BEATS: BEAmline for synchrotron X-ray microTomography at SESAME.

The ID10 beamline of the SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) synchrotron light source in Jordan was inaugurated in June 2023 and is now open to scientific users. The beamline, which was designed and installed within the European Horizon 2020 project BEAmline for Tomography at SESAME (BEATS), provides full-field X-ray radiography and microtomography imaging with monochromatic or polychromatic X-rays up to photon energies of 100 keV. The photon source generated by a 2.9 T wavelength shifter with variable gap, and a double-multilayer monochromator system allow versatile application for experiments requiring either an X-ray beam with high intensity and flux, and/or a partially spatial coherent beam for phase-contrast applications. Sample manipulation and X-ray detection systems are designed to allow scanning samples with different size, weight and material, providing image voxel sizes from 13 µm down to 0.33 µm. A state-of-the-art computing infrastructure for data collection, three-dimensional (3D) image reconstruction and data analysis allows the visualization and exploration of results online within a few seconds from the completion of a scan. Insights from 3D X-ray imaging are key to the investigation of specimens from archaeology and cultural heritage, biology and health sciences, materials science and engineering, earth, environmental sciences and more. Microtomography scans and preliminary results obtained at the beamline demonstrate that the new beamline ID10-BEATS expands significantly the range of scientific applications that can be targeted at SESAME.

Studying the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among a sample of medical students in Damascus, Syria. A cross-sectional study.

Background: A considerable number of medical students experience musculoskeletal pain (MSP) during their academic years. In this study, we seek to determine the prevalence of MSP, as well as its associated risk factors, among a sample of medical students at two major universities in Damascus, Syria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two universities, with a total of 2009 medical students participating in filling-in the paper-based questionnaire. A modified version of the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire was utilized in this study. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 2009 medical students. The majority were between the ages of 21 and 25 years old, female (53%), and in their clinical years (55%). 1081 (54%) of all students had at least one MSP site in the previous week, while 1654 (82%) had at least one MSP site in the last year. MSP in the previous week was strongly linked with a history of trauma (odds ratio [OR] 2.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.79-2.86, p = 0.001), as well as a family history of MSP (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.12-1.76, p = 0.0029). MSP in the previous year was significantly associated with gender (OR 0.637, 95% CI 0.50-0.80, p = 0.0001), history of trauma (OR 4.59, 95% CI 2.93-7.17, p ≤ 0.001), and family history of MSP (OR 4.59, 95% CI 1.36-2.68, p = 0.0002). On multivariate analysis, factors associated with MSP in the previous week and last year were familial history of MSP (p = 0.0457) (p = 0.0024), respectively, and a history of trauma (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: MSP had a high prevalence among Syrian medical students, especially female students, those with history of trauma, and those with a family history of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). This major health problem should be known to medical institutions, and awareness programs are required.

Polymerase chain reaction-guided diagnosis of infective keratitis - a hospital-based study.

PURPOSE: To compare polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to microbial culture and smear for detection and identification of bacterial and fungal pathogens in suspected microbial keratitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Corneal scrapings from 88 patients with suspected infectious keratitis were subjected to routine bacterial culture and sensitivity, Gram's stain, fungal culture; potassium hydroxide (KOH) wet mount, and PCR. PCR was performed with primer pairs targeted to the 16S and 18S r RNA gene. The result of the PCR was compared with conventional culture and Gram staining method. RESULTS: By broad-range PCR, 40 (45.45%) cases were positive for fungi (90.9% sensitivity), 26 (29.5%) were culture positive (59.09% sensitivity), 29 (33%) of all patients were positive for bacteria by broad-range PCR (87.9% sensitivity) and 19 (21.6%) were culture positive (57.58% sensitivity). The time taken for PCR assay was 4-8 h whereas positive fungal cultures took 2-10 days and bacterial culture from 2 to 4 days. Smears were positive for fungi in 29 eyes (33% of cases, 65.91% sensitivity) and for bacteria in 11 eyes (12.5% of cases, 33.33% sensitivity). CONCLUSIONS: DNA amplification with universal primers is a promising diagnostic tool in cases of infectious keratitis where routine laboratory culture failed to identify the pathogen. PCR may be performed in cases where the results of corneal scraping stains are negative without waiting for the results of the culture.