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It is widely accepted that solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have the potential to be the most efficient and cost-effective system for the direct conversion of various fuels into electricity with low environmental pollution and high efficiency. Herein, we demonstrate a novel Fe-based high-entropy perovskite oxide as a cathode material for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). The high-entropy perovskite La 0.2 Pr 0.2 Sm 0.2 Nd 0.2 Sr 0.2 FeO 3-δ (HE-LSF), composed of La, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Sr is prepared by incorporating five components into the A-site of La 0.8 Sr 0.2 FeO 3-δ (LSF). Doping of Pr, Nd, Sm, and Sr into the A-site significantly enhances the redox stability of LSF and restrains the surface Sr-segregation in both oxidizing and reducing conditions. The electrode polarization resistance of the anode-supported single cell with HE-LSF cathode is significantly low at intermediate temperature. Meanwhile, at 800 °C, the power density is 1029.2 mW/cm2, and the polarization resistance (Rp) is 0.101 Ω cm2, while at 700 °C, the power density is 581.52 mW/cm2 with an Rp of 0.21 Ω cm2 in humidified H 2. Further, the HE-LSF cathode presents good and long-term stability at a constant voltage of 0.7 V for 100 h at 700 °C. The excellent electrochemical performance and stability results exhibit that Fe-based high-entropy perovskite oxide is a new promising candidate and cathode material for SOFCs at intermediate temperatures. [Display omitted] • Five components are incorporated in the A-site of LSF forming high entropy oxide. • Fe-based high entropy perovskite oxides are potential cathode materials for SOFCs. • HE-LSF-based single cell presents good stability under the operation condition. • High-entropy perovskite cathodes can suppress the Sr segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Convergence in Green Total Factor Productivity (GTFP) of 120 countries is studied. • GTFP showed an increasing trend conditional on regional heterogeneity. • Full sample GTFP divergence was witnessed and three convergent clubs were formed. • The 2030 agenda has a positive treatment effect on the global GTFP. • Indigenous and foreign innovations play crucial roles in club formation. This study employs the Biennial Malmquist-Luenberger (BML) productivity approach to measure Green Total Factor Productivity (GTFP) in 120 countries from 1990 to 2021. Next, the Phillips and Sul methodology is applied to investigate whether these countries have witnessed an absolute convergence process, or whether there has been a club convergence process. We also use an Ordered Logit method to identify the factors affecting the formation of clubs. Finally, the fuzzy regression discontinuity method is used to examine the exogenous shock of the 2030 agenda on the global GTFP. The key findings are presented as: (1) during the study period, the global GTFP on average has shown an upward trajectory. The European region performed better than the other regions, whereas Sub-Saharan Africa lagged in GTFP. Developed economies led in technological progress, while developing ones have achieved slightly higher carbon efficiency; (2) although the full sample divergence was supported, three clubs were identified with significant disparities in GTFP. We found that per capita GDP, industrial structure, energy structure, and particularly, indigenous and foreign innovations play major roles in explaining the formation of convergence clubs; (3) there was an apparent positive jump at the cut-off, indicating agenda 2030′s favorable treatment effect on the global GTFP. Therefore, all countries, poorer and richer alike, should use the half-way momentum to self-critically review and revise their national SDG strategies and commit to strengthening multilateralism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measles has been a significant public health concern in Pakistan, especially in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, where sporadic and silent epidemics continue to challenge existing control measures. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and investigate the molecular epidemiology of the measles virus (MeV) in KPK and explore the vaccination status among the suspected individuals. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and October 2021. A total of 336 suspected measles cases from the study population were analyzed for IgM antibodies using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Throat swabs were randomly collected from a subset of positive cases for molecular analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of MeV isolates was performed using the neighbor-joining method. The vaccination status of individuals was also recorded. Among the suspected participants, 61.0% (205/336) were ELISA positive for IgM antibodies, with a higher prevalence in males (64.17%) compared to females (57.04%). The majority of cases (36.0%) were observed in infants and toddlers, consistent with previous reports. The majority of IgM-positive cases (71.7%) had not received any dose of measles vaccine, highlighting gaps in vaccine coverage and the need for improved immunization programs. Genetic analysis revealed that all MeV isolates belonged to the B3 genotype, with minor genetic variations from previously reported variants in the region. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic epidemiology of the MeV in KPK, Pakistan. The high incidence of measles infection among unvaccinated individuals highlights the urgency of raising awareness about vaccine importance and strengthening routine immunization programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics are gradually becoming less effective against bacteria worldwide, and this issue is of particular concern in economically-developing nations like Pakistan. We undertook a scoping review in order to review the literature on antimicrobial use, prescribing, dispensing and the challenges associated with antimicrobial resistance in primary care (PC) settings in Pakistan. Furthermore, this review aims to identify potential solutions to promote appropriate use of antimicrobials in Pakistan. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist, a comprehensive scoping review was conducted to review the literature of antimicrobials used, prescribed and dispensed in PC settings in Pakistan. Google Scholar and Pub-Med were searched for the period 2000–2023. Papers were analyzed on the basis of eligibility i.e., included antimicrobial use, prescribing and dispensing practices by general population at homes, by prescribers in outpatient departments of hospitals and by pharmacists/dispensers in community pharmacies, respectively. Two researchers analyzed the articles thoroughly and disagreements were resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. Both quantitative and qualitative research studies were eligible for inclusion. Additionally, the selected papers were grouped into different themes. We identified 4070 papers out of which 46 studies satisfied our eligibility criteria. The findings revealed limited understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by physicians and community pharmacists along with inappropriate practices in prescribing and dispensing antibiotics. Moreover, a notable prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics was observed among the general population, underscoring a lack of awareness and knowledge concerning proper antibiotic usage. Given the clinical and public health implications of AMR, Pakistan must prioritize its policies in PC settings. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) need to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and dispensing, improve their understanding of the AWaRe (access, watch and reserve antibiotics) classification and guidance, monitor current usage and resistance trends, as well as implement antimicrobial stewardship (ASP) activities starting in targeted locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergency department is the most affected by physical and verbal abuse and bullying in health care. Violence against health care workers not only affects their safety, but also their performance and motivation. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated determinants of violence against health care personnel. A cross-sectional study design was used with 182 health care personnel at the emergency department tertiary care hospital of Karachi, Pakistan. Data were collected through a questionnaire comprised of 2 sections: (1) demographic questions and (2) statements to identify the prevalence of workplace violence and bullying among health care personnel. Nonprobability purposive sampling was used for recruitment. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the prevalence and determinants of violence and bullying. Most participants were younger than 40 years of age (n = 106, 58.2%). Participants were mainly nurses (n = 105, 57.7%) and physicians (n = 31, 17.0%). Participants reported experiencing sexual abuse (n = 5, 2.7%), physical violence (n = 30, 16.50%), verbal abuse (n = 107, 58.8%), and bullying (n = 49, 26.9%). The odds of experiencing physical violence were 3.7 times greater (confidence interval = 1.6-9.2) when there was not a procedure for reporting workplace violence compared to when there was a procedure. Attention is required to identify the prevalence of workplace violence. Creating effective policies and procedures for a reporting system would potentially lead to lowering violence rates and positively impacting health care workers' well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is infrequent to have a single metal in the wastewater. For this reason, the elimination of Pb2+ and Cd2+ in one and two-component system was examined by xanthate-modified Phaseolus vulgaris in a batch mode. Through grafting, sulphur-bearing groupings with the help of magnesium xanthate were added onto P. vulgaris and xanthate-modified innovative P. vulgaris biosorbent has been produced for the removal of metal ions, that is, lead and cadmium. These innovative sulphur sites were attained successfully and confirmed with the help of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and change in surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy. The point of zero charges pHpzc of xanthate-modified P. vulgaris was observed to be 7.20 which makes it appropriate for the sorption of cations. The batch sorption implementation of xanthate-modified P. vulgaris includes sorbent amount, pH, linear and non-linear regression analysis, and kinetic curves. The xanthate-modified P. vulgaris adsorbed 95.65% cadmium (at pH 4.0) and 90.36% of lead (at pH 5.0) from a single aqueous system. The sorption of Pb2+ and Cd2+ by xanthate-modified P. vulgaris follow the linear regression of Langmuir isotherm with qmax of 160.97 and 150.50 mg/L, respectively which is substantially greater than that of many other reported ones. The xanthate-modified P. vulgaris demonstrated rapid uptake capacity of Pb2+ and Cd2+ following the high value of correlation coefficient with pseudo-second-order kinetics. This sorption process for Pb2+ and Cd2+ was found to be endothermic and spontaneous. The binding capacities however reduced in the binary system. This, therefore revealed that the xanthate-modified P. vulgaris can be an encouraging biosorbent for the remediation of Pb2+ and Cd2+ from contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy poverty in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries is a complex issue that needs careful and targeted solutions. Tens of millions of households in OECD countries struggle to pay for enough electricity and heating to meet their basic needs. Thus, it is essential to make a detailed assessment of rural energy poverty with an integrated approach. In so doing, we first measure rural energy poverty composite index across 38 OECD countries and their 5 major partners from 2000 to 2021. We then explored the linear effect of renewable energy technologies on energy poverty alleviation. Moreover, the mediating effect of green taxes on rural energy poverty through renewable energy technologies was analysed. Finally, the fuzzy regression discontinuity (FRD) method is employed to address the endogeneity issue associated with the assignment of the 2030 United Nations (UN) Agenda and to identify treatment effects. The results show that rural energy poverty improves over time. However, significant spatiotemporal disparities in alleviation efforts are found across countries. The results of Method of Moment Quantile Regression (MMQR) approach reveal that renewable energy technologies can accelerate rural energy poverty mitigation in the sample countries. We find that green taxation is an important mediating channel through which the adoption of renewable energy technologies alleviates rural energy poverty. The results of the Fuzzy-RD show that the 2030 UN agenda was effective in increasing the likelihood of rural energy poverty mitigation. The results remain consistent after a battery of robustness tests. This study offers valuable insights that can aid policymakers in formulating robust public policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus pandemic has substantially influenced the transmission pattern of other respiratory viruses. However, screening and detecting other respiratory pathogens was unheeded during this time to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. High virulence and re assortment factors intensify the importance of influenza virus surveillance for effective disease management. Therefore, the present surveillance study was designed to determine the influenza positivity rate from 2008–24. This study will provide integral support in depicting a panoramic representation of two respiratory-pandemic periods, 2010–11 and 2019–2021, for influenza and COVID-19 pandemics, respectively. An inferential cross-sectional study was conducted from 2008 to 2024 by collecting influenza surveillance data from twelve sentinel sites in Pakistan. Clinical and demographic data was recorded at sample collection time. Specimens were collected through nasopharyngeal/throat swabs and stored in viral transport medium (VTM) at the sentinel site laboratory at 2‐4 °C. Viral RNA was isolated from the samples using KingFisher TM Flex Purification System and MagMAX™ Viral/Pathogen Nucleic Acid Extraction Kit. Within 16 years, 78118 samples were tested for influenza, of which 7999 (10.2 %) appeared positive. The positivity rate appeared very low in recent years, with only a 3.5 % positivity rate observed in 2020. Influenza A strain H1N1pdm09 seemed to be the prominent strain (n = 3407, 42.6 %), followed by influenza B (n = 2125, 26.6 %). Conclusion: The positivity of influenza samples was 10.2 % and recorded in patients where typical clinical representation of influenza was absent. Fewer samples were reported during the coronavirus pandemic, which might be because influenza screening was hindered and overlooked to combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the patient threshold was very high for COVID-19 virus screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]