FACTIFY3M: A Benchmark for Multimodal Fact Verification with Explainability through 5W Question-Answering

Combating disinformation is one of the burning societal crises -- about 67% of the American population believes that disinformation produces a lot of uncertainty, and 10% of them knowingly propagate disinformation. Evidence shows that disinformation can manipulate democratic processes and public opinion, causing disruption in the share market, panic and anxiety in society, and even death during crises. Therefore, disinformation should be identified promptly and, if possible, mitigated. With approximately 3.2 billion images and 720,000 hours of video shared online daily on social media platforms, scalable detection of multimodal disinformation requires efficient fact verification. Despite progress in automatic text-based fact verification (e.g., FEVER, LIAR), the research community lacks substantial effort in multimodal fact verification. To address this gap, we introduce FACTIFY 3M, a dataset of 3 million samples that pushes the boundaries of the domain of fact verification via a multimodal fake news dataset, in addition to offering explainability through the concept of 5W question-answering. Salient features of the dataset include: (i) textual claims, (ii) ChatGPT-generated paraphrased claims, (iii) associated images, (iv) stable diffusion-generated additional images (i.e., visual paraphrases), (v) pixel-level image heatmap to foster image-text explainability of the claim, (vi) 5W QA pairs, and (vii) adversarial fake news stories.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2305.0432

Dual substrate specificity of Bacillus subtilis PBP4a

Bacterial DD-peptidases are the targets of the β-lactam antibiotics. The sharp increase in bacterial resistance toward these antibiotics in recent years has stimulated the search for non- β-lactam alternatives. The substrates of DD-peptidases are elements of peptidoglycan from bacterial cell walls. Attempts to base DD-peptidase inhibitor design on peptidoglycan structure, however, have not been particularly successful to date because the specific substrates for most of these enzymes are unknown. It is known, however, that the preferred substrates of low-molecular mass (LMM) class B and C DD-peptidases contain the free N-terminus of the relevant peptidoglycan. Two very similar LMMC enzymes, for example, the Actinomadura R39 DD-peptidase and Bacillus subtilis PBP4a, recognize a D-α-aminopimelyl terminus. The peptidoglycan of B. subtilis in the vegetative stage, however, has the N-terminal D-α-aminopimelyl carboxylic acid amidated. The question is, therefore, whether the DD-peptidases of B. subtilis are separately specific to carboxylate or carboxamide or have dual specificity. This paper describes an investigation of this issue with B. subtilis PBP4a. This enzyme was indeed found to have a dual specificity for peptide substrates, both in the acyl donor and in the acyl acceptor sites. In contrast, the R39 DD-peptidase, from an organism in which the peptidoglycan is not amidated, has a strong preference for a terminal carboxylate. It was also found that acyl acceptors, reacting with acyl−enzyme intermediates, were preferentially D-amino acid amides for PBP4a and the corresponding amino acids for the R39 DD-peptidase. Examination of the relevant crystal structures, aided by molecular modeling, suggested that the expansion of specificity in PBP4a accompanies a change of Arg351 in the R39 enzyme and most LMMC DD-peptidases to histidine in PBP4a and its orthologs in other Bacillus sp. This histidine, in neutral form at pH 7, appeared to be able to favorably interact with both carboxylate and carboxamide termini of substrates, in agreement with the kinetic data. It may still be possible, in specific cases, to combat bacteria with new antibiotics based on particular elements of their peptidoglycan structure

Neutral β‑Lactams Inactivate High Molecular Mass Penicillin-Binding Proteins of Class B1, Including PBP2a of MRSA

The targets of β-lactam antibiotics are bacterial DD-peptidases (penicillin-binding proteins). β-Lactam SAR studies over many years have demonstrated the importance of a specifically placed negative charge, usually carboxylate, on these molecules. We show here that neutral analogues of classical β-lactam antibiotics are of comparable activity to the originals against β-lactam-resistant high molecular mass DD-peptidases of the B1 class, a group that includes PBP2a of methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. These neutral β-lactams may direct new development of antibiotics against certain penicillin-resistant bacteria. These molecules do have antibiotic activity against Gram-positive bacteria

ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS AND ATTITUDE OF SCHOOL TEACHERS OF KAPADWANJ TALUKA TOWARDS ORAL HEALTH- A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective&lt;/strong&gt;:Schools and teachers are the vital source of guidance pertaining oral health in students. Oral health education given in early life has lifelong effect on person. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the knowledge, awareness and attitude of primary and middle school teachersconcerning oral health of Kapadwanj Taluka.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Materials and Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; This cross-sectional study was conducted ongovernment schoolteachers ofKapadwanj taluka, Gujarat. Data of responses to 11 close ended, self-structured questionnaire assessing knowledge, awareness and attitude towards oral health was collected and entered in computer software. The frequency and percentage of data for all three sections were evaluated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results&lt;/strong&gt;: Total 148 primary and middle school teachers were enrolled in study without gender preference.98.6% teachers had good awareness,63.5% of them were with average knowledge while only 46.6% had favorable attitude.Distribution in gender showed almost equal knowledge and awareness in male and female teachers with comparatively more favorable attitude in male teachers. Among primary and middle school teachers, primary teachers showed better knowledge and awareness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/strong&gt;Most of the teachers showed satisfactory knowledge in some aspects of oral health, although improvements can be implemented by regular teacher training, such as oral health seminars and material activities. These fundamental measures empower and supports teachers to effectively convey oral health education to students and scociety.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&nbsp;&lt;/p&gt

Dual Substrate Specificity of <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> PBP4a

Bacterial dd-peptidases are the targets of the β-lactam antibiotics. The sharp increase in bacterial resistance toward these antibiotics in recent years has stimulated the search for non-β-lactam alternatives. The substrates of dd-peptidases are elements of peptidoglycan from bacterial cell walls. Attempts to base dd-peptidase inhibitor design on peptidoglycan structure, however, have not been particularly successful to date because the specific substrates for most of these enzymes are unknown. It is known, however, that the preferred substrates of low-molecular mass (LMM) class B and C dd-peptidases contain the free N-terminus of the relevant peptidoglycan. Two very similar LMMC enzymes, for example, the <i>Actinomadura</i> R39 dd-peptidase and <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> PBP4a, recognize a d-α-aminopimelyl terminus. The peptidoglycan of <i>B. subtilis</i> in the vegetative stage, however, has the N-terminal d-α-aminopimelyl carboxylic acid amidated. The question is, therefore, whether the dd-peptidases of <i>B. subtilis</i> are separately specific to carboxylate or carboxamide or have dual specificity. This paper describes an investigation of this issue with <i>B. subtilis</i> PBP4a. This enzyme was indeed found to have a dual specificity for peptide substrates, both in the acyl donor and in the acyl acceptor sites. In contrast, the R39 dd-peptidase, from an organism in which the peptidoglycan is not amidated, has a strong preference for a terminal carboxylate. It was also found that acyl acceptors, reacting with acyl–enzyme intermediates, were preferentially d-amino acid amides for PBP4a and the corresponding amino acids for the R39 dd-peptidase. Examination of the relevant crystal structures, aided by molecular modeling, suggested that the expansion of specificity in PBP4a accompanies a change of Arg351 in the R39 enzyme and most LMMC dd-peptidases to histidine in PBP4a and its orthologs in other <i>Bacillus</i> sp. This histidine, in neutral form at pH 7, appeared to be able to favorably interact with both carboxylate and carboxamide termini of substrates, in agreement with the kinetic data. It may still be possible, in specific cases, to combat bacteria with new antibiotics based on particular elements of their peptidoglycan structure

Hypoxia inducible factors (HIF1α and HIF3α) are differentially methylated in preeclampsia placentae and are associated with birth outcomes

Preeclampsia is a placental vascular pathology and hypoxia is known to influence placental angiogenesis. Hypoxia Inducible Factors (HIF1α and HIF3α) mediate the response to cellular oxygen concentration and bind to hypoxia response element of target genes. However the mechanism regulating above activity is not well-understood. We investigated if placental DNA methylation (DNAm) and expression of HIF1α and 3α genes are altered and associated with pre-eclampsia, placental weight and birth outcomes. Using a cohort comprising women with preeclampsia [N = 100, delivering at term (N = 43) and preterm (N = 57)] and normotensive controls (N = 100), we analysed DNAm in HIF1α and 3α, and their mRNA expression in placentae, employing pyrosequencing and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. We observed significant hypermethylation at cg22891070 of HIF3α in preeclampsia placentae compared to controls (β = 1.5%, p = 0.04). CpG8 in the promoter region of HIF1α, showed marginally significant hypomethylation in preterm preeclampsia compared to controls (β = - 0.15%, p = 0.055). HIF1α expression was significantly lower in preterm preeclampsia compared to controls (mean ± SE = 10.16 ± 2.00 vs 4.25 ± 0.90, p = 0.04). Further, DNAm in HIF1α promoter region was negatively associated with its expression levels (β =  - 0.165, p = 0.024). Several CpGs in HIF1α were negatively associated with placental weight and birth outcomes including birth weight (β range =  - 0.224-0.300) and birth length [β range =  - 0.248 to - 0.301 (p &lt; 0.05 for all)]. Overall, we demonstrate altered DNAm in HIF1α and HIF3α in preeclampsia placentae, also associated with various birth outcomes. Correlation of DNAm in HIF1α and its expression suggests a possible role in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. Further investigations on interactions between HIF1α and HIF3α in preeclampsia would be interesting

Abstracts of Scientifica 2022

This book contains the abstracts of the papers presented at Scientifica 2022, Organized by the Sancheti Institute College of Physiotherapy, Pune, Maharashtra, India, held on 12–13 March 2022. This conference helps bring researchers together across the globe on one platform to help benefit the young researchers. There were six invited talks from different fields of Physiotherapy and seven panel discussions including over thirty speakers across the globe which made the conference interesting due to the diversity of topics covered during the conference. Conference Title:  Scientifica 2022Conference Date: 12–13 March 2022Conference Location: Sancheti Institute College of PhysiotherapyConference Organizer: Sancheti Institute College of Physiotherapy, Pune, Maharashtra, Indi

The revised Approved Instructional Resources score:An improved quality evaluation tool for online educational resources

BACKGROUND: Free Open-Access Medical education (FOAM) use among residents continues to rise. However, it often lacks quality assurance processes and residents receive little guidance on quality assessment. The Academic Life in Emergency Medicine Approved Instructional Resources tool (AAT) was created for FOAM appraisal by and for expert educators and has demonstrated validity in this context. It has yet to be evaluated in other populations.OBJECTIVES: We assessed the AAT's usability in a diverse population of practicing emergency medicine (EM) physicians, residents, and medical students; solicited feedback; and developed a revised tool.METHODS: As part of the Medical Education Translational Resources: Impact and Quality (METRIQ) study, we recruited medical students, EM residents, and EM attendings to evaluate five FOAM posts with the AAT and provide quantitative and qualitative feedback via an online survey. Two independent analysts performed a qualitative thematic analysis with discrepancies resolved through discussion and negotiated consensus. This analysis informed development of an initial revised AAT, which was then further refined after pilot testing among the author group. The final tool was reassessed for reliability.RESULTS: Of 330 recruited international participants, 309 completed all ratings. The Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine (BEEM) score was the component most frequently reported as difficult to use. Several themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: for ease of use-understandable, logically structured, concise, and aligned with educational value. Limitations include deviation from questionnaire best practices, validity concerns, and challenges assessing evidence-based medicine. Themes supporting its use include evaluative utility and usability. The author group pilot tested the initial revised AAT, revealing a total score average measure intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of moderate reliability (ICC = 0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0 to 0.962). The final AAT's average measure ICC was 0.88 (95% CI = 0.77 to 0.95).CONCLUSIONS: We developed the final revised AAT from usability feedback. The new score has significantly increased usability, but will need to be reassessed for reliability in a broad population.</p