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Abstract Purpose This study explored how exogenous silicon (Si) affects growth and salt resistance in maize. Methods The maize was cultivated in sand-filled pots, incorporating varied silicon and salt stress (NaCl) treatments. Silicon was applied at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 mM, and salt stress was induced using 0, 60 and120 mM concentrations. Soil salinity triggers a range of physiochemical abnormalities, often leading to growth arrest and, eventually, the demise of susceptible plants. Results The salt stress significantly reduced the total chlorophyll content (12.58–33.14%), antioxidant enzymes, notably SOD (32–46%), POD (10.33–18.48%), and CAT (10.05–13.19%). In contrast, salt stress increased secondary metabolites, including total phenols (49.11–66.35%.), flavonoids (220.99–280.36%), and anthocyanin (50.04–58.6%). Adding silicon under salt stress reduced the absorption of Na+ by 6.69%, 20.7%, 41.12%, and 34.28%, respectively, compared to their respective controls. Additionally, applying Si at 8 mM significantly enhanced antioxidant enzymes such as SOD (50.57%), POD (15.58%), CAT (10.06%) and chlorophyll ratio (21.32%). Conclusion Silicon application positively impacted nearly all growth and physiological features, indicating it helps mitigate against salinity. This was achieved by regulating various salinity indicators, where secondary metabolites, including anthocyanin, ascorbic acid, total phenols, and flavonoids, increased. Graphical Abstract

One of the most significant biotic constraints that wheat production faces is weed infestation. Wheat is infested with different weeds that cause yield losses (up to 100%) that vary based on the type of weed, their density, and the environmental conditions. Chemical weed control is the most common method to control weeds in wheat. However, widespread herbicide resistance (>365 cases worldwide) has challenged the sustainability of this method. Use of nanoherbicides is a promising strategy to cope with the issue of herbicide resistance. To achieve weed control conditions during the whole growing season, nanoformulations of herbicides are a delivery strategy that involves covering an active component with various materials that vary in size from nano to nanoscale and then releasing the substance in a controlled manner. Nanoherbicides prevent leaching and volatilization of active components and premature degradation through photolysis, hydrolysis, and biodegradation. According to studies, nanoencapsulation of herbicides produces more targeted and less hazardous agricultural formulations. Using nanoherbicides in lower concentrations is beneficial. It lessens the long-term impacts of herbicide residues in wheat fields and the toxicity of these herbicides to the environment. It is also beneficial in eliminating the weeds without ever interacting with the crop plants, which eventually results in a greater wheat yield. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the emerging field of utilizing nanoparticles (NPs) in herbicides for effective weed management in wheat crops. This article explores the novel approach of integrating NPs with herbicidal agents, highlighting their potential benefits and challenges. The review also addresses the current state of research, recent advancements, and potential future directions in this evolving area of agricultural science.

BackgroundThe combination of cardiovascular disease and diabetes is a highly prevalent condition in the United Arab Emirates. Development and dissemination of evidence-based regional recommendations for optimal screening, treatment and referrals of people with diabetes and high cardiovascular risk is an important priority.Consensus panelAn expert panel of diabetologists, endocrinologists and cardiologists from the Emirates Cardiac Society and Emirates Diabetes and Endocrine Society as well as different entities in the UAE, discussed and reviewed evidence and also a consensus report from the American Diabetes Association to formulate contextualized recommendations that could be applied for optimal management of cardiovascular risk in people with diabetes in the UAE.Consensus findingsThe combination of heart failure and other cardiovascular risks is a highly prevalent finding among people with diabetes in the United Arab Emirates. The causal inter-relationships between diabetes and heart failure are multifactorial and regular assessments of symptoms and steps for mitigation of risk factors are an important priority. The universal definition and classification of heart failure provides a useful framework for recommending optimal screening, treatment, and referral strategies to diabetic individuals at various stages of the cardiovascular continuum. Routine measurement (at least yearly) of natriuretic peptides and high-sensitivity troponins can help identify patients requiring cardiac imaging referrals. However, recommending routine measurements of natriuretic peptides and/or high-sensitivity troponins to all diabetic individuals must balance clinical judgment and cost implications. While SGLT2i must be an important part of the standard of care, insulin, GLP1 receptor agonists and/or metformin can be useful for additional glycemic control.ConclusionThe consensus panel hopes that the recommendations presented herein can offer guidance for optimal screening, treatment and referral of people with a concomitance of diabetes and high cardiovascular risk in the United Arab Emirates.

The implementation of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has culminated in a notable rise in productivity and operational effectiveness for manufacturers. Additive manufacturing (AM) is a manufacturing technology that implies an alteration from the conventional approach of material removal. The fundamental idea underlying the AM technique is the gradual buildup of layers (layer-on-layer accumulation). In conventional approaches, every component can have detrimental implications due to the direct interaction between the tool and the workpiece, leading to the loss of heat through friction. The utilisation of 3D printing as a way to surpass conventional processing methods signifies a novel development in several sectors. This method involves the utilisation of unconventional techniques for the fabrication of components. The primary objective of this research is to investigate the chemical vapour jet drilling technique specifically applied to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) materials. The intent is to enhance the surface characteristics, or surface finish (SF), and the dimensional accuracy (DA) of ABS workpieces. An evaluation regarding the reliability, repeatability, as well as preciseness of the vapour jet drilling (VJD) process is conducted via the utilisation of experiment and data analysis. The study employed a Taguchi L9 design of experiments to carry out a series of tests aimed at analysing the implications of three independent variables: pressure, flow rate, and standoff distance. The researchers employed a multiresponse optimisation approach to attain an optimal combination of parameters that resulted in a superior SF with DA. Consequently, the overall appeal of the outcome was reached. The process’s capabilities and dependability were assessed by conducting tests on the substrates at their optimal settings. Surface roughness and circularity were measured at numerous locations on the substrates. The study determined that the process capability indices (C p and C pk) had values over 1.33 for each of the response parameters, with C pk values also exceeding 1. The analysis of histograms and capability indices demonstrates that the VJD method, when conducted under optimised conditions, may be categorised as statistically controlled for the processing of ABS materials.

In this study, the aridity index (AI) based on gridded climate data was validated for defining aridity and classifying aridity zones in Iraq through comparison with the results obtained by the station-based aridity index. Gauge-based gridded climate data taken from Climatic Research Unit Timeseries (CRU TS) were used to determine the annual value of four aridity indices (Lang, De Martonne, Ernic and UNEP AI) over the period 1998-2011. The results showed that the aridity distribution maps derived using grid-based aridity indices were reasonably close to those found using station-based ones. The four aridity indices properly identified similar aridity (dryness) classifications in both the station-based and grid-based aridity maps. The area percentage of each aridity class predicted by grid-based AIs was also compared with that obtained by the station-based AIs. The results showed that the variances between the area percentages predicted by grid-based AIs and those estimated using station-based AIs are fairly slight. The Lang AI exhibited the least variance (0.4%) while the De Martonne AI had the biggest variance (-4.8%). Despite these minor variances, it is however possible to conclude that the grid-based aridity index classified the aridity zones of Iraq as properly as the station-based aridity index did.

Background: Escherichia coli is one of the serious pathogens causing various infections in the animal field, such as neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD), which is responsible for mortality associated with diarrhea during the first days of life. Aim: Current work is aimed to designing an effective and safe multi-epitope vaccine candidate against E. coli infection in calves based on the fimbrial protein K99 of Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and Immuno-informatics. Methods: A conserved sequence of K99 protein was generated, and then highly antigenic, non-allergic, and overlapped epitopes were used to construct a multi-epitope vaccine. Five THL, six MHC II, and four beta cell epitopes were targeted to create the candidate. The candidate vaccine was produced utilizing 15 epitopes and three types of linkers, two types of untranslated region (UTR) human hemoglobin subunit beta (HBB), UTR beta-globin (Rabb), and RpfE protein as an immunomodulation adjuvant. Results: Immuno-informatics analysis of the constructed protein showed that the protein was antigenic (antigenic score of 0.8841), stable, non-allergen, and soluble. Furthermore, the Immuno-informatics and Physiochemical analysis of the constructed protein showed a stable, non-allergic, soluble, hydrophilic, and acidic PI (isoelectric point). of 9.34. Docking of the candidate vaccine with the toll-like receptor TLR3 was performed, and results showed a strong interaction between the immune receptor and the vaccine. Finally, the expression efficiency of the construct in Escherichia coli was estimated via computational cloning of the vaccine sequence into Pet28a. Conclusion: Results of Immunoinformatics and in silico approaches reveals that designed vaccine is antigenic, stable, and able to bind to the immune cell receptors. Our results interpret the proposed multi-epitope mRNA vaccine as a good preventive option against E coli infection in calves. [Open Vet J 2024; 14(6.000): 1417-1425]

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) affects up to one in five people in the UK, with persistent overeating and a sedentary lifestyle being significant risk factors. Exploring dietary patterns at a food level is a novel approach to understand associations between diet and disease. Methods: This cross-sectional case-control study included 168 MASLD patients and 34 healthy controls from Nottingham (UK). Dietary data were collected using the EPIC-food frequency questionnaire. A food-group, tree classification method was developed which categorized 923 ingredients into three levels (main food group, sub-types, and cooking methods) and intakes were associated with clinical outcomes using logistic regression and degree of liver fibrosis using linear regression. Results: Significant associations were found for red meat intake with MASLD (OR [CI]: 1.013 [1.001–1.025]) and fibrosis (Beta [SE]: +0.048 [0.013]); intakes of nuts (OR [CI]: 0.951 [0.905–0.999]); and fish (OR [CI]: 0.985 [0.971–0.999]) with MASLD; “Cereals and cereals products”, “salt and gravy” and baked foods with fibrosis (Beta [SE]: +0.018 to +0.057 [0.005–0.23]); white and organ meat (Beta [SE]: −0.04 to −0.61 [0.015–0.249]); diet soda (OR [CI]: +0.01 [1–1.003]) and red meat intakes (OR [CI]:+0.002 [1.002–1.016]) with T2DM; wholegrain wheat, red meat, and semi-skimmed dairy intakes with hypercholesterolemia (ORs [CI]: −0.003 to −0.023 [1–1.043]); “herbs and spices” and wholegrain rice with hypercholesterolaemia (ORs [CI]: −0.08 to −0.98 [0.159–0.989); fresh herbs and boiled foods intakes with hypertension (ORs [CI]: −0.001 to −2.21 [0.013–1]). Conclusion: The study introduces a new food-group, tree classification method to characterise UK diet data and identify risk factors for MASLD, potentially informing the development of culturally applicable dietary guidelines designed to improve public health.