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Muhammad Younas,1 Yan Dong,1 Rashid Menhas,2 Xinyi Li,1 Yu Wang,1 Uzma Noor3 1School of Educational Technology, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Research Center of Sport and Social Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yan Dong, School of Educational Technology, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, Email yan.dong@bnu.edu.cnBackground: Public health procedures under the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown policy negatively affect people’s health. Students’ physical issues have been increased due to restrictions which further impact their psychological and overall well-being.Objective: The research looks at the influence of coping behavior in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on students’ physical/psychological health and general well-being.Methods: The study’s participants were chosen from a pool of 2200 people using convenience sampling. Using an anonymous online poll, the main data were gathered. The collected data were analyzed by using Smart-PLS.Results: From eight direct correlations, seven were found to be true, except the route pandemic -> overall wellbeing, which was not true. Furthermore, it was shown that the mediating effect of coping behavior was statistically significant in the routes of mediation.Conclusion: Coping strategies have a significant role in how a person responds to trying circumstances. Our study’s results suggest that coping strategies had a statistically significant mediation role in reducing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is concluded that appropriate coping strategies are an effective adaptation of a protective barrier against the damaging effects of COVID-19 on health.Keywords: coping behavior, pandemic, students, physical health, psychological health

Xiang Peng,1,2 Rashid Menhas,3 Jianhui Dai,2 Muhammad Younas4 1College of Physical Education, Hunan City University, Yiyang, People’s Republic of China; 2College of Physical Education and Sports, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Research Center of Sports Social Sciences, College of Physical Education and Sports, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Rashid Menhas, Research Center of Sports Social Sciences, College of Physical Education and Sports, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China, Email menhas.r@yahoo.com Jianhui Dai, College of Physical Education and Sports, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China, Email sddjh@suda.edu.cnBackground: Virtual reality applications are made for various objectives such as business, entertainment, education, and healthcare. Anxiety, phobias, distress, disordered eating, drug addiction, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychosis, depression, and autism spectrum disorders may benefit from virtual reality-based approaches. The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the way we live, enjoy, study, sport, and socialize significantly. Virtual reality fitness technology gained much attention during the COVID-19 preventive measures time.Objective: The present study explores the role of virtual reality fitness in improving overall wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic home isolation period in terms of physical-psychological health and physical activity.Methods: A total of 2300 individuals were recruited using the snowball sampling technique to participate in the study. The primary data were collected using an anonymous web-based survey. SPSS-23 and Smart-PLS 3.2.9 software were used to analyze the data.Results: The direct path coefficient analysis of the study constructs show that virtual reality fitness has (preventive measures -> virtual reality fitness -> overall wellbeing, preventive measures -> virtual reality fitness -> physical exercise, and preventive measures -> virtual reality fitness -> physical health) profound effects on the research participants’ mental and physical wellbeing of the study participants while indirect mediation analysis shows that virtual reality fitness has (preventive measures -> virtual reality fitness ->overall wellbeing, preventive measures -> virtual reality fitness -> physical exercise, preventive measures -> virtual reality fitness ->physical health) significant impacts.Conclusion: Our study results concluded that house exercises through virtual reality fitness are a good substitute for public gyms and private group fitness programs during the first pandemic wave for physical-psychological and overall wellbeing. Virtual reality fitness technology can alleviate many of the challenges brought on by the epidemic, resulting in increased utilization.Keywords: COVID-19, virtual reality fitness, lockdown, psychological and physical health, overall wellbeing

Single-phase induction motors (SPIMs) are commonly used in domestic and industrial applications because of their robustness, low power rating, and simple input power requirement. Due to their widespread application, the dynamic performance and efficiency at the operating point have become vital to ensure energy conservation. This paper is aimed to optimise both the dynamic performance and efficiency of SPIM for water pump application at rated speed. Multi-objective optimisation is performed by employing the genetic algorithm using a Maxwell-2D transient solver. The analysis presents the comparison between the optimised and basic motor designs while considering various manufacturing constraints. The study proposes a framework for performance enhancement of SPIM while verifying the optimal solution through sensitivity analysis. The obtained results show the high performance of optimised SPIM design with a 17% increase in efficiency compared to the basic motor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mentha arvensis L. is traditionally used in folk medicine, and pharmacological industry due to presence of active chemical substances. It is also valuable for food industry as additives because of the presence of antioxidant, cytotoxic, antidiabetic and antimicrobial constituents. This study is intended to examine reactive oxygen species (Cvetanović et al.) generation, lipid oxidation, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial effect of aqueous extract from M. arvensis L. prepared in various solvents i.e. fermented methanol extract (FM.E), distilled water extract (DW.E) and methanol extract (M.E). Phytochemical screening of the extract was qualitatively investigated for the isolation of alkaloids, flavonoids, fats and oils, menthol and quinones. To check the potential of extract as preservative, pH, lipid oxidation and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis was performed. Our results showed FM.E induce ROS generation, cytotoxicity and inhibit Staphylococcus aureus (4.20±0.90 mm) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.23±0.32 mm) growth. In addition, in vivo results showed FM. E and M.E efficiently maintained chicken meat pH and reduced lipid oxidation. The presence of essential phytochemicals was responsible for inhibition of biofilm formation. FT-IR analysis revealed the presence of free OH stretching vibrations at 3878.69 cm-1, free NH at 3459.56 cm-1 and H-NH bond stretching 3388.02 cm-1 groups in chicken meat which belong to M. arvensis L. extracts. These results suggest that menthol from M. arvensis L. extract is favorable food additive against resistant pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium alloys pose significant challenges during machining, necessitates a thorough investigation into the impact of process parameters on machining Ti6Al4V alloy. This study investigates into the machinability of Ti6Al4V alloy under dry machining conditions using uncoated tools. The experimental design studiedthe effect of process parameters on the cutting power, surface roughness and material removal rate during dry machining of Ti6Al4V alloy. Utilizing Taguchi design of experiments, unified cutting experiments were conducted under dry conditions employing uncoated tools. The study findings revealed that optimal cutting parameters lead to improved cutting energy consumption, reduced tool wear, and enhanced surface finish and material rates. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and regression modelling were employed to obtain an objective function capable of predicting the best cutting conditions. ANOVA showed that cutting speed is the main factor for an increase in the cutting power with major contribution of 73 % whereas feed rate is the key factor for surface roughness with the contribution of 80 %. These results help to gain the advantages of dry machining under optimal conditions, facilitating clean production with minimal energy consumption and improved surface quality.

Machining of additive manufacturing (AM) process results in excessive consumption of the cutting power due to the high strength and hardness of the material produced that led to high cutting forces and short tool life during machining process. This paper aims to investigate the effect of cutting conditions and coefficient of friction on the cutting forces, during finite element analysis (FEA) of an orthogonal cutting of AM Ti6Al4V alloy bar. The FEA simulation considers three different experiments at low, medium, and high cutting conditions. The result shows that as the depth of cuts gets deeper and the cutting speed increases, the cutting forces were found to increase, leading to serrated or segmented chips formation. A cutting force of 1300.36N was observed at a cutting speed of 150 m/min and a coefficient of friction of 0.9. The cutting force was found to be weaker at the higher shear plane angle of 42.2o and higher at a smaller angle of 37.57o. The coefficient of friction was observed to be insignificant at lower value of 0.09 and was seemed to affect the cutting force at value around 1.

Computational and machine learning frameworks have greatly contributed to early diagnosis and rapid therapeutic interventions due to breakthroughs in science and technology. This study aims to develop a mathematical model that utilizes machine learning and integrates both innate and adaptive immunological components to examine the progression of breast cancer. The proposed framework utilizes a set of ordinary differential equations to represent the interactions between breast cancer cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, T-helper cells, and macrophages. We used machine learning optimization techniques to enhance the computational framework, enabling accurate modeling of the dynamic alterations occurring in the tumor microenvironment. This approach also considers the different properties and responses of immune cells. Our validated results, obtained using metaheuristic algorithms and sensitivity analysis, provide significant insights into the correlation between the advancement of breast cancer and the innate and adaptive immune systems. This study supports the theory that advanced programming tools may enhance healthcare systems by offering reliable techniques for understanding and possibly controlling the progression of cancer via the manipulation of the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a significant intervention in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) management, but controversies persist regarding its application in advanced cases with vascular invasion or extrahepatic metastasis. This systematic review aims to explore TACE's efficacy and safety in these cases., Methods: A literature search was conducted on TACE in HCC patients with vascular invasion or extrahepatic metastasis. The study compared TACE with surgical resection/chemotherapeutic drugs or with no group as well. Safety was assessed for adverse outcomes and efficacy, including overall survival, mean survival, and progression-free survival (PFS). Data extraction included study characteristics, patient demographics, intervention details, outcomes, and adverse events., Results: A study of 28 studies involving 3740 patients found that TACE showed diverse safety and efficacy outcomes. Safety evaluations focused on liver function tests, while patient-reported symptoms included fever, pain, vomiting, and gastrointestinal issues. Overall survival was under 10 months in 9 studies, with PFS lower in the TACE group compared to conservative treatments. Survival rates ranged from 93.4% at 3 months to 13% at 24 months across studies. The study identified potential subsets where TACE exhibited efficacy, especially in cases with favorable liver function or specific tumor classifications., Conclusion: Our findings suggest a potential role for TACE in certain subsets of advanced HCC patients. Tailored treatment algorithms, informed by rigorous clinical trials and considering various prognostic factors, hold the potential to enhance the management and outcomes for this complex patient population., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2025 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

With the development of robotics technology, there is a growing demand for robots to perform path planning autonomously. Therefore, rapidly and safely planning travel routes has become an important research direction for autonomous mobile robots. This paper elaborates on traditional path-planning algorithms and the limitations of these algorithms in practical applications. Meanwhile, in response to these limitations, it reviews the current research status of recent improvements to these traditional algorithms. The results indicate that these improved path-planning algorithms perform well in tests or practical applications, and multi-algorithm fusion for path planning outperforms single-algorithm path planning.

Cadmium toxicity in the soil is an alarming issue, and among innumerable approaches, microbe-facilitated nanoparticle application for alleviation of Cd stress is a well-accepted technique. The present study explored the efficiency of combined TiO 2 -NPs and Staphylococcus aureus M1 strains for Cd mitigation in wheat plants. Results depicted that Cd stress attenuates the growth attributes while the collective application of NPs and microbes significantly upsurges the growth attributes as contrasted to Cd treatment. Combined TiO 2 -NPs and microbes application increased the total chlorophyll (12), a (10), b (11), and carotenoids (13%) under Cd (50 mg kg - 1 ) compared to microbial treatment. MDA (4), H 2 O 2 (3), and EL (5%) were significantly down-regulated with combined TiO 2 -NPs and microbes application under Cd (50 mg kg - 1 ) compared to microbial treatment. CAT (17), SOD (7), POD (8), and APX (29%) were increased with combined TiO 2 -NPs and microbes application under Cd (50 mg kg - 1 ) comparison to microbial treatment. Cd accumulation in roots (34), shoots (23), and grains (27%) were significantly reduced under Cd (50 mg kg - 1 ) with combined TiO 2 -NPs and microbes application, contrary to microbial treatment. Subsequently, combined TiO 2 -NPs and microbial strains Staphylococcus aureus M1 application is a sustainable solution to boost crop production under Cd stress., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

This review provides a comprehensive global overview of the occurrences, distribution, emissions, and associated risks of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in riverine systems across both developed and developing countries including the United States (US), Spain, France, Netherlands, Germany, Pakistan, China, Korea, Vietnam, Italy, and Japan. Data for this review were systematically gathered through a comprehensive and structured search process using various databases, search engines, and academic repositories to identify relevant literature and studies. Human health risks were assessed using recommended United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) models, including estimated daily intake (EDI), hazard risk (HR), and hazard index (HI) for each reported PFAA compound in the studied countries. The overall results revealed significant variability in PFAAs contamination from the 1950s to 2023, reflecting extensive industrial usage and increasing environmental concerns, with levels often exceeding the permissible limits set by environmental quality standards established by national or international regulatory authorities, agencies, and organizations. Among the studied countries, Italy exhibited the highest average sum of PFAA compounds (∑PFAAs) concentration in riverine water, ranging from 4.07 to 140.61 ng/L, with an average of 41.37 ng/L, followed by the Netherlands, China, Japan, the US, Pakistan, Spain, France, Germany, Korea, and Vietnam. Similarly, Germany showed the highest average ∑PFAAs concentration in riverine sediments, ranging from 40.25 to 213.00 ng/g, with an average of 126.63 ng/g, followed by China, Spain, the US, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Korea. Whereas, in riverine fish, Spain had the highest average ∑PFAAs concentration, ranging from 0.05 to 144.97 ng/g, with a mean of 15.94 ng/g, followed by Korea, Vietnam, and the US. From a human risk perspective, the highest average EDI of ∑PFAAs via riverine water consumption was observed in the dependent population of Italy (2.02 × 10 -3  ng/L/day), followed by the Netherlands (8.24 × 10 -4  ng/L/day), the US (5.56 × 10 -4  ng/L/day), Pakistan (3.99 × 10 -4  ng/L/day), Japan (3.69 × 10 -4  ng/L/day), France (3.42 × 10 -4  ng/L/day), China (2.58 × 10 -4  ng/L/day), Spain (2.43 × 10 -4  ng/L/day), Germany (1.17 × 10 -4  ng/L/day), Korea (6.01 × 10 -5  ng/L/day), and Vietnam (1.28 × 10 -5  ng/L/day). For fish consumption, Spain recorded the highest average EDI of ∑PFAAs (9.92 × 10 0  ng/g/day) in its dependent population, followed by the US (3.44 × 10 0  ng/g/day), Korea (8.13 × 10 -1  ng/g/day), and Vietnam (4.99 × 10 -1  ng/g/day). The non-carcinogenic HR values for individual PFAA compounds via riverine water intake in the dependent populations of both developed and developing countries were within acceptable limits (<1). However, the HI values for ∑PFAAs intake via riverine fish consumption in the dependent population exceeded the threshold (>1) in the developed countries, the US and Spain, indicating higher potential risks associated with fish consumption in these countries. Given the inadequate wastewater treatment facilities in many regions, coupled with untreated runoff from urban areas and agricultural fields draining directly into rivers, this study underscores the urgent need for integrated prevention and control measures to mitigate PFAAs contamination in riverine systems and reduce associated risks. Ultimately, stricter regulations, improved monitoring, and enhanced water treatment technologies are crucial to reducing PFAAs contamination and safeguarding public health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The diverse types of fake text generation practices by spammer make spam detection challenging. Existing works use manually designed discrete textual or behavior features, which cannot capture complex global semantics of text and reviews. Some studies use limited features while neglecting other significant features. However, in case of a large number of features set, the selection of all features leads to overfitting the model and expensive computation. The problem statement of this research paper revolves around addressing challenges concerning feature selection and evolving spammer behavior and linguistic features, with the goal of devising an efficient model for spam detection. The primary objective of this endeavor was to identify the most efficacious subset of features and patterns for the task of spam detection. Spammer behavior features and linguistic features often exhibit complex relationships that influence the nature of spam reviews. The unified representation of features is another challenging task in spam detection. Various deep learning approaches have been proposed for spam detection and classification but these methods are specialized in extracting the features but lack to capture feature dependencies effectively with other features but there is a lack of comprehensive models that integrate linguistic and behavioral features to improve the accuracy of spam detection. The proposed spam detection framework SD-FSL-CLSTM used the fusion of spammer behavior features and linguistic features which automatically detect and classify the spam reviews. Fusion enables the proposed model to automatically learn the interactions between the features during the training process, allowing it to capture complex relationships and make predictions based on both types of features. SD-FSL-CLSTM framework apparently shows the promising result by obtaining a minimum accuracy 97%., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2025 Iqbal et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The escalating demand for sustainable and eco-friendly pest management strategies has raised interest in harnessing the pathogenic potential of microorganisms. Serratia marcescens, a Gram-negative bacterium, has emerged as a potential biological control agent for sustainable pest management. This review critically examines the history, biology, identification, and pathogenicity of S. marcescens strain with their potential application in pest management. The diverse mechanisms employed by the strain to exert control over pests, including the production of metabolites and the induction of systemic resistance in plants, are examined. The review also summarizes the ecological significance and global distribution of S. marcescens associated with the use of S. marcescens in biological control strategies. Furthermore, the usage efficacy of S. marcescens over other conventional chemicals is discussed. A comprehensive understanding of the pathogenic potential of S. marcescens strains as biological control agents is crucial for developing effective and sustainable pest management strategies. This review consolidates current research advances on S. marcescens, and provides insights into the prospects and challenges of using S. marcescens for integrated pest management., (© 2025 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Background: In order to better understand why about 15% of people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (PWH) on highly active antiretroviral therapy do not restore their CD4 count, we explored the link previously reported between glutamate plasma level and CD4 count., Methods: We recruited fourty-four adults living with HIV-1 aviremic under antiretroviral therapy. Their peripheral blood concentrations in glutamate and GABA were determined by ELISA. Flow cytometry was used to detect GABA receptor, reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by monocytes, and programmed T cell death. DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) and p53 phosphorylation were analyzed by western blot. DNA damage was quantified by immunofluorescence., Results: We show that i) some virologic responders present high plasma levels of glutamate and of its derivative, GABA; ii) monocytes express the GABA receptor GABA-B1; iii) GABA-B1 stimulation induces monocytic ROS production; iv) GABA-B1-overexpressing monocytes of PWH with high plasma levels of GABA release high amount of ROS; and v) monocyte-derived ROS oxidise the DNA of CD4+ T cells, creating double-strand breaks which activate DNA-PK and p53, and finally apoptosis. The intensity of this cascade of events is inversely correlated with the slope of CD4+ T cell recovery in treated PWH., Discussion: We propose that DNA damage resulting from ROS produced by GABA-activated monocytes plays a key role in impaired immune restoration. Consequently, GABA-B1 antagonists and/or ROS inhibitors might be a promising therapy for non-immunologic responders. Furthermore, the same mechanism could be involved in CD4 loss in the natural course of the infection., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This research reports heavy metal pollution in riverine sediments from River Kabul, Pakistan, which could endanger human health and ecology via the food web. The results revealed a substantial special variation in the average contents (mg/kg) of chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), iron (Fe), and aluminum (Al) in riverine sediments, in the order of Fe (20,234.51) > Al (17,550.86) > Mn (375.45) > Zn (149.08) > Ni (89.11) > Cr (83.36) > Pb (45.29) > Cu (19.86) > Cd (7.48) > Co (6.28) > Hg (0.81). Among the heavy metals, Cd exhibited the highest degree of pollution along the river, followed by Hg > Ni > Zn > Pb > Al > Cr > Mn > Fe > Cu > Co. The overall contamination factor (CF) values for the sum of heavy metals were highest at monitoring site S-9, followed by S-8 > S-10 > S-6 > S-5 > S-7 > S-1 > S-4 > S-12 > S-3 > S-2 > S-1 with pollution load index (PLI) > 1, whereas the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) values of Cd and Hg fluctuated between Levels 3, 4, and 6, suggesting moderate to extreme pollution in the river. The correlation statistics determined the fate and distribution of heavy metals by establishing significant positive correlations between the specific metals of bounded sediments. The cluster analysis separates the correlated metals into Groups A and B, and Groups 1 and 2. While the principal component analysis evaluates the qualitative behavior of clustering by discerning industrial, agrochemicals, mining, and domestic wastewater discharges, leakages of lubricants along with multiple geogenic inputs, erosion of mafic and ultramafic rocks, and minimal atmospheric deposition are all potential sources of Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb, Fe, and Al contamination. In terms of risk, the contaminations of Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, and Pb in riverine sediments were 85, 100, 100, 17, and 11%, respectively, representing a rare biological influence because their value is less than their corresponding threshold effect concentrations (TECs), whereas the levels of Mn, Ni, Cd, and Hg were above their probable effect concentrations (PECs) of 100, 100, 81, and 52%, respectively, representing prominent adverse biological influence. Based on consensus-based TECs and PECs, the contamination levels of Cr, Mn, Zn, Cd, Hg, and Pb were 100, 85, 83, 19, 48, and 90%, respectively, indicating occasionally exhibited adverse biological effects on the riverine population. Besides, the overall potential ecological risk index (PERI) of Cd and Hg, in particular, exhibited the maximum pollution level ( E r i ≥ 320), suggesting a very high potential ecological risk in the drainage that requires special attention from pollution control authorities., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: All authors have read, understood, and have complied as applicable with the statement on “Ethical responsibilities of Authors” as found in the “Instructions for Authors.” Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: SARS-CoV2 infections increase the risk of ischemic stroke (IS), potentially through a thromboinflammatory cascade driven by an imbalance in the ratio of Von Willebrand Factor (VWF) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13), leading to the formation of ultra-large VWF (UL-VWF). However, the SARS-CoV2 infection's contribution to any VWF/ADAMTS13 axis imbalance and the subsequent thromboinflammatory response post-stroke remain poorly understood., Methods: We performed a detailed thromboinflammatory profile of the plasma samples from three experimental cohorts matched by age, sex, and stroke severity: non-stroke controls (n = 23), SARS-CoV2 negative IS (n = 22), and SARS-CoV2 positive IS (n = 24). SARS-CoV2 positive IS patients presented varying degrees of infection severity., Results: We observed an increase in VWF and UL-VWF and a decrease in ADAMTS13 in the SARS-CoV2 positive IS cohort, suggesting a VWF/ADAMTS13 axis imbalance. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were positively correlated with VWF and negatively correlated with ADAMTS13, suggesting that IL-6 may drive this imbalance. Fibrinogen and D-Dimers were elevated in SARS-CoV2 negative IS cohort and SARS-CoV2 positive IS cohort, but D-Dimers were within the normal range, indicating no disseminated intravascular coagulation. Factor IX (FIX) was elevated in the SARS-CoV2 negative IS cohort. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was elevated in the SARS-CoV2 positive IS cohort, suggesting no fibrinolysis defects. Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and soluble Intracellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (sICAM-1) were elevated in the SARS-CoV2 negative IS cohort., Conclusions: We show that SARS-CoV2 infections drive a VWF/ADAMTS13 axis imbalance, inducing an increase in tPA while decreasing FIX, MMP-2, and sICAM-1 post-stroke., (© 2025 The Author(s). Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: To determine the correlation of serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and anti-mullerian hormone levels with infertility in females., Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Chemical Pathology, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from July 2022 to August 2023., Methodology: About 110 infertile females with infertility were enrolled in this study. Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, serum Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), and Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate (DHEA-S) were measured at 3rd menstruation day. Females with primary ovarian insufficiency, using androgen supplementation, and on hormonal therapy were excluded., Results: Among the participants, 63.6% had primary infertility and 36.4% had secondary infertility. Both primary and secondary infertility had a positive correlation with serum AMH and DHEA-S levels (r = 0.685; p <0.001) and (r = 0.807; p <0.001), respectively. After ultrasound, 54 (49.1%) females were normal, 12 (10.9%) had PCOS, 12 (10.9%) had fibroids, 8 (7.3%) had fallopian tube defects, 10 (9.1%) had endometriosis, and 14 (12.7%) had low antral follicular count. The correlation between serum AMH and DHEA-S with different subgroups is as follows: Normal females (r = 0.731; p <0.001), PCOs (r = -0.232; p = 0.468), fibroids (r = 0.941, p <0.001), fallopian tube defects (r =-0.800; p = 0.017), endometriosis (r = -0.684, p = 0.013), and low antral follicular count (r = 0.643, p = 0.0130)., Conclusion: This study demonstrated a positive correlation between serum AMH and DHEA-S levels in infertile females., Key Words: Infertile women, Ovarian reserve, Anti-Mullerian Hormone, Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate.

This study analyzed surface water from the River Swat, Pakistan, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, multivariate statistical techniques, and US-EPA risk assessment models to evaluate the concentrations, distribution, pathways, and potential risks of arsenic (As) and heavy metals, including chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb). The results revealed significant correlations (p ≤ 0.01) among metals that indicated common pollution sources, likely influenced by anthropogenic point and non-point activities. Along the monitored sites (S1-S10), the mass flow of ∑metals showed a dynamic pattern: progressively increasing downstream, decreasing at S6-S7, rising again at S7-S8, and then steadily declining toward S10, with Ni being the most abundant metal, followed by Cr > As> Cu > Mn > Co > Zn > Hg > Cd > Pb. The As and Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI), As and Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI), and Pollution Index (PI) revealed variations in pollution levels, ranking the metals in the orders of Co > As> Cr > Cd > Mn > Hg > Ni > Pb > Cu > Zn, As> Cr > Ni > Hg > Cd > Co > Mn > Cu > Zn > Pb, and Hg > Ni > As> Co > Cu > Cd > Mn > Zn > Pb, respectively. However, according to the risk assessment, overall individual metal contamination in the River Swat water was below the ecological risk threshold (ERI 〈110). Where, the Chronic Daily Intakes (CDIs), Hazard Quotients (HQs), Hazard Indices (HIs), Cancer Risks (CRs), and Total Cancer Risks (TCRs) of Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb associated with daily river water intake and dermal contact indicate that long-term exposure to untreated river water may pose both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks to residents., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta , is a pest threatening global tomato production. This pest's adaptability and resistance to chemical insecticides have necessitated integrated pest management (IPM) strategies prioritizing sustainable alternatives. This review explores the role of biological control agents (BCAs) in managing T. absoluta populations, emphasizing the integration of floral resources to enhance their efficacy. Predatory mirids such as Macrolophus pygmaeus and Nesidiocoris tenuis and parasitoids such as N. artynes and Trichogramma spp. are pivotal in pest suppression; however, their performance depends on nutritional and habitat support. Floral resources provide essential sugars and proteins, improving the longevity, fecundity, and predation efficiency of these BCAs. This review synthesizes case studies highlighting the benefits of selected flowering plants, such as Lobularia maritima and Fagopyrum esculentum , in supporting predator and parasitoid populations while minimizing advantages to T. absoluta . Mechanisms such as nectar quality, floral accessibility, and spatial-temporal resource availability are explored in detail. Additionally, the challenges of selective floral attraction, microbial impacts on nectar composition, and the unintended support of non-target organisms are discussed. This review proposes targeted floral management strategies to optimize BCA performance within IPM systems by integrating ecological and chemical insights. This approach offers a pathway toward reducing chemical pesticide reliance, fostering sustainable agriculture, and mitigating the economic impacts of T. absoluta infestations.

Objective: To evaluate the role of serum thyroglobulin (TG) as a biochemical marker for differential diagnosis of common aetiologies of hyperthyroidism., Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Chemical Pathology and Endocrinology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from October 2023 to March 2024., Methodology: One hundred and forty-eight patients with clinical or biochemical hyperthyroidism were enrolled in the study. Samples were taken for serum thyroglobulin and evaluated for different causes of hyperthyroidism as demonstrated on the thyroid scan. Serum TG levels were measured using a chemiluminescence immunoassay and levels >42 ng/ml were considered elevated. Relationship between TG levels and different causes of hyperthyroidism was determined via independent samples non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test., Results: The study found that 76.3% (n = 113) of patients had raised TG levels, with significant differences in median TG levels observed among the different hyperthyroidism aetiologies. Thyroiditis exhibited the highest median TG levels (202.5 ng/ml), followed by toxic adenoma (139 ng/ml) and toxic multinodular goitre (102 ng/ml), while Graves' disease had the lowest levels (34 ng/ml). Sensitivity of thyroglobulin to detect thyroid disease was 76% while specificity came out to be 100%. Positive predictive value (PPV) was 100% while negative predictive value (NPV) was 20.45%., Conclusion: Serum TG levels vary markedly among different aetiologies of hyperthyroidism with the highest levels in thyroiditis and the lowest in Graves' disease., Key Words: Thyroglobulin, Hyperthyroidism, Graves' disease, Thyroiditis.

We propose a non-contact, privacy-preserving emotion recognition framework using millimeter-wave (mm-Wave) radar and deep learning, addressing the limitations of traditional wearable and camera-based approaches. By broadcasting frequency-modulated radar pulses, the system isolates heart rate signals even in dynamic scenarios such as gameplay Fig. 1. The design integrates a hybrid 1D-CNN for efficient feature extraction and Bi-LSTM for temporal analysis, with a computational complexity of , ensuring real-time capability. Validation through ROC curves, alongside F1-scores and precision-recall metrics ranging from 0.98 to 0.99, confirms the system's reliability. Unlike existing methods, this framework investigates the robustness of mm-wave radar to function independently of environmental factors like lighting or clothing, making it scalable for applications in healthcare, human-computer interaction, and educational settings. These findings establish mm-wave radar as a transformative tool for emotion recognition, offering enhanced comfort, privacy, and adaptability.

Background: When comparing outcomes after sepsis, it is essential to account for patient case mix to make fair comparisons. We developed a model to assess risk-adjusted 30-day mortality in the Michigan Hospital Medicine Safety sepsis initiative (HMS-Sepsis)., Research Question: Can HMS-Sepsis registry data adequately predict risk of 30-day mortality? Do performance assessments using adjusted vs unadjusted data differ?, Study Design and Methods: Retrospective cohort of community-onset sepsis hospitalizations in the HMS-Sepsis registry (April 2022-September 2023), with split derivation (70%) and validation (30%) cohorts. We fit a risk-adjustment model (HMS-Sepsis mortality model) incorporating acute physiologic, demographic, and baseline health data and assessed model performance using concordance (C) statistics, Brier scores, and comparisons of predicted vs observed mortality by deciles of risk. We compared hospital performance (first quintile, middle quintiles, fifth quintile) using observed vs adjusted mortality to understand the extent to which risk adjustment impacted hospital performance assessment., Results: Among 17,514 hospitalizations from 66 hospitals during the study period, 12,260 hospitalizations (70%) were used for model derivation and 5,254 hospitalizations (30%) were used for model validation. Thirty-day mortality for the total cohort was 19.4%. The final model included 13 physiologic variables, two physiologic interactions, and 16 demographic and chronic health variables. The most significant variables were age, metastatic solid tumor, temperature, altered mental status, and platelet count. The model C statistic was 0.82 for the derivation cohort, 0.81 for the validation cohort, and ≥ 0.78 for all subgroups assessed. Overall calibration error was 0.0%, and mean calibration error across deciles of risk was 1.5%. Standardized mortality ratios yielded different assessments than observed mortality for 33.9% of hospitals., Interpretation: The HMS-Sepsis mortality model showed strong discrimination and adequate calibration and reclassified one-third of hospitals to a different performance category from unadjusted mortality. Based on its strong performance, the HMS-Sepsis mortality model may aid in fair hospital benchmarking, assessment of temporal changes, and observational causal inference analysis., Competing Interests: Financial/Nonfinancial Disclosures The authors have reported to CHEST the following: H. C. P., M. H., J. K. H., P. J. P., E. M., and S. A. F.) receive salary support from BCBSM for work on HMS. K. K. has salary support from BSBSM for work on the Michigan Emergency Department Improvement Collaborative, an ED-based quality network. The authors report grant funding and salary support unrelated to this study from the National Institutes of Health (H. C. P., N. J., S. P. T.), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (H. C. P., S. P. T.), Department of Veterans Affairs (H. C. P.), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (H. C. P., J. K. H.). H. C. P. and J. N. serve on the advisory board to Sepsis Alliance (unpaid). H. C. P. serves on the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. None declared (J. B., P. B., M. Y.)., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an annual, and dioecious herb belonging to the Cannabaceae family. This plant is native to Central and Southeast Asia. The wild races of this species are commonly growing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, as well as in Islamabad, Pakistan. This study provides crucial insights into how environmental variables influence the wild hemp populations, which can be utilized in for conservation and breeding. The present study was aimed at evaluating the effects of key environmental factors such as altitude, geographical location, precipitation, relative humidity, maximum, minimum, and average temperature on 16 morpho-agronomic traits of a wild population of hemp growing in the Potohar Plateau and Lesser Himalayas. Our findings indicated that high relative humidity (> 64%), low average temperature (< 15 °C), intermediate average temperature (19-22 °C), and high average temperature (> 22 °C) played significant roles in determining the distribution pattern of the wild hemp. Correlation analysis demonstrated that average annual temperature contributed a higher percentage of variation in phenotypic diversity than geographic variables. Additionally, cluster analysis indicated three groups for the selected 35 populations. Clustering and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the morpho-agronomic traits indicated that group 1 from the Lesser Himalayas showed high relative humidity (> 64%) and low average temperature (< 15 °C). Conversely, Group 2 populations from the Potohar Plateau demonstrated intermediate average temperature (19-22 °C). There is an existence of Group 3 in the Potohar Plateau with a high average temperature (> 22 °C) compared to Group 1 and Group 2. Our examination highlights the complex interplay between ecological factors, and morphological attributes in native landraces of Cannabis sativa, giving significant insight into knowledge for preservation and breeding initiatives. A study of genetic diversity could complement morpho-agronomic traits in future research to learn more about how genetic variation affects environmental adaptation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Riverine sediments are important reservoirs of heavy metals, representing both historical and contemporary anthropogenic activity within the watershed. This review has been conducted to examine the distribution of heavy metals in the surface sediment of 52 riverine systems from various Asian and European countries, as well as to determine their sources and environmental risks. The results revealed significant variability in heavy metal contamination in the world's riverine systems, with certain hotspots exhibiting concentrations that exceeded the permissible limits set by environmental quality standards. Among the studied countries, India has the highest levels of chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) contamination in its riverine systems, followed by Iran > Turkey > Spain > Vietnam > Pakistan > Malaysia > Taiwan > China > Nigeria > Bangladesh > Japan. Heavy metal pollution in the world's riverine systems was quantified using pollution evaluation indices. The Contamination Factor (CF) revealed moderate contamination (1 ≤ CF < 3) throughout the geological units, with the exception of Pb, Cd, and Cu. The Contamination Degree (CD) classifies the contamination level into different categories: Low degree of contamination (CD < 6), moderate degree of contamination (6 ≤ CD < 12), considerable degree of contamination (12 ≤ CD < 24), and a very high degree of contamination (CD ≥ 24), while the Pollution Load Index (PLI) estimate the total amount of heavy metal pollution in riverine sediments, with Turkey having the highest PLI value of 6.512, followed by Spain, Vietnam, Taiwan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Iran, and Nigeria. In applied multivariate statistics, correlation analysis determined the fate and distribution of heavy metals in riverine systems, while Principal Component Analysis (PCA) elucidated the potential sources, including industrial, agrochemical, mining, and domestic wastewater discharges, lubricant leakages, multiple geogenic inputs, erosion of mafic and ultramafic rocks, and minimal atmospheric deposition. As per Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI) perspectives, Vietnam, Spain, and Turkey have the highest ecological risk, followed by Nigeria > Pakistan > Bangladesh > China > Taiwan > Japan and Iron, while the potential risks of ∑non-carcinogenic Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Cd, Co, Zn, and Mn for exposed human children and adults through ingestion and dermal contact were significantly influenced between acceptable to high risk, necessitating special attention from pollution control agencies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: This cross-sectional study aims to determine the mortality trends in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the pandemic in Flint, MI., Methods: Records from 1,663 consecutive adult patients (≥18 years of age) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, admitted and discharged from our facility from 03/2020 through 02/2022, were abstracted and analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between study explanatory variables (ie, sex, age, co-morbidities, etc.) and the primary study outcome (ie, mortality)., Results: During the 2-year study period, the overall crude 90-day mortality rate was 16.1% (267/1663), being lowest in the period 5 (Table 1). Male sex, older age, certain co-morbidities, supplemental oxygenation use, and lack of immunization were associated with mortality. Therapeutics such as remdesivir and steroids were not associated with improved survival., Conclusion: Despite substantial changes in supportive care, management and circulating variants, SARS-CoV-2 carried a significant mortality risk. Vaccination coverage in this high-risk study sample was low, at only 12%. Public health efforts should be focused at overcoming the barriers to vaccine acceptance in this high-risk unique population., Competing Interests: All authors report no potential conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

In the current work, the adsorption of acid black 1 (AB1), a hair dye, and methyl orange (MO) on anion exchange membrane BII (AEM-BII) in a binary system was studied experimentally. The effects study for contact time, adsorbent's and adsorbates' concentration, and temperature of aqueous media on the AB1 and MO removal, AEM-BII recovery, and reusability were also investigated. The highest removal was observed at optimum conditions, 150-min contact time and 5 g L -1 of adsorbent for AB1 (91.2%) and MO (83.4%). Adsorption kinetics was estimated by pseudo-first-order (PFO) and pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetics. The experimental findings were fitted well by PSO kinetics with an adsorption capacity of 19.45 ± 0.93 and 19.34 ± 0.84 mg g -1 for ABI and MO, respectively. Moreover, the adsorption isotherm study confirmed that AB1 and MO adsorption by AEM-BII from the binary system was followed by Langmuir isotherms. Adsorption thermodynamics revealed that adsorption of both AB1 and MO by AEM-BII was endothermic and spontaneous. Moreover, the desorption phenomenon of ABI and MO from the loaded AEM-BII showed that dye removal from AEM-BII was found to be 74.95%, demonstrating AEM-BII can be considered as good adsorbent for acidic dyes from the binary system., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

MXenes with their wide range of tunability and good surface chemistry provide unique and distinctive characteristics offering potential employment in various aspects of energy management applications. These high-performance materials have attracted considerable attention in recent decades due to their outstanding characteristics. In the literature, most of the work is related to specific methods for the preparation of MXenes. In this Review, we present a detailed discussion on the synthesis of MXenes through different etching routes involving acids, such as hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, and lithium fluoride, and non-acidic alkaline solution, electrochemical, and molten salt methods. Furthermore, a concise overview of the different structural, optical, electronic, and magnetic properties of MXenes is provided corresponding to their role in supporting high thermal, chemical, mechanical, environmental, and electrochemical stability. Additionally, the role of MXenes in maintaining the thermal management performance of photovoltaic thermal systems (PV/T), wearable light heaters, solar water desalination, batteries, and supercapacitors is also briefly discussed. A techno-economic and life cycle analysis of MXenes is provided to analyze their sustainability, scalability, and commercialization to facilitate a comprehensive array of energy management systems. Lastly, the technology readiness level of MXenes is defined, and future recommendations for MXenes are provided for their further utilization in niche applications. The present work strives to link the chemistry of MXenes to process economics for energy management applications., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Cancer and diabetes represent significant challenges in the field of biomedicine, with major and global impacts on public health. Acacia nilotica , commonly called 'gum arabic tree,' is recognized for its unique biomedical properties. The current study aimed to investigate the pharmacological potential of A. nilotica -based zinc-oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) in comparison to the ethanol and methanol-based extracts against cancer, diabetes, and oxidative stress. Green synthesis of ZnO-NPs was performed using barks of Acacia nilotica . Different techniques for the characterization of ZnO-NPs, including UV-Visible spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transmission Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), were utilized. The morphological analysis of ZnO-NPs revealed that the fine NPs have mean particle sizes of 15 ± 1.5 nm. For the solvent based-extraction, leaves and barks were utilized and dissolved into ethanol and methanol for further processing. The MTT assay revealed that the optimum concentration of ZnO-NPs to inhibit the proliferation of liver cancer cell line HepG2 was 100 μg/mL where 67.0 % inhibition was observed; and both ethanol- and methanol-based extracts showed optimum inhibition at 100 μg/mL. The DPPH assay further demonstrated that 250 μg/mL of ZnO-NPs and 1000 μg/mL of both ethanol- and methanol-based extracts, as the optimum concentration for antioxidant activity (with 73.1 %, 68.9 % and 68.2 % inhibition respectively). The α-Glucosidase inhibition assay revealed that 250 μg/mL of ZnO-NPs and 10 μg/mL of both ethanol- and methanol-based extracts as the optimum concentration for antidiabetic activity (with 95 %, 93.7 % and 93.4 % inhibition respectively). The study provided interesting insights into the efficacy and reliability of ZnO-NPs for potential pharmacological application. Further research should be focused on examining specific pathways and the safety of ZnO-NPs in comparison to solvent-based extracts., 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.)

The photosystem I (PSI) of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii associates with 10 light-harvesting proteins (LHCIs) to form the PSI-LHCI complex. In the context of state transitions, two LHCII trimers bind to the PSAL, PSAH and PSAO side of PSI to produce the PSI-LHCI-LHCII complex. In this work, we took advantage of chemical crosslinking of proteins in conjunction with mass spectrometry to identify protein-protein interactions between the light-harvesting proteins of PSI and PSII. We detected crosslinks suggesting the binding of LHCBM proteins to the LHCA1-PSAG side of PSI as well as protein-protein interactions of LHCSR3 with LHCA5 and LHCA3. Our data indicate that the binding of LHCII to PSI is more versatile than anticipated and imply that LHCSR3 might be involved in the regulation of excitation energy transfer to the PSI core via LHCA5/LHCA3.

Soil salinity is a significant challenge in agriculture, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions such as Pakistan, leading to soil degradation and reduced crop yields. The present study assessed the impact of different salinity levels (0, 25, and 50 mmol NaCl) and biochar treatments (control, wheat-straw biochar, rice-husk biochar, and sawdust biochar applied @ 1% w/w) on the germination and growth performance of wheat. Two experiments: a germination study and a pot experiment (grown up to maturity), were performed. The results showed that NaCl-stress negatively impacted the germination parameters, grain, and straw yield, and agronomic and soil parameters. Biochar treatments restored these parameters compared to control (no biochar), but the effects were inconsistent across NaCl levels. Among the different biochars, wheat-straw biochar performed better than rice-husk and sawdust-derived biochar regarding germination and agronomic parameters. Biochar application notably increased soil pH s and electrical conductivity (EC e ). Imposing NaCl stress reduced K concentrations in the wheat shoot and grains with concomitant higher Na concentrations in both parts. Parameters like foliar chlorophyll content (a, b, and total), stomatal and sub-stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate were also positively influenced by biochar addition. The study confirmed that biochar, particularly wheat-straw biochar, effectively mitigated the adverse effects of soil salinity, enhancing both soil quality and wheat growth. The study highlighted that biochar application can minimize the negative effects of salinity stress on wheat. Specifically, the types and dosages of biochar have to be optimized for different salinity levels under field conditions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study assessed the occurrence, origins, and potential risks of emerging perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) for the first time in drinking water resources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. In total, 13 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) with carbon (C) chains C4-C18 and 4 perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs) with C chains C4-C10 were tested in both surface and ground drinking water samples using a high-performance liquid chromatography system (HPLC) equipped with an Agilent 6460 Triple Quadrupole liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system. The concentrations of ∑PFCAs, ∑PFSAs, and ∑PFAAs in drinking water ranged from 1.46 to 72.85, 0.30-8.03, and 1.76-80.88 ng/L, respectively. Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), and perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) were the dominant analytes in surface water followed by ground water, while the concentration of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), and perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA) were greater than long-chain PFOA and PFOS. The correlation statistics, which showed a strong correlation (p < 0.05) between the PFAA analytes, potentially indicated the fate of PFAAs in the area's drinking water sources, whereas the hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) statistics identified industrial, domestic, agricultural, and commercial applications as potential point and non-point sources of PFAA contamination in the area. From risk perspectives, the overall PFAA toxicity in water resources was within the ecological health risk thresholds, where for the human population the hazard quotient (HQ) values of individual PFAAs were < 1, indicating no risk from the drinking water sources; however, the hazard index (HI) from the ∑PFAAs should not be underestimated, as it may significantly result in potential chronic toxicity to exposed adults, followed by children., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Water pollution remains a critical concern, one necessitated by rapidly increasing industrialization and urbanization. Among the various strategies for water purification, membrane technology stands out, with polyethersulfone (PES) often being the material of choice due to its robust mechanical properties, thermal stability, and chemical resistance. However, PES-based membranes tend to exhibit low hydrophilicity, leading to reduced flux and poor anti-fouling performance. This study addresses these limitations by incorporating titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO 2 NTs) into PES nanofiltration membranes to enhance their hydrophilic properties. The TiO 2 NTs, characterized through FTIR, XRD, BET, and SEM, were embedded in PES at varying concentrations using a non-solvent induced phase inversion (NIPS) method. The fabricated mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were subjected to testing for water permeability and solute rejection capabilities. Remarkably, membranes with a 1 wt% TiO 2 NT loading displayed a significant increase in pure water flux, from 36 to 72 L m 2 h -1 bar -1 , a 300-fold increase in selectivity compared to the pristine sample, and a dye rejection of 99%. Furthermore, long-term stability tests showed only a slight reduction in permeate flux over a time of 36 h, while dye removal efficiency was maintained, thus confirming the membrane's stability. Anti-fouling tests revealed a 93% flux recovery ratio, indicating excellent resistance to fouling. These results suggest that the inclusion of TiO 2 NTs offers a promising avenue for the development of efficient and stable anti-fouling PES-based membranes for water purification.

Objective: This study aimed at recording therapeutic plant species used by inhabitants to treat dental disorders in the district of North Waziristan, Pakistan. The indigenous people of the studied area are dependent on medicinal plants for their basic health care needs including dental care., Methods: Ethnomedicinal data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaires, and in addition 130 local informants were interviewed. The collected data were evaluated using various quantitative indices, including use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), fidelity level (FL%), and Jaccard Index (JI)., Results: A total of 69 plants belonging to 48 plant families used in dental disorders were identified. The Lamiaceae was the leading family that shared 7 species, followed by Solanaceae (4 spp).The dominant life form used was herbs (47.83%), folowed by leaves (43.90%) in preparing remedies for different dental disorders. Decoction was the most common mode of preparation (34.21%), followed by pastes (21.05%). The highest RFC (0.36) was reported for Bergenia ciliata, followed by Salvadora oleoides (0.35). The majority of the plants (36 spp) were utilised as herbal medicine to treat toothache, followed by 13 species for periodontal (gum) infections, 11 species used for teeth cleaning, and 9 species for halitosis (bad breath)., Conclusions: This study is the first-ever record of ethnomedicinal applications for the treatment of dental diseases from Pakistan. Some of the forgeoing hebal medications should be further evalauted for the development of pahrmaceutical bio-products for the treatment of dental disorders., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None disclosed., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A nature-based social prescription (NBSP) is an approach to improving mental health outcomes that involves prescribing nature-based interventions as complementary or alternative therapy to traditional ones. A variety of advantages are available from NBSP for people looking to enhance their mental well-being. The effect size of the nature-based social prescriptions (NBSPs) has not been thoroughly evaluated by systematic reviews and meta-analyses., Objectives: The current study aimed to analyze existing studies and conduct a meta-analysis to determine the overall effect size of the nature-based social prescriptions (NBSP's) outcomes on mental health., Methods: By choosing the relevant papers from among those that were available, a meta-analysis was carried out in the current study. A systematic search of electronic databases (Pub Med, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, and PsychINFO) was conducted to identify relevant studies. Studies were included if they evaluated the effects of NBSP on mental health outcomes. Effect sizes were calculated using the random effects model., Results: Meta-analysis of interventions statistics shows that CBT (SMD -0.0035; 95% CI: [-0.5090; 0.5020]; Tau^2: 0.1011; Tau: 0.318), digital intervention (SMD -0.3654; 95% CI: [-0.5258; 1.2566]; Tau^2: 0.2976, Tau: 0.5455), music intervention (SMD -2.1281; 95% CI: [-0.4659; 4.7221]; Tau^2: 3.4046; Tau:1.8452), and psychological interventions (SMD -0.8529; 95% CI: [0.3051; 1.4007]; Tau^2: 0.1224; Tau: 0.3499) do not significantly impact. The other interventions [social belongingness, communication training, blue intervention, nature-based education, cognitive behavior group therapy (CBGT), social prescribing coordinator, self-help intervention, participatory, organizational intervention, inpatient services, brief diet, internet-based intervention, prenatal intervention, yoga and meditation, ergonomics training program, yoga nidra intervention, and storytelling] highlighted above are significant., Conclusion: The conclusion of the meta-analysis supports the idea that incorporating nature-based social prescription interventions into mental healthcare plans can effectively complement traditional therapies and improve mental health outcomes., Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display&#95;record.php?ID=CRD42023412458, CRD42023412458., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Menhas, Yang, Saqib, Younas and Saeed.)

In the context of growing arsenic (As) contamination in the world, there is an urgent need for an effective treatment approach to remove As from the environment. Industrial wastewater is one of the primary sources of As contamination, which poses significant risks to both microorganisms and human health, as the presence of As can disrupt the vital processes and synthesis of crucial macromolecules in living organisms. The global apprehension regarding As presence in aquatic environments persists as a key environmental issue. This review summarizes the recent advances and progress in the design, strategy, and synthesis method of various manganese-based adsorbent materials for As removal. Occurrence, removal, oxidation mechanism of As(III), As adsorption on manganese oxide (MnO x )-based materials, and influence of co-existing solutes are also discussed. Furthermore, the existing knowledge gaps of MnO x -based adsorbent materials and future research directions are proposed. This review provides a reference for the application of MnO x -based adsorbent materials to As removal., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The correlational research study aims to examine how blended learning affects academic motivation and achievement. The objectives of the study are to assess students' opinions on the current level of blended learning, teachers' practice of blended instruction, the benefits of blended learning, its impact on academic motivation and learning outcomes, and factors influencing blended learning to determine how instructors' methods influence students' academic motivation and learning results. The study includes all Bachelor of Science students from various public and private institutions in the Faisalabad Division. Quantitative data from 400 students were collected from four selected institutions. A closed-ended, customized 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect data. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed through expert comments and pilot testing, with a reliability score of (= .97). Data were collected via Google Forms and researcher visits. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the collected data and answer the research questions. The findings of the study indicate that students somewhat agreed with the current blended learning environment, and strongly agreed with variables such as instructors' blended instruction techniques, the benefits of blended learning, and factors influencing blended learning. Blended learning had statistically significant positive effects on academic motivation and learning outcomes. The findings suggest improving the blended learning environment and instructors' blended education methods to enhance university students' academic motivation and learning outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Shoukat et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Land subsidence has been an ongoing issue for over a century along the Gulf Coast of Texas in the United States. This study assesses and models the factors contributing to land subsidence covering fifty-six (56) counties along the Gulf of Mexico coastline from Louisiana to the border of Mexico, approximately 300,000 km 2 . Geospatial statistical techniques and regression models were employed to investigate and predict the fundamental causes of land subsidence by integrating multiple datasets such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) (147 stations), groundwater extraction (78,420 wells), hydrocarbon production (84,424 wells), precipitation, and population growth. In the last two decades, the overall population rose by 33 % and the compound annual population growth rate increased from 2.08 to 4.10 % in Montgomery, Waller, Fort Bend, and Chambers counties. Emerging hotspot analysis reveals that the groundwater level is persistently declining and the regression model (R 2  = 0.92) tested over Harris County predicts that the population growth significantly contributes to land subsidence in this region. The groundwater withdrawal rate is increased from 23 to 96.6 billion gallons in Harris, Montgomery, and Fort Bend counties in the last two decades. A prolonged drought from 2010 to 2015 due to low precipitation affected all fifty-six counties. Oil production increased eightfold and a high extraction rate of 19.5 to 40.1 million bbl/yr of oil in Karnes County was recorded within the last 20 years. The regression model (R 2  = 0.73) over this county suggests that oil extraction is a primary contributing factor to the observed subsidence. Although the gas extraction rates for all counties are decreasing over time, some counties in the southern part of the Gulf Coast Aquifer show relatively higher extraction rates. For the first time, this research determines that all fifty-six counties along the Gulf Coast of Texas are undergoing land subsidence and experiencing high population growth, groundwater withdrawal, and hydrocarbon extraction., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The main obstacles in adopting solvent-based CO 2 capture technology from power plant flue gases at the industrial scale are the energy requirements for solvent regeneration and their toxicity. These challenges can be overcome using new green and more stable ionic liquids (ILs) as solvents for post-combustion CO 2 capture. In the current study, tributyl-tetradecyl-phosphonium chloride [P 44414 ][Cl] as an IL, was immobilized on hydrophobic porous supports of polypropylene (PP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) at 298 ± 3 K and pressures up to 2 bar. The surface morphology indicated homogenous immobilization of the IL on the membrane support. Supported ionic liquid membranes (SILMs) were tested for CO 2 permeability and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity. None of the SILMs exhibited IL leaching up to 2 bar. The PTFE-based SILM performed better than other supports with minimum loss in water contact angle (WCA) and achieved good antiwetting with a maximum CO 2 permeability and selectivity over N 2 of 2300 ± 139 Barrer and 31.60 ± 2.4, respectively. This work achieves CO 2 permeability about two-fold more than other works having CO 2 /N 2 selectivity range of 25-35 in similar SILMs. The diffusivity of CO 2 and N 2 in [P 44414 ][Cl] was measured as 3.64 ± 0.18 and 2.01 ± 0.09 [10 -8  cm 2  s -1 ] and CO 2 and N 2 solubility values were 9.79 ± 0.47 and 0.19 ± 0.001 [10 -2  cm 3 (STP) cm -3 cmHg -1 ], respectively. The high values of Young's modulus and tensile strength of the PTFE support-based SILM (234 ± 12 MPa and 6.07 ± 0.31 MPa, respectively) indicated the long-term application of SILM in flue gas separation. The results indicated phosphonium chloride-based ILs could be better solvent candidates for CO 2 removal from large volumes of flue gases than amine-based ILs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)