Correction: Anthropological responses to environmental challenges in SAARC nations: A comparative analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296516.].

Anthropological responses to environmental challenges in SAARC nations: A comparative analysis.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationships and potential impacts of environmental pollutants, human resources, GDP, sustainable power sources, financial assets, and SAARC countries from 1995 to 2022. Board cointegration tests, D-H causality, cross-sectional reliance (CSD), Saville and Holdsworth Restricted (SHL), and the DSK Appraisal Strategy were among the logical techniques employed to discover long-term connections between these components. Results demonstrate that GDP growth, renewable energy sources (REC), and environmental pollution (ENP) all contribute to SAARC countries' progress. However, future opportunities and HR are negatively impacted by increased ecological pollution. The results of the two-way causality test demonstrate a strong correlation between HR and future possibilities. Opportunities for the SAARC countries are closely related to the growth of total national output, the use of green electricity, and public support sources. Ideas for tackling future projects are presented in the paper's conclusion. These include facilitating financial development, reducing ecological pollution, financing the progress of human resources, and promoting the use of sustainable power sources.

Point Cloud Completion: A Survey.

Point cloud completion is the task of producing a complete 3D shape given an input of a partial point cloud. It has become a vital process in 3D computer graphics, vision and applications such as autonomous driving, robotics, and augmented reality. These applications often rely on the presence of a complete 3D representation of the environment. Over the past few years, many completion algorithms have been proposed and a substantial amount of research has been carried out. However, there are not many in-depth surveys that summarise the research progress in such a way that allows users to make an informed choice of what algorithms to employ given the type of data they have, the end result they want, the challenges they may face and the possible strategies they could use. In this study, we present a comprehensive survey and classification of papers on point cloud completion untill August 2023 based on the strategies, techniques, inputs, outputs, and network architectures. We will also cover datasets, evaluation methods, and application areas in point cloud completion. Finally, we discuss challenges faced by the research community and future research directions.

Contemporary innovations in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide-based P-N junctions for optoelectronics.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D-TMDCs) with various physical characteristics have attracted significant interest from the scientific and industrial worlds in the years following Moore's law. The p-n junction is one of the earliest electrical components to be utilized in electronics and optoelectronics, and modern research on 2D materials has renewed interest in it. In this regard, device preparation and application have evolved substantially in this decade. 2D TMDCs provide unprecedented flexibility in the construction of innovative p-n junction device designs, which is not achievable with traditional bulk semiconductors. It has been investigated using 2D TMDCs for various junctions, including homojunctions, heterojunctions, P-I-N junctions, and broken gap junctions. To achieve high-performance p-n junctions, several issues still need to be resolved, such as developing 2D TMDCs of superior quality, raising the rectification ratio and quantum efficiency, and successfully separating the photogenerated electron-hole pairs, among other things. This review comprehensively details the various 2D-based p-n junction geometries investigated with an emphasis on 2D junctions. We investigated the 2D p-n junctions utilized in current rectifiers and photodetectors. To make a comparison of various devices easier, important optoelectronic and electronic features are presented. We thoroughly assessed the review's prospects and challenges for this emerging field of study. This study will serve as a roadmap for more real-world photodetection technology applications.

Analysis of environmental sustainability and economic development from electricity consumption based on the modified spatial Durbin model.

The study investigates the impacts of financial development, electricity use, and technology innovation on CO2 emissions. International trade also plays an essential role in the economic development of Pakistan. Studying the relationship between ecological parameters, technological innovation, electricity use, and CO2 emissions is necessary to formulate the country's reasonable and practical energy policies. Based on the study's use of data from 292 Pakistani firms from 2006 to 2021, the paper investigates the mechanism of the role between financial development, electricity use, technological innovation, international trade, and CO2 emissions using the spatial Durbin model. The results reveal that the effect of economic growth, electricity use, and technological innovation on CO2 emissions has a spatial spillover effect. The results verify that international trade and the transport sector promote the country's carbon emissions. The typical speculation spike on technology innovation enhanced and financial development should concentrate more on protective ecological parameters. The research provides theoretical guidance for solving the contradictory problem of renewable energy use growth and CO2 emission limitation while promoting green and low-carbon development in the country.

Seeing eye to eye: trustworthy embodiment for task-based conversational agents.

Smart speakers and conversational agents have been accepted into our homes for a number of tasks such as playing music, interfacing with the internet of things, and more recently, general chit-chat. However, they have been less readily accepted in our workplaces. This may be due to data privacy and security concerns that exist with commercially available smart speakers. However, one of the reasons for this may be that a smart speaker is simply too abstract and does not portray the social cues associated with a trustworthy work colleague. Here, we present an in-depth mixed method study, in which we investigate this question of embodiment in a serious task-based work scenario of a first responder team. We explore the concepts of trust, engagement, cognitive load, and human performance using a humanoid head style robot, a commercially available smart speaker, and a specially developed dialogue manager. Studying the effect of embodiment on trust, being a highly subjective and multi-faceted phenomena, is clearly challenging, and our results indicate that potentially, the robot, with its anthropomorphic facial features, expressions, and eye gaze, was trusted more than the smart speaker. In addition, we found that embodying a conversational agent helped increase task engagement and performance compared to the smart speaker. This study indicates that embodiment could potentially be useful for transitioning conversational agents into the workplace, and further in situ, "in the wild" experiments with domain workers could be conducted to confirm this.

Diversity in boardroom and debt financing: A case from China.

The study aims to explore the role of gender diversity in debt financing choices among Chinese listed firms. The study used the Chinese listed firm's data from 1991 to 2022 from the Chinese Stock Market return. The study used the fixed effect regression analysis and revealed that gender diversity positively affects debt financing among Chinese firms. Additionally, mass theory results suggested that at least three females on the board significantly influence firms. It served as the voice of gender diversity to influence the board's decisions regarding debt financing. The study has several theoretical and practical implications. This study will enlighten the Chinese boardroom dynamics by reassuring them to add more females to diversity policies. It will benefit future studies on boardroom activities and debt financing in emerging economies. It will be practical guidance for the Chinese policymakers, governing authorities, and corporate executives. The study stresses the need for significant diversity on the board rather than one female presence on the board. Secondly, this study contradicts the stereotype perception that females are not making risky decisions.

A cross-cultural comparison of ethnocentrism and the intercultural willingness to communicate between two collectivistic cultures.

There is a prevalent notion regarding divergence in the extent of ethnocentrism and the intercultural willingness to communicate across cultures. Given this cultural divergence, research is replete with comparative studies of ethnocentrism and the intercultural willingness to communicate between individualistic and collectivistic cultures. However, to our knowledge, a comparison of these crucial cultural tendencies within and their consequences for collectivistic cultures has been overlooked. Thus, this study provides a cross-cultural comparison of ethnocentrism and the intercultural willingness to communicate among university students from two collectivist cultures, i.e., Pakistan and China. The researchers employed a cross-sectional design. A sample of 775 students was collected using a survey technique. The findings show that Pakistani students are more ethnocentric and have a lower intercultural willingness to communicate than Chinese students. Moreover, males were found to be more ethnocentric and less willing to communicate in intercultural settings than females in both countries. These findings validate the notion of ethnocentrism divergence across collectivistic countries and its influence on the intercultural willingness to communicate. Additionally, they demonstrate the role of demographic attributes in evolving ethnocentrism and the intercultural willingness to communicate. Accordingly, these findings also confirm the ecological assumption that contextual factors, such as demographic attributes (e.g., past interactions with foreigners), influence communication schemas. Therefore, concerning its management, these findings suggest that increased people-to-people interactions between the two focal countries can better foster their mutual understanding to reap an increased harvest of the fruits of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Designing mRNA- and Peptide-Based Vaccine Construct against Emerging Multidrug-Resistant Citrobacter freundii: A Computational-Based Subtractive Proteomics Approach.

Background and Objectives: Citrobacter freundii (C. freundii) is an emerging and opportunistic Gram-negative bacteria of the human gastrointestinal tract associated with nosocomial and severe respiratory tract infections. It has also been associated with pneumonia, bloodstream, and urinary tract infections. Intrinsic and adaptive virulence characteristics of C. freundii have become a significant source of diarrheal infections and food poisoning among immune-compromised patients and newborns. Impulsive usage of antibiotics and these adaptive virulence characteristics has modulated the C. freundii into multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Conventional approaches are futile against MDR C. freundii. Materials and Methods: The current study exploits the modern computational-based vaccine design approach to treat infections related to MDR C. freundii. A whole proteome of C. freundii (strain: CWH001) was retrieved to screen pathogenic and nonhomologous proteins. Six proteins were shortlisted for the selection of putative epitopes for vaccine construct. Highly antigenic, nonallergen, and nontoxic eleven B-cell, HTL, and TCL epitopes were selected for mRNA- and peptide-based multi-epitope vaccine construct. Secondary and tertiary structures of the multi-epitope vaccine (MEVC) were designed, refined, and validated. Results: Evaluation of population coverage of MHC-I and MHC-II alleles were 72% and 90%, respectively. Docking MEVC with TLR-3 receptor with the binding affinity of 21.46 (kcal/mol) occurred through the mmGBSA process. Further validations include codon optimization with an enhanced CAI value of 0.95 and GC content of about 51%. Immune stimulation and molecular dynamic simulation ensure the antibody production upon antigen interaction with the host and stability of the MEVC construct, respectively. Conclusions: These interpretations propose a new strategy to combat MDR C. freundii. Further, in vivo and in vitro trials of this vaccine will be valuable in combating MDR pathogens.

An analysis of machine learning risk factors and risk parity portfolio optimization.

Many academics and experts focus on portfolio optimization and risk budgeting as a topic of study. Streamlining a portfolio using machine learning methods and elements is examined, as well as a strategy for portfolio expansion that relies on the decay of a portfolio's risk into risk factor commitments. There is a more vulnerable relationship between commonly used trademarked portfolios and neural organizations based on variables than famous dimensionality decrease strategies, as we have found. Machine learning methods also generate covariance and portfolio weight structures that are more difficult to assess. The least change portfolios outperform simpler benchmarks in minimizing risk. During periods of high instability, risk-adjusted returns are present, and these effects are amplified for investors with greater sensitivity to chance changes in returns R.

"No Chit Chat!" A Warning From a Physical Versus Virtual Robot Invigilator: Which Matters Most?

Past work has not considered social robots as proctors or monitors to prevent cheating or maintain discipline in the context of exam invigilation with adults. Further, we do not see an investigation into the role of invigilation for the robot presented in two different embodiments (physical vs. virtual). We demonstrate a system that enables a robot (physical and virtual) to act as an invigilator and deploy an exam setup with two participants completing a programming task. We conducted two studies (an online video-based survey and an in-person evaluation) to understand participants' perceptions of the invigilator robot presented in two different embodiments. Additionally, we investigated whether participants showed cheating behaviours in one condition more than the other. The findings showed that participants' ratings did not differ significantly. Further, participants were more talkative in the virtual robot condition compared to the physical robot condition. These findings are promising and call for further research into the invigilation role of social robots in more subtle and complex exam-like settings.

Self-Medication as an Important Risk Factor for Antibiotic Resistance: A Multi-Institutional Survey among Students.

Self-medication is an important issue, especially in developing countries. Self-medication is the concept in which individuals use medicine to ease and manage their minor illnesses. The current survey was designed to conduct interviews at different universities based on the availability of the students from August 2021 to October 2021 in Hazara region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. Overall, 1250 questionnaires were distributed to students from various departments. Students of microbiology (n = 305, 24.4%) and agriculture 236 (n = 18.8%) were the most elevated members in this study, while other participants were from medical lab technology (n = 118, 9.4%), chemistry (n = 103, 8.2%), food science (n = 92, 7.3%), business administration (n = 83, 6.6%), sociology (n = 78, 6.2%), math/physics (n = 6, 14.8%), Pak study (n = 58, 4.6%), English (n = 47, 3.7%), and psychology (n = 19, 1.5%). Students working towards their Bachelor numbered (n = 913, 73.0%), Master (minor) numbered (n = 80, 6.4%), Master (major) numbered (n = 221, 17.6%), and Doctorate numbered (n = 36, 2.8%). The age group of participants was majorly 20-25 years (61.0%), while others belonged to the age groups 25-30 years (20.6%), 30-35 years (9.8%), and 35-40 years (8.4%). The mean and standard deviation of daily practices of self-medication were observed (M = 416.667, SD = 1,026,108.667) and p = 0.002. The mean and standard deviation of daily practices of antibiotic knowledge was (M = 431.5, SD = 1,615,917) and p = 0.002. Antimicrobial agents were leading over others with 631 (50.4%), followed by anti-inflammatory with 331 (26.4%), multivitamins with 142 (11.3%), gynecological purpose with 59 (4.7%), and analgesic with 72 (5.7%), while the lowest frequency rate was observed against herbal remedies with 15 (1.2%). The results of the current study concluded that students practiced self-medication for reasons such as convenience to obtain these medications from cheap sources and to avoid the fee of a physician. They searched for the medicine on social media platforms and purchased it blindly from the pharmacy without any prescription from a physician.

An Overview of Factors Influencing Psychiatric Out-Patient Satisfaction at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan.

Objectives Patient satisfaction is now becoming the assessment criterion for the quality of health care services provided to patients with mental health issues; therefore, this study aimed to quantify patient satisfaction in the psychiatric outpatient department of Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, and assess the effects of socio-demographic factors and cultural and ethical beliefs on patient satisfaction. Methods This is a cross-sectional, observational study with a sample size of 386 patients, using a simple random sampling technique. Patients older than 14 years were included in this study. A questionnaire comprising demographics and cultural and ethical beliefs using the Cultural Attitudes toward Healthcare and Mental Illness Questionnaire, and satisfaction rates using the Psychiatric Out-Patient Experience Questionnaire (POPEQ), was designed for the research project. Results The mean age ± SD was 31.2 ± 12.2 years. The POPEQ demonstrated a mean satisfaction score of 3.11 ± 0.90. The majority of the population considered stress (54.4%), family issues (33.4%), and medical illness (33.4%) as the cause of their mental illness. In comparison, the preferable type of treatment for most patients was medication (75.1%) and counseling (36.0%). Among socio-demographic characteristics, education was inversely related to satisfaction (p<0.01). The patients who believed medications to be their preferred treatment for their mental illness were most satisfied (p < 0.01). Conclusion This study demonstrates high overall satisfaction rates with psychiatric outpatient services. However, no significant association between sociodemographic characteristics and satisfaction levels was established except for the education status of the patients and their preferred method of treatment. The study did not reveal any influence of cultural beliefs on the degree of satisfaction of patients.

Nano-pollution: Why it should worry us.

Nanoparticles are immensely diverse both in terms of quality and sources of emission into the environment. Nowadays, nanotechnologies are developing and growing at a rapid pace without specific rules and regulations, leading to a severe effect on environment and affecting the labours in outdoor and indoor workplaces. The continue and enormous use of NPs for industrial and commercial purposes, has put a pressing need to think whether the increasing use of these NPs could overcome the severe environmental effects and unknown human health risks. Only a few studies have been carried out to assess the toxic effect of these NPs resulting from their direct or indirect exposure. There is in an increasing clamour to consider environmental implications of NPs and to monitor the outcome of NP during use in biological testing. There remain many open questions for consideration. An adequate research is required to determine the real toxic effect of these NPs on environment and human health. In this review, we have discussed the negative effects of NPs on environment and biosphere at large and the future research required.

Willingness of Chinese, Studying in Germany to Fly Back to China Due to Their Risk Perception About COVID-19.

PURPOSE: In this study, we aimed to examine the risk perception of Chinese students studying in Germany, which is the country fifth-most affected by COVID-19 in the world, who wish to return to China. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After controlling the COVID-19 situation in the country, China reopened the entire country, including Wuhan, which was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. A well-structured questionnaire was sent to Chinese students through a WeChat survey, a special feature within this mobile application, similar to Google Docs. The link was sent to 2000 students studying in Germany, and we received 1232 responses. RESULTS: The study found that the majority of Chinese students are willing to come back to China, considering the current risk of COVID-19 in Germany. A higher mortality rate influences their wish to return to China. Additionally, the special family size of "One Child" in the family also a key driver of Chinese student's wish to get back home. CONCLUSION: This study provides useful information to policymakers to implement proactive measures to manage students who want to return to China, as they may be the cause of the second wave of COVID-19 in China.

Investigating the impact of renewable energy, international trade, tourism, and foreign direct investment on carbon emission in developing as well as developed countries.

Our research examined the renewable energy consumption, foreign direct investment, international trade, and tourism impact on carbon dioxide discharge using system GMM, FMOLS, and DOLS models in selected developed countries of Europe and developing countries of Asia Pacific of the global employment for a period spanning 2000 to 2020. The results indicate that foreign direct investment and tourism comprise a positive affiliation with carbon discharge. Simultaneously, renewable energy utilization with international trade significantly negatively relates to carbon emissions in developed countries. On the other hand, renewable energy consumption, tourism, and global trade play an essential role in increased carbon emissions. Still, carbon dioxide emission decreases by foreign direct investment in developed countries. It is discovered that with long-run estimators, the long-run relationship of variables through carbon discharge in developed and developing countries. The study findings are considered useful in future planning of renewable energy utilization, FDI, tourism policies, and trade openness to improve ecological excellence.

Oxidative stress contributes to liver damage in a murine model of alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency.

Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic disorder resulting in the expression of misfolded mutant protein that can polymerize and accumulate in hepatocytes, leading to liver disease in some individuals. Transgenic PiZ mice are a well-characterized model, which express human alpha-1-antitrypsin mutant Z protein (ATZ protein) and faithfully recapitulate the human liver disease. Liver tissue expressing alpha-1-antitrypsin mutant Z protein exhibits inflammation, injury and replacement of damaged cells. Fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) develop in aging PiZ mice. In this study, microarray analysis was performed comparing young PiZ (ZY) mice to wild-type (WY), and indicated that there were alterations in gene expression levels that could influence a number of pathways leading to liver disease. Redox-regulating genes were up-regulated in ZY tissue, including carbonyl reductase 3 (CBR3), glutathione S-transferase alpha 1 + 2 (GSTA(1 + 2)) and glutathione S-transferase mu 3 (GSTM3). We hypothesized that oxidative stress could develop in Z mouse liver, contributing to tissue damage and disease progression with age. The results of biochemical analysis of PiZ mouse liver revealed that higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a more oxidized, cellular redox state occurred in liver tissue from ZY mice than WY. ZY mice showed little evidence of oxidative cellular damage as assessed by protein carbonylation levels, malondialdehyde levels and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8oxodG) staining. Aging liver tissue from PiZ older mice (ZO) had elevated ROS, generally lower levels of antioxidant enzymes than younger mice and evidence of cellular damage. These data indicate that oxidative stress is a contributing factor in the development of liver disease in this model of alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency.

Characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma in a murine model of alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency.

AIM: Individuals with homozygous (ZZ) alpha-1-antitrypsin (alpha1AT) deficiency are at an increased risk for liver damage, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The transgenic PiZ mouse, expressing the human alpha1AT mutant Z gene, is a valuable model for this disease. We studied PiZ mice in order to identify and characterize mechanisms involved in the development of HCC. METHODS: Tumor incidence and histology were studied, gene expression levels were surveyed with microarrays, RNA quantified with quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction and protein levels determined with immunoblots and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: By 16-19 months of age, approximately 69% of the PiZ mice had developed tumors. HCC was present with no evidence of benign adenomas as pre-cancerous lesions. Tumors showed abnormal mitochondria, variable levels of steatosis, globular inclusions of alpha1AT mutant Z protein and metastases. PiZ mice that subsequently developed liver tumors had higher serum levels of alpha1AT mutant Z protein than those that did not develop tumors. Cyclin D1, a cell cycle protein, was upregulated in PiZ livers without tumors compared to Wt. cFOS, a component of AP-1 that may be involved in transforming cells and MCAM, an adhesion molecule likely involved in tumorigenesis and metastases, were elevated in tumors compared with livers without tumors. CONCLUSION: In the PiZ model, many of the histological characteristics of HCC recapitulated features seen in human HCC, whether from individuals with homozygous ZZ liver disease or from unrelated causes in individuals that were not homozygous ZZ. The accumulation of mutant Z protein altered the regulation of several genes driving proliferation and tumorigenesis.