Search

The emerging toxicants, N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone (6PPD-Q), resulting from environmental exposure to N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), have gained considerable attention owing to their ubiquitous occurrence and high toxicity. We performed a scientometric analysis on this topical area of research over the past two decades, spanning from 2004 to April 2024. The overarching aim was to reveal potential future directions in this research area, exploring several key aspects. These included publication and citation growth trends, relevant subject fields, distribution of contribution by country, influential journals in the field, keyword co-occurrence network and cluster analysis, and identification of top authors. The information was collected from the Scopus database and processed using the VOS viewer software. We observed a notable increase in the number of publications over the past four years. With a share of 46.2% of publications, "Environmental Sciences" dominated as the primary scientific category. Among all journals, "Science of the Total Environment" was the most prolific, publishing 33 documents, accounting for 15.6% of the total records. China, representing 76 publications (36%), followed by the United States, with 40 (18.9%), stood out as the leading countries. The occurrence of keywords such as "Pollution exposure", "Mass spectrometry", and "toxicity" highlighted the importance of assessing the toxicological properties, analytical methods, and environmental implications of these emerging contaminants to mitigate their adverse effects and protect environmental and human health. Cai, Zongwei from Hong Kong Baptist University was highly productive in this field, publishing 11 papers. Based on the bibliometric analysis presented, it seems that the future direction of research on 6PPD and 6PPD-Q will shift towards strategies focused on their removal and treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) represent a lethal form of DNA damage that can trigger cell death or initiate oncogenesis. The activity of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) at the break site is required for efficient DSB repair. However, the regulatory mechanisms governing the transcription cycle at DSBs are not well understood. Here, we show that Integrator complex subunit 6 (INTS6) associates with the heterotrimeric sensor of ssDNA (SOSS1) complex (comprising INTS3, INIP and hSSB1) to form the tetrameric SOSS1 complex. INTS6 binds to DNA:RNA hybrids and promotes Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) recruitment to DSBs, facilitating the dephosphorylation of RNAPII. Furthermore, INTS6 prevents the accumulation of damage-associated RNA transcripts (DARTs) and the stabilization of DNA:RNA hybrids at DSB sites. INTS6 interacts with and promotes the recruitment of senataxin (SETX) to DSBs, facilitating the resolution of DNA:RNA hybrids/R-loops. Our results underscore the significance of the tetrameric SOSS1 complex in the autoregulation of DNA:RNA hybrids and efficient DNA repair., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no competing interests to declare.

The binding interactions between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and three pyridine derivatives, i.e., 2-(5-bromopyridin-3-yl) acetic acid (L1), 3-bromo-5-nitropyridine (L2) and 2-chloro-4-nitropyridine (L3), have been carried out using UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopic methods. Fluorescence intensity quenching is observed by adding L2 and L3 to the BSA solution. The quenched fluorescence emission is due to the static nature. An isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiment shows the binding ability of L1 with BSA. The binding constants are found to be 7.23 ± 0.32 × 10 5 M -1 for L1. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated from ITC measurements (i.e., ∆H = -2.78 ± 0.08 kcal/mol, ∆G = -5.65 ± 0.25 kcal/mol, and -T∆S = -2.87 ± 0.11 kcal/mol), which indicated that the protein-ligand complex formation between L1 and BSA is mainly due to the hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and structure activity and relationship (SAR) studies have been carried out to establish the relationship between ligands and proteins. Additionally, we conducted an antibacterial assay with gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and negative bacterial strains Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli against L1, L2, and L3, aiming to address the challenges posed by the co-existence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Finally, drosophila is used to test the cytotoxicity of ligands L1, L2, and L3's in vitro., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

For many years, clopidogrel has been a commonly utilised antiplatelet drug in the management of coronary artery disease (CAD). It's thought that the CYP2C19 loss of function (LoF) polymorphism causes clopidogrel's poor metabolism, which eventually leads to resistance. Previous research produced extremely divergent and inconsistent results, making it impossible to draw definitive conclusions. Therefore, current, investigation was carried out to obtain definitive evidence from an updated meta-analysis on the connection between CYP2C19 LoF polymorphism and coronary artery event in patients treated with clopidogrel. 52,542 individuals with coronary artery disease who were receiving clopidogrel treatment were included in 87 carefully chosen trials from reliable databases that we used for our meta-analysis. According to our data, those who carry one or more CYP2C19 LoF alleles worldwide are much more likely to experience composite events and coronary artery events than people who do not carry these alleles, especially in Asian populations. Our meta-analysis observed that the global population, particularly Asians receiving clopidogrel treatment, is at risk of recurrent coronary artery events and composite events if they carry the CYP2C19 LoF alleles. Additional research is essential on alternative antiplatelet therapies for individuals who exhibit poor or intermediate metabolic activity. OBJECTIVES: 1.To systematically analyze the current evidence regarding the association of CYP2C19 variants with coronary artery disease (CAD). 2.To conduct a meta-analysis to investigate the association between loss of function (LoF) CYP2C19 modifications and CAD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. Furthermore, for declaration purpose that MP and VS are affiliated with NMC Genetics India Pvt. Ltd., while MS is associated with Semper Centrum Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. Despite these affiliations, all stated authors declare no financial interests or competing financial interests in relation to the subject matter., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Microbial fuel cells (MFC) have emerged as a sustainable wastewater treatment technique that offers simultaneous energy generation; however, the high cost of electrodes and their reduced catalytic activity have hindered their widespread adoption. To overcome this, an activated carbon synthesised from Areca nut husk was coated on different anodes viz. Carbon cloth and Stainless Steel (SS) mesh. Activated carbon was found to be highly porous with a carbon content of 85.39%, and a surface area of 767.98 m 2 /g, and was found to be amorphous with a high degree of graphitic structure. The electrical conductivities of the catalyst-coated SS mesh and carbon cloth were comparable, and the performance of the MFC was studied using both electrodes as anodes. A batch MFC with modified SS mesh as anode exhibited the highest power density of 155.35 mW/m 3 in synthetic wastewater and 101.68 mW/m 3 in kitchen wastewater, with COD removal efficiencies of 95.32% and 95.24%, respectively. In a continuous mode, the MFC delivered a maximum current density and power of 52.38 mA/m 2 and 21.60 mW, respectively, with a maximum COD removal efficiency of 80.70% for an HRT of 20 hrs. These findings underscore the viability of using biomass-derived activated carbon as an anode catalyst in both batch and continuous modes of MFC.

Two pyrrolo-based compounds, 1H-pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyridine-3-carboxylic acid (L1) and 1H-pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridine-4-carboxylic acid (L2), were employed for the detection of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopic methods in phosphate buffer solution (pH = 7). In the presence of L1 and L2, the fluorescence emission of BSA at 340 nm was quenched and concomitantly a red-shifted emission band appeared at 420 nm (L1)/450 nm (L2). The fluorescence spectral changes indicate the protein-ligand complex formation between BSA and L1/L2. An isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiment was conducted to determine the binding ability between BSA and L1/L2. The binding constants are found to be 4.45 ± 0.22 × 10 4 M -1 for L1 and 2.29 ± 0.11 × 10 4 M -1 for L2, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated from ITC measurements (i.e. ∆rH = -40 ± 2 kcal/mol, ∆rG = -4.57 ± 0.22 kcal/mol and -T∆rS = 35.4 ± 1.77 kcal/mol), which indicated that the protein-ligand complex formation between L1/L2 with BSA is mainly due to the electrostatic interactions. The protein-ligand interactions were studied by performing molecular docking. Further, the antibacterial assay of L1 and L2 was conducted against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains in an effort to address the difficulties caused by the co-occurrence of antimicrobial and multidrug-resistant bacteria. E. coli and S. aureus were significantly inhibited by L1 and L2. The L1 exhibits 13, 12 and 15 mm, whereas L2 exhibits a 2, 3 and 5 mm zone of inhibition against S. aureus, S. pyogenes and E. coli, respectively. In silico molecular docking of L1 and L2 was performed with bacterial DNA gyrase to establish the intermolecular interactions. Finally, the in vitro cytotoxicity activities of the ligands L1 and L2 have been carried out using drosophila., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The increasing presence of oxytetracycline (OTC) in agricultural soils has raised global environmental concerns. We investigated the environmental behavior and fate of OTC in two types of tropical agricultural soils, focusing on the impact of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from biogas slurry. Techniques such as three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (3D-EEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-vis) were used to explore the adsorption mechanisms. Our findings revealed that biogas slurry-derived DOM decreased the OTC adsorption on soils and extended the time to reach adsorption equilibrium. Specifically, the equilibrium adsorption of OTC by the two soils decreased by 19.41 and 15.32 %, respectively. These adsorption processes were effectively modelled by Elovich, intraparticle diffusion, linear, and Freundlich thermodynamic models. Thermodynamic parameters suggested that OTC adsorption onto soils was spontaneous and endothermic, with competitive interactions between biogas slurry-derived DOM and OTC molecules intensifying at higher DOM concentrations. The adsorption mechanisms were governed by both physical and chemical processes. Furthermore, the presence of Ca 2+ and Na + ions significantly inhibited OTC adsorption. These insights advanced our understanding of the fate and risk of OTC in soil environments influenced by DOM, contributing to more informed agricultural and environmental management practices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Herein, we report a mild transition metal-free organophotoredox-catalyzed approach for β-hydroxytrifluoromethylation of unactivated alkenes using CF 3 SO 2 Na and acridinium salt. The protocol is compatible with various mono-, di-, and trisubstituted aliphatic unactivated alkenes containing numerous functional groups and natural product derivatives. Further, the postsynthetic modifications of the synthesized trifluoromethylated products have been demonstrated through cross-coupling and functional group interconversion reactions. The method proved to be scalable and it works smoothly under the direct exposure of sunlight. A plausible mechanism has been proposed based on the fluorescence quenching experiment and cyclic voltammetry analysis.

Simultaneous removal of toxic elements and pharmaceutical compounds at environmentally relevant concentrations in aqueous solution is challenging. Modification of biochar using environmental materials has attracted significant attention in wastewater treatment, while pristine biochar has several limitations in the simultaneous removal of Lead (Pb 2+ ), Copper (Cu 2+ ), and metoprolol. We investigated the efficacy of biochar composites using waste cabbage leaves-derived biochar with kaolinite, and anthocyanin for simultaneous removal of Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , and metoprolol from water. Using ball milling, the surface area and functional groups of adsorbents were improved via breaking the biochar grains into ultrafine particles. Ball-milled biochar derived from waste cabbage leaves significantly increased Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , and metoprolol adsorption by 105, 71, and 213%, respectively. Results of Brunauer Emmett Teller surface area, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies showed that surface area of non-milled biochar improved nearly ten-fold following ball-milling, while several oxygen containing acidic functional groups also increased. The adsorbents resulted in high removal efficiency for Pb 2+ (162.9 mg/g) and Cu 2+ (48.5 mg/g) in ball milled-kaolinite composite biochar (BMKB) and 76.3 mg/g (metoprolol), respectively in ball milled-anthocyanin composite biochar (BMAB). The simultaneous sorption of Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , and metoprolol in an aqueous solution to BMAB and BMKB, showed that the adsorption capacity followed the order of Pb 2+ >Cu 2+  > metoprolol in both types of ball-milled biochars. BMKB achieved a high adsorption capacity for Pb 2+ and Cu 2+ (59 mg/g and 50 mg/g), respectively, while BMAB exhibited an adsorption capacity 22.3 mg/g for metoprolol. It was postulated that sorption of Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ and metoprolol involved multiple adsorption mechanisms namely surface complexation, π-π interaction, H-bond, pore filling, and ion bridging. The findings of this study revealed that ball milling is a potential technology in producing a highlyefficient adsorbent to remediate multi-contaminants in aqueous solution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Globally, COVID-19 has not only caused tremendous negative health, social and economic impacts, but it has also led to environmental issues such as a massive increase in biomedical waste. The biomedical waste (BMW) was generated from centralized (hospitals, clinics, and research facilities) and extended (quarantine camps, COVID-19 test camps, and quarantined homes) healthcare facilities. Many effects, such as the possibility of infection spread, unlawful dumping/disposal, and an increase in toxic emissions by common BMW treatment facilities, are conjectured because of the rise in waste generation. However, it is also an opportunity to critically analyze the current BMW treatment scenario and implement changes to make the system more economical and environmentally sustainable. In this review, the waste disposal guidelines of the BMW management infrastructure are critically analyzed for many functional parameters to bring out possible applications and limitations of individual interventions. In addition, an investigation was made to select appropriate technology based on the environmental setting., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors agree to their participation in this manuscript preparation and all authors also disclose that there are no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations and no conflict of interest among the authors or organizations involved in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hierarchical superstructures, ubiquitously found in nature, offer enhanced efficiency in both substance reaction and mass transport owing to their unique multiscale features. Inspired by these natural systems, this research reports a general and scalable electrochemical scheme for creating highly branched, multilevel porous superstructures on various electrically conductive substrates. These structures exhibit cascading features from centimeters, submillimeters, micrometers, down to sub-100 nm, significantly increasing the surface area of substrates, such as foams, foils, and carbon cloth by 2 orders of magnitude─among the highest reported enhancements. This versatile and low-cost method, applicable to a range of electrically conductive substrates, enables innovative flow-assisted water purification with enhanced energy efficiency. The performance, successfully removing 99% of mercury within 0.5 h at 540 rpm and meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety standards for drinking water, further validates the advantages of these unique structures. Overall, the reported general, economical, and versatile scheme could broadly impact energy and environmental remediation.

Genotoxic stress resulting from DNA damage is resolved through a signaling cascade known as the DNA Damage Response (DDR). The repair of damaged DNA is essential for cell survival, often requiring the DDR to attenuate other cellular processes such as the cell cycle, DNA replication, and transcription of genes not involved in DDR. The complex relationship between DDR and transcription has only recently been investigated. Transcription can facilitate the DDR in response to double-strand breaks (DSBs) and stimulate nucleotide excision repair (NER). However, transcription may need to be reduced to prevent potential interference with the repair machinery. In this review, we discuss various mechanisms that regulate transcription repression in response to different types of DNA damage, categorizing them by their range and duration of effect. Finally, we explore various models of transcription recovery following DNA damage-induced repression.

Purpose: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway activation causes chemotherapy resistance, and inhibition of the EGFR pathway sensitizes triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells to chemotherapy in preclinical models. Given the high prevalence of EGFR overexpression in TNBC, we conducted a single-arm phase II study of panitumumab (anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody), carboplatin, and paclitaxel as the second phase of neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in patients with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC)-resistant TNBC (NCT02593175)., Patients and Methods: Patients with early-stage, AC-resistant TNBC, defined as disease progression or ≤80% reduction in tumor volume after four cycles of AC, were eligible for this study and received panitumumab (2.5 mg/kg i.v., every week × 13), paclitaxel (80 mg/m2 i.v. every week × 12), and carboplatin (AUC = 4 i.v., every 3 weeks × 4) as the second phase of NAT. A two-stage Gehan-type design was used to detect an improvement in the pathological complete response (pCR)/residual cancer burden class I (RCB-I) rate from 5% to 20%. Whole-exome sequencing was performed on diagnostic tumor biospecimens, where available., Results: From November 3, 2016, through August 23, 2021, 43 patients with AC-resistant TNBC were enrolled. The combined pCR/RCB-I rate was 30.2%. The most common treatment-related adverse events were neutropenia (72%) and anemia (61%), with 7 (16%), 16 (37%), and 8 (19%) patients experiencing grade 4 neutropenia, grade 3 neutropenia, and grade 3 anemia, respectively. No new safety signals were observed., Conclusions: This study met its primary endpoint (pCR/RCB-I = 30.2% vs. 5% in historical controls), suggesting that panitumumab should be evaluated as a component of NAT in patients with chemotherapy-resistant TNBC in a larger, randomized clinical trial., Significance: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway has been implicated as a driver of chemotherapy resistance in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Here, we evaluate the combination of panitumumab, carboplatin, and paclitaxel as the second phase of neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in patients with AC-resistant TNBC. This study met its primary efficacy endpoint, and molecular alterations in EGFR pathway genes did not seem to influence response to the study regimen., (©2024 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.)

Objective: An expert panel made recommendations to optimize surgical education and training based on the effects of contemporary challenges., Background: The inaugural Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC I) proposed sweeping recommendations for surgical education and training in 2004. In light of those findings, a second BRC (BRC II) was convened to make recommendations to optimize surgical training considering the current landscape in medical education., Methods: BRC II was a panel of 67 experts selected on the basis of experience and leadership in surgical education and training. It was organized into subcommittees which met virtually over the course of a year. They developed recommendations, along with the Steering Committee, based on areas of focus and then presented them to the entire BRC II. The Delphi method was chosen to obtain consensus, defined as ≥80% agreement among the panel. Cronbach α was computed to assess the internal consistency of 3 Delphi rounds., Results: Of the 50 recommendations, 31 obtained consensus in the following aspects of surgical training (# of consensus recommendation/# of proposed): Workforce (1/5); Medical Student Education (3/8); Work Life Integration (4/6); Resident Education (5/7); Goals, Structure, and Financing of Training (5/8); Education Support and Faculty Development (5/6); Research Training (7/9); and Educational Technology and Assessment (1/1). The internal consistency was good in Rounds 1 and 2 and acceptable in Round 3., Conclusions: BRC II used the Delphi approach to identify and recommend 31 priorities for surgical education in 2024. We advise establishing a multidisciplinary surgical educational group to oversee, monitor, and facilitate implementation of these recommendations., Competing Interests: E.C.E. receives royalties from McGraw Hill and Wolters-Kluwer unrelated to this manuscript. The remaining authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Recovery from depression constitutes a long journey that is understood as a unique and multifaceted process encompassing various dimensions. To understand what constitutes recovery from depression and to develop greater insights into the unique dimensions of the recovery journey, the study of recovery memoirs is essential., Method: This article performs a dimensional analysis on six Indian first-hand accounts of recovery from depression collected in Amrita Tripathi and Arpita Anand's Real Stories of Dealing with Depression to examine the journeys toward healing and the uniqueness of the recovery processes. Through the dimensional analysis, four core dimensions of recovery from depression-Problems, Social Supports, Position of Recovery and Functionality-are identified. The process of recovery, consisting of understanding the problems (causes) through sensed adversities (sensed effects), making use of received social supports to transform oneself, finding out the position of recovery, and lastly, functioning peacefully for living, corresponds to the four dimensions of recovery. Drawing on Herbert Blumer's theory of social interactionism, the article examines how different individuals interpret their experiences of depression in unique ways and develop distinctive recovery strategies., Discussion: The identified dimensions of recovery correspond to the need for unique approaches to recovery articulated by each of the narrators. The selected narratives reveal that the problems are unique, and for each of the unique problems, there has to be a distinctive support mechanism. The recovery narratives are centred around the unique problems wherein the individuals attempt to understand what happened to them and why it happened., Conclusion: The article concludes by suggesting that healthcare practitioners can utilise the dimensions and the subdimensions as a lead to understand fully how their clients conceptualise their problems and try to understand how each client defines the recovery itself., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1, 2 and 3 families of enzymes are responsible for the biotransformation of a majority of the currently available pharmaceutical drugs. The highly polymorphic CYP2C9 predominantly metabolizes many drugs including anticoagulant S-warfarin, anti-hypertensive losartan, anti-diabetic tolbutamide, analgesic ibuprofen, etc. There are >80 single nucleotide changes identified in CYP2C9, many of which significantly alter the clearance of important drugs. Here we report the structural and biophysical analysis of two polymorphic variants, CYP2C9*14 (Arg125His) and CYP2C9*27 (Arg150Leu) complexed with losartan. The X-ray crystal structures of the CYP2C9*14 and *27 illustrate the binding of two losartan molecules, one in the active site near heme and another on the periphery. Both losartan molecules are bound in an identical conformation to that observed in the previously solved CYP2C9 wild-type complex, however, the number of losartan differs from the wild-type structure, which showed binding of three molecules. Additionally, isothermal titration calorimetry experiments reveal a lower binding affinity of losartan with *14 and *27 variants when compared to the wild-type. Overall, the results provide new insights into the effects of these genetic polymorphisms and suggests a possible mechanism contributing to reduced metabolic activity in patients carrying these alleles., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

In Australia, trifluralin is one of the commonly used herbicides to manage annual grasses and some broadleaf weeds. However, it may have some ecosystem impacts such as high toxicity to terrestrial and aquatic life, so it is vital to monitor the degradation of trifluralin for a considerable period for environmental safety. For risk assessment purposes, it is necessary to estimate the half-life of trifluralin, which is often evaluated using derived mathematical dissipation models. In the literature, bi-exponential (BEXP) and gamma models were suggested for modelling the dissipation of trifluralin in soil. Both models provide the half-life estimate without discussing the uncertainty of the estimate, which is a shortcoming in the literature. In this paper, we used simulation to illustrate the importance of estimate's uncertainty (standard error) and demonstrated a method to compute the standard error for the half-life estimate mathematically for kinetic dissipation models. Later, we evaluated the performance of the two suggested models using statistical indices. The computation of the half-life and the standard error of the half-life estimate were discussed. This allows us to describe the inference of the half-life parameter and determine whether the half-life estimates are significantly different against the co-variate (moisture) levels. We demonstrated the method to calculate the standard error of the half-life of trifluralin, which allows us to determine the statistical difference between the estimates. In this study, we found that the half-life of trifluralin in soil tends to increase with increasing moisture levels, and the half-life of trifluralin in soil with 100% moisture level is significantly greater than 40% and 70% moisture levels. Our findings suggest that soil moisture levels should be carefully considered before trifluralin application to minimize the non-target environmental damage., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Polylactic Acid (PLA) based compostable bioplastic films degrade under thermophilic composting conditions. The purpose of our study was to understand whether sample pre-treatment along with bioaugmentation of the degradation matrix could reduce the biodegradation time under a simulated composting environment. Sepcifically, we also explored whether the commercial composts could be replaced by landfill-mined soil-like fraction (LMSF) for the said application. The effect of pre-treatment on the material was analysed by tests like tensile strength analysis, hydrophobicity analysis, morphological analysis, thermal degradation profiling, etc. Subsequently, the degradation experiment was performed in a simulated composting environment following the ASTM D5338 standard, along with bioaugmentation in selected experimental setups. When the novel approach of material pre-treatment and bioaugmentation were applied in combination, the time necessary for 90% degradation was reduced by 27% using compost and by 23% using LMSF. Beyond the improvement in degradation rate, the water holding capacity increased significantly for the degradation matrices. With pH, C: N ratio and microbial diversity tested to be favourable through 16s metabarcoding studies, material pre-treatment and bioaugmentation allow LMSF to not only replace commercial compost in polymer degradation but also find immense application in the agricultural sector of drought-affected areas (for better water retention) after it has been used for PLA degradation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This article examines how celebrity moms in India are self-constructing their public persona through their pregnancy narratives. As a form of personal narrative, pregnancy narratives provide important insights into the unnarrated private world of pregnancy and its nuanced experiences. Although pregnancy and motherhood are glorified in India, it is subjected to a regime of cultural control thereby influencing women's disclosure of pregnancy behaviour and their narrative freedom. Despite being a life-altering event for women, pregnancy experiences and their narrativisation in India have largely been confined to the domestic spaces. However, some recent developments suggest the modernisation of maternity in India and point towards the emergence of a new cultural phenomenon as celebrity mothers through their pregnancy narratives are questioning the traditional beliefs and scientific practices which restrict women and their narrative freedom during pregnancy and childbirth. They are also documenting their obstetric violence, postpartum changes and the alternative means adopted by them to give birth. Through a narrative analysis of Kareena Kapoor's Pregnancy Bible (2021), Tahira Kashyap's The 7 Sins of Being a Mother (2021) and Kalki Koechlin's The Elephant in the Womb (2021), this article examines how modern maternity is being constructed in India and how it is entering popular discourse through personal narratives. In the process, it investigates how these celebrity mothers, to make themselves more acceptable, subvert the existing discourse of maternity and modernise it while retaining its necessary traditionalism. Most importantly, the article develops an understanding of the role of these narratives in encouraging the performance of maternity beyond the domestic setup., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Metal nanoparticles offer promising prospects in agriculture, enhancing plant growth and ensuring food security. Silver, gold, copper, and zinc nanoparticles possess unique properties making them attractive for plant applications. Understanding molecular interactions between metal nanoparticles and plants is crucial for unlocking their potential to boost crop productivity and sustainability. This review explores metal nanoparticles in agriculture, emphasizing the need to understand these interactions. By elucidating mechanisms, it highlights the potential for enhancing crop productivity, stress tolerance, and nutrient-use efficiency, contributing to sustainable agriculture and food security. Quantifying benefits and risks reveal significant advantages. Metal nanoparticles enhance crop productivity by 20% on average and reduce disease incidence by up to 50% when used as antimicrobial agents. They also reduce nutrient leaching by 30% and enhance soil carbon sequestration by 15%, but concerns about toxicity, adverse effects on non-target organisms, and nanoparticle accumulation in the food chain must be addressed. Metal nanoparticles influence cellular processes including sensing, signaling, transcription, translation, and post-translational modifications. They act as signaling molecules, activate stress-responsive genes, enhance defense mechanisms, and improve nutrient uptake. The review explores their catalytic role in nutrient management, disease control, precision agriculture, nano-fertilizers, and nano-remediation. A bibliometric analysis offers insights into the current research landscape, highlighting trends, gaps, and future directions. In conclusion, metal nanoparticles hold potential for revolutionizing agriculture, enhancing productivity, mitigating environmental stressors, and promoting sustainability. Addressing risks and gaps is crucial for their safe integration into agricultural practices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Of late, siloxane-containing vitrimers have gained significant interest due to their fast dynamic characteristics over a reasonable temperature range (180-220 °C), making them well-suited for diverse applications. The exchange reaction pathway in the siloxane vitrimers is accountable for the covalent adaptive network, with the reaction's effectiveness being regulated by either organic or organometallic catalysts. However, directly studying the exchange reaction pathway in the bulk phase using experimental approaches is challenging because of the intricate and interconnected structure of these vitrimers. Here, we perform comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) and experimental investigations to discover the detailed catalytic efficacy of siloxane exchange and provide direction for the reaction process using a 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) catalyst. The calculated transition barrier energy and catalytic efficiency of hexamethyldisiloxane and dihydroxy-dimethylsilane exchange derived from the nudged elastic band with transition-state calculations strongly agree with the experimental findings. In addition, Fukui indices, along with partial charges, are employed to evaluate the nucleophilic and electrophilic behaviors of silanol and siloxane molecules. Our analysis revealed that by utilizing the Fukui indices of both the acid and the base, we can make an approximate estimation of the respective kinetics of the S N 2 process in the siloxane exchange reaction mechanism. These findings establish a foundation for comprehending a crucial aspect of the exchange mechanism in siloxane vitrimer systems and could aid in the development of novel catalysts.

As per Globocan 2012, every year the incidence of head and neck cancer is 683235/1000000 with a mortality of around 375665/1000000 thus being the sixth cause of cancer death throughout the world. Head and neck cancer includes cancer of the nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, and oral cavity. Early diagnosis of head and neck cancer is very challenging, hence detecting mucosal lesions at an early stage decreases mortality thereby improving overall survival, disease-free survival, and quality of life. Out of different diagnostic modalities, narrow-band imaging (NBI) combined with endoscopic techniques can provide a promising diagnostic tool in detecting early lesions of head and neck cancer. Numerous studies have shown that Ki-67 is a good prognostic marker in oral cancers. Our study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of NBI and combine the Ki-67 index to diagnose head and neck cancer., Materials and Methods: All patients were first examined under white light and then under NBI endoscopy, and a biopsy was obtained from suspected lesions and sent for histopathological examination (HPE) and Ki-67 index., Results: Eighty patients were examined out of which, 68 patients having lesions in the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx were examined. The rate of detecting cancerous lesion by white light and NBI were respectively 92% and 100% for oral cavity lesions, 69% and 100% for oropharyngeal lesions, 38% and 100% for hypopharyngeal lesions, and 37% and 100% for laryngeal carcinoma. However, we have found no significant difference in detecting T2-T4 tumors. Hence, we concluded that NBI mode can be a significantly better diagnostic tool than white light mode in detecting early mucosal cancer in head and neck cancer., Conclusion: We have concluded that NBI combined with Ki-67 estimation is a very promising tool that helps in the early diagnosis of mucosal lesions in head and and neck cancer., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

We investigated the photocatalytic property of etched iron‑aluminum layered double hydroxide (LDH) composites using urea-modified biochar (N-BC) carrier to degrade para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), a refractory organic pollutant. The prepared FeAl-LDH@FeSx-N-BC composite exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance, attributed to the enhanced photogenerated charge-carrier separation by the etched LDH and the improved comparative surface areas by the doped N-BC. The composite photocatalytically degraded 96 % of PABA. The performance was affected by solute concentration, pH and photocatalyst dose. Adding p-benzoquinone and EDTA-2Na significantly decreased the degradation rate, suggesting that superoxide radicals and holes were co-involved in PABA degradation. The excellent PABA removal efficiency was consistent for three consecutive runs. The samples' reactive oxygen species was confirmed, as electron paramagnetic reverberation explained the photodegradation mechanism. Under xenon lamp irradiation, two PABA photocatalytic degradation pathways were proposed using Liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (LCMS) and density functional theory. As expected, FeAl-LDH@FeSx-N-BC showed excellent photocatalytic performance, expanding a new direction and possibility for future photocatalytic treatment of water pollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors agree to their participation in this manuscript preparation and All authors also disclose that there is no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations and no conflict of interest among the authors or organizations involved in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and aim Cancer poses a significant burden in India, with a considerable number of people living with the disease and a substantial increase in new cases every year. Hence, considering the unique challenges faced by developing nations regarding the disease burden, this study has been designed. The aim of this work was to carry out a descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study on various types of cancer conducted in a tertiary care centre in India. Methods One thousand cancer patients who attended the outpatient department (OPD) from tertiary care cancer hospitals from July 2019 to December 2023 in Eastern India were enrolled. Patients included were of either gender, with their demographic details and the disease duration, who visited the OPD of hospitals meeting the eligibility criteria. Exclusion criteria were terminally ill cancer patients and patients who did not visit the outpatient department of the studied site. Descriptive analysis and chi-square test were carried out using the SPSS statistical software, version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) for data analysis. Ethics committee approval was taken. Results Gastrointestinal tract cancer (31.3%, n=313) and breast cancer (19.8%, n=198) were found to be the most common types of cancer among all. Out of the total patients studied, 41.1% were males and 58.9% were females. Among regions, North Chotanagpur had the highest (40.5%) prevalence, followed by South Chotanagpur (26.0%). The majority of individuals belonged to 41 to 60 years (49.0%, n=490), followed by 21-40 years (28.9%, n=289). Gastrointestinal cancer was more prevalent among males (35.5%, n=146), while breast cancer was predominant among females (31.4%, n=185). Conclusion Cancer is more prevalent among rural females (58.9%), providing valuable insights into the prevalence of various cancers and highlighting differences between regions, age groups, and genders., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Ethics Commitee (IEC), Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi issued approval IRC/MAR24/116. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Kushwaha et al.)

Objective: Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) are a crucial component of contemporary postgraduate medical education with many surgery residency programs having implemented EPAs as a competency assessment framework to assess and provide feedback on the performance of their residents. Despite broad implementation of EPAs, there is a paucity of evidence regarding the impact of EPAs on the learners and learning environments. A first step in improving understanding of the use and impact of EPAs is by mapping the rising number of EPA-related publications from the field of surgery. The primary objective of this scoping review is to examine the nature, extent, and range of articles on the development, implementation, and assessment of EPAs. The second objective is to identify the experiences and factors that influence EPA implementation and use in practice in surgical specialties., Design: Scoping review. Four electronic databases (Medline, Embase, Education Source, and ERIC) were searched on January 20, 2022, and then again on July 19, 2023. A quasi-statistical content analysis was employed to quantify and draw meaning from the information related to the development, implementation, assessment, validity, reliability, and experiences with EPAs in the workplace., Participants: A total of 42 empirical and nonempirical articles were included., Results: Four thematic categories describe the topic areas in included articles related to: 1) the development and refinement of EPAs, including the multiple steps taken to develop and refine unique EPAs for surgery residency programs; 2) the methods for implementing EPAs; 3) outcomes of EPA use in practice; 4) barriers, facilitators, and areas for improvement for the implementation and use of EPAs in surgical education., Conclusions: This scoping review highlights the key trends and gaps from the rapidly increasing number of publications on EPAs in surgery residency, from development to their use in the workplace. Existing EPA studies lack a theoretical and/or conceptual basis; future development and implementation studies should adopt implementation science frameworks to better structure and operationalize EPAs within surgery residency programs., (Copyright © 2024 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most lethal form of DNA damage. Transcriptional activity at DSBs, as well as transcriptional repression around DSBs, are both required for efficient DNA repair. The chromatin landscape defines and coordinates these two opposing events. However, how the open and condensed chromatin architecture is regulated remains unclear. Here, we show that the GATAD2B-NuRD complex associates with DSBs in a transcription- and DNA:RNA hybrid-dependent manner, to promote histone deacetylation and chromatin condensation. This activity establishes a spatio-temporal boundary between open and closed chromatin, which is necessary for the correct termination of DNA end resection. The lack of the GATAD2B-NuRD complex leads to chromatin hyperrelaxation and extended DNA end resection, resulting in homologous recombination (HR) repair failure. Our results suggest that the GATAD2B-NuRD complex is a key coordinator of the dynamic interplay between transcription and the chromatin landscape, underscoring its biological significance in the RNA-dependent DNA damage response., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: Review the subsequent impact of recommendations made by the 2004 American Surgical Association Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC I) Report on Surgical Education., Background: Current leaders of the American College of Surgeons and the American Surgical Association convened an expert panel to review the impact of the BRC I report and make recommendations for future improvements in surgical education., Methods: BRC I members reviewed the 2004 recommendations in light of the current status of surgical education., Results: Some of the recommendations of BRC I have gained traction and have been implemented. There is a well-organized national curriculum and numerous educational offerings. There has been greater emphasis on preparing faculty to teach and there are ample opportunities for professional advancement as an educator. The number of residents has grown, although not at a pace to meet the country's needs either by total number or geographic distribution. The number of women in the profession has increased. There is greater awareness and attention to resident (and faculty) well-being. The anticipated radical change in the educational scheme has not been adopted. Training in surgical research still depends on the resources and interests of individual programs. Financing student and graduate medical education remains a challenge., Conclusions: The medical landscape has changed considerably since BRC I published its findings in 2005. A contemporary assessment of surgical education and training is needed to meet the future needs of the profession and our patients., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

We present the case of a 60-year-old male, with active smoking and cocaine use disorder, who reported progressive chest pain. Various anatomical and functional cardiac imaging, performed to further evaluate chest pain etiology, revealed changing severity and distribution of left main artery (LMA) stenosis, raising suspicion for vasospasm. Intracoronary nitroglycerin relieved the vasospasm, with resolution of the LMA pseudostenosis. A diagnosis of vasospastic angina (VA) led to starting appropriate medical therapy with lifestyle modification counselling. This case highlights VA, a frequently underdiagnosed etiology of angina pectoris. We discuss when to suspect VA, its appropriate work-up, and management., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s).)

Chemical products (CPs) such as carbamazepine and naproxen, present in aquatic environments, pose significant risks to both aquatic life and human health. This study investigated the use of hydrothermally carbonized food waste-derived hydrochar (AC-HTC) at three distinct temperatures (200, 250, and 300 °C) as an adsorbent to remove these CPs from water. Our research focused on the impact of hydrothermal carbonization temperature on hydrochar properties and the effects of chemical activation with phosphoric acid on adsorption capacity. Hydrothermal carbonization increased the hydrochar's surface area from 1.47 to 7.52 m 2 /g, which was further enhanced to 32.81 m 2 /g after activation with phosphoric acid. Batch adsorption experiments revealed that hydrochar produced at 250 °C (AC-HTC-250) demonstrated high adsorption capacities of 49.10 mg/g for carbamazepine and 14.35 mg/g for naproxen, outperforming several conventional adsorbents. Optimal adsorption occurred at pH 4, aligning well with the Langmuir and pseudo-first-order models. The hydrochar showed potential for regeneration and multiple uses, suggesting its applicability in sustainable wastewater treatment. Future research will explore scalability and effectiveness against a broader range of pollutants., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: This study assessed the national impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the education of medical students assigned to surgery clerkship rotations, as reported by surgery clerkship directors (CDs)., Study Design: In the spring of 2020 and 2021, the authors surveyed 164 CDs from 144 Liaison Committee on Medical Education-accredited US medical schools about their views of the pandemic's impact on the surgery clerkship curriculum, students' experiences, outcomes, and institutional responses., Results: Overall survey response rates, calculated as number of respondents/number of surveyed, were 44.5% (73 of 164) and 50.6% (83 of 164) for the spring 2020 and 2021 surveys, respectively. Nearly all CDs (more than 95%) pivoted to virtual platforms and solutions. Most returned to some form of in-person learning by winter 2020, and prepandemic status by spring 2021 (46%, 38 of 83). Students' progression to the next year was delayed by 12% (9 of 73), and preparation was negatively impacted by 45% (37 of 83). Despite these data, CDs perceived students' interest in surgical careers was not significantly affected (89% vs 77.0%, p = 0.09). During the 1-year study, the proportion of CDs reporting a severe negative impact on the curriculum dropped significantly (p < 0.0001) for most parameters assessed except summative evaluations (40.3% vs 45.7%, p = 0.53). CDs (n = 83) also noted the pandemic's positive impact with respect to virtual patient encounters (21.7%), didactics (16.9%), student test performance (16.9%), continuous personal learning (14.5%), engagement in the clerkship (9.6%), and student interest in surgery as a career (7.2%)., Conclusions: During the pandemic, the severe negative impact on student educational programs lessened, and novel virtual curricular solutions emerged. Student interest in surgery as a career was sustained. Measures of student competency and effectiveness of new curriculum, including telehealth, remain areas for future investigation., (Copyright © 2023 by the American College of Surgeons. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Oral cancer poses a significant health burden, particularly in the male population of India. This study focuses on evaluating the outcomes of 48 pedicled Pectoralis major myocutaneous (PMMC) flap reconstructions in male patients with oral malignancy. Given the challenges associated with microvascular flap reconstructions, especially in advanced cancer cases, older patients, and resource-constrained settings, the PMMC flap still serves as a valuable alternative. The study introduces a novel approach by incorporating a laterally based rotational advancement flap (LBRA) to address donor site integrity and decrease the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) displacement. Traditionally, PMMC flap designs tend to cause inward shifting of the NAC during chest donor site closure, impacting the aesthetic outcome. Surgical techniques involved wide local resection, neck dissection, and PMMC flap reconstruction. The Flap design included a horizontal orientation with adjustments based on defect location. Additionally, a laterally based rotational flap from the chest aided in donor site closure. Results demonstrate the versatility and reliability of PMMC flap reconstructions, with no total flap necrosis or major complications observed in the 48 cases. The LBRA technique effectively mitigated NAC displacement. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the advantages of PMMC flap reconstructions and introducing a technique to optimize donor site closure and decrease the medial shifting of the nipple. The adaptability, reliable vascular supply, and simplified learning curve make the PMMC flap a preferred choice in resource-constrained settings with high patient demand. In conclusion, this research underscores the continued relevance and effectiveness of the PMMC flap in head and neck reconstruction, offering satisfactory cosmetic and functional results. The introduction of the LBRA technique adds a nuanced dimension to improve outcomes, particularly in male patients with oral malignancy., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Chaturvedi et al.)

Following completion of structured training in residency or fellowship programs, surgeons need to acquire new skills throughout their careers to address changes in their surgical practices, and to perform new procedures and use new technologies as these are developed. The opportunities available to surgeons to acquire the new skills, safely introduce these skills into surgical practice, and then maintain the skills, vary greatly and may not fully support a surgeon's needs. The article shares background information relating to the vexing problems, and describes established educational theories and frameworks as well as specific frameworks relating to surgical skills training and verification that may be used in designing and implementing comprehensive and impactful surgical skills training programs aimed at practicing surgeons. A number of practical strategies based on these theories and frameworks are highlighted. National professional organizations and academic medical centers need to play a critical role in pursuing such efforts, which will remain pivotal in supporting the professional work of surgeons and in providing optimal surgical care well into the future.

The effects of adding green-synthesized magnetic iron-containing nanoparticles (GSMFe) onto biochar in aqueous solution for the adsorptive removal of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] were investigated in this study. Nanocomposites, denoted as green synthesis magnetic biochar (GSMB), were created using a green synthesis technique with white tea residue to introduce GSMFe into biochar. Six adsorbents, varying in GSMFe content, were tested for their effectiveness in eliminating Cr(VI), a globally significant hazardous heavy metal. The results demonstrated that incorporating GSMFe into biochar led to significant improvements in adsorption capacity and saturation magnetization. With an increasing amount of GSMFe, the maximum adsorption capacity increased from 2.47 mg/g (EWTWB) to 9.11 mg/g (GSMB4). The highest saturation magnetization was achieved at 13.4 Am 2 /kg at GSMB4. Similarly, surface areas rose up to 72.9 m 2 /g at GSMB3 but declined thereafter due to GSMFe aggregation and pore blockage. Sorption behavior for Cr(VI) was assessed using five isotherm models, with the Redlich-Peterson model showing the best fit. The analysis of approximate site energy distribution (SED) indicates that the incorporation of GSMFe enhances the frequency of the entire range of sorption energy sites, while the biochar matrix contributes to a slight increase in medium sorption energy sites within the GSMFe. Among the GSMBs, the difference were more pronounced at low-energy sites than at high-energy sites. At higher energy sites (27,500-40,000 J/mol), sorption site frequencies remained similar, regardless of GSMFe content and associated physicochemical properties. For sorption energy site values exceeding 17,500 J/mol (Cr(VI) concentration below 50 mg/L), GSMB2 is regarded as a more practical choice due to its relatively large area under the frequency distribution curve and commendable cost-effectiveness., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Memristors, non-volatile switching memory platform, has recently attracted significant interest, offering unique potential to enable the realization of human brain-like neuromorphic computing efficiency. Memristors also demonstrate excellent temperature tolerance, long-term durability, and high tunability with nanosecond pulses, making them highly attractive for neuromorphic computing applications. To better understand the material processing, microstructure, and property relationship of switching mechanisms in memristor devices, computational methodologies, and tools are developed to predict the I-V characteristics of memristor devices based on tantalum oxide (TaO x ) resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) integrated with an n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistor. A multiphysics model based on coupled partial differential equations for electrical and thermal transport phenomena is solved for the high- and low-resistance states during the formation, growth, and destruction of a conducting filament through SET and RESET stages. These stages effectively represent the migration of oxygen vacancies within an oxide exchange layer. A series of parametric studies and energy minimization calculations are conducted to determine probable ranges for key material and model parameters accounting for the experimental data. The computational model successfully predicted the measured I-V curves across various gate voltages applied to the NMOS transistor in the one transistor one resistance (1T1R) configuration., (© 2024 Wiley VCH GmbH. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.)

The present study examines the effect of Fe/Al concentration on the structural and magnetic properties of Mn-rich Mn50Fe25+xAl25-x (x = 5, 10, 15) Heusler alloys through x-ray diffraction, temperature- and field-dependent DC magnetization, thermoremanent magnetization, magnetic memory effect, AC susceptibility measurements, and DFT calculations. The samples crystallize in a cubic β-Mn structure. The trend shows a reduction in lattice parameters (unit cell volume) with the increasing Fe proportion. These alloys exhibit strong antiferromagnetic interactions with large frustration parameters, indicating the presence of competing magnetic interactions. The DC magnetization data reveal spin glass-like features with a peak at spin glass freezing temperature (Tf). The observation of bifurcation in temperature-dependent zero-field-cooled and field-cooled magnetization curves, exponential dependence of the temperature variation of remanence and coercivity, magnetic relaxation, and magnetic memory effect below Tf support the spin-glass character of these alloys. The frequency dependence of Tf is also examined in the context of dynamic scaling laws, such as the Vogel-Fulcher law and critical slowing down model, which further supports the presence of spin glass behavior. In the theoretical DFT calculations, the electronic structure is found to be metallic and similar for both spin projections. Moreover, the antiferromagnetic arrangement of the magnetic moments, in line with the experimental observations, is stabilized by exchange interactions, resulting in an almost compensated total magnetic moment of 0.02-0.38 µB/f.u. This is probably caused by the frustrated structure and non-stoichiometric compositions of Mn50Fe25+xAl25-x., (© 2024 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.)

DNA damage triggers a complex transcriptional response that involves both activation and repression of gene expression. In this study, we investigated global changes in transcription in response to ionizing irradiation (IR), which induces double-strand breaks in DNA. We used mNET-seq to profile nascent transcripts bound to different phosphorylated forms of the RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) C-terminal domain (CTD). We found that IR leads to global transcriptional repression of protein-coding genes, accompanied by an increase in antisense transcripts near promoters, called PROMPTs, transcribed by RNA Pol II phosphorylated on tyrosine 1 (Y1P) residue of the CTD. These Y1P-transcribed PROMPTs are enriched for PRC2 binding sites and associated with RNA Pol II proximal promoter pausing. We show the interaction between Y1P RNA Pol II and PRC2, as well as PRC2 binding to PROMPTs. Inhibition of PROMPTs or depletion of PRC2 leads to loss of transcriptional repression. Our results reveal a novel function of Y1P-dependent PROMPTs in mediating PRC2 recruitment to chromatin and RNA Pol II promoter pausing in response to DNA damage., (© 2024 Ajit et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.)

Objective: To determine the extent to which U.S. Liaison Committee of Medical Education (LCME)-accredited medical schools chose to participate in piloting a national curricular resource, the American College of Surgeons/Association of Program Directors in Surgery/Association of Surgical Education Resident Prep Curriculum ("ACS-surgery-prep curriculum"), and implications of such participation for student access nationally to this resource., Design: We examined the significance of school-level differences in ACS-surgery-prep curriculum pilot participation and student-level differences in curriculum access based on medical school attended in bivariate analysis., Setting: U.S. medical schools choosing to participate in the ACS-surgery-prep curriculum through 2021. Students graduating from U.S. LCME-accredited medical schools in 2020-2021 were invited to complete the Association of American Medical Colleges 2021 Graduation Questionnaire (GQ)., Participants: Our study included data for 2569 students intending surgery specialties (16% of 16,353 2021 GQ respondents) from ACS-surgery-prep curriculum pilot and non-pilot schools., Results: Of 148 medical schools attended by 2021 GQ respondents, 93 (63%) were identified as ACS-surgery-prep curriculum pilot schools. Pilot participation varied by school region, community-based designation, and research intensity (each p < 0.05) but not by ownership or transition to residency (TTR) course requirements (each p > 0.05). Of 2569 GQ respondents nationally intending surgery specialties, 1697 (66%) attended an ACS-surgery-prep curriculum pilot school; this proportion did not vary by gender or race/ethnicity (each p > 0.05) but varied by students' school TTR course requirements (p < 0.001). Findings were similar among the 1059 students intending general surgery specialties specifically (41% of all 2569 students intending surgery specialties)., Conclusions: Many U.S. LCME-accredited medical schools piloted this national TTR surgery curriculum. School-level characteristics associated with pilot participation can inform outreach efforts to encourage the participation of interested schools in piloting this TTR resource. With this curriculum distribution model, we observed no gender or racial/ethnic disparities in curriculum access nationally among students intending surgery specialties., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Indonesia plans to mitigate the environmental emissions, particularly the carbon emissions, from the transport by replacing conventional buses with battery electric buses (BEBs). However, there are limited studies on the potential environmental benefits of BEBs and mostly focused on carbon emissions. In this study, the environmental impacts of adopting BEBs in Jakarta's public transportation system were examined using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to better understand its potential environmental impacts. Using LCA, the environmental impacts of BEBs were also compared with conventional buses across their life cycles, which included raw materials extraction until the end of life stages. The results showed diesel buses have generally lower environmental impacts than BEBs due to the high share of fossil fuels in the electricity generation in Indonesia. Scenario analysis showed that extending the life cycle, using different battery disposal methods, and using battery reuse could lead to higher environmental benefits in using BEBs. Among the scenarios considered in the study, prolonging the lifespan of the bus to 32 years, using electricity mix with a higher share of renewable energy and reusing the lithium-ion batteries, BEBs would have lesser environmental impact per kilometre. In particular, the particulate matter formation (PM 2.5 ) dropped 21 %, while the overall life cycle of BEB using the highest renewable scenario showed an average of 25 % improvement compared to the baseline scenario regarding environmental impact., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Febelyn Reguyal reports financial support was provided by Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. Moses Gregory Ginting reports financial support was provided by Ministry of Finance of Republic of Indonesia. Maria Valentina Cecilia reports financial support was provided by Ministry of Finance of Republic of Indonesia., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Due to the 'forever' degrading nature of plastic waste, plastic waste management is often complicated. The applications of plastic are ubiquitous and inevitable in many scenarios. Current global waste plastics production is ca. 3.5 MMT per year, and with the current trend, plastic waste production will reach 25,000 MMT by 2040. However, the rapid growth in plastic manufacture and the material's inherent nature resulted in the accumulation of a vast amount of plastic garbage. The current recycling rate is <10 %, while the large volumes of discarded plastic waste cause environmental and ecological problems. Recycling rates for plastic vary widely by region and type of plastic. In some developed countries, the recycling rate for plastics is around 20-30 %, while in many developing nations, it is much lower. These statistics highlight the magnitude of the plastic waste problem and the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to manage plastic waste more effectively and reduce its impact on the environment. This review critically analyses past studies on the essential and efficient techniques for turning plastic trash into treasure. Additionally, an attempt has been made to provide a comprehensive understanding of the plastic upcycling process, the 3Rs policy, and the life-cycle assessment (LCA) of plastic conversion. The review advocates pyrolysis as one of the most promising methods of turning plastic trash into valuable chemicals. In addition, plastic waste management can be severely impacted due to uncontrollable events, such as Covid 19 pandemic. Recycling and chemical upcycling can certainly bring value to the end-of-life plastic. However, the LCA analysis indicated there is still a huge scope for innovation in chemical upcycling area compared to mechanical recycling. The formulation of policies and heightened public participation could play a pivotal role in reducing the environmental repercussions of plastic waste and facilitating a shift towards a more sustainable future., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The failure characteristics of an asymmetric balsa-core based fibre composite sandwich beam subjected to 3-point bending are investigated analytically and experimentally. The experimental specimens comprise a balsa wood core and two types of fibre composite skins, notably glass fibre and carbon fibre. During the static bending test, the effects of carbon fibre loading (CL) face and glass fibre loading (GL) face on bending failure behaviour are tested. Since the skin thickness, span lengths, and core thicknesses has substantial effect on the structural failures. Therefore, a detailed analysis has been carried out considering the effect of varying span lengths, skin thicknesses, and core thicknesses on several failure modes, particularly indentation, face yield, and core-shear. For the analysis, fourteen specimens have been fabricated, each with a specific geometry and face loading conditions. This report consists of a detailed fabrication flow and loading conditions. Finally, the work has been benchmarked with already published report on asymmetric sandwich structures. The analysis's predictions and the results of the experiment indicate remarkable concordance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Spruce wood and Typha (wetland plant) derived biochars pyrolyzed at 350 °C and 600 °C were tested for their sorption affinity for organic pollutants (diclofenac, methylparaben, benzotriazole and sodium 1-decanesulfonate) and nutrients (nitrate, ammonium, phosphate and boron) commonly found in greywater. Batch and column studies combined with molecular dynamics modelling determined the sorption capacity, kinetics, and described the underlying mechanisms. The spruce biochar (600 °C) exhibited the highest sorption capacity mainly for the tested organics. The dynamic test performed for spruce biochar (600 °C) showed that the magnitude of desorption was low, and the desorbed amount ranged between 3 and 11 %. Molecular dynamics modelling (a computational tool for elucidating molecular-level interactions) indicated that the increased sorption of nitrate and boron on spruce biochar (600 °C) could be attributed to hydrophobic interactions. The molecular dynamics shows that predominant adsorption of organic pollutants was governed by π-π stacking, with a minor role of hydrogen-bonding on the biochar surface. In summary, higher pyrolysis temperature biochar yielded greater adsorption capacity greywater borne contaminants and the reaction temperature (10-34 °C) and presence of anionic surfactant had a limited effect on the adsorption of organic pollutants, suggesting efficacious application of biochar in general for greywater treatment in nature-based systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Twisted 2D layered materials have garnered much attention recently as a class of 2D materials whose interlayer interactions and electronic properties are dictated by the relative rotation/twist angle between the adjacent layers. In this work, we explore a prototype of such a twisted 2D system, artificially stacked twisted bilayer graphene (TBLG), where we probe, using Raman spectroscopy, the changes in the interlayer interactions and electron-phonon scattering pathways as the twist angle is varied from 0° to 30°. The long-range Moiré potential of the superlattice gives rise to additional intravalley and intervalley scattering of the electrons in TBLG, which has been investigated through their Raman signatures. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the electronic band structure of the TBLG superlattices were found to be in agreement with the resonant Raman excitations across the van Hove singularities in the valence and conduction bands predicted for TBLG due to hybridization of bands from the two layers. We also observe that the relative rotation between the graphene layers has a marked influence on the second order overtone and combination Raman modes signaling a commensurate-incommensurate transition in TBLG as the twist angle increases. This serves as a convenient and rapid characterization tool to determine the degree of commensurability in TBLG systems.

Although Si is extensively used in micro-nano electronics, its inherent optical absorption cutoff at 1100-nm limits its photonic and optoelectronic applications in visible to partly near infrared (NIR) spectral range. Recently, strain engineering has emerged as a promising approach for extending device functionality via tuning the material properties, including change in optical bandgap. In this study, the reduction in bandgap with applied strain was used for extending the absorption limit of crystalline Si up to 1310 nm beyond its intrinsic bandgap, which was achieved by creating the crumpled structures in Si nanomembranes (NMs). The concept was used to develop a prototype NIR image sensor by organizing metal-semiconductor-metal-configured crumpled Si NM photosensing pixels in 6 × 6 array. The geometry-controlled, self-sustained strain induction in Si NMs provided an exclusive photon management with shortening of optical bandgap and enhanced photoresponse beyond the conventional Si absorption limit.

Substituting synthetic plastics with bioplastics, primarily due to their inherent biodegradable properties, represents a highly effective strategy to address the current global issue of plastic waste accumulation in the environment. Advances in bioplastic research have led to the development of materials with improved properties, enabling their use in a wide range of applications in major commercial sectors. Bioplastics are derived from various natural sources such as plants, animals, and microorganisms. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biopolymer synthesized by bacteria through microbial fermentation, exhibits physicochemical and mechanical characteristics comparable to those of synthetic plastics. In response to the growing demand for these environmentally friendly plastics, researchers are actively investigating various cleaner production methods, including modification or derivatization of existing molecules for enhanced properties and new-generation applications to expand their market share in the coming decades. By 2026, the commercial manufacturing capacity of bioplastics is projected to reach 7.6 million tonnes, with Europe currently holding a significant market share of 43.5 %. Bioplastics are predominantly utilized in the packaging industry, indicating a strong focus of their application in the sector. With the anticipated rise in bioplastic waste volume over the next few decades, it is crucial to comprehend their fate in various environments to evaluate the overall environmental impact. Ensuring their complete biodegradation involves optimizing waste management strategies and appropriate disposal within these facilities. Future research efforts should prioritize exploration of their end-of-life management and toxicity assessment of degradation products. These efforts are crucial to ensure the economic viability and environmental sustainability of bioplastics as alternatives to synthetic plastics., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Resistance to antibiotics/antibacterials/antifungals in pathogenic microbes has been developing over the past few decades and has recently become a commonplace public-health peril. Thus, alternative nontoxic potent antibiotic agents are covertly needed to control antibiotic-resistant outbreaks. In an effort to combat the challenges posed by the co-occurrence of multidrug resistance, two terpyridine ligands 4'-(4- N , N '-dimethylaminophenyl)-2,2':6',2″-terpyridine ( L1 ) and 4'-(4-tolyl)-2,2':6',2″-terpyridine ( L2 ) have been designed, prepared and confirmed their structure by spectral studies. Thereafter, antimicrobial assay was performed against gram positive and negative bacterial strains along with fungal strains. Both compounds L1 and L2 exhibited remarkable inhibitory activities against bacteria, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus at MIC values 6.25 and 3.125 µg/ml, respectively. In addition, in silico molecular docking studies were ascertained with bacterial DNA gyrase and fungal demethylase. Furthermore, both L1 and L2 could bind Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) protein and binding interaction has been studied with the help of UV-Visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. While fluorescence of BSA unperturbed in the presence of L2 , an addition of L1 to the solution of BSA resulted significant quenching. The binding constant calculations at different temperature confirmed that the fluorescence quenching between BSA and L1 is predominantly static in nature. The toxicity of L1 and L2 was checked using Drosophila melanogaster . The toxicity analysis suggest both the dyes are non-cytotoxic in nature.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Aims: Refractory hypercholesterolemia (RH), caused primarily by the loss-of-function mutation of LDL receptor (LDLR) gene seen in HoFH and HeFH patients, remains a major risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Statin and ezetimibe combination therapy lower circulating LDL by 30% in HoFH patients. PCSK9 mAB, being an LDLR-dependent therapy, is not effective in HoFH, but lowers LDL by 25% in HeFH patients. A maximum reduction of 50% was noted in HoFH patients treated with ANGPTL3 mAB, which was not enough to achieve therapeutic goal of LDL. Therefore, new approaches are warranted to offer hopes to individuals intolerant to higher dose statins and not able to achieve recommended LDL level., Data Synthesis: New approaches to lower LDL include gene therapy and gene editing. AAV-based gene therapy has shown encouraging results in animal models. Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome/base editing, gain of function and loss of function have been successfully done in animal models. Recent progress in the refinement of genome/base editing has overcome the issues of off-target mutagenesis with ∼1% mutagenesis in case of PCSK9 and almost no off-target mutagenesis in inactivating ANGPTL3 in animal models showing 50% reduction in cholesterol. Current approaches using CRISPR-Cas9 genome/base editing targeting LDLR-dependent and LDLR-independent pathways are underway., Conclusions: The new information on gain of LDLR function and inactivation of ANGPTL3 together with developments in genome/base editing technology to overcome off-target insertion and deletion mutagenesis offer hope to refractory hypercholesterolemic individuals who are at a higher risk of developing ASCVD., (Copyright © 2023 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a common antibiotic used mainly for bacterial treatment. In this study, a novel three-dimensional cobalt-manganese bimetallic layered double hydroxide graphene hydrogel (CoMn-LDHs/rGO) has been prepared for photo-assisted permonosulfate (PMS)-activated degradation of SMX in water. Compared with the CoMn-LDHs/rGO + PMS and CoMn-LDHs/rGO + Vis systems, the degradation effect of CoMn-LDHs/rGO + PMS + Vis system is the best, and the degradation effect of CoMn-LDHs/rGO system could reach more than 98% under the optimal conditions. After 10 cycles, the catalytic degradation performance of CoMn-LDHs/rGO system remained good, while effectively preventing the leaching of metal ions. Based on the synergistic effect of photocatalysis and PMS oxidation, electron spin resonance spectroscopy and quenching experiments showed that three active substances (•OH, •SO 4 - and O 2 •- ) were involved in the degradation of SMX. Density functional theory and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) results further proposed the SMX degradation transformation calculation. As expected, the study of the reaction mechanism of 3D CoMn-LDHs/rGO assisted PMS activation under visible light provides an efficient and rapid method for the sustainable degradation of pollutants in water system., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The soil-insect interaction has gathered significant attention in the recent years due to its contribution to bio-cementation. Termites, as a group of cellulose-eating insects, alter physical (texture) and chemical (chemical composition) properties of soil. Conversely, physico-chemical properties of soil also influence termite activities. It is vital to understand the soil-termite interaction and their influence on hydraulic properties and shear strength of soil, which are related to a series of geotechnical engineering problems such as ground water recharge, runoff, erosion and stability of slopes. In this study, an attempt has been made to review the latest developments and research gaps in our understanding of soil-termite interaction within the context of geo-environmental engineering. The hydraulic properties and shear strength of termite modified soil were discussed with respect to soil texture, density and physico-chemical composition. The incorporation of hysteresis effect of soil water characteristic curve, and spatio-temporal variations of hydraulic conductivity and shear strength of termite modified soil is proposed to be considered in geotechnical engineering design and construction. Finally, the challenges and future trends in this research area are presented. The expertise from both geotechnical engineering and entomology is needed to plan future research with an aim to promote use of termites as maintenance engineers in geotechnical infrastructure., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)