Search

BackgroundOrthodontic treatment planning involves the precise assessment of dental and skeletal anomalies, which can be facilitated by AI-enhanced diagnostic tools. Materials and MethodsA total of 100 orthodontic cases were included in this RCT. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: an AI-enhanced diagnostic group and a traditional diagnostic group. The AI-enhanced diagnostic group underwent orthodontic assessment with the aid of AI-powered software, which provided automated cephalometric analysis, 3D model evaluations, and treatment suggestions. The traditional diagnostic group received conventional diagnostic assessments by orthodontists. The primary outcome measures included treatment planning accuracy, treatment time, and patient satisfaction. Secondary outcomes included the number of appointments required and treatment cost. ResultsThe AI-enhanced diagnostic group demonstrated a significantly higher accuracy in treatment planning compared to the traditional diagnostic group (P < 0.05). The AI group also required fewer appointments (mean ± SD: 10.2 ± 2.1 vs. 12.8 ± 3.4) and had a shorter treatment time (mean ± SD: 14.6 ± 3.2 months vs. 18.9 ± 4.5 months) (P < 0.001 for both comparisons). Additionally, patient satisfaction scores were higher in the AI group (mean ± SD: 9.2 ± 0.6 vs. 8.1 ± 0.8) (P < 0.001). However, the AI-enhanced diagnostic group had a slightly higher treatment cost. ConclusionAI-enhanced diagnostic tools significantly enhance the accuracy of treatment planning in orthodontic cases, leading to reduced treatment time, fewer appointments, and increased patient satisfaction.

An integral part of any reliable network security infrastructure is the intrusion detection system (IDS). Early attack detection can stop adversaries from further intruding on a network. Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) techniques to automate intrusion threat detection at a scale never previously envisioned have snowballed during the past 10 years. Researchers, software engineers, and network professionals have been encouraged to reconsider the use of ML techniques, notably in cybersecurity. This article proposes a system for detecting intrusion with two approaches, the first utilizing a proposed hybrid convolutional neural network (CNN) and Dense layers. The second utilizes naïve Bayes (NB) ML techniques and compares the two approaches to determine the best detection accuracy. The preprocessing of network data is necessary. The suggested technique is evaluated using the UNSW-NB15 Dataset to create a reliable classifier and an effective IDS. The experimental results for the proposed CNN-dense classifier outperformed the ML and DL models. CNN has a 99.8% accuracy rate compared to previous studies. At the same time, the Gaussian naïve Bayes, which is considered the best among the ML-utilized classifiers, yielded an 83% accuracy rate.

BackgroundMetabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a novel terminology introduced in 2020 to provide a more accurate description of fatty liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction. It replaces the outdated term nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and aims to improve diagnostic criteria and tailored treatment strategies for the disease. NAFLD, the most prevalent liver disease in western industrialized nations, has been steadily increasing in prevalence and is associated with serious complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. It is also linked to insulin resistance syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. However, current studies on NAFLD have limitations in meeting necessary histological endpoints.ObjectiveThis literature review aims to consolidate recent knowledge and discoveries concerning MAFLD, integrating the diverse aspects of the disease. Specifically, it focuses on analyzing the diagnostic criteria for MAFLD, differentiating it from NAFLD and alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), and exploring the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, and management approaches associated with MAFLD. The review also explores the associations between MAFLD and other conditions. It discusses the heightened mortality risk associated with MAFLD and its link to chronic kidney disease (CKD), showing that MAFLD exhibits enhanced diagnostic accuracy for identifying patients with CKD compared to NAFLD. The association between MAFLD and incident/prevalent CKD is supported by cohort studies and meta-analyses.ConclusionThis literature review highlights the importance of MAFLD as a distinct terminology for fatty liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction. The review provides insights into the diagnostic criteria, associations with CKD, and management approaches for MAFLD. Further research is needed to develop more accurate diagnostic tools for advanced fibrosis in MAFLD and to explore the underlying mechanisms linking MAFLD with other conditions. This review serves as a valuable resource for researchers and healthcare professionals seeking a comprehensive understanding of MAFLD.

Abstract Background Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a lethal subtype of breast cancer with limited treatment options. The purpose of this Network Meta-Analysis (NMA) is to compare the efficacy and safety of inhibitors of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in treating TNBC. Methods Our search strategy was used in six databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature database, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science up to November 2nd, 2022, as well as a thorough search in the most used trial registries. We included phase II and III randomized controlled trials that looked at the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the treatment of TNBC and reported either Overall Survival (OS), Progression-Free Survival (PFS), or pathological Complete Response (pCR). The risk of bias was assessed utilizing Cochrane's risk of bias 2 tool, and the statistical analysis was performed using a frequentist contrast-based method for NMA by employing standard pairwise meta-analysis applying random effects model. Results 12 trials (5324 patients) were included in our NMA including seven phase III trials. Pembrolizumab in a neoadjuvant setting achieved a pooled OS of 0.82 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.65 to 1.03), a PFS of 0.82 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.94) and a pCR 2.79 (95% CI 1.07 to 7.24) compared to Atezolizumab’s OS of 0.92 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.15), PFS of 0.82 (95% CI 0.69 to 0.97), and pCR of 1.94 (95% CI 0.86 to 4.37). Atezolizumab had less grade ≥ 3 adverse events (OR 1.48, 95% CI 0.90 to 2.42) than Pembrolizumab (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.08 to 3.33) in the neoadjuvant setting. Conclusions PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors exhibited varying efficacy in terms of OS, PFS, and pCR. They were associated with an increase in immune-related adverse effects. When used early in the course of TNBC, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors exert their maximum benefit. Durvalumab as a maintenance treatment instead of chemotherapy has shown promising outcomes. Future studies should focus on PD-L1 expression status and TNBC subtypes, since these factors may contribute to the design of individualized TNBC therapy regimens. Systematic review registration PROSPERO Identifier: CRD42022380712.

Wheat is a major cereal crop grown worldwide. Mutation breeding with the objective to improving grain yield was performed for selection of mutant lines. Dry dormant seeds with approx. 11 % moisture of three Australian genotypes (Mendos, Coorong and Egret) were treated with 100, 160 and 200 Gy Co-60 gamma radiation and mutants were selected between the M1 and M5 generations for yield production under field experimental conditions. Decrease in survival rate (%) of plants was observed. Five seeds from each spike per plant of M1 plants were collected, bulked dose-wise and grown separately as M2. Fifteen promising mutant lines retested in a M5-trial for yield in comparison with the parent cultivars. Significant differences (P

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) have been reported as important signaling molecules during plant resistance against many fungal pathogens. In this study, the relative contributions of H2O2 and PAL were investigated at early time periods of barley infection with Cochliobolus sativus, the causal agent of spot blotch disease. H2O2 activity was observed in leaf tissues 24 hours post inoculation (hpi) and was accompanied with an increase in PAL expression in resistant and susceptible genotypes. However, the resistant genotype ‘Banteng’ contained higher levels of H2O2 and PAL, as compared with the susceptible one ‘WI 2291’. Results demonstrated that the cooperative function of H2O2 and PAL in barley responses to C. sativus appeared to be dependent on the plant genotype, and it is hypothesized that the peak of activity of PAL at 48h and 72 h, and the rapid increase in H2O2 24 h in resistant and susceptible genotypes are considered general defense responses.

BackgroundThe World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. Many efforts were performed to contain the virus worldwide. People's knowledge and attitude should be directed toward strict preventive practices to halt the spread of the virus. We aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, practices, and sources of information (KAPS) used by Qatar University (QU) attendees.MethodsA cross-sectional web-based questionnaire was answered by 500 employees and students in the QU community. It included questions on KAPS toward COVID-19. Information on sociodemographics was collected and analyzed. This study was conducted during the second wave of COVID-18 in the state of Qatar (April–May 2021).ResultsA total of 475 participants aged between 18 and 68 years old consented to complete the survey questionnaire. The study involved 279 (58.7%) non-Qatari nationals and 196 (41.3%) natives, with 254 (53.5%) participants pursuing postgraduate studies and 221 (46.5%) undergraduates. Approximately two-thirds of the sample were employed (64.8%), while one-third were unemployed (35.2%). Knowledge scores on average were 66.4% (M = 5.31, SD = 1.45, and range: 0–8), with only significant differences were noted between nationalities (natives and non-natives) Participants' average score in practices was 69.72% (M = 4.18, SD = 1.7, and range 0–6) with a significant difference in safe COVID-19 practice scores based on the educational level. Adherence with COVID-19 policies and rules were 82% (M = 2.46, SD = 0.7, and range: 0–3) with no differences noted between groups. In addition, the population reported relying on governmental press conferences (76.0%) as their primary source of gaining details concerning COVID-19, followed by social media (64.4%). The least popular resources were information gained from family, relatives, friends, and coworkers (47.4%) and the news channels on TV (46.7%).ConclusionOverall, this study provides insights into Qatar's KAPS toward COVID-19 during the quarantine of the second wave of this pandemic. This study, being the first of its kind to be conducted in the state of Qatar, is expected to help the ministry of public health and the government communication office to establish a suitable measurement of response to the spread of COVID-19 and develop the best practices for any future epidemics that might occur.

Abstract Background Activating transcription factor-2 (ATF2), a member of the leucine zipper family of DNA binding proteins, has been implicated as a tumour suppressor in breast cancer. However, its exact role in breast cancer endocrine resistance is still unclear. We have previously shown that silencing of ATF2 leads to a loss in the growth-inhibitory effects of tamoxifen in the oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive, tamoxifen-sensitive MCF7 cell line and highlighted that this multi-faceted transcription factor is key to the effects of tamoxifen in an endocrine sensitive model. In this work, we explored further the in vitro role of ATF2 in defining the resistance to endocrine treatment. Materials and methods We knocked down ATF2 in TAMR, LCC2 and LCC9 tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cell lines as well as the parental tamoxifen sensitive MCF7 cell line and investigated the effects on growth, colony formation and cell migration. We also performed a microarray gene expression profiling (Illumina Human HT12_v4) to explore alterations in gene expression between MCF7 and TAMRs after ATF2 silencing and confirmed gene expression changes by quantitative RT-PCR. Results By silencing ATF2, we observed a significant growth reduction of TAMR, LCC2 and LCC9 with no such effect observed with the parental MCF7 cells. ATF2 silencing was also associated with a significant inhibition of TAMR, LCC2 and LCC9 cell migration and colony formation. Interestingly, knockdown of ATF2 enhanced the levels of ER and ER-regulated genes, TFF1, GREB1, NCOA3 and PGR, in TAMR cells both at RNA and protein levels. Microarray gene expression identified a number of genes known to mediate tamoxifen resistance, to be differentially regulated by ATF2 in TAMR in relation to the parental MCF7 cells. Moreover, differential pathway analysis confirmed enhanced ER activity after ATF2 knockdown in TAMR cells. Conclusion These data demonstrate that ATF2 silencing may overcome endocrine resistance and highlights further the dual role of this transcription factor that can mediate endocrine sensitivity and resistance by modulating ER expression and activity.

This systematic review focused on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) patients that had detected SARS-CoV-2 virus in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A systematic literature search was carried out in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Medrxiv, and Biorxiv databases from inception to 19 December 2021. Case reports or case series involving patients with proved SARS-CoV-2 presence in CSF by polymerize chain reaction were included. Our search strategy produced 23 articles documenting a total of 23 patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 in the CSF. Fever (55%) was the most common symptom, followed by headaches (41%), cough (32%), and vomiting/nausea (32%). The majority of the cases included was encephalitis (57%), 8 of which were confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. The second most prevalent presentation was meningitis. The cerebral spinal fluid analysis found disparities in protein levels and normal glucose levels in most cases. This study demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 can enter the nervous system via various routes and cause CNS infection symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to infect the CNS even when no respiratory symptoms are present and nasopharyngeal swabs are negative. As a result, SARS-CoV-2 should be considered as a possible cause of CNS infection and tested for in the CSF.

Introduction: Most of the decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment are based on laboratory test results. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections in humans. The changing antimicrobial sensitivity in UTI requires appropriate antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging problem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where the complete reversal of antimicrobial resistance is difficult due to irrational use of antibiotics. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the most common bacterial agents causing UTI in different seasons among patients who were admitted to Buraidah Central Hospital (BCH), Saudi Arabia. The study also evaluated the link between prescribing and resistance toward antimicrobials. Materials and Methods: A 6-month retrospective study was conducted among adult patients who were admitted to the inpatient department at BCH. A total of 379 files were collected from microbiological laboratory for inpatients. Results: Most UTI-causing bacteria prevailed in the same season. Of 15 bacterial strains, 12 were significantly correlated with 20 (of a total of 40) antibiotics that were used. Most bacteria were gram-negative. Gram-negative bacilli including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and Pseudomonadaceae and gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis were most frequently causing UTIs. Conclusion: Overall prevalence of antibiotic resistance was negative in bacterial isolates. However, the relationship between antimicrobial prescribing and antimicrobial resistance was significantly negative among UTI patients in BCH, Saudi Arabia.

Summary:. The patient in this case report is a 19-year-old man who presented with left foot cauliflower lesion. He complained of an inability to wear proper shoes, in addition to an unpleasant appearance of his foot. The lesion was present since his birth. Based on history and physical examination, the top 2 differential diagnoses at this stage were pediatric neurofibroma and constriction band syndrome (CBS). Laboratory investigations and x-ray were ordered for the patient. X-ray showed absence of most of the phalanges of the first, second, and third toes, with swelling of the overlying soft tissues of the foot. CBS was confirmed. Excision of the lesion was done along with skin graft applied on the area. Biopsy showed skin with dermal fibrosis and extensive adipose tissue infiltration without any sign of atypia or malignancy. The patient was discharged with regular follow-up appointments.

Head and neck cancers are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, which together comprise the sixth most common cancer globally. Breath biopsies are a non‐invasive clinical investigation that detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath. This systematic review examines current applications of breath biopsy for the diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), including data on efficacy and utility, and speculates on the future uses of this non‐invasive detection method. Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane and Scopus, as well as the grey literature were searched using a search strategy developed to identify relevant studies on the role of breath biopsy in the diagnosis of HNSCC. All included studies were subject to a thorough methodological quality assessment. The initial search generated a total of 1443 articles, 20 of which were eligible for review. A total of 660 HNSCC samples were investigated across the included studies. 3,7‐dimethylundecane and benzaldehyde were among several VOCs to be significantly correlated with the presence of HNSCC compared to healthy controls. We show that current breath biopsy methods have high accuracy, specificity and sensitivity for identifying HNSCC. However, further studies are needed given the reported poor quality of the included studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grey mould caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea is an economically important disease in numerous crops. Biocontrol is a promising method to control the disease. Species of Streptomyces are potential biological control agents. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of One hundred twenty-four isolates of Streptomyces spp. against B. cinerea in vitro. Strains Str98 of S. hypolithicus and Str112 of S. albidoflavus have shown the highest ability to inhibit the growth of B. cinerea, with inhibition of 86 % and 81% consecutively. These isolates showed efficiency in the production of hydrolytic enzymes that may have an important role in their antifungal activity. The results also showed that cell free supernatant of Str98 and Str112 had the ability to inhibit the growth of fungus. Treating tomato leaves that were infected with gray mold reduced the infection by 50% when treated with the strain S. hypolithicus Str98. The results of this study demonstrated that selected Streptomyces strains and their free cell crude extract could be used as biocontrol agent against gray mold fungus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method for improving network security by introducing an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) framework between end devices. It considers big data challenges and the difficulty of updating databases to uncover new threats to firewalls and detection systems. The proposed framework introduces a supervised network using CNN and the UNSW-NB15 dataset. Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) and Extreme Gradient Boosting ( XGB) were used to save time and resources. The Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) and Bayesian Gaussian Mixture Model (BGMM) reduce bias toward the majority class of the dataset. The results show that this model performs better than other methods, with 98.80% accuracy for binary classification and 96.49% for classification into multiple groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA repair plays an essential role in protecting cells that are repeatedly exposed to endogenous or exogenous insults that can induce varying degrees of DNA damage. Any defect in DNA repair mechanisms results in multiple genomic changes that ultimately may result in mutation, tumor growth, and/or cell apoptosis. Furthermore, impaired repair mechanisms can also lead to genomic instability, which can initiate tumorigenesis and development of hematological malignancy. This review discusses recent findings and highlights the importance of DNA repair components and the impact of their aberrations on hematological malignancies.

Background: Difficulty in preoperatively assessing the risk for occult invasion or surgery that precludes future accurate axillary mapping in patients with ductal cancer in situ (DCIS) account for overutilization of SLND. Methods: Prospective, multicenter, cohort study, including women with any DCIS planned for mastectomy or DCIS grade 2 and > 20 mm, any DCIS grade 3, any mass-forming DCIS and any planned surgery. Patients received an interstitial SPIO injection during breast surgery, but no upfront SLND was performed. If invasion was identified on final pathology, delayed SLND (d-SLND) was performed separately with the coadministration of isotope ± blue dye (BD). Study outcomes were proportion of upfront SLNDs that were avoided, detection rates during d-SLND, and impact on healthcare costs. Results: In total, 78.7% of study participants (N = 254, mean age 60 years, mean DCIS size 37.8 mm) avoided upfront SLND. On d-SLND (median 28 days, range 9–46), SPIO outperformed Tc99 with (98.2% vs. 63.6%, p < 0.001) or without BD (92.7% vs. 50.9%, p < 0.001) and had higher nodal detection rate (86.9% vs. 32.3%, p < 0.001) and with BD (93.9% vs. 41.4%, p < 0.001). Only 27.9% of all SLNs retrieved were concordant for Tc99 and SPIO. Type of breast procedure (WLE vs. oncoplastic BCT vs. mastectomy) affected these outcomes and accounted for the low performance of Tc99 (p < 0.001). d-SLND resulted in a 28.1% total cost containment for women with pure DCIS on final pathology (4190 vs. 5828 USD, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Marking the SLN with SPIO may avoid overtreatment and allow for accurate d-SLND in patients with DCIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]