Calcium deficiency and its implications for cardiovascular disease and cancer: Strategies for resolution via agronomic fortification.

Calcium (Ca) is a vital nutrient essential for structural development and signal transmission in both plants and animals. In humans, inadequate calcium intake has been correlated with various diseases, including osteoporosis, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and cancer. In areas where plants serve as a main dietary source, calcium intake is significantly lower than the recommended adequate intake, notably in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Constructing comparable intimate partner violence indicators across the DHS, MICS, and PMA health surveys.

We construct comparable indicators that measure the prevalence of recent intimate partner violence (IPV) using publicly available, integrated microdata within the IPUMS data collections across many countries. The objective of this work is to increase opportunities for comparative research by leveraging vast quantities of harmonized data. We use consistent and comparable variables that measure domestic violence in international health surveys.

Four port tri-circular ring MIMO antenna with wide-band characteristics for future 5G and mmWave applications.

MIMO (Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output) antenna systems are promising for fifth-generation (5G) networks, offering lower latency and higher data rates. These systems utilize millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency bands for efficient transmission and reception of multiple data simultaneously, enhancing overall efficiency and performance. This article presents a compact size, wide band tri-circular ring mmWave MIMO antenna with suitable performance characteristics for next-generation communication systems.

Integrating humanities in healthcare: a mixed-methods study for development and testing of a humanities curriculum for front-line health workers in Karachi, Pakistan.

Lady health workers (LHWs) provide lifesaving maternal and child health services to >60% of Pakistan's population but are poorly compensated and overburdened. Moreover, LHWs' training does not incorporate efforts to nurture attributes necessary for equitable and holistic healthcare delivery. We developed an interdisciplinary humanities curriculum, deriving its strengths from local art and literature, to enhance character virtues such as empathy and connection, interpersonal communication skills, compassion and purpose among LHWs.

Development and feasibility testing of an artificially intelligent chatbot to answer immunization-related queries of caregivers in Pakistan: A mixed-methods study.

Background: Gaps in information access impede immunization uptake, especially in low-resource settings where cutting-edge and innovative digital interventions are limited given the digital inequity. Our objective was to develop an Artificially Intelligent (AI) chatbot to respond to caregiver's immunization-related queries in Pakistan and investigate its feasibility and acceptability in a low-resource, low-literacy setting.

Methods: We developed Bablibot (Babybot), a local language immunization chatbot, using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies with Human in the Loop feature.

An Ultra-Wide Band MIMO Antenna System with Enhanced Isolation for Microwave Imaging Applications.

This paper introduces a novel two-port ultra-wideband (UWB) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system with enhanced isolation characteristics. The antenna, designed on a thin 0.787 mm RO5880 substrate, achieves a compact form factor of 52 × 26 mm2 and offers a wide bandwidth of 9.

A Four Element mm-Wave MIMO Antenna System with Wide-Band and High Isolation Characteristics for 5G Applications.

In this article, we propose a light weight, low profile Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna system for compact 5th Generation (5G) mmwave devices. Using a RO5880 substrate that is incredibly thin, the suggested antenna is made up of circular rings stacked vertically and horizontally on top of one another. The single element antenna board has dimensions of 12 × 12 × 0.

A Compact MIMO Multiband Antenna for 5G/WLAN/WIFI-6 Devices.

This research work presents a compact design of a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) multiband antenna along with high-isolation characteristics. The presented antenna was designed for 3.50 GHz, 5.

Impregnation of biochar with montmorillonite and its activation for the removal of azithromycin from aqueous media.

An inexpensive and environmentally friendly composite synthesized from rice husk, impregnated with montmorillonite and activated by carbon dioxide, was investigated for the removal of azithromycin from an aqueous solution. Various techniques were used to characterize adsorbents in detail. The sorption process was primarily regulated by the solution pH, pollutant concentration, contact duration, adsorbent dose, and solution temperature.

Molecular composition of soil organic matter (SOM) regulate qualities of tobacco leaves.

Soil organic matter (SOM) is of vital importance to soil health, and also plays a crucial role in the quality of the crops such as tobacco. However, the link between tobacco quality and SOM chemical compositions is still not well understood. To fill the information gap, we analyzed the quality of tobacco leaves and the corresponding SOM molecular compositions by electrospray ionization (ESI) coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS), that were collected from six different sites in Bijie, Guizhou Province, China.

Assessing the influence of sewage sludge and derived-biochar in immobilization and transformation of heavy metals in polluted soil: Impact on intracellular free radical formation in maize.

As one of the most common ways to get rid of municipal waste, landfill leachate, waste with complicated compositions and high levels of contaminants, has become a significant threat to the world's environment. Here, the impact of sewage sludge (SS) and derived-biochar (SSB) amendments on the immobilization and potential mobility of heavy metals in a contaminated soil-plant system was investigated. The sequential fractionation findings showed that using SS-2%, SSB-2%, and SSBC-1% reduced the potential mobility of heavy metals while increasing the residual fraction in polluted soils.

Inconsistent effects of a composite soil amendment on cadmium accumulation and consumption risk of 14 vegetables.

Organic and inorganic mixtures can be developed as immobilizing agents that could reduce heavy metal accumulation in crops and contribute to food safety. Here, inorganic materials (lime, L; zeolite, Z; and sepiolite, S) and organic materials (biochar, B, and compost, C) were selectively mixed to produce six composite soil amendments (LZBC, LSBC, LZC, LZB, LSC, and LSB). Given the fact that LZBC showed the best performance in decreasing soil Cd availability in the incubation experiment, it was further applied in the field condition with 14 vegetables as the test crops to investigate its effects on crop safety production in polluted greenhouse.

Environmental emission, fate and transformation of microplastics in biotic and abiotic compartments: Global status, recent advances and future perspectives.

The intensive use and wide-ranging application of plastic- and plastic-derived products have resulted in alarming levels of plastic pollution in different environmental compartments worldwide. As a result of various biogeochemical mechanisms, this plastic litter is converted into small, ubiquitous and persistent fragments called microplastics (<5 mm), which are of significant and increasing concern to the scientific community. Microplastics have spread across the globe and now exist in virtually all environmental compartments (the soil, atmosphere, and water).

Interactive assessment of lignite and bamboo-biochar for geochemical speciation, modulation and uptake of Cu and other heavy metals in the copper mine tailing.

This study was designed to examine the combined effect of bamboo-biochar (BC) and water-washed lignite (LGT) at copper mine tailings (CuMT) sites on the concentration of Cu and other metals in pore water (PW), their bioavailability, and change in geochemical speciation. Rapeseed (first cropping-season) and wheat (second cropping-season) were grown for 40-days each and the influence of applied-amendments on both cropping seasons was observed and compared. A significant increase in pH, water holding capacity (WHC), and soil organic carbon (SOC) was observed after the applied amendments in second cropping-seasons.

Examining unsafe injection practices associated with auto-disable (AD) syringes: a systematic review.

Auto-disable (AD) syringes are specifically designed to prevent syringe reuse. However, the notion that specific AD syringe designs may be unsafe due to reuse concerns related to the syringe's activation point has surfaced. We conducted a systematic review for evidence on the association between AD syringe design and syringe reuse, adverse events following immunization (AEFI), or blood borne virus (BBV) transmission.

Effect of vaccine reminder and tracker bracelets on routine childhood immunization coverage and timeliness in urban Pakistan (2017-18): a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Inability to track children's vaccination history coupled with parents' lack of awareness of vaccination due dates compounds the problem of low immunization coverage and timeliness in developing countries. We evaluated the impact of two types of silicone immunization reminder bracelets for children in improving immunization coverage and timeliness of Pentavalent-3 and the Measles-1 vaccines.

Methods: Children < 3 months were enrolled in either of the 2 intervention groups (Alma Sana Bracelet Group and Star Bracelet Group) or the Control group.

Transformation pathways and fate of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in distinct interactive environmental compartments: A review.

The ever increasing production and use of nano-enabled commercial products release the massive amount of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the environment. An increasing number of recent studies have shown the toxic effects of ENPs on different organisms, raising concerns over the nano-pollutants behavior and fate in the various environmental compartments. After the release of ENPs in the environment, ENPs interact with various components of the environment and undergoes dynamic transformation processes.

Effect of vaccine reminder and tracker bracelets on routine childhood immunization coverage and timeliness in urban Pakistan: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Inability to track children's vaccination history coupled with parents' lack of awareness of vaccination due dates compounds the problem of low immunization coverage and timeliness in developing countries. Traditional Reminder/Recall (RR) interventions such as paper-based immunization cards or mHealth based platforms do not yield optimal results in resource-constrained settings. There is thus a need for a low-cost intervention that can simultaneously stimulate demand and track immunization history to help reduce drop-outs and improve immunization coverage and timeliness.

One-step synthesis of N-doped metal/biochar composite using NH-ambiance pyrolysis for efficient degradation and mineralization of Methylene Blue.

A series of new biochar-supported composite based on the combination of biochar and metallic nanoparticles (NPs) were produced through single-step pyrolysis of FeCl-Ti(OBu) laden agar biomass under NH environment. The physiochemical properties of composites were characterized thoroughly. It has found that heating temperature and N-doping through NH-ambiance pyrolysis significantly influence the visible-light sensitivity and bandgap energy of composites.

Biomonitoring and health risks assessment of trace elements in various age- and gender-groups exposed to road dust in habitable urban-industrial areas of Hefei, China.

The current study investigates the concentration of eleven trace elements in biomaterials including hair (85) and nails (85) along with seventy five (75) road dust samples collected from a healthy population of habitable urban-industrial areas of Hefei, China. The samples were acid digested and analyzed using ICP-MS for trace elements content. The mean concentration of Elements followed descending order of Zn > Mg > Fe > Cr > Al > Sn > Sr > Ti > Cu > As > Cd and Mg > Zn > Fe > Cr > Al > Sn > Ti > Cu > Sr > As > Cd in hair and nails, respectively.

A systematic review on global pollution status of particulate matter-associated potential toxic elements and health perspectives in urban environment.

Airborne particulate matter (PM) that is a heterogeneous mixture of particles with a variety of chemical components and physical features acts as a potential risk to human health. The ability to pose health risk depends upon the size, concentration and chemical composition of the suspended particles. Potential toxic elements (PTEs) associated with PM have multiple sources of origin, and each source has the ability to generate multiple particulate PTEs.

Developmental selenium exposure and health risk in daily foodstuffs: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Selenium (Se) is a trace mineral and an essential nutrient of vital importance to human health in trace amounts. It acts as an antioxidant in both humans and animals, immunomodulator and also involved in the control of specific endocrine pathways. The aim of this work is to provide a brief knowledge on selenium content in daily used various foodstuffs, nutritional requirement and its various health consequences.

Evaluating the health risks of potentially toxic elements through wheat consumption in multi-industrial metropolis of Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pollution is the fastest growing concern around the entire globe especially in developing countries. Rapid industrialization and urbanization are the dominant sources of anthropogenic soil-food chain contamination with PTEs. The intent of current study was to investigate the interactive levels of Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in soil and their accumulation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.