Molecular characterization and green synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles from Ureibacillus chungkukjangi for methylene blue degradation.

Synthetic dyes, such as methylene blue (MB), are increasingly becoming sources of water pollution and require better treatment strategies. This study describes an eco-friendly method for methylene blue degradation using green synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles form Ureibacillus chungkukjangi. This bacterium was isolated from clinical samples and identified using 16S rRNA gene amplification and sequenced using Sanger sequencing technology.

Effects of Superground Leaves on Growth Performance and Immune Function in New Zealand Rabbits.

The rabbit industry urgently needs natural alternatives to maintain gut health. This need is growing due to the higher incidence of intestinal problems in antibiotic-free production systems. (Brazilian ginseng) is a medicinal plant rich in bioactive compounds.

Enhancing the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in type-2 diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease, through a key performance indicator program.

Background: Despite substantial clinical evidence and recommendations from international societies supporting the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) for managing patients with type-2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), their adoption has remained limited. To address this, the nephrology quality improvement (QI) team at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Qatar, implemented a key performance indicator (KPI) program in March 2022, aiming to ensure that at least 80% of eligible T2D-CKD patients at HMC were receiving SGLT2i by December 31, 2023.

Methods: The use of SGLT2i and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) in T2D-CKD patients attending nephrology clinics at HMC hospitals were assessed through retrospective surveys using a cluster-based sampling approach.

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Detection of a Rare Anomaly-Duplication of Extrahepatic Bile Duct.

This is the first reported case demonstrating endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) findings in type Va duplication. The malformation of the congenital extrahepatic bile duct is classified as type Va and is rarely observed. To date, not more than 30 cases have been reported in Western literature.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Patients With Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a serious but potentially preventable complication of diabetes mellitus, particularly in individuals with vitamin B12 deficiency. Despite clinical guidelines, routine B12 screening remains inconsistent, and hospital-based data on deficiency patterns in DPN populations are scarce. This study evaluated the frequency and determinants of B12 deficiency among patients with DPN at a tertiary care center in Pakistan.

COVID-19 vaccine attitudes, beliefs, intentions and behaviors among pregnant women within the context of dynamic national policy recommendations in Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, and Pakistan.

Introduction: There are many factors associated with maternal immunization decision making. This study aimed to describe COVID-19 vaccination attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and intentions among pregnant women across four countries within the context of varying and changing policy recommendations related to COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women.

Methods: This cross-sectional quantitative study surveyed pregnant women in antenatal care facilities serving mostly urban or peri-urban populations in Campinas, Brazil; Accra, Ghana; Nairobi, Kenya; and Karachi, Pakistan.

Bind: large-scale biological interaction network discovery through knowledge graph-driven machine learning.

Background: Biological systems derive from complex interactions between entities ranging from biomolecules to macroscopic structures, forming intricate networks essential for understanding disease mechanisms and developing therapeutic interventions. Current AI-driven interaction predictors typically operate in isolation, focusing on single tasks and missing the broader picture of how different biological interactions influence each other. Traditional wet-lab approaches for identifying these interactions are expensive, time-consuming, and error-prone.

Exploring COVID-19 vaccination behavior: A cross-country study among pregnant and postpartum women in Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, and Pakistan.

Pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV2 are more likely to be hospitalized and require ventilation, compared to non-pregnant women. Although the development of the COVID-19 vaccine was regarded as a scientific breakthrough among many, the pace of development in combination with delayed and unclear recommendations for maternal vaccination led to slower vaccine uptake among this population. We explored the decision-making process for COVID-19 vaccination among pregnant and postpartum women in four countries: Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, and Pakistan through 201 in-depth interviews.

Analyzing attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccine decision making among pregnant women in Pakistan.

Background: Lower rates of COVID-19 vaccination among pregnant women prompt an investigation into the underlying reasons. This study aims to explore the attitudes of pregnant women in Pakistan regarding COVID-19 vaccination decision-making and to identify the factors influencing their vaccine uptake.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of pregnant women was conducted at two hospitals in Karachi in February-May 2024.

SODU2-NET: a novel deep learning-based approach for salient object detection utilizing U-NET.

Detecting and segmenting salient objects from natural scenes, often referred to as salient object detection, has attracted great interest in computer vision. To address this challenge posed by complex backgrounds in salient object detection is crucial for advancing the field. This article proposes a novel deep learning-based architecture called SODU2-NET (Salient object detection U2-Net) for salient object detection that utilizes the U-NET base structure.

Effect of glycemic control on tuberculosis treatment outcomes among patients with tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus comorbidity can lead to poor TB treatment outcomes, particularly with uncontrolled blood glucose levels. Understanding the impact of glycemic control on TB treatment outcomes is essential.

Objective: To synthesise evidence on the association between glycemic control and TB treatment outcomes in patients with TB and diabetes mellitus.

Creating cohesive communities: using Conditional-Collective-Community-Based Incentives to change social norms on polio immunization in Pakistan.

Immunization remains a critical public health strategy, particularly in countries like Pakistan where vaccine-preventable diseases are prevalent despite global efforts to eradicate poliomyelitis. This study investigates the role of community engagement (CE) and conditional incentives in increasing polio vaccine uptake in High-Risk Union Councils (HRUCs) of Pakistan. Utilizing an exploratory qualitative research design, the study was conducted to assess the impact of an intervention which involved participatory CE, including the formation of Community Health Committees (CHCs) that conducted community sessions, made home visits, and implemented the Conditional-Collective-Community-Based Incentives (C3Is) in HRUCs in Bannu and Karachi, Pakistan to reduce the rate of refusals for the oral polio vaccine (OPV).

Protein Sequence Analysis landscape: A Systematic Review of Task Types, Databases, Datasets, Word Embeddings Methods, and Language Models.

Protein sequence analysis examines the order of amino acids within protein sequences to unlock diverse types of a wealth of knowledge about biological processes and genetic disorders. It helps in forecasting disease susceptibility by finding unique protein signatures, or biomarkers that are linked to particular disease states. Protein Sequence analysis through wet-lab experiments is expensive, time-consuming and error prone.

Estradiol Reverses Ovariectomy-Induced Disruption of Hypothalamic Gene Expression and Behavior via Modulation of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone and Calcium Signaling Pathways.

Estrogen plays a crucial role in regulating reproductive and neuroendocrine functions, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying its effects on the hypothalamus remain incompletely understood. This study investigates the transcriptional and behavioral changes induced by ovariectomy (OVX) and estradiol (E2) supplementation in female C57BL/6J mice. RNA sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across control (CK), E2, OVX, and OVX+E2 groups, followed by functional enrichment and pathway analyses.

Utilizing spent mushroom substrate biochar to improve Zea mays L. growth and biochemical resilience against cadmium and chromium toxicity.

Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils is a growing environmental concern, particularly due to the increasing accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) from industrial discharge, wastewater irrigation, and excessive fertilizer use. These toxic metals severely impact crop productivity by disrupting nutrient uptake, damaging root structures, and inducing oxidative stress, which collectively inhibit plant growth and development. Maize (Zea mays L.

Exploring dental faculty awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward AI integration in education and practice: a mixed-method study.

Background: Dentistry is shifting from traditional to digital practices owing to the rapid development of "artificial intelligence" (AI) technology in healthcare systems. The dental curriculum lacks the integration of emerging technologies such as AI, which could prepare students for the evolving demands of modern dental practice. This study aimed to assess dental faculty members' knowledge, awareness, and attitudes toward AI and provide consensus-based recommendations for increasing the adoption of AI in dental education and dental practice.

Rational computational design and development of an immunogenic multiepitope vaccine incorporating transmembrane proteins of Fusobacterium necrophorum.

Fusobacterium necrophorum is a Gram-negative, anaerobic pathogen responsible for Lemierre's syndrome, bovine foot rot, and other necrotizing infections. The rise in antimicrobial resistance and the absence of effective vaccines underscore the need for alternative therapeutic strategies. This study employs computational biology to design a multi-epitope vaccine targeting transmembrane proteins of F.

DNA sequence analysis landscape: a comprehensive review of DNA sequence analysis task types, databases, datasets, word embedding methods, and language models.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) serves as fundamental genetic blueprint that governs development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all living organisms. DNA can be altered through germline and somatic mutations. Germline mutations underlie hereditary conditions, while somatic mutations can be induced by various factors including environmental influences, chemicals, lifestyle choices, and errors in DNA replication and repair mechanisms which can lead to cancer.

Assessing the well-being of PhD scholars: a scoping review.

Background: Gaining insight into the well-being of PhD scholars is essential for cultivating a nurturing academic environment that boosts their efficiency and adds to the overall excellence of higher education. Our scoping review aimed to comprehensively map and analyse the current body of literature on the well-being of PhD scholars, identify important themes and gaps, and offer valuable insights for future studies and interventions to improve the overall well-being of PhD scholars.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis-Scoping Review extension as per the Joanna Briggs Institute Protocol guidelines.

Semi-Supervised Knee Cartilage Segmentation With Successive Eigen Noise-Assisted Mean Teacher Knowledge Distillation.

Knee cartilage segmentation for Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) diagnosis is challenging due to domain shifts from varying MRI scanning technologies. Existing cross-modality approaches often use paired order matching or style translation techniques to align features. Still, these methods can sacrifice discrimination in less prominent cartilages and overlook critical higher-order correlations and semantic information.

Computational drug design for neurosyphilis disease by targeting Phosphoglycerate Kinase in Treponema pallidum with enhanced binding affinity and reduced toxicity.

Neurosyphilis, a severe neurological complication of syphilitic infection caused by the gram-negative spirochete Treponema pallidum poses significant challenges in treatment due to its irregular physiology and lack of efficacy in present therapeutic strategies. Here, we report a new approach to developing drug treatment that targets the enzyme phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), an essential component of the T. pallidum glycolytic pathway.

Computational electrostatic engineering of nanobodies for enhanced SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain recognition.

This study presents a novel computational approach for engineering nanobodies (Nbs) for improved interaction with receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Using Protein Structure Reliability reports, RBD (7VYR_R) was selected and refined for subsequent Nb-RBD interactions. By leveraging electrostatic complementarity (EC) analysis, we engineered and characterized five Electrostatically Complementary Nbs (ECSb1-ECSb5) based on the CeVICA library's SR6c3 Nb.

Leveraging YOLO deep learning models to enhance plant disease identification.

Early automation in identifying plant diseases is crucial for the precise protection of crops. Plant diseases pose substantial risks to agriculture-dependent nations, often leading to notable crop losses and financial challenges, particularly in developing countries. Symptoms such as chlorosis, structural deformities, and wilting, characterize these diseases.

miR-107 suppresses porcine granulosa cell proliferation and estradiol synthesis while promoting apoptosis via targeting PTGS2.

The proliferation, steroid metabolism, and apoptosis of porcine ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) are critical for follicular development. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally and modulate signaling networks involved in various cellular processes. In this study, we identify miR-107, a conserved miRNA, as a key regulator of porcine follicle development through its effects on GCs proliferation, steroid metabolism, and apoptosis.