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Prior research states that during extreme uncertainties stock prices deviate from their fundamentals. This study examines the cross-section of share price returns during the COVID-19 and pre-COVID periods to determine how investors’ reaction to prior earnings volatility is affected by the COVID-19-induced ambiguity. The sample consists of 840 firms listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from January 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021. Consistent with the notion that ambiguity-aversion is not a universal phenomenon, COVID-period stock returns exhibit a positive (β = 0.23) and statistically significant relationship with prior earnings volatility. In contrast, the stable period returns show a very weak, if any, correlation with prior earnings volatility. The positive relationship is more pronounced for firms that experience greater information asymmetry. When comparing the results with previous research, it appears that different crises evoke varied levels of ambiguity-aversion possibly because of the ways in which each crisis’s features and anticipated outcomes influence how the market reacts. Thus, before crafting responses to a crisis, policymakers and firms should thoroughly examine the crisis and identify the underlying causes, dynamics, and possible effects on decision-makers’ ambiguity-aversion behavior.

The β-lactams—a large class of diverse compounds—due to their excellent safety profile and broad antimicrobial spectrum are considered to be the most widely used therapeutic class of antibacterials prescribed in human and veterinary clinical practices. This, unfortunately, has also given rise to a continuous increased resistance globally in health care settings as well as in the community due to their permanent selective force driving diversification of the resistance mechanism. Resistance against β-lactams is increasing rapidly as novel β-lactamases, enzymes that degrade β-lactams, are being discovered each day such as recent emergence of extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) that have the ability to inactivate most of the cephalosporins. The complexity and diversity of ESBL are increasing so rapidly that more than 170 variants have thus far been described for only a single genotype, the blaCTX-M-encoding ESBL. This review is to organize all the current updated literature describing genomic features, organization, and mechanism of resistance and mode of dissemination of all known ESBLs.

The present work is mainly focused on the synthesis and comprehensive rheological investigation of uniform and large macroporous polyethylene glycol-modified polyacrylamide hydrogels [PEG-m-P(AAm)] through free radical polymerization using different accelerators (ascorbic acid (AsA), thermal activation (60 °C) and N , N ′, N ″, N ‴-tetramethyl ethylenediamine (TEMED)). The synthesis and surface morphology of the hydrogels were confirmed by FTIR and SEM techniques. Rheological investigation was carried out to determine the effect of accelerator nature on the rheological parameters and pseudo-plastic behavior of polymer hydrogels. A decline in viscosity with the increase in shear rate confirms the non-Newtonian pseudo-plastic behavior of hydrogels. From the creep-recovery study, the least strain (0.2) and creep compliance (2 × 10 −2  Pa −1 ) for the thermally activated synthesized polymer hydrogel show more elastic property than the hydrogels synthesized by AsA and TEMED having strain values of 0.6 and 2.2, respectively. The thixotropic character of the hydrogels was found by the hysteresis loop test. The hydrogels prepared via AsA (998.825 Pa s −1 ) showed greater thixotropic behavior, followed by thermal activation (652.857 Pa s −1 ), and TEMED (531.9 Pa s −1 ) respectively. The hydrogels synthesized by different routes attained a completely different morphology, which can be applicable for specific applications. The obtained results verify that these materials may be used for the removal of potentially toxic materials, as a carrier for bioactive compounds and in cosmetic industry.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic helminthiasis caused by different species of the genus Echinococcus, and is a major economic and public health concern worldwide. Synthetic anthelmintics are most commonly used to control CE, however, prolonged use of these drugs may result in many adverse effects. This study aims to discuss the in vitro/in vivo scolicidal efficacy of different medicinal plants and their components used against Echinococcus granulosus. Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed and Scopus were used to retrieve the published literature from 2000-2020. A total of 62 published articles met the eligibility criteria and were reviewed. A total of 52 plant species belonging to 22 families have been reported to be evaluated as scolicidal agents against E. granulosus worldwide. Most extensively used medicinal plants against E. granulosus belong to the family Lamiaceae (25.0%) followed by Apiaceae (11.3%). Among various plant parts, leaves (36.0%) were most commonly used. Essential oils of Zataria multiflora and Ferula asafetida at a concentration of 0.02, and 0.06 mg/ml showed 100% in vitro scolicidal activity after 10 min post application, respectively. Z. multiflora also depicted high in vivo efficacy by decreasing weight and size while also causing extensive damage to the germinal layer of the cysts. Plant-based compounds like berberine, thymol, and thymoquinone have shown high efficacy against E. granulosus. These plant species and compounds could be potentially used for the development of an effective drug against E. granulosus, if further investigated for in vivo efficacy, toxicity, and mechanism of drug action in future research.

BACKGROUND/AIMSNewcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious disease in poultry caused by the ND virus (NDV). In Pakistan, NDV epidemics occur frequently, leading to massive economic losses; however, the genetic diversity of NDV in Pakistan is not well known. This study aims to investigate the genetic variation between the vaccine and circulating strains of NDV among poultry in Pakistan.MATERIALS AND METHODSThree vaccine strains [ND-Lasota, ND-infectious bronchitis (IB), ND-clone] were analyzed alongside 67 field samples collected from ND outbreaks. NDV samples were inoculated into 9-10-day-old eggs. Allantoic fluid was harvested, followed by a hemagglutination test. RNA was extracted from positive HA samples. Complementary DNA was prepared using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The fusion (F) gene was amplified through PCR using specific primers, and PCR products, measured in base pairs (bp), were analyzed using gel electrophoresis.RESULTSAmong 67 field samples, the HA tests were positive in 50 samples, accounting for 75%. On gel, the F1 gene of field NDV showed variable band size (250 bp, 350 bp, 400 bp), while F2 and F3 had band sizes of 650 bp and 500 bp, respectively. The band sizes F1, F2, and F3 of ND-Lasota and ND-IB were each 100 bp. The band sizes of the F1, F2, and F3 genes of ND-clone were 100 bp, 150 bp, and 150 bp, respectively.CONCLUSIONVariability among F1 gene sizes indicates the emergence of mutations or new subgenotypes. Sequencing-based studies are needed to monitor circulating NDV strains, to modify vaccines.

Prior research generally reports a positive relationship between firm-level accounting earnings surprises and contemporaneous stock prices, indicating that accounting earnings carry value-relevant information. Recent studies, however, show that investors respond negatively to unexpected changes in aggregate earnings. These findings present a puzzle for researchers. We examine the earnings/return association at the firm- and aggregate-level using a dataset of all publicly listed US REITs from 1998 to 2018. The analysis aims to know whether the negative association between the two variables exists in industry-level data, specifically REITs. We fail to find an inverse relationship between aggregate earnings changes and concurrent stock returns in REITs; yet, our data support the notion that aggregate level accounting income is relatively more predictable than firm-level income. Our results indicate that the previously observed negative aggregate earnings/return relation seems to be triggered by information transfer across various industrial sectors.

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), a transmembrane protein, is associated with the regulation of immune system. It frequently has overexpression in various cancers, allowing tumor cells to avoid immune detection. PD-L1 inhibition has risen as a potential strategy in the field of therapeutic immunology for cancer. In the current study, structure-based virtual screening of drug libraries was conducted and then the screened hits were docked to the active residues of PD-L1 to select the optimal binding poses. The top ten compounds with binding affinities ranging from -10.734 to -10.398 kcal/mol were selected for further analysis. The ADMET analysis of selected compounds showed the compounds meet the criteria of ADMET properties. Further, the conformational changes and binding stability of the top two compounds was analyzed by conducting 200 ns simulation and it was observed that the hits did not exert conformational changes to the protein structure. All the results suggest that the chosen hits can be considered as lead compounds for the inhibition of biological activity of PD-L1 in in vitro studies.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a crucial component of cellular signaling pathways, is frequently dysregulated in a range of cancers. EGFR targeting has become a viable approach in the development of anti-cancer medications. This study employs an integrated approach to drug discovery, combining multiple computational methodologies to identify potential EGFR inhibitors. The co-crystal ligand for the EGFR protein (R85) (PDB ID: 7AEI) was employed as a model for developing pharmacophore hypotheses. Nine databases underwent a ligand-based virtual screening, and 1271 hits meeting the screening criteria were chosen. EGFR protein crystal structure was obtained from the PDB database (PDB ID: 7AEI) and prepared. The hit compounds identified during virtual screening were docked to the prepared EGFR receptor to predict binding affinities by using the glide tool’s standard precision mode. The top ten compounds were chosen, and their affinities of binding ranged from -7.691 to -7.338 kcal/mol. The ADMET properties of the selected compounds were predicted, and three compounds MCULE-6473175764, CSC048452634, and CSC070083626 showed better QPPCaco values compared to other identified compounds, so these were selected for further stability analysis. To confirm the stability of the protein-ligand complexes, a 200 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was run using the binding sites of the top three compounds against the EGFR receptor. These results suggest that the selected compounds may be lead compounds in suppressing the biological activity of EGFR, additional experimental investigation is required.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an immune-mediated, polyarthritis linked with various genetic and environmental causative agents. Among environmental triggers, Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is considered the most potent etiological agent. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of EBV and its genotypes in RA patients and to investigate their association with clinical and laboratory parameters of RA. This study included blood samples of RA and control healthy individuals (100 each). Blood samples along with clinical and laboratory parameters were collected from patients after consent in the Department of Rheumatology, at Lady Reading Hospital, in Peshawar Pakistan. Blood samples were processed for DNA extraction followed by PCR amplification for EBV detection and genotype discrimination. RA patients were 85 females and 15 males with a mean age of 40.13±14.05 years. EBV Type-1 was detected in 45% of RA and 9% of control cases. The mean disease duration of RA patients was 6.61±6.23 years. Out of 100 diseased patients, 43% were seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (SPRA) and showed a significant correlation with a family history of RA in EBV-positive individuals (P = 0.017). The demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters of RA patients showed a non-significant association with EBV. Moreover, only a family history and Serum creatinine of RA patients showed a significant association with EBV (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.022 respectively). It is concluded that EBV-1 is prevalent and associated with RA. Further investigation is required for detailed genetic analysis of EBV to determine its possible role in modulating the immune system in RA.

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a protozoan parasite that infects all warm-blooded animals including domesticated birds and humans. Birds normally get infected by ground feeding and human beings contract the disease by consumption of undercooked chicken meat. This study aimed to analyze seroprevalence and DNA of T. gondii in chickens (domesticated and broiler) and to assess possible transfer to humans by review of available literature from Pakistan. Blood from and tissues from domesticated and broilers chickens were analyzed for Toxo-IgM/IgG and Toxoplasma DNA through ELISA and PCR respectively. Furthermore, research articles published during 1990-2019 on the prevalence of T. gondii in humans from Pakistan, were analyzed to assess the possible infection burden in the area in connection to transmission from chickens. The overall prevalence of IgM and IgG for T. gondii was 17.83% and 8.8% respectively in the study areas. Significant seroprevalence was found in domesticated chickens than broilers. In domesticated chickens, the prevalence was high in age ≥ 2 years. Toxoplasma DNA was detected in tissues with an overall prevalence of 10.84%. Higher prevalence was observed in liver (10.50%) than heart (9.5%) and muscles (7.11%). Only 4.78% broiler and 2.38% domesticated chickens were positive for both IgM and DNA, 1.2% domesticated and 1.30% broilers were positive for IgG and DNA, while 2.98% domesticated and 2.17% broilers were positive for IgM, IgG, and DNA. Available literature showed that 25.8% of human beings were infected with T. gondii in Pakistan. The prevalence was 20.64% in male and 26.82%in the female. The rate of infections increases with age and high (37.36%) was found in humans of age range 40 to 60 years. A high prevalence of T. gondii is found in both domesticated and broiler chickens in the study area. Moreover, the literature survey indicates that a high seroprevalence of T. gondii is present in human beings of Pakistan. It is concluded that the high prevalence of T. gondii in humans may be associated with the parasite transmission through infected chicken's meat in Pakistan.