser effect of methamphetamine upon content of serotonin level was unaltered by prior inhalation of smoke. Results suggest a specific protective effect of inhaled tobacco smoke upon the effects of methamphetamine upon dopaminergic circuitry.

The in vivo dose-response relationship between toluene and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in rat brain, liver, kidney, and lung, and the time-course of these effects has been characterized. The rate of oxygen radical formation was measured using the probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate. In vivo exposure to various doses of toluene (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g/kg ip) elicited a dose-dependent elevation of ROS generation within crude mitochondrial fractions obtained from rat lung and kidney, and within crude synaptosomal fractions from cerebellum. ROS formation in crude mitochondrial fractions from liver, and crude synaptosomal fractions from striatum and hippocampus, reached a maximum value at relatively low doses of toluene. Of the brain regions, the hippocampus had the highest induced levels of ROS. In vivo exposure to a single dose of toluene (1.5 g/kg ip), revealed that toluene-induced ROS reached a peak within 2 h, which correlated directly with measured toluene blood levels. This elevated oxidative activity was maintained throughout the next 24 h, even though blood values of toluene decreased to negligible amounts. These results demonstrate that exposure to toluene results in broad systemic elevation in the normal rate of oxygen radical generation, with such effects persisting in the tissues despite a rapid decline in toluene blood levels. Acute exposure to toluene may lead to extended ROS-related changes, and this may account for some of the clinical observations made in chronic toluene abusers.

It has been suggested that methyl mercury may express its neurotoxicity by way of iron-mediated oxidative damage. Therefore, the effect of deferoxamine, a potent iron-chelator, on methyl mercury-induced increases in reactive oxygen species formation was studied in rat brain. The generation rate of reactive oxygen species was estimated in crude synaptosomal fractions using the probes 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate and dihydrorhodamine 123. The formation rate of the fluorescent oxidation products was used as the measure of reactive oxygen species generation. Seven days after a single injection of methyl mercury (5 mg/kg, ip), the formation rate of reactive oxygen species was significantly increased in the cerebellum. Pretreatment with deferoxamine (500 mg/kg, ip) completely prevented the methyl mercury-induced increase in cerebellar reactive oxygen species generation rates. The oxidative consequences of in vitro exposure to methyl mercury (20 microM) were also inhibited by deferoxamine (100 microM). The formation of the iron-saturated complex ferrioxamine was not affected by a 10-fold excess of methylmercuric chloride or mercuric chloride, suggesting that a deferoxamine-mercurial complex does not form. The findings in this study: (1) provide evidence that iron-catalyzed oxygen radical-producing reactions play a role in methyl mercury neurotoxicity, (2) demonstrate the potential of fluorescent probes as a measure of reactive oxygen species formation, and (3) provide support for iron-chelator therapy in protection against xenobiotic-induced oxidative damage.

The effects of the neurotoxic metals methylmercury (MeHg) and trimethyltin (TMT) on oxygen reactive species formation within a crude synaptosomal fraction (P2), using the probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA), and intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i), with the fluorescent indicator fluo-3, have been investigated. Two and seven days after a single injection of MeHg (1 mg/kg) the formation rate of cerebellar oxygen reactive species was significantly increased. Hippocampal and frontocortical oxygen reactive species were elevated 2 days after TMT injection (3 mg/kg). In vitro exposure to MeHg (10-20 microM) increased the formation rate of oxygen reactive species, while TMT (5-40 microM) was without effect. Levels of [Ca2+]i were unaltered in P2 fractions from cerebellum and hippocampus of animals treated with either organometal. The data demonstrate that oxygen reactive species are elevated in brain regions, cerebellum (MeHg) and hippocampus (TMT), believed to be selectively vulnerable to these toxic agents. Findings suggest that oxidative damage may be a mechanism underlying the toxicity of both organometals. The use of DCFH-DA may have potential in the nervous system as an indicator of neurotoxic damage.

The pre- and postnatal developmental course of cerebral ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) has been studied in infant rats after treatment of pregnant dams with cocaine. Levels of cocaine attained in brains and serum of embryos were not initially increased over corresponding maternal values, but were more persistent. However, cocaine was not longer detectable in these tissues 4 days after administration. The cerebral ODC level of treated pups was initially depressed and subsequently elevated relative to control values. These changes were apparent at times when cocaine was not detected in the developing brain. Results indicate that a transient exposure to cocaine in utero may lead to prolonged developmental abnormality.

Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 5 mg/kg body weight of phencyclidine (PCP) injected at 1 ml/kg subcutaneously on three consecutive days at four different stages of gestation. Within 10-30 min after treatment, dams showed some lack of motor coordination and became lethargic. On gestational day 21, all rats were killed by decapitation and brains were dissected and stored from mother and fetus for neurochemical analysis. PCP, dopamine and muscarinic cholinergic receptor binding was measured in membranes prepared from maternal and fetal whole brain. Neurotransmitter concentrations were also measured in the fetal brain homogenates. There was a significant decrease in PCP binding sites in fetal but not maternal brains after maternal PCP injection at gestational days 12-14, 15-17 and 18-20, but not at 9-11 days. Dopamine and muscarinic cholinergic receptor binding was not significantly altered in fetal or maternal brain when compared with vehicle control animals. The whole brain dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentrations did not show significant change in any group studied. These data indicate that gestational exposure to PCP decreases high affinity binding of PCP in term fetal brain at doses which do not alter maternal PCP receptor binding.

Male C57B1/6N mice, 8-10 weeks old were given a single oral dose of 0, 1.0 or 3.0 mg/kg body weight of trimethyltin hydroxide (TMT). Levels of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity were measured in several brain areas, 1, 2 and 7 days later. The lower dose of TMT produced a decrease of ODC in the caudate nucleus and hippocampus at all time points studied. Hypothalamus, cerebellum and brain stem levels of this enzyme were unaltered. At the higher dose of TMT, ODC activity in hippocampus, cerebellum and brain stem were increased relative to controls at 1 and 2 days after treatment, while other regions were not significantly affected. These elevated ODC levels returned to control values within 7 days. Thus, trimethyltin treatment causes changes in ODC activity in a region and dose-specific manner.

Various neurotransmitter-related biochemical features of the separated pigment epithelium and neural retina of the cow have been examined. The pigment epithelium contains high affinity binding sites for several pharmacological agents thought to attach to neurotransmitter receptor sites with a high degree of specificity. Thus, serotonergic, adrenergic and opiate receptors appear to be present in the pigment epithelium. Serotonin has also been detected in this region. Several neuropeptides were found in the pigment epithelium. Relatively large amounts of neurotensin and met-enkephalin were present, but substance P was not detected.

The effect of acute and subchronic acrylamide treatment on levels of dopamine, serotonin, and their metabolites was determined in several brain regions of the rat. Concentrations of several neuropeptides and circulating hormones were also measured. Both a single and repeated doses of acrylamide resulted in elevated levels of 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid in all regions studied (frontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus, brain stem, and hypothalamus). Changes in regional content of other monoamines were much less pronounced. Turnover studies following pargyline blockage of monoamine oxidase, suggested results were due to increased rates of serotonin turnover in acrylamide-treated rats. Changes in neuropeptide levels were only detected in the hypothalamus where a single acrylamide treatment caused elevated levels of beta-endorphin and substance P, and in frontal cortex where met-enkephalin levels were higher after repeated acrylamide injection. Such repeated injection caused a major depression in plasma levels of testosterone and prolactin.

Fertilizing greatly modifies the fatty acid level of the canes. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot behave inversely, where the levels decrease in the former, and increase in the latter when changing from a normal fertilizer to one twine as strong. The relative proportions of neutral lipids and polar lipids are modified. The phospholipids are always more abundant than glycolipids and neutral lipids.

Harvesting energy from nonlinear systems has been at the centre of research in the energy harvesting community. Many such proposed systems are single nonlinear harvester. While these systems show an increase in bandwidth of harvesting frequency, overall, they are not effective enough in power generation. This article studies power harvesting and frequency bandwidth characteristics of an array of harvesters. Multiple harvesters are considered with linear and nonlinear coupling between the harvesters. The phenomena of internal resonance (IR) and stochastic resonance (SR) are reported. The IR in multiple coupled nonlinear harvesters is explored using multiple-scale analysis. A parametric study is conducted to demonstrate the effect of coupling strength, frequency mistuning, innate nonlinearity and other parameters. The parametric study helped establish effective ways to increase bandwidth. Moreover, a stochastically loaded linearly coupled bistable harvester array is numerically analysed to find the effect of coupling strength and array size on the phenomenon of SR and on the system's harvesting performance. Through these studies, the potential of multiple coupled nonlinear harvesters in enhanced energy harvesting is demonstrated under both harmonic and stochastic excitation.This article is part of the theme issue 'Celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Royal Society Newton International Fellowship'.

Background: Children are more prone to develop gingivitis as a result of deficient oral hygiene, morphological variance, and a diet that encourages the growth of pathogenic oral bacteria., Aim: The purpose of this randomized, double-blind clinical study is to compare the therapeutic effect of an herbal mouthwash made of decoction and ethanolic extract of Populus euphratica and Myrtus communis to that of chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthrinse., Materials and Methods: In this study, 60 patients aged between 8 and 10 years were divided into four groups, each with 15 patients. The first group was treated with a mouthwash made of ethanolic herbal extract, the second group was treated with a mouthwash made of herbal decoction, the third group was treated with CHX mouthwash (0.12%) (positive control), and the fourth group was treated with a placebo made with colored distilled water (negative control). Clinical parameters gingival index (GI) and plaque index (PI) were evaluated at the start, 1, and 2 weeks from ensuing the treatment. Preoperative and postoperative photographs of the maxillary anterior sextant were recorded to evaluate CIELab coordinates to monitor color changes., Statistical Analysis: One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey's honest significant difference (HSD) post hoc tests were used for data assessment., Results: Significant reductions in GI and PI were found among the tested groups ( p < 0.05). A significant reduction in a* value was observed, while L* value showed a significant increase between baseline and posttreatment ( p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Herbal-based mouthwash of Populus euphratica and Myrtus communis , whether prepared by boiling or ethanolic extraction, reduced gingival inflammation significantly and has a lot of potential for treating and preventing periodontal disease in young children. Digital photography is a reliable supplementary approach for diagnosing and monitoring gingival inflammation in pediatric patients., How to Cite This Article: Mohamed-Ali SF, Jasim AA, Mahmood MAK, et al. The Efficacy of Populus euphratica and Myrtus communis Herbal Mouthwash on Gingivitis in Pediatric Patients Diagnosed Clinically and with Photometric CIELab Analysis: An In Vivo Randomized Double-blind Clinical Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(8):918-924., Competing Interests: Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: NoneConflict of interest: None, (Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).)

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are endopeptidases, and their activity depends on calcium and zinc metal ions. These enzymes are expressed originally in zymogenic form, where the active site of proteins is closed by a prodomain which is removed during activation. A homeostatic balance of their activity is primarily regulated by a 'cysteine switch' located on a consensus sequence of the prodomain and natural endogenous inhibitors, called tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Breakage of this homeostasis may lead to various pathological conditions, which may require further activation and/or inhibition of these enzymes to regenerate that balance. Here, we report four modulators, more specifically, three inhibitors (I1, I2 and I3), and one exogenous activator (L) of the active form of human collagenase MMP-1 (without prodomain). The results were confirmed by binding studies using fluorescence-based enzyme assays., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

Twitter, the largest microblogging platform, has reported more than 330 million active users in recent years. Many users express their sentiments about politics, sports, products, personalities, etc. Sentiment analysis has emerged as a specialized branch of machine learning in which tweets are binary-classified to provide sentimental insights. A major step in sentiment classification is feature selection, which primarily revolves around parts of speech (POS). Few techniques merely focused on single features such as adjectives, adverbs, and verbs, while other techniques examined types of these features, such as comparative adjectives, superlative adjectives, or general adverbs. Furthermore, POS as linguistic entities have also been studied and extensively classified by researchers, such as CLAWS-C7. For sentiment analysis, none of the studies conceptualized all possible POS features under similar conditions to draw firm conclusion. This research is centered on the following objectives: 1) examining the impact of various types of adjectives and adverbs that have not been previously explored for sentiment classification; 2) analyzing potential combinations of adjectives and adverbs types 3) conducting a comparison with a benchmark dataset for better classification accuracy. To assess the concept, a renowned human annotated dataset of tweets is investigated. Results showed that classification accuracy for adjectives is improved up to 83% based on the general superlative adjective whereas for adverbs, comparative general adverb also depicted significant accuracy improvement. Their combination with general adjectives and general adverbs also played a substantial role. The unexplored potential of adjectives and adverb types proved better in accuracy against state-of-the-art probabilistic model. In comparison to lexicon-based model, proposed research model overruled the dependency of lexicon-based dictionary where each term first needs to be matched for semantic orientation. The evident outcomes also help in time reduction aspect where huge volume of data need to be processed swiftly. This noteworthy contribution brought up significant knowledge and direction for domain experts. In the future, the proposed technique will be explored for other types of textual data across different domains., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Ali, Masood. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The global rise of multidrug-resistant Enterobacter cloacae strains, especially those that are resistant to carbapenems and produce metallo-β-lactamases, poses a critical challenge in clinical settings owing to limited treatment options. While bacteriophages show promise in treating these infections, their use is hindered by scarce resources and insufficient genomic data. In this study, we isolated ECLFM1, a novel E. cloacae phage, from sewage water using a carbapenem-resistant clinical strain as the host. ECLFM1 exhibited rapid adsorption and a 15-min latent period, with a burst size of approximately 75 PFU/infected cell. Its genome, spanning 172,036 bp, was characterized and identified as a member of Karamvirus . In therapeutic applications, owing to a high multiplicity of infection, ECLFM1 showed increased survival in zebrafish infected with E. cloacae . This study highlights ECLFM1's potential as a candidate for controlling clinical E. cloacae infections, which would help address challenges in treating multidrug-resistant strains and contribute to the development of alternative treatments.

Soil is one type of Earth material demonstrating a wide range of physical, chemical, and biological properties. As the compositional profile of soil is a product of interaction between numerous abiotic and biotic components, it tends to be unique by its geographic origin. Hence, soil is paramount for predicting source or origin in forensic provenance and intelligence, food provenance, biosecurity, and archaeology. In the context of forensic investigation, source tracing of soil could be executed by a comparison or provenance analysis. Soil compositional fingerprints acquired using analytical methods must be carefully interpreted via suitable mathematical and statistical tools since multiple sources can contribute to the variability of soil other than its provenance. This article reviews recent trends in soil sampling and data interpretation strategies proposed for source tracing of soil evidence. Performances of soil provenance indicators are also described. Then, perspectives on possible research directions guiding forensic soil provenance are proposed. This timely critical review reveals the essential idea and gap in forensic soil provenance for stimulating the development of more efficient and effective provenance strategies.

Phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate- (PIP3-) dependent Rac exchanger 1 (P-Rex1) functions as Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor and is activated by synergistic activity of G βγ and PIP3 of the heterotrimeric G protein. P-Rex1 activates Rac GTPases for regulating cell invasion and migration and promotes metastasis in several human cancers including breast, prostate, and skin cancer. The protein is a promising therapeutic target because of its multifunction roles in human cancers. Herein, the present study attempts to identify selective P-Rex1 natural inhibitors by targeting PIP3-binding pocket using large-size multiple natural molecule libraries. Each library was filtered subsequently in FAF-Drugs4 based on Lipinski's rule of five (RO5), toxicity, and filter pan assay interference compounds (PAINS). The output hits were virtually screened at the PIP3-binding pocket through PyRx AutoDock Vina and cross-checked by GOLD. The best binders at the PIP3-binding pocket were prioritized using a comparative analysis of the docking scores. Top-ranked two compounds with high GOLD fitness score (>80) and lowest AutoDock binding energy (< -12.7 kcal/mol) were complexed and deciphered for molecular dynamics along with control-P-Rex1 complex to validate compound binding conformation and disclosed binding interaction pattern. Both the systems were seen in good equilibrium, and along the simulation time, the compounds are in strong contact with the P-Rex1 PIP3-binding site. Hydrogen bonding analysis towards simulation end identified the formation of 16 and 22 short- and long-distance hydrogen bonds with different percent of occupancy to the PIP3 residues for compound I and compound 2, respectively. Radial distribution function (RDF) analysis of the key hydrogen bonds between the compound and the PIP3 residues demonstrated a strong affinity of the compounds to the mentioned PIP3 pocket. Additionally, MMGB/PBSA energies were performed that confirmed the dominance of Van der Waals energy in complex formation along with favorable contribution from hydrogen bonding. These findings were also cross-validated by a more robust WaterSwap binding energy predictor, and the results are in good agreement with a strong binding affinity of the compounds for the protein. Lastly, the key contribution of residues in interaction with the compounds was understood by binding free energy decomposition and alanine scanning methods. In short, the results of this study suggest that P-Rex1 is a good druggable target to suppress cancer metastasis; therefore, the screened druglike molecules of this study need in vitro and in vivo anti-P-Rex1 validation and may serve as potent leads to fight cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Alaa R. Hameed et al.)

Background: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was identified in humans in 2012. Since then, 2605 cases and 937 associated deaths have been reported globally. Camels are the natural host for MERS-CoV and camel to human transmission has been documented. The relationship between MERS-CoV shedding and presence of neutralizing antibodies in camels is critical to inform surveillance and control, including future deployment of camel vaccines. However, it remains poorly understood. The longitudinal study conducted in a closed camel herd in Egypt between December 2019 and March 2020 helped to characterize the kinetics of MERS-CoV neutralizing antibodies and its relation with viral shedding., Results: During the 100-day longitudinal study, 27 out of 54 camels (50%) consistently tested negative for presence of antibodies against MERS-CoV, 19 (35.2%) tested positive and 8 (14.8%) had both, positive and negative test results. Fourteen events that could be interpreted as serological indication of probable infection (two seroconversions and twelve instances of positive camels more than doubling their optical density ratio (OD ratio) in consecutive samples) were identified. Observed times between the identified events provided strong evidence (p = 0.002) against the null hypothesis that they occurred with constant rate during the study, as opposed to clustering at certain points in time. A generalized additive model showed that optical density ratio (OD ratio) is positively associated with being an adult and varies across individual camels and days, peaking at around days 20 and 90 of the study. Despite serological indication of probable virus circulation and intense repeated sampling, none of the tested nasal swab samples were positive for MERS-CoV RNA, suggesting that, if the identified serological responses are the result of virus circulation, the virus may be present in nasal tissue of infected camels during a very narrow time window., Conclusions: Longitudinal testing of a closed camel herd with past history of MERS-CoV infection is compatible with the virus continuing to circulate in the herd despite lack of contact with other camels. It is likely that episodes of MERS-CoV infection in camels can take place with minimal presence of the virus in their nasal tissues, which has important implications for future surveillance and control of MERS-CoV in camel herds and prevention of its zoonotic transmission., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: The study aimed to measure the validity of International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10) code F44.5 for functional seizure disorder (FSD) in the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System electronic health record (VA EHR)., Methods: The study used an informatics search tool, a natural language processing algorithm and a chart review to validate FSD coding., Results: The positive predictive value (PPV) for code F44.5 was calculated to be 44%., Discussion: ICD-10 introduced a specific code for FSD to improve coding validity. However, results revealed a meager (44%) PPV for code F44.5. Evaluation of the low diagnostic precision of FSD identified inconsistencies in the ICD-10 and VA EHR systems., Conclusion: Information system improvements may increase the precision of diagnostic coding by clinicians. Specifically, the EHR problem list should include commonly used diagnostic codes and an appropriately curated ICD-10 term list for 'seizure disorder,' and a single ICD code for FSD should be classified under neurology and psychiatry., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Election prediction using sentiment analysis is a rapidly growing field that utilizes natural language processing and machine learning techniques to predict the outcome of political elections by analyzing the sentiment of online conversations and news articles. Sentiment analysis, or opinion mining, involves using text analysis to identify and extract subjective information from text data sources. In the context of election prediction, sentiment analysis can be used to gauge public opinion and predict the likely winner of an election. Significant progress has been made in election prediction in the last two decades. Yet, it becomes easier to have its comprehensive view if it has been appropriately classified approach-wise, citation-wise, and technology-wise. The main objective of this article is to examine and consolidate the progress made in research about election prediction using Twitter data. The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art practices in this field while identifying potential avenues for further research and exploration., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2023 Alvi et al.)

Positively charged amino acids in the DNA polymerase domain are important for interaction with DNA. Two potential residues in the palm domain of Pca-Pol, a DNA polymerase from Pyrobaculum calidifontis, were identified and mutated to arginine in order to improve the properties of this enzyme. The mutant proteins were heterologously produced in Escherichia coli. Biochemical characterization revealed that there was no significant difference in pH, metal ion, buffer preferences, 3' - 5' exonuclease activity and error rate of the wild-type and the mutant enzymes. However, the specific activity, processivity and extension rate of the mutant enzymes increased significantly. Specific activity of one of the mutants (G522R-E555R) was nearly 9-fold higher than that of the wild-type enzyme. These properties make G522R-E555R mutant enzyme a potential candidate for commercial applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) still persists as the major hurdle towards successful renal allograft survival. This paper aims to report on the HLA antibody landscape of renal transplant candidates in Malaysia. A total of 2,219 adult samples from 2016 to 2019 were analysed for anti-HLA antibodies using solid-phase assay. Our findings highlight the prevalence and risk factors for antibodies against HLA antigens in renal transplant settings, which could be beneficial for selecting compatible recipients from deceased organ donors. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that ethnic Malay and Chinese showed significantly higher prevalence of anti-HLA antibodies. Based on our multivariate analysis: (i) female gender was associated with higher risk for panel reactive antibodies (PRAs) against Class I, Class II, and Class I and II (p < 0.001); (ii) older patients (≥ 38 years old) were associated with higher risk of positivity against Class I, Class II and Class I and II (p < 0.001); (iii) Malays showed significant association with Class II antibodies (p = 0.035); Chinese patients presented with higher risk of PRA positivity against Class II (p < 0.001) and Class I and II (p = 0.01); Indians were significantly associated with higher risk of HLA antibody sensitization against Class I (p = 0.022), Class II (p = 0.026) and Class I and II (p = 0.05). Thus, our findings suggested that female gender, older age (≥ 38 years old) and ethnicity may serve as independent risk factors for HLA antibody sensitization in adult renal transplant candidates., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is widely used for cloning, genetic engineering, mutagenesis, detection and diagnosis. A thermostable DNA polymerase is required for PCR. Here we describe low-cost and high-recovery production of Pyrobaculum calidifontis DNA polymerase ( Pca -Pol). The gene was cloned in pET-28a and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21CodonPlus. Gene expression conditions were optimized. Eventually, gene expression was induced with 0.1 mM IPTG for 3 hours at 37 °C. Recombinant Pca -Pol produced was purified to homogeneity by immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography yielding around 9000 U of Pca -Pol per liter of the culture with a recovery of 92%. Stability and PCR amplification efficiency of Pca -Pol was tested under various storage conditions with highest efficiency in 25 mM Tris-Cl buffer (pH 8.5) containing 0.1% Tween 20, 0.2 mg/mL BSA and 20% glycerol. Under this condition, no loss in PCR activity of Pca -Pol was observed, even after one year of storage. Repeated freeze-thaw, however, deteriorated enzyme activity of Pca -Pol. 55% PCR amplification activity retained after 7 prolong freeze-thaw cycles (freezing overnight at -20 °C and thawing for 45 minutes at 28 °C). Purified Pca -Pol possessed 3'-5' exonuclease (proofreading) activity and is expected to have greater fidelity as compared to Taq polymerase which does not have proofreading activity.

The pathological effects of repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are largely unknown. To gain a detailed understanding of the cortical tissue acute biological response after one or two TBIs, we utilized RNA-sequencing and protein mass spectrometry techniques. Using our previously validated C57Bl/6 weight-drop model, we administered one or two TBIs of a mild or moderate severity. Double injury conditions were spaced 7 days apart, and cortical tissue was isolated 24 h after final injury. Analysis was carried out through functional gene annotation, utilizing Gene Ontology, for both the proteome and transcriptome. Major themes across the four different conditions include: neurogenesis; inflammation and immune response; cell death; angiogenesis; protein modification; and cell communication. Proteins associated with neurogenesis were found to be upregulated after single injuries. Transcripts associated with angiogenesis were upregulated in the moderate single, mild double, and moderate double TBI conditions. Genes associated with inflammation and immune response were upregulated in every condition, with the moderate single condition reporting the most functional groups. Proteins or genes involved in cell death, or apoptosis, were upregulated in every condition. Our results emphasize the significant differences found in proteomic and transcriptomic changes in single versus double injuries. Further, cortical omics analysis offers important insights for future studies aiming to deepen current knowledge on the development of secondary injuries and neurobehavioral impairments after brain trauma., Competing Interests: No competing financial interests exist., (© Celeste S. Dunn et al., 2022; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.)

Chickens continue to be an important reservoir of zoonotic multidrug-resistant illnesses. Antimicrobial resistance correlated with colistin has emerged as a critical concern worldwide in the veterinary field and the public health sector. The current study investigated the prevalence of multidrug-resistant avian pathogenic Escherichia coli among chicken farms in three Egyptian governorates, focusing on colistin resistance assessment. A total of 56 Escherichia coli isolates were recovered out of 120 pooled samples obtained from diseased chicken broilers (46.7%). The E. coli isolates were serotyped to nine different serotypes; the highest incidence was for O125 ( n = 18). The E. coli isolates demonstrated multidrug-resistant patterns against 10 antibiotics, especially clindamycin, tetracycline, streptomycin and ampicillin, by 100, 100, 96.4 and 92.9%, respectively. On the other hand, colistin resistance was 41.1% using AST. All E. coli isolates displayed positive colistin resistance growth on chromogenic medium, but only 25% represented this positivity via MIC estimation and Sensititre kit. PCR results revealed that all isolates harbored mcr -1, but no isolates harbored the other 2-5 mcr genes. In conclusion, the study demonstrated the emergence of multidrug-resistant, especially colistin-resistant, E. coli among chicken broiler flocks, and mcr -1 is the master gene of the colistin resistance feature.

Recent studies suggest that the cerebellum may have a significant role in repetitive behaviors. In primary complex motor stereotypies, typically developing children have repetitive movements usually involving rhythmic flapping/waving arm/hand movements. Similarly, the deer mouse animal model exhibits inherited repetitive behaviors, with increased frequencies of spontaneous jumping and rearing. In this study, data from both children with motor stereotypies and deer mice were used to investigate the role of the cerebellum in repetitive behaviors. The 3.0-T MRI volumetric imaging of the cerebellum was obtained in 20 children with primary complex motor stereotypies and 20 healthy controls. In deer mice, cerebellar volume (n = 7/group) and cell counts (n = 9/group) were compared between high- and low-activity animals. Levels of cerebellar neurotransmitters were also determined via HPLC (n = 10/group). In children with stereotypies, (a) there were a statistically significant reduction (compared to controls) in the white matter volume of the posterior cerebellar lobule VI-VII that negatively correlated with motor control and (b) an 8% increase in the anterior vermis gray matter that positively correlated with motor Stereotypy Severity Scores (SSS). In deer mice, (a) there was a significant increase in the volume of the anterior vermal granular cell layer that was associated with higher activity and (b) dentate nucleus cell counts were higher in high activity animals. Similar increases in volume were observed in anterior vermis in children with stereotypies and a deer mouse model of repetitive behaviors. These preliminary findings support the need for further investigation of the cerebellum in repetitive behaviors., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Understanding how religion and well-being are related for lesbian and bisexual women provides important context for clinical interventions. Current literature in the field diverges on whether the relationship between religious commitment and well-being is positive for those in the queer community. The current study examines whether an independent or interdependent self-construal explains the relationship between religious commitment and eudaimonic well-being (EWB) for lesbian and bisexual women. This empirical study used data from the Multi-Site University Study on Identity and Culture, a research collaboration amongst 30 colleges and universities in the United States. Findings suggest that although self-construal does not mediate the relationship between religious commitment and well-being, there are significant effects between religious commitment and EWB as well as an independent self-construal and EWB. These findings provide a deeper understanding of variables associated with greater well-being and are important for the advancement of research and practice with queer women.

The pathophysiology underlying the loss of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD) is unclear. A gap of knowledge in the molecular and cellular events leading to degeneration of the nigrostriatal DA system is a major barrier to the development of effective therapies for PD. 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP + ) is used as a reliable in vitro model of PD in dopaminergic neurons; however, the molecular mechanisms that lead to cell death with this model are not fully understood. Additionally, there is a lack of translational in vitro models to fully understand progressive dopaminergic neurotoxicity. Here, we propose cultures of primary human dopaminergic neuronal precursor cells (HDNPCs) as a model to study progressive dopaminergic toxicity and neuronal damage in PD. We evaluated the concentration-response of MPP + (0-10 mM) at 24 h, using cell viability and mitochondrial activity assays (LDH, XTT, Live/Dead staining, and MitoTracker). Based on concentration-response data, we chose two concentrations (1.0 and 2.5 mM) of MPP + to evaluate markers of autophagy and dopaminergic status [tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)] after a 24-h exposure. Exposure to MPP + induced cytotoxicity, reduced cell viability, and decreased mitochondrial activity. MPP + at 1.0 and 2.5 mM also induced expression of lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP-1) and increased the ratio of light chain 3 (LC3), LC3BII/LC3BI. The expression of TH also decreased. Furthermore, α-synuclein (α-SYN) and parkin were evaluated by immunofluorescence (IF) at 1.0 and 2.5 mM MPP + after 24 h. A qualitative analysis revealed decreased parkin expression while α-SYN aggregation was observed in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. These data suggest that in HDNPCs MPP + can cause cytotoxicity and neuronal damage. This damage may be mediated by autophagy, dopamine synthesis, and protein aggregation. The combination of HDNPCs and MPP + may serve as valuable in vitro model of progressive dopaminergic neurotoxicity for research into potential treatments for PD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: Bone marrow collections are often difficult, and creating quality smears and touch preparations at the bedside can prove challenging. The objective of this study is to compare the quality of bone marrow specimens between unassisted and assisted bone marrow collections by a bone marrow technologist., Methods: Data for this study were collected from 422 hematopathology reports over 14 months. We recorded the bone marrow quality of the different parts (aspirate smears, touch imprints, core biopsy, and clot/particle sections) as adequate, suboptimal, or inadequate. Student t test statistical analysis was performed between the corresponding parts in the two groups., Results: Our results demonstrate that the quality of assisted bone marrow specimens is significantly better compared with unassisted specimens, particularly for the aspirate smears (P < .0001) and touch imprints (P < .0001). Notably, the quality of aspirate smears was improved, which is important for cytologic evaluation., Conclusions: We conclude that assistance by a bone marrow technologist resulted in a significant improvement in the quality of bone marrow collection., (© American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2021. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)