Enhanced irreversible stabilisation of hexavalent chromium in field-scale industrial waste disposal.

Numerous industrial processes generate hazardous by-products, including persistent pollutants like chromium which pose a threat. Safe and cost-effective management of chromium is a major challenge in developing countries. This study investigates the selection and efficacy of chemical stabilizing agents for reducing hexavalent chromium (Cr(vi)) to trivalent chromium (Cr(iii)) in contaminated soil from a mining region in India.

Biological Evaluation of Molecular Spherical Nucleic Acids: Targeting Tumors via a Hybridization-Based Folate Decoration.

Folate receptors (FRs), membrane-bound proteins that bind specifically to folate with high affinity, are overexpressed by various cancer types and are therefore used as targets for delivery of therapeutic agents. Molecular spherical nucleic acids (MSNAs) are dendritic formulations of oligonucleotides (ONs) that may have advantages over linear parent ONs with respect to delivery properties. Here, we assembled folate-decorated MSNAs, site-specifically radiolabeled them, and then biologically evaluated their effects in mice bearing HCC1954 breast cancer xenograft tumors.

Molecular dynamics simulation reveals structural insights into isozyme selectivity of carbonic anhydrase XII inhibitors in hypoxic tumor microenvironment.

Human carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoenzymes IX and XII are overexpressed in cancer cells, contributing to tumor microenvironment acidification and representing important targets for cancer therapy. In this study, we identified compound V35 (ZINC09419065) as a selective inhibitor of CA IX and CA XII with enhanced binding stability and selectivity compared to standard inhibitors. We analyzed conserved regions in CA I, CA II, CA IX, and CA XII to investigate their isozyme selectivity, revealing critical selectivity determinants at positions 95, 141, and 203.

Type I Interferon Targets Alveolar Macrophages to Promote Bacterial Pneumonia after Viral Infection.

Exposure to influenza A virus (IAV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is well-known to increase the risk of pneumonia in humans. Type I interferon (IFN-I) is a hallmark response to acute viral infections, and alveolar macrophages (AMs) constitute the first line of airway defense against opportunistic bacteria. Our study reveals that virus-induced IFN-I receptor (IFNAR1) signaling directly impairs AM-dependent antibacterial protection.

Rapid detection of hydrogen peroxide and nitrite in adulterated cow milk using enzymatic and nonenzymatic methods on a reusable platform.

Cow milk is readily adulterated due to its complex properties that can emulsify many adulterants. Among the commonly used adulterants in cow milk are hydrogen peroxide (HP) and nitrite. Commercially available HP is added to extend cow milk's shelf life, while nitrite enters through the tap or pond water added to increase cow milk's volume.

Development of a novel and affordable point-of-care kit for rapid detection of urea and glucose adulteration in cow milk.

The increasing global population has raised the demand for cow milk, leading to its adulteration with harmful substances, including urea and glucose, that cause damage to humans when consumed regularly. Hence, this study started with predicting urea and glucose toxicity using ProTox-III software, wherein the results revealed that urea belongs to class IV with an LD value of 6350 mg kg and glucose belongs to class VI with an LD value of 23 000 mg kg. Then, a qualitative colorimetric kit and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used for the preliminary detection of urea and glucose in cow milk.

Proteomic profiling reveals alterations in metabolic and cellular pathways in severe obesity and following metabolic bariatric surgery.

In this study, we investigated the impact of bariatric surgery on the adipose proteome to better understand the metabolic and cellular mechanisms underlying weight loss following the procedure. A total of 46 patients with severe obesity were included, with samples collected both before and after bariatric surgery. In addition, 15 healthy individuals without obesity who did not undergo surgery served as controls and were studied once.

The viral serpin SPI-1 directly inhibits the host cell serine protease FAM111A.

The host-range mutant of rabbitpox virus (RPXV) with a deletion in the gene encoding the serpin serine protease inhibitor 1 (SPI-1) fails to replicate efficiently in restrictive host cells. Depletion of the host cell serine protease FAM111A restores viral replication in these cells, suggesting that SPI-1 targets FAM111A to facilitate infection. However, direct evidence of SPI-1 inhibiting FAM111A has been lacking.

Correction: Attrition in serum anti-DENV antibodies correlates with high anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels and low DENV positivity in mosquito vectors-Findings from a state-wide cluster-randomized community-based study in Tamil Nadu, India.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.

Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals Altered Expression of Genes Involved in Metabolic and Immune Processes in NDV-Infected Chicken Embryos.

Objective: The poultry industry is significantly impacted by viral infections, particularly Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), which leads to substantial economic losses. It is essential to comprehend how the sequence of development affects biological pathways and how early exposure to infections might affect immune responses.

Methods: This study employed transcriptome analysis to investigate host-pathogen interactions by analyzing gene expression changes in NDV-infected chicken embryos' lungs.

Apoptotic and Molecular Mechanisms of Carthamidin in Breast Cancer Therapy: An Integrated In Vitro and In Silico Study.

The current study examines the anticancer properties of the chemical carthamidin in breast cancer through in-vitro and in silico analysis. This study's results demonstrated that carthamidin strongly inhibited the proliferation of MCF 7 cells in vitro, as evidenced by an IC50 value of 128.65 µg/mL at 24 h, determined using the MTT test.

Attrition in serum anti-DENV antibodies correlates with high anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels and low DENV positivity in mosquito vectors-Findings from a state-wide cluster-randomized community-based study in Tamil Nadu, India.

The decline in dengue incidence and/or prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-22) appears to be attributed to reduced treatment-seeking rates, under-reporting, misdiagnosis, disrupted health services and reduced exposure to mosquito vectors due to prevailing lockdowns. There is limited scientific data on dengue virus (DENV) disease during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we conducted a community-based, cross-sectional, cluster-randomized survey to assess anti-DENV and anti-SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, and also estimated the spatial distribution of DENV-positive aedine mosquito vectors during the COVID-19 pandemic across all the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu, India.

Visual parameter status as a predictive factor for the outcomes of occlusion therapy in anisometropic amblyopia.

Purpose: The purpose is to compare visual parameters between normal and amblyopic eyes in anisometropic amblyopia and to find predictive factors for occlusion therapy.

Methods: Sixty patients with anisometropic amblyopia between the ages of 5 and 25 years were enrolled in the prospective, longitudinal, and interventional study. Patients were selected based on no improvement with spectacle correction alone after 1 month of follow-up.

Toxicity optimization of green zinc oxide quantum dots in zebrafish using Box-Behnken design: a novel approach for safer nanoparticle synthesis.

Zinc oxide quantum dots, also known as ZnO QDs, are highly desirable due to their numerous favorable characteristics, such as their beneficial photoluminescence, solubility in water, along with sunlight absorption. They are well-suited for use in biomedical applications, drugs, and bioimaging. However, study on the toxicology of these QDs is needed before they can be used in humans.

A new multi-objective-stochastic framework for reconfiguration and wind energy resource allocation in distribution network incorporating improved dandelion optimizer and uncertainty.

Improving the reliability and power quality of unbalanced distribution networks is crucial for ensuring consistent and reliable electricity supply. In this research, multi-objective optimization of unbalanced distribution networks reconfiguration integrated with wind turbine allocation (MORWTA) is implemented considering uncertainties of networks load, and also wind power incorporating a stochastic framework. The multi-objective function is defined by the minimization of power loss, voltage sag (VS), total harmonic distortion (THD), voltage unbalance (VU), energy not-supplied (ENS), system average interruption frequency index (SAIFI), system average interruption duration index (SAIDI), and momentary average interruption frequency (MAIFI).

An improved meta-heuristic method for optimal optimization of electric parking lots in distribution network.

In this study, a stochastic multi-objective structure for optimization of the intelligent electric parking lots (EPLs) is implemented in the distribution network for minimizing the power losses annual costs, power purchased from the main grid, unsupplied energy of subscribers, cost of vehicles to the grid as well as minimizing the network voltage deviations considering battery degradation cost (BDC) and network load uncertainty (NLUn). In this research, the unscented transformation method (UTM) is used for NLUn modeling and this method is easily applicable and has a low computational cost. An improved meta-heuristic algorithm named improved fire hawks optimization (IFHO) is utilized for decision variables finding defined as the site and size of the EPLs in the distribution network.

Mpox Virus and its ocular surface manifestations.

The Mpox virus (MPXV) is the causative agent of human Mpox disease - a debilitating rash illness similar to smallpox. Although Clade I MPXV has remained endemic to West and Central Africa, Clade II MPXV has been responsible for many outbreaks worldwide. The most recent outbreak in 2022 resulted from the rapid spread of a new clade of MPXV, classified into Clade IIb - a distinct lineage from the previously circulating viral strains.

Serosurveillance of dengue infection and correlation with mosquito pools for dengue virus positivity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tamil Nadu, India - A state-wide cross-sectional cluster randomized community-based study.

Background: Dengue is a vector-borne viral disease impacting millions across the globe. Nevertheless, akin to many other diseases, reports indicated a decline in dengue incidence and seroprevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-22). This presumably could be attributed to reduced treatment-seeking rates, under-reporting, misdiagnosis, disrupted health services and reduced exposure to vectors due to lockdowns.

Optimization of a photovoltaic/wind/battery energy-based microgrid in distribution network using machine learning and fuzzy multi-objective improved Kepler optimizer algorithms.

In this study, a fuzzy multi-objective framework is performed for optimization of a hybrid microgrid (HMG) including photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy sources linked with battery energy storage (PV/WT/BES) in a 33-bus distribution network to minimize the cost of energy losses, minimizing the voltage oscillations as well as power purchased minimization from the HMG incorporated forecasted data. The variables are microgrid optimal location and capacity of the HMG components in the network which are determined through a multi-objective improved Kepler optimization algorithm (MOIKOA) modeled by Kepler's laws of planetary motion, piecewise linear chaotic map and using the FDMT. In this study, a machine learning approach using a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network (MLP-ANN) has been used to forecast solar radiation, wind speed, temperature, and load data.

Effect of the Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act Scribes Trial on Emergency Department Provider Productivity and Patient Throughput Times.

Background: To help improve access to care, section 507 of the VA MISSION (Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks) Act of 2018 mandated a 2-year trial of medical scribes in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Objective: The impact of scribes on provider productivity and patient throughput time in VHA emergency departments (EDs) was evaluated.

Methods: A clustered randomized trial was designed using intent-to-treat difference-in-differences analysis.

Long noncoding RNA LIRIL2R modulates FOXP3 levels and suppressive function of human CD4 regulatory T cells by regulating IL2RA.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are central in controlling immune responses, and dysregulation of their function can lead to autoimmune disorders or cancer. Despite extensive studies on Tregs, the basis of epigenetic regulation of human Treg development and function is incompletely understood. Long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNA)s are important for shaping and maintaining the epigenetic landscape in different cell types.

Comparison of Full-Time Equivalent and Clinic Time Labor Input Measures in Productivity Metrics.

Goal: A lack of improvement in productivity in recent years may be the result of suboptimal measurement of productivity. Hospitals and clinics benefit from external benchmarks that allow assessment of clinical productivity. Work relative value units have long served as a common currency for this purpose.