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Abstract This study was taken to evaluate the influence of vehicular pollution on the accumulation of heavy metals and its impact on soil enzymatic activity along the roadside of the Sonamarg forest ecosystem. Soil samples were obtained from three different sites viz., Sonamarg, Baltal, and Thajwas, each comprises of disturbed area (10 mts.) close to roadside and undisturbed area (150 mts.) away from roadside in two seasons (spring and autumn). Soil heavy metal concentration significantly decreased with distance from the roadside. The decrease in the activities of dehydrogenase and urease and soil organic carbon were found in the disturbed area as compared to undisturbed areas. The concentration of zinc (Zn2+) was found to be maximum, followed by nickel (Ni2+), lead (Pb2+), copper (Cu2+), and cadmium (Cd2+) at all the sampling sites. Significant positive correlations were shown by pH with Pb (r = 0.782**), Zn (r = 0.805**), Cu (r = 0.773**), Cd (r = 0.672**) and negative correlations with dehydrogenase activity (r = −0.795**), urease activity (r = −0.825**) and organic carbon (r = −0.764**). Similarly Pb, showed negative correlation with dehydrogenase activity (r = −0.671**,), urease activity (r = −0.673**) and organic carbon (r = −0.860**). A negative correlation was found between Zn and organic carbon (r = −0.821**) as well as between Cu, urease activity (r = −0.632**) and organic carbon (r = −0.757**). The results indicate that vehicular pollution affects the soil quality due to heavy metal contamination in the fragile Sonamarg forest ecosystem.

Possessing variable valence states, the element Arsenic (As) is intimidating the quality of the ecology and human health severely. In this study, eliminating As (III) from water-based solutions with great efficiency was done using Bagasse-Mn-Al, a sugarcane bagasse-derived biochar impregnated with Mn and Al. The Bagasse-Mn-Al composite yielded higher removal efficiency towards As (III) than the biochar itself. About 89.53 % of As (III) was removed within 65 min maintaining the very first concentration of As (III) at 400 μg/L, initial pH at 2–2.5, and adsorbent dosage at 0.625 g/L. The Bagasse-Mn-Al composite showed an adsorption potential maximum of 54.945 mg/g which is superior to most of the cheaply synthesized metal-impregnated biochar reported. Results from a variety of characterization techniques indicated that the •OH free radical in the Bagasse-Mn-Al composite mainly contributed to the removal of As (III) where oxidation and complexation were the major mechanisms. With high catalytic efficiency, this cost effectively produced metal-coated biochar showed easy and effective separation of As (III) from aqueous solution. Further, this study focuses on the high potential of Bagasse-Mn-Al adsorbent in the treatment of both ground and wastewater.

Background/aim: Oral cancer (OC) is the leading cause of fatalities in Pakistan among males due to inadequate oral hygiene and chewing habits. However, genetic susceptibility patterns also play a critical role in disease progression. Since the frequency of Resistin (RETN) SNP (Single nucleotide polymorphism) rs3219175 is unknown; there is a requirement for early diagnosis of the OC. Therefore, the current study aims to determine the frequency of targeted SNP and develop a safe, simple, and fast alternative technique for better treatment using a real-time PCR assay with HRM (high-resolution melting curve) analysis., Materials and Methods: A case-control study was conducted on 35 Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) diagnosed patients and 35 healthy individuals. HRM and RT-PCR results were analysed by the bioinformatics analyses., Results: The frequency of RETN SNP rs3219175 genotypes GG and GA in male patients was 16 (46 %) and 5 (14 %) respectively and in females 8 (23 %) and 6 (17 %) respectively. The chi-square test of independence consummated the assessment between males and females in both control and patients. The relation between these variables was significant (p < 0.05). The interaction network of String 8.3 demonstrates strong interactions at a high confidence score, which helps to characterize functional disorders that may be a causative factor for oral pathology. Reactome and KEGG data were acquired to rule out the pathway involvement of the targeted gene. MuPIT software was used to identify the 3D structure or RETN and their expected mutation effect., Conclusion: This study provides baseline data regarding the frequency of RETN SNP rs3219175 among the Pakistani population. For further clarification of their stage in cancer emergence and growth, large-scale studies must be conducted. This study might be helpful in the precision medicine approach and provide better therapeutic for OSCC patients., 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.)

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane protein and a key biomarker implicated in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Early and precise detection of EGFR is crucial for effective diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic intervention. However, conventional EGFR detection techniques, such as biopsy and immunohistochemistry, are often invasive, time-consuming, and limited in sensitivity, highlighting the demand for non-invasive, highly sensitive detection methods. In this study, we fabricated a cerium oxide (CeO₂) and graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite-based aptasensor for the non-invasive detection of EGFR using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The CeO₂-GO nanocomposite was synthesized via the sol-gel method and characterized through UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, TEM, and XRD, confirming the crystalline structure of hexagonal CeO₂ nanoparticles on amorphous GO sheets. The nanocomposite was functionalized with aptamers specific to EGFR using covalent coupling reactions. The EIS analysis of the fabricated aptasensor (GCE/CeO₂-GO/EGFR-Apt/BSA) demonstrated a wide linear detection range from 10 fg mL -1 to 100 ng mL -1 , with an ultralow detection limit of 1.87 fg mL -1 in PBS, 3.16 fg mL -1 in serum, 5.31 fg mL -1 in sweat, and 6.14 fg mL -1 in saliva samples. These results highlight the aptasensor's high sensitivity, specificity, and potential for real-time, non-invasive EGFR monitoring in clinical samples such as serum, sweat, and saliva. This approach would facilitate early detection of cancer and personalized diagnostics in point-of-care settings., 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.)

Directly administering medication to inflamed intestinal sites for treating ulcerative colitis (UC), poses significant challenges like retention time, absorption variability, side effects, drug stability, and non-specific delivery. Recent advancements in therapy to treat colitis aim to improve local drug availability that is enema therapy at the site of inflammation, thereby reducing systemic adverse effects. Nevertheless, a key limitation lies in enemas' inability to sustain medication in the colon due to rapid peristaltic movement, diarrhea, and poor local adherence. Therefore, in this work, we have developed site-specific thiolated mucoadhesive anionic nanoliposomes to overcome the limitations of conventional enema therapy. The thiolated delivery system allows prolonged residence of the delivery system at the inflamed site in the colon, confirmed by the adhesion potential of thiolated nanoliposomes using in-vitro and in-vivo models. To further provide therapeutic efficacy thiolated nanoliposomes were loaded with gallic acid (GA), a natural compound known for its antibacterial, antioxidant, and potent anti-inflammatory properties. Consequently, Gallic Acid-loaded Thiolated 2,6 DALP DMPG (GATh@APDL) demonstrates the potential for targeted adhesion to the inflamed colon, facilitated by their small size 100 nm and anionic nature. Therapeutic studies indicate that this formulation offers protective effects by mitigating colonic inflammation, downregulating the expression of NF-κB, HIF-1α, and MMP-9, and demonstrating superior efficacy compared to the free GA enema. The encapsulated GA inhibits the NF-κB expression, leading to enhanced expression of MUC2 protein, thereby promoting mucosal healing in the colon. Furthermore, GATh@APDL effectively reduces neutrophil infiltration and regulates immune cell quantification in colonic lamina propria. Our findings suggest that GATh@APDL holds promise for alleviating UC and addressing the limitations of conventional enema therapy., 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.)

A modified adaptive Kalman filter (AKF) algorithm is proposed to make underwater multi-target tracking with uncertain measurement noise reliable. By utilizing the proposed AKF algorithm with three core points, including an adaptive fading factor, measurement noise covariance adjustment, and an adaptive weighting factor, the unknown measurement noise and state vector can be estimated with good accuracy and robustness. The practical trial data verify this algorithm, and it has proven superior to all traditional algorithms in this Letter based on the results that it reduces the estimated position RMSEs by at least 10.29% while estimated velocity RMSEs by at least 52.57%., (© 2025 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Background: Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) involves severe coronary artery blockage that impairs blood flow and affects 15-20 % of patients undergoing coronary angiography and over 40 % with diabetes or heart failure. Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is used to restore blood flow in such cases. The retrograde approach, developed due to lower success with the antegrade method in complex cases, improves outcomes but increases complications. This meta-analysis compares the efficacy and safety of both approaches to guide clinical practice., Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Scopus until June 5, 2024, to find studies comparing antegrade and retrograde approaches in CTO-PCI patients. Pooled risk ratios (RR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using R software (version 4.4.1), with significance set at p < 0.05. Random-effects models were used for all analyses., Results: Our analysis included 22 observational studies with 49,152 CTO-PCI patients: 35,844 in the antegrade arm and 13,308 in the retrograde arm. The antegrade approach showed significantly lower risks of in-hospital outcomes, including mortality [RR: 0.45; p < 0.001], myocardial infarction [RR: 0.37; p < 0.001], major adverse cardiovascular events [RR: 0.34; p < 0.001], and cerebrovascular events [RR: 0.50; p = 0.011]. Long-term outcomes, such as all-cause mortality [RR: 0.71; p = 0.157] and myocardial infarction [RR: 0.76; p = 0.438], were comparable between both approaches., Conclusion: The antegrade technique shows better outcomes and procedural advantages over retrograde revascularization, though long-term outcomes are similar. Further studies, especially randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Metabolites of plant and microbial origin have a great influence on plant-microbe interactions. Members from Bacillus subtilis are known to produce a plethora of metabolites that shape plant responses towards biotic and abiotic stresses. Similarly, endophyte B. subtilis L1-21 efficiently controls the Huanglongbing (HLB) causing pathogen: Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). However, the molecular mechanisms are highly elusive. Herein, our study highlights the critical role of endophyte L1-21 in planta-produced surfactin in its colonization in citrus plants and regulation of plant-microbe interactions by comparing three gene knockout mutants △srfAA-L1-21, △sfp-L1-21, and △pel-L1-21. All three mutants exhibited reduced pathogen control and colonization efficiency compared to wild-type (WT) L1-21, but knockout mutant deficient of surfactin △srfAA-L1-21 was significantly impaired in the abovementioned functions as compared to △sfp-L1-21 and △pel-L1-21. Further, △srfAA-L1-21 could not activate various metabolic pathways in citrus as WT-L1-21. Integrated metabolomic-transcriptomic analysis reveals that important secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, volatile organic compounds, and lignins were highly accumulated in citrus plants treated with WT-L1-21 as compared to △srfAA-L1-21, highlighting the role of surfactin as an elicitor of the defense system in citrus-HLB pathosystem. Interestingly, auxin-related metabolites and transcripts were also downregulated in △srfAA-L1-21 compared to WT-L1-21 showing that surfactin might also influence plant-microbe interactions through metabolic reprogramming. Further, higher enrichment of Bacilli with WT-L1-21 might corresponds to surfactin-mediated regulation of community-related behavior in Bacilli. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the role of surfactin from Bacillus endophyte in metabolic reprogramming in citrus-HLB pathosystem and mounting defense response against CLas pathogen., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicting interests related to this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)