A catalytic system has been developed, utilizing metal nanoparticles confined within a chitosan‑carbon black composite hydrogel (M-CH/CB), aimed at improving ease of use and recovery in catalytic processes. The M-CH/CBs were characterized by XPS, XRD, SEM, and EDX, the M-CH/CB system demonstrated exceptional catalytic activity in producing hydrogen gas (H) from water and methanol, and in reducing several hazardous materials including 2-nitrophenol (2-NP), 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), 2,6-dinitrophenol (2,6-DNP), acridine orange (ArO), methyl orange (MO), congo red (CR), methylene blue (MB), and potassium ferricyanide (PFC). Among the tested nanocatalysts, CH/CB showed the highest efficiency for H₂ production, while Fe-CH/CB excelled in contaminant reduction (7.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPredicting disease-related molecular traits from histomorphology brings great opportunities for precision medicine. Despite the rich information present in histopathological images, extracting fine-grained molecular features from standard whole slide images (WSI) is non-trivial. The task is further complicated by the lack of annotations for subtyping and contextual histomorphological features that might span multiple scales.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOur study investigated the prevalence of lean steatotic liver disease (SLD) and its subcategories, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction-related and alcohol-related SLD (MetALD), and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) among lean adults in the US. Analysing data from 2965 lean adults (≥ 18 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2017-2023), we found the age-adjusted prevalence of lean SLD to be 12.8%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMost current research in cloud forensics is focused on tackling the challenges encountered by forensic investigators in identifying and recovering artifacts from cloud devices. These challenges arise from the diverse array of cloud service providers as each has its distinct rules, guidelines, and requirements. This research proposes an investigation technique for identifying and locating data remnants in two main stages: artefact collection and evidence identification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer cells undergo remarkable metabolic changes to meet their high energetic and biosynthetic demands. The Warburg effect is the most well-characterized metabolic alteration, driving cancer cells to catabolize glucose through aerobic glycolysis to promote proliferation. Another prominent metabolic hallmark of cancer cells is their increased reliance on glutamine to replenish tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates essential for ATP production, aspartate and fatty acid synthesis, and maintaining redox homeostasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDoxorubicin (DOX) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic medication for treating malignancies, although its cardiotoxicity limits its use. There is growing evidence that alteration of the mitochondrial fission/fusion dynamic processes accompanied by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and alteration of calcium Ca homeostasis are potential underlying mechanisms of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). Metformin (Met) is an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator that has antioxidant properties and cardioprotective effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomass, though a major energy source, remains underutilized. Biochar from biomass pyrolysis, with its high porosity and surface area, is especially useful as catalyst support, enhancing catalytic activity and reducing electron recombination in photocatalysis. Indonesia, the world's top palm oil producer, generated around 12 million tons of empty fruit bunches (EFBs) in 2023, making EFBs a promising biochar source.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by increased blood sugar levels. Early detection of diabetes could help individuals to manage and delay the progression of this disorder effectively. Machine learning (ML) methods are important in forecasting the progression and diagnosis of different medical problems with better accuracy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mycetoma is a chronic granulomatous disease affecting the skin, subcutaneous tissues, and bones, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Sudan, especially its Eastern Sinnar locality, experiences a significant burden due to environmental conditions and limited access to healthcare, while the population's lack of awareness and understanding often leads to delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional, community-based study in Eastern Sinnar, Sudan, to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and awareness of mycetoma among local residents.
Background: Abortion-related complications significantly contribute to maternal morbidity and mortality globally. Post-abortion care (PAC) services are essential to safeguarding women's rights by substantially mitigating the health risks associated with abortions - a step which is fundamental to achieving reproductive and maternal health-related Sustainable Development Goals.
Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the nationally representative Service Provision Assessment (SPA) surveys conducted between 2015 and 2024 across three regions in seven low- and middle-income countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Senegal, and Haiti.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an extremely contagious illness, has posed enormous challenges to healthcare systems around the world. Although the evidence on COVID-19 management is growing, antiviral medication is still the first line of treatment. Therefore, it is critical that effective, safe, and tolerable antivirals be available to treat early COVID-19 and stop its progression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Sepsis is a time-sensitive condition, and many rural emergency department (ED) sepsis patients are transferred to tertiary hospitals. The objective of this study was to determine whether longer transport times during interhospital transfer are associated with higher sepsis mortality or increased hospital length-of-stay (LOS).
Methods: A cohort of rural adult (age ≥ 18 y) sepsis patients transferred between hospitals were identified in the TELEmedicine as a Virtual Intervention for Sepsis Care in Emergency Departments (TELEVISED) parent study.
Objectives: Emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians express dissatisfaction with the quality and quantity of clinical feedback received from hospitals, which is exacerbated by the absence of standardized feedback processes. A reported lack of regular feedback impedes their ability to learn and improve care. We evaluated a newly implemented feedback tool's utilization and perceived impact on EMS clinicians and our health system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The administration of blood components and their alternatives can be lifesaving. Anaemia, bleeding and transfusion are all associated with poor peri-operative outcomes. Considerable changes in the approaches to optimal use of blood components and their alternatives, driven by the findings of large randomised controlled trials and improved haemovigilance, have become apparent over the past decade.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMulti-drug resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii causes nosocomial infections due to a plethora of virulence determinants like biofilm formation which are pivotal to its survival and pathogenicity. Hence, investigation of these mechanisms in currently circulating strains is required for effective infection control and drug development. This study investigates the prevalence of antibiotic resistance and virulence factors and their relationship with biofilm formation in Acinetobacter baumannii strains in Karachi, Pakistan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe long head of the biceps tendon is a common source of anterior shoulder pain, frequently addressed during rotator cuff repairs. Surgical management typically involves either tenotomy or tenodesis, each offering distinct advantages and disadvantages. Tenotomy, a straightforward procedure with a short rehabilitation period, is well suited for low-demand patients but carries a higher risk of Popeye deformity and cramping pain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Spontaneous rupture of the pathological malarial spleen (SRPMS) is a rare condition with a mortality rate among travelers of approximately 38 %, whereas it was around 10 % for local citizens. The mortality rate for overwhelming post-splenectomy sepsis was reported to be about 50 %.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from febraury2022 to July 2022.
The Arabian/Persian Gulf, a marginal sea of the northern Indian Ocean, has been significantly impacted by human activities, leading to a rise in harmful algal blooms (HABs). This study investigates the summer blooming of an ichthyotoxic phytoflagellate Chattonella marina var. antiqua and associated fish-kill in Kuwaiti waters, connecting the events to a previous dust storm and eutrophication status in the coastal waters of the Northern Arabian Gulf (NAG).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Congenital arterial defects such as cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) increase brain bleeding risk. Conservative therapy, microsurgical removal, percutaneous embolization, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), or a combination may treat this serious disease. This study compares angioembolization with SRS to SRS alone in ruptured or unruptured brain ateriovenous malformations (BAVM) patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman genetic studies have nominated cadherin-like and PC-esterase domain-containing 1 () as a candidate target gene mediating bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk heritability. Recent efforts to define the role of in bone in mouse and human models have revealed complex alternative splicing and inconsistent results arising from gene targeting, making its function in bone difficult to interpret. To better understand the role of in adult bone mass and morphology, we conducted a comprehensive genetic and phenotypic analysis of in zebrafish, an emerging model for bone and mineral research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnergy is integral to the socio-economic development of every country. This development leads to a rapid increase in the demand for energy consumption. However, due to the constraints and costs associated with energy generation resources, it has become crucial for both energy generation companies and consumers to predict energy consumption well in advance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe conducted an exploratory study of plasma microbial cell-free DNA sequencing for the diagnosis of Lyme disease among pediatric patients. Low levels of Borrelia burgdorferi microbial cell-free DNA (<3-5 molecules per microliter) were observed in 6/9 serologically confirmed participants, including 4/5 with arthritis and 2/3 with multiple erythema migrans.
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