Microplastic Quantification in Aquatic Birds: Biomonitoring the Environmental Health of the Panjkora River Freshwater Ecosystem in Pakistan.

Microplastic pollution has become a global concern, with potential negative impacts on various ecosystems and wildlife species. Among these species, ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) are particularly vulnerable due to their feeding habits and proximity to aquatic environments contaminated with microplastics. The current study was designed to monitor microplastic (MP) pollutants in the freshwater ecosystem of the Panjkora River, Lower Dir, Pakistan. A total of twenty (20) duck samples were brought up for four months and 13 days on the banks of the river, with no food intake outside the river. When they reached an average weight of 2.41 ± 0.53 kg, all samples were sacrificed, dissected, and transported in an ice box to the laboratory for further analysis. After sample preparation, such as digestion with 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH), density separation, filtration, and identification, the MP content was counted. A total of 2033 MP particles were recovered from 20 ducks with a mean value of 44.6 ± 15.8 MPs/crop and 57.05 ± 18.7 MPs/gizzard. MPs detected in surface water were 31.2 ± 15.5 MPs/L. The major shape types of MPs recovered were fragments in crop (67%) and gizzard (58%) samples and fibers in surface water (56%). Other types of particles recovered were fibers, sheets, and foams. The majority of these detected MP particles were in the size range of 300-500 µm (63%) in crops, and 50-150 µm (55%) in gizzards, while in water samples the most detected particles were in the range of 150-300 µm (61%). Chemical characterization by FTIR found six types of polymers. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) had the greatest polymer detection rate (39.2%), followed by polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (28.3%), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) (22.7%), polystyrene (6.6%), co-polymerized polypropylene (2.5%), and polypropylene homopolymer (0.7%). This study investigated the presence of microplastics in the crops and gizzards of ducks, as well as in river surface water. The results revealed the significant and pervasive occurrence of microplastics in both the avian digestive systems and the surrounding water environment. These findings highlight the potential threat of microplastic pollution to wildlife and ecosystems, emphasizing the need for further research and effective mitigation strategies to address this pressing environmental concern.

First-Principles Investigation of Novel Alkali-Based Lead-Free Halide Perovskites for Advanced Optoelectronic Applications.

Lead-free halide perovskites are considered promising candidates as visible light absorbers with outstanding optoelectronic properties. In this work, novel kinds of lead-free halide perovskites were studied for their electronic, optical, and thermoelectric properties by employing the most precise and enhanced modified Trans-Blaha Beck-Johnson potential. The estimated band spectra of the studied materials were comparable. The materials are confirmed to have an indirect band gap semiconducting nature due to the existence of energy band gaps. Among the studied materials, CsSnI3 has a smaller band gap, confirming the excitation to be more energy efficient. Examining the predicted density of states and true electronic orbital contributions, we observed a progressive fluctuation along the energy axis was observed. Furthermore, the linear optical properties are calculated and studied in terms of possible optoelectronic applications. The absorption in KSnI3 was greater compared to the other two materials. The studied materials could be used for antireflecting coatings against UV radiation, owing to the prominent peaks in their reflectivity spectra. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical properties, as well as the positive value of RH all pointed to a p-type nature in these materials. From the anticipated thermoelectric properties, the materials also appear to be suitable for application in thermoelectric devices.

Investigating the Optoelectronic and Thermoelectric Properties of CdTe Systems in Different Phases: A First-Principles Study.

CdTe is a potential material for making efficient and stable solar cells. The present study aimed to systematically investigate the electronic, optical, and thermoelectric properties of different structural phases of CdTe using density functional theory. The electronic properties were calculated using the modified Becke-Johnson potential with the local density approximation (LDA) correlation. The band structure profiles showed a direct band at the Γ-point for α-cubic, ß-hexagonal, γ-orthorhombic, and an indirect band type for the δ-trigonal phase from the A-point at valence band maximum to the Γ-point at conduction band minimum. Hybridization between Te-p and Cd-s bands in the main valence region was observed in the partial density of states plots for all the studied phases. The real component static values of the dielectric function showed a slight decrease with increasing photonic energy after an initial small increase. The intensity of the imaginary component increased above the threshold energy for each phase, with the δ-phase showing a higher reflectivity spectrum than the other phases due to its intense peaks, making it ideal for protecting against high energy radiations. The results indicated that our computed band gaps and refractive index n(ω) were inversely related. The thermoelectric parameters calculated for these phases suggest that they have potential to be used in thermoelectric devices.

Investigation of Structural, Mechanical, Optoelectronic, and Thermoelectric Properties of BaXF3 (X = Co, Ir) Fluoro-Perovskites: Promising Materials for Optoelectronic and Thermoelectric Applications.

Coded within Wien2K, we carry out DFT-based calculations for investigations of the structural, elastic, optoelectronic, and thermoelectric properties of BaXF3 (X = Co, Ir) fluoro-perovskites. The Birch-Murnaghan fit to the energy-vs-volume data and formation energy shows that these fluoro-perovskites are structurally stable. The phonon calculation confirms the thermodynamic stability, while the relation between elastic constants such as C 11 - C 12 > 0, C 11 > 0, C 11 + 2C 12 > 0, and B > 0 validates the mechanical stability of the compounds. BaIrF3 exhibits a strong ability to endure compressive and shear stresses. BaCoF3 shows a weaker capacity of withstanding changes in volume, attributed to a lower bulk modulus. Demonstrating a higher G-modulus of rigidity than the BaIrF3, BaCoF3 demonstrates stronger resistance to change the shape and both compounds are found to be anisotropic and brittle. The determined band structure profiles reveal that both BaCoF3 and BaIrF3 demonstrate a metallic nature. In addition, the metallic nature of BaCoF3 and BaIrF3 is reinforced by the density-of-states (DOS) study, where Co and F atoms contribute significantly to the total DOS in the valence band in the case of BaCoF3, while that of BaIrF3 is predominated by the Ba and F atoms. The computed values of ε1(0) for BaCoF3 and BaIrF3 are approximately 30 and 19, respectively, which are in line with Penn's model. The researched materials are confirmed to be strong contenders for optoelectronics by the lack of absorption in the visible range. For their potential use in thermoelectric device applications, thermoelectric parameters such as temperature-dependent Seebeck coefficient, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, power factor, and figure of merit are also investigated, which show that these materials are thermally stable and promising for applications in thermoelectric devices.

Seven drimane-type sesquiterpenoids from an earwig-associated Aspergillus sp.

Drimane-type sesquiterpenoids are widely distributed in fungi. From the ethyl acetate extract of the earwig-derived Aspergillus sp. NF2396, seven new drimane-type sesquiterpenoids, named drimanenoids A-G (1-7), were isolated. Their structures were elucidated by diverse spectroscopic analysis including high-resolution ESI-MS, one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. Drimanenoids A-F (1-6) are new members of drimane-type sesquiterpenoid esterified with unsaturated fatty acid side chain at C-6. Drimanenoids C (3), D (4) and F (6) showed antibacterial activity against five types of bacteria with different inhibition diameters. Drimanenoid D (4) exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against human myelogenous leukemia cell line K562 with an IC50 value of 12.88 ± 0.11 µmol·L-1.

Computational evaluation of novel barium zinc chalcogenides Ba2ZnCh3 (Ch = S, Se, Te) for advanced optoelectronic applications.

Due to their outstanding optoelectronic characteristics, ternary chalcogenides are considered an attractive choice for absorbers of visible light. Here, a novel family of ternary chalcogenides, Ba2ZnCh3 (Ch = S, Se, Te), is examined in the context of density functional theory calculations. The atomic locations in these materials are determined before the bulk modulus, cohesive energy, and lattice constant predictions. Our examined materials are semiconductors by nature, as indicated by the electronic band profiles with both the WC-GGA potential and TB-mBJ potential revealing an energy gap between the valence and conduction bands. Using full geometrical optimization and the force minimization technique based on Broyden's scheme, the interior atomic positions and the relaxed structures were obtained. The formation energies are likely more consistent with a convex hull near the configuration of interest. The cohesive energies confirmed that Ba2ZnS3 has the most cohesive nature as compared to the other two materials. Likewise, the calculated components of the dielectric function of the individual materials were anisotropic having dissimilar values along different dimensions. The computed sharp peaks of the absorption coefficient for Ba2ZnS3, Ba2ZnSe3, and Ba2ZnTe3 confirm their improved absorption behavior in the UV range. Moreover, the thermoelectric characteristics were computed, and the findings are detailed, indicating that all of these materials are efficient for thermoelectric device applications.

3D Bioprinting for Regenerating COVID-19-Mediated Irreversibly Damaged Lung Tissue.

While the tension of COVID-19 is still increasing, patients who recovered from the infection are facing life-threatening consequences such as multiple organ failure due to the presence of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor in different organs. Among all the complications, death caused by respiratory failure is the most common because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infects lung's type II epithelial, mucociliary, and goblet cells that eventually cause pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, which are responsible for the irreversible lung damage. Risk factors, such as age, comorbidities, diet, and lifestyle, are associated with disease severity. This paper reviews the potential of three-dimensional bioprinting in printing an efficient organ for replacement by evaluating the patient's condition.

PPG2ABP: Translating Photoplethysmogram (PPG) Signals to Arterial Blood Pressure (ABP) Waveforms.

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the most severe causes of mortality, annually taking a heavy toll on lives worldwide. Continuous monitoring of blood pressure seems to be the most viable option, but this demands an invasive process, introducing several layers of complexities and reliability concerns due to non-invasive techniques not being accurate. This motivates us to develop a method to estimate the continuous arterial blood pressure (ABP) waveform through a non-invasive approach using Photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals. We explore the advantage of deep learning, as it would free us from sticking to ideally shaped PPG signals only by making handcrafted feature computation irrelevant, which is a shortcoming of the existing approaches. Thus, we present PPG2ABP, a two-stage cascaded deep learning-based method that manages to estimate the continuous ABP waveform from the input PPG signal with a mean absolute error of 4.604 mmHg, preserving the shape, magnitude, and phase in unison. However, the more astounding success of PPG2ABP turns out to be that the computed values of Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP), and Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) from the estimated ABP waveform outperform the existing works under several metrics (mean absolute error of 3.449 ± 6.147 mmHg, 2.310 ± 4.437 mmHg, and 5.727 ± 9.162 mmHg, respectively), despite that PPG2ABP is not explicitly trained to do so. Notably, both for DBP and MAP, we achieve Grade A in the BHS (British Hypertension Society) Standard and satisfy the AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation) standard.

Pathogenesis and potential therapeutic application of stem cells transplantation in Huntington's disease.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which is caused due to repetitive CAG or glutamine expression along the coding region of the Huntington gene. This disease results in certain movement abnormalities, affective disturbances, dementia and cognitive impairments. To this date, there is no proper cure for this rare and fatal neurological condition but there have been certain advancements in the field of genetic animal model research studies to elucidate the understanding of the pathogenesis of this condition. Currently, HD follows a certain therapeutic approach which just relieves the symptoms but doesn't cure the underlying cause of the disease. Stem cell therapy can be a breakthrough in developing a potential cure for this condition. In this review, we have discussed the pathogenesis and the efficacy and clinical practicality of the therapeutic application of stem cell transplantation in Huntington's disease. The application of this groundbreaking therapy on genetically altered animal models has been listed and analyzed in brief.

Deep Learning Assisted Automated Assessment of Thalassaemia from Haemoglobin Electrophoresis Images.

Haemoglobin (Hb) electrophoresis is a method of blood testing used to detect thalassaemia. However, the interpretation of the result of the electrophoresis test itself is a complex task. Expert haematologists, specifically in developing countries, are relatively few in number and are usually overburdened. To assist them with their workload, in this paper we present a novel method for the automated assessment of thalassaemia using Hb electrophoresis images. Moreover, in this study we compile a large Hb electrophoresis image dataset, consisting of 103 strips containing 524 electrophoresis images with a clear consensus on the quality of electrophoresis obtained from 824 subjects. The proposed methodology is split into two parts: (1) single-patient electrophoresis image segmentation by means of the lane extraction technique, and (2) binary classification (normal or abnormal) of the electrophoresis images using state-of-the-art deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and using the concept of transfer learning. Image processing techniques including filtering and morphological operations are applied for object detection and lane extraction to automatically separate the lanes and classify them using CNN models. Seven different CNN models (ResNet18, ResNet50, ResNet101, InceptionV3, DenseNet201, SqueezeNet and MobileNetV2) were investigated in this study. InceptionV3 outperformed the other CNNs in detecting thalassaemia using Hb electrophoresis images. The accuracy, precision, recall, f1-score, and specificity in the detection of thalassaemia obtained with the InceptionV3 model were 95.8%, 95.84%, 95.8%, 95.8% and 95.8%, respectively. MobileNetV2 demonstrated an accuracy, precision, recall, f1-score, and specificity of 95.72%, 95.73%, 95.72%, 95.7% and 95.72% respectively. Its performance was comparable with the best performing model, InceptionV3. Since it is a very shallow network, MobileNetV2 also provides the least latency in processing a single-patient image and it can be suitably used for mobile applications. The proposed approach, which has shown very high classification accuracy, will assist in the rapid and robust detection of thalassaemia using Hb electrophoresis images.

A Rare Case of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Affecting the Pleura.

The majority of cases with tuberculous pleuritis have negative acid-fast bacilli (AFB) on smear microscopy, making the diagnosis difficult. This case report is based on the successful diagnosis and management of an extra-pulmonary (EP) multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patient with a history of lymphoma. Initial tests revealed a right-sided pleural effusion and thickening of the pleura. The closed pleural biopsy, pleural fluid histopathology, culture, and drug sensitivity testing (DST) report revealed Mycobacterium tuberculosis with isoniazid and rifampicin resistance. Based on the DST report, the patient was labeled as a case of MDR-TB and successfully managed with an individualized drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) regimen. With initial negative microscopy and GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Sunnyvale, CA: Cepheid Inc.) reports, this case demonstrated that DR-TB could exist even in the absence of risk factors. Furthermore, it also unveils the importance of line probe assays (LPAs) and culture in identifying MDR-TB. Lymphocytic/exudative pleural effusions and pleural biopsy specimens should be subjected early on to investigations like Xpert/MTB RIF, cultures, and genotypic DST to timely diagnose and treat DR-TB.

COVID-19 outcomes associated with clinical and demographic characteristics in patients hospitalized with severe and critical disease in Peshawar

BackgroundAs a novel disease, understanding the relationship between the clinical and demographic characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and their outcome is critical. We investigated this relationship in hospitalized patients in a tertiary healthcare setting. Aims/objectivesTo study COVID-19 severity and outcomes in relation to clinical and demographic characteristics of in admitted patients MethodologyIn this cross-sectional study, medical records for 1087 COVID-19 patients were reviewed to extract symptoms, comorbidities, demographic characteristics, and outcomes data. Statistical analyses included the post-stratification chi-square test, independent sample t-test, multivariate logistic regression, and time-to-event analysis. ResultsThe majority of the study participants were >50 years old (67%) and male (59%) and had the following symptoms: fever (96%), cough (95%), shortness of breath (73%), loss of taste (77%), and loss of smell (77%). Regarding worst outcome, multivariate regression analysis showed that these characteristics were statistically significant: shortness of breath (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 31.3; 95% CI, 11.87-82.53; p < 0.001), intensive care unit (ICU) admission (aOR 28.3; 95% CI,9.0-89.6; p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (aOR 5.1; 95% CI;3.2-8.2; p < 0.001), ischemic heart disease (aOR 3.4; 95% CI,1.6-7; p = 0.001), nausea and vomiting (aOR 3.3; 95% CI, 1.7-6.6; p = 0.001), and prolonged hospital stay (aOR 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.08; p = 0.001), while patients with rhinorrhea were significantly protected (aOR 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2-0.5; p < 0.001). A Kaplan-Meier curve showed that the symptoms of shortness of breath, ICU admission, fever, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea increased the risk of mortality. ConclusionIncreasing age, certain comorbidities and symptoms, and direct admission to the ICU increased the risk of worse outcomes. Further research is needed to determine risk factors that may increase disease severity and devise a proper risk-scoring system to initiate timely management.

Circulating tumor DNA in cancer diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has become one of the crucial components for cancer detection with the increase of precision medicine practice. ctDNA has great potential as a blood-based biomarker for the detection and treatment of cancer in its early stages. The purpose of this article was to discuss ctDNA and how it can be utilized to detect cancer. The benefits and drawbacks of this cancer detection technology, as well as the field's future possibilities in various cancer management scenarios, are discussed. MAIN TEXT: ctDNA has clinical applications in disease diagnosis and monitoring. It can be used to identify mutations of interest and genetic heterogeneity. Another use of ctDNA is to monitor the effects of therapy by detecting mutation-driven resistance. Different technologies are being used for the detection of ctDNA. Next-generation sequencing, digital PCR, real-time PCR, and mass spectrometry are used. Using dPCR makes it possible to partition and analyze individual target sequences from a complex mixture. Mass-spectrometry technology enables accurate detection and quantification of ctDNA mutations at low frequency. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and UltraSEEK are two systems based on this technology. There is no unified standard for detecting ctDNA as it exists in a low concentration in blood. As there is no defined approach, false positives occur in several methods due to inadequate sensitivities. Techniques used in ctDNA are costly and there is a limitation in clinical settings. SHORT CONCLUSION: A detailed investigation is urgently needed to increase the test's accuracy and sensitivity. To find a standard marker for all forms of cancer DNA, more study is needed. Low concentrations of ctDNA in a sample require improved technology to provide the precision that low concentrations of ctDNA in a sample afford.

Prior SARS-CoV2 infection in vaccinated solid organ transplant recipients induces potent neutralization responses against variants, including Omicron

Factors affecting functional antibody responses in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) to current SARS-CoV2 vaccines are not well understood. Here, we measured vaccine-induced neutralizing activities against the D614G-CoV2 baseline virus and eight variants, including Omicron, in a panel of CoV2 infected- (n=13) and uninfected- (n=63) vaccinated kidney and heart transplant recipients. In the CoV2 uninfected-vaccinated subset, only 19% and 35% of two and three-dose vaccinated recipients respectively possessed minimally protective neutralizing plasma antibody titers (IC50>1:50) against D614G. In contrast, all of the CoV2 infected-vaccinated SOTRs who received two vaccine doses possessed titers exceeding minimal protection; 12/13 exhibiting strong protection (IC50>1:600) against D614G with minimal increases provided by a third dose. Omicron was the most resistant variant: only 10% of CoV2 uninfected-vaccinated SOTRs reached the minimally protective neutralization titer, while 76% of CoV2 infected-vaccinated SOTRs exceeded this value. These results indicate that prior infection and vaccination can induce highly protective antibody responses in many SOTRs, and identify important factors (shorter time since transplantation, prednisone administration, and African American ethnicity) that limit these responses. Overall, these results suggest factors to consider in establishing optimum COVID-19 vaccination strategies in these cohorts.

Amalgam phase-out, an environmental safety concern: a cross-sectional study among general dental practitioners in Pakistan

Background: Amalgam has been the gold standard for restorations in posterior teeth. Mercury, a major component of dental amalgam, is considered an environmental pollutant. The Minamata Convention on mercury recomends a reduction in the use of mercury-containing products. Since Pakistan is a signatory to the Convention, the same amalgam phase-out limitations are implemented in Pakistan. Aims: To identify and assess the use of amalgam and its waste management by dentists in Pakistan post-Minamata Convention guidelines. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore among 520 general dental practitioners in 2019. Results: The sample size for the study was calculated as 500; the questionnaire was distributed among 550 dentists. Dental amalgam was used by only 41.6% of the dentists in their practice; 55.0% perceived it to be a health risk. Most of the dentists (76.3%) were unaware of the proper disposal protocols for dental amalgam and 76.5% were unaware of any guidelines regarding amalgam use and disposal. Conclusion: Although there is a gap in knowledge among the dentists regarding amalgam disposal, dentists in Pakistan are reducing their use of dental amalgam in accordance with the guidelines of the Minamata Convention.

Hepatocellular carcinoma with extrahepatic blood supply from right renal artery.

Extrahepatic blood supply is seen in around 17-27% of hepatocellular carcinoma lesions. Evidence suggests that this extrahepatic supply most commonly originates from a right intercostal artery (70-83%) followed by left intercostal, omental and right renal arteries. Thus a comprehensive knowledge of variations in standard vascular anatomy and cognisance of factors influencing or predicting extrahepatic blood supply in HCC is instrumental in ensuring the success of surgical and interventional procedures. We present the unusual case of a 66-year-old male with HCC in Segment I of the liver with aberrant blood supply from the right renal artery in the absence of any risk factors for extrahepatic circulation. He successfully underwent transarterial chemoembolization. There was no evidence of residual disease on repeat imaging.

Prospect of 3D bioprinting over cardiac cell therapy and conventional tissue engineering in the treatment of COVID-19 patients with myocardial injury.

Due to multiple mutations of SARS-CoV-2, the mystery of defeating the virus is still unknown. Cardiovascular complications are one of the most concerning effects of COVID-19 recently, originating from direct and indirect mechanisms. These complications are associated with long-term Cardio-vascular diseases and can induce sudden cardiac death in both infected and recovered COVID-19 patients. The purpose of this research is to do a competitive analysis between conventional techniques with the upgraded alternative 3D bioprinting to replace the damaged portion of the myocardium. Additionally, this study focuses on the potential of 3D bioprinting to be a novel alternative. Finally, current challenges and future perspective of 3D bioprinting technique is briefly discussed.

The promising rise of bioprinting in revolutionalizing medical science: Advances and possibilities.

Bioprinting is a relatively new yet evolving technique predominantly used in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. 3D bioprinting techniques combine the advantages of creating Extracellular Matrix (ECM)like environments for cells and computer-aided tailoring of predetermined tissue shapes and structures. The essential application of bioprinting is for the regeneration or restoration of damaged and injured tissues by producing implantable tissues and organs. The capability of bioprinting is yet to be fully scrutinized in sectors like the patient-specific spatial distribution of cells, bio-robotics, etc. In this review, currently developed experimental systems and strategies for the bioprinting of different types of tissues as well as for drug delivery and cancer research are explored for potential applications. This review also digs into the most recent opportunities and future possibilities for the efficient implementation of bioprinting to restructure medical and technological practices.

Managing Cystic Fibrosis related diabetes via telehealth during COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. In efforts to reduce the risk of transmission, telehealth visits for routine care has significantly increased in the United States. Cystic fibrosis patients have been categorized as a highly vulnerable population to COVID-19 infection. Cystic Fibrosis centers are rapidly assessing and responding to the pandemic to ensure the safety of CF patients. At our Cleveland Clinic Cystic Fibrosis center, we transitioned outpatient clinics to a virtual care model in March 2020. Here, we report the changes that were implemented to optimize diabetes management in CF patients through telehealth during the COVID-19 crisis.