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Microplastics (MPs) have garnered global attention as emerging contaminants due to their adaptability, durability, and robustness in various ecosystems. Still, studies concerning their combination with heavy metals (HMs), their interactions with soil biota, and how they affect soil physiochemical properties and terrestrial plant systems are limited. Our study was set to investigate the combined effect of HMs (cadmium, arsenic, copper, zinc and lead) contaminated soil of Tongling and different sizes (T1 = 106 µm, T2 = 50 µm, and T3 = 13 µm) of polystyrene microplastics on the soil physiochemical attributes, both bacterial and fungal diversity, compositions, AMF (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi), plant pathogens in the soil, and their effect on Lactuca sativa by conducting a greenhouse experiment. According to our results, the combination of HMs and polystyrene microplastic (PS-MPs), especially the smaller PS-MPs (T3), was more lethal for the lettuce growth, microbes and soil. The toxicity of combined contaminants directly reduced the physio-biochemical attributes of lettuce, altered the lettuce's antioxidant activity and soil health. T3 at the final point led to a significant increase in bacterial and fungal diversity. In contrast, overall bacterial diversity was higher in the rhizosphere, and fungal diversity was higher in the bulk soil. Moreover, the decrease in MPs size played an important role in decreasing AMF and increasing both bacterial and fungal pathogens, especially in the rhizosphere soil. Functional prediction was found to be significantly different in the control treatment, with larger MPs compared to smaller PS-MPs. Environmental factors also played an important role in the alteration of the microbial community. This study also demonstrated that the varied distribution of microbial populations could be an ecological indicator for tracking the environmental health of soil. Overall, our work showed that the combination of HMs and smaller sizes of MPs was more lethal for the soil biota and lettuce and also raised many questions for further studying the ecological risk of PS-MPs and HMs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Shirin, Chen, Hussain Shah, Da, Zhou and Sun.)

The family Bondarzewiaceae is an important and diverse group of macrofungi associated with wood as white rotting fungi, and some species are forest tree pathogens. Currently, there are nine genera and approximately 89 species in the family, distributed in tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates. To address the phylogenetic relationships among the genera, a combined ITS-28S dataset was subjected to maximum likelihood (ML), Bayesian inference (BI), and time divergence analyses using the BEAST package. Both ML and BI analyses revealed two major clades, where one major clade consisted of Amylosporus , Stecchericium , and Wrightoporia austrosinensisa . The second major clade is composed of Bondarzewia , Heterobasidion , Gloiodon , Laurilia , Lauriliella , and Wrightoporia , indicating that these genera are phylogenetically similar. Wrightoporia austrosinensisa recovered outside of Wrightoporia , indicating that this species is phylogenetically different from the rest of the species of the genus. Similarly, time divergence analyses suggest that Bondarzewiaceae diversified around 114 million years ago (mya), possibly during the Early Cretaceous Epoch. The genus Amylosporus is well resolved within the family, with an estimated stem age of divergent around 62 mya, possibly during the Eocene Epoch. Further, the species of the genus are recovered in two sister clades. One sister clade consists of species with pileate basidiomata and generative hyphae with clamp connections, corresponding to the proposed section Amylosporus sect. Amylosporus . The other consists of species having resupinate basidiomata and generative hyphae without clamps, which is treated here as Amylosporus sect. Resupinati . We provided the key taxonomic characters, known distribution, number of species, and stem age of diversification of each section. Furthermore, we also described a new species, Amylosporus wadinaheezicus , from Oman, based on morphological characters of basidiomata and multigene sequence data of ITS, 28S, and Tef1-α . With pileate basidiomata and phylogenetic placement, the new species is classified under the proposed A . sect. Amylosporus . An identification key to the known species of Amylosporus is presented. Ecology and distribution of species of the genera in the family are discussed.

Water pollution caused by antibiotics and synthetic dyes and imminent energy crises due to limited fossil fuel resources are issues of contemporary decades. Herein, we address them by enabling the multifunctionality in dual Z-scheme MoS 2 /WO 3-x /AgBiS 2 across photolysis, photo Fenton-like, and night catalysis. Defect, basal, and facet-engineered WO 3-x is modified with MoS 2 and AgBiS 2 , which extended its photoresponse from the UV-NIR region, inhibited carrier recombination, and reduced carrier transfer resistance. The electric field rearrangement leads to a flow of electrons from MoS 2 and AgBiS 2 to WO 3-x and intensifies the electron population, which is crucial for night catalysis. When MoS 2 /WO 3-x /AgBiS 2 was employed against doxycycline hydrochloride (DOXH), it removed 95.65, 81.11, and 77.92 % of DOXH in 100 min during photo-Fenton (PFR), night-Fenton (NFR), and photocatalytic (PCR) reactions, respectively. It also effectively removed 91.91, 98.17, 99.01, and 98.99 % of rhodamine B (RhB), Congo red (CR), methylene blue (MB), and methylene orange (MO) in Fenton reactions, respectively. ESR analysis consolidates the ROS generation feature of MoS 2 /WO 3-x /AgBiS 2 using H 2 O 2 with and without irradiation. This work provides a strategy to eliminate the deficiencies of WO 3-x and is conducive to the evolution of applications seeking to combat environmental and energy crises., 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.)

The mucociliary transport apparatus is critical for maintaining lung health via the coordinated movement of cilia to clear mucus and particulates. A metachronal wave propagates across the epithelium when cilia on adjacent multiciliated cells beat slightly out of phase along the proximal-distal axis of the airways in alignment with anatomically directed mucociliary clearance. We hypothesized that metachrony optimizes mucociliary transport (MCT) and that disruptions of calcium signaling would abolish metachrony and decrease MCT. We imaged bronchi from human explants and ferret tracheae using micro-optical coherence tomography (µOCT) to evaluate airway surface liquid depth (ASL), periciliary liquid depth (PCL), cilia beat frequency (CBF), MCT, and metachrony in situ. We developed statistical models that included covariates of MCT. Ferret tracheae were treated with BAPTA-AM (chelator of intracellular Ca 2+ ), lanthanum chloride (nonpermeable Ca 2+  channel competitive antagonist), and repaglinide (inhibitor of calaxin) to test calcium dependence of metachrony. We demonstrated that metachrony contributes to mucociliary transport of human and ferret airways. MCT was augmented in regions of metachrony compared with nonmetachronous regions by 48.1%, P = 0.0009 or 47.5%, P < 0.0020 in humans and ferrets, respectively. PCL and metachrony were independent contributors to MCT rate in humans; ASL, CBF, and metachrony contribute to ferret MCT rates. Metachrony can be disrupted by interference with calcium signaling including intracellular, mechanosensitive channels, and calaxin. Our results support that the presence of metachrony augments MCT in a calcium-dependent mechanism. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We developed a novel imaging-based analysis to detect coordination of ciliary motion and optimal coordination, a process called metachrony. We found that metachrony is key to the optimization of ciliary-mediated mucus transport in both ferret and human tracheal tissue. This process appears to be regulated through calcium-dependent mechanisms. This study demonstrates the capacity to measure a key feature of ciliary coordination that may be important in genetic and acquired disorders of ciliary function.

In this study, biocrude was successfully produced by the hydrothermal liquefaction of municipal solid waste collected from the landfill site of Lahore, the capital of Punjab, Pakistan, boasting a population of 12 million and an annual waste collection of 10 million tons. The hydrothermal liquefaction process was performed at reaction parameters of 350 °C and 165 bars with 15 min of residence time. The solid waste was found to have 78 % dry matter, 22 % moisture contents, 22.2 % ash, 22.69 MJ/kg higher heating value, 52.062 % C, 8.007 % H, 0.764 % N, and 39.164 % O. Non-catalytic process only produced 10.57 % oil, however when using the catalytic process, the biocrude yield improved to 17.61 %, with 22.61 % energy recovery for biocrude and 12.14 % for solids, when using 2 g dose of K 2 CO 3 . The resultant biocrude has a 28.61 MJ/kg higher heating value, having 60.28 % C and 9.28 % H. In contrast, the aqueous phase generated had 4.43 pH, 71.5 g/L TOC, and 1.35 g/L Total Nitrogen. TGA indicated that biocrude contains approximately 80 % of volatile fractions of different fuels. The organic compounds having the six highest peak areas in GC-MS were Ethyl ether 25.74 %, 2-pentanone, 4-hydroxy-4-methyl 9.08 %, 2-propanone, 1,1-dimethoxy 5.62 %, Silane, dimethyl (docosyloxy) butoxy 5.08 %, 1-Hexanol, 2-ethyl 4.53 %, and. Phenol 4.07 %. This work makes the first-ever successful use of indigenous solid waste from a landfill dumping site in Lahore to successfully produce useful biocrude with aims of waste reduction and management, circular economy, and energy recovery., Competing Interests: I have attached the manuscript entitled: Biocrude from Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Indigenous Municipal Solid Waste for Green Energy generation and contribution towards Circular Economy: A Case Study of Urban Pakistan. Imran Naqvi(PhD), Tahir Hussain Seehar(PhD), Muhammad Raashid(PhD), Rab Nawaz(PhD), Zafar Masood(PhD), Sara Mukhtar(MSc), Thamer Abdulhameed Al Johanif(BSc), Anthony Doyle(MSc), Muhammad Nasir Bashir(PhD), Muhammad Mahmood Ali(PhD), M.A. Kalam(PhD), have submitted a research paper for possible publication in Journal of Fuel have no conflict of interest. All the authors who contributed to the work have been mentioned, and they reviewed the manuscript. The work is the author's work and has not been submitted to any journal. Moreover, there is no ethical issue with the manuscript., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Pythium sensu lato (s.l.) is a pathogenic oomycete. The present study was conducted to isolate and identify Pythium s.l. species associated with the rhizosphere and roots of greenhouse-growing cucumbers showing damping-off symptoms in 10 Omani governorates (provinces). A total of 166 isolates were recovered from 276 rhizosphere soil and root samples and were identified based on the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX I) gene region. Pythium aphanidermatum, P. myriotylum, Globisporangium spinosum, Globisporangium sp.1 (isolates Kb003/PySyCu-1 and Kb004/PySyCu-2), and Globisporangium sp.2 (isolate Ib002R) were identified. Among these species, P. aphanidermatum was the most abundant species, represented by 143 isolates (86.1%), followed by G. spinosum with 18 isolates (10.8%), Globisporangium sp.1 and P. myriotylum each with 2 isolates (2.4%), and Globisporangium sp.2 with 1 isolate (0.6%). Pathogenicity tests were also conducted for 38 isolates, including P. aphanidermatum (25), P. myriotylum (2), Globisporangium sp.2 (1), G. spinosum (8), and Globisporangium sp.1 (2). Among the tested isolates, only Globisporangium sp.2 isolate was avirulent, and none of the seeds were rotted at the end of the treatment. However, the other species induced the symptoms of seed decay with the incidence ranged from 86.7 to 100%. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted based on 222 ITS and 53 COX I sequences, and confirmed morphological identification. In addition, the genetic diversity of 93 P. aphanidermatum isolates was assessed via the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) method. The analysis produced 93 genotypes and 449 polymorphic loci. Pythium aphanidermatum populations were found to have moderate levels of genetic diversity (H = 0.2) and a moderate Shannon information index (I = 0.3793). Analysis of molecular variance (F ST  = 0.1, P = 0.0) revealed a moderate level of genetic differentiation among P. aphanidermatum isolates between Oman governorates. The sensitivity of 15 P. aphanidermatum isolates was evaluated against hymexazol at different concentrations (10, 100, and 1000 ppm). The results revealed that P. aphanidermatum could grow well at concentrations of up to 100 ppm hymexazol. However, hymexazol at 1000 ppm retarded the growth of P. aphanidermatum. This study showed that P. aphanidermatum is the most prevalent species in greenhouses in Oman and exhibited a moderate level of genetic diversity. Most of the isolates exhibited differences in tolerance to hymexazol but showed no resistance., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Aims: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently exhibit an inability to maintain postural balance. However, the contribution of increased intestinal permeability or leaky gut to the postural imbalance in COPD is not known., Methods: We measured plasma zonulin, a marker of leaky gut, with relevance to postural balance in male controls (n = 70) and patients with mild (n = 67), moderate (n = 66), and severe (n = 58) COPD. We employed a short physical performance battery to evaluate postural balance in supine, tandem, and semi-tandem positions. We also measured handgrip strength (HGS), gait speed, plasma c-reactive proteins (CRP), and 8-isoprostanes as potential mechanistic connections between postural imbalance and leaky gut., Results: COPD patients demonstrated higher plasma zonulin, CRP, and 8-isoprostanes levels and lower balance, HGS, and gait speed than controls (all p < 0.05). These findings were more robust in patients with moderate and severe than mild COPD. In addition, plasma zonulin exhibited significant potential in diagnosing poor balance, low HGS, and gait speed in COPD patients (all p < 0.05). We also found significant correlations of plasma zonulin with CRP and 8-isoprostanes, providing heightened inflammation and oxidative stress as mechanistic connections between leaky gut and postural imbalance., Conclusion: Plasma zonulin may be helpful in evaluating postural imbalance in COPD patients. Repairing intestinal leaks can be a therapeutic target to improve postural control in COPD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Pakistan has limited natural gas reserves, and most are found onshore. This article reports on the problems of an onshore gas gathering network (GGN) analysed through steady-state simulation modelling using PIPESIM software. The research methodology incorporates a comprehensive steady-state hydraulic analysis considering fluid flowing velocity limitations, liquid holdup and slugging along with other issues faced by gas gathering networks. The steady-state hydraulic analysis has led us to pinpoint specific GGN pipelines facing critically low gas velocities and consequent liquid holdup. Addressing these issues involved application of PIPESIM software for modelling, considering various operating schemes of gas-producing wells and their associated pipelines. To select an optimal operating scheme, the study utilized the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for operational optimization, to identify the most effective solution for reduced liquid holdup, improving production, and ensuring the safe operation among available alternatives. Findings from our hydraulic analysis highlight the importance of reducing GGN outlet pressure to mitigate challenges associated with liquid holdup which causes slugging and back pressure effect at source leading to low production and poor performance of the GGN. Study of three alternative cases reveals that decreasing outlet pressure lowers the liquid holdup, improve gas flowing velocities, and enhanced overall production. These findings validate our hypothesis that reducing GGN outlet pressure is a viable strategy to lower the liquid holdup in pipelines. This research offers significant value by providing a comprehensive solution to GGN liquid holdup, low flowing velocities, back pressure and low production challenges. The integration of steady-state hydraulic analysis, simulation modelling with PIPESIM, and the application of AHP for optimization contributes novel insights into the optimization of operation of gas gathering networks. Emphasizing the reduction of liquid holdup and enhancing production through outlet pressure adjustments offers a practical framework for optimizing the functionality of gas gathering networks., 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.)

Background: Age-associated muscle decline, termed sarcopenia, is a common systemic effect of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Circulating Neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels reflect neuronal degradation and may be relevant to sarcopenia phenotype. However, such an association in COPD patients remains elusive., Methods: We investigated male, 60-76 years old controls (n = 50) and COPD patients (n = 139) for plasma NfL levels in relation to sarcopenia and physical capacity markers. We measured handgrip strength (HGS), body composition, and short physical performance battery (SPPB) to evaluate sarcopenia and physical capacity., Results: COPD patients had higher plasma NfL and lower HGS and SPPB performance than controls. Plasma NfL levels demonstrated negative associations with HGS and gait speed in COPD patients (all p < 0.05). Further, NfL levels were negatively associated with total SPPB scores in controls and patients with advanced COPD (p < 0.05). Plasma NfL also demonstrated an acceptable accuracy in diagnosing sarcopenia in controls (AUC = 0.757, p < 0.05) and COPD (AUC = 0.806, p < 0.05) patients., Conclusion: Collectively, plasma NfL may be helpful in evaluating sarcopenia phenotype and physical capacity in geriatric patients with COPD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Agaricus is a genus with more than 500 species. Most of the new species reported since 2000 are tropical or subtropical. The study area, the Malakand region, located in the north of Pakistan, has a subtropical climate. In this study, nine species, including three new species, of Agaricus subgenus Pseudochitonia , are reported from this region. Description of the new species are based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses using three DNA regions: nuc ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS), fragments of the large subunit of nuc ribosomal DNA (28S), and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene ( TEF1 ). One new species, Agaricus lanosus , with wooly squamules on its cap, forms a lineage within Agaricus sect. Bivelares and cannot be classified with certainty in one of the two subsections ( Cupressorum and Hortenses ) of this section. Agaricus rhizoideus with rhizoid-like structure at the base of the stipe forms a basal clade in Agaricus sect. Hondenses . Specimens of the third new species, Agaricus malakandensis , form a species-level clade within Agaricus sect. Catenulati and exhibits the morphological characteristics of this section. Due to their similar ITS sequences, two previously unnamed specimens from Thailand ( A . sp. LD2012162 and CA799) are considered conspecific with A. malakandensis .

Cigarette smoking is associated with COVID-19 prevalence and severity, but the mechanistic basis for how smoking alters SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis is unknown. A potential explanation is that smoking alters the expression of the SARS-CoV-2 cellular receptor and point of entry, angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2), and its cofactors including transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). We investigated the impact of cigarette smoking on the expression of ACE-2, TMPRSS2, and other known cofactors of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the resultant effects on infection severity in vitro. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) exposure increased ACE-2 and TMPRSS2 mRNA expression compared to air control in ferret airway cells, Calu-3 cells, and primary human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells derived from normal and COPD donors. CSE-exposed ferret airway cells inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 had a significantly higher intracellular viral load versus vehicle-exposed cells. Likewise, CSE-exposure increased both SARS-CoV-2 intracellular viral load and viral replication in both normal and COPD HBE cells over vehicle control. Apoptosis was increased in CSE-exposed, SARS-CoV-2-infected HBE cells. Knockdown of ACE-2 via an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) reduced SARS-CoV-2 viral load and infection in CSE-exposed ferret airway cells that was augmented by co-administration of camostat mesylate to block TMPRSS2 activity. Smoking increases SARS-CoV-2 infection via upregulation of ACE2 and TMPRSS2.

Rationale: The role of MUC5B mucin expression in IPF pathogenesis is unknown. Bleomycin-exposed rodent models do not exhibit sustained fibrosis or airway remodeling. Unlike mice, ferrets have human-like distribution of MUC5B expressing cell types and natively express the risk-conferring variant that induces high MUC5B expression in humans. We hypothesized that ferrets would consequently exhibit aberrant repair to propagate fibrosis similar to human IPF., Methods: Bleomycin (5U/kg) or saline-control was micro-sprayed intratracheally then wild-type ferrets were evaluated through 22 wks. Clinical phenotype was assessed with lung function. Fibrosis was assessed with µCT imaging and comparative histology with Ashcroft scoring. Airway remodeling was assessed with histology and quantitative immunofluorescence., Results: Bleomycin ferrets exhibited sustained restrictive physiology including decreased inspiratory capacity, decreased compliance, and shifted Pressure-Volume loops through 22 wks. Volumetric µCT analysis revealed increased opacification of the lung bleomycin-ferrets. Histology showed extensive fibrotic injury that matured over time and MUC5B-positive cystic structures in the distal lung suggestive of honeycombing. Bleomycin ferrets had increased proportion of small airways that were double-positive for CCSP and alpha-tubulin compared to controls, indicating an aberrant 'proximalization' repair phenotype. Notably, this aberrant repair was associated with extent of fibrotic injury at the airway level., Conclusions: Bleomycin-exposed ferrets exhibit sustained fibrosis through 22 wks and have pathologic features of IPF not found in rodents. Ferrets exhibited proximalization of the distal airways and other pathologic features characteristic of human IPF. MUC5B expression through native cell types may play a key role in promoting airway remodeling and lung injury in IPF.

The study examines the using of Aboodh residual power series method and the Aboodh transform iteration method (ATIM) to analyze modified Korteweg-de Vries equation (mKdV) beside coupled Burger's equations in the framework of the Caputo operator. These sets of equations represent the non-linear wave description for various physical systems. Through APM and ATIM, the solution for the coupled Burger's equations and the mKdV equation get accurate dynamics information that will reveal the nature of their interactions. Using mathematically proven techniques and computational simulations, the developed methods' efficiency and reliability are illustrated in the complex behaviors of these nonlinear wave equations, so that we can gain deeper insights into their complex dynamics. The research is aimed at an increase of the knowledge about the fractional calculus utilization for nonlinear wave motion and it also provides analytical tools for an analysis of wave acting in different scientific and engineering areas., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Tetracycline (TC) antibiotics and dyes are the prevalent water contaminants, and their removal from the water through photocatalysis is a plausible approach. However, most semiconductors in their pristine form need to be improved to be exploited in photocatalysis owing to poor photoresponse, intense carrier recombination, and inertness without irradiation. Herein, we demonstrate the modification of defective WO 3-x by rGO and AgBiS 2 in the form of WO 3-x /rGO/AgBiS 2 (R 2 ). It exploits the superior conductivity and synergism of rGO to inhibit carrier recombination; thereby, Z-scheme heterojunction with AgBiS 2 provides high redox potential. Defects in WO 3-x enable electron (e - ) storage in R 2 , which decomposes H 2 O 2 to generate ROS without irradiation. Owing to these essences and broad-spectrum response, it removed 93.72, 82.77, and 84.82% of TC during photo-Fenton (PFR), night-Fenton (NFR), and photocatalytic (PCR) reactions, respectively. Its removal rates reached 94.74, 81.54, and 87.50% against rhodamine B (RhB) during PFR, NFR, and PCR, respectively. It is superior to memory catalysis (MC) and conventional Fenton reactions (CFR) because it can perform without and with irradiation across a broader pH range. So, this work is conducive to designing WO 3-x -based catalysts to combat environmental and energy crises., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study is completed for the estimation of unknown population variance for the variable of mean and variance of interest. To accomplish this task, a new generalized class of robust kind of variance estimators proposed utilizing known descriptives of auxiliary variable, for example, Mid-range, Hodges-Lehmann Mean, Tri-mean, deciles mean, coefficient of skewness, interquartile range, first quartile, coefficient of kurtosis, semi-interquartile average, inter decile range and Mean, etc. These conventional measures of auxiliary variable improve the accuracy of the suggested class under simple random sampling without replacement (SRSWOR) scheme. The properties such as the bias, mean square errors (MSE), and least MSE of the suggested class are derived up to first order of approximation. The superiority conditions of the developed class of estimators over existing estimators are also made out theoretically. Finally, numerical representation is also completed for the motivations behind the article. The usual variance estimator is considered as a benchmark for comparing all considered estimators in numerical illustration. The results have been indicated that the suggested class is performing better than the usual variance estimator and all other thoughts about existing estimators., 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.)

Cytokine storm (CS) refers to the spontaneous dysregulated and hyper-activated inflammatory reaction occurring in various clinical conditions, ranging from microbial infection to end-stage organ failure. Recently the novel coronavirus involved in COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) has been associated with the pathological phenomenon of CS in critically ill patients. Furthermore, critically ill patients suffering from CS are likely to have a grave prognosis and a higher case fatality rate. Pathologically CS is manifested as hyper-immune activation and is clinically manifested as multiple organ failure. An in-depth understanding of the etiology of CS will enable the discovery of not just disease risk factors of CS but also therapeutic approaches to modulate the immune response and improve outcomes in patients with respiratory diseases having CS in the pathogenic pathway. Owing to the grave consequences of CS in various diseases, this phenomenon has attracted the attention of researchers and clinicians throughout the globe. So in the present manuscript, we have attempted to discuss CS and its ramifications in COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases, as well as prospective treatment approaches and biomarkers of the cytokine storm. Furthermore, we have attempted to provide in-depth insight into CS from both a prophylactic and therapeutic point of view. In addition, we have included recent findings of CS in respiratory diseases reported from different parts of the world, which are based on expert opinion, clinical case-control research, experimental research, and a case-controlled cohort approach., 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.)

Hymenagaricus has small to medium-sized mushrooms and the cap surface with squamulose pellicles, consisting of hymeniform or pseudoparenchymatous cells and yellowish-brown basidiospores. The species of Hymenagaricus are very similar to those of Xanthagaricus and it is extremely difficult to differentiate the species of both genera in the field. However, phylogenetically, both the genera are clearly distinct. In this study, we describe two new species of Hymenagaricus , i.e. H.wadijarzeezicus and H.parvulus from the southern part of Oman. Species descriptions are based on a combination of morphological characteristics of basidiomata and phylogenetic analyses of three gene regions: internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS), the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal DNA (28S) and translation elongation factor one alpha (EF-1α). Full descriptions, micrographs and illustration of anatomical features, basidiomata photos and phylogenetic analyses results of the new taxa are provided. Morphological comparisons of new taxa with similar species and a key to species included in the phylogenetic analyses are also provided., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Shah Hussain, Moza Al-Kharousi, Dua’a Al-Maqbali, Arwa A. Al-Owaisi, Rethinasamy Velazhahan, Mohamed N. Al-Yahya’ei, Abdullah M. Al-Sadi.)

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is an important regulator of plant growth and development and plays a crucial role in both biotic and abiotic stress responses. ABA modulates flowering time, but the precise molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. Here we report that ABA INSENSITIVE 2 (ABI2) is the only phosphatase from the ABA-signaling core that positively regulates the transition to flowering in Arabidopsis. Loss-of-function abi2-2 mutant shows significantly delayed flowering both under long day and short day conditions. Expression of floral repressor genes such as FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) and CYCLING DOF FACTOR 1 (CDF1) was significantly up-regulated in abi2-2 plants while expression of the flowering promoting genes FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1) was down-regulated. Through genetic interactions we further found that ost1-3 and abi5-1 mutations are epistatic to abi2-2, as both of them individually rescued the late flowering phenotype of abi2-2. Interestingly, phosphorylation and protein stability of ABA INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) were enhanced in abi2-2 plants suggesting that ABI2 dephosphorylates ABI5, thereby reducing protein stability and the capacity to induce FLC expression. Our findings uncovered the unexpected role of ABI2 in promoting flowering by inhibiting ABI5-mediated FLC expression in Arabidopsis., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.)

Pythium -induced damping-off of cucumber is a major constraint to cucumber production in different parts of the world. Although chemical fungicides are used for managing this disease, they have many drawbacks to the environment. The ability of the antagonistic fungi isolated from the rhizosphere and endosphere of Dactyloctenium robecchii and Moraea sisyrinchium in the control of soilborne pathogen Pythium aphanidermatum was inspected. Native Trichoderma isolates, Trichoderma ghanense and Trichoderma citrinoviride , were isolated from plant stem and soil samples collected from Al-Seeb, Oman. Using a dual culture technique, the antagonistic activity of the fungal isolates against P. aphanidermatum was examined in vitro. Among Trichoderma isolates, T. ghanense was more efficient in restraining the mycelial growth of P. aphanidermatum , causing an inhibition percentage of 44.6%. Further, T. citrinoviride induced significantly lower cessation of P. aphanidermatum mycelial growth (31.3%). Microscopic and electrolyte leakage inspection of the pathogen mycelia depicted extreme morphological malformations in their mycelium, which can be attributed to the antifungal metabolites of antagonists. Greenhouse studies demonstrated the effectivity of T. ghanense in controlling Pythium damping-off of cucumber plants, where the number of surviving plants was over 90% when the biocontrol agents were used compared to 0 in the control plants. Furthermore, treatment of the plants with the antagonists promoted growth characteristics of plants compared to uninoculated plants. This included improvements in shoot and root lengths, leaf length and width, and dry weight. These findings suggest that T. ghanense and T. citrinoviride can be developed as alternatives to synthetic chemical fungicides to manage soilborne pathogens of cucumber. This research is also the first to clarify the biocontrol ability of T. citrinoviride and T. ghanense against cucumber damping-off caused by P. aphanidermatum .

A Rhodamine B-Zn-MOF composite (RhB-Zn-MOF) with dual emission intensity was synthesized through one pot synthesis by in-situ encapsulation of Rhodamine-B dye on a new Zn-MOF metal-organic framework [(Zn(OAc) 2 (4-BrIPh) (1,10-phenonthroline)(H 2 O)].H 2 O, (4-BrIPh = 4-Bromoisophthalic acid). The synthesized encapsulated material was characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, UV-Visible spectroscopy, TGA, single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The results showed that the synthesized composite, RhB-Zn-MOF could be used as an efficient probe for the selective sensing of Cr(VI) in the presence of Cr(III) as well as other metal ions., 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.)

Background Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) exhibits notable heterogeneity in clinical presentations and treatment responses, posing challenges in predicting outcomes and tailoring therapeutic strategies for affected patients. Despite advancements in molecular subtyping and prognostic assessment, uncertainties persist regarding the optimal management of DLBCL, highlighting the need for localized investigations to better understand treatment responses and outcomes within specific patient populations. Objective To assess the frequency of complete remission (CR) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients undergoing first-line rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R-CHOP) therapy within a specific adult population. Material and methods This descriptive study was conducted within the Department of Oncology Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan from August 8, 2022, to April 8, 2023. The study included newly diagnosed DLBCL patients aged 20-70 years, excluding those who had received prior treatment. There were 55 (57.9%) males and 40 (42.1%) females. Data on demographic characteristics, disease duration, and CR outcomes were collected using a predefined data collection form. Results The majority of patients (80, 84.2%) achieved CR following R-CHOP therapy. In terms of age distribution, 43 (45.3%) patients were aged ≤45 years, while the remaining belonged to the >45 years age group. The duration of the disease was ≤ 3 months in 60 (63.2%) cases, whereas it exceeded three months in 35 (36.8%) cases. With regards to BMI classification, nine (9.5%) patients had a BMI < 18.5 kg/m 2 , 49 (51.6%) fell within the range of 18.5-24.9 kg/m 2 , and the remaining 37 (38.9%) patients had a BMI between 25-30 kg/m 2 . Conclusion Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains a heterogeneous disease entity with variable clinical outcomes. While R-CHOP therapy demonstrates promising efficacy in achieving CR, concerns regarding late adverse effects persist. Addressing these challenges requires continued research efforts to validate novel prognostic markers and develop alternative treatment approaches, ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing the global burden of DLBCL., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Hassan et al.)

Objective: To determine the association of diabetic nephropathy with glyoxalase-1 enzyme levels and a genetic missense variation (SNP rs4746) in its gene (GLO-1)., Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi from November 2020 to December 2022. One hundred patients and one hundred and thirteen healthy controls were enrolled using the nonprobability convenience sampling method. Medical history and 10ml blood were obtained from each individual after written informed consent. Blood samples were subjected to biochemical tests and DNA extraction which was later used for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis (C332C variant of rs4741 GLO -1 gene) using Tetra primer ARMS PCR and gel electrophoresis. Glyoxalase-1 enzyme activity in serum was measured using ELISA., Results: There was a significant difference in serum glyoxalase-1 levels in the two groups (p- value< 0.001). The patient group had lower levels (16.24 ± 22.51mg/dl) of glyoxalase-1 as compared to the control group (48.70 ± 42.54mg/dl). In genotypic analysis, 98 out of 100 control individuals had AA genotype-while only one had CC and another AC genotype. In the patient group, 94 out of 100 patients showed AA genotype, three AC, and three CC genotypes. As the statistical significance ( p -value) was 0.37, there was no significant association found between AC or CC genotype and diabetic nephropathy., Conclusion: Glyoxalase-1 levels are linked to the development of diabetic nephropathy in our patients while a known missense variant rs4746 in the GLO-1 gene is not associated with increased risk., Competing Interests: Conflict Of Interest: None., (Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.)

Background and Objective: The coronavirus pandemic followed a succession of COVID-19 waves globally, and had a varying pattern of frequency of cases and disease spectrum as each wave came with its distinct viral characteristics. The objective of this study was to compare clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes of patients admitted with severe COVID -19 pneumonia in all four waves at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital (RTEH)., Methods: A cross sectional retrospective study was conducted at the COVID unit of Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital (RTEH), Muzaffargarh, from April 2020 to December 2021. Retrospective data was taken from Electronic Medical Records of patients of Covid pneumonia and divided into four groups according to four waves of Covid pandemic. The main objective was to compare disease spectrum, treatments and outcomes of patients admitted with severe COVID-19 pneumonia in all four waves at RTEH. Demographic characteristics, inflammatory markers such as C reactive protein (CRP), serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), serum ferratin and absolute lymphocyte counts, mortality, length of hospital and ICU stay and event of mechanical ventilation were compared between groups. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was applied to check the normality. P-value <0.05 was considered significance., Results: Of a total of 903 patients with covid pneumonia, 521(57.7%) were males and 382 (42.3%) females. Their mean age was 55.56±15.06 years. The mean length of stay (LOS) at the hospital was higher in first wave and least in fourth wave, 9.06±6.46 days and 6.56±5.34 days, respectively, (p<0.010). In first wave, LOS was generally >10 days with 21 (22.6%) while 33(26.8%) patients were shifted to ICU in first and second waves, respectively. Whereas, 35(8.2%) patients shifted to ICU in fourth wave (p<0.010). The use of mechanical ventilation was most common in first and second wave, 14 (15.1%) and 18 (14.6%), respectively. Mortality rate was highest in the third wave, 102 (38.9%, p<0.010) compared to the rest of the waves., Conclusion: Comparison of COVID-19 pneumonia patients across pandemic waves has revealed dynamic trends in patient outcomes. The initial waves had higher ICU admissions and mortality rate, suggesting a need for improved early response and resource allocation. Continuous adaptability in healthcare strategies was paramount for enhancing patient care during the ever-changing pandemic landscape., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None., (Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.)

Phenanthrene fluorescence quenching in anionic micellar system of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) was explored for the development of a sensitive and selective method for a group of selected aldehydes (2,6-dichlorobenzaldehyde, 4-(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde, 4-aminobenzaldehyde, 4-nitrobenzaldehyde, 2-chlorobenzaldehyde, benzaldehyde and 2-methoxybenzaldehyde). Experiments were performed in 0.02 mol L - 1 SDS. All the studied aldehydes quenched the fluorescence intensity of the probe (phenanthrene). Stern-Volmer equation was useful in explaining the phenanthrene quenching by the studied aldehydes. Stern-Volmer constants ([Formula: see text]) were obtained as a result of using the Stern-Volmer equation that gives the information in respect of sensitivity of the method for the studied aldehydes. Greater the [Formula: see text] higher will be the sensitivity and vice versa. [Formula: see text], detection limit (DL) and quantification limit (QL) were observed in the order 2,6-dichlorobenzaldehyde > 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde > 4-aminobenzaldehyde > 4-nitrobenzaldehyde > 2-chlorobenzaldehyde > benzaldehyde > 2-methoxybenzaldehyde. Phenanthrene fluorescence quenching by the studied aldehydes is useful for their determination in environmental samples., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This study was conducted to investigate the antagonistic potential of endophytic and rhizospheric bacterial isolates obtained from Citrullus colocynthis in suppressing Fusarium solani and Pythium aphanidermatum and promoting the growth of cucumber. Molecular identification of bacterial strains associated with C. colocynthis confirmed that these strains belong to the Achromobacter , Pantoea , Pseudomonas , Rhizobium , Sphingobacterium , Bacillus , Sinorhizobium , Staphylococcus , Cupriavidus , and Exiguobacterium genera. A dual culture assay showed that nine of the bacterial strains exhibited antifungal activity, four of which were effective against both pathogens. Strains B27 ( Pantoea dispersa ) and B28 ( Exiguobacterium indicum ) caused the highest percentage of inhibition towards F. solani (48.5% and 48.1%, respectively). P. aphanidermatum growth was impeded by the B21 ( Bacillus cereus , 44.7%) and B28 ( Exiguobacterium indicum , 51.1%) strains. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the strains caused abnormality in phytopathogens' mycelia. All of the selected bacterial strains showed good IAA production (>500 ppm). A paper towel experiment demonstrated that these strains improved the seed germination, root/shoot growth, and vigor index of cucumber seedlings. Our findings suggest that the bacterial strains from C. colocynthis are suppressive to F. solani and P. aphanidermatum and can promote cucumber growth. This appears to be the first study to report the efficacy of these bacterial strains from C. colocynthis against F. solani and P. aphanidermatum .

Purpose: The current study aimed to develop a topical herbal emulgel containing Carthamus tinctorius L. (CT) oil extract, which has been scientifically proven for its antibacterial and antioxidant activities for the ailment of bacterial skin infections., Method: The CT emulgel was formulated by response surface methodology (RSM) and was evaluated by various parameters like extrudability, spreadability, pH, viscosity, and antibacterial and antioxidant activities. Molecular docking was also performed using AutoDock., Results: Among all formulated CT emulgels, F9 and F8 were optimized. Optimized formulations had shown good spreadability and extrudability characteristics. Sample F8 had % inhibition of 42.131 ± 0.335, 56.720 ± 0.222, and 72.440 ± 0.335 at different concentrations. Sample F9 had % inhibition of 26.312 ± 0.280, 32.461 ± 0.328, and 42.762 ± 0.398 at concentrations of 250 µg/ml, 500 µg/ml, and 1,000 µg/ml, respectively, which shows that both samples F8 and F9 have significant antioxidant potential. Optimized CT emulgels F8 and F9 had significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli at p-value = 0.00, the Emulgel-F8 shows zone of inhibition of 24 mm for E-coli and 19 mm for S-aureus . Emulgel-F9 shows zone of inhibition of 22 mm for E-coli and 15 mm for S-aureus while pure CT- Oil extract shows zone of inhibition of 25 mm for E-coli and 20 mm for S-aureus and ciprofloxacin used as standard shows 36mm zone of inhibition against both E-coli and S-aureus . The comparative investigation through molecular docking binding affinities and interactions of ligands with various target proteins provides insights into the molecular processes behind ligand binding and may have significance for drug discovery and design for the current study., Conclusion: The current study suggests that C. tinctorius L.-based emulgel has good antioxidant and antibacterial activities against E. coli for the treatment of bacterial skin infections., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Saeed, Hussain Shah, Javed, Aslam, Ali, Siddique, Zahra, Bin Jardan, Wondmie, Nafidi and Bourhia.)

Introduction: Cephalometry is the study of skull measurements for clinical evaluation, diagnosis, and surgical planning. Machine learning (ML) algorithms have been used to accurately identify cephalometric landmarks and detect irregularities related to orthodontics and dentistry. ML-based cephalometric imaging reduces errors, improves accuracy, and saves time., Method: In this study, we conducted a meta -analysis and systematic review to evaluate the accuracy of ML software for detecting and predicting anatomical landmarks on two-dimensional (2D) lateral cephalometric images. The meta -analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for selecting and screening research articles. The eligibility criteria were established based on the diagnostic accuracy and prediction of ML combined with 2D lateral cephalometric imagery. The search was conducted among English articles in five databases, and data were managed using Review Manager software (v. 5.0). Quality assessment was performed using the diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS-2) tool., Result: Summary measurements included the mean departure from the 1-4-mm threshold or the percentage of landmarks identified within this threshold with a 95% confidence interval (CI). This meta -analysis included 21 of 577 articles initially collected on the accuracy of ML algorithms for detecting and predicting anatomical landmarks. The studies were conducted in various regions of the world, and 20 of the studies employed convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for detecting cephalometric landmarks. The pooled successful detection rates for the 1-mm, 2-mm, 2.5-mm, 3-mm, and 4-mm ranges were 65%, 81%, 86%, 91%, and 96%, respectively. Heterogeneity was determined using the random effect model., Conclusion: In conclusion, ML has shown promise for landmark detection in 2D cephalometric imagery, although the accuracy has varied among studies and clinicians. Consequently, more research is required to determine its effectiveness and reliability in clinical settings., 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., (© 2023 The Authors.)

The advancement of nanofluid innovation is a crucial area of research for physicists, mathematicians, manufacturers, and materials scientists. In engineering and industries, the fluid velocity caused by stretching sheets and nanofluids has a lot of applications such as refrigerators, chips, heat exchangers, hybrid mechanical motors, food development, and so on. The originality of the current study is the analysis of the thermal nanofluid in the existence of a porous matrix, and buoyancy force over the stretched sheet, so in limiting cases, the existing work is equated with the available effort, and excellent correspondence is originated. The governing equations in terms of PDEs are changed to the convection differential by utilizing the appropriate transformation and then solved by the ND-solved method along with bvph2. The thermal boundary layer thickness upsurges as the radiation and temperature factors are improved. It is observed that with the growing amount of volume fraction factor the velocity profile declines. When the velocity slip factors and permeability are enhanced the velocity profile augments. It is examined as the values of permeability factor, Biot number, and velocity slip factor are increased the inner temperature of the fluid improves. For the increasing values of θ&#95;r, ϕ, and Nr, the temperature is increasing. In the future, the present model can be extended by using the hybrid nanofluid for the activation of thermal conductivity and heat enhancement analysis.

Achillea millefolium L. is one of the most known medicinal plants with a broad spectrum of applications in the treatment of inflammation, pain, microbial infections and gastrointestinal disorders. In recent years, the extracts from A. millefolium have also been applied in cosmetics with cleansing, moisturizing, shooting, conditioning and skin-lightening properties. The growing demand for naturally derived active substances, worsening environmental pollution and excessive use of natural resources are causing increased interest in the development of alternative methods for the production of plant-based ingredients. In vitro plant cultures are an eco-friendly tool for continuous production of desired plant metabolites, with increasing applicability in cosmetics and dietary supplements. The purpose of the study was to compare phytochemical composition and antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory properties of aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts from A. millefolium obtained from field conditions (AmL and AmH extracts) and in vitro cultures (AmIV extracts). In vitro microshoot cultures of A. millefolium were obtained directly from seeds and harvested following 3 weeks of culture. Extracts prepared in water, 50% ethanol and 96% ethanol were compared for the total polyphenolic content, phytochemical content using the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-hr-qTOF/MS), antioxidant activity by DPPH scavenging assay and the influence on the activity of mushroom and murine tyrosinases. The phytochemical content of AmIV extracts was significantly different from AmL and AmH extracts. Most of the polyphenolic compounds identified in AmL and AmH extracts were present in AmIV extracts only in trace amounts and the major constituents presented in AmIV extracts were fatty acids. The total content of polyphenols in AmIV exceeded 0.25 mg GAE/g of dried extract, whereas AmL and AmH extracts contained from 0.46 ± 0.01 to 2.63 ± 0.11 mg GAE/g of dried extract, depending on the solvent used. The low content of polyphenols was most likely responsible for the low antioxidant activity of AmIV extracts (IC 50 values in DPPH scavenging assay >400 µg/mL) and the lack of tyrosinase inhibitory properties. AmIV extracts increased the activity of mushroom tyrosinase and tyrosinase present in B16F10 murine melanoma cells, whereas AmL and AmH extracts showed significant inhibitory potential. The presented data indicated that microshoot cultures of A. millefolium require further experimental research before they can be implemented as a valuable raw material for the cosmetics industry.

The "Middle East Respiratory" (MERS-Cov) is among the world's dangerous diseases that still exist. Presently it is a threat to Arab countries, but it is a horrible prediction that it may propagate like COVID-19. In this article, a stochastic version of the epidemic model, MERS-Cov, is presented. Initially, a mathematical form is given to the dynamics of the disease while incorporating some unpredictable factors. The study of the underlying model shows the existence of positive global solution. Formulating appropriate Lyapunov functionals, the paper will also explore parametric conditions which will lead to the extinction of the disease from a community. Moreover, to reveal that the infection will persist, ergodic stationary distribution will be carried out. It will also be shown that a threshold quantity exists, which will determine some essential parameters for exploring other dynamical aspects of the main model. With the addition of some examples, the underlying stochastic model of MERS-Cov will be studied graphically for more illustration., (© 2022 International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (IMACS). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Technology-assisted diagnosis is increasingly important in healthcare systems. Brain tumors are a leading cause of death worldwide, and treatment plans rely heavily on accurate survival predictions. Gliomas, a type of brain tumor, have particularly high mortality rates and can be further classified as low- or high-grade, making survival prediction challenging. Existing literature provides several survival prediction models that use different parameters, such as patient age, gross total resection status, tumor size, or tumor grade. However, accuracy is often lacking in these models. The use of tumor volume instead of size may improve the accuracy of survival prediction. In response to this need, we propose a novel model, the enhanced brain tumor identification and survival time prediction (ETISTP), which computes tumor volume, classifies it into low- or high-grade glioma, and predicts survival time with greater accuracy. The ETISTP model integrates four parameters: patient age, survival days, gross total resection (GTR) status, and tumor volume. Notably, ETISTP is the first model to employ tumor volume for prediction. Furthermore, our model minimizes the computation time by allowing for parallel execution of tumor volume computation and classification. The simulation results demonstrate that ETISTP outperforms prominent survival prediction models.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Berberis lycium Royle, a member of the Berberidaceae family, is a high-value medicinal plant with a documented history of usage in traditional medicine and has demonstrated significant therapeutic results among local populations throughout the globe. It is used traditionally in many parts of Pakistan to treat diarrhea, abdominal spasms, coughs, and chest problems., Aim of the Study: To investigate the antispasmodic, bronchodilator, and antidiarrheal effects of B. lycium and its possible underlying mechanisms through in silico, in vitro, and in vivo studies., Materials and Methods: LC ESI-MS/MS analysis was used to identify bioactive components within the hydromethanolic extract of B. lycium. In silico studies, including network pharmacology and molecular docking, were utilized to investigate the antispasmodic and bronchodilator properties of the extract's bioactive components. In vitro pharmacological studies were conducted using isolated rabbit jejunum, trachea, urinary bladder, and rat ileum preparations. In vivo antidiarrheal activities were conducted in mice, including castor oil-induced diarrhea, intestinal transit, and castor oil-induced enteropooling., Results: The LC ESI-MS/MS analysis of the hydromethanolic extract of B. lycium identified 38 bioactive compounds. Network pharmacology study demonstrated that the mechanism of BLR for the treatment of diarrhea might involve IL1B, TLR4, PIK3R1, TNF, PTPRC, IL2, PIK3CD, and ABCB1, whereas, for respiratory ailments, it may involve PIK3CG, TRPV1, STAT3, ICAM1, ACE, PTGER2, PTGS2, TNF, MMP9, NOS2, IL2, CCR5, HRH1, and VDR. Molecular docking research revealed that chlorogenic acid, epigallocatechin, isorhamnetin, quinic acid, gallic acid, camptothecin, formononetin-7-O-glucoside, velutin, caffeic acid, and (S)-luteanine exhibited a higher docking score than dicyclomine with validated proteins of smooth muscle contractions such as CACB2&#95;HUMAN, ACM3&#95;HUMAN, MYLK&#95;HUMAN, and PLCG1&#95;HUMAN. In vitro investigations demonstrated that Blr.Cr, Blr.EtOAc, and Blr.Aq relaxed spontaneously contracting jejunum preparations; carbachol (1 μM)-induced and K + (80 mM)-induced jejunum, trachea, and urinary bladder contractions in a concentration-dependent manner, similar to dicyclomine. Moreover, Blr.Cr, Blr.EtOAc, and Blr.Aq exhibited a rightward shift in Ca +2 and carbachol cumulative response curves, similar to dicyclomine, demonstrating the coexistence of antimuscarinic and Ca +2 antagonistic mechanisms due to the presence of alkaloids and flavonoids. In vivo antidiarrheal activities showed that the hydromethanolic extract was significantly effective against castor oil-induced diarrhea and castor oil-induced enteropooling, similar to loperamide, and charcoal meal intestinal transit, similar to atropine, in mice at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight, which supports its traditional use in diarrhea., Conclusion: The dual blocking mechanism of muscarinic receptors and Ca +2 channels behind the smooth muscle relaxing activity reveals the therapeutic relevance of B. lycium in diarrhea, abdominal spasms, coughs, and chest problems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, is devastatingly impacting human health. A prominent component of COVID-19 is the infection and destruction of the ciliated respiratory cells, which perpetuates dissemination and disrupts protective mucociliary transport (MCT) function, an innate defense of the respiratory tract. Thus, drugs that augment MCT could improve the barrier function of the airway epithelium and reduce viral replication and, ultimately, COVID-19 outcomes. We tested five agents known to increase MCT through distinct mechanisms for activity against SARS-CoV-2 infection using a model of human respiratory epithelial cells terminally differentiated in an air/liquid interphase. Three of the five mucoactive compounds tested showed significant inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 replication. An archetype mucoactive agent, ARINA-1, blocked viral replication and therefore epithelial cell injury; thus, it was further studied using biochemical, genetic, and biophysical methods to ascertain the mechanism of action via the improvement of MCT. ARINA-1 antiviral activity was dependent on enhancing the MCT cellular response, since terminal differentiation, intact ciliary expression, and motion were required for ARINA-1-mediated anti-SARS-CoV2 protection. Ultimately, we showed that the improvement of cilia movement was caused by ARINA-1-mediated regulation of the redox state of the intracellular environment, which benefited MCT. Our study indicates that intact MCT reduces SARS-CoV-2 infection, and its pharmacologic activation may be effective as an anti-COVID-19 treatment.

The dubas bug ( Ommatissus lybicus ) (Hemiptera: Tropiduchidae) is a serious pest in date palms in several date-producing countries, including Oman. Infestation results in a severe reduction in yield and a weakening of date palm growth. In addition, egg laying, which causes injuries to date palm leaves, results in the development of necrotic lesions on the leaves. This study aimed at investigating the role of fungi in the development of necrotic leaf spots following dubas bug infestation. Leaf samples developing leaf spot symptoms were collected from dubas-bug-infested leaves, as the leaf spot symptoms were not observed on the non-infested leaves. Isolation from date palm leaves collected from 52 different farms yielded 74 fungal isolates. Molecular identification of the isolates revealed that they belonged to 31 fungal species, 16 genera, and 10 families. Among the isolated fungi, there were five Alternaria species, four species each of Penicillium and Fusarium , three species each of Cladosporium and Phaeoacremonium , and two species each of Quambalaria and Trichoderma . Out of the thirty-one fungal species, nine were pathogenic on date palm leaves and induced varying levels of leaf spot symptoms. The pathogenic species were Alternaria destruens , Fusarium fujikuroi species complex, F. humuli , F. microconidium , Cladosporium pseudochalastosporoides , C. endophyticum , Quambalaria cyanescens , Phaeoacremonium krajdenii , and P. venezuelense , which were reported for the first time as leaf spot causal agents in date palms. The study provided novel information on the effect of dubas bug infestation in date palms on the development of fungal infection and associated leaf spot symptoms.

Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting females. The outcomes of this study will aid future research and policy suggestions by giving a rapid local burden and clinicopathologic profile of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients., Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at the Department of Oncology, Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar, Pakistan, from April 21, 2022, to October 21, 2022. The sample size was 120 using a 95% confidence level, 18.7% proportion of TNBC frequency in patients with breast cancer, and 7% absolute precision. All patients who presented with newly diagnosed breast cancer and were between the ages of 30-60 years were included in the study. The study excluded male patients and patients with a history of surgical intervention on the breast during the previous six months., Results: A total of 120 patients were evaluated. Age ranged between 30-60 years with a mean age of 45 years. Thirty-four (28%) patients were in the age range of 30-45 years and 86 (72%) patients were in the age range of 46-60 years. Fifty-six (47%) patients had BMI ≤27 kg/m 2 while 64 (53%) had BMI >27 kg/m 2 . The use of oral contraceptives was noted in 25 (21%) patients. A total of 62 (52%) patients had breast cancer on the right side while 58 (48%) had it on the left side., Conclusion: According to the results of our study, 14% of breast cancer patients had triple-negative disease., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Hussain et al.)

Substantial clinical evidence supports the notion that ciliary function in the airways is important in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Although ciliary damage has been observed in both in vitro and in vivo models, the extent or nature of impairment of mucociliary transport (MCT) in in vivo models remains unknown. We hypothesize that SARS-CoV-2 infection results in MCT deficiency in the airways of golden Syrian hamsters that precedes pathological injury in lung parenchyma. Micro-optical coherence tomography was used to quantitate functional changes in the MCT apparatus. Both genomic and subgenomic viral RNA pathological and physiological changes were monitored in parallel. We show that SARS-CoV-2 infection caused a 67% decrease in MCT rate as early as 2 days postinfection (dpi) in hamsters, principally due to 79% diminished airway coverage of motile cilia. Correlating quantitation of physiological, virological, and pathological changes reveals steadily descending infection from the upper airways to lower airways to lung parenchyma within 7 dpi. Our results indicate that functional deficits of the MCT apparatus are a key aspect of COVID-19 pathogenesis, may extend viral retention, and could pose a risk factor for secondary infection. Clinically, monitoring abnormal ciliated cell function may indicate disease progression. Therapies directed toward the MCT apparatus deserve further investigation.

Forecasting academic performance of student has been a substantial research inquest in the Educational Data-Mining that utilizes Machine-learning (ML) procedures to probe the data of educational setups. Quantifying student academic performance is challenging because academic performance of students hinges on several factors. The in hand research work focuses on students' grade and marks prediction utilizing supervised ML approaches. The data-set utilized in this research work has been obtained from the Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (B.I.S.E) Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. There are 7 areas in BISEP i.e., Peshawar, FR-Peshawar, Charsadda, Khyber, Mohmand and Upper and Lower Chitral. This paper aims to examine the quality of education that is closely related to the aims of sustainability. The system has created an abundance of data which needs to be properly analyzed so that most useful information should be obtained for planning and future development. Grade and marks forecasting of students with their historical educational record is a renowned and valuable application in the EDM. It becomes an incredible information source that could be utilized in various ways to enhance the standard of education nationwide. Relevant research study reveals that numerous methods for academic performance forecasting are built to carryout improvements in administrative and teaching staff of academic organizations. In the put forwarded approach, the acquired data-set is pre-processed to purify the data quality, the labeled academic historical data of student (30 optimum attributes) is utilized to train regression model and DT-classifier. The regression will forecast marks, while grade will be forecasted by classification system, eventually analyzed the results obtained by the models. The results obtained show that machine learning technology is efficient and relevant for predicting students performance., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021.)

Different abiotic stresses induce OsTZF1 , a tandem CCCH-type zinc finger domain gene, in rice. Here, we report that transgenic rice plants overexpressing OsTZF1 under own promoter ( P OsTZF1 :OsTZF1- OX [for overexpression]) transferred to soil showed normal growth similar to vector control plants. The P OsTZF1 :OsTZF1- OX produced normal leaves without any lesion mimic phenotype and exhibited normal seed setting. The P OsTZF1 :OsTZF1- OX plants showed significantly increased tolerance to salt and drought stresses and enhanced post stress recovery. Microarray analysis revealed a total of 846 genes up-regulated and 360 genes down-regulated in P OsTZF1 :OsTZF1- OX salt-treated plants. Microarray analysis of P OsTZF1: OsTZF1- OX plants showed the regulation of many abiotic stress tolerance genes. These results suggest that OsTZF1 -OX under own promoter show abiotic stress tolerance and produces no pleiotropic effect on phenotype of transgenic rice plant.

Background: Caragana ambigua has been the part of the dietary routines of the regional people in south-west Pakistan and has traditionally been used for the treatment of diabetes there. There is an increased production of reactive oxygen species in diabetics, leading to gastrointestinal disorders. Natural antioxidants exhibit gastroprotective effects owing to their free-radical scavenging action. C. ambigua possesses appreciable phenolic and flavonoid content; thus, it has the potential to protect against gastrointestinal disorders (e.g. gastric ulcer)., Results: This study reports the anti-ulcer potential of C. ambigua. Four different fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and aqueous) of plant were compared against omeprazole. Ulcer index, ulcer inhibition percentage, gastric pH and volume, total acidity, gastric protein, gastric wall mucus, and histopathology of gastric walls of rats were assessed. All fractions exhibited a reduction in ulcer index and promotion of percentage of ulcer inhibition compared with the ulcer control group. Furthermore, the fractions revealed a significant (P < 0.001) diminution in gastric volume and total acidity with an increase in pH. Among the fractions investigated, the chloroform fraction unveiled the most promising anti-ulcer activity, which is comparable to omeprazole. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry screening of fractions revealed the presence of formononetin and biochanin A (isoflavones reported to have anti-ulcer properties) in the chloroform fraction., Conclusion: This study establishes that C. ambigua possesses significant potential in reducing gastric ulcer progression. Formononetin and biochanin A are chiefly responsible for the stated bioactivity due to the fact that these compounds were solely present in the chloroform fraction. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

The evolution and development of solid-matrix are considered a backbone for supporting and stabilizing of metal nanoparticles (NPs) and are the soul of the catalytic system. In the current study, the alginate-starch microsphere (Alg-St) was cross-linked using CaCl 2 as a cross-linker. In addition, the Alg-St microsphere was blended with different percentages of activated carbon (AC). The microspheres adsorbed Cu +2 was reduced to zero-valent copper NPs through NaBH 4 and used as a dip-catalyst. The supported Cu NPs cum NaBH 4 system was used as dip-catalyst for the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol (4NP), 2-nitroanilline (2NA), and degradation of methylene blue (MB) and Congo red (CR) dyes. Among the different kinetics models, the experimental data were well-fitted in the zero-order kinetic model. Moreover pH, and recyclability were studied for 4NP, where the best activity was achieved at pH 7.0 for 4NP. No leaching was observed after 3rd cycle in the catalyst., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ferret systemic coronavirus (FRSCV) causes a highly fatal disease of ferrets ( Mustela putorius furo ). It is believed to be a mutated variant of ferret enteric coronavirus (FRECV) and has a clinical presentation similar to that of feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) in cats. The interplay of infectious diseases and host genetics will become a greater issue in the research environment as genetically modified species other than rodents become available due to advances in gene editing technology. In this case series, we present the clinical and histopathologic features of a FRSCV outbreak that affected 5 out of 10 ferrets with α-1 antitrypsin knockout (AAT KO) over an approximately 1-y period. Clinical features varied, with the affected ferrets presenting with some combination of wasting, hind limb paralysis, incontinence or sudden death. Multiple ferrets had gross pathologic lesions consistent with FRSCV, but the lesions were typically mild. Microscopic pyogranulomatous inflammation was present in 4 ferrets. Immunohistochemistry using an anti-feline coronavirus antibody that cross reacts with ferret coronavirus confirmed infection of intralesional macrophages in 4 out of 5 animals with suspected FRSCV infection. PCR testing of formalin fixed tissue was negative for all ferrets. PCR testing of feces from healthy wild-type ferrets indicated that the endemic presence of FRECV genotype 2, while PCR surveillance testing of other in-house AAT KO ferrets revealed both enteric coronavirus genotypes 1 and 2. This case series highlights the potential for greater disease incidence in the future as genetically modified ferrets are used more often, and may support exclusion of FRECV and similar viruses from highly susceptible ferret genotypes.

Infertility is a common, clinically heterogeneous reproductive disorder worldwide with a prevalence of about 15%. To date about eighty genes have been discovered to cause non-syndromic infertility, affecting males and females equally, though traditionally the genetic analysis of each group has been conducted separately. Here, we report the clinical and genetic characterization of a consanguineous family of Pakistani origin with multiple individuals, including male and female, affected with infertility. Males exhibited non-obstructive azoospermia whereas females had primary ovarian insufficiency. Whole exome sequencing revealed a missense variant [c.176C > T, p. (Ser59Leu)] in the ZSWIM7 gene which functions in homologous recombination repair. The variant was found in a homozygous form in all affected males and females. To our knowledge, this is the first family that has individuals affected with infertility in both sexes. This point to the utility of large consanguineous families with multiple affected siblings to reveal joint mechanisms affecting human reproduction., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Rampant industrial boom, urbanization, and exponential population growth resulted in widespread environmental pollution, with water being one of the leading affected resources. All kinds of pollutants, including phenols, industrial dyes, antibiotics, pharmaceutically active residues, and persistent/volatile organic compounds, have a paramount effect, either directly or indirectly, on human health and aquatic entities. Strategies for affordable and efficient decontamination of these emerging pollutants have become the prime focus of academic researchers, industry, and government to constitute a sustainable human society. Classical treatment techniques for environmental contaminants are associated with several limitations, such as inefficiency, complex pretreatments, overall high process cost, high sludge generation, and highly toxic side-products formation. Enzymatic remediation is considered a green and ecologically friendlier method that holds considerable potential to mitigate any kinds of contaminating agents. Exploiting the potential of various peroxidases for pollution abatement is an emerging research area and has considerable advantages, such as efficiency and ease of handling, over other methods. This work is designed to provide recent progress in deploying peroxidases as green and versatile biocatalytic tools for the degradation and transformation of a spectrum of potentially hazardous environmental pollutants to broaden their scope for biotechnological and environmental purposes. More studies are required to explicate the degradation mechanisms, assess the toxicology levels of bio-transformed metabolites, and standardize the treatment strategies for economic viability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease with poor treatment options. However, most mouse models of COPD produce a primarily emphysematous disease not recapitulating clinically meaningful COPD features like chronic bronchitis., Methods: Wild-type ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) were divided randomly into two groups: whole body cigarette smoke exposure and air controls. Ferrets were exposed to smoke from 1R6F research cigarettes, twice daily for six months. RNA-sequencing was performed on RNA isolated from lung tissue. Comparative transcriptomics analyses of COPD in ferrets, mice, and humans were done to find the uniquely expressed genes. Further, Real-time PCR was performed to confirmed RNA-Seq data on multiple selected genes., Results: RNA-sequence analysis identified 420 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were associated with the development of COPD in ferrets. By comparative analysis, we identified 25 DEGs that are uniquely expressed in ferrets and humans, but not mice. Among DEGs, a number were related to mucociliary clearance (NEK-6, HAS1, and KL), while others have been correlated with abnormal lung function (IL-18), inflammation (TREM1, CTSB), or oxidative stress (SRX1, AHRR). Multiple cellular pathways were aberrantly altered in the COPD ferret model, including pathways associated with COPD pathogenesis in humans. Validation of these selected unique DEGs using real-time PCR demonstrated > absolute 2-fold changes in mRNA versus air controls, consistent with RNA-seq analysis., Conclusion: Cigarette smoke-induced COPD in ferrets modulates gene expression consistent with human COPD and suggests that the ferret model may be uniquely well suited for the study of aspects of the disease., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to use ultrasonographic data to rule out and distinguish diseases that cause acute pelvic pain., Material and Method: The literature was reviewed using a systematic search of the databases Google Scholars and PubMed, as well as through hand searching. We looked through a total of 35 articles, but only 26 were selected after preliminary screening. Furthermore, 14 articles were left out because they required a membership, copyright clearance, or featured non-English references. There were a total of 12 articles included in the final revuew. Among all the study-related articles, only original research studies and one systematic review that sonographically explored the gynecological etiology of acute pelvic pain were selected., Results: Acute pelvic pain in women might be difficult to identify between gynecologic and non-gynecologic causes based solely on patient history and examination. Advanced imaging, like ultrasound, aids in determining the reason. Pelvic inflammatory disease can be difficult to diagnose, and clinicians should use a low threshold for starting presumptive treatment in order to avoid significant long-term effects such as infertility., Conclusions: Pelvic pain can be acute, chronic or functional. Imaging investigations such as CT, ultrasonography, and MRI can assist in establishing a diagnosis. Particularly ultrasound scanning makes it possible to arrive at a diagnosis with a high degree of precision., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest There is no conflict of interest., (© 2022 Hafsa Talat et al., published by Sciendo.)

In this paper, a novel influenza $ \mathcal{S}\mathcal{I}&#95;N\mathcal{I}&#95;R\mathcal{R} $ model with white noise is investigated. According to the research, white noise has a significant impact on the disease. First, we explain that there is global existence and positivity to the solution. Then we show that the stochastic basic reproduction $ {{\underset{\scriptscriptstyle\centerdot}{\text{R}}}} {&#95;r} $ is a threshold that determines whether the disease is cured or persists. When the noise intensity is high, we get $ {{\underset{\scriptscriptstyle\centerdot}{\text{R}}}}{&#95;r} < 1 $ and the disease goes away; when the white noise intensity is low, we get $ {{\underset{\scriptscriptstyle\centerdot}{\text{R}}}}{&#95;r} > 1 $, and a sufficient condition for the existence of a stationary distribution is obtained, which suggests that the disease is still there. However, the main objective of the study is to produce a stochastic analogue of the deterministic model that we analyze using numerical simulations to get views on the infection dynamics in a stochastic environment that we can relate to the deterministic context.

Rationale: The majority of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients have chronic bronchitis, for which specific therapies are unavailable. Acquired cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) dysfunction is observed in chronic bronchitis, but has not been proven in a controlled animal model with airway disease. Furthermore, the potential of CFTR as a therapeutic target has not been tested in vivo, given limitations to rodent models of COPD. Ferrets exhibit cystic fibrosis-related lung pathology when CFTR is absent and COPD with bronchitis following cigarette smoke exposure., Objectives: To evaluate CFTR dysfunction induced by smoking and test its pharmacological reversal by a novel CFTR potentiator, GLPG2196, in a ferret model of COPD with chronic bronchitis., Methods: Ferrets were exposed for 6 months to cigarette smoke to induce COPD and chronic bronchitis and then treated with enteral GLPG2196 once daily for 1 month. Electrophysiological measurements of ion transport and CFTR function, assessment of mucociliary function by one-micron optical coherence tomography imaging and particle-tracking microrheology, microcomputed tomography imaging, histopathological analysis and quantification of CFTR protein and mRNA expression were used to evaluate mechanistic and pathophysiological changes., Measurements and Main Results: Following cigarette smoke exposure, ferrets exhibited CFTR dysfunction, increased mucus viscosity, delayed mucociliary clearance, airway wall thickening and airway epithelial hypertrophy. In COPD ferrets, GLPG2196 treatment reversed CFTR dysfunction, increased mucus transport by decreasing mucus viscosity, and reduced bronchial wall thickening and airway epithelial hypertrophy., Conclusions: The pharmacologic reversal of acquired CFTR dysfunction is beneficial against pathological features of chronic bronchitis in a COPD ferret model., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: S.M. Rowe has received consulting fees from Abbvie related to the design and conduct of clinical trials in cystic fibrosis. M. Borgonovi and K. Conrath are employees of Galapagos. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright ©The authors 2022. For reproduction rights and permissions contact permissions@ersnet.org.)

Medical imaging is the process of visual representation of different tissues and organs of the human body to monitor the normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology of the body. There are many medical imaging techniques used for this purpose such as X-ray, computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), digital mammography, and diagnostic sonography. These advanced medical imaging techniques have many applications in the diagnosis of myocardial diseases, cancer of different tissues, neurological disorders, congenital heart disease, abdominal illnesses, complex bone fractures, and other serious medical conditions. There are benefits as well as some risks to every imaging technique. There are some steps for minimizing the radiation exposure risks from imaging techniques. Advance medical imaging modalities such as PET/CT hybrid, three-dimensional ultrasound computed tomography (3D USCT), and simultaneous PET/MRI give high resolution, better reliability, and safety to diagnose, treat, and manage complex patient abnormalities. These techniques ensure the production of new accurate imaging tools with improving resolution, sensitivity, and specificity. In the future, with mounting innovations and advancements in technology systems, the medical diagnostic field will become a field of regular measurement of various complex diseases and will provide healthcare solutions., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Shah Hussain et al.)

Common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a legume crop grown all over the world and is a very important food of mountain population of Pakistan for protein intake. The Western Himalayan Mountains are rich in biodiversity including unexplored landraces of the common bean crop. Unfortunately, very little attention has been given to this valuable crop in Pakistan, and it is being exported, majorly from Ethiopia, to meet the country's requirements. The exploitation, utilization, preservation and multiplication of existing germplasm within the area are very important for sustainable production of the crop and enhancing the nutrition value for the local community in mountain regions. A research study was conducted for evaluation of biological diversity of common bean landraces from Azad Kashmir and Northern areas of Pakistan using morpho-physiological and molecular markers. Thirty-five common bean ecotypes along with one check variety were collected from different altitudes of Azad Kashmir and Northern Pakistan and screened for biological diversity. Morphological characterization revealed high genetic diversity in parameters including stem anthocyanin, growth type, days to flowering, pods/plant and 100 seeds weight. Genomic characterization using SSR markers, for allelic diversity evaluation among germplasm, also provided diverse profile with 83.3% polymorphism in banding pattern. The bulk of gene pool diversity evaluated within bean landraces may help to initiate breeding program for common bean improvement., 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., (© 2022 The Author(s).)