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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) poses a complex challenge to researchers and practitioners, with its multifaceted etiology and varied manifestations. Timely intervention is critical in enhancing the developmental outcomes of individuals with ASD. This paper underscores the paramount significance of early detection and diagnosis as a pivotal precursor to effective intervention. To this end, integrating advanced technological tools, specifically eye-tracking technology and deep learning algorithms, is investigated for its potential to discriminate between children with ASD and their typically developing (TD) peers. By employing these methods, the research aims to contribute to refining early detection strategies and support mechanisms. This study introduces innovative deep learning models grounded in convolutional neural network (CNN) and recurrent neural network (RNN) architectures, employing an eye-tracking dataset for training. Of note, performance outcomes have been realised, with the bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) achieving an accuracy of 96.44%, the gated recurrent unit (GRU) attaining 97.49%, the CNN-LSTM hybridising to 97.94%, and the LSTM achieving the most remarkable accuracy result of 98.33%. These outcomes underscore the efficacy of the applied methodologies and the potential of advanced computational frameworks in achieving substantial accuracy levels in ASD detection and classification.

This study presents a novel methodology for automating the classification of pediatric ADHD using electroencephalogram (EEG) biomarkers through machine learning and deep learning techniques. The primary objective is to develop accurate EEG-based screening tools to aid clinical diagnosis and enable early intervention for ADHD. The proposed system utilizes a publicly available dataset consisting of raw EEG recordings from 61 individuals with ADHD and 60 control subjects during a visual attention task. The methodology involves meticulous preprocessing of raw EEG recordings to isolate brain signals and extract informative features, including time, frequency, and entropy signal characteristics. The feature selection techniques, including least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regularization and recursive elimination, were applied to identify relevant variables and enhance generalization. The obtained features are processed by employing various machine learning and deep learning algorithms, namely CatBoost, Random Forest Decision Trees, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), and Long Short-Term Memory Networks (LSTMs). The empirical results of the proposed algorithms highlight the effectiveness of feature selection approaches in matching informative biomarkers with optimal model classes. The convolutional neural network model achieves superior testing accuracy of 97.75% using LASSO-regularized biomarkers, underscoring the strengths of deep learning and customized feature optimization. The proposed framework advances EEG analysis to uncover discriminative patterns, significantly contributing to the field of ADHD screening and diagnosis. The suggested methodology achieved high performance compared with different existing systems based on AI approaches for diagnosing ADHD.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or autism, can be diagnosed based on a lack of behavioral skills and social communication. The most prominent method of diagnosing ASD in children is observing the child’s behavior, including some of the signs that the child repeats. Hand flapping is a common stimming behavior in children with ASD. This research paper aims to identify children’s abnormal behavior, which might be a sign of autism, using videos recorded in a natural setting during the children’s regular activities. Specifically, this study seeks to classify self-stimulatory activities, such as hand flapping, as well as normal behavior in real-time. Two deep learning video classification methods are used to be trained on the publicly available Self-Stimulatory Behavior Dataset (SSBD). The first method is VGG-16-LSTM; VGG-16 to spatial feature extraction and long short-term memory networks (LSTM) for temporal features. The second method is a long-term recurrent convolutional network (LRCN) that learns spatial and temporal features immediately in end-to-end training. The VGG-16-LSTM achieved 0.93% on the testing set, while the LRCN model achieved an accuracy of 0.96% on the testing set.

Water tunnels are one of the oldest hydro-technologies for extracting water resources and/or transmitting them through water distribution systems. In the past, human societies have used tunneling for various purposes, including development, as a measure to enable underground resource extraction and the construction of transportation networks in challenging landscapes and topographies. The development of hydro-technology potentially involves the construction of tunnels to feed aqueducts, irrigation and waste water systems. Thus, the ability to make and maintain tunnels became an important component in creating lasting and sustainable water systems, which increased water supply and security, minimized construction costs, and reduced environmental impact. Thus, this review asks how, when and why human societies of the past included tunneling for the development of lasting water supply systems. This review presents a comprehensive overview across time and space, covering the history of tunneling in hydro technology from antiquity to the present, and it ponders how past experiences could impact on future hydro-technological projects involving tunneling. A historical review of tunnel systems enhances our understanding of the potential, performance, challenges, and prospects associated with the use of hydro-techniques. In the past, as the different examples in time and space demonstrate, tunneling was often dedicated to solving local problems of supply and disposal. However, across the world, some features were repeated, including the need for carving through the living rock or digging to create tunnels covered with stone slabs. Also, the world-wide use of extensive and costly tunnel systems indicates the high level of investment which human societies are willing to make for securing control over and with its water resources. This study helps us to gather inspiration from proven technologies of the past and more recent knowledge of water tunnel design and construction. As we face global warming and its derivate problems, including problems of water scarcity and flooding, the ability to create and maintain tunnels remains an important technology for the future.

CD45 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is located on the surface of all leukocytes and modulates both innate and adaptive immune system functions. In a recent study, inflammation modulated the CD45 expression in leukocytes, but the effect on the expression of CD45 subtypes is unknown. In the present study, we therefore investigated the effect of inflammatory conditions in humans (surgery, sepsis) and ex vivo incubation with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on the expression of the subtypes CD45RA and CD45RO in granulocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes. Whole blood samples were obtained from healthy volunteers, postoperative patients, and patients with sepsis at day 1 of diagnosis, respectively. Samples were incubated with fluorescent antibodies directed against CD45, CD45RA and CD45RO in the absence and presence of lipopolysaccharide and subjected to flow cytometry. In comparison to volunteers, CD45RA surface expression in postoperative and septic patients was reduced by 89% exclusively on granulocytes, but not on lymphocytes or monocytes. In contrast, CD45RO was exclusively reduced on lymphocytes, by 82%, but not on other cell types. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses demonstrated that CD45RA (on granulocytes) and CD45RO (on lymphocytes) allow a good differentiation of volunteers and patients with sepsis (AUC = 0.9; p = 0.0001). The addition of LPS to the whole blood samples obtained from volunteers, postoperative patients, and septic patients markedly increased the CD45RO expression in granulocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes. In contrast, LPS reduced CD45RA exclusively on monocytes. In conclusion, the surface expression of CD45RA and CD45RO is regulated in inflammation in a cell-type- and stimulus-specific manner. Considering that CD45 subtypes are critically involved in immune system signaling, the pathophysiologic and diagnostic implications warrant further investigation.

Floods are one of the most dangerous natural disasters, causing great destruction, damage, and even fatalities worldwide. Flooding is the phenomenon of a sudden increase or even slow increase in the volume of water in a river or stream bed as the result of several possible factors: heavy or very long precipitation, melting snowpack, strong winds over the water, unusually high tides, tsunamis, or the failure of dams, gages, detention basins, or other structures that hold back water. To gain a better understanding of flooding, it is necessary to examine evidence, search for ancient wisdom, and compare flood-management practices in different regions in a chronological perspective. This study reviews flood events caused by rising sea levels and erratic weather from ancient times to the present. In addition, this review contemplates concerns about future flood challenges and possible countermeasures. Thus, it presents a catalogue of past examples in order to present a point of departure for the study of ancient floods and to learn lessons for preparation for future flood incidents including heavy rainfalls, particularly in urbanized areas. The study results show that ancient societies developed multifaceted technologies to cope with floods and many of them are still usable now and may even represent solutions and measures to counter the changing and increasingly more erratic weather of the present.

Selecting candidates for a specific job or nominating a person for a specific position takes time and effort due to the need to search for the individual’s file. Ultimately, the hiring decision may not be successful. However, artificial intelligence helps organizations or companies choose the right person for the right job. In addition, artificial intelligence contributes to the selection of harmonious working teams capable of achieving an organization’s strategy and goals. This study aimed to contribute to the development of machine-learning models to analyze and cluster personality traits and classify applicants to conduct correct hiring decisions for particular jobs and identify their weaknesses and strengths. Helping applicants to succeed while managing work and training employees with weaknesses is necessary to achieving an organization’s goals. Applying the proposed methodology, we used a publicly available Big-Five-personality-traits-test dataset to conduct the analyses. Preprocessing techniques were adopted to clean the dataset. Moreover, hypothesis testing was performed using Pearson’s correlation approach. Based on the testing results, we concluded that a positive relationship exists between four personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness), and a negative correlation occurred between neuroticism traits and the four traits. This dataset was unlabeled. However, we applied the K-mean clustering algorithm to the data-labeling task. Furthermore, various supervised machine-learning models, such as random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), and AdaBoost, were used for classification purposes. The experimental results revealed that the SVM attained the highest results, with an accuracy of 98%, outperforming the other classification models. This study adds to the current literature and body of knowledge through examining the extent of the application of artificial intelligence in the present and, potentially, the future of human-resource management. Our results may be of significance to companies, organizations and their leaders and human-resource executives, in addition to human-resource professionals.

Healthy coastal sabkhas (sabkha is an Arabic term for a salt flat) offer plenty of ecosystem services including climate change mitigation. However, fewer research studies were conducted at coastal sabkhas compared to other coastal marshes. This study was conducted in a total of ten coastal sabkha sites with different vegetation covers along the southern Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. The main objectives were to model and predict the distribution of volumetric soil organic carbon (SOC) density (kg C/m3) and cumulative SOC stocks (kg C/m2) using three different mathematic functions (allometric, exponential, and sigmoid) based on sampled and observed soil carbon (C) data (total of 125 soil cores = 1250 soil samples). Sigmoid function showed the greatest fit for predicting the distribution of volumetric SOC density over soil profile depth with mean Adj. R2 = 0.9978, 0.9611, and 0.9623 for vegetation cover of >25–50, >50–75, and >75–100%, respectively. For modeling the cumulative SOC stocks, both validation indices and p of the t-test confirmed that using the exponential function is the most appropriate to be used for predicting the SOC stock among different vegetation covers. Moreover, assessing the topsoil concentration factors (TCFs) showed that the distribution of the SOC content is impacted to a great extent by the vegetation cover at coastal sabkhas. Sampling the soil parameter of interest to estimate the SOC stocks is constrained by time and cost. Therefore, using the exponential function for predicting the distribution of cumulative SOC stocks at coastal sabkhas over soil profile depth is appropriate and promising for mapping SOC stocks at both regional and global spatial scales.

There has been increasing focus on conserving coastal ecosystems as they have been recognized as high ecosystem carbon stocks and are in the process of land conversion. The present study aims to examine how different vegetation covers impact the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in coastal sabkhas. To this end, the study was carried out at ten sampling sites represent ten sabkhas in Saudi Arabia’s southern Red Sea coast for two main goals: (1) to examine the vertical distribution of SOC content, SOC density, and the soil bulk density (SBD) based on different vegetation covers, and (2) to assess these locations’ SOC stocks. This study posits that sabkhas with different vegetation covers had distinct parameters specified above. Significant SBD differences were observed in sabkhas with different vegetation covers, with the lowest mean values of sabkhas having >75–100% vegetation cover and the highest mean values of sabkhas having 0–25% vegetation cover. The studied sabkhas also showed significant difference in the total means of SOC density, SOC content, and SOC stock in terms of different vegetation covers, with the highest mean values of sabkhas having >75–100% vegetation cover and the lowest mean of sabkhas having 0–25% vegetation cover. The present study is the first to focus on Saudi Arabia’s sabkha blue carbon stocks and its results can help add to the literature on sabkhas carbon stock, thus aiding relevant government agencies working towards sabkhas management, encouraging public awareness regarding sabkhas conservation stocks, and their part in climate change mitigation.

Veterans with difficult-to-diagnose conditions who receive care in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system can be referred for evaluation at one of three specialty VA War-Related Illness and Injury Study Centers (WRIISC). Veterans of the 1990–1991 Gulf War have long experienced excess rates of chronic symptoms associated with the condition known as Gulf War Illness (GWI), with hundreds evaluated at the WRIISC. Here we provide the first report from a cohort of 608 Gulf War Veterans seen at the WRIISC who completed questionnaires on chronic symptoms (>6 months) consistent with GWI as well as prominent exposures during Gulf War deployment. These included veterans’ reports of hearing chemical alarms/donning Military-Ordered Protective Posture Level 4 (MOPP4) gear, pesticide use, and use of pyridostigmine bromide (PB) pills as prophylaxis against the effects of nerve agents. Overall, veterans in the cohort were highly symptomatic and reported a high degree of exposures. In multivariable models, these exposures were significantly associated with moderate-to-severe chronic symptoms in neurocognitive/mood, fatigue/sleep, and pain domains. Specifically, exposure to pesticides was associated with problems with concentration and memory, problems sleeping, unrefreshing sleep, and joint pain. Use of MOPP4 was associated with light sensitivity and unrefreshing sleep and use of PB was associated with depression. We also evaluated the association of exposures with symptom summary scores based on veterans’ severity of symptoms in four domains and overall. In multivariable modeling, the pain symptom severity score was significantly associated with pesticide use (Odds ratio (OR): 4.13, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.78–9.57) and taking PB pills (OR: 2.28, 95% CI: 1.02–5.09), and overall symptom severity was significantly associated with use of PB pills (OR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.01–5.75). Conclusion: Decades after deployment, Gulf War veterans referred to a VA tertiary evaluation center report a high burden of chronic symptoms, many of which were associated with reported neurotoxicant exposures during the war.

Proton conducting nanocomposite solid polymer electrolytes (NSPEs) based on polyvinyl alcohol/ammonium nitrate (PVA/NH4NO3) and different contents of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have been prepared using the casting solution method. The XRD analysis revealed that the sample with 2 wt.% ZnO-NPs has a high amorphous content. The ionic conductivity analysis for the prepared membranes has been carried out over a wide range of frequencies at varying temperatures. Impedance analysis shows that sample with 2 wt.% ZnO-NPs has a smaller bulk resistance compared to that of undoped polymer electrolyte. A small amount of ZnO-NPs was found to enhance the proton-conduction significantly; the highest obtainable room-temperature ionic conductivity was 4.71 × 10−4 S/cm. The effect of ZnO-NP content on the transport parameters of the prepared proton-conducting NSPEs was investigated using the Rice–Roth model; the results reveal that the increase in ionic conductivity is due to an increment in the number of proton ions and their mobility.

The application of sewage sludge (SS) in agriculture is an alternative disposal method for wastewater recycling and soil fertilization. This study evaluated heavy metal bioaccumulation, growth, and yield of Pisum sativum (pea) grown in agricultural soil amended with SS at rates of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 g/kg. The results show that root, shoot, pod length, biomass, and number of leaves and pods increased with SS amendments of 10 and 20 g/kg, while rates declined at 30 and 40 g/kg. SS had greater salinity and organic content than the soil. Heavy metals in the postharvest soil samples increased for all SS application rates except Fe and Mo. The significant increase in Cd content started at the lowest amendment rate 10 g/kg; for Co, Mn, and Pb, the significant increase was detected at the highest amendment rate (40 g/kg). Generally, all heavy metals increased significantly in portions of P. sativum except Cd in the shoot. At an amendment rate of 10 g/kg, Co in the shoot and root, Cr in the fruit, Cu in the root, Fe in the fruit, Mn in the shoot and fruit, Mo in the fruit, Pb in the shoot, and Zn in the fruit were elevated significantly. In contrast, the concentrations of Cd in the fruit, Cr in the root, Cu in the shoot, Fe in the shoot and root, Ni in the fruit and root, Pb in the fruit and root, and Zn in the root significantly increased only at the highest rate of 40 g/kg. The highest regression R2 was 0.927 for Mn in pods and the lowest was 0.154 for Cd in shoots. Bioaccumulation and translocation factors were > 1 for Mo and the bioaccumulation of Pb was >1. SS could be used for pea fertilization but only at rates below 20 g/kg to avoid environmental and health hazards.

Cannabis is one of the most commonly used illicit recreational drugs that is often taken for medicinal purposes. The psychoactive ingredient in cannabis is Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC, hereafter referred to as THC), which is an agonist at the endocannabinoid receptors CB1R and CB2R. Here, we exposed zebrafish embryos to THC during the gastrulation phase to determine the long-term effects during development. We specifically focused on reticulospinal neurons known as the Mauthner cells (M-cell) that are involved in escape response movements. The M- cells are born during gastrulation, thus allowing us to examine neuronal morphology of neurons born during the time of exposure. After the exposure, embryos were allowed to develop normally and were examined at two days post-fertilization for M-cell morphology and escape responses. THC treated embryos exhibited subtle alterations in M-cell axon diameter and small changes in escape response dynamics to touch. Because escape responses were altered, we also examined muscle fiber development. The fluorescent labelling of red and white muscle fibers showed that while muscles were largely intact, the fibers were slightly disorganized with subtle but significant changes in the pattern of expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. However, there were no overt changes in the expression of nicotinic receptor subunit mRNA ascertained by qPCR. Embryos were allowed to further develop until 5 dpf, when they were examined for overall levels of movement. Animals exposed to THC during gastrulation exhibited reduced activity compared with vehicle controls. Together, these findings indicate that zebrafish exposed to THC during the gastrula phase exhibit small changes in neuronal and muscle morphology that may impact behavior and locomotion.

Bacteriophage (phage) AP1 has been reported to effectively lyse Acidovorax oryzae , the causative agent of bacterial brown stripe in rice. However, phage AP1 exhibits strain-specific lysis patterns. In order to enhance the potential of phages for biological control of rice bacterial brown stripe, this study investigated the possible mechanism of strain-specific infection by characterizing phage AP1 and its susceptible (RS-2) and resistant (RS-1) strains. Based on the current classification standards and available database information, phage AP1 was classified into the class Caudoviricetes , and it is a kind of podophage. Comparative analysis of the susceptible and resistant strains showed no significant differences in growth kinetics, motility, biofilm formation, or effector Hcp production. Interestingly, the resistant strain demonstrated enhanced virulence compared to the susceptible strain. Prokaryotic expression studies indicated that six putative structural proteins of phage AP1 exhibited varying degrees of binding affinity (1.90-9.15%) to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, pull-down assays and bacterial two-hybrid analyses revealed that only gp66 can interact with four host proteins, which were identified as glycosyltransferase, RcnB, ClpB, and ImpB through immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analyses. The role of LPS in the specific infection mechanism of phage AP1 was further elucidated through the construction of knockout mutant strains and complementary strains targeting a unique gene cluster ( wbzB , wbzC , wbzE , and wbzF ) involved in LPS precursor biosynthesis. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms of phage-host specificity, which are crucial for the effective application of phage AP1 in controlling rice bacterial brown stripe.

Salinity is a major abiotic stress that affects the agricultural sector and poses a significant threat to sustainable crop production. Nanoparticles (NPs) act as biostimulants and significantly mitigate abiotic stress. In this context, this experiment was designed to assess the effects of foliar application of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles at 200 and 400 ppm on the growth of eggplant ( Solanum melongena ) seedlings under moderate (75 mM) and high (150 mM) salinity stress. The TiO 2 -NPs employed were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The seedlings were assessed physiologically, growth-wise, and biochemically. The seedlings were significantly affected by their physiological attributes (Fv'/Fm', Fv/Fm, NPQ), growth (root length, shoot length, number of leaves, fresh biomass, dry biomass, leaf greenness), antioxidative enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, APx, GR), stress indicators (H 2 O 2 , MDA), and toxic ion (Na + ) concentrations. The maximum decrease in physiological and growth attributes in eggplant seedling leaves was observed with no TiO 2 -NP application at 150 mM NaCl. Applying TiO 2 -NPs at 200 ppm showed significantly less decrease in Fv'/Fm', root length, shoot length, number of leaves, fresh biomass, dry biomass, and leaf greenness. In contrast, there were larger increases in SOD, POD, CAT, APx, GR, and TSP. This led to less accumulation of H 2 O 2 , MDA, and Na + . No significant difference was observed in higher concentrations of TiO 2 -NPs compared to the control. Therefore, TiO 2 -NPs at 200 ppm might be used to grow eggplant seedlings at moderate and high salinity.

(1) Shigella spp. (Shigella) is known for causing dysentery with blood in stool, but most children infected with Shigella have non-dysentery Shigella-associated diarrhea (NDSD). The World Health Organization recommends the use of antibiotics when diarrhea is bloody, leaving most NDSD cases untreated. The absence of dysentery may not indicate a low risk of death and severe morbidity. Rapid diagnosis and treatment of shigellosis in vulnerable, young children may be lifesaving. INSIGHT aims to determine the potential benefit of identifying NDSD cases (n = 296) and their outcomes compared to cases of Shigella dysentery [DS (n = 148)] and non-Shigella watery diarrhea [WD (n = 148)]. (2) Children seeking care at hospitals in Bangladesh will be enrolled and followed for 1 year (NDSD and DS) or 90 days (WD). We will determine the impact of NDSD on morbidity, mortality, gut health, nutritional status, and cognitive development compared to DS and WD in children and whether the simple "Rapid LAMP-based Diagnostic Test (RLDT)" can accelerate the detection and treatment of shigellosis in the clinical settings of rural Bangladesh. (3) INSIGHT will determine the impact of NDSD in children and determine if the treatment guidelines of shigellosis need to be revisited to improve clinical outcomes and the development of these children.

Living in diverse environmentally harsh conditions, the plant exhibits a unique survival mechanism. As a result, the endophytes residing within the plant produce specific compounds that promote the plant's growth and defend it against pathogens. Plants and algae symbiotically harbor endophytes, i.e., microbes and microorganisms living within them. The objective of this study is to isolate endophytic fungi, specifically strains of Aspergillus terreus, from the leaves of the salt-tolerant plant Tetraena qatarensis and to explore the salt tolerance, antagonistic activity, and growth promotion properties. Strain C A. terreus (ON117337.1) was screened for salt tolerance and antagonistic effects. Regarding salt tolerance, the isolate demonstrated the ability to thrive in a concentration of up to 10% NaCl. A. terreus showed inhibitory activity against four fungal phytopathogens, namely Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria alternata , Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Botrytis cinerea. The GC-MS investigation of the fungal (strain C Aspergillus terreus ) extract showed the presence of about 66 compounds (secondary metabolites). Secondary metabolites (SMs) are produced, like Hexadecanoic acid, which aids in controlling phytopathogens. Also produced is lovastatin, which is used to treat hypercholesterolemia. Strain C, which showed salinity tolerance and the highest inhibitory activity, was further analyzed for its effect on tomato seed germination under pathogen stress from Fusarium oxysporum . The greenhouse experiment indicated that the fungi increased the length of tomato seedlings and the plant biomass. Therefore, the selected endophytes derived from Tetraena qatarensis were scrutinized for their potential as biocontrol agents, aiming to thwart fungal pathogens and stimulate plant growth. The in vitro and in vivo assessments of strain C ( Aspergillus terreus ) against Fusarium oxysporum in this investigation indicate the promising role of endophytes as effective biological control agents. Investigating novel bio-products offers a sustainable approach to agriculture, gradually reducing dependence on chemical fungicides.

Suicide accounts for 33% of deaths of women during the postnatal period in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Resilience refers to an ability to adapt and recover from adversity or misfortune. Resilience building against mental health challenges during pregnancy and the postnatal period is critical for women to raise their child efficiently and maintain a healthy life. The exploration of maternal resilience against mental health challenges including its developmental processes and the determinants of its successful or unsuccessful cultivation among mothers during pregnancy and childbirth is of paramount importance. Understanding why a subset of mothers effectively develops resilience while others significantly struggle is critical for devising targeted interventions and support mechanisms aimed at improving maternal well-being. This inquiry not only seeks to delineate the factors that contribute to or hinder the development of resilience but also aims to inform the creation of comprehensive support systems that can bolster maternal health outcomes. This paper endeavors to present a comprehensive analysis of maternal resilience, aiming to cultivate a nuanced and profound understanding of the concept within the framework of previous traumatic events and adverse pregnancy outcomes in LMICs. The eight-step method approach proposed by Walker and Avant was utilized for this concept analysis. Several defining attributes were identified in the analysis including social adaptation, support system, optimistic approach, and mindfulness. This analysis contributes to knowledge advancement regarding maternal resilience and provides nurses and other healthcare professionals with a clear understanding of the concept of maternal resilience to help promote resilience among mothers.

Heat stress-induced biochemical alterations in ovarian follicles compromise the function of granulosa cells (GCs) and the developmental competence of oocytes. Summer heat stress can have a far-reaching negative impact on overall fertility and reproductive success. Together with the heat stress, the rise of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), potential confounding hazards of in vitro handling and the absence of systemic body support in ART makes it imperative to study the heat stress ameliorative effects of vitamin C under in vitro conditions. Using in vitro heat stress treatment of 43 °C for two hours in bovine GCs, we studied the effects of vitamin C on cell growth, oxidative stress, apoptosis and cell cycle progression together with a comprehensive metabolomics profiling. This study investigates the molecular milieu underlying the vitamin C (VC)-led alleviation of heat-related disruptions to metabolic processes in bovine GCs. The supplementation of VC ameliorated the detrimental effects of heat stress by reducing oxidative stress and apoptosis while restoring cell proliferation. Normal cell function restoration in treated GCs was demonstrated through the finding of significantly high levels of progesterone. We observed a shift in the metabolome from biosynthesis to catabolism, mostly dominated by the metabolism of amino acids (decreased tryptophan, methionine and tyrosine) and the active TCA cycle through increased Succinic acid. The Glutathione and tryptophan metabolism were important in ameliorating the inflammation and metabolism nexus under heat stress. Two significant enzymes were identified, namely tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) and mitochondrial phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (FARS2). Furthermore, our findings provide insight into the significance of B-complex vitamins in the context of heat stress during VC supplementation. This study underscores the importance of VC supplementation in heat stress and designates multiple metabolic intervention faucets in the context of ameliorating heat stress and enhancing reproductive efficiency.

Aspergillus fumigatus can cause different clinical manifestations/phenotypes in lung transplant (LTx) recipients and patients with chronic respiratory diseases. It can also precipitate chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) in LTx recipients. Many host factors have been linked with the severity of A. fumigatus infection, but little is known about the contribution of different A. fumigatus strains to the development of different phenotypes and CLAD. We used multi-locus microsatellite typing (MLMT) to determine if there is a relationship between strain (i.e., genotype) and phenotype in 60 patients post LTx or with chronic respiratory disease across two time periods (1 November 2006-31 March 2009 and 1 November 2015-30 June 2017). The MLMT (STR Af ) assay was highly discriminatory (Simpson's diversity index of 0.9819-0.9942) with no dominant strain detected. No specific genotype-phenotype link was detected, but several clusters and related strains were associated with invasive aspergillosis (IA) and colonisation in the absence of CLAD. Host factors were linked to clinical phenotypes, with prior lymphopenia significantly more common in IA cases as compared with A. fumigatus -colonised patients (12/16 [75%] vs. 13/36 [36.1%]; p = 0.01), and prior Staphylococcus aureus infection was a significant risk factor for the development of IA (odds ratio 13.8; 95% confidence interval [2.01-279.23]). A trend toward a greater incidence of CMV reactivation post- A. fumigatus isolation was observed (0 vs. 5; p = 0.06) in LTx recipients. Further research is required to determine the pathogenicity and immunogenicity of specific A. fumigatus strains.

Dietary supplementation with a gut microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF-2) significantly improved weight gain and repaired gut microbiota, as reported in a recent randomized controlled trial on Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is a small bowel disorder, and recent evidence shows that it is linked to growth failure in children. Therefore, we intended to investigate whether supplementation with MDCF-2 has any role in modifying gut health by changing the levels of biomarkers of EED and gut inflammation in children with MAM. We randomly assigned 124 children aged 12-18 months to one of two intervention diets, either MDCF-2 or ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF). Approximately 50 g of the diet was administered in two feeding sessions daily for 12 weeks. Stool and plasma biomarkers were assessed to evaluate intestinal health. Results showed that the average change in citrulline concentration (µmol/L) significantly increased among children who consumed MDCF-2 compared to those who consumed RUSF (mean difference-in-differences: 123.10; 95% CI: 3.60, 242.61; p = 0.044). The research findings demonstrated that MDCF-2 might have a beneficial effect on improving the gastrointestinal health of malnourished children.

Verticillium dahliae is a soilborne fungal pathogen that causes vascular wilt diseases in a wide range of economically important crops, including eggplant. Trichoderma spp. are effective biological control agents that suppress a wide range of plant pathogens through a variety of mechanisms, including mycoparasitism. However, the molecular mechanisms of mycoparasitism of Trichoderma spp. in the degradation of microsclerotia of V. dahliae are not yet fully understood. In this study, the ability of 15 isolates of Trichoderma to degrade microsclerotia of V. dahliae was evaluated using a dual culture method. After 15 days, isolate HZA14 showed the greatest potential for microsclerotial degradation. The culture filtrate of isolate HZA14 also significantly inhibited the mycelial growth and conidia germination of V. dahliae at different dilutions. Moreover, this study showed that T. virens produced siderophores and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). In disease control tests, T. virens HZA14 reduced disease severity in eggplant seedlings by up to 2.77%, resulting in a control efficacy of 96.59% at 30 days after inoculation. Additionally, inoculation with an HZA14 isolate increased stem and root length and fresh and dry weight, demonstrating plant growth promotion efficacy. To further investigate the mycoparasitism mechanism of T. virens HZA14, transcriptomics sequencing and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) were used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of T. virens HZA14 at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 days of the interaction with microsclerotia of V. dahliae . In contrast to the control group, the mycoparasitic process of T. virens HZA14 exhibited differential gene expression, with 1197, 1758, 1936, and 1914 genes being up-regulated and 1191, 1963, 2050, and 2114 genes being down-regulated, respectively. Among these genes, enzymes associated with the degradation of microsclerotia, such as endochitinase A1, endochitinase 3, endo-1,3-beta-glucanase, alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase, laccase-1, and peroxidase were predicted based on bioinformatics analysis. The RT-qPCR results confirmed the RNA-sequencing data, showing that the expression trend of the genes was consistent. These results provide important information for understanding molecular mechanisms of microsclerotial degradation and integrated management of Verticillium wilt in eggplant and other crops.

Microbial compost plays a crucial role in improving soil health, soil fertility, and plant biomass. These biofertilizers, based on microorganisms, offer numerous benefits such as enhanced nutrient acquisition (N, P, and K), production of hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and control of pathogens through induced systematic resistance. Additionally, they promote the production of phytohormones, siderophore, vitamins, protective enzymes, and antibiotics, further contributing to soil sustainability and optimal agricultural productivity. The escalating generation of organic waste from farm operations poses significant threats to the environment and soil fertility. Simultaneously, the excessive utilization of chemical fertilizers to achieve high crop yields results in detrimental impacts on soil structure and fertility. To address these challenges, a sustainable agriculture system that ensures enhanced soil fertility and minimal ecological impact is imperative. Microbial composts, developed by incorporating characterized plant-growth-promoting bacteria or fungal strains into compost derived from agricultural waste, offer a promising solution. These biofertilizers, with selected microbial strains capable of thriving in compost, offer an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative for agricultural practices. In this review article, we explore the potential of microbial composts as a viable strategy for improving plant growth and environmental safety. By harnessing the benefits of microorganisms in compost, we can pave the way for sustainable agriculture and foster a healthier relationship between soil, plants, and the environment.

The environmental impact of industrial development has been well-documented. The use of physical and chemical methods in industrial development has negative consequences for the environment, raising concerns about the sustainability of this approach. There is a growing need for advanced technologies that are compatible with preserving the environment. The use of fungi products for nanoparticle (NP) synthesis is a promising approach that has the potential to meet this need. The genus Trichoderma is a non-pathogenic filamentous fungus with a high degree of genetic diversity. Different strains of this genus have a variety of important environmental, agricultural, and industrial applications. Species of Trichoderma can be used to synthesize metallic NPs using a biological method that is environmentally friendly, low cost, energy saving, and non-toxic. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of Trichoderma metabolism in the synthesis of metallic NPs. We discuss the different metabolic pathways involved in NP synthesis, as well as the role of metabolic metabolites in stabilizing NPs and promoting their synergistic effects. In addition, the future perspective of NPs synthesized by extracts of Trichoderma is discussed, as well as their potential applications in biomedicine, agriculture, and environmental health.

Background: During and after the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, many countries experienced declines in immunization that have not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. This study uses routine health facility immunization data to estimate variability between and within countries in post-pandemic immunization service recovery for BCG, DPT1, and DPT3., Methods: After adjusting for data reporting completeness and outliers, interrupted time series regression was used to estimate the expected immunization service volume for each subnational unit, using an interruption point of March 2020. We assessed and compared the percent deviation of observed immunizations from the expected service volume for March 2020 between and within countries., Results: Six countries experienced significant service volume declines for at least one vaccine as of October 2022. The shortfall in BCG service volume was ~6% (95% CI -1.2%, -9.8%) in Guinea and ~19% (95% CI -16%, 22%) in Liberia. Significant cumulative shortfalls in DPT1 service volume are observed in Afghanistan (-4%, 95% CI -1%, -7%), Ghana (-3%, 95% CI -1%, -5%), Haiti (-7%, 95% CI -1%, -12%), and Kenya (-3%, 95% CI -1%, -4%). Afghanistan has the highest percentage of subnational units reporting a shortfall of 5% or higher in DPT1 service volume (85% in 2021 Q1 and 79% in 2020 Q4), followed by Bangladesh (2020 Q1, 83%), Haiti (80% in 2020 Q2), and Ghana (2022 Q2, 75%). All subnational units in Bangladesh experienced a 5% or higher shortfall in DPT3 service volume in the second quarter of 2020. In Haiti, 80% of the subnational units experienced a 5% or higher reduction in DPT3 service volume in the second quarter of 2020 and the third quarter of 2022., Conclusions: At least one region in every country has a significantly lower-than-expected post-pandemic cumulative volume for at least one of the three vaccines. Subnational monitoring of immunization service volumes using disaggregated routine health facility information data should be conducted routinely to target the limited vaccination resources to subnational units with the highest inequities.

Some endophyte bacteria can improve plant growth and suppress plant diseases. However, little is known about the potential of endophytes bacteria to promote wheat growth and suppress the Fusarium seedling blight pathogen Fusarium graminearum . This study was conducted to isolate and identify endophytic bacteria and evaluate their efficacy for the plant growth promotion and disease suppression of Fusarium seedling blight (FSB) in wheat. The Pseudomonas poae strain CO showed strong antifungal activity in vitro and under greenhouse conditions against F. graminearum strain PH-1. The cell-free supernatants (CFSs) of P. poae strain CO were able to inhibit the mycelium growth, the number of colonies forming, spore germination, germ tube length, and the mycotoxin production of FSB with an inhibition rate of 87.00, 62.25, 51.33, 69.29, and 71.08%, respectively, with the highest concentration of CFSs. The results indicated that P. poae exhibited multifarious antifungal properties, such as the production of hydrolytic enzymes, siderophores, and lipopeptides. In addition, compared to untreated seeds, wheat plants treated with the strain showed significant growth rates, where root and shoot length increased by about 33% and the weight of fresh roots, fresh shoots, dry roots, and dry shoots by 50%. In addition, the strain produced high levels of indole-3-acetic acid, phosphate solubilization, and nitrogen fixation. Finally, the strain demonstrated strong antagonistic properties as well as a variety of plant growth-promoting properties. Thus, this result suggest that this strain could be used as an alternate to synthetic chemicals, which can serve as an effective method of protecting wheat from fungal infection.

Targeted genome editing technologies are becoming the most important and widely used genetic tools in studies of phytopathology. The "clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)" and its accompanying proteins (Cas) have been first identified as a natural system associated with the adaptive immunity of prokaryotes that have been successfully used in various genome-editing techniques because of its flexibility, simplicity, and high efficiency in recent years. In this review, we have provided a general idea about different CRISPR/Cas systems and their uses in phytopathology. This review focuses on the benefits of knock-down technologies for targeting important genes involved in the susceptibility and gaining resistance against viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens by targeting the negative regulators of defense pathways of hosts in crop plants via different CRISPR/Cas systems. Moreover, the possible strategies to employ CRISPR/Cas system for improving pathogen resistance in plants and studying plant-pathogen interactions have been discussed.

Nanomaterials are increasingly being used for crop growth, especially as a new paradigm for plant disease management. Among the other nanomaterials, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) draw a great deal of attention because of their unique features and multiple usages. Rapid expansion in nanotechnology and utilization of AgNPs in a large range of areas resulted in the substantial release of these nanoparticles into the soil and water environment, causing concern for the safety of ecosystems and phytosanitary. In an attempt to find an effective control measure for sweet potato soft rot disease, the pathogen Dickeya dadantii was exposed to AgNPs, the cell-free culture supernatant (CFCS) of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alone, and both in combination. AgNPs were synthesized using CFCS of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain A3. The green synthesized AgNPs exhibited a characteristic surface plasmon resonance peak at 410-420 nm. Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy determined the nanocrystalline nature and 20-100 nm diameters of AgNPs. Release of metal Ag + ion from biosynthesized AgNPs increases with time. AgNPs and CFCS of B. amyloliquefaciens alone exhibited antibacterial activity against the growth, biofilm formation, swimming motility, and virulence of strain A3. The antibacterial activities elevated with the elevation in AgNPs and CFCS concentration. Similar antibacterial activities against D. dadantii were obtained with AgNPs at 50 µg·mL -1 , 50% CFCS alone, and the combination of AgNPs at 12 µg·mL -1 and 12% CFCS of B. amyloliquefaciens . In planta experiments indicated that all the treatments reduced D. dadantii infection and increased plant growth. These findings suggest that AgNPs along with CFCS of B. amyloliquefaciens can be applied to minimize this bacterial disease by controlling pathogen-contaminated sweet potato tuber with minimum Ag nano-pollutant in the environment.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Citrobacter freundii poses a serious challenge as this species is one of the sources of nosocomial infection and causes diarrheal infections in humans. Ducks could be the potential source of multidrug-resistant (MDR) C. freundii ; however, AMR profiles in C. freundii from non-human sources in Bangladesh have remained elusive. This study aimed to detect C. freundii in domestic ducks ( Anas platyrhynchos domesticus ) in Bangladesh and to determine their phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic susceptibility patterns. A total of 150 cloacal swabs of diseased domestic ducks were screened using culturing, staining, biochemical, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) to detect C. freundii . Phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic susceptibility patterns were done by the disk diffusion method and PCR, respectively. In total, 16.67% (25/150) of the samples were positive for C. freundii . C. freundii isolates showed a range of 20% to 96% resistance to cefotaxime, gentamicin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline, ampicillin, and cephalexin. More than 60% of the isolates were phenotypically MDR, and the index of multiple antibiotic resistance ranged from 0.07 to 0.79. Genes encoding resistance to beta-lactams [ bla TEM-1 -88% (22/25), bla CMY-2 -56% (14/25), bla CMY-9 -8% (2/25), and bla CTX-M-14 -20% (5/25)], sulfonamides [ sul1 -52% (13/25), sul2 -24% (6/25)], tetracyclines [ tetA -32% (8/25) and tetB -4% (1/25)], aminoglycosides [ aacC4 -16% (4/25)], and fluoroquinolones [ qnrA -4% (1/25), qnrB -12% (3/25), and qnrS -4% (1/25)] were detected in the isolated C. freundii . To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Bangladesh to detect MDR C. freundii with their associated resistance genes from duck samples. We suggest addressing the burden of diseases in ducks and humans and associated AMR issues using the One Health approach.

Noodles are a popular snack mainly produced from wheat flour; however, the low contents of protein, minerals, and lysine are a concern. Therefore, this research developed nutri-rich instant noodles by using foxtail millet (FTM) ( Setaria italic ) flour to improve the contents of protein and nutrients and increase its commercial importance. FTM flour was mixed with wheat flour ( Triticum aestivum ) at a ratio of 0:100, 30:60, 40:50, and 50:40, and the samples were named as control, FTM30, FTM40, and FTM50 noodles, respectively. Mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus ) and rice bran ( Oryza sativa L.) flour were added at a percentage of 5% to all the composite noodles (FTM30, FTM40, and FTM50 noodles). The contents of biochemicals, minerals, and amino acids, as well as the organoleptic properties of the noodles, were examined and compared with wheat flour as a control. The results revealed that the carbohydrate (CHO) content of FTM50 noodles was significantly lower ( p < 0.05) than all the developed and five commercial noodles named A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, and A-5. Moreover, the FTM noodles had significantly higher levels of protein, fiber, ash, calcium, and phosphorous than the control and commercial noodles. The percentage of lysine calculated protein efficiency ratio (PER), essential amino acid index (EAAI), biological value (BV), and chemical score (CS) of FTM50 noodles were also higher than that of the commercial noodles. The total bacterial count was nil for the FTM50 noodles, and the organoleptic properties were consistent with those of acceptable standards. The results could encourage the application of FTM flours for the development of variety and value-added noodles with enhanced level of nutrients.

The present study was aimed at developing whey-mango-based mixed beverages and characterizing their physicochemical properties. Three different formulations were prepared by varying proportions of whey and mango (sample-1 = 60:20 mL, sample-2 = 65:15 mL, and sample-3 = 70:10 mL). Prepared beverage samples during 25 days of storage revealed a significant increase in acidity (0.27 ± 0.02−0.64 ± 0.03%), TSS (17.15 ± 0.01−18.20 ± 0.01 °Brix); reducing sugars (3.01 ± 0.01−3.67 ± 0.01%); moisture (74.50 ± 0.02−87.02 ± 0.03%); protein (5.67 ± 0.02−7.58 ± 0.01%); fat (0.97 ± 0.01−1.39 ± 0.04%); and carbohydrate (18.01 ± 0.02−3.45 ± 0.02%). The sedimentation rate was only 1%. The total plate count for the prepared samples ranged from 3.32 ± 0.08 to 3.49 ± 0.15 log CFU/mL while yeast and mold counts varied between 0.48 ± 0.01 to 1.85 ± 0.11 Log CFU/mL. The coliform count was below the detection limit (<1). The overall sensory score revealed that the whey beverage with more mango juice could attain acceptable quality upon processing. Based on the findings, it may be concluded that whey can be utilized with fruits and vegetables to develop whey-based beverages.

Considering that it has been more than 24 months since SARS-CoV-2 emerged, it is crucial to identify measures that prevent and control pathogen transmission in workplace settings. Our aim was to report results of a hospital-based program that delivered hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets as COVID-19 prophylaxis to the frontline healthcare workers (HCW)s who cared for COVID-19 patients and to evaluate the efficacy of HCQ. Setting and participants: Quasi-experimental, controlled, single-center study. The included participants were doctors, nurses, health workers, cleaning staff, and non-healthcare supportive staff. The main outcome was contracting COVID-19 anytime during the period of taking the prophylaxis, confirmed by RT-PCR. A total of 336 participants, without any clinical evidence of COVID-19 and without any known contact with family members, were included in the trial; 230 were assigned to HCQ and 106 declined to take any drug. Results: Among the participants, 43 (18.7%) in the HCQ group and 11 (10.4%) participants in the control group developed COVID-19. For the evaluation of side effects, we evaluated 12-lead ECGs of both groups at the baseline and after 4 weeks to monitor QTc interval. A total of 91% (198 of 217) participants in the prophylaxis group and 92% (11 of 12) in the control group had a QTc < 45o msec, which is within normal limits. Conclusions: Although the number of symptomatic infections in health personnel was lower in the control group, the difference was not statistically significant. However, in the absence of any effective pre-exposure prophylaxis medicine for COVID-19, practicing proper infection prevention and control (IPC) and vaccination is the only way forward.

Disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is influenced by activation of circulating and synovial immune cells. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and monocytes are key cells that drive inflammation in RA. This study investigated if a relationship exists between disease activity in RA and circulating Treg and monocyte numbers and phenotypes. A potential sialic acid (Sia) mediated link between Tregs and monocytes was also probed in vitro. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from RA patient (n = 62) and healthy control (n = 21) blood using density gradient separation. Flow cytometry was used to count and phenotype Treg and monocyte subsets, and to sort healthy control Tregs for Sia cell culture experiments. The effects of Sia on activated Treg FoxP3 and NFκB expression was assessed by flow cytometry and concentrations of secreted TNFα, IL-10 and IFNγ determined by ELISA. High disease activity RA patients who were unresponsive to disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (n = 31), have significantly lower relative numbers (percentages) of CD4+CD25+CD127− Tregs (p < 0.01) and memory CD45RA−FoxP3+ Tregs (p < 0.01), compared to low disease activity responders (n = 24). Relative numbers of non-classical CD169+ monocytes are associated with disease activity in RA (p = 0.012). Sia reduced Treg expression of FoxP3, NFκB and cytokines in vitro. A strong association has been identified between non-classical CD169+ monocytes and post-treatment disease activity in RA. This study also indicates that Sia can reduce Treg activation and cytokine release. We postulate that such a reduction could be mediated by interaction with sialyted proteins captured by CD169+ monocytes.

Climate change significantly affects plant growth and productivity by causing different biotic and abiotic stresses to plants. Among the different abiotic stresses, at the top of the list are salinity, drought, temperature extremes, heavy metals and nutrient imbalances, which contribute to large yield losses of crops in various parts of the world, thereby leading to food insecurity issues. In the quest to improve plants' abiotic stress tolerance, many promising techniques are being investigated. These include the use of nanoparticles, which have been shown to have a positive effect on plant performance under stress conditions. Nanoparticles can be used to deliver nutrients to plants, overcome plant diseases and pathogens, and sense and monitor trace elements that are present in soil by absorbing their signals. A better understanding of the mechanisms of nanoparticles that assist plants to cope with abiotic stresses will help towards the development of more long-term strategies against these stresses. However, the intensity of the challenge also warrants more immediate approaches to mitigate these stresses and enhance crop production in the short term. Therefore, this review provides an update of the responses (physiological, biochemical and molecular) of plants affected by nanoparticles under abiotic stress, and potentially effective strategies to enhance production. Taking into consideration all aspects, this review is intended to help researchers from different fields, such as plant science and nanoscience, to better understand possible innovative approaches to deal with abiotic stresses in agriculture.

Aging leads to a gradual decline of function in multiple organs. Cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are age-related ocular diseases. Because their pathogenesis is unclear, it is challenging to combat age-related diseases. Cellular senescence is a cellular response characterized by cell cycle arrest. Cellular senescence is an important contributor to aging and age-related diseases through the alteration of cellular function and the secretion of senescence-associated secretory phenotypes. As a driver of stress-induced premature senescence, oxidative stress triggers cellular senescence and age-related diseases by inducing senescence markers via reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review, we focused on the mechanism of oxidative stress-induced senescence in retinal cells and its role in the pathogenesis of AMD.

Rice bacterial leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is responsible for a significant reduction in rice production. Due to the small impact on the environment, biogenic nanomaterials are regarded as a new type of antibacterial agent. In this research, three colloids of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized with different biological materials such as Arctium lappa fruit, Solanum melongena leaves, and Taraxacum mongolicum leaves, and called Al-AgNPs, Sm-AgNPs and Tm-AgNPs, respectively. The appearance of brown colloids and the UV-Visible spectroscopy analysis proved the successful synthesis of the three colloids of AgNPs. Moreover, FTIR and XRD analysis revealed the formation of AgNPs structure. The SEM and TEM analysis indicated that the average diameters of the three synthesized spherical AgNPs were 20.18 nm, 21.00 nm, and 40.08 nm, respectively. The three botanical AgNPs had the strongest bacteriostatic against Xoo strain C2 at 20 μg/mL with the inhibition zone of 16.5 mm, 14.5 mm, and 12.4 mm, while bacterial numbers in a liquid broth (measured by OD 600 ) decreased by 72.10%, 68.19%, and 65.60%, respectively. Results showed that the three AgNPs could inhibit biofilm formation and swarming motility of Xoo. The ultrastructural observation showed that Al-AgNPs adhered to the surface of bacteria and broke the bacteria. Overall, the three synthetic AgNPs could be used to inhibit the pathogen Xoo of rice bacterial leaf blight.

Retinal occlusive diseases are common diseases that can lead to visual impairment. Retinal artery occlusion and retinal vein occlusion are included in the clinical entity, but they have quite different pathophysiologies. Retinal artery occlusion is an emergent eye disorder. Retinal artery occlusion is mainly caused by thromboembolism, which frequently occurs in conjunction with life-threatening stroke and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, prompt examinations and interventions for systemic vascular diseases are often necessary for these patients. Retinal vein occlusion is characterized by retinal hemorrhage and ischemia, which may impair visual function via several complications such as macular edema, macular ischemia, vitreous hemorrhage, and neovascular glaucoma. Even though anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy is the current established first-line of treatment for retinal vein occlusion, several clinical studies have been performed to identify better treatment protocols and new therapeutic options. In this review, we summarize the current findings and advances in knowledge regarding retinal occlusive diseases, particularly focusing on recent studies, in order to provide an update for a better understanding of its pathogenesis.

Bacteria from the genus Pantoea have been reported to be widely distributed in rice paddy environments with contradictory roles. Some strains promoted rice growth and protected rice from pathogen infection or abiotic stress, but other strain exhibited virulence to rice, even causing severe rice disease. In order to effectively utilize Pantoea in rice production, this paper analyzed the mechanisms underlying beneficial and harmful effects of Pantoea on rice growth. The beneficial effect of Pantoea on rice plants includes growth promotion, abiotic alleviation and disease inhibition. The growth promotion may be mainly attributed to nitrogen-fixation, phosphate solubilization, plant physiological change, the biosynthesis of siderophores, exopolysaccharides, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase and phytohormones, including cytokinin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), auxins, abscisic acid and gibberellic acid, while the disease inhibition may be mainly due to the induced resistance, nutrient and spatial competition, as well as the production of a variety of antibiotics. The pathogenic mechanism of Pantoea can be mainly attributed to bacterial motility, production of phytohormones such as IAA, quorum sensing-related signal molecules and a series of cell wall-degrading enzymes, while the pathogenicity-related genes of Pantoea include genes encoding plasmids, such as the pPATH plasmid, the hypersensitive response and pathogenicity system, as well as various types of secretion systems, such as T3SS and T6SS. In addition, the existing scientific problems in this field were discussed and future research prospects were proposed.

Due to the development of urbanization and industrialization, a large amount of cultivated land resources has been occupied, while new reclamation land could expand the supply of usable land for food security. Organic fertilizers, such as crop residues, biosolids, sheep manure, mushroom residue, and biogas liquid, have been considered as an effective amendment in immature soil to improve its quality. Recently, two kinds of commercial organic fertilizers, pig manure and mushroom residue organic fertilizer (PMMR-OF), and sheep manure organic fertilizer (SM-OF), have been more regularly applied in agriculture production. However, the information available on effect of the two kinds of fertilizers on plant growth and rhizosphere soil properties in immature field is very limited. In order to evaluate PMMR-OF and SM-OF on immature soil, the soil quality and microbial community structure of corn rhizosphere soil samples under the two kinds of organic fertilizers at different concentrations was investigated. The results revealed a significant difference between commercial organic fertilizers (especially SM-OF) and chemical compound fertilizers (CCF) in soil properties and microbial community structure. Indeed, compared with the control based on16S and ITS amplicon sequencing of soil microflora, SM-OF caused a 10.79-19.52%, 4.33-4.39%,and 14.58-29.29% increase in Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Ascomycota, but a 5.82-20.58%, 0.53-24.06%, 10.87-16.79%, 2.69-10.50%, 44.90-59.24%, 8.88-10.98%, and 2.31-21.98% reduction in Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Chytridiomycota, respectively. CCF caused a 24.11%, 23.28%, 38.87%, 19.88%, 18.28%, and 13.89% reduction in Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, but a 22.77%, 41.28%, 7.88%, and 19.39% increase in Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Ascomycota, and Mortierellomycota, respectively. Furthermore, redundancy discriminant analysis of microbial communities and soil properties of PMMR-OF, SM-OF, CCF, and the control treatments indicated that the main variables of bacterial and fungal communities included organic matter content, available P, and available K. Overall, the results of this study revealed significant changes under different fertilizer conditions (PMMR-OF, SM-OF, CCF, under different concentrations) in microbiota and chemical properties of corn soil. Commercial organic fertilizers, particularly SM-OF, can be used as a good amendment for the new reclamation land.

Despite the beneficial effect of bubble continuous positive airway pressure (BCPAP) oxygen therapy for children with severe pneumonia under the supervision of physicians that has been shown in different studies, effectiveness trials in developing country settings where low-flow oxygen therapy is the standard of care are still needed. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of bubble CPAP oxygen therapy compared to the WHO standard low-flow oxygen therapy among children hospitalized with severe pneumonia and hypoxemia in Ethiopia. This is a cluster randomized controlled trial where six district hospitals are randomized to BCPAP and six to standard WHO low-flow oxygen therapy. The total sample size is 620 per arm. Currently, recruitment of the patients is still ongoing where the management and follow-up of the enrolled patients are performed by general physicians and nurses under the supervision of pediatricians. The primary outcome is treatment failure and main secondary outcome is death. We anticipate to complete enrollment by September 2022 and data analysis followed by manuscript writing by December 2022. Findings will also be disseminated in December 2022. Our study will provide data on the effectiveness of BCPAP in treating childhood severe pneumonia and hypoxemia in a real-world setting.

Between September 2020 and March 2021, Mercy Corps piloted hybrid digital (CAPI) and paper-based (PAPI) data collection as part of its tuberculosis (TB) active case finding strategy. Data were collected using CAPI and PAPI at 140 TB chest camps in low Internet access areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces in Pakistan. PAPI data collection was performed primarily during the camp and entered using a tailor-performed CAPI tool after camps. To assess the feasibility of this hybrid approach, quality of digital records were measured against the paper "gold standard", and user acceptance was evaluated through focus group discussions. Completeness of digital data varied by indicator, van screening team, and month of implementation: chest camp attendees and pulmonary TB cases showed the highest CAPI/PAPI completeness ratios (1.01 and 0.96 respectively), and among them, all forms of TB diagnosis and treatment initiation were lowest (0.63 and 0.64 respectively). Vans entering CAPI data with high levels of completeness generally did so for all indicators, and significant differences in mean indicator completeness rates between PAPI and CAPI were observed between vans. User feedback suggested that although the CAPI tool required practice to gain proficiency, the technology was appreciated and will be better perceived once double entry in CAPI and PAPI can transition to CAPI only. CAPI data collection enables data to be entered in a more timely fashion in low-Internet-access settings, which will enable more rapid, evidence-based program steering. The current system in which double data entry is conducted to ensure data quality is an added burden for staff with many activities. Transitioning to a fully digital data collection system for TB case finding in low-Internet-access settings requires substantial investments in M&E support, shifts in data reporting accountability, and technology to link records of patients who pass through separate data collection stages during chest camp events.

In modern aquaculture, enriching Nile tilapia's diet with omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) not only plays an important role in its general health but also fortifies its fillet with omega-3-PUFAs. However, the major challenge affecting their delivery is their high instability due to oxidative deterioration. Thus, the prospective incorporation of omega-3-PUFAs into nanocarriers can enhance their stability and bioactivity. In this regard, the effect of reformulated omega-3-NPs was investigated on Nile tilapia's performance, flesh antioxidant stability, immunity, and disease resistance. Four fish groups supplemented with omega-3-PUFAs-loaded nanoparticles (omega-3 NPs) at levels of 0, 1, 2, and 3 g/kg diet and at the end of feeding trial fish challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila . Fish performance (weight gain and feed conversion) was improved in groups supplemented with omega-3-NPs (2 and 3 g/kg diet). The deposition of omega-3-PUFAs in fish flesh elevated with increasing dietary omega-3-NPs. Simultaneously the oxidative markers (H 2 O 2 , MDA, and reactive oxygen species) in fish flesh were reduced, especially with higher omega-3-NPs. Post-challenge, downregulation of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and caspase-1 were noticed after dietary supplementation of omega-3-NPs. Moreover, mRNA expression of autophagy-related genes was upregulated while the mTOR gene was downregulated with higher omega-3 NPs levels. Lower expression of A. hydrophila ahyI and ahyR genes were detected with omega-3 NPs supplementation. In conclusion, omega-3-NPs application can fortify tilapia flesh with omega-3-PUFAs and augment its performance, immunity, and disease resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila .

Land reclamation may expand the supply of usable land for food security. Soil microorganisms have been considered as an amendment in immature soil to improve its quality. However, different microbial fertilizers' effects on plant growth in immature soil have largely been unexplored. In order to evaluate the effects of different microbial fertilizers on immature soil, the soil quality and microbial community structure of corn rhizosphere soil samples under different microbial fertilizers were investigated. The results revealed a significant difference between microbial fertilizers (especially seaweed microbial fertilizer, SMF) and commercial chemical compound fertilizers in the soil properties and microbial community structure. Indeed, SMF caused a 486.21%, 23.17%, 21.08%, 38.33%, and 482.39% increase in Flavobacteriaceae , Planctomycetaceae , Chitinophagaceae , Acidobacteria&#95;Gp3 , and Mortierellaceae but a 23.82%, 18.66%, 42.36%, 29.12%, 81.97%, 42.19%, and 99.33% reduction in Cytophagales , Comamonadaceae , Rhodospirillaceae , Sinobacteaceae , Aspergillaceae , Myrmecridiaceae , and Typhulaceae , respectively; while CCF caused an 85.68% and 183.22% increase in Xanthomonadaceae and Mortierellaceae but a 31.29%, 36.02%, and 65.74% reduction in Cytophagales , Spartobacteria , and Cyphellophoraceae compared with the control based on 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing of soil microflora. Furthermore, redundancy discriminant analysis of the microbial communities and soil properties indicated that the main variables of the bacterial and fungal communities included exchangeable Ca, organic matter content, total N, and available P. Overall, the results of this study revealed significant changes under different fertilizer conditions in the microbiota and chemical properties of corn soil. Microbial fertilizers, particularly SMF and SM, can be used as a good amendment for newly reclaimed land.