Quantitative microbial risk assessment for on-site employees in a wastewater treatment plant and implicated surrounding residents exposed to S. aureus bioaerosols.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have increased dramatically in number due to rapid urbanization. However, these facilities release significant amounts of potentially hazardous airborne microorganisms, including Staphylococcus aureus bioaerosol, which poses health risks to employees and nearby residents. Therefore, this study estimated the direct exposure risks of bioaerosols in WWTPs using a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) framework evaluated through sensitivity analysis methods.

Quantitative microbial risk assessment of bioaerosol emissions from squat and bidet toilets during flushing.

Bioaerosol emissions during toilet flushing are an often-overlooked source of potential health risks in shared public facilities. This study systematically investigated the emission characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bioaerosols in washrooms with squat and bidet toilets under varying flushing conditions and ventilation scenarios. Using Monte Carlo simulation-based quantitative microbial risk assessment and sensitivity analysis, the study estimated the disease burden and identified key factors influencing risk.

Characterization of antimicrobial properties of TroH2A-29 peptide from golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus).

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small, potent molecules that serve as a crucial first line of defense across a wide range of organisms, including fish. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial properties of a novel peptide, spanning residues 52 to 80 of the full-length histone H2A protein, comprising a total of 29 amino acids. This peptide, designated as Histone H2A-29 (TroH2A-29), was derived from the golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) and evaluated for its activity against both Gram-positive bacteria, Lactococcus garvieae and Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Gram-negative bacteria, Vibrio alginolyticus and Vibrio harveyi.

Trace detection of antibiotics in wastewater using tunable core-shell nanoparticles SERS substrate combined with machine learning algorithms.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) show great potential for rapid and highly sensitive detection of trace amounts of contamination from the environment in the surface aquatic ecosystem. The widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in serious degradation of the water environment in the past few years, and their substantial residual contamination of wastewater has a harmful effect on ecosystems, which is associated with the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. However, in this study, a novel approach of core-shell nanoparticles GNRs@1,4-BDT@Ag was used for the quantitative measurement of the concentration of antibiotics in wastewater solutions using the SERS technique coupled with computational methods.

Toward Resilient Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Care: A Qualitative Study Involving Afghan Refugee Women in Pakistan.

Background: Afghan refugees in Pakistan, particularly in Quetta, Balochistan, encounter formidable barriers in accessing maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) services. These challenges have been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and entrenched systemic health inequities.

Methods: This qualitative study, conducted from February to April 2023, aimed to assess the obstacles within health systems and community environments that hinder MNCH service access among Afghan refugees.

Correction: Acceptability and feasibility of HIV self-testing among transgender people in Larkana, Pakistan: Results from a pilot project.

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

Comparative Outcomes of Milligan-Morgan (Open) Versus Ferguson (Closed) Hemorrhoidectomy: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction The debate remains unresolved about whether an open (Milligan-Morgan) or closed (Ferguson) approach is superior for hemorrhoidectomy. Advocates from both groups state that each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. In light of this, we intend to share our experience by comparing the two in terms of their post-operative outcomes.

Adverse effects of environmentally relevant microplastics on in vivo endpoints, oxidative stress, and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway and multixenobiotic resistance system in the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis.

This study compared the toxicological effects of environmentally relevant microplastics (MPs) on the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis, focusing on MPs derived from various sources, including fossil fuel-based low-density polyethylene, bio-based polylactic acid (PLA), biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), and a novel PLA modified with β-cyclodextrin. We assessed in vivo effects such as reproductive output and mortality, alongside in vitro oxidative stress responses, including oxidative stress, antioxidant enzyme activities, and activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and the multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) system. Reproductive output and lifespan reduced significantly across all MP types, ranging from 0.

Plasmon-Enhanced Optoelectronic Graded Neurons for Dual-Waveband Image Fusion and Motion Perception.

Motion recognition based on vision detectors requires the synchronous encoding and processing of temporal and spatial information in wide wavebands. Here, the dual-waveband sensitive optoelectronic synapses performing as graded neurons are reported for high-accuracy motion recognition and perception. Wedge-shaped nanostructures are designed and fabricated on molybdenum disulfide (MoS) monolayers, leading to plasmon-enhanced wideband absorption across the visible to near-infrared spectral range.

Suppressed Non-Radiative Recombination in Formamidinium Lead Triiodide under Electric Activation.

The high carrier lifetime of metal halide perovskite (MHP) materials is closely related to the microscopic crystallographic structure. However, the detailed correlation between the lattice structure and carrier dynamics remains unclear. In this work, we found a correlation between lattice strain and open-circuit voltage () of MHP under electric activation.

The Assessment of Patient-Reported Outcomes in the Medical Management of Patients With Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

Background Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a prevalent condition that a large portion of the male population develops with aging, in which the prostate gland enlarges and results in urinary symptoms. Objective The objective of this article is to assess patient-reported outcomes (PRO) of medical management of benign prostate hyperplasia in terms of international prostate symptoms score (IPSS), BPH impact index (BPHII), and treatment satisfaction score (TSS). Methods This descriptive study included 114 patients who received medical management for BPH during the period 5 May 2021 till 30 December 2023, at the Department of Urology, Institute of Kidney Disease Peshawar.

Pd-catalyzed regioselective activation of C(sp)-H and C(sp)-H bonds.

Differentiating between two highly similar C-H bonds in a given molecule remains a fundamental challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. Directing group assisted strategies for the functionalisation of proximal C-H bonds has been known for the last few decades. However, distal C-H bond functionalisation is strenuous and requires distinctly specialised techniques.

Bioaerosols emission from source facilities in a wastewater treatment plant: Critical exposure time and sensitivity analysis.

Overexposure of sewage workers to bioaerosol released from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can cause serious infections, but practical method for controlling their health risk is lacking. In this study, reverse quantitative microbial risk assessment was used to estimate the daily critical exposure time (CET) of sewage workers exposing to Staphylococcus aureus bioaerosol emitted by three emission sources facilities in a WWTP based on either U.S.

A Novel generalization of sequential decision-theoretic rough set model and its application.

This paper introduces a refined and broadened version of decision-theoretic rough sets (DTRSs) named Generalized Sequential Decision-Theoretic Rough Set (GSeq-DTRS), which integrates the three-way decision (3WD) methodology. Operating through multiple levels, this iterative approach aims to comprehensively explore the boundary region. It introduces the concept of generalized granulation, departing from conventional equivalence-relation-based structures to incorporate similarity/tolerance relations.

Microstructure-Assisted Wafer-Scale Fabrication of Perovskite Microlaser Arrays.

All inorganic lead halide perovskites exhibit fascinating optical and optoelectronic characteristics for on-chip lasing, but the lack of precise control of wafer-scale fabrication for perovskite microstructure arrays restricts their potential applications in on-chip-integrated devices. In this work, a microstructure-template assisted crystallization method is demonstrated via a designed chemical vapor deposition process, achieving the controllable fabrication of homogeneous perovskite micro-hemispheroid (PeMH) arrays spanning the entire surface area of a 4-inch wafer. Benefiting from the low-loss whispering gallery resonance and plasmon-enhanced light-matter interactions in well-confined hybrid cavities, this CsPbX/Ag (X = Cl, Br) plasmonic microlasers exhibit quite low thresholds below 10 µJ cm.

Comparison of Swiss LithoClast Trilogy™ and Pneumatic Swiss LithoClast™ in Mini-Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy in Terms of Stone Free Rate and Complications: A Single-Center Experience From a Stone Belt Country.

Background Renal calculi therapy has advanced significantly in recent years, with mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) emerging as a minimally invasive treatment modality. Mini-PCNL has been subjected to several modifications to achieve the best possible outcomes and reduce morbidity. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of Swiss LithoClast Trilogy™ and pneumatic Swiss LithoClast™ in managing renal stones with mini-PCNL.

The comparative toxicity of biobased, modified biobased, biodegradable, and petrochemical-based microplastics on the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis.

The escalating production and improper disposal of petrochemical-based plastics have led to a global pollution issue with microplastics (MPs), which pose a significant ecological threat. Biobased and biodegradable plastics are believed to mitigate plastic pollution. However, their environmental fate and toxicity remain poorly understood.

Toxicity of methylmercury in aquatic organisms and interaction with environmental factors and coexisting pollutants: A review.

Mercury is a hazardous heavy metal that is distributed worldwide in aquatic ecosystems. Methylmercury (MeHg) poses significant toxicity risks to aquatic organisms, primarily through bioaccumulation and biomagnification, due to its strong affinity for protein thiol groups, which results in negative effects even at low concentrations. MeHg exposure can cause various physiological changes, oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, metabolic disorders, genetic damage, and immunotoxicity.

Nitrogen-Doped Graphene-Supported Nickel Nanoparticles Reveal Low Dehydrogenation Temperature and Long Cyclic Life of Magnesium Hydrides.

Magnesium hydride (MgH) is a promising hydrogen storage candidate due to its large capacity; however, high dehydrogenation temperature and slow kinetic rates are the main bottlenecks. Herein, we proposed a strategy for designing nitrogen-doped graphene-supported Ni nanoparticles (NPs) (Ni@NC) to tackle these problems. The results showed that the MgH + 15 wt % Ni@NC nanocomposite reduced the on-set dehydrogenation temperature to 195 °C, which was 175 °C lower than pristine MgH.

Exploring medical and nursing students' perceptions about a patient safety course: a qualitative study.

Background: Educating health professionals on patient safety can potentially reduce healthcare-associated harm. Patient safety courses have been incorporated into medical and nursing curricula in many high-income countries and their impact has been demonstrated in the literature through objective assessments. This study aimed to explore student perceptions about a patient safety course to assess its influence on aspiring health professionals at a personal level as well as to explore differences in areas of focus between medical and nursing students.

Deterministic epidemic models overestimate the basic reproduction number of observed outbreaks.

The basic reproduction number, , is a well-known quantifier of epidemic spread. However, a class of existing methods for estimating from incidence data early in the epidemic can lead to an over-estimation of this quantity. In particular, when fitting deterministic models to estimate the rate of spread, we do not account for the stochastic nature of epidemics and that, given the same system, some outbreaks may lead to epidemics and some may not.

Evaluation of irrigation, drinking, and risk indices for water quality parameters of alpine lakes.

Alpine lakes are aquatic ecosystems that maintain and regulate water supply for the downstream streams, rivers, and other reservoirs. This study examined the water characteristics of various alpine lakes in Gilgit-Baltistan, Northern Pakistan. For this purpose, water was sampled and investigated for basic parameters, anions, and cations using the multi-parameter analyzers and atomic absorption spectrophotometer.