Publications by authors named "Junaid Muhammad"

This study evaluated the role of probiotics in enhancing intestinal immunity and mitigating polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs)-induced toxicity in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Grass carp were fed probiotics (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus velezensis, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactococcus lactis) for two weeks before being exposed to PS-NPs for five days. Probiotic pretreatment alleviated PS-NPs-induced intestinal damage, with Bacillus velezensis and Lactococcus lactis groups showing milder vacuolation and villus breakage than other groups.

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  • VirtuDockDL is a user-friendly, Python-based web platform designed to streamline the drug discovery process using deep learning techniques, particularly a Graph Neural Network to evaluate potential drug compounds! -
  • During validation, the platform excelled in identifying non-covalent inhibitors for the Marburg virus's VP35 protein, and it demonstrated impressive performance metrics, achieving 99% accuracy, an F1 score of 0.992, and an AUC of 0.99 on the HER2 dataset! -
  • By combining ligand- and structure-based screening, VirtuDockDL outperforms existing tools like DeepChem and AutoDock Vina, making it a powerful option for comprehensive and efficient drug discovery across various medical
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Hydrogen and renewable fuels were generated using cost-effective and efficient electrocatalysts for water splitting. In this work, a CuO-based photocathode is used for the water splitting to generate hydrogen energy by PVD technique. The XRD analysis reveals the deposition of CuO thin film on ITO substrates, which is monoclinic.

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often referred to as Cauliflower mushroom possess both medicinal and edibility values. In this research work, first time laccase purification and dye colourisation efficacy of 's purified laccase were assessed. Optimal laccase potential was noted after 12 day of incubation with 4 pH of medium at 45 °C.

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Soil remediation for cadmium (Cd) toxicity is essential for successful tobacco cultivation and production. Melatonin application can relieve heavy metal stress and promote plant growth; however, it remains somewhat unclear whether melatonin supplementation can remediate the effects of Cd toxicity on the growth and development of tobacco seedlings. Herein, we evaluated the effect of soil-applied melatonin on Cd accumulation in tobacco seedlings, as well as the responses in growth, physiological and biochemical parameters, and the expression of stress-responsive genes.

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The goal of metal-ion battery research is to develop anode materials with high storage capacity. This study explored the potential of 2H phase CrTe, composed of two hexagonally stacked layers, as an optimal anode material for Li/K-ion batteries using Density Functional Theory (DFT). Preliminary analyses revealed that the material possesses thermodynamic, structural, and mechanical stability.

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Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a long-chain legacy congener of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) family, notorious as a "forever chemical" owing to its environmental persistence and toxic nature. Essential elements such as zinc (Zn) can cause toxic effects when they change their metal speciation and become bioavailable, such as zinc sulfate (ZnSO). Combined toxicity assessment is a realistic approach and a challenging task to evaluate chemical interactions and associated risks.

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The diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in its late stages, also known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), leads to increased morbidity and mortality. This is mostly due to the time given for opportunistic infections to arise, which present with their own complications. In this case report, we present an otherwise healthy 38-year-old male, who presented with general systemic symptoms and was later found to have HIV and AIDS, ultimately resulting in his death during this hospital admission.

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  • The increasing use of LDPE and HDPE plastics has led to significant waste that can potentially be repurposed in asphalt concrete mixtures for sustainable highways.
  • Research investigated the effects of these plastics on the permanent deformation and dynamic modulus of asphalt through various testing methods, while utilizing machine learning models to predict performance based on frequency and temperature.
  • Results indicated that HDPE and LDPE modified mixtures showed significantly improved resistance to deformation and dynamic modulus compared to traditional mixtures, with the multi-layer perceptron model proving most accurate in predictions.
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Auxiliary data needs to be incorporated into survey sampling in order to create a precise population parameter estimator. This study investigates improving the efficiency of these estimators, the researchers use study variable [cumulative distribution function, (CDF)] and auxiliary variable (CDF, mean and ranks) to achieve this goal in the condition of non-response. The researchers suggest two ideal families of exponential estimators to obtain an enhanced population (CDF) estimators in simple random sampling under non-response, by utilizing the data from dual auxiliary variable.

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Diseases of Theobroma cacao L. (Malvaceae) disrupt cocoa bean supply and economically impact growers. Vascular streak dieback (VSD), caused by Ceratobasidium theobromae, is a new encounter disease of cacao currently contained to southeast Asia and Melanesia.

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Machine learning is rapidly advancing the drug discovery process, significantly enhancing speed and efficiency. Innovation in computer-aided drug design is primarily driven by structure- and ligand-based approaches. When the number of known inhibitors for a target is limited, data augmentation strategies are often preferred to enhance model performance.

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Wheat breeding programs are currently focusing on using non-destructive and cost-effective hyperspectral sensing tools to expeditiously and accurately phenotype large collections of genotypes. This approach is expected to accelerate the development of the abiotic stress tolerance of genotypes in breeding programs. This study aimed to assess salt tolerance in wheat genotypes using non-destructive canopy spectral reflectance measurements as an alternative to direct laborious and time-consuming phenological selection criteria.

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  • The study investigates the effects of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and graphene oxide (GO) on apoptosis in adult marine medaka fish after chronic exposure to these substances in environmentally relevant concentrations.
  • Results showed increased oxidative stress and apoptosis indicators in fish, including heightened levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of specific caspases, indicating harmful effects on fish health and growth.
  • The findings suggest that PFOS primarily drives the apoptosis process in the presence of GO due to competition for active sites on caspases, highlighting ecological risks associated with these contaminants in marine environments.
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Nanoplastics (NPs, < 1000 nm) interact with chemicals and biomolecules to produce chemical-/eco-corona, altering the environmental destiny, bioavailability, and toxicity of plastic particles and co-occurring chemicals. This study employs exogenous (humic acid, HA) and endogenous (bovine serum albumin, BSA) natural organic matter (NOM) to investigate the eco-corona formation on NPs and explore the interfacial effects of eco-corona and 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (Cl-PFESA, commonly named as F-53B) on zebrafish (Danio rerio) after 7 days of exposure. Our results indicated significant changes in growth and developmental indices of zebrafish embryos among all eco-corona groups (p < 0.

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  • - A study was conducted with 60 mice over 28 days to evaluate the effects of curcumin on the negative impacts of Deoxynivalenol (DON) and Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure.
  • - Mice given curcumin showed improved immune response, including higher levels of immunoglobulins (IgA and IgG) and T lymphocytes, along with reduced structural damage to the spleen.
  • - Curcumin also reduced apoptosis in mice by lowering certain enzyme activities and pro-apoptotic markers, indicating its potential to help counteract the immunosuppression caused by the toxins.
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Objective: To assess the level of bioethics awareness among healthcare professionals in Pakistan, focusing on the associations with sociodemographic characteristics, training and teaching of ethics, medical ethics practice and specific ethical issues.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Public and private hospitals in Haripur, Pakistan.

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  • The study synthesizes data on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to analyze their contamination levels, composition, and sources in marine bays around the world, with a particular focus on hotspots in Asia.
  • It finds that PAH concentrations have increased significantly since 2000, with different ring structures dominating in water (2-3 ring) and sediment (4-6 ring), and notes that no clear pattern links PAH composition to geographical distance due to global energy trade.
  • The research identifies both petrogenic and pyrolytic sources of PAHs, primarily from coal and petroleum combustion, and highlights temporal patterns of PAH concentrations, providing valuable insights for efforts to reduce contamination.
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This study delves into the interconnections among corporate social responsibility, green intellectual capital, green ambidextrous innovation, and sustainable performance, particularly in the context of Industry 4.0 and sustainability. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted, and a sample of 317 small and medium enterprises was collected.

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Organic ultraviolet filters (OUVFs) are extensively incorporated into both cosmetic items and industrial products and have been commonly found in water ecosystems. This study aims to examine the environmental levels, sources, ecological and human health risks of 14 commonly used OUVFs both in coastal water and beach deposit samples collected from the nearshore regions of Hainan Island and the South China Sea. This is first study highlighting the contamination of OUVFs in Hainan Island and utilizing economic and tourism data to confirm the potential source of OUVF pollution in costal aquatic and coastal ecosystem.

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MoO thin film was fabricated on an indium tin oxide substrate using the physical vapor deposition technique. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy study to investigate surface morphology, grain size, and surface structure, which are critical for absorbing solar spectra in water splitting for hydrogen energy generation. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy was used to confirm the absorption of solar spectra and the percentage of transmittance.

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Microplastics (MPs) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are emerging pollutants that are ubiquitously present in the environment and can cause series of ecotoxicological effects on aquatic animals. This study examined how the expression of genes related to insulin growth factor (igf1, igf2a, igf2b, igfra, and igfrb) and growth hormone (ghrh, gh1, ghra, and ghrb) changes during the development of zebrafish embryos exposed to 8 μm polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) individually and in combination for 72 h. Our findings revealed that both low-concentrations of MP (50 μg/L) and PFOS (0.

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Elucidating the complex dynamic cellular organization in the hypothalamus is critical for understanding its role in coordinating fundamental body functions. Over the past decade, single-cell and spatial omics technologies have significantly evolved, overcoming initial technical challenges in capturing and analyzing individual cells. These high-throughput omics technologies now offer a remarkable opportunity to comprehend the complex spatiotemporal patterns of transcriptional diversity and cell-type characteristics across the entire hypothalamus.

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Objective: To assess the knowledge of caregivers in a tertiary care setting about child abuse, their perception of potential barriers in the way of seeking medical advice for the victims, and to identify proposed solutions to ensure prevention and reporting of child abuse.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from June to December 2022 at the paediatric ward of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised caregivers who were attendants of inpatients. Data was collected using a predesigned anonymous questionnaire consisting of demographic information and 27 items that were scored on a 6-point Likert scale.

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Nanoplastics (NPs) interact with cooccurring chemicals and natural organic matter (NOM) in the environment, forming complexes that can change their bioavailability and interfacial toxicity in aquatic organisms. This study aims to elucidate the single and combined impacts of 21-day chronic exposure to low levels of polystyrene NPs (size 80 nm) at 1 mg/L and 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (Cl-PFAES or F53B) at 200 μg/L in the presence and absence of NOM (humic acid-HA and bovine serum albumin-BSA at 10 mg/L) in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). Our findings through multiple bioassays, revealed that the mixture group (M), comprising of NPs, F53B, HA, and BSA, caused a higher level of toxicity compared to the single NPs (AN), single F53B (AF), and combined NPs+F53B (ANF) groups.

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