Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) clamps reduce amplification of host chloroplast and mitochondria rRNA gene sequences and increase detected diversity in 16S rRNA gene profiling analysis of oak-associated microbiota.

Background: Acquiring representative bacterial 16S rRNA gene community profiles in plant microbiome studies can be challenging due to the excessive co-amplification of host chloroplast and mitochondrial rRNA gene sequences that reduce counts of plant-associated bacterial sequences. Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) clamps prevent this by blocking PCR primer binding or binding within the amplified region of non-target DNA to stop the function of DNA polymerase. Here, we applied a universal chloroplast (p)PNA clamp and a newly designed mitochondria (m)PNA clamp to minimise host chloroplast and mitochondria amplification in 16S rRNA gene amplicon profiles of leaf, bark and root tissue of two oak species (Quercus robur and Q.

Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance Among the WHO's AWaRe Classified Antibiotics Used to Treat Urinary Tract Infections in Diabetic Women.

: Diabetes is linked to a higher risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women, often leading to recurrent antibiotic treatments. Frequent antibiotic use for UTIs can contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a critical public health threat that increases treatment failure. This study investigated the prevalence of AMR and its associated factors among women with UTIs, comparing those with and without diabetes.

Prevalence, Incidence and Risk Factors of White Spot Lesions Associated With Orthodontic Treatment - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The primary objective was to systematically assess the prevalence, incidence and risk factors of WSLs with orthodontic treatment. The secondary objective was to compare the prevalence of WSLs between conventional fixed appliances (CFA) and other appliances, as well as with no treatment. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACs, Virtual Health Library and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched.

Determination of the Late Postmortem Interval by Observing the Electrical Conductivity in Skeletal Muscles of Rats.

Objective: To determine the values of electrical conductivity (EC) of cadaveric skeletal muscles of male rats and their relationship with different postmortem intervals (PMI).

Study Design: Experimental study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, King Edward Medical University (KEMU), Lahore, in collaboration with the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore, from October 2021 to September 2022.

From Triumph to Trial: A Case Study of Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterium After Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) Correction in an Immunocompetent Child.

, a slow-growing non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM), presents diagnostic challenges due to its resemblance to and other NTMs. While NTM infections and tuberculosis share clinical and radiological features, their management strategies differ. Accurate differentiation is pivotal, as misdiagnosing NTM infections such as MDR-TB can lead to ineffective treatments.

Extrafacial Acquired Dermal Melanocytosis: An Exceptionally Rare Example With Bilateral Multifocal Disease.

Dermal melanocytoses are a group of cutaneous disorders characterized by the presence of ectopic melanocytes in the dermis; the most well-known example is the Mongolian spot. Acquired dermal melanocytosis (ADM) is a term used to describe the onset of dermal melanocytosis occurring after its usual age of presentation (i.e.

Influence of elastomeric and steel ligatures on periodontal health during fixed appliance orthodontic treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Metallic and elastomeric ligatures are widely used in orthodontics to secure the archwire within the bracket slots, but elastomeric ligatures have traditionally been associated with increased microbial colonization, which could adversely affect periodontal health.

Aim: This systematic review compares the periodontal effects of elastomeric and steel ligatures used for orthodontic fixed appliances.

Methods: Unrestricted literature search of 7 databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Virtual Health Library) up to July 2023 were performed for randomized / non-randomized clinical studies on humans comparing the two ligation methods during fixed-appliance therapy.

Inter-observer and intra-observer agreement of cervical vertebral maturation staging: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The accurate assessment of active growth is pivotal for the correction of skeletal malocclusion in growing patients. Cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) staging is easy and devoid of unnecessary radiation, but its inter- and intra-observer agreement is still debatable.

Objective: This study aims to assess inter-observer (reliability) and intra-observer agreement (reproducibility) for CVM staging.

Assessment of eating habits, lifestyle and physical activity among medical and dental students of Faisalabad Medical University.

Objective: To assess the eating habits, lifestyle and physical activity and their impact on health of students of Faisalabad Medical University (FMU) Faisalabad Pakistan.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was prepared on 328 medical and dental students at Faisalabad Medical University from June, 2022 to October, 2022. Three Factor Eating Questionnaire Revised 21 (TFEQ-R21) was used to assess the eating habits among medical students and physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short version.

Out-of-school time use in Pakistan: A qualitative study featuring youth's voices.

The current study addresses the lack of out-of-school time (OST) research in low- and middle-income countries by exploring OST use in the context of Pakistan and incorporating youth's voices. Using a qualitative descriptive design with focus-group discussions, we conducted a study in three middle schools set in low- to middle-income neighborhoods in urban and rural areas of Karachi, Pakistan. We engaged 86 youth (50% girls; aged 10-15 years) that were purposefully selected from grade six (31.

Phytoremediation of heavy metals spiked soil by Celosia argentea L.: effect on plant growth and metal stabilization.

Soil contaminated with heavy metals cause serious threat to the soil quality, biota, and human. The removal or stabilization of heavy metals through plants is an environment friendly approach. The aim of study was to assess the potential of Celosia argentea L.

A Case of Multi-Organ Failure Secondary to Malabsorption Occurring in the Presence of Acute-on-Chronic Pancreatitis.

This case report highlights a concerning and complex case of a middle-aged female presenting with severe malabsorption, diarrhea, and subsequent malnutrition. The patient's weight dramatically dropped from 85 lbs to 50 lbs over the course of two to four months. The medical history included ongoing pancreatitis, esophageal ulcers, and previous surgeries for a dermoid cyst in the brain and cervical neoplasia.

Healthcare workers safety in the COVID-19 era: the impact of pre-pandemic personal protective equipment (PPE) training in Pakistan.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed vulnerabilities in healthcare systems worldwide, emphasizing the importance of healthcare worker safety through adequate utilization of personal protective equipment (PPE). This study aims to assess the impact of pre-pandemic PPE training on the practices and other associated factors among frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan and provide insights into the implications of such training programs for future initiatives.

Methods: A cross-sectional study from May 9th to June 5th, 2020 was conducted among the frontline healthcare workers against COVID-19 in Pakistan, utilizing an online structured questionnaire shared via WhatsApp and Facebook by using purposive sampling.

The Impact of Electromagnetic Interference from Charging All-electric Vehicles on Implantable Cardioverter-defibrillator Performance.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are growing in popularity and in general use. The effect of electromagnetic interference (EMI) caused by supercharging all-electric vehicles on implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) function has not been studied. The objective of this study was to determine the extent of the effect of EMI from charging Tesla all-electric vehicles (Tesla, Inc.

Vertical effects of cervical headgear in growing patients with Class II malocclusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cervical headgear (cHG) has been shown to be effective in Class II correction both with dental and orthopaedic effects but has traditionally been associated with vertical adverse effects in terms of posterior mandibular rotation.

Objective: To assess the treatment effects of cHG treatment in the vertical dimension.

Search Methods: Unrestricted literature search of five databases up to May 2023.

Late Presentation of Acute Coronary Syndrome Complicated by Ventricular Septal Rupture.

Acquired ventricular septal rupture (VSR) is a rare but potentially fatal complication of late-presenting myocardial infarction (MI). In the era of revascularization and reperfusion therapy, the incidence of VSR has significantly decreased. Ruptures occur predominantly in patients with late-presenting ST elevation MI.

Assessment of plastic pollution in coastal areas of Karachi: Case study of West Warf, Kemari Jetty, and Manora.

This study focused on marine pollution in coastal areas of Karachi, particularly West Warf, Kemari Jetty, and Manora. The research examined the sources and quantities of waste, from boat manufacturing, export units, and local commercial activities. Stakeholder interviews were conducted to understand waste management practices and identify the key contributors to ocean litter.

Measurements of jet multiplicity and jet transverse momentum in multijet events in proton-proton collisions at .

Multijet events at large transverse momentum () are measured at using data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of . The multiplicity of jets with that are produced in association with a high- dijet system is measured in various ranges of the of the jet with the highest transverse momentum and as a function of the azimuthal angle difference between the two highest jets in the dijet system. The differential production cross sections are measured as a function of the transverse momenta of the four highest jets.

Mapping the macrostructure and microstructure of the in vivo human hippocampus using diffusion MRI.

The hippocampus is classically divided into mesoscopic subfields which contain varying microstructure that contribute to their unique functional roles. It has been challenging to characterize this microstructure with current magnetic resonance based neuroimaging techniques. In this work, we used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and a novel surface-based approach in the hippocampus which revealed distinct microstructural distributions of neurite density and dispersion, T1w/T2w ratio as a proxy for myelin content, fractional anisotropy, and mean diffusivity.

Azimuthal Correlations within Exclusive Dijets with Large Momentum Transfer in Photon-Lead Collisions.

The structure of nucleons is multidimensional and depends on the transverse momenta, spatial geometry, and polarization of the constituent partons. Such a structure can be studied using high-energy photons produced in ultraperipheral heavy-ion collisions. The first measurement of the azimuthal angular correlations of exclusively produced events with two jets in photon-lead interactions at large momentum transfer is presented, a process that is considered to be sensitive to the underlying nuclear gluon polarization.

Azimuthal correlations in Z +jets events in proton-proton collisions at .

The production of Z bosons associated with jets is measured in collisions at with data recorded with the CMS experiment at the LHC corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.3. The multiplicity of jets with transverse momentum is measured for different regions of the Z boson's , from lower than 10 to higher than 100.

Measurement of the mass dependence of the transverse momentum of lepton pairs in Drell-Yan production in proton-proton collisions at .

The double differential cross sections of the Drell-Yan lepton pair (, dielectron or dimuon) production are measured as functions of the invariant mass , transverse momentum , and . The observable, derived from angular measurements of the leptons and highly correlated with , is used to probe the low- region in a complementary way. Dilepton masses up to 1 are investigated.