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About 80% of the global lead production is consumed by the battery industry. As old batteries are increasingly being recycled without adequate recourse to safety and protection in many developing countries, there is well-documented evidence of lead poisoning among the workers. This study compared blood lead levels (BLL) of battery recycling workers (BRW) with controls in Northern Nigeria. This cross-sectional study assessed the BLL of BRW (self-employed informal workers, n = 98) and controls (healthcare workers, n = 98). Respondents were selected using systematic random sampling from the lists of BRW and healthcare workers. All respondents in the two groups were males, matched for age (27.81 ± 7.2, 27.67 ± 7.0 years; p = 0.890). The mean BLL was significantly higher (p < 0.001) among the BRW compared to the controls (40.17 ± 4.2 and 3.61 ± 0.4 µg/dL, respectively), with 78.1% of the BRW having elevated BLL (≥20.0 µg/dL) and none (0.0%) of the controls having elevated BLL. Logistic regression shows none of the variables was an independent predictor of BLL in this study, implying battery reclamation as the main source of lead. Federal and state government policies should ban informal battery recycling and emphasize on plants through national collection system to consolidate used batteries only to smelters that meet minimum regulatory requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analysed gender disparities in Pakistan focusing on access to primary education and women's education in light of National Education policies from 1947 to 2017 to achieve universal primary education. This study aimed to trace the evolution of National Education policies (1947–2017) in the attainment of universal primary education and gender disparities in Primary education in Pakistan. A qualitative document analysis technique was employed to extract relevant data related to policy objectives, strategies, and targets of primary education, gender disparities, and women's education. The quantitative data was extracted from the Pakistan Economic Survey 2022–2023, Pakistan Education Statistics 2020–2021, and all National Census 1951, 1961, 1972, 1981, 1998, and 2017. The study found that education policies highlighted the importance of primary education but did not dedicate larger sections to women's education in the first 40 years. The recent education policies addressed the importance of women's education for achieving gender parity. These findings, which stem from a review of national education policies' documents, are in line with the findings drawn from the quantitative data extracted from authoritative reports which stated that significant gender disparities existed in the numbers of primary schools, access to primary education, and students' enrolments throughout the history of Pakistan. The study also found significant gender disparities in the number of primary schools per 100,000 children, with male students comparatively attending schools more than female students. The study found consistent gender disparities in primary education enrolment in Pakistan with notable progress in recent years but have not been able to eliminate these disparities. Gender disparity is evident in literacy rate, gross enrolment rate (GER), and net enrolment rate (NER). The study recommended that the revision of existing policies and formulation of new education policies should be based on comprehensive documentation on women's education and its impact on the economy, literacy rate, and universal primary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spiders are distributed worldwide except in Arctic and Antarctica. More than 45,700 species of spiders and 114 families have been identified. Spiders produce silk in order to capture their prey. reported that people of the Carpathian Mountains used spider webs from Atypus spiders as bandages. Experiments showed that silk from spider house is bio-degradable, non-antigenic and non-inflammatory. These are ideal properties for healing wounds. We aimed to identify the effect of spider threads on healing wounds and injuries compared to healing of wounds by application of tetracycline ointment. Methods: This is an experimental analytical study in which we investigated ten participants tested in three groups. Group A participants were treated with tetracycline and group B were treated with spider threads. wooden rulers used to collect spider silk threads along with sterilizer, tissue, paper, bandages, and Tetracycline ointment. Silk was collected from four types of spiders: Cellar Spider, Salticidae Spider, Venatoria Hetropoda, and Galeodes Arabs. These spiders are the mostly distributed in Sudan. Silk was collected by using wooden rulers from cracks and corners of walls at Alzaiem Alazhari University and then placed on clean, soft tissue paper. Results: revealed that spider threads heal surface injuries without leaving scars in 90% of participants. The healing process with spider threads lasts between 8 -24 hours. The comparison between three tests showed that the percentage of wound healing was highest by 70% by using spider threads in comparison with tetracycline and self-healing. Conclusion: It was observed that healing of injuries by using spider threads was 70% faster than healing by using tetracycline ointment. Self-healing was observed to be faster than healing by use of tetracycline ointment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unveiling the thermal history of the intergalactic medium (IGM) at |$4 \le z \le 5$| holds the potential to reveal early onset He  ii reionization or lingering thermal fluctuations from H  i reionization. We set out to reconstruct the IGM gas properties along simulated Lyman-alpha (Lyα) forest data on pixel-by-pixel basis, employing deep neural networks. Our approach leverages the Sherwood-Relics simulation suite, consisting of diverse thermal histories, to generate mock spectra. Our convolutional and residual networks with likelihood metric predict the Ly |$\rm {\alpha }$| optical depth-weighted density or temperature for each pixel in the Ly |$\rm {\alpha }$| forest skewer. We find that our network can successfully reproduce IGM conditions with high fidelity across range of instrumental signal-to-noise ratio. These predictions are subsequently translated into the temperature–density plane, facilitating the derivation of reliable constraints on thermal parameters. This allows us to estimate temperature at mean cosmic density, |$T_{\rm 0}$|⁠ , with 1σ confidence, |$\delta {T_{\rm 0}} \lesssim 1000 \ {\rm K}$|⁠ , using only one |$20 \ h^{-1} \, {\rm cMpc}$| sightline (⁠|$\Delta z\simeq 0.04$|⁠) with a typical reionization history. Existing studies utilize redshift path-length comparable to |$\Delta z\simeq 4$| for similar constraints. We can also provide more stringent constraints on the slope (⁠|$1\sigma$| confidence interval, |$\delta {\rm \gamma } \lesssim 0.1$|⁠) of the IGM temperature–density relation as compared to other traditional approaches. We test the reconstruction on a single high signal-to-noise observed spectrum (⁠|$20 \ h^{-1}\,{\rm cMpc}$| segment) and recover thermal parameters consistent with current measurements. This machine learning approach has the potential to provide accurate yet robust measurements of IGM thermal history at the redshifts in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractNuclear reactors hold significant promise for mitigating the environmental crisis and achieving a carbon-free world. The advancement of nuclear technology, however, is intricately tied to the materials used in reactors, with metals and alloys forming their core components. Understanding the plasticity and degradation of these materials is crucial to prevent critical reactor failures caused by factors such as radiation-induced embrittlement, creep, and fuel-cladding interactions. While traditional plasticity modeling has relied on constitutive laws and yield functions, the advent of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence has opened new avenues for this field. This paper explores the potential of data-driven approaches to enhance plasticity modeling for metals used in nuclear reactors. Recent studies have leveraged ML algorithms, including support vector machines and artificial neural networks, to model yield surfaces and correct theoretical yield functions with experimental data. Despite their accuracy, these models often lack interpretability and generality. To address these challenges, we investigate the applicability of various ML algorithms, i.e. neural networks, logistic regressions, decision trees, K-nearest neighbors, and Gaussian processes (GPs), in developing data-oriented flow rules for plasticity modeling. The paper demonstrates the superiority of GPs in terms of interpretability and generality. Using stress data generated from PyLabFEA, we compared the performance of these algorithms, highlighting the intrinsic uncertainties associated with GP predictions. Our findings indicate that Gaussian process classifiers (GPCs) offer a promising approach for modeling plasticity in metals, providing a balance between precision and physical insight. Additionally, this work presents a deep neural network (DNN) to model anisotropic Hill-type plasticity with perfect test data accuracy (accuracy score: 1.0), which is often hard to achieve with a classification problem. This shows the superiority of DNNs in terms of accuracy in modeling yield functions. The implications of our results for bridging the scale gaps in macrolevel simulations are discussed, and future directions for incorporating microstructural features into ML-based plasticity models are proposed. Overall, the ML framework presented in this paper can be employed for modeling constitutive relations that can be incorporated within traditional Finite Element Method (FEM)–based codes. Specifically, the GPC or DNN developed in this work can be readily swapped with the yield function within the so-called return mapping algorithm of nonlinear FEM-based plasticity subroutines to indicate yielding. Consequently, this merging of ML and FEM will allow us to leverage the geometric representational ability of FEM alongside the superior modeling capabilities of the ML algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of transparent thermoelectric materials, particularly at low processing temperature possesses a good promise for future power generation by renovating waste heat into electrical energy. The fabrication of invisible thermoelectric module is hindered by limited choices of appropriate p-type transparent thermoelectric materials so far. The present study deals with the growth and characterization of optically transparent p-type copper iodide (γ-CuI) thin films. Thermal annealing (maximum up to 200 °C) was performed to tune the electrical and optoelectronic properties for nurturing the thermoelectric performance. Annealing induced microstructural modifications instigated the preferential crystal growth by regulating the surface morphology. Low thermal conductivity is credited to strong phonon scattering leading to improved thermoelectric performance. Consequently, we attain a record Seebeck coefficient of ∼270 μV/K and power factor of ∼20 μW/(m·K2) that is almost two-order of magnitude higher as compared to conventional p-type transparent TE materials, indicating the potential of transparent γ-CuI thin films regarding its practical applicability in transparent thermoelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green processes for synthesizing nanocomposites are a hot area of research today as traditional processes are expensive, inefficient, harmful for synthesizing organic and inorganic molecules, and unsuitable for large-scale operations. The present study investigates the capacity of green synthesized Calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaO NPs) for efficiently removing Rhodamine B. Chemical reduction was replaced with Mulberry (Morus nigera) leaf extract as an environmentally friendly reaction mechanism. CaO NPs are characterized by various analytical techniques including EDX, BET, SEM, FTIR, TGA, Zeta Potential, Point of Zero Charge (PZC), and XRD. Maximum adsorption of Rhodamine B by CaO NPs is revealed at an initial concentration of Rhodamine B of 80 ppm, a temperature of 343 K, and contact time of 60 min, 0.4 g of adsorbent at a pH value of 7. Maximum removal of Rhodamine B by CaO NPs was found to be 98.2% which is promising with this small amount of adsorbent (0.4 g). Diverse Kinetic and adsorption isotherms are employed in this study to determine the requirement and significance of the adsorption process. Various adsorption isotherms such as Freundlich, Temkin, Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R), and Langmuir models have been employed. Among the kinetic adsorption isotherms Elovich, Intraparticle kinetic model, pseudo 1st order, and pseudo 2nd order models were applied. The current study investigates the thorough understanding of the Rhodamine B adsorption process including the mechanism of adsorption using condition optimization, characterization, and model applications. The proposed adsorbent can be employed for the green removal of Rhodamine B from wastewater of industry with maximum efficiency and favorable regeneration properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately identifying and analyzing nuclei is pivotal for both the diagnosis and examination of cancer. However, the complexity of this task arises due to the presence of overlapping and cluttered nuclei with blurred boundaries, variations in nuclei sizes and shapes, and an imbalance in the available datasets. Although current methods utilize region proposal techniques and feature encoding frameworks, but they often fail to precisely identify occluded nuclei instances. We propose a model named AFINITI, which is both simple, efficient, achieves high accuracy, recognizes instance boundaries cluttered and overlapping nuclei, and addresses class imbalance issues. Our approach utilizes nuclei pixel positional information and a novel loss function to yield accurate class information for each nuclei. Our network features a lightweight, attention-aware feature fusion architecture with separate instance probability, shape radial estimator, and classification heads. We use a compound classification loss function to assign a weighted loss to each class according to its occurrence frequency, thereby addressing the class imbalance issues. The AFINITI model outperforms current leading networks across eight major publicly available nuclei segmentation datasets achieving up to an 8% increase in Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSc) and a 17% increase in Panoptic Quality (PQ) compared to existing techniques demonstrating its effectiveness and potential for clinical applications. The source code and the weights of the trained model have been released to the public and can be accessed at: https://github.com/Vision-At-SEECS/AF-Net. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the presence of drug dependence and Epilepsy in patients with PTC (Post Truamatic Contusions) balanced cautiously. Study Design: Proposed Reviewed Research study. Setting: Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. Period: July 2020 to December 2020. Methods: About 90% of patients aged between fifteen to sixtyfive years old identified with cerebral lesion and balanced cautiously were applied. Follow up sessions was provided to patients for 12to 18 months. Results: Among the enrolled patients, 23% established early PTS (Post Traumatic Seizures) and approximately established late PTS (Post Traumatic Seizures) from mild to moderate level of cerebral lesion. Patients having early signs of Post traumatic Seizure, about 6% utilized AEDs (Anti-epileptic Drugs) for about 3 months throughout the treatment period and about 7% of patients along with late Post Traumatic Seizures utilized AEDs. Moreover, approximately 8 percent patients established late post traumatic Seizure without considering any early signs of condition. Research findings indicated that only 3% of patients with early and late PTS actually required AEDs for at least 6 months. Although, about 44 percent of patients were utilizing Anti-epileptic drugs to control seizures. Sensible usage of Anti-epileptic drugs is familiar in our region, contributing to enhanced danger of medicine opposition and acquiring financial pressure on low-paid people in well-established state. Additionally, extreme usage of anti-epileptic and prophylactic drugs doesn't impact the occurrence of PTE (Post Traumatic Epilepsy). Conclusion: The presence of late and early post-traumatic epilepsy observed within our study is contrast to that explored in another research. Sensible production of AEDs is occured in our state, that increases the danger of medicine opposition and attain financial issues for economically destruct people in well-established states. Extreme usage of AEDs and prophylactic drugs doesn't have an important influence on stopping PTE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has shown to be beneficial for the treatment of achalasia, it can be difficult to predict who will have a robust and long-lasting response. Historically, it has been shown that higher lower esophageal sphincter pressures have been associated with poorer responses to alternative endoscopic therapies such as Botox therapy and pneumatic dilation. This study was designed to evaluate if modern preoperative manometric data could similarly predict response to therapy after POEM. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 237 patients who underwent POEM at a single institution over a period of 13 years (2011–2023) and who had a high-resolution manometry performed preoperatively and an Eckardt symptom score performed both preoperative and postoperatively. The achalasia type and integrated relaxation pressures (IRP) were tested for potential correlation with the need for any further achalasia interventions postoperatively as well as the degree of Eckardt score reduction using a linear regression model. Results: The Achalasia type on preoperative manometry was not predictive for further interventions or degree of Eckardt score reduction (p = 0.76 and 0.43, respectively). A higher IRP was not predictive of the need for further interventions, however, it was predictive of a greater reduction in postoperative Eckardt scores (p = 0.03) as shown by the non-zero regression slope. Conclusion: In this study, achalasia type was not a predictive factor in the need for further interventions or the degree of symptom relief. Although IRP was not predictive of the need for further interventions, a higher IRP did predict better symptomatic relief postoperatively. This result is opposite that of other endoscopic treatment modalities (Botox and pneumatic dilation). Therefore, patients with higher IRP on preoperative high-resolution manometry would likely benefit from POEM which provides significant symptomatic relief postoperatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been reported that higher surgeon experience leads to better patient outcomes. In this study, we look at surgeon experience and its association with postoperative outcomes and variation among the practice of surgeons performing paraesophageal hernia repairs (PEH). Method: This was a retrospective study of 1155 patients who underwent PEH repair at a single institution (2010–2023). Surgeon experience was defined as the number of surgeries performed per surgeon and was split using the median surgeries (n = 100), with surgeons performing at or above the median categorized as high-experience and below the median as low-experience surgeons. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to test correlation between surgeon experience and variables, including demographics and intra- and post-operative outcomes. Results: High-experience surgeons performed more elective cases (93.4% vs 85.5%), but low-experience surgeons operated more on emergent (2.7% vs 0.9%), semi-elective (2.3% vs 1.4%), and urgent cases (9.5% vs 4.3%). Low-experience surgeons operated more on patients who were older (67.5 vs 63.2 years, p < 0.001) and had an increased risk of CVD (72.9% vs 61.5%, p < 0.001). Intraoperative OR time was considerably less for high-experience surgeons (115.8 vs 172.9 min, p < 0.001). Low-experience surgeons had increased risk of intra-operative complications (4.5% vs 1.8%, p = 0.021) and post-op pneumonia within 30 days (1.8% vs 0.3%). However, long-term outcomes such as hernia recurrence (OR: 1.10, CI: 0.78–1.54) and redo-operations for hiatal hernia (OR: 1.10, CI: 0.65–1.75) were similar for both groups. Conclusion: High-experience surgeons perform more complex revisional surgeries in less time with fewer complications. Low-experience surgeons operated more on patients with higher comorbidities but had significantly higher OR times. Long-term results of recurrence and redo-operations were comparable. These variations suggest that high-experience surgeons are more efficient while operating on more complex cases. These findings have pivotal implications to facilitate mentorship and education among less-experienced surgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ethiopia faces a significant burden of Tuberculosis (TB), being one of the high-burden countries, and the emergence of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a dominant health concern, particularly in resource-limited settings. The repercussions of COVID-19 on TB care are evident, leading to a surge in undiagnosed TB cases, challenges in medication adherence, and an escalation of drug resistance. Consequently, a thorough assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on TB care becomes imperative to devise a tailored program for managing TB amidst future pandemics, natural disasters, and conflict crises. Methods: A mixed-methods study design was utilized, encompassing a randomly selected 10 health centers (HCs) and 3 hospitals among government owned 98 HCs and 5 hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. All TB patients who were on follow-up during the study period were included. The study period was from March 4, 2020, to December 4, 2020, with the corresponding period of March 4, 2019, to December 4, 2019, serving as the baseline for comparison. Quantitative data were gathered from TB patients' medical registries, laboratory registries, and treatment follow-up charts. Complementary qualitative data were acquired through in-depth interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from January 17, 2022 to May 13, 2022. Results: Following the onset of the pandemic, there was a notable and statistically significant decline in both the detection of TB cases and the number of positive results across all study sites. Bacteriological TB tests reduced from 5837 to 2126 patients, and TB-positive cases decreased from 500 to 218, representing declines of 63.6% and 56.4%, respectively. The overall number of TB patients undergoing treatment also experienced a decrease from 1431 to 1051, marking a 26.6% reduction. Additionally, there was a 10% increase in the proportion of extra-pulmonary TB cases. The impact of the pandemic extended to TB treatment outcomes, with adverse effects on cure rates, death rates, loss of follow-up, and medication adherence. The apprehension of contracting COVID-19 and the implementation of isolation measures contributed to a decline in healthcare-seeking behaviors among patients, fostering negative perceptions and practices among healthcare workers. The challenges further exacerbated due to a shortage of personal protective equipment, a lack of rapid diagnostic test tools, clinical presentations resembling COVID-19, and a shift in government policies. These factors collectively posed significant obstacles to effective TB care during the pandemic. Conclusion: The profound impact of COVID-19 on critical TB care service indicators, including TB detection, treatment initiation, and treatment outcomes, underscores the need for immediate and collaborative measures. It is imperative to implement strategies that ensure the resumption of all TB care services concurrently with efforts to control COVID-19. A comprehensive and coordinated approach is essential to mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic on TB management and safeguard public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a pro‐inflammatory cytokine and its functional homotrimeric form interacts with the TNF receptor (TNFR) to activate downstream apoptotic, necroptotic, and inflammatory signaling pathways. Excessive activation of these pathways leads to various inflammatory diseases, which makes TNF a promising therapeutic target. Here, 12‐mer peptides were selected from the interface of TNF‐TNFR based upon their relative binding energies and were named 'TNF‐inhibiting decoys' (TIDs). These decoy peptides inhibited TNF‐mediated secretion of cytokines and cell death, as well as activation of downstream signaling effectors. Effective TIDs inhibited TNF signaling by disrupting the formation of TNF's functional homotrimeric form. Among derivatives of TIDs, TID3c showed slightly better efficacy in cell‐based assays by disrupting TNF trimer formation. Moreover, TID3c oligomerized TNF to a high molecular weight configuration. In silico modeling and simulations revealed that TID3c and its parent peptide, TID3, form a stable complex with TNF through hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions, which makes them the promising lead to develop peptide‐based anti‐TNF therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhabditis maupasi is re-described and reviewed based on morphological, morphometric, and molecular (D2-D3 expansion segment of the rDNA 28S) analysis collected from northwest Iran. The species is characterised by having a 1.1-1.9 mm long body, lateral fields with three incisures, the lip region offset by a depression, 12-15 μm wide, with six globular lips, the stoma rhabditoid, 14-20 μm long, with distinct cheilo-, gymno- and stegostom; cheilostom slightly cuticularised, gymno-promesostegostom a short tube with well-cuticularised walls, metastegostom with glottoid apparatus bearing small teeth, stomatal or pharyngeal collar covering 40-60% of stoma; pharynx well developed, the pharyngeal corpus consisting of a more or less cylindrical procorpus and swollen metacorpus (median bulb), basal bulb ovoid to pyriform, with grinder and narrow haustrulum, excretory pore at basal bulb level; vulva a transverse slit with protruding lips, the female tail conical-elongated (65-75 μm, c = 16-26, c′ = 2.0-2.5), the male tail conoid, ventrally arcuate (29-34 μm, c = 22-41, c′ = 0.7-1.0); spicules free, with pointed end and dagger-shaped, 61-72 μm long, bursa pseudopeloderan, and with eight pairs of genital papillae plus the phasmid, and gubernaculum 34-36 μm long. Furthermore, its relationship with four closely related species of the genus is discussed. A molecular phylogenetic study using a partial sequence of large subunit ribosomal DNA fragments revealed that R. maupasi forms a clade with R. terricola, recorded previously from Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply the parqueting-reflection technique for a triangle domain to achieve the points of the complex plane. Then the Cauchy–Schwarz representation formula is construed by the Cauchy–Pompeiu formula and an explicit solution for the Schwarz boundary value problem (BVP) for the non-homogeneous Cauchy–Riemann equation on the triangle is presented. We also discuss the condition of solvability and by using the Schwarz BVP, the inhomogeneous Dirichlet and homogeneous Neumann BVPs are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

\nHIGHLIGHTSInfertility affects 8–12% of couples globally, with male factors contributing to around 40% of cases. Common male infertility issues include erectile dysfunction (ED) and low sperm count or quality, which account for over 90% of cases. These problems often result from anatomical, hormonal, or genetic abnormalities. This review focuses on natural aphrodisiac herbs commonly used to address ED, providing detailed information on their botanical characteristics, metabolic pathways, recommended dosages, phytochemical properties, side effects, origins, and traditional uses. It also reviews recent studies on medicinal herbs that boost sexual desire and treat urological conditions. By compiling reliable findings from the past decade, the study aims to serve as a comprehensive resource for individuals dealing with sexual health issues. Through careful evaluation of each herb, it offers insights into their effectiveness and limitations, emphasizing the potential of natural treatments as complementary alternatives to conventional therapies for male infertility and related conditions.Anatomy, hormone abnormalities and genetic flaws may contribute to male infertility.The most popular natural aphrodisiac herbs used in the treatment of infertility were revised.Unique and reliable references to sexual desire and urological problems were provided.Safe aphrodisiac herbs including phytochemical products were emphasized.Plants were investigated for their potential as aphrodisiacs and fertility enhancersAnatomy, hormone abnormalities and genetic flaws may contribute to male infertility.The most popular natural aphrodisiac herbs used in the treatment of infertility were revised.Unique and reliable references to sexual desire and urological problems were provided.Safe aphrodisiac herbs including phytochemical products were emphasized.Plants were investigated for their potential as aphrodisiacs and fertility enhancers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing salience of the Pakistan-China and US-Indian alliances, Pakistan-US relations continue to be a valuable enhancement both to stability and to Washington's influence in South Asia. The United States contributes to Pakistan's national security, just as Pakistan reciprocates in those areas where the U.S.-Indian relationship has its limitations. Pakistan also helps play a stabilizing effect on the US-China rivalry, despite Islamabad's close association with Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to solar water heating and transformers, these applications of research include heat exchangers and braking fluids, as well as acoustics and microelectronics. The mathematical model of Poiseuille hybrid nanofluid flow through a microchannel is considered with differing thermal conductivity and viscosity parameters. This mathematical model has mainly been developed to cater to the diversity of the hybrid nanofluid properties, which contains oxide and metal nanoparticles, for example, Cu and Al2O3 immersed in water (H2O) and Ethylene glycol (EG) as the base liquid. The substructure for hybrid nanofluid abides by the mixture of 20% water while the rest is filled with EG. Moreover, the perception of entropy is analyzed. The dimensional form of the current problem is deformed into a non-dimensional form using the appropriate choice of similarity transformation. Thence, the Runge–Kutta-Fehlberg method is being used to treat the numerical solution for the problem. The graphs spectacle the entropy, Bejan numbers, and physical behavior of the contributing factors to the flow phenomena. The numerical results of the rate coefficients for these parameters are shown in the table below. Furthermore, a comparison analysis is conducted to confirm the current result with prior work demonstrating a higher degree of concordance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of internet-enabled and hybrid technologies, information is becoming increasingly accessible to the general public. Smartphones and other gadgets are used extensively by people to share and promote ideas, in a variety of ways. Human interaction and communication has become more reliable and effective through advanced computing technologies. Quantum computing is an emerging paradigm that will change the lives of individuals and the operations of organizations. Quantum computers solve problems at high speed by operating in a superposition state in which the state can be either zero or one at the same instant. Quantum sensors can be used efficiently in technological research to make accurate measurements and collect data that provide new insights into the behavior of nanomaterials. The use of quantum computing could also speed up the manufacturing process of devices with remarkable properties such as superconductivity, high strength or improved signal performance. Quantum computing has the ability to dramatically speed up the development process of various organizations and increase their efficiency and effectiveness. The security and reliability of data and communication is improved by quantum computing techniques such as key generation and entanglement dispersion. Companies use cryptographic algorithms to protect their data. However, with the advent of quantum computing, cryptographic methods that rely on numerical aspects are no longer sufficient to protect data. Quantum computing is an emerging field that is being applied to various problems that previously could not be solved using conventional methods. Quantum computing plays an important role in the field of information processing, where information is precisely analyzed. Various quantum technologies and algorithms are used to secure company data. This paper provides a systematic review of the literature on the principles of quantum computing. The SLR focuses on achieving four aims "identifying a variety of quantum IoT devices, analyzing their importance in different industries, highlighting the challenges of quantum technology, and presenting various techniques used by researchers to overcome different problems". Quantum cryptography is identified as a key strategy for improving the security of IoT systems and ensuring the security and consistency of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The aim of the study was to investigate the cytotoxicity, phytotoxicity, and proximate and phytochemical analysis of methanolic extracts of the leaves of Justicia adhatoda. Methods. Methanolic leaf extract of J. adhatoda was screened for phytotoxic activity by using root length inhibition and seed germination assays. Cytotoxic activity was calculated using brine shrimp lethality bioassay. Plant extracts were also investigated for their proximate composition. The presence of several phytochemicals was tested by employing different methods. Results. Decrease in seed germination and root length, 62.67% and 83.11%, was proportional to the increasing concentration of the methanolic extract of the plant. Cytotoxicity assay results indicated that the methanolic extract possessed significant cytotoxic potential with an LC‐50 of 217 µg/ml. Proximate analysis revealed that the leaves of J. adhatoda contain 9.4% moisture, 90.6% dry matter, 19.25% crude protein, 4.5% crude fat, 8.0% crude fiber, and 11.5% total ash. Conclusion. Methanolic extracts of J. adhatoda leaves showed significant cytotoxic effects and may have potential use in medicine. The J. adhatoda foliar extract shows good inhibitory effects against seed germination and root growth. Therefore, it might be used as soil additive in crops to control weeds. Further research is required to detect and isolate phytotoxins from the plant that might replace synthetic herbicides with eco‐friendly herbicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe use of conventional food processing techniques has almost vanished due to increase in demand with respect to time, thus opening new avenues for emerging technologies. Ultrasound (US) is a rapid, multifaceted, promising, and noninvasive green technology. It has attracted the attention of both industrial experts and scientists for its probable use in food processing and preservation. Using US, fully reproducible food processes can be accomplished in seconds or minutes with increased reliability, minimal processing cost, streamlined manipulation, elevated clarity to the end product, and expending only a fragment of the time and energy commonly required by conventional processes.This review emphasizes on the applications of ultrasound in different food sectors along with its certain limitations. Several operations such as microbial inactivation, enzyme inactivation, extraction, emulsification and fractionation in dairy industries, thermo-sonication in fruit juices have been discussed in detail. The US extracted dietary fiber consisted of increased amount of dietary fiber and trace elements in comparison to alkaline method. US initiate rapid creaming of milk fat, decreasing flavor loss and energy requirements thus enhancing the quality of end product. SWOT analysis has been carried out to pinpoint the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of sonication in various food industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecium (LRE) is a global priority pathogen. Thirteen LRE were reported from clinical specimens between November 2021 and April 2023 at two laboratories in Karachi, Pakistan. We aimed to investigate the strain types and genes associated with linezolid resistance among these isolates. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed and analyzed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The presence of linezolid resistance genes was identified using ResFinder v4.1.11 and the LRE-finder tool. Results: Twelve isolates belonged to clonal complex 17 (CC17); ST80 (n = 10), ST612 (n = 1) and ST1380 (n = 1). Six isolates showed the presence of optrA gene and G2576T mutations in the 23S rRNA gene, while six showed poxtA and cfr(D) genes. One isolate showed the combination of optrA, cfr(D) and poxtA genes. Conclusion: Our findings show the circulation of CC17 sequence types with a known outbreak potential and we identified molecular mechanisms of resistance that were not previously reported from Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionsTo evaluate visual impairment (VI) at presentation in pediatric uveitis cases in southern and eastern India.Retrospective analysis of 477 children across four tertiary centers (2015–2020). Best-documented visual acuity (ETDRS letters) in the better eye was used to categorize VI.Mean age at presentation was 11 ± 3.7 years; 43.8% were females, and 64.8% bilateral. Of 205 patients with complete investigations, 32.7% were undifferentiated uveitis, 31.7% infectious, 25.7% juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis, and 10.2% other non-infectious uveitis. At presentation, 79.0% had none to mild VI, 12.6% moderate VI, and 8.4% severe VI to blindness. On generalized estimating equations analysis for individual eyes, prior oral steroids and older age were risk factors, while female gender, prior topical corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapy were protective against moderate and/or severe VI.Over a fifth of pediatric uveitis cases present with moderate/severe VI, especially in older age or with prior oral corticosteroid therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fumed alumina from the combustion of AlCl3 produced nano particles with specific areas from 30 to 220 m² g-1 (BET) which were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, 27Al solid-state NMR and transmission electron microscopy. During the short-lived synthesis, highly disordered γ-alumina progressively transforms into a mixture of δ and θ-alumina. For the γ-alumina particles, only for particles with the highest specific area a significant amount of five-coordinated Al can be found which is only partially located in the particle surface. Water can be bound reversibly and increases the coordination number of aluminium atoms in the particle surface. For the well-crystallized mixture of δ and θ-alumina, high resolution and high S/N powder XRD pattern features a large number of superstructure reflections along with the commonly observed diffuse reflections. 27Al MQMAS NMR provides a total of 8 crystallographic sites with an unusually high resolution in the tetrahedral region, with 4 distinct AlO4 sites pertaining to the δ phase alone. The results suggest that the δ-alumina phase produced in this process can be described as an ordered structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Mistake in diagnosis Background: Polycythemia vera (PV) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPNs) marked by elevated hemoglobin and hematocrit, which can lead to thromboembolic events and progress to myelofibrosis or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MPNs, including PV, are relatively rare in Malaysia, and there is currently no recent published data reporting the demographics and outcomes of PV patients in the country. In Western countries, routine annual blood tests are standard, whereas this practice is less common in Malaysia, underscoring the need for improved awareness and accessibility to ensure timely diagnosis of PV. Case Report: This report presents a case of a 55-year-old Malaysian woman in a primary care setting, initially misdiagnosed with benign conditions due to atypical presentations of recurrent bilateral eye redness and dizziness. Persistent symptoms led to further evaluation by primary care and hematologist, which revealed elevated hemoglobin, hematocrit, leukocytosis, JAK2 V617F mutation, and low serum erythropoietin levels, confirming PV, even without proceeding with a bone marrow biopsy. Treatment with phlebotomy, hydroxyurea, and aspirin resulted in significant improvements in ocular symptoms and hematological parameters within 60 days. Conclusions: This case underscores the critical role of primary care in the early detection of polycythemia vera. Timely identification and appropriate referral from primary care settings are essential to avoid diagnostic delays and ensure effective management, improving patient outcomes and preventing complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: During 2020–2021 Australia maintained comparatively low rates of COVID-19 in the community and residential aged care facilities (RAC) due to stringent public health measures such as lockdowns. However, the public health measures implemented may have had unintended impacts on critical RAC resident health outcomes, such as falls, due to routine care disruptions and aged care resident isolation. We utilised a longitudinal data to assess the association between COVID-19 lockdowns and the rate of falls in RAC settings. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was conduct using routinely collected data from 25 RAC facilities from one non-profit aged care provider in Sydney, Australia. The study included 2,996 long term residents between March 2019 and March 2021. The outcome measures were all falls, injurious falls, and falls assessed as requiring hospitalisation. Generalised estimating equations (GEE) were applied to determine the association between COVID-19 lockdown periods and fall-related outcomes while adjusting for confounders and seasonality. Results: During the study period 11,658 falls were recorded. Residents frequently experienced at least one fall during the study period (median: 1, interquartile range: 0–4). During Lockdown 1 (March-June 2020) the rate of all falls increased 32% (IRR 1.32, 95% CI 1.19–1.46, p < 0.01) and the rate of injurious falls increased by 28% (IRR 1.28, 95% CI 1.12–1.46, p < 0.01) compared to pre-pandemic rates. The rate of falls assessed as requiring hospitalisation remained unchanged during Lockdown 1 (IRR 1.07, 95% CI 0.86–1.32, p = 0.519). During Lockdown 2 (Dec 2020-Jan 2021) the rate of all falls, injurious falls, and falls assessed as requiring hospitalisation did not change significantly compared to pre-pandemic rates. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the consequences of stringent COVID-19 restrictions, as seen in Lockdown 1, produced changes in residents' care which contributed to more falls and associated harm. The subsequent lockdown, which were less restrictive and occurred after staff had gained experience, was associated with no significant increase in falls rate. The nature and extent of lockdowns implemented for infection control in RAC need to balance multiple potential adverse effects. Factors which facilitated resilience during this period require exploration in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is a growing need to promote and practice sustainable HRM to foster greener organizations with trained employees who have an attitude and behavior to preserve depleting resources. The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance of sustainable green human resource management (Green HRM) practices along with organizational identification (OI) as a mediating factor and perceived organizational support (POS) as a moderating factor. Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative methodology was used, and the data were collected from 311 employees working in telecommunication organizations located in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. Results of the study are based on the structural equation modeling technique using Smart-PLS. Findings: Findings revealed that OI proved to be a significant positive mediator between Green HRM and organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment. POS also proved to be a significant moderator on the relationship between Green HRM and OI. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited to the two cities of Pakistan; future studies can focus on more cities so that the results can be more generalized. Practical implications: This study will especially be useful for HR practitioners to develop mechanisms to initiate and encourage sustainable HR practices. Social implications: Organizations' positive position is established through the inculcation of green activities among their employees. Thus, a sense of responsibility and attachment among employees toward green behavior makes them good citizens. It also works well for their organization as well as for the environment. Moreover, it preserves environmental resources and helps ensure sustainability. Originality/value: The research paper was aimed at exploring the importance of sustainable Green HRM practices in a developing country like Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter closure and surgical ligation of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) are management options for PDA that have not spontaneously closed. However, studies reported the presence of complications and residual shunts in both Transcatheter closure and surgical ligation of PDA by themselves. In this study, the immediate outcomes of transcatheter closure of PDA versus surgical ligation of PDA were compared. METHODS: Comparative cross-sectional study conducted on children under 18 years of age who underwent transcatheter closure and surgical ligation of PDA at a cardiac center in Ethiopia from January 1, 2012, to January 1, 2022, by retrospectively reviewing the records from October 1, 2023, to November 1, 2023. 664 patients who underwent PDA closure, (n = 316) in the transcatheter closure group and (n = 348) patients in the surgical ligation group were included in this study. RESULT: The surgical ligation group patients were younger, and more proportion of patients had severe pulmonary hypertension. Overall complications were significantly higher with surgical ligation compared with transcatheter closure ((112 (35.4% vs 286 (71.9%)), p-value = 0.001)). Total mechanical ventilation time, intensive care unit(ICU) stay, and hospital stay were higher in the surgical ligation group with a p-value of 0.001 each. CONCLUSION: Transcatheter closure of PDA has lower overall complications and shorter mechanical ventilation time, lower ICU stay, and lower hospital stay. Given the lower number of overall complications, transcatheter closure of PDA has to be considered for selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theatre for Development (TfD) is a type of community-based or interactive theatre practice that aims to promote civic dialogue and engagement that uses performances as a participatory tool to help individuals and groups share their experiences with the intent of social transformation and empowerment. But the policy has failed to involve or include the people in the rural areas in development that concerns their lives. This observe therefore addresses the hassle of under improvement and disempowerment among Nigerian population especially in some selected Ekiti communities with the aid of exploring the validity of Theatre for Development Methodology. The demanding situations of human empowerment, transformation, emancipation and rural development remain critical issues in Ekiti State. The paper adopts qualitative studies technique, incorporating development communication via cybernetic pedagogy, participant commentary in its facts gathering and content analysis at the same time, ethnographic research layout method of records collection is used in the BOUESTI/ selected communities in Ekiti. Theatre for Development projects. The projects x-rayed the low-level of development in these clusters which includes, the urban drift of youths the neglect and lack of support of the widows from within and without, lack of health centre and convenient facilities (i.e. toilets) which toll the death rate of the people on the increase. The look hence unearths that Theatre for Development possesses the potency for facilitating human improvement in all ramifications if correctly carried out. This paper therefore recommends that the usage of the theatre for Development alternative which encompasses the conventional nuance of conversation, performance-oriented approach to promote dialogue, create attention and inspire participation would decorate sustainable development in the communities and the nation at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Control (IT2FLC) possesses a high control ability in a way that it can optimally handle the presence of uncertainty in a system dynamic. However, the design of such a control scheme is a challenging task due to its complex structure and nonlinear behavior. A Manta Ray Foraging Optimization (MRFO) is a promising algorithm that can be applied to optimize the control design. However, MRFO still suffers the local optima problem due to unbalance exploration-exploitation of the MRFO agents and hence limiting the performance of the desired control. In this paper, Standard, Quasi, Super, and Quasi-Reflected opposition strategies are integrated into the MRFO structure. Each strategy enhances the exploration-exploitation capability and offers different approaches of varying agent's step size relative to the algorithm's iteration. The proposed opposition-based MRFO (OMRFO) algorithms are applied to optimize the IT2FLC control design for a laboratory-scaled inverted pendulum system. Moreover, as the algorithms are also promising strategies to other problems, they are applied to solve 50D of 30 IEEE CEC14 benchmark functions representing problems with different features. Performance analysis of the algorithms is statistically conducted using Wilcoxon sign rank and Friedman tests. The result shows that the performance of MRFO and Quasi-Reflected-OMRFO are equal, while all other OMRFO variants show a significant improvement and better rank over the MRFO. The Super and Quasi OMRFO-IT2FLC schemes acquired the best responses for the cart and pendulum, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare IA corticosteroid and autologous PRP injection in OA knee, in terms of reducing stiffness, alleviating pain, and enhancing physical functionality. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Setting: AFIRM Rawalpindi. Period: Aug 2019 to April 2020. Methods: 70 patients with Knees OA, 40-70 years of age were included. Group A received IA 40 mg Triamcinolone Injection while Group B received PRP Injection in the affected knee. Pain evaluation was carried out using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and the Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) Index at baseline, at 1 month, at 3rd month, and after 6 months and mean changes calculated. Results: Among 70 patients, 36 were male (52%) and 34 were female (48%). No notable differences were observed in age (p=0.210), sex (p=0.811), and body mass index (BMI) (p=0.985) between two groups. Pre-injection pain severity assessed on NRS (p=0.217) and OA severity assessed on WOMAC (p=0.010) differed not between the two groups. At 6 months postinjection, there was significant improvement (p-value < 0.05) in pain relief in Group B (IA PRP) compared to Group A (IA steroid injection). However, at 1 month post injection NRS and WOMAC has shown more improvement between Group A and Group B, a significant difference was observed (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: PRP Injection decreases joint pain and improve quality of life better than corticosteroid injection prolonged periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the recent trends and patterns of antibiotic sensitivity and resistance in infected wounds of burns patients. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Burns and Plastic Surgery Canter, Peshawar, Pakistan. Period: July 30th to January 30th, 2023. Methods: In this cross sectional study we adopted convenience sampling technique. A total of 75 samples collected from patients fitted to our infected patients criteria and culture and sensitivity tests were performed using standard microbiological techniques. Results: Among the positive infected wound samples, Klebsiella Species were found in 23 (30.7%), Pseudomonas Aeruginosa in 16 (21.3%), Acinetobacter Species in 14(18.7%), Proteus Species in 8(10.7%), Citrobacter species in 5(6.6%), Staph. Aureus in 5(6.6%), Enterobacter species in 3(4%) and E.coli in 1(1.4%) of the positive cultures. Each pathogen showed varying degree of sensitivity and resistance patterns to different antibiotics tested. Conclusion: Klebsiella Species was the most common pathogen in patients with infected burns wounds. Meropenem, imipenem, Doripenem, Piperacillin/Tazobactum, Colistin, and Tigecyclin were found to be effective against the majority of the bacteria. Conversely, most of the bacterial strains exhibited resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics such as co-amoxiclave, ampicillin, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime and co-trimoxazole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The conflicting findings regarding the impact of equilibration time on post-thawed sperm quality underscore the need for further research to evaluate the impact of equilibration time and cooling rate on post-thaw sperm quality of ram semen. Aims: The current study aimed to assess the combined impact of cooling rates and pre-freezing equilibration times on post-thaw sperm quality in Kail ram semen (n = 5). Methods: Semen collection was performed using an artificial vagina at 42°C. The pooled semen was divided into equal aliquots and subjected to either slow cooling (SC, −0.27°C/min) or moderate cooling (MC, −0.36°C/min) rates, transitioning from 37°C to 4°C. Equilibration times of 0, 4, 8, and 12 h were employed before freezing. Key results: Semen samples undergoing the SC rate and equilibrated for 4 h exhibited higher (P < 0.05) percentages of progressive motile (PM), rapid progressive (RP), and medium progressive (MP) sperm compared with the MC rate. However, total motility remained unaffected by the cooling rate (P < 0.05). Semen equilibrated for 4 h demonstrated higher (P < 0.05) percentages of PM and RP sperm, as well as improved kinematics (curvilinear velocity, average path velocity, and straight-line velocity) compared with other equilibration times. Nevertheless, equilibration time had no (P > 0.05) impact on the amplitude of the lateral head displacement for semen samples subjected to the MC rate. Notably, the cooling rate did not affect post-thaw sperm kinematics, plasma membrane integrity, or live-sperm percentage (P > 0.05). Semen samples equilibrated for 4, 8, and 12 h exhibited a higher (P < 0.05) percentage of sperm with intact plasma membrane and viability than did those equilibrated for 0 h. Conclusions: In conclusion, slow cooling rate and a 4 h equilibration period were shown to be optimal for preserving post-thaw sperm quality in Kail rams. Implications: The findings highlighted the combined effect of cooling rate and equilibration time on post-thaw sperm quality for optimising sperm cryopreservation protocols in the context of ram semen. The conflicting results regarding the impact of equilibration time on sperm quality warrant further research to improve the post-thaw sperm quality of ram semen. The findings of the present study indicated that slow cooling and equilibration time of 4 h better-preserved sperm quality. The optimisation of sperm-freezing protocol will be beneficial for the widespread use of artificial insemination in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To emphasize the necessity for increased research in this field, incorporating depression into the preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic considerations for asthma. Additionally, we seek to highlight upcoming advancements that can be applied to simultaneously address these comorbidities, ultimately improving the overall well-being and quality of life for individuals coping with these conditions. Methods: A rigorous search in PubMed using the MeSH terms "asthma" and "depression" was performed, and papers were screened by the authors in view of their eligibility to contribute to the study. Results: There exists a correlation between these two conditions, with specific biological mechanisms and genetic factors playing a crucial role in their concurrent occurrence. In this review, we present preclinical and clinical research data, shed light on the possible mechanisms contributing to the co-occurrence of symptoms associated with both asthma and depression, and explore the intricate relationship between both conditions. Conclusion: The evidence presented here supports the existence of a correlation between asthma and depression. By acknowledging these shared biological mechanisms, genetic factors, and epidemiological trends, we can formulate more efficacious strategies for addressing the dual impact of asthma and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Classification of Tumours (WCT) as a non‐invasive neoplastic epithelial proliferation confined to the mammary ducts and lobules. This report categorises the references cited in the DCIS chapter of the 5th edition of the WCT (Breast Tumours) according to prevailing evidence levels for evidence‐based medicine and the Hierarchy of Evidence for Tumour Pathology (HETP), identifying potential gaps that can inform subsequent editions of the WCT for this tumour. Methods and results: We included all citations from the DCIS chapter of the WCT (Breast Tumours, 5th edition). Each citation was appraised according to its study design and evidence level. We developed our map of cited evidence, which is a graphical matrix of tumour type (column) and tumour descriptors (rows). Spheres were used to represent the evidence, with size and colour corresponding to their number and evidence level respectively. Thirty‐six publications were retrieved. The cited literature in the DCIS chapter comprised mainly case series and were regarded as low‐level. We found an unequal distribution of citations among tumour descriptors. 'Pathogenesis' and 'prognosis and prediction' contained the most references, while 'clinical features', 'aetiology' and 'diagnostic molecular pathology' had only a single citation each. 'Prognosis and prediction' had the greatest proportion of moderate‐ and high‐levels of evidence. Conclusion: Our findings align with the disposition for observational studies inherent in the field of pathology. Our map is a springboard for future efforts in mapping all available evidence on DCIS, potentially augmenting the editorial process and future editions of WCTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis E virus is a primary cause of acute hepatitis worldwide. The present study attempts to assess the genetic variability and evolutionary divergence among HEV genotypes. A vaccine promising capsid‐protein coding ORF‐2 gene sequences of HEV was evaluated using phylogenetics, model‐based population genetic methods and principal component analysis. The analyses unveiled nine distinct clusters as subpopulations for six HEV genotypes. HEV‐3 genotype samples stratified into four different subgroups, while HEV‐4 stratified into three additional subclusters. Rabbit‐infectious HEV‐3ra samples constitute a distinct cluster. Pairwise analysis identified marked genetic distinction of HEV‐4c and HEV‐4i subgenotypes compared to other genotypes. Numerous admixed, inter and intragenotype recombinant strains were detected. The MEME method identified several ORF‐2 codon sites under positive selection. Some selection signatures lead to amino acid substitutions within ORF‐2, resulting in altered physicochemical features. Moreover, a pattern of host‐specific adaptive signatures was identified among HEV genotypes. The analyses conclusively depict that recombination and episodic positive selection events have shaped the observed genetic diversity among different HEV genotypes. The significant genetic diversity and stratification of HEV‐3 and HEV‐4 genotypes into subgroups, as identified in the current study, are noteworthy and may have implications for the efficacy of anti‐HEV vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating novel compounds has become necessary due to the need for sophisticated materials in optoelectronic devices and spintronics. Because of their unique properties, magnesium-based spinels MgSm2X4 (X = S and Se) are very promising for these applications. We used the spin-polarized PBEsol for structural properties and the PBEsol functional for mechanical behavior, both using the WIEN2k code. Both compounds' stability in the magnetic and non-magnetic phases was validated by the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, and their stability in the cubic phase was verified by the Born stability criterion. Their ductile character was shown by the computation of Pugh's ratio and Poisson ratio. Both MgSm2S4 and MgSm2Se4 display metallic behavior in the spin-up channel and semiconducting behavior in the spin-down channel, indicating a half-metallic nature, according to TB-mBJ potential calculations. With total magnetic moments of 20 μB, both materials showed ferromagnetic properties. Samarium ions contributed 5.27 μB for MgSm2S4 and 5.34 μB for MgSm2Se4. Furthermore, we computed optical parameters in the energy range of 0 to 15 eV, such as absorption, extinction coefficient, reflectivity, dielectric function, and refractive index. Our results demonstrate the potential of MgSm2X4 spinels for future technological developments by revealing their prospective optoelectronic and spintronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of the interfacial catalyst layer (IL) of a bipolar membrane (BPM) for its application in a water electrolyzer is carried out. Zirconium-oxide based three different metal-organic frameworks (MOFs: MOF-808, UIO-66, and Fe-MOF (dual metal)) were synthesized and separately incorporated as water-splitting IL to achieve three different BPMs. Catalytic activity of each BPM was separately evaluated and BPM with double metal clustered, Fe-based MOF (Fe-MOF) showed significantly higher water splitting performance compared to the other two containing single metal clustered (Zr) MOF. Subsequently, the catalyst loading at the interface layer was varied between 0.05, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg∙cm−2, and BPMs with each composition were synthesized. The BPM with 1.0 mg∙cm−2 of Fe-MOF content showed the lowest (ever reported) water dissociation potential at 0.66 V, and this was ∼12% lower than the BPM without interface (synthesized inhouse). The water splitting performances along with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis were estimated and compared among three different electrode assemblies (MEAs) containing 0, 0.5, 1.0 mg∙cm−2 of Fe-MOF as interface catalyst of the single cell electrolyzer. Hydrogen production rates were separately monitored varying current density range: 0–500 mA∙cm−2, and 1.45 L∙h−1 (highest) was noted with 500 mA∙cm−2 for the MEA containing 1.0 mg∙cm−2 of Fe-MOF. This investigation is believed to be useful for designing different MOFs as IL of BPM and electrolyzers. [Display omitted] • Zirconium-oxide-based MOFs were synthesized for the interface catalyst layer in BPM. • Loading of Fe-MOF at BPM interface was optimized based on BPM I–V characteristics. • Double metal cluster Fe-MOF exhibited the lowest WD potential ever recorded, in reversed bias BPM. • Performances of single-cell BPM water electrolyzer for hydrogen production were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Methods Results Conclusions Polypharmacy serves as a quality indicator in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) due to concerns about inappropriate medication use. However, aggregated polypharmacy rates at a single time offer limited value. Longitudinal analysis of polypharmacy patterns provides valuable insights into identifying potential overuse of medicines. We aimed to determine long‐term trajectories of polypharmacy (≥9 medicines) and factors associated with each polypharmacy trajectory group.This was a longitudinal cohort study using electronic data from 30 RACFs in New South Wales, Australia. We conducted group‐based trajectory modelling to identify and characterize polypharmacy trajectories over 3 years. We evaluated the model fitness using the Bayesian Information Criterion, entropy (with a value of ≥0.8 considered ideal) and several other metrics.The study included 2837 permanent residents (median age = 86 years, 61.7% female and 47.4% had dementia). We identified five polypharmacy trajectory groups: group 1 (no polypharmacy, 46.0%); group 2 (increasing polypharmacy, 9.4%); group 3 (decreasing polypharmacy, 9.2%); group 4 (increasing‐then decreasing polypharmacy, 10.0%), and group 5 (persistent polypharmacy, 25.4%). The model showed excellent performance (e.g., entropy = 0.9). Multinomial logistic regressions revealed the profile of each trajectory group (e.g., group 5 residents had higher odds of chronic respiratory disease compared with group 1).Our study identified five polypharmacy trajectory groups, including one with over a quarter of residents following a persistently high trajectory, signalling concerning medication overuse. Quality indicator programs should adopt tailored metrics to monitor diverse polypharmacy trajectory groups, moving beyond the current one‐size‐fits‐all approach and better capturing the evolving dynamics of residents' medication regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to improve the photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide nanorods (TNRs) and other related nanostructures (dense nanorods, needle-like nanorods, nanoballs, and nanoflowers) by modifying them with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). This preparation is carried out using a two-step method: sol–gel dip-coating deposition combined with hydrothermal crystal growth. Further modification with AgNPs was achieved through the photoreduction of Ag+ ions under UV illumination. The investigation explores the impact of different growth factors on the morphological development of TiO2 nanostructures by modulating (i) the chemical composition, the water:acid ratio, (ii) the precursor concentration involved in the hydrothermal process, and (iii) the duration of the hydrothermal reaction. Morphological characteristics, including the length, diameter, and nanorod density of the nanostructures, were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The chemical states were determined through use of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique, while phase composition and crystalline structure analysis was performed using the Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD) method. The results indicate that various nanostructures (dense nanorods, needle-like nanorods, nanoballs, and nanoflowers) can be obtained by modifying these parameters. The photocatalytic efficiency of these nanostructures and Ag-coated nanostructures was assessed by measuring the degradation of the organic dye rhodamine B (RhB) under both ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and visible light. The results clearly show that UV light causes the RhB solution to lose its color, whereas under visible light RhB changes into rhodamine 110, indicating a successful photocatalytic transformation. The nanoball-like structures' modification with the active metal silver (TNRs 4 Ag) exhibited high photocatalytic efficiency under both ultraviolet (UV) and visible light for different chemical composition parameters. The nanorod structure (TNRs 2 Ag) is more efficient under UV, but under visible-light photocatalyst, the TNRs 6 Ag (dense nanorods) sample is more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bright future of any society is always associated with its upcoming generation. Children are the future prosperity of any nation as they are productive workers of tomorrow. The main objective of this study is to estimate the opportunities available for children under age of 5 years and their mothers for different regions of Pakistan and Bangladesh. The core idea of this study is to access and compare Pakistan with Bangladesh as it was previously a poor and struggling part of it. Data of this study are gathered from Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey and Pakistan Demographic Health Survey for the year 2017–18. The overall comparison of Pakistan and Bangladesh had put Pakistan in a situation where it lagged in every aspect of health-related facilities provided to its citizen. Governments should focus on providing economic opportunities, Health, education, and nutrition to enhance regional and area-level living standards. Further, rural areas should be more focused, especially by the Government of Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, open tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC) has captured considerable interest; its efficient separation capability hinges on the interactions between analytes and polymer coatings. However, in situ growth of stimuli-responsive polymers as coatings has been rarely studied and is crucial for expanding the OT-CEC technique and its application. Herein, following poly(styrene-maleicanhydride) (PSM) chemically bonded onto the inner surface of the capillary, a dual pH/temperature stimuli-responsive block copolymer, P(SMN-COOH), was prepared by in situ polymerizing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) carboxylic acid terminated [P(N-COOH)] in PSM. An OT-CEC protocol was first explored using the coated capillary for epimedins separation. As a proof of concept, the developed OT-CEC system facilitated hydrogen bonding and tuning the hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions between the test analytes and the P(SMN-COOH) coating by varying buffer pH and environmental temperature. Four epimedins with similar chemical structures were baseline separated under 40 °C at pH 10.0, exhibiting dramatical improvement in separation efficiency in comparison to its performance under 25 °C at pH 4.0. In addition, the coated capillary showed good repeatability and reusability with relative standard deviations for migration time and peak area between 0.7 and 1.7% and between 2.9 and 4.6%, respectively, and no significant changes after six runs. This work introduces a paradigm for efficient OT-CEC separation of herbal medicines through adjusting the interactions between analytes and smart polymer coatings, addressing polymer coating design and OT-CEC challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research employing a conceptual approach with a digital twin has demonstrated that (noise-based) dynamic watermarking is incapable of providing unconditional security in smart electrical grid systems. However, the implementation of digital twins can be prohibitively costly or infeasible due to limited available data on critical infrastructure. In this study, we first analyze the spectral properties of dynamic watermarking and its associated protocol. Subsequently, we present a straightforward attack inspired by the digital twin method, which extracts and utilizes the grid noises and completely breaches the security of dynamic watermarking without requiring knowledge of the private watermarking signal. The attacker can fully expose the grid while evading detection by the controller. Our findings indicate that in the absence of secure and authenticated communications, dynamic watermarking offers neither conditional nor unconditional security. Conversely, when communication lines, sensors, and communicators are equipped with tamper-resistant and secure/authenticated links, dynamic watermarking becomes redundant for grid security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a global health crisis, affecting a quarter of the world’s population, and is anticipated to become a leading cause of liver transplantation and hepatocellular carcinoma by 2030. Conventional pharmacotherapy for NAFLD remains imperfect. In this context, Unani medicine offers a promising alternative for managing NAFLD. Objective • This review aims to compile information on Unani medications used for the treatment of NAFLD, aiming to provide evidence of their efficacy and delve into the mechanisms through which these Unani drugs exert their therapeutic effects in NAFLD. Methods • A comprehensive exploration of classical Unani literature was conducted, referencing well-established texts to extract pertinent information regarding NAFLD and its treatment in Unani Medicine. Electronic databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, were systematically searched to gather information on the efficacy of Unani drugs in the treatment of NAFLD. Results • Unani medicine offers a rich repository of single herbs and compound formulations. There is a description of about 32 single herbs and 18 compound formulations for the treatment of NAFLD. These drugs act due to their Musakhkhin (calorific), Mudirr (diuretics), Mufattiḥ (deobstruent), Muqawwῑ-i-Jigar (hepatoprotective), and Muḥallilat (anti-inflammatory) action. The bioactive components present in these drugs possess antioxidant, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and hepatoprotective activities. These actions of Unani drugs closely align with the multifaceted nature of NAFLD pathogenesis, and thus effective in the treatment of NAFLD. Conclusion • The findings led us to conclude that the use of Unani medicines can improve clinical outcomes in NAFLD, as demonstrated by various clinical and experimental trials. However, further clinical trials are essential to provide a safe and effective option for addressing this prevalent liver condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linezolid resistance in Enterococcus spp. is increasingly considered critically important and a public health threat which mandates the need to understand their genomic contents and dissemination patterns. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing to characterize the resistome, virulome and mobile genetic elements of nine linezolid-resistant (LZDR) enterococci (seven optrA-E. faecalis, one poxtA-E. faecium and one optrA-E. casseliflavus) previously obtained from the nares of healthy dogs, pigs, pig farmers and tracheal samples of nestling storks in Spain. Also, the relatedness of the isolates with publicly available genomes was accessed by core-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. The optrA gene of the E. faecalis and E. casseliflavus isolates was located downstream of the fexA gene. The optrA gene in the E. casseliflavus isolate was carried in a plasmid (pURX4962), while those in the seven E. faecalis isolates were chromosomally located. The OptrA proteins were mostly variants of wild type (DP-2: Y176D/T481P; RDK: I104R/Y176D/E256K; DD-3: Y176D/G393D; and EDD: K3E/Y176D/G393D), except two that were wild type (one E. faecalis and one E. casseliflavus). The poxtA gene in the E. faecium isolate was found alone within its contig. The cfrD was upstream of ermB gene in the E. casseliflavus isolate and flanked by ISNCY and IS1216. All the LZDR enterococci carried plasmid rep genes (2–3) containing tetracycline, chloramphenicol and aminoglycoside resistance genes. All isolates except E. casseliflavus carried at least one intact prophage, of which E. faecalis-ST330 (X4957) from a pig carried the highest (n = 5). Tn6260 was associated with lnuG in E. faecalis-ST330 while Tn554 was with fexA in E. feaecalis-ST59 isolates. All except E. casseliflavus (n = 0) carried at least two metal resistance genes (MRGs), of which poxtA-carrying E. faecium-ST1739 isolate contained the most (arsA, copA, fief, ziaA, znuA, zosA, zupT, and zur). SNP-based analyses identified closely related optrA-E. faecalis isolates from a pig and a pig farmer on the same farm (SNP = 4). Moreover, optrA- carrying E. faecalis-ST32, -ST59, and -ST474 isolates from pigs were related to those previously described from humans (sick and healthy) and cattle in Spain, Belgium, and Switzerland (SNP range 43–86). These findings strongly suggest the transmission of LZDR-E. faecalis between a pig and a pig farmer and potential inter-country dissemination. These highlight the need to strengthen molecular surveillance of LZDR enterococci in all ecological niches and body parts to direct appropriate control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control charts are customarily developed under the assumption of normal quality characteristics to be monitored. However, in many real dataset applications, the normality assumption is not easy to hold. The in-control (IC) robustness of the charting schemes has significant importance for the valid out-of-control (OOC) performance. This article intends to investigate the IC robustness of the unbiased-function-based adaptive cumulative sum (ACUSUM) chart and nonparametric ACUSUM (NPACUSUM) chart against the non-normal process distributions including symmetrical, skewed, and contaminated normal distributions. The OOC run length profiles of the ACUSUM and the proposed NPACUSUM charts for the individual measurements against the non-normal distributions are also a part of this study. The run length profiles of the proposed charting schemes have been computed using the Monte Carlo simulation method. The artificial datasets have been taken from some symmetric and skewed distributions to implement the proposals. An electrical engineering dataset has also been taken for the implementation of the proposal on a real dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study, it was aimed to determine the molecular characterization and genetic relationships of Mentha species obtained from different countries and regions at the molecular level and to ensure the sustainability of these species. For this purpose, ISSR marker technique, which is effective in detecting polymorphism and genetic variation within and between Mentha species, was used. In the study a total of 460 allelic bands were detected, and all bands were found to be 100% polymorphic. The maximum number of bands was produced by the ISSR7 primer (25), but the minimum number of bands was produced by the ISSR12 primer (13). The highest PIC (Polymorphism Information Content) value was detected in the ISSR3 primer (0.521) but the lowest PIC value was determined in the 903 primer (0.203). Molecular datas were analyzed using the NTSYSpc 2.02 software and it was determined that the mint species were divided into two main groups. In the results obtained, it was determined that there was no relationship between the genetic diversity and geographical origins, and the populations from different geographical regions were in the same clusters. In the study, it was concluded that there was a significant molecular diversity among the species, and that some Mentha clones, which are defined by morphological features and still remain taxonomically uncertain, were belong to which species at the molecular level. Therefore, it is insufficient to classify species with morphochemical, morphological and phenotypic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the pollution problems caused by improper disposal of effluents and wastes from pharmaceutical companies and medical facilities are important for the safety of humans and animals. This work highlights the challenges and developments in medical and pharmaceutical waste management practices across the world as well as their potential for bio-energy production. It involves the study of these waste properties, their impacts on the ecosystem and treatment or recycling methods. Various studies have shown that successes have been recorded in converting some antibiotic contaminated wastewater to biogas in advance anaerobic digesters. Moreover, not all medical wastes are degradable, the use of placentas, hospital cotton waste, human urine, waste blood and surgery waste has been used in biogas plants built at close proximity to hospitals, in some cases. However, such plants are few and are only located in Tanzania, India and Philippines, among others to generate biogas to power hospitals, boil hot water needed by patients and for cooking. This is because the level of awareness as regards the dangers associated with indiscriminate disposal of medical and pharmaceutical waste is low and hence the development of waste disposal policy by countries is often overlooked. The implication of this is the spread of diseases in affected areas which can results in epidemics. It is therefore necessary to formulate policies that allow the harnessing of these wastes to biogas/ bioenergy or the creation of better waste management practices that is environmentally safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has had unprecedented effects on construction markets globally due to supply chain disruptions and workforce restrictions, etc. However, construction industries in developing countries are more vulnerable to the obstacles associated with the pandemic. As such, the goal of this paper is to capture the impact of COVID-19 on construction projects' performance in developing countries by taking the Pakistani construction sector into perspective. A multistep project-based research methodology was adopted, including a literature analysis and questionnaire survey with 20 construction professionals to assess factors affected by COVID-19; formulation of open-ended questions against each factor; collecting data using semi structured interviews; and presenting challenges and adopted mitigation strategies to examine the perceived impact. Results showed that the pandemic has caused a total of 13 factors to impact the project performance, which are grouped under four construction groups, including material and equipment, human resource, occupational health and safety, and financial and contracts. The factors impacted the most by the pandemic are cash flow management, supply chain disruptions, increased overheads, construction safety measures, material shortage, contractual issues, and construction workforce. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a foundation for researchers to enhance investigating the impact of the COVID-19 in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]