Information Database Research Articles

BacDive in 2025: the core database for prokaryotic strain data

Abstract In 2025, the bacterial diversity database BacDive is the leading database for strain-level bacterial and archaeal information. It has been selected as an ELIXIR Core Data Resource as well as a Global Core Biodata Resource. Since its initial release more than ten years ago, BacDive (https://bacdive.dsmz.de) has grown tremendously in content and functionalities, and is a comprehensive resource covering the phenotypic diversity of prokaryotes with data on taxonomy, morphology, physiology, cultivation, and more. The current release (2023.2) contains 2.6 million data points on 97 334 strains, reflecting an increase by 52% since the previous publication in 2021. This remarkable growth can largely be attributed to the integration of the world-wide largest collection of Analytical Profile Index (API) test results, which are now fully integrated into the database and searchable. A novel BacDive knowledge graph provides powerful search options through a SPARQL endpoint, including the possibility for federated searches across multiple data sources. The high-quality data provided by BacDive is increasingly being used for the training of artificial intelligence models and resulting genome-based predictions with high confidence are now used to fill content gaps in the database.

Revolutionising patient care: the role of AI-generated avatars in healthcare consultations

Abstract Background/Introduction The healthcare sector faces an unprecedented challenge with the surging demand in both public and private settings, pushing them towards the brink of overload. This scenario underscores a critical knowledge gap in leveraging technology to alleviate the burden on healthcare services. Our study introduces an innovative solution through the development of avatars generated with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, that replicate the likeness and expertise of healthcare professionals. These AI-generated avatars aim to bridge the gap in patient consultations, offering a scalable and efficient alternative to traditional care models. Purpose The primary objective of our study was to design and implement a virtual assistant capable of conducting patient consultations with the same reliability and personal touch as a trusted human medical professional. This was carried out through the integration of diverse AI technologies including generative models, large language models (LLMs), speech-to-text, and text-to-speech algorithms. Methods Our methodology encompassed the creation of three-components, the visual and auditory representation of the healthcare professional (avatar), the capability to process and generate speech (brain functions), and a database of information sourced from medical repositories as well as expert inputs (compiled knowledge). The development process involved capturing and generating the likeness and voice of a medical expert, training LLMs with the compiled knowledge, and engineering the system to function in real-time. This multifaceted approach ensured the AI-generated avatars were not only personalised but also intelligent and interactive. Results The successful execution of each component confirmed its feasibility, with the AI-generated avatars resembling their human counterparts in appearance and voice, effectively processing spoken inputs, and providing medical advice based on the compiled knowledge. The primary challenge identified was the integration of these components to operate seamlessly in real-time, indicating the need for further refinement in synchronisation and response speed. Conclusion This study has laid a foundational step towards revolutionising patient care through AI technologies. Our results demonstrate the potential of AI-generated avatars to alleviate workloads by providing personalised and efficient patient consultation services. Future work will focus on enhancing the real-time integration of system components, improving the scalability of the solution, and further personalising the patient experience. This direction not only intends to expand the capabilities of healthcare providers but also opens new avenues for patient engagement and care delivery.

Ruminant microbiome data are skewed and unFAIR, undermining their usefulness for sustainable production improvement

The ruminant microbiome plays a key role in the health, feed utilization and environmental impact of ruminant production systems. Microbiome research provides insights to reduce the environmental footprint and improve meat and milk production from ruminants. However, the microbiome composition depends on the ruminant species, habitat and diet, highlighting the importance of having a good representation of ruminant microbiomes in their local environment to translate research findings into beneficial approaches. This information is currently lacking. In this study, we examined the metadata of farmed ruminant microbiome studies to determine global representativeness and summarized information by ruminant species, geographic location, body site, and host information. We accessed data from the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration via the National Center for Biotechnology Information database. We retrieved 47,628 sample metadata, with cattle accounting for more than two-thirds of the samples. In contrast, goats, which have a similar global population to cattle, were underrepresented with less than 4% of the total samples. Most samples originated in Western Europe, North America, Australasia and China but countries with large ruminant populations in South America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe were underrepresented. Microbiomes from the gastrointestinal tract were the most frequently studied, comprising about 87% of all samples. Additionally, the number of samples from other body sites such as the respiratory tract, milk, skin, reproductive tract, and fetal tissue, has markedly increased over the past decade. More than 40% of the samples lacked basic information and many were retrieved from generic taxonomic classifications where the ruminant species was manually recovered. The lack of basic information such as age, breed or sex can limit the reusability of the data for further analysis and follow-up studies. This requires correct taxonomic assignment of the ruminant host and basic metadata information using accepted ontologies adapted to host-associated microbiomes. Repositories should require this information as a condition of acceptance. The results of this survey highlight the need to encourage studies of the ruminant microbiome from underrepresented ruminant species and countries worldwide. This shortfall in information poses a challenge for the development of microbiome-based strategies to meet sustainability requirements, particularly in areas with expanding livestock production systems.

Essential Oils, Chemical Compounds, and Their Effects on the Gut Microorganisms and Broiler Chicken Production: Review

The influence of essential oils (EOs) on gut microorganisms and broiler chicken production was evaluated through the systematic analysis of scientific reports. The present study was focused on the EO antimicrobial activity oriented toward broiler chicken production. There is a great biodiversity of plants, and various compounds with different biological activity have been isolated from them. The EO molecules extracted from plants have been employed recently in livestock feeding. Microbial resistance to antibiotics has led to their reduced use in animal production. To maintain competitive broiler chicken production with reduced antibiotic use, EOs have been explored. In broiler chickens, EOs are supplemented in the diet or drinking water to enhance weight gain and feed efficiency and reduce mortality. EOs are an alternative to antibiotics, and their research is dynamic in poultry production. The present review focused on the antimicrobial activity oriented to broiler chicken production. The search for information in databases used the terms “broiler chicken”, “essential oils” and combined them with the name of the plants. It was detected that the EO of Cinnamon bark or its compound cinnamaldehyde could reduce pathogenic bacteria in the digestive tract and improve intestinal morphology. Essential oils from Cymbopogon spp. and Origanum vulgare had an effect mainly against Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., and others, and against some Gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus spp., or yeasts, such as Candida albicans. Essential oils of Cymbopogon citratus acted against Salmonella. Citrus japonica affected Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium. Origanum EO improved the antioxidant status and gut health of chickens, while EO of Eucalyptus with carvacrol, thymol, and Citrus lemon improved the productive performance of broiler chickens; also, Citrus spp. reduced the number of oocysts of Eimeria and showed activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is concluded that EOs are a sustainable alternative to antibiotics in the production of broiler chickens. Future research includes the standardization of EO from different plants and active molecules, as well as the interaction with other feed additives and their impact on the health and production of broiler chickens. In addition, safety for consumers and the environment must be considered.

Understanding rhizospheric microbial dynamics in gladiolus corms through quorum sensing and quorum quenching for disease control and growth promotion

Gladiolus, a widely cultivated cut flower known for its aesthetically pleasing multicoloured spikes, has earned significant commercial popularity. A comprehensive understanding of the rhizosphere bacterial community associated with gladiolus is imperative for revealing its potential benefits. Molecular characterization is considered an effective method to gain insights into the structural and functional aspects of microbial populations. The soil characteristics and bacterial communities in the rhizosphere are typically influenced by quorum sensing (QS) and quorum quenching (QQ) mechanisms. This study aims to explore the niceties and diversity of rhizospheric bacterial populations linked with gladiolus corms, with a specific focus on understanding the dynamics of QS and QQ mechanisms in their complex interactions. The isolation of bacterial strains was achieved through the serial dilution method on nutrient agar (NA) media. The identification of the isolates was accomplished by amplifying 16 S rRNA gene sequences via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) via the use of universal primers. Sequence analysis was conducted via BLAST on the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. The characteristics of the isolated bacteria were elucidated via biosensors. This study identified three QS strains and five QQ strains. A consortium of quenchers was formulated utilizing five strains that demonstrated efficacy in mitigating the impact of disease on gladiolus and fostering growth. Among the three treatments—Scale, Descale, and Descale and Cut Half (DSC)—the DSC treatment emerged as the most effective. This treatment exhibited a broader range of variation in biological parameters over time, aligning with prevailing trends in the local market.

Rapid Detection of Amoebic Liver Abscess Using Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay in Resource-Limited Settings.

Amoebic liver abscess (ALA) is a significant public health concern in tropical countries. Traditional diagnostic methods, such as microscopy, have low sensitivity, and nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) has lengthy turnaround times. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay for detecting Entamoeba histolytica in amoebic liver pus samples. The assay was tested on 150 clinical pus samples collected from suspected ALA patients in the emergency department of a tertiary care center located in Chandigarh, northern India. For comparison with RPA, nPCR was also performed on these samples. Of 150 samples, 79 (53%) tested positive for E. histolytica using the RPA assay, and similar (79; 53%) number of samples tested positive with nested PCR. In addition, sequences obtained through Sanger sequencing showed high similarity with other sequences in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database and were submitted to the database. Our findings highlight the potential of RPA as a valuable tool for the accurate diagnosis of ALA.

Nutritional knowledge and related factors among hemodialysis patients: A systematic review

This systematic review aimed to examine the nutritional knowledge and related factors among hemodialysis patients. An exhaustive and methodical exploration was conducted across various global electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, as well as Persian electronic databases like Iranmedex and the Scientific Information Database. This search utilized keywords derived from Medical Subject Headings, specifically “knowledge”, “hemodialysis”, and “nutrition”, spanning from the inception of these databases until March 25, 2024. The quality of the studies incorporated into this systematic review was assessed utilizing the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS tool). In total, 721 hemodialysis patients in eight cross-sectional studies. Among the participants, 61.70% were male. The participants had a mean age of 55.03 (standard deviation [SD]=14.06) years. The studies incorporated in this systematic review were conducted in various countries: United Kingdom (n=2), India (n=2), Italy (n=1), Iran (n=1), Greece (n=1), and a joint study from Turkey and Finland (n=1). The nutritional knowledge among hemodialysis patients was 47.79 out of 100. This score indicates a suboptimal level of knowledge in this area. Factors including education level, attitude, practice, family income per month, and diet counseling were related to the nutritional knowledge of hemodialysis patients. Consequently, by focusing more on factors associated with nutritional knowledge such as the level of education, attitude, practice, monthly family income, and dietary counseling, policymakers and healthcare administrators can enhance the nutritional understanding of patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Nursing students' knowledge and related factors towards skin cancer: A systematic review

This systematic review aims to examine the nursing students' knowledge and related factors towards skin cancer. In order to conduct this comprehensive and review study, articles were searched from the earliest to April 1, 2023 using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as "knowledge", "skin cancer", and "nursing students" in various international electronic databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Persian electronic databases such as Iranmedex and Scientific Information Database. The appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies (AXIS tool) was used to evaluate the quality of the studies included in this article. In total, 2,841 nursing students participated in five cross-sectional studies. The average age of the students was 20.93 (SD=1.89). 78.07% of the students in this study were female. 19.70% of students had a history of skin cancer in their family member. The average nursing students' knowledge and related factors towards skin cancer was 14.78 (SD=2.68) out of 25 which suggests a moderate level of knowledge. Factors such as year of study, female gender, age, using cosmetics, using depilatory wax, using epilating appliance, skin cancer caused by sun exposure, and protection of information have a significant positive relationship with nursing students' knowledge about skin cancer. However, knowledge had a negative relationship with factors such as using shaving, having mole, and having swelling. Additionally, the factors of father education, place of residence, sunburn frequency, source information had a significant relationship with nursing students' knowledge about skin cancer. According to the results of this review, the knowledge of nursing students in skin cancer is moderate. Therefore, nursing professors may contribute to the development of nursing students' knowledge by providing an online or physical education platform related to skin cancer.

Effect of telenursing on self-efficacy among diabetic patients: A systematic review

This systematic review aimed to investigate the impact of telenursing on self-efficacy among patients who have experienced myocardial infarctions. The study conducted a comprehensive search of international electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, spanning from the earliest available records to September 15, 2023. The search used keywords derived from Medical Subject Headings, specifically "telenursing", "self-efficacy", and "myocardial infarction". Additionally, Iranian databases such as Iranmedex and Scientific Information Database were consulted. The quality assessment of included studies, which consisted of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies, was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) critical assessment checklist. The review included a total of five studies involving 478 diabetic patients. Among these patients, 74.32% were female, and 52.00% were allocated to the intervention group. The average age of the participants was 48.76 (SD=7.48) years. The mean duration of the studies and their respective follow-up periods were 32.80 and 12.80 weeks, respectively. Furthermore, the average duration of the telenursing intervention was 23.33 minutes. The findings of this review indicated that telenursing can be an effective method for enhancing self-efficacy among patients. The study suggests that healthcare managers and policymakers should consider establishing a platform that not only incorporates telenursing via phone calls but also incorporates alternative methods like video calls. This approach should aim to balance the costs associated with these different methods to ensure accessibility for all individuals. Consequently, alongside traditional telephone-based telenursing, other modalities can be integrated to promote self-efficacy.

Nursing students' knowledge and related factors towards palliative care: A systematic review

The objective of this systematic review is to assess the extent of nursing students' knowledge concerning palliative care and identify potential factors that may impact it. To carry out their comprehensive and review research, items were searched from the starting point to March 1, 2023, applying keywords gathered from Medical Subject Headings such as "knowledge", "palliative care", and "nursing students" in global online databases involving Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Iranian electronic library including Iranmedex and Scientific Information Database. Using the assessment instrument for cross-sectional studies (AXIS tool), the quality of the studies included in this systematic review was determined. In total, 4,320 nursing students participated in eleven cross-sectional studies. The age mean of the students was 21.48 (standard deviation [SD]=2.32) years. The study comprised 71.43% female participants and 97.92% single. The average nursing student's knowledge of palliative care was 8.94 (SD=3.57) out of 20; the results have shown an insufficient level of knowledge. Factors such as age, female gender, encounter with terminally ill patients, receiving a non-university educational session, year of study, being mature, and receiving a university educational session have a potential positive correlation with nursing students' knowledge of palliative care. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the following variables had a statistically significant association with nursing students' level of knowledge in palliative care: academic year, perception of death as the cessation of life, receipt of university educational sessions, teaching content related to palliative care, type of university, academic grade, gender, place of birth, monthly family income, religious beliefs, and experience of providing care to a dying family member. The outcomes of this review suggest that nursing students possess inadequate knowledge in the domain of palliative care. Thus, it is recommended that future studies focus on implementing appropriate interventions for nursing students to enhance their level of knowledge regarding palliative care.

Effect of Management Information System on Growth of Agro-Firms in Anambra State

The study examined the effect of management information systems on the growth of agro-firms in Anambra State. The objectives were to: determine the effect of decision-making information systems on the Return on Investment (ROI) of agro-businesses in Anambra State, Nigeria, and ascertain the extent to which database management systems affect the ROI of agro-businesses in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design, with data generated from both primary and secondary sources. The data collection method was a questionnaire, which was randomly administered to staff of selected agro-firms. The population of the study was 6,727, while the sample size was 1,293, out of which 929 questionnaires were retrieved. The hypotheses were tested using the multiple regression analysis method at a 0.05% level of significance. The findings revealed that decision-making information systems had a significant effect on the ROI of agro-businesses in Anambra State, with a t-statistic of 7.743 and a probability value of 0.000. Additionally, database information systems had a significant effect on the ROI of agro-businesses in Anambra State, with a t-statistic of 2.476 and a probability value of 0.013. The study concluded that management information systems have a significant positive effect on agro-firms in Anambra State. It recommended that agricultural firms should invest in advanced decision support tools to aid data-driven decisions that maximize ROI. Furthermore, agro-business managers should focus on optimizing their database information systems to improve data organization and accessibility. Regular maintenance and updates of the database systems are crucial for ensuring accurate and timely information, which can positively impact ROI.

IMCMK-CNN: A lightweight convolutional neural network with Multi-scale Kernels for Image-based Malware Classification

Rapid and accurate identification of unknown malware and its variants is the premise and basis for the effective prevention of malicious attacks. However, with the explosive growth of malware variants, the efficiency of manual updating of the sample database is getting worse and worse. It is difficult for the traditional identification methods to effectively capture the sample feature information operated by the confusion method only based on the delayed database information. The research into the direction of malware detection is dedicated to surmounting the limitations of conventional detection methodologies, and delves deeply into the application of cutting-edge technologies such as data visualization, machine learning, and hybrid detection within the realm of malware detection. Through these investigations, our goal is to construct a detection system that is both more precise and efficient, capable of addressing the ever-evolving threats to cybersecurity. Pursuing research in this direction is not only vital for enhancing network security defenses and safeguarding user data, but it will also foster the advancement of related state-of-the-art technologies and further mitigate the economic and societal repercussions of malware attacks. In light of this issue, this paper proposes the Image-based Malware Classification with Multi-scale Kernels (IMCMK), a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture using multi-scale convolution kernels mixing action to improve malware variants detection capabilities. First, we propose the Multi-scale Kernels (MK) block combining deep large kernel convolution and standard small kernel convolution with shortcuts to improve the accuracy. Furthermore, we propose Multi-scale Kernel Fusion (MKF) to reduce the number of parameters that come with the large kernels. The improved Squeeze-and-Excitation (SE) block can obtain the correlation between different channels to further increase the model performance. Experimental results show that IMCMK outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in malware family classification accuracy, which has achieved 99.25 %.

Family caregivers of children with cystic fibrosis: supportive care needs – scoping review

BackgroundCystic fibrosis (CF) in children requires complex and time-consuming daily care, presenting significant challenges for families and caregivers. Family caregivers caring for children with CF report diverse and complex needs.ObjectiveThis...

ScTWAS Atlas: an integrative knowledgebase of single-cell transcriptome-wide association studies.

Single-cell transcriptome-wide association studies (scTWAS) is a new method for conducting TWAS analysis at the cellular level to identify gene-trait associations with higher precision. This approach helps overcome the challenge of interpreting cell-type heterogeneity in traditional TWAS results. As the field of scTWAS rapidly advances, there is a growing need for additional database platforms to integrate this wealth of data and knowledge effectively. To address this gap, we present scTWAS Atlas (https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/sctwas/), a comprehensive database of scTWAS information integrating literature curation and data analysis. The current version of scTWAS Atlas amasses 2,765,211 associations encompassing 34 traits, 30 cell types, 9 cell conditions and 16,470 genes. The database features visualization tools, including an interactive knowledge graph that integrates single-cell expression quantitative trait loci (sc-eQTL) and scTWAS associations to build a multi-omics level regulatory network at the cellular level. Additionally, scTWAS Atlas facilitates cross-cell-type analysis, highlighting cell-type-specific and shared TWAS genes. The database is designed with user-friendly interfaces and allows for easy browsing, searching, and downloading of relevant information. Overall, scTWAS Atlas is instrumental in exploring the genetic regulatory mechanisms at the cellular level and shedding light on the role of various cell types in biological processes, offering novel insights for human health research.

SMCVdb: a database of experimental cellular toxicity information for drug candidate molecules.

Many drug discovery exercises fail because small molecules that are effective inhibitors of target proteins exhibit high cellular toxicity. Early and effective assessment of toxicity and pharmacokinetics is essential to accelerate the drug discovery process. Conventional methods for toxicity profiling, including in vitro and in vivo assays, are laborious and resource-intensive. In response, we introduce the Small Molecule Cell Viability Database (SMCVdb), a comprehensive resource containing toxicity data for over 24 000 compounds obtained through high-content imaging (HCI). SMCVdb seamlessly integrates chemical descriptions and molecular weight data, offering researchers a holistic platform for toxicity data aiding compound prioritization and selection based on biological and economic considerations. Data collection for SMCVdb involved a systematic approach combining HCI toxicity profiling with chemical information and quality control measures ensured data accuracy and consistency. The user-friendly web interface of SMCVdb provides multiple search and filter options, allowing users to query the database based on compound name, molecular weight range, or viability percentage. SMCVdb empowers users to access toxicity profiles, molecular weights, compound names, and chemical descriptions, facilitating the exploration of relationships between compound properties and their effects on cell viability. In summary, the database provides experimentally derived cellular toxicity information for over 24 000 drug candidate molecules to academic researchers, and pharmaceutical companies. The SMCVdb will keep growing and will prove to be a pivotal resource to expedite research in drug discovery and compound evaluation. Database URL: http://smcvdb.rcb.ac.in:4321/.

Emerging blaNDM-positive Salmonella enterica in Chinese pediatric infections.

Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is a common zoonotic foodborne pathogen, whose rising antimicrobial resistance has been an urgent threat to global public health. Here, we reported two carbapenem-resistant Salmonella enterica (CRSE) strains (NBFE-049 and NBFE-164) carrying the blaNDM genes, which were recovered from two Chinese children, belonged to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) monophasic variant (S. 1,4,[5],12:i:-) ST34 (a sequence type) and S. Typhimurium ST19, respectively. Genes blaNDM-5 and blaNDM-13 were detected in NBFE-049 and NBFE-164, respectively. The blaNDM-5 in NBFE-049 was located in an IncHI2-type plasmid, named pNBFE-049. In NBFE-164, the blaNDM-13 was located in an IncI1-type plasmid, named pNBFE-164. The plasmid pNBFE-164 successfully transferred its resistance phenotype into the recipient strain Escherichia coli J53 with a high efficiency of 1.1 × 10-2, while no transconjugants were obtained in pNBFE-049 conjugation assays. We further elucidated the genetic relationships of globally occurring New Delhi Metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-positive strains and locally distributed clinical strains within the same serovar. The closest relative of NBFE-049 was clinical Salmonella strain 1722, which was recovered in 2020 and differed by only three Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). No NDM-positive ST19 could be found in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database, and NBFE-164 showed a close genetic relationship with the other ST19 in this area. To sum up, we suggested the potential contributions of clonal spread and plasmid-mediated blaNDM transfer in CRSE dissemination. This study reported the complete genome of two blaNDM-carrying S. Typhimurium isolates, shedding new insights into the antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and dissemination patterns of the emerging CRSE.IMPORTANCENTS is one of the most common zoonotic pathogens that causes foodborne illnesses, while S. Typhimurium is one of the most common serovars. With the rising prevalence of multi-resistant Salmonella worldwide, carbapenems have emerged as the last-line antibiotics for treating severe bacterial infections. In this study, we reported the genomic characteristics of two carbapenem-resistant S. Typhimurium strains, which were recovered from two pediatric patients, carrying blaNDM-5 and blaNDM-13, providing new insights into the antimicrobial resistance deteriminants and transmission risk of blaNDM-positive NTS in China. We suggested the potential contributions of clonal spread and plasmid-mediated blaNDM transfer in CRSE dissemination. Future enhanced surveillance policy should mitigate CRSE spreading, and more importantly, clinical antimicrobial therapeutic regimens should be adjusted accordingly.

Physicochemical and Structural Validation of Myxovirus Resistance 1 (Mx1) Protein of Three Strains of the Nigerian Indigenous (<i>Gallus Gallus domesticus</i>) and Exotic Chickens

This research was conducted on three strains of Nigerian Indigenous (<i>gallus gallus domesticus</i>) and Noiler (exotic) chickens. It examined the physicochemical and structural validation of Myxovirus resistance 1 (Mx1) protein on the three strains of Nigerian indigenous (naked neck, frizzle feather, normal feather) and noiler (exotic) chickens and also the prediction of the Physicochemical Analysis of protein. Nucleotide sequence were retrieved from National Center for Bio-Technology Information (NCBI) database and subjected to multiple sequence alignment, prediction of the physicochemical analysis of protein was done in the ProtParam web server. Modeling of 3D structural validation, Swiss modeling and Statistical analysis were all carried out. Software was used to align the sequences to find any Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPS). The result of physicochemical analysis showed that the properties of the Mx1 protein fell within accepted threshold and predicted that the proteins were generally related. To validate the structure obtained from modeling, the obtained PDB files were ran on the Pro-check validation server and obtained Errat and Ramachandran plots. The study elucidates the unique features and potential functional implications of Mx1 protein across different strains of Nigerian indigenous and exotic chickens. This knowledge can inform the development of strategies to improve disease resistance in local chicken populations through selective breeding or genetic manipulation. Comparing the Mx1 protein among different strains of Nigerian indigenous chickens can reveal evolutionary adaptations and provide valuable information for understanding the molecular basis of immune defense mechanisms in poultry. Understanding the physicochemical properties and structural dynamics of Mx1 protein contributes to the broader understanding of innate immune responses in indigenous chicken breeds, offering insights into their disease resistance and adaptation mechanisms.

Lightweight Indoor Positioning System Based on Multiple Self-Learning Features and Key Frame Classification

Abstract. Traditional indoor positioning technologies mostly require advanced installation of hardware devices, resulting in high costs and long-term maintenance. With advancements in image recognition and deep learning technologies, indoor visual positioning based on image recognition has become increasingly mature. This method offers the benefits of low cost and does not require additional hardware installation. However, it still has inherent defects, such as cumbersome data collection, complex algorithms, and universality. To minimize indoor information pre-collection cost, improve versatility, and enable rapid deployment in low-performance mobile devices, this paper proposes a lightweight indoor positioning system based on multiple self-learning features and key frame classification. The system is divided into two stages: preprocessing and real-time positioning. In the preprocessing stage, image information is collected for the entire indoor environment, and a key-frame recognizer is trained based on the image information. Simultaneously, an environmental feature information database is established. In the real-time positioning stage, the system first uses mobile devices such as smartphones to obtain real-time video streams. A key frame recognizer based on convolutional neural networks identifies key frames in each video stream frame, thereby obtaining approximate positions for rough positioning. Second, feature points are identified in each frame of the video stream and matched with feature points with location information in the built environmental feature information database to calculate precise positions for fine positioning. It has significant optimizations compared with conventional visual solutions in terms of preprocessing data collection, algorithm performance consumption, and versatility.

Paediatric opioid poisoning in the UK: a retrospective analysis of clinical enquiries to the National Poisons Information Service

ObjectiveTo evaluate a decade of reported paediatric opioid poisoning cases in the UK.MethodsThe National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) telephone enquiries database (UK Poisons Information Database) was searched for calls regarding...

Comorbidity of inflammatory bowel diseases and periodontal pathology

Inflammatory bowel diseases, which include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are a global disease of the 21st century. Periodontitis is the sixth most common disease in the world (second among dental pathologies after caries) and the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. At the beginning of the 21st century, the concept of “periodontal medicine” was formed, within the framework of which the bidirectional connection of periodontal pathology with systemic diseases of the body is considered. Extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease are associated with the generalized nature of the inflammatory response. In clinical guidelines, only aphthous stomatitis is described as a systemic manifestation of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis from the oral cavity. Periodontitis is considered a less representative non-specific oral manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease. We searched the Pubmed and Scopus information databases for articles published before 02/15/2024 that examined the relationship between inflammatory bowel disease and periodontal pathology. The results of clinical studies, their synthesis in systematic reviews and meta-analyses, indicate a bidirectional relationship between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis with periodontal pathology. The most likely mechanism is associated with a change in the microbiocenosis of the oral cavity and a further change in the intestinal microbiome due to oral intake of periodontal organisms, which leads to impaired intestinal permeability and the development of immune reactions that play a key role in the development of periodontal diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases.