Structural and spectroscopic investigations of neodymium-doped strontium borophosphate glass.

Neodymium-doped glass finds application in lasers with high energy and low pulse width. In the present study, a series of Nd3+ ions (0-2 mol%)-doped strontium borophosphate (SBP) glass samples was prepared through the conventional melt quench method. A broad peak in the X-ray diffraction spectrum confirmed the formation of a single-phase amorphous borophosphate glass. Fourier transform infrared spectra of the doped and undoped glass samples indicated the presence of borate and phosphate groups that form the anionic network. The thermal properties of the glass samples were determined from thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis. Photoluminescence and ultraviolet-visible light techniques were used to investigate the optical properties of the as-prepared SBP:Nd glass. The Judd-Ofelt (JO) intensity parameters Ωλ (2, 4, 6), stimulated emission cross-section, branching ratios, and transition probabilities of the Nd3+ -doped glass were obtained through the JO analysis. Characteristic Nd3+ emission peaks were observed at 1330, 1060, and 876 nm, corresponding to the 4 F3/2 →4 IS/2 (S = 13, 11, and 9) transitions, respectively. The suitability of SBP:Nd (0.5 mol%) glass for use in solid-state lasers was demonstrated by its intense luminescence, high transition probability, high emission cross-section, optical gain, and luminescence branching ratio.

mMGE: a database for human metagenomic extrachromosomal mobile genetic elements.

Extrachromosomal mobile genetic elements (eMGEs), including phages and plasmids, that can move across different microbes, play important roles in genome evolution and shaping the structure of microbial communities. However, we still know very little about eMGEs, especially their abundances, distributions and putative functions in microbiomes. Thus, a comprehensive description of eMGEs is of great utility. Here we present mMGE, a comprehensive catalog of 517 251 non-redundant eMGEs, including 92 492 plasmids and 424 759 phages, derived from diverse body sites of 66 425 human metagenomic samples. About half the eMGEs could be further grouped into 70 074 clusters using relaxed criteria (referred as to eMGE clusters below). We provide extensive annotations of the identified eMGEs including sequence characteristics, taxonomy affiliation, gene contents and their prokaryotic hosts. We also calculate the prevalence, both within and across samples for each eMGE and eMGE cluster, enabling users to see putative associations of eMGEs with human phenotypes or their distribution preferences. All eMGE records can be browsed or queried in multiple ways, such as eMGE clusters, metagenomic samples and associated hosts. The mMGE is equipped with a user-friendly interface and a BLAST server, facilitating easy access/queries to all its contents easily. mMGE is freely available for academic use at: https://mgedb.comp-sysbio.org.

Anthropometrics Analysis of Mental Foramen and Accessory Mental Foramen in Zambian Adult Human Mandibles.

The mental foramen (MF) and accessory mental foramen (AMF) are the strategically important landmarks during surgical interventions and anaesthetic nerve blocks procedures involving the mental nerve. The study aimed at evaluating anthropometrics of MF and AMF in Zambian adult human mandibles and it was cleared for ethics from TDRC Ethics Review Committee (Reg. No.: 00002911; FWA: 00003729). A total of 33 Zambian adult human mandibles were evaluated for shape, position, and direction of opening of foramen. All measurements were performed using a Digital Vernier Calliper and statistically analysed for per cent frequency and mean and standard deviations, and we performed the one sample t-test for comparative analysis. Data were considered significant at p<0.05. All mandibles that were examined had bilateral MF while unilateral AMF was found in two mandibles (6%). The foramens were mostly oval in shape and their most common position was between the second premolar and first molar and the most common orientation was posterior-superior. The comparative analysis of mandibular anthropometrics showed significant variations (p<0.05) with different ethnic groups. The findings emphasize the ethnic variations and edify that the foramen position is not always as stated in reference textbooks. The clinical creditability of the study is cautioning the surgeons on possible variations of the MF and AMF anthropometrics compared to existing literature in order to avoid any unforeseen injury related to anaesthesia or dental surgeries. Further studies with large sample sizes representing whole country are recommended to establish the standard MF and AMF anthropometrics of Zambian population.

Evolview v3: a webserver for visualization, annotation, and management of phylogenetic trees.

Evolview is an interactive tree visualization tool designed to help researchers in visualizing phylogenetic trees and in annotating these with additional information. It offers the user with a platform to upload trees in most common tree formats, such as Newick/Phylip, Nexus, Nhx and PhyloXML, and provides a range of visualization options, using fifteen types of custom annotation datasets. The new version of Evolview was designed to provide simple tree uploads, manipulation and viewing options with additional annotation types. The 'dataset system' used for visualizing tree information has evolved substantially from the previous version, and the user can draw on a wide range of additional example visualizations. Developments since the last public release include a complete redesign of the user interface, new annotation dataset types, additional tree visualization styles, full-text search of the documentation, and some backend updates. The project management aspect of Evolview was also updated, with a unified approach to tree and project management and sharing. Evolview is freely available at: https://www.evolgenius.info/evolview/.

Impact of Malocclusions on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Early Adolescents in Ndola, Zambia.

The study aimed to assess the prevalence of malocclusions and its impact on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among early adolescents in Ndola, Zambia. It used a random sample of 384 primary school children aged 12-14 years. The Child Oral Health Impact Profile-Short Form 19 (COHIP-SF19) was used to assess OHRQoL, and the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) was used to examine dentofacial anomalies. The chi-square test was used to study whether there was a statistically significant association between variables and multivariate logistic regression for the influence of sociodemographic and malocclusions on OHRQoL. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Participants' sociodemographics were 53.6% female, 41.7% aged 13 years, and 43.5% from grade six. The overall reported impact on OHRQoL was 11.7%, which was significant (p < 0.001) by age and sex, and higher in females than males. The overall prevalence of malocclusions was 27.9%, which was significant (p=0.005) by sex, and higher in males than females. Children with malocclusions reported significant (p < 0.001) negative oral health impact compared to the children without malocclusions. Spacing, diastema, and crowding were most prevalent malocclusions that showed clear inverse association with OHRQoL. The study findings provide indications that malocclusions are negatively associated with OHRQoL among Zambian early adolescents.

Psychopathology and functional impairment among patients attending an adolescent health clinic: Implications for healthcare model reform.

BACKGROUND: In developing countries, primary health care facilities, such as adolescent health clinics, are frequently the first contact for an adolescent with a health professional for a myriad of health problems including mental health issues. Psychopathology is prevalent among adolescents, and causes significant educational, occupational and social impairment. The presence of psychopathology with impairment requires the development of treatment models to address both of these components. We studied the psychopathology and associated impairment in patients at an adolescent health clinic as an indicator for healthcare model reform. METHODS: Psychopathology and functional impairment were assessed in 100 patients at an adolescent health clinic in the city of Chennai, Southern India. The patients had initially visited the clinic for various medical disorders. Adolescents were diagnostically classified for psychopathology using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the International Classification of Disease: 10th Edition (ICD-10). Functional impairment was assessed with the Child Global Assessment Scale (CGAS). Data were analysed using bivariate and multivariate methods. RESULTS: Eight percent had a diagnosable psychopathology, and they also satisfied at least one ICD-10 diagnosis. Adolescents screened had significant impairment as indicated by low CGAS scores, whether or not they presented with psychopathology. Adolescents with psychopathology were more functionally impaired both in the bivariate (Z = -3.1; P = 0.002) and multivariate analyses (beta(SE) = 1.09(0.3), t = 3.9, 95% confidence interval = 0.5, 1.6; P = 0.001). Impairment in adolescents without psychopathology is primarily attributed to the medical disorders they presented with. CONCLUSION: Patients attending adolescent health clinics should be screened for psychopathology and functional impairment. Documented psychopathology and impairment necessitates the use of a combined treatment model to address the short and long-term problems these adolescents face.