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Oxy-combustion is a promising carbon-capture technology, but atmospheric-pressure oxy-combustion has a relatively low net efficiency, limiting its application in power plants. In pressurized oxy-combustion (POC), the boiler, air separation unit, flue gas recirculation unit, and CO2 purification and compression unit are all operated at elevated pressure; this makes the process more efficient, with many advantages over atmospheric pressure, such as low NOx emissions, a smaller boiler size, and more. POC is also more promising for industrial application and has attracted widespread research interest in recent years. It can produce high-pressure CO2 with a purity of approximately 95%, which can be used directly for enhanced oil recovery or geo-sequestration. However, the pollutant emissions must meet the standards for carbon capture, storage, and utilization. Because of the high oxygen and moisture concentrations in POC, the formation of acids via the oxidation and solution of SOx and NOx can be increased, causing the corrosion of pipelines and equipment. Furthermore, particulate matter (PM) and mercury emissions can harm the environment and human health. The main distinction between pressurized and atmospheric-pressure oxy-combustion is the former’s elevated pressure; thus, the effect of this pressure on the pollutants emitted from POC—including SOx, NOx, PM, and mercury—must be understood, and effective control methodologies must be incorporated to control the formation of these pollutants. This paper reviews recent advances in research on SOx, NOx, PM, and mercury formation and control in POC systems that can aid in pollutant control in such systems.

Abstract Background Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is one of the most challenging and persistent dental complaints characterized by transient, intense pain triggered by various stimuli. It affects a significant portion of the global population, predominantly those aged 20–40. This study aims to evaluate the desensitizing efficacy of seventh-generation dentin bonding agents (Single Bond Universal by 3 M ESPE and Xeno-V + by Dentsply) against a control group using Bifluorid 12 by Voco in mitigating DH within a month of the follow-up period. Methods This was a single-center, parallel-group, double-blind, controlled randomized clinical trial conducted at Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 105 patients with DH were allocated into three groups for this study. The patients were divided into three groups (Single Bond Universal by 3 M ESPE and Xeno-V + by Dentsply) and the control group containing fluoride varnish (Bifluorid 12 by Voco). Discomfort Interval Scale scores and Schiff Cold Air Sensitivity Scale scores were recorded at baseline, immediately after the intervention, after 01 weeks, and after 01 month. Results All the materials demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in discomfort and sensitivity (DIS scores p-value 0.01) immediately after 01 week and over a period of 01 month after treatment compared with the baseline scores before application, with no single material proving superior over the one-month observation period. The study also provided insights into dental hygiene practices, with a significant majority using a toothbrush and sensitivity patterns, with cold stimuli being the most common cause of sensitivity. Conclusion The study demonstrates that Single Bond Universal, Xeno V+, and Bifluorid 12 are equally effective in reducing dentin hypersensitivity, with no distinct superiority observed over a one-month period. The findings highlight the potential of fluoride varnishes as a less technique-sensitive and cost-effective option for treating DH, offering valuable insights for future research and clinical practice. Trial registration NCT04225247 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04225247 ), Date of Registration: 13/01/2020. (Retrospectively registered).

The management of power outages caused by severe weather disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, and weather disturbances is critical in power transmission and distribution systems. The transmission system is the key to any power system and can trigger severe or significant effects if it fails. Different causes of fires, extreme weather conditions, ageing components, poor maintenance and malfunctions, human error, mal-operative procedures, and high operating network variables may cause transmission components to fail. System reliability is the probability that, despite component failures, a system remains available or functional. Risk management of the failures describes it. There are several methods to predict the failure rate, including exponential and Bayesian distributions. In this study, Poisson distribution forecasted the outage patterns for transmission and distribution networks for one and five years. A probability distribution function generated this pattern. Moreover, previous data were obtained from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). On comparing the acquired results with previous outage data, it was reported that the average outages in the transmission system were 567. The average outages in the distribution system stood at 37 for five years with a 100% confidence level. However, the probability of getting 620 transmission outages and 50 distribution outages was the highest in the probability distribution function for five years. Poisson distribution proved to be a useful tool to assess the transmission and distribution system reliability by estimating the failure rate over the years. It would allow the risk professionals to schedule, reduce, and track the systems’ risks. It would also help to improve the system’s reliability.

The door of a passenger car is one of the key components used for the safety of passengers from side collisions. Mostly car doors are made of Steel that increase the overall weight of the vehicle since steel is the primary metal used for the construction of door. The main objective of this research is to replace Steel material of a car door with low-cost automotive materials such as aluminium alloy, magnesium alloy, and carbon fibre material to perform weight reduction analysis without compromising the strength and safety. A comprehensive theoretical study of the existing car door has been performed with 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) models through commercially available software SolidWorks. Results of this research work revealed that by selecting the appropriate engineering materials of the doors for a commercially available passenger car, the overall weight reduced to 45% when used aluminium material and 64% when used magnesium and carbon-fibre materials compared to the total weight of four doors made of typical steel material. Furthermore, reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emission was also obtained by reducing the overall weight of the passenger car doors. Lastly, the performance was measured through power-to-weight ratio (PWR) analysis for steel and aluminium which revealed that the latter material was more economical and lighter in weight than the former material.

Abstract Understanding the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon stock is crucial for effective climate change assessment and agroecosystem management. However, little is known about the effects of organic amendments on GHG emissions and dynamic changes in carbon stocks in salt-affected soils. We conducted a pot experiment with four treatments including control (only fertilizers addition), biochar, vermicompost, and compost on non-saline and salt-affected soils, with the application on a carbon equivalent basis under wheat crop production. Our results revealed that the addition of vermicompost significantly increased soil organic carbon content by 18% in non-saline soil and 52% in salt-affected soil compared to the control leading to improvements in crop productivity i.e., plant dry biomass production by 57% in non-saline soil with vermicompost, while 56% with the same treatment in salt-affected soil. The grain yield was also noted 44 and 50% more with vermicompost treatment in non-saline and salt-affected soil, respectively. Chlorophyll contents were observed maximum with vermicompost in non-saline (24%), and salt-affected soils (22%) with same treatments. Photosynthetic rate (47% and 53%), stomatal conductance (60% and 12%), and relative water contents (38% and 27%) were also noted maximum with the same treatment in non-saline and salt-affected soils, respectively. However, the highest carbon dioxide emissions were observed in vermicompost- and compost-treated soils, leading to an increase in emissions of 46% in non-saline soil and 74% in salt-affected soil compared to the control. The compost treatment resulted in the highest nitrous oxide emissions, with an increase of 57% in non-saline soil and 62% in salt-affected soil compared to the control. In saline and non-saline soils treated with vermicompost, the global warming potential was recorded as 267% and 81% more than the control, respectively. All treatments, except biochar in non-saline soil, showed increased net GHG emissions due to organic amendment application. However, biochar reduced net emissions by 12% in non-saline soil. The application of organic amendments increased soil organic carbon content and crop yield in both non-saline and salt-affected soils. In conclusion, biochar is most effective among all tested organic amendments at increasing soil organic carbon content in both non-saline and salt-affected soils, which could have potential benefits for soil health and crop production.

Afghanistan is known for its long history of war and conflict. Since the invasion of the Soviets, the country has been facing subsequent invasions from other powers as well as internal conflicts among different religious sects and political groups for gaining power. Due to this history of turmoil and conflicts, the people of Afghanistan were severely affected. Many of them were displaced and migrated to other countries while those who remained suffered from the horrors and brutalities of war. It also caused them great physical, economic, and mental losses. During this era of absurdity, mental depression, and chaos writers felt the urge to express new experiences and realities in new ways, and thus war became a dominant theme in the writings of many Afghan writers. One among such leading authors is Khalid Husseini who has realistically and boldly reflected the life of Afghans during wartime and brutal realities of war in his novels. The current study probes into the author’s dealing with the war subject through the use of imagery in his novel ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ published in 2007. The study's main objective is to highlight how imagery has been a useful tool in the hand of the novelist to depict the brutalities and horrors of war. For this purpose, a qualitative research approach is adopted, including an introspective and contrapuntal reading of different quotations and excerpts from the novel in light of the theoretical framework adopted by Cuddon (1994). The key findings of the study are that imagery has been a useful tool in the hands of the writer for revealing the horrors and brutalities of war such as; mental trauma and chaos of characters, the portrayal of War Driven Landscape, nostalgia for the lost Cultural Heritage, separation of the loved ones and disintegration of social fabrics and physical violence against the civilians.

Abstract This work aims to examines the effect of Chinese outward foreign direct investment (CoFDI), renewable energy, and energy intensity on CO2 emissions in 46 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) nations divided into: Panel A, consisting of 16 European countries, and Panel B, comprising 30 Asian and MENA countries. This analysis used data from 2005 to 2018, applying second-generation econometric techniques. The empirical outcomes, obtained using Driscoll–Kraay methods, confirmed the pollution halo effect in Panel A, suggesting that FDI flows in these countries are environmentally friendly. In contrast, the results indicated a positive impact of CoFDI on CO2e in Panel B, supporting the pollution haven hypothesis that FDI may add to pollution. In addition, the study found an inverted-U-shaped association between per capita income and CO2e, validating the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in both panels. The findings also revealed that energy intensity positively affects CO2e, whereas renewable energy has a significant negative effect in both panels, while the interaction terms of renewable and energy intensity are heterogenous in both panels. Based on these findings, the study recommends policy makers of these countries to attract clean FDI, particularly in renewable sectors, and shift from fossil fuel-based energy to renewable sources to control pollution by enacting energy-saving initiatives via lowering energy intensity.

Abstract Real-world decision-making problems often include multi-polar uncertainties dependent on multi-dimensional attributes. The m-polar fuzzy (mF) sets can efficiently handle such multi-faceted complications with T-norm based weighted aggregation techniques. The Aczel–Alsina T-norms offer comparatively flexible and accurate aggregation than the other well-known T-norm families. Consequently, this work introduced novel mF Aczel–Alsina aggregation operators (AOs), including weighted averaging (mFAAWA, mFAAOWA, mFAAHWA) and weighted geometric (mFAAWG, mFAAOWG, mFAAHWG) AOs. The fundamental properties, including boundedness, idempotency, monotonicity, and commutativity are investigated. Based on the proposed AOs, a decision-making algorithm is developed and implemented to solve two detailed multi-polar site selection problems (for desalination plant and for wind-power plant). Finally, a comparison with mF Dombi and mF Yager AOs reveals that different T-norm based AOs may yeild different solutions for the same problem.

Depleting energy resources, global warming and environmental problems associated with conventional fuels are serious global challenges of the modern world. The substitution of conventional energy resources with more efficient and sustainable resources is inevitable. In this scenario, hydrogen (H2) has emerged as the ultimate choice due to its superior characteristics such as low carbon emissions, cleanliness, and efficiency. However, for the successful implementation of making H2as the next-generation fuel source, the hurdles of production, separation, and storage of H2should be resolved. This paper summarizes the issues and challenges in the separation of H2gas from various production streams by using available separation technologies. Different types of H2separation technologies, including membranes, adsorption processes, metal hydrides, and cryogenic separation technologies, have been considered and discussed. The review encompasses the types, advantages, and disadvantages of each technology, followed by a detailed account of issues and challenges observed in each separation method. More attention has been given to membrane technology because it is the most promising technology for the production of high-purity H2. Finally, this review provides an outlook for future directions and developments in H2separation technologies.

Background: This study was designed to analyze the efficacy of a urine dipstick to detect urinary tract infection (UTI) in children and to correlate it with the urine culture. Methods: A prospective laboratory descriptive study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics at Government General Hospital, Kadapa, from February 2022 to September 2023. Urine samples from 250 children of 2 and 12 years of age with UTI symptoms were analyzed using urine dipstick and other clinical/laboratory variables. Results: The urine culture was positive in 38.4% (n=96) of the children and negative in 61.6% (n=154) of the children using the dipstick. Urinary tract infection was more common among female than male children. It was common in children aged 6 to 10 years, accounting for 41.42%. The most prevalent organism isolated was Escherichia coli (24.8%), followed by Klebsiella (8.8%) and other Gram-negative bacilli (5.6%). Urine microscopy for pus cells revealed that 158 (63.2%) samples had no pus cells, 49 (19.6%) had up to 5 pus cells, 35 (14%) had 5-10 pus cells, and 8 (3.2%) had >10 pus cells. Pyuria was found in 56 of the 96 children in the culture-positive group, leukocyte esterase was positive in 123 cases, leukocyte esterase was negative in 88 cases, and the nitrite test was positive in 9 cases. However, the combined dipstick was positive in 121 (48.4%) of all cases. Among the culture-positive group, the combined dipstick was positive in 39 cases and negative in 3 cases. Among the culture-negative cases, the combined dipstick was positive in 28 cases and negative in 126 cases. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of leucocyte esterase and nitrite were 65%, 80%, 69%, and 78% for diagnosing UTI in our study, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of the combined dipstick compared with urine culture were 95.5%, 80%, 74.9%, and 95.9%, respectively. Conclusion: The combined dipstick + nitrite and leukocyte esterase show higher sensitivity and specificity, making it superior to leukocyte esterase or nitrite alone in diagnosing UTI. When compared to the urine culture, the combined dipstick has higher sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Therefore, the combined dipstick can be used consistently as a quick screening tool for UTIs when culture facilities are not available.

Background. Globally, pneumonia is one of the major cause of mortality and morbidity in children aged below 5 years. Lung ultrasonography (LUS) may become the next line investigation of choice before CXR and CT. Researchers have investigated the idea of employing LUS to diagnose pneumonia. Aim. To evaluate the findings of LUS in children with pneumonia and to correlate LUS findings with clinical and etiological findings in children. Methods. Study conducted in 100 children with chronic cough and fast breathing. All children undergone LUS within 24 hrs, and the data was correlated between clinical indicators and ultrasound proven pneumonia. The ROC (receiver operating characteristic curve) was drafted to estimate the cut-off values for respiratory, and laboratory variables. Results. 44% had positive LUS results. The presence of sensitivity with 88.5%, 77.45%, 95.4%, 81.6%, 79.4%, 70.45%, 84.25%, and 86.25% for the presence of fever, refusal of feeds/fluids, temperature 380C, oxygen saturation 95%, nasal flaring, grunting, chest retractions, and crepitation in children to predict the pneumonia. Leukocytosis appeared in 60% and CRP positive in 24% children. Grunting had the highest specificity of 94.66%. Chest x-ray identified 40% of pneumonia cases, while LUS identified 44% pneumonia cases. LUS had a sensitivity of 0.895 and a specificity of 0.66, and CXR had a sensitivity of 0.855 and a specificity of 0.60 to detect pneumonia. Conclusions. LUS cannot be used a sole diagnostic tool in childhood pneumonia, but it has role in the detection of complications. LUS has higher diagnostic accuracy than CXR for pneumonia diagnosis.

Aiming at the limitations of single-functionality, limited-applicability, and complex designs prevalent in current metasurfaces, we propose a terahertz multifunctional and multiband tunable metasurface utilizing a VO2-metal hybrid structure. This metasurface structure comprises a top VO2-metal resonance layer, a middle polyimide dielectric layer, and a gold film reflective layer at the bottom. This metasurface exhibits multifunctionality, operating independently of polarization and incident angle. The varying conductivity states of the VO2 layers, enabling the metasurface to achieve various terahertz functionalities, including single-band absorption, broadband THz absorption, and multiband perfect polarization conversion for linear (LP) and circularly polarized (CP) incident waves. Finally, we believe that the functional adaptability of the proposed metasurface expands the repertoire of options available for future terahertz device designs.

A highly efficient low-cost adsorbent was prepared using raw and chemically modified cellulose isolated from sugarcane bagasse for decontamination of Cr(VI) from wastewater. First, cellulose pulp was isolated from sugarcane bagasse by subjecting it to acid hydrolysis, alkaline hydrolysis and bleaching with sodium chlorate (NaClO3). Then, the bleached cellulose pulp was chemically modified with acrylonitrile monomer in the presence Fenton’s reagent (Fe+2/H2O2) to carry out grafting of acrylonitrile onto cellulose by atom transfer radical polymerization. The developed adsorbent (acrylonitrile grafted cellulose) was analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Both raw cellulose and acrylonitrile grafted cellulose were used for chromium removal from wastewater. The effects of metal ion concentration, pH, adsorbent dose and time were studied, and their values were optimized. The optimum conditions for the adsorption of Cr(VI) onto raw and chemically modified cellulose were: metal ion concentration: 50 ppm, adsorbent dose: 1 g, pH: 6, and time: 60 min. The maximum efficiencies of 73% and 94% and adsorption capacities of 125.95 mg/g and 267.93 mg/g were achieved for raw and acrylonitrile grafted cellulose, respectively. High removal efficiency was achieved, owing to high surface area of 79.92 m2/g and functional active binding cites on grafted cellulose. Isotherm and kinetics studies show that the experimental data were fully fitted by the Freundlich isotherm model and pseudo first-order model. The adsorbent (acrylonitrile grafted cellulose) was regenerated using three different types of regenerating reagents and reused thirty times, and there was negligible decrease (19%) in removal efficiency after using it for 30 times. Hence, it is anticipated that acrylonitrile could be utilized as potential candidate material for commercial scale Cr(VI) removal from wastewater.

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)-glycine] is a non-selective herbicide with a broad spectrum activity that is commonly used to control perennial vegetation in agricultural fields. The widespread utilization of glyphosate in agriculture leads to soil, water, and food crop contamination, resulting in human and environmental health consequences. Therefore, it is imperative to devise techniques for enhancing the degradation of glyphosate in soil. Rhizobacteria play a crucial role in degrading organic contaminants. Limited work has been done on exploring the capabilities of indigenously existing glyphosate-degrading rhizobacteria in Pakistani soils. This research attempts to discover whether native bacteria have the glyphosate-degrading ability for a sustainable solution to glyphosate contamination. Therefore, this study explored the potential of 11 native strains isolated from the soil with repeated glyphosate application history and showed resistance against glyphosate at higher concentrations (200 mg kg−1). Five out of eleven strains outperformed in glyphosate degradation and plant growth promotion. High-pressure liquid chromatography showed that, on average, these five strains degraded 98% glyphosate. In addition, these strains promote maize seed germination index and shoot and root fresh biomass up to 73 and 91%, respectively. Furthermore, inoculation gave an average increase of acid phosphatase (57.97%), alkaline phosphatase (1.76-fold), and dehydrogenase activity (1.75-fold) in glyphosate-contaminated soil. The findings indicated the importance of using indigenous rhizobacteria to degrade glyphosate. Therefore, by maintaining soil health, indigenous soil biodiversity can work effectively for the bioremediation of contaminated soils and sustainable crop production in a world facing food security.

Nitrogen (N) is an important component of the forest soils and plays a pivotal role in the ecosystem’s health, also in broadleaf and Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests. Nitrogen plays numerous functions in the production and transformation of soil organic matter (SOM) and alterations in the soil’s physicochemical and biological properties. Despite the extensive research on soil properties and microorganism diversity in broadleaf and Moso bamboo forests, we still know very little about N dynamics and its significance in broadleaf and Moso bamboo forests, or how various physical and environmental variables influence soil physicochemical, N dynamics, and biological attributes. This article provides a thorough overview of the role of N dynamics in broadleaf and Moso bamboo forests and changes in soil physicochemical properties processes by summarizing recent advances in our knowledge of forest soil microbial diversity, and carbon (C) and N sink in broadleaf and Moso bamboo forests. As broadleaf and Moso bamboo forests are very sensitive to little change, even a small change in these ecosystems can alter the overall N dynamics. Here, we dissect the soil ecology of broadleaf and Moso bamboo forests to provide insights into the possibilities and consequences of future studies of N dynamics in these ecosystems.

Wound healing is a multifaceted biological process influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The ability of Wnt signaling to activate cell proliferation appears to serve a central role in wound healing. Therefore, the direct activation of Wnt or inhibition of the Wnt antagonist could be an ideal approach for the stimulation of wound healing. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of small molecule-loaded nanofibrous matrix in inducing wound healing. Herein, a naturally derived small molecule, curcumin, was used to inhibit the GSK3-β, which is considered a negative regulator of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The docking results demonstrated that curcumin makes a complex with GSK3-β at seven specific sites, thereby inhibiting its activity. Moreover, the stabilization of β-catenin appeared to be increased with the treatment of curcumin. Next, curcumin was incorporated in poly ε-caprolactone nanofibrous matrices for controlled–sustained drug release to induce cell function. Curcumin-loaded nanofibrous matrix not only enhanced fibroblast cell proliferation, but also induced the expression of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) in vitro. Moreover, the in vivo results showed that these nanofibrous mats significantly induced wound closure in 12 mm critical-sized defect. Collectively, these results suggest that the developed nanofibrous matrix promotes impaired wound healing by modulating cell proliferation and enhancing FGF expression that promotes wound closure.

Due to increase in demand our conventional resources are insufficient to fulfill the world energy demand. Renewable techniques are extremely economical due to converting useless waste into energy. To achieve that purpose anaerobic digestion was performed on banana peels with co digested with biogas slurry. Input feedstock to anaerobic plant was banana peels which already passed through four pretreatments such as, glycerol, sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide and acetic acid at variable conditions. Glycerol treatment give most efficient results due to more removal of lignin up to 87%. Anaerobic digestion is completely environmental friendly with no carbon dioxide emission and due to benefits it can adopted more in future on industrial and domestic scale. 6 liter capacity tank was installed at 4 liter with 10% TS level to giving space at top for biogas production. Trails was performed at two temperature 37°C and 55°C but more biogas produced at 55 °C with retention time period of eighteen days. In slurry tank manually stirring was provided and produced gas was calculated through water displacement method. This study help to decrease city waste by installing anaerobic plants. In that way we can achieve sustainability and waste can also be controlled.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 spread globally and creates an alarming situation. Following the SARS-CoV-2 paradigm, therapeutic efficacy is achieved via repurposing several antiviral, antibacterial, and antimalarial drugs. Innate and adaptive immune cells work close to combat infection through the intricate production of antibodies (Abs) and inflammatory cytokines. As an essential component of the immune system, Abs play an important role in eliminating viruses and maintaining homeostasis. B lymphocytes (B cells) are effector cells, stringent to produce neutralizing Abs to combat infection. After recognizing SARS-CoV-2 antigens by a surface receptor called B cell receptors (BCRs) on the plasma membrane, the BCRs transmembrane signal transduction and immune activation results in Ab production and development of immune memory. Thus, it ensures that plasma B cells can quickly start an intricate immune response to generate efficient protective Abs to clear the pathogen. Nevertheless, considering therapeutic challenges in the context of the new coronavirus pandemic, this review addresses the molecular mechanism of the immune activation and function of novel SARS-CoV-2 specific B cells in the production of SARS-CoV-2 specific Abs. Additionally, these studies highlighted the Ab-mediated pathogenesis, the intriguing role of nano-scale signaling subunits, non-structural proteins during COVID-19 infection, and structural insights of SARS-CoV-2 specific Abs.

Recently, it has been observed that fossil fuel utilization increased to manage the issue of food insecurity; however, it has increased the risk of environmental degradation and land availability. Therefore, the role of a farmer is to ensure food security (FS). With the assistance of the green revolution (GR), green finance (GF) and green energy have increased manifold. For this purpose, the current study utilized a time-series dataset between 2071 and 2019 to evaluate the relationship between green finance, green energy, and the green revolution with food security. This objective has been considered with modern econometric methods, including the Johansen cointegration model and impulse response. As a result, the Johansen model affirmed cointegration between the green revolution, green finance, and green energy with food security. According to the results, food security will rise by 0.17%, 2.05%, 0.006%, and 0.023%, with a 1% increase in fossil fuel utilization, green finance, improved seeds, and water availability, respectively. Furthermore, based on the diagnostic statistics, the Johansen model’s credibility, stability, and reliability were corrected. In light of these findings and the impulse response function, all relevant factors will favor future food security. Finally, this study suggested that the public and commercial sectors should invest significantly in R&D to produce organic chemicals and agricultural methods that preserve soil fertility and reduce environmental degradation.

Addressing the conflict between fossil fuel exploitation, usage, and greenhouse gas emissions is a top priority for China’s low-carbon socioeconomic development. Scalable Axisymmetric Matrix “a computerized general equilibrium model” is used to assess the impact of carbon tax policies on energy usage, carbon pollution, and macroeconomic drivers at reduction levels of 10%, 20%, and 30% of emissions. In the meantime, we examine the impact of various carbon tax recycling schemes in line with the tax neutrality concept. Although the carbon tax successfully reduces carbon emissions, we conclude that it will have a detrimental effect on the economy and social well-being. To cope with China’s increasing pollution emissions and ecological imbalances, the Chinese government promulgated the environmental protection tax law of the people’s Republic of China, which was officially implemented in 2018. Although carbon dioxide is not included in the Taxable Pollutants and Single Quantity Table attached to this law, China has almost reached a consensus on taxing carbon emissions. In 2021, the State Council of China issued the opinions on completely, accurately, and comprehensively implementing the new development concept and doing a good job in carbon peak and carbon neutralization, which made a comprehensive deployment to achieve the “double carbon” goal and improved the carbon tax policy and legal system, which is an essential part of it. Therefore, based on fiscal neutrality, an effective carbon tax recycling scheme can mitigate the adverse effects of its adoption. However, due to the current development in China’s energy-generating and transportation sectors, even minor steps can have huge effects on emissions with marginal economic implications.

The current paper has attempted to measure the effect of the positive and negative shocks of aggregate domestic consumption spending (ADCS) and technological innovation (TINN) on industrialisation in South Africa using the time-series data from 1980 to 2014. The ARDL estimations indicated that the ADCS and TINN determine industrialisation in both the short term and long term, while the NARDL estimations suggested that the positive shocks in ADCS and TINN have a positive effect on industrialisation in both the short run and long run. Our results validated an asymmetrical association between TINN and industrialisation, and between ADCS and industrialisation.

Salt-affected soil reclamation provides opportunities for crop production and carbon sequestration. In arid regions such as Pakistan, limited studies have been reported involving soil reclamation and crop production under wheat–maize rotation, but no study has reported predictions on long-term carbon sequestration in reclaimed soils for the treatments used in this study. Thus, a field-scale fallow period and crop production experiment was conducted for wheat–maize rotation on salt-affected soils in Pakistan for 3 years to check the effectiveness of organic amendments for reclamation of the salt-affected soils, carbon sequestration and food grain production. Treatments used were the control (with no additional amendments to reduce salinity), gypsum alone and gypsum in combination with different organic amendments (poultry manure, green manure, and farmyard manure). The treatment with gypsum in combination with farmyard manure was most effective at increasing soil carbon (+169% over the three-year period of the trial). The maximum wheat yield was also recorded in year 3 with gypsum in combination with farmyard manure (51%), while the effect of green manure combined with gypsum also showed a significant increase in maize yield in year 3 (49%). Long-term simulations suggested that the treatments would all have a significant impact on carbon sequestration, with soil C increasing at a steady rate from 0.53% in the control to 0.86% with gypsum alone, 1.25% with added poultry manure, 1.69% with green manure and 2.29% with farmyard manure. It is concluded that food crops can be produced from freshly reclaimed salt-affected soils, and this can have added long-term benefits of carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation.

Taking the importance of Pakistan’s dire need for energy breakthrough, in this paper, we explore how the country’s vast estimated reserves of 175 billion tons of Thar coal is a useful source for the clean and efficient production of good quality liquid fuel. Coal to liquid (CTL) technology has gathered increasing attention among many countries with a sufficient volume of coal reserves, and this technology can also be implemented in Pakistan, which in result can also reduce harmful greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the environment. In this study, the Fischer Tropsch Synthesis (FT) liquefaction method was used, and the reactor design, chemical reactions, syngas ratio fraction, and Anderson-Schulz-Flory and Langmuir model were all obtained from the Aspen Plus simulation. The results showed that, at the optimum syngas flow rate of 9 Kg/s, the FT model produced diesel fuel at 0.00134 Kg/s. Per this calculation, the massive amount of Thar coal reserves can be transformed into 123.22 million barrels of diesel. The design of the reactor is very critical, and, in this study, it was prioritized to design a reactor that produces liquid fuel only of composition C12+; during the production of liquid fuel, the quantity of methane is not high; and it can still be further reduced on optimized conditions. On the other hand, CO2 gas, which is a sole contributor of GHG emissions, was also reduced by up to 98%.

Application of wastewater to agricultural soils not only enhances economic benefits but is also considered as a safe disposal option by the administrators. Worldwide, peri-urban horticulture is a common practice for growing vegetables. When agricultural soils are irrigated with wastewater, numerous potentially toxic elements (PTEs) contained therein are bioaccumulated and pose health risks. The presented study aimed to reveal the PTEs, i.e., copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) concentration in the agricultural soils irrigated with wastewater for longer times. Zeolite, a natural mineral was used to immobilize these in contaminated soils to reduce its availability to brinjal (Solanum melongena L.). During a pot study, zeolite was applied at four different levels, i.e., 0.25, 0.50, 1.00 and 2.00% in contaminated soil, keeping one control. The results revealed that growth as well as biochemical and physiological characters were found best with treatment receiving zeolite at 2.00%. In edible parts (fruit), PTE contents were found lowest in the same treatment. Relative to the control, ~121, 87, 120 and 140% less DTPA-extracted Cu, Cd, Ni and Pb in soil was found with this treatment. Based on the results, it was revealed that zeolite effectively immobilized Cu, Cd, Ni and Pb in the soil. Although all the applied levels of zeolite had positive potential to immobilize PTEs in wastewater-contaminated soil, zeolite applied at 2.00% proved most effective.

This work re-investigates the pollution haven hypothesis in the context of Pakistan for the time span 1975–2016 by employing a non-linear autoregressive distribution lag (NARDL) approach. The empirical findings validate an symmetric association between FDI inflow and emissions in both the short and long run. Further, agriculture has an insignifancant positive impact on emissions, while trade oppenness and population growth have significant negative impacts on emissions in both the short and long run. Morover, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has significant positive, while GDP per capita squared has significant negative, effects on emissions in the short and long run, hence confirming the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Findings overall confirm the applicability of both the pollution haven and EKC hypotheses in Pakistan. The government should focus on FDI inflow, because the adoption of clean technologies by foreign firms to invest in Pakistan is crucial to curtailing emissions.

In this article, activated carbon was produced from Lantana camara and olive trees by H3PO4 chemical activation. The prepared activated carbons were analyzed by characterizations such as scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. H3PO4 is used as an activator agent to create an abundant pore structure. According to EDX analysis, the crystalline structure destroys and increases the carbon content of the olive tree and Lantana camara by 77.51 and 76.16%, respectively. SEM images reveal a porous structure formed as a result of H3PO4 activation. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of the olive tree and Lantana camara activated carbon was 611.21 m2/g and 167.47 m2/g, respectively. The TGA analysis of both activated carbons shows their thermal degradation starts at 230 °C but fully degrades at temperatures above 450 °C. To quantify the potential environmental implications related to the production process of the activated carbon (AC) from olive trees, the life cycle assessment (LCA) environmental methodology was employed. For most of the tested indicators, chemical activation using H3PO4 showed the greatest ecological impacts: the ozone layer depletion potential (42.27%), the acidification potential (55.31%), human toxicity (57.00%), freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity (85.01%), terrestrial ecotoxicity (86.17%), and eutrophication (92.20%). The global warming potential (5.210 kg CO2 eq), which was evenly weighted between the phases, was shown to be one of the most significant impacts. The total energy demand of the olive tree’s AC producing process was 70.521 MJ per Kg.

The current study looks at the causes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by considering the implications of financial development in the presence of economic growth and use of energy in the case of China over the period 1980–2014. This study first uses the nonlinear autoregressive distributive lag (NARDL) model to capture the asymmetry that arises from positive or negative components of financial development following use of the ARDL technique. The findings confirm a symmetrical relationship of both positive and negative effects of financial development on carbon emissions in the model, which allows the use of the ARDL approach. Results of the ARDL bound test confirm a long-term and positive relationship among CO2 emissions, financial development, economic growth and energy use. Further, the error correction model (ECM) confirms a short-run relationship among CO2 emissions, financial development, economic growth and energy use. Moreover, a dynamic multiplier graph indicates that the positive component of financial development has more influence on carbon emissions in the long run as compared to negative financial development shocks. The findings suggest that there is no asymmetry between CO2 emissions and financial development, lending support to the symmetric impact of both positive and negative components of financial development.

Hydrogels are three-dimensional, cross-linked, and supramolecular networks that can absorb significant volumes of water. Hydrogels are one of the most promising biomaterials in the biological and biomedical fields, thanks to their hydrophilic properties, biocompatibility, and wide therapeutic potential. Owing to their nontoxic nature and safe use, they are widely accepted for various biomedical applications such as wound dressing, controlled drug delivery, bone regeneration, tissue engineering, biosensors, and artificial contact lenses. Herein, this review comprises different synthetic strategies for hydrogels and their chemical/physical characteristics, and various analytical, optical, and spectroscopic tools for their characterization are discussed. A range of synthetic approaches is also covered for the synthesis and design of hydrogels. It will also cover biomedical applications such as bone regeneration, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. This review addressed the fundamental, general, and applied features of hydrogels in order to facilitate undergraduates, graduates, biomedical students, and researchers in a variety of domains.

The Islamic Shari’ah has ensured and guaranteed protection and security of life, wealth, and honor through the imposition of different laws and injunctions. Alongside this, it permitted the jurists of the Ummah to frame and promulgate laws for their security under the Quran & Sunnah, which are the primary sources of Shari’ah. The Muslim scholars authored jurisprudence books keeping in view the need for the time in every era and thus a vast compilation of Islamic literature came into existence. The Ottoman Caliphate enjoys a particular background and characteristics among different Muslim empires. The said Caliphate not only had very extensive geographical boundaries but also had links with the contemporary governments. This Caliphate, following Fiqh Ḥanafī, had formed Majallah al Aḥkām al ‘Adaliyah for the country’s economic system. The clauses of Majallah were based on deep-rooted thoughts and, therefore, caused a great impact on the succeeding assets and heritage of jurisprudence. In this article, after mentioning the introduction of Majallah Al-Aḥkām Al-‘Adliyah and its methodology, a comparative and applied review of the selected provisions of "Kitāb Al-Wakālah" with "Contract Act 1872" is discussed and finally, the conclusions drawn from this research, along with few recommendations, are mentioned.

Abstract Background An efficient transformation protocol is a primary requisite to study and utilize the genetic potential of any plant species. A quick transformation system is also crucial for the functional analysis of genes along with the study of proteins and their interactions in vivo. Presently, however, quick and effective transformation systems are still lacking for many plant species including pineapple. This has limited the full exploration of the genetic repository of pineapple as well as the study of its genes, protein localization and protein interactions. Results To address the above limitations, we have developed an efficient system for protoplast isolation and subcellular localization of desired proteins using pineapple plants derived from tissue culture. A cocktail of 1.5% (W/V) Cellulase R-10 and 0.5% (W/V) Macerozyme R-10 resulted in 51% viable protoplasts with 3 h digestion. Compared to previously reported protocols, our protoplast isolation method is markedly faster (saving 4.5 h), requires only a small quantity of tissue sample (1 g of leaves) and has high yield (6.5 × 105). The quality of the isolated protoplasts was verified using organelle localization in protoplasts with different organelle markers. Additionally, colocalization analysis of two pineapple Mg2+ transporter genes in pineapple protoplasts was consistent with the results in a tobacco transient expression system, confirming that the protoplast isolation method can be used to study subcellular localization. Further findings showed that the system is also suitable for protein–protein interaction studies. Conclusion Based on our findings, the presently described method is an efficient and effective strategy for pineapple protoplast isolation and transformation; it is convenient and time saving and provides a greater platform for transformation studies.

Serum lipid profile, hormones and liver enzymes were studied to determine the health status in moulted layers supplemented with protein, probiotics and symbiotics. Four equal groups (n = 50 each) as control (CONT; CP16% diet), high protein (HP; CP18% diet), symbiotic (SYM; CP16% diet, symbiotic @ 85 mg/L orally) and probiotic (PRO; CP16% diet, probiotic @ 85 mg/L orally) were studied. Fifteen birds were slaughtered at 5%, peak and end of post-moult production periods from each group to collect blood. A two-factorial completely randomized design along with the DMR test was applied. The serum was analysed to determine various parameters by commercially available kits. The LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C; mg/dL) and cortisol (µg/dL) concentration in HP, SYM and PRO and thyroxin (T4; µg/dL) in PRO and SYM were significantly reduced as compared to CONT. Triiodothyronine (T3; ng/mL) concentration in HP, SYM, PRO; HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C; mg/dL) in HP and AST (U/L) concentration in PRO were significantly increased (P ≤ .05) as compared to CONT. The decrease (P ≤ .01) in LDL-C and cortisol levels and increase in HDL-C level indicate the reducing effect of these supplementations on stress, whereas an increase in T3 in supplemented birds (HP and PRO) signifies its metabolic boosting impact in post-moult laying hens.

To overcome the scarcity of natural resources as construction material and to reduce the hazards from industries, industrial wastes can play a very significant role. In this paper, the influence of glass powder and steel slag is reviewed. It is concluded that glass powder and steel slag can upset some portion of concrete thereby providing significant improvement in mechanical properties of concrete consequently reducing the environmental hazards from industries.

The current research was conducted to study the qualitative analysis and antimicrobial activity of different extracts of Viscum. album L. Screening of Viscum album for their chemicals was led by familiar qualitative procedures, which exposed the existence of a number of bioactive compounds including alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, reducing sugar and phenols. The antimicrobial activities were investigated by disc diffusion method. Investigation of the data discovered that all of the five extracts of Viscum album stems, leaves and fruit showed diverse range of antimicrobial activities. Ethyl acetate, butanol, water and crude extracts showed maximum inhibitory effects against all the microbial species. Especially, Gram-positive bacterial and fungal pathogen. The most liable, gram-positive bacteria were Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus atrophaeus and Staphylococcus aureus, which were repressed by all extracts except n-hexane. The most susceptible gram-negative bacterial species were Escherichia coli, Erwinia carotovora and Agrobacterium tumefaciens where as the most resilient gram-negative bacterium was Salmonella typhi. The results have also supported the practice of aqueous extract were found to be in effect against Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli. Thus, our findings have provided support for the use of Viscum album stems, leaves and fruit in traditional medicines.

Background Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and aggressive malignant cancer in the adrenal cortex with poor prognosis. Though previous research has attempted to elucidate the progression of ACC, its molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. Methods Gene transcripts per million (TPM) data were downloaded from the UCSC Xena database, which included ACC (The Cancer Genome Atlas, n = 77) and normal samples (Genotype Tissue Expression, n = 128). We used weighted gene co-expression network analysis to identify gene connections. Overall survival (OS) was determined using the univariate Cox model. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by the search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes. Results To determine the critical genes involved in ACC progression, we obtained 2,953 significantly differentially expressed genes and nine modules. Among them, the blue module demonstrated significant correlation with the “Stage” of ACC. Enrichment analysis revealed that genes in the blue module were mainly enriched in cell division, cell cycle, and DNA replication. Combined with the PPI and co-expression networks, we identified four hub genes (i.e., TOP2A, TTK, CHEK1, and CENPA) that were highly expressed in ACC and negatively correlated with OS. Thus, these identified genes may play important roles in the progression of ACC and serve as potential biomarkers for future diagnosis.

Co-firing coal and biomass in existing power plants facilitates influential advancement in the use of renewable energy resources and carbon emissions reduction. Biomass is intended as a CO2-zero net emission because, during its rise, it uses the same fraction of CO2 from the air as that released during its combustion. In addition, the content of nitrogen and sulfur in biomass is lower than in coal. Therefore, the emissions of NOx and SOx can be minimized by co-firing it with coal. In general, the effect of biomass direct co-firing on safety, pulverizing system performance, furnace efficiency, and NOx emission in full-scale furnaces is rarely studied. In this study, biomass direct co-firing was carried out in a 55 MW tangentially fired pulverized coal furnace. The effects of biomass co-firing on safety, the performance of the pulverizing system, furnace efficiency, and pollutant emissions (unburned carbon and NOx) are studied. The results show that the blending of biomass fuel with less than 20% of coal has no issue with respect to auto-ignition and safety. The performance of the pulverizing system is affected up to a certain limit due to the difficulty of grinding the biomass particles into required fineness. The biomass co-firing up to 20% is feasible, but greater than this percentage will severely affect the furnace efficiency. The co-firing of biomass enhanced the NOx reduction significantly and further improved the performance of the SNCR process. This study could provide guidance for the application of biomass co-firing in industrial furnaces.

Rockburst is a complex phenomenon of dynamic instability in the underground excavation of rock. Owing to the complex and unclear rockburst mechanism, it is difficult to accurately predict and reasonably assess the rockburst potential. With the increasing availability of case histories from rock engineering and the advancement of data science, the data mining algorithms provide a good way to predict complex phenomena, like rockburst potential. This paper investigates the potential of J48 and random tree algorithms to predict the rockburst classification ranks using 165 cases, with four parameters, namely maximum tangential stress of surrounding rock, uniaxial compressive strength, uniaxial tensile strength, and strain energy storage index. A comparison of developed models’ performances reveals that the random tree gives more reliable predictions than J48 and other empirical models (Russenes criterion, rock brittleness coefficient criterion, and artificial neural networks). Similar comparisons with convolutional neural network resulted at par performance in modeling the rockburst hazard data.

Wastewater generation and treatment is an ever-increasing concern in the current century due to increased urbanization and industrialization. To tackle the situation of increasing environmental hazards, numerous wastewater treatment approaches are used—i.e., physical, chemical, and biological (primary to tertiary treatment) methods. Various treatment techniques being used have the risks of producing secondary pollutants. The most promising technique is the use of different materials as adsorbents that have a higher efficacy in treating wastewater, with a minimal production of secondary pollutants. Biosorption is a key process that is highly efficient and cost-effective. This method majorly uses the adsorption process/mechanism for toxicant removal from wastewater. This review elaborates the major agricultural and non-agricultural materials-based sorbents that have been used with their possible mechanisms of pollutant removal. Moreover, this creates a better understanding of how the efficacy of these sorbents can be enhanced by modification or treatments with other substances. This review also explains the re-usability and mechanisms of the used adsorbents and/or their disposal in a safe and environmentally friendly way, along with highlighting the major research gaps and potential future research directions. Additionally, the cost benefit ratio of adsorbents is elucidated.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]

Ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) continuously causing substantial losses to the public and veterinary health sectors. The identification of putative drug targets and vaccine candidates is crucial to control TBPs. No information has been recorded on designing novel drug targets and vaccine candidates based on proteins. Subtractive proteomics is an in silico approach that utilizes extensive screening for the identification of novel drug targets or vaccine candidates based on the determination of potential target proteins available in a pathogen proteome that may be used effectively to control diseases caused by these infectious agents. The present study aimed to investigate novel drug targets and vaccine candidates by utilizing subtractive proteomics to scan the available proteomes of TBPs and predict essential and non-host homologous proteins required for the survival of these diseases causing agents. Subtractive proteome analysis revealed a list of fifteen essential, non-host homologous, and unique metabolic proteins in the complete proteome of selected pathogens. Among these therapeutic target proteins, three were excluded due to the presence in host gut metagenome, eleven were found to be highly potential drug targets, while only one was found as a potential vaccine candidate against TBPs. The present study may provide a foundation to design potential drug targets and vaccine candidates for the effective control of infections caused by TBPs.

In South Asia, Haemaphysalis spinigera tick transmits Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus (KFDV), a flavivirus that causes severe hemorrhagic fever with neurological manifestations such as mental disturbances, severe headache, tremors, and vision deficits in infected human beings with a fatality rate of 3–10%. The disease was first reported in March 1957 from Kyasanur forest of Karnataka (India) from sick and dying monkeys. Since then, between 400 and 500 humans cases per year have been recorded; monkeys and small mammals are common hosts of this virus. KFDV can cause epizootics with high fatality in primates and is a level-4 virus according to the international biosafety rules. The density of tick vectors in a given year correlates with the incidence of human disease. The virus is a positive strand RNA virus and its genome was discovered to code for one polyprotein that is cleaved post-translationally into 3 structural proteins (Capsid protein, Envelope Glycoprotein M and Envelope Glycoprotein E) and 7 non-structural proteins (NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, and NS5). KFDV has a high degree of sequence homology with most members of the TBEV serocomplex. Alkhurma virus is a KFDV variant sharing a sequence similarity of 97%. KFDV is classified as a NIAID Category C priority pathogen due to its extreme pathogenicity and lack of US FDA approved vaccines and therapeutics; also, the infectious dose is currently unknown for KFD. In India, formalin-inactivated KFDV vaccine produced in chick embryo fibroblast is being used. Nevertheless, further efforts are required to enhance its long-term efficacy. KFDV remains an understudied virus and there remains a lack of insight into its pathogenesis; moreover, specific treatment to the disease is not available to date. Environmental and climatic factors involved in disseminating Kyasanur Forest Disease are required to be fully explored. There should be a mapping of endemic areas and cross-border veterinary surveillance needs to be developed in high-risk regions. The involvement of both animal and health sector is pivotal for circumscribing the spread of this disease to new areas.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) cultivation commonly relies on asexual reproduction which is easily impeded by many factors in agriculture production. Sexual reproduction might be a novel approach to improve the pineapple planting. However, genes controlling pineapple sexual reproduction are still remain elusive. In different organisms a conserved superfamily proteins known as ATP binding cassette (ABC) participate in various biological processes. Whereas, till today the ABC gene family has not been identified in pineapple. Here 100 ABC genes were identified in the pineapple genome and grouped into eight subfamilies (5 ABCAs, 20 ABCBs, 16 ABCCs, 2 ABCDs, one ABCEs, 5 ABCFs, 42 ABCGs and 9 ABCIs). Gene expression profiling revealed the dynamic expression pattern of ABC gene family in various tissues and different developmental stages. AcABCA5, AcABCB6, AcABCC4, AcABCC7, AcABCC9, AcABCG26, AcABCG38 and AcABCG42 exhibited preferential expression in ovule and stamen. Over-expression of AcABCG38 in the Arabidopsis double mutant abcg1-2abcg16-2 partially restored its pollen abortion defects, indicating that AcABCG38 plays important roles in pollen development. Our study on ABC gene family in pineapple provides useful information for developing sexual pineapple plantation which could be utilized to improve pineapple agricultural production.