Comparative immunocompetence and interspecies transmission of avian orthoavulavirus-1 in feral birds originating from rural and urban settings

Feral birds residing close to urban settings exhibit higher immunocompetence against environmental pathogens than their counterparts in rural areas. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the immunocompetence of five specific feral bird species and investigated the potential for interspecies transmission and pathogenicity of Avian orthoavulavirus-1 (AOAV-1) originating from the Anseriformes order. The immunocompetence assessment involved administering the phytohemagglutinin (PHA) test to individual groups of birds from rural and urban settings, measuring patagium thickness at specific time intervals (12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 h) following the administration of 0.1 mL (1 mg/mL) of PHA. Urban birds displayed significantly enhanced mean swelling responses, particularly urban pigeons, which exhibited a significant difference in patagium thickness at all-time intervals except for 24 h (p = 0.000, p = 0.12). Similarly, rural and urban quails and crows showed substantial differences in patagium thickness at all-time intervals except for 12 h (p = 0.542, p = 0.29). For the assessment of interspecies transmission potential and pathogenicity, each feral bird group was separately housed with naive broiler birds (n = 10 each) and challenged with a velogenic strain of AOAV-1 isolate (Mallard-II/UVAS/Pak/2016) at a dose of 1 mL (108 EID50/mL). Urban birds demonstrated higher resistance to the virus compared to their rural counterparts. These findings highlight the specific immunocompetence of feral bird species and their potential contributions to AOAV-1 transmission and pathogenicity. Continuous monitoring, surveillance, and strict implementation of biosafety and biosecurity measures are crucial for effectively controlling AOAV-1 spillover to the environment and wild bird populations in resource-limited settings, particularly Pakistan.

Quality Analysis of Canola and Mustard Oil Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy

The potential of Fluorescence spectroscopy has been utilized for the quality analysis of canola and mustard oil along with the effect of heating on their molecular composition has been investigated. Laser diode at 405 nm has been employed directly to oil surface to excite both oil type samples and their emission spectra has been recorded by an in-house developed Fluorosensor. The emission spectra of both oil types unveiled that they contain carotenoids, isomers of vitamin E and chlorophylls that exhibit their fluorescence at 525 and 675/720 nm, and these can be used as markers for their quality assurance. Fluorescence spectroscopy is a fast, reliable and non-destructive analytical technique for the quality assessment of both oil types. Moreover, the effect of temperature on their molecular composition has been investigated by heating them at 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 170, 180 and 200 °C, each sample for 30 min which was done because both oils are used for cooking and frying. On heating, the deterioration of carotenoids and isomers of vitamin E in both oil types occurred with an increase in the oxidised products. However, it was found that up to 150 °C, both oil types can be used safely for cooking/frying purpose where they do not lose much of their valuable ingredients and up to 180 °C for deep frying, both oils can be used with less deterioration and after that both deteriorated much due to rapid increase of the oxidized products. The portable Fluorosensor, therefore, proved as an excellent device for quality screening of edible oils based on carotenoids and vitamin E.

Sodium alginate coating of Ginkgo biloba leaves extract containing phenylpropanoids as an ecofriendly preserving agent to maintain the quality of peach fruit

Plant constituents are of great interest in the food processing industry as potential natural preservative agents for controlling foodborne pathogens. In this study, the 95% EtOH/H2 O extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves was separated using polarity extraction solvents with petroleum ether (PE), ethyl acetate (EA), n-butanol (nB), and water (W) by the principle of similarity and compatibility. Through TLC and NMR analysis of these extracts, it can be concluded that the main component of PE extract were organic acids, for EA extract were flavonoids, for nB extract were phenylpropanoids, and water extract were oligosaccharides. Twelve monomer compounds were separated from the extracts to verify the composition of each extraction stage. Results of morphological and molecular identification revealed that Monilinia fructicola and Rhizopus stolonifer were the main fungi causing peach rot. After evaluating the antifungal activity and peach quality of the four extract/sodium alginate coatings, it was found that the n-butanol extract/sodium alginate coating containing phenylpropanoids had the lowest decay index and the best preservation effect, providing a sustainable alternative to reduce the harm to the environment of synthetic preservatives. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The abuse of synthetic preservatives poses a threat to the ecological environment and physical health. Therefore, this study developed sodium alginate coating of Ginkgo biloba leaves extract containing phenylpropanoids, which has good effects on the preservation of peaches. The agent is a promising environmentally friendly alternative for synthetic preservatives.

Harnessing Nanomaterials for Enhanced Biohydrogen Generation from Wastewater

Biohydrogen is considered a green fuel due to its eco-friendly nature since it only produces water and energy on combustion. However, their lower yield and production rate is one of the foremost challenges that need an instant sustainable approach. The use of nanotechnology is a potential approach for the enhanced generation of biohydrogen, owing to the significant characteristics of the nanomaterials such as greater specificity, high surface-area-to-volume ratio, better reactivity and dispersibility, enhanced catalytic activity, superb selectivity, greater electron transfer, and better anaerobic microbiota activity. This article explores the recent trends and innovations in the production of biohydrogen from wastewater through the applications of different nanomaterials. The potential of various nanomaterials employed for biohydrogen production from wastewater is evaluated and the impacts of important parameters such as the concentration and size of the nanomaterials, temperature, and pH on the production and yield of biohydrogen are explained in detail. Several pathways involved in the mechanistic approach of biohydrogen generation from wastewater are critically assessed. Lastly, numerous technological challenges are highlighted and recommendations regarding future research are also provided.

Synthesis of 1-(4-Bromobenzoyl)-1,3-dicyclohexylurea and Its Arylation via Readily Available Palladium Catalyst-Their Electronic, Spectroscopic, and Nonlinear Optical Studies via a Computational Approach

In this study, we reported the synthesis of 1-(4-bromobenzoyl)-1,3-dicyclohexylurea by the reaction of DCC (N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide) with 4-bromobenzoic acid. Subsequently, we further synthesized a new series of 1-(4-arylbenzoyl)-1,3-dicyclohexylurea (5a-g) derivatives using a Suzuki cross-coupling reaction between 1-(4-bromobenzoyl)-1,3-dicyclohexylurea (3) and various aryl/heteroaryl boronic acids (4). Thus, density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to examine the electronic structure of the synthesized compounds (3, 5a-g) and to calculate their spectroscopic data. Moreover, optimized geometries and thermodynamic properties, such as frontier molecular orbitals (HOMO, LUMO), molecular electrostatic potential surfaces, and reactivity descriptors, were also calculated at the PBE0-D3BJ/def2-TZVP/SMD1,4-dioxane level of theory to validate the structures of the synthesized compounds.

Gyrotactic microorganism hybrid nanofluid over a Riga plate subject to activation energy and heat source: numerical approach

The current article aims to examine the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) impact on the flow of MgO-Ag/water-based hybrid nanoliquid with motile microorganisms and the fluid is allowed to flow over a Riga plate subject to slip effects and activation energy. Furthermore, the presence of a uniform heat source/sink is also addressed in the energy equation. In addition to this, the thermophoresis effect is highlighted in the concentration equation. From the present proposed model, we get a non-linear system of the governing equations. The obtained system of partial differential equations (PDEs) is converted to the dimensionless system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) using the similarity transformation. The obtained high non-linear system of equations has been solved numerically, using the parametric continuation method (PCM). In the present analysis, the main motivation is to highlight the heat transfer rate of MgO-Ag/water-based hybrid nanofluid flow over a Riga plate. The second motivation of the present research is to highlight the impact of slip conditions on the velocity, energy, and mass profiles. From the graphical analysis, it is depicted that the slip conditions reduce the velocity, energy, and mass outlines. From the present analysis, we concluded that volume friction reduced the flow profile while increasing the temperature of the fluid flow over a Riga plate. All the parameters of the present research are highlighted in velocity temperature and concertation of the fluid. In addition to this in all the figures we have compared the hybrid nanofluid with mono nanofluid and the also the comparison between slip and no-slip conditions have carried out through graphs for velocity, temperature, and concentration.

Isolation and characterization of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria from rhizosphere of poplar on road verge and their antagonistic potential against various phytopathogens

BACKGROUND

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can solubilize insoluble phosphate compounds and improve phosphate availability in soil. Road verges are important in urban landscaping, but the population structure of PSB and their ecological functions in the road verge soil is still unclear.

RESULTS

Twenty-one mineral PSB strains and 14 organic PSB strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of poplar on urban road verge. All the mineral PSB strains showed better solubilization to Ca3(PO4)2 than FePO4 or AlPO4. Among them, 7 strains showed high phosphate-solubilizing (PS) activities to Ca3(PO4)2 (150-453 mg/L). All the organic PSB strains displayed weak solubilization to lecithin. 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis showed good species diversity of the PSB strains, which belongs to 12 genera: Bacillus, Cedecea, Cellulosimicrobium, Delftia, Ensifer, Paenibacillus, Pantoea, Phyllobacterium, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Sinorhizobium and Staphylococcus. Moreover, 8 PSB strains showed various degrees of growth inhibition against 4 plant pathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum S1, F. oxysporum S2, Pythium deliense Meurs Z4, Phomopsis sp. AC1 and a plant pathogenic bacterium, Pectobacterium carotovorum TP1.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated that these PSB strains could perform multiple ecological functions on road verge. The development and application of bio-agents based on the strains would provide a new strategy for maintaining and improving the ecosystem stability of road verges.

Synthesis, Anti-Bacterial and Molecular Docking Studies of Arylated Butyl 2-Bromoisonicotinate Against Clinical Isolates of ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli ST405 and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Introduction

Global public health concerns include the emergence and spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase Escherichia coli (ESBL-E. coli). These pathogens cause infections that are difficult to treat, which can have fatal outcomes and require lengthy hospital stays. As a result, we created butyl 2-bromoisonicotinate and tested its antibacterial effectiveness against the ESBL-E. coli ST 405 and MRSA pathogens. Natural product discovery is complemented by synthetic compound synthesis because of the latter's potential for superior characteristics, target specificity, scalability, intellectual advantages, and chemical diversity. Because of this, the potential for discovering new medicinal compounds is increased, and the constraints placed on natural sources are overcome. Natural items are tough to obtain since they are hard to isolate and synthesize. Therefore, modern science is actively searching for small molecules as therapeutic agents by applying sustainable techniques that can be commercialized.

Methods

Two patients' blood samples were taken, and the BACTEC/Alert system was used to process them. On blood and MacConkey agar, the positive samples were subcultured and incubated aerobically at 37 °C. Using the VITEK 2 compact system, the isolates were subjected to isolate identification and MIC. MLST of the ESBL-E. coli was performed by PCR. Additionally, Fischer esterification was used to create butyl 2-bromoisonicotinate in excellent yields. A commercially available palladium catalyst was then used to arylate the compound, resulting in medium to good yields of arylated butyl 2-bromoisonicotinates. Using the agar well diffusion assay and the micro-broth dilution method, we assessed the in-vitro activities of the synthesized molecules (3, 5a-h) against clinically isolated ESBL-E. coli ST405, and MRSA. A molecular operating environment was used to carry out in silico validation of the synthesized compounds' binding to the active site and to evaluate the stability of their molecular interactions with the target E. coli 2Y2T protein.

Results

MRSA and ESBL-producing E. coli were identified as the two clinical isolates. While MRSA was also resistant to beta-lactam drugs and least resistant to vancomycin, ESBL-producing E. coli belonged to ST405 and was resistant to cephalosporins and sensitive to carbapenems. Good yields of the desired compounds were produced by our effective and economical synthesis. By using a micro-broth dilution assay, the Molecules (3, 5a, and 5d) were most effective against both resistant strains. The Molecules (3, 5a, 5b, and 5d) also displayed good binding energies.

Conclusion

The butyl 2-bromoisonicotinate displayed antibacterial efficacy against ESBL-producing E. coli ST405 and MRSA strains. After the in-vivo trial, this substance might offer an alternative therapeutic option.

Dynamic Repositioning of Aerial Base Stations for Enhanced User Experience in 5G and Beyond

The ultra-dense deployment (UDD) of small cells in 5G and beyond to enhance capacity and data rate is promising, but since user densities continually change, the static deployment of small cells can lead to wastes of capital, the underutilization of resources, and user dissatisfaction. This work proposes the use of Aerial Base Stations (ABSs) wherein small cells are mounted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which can be deployed to a set of candidate locations. Furthermore, based on the current user densities, this work studies the optimal placement of the ABSs, at a subset of potential candidate positions, to maximize the total received power and signal-to-interference ratio. The problems of the optimal placement for increasing received power and signal-to-interference ratio are formulated, and optimal placement solutions are designed. The proposed solutions compute the optimal candidate locations for the ABSs based on the current user densities. When the user densities change significantly, the proposed solutions can be re-executed to re-compute the optimal candidate locations for the ABSs, and hence the ABSs can be moved to their new candidate locations. Simulation results show that a 22% or more increase in the total received power can be achieved through the optimal placement of the Aerial BSs and that more than 60% users have more than 80% chance to have their individual received power increased.

Motile microorganisms hybrid nanoliquid flow with the influence of activation energy and heat source over a rotating disc

The present article examines the consequences of a magnetic field, Hall current, and thermal radiation on the spinning flow of hybrid nanofluid (HNF) across a revolving disc. The core objective of the study is to improve the energy transference rate through hybrid nano liquid for industrial and engineering operations. The HNFs have advanced thermophysical characteristics. Therefore, in the current study, a superior class of nanomaterials (carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Al2O3) are added to the base fluid. The modeled equations are demoted to a dimensionless set of Ordinary differential equations (ODEs) through similarity conversion and are analytically solved by engaging the homotopy analysis method. The physical constraints' effect on energy, velocity, motile microorganism, and mass profiles have been drawn and discussed. For accuracy, the results are compared to the published studies, which ensures the accuracy and reliability of the technique and results. It is observed that the energy communication rate lessens with the flourishing values of thermal radiation and for Hall current. Furthermore, it is noted that due to its carbon-carbon bonding in CNTs, it has a greater tendency for energy propagation than Al2O3nanoparticles.

NiCo2O4 nano-needles as an efficient electro-catalyst for simultaneous water splitting and dye degradation

Developing an efficient and non-precious bifunctional catalyst capable of performing water splitting and organic effluent degradation in wastewater is a great challenge. This article reports an efficient bifunctional nanocatalyst based on NiCo2O4, synthesized using a simple one-pot co-precipitation method. We optimized the synthesis conditions by varying the synthesis pH and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentrations. The prepared catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity for the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and simultaneous methylene blue (MB) dye degradation. Among the catalysts, the catalyst synthesized using 1 g SDS as a surfactant at 100 °C provided the highest current density (658 mA cm-2), lower onset potential (1.34 V vs. RHE), lower overpotential (170 mV @ 10 mA cm-2), and smallest Tafel slope (90 mV dec-1) value. Furthermore, the OH˙ radicals produced during the OER electrochemically degraded the MB to 90% within 2 hours. The stability test conducted at 20 mA cm-2 showed almost negligible loss of the electrochemical response for OER, with 99% retention of the original response. These results strongly suggest that this catalyst is a promising candidate for addressing the challenges of wastewater treatment and energy generation.

De novo missense variants in phosphatidylinositol kinase PIP5KIγ underlie a neurodevelopmental syndrome associated with altered phosphoinositide signaling

Phosphoinositides (PIs) are membrane phospholipids produced through the local activity of PI kinases and phosphatases that selectively add or remove phosphate groups from the inositol head group. PIs control membrane composition and play key roles in many cellular processes including actin dynamics, endosomal trafficking, autophagy, and nuclear functions. Mutations in phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] phosphatases cause a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders such as Lowe and Joubert syndromes and congenital muscular dystrophy with cataracts and intellectual disability, which are thus associated with increased levels of PI(4,5)P2. Here, we describe a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with an increase in the production of PI(4,5)P2 and with PI-signaling dysfunction. We identified three de novo heterozygous missense variants in PIP5K1C, which encodes an isoform of the phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase (PIP5KIγ), in nine unrelated children exhibiting intellectual disability, developmental delay, acquired microcephaly, seizures, visual abnormalities, and dysmorphic features. We provide evidence that the PIP5K1C variants result in an increase of the endosomal PI(4,5)P2 pool, giving rise to ectopic recruitment of filamentous actin at early endosomes (EEs) that in turn causes dysfunction in EE trafficking. In addition, we generated an in vivo zebrafish model that recapitulates the disorder we describe with developmental defects affecting the forebrain, including the eyes, as well as craniofacial abnormalities, further demonstrating the pathogenic effect of the PIP5K1C variants.

Cefepime Population Pharmacokinetics, Antibacterial Target Attainment, and Estimated Probability of Neurotoxicity in Critically Ill Patients

Cefepime has been reported to cause concentration-related neurotoxicity, especially in critically ill patients with renal failure. This evaluation aimed to identify a dosing regimen providing a sufficient probability of target attainment (PTA) and the lowest justifiable risk of neurotoxicity in critically ill patients. A population pharmacokinetic model was developed based on plasma concentrations over four consecutive days obtained from 14 intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The patients received a median dose of 2,000 mg cefepime by 30-min intravenous infusions with dosing intervals of every 8 h (q8h) to q24h. A time that the free drug concentration exceeds the MIC over the dosing interval (fT>MIC) of 65% and an fT>2×MIC of 100% were defined as treatment targets. Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to identify a dosing regimen for a PTA of 90% and a probability of neurotoxicity not exceeding 20%. A two-compartment model with linear elimination best described the data. Estimated creatinine clearance was significantly related to the clearance of cefepime in nondialysis patients. Interoccasion variability on clearance improved the model, reflecting dynamic clearance changes. The evaluations suggested combining thrice-daily administration as an appropriate choice. In patients with normal renal function (creatinine clearance, 120 mL/min), for the pharmacodynamics target of 100% fT>2×MIC and a PTA of 90%, a dose of 1,333 mg q8h was found to be related to a probability of neurotoxicity of ≤20% and to cover MICs up to 2 mg/L. Continuous infusion appears to be superior to other dosing regimens by providing higher efficacy and a low risk of neurotoxicity. The model makes it possible to improve the predicted balance between cefepime efficacy and neurotoxicity in critically ill patients. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT01793012).

Morphometric analysis and roosting ecology of bat species Pteropus Medius in Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Morphometric measurement and roosting ecology of Pteropus medius were aimed to find out in Mansehra district of KP, Pakistan. Total 3149 numbers of bats were found in eight biological spots visited; Baffa Doraha, Darband, Dadar, Jallu, Hazara University, Garhi Habibullah Chattar Plain and Jabori, in total 299 numbers of different species of trees including; Morus alba, Pinus raxburghi, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Morus nigra, Grevillea robusta, Brousonetia papyrifera, Platanus orientalis, Ailanthus altissima, Hevea brasiliensis and Populus nigra. Morphometric features were measured and found vary according to sex of the bats. The average wing span, wing`s length from tip of wing to neck, from thumb to tip of wing and the body`s length from head and claws were recorded to be 102.98 cm, 49.07cm, 28.7 cm and 22.78 cm respectively in males while 93.67 cm, 44.83cm, 24.78cm and 22.78 cm respectively in female bats. Mean circumference of the body including wings and without wing were measured as 22.78 cm and 17.29 cm in males and that of female were 20.07 cm and 16.9 cm. Average length of thumb 3.64 cm, ear`s length 3.1 cm, snout 5.62cm, eye length were 1.07 cm for both sexes and length between the feet in extended position were16.3 cm. Generally different measurement of males bodies were found to be greater than female such as mean body surface area, mass, volume and pressure were found to be 2691.79 cm2, 855.7gm,1236.4 ml and 295.77 dyne/ c m 3 for male and 2576.46 cm2, 852.71gm,1207 ml and 290.2 dyne/ c m 3 respectively for female. While weight and density for both males and females bats were same with mean of 8.59 newton and 0.701 g/m3. Findings of current reports can add valued information in literature about bats, which can be used for species identification and conservation.

Bio-fabricated bismuth-based materials for removal of emerging environmental contaminants from wastewater

Although rapid industrialization has made life easier for humans, several associated issues are emerging and harming the environment. Wastewater is regarded as one of the key problems of the 21st century due to its massive production every year and requires immediate attention from all stakeholders to protect the environment. Since the introduction of nanotechnology, bismuth-based nanomaterials have been used in variety of applications. Various techniques, such as hydrothermal, solvo-thermal and biosynthesis, have been reported for synthesizing these materials, etc. Among these, biosynthesis is eco-friendly, cost-effective, and less toxic than conventional chemical methods. The prime focuses of this review are to elaborate biosynthesis of bismuth-based nanomaterials via bio-synthetic agents such as plant, bacteria and fungi and their application in wastewater treatment as anti-pathogen/photocatalyst for pollutant degradation. Besides this, future perspectives have been presented for the upcoming research in this field, along with concluding remarks.

First Report on Microplastics Quantification in Poultry Chicken and Potential Human Health Risks in Pakistan

Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging environmental health concern due to their widespread occurrence in food sources such as fish, meat, chicken, honey, sugar, salt, tea and drinking water, thereby posing possible risks to human health. This study aimed to observe the existence of MPs in the crop and gizzard of the farm chicken, a significant food source in Pakistan. Twenty-four chicken samples were taken from eight poultry farms across Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 1227 MP particles were found from 24 samples (crop and gizzards) originating from the 8 poultry farms. In all, 429 MP particles were found in 24 chicken crops, with a mean of 17.8 ± 12.1 MPs/crop. In contrast, 798 MP particles were found in 24 chicken gizzards, with a mean of 33.25 ± 17.8 MPs/gizzard. Comparatively larger particles, ranging between 300-500 µm, were more abundant (63%) than other considered sizes (300-150 µm [21%] and 150-50 µm [16%]). Additionally, fragments were the dominant type of shape in both sample types (crop [64%] and gizzard [53%]). The predominant colours of particles extracted from gizzards and crops were yellow (32%) and red (32%), respectively. Chemical characterisation of these particles detected four types of polymers: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) at 51.2%, followed by low-density polyethylene (LDPE) at 30.7%, polystyrene (PS) at 13.6% and polypropylene homopolymer (PPH) at 4.5%. In conclusion, we provide evidence for MPs in the gizzards and crops of farmed chickens which may originate from contaminated poultry feed. Only a few studies have been reported globally to assess MPs ingestion in chickens. The current study is the first report from Pakistan. It could be a valuable addition to support MPs literature to establish a relationship between MPs contamination and intake through the food chain.

Development of a simple biogas analyzer module (BAM) for real-time biogas production monitoring

AbstractAnaerobic digestion (AD) relies on the cooperation of specific microbial communities, making it susceptible to process disruptions that could impact biogas production. In this regard, this study presents a technological solution based on the Arduino platform, in the form of a simple online monitoring system that can track the produced biogas profile, named as biogas analyzer module (BAM). The applicability of the BAM focused on monitoring the biogas produced from sugarcane vinasse inoculated with sewage sludge biodigestion processed in mesophilic conditions (38 ^oC), in a pH range of 6.5-7.5, and following a three-stage operational model: (i) an adaptation (168 h), (ii) complete mixing (168 h), and (iii) bio-stimulation with glycerol (192 h). Then, the lab-made BAM was used to trace the produced biogas profile, which registered a total biogas volume of 8,719.86 cm³ and biomethane concentration of 95.79% (vol.), removing 90.8% (vol) of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and 65.2% (vol) of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S). In conclusion, the results ensured good accuracy and efficiency to the device created by comparisons with established standards (chromatographic and colorimetric methods), as well as the cost reduction. The developed device would likely be six times cheaper than what is available in the market.

Multifunctional catalyst-assisted sustainable reformation of lignocellulosic biomass into environmentally friendly biofuel and value-added chemicals

Rapid urbanization is increasing the world's energy demand, making it necessary to develop alternative energy sources. These growing energy needs can be met by the efficient energy conversion of biomass, which can be done by various means. The use of effective catalysts to transform different types of biomasses will be a paradigm change on the road to the worldwide goal of economic sustainability and environmental protection. The development of alternative energy from biomass is not easy, due to the uneven and complex components present in lignocellulose; accordingly, the majority of biomass is currently processed as waste. The problems may be overcome by the design of multifunctional catalysts, offering adequate control over product selectivity and substrate activation. Hence, this review describes recent developments involving various catalysts such as metallic oxides, supported metal or composite metal oxides, char-based and carbon-based substances, metal carbides and zeolites, with reference to the catalytic conversion of biomass including cellulose, hemicellulose, biomass tar, lignin and their derivative compounds into useful products, including bio-oil, gases, hydrocarbons, and fuels. The main aim is to provide an overview of the latest work on the use of catalysts for successful conversion of biomass. The review ends with conclusions and suggestions for future research, which will assist researchers in utilizing these catalysts for the safe conversion of biomass into valuable chemicals and other products.

Effective assessment of biopolymer-based multifunctional sorbents for the remediation of environmentally hazardous contaminants from aqueous solutions

Persistent contaminants in wastewater effluent pose a significant threat to aquatic life and are one of the most significant environmental concerns of our time. Although there are a variety of traditional methods available in wastewater treatment, including adsorption, coagulation, flocculation, ion exchange, membrane filtration, co-precipitation and solvent extraction, none of these have been found to be significantly cost-effective in removing toxic pollutants from the water environment. The upfront costs of these treatment methods are extremely high, and they require the use of harmful synthetic chemicals. For this reason, the development of new technologies for the treatment and recycling of wastewater is an absolute necessity. Our way of life can be made more sustainable by the synthesis of adsorbents based on biomass, making the process less harmful to the environment. Biopolymers offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic polymers, which are manufactured by joining monomer units through covalent bonding. This review presents a detailed classification of biopolymers such as pectin, alginate, chitosan, lignin, cellulose, chitin, carrageen, certain proteins, and other microbial biomass compounds and composites, with a focus on their sources, methods of synthesis, and prospective applications in wastewater treatment. A concise summary of the extensive body of knowledge on the fate of biopolymers after adsorption is also provided. Finally, consideration is given to open questions about future developments leading to environmentally friendly and economically beneficial applications of biopolymers.

Solar light driven degradation of textile dye contaminants for wastewater treatment - studies of novel polycationic selenide photocatalyst and process optimization by response surface methodology desirability factor

The unplanned anthropogenic activities and raced industrial revolution detrimentally causes serious threat to terrestrial and aquatic life. A high discharge of wastewater from industries using dyes affects living organisms and the environment. This paper presents studies on polycationic selenides (PCS) synthesized by hydrothermal methods for photocatalytic degradation of dyes. The synthesized PCS were confirmed by various characterization techniques such as FTIR, SEM, EDX, UV/Vis, and XRD. The FTIR spectra revealed characteristic band at 843, 548 cm^-1, and 417 cm^-1 due to the M - Se stretching and intrinsic stretching vibrations, respectively. The optical bandgap of polycationic selenide lies in the visible light region (2.36 eV). The SEM images showed that PCS has a spherical shape with an average crystallite size of 29.23 nm calculated from XRD data using Scherer's equation. The PCS has a point of zero charge (PZC) at pH 7. The efficiency of synthesized PCS photocatalyst was confirmed in terms of its activity towards Eosin (EY) and Crystal violet (CV) dyes mineralization. The photocatalytic degradation for EY and CV dyes at optimum conditions was 99.47% and 99.31% and followed second order reactions kinetics with 1.4314 and 0.551 rate constant, respectively. The polynomial quadratic model is the best-fitted response surface methodology (RSM) model having a maximum desirability factors value and significant terms, with R² (0.9994) and adj R² values (1.0).

Numerical investigation of chemically reacting jet flow of hybrid nanofluid under the significances of bio-active mixers and chemical reaction

Jet flows are employed in a variety of applications. It can be found in daily life as well as in agriculture, for example, jet flow assists with irrigation and harvest protection. The current problem is related to the study of energy and mass transference on the hybrid nanoliquid flow with mixed convection effect due to the vertical stretching surface conveying the cobalt ferrite CoFe2O4 and titanium dioxide TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) with the base fluid water H2O. Further, the role of the chemical reaction, heat source/sink, and activation energy are investigated. By exploiting the idea of the modified Buongiorno model, the thermophoretic and Brownian diffusivity effects have discoursed on the existing flow behavior. The existing mathematical problem is framed with the application of the nonlinear higher-order PDEs. Higher-order PDEs of the mathematical model are changed into highly nonlinear ODEs by using the concepts of suitable similarity transformations. The modified higher-order nonlinear ODEs are cracked by manipulating the bvp4c technique in MATLAB. The impacts of the numerous physical flow parameters on the velocity, energy, and concentration are computed in graphical forms. Key findings from the present problem revealed that the velocity of the nanoliquid and hybrid nanofluid decreased due to greater nanoparticles volume fraction. Furthermore, the heat transportation is greater for mixed convection and thermophoresis parameter.

Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the shanghai, New York, and Pakistan stock exchanges

This research aims to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the stock markets of Pakistan (Islamabad), China (Shanghai), and the United States of America (New York). These three stock markets were chosen to demonstrate the variation in the degree of influence based on varied times in which the respective nations were impacted by COVID-19. COVID-19, a pandemic virus, was still present in China in December 2020. The one-year timeline helps us understand the pattern of the effect on different stock markets that show onward to guide us to indicate that in this situation, the lack of economic movement (due to the lockdown) had a more negative effect on stock prices than the increase in the number of new confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus. This study was carried out to assess the influence of COVID-19 on the financial sectors, including the stock market. The effects were assessed by employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL) to demonstrate correlations between three stock markets (Pakistan, Shanghai, and New York) and COVID-19 instances. The study's major goal is to demonstrate the differences in the three countries' levels of influence. We got empirical results and discovered that the confirmed cases had a detrimental influence on three stock exchanges. However, all three countries saw an increase in the number of recovery cases. The number of deaths was minor for Pakistan and China but had a detrimental impact on the New York Stock Exchange.

Long-term PM2.5 pollution over China: Identification of PM2.5 pollution hotspots and source contributions

Fine particulate matter, with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM_2.5), is a severe problem in China. The lack of ground-based measurements and its sparse distribution obstruct long-term air pollution impact studies over China. Therefore, the present study used newly updated Global Estimates (V5. GL.02) of monthly PM_2.5 data from 2001 to 2020 based on Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) by Washington University. The GWR PM_2.5 data were validated against ground-based measurements from 2014 to 2020, and the validation results demonstrated a good agreement between GWR and ground-based PM_2.5 with a higher correlation (r = 0.95), lower error (8.14), and lower bias (-3.10 %). The long-term (2001-2020) PM_2.5 data were used to identify pollution hotspots and sources across China using the potential source contribution function (PSCF). The results showed highly significant PM_2.5 pollution hotspots in central (Henan, Hubei), North China Plain (NCP), northwest (Taklimakan), and Sichuan Basin (Chongqing, Sichuan) in China, with the most severe pollution occurring in winter compared to other seasons. During the winter, PM_2.5 was in the range from 6.08 to 93.05 μg/m³ in 33 provinces, which is 1.22 to 18.61 times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines (AQG-2021; annual mean: 5 μg/m³). In 26 provinces, the reported PM_2.5 was 1.07 to 2.66 times higher than the Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standard (AAQS; annual mean: 35 μg/m³). Furthermore, provincial-level trend analysis shows that in most Chinese provinces, PM_2.5 increased significantly (3-43 %) from 2001 to 2012, whereas it decreased by 12-94 % from 2013 to 2020 due to the implementation of air pollution control policies. Finally, the PSCF analysis demonstrates that China's air quality is mainly affected by local PM_2.5 sources rather than by pollutants imported from outside China.

A critical review and prospect of NO2 and SO2 pollution over Asia: Hotspots, trends, and sources

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) are two major atmospheric pollutants that significantly threaten human health, the environment, and ecosystems worldwide. Despite this, only some studies have investigated the spatiotemporal hotspots of NO₂ and SO₂, their trends, production, and sources in Asia. Our study presents a literature review covering the production, trends, and sources of NO₂ and SO₂ across Asian countries (e.g., Bangladesh, China, India, Iran, Japan, Pakistan, Malaysia, Kuwait, and Nepal). Based on the findings of the review, NO₂ and SO₂ pollution are increasing due to industrial activity, fossil fuel burning, biomass burning, heavy traffic movement, electricity generation, and power plants. There is significant concern about health risks associated with NO₂ and SO₂ emissions in Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia, and Iran, as they pay less attention to managing and controlling pollution. Even though the lack of quality datasets and adequate research in most Asian countries further complicates the management and control of NO₂ and SO₂ pollution. This study has NO₂ and SO₂ pollution scenarios, including hotspots, trends, sources, and their influences on Asian countries. This study highlights the existing research gaps and recommends new research on identifying integrated sources, their variations, spatiotemporal trends, emission characteristics, and pollution level. Finally, the present study suggests a framework for controlling and monitoring these two pollutants' emissions.

Effects of microplastics in freshwater fishes health and the implications for human health

The presence of microplastics in aquatic environments has raised concerns about their abundance and potential hazards to aquatic organisms. This review provides insight into the problem that may be of alarm for freshwater fish. Plastic pollution is not confined to marine ecosystems; freshwater also comprises plastic bits, as the most of plastic fragments enter oceans via rivers. Microplastics (MPs) can be consumed by fish and accumulated due to their size and poor biodegradability. Furthermore, it has the potential to enter the food chain and cause health problems. Evidence of MPs s ingestion has been reported in >150 fish species from both freshwater and marine systems. However, microplastic quantification and toxicity in freshwater ecosystems have been underestimated, ignored, and not reported as much as compared to the marine ecosystem. However, their abundance, influence, and toxicity in freshwater biota are not less than in marine ecosystems. The interaction of MPs with freshwater fish, as well as the risk of human consumption, remains a mystery. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the impacts of MPs on freshwater fish is still very limited. This study detailed the status of the toxicity of MPs in freshwater fish. This review will add to our understanding of the ecotoxicology of microplastics on freshwater fish and give subsequent research directions.

High-Voltage Supercapacitive Swing Adsorption of Carbon Dioxide

Supercapacitive swing adsorption (SSA) with garlic roots-derived activated carbon achieves a record adsorption capacity of 312 mmol kg^-1 at a low energy consumption of 72 kJ mol^-1 and high mass loadings (>30 mg cm^-2 ) at 1.0 V for 85%N₂ /15%CO₂ mixtures. The activated carbons are inexpensively prepared in a one-step process using potassium carbonate, and air as activators. The adsorption capacity further increases with increasing voltage. At a voltage of 1.4 V, a sorption capacity of 524 mmol kg^-1 at an energy consumption of 130 kJ mol^-1 can be achieved. The volumetric sorption capacity is also enhanced and reaches values of 85.7 mol m^-3 at 1.0 V, and 126 mol m^-3 at 1.4 V. Cycle stability for at least 130 h is demonstrated.

Comparison of whole blood and serum samples of breast cancer based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy with machine learning

To identify cancer from non-cancer is one of the most challenging issues nowadays in the early diagnosis of cancer. The primary issue of early detection is to choose a suitable type of sample collection to diagnose cancer. A comparison of whole blood and serum samples of breast cancer was studied using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) with machine learning methods. For LIBS spectra measurement, blood samples were dropped on a substrate of boric acid. For the discrimination of breast cancer and non-cancer samples, eight machine learning models were applied to LIBS spectral data, including decision tree, discrimination analysis, logistic regression, naïve byes, support vector machine, k-nearest neighbor, ensemble and neural networks classifiers. Discrimination between whole blood samples showed that narrow neural networks and trilayer neural networks both provided 91.7% highest prediction accuracy and serum samples showed that all the decision tree models provided 89.7% highest prediction accuracy. However, using whole blood as sample achieved the strong emission lines of spectra, better discrimination results of PCA and maximum prediction accuracy of machine learning models as compared to using serum samples. These merits concluded that whole blood samples could be a good option for the rapid detection of breast cancer. This preliminary research may provide the complementary method for early detection of breast cancer.

Sequence Variants in MEGF8 and GJA1 Underlying Syndactyly

Introduction

Syndactyly is a common congenital limb malformation. It occurs due to embryological failure of digit separation during limb development. Syndactyly often runs in families with an incidence of about one out of every 2,500-3,000 live births.

Methods

Here, we have reported two families presenting features of severe forms of syndactyly. The disorder segregated in autosomal recessive in one and in autosomal dominant manner in the second family. Search for the causative variants was carried out using whole-exome sequencing in family A and candidate gene sequencing in family B.

Results

Analysis of the sequencing data revealed two novel missense variants, including p.(Cys1925Arg) in MEGF8 in family A and p.(Thr89Ile) in GJA1 in family B.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the novel findings, presented here, not only expand the mutation spectrum in the genes MEGF8 and GJA1, but this will also facilitate screening other families carrying similar clinical features in the Pakistani population.

Laser flash photolysis study of Nb2O5/g-C3N4 heterostructures as efficient photocatalyst for molecular H2 evolution

Improvements of visible light activity, slow recombination rate, stability, and efficiency are major challenges facing photocatalyst technologies today. Utilizing heterostructures of g-C₃N₄ (bandgap ∼2.7eV) with Nb₂O₅ (bandgap ∼3.4eV) as an alternative materials for the first time, we tried to overcome such challenges in this work. Heterostructures of Nb₂O₅/g-C₃N₄ have been synthesized via hydrothermal technique. And then a time-resolved laser flash photolysis of those heterostructures has been analyzed, focusing on seeking how to improve photocatalytic efficiency for molecular hydrogen (H₂) evolution. The transient absorption spectra and the lifetime of charge carriers at different wavelengths have been observed for Nb₂O₅/g-C₃N₄, where g-C₃N₄ was used for a control. The role of hole scavenger (methanol) has also been investigated for the purpose of boosting charge trapping and H₂ evolution. The long lifetime of Nb₂O₅/g-C₃N₄ heterostructures (6.54165 μs) compared to g-C₃N₄ (3.1651897 μs) has successfully supported the increased H₂ evolution of 75 mmol/h.g. An enhancement in the rate of H₂ evolution (160 mmol/h.g) in the presence of methanol has been confirmed. This study not only deepens our understanding of the role of scavenger, but also enables a rigorous quantification of the recombination rate crucial for photocatalytic applications in relation with efficient H₂ production.

Corrigendum: Strontium-doped chromium oxide for RhB reduction and antibacterial activity with evidence of molecular docking analysis

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1167701.].

Synthesis, Physicochemical Characterization, Biological Evaluation, In Silico and Molecular Docking Studies of Pd(II) Complexes with P, S-Donor Ligands

One homoleptic (1) and three heteroleptic (2-4) palladium(II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by various physicochemical techniques, i.e., elemental analysis, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR. Compound 1 was also confirmed by single crystal XRD, showing a slightly distorted square planar geometry. The antibacterial results obtained via the agar-well diffusion method for compound 1 were maximum among the screen compounds. All the compounds have shown good to significant antibacterial results against the tested bacterial strains, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Staphylococcus aureus, except 2 against Klebsiella pneumonia. Similarly, the molecular docking study of compound 3 has shown the best affinity with binding energy scores of -8.6569, -6.5716, and -7.6966 kcal/mol against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Compound 2 has exhibited the highest activity (3.67 µM), followed by compound 3 (4.57 µM), 1 (6.94 µM), and 4 (21.7 µM) against the DU145 human prostate cancer cell line using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) method as compared to cisplatin (>200 µM). The highest docking score was obtained for compounds 2 (-7.5148 kcal/mol) and 3 (-7.0343 kcal/mol). Compound 2 shows that the Cl atom of the compound acts as a chain side acceptor for the DR5 receptor residue Asp B218 and the pyridine ring is involved in interaction with the Tyr A50 residue via arene-H, while Compound 3 interacts with the Asp B218 residue via the Cl atom. The physicochemical parameters determined by the SwissADME webserver revealed that no blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeation is predicted for all four compounds, while gastrointestinal absorption is low for compound 1 and high for the rest of the compounds (2-4). As concluding remarks based on the obtained in vitro biological results, the evaluated compounds after in vivo studies might be a good choice for future antibiotics and anticancer agents.

Metabolic Degradation and Bioactive Derivative Synthesis of Phenazine-1-Carboxylic Acid by Genetically Engineered Pseudomonas chlororaphis HT66

Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) secreted by Pseudomonas chlororaphis has been commercialized and widely employed as an antifungal pesticide. However, it displays potential hazards to nontarget microorganisms and the environment. Although the PCA degradation characteristics have received extensive attention, the biodegradation efficiency is still insufficient to address the environmental risks. In this study, an engineered Pseudomonas capable of degrading PCA was constructed by introducing heterologous PCA 1,2-dioxygenase (PcaA1A2A3A4). By integrating the PCA degradation module in the chemical mutagenesis mutant P3, 7.94 g/L PCA can be degraded in 60 h, which exhibited the highest PCA degradation efficiency to date and was 35.4-fold higher than that of the PCA natural degraders. Additionally, PCA was converted to 1-methoxyphenazine through structure modification by introducing the functional enzymes PhzS_Pa and PhzM_La, which has good antifungal activity and environmental compatibility. This work demonstrates new possibilities for developing PCA-derived biopesticides and enables targeted control of the impact of PCA in diverse environments.

An Accurate and Inter-Operatable Fuzzy-based System using Genetic and Canonical Correlation Analysis Methods in Internet-of-Brain Things

The brain computer interface is defined as the way of acquiring the brain signals that analyse and translates them into commands that are relayed to intelligent devices for carrying out various actions. Through number of BCI mechanism and approaches have been proposed by various scientists to empower the individuals for directly controlling their objects via their thoughts. However, the actual implementation and realization of this method faces number of challenging with low accuracy and less interoperability. In addition, the pre-processing signals and feature extraction process is further time consuming and less accurate. In order to overcome the mentioned issues, this paper proposes an accurate and highly inter-operable system using genetic fuzzy system along. The predictive model and analysis can be further improved using canonical correlation analysis. The proposed framework is validated and demonstrated using brain typing system analysis. The results are computed against accuracy, latency and interoperability of the signals received from brain with less SNR along with traditional method. The proposed mechanism shows approximately 87% improvement as compare to existing approaches during the simulation over various performance metrics.

Structural insights, biocatalytic characteristics, and application prospects of lignin-modifying enzymes for sustainable biotechnology-A review

Lignin modifying enzymes (LMEs) have gained widespread recognition in depolymerization of lignin polymers by oxidative cleavage. LMEs are a robust class of biocatalysts that include lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP), versatile peroxidase (VP), laccase (LAC), and dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP). Members of the LMEs family act on phenolic, non-phenolic substrates and have been widely researched for valorization of lignin, oxidative cleavage of xenobiotics and phenolics. LMEs implementation in the biotechnological and industrial sectors has sparked significant attention, although its potential future applications remain underexploited. To understand the mechanism of LMEs in sustainable pollution mitigation, several studies have been undertaken to assess the feasibility of LMEs in correlating to diverse pollutants for binding and intermolecular interactions at the molecular level. However, further investigation is required to fully comprehend the underlying mechanism. In this review we presented the key structural and functional features of LMEs, including the computational aspects, as well as the advanced applications in biotechnology and industrial research. Furthermore, concluding remarks and a look ahead, the use of LMEs coupled with computational frameworks, built upon artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), has been emphasized as a recent milestone in environmental research.

Comparative appraisal of mono and hybrid nanofluid flows comprising carbon nanotubes over a three-dimensional surface impacted by Cattaneo-Christov heat flux

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanoscale tubes made of carbon atoms with unique mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. They have a variety of promising applications in electronics, energy storage, and composite materials and are found as single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and double-wall carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs). Considering such alluring attributes of nanotubes, the motive of the presented flow model is to compare the thermal performance of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) mono (SWCNTs)/Ethylene glycol) and hybrid (DWCNTs- SWCNTs/Ethylene glycol) nanofluids over a bidirectional stretching surface. The thermal efficiency of the proposed model is gauged while considering the effects of Cattaneo-Christov heat flux with prescribed heat flux (PHF) and prescribed surface temperature (PST). The flow is assisted by the anisotropic slip at the boundary of the surface. The system of partial differential equations (PDEs) is converted into a nonlinear ordinary differential system by the use of similarity transformations and handled using the bvp4c numerical technique. To depict the relationship between the profiles and the parameters, graphs, and tables are illustrated. The significant outcome revealed that the fluid temperature rises in the scenario of both PST and PHF cases. In addition, the heat transfer efficiency of the hybrid nanoliquid is far ahead of the nanofluid flow. The truthfulness of the envisioned model in the limiting scenario is also given.

Identification and functional analysis of non-coding regulatory small RNA FenSr3 in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LPB-18

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is an interesting microbe in the food processing and manufacturing industries. Non-coding small RNAs (sRNAs) have been shown to play a crucial role in the physiology and metabolism of bacteria by post-transcriptionally regulating gene expression. This study investigated the function of novel sRNA FenSr3 by constructing fenSr3 deficient strain and complementary strains in B. amyloliquefaciens LPB-18 , which were named LPN-18N and LPB-18P, respectively. The result showed significant differences in fengycin yield between strain LPB -18N and LPB-18P. The production of fengycin was significantly enhanced in B. amyloliquefaciens LPB-18N, compared with that of the strain LPB-18 from 190.908 mg/L to 327.598 mg/L. Moreover, the production of fengycin decreased from 190.464 mg/L to 38.6 mg/L in B . amyloliquefaciens LPB-18P. A comparative transcriptome sequencing was carried out to better understand the complex regulatory mechanism. Transcription analysis revealed that 1037 genes were differentially expressed between B. amyloliquefaciens LPB-18 and B. amyloliquefaciens LPB-18N, including the key regulatory genes in fatty acid, amino acid biosynthesis, and central carbon metabolism, which could provide sufficient quantities of building precursors for fengycin biosynthesis. The biofilm formation and sporulation was also enhanced in the strain LPB-18N, which indicates that FenSr3 could play a vital role in stress resistance and promotes survival in B. amyloliquefaciens. Some sRNAs involved in stress response have been identified in the literature, but their regulatory roles in fengycin production remain unclear. The study will contribute a novel perspective to the regulation mechanism of biosynthesis and the optimization of key metabolites of B. amyloliquefaciens.

Immobilization of lipase on hydrophobic MOF synthesized simultaneously with oleic acid and application in hydrolysis of natural oils for improving unsaturated fatty acid production

The hydrolysis of natural oils (vegetable oils and fats) by lipase has significant applications in food and medicine. However, free lipases are usually sensitive to temperature, pH and chemical reagents in aqueous solutions, which hinders their widespread industrial application. Excitingly, immobilized lipases have been widely reported to overcome these problems. Herein, inspired by lipase interface activation, a hydrophobic Zr-MOF (UiO-66-NH₂-OA) with oleic acid was synthesized for the first time in an emulsion consisting of oleic acid and water, and the Aspergillus oryzae lipase (AOL) was immobilized onto the UiO-66-NH₂-OA through hydrophobic interaction and electrostatic interaction to obtain immobilized lipase (AOL/UiO-66-NH₂-OA). ¹H NMR and FT-IR data indicated that oleic acid was conjugated with the 2-amino-1,4-benzene dicarboxylate (BDC-NH₂) by amidation reaction. As a result, the V_max and K_cat values of AOL/UiO-66-NH₂-OA were 179.61 μM﹒min^-1 and 8.27 s^-1, which were 8.56 and 12.92 times higher than those of the free enzyme, respectively, due to the interfacial activation. After treated at 70 °C for 120 min, the immobilized lipase maintained 52 % of its original activity, but free AOL only retained 15 %. Significantly, the yield of fatty acids by the immobilized lipase reached 98.3 % and still exceeded 82 % after seven times of recycling.

Numerical solution of an electrically conducting spinning flow of hybrid nanofluid comprised of silver and gold nanoparticles across two parallel surfaces

The analysis of the energy transport mechanism received much attention from scientists and researchers. Conventional fluids like vegetable oils, water, ethylene glycol, and transformer oil play a vital role in numerous industrial activities. In certain industrial operations, the low heat conductivity of base fluids causes significant difficulties. This inevitably led to the advancement of critical aspects of nanotechnology. The tremendous significance of nanoscience is in improving the thermal transfer process in different heating transmitting equipment. Therefore, the MHD spinning flow of hybrid nanofluid (HNF) across two permeable surfaces is reviewed. The HNF is made of silver (Ag) and gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) in the ethylene glycol (EG). The modeled equations are non-dimensionalized and degraded to a set of ODEs through similarity substitution. The numerical procedure parametric continuation method (PCM) is used to estimate the 1^st order set of differential equations. The significances of velocity and energy curves are derived versus several physical parameters. The results are revealed through Tables and Figures. It has been determined that the radial velocity curve declines with the varying values of the stretching parameter, Reynold number, and rotation factor while improving with the influence of the suction factor. Furthermore, the energy profile enhances with the rising number of Au and Ag-NPs in the base fluid.

Effect of ultrasound power on HCl leaching kinetics of impurity removal of aphanitic graphite

This study aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasonic power and temperature on the impurity removal rate during conventional and ultrasonic-assisted leaching of aphanitic graphite. The results showed that the ash removal rate increased gradually (∼50 %) with the increase in ultrasonic power and temperature but deteriorated at high power and temperature. The unreacted shrinkage core model was found to fit the experimental results better than other models. The Arrhenius equation was used to calculate the finger front factor and activation energy under different ultrasonic power conditions. The ultrasonic leaching process was significantly influenced by temperature, and the enhancement of the leaching reaction rate constant by ultrasound was mainly reflected in the increase of the pre-exponential factor A. Ultrasound treatment improved the efficiency of impurity mineral removal by destroying the inert layer formed on the graphite surface, promoting particle fragmentation, and generating oxidation radicals. The poor reactivity of hydrochloric acid with quartz and some silicate minerals is a bottleneck limiting the further improvement of impurity removal efficiency in ultrasound-assisted aphanitic graphite. Finally, the study suggests that introducing fluoride salts may be a promising method for deep impurity removal in the ultrasound-assisted hydrochloric acid leaching process of aphanitic graphite.

Manganese peroxidases as robust biocatalytic tool - An overview of sources, immobilization, and biotechnological applications

With robust catalytic features, manganese peroxidases (MnPs) from various sources, including fungi and bacteria, have gained much consideration in many biotechnological applications with particular emphasis on environmental remediation. MnP is a heme-containing enzyme that belongs to the oxidoreductases that can catalyze the degradation of various organic pollutants, such as chlorophenols, nitroaromatic compounds, industrial dyes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. To spotlight the MnP as biocatalytic tool, an effort has been put forward to cover the four major compartments. For instance, following a brief introduction, first, various microbial sources of MnP are discussed with examples. Second, structural attributes and biocatalytic features of MnP are given with examples. Third, different MnP immobilization strategies, including adsorption, covalent linking, entrapment, and cross-linking, are discussed with a significant motive to strengthen the enzyme's stability against diverse deactivation agents by restricting the conformational mobility of molecules. Compared to free counterparts, immobilized MnP fractions perform well in hostile environments. Finally, various biotechnological applications, such as fuel ethanol production, de-lignification, textile industry, pulp and paper industry, degradation of phenolic and non-phenolic compounds, and pharmaceutical and pesticide degradation, are briefly discussed.

Roman Urdu Hate Speech Detection Using Transformer-Based Model for Cyber Security Applications

Social media applications, such as Twitter and Facebook, allow users to communicate and share their thoughts, status updates, opinions, photographs, and videos around the globe. Unfortunately, some people utilize these platforms to disseminate hate speech and abusive language. The growth of hate speech may result in hate crimes, cyber violence, and substantial harm to cyberspace, physical security, and social safety. As a result, hate speech detection is a critical issue for both cyberspace and physical society, necessitating the development of a robust application capable of detecting and combating it in real-time. Hate speech detection is a context-dependent problem that requires context-aware mechanisms for resolution. In this study, we employed a transformer-based model for Roman Urdu hate speech classification due to its ability to capture the text context. In addition, we developed the first Roman Urdu pre-trained BERT model, which we named BERT-RU. For this purpose, we exploited the capabilities of BERT by training it from scratch on the largest Roman Urdu dataset consisting of 173,714 text messages. Traditional and deep learning models were used as baseline models, including LSTM, BiLSTM, BiLSTM + Attention Layer, and CNN. We also investigated the concept of transfer learning by using pre-trained BERT embeddings in conjunction with deep learning models. The performance of each model was evaluated in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F-measure. The generalization of each model was evaluated on a cross-domain dataset. The experimental results revealed that the transformer-based model, when directly applied to the classification task of the Roman Urdu hate speech, outperformed traditional machine learning, deep learning models, and pre-trained transformer-based models in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F-measure, with scores of 96.70%, 97.25%, 96.74%, and 97.89%, respectively. In addition, the transformer-based model exhibited superior generalization on a cross-domain dataset.

Correction: First principles study of electronic and optical properties and photocatalytic performance of GaN-SiS van der Waals heterostructure

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D1RA06011B.].

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) doping on the surface of CuO-NPs reduces the toxic effects of NPs on Lactuca sativa

CuO Nanoparticles (CuO NPs) retard the plant growth but at appropriate concentration boosts shoot growth and therefore may function as nano-carrier or nano-fertilizer. To overcome the toxic effects, NPs can be capped with plant growth regulators. In this work, CuO-NPs (30 nm) were synthesized as the carrier and capped with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) to generate CuO-IAA NPs (30.4 nm) as toxicity mitigant molecules. Seedlings of dicots, Lactuca sativa L. (Lettuce) were exposed to 5, 10 mg Kg-1/ of NPs in the soil to analyze shoot length, fresh and dry weight of shoots, phytochemicals, and antioxidant response. Toxicity to shoot length was recorded at higher concentrations of CuO-NPs, however, a reduction in toxicity was observed for CuO-IAA nanocomposite. Concentration-dependent decrease in the biomass of plants was also observed at higher concentrations of CuO-NPs (10 mg/kg). The antioxidative phytochemicals (phenolics and flavonoids) and antioxidative response increased in plants when exposed to CuO-NPs. However, the presence of CuO-IAA NPs combats the toxic response and a significant decrease in non-enzymatic antioxidants and total antioxidative response and total reducing power potential was observed. The results demonstrate that CuO-NPs can be used as a carrier of hormones for the enhancement of plant biomass and IAA on the surface of NPs reduces the toxic effects on NPs.

Enzymatic cofactor regeneration systems: A new perspective on efficiency assessment

Nowadays, the specificity of enzymatic processes makes them more and more important every year, and their usage on an industrial scale seems to be necessary. Enzymatic cofactors, however, play a crucial part in the prospective applications of enzymes, because they are indispensable for conducting highly effective biocatalytic activities. Due to the relatively high cost of these compounds and their consumption during the processes carried out, it has become crucial to develop systems for cofactor regeneration. Therefore, in this review, an attempt was made to summarize current knowledge on enzymatic regeneration methods, which are characterized by high specificity, non-toxicity and reported to be highly efficient. The regeneration of cofactors, such as nicotinamide dinucleotides, coenzyme A, adenosine 5'-triphosphate and flavin nucleotides, which are necessary for the proper functioning of a large number of enzymes, is discussed, as well as potential directions for further development of these systems are highlighted. This review discusses a range of highly effective cofactor regeneration systems along with the productive synthesis of many useful chemicals, including the simultaneous renewal of several cofactors at the same time. Additionally, the impact of the enzyme immobilization process on improving the stability and the potential for multiple uses of the developed cofactor regeneration systems was also presented. Moreover, an attempt was made to emphasize the importance of the presented research, as well as the identification of research gaps, which mainly result from the lack of available literature on this topic.

Privacy-preserving artificial intelligence in healthcare: Techniques and applications

There has been an increasing interest in translating artificial intelligence (AI) research into clinically-validated applications to improve the performance, capacity, and efficacy of healthcare services. Despite substantial research worldwide, very few AI-based applications have successfully made it to clinics. Key barriers to the widespread adoption of clinically validated AI applications include non-standardized medical records, limited availability of curated datasets, and stringent legal/ethical requirements to preserve patients' privacy. Therefore, there is a pressing need to improvise new data-sharing methods in the age of AI that preserve patient privacy while developing AI-based healthcare applications. In the literature, significant attention has been devoted to developing privacy-preserving techniques and overcoming the issues hampering AI adoption in an actual clinical environment. To this end, this study summarizes the state-of-the-art approaches for preserving privacy in AI-based healthcare applications. Prominent privacy-preserving techniques such as Federated Learning and Hybrid Techniques are elaborated along with potential privacy attacks, security challenges, and future directions.

Energy transfer in Carreau Yasuda liquid influenced by engine oil with Magnetic dipole using tri-hybrid nanoparticles

The aim of the current analysis is to evaluate the significances of magnetic dipole and heat transmission through ternary hybrid Carreau Yasuda nanoliquid flow across a vertical stretching sheet. The ternary compositions of Al₂O₃, SiO₂, and TiO₂ nanoparticles (nps) in the Carreau Yasuda fluid are used to prepare the ternary hybrid nanofluid (Thnf). The heat transfer and velocity are observed in context of heat source/sink and Darcy Forchhemier effect. Mathematically, the flow scenario has been expressed in form of the nonlinear system of PDEs for fluid velocity and energy propagation. The obtained set of PDEs are transform into ODEs through suitable replacements. The obtained dimensionless equations are computationally solved with the help of the parametric continuation method. It has been observed that the accumulation of Al₂O₃, SiO₂ and TiO₂-nps to the engine oil, improves the energy and momentum profiles. Furthermore, as compared to nanofluid and hybrid nanofluid, ternary hybrid nanofluid have a greater tendency to boost the thermal energy transfer. The fluid velocity lowers with the outcome of the ferrohydrodynamic interaction term, while enhances with the inclusion of nano particulates (Al₂O₃, SiO₂ and TiO₂).

Development of reusable chitosan-supported nickel sulfide microspheres for environmentally friendlier and efficient bio-sorptive decontamination of mercury toxicant

Mercury emissions from the industrial sector have become an undeniable concern for researchers due to their toxic health effects. Efforts have been made to develop green, efficient, and reliable methods for removal of mercury from wastewater. Sorption process promises fruitful results for the decontamination of cations from wastewater. Among the number of used sorbents, metal sulfides have been emerged as an appropriate material for removing toxic metals that possess good affinity due to sulfur-based active sites for Hg through "Lewis's acid-based soft-soft interactions." Herein, nickel-sulfide nanoparticles were synthesized, followed by their incorporation in chitosan microspheres. FTIR analysis confirmed the synthesis of nickel sulfide-chitosan microspheres (NiS-CMs) displaying sharp bands for multiple functional groups. XRD analysis showed that the NiS-CMs possessed a crystallite size of 42.1 nm. SEM analysis indicated the size of NiS-CMs to be 950.71 μm based on SEM micrographs. The sorption of mercury was performed using the NiS-CMs, and the results were satisfactory, with a sorption capacity of 61 mg/g at the optimized conditions of pH 5.0, 80 ppm concentration, in 60 min at 25 °C. Isothermal models and kinetics studies revealed that the process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isothermal model best fitted to experimental data. It was concluded that the NiS-CMs have emerged as the best choice for removing toxic mercury ions with a positive impact on the environment.