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Background: The diagnostic utility of Rheumatoid Factor (RF) test is not well documented. The question therefore is: 'when is it appropriate to make this request'? When patients' own immunological defense mechanisms go awry and start attacking one's tissues, (autoimmune), there usually arises a problem. This usually affects the heart, musculoskeletal system and other organs giving rise to signs and symptoms that are seen in other ailments. The joints are the most common site of affectation and an early diagnosis may go a long way in managing the disease. Usually an antibody (Rheumatoid factor) is found in such patients. It is formed against the Fc portion of IgG, forming an IgG-Fc immune complex that normally leads to the disease process. It is this complex (usually an IgM) in the patient's serum that is exposed to a commercial antigen in the laboratory and the titer determined against a standard. The normal level is usually less than 14IU/ml. Levels higher are usually considered abnormally high, elevated or positive. A negative RF test however does not mean that the patient hasn't got the disease. Objective: To determine the frequency of positivity of rheumatoid factor and the context in which the requests are made by group of physicians and advise on when to make the request. Methods: A retrospective study of case notes of 354 patients requested to perform rheumatoid factor test at the immunology department over a period of 6 years were reviewed. The requesting departments, clinical and demographic characteristics of patients were reviewed and analyzed. Data analyzed using SPSS version 22. Results: Of the 354 requests made, 265 (74.9%) were due to musculoskeletal symptoms and 20 (5.6%) were positive for RF. Of the 20, 19 (95%) had polyarthritis while 1 (5%) was asymptomatic. The mean age was 37.06±13.91 and 205 (57.9%) were females. Most (137 or 38.7%) of requests for RF were from the general out-patient department and 108 (30.5%) from medical out-patient department. The sensitivity and specificity for RF test in detecting MSK disease were 7.17% (95%CI, 4.37-10.97) and 98.88% (95%CI, 93.90-99.97). The positive likelihood ratio was 6.38% (95% CI, 0.87-40.99). The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 95.0% (95%CI, 77.02-99.29) and 26.35% (95%CI, 25.48-35.30). Test accuracy was 30.23% (95% CI, 25.48-35.30). Conclusion: We recommend that rheumatoid factor should be requested only in patients with fleeting arthritis, good clinical evaluation for signs and symptoms and looking for differentials

Despite efforts to contain and manage the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak which was declared a public health emergency of international concern in January 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 pandemic still remains a major global challenge. Patients who display the classical symptoms of the infection are easily identified, tested, isolated and monitored. However, many cases of infected asymptomatic patients have been documented. These patients are not easily identified even though many evidences suggest that they can spread the virus to others. How and why these COVID-19 asymptomatic presentations occur remain unclear. The many theories and views are conjectural, and supporting evidences are still needed. In this review, we described the trend in SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding and susceptibility, providing perspectives on gender differences and asymptomatic patients. We further discussed how genetics, gender, viral inoculum, and pre-existing immunity may influence asymptomatic presentations in COVID-19 infections. We hope that this article improves our understanding of asymptomatic SAR-CoV-2 infection and it sheds light on some salient areas that should be considered as the search for a potent vaccine continues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tissue diagnosis and staging of all types of lung cancer is foundational for prognosis and establishing the optimal treatment plan. In order to appropriately stage lung cancer, the highest stage should be established using the 8th edition TNM criteria, where tumor size (T), nodal involvement (N), and metastasis (M) are all taken into account. Establishing a tissue diagnosis may involve the use of CT guided biopsy, navigational bronchoscopy, endobronchial biopsy, endobronchial ultrasound, percutaneous lymph node biopsy and/or excisional biopsy of supraclavicular nodes. It is recommended to proceed with the method that is considered least invasive and provides the highest staging. We present a case of recurrent lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed with real time ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of a neck lymph node.

The present study examined performance in Theory of Mind (ToM) in a group of 31 Arabic-speaking verbal children (7–12 years-old) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in comparison with neurotypical controls (NT) matched for age and for cognitive abilities. An innovative task in a digital format named “The Tunisian Social Situations Instrument” (TSSI) was used and allowed us to study four different subdomains of ToM: attribution of intention and epistemic ToM (cognitive ToM), affective ToM, and detection of faux pas (advanced ToM). Our study showed impairments in ToM in children with ASD, similar to those reported in the literature. Our findings additionally suggested that affective and advanced ToM, specifically the detection of faux pas, might be more challenging for ASD children than other components of ToM. Future studies with larger number of children may lead us to specify which subdomains are the most impaired in order to develop specific tools targeting these specific impairments.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with neurocognitive impairment, including executive dysfunctioning and social cognition (SC) deficits. Cognitive remediation (CR) is a behavioral training-based intervention aiming to improve cognitive processes. Its first use in psychiatry interested patients with schizophrenia, in whom promising results have been shown. Integrated CR programs targeting both social and non-social cognition have demonstrated to be effective in improving both cognitive domains and functional outcomes. CR studies in children and adolescents with ASD are still new, those regarding CR approaches combining social and executive functioning remediation are scares. One study examining the efficacy of cognitive enhancement therapy (CET) for improving cognitive abilities in ADS adults, showed significant differential increases in neurocognitive function and large social-cognitive improvements. Therefore, taking into account the overlap between ASD and schizophrenia, and considering the close link between executive functions (EF) and SC, we suggest that integrative approach in ASD could result in better outcomes. The present perspective aimed to highlight cognitive remediation (CR) programs contributions in ASD (especially in children and adolescents), and to discuss the value of combining social and non-social programs.

Background. The objective of our present study is to assess the relation between persistent fatigue and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity and its functional impact and to determine if the positive effect of biologics on fatigue is due to good disease response or to a different pathway.

Background The complexity of the interaction between metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular complications has long been recognized to extend beyond simple perturbations of blood glucose levels. Yet, structured interventions targeting the root pathologies are not forthcoming. Growing evidence implicates the inflammatory changes occurring in perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) as early instigators of cardiovascular deterioration. Methods and Results We used a nonobese prediabetic rat model with localized PVAT inflammation induced by hypercaloric diet feeding, which dilutes inorganic phosphorus (Pi) to energy ratio by 50%, to investigate whether Pi supplementation ameliorates the early metabolic impairment. A 12‐week Pi supplementation at concentrations equivalent to and twice as much as that in the control diet was performed. The localized PVAT inflammation was reversed in a dose‐dependent manner. The increased expression of UCP1 (uncoupling protein1), HIF‐1α (hypoxia inducible factor‐1α), and IL‐1β (interleukin‐1β), representing the hallmark of PVAT inflammation in this rat model, were reversed, with normalization of PVAT macrophage polarization. Pi supplementation restored the metabolic efficiency consistent with its putative role as an UCP1 inhibitor. Alongside, parasympathetic autonomic and cerebrovascular dysfunction function observed in the prediabetic model was reversed, together with the mitigation of multiple molecular and histological cardiovascular damage markers. Significantly, a Pi‐deficient control diet neither induced PVAT inflammation nor cardiovascular dysfunction, whereas Pi reinstatement in the diet after a 10‐week exposure to a hypercaloric low‐Pi diet ameliorated the dysfunction. Conclusions Our present results propose Pi supplementation as a simple intervention to reverse PVAT inflammation and its early cardiovascular consequences, possibly through the interference with hypercaloric‐induced increase in UCP1 expression/activity.

Abstract Background Peripheral venous catheterization (PVC) is frequently used in children. This procedure is not free from potential complications. Our purpose was to identify the types and incidences of PVC complications in children and their predisposing factors in a developing country. Methods We conducted a prospective observational multicenter study in five pediatric and pediatric surgery departments over a period of 2 months. Two hundred fifteen PVC procedures were conducted in 98 children. The times of insertion and removal and the reasons for termination were noted, and the lifespan was calculated. Descriptive data were expressed as percentages, means, standard deviations, medians and interquartile ranges. The Chi2 test or the Fisher test, with hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI95%), as well as Student’s t test or the Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare categorical and quantitative variables, respectively, in groups with and without complications. The Spearman test was used to determine correlations between the lifespan and the quantitative variables. The Kruskal Wallis test was used to test for differences in the median lifespan within 3 or more subgroups of a variable. Linear regression and logistic binary regression were used for multivariate analysis. A p-value

Introduction: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorders are severe mental illnesses (SMI) associated with high levels of co-morbid psychopathology and premature mortality. Reducing delays in accessing services and providing early intervention are key strategies in preventing morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases. The pathways to psychiatric care have been studied in many countries worldwide. To the best of our knowledge, no study on this subject has so far been conducted in Tunisia. The purpose of the present study was to understand the pathways of care adopted by patients, to determine the care delay and to explore the relationship between delayed consultation and socio-demographic and clinical variables.

Moustafa R K Ali,1 Ibrahim M Ibrahim,2,† Hala R Ali,2,3 Salah A Selim,2 Mostafa A El-Sayed1,4 1School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Laser Dynamics Laboratory, Atlanta, GA, USA; 2Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Cairo, Egypt; 3Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Dokki, Giza, Egypt; 4School of Chemistry, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia †Ibrahim M Ibrahim passed away on August 23, 2015 Abstract: Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) is a cancer therapy in which gold nanorods are injected at the site of a tumor before near-infrared light is transiently applied to the tumor causing localized cell death. Previously, PPTT studies have been carried out on xenograft mice models. Herein, we report a study showing the feasibility of PPTT as applied to natural tumors in the mammary glands of dogs and cats, which more realistically represent their human equivalents at the molecular level. We optimized a regime of three low PPTT doses at 2-week intervals that ablated tumors mainly via apoptosis in 13 natural mammary gland tumors from seven animals. Histopathology, X-ray, blood profiles, and comprehensive examinations were used for both the diagnosis and the evaluation of tumor statuses before and after treatment. Histopathology results showed an obvious reduction in the cancer grade shortly after the first treatment and a complete regression after the third treatment. Blood tests showed no obvious change in liver and kidney functions. Similarly, X-ray diffraction showed no metastasis after 1 year of treatment. In conclusion, our study suggests the feasibility of applying the gold nanorods-PPTT on natural tumors in dogs and cats without any relapse or toxicity effects after 1 year of treatment. Keywords: gold nanorods, natural mammary tumors, plasmonic photothermal therapy, canine, feline

INTRODUCTION: l’appendicite aigue représente l’urgence chirurgicale la plus fréquente aux urgences. Son diagnostic est avant tout clinique. Cependant, sa présentation clinique parfois trompeuse ainsi que le large éventail de diagnostics différentiels sont fréquemment sources d’erreurs diagnostiques et de retard de prise en charge. Afin de pallier à ces difficultés diagnostiques, de réduire le nombre d’examens complémentaires et d’actes chirurgicaux abusifs, plusieurs scores cliniques ont été ainsi développés, dont le score d’Alvarado. L’objectif de cette étude était d’appliquer ce score à une population de patients adultes venant consulter pour douleurs de la fosse iliaque droite afin d’évaluer ses performances ainsi que ses limites.Méthodes: il s’agissait d’une étude prospective qui a inclus tous les malades âgés de plus de 15 ans se présentant pour douleur de la fosse iliaque droite. Le diagnostic final d'appendicite aigue a été confirmé par examen anatomo-pathologique pour les patients opérés et infirmé lorsque la symptomatologie des patients avait totalement régressé en l'absence de tout traitement.Résultats: notre étude a inclus 106 patients. Chez les patients dont le score d'Alvarado était inférieur à 4, le diagnostic d'appendicite aigüe n'a jamais été retenu. Les meilleures sensibilités et spécificités ont été retrouvées pour une valeur seuil de 8 pour le score d'Alvarado. Ainsi, avec une bonne sensibilité (81,25%) et une valeur prédictive positive correcte (74,28%), notre étude a démontré que le score d’Alvarado pouvait apporter un bénéfice dans le diagnostic d'appendicite aigüe. Le groupe de patient avec un score strictement inférieur à 4 est considéré comme à faible risque. Les patients dont le score d'Alvarado était strictement supérieur à 6 nécessiteraient une hospitalisation afin, soit d'être opérer d'emblée, soit de compléter par un examen d'imagerie et une surveillance. Le groupe de patient ayant un score compris entre 4 et 6 (limites incluses), reste un groupe où le doute diagnostic est présent et où les examens complémentaires d'imagerie ont un apport certain.Conclusion: l’utilisation du score d'Alvarado dans nos urgences permet de rationaliser la prise en charge et d’orienter le diagnostic en limitant la prescription d’explorations radiologiques, le coût de la prise en charge et les actes chirurgicaux abusifs.

INTRODUCTION: les études récentes indiquent que le trouble bipolaire est associé à une déficience profonde dans presque tous les domaines de fonctionnement. La présente étude vise à évaluer le fonctionnement au sein d'une population de patients bipolaires type I en rémission. METHODES: il s'agit d'une étude transversale réalisée auprès des patients bipolaires type I euthymiques et suivis en ambulatoire. Ont été utilisés l'échelle de dépression de Hamilton, l'échelle de manie de Young, l'Echelle d'Estime de Soi de Rosenberg, et le Functioning Assessment Short Test. RESULTATS: plus de la moitié de la population (53,3%) avaient une déficience fonctionnelle globale. Le fonctionnement global était associé à l'âge, au niveau scolaire, à l'activité professionnelle, au nombre d'épisodes maniaques et dépressifs, au nombre d'hospitalisations, à un score HDRS plus élevé, ainsi qu'aux deux sous-scores d'estime de soi 'confiance en soi ' et ''autodépréciation ''. CONCLUSION: nos résultats suggèrent qu'un changement de paradigme dans le traitement des troubles bipolaires devrait se produire, et que les objectifs de la thérapie devraient être modifiés d'une rémission symptomatique à une rémission fonctionnelle.

The incidence of Kawasaki disease in Maghreb countries is apparently low, unlike those living in the province of Quebec, Canada. This retrospective study compared Maghrebi children living in Quebec to the countries of origin, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The annualized incidence rate in Quebec (18.49/year/100 000 children under 5 years of age) was 4 to 12 times higher than in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria (0.95, 4.52, and 3.15, respectively). The prevalence of incomplete diagnostic criteria was higher in Quebec at 39%, Morocco 43%, and Tunisia 39% compared to Algeria at 8%, with minimal delayed diagnosis (7%) only in Quebec compared to 30%, 35%, and 62%, respectively ( P < .001). The rate of coronary aneurysms was comparable however (11% in Quebec vs 4%, 10%, and 25%, in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria, respectively; P = .31). The higher incidence of Kawasaki disease in the Maghreb community in Quebec versus the countries of origin seems due to underdiagnosis, which represents a public health concern in those countries.

Following publication of the original article [1], one of the authors flagged that the title of the article was submitted (incorrectly) with “Full title:” at the beginning.

Les myiases sont des infections parasitaires par des larves de mouches. La localisation cutanée doit être évoquée de retour d'un pays tropical devant une évolution inhabituelle de lésions cutanées. Nous rapportons une observation d'un militaire tunisien, ayant séjourné en République Démocratique du Congo. Il était atteint de myiase cutanée simulatrice d'une furonculose résistante aux antibiotiques. L'intérêt de cette observation est de souligner l'importance d'évoquer la myiase dont le traitement est simple et rapide chez un patient de retour de zone d'endémie.

A thrombus in transit through a patent foramen ovale (PFO) with impending paradoxical embolism is an extremely rare event. Due to its transient nature, it is unable to identify the thrombus, and most of the cases have been reported at autopsy. We are reporting a case of thrombus straddling the foramen ovale which was diagnosed by echocardiography and treated surgically. Through this personal case, an exhaustive review of the literature was performed. There were 88 cases reported. We concluded that there is no medical consensus about the best option for treatment. Nevertheless, surgery, which is associated with fewer complications of recurrent embolic events than those of thrombolysis and anticoagulation, appeared to be the best approach in patients who are not at a high surgical risk. Anticoagulant treatment appears to be an acceptable therapeutic alternative to surgery, particularly in patients with comorbidities who are at high surgical risk and for patients with small PFO. Thrombolysis is linked to the highest mortality, which could be explained by the severity of the patient’s initial presentation. In conclusion, and after the cumulative effects of these case reports, we propose a diagram consisting of the use of the three therapeutic options in the different clinical scenarios.

The multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clonal complex 92 is spreading worldwide due to its high-frequency gene mutation and recombination, posing a significant threat to global medical and health safety. Between November 2021 and April 2022, a total of 132 clinical A. baumannii isolates were collected from a tertiary hospital in China. Their growth ability and virulence of these isolates were assessed using growth curve analyses and the Galleria mellonella infection model. The genetic characteristics of the isolates were further examined through whole-genome sequencing. ST1791 O /ST2 P isolates represented the largest proportion of isolates in our collection and exhibited the highest growth rate and strongest virulence among all sequence types (STs) analyzed. Whole-genome sequences from 14,159 clinical isolates were collected from the National Center for Biotechnology Information database, and only nine ST1791 O /ST2 P isolates were detected. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that ST1791 O /ST2 P carried 11 unique genes, 5 of which were located within the capsular polysaccharide synthesis ( cps ) gene cluster. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between ST1791 O /ST2 P and other isolates were primarily found in the cps gene cluster. Among the other isolates, ST195 O /ST2 P and ST208 O /ST2 P exhibited the smallest SNP differences from ST1791 O /ST2 P , while ST195 O /ST2 P and ST1486 O /ST2 P had high homology. The ST1791 O /ST2 P strain in Anhui, China, displayed significant homology with ST195 O /ST2 P , ST208 O /ST2 P , and ST1486 O /ST2 P isolates. Compared to other isolates in this study, ST1791 O /ST2 P exhibited strong growth ability and virulence. Therefore, preventing the further spread of ST1791 O /ST2 P should be a top public health priority.

Background: Severity stratification and longitudinal evaluation of metabolic conditions in response to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are not standardized. Our Assessment of Obesity-related Metabolic Comorbidities (AOMC) scoring tool combines pharmacotherapy and biochemical data to objectively define type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension (HTN), and dyslipidemia (DYS) severity. We previously showed that AOMC more accurately describes disease severity than clinical history alone., Objectives: We aimed to show that AOMC more precisely and reproducibly measures metabolic disease response to RYGB and preoperative disease severity influences remission rates., Setting: University hospital, United States., Methods: AOMC scores for T2D, DYS, and HTN were calculated preoperatively and postoperatively (1-, 2-, and 5-years) for patients who underwent RYGB over 14 years. Generalized linear mixed-effect models were used to evaluate AOMC score trends and remission over time., Results: Of 351 patients, 214, 188, and 303, presented with any T2D, DYS, or HTN respectively. One-year remission rates were: T2D 57.1%, DYS 59.7%, and HTN 29.3%. Over 5 years post-RYGB, remission rates declined for T2D (P < .05) and DYS (P < .05) but remained steady for HTN (P > .05). Remission was associated with preoperative disease severity: those with premetabolic disease had the highest remission rates (i.e., 1-year: pre-T2D 81.4%, pre-DYS 91.4%, pre-HTN 53.5%, all P < .05), while those with most severe scores preoperatively (untreated/uncontrolled) had the lowest remission rates., Conclusions: AOMC allows precise assessment of comorbidity severity and disease-specific postoperative quantification of comorbidity responses and remission rates. These findings can guide preoperative metabolic disease optimization and postoperative metabolic recovery expectations and standardize communication regarding comorbidity severity., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of prebiotic on growth performance and coccidiosis prevention in challenged broilers with Eimeria. A total of 420 1-d-old male Ross 308 chicks were used in a completely randomized design with 7 treatments and 5 replicates with 12 birds in each replication. Dietary treatments were: 1) negative control (without prebiotic and without challenge), 2) positive control (challenged with sporulated oocysts of Eimeria (SOE) without prebiotic), 3) 0.2 % prebiotic in starter, 0.1 % in grower and 0.05 % in finisher challenged with SOE, 4) 0.2 % prebiotic in starter,0.1 % in grower and 0.05 % in finisher without challenge, 5) 0.2 % prebiotic in the whole rearing period challenged with SOE, 6) 0.2 % prebiotic in the whole rearing period without challenge and 7) and Salinomycin (0.05 % of diet). At 7 d of age, treatments were challenged with 20-fold dose of the EIMERIAVAX 4 m as a trivalent live attenuated coccidiosis vaccine. On d 28, intestinal coccidiosis lesions and dropping were scored in the scale of 0-3 and 0-4, respectively, and oocysts per gram feces (OPG) were measured. Prebiotic at either supplementation rate increased body weight gain and improved feed conversion ratio compared with PC group. Challenged broilers fed fixed level of prebiotic displayed lower OPG, dropping scores and coccidiosis lesions scores in upper and middle regions of intestine than PC group, with the effect being similar to unchallenged birds., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors report no declarations of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Freshwater mussel Parreysia corrugata is an ecologically important species endemic to south-east Asia, which has been suffering from a dramatic decline in recent years. The present study investigated the population dynamics and reproductive strategy of P. corrugata in a changing climate of Bangladesh waters. Mussels were sampled monthly from January to December 2021 from the Padma River near the Rajshahi city of Bangladesh. A total of 809 specimens were collected with a sizes ranging from 36.07 to 101.41 mm shell length and 7.92-87.54 g weight, respectively. The mussels displayed a growth pattern characterized by negative allometry in body weight-shell length relationship. The asymptotic length ( L∞ ) was 106.05 mm, the growth coefficient ( K ) was 0.370 per year, and the growth performance index ( Φ' ) was 3.58. The recruitment of P. corrugata was occurred throughout the year, with a peak during the month of February. The annual total mortality ( Z ) was 1.15, and natural mortality ( M ) and fishing mortality ( F ) were 0.61 and 0.54 per year, respectively. The exploitation level was E  = 0.47 which indicates a state of under exploitation. Sex was identifiable throughout the study period and the sex ratio of the mussels did not differ significantly from the 1:1 (M: F) ratio (( χ 2  = 15.80, P > 0.05). In terms of gonadal development, maturation, and spawning activity, both sexes had similar trends. Histology identified five gonad development stages for both male and female mussels: early developing, late developing, ripe, spawning, and spent. Monthly GSI data showed significant seasonal fluctuations with the highest GSI in April and it was sharply declined in May indicating the peak spawning of the mussels, which was in consistent with condition index and gonadal histology. All the physicochemical parameters showed significant variation except for pH. The most important factors explaining mussel body condition ( b value) and reproductive strategies (GSI and CI) were water temperature, dissolved oxygen and water level. Although no known major threats of this species have been documented from Bangladesh, conservation measures could be adopted to protect the natural habitats of P. corrugata from adverse physicochemical and hydrological factors., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Inherited heat enhancement capabilities and their significance in the field of medical sciences and industry make nanofluids the focus of research nowadays. Furthermore, due to the remarkable advancements in bionanotechnology and its significance in biomedical fields such as drug delivery systems, cancer tumor therapy, bioimaging, and many others, it has emerged as a key research area. Contribution of cilia for the flow in ductus efferentes of human male reproductive tract is elaborated. A novel mathematical scheme is presented for the heat and mass transfer of MHD micropolar nanofluid transport in an asymmetric channel lined with cilia. The pertinent equations of nanofluid transport are exposed to lubrication approximation theory and solution for the physical problem is examined with efficient bvp4c technique in MATLAB. Fluid rheology is explored with the variations of different transport parameters like Hartmann number, Grashof number, Brownian motion, buoyancy, thermophoresis and Darcy number. It is reported that nanofluid transport is affected with rise in the Lorentz force and show reverse behavior with rising permeability. The temperature of the nanofluid in ciliated microchannel is raised with enhanced value of Hartmann number, Grashof number, Prandtl number, and Darcy number while diffusion phenomenon of nanofluid is slowed down with these parameters. Spinning motion of the nanofluid is enhanced with Grashof number and slow down with nanoparticle Grashof number and different behavior is recorded for Darcy and viscosity parameters in different flow regime. Reported investigation presents crucial findings for ciliary transport of micropolar nanofluid and tackled with appropriate selection of micropolar parameter, Brownian motion parameter, thermophoresis and Grashof number. Moreover, this investigation will be handful for cilia-based actuators which work as micro-mixers in controlling the flow in minute bio-sensors and may prove their worth in micro-pumps employed in various drug-delivery systems., Competing Interests: The authors unanimously declare that they don't have any conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Blackberries have garnered attention recently due to their high concentration of bioactive components like anthocyanin and their health advantages. Therefore, this study aims to determine the bioactive profile, antioxidant and antibacterial effects of blackberry extracts (BBEs). Then, evaluate the protective effect of BBEs (20%, 30% and 40%) in a rat model of 2 mL of 4-8 × 10 6 Escherichia coli ATTC 25922 strain colony-forming unit mL -1 oral infection on the seventh day of the experiment., Results: Rats were divided into six groups: G1: control (C-: normal or negative group), G2: (C+: infected or positive group), G3: infected-treated group by 20% BBE, G4: infected-treated group by 30% BBE, G5: infected-treated group by 40% of BBE and G6: infected-treated group by Gentamicin. The results showed that BBE had a high content of total phenolic compounds, flavonoid, anthocyanin contents, and different vitamins (vitamins A, E and C), reaching 450, 186, 58.83 mg 100 g -1 , 2.68, 2.14 and 107.46 mg 100g -1 fresh weight, respectively, which showed great antioxidant and antibacterial effects. Therefore, liver enzymes, kidney function and lipid profiles were significantly higher in the infected group than in the control or infected-treated groups. Furthermore, BBE ameliorated inflammation of the intestine and hepatocyte damage compared to the infected control group., Conclusion: These results suggest that consistent intake of BBE might alleviate hepatic inflammation and the gut microbiota in ways that could significantly impact human health. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Reporting of obesity-associated metabolic disease severity and longitudinal response to bariatric surgery is not standardized. We updated our co-morbidity scoring tool to the Assessment of Obesity-related Metabolic Conditions (AOMC) to combine pharmacotherapy and biochemical data to score diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), and dyslipidemia (DYS) severity., Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine whether the AOMC system more accurately stages metabolic disease severity than a clinically based Assessment of Obesity-Related Comorbidities (AORC) system., Setting: University hospital, United States., Methods: A retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected demographic, clinical, and biochemical data was performed on adults evaluated for bariatric surgery over 6years. AORC versus AOMC scores and disease severity were compared using McNemar's and Wilcoxon's tests., Results: Of 1442 patients, AOMC newly diagnosed metabolic disease in more patients than did AORC: DM (73.4% versus 44.5%), HTN (91.7% versus 67.9%), and DYS (63.8% versus 53.4%). Of those on pharmacotherapy, AOMC found fewer patients with adequately controlled disease: DM (39.9% versus 97.7%), HTN (64.7% versus 99.3%), and DYS (51.8% versus 99.0%). For those in whom both scores could be calculated, disease severity was upstaged in most patients: DM (65.9%), HTN (42.9%), and DYS (30.9%). There were also significant shifts toward higher scores for all conditions and severity classifications, with more patients diagnosed with pre-metabolic and severe disease (untreated/uncontrolled)., Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that the severity of DM, HTN, and DYS is vastly under-represented by clinical history alone and lacks standardized assessments. Our AOMC tool more accurately describes longitudinal metabolic response to bariatric surgery., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The lack of reliable and efficient techniques for early monitoring to stop long-term effects on human health is an increasing problem as the pathogenesis effect of infectious bacteria is growing continuously. Therefore, developing an effective early detection technique coupled with efficient and continuous monitoring of pathogenic bacteria is increasingly becoming a global public health prime target. Electrochemical biosensors are among the strategies that can be utilized for accomplishing that goal with promising potential. In recent years, identifying target biological analytes by interacting with bioreceptors modified electrodes is among the most commonly used detection techniques in electrochemical biosensing strategies. The commonly employed bioreceptors are nucleic acid molecules (DNA or RNA), proteins, antibodies, enzymes, organisms, tissues, and biomimetic components such as molecularly imprinted polymers. Despite the advancement in electrochemical biosensing, developing a reliable and effective biosensor for detecting pathogenic bacteria is still in the infancy stage with so much room for growth. A major milestone in addressing some of the issues and improving the detection pathway is the investigation of specific bacterial detection techniques. The present study covers the fundamental concepts of electrochemical biosensors, human PB illnesses, and the latest electrochemical biosensors based on bioreceptor elements that are designed to detect specific pathogenic bacteria. This study aims to assist researchers with the most up-to-date research work in the field of bio-electrochemical pathogenic bacteria detection and monitoring., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Introduction: Excess body fat elevates colorectal cancer risk. While bariatric surgery (BRS) induces significant weight loss, its effects on the fecal stream and colon biology are poorly understood. Specifically, limited data exist on the impact of bariatric surgery (BRS) on fecal secondary bile acids (BA), including lithocholic acid (LCA), a putative promotor of colorectal carcinogenesis., Methods: This cross-sectional case-control study included 44 patients with obesity; 15 pre-BRS (controls) vs. 29 at a median of 24.1 months post-BRS. We examined the fecal concentrations of 11 BA by liquid chromatography and gene abundance of BA-metabolizing bacterial enzymes through fecal metagenomic sequencing. Differences were quantified using non-parametric tests for BA levels and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) for genes encoding BA-metabolizing enzymes., Results: Total fecal secondary BA concentrations trended towards lower levels post- vs. pre-BRS controls (p = 0.07). Individually, fecal LCA concentrations were significantly lower post- vs. pre-BRS (8477.0 vs. 11,914.0 uM/mg, p < 0.008). Consistent with this finding, fecal bacterial genes encoding BA-metabolizing enzymes, specifically 3-betahydroxycholanate-3-dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.391) and 3-alpha-hydroxycholanate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.52), were also lower post- vs. pre-BRS controls (LDA of - 3.32 and - 2.64, respectively, adjusted p < 0.0001). Post-BRS fecal BA concentrations showed significant inverse correlations with weight loss, a healthy diet quality, and increased physical activity., Conclusions: Concentrations of LCA, a secondary BA, and bacterial genes needed for BA metabolism are lower post-BRS. These changes can impact health and modulate the colorectal cancer cascade. Further research is warranted to examine how surgical alterations and the associated dietary changes impact bile acid metabolism., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The management of solid waste poses a worldwide obstacle in the pursuit of a sustainable society. This issue has intensified with the increase in waste production caused by rapid population expansion, industrialization, and urbanization. The continuously growing volume of municipal solid waste, particularly the substantial volume of organic waste, along with improper disposal practices, results in the release of greenhouse gases and other harmful airborne substances which simultaneously causes health risks and socioeconomic concerns. This article examines various waste-to-energy (energy production in the form of heat and electricity) concepts as well as waste-to-materials (various value-added materials including biofuel, biochemical, char, bio-oil, soil fertilizer, etc.) methods of converting municipal solid waste into environmentally friendly fuels, which appear to be economically feasible and attractive. It starts with a thorough analysis of the characteristics of municipal solid waste followed by the generation procedure. The study provides an overview of different thermochemical conversion methods including incineration, pyrolysis, co-pyrolysis, liquefaction, hydrothermal carbonization, gasification, combustion for transformation of municipal solid waste, and their recent advancement. The review comprehensively discussed the pros and cons of each method highlighting their strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats to transforming MSW. The current state of municipal solid waste management, including effective dumping and deviation, is comprehensively assessed, along with the prospects and challenges involved. Energy justice concepts and fuzzy logic tool is used to address the selection criteria for choosing the best waste treatment techniques. Moreover, several recommendations are offered to enhance the existing solid waste management system. This review could assist scholars, researchers, authorities, and stakeholders in making informed decisions regarding MSW management., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Cancer develops through cells when mutations build up in different genes that control cell proliferation. To treat these abnormal cells and minimize their growth, various cancer tumor samples have been modeled and analyzed in literature. The current study is focused on the investigation of more generalized cancer tumor model in fractional environment, where net killing rate is taken into account in different domains. Three types of killing rates are considered in the current study including time and position dependent killing rates, and concentration of cells based killing rate. A hybrid mechanism is proposed in which different homotopies are used with perturbation technique and Laplace transform. This leads to a convenient algorithm to tackle all types of fractional derivatives efficiently. The convergence and error bounds of the proposed scheme are computed theoretically by proving related theorems. In the next phase, convergence and validity is analyzed numerically by calculating residual errors round the fractional domain. It is observed that computed errors are very less in the entire fractional domain. Moreover, comparative analysis of Caputo, Caputo-Fabrizio (CF), and Atangana-Baleanu (AB) fractional derivatives is also performed graphically to discern the effect of different fractional approaches on the solution profile. Analysis asserts the reliability of proposed methodology in the matter of intricate fractional tumor models, and hence can be used to other complex physical phenomena., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Introduction While surgical indications for symptomatic cholelithiasis and biliary hypokinesia are clear, hyperkinetic biliary dyskinesia (HBD) is an underrecognized condition with poorly defined symptomology and management guidelines. HBD is typically defined as a gallbladder ejection fraction (EF) ≥ 80% on a hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan. We aimed to identify the prevalence and radiographic reporting of HBD, physician referral patterns, and clinical outcomes following cholecystectomy. Methods  A retrospective cohort study of patients with HIDA scans completed over 21 years at our tertiary care hospital was performed. Demographics, symptomatology, referral patterns, and operative data were collected. HBD was defined as HIDA EF ≥ 80%. Patients with HBD who underwent cholecystectomy were analyzed. ANOVA and chi-square tests were used to compare variables among patients with or without symptom improvement using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS; IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Armonk, NY). Results Of 1,997 patients (73% female, mean age 51.7 years) who had HIDA scans with reported EF, 730 (36.6%) had an EF≥80%. Only 13.7% of HIDA scans with EF≥80% were reported as hyperkinetic, and the rest are "normal". Cholecystectomy was performed in 57 (7.8%) patients with EF≥80%, most being elective (89.5%) and all minimally invasive. Primary care physicians ( PCPs) referred most elective cases to surgery (61.4%). The median time from HIDA to cholecystectomy was 146 days. Chronic cholecystitis was common in pathology (82.5%), while 38.6% had cholelithiasis. Overall, 53 patients (93.0%) reported symptom improvement at a median follow-up of 17.0 days. Patients without improvement had a higher prevalence of chronic gastrointestinal conditions (p<0.05), but not significantly more cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, time to surgery, or elective surgery status. Conclusions HBD is common but often underdiagnosed and thus likely underrecognized by treating physicians. Most HBD patients benefit from cholecystectomy, regardless of cholelithiasis. Patients with persistent symptoms after cholecystectomy may have confounding gastrointestinal diagnoses. Increased awareness among radiologists, referring PCPs, gastroenterologists, and surgeons about HBD and postoperative outcomes is needed to ensure that HBD is adequately treated., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. University of California Davis issued approval 1958145. The University of California Davis Institutional Review Board issued approval of Protocol # 1958145. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: Hazem Shamseedeen, Shushmita Ahmed, Victoria Lyo declare(s) Support for attending meetings/travel from Intuitive Surgical. Travel expenses to Intuitive Surgical educational conferences were paid for, not directly related to this study. Mohamed Ali declare(s) non-financial support from American Board of Surgery. Member of the American Board of Surgery Bariatric FPD Exam Writing Group. . Mohamed Ali declare(s) a grant from American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Foundation. Dr. Ali received funding for other research from the ASMBS Foundation. Mohamed Ali declare(s) non-financial support from University of Michigan. Dr. Ali is on the DSMB for a University of the Michigan NIH study. Victoria Lyo declare(s) a grant from National Institute of Health, Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health at UC Davis. 5K12HD051958; supported Dr. Lyo's salary but not this study directly. Mohamed Ali, Shushmita Ahmed, Victoria Lyo declare(s) non-financial support from American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Dr. Lyo is a member of the ASMBS Research Committee and a Board Member of the CA/NV Chapter of the ASMBS. Dr. Ahmed is the California STAR Representative for ASMBS for the CA/NV Chapter of ASMBS. Dr. Ali is the co-chair of the ASMBS Emerging Technology Committee and ASMBS liaison to the Fellowship Council Curriculum Committee. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Camacho et al.)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) disproportionately affects ethnic-minority groups globally. Ethnic-minority groups face particularly high CVD burden and mortality, exacerbated by disparities across modifiable risk factors, wider determinants of health, and limited access to preventative interventions. This narrative review summarizes evidence on modifiable risk factors, such as physical activity, hypertension, diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, and the polypill for the primary prevention of CVD in ethnic minorities. Across these factors, we find inequities in risk factor prevalence. The evidence underscores that inequalities in accessibility to interventions and treatments impede progress in reducing CVD risk using primary prevention interventions for ethnic-minority people. Although culturally tailored interventions show promise, further research is required across the different risk factors. Social determinants of health and structural inequities also exacerbate CVD risk for ethnic-minority people and warrant greater attention. Additionally, we find that only limited ethnicity-specific data and guidelines are available on CVD primary prevention interventions for most risk factors. To address these gaps in research, we provide recommendations that include the following: investigating the sustainability and real-world effectiveness of culturally sensitive interventions; ensuring that ethnic-minority peoples' perspectives are considered in research; longitudinal tracking of risk factors; interventions and outcomes in ethnic-minority people; and ensuring that data collection and reporting of ethnicity data are standardized., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Shigellosis is one of the significant causes of diarrhea in Bangladesh. It is a global health problem; approximately 1.3 million people die yearly from Shigellosis. The current treatment method, using different antibiotics against Shigellosis is ineffective. Moreover, it becomes a worrying situation due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic microbes responsible for these diarrheal diseases., Methodology: Previous immunoinformatics study predicted a potential peptide from the Ferric enterobactin protein (FepA) of Shigella spp. In this study, we have chemically synthesized the FepA peptide. As a highly immunogenic, FepA peptide conjugated with KLH has been tested in mice model with complete and incomplete adjuvants as a vaccine candidate., Results: Immunological analysis showed that all vaccinated mice were immunologically boosted, which was statistically significant ( P- value 0.0325) compared to control mice. Immunological analysis for bacterial neutralization test result was also statistically significant ( P -value 0.0468), where each ELISA plate was coated with 1 × 10 7 S. flexneri cells. The Challenge test with 1 × 10 12 S. flexneri cells to each vaccinated and controlled mice showed that 37.5 % of control (non-vaccinated) mice died within seven days after the challenge was given while 100 % of vaccinated mice remained strong and stout. The analyses of the post-challenge weight loss of the mice were also significant ( P -value 0.0367) as the weight loss percentage in control mice was much higher than in the vaccinated mice. The pathological and phenotypic appearances of vaccinated mice were also clearly differentiable compared with control mice. Thus all these immunological analysis and pathological appearances directly supported our FepA peptide as a potential immune booster., Conclusion: This study provides evidence that the FepA peptide is a highly immunogenic vaccine candidate against S. flexneri . Therefore, these findings inspire future trials for the evaluation of the suitability of this vaccine candidate against Shigellosis., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: [K. M. Kaderi Kibria reports financial support was provided by Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Ministry of Education. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.]., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Biochar is a promising solution to alleviate the negative impacts of salinity stress on agricultural production. Biochar derived from food waste effect was investigated on three plant species, Medicago sativa, Amaranthus caudatus, and Zea mays, under saline environments. The results showed that biochar improved significantly the height by 30%, fresh weight of shoot by 35% and root by 45% of all three species compared to control (saline soil without biochar adding), as well as enhanced their photosynthetic pigments and enzyme activities in soil. This positive effect varied significantly between the 3 plants highlighting the importance of the plant-biochar interactions. Thus, the application of biochar is a promising solution to enhance the growth, root morphology, and physiological characteristics of plants under salt-induced stress., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Declining semen quality will have a negative impact on the fertility of aged roosters. Various factors influence this decrease in quality. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of Moringa plant extract on semen characteristics, fertility, and hatchability in aged broiler breeder roosters. A total of 24 roosters were fed 1 of 4 dietary supplements for 10 wk: Control, 100 μL/kg (Moringa oleifera leaf extract [MOLE]-100), 200 μL/kg (MOLE-200), or 400 μL/kg body weight (MOLE-400) of Moringa oleifera extract. Results showed supplementation with MOLE-200 significantly improved (P < 0.05) semen concentration, total motility, progressive motility, sperm membrane integrity compared to other treatments. However, semen volume and body weight were unaffected (P > 0.05). Sperm lipid peroxidation, as indicated by malondialdehyde concentration, was lowest in MOLE-200. There was a significant difference observed among the treatments in terms of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) results. The testosterone concentration in the MOLE-200 treatment was significantly higher than the other treatments (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) hormones among the experimental treatments. Fertility and hatchability rates were measured at the end of the trial. Fertility, defined as the number of fertilized eggs, was greatest in the MOLE-200 treatment compared to the other treatments. Similarly, hatchability (hatched chicks/fertilized eggs %) was highest at 88.02% for MOLE-200. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with M. oleifera extract improved semen quality, fertility, and hatchability in aged broiler breeder roosters., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES None of the authors have any conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To determine the association between symptoms and signs reported in primary care consultations following a new diagnosis of heart failure (HF), and 3-month hospitalisation and mortality., Design: Nested case-control study with density-based sampling., Setting: Clinical Practice Research Datalink, linked to hospitalisation and mortality (1998-2020)., Participants: Database cohort of 86 882 patients with a new HF diagnosis. In two separate analyses for (1) first hospitalisation and (2) death, we compared the 3-month history of symptoms and signs in cases (patients with HF with the event), with their respective controls (patients with HF without the respective event, matched on diagnosis date (±1 month) and follow-up time). Controls could be included more than once and later become a case., Main Outcome Measures: All-cause, HF and non-cardiovascular disease (non-CVD) hospitalisation and mortality., Results: During a median follow-up of 3.22 years (IQR: 0.59-8.18), 56 677 (65%) experienced first hospitalisation and 48 146 (55%) died. These cases were matched to 356 714 and 316 810 HF controls, respectively. For HF hospitalisation, the strongest adjusted associations were for symptoms and signs of fluid overload: pulmonary oedema (adjusted OR 3.08; 95% CI 2.52, 3.64), shortness of breath (2.94; 2.77, 3.11) and peripheral oedema (2.16; 2.00, 2.32). Generic symptoms also showed significant associations: depression (1.50; 1.18, 1.82), anxiety (1.35; 1.06, 1.64) and pain (1.19; 1.10, 1.28). Non-CVD hospitalisation had the strongest associations with chest pain (2.93; 2.77, 3.09), fatigue (1.87; 1.73, 2.01), general pain (1.87; 1.81, 1.93) and depression (1.59; 1.44, 1.74)., Conclusions: In the primary care HF population, routinely recorded cardiac and non-specific symptoms showed differential risk associations with hospitalisation and mortality., Competing Interests: Competing interests: CSPL is supported by a Clinician Scientist Award from the National Medical Research Council of Singapore; has received research support from Novo Nordisk and Roche Diagnostics; has served as consultant or on the Advisory Board/Steering Committee/Executive Committee for Alleviant Medical, Allysta Pharma, Amgen, AnaCardio, Applied Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boston Scientific, CardioRenal, Cytokinetics, Darma, EchoNous, Eli Lilly, Impulse Dynamics, Intellia Therapeutics, Ionis Pharmaceutical, Janssen Research & Development, Medscape/WebMD Global, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Prosciento, Radcliffe Group, Recardio, ReCor Medical, Roche Diagnostics, Sanofi, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics and Us2.ai; and serves as co-founder and non-executive director of Us2.ai. KK has acted as a consultant, speaker or received grants for investigator-initiated studies for AstraZeneca, Bayer, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi-Aventis, Lilly and Merck Sharp & Dohme, Boehringer Ingelheim, Oramed Pharmaceuticals, Roche and Applied Therapeutics., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Phytochemicals from waste materials generated by agricultural and industrial processes have become globally significant due to their accessibility and potential effectiveness with few side effects. These compounds have essential implications in both medicine and the economy. Therefore, a quantitative analysis of the phytochemical profile, sugar types, and water-soluble vitamins of dried Corchorus olitorius L."DJMS" extract (dried Jew's mallow stem) was carried out with HPLC. In addition, the chemical composition, TPC, chlorophyll a and b, beta-carotene, and antioxidant effect using DPPH were investigated. Furthermore, the anticancer activity of the DJMS was evaluated by SRB assay using Huh-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. In the quantitative study, DJMS extract showed a high antioxidant potential (67%) due to its content of bioactive compounds such as TPC (276.37 mg 100 g -1 ) and chlorophyll a and b (20.31, 12.02 mg 100 g -1 , respectively), as well as some vitamins and minerals such as B-complex (B12; 146.8 mg 100 g -1 and vitamin C 6.49 mg 100 g -1 ) and selenium (<0.2 μg kg -1 ). Moreover, the main sugar types found were sucrose and stachyose, which recorded 9.23 and 6.25 mg 100 g -1 , respectively. Identifying phenolic and flavonoids showed that the major components were ellagic acid (4905.26 μg kg -1 ), ferulic acid (3628.29 μg kg -1 ), chlorogenic acid (3757.08 μg kg -1 ), luteolin-7- O -glucoside (4314.48 μg kg -1 ), naringin (4296.94 μg kg -1 ) and apigenin-6-rhamnose-8 glucoside (3078.87 μg kg -1 ). The dried stem extract showed significant MDA-MB-231 inhibition activity and reached 80% at a concentration of 1000 µg/mL of DJMS extract, related to the content of phytochemical components such as isoflavones like genistein (34.96 μg kg -1 ), which had a tremendous anticancer effect. Hence, the stem of Jew's mallow (which is edible and characterized by its viability and low production cost) possesses the capacity to serve as a pharmaceutical agent for combating cancer owing to its abundance of bioactive components.

All over the world, technology is becoming more and more prevalent in agriculture. Different types of instruments are already being used in this sector. For the time being, every farmer is trying to produce more crops on a piece of land. Eventually, soil loses its nutrients; however, to grow more crops, farmers use more fertilizers without knowing the proper conditions of the soil in real time. To overcome this issue, many scientists have recently focused on developing electrochemical sensors to detect macronutrients, i.e. , nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), in soil or water rapidly. In this review, we focus mainly on the recent developments in electrochemical sensors used for the detection of nutrients (NPK) in different types of samples. As it is outlined, the use of smart and portable electrochemical sensors can be helpful for the reduction of excess fertilizer and can play a vital role in maintaining suitable conditions in soils and water. We are optimistic that this review can guide researchers in the development of a portable and suitable NPK detection system for soil nutrients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background Objectives: Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic infection that has caused significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. This disease is endemic in Malaysia and as a developing tropical country, leptospirosis is concerning as it threatens Malaysian public health and the country's economic sectors. However, there is limited information on leptospirosis in Malaysia, especially regarding leptospiral seroepidemiology among carriers in Malaysia. Therefore, more epidemiological information on the source of the disease and reservoir are needed for better disease control and source intervention. The objectives of this study are to gather information on Leptospira infection and the carrier status of rats captured from selected wet markets of Kuala Lumpur metropolitan city in Malaysia., Methods: Live rat trappings were performed in four major wet markets in Kuala Lumpur, namely, Pudu, Chow Kit, Datuk Keramat, and Petaling Street. Animal samplings were performed for 12 months in 2017, where blood and kidney samples were collected and tested for anti-leptospiral antibodies via Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) and pathogenic Leptospira screening via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification offlaB gene., Results: MAT showed that 34.7% (n = 50/144) of the captured rats were positive for anti-leptospiral antibody of which the most prominent serovar was Malaya followed by a local strain, IMR LEP 175. In parallel, 50 rats were also positive for pathogenic Leptospira DNA., Interpretation Conclusion: This study showed that there are persistent Leptospira infections among rats in Kuala Lumpur wet markets and these rats are important reservoir hosts for the bacteria., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Vector Borne Diseases.)

MXene is a rapidly emerging group of two-dimensional (2D) multifunctional nanomaterials, drawing huge attention from researchers of a broad scientific field. Reporting the synthesis of MXene was the following breakthrough in 2D materials following the discovery of graphene. MXene is considered the most recent developments of materials, including transition metal carbonitrides, nitrides, and carbides synthesized by etching or mechanical-based exfoliation of selective MAX phases. MXene has a plethora of prodigious properties such as unique interlayer spacing, high ion and electron transport, large surface area, excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, exceptional volumetric capacitance, thermal shock, and oxidation resistance, easily machinable and inherently hydrophilic, and biocompatibility. Owing to the abundance of tailorable surface function groups, these properties can be further enhanced by surface functionalization with covalent and non-covalent modifications via numerous surface functionalization methods. Therefore, MXene finds their way to a plethora of applications in numerous fields including catalysis, membrane separation, energy storage, sensing, and biomedicine. Here, the focus is on reviewing the structure, synthesis techniques, and functionalization methods of MXene. Furthermore, MXene-based detection platforms in different sensing applications are survived. Great attention is given to reviewing the applications of MXene in the detection of biomolecules, pathogenic bacteria and viruses, cancer biomarkers food contaminants and mycotoxins, and hazardous pollutants. Lastly, the future perspective of MXene-based biosensors as a next-generation diagnostics tool is discussed. Crucial visions are introduced for materials science and sensing communities to better route while investigating the potential of MXene for creating innovative detection mechanisms.