Identifying targets for antibiotic stewardship interventions in pediatric patients in Punjab, Pakistan: point prevalence surveys using AWaRe guidance.

Introduction: Surveillance of antibiotic use is crucial for identifying targets for antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs), particularly in pediatric populations within countries like Pakistan, where antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is escalating. This point prevalence survey (PPS) seeks to assess the patterns of antibiotic use in pediatric patients across Punjab, Pakistan, employing the WHO AWaRe classification to pinpoint targets for intervention and encourage rational antibiotic usage.

Methods: A PPS was conducted across 23 pediatric wards of 14 hospitals in the Punjab Province of Pakistan using the standardized Global-PPS methodology developed by the University of Antwerp.

Targeted barcoding of variable antibody domains and individual transcriptomes of the human B-cell repertoire using Link-Seq.

Here, we present Link-Seq, a highly efficient droplet microfluidic method for combined sequencing of antibody-encoding genes and the transcriptome of individual B cells at large scale. The method is based on 3' barcoding of the transcriptome and subsequent single-molecule PCR in droplets, which freely shift the barcode along specific gene regions, such as the antibody heavy- and light-chain genes. Using the immune repertoire of COVID-19 patients and healthy donors as a model system, we obtain up to 91.

Toxicodynamic insights of 2C and NBOMe drugs - Is there abuse potential?

Drug use represents a prevalent and multifaceted societal problem, with profound implications for public health, social welfare, and economic stability. To circumvent strict international drug control regulations, there is a growing trend in the development and market introduction of novel psychoactive substances (NPS), encompassing a wide range of compounds with psychoactive properties. This includes, among other classes of drugs, the phenethylamines.

model of bacterial biofilm mineralization in complex humid environments: a proof of concept study.

Background: Bacteria in physiological environments can generate mineralizing biofilms, which are associated with diseases like periodontitis or kidney stones. Modelling complex environments presents a challenge for the study of mineralization in biofilms. Here, we developed an experimental setup which could be applied to study the fundamental principles behind biofilm mineralization on rigid substrates, using a model organism and in a tailored bioreactor that mimics a humid environment.

The effect of deep magnetic stimulation on the cardiac-brain axis post-sleep deprivation: a pilot study.

Introduction: Sleep deprivation (SD) significantly disrupts the homeostasis of the cardiac-brain axis, yet the neuromodulation effects of deep magnetic stimulation (DMS), a non-invasive and safe method, remain poorly understood.

Methods: Sixty healthy adult males were recruited for a 36-h SD study, they were assigned to the DMS group or the control group according to their individual willing. All individuals underwent heart sound measurements and functional magnetic resonance imaging scans at the experiment's onset and terminal points.

Advancements in drug discovery: integrating CADD tools and drug repurposing for PD-1/PD-L1 axis inhibition.

Despite significant strides in improving cancer survival rates, the global cancer burden remains substantial, with an anticipated rise in new cases. Immune checkpoints, key regulators of immune responses, play a crucial role in cancer evasion mechanisms. The discovery of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-1/PD-L1 has revolutionized cancer treatment, with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) becoming widely prescribed.

Research on transition metals for the multicomponent synthesis of benzo-fused γ-lactams.

Benzo-fused γ-lactams are fundamental in medicinal chemistry, acting as essential elements for various therapeutic agents due to their structural adaptability and capability to enhance biological activity. In their synthesis, transition metals play a pivotal role as catalysts, offering more efficient alternatives to traditional methods by facilitating C-N bond formation through mechanisms like intramolecular coupling. Recent advances have especially spotlighted transition-metal-catalyzed C-H amination reactions for directly converting C(sp)-H to C(sp)-N bonds, streamlining the creation of these compounds.

Developing an Emergency Medical Services Resilience Assessment Tool in Climate Change: A Study Protocol.

Background: Climate change poses significant threats to the health and safety of communities worldwide. Extreme weather events can disrupt critical infrastructure and overwhelm emergency medical services (EMS) systems. As the frequency and intensity of these climate-related disasters continue to increase, it is essential that EMS organizations develop robust strategies to enhance their resilience.

Short-time cycling performance in young elite cyclists: related to maximal aerobic power and not to maximal accumulated oxygen deficit.

Purpose: To explore the relationships between performance variables and physiological variables in a short-time (2-3 min) cycling time trial (TT) on a cycle ergometer.

Methods: Fifteen young elite cyclists (age: 17.3 ± 0.

Valorization of raw papaya () and citrus peels for development of antimicrobial and biodegradable edible film.

Most of the food packaging materials used in the market are petroleum-based plastics; such materials are neither biodegradable nor environmentally friendly and require years to decompose. To overcome these problems, biodegradable and edible materials are encouraged to be used because such materials degrade quickly due to the actions of bacteria, fungi, and other environmental effects. The present study examined that starch can be effectively used as raw material to develop biodegradable, edible films.

Characterization of jamun () juice fortified with nanoemulsified vitamin D: and assessment of its nutraceutical value and anti-diabetic potential.

This study aimed to fortify Jamun () juice with vitamin D to address vitamin D deficiency and boost health. A nanoemulsion of vitamin D was fabricated using a low-temperature (4-20C) sonication method and incorporated into the juice. The vitamin D fortified jamun juice (VDFJJ) exhibited a total polyphenol content of 14.

Oral health care in older people in long-term care facilities: An updated systematic review and meta-analyses of implementation strategies.

Introduction: Oral health care of older people in long-term care facilities is insufficient, stressing the need for clear evidence-based implementation strategies to improve oral care. In 2013, a systematic review was performed and new evidence was published. This study aimed to gain insights into implementation strategies used to promote or improve oral health care for older people in long-term care facilities, explore their effectiveness and uncover strategy content in behavioral change techniques, and report the differences between the current results and those of the 2013 study.

Nurses' self-efficacy and outcome expectancy in evidence-based practice: Translation, construct validity and internal consistency of the Dutch scales.

Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) is crucial for appropriate, effective, and affordable care. Despite EBP education, barriers like low self-efficacy and outcome expectancy limit nurses' engagement in EBP. Reliable scales are essential to evaluate interventions aimed at improving self-efficacy and outcome expectancy in EBP.

Prevalence of respiratory viruses in children in Northeast Brazil: The scenario before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of nine respiratory viruses and their clinical characteristics in children aged up to 5 years old in the state of Sergipe, Northeast of Brazil in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period.

Methods: Children with suspected influenza virus infection were included in the study. Clinical samples were screened using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of adenovirus, parainfluenza (PIV)1, PIV2, PIV3, and human metapneumovirus.

Stem cell-derived exosome delivery systems for treating atherosclerosis: The new frontier of stem cell therapy.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of mortality worldwide. As a chronic inflammatory disease with a complicated pathophysiology marked by abnormal lipid metabolism and arterial plaque formation, atherosclerosis is a major contributor to CVDs and can induce abrupt cardiac events. The discovery of exosomes' role in intercellular communication has sparked a great deal of interest in them recently.

Computationally Assisted Noncanonical Amino Acid Incorporation.

Genetic encoding of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with desired functionalities is an invaluable tool for the study of biological processes and the development of therapeutic drugs. However, existing ncAA incorporation strategies are rather time-consuming and have relatively low success rates. Here, we develop a virtual ncAA screener based on the analysis and modeling of the chemical properties of all reported ncAA substrates to virtually determine the recognition potential of candidate ncAAs.

When Photoelectrons Meet Gas Molecules: Determining the Role of Inelastic Scattering in Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

Inelastic photoelectron scattering (IPES) by gas molecules, a critical phenomenon observed in ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS), complicates spectral interpretation due to kinetic energy loss in the primary spectrum and the appearance of additional features at higher binding energies. In this study, we systematically investigate IPES in various gas environments using APXPS, providing detailed insights into interactions between photoelectrons emitted from solid surfaces and surrounding gas molecules. Core-level XPS spectra of Au, Ag, Zn, and Cu metals were recorded over a wide kinetic energy range in the presence of CO, N, Ar, and H gases, demonstrating the universal nature of IPES across different systems.

Post-processing enhances protein secondary structure prediction with second order deep learning and embeddings.

Protein Secondary Structure Prediction (PSSP) is regarded as a challenging task in bioinformatics, and numerous approaches to achieve a more accurate prediction have been proposed. Accurate PSSP can be instrumental in inferring protein tertiary structure and their functions. Machine Learning and in particular Deep Learning approaches show promising results for the PSSP problem.

Low Molecular Weight Biobased Aromatics from Pyrolysis Liquids Using Zeolites: Yield Improvements by Using Pyrolysis Oil Fractions.

Pyrolysis liquids from lignocellulosic biomass have the potential to be used as a feed for aromatics such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) using catalytic upgrading with zeolites. We here report an experimental study on the conversion of various pyrolysis oil fractions to determine the most suitable one for BTX synthesis. For this purpose, the pyrolysis liquid was fractionated using several extraction/distillation steps to give four fractions with different chemical compositions.

An Investigation into the Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Tetrazole Derivatives for Application as Mild Steel Corrosion Inhibitors in a Solution of Hydrochloric Acid.

The objective of the study was to synthesize tetrazole molecules featuring nitro groups positioned at the para and meta locations. We aimed to assess their effectiveness in inhibiting corrosion of mild steel in a 1 M HCl solution at 298 K. Tetrazoles with 2,5-disubstitution were created using [3 + 2] cycloaddition and N-alkylation techniques, with a particular emphasis on synthesizing molecules that contain nitro groups.

Novel D-Ribofuranosyl Tetrazoles: Synthesis, Characterization, In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity, and Computational Studies.

The goal of this study was to synthesize and evaluate new antimicrobial compounds. We specifically focused on the development of 2,5-disubstituted tetrazole derivatives containing the O-methyl-2,3-O-isopropylidene-(D)-ribofuranoside groups through N-alkylation reactions. The synthesized compounds were characterized using H and C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

Lanostane Triterpenes, Flavanones and Acetogenins from the Roots of and Their Cytotoxic Activity.

Our phytochemical investigation of the roots of led to the isolation of two new lanostane triterpenes, 3-acetylpolycarpol () and 15-acetylpolycarpol (), as well as 15 known compounds (-). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by an analysis of spectroscopic data. Compounds - were tested against nonsmall cell lung cancer cells (A549) and human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa) using an MTT assay.

Highly Green Fluorescent Carbon Dots from Gallic Acid: A Turn-On Sensor toward Pb Ions.

Carbon dots (CDs) are emerging novel fluorescent sensing nanomaterials owing to their tunable optical properties, biocompatibility, and eco-friendliness. Herein, we report a facile one-pot hydrothermal route for the synthesis of highly green fluorescent CDs using gallic acid (GA) as a single carbon source in ,-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent, which serves as a nitrogen source and reaction medium. The optical properties of the synthesized GA-DMF CDs were systematically characterized by using UV-vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy, revealing strong green fluorescence.

The anomalous state of Uranus's magnetosphere during the Voyager 2 flyby.

The Voyager 2 flyby of Uranus in 1986 revealed an unusually oblique and off-centred magnetic field. This single in situ measurement has been the basis of our interpretation of Uranus's magnetosphere as the canonical extreme magnetosphere of the solar system; with inexplicably intense electron radiation belts and a severely plasma-depleted magnetosphere. However, the role of external forcing by the solar wind has rarely been considered in explaining these observations.

Revisiting water resources management in the Mandara Mountains.

This article evaluates the prospects for rainwater harvesting (RWH) as a means of optimizing water management in the Mandara Mountains. RWH is a small-scale water conservation approach for locally intercepting and storing rainfall before it enters the usual hydrologic cycle. This ancient practice has recently sustained lives in semiarid areas of the world (e.