Dust dynamics: distribution patterns of semi-volatile organic chemicals across particle sizes in varied indoor microenvironments.

An extensive analysis of the distribution patterns of three distinct classes of semi-volatile organic chemicals (SVOCs)-phthalates (PAEs), organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)-across four distinct size fractions of dust (25, 50, 100, and 200 μm) was conducted. The dust samples were sourced from AC filter, covered car parking lots, households, hotels, mosques, and car floors. To generate the four fractions, ten dust samples from each microenvironment were pooled and sieved utilizing sieving apparatus with the appropriate mesh size.

Degree of blood safety of voluntary non-remunerated versus replacement blood donations: A multi-centre study of the large cohort of blood donors from two provinces of Pakistan.

Background And Objectives: Voluntary non-remunerated blood donors (VNRBDs) are recognized as being crucial for the safety and sustainability of national blood supplies. Systems based on replacement donors (RDs) pose high risks of transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs). Currently, only 10%-13% of blood donations are voluntary in Pakistan.

Bacterial isolates and their antimicrobial susceptibility profile of superficial and deep-seated skin and soft tissue infections.

Background: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are caused by microbial invasion of healthy or damaged skin. SSTIs are difficult to manage and contribute to chronicity and emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

Objectives: To ascertain the prevalence of bacteria causing SSTIs and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.

Toxic trespassers: Uncovering phthalates and organophosphate flame retardants in children's rooms and their health implications.

Organophosphate flame retardants (OPEs) and phthalates have garnered significant attention due to their widespread presence in indoor environments. Many recent investigations have reported extensive contamination of indoor dust, air, children's toys, and other environmental compartments with these chemicals. This research aimed to analyze OPEs and phthalates in air (PM10) and dust samples collected from the bedrooms of children (N = 30) residing in various households in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Outcome, risk factors and therapeutic strategies in carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteraemia from Pakistan.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGN) bacteraemia has high mortality and limited therapeutic options. We assessed the risk factors and outcome of CRGN bacteraemia treated with limited options.

Methods: A prospective cohort study done at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan, from October 2021 to August 2022.

Nanobiochar Associated Ammonia Emission Mitigation and Toxicity to Soil Microbial Biomass and Corn Nutrient Uptake from Farmyard Manure.

The unique properties of NB, such as its nano-size effect and greater adsorption capacity, have the potential to mitigate ammonia (NH) emission, but may also pose threats to soil life and their associated processes, which are not well understood. We studied the influence of different NB concentrations on NH emission, soil microbial biomass, nutrient mineralization, and corn nutrient uptake from farmyard manure (FM). Three different NB concentrations i.

Gaseous and soil OCPs and PCBs along the Indus River, Pakistan: spatial patterns and air-soil gradients.

This study presents first-hand information on the occurrence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the ambient air and surface soil along the Indus flood-plain, Pakistan. The sampling campaign was conducted at 15 site locations during 2014-15, along the Indus River (approximately 1300 km). Composite surface soil samples ( = 15) and passive air samples ( = 15) were collected for the estimation of gaseous POPs as well as air-soil exchange to evaluate the POP emission and distribution or dispersion patterns, source tracking, and contribution of the local and regional sources towards POP accumulation in the Indus River system.

Molecularly tracing of children exposure pathways to environmental organic pollutants and the Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk.

Organic pollutants (OPs) including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have showed neuro-damaging effects, but studies concerning the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk are limited. A case-control study with ASD (n = 125) and healthy control (n = 125) children was conducted on the different land use settings across Punjab, Pakistan. Serum concentrations of 26 OCPs, 29 PCB congeners, 11 PBDEs and 32 PAHs were measured.

Phytochemical profiling of antimicrobial and potential antioxidant plant: .

Traditional and phytochemical studies have confirmed the richness and diversity of medicinal plants such as (), but more studies are needed to complete its metabolite profiling. The objective of this research was to enhance the metabolomic picture and bioactivity of for better evaluation. Phytochemical analysis was performed by bio-guided protocols and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS).

Profiling of phthalates, brominated, and organophosphate flame retardants in COVID-19 lockdown house dust; implication on the human health.

In this study, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), phthalates, and organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) were analyzed in indoor household dust collected during the COVID-19 related strict lockdown (April-July 2020) period. Floor dust samples were collected from 40 households in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The levels of most of the analyzed chemicals were visibly high and for certain chemicals multifold high in analyzed samples compared to earlier studies on indoor dust from Jeddah.

Freely dissolved organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) along the Indus River Pakistan: spatial pattern and risk assessment.

Freely dissolved OCPs and PCBs were measured by using polyethylene passive samplers at 15 sites during 2014 throughout the stretch of the Indus River to investigate the spatial pattern and risk assess. Levels (pg/L) of dissolved ∑OCPs and ∑PCBs ranged from 34 to 1600 and from 3 to 230. Among the detected OCPs, dissolved DDTs (p,p'-DDE, followed by p,p'-DDT) predominated with levels of 0.

Clinical Scenario and Imaging with Illustrations of Giant Cell Tumor of Bone: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background: The giant cell tumour of the bone has a spectrum of clinical-radiological presentation. This study aims to describe this varied presentation in our institution.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on twenty-nine pathologically labelled cases of giant cell tumours of the bone.

Sustainability Evaluation of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production from Slaughterhouse Residues Utilising Emergy Accounting.

High raw material prices and rivalry from the food industry have hampered the adoption of renewable resource-based goods. It has necessitated the investigation of cost-cutting strategies such as locating low-cost raw material supplies and adopting cleaner manufacturing processes. Exploiting waste streams as substitute resources for the operations is one low-cost option.

Zinc Plus Biopolymer Coating Slows Nitrogen Release, Decreases Ammonia Volatilization from Urea and Improves Sunflower Productivity.

Currently, the global agriculture productivity is heavily relied on the use of chemical fertilizers. However, the low nutrient utilization efficiency (NUE) is the main obstacle for attaining higher crop productivity and reducing nutrients losses from these fertilizers to the environment. Coating fertilizer with micronutrients and biopolymer can offer an opportunity to overcome these fertilizers associated problems.

Temperature, humidity and outdoor air quality indicators influence COVID-19 spread rate and mortality in major cities of Saudi Arabia.

There is an increasing evidence that meteorological (temperature, relative humidity, dew) and air quality indicators (PM, PM, NO, SO, CO) are affecting the COVID-19 transmission rate and the number of deaths in many countries around the globe. However, there are contradictory results due to limited observations of these parameters and absence of conclusive evidence on such relationships in cold or hot arid tropical and subtropical desert climate of Gulf region. This is the first study exploring the relationships of the meteorological (temperature, relative humidity, and dew) and air quality indicators (PMCO, and SO) with daily COVID-19 infections and death cases for a period of six months (1st March to August 31, 2020) in six selected cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by using generalized additive model.

Brominated Flame Retardants in Children's Room: Concentration, Composition, and Health Risk Assessment.

Children spend most of their daily time indoors. Many of the items used indoors, such as furniture, electronics, textile, and children toys, are treated with chemicals to provide longevity and fulfil the safety standards. However, many chemicals added to these products are released into the environment during leaching out from the treated products.

Police vs doctors: Harassment of Covid "heroes", by Covid "heroes"?

Violence against medical professionals and destruction of hospital property by frustrated patients and their relatives occur frequently in India (1) and in other countries (2, 3). However, harassment of healthcare workers by the police has, so far, not been an issue in the Indian healthcare system. Now, cases of harassment of medical professionals by the police have emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A case series of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in renal transplant recipients: Challenges in management from a TB endemic country.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin (Rif). The use of immunosuppressive drugs in solid organ transplant recipients can increase the risk of TB. Management of MDR-TB is quite challenging in the general population with poor compliance owing to lengthy treatment duration and drug toxicities.

Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds in Car Dust: A Pilot Study in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

People may spend a significant amount of their daily time in cars and thus be exposed to chemicals present in car dust. Various chemicals are emitted from during car use, contaminating the car dust. In this study, we compiled published and unpublished data on the occurrence of phthalates, flame retardants (FRs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Saudi car dust.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Indoor Dust Collected during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Saudi Arabia: Status, Sources and Human Health Risks.

To control the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Saudi Arabia's government imposed a strict lockdown during March-July 2020. As a result, the public was confined to indoors, and most of their daily activities were happening in their indoor places, which might have resulted in lower indoor environment quality. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in household dust ( = 40) collected from different residential districts of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during the lockdown period.

Exposure to Phthalate and Organophosphate Esters via Indoor Dust and PM10 Is a Cause of Concern for the Exposed Saudi Population.

In this study, we measured the occurrence of organophosphate esters (OPEs) and phthalates in the settled dust (floor and air conditioner filter dust) and in suspended particulate matter (PM10) from different microenvironments (households ( = 20), offices ( = 10) and hotels ( = 10)) of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Bis (2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was the major pollutant (contributing >85% of total chemicals burden) in all types of indoor dust with a concentration up to 3,901,500 ng g. While dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and DEHP together contributed >70% in PM10 (1900 ng m), which indicate PM10 as a significant source of exposure for DBP and DEHP in different Saudi indoor settings.

Arsenic and lead in the indoor residential settings of different socio-economic status; assessment of human health risk via dust exposure.

In the present study, occurrence of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) is reported in rural and urban household dust (floor and AC filter dust) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Several studies have found concerning concentrations of these toxic metals in indoor dust from different countries, but data from this region is missing. The association between studied toxic metals and different socioeconomic parameters was investigated.

Development of spreading symmetric two-waves motion for a family of two-mode nonlinear equations.

In this work, a functional operator extracted from Korsunsky's technique is used to produce new two-mode nonlinear equations. These new equations describe the motion of two directional solitary-waves overlapping with an increasing phase-velocity and affected by two factors labeled as the dispersion and nonlinearity coefficients. To investigate the dynamics of this two-mode family, we construct the two-mode KdV-Burgers-Kuramoto equation (TMKBK) and two-mode Hirota-Satsuma model (TMHS).