Curcumin has restrained clinical applications due to poor bioavailability. This study aimed to synthesize cockle shell-derived calcium carbonate (aragonite) nanoparticles (CSCaCO3NP) for delivery of curcumin and to evaluate its kinetic release in vitro. CSCaCO3NP was synthesized and conjugated with curcumin (Cur-CSCaCO3NP) using a simple top down approach and characterized for its physicochemical properties as a potential curcumin carrier. In vitro release profile was assessed using dialysis bag membrane method. The release data were fitted to Korsmeyer-Peppas, Zero order and Higuchi models to evaluate the mechanism of release pattern. A spherical shaped CSCaCO3NP with a surface area of 14.48±0.1 m2/g, average mean diameter size of 21.38±2.7 nm and a zeta potential of -18.7 mV was synthesized which has a high loading content and encapsulation efficiency. The FT-IR and XRD revealed less observable changes on the peaks after conjugation. In vitro kinetic release profile demonstrated sustained release and best fitted to the Higuchi equation model. The results of this study showed the capacity of the synthesized CSCaCO3NP to encapsulate curcumin efficiently with a stable release in vitro. This could give an insight and supportive ideas on the potentials of CSCaCO3NP for curcumin delivery. Therefore, CSCaCO3NP holds future prospects in preclinical framework to enhance curcumin efficacy for oral therapeutic applications.

An increasing global aridification due to climate change has made the health monitoring of vegetation indispensable to maintaining the food supply chain. Cost-effective and smart irrigation systems are required not only to ensure the efficient distribution of water, but also to track the moisture of plant leaves, which is an important marker of the overall health of the plant. This paper presents a novel electromagnetic method to monitor the water content (WC) and characterization in plant leaves utilizing the absorption spectra of water molecules in the terahertz (THz) frequency for four consecutive days. We extracted the material properties of leaves of eight types of pot herbs from the scattering parameters, measured using a material characterization kit in the frequency range of 0.75 to 1.1 THz. From the computed permittivity, it is deduced that the leaf specimens increasingly become transparent to the THz waves as they dry out with the passage of days. Moreover, the loss in weight and thickness of leaves were observed due to the natural evaporation of leaf moisture cells and change occurred in the morphology of fresh and water-stressed leaves. It is also illustrated that loss observed in WC on day 1 was in the range of 5\% to 22\%, and increased from 83.12\% to 99.33\% on day 4. Furthermore, we observed an exponential decaying trend in the peaks of the real part of the permittivity from day 1 to 4, which was reminiscent of the trend observed in the weight of all leaves. Thus, results in paper demonstrated that timely detection of water stress in leaves can help to take proactive action in relation to plants health monitoring, and for precision agriculture applications, which is of high importance to improve the overall productivity.

Tuberculosis (TB) associated stigma is well-documented phenomenon that may contribute to sub-optimal TB care in Pakistan. The objective of study was to assess TB related knowledge and perceived stigma among community members. This was cross-sectional survey using convenience sample of 183 individuals recruited between October and December 2017. A validated stigma measurement tool developed by Van Rie et al. was adapted. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. 183 individuals (73% males; n = 134) participated in survey. Eighty-seven percent were aware that TB is curable disease (n = 159) and 91% thought that it could be transmitted by coughing (n = 167). However, respondents also thought that TB was spread through contaminated food (73%; n = 134), sharing meals (55%; n = 100), sharing utensils (53%; n = 96) and by having sexual intercourse with a TB patient (51%; n = 93). Fifty-seven percent (n = 104) associated TB with high levels of stigma. Persons who had less than six years of education (crude OR = 1.2; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.72) and lacked knowledge that TB is curable (crude OR = 3.42; 95% CI: 1.20, 9.70) were more likely to associate TB with stigma. In addition, females (crude OR = 1.33; 95% CI: 0.87, 2.04) and those who were unemployed (crude OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 0.65, 1.74) were also more likely to associate TB with stigma. We found an association between lack of knowledge about TB and perceived stigma. This highlights need for improved education and awareness about TB.

Renal artery thrombosis is a sporadic serious clinical condition which potentially cause renal infarction. Diagnosis of renal infarction can be delayed or missed due to non specific clinical presentation and overlapping appearance of medical and surgical phenomena. Early diagnosis supported by biochemical and radiological findings while appropriate management potentially improve morbidity and mortality. Persistent abdominal or flank pain with raised LDH and proteinuria on background of thromboembolism risk factors supports the diagnosis. Despite the rarity of the disease rapid identification with prompt medical or endovascular intervention could prevent irreversible renal parenchymal damage.

As large language models (LLMs) continue to advance, evaluating their comprehensive capabilities becomes significant for their application in various fields. This research study comprehensively evaluates the language, vision, speech, and multimodal capabilities of GPT-4o. The study employs standardized exam questions, reasoning tasks, and translation assessments to assess the model's language capability. Additionally, GPT-4o's vision and speech capabilities are tested through image classification and object recognition tasks, as well as accent classification. The multimodal evaluation assesses the model's performance in integrating visual and linguistic data. Our findings reveal that GPT-4o demonstrates high accuracy and efficiency across multiple domains in language and reasoning capabilities, excelling in tasks that require few-shot learning. GPT-4o also provides notable improvements in multimodal tasks compared to its predecessors. However, the model shows variability and faces limitations in handling complex and ambiguous inputs, particularly in audio and vision capabilities. This paper highlights the need for more comprehensive benchmarks and robust evaluation frameworks, encompassing qualitative assessments involving human judgment as well as error analysis. Future work should focus on expanding datasets, investigating prompt-based assessment, and enhancing few-shot learning techniques to test the model's practical applicability and performance in real-world scenarios.

Addressing within field spatial variability for nitrogen management to avoid over and under-use of nitrogen is crucial for optimizing crop productivity and ensuring environmental sustainability. In this study we investigated the economic, environmental and agronomic benefits of variable rate nitrogen application in potato (Solanum tuberosum). An online visible and near infrared (vis-NIR) spectroscopy sensor we utilized to predict soil moisture content (MC), pH, total organic carbon (TOC), extractable phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) using a partial least squares regression (PLSR) models. The crop's normalized difference vegetation Index (NDVI) from Sentinel-2 satellite images was incorporated to online measured soil data to derive fertility management zones (MZs) maps, after homogenous raster and clustering analyses. The MZs maps were categorized into high fertile (VR-H), medium-high fertile (VR-MH), medium-low fertile (VR-ML), and low fertile (VR-L) zones. A parallel strip experiment compared variable rate nitrogen (VR-N) with uniform rate (UR) treatments, adjusting nitrogen levels based on fertility zones as: 50% less for VR-H, 25% less for VR-MH, 25% more for VR-ML, and 50% more for VR-L zones compared to the UR treatment. Results showed that the VR-H zone received a 50% reduction in N fertilizer input and demonstrated a significantly higher crop yield compared to the UR treatment. This implies a potential reduction in negative environmental impact by lowering fertilizer costs while maintaining robust crop yields. In total, the VR -N treatment received an additional 1.2 Kg/ha of nitrogen input, resulting in a crop yield increase of 1.89 tons/ha. The relative gross margin for the VR-N treatment compared to the UR treatment 374.83 €/ha, indicating substantial profitability for the farmer. To further optimize environmental benefits and profitability, additional research is needed to explore site-specific application of all farm resources through precision agricultural technologies.

Inflammation is an important biological response to any tissue injury. The immune system responds to any stimulus, such as irritation, damage, or infection, by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1b, can lead to several diseases eg.,, cardiovascular diseases, joint disorders, cancer, and allergies. Emerging science suggests that whole grains may lower the markers of inflammation. Whole grains are a significant source of dietary fibres and phenolic acids that have inverse association with the risk of inflammation. The dietary fibres and phenolic acids composition of whole grains is very distinct over different grains. Whole grains (cereals and pseudo-cereals) are rich in both dietary fibres e.g., arabinoxylan, β-glucan and phenolic acids e.g., hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids, which are predominantly present in the bran layer. Although the biological mechanisms underlying widely reported association between whole grains consumption and a lower risk diseases are not fully understood. The modulatory effects of whole grains on inflammation also likely to be influenced by several mechanisms, including the effect of dietary fibres and phenolic acids, while some of these effects are direct, others involve gut microbiota, which transform important bioactive substances into more useful metabolites that moderate inflammatory signaling pathway. Thus, the aim of this review is two folded: first is to discuss the types of dietary fibres and phenolic acids commonly found in cereals and pseudo-cereals, and their health benefits observed in animal and human studies. Second, we review existing literature on the linkage between consumption of whole grains and markers of subclinical inflammation, the role of dietary fibres, phenolic acids, and gut microbiota on the anti-inflammatory activity of whole grains intake. Altogether, scientific data on the ant-inflammatory properties of whole grains are encouraging, further researches are needed to cover the gap between the emerging sciences of whole grains dietary fibres, phenolic acids and inflammation.

Monkeypox virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which belongs to the Poxviridae family. The Monkeypox virus is responsible to cause monkeypox, a developing zoonotic disease that has been identified as the most common orthopoxvirus infection in humans in the post-eradication era of smallpox. The virus can be transmitted by a variety of animals, including monkeys and rodents as well as person-to-person. Monkeypox has a clinical presentation that is quite similar to smallpox but mortality is low, in that the febrile prodrome is followed by a period of skin eruption. Monkeypox cases have extended outside the forests of central Africa, where they were first discovered, to other regions of the globe, where they have been imported. This pattern of transmission is most likely related to a global reduction in orthopoxvirus immunity following the discontinuation of smallpox vaccination in 1980, when smallpox was proclaimed eliminated. As a result, monkeypox might become the very common orthopoxvirus infection that affect humans. The emergence of epidemics outside of Africa emphasizes the disease's global significance. Increased monitoring and identification of monkeypox cases are critical tools for gaining a better knowledge of the disease's ever-changing epidemiology.

Potentilla nepalensis belongs to the Rosaceae family, and has numerous therapeutic applications as potent plant-based medicine. Forty phytoconstituents (PCs) from the root and stem through n-hexane (NR and NS) and methanolic (MR and MS) extracts were identified in our earlier studies. However, the PCs affecting human genes and their roles in the body are not disclosed till now. In this study, we employed network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations (MDS), and MMGBSA methodologies. SMILES format of PCs from the PubChem used as input to DIGEP-Pred, 764 identified as the inducing genes. Their enrichment studies have shown inducing genes gene ontology descriptions, involved pathways, associated diseases, and drugs. PPI networks constructed in String DB and network topological analysing parameters done in Cytoscape v3.10 revealed three biomarkers, TP53 from MS, NR, and NS induced genes; HSPCB and Nf-kB1 from MR induced genes. From 40 PCs, two PCs 1b (MR) and 2a (MS), showed better binding scores (kcal/mol) with p53 protein of -8.6, and -8.0; three PCs 3a, (NR) 4a and 4c (NS) with HSP protein of -9.6, -8.7, and -8.2. MDS and MMGBSA revealed these complexes are stable without higher deviations with better free energy values. Biomarkers identified in this study, have a prominent role in numerous cancers. Thus, further investigations such as in-vivo and in-vitro should be done to find the molecular functions and interlaying mechanism of the identified biomarkers on numerous cancer cell lines in considering the PCs of P.nepalensis.

Cobalt (Co) is a transition metal and is classified as a beneficial metal for plants, but its benefits for plants remain obscure. Cobalt has been reported to negatively affect plant physiochemical processes both at higher (toxic) and lower (deficient) applied levels. High concentrations of cobalt in plant organs cause irreversible changes to the plant cells, mainly via enhanced production of reactive radicals. Moreover, Co and its compound play an essential role in humans as they are the central atoms of cobalamin, a co-enzyme precursor whose absence causes anemia. Hence, the optimum Co supply to plants is critical for customary plant metabolic workings. Henceforth, monitoring Co behavior in the soil-plant-human system is highly imperative. This review highlighted the latest literature on (i) Co in soil and plants; (ii) its mobility and phyto-availability in soil; (iii) phytouptake and translocation towards shoot tissues; (iv) toxic and deficient effects of Co on plants; (v) plant detoxification mechanisms under increased Co levels inside plants; and (v) its role in the human body. For this purpose, 1026 plant observations from literature data were analyzed related to Co biogeochemical behavior in the soil-plant system. The data analysis revealed an overall increase in 567 observations and a decrease in 381 observations. However, these general trends in plant responses vary significantly for different types of plant species and physiological attributes. Overall, the current review delineates an updated and critical representation of the biogeochemical behavior of Co in the soil-plant-human system, supported by up-to-date 9 main tables, 14 supporting tables, and 3 figures. The authors believe that the literature presented here can be of great interest to scientists, researchers, policymakers, and graduate-level students.

Synthesis and antitumour activity of a palladium compound, [Bis (quinoline) palladium (II) chloride] (coded as NH1) alone and in combination along with its proposed mechanism of action has been described in the present study. Antitumour activity has been performed in seven different cancer cell lines using colorimetric 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The investigated palladium compound demonstrated superiority over clinical standard cisplatin against drug resistant ovarian cancer cell lines. NH1 also demonstrates 4.4 times greater activity than cisplatin against breast cancer model. Binary sequenced combination study showed that NH1 in combination with curcumin is mostly additive to antagonistic. However, combination of NH1 with 6-shogaol demonstrated synergism depending on dose and sequence. Proteomic study revealed that changes in expression of 14 proteins were significantly associated with anticancer mechanism of NH1. In vivo anticancer activity of NH1 at a dose of 0.75 mg/kg was also evaluated using Erlich Ascites Carcinoma (EAC) cell lines in Swiss-albino mice model. Preliminary toxicity study in Swiss-albino mice proved that NH1 is comparatively less toxic at both of the administered doses, either 2.5 mg/kg or 5 mg/kg. However, cisplatin demonstrated significant toxicity at both of the administered doses. Biochemical investigations also supported that NH1 demonstrated lesser toxicity profile towards liver or kidney compared to clinical standard cisplatin.

Laminitis is considered as an important underlying cause of lameness diseases, yet its specific pathogenesis remains unclear. Autophagy is an intracellular degradation mechanism that controls recycling of membrane-associated integrin and may aid in the progression of metabolic diseases. But the significance of autophagy for initiation and development of laminitis is unknown. The present study aimed to explore autophagy activity in the laminar tissue of dairy cows with oligofructose-induced laminitis. Twelve healthy non-pregnant Holstein cows were randomly divided to 2 groups of 6 cows each, entitled the control group and the oligofructose overload group (OF group), respectively. At 0 h, cows in OF group were gavaged with oligofructose (17 g/kg BW) dissolved in warm deionized water (20 mL/kg BW) through oral rumen tube, and dairy cows in control group were gavaged with the same volume of deionized water by the same method. At -72 h before perfusion as well as 0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 18 h, 24 h, 36 h, 48 h, 60 h, and 72 h after perfusion, clinical evaluations in both groups were monitored. After 72 h, laminar tissues of dairy cows in both groups were collected to examine genes and proteins. We found the significantly higher (P<0.05) levels of mRNA ATG5, ATG12, and Becilin1, but P62 and mTOR were extensively lower (P<0.01) in the laminar tissue of the OF group than the control group. Protein expression level of Becilin-1 was higher significantly (P<0.05), and the protein expression level of LC3II was lower significantly (P<0.05) in OF group than control group. However, the expression of P62 reduced (P>0.05) non-significantly in OF group than control group. The distribution of Beclin1 protein in laminar tissue increased (P<0.01) significantly, and distribution of P62 protein decreased (P<0.05) significantly in OF group than control group. In conclusion, laminar tissue damage occurred during the onset of laminitis, which promoted the occurrence of autophagy, and confirmed that autophagy was involved in the regulation and pathogenesis of laminitis in dairy cows.

Wheat has a large and diverse repertoire of NLRs involved in disease resistance, with over 1,500 NLRs detected in some studies. These NLR genes occur as singletons or clusters containing copies of NLRs from different phylogenetic clades. The number of NLRs and cluster size can differ drastically among ecotypes and cultivars. Primarily, duplication has led to the evolution and diversification of NLR genes. Among the various mechanisms, whole genome duplication (WGD) is the most intense and leading cause, contributing to the complex evolutionary history and abundant gene set of hexaploid wheat. Tandem duplication or recombination is another major mechanism of NLR gene expansion in wheat. The diversity and divergence of duplicate NLR genes are responsible for the broad-spectrum resistance of most plant species with limited R genes. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the rapid evolution and diversification of wheat NLR genes will help improve disease resistance in crops. The present review focuses on the diversity and divergence of duplicate NLR genes and their contribution to wheat disease resistance. Moreover, we provide an overview of disease resistance-associated gene duplication and the underlying strategies in wheat.

The transition from undergraduate dental student to the actual practicing dentist is a crucial phase and ensuring the preparedness of graduates for the complexity and demands of contempo-rary dental practice is a challenging task. This study aimed to evaluate the self-perceived prepar-edness of undergraduate dental students and house officers in the dental colleges of Pakistan. Cross-sectional national study was planned to collect the information from dental students and new graduates in Pakistan. The pre-validated Dental Undergraduates Preparedness Assessment Scale (DU-PAS) was used. Purposive sampling technique was utilized to recruit house officers and undergraduate dental students from 27 dental schools in Pakistan. The data analysis was car-ried out using the R statistical environment for Windows (R Core Team, 2015). The total of 862 responses with 642 females and 219 males were analyzed in the study. Overall, clinical skills score was 30.56+9.08 and score for soft skills was 30.54+10.6. The mean age of the participants was 23.42+1.28. Deficiencies were reported in various soft skills and clinical skills attributes.The results highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of dental students and new graduates in Pakistani den-tal institutions. The findings may be used to further develop and strengthen teaching and training of dental students in Pakistan.

Hippotherapy is a popular rehabilitation method for children with cerebral palsy (CP), which is done by riding an actual horse or a horse riding simulator (HRS) device. Riding a real horse is more expensive than using an HRS device due to its high maintenance cost. However, most HRS devices commonly sold in the market are designed as exercise devices, not rehabilitation devices. Most of them are designed to simulate a horse's walk, trot, canter, or gallop gait at various speeds. Hippotherapy aims to improve the walking ability of CP patients. Therefore, the device should aim to replicate the walking gait of a healthy human, the end goal of hippotherapy. This problem motivates us to design and build a specialized HRS device replicating the walking gait of a healthy human that is suitable for hippotherapy, which is achievable by simulating a horse walking gait with several adjustments. We first studied and observed the walking gait cycle of a horse, then analyzed and derived a formulation of it. We then continue by designing an HRS device using a single electrical rotational motor and mechanical means to replicate the walking gait of a horse, then tune it to an extent to replicate a human walking gait. To measure the performance of our design, we compare the gait of the user when riding our device versus walking.

Objective: To investigate social, economic, and environmental contributors to quit or continue smoking and vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative study design was adopted to identify smokers’ beliefs in a LMIC, using a small community sample. Results: 276 participants were primarily surveyed. Motivation to continue smoking included temporary pleasurable effects, working remotely, stress or anxiety, whereas a motivator to quit smoking was the overlap with COVID-19 symptomatology. There was a rise in social awareness regarding the potential harm of smoking and vaping during the pandemic yet those participants who were younger felt they were immune from its morbid complications. Conclusions: With paradoxical associations of COVID-19 with cigarette and vape usage, it is important to pay attention to biases in data in favor of educating its users of the increased risk of severe disease.

This study attempted to explain the definition, objectives, and key stages in mud crab nursery activities. The nursery stages of Scylla spp was started from megalopa stage to several crablet instar stages or started from earlier crablet stage to several crablet stages. Direct stocking of megalopa into ponds is not recommended due to their sensitivity. Instead, nursery rearing is needed to produce mud crab of larger size before stocking. Individual nursery rearing results in higher survival rate (up to 100%), but with reduced growth rate, and a more complicated maintenance process compared with communal rearing. Nursery of mud crab can be done indoors, or outdoors, with adequate shelter and feed required to obtain good survival and growth performance. Artemia nauplii are the main, established nursery feed, particularly at megalopa stage, while survival rate may be improved if combined with artificial feed, such as micro bound diet formulations. Water quality parameters, identical to those proposed in tiger shrimp culture, can followed. Crablets may be transported to the pond location with, or without water. The provision of monosex seeds from mud crab hatcheries is expected to become more common, increasing seed price, and thus improving income of farmers. Numerous aspects of mud crab nursery, including nutrition, feeding strategies, understanding of their behaviour, i.e., cannibalism, control of environmental factors, and practical rearing techniques, still need further improvement.

We show the enhancement in the intensity and emission rate of perovskite cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) and formamidinium lead bromide (FAPbBr3) nanocrystals in the presence of single and double gold layer cavities, which we refer to as Metal-Emitter (ME) and Metal-Emitter-Metal (MEM) nanostructures. Up to 1.9-fold photoluminescence intensity and up to 5.4-fold emission rate enhancements were obtained for FAPbBr3 nanocrystals confined by double gold layers, which are attributed to plasmonic confinement from the gold layers. The experimentally obtained values are validated by analytical calculations and electromagnetic simulations. Such an effective method of manipulation of the spontaneous emission rate by simple plasmonic nanostructures can be utilized in sensing and detection applications.

The Coastal Patrol and Surveillance Application (CPSA) is developed and deployed to detect, track and monitor water vessel traffic using automated devices. Latest advancements of marine technologies, including the Automatic Underwater Vehicles, have allowed the development of this type of applications. To facilitate their operations, installation of a Coastal Patrol and Surveillance Network (CPSN) is mandatory. One of the primary design objectives of this network is to deliver adequate amount of data within an effective time period. This is particularly essential for reporting a detection and notifying the current status of an intruder’s vessel through the adverse underwater communication channels. Additionally, intermittent connectivity of the nodes remain another important obstacle to overcome to allow smooth functioning of CPSA. Taking these objectives and obstacles into account, this work proposes a new protocol, named UDTN-RS, which is developed by ensembling forward error correction technique (namely Reed-Solomon codes or RS) in Underwater Delay Tolerant Network (UDTN) routing protocol with probabilistic spraying technique. In addition, the existing binary packet spraying technique is enhanced for supporting encoded packet exchange between the contacting nodes. A comprehensive simulation campaign is performed in identifying the effectiveness of the proposed protocol. The obtained results suggest that the proposed UDTN-RS protocol can be considered a suitable alternative of the existing protocols for sparse networks like CPSN.

In general, remote sensing has proven to be a powerful tool in the overall understanding of natural and anthropogenic phenomena. Satellites have become useful tools for tasks such as characterization, monitoring, and the continuous prospecting of natural resources. This research aims to analyze spatial dynamic and destructive on coral reefs area and correlation between live coral reduction and population on small islands. Landsat MSS, TM, ETM, and OLI-TIRS are used to spatial analyze of coral reef dynamics from 1972 to 2016. The image processing includes gap-filling, atmospheric correction, geometric correction, image composite (true color), water column correction, unsupervised classification, reclassification, accuracy assessment. The statistical analysis identifies the relationship between dynamic population data with a reduction of live coral, namely Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multiple Regression Analysis. The effect of the population shows a positive correlation with the reduction in the area of live coral, although it is significant. The fact is the practice of coral destruction on an island; it is usually not only caused or carried out by residents who live on the island but also carried out by other residents of different islands.

In recent years, numerous topologies of single phase and three phase Field Excited Flux-Switching Machine (FEFSM) have been developed for several applications. Comparative study of three types of single-phase low-priced Field Excited Flux-Switching Machine (FEFSM) is presented in this paper. Both the conventional 8S/4P sub-part rotor design and 6S/3P salient rotor design have an overlapped winding arrangements between armature coil and field excitation coil that depicts high copper losses as well as results in increased size of motor. Additionally, FEFSM with salient structure of the rotor have high flux strength in the stator-core that has much impact on high iron losses. Copper consumption and iron loss being a crucial proportion in total machine losses. Therefore a novel topology of single phase modular rotor field excited FSM with 8S/6P configuration is proposed, which enable non-overlap arrangement between armature coil and FEC winding that facilitates devaluation in the copper losses. The proposed modular rotor design acquires reduced iron losses as well as reduced active rotor mass comparatively to conventional rotor design. It is very persuasive to analyze the best range of speed for these rotors to avoid cracks and deformation, the maximum tensile strength (can be measured with principal stress in research) of the rotor analysis is conducted using JMAG. A deterministic optimization technique is used to enhance the performance of 8S/6P modular rotor design. The electromagnetic performance of conventional sub-part rotor design, F1-A3-3P design and proposed novel-modular rotor design are analyzed by 3D-Finite Element Analysis (3D-FEA), includes flux linkage, flux distribution, flux strength, back-EMF, cogging torque, torque characteristics, iron losses and efficiency.

Increase demand for palm oil production has indirectly increased waste and pollution. Empty fruit bunch (EFB), which is the major solid waste from this industry, has the potential to be further treated into valuable product. In this study, cellulose will be extracted from EFB through alkali treatment and acid hydrolysis treatment with a different approach and further modified via acetylation and silylation technique. The modified samples are to be utilized to reduce pollution due to palm oil mill effluent (POME) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission from the industry. The characterization of the extracted and modified cellulose was carried out using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). ATR-FTIR analysis revealed that the cellulose was successfully extracted from raw EFB and the cellulose-acetyl, nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and cellulose-2 has been successfully modified from the cellulose. TGA analysis shows that both modified cellulose have higher thermal stability compared to raw EFB and extracted cellulose. SEM morphology of the modified cellulose shows a higher surface area due to the wrinkled formation while the wax layer and cuticle pore has been diminished clearly. The modified sample gave a significant performance where cellulose-acetyl absorbed 98.5% of oil compared to unmodified cellulose-1 sample that only absorbed 5% of oil from POME. NCC-AEAPDMS adsorbed physically and chemically 3.5 cm3/g CO2 gas compared to NCC sample, which undergoes only physical adsorption with maximum capacity up to 2.4 cm3/g. Thus, modification can enhanced the performance of cellulose for industrial applications.

Cellular response to mechanical stimuli is an integral part of cell homeostasis. The interaction of the extracellular matrix with the mechanical stress plays an important role in cytoskeleton organisation and cell alignment. Insights from the response can be utilised to develop cell culture methods that achieve predefined cell patterns, which are critical for tissue remodelling and cell therapy. We report the working principle, design, simulation and characterisation of a novel electromagnetic cell stretching platform based on the double-sided axial stretching approach. The device is capable of introducing a cyclic and static strain pattern on a cell culture. The platform was tested with fibroblasts. The experimental results are consistent with the previously reported cytoskeleton reorganisation and cell reorientation induced by strain. The orientation of the cells is highly influenced by external mechanical cues. Cells reorganise their cytoskeleton to avoid external strain and to maintain intact extracellular matrix arrangements.

Dengue infection is caused by the Dengue virus (DENV) and is transmitted to humans by infected female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. There are nearly 100 million new dengue cases yearly in more than 120 countries with a five-fold increase in incidence over the past four decades. While many patients experience a mild illness, a subset suffer from severe disease which can be fatal. Dysregulated immune responses are central to the pathogenesis of dengue, and haematologic manifestations are a prominent feature of severe disease. While thrombocytopaenia and coagulopathy are major causes of bleeding in severe dengue, leucocyte abnormities are emerging as important markers of prognosis. In this review, we provide our perspective on the clinical aspects and pathophysiology of haematologic manifestations in dengue. We also discuss the key gaps in our current practice and areas to be addressed by future research.

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a severe, rare protozoal infection of the cornea. Acanthamoeba can survive in diverse habitats and at extreme temperatures. AK is mostly seen in contact lens wearers, whose lenses have become contaminated, or a history of water exposure, and in those without contact lens wear, who have experienced recent eye trauma involving contaminated soil or water. Infection usually results in severe eye pain, photophobia, inflammation, and corneal epithelial defects. The pathophysiology of this infection is multifactorial, including the production of cytotoxic proteases by Acanthamoeba that degrades the corneal epithelial basement membrane and induce the death of ocular surface cells, resulting in degradation of the collagen-rich corneal stroma. AK can be prevented by avoiding the risk factors, which include avoiding water contact such as swimming or showering in contact lenses, and wearing protective goggles when working on the land. AK is mostly treated with an antimicrobial therapy of biguanides alone or in combination with diaminidines, although the commercial availability of these medicines is variable. Other than anti-amoeba therapies, targeting host immune pathways in Acanthamoeba disease may lead to the development of vaccines or antibody therapeutics which could transform the management of AK.

Machine learning, including deep learning, reinforcement learning, and generative artificial intelligence are revolutionising every area of our lives when data is made available. With the help of these methods, we can decipher information from larger datasets while addressing the complex nature of biological systems in a more efficient way. Although machine learning methods have been introduced to human genetic epidemiological research as early as 2004, those were never used to their full capacity. In this review, we outline some of the main applications of machine learning to assigning human genetic loci to health outcomes. We summarise widely used methods and discuss their advantages and challenges. We also identify several tools, such as Combi, GenNet and GMSTool, specifically designed to integrate these methods for hypothesis-free analysis of genetic variation data. We elaborate on the additional value and limitations of these tools from a geneticist’s perspective. Finally, we discuss the fast-moving field of foundation models and large multi-modal omics biobank initiatives.

TiNbZrTa alloys are promising for multidisciplinary applications, such as refractory and biomedical purposes due to their high thermal stability and non-toxicity. Hardness and elastic modulus are among the key features for their adequate industrial applications. The influence of porosity and Ti/Ta ratio were investigated on TiNbZrTa alloys produced by three different processing routes, i.e., (i) blend element and posterior press and sintering (BE + P&amp;S), (ii) mechanical alloying with press and sintering (MA + P&amp;S), and (iii) arc melting and casting. Atomic diffusion was improved during processing, resulting in lower porosity in the following order: casting &lt; MA + P&amp;S &lt; BE + P&amp;S. Ta offered limited atomic diffusion due to its high melting point compared to other constituent elements. Thus, the total porosity of alloys increased with increasing the Ta contents, i.e., by lowering the Ti/Ta ratio. However, the Ti/Ta ratio did not considerably affect the bonding energy or the elastic modulus. Hardness was increased significantly in dense alloys compared to the porous ones. However, porosity and Ti/Ta ratio did not show a clear trend in hardness among the porous alloys.

Abstract: Educating healthcare workers (HCWs) to take action against monkeypox (mpox) is an important part of public health prevention efforts. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to vaccinate against mpox among HCWs in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This study utilized an online cross-sectional survey that was disseminated via Google Forms between November, 1, 2022 and January, 15, 2023, employing a convenience sampling method. The researchers utilized logistic regression to ascertain the factors associated with knowledge, attitude and willingness to vaccinate. A total of 637 HCWs were included in the analysis (ages ranged between 21 and 51 years old). The mean overall score and standard deviation of the knowledge, attitude, and willingness assessment on mpox were 8.18±3.37 out of (0–16), 3.40±1.37 out of (0–5), 2.41±1.25 out of (0–5), respectively. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HCWs who heard about mpox before 2022 had a higher level of knowledge (AOR: 4.85; 95% CI: 2.81-8.36; p < 0.001). In addition, those who had less than 1 year of practice had a positive attitude about mpox (AOR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.20-0.59; p < 0.01). Finally, none of the variable groups had the capacity to predict willingness to be vaccinated against mpox. The research revealed that HCWs exhibit a relatively low level of knowledge and attitude towards mpox, as well as a low level of willingness to receive mpox vaccinations. Further, there is an urgent need to increase their knowledge and attitude, as the success of efforts to control the global epidemic depends on them.

The dependence on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has dramatically increased in many sectors around the globe. UAVs are in high demand, and their technology is developing quickly due to their sophisticated ability to handle various issues. UAVs are capable of replacing labor-intensive tasks with conducive and safe regulation. Additional tools or sensors need to be added to the UAVs system to ensure the implementation of UAVs able to serve into industrial level. The paper aims to consolidate and present a thorough understanding of the various stages of image processing pipelines deployed in UAV applications, including image acquisition, preprocessing, feature extraction, object detection and tracking, and decision-making processes. Throughout this paper, several aspects were deliberate such as strengths, limitations, and performance metrics of existing approaches, this paper seeks to provide researchers, engineers, and practitioners with valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of image processing systems for UAVs. Ultimately, the synthesis of this knowledge will contribute to enhancing the effective-ness, autonomy, and applicability of UAVs in diverse fields such as surveillance, agriculture, disaster management, and environmental monitoring.

Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis), a nematode parasite, is the major cause of Trichinellosis, a zoonotic disease. A key role of MAPR in the reproductive system is to maintain pregnancy. Previous studies found antihormone (P4 and RU486) drug design and vaccine therapy of recombinant protein (rTs-MAPRC2) to control T. spiralis infection. The current study investigates the inhibitory effects of different ratios of antibody against Ts-MAPRC2 on the development of muscle larvae (ML) and newborn larvae (NBL). First, we performed indirect immunofluorescence assays (IIFA) and examined the effects of rTs-MAPRC2-Ab on ML and NBL in vitro as well as in vivo. After-ward, siRNA-Ts-MAPRC2 was transfected into T. spiralis muscle larvae. Following that, Ts-MAPRC2 protein was detected by Western Blotting and mRNA levels were determined by qPCR. Also, we assessed whether siRNA-treated NBLs were infective by analyzing muscle larvae burden (MLs). Our Result showed rTs-MAPRC2-Ab greatly inhibited the activity of the Ts-MAPRC2 gene in ML and NBL of T. spiralis. rTs-MAPRC2-Ab reduced larval infectivity and survival in the host in a dose-dependent manner (1:50, 1:200, 1:800 dilutions). Further, siR-NA-Ts-MAPRC2 effectively silenced the Ts-MAPRC2 gene in muscle larvae (ML) by in vitro, as well as in new-born larvae (NBL) of T. spiralis by in vivo. In addition, siRNA-Ts-MAPRC2 (siR-NA180, siRNA419, siRNA559) reduced host larval survival and infectivity significantly. The effect of siRNA on larval development, survival, and infectivity was significantly reduced when the Ts-MAPRC2 gene was knocked down. This study, therefore, suggests that Ts-MAPRC2 might be a novel molecular target that might be useful in the development of vaccines against T. spiralis infection.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) causes acute viral encephalitis in humans and reproductive disorders in pigs. JEV emerged during the 1870s in Japan and since that time, JEV has been transmitted exclusively throughout Asia, according to known reporting and sequencing records. A recent JEV outbreak occurred in Australia which affected commercial piggeries across different temperate southern Australian states and caused confirmed infections in humans. A total of 47 human cases and seven deaths were reported. The recent evolving situation of JEV needs to be reported due to its continuous circulation in endemic regions and spread to non-endemics areas. Here, we reconstructed the phylogeny and population dynamics of JEV using recent JEV isolates for the future perception of disease spread. Phylogenetic analysis shows the most recent common ancestor occurred about 3120 years ago (YA) (95% Highest posterior density [HPD], 2680 to 3715). Our results of the Bayesian skyline plot (BSP) demonstrates that JEV demography lacks fluctuations for the last two decades, but it shows that JEV genetic diversity has increased during the last ten years. This indicates the potential JEV replication in the reservoir host, which is helping it to maintain its genetic diversity, and to continue its dispersal into non-endemic areas. The continuous spread in Asia and recent detection from Australia further support these findings. Therefore, an enhanced surveillance system is needed along with precautionary measures such as regular vaccination and mosquito control to avoid future JEV outbreaks.

In this paper, we present the investigation results of radiation-induced effects in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) doped with moderate amounts of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) as a potential candidate for space-borne application. The samples were fabricated via the sputtering method at a working pressure of 3mTorr and a deposition temperature of 300oC. The ZnO samples were exposed to 1.25-MeV gamma-ray utilizing Co60 source, and their electronic response was measured at ionizing doses ranging from 10 kGy to 300 kGy. A comparative work was performed through finite element method to simulate the electronic response of the PN junction diode due to ionizing radiation. The results indicate that the ideality factor of the MOS diode increases as the ionizing dose increases, rendering it unsuitable for use as a diode. The degradation of the electrical parameters was also simulated, showing the increase in hole concentration. These findings suggest that the ejection of electrons occurred, which agrees with the gamma radiation effects trend. Furthermore, as the intensity of radiation increases, the spatial charge that arises from the separation of hole-electron pairs results in a substantial reduction of the electric field in the central portion of the n-type region. These findings provide insights into the degradation of electrical parameters in MOS devices under gamma radiation and have implications for their use in space-borne applications.

Background: Women in rural districts of Pakistan face numerous barriers to healthcare, rendering gender-responsive health programming important, including for Tuberculosis (TB). This study was conducted to assess the general understanding of TB and of access to healthcare for women, as a first step towards implementation of a gender responsive TB programme in TandoAllayar, a rural district of Pakistan. Methods: A total of 36 participants were interviewed. The focus group discussion guide comprised of questions on: (1) family/household dynamics (2) community norms (3) healthcare system (4) women’s access to healthcare (5) TB Awareness;, and (6) women’s access to TB Care. Results: Limited autonomy in household financial decision-making, disapproval of unassisted travel, long travel time, lack of prioritization of spending on women’s health and inadequate presence of female health providers, were identified as barriers to access of healthcare for women, higher in younger women. Facilitators to access of TB care included a reported lack of TB-related stigma, moderate knowledge about TB disease, and broad understanding of tuberculosis as a curable disease. Other suggested facilitators include health facilities closer to the villages and the availability of higher quality services. Conclusion: Significant barriers are faced by women in access to TB care in rural districts of Pakistan. Programme implementers in high burden countries, should shift towards improved gender-responsive TB programming.

Research Infrastructures (RIs) are essential to achieve excellence in innovative scientific research. However, because of limited land availability and specific geological requirements, evaluating the viability of a site for a new RI can be a challenging task. Stringent safety construction requirements include developing site-specific architectural and geoengineering solutions, minimizing construction disturbances, and reinforcing rock and soil in a timely fashion. For successful development of the RIs in China, such as the Daya Bay Neutrino Laboratory (DBNL), and the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), an integrated approach of joint geophysical methods including the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), controlled-source audio-frequency magneto telluric (CSAMT)), gravity and seismic refraction methods, and geological mapping and surveys were carried out. Geophysical parameters, such as electrical resistivity, density, and seismic velocity show inverse proportion to the degree of rock fracturing or weathering. The results show that the low values of geophysical parameters suggest the weathered/fractured rock, while high values reveal the fresh bedrock. The Engineering Geological Suitability Index (EGSI) value can represent the individual EGSI values at a constant and summed over varying depths. EGSI methodology is an improvement on the existing siting process, and has been applied this to CSNS. Our integrated approach provides clearer insight of the subsurface for site suitability of RIs in challenging engineering geological conditions, and removes any ambiguity caused by a single geophysical parameter. The obtained geological knowledge of the area not only provides engineers with much-needed information about the construction conditions of a potential site, but also gives scientists the opportunity to explore the local geology. In this study, we demonstrate our innovative approach for siting RIs, as demonstrated by the synthetic evaluation of the site location and utilization for two established RIs (DBNL and CSNS).

Breast cancer is the most widespread malignancy in women from corner to corner of the world. Nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) proved its efficacy in the treatment of cancer. NLC loaded with Imatinib (IMA) (NANIMA) was prepared and evaluated for in vitro efficacy in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Hot homogenization method was used for the preparation of NANIMAs. Aqueous solution of surfactants (hot) was mixed with molten mixture of stearic acid and sesame oil (hot) under homogenization. The prepared NANIMAs were characterized and evaluated for size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, release studies, stability studies and MTT assay (cytotoxicity studies). The optimized NANIMA revealed particle size of 104.63 ± 9.55 d.nm, PdI of 0.227 ± 0.06 and EE of 99.79 ± 0.03. All NANIMAs revealed slow and sustained release behaviour. The surfactants used in the preparation of NANIMAs exhibited their effects on particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, stability studies and release studies. The cytotoxicity studies unveiled 8.75 times increase in cytotoxicity for optimized NANIMA (IC50 = 6 µM) when compared with IMA alone (IC50 = 52.5 µM) on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. After this, NLC containing IMA possibly will be employed for the cure of breast cancer. A lesser amount of IMA loaded NLC will be sufficient than IMA alone for the treatment of breast cancer. Moreover, the patient will exhibit not as much of adverse effects as in case of IMA alone. Consequently, NANIMA could prove to be useful for effective therapeutic outcome in breast cancer treatment.

To quantify the time-varying reproduction number (Rt) for Malaysia using the COVID-19 incidence data., we used data the from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering (JHU CCSE) Coronavirus repository. Day 1 was taken from the first assumed local transmission of COVID-19. Data was split into four intervals: a) Interval 1: from Day 1 to Day 10 MCO 1, b) Interval 2: from Day 1 to Day 10 MCO 2, c) Interval 3: from Day 1 to Day 10 MCO 3 and d) Interval 4: from Day 1 to Day 10 MCO 4. We estimated the Rt using the EpiEstim package. The means for Rt at Day 1, Day 5 and Day 10 for all MCOs ranged between 0.665 to 1.147. The average Rt gradually decreased in MCO 1 and MCO 2. However, Rt increased in MCO 3 before stabilized around 0.8 in MCO 4. MCO 1 and MCO 2 which were stricter coincide with the gradual reduction of Rt. However, the more relaxed MCO 3 and MCO 4 correspond to a slight increase in the Rt before it stabilized.

(1) Background: Pedestrian injuries (PIs) represent a significant proportion of road traffic injuries. We aimed at investigating the incidence and mortality of PIs in different age groups and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) categories between 1990 and 2017. (2) Method: Estimates of age-standardized incidence and mortality along with trends of PIs by SDI levels were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease from 1990 to 2017. We also calculated forecasts until 2040. (3) Results: Globally, PIs incidence increased by 3.31% (–9.94 to 16.56) in 2017 compared to 1990. Men have a higher incidence of PIs than women. Forecasted incidence was 132.02 (127.37 to 136.66) per 100,000 population in 2020, 101.52 (65.99 to 137.05) in 2030 and reduced further to 71.02 (10.62 to 152.65) by 2040. Globally across all SDI categories, there was a decreasing trend in mortality due to PIs with the global estimated percentage reduction of 37.12% (–45.19 to –29.04). (4) Conclusions: The results show that PIs are still a burden for all SDI categories despite some variation. Although incidence and mortality are expected to decrease globally, some SDI categories may require particular attention in addition to specific vulnerable age groups. Further studies addressing incidence and mortality patterns in vulnerable SDI categories are needed.

Enteropathogenic microorganisms like Escherichia coli cause severe intestinal problems by disrupting the gut homeostasis. The live microorganisms, when given in adequate quantities provide several beneficial effects to the host are known as probiotics. One of the pronounced benefits conferred by probiotic is to antagonize the growth of enteropathogens competing for adherence to the intestinal epithelium. Bifidobacterium is the major genera of human especially infant are intestinal microbiota. In current study, Bifidobacterium bifidum was isolated from the infant stools and probiotic potential was assessed using prescribed tolerance tests against low pH, gastric juices and bile salts. Anti-infectious activity of probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum against enteropathogenic E. coli was checked both in vitro and in vivo using agar well diffusion assay and mice model respectively. Mice feces were evaluated for both Bifidobacterium bifidum and E. coli counts in all groups and analyzed statistically. In vitro results showed Bifidobacterium bifidum possess marked antibacterial activity against E. coli. There was significant decrease in enteropathogenic E. coli burden in the mice group fed with Bifidobacterium bifidum before and after challenge. In conclusion, the endogenous Bifidobacterium bifidum have excellent probiotic potential and can be used prophylactic and treatment option against enteropathogens.

The Qiushuwan Cu-Mo deposit, located in the East Qinling molybdenum belt, which is a major mining site recognized for its enormous reserves of medium-sized molybdenum. In order to enhance our comprehension and ascertain supplementary mineral resources, it is critical to conduct an in-depth investigation of both the deep and peripheral regions. The primary goal of this study is to investigate the Qiushuwan Copper Molybdenum Mine, which is located in Zhenping County, Henan Province. The spread spectrum-induced polarization (SSIP) method is utilized as a means of conducting mining exploratory analysis. Significant findings have been obtained through the collection of SSIP data, geological analysis, and electrical parameter study of rock and ore samples along profile-80. By conducting a meticulous examination of the SSIP data at suitable frequencies, two prominent conductive ore bodies, specifically C2 and C4, have been successfully discovered. C2 exhibits a correlation with granite porphyry and molybdenum veins, while C4 is linked to a skarn deposit that contains a concentration of copper ore. The spatial differences in conductivity within the research area have been precisely characterized using resistivity models obtained from the SSIP data. The precision and dependability of our conclusions have been confirmed through the integration of borehole data and the matching of geological sections with inversion models. The recovered core samples show a diverse range of minerals, containing both valuable ores and minerals that have undergone alteration. Pyrite constantly appears with molybdenite in the majority of samples. The aforementioned results provide a strong foundation for future exploration initiatives and sustainable resource exploitation, enabling informed decision-making in the effective use and administration of natural resources. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge on the Qiushuwan Cu-Mo deposit and improves exploration methods in the region by utilizing the SSIP approach. The findings are a useful asset for geologists, mining experts, and stakeholders, offering essential knowledge for future exploration and sustainable utilization of resources.

Abstract: Effectiveness of a Single Fixed Dose 3 mg Rasburicase for Prevention and Management of Hyperuricemia of Tumor Lysis Syndrome in adult Cancer Patients Background: Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a potentially life-threatening complication associated with certain types of cancer. Rasburicase is an essential medicine required to prevent and treat the hyperuricemia associated with TLS. Due to a shortage of rasburicase during the COVID-19 pandemic, a fixed dose strategy of 3 mg rasburicase had been used in many adult cancer patients in our center. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a 3 mg fixed dose of rasburicase in preventing and managing hyperuricemia associated with TLS in adult cancer patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational cohort study between March 2020 and November 2022. The study included adult patients who received a fixed dose of 3 mg rasburicase. The primary outcome measure was the reduction in serum UA levels of

Background: Although the link between environmental lead exposure and several patterns of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been reported, its association with silent myocardial infarc-tion (SMI) has not been explored. We aimed to assess the association between blood lead levels (BLL) and risk of SMI. Methods: This analysis included 7283 (mean age 56.1±2.52 years, 52.5% women) participants from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who were free of clinical CVD. Ascertainment of BLL done using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. SMI defined as ECG evidence of MI without history of MI. Multivariable lo-gistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between SMI and BLL. Results: SMI was detected in 120 participants corresponding to an unweighted prevalence of 1.65%. Par-ticipants with higher levels of BLL had higher prevalence of SMI (0.4%, 0.9%, and 2.4% across BLL tertiles; p-value

Background: Oscillation and pulmonary expansion (OPE) therapy can decrease postoperative pulmonary complications in a general surgical population, but its effect after cardiac surgery has not been reported, to our knowledge. We hypothesized that using an OPE device after cardiac surgery before extubation would decrease pulmonary complications. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adults undergoing elective open cardiac surgery at our institution from January 2018 through January 2019, who had an American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 3 or greater. For mechanically ventilated patients after cardiac surgery, a new OPE protocol was adopted July 1, 2019, comprising an initial 10-minute OPE treatment administered in-line with the ventilator circuit, then continued treatments for 48 hours after extubation. Severe postoperative respiratory complications (primary outcome measure) included need for antibiotics, increased supplemental oxygen use, and prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS). Demographic, clinical, and outcomes data were compared for patients before (usual care with postextubation hyperinflation) and after protocol implementation (OPE). Results: Of 104 patients, 54 patients received usual care, and 50 received OPE. Usual-care recipients had more men (74% vs 62%; P=.19) and were older (median, 70 vs 67 years; P=.009) than OPE recipients. The OPE group had a significantly shorter hospital LOS than the usual-care group (mean, 6.2 vs 7.4 days; P=.04). Other measures improved with OPE but did not reach significance: shorter ventilator duration (mean, 0.6 vs 1.1 days with usual care; P=.06) and shorter LOS in the intensive care unit (mean, 2.7 vs 3.4 days; P=.06). On multivariate analysis, intensive care unit LOS was significantly shorter for the OPE group (mean difference, 0.85 days; 95% CI, 1.65 to 0.06; P=.04). The OPE group had a lower percentage of postoperative complications (10% vs 20%). Conclusion: OPE therapy after cardiac surgery is associated with decreased ICU and hospital LOS.

Aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn) toxicity are the top two constraints to crop production in acid soil. Crops have evolved common and specific mechanisms to tolerate the two stresses. In the present study, the responses (toxicity and tolerance) of wheat near-isogenic lines (ET8 and ES8) and their parents (Carazinho and Egret) to Al and Mn were compared by determining physiolog-ical parameters and transcriptome profiling of roots. The results showed that: (1) Carazinho and ET8 exhibited dual tolerance to Al and Mn as compared with Egret and ES8, indicated by higher relative root elongation and SPAD; (2) After entering into roots, Al was mainly distributed in the root and fixed in the cell wall, while Mn was mainly distributed in the cell sap and then trans-ported to leaves. Both Al and Mn stresses decreased the contents of Ca, Mg, and Zn; Mn stress al-so inhibited the accumulation of Fe, while Al showed an opposite effect; (3) Transcriptomic analy-sis identified 5581 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under Al stress and 4165 DEGs under Mn stress. Among these, 2774 DEGs were regulated by both Al and Mn stresses, while 2280 and 1957 DEGs were exclusively regulated by Al and Mn stress, respectively. GO and KEGG analyses indi-cated that cell wall metabolism responds exclusively to Al, while nicotianamine synthesis exclu-sively responds to Mn. Pathways such as signaling, phenylpropanoid metabolism, and metal ion transport showed commonality and specificity to Al and Mn. TFs, such as MYB, WRKY, and AP2 families, were also regulated by Al and Mn, and WGCNA identified PODP7, VATB2, and ABCC3 as the hub genes for Al tolerance and NAS for Mn tolerance. The identified genes and pathways can be used as targets for pyramiding genes and breeding multi-tolerant varieties.

Quercetin (QUA), a flavonoid compound, is ubiquitously found in plants and has demonstrated a diverse range of biological activities. The primary objective of the present study is to assess the potential antiemetic properties of QUA using an in vivo and in silico approach. In this experiment, emesis was induced in 4-day-old chicks by orally administering copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4.5H2O) at a dose of 50 mg/kg (orally). Domperidone (6 mg/kg), ondansetron (5 mg/kg), and hyoscine (21 mg/kg) were treated as positive controls (PCs), and distilled water was employed as a negative control (NC). QUA was administered orally at two distinct doses (25 and 50 mg/kg). Additionally, QUA (50 mg/kg) and PCs were administered separately or in combination to assess their antagonistic or synergistic effects on the chicks. The binding affinity of QUA and referral ligands towards 5HT3, D2, D3, and M1–M5 receptors was estimated, and ligand-receptor interactions were visualized through various computational tools. In vivo findings indicate that QUA (25 and 50 mg/kg) has a significant effect on reducing the number of retches (16.50 ± 4.65 and 10.00 ± 4.19 times) and increasing the chick latency period (59.25 ± 4.75 and 94.25 ± 4.01 seconds), respectively. Additionally, QUA (50 mg/kg) in combination with domperidone and ondansetron exhibited superior antiemetic effects, reducing the number of retches and increasing the onset of emesis-inducing time. Furthermore, it is worth noting that QUA demonstrated the strongest binding affinity towards the D2 receptor with a value of -9.7 kcal/mol through the formation of hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds. In summary, the study found that QUA exhibited antiemetic activity in chicks, potentially by interacting with the D2 receptor pathway.

The most frequent, noticeable, and frequent natural calamity in the karakoram region is landslides. Extreme landslides have occurred frequently along Karakoram highway, particularly during the monsoon, causing a major loss of life and property. Therefore, it was necessary to look for a solution to increase growth and vigilance in order to lessen losses related to landslides caused by natural disasters. By utilizing contemporary technologies, an early warning system might be developed. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are widely used nowadays across many industries. This paper's major goal is to provide new integrative models for assessing landslide susceptibility in a prone area of north of Pakistan. To do this, the training of an artificial neural network (ANN) is supervised using metaheuristic and Bayesian techniques: particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO), Genetic algorithm (GA), Bayesian optimization Gaussian process (BO_GP), and Bayesian optimization Gaussian process (BO_TPE). 304 previous landslides and the eight most prevalent conditioning elements combine to form a geographical database. The models are hyper-parameter optimized, and the best ones are employed to generate the susceptibility maps. The area under the receiving operating characteristic curve (AUROC) accuracy index found demonstrated that the maps produced by both Bayesian and metaheuristic algorithms are highly accurate. The effectiveness and efficiency of applying artificial neural networks (ANNs) for landslide mapping, susceptibility analysis, and forecasting are studied in this research it’s observed from experimentation that the performance differences for GA, BO_GP, and PSO compared to BO_TPE are relatively small, ranging from 0.3166% to 1.8399%. This suggests that these techniques achieved comparable performance to BO_TPE in terms of AUC. However, it's important to note that the significance of these differences can vary depending on the specific context and requirements of the ML task. Additionally in this study, we explore eight feature selection algorithms to determine the geospatial variable importance for landslide susceptibility mapping along the KKH. The algorithms considered include Information Gain, Gain Ratio, OneR Classifier, Subset Evaluators, Principal Components, Relief Attribute Evaluator, Correlation, and Symmetrical Uncertainty. These algorithms enable us to evaluate the relevance and significance of different geospatial variables in predicting landslide susceptibility. By applying these feature selection algorithms, we aim to identify the most influential geospatial variables that contribute to landslide occurrences along the KKH. The algorithms encompass a diverse range of techniques, such as measuring entropy reduction, accounting for attribute bias, generating single rules, evaluating feature subsets, reducing dimensionality, and assessing correlation and information sharing. The findings of this study will provide valuable insights into the critical geospatial variables associated with landslide susceptibility along the KKH. These insights can aid in the development of effective landslide mitigation strategies, infrastructure planning, and targeted hazard management efforts. Additionally, the study contributes to the field of geospatial analysis by showcasing the applicability and effectiveness of various feature selection algorithms in the context of landslide susceptibility mapping.

The OPV is the vaccine of choice in polio eradication, especially in developing countries, as it has eliminated the wild poliovirus type 2. However, the immunity induced by IPV is better than that induced by the OPV. The present study compared the mucosal and humoral response to poliovirus vaccines administered to previously OPV-immunized children to assess the immunity gap in children at-risk of high poliovirus transmission. This was a community-based three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial conducted from June 2013 to May 2014 in healthy children under five years of age living in three high-risk districts of Pakistan, i.e., Karachi, Kashmore, and Bajaur. 387 clusters were randomized (131 to arm A, 127 to arm B, and 129 to arm C); however, 360 remained in the trial until the end (116 in arm A, 122 in arm B, and 122 in arm C). These clusters were randomly allocated using a computer algorithm to receive routine polio program (bOPV) activities (control, arm A), additional interventions with community mobilization and provision of short-term preventive maternal and child health services and routine immunization, including bOPV via health camps, (arm B), or all interventions of arm B with an additional provision of IPV (arm C ~ bOPV and IPV). Blood and stool samples were collected from a sub-sample to estimate humoral and intestinal immunity. Study findings showed that the serum titers were highest in Group C (IPV+OPV) at the baseline for P1, where its increase over time was also more prominent. Titers for P2 and P3 were statistically significantly higher amongst those who had received a routine OPV dose versus those who had not; this was true for all study groups and visits. In populations with high Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) failure rates, administering an Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) booster after a minimum of two OPV doses may effectively bridge immunity gaps. The IPV alone offers limited benefits to humoral immunity and doesn't provide intestinal immunity to prevent the infection and propagation of live poliovirus among unexposed populations.

In the present study, a simple approximation expression is given for the relationship between the period and amplitude of a simple pendulum under magnetic action. The analytical solution presented for the given problem. Two numerical quadrature methods Simpson's and Boole's method were utilized to demonstrate a new approximation of the problem. The results of the numerical quadrature have been compared to the exact solution. Absolute and relative mistakes of the problem have been presented. The Matlab program 2013R has created a numerical method that is used to analyze the outcome, It has been determined that the comparison's outcomes attest to the method's suitability and correctness. Moreover, the results show that numerical solution is suitable for the problem.

Human displacement is on the rise globally, and the increase in the burden of tuberculosis (TB) is also attributed to migrations worldwide. A significant number of such displacement occur in regions with considerably higher areas of TB burden. Displacements may delay in TB diagnosis and treatment, which possibly will lead to TB transmission among healthy individuals. In this study, we assessed the association of existing determinants after a protracted internal displacement of people with the delay in TB diagnosis and treatment outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted on internally displaced TB patients registered at selected health facilities in three urban districts of Pakistan from March 2019 to February 2020. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess the delay in diagnosis and treatment outcomes. IDPs with delay in initiation of treatment beyond 30 days were at high possibility of unsuccessful TB treatment outcomes (adjusted odds ratio AOR,2.60; 95% CI 1.06-6.40). Analysis of factors that affect health seeker behavior and timely treatment showed a significant association (p<0.05) in-between age group 55-65 years (AOR, 2.66; 95% CI 1.00-7.07), female patients (AOR, 2.42; 95% CI 1.21-4.81), visited non-formal health provider (AOR, 8.81; 95% CI 3.99-19.46), self-medication (AOR, 2.72; 95 % CI 1.37-5.37), poor knowledge of TB (AOR, 11.39; 95% CI 3.31-39.1), and perceived stigma (AOR, 8.81; 95% CI 3.99-19.4). Prolong delay in treatment was associated with unfavorable treatment outcomes among IDPs, more specifically. As migrants and IDPs are more likely to experience an interruption in care due to overall exclusion from social and health care services. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the barriers in providing public health care services, particularly in preventing and treating TB.

The four solvent extractives obtained from aerial parts of Leucophyllum frutescens were evaluated for their Total Antioxidant Activity (TAA) by ammonium molybdate method, scavenging potential by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Trolox-Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) assays, metal-reducing potential by Cupric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (CUPRAC) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assays, Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) and their biological activities. The study concluded that BULE exhibited total antioxidant activity (226.235±1.222 mg AA.Eq.gm-1 DE±S.D) by molybdate method, CHLE exhibited more scavenging potential (DPPH 209.589±8.500 mg trolox Eq.gm-1 DE±S.D and TEAC 210.166±7.954 mg trolox Eq.gm-1 DE±S.D) and reducing potential (CUPRAC 646.889±16.889 mg trolox Eq.gm-1 DE±S.D & FRAP 472.981±15.625 mg trolox Eq.gm-1 DE±S.D). Phytochemical quantification concluded high TPC by BULE (189.369±1.393 mg GA.Eq.gm-1 DE±S.D) and high TFC by CHLE (232.458±1.589 mg Qu.Eq.gm-1 DE±S.D). Strong inhibition of α-glucosidase and urease enzymes was observed by HELE (IC50 0.3321±0.007 mg.ml-1±SD) and BULE (IC50 4.09±0.357 mg.ml-1±SD) extractives, respectively. The hemolytic effect shown by hexane extract (HELE) was higher with HA50 25.545±0.927 ug.ml-1±SD whereas methanol (MELE), chloroform (CHLE), and butanol (BULE) exhibited hemolytic effects at higher concentration with HA50 400.067±1.364, 321.394±1.332, and 332.957±0.465 µg.ml-1±SD, respectively. GC-MS profiling of HELE of L. frutescens was performed for qualitative analysis. The principal phytochemicals tentatively identified by GC-MS analysis of HELE accounts for fatty acids (60.221%), lignans (17.687%), ketones (3.358%), phenols (2.584%), sesquiterpenes (1.265%), and aldehydes (0.345%).

The exploration of alternative antimalarial therapeutics is a requisite for the emergence of resistance against Artemisinin. Considering the required cost and time length of classical small molecule drug discovery process, phytochemical screening of traditionally used medicinal plant which are repertoire of active compounds with antimalarial activity has become popular. To investigate the antimalarial property of traditionally used medicinal plants, a number of Erythrina spp have been reviewed systematically where less studied E. fusca has been selected for further analysis. Phytochemical investigation yielded five compounds namely; Phaseolin, Phytol, β-amyrin, Lupeol, and Stigmasterol. In-vitro antimalarial drug sensitivity HRP-II ELISA was carried out against chloroquine (CQ) sensitive 3D7 and CQ-resistant Dd2 strains. Extracts showed significant antimalarial activity against 3D7 and Dd2 strains (IC₅₀ 4.94 – 22 µg/mL) and these compounds have been reported here for the first time. Molecular docking analysis showed high binding energy (−9.0 ± 0.32 kcal/mole) indicating high degree of interaction between Phaseolin and 14 clinically important Plasmodium falciparum proteins at the active site. Stable interaction was also observed between ligand and protein from molecular dynamics simulation analysis with high free energy (−75.156 ± 11.459) that substantiates the potential of Phaseolin as an antimalarial drug candidate.

The COVID-19 pandemic situation has created even more difficulties in the quick identification and screening of the COVID-19 patients for the medical specialists. Therefore, a significant study is necessary for detecting COVID-19 cases using an automated diagnosis method, which can aid in controlling the spreading of the virus. In this paper, the study suggests a Deep Convolutional Neural Network-based multi-classification approach (COV-MCNet) using eight different pre-trained architectures such as VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50V2, DenseNet201, InceptionV3, MobileNet, InceptionResNetV2, Xception which are trained and tested on the X-ray images of COVID-19, Normal, Viral Pneumonia, and Bacterial Pneumonia. The results from 3-class (Normal vs. COVID-19 vs. Viral Pneumonia) showed that only the ResNet50V2 model provides the highest classification performance (accuracy: 95.83%, precision: 96.12%, recall: 96.11%, F1-score: 96.11%, specificity: 97.84%) compared to rest of the models. The results from 4-class (Normal vs. COVID-19 vs. Viral Pneumonia vs. Bacterial Pneumonia) demonstrated that the pre-trained model DenseNet201 provides the highest classification performance (accuracy: 92.54%, precision: 93.05%, recall: 92.81%, F1-score: 92.83%, specificity: 97.47%). Notably, the ResNet50V2 (3-class) and DenseNet201 (4-class) models in the proposed COV-MCNet framework showed higher accuracy compared to the rest six models. This indicates that the designed system can produce promising results to detect the COVID-19 cases on the availability of more data. The proposed multi-classification network (COV-MCNet) significantly speeds up the existing radiology-based method, which will be helpful to the medical community and clinical specialists for early diagnosis of the COVID-19 cases during this pandemic.

Kiwifruit vines are generally sensitive to waterlogging stress. So far, molecular responses of different kiwifruit genotypes for waterlogging stress are less well-explored. In this study, using RNA-sequencing, we examined transcriptional regulation in the roots of a waterlogging-tolerant genotype KR5 (Actinidia valvata), and a sensitive genotype ‘Hayward’ (Actinidia deliciosa) subjected to 0, 12, 24, and 72 h of waterlogging. Compared with 0 h, transcriptional adjustments of these two genotypes occurred as early as 12 h and became notably pronounced 72 h after waterlogging. Waterlogging stress for 72 h promoted the expression of genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis, sucrose and hexose transport, anaerobic fermentation, nitrate reduction, alanine accumulation, and reactive oxygen scavenging in both genotypes. The differential regulation of genes encoding 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, phosphoglucomutase, alanine-glyoxylate transaminase, and other enzymes pointed to their diverse strategies upon waterlogging in these two genotypes. In addition, more sucrose and trehalose contents, as well as a higher activity of alcohol dehydrogenase and manganese superoxide dismutases were stimulated in KR5 roots after 72h of waterlogging than that in ‘Hayward’. Overall, our results provided more insights into the molecular basis of the waterlogging response in kiwifruit.

Background: The diversity of butterflies relies on the accessibility of food plants and the quality of their habitat. Methods: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diversity butterfly based on latent GLM in 3 different Habitat. At the same time, we perform the step construction of Tweedie Distribution both in species levels and individual level. Results: Our finding can be shown by accuracy AIC, AICc, and BIC. Conclusions: In modelling with latent glm tweedie it can conclude that the our model is suitable for use at the species or individual level.

This paper presents a symmetrical topology for the design of solid-state transformer, made up of power switching converters, to replace conventional bulky transformers. The proposed circuitry not only reduces the overall size but also provides power flow control with the ability to be interfaced with renewable energy resources (RESs) to fulfill the future grid requirements at consumer end. Solid state transformer provides bidirectional power flow with variable voltage and frequency operation and has the ability to maintain unity power factor, and current total harmonic distortion (THD) for any type of load within defined limits of IEEE standard. Solid State Transformer offers much smaller size as compared to that of the conventional iron core transformer. MATLAB/Simulink platform is adopted to test the validity of the proposed circuit for different scenarios by providing the simulation results evaluated at 25 kHz switching frequency.

Agriculture sector is the backbone of developing countries for their economy. Growing world’s population is putting more pressure on agriculture sector and there is a need to develop new technology to address the crises of food safety and food shortage. Today’s agriculture has been entered in a new era where nanotechnology works as a technological advancement regarding entire agriculture crops, and food sector revolution, even though, it has prodigious applications in food production, food processing, food packaging, food storage and economic growth of industries. Moreover, nanotechnology is the best solution to solve problems related to better food and agriculture. Likewise, biotechnology, nanotechnology also raised high concerns upon safety on biodiversity, health and environment. Nanotechnology is providing efficient alternatives to increase the crop production by managing the insect/pests in agriculture in an eco-friendly manner. It also promotes plant efficiency to absorb nutrients. However, the concerns are very high regarding regulation, safety and approval of nanotechnology products by risk assessment authorities. The suggested review includes stupendous applications of nanotechnology in food and agriculture sector along with its prospective merits and associated risks.

In this article, a generalization of the geometry of Grassmannian chain complex of free abelian groups generated by the projective configuration of points and Cathelineau's infinitesimal complex of polylogarithmic groups is proposed. Firstly, homomorphisms for weight n =2 up to weight n=6 will be introduced to connect sub-complexes of Grassmannian and Cathelineau. Lately, generalization of these morphisms will be shown for weight n=N. The associated diagrams will also be proven to be commutative and bi-complex.

The fertility rate and litter size of female pigs are critically affected by the expression of estrus. The objective of this study was to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of estrus expression by analyzing the differential expression of genes and long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNA), as well as the utilization of alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites, in the vulva and vagina during the estrus and diestrus stages of Large White and indigenous Chinese Mi gilts. Our study revealed that the number of differentially expressed genes (DEG) in the vulva was less than that in the vagina, and the DEGs in the vulva were enriched in pathways such as “neural” pathways and steroid hormone responses, including the “Calcium signaling pathway” and “Oxytocin signaling pathway”. The DEGs in the vagina were enriched in the “Metabolic pathways” and “VEGF signaling pathway”. Furthermore, 27 and 21 differentially expressed lincRNAs (DEL), whose target genes were enriched in the “Endocrine resistance” pathway, were identified in the vulva and vagina, respectively. Additionally, we observed that 63 and 618 transcripts of the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) were lengthened during estrus in the vulva and vagina, respectively. Interestingly, the genes undergoing APA events in the vulva exhibited species-specific enrichment in neural or steroid-related pathways, whereas those in the vagina were enriched in apoptosis or autophagy-related pathways. Further bioinformatic analysis of these lengthened 3'-UTRs revealed the presence of multiple miRNAs binding sites and cytoplasmic polyadenylation element (CPE) regulatory elements. In particular, we identified more than 10 CPEs in the validated lengthened 3'-UTRs of the NFIX, PCNX4, CEP162 and ABHD2 genes using RT-qPCR. These findings demonstrated the involvement of APA and lincRNAs in the regulation of estrus expression in female pigs, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying estrus expression in pigs.

Light is an electromagnetic radiation that has visible and invisible wavelength spectrum. The visible light can only be detected by the eyes through the optic pathways. With the presence of scalp, cranium and meninges, the brain is seen as being protected from direct exposure to light. For that reason, the brain can be viewed as a black body lying inside a black box. In physics, a black body tends to be in thermal equilibrium with its environment and can tightly regulate its temperature via thermodynamics principles. Therefore, a healthy brain inside a black box should not get exposed to light. On the contrary, photobiomodulation, a form of light therapy to the brain has been shown to have beneficial effects for some neurological conditions. The proposed underlying mechanisms are multiple. Herein we present our intraoperative findings of rapid electrocorticographic brainwave changes when the brain was shone directly with different wavelengths of light during awake brain surgery. Our findings provide literature proof on light’s ability to influence human brain energy and function. Our proposed mechanism for these rapid changes is the presence of plasma-like energy inside the brain which causes fast brain activities that are akin to lightning strikes.

Lymphoma is the most prevalent type of cancer in cats, and the search for alternative treatments is of utmost importance given the significant number of animals that exhibit tumor recurrence or are unresponsive to conventional chemotherapy treatment. Oncolytic viruses possess a unique ability to target and eliminate cancer cells while simultaneously stimulating an immune response against these malignant cells. The present study aimed to explore the oncolytic potential of Newcastle Disease Virus expressing green fluorescent protein (NDV-GFP) in a feline leukemia virus (FeLV)-positive lymphoma cell line. Our research suggests that NDV-GFP has a propensity to selectively target, infiltrate, and replicate with-in feline lymphoma cells, resulting in the induction of apoptosis in these cells, as opposed to non-tumor cells. Therefore, our research provides evidence supporting the development of novel oncolytic therapies based on NDV for the treatment of feline lymphomas.

Watermelon fruits of different ploidy exhibit significant variations in texture. In order to investigate the primary factors influencing texture differences, this study was conducted to investigate the differences in fruit texture development using homozygous autogamous diploid (2X)lines and their autotriploid (3X) and autotetraploid (4X) lines 'Yixuan'. The research encompassed fruit development, flesh texture profile analysis (TPA), flesh cell wall polysaccharide content, and flesh cell microstructure analysis, specifically in 2X, 3X, and 4X watermelon fruits.The results showed that as watermelon fruits matured, several characteristics exhibited an ascending trend, including fruit weight, TSS (total soluble solids) content, rind hardness, flesh cell size, and cell wall polysaccharide contents such as crude fiber, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and protopectin. Conversely, the flesh texture parameters and soluble pectin content of the flesh cell wall gradually declined. Notably, significant differences in fruit flesh texture and flesh cell structure were observed among fruits of different ploidy at the 32d. Specifically, 2X fruits displayed considerably lower rind hardness, reduced flesh texture (Hardness, Fracturability, Chewiness, Gumminess), and cell density compared to 3X and 4X fruits. Additionally, 2X fruits exhibited larger cell sizes than 3X and 4X fruits. However, no significant differences were observed in the content of flesh cell wall polysaccharide contents across various ploidy levels.These findings suggested that the variation in texture among watermelon fruits of different ploidy can be attributed to the size and arrangement of flesh cells. Importantly, this research provided a foundation for further exploration of the intrinsic regulatory factors and molecular mechanisms contributing to texture variation in polyploid watermelon fruits.

This randomized control trial aims to test the hypothesis that twice-daily nurse-administered saline enema(SE) is comparable to physician-administrated SE in very low birth weight infants (VLBW) with meconium obstruction of prematurity (MOP). MOP is defined as no bowel opening for 48 h, and treatment failure is defined as the need for additional intervention and safety. Twice-daily SE was administered by accredited nurses, surgeons/neonatologists using standardized protocols. The outcomes were comparability of nurse to physician-administered SE in terms of frequency of administration, catheter insertion length and volume of enema, daily maximum meconium output, and treatment failure, defined as the need for additional intervention. Safety outcomes were evaluated. Twenty-eight infants were managed with SE. 389 SE were administered, 96 and 293 in 750-999g and 1000-1500g birth weight groups, respectively. Nurses administered 72.9% and 81.5% of SE in 750-999g and 1000-1500g birth weight groups, respectively. Physicians performed the rest of the SE. Daily meconium output was comparable in nurse and physician-administered SE in both groups. There were no treatment failures or adverse events in both SE group. SE administered by nurses was found to be comparable in terms of safety, efficacy, and frequency of administration to that of physician-administered SE.

Though studies have characterized lizard dung as an unconventional psychoactive substance of abuse, this has not been demonstrated in experimental settings. We evaluated the toxicity and CNS activity of lizard dung in Wistar rats. The acute and subacute toxicity studies were conducted via oral and inhalational routes. Classical models of tail suspension, forced swim, elevated plus maze, hole board, and sodium pentobarbital-induced sleeping time tests were adopted and the lizard dung were administered via both routes. No mortality was observed for all doses of the test substance administered via both routes during the toxicity studies. Significant changes in serum urea, creatinine, bilirubin, ALP, ALT and AST were recorded. Mixed inflammatory infiltrates and oedema were observed in the lungs from the group that inhaled 1.0g darkish part of lizard dung. Lizard dung produced marked reduction in the exploratory behaviour. Our findings indicate depression of the CNS.

Keywords: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, baculovirus surface display vectors, neutralizing antibody, IFN-γ, IL-4.

Forest education is pivotal for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and promoting sustainable forest management in the face of global challenges. However, existing programs struggle to keep up with rapidly changing crises and uncertainties that contribute to deforestation and forest degradation. To address these challenges, integrating innovative approaches into forest education is crucial. This paper demonstrates the transformative use of a role-playing game as an innovative teaching method for integrated forest management. The game provides students with practical experience and a comprehensive understanding of landscape approaches, using the Congo Basin as a case study. Our research focuses on sustainable forest governance, stakeholder roles, and valuing natural assets and ecosystem services, supporting the transformation of economic, political, and social/cultural relationships at various scales. We highlight the potential of innovative forest education to foster sustainability, trigger critical thinking, resolve conflicts, and prevent costly forest losses.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine immunization (RI) programs in six Northern Nigerian states: Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, and Yobe. This study compared the programmatic data of 2019 and 2020, as well as survey data collected during the pandemic. RI program variables included service delivery, leadership and governance, monitoring and evaluation/supportive supervision, community engagement, vaccine supply chain and logistics, and finance and financial management. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 23, IBM), student t-test, and structural equation modelling. The results showed that RI programs were affected by the pandemic in terms of reduced meetings and low completion rates of action points in certain states. However, routine immunization support services increased owing to improved monitoring techniques and consistent vaccine deliveries, with fewer reports of stock-outs. The most significant impact of the pandemic was observed on activities coordinated at the healthcare facility level, whereas those at the state level were less impacted. The major challenges encountered during the pandemic included insufficient supplies and consumables, movement restrictions, shortage of human resources, and fear of infection.

Significant amount of oil remains in the reservoir after primary and secondary operations and to recover the remaining oil, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) can be applied as one of the feasible options remaining nowadays. In this study new nano polymeric materials have been prepared from purple yam and cassava starches. The yield of purple yam nanoparticles (PYNPs) was 85% and that of cassava nanoparticles (CSNPs) is 90.53%. Synthesized materials were characterized through particle size distribution (PSA), zeta potential distribution, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The performance of PYNPs in recovering oil was better than CSNPs as found from recovery experiments. Zeta potential distribution results confirmed the stability of PYNPs over CSNPs (-36.3 mV for PYNPs and -10.7 mV for CSNPs). The optimum concentration for these nanoparticles has been found from interfacial tension measurements and rheological properties and it was 0.60 wt.% for PYNPs and 0.80 wt.% for CSNPs. More incremental recovery (33.46%) has achieved for the polymer that contained PYNPs in comparison to the other nano-polymer (31.3%). This opens the inception for a new technology for polymer flooding that may replace the conventional method that depends on partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM).

Endopolygalacturonase (EndoPGase) is one of the crucial pectinases belonging to the class of carbohydrase. The catalytic action of EndoPGase captivate the attention for production of this extremely valuable catalyst of industrial sector. The main focus was to ascertain a potential bacterial candidate for endoPGase production. The isolated bacterial strain was further identified by 16S rDNA gene sequencing. A genomic library was constructed by using Lambda ZAP II vector system to investigate the pectinolytic potential of the expressed genes. The parameters for enzyme biosynthesis were optimized by single as well as multiple factor approach at a time. The results of our investigation led to the identification of a potent strain of Bacillus subtilis NR2. The strain was found active for pectic enzyme activity under shaking- flask fermentation at pH 5.0 and 50 °C temperature of incubation. Among all monomeric and polymeric substrates, citrus pectin followed by wheat bran was considered the best enzyme inducers at 1 % concentration. Moreover, an increasing trend in enzyme activity was observed with the increasing inducer concentration. The combined effect of three variables (pH, substrates, and substrate concentration) was explored by response surface methodology involving Box Benken Design (BBD). The study concluded that the soil isolated B. subtilis can be utilized for commercial scale pectinase enzyme production.

Social media addiction has attracted the attention of researchers especially during the COVID era because negative emotions generated from the pandemic may have increased social media addiction. The present study aimed to investigate the role of negative emotions and social media addiction on health problems during and after the COVID lockdown. A survey was conducted with 2926 participants aged between 25 and 45 years. The data collection period was between 2nd September and 13th October 2020. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling was conducted for data analysis by controlling the respondents' working time, leisure time, gender, education, and age. Our study showed that social media addiction and time spent on social media impact health. Interestingly, while anxiety about COVID increased social media addiction, fear about COIVD reduced social media addiction. Also, long working hours contributed most to people’s health issues, and its impact on social media addiction and hours was much higher than negative emotions, where males faced more health challenges than females. The impacts of negative emotions generated by the COVID on social media addiction and health issues should be reconsidered. Government and employers' control of people's working time stress should prioritize solving social media addiction-related issues.

Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome plays a crucial role in innate immune response. During cell division, the NLRP3 inflammasome activation must be strictly controlled. Here, we discovered the anaphase promoting complex subunit 10 (Anapc10, APC10), a substrate recognition protein of the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), is a critical mediator of the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. APC10 protein interacts with NLRP3, and co-localizes with NLRP3 protein in the cytoplasm. During interphase, APC10 interacts with NLRP3 to promote the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. During mitosis, APC10 disassociates from the NLRP3 inflammasome to inhibit the inflammatory responses. This study reveals a distinct mechanism by which APC10 serves as a switch of the NLRP3 inflammasome activation during cell cycle.

COVID-19 is an infectious disease spreading through human touch. This study explored the risk perception and knowledge towards COVID-19 infection among Bangladeshi adult participants. Two self-administered online surveys were administered at two different time points from 26-31 March 2020 (Early lockdown) and 11-16 May 2020 (Late lockdown) through social media on 1005 respondents (322 and 683 participants, respectively) during COVID-19 lockdown period in Bangladesh. Univariate and multiple linear regression models were used to examine factors associated with risk perception and knowledge towards COVID-19. The mean knowledge (8.4 vs. 8.1, P=0.022) and risk perception (11.2 vs. 10.6, P < 0.001) scores differ significantly between early and late lockdown. Compared to the early lockdown period, the scores for perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 decreased significantly while public knowledge about COVID-19 was lower but not statistically significant. Female participants who practiced high quarantine particularly those who did so at the public health order during the lockdown reported increased knowledge towards the spread of COVID-19 and perceived high risk of contracting COVID-19. Education intervention using awareness to increase public knowledge and perception towards COVID-19 in Bangladesh should target male participants who practiced low quarantine and are less worried about the spread of such novel coronavirus even as the physical distancing persists.

Thermal plasma technique is becoming prominent in the treatment of variety of waste ranging from municipal solid waste, incinerator residue, hospital waste, electronics waste and industrial sludge. Application of the new treatment technology to petroleum sludge requires information on the nature and characteristics of the sludge that will be use to optimize the treatment system. In this investigation, petroleum sludge obtained from Petronas Melaka was characterized for its physical and chemical features. Proximate and ultimate analysis as well as determination of elemental composition were carried out. The sludge was found to contain high moisture (78.91%), low ash (5.06%), low volatiles (5.52%) and high fixed carbon (10.51%). The sludge has a TOC of 54.48% and HHV of 23.599MJ/kg. Despite the high moisture content, the higher heating value (HHV) is high when compared to literature values. The high value of HHV may be associated with the high fixed carbon, low ash content and high value of TOC. The apparent density of the sludge is slightly lower. Fourteen heavy metals are detected in significant quantities. Proper waste management that will safely dispose the sludge is required. The waste disposal technique should take into cognizant the possibility of leaching of heavy metals into ground water on one hand and the gasification of lighter ones on the other.

Introduction: Left ventricular dysfunction in an independent predictor of mortality in Chagas disease. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) is an emerging echocardiographic modality with possible incremental value in early detection of cardiac involvement. Objective: Compare left ventricular function with multiple echocardiographic parameters between patients with the indeterminate and chronic forms of Chagas and perform a literature review. Methods: In this observational study, 11 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Chagas disease were evaluated. Individuals were distributed as follows: 5 with the indeterminate and 6 with the chronic forms. Conventional echocardiographic evaluation was followed by GLS measurement. Results: The mean left ventricle ejection fraction LVEF was 33 ± 2.88 and the mean GLS of the left ventricle was - 10.76 ± 2.20 in the chronic form as compared to 57.80 ± 6.49 and - 17.34 ± 3.82, respectively in the indeterminate group. Contractility was reduced in segments of the inferior, inferoseptal and anteroseptal walls in both groups. Conclusion: Analysis of longitudinal strain in the indeterminate form has potential incremental value to the conventional analysis of ejection fraction when compared to patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy, especially with individual segmental analysis but the impact and clinical significance of these techniques is still unknown.

Introduction: The disease caused by Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) was initially described in December 2019. Severe acute respiratory syndrome type 2 (Sars-Cov-2) is responsible for an important multisystem inflammatory spectrum. Cardiovascular conditions have been reported with an estimated frequency of 8-28%. In this context, transthoracic echocardiography associated with the analysis of the two-dimensional Global Longitudinal Strain (GLS) of the left ventricle derived from Speckle Tracking emerges as a promising modality. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the applicability of GLS and segmental deformity assessment in detecting subclinical myocardial dysfunction in patients that recovered from COVID-19 infection. Methods: The observational study involved 18 patients (mean age 52 years) with recent evidence of COVID-19 infection that underwent detailed echocardiographic evaluation with GLS, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) according to segmental assessment results. The degree of correlation between the methods was analyzed and a systematic literature review was also conducted. Results: The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 57.50 ± 9.98%. Only 16.6% of patients had reduced LVEF. The average GLS was – 18.70 ± 3.54% and in 44% of cases only one myocardial segment was affected, particularly the inferolateral basal. CMR revealed inflammatory cardiomyopathy. Discussion: Subclinical myocardial involvement is associated with major adverse cardiac events. Literature review supports the use of GLS for detecting early cardiac involvement. Conclusion: Speckle-tracking echocardiography has been shown to have clinical utility in a variety of settings and to offer superior prognostic value with a potential to enhance subclinical detection of myocardial changes in patients after COVID-19 infection.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the most lethal type of cancer, it has the lowest 5-year survival rate among all other types of cancers. More than half of PC cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage due to PC’s insidious and non-specific symptoms. Surgery remains the most efficacious treatment option currently available, but only 10-20% of PC cases are resectable upon diagnosis. As of now, the sole biomarker approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) for PC is carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9); however, its use is limited use for early diagnosis. An in-creasing number of studies have investigated a combination of biomarkers. Lately, there has been considerable interest in the application of a liquid biopsy, including the utilization of microRNAs (miRNAs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Screening for PC is indicated for high-risk patients; studies on new diagnostic models combined with biomarkers for early detection have also shown promising results for the ability of these models and biomarkers to aid clinicians in deciding on whether to start screening. This review seeks to provide a concise overview of the advancements in existing biomarkers and explore novel strategies for the early detection of PC.

Biological polymers such as tissue-engineered scaffolds and skin grafts with improved properties are very required in the pharmaceutical field. The wound-dressing gelatin/chitosan/moringa leaf extract (G-CH-M biopolymer) was synthesised and characterised. The blood compatibility, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of the biopolymer were investigated. Our results showed that S. aureus swarming motility was drastically affected. However, the biopolymer had no significant effect on the swarming motility of E. coli compared to the control. In addition, biopolymers showed high antibacterial capacities, especially against S. aureus. The biopolymer was also found to be effective in protecting plasmid DNA against oxidative stress. Furthermore, the biopolymer exhibits greatly suppressed hemolysis (lower than 2%), even at a high concentration of 50 mg/mL. These results indicated that this novel biopolymer formulation could be further developed for wound care and contamination prevention.

In pig production, pigs often show more aggressive behavior after mixing, which adversely affects animal welfare and growth performance. The Jumonji and structural domain-rich AT interaction domain 2 (JARID2) gene plays an important role in neurodevelopment in mice and various psychiatric disorders in humans. The JARID2 gene may impact the aggressive behavior of pigs. By observing the behavior of 500 weaned pigs during the first 72 hours after mixing, the ear tissue samples of the 12 most aggressive and 12 least aggressive pigs were selected for DNA resequencing based on the intensity of their aggressive behavior. Large group correlation analysis indicated that the rs3262221458 site located in the 3'-UTR region of the porcine JARID2 gene has a strong relationship with aggressive behavior of weaned pigs. Pigs with the mutant TT genotype of rs3262221458 have more aggressive behavior than those pigs with the GG and GT genotypes. The dual luciferase assay indicated that the luciferase activity of the plasmids containing the G allele of rs326221458 was significantly less than plasmids conaining the T allele of rs326221458 and control groups. The binding abiltiy of miR-9828-3p to sequences containing the T allele was less than sequences containing the G allele. The overexpression of miR-9828-3p in porcine neuroglial cells (PNGCs) and PK15 cells significantly decreased the mRNA and protein levels of the JARID2 gene. In addition, miR-9828-3p inhibited the proliferation of PNGCs. After inhibiting miR-9828-3p, the mRNA and protein expression levels of JARID2 increased, and the proliferation of PNGCs showed an opposite trend to the cells that forced expression of miR-9828-3p. In addition, interference with the JARID2 gene by siRNA can effectively inhibit the proliferation of PNGCs. In summary, we found that the rs326221458 locus regulates the expression of the JARID2 gene by affecting the binding of miR-9828-3p and the JARID2 gene, thereby affecting the aggressive behavior of weaned pigs after mixing.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by pathogens, particularly E. coli, have spontaneously become resistant to antimicrobial drugs in recent years. Therefore, regular monitoring and alternative strategies for the antimicrobial agent are crucial for combating antimicrobial resistance and bacterial biofilms. Here, we report a new cobalt iron oxide-conjugated tin oxide nanocomposite that can kill bacteria and treat multidrug-resistant E. coli posing UTIs. Following the isolation and identification of E. coli, we tested 57/134 samples against sixteen commonly used antibiotics phenotypically using the disk diffusion method to determine their sensitivity pattern. Of the 57 E. coli isolates, 66% (38/57) were multidrug-resistant. The E. coli isolates were resistant to cephradine (70.17%), ceftriaxone (59.64%), and azithromycin (59.64%), followed by cefixime (54.38%), cefuroxime sodium (52.63%), and co-trimoxazole (50.87%). X-ray diffraction results showed the crystallite sizes were about 5.68 and 8.84 nm in pure SnO2 nanoparticles and 95% SnO2-5% CoFe2O4 nanocomposite, respectively. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared determined the fundamental structure of the nanocomposite, encompassing Co, Fe, Sn, and O. Moreover, FTIR measurements implied that the distinct functional groups in both SnO2 and CoFe2O4 nanoparticles existed in a 95% SnO2-5% CoFe2O4 nanocomposite. Field emission scanning electron microscope analysis uncovered that the SnO2-CoFe2O4 nanocomposite had a size of roughly 24 nm and was spherical. In addition, the biosynthesized SnO2 nanoparticles and SnO2-CoFe2O4 nanocomposite were evaluated for their antibacterial activity. At a minimum 100 µg/mL concentration, SnO2 nanoparticles and SnO2-CoFe2O4 nanocomposite showed high antibacterial activity. The SnO2 nanoparticles and SnO2-CoFe2O4 nanocomposite demonstrated antibacterial activity on multidrug-resistant E. coli at 10 ± 0.7 and 16 ± 0.8 mm zone of inhibition, respectively. In conclusion, the new SnO2-CoFe2O4 nanocomposite might be a potential candidate for treating UTIs caused by drug-resistant E. coli in the foreseeable future.

Purpose: Glue inhalation is a common unconventional substance of abuse and it contains neurotoxic and volatile solvents. We examined the toxicity profile and CNS activities of glue inhalation in Wistar rats.Methods: Acute toxicity was investigated using graded concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2 mL of glue inhalation (n=3/group) for 4 hours in phase one followed by concentrations of 5, 10, and 20 mL of glue (n=1/group) for 4 hours in phase two. These animals were then observed for signs of toxicity and/or mortality for 24hours. The sub-acute toxicity was studied using 24 male Wistar rats at graded concentrations of Air, 2, 4 and 8mL glue (n=6/group) for 28 days. Blood samples were collected for biochemical and haematological evaluations, and vital organs (lung, liver, kidney, heart, brain, and eye) were used for histological analysis. Behavioural studies were carried out using Elevated Plus Maze, Hole Board Test, Open Field Test, Tail Suspension Test and Forced Swim Test. Dependence and abstinence effect were also evaluated. Results: The Lethal Dose (LD₅₀) of the inhalational glue was 14.14 ml. Glue significantly increased liver function parameters like TB, DB, ALP, ALT, TP, electrolyte levels (K⁺ and HCO₃) but reduced cholesterol level in exposed rats. Glue inhalation had significant anxiolytic and depressant effects on the rats at concentrations of 4mL and 8mL. Histological analysis revealed liver and lung tissue abnormalities and subconjunctival inflammation in eye tissue at 8mL. Conclusion: The study therefore suggests that glue inhalation has anxiolytic and depressant effects in Wistar rats.

This research aims to develop an inexpensive ocean observation instrument with a project name is NOBEL (Nusantara Oceanography Backdoor Experiment Laboratory)-BOX. The device can be installed on all types of vessels and placed in a specific area to map the water conditions, providing accurate data for managing a marine area specifically to water quality. The principle of NOBEL-BOX is to attach sensors in a container connected to a microcontroller and then measure directly. The method employed includes experimental design, laboratory and field tests, and data evaluation to produce the necessary system and instruments. The design process involves the construction of the instrument and the fabrication of the device. This process includes creating three-dimensional sketches/drawings, designing microcontrollers and data transmission systems, and power capacity. The sensors attached to this device are surface water temperature, air temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and TDS. The testing phase includes data validation, testing of the device in the laboratory, and field testing. The laboratory and field tests showed that the device worked and provided data that can be used to analyze the seawater condition spatially and over time.

pH is considered one of the paramount factors in bodily functions, because most of the cellular tasks exclusively rely on precise pH values. The regulation of pH is a necessary feature of the intracellular atmosphere and can be established as a strong indicator to judge a physiological abnormality in most of the cases. In this context, the current techniques for pH sensing provide us with the futuristic insight to further design therapeutic and diagnostic tools. Thus, pH-sensing (electrochemically and optically) is rapidly evolving toward exciting new applications and expanding researchers’ interests in many chemical contexts, especially in biomedical applications. The adaptation of cutting-edge technology is subsequently producing the modest form of these biosensors as wearable devices, which are providing us the opportunity to target the real-time collection of vital parameters, including pH for improved healthcare systems. The motif of this review is to provide an insight of trending tech-based systems employed in real time or in-vivo pH responsive monitoring. Herein, we briefly go through the pH regulation in the human body to help the beginners and scientific community with quick background knowledge, recent advances in the field, and pH detection in cancerous environments. In the end, we summarize our review by providing an outlook; challenges that need to be addressed and prospective integration of various pH in vivo platforms with modern electronics that can open new avenues of cutting-edge techniques for disease diagnostics and prevention.

Senna alata (Linn) Roxb. plant is widely used to manage various infections in folkloric medicine. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection continues to be a major global public health problem. This study aims to investigate the bioactive components of S. alata leaves active against MRSA. The leaves of S. alata were sequentially extracted and fractionated using standard methods and screened for activities against MRSA. The diethyl ether active thin layer chromatography (TLC) spot was subjected to infrared (IR) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopic (GC-MS) studies. The aqueous extract and diethyl ether fraction of S. alata leaves elicited the highest activity against the MRSA. The GC-MS analysis of the fraction produced 15 eluates; only the sub-fraction 13 was effective. The TLC analysis of the sub-fraction 13 revealed three spots; only the second spot produced activity. The GC-MS result of the spot showed six peaks. The spectral results for peak 3 match the data from the IR study suggestive of 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester. Senna alata leaves possess bioactive compounds closely related to 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester with potent antibacterial activity against MRSA.

Cotton is a potential and excellent candidate to balance both agricultural production and reme-diation of mercury-contained soil, as its main production fiber hardly involve into food chains. However, there is known rarely about the tolerance and response to Hg environments in cotton. In this study, The biochemical and physiological damages, in response to mercury (Hg), were investigated in upland cotton seedlings. The results on cottonseeds germination, indicated the germination rate were suppressed by high Hg levels, as the decrease of percentage was more than 10% at 1000 µM Hg. Shoots and roots’ growth were significantly inhibited above 10 µM Hg. The inhibitor rates (IR) in fresh weight were close between shoots and roots, whereas that in dry weight the root growth was more obviously influenced by Hg. In comparison of organs, the growth inhibition ranked as root > leaf > stem. The declining of translocation factor (TF) op-posed the Hg level even as low to 0.05 at 50 µM Hg. The assimilation of cotton plants was af-fected negatively by Hg toxicity, as evidenced from the performances on photosynthesis pig-ments (chlorophyll a and b) and gas exchange (Intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), CO2 assimila-tion rate (Pn) and stomatal conductance (Gs)). Sick phenotypes on leaf surface included small white zone, shrinking and necrosis. Membrane lipid peroxidation and leakage were Hg dose-dependent as indicated by malondialdehyde (MDA) content and relative conductivity (RC) values in leaves and roots. More than 10 µM Hg damaged antioxidant enzyme system in both leaves and roots (P<0.05). Concludingly, 10 µM Hg post negative consequences to upland cotton plants in growth, physiology and biochemistry, whereas high phytotoxicity and damage ap-peared at more than 50 µM Hg concentration.

The popularity of functional gummies has increased, which is evident from the growing line of functional gummies from almost every nutraceutical companies. Sensory evaluation serves the purpose of determining which brand of functional gummy would capture the largest market share. Texture profile analysis was used to determine the mechanical properties of functional gummies. The brands of functional gummies that came under the scope of this study were denoted as Brand A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy was utilised to detect organic material and functional groups in the functional gummies. Texture profile analysis gave valuable insights into the gummies’ mechanical properties which are cohesiveness, springiness, hardness, gumminess, and chewiness. Amongst the gummies that were studied, Brand F gummy has the highest value of cohesiveness of 0.92. Brand A gummy has a high springiness value of 1.0. Brand B gummy possesses the highest value of hardness, gumminess and chewiness of 12 532.2 g, 7617.6 N, and 6256.8 J, respectively. Qualitative sensory evaluation reveals that Brand G gummy has the best aesthetic qualities in terms of colour and appearance. Brand B gummy tastes the best while brand A gummy claims the top spot for gumminess and chewiness. Overall, the respondents in this study preferred brand A gummy over other brands.

Malaria is a serious infection affecting millions of people in Africa. Our study investigated the personal preferences and applications of antimalarial medicines in Ghana. Based on over 1000 questionnaires distributed in Ghana from January to May 2019, we noticed that although Western medications to fight this disease are widely available, most patients in Ghana prefer treatment with locally produced herbal remedies. This preference appears to be due to a combination of traditional venues for obtaining medicines “on the street” rather than in licensed pharmacies, trust in local and “green” products, extensive advertisement of such local products, and an inherent distrust of imported and synthetic or unnatural medicines. Going local and natural is a trend also observed in other countries across the globe, and adds to the acceptance or rejection of drugs regardless of their activity or toxicity. In fact, adverse side effects associated with herbal remedies, such as general weakness and swollen, sore mouth, do not seem to deter the respondents of this study in Ghana. We propose a combination of (a) increasing public awareness of the benefits of modern medicine and (b) an improvement and control of the quality of herbal remedies to raise the standard of malaria treatment in countries such as Ghana.

In this study we announce the draft genome sequence of a newly identified Acinetobacter species cross-reacting with E. coli serotype 0157:H7. The advent of Next-Generation technology has paved to way to discover new species which could otherwise be misidentified using conventional cultural and serotyping methods. The whole genome sequence of this isolate will help to identify potential marker/s of intervention and further genomic analysis might also shed light onto the virulence properties of this newly identified Acinetobacter species which has been provided the new name of Acinetobacter maqsudiensis.

Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) is an idiopathic disorder characterized by an abnormal and marked accumulation of eosinophils in the interstitial and alveolar spaces of the lung. Idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia is reported to comprise anywhere from 0-2.5% of cases within the registries of interstitial lung disease. Diagnosis is based on the clinical constellation of symptoms, characteristic radiographic findings and peripheral blood or BAL eosinophilia, in the absence of infection or drug-induced eosinophilia. There is no consensus on the dose and duration of treatment, but most authors recommend initial doses of prednisone at 0.5–1 mg/kg/day with gradual tapering of the dose for total treatment duration of 6–12 months.

One of the most concerning global environmental issues is the pollution of agricultural soils by heavy metals (HMs), especially cadmium (Cd), which not only affects human health by taking Cd-containing foods but also impacts the quality of rice. The soil's nitrification and denitrification processes, coupled with the release of volatile organic compounds by plants, raise substantial concerns. The understanding of three aspects of paddy soil under conditions of heavy-metal pollution and water management is currently limited. In this review, we summarized recent literature related to the deleterious effects of Cd on both soil processes related to the N cycle and rice quality, particularly aroma, in different water management practices. Under both continuous flooding (CF) and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) conditions, cadmium (Cd) has been observed to reduce both nitrification and denitrification processes. The adverse effects are more pronounced in continuous flooding (CF) compared to alternate wetting and drying (AWD). Similarly, the alteration in rice aroma is more significant in AWD than in CF. The precise modulation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by Cd, remains unclear based on the available literature. Nevertheless, HM accumulation is higher in AWD conditions compared to CF, leading to a detrimental impact on volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The literature concluded that AWD practices should be avoided in Cd contaminated fields to decrease accumulation and maintain the quality of rice. In the future, rhizospheric engineering and plant biotechnology can be used to decrease the transport of HMs from the soil to the plant’s edible parts.

The liver diseases are posing serious threat to human health associated with abusive use of allopathy medicines, especially in developing economies like Pakistan. The strengthening of detoxification system using natural products might be a suitable option to minimize the liver problems. In this current research, Zingiber officinale and Azadirachta indica were evaluated for their hepatoprotective role. For the purpose, 20 Sprague Dawley rats were equally divided into four groups i.e., negative control, paracetamol positive control, 2.5% ginger and 2% neem powder, respectively. During 42 days study, the levels of bilirubin and liver enzymes significantly elevated due to liver damage. Although, the values dropped (20-25%) in treatment group. Serum glucose and serum lipid profile increased in positive control group, but reduced (5-10%) in both ginger and neem groups. The serum protein profile declined in liver damage group, however, improved (~5%) in treatment groups. The hematological parameters slightly declined in liver damage group, but increased in ginger and neem groups. Moreover, the white blood cells differential count and renal parameters showed abnormal values in liver damage group, but improved after treatment. This study is promising and highlighted the hepato-protective role of neem and ginger that may open several avenues of research.

Groundwater represents a pivotal asset in conserving natural water reservoirs for potable consumption, irrigation, and diverse industrial uses. Nevertheless, human activities intertwined with industry and agriculture contribute significantly to groundwater contamination, highlighting the critical necessity to appraise water quality for safe drinking and effective irrigation. This research primarily focused on employing the Water Quality Index (WQI) to gauge water's appropriateness for these purposes. However, the generation of an accurate WQI can prove time-intensive owing to potential errors in sub-index calculations. In response to this challenge, an artificial intelligence (AI) forecasting model was devised, aiming to streamline the process while mitigating errors. The study collected 422 data samples from Mirpurkash, a city nestled in the province of Sindh, for a comprehensive exploration of the region's WQI attributes. Furthermore, the study probed into unraveling the interdependencies amidst variables in the physiochemical analysis of water. Diverse machine learning classifiers were employed for WQI prediction, with findings revealing that random forest and gradient boosting eclipsed other algorithms, achieving an accuracy rate of 99%. In close pursuit were SVM and XGBoost, registering accuracy scores of approximately 95% and 93%, respectively, while KNN and Decision Trees garnered accuracy rates of 88% and 87%, respectively. In addition to WQI prediction, the study conducted an uncertainty analysis of the models using the R-factor, providing insights into the reliability and consistency of predictions. This dual approach, combining accurate WQI prediction with uncertainty assessment, contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of water quality in Mirpurkash and enhances the reliability of decision-making processes related to groundwater utilization

Currently, one of the main challenges is the mitigation of the effects of climate change on the agricultural sector. Conventional agriculture, with the intensive use of herbicides and pesticides to control weeds and pests, and the improper use of mineral fertilizers, contributes to climate change by causing increased greenhouse gases and groundwater pollution. Therefore, more innovative technologies must be used to overcome these problems. One possible solution is nanotechnology, which has the potential to revolutionize the conventional agricultural system. Active nanoparticles can be used both as a direct source of micronutrients and as a delivery platform for bioactive agrochemicals to improve crop growth, yield and quality. The use of nanoparticle formulations, including nanopesticides, nanoherbicides, nano-fertilizers and nano-emulsions, has been extensively studied to improve crop health and shelf life of agricultural products. Comprehensive knowledge of the interactions between plants and nanoparticles opens up new opportunities to improve cropping practices through the enhancement of properties such as disease resistance, crop yield, and nutrient use. The main objective of this review is to analyze the main effects of climate change on conventional agricultural practices, such as the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. It also focuses on how the introduction of nanoparticles into conventional practices can improve the efficiency of chemical pest control and crop nutrition. Finally, this review examines in depth the last 10 years (2014-2024) of scientific literature regarding the use of nanoparticles in agriculture to mitigate the effects of climate change.

This review systematically examines the progression of the You Only Look Once (YOLO) object detection algorithms from YOLOv1 to the recently unveiled YOLOv10. Employing a reverse chronological analysis, this study examines the advancements introduced by YOLO algorithms, beginning with YOLOv10 and progressing through YOLOv9, YOLOv8, and subsequent versions to explore each version's contributions to enhancing speed, accuracy, and computational efficiency in real-time object detection. The study highlights the transformative impact of YOLO across five critical application areas: automotive safety, healthcare, industrial manufacturing, surveillance, and agriculture. By detailing the incremental technological advancements that each iteration brought, this review not only chronicles the evolution of YOLO but also discusses the challenges and limitations observed in each earlier versions. The evolution signifies a path towards integrating YOLO with multimodal, context-aware, and General Artificial Intelligence (AGI) systems for the next YOLO decade, promising significant implications for future developments in AI-driven applications.

Cadmium Sulfide nanoparticle (CdS-LA hybrid nanoparticles) was synthesized here by a green approach using the precursor cadmium acetate and sodium sulphide along with the extract of a plant Lathyrus aphaca L. containing the phytochemicals which were responsible for surface modification of nanoparticles. The nanoparticle was used to evaluate their inhibition potential against species of bacteria and fungi. The nanoparticles were characterized by XRD which demonstrates the hexagonal crystal structure. SEM confirms the homogenous surface appearance of the CdS-LA hybrid crystalline structure. EDX analysis confirms surface modification of nanoparticles by phytochemicals. FTIR confirmed the Cd-S linkage laterally with the related functional groups and the presence of metabolites on the surface of nanoparticles. The UV-visible spectroscopy confirmed the peak at the characteristic wavelength range but a slight shift occurred in the peak of the CdS nanoparticles due to the presence of the phytochemicals. This study particularly provides an environment-friendly strategy to synthesize the CdS nanoparticles capped by Lathyrus Aphaca L. extract that are biologically active due to the mediation of the plant extract. CdS-LA hybrid nanoparticles have shown inhibition potential against various species of bacteria and fungi and realize the biological importance of the green synthesis of nanoparticles especially mediated with the plant extract.

The fate of critically sick patients with infections in intensive care units (ICUs) is significantly influenced by antimicrobial resistance, which has become a serious concern in developing nations. This observational study was conducted at the IBN Sina Specialised Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, over a 12-month period from January 2021 to December 2021, in order to track the pattern of antibiotic resistance among the patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Aspiration pneumonia (29%) and diabetes mellitus (24%), among 200 patients, were the most common main diagnoses. 65 samples (or 26%) of the 250 samples had 85 bacteria identified from them. Urine (14.12%) and tracheal aspirate (64.71%) were the most frequently found sites of infection. In the sample from the tracheal aspirate, Pseudomonas spp. (30.59%), Escherichia coli (24.71%), Acinetobacter spp. (20%), and Klebsiella spp. (14.12) were the most frequently isolated microorganisms. The following antibiotics were shown to have the highest overall patterns of resistance: levofloxacin (68.24), amikacin (64.71), meropenem (49.41), ceftazidime (75.29), ciprofloxacin (78.82), and gentamicin (82.35). The most effective antibiotic against Klebsiella species was meropenem (64.61%), while Acinetobacter species were mostly susceptible to cotrimoxazole (64.67%) and piperacillin + tazobactam (60.50%). Most susceptible to netilmicin (70.48%) and meropenem (49.32%) were Escherichia coli, while Pseudomonas spp. were mostly responsive to colistin (55.14%) and netilmicin (52.25%). Antibiotic resistance is common among intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and most isolated microbes have resistance to traditional medicines.

This study aimed to simulate dynamic irrigation management zones (MZs) in two maize fields for a variable rate hose-reel fertigation machine (VRFM) with a 4-section boom control. Soil moisture content was measured from nine and four soil moisture sensors in Field 1 (8.2 ha) and Field 2 (2.5 ha), respectively in different dates during the 2022 crop season. Three- and five-MZs scenarios were simulated per irrigation and the theoretical maps were processed for implementation. The application maps fitted to the VRFM showed significant spatiotemporal variations in irrigation requirements. For instance, in Field 1, 3-MZs modelling showed that the areas requiring High (H), Medium (M), and Low (L) level irrigation on July 21 were 1.60, 4.84, and 1.85 ha, respectively, whereas the farmer applied uniform rate over the whole field. H level sub-areas ranged between 1.22 ha (July 25) and 3.25 ha (July 7), showing a coefficient of variation (CV) of 43.32% for the 3-MZs, whereas H level sub-areas for 5-MZs varied from 0.41 ha (July 2) to 1.49 ha (July 7) with a CV value of 48.84%. High levels of within-field variability can be addressed using precise and dynamic irrigation MZs fitted to the irrigation technology used.

Lake Rawapening, Semarang Regency, Indonesia, has incorporated a holistic plan in its management practices. However, despite successful target achievements, some limitations remain that a review of its management plan is needed. This paper identifies and analyzes existing lake management strategies as a standard specifically in Lake Rawapening by exploring various literature, both legal frameworks and scholarly articles indexed in Google Scholar and published in Water by MDPI about lake management in many countries. There are two major types of lake management, namely pillar-based and object-based. While the former is the foundation of a conceptual paradigm that does not comprehensively consider the roles of finance and technology in the lake management, the latter indicates the objects to manage so as to create standards or benchmarks for the implementation of various programs. Overall, Lake Rawapening management should include more programs on erosion-sedimentation control and monitoring of operational performance using information systems.

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has affected HCPs in multiple way. It has caused psychological impact in form of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. In this study, we aim to study and compare the stress level, anxiety and depression among HCPs who are posted in special COVID-19 units with the HCPs who are not posted in COVID-19 units.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2020, at various hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. All health care professionals (HCPs) were invited to participate. A total of 301 HCPs completed this study, who were divided into two groups; those who are posted in COVID-19 ward (Group A) and those who are not (Group B). Psychological Impact was English version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21).Results: In Group A, 70.5% had moderate, severe, or extremely severe depression compared to 49.2% in group B. In Group A, 75.4% had moderate, severe, or extremely severe anxiety compared to 44.7% in group B. In Group A, 80.3% had moderate, severe or extremely severe stress compared to 54.2% in group B. Anxiety, depression and stress were significantly higher in HCPs who were posted in COVID-19 ward compared to those who were not posted in COVID-19 wardConclusion: There was significantly higher anxiety, stress and depression in health care professionals posted in COVID-19 ward. Both the government and health care agencies should take responsibility for protecting the psychological well-being of health care communities all over the world and ensuring a healthy work environment.

The mechanization of agricultural activities has led to indiscriminate deposition of toxic xenobiotics, including organophosphates in the biomes, and this has led to intoxication characterized with deleterious oxidative and neuronal changes. This study investigated the consequences of oxidative and neurogenic disruptions that follow exposure to two organophosphates, chlorpyrifos (CPF) and dichlorvos (DDVP) on neuro-cognitive performance and anxiety-like behaviors in rats Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats (150 – 170g) were randomly divided into 4 groups, orally exposed to normal saline (NS), DDVP (8.8mg/kg), CPF (14.9mg/kg) and DDVP+CPF for 14 consecutive days. On day 10 of exposures, anxiety-like behaviors and amygdala dependent fear learning were assessed using Open Field and Elevated Plus Maze paradigms respectively, while spatial working memory was assessed on day 14 in the Morris water maze paradigm, following 3 training trials each on days 11, 12 and 13. On day 15, the rats were euthanized, and their brains excised, hippocampus and amygdala removed, 5 of which were homogenized and centrifuged to analyze nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, total reactive oxygen species (ROS), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and the other three processed for histology (cresyl violet stain) and proliferative marker (Ki67 immunohistochemistry). Marked (p≤0.05) loss in body weight, AChE depletion, and overproduction of both NO and ROS were observed after repeated exposure to individual and combined doses of CPF and DDVP. Insults from DDVP exposure appeared more severe owing to the observed greater losses in the body weights of exposed rats. There was also a significant (p≤0.05) effect on the cognitive behaviors recorded from the exposed rats, and these deficits were related to the oxidative damage and neurogenic cell loss in the hippocampus and the amygdala of the exposed rats. Taken together, these results provided an insight that oxidative and neurogenic damages are central to the severity of neuro-cognitive dysfunction and increased anxiety-like behaviors that follow organophosphate poisoning.

Background Increasingly, healthcare organizations are using technology for the efficient management of data. The aim of this study was to compare the data quality of digital records with the quality of the corresponding paper-based records by using data quality assessment framework. Methodology We conducted a desk review of paper-based and digital records over the study duration from April 2016 to July 2016 at six enrolled TB clinics. We input all data fields of the patient treatment (TB01) card into a spreadsheet-based template to undertake a field-to-field comparison of the shared fields between TB01 and digital data. Findings A total of 117 TB01 cards were prepared at six enrolled sites, whereas just 50% of the records (n=59; 59 out of 117 TB01 cards) were digitized. There were 1,239 comparable data fields, out of which 65% (n=803) were correctly matched between paper based and digital records. However, 35% of the data fields (n=436) had anomalies, either in paper-based records or in digital records. 1.9 data quality issues were calculated per digital patient record, whereas it was 2.1 issues per record for paper-based record. Based on the analysis of valid data quality issues, it was found that there were more data quality issues in paper-based records (n=123) than in digital records (n=110). Conclusion There were fewer data quality issues in digital records as compared to the corresponding paper-based records. Greater use of mobile data capture and continued use of the data quality assessment framework can deliver more meaningful information for decision making.

Green products have excellent potential for discovering and producing new medicinal products. In recent years, there is a growing interest towards the green synthesis of metal nanoparticles, particularly from plants sources. This eco-friendly approach was used in the recent research to biosynthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) from Cissus antractica plant. The present study aims to examine the cell cytotoxicity, cell death, and pathways of apoptosis in lung cancer cells (A549) and inflammation properties treated with biosynthesized ZnO NPs. Additionally, synthe-sized ZnO nanoparticles were characterized using UV–vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The XRD and TEM analyses exhibited 31 nm as the size of synthesized nanoparticles, the pure crystal form of ZnO NPs, and the shape of the NPs as nearly spherical and hexagonal quartzite. The MTT assay used for cytotoxicity evaluation de-picted the significant toxic effect of CA-ZnONPs against the A549 lung cancer cells at concentra-tions up to 20 µg/mL than non-cancerous cells. Furthermore, we observed an elevated ROS level in cancer cells. These NPs also demonstrated dose-dependent ability to suppress colony for-mation and cell migration, which increases their potential as a lung cancer treatment. Further-more, The NPs formulation's ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells was further supported by Hoechst and propidium iodide dye. Further, CA ZnO NPs increased the gene expression of BAX, Cyto-c, Caspase 3 and 9, but decreased the expression of Bcl-2, indicating that the nanoformulation triggered mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. Besides, this study showed that NPs suppressed in-flammatory responses by subsequently decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, downregulating the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, iNOS, COX-2, IL-6, IL-8, and NO. Moreover, the study's findings imply that Cissus antractica are a potential source with biosynthesize nanoparticles that can might be further investigated for the progress of an-ti-inflammatory and anti-cancer drugs with further study.

Blast charge initiation procedures have a significant impact on both mining safety and production rates. In this study, the inventory benefit of an electric initiation system was investigated to assess its influence on both fragmentation and blast-induced damages. The Wipfrag software's was used to examine the size distribution and productivity of 12 small-scale blasts initiated by both non-electric and electric detonators. All blast rounds was initiated with plain type of electric and NONEL detonators. The average burden, spacing, stemming length, and charge weight were, respectively, 0.85 m, 1.10 m, 0.66m, and 1.1kg. The results showed that the mesh through which 80% of the blast fragments will pass for the electric blast is smaller than the mesh through which the material products from the NONEL blast will pass. The results also demonstrate that the generated blast-induced ground vibration (PPV) from all blast rounds for electric blast varies from 0.4–1.2 mm/s and 80–105dB, while that for non-electric blast ranges from 0.05–0.2mm/s and 72–95dB. As a result, the electric blast initiation technique was found to produce good fragmentation, with a higher percentage of optimum fragment sizes on spec than non-electrically initiated blasts.