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Nano-biochar is a source of blackish carbonaceous material, a prerequisite for sustainable crop productivity. By using a variety of feedstock materials, nanobiochar synthesis can be employed via pyrolysis. Therefore, a project was initiated to explore the morpho-physio-biochemical alteration at the vegetative stage of wheat crops after the foliar application of nanobiochar suspension (NBS). This investigation was conducted at the Botanical Research Area of the University of Lahore in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) arrangement, with four treatments (0, 1, 3, and 5% NBS) by maintaining three replications for each treatment using the wheat variety "Zincol". Nano biochar suspension in above mentioned concentrations were foliarly applied at the end of tillering/beginning of leaf sheath elongation of wheat seedlings to assess the morphological changes (root length, shoot length, number of leaves, fresh biomass/plant, dry biomass/plant), physio-biochemical alterations (total free amino acids, total sugars, chlorophyll content, protein, phenols, flavonoids), and nutrient uptake (Na, K, Ca, Mg, N, P contents. Our findings indicate that the foliar application of 3% NBS yielded the most favorable results across all measured attributes. Furthermore, Treatment-4 (5% NBS) specifically improved certain traits, including leaf area, total soluble proteins, and leaf calcium content. Finally, all NBS resulted in a decrease in carotenoid and sodium content in wheat seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quercus ilex L., an evergreen oak species typical of the western and central Mediterranean basin, is facing decline and dieback episodes due to the increase in the severity and frequency of heat waves and drought events. Studying xylogenesis (the wood formation process) is crucial for understanding how trees respond with their secondary growth to environmental conditions and stress events. This study aimed to characterize the wood formation dynamics of Quercus ilex and their relationship with the meteorological conditions in an area experiencing prolonged drought periods. Cambial activity and xylem cell production were monitored during the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons in a Q. ilex forest located at the Vesuvius National Park (southern Italy). The results highlighted the significant roles of temperature and solar radiation in stimulating xylogenesis. Indeed, the correlation tests revealed that temperature and solar radiation positively influenced growth and cell development, while precipitation had an inhibitory effect on secondary wall formation. The earlier cell maturation in 2020 compared to 2019 underscored the impact of global warming trends. Overall, the trees studied demonstrated good health, growth and adaptability to local environmental fluctuations. This research provides novel insights into the intra-annual growth dynamics of this key Mediterranean species and its adaptation strategies to climatic variability, which will be crucial for forest management in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is an important concern worldwide. This huge change is causing a negative impact on crop productivity throughout the whole world and shows some drastic effects on sensitive crops including sweet pepper and other kinds of chilies. These stresses have a negative effect on vegetable growth, fruit quality, and fruit yield. Besides these stresses, accurate planting time is the utmost factor in increasing the crop potential and its productivity. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the optimal planting date and best-performing cultivar for sweet pepper to maximize crop productivity, growth, yield, and fruit shelf life under the impacts of climate change. The experiment was conducted in Multan, Pakistan (30° 25 N and 71° 30 E). In this experiment, four planting dates (10 January, 25 January, 10 February, and 25 February) with three cultivars (Ganga, Winner, and Savio) were grown with three replications (each year) during 2020 and 2021. Our findings showed that plant growth, fresh and dry biomass, yield, and yield attributes were statistically higher in earlier plantings, and lower in delayed planting. Regarding the cultivars in both years, 'Winner' performed better in all growth and yield parameters as compared to other growing cultivars. Lower weight loss and decay incidence were reported in 'Winner' cultivar. Additionally, 'Winner' cultivar showed a higher sensory score as compared to the other cultivar in both years. From the results, we conclude that the nursery of sweet pepper plants should be planted on the 25 January to attain higher crop productivity, and the cultivar 'Winner' showed promising effects so it should be planted for better yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image denoising and super-resolution play vital roles in imaging systems, greatly reducing the preprocessing cost of many AI techniques for object detection, segmentation, and tracking. Various advancements have been accomplished in this field, but progress is still needed. In this paper, we have proposed a novel technique named the Enhanced Learning Enriched Features (ELEF) mechanism using a deep convolutional neural network, which makes significant improvements to existing techniques. ELEF consists of two major processes: (1) Denoising, which removes the noise from images; and (2) Super-resolution, which improves the clarity and details of images. Features are learned through deep CNN and not through traditional algorithms so that we can better refine and enhance images. To effectively capture features, the network architecture adopted Dual Attention Units (DUs), which align with the Multi-Scale Residual Block (MSRB) for robust feature extraction, working sidewise with the feature-matching Selective Kernel Extraction (SKF). In addition, resolution mismatching cases are processed in detail to produce high-quality images. The effectiveness of the ELEF model is highlighted by the performance metrics, achieving a Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) of 42.99 and a Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) of 0.9889, which indicates the ability to carry out the desired high-quality image restoration and enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinal vessel segmentation is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring various eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and hypertension. In this study, we examine how sharpness-aware minimization (SAM) can improve RF-UNet's generalization performance. RF-UNet is a novel model for retinal vessel segmentation. We focused our experiments on the digital retinal images for vessel extraction (DRIVE) dataset, which is a benchmark for retinal vessel segmentation, and our test results show that adding SAM to the training procedure leads to notable improvements. Compared to the non-SAM model (training loss of 0.45709 and validation loss of 0.40266), the SAM-trained RF-UNet model achieved a significant reduction in both training loss (0.094225) and validation loss (0.08053). Furthermore, compared to the non-SAM model (training accuracy of 0.90169 and validation accuracy of 0.93999), the SAM-trained model demonstrated higher training accuracy (0.96225) and validation accuracy (0.96821). Additionally, the model performed better in terms of sensitivity, specificity, AUC, and F1 score, indicating improved generalization to unseen data. Our results corroborate the notion that SAM facilitates the learning of flatter minima, thereby improving generalization, and are consistent with other research highlighting the advantages of advanced optimization methods. With wider implications for other medical imaging tasks, these results imply that SAM can successfully reduce overfitting and enhance the robustness of retinal vessel segmentation models. Prospective research avenues encompass verifying the model on vaster and more diverse datasets and investigating its practical implementation in real-world clinical situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability is a major challenge concerning food security; therefore, there is a need for pragmatic solutions to improve agricultural production. Henceforth, this study was planned to optimize the planting time of exotic safflowers under the prevailing conditions in Faisalabad, Pakistan. A study was executed by employing a split-plot design with six safflower accessions and five sowing dates ranging from 31 October 2019 to 31 December 2019. The results of the experimental safflower accession PI-198990 produced significant seed yields (2432 kg ha−1, 2772 kg ha−1 and 2366 kg ha−1) when sown on 30 November 2019, 15 December 2019, and 31 December 2019, respectively. On the other hand, on 31 October 2019 and 30 November 2019, sown safflower accessions PI-208677 and PI-250187 were the best performers, respectively. However, a higher achene oil percentage (31.5% and 30.8%) was noted in accessions PI-250187 and PI-314650 when sown on 31 December 2019 and 15 December 2019, respectively. The highest oleic acid content (22.92% and 22.83%) was determined in accession PI-314650 when planted on 30 November 2019 and 15 December 2019, respectively, whereas a higher linoleic acid content was observed on 31 October 2019 and 30 November 2019. Stability analysis showed that safflower accession PI-210834 was the most stable under all sowing environments, followed by PI-314650. Correlation analysis showed that oil percentage showed a negative correlation with phenological traits and growing degree days, and oil yield showed a strong positive relationship with heads, seed yield, biological yield, thousand seed weight, and harvest index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, there is the roar of sustainable material development around the globe. Green nanotechnology is one of the extensions of sustainability. Due to its sustainable approach, the green fabrication of nanoparticles has recently surpassed their classical synthesis in popularity. Among metal nanoparticles, contemporary findings have demonstrated that bimetallic nanoparticles possess more potential for different applications than monometallic nanoparticles due to the synergistic effects of the two metals. So, we are presenting facile, one-vessel, and one-step phyto-fabrication of Ag–Fe BMNPs using the bud extract of Syzygiumaromaticum. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-VIS, XRD, EDX, FTIR, and SEM. The synthesized NPs and the extract underwent biological studies. The radical scavenging potential of the NPs and the extract was found to be 64% and 73%, and the insecticidal potential was found to be 80% and 100%, respectively. Similarly, the NPs and the extract both exhibited good antibacterial activity. The zone of inhibition using 100 mg/mL of extract and NPs was found to be 1 cm against all bacterial species, i.e., K. pneumonia, E. coli, and S. aureus. It was 1.5 cm, 1.3 cm, and 1 cm against K. pneumonia, E. coli, and S. aureus, respectively, showing that the antibacterial activity of the extract is higher than that of the NPs. So, this study unlocks the synthesis of Ag–Fe bimetallic nanoparticles using eco-safe, cost-effective, facile, and least-harmful green methodology with potential applications of both NPs and SA extract in medical and agricultural fields, a step towards sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-oxide-based gas sensors are extensively utilized across various domains due to their cost-effectiveness, facile fabrication, and compatibility with microelectronic technologies. The copper (Cu)-based multifunctional polymer-enhanced sensor (CuMPES) represents a notably tailored design for non-invasive environmental monitoring, particularly for detecting diverse gases with a low concentration. In this investigation, the Cu-CuO/PEDOT nanocomposite was synthesized via a straightforward chemical oxidation and vapor-phase polymerization. Comprehensive characterizations employing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and micro Raman elucidated the composition, morphology, and crystal structure of this nanocomposite. Gas-sensing assessments of this CuMPES based on Cu-CuO/PEDOT revealed that the response current of the microneedle-type CuMPES surpassed that of the pure Cu microsensor by nearly threefold. The electrical conductivity and surface reactivity are enhanced by poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) polymerized on the CuO-coated surface, resulting in an enhanced sensor performance with an ultra-fast response/recovery of 0.3/0.5 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractional integro-differential equations (FIDEs) of both Volterra and Fredholm types present considerable challenges in numerical analysis and scientific computing due to their complex structures. This paper introduces a novel approach to address such equations by employing a Cubic B-spline collocation method. This method offers a robust and systematic framework for approximating solutions to the FIDEs, facilitating precise representations of complex phenomena. Within this research, we establish the mathematical foundations of the proposed scheme, elucidate its advantages over existing methods, and demonstrate its practical utility through numerical examples. We adopt the Caputo definition for fractional derivatives and conduct a stability analysis to validate the accuracy of the method. The findings showcase the precision and efficiency of the scheme in solving FIDEs, highlighting its potential as a valuable tool for addressing a wide array of practical problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an adverse prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, it remains unclear whether this is due to a causal effect of AF or whether AF acts as a surrogate marker for comorbidities in this population. Furthermore, there are limited data on whether coronary artery disease distribution impacts the risk of developing AF. Methods: Consecutive patients admitted with acute MI and treated using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at a single centre were retrospectively identified. Associations between AF and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) over a median of five years of follow-up were assessed using Cox regression, with adjustment for confounding factors performed using both multivariable modelling and a propensity-score-matched analysis. Results: AF was identified in N = 65/1000 (6.5%) of cases; these patients were significantly older (mean: 73 vs. 65 years, p < 0.001), with lower creatinine clearance (p < 0.001), and were more likely to have a history of cerebrovascular disease (p = 0.011) than those without AF. In addition, patients with AF had a greater propensity for left main stem (p = 0.001) or left circumflex artery (p = 0.004) involvement. Long-term MACCE rates were significantly higher in the AF group than in the non-AF group (50.8% vs. 34.2% at five years), yielding an unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.86 (95% CI: 1.32–2.64, p < 0.001). However, after adjustment for confounding factors, AF was no longer independently associated with MACCEs, either on multivariable (adjusted HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.81–1.92, p = 0.319) or propensity-score-matched (HR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.59–1.82, p = 0.886) analyses. Conclusions: AF is observed in 6.5% of patients admitted with acute MI, and those with AF are more likely to have significant diseases involving left main or circumflex arteries. Although unadjusted MACCE rates were significantly higher in patients with AF, this effect was not found to remain significant after adjustment for comorbidities. As such, this study provided no evidence to suggest that AF is independently associated with MACCEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the potential of active reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) to enhance wireless-powered communication networks (WPCNs), addressing the evolving connectivity needs of the internet of things (IoT). Active RIS, capable of amplifying and reflecting signals, offers a solution to surpass the limitations of passive RIS, such as double-fading attenuation, aiming to significantly improve network throughput and coverage. Our research focuses on exploiting the amplification capabilities of active RIS to boost the overall network sum throughput, engaging in a comprehensive optimization of critical network parameters, including time allocation, reflection coefficients, and phase shift matrices specific to active RIS. The formulated problem is non-convex and highly complex due to the coupling of optimization variables. We employed a successive convex approximation algorithm to solve the throughput maximization problem by converting the non-convex constraints into approximated convex constraints and solving them iteratively. Through extensive simulations, we demonstrate that our active RIS-assisted network substantially outperforms networks facilitated by passive RIS, marking a significant advancement in WPCN performance. These findings underscore the potential of active RIS technology in realizing the full capabilities of IoT connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD19-specific CAR-T immunotherapy has been extensively studied for the treatment of B-cell lymphoma. Recently, cholesterol metabolism has emerged as a modulator of T lymphocyte function and can be exploited in immunotherapy to increase the efficacy of CAR-based systems. Acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1) is the major cholesterol esterification enzyme. ACAT1 inhibitors previously shown to modulate cardiovascular diseases are now being implicated in immunotherapy. In the present study, we achieved knockdown of ACAT1 in T cells via RNA interference technology by inserting ACAT1-shRNA into anti-CD19-CAR-T cells. Knockdown of ACAT1 led to an increased cytotoxic capacity of the anti-CD19-CAR-T cells. In addition, more CD69, IFN-γ, and GzmB were expressed in the anti-CD19-CAR-T cells. Cell proliferation was also enhanced in both antigen-independent and antigen-dependent manners. Degranulation was also improved as evidenced by an increased level of CD107a. Moreover, the knockdown of ACAT1 led to better anti-tumor efficacy of anti-CD19 CAR-T cells in the B-cell lymphoma mice model. Our study demonstrates novel CAR-T cells containing ACAT1 shRNA with improved efficacy compared to conventional anti-CD19-CAR-T cells in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral delivery, the most common method of therapeutic administration, has two significant obstacles: drug solubility and permeability. The challenges of current oral medicine delivery are being tackled through an emerging method that uses structures called polymeric micelles. In the present study, polymeric micelles were developed using conjugates of linoleic acid–carboxymethyl chitosan (LA-CMCS) for the oral delivery of paclitaxel (PCL). The developed micelles were evaluated by particle size, zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). When PCL was contained within micelles, its solubility increased by almost 13.65 times (around 60 µg/mL). The micelles' zeta potentials were −29 mV, their polydispersity indices were 0.023, and their particle diameters were 93 nm. Micelles showed PCL loading and entrapment efficiencies of 67% and 61%, respectively. The sustained release qualities of the PCL release data from micelles were good. In comparison to the pure PCL suspension, the permeability of the PCL from micelles was 2.2 times higher. The pharmacokinetic data revealed that PCL with LA-CMCS micelles had a relative bioavailability of 239.17%, which was much greater than the PCL in the suspension. The oral bioavailability of PCL was effectively increased by LA-CMCS micelles according to an in vivo study on animals. The polymer choice, maybe through improved permeability, plays an essential role when assessing oral bioavailability enhancement and solubility improvement (13.65 times). The outcomes demonstrated that PCL's solubility and pharmacokinetics were improved in the micelles of the LA-CMCS conjugate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous digital media repositories have been set up during recent decades, each containing plenty of data about historic cityscapes. In contrast, digital 3D reconstructions of no longer extant cityscapes have so far almost solely been performed for specific cases and via manual modelling techniques. Within the Jena4D research group, we are investigating and developing methods and technologies for transferring historical media and their contextual information into 4D models. The next step will be to automate this process and extend it to the world scale. Our team are working on different facets of that endeavor: retrieving images, text, and object data from public sources; crowdsourcing and collecting qualitative data from contests and pupil labs; processing historical plans and photographs to extract spatial data; location-based mobile visualization; and collection-browsing interfaces. This article is intended to highlight (1) current challenges, (2) the state of the art, (3) our approach to 4D modelling and visualization on the world scale, and (4) results from testing demo cases in Dresden, Jena, and Amsterdam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use has a great impact on soil dynamics. The soils of various land use systems in Central Karakoram have been under immense pressure in the recent past due to certain anthropogenic activities such as land use practices and land use cover changes. These influences have an impact on the spatial distribution of metallic elements (MEs) in the soils of various land uses. Herein, we investigated the occurrence of the MEs, copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni), in soils of various land uses such as the permafrost, pasture, forest, and agricultural lands of the Central Karakorum region. The MEs were extracted in exchangeable, adsorbed, organically bound, carbonated, precipitated, and residual forms. The concentrations of MEs showed a significant dependence on the extraction method used, and the extraction trend followed the order of EDTA > HNO3 > KNO3 > NaOH > H2O. Zn showed the highest concentration compared to Ni and Cu in all extractions, whereas the land uses' ME concentration followed the order of agricultural land > permafrost > forest > pasturelands. The highest values of total Zn, Ni, and Cu were 712 ± 01 mg/kg, 656 ± 02 mg/kg, and 163 ± 02 mg/kg, respectively, in agricultural soil. The ME concentration showed significant variations between different land uses, and the highest concentration was noted in agricultural soil. Zn was found to be a dominant ME compared to Ni and Cu. We believe this effort will provide opportunities for scholars to investigate MEs around the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal decomposition processes of coprecipitated Cu-Ni-Al and Cu-Ni-Fe hydroxides and the formation of the mixed oxide phases were followed by thermogravimetry and derivative thermogravimetry analysis (TG – DTG) and in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) in a temperature range from 25 to 800 °C. The as-prepared samples exhibited layered double hydroxide (LDH) with a rhombohedral structure for the Ni-richer Al- and Fe-bearing LDHs and a monoclinic structure for the CuAl LDH. Direct precipitation of CuO was also observed for the Cu-richest Fe-bearing samples. After the collapse of the LDHs, dehydration, dehydroxylation, and decarbonation occurred with an overlapping of these events to an extent, depending on the structure and composition, being more pronounced for the Fe-bearing rhombohedral LDHs and the monoclinic LDH. The Fe-bearing amorphous phases showed higher reactivity than the Al-bearing ones toward the crystallization of the mixed oxide phases. This reactivity was improved as the amount of embedded divalent cations increased. Moreover, the influence of copper was effective at a lower content than that of nickel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene cause autosomal dominant Parkinson's disease (PD), with the most common causative mutation being the LRRK2 p.G2019S within the kinase domain. LRRK2 protein is highly expressed in the human brain and also in the periphery, and high expression of dominant PD genes in immune cells suggests involvement of microglia and macrophages in inflammation related to PD. LRRK2 is known to respond to extracellular signalling including TLR4, resulting in alterations in gene expression, with the response to TLR2 signalling through zymosan being less known. Here, we investigated the effects of zymosan, a TLR2 agonist and the potent and specific LRRK2 kinase inhibitor MLi-2 on gene expression in microglia from LRRK2-WT and LRRK2 p.G2019S knock-in mice by RNA-sequencing analysis. We observed both overlapping and distinct zymosan and MLi-2 mediated gene expression profiles in microglia. At least two candidate genome-wide association (GWAS) hits for PD, CathepsinB (Ctsb) and Glycoprotein-nmb (Gpnmb), were notably downregulated by zymosan treatment. Genes involved in inflammatory response and nervous system development were up and downregulated, respectively, with zymosan treatment, while MLi-2 treatment particularly exhibited upregulated genes for ion transmembrane transport regulation. Furthermore, we observed that the top twenty most significantly differentially expressed genes in LRRK2 p.G2019S microglia show enriched biological processes in iron transport and response to oxidative stress. Overall, these results suggest that microglial LRRK2 may contribute to PD pathogenesis through altered inflammatory pathways. Our findings should encourage future investigations of these putative avenues in the context of PD pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau area (QTPA) features a unique environment that has witnessed the selective breeding of diverse breeds of domestic livestock exhibiting remarkable adaptability. Nevertheless, Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. represent tick-borne bacterial pathogens that pose a global threat and have substantial impacts on both human and animal health, as well as on the economy of animal husbandry within the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau area. In this study, a total of 428 samples were systematically collected from 20 distinct areas within the Qinghai Plateau. The samples included 62 ticks and 366 blood samples obtained from diverse animal species to detect the presence of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. The prevalence of infection in this study was determined as follows: Anaplasma bovis accounted for 16.4% (70/428), A. capra for 4.7% (20/428), A. ovis for 5.8% (25/428), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato for 6.3% (27/428), Coxiella burnetii for 0.7% (3/428), and Rickettsia spp. for 0.5% (2/428). Notably, no cases of A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum infections were observed in this study. The findings revealed an elevated presence of these pathogens in Tibetan sheep and goats, with no infections detected in yaks, Bactrian camels, donkeys, and horses. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first investigation of tick-borne bacterial pathogens infecting goats, cattle, horses, and donkeys within the Qinghai Plateau of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau area. Consequently, our findings contribute valuable insights into the distribution and genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. within China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by an absolute decline in insulin secretion and peripheral resistance and is the most prevalent metabolic and endocrine disorder. However, the pathogenesis of DM also includes adipocyte insulin resistance, increased glucagon secretion, increased renal glomerular glucose absorption, and neurotransmitter dysfunction. Although there is a wide spectrum of therapeutics available for glycemic control, owing to the identification of various pathogenic determinants of DM, management of DM remains challenging and complex. Current therapeutic interventions against DM focus mostly on glycemic control without considering the other pathological determinants that eventually lead to treatment failure and the progression of DM. Furthermore, long-term use of these conventionally available anti-diabetic drugs leads to various side effects, henceforth development of novel drugs against DM remains an unending search strategy for researchers. Various studies conducted in various parts of the world have proposed that these novel therapeutic interventions target multiple and alternate pathogenic hotspots involved in DM. The current review article discusses novel therapeutic options that hold particular promise to support their safety and discuss the side effects resulting from their use so that these novel candidate drugs can be effectively fabricated into potential drugs for the treatment of DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalase can decompose hydrogen peroxide in plants under controlled and stressed conditions. In a stressed environment, an increase in hydrogen peroxide production makes catalase activity a major defense system for plant growth. The current study was conducted to evaluate the catalase activity of the pre-isolated and identified bacterial strains Bacillus aryabhattai (AN30), Bacillus megaterium (AN24), Bacillus megaterium (AN31) and Bacillus megaterium (AN35) and their potential for rice seedling growth promotion. These strains were characterized for quantitative catalase, urease, siderophore and exopolysaccharide production using LB media. Subsequently, the effectiveness of these strains was checked by quantifying the catalase activity in the rhizosphere, roots and shoots of rice seedlings. The secretion of organic and phenolic compounds produced by the tested strains in liquid culture was also investigated. Plant growth parameters were also studied in a growth room trial. Our results showed that the strain AN24 showed the maximum catalase activity (1.36 mol cm−1), urease activity (1.35 mol cm−1) and exopolysaccharide (4.20 µg mL−1) and siderophore (2.32%) production in LB media. All tested strains showed significantly higher catalase activity in soil compared to the control. Among sole applications, strain AN24 showed better results; however, the consortium application of strains AN24 + AN30 + AN35 + AN31 showed the maximum improvement in dry biomass, shoot and root length, and increase in catalase activity of rice seedlings. The results showed that a consortium of these Bacillus strains with catalase activity has greater potential to enhance the antioxidant defense system and growth promotion of rice seedlings. However, further experimentation under natural conditions is required before using these strains as potential bioinoculants for improving rice growth and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of solar energy has shown the fastest global growth of all renewable energy sources. Efforts towards careful evaluation are required to select optimal locations for the installation of photovoltaics (PV) because their effectiveness is strongly reliant on exposure to solar irradiation. Assessing the shadows cast by nearby buildings and vegetation is essential, especially at the city scale. Due to urban complexity, conventional methods using Digital Surface Models (DSM) overestimate solar irradiation in dense urban environments. To provide further insights into this dilemma, a new modeling technique was developed for integrated 3D city modeling and solar potential assessment on building roofs using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. The methodology used hotspot analysis to validate the workflow in both site and without-site contexts (e.g., trees that shield small buildings). Field testing was conducted, covering a total area of 4975 square miles and 10,489 existing buildings. The results demonstrate a considerable impact of large, dense trees on the solar irradiation received by smaller buildings. Considering the site's context, a mean annual solar estimate of 99.97 kWh/m2/year was determined. Without considering the site context, this value increased by 9.3% (as a percentage of total rooftops) to 109.17 kWh/m2/year, with a peak in July and troughs in December and January. The study suggests that both factors have a substantial impact on solar potential estimations, emphasizing the importance of carefully considering the shadowing effect during PV panel installation. The research findings reveal that 1517 buildings in the downtown area of Austin have high estimated radiation ranging from 4.7 to 6.9 kWh/m2/day, providing valuable insights for the identification of optimal locations highly suitable for PV installation. Additionally, this methodology can be generalized to other cities, addressing the broader demand for renewable energy solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among adolescents in rural, western North Carolina (NC) remains suboptimal. Data are needed to understand the barriers to HPV vaccination in these communities. We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study of parental attitudes and provider practices regarding HPV vaccination in rural western NC counties with lower HPV vaccination rates. Eight health department clinics were enrolled in the study. Further, 29 provider and 32 parent surveys were analyzed along with environmental scans. Median provider comfort regarding knowledge of HPV-associated diseases was 85% (IQR = 75–95), on a scale of 0–100% (100% representing complete comfort). Median parental comfort level regarding knowledge of HPV-associated diseases and the HPV vaccine was 75% (IQR = 50–89) and 75% (IQR = 49–96), respectively. Less than 25% of parents rated the HPV vaccine as 'extremely effective' against genital (16.7%) and anal cancers (17.9%). Parents were more likely to rate the vaccine as 'extremely effective' to 'very effective' if their child was female. There was no significant difference between parental- and provider-reported comfort with knowledge about HPV-associated diseases (p = 0.0725) and the HPV vaccine (p = 0.167). This study identified multiple opportunities to increase HPV vaccine coverage among unvaccinated adolescents at parental, provider, and clinic levels. Health education of rural NC residents and providers in public health settings may identify future interventions to increase HPV vaccine uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WRKY transcription factors are one of the largest families of transcription regulators that play essential roles in regulating the synthesis of secondary metabolites in plants. Jasmine (Jasminum sambac), renowned for its aromatic nature and fragrant blossoms, possesses a significant abundance of volatile terpene compounds. However, the role of the WRKY family in terpene synthesis in jasmine remains undetermined. In this study, 72 WRKY family genes of J. sambac were identified with their conserved WRKY domains and were categorized into three main groups based on their structural and phylogenetic characteristics. The extensive segmental duplications contributed to the expansion of the WRKY gene family. Expression profiles derived from the transcriptome data and qRT-PCR analysis showed that the majority of JsWRKY genes were significantly upregulated in fully bloomed flowers compared to buds. Furthermore, multiple correlation analyses revealed that the expression patterns of JsWRKYs (JsWRKY27/33/45/51/55/57) were correlated with both distinct terpene compounds (monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes). Notably, the majority of jasmine terpene synthase (JsTPS) genes related to terpene synthesis and containing W-box elements exhibited a significant correlation with JsWRKYs, particularly with JsWRKY51, displaying a strong positive correlation. A subcellular localization analysis showed that JsWRKY51 was localized in the nucleus. Moreover, transgenic tobacco leaves and jasmine calli experiments demonstrated that overexpression of JsWRKY51 was a key factor in enhancing the accumulation of β-ocimene, which is an important aromatic terpene component. Collectively, our findings suggest the roles of JsWRKY51 and other JsWRKYs in regulating the synthesis of aromatic compounds in J. sambac, providing a foundation for the potential utilization of JsWRKYs to facilitate the breeding of fragrant plant varieties with an improved aroma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The judicious use of crop input is of prime importance for achieving a considerable output with a low-cost input. A two-year field experimentation was executed to assess the effect of varying polymer-coated single super phosphate (SSP) regimes on the yield and quality of sugarcane under differential water regimes. A two-factor study was executed under a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement. The CPF-249 sugarcane variety was planted during the 2019–2020 period and the 2020–2021 period. The experiment consisted of four levels of polymer-coated SSP, i.e., control, 90, 110, and 130 kg ha−1, and three water regimes, which consisted of a number of irrigations, i.e., 18 irrigations, 15 irrigations, and 12 irrigations. Moreover, the water regimes were kept in the main plot, whereas the polymer-coated supplement was allocated in a subplot and replicated thrice. The data on the yield components and sugar-related traits were recorded during both years of study, and the treatment means were differentiated using an LSD test at a 95% confidence interval. Summating the findings of this study, a significant variation was revealed under the subject levels of both factors. Statistically, a 110 kg ha−1 polymer-coated SSP dose, along with 18 irrigations, declared the highest millable canes, stripped cane yield, and unstripped cane yield, followed by the 130 kg ha−1 treatment. Additionally, the highest pol% and cane sugar recovery % were recorded under 12 irrigations along with 130 kg ha−1 during both years. Similarly, the °Brix value was also significantly affected by 12 irrigations when 110 kg ha−1 of polymer-coated SSP was used. The unstripped cane yield had a strong positive correlation with the stripped cane yield, millable canes, and the number of internodes. Moreover, the commercial cane sugar % resulted in a strong positive correlation with the pol%, whereas the cane sugar recovery % revealed a strong positive correlation with the pol% and commercial cane sugar %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous microwave-assisted flow synthesis has been used as a simple, more efficient, and low-cost route to fabricate a range of nanosized (<100 nm) strontium-substituted calcium phosphates. In this study, fine nanopowder was synthesized via a continuous flow synthesis with microwave assistance from the solutions of calcium nitrate tetrahydrate (with strontium nitrate as Sr2+ ion source) and diammonium hydrogen phosphate at pH 10 with a time duration of 5 min. The morphological characterization of the obtained powder has been carried out by employing techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis. The chemical structural analysis to evaluate the surface properties was made by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Zeta potential analysis was performed to evaluate the colloidal stability of the particles. Antimicrobial studies were performed for all the compositions using four bacterial strains and an opportunistic human fungal pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina. It was found that the nanoproduct with high strontium content (15 wt% of strontium) showed pronounced antibacterial potential against M. luteus while it completely arrested the fungal growth after 48 h by all of its concentrations. Thus the synthesis strategy described herein facilitated the rapid production of nanosized Sr-substituted CaPs with excellent biological performance suitable for a bone replacement application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is an important element of the hydrological cycle and has increased in importance due to insufficient surface water supply. Mismanagement and population growth have been identified as the main drivers of water shortage in the continent. This study aimed to derive a groundwater potential zone (GWPZ) map for Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) District, South Africa using a geographical information system (GIS)-based analytic hierarchical process (AHP) and machine learning (ML) random forest (RF) algorithm. Various hydrological, topographical, remote sensing-based, and lithological factors were employed as groundwater-controlling factors, which included precipitation, land use and land cover, lineament density, topographic wetness index, drainage density, slope, lithology, and soil properties. These factors were weighted and scaled by the AHP technique and their influence on groundwater potential. A total of 1371 borehole samples were divided into 70:30 proportions for model training (960) and model validation (411). Borehole location training data with groundwater factors were incorporated into the RF algorithm to predict GWPM. The model output was validated by the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the models' reliability was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC) score. The resulting groundwater-potential maps were derived using a weighted overlay for AHP and RF models. GWPM computed using weighted overlay classified groundwater potential zones (GWPZs) as having low (2.64%), moderate (29.88%), high (59.62%) and very high (7.86%) groundwater potential, whereas GWPZs computed using RF classified GWPZs as having low (0.05%), moderate (31.00%), high (62.80%) and very high (6.16%) groundwater potential. The RF model showed superior performance in predicting GWPZs in Nelson Mandela Bay with an AUC score of 0.81 compared to AHP with an AUC score of 0.79. The results reveal that Nelson Mandela Bay has high groundwater potential, but there is a water supply shortage, partially caused by inadequate planning, management, and capacity in identifying potential groundwater zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of foods fermented with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) serve as dietary staples in many countries. The incorporation of health-promoting probiotics into fermented milk products can have profound effects on human health. Considering the health benefits of Yakult, the current study was undertaken to develop an enriched Yakult-like fermented skimmed milk drink by the addition of two probiotic strains, namely Lacticaseibacillus casei (Lc) and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (Lr). The prepared drinks were compared in terms of various parameters, including their physicochemical properties, proximate chemical composition, mineral estimation, microbial viable count, antioxidant activity, and sensory evaluation. Each strain was employed at five different concentrations, including 1% (T1), 1.5% (T2), 2% (T3), 2.5% (T4), and 3% (T5). The prepared Yakult samples were stored at 4 °C and analyzed on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 to evaluate biochemical changes. The findings revealed that the concentration of the starter culture had a significant (p ≤ 0.05) impact on the pH value and moisture and protein contents, but had no marked impact on the fat or ash content of the developed product. With the Lc strain, Yakult's moisture content ranged from 84.25 ± 0.09 to 85.65 ± 0.13%, whereas with the Lr strain, it was from 84.24 ± 0.08 to 88.75 ± 0.13%. Protein levels reached their highest values with T5 (3% concentration). The acidity of all treatments increased significantly due to fermentation and, subsequently, pH showed a downward trend (p ≤ 0.05). The total soluble solids (TSS) content decreased during storage with Lc as compared to Lr, but the presence of carbohydrates had no appreciable impact. The drink with Lc exhibited a more uniform texture and smaller pore size than Yakult with Lr. Except for the iron values, which showed an increasing trend, the contents of other minerals decreased in increasing order of the added probiotic concentration used: 1% (T1), 1.5% (T2), 2% (T3), 2.5% (T4), and 3% (T5). The highest lactobacilli viable count of 8.69 ± 0.43 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL was observed with the T1 Lr-containing drink at the end of the storage period. Regarding the storage stability of the drink, the highest value for DPPH (88.75 ± 0.13%) was found with the T1 Lc drink on day 15, while the highest values for FRAP (4.86 ± 2.80 mmol Fe2+/L), TPC (5.97 ± 0.29 mg GAE/mL), and TFC (3.59 ± 0.17 mg GAE/mL) were found with the T5 Lr drink on day 28 of storage. However, the maximum value for ABTS (3.59 ± 0.17%) was noted with the T5 Lr drink on the first day of storage. The results of this study prove that Lc and Lr can be used in dairy-based fermented products and stored at refrigerated temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor often produces a shadow in pairs with the target due to its slant-viewing imaging. As a result, shadows in SAR images can provide critical discriminative features for classifiers, such as target contours and relative positions. However, shadows possess unique properties that differ from targets, such as low intensity and sensitivity to depression angles, making it challenging to extract depth features from shadows directly using convolutional neural networks (CNN). In this paper, we propose a new SAR image-classification framework to utilize target and shadow information comprehensively. First, we design a SAR image segmentation method to extract target regions and shadow masks. Second, based on SAR projection geometry, we propose a data-augmentation method to compensate for the geometric distortion of shadows due to differences in depression angles. Finally, we introduce a feature-enhancement module (FEM) based on depthwise separable convolution (DSC) and convolutional block attention module (CBAM), enabling deep networks to fuse target and shadow features adaptively. The experimental results on the Moving and Stationary Target Acquisition and Recognition (MSTAR) dataset show that when only using target and shadow information, the published deep-learning models can still achieve state-of-the-art performance after embedding the FEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green approaches for nanoparticle synthesis have emerged as biocompatible, economical, and environment-friendly alternatives to counteract the menace of microbial drug resistance. Recently, the utilization of honey as a green source to synthesize Fe2O3-NPs has been introduced, but its antibacterial activity against one of the opportunistic MDR pathogens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, has not been explored. Therefore, this study employed Apis mellifera honey as a reducing and capping agent for the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3-NPs). Subsequent to the characterization of nanoparticles, their antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties were appraised. In UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis, the absorption band ascribed to the SPR peak was observed at 350 nm. XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of Fe2O3-NPs, and the crystal size was deduced to be 36.2 nm. Elemental analysis by EDX validated the presence of iron coupled with oxygen in the nanoparticle composition. In ICP-MS, the highest concentration was of iron (87.15 ppm), followed by sodium (1.49 ppm) and other trace elements (<1 ppm). VSM analysis revealed weak magnetic properties of Fe2O3-NPs. Morphological properties of Fe2O3-NPs revealed by SEM demonstrated that their average size range was 100–150 nm with a non-uniform spherical shape. The antibacterial activity of Fe2O3-NPs was ascertained against 30 clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, with the largest inhibition zone recorded being 10 mm. The MIC value for Fe2O3-NPs was 30 µg/mL. However, when mingled with three selected antibiotics, Fe2O3-NPs did not affect any antibacterial activity. Momentous antioxidant (IC50 = 22 µg/mL) and anti-inflammatory (IC50 = 70 µg/mL) activities of Fe2O3-NPs were discerned in comparison with the standard at various concentrations. Consequently, honey-mediated Fe2O3-NP synthesis may serve as a substitute for orthodox antimicrobial drugs and may be explored for prospective biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time-fractional nonlinear Drinfeld–Sokolov–Wilson system, which has significance in the study of traveling waves, shallow water waves, water dispersion, and fluid mechanics, is examined in the presented work. Analytic exact solutions of the system are produced using the modified auxiliary equation method. The fractional implications on the model are examined under β -fractional derivative and a new fractional local derivative. Extracted solutions include rational, trigonometric, and hyperbolic functions with dark, periodic, and kink solitons. Additionally, by specifying values for fractional parameters, graphs are utilized to comprehend the fractional effects on the obtained solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies how weather-related factors affect crash severity and the number of fatalities from roadway crashes. We use pooled cross-section data for weather-related variables from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and crash data from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). The novelty of our paper compared to existing research is the use of weather-related factors as regressors in a multinomial logit model. We use crash severity as the dependent variable. The results show that a unit increase in the specific humidity is associated with a change in the odds of fatal crashes by a factor of 0.2195, keeping other contributory factors constant. This research also shows that an increase in temperature is associated with an increase in the odds of a fatal accident. Moreover, it is observed that a one-unit increase in precipitation results in a 1.1151-unit increase in the odds of the risk of fatal crashes compared to that of non-fatal crashes. After a detailed inspection, wind speed was discovered to be an insignificant weather parameter with regard to accident severity. Furthermore, the number of fatalities is displayed graphically in a time series to thoroughly examine the fatality trend's relationship with the monthly averaged weather variables. It is expected that the findings of this research will provide policy makers with insights into the weather-related causes of crash severity and assist in the execution of necessary measures to decrease unexpected and avoidable losses on Bangladesh's roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ticks play a pivotal role in propagating a diverse spectrum of infectious agents that detrimentally affect the health of both humans and animals. In the present study, a molecular survey was executed of piroplasmids in ticks collected from small ruminants in four districts within Konya province, Turkey. Microscopic examination identified 1281 adult ticks, which were categorized into 357 pools based on their species, sexes, host animals, and collection site before DNA extraction. The infection rates were calculated by using a maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Hyalomma detritum, H. excavatum, Rhipicephalus bursa, R. sanguineus, and R. turanicus were identified in this study. Among the five tick species identified here, R. turanicus exhibited the highest infestation rate in both goats and sheep. The presence of Babesia ovis and Theileria ovis based on 18S rRNA was confirmed using molecular assay. The overall MLE of infection rates for B. ovis and T. ovis was 2.49% (CI 1.72–3.46) and 1.46% (CI 0.87–2.23), respectively. The MLE of B. ovis and T. ovis infection rates in R. bursa was 10.80% (CI 7.43–14.90) and 0.33% (CI 0.02–1.42), respectively, while that in R. turanicus was 0.12% (CI 0.01–0.51) and 2.08% (CI 1.25–3.22). This study further confirms that R. turanicus and R. sanguineus can act as vectors for B. ovis, thus advancing our comprehension of tick-borne piroplasmids epidemiology and providing valuable insights for the development of effective control strategies for ticks and tick-borne diseases in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In smart home environments, the interaction between a remote user and devices commonly occurs through a gateway, necessitating the need for robust user authentication. Despite numerous state-of-the-art user-authentication schemes proposed over the years, these schemes still suffer from security vulnerabilities exploited by the attackers. One severe physical attack is the node capture attack, which allows adversaries to compromise the security of the entire scheme. This research paper advances the state of the art by conducting a security analysis of user-authentication approaches regarding their vulnerability to node capture attacks resulting in revelations of several security weaknesses. To this end, we propose a secure user-authentication scheme to counter node capture attacks in smart home environments. To validate the effectiveness of our proposed scheme, we employ the BAN logic and ProVerif tool for verification. Lastly, we conduct performance analysis to validate the lightweight nature of our user-authentication scheme, making it suitable for IoT-based smart home environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microenvironment of most tumors is complex, comprising numerous aspects of immunosuppression. Several studies have indicated that the adrenergic system is vital for controlling immunological responses. In the context of the tumor microenvironment, nor-adrenaline (NA) is poured in by innervating nerves and tumor tissues itself. The receptors for nor-adrenaline are present on the surfaces of cancer and immune cells and are often involved in the activation of pro-tumoral signaling pathways. Beta2-adrenergic receptors (β2-ARs) are an emerging class of receptors that are capable of modulating the functioning of immune cells. β2-AR is reported to activate regulatory immune cells and inhibit effector immune cells. Blocking β2-AR increases activation, proliferation, and cytokine release of T lymphocytes. Moreover, β2-AR deficiency during metabolic reprogramming of T cells increases mitochondrial membrane potential and biogenesis. In the view of the available research data, the immunosuppressive role of β2-AR in T cells presents it as a targetable checkpoint in CAR-T cell therapies. In this review, we have abridged the contemporary knowledge about adrenergic-stress-mediated β2-AR activation on T lymphocytes inside tumor milieu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Duroc boars were supplemented by sodium selenite or selenium nanoparticles at the dose of 0.3 mg Se/kg/day for 126 days. Sampling was carried out at days 0, 42, 84 and 126. Sperm qualitative parameters and antioxidant activity were compared with those of the control group (without selenium supplementation). The findings indicate that SeNPs slightly improved GPx activity, and both SeNPs and sodium selenite influenced the antioxidant capacity of semen. This research also showed that both treatments did not affect semen qualitative parameters based on comparisons with the control group. Selenium is an essential compound which can influence the fertility of boars by a greater margin. In past decades, research was mainly focused on a bioavailability of various selenium forms and the effect on semen quality. Recently, nanotechnology has expanded the possibilities of selenium supplementation research. Twenty-one Duroc boars (three groups with seven boars each) were included in this experiment with the first group being a control group with no selenium supplementation, and the second group being supplemented with 0.3 mg Se/kg of selenium in inorganic form of Na2SeO3. The third group was supplemented with selenium nanoparticles (100 nm) at the same dose as that of the second group. The experiment lasted for 126 days (three spermatogenesis cycles of boars) and the antioxidant parameters of boar semen were analysed at 42, 84 and 126 days, respectively. The antioxidant parameters (DPPH, FRAP, DMPD, GSH, GSSG) were not influenced by both Se2NO3 and selenium nanoparticle supplementation during this experiment. At the end of the monitored period, significantly higher (p < 0.004) antioxidant readings were observed by using the ABTS method but not the DPPH, DMPD and FRAP methods on the supplemented groups compared to the control. Moreover, selenium-nanoparticle-supplemented groups showed elevated glutathione peroxidase activity in the seminal fluid (p < 0.008). However, the selenium nanoparticle supplementation has not shown an improving effect on sperm quality. This could be considered as a safe alternative to inorganic selenium as well as having a potential to enhance the antioxidant properties of the semen of boars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbes are the most significant ubiquitous pathogens that cause serious infections in freshwater fish, leading to tremendous economic losses. The present study was designed to investigate the extent of changes in cytokine expression, hemato-biochemical parameters, and tissue histology of Cirrhinus mrigala (C. mrigala) challenged with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxysporum). Fish were divided into three major groups: control, P. aeruginosa-challenged, and F. oxysporum-challenged. The infection in both challenge assays was allowed to progress until 7 days post infection. Upregulated expression of TNF-α and IL-1β was found in blood, gills, livers, and kidneys of the challenged fish. Significant differences were noted in hematological parameters of challenged fish. Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline aminotransferase levels also showed significant differences in infected and control groups. An increase in serum albumin and globulin and a decrease in total protein were noted in infected groups as compared to the control group. Severe histological alterations were noted in gill, liver, and kidney tissues of the infected groups as compared to control. The order of histological alteration index for P. aeruginosa challenge was liver > kidney > gills, and for F. oxysporum challenge it was kidney > liver > gills. These changes in fish infected by P. aeruginosa and F. oxysporum can be used as an effective and subtle index to monitor the physiological and pathological conditions of fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibacterial restorative materials against caries-causing bacteria are highly preferred among high-risk patients, such as the elderly, and patients with metabolic diseases such as diabetes. This study aimed to enhance the antibacterial potential of resin composite with Magnesium-doped Zinc oxide (Mg-doped ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) and to look for their effectiveness in the alloxan-induced diabetic model. Hexagonal Mg-doped ZnO NPs (22.3 nm diameter) were synthesized by co-precipitation method and characterized through ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The Mg-doped ZnO NPs (1, 2.5 and 5% w/w) were then evaluated for antibacterial activity using a closed system in vitro biofilm model. Significant enhancement in the antibacterial properties was observed in composites with 1% Mg-doped ZnO compared to composites with bare ZnO reinforced NPs (Streptococcus mutans, p = 0.0005; Enterococcus faecalis, p = 0.0074, Saliva microcosm, p < 0.0001; Diabetic Saliva microcosm, p < 0.0001). At 1–2.5% Mg-doped ZnO NPs concentration, compressive strength and biocompatibility of composites were not affected. The pH buffering effect was also achieved at these concentrations, hence not allowing optimal conditions for the anaerobic bacteria to grow. Furthermore, composites with Mg-doped ZnO prevented secondary caries formation in the secondary caries model of alloxan-induced diabetes. Therefore, Mg-doped ZnO NPs are highly recommended as an antibacterial agent for resin composites to avoid biofilm and subsequent secondary caries formation in high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofilm formation in the resin-composite interface is a major challenge for resin-based dental composites. Using doped z nanoparticles (NPs) to enhance the antibacterial properties of resin composites can be an effective approach to prevent this. The present study focused on the effectiveness of Selenium-doped ZnO (Se/ZnO) NPs as an antibacterial nanofiller in resin composites and their impact on their mechanical properties. Pristine and Se/ZnO NPs were synthesized by the mechanochemical method and confirmed through UV-Vis Spectroscopy, FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) analysis, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) crystallography, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Zeta analysis. The resin composites were then modified by varying concentrations of pristine and Se/ZnO NPs. A single species (S. mutans and E. faecalis) and a saliva microcosm model were utilized for antibacterial analysis. Hemolytic assay and compressive strength tests were also performed to test the modified composite resin's cytotoxicity and mechanical strength. When incorporated into composite resin, 1% Se/ZnO NPs showed higher antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, and higher mechanical strength when compared to composites with 1% ZnO NPs. The Se/ZnO NPs has been explored for the first time as an efficient antibacterial nanofiller for resin composites and showed effectiveness at lower concentrations, and hence can be an effective candidate in preventing secondary caries by limiting biofilm formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in the presence of almond oil at various molar ratios of zinc acetate and sodium hydroxide, including 0.5:1, 0.75:1, 1:1, 1.25:1, and 1.5:1, to obtain pH values of 11, 10, 9, 8, and 7, respectively. The XRD results revealed that ZnO NPs exhibit a hexagonal structure, with high crystallinity. SEM results showed that dense and large sized ZnO NPs were formed at pH 11, and relatively small (~30–40 nm) NPs were obtained at pH 9. The size distribution can be explained in terms of the presence of O H − ions at different pH levels. However, the larger size of the NPs at pH 7 compared to those at pH 8–11 were due to the coalescence of NPs suitable for antioxidant/antibacterial activities. ZnO NPs demonstrated a high degradation efficiency (~93%) in 90 min, with a high rate constant for Methyl Orange (MO), which is better than the previously reported rate. The larger sized almond oil capped ZnO NPs also showed excellent radical scavenging activity (94%) and are proven to be good carriers to resist Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shoplifting poses a significant challenge for shop owners as well as other stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies. In recent years, the task of shoplifting detection has gained the interest of researchers due to video surveillance generating vast quantities of data that cannot be processed in real-time by human staff. In previous studies, different datasets and methods have been developed for the task of shoplifting detection. However, there is a lack of a large benchmark dataset containing different behaviors of shoplifting and standard methods for the task of shoplifting detection. To overcome this limitation, in this study, a large benchmark dataset has been developed, having 900 instances with 450 cases of shoplifting and 450 of non-shoplifting with manual annotation based on five different ways of shoplifting. Moreover, a method for the detection of shoplifting is proposed for evaluating the developed dataset. The dataset is also evaluated with methods as baseline methods, including 2D CNN and 3D CNN. Our proposed method, which is a combination of Inception V3 and BILSTM, outperforms all baseline methods with 81 % accuracy. The developed dataset will be publicly available to foster in various areas related to human activity recognition. These areas encompass the development of systems for detecting behaviors such as robbery, identifying human movements, enhancing safety measures, and detecting instances of theft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizoctonia solani is one of the most common soil-borne fungal pathogens of legume crops worldwide. We collected rDNA-ITS sequences from NCBI GenBank, and the aim of this study was to examine the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of various R. solani anastomosis groups (AGs) that are commonly associated with grain legumes (such as soybean, common bean, pea, peanut, cowpea, and chickpea) and forage legumes (including alfalfa and clover). Soybean is recognized as a host for multiple AGs, with AG-1 and AG-2 being extensively investigated. This is evidenced by the higher representation of sequences associated with these AGs in the NCBI GenBank. Other AGs documented in soybean include AG-4, AG-7, AG-11, AG-5, AG-6, and AG-9. Moreover, AG-4 has been extensively studied concerning its occurrence in chickpea, pea, peanut, and alfalfa. Research on the common bean has been primarily focused on AG-2, AG-4, and AG-1. Similarly, AG-1 has been the subject of extensive investigation in clover and cowpea. Collectively, AG-1, AG-2, and AG-4 have consistently been identified and studied across these diverse legume crops. The phylogenetic analysis of R. solani isolates across different legumes indicates that the distinct clades or subclades formed by the isolates correspond to their specific anastomosis groups (AGs) and subgroups, rather than being determined by their host legume crop. Additionally, there is a high degree of sequence similarity among isolates within the same clade or subclade. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) further supports this finding, as isolates belonging to the same AGs and/or subgroups cluster together, irrespective of their host legume. Therefore, the observed clustering of R. solani AGs and subgroups without a direct association with the host legume crop provides additional support for the concept of AGs in understanding the genetic relationships and evolution of R. solani. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green hydrogen energy has captivated researchers and is regarded as a feasible option for future energy-related aspirations. The emerging awareness of renewable energy-driven hydrogen generation and carbon dioxide reduction calls for the use of unconventional schematic tools in the fabrication of nanocatalyst systems. Transition metal phosphides are state-of-art, cost-effective, noble-metal-free materials that have been comprehensively examined for sustainable energy-driven applications. Recent reports on these advanced functional materials have cemented their candidature as high-performance catalytic systems for hydrogen production and for carbon dioxide conversion into value-added chemical feedstock. Bimetallic NiCoP (238.2 mmol g−1 h−1) exhibits top-notch catalytic competence toward photocatalytic HER that reveals the energy-driven application of a pristine class of TMPs, whereas heterostructured Ni2P/CdS was found to be fit for photochemical CO2 reduction, as well as for HER. On the other hand, pristine Ni2P was recently ascertained as an efficient electrocatalytic system for HER and CO2RR applications. A wide array of physicochemical modulations, such as compositional and structural engineering, defect generation, and facet control, have been used for improving the catalytic efficiency of transition metal phosphide nanostructures. In this review, we succinctly discuss the proficiency of transition metal phosphides in green hydrogen production and carbon dioxide conversion via photochemical and electrochemical pathways. We detail the significance of their structural properties and brief the readers about the synthetic advancements without deviating from our goal of summarizing the recent achievements in energy-driven applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to evaluate the quality of drinking water and assess the potential health hazards due to water contaminants in selected urban areas of Lahore, Pakistan. Water samples were collected from ten sites and analyzed for different physico-chemical parameters including turbidity, color, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrates, fluoride, residual chlorine, and total hardness. Additionally, heavy metal (arsenic) and microbial parameters (E. coli) were also determined in the water samples. Drinking water quality evaluation indices, including the water quality index (WQI) for physico-chemical and biological parameters and human health risk assessment (HHRA) for heavy metal were estimated using the analytical results of the target parameters. It was found in most of the areas that the levels of arsenic, fluoride, TDS, and residual chlorine were higher than those recommended by the National Environmental Quality Standard (NEQS) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. In addition to the physico-chemical parameters, microbial content (E. coli) was also found in the drinking water samples of the selected areas. Statistical analysis of the results indicated that levels of target parameters in drinking water samples are significantly different between sampling sites. The WQI for all physico-chemical and microbial parameters indicated that drinking water in most of the areas was unfit and unsuitable (WQI > 100) for drinking purposes except for the water of Bhatti Gate and Chota Gaon Shahdara with a WQI of 87 and 91, respectively. Drinking water in these areas had a very poor WQI rating. According to HHRA, drinking water from the selected sites was found to be of high risk to children and adults. The carcinogenic risk of arsenic indicated that all samples were of high risk to both adults and children (4.60 and 4.37 × 10−3, respectively). Regular monitoring of drinking water quality is essential, and proactive measures must be implemented to ensure the treatment and availability of safe drinking water in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Given the potential impact of climate change on the distributions of endemic species, it is critical to implement species recovery and habitat management measures to protect threatened species. This study used MaxEnt modeling to assess the species' habitat suitability in varying climate scenarios in the Western Himalayas and identified ten influential drivers. Our field-based observations of Tragopan melanocephalus show that the species typically lives at elevations between 1850 and 3800 m, which is consistent with the species' reported affinity for extremely high elevations between 1500 and 4000 m above sea level. Our findings reveal that areas with high and moderate suitability for the species are patchily distributed throughout the Western Himalayas, ranging from northeastern Pakistan to central Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Moreover, there are continuous strips of highly suitable habitats along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, in the Kashmir region, and in the Annapurna region of Uttarakhand. The study observed that the Western Tragopan's habitat suitability may increase under future climate change scenarios, but additional research is needed to avert population collapses and identify other potential drivers of local extinction occurrences. To support increased biodiversity and lower risks under current and anticipated future climatic conditions, it is advised that the suitable areas identified be designated as nature reserves. According to the study's findings, a more effective wildlife management strategy might significantly help with the reintroduction of the Tragopan melanocephalus population into its suitable habitats in western Himalaya, thereby advancing the global objectives set for the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration targets (2021–2030). The impact of a changing climate, particularly global warming, often harms the distribution of pheasants, particularly those with limited endemic ranges. To effectively create plans of action aimed at conserving species facing threats such as the Western Tragopan, (Tragopan melanocephalus; Gray, 1829; Galliformes, found in the western Himalayas), it is crucial to understand how future distributions may be affected by anticipated climate change. This study utilized MaxEnt modeling to assess how suitable the habitat of the targeted species is likely to be under different climate scenarios. While similar studies have been conducted regionally, there has been no research on this particular endemic animal species found in the western Himalayas throughout the entire distribution range. The study utilized a total of 200 occurrence points; 19 bioclimatic, four anthropogenic, three topographic, and a vegetation variable were also used. To determine the most fitting model, species distribution modeling (SDM) was employed, and the MaxEnt calibration and optimization techniques were utilized. Data for projected climate scenarios of the 2050s and 2070s were obtained from SSPs 245 and SSPs 585. Among all the variables analyzed; aspect, precipitation of coldest quarter, mean diurnal range, enhanced vegetation index, precipitation of driest month, temperature seasonality, annual precipitation, human footprint, precipitation of driest quarter, and temperature annual range were recognized as the most influential drivers, in that order. The predicted scenarios had high accuracy values (AUC-ROC > 0.9). Based on the feedback provided by the inhabitants, it was observed that the livability of the selected species could potentially rise (between 3.7 to 13%) in all projected scenarios of climate change, because this species is relocating towards the northern regions of the elevation gradient, which is farther from the residential areas, and their habitats are shrinking. The suitable habitats of the Tragopan melanocephalus in the Himalayan region will move significantly by 725 m upwards, because of predicted climate change. However, the fact that the species is considered extinct in most areas and only found in small patches suggests that further research is required to avert a further population decline and delineate the reasons leading to the regional extinction of the species. The results of this study can serve as a foundation for devising conservation strategies for Tragopan melanocephalus under the changing climate and provide a framework for subsequent surveillance efforts aimed at protecting the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Sepsis-related liver failure is associated with a particularly unfavorable clinical outcome. Calorie restriction is a well-established factor that can increase tissue resilience, protect against liver failure and improve outcome in preclinical models of bacterial sepsis. However, the underlying molecular basis is difficult to investigate in animal studies and remains largely unknown. Methods: We have used an immortalized hepatocyte line as a model of the liver parenchyma to uncover the role of caloric restriction in the resilience of hepatocytes to inflammatory cell damage. In addition, we applied genetic and pharmacological approaches to investigate the contribution of the three major intracellular nutrient/energy sensor systems, AMPK, mTORC1 and mTORC2, in this context. Results: We demonstrate that starvation reliably protects hepatocytes from cellular damage caused by pro-inflammatory cytokines. While the major nutrient- and energy-related signaling pathways AMPK, mTORC2/Akt and mTORC1 responded to caloric restriction as expected, mTORC1 was paradoxically activated by inflammatory stress in starved, energy-deprived hepatocytes. Pharmacological inhibition of mTORC1 or genetic silencing of the mTORC1 scaffold Raptor, but not its mTORC2 counterpart Rictor, abrogated the protective effect of starvation and exacerbated inflammation-induced cell death. Remarkably, mTORC1 activation in starved hepatocytes was uncoupled from the regulation of autophagy, but crucial for sustained protein synthesis in starved resistant cells. Conclusions: AMPK engagement and paradoxical mTORC1 activation and signaling mediate protection against pro-inflammatory stress exerted by caloric restriction in hepatocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]