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Recent statistics show that almost 1/4 of a million people have died and four million people are affected either with mild or serious health problems caused by coronavirus (COVID‐19). These numbers are rapidly increasing (World Health Organization, May 3, 2020c). There is much concern during this pandemic about the spread of misleading or inaccurate information. This article reports on a small study which attempted to identify the types and sources of COVID‐19 misinformation. The authors identified and analysed 1225 pieces of COVID‐19 fake news stories taken from fact‐checkers, myth‐busters and COVID‐19 dashboards. The study is significant given the concern raised by the WHO Director‐General that 'we are not just fighting the pandemic, we are also fighting infodemic'. The study concludes that the COVID‐19 infodemic is full of false claims, half backed conspiracy theories and pseudoscientific therapies, regarding the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, origin and spread of the virus. Fake news is pervasive in social media, putting public health at risk. The scale of the crisis and ubiquity of the misleading information require that scientists, health information professionals and journalists exercise their professional responsibility to help the general public identify fake news stories. They should ensure that accurate information is published and disseminated.J.M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Female urethral stricture disease is rare and has several surgical approaches including endoscopic dilations (ENDO), urethroplasty with local vaginal tissue flap (ULT) or urethroplasty with free graft (UFG). This study aims to describe the contemporary management of female urethral stricture disease and to evaluate the outcomes of these three surgical approaches. Methods: This is a multi‐institutional, retrospective cohort study evaluating operative treatment for female urethral stricture. Surgeries were grouped into three categories: ENDO, ULT, and UFG. Time from surgery to stricture recurrence by surgery type was analyzed using a Kaplan–Meier time to event analysis. To adjust for confounders, a Cox proportional hazard model was fit for time to stricture recurrence. Results: Two‐hundred and ten patients met the inclusion criteria across 23 sites. Overall, 64% (n = 115/180) of women remained recurrence free at median follow‐up of 14.6 months (IQR, 3–37). In unadjusted analysis, recurrence‐free rates differed between surgery categories with 68% ENDO, 77% UFG and 83% ULT patients being recurrence free at 12 months. In the Cox model, recurrence rates also differed between surgery categories; women undergoing ULT and UFG having had 66% and 49% less risk of recurrence, respectively, compared to those undergoing ENDO. When comparing ULT to UFG directly, there was no significant difference of recurrence. Conclusion: This retrospective multi‐institutional study of female urethral stricture demonstrates that patients undergoing endoscopic management have a higher risk of recurrence compared to those undergoing either urethroplasty with local flap or free graft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was managed for finding the Kinetin efficacy indices to draw its dose-response curves accompanied by emphasize on plant genotypic variations by their response. Four genotypes i.e., MASH 80, MASH 88, MASH 97 and MASH ES-1 were sprayed thrice with Kinetin concentrations of 25.0, 50.0, 75.0, 100.0, 125.0, and 150.0 mgL-1. Plants were grown in pots filled with sandy loam soil. Pots by number were replicated four times for each concentration and were randomized completely by their placement design. Data were measured on the expiry of ten days after completion of Kinetin spray. Data revealed that chlorophyll-a concentration was significantly influenced by all levels of Kinetin while the least significant doses for carotenoids and chlorophyll b increase were 75mgL-1 and 100 mgL-1 respectively. When plotted against Kinetin levels, change in chlorophyll-a concentration was linear except in MASH 80 where sigmoidal expression was observed like in all genotypes for other pigments. MASH 80 responded at the most for change in pigments concentration while MASH ES-1 was least responding genotype in this regard. A significant change in water potential started at 100 mgL-1. Change in water potential and osmotic potential of all genotypes was sigmoidal for Kinetin levels except in plants of MASH 88. The genotypic variation was found consistently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To investigate the possible effects of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Public Health Notifications in 2008 and 2011 regarding surgical trends in transvaginal mesh (TVM) placement for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and related mesh revision surgery in Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS) practice in tertiary care academic medical centers in the United States. Methods Surgical volume for procedures performed primarily by FPMRS surgeons at eight academic institutions across the US was collected using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for stress urinary incontinence repair and revision surgeries from 2007 to 2013. SAS statistical software was used to assess for trends in the data. Results There was a decrease in the use of synthetic mesh sling for the treatment of SUI at academic tertiary care centers over the past 7 years; however, this was not statistically significant. While the total number of surgical interventions for SUI remained stable, there was an increase in the utilization of autologous fascia pubovaginal slings (AFPVS). The number of mesh sling revision surgeries, including urethrolysis and removal or revision of slings, increased almost three-fold at these centers. Conclusions These observed trends suggest a possible effect of the FDA Public Health Notifications regarding TVM on surgical practice for SUI in academic centers, even though they did not specifically warn against the use of synthetic mesh for this indication. Indications for surgery, complications, and outcomes were not evaluated during this retrospective study. However, such data may provide alternative insights into reasons for the observed trends. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:1155-1160, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete nucleotide sequence of alphasatellite associated with monopartite begomovirus complex isolated from Xanthium strumarium L. originating from Pakistan was determined and analyzed. The sequence of alphasatellite showed highest level of nucleotide sequence identity (96.7%) to an isolate of Gossypium danvinii symptomless alphasatellite and second highest level of sequence identity (85.8%) identity to an isolate of Papaya leaf curl alphasatellite. Its name was proposed as Gossypium danvinii symptomless alphasatellite isolate Xanthium. It is proposed that it can be an isolate of Gossypium danvinii symptomless alphasatellite species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the theory of adoption of cellular phone as an innovation and its diffusion and penetration in the Pakistani society and to confirm Roger's theory of diffusion of innovation. More specifically, the study aims to test if five categories of adopters and five stages of adoption [as suggested by Roger (1976)] adequately explain the behavior of cellular phone users in Pakistan. The study also aims to evaluate the role played by advertising in the process of diffusion of innovation. An attempt is also made to study relationships among other variables of interest. To achieve its objectives, this study formulates the diffusion of innovation theory using survey research method from population of Pakistan(a sample of200 respondents are approached) and various statistical techniques are applied on the information gathered before drawing any conclusions. Our results support the theory of diffusion of innovation. We do not find an evidence to believe that advertising plays a statistically significant direct role in the process of diffusion of innovation, although we have not explored the extent of its indirect contribution in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphology-dependent Fluorescence Quenching of NiO. [Display omitted] • Fluorescence based aptasensor has been designed for the sensitive and selective detection of ochratoxin A (OTA). • Hydrothermal approach has been used to synthesize eight types of NiO nanostructures by varying calcination temperatures (40–180) °C. • Fluorescence based aptasensors have been evaluated based on nano-quencher probe morphology. • The developed assay shows reliable results in monitoring OTA from real food samples. Herein, we presented a comprehensive investigation of structural properties of nickel oxide (NiO) nanomaterials prepared by rationally designed temperature-controlled synthesis. A series of eight types (A-H) of nickel oxide nanomaterials were synthesized by hydrothermal approach at different calcination temperatures (40–180) °C. Depending on temperature, different sizes and shapes were obtained including spherical nanoparticles, nanoclusters and flower-like morphologies, as characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The best fluorescence quenching properties were obtained with spherical NiO-B nanoparticles 18 nm, prepared at 60 °C. The optimized NiO was used to develop an apta-assay for the detection of a food-relevant toxin, ochratoxin-A (OTA). In the presence of OTA, the biomolecular binding induced changes in the FAM labelled-aptamer structure and preferential formation of an aptamer-OTA complex. The method exhibited a limit of detection of 0.49 ng.L−1 with a wide linear range from 0.5 to 200 ng.L−1. The results demonstrate not only that rationally designed NiO nanostructures of varying shapes and sizes can be obtained by temperature-controlled synthesis, but they are also powerful fluorescent quenchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fabrication of Ag-Ti-Zn nanocomposite as novel fluorescence quencher probes. • Improving optical and electrical properties of Ti-Zn nanocomposite oxide through silver doping. • Design of a fluorescence quenching based immunoassay using Rhodamine B and Ag-Ti-Zn nanocomposite. • Application of new immunoassay for highly sensitive and selective detection of MUC1. Synthesis of novel nanomaterials with fluorescence or quenching properties is a key factor for development of fluorescent-based assays as one the most widely used detection methods. In the present study, Ag-Ti-Zn nanocomposite as a new class of zinc-based nanocomposites with fluorescence quenching property was developed for the detection of Mucin 1 (MUC1). Prepared nanocomposite was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. In the absence of target MUC1, Ag-Ti-Zn nanocomposite was able to quench fluorescence of Rhodamine-B (RhB) dye while they were in close proximity of each other. The addition of MUC1 antibody to the RhB/Ag-Ti-Zn nanocomposite system further decreased fluorescence intensity of RhB. Specific binding of the MUC1 to antibody induced precipitation of nanocomposite and recovered fluorescence of RhB. Under optimized conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) for MUC1 was as low as 0.02 U/mL with linear detection rage from 0.05 to 3 U/ mL. The method was very sensitive, selective and simple for the detection of MUC1. The results exhibited that Ag-Ti-Zn nanocomposite can be used as a common quencher and sensing platform to design highly sensitive fluorescent-based assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]