Climatic conditions : conventional and nanotechnology-based methods for the control of mosquito vectors causing human health issues

Climate variability is highly impacting on mosquito-borne diseases causing malaria and dengue fever across the globe. Seasonal variability change in temperature and rainfall patterns are impacting on human health. Mosquitoes cause diseases like dengue fever, yellow fever, malaria, Chikungunya, West Nile and Japanese encephalitis. According to estimations by health organizations, annually one million human deaths are caused by vector-borne diseases, and dengue fever has increased about 30-fold over the past 50 years. Similarly, over 200 million cases of malaria are being reported annually. Mosquito-borne diseases are sensitive to temperature, humidity and seasonal variability. Both conventional (environmental, chemical, mechanical, biological etc.) and nanotechnology-based (Liposomes, nano-suspensions and polymer-based nanoparticles) approaches are used for the eradication of Malaria and dengue fever. Now green approaches are used to eradicate mosquitoes to save human health without harming the environment. In this review, the impact of climatic conditions on mosquito-borne diseases along with conventional and nanotechnology-based approaches used for controlling malaria and dengue fever have been discussed. Important recommendations have been made for people to stay healthy

Hypertrophic gastric folds with hypomagnesemia, linking the dots

A Caucasian man in early 80s was seen in Gastroenterology Clinic, following, referral from the Endocrinology Clinic for concerns for CT Abdomen requested for tiredness and weight loss of three kilograms. The patient also had microcytic picture with low MCV and Ferritin and hypomagnesemia. The CT suggested gross circumferential thickening of the wall of stomach with advice for invasive investigations to further characterise the CT findings. The Endoscopy suggested grossly enlarged rugae in the stomach, and enlarged gastric polyps. Patient was assured no new sinister abnormality. Treatment challenges to consider were to stop acid suppression by prescribing Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) which would lead to stomach ulcers, or to continue with PPIs with sequalae of worsening of hypertrophic gastric folds, enlarged gastric polyps and hypomagnesemia. It would be necessary to consider risk versus benefits in either situation to determine an appropriate treatment plan in the long term. With background of Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome and MEN1 with heterozygous mutation with gastrinoma of the duodenum, and frailty he was advised to continue with Proton Pump Inhibitors with twice weekly correction of Magnesium infusions, and Iron tablets following Multi-disciplinary meeting

Second Coming of Jesus Christ; A Review of Sulṭān Paul’s Thoughts in the Light of Islamic Teachings

Islam and Christianity do share some similarities, but their core beliefs are very different. Some Christian authors interpret these connections using Islamic justifications to support their perspective. One such similarity is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is anticipated by both religions. While this occurrence is seen as one of the signs of the Hour in Islamic traditions, it is of utmost importance in Christian eschatology. In this article, Sulṭān Paul’s thoughts on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ are examined from an Islamic viewpoint. Sulṭān Paul, who was born in 1881 and raised in an Afghan Muslim family, subsequently converted to Christianity in 1903. He rose to prominence in the Subcontinent for his Christian activities. He made an effort to integrate biblical literature with the Qur’ān through his writings, defending Christianity and addressing Islam and other religions. The study explores Sulṭān Paul’s contributions and illuminates his thoughts on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. We hope to better comprehend the interaction between Christian eschatology and Islamic beliefs by exploring this viewpoint

Smart Water Management with Digital Twins and Multimodal Transformers:A Predictive Approach to Usage and Leakage Detection

Effective water management is crucial in urban and rural settings, requiring efficient usage and timely detection of issues like leakages for sustainability. This paper introduces an integrated framework that combines Digital Twin technology with a multimodal transformer-based model for accurate water usage prediction and leakage detection. The system synchronizes real-time data from various sensors including flow meters, pressure sensors, and thermal imaging devices with a Digital Twin of the water network. Advanced transformer models, specifically the Informer model for long-term time-series prediction and a Water Multimodal Transformer for anomaly detection, process these data to capture complex patterns and dependencies. Experimental results demonstrate the framework’s effectiveness: the Informer model achieved an R2 score of 0.9995 and a Mean Squared Error (MSE) of 2.2, outperforming traditional models. For leakage detection, the model attained 98.4% accuracy and precision, an F1 score of 97.6%, a low False Positive Rate of 0.0019, and an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.984. By fusing diverse sensor data and utilizing advanced transformer architectures, the framework provides a comprehensive view of the water network, enabling real-time decision-making, enhancing forecasting accuracy, and reducing water waste. This scalable solution supports sustainable water management practices in both urban and industrial contexts

Toxicity and bioaccumulation of heavy metals in spinach (spinacia oleracea) grown in a controlled environment

The impact of heavy metal toxicity on the shoot and root lengths, total protein, fiber characteristics, moisture content and nutrient composition of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) was evaluated. Plants were grown in pots containing soil and treated with different concentrations (mg/kg) of lead (Pb; 300, 400 and 500), cadmium (Cd; 0.5, 1 and 1.5) and zinc (Zn; 250, 500, and 700) as well as mixtures of Cd and Pb (0.5/300, 1/400, 1.5/500), Cd and Zn (0.5/250, 1/500, 1.5/700), and Pb and Zn (300/250, 400/500, 500/700). Soil contaminated by long-term irrigation with wastewater containing heavy metals was simulated. An increase in concentrations of heavy metals both individually and as mixtures significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the growth parameters and nutrient contents of S. oleracea. The uptake patterns of heavy metals in mixtures showed antagonistic impacts on each other. The toxicities of the mixtures Cd and Pb, Cd and Zn as well as Pb and Zn were higher than those observed in separate heavy metal applications but less than their additive sums. The toxicity caused by individual heavy metals was the highest for Cd followed by Pb and Zn. The highest toxicity was observed in plants grown in soil contaminated by Cd and Pb

Visual Improvement after Endoscopic Endonasal Transsphenoidal Excision of Pituitary Gland Tumor

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of improved visual acuity after Endoscopic Endonasal Transsphenoidal excision of pituitary gland tumor.Study Design: Descriptive case series.Materials and Methods: In our study, Pre-operative visual acuity was noted by using the Snellen’s chart. Then patients underwent pituitary gland excision though Endoscopic Endonasal Transsphenoidal approach under general anesthesia. After surgery, patients were shifted in postsurgical wards and then will be discharged from there and were examinedfor 3 months in OPD. Snellen’s chart was used to evaluate patents for visual acuity after 3 months by an experienced ophthalmologist having at least 4 years residency experience If visual acuity increased ≥ 1 line, then improved visual acuity was labeled.Results: Improved visual acuity after pituitary gland tumor excision was seen in 59(89.39%) patients. Age and gender of patients did not show any statistically significant association for improved visual acuity.Conclusions: Results of this study showed that pituitary gland tumor excision through Endoscopic Endonasal Transsphenoidal approach is effective in terms of visual acuity improvement. Our main objectives in pituitary surgery are protection and reinstatement of vision and this surgical approach give maximum cover to vision restoration

Selective Harmonics Elimination in Multilevel Inverter Using Bio-Inspired Intelligent Algorithms

Multilevel inverters are powerful electronic devices that are used for the conversion of DC input voltage into AC output voltage and mostly used in medium and high voltage operations. In these operations, pulse width modulation (PWM) frequency is distorted because of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and switching losses which are caused by dv/dt stress. To achieve a pure sinusoidal waveform at output of multilevel inverter is a primary purpose so that a smaller number of harmonic contents are produced. Selective harmonic elimination PWM technique is used in cascaded multilevel inverter for the mitigation of lower harmonics by solving nonlinear transcendental equations and maintains the required fundamental voltage. An objective function is derived from SHE problem to calculate switching angles. For the solution of objective function, optimization approach such as bio-inspired intelligent algorithms are used. In this paper, Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Bee Algorithm (BA) are used to determine the optimum switching angles for cascaded multilevel inverters to get low total harmonic distortion (THD) in output voltage. These computed angles are analyzed in MATLAB simulation model to authenticate the results. And there will be direct comparison among these algorithms

Integrated Assessment of Groundwater Quality, Agriculture Suitability and Health Risk Assessment in the Upper Indus Basin, District Gujranwala, Pakistan

Public health protection, sustainable agricultural practices, and environmental degradation mitigation, all depend on the quality of groundwater. Groundwater quality remains a critical concern in the densely populated cities of Pakistan. Integrated assessment of groundwater quality in an area provides a comprehensive understanding to support effective resource management and policy-making. The focus of this study is to evaluate the ionic concentration of groundwater and subsequent consequences based on twenty-eight groundwater samples acquired from different water schemes in the Gujranwala District, Punjab, Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan. This study analyzes the type of ions, the effect of contamination on agriculture and groundwater contamination-based health risks. Results show that the concentration of major ions in nearly all the groundwater samples lies within World Health Organization (WHO) limits except for arsenic (As). In about 64% of the total samples, the arsenic concentration exceeds the limit recommended by WHO which is 10 μg/L. The chemical composition of groundwater is influenced by rock weathering according to the Gibbs plot. Magnesium, bicarbonate, and sodium ions contribute to the groundwater's total dissolved solids as indicated by a Piper plot. Most of the water samples are suitable for irrigation purposes, except magnesium hazard values of about 57% substantially impact soil alkalinity. Hazard quotient (HQ) and carcinogenic risk (CR) assessments were also used in the study. The HQ values in the study area lie in the range of 0.012 to 4.97, with an average value of 1.21, and about 57% of samples exceed the toxic risk index values. The CR value range is 5.41667×10-6 to 0.001, indicating a serious health threat to the residents in the area. Prolonged use of arsenic-contaminated water will cause severe health issues for the area's residents. Appropriate remedial and preventive actions should be undertaken to mitigate arsenic pollution in the area

Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: Distant Metastasis as an Unusual Sole Initial Manifestation

Objective:The objective of this study was to identify the characteristic features of patients with distant metastasis as the only manifestation of well-differentiated thyroid cancers and to analyze the treatment outcomesMethods:A retrospective review of all patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancers and distant metastasis as the sole initial presentation was carried out. Data regarding age, gender, tumor histology, site, symptoms, and treatment outcomes were collected.Results:There were 10 patients who presented with distant metastasis as the only presentation. The mean age was 56.1 years. Eight (80%) patients had osseous metastasis, one (10%) had pulmonary and one (10%) had both. Follicular thyroid carcinoma was more common and seen in six (60%) patients. Seven (77.8%) out of nine patients had demised within five years of initial presentation.Conclusion:Distant metastases without a neck lump as the initial presentation of well-differentiated thyroid cancers are extremely rare. No specific guidelines are available to manage such patients due to lack of relevant data in the literature