Search

الملخص: المقدمة: يظل التسمم بالمبيدات الحشرية مشكلة صحية عامة كبيرة على مستوى العالم، مما يسهم في حوالي 371,594 حالة وفاة سنويًا. يتسبب التعرض العرضي والمتعمد للمبيدات الحشرية، خاصة في الدول النامية، في تحديات كبيرة لأنظمة الصحة العامة. في المملكة العربية السعودية، يعتبر التسمم بالمبيدات الحشرية شائعا، حيث تُعد الكاربارمات والفوسفات العضوية من الأسباب الرئيسية. عرض الحالات: تم توثيق أربع حالات تسمم حادة ناتجة عن تناول شطائر شاورما ملوثة تحتوي على الكاربوفيوران والبيفنثرين، وهي مزيج من الكاربارمات والبيريثرويد على التوالي. الأفراد المتضررون جميعهم أشقاء، وأظهروا درجات متفاوتة من الأعراض السمية، بما في ذلك ارتعاش العضلات، والإفرازات الزائدة، وضيق التنفس. على الرغم من شدة الأعراض، كان لدى ثلاثة من المرضى مستويات طبيعية أو منخفضة طبيعيًا من إنزيم الأسيتيل كولين إستريز، ويرجح أن يكون ذلك بسبب التباين الفردي، أو التأخير في إجراء الفحص، أو سوء التعامل مع العينات. أما المريض الرابع، فقد أظهر نشاطا منخفضا بشكل كبير لإنزيم الأسيتيل كولين إستريز، مما يشير إلى تثبيط شديد، وزادت الحالة تعقيدا بسبب التهاب البنكرياس، مما ساهم في تأخر التعافي. شملت التدخلات العلاجية السريرية المبكرة إعطاء الأتروبين، البراليدوكسيم، ومضاد التسمم الوشيقي بسبب الشك الأولي في وجود تسمم ناتج عن بكتيريا وشيقية. أكدت التحليلات السمومية تسمم الكاربوفيوران. الاستنتاجات: تؤكد هذه الحالات على أهمية الاستشارة الفورية لمتخصصي طب السموم، وإجراء الفحوصات المناسبة، والتعامل الصحيح مع العينات لتوجيه العلاج في حالات التسمم بالمبيدات. تسلط هذه النتائج الضوء على الحاجة الماسة للالتزام بأنظمة منظمة الصحة العالمية ومراقبة استخدام المبيدات، بالإضافة إلى ممارسات صارمة لسلامة الغذاء لمنع تفشي الأمراض مستقبلاً.. Abstract: Background: Pesticide poisoning remains a major global health concern contributing to an estimated 371,594 deaths annually. Both accidental and deliberate pesticide exposure, particularly in developing countries, pose challenges to public health systems. In KSA, pesticide poisoning is prevalent, and insecticides such as carbamates and organophosphates are the primary culprits. Case presentation: Four cases of acute poisoning caused by the ingestion of contaminated shawarma sandwiches containing carbofuran and bifenthrin, a carbamate and pyrethroid mixture, respectively, are described. The affected individuals, all siblings, exhibited varying degrees of cholinergic symptoms, including muscle fasciculations, excessive secretions, and respiratory distress. Despite their severe symptoms, three patients had normal or low-normal acetylcholinesterase levels, probably because of individual variability, delayed testing, or improper sample handling. One patient exhibited diminished acetylcholinesterase activity, thus suggesting severe inhibition; pancreatitis was a further complication that contributed to delayed recovery. Early clinical management included atropine, pralidoxime, and botulinum antitoxin, because of initial suspicion for botulism. Toxicological analysis confirmed carbofuran poisoning, and food safety investigations identified improper pesticide use in food preparation areas. Conclusion: The reported cases underscore the importance of timely toxicological consultation, proper testing, and appropriate sample handling to guide treatment of pesticide-related poisoning. These findings highlight the crucial need for adherence to WHO regulations and monitoring of pesticide use, as well as strict food safety practices to prevent future outbreaks. The successful multidisciplinary approach to managing these cases demonstrates the critical role of coordinated efforts between clinical teams and public health authorities in addressing such public health threats.

In this study, a cholera model with asymptomatic carriers was examined. A Holling type-II functional response function was used to describe disease transmission. For analyzing the dynamical behavior of cholera disease, a fractional-order model was developed. First, the positivity and boundedness of the system’s solutions were established. The local stability of the equilibrium points was also analyzed. Second, a Lyapunov function was used to construct the global asymptotic stability of the system for both endemic and disease-free equilibrium points. Finally, numerical simulations and sensitivity analysis were carried out using matlab software to demonstrate the accuracy and validate the obtained results.

The organic-inorganic compound (C5H14N2)[CoCl4]⸳0.5H2O, I, was characterized by various physicochemical techniques. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the compound crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group C2/c of the monoclinic system. The atomic arrangement the Co(II) complex is built from isolated [CoCl4]2– anions, 1-methylpiperazine-1,4-diium [C5H14N2]2+ cations and free water molecules. The crystal structure study showed that the cohesion of I is assured through N–H···Cl and N–H···O hydrogen bonds giving birth to a 3-D architecture. Hirshfeld surface analysis revealed that Cl···H/H···Cl and H···H (58.5 and 36.4%, respectively) are the most significant interactions between species. Minor O···H/H···O interactions are also present. The compound was characterized by thermal analysis, TGA-DTA showed the removal of the co-crystallized water before 100 °C and a first mass loss at around 120 °C. Magnetic measurements are in good agreement with isolated, S = 3/2, tetrahedral [CoCl4]2− anions. The negative Weiss constant of -1.35 indicates single-ion anisotropy and very weak antiferromagnetic interactions. UV–visible spectroscopy reveals three weak absorption bands in the visible range due to the d-d electronic transitions typical of the Co(II) tetra-coordinated. A bioassay showed antibacterial activity against the gram negative Klebsiella pneumonia and gram positive Bacillus ceureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Micrococcus lutues.

An investigation is being carried out to describe the flow of a Ree-Eyring hybrid nanofluid by a stretch flow. SiO2 and GO are being examined for use as hybrid nanoparticles in the accumulation with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) water at low concentrations. A concentration of between 0.0 and 0.4 % is suggested for use as a base fluid (CMC− water). The model equations are firstly converted into ordinary differential equations through suitable alteration. The Homotopy Perturbation Method (HPM) and R–K method were applied to governing (ODEs). The produced results were identified by the R–K numerical technique. Both of these methods of approval demonstrate that our approach achieves an acceptable level of accuracy. The obtained results are numerical data for the behaviours of the velocity, temperature, and concentration of nanoparticles about other physical factors. Multiple graphs illustrating the conclusions of physical significance are shown and thoroughly analyzed. The most important findings from this research show that the stretching sheet has a role in determining the depth of the boundary layer. By raising the Weissenberg number, the thickness of the boundary layer will be enhanced, which will lead to an augmentation in the velocity of the non-Newtonian fluid. Moreover, the Prandtl number was a second crucial variable that was explored, it follows that enhancing the Prandtl number effect in a lessening in the thermal layer. The last parameter was the Schmidt number, and increasing in Schmidt number caused a significant reduction in the mass of the fluid.

The quickening propensity of growth within the areas of information and communications technology and energy networks has triggered the emergence of a central idea termed as Internet of Energy (IoE). Such a concept relates the internet of things, which is the term used in describing the usage of sophisticated digital control devices with the capability of transmitting data via IT systems. The concept of an interconnected energy network is being formed in the upcoming days through upgrades in the field of intelligent energy systems to control real-time energy optimization and management. The energy industry has had a sustained expansion, reaching the IoE milestone and continuing to this cutting-edge power system, which is the next generation of IoE. A directional pathway from the traditional power system to the IoE has been conducted in this research work by addressing the importance of integrating the smart transmission and communication infrastructure, smart metering, pricing and energy management scheme. A detailed investigation of the IoE with respect to technical angles, such as communication architecture, IoE on the supply & demand side, and IoE protocol based on fundamental elements and essential technologies has been carried out to indicate the blueprint and jurisdiction complexity. The integration, security and energy management challenges may deviate the performance of the IoE technology that has been focused with proper control issues and solutions. Finally, a directional framework to establish the next-generation IoE system has been constructed with future scopes to insure higher resiliency, cyber-security and stability.

According to the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA), both aspirin and statin are used in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Aspirin (ASA) is contraindicated if there is gastrointestinal bleeding because it will exaggerate the condition. In this study, the effect of surfactant; sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), in enhancing the in vitro dissolution of simvastatin (SIM) and ASA, as well as gastric irritation and upset, was studied. Oral tablets containing both ASA and SIM with and without the SLS were manufactured using the direct compression technique. The prepared tablets were characterized with respect to hardness, friability, uniformity of dosage units, in vitro disintegration, and dissolution. The effect of the addition of SLS in reducing the in vivo irritation and protection of gastric mucosa were also investigated. The results showed that the compressed tablets possessed sufficient hardness, acceptable friability, and are uniform with respect to disintegration, drugs contents, and tablet weight. The results showed that SIM alone exhibited a gastroprotective effect on the induced irritation. In addition, the incorporation of the SLS in the tablets containing SIM and ASA significantly enhanced the dissolution rates of both drugs and significantly decreased the gastric irritation and the ulcer index. The ulcer index of aspirin was decreased from 2.3 for tablets manufactured without SLS to 0.8 for tablets containing SLS. In a conclusion, the addition of pH modifier surfactant; SLS could enhance the dissolution rate of poorly soluble acidic drugs, reduce gastric upset and irritation without any effect on the main characters of the tablets. Moreover, the addition of SLS is very useful in improving the therapeutic activities and reducing the side effects of ASA and SIM for patients who require long-term administration of these drugs.

The pathophysiology underlying the loss of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is unclear. A gap of knowledge in the molecular and cellular events leading to degeneration of the nigrostriatal DA system is a major barrier to the development of effective therapies for PD. 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) is used as a reliable in vitro model of PD in dopaminergic neurons; however, the molecular mechanisms that lead to cell death with this model are not fully understood. Additionally, there is a lack of translational in vitro models to fully understand progressive dopaminergic neurotoxicity. Here, we propose cultures of primary human dopaminergic neuronal precursor cells (HDNPCs) as a model to study progressive dopaminergic toxicity and neuronal damage in PD. We evaluated the concentration-response of MPP+ (0–10 mM) at 24 h, using cell viability and mitochondrial activity assays (LDH, XTT, Live/Dead staining, and MitoTracker). Based on concentration-response data, we chose two concentrations (1.0 and 2.5 mM) of MPP+ to evaluate markers of autophagy and dopaminergic status [tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)] after a 24-h exposure. Exposure to MPP+ induced cytotoxicity, reduced cell viability, and decreased mitochondrial activity. MPP+ at 1.0 and 2.5 mM also induced expression of lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP-1) and increased the ratio of light chain 3 (LC3), LC3BII/LC3BI. The expression of TH also decreased. Furthermore, α-synuclein (α-SYN) and parkin were evaluated by immunofluorescence (IF) at 1.0 and 2.5 mM MPP+ after 24 h. A qualitative analysis revealed decreased parkin expression while α-SYN aggregation was observed in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. These data suggest that in HDNPCs MPP+ can cause cytotoxicity and neuronal damage. This damage may be mediated by autophagy, dopamine synthesis, and protein aggregation. The combination of HDNPCs and MPP+ may serve as valuable in vitro model of progressive dopaminergic neurotoxicity for research into potential treatments for PD.

Background: Drought stress at different growth stages significantly alters growth, yield, and quality traits of wheat. However, great variability exists among genotypes regarding their response to drought stress. Therefore, determining the impacts of drought stress on yield and quality traits would help to select the superior genotypes. Methods: This study investigated the effects of drought stress on wheat grain yield, chlorophyll, and protein contents. Fourteen (14) recently developed elite bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes were used in this study for evaluation under irrigated (full irrigation) and drought conditions (half of normal irrigation). The data relating to growth, yield and protein contents were recorded. Results: Significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) were noted among genotypes for all recorded traits. Drought stress significantly reduced the days to 50 % heading, days to 50 % maturity, grain filling, plant height (cm), number of spikes per m2, chlorophyll index (SPAD), peduncle length (cm), number of grains spike-1, thousand grain weight (g) and grain yield (kg ha−1). However, protein contents were increased under drought stress. Correlation analysis showed significant positive association of grain yield with thousand grain weight, number of spikes per m2, spike length, chlorophyll index, grain filling period and number of grains spike-1 under both irrigated and drought stress conditions. The protein contents expressed positive and negative relationship with yield under drought stress and irrigated conditions, respectively. Bioplot analysis revealed that genotype ‘V-19618′ and ‘V-19600′ proved superior under drought conditions regarding grain yield and related traits, while genotype ‘V-19574′ proved better under both irrigated and drought conditions. Conclusions: These identified genotypes, i.e., ‘V-19618′ and ‘V-19600′ can be utilized in future wheat breeding programs to induce desirable characters for producing drought tolerant wheat genotypes.

Oxidized-fibers, cellulose, and oxidized-nanocellulose were isolated from sponge-gourd fibers (Luffa cylindrica) and used as natural, non-toxic, and low-cost adsorbents. The effect of three luffa forms with or without hydroxyapatite (HAp) on the removal efficiency of lead ions (Pb2+) and methylene blue (MB) was investigated. HAp was successfully synthesized on the surface of Luffa with an average length of 40–56 nm and a width of 14–19 nm. Prepared materials showed differences in morphology (shape and size), chemical structure, and crystalline properties. The effect of sorbent type, contact time, and initial MB and Pb2+ concentrations were studied. The results showed that luffa/HAp composites were more effective in removal of Pb2+ ions than MB compared to Luffa without HAp, and vice versa. Kinetic and adsorption studies of MB and Pb2+ ions were well fitted with the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models. The maximum adsorption capacity of Pb2+ was 625 mg/g, 714 mg/g, and 714.5 mg/g for oxidized-fibers/HAp, oxidized-nanocellulose/HAp, and cellulose/HAp, respectively, at dose 4 g/L, pH 5.3, 25 °C. While the maximum adsorption capacity of MB was 25.2 mg/g, 30.8 mg/g, and 36.2 mg/g for oxidized-fibers/HAp, oxidized-fibers, and cellulose, respectively, at dose 4 g/L, pH 7.3, 25 °C. Also, more than 95% of lead (500 mg/L) and 85% of MB (25 mg/L) were removed within the first 5 min. Separately, cellulose sample was the most effective in removing MB while cellulose/HAp for removal of Pb2+. However, oxidized-fibers/HAp composite was the easiest to prepare and the most effective in removing both MB and Pb2+.

In this paper, a new hybrid particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm is proposed to minimize a simplified model of the energy function of the molecule. The proposed algorithm is called Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization and Genetic Algorithm (HPSOGA). The HPSOGA is based on three mechanisms. The first mechanism is applying the particle swarm optimization to balance between the exploration and the exploitation process in the proposed algorithm. The second mechanism is the dimensionality reduction process and the population partitioning process by dividing the population into sub-populations and applying the arithmetical crossover operator in each sub-population in order to increase the diversity of the search in the algorithm. The last mechanism is applied in order to avoid the premature convergence and avoid trapping in local minima by using the genetic mutation operator in the whole population. Before applying the proposed HPSOGA to minimize the potential energy function of the molecule size, we test it on 13 unconstrained large scale global optimization problems with size up to 1000 dimensions in order to investigate the general performance of the proposed algorithm for solving large scale global optimization problems then we test the proposed algorithm with different molecule sizes with up to 200 dimensions. The proposed algorithm is compared against the standard particle swarm optimization to solve large scale global optimization problems and 9 benchmark algorithms, in order to verify the efficiency of the proposed algorithm for solving molecules potential energy function. The numerical experiment results show that the proposed algorithm is a promising and efficient algorithm and can obtain the global minimum or near global minimum of the molecular energy function faster than the other comparative algorithms.

Enzyme technology is considered one of the most promising tools in the field of biotechnology as applied biocatalysts. The marine fungal strain Penicillium expansum RSW_SEP1 isolated from red sea water at Sharm El-Shiekh province and identified by 18S rRNA gene (accession number MH754656). The strain was able to produce pectin lyase from different agricultural wastes as the cheapest and most economical carbon source. The maximal enzyme activity of 88.83 U/mL was obtained from the pea peel (Pp) and sugar cane bagasse (Scb) at ratio 5:5 (w/w) and pH 6 by 8 mL of spore suspension as inoculum. Different concentrations of pectin lyase were examined on green dyed. The highest value of color strength (K/S) at 15% of wool fibers dyed with green algae by microwave after 5 min of the pretreated wool at pH 5.0. Different concentrations % of pectin lyase was examined on green dyed. The results indicated that, the highest value of color strength (K/S) at 15% of wool fibers dyed with green algae by microwave after 5 min of the pretreated wool at pH 5.0. This study focused on isolation and molecular identification of marine fungal strain as pectin lays producer from agriculture wastes and its application of dyeing wool fibers.

ABSTRACT: Objective: Titration of desmopressin can be challenging during complex, lengthy surgical procedures in patients with chronic central diabetes insipidus (DI). Arginine vasopressin (AVP) may be the preferred treatment modality in these settings. No data currently exist on the use of AVP during lengthy operations.Methods: We report a novel AVP infusion protocol for the management of chronic DI during a 27-hour total facial transplantation surgery.Results: A 21-year-old woman was admitted for a total facial transplantation surgery. Her medical history was significant for severe facial injuries and panhypopituitarism, both secondary to a ballistic trauma sustained 3 years prior. For the management of her chronic central DI during the complex surgery, a unique AVP infusion protocol was developed. Intraoperatively, the infusion was adjusted hourly following an internally developed algorithm with pre-specified goal parameters for urine output (50 to 200 mL/hour) and serum sodium levels (136 to 144 mmol/L; reference range: 136 to 144 mmol/L). The short half-life of AVP provided ease of dose titration. Under this protocol, the patient's hemodynamic values and serum sodium levels remained stable throughout the 27-hour transplantation surgery.Conclusion: We describe the successful use of a novel AVP infusion protocol for the management of DI during a 27-hour facial transplantation surgery. This protocol may also be effective in managing other patients with chronic central DI during lengthy intraoperative periods.Abbreviations: AVP = arginine vasopressin; DDAVP = 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin; DI = diabetes insipidus

This work was aimed to study the protective role of α-lipoic acid against the oxidative damage of induced iron overload. Iron (Fe) overload is a complication of the treatment, by chronic transfusion, of a number of genetic diseases associated with inadequate red cell production (anemias) and of other genetic diseases that lead to excessive iron absorption from the diet. Male rats were injected ip with 5 mg/kg body weight ferrous sulfate for 50 days. The animals were injected ip with α-lipoic acid 20 mg per kg body weight for 21 days. Serum iron, Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), Malonyldialdehyde (MDA), Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption spectrum of hemoglobin and osmotic fragility were studied. Results showed significant increase in serum iron, total iron binding capacity, and malonyldialdehyde levels in iron-loaded rats. Treatment with lipoic acid (LA) resulted in decreasing serum iron and TIBC levels by 47%and 29% respectively. At the same time the lipoic acid decreased the level of the MDA in liver, brain and plasma by 54%, 42% and 74% respectively. Also LA diminished the effect of iron-induced free radicals on erythrocyte membrane integrity; it decreased the elevated average osmotic fragility and decreased the elevated rate of hemolysis. Results from UV-visible spectrophotometric measurement of hemoglobin revealed that no oxidative changes of hemoglobin occurred in iron-loaded rats. EPR spectra showed increased in non-heme ferric ions Fe+3 and free radicals in iron-loaded rats. Whereas the injection of the lipoic acid leads to decreased in such toxic result. In conclusion, these observations suggested that lipoic acid might be a beneficial antioxidant that can be effective for limiting damage from oxidative stress of iron overload.

The substitution reactions of the 2,2′-biquinoline (biq) complex cis-[Pd(biq)Cl2] with different amino acids, namely, glycine (glyH), l-serine (serH), l-tyrosine (tyrH), l-phenylalanine (pheH) and l-alanine (alaH) have been investigated. The new complexes [Pd(biq)(gly)]Cl, [Pd(biq)(ser)]PF6·0.5H2O, [Pd(biq)(tyr)2], [Pd(biq)(tyr)]PF6·H2O, [Pd(biq)(phe)2]·2.5H2O, [Pd(biq)(phe)]PF6·H2O and [Pd(biq)(ala)]Cl.1·5H2O have been characterized by elemental analysis, conductivity measurements, IR, electronic absorption and 1H and 13C NMR spectra. Based on these data all amino acid anions are found to act as bidentates except tyrosinate and phenylalanilate which behave also as monodentates.

A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of organic and bioorganic fertilizers on growth parameters, yield and the quality of two broccoli cultivars (Calabrese and Southern star). Bio-organic fertilizers gave better results for all vegetative growth parameters for Southern star cultivar compared to Calabrese cultivar. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total glucosinolates content (TGsC) were almost higher in Calabrese cultivar as a result of organic fertilizer treatment. The antioxidant activities of both cultivars were evaluated and Calabrese cultivar showed the higher1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl DPPH. scavenging activity expressed as IC50 (its concentrations for 50% inhibition) (16.56 μg/ml) compared to Southern star (19.42 μg/ml). In addition, Calabrese cultivar showed the higher chelating power (75.36 μg/ml) than Southern star (72.43 μg/ml) at (30 μg/ml) when the organic fertilizer was applied. The results indicated that there is a good margin for enhancing antioxidant compounds of broccoli for economic production using organic fertilization. This study indicated the potential application of broccoli as a potent natural source of antioxidants as nutraceuticals.

Introduction: Curiosity, the intrinsic motivation to sense, know, and experience the unknown, plays important roles in adolescent achievement and well-being. Theoretical considerations and empirical research suggest the contribution of social relationships in fostering curiosity. However, curiosity is expressed in different forms and contexts. Here, we investigated the social predictors of general epistemic curiosity, and of different forms of digital information-seeking in adolescents., Methods: Nationally representative cross-sectional data from Programme for International Student Assessment 2022 were used (N = 327,778 from 41 countries, 15.8 years, 49.6% female). Multiple regression was implemented using four different types of social relationships-teacher relationship, school belonging, bullying victimization, family relationship-as predictors of three forms of curiosity and information-seeking-general epistemic curiosity, and digital information-seeking for formal learning and for informal learning purposes., Results and Conclusion: Teacher-student relationship was linked to general epistemic curiosity but less so, or not at all, to digital information-seeking. Instead, family relationship and bullying victimization were more important drivers of digital information-seeking for formal and informal learning purposes respectively. These distinctions were largely generalizable across 41 countries examined. The findings paint a complex picture of how figures in different adolescent social spheres matter for different forms of epistemic curiosity and information-seeking, with practical and theoretical implications., (© 2024 Foundation for Professionals in Services to Adolescents.)

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) can present with different clinical variants which show distinct, but partially overlapping, patterns of neurodegeneration and tau deposition in a network of regions including cerebellar dentate, superior cerebellar peduncle, midbrain, thalamus, basal ganglia, and frontal lobe. We sought to determine whether disruptions in functional connectivity within this PSP network measured using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) differed between PSP-Richardson's syndrome (PSP-RS) and the cortical and subcortical clinical variants of PSP. Structural MRI and rs-fMRI scans were collected for 36 PSP-RS, 25 PSP-cortical and 34 PSP-subcortical participants who met the Movement Disorder Society PSP clinical criteria. Ninety participants underwent flortaucipir-PET scans. MRIs were processed using CONN Toolbox. Functional connectivity between regions of the PSP network was compared between each PSP group and 83 healthy controls, and between the PSP groups, covarying for age. The effect of flortaucipir uptake and clinical scores on connectivity was assessed. Connectivity was reduced in PSP-RS compared to controls throughout the network, involving cerebellar dentate, midbrain, basal ganglia, thalamus, and frontal regions. Frontal regions showed reduced connectivity to other regions in the network in PSP-cortical, particularly the thalamus, caudate and substantia nigra. Disruptions in connectivity in PSP-subcortical were less pronounced, with the strongest disruption between the pallidum and striatum. There was moderate evidence that elevated subcortical flortaucipir uptake correlated with both increased and reduced connectivity between regions of the PSP network. Lower connectivity within the PSP network correlated with worse performance on clinical tests, including PSP rating scale. Patterns of disrupted functional connectivity revealed both variant-specific and shared disease pathways within the PSP network among PSP clinical variants, providing insight into disease heterogeneity., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis. This research aims to find real hub genes for prognostic biomarkers of TNBC therapy. The GEO datasets GSE27447 and GSE233242 were analyzed using R package limma to explore DEGs. The PPI was generated using the STRING database. Cytoscape software plug-ins were used to screen the hub genes. Using the DAVID database, GO functional enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed. Different online expression databases were employed to investigate the functions of real hub genes in tumor driving, diagnosis, and prognosis in TNBC patients with various clinicopathologic characteristics. A total of one hundred DEGs were identified between both datasets. The seven hub genes were identified after the topological parameter analysis of the PPI network. The KEGG pathway and GO analysis suggest that four genes (PSMB1, PSMC1, PSMF1, and PSMD8) are highly enriched in proteasome and were finally considered as real hub genes. Additionally, the expression analysis demonstrated that hub genes were notably up-regulated in TNBC patients compared to controls. Furthermore, correlational analyses revealed the positive and negative correlations among the expression of the real hub genes and various ancillary data, including tumor purity, promoter methylation status, overall survival (OS), genetic alterations, infiltration of CD8+ T and CD4+ immune cells, and a few more, across TNBC samples. Finally, our analysis identified a couple of significant chemotherapeutic drugs, miRNAs and transcription factors (TFS) with intriguing curative potential. In conclusion, we identified four real hub genes as novel biomarkers to overcome heterogenetic-particular challenges in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy for TNBC patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Author declare that there is no conflict of interest, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Angiogenic proteins (AGPs) play a critical role in both pathological and physiological activities, making them key therapeutic targets in diseases like cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Traditional methods for identifying AGPs are labor-intensive and time-consuming, creating a need for more efficient approaches. This study addresses this challenge by developing a novel computational model, Ens-Deep-AGP, designed to enhance AGP prediction. The model introduces innovative feature engineering techniques, including Position Specific Scoring Matrix-Decomposition-Discrete Cosine Transform (PSSM-DC-DCT) and Position Specific Scoring Matrix-Auto-Cross-Discrete Wavelet Transform (PSSM-ACC-DWT), which capture comprehensive protein sequence information. The ensemble feature set of these approaches are then fed into Multi-headed Ensemble Residual Convolutional Neural Network (MERCNN), a robust deep learning architecture. Ens-Deep-AGP achieved remarkable accuracy rates of 99.79 % on training dataset and 92.97 % on testing dataset, surpassing Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Gated Recurrent Units (GRU), and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory Networks (BiLSTM). The successful prediction of AGPs is crucial for accelerating drug development, discovering novel therapeutic targets and deepen our understanding of AGPs' complex roles in healthcare., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors have no competing interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Genetically modified (GM) crop cultivation has received a lot of attention in recent years due to the substantial public debate. Consequently, an in-depth investigation of excessively used GM herbicide-tolerant crops is a vital step for the biosafety of genetically modified plants. Several studies have been conducted to study the impact of transgenic GM crops on soil microbial composition; however, research into the effects of non-transgenic GM crops is inadequate. In the current work, high-throughput sequencing was used to evaluate the impact of the acetolactate synthase (ALS)-mutant (WK170B), its control (YN19B), and the imazamox (IM) herbicide on the wheat rhizobiome. Under normal growth conditions, our work revealed a minimal impact of ALS-mutant WK170B on the rhizosphere microbiome compared to the control YN10B, except for some cyanobacterial microorganisms that showed a significant increase in abundance. This suggests that the gene mutation could potentially have a beneficial impact on the bacterial communities present in the rhizosphere. Following IM exposure, taxonomic analysis revealed a significant reduction in the relative abundance of Ralstonia pickettii and an unidentified member of the genus Ancylothrix 8 PC. Analyses of both alpha and beta diversity revealed a statistically significant increase in both microbial richness and species diversity. IM-induced relative abundance modulation was also evident through Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe), MetaStat, and heatmap analyses. The SIMPER analysis revealed that the microbial taxa Massilia, Limnobacter, Hydrogenophaga, Ralstonia, Nitrospira, and Ramlibacter exhibited the highest vulnerability to IM exposure. The functional attributes analysis revealed that the relative abundance of genes associated with the extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, which is responsible for structural support and stress response, increased significantly following IM exposure. Collectively, our study identifies key microbial taxa in the wheat rhizobiome that are sensitive to IM herbicides and provides a foundation for assessing the environmental risks associated with IM herbicide use., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

The expanding global population and the use of conventional agrochemical pesticides have led to the loss of crop yield and food shortages. Excessive pesticide used in agriculture risks life forms by contaminating soil and water resources, necessitating the use of nano agrochemicals. This article focuses on synthesis moiety and use of nanopesticides for enhanced stability, controlled release mechanisms, improved efficacy, and reduced pesticide residue levels. The current literature survey offered regulatory frameworks for commercial deployment of nanopesticides and evaluated societal and environmental impacts. Various physicochemical and biological processes, especially microorganisms and advanced oxidation techniques are important in treating pesticide residues through degradation mechanisms. Agricultural waste could be converted into nanofibers for sustainable composites production, new nanocatalysts, such as N-doped TiO 2 and bimetallic nanoparticles for advancing pesticide degradation. Microbial and enzyme methods have been listed as emerging nanobiotechnology tools in achieving a significant reduction of chlorpyrifos and dimethomorph for the management of pesticide residues in agriculture. Moreover, cutting-edge biotechnological alternatives to conventional pesticides are advocated for promoting a transition towards more sustainable pest control methodologies. Application of nanopesticides could be critical in addressing environmental concern due to its increased mobility, prolonged persistence and ecosystem toxicity. Green synthesis of nanopesticides offers solutions to environmental risks associated and using genetic engineering techniques may induce pest and disease resistance for agricultural sustainability. Production of nanopesticides from biological sources is necessary to develop and implement comprehensive strategies to uphold agricultural productivity while safeguarding environmental integrity., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: 'Incarcerated gravid uterus' is a morbid complication that occurs in 1 in 3000 pregnancies. It is characterized by failure of a retropositioned uterus to become an abdominal organ between 12 to 14 weeks of gestation. If maternal symptoms develop or gestational age surpasses 14 to 16 weeks, replacement of a retropositioned uterus is recommended to reduce adverse outcomes. Previously described techniques for management include passive reduction, digital replacement, or more invasive methods such as laparoscopy, laparotomy, or sigmoidoscopy. These methods are either minimally effective, painful, or risky., Objective: The objective of this report is to describe our clinical experience with a new minimally invasive technique that uses the transvaginal ultrasound probe for uterine replacement in cases of incarceration, to conduct a narrative literature review on 'incarcerated gravid uterus,' and to propose an algorithm for management of this condition., Study Design: This is a case series of 8 patients with an incarcerated gravid uterus who were managed with the transvaginal ultrasound probe technique at one academic medical institution between March 2020 and July 2023, as well as a narrative review of the literature on 'incarcerated gravid uterus.' PubMed, Google Scholar, and Ovid MEDLINE databases were searched for the terms "incarcerated gravid uterus," "uterine incarceration," "uterine sacculation," and "retroverted uterus" up to April 2024., Results: The transvaginal ultrasound probe technique resulted in successful uterine replacement, with resolution of symptoms, in all 8 patients. All pregnancies resulted in live births with good neonatal outcomes-7 out of 8 patients delivered at term, and 1 delivered in the late preterm period., Conclusion: Our proposed technique for treatment of an incarcerated gravid uterus with the transvaginal ultrasound probe is simple, minimally invasive and effective. Based on our experience and the narrative literature review, an algorithm for the management of an incarcerated gravid uterus is proposed., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Chitin is the second most abundant natural biopolymer, which is composed of N-acetyl glucosamine units linked by β-(1 → 4) Chitosan is an N-deacetylated product of chitin. Properties of chitosan and chitin, such as biocompatibility, non-toxic nature, and biodegradability, make them successful alternatives for energy and environmental applications. However, their low mechanical properties, small surface area, reduced thermal properties, and greater pore volume restrict the potential for adsorption applications. Multiple investigations have demonstrated that these flaws can be prevented by fabricating chitosan and chitin with carbon-based composites. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the fabrication of chitosan/chitin carbon-based materials. Furthermore, this review examines the prevalent technologies of functionalizing chitosan/chitin biopolymers and applications of chitin and chitosan as well as chitosan/chitin carbon-based composites, in various environmental fields (mitigating diverse water contaminants and developing biosensors). Also, the subsequent regeneration and reuse of adsorbents were also discussed. Finally, we summarize a concise overview of the difficulties and potential opportunities associated with the utilization of chitosan/chitin carbon-based composites as adsorbents to remove water contaminants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Nisar Ali reports financial support was provided by Huaiyin Institute of Technology. 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Women might benefit more than men from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and do so at shorter QRS durations., Objective: This meta-analysis was performed to determine whether sex-based differences in CRT effects are better accounted for by height, body surface area (BSA), or left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD)., Methods: We analyzed patient-level data from CRT trials (MIRACLE, MIRACLE ICD, MIRACLE ICD II, REVERSE, RAFT, COMPANION, and MADIT-CRT) using bayesian hierarchical Weibull regression models. Relationships between QRS duration and CRT effects were examined overall and in sex-stratified cohorts; additional analyses indexed QRS duration by height, BSA, or LVEDD. End points were heart failure hospitalization (HFH) or death and all-cause mortality., Results: Compared with men (n = 5628), women (n = 1439) were shorter (1.62 [interquartile range, 1.57-1.65] m vs 1.75 [1.70-1.80] m; P < .001), with smaller BSAs (1.76 [1.62-1.90] m 2 vs 2.02 [1.89-2.16] m 2 ; P < .001). In adjusted sex-stratified analyses, the reduction in HFH or death was greater for women (hazard ratio, 0.54; credible interval, 0.42-0.70) than for men (hazard ratio, 0.77; credible interval, 0.66-0.89; P interaction = .009); results were similar for all-cause mortality even after adjustment for height, BSA, and LVEDD. Sex-specific differences were observed only in nonischemic cardiomyopathy. The effect of CRT on HFH or death was observed at a shorter QRS duration for women (126 ms) than for men (145 ms). Indexing QRS duration by height, BSA, or LVEDD attenuated sex-specific QRS duration thresholds for the effects of CRT on HFH or death but not on mortality., Conclusion: Although body size partially explains sex-specific QRS duration thresholds for CRT benefit, it is not associated with the magnitude of CRT benefit. Indexing QRS duration for body size might improve selection of patients for CRT, particularly with a "borderline" QRS duration., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Daily supervised Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) medication has been identified as a barrier to treatment retention. Canadian OAT guidelines outline take-home dose (THD) criteria, yet, OAT prescribers use their clinical judgement to decide whether an individual is 'clinically stable' to receive THD. There is limited information regarding whether these decisions may result in inequitable access to THD, including in the context of updated COVID-19 guidance. The current Canadian OAT THD guideline synthesis and systematic review aimed to address this knowledge gap., Methods: This systematic review included a two-pronged approach. First, we searched available academic literature in Embase, Medline, and PsychINFO up until October 12th, 2022, to identify studies that compared characteristics of individuals on OAT who had and had not been granted access to THD to explore potential inequities in access. Next, we identified all Canadian national and provincial OAT guidelines through a semi-structured grey literature search (conducted between September-October 2022) and extracted all THD 'stability' and allowances/timeline criteria to compare against characteristics identified in the literature search. Data from both review arms were synthesized and narratively presented., Results: A total of n = 56 guidelines and n = 7 academic studies were included. The systematic review identified a number of patient characteristics such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, housing, employment, neighborhood income, drug use, mental health, health service utilization, as well as treatment duration that were associated with differential access to THD. The Canadian OAT THD guideline synthesis identified many of these same characteristics as 'stability' criteria, underscoring the potential for Canadian OAT guidelines to result in inequitable access to THD., Conclusions: This two-pronged literature review demonstrated that current guidelines likely contribute to inequitable OAT THD access due primarily to inconsistent 'stability' criteria across guidelines. More research is needed to understand differential OAT THD access with a focus on prescriber decision-making and evaluating associated treatment and safety outcomes. The development of a client-centered, equity-focused, and evidence-informed decision making framework that incorporates more clear definitions of 'stability' criteria and indications for prescriber discretion is warranted., 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 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Globally recognized as emergent contaminants, microplastics (MPs) are prevalent in aquaculture habitats and subject to intense management. Aquaculture systems are at risk of microplastic contamination due to various channels, which worsens the worldwide microplastic pollution problem. Organic contaminants in the environment can be absorbed by and interact with microplastic, increasing their toxicity and making treatment more challenging. There are two primary sources of microplastics: (1) the direct release of primary microplastics and (2) the fragmentation of plastic materials resulting in secondary microplastics. Freshwater, atmospheric and marine environments are also responsible for the successful migration of microplastics. Until now, microplastic pollution and its effects on aquaculture habitats remain insufficient. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the impact of microplastics on aquatic ecosystems. It highlights the sources and distribution of microplastics, their physical and chemical properties, and the potential ecological consequences they pose to marine and freshwater environments. The paper also examines the current scientific knowledge on the mechanisms by which microplastics affect aquatic organisms and ecosystems. By synthesizing existing research, this review underscores the urgent need for effective mitigation strategies and further investigation to safeguard the health and sustainability of aquatic ecosystems., 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.)

Background: The impacts of cannabis legalization on driving under the influence of cannabis and driving under the influence of alcohol among adults and adolescents were examined in Ontario, Canada., Methods: Data were sourced from adult (N=38,479) and adolescent (N=23,216) populations-based surveys (2001-2019). The associations between cannabis legalization and driving within an hour of using cannabis and driving within an hour of drinking two or more drinks of alcohol were quantified using logistic regression, with testing of multiplicative interactions between cannabis legalization and age and sex. All analyses were conducted separately for adults and adolescents and restricted to participants with a valid driver's license., Results: Cannabis legalization was not associated with driving within an hour of using cannabis among adults (OR, 95% CI: 1.21, 0.69-2.11). However, a multiplicative interaction indicated that there was an increased likelihood of driving within an hour of using cannabis among adults ≥55 years of age (4.23, 1.85-9.71) pre-post cannabis legalization. Cannabis legalization was not associated with driving within an hour of using cannabis among adolescents (0.92, 0.72-1.16), or with driving within an hour of consuming two or more drinks of alcohol among adults (0.78, 0.51-1.20) or adolescents (0.87, 0.42-1.82)., Conclusions: An increased likelihood of driving under the influence of cannabis among adults ≥55 years of age was detected in the year following cannabis legalization, suggesting the need for greater public awareness and education and police monitoring and enforcement concerning driving under the influence of cannabis, particularly among older adults., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No conflicts declared., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Removal of methyl iodide (CH 3 I) from the air present within nuclear facilities is a critical issue. In case of any nuclear accident, there is a great need to mitigate the radioactive organic iodide immediately as it accumulates in human bodies, causing severe consequences. Current research focuses on removing organic iodides, for which the surface of activated carbon (AC) was modified by impregnating it with different metals individually, i.e. Ag, Ni, Zn, Cu and with the novel combination of these four metals (AZNC). After the impregnation of metals, triethylenediamine (TEDA) was coated on metal impregnated activated carbon (IAC) surface. The adsorption capacity of the combination of four metals IAC was found to be 276 mg/g as the maximum for the trapping of CH 3 I. Whereas TEDA-metal impregnation on ACs enhanced the removal efficiency of CH 3 I up to 352 mg/g. After impregnation, adsorption capacity of AZNC and AZNCT is significantly higher as compared to AC. According to the finding, t 5% of AZNCT IAC is 46 min, which is considerably higher than the t 5% of other tested adsorbents. According to isotherm fitting data, Langmuir isotherm was found superior for describing CH 3 I sorption onto AC and IACs. Kinetics study shows that pseudo second order model represented the sorption of CH 3 I more accurately than the pseudo first order. Thermodynamic studies gave negative value of ΔG which shows that the reaction is spontaneous in nature. Based on the findings, AZNCT IAC appears to have a great potential for air purification applications in order to obtain clean environment., 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.)