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Summary: Photovoltaic (PV) systems benefit from the cascaded H‐bridge multilevel inverter (CHMLI) topology due to its high flexibility and efficiency. However, PV mismatches in three‐phase grid‐connected systems result in an unbalanced power supply, which leads to an unbalanced grid current. Proportional integral derivative (PID) controllers can be used to control H‐bridge inverters because of their simplicity of tuning as well as their basic structure. However, due to the nonlinearity and high sensitivity of the PID controller, its performance declines as a result of high overshoot, high settling time, and high rise time during significant external disturbances. Moreover, the switching angle of the inverter must be adjusted to provide the required fundamental voltage while reducing harmonic content. In order to address this problem, a control technique with modulation compensation is proposed. The present work offers a two‐degree‐of‐freedom fractional‐order PID controller with an integrated filter (2DOF–FOPID–IF). Moreover, the optimum switching angles are determined for the CHMLI by employing an improved sparrow optimization (ISO) algorithm. To prove the practicality of the suggested technique, simulation, and experimental data are compared with the existing techniques. The proposed technique shows better performance in terms of settling time, overshoot, rise time, and low harmonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research have examined the facile bio-fabrication of the rutile phase of TiO2-NPs nanoparticles using phytoconstituents of Phyllanthus emblica seeds as a reducer and stabilizers under microwave irradiations. XRD confirmed the incidence of phase with the formation of nanostructured crystals with average crystallite size ∼ 19 nm. FTIR spectra exhibited the attendance of the O–Ti–O band with a remnant of phytoconstituents. SEM and HRTEM have shown an almost spherical morphology with smooth particle surfaces in the 30–50 nm size range. The results of the antimicrobial tests were determined with the zone of inhibitions observed in the incubated culture plates. The effective zone of inhibitions were noted to be 23.33 ± 0.5, 24.67 ± 0.5, and 22.67 ± 0.5 mm against Bacillus sp., Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas sp., respectively. This research has demonstrated an inexpensive, rapid, and facile technique for the formation of rutile TiO2-NPs with suitable structural and morphology features for antimicrobial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compound salidroside was synthesized through the glucosylation of p-tyrosol. This research prioritizes the purification of salidroside over process optimization due to insufficient product yield. High-performance centrifugal partition chromatography (HPCP) with biphasic solid-phase extraction on graphitic material is employed to achieve a final product purity of 95%. Salidroside authentication was conducted using ESIMS2 and NMR. The study integrates computational and experimental approaches, employing B3LYP with basis set 6-311++G (d, p) in density functional theory (DFT). Various characterizing instruments, including 1HNMR, IR, UV visible, and others, consistent with AIM theory (atoms in molecules) for ellipticity and experimental outcomes, are utilized. Donor–acceptor interactions are explored through NBO research. The calculated energy difference between the frontier molecular HOMO and LUMO orbitals indicates the stability of salidroside. Molecular docking studies and electrophilicity index evaluations reveal salidroside's interactions with binding proteins, ranging from 5.718 to 7.405 kcal/mol. Molecular dynamics simulations assess biomolecular stability. Drug-likeness tests suggest salidroside's antibiotic properties, exhibiting similarities with capsaicin, methylsalicylate, menthol, allantoin, lupeol, morphine, and mitragynine. This research contributes valuable scientific insights essential for innovative drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic pollution has become one of the most emerging problems of the modern era. Tinidazole (TDZ) is one the most important nitroimidazole derivative drugs whose use has tremendously increased in the last few years. The proposed research work provides a good alternative cost-effective method for wastewater treatment. In the present investigation, algae were used as a photosensitizer in the treatment of the wastewater that was contaminated with antibiotic residue. The proposed research also provides the probable mechanism involved in the photodegradation of tinidazole. The different factors like concentration and pH of the test solution which play a key role in the photodegradation of drug molecules are also discussed in the present investigation. The result of this study established that the maximum degradation of drug molecules was observed at the algal concentration of 1.6 × 108 Cell/L and approximately 58% of drug molecules were degraded. This study also established that in an acidic medium ie at pH 5 the degradation occurs more efficiently. Results of the current study indicated that the use of algae-induced photodegradation of drug residue became one of the most promising routes for wastewater treatment. The results of the present study provide a new way to treat wastewater contaminated with antibiotics residue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study provides an environmentally benevolent synthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs). Morphological characteristics of the fabricated nanoparticles were assessed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-Spectroscopy. The XRD pattern of the synthesized nanoparticles showed that the nanoparticles had a tetragonal crystalline structure with a particle size of 20–40 nm. The photocatalytic efficacy of the developed nanomaterials was investigated in relation to indigo carmine, bromothymol blue, and rhodamine b dye. The presence of a photocatalyst leads to an improved performance, causing a decline in dye concentration with increasing irradiation time. The highest dye degradation of about 95 % was observed against indigo carmine dye. The green synthesized TiO2 NPs exhibited a significant zone of inhibition (23 mm) in antibacterial activity against Bacillus at the concentration of 70 mg/mL. The developed nanoparticles demonstrate 81.29 % DPPH radical scavenging activity at the concentration of 60 μg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental photocatalysis of wastewater is an important application of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs). This paper reports the microwave-assisted green synthesis of TiO2 NPs using the isolated extract of Permelia perleta lichen. Development of TiO2 NPs was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The acquired TiO2 NPs were utilized as a nano photocatalyst in the degradation of acridine orange and phenol red dyes as model organic pollutants. The degradation efficiency of the developed TiO2 NPs was evaluated using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. We found that the acquired TiO2 NPs had an average particle size of 30-40 nm, and the nanoparticles were somewhat agglomerated and are nonuniform in shape. The developed nano photocatalyst degraded the selected dyes efficiently, and the degradation efficiency was much better when the test sample was irradiated with UV light with a wavelength of 310 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research work investigates the facile biosynthesis of calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaO-NPs) using pomegranate peels. The characterizations of the prepared CaO-NPs were performed with the help of UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In this investigation, we have evaluated the antimicrobial activities of the prepared CaO-NPs against the selected bacterial viz. Escherichia coli, Bacillus sp., and Pseudomonas sp., and fungal strains viz. Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, and Arthrographis cuboidea. The result of antimicrobial activity was determined with the obtained zones of inhibition on the culture plates. The maximum antibacterial and antifungal activities (zone of inhibitions) of the biosynthesized CaO-NPs was observed to be 24.67 ± 0.5 mm and 26.67 ± 0.5 mm against the Bacillus sp., and Arthrographis cuboidea, respectively. This study has deliberated on the facile and inexpensive method to synthesize ecological CaO-NPs of appropriate structural and morphological characteristics with adequate antimicrobial characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the pursuance of engineering excellence and sustainable practices, the optimization of material selection processes plays a crucial role. Using Fermatean fuzzy aggregation Operators (AOs), this study introduces an innovative method for improving material selection procedures. Combining the advantages of Fermatean fuzzy set (FrFS) and AOs, the proposed method enables a comprehensive evaluation of materials based on multiple criteria. The authors propose two operators: the "Fermatean fuzzy hybrid weighted arithmetic geometric aggregation (FrFHWAGA) operator" and the "Fermatean fuzzy hybrid ordered weighted arithmetic geometric aggregation (FrFHOWAGA) operator". This method facilitates informed decision making in a number of industries by taking into account factors such as cost, durability, environmental impact, and availability. This research enables engineers, designers, and decision makers to optimize material selection, resulting in more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions across multiple domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research work highlighted the bio-fabrication of tin oxide nanoparticles (SnO2 NPs) by employing Phyllanthus emblica leaf extract. These investigations concentrated on the physiochemical characteristics of the developed material and examined their effectiveness as photocatalysts and antibacterial agents. The structural characteristics of the bio-fabricated SnO2NPs were investigated by XRD, SEM, FTIR, and UV spectroscopic techniques. Photocatalytic efficacy of the constructed materials was evaluated in the removal of the 2,4 dicholorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4 D); meanwhile, the antibacterial potency of the developed material was assessed against the chosen bacterial strain Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes. The XRD and SEM examination revealed that the particles are spherical with diameters ranging from 50 to 60 nm. Subsequently, the developed SnO2 NPs demonstrated significant photocatalytic potency in the removal of the 2,4 D from the aqueous solution, and approximately 74% of organic pollutants were removed from the aqueous solution within the period of 120 min. The antibacterial assay demonstrated that the developed material shows significant inhibition of the tested bacterial strain. Maximum inhibition was observed against the Klebsiella pneumoniae with the 21 mm zone of inhibition at 60 µg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This Study emphasizes low cost, environmentally benign approach for the synthesis of NiO NPs. • Characterization of the developed material was carried out by various analytic techniques. • The manuscript highlights the photocatalytic potential of the material in the degradation of acridine orange and phenol red. • The manuscript highlights the antibacterial properties of the developed nanoparticles. This study reports a green-mediated fabrication of NiO nanoparticles (NiO NPs) using Parmelia Perlata lichen extract as a sustainable source. The Physical, chemical, optical, and morphological behavior of the fabricated NiO NPs were analyzed by employing diverse analytical profiles like XRD, FTIR, UV, and SEM. FTIR spectrum demonstrates the involvement of various phytochemicals in the bio-fabrication of NiO NPs. Furthermore, the appearance of a band at 668 cm−1 indicates the successful formation of NiO NPs. The observations of the SEM analysis depicted that the average particle size was in the range of 40–50 nm. The result of the antibacterial study indicates that the NiO NPs significantly reduce the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (19 mm). The result of the photocatalytic research illustrated that the bio-fabricated NiO NPs exhibited superior photocatalytic activity in the degradation of acridine orange dye achieving 84 % degradation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to provide a comprehensive multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework that is specially designed for the optimization of solar power projects (SPPs). The approach is designed to maximize the energy output, financial returns and resilience against market fluctuations by integrating several decision-making (DM) problems ranging from risk assessment to site selection. The novel approach is capable of handling MCDM issues associated with the project by repeating steps systematically to ensure a comprehensive process tailored to the complexities of SPP. Informed decisions and sustainable results are ensured by this framework, which offers stakeholders an organized approach to traverse the difficulties of solar power production. For modelling information regarding different factors in each DM problem, we utilized the Fermatean fuzzy soft set (FFSS) whereas, fusion of such information is done by the newly developed Einstein aggregation operators (EAOs). Initially, the EAOs are proposed, their fundamental properties are elaborated and finally utilized for data fusion in the form of FFSS. The presented approach is equipped with Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for weighting the criteria under consideration. The DM approach is utilized in several DM problems that are related to the establishment of an SPP covering all the necessary angles and making sure the stability, sustainability, cost-effectiveness, financial aspects, and market fluctuations for the project. The novel approach has advantages over existing methods as it expands the boundaries to capture more attributes utilizing its repeating nature and soft set-based modelling. The results yielded are closely aligned with the objectives of the SPP. The study also conducts comparative and sensitivity analysis to prove its stability and analyse the effects of variations in criteria weights over the final results. The stability and robustness of the presented approach is provided by comparing it with some existing techniques. The sensitivity analysis gives the idea that the weights of the criteria can change the results upon its tuning. A certain amount of increase in the score values was noted causing fluctuations to the ranking orders of the alternatives. • A comprehensive decision support system for the optimization of solar power projects. • The model with Einstein's aggregations for Fermatean fuzzy soft sets is developed. • The presented framework offers greater flexibility, robustness, and generality. • Case study related to decision making problems associated with the project is drafted. • Comparison, sensitivity analysis validate the superiority and stability of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study determined the implicit price of goat attributes under the revealed preferences of buyers. Data on breed type, age, sex and live weight were collected for 300 traded goats from three markets of the Punjab province, i.e., Lahore, Faisalabad and Dera Ghazi Khan during 2020. The present study applied semi-logarithmic specification of the hedonic model to identify the impact of goat attributes on its price. The empirical results indicated that traded goats obtained a premium price of Rs. 2302 and Rs. 2412 in Faisalabad and Lahore market relative to Dera Ghazi Khan market. The study showed that an increase in the live weight of goats by one kg resulted in an increase in price by Rs. 494.26. Further, the customers were willing to pay a premium price for attributes such as age, sex, and breed type of traded goats. This study suggests that producers should sell animals in the large markets and produce “Donda” and Chouga” goats to get a premium price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influence maximization (IM) is a critical aspect of complex network analysis, as it holds considerable commercial value across various domains such as recommendation systems and viral marketing. Its objective is to identify a set of seed nodes that can initiate the most extensive cascade of influence within the network. However, IM encounters significant challenges due to its NP-hard nature of accurately identifying the optimal seed nodes and estimating the spread of influence. Although recent learning-based IM methods have shown promising results, there are still challenges related to scalability, efficiency, and avoiding influence overlap that need to be addressed. This paper proposes CoreQ, a novel reinforcement learning-based framework that leverages K-core hierarchies to address IM challenges and make advised decisions to learn the optimal policy to select seed nodes. CoreQ significantly enhances IM by reducing computational costs and effectively addressing the influence overlap problem, making it a scalable and efficient solution. CoreQ first utilizes K-core decomposition to analyze the network structure and extract hierarchical features that guide the process of seed node identification. Then, it employs a novel maximum likelihood-based approach to identify a sufficient number of candidate seed nodes from K-core hierarchies. Finally, it leverages Q-learning's decision-making capabilities to optimize a policy for learning the most effective seed selection strategy. The experimental results demonstrate that CoreQ not only outperforms state-of-the-art IM methods in terms of influence spread under the weighted independent cascade model but also surpasses other competing learning-based IM methods in terms of time efficiency. • Proposes a maximum likelihood approach integrating network attributes and topology. • Proposes RL-based framework leveraging K-core hierarchies for influence maximization. • Addresses scalability and redundancy challenges of existing RL-based approaches. • Demonstrates effectiveness with real-world and synthetic networks. • Outperforms state-of-the-art methods in experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the most suitable power source that is cost-effective, environmentally friendly, socially accepted, and capable of ensuring long-term sustainability represents a critical decision-making (DM) problem. Existing models based on traditional fuzzy sets and specific norms cannot describe complex issues such as selecting the best electric power system (EPS). These decision models can also be challenging, especially when transparency and regulatory compliance are required. This study introduces a novel operational framework based on Hamacher aggregation operators for q-rung orthopair fuzzy set soft sets. It aims to help decision-makers identify appropriate policies to overcome the shortfall of electric power. The advantages of the introduced decision support tool are better discrimination ability, well suited for handling extreme values in data, greater flexibility in representing complex DM scenarios, and parametrization. We also demonstrate the practical application of our approach to a real-world problem related to selecting the most suitable EPS in Pakistan. The selection is made from the set of five EPSs and is based on critical aspects like social acceptance, environmental impact, and cost-effectiveness. The findings show that the developed approach effectively identifies the best EPS. Tuning variables like q and ℓ allows for testing the sensitivity of the developed operators. The results showed that higher values of q make the uncertainty more evenly represented, which is essential for specific uses. The comparison with the existing approaches suggests the superiority of the proposed analytic framework. • A decision support tool for benchmarking electric power systems is offered. • The analytical framework based on Hamacher aggregation operators for q-ROFSS is given. • The presented framework offers greater flexibility, robustness, and generality. • A case study related to the selection of the best electric power system is provided. • The superiority of the proposed framework is validated by the comparison analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The most frequently used surgical methods for treating cholesteatoma include canal wall up and canal wall down procedures. The objective of the study was to compare the hearing improvement among children with cholesteatoma who underwent canal wall up and canal wall down surgical management. Methods: The cross-sectional analytical study design was used. The study was conducted at the ENT Department of Nishtar Medical University & Hospital Multan from 15th June to 15th Nov 2020. Forty six patients with cholesteatoma were enrolled in the study after taking informed consent. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were followed. The participants were categorized into two groups. Group-A was treated with canal wall-up surgery while Group-B was treated with canal wall down Mastoidectomy. A 12-month postoperative follow-up and the audiometry assessment were compared with pre-surgical values. Additionally, a COMOT-15 survey was administered to analyze self-perceived hearing functions. The Chi-square test was used for comparative analysis of the surgical outcome and hearing improvement among the two groups. P-value (p value<0.05) was considered statistically significant. Results: Forty six patients were included in the study with 23 participants in each group. Among 46, 26 were male and 20 were female. The pre and post-operative mean Pure-tone average values were significantly different in (Group-A) who underwent canal wall up Mastoidectomy (p<0.05) than in Group-B, who underwent canal wall down Mastoidectomy. Similarly, hearing sub-section responses of the COMOT-15 survey favored the Canal wall technique. However, the survey showed no significant differences in the mental health status of the two groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our data collected after a one-year follow-up of patients suggests canal wall up as a preferred technique for hearing improvement than canal wall down technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: All patients with chronic renal failure need vascular access for hemodialysis that is possible with CVP line but it shorter life. The most suitable and effective vascular access on long term basis is the creation of arteriovenous fistula (AVF). The objective of this study was to compare the patency rate of Radiocephalic vs. Brachiocephalic AVFs in population of D.I.Khan division, Pakistan. Materials & Methods: This randomized control trail was conducted in Department of Surgery Gomal Medical College, D.I.Khan, Pakistan from January 2017 to December 2019. 266 patients were equally randomly allocated into Brachiocephalic AVF (BCAVF) and Radiocephalic AVF (RCAVF). Sex, age groups and patency of AVT were nominal variables. Data for sample was described by count & percentages and for population as confidence interval at 80% confidence level. McNemar chi-square test was used to test hypothesis to compare patency rate of Brachiocephalic AVF vs. Radiocephalic AVF. Results: Patency was present in 129 (97%, 80% CI 94.45-98.39%) and absent in four (3%, 80% CI 1.61-5.55%) cases in Brachiocephalic, while it was present in 107 (80.5%, 80% CI 76.04-84.86%) cases and absent in 26 (19.5%, 80% CI 15.52-24.32%) cases in Radiocephalic AVF group. McNemar chi-square test showed p <.0001, so the null hypothesis was rejected, showing higher patency rate in BCAVF. Conclusion: Brachiocephalic AVF creation is more ideal in terms of patency and maturation as compare to Radiocephalic AVF because of increased vessel diameter and increased arterial pressure at proximal site below elbow joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telecom companies are increasing their efforts in customer retention because acquiring new customers often costs much more than retaining existing ones. Therefore, it is important for operators to predict customer churns rapidly and accurately. Machine learning (ML) has been widely used for predictive churn modeling. However, classical ML methods require manual feature selection and time-consuming data preprocessing steps. To overcome these limitations, there is a paradigm shift toward deep learning (DL) for predicting churners. Although DL appears to be promising, the existing literature lacks comparative analysis of ML and DL techniques using benchmark churn datasets. Additionally, various DL architectures must be empirically evaluated to determine which type works best on churn data. We present a system for comparative analysis of learning architectures. Two benchmarked datasets, Cell2Cell and KDD Cup, serve as a use case of our system to provide insights on the extent of improvement DL can bring over classical ML. Four popular evaluation measures are used to compare the performance of popular DL architectures. Our experiments found that convolutional neural networks gave the best results in both use cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, milk quality characteristics are not maintained by the milk producers and the middlemen. This study initially estimates the influence of various milk quality attributes on its price and then estimate the effect of socio-demographic characteristics on the marginal price of the milk components. Data collected from milk consumers through personal interview method, and milk sample took from the same consumers are used to estimate a two-stage hedonic model. In the first stage, prices were estimated for milk components and in the second stage, implicit price of each component was used as the dependent variable. The first stage results show that fat, solids-not-fat, total plate counts, color, and pleasant aroma have a significant impact on the milk price. The second stage results indicate that fat and solids-not-fat values are a function of the sociodemographic characteristics of consumers. To maintain milk quality attributes, we recommend the establishment of chilling centers for maintenance of quality, checkpoints and mobile laboratories for testing quality, provision of basic testing equipment at subsidized rates, hygiene awareness program for stakeholders in value chain, health risk awareness for consumers consuming raw milk and its products, and introduction and popularization of enzyme-based lactoperoxidase preservation technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of the inorganic metal oxide nanoparticles by using extract of the different part of the plant was gaining an overwhelming response from the last few years. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles exhibiting verity of biomedical applications hence in the current proposed work we use an unexplored Euphorbia herita leaf extract in the green synthesis of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs). The tailored Fe3O4 NPs was structurally characterized by using advanced analytical tools like UV–visible spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) analysis and X-ray diffraction study. The fabricated nanoparticles were naturally stabilized, having cavity like structure with average particle size in the range of 25–80 nm. The phytochemicals especially polyphenols and alcoholic compound play crucial role in the fabrication of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The antimicrobial activity of the fabricated iron oxide nano particles was evaluated against selected bacterial and fungal pathogen and the result of antimicrobial study was very promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogas is a vital renewable energy source that could play an effective role in fulfilling the world's energy demand, not only in heat and power generation but also as a vehicle fuel in the future. Unfortunately, due to impurities, biogas requires a series of upgrading steps, which affects its economics and sustainability. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is one of the impurities that economically and environmentally hinder the biogas utilization as a source of energy. H2S removal from biogas using different technologies was extensively studied and established. One of such technology is adsorption. Adsorption by solid sorbents is considered as a suitable removal technique for toxic gases such as H2S because of its simplicity, easy handling, and environmental friendly sorbents. In this review, the utilization of waste material-based sorbent for H2S removal was appraised. Other gaseous components of biogas such as siloxanes, CO2, etc., are out of the scope of this work. The potential and effectiveness of the waste-derived sorbents, either raw waste or modified waste, were summarized in terms of its characteristics, suitability, and sustainability. The review provides an insightful analysis of different types of wastes such as sewage sludge, food waste, forestry waste, fly ash, and industrial wastes as an alternative to commercial adsorbents to adsorb H2S gas. Based on the analysis, it was concluded that if these sorbents are to be successfully commercialized, its economic analysis, regeneration conditions, and potential utilization of the spent sorbents has to be further exploited. Nevertheless, there is a great prospectus in the future for these waste materials to be utilized as sorbents for H2S removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports the green synthesis of TiO2 NPs to evaluate its photocatalytic activity. In this synthesis we use Aegle marmelos leaf extract as reducing and stabilizing agent. The TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by using various advance analytical tools. The FTIR analysis revels the presence of different functional group present on the surface of the fabricated nanoparticles. The result of SEM analysis indicated that the prepared nanoparticles were almost spherical in nature and particles are in agglomerated state with bunch size less than 150 nm. The X-ray analysis of our synthesized nanoparticles clearly indicated that the particles are exit in anatase phase. Photocatalytic degradation studies of our nanoparticles were also evaluated against the most common nitroimidazole derivative drug ornidazole (ODZ) and the result of this study provide a good alternative path to remove the ODZ contaminants from waste water. The photocatalytic degradation of selected drug follow pseudo-first order reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current manuscript, two fixed-point theorems for Dass-Gupta and Gupta-Saxena rational interpolative-type operators are studied in the setting of metric spaces. For the authenticity of the presented work, examples and applications to the existence of a solution to the Caputo-Fabrizio fractional derivative and Caputo-Fabrizio fractal-fractional derivative are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan performed better than China in terms of GDP per capita before 1993, but after that, China experienced 2.39 to 13.63 % annual growth rate compared to -1.45 to 6.68 % for Pakistan. High growth in GDP accompanied by low population growth rate in China compared to Pakistan resulted in GDP per capita of US $ 8123.18 for China and US $ 1468.19 for Pakistan. The percentage contribution of agriculture in the GDP showed a decreasing trend while the agricultural value addition indicated an increasing trend for both China and Pakistan. Yields of major crops, values of human development index and its various components, and saving rate were substantially higher in China compared to Pakistan. China experienced 0.5-0.6 percent population growth rate compared to 2.1 for Pakistan for the period 2000-2015. Regression results showed that human development index and saving rate have positive significant influence, while population growth rate showed negative effect on GDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novelty of this present work is to investigate the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity of the green synthesized titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles using leaf extract of Mentha arvensis, titanium tetraisopropoxide act as the precursor and leaf extract act as the reducing agent. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, UV–Visible absorbance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy methods. The X-ray diffraction study of the synthesized nanoparticles shows the crystalline structure and the incidence of peaks at 25.27° corresponds to 110 anatase form. Scanning electron microscope study revealed that the synthesized nanoparticle was spherical in shape and the average size of the synthesized nanoparticles was found to be the range of 20–70 nm. Green synthesized TiO2nanoparticle exhibited interesting antibacterial and antifungal activity against selected microorganism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: EUS-guided drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs; pancreatic pseudocyst (PPC) or walled-off necrosis (WON)) using lumen apposing metal stents (LAMSs) is now standard of care. We adopted a protocol of early LAMS removal and prospectively followed patients to determine if this protocol avoids bleeding complications. Methods: Prospective, consecutive case series of all patients with PPC and WON who underwent drainage with LAMS at a tertiary care referral center from July 2016 to November 2018. LAMS was removed within 4 weeks for PPC and within 6 weeks for WON. Patients with residual necrosis after 6 weeks underwent removal of initial LAMS and replacement with new LAMS every 6 weeks until resolution. Patients were followed within protocol while monitoring for bleeding complications and clinical success. We also performed a literature review to determine rates of LAMS related bleeding at various timepoints. Results: Forty patients (PPC n = 19, WON n = 21) underwent drainage with LAMS. Median time for LAMS removal was 21.0 days for PPC and 33.5 days for WON. Technical success and clinical success were achieved in 40/40 patients with zero cases of delayed bleeding. A literature review of 21 studies and 1378 patients showed 52/1378 (3.8%) bleeding events with 24/52 (46.2%) events occurring within 1 week of LAMS placement. Conclusions: An early removal LAMS protocol for PFC is highly efficacious and prevents delayed bleeding. Based on analysis of published cases, half of LAMS related bleeding occurs within the first week suggesting procedural factors rather than stent dwell time impact risk of bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An online user creates accounts on numerous social platforms to fulfill his/her needs. The user shares interactive content through posts/tweets and communicates with friends and colleagues. In this paper, we inspect the problem of social accounts matching across social media services by proposing a two-step method. In the first step, the proposed method uses cross-link posts to get the seed users' accounts. After that, it utilizes the network features of the seed user and finds the association between the network relationships (follower and following) of the same user. By evaluating the experimental results, we found that the accuracy achieved by the proposed technique with the exact username is 98% and while the accuracy reduces to 45% when username across the sites is differed by one character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination of groundwater by heavy metal is one of the most emerging and serious environmental problems. There are so many methods which are available to overcome these problems. Among various available methods, hybrid organic–inorganic ion exchange resin has become more popular due to certain advantages over other available conventional methods; hence, in the present proposed work, we synthesised a hybrid organic–inorganic composite material polyacrylamide zirconium (IV) iodosulphosalicylate by using the sol-gel technique. Synthesised resin was characterised by various methods like Infrared spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric analysis-Differential thermal analysis. Various samples of this ion exchange resin are prepared by changing the condition of synthesis, i.e. concentration of acrylamide to rationalise the ion exchange capacity of the synthesise hybrid organic–inorganic ion exchange resins. A mixture of 0.1 M potassium iodate, 0.1 M sulphosalicylic acid and 0.1 M acrylamide was added dropwise to 0.4 M zirconium oxychloride accompanied by constant stirring for 8 h using magnetic stirrer at 70°C to yield polyacrylamide zirconium (IV) iodosulphosalicylate with maximum ion exchange capacity. Ion exchange capacity of synthesised resin was determined by column method and the maximum ion exchange capacity was found for Pb(II). Determination of kd values shows that the resin was highly selective for Pb (II).The selectivity for Pb was also evaluated by using certain binary mixture separation such as Ni (II)-Pb(II), Cu(II)-Pb(II), Cd(II)-Pb(II), Sr(II)-Pb(II), Ba(II)-Pb(II),Zn(II)-Pb(II) and Mg(II)-Pb(II). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study has been undertaken to determine the effect of mobile phone attributes on their retail market prices. A log-linear hedonic price model was fitted to a total of 348 handsets, for which data were collected about various attributes from different websites, while the price data were obtained from mobile phone retailers in two major cities of Pakistan from November 2016 to February 2017. Results indicate that brand, battery capacity, weight, operating system, RAM, memory size and display size have a significant positive effect on mobile phone prices. Given the significant premium associated with various characteristics, manufacturers need to formulate strategies to emphasize the battery capacity of 2000-3000 mAH, RAM of more than 1GB, screen size of more than 5 inches, memory size of more than 8GB, back camera of over 15MP, 4G network mode, front camera and FM radio. Highlights • We estimated the effect of mobile phone attributes on their retail market prices. • A log-linear hedonic price model was fitted to a total of 348 handsets. • Brand, battery capacity, RAM and display size had positive effect on mobile prices. • Manufacturers should focus battery, RAM and display of mobile to charge good price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wound is a break in continuity of skin and mucus membrane. It may arise owing to multiple causes such as mechanical, chemical, and thermal injuries. There are number of treatments available for the acute and chronic wounds but each having its own drawback from the point of view of the reach of below poverty line and common people. Many of them are so much costly that it becomes difficult to adopt them as a mode of treatment, and few others have lesser potency in terms of cure. The aim of this review is to elaborate the properties, pharmacological actions, phytochemical studies, and mechanism of action of the contents of Marham-e-raal which is easily available and affordable. We have taken a deep insight into the Marham-e-raal by collecting and studying the meaningful and scientific data in favor of the same; and made an essential conclusion that it possesses antimicrobial, antiviral, antiseptic, rubefacient, and wound healing properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Gastrointestinal pathogen panels (GPPs) are increasingly being used for evaluation of diarrhea. The impact of these tests on patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is unknown. We performed a time-interrupted cohort study comparing GPPs and conventional stool evaluation in patients with IBD with diarrhea.Methods: We included 268 consecutive patients with IBD who underwent GPP (BioFire Diagnostics®) (n = 134) or conventional stool culture and Clostridium difficile polymerase chain reaction testing (n = 134) during suspected IBD flare between 2012 and 2016. Primary outcome was composite of 30-day IBD-related hospitalization, surgery, or emergency department visit; secondary outcome was IBD treatment modification.Results: Overall, 41/134 (30.6%) patients tested positive on GPP (18 C. difficile, 17 other bacterial infections, and 6 viral pathogens) versus 14/134 patients (10.4%, all C. difficile) testing positive on conventional testing. Rate of IBD treatment modification in response to stool testing was lower in GPP group as compared conventional stool testing group (35.1 vs. 64.2%, p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, diagnostic evaluation with GPP was associated with three times higher odds of IBD-related hospitalization/surgery/ED visit (95% CI, 1.27-7.14), as compared to conventional stool testing. This negative impact was partly mediated by differences in ordering provider specialty, with non-gastroenterologists more likely to order GPP as compared to gastroenterologists.Conclusions: In patients with suspected flare of IBD, GPPs have higher pathogen detection rate and lead to lower rate of IBD treatment modification. A diagnostic testing strategy based on GPPs is associated with higher hospital-related healthcare utilization as compared to conventional stool testing, particularly when utilized by non-gastroenterologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Strep throat is also known as Streptococcal Pharyngitis. It is an infection in back of the throat including tonsils which reasoned by group A Streptococcus (GAS). General signs like fever, red tonsils, sore throat and grow lymph nodes in the neck. Nausea, headache and vomiting may also happen due to Streptococcal Pharyngitis. Objective: The aim of study is to conclude the correctness in discover Group A β-Hemolytic Streptococci (GABHS) through brisk antigen testing evaluate with throat culture methods which are generally used. Materials and Methods: Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore. Period: 1st July 2016 to 31st December 2016. At first throat culture, Streptococcal select agar or sheep blood agar, performed on 192 patients with severe strep throat and after that brisk antigen detection tests, Directigen Group A Strep, was also executed. Statistical investigation contained sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value as well as its prevalence. Results: The prevalence of group A β-hemolytic streptococci is 13.54%. Sensitivity is 96.15%, specificity is 95.18%, positive predictive value is 75.76% along with negative predictive value is 99.37% which shows that a very low percentage of patients with Group A β-Hemolytic Streptococci as <1%. Conclusion: This showed that a very low percentage as <1% of patients with Group A β-Hemolytic Streptococci evade findings by brisk screening test methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation focuses on microwave-assisted green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Bombax ceiba bud powder (BCBPAgNPS). In the present report, different microwave powers, i.e., 100 w, 180 w, 300 w, 450 w, 600 w, and 900 w, were used to prepare an aqueous extract of Bombax ceiba bud powder (BCBP) and in the fabrication of nanoparticles. The phytochemicals, especially polyphenols and flavonoids, present in the isolated extract served as a capping, reducing, and stabilizing agent for the developed nanoparticles. UV–Visible spectroscopy, particle size analyzers, EDX, SEM, and XRD were used to characterize the produced nanoparticles. UV–Visible analysis revealed that the strong absorption peak lies between 400 and 429 nm, which preliminary indicates the formation of BCBPAgNPS. The XRD patterns of the developed nanoparticles revealed the crystalline character and anatase form of the developed nanoparticles. The SEM analysis of the developed BCBPAgNP exhibited that the average particle size of the developed BCBPAgNPS was found to be in the range of 10–55 nm, and the shape of the developed BCBPAgNPS was found to be spherical. The developed BCBPAgNPS worked efficiently as a photocatalyst in the degradation of the malachite green dye solution and as an effective antimicrobial agent against B. cereus infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nasal polyposis is a provocative situation of indefinite etiology that involve nasal as well as sinus mucous membrane. Quality of life of a person can damage by nasal impediment due to these nasal polyps. Further, it can cause of persistent postnasal drainage, hyposmia, sinusitis, taste sense change even bony demolition. It shows that inflammation reason a reactive hyperplasia of intra-nasal mucosal membrane resulted in the polyp formation. Objectives: To discover the kind of fungus concerned in nasal polyps fungal. Study Design: Descriptive study. Setting: ENT department of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore. Period: 1st January 2017 to 30th June 2017. Materials and Methods: In microbiology department, these collected samples were processed to check the involvement of fungal. Out of all, 118 cases were included in this study which culture was positive. Increase for microscopic assessment, mycological culture to determine the involvement of fungal and fungus kind, these samples were processed for diagnosis by potassium hydroxide (KOH). By using seaboard dextrose agar at 25°C and 37°C the fungal culture was done. Periodically it was identified through culture characteristics & microscopy if growth was present. Results: In this study, 118 culture positive samples were included. In 82 cases Aspergillus Spp. was observed among positive specimens; In 32 samples Aspergillus flavus was observed while in 10 samples Aspergillus fumigates was found and species was not cleared in 40 samples. The fungal element was isolated in 36 samples but genus was not determined. Conclusion: In fungal nasal polyposis, Aspergillus Spp. is very general pathogen and we observed in our study that Aspergillus flavus is very common agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally database can manage their data in applicationindependent structure where data are updated at fixed internal on user interaction do not fulfill all needs for software development. There is a need for getting information in real-time fashion which helps in making decisions in an ever-changing reality. When data access is accessed from different locations in a DBMS atmosphere, data retrieval delay becomes one of most critical issues in meeting transaction deadline i.e. stock exchange market. We have identified underlying techniques methods that are major hurdles in efficient implementation of real-time database queries and explore problems exists in traditional databases. The "aim of paper is to explore" the old /new technologies for getting the better and efficient results in push-based querying fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the safely of oral surgical procedures without stopping low dose aspirin. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery department, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Rawalpindi, from Mar 2008 to Mar 2009. Material and Methods: Seventy patients taking aspirin 75 to 150 mg daily and requiring minor oral surgery were included. Patients were randomly divided into two groups, group A (control group) who stopped taking aspirin and group B (intervention group) in which aspirin was not stopped. Their bleeding time (BT) and platelet count were assessed before surgery. Suturing and pressure pack were used to control bleeding. Data were entered in SPSS version 10. Results: Out of 70 patients, 48 (68.57%) were male and 22 (31.43%) female. The mean age was 58.83 ± 10.94 years. The mean bleeding time was 2.23 ± 0.013 minutes for group A, and 2.71 ± 0.12 minutes for group B. The difference was statistically significant (p=0.01). Severe bleeding was noted in 2 patients from group A and 3 patients from group B, but local haemostatic measures were sufficient to control bleeding. Conclusion: The patients on low dose aspirin can safely undergo routine minor oral surgical procedures, without alteration in their regular therapeutic aspirin regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patch test is used worldwide for diagnosis of contact dermatitis. Patch test was introduced in late nineteenth century and since then has improved considerably. The methodology is simple but it requires adequate training for the results to be correctly interpreted and used. Despite having been used for over a century, it needs improvement from time to time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer in the excluded stomach after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a rare finding and most reported diagnoses are made via surgery. Endoscopic access to the excluded stomach is difficult, even with balloon-assisted enteroscopy. We present the case of a 74-year-old woman with malignant gastric outlet obstruction of the excluded stomach, 41 years after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Minimally invasive access to the excluded stomach was obtained by placement of a percutaneous gastrostomy tube, followed by insertion of a pediatric gastroscope through the gastrostomy tube tract. This novel approach provides minimally invasive access to the excluded stomach in patients with high suspicion of pathology in the excluded stomach, when balloon-assisted enteroscopy is not technically feasible or available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation was directed to study the possible protective activity of quercetin--a natural antioxidant against dimethoate-induced cyto- and genotoxicity in meristematic cells of Allium sativum. So far there is no report on the biological properties of quercetin in plant test systems. Chromosome breaks, multipolar anaphase, stick chromosome, and mitotic activity were undertaken in the current study as markers of cyto- and genotoxicity. Untreated control, quercetin controls (@ 5, 10 and 20 µg/mL for 3h), and dimethoate exposed groups (@ 100 and 200 µg/mL for 3h) were maintained. For protection against cytogenotoxicity, the root tip cells treated with dimethoate at 100 and 200 µg/mL for 3h and quercetin treatment at 5, 10, and 20 µg/mL for 16 h, prior to dimethoate treatment, were undertaken. Quercetin was found to be neither cytotoxic nor genotoxic in Allium sativum control at these doses. A significant increase (P < 0.05) in chromosomal aberrations was noted in dimethoate treated Allium. Pretreatment of Allium sativum with quercetin significantly (P < 0.05) reduced dimethoate-induced genotoxicity and cytotoxicity in meristematic cells, and these effects were dose dependent. In conclusion, quercetin has a protective role in the abatement of dimethoate-induced cyto- and genotoxicity in the meristematic cells of Allium sativum that resides, at least in part, on its antioxidant effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green technology has become a wide range of demand nowadays, it has become very important to synthesised the various nanoparticles. This review mainly focuses on the applications of silver nanoparticles, synthesised through microwave and this shows the various applications in the field of pharma as well as in medical sciences. AgNPs have been investigated by various researchers due to its unique properties, electronic and chemical properties. The AgNPs is one of the inorganic nano- material and gives various applications like antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, anticancer, antidiabetic, bone healing property, nematicidal and anthelmintic activity, in water treatment, antiviral activity and also used as sensors and it has many advantages in every field and can be synthesised easily by using plant parts extract which will give different size, shape, structure and activity of Silver nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extracts of dried root of Iris ensata Thunb were screened for their effects on Hypoglycmic and antihyperglycemic activities in normal rabbits and STZ induced diabetic rabbits. The plant root extracts exhibited antihyperglycaemic effect in glucose loaded rabbits. Oral admisntration of Iris ensata root for 21 days significantly reduced blood glucose level in STZ induced diabetic rabbits and in normal rabbits. The study reveals for the first time the antihyperglycemic and hypoglycemic activities of Iris ensata root on rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outlier detection has important applications in various data mining domains such as fraud detection, intrusion detection, customers' behavior and employees' performance analysis. Outliers are characterized by being significantly or "interestingly" different from the rest of the data. In this paper, a novel cluster-based outlier detection method is proposed using a humoral-mediated clustering algorithm (HAIS) based on concepts of antibody secretion in natural immune systems. The proposed method finds meaningful clusters as well as outliers simultaneously. This is an iterative approach where only clusters above threshold (larger sized clusters) are carried forward to the next cycle of cluster formation while removing small sized clusters. This paper also demonstrates through experimental results that the mere existence of outliers severely affects the clustering outcome, and removing those outliers can result in better clustering solutions. The feasibility of the method is demonstrated through simulated datasets, current datasets from the literature as well as a real-world doctors' performance evaluation dataset where the task is to identify potentially under-performing doctors. The results indicate that HAIS has capabilities of detecting single point as well as cluster-based outliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature over millions of years has found innovative, robust and effective methods through evolution for helping organisms deal with the challenges they face when attempting to survive in hostile and uncertain environments. Two critical natural mechanisms in this evolutionary process are variation and selection, which form the basis of "evolutionary computing" (EC). EC has proved successful when dealing with complex problems, such as classification, clustering and optimization. In recent years, as our knowledge of microbiology has deepened, researchers have turned to micro-level biology for inspiration to help solve complex problems. This paper describes a novel supervised learning algorithm inspired by the humoral mediated response triggered by the adaptive immune system. The proposed algorithm uses core immune system concepts such as memory cells, plasma cells and B-cells as well as parameters and processes inspired by our knowledge of the microbiology of immune systems, such as negative clonal selection and affinity thresholds. In particular, we show how local and global similarity based measures based on affinity threshold can help to avoid over-fitting data. The novelty of the proposed algorithm is discussed in the context of existing immune system-based supervised learning algorithms. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested on well-known benchmarked real world datasets and the results indicate performance not worse than existing techniques in most cases and improvement over previously reported results in some. The role of memory cells is highlighted as a key feature in AIS-based supervised learning that deserves further exploration and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have long sought to better understand consumer preferences for various packaged foods and their attributes. Beyond price and taste, brand names, convenience, and increasingly diet-health-related cues are regarded as key attributes in attracting consumer demand. This paper applies a hedonic pricing model to a large panel of consumer packaged food products to estimate monetary value of brand, convenience, and other quality attributes in processed meat and seafood products using 2000-06 Nielsen aggregate weekly scanner data. We find evidence of consumer preferences for perceived 'natural' and health attributes over products with higher degrees of processing. The results further indicate that the process of adding value to food products is intricate and dependent on multiple other indicators of product quality, not least health. As such, frozen natural chicken and seafood products may be considered by certain consumers as substitutes for fresh meat and seafood. This finding may carry further implications for the pricing and marketing of lower-value products. Les chercheurs tentent depuis longtemps de mieux comprendre les préférences des consommateurs pour divers aliments emballés et leurs attributs. Outre le prix et le goût, la marque, l'aspect pratique et les logos santé sont considérés comme d'importants attributs pour accroître la demande des consommateurs. Dans le présent article, à l'aide de données scanographiques agrégées hebdomadaires obtenues auprès de Nielsen pour la période de 2000 à 2006, nous avons appliqué un modèle hédonistique des prix à un large éventail de produits alimentaires de consommation courante pour estimer la valeur monétaire de la marque, de l'aspect pratique et d'autres attributs de qualité dans le cas de produits de viande et de la mer transformés. Les résultats indiquent que les consommateurs ont une préférence pour les produits dits « naturels » et « santé» par rapport aux produits hautement transformés. Les résultats indiquent également que le processus d'ajout de valeur aux produits alimentaires est complexe et tributaire de nombreux autres indicateurs de qualité, y compris la santé. Certains consommateurs considèrent même les produits de la mer et le poulet naturel surgelés comme des substituts de viande et de produits de la mer frais. Cette observation peut avoir des incidences sur l'établissement des prix et la commercialisation de produits de faible valeur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The core purpose of this research paper is probe into the social and pathetic status of Middle East' women in their own culture from the novel Princess by Jean Sasson. Her novel, Princess, is the description of domestic and cultural issues of Saudi women. Eventually, the procedure itself depicts the social prestige of women characters and highlights the social issues of Saudi women. Socially, the role or status of women in Saudi culture is limited, they do not have equal opportunity for their social affairs. Even they do not have any right for their medical treatment without male member of the family. Usually, force or arranged marriages are common in Saudi Arabia. There is no concept or space for feelings, sentiments or love. Saudi women do not have any right for choosing suitable match maker for themselves. These aspects show the wretched social status of women in Saudi culture. The theory of objectification by Fredrickson and Roberts is adopted in order to probe the social status of women in Saudi culture. This research is purely descriptive and analytical one because for descriptive analysis of women wretched social ailment it uses textual evidences for the investigation. In order to understand the content of the novel a method of close-reading is used by the researcher. The experiences of women characters from the novel are taken as a sources of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the municipal solid wastes (MSW) produced daily in the world are being buried in landfilling sites without any prior treatment particularly in developing countries. These landfills yield leachate which is a highly contaminated wastewater. Thus, a proper treatment of leachate is highly recommended before the final discharge. Recently, the use of membrane separation technology alongside bioreactors have opened a new gateway in treating refractory wastewater such as landfill leachate. Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) is a promising technique for leachate treatment due its substantial benefits over other conventional anaerobic and aerobic technologies. Thus, this study provides a comprehensive review and assessment on the potential practice of AnMBR in treating landfill leachate and its technological advancements in the recent past. A critical review on the performance of a lab-scale AnMBR on landfill leachate with the biogas production is also included in the current work. Moreover, this study inspects various factors affecting the performance of AnMBR along with its limitations and future perspectives. The simultaneous treatment of landfill leachate anaerobically to produce bioenergy complies with the principles of circular economy and sustainable growth. Image 1075 • An overview of AnMBR using municipal landfill's leachate and its biogas production. • Waste-to-Energy (WTE) can help to achieve the principles of circular economy. • Membrane fouling is one of the major obstacles limiting the application of AnMBR. • Identifying research gaps of AnMBR systems and its energy perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Formamidinium iodide (FAI) based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have now been established as effective PSCs than methylammonium lead iodide perovskite for several years due to their optimal bandgap and high thermal stability. However, the FAI‐based PSCs have humidity issues, due to which mixed cation perovskites are getting popular. MAI‐based PSCs have better stability against high humidity but low thermal stabilities. Herein, we prepared highly crystallized, efficient, and large‐grain size perovskite films via FAI post‐dripping process. In addition, the most promising structures FAI mixed MAPbI3 were explored as stable and effective active layers. The post‐dripping of FAI solution just after the MAPbI3 deposition provides a robust long‐distance diffusion, long carrier life, and enhanced grain sizes when compared to MAPbI3 PSCs. Based on the facile way of mixed cation perovskite preparation by post‐dripping, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) has risen from 15.24% to 17.52% in comparison with the pristine devices. This results in the best quality and large grain perovskite films which enhanced the PSCs' performance by reducing defect density and regulating the crystallization rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports the synthesis of semiconductor selenium nanoparticles/micro-rods (Se-NP/MRs) using the bio-fabrication approach and studies its photocatalytic activity under natural sunlight irradiation. Cabbage leaf extract was used as a reducing agent to fabricate Se-NP/MRs. X-ray diffraction patterns shown the crystalline structure with a crystallite size of 28.17 nm, conferring to planes of hexagonal structure. A characteristic sharp resonance peak in Raman spectra at 235 cm−1 endorsed to the Se – Se bond of crystalline Se-NP/MRs. The prominent peak in the FTIR spectra at 621 cm−1 supported the formation of Se-NP/MRs. Scanning electron micrograph revealed a nearly spherical shape with irregular layers in the 35‒95 nm size range. In contrast, the dimension of the micro-rods was observed to be ~ 10 µm in length and 2.5 µm in diameter. The bandgap energy of Se-NP/MRs was analysed to be 2.14 eV using the Tauc plot. The exciting photocatalytic performance of the bio-fabricated Se-NP/MRs revealed that the methylene blue degradation was ~ 86% in 40 min and ~ 97% in 140 min. Kinetic analysis shows that the pseudo-second-order correlation coefficient is well fitted compared to the pseudo-first-order. Therefore, this work opens the door to further exploration of nano-materials/composites with mixed nanoparticles/micro-rods morphology for sustainable applications in the removal of various textile and industrial contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]