Salivary oxidative stress biomarkers in periodontitis-free smokers: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Salivary oxidative stress has been extensively studied with attempts to correlate changes in the oxidative stress markers with local and systemic factors, including smoking. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of two forms of smoking, cigarettes and waterpipe smoking (WPS), on selected oxidative stress biomarkers in saliva. METHODS: Three groups of participants were enrolled into the study, controls (never smokers), cigarette smokers and WPS. Participants were clinically free from periodontitis and systemic conditions known to affect the saliva constituents. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected according to a standard protocol and concentrations of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and cortisol. The one-way ANOVA test was used to compare the levels of each oxidative stress biomarker between the three study groups and the hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to test the levels of salivary cortisol for prediction of other oxidative stress biomarkers. Significance levels were set at 95% confidence intervals and probability values ≤0.05. RESULTS: 8-OHdG was highest in WPS group (mean±SE 11,030.35±1829.16 pg/mL) while MDA and cortisol levels were highest in the cigarette smokers group (mean±SE 3.33±0.52 µM and 3.99±0.48 ng/mL, respectively) and MPO was highest in the control group (mean±SE 7.760±1.55 ng/mL). WPS group showed the highest TAC (mean±SE 0.3±0.03 mM). However, none of the tested makers reached a statistically significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Despite subtle changes in some biomarkers, the salivary oxidative stress does not appear to be significantly influenced by smoking habits in periodontitis-free smokers.

The knowledge regarding the impacts and management of black triangles among dental professionals and laypeople.

This study aimed to assess the knowledge regarding impacts, causes and management of black triangles (BT) among participants from different educational backgrounds including dental students, dentists and laypeople. This descriptive cross-sectional observational research included 435 participants who comprised 4 groups: pre-clinical (3rd year) dental students, clinical (4th and 5th year) dental students, dentists, and laypeople. A constructed self-reported questionnaire was utilized to assess participants' demographic data and their knowledge of the impacts, causes and management of BT. The VAS scale was used to assess participants' ratings for the impacts of BT on esthetics, with 0 meaning no impact and 10 meaning very severe negative impacts. The most reported treatments for BT were "cannot be treated" 99.3% and "non-surgical periodontal treatment" 67.1%. Meanwhile, the least reported was "modify the porcelain" 41.8%. The most reported cause of BT was "periodontal disease" 85.1%. However, the least reported were "parafunction" and "deep implants" 33.1% each. Dental professionals had better knowledge of the causes (t = 8.189, P < 0.001) and management (t = 8.289, P < 0.001) of BT than the non-dental participants. The dentists had the best knowledge, while the laypeople had the least knowledge of the causes (F = 62.056, P < 0.001) and treatment (F = 46.120, P < 0.001) of BT. The knowledge of the causes (t = 0.616, P = 0.538) and treatment (t = 1.113, P = 0.266) for BT was not significantly different between males and females. Age was not significantly related to the total knowledge about the causes (r = -0.034, P = 0.475) or treatment (r = -0.034, P = 0.482) for BT. Dental professionals had better knowledge of the impacts, causes and management of BT than the non-dental participants. The dentists were the best, while the laypeople were the worst in this regard. Age and gender had no relationships with the knowledge of causes or management of BT.

Emergence of the novel infectious bursal disease virus variant in vaccinated poultry flocks in Egypt.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: New variant IBDV which emerged in Egypt clustered with Chinese nVarIBDV.nVarIBDV spread subclinically across a wide geographic area.Mutation at 321 represents capsid's most exposed part, a defining feature.Antigenically modified vvIBDV still circulating in Egypt with typical lesions.

Effect of prosthetic management of congenital cleft lip and palate on the middle ear function of infants: A clinical trial.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Infants with a cleft palate often experience middle ear disease, a condition of great significance, and early prosthetic management of these infants is essential. However, any correlation between prosthetic palatal obturation and middle ear function is unclear. PURPOSE: The purpose of this clinical trial was to assess whether prosthetic palatal obturation with a feeding appliance prevented or improved middle ear problems in infants with a cleft lip and palate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten infants with congenital cleft lip and palate (20 ears) were referred to the Prosthodontics department immediately after birth. Assessment of the middle ear function by tympanometry as well as hearing quality by auditory brainstem response (ABR) was conducted before the prosthetic treatment (control readings). The middle ear function and hearing quality was followed up after the prosthetic treatment every month until surgical palatal closure (tenth month). The Friedman test was applied to compare data from the various study periods. When the results were significant, the Dunn post hoc test was conducted to compare the control first week readings with those of the later periods (α=.05 for all tests). RESULTS: The preprosthetic readings of tympanometry in the first week were 90% Type A and 10% Type B for both right and left ears. Readings starting from the first to the fifth month revealed no statistically significant differences compared with the first week readings (P>.05). However, tympanometry readings starting from the sixth month (20% Type A and 80% Type B) until the tenth month (90% Type B and 10% Type C) for both ears represented a statistically significant difference compared with the first week readings (P≤.05). The preprosthetic readings of ABR in the first week showed that 90% of ears had normal hearing status and 10% had mild hearing loss. Readings starting from the first until the fifth month revealed no statistically significant differences compared with the first week readings (P>.05). However, ABR readings starting from the sixth month (20% normal hearing, 70% mild hearing loss, and 10% moderate hearing loss) until the tenth month (0% normal hearing, 80% mild hearing loss, and 20% moderate hearing loss) for both ears revealed a statistically significant difference compared with the first week readings (P≤.05). CONCLUSIONS: Prosthetic palatal obturation with a feeding appliance plays a role in delaying rather than preventing the occurrence of otitis media with effusion in infants with a cleft lip and palate and could reduce the need for ventilation tubes.

Complete denture palatal rugae design impact on satisfaction and quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the impact of three complete denture palatal rugae designs on participants' satisfaction and oral-health-related quality of life. BACKGROUND: Complete dentures palatal rugea are usually polished to a smooth finish, which can affect the patient's adaptation. Roughening or keeping an opening in the rugae area to replicate the natural sensation of the palatal rugae has been suggested but lacks clinical evidence. METHODS: This randomised crossover trial included participants with complete dentures randomly allocated to six sequences. Each sequence alternated between polished, roughened, and open rugae designs. Participants evaluated general and domain-specific satisfaction (eating, taste, speaking, phonetics, and ease of cleaning) on a 100-mm visual analogue scale. They also completed the Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients (OHIP-EDENT) and indicated their preferred design at the end. Repeated-measure ANOVA compared satisfaction, and one-way ANOVA with Tukey's test compared OHIP-EDENT scores. RESULTS: Forty-two participants were randomised. Seven dropped out. General satisfaction ratings were comparable for the polished (Mean = 80.2, SD = 19.7) and roughened designs (Mean = 79.5, SD = 20.2). However, the open design had a significantly lower satisfaction rating (Mean = 41.1, SD = 32.2). OHIP-EDENT scores for the open design (Mean = 44.9, SD = 17.5) were significantly worse than those for the polished (Mean = 36.1, SD = 12.7) and roughened designs (Mean = 36.2, SD = 13.3). Two-thirds of the participants chose the polished design. One-third chose the roughened design; of those, 83% were first-time denture wearers. CONCLUSIONS: Complete dentures with polished and roughened rugae designs were perceived similarly. Both designs could be recommended based on the patient's preference. However, the open design should be avoided due to negative perception.

Position of Fovea Palatinae relative to the vibrating line in various soft palate classifications among Jordanian edentulous population.

This study aims to examine the relationship between the locations of Fovea Palatinae and the posterior vibrating line in different classes of soft palate angulation (House Classification), accordingly determine its reliability as a landmark and a tool for determining the posterior limit of the maxillary complete denture. 280 completely edentulous patients with normal healthy mucosa from both genders were randomly selected. The House classification of the soft palate angulation was identified and recorded as Class I, II, or III. Phonation was used to determine the position of the vibrating line. The Fovea Palatinae was then marked. Then, the distance between the Fovea Palatinae and the vibrating line was measured and recorded. Finally, the relative position of the Fovea Palatinae to the vibrating line was recorded as being anterior, posterior, or on the vibrating line. The Chi Square test, the effect size measures (Eta and Cramer's V tests), The Spearman's Rho rank correlation test, and multinominal logistic regression analysis were utilized to analyse the data. House classification percentages were measured among people whose Fovea Palatinae was detectable; Class II palate was the most prevalent (47.14%), followed by Class I (43.93%), and then Class III (8.93%). Based on vibrating line position, 129 (58%) had a vibrating line anterior to Fovea Palatinae, 57 (26%) on the Fovea Palatinae, 36 (16%) posterior to Fovea Palatinae, and in 58 (21%) Fovea Palatinae were not detected. The mean distance between the vibrating line and Fovea Palatinae was 3.66 ± 1.6 mm anteriorly and 2.97 ± 1.36 mm posteriorly. No significant differences were found between males and females in regard to House classification and vibrating line position. The odds of having the fovea posterior to the vibrating line would increase by 5% for each year increase in the age (P = 0.035, odds ratio = 1.050). Class II House classification of the soft palate was found to be the most prevalent among the study participants. Also, the vibrating line was anterior to the Fovea Palatinae in the majority of cases. The odds of having the fovea posterior to the vibrating line would increase by age. The Fovea Palatinae could be considered a useful guide for locating the vibrating line.

An extensive assessment of the impacts of BaO on the mechanical and gamma-ray attenuation properties of lead borosilicate glass.

The current work deals with the synthesis of a new glass series with a chemical formula of 5Al2O3-25PbO-10SiO2-(60-x) B2O3-xBaO; x was represented as 5, 10, 15, and 20 mol%. The FT-IR spectroscopy was used to present the structural modification by rising the BaO concentration within the synthesized glasses. Furthermore, the impacts of BaO substitution for B2O3 on the fabricated borosilicate glasses were investigated using the Makishima-Mackenzie model. Besides, the role of BaO in enhancing the gamma-ray shielding properties of the fabricated boro-silicate glasses was examined utilizing the Monte Carlo simulation. The mechanical properties evaluation depicts a reduction in the mechanical moduli (Young, bulk, shear, and longitudinal) by the rising of the Ba/B ratio in the fabricated glasses. Simultaneously, the micro-hardness boro-silicate glasses was reduced from 4.49 to 4.12 GPa by increasing the Ba2+/B3+ ratio from 0.58 to 3.18, respectively. In contrast, the increase in the Ba/B ratio increases the linear attenuation coefficient, where it is enhanced between 0.409 and 0.448 cm-1 by rising the Ba2+/B3+ ratio from 0.58 to 3.18, respectively. The enhancement in linear attenuation coefficient decreases the half-value thickness from 1.69 to 1.55 cm and the equivalent thickness of lead is also reduced from 3.04 to 2.78 cm, at a gamma-ray energy of 0.662 MeV. The study shows that the increase in the Ba2+/B3+ ratio enhances the radiation shielding capacity of the fabricated glasses however, it slightly degrades the mechanical properties of the fabricated glasses. Therefore, glasses with high ratios of Ba2+/B3+ have high gamma-ray shielding ability to be used in hospitals as a shielding material.

Relationships between perception of black triangles appearance, personality factors and level of education.

This analytical cross-sectional study evaluated the perception of black triangles (BT) and examined the relationships between the perception of BT, personality factors, different educational backgrounds and demographic factors. 435 participants were included and divided into four groups: dentists, clinical (4th and 5th year) dental students, pre-clinical (3rd year) dental students, and laypeople. Participants' perception of the attractiveness of smile profiles of maxillary and mandibular anterior dentition with BT was rated using a ten-point VAS scale with 0 being the least, and 10 being the most attractive smile profile. The personality was assessed using the NEO-FFI personality questionnaire. The smile profile with multiple large BT was rated the least attractive for the maxillary (mean = 3.6) and mandibular (mean = 3.9) tested profiles. The smile profile without BT was rated the most attractive for the maxillary (mean = 9.1) and mandibular (mean = 8.8) tested profiles. The dental professionals perceived the maxillary smile profile with multiple large BT as less attractive than the non-dental participants (t = - 2.715, P = 0.007). Being a male, having dental education, having lower Neuroticism scores, as well as having higher Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Extraversion scores predicted and contributed more towards perceiving various tested smile profiles as more attractive. These findings show that black triangles negatively impacts the perception of smile attractiveness, and that personality traits and having dental education impact the perception of smile attractiveness for smiles with black triangles.

Stress experienced by dental students performing clinical training in different dental disciplines: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the stress level, the impact of stress factors, and discrepancies between fourth- and fifth-year undergraduate clinical students at the University of Jordan. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the academic year 2022/2023. The study group included fourth- and fifth-year dental students at the University of Jordan (n = 382) who were asked to voluntarily fill in an online dental environment stress (DES) questionnaire. Analysis was conducted using Mann-Whitney U test, independent t-test, χ2 test, and Spearman ρ rank correlations. Statistical significance was inferred when P < .05. RESULTS: Fourth-year students reported higher levels of nervousness before treating patients for the first time. Fifth-year students faced more difficulty, higher stress, and/or fear regarding the amount of assigned work, provided treatment, completed requirements, failing the course, time to finish assignments, patient comprehensive care, and financial expenses of the course. Comparison between groups revealed that the fifth-year students scored higher levels of stress on the total DES score and all partial DES scores. Furthermore, the total DES questionnaire scores were significantly correlated with grade point average (GPA) among the total study sample and the prosthodontics clinical course marks among the fourth-year students' group. CONCLUSIONS: The stress level among students in clinical courses was influenced by their academic performance, gender, year level, and the type and time needed for the provided treatment. Completing course requirements was among the most commonly faced stressors. Future research endeavors might be considered to study each clinical factor, its impact on students' stress level, and how to manage and positively improve these factors.

Microstructure investigation, Electrical properties, and γ-rays' protection capacity for ZnO doped clay ceramic.

A series of ceramic samples fabricated based on ZnO doped different concentrations of natural clay according to the relation (1-x) ZnO - (x) clay; 5 wt% ≤ x ≤ 20 wt%. The samples were pressed and sintered at 1200 °C. The experimental techniques were used to characterize and measure the chemical composition, density, and current-voltage measurements for the fabricated ceramics samples. The measurements depict an increase in the I-V nonlinearity with raising the clay concentration, where the increase in clay by up to 20 wt% shifts breakdown voltage to a higher value of up to 390 V/cm and decreases leakage current to 55 mA/cm2. The examinations for the gamma-ray shielding capacity for the fabricated composites (utilizing Monte Carlo simulation) demonstrate enrichment of clay concentration between 5 wt% and 20 wt% reduced the linear attenuation coefficient for the fabricated ceramics by 23.15% and 8.66% at γ photon energy of 0.059 MeV and 1.252 MeV, respectively. The half-value thickness and lead's equivalent thickness increased along with a drop in the linear attenuation coefficient, but the radiation protection effectiveness of the fabricated ceramics increased.

The enhanced paper grip test can substantially improve community screening for the risk of falling.

BACKGROUND: Lower-limb strength measures can enhance falls risk assessment but due to the lack of clinically applicable methods, such measures are not included in current screening. The enhanced paper grip test (EPGT) is a simple-to-use and cost-effective test that could fill this gap. However, its outcome measure (EPGT force) has not yet been directly linked to the risk of falling. RESEARCH QUESTION: Is the EPGT a good candidate for falls risk screening in older people in the community? METHODS: Seventy-one older people living independently in the community were recruited for this prospective observational study (median age 69 y, range 65y-79y). Lower-limb and whole-body strength were assessed at baseline using the EPGT and a standardised hand-grip method respectively. Incident falls were recorded monthly for a year through follow-up telephone conversations. The capacity of individual strength measures to predict falls and to enhance an established falls risk assessment tool (FRAT) commonly used by UK's national health service (NHS) was assessed using binomial logistic regression. The analysis was repeated for the subset of participants without history of falling at baseline (prediction of first-ever falls). RESULTS: Increased EPGT force and increased symmetry in strength between limbs were significantly associated with reduced risk of falling. Compared to the NHS-FRAT, the EPGT correctly classified more people (73% vs 69%), it achieved higher sensitivity (56% vs 26%) and higher negative predictive value (76% vs 68%). Complementing the NHS-FRAT with the EPGT produced a more comprehensive model that correctly classified 91% of participants and achieved 98% specificity, 81% sensitivity, 89% negative and 96% positive predictive value. Replacing the EPGT with hand-grip strength consistently undermined prediction accuracy. The EPGT remained highly accurate when focused on the prediction of first-ever falls. SIGNIFICANCE: The EPGT can substantially enhance falls screening in the community. These results can also inform effective personalised strength exercise interventions.

First Detection and Molecular Characterization of Novel Variant Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (Genotype A2dB1b) in Egypt.

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an immunosuppressive disease causing significant damage to the poultry industry worldwide. Its etiological agent is infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), a highly resistant RNA virus whose genetic variability considerably affects disease manifestation, diagnosis and control, primarily pursued by vaccination. In Egypt, very virulent strains (genotype A3B2), responsible for typical IBD signs and lesions and high mortality, have historically prevailed. The present molecular survey, however, suggests that a major epidemiological shift might be occurring in the country. Out of twenty-four samples collected in twelve governorates in 2022-2023, seven tested positive for IBDV. Two of them were A3B2 strains related to other very virulent Egyptian isolates, whereas the remaining five were novel variant IBDVs (A2dB1b), reported for the first time outside of Eastern and Southern Asia. This emerging genotype spawned a large-scale epidemic in China during the 2010s, characterized by subclinical IBD with severe bursal atrophy and immunosuppression. Its spread to Egypt is even more alarming considering that, contrary to circulating IBDVs, the protection conferred by available commercial vaccines appears suboptimal. These findings are therefore crucial for guiding monitoring and control efforts and helping to track the spread of novel variant IBDVs, possibly limiting their impact.

An exploration of the mechanistic link between the enhanced paper grip test and the risk of falling.

The enhanced paper grip test (EPGT) offers an easy-to-use measure of hallux plantar-flexion strength that does not need expensive specialised equipment. Literature suggests that it could be a useful screening tool to assess the risk of falling in older people. However, research on a specific mechanistic link to the risk of falling is lacking. It is hypothesised here that muscle weakening (assessed by the EPGT) is indicative of impaired ability to recover balance after a slip or a trip. To get an initial assessment of validity of the above hypothesis, the EPGT is compared against an established lab-based measure of lower-limb strength that is capable of assessing a person's ability to recover balance after a slip or a trip: maximum isometric leg press push-off force (leg press force). A gender-balanced sample of twenty people (median age=34 y) was recruited. Two different but equaly valid techniques of administering the EPGT were included regarding whether the participants' ankle was supported by the examiner or not. Results for the two EPGT techniques differed susbtantialy but they were both significantly associated with leg press force and therefore linked to better ability to maintain balance after a slip or a trip. The "ankle not held" EPGT technique was more strongly correlated to leg press force (r(18) = 0.652, p = 0.002) than the "ankle held" (r(18) = 0.623, p = 0.003) and appears to be the more favourable technique to administer the EPGT. These findings offer new insight on a potential mechanistic link between the EPGT and the risk of falling and support its optimal use in future research involving older people.

Nutrigenomics and microbiome shaping the future of personalized medicine: a review article.

The relationship between nutrition and genes has long been hinted at and sometimes plainly associated with certain diseases. Now, after many years of research and coincidental findings, it is believed that this relationship, termed "Nutrigenomics," is certainly a factor of major importance in various conditions. In this review article, we discuss nutrigenomics, starting with basics definitions and enzymatic functions and ending with its palpable association with cancer. Now, diet is basically what we eat on a daily basis. Everything that enters through our alimentary tract ends up broken down to minute molecules and amino acids. These molecules interact with our microbiome and genome in discreet ways. For instance, we demonstrate how proper intake of probiotics enhances beneficial bacteria and may alleviate IBS and prevent colorectal cancer on the long term. We also show how a diet rich in folic acid is essential for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) function, which lowers risk of colorectal cancer. Also, we discuss how certain diets were associated with development of certain cancers. For example, red and processed meat are highly associated with colorectal and prostate cancer, salty diets with stomach cancer, and obesity with breast cancer. The modification of these diets significantly lowered the risk and improved prognosis of these cancers among many others. We also examined how micronutrients had a role in cancer prevention, as vitamin A and C exert anti-carcinogenic effects through their function as antioxidants. In addition, we show how folic acid prevent DNA mutations by enhancing protein methylation processes. Finally, after a systematic review of myriad articles on the etiology and prevention of cancer, we think that diet should be a crucial feature in cancer prevention and treatment programs. In the future, healthy diets and micronutrients may even be able to successively alter the liability to genetic mutations that result in cancer. It also will play a role in boosting treatment and improving prognosis of diagnosed cancers.

Novel Grafted Hydrogel for Iron and Ammonia Removal from Groundwater: A Synthesis and Computational Chemistry Study.

Current research is moving towards iron and ammonia elimination from groundwater. Here, we are using a poly acrylic-poly acrylamide hydrogel that is grafted with 3-chloroaniline. This copolymer was synthesized by addition polymerization technique. The effects of agitation time, dosage and adsorbent temperature on the removal process sensitivity were investigated. The copolymer was described experientially and theoretically. Isothermal kinetic adsorption models are discussed. This hydrogel could be regenerated efficiently (98.3% removal of iron and 100% removal of ammonia). The density functional theory (DFT) method, using B3LYP/6-311G(d,p), and the LANL2DZ level of the theory were managed to investigate the stationary states of the grafted copolymer and the complexation energy of the hydrogel with the studied cations. DFT has been used to investigate the Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) properties to locate the most negative centers on the hydrogel. The calculated complexation energy showed hydrogel selectivity with regard to the studied cations.

Functionalization of Dodecaborates by Mild and Efficient Pd-Catalyzed Formation of B-C Bonds with Boronic Acids.

Hybrid organic-inorganic molecules have recently received great interest due to their unique properties, which give access to their implementation in biological and material sciences. Herein, a new synthetic approach for the direct-linkage of the purely inorganic dodecaborate cluster to organic building blocks through B-C bond is established, using boronic acids as functional groups on the organic moiety, reacting under Suzuki-Miyaura coupling conditions with iodo-undecahydridododecaborate. The choices of ligand (DavePhos) and solvent (N-methylpyrrolidone for electron-poor, CD3 CN for electron-rich groups) are essential for the successful coupling. Ultimately, the newly described methodology is found to be functional-group tolerant covering a wide spectrum of substrates including electron-poor arenes.

Designing Efficient Metal-Free Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: A Detailed Computational Study.

The modulation of molecular characteristics in metal-free organic dyes holds significant importance in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The D-π-A molecular design, based on the furan moiety (π) in the conjugated spacer between the arylamine (D) and the 2-cyanoacrylic acid (A), was developed and theoretically evaluated for its potential application in DSSCs. Utilizing linear response time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) with the CAM-B3LYP functional, different donor and acceptor groups were characterized in terms of the electronic absorption properties of these dyes. All the studied dye sensitizers demonstrate the ability to inject electrons into the semiconductor's conduction band (TiO2) and undergo regeneration through the redox potential triiodide/iodide (I3-/I-) electrode. TDDFT results indicate that the dyes with CSSH anchoring groups exhibit improved optoelectronic properties compared to other dyes. Further, the photophysical properties of all dyes absorbed on a Ti(OH)4 model were explored and reported. The observed results indicate that bidentate chemisorption occurs between dyes and TiO4H5. Furthermore, the HOMO-LUMO energy gaps for almost all dye complexes are significantly smaller than those of the free dyes. This decrease of the HOMO-LUMO energy gaps in the dye complexes facilitates electron excitation, and thus more photons can be adsorbed, guaranteeing larger values of efficiency and short-circuit current density.

Direct sandwich ELISA to detect the adulteration of human breast milk by cow milk.

The demand for commercially available human breast milk has significantly increased in recent years. For various reasons, a significant amount of commercially available human breast milk is being adulterated with other types of milk. This fraudulent practice poses a threat to consumers' health due to potential adulterants such as cow milk, which may put the infant at risk due to intolerance or allergy. A direct sandwich anti-bovine IgG ELISA has been developed for the sensitive and specific detection of cow milk in adulterated human breast milk. This assay uses polyclonal anti-bovine IgG antibody as a capture antibody and monoclonal anti-bovine IgG-alkaline phosphatase antibody as a detection antibody. Once optimized, the assay was found to be highly sensitive, and specific to bovine IgG. The assay had no significant cross-reaction with human breast milk, indicating that it was highly specific. The anti-bovine IgG ELISA was able to detect the presence of cow milk in adulterated human breast milk with a detection limit of 0.001% cow milk. The developed assay was highly reproducible (coefficient of variation <10%). The developed direct sandwich anti-bovine IgG ELISA is simple, reliable, and reproducible, making it an ideal test for this purpose.

Efficient D-π-π-A-Type Dye Sensitizer Based on a Benzothiadiazole Moiety: A Computational Study.

The design of highly efficient sensitizers is one of the most significant areas in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) research. We studied a series of benzothiadiazole-based D-π-π-A organic dyes, putting emphasis on the influence of the donor moiety on the DSSC's efficiency. Using (linear-response time-dependent) density functional theory ((TD)DFT)) with the CAM-B3LYP functional, different donor groups were characterized in terms of electronic absorption spectra and key photovoltaic parameters. As a reference, a dye was considered that had a benzothiadiazole fragment linked via thiophene rings to a diphenylamine donor and a cyanoacrylic-acid acceptor. The different systems were first studied in terms of individual performance parameters, which eventually aggregated into power conversion efficiency. Only the amino-substituted species showed a modest increase, whereas the dimethylamino case showed a decrease.