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Background/objectives: Adherence to exercise programs is required to reap their established benefits and to sustain Quality of Life (QoL). This study explored People Living with Dementia's (PLWD) adherence to a Tai Chi exercise program and its effects on their QoL. The study included assessment of factors affecting adherence to a Tai Chi exercise intervention, causes of nonadherence, and effect of adherence on PLWD's QoL., Methods: This study was part of a randomized controlled trial where 41 community-dwelling PLWD received a Tai Chi exercise intervention in addition to usual care for 20 weeks. The measures used in this study included PLWD's QoL, global cognitive function, moderate physical activity, intention and confidence to attend classes, record of PLWD's and their carers' health conditions, and percentages of PLWD's Tai Chi class attendance and home practice during the intervention phase. Multiple linear regression, bivariate correlation, and independent sample t-test analyses were conducted to evaluate associations between these variables., Results: PLWD's overall percentage of class attendance, M (SD) = 69.19 (29.95), demonstrated high adherence. Moreover, QoL of highly adherent PLWD was significantly higher than low adherents. Among all variables, PLWD's and carers' health conditions (β = -0.64; p < .001, β = -0.38; p < .001, respectively) were the dominating factors that reduced PLWD's Tai Chi adherence, while PLWD's moderate physical activity at baseline (β = 0.27; p = .02) was significant positive predictor. Significance/Implications: PLWD's and their carers' health issues must be addressed to enhance PLWD's exercise adherence and sustain good QoL.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are typically non-coding RNAs of 18-26 nucleotides (nts) that are produced endogenously and regulated post-transcriptionally through degradation or translational repression. Since miRNAs are evolutionarily conserved, their preservation is essential for important regulatory functions in plant development, growth, and responses to environmental stress. Sorghum bicolor (sbi) is a valuable food and fodder crop which is grown worldwide. A range of sbi miRNAs were identified so far as being connected to plant development and stress responses. Herein, we employed a variety of bioinformatics tools for miRNA profiling in sbi and a PCR-based platform for the validation of these miRNAs. In total, 74 new conserved sbi miRNAs from 52 miRNA families have been predicted. Using the psRNA Target method, 10613 different protein targets of these predicted miRNAs have been attained. These targets include 54 GO-terms which have substantial targets in the biological, molecular, and cellular processes. We particularly found that the sbi-miR1861c and sbi-miR5050 are involved to regulate sulphur compound biosynthetic process, while the significant spliceosomal complex is regulated by sbi-miR815b and sbi-miR7768b. Also, we report that the pre-ribosome, electron transport chain, cell communication, cellular respiration, protein localization, and photosynthesis are controlled by sbi-miR2907b, sbi-miR530, sbi-miR7749, sbi-miR1858a, sbi-mi7729a, and sbi-miR417, respectively. The identification and validation of these novel sbi miRNAs shall contribute a lot in improving the crop yield and ensure sustainable agriculture., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Ethical approval: Not Applicable., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted healthcare systems, affecting patient outcomes and resource allocation. This study applied automated machine learning (AutoML) to analyze key health outputs, such as discharge conditions, mortality, and COVID-19 cases, with the goal of improving responses to future crises., Methods: AutoML was used to train and validate models on an ICD-10 dataset covering the first wave of COVID-19 in Romania (January-September 2020)., Results: For discharge outcomes, Light Gradient Boosted models achieved an F1 score of 0.9644, while for mortality 0.7545 was reached. A Generalized Linear Model blender achieved an F1 score of 0.9884 for "acute or emergency" cases, and an average blender reached 0.923 for COVID-19 cases. Older age, specific hospitals, and oncology wards were less associated with improved recovery rates, while mortality was linked to abnormal lab results and cardiovascular/respiratory diseases. Patients admitted without referral, or patients in hospitals in the central region and the capital region of Romania were more likely to be acute cases. Finally, counties such as Argeş (South-Muntenia) and Brașov (Center) showed higher COVID-19 infection rates regardless of age., Conclusions: AutoML provided valuable insights into patient outcomes, highlighting variations in care and the need for targeted health strategies for both COVID-19 and other health challenges.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze of the family Amaranthaceae has been extensively used in traditional medicinal practices in Brazil and India for its reputed efficacy in promoting diuresis, as well as treating wounds, inflammation, postnatal symptoms, diarrhea, and cough. Its selection for this study was driven not only by its ethnomedicinal significance but also by its rich phytochemical composition, including bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloids, which are known to exhibit nephroprotective and diuretic effects. Additionally, while many species from the Amaranthaceae family have demonstrated similar therapeutic properties, A. brasiliana remains underexplored in this context. Therefore, this research aimed to scientifically evaluate its potential nephroprotective and diuretic activities, providing a pharmacological basis for its traditional uses., Aim of Study: This experiment was designed to determine nephroprotective effect against cisplatin-induced kidney injury and diuretic effect of Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) in rats. This study also aimed to evaluate the toxicity of plant's extract by performing acute and sub-acute toxicity trials., Material and Methods: In current study, the nephroprotective effect of aqueous-ethanol extract of A. brasiliana was evaluated after induction of kidney injury with cisplatin. Extract was given in three doses as 75 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg. A diuretic activity was also performed by comparing results with control and standard (furosemide). Extract was given in three doses as 75 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg. A 14 day trial for acute toxicity assessment was performed at doses 2000 mg/kg and 3000 mg/kg, whereas a 28 day trial for sub-acute toxicity assessment was performed at doses 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg. The biological active ingredients were identified and determined using HPLC technique., Results: The aqueous-ethanol extract of A. brasiliana (ABAE) safeguarded the rats from toxic effects of cisplatin. This extract also enhanced urine output. The protective effect of ABAE increased with increasing dose and produced maximum nephroprotective effect and diuresis at a dose 300 mg/kg. The outcomes from acute toxicity trials suggested that LD 50 lied beyond 3000 mg/kg, and no antagonizing effects occurred in sub-acute toxicity trials at doses 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg. ABAE posed no toxicities on kidney, liver, and heart tissues as evident from histopathological, hematological, and serum biochemical analysis. HPLC-DAD analysis of ABAE indicated the presence of betanin, kaempherol, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid and oxalic acid., Conclusions: These results demonstrate an abundant supply of bioactive chemicals found in A. brasiliana (L.) extracts, which should be taken into account to improve renal functions with fewer negative effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this study., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The proliferation of multimedia-based deepfake content in recent years has posed significant challenges to information security and authenticity, necessitating the use of methods beyond dependable dynamic detection. In this paper, we utilize the powerful combination of Deep Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Transfer Learning (TL) to introduce a new technique for identifying deepfakes in multimedia systems. Each of the GAN architectures may be customized to detect subtle changes in different multimedia formats by combining their advantages. A multi-collaborative framework called "MCGAN" is developed because it contains audio, video, and image files. This framework is compared to other state-of-the-art techniques to estimate the overall fluctuation based on performance, improving the accuracy rate by up to 17.333% and strengthening the deepfake detection hierarchy. In order to accelerate the training process overall and enable the system to respond rapidly to novel patterns that indicate deepfakes, TL employs the pre-train technique on the same databases. When it comes to identifying the contents of deepfakes, the proposed method performs quite well. In a range of multimedia scenarios, this enhances real-time detection capabilities while preserving a high level of accuracy. A progressive hierarchy that ensures information integrity in the digital world and related research is taken into consideration in this development., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: Not applicable. Informed Consent: Not applicable., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The utilization of biowastes for producing biochar to remove potentially toxic elements from water represents an important pathway for aquatic ecosystem decontamination. Here we explored the significance of thiol-functionalization on sugarcane bagasse biochar (Th/SCB-BC) and rice husk biochar (Th/RH-BC) to enhance arsenite (As(III)) removal capacity from water and compared their efficiency with both pristine biochars (SCB-BC and RH-BC). The maximum As(III) sorption was found on Th/SCB-BC and Th/RH-BC (2.88 and 2.51 mg g -1 , respectively) compared to the SCB-BC and RH-BC (1.51 and 1.40 mg g -1 ). Relatively, a greater percentage of As(III) removal was obtained with Th/SCB-BC and Th/RH-BC (92% and 83%, respectively) at a pH 7 compared to pristine SCB-BC and RH-BC (65% and 55%) at 6 mg L -1 initial As(III) concentration, 2 h contact time and 1 g L -1 sorbent dose. Langmuir (R 2  = 0.99) isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic (R 2  = 0.99) models provided the best fits to As(III) sorption data. Desorption experiments indicated that the regeneration ability of biochars decreased and it was in the order of Th/SCB-BC (88%) > Th/RH-BC (82%) > SCB-BC (77%) > RH-BC (69%) up to three sorption-desorption cycles. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results demonstrated that the thiol (-S-H) functional groups were successfully grafted on the surface of two biochars and as such contributed to enhance As(III) removal from water. Spectroscopic data indicated that the surface functional moieties, such as -S-H, - OH, - COOH, and C = O were involved to increase As(III) sorption on thiol-functionalized biochars. This study highlights that thiol-grafting on both biochars, notably on SCB-BC, enhanced their ability to remove As(III) from water, which can be used as an effective technique for the treatment of As from drinking water., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Psoriasis vulgaris (PsV) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are complex, multifactorial diseases significantly impacting health and quality of life. Predicting treatment response and disease progression is crucial for optimizing therapeutic interventions, yet challenging. Automated machine learning (AutoML) technology shows promise for rapidly creating accurate predictive models based on patient features and treatment data., Objective: This study aims to develop highly accurate machine learning (ML) models using AutoML to address key clinical questions for PsV and PsA patients, including predicting therapy changes, identifying reasons for therapy changes, and factors influencing skin lesion progression or an abnormal Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) score., Methods: Clinical study data from 309 PsV and PsA patients were extensively prepared and analyzed using AutoML to build and select the most accurate predictive models for each variable of interest., Results: Therapy change at 24 weeks follow-up was modeled using the extreme gradient boosted trees classifier with early stopping (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] of 0.9078 and logarithmic loss [LogLoss] of 0.3955 for the holdout partition). Key influencing factors included the initial systemic therapeutic agent, the Classification Criteria for Psoriatic Arthritis score at baseline, and changes in quality of life. An average blender incorporating three models (gradient boosted trees classifier, ExtraTrees classifier, and Eureqa generalized additive model classifier) with an AUC of 0.8750 and LogLoss of 0.4603 was used to predict therapy changes for 2 hypothetical patients, highlighting the significance of these factors. Treatments such as methotrexate or specific biologicals showed a lower propensity for change. An average blender of a random forest classifier, an extreme gradient boosted trees classifier, and a Eureqa classifier (AUC of 0.9241 and LogLoss of 0.4498) was used to estimate PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) change after 24 weeks. Primary predictors included the initial PASI score, change in pruritus levels, and change in therapy. A lower initial PASI score and consistently low pruritus were associated with better outcomes. BASDAI classification at onset was analyzed using an average blender of a Eureqa generalized additive model classifier, an extreme gradient boosted trees classifier with early stopping, and a dropout additive regression trees classifier with an AUC of 0.8274 and LogLoss of 0.5037. Influential factors included initial pain, disease activity, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores for depression and anxiety. Increased pain, disease activity, and psychological distress generally led to higher BASDAI scores., Conclusions: The practical implications of these models for clinical decision-making in PsV and PsA can guide early investigation and treatment, contributing to improved patient outcomes., (©Daniel Schaffert, Igor Bibi, Mara Blauth, Christian Lull, Jan Alwin von Ahnen, Georg Gross, Theresa Schulze-Hagen, Johannes Knitza, Sebastian Kuhn, Johannes Benecke, Astrid Schmieder, Jan Leipe, Victor Olsavszky. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 27.06.2024.)

There are scarce data regarding the effects of soil amendments on biophysicochemical responses of plants at the early stages of growth/germination. This study critically compares the effects of ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic-acid (EDTA) and calcium (Ca) on biophysicochemical responses of germinating pea seedlings under varied arsenic levels (As, 25, 125, 250 µM). Arsenic alone enhanced hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) level in pea roots (176%) and shoot (89%), which significantly reduced seed germination percentage, pigment contents, and growth parameters. Presence of EDTA and Ca in growth culture minimized the toxic effects of As on pea seedlings, EDTA being more pertinent than Ca. Both the amendments decreased H 2 O 2 levels in pea tissues (16% in shoot and 13% in roots by EDTA, and 7% by Ca in shoot), and maintained seed germination, pigment contents, and growth parameters of peas close to those of the control treatment. The effects of all As-treatments were more pronounced in the pea roots than in the shoot. The presence of organic and inorganic amendments can play a useful role in alleviating As toxicity at the early stages of pea growth. The scarcity of data demands comparing plant biophysicochemical responses at different stages of plant growth (germinating vs mature) in future studies.

In this study, pure nickel oxide (NiO), manganese ferrite (MnFe 2 O 4 or MFO), and binary nickel oxide/manganese ferrite (NiO/MFO1-4) nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized using the Sol-Gel method. A comprehensive investigation into their photoluminescence, structural, morphological, magnetic, optical, and photocatalytic properties was conducted. Raman analysis, UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques were used to characterize the materials. The synthesized samples exhibited superparamagnetic behavior, as revealed by our analysis of their magnetic properties. A lower recombination rate was shown by the photoluminescence analysis, which is helpful for raising photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the degradation of Cresol Red (CR) dye. 91.6% of CR dye was degraded by NiO/MFO-4 nanocomposite, and the NC dosage as well as solution pH affected the photocatalytic performance significantly. In four sequential photocatalytic cycles, the magnetically separable NCs were stable and recyclable. The enhanced photocatalytic activity and magnetic separability revealed the potential application of NiO/MFO-4 as an efficient photocatalyst for the removal of dyes from industrial wastewater under solar light irradiation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Radiolabeling of biomolecules and cells with radiolabeled prosthetic groups has significant implications for nuclear medicine, imaging, and radiotherapy. Achieving site-specific and controlled incorporation of radiolabeled prostheses under mild reaction conditions is crucial for minimizing the impact on the bioactivity of the radiolabeled compounds. The targeting of natural and abundant amino acids during radiolabeling of biomolecules often results in nonspecific and uncontrolled modifications. Cysteine is distinguished by its low natural abundance and unique nucleophilicity. It is therefore an optimal target for site-selective and site-specific radiolabeling of biomolecules under controlled parameters. This review extensively discusses thiol-specific radiolabeled prosthetic groups and provides a critical analysis and comprehensive study of the synthesis of these groups, their in vitro and in vivo stability profiles, reaction kinetics, stability of resulting adducts, and overall impact on the targeting ability of radiolabeled biomolecules. The insights presented here aim to facilitate the development of highly efficient radiopharmaceuticals, initially in preclinical settings and ultimately in clinical applications., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

4-Nonylphenol (4NP) is concerning due to its growing presence and endocrine-disrupting nature, raising concerns about its impact on health. In this study 124 I-labeled 4NP was synthesized for in vivo tracing. Positron emission tomography imaging and biodistribution studies showed significant accumulation in various tissues after oral or intraperitoneal administration, emphasizing its intricate distribution and potential long-term effects, crucial for future risk assessments., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

This innovative work aims to develop highly biocompatible and degradable nanoparticles by encapsulating haemoglobin (Hb) within poly-ε-caprolactone for novel biomedical applications. We used a modified double emulsion solvent evaporation method to fabricate the particles. A Scanning electron microscope (SEM) characterized them for surface morphology. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopies (UV-visible) elucidated preserved chemical and biological structure of encapsulated haemoglobin. The airproof equilibrium apparatus obtained the oxygen-carrying capacity and P 50 values. The DPPH assay assessed free radical scavenging potential. The antibacterial properties were observed using four different bacterial strains by disk diffusion method. The MTT assay investigates the cytotoxic effects on mouse fibroblast cultured cell lines (L-929). The MTT assay showed that nanoparticles have no toxicity over large concentrations. The well-preserved structure of Hb within particles, no toxicity, high oxygen affinity, P 50 value, and IC50 values open the area of new research, which may be used as artificial oxygen carriers, antioxidant, and antibacterial agents, potential therapeutic agents as well as drug carrier particles to treat the cancerous cells. The novelty of this work is the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of developed nanoparticles are not been reported yet. Results showed that the prepared particles have strong antioxidant and antibacterial potential., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: To determine serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its polymorphism rs12291063 in schizophrenic patients., Methods: The case-control study was conducted from January1, 2020, to May 15, 2021, at Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, and comprised schizophrenia cases aged 14-60 years who were diagnosed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V criteria, and healthy controls without any psychiatric illness. Positive and negative syndrome scale score was used to assess disease severity. The genomic deoxyribonucleic acid of the subjects was isolated from peripheral blood, followed by polymerase chain reaction, gel electrophoresis and sequencing of the amplicons. The sequences were analysed using MEGA X software for genotyping. Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data was analysed using SPSS 21., Results: Of the 100 subjects, 50(50%) were cases; 36(72%) males and 14(28%) females (p<0.05) with mean age 34.34±10.32 years. There were 50(50%) controls; 32(64%) males and 18(36%) females (p=0.391) with mean age 30.886±8.88 years. Among the cases, the mean age at schizophrenia diagnosis was 25.14±9.54 years, and there was a significant association with positive family history for psychiatric disorders (p<0.05). Sequencing revealed no T>C substitution. Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were significantly higher in cases compared to controls (p<0.001). There was a weak negative correlation between brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and positive and negative syndrome scale score (p<0.05)., Conclusions: Higher brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were found to be associated with schizophrenia, while no association of rs12291063 T>C was found with schizophrenia.

Under paddy soil conditions, rice plants are vulnerable to arsenic (As) accumulation, thus causing potential threat to human health. Here we investigated the influence of foliar-applied phosphorus (P: 10 and 20 mg L -1 ), silicon (Si: 0.6 and 1.5 g L -1 ) and selenium (Se: 5 and 10 mg L -1 ) on As accumulation, morphological and physiological attributes of two contrasting rice genotypes (KSK-133 and Super Basmati) under As stress (25 mg kg -1 as arsenate). Silicon foliar dressing significantly ( p  < 0.05) reduced grain As uptake (up to 67%) and improved rice growth and chlorophyll content (28-66%) in both rice genotypes over their controls. Phosphorus foliar application resulted in a notable decrease (17%) in grain As uptake of coarse rice genotype (KSK-133), while it slightly increased grain As uptake in the fine one (Super Basmati; 6%) compared to controls. However, foliar-applied Se did not show significant effects on rice plants growth attributes and As uptake in both genotypes. Similarly, biochemical and enzymatic attributes ( i.e., lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage, peroxidase and catalase) were improved with Si application in rice plants, except for P treatment that was only effective for coarse one. Foliar-applied Si also resulted in reduced cancer risk and hazard quotient (< 0.10) for both rice genotypes. This study advances our understanding on critical role of different foliar-applied nutrients and rice genotypes, which is imperative to develop effective As remediation and management strategies in coarse and fine rice genotypes and protect human health.

Wastewater contamination with heavy metal(loids)s has become a worldwide environmental and public health problem due to their toxic and non-degradable nature. Different methods and technologies have been applied for water/wastewater treatment to mitigate heavy metal(loid)-induced toxicity threat to humans. Among various treatment methods, adsorption is considered the most attractive method because of its high ability and efficiency to remove contaminants from wastewater. Agricultural waste-based adsorbents have gained great attention because of high efficiency to heavy metal(loids)s removal from contaminated water. Chemically modified biosorbents can significantly enhance the stability and adsorption ability of the sorbents. The two mathematical models of sorption, Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models, have mostly been studied. In kinetic modeling, pseudo-second-order model proved better in most of the studies compared to pseudo-first-order model. The ion exchange and electrostatic attraction are the main mechanisms for adsorption of heavy metal(loid)s on biosorbents. The regeneration has allowed various biosorbents to be recycled and reused up to 4-5 time. Most effective eluents used for regeneration are dilute acids. For practical perspective, biosorbent removal efficiency has been elucidated using various types of wastewater and economic analysis studies. Economic analysis of adsorption process using agricultural waste-based biosorbents proved this approach cheaper compared to traditional commercial adsorbents, such as chemically activated carbon. The review also highlights key research gaps to advance the scope and application of waste peels for the remediation of heavy metal(loid)s-contaminated wastewater.

Due to industrialization and urbanization, the use of detergents inadvertently led to contamination of aquatic environments, thus posing potential threat to aquatic organisms and human health. One of the main components of detergents is linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), which can cause toxic effects on living organisms, particularly aquatic life in the environment. In this study, floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) mesocosms were developed and augmented with LAS-degrading bacteria. The plant species, Brachiaria mutica (Para grass), was vegetated to establish FTWs and bacterial consortium (1:1:1:1) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PJRS20, Bacillus sp. BRRH60, Acinetobacter sp. strain CYRH21, and Burkholderia phytofirmans Ps.JN was augmented (free or immobilized) in these mesocosms. Results revealed that the FTWs removed LAS from the contaminated water and their augmentation with bacteria slightly increased LAS removal during course of the experiment. Maximum reduction in LAS concentration (94%), chemical oxygen demand (91%), biochemical oxygen demand (93%), and total organic carbon (91%) was observed in the contaminated water having FTWs augmented with bacterial consortium immobilized on polystyrene sheet. This study highlights that the FTWs supported with immobilized bacteria on polystyrene sheets can provide an eco-friendly and sustainable solution for the remediation of LAS-bearing water, especially for developing countries like Pakistan.

Contamination of aquatic ecosystems with organic and inorganic contaminants is a global threat due to their hazardous effects on the environment and human health. Floating treatment wetland (FTW) technology is a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to existing treatment approaches. It consists of a buoyant mat in which wetland plants can grow and develop their roots in a suspended manner and can be implemented to treat stormwater, municipal wastewater, and industrial effluents. Here we explored the potential of bacterial-augmented FTWs for the concurrent remediation of phenol and hexavalent chromium (Cr 6+ ) contaminated water and evaluated treated water toxicity using Triticum aestivum L. (wheat) as a test plant. The FTWs carrying Phragmites australis L. (common reed) were inoculated with a consortium of four bacterial strains ( Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN, Acinetobacter lwofii ACRH76, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PJRS20, Bacillus sp. PJRS25) and evaluated for their potential to simultaneously remove phenol and chromium (Cr) from contaminated water. Results revealed that the FTWs efficiently improved water quality by removing phenol (86%) and Cr (80%), with combined use of P. australis and bacterial consortium after 50 days. The phytotoxicity assay demonstrated that the germination of wheat seed (96%) was significantly higher where bacterial-augmented FTWs treated water was used compared to untreated water. This pilot-scale study highlights that the combined application of wetland plants and bacterial consortium in FTWs is a promising approach for concomitant abatement of phenol and Cr from contaminated water, especially for developing countries like Pakistan where the application of advanced and expensive technologies is limited.

The effect of Ga-substitution on bismuth ferrite BiGa x Fe 1- x O 3 ( x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25) properties was investigated, which was fabricated using a microemulsion route. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that specimens had a single-phase rhombohedral structure with space group R 3̅ c . The concentration of Ga had an impact on various properties such as structural parameters, crystalline size, porosity, and unit cell volume. The samples exhibited notable values for the dielectric constant, tangent loss, and dielectric loss in the low-frequency range, which declined as the frequency increased due to different polarizations. The increment in the AC conductivity was associated with rise in frequency. The P - E loops demonstrated that the samples became more resistive as the Ga concentration increased. The retentivity ( M r ) and saturation magnetization ( M s ) values reduced as the Ga content increased, although all samples had H c values within the range for electromagnetic materials. The Ga-substitution had a synergistic effect on the electrochemical characteristics of BiGa x Fe 1- x O 3 , resulting in greater conductivity than that of undoped BiFeO 3 . These enhanced properties contributed to their higher photocatalytic activity in the degradation of crystal violet under visible light irradiation. The doped BiGa x Fe 1- x O 3 exhibited 79% dye degradation after 90 min of illumination compared to 54% for pure BiFeO 3 . Recycling experiments confirmed the stability and reusability of the synthesized nanoparticles. The antibacterial activity of the samples was certified against various microbes, and the doped BiGa x Fe 1- x O 3 showed promising activity. Thus, doped materials are good candidates for memories, dielectric resonators, and photovoltaics because of their high dielectric constant and AC conductivity, while their higher photocatalytic activity under visible light makes them promising photocatalysts for removing noxious and harmful effluents from wastewaters., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Urolithiasis is one of most common renal disorders, characterized by the formation of kidney stones (renal calculi) through the crystallization process within the urinary system. The frequently observed renal calculi are calcium oxalate renal calculi and treatment is done by shock wave method or lithotripsy which is harmful for other cells of the internal system. The objective of this work was to evaluate in vitro diagnosis of calcium oxalate kidney stones in the aqueous solution of Bryophyllum pinnatum. The B. pinnatum powder was mixed in apple cider vinegar and lemon juice separately to make solution 1 and 2 respectively. Apple cider vinegar and lemon juice were used as solvents due to their acidic and body compatible nature. Two surgically removed stones was dipped in solution 1 and 2. After two weeks, kidney stone of weight 2.7 g is completely dissolved in solution 2 while a considerable weight reduction of other kidney stone has been observed in solution 1. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results show the presence of two strong absorption peaks at 610 and 912 (cm -1 ) in both solutions after dissolution of urinary stones are related to calcium oxalate dehydrate (COD). Raman spectra further confirm the dissolution of COD in solution having Raman shifts at 504 and 910 (cm -1 ). Cluster formation and aggregation of particles has been observed in scanning electron microscopy images. This in vitro study proves that a mixture of Bryophyllum pinnatum powder and lemon juice is a best remedy to remove kidney stones., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The risk assessment of trace elements has received substantial attention for the achievement of UN Sustainable Developmental Goals (UN-SDGs). The present study aimed to evaluate health and ecological risks associated with trace element accumulation in Brassica oleracea under wastewater irrigations from three different areas. This study, for the first time, compared the pros and cons of mixed water crop irrigation (wastewater with fresh/groundwater). A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the buildup of eight trace elements (As, Cu, Cd, Mn, Fe, Pb, Ni and Zn) in soil and B. oleracea plants irrigated with wastewater alone and mixed with fresh/groundwater. Specific ecological [degree of contamination (C d ), potential ecological risk index (PERI), pollution load index (PLI), geo-accumulation index (I geo )], phytoaccumulation [bioconcentration factor (BCF) and transfer factor (TF)] and health risk models [chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ), cancer risk (CR)] were applied to assess the overall contamination of trace elements in the soil-plant-human system. Moreover, these indices were compared with the literature data. The concentration of Cd, Fe and Mn exceeded the threshold limits of 10, 500 and 200 mg kg -1 , respectively, for agricultural soil. Overall, all the irrigation waters caused significant pollution load in soil indicating high ecological risk (C d  > 24, PERI > 380, Igeo > 5, PLI > 2). Not all the mixing treatments caused a reduction in trace element buildup in soil. The mixing of wastewater-1 with either groundwater or freshwater increased trace element levels in the soil as well as risk indices compared to wastewater alone. The BCF and TF values were > 1, respectively, for 66% and 7% treatments. Trace element concentration in plants and associated health risk were minimized in mixed wastewater treatments. There were 22% and 32% reduction in HQ and CR when wastewater was mixed with freshwater and 29% and 8% when mixed with groundwater. Despite total reduction, a great variation in % change in risk indices was observed with respect to the area of wastewater collection. Therefore, mixed water irrigation may be a good management strategy, but its recommendation depends on soil properties and composition of waters used for mixing. Moreover, it is recommended that the freshwater and wastewater of the particular area may be continuously monitored to avoid potential associated health hazards., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Water contamination by arsenic (As) is widespread and is posing serious health threats globally. Hence, As removal techniques/adsorbents need to be explored to minimize potentials hazards of drinking As-contaminated waters. A column scale sorption experiment was performed to assess the potential of three biosorbents (tea waste, wheat straw and peanut shells) to remove As (50, 100, 200 and 400 µg L -1 ) from aqueous medium at a pH range of 5-8. The efficiency of agricultural biosorbents to remove As varies greatly regarding their type, initial As concentration in water and solution pH. It was observed that all of the biosorbents efficiently removed As from water samples. The maximum As removal (up to 92%) was observed for 400 µg L -1 initial As concentration. Noticeably, at high initial As concentrations (200 and 400 μg L -1 ), low pH (5 and 6) facilitates As removal. Among the three biosorbents, tea waste biosorbent showed substantial ability to minimize health risks by removing As (up to 92%) compared to peanut shells (89%) and wheat straw (88%). Likewise, the values of evaluated risk parameters (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk) were significantly decreased (7-92%: average 66%) after biosorption experiment. The scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction analyses confirmed the potential of biosorbents to remediate As via successful loading of As on their surfaces. Hence, it can be concluded that synthesized biosorbents exhibit efficient and ecofriendly potential for As removal from contaminated water to minimize human health risk., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: Rapid digitalization in health care has led to the adoption of digital technologies; however, limited trust in internet-based health decisions and the need for technical personnel hinder the use of smartphones and machine learning applications. To address this, automated machine learning (AutoML) is a promising tool that can empower health care professionals to enhance the effectiveness of mobile health apps., Objective: We used AutoML to analyze data from clinical studies involving patients with chronic hand and/or foot eczema or psoriasis vulgaris who used a smartphone monitoring app. The analysis focused on itching, pain, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) development, and app use., Methods: After extensive data set preparation, which consisted of combining 3 primary data sets by extracting common features and by computing new features, a new pseudonymized secondary data set with a total of 368 patients was created. Next, multiple machine learning classification models were built during AutoML processing, with the most accurate models ultimately selected for further data set analysis., Results: Itching development for 6 months was accurately modeled using the light gradient boosted trees classifier model (log loss: 0.9302 for validation, 1.0193 for cross-validation, and 0.9167 for holdout). Pain development for 6 months was assessed using the random forest classifier model (log loss: 1.1799 for validation, 1.1561 for cross-validation, and 1.0976 for holdout). Then, the random forest classifier model (log loss: 1.3670 for validation, 1.4354 for cross-validation, and 1.3974 for holdout) was used again to estimate the DLQI development for 6 months. Finally, app use was analyzed using an elastic net blender model (area under the curve: 0.6567 for validation, 0.6207 for cross-validation, and 0.7232 for holdout). Influential feature correlations were identified, including BMI, age, disease activity, DLQI, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety scores at follow-up. App use increased with BMI >35, was less common in patients aged >47 years and those aged 23 to 31 years, and was more common in those with higher disease activity. A Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety score >8 had a slightly positive effect on app use., Conclusions: This study provides valuable insights into the relationship between data characteristics and targeted outcomes in patients with chronic eczema or psoriasis, highlighting the potential of smartphone and AutoML techniques in improving chronic disease management and patient care., (©Igor Bibi, Daniel Schaffert, Mara Blauth, Christian Lull, Jan Alwin von Ahnen, Georg Gross, Wanja Alexander Weigandt, Johannes Knitza, Sebastian Kuhn, Johannes Benecke, Jan Leipe, Astrid Schmieder, Victor Olsavszky. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 28.11.2023.)

In this study, bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) of silver (Ag) and zinc oxide (ZnO) were synthesized using Leptadenia pyrotechnica leaf extract for the first time. Monometallic NPs were also obtained for comparison. The characterization of the prepared NPs was carried out using various techniques, including UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The latter confirmed the crystalline nature and diameter of the monometallic and bimetallic NPs of Ag and ZnO. The SEM images of the prepared NPs revealed their different shapes. The biological activities of the NPs were evaluated concerning their antibacterial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties. The antibacterial activities were measured using the time-killing method. The results demonstrated that both the monometallic and bimetallic NPs inhibited the growth of Gram-negative ( Escherichia coli ) and Gram-positive ( Staphylococcus aureus ) bacteria. The antioxidant activities of the NPs were evaluated using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay and their cytotoxicity was checked using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The results indicated that the controlled quantity of the monometallic and bimetallic NPs did not affect the viability of the cells. However, the decreased cell (L-929) viability suggested that the NPs could have anticancer properties. Furthermore, the photocatalytic degradation of methyl violet and 4-nitrophenol was investigated using the prepared Ag/ZnO NPs, examining the factors affecting the degradation process and conducting a kinetic and thermodynamic study. The prepared Ag/ZnO NPs demonstrated good photocatalytic degradation (88.9%) of the methyl violet (rate constant of 0.0183 min -1 ) in comparison to 4-nitrophenol (NPh), with a degradation rate of 81.37% and 0.0172 min -1 , respectively. Overall, the bimetallic NPs showed superior antibacterial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and photocatalytic properties compared to the monometallic NPs of Ag and ZnO.

A series of Cd- and Er-doped bismuth ferrites were synthesized using a simple microemulsion technique. The influence of Cd and Er doping on the structural, ferroelectric, photocatalytic, and dielectric properties of bismuth ferrite (BFO) was examined in this research. The prepared materials were examined by X-ray diffraction, Raman, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-vis techniques. The XRD patterns reflected the formation of a monophasic rhombohedral structure with the space group R 3 - c and an average crystallite size calculated to be in the range of 29 to 32 nm. The saturation polarization ( P s ), coercivity ( H c ), and retentivity ( P r ) of the materials were investigated by a hysteresis loop (P-E), and it was perceived that increasing the dopant contents improved the P s and P r values, which may be due to the variation of metal cation valence states. In accordance with the photoluminescence (PL) spectra, a highly substituted material displayed lower recombination and increased charge separation rate (e - -h + ), which eventually contributed to a higher photocatalytic degradation performance of the prepared NMs. Furthermore, as the frequency and dopant concentration increased, the dielectric loss decreased, which could be due to different types of polarization. Bi 1 -  x Cd x Fe 1 -  y Er y O 3 showed well-saturated hysteresis loops (P-E) with enhanced saturation polarization near 9.7 × 10 -4 μC·cm -2 . The remnant polarization of the BFO and BFOCE NPs was 2.26 × 10 -4 and 8.11 × 10 -4 μC·cm -2 , respectively, under a maximum electric field, which may be due to the variation of the metal cation valence states. The improved ferroelectric and dielectric properties of Bi 1 -  x Cd x Fe 1 -  y Er y O 3 NPs are attributed to the reduced concentration of defects, the different domain behavior, and the valence state of Cd and Er ions. The electrochemical (crystal violet (CV) and I - V ) properties of Bi 1 -  x Cd x Fe 1 -  y Er y O 3 were all influenced by the dopant concentrations (Cd and Er). The synergistic effects of Cd and Er on the substituted material enhanced the specific capacitance in comparison to undoped BiFeO 3 . The photocatalytic activity to degrade CV under visible irradiation increased in BFOCE as the dopant ( x , y ) concentration increased from 0 to 0.25 by showing 84% dye degradation in comparison to pristine BiFeO 3 (53% only) within 120 min under visible light. Moreover, the stability of these prepared nanoparticles was confirmed using recycling experiments, with the results indicating that the synthesized nanomaterials demonstrated promising stability and reusability., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

The particle size at the nanometric level allows the manifestation of remarkable properties, chiefly due to changes in surface-to-volume ratio. This study is attributed to the novel green synthesis of nano silver by using essential oils as a capping and reducing agent. Clove oil, cinnamon oil, and cardamom oil were selected for the eco-friendly and low-cost fabrication of silver nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by photoluminescence spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, dynamic laser light scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that samples prepared by using cinnamon oil (20 nm) and cardamom oil (12 nm) had smaller particle sizes as compared to those synthesized by using clove oil (45 nm). All the prepared samples exhibited very strong antimicrobial activities with a clear zone of inhibition (6-24 mm) against Staphylococcus aureus , Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida albicans. Very resilient photocatalytic activities of the samples were observed against Allura red and fast green dyes. It was concluded that the cinnamon oil-based system is the best size reducer and size homogenizer (less chances of agglomeration) as compared to clove oil and cardamom oil (more chances of agglomeration) for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles.

Untreated wastewater is routinely used for agricultural activities in water-stressed regions, thereby causing severe ecological risks by various pollutants. Hence, management strategies are needed to cope with the environmental issues related to wastewater use in agriculture. This pot study evaluates the effect of mixing either freshwater (FW) or groundwater (GW) with sewage water (SW) on the buildup of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soil and maize crop. Results revealed that SW of Vehari contains high levels of Cd (0.08 mg L -1 ) and Cr (2.3 mg L -1 ). Mixing of FW and GW with SW increased soil contents of As (22%) and decreased Cd (1%), Cu (1%), Fe (3%), Mn (9%), Ni (9%), Pb (10%), and Zn (4%) than SW "alone" treatment. Risk indices showed high-degree of soil-contamination and very-high ecological risks. Maize accumulated considerable concentrations of PTEs in roots and shoot with bioconcentration factor > 1 for Cd, Cu, and Pb and transfer factor > 1 for As, Fe, Mn, and Ni. Overall, mixed treatments increased plant contents of As (118%), Cu (7%), Mn (8%), Ni (55%), and Zn (1%), while decreased those of Cd (7%), Fe (5%), and Pb (1%) compared to SW "alone" treatments. Risk indices predicted possible carcinogenic risks to cow (CR 0.003 > 0.0001) and sheep (CR 0.0121 > 0.0001) due to consumption of maize fodder containing PTEs. Hence, to minimize possible environmental/health hazards, mixing of FW and GW with SW can be an effective strategy. However, the recommendation greatly depends on the composition of mixing waters., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Climate change is a global challenge that is accelerated by contamination with hazardous substances like arsenic (As), posing threat to the agriculture, ecosystem and human health. Here, we explored the impact of various ameliorants on geochemical distribution of As in two soils with contrasting textures (sandy clay loam (Khudpur Village) and clay loam (Mattital Village)) under paddy soil conditions and their influence on the CO 2 -carbon efflux. The exchangeable As pool in clay loam soil increased as: lignite (0.4%) < biogas slurry (6%) < cow dung (9%), and < biochar (20%). However, in the sandy clay loam soil exchangeable soil As pool was found to be maximum with farmyard manure followed by biogas slurry, biochar and cow dung (17%, 14%, 13% and 7%, respectively). Interestingly, in the sandy clay loam soil the percentage As distribution in organic fraction was: biochar (38%) > cow dung (33%) > biogas slurry (23%) > sugarcane bagasse (22%) > farmyard manure (21%) that was higher compared to the clay loam soil (< 6% for all the amendments). In addition to the highest As immobilization by biochar in sandy clay loam soil, it also led to the lowest CO 2 -carbon efflux (1470 CO 2 -C mg kg -1 ) among all the organic/inorganic amendments. Overall, the current study advances our understanding on the pivotal role of organic amendments, notably biochar, in immobilizing As under paddy soil conditions with low (CO 2 ) carbon loss, albeit it is dependent on soil and ameliorant types., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

In this study, we explored the potential of a newly prepared nano-zero valent zinc (nZVZn), biochar (BC)/nZVZn and BC/hydroxyapatite-alginate (BC/HA-alginate) composites for the removal of inorganic As species from water. Relatively, higher percentage removal of As(III) and As(V) was obtained by nZVZn at pH 3.4 (96% and 94%, respectively) compared to BC/nZVZn (90% and 88%) and BC/HA-alginate (88% and 80%) at pH 7.2. Freundlich model provided the best fit ( R 2 = up to 0.98) for As(III) and As(V) sorption data of all the sorbents, notably for nZVZn. The pseudo-second order model well-described kinetics of As(III) and As(V) ( R 2 = 0.99) sorption on all the sorbents. The desorption experiments demonstrated that the As removal efficiency, up to the third sorption/desorption cycle, was in the order of nZVZn ∼ BC/HA-alginate (88%) > BC/nZVZn (84%). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy depicted that the -OH, -COOH, Zn-O and Zn-OH surface functional groups were responsible for the sorption of As(III) or As(V) on the sorbents investigated here. This study highlights that removal of As species from water by BC/nZVZn composite can be compared with nZVZn, suggesting that integrating BC with nZVZn could efficiently remove As from As-contaminated drinking water.

Dyes are emerging as harmful pollutants, which is one of major issues for the environmentalists and there is a urgent need for the removal of dyes from the effluents. In this context, the adsorption technology has been extensively used as an effective tool for the removal of dyes from the aqueous phase. This technique uses low-cost adsorbents and the cellulosic material is a biodegradable, cost-effective and renewable polymer, which is not soluble in the majority of solvents because of its crystalline nature and hydrogen bonding. Currently, the modified cellulosic materials for the removal of dyes from wastewater gained much attention. Moreover, the application of cellulose for water treatment can be utilized for controlling pollution and have high economic viability and availability. This review signifies the use of cellulose-based adsorbent for dyes adsorption from wastewater. The key advancement in the preparation and modification of cellulose-based adsorbents is discussed and their adsorption efficiencies are compared with other adsorbents for removal of dyes and adsorption conditions are also considered for the same. The studies reporting cellulose-based adsorption from 2003 to 2022 are included and their various properties are compared for the efficient removal of dyes. The modified cellulosic materials cellulose is a highly effective adsorbent for the remediation of effluents., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An extracellular pectinase from a mixed consortium of Bacillus sp. (BSP) was immobilized onto graphene oxide/chitosan composite (GO/CS) through covalent binding to enhance its recycling and operational stability features. Different parameters were optimized, including cross-linker concentration (%), time, pH, and GO/CS-pectinase ratios. GO/CS-pectinase was further characterized by FT-IR and XRD. The activity of GO/CS-pectinase was reached up to 804 μmolmin -1 with an immobilization efficiency of 80.64 ± 1.15 % under optimum conditions. GO/CS-pectinase exhibited a 3.0-folds higher half-life (t 1/2 ) than free pectinase at 50, 55, and 60 °C, respectively. The V max and K M values of GO/CS-pectinase were found to be nearly equal to the free pectinase indicating that conformational flexibility was retained. K d , t 1/2 , ∆G*, ∆H*, and ∆S* of both free pectinase and GO/CS-pectinase was 0.0339 & 0.0721 min -1 , 9.62 and 40.44 min, 81.35, 90.72 kJmol -1 , 47.098 & 63.635 kJmol -1 , -102.86 & -81.340 Jmole -1  K -1 . SEM morphological analysis further confirmed the successful binding of pectinase with GO/CS, which retained about 92 % of its original catalytic activity after ten consecutive reaction cycles. Finally, GO/CS-pectinase was employed for guava juice clarification which exhibited the turbidity reduction up to 81 % after 75 min of treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

There are scarce data about the accumulation pattern and risk assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soil and associated potential ecological risks, especially in less-developed countries. This study aims to assess the pollution levels and potential ecological risks of PTEs (As, Cr, Cd, Cu, Ni, Mn, Pb and Zn) in wastewater-irrigated arable soils and different edible-grown plants in selected areas of Vehari, Pakistan. The results revealed that the values of PTEs in soil samples were higher than their respective limit values by 20% for As, 87% for Cd, 15% for Cu, 2% for Cr, 83% for Mn, 98% for Fe, and 7% for Zn. The values of soil risk indices such as the potential ecological risk (PERI >380 for all samples), pollution load index (PLI >4 for 94% of studied samples), and degree of contamination (Dc > 24 for all samples) showed severe soil contamination in the study area. Some vegetables exhibited a high metal accumulation index (e.g., 8.1 for onion), signifying potential associated health hazards. Thus, long-term wastewater irrigation has led to severe soil contamination, which can pose potential ecological risks via PTE accumulation in crops, particularly Cd. Therefore, to ensure food safety, frequent wastewater irrigation practices need to be minimized and managed in the study area., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Automatic modulation recognition (AMR) is used in various domains-from general-purpose communication to many military applications-thanks to the growing popularity of the Internet of Things (IoT) and related communication technologies. In this research article, we propose an innovative idea of combining the classical mathematical technique of computing linear combinations (LCs) of cumulants with a genetic algorithm (GA) to create super-cumulants. These super-cumulants are further used to classify five digital modulation schemes on fading channels using the K-nearest neighbor (KNN). Our proposed classifier significantly improves the percentage recognition accuracy at lower SNRs when using smaller sample sizes. A comparison with existing techniques manifests the supremacy of our proposed classifier.

Trace elements (TEs) contamination of agricultural soils requires suitable criteria for regulating their toxicity limits in soil and food crops, which depends on their potential ecological risk spanning regional to global scales. However, no comprehensive study is available that links TE concentrations in paddy soil with ecological and human health risks in less developed regions like Pakistan. Here we evaluated the data set to establish standard guidelines for defining the hazard levels of various potentially toxic TEs (such as As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn) in agricultural paddy soils of Punjab, Pakistan. In total, 100 topsoils (at 0-15 cm depth) and 204 rice plant (shoot and grain) samples were collected from five ecological zones of Punjab (Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Vehari, Mailsi, and Burewala), representing the major rice growing regions in Pakistan. The degree of contamination (C d ) and potential ecological risk index (PERI) established from ecological risk models were substantially higher in 100% and 97% of samples, respectively. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model revealed that the elevated TEs concentration, notably Cd, As, Cr, Ni, and Pb, in the agricultural paddy soil was attributed to the anthropogenic activities and groundwater irrigation. Moreover, the concentration of these TEs in rice grains was higher than the FAO/WHO's safe limits. This study provided a baseline, albeit critical knowledge, on the impact of TE-allied ecological and human health risks in the paddy soil-rice system in Pakistan; and it opens new avenues for setting TEs guidelines in agro-ecological zones globally, especially in underdeveloped regions., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Rice is an important food crop that is susceptible to arsenic (As) contamination under paddy soil conditions depending on As uptake characteristics of the rice genotypes. Here we unveiled the significance of eighteen (fine and coarse) rice genotypes against As accumulation/tolerance, morphological and physiological response, and antioxidant enzymes-enabled defense pathways. Arsenic significantly affected rice plant morphological and physiological attributes, with relatively more impacts on fine compared to coarse genotypes. Grain, shoot, and root As uptake were lower in fine genotypes (0.002, 0.020, and 0.032 mg pot -1 DW, respectively) than that of coarse (0.031, 0.60, and 1.2 mg pot -1 DW, respectively). Various biochemical (pigment contents, hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation) and defense (antioxidant enzymes) plant parameters indicated that the fine genotypes, notably Kainat and Basmati-385, possessed the highest As tolerance. Arsenic-induced risk indices exhibited greater hazard quotient (up to 1.47) and carcinogenic risk (up to 0.0066) for coarse genotypes compared to the fine ones, with the greatest risk for KSK-282. This study elaborates the pivotal role of genotypic variation among rice plants in As accumulation, which is crucial for mitigating the associated human health risk. Further research is required on molecular aspects, e.g., genetic sequencing, to examine rice genotypes variation in defense mechanisms to As contamination., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The PRECISE criteria for serial multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the prostate during active surveillance recommend the use of a dedicated scoring system (PRECISE score) to assess the likelihood of clinically significant radiological change. This pilot study assesses the effect of an interactive teaching course on prostate MRI during active surveillance in assessing radiological change in serial imaging., Methods: Eleven radiology fellows and registrars with different experience in prostate MRI reading participated in a dedicated teaching course where they initially evaluated radiological change (based on their previous training in prostate MRI reading) independently in fifteen patients on active surveillance (baseline and follow-up scan), and then attended a lecture on the PRECISE score. The initial scans were reviewed for teaching purposes and afterwards the participants re-assessed the degree of radiological change in a new set of images (from fifteen different patients) applying the PRECISE score. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed. Confirmatory biopsies and PRECISE scores given in consensus by two radiologists (involved in the original draft of the PRECISE score) were the reference standard., Results: There was a significant improvement in the average area under the curve (AUC) for the assessment of radiological change from baseline (AUC: 0.60 [Confidence Intervals: 0.51-0.69] to post-teaching (AUC: 0.77 [0.70-0.84]). This was an improvement of 0.17 [0.016-0.28] (p = 0.004)., Conclusions: A dedicated teaching course on the use of the PRECISE score improves the accuracy in the assessment of radiological change in serial MRI of the prostate., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Plant redox homeostasis governs the uptake, toxicity and tolerance mechanism of toxic trace elements and thereby elucidates the remediation potential of a plant. Moreover, plant toxicity/tolerance mechanisms control the trace element compartmentation in edible and non-edible plant organs as well as the associated health hazards. Therefore, it is imperative to unravel the cellular mechanism involved in trace element toxicity and tolerance. The present study investigated the toxicity and tolerance/detoxification mechanisms of four levels of arsenic (As(III): 0, 5, 25 and 125 µM) in Brassica oleracea under hydroponic cultivation. Increasing As levels significantly decreased the pigment contents (up to 68%) of B. oleracea. Plants under As stress showed an increase in H 2 O 2 contents (up to 32%) in roots while a decrease (up to 72%) in leaves because As is mostly retained in plant roots, while less is translocated toward the shoot, as evident from the literature. Arsenic treatments caused lipid peroxidation both in the root and leaf cells. Against As-induced oxidative stress, B. oleracea plants mediated an increase in the activities of peroxidase and catalase. Contradictory, the ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities slightly decreased in the As-stressed plants. In conclusion and as evident from the literature data analysis, As exposure (especially high level, 125 µM) caused pigment toxicity and oxidative burst in B. oleracea. The ability of B. oleracea to tolerate As-induced toxicity greatly varied with applied treatment levels (As-125 being more toxic than lower levels), plant organ type (more toxicity in leaves than roots) and physiological response parameter (pigment contents more sensitive than other response variables). Moreover, the multivariate statistical analysis appeared to be a useful method to estimate plant response under stress and trace significant trends in the data set., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Currently, measures of quality of life used with older people with dementia (PWD) are mainly health related. Health is not an actual attribute of but a means to attain quality of life. The Investigating Choice Experiments for the Preferences of Older People - CAPability index (ICECAP-O) measures attributes of quality of life. While its construct validity has been tested with PWD, no study has yet published data on the reliability of this scale used directly with PWD. In this study, we tested the external (test-retest) reliability of the ICECAP-O with 54 community-dwelling older PWD from the south of England. The ICECAP-O had acceptable test-retest reliability (r = .68, p < .01 and r = .56, p < .01 for raw and tariff scores, respectively). This suggests that the ICECAP-O is both a reliable and valid measure of quality of life for use directly with community-dwelling PWD., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Background: Bifenthrin is an insecticide and anti-estrogenic compound primarily used to control residential pests by depolarizing sodium gated voltage channels in the nervous system. Eryptosis, the suicidal death of erythrocytes, featured by PS exposure, membrane blebbing and cell shrinkage. Anemia is an outcome of uncontrolled eryptosis., Research Design: In this study, erythrocytes were treated with different concentrations (.5-1-1.5 μM) of bifenthrin over a period of 48 hours. In order to investigate the oxidative stress induced by bifenthrin, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities were investigated., Results: Obtained data indicated the decrease in the enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase) activities in bifenthrin treated cells at 1 μM concentration. In addition, measurement of cell size and confirmation of the role of calcium in the stimulation of the eryptotic activity of bifenthrin were performed. A significant increase in mean cell volume was found in the presence of bifenthrin and a decrease in mean cell volume in the presence of calcium channel blocker was observed. Similarly, there was also a significant increase in the percentage of hemolysis indicating the necrotic activity of bifenthrin., Conclusions: It is concluded that the indicated doses of bifenthrin triggered oxidative stress which may lead to early cell death by eryptosis and hemolysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Zinc (Zn) plays an important role in the physiology and biochemistry of plants due to its established essentiality and toxicity for living beings at certain Zn concentration i.e., deficient or toxic over the optimum range. Being a vital cofactor of important enzymes, Zn participates in plant metabolic processes therefore, alters the biophysicochemical processes mediated by Zn-related enzymes/proteins. Excess Zn can provoke oxidative damage by enhancing the levels of reactive radicals. Hence, it is imperative to monitor Zn levels and associated biophysicochemical roles, essential or toxic, in the soil-plant interactions. This data-analysis review has critically summarized the recent literature of (i) Zn mobility/phytoavailability in soil (ii) molecular understanding of Zn phytouptake, (iii) uptake and distribution in the plants, (iv) essential roles in plants, (v) phyto-deficiency and phytotoxicity, (vi) detoxification processes to scavenge Zn phytotoxicity inside plants, and (vii) associated health hazards. The review especially compares the essential, deficient and toxic roles of Zn in biophysicochemical and detoxification processes inside the plants. To conclude, this review recommends some Zn-related research perspectives. Overall, this review reveals a thorough representation of Zn bio-geo-physicochemical interactions in soil-plant system using recent data., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors declare no known conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This work investigates the effects of double ion substitution on the ferroelectric, electrochemical, dielectric and photocatalytic properties of Gd and Fe doped La 1-y Gd y Ni 1-x Fe x O 3 nanoparticles (NPs). La 1-y Gd y Ni 1-x Fe x O 3 was fabricated by facile micro-emulsion path and its properties were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman scattering, Fourier Transform of Infrared (FTIR), energy dispersive x-rays (EDX) techniques. It has a distorted rhombohedral shape with crystallite size within the range of 17-23 nm. The doped material has a spherical heterogeneous morphology, and its surface area increased with increased doping. The electrochemical (CV, EIS, and I-V), conductivity and dielectric (dielectric constant and low dielectric & tangent loss) properties of La 1-y Gd y Ni 1-x Fe x O 3 were dependent on the contents of the dopants (Gd and Fe). The doped material had improved specific capacitance compared to the undoped LaNiO 3 due to the synergistic effect of Gd and Fe on the doped materials. The conductivity of Gd and Fe doped LaNiO 3 5.16 × 10 4 Sm -1 was enhanced compared to the undoped LaNiO 3 3.52 × 10 -2 Sm 1 . Furthermore, hysteresis loop was used to investigate the coercivity (Hc), saturation magnetization (Ms) and remanence (Mr) of the material. The Ms and Mr values were enhanced with the content of the dopants. The photocatalytic activity (PCA) of the material in degrading malachite green (MG) dye was studied. La 1-y Gd y Ni 1-x Fe x O 3 NPs was able to degrade up to 96.4% of the dye under visible light irradiation in 50 min. La 1-y Gd y Ni 1-x Fe x O 3 has remarkable dielectric, electrochemical, ferroelectric and photo-catalytic properties and have potential applications in microwave, electrical, electronic, energy storage devices. It is also an active photo-catalyst material for the removal/oxidation of toxic pollutants from the environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Water scarcity is a major threat to agriculture and humans due to over abstraction of groundwater, rapid urbanization and improper use in industrial processes. Industrial consumption of water is lower than the abstraction rate, which ultimately produces large amounts of wastewater such as from tannery industry containing high concentration of chromium (Cr). Chromium-contaminated tannery industry wastewater is used for irrigation of food crops, resulting in food safety and public health issues globally. In contrast to conventional treatment technologies, constructed wetlands (CWs) are considered as an eco-friendly technique to treat various types of wastewaters, although their application and potential have not been discussed and elaborated for Cr treatment of tannery wastewater. This review briefly describes Cr occurrence, distribution and speciation in aquatic ecosystems. The significance of wetland plant species, microorganisms, various bedding media and adsorbents have been discussed with a particular emphasis on the removal and detoxification of Cr in CWs. Also, the efficiency of various types of CWs is elaborated for advancing our understanding on Cr removal efficiency and Cr partitioning in various compartments of the CWs. The review covers important aspects to use CWs for treatment of Cr-rich tannery wastewater that are key to meet UN's Sustainable Development Goals., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Arsenic (As) contamination in soil-plant system is an important environmental, agricultural and health issue globally. The microbe- and sulfate-mediated As cycling in soil-plant system may depend on soil sulfate levels, and it can be used as a potential strategy to reduce plant As uptake and improve plant growth. Here, we investigated the role of soil microbes (SMs) to examine As phytoaccumulation using maize as a test plant, under varying sulfate levels (S-0, S-5, S-25 mmol kg -1 ) and As stress. The addition of sulfate and SMs promoted maize plant growth and reduced As concentration in shoots compared to sulfate-treated plants without SMs. Results revealed that the SMs-S-5 treatment proved to be the most promising in reducing As uptake by 27% and 48% in root and shoot of the maize plants, respectively. The SMs-S treatments, primarily with S-5, enhanced plant growth, shoot dry biomass, Chl a, b and total Chl (a + b) contents, and gas exchange attributes of maize plants. Similarly, the antioxidant defense in maize plants was increased significantly in SMs-S-treated plants, notably with SMs-S-5 treatment. Overall, the SMs-S-5-treated plants possessed improved plant growth, dry biomass, physiology and antioxidant defense system and decrease in plant shoot As concentration. The outcomes of this study suggest that sulfate supplementation in soil along with SMs could assist in reducing As accumulation by maize plants, thus providing a sustainable and eco-friendly bioremediation strategy in limiting As exposure., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

In this study, we investigated the distinct effects of organic (farmyard manure (FYM), cow dung (CD), biogas slurry (BGS), sugarcane bagasse (SCB)) and inorganic (gypsum and lignite) amendments on arsenic (As) accumulation by two rice genotypes, Kainat (fine) and Basmati-385 (coarse), under As stress. Results showed that shoot As concentration was ~2-time greater in Kainat compared to Basmati-385 (3.1-28 vs. 1.7-16 mg kg -1 DW, respectively), with the minimum shoot As content observed with CD and SCB. In contrast to gypsum and lignite, grain As concentration was significantly reduced with CD and SCB for Kainat (0.29 and 0.24 mg kg -1 DW) and Basmati-385 (0.04 and 0.09 mg kg -1 DW). Data indicated that the CD and SCB also improved chlorophyll a and b contents, reduced lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide production in both rice genotypes. Significantly, the CD and SCB decreased grain As concentration below the FAO safe As limit in rice grain (0.2 mg kg -1 DW), especially in coarse rice genotype (Basmati-385), resulting in negligible As-induced human health risk. This study highlights the significance of amendments and rice genotypes controlling As accumulation in rice grain, which should be considered prior to As remediation program of paddy soils for limiting exposure of humans to As via rice grain., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The therapeutic potential of whitish glaucous sub-shrub Haloxylon griffithii ( H . griffithii ), abundantly present in southern regions of South Asia, has been neglected. The current study aimed to assess the phytochemicals and pharmacological potential of native and gemm forms of H . griffithii . Results of antimicrobial activity revealed that all tested bacteria were susceptible at concentrations ≤50 µg/mL, while tested fungal species were susceptible at ≤25 µg/mL. The values of minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) ranged between 10.75 ± 0.20 to 44.25 ± 0.42 µg/mL, 8.25 ± 0.02 to 28.20 ± 0.80 µg/mL. The value of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of all microbial species was ≤100 µg/mL and the antibiotic mechanism showed that both extracts were highly bactericidal and fungicidal. Results of average log reduction of viable cell count in time kill assay indicated that Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P . aeruginosa ) NCTC 1662, Candida albicans ( C . albicans ) IBL-01, Candida krusei ( C . krusei ) ATCC 6258, and Aspergillus flavus ( A . flavus ) QC 6158 were the most susceptible microbial species. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based quantification confirmed the presence of gallic acid p.coumeric acid catechin, vanillin, ellagic acid, and salicylic acid, while in native extract only gallic acid. Native and gemm extracts exhibited excellent radical scavenging potential measured by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical scavenging assay. Significant thrombolytic activity was found in both extracts with negligible haemolytic activity. Highest percent (%) clot lysis was observed with gemm extracts (87.9 ± 0.85% clot lysis). In summary, we infer that valuable evidence congregated can be exploited for better understanding of gemm H . griffithii's health benefits, further, to increase its utility with enriching dietary sources of health-promoting compounds.

A series of polymeric membranes were synthesized by blending polyurethane with sodium alginate (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0%). The structural, morphological and thermal properties of the membranes were examined by FTIR, SEM, AFM and TGA, respectively. Performance evaluation (salt rejection and flux) was assessed through reverse osmosis technique (RO). The FTIR spectra of membranes confirmed extensive hydrogen bonding (3350 cm -1 ). The SEM and AFM analyses supported a progressively rising surface roughness of blended membranes. The hydrophilicity, crosslinking density and thermal stability of the membranes were improved with an increase in alginate content. The capability of salt (NaCl and MgCl 2 ) rejection was improved with alginate up to 0.8%. In addition, the rejection of divalent ions was better than monovalent ions (94 ± 0.96% for NaCl and 98 ± 0.98% for MgCl 2 ). The blended membranes ascertained an effective chlorine resistivity. The antibacterial activity was also promising, which enhanced with the alginate content in the membrane. The sodium alginate blended membrane with polyurethane proved to be an efficient approach to develop the blended membranes with tunable properties for water desalination., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Arsenic (As) contamination is a well-recognized environmental and health issue, threatening over 200 million people worldwide with the prime cases in South and Southeast Asian and Latin American countries. Rice is mostly cultivated under flooded paddy soil conditions, where As speciation and accumulation by rice plants is controlled by various geo-environmental (biotic and abiotic) factors. In contrast to other food crops, As uptake in rice has been found to be substantially higher due to the prevalence of highly mobile and toxic As species, arsenite (As(III)), under paddy soil conditions. In this review, we discussed the biogeochemical cycling of As in paddy soil-rice system, described the influence of critical factors such as pH, iron oxides, organic matter, microbial species, and pathways affecting As transformation and accumulation by rice. Moreover, we elucidated As interaction with organic and inorganic amendments and mineral nutrients. The review also elaborates on As (im)mobilization processes and As uptake by rice under the influence of different mineral nutrients and amendments in paddy soil conditions, as well as their role in mitigating As transfer to rice grain. This review article provides critical information on As contamination in paddy soil-rice system, which is important to develop suitable strategies and mitigation programs for limiting As exposure via rice crop, and meet the UN's key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs: 2 (zero hunger), 3 (good health and well-being), 12 (responsible consumption and production), and 13 (climate action))., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The contamination of aquatic systems with arsenic (As) is considered to be an internationally-important health and environmental issue, affecting over 115 countries globally. Arsenic contamination of aquatic ecosystems is a global threat as it can enter the food chain from As-rich water and cause harmful impacts on the humans and other living organisms. Although different factors (e.g., pH, redox potential, iron/manganese oxides, and microbes) control As biogeochemical cycling and speciation in water systems, the significance of algal species in biotransformation of As is poorly understood. The overarching attribute of this review is to briefly elaborate various As sources and its distribution in water bodies and factors affecting As biogeochemical behavior in aqueous ecosystems. This review elucidates the intriguing role of algae in biotransformation/volatilization of As in water bodies under environmentally-relevant conditions. Also, we critically delineate As sorption, uptake, oxidation and reduction pathways of As by algae and their possible role in bioremediation of As-contaminated water (e.g., drinking water, wastewater). The current review provides the updated and useful framework for government and water treatment agencies to implement algae in As remediation programs globally., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)