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Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci(VRE) were common among Enterococcus. faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Teicoplanin resistance or sensitivity can determine the VRE phenotypes whether VanA (VanR/TecR) or VanB (VanR/TecS). Linezolid resistance among VRE regards an newly emerged health problem. Infection with LRVRE or TRLRVRE pushan hazardous alert for hard to heal illness. Twenty eight Enterococcus spp. isolates were recovered from children diarrhea after their inoculation on m-EI chromogenic agar. Antibiotics susceptibility and phenotypic detection of antibiotics resistance were performed according to CLSI 2016. The results revealed 92.86% resistance to rifampin, 85.71% to erythromycin. VRE were 46.42%, TRE were 25% and LRE were 35.71% while co-existed resistance for Vancomycin/Teicoplanin/Linezolid(TRLRVRE) were detected 25% in. concern antibiotics resistant patterns, the MDR compile (85.7%) while XDR compile (10.7%) and there is no PDR among Enterococcus. spp. isolates were PDR. The presentstudy conclude that VanA and VanB phenotypes were common among MDR and XDR and although there is no using of linezolid but the emergence of TRLRVRE isolates were stated.

In this paper, digital image processing techniques are applied to measure some of the quality parameters of the durum wheat semolina. One of these parameters is the semolina colour value in the lab colour space L*a*b*, which is the commonly employed colour space in food field. Several numerical methods are developed and analysed for mapping the RGB digital images to L*a*b*. These methods are direct, polynomial regression, and neural network methods. The accuracy of each method is obtained with respect to the measured L*a*b* values captured with a Chroma-Meter instrument. The numerical models outcomes showed lowest colour deviations of 0.72. The results also demonstrated a significant effect of the training data set on the numerical L*a*b* outputs. Moreover, a partial least-squares regression model was developed to numerically predict the β–carotene content in semolina, as another important quality parameter. The model proved a correlation coefficient of 0.94 between numerical predictions and experimental measurements according to the ICC standard method 152 for extracting the durum carotenoids, thus bears a high potential for facilitating carotene detection in durum.

Legal translation of contract agreements is a challenge to translators as it involves combining the literary translation with the technical terminological precision. In translating legal contract agreements, a legal translator must utilize the lexical or syntactic precision and, more importantly, the pragmatic awareness of the context. This will guarantee an overall communicative process and avoid inconsistency in legal translation. However, the inability of the translator to meet these two functions in translating the contract item not only affects the contractors' comprehension of the contract item but also affects the parties' contractual obligations. In light of this, the purpose of this study was to find out how legal collocations used in contract agreements are translated from Arabic into English by student-translators in terms of (1) purely technical, (2) semi-technical, and (3) everyday vocabulary collocations. For the data collection, a multiple-choice collocation test was used to be answered by 35 EFL Iraqi undergraduate translator-students to decide on the aspects of weaknesses and strengths of their translation, thus decide on the aspects of correction. The findings showed that these students had serious problems in translating legal collocations as they lack the linguistic knowledge and pragmatic awareness needed to achieve the legal meaning and effect. They were also unable to make a difference among the three categories of legal collocations, purely technical, semi-technical, and everyday vocabulary collocations. These students should be exposed to more legal translation practices to obtain the required experience needed for their future career.

Constantly examining novel alternative materials to improve devices performance is a pressing issue in light of the scaling constraints of siliconbased metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Two-dimensional (2D) aluminum nitride (AlN) with constancy under ambient settings is a suitable channel material for the next MOSFET era. Using an ab-initio quantum-transport approach, the performance of n-type sub-5 nm devices built from a monolayer (ML) 2D AlN was studied. We found the double-gated (DG) ML AlN MOSFETs with an appropriate underlap region (UL) can meet the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) targets for 2028. Remarkably, the high-performance (HP) and low-power (LP) ML AlN MOSFET devices have high on-state currents (Ion) and perform up until gate lengths (Lg) of 2 and 3 nm, respectively. Additionally, ML AlN MOSFETs are competitive when compared to other 2D MOSFETs in terms of Ion, subthreshold swing (SS), delay time (†), and Power dissipation (PDP). Therefore, Moore's law could be stretched to a sub-5 nm range with AlN channel materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anbar Journal of Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Wafaa H Hussein,1 Hala Ramadan,2 Safa Labib,2 Gehan A Hegazy,3,4 Olfat G Shaker,5 Sherif M Yusuf,6 Mohammed A Hassanien,7 Maysa M Haroon1 1Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 2Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 3Clinical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 4Medical Division Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt; 5Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 6Internal Medicine Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt; 7Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Maysa M Haroon, Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, 71 El Kasr El Aini Street, P.O. Box 11562, Cairo, Egypt, Tel +201025868370, Email maysaharoon@yahoo.comBackground: Long noncoding ribonucleic acids (lncRNAs), small noncoding RNAs known as microRNAs (miRNAs) as well as some cytokines are recently thought to have a role in many inflammatory and autoimmune disorders including Behçet’s disease (BD). This chronic multisystem disease lacks the particular histological or laboratory findings that might aid in its diagnosis. Therefore, any association with such molecules may have an impact on understanding the disease pathogenesis and/or management. The current study compared the levels of NEAT1, miR-21 and IL17 levels in sera of Egyptian BD patients and healthy individuals. The expression levels of these molecules were further investigated for their association with BD manifestations and activity aiming to explore their potential application in disease management.Results: NEAT1 & miR-21 showed down-regulation while IL-17 showed up-regulation among BD patients as compared to controls. IL-17 had significant correlation with major vessels involvement and cyclophosphamide intake. NEAT1 showed a significant negative correlation with colchicine intake. Disease activity did not correlate significantly with any of NEAT1, miR-21 or IL-17.Conclusion: NEAT1, miR-21 and IL17 might have a role in Behçet’s disease pathogenesis, so more research is needed to unveil that role and their potential usage as biomarkers for the diagnosis or therapeutic targets.Keywords: long noncoding ribonucleic acids, microRNAs, NEAT1, miR-21, IL-17, Behçet’s disease

Abstract The environmental impact of trace metal contamination is a concern for Lake Small Abaya, Ethiopia, because of nearby agricultural and industrial activities. This study assessed the levels of trace metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Cr) in water, sediment, and fish samples, as well as the physicochemical parameters of the water. Samples were collected from five sites and analyzed via graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The mean concentrations in the water were Zn: 0.6971 mg/l, Fe: 0.5628 mg/l, Cu: 0.1168 mg/l, Mn: 0.2129 mg/l, Pb: 0.0057 mg/l, Cr: 0.0021 mg/l, and Cd: 0.0014 mg/l. In the sediments, the mean concentrations were as follows: Fe, 33.066 mg/kg; Zn, 18.263 mg/kg; Mn, 22.777 mg/kg; Cu, 7.5663 mg/kg; Pb, 0.0751 mg/kg; Cr, 0.0233 mg/kg; and Cd, 0.0183 mg/kg. The fish samples presented mean concentrations of Fe: 21.855 mg/kg, Zn: 12.686 mg/kg, Cu: 0.3185 mg/kg, Mn: 0.9181 mg/kg, Pb: 0.0089 mg/kg, Cd: 0.0075 mg/kg, and Cr: 0.0015 mg/kg. All the metal concentrations were generally below the World Health Organization (WHO) regulatory limits. The physicochemical parameters indicated slightly alkaline to neutral conditions, with electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids within acceptable ranges. These findings suggest that current agricultural and industrial activities do not significantly contribute to trace metal pollution. However, continued monitoring and pollution control measures are recommended to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of the lake. This study highlights the importance of effective environmental management strategies to safeguard this crucial aquatic resource.

Student-supervisor consultation is an essential academic requirement for Arab EFL male and female students to pass their postgraduate degree in Malaysian universities. During these consultations, students negotiate with their supervisors about their theses or final projects. However, these consultations form a challenge to these students as they need to demonstrate appropriate linguistic knowledge while corresponding to their supervisors' comments and corrections. One aspect of the linguistic challenge is the use of boosters as any over or misuse of these devices can be interpreted as inappropriate behavior, thus might affect the student-supervisor relationships and cause communication breakdown. The purpose of this study was to determine the types, frequencies, and functions of boosters in relation to gender as used by these students during the academic consultations. The data were collected by means of eight naturally occurring consultations and a pragmatic knowledge questionnaire and then analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings showed that the students used a variety of boosting devices with the intensifying adverbs, style adjuncts, and factive verbs being the most frequent. The gender analysis revealed differences in the types and counts of boosters with the male students generally using significantly higher frequencies of boosters than the female students. The pragmatic analysis showed that the Arab students used boosters strategically to reinforce their speech, so that they show their knowledge and appear more convincing. Further, the use of the boosters was not meant by the students to express polite or impolite behaviors, but it was mainly an appropriate politic behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the Glasgow Sleep Effort Scale (GSES) as an indicator of sleep effort within the Lebanese general population. A total of 360 members of the general population were included in this e-survey study. The sample completed the following measures: GSES, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Dysfunctional Beliefs about Sleep-2 (DBS-2), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and a sleep diary regarding their bedtime, sleep onset time, wake-up time, desired total sleep time, and desired time in bed. The results supported the single-factor structure through confirmatory factor analysis. It also showed internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha and omega values of 0.857 and 0.858, respectively. Further, Convergent validity was established with significant correlations between GSES, DBS-2, ISI, and PHQ-9. This suggests that GSES is valid and reliable for measuring sleep effort among the Lebanese general population.

The use of pragmatic markers as an aspect of language competence is necessary to present ideas and facts coherently. These markers mainly modify talk so that talk is comprehensible and meaningful, and help the audience follow the sequence of ideas. Failing to use these markers can negatively affect the audience's comprehension of the presentation and consequently affect the student's academic achievement. To this end, this study investigated the pragmatic markers used by Arab students during classroom oral presentations. The study focused on identifying the categories and subcategories of markers as well as examining their linguistic meaning and pragmatic functions. The data were collected using audio-recordings of students' oral presentations and were analyzed based on Fraser's (1996) classification and functions of pragmatic markers. The findings can inform better oral presentation performance of ESL/EFL learners in general and postgraduate students in particular. They add up to the literature of pragmatic discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to produce lightweight self-compacting concrete (LWSCC) using lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) as coarse aggregate. The additional aim is to study the influence of steel fiber and hybrid fibers (steel and polypropylene (PP)) on the properties of LWSCC in fresh and hardened state. Furthermore, compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths of LWSCC specimens (with and without fibers) are tested after being subjected to the fire exposure. In this study, four LWSCC mixtures with different fiber percentages (0 % fiber, 1 % steel, 0.75 % steel + 0.25 % PP, and 0.5 % steel + 0.5 % PP) are prepared and tested. The specimens were burned at temperatures 25, 300, 400, and 600 °C. The results show that all mixtures have excellent resistance to segregation and high ability to filling and passing. The presence of fibers slightly reduced the workability of LWSCC. The mechanical properties of LWSSC decrease with increasing temperature. The results show that mixtures containing fibers have good mechanical qualities and spalling resistance compared to mixtures without fibers when exposed to fire.

In this paper, the chaos synchronization of four Nano quantum cascade lasers with optoelectronic feedback was investigated. The present system consists of two receiver lasers and two transmitters lasers. The rate equation model was modulated to study the effect of the Purcell factor F and the spontaneous emission factor because of their importance in a nanocavity. The results indicated that the suggested system, realize the chaos synchronization. Also, the nanocavity parameters F and β, have significant effect on the chaos synchronization quality and may lead to lose it. Furthermore, the results showed the weak effect of delay time on the performance of lasers.

OBJECTIVES Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has profoundly impacted residency and fellowship training and education. However, how and to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon compromised the daily involvement of trainees on the clinical and ethical levels is currently unknown, which this study will shed light on. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey (30 questions) targeting medical residents delivering healthcare services in Lebanon. Residents from different specialties were included in the study to assess the effect of the pandemic on their education and the ethical obstacles they faced when dealing with patients. RESULTS A total of 221 postgraduate medical students participated in our study. Results showed that about half of the residents (52.1%) were only able to do a basic physical examination rather than a full examination as a mandatory requirement in the residency curriculum. The majority (60%) agreed that the doctor–patient relationship is contravened. In addition, almost all residents suffered from fear and emotional distress that affected their education (83.7%). CONCLUSION The findings of this study identify the effect of COVID-19 on residents’ training, which affects treatment outcomes and greatly impacts the mental well-being of both healthcare workers and patients.

Background: Odontogenic sinusitis is an underdiagnosed entity and is one cause of failure of conventional treatments of sinusitis. Unfortunately, there is no consensus so far on the best management protocol. This retrospective study aimed to suggest a practical management protocol that can reduce misdiagnosis and improve treatment outcomes. Methods: The study included 74 patients with confirmed odontogenic sinusitis who were diagnosed and treated over 10 years (2010–2019). The patient data were recorded and analysed. Results: Dental pain was reported in only 31.1 per cent of patients. Fifty-six patients (75.7 per cent) had received dental treatment during the last year, but only 13 (23.1 per cent) reported it. Dental pathology was missed on initial computed tomography evaluation in 24 patients (32.4 per cent). Forty-one patients (55.4 per cent) were successfully treated by dental procedures and antibiotics. Fourteen patients needed functional endoscopic sinus surgery in addition to dental procedures. Conclusion: Successful management of odontogenic sinusitis requires good communication between rhinologists, radiologists and dentists. Dental treatment should be the logical first step in the treatment protocol, unless otherwise indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maysa M Haroon,1 Gehan A Hegazy,2,3 Mohammed A Hassanien,4,5 Olfat Shaker,6 Wafaa H Hussein1 1Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 2Clinical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 3Medical Division, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt; 4Vice Presidency for Educational Affairs and Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 5Medical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt; 6Departments of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, EgyptCorrespondence: Maysa M Haroon, Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, 71 El Kasr El Aini Street, P.O.Box 11562, Cairo, Egypt, Tel +201025868370, Email maysaharoon@yahoo.comBackground: Dysregulation of both cellular and humoral immune responses is central in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pathogenetic mechanisms. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 23 (IL23), and their roles in promoting such dysregulation have recently been highly considered. This research compared IL23 serum levels in 85 Egyptian SLE patients and 85 healthy controls. Then, IL23 level was correlated to various SLE disease parameters, disease activity, and damage indices.Results: IL23 serum levels were significantly elevated in SLE patients versus healthy individuals. Furthermore, IL23 levels were positively correlated with SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and were positively correlated with arthritis, seizures, consumption of complements (C3, C4), and with parameters of nephritis (hematuria, pyuria, casts, and proteinuria). A positive correlation was also found between IL23 levels and oral prednisolone dose.Conclusion: IL23 has higher levels in the serum of SLE patients, and is correlated to activity of the disease, especially lupus nephritis. Further researchis needed to explore its exact role in SLE pathogenesis and whether it can be considered a potential biomarker or therapeutic target in SLE.Keywords: interleukin 23, proinflammatory cytokines, systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE disease activity index, lupus nephritis

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) complicates most cardiac surgery patients. This study assessed the accuracy of urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) and Renal Resistive Index (RRI) to early predict (AKI) after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).Methods This work enrolled 57 cases of elective cardiac surgery with CPB. Urinary NGAL and RRI were measured preoperatively and at 1, 6 and 24 h postoperatively. The primary outcome was AKI, defined by Acute Kidney Injury Network Classification (AKIN) System. The secondary aim was to assess the diagnostic accuracy, cut-off point of uNGAL and RRI, and their relation with AKI severity.Results AKI developed in 22 patients (38.5%), with 2 cases required dialysis. Mean uNGAL significantly increased by 10 folds at 1h and 15 folds at 6h postoperatively. As regard uNGAL,the 1 h diagnostic accuracy was 94.8%, The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.888, using a cut-off value of 194.3 ng/ml. The 6 h diagnostic accuracy was 96.5%, AUC was 0.995 at a cut-off value 67.1 ng/ml. The 1 and 6 h uNGAL were unrelated to AKI severity. As regard RRI, AKI patients had significantly higher 1 h and 6 h RRI. The diagnostic accuracy at 1 h was 93.0%, AUC was 0.991, using a cut-off value of 0.72. The diagnostic accuracy at 6 h was 94.8%, AUC 0.995 at a cut-off value of 0.71. Values of RRI were significantly related only to severe cases requiring dialysis.Conclusion Urinary NGAL and RRI are early accurate indicators of AKI. High RRI can predict dialysis-requirement.

Introduction: Thyroid cancer is usually associated with genetic alterations. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) was found to be accompanied by point mutation occurs in a part of exon 15 in specific gene called BRAF which is a part of pathway that responsible for cell main functions such as division. The role of BRAF gene point mutation (V600E) in the occurrence of PTC was investigated in this study. Study designs and subjects: 70 patients previously diagnosed with PTC in addition to 35 controls were recruited in this control-based study. Patients were grouped according to their ages and gender. Blood samples were collected for DNA extraction. PCR was run to detect V600E point mutation in BRAF gene. Results: PTC incidence was found to be higher in patients aged from 40-49 years. The percentage decreased as ages increased. Females had higher PTC frequency than males, 66% to 34%, respectively. The V600E point mutation was detected in 35 patients out of 70 (50%). Conclusion: Genetic studies have to be a part of thyroid cancer investigations. The study confirmed that PTC is usually associated with molecular defect. Other studies such as thyroid profile tests (TSH, T3 or T4) have to be done along with genetic studies for more confirmation and more understanding of this molecular defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work a laser shadowgraphy technique designed to test and enhance the automotive visual ergonomics is described. An experimental setup is used to test the field of view (FOV) of three sample cars through equiradial laser beam shadowgraphy from driver's cyclopean eye position. A resulting shadowgraph is analyzed to retrieve ergonomic drawbacks of each sample design. This technique help in the design of safer cars and also can be used to differentiate between several competitive cars from the same class whenever on ergonomic bases to lower collision probability due to bad designed driver's FOV. A complete modeling of experimental parameters is inclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci(VRE) were common among Enterococcus. faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Teicoplanin resistance or sensitivity can determine the VRE phenotypes whether VanA (VanR/TecR) or VanB (VanR/TecS). Linezolid resistance among VRE regards an newly emerged health problem. Infection with LRVRE or TRLRVRE pushan hazardous alert for hard to heal illness. Twenty eight Enterococcus spp. isolates were recovered from children diarrhea after their inoculation on m-EI chromogenic agar. Antibiotics susceptibility and phenotypic detection of antibiotics resistance were performed according to CLSI 2016. The results revealed 92.86% resistance to rifampin, 85.71% to erythromycin. VRE were 46.42%, TRE were 25% and LRE were 35.71% while co-existed resistance for Vancomycin/Teicoplanin/Linezolid(TRLRVRE) were detected 25% in. concern antibiotics resistant patterns, the MDR compile (85.7%) while XDR compile (10.7%) and there is no PDR among Enterococcus. spp. isolates were PDR. The presentstudy conclude that VanA and VanB phenotypes were common among MDR and XDR and although there is no using of linezolid but the emergence of TRLRVRE isolates were stated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted at the fields of College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad during spring and fall seasons 2017 to study the effect of addition methods of Neem leaves extract and organic fertilizer in the productivity and quality of two potatoes cultivars. The experiment was carried out using split plot arrangement within Randomized Complete Block Design, with three replicates. The experiment included two Potato cultivars ,Burren (V1) and Riviera(V2) as the main factors and nutritional treatments as follow: control treatment T1, Recommend fertilizer T2, cows manure 5% of soil weight T3, irrigation with cows manure T4, cows manure 5%of soil weight+recommend chemical fertilizer T5, Spraying the Neem leaves extract with a concentration of (2.5 g L-1)+cows manure 5% T6, Spraying the Neem leaves extract with a concentration of (5g L-1)+cows manure 5% T7, Spraying the Neem leaves extract with a concentration of (7.5 g L-1) + cows manure 5% T8, irrigation with Neem leaves extract with 25% concentration +cows manure 5% T9, irrigation with Neem leaves extract with 50% concentration+ cows manure 5% T10, irrigation with Neem leaves extract with 75% concentration of concentrated solution for Neem leaves extract+cows manure 5% T11 and irrigation with Neem leaves extract with 100% concentration+cows manure 5% T12.as sub plots, T8 treatment was significantly superior in the total yield, compared with the lowest average of total yield in control treatment T1, The V1 produced a significantly highest total yield and the marketable yield for plant compared to V2 for two seasons, The T8V1 interaction treatment was significantly superiority in the increase of total yield compared to the lowest average for T1V2 treatment, the response of two potato cultivars differed to the nutrition treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jiahui Zhang,1,* Jingyi Fan,1,* Mariusz Skwarczynski,1 Rachel J Stephenson,1 Istvan Toth,1– 3 Waleed M Hussein1 1School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia; 2School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia; 3Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Waleed M Hussein, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia, Tel +61 7 3365 2782, Email w.hussein@uq.edu.auAbstract: Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs), such as HPV-16 and HPV-18, can induce cervical cancer in humans. The disease carries high morbidity and mortality among females worldwide. Inoculation with prophylactic HPV vaccines, such as Gardasil® or Cervarix®, is the predominant method of preventing cervical cancer in females 6 to 26 years of age. However, despite the availability of commercial prophylactic HPV vaccines, no therapeutic HPV vaccines to eliminate existing HPV infections have been approved. Peptide-based vaccines, which form one of the most potent vaccine platforms, have been broadly investigated to overcome this shortcoming. Peptide-based vaccines are especially effective in inducing cellular immune responses and eradicating tumor cells when combined with nanoscale adjuvant particles and delivery systems. This review summarizes progress in the development of peptide-based nanovaccines against HPV infection.Keywords: human papillomavirus, cervical cancer, peptide-based vaccines, nanovaccine

Background and Objective Our aim is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on screen time among Lebanese high school students (grades 9–12). Methods An anonymous online questionnaire was distributed among 510 school students from different governorates in Lebanon; this included questions regarding screen time, food habits, and physical activity. Psychological symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 items and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items. Effects of screen time on sleep was evaluated using the Insomnia Severity Index and Bedtime Procrastination Scale. Results Female students reported higher depression (p = 0.018) and anxiety (p = 0.023) than male students; however, there was no difference in their sleep. Insomnia, depression, and anxiety were highest among phone users. A screen time of more than 7 hours per day was significantly associated with higher depression (67.9%), anxiety (61.6%), insomnia (82.1%), and bedtime procrastination. It also indicated a shift toward a less healthy diet and light exercise. Conclusions Seven hours of screen was found to develop depression and anxiety, exercising less, eating a less healthy diet, and experiencing disturbed sleep among school adolescents.

Classifying bubbles in liquids is a crucial problem that is demanded within multiple fields. This paper discusses a new method for classifying bubble sizes in non-contact and inexpensive approach using ultrasound analysis. Exploiting the principle of buoyancy, free rising bubbles with larger volumes elevate faster to the surface compared to the smaller ones, given that they have the same densities. An envelope detector is proposed which tracks the changes in the ultrasound signals reflected by the bubbles when they cross the ultrasound field. These changes in the reflected signals are distinctive for the sizes under consideration. Relevant spectral and linear predictive coding features that represent the distinct characteristics are extracted. These features are fed to a feed-forward artificial neural network to successfully classify air bubbles according to their sizes with an accuracy of 98.8%. This method provides promising applications to be implemented in industrial, biomedical and environmental fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conjugate gradient method is an important part of the methods of optimization that are not constrained by local convergence characteristics. In this research, a new formula for the conjugated coefficient is derived depending on the linear structure. The new method fulfills the regression requirement. In addition, using the Wolff search line terms, the overall convergence of the new method has been demonstrated. At the end of the research were presented numerical results that show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

PURPOSE: The available data on strabismus surgery in South East Asian countries are scarce. This study aimed to identify visual outcome and factors influencing surgical outcome of horizontal strabismus surgery in a Southeast Asian cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of patients who underwent horizontal strabismus surgery between 2013 and 2017 in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia was conducted. Surgery was considered successful if the post-operative deviation was within 10 prism diopters at 6 months' postoperative period. Factors influencing the outcome of surgery at 6 months were identified. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used in data analysis. RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients were included. Both genders were equally affected. Exotropia (58.2%) was the most common type. About 65.3% of patients had alternating strabismus, while 51% had an angle of deviation of more than 45 prism diopters. Amblyopia was documented in 14.3% of patients. Those operated on below 10 years of age comprised 64.3%. Ninety-four patients completed follow-ups at 6 months after the surgery. The success rate was 81.6%. Approximately 92% of the patients had best-corrected visual acuities of 6/12 and better at 6 months' postoperative period. There was no significant association between age of onset, gender, presence of amblyopia, type of deviation, amount of deviation, and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity with surgical outcome at 6 months' postoperative period (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The success rate was good. Postoperative best-corrected visual acuity was promising. Age of onset, gender, presence of amblyopia, type of deviation, amount of deviation, and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity did not influence the outcome of horizontal strabismus surgery in our review.

Introduction: Self-efficacy signifies an individual's belief in their own ability to perform the actions required to achieve a particular performance. In this study, we used an online survey to assess the mediation effect of resilience and self-efficacy on the overall psychological well-being of Lebanese people during the crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut explosion.Methods: Overall, 567 Lebanese people participated in an online survey between March 17–28, 2021. The survey included the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 items (SAVE-6), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale-2 items, WHO-5 Well-being Index, General Self-Efficacy scale, and a single item on insomnia. We also assessed their risk perception regarding exposure to COVID-19 or explosions.Results: About 53% of participants were assessed as having depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) in the recent crisis. About half of participants (53.2%) reported feeling more stressed by COVID-19 than by the Beirut explosion, and 23.4% felt more stressed by the Beirut explosion than by COVID-19. Only the SAVE-6 score differed significantly between groups with greater stress responses to COVID-19 and the Beirut explosion. Self-efficacy mediated the influence of depression on people's psychological well-being, and self-efficacy and resilience mediated the influence of viral anxiety on psychological well-being.Conclusion: Self-efficacy is important for reducing people's depression and improving their psychological well-being during the Lebanon crises and also mediates the influence of anxiety in response to the viral epidemic on their psychological well-being in some people.

Congenital abdominal cysts have a broad differential diagnosis. Pancreatic cysts are rare lesions that offer a diagnostic and surgical challenge to surgeons. We report on a case of a large left upper quadrant cyst detected in utero, which remained of unclear etiology despite cross-sectional imaging at birth. Intraoperative findings confirmed its pancreatic origin. In hindsight, a pre-operative elevated immunoreactive trypsinogen, performed as part of universal cystic fibrosis (CF) newborn screening, may have suggested the diagnosis.False-positive CF screening tests may be unnoticed by a surgical team assessing infants with an abdominal mass. As universal testing for cystic fibrosis increases in Canada and worldwide, physicians should review a patient's CF screening history. Elevated immunoreactive trypsinogen levels with normal sweat chloride and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) detection tests may orient towards a pancreatic etiology when assessing a patient with a congenital abdominal cyst of unclear etiology.

The open-question argument is a connecting point in contemporary Analytical Ethics, in response to which many new views were addressed as positive or negative reactions to this argument. In this article, we strive to study and critique the open-question argument and its semantic suppositions and to show that this argument is an application of paradox of analysis and descriptive theory of meaning on ethical concepts. According to the paradox of analysis, the constituents of things contribute to their concepts and therefore, the real definitions which include the constitutents elements are tautological and lack new information. Going forward, we address the semantic views of Frege, logical positivism, Suhravardi-Locke and Kripke-Putnam in order to resolve the paradox of analysis and show that none of these views can be applied to ethical concepts and cannot be considered as a satisfactory answer to open-argument paradox. Finally, we have explained that another solution can be suggested for the paradox of analysis by taking inspiration from the Kripke-Putnam theory and linguistic inspiration. According to this solution, the primary reference of ethical terms to external instances happens without the mediation of concepts and through common intuitions of the linguistics and the precise concept of these terms is gradually addressed and formed in the process of analysis and by considering primary intuitions

We describe a combined sternotomy/laparotomy approach as a novel technique in central tendon diaphragmatic hernia repair. During a routine second trimester prenatal ultrasound, a 19-year-old woman was found to have a fetus with a diaphragmatic hernia. Subsequent fetal MRI at 28 weeks demonstrated a large central tendon defect through which the majority of the liver was herniated. The fetus was closely followed until her delivery at 38 weeks. The patient was intubated shortly after delivery and treated for pulmonary hypertension. A thoraco-abdominal CT scan revealed a large, mushroom-shaped herniation of the liver. By day of life 7, the patient demonstrated physiological stability. Following a multidisciplinary meeting, the decision was made to proceed to surgery. A sternotomy with an upper midline laparotomy revealed the liver herniating through a central tendon defect without any hernia sac. The liver was reduced into the abdomen without kinks in the hepatic veins. The defect was then closed using a polytetrafluoroethylene patch. She did not develop any compartment syndrome despite pre-operative concerns. Post-operatively, she was weaned to conventional mechanical ventilation after brief requirement of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, and subsequently extubated. A combined sternotomy/laparotomy provided an excellent operative exposure and may be effective in a large congenital central tendon diaphragmatic hernia repair.

ObjectivesThe optimal size of the health workforce for children’s surgical care around the world remains poorly defined. The goal of this study was to characterise the surgical workforce for children across Brazil, and to identify associations between the surgical workforce and measures of childhood health.DesignThis study is an ecological, cross-sectional analysis using data from the Brazil public health system (Sistema Único de Saúde).Settings and participantsWe collected data on the surgical workforce (paediatric surgeons, general surgeons, anaesthesiologists and nursing staff), perioperative mortality rate (POMR) and under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) across Brazil for 2015.Primary and secondary outcome measuresWe performed descriptive analyses, and identified associations between the workforce and U5MR using geospatial analysis (Getis-Ord-Gi analysis, spatial cluster analysis and linear regression models).FindingsThere were 39 926 general surgeons, 856 paediatric surgeons, 13 243 anaesthesiologists and 103 793 nurses across Brazil in 2015. The U5MR ranged from 11 to 26 deaths/1000 live births and the POMR ranged from 0.11–0.17 deaths/100 000 children across the country. The surgical workforce is inequitably distributed across the country, with the wealthier South and Southeast regions having a higher workforce density as well as lower U5MR than the poorer North and Northeast regions. Using linear regression, we found an inverse relationship between the surgical workforce density and U5MR. An U5MR of 15 deaths/1000 births across Brazil is associated with a workforce level of 5 paediatric surgeons, 200 surgeons, 100 anaesthesiologists or 700 nurses/100 000 children.ConclusionsWe found wide disparities in the surgical workforce and childhood mortality across Brazil, with both directly related to socioeconomic status. Areas of increased surgical workforce are associated with lower U5MR. Strategic investment in the surgical workforce may be required to attain optimal health outcomes for children in Brazil, particularly in rural regions.

Abstract The present study analyses the impacts of past and future climate change on extreme weather events for southern parts of Canada from 1981 to 2100. A set of precipitation and temperature‐based indices were computed using the downscaled Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) multi‐model ensemble projections at 8 km resolution over the 21st Century for two representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios: RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The results show that this region is expected to experience stronger warming and a higher increase in precipitation extremes in future. Generally, projected changes in minimum temperature will be greater than changes in maximum temperature, as shown by respective indices. A decrease in frost days and an increase in warm nights will be expected. By 2100 there will be no cool nights and cool days. Daily minimum and maximum temperatures will increase by 12 and 7°C, respectively, under the RCP8.5 scenario, when compared with the reference period 1981–2000. The highest warming in minimum temperature and decrease in cool nights and days will occur in Ontario and Quebec provinces close to the Great Lakes and Hudson Bay. The highest warming in maximum temperature will occur in the southern parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Annual total precipitation is expected to increase by about 16% and the occurrence of heavy precipitation events by five days. The highest increase in annual total precipitation will occur in the northern parts of Ontario and Quebec and in western British Columbia.

Precipitation and temperature are among major climatic variables that are used to characterize extreme weather events, which can have profound impacts on ecosystems and society. Accurate simulation of these variables at the local scale is essential to adapt urban systems and policies to future climatic changes. However, accurate simulation of these climatic variables is difficult due to possible interdependence and feedbacks among them. In this paper, the concept of copulas was used to model seasonal interdependence between precipitation and temperature. Five copula functions were fitted to grid (approximately 10 km × 10 km) climate data from 1960 to 2013 in southern Ontario, Canada. Theoretical and empirical copulas were then compared with each other to select the most appropriate copula family for this region. Results showed that, of the tested copulas, none of them consistently performed the best over the entire region during all seasons. However, Gumbel copula was the best performer during the winter season, and Clayton performed best in the summer. More variability in terms of best copula was found in spring and fall seasons. By examining the likelihoods of concurrent extreme temperature and precipitation periods including wet/cool in the winter and dry/hot in the summer, we found that ignoring the joint distribution and confounding impacts of precipitation and temperature lead to the underestimation of occurrence of probabilities for these two concurrent extreme modes. This underestimation can also lead to incorrect conclusions and flawed decisions in terms of the severity of these extreme events.

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for coronary, peripheral, and cerebrovascular disease. Elevated plasma homocysteine levels were described in a preliminary report on primary hypothyroidism.Objective: To determine whether restoration of euthyroidism by L-thyroxine replacement therapy would reduce or normalize plasma homocysteine levels.Design: Prospective cohort study.Setting: Outpatient endocrinology department of a tertiary center.Patients: 14 patients (10 women and 4 men; 25 to 77 years of age): 4 with newly diagnosed chronic (Hashimoto) hypothyroidism and 10 who had been rendered acutely hypothyroid (thyroid-stimulating hormone level > 25 mU/L) by total thyroidectomy for thyroid carcinoma.Measurements: Total plasma homocysteine levels were measured at baseline and 3 to 9 months later, after euthyroidism had been attained by L-thyroxine replacement therapy.Results: Median baseline plasma homocysteine levels in both sexes (women, 11.65 micromol/L [range, 7.2 to 26.5 micromol/L]; men, 15.1 micromol/L [range, 14.1 to 16.3 micromol/L]) were higher (P = 0.002) than those in healthy female (n = 35) and male (n = 36) volunteers (women, 7.52 micromol/L [range, 4.3 to 14.0 micromol/L]; men, 8.72 micromol/L [range, 5.94 to 14.98 micromol/L]). Eight patients (57%) had baseline plasma homocysteine levels that exceeded the upper limit of sex-specific reference ranges. Upon attainment of euthyroidism, all patients had a diminution in plasma homocysteine levels. The median overall change of -5.5 micromol/L (range, -15.4 to -1.8 micromol/L) corresponds to a difference of -44% (range, -58% to -13%) (P < 0.001). Homocysteine levels returned to normal in 7 of the 8 patients with elevated pretreatment values.Conclusions: Hypothyroidism may be a treatable cause of hyperhomocysteinemia, and elevated plasma homocysteine levels may be an independent risk factor for the accelerated atherosclerosis seen in primary hypothyroidism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the research is the study of improving the performance of the thermal station south Baghdad and the main reasons for reduced its efficiency. South Baghdad power planet comprises (6) steam turbine units and (18) gas turbine units .The gas turbine units are composed of two groups: the first group is made up of gas units (1,2), each of capacity (123) MW. The design efficiency of gas turbine units is 32%. The actual efficiency data of steam units is 18.3% instead of 45% which is the design efficiency. The main reason for efficiency reduction of gas units is the rejected thermal energy with the exhaust gases to atmosphere, that are (450-510) ℃.The bad type of fuel used (heavy) fuel. Another reason for the low efficiency and has a negative impact on the steam and gas units. The actual efficiency that is calculated to set the first group gas unit (1) is (27%). Suppose the steam is passed through the (HRSG) and this (HRSG) passes the combustion products emerging from first group gas turbine unit (1). The temperature of exhaust gases (Tieg =783k) entered (HRSG) and the temperature of gas out from the (HRSG) (Toeg =374k). The thermal efficiency of combined -cycle plant is (the amount of fuel that can be available by using the plant compound in combined cycle, is (3603.88) tons per year. The relationship between the account of load and compression ratio during the three seasons of the year as where a large difference in the degree of heat between summer and winter .When the high temperature in summer less than the energy generated. As was the rate of energy produced is (99.8, 90.6, 70.6) MW in the (winter, autumn and summer), respectively.