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Background: Robotic surgical procedures continue to increase both in the United States (US) and worldwide. Several novel robotic surgical platforms are under development or undergoing regulatory approval. This review explores robotic platforms that are expected to reach US consumers within the next 2–3 years. Methods: The SAGES Robotic Platforms Working Group identified robotic surgery platforms in various stages of development and selected multi-visceral systems nearing or completing the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process. We outline key system components including architecture, unique features, development status, regulatory approval, and expected markets. Results: We identified twenty robotic platforms that met our selection criteria. Ten companies were based in North America, and ten were based in Europe or Asia. Each system is described in detail and key features are summarized in table form for easy comparison. Conclusion: The emergence of novel robotic surgical platforms represents an important evolution in the growth of minimally invasive surgery. Increased competition has the potential to bring value to surgical patients by stimulating innovation and driving down cost. The impact of these platforms remains to be determined, but the continued growth of robotic surgery seems to be all but assured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasal polyps are epithelial and stromal non-neoplastic proliferations of nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Nasal polyps are a consequence of damage in the epithelium of the nasal mucosa. Since eosinophils are the main inflammatory cells in the substantial proportion of nasal polyp tissues, they are considered potentially responsible for the etiopathogenesis and prognosis of the disease. This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the department of ENT, H&NS, Government Medical College, Srinagar. A total of 62 patients were included in the study. The recorded data was compiled and entered in a spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel) and then exported to data editor of SPSS Version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). A total of 62 patients participated in the study. Majority of subjects were in the age group of 60–69 and the least number in 20–29. 47 patients had a mean lund kennedyscore of 13.34 ± 1.178 with peripheral eosinophil count of ≥ 500 and 15 patients had a score of 7.00 ± 0.632 with peripheral eosinophil count of < 500. 50 patients had a mean lund kennedy score of 13.04 ± 1.359 with tissue eosinophil count of ≥ 10/HPF and 12 patients had a score of 7.16 ± 0.669 with atissue eosinophil count of < 10/HPF. The conducted study indicates that the levels of tissue and peripheral osinophils are positively related to severity of nasal polyps as indicated by Lund Kennedy scores. Also, our study concluded that the disease has male preponderance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Given the increasing interest for surgeons to reclaim the common bile duct in managing choledocholithiasis, there is a growing movement to perform common bile duct exploration (CBDE). Advantages of concomitant CBDE with cholecystectomy include fewer anesthetic events and decreased length of stay. As there is a paucity of literature evaluating the use of the robotic platform for CBDE, our study aims to compare intraoperative and post-operative outcomes between robotic-assisted one-stage and two-stage management of choledocholithiasis. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed from May 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023, identifying patients with choledocholithiasis who underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy and transcystic CBDE with choledochoscopy (one-stage management). Preoperative, intraoperative, and post-operative variables were compared to a control group of subjects with choledocholithiasis who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy with pre- or post-operative ERCP (two-stage management). Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-squared, Fisher's exact, Student's T, or Mann–Whitney test. Results: Fifty-three subjects who underwent one-stage management and 101 subjects who underwent two-stage management met inclusion criteria. Groups had similar demographics and medical history. Time to CBD clearance (45.2 h vs 47.0 h, p =.036), total length of stay (3.9 days vs 5.1 days, p =.007), fluoroscopy time (70.3 s vs 151.4 s, p <.001), and estimated radiation dose (23.0 mSv vs 40.3 mSv, p =.002) were significantly lower in the one-stage group compared to two-stage. Clearance rates, complication rates, and 30-day readmission rates were similar for both groups. Total length of stay and radiation exposure remained significantly lower on subanalysis comparing one-stage management to two-stage management with ERCP either before or after cholecystectomy. Conclusion: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy with transcystic common bile duct exploration via choledochoscopy is a safe and feasible option in the management of choledocholithiasis. It offers a shorter time to duct clearance, shorter length of stay, and less radiation exposure when compared to two-stage management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In peri-urban areas, use of industrial wastewater for irrigation is a common practice. Industrial wastewater contains cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and other elements that deteriorate food quality and affect human health. Biochar has been proven to remediate heavy metal contaminated soil by reducing their mobility and bioavailability. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of different levels of biochar on spinach growth with low heavy metal concentration and to minimize associated health issues. The experiment lasted two months and the treatments: Control (tap water), untreated and treated industrial wastewater and both in combination with biochar (0.5% and 1%) were applied in completely randomized design. Findings suggested that treated industrial wastewater with 1% biochar resulted in maximum plant height, shoot weight, chlorophyll contents (SPAD value), photosynthetic and transpiration rate. Biochar significantly reduced heavy metal mobility in soil due to its porous structure, high pH, higher CEC, and variety of surface functional groups. The cumulative hazard index (HI), hazard quotient, cancer risk, and total cancer risk (TCR) were calculated using method provided by US-EPA for each metal. All treatments had HI values of < 1, however applying 1% biochar significantly reduced the HI values to 2.00E-01 and 2.88E-01 in adults and children, respectively. TCR for all treatments was < 1, while treated industrial wastewater and biochar (1%) has significantly reduced to 1.55E-02 and 1.91E-03 for adults and children, respectively. Thus, it was determined that irrigation with industrial effluents caused toxicity in vegetables, which had a negative impact on human health. Biochar effectively mitigated metal toxicity in both soil and spinach plants that resulted in reduced health/cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an organ-specific autoimmune disorder characterized by the destruction of pancreatic β cells, leading to absolute insulin deficiency. The genes NLRP3, ICAM-1, PTPN22, and INS are reportedly associated with T1D in other populations. However, the genetic pattern of T1D in the Pakistani population is not clear. This study aimed to find the association of polymorphisms in the PTPN22, INS, NLRP3, and ICAM-1 genes with T1D susceptibility in the Pakistani population. Methodology: This case-control study includes 100 T1D patients (3–14 years), recruited randomly from the pediatric endocrinology department of Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan and 100 age-matched healthy controls were selected from different localities of the same population. The polymorphisms in PTPN22 (rs601, rs33996649, rs2488457), INS (rs80356664), NLRP3 (rs10754558, rs35829419), and ICAM-1 (rs1799969, rs5498) genes were genotyped by Sanger sequencing. The genotypic and allelic frequencies, haplotypes, and linkage disequilibrium were computed using the genetic toolset PLINK to investigate their relationship to T1D. Results: The results indicate that the occurrence of the GT genotype of the rs33996649 variant is significantly higher in children with T1D compared to a control group of healthy individuals (P = 0.001, OR: 2.0, 95% CI = 0.15–0.45). Furthermore, the CT genotype of rs2488457 was notably associated with T1D patients (P = 0.007, OR: 2.8, 95% CI = 0.56–0.67). The CG genotype of rs80356664 showed a slight association with T1D (P = 0.03, OR: 1.9, 95% CI = 0.35–0.59). The prevalence of the AT genotype of rs10754558 showed a strong association with T1D (P = 0.005, OR: 3.4, 95% CI = 0.45–0.69). The TG genotype of rs5498 was also strongly associated with T1D (P = 0.009, OR: 2.8, 95% CI = 0.75–0.89). Conclusion: The present study provides evidence that SNPs in the PTPN22, INS, NLRP3, and ICAM-1 genes are associated with the development of T1D. Further research is needed to explore their potential use in genetic screening and personalized medication. Significance: That is already known on this topic?: The genes NLRP3, ICAM-1, PTPN22, and INS have been associated with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) in ‎various populations. However, there is limited knowledge about their specific genetic patterns in the ‎Pakistani population, necessitating this study to explore these associations. What this study hopes to add?: This study hopes to provide valuable data by identifying significant associations between ‎polymorphisms in the PTPN22, INS, NLRP3, and ICAM-1 genes and T1D susceptibility in Pakistani ‎children. How this study might affect research, practice, or policy?: The findings could enhance genetic screening protocols and personalized medicine in Pakistan by ‎identifying key genetic variants, assessing their impact on disease presentation, and discovering ‎novel disease pathways. This can lead to new drug development and inform policies on early ‎intervention programs and resource allocation for ASD services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgical care significantly contributes to healthcare-associated greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Surgeon attitudes about mitigation of the impact of surgical practice on environmental sustainability remains poorly understood. To better understand surgeon perspectives globally, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons and the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery established a joint Sustainability in Surgical Practice (SSP) Task Force and distributed a survey on sustainability. Methods: Our survey asked about (1) surgeon attitudes toward sustainability, (2) ability to estimate the carbon footprint of surgical procedures and supplies, (3) concerns about the negative impacts of sustainable interventions, (4) willingness to change specific practices, and (5) preferred educational topics and modalities. Questions were primarily written in Likert-scale format. A clustering analysis was performed to determine whether survey respondents could be grouped into distinct subsets to inform future outreach and education efforts. Results: We received 1024 responses, predominantly from North America and Europe. The study revealed that while 63% of respondents were motivated to enhance the sustainability of their practice, less than 10% could accurately estimate the carbon footprint of surgical activities. Most were not concerned that sustainability efforts would negatively impact their practice and showed readiness to adopt proposed sustainable practices. Online webinars and modules were the preferred educational methods. A clustering analysis identified a group particularly concerned yet willing to adopt sustainable changes. Conclusion: Surgeons believe that operating room waste is a critical issue and are willing to change practice to improve it. However, there exists a gap in understanding the environmental impact of surgical procedures and supplies, and a sizable minority have some degree of concern about potential adverse consequences of implementing sustainable policies. This study uniquely provides an international, multidisciplinary snapshot of surgeons' attitudes, knowledge, concerns, willingness, and preferred educational modalities related to mitigating the environmental impact of surgical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-engineered metal oxide nanomaterials are currently being used extensively in various biomedical areas. The present study represents the synthesis of ZnO, Ag2O nanoparticles (NPs), and their nanocomposite (NC) using chemical methods like sol–gel and co-precipitation. Various characterization tools like X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to examine the morphology and structure of synthesized materials. The prime objective of this work was to evaluate some key biomedical applications like antibacterial, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities of the abovementioned nanomaterials after loading with curcumin. For bactericidal activity, the nanomaterials were used against gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria by agar well diffusion method. All the synthesized nanomaterials showed potential antibacterial activity against the selected bacterial strains. The zones of inhibitions (ZOI) of curcumin-loaded nanomaterials were consistently found to be greater than the bare nanoparticles. It was further demonstrated that ZOI increases with an increase in the concentration of nanomaterial. For antidiabetic activity, the α-glucosidase inhibition was studied by taking acarbose as a standard. The anticancer activity was tested against MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer cells) which is more aggressive than other types. The analyses showed that the green synthesized particles with curcumin and their combined therapies were more efficient as compared to the synthetic ones. Further, the curcumin-loaded ZnO/Ag2O NC manifests significantly enhanced anticancer, antidiabetic, and antibacterial activities as compared to the rest of the systems prepared in this investigation. This enhanced effectiveness can be associated with the stability and bioavailability of the NC. For antidiabetic activity, the inhibitory concentration (IC50) value (10.17 μM) for curcumin-loaded NC was found closer to the standard (10.23 μM). For anticancer activity, compared to bare, curcumin-loaded nanomaterials showed enhanced cytotoxic effects and therefore can be used as potential anticancer agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent worldwide health concern, requiring the exploration for novel antimicrobial interventions. A Gram-negative bacterium, Chromobacterium violaceum, synthesizes quorum-sensing-regulated violacein pigment, develops resilient biofilms, and is often used for the screening of anti-infective drugs. The aim of this work is to assess the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of three polyphenols: 1,4-naphthoquinone, caffeic acid, and piperine. The determination of antibacterial activity was conducted by the agar overlay and broth microdilution techniques. Analysis of membrane rupture was conducted by crystal violet uptake and β-galactosidase assay. Inhibition of biofilm was evaluated using a 96-well microtiter plate assay. Biofilm structures were visualized using light, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and confocal laser scanning electron microscopy (CLSM). Among the phytochemicals, 1,4-naphthoquinone exhibited the highest antibacterial action (25 mm zone of inhibition). The minimum inhibitory concentration of 1,4-naphthoquinone was determined to be 405 µM. Outer and inner membrane permeability was enhanced by 52.01% and 1.28 absorbance, respectively. Violacein production was reduced by 74.85%, and biofilm formation was suppressed by 63.25% at sub-MIC levels (202.5 µM). Microscopic analyses confirmed reduced adhesion on surfaces. Hemolytic activity of 1,4-naphthoquinone showed a concentration-dependent effect, with 32.16% haemolysis at 202.5 µM. Molecular docking revealed significant interactions of 1,4-naphthoquinone with DNA gyrase followed by CviR. These findings highlight 1,4-naphthoquinone’s potent antibacterial efficacy against C. violaceum, proposing its use as a surface coating agent to prevent biofilm formation on medical devices, thereby offering a promising strategy to combat bacterial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the most common congenital conditions detected globally, congenital heart diseases, and CT techniques provide a high-quality and thorough presentation of heart anatomy, thoracic vasculature, and extracardiac structures, and hence, it is becoming a more popular non-invasive diagnostic imaging method for congenital heart disease. The drawbacks with CT imaging are the radiation exposure from repeated scans is also rising, especially in young patients. The present study is aimed to evaluate the radiation dose in gated and non-gated cardiac CT for preoperative diagnosis of pediatric patients with congenital heart diseases. Results: A total of 111 pediatric patients with mean age of 7.47 years were prospectively included in the study. The mean value of "Effective dose (E)" for gated CT at 100 kV p was found to be 4.71 mSv which is higher than mean "E" of 3.95 mSv observed for gated CT at 80 kV p . The average value of "E" for non-gated technique was observed less than that of gated technique at both 100 kV p and 80 kV p . The multiple regression analysis shows that "E" is significantly dependent on DLP mGy cm for both gated and non-gated techniques at 95% level of significance p < 0.05 . The Student's t-test verifies that the mean value of "E" for both the techniques at 100 kV p and 80 kV p are significantly different at 95% level of significance p < 0.05 . Conclusions: The effective dose received by pediatric patients is much higher when using ECG-gated acquisition with an average value of 4.71 mSv and 3.95 mSv at 100 kV p , and at 80 kV p respectively. Because low-voltage X-rays are more sensitive to high atomic number iodinated contrast media, the mean "E" for non-gated cardiac CT imaging at 80 kV p is 2.26 mSv , and results in significant reduction of effective dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Calcified coronary arteries encountered during percutaneous intervention increase the probability of unsuccessful procedures. Heavy calcification of coronary arteries may lead to suboptimal stent expansion. Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is a novel method of transmitting sonic waves in pulses, which fractures the calcific plaque in the vessel with minimal soft tissue injury. This study systematically reviews and summarizes the reported clinical scenarios in which IVL was successfully used in coronary lesions. Main text: Articles were obtained by searching PubMed and Embase databases for IVL use in coronary arteries. We restricted the search to case reports. Our study included 84 patients from 70 case reports/case series. The mean age was 70.3 years (SD 10) and ranged from 27 to 96 years, and 67% were males. The indications for the angiogram that led to the use of IVL include chest pain (37.7%), non-ST elevated myocardial infarction (27.9%), ST elevated myocardial infarction (13.1%), and previous under-expanded stent (8.2%). The IVL was used in the left anterior descending artery (60.7%), right coronary artery (35.7%), left main disease (23.8%), and left circumflex (9.5%). Coronary IVL was safely and successfully used in different clinical scenarios for heavily calcified coronary lesions, including in-stent restenosis of native coronary arteries, saphenous vein grafts, and under-expanded stents. In addition, IVL was successfully used synergistically with orbital and rotational atherectomy and drug-coated balloon angioplasty in select patients. Conclusion: IVL has successfully been used in an expanding array of clinical scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin B6 is an essential micronutrient for humans which is synthesized in plants via de novo pathway. Since this pathway involves only two enzymes, it can be easily exploited to develop biofortified crops. In the present study, we investigated the effect of overexpressing PDX2 gene from Arabidopsis under endosperm-specific promoter for enhancing B6 levels in wheat seeds. Calli of two elite wheat varieties, Faisalabad-2008 and Galaxy, were transformed with PDX2 construct in expression vector via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with the efficiency of 2.11% and 1.09%, respectively. Among the ten transgenic lines evaluated, the highest gene expression observed was 22.49-fold leading to 6.49-fold increase in B6 accumulation in mature seeds determined via HPLC. Vitamin B6 accumulation did not alter the chlorophyll content. However, the soluble protein content significantly decreased in some transgenic lines as compared to control plants. Some Faisalabad-2008 transgenic lines exhibited significant increase while all Galaxy transgenic lines showed significant decrease in their carbohydrate content than control plants. Moreover, seed yield increased in some transgenic lines without posing any variation in other agro-economically important traits. Previously vitamin B6 accumulation has been reported to confer resistance to abiotic factors because of its antioxidant properties. However, the transgene expression and vitamin B6 accumulation in the seed did not confer salt resistance to the transgenic lines. The amount of proline increased in salt-stressed plants while chlorophyll, protein, carbohydrate, and relative water content decreased. Thus, overexpression of PDX2 under seed-specific promoter enhances accumulation of vitamin B6 without conferring any resistance to salt stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, alcohol addiction has become a major public health concern and a global threat due to its potential negative health and social impacts. Beyond the health consequences, the detrimental consumption of alcohol results in substantial social and economic burdens on both individuals and society as a whole. Therefore, a proper understanding and effective control of the spread of alcohol addictive behavior has become an appealing global issue to be solved. In this study, we develop a new mathematical model of alcohol addiction with treatment class. We analyze the dynamics of the alcohol addiction model for the first time using advanced operators known as fractal–fractional operators, which incorporate two distinct fractal and fractional orders with the well-known Caputo derivative based on power law kernels. The existence and uniqueness of the newly developed fractal–fractional alcohol addiction model are shown using the Picard–Lindelöf and fixed point theories. Initially, a comprehensive qualitative analysis of the alcohol addiction fractional model is presented. The possible equilibria of the model and the threshold parameter called the reproduction number are evaluated theoretically and numerically. The boundedness and biologically feasible region for the model are derived. To assess the stability of the proposed model, the Ulam–Hyers coupled with the Ulam–Hyers–Rassias stability criteria are employed. Moreover, utilizing effecting numerical schemes, the models are solved numerically and a detailed simulation and discussion are presented. The model global dynamics are shown graphically for various values of fractional and fractal dimensions. The present study aims to provide valuable insights for the understanding the dynamics and control of alcohol addiction within a community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper oxide nanoparticles calcined at temperatures varying from 500 to 900 °C were prepared through non-aqueous sol–gel route by using 2-ethyl hexanol as a modifying agent. Phase composition, presence of functional groups, thermal behavior, surface morphology and elemental composition of the prepared samples were identified by XRD, IR, TGA, FESEM and EDX. The results revealed the formation of single phase, i.e., monoclinic tenorite copper oxide with its entire transformation after calcination at 500 °C. Polyhedron shape nanoparticles of size below 100 nm were formed with a significant increase in the particle size and agglomeration due to nucleation growth of nanoparticles with the rise in calcination temperature. The synthesized samples showed a direct band gap of 4.08–4.14 eV. The study revealed that following the non-aqueous sol–gel process with 2-ethyl hexanol as a modifying agent inhibited agglomeration resulting in the formation of well-dispersed nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer accounts for most deaths due to cancer in women, majorly in developing nations. The culprit behind this disease is the human papillomavirus (HPV) which accounts for more than 90% of cervical cancer cases. The viral strains produce proteins that favor the knocking down of the apoptosis process and continuous growth of cells in the cervix leading to tumor growth. Proangiogenic growth factors, such as fibroblast growth factor (FGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietins, and other endothelial growth factors (EGF), are secreted by tumor cells and the surrounding microenvironment, which further advances the development of cancer. The extracellular domain of receptor tyrosine kinases is employed by ligands (like VEGF and EGF) to engage and activate them by inducing receptor dimerization, which facilitates the cascade impact of these factors. The tyrosine kinase domains of each receptor autophosphorylate each other, activating the receptor and initiating signaling cascades that promote angiogenesis, migration, proliferation, and survival of endothelial cells. Cancer cells benefit from its modified signaling pathways, which cause oncogenic activation. Upon early cervical cancer detection, the second-line therapy strategy involves blocking the signaling pathways with VEGF and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). This review paper highlights the genesis of cervical cancer and combating it using VEGF and tyrosine kinase inhibitors by delving into the details of the currently available inhibitors. Further, we have discussed the inhibitor molecules that are currently in various phases of clinical trials. This paper will surely enhance the understanding of cervical cancer and its treatment approaches and what further interventions can be done to alleviate the disease currently serving as a major health burden in the developing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Berberine is an isoquinolone alkaloid present in a wide variety of plants. Other than Type 2 diabetes and hypertension it is also found to have an effect in lowering blood cholesterol levels. However, because of its poor oral bioavailability and substantial first pass hepatic metabolism it is consumed in higher dosage leading to side effects. To reduce dosage and avoid adverse effects, transdermal delivery is investigated using transethosomal gel as a carrier. Transethosomes are ethanolic nanocarriers that are specifically designed for the dermal or transdermal delivery route as it has enhanced permeation of the vesicles. In our study we have successfully investigated the potential use of berberine loaded transethosomal gel (BBR-TE) as a carrier for transdermal delivery. Three-level three-factorial Box Behnken Design was used to optimize BBR-TE (Opt-BBR-TE). The optimized formulation was further evaluated and found to have a particle size of 165.70 nm with entrapment efficiency of 79.60±4.07%. The in vitro drug release study suggested the non-Fickian transport mechanism. The ex vivo skin permeation was found to be 94.35±3.64% when compared to berberine conventional formulation. Berberine has also shown promising antioxidant activity when compared to the standard solution and was entrapped inside TE vesicles in non-crystalline form. The Opt-BBR-TE was converted into gel form. Various parameters of the gel such as pH, Drug Content, Spreadability and extrudability were found to have promising results. Present study data revealed that the developed transethosomal gel formulation was found to be a potentially useful drug carrier for transdermal delivery of berberine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A four-level atomic medium driven by probe and control fields is used to control and modify linear and nonlinear absorption and gain. The normal and anomalous dispersions as well as group index are also controlled by the strength and parameters of driving fields. The angular momentum l of the redefined Rabi frequencies of the control fields intensify the number of absorption and gain peaks according to 2 l 2 condition. Normal dispersion is observed in the region of gain while anomalous dispersion is noted in the region of absorption. The negative group index is studied in the anomalous dispersive region and the positive group index is associated with the normal dispersion region. The normal/anomalous dispersive region and positive/negative group index region also increased by the angular momentum l of the control fields according to 2 l 2 formula. A positive group index of 1000 is calculated, which reduces the group velocity to 3 × 10 5 m/s . An approximate negative group index of - 1000 is calculated, demonstrating superluminality of the group velocity at - 1 / 3 × 10 5 m/s . The modified results of the current study are useful for speeding up computer chips and time cloak technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their stability, eco-friendly nature, lack of lead, and high performance, double perovskites are promising materials for solar cells, thermoelectric generators, and renewable energy applications. This study investigates the structural, dynamical, elastic, and optoelectronic properties of Cs2TlGaX6 (X = Cl, F) compounds using first-principles calculations with the WIEN2k code. While the PBE-GGA method accurately predicts ground state properties, it underestimates band gaps. To address this, the TB-mBJ approach, known for precise semiconductor bandgap calculations, was used. Calculated formation energy confirmed the thermodynamic stability of both compounds, with Cs2TlGaF6 (-2.81 eV) more stable than Cs2TlGaCl6 (-1.79 eV). Imaginary frequencies absence indicates phonon stability. Structural optimization plots reveal stable unit cell configurations, and elastic property analysis confirms their ductile nature and resistance to cracking. Cs2TlGaCl6 behaves as an indirect wide band gap semiconductor (3.78 eV), suitable for various applications, while Cs2TlGaF6 exhibits insulating behavior with a larger band gap (6.23 eV). Optical properties were also calculated, suggesting potential applications in optoelectronics, photonics, and semiconductors within the ultraviolet energy ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-Focus Image Fusion (MFIF) involves generation of a solitary coherent image from several images coming from the same scene taken at different focal lengths. The precision of the identified focus area is critical for multi-focus satellite image fusion to improve image quality. A common problem with satellite image fusion techniques is that the sharp edges at the boundaries produce visual distortion and spatial inconsistencies. To address these issues, fusion of multi-focus satellite images based on Edge Discriminative Diffusion Filter (EDDF) is proposed in this article. EDDF uses the Anisotropic Diffusion (AD) adopted with Guided Filter (GF). Boundaries of local and global feature of an image would be discriminated by AD to maintain spatial consistency and edges will be preserved with GF to reduce visual distortion. In this technique, source images are transformed into detail and base layers in order to acquire low-pass and high-pass information. Next, saliency maps of these source images will be processed through proposed EDDF which generates weight maps. Fused detail and base layers are generated by multiplying EDDF coefficients with detail and base layers. Finally, the algebraic sum of fused detail and fused base layers will generate the desired fused image. Several tests, quantitative and qualitative, have revealed that the proposed technique excels a subset of the state-of-the-art alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat transport analysis corresponded to converging/diverging consideration has attained the attensions because of engineering and industrial utilization. Typical examples encompass cold drawing operation in polymer industry, enhancement of rate of heat transport during process of heat exchangers for milk flowing, molten polymers extrusion via converging dies, processing plants, power stations, and numerous others. Due to this fact, the present analysis has been established. The current research describes the hybrid nanofluid flow through convergent/divergent channel in the regime of hydromagnetic phenomenon. Here, water based nanoparticles i.e., graphene oxide and polystyrene are considered. Heat transport under the viscous dissipation and heat generation/ absorption is evaluated. Velocity slip condition is also imposed on channel wall. Suitable variables are employed to get strong form of non-dimensional coupled equations which are solved by using homotopic analytical technique. The results for velocity and temperature against pertinent parameters are analyzed through graphs. Effects of skin friction and Nusselt numbers are presented through graphs. The current investigation tells us that surface drag has diminished for Reynolds and Hartmann number. Furthermore, dissipative factor intensifies the heat transport rate. Owing by such applications, the present examination has been established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chief source of water pollution is industrial wastewater containing dyes. In current study, the optimum conditions for removal of Red-XGRL dye by green metal oxide polymeric nanocomposites were determined via batch and column study. The synthesized materials were characterized via SEM, FTIR and thermal analysis. The optimum pH for attaining maximum adsorption capacity of WD, WD-ZnO-PTh, WD-ZnO-PAN and WD-ZnO-PPY was found to be 8 (12.9 mg/g), 10 (30.2 mg/g), 11 (35.8 mg/g) and 11 (40 mg/g), respectively, and optimum dose was found to be 0.05 g/50 mL. The highest adsorption potential for all composite materials was attained within 90 min and maximum adsorption potential for WD (40.8 mg/g), WD-ZnO-PTh (60.7 mg/g), WD-ZnO-PAN (70.4 mg/g) and WD-ZnO-PPY (86.3 mg/g) was obtained using 200 mg/L dye concentration at 30 °C. The adsorption data showed better fitness to pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir sorption isotherm giving significant R2 values of 0.95–0.99 and 0.97–0.99, respectively. Thermodynamic study showed exothermic nature of sorption. During column study, optimum adsorbent bed height, dye flow rate and inlet initial dye concentration to attain highest adsorption (35 mgg−1) were determined to be 3 cm, 1.8 mL min−1 and 70 mg/L, respectively. Hence, the present study aimed to remove Red-XGRL dye proved that these green metal oxide polymeric nanocomposites could efficiently be synthesized and utilized for efficient removal of Red-XGRL dye from aqueous solution both in batch and in column mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food preservation through active packaging having functional bioactives, has gained importance now a days. To keep beef patties fresher for longer, Phyllanthus wightianus was used to create an edible film made from a biopolymer. Polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose, glycerol, citric acid, flaxseed gel, and P. wightianus extract were used to create the film. The thickness, opacity, degree of solubility and swelling, water vapor permeability, and antibacterial activity of the film against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, were measured at 0, 10, 20, and 30 days at 25 °C. The formed film was then utilized to coat beef patties, which were stored for one month at 4oC, while being examined for antioxidants, pH, peroxidation, and moisture. Total plate count value (4.82 Log CFU/g), lipid oxidation value (0.16 mg/kg), and pH and moisture effect (p > 0.05), all demonstrated that extract utilization at 3% yielded the maximum antioxidant capacity (28.55%). It was concluded that the film prepared by this innovative model was ideal for prolonged storage, and useful in postponing the deterioration of beef patties. This preservation was occurred due to the effective antimicrobial properties, combined with the ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation and slow down the growth of meat-spoiling bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Highlights: Active packaging, a novel technique for food preservation. Phyllanthus wightianus based packaging extended shelf life of beef patties. Presence of bioactives in P. wightianus increased antioxidant potential of patties. Lipids peroxidation was significantly reduced, as a result of active packaging. Reduction in growth of food contaminating, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial dyes are the main cause of environmental pollution. The present study consists of the removal of synthetic anionic dye using batch study with photocatalyst using adsorption technology. The adsorbents were prepared using the chemical synthesis method. At pH 5, ZnO2 shows maximum results in the Reactive Blue dye. At the same time, CuO2 shows maximum results at pH 2. In contrast, the CdO2 and PbO2 nanoparticles presented maximum results at pH 4. The optimum dose for all four kinds of nanoparticles, ZnO2, CuO2, PbO2, and CdO2, was found to be 0.5 g/50 mL for the elimination of anionic dye at pH 2, 4, and 5. For ZnO2, CuO2, PbO2, and CdO2 nano photocatalyst, the maximum percentage of dye removal was recorded at 0.05 catalyst dosage. The starting concentration of dye in the series of 25–200 mg/L was measured as optimum for the highest deletion of anionic stain by dissimilar kinds of chosen adsorbents. The maximum adsorption capacity of ZnO2 (85.69 mg/L), CuO2 (79.04 mg/L), PbO2 (64.12 mg/L), and CdO2 (51.58 mg/L) was obtained at 100, 150 and 75 mg/L dye concentration. The optimum temperature for the highest removal of anionic dyes was detected at 37 °C, and the reduction examined a decline in the adsorption capacity of whole compounds as temperature decreases. It represented the exothermic behavior of all sorption processes intricate in the exclusion of certain anionic dyes. Langmuir biosorption isotherms were given the best fitness on equilibrium biosorption data, whereas the pseudo 2nd order displayed the fitness on adsorption kinetic data. Additionally, data show that the elimination of Reactive Blue dye by adsorption with ZnO2, CuO2, PbO2, and CdO2 nanoparticles follows second-order kinetics (R2 = 0.9855) and Langmuir model (0.9997). Utmost desorption was attained by 0.5 N sodium hydroxide. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) was used to characterize the nanoparticles, which gave information about the functional groups on dyes. So, by using the adsorption technology, maximum dye removal from wastewater was observed, and ZnO2 showed maximum percentage removal of anionic dye. Reactive Blue is effectively degraded in aqueous solution by photocatalysis with ZnO2 assistance while being exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic (As) exposure in drinking water has become a serious public health issue. AS3MT gene is involved in the metabolism of arsenic, so a single nucleotide polymorphism in this gene may lead to the development of type 2 diabetes in arsenic-exposed areas. This study aimed to evaluate the association of the AS3MT gene with the development of type 2 diabetes in highly arsenic-exposed areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Total 200 samples equal in number from high arsenic exposed-areas of Lahore (Nishtar) and Kasur (Mustafa Abad) were collected. rs11191439 was utilized as an influential variable to evaluate the association between arsenic metabolism and diabetes status to find a single nucleotide polymorphism in the AS3MT gene. We observed the arsenic level in drinking water of the arsenic-exposed selected areas 115.54 ± 1.23 µg/L and 96.88 ± 0.48 µg/L, respectively. The As level in the urine of diabetics (98.54 ± 2.63 µg/L and 56.38 ± 12.66 µg/L) was higher as compared to non-diabetics (77.58 ± 1.8 µg/L and 46.9 ± 8.95 µg/L) of both affected areas, respectively. Correspondingly, the As level in the blood of diabetics (6.48 ± 0.08 µg/L and 5.49 ± 1.43 µg/L) and non-diabetics (6.22 ± 0.12 µg/L and 5.26 ± 0.24 µg/L) in the affected areas. Genotyping showed significant differences in the frequencies of alleles among cases and controls. Nevertheless, notable disparities in genotype distribution were observed in SNPs rs11191439 (T/C) (P < 0.05) and when comparing T2D patients and non-diabetic control subjects. The AS3MT gene and clinical parameters show a significant association with the affected people with diabetes living in arsenic-exposed areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb) is toxic to the development and growth of rice plants. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been considered one of the efficient remediation techniques to mitigate Pb stress in plants. Therefore, a study was carried out to examine the underlying mechanism of iron (Fe) and silicon (Si) nanoparticle-induced Pb toxicity alleviation in rice seedlings. Si–NPs (2.5 mM) and Fe-NPs (25 mg L−1) were applied alone and in combination to rice plants grown without (control; no Pb stress) and with (100 µM) Pb concentration. Our results revealed that Pb toxicity severely affected all rice growth-related traits, such as inhibited root fresh weight (42%), shoot length (24%), and chlorophyll b contents (26%). Moreover, a substantial amount of Pb was translocated to the above-ground parts of plants, which caused a disturbance in the antioxidative enzyme activities. However, the synergetic use of Fe- and Si–NPs reduced the Pb contents in the upper part of plants by 27%. It reduced the lethal impact of Pb on roots and shoots growth parameters by increasing shoot length (40%), shoot fresh weight (48%), and roots fresh weight (31%). Both Si and Fe–NPs synergistic application significantly elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) concentrations by 114%, 186%, 135%, and 151%, respectively, compared to plants subjected to Pb stress alone. The toxicity of Pb resulted in several cellular abnormalities and altered the expression levels of metal transporters and antioxidant genes. We conclude that the synergistic application of Si and Fe-NPs can be deemed favorable, environmentally promising, and cost-effective for reducing Pb deadliness in rice crops and reclaiming Pb-polluted soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing usage of the Internet for sharing the digital Holy Quran reinforces the requirement for its protection from security breaches. Watermarking is the most widely used tool to preserve integrity and authenticity during data transmission. Previously proposed Quranic text watermarking techniques have limitations in terms of providing high capacity, imperceptibility and security simultaneously. This paper proposed an invisible watermarking technique, i.e., UniHaCh that employs Unicode UTF-8 values of the top six most frequently occurring characters in the Quranic verses integrated with the character counting mechanism, resulting in a high-capacity watermark key. The SHA3 hash function is used to obtain a fixed 256-bit watermark key that is embedded in the text at random locations using a secret key of 256 bits. The insertion of the watermark key is made imperceptible by utilizing zero-width spaces, preserving the original appearance of the text. Experimental results proved that the proposed approach is robust against modification, insertion and deletion attacks. UniHaCh was found efficient in providing authenticity and integrity simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent study, La+3 substituted T-type hexagonal ferrites S r 2 − x L a x F e 8 O 14 with concentration of (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) with increment of 0.05 step length was fabricated by sol–gel auto-combustion route. XRD results revealed that with the increment in the substitution of La+3 ions, the lattice parameters (a) and (c) decreased, and hence the unit cell volume decreased. The crystallite size was observed to vary in the range of 20.21–29.30 nm. The dielectric constant was observed to decrease as a function of frequency mean while the dielectric constant values declined with La3+ ions substitutions. The ac conductivity of samples enhanced with the increase in applied frequency. The FTIR spectra exhibited the absorption bands at different wave numbers (447, 570, and 1532 cm−1) indicating the stretching vibration of carbon-oxygen and metal-Oxygen ions within material. In the P-E graphs, the samples divulged the lossy behavior and this lossy behavior varied inversely with doping concentration. The decrease in lossy behavior was observed with the La3+ contents which unveiled the enhancement in resistivity of the samples. The saturation magnetization decreased with the substitution of La3+ contents which was reasoned to the spin canting effect of rare earth ions. The law of approach to saturation magnetization (LAS) was applied for fitting the magnetic curves and the results showed coincidence between the experimental and theoretical results. The coercivity of the samples increased drastically with La3+ ions substitution and the samples converted from soft magnetic materials to hard magnetic materials. The samples with high coercivity values might be suitable for high-density storage devices. Highlights: A series of T-hexaferrites was prepared by sol-gel auto combustion method. The XRD analysis confirmed the single phase for all samples. The c/a ratio of these samples falls in the range of Hexaferrites. The dielectric properties changes with the increase of La3+ contents. Magnetic properties varies with La3+ contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, this study examines entrepreneurial self-efficacy and identification with the leader as mediating mechanisms that account for the cross-level relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and entrepreneurial intentions. This study also establishes the moderating role of (a) individualism between entrepreneurial leadership and entrepreneurial intentions, and (b) collectivism between entrepreneurial leadership and personal identification with the leader. We collected data through self-administered questionnaires from IT professionals working in small and medium-sized IT solution provider firms. To enhance the generalizability, samples were selected from China (n = 234) and Pakistan (n = 209). Further, a multi-level research design was used for analysis. The results showed that entrepreneurial leadership has a significant positive relationship with entrepreneurial intentions. The results for the mediating effects showed that entrepreneurial self-efficacy and identification with the leader significantly mediated between entrepreneurial leadership and entrepreneurial intentions. The moderating effects results supported the moderating effects of (a) individualism on entrepreneurial leadership and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and (b) collectivism on entrepreneurial leadership and personal identification with the leader. The conditional indirect effects of entrepreneurial leadership on entrepreneurial intentions via entrepreneurial self-efficacy and identification with the leader were high at high individualism and high collectivism, respectively. This study, for the first time, establishes relationships between entrepreneurial leadership and entrepreneurial intentions in Asian economies. Our study complements and extends the entrepreneurship and leadership literature in developing countries' contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research has shown that rape myths can have damaging consequences for victims of sexual assault. This study investigated the predictive relationship of grandiose narcissism, psychopathic traits and rape myths acceptance with attitudes towards rape victims in the general population of Pakistan. The research employed a cross-sectional design and utilized a purposive sample of 416 participants with 178 males, 158 females and 80 non-binary individuals in the age range 18–68. It is pertinent to mention that non-binary individuals have only recently been added in research as a separate group especially with regard to the Pakistani culture. Therefore, little is known regarding their perspectives towards rape victims. G Power analysis was used for determining the sufficiency of the sample size. Data analysis was done using Pearson Product Moment Correlation, stepwise regression, MANOVA, and Moderated Mediation Analysis via SPSS 21.0. The findings showed that most positive attitudes towards rape victims were held by non-binary individuals followed by females with the attitudes of males being least favorable. Additionally, the results indicated that acceptance of rape myths, primary psychopathy, and grandiose narcissism had significant effects on attitudes towards rape victims, with the latter also showing a conditional indirect effect through primary psychopathy on the relationship between rape myths acceptance and attitudes towards rape victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triazoles, nitrogen-containing heterocycles, have gained attention for their applications in medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, agrochemicals, and material sciences. In the current study, we synthesized novel derivatives of N-substituted 2-((5-(3-bromophenyl)-4-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)-N-phenylpropanamide and conducted a comprehensive investigation using density functional theory (DFT). These novel structural hybrids of 1,2,4-triazole were synthesized through the multi-step chemical modifications of 3-bromobenzoic acid (1). Initially, compound 1 was converted into its methyl-3-bromobenzoate (2) which was then transformed into 3-bromobenzohydrazide (3). The final step involved the cyclization of compound 3, producing its 1,2,4-triazole derivative (4). This intermediate was then coupled with different electrophiles, resulting in the formation of the final derivatives (7a–7c). Additionally, the characterization of these triazole-based compounds (7a, 7b, and 7c) were carried out using techniques such as IR, HNMR, and UV–visible spectroscopy to understand their structural and spectroscopic properties. The DFT study utilized M06/6-311G(d,p) functional to investigate geometrical parameters, HOMO–LUMO energies, natural bond orbital analyses, transition density matrix (TDM), density of states, and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties. The FMO analysis revealed that compound 7c exhibited the lowest band gap value (4.618 eV). Notably, compound 7c exhibited significant linear polarizability (4.195 > × 10–23) and first and second hyperpolarizabilities (6.317 > × 10–30, 4.314 × 10–35), signifying its potential for nonlinear optical applications. These NLO characteristics imply that each of our compounds, especially 7c, plays a crucial part in fabricating materials showing promising NLO properties for optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to measure the impact of environmental provisions in free-trade agreements on pollution levels in 40 Asian economies for the period 1990–2019. Following the failure of WTO negotiations, there has been a rapid proliferation of preferential trade agreements incorporating various types of environmental clauses. We exploit such changes to assess their influence on pollution emissions. We use a DOLS approach that considers the potential endogeneity of environmental clauses. Further, panel vector error correction models (VECM) are employed for examining the presence of a cointegration relationship among the variables studied. Overall, our findings indicate that these environmental clauses have heterogenous effects on CO2 emissions. We do not find significant effects of environmental clauses on pollution. However, this result is driven by environmental provisions that are not legally enforceable. We do find a positive effect of environmental clauses with a higher level of legalism on the environmental quality. These results show that the inclusion of environmental provisions in trade agreements is not sufficient by itself. Such provisions should incorporate a legally enforceable framework to effectively address environmental concerns. These findings have significant policy implications for Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the structural, optical, dielectric, electrical, and magnetic characteristics of divalent Ni2+ transition metal-doped T-type hexagonal ferrites Ca2-xNixFe8O14 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6) by adopting the sol–gel auto-combustion technique. The XRD patterns of prepared samples indicate the synthesis of a single-hexagonal crystalline phase. The variation of lattice parameters, unit cell volume, crystallite size, and dislocation density are probed against Ni2+ substitution. The lattice parameters are reduced by increasing the concentration of Ni2+. The crystallite size varies between 24 and 27 nm which is advantageous to obtain suitable signal/noise ratio in density-recording media applications. The dielectric constant, dielectric losses, and tangent loss exhibited the highest values at the lower-frequency range for pure and substituted samples. For higher substitution (i.e., x = 0.4, 0.6), the ac conductivity rises as frequency rises. The intensity of imaginary modulus peaks rises with the substitution of Ni2+ ions substitution. The particle morphology and phase structure are confirmed by TEM investigation, and the average particle size of material varies between 90 and 100 nm. The energy band gap increased from 4.27 to 4.33 eV with doping of Ni2+. The values of magnetic parameters like saturation magnetization, remanence magnetization, and coercivity improved with Ni additives. The samples exhibited the loosy behavior, confirmed from P–E loops, and this loosy behavior decreased with Ni2+-ions doping that verify the increase in the resistive character of prepared samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug efflux pumps contribute to bacterial multidrug resistance (MDR), reducing antibiotic effectiveness and causing treatment failures. Besides their role in MDR, efflux pumps also assist in the transportation of quorum sensing (QS) signal molecules and increased the tolerance of biofilms. Recently, the search for efflux pump inhibitors from natural sources, including anti-infective plants, has gained attention as a potential therapy against drug-resistant bacteria. In this study, 19 traditional Indian medicinal plants were screened for their efflux pump inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli TGI. The promising extract, i.e., Punica granatum was subsequently fractioned in the solvents of increasing polarity. Among them, at sub-MIC active EPI fraction was PGEF (P. granatum ethyl acetate fraction), further investigated for anti-infective potential against Chromobacterium violaceum 12,472, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, and Serratia marcescens MTCC 97. PGEF was also evaluated for in vivo efficacy in Caenorhabditis elegans model. Major phytocompounds were analyzed by mass spectroscopic techniques. At respective Sub-MIC, PGEF reduced violacein production by 71.14% in C. violaceum 12,472. Moreover, PGEF inhibited pyocyanin (64.72%), pyoverdine (48.17%), protease (51.35%), and swarming motility (44.82%) of P. aeruginosa PAO1. Furthermore, PGEF reduced the production of prodigiosin and exoprotease by 64.73% and 61.80%, respectively. Similarly, at sub-MIC, PGEF inhibited (≥ 50%) biofilm development in all test pathogens. The key phytocompounds detected in active fraction include 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, trans-p-coumaric acid 4- glucoside, (-)-Epicatechin 3'-O-glucuronide, and ellagic acid. Interestingly, PGEF also demonstrated anti-infective efficacy against the PAO1-infected C. elegans test model and highlighting its therapeutic potential as an anti-infective agent to combat drug-resistant problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of breakthrough-COVID-19-vaccinated individuals are being reported across the world. Humoral immunity has a crucial role in combating infection. In this study, we aimed to assess the importance of anti-COVID-S1-IgA and anti-COVID-NP-IgA in confirmed COVID-19 after vaccination (breakthrough infection group). Blood samples were collected from the breakthrough infection group within one week of breakthrough infections (n = 34). A second sample was also collected after 4 to 8 weeks (n = 27). Blood samples of healthy individuals (n = 29) were collected 4–8 weeks after the completion of vaccination. Anti-COVID-S1-IgA and anti-COVID-NP-IgA were detected by ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 24. In this study, we found a higher positivity rate for anti-COVID-S1-IgA in the breakthrough infection group (70% vs. 28% in healthy individuals). Anti-COVID-NP-IgA was not found in the control group (11% in the breakthrough infection group vs. 0 in healthy individuals). In the breakthrough-infected group, the positivity rate of anti-COVID-NP-IgA decreased significantly (median titers 16.9 IU/ml decreased to 4.2 IU/ml) p = 0.001), while anti-COVID-S1-IgA increased over a period of 4–8 weeks (9.35–16.35 IU/ml). Importantly, IgA response to both COVID-19 NP and S1 antigens was not found in 13 patients at initial testing. The findings of this study show that serum IgA may have a role both in breakthrough infections and also in the prevention of severe infection. Sluggish anti-COVID-19-IgA antibody response may be responsible for the occurrence of COVID-19 infection in breakthrough infection. On the other hand, more sustained anti-COVID-19-S1-IgA over a longer period of time may have a role in preventing these patients from severe infections and hospitalization. However, a study on a larger sample size including patients with severe disease after vaccination is required to prove this hypothesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the importance of serum IgA in breakthrough-infected patients from our region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present paper aims to examine various epidemiological aspects of the monkeypox viral infection using a fractional-order mathematical model. Initially, the model is formulated using integer-order nonlinear differential equations. The imperfect vaccination is considered for human population in the model formulation. The proposed model is then reformulated using a fractional order derivative with power law to gain a deeper understanding of disease dynamics. The values of the model parameters are determined from the cumulative reported monkeypox cases in the United States during the period from May 10th to October 10th, 2022. Besides this, some of the demographic parameters are evaluated from the population of the literature. We establish sufficient conditions to ensure the existence and uniqueness of the model's solution in the fractional case. Furthermore, the stability of the endemic equilibrium of the fractional monkeypox model is presented. The Lyapunov function approach is used to demonstrate the global stability of the model equilibria. Moreover, the fractional order model is numerically solved using an efficient numerical technique known as the fractional Adams-Bashforth-Moulton method. The numerical simulations are conducted using estimated parameters, considering various values of the fractional order of the Caputo derivative. The finding of this study reveals the impact of various model parameters and fractional order values on the dynamics and control of monkeypox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial effluents reaching to the aquatic ecosystem is one of the major causes of environmental pollution and exposure to industrial effluents containing harmful substances may be a serious threat to human health. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the sub-lethal (1/5th of predetermined LC50) impact of industrial effluents from Sundar Industrial Estate on Oreochromis niloticus with proper negative control. The physicochemical analysis of industrial effluents showed enormous loads of inorganic pollutants and exhibited high mean levels of heavy metals, Mn, Fe, Pb, Ni, Cr, Hg, As, Zn and Fe with statistically significant differences at p < 0.05. Highest level of Mn and Fe was detected in effluent's samples as 147.36 ± 80.91 mg/L and 90.52 ± 32.08 mg/L, respectively. Exposure led to increase in serum biochemical parameters alanine aminotransferase + 25%, aspartate aminotransferase + 20% and alkaline phosphatase + 7% over control although superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and reduced glutathione significantly increased as 3.42, 2.44, 4.8 and 8 folds, respectively in metabolically active tissue brain which indicated stress caused by industrial effluents. The results concluded that industrial effluent has potent oxidative stress inducers on one hand whereas histoarchitectural and physiological toxicity causing contaminants on the other. This condition may adversely affect the health of aquatic organisms, the fish and ultimately the human beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading comprehension involves the process of reading and understanding textual information in order to answer questions related to it. It finds practical applications in various domains such as domain-specific FAQs, search engines, and dialog systems. Resource-rich languages like English, Japanese, Chinese, and most European languages benefit from the availability of numerous datasets and resources, enabling the development of machine reading comprehension (MRC) systems. However, building MRC systems for low-resource languages (LRL) with limited datasets, such as Vietnamese, Urdu, Bengali, and Hindi, poses significant challenges. To address this issue, this study utilizes quantitative analysis to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) with the aim of comprehending the recent global shift in MRC research from high-resource languages (HRL) to low-resource languages. Notably, existing literature reviews on MRC lack comprehensive studies that compare techniques specifically designed for rich and low-resource languages. Hence, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the MRC research landscape in low-resource languages, offering valuable insights and a list of suggestions to enhance LRL–MRC research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was based on a hypothesis that excess copper (Cu) in the soil reduces the growth and seed yield of chicory plants and chicory plants have the potential to clean up the Cu-contaminated soil. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the abovementioned hypothesis in which chicory plants were grown in the garden soil contaminated with three doses of copper (150, 450 and 750 mg Cu kg−1 soil) except control and the results were recorded to evaluate the effect of copper-induced toxicity on the vegetative and reproductive growth parameters of Cichorium intybus L. and its soil remediation potential. Results revealed that all Cu treatments decreased the vegetative and reproductive growth parameters of Cichorium intybus. Chlorophyll content (a, b and total) decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) while proline content in the fresh leaves and Cu accumulation in different plant organs increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) on increasing Cu concentration in the soil. The pattern of Cu accumulation in different plant organs was shoot > root > seeds. Cu levels in the seeds obtained from 450 and 750 mg Cu kg−1 soil-treated plants exceeded the permissible limits of the world health organization (WHO). Biological concentration factor (BCF), biological accumulation coefficient (BAC) and translocation factor (TF) values showed that Cichorium intybus absorbed and accumulated a considerable amount of Cu and accumulation of Cu was found to be greater in the shoots than in the roots. Hence Cichorium intybus L. can be used for phytoextraction and is considered a potential candidate to clean up the Cu-contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rape myths may harm those who have been sexually assaulted, according to the past literature. This study looked at the associations between grandiose narcissism, psychopathic characteristics, and rape myth acceptance and attitudes towards rape victims in Pakistan. The issue of sexual violence against women and how specific personality characteristics, such as psychopathy, grandiose narcissism, and rape-supporting ideas, may lead to unfavourable views towards sexual assault victims are still being debated. In affluent nations, there has been substantial study on the psychological aspects that influence attitudes towards rape victims, but information on developing nations like Pakistan is lacking. Method: The study used a cross-sectional methodology with a purposive sample of 430 individuals, ranging in age from 18 to 68. The appropriate sample size was determined using a G*Power analysis. In order to analyse the data, SPSS 21.0 was used. Stepwise regression, MANOVA, and moderated mediation analysis were all used. Results: All variables showed acceptable levels of Cronbach's alpha reliability. Rape myth acceptance was significantly associated with attitudes towards rape, primary and secondary psychopathy, and grandiose narcissism. Rape myth acceptance, primary psychopathy, and grandiose narcissism significantly predicted attitudes towards rape victims. Moreover, grandiose narcissism showed a conditional indirect effect through primary psychopathy on the relationship between rape myth acceptance and attitudes towards rape victims, according to the results, which showed that rape myth acceptance, primary psychopathy, and those attitudes all had significant effects on attitudes towards rape victims. Conclusions: In conclusion, it has been assessed that unfavourable views towards victims of sexual assault in Pakistan were substantially correlated with high levels of rape myth acceptance, primary psychopathy, and grandiose narcissism. Furthermore, the study discovered that these variables strongly impacted views towards rape victims. Additionally, rape myth acceptance, levels of primary psychopathy, and attitudes towards rape victims all showed significant gender differences. Moreover, grandiose narcissism had a significant conditional effect on the association between rape myth acceptance and attitudes towards rape victims via the mediation of primary psychopathy. Secondary psychopathy did not play a role in this predictive relationship. Clinical impact statement: The study's findings highlighted the widespread prevalence of rape myths, the importance of primary psychopathy and grandiose narcissism, and their predictive value in highlighting peoples' attitudes and beliefs regarding sexual assault victims. The study also emphasizes the influence that grandiose narcissism and psychopathic qualities have on the predicted relationship between rape myths and attitudes towards sexual assault victims. The findings have significant policy implications since rape victims in Pakistan frequently bear a great deal of responsibility and receive little legal assistance. This study can assist in guiding initiatives to solve these problems and enhance the assistance provided to rape victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has been called a Global Health Emergency worldwide. According to their available resources, developed and developing countries' public and private sectors are fighting against this pandemic. This paper examines how effective the Public–Private Partnership (PPP) strategies under the Chinese government response to control this COVID-19. The study takes the Chinese government and private sector's collective efforts for analysis and discussion from January 01 to October 31, 2020. Applying linear regression revealed that public governance strategies have worked to control this pandemic's severity and frequency. The results also show that despite the negative COVID-19 graph, the Chinese government has remained consistent in health and stringency measures. Furthermore, in cooperation with private sectors, China's emergency management has built two makeshift hospitals in 12 days and 5G technology implementation; Health Code application and volunteer works illustrate sharing governance by PPP. The study advises that by keeping in mind the strategy of PPP in China, other countries should also involve private sectors to mitigate emergency issues like COVID-19 for fast and effective outcomes and ask for assistance from the Chinese government and follow their quarantine and prudent policies to control this contagious disease. It further suggests that governments should engage private sectors before draft effective emergency preparedness policies to fight against future calamities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pyrolysis of the cattle dung was quantified using the Coats-Redfern method. The thermogravimetric and derivate curves (TG/DTG) divided the decomposition into three stages. Apart from stage I (dehydration), stage II exhibited higher thermal decomposition rate in the temperature range of 220–380 °C whereas, in stage III (390–690 °C), a lower decomposition rate was noticed. Comparative kinetic parameters for solid-state reactions showed that first-order reaction (F1) had the highest value of regression coefficient (R2) in both stages. In stage II, the Power-law (P3/2), reaction order-2 and 3 (F2 and F3), and diffusion models (D1 and D2) produced higher activation energy (Ea) values, while 3-diffusion (D3) produced the lowest Ea value. However, in subsequent stage III, only two reaction mechanisms (F1 and F2) were estimated with significant R2 value and F2 showed higher Ea value. The simulated TG/DTG validated that decomposition of cattle dung was best described by F1 in both stages. In addition to kinetic analysis through Coats-Redfern method, mass change at 20 °C/min was also processed by employing artificial neural network (ANN) and the model was validated with a strong R2 value and lower mean squared error (MSE). In thermodynamic analysis, the increase in the heating rate decreased ∆G and increased ∆S for the whole process with stable ∆H. This study provides the theoretical and practical guideline for the utilization of cattle dung as a potential energy source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emission of CO2 into the atmosphere is one of the major causes of the greenhouse effect, which has a devastating effect on the environment and human health. Therefore, the reduction of CO2 emission in high concentration is essential. The Rotating Packed Bed (RPB) reactor has gained a lot of attention in post-combustion CO2 capture due to its excellent rate of mass transfer and capture efficiency. To better understand the mechanisms underlying the process and ensure optimal design of RPB for CO2 absorption, elucidating its hydrodynamics is of paramount importance. Experimental investigations have been made in the past to study the hydrodynamics of RPB using advanced imaging and instrumental setups such as sensors and actuators. The employments of such instruments are still challenging due to the difficulties in their installation and placement in the RPB owing to the complex engineering design of the RPB. The hydrodynamics of the RPB can be affected by various operational parameters. However, all of them cannot be evaluated using a single instrumental setup. Therefore, the experimental setups generally result in a partial understanding of the flow behavior in the RPB. The cons and pros of experimental methods are reported and critically discussed in this paper. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), on the other hand, is a powerful tool to visually understand the insights of the flow behavior in the RPB with accurate prediction. Moreover, the different multiphase and turbulence models employed to study the hydrodynamics of RPB have also been reviewed in-depth along with the advantages and disadvantages of each model. The models such as Sliding Mesh Model (SMM) and rotating reference frame model have been adopted for investigating the hydrodynamics of the RPB. The current research gaps and future research recommendations are also presented in this paper which can contribute to fill the existing gap for the CFD analysis of Rotating Packed Bed (RPB) for CO2 absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteocalcin (OC), also known as bone Gla (gamma-carboxyglutamic acid) protein, is a marker of bone formation. OC has effect on glucose and fat metabolism. Role of OC in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is not well studied in Indian population. Our study aimed to see the relationship between OC and parameters of glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 120 subjects with T2DM. In each subject, fasting insulin, serum osteocalcin (measured by ELISA), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), post prandial plasma glucose (PPG), and glycated Hb (HbA1c) were measured. HOMA 2.0 model was used to measure insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and β-cell function (HOMA-β). Then, serum osteocalcin levels were correlated with HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, FPG, PPG, and HbA1c. Results: Serum OC levels reduced with increase in insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (r = −0.274, p = 0.004); however, there was no association with the beta cell function. OC had negative association with FPG (r = −0.14, p = 0.12) and PPG (r = −0.123, p = 0.18); however, it was statistically insignificant. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was significantly reduced in diabetic patients with higher OC levels (r = −0.208, p = 0.025). Conclusion: Serum OC has significant association with insulin resistance and HbA1c in subjects with T2DM, which might suggest possible role of serum OC in glucose metabolism in T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The relative utility of self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) insertion for malignant colon obstruction (MCO) due to extra-colonic malignancy (ECM) versus intra-colonic malignancy (ICM) is understudied. Methods: A systematic search was done from inception-April 2021 to identify reports of safety and efficacy of SEMS insertion for the treatment of MCO-ECM versus MCO-ICM. A meta-analysis of proportions, comparative meta-analysis to compute relative risks (RR), and mean differences (MD) was performed. Subgroup analyses and influence analyses were conducted. The certainty in estimates of effect(s) was assessed using the GRADE approach. Results: Eight non-randomized studies were identified; 46% (39–53%) and 63% (59–67%) of patients in the ECM and ICM groups were male. Most obstructions were in the rectosigmoid colon in both ECM and ICM groups. SEMS insertion in MCO-ECM was associated with an increased risk of technical failure compared to MCO-ICM (RR 2.92; 1.13–7.54; Certainty: Very Low). Risk of clinical failure of SEMS was higher in MCO-ECM compared to MCO-ICM (RR 2.88; 1.58–2.52; Certainty: Very Low). The risk of clinical failure remained significant throughout the influence analysis, as well as on subgroup analysis. There was no significant difference in the risk of adverse events or luminal perforation with SEMS insertion among patients with MCO-ECM and MCO-ICM. On influence analysis, removal of one study unveiled a significant increase in the risk of luminal perforation in MCO-ECM (RR 3.22; 1.44–7.19; p = 0.004). Conclusion: SEMS for MCO-ECM may have a technical success rate comparable to or questionably worse than MCO-ICM, with low certainty in estimate of effects. SEMS deployment in MCO-ECM carries a higher risk of clinical failure, with a questionably higher risk of luminal perforation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current era of globalization, synthetic dyes are one of the key factors of water pollution. These were recalcitrant, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic pollutants of textile, leather, and paper printing industries. Textile industries use a wide range of dyes and chemicals that generate a significant amount of wastewater containing a number of hazardous components. To mitigate environmental damage, it is difficult to treat this wastewater in an efficient and economical way. But apart from traditional treatment strategies, nanophotocatalysis appears as a promising technology for wastewater treatment, particularly dye degradation. In the present study, photocatalytic potential of biogenic zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) derived from Oscillatoria sp. NCCU-369 cell extract was evaluated for degradation of synthetic dyes (methylene blue and methyl orange). Biogenic ZnO NPs (10 mg/L) exhibited 91% of methylene blue degradation in 80 min in comparison to 86% of methyl orange degradation in 150 min. The free radical scavenging analysis suggested that ZnO NP-assisted degradation of dyes was mainly induced by superoxide ions. Degradation of dyes agreed with the Langmuire Hinshelwood model exhibiting pseudo-first-order kinetics and corresponded to the rate constants of 0.026 and 0.012 min−1 for methylene blue and methyl orange, respectively. Furthermore, ZnO NPs demonstrated high reusability for up to five cycles in a row, indicating their potential use as an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly photocatalyst. The convincing results show that the biogenic ZnO NPs could play a significant role in the development of innovative biosorbents for removal of dyes from industrial effluents and wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driven by the need to biosynthesized alternate biomedical agents to prevent and treat infection, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) have surfaced as a promising avenue. Cyanobacteria-derived synthesis of CuONPs is of substantive interest as it offers an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and biocompatible route. In the present study biosynthesized CuONPs were characterized and investigated regarding their toxicity. Morphological analysis using TEM, SEM and AFM showed the spherical particle size of 20.7 nm with 96% copper that confirmed the purity of CuONPs. Biogenic CuONPs with IC50 value of 64.6 µg ml−1 showed 90% scavenging of free radicals in superoxide radical scavenging assay. CuONPs showed enhanced anti-inflammatory activity by 86% of protein denaturation with IC50 value of 89.9 µg ml−1. Biogenic CuONPs exhibited significant toxicity against bacterial strains with lowest MIC value of 62.5 µg ml−1 for B. cereus and fungal strain with a MIC value of 125 µg ml−1 for C. albicans. In addition CuONPs demonstrated a high degree of synergistic interaction when combined with standard drugs. CuONPs exhibited significant cytotoxicity against non-small cell lung cancer with an IC50 value of 100.8 µg ml−1 for A549 and 88.3 µg ml−1 for the H1299 cell line with apoptotic activities. Furthermore, biogenic CuONPs was evaluated for their photocatalytic degradation potential against methylene blue dye and were able to removed 94% dye in 90 min. Free radical scavenging analysis suggested that CuONPs assisted dye degradation was mainly induced by hydroxide radicals. Biogenic CuONPs appears as an eco-friendly and cost effective photocatalyst for the treatment of wastewater contaminated with synthetic dyes that poses threat to aquatic biota and human health. The present study highlighted the blend of biomedical and photocatalytic potential of Phormidium derived CuONPs as an attractive approach for future applications in nanomedicine and bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of innovation, economic growth, financial development, trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), electricity consumption, and urbanization on the environmental degradations in Pakistan. This study has employed the dynamic autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL), to investigate the actual change in the independent variables and its impact on the dependent variable through graphs. The findings demonstrate that energy consumption, GDP growth, urbanization, and trade negatively influence the carbon emissions in the short term. On the other hand, the findings indicate that in the long term, only GDP growth and trade had a significantly negative impact on emissions. Urbanization has a positive and considerable impact on the emissions of carbon dioxide in the long run. On the other hand, financial development and foreign direct investment (FDI) help reduce the environmental degradation in the short term and long term. Moreover, innovation positively affects the carbon emissions in both the long and short run. Policy recommendations are given based on the findings of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant aspect in scientific research is evaluating the impact of scientific contribution of an author. Authors select a particular Field of Study (FoS) to work in, based on their interest and/or by considering the currently hot topics. One aspect that may support in the selection of their research area is the future impact of their work. There are multiple studies in literature that focus on FoS trend detection and analysis etc. However, the previous work contains a gap, that is, effect of following an FoS on citation trend of scientific authors is not explored. The outcome of such a study may help a researcher in deciding his future research direction. In this research, we have proposed an approach that detects the FoS of an individual author in his/her career years by characterizing the focus of his work. Citation trend of an author based on yearly citation count is computed. The trend of an FoS is computed by combining citation trend of authors belonging to same FoS. This trend is used as an input to predict next years' citation counts, by using Multiple Linear Regression and Artificial Neural Network. The scientific articles published from 1950 to 2017 in the domain of Computer Science are used from Microsoft Academic Graph dataset. The experimental results show that there is higher similarity between citation trend of authors that belong to the same FoS as compared to different FoS and also resembles more to the overall citation trend of that particular FoS. Hence concluded that FoS trend following has a certain impact on the citation count of authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study proposes the concept of 2-tuple linguistic complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets (2TLCq-ROFSs) to address the uncertainty of the multi-attribute group decision making (MAGDM) challenge. A 2TLCq-ROFS, characterized by 2-tuple linguistic complex-valued membership and non-membership degrees, is a useful technique for dealing with inefficient and inconsistent data in group decision-making. 2TLCq-ROFS manages two-dimensional data through one set over the same period, using additional terms called phase terms related to duration, and allowing scholars more space to clarify their points. The aggregation operator Hamy mean (HM) is useful for modeling relationships between attributes. The traditional HM operator is extended to aggregate 2TL complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy information. The 2-tuple linguistic complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy weighted averaging (2TLCq-ROFWA) operator and the 2-tuple linguistic complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy weighted geometric (2TLCq-ROFWG) operator are proposed to aggregate the 2TLCq-ROF information. 2TLCq-ROF-HM aggregation operator family, including 2-tuple linguistic complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy Hami mean (2TLCq-ROF-HM) operator, 2-tuple linguistic complex, q-rung orthopair fuzzy dual Hamy mean (2TLCq-ROF-DHM) operator and its weighted variants are introduced to account for the correlation between among input information. Furthermore, based on the proposed operator, a novel MAGDM model is provided for evaluating the service quality of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in 2TLCq-ROF scenarios. Moreover, parametric analysis, extensive comparative studies and advantages demonstrate the effectiveness and excellence of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]