Geochemical evolution, geostatistical mapping and machine learning predictive modeling of groundwater fluoride: a case study of western Balochistan, Quetta.

Around 2.6 billion people are at risk of tooth carries and fluorosis worldwide. Quetta is the worst affected district in Balochistan plateau.

Waste engine oil as a sustainable approach for asphalt rejuvenation and modification: A review.

The significant growth in road infrastructure worldwide over the last decade has resulted in a notable increase in the demand for asphalt binder. However, the utilization of asphalt binder in the road industry poses challenges to environmental sustainability and economic standpoints. The application of vehicular loads and exposure to environmental factors throughout the service life of roads contribute to the deterioration of binder properties, such as hardening and aging, ultimately leading to premature road failure.

Extracellular vesicle-packed microRNAs profiling in Alzheimer's disease: The molecular intermediary between pathology and diagnosis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), referring to a type of non-coding RNAs functioning in various biological processes, participate in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) through increasing amyloid-beta (Aβ) production, enhancing Tau phosphorylation, and inducing neuroinflammation. Meanwhile, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been suggested as promising carriers of AD biomarkers as they possess the ability to transmit information from cerebral tissue to peripheral blood. Inspired by the above findings, we in this review systematically generalized the roles of miRNAs in AD and explored the potential of EV-packed miRNA as biomarkers for early diagnosis of AD.

Enhanced forecasting of rice price and production in Malaysia using novel multivariate fuzzy time series models.

A significant portion of the world's population relies on rice as a primary source of nutrition. In Malaysia, rice production began in the early 1960s, which led to the cultivation of the country's most significant food crop up till the present day. Research on various aspects of the price and production of rice has been done by various methods in the past.

Magnetic fields from indoor transformer stations and risk of cancer in adults: a cohort study.

Objectives: Studies assessing the association of adult cancers with extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields (MF) have provided inconclusive results, probably affected by limitations such as low exposure levels, confounding and various forms of bias. This study investigated the association between residential ELF MF exposure and adult cancer using a design that avoids the main limitations of previous studies.

Methods: Persons who have lived in buildings with indoor transformer stations during the period 1971-2016 formed the study cohort.

EZH2 inhibition sensitizes retinoic acid-driven senescence in synovial sarcoma.

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is driven by a unique t(18;X) chromosomal translocation resulting in expression of the SS18-SSX fusion oncoprotein, a transcriptional regulator with both activating and repressing functions. However, the manner in which SS18-SSX contributes to the development of SS is not entirely known. Here, we show that SS18-SSX drives the expression of Preferentially Expressed Antigen in Melanoma (PRAME), which is highly expressed in SS but whose function remains poorly understood.

Creation of Composite Aerogels Consisting of Activated Carbon and Nanocellulose Blended with Cross-Linked Biopolymers: Application as Ethylene Scavengers.

This study involved producing aerogels using activated carbon (AC) and nanocellulose (NC). Two distinct structured composites, AC composite aerogel (ACCA) and NC composite aerogel (NCCA), were developed by separately mixing AC and NC with identical proportions of cross-linked biopolymers: hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), and chitosan (C). These aerogels were evaluated for their capability to adsorb ethylene gas through batch experiments, while the physical and chemical characteristics were thoroughly examined to determine their feasibility of removing ethylene.

Genomic association of SNPs rs4077582 of CYP11A1 and rs700519 of CYP19A1 genes with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Objective: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder that affects women of reproductive age. Several candidate genes have been shown to be associated with PCOS. Previous studies have shown that variations in CYP11A1 and CYP19A1 genes are associated with hormonal dysregulation associated with PCOS in different ethnic populations.

Techno-economic and environmental analysis of hybrid energy system for industrial sector of Pakistan.

The industrial sector of Pakistan is currently facing severe load-shedding, which ultimately affects its unit production. The greater dependency on conventional energy resources (Thermal, Nuclear, etc.) results in higher production costs and environmental pollution.

Organophosphate ester exposure in nail salons: Health implications for workers.

Organophosphates esters (OPEs) have become a preferred alternative in nail polish as plasticizers due to health concerns over previously used additives like dibutyl phthalate. However, the true extent of nail technicians' exposure to OPEs is largely unknown. This study shows that nail salon workers are significant exposed to OPEs, with varied concentrations found in air, dust, masks, and urine.

Pressure induced mechanical, elastic, and optoelectronic characteristics of CdZnSe alloy.

The change in composition and pressure, both of which lead to new desired properties by altering the structure, is particularly important for improving device performance. Given this, we focused here on the mechanical, elastic, and optoelectronic characteristics of the CdZnSe alloy using density functional theory at various pressures from 0 GPa to 20 GPa. It is found that the bulk modulus of the material rises with increasing pressure and exhibits mechanical stability as well as cubic symmetry.

GC-MS Assisted Determination of 26 Compounds in Phlomis Stewartii Extract Exhibiting Antioxidant, Antifungal, and Antibacterial Properties.

Medicinal plants have long been studied for their therapeutic benifits. The present research aims to unveil complex phytochemical profile and therapeutic properties of ethyl acetate fraction of Phlomis stewartii, an important medicinal plant. In this context, the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the fraction identified 26 compounds.

Ca neutral clusters: a two-step and DFT benchmark.

Electronic and structural properties of calcium clusters with a varying size range of 2-20 atoms are studied using a two-step scheme within the and density functional theory (DFT) with generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The GGA overestimates the binding energies, optimized geometries, electron affinities, and ionization potentials reported in the benchmark. The ground-state structure geometry and binding energy were obtained from the DFT for the ground-state structure of each cluster.

Synthesis and molecular docking analysis of MBH adducts' derived amides as potential inhibitors.

Humans suffer from various diseases that require more specific drugs to target them. Among the different potent agents, s serve as good antibacterial agents; however, s are resistant to such antibiotics. The present study was designed to prepare efficient inhibitor amides (12-15) from inexpensive, easily accessible, and bioactive precursors; Morita Baylis Hillman (MBH) adducts (5-8).

Nilotinib: Disrupting the MYC-MAX Heterocomplex.

MYC is a transcription factor crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and its dysregulation is associated with highly aggressive cancers. Despite being considered "undruggable" due to its unstable protein structure, MYC gains stability through its interaction with its partner protein, MAX. The MYC-MAX heterodimer orchestrates the expression of numerous genes that contribute to an oncogenic phenotype.

Innovative solutions for the removal of emerging microplastics from water by utilizing advanced techniques.

Microplastic pollution is one of the most pressing global environmental problems due to its harmful effects on living organisms and ecosystems. To address this issue, researchers have explored several techniques to successfully eliminate microplastics from water sources. Chemical coagulation, electrocoagulation, magnetic extraction, adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, and biodegradation are some of the recognized techniques used for the removal of microplastics from water.

Development of Highly Flexible Piezoelectric PVDF-TRFE/Reduced Graphene Oxide Doped Electrospun Nano-Fibers for Self-Powered Pressure Sensor.

The demand for self-powered, flexible, and wearable electronic devices has been increasing in recent years for physiological and biomedical applications in real-time detection due to their higher flexibility and stretchability. This work fabricated a highly sensitive, self-powered wearable microdevice with Poly-Vinylidene Fluoride-Tetra Fluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) nano-fibers using an electrospinning technique. The dielectric response of the polymer was improved by incorporating the reduced-graphene-oxide (rGO) multi-walled carbon nano-tubes (MWCNTs) through doping.

Variation of groundwater and mineral composition of in situ leaching uranium in Bayanwula mining area, China.

The reaction between the lixiviant and the minerals in the aquifer of In-situ uranium leaching (ISL) will result mineral dissolution and precipitation. ISL will cause changes in the chemical composition of groundwater and the porosity and permeability of aquifer, as well as groundwater pollution. Previous studies lack three-dimension numerical simulation that includes a variety of minerals and considers changes in porosity and permeability properties simultaneously.

Investigating structural and optoelectronic properties of Cr-substituted ZnSe semiconductors.

The optoelectronic and structural characteristics of the ZnCrSe (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) semiconductor are reported by employing density functional theory (DFT) within the mBJ potential. The findings revealed that the lattice constant decreases with increasing Cr concentration, although the bulk modulus exhibits the opposite trend. ZnSe is a direct bandgap material; however, a change from direct to indirect electronic bandgap has been seen with Cr presence.

Identification of Prospective Ebola Virus VP35 and VP40 Protein Inhibitors from Myxobacterial Natural Products.

The Ebola virus (EBOV) is a lethal pathogen causing hemorrhagic fever syndrome which remains a global health challenge. In the EBOV, two multifunctional proteins, VP35 and VP40, have significant roles in replication, virion assembly, and budding from the cell and have been identified as druggable targets. In this study, we employed in silico methods comprising molecular docking, molecular dynamic simulations, and pharmacological properties to identify prospective drugs for inhibiting VP35 and VP40 proteins from the myxobacterial bioactive natural product repertoire.

The first report and biological characterization of in wild migratory waterfowl and domestic poultry in China reveal a potential threat to birds.

First confirmation of AOAV-16 in domestic and wild birds in China.AOAV-16 are low virulent viruses for chickens.Co-circulation/co-infection of AOAV-16 and H9N2 subtype AIV enhanced pathogenicity.