Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Detection of Salmonella typhimurium in Food Matrices Using Surface-Modified Bacterial Cellulose with Immobilized Phage Particles.

The rapid and sensitive detection of Salmonella typhimurium in food matrices is crucial for ensuring food safety. This study presents the development of an ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor using surface-modified bacterial cellulose (BC) integrated with polypyrrole (Ppy) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO), further functionalized with immobilized S. typhimurium-specific phage particles. The BC substrate, with its ultra-fibrous and porous structure, was modified through in situ oxidative polymerization of Ppy and RGO, resulting in a highly conductive and flexible biointerface. The immobilization of phages onto this composite was facilitated by electrostatic interactions between the polycationic Ppy and the negatively charged phage capsid heads, optimizing phage orientation and enhancing bacterial capture efficiency. Morphological and chemical characterization confirmed the successful fabrication and phage immobilization. The biosensor demonstrated a detection limit of 1 CFU/mL for S. typhimurium in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), with a linear detection range spanning 100 to 107 CFU/mL. In real samples, the sensor achieved detection limits of 5 CFU/mL in milk and 3 CFU/mL in chicken, with a linear detection range spanning 100 to 106 CFU/mL, maintaining high accuracy and reproducibility. The biosensor also effectively discriminated between live and dead bacterial cells, demonstrating its potential in real-world food safety applications. The biosensor performed excellently over a wide pH range (4-10) and remained stable for up to six weeks. Overall, the developed BC/Ppy/RGO-phage biosensor offers a promising tool for the rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of S. typhimurium, with robust performance across different food matrices.

A prospective histopathological analysis of the inferior turbinate: which functional parts should be preserved during turbinate surgery?

OBJECTIVE: Inferior turbinate (IT) hypertrophy-induced chronic nasal obstruction is one of the most common problems in rhinology. However, the histopathological analysis of the hypertrophic IT is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the histological changes and the most functional areas of the IT to assist otolaryngologists with improving and modifying surgical techniques and minimizing potential complications. METHODS: This prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the contribution of hypertrophic IT to nasal obstruction. For the analysis, a total of 38 adult patients (IT hypertrophy group and non-IT hypertrophy [control] group) were enrolled, and 131 specimens were obtained during the surgical procedures (IT hypertrophy group, endoscopic submucosal turbinoplasty and septoplasty; non-IT hypertrophy group, septoplasty). Intraoperative samples were collected from four sites of the IT to determine the dimensions, composition, and possible pathological changes in each individual site. The samples were analyzed using light microscopy. RESULTS: A comparison of the four sites of the IT in the IT hypertrophy group showed that the posterior end had the highest normal epithelium percentage, and cilia count. This suggests that preserving the functional part of the IT during surgery is crucial. Furthermore, a comparison of both groups in terms of basement membrane thickness and vessel wall thickness (p = 0.005 and p = 0.03, respectively) showed significant differences. CONCLUSION: Our findings can assist otolaryngologists select the most appropriate surgical procedures for IT hypertrophy. In addition, they advocate the importance of preserving the functional part of the IT during surgical intervention to achieve an efficiently working IT and avoid undesirable complications while improving the nasal airway passage. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.

Nanoparticle-Mediated Mucosal Vaccination: Harnessing Nucleic Acids for Immune Enhancement.

Recent advancements in in vitro transcribed mRNA (IVT-mRNA) vaccine manufacturing have attracted considerable interest as advanced methods for combating viral infections. The respiratory mucosa is a primary target for pathogen attack, but traditional intramuscular vaccines are not effective in generating protective ion mucosal surfaces. Mucosal immunization can induce both systemic and mucosal immunity by effectively eliminating microorganisms before their growth and development. However, there are several biological and physical obstacles to the administration of genetic payloads, such as IVT-mRNA and DNA, to the pulmonary and nasal mucosa. Nucleic acid vaccine nanocarriers should effectively protect and load genetic payloads to overcome barriers i.e., biological and physical, at the mucosal sites. This may aid in the transfection of specific antigens, epithelial cells, and incorporation of adjuvants. In this review, we address strategies for delivering genetic payloads, such as nucleic acid vaccines, that have been studied in the past and their potential applications.

School violence in Saudi Arabia: A scoping review.

School violence comprises a broad spectrum of physical, psychological, and sexual acts that impact children and adolescents physically, psychologically, and academically. The aim of this article is to provide a scoping review of school violence in Saudi Arabia. The adversities of school violence and related forensic, legal, and social aspects from a Saudi Arabian perspective are discussed. The articles were extracted through the Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases in a comprehensive criteria-based search strategy using relevant MeSH terms to identify papers related to school violence in Saudi Arabia from inception to October 6, 2022, and a total of 14 studies have been extracted and discussed. There were indicates that male students tend to engage in physical violence while females tend to engage in verbal violence. The consequences included having a significant impact on students' mental wellbeing, followed by a decrease in academic performance. Therefore, this study will identify the risk factors and present the preventive methods that can guide local institutions to establish new policies to increase awareness and implement culturally acceptable, community-based programs against school violence in Saudi Arabia.

Drawbacks of Artificial Intelligence and Their Potential Solutions in the Healthcare Sector.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to make substantial progress toward the goal of making healthcare more personalized, predictive, preventative, and interactive. We believe AI will continue its present path and ultimately become a mature and effective tool for the healthcare sector. Besides this AI-based systems raise concerns regarding data security and privacy. Because health records are important and vulnerable, hackers often target them during data breaches. The absence of standard guidelines for the moral use of AI and ML in healthcare has only served to worsen the situation. There is debate about how far artificial intelligence (AI) may be utilized ethically in healthcare settings since there are no universal guidelines for its use. Therefore, maintaining the confidentiality of medical records is crucial. This study enlightens the possible drawbacks of AI in the implementation of healthcare sector and their solutions to overcome these situations.

Analysis of anthropometrics and mechanomyography signals as forearm flexion, pronation and supination torque predictors.

This study aimed to analyze anthropometrics and mechanomyography (MMG) signals as forearm flexion, pronation, and supination torque predictors. 25 young, healthy, male participants performed isometric forearm flexion, pronation, and supination tasks from 20 to 100% maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) while maintaining 90° at the elbow joint. Nine anthropometric measures were recorded, and MMG signals from the biceps brachii (BB), brachialis (BRA), and brachioradialis (BRD) muscles were digitally acquired using triaxial accelerometers. These were then correlated with torque values. Significant positive correlations were found for arm circumference (CA) and MMG root mean square (RMS) values with flexion torque. Flexion torque might be predicted using CA (r = 0.426-0.575), a pseudo for muscle size while MMGRMS (r = 0.441), an indication of muscle activation.

An analysis of the success of fiscal adjustment in reducing public debt: Evidence from Pakistan.

This study seeks answers to questions such as: what is fiscal adjustment? Which fiscal strategy will result in a reduction in public debt liabilities? In the pursuit of answers to these questions, the study has defined two objectives. Firstly, the fiscal adjustment episodes must be identified in order to detach the discretionary fiscal stance; secondly, the success of these adjustment episodes in reducing public debt liabilities must be assessed. As a result, attempts will be made to undertake analyses that would simplify the issues underlying Pakistan's practical policy options. A total of eleven adjustment episodes have been observed in a sample, ranging from 1976 to 2017, following Alesina and Ardagna's definition. The descriptive analysis reveals that five episodes succeeded in reducing the public debt, while six episodes failed to reduce the ratio. Out of the five successful episodes, four are found to be spending-based and one is tax-based. To quantify the success of fiscal adjustment, the empirical model has been calibrated on Leibrecht and Scharler's model and estimation is done via both the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Robust Least Squares (RLS) methods. The RLS method produces better outcomes than the OLS method. Under RLS, all variables are significant except GDP growth, whereas in the OLS model, the election year and regime shift, together with GDP growth, are statistically insignificant. The fiscal adjustment's composition reveals that spending-based consolidation boosts the chances of the fiscal adjustment's success. Fiscal authorities should, therefore, adopt spending-based austerity measures to ensure the sustainability of public finances and prevent the negative macroeconomic consequences of unsustainable public debt.

Assessing the Asphalt Binder Film Thickness in Recycled Asphalt Mixtures Using Micro-Level Techniques.

Adequate asphalt binder film thickness (ABFT) delivers skeletal integrity in recycled asphalt mixtures, resulting in long-lasting roadways when exposed to traffic and environment. The inaccurate measurement of ABFT and the consequences of not having adequate film thickness model has substantially introduced discrepancies in predicting actual performance of recycled asphalt mixtures. Expansion of the ultra-modern expertise and SuperPave requirements necessitate the revision of authentic ABFT at micro-level. The current study identifies the weaknesses of the current methods of estimating ABFT and provides results that are reliable and useful, using modern measurement methods. Using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), this study measures the ABFT around the tiniest particle of 0.2 µm magnitude, entrenched in asphalt mastic in recycled asphalt mixtures. The ABFT, obtained through image analysis, is compared with those obtained through available analytical models. The study utilizes different asphalt mixtures, containing varying proportions of recycled asphalt mixture and rejuvenators. The aggregate, virgin, and recycled binders were characterized in terms of physical and rheological properties, respectively. Marshall mix design was carried out for the conventional and recycled mixture, containing 40%, 50%, and 60% recycled materials, rejuvenated with 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% waste engine oil (WEO) at a mixing temperature of 160 °C, based on viscosity of the virgin and rejuvenated binder. ABFT was assessed through analytical models and image analysis for the aforesaid recycled asphalt mixtures, prepared at optimum binder and rejuvenator content as per protocol outlined in ASTM D1559. The analytical estimation of ABFT, in the aforesaid recycled asphalt mixtures, revealed that the ABFT fluctuates from 6.4 µm to 13.7 microns, with a significant association to recycled asphalt mixture and rejuvenator content. However, the image analysis revealed that the ABFT, in the aforesaid recycled asphalt mixtures, fluctuates from 0.4 µm to 2 microns, without any association to recycled asphalt mixture or rejuvenator content. The image analysis indicated that the recycled asphalt mixtures typically comprise of mortar, happening in uneven shape, and are used to grip large aggregates. The asphalt mastic, a blend of bitumen and mineral filler, was found to be an interlocking agent, used to grasp only fine particles in asphalt mortar. The asphalt binder film was discovered to be a deviating stand-alone entity that only exists around the mineral fillers in the asphalt mastic as a non-absorbed binder, occupying an imprecise space of 0.4 µm to 2 microns, among the filler particles. The current findings will be useful to design asphalt pavements through the aforesaid precise limit of SEM-based ABFT rather than traditionally measured ABFT to predict the actual performance of recycled asphalt mixtures.

Frequency Of Depression Among Patients With Chronic Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric co-morbidity is a frequent finding in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Patients with CLD may have anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances and behavioural disorders as well as cognitive defects. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the frequency of major depression in patients diagnosed with chronic liver disease. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the department of gastroenterology Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad from January-July 2017. One hundred and eleven patients diagnosed with chronic liver disease were included in the study using consecutive non-probability sampling technique. A detailed medical history was taken and physical exam was conducted before the patients were asked to answer a questionnaire (HADS-D). The answers were marked to obtain a final score. Quantitative variables like age, HADS-D score, and duration of CLD were described in terms of mean and standard deviation. Categorical variables like gender and depression were described in terms of frequencies and percentages. Stratification was done on age, duration of CLD and gender to see the effect modifiers. Chi-Square test was used at 5% significance level for determining statistically significant difference. RESULTS: Out of 111 patients, 38 (34.2%) were found to have depression on the basis of their HADS-D score. When depression was stratified according to age, gender and duration of chronic liver disease, a strong statistical association was seen with duration of chronic liver disease and increased serum ALT levels (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Depression is fairly common in patients with CLD and is significantly associated with the duration of CLD and derangement of liver enzymes.

Muscle Fatigue in the Three Heads of Triceps Brachii During Intensity and Speed Variations of Triceps Push-Down Exercise.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of changes in exercise intensity and speed on the three heads of the triceps brachii (TB) during triceps push-down exercise until task failure. Twenty-five subjects performed triceps push-down exercise at three different intensities (30, 45, and 60% 1RM) and speeds (slow, medium, and fast) until failure, and surface electromyography (sEMG) signals were recorded from the lateral, long and medial heads of the TB. The endurance time (ET), number of repetitions (NR) and rate of fatigue (ROF) were analyzed. Subsequently, the root-mean-square (RMS), mean power frequency (MPF) and median frequency (MDF) under no-fatigue (NF) and fatigue (Fa) conditions were statistically compared. The findings reveal that ROF increases with increase in the intensity and speed, and the opposite were obtained for the ET. The ROF in the three heads were comparable for all intensities and speeds. The ROF showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) among the three intensities and speeds for all heads. The three heads showed significantly different (P < 0.05) MPF and MDF values for all the performed exercises under both conditions, whereas the RMS values were significantly different only under Fa conditions. The current observations suggest that exercise intensity and speed affect the ROF while changes in intensity do not affect the MPF and MDF under Fa conditions. The behavior of the spectral parameters indicate that the three heads do not work in unison under any of the conditions. Changes in the speed of triceps push-down exercise affects the lateral and long heads, but changes in the exercise intensity affected the attributes of all heads to a greater extent.

Cognitive stress changes the attributes of the three heads of the triceps brachii during muscle fatigue.

INTRODUCTION: Cognitive stress (CS) changes the peripheral attributes of a muscle, but its effect on multi-head muscles has not been investigated. The objective of the current research was to investigate the impact of CS on the three heads of the triceps brachii (TB) muscle. METHODS: Twenty-five young and healthy university students performed a triceps push-down exercise at 45% one repetition maximum (1RM) with and without CS until task failure, and the rate of fatigue (ROF), endurance time (ET) and number of repetitions (NR) for both exercises were analyzed. In addition, the first and last six repetitions of each exercise were considered non-fatiguing (NF) and fatiguing (Fa), respectively, and the root mean square (RMS), mean power frequency (MPF) and median frequency (MDF) for each exercise repetition were evaluated. RESULTS: The lateral and long head showed significant differences (P<0.05) in the ROF between the two exercises, and all the heads showed significant (P<0.05) differences in the RMS between the two exercises under NF conditions. Only the long head showed a significant difference (P<0.05) in the MPF and MDF between the two exercises. CS increases the ET (24.74%) and NR (27%) of the exercise. The three heads showed significant differences (P<0.05) in the RMS, MPF and MDF under all exercise conditions. CONCLUSION: A lower ROF was obtained with CS. In addition, the RMS was found to be better approximator of CS, whereas MPF and MDF were more resistant to the effect of CS. The results showed that the three heads worked independently under all conditions, and the non-synergist and synergist head pairs showed similar behavior under Fa conditions. The findings from this study provide additional insights regarding the functioning of each TB head.

Analysis of fatigue in the three heads of the triceps brachii during isometric contractions at various effort levels.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate fatigue in the three heads of the triceps brachii (TB) muscle using surface electromyography (sEMG) obtained at 30%, 45% and 60% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). METHODS: Twenty-five subjects performed isometric elbow extension until failure, and the rate of fatigue (ROF), time to fatigue (TTF) and normalized TTF (NTTF) were statistically analysed. Subsequently, the behaviour of root-mean-square (RMS), mean-power frequency (MPF) and median-power frequency (MDF) under pre-, onset- and post-fatigue conditions were compared. RESULTS: The findings indicated that, among the heads, ROF was statistically significant at 30% and 45% MVC (P<0.05) but TTF and NTTF at all intensities was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). For every head, only TTF was statistically significant (P<0.05) at different intensities. MPF and MDF under pre-, onset- and post-fatigue conditions were statistically significant (P<0.05) among the heads at all intensities, whereas RMS showed no such behaviour. CONCLUSION: The investigated parameters reveal that the three heads of TB act independently before fatigue onset and appear to work in union after fatigue. Synergist head pairs exhibit similar spectral and temporal behaviour in contrast to the non-synergist TB head pair. We find spectral parameters to be more specific predictors of fatigue.

Aspiration Thrombectomy-Assisted Endovascular Retrieval of an Embolized Angio-Seal Device Causing Claudication.

The Angio-Seal vascular closure device is used to reduce time to hemostasis after femoral artery puncture. Although rare, complications associated with Angio-Seal are significant, including infection, pseudoaneurysm formation, symptomatic femoral artery stenosis, and separation and embolization, leading to limb-threatening ischemia. This report describes Angio-Seal polymer anchor embolization to the tibioperoneal trunk successfully retrieved using the 8-French Indigo Aspiration System.

A review on crosstalk in myographic signals.

PURPOSE: Crosstalk in myographic signals is a major hindrance to the understanding of local information related to individual muscle function. This review aims to analyse the problem of crosstalk in electromyography and mechanomyography. METHODS: An initial search of the SCOPUS database using an appropriate set of keywords yielded 290 studies, and 59 potential studies were selected after all the records were screened using the eligibility criteria. This review on crosstalk revealed that signal contamination due to crosstalk remains a major challenge in the application of surface myography techniques. Various methods have been employed in previous studies to identify, quantify and reduce crosstalk in surface myographic signals. RESULTS: Although correlation-based methods for crosstalk quantification are easy to use, there is a possibility that co-contraction could be interpreted as crosstalk. High-definition EMG has emerged as a new technique that has been successfully applied to reduce crosstalk. CONCLUSIONS: The phenomenon of crosstalk needs to be investigated carefully because it depends on many factors related to muscle task and physiology. This review article not only provides a good summary of the literature on crosstalk in myographic signals but also discusses new directions related to techniques for crosstalk identification, quantification and reduction. The review also provides insights into muscle-related issues that impact crosstalk in myographic signals.

CRISPR/Cas system: A game changing genome editing technology, to treat human genetic diseases.

Genes, are the functional units of heredity that used as an instructors to make proteins either to become the functional or structural part of the cell. Hence, the proteins get more attention because most of the life functions depends on it. Any mutation or alteration in genome sequences results in complete loss of function or formation of abnormal protein which leads to hereditary disorder. Gene therapy on the other hand, used as a remedy, a process that make correction in the gene which is responsible for genomic disorders. The treatment of disease state depends on the understanding of their genetic basis. While, numerous molecular genome editing tools have been developed and are being utilized to translate the abstract of gene therapy into reality, but the problem is still a mystery. The genome editing molecular scissors can be applied to dictate the selected genetic products that can have the therapeutic power. Thus, editing the specific sequences depends on the type of strategies being used by a molecule such is HDR or NHEJ. CRISPR/Cas9 editing technology can use in disease model to study the genitival disorders. One side the CRISPR technology seemed to be extremely accurate but on the other side it has some harmful effects i.e. Cas9 proteins sometimes cuts the similar sequences other than the specific targeted and Off-targeting Sequences etc. Urgent attention and improvement are needed for various implication of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, including the delivery, precision and control over the mention system. This review presents the current scenario of genome editing in vivo and its implications for the future of human genetic disease treatment as well as genome throughput potency.

Trends in Interventional Radiology Through the Eye of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology: A 27-Year History.

PURPOSE: To report the quantity, manuscript types, geographic distribution of publications, and published content trends in a major interventional radiology journal over 27 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Available publication data from the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology was collected via Scopus from November 1990 to November 2017. Quantity, manuscript type, geographic distribution, number of citations, and publication content were analyzed. RESULTS: 6925 papers were published in JVIR during the study period. The number of publications increased by 234% from an average of 103 publications/year in the first 5 years to 344 publications/year in the last 5 years. Manuscript types included 4891 original articles (70.6%), 987 letters (14.3%), 360 review articles (5.2%), 324 notes (4.7%), 167 conference papers (2.4%), 102 editorials (1.5%), 61 errata (0.9%), 23 articles in press (0.3%), and 10 short surveys (0.1%). The majority of publications originated in the United States with 3945 articles (57.0%), followed by Canada with 366 articles (5.3%), and Japan and South Korea with 360 (5.2%) and 340 articles (4.9%), respectively. As for article content, arterial disease and interventions were discussed in 2256 publications (32.6%), followed by venous (1237; 17.9%), miscellaneous (1072; 15.5%), oncology (1006; 14.5%), genitourinary (758; 10.9%), portal (337; 4.9%), neurovascular (253; 3.7%), gastrointestinal (232; 3.4%), biliary (210; 3.0%), pediatric (130; 1.9%), clinical trials (119; 1.7%), and guideline development (119; 1.7%). CONCLUSION: There has been a marked increase in the number of publications in JVIR over 27 years. JVIR has shown continued growth since its inception and has strengthened its international reputation with more global research than ever before.

Endovascular Transpulmonary Retrieval of a Migrated Amplatzer Vascular Plug Following Balloon-Occluded Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration.

Gastric varices are a common manifestation of portal hypertension and are associated with a high rate of mortality and rebleeding. Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) is a commonly used method to sclerose gastric varices and has a high clinical success. Common complications following BRTO include portal or splenic vein thrombosis, systemic sclerosant extravasation, pulmonary emboli, and inferior vena cava thrombosis. This report describes a patient with vascular plug migration into the left pulmonary artery with subsequent endovascular retrieval.