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In this article, the solution to the time-fractional Fisher equation is determined using two well-known analytical techniques. The suggested approaches are the new iterative method and the optimal auxiliary function method, with the fractional derivative handled in the Caputo sense. The obtained results demonstrate that the suggested approaches are efficient and simple to use for solving fractional-order differential equations. The approximate and exact solutions of the partial fractional differential equations for integer order were compared. Additionally, the fractional-order and integer-order results are contrasted using simple tables. It has been confirmed that the solution produced using the provided methods converges to the exact solution at the appropriate rate. The primary advantage of the suggested method is the small number of computations needed. Moreover, it may be used to address fractional-order physical problems in a number of fields.

The present study was aimed to identify the indigenous fungal strains which could possibly be applied to the biore-mediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil. The contaminated soil samples of Korangi Industrial Estate Karachi were found to have total concentration of Cu 1.044 mgL1, and Pb 0.631 mgL–1. A total of eight indigenous strains of the fungus were isolated and screened for bioremediation capacity from heavy metals-contaminated soil. For the bioremediation of Lead (Pb) these same indigenous eight fungal strains were used for biological remediation. All the fungal isolated with enhanced bioremediation capability were through phenotypic and genotypical characterization. The topology of the phylograms established that the fungal isolates used in this study were allocated to: K1 (Penicillium notatum), K2 (Aspergillus parasiticus), K3 (Aspergillus fumigatus), K4 (Aspergillus flavus), K5 (Aspergillus terries), K6 (Fusarium solani), K7 (Penicillium chrysogenum), K8 (Aspergillus niger), K9 (Penicillium piceum) and K10 (Penicillium restrictum). Thus, K8 fungal isolate was found to be more efficient with maximum bioremediation capacity, for copper and lead removal efficiency, and selected for FTIR and SEM to find out the uptake of Cu and Pb which of the functional groups are involved, and further to detect the effects of bioleaching of both heavy metals on to the surface of K8 fungus biomass. The current study indicates that indigenous fungal isolates could be used with high potency to remediate or clean up the heavy metals-contaminated soil either by the technique of in situ or ex-situ bioremediation.

The widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Therefore, it is essential to explore alternative strategies to effectively combat medically significant resistant pathogens. In recent years, nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as a promising alternative source of antimicrobial agents. While nanoscale particles were traditionally synthesized using chemical techniques, the development of metallic NPs using biological methods has garnered attention. This current study focuses on the synthesis of iron NPs (Fe NPs) using metal-tolerant fungal strains, as numerous microorganisms serve as environmentally safe and durable precursors to produce persistent and bi-functional NPs. The study involved the isolation and evaluation of ten fungal strains that are resistant to heavy metals to determine their ability to produce Fe NPs. The biologically synthesized Fe NPs were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The XRD results indicated the presence of Fe in nanopowder form, displaying a series of reflection angles (2θ) at 65° and 75° indicating the existence of cubic planes. EDX analysis revealed the presence of ferrous and ferric elements, along with zero-valent Fe NPs. Micrographs of the surface topology displayed spherical aggregation of the synthesized NPs. Furthermore, the Fe NPs exhibited promising antibacterial potential against selected bacterial strains, including Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Cronobacter sakazakii, Listeria innocua, and Enterococcus fecalis. This study demonstrates that the biological synthesis of metallic NPs is environmentally safe, and Fe NPs produced through mycological means could be utilized to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogenic strains.

The objective of the current research was to identify and evaluate the possibility of production of pectinase, also known as pectin degrading enzymes, from indigenous bacterial strains. Qualitative screening of isolated bacterial strains showed that among 29 bacterial strains, 5 have maximum enzymatic activity. The highest pectinase producing strains were quantitatively analyzed for enzyme production. SH7 strain was found as highest pectinase producer (0.77 IU/mL) that was further analyzed to molecular level by amplification of 16s rRNA. It was found 100% similar with other reported strains of Bacillus thuringiensis. Medium optimization was performed to optimize fermentation conditions for maximum enzyme yield. An experimental design containing 12 experimental runs was designed by Plackett–Burman design (PBD). Maximum pectinase activity was obtained at 45°C after 24 h when the growth medium was supplemented with 2.5% nitrogen, 5.0% substrate, MgSO4 as metal ion, 1% inoculum size, and pH was adjusted to 6. Factorial regression analysis of the PBD design was performed and the overall design was also found significant in terms of R square value. In PBD, the most significant factors for production were temperature, pH, metal ion concentration, and nitrogen source. Central composite design (CCD) design consisting of 26 experimental runs was employed to optimize these four significant factors. The overall model summary showed maximum pectinase activity (19.2 IU/mL) at 37°C temperature, 0.08 NaCl, 1.7% nitrogen source, and pH 8.4. In CCD, NaCl, nitrogen source, and pH were also reported as significant factors by the Pareto chart, probability plots, and 3D interactions.

An unexplored soil microbial community associated with the root system of Nicotiana tabacum was isolated to analyze its impact on growth and yield of the crop. A total of nine isolates out of 180 were biochemically screened and characterized as potential plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria due to the expression of growth-promoting traits. All isolates were positive for ammonia production, 8 were positive for phosphate solubilization but none for auxin production. The majority of the isolates were also found positive for hydrogen cyanide, siderophore and hydrolytic/degradative enzymes production, enabling them to restrict the growth of Fusarium oxysporum in an in vitro assay. Although all tested isolates enhanced tobacco growth significantly, Baj-ER-01 and CD-RS-03 were found to be the most promising in enhancing all aspects of growth. This study provides evidence for the enhancement of growth and yield of inoculated tobacco plants through an adequate supply of nutrients and/or controlling phytopathogens.

Metal contamination of soil is a serious environmental problem due to mining and use of synthetic products (e.g. pesticides, paints, batteries, and industrial wastes), which are serious threat to human life. The current research is aimed at the remediation of soil contaminated with lead (II) and chromium (VI) using indigenous fungal strains through the comparative study of bioleaching and chemical leaching methods. The removal efficiencies of Pb (II) and Cr (VI) in bioleaching were higher than chemical leaching, where 99% Cr (VI) and 36% Pb (II) were removed by Aspergillus flavus (F3) in bioleaching through the production of approximately 332 mg L-1 malic acid, 213 mg L-1 succinic acid, and 35 mg L-1 citric acid. The removal efficiencies in chemical leaching were 21.30% for Pb (II) and 1.92% for Cr (VI) by malic acid, 29.30% for Pb (II) and 72% for Cr (VI) by succinic acid, 22.21% for Pb (II) and 60.70% for Cr (VI) by citric acid, and 2.20% for Pb (II) and 2.47% for Cr (VI) by oxalic acid. The sequential extraction procedure for Pb (II) and Cr (VI) before and after bioleaching showed that Pb (II) and Cr (VI) mostly bound to stable fractions after bioleaching. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) helped to identify the characteristic changes in the morphology and elemental composition of A. flavus (F3) biomass before and after bioleaching, whereas Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that fungal biomass contain hydroxyl, carboxyl, fatty acids, and amine groups on its surface. The results implied that the fungal strain A. flavus (F3) can be used to remediate soils contaminated with Pb (II) and Cr (VI).

Metal contamination of soil is due to mining, manufacturing and use of synthetic products (e.g. pesticides, paints, batteries, industrial waste and industrial or domestic sludge) which is a serious environmental problem. Hence, determining chemical forms of metals in soils is important to evaluate their mobility or bioavailability. Both artificial and contaminated soils were sequentially extracted to fractionate metals into the water soluble fraction (WSF), exchangeable fraction (EF), bound to carbonate fraction, bound to metal oxide fraction, organically bound fraction (OBF) and residual fraction (RF). In the case of contaminated soil, Pb and Cr are found to be associated with the carbonate fraction while in artificial soil, Pb bound to WSF and Cr with the Fe/Mn fraction. Chemical properties such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and textural classification of concerned soils were also analyzed. Percentage recovery was calculated to check the reliability of processes both in Pb and Cr, and it was found to be more in Cr (66% and 84%) in both artificial and contaminated soil than Pb (5% and 34%) in both soils. Analyses of extracts were carried out by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Results were interpreted in terms of environmental mobility or bioavailability of metals.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia worldwide and remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of patients have persistent AF, for which conventional catheter ablation is less effective. However, convergent ablation has emerged in recent years as a hybrid treatment targeting both the epicardium and endocardium in a multidisciplinary joint cardiothoracic and electrophysiology procedure, with promising efficacy outcomes in recent studies. This treatment is increasingly being performed in the United Kingdom. This review article discusses the rationale and evidence behind convergent ablation, along with factors that need to be considered when setting up a successful ablation service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the potential of two quartz vein ores from the Hunza District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, as raw materials to obtain 4N8 high-purity quartz (HPQ) sand. Various quartz purification processes were examined, including ore calcination, water quenching, flotation, sand calcination, acid leaching, and chlorination roasting. Analytical techniques such as optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy were employed to analyze the microstructure, inclusion characteristics, and chemical composition of both the quartz raw ore and the processed quartz sand. Microscopic observation reveals that the PK-AML quartz raw ore has relatively high purity, the secondary fluid inclusions are arranged in a directional–linear manner or developed along crystal micro-cracks, and most intracrystalline regions exhibit low inclusion contents, while the PK-JTLT quartz raw ore contains a certain number of melt inclusions. The two processed quartz sand samples exhibit a smooth surface with extremely low fluid inclusion content. A comparative analysis of different purification processes shows that quartz sand calcination has a higher impurity removal rate than ore calcination. After crushing the raw ore into sand, the particles become finer with a larger specific surface area. Quartz sand calcination maximally exposes the inclusions and lattice impurity elements within the quartz, facilitating subsequent impurity removal through acid leaching. Following the processes of crushing, ultrasonic desliming, flotation, sand calcination, water quenching, acid leaching, and chlorination roasting, the SiO2 content of PK-AML processed quartz sand is 99.998 wt.%, with only a small amount of Ti and Li remaining, and a total impurity element content of 20.83 µg·g−1. This meets the standard requirements for crucible preparation in industrial applications, making this vein quartz suitable for producing high-end HPQ products. In contrast, the overall purity of PK-JTLT quartz is lower, and the high contents of impurity elements such as Li, Al, and Ti are difficult to remove via purification experiments. The SiO2 content of PK-JTLT processed quartz sand is 99.991 wt.%, which is applied to higher-quality glass products such as photovoltaic glass, electronic glass, and optical glass, thus presenting broad prospects for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to perform a comparative analysis of the plane Couette flow of a couple stress fluid under the influence of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) using two different methods: the Optimal Auxiliary Function Method (OAFM) and the Homotopy Perturbation Method (HPM). The couple stress fluid is known for its non-Newtonian behavior, where the fluid's response to shear is influenced by the presence of internal microstructure. The OAFM and HPM are utlized to solve the governing equations of the couple stress fluid flow under MHD. The OAFM is a numerical technique that involves introducing an auxiliary function to simplify the equations, leading to an easier solution procedure. On the other hand, HPM is an analytical method that employs a series solution. The comparative analysis focuses on examining the accuracy, efficiency, and convergence behavior of the two methods. Various flow parameters such as the couple stress parameter, the magnetic parameter, and the velocity ratio are considered to investigate their influence on the flow behavior. Furthermore the HPM solution was compared with the OAFM solution using different graphs and tables. It reveals that the solution obtained by HPM is batter than OAFM solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Web in the small intestine of children is not a commonly encountered entity. Due to partial obstruction, patients may present with varied symptoms and at different ages. The study objective was to share our experience over the web in Jejunum and Ileum regarding its presentation, management, and outcome. Study type, settings & duration: This retrospective descriptive case series was conducted at Medicare Hospital, Saidpur Road, Rawalpindi from January 2021 to December 2022. Methodology: This descriptive case series was experience at a pediatric surgery center over twelve years. All patients with the diagnosis of web in the small intestine were included. The demographic details, presentation, investigations, management, and postoperative course were noted. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 26. Results: Eleven patients with web in small intestine were included in this study. The mean age of the patients was 35.42±50.81 months, and six patients (54.5%) were male. All patients presented with features of intestinal obstruction. All patients underwent surgery. Per-operatively, the web was found in 4 patients (36.4%) in the jejunum, while in 7 patients (63.6%), it was in the ileum. The mean hospital stay of the patients was 15.54±8.74 days. Nine of our patients (81.8%) were discharged safely to home; however, two patients (18.2%) died. The web of jejunum was found to be significantly associated with higher ventilator requirements, anastomotic leakage, redo surgery required, time to start an oral feed and total hospital stay compared to Ileal web. Conclusion: Web in the small intestine are rare and not easy to treat, particularly in the settings of emergency presentation. Moreover, jejunal atresia is associated with a poor postoperative course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mastitis, the inflammatory condition of mammary glands, has been closely associated with immune suppression and imbalances between antioxidants and free radicals in cattle. During the periparturient period, dairy cows experience negative energy balance (NEB) due to metabolic stress, leading to elevated oxidative stress and compromised immunity. The resulting abnormal regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), along with increased non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and b-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) are the key factors associated with suppressed immunity thereby increases susceptibility of dairy cattle to infections, including mastitis. Metabolic diseases such as ketosis and hypocalcemia indirectly contribute to mastitis vulnerability, exacerbated by compromised immune function and exposure to physical injuries. Oxidative stress, arising from disrupted balance between ROS generation and antioxidant availability during pregnancy and calving, further contributes to mastitis susceptibility. Metabolic stress, marked by excessive lipid mobilization, exacerbates immune depression and oxidative stress. These factors collectively compromise animal health, productive efficiency, and udder health during periparturient phases. Numerous studies have investigated nutrition-based strategies to counter these challenges. Specifically, amino acids, trace minerals, and vitamins have emerged as crucial contributors to udder health. This review comprehensively examines their roles in promoting udder health during the periparturient phase. Trace minerals like copper, selenium, and calcium, as well as vitamins; have demonstrated significant impacts on immune regulation and antioxidant defense. Vitamin B12 and vitamin E have shown promise in improving metabolic function and reducing oxidative stress followed by enhanced immunity. Additionally, amino acids play a pivotal role in maintaining cellular oxidative balance through their involvement in vital biosynthesis pathways. In conclusion, addressing periparturient mastitis requires a holistic understanding of the interplay between metabolic stress, immune regulation, and oxidative balance. The supplementation of essential amino acids, trace minerals, and vitamins emerges as a promising avenue to enhance udder health and overall productivity during this critical phase. This comprehensive review underscores the potential of nutritional interventions in mitigating periparturient bovine mastitis and lays the foundation for future research in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative approaches are urgently required to treat divestating bacterial diseases in the face of rising bacterial resistance rates. The current investigative work focused on hydro-distilling Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) to isolate the essential oil, which was then tested for bioactivity, antioxidant capacity, and antibacterial activity using in-vitro and in silico assays. The antioxidant activity was avualated against DPPH and FRAP. With results of 69.63 RSA (%) (μL/L AAE) at a concentration of 5 mL/L and 51.56 (μL/L AAE) at concentration of 90 ppm in the 2,20-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, respectively, the extracted oil indicated considerable antioxidant activity. The extracted oil demonstrated powerful antibacterial activity in in-vitro tests against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, including Bordetella bronchiseptica (21 mm), Staphylococcus epidermidis (19 mm), and Staphylococcus aureus (19 mm), with significant minimal inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal (MIB) concentrations. Additionally, GC-MS analysis of the oil from E. globulus identified several low-molecular-weight compounds, including Eucalyptol,γ-Terpinene, Shisool acetate, 1,3-trans,5-cis-Octatriene, 2,6-Dimethyl-1,3,5,7-octatetraene, E,E, Cyclohexene, 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethylidene), Benzene, 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethenyl), Butanoic acid, 3-methyl-, 3-methylbutyl ester, and 1,3,8-p-Menthatriene. Several other compounds were also identified, including Fenchol, 2-Methyl-trans-3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydroindane, (E,E,E)-2,4,6-Octatriene, 1,2,3,6-Tetrahydrobenzylalcohol, acetate, Alloaromadendrene, Phenol, 2-ethyl-4,5-dimethyl, Phenol, 2-methyl-5-(1-methylethyl)-,p-Cymen-7-ol, 1,5,5-Trimethyl-6-methylene-cyclohexene, 1,3-Cyclohexadiene, 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-, 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, acetate, (Z), and more. The bioactive potential of Eucalyptus globulus essential oil against 1AJ6 and 1R4U was highlighted by molecular docking analyses, suggesting its utility as a natural source of antioxidant and antibacterial compounds with the potential to replace chemical disinfectants in a variety of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]