Antibacterial composite films of oxidized alginate-chitosan-ZnO anchored Cu nanoparticles for the degradation of organic pollutants.

The growing population and urbanization have adversely affected the environment including water. The waste water from industries has affected not only human but also animals. The availability of clean water is one of the foremost needs for living organism.

Polarization and Incident Angle Independent Multifunctional and Multiband Tunable THz Metasurface Based on VO.

Aiming at the limitations of single-functionality, limited-applicability, and complex designs prevalent in current metasurfaces, we propose a terahertz multifunctional and multiband tunable metasurface utilizing a VO-metal hybrid structure. This metasurface structure comprises a top VO-metal resonance layer, a middle polyimide dielectric layer, and a gold film reflective layer at the bottom. This metasurface exhibits multifunctionality, operating independently of polarization and incident angle.

Embracing the digital revolution: Examining the relationship between ICT adoption and carbon emissions in the Persian Gulf.

In this digital age, promoting economic development through technology innovation and adoption has become a pressing matter, contributing to increased productivity and, in turn, carbon emissions. Consequently, this study employs a novel technique (Newey-West Standard Error Method, Technology Adaptation Model) to quantify information and communication technology (ICT) adoption rates as a proxy indicator for evaluating the Persian Gulf economy's technology development. Moreover, this study investigates the evidence of the environmental Kuznets curve, with trade openness, technological adoption, and innovation as sustainable development controls.

Removal of Cr(VI) from Wastewater Using Acrylonitrile Grafted Cellulose Extracted from Sugarcane Bagasse.

A highly efficient low-cost adsorbent was prepared using raw and chemically modified cellulose isolated from sugarcane bagasse for decontamination of Cr(VI) from wastewater. First, cellulose pulp was isolated from sugarcane bagasse by subjecting it to acid hydrolysis, alkaline hydrolysis and bleaching with sodium chlorate (NaClO). Then, the bleached cellulose pulp was chemically modified with acrylonitrile monomer in the presence Fenton's reagent (Fe/HO) to carry out grafting of acrylonitrile onto cellulose by atom transfer radical polymerization.

Quantifying digital economy and green initiatives for carbon neutrality targets: a Kilian bias-adjusted bootstrap model evaluation of China economy.

Digitalization has emerged as a new hope for low-carbon sustainable economic growth after its successful trial during the COVID-19 measures. Therefore, both developed and developing economies focus on digitalization to cope with carbon neutrality targets. Thus, this study attempted to generate a meaningful relationship between the digital economy and green energy, innovation, and environmental tax policy to capture the role of factors in acquiring carbon neutrality.

Identification of desalination and wind power plants sites using m-polar fuzzy Aczel-Alsina aggregation information.

Real-world decision-making problems often include multi-polar uncertainties dependent on multi-dimensional attributes. The m-polar fuzzy (mF) sets can efficiently handle such multi-faceted complications with T-norm based weighted aggregation techniques. The Aczel-Alsina T-norms offer comparatively flexible and accurate aggregation than the other well-known T-norm families.

mecA and fdh: markers of pathogenicity and commensalism in Staphylococcus epidermidis of pediatric origin from Pakistan.

Staphylococcus epidermidis is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen. The study screened isolates of S. epidermidis of pediatric origin for genetic markers of discriminatory potential.

Mitogenome evidence shows two radiation events and dispersals of matrilineal ancestry from northern coastal China to the Americas and Japan.

Although it is widely recognized that the ancestors of Native Americans (NAs) primarily came from Siberia, the link between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineage D4h3a (typical of NAs) and D4h3b (found so far only in East China and Thailand) raises the possibility that the ancestral sources for early NAs were more variegated than hypothesized. Here, we analyze 216 contemporary (including 106 newly sequenced) D4h mitogenomes and 39 previously reported ancient D4h data. The results reveal two radiation events of D4h in northern coastal China, one during the Last Glacial Maximum and the other within the last deglaciation, which facilitated the dispersals of D4h sub-branches to different areas including the Americas and the Japanese archipelago.

The Prevalence of Blood Borne Diseases in Blood Donors of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Background: The goal of the study was to investigate the burden of transfusion- transmitted infections (TTIs) hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), syphilis, and malarial parasite (MP) in ABO Blood Groups and Rh Type System among voluntarily blood donors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. It is a retrospective single center cross sectional study. This study was conducted from June 2020 to September 2021 (16 months) at the frontier foundation thalassemia center Peshawar KPK.

A bioresource catalyst system of alginate-starch-activated carbon microsphere templated Cu nanoparticles: Potentials in nitroarenes hydrogenation and dyes discoloration.

The evolution and development of solid-matrix are considered a backbone for supporting and stabilizing of metal nanoparticles (NPs) and are the soul of the catalytic system. In the current study, the alginate-starch microsphere (Alg-St) was cross-linked using CaCl as a cross-linker. In addition, the Alg-St microsphere was blended with different percentages of activated carbon (AC).

Distribution characteristics of soil AM fungi community in soft sandstone area.

To explore the diversity and distribution characteristics of soil arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF) communities in the soft sandstone area, thirteen arsenic sandstone rock samples were collected from three planting plots (SI, SII and SIII) and one bare control plot (CK), separately. The sampling locations are as follows: the top of the slope (denoted by the number 1), sunny slope (2), shady slope (3) and gully bottom (4). These samples were then tested with an Illumina HiSeq PE250 high-throughput sequencing platform.

Enrichment of residual carbon from coal gasification fine slag by spiral separator.

Coal gasification is one of the most promising clean coal technologies. However, gasification process also produces a huge amount of solid waste of high carbon content, named coal gasification fine slag. The coal gasification fine slag is mainly handled by landfilling, which is not only a hazardous pollution, but also wasting the energy from residual carbon.

Versatility of Hydrogels: From Synthetic Strategies, Classification, and Properties to Biomedical Applications.

Hydrogels are three-dimensional, cross-linked, and supramolecular networks that can absorb significant volumes of water. Hydrogels are one of the most promising biomaterials in the biological and biomedical fields, thanks to their hydrophilic properties, biocompatibility, and wide therapeutic potential. Owing to their nontoxic nature and safe use, they are widely accepted for various biomedical applications such as wound dressing, controlled drug delivery, bone regeneration, tissue engineering, biosensors, and artificial contact lenses.

Automated Detection of Rehabilitation Exercise by Stroke Patients Using 3-Layer CNN-LSTM Model.

According to statistics, stroke is the second or third leading cause of death and adult disability. Stroke causes losing control of the motor function, paralysis of body parts, and severe back pain for which a physiotherapist employs many therapies to restore the mobility needs of everyday life. This research article presents an automated approach to detect different therapy exercises performed by stroke patients during rehabilitation.

Diastolic function grading by American Society of Echocardiography guidelines and prediction of heart failure readmission and all-cause mortality in a community-based cohort.

Background: Diastolic function (DF) guidelines have been simplified but lack extensive outcome data. Using a rural university heart failure (HF) database, we assessed whether DF grading could predict HF, HF readmission, and all-cause mortality (ACM).

Methods: In this single-center retrospective study that included 613 patients in sinus rhythm hospitalized for HF (HF with preserved-254 patients, with mid-range-216 patients, and reduced ejection fraction-143 patients), we recorded demographics, Doppler-echo, Framingham HF score, laboratories, HF readmission, and ACM with follow-up to 2167 days.

Occurrence, distribution, and pollution indices of potentially toxic elements within the bed sediments of the riverine system in Pakistan.

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are a major source of pollution due to their toxicity, persistence, and bio-accumulating nature in riverine bed sediments. The sediment, as the largest storage and source of PTEs, plays an important role in transformation of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and other toxic PTEs. Several important industrial hubs that contain a large population along the banks of different rivers, such as Kabul, Sutlej, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab in Pakistan, are acting as major sources of PTEs.

A kinetic evaluation and optimization study on NO reduction by reburning under pressurized oxy-combustion.

Pressurized oxy-combustion is an emerging and more efficient technology for carbon capture, utilization, and storage than the first generation (atmospheric) oxy-combustion. NO is a major conventional pollutant produced in pressurized oxy-combustion. In pressurized oxy-combustion, the utilization of latent heat from moisture and removal of acid gases (NOx and SOx) are mainly conducted in an integrated direct-contact wash column.

Complete mitogenomes document substantial genetic contribution from the Eurasian Steppe into northern Pakistani Indo-Iranian speakers.

To elucidate whether Bronze Age population dispersals from the Eurasian Steppe to South Asia contributed to the gene pool of Indo-Iranian-speaking groups, we analyzed 19,568 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from northern Pakistani and surrounding populations, including 213 newly generated mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from Iranian and Dardic groups, both speakers from the ancient Indo-Iranian branch in northern Pakistan. Our results showed that 23% of mtDNA lineages with west Eurasian origin arose in situ in northern Pakistan since ~5000 years ago (kya), a time depth very close to the documented Indo-European dispersals into South Asia during the Bronze Age. Together with ancient mitogenomes from western Eurasia since the Neolithic, we identified five haplogroups (~8.

Molecular prevalence, characterization and associated risk factors of Anaplasma spp. and Theileria spp. in small ruminants in Northern Pakistan.

This study was conducted in four districts (Malakand, Swat, Bajaur and Shangla) of Northern Pakistan to investigate the prevalence, associated risk factors and phylogenetic analyses of Theileria and Anaplasma species in small ruminants. A total of 800 blood samples, 200 from each district, were collected from apparently healthy animals. PCR assays were performed using generic primers for Anaplasma spp.

Inhibition of G-protein signalling in cardiac dysfunction of intellectual developmental disorder with cardiac arrhythmia (IDDCA) syndrome.

Background: Pathogenic variants of encoding the β subunit of the guanine nucleotide-binding protein cause IDDCA syndrome, an autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder associated with cognitive disability and cardiac arrhythmia, particularly severe bradycardia.

Methods: We used echocardiography and telemetric ECG recordings to investigate consequences of loss in mouse.

Results: We delineated a key role of in heart sinus conduction and showed that -inhibitory signalling is essential for parasympathetic control of heart rate (HR) and maintenance of the sympathovagal balance.

Correction: Ali, A., et al. Modeling Novel Putative Drugs and Vaccine Candidates against Tick-Borne Pathogens: A Subtractive Proteomics Approach. 2020, , 129.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...