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Abstract Plant extracts have been useful for oral health or dentistry. However, only a few evidence-based justifications exist. This study evaluated Multidentia crassa (Hiern) Bridson & Verdc, one of the oral health-used plants in Malawi. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) identified the extracts’ compounds. The pharmacokinetics of the identified compounds were studied using pkCSM and SwissADME, and molecular docking studies were used to identify potential drug candidates for oral health by predicting the binding affinity of the compounds to cyclooxygenases, interleukin-1 beta receptors, odontoblast cold sensor proteins, and purinergic receptor P2X3. FT-IR analysis showed characteristic peaks of phenols, carboxylic acids, alkenes, alkyl halides, amines, esters, ethers, aromatics, and lipids. GC–MS results showed the presence of 58 bioactive phytocompounds, some of which have various pharmacological activities relevant to oral health. Molecular docking further validated stigmastan-3,5-diene’s potency for analgesic and anti-inflammatory purposes. Based on a literature review, this is the first report on the bioactive compounds of M. crassa extracts showing analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. This study's results can lead to new herbal and conventional medicines. Therefore, we recommend in vivo and in vitro studies to elucidate the pharmacological effects of the plant extracts.

Technology is gradually shifting the focus of learning to less traditional methods; like eBooks, audiobooks, and more recently, mobile applications. This shift indicates an apparent need to incorporate entertaining components into learning tools to keep users engaged in critical thinking, and comprehension activities. There is untapped power in mobile entertainment, particularly mobile games that can and must be harnessed to improve current methods, and even introduce new methods of learning English. This study seeks to determine the effectiveness of AngloLingo, a mobile game that is built on the basics of English, in facilitating learning of English vocabulary, spelling and grammar in students in the Basic Education Department of Adamson University, Philippines. A control group (N=18) and an experimental group (N=18), were used during the test. Quasi-Experimental Research Design with pretest and posttest was used to determine the difference in performance between the control and experimental groups. Results indicate a significant improvement in performance on the post-test of the experimental group due to the use of AngloLingo before administration of the posttest. The overall results of the three sub-tests (P-Value = 6.39E-08) indicate the effectiveness of AngloLingo in learning Basic English vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. This study also offers recommendations on the incorporation of mobile games in teaching and learning Basic English.

Abstract: Variations in the geomagnetic field occur on a vast range of time scales, from milliseconds to millions of years. The advent of satellite measurements has allowed for detailed studies of short timescale geomagnetic field behaviour, but understanding its long timescale evolution remains challenging due to the sparsity of the paleomagnetic record. This paper introduces a field theory framework for studying magnetic field generation as a result of stochastic fluid motions. Starting from a stochastic kinematic dynamo model (the Kazantsev kinematic model), we derive statistical properties of the magnetic field that may be compared to observations from the paleomagnetic record. The fluid velocity is taken to be a Kraichnan field with general covariance, which acts as a random forcing obeying Gaussian statistics. Using the Martin-Siggia-Rose-Janssen-de Dominicis formalism, we compute the average magnetic field response function for fluid velocities with short correlation time. From this we obtain an estimate for the turbulent contribution to the magnetic diffusivity, and find that it is consistent with results from mean-field dynamo theory. This framework presents much promise for studying the geomagnetic field in a stochastic context.

Historically, mpox has been characterized as an endemic zoonotic disease that transmits through contact with the reservoir rodent host in West and Central Africa. However, in May 2022, human cases of mpox were detected spreading internationally beyond countries with known endemic reservoirs. When the first cases from 2022 were sequenced, they shared 42 nucleotide differences from the closest mpox virus (MPXV) previously sampled. Nearly all these mutations are characteristic of the action of APOBEC3 deaminases, host enzymes with antiviral function. Assuming APOBEC3 editing is characteristic of human MPXV infection, we developed a dual-process phylogenetic molecular clock that-inferring a rate of ~6 APOBEC3 mutations per year-estimates that MPXV has been circulating in humans since 2016. These observations of sustained MPXV transmission present a fundamental shift to the perceived paradigm of MPXV epidemiology as a zoonosis and highlight the need for revising public health messaging around MPXV as well as outbreak management and control.

Coffee is a major international commodity, and because of this, coffee production has the potential for considerable global impacts on the environment. These impacts can include the consumption of energy, water, land and the loss of native forest. Here we quantify these costs using Costa Rica as a case study, and describe an initiative undertaken at the Montes de Oro Cooperative in which these impacts are reduced substantially through the development and application of alternative technologies. We show how these processes reduce the consumption of resources, and also reduce economic costs to the farmer, thus providing a market-based incentive for conservation. The initiatives undertaken at Montes de Oro can provide a model for the future, for reducing the environmental costs of coffee production, while simultaneously improving the economic conditions of the people in coffee producing regions.

Diffuse-type tenosynovial giant cell tumors' (D-TGCTs) intra- and extra-articular expansion about the knee often necessitates an anterior and posterior surgical approach to facilitate an extensive synovectomy. There is no consensus on whether two-sided synovectomies should be performed in one or two stages. This retrospective study included 191 D-TGCT patients from nine sarcoma centers worldwide to compare the postoperative short-term outcomes between both treatments. Secondary outcomes were rates of radiological progression and subsequent treatments. Between 2000 and 2020, 117 patients underwent one-stage and 74 patients underwent two-stage synovectomies. The maximum range of motion achieved within one year postoperatively was similar (flexion 123-120°, p = 0.109; extension 0°, p = 0.093). Patients undergoing two-stage synovectomies stayed longer in the hospital (6 vs. 4 days, p < 0.0001). Complications occurred more often after two-stage synovectomies, although this was not statistically different (36% vs. 24%, p = 0.095). Patients treated with two-stage synovectomies exhibited more radiological progression and required subsequent treatments more often than patients treated with one-stage synovectomies (52% vs. 37%, p = 0.036) (54% vs. 34%, p = 0.007). In conclusion, D-TGCT of the knee requiring two-side synovectomies should be treated by one-stage synovectomies if feasible, since patients achieve a similar range of motion, do not have more complications, but stay for a shorter time in the hospital.

Abstract A double antibody sandwich ELISA developed by ID-DLO, Lelystad to detect Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection was used on 329 sheep from four pedigree Suffolk flocks in which clinical cases of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) had occurred. At subsequent necropsy, typical CLA lesions were seen in 133 sheep, and the diagnosis was confirmed on culture. Lesions were most commonly seen in lungs (n = 46), parotid lymph nodes (n = 44), prescapular lymph nodes (n = 38) and mediastinal lymph nodes (n = 31). The sensitivity of the ELISA test for detecting culture-positive sheep was 0.88, while the specificity of the test was 0.55. The antibody ELISA detected 87.5 per cent of sheep that had CLA lesions restricted to internal organs only. It was concluded that the ELISA test has a valuable role in detecting sheep with both clinical and subclinical CLA.

Migratory landbirds are in decline across North America as factors like habitat loss and climate change pose significant challenges across the annual cycle. Migration is a period of especially high mortality as birds must navigate new landscapes to find suitable foraging habitat and deal with ecological barriers, predation, and competition along the way. Stopover sites where birds can rest and refuel are crucial for successful migration. Refueling performance is linked to a variety of factors including season, migratory distance, habitat quality, and body condition upon arrival. Here, we used plasma triglyceride to investigate how season, progression of season (ordinal day), and breeding latitude influenced the stopover refueling performance of 7 migratory songbird species during fall and spring migration at an inland site in the Connecticut River Valley in western Massachusetts. We found that Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) and White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) had greater refueling performance in spring, while Gray Catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis) showed increased refueling performance in fall, suggesting that birds refuel differently at the same site and experience different pressures between seasons during migration. Progression of season did not influence refueling performance for most species in either season, but in fall the refueling performance of Gray Catbirds increased as the season progressed, while the refueling performance declined as the fall season progressed for Ycllow-rumped Warblers (Setophaga coronata). We used stable isotopes to examine how breeding latitude influenced refueling performance for a subset of Gray Catbirds and found that, contrary to our expectations, Gray Catbirds nearer to their breeding destination in spring had greater refueling performance, suggesting that birds may try to improve their body condition directly before arriving at their breeding grounds to increase their reproductive competitiveness. Our results show that refueling performance of songbirds passing through inland stopover sites varies across species and can be influenced by a variety of factors including season and breeding latitude. Key words: deuterium, plasma triglycerides, songbird migration, stable isotopes, stopover. En América del Norte, las aves migratorias terrestres están declinando ya que factores como la pérdida de hábitat y el cambio climático representan desafíos significativos a lo largo del ciclo anual. La migración es un período de mortalidad elevada debido a que las aves deben navegar nuevos paisajes para encontrar hábitats de forrajeo y a la vez lidiar con barreras ecológicas, depredación y competencia. Los sitios de parada, donde las aves descansan y se reabastecen. son cruciales para una migración exitosa. La efectividad del reabastecimiento está vinculada con varios factores, incluyendo la temporada, la distancia de migratoción, la calidad del habitat y la condición corporal al llegar. Usamos triglicéridos del plasma para investigar la influencia de la temporada, la progresión de la temporada (día ordinal), y la latitud de reproducción sobre la efectividad de reabastecimiento durante paradas para 7 especies de aves migratorias terrestres durante la migración de otoño y primavera en un sitio de parada interior en el valle del río Connecticut en el oeste de Massachusetts. Encontramos que Catharus ustulatus y Zonotrichia albicollis tuvieron mejor efectividad de reabastecimiento en la primavera, mientras que Dumetella carolinensis tuvo mejor efectividad en el otoño, sugiriendo que en un mismo sitio las aves se reabastecen de manera diferente y están sujetas a diferentes presiones entre temporadas de migración. La progresión de la temporada no influyó en la efectividad de reabastecimiento para la mayoría de las especies en ninguna de las temporadas, pero en otoño la efectividad de reabastecimiento de Dumetella carolinensis aumentó con el avance de la temporada, mientras que para Setophaga coronala disminuyó con el avance de la temporada. Utilizamos isótopos estables para examinar la influencia de latitud de reproducción sobre la efectividad de reabastecimiento para un subconjunto de Dumetella carolinensis y encontramos que, contrario a nuestras expectativas, los individuos más cercanos a sus destinos reproductivos en primavera tuvieron mayor efectividad de reabastecimiento, sugiriendo que las aves posiblemente mejoran condición corporal antes de llegar a sus áreas de reproducción para aumentar su competencia reproductiva. Nuestros resultados muestran que la efectividad de abastecimiento en aves terrestres que pasan a través de áreas de paradas interiores varia por especie y puede ser influenciada por una variedad de factores incluyendo temporada y latitud de reproducción. Palabras clave: deuterio, isótopos estables, migración de aves terrestres, sitios de parada, triglicéridos en plasma., In North America, more than 350 bird species migrate annually from their summer breeding grounds to their wintering grounds in the tropics, taking advantage of seasonal changes in resource availability. [...]