Influence of El Niño southern oscillation on precipitation variability in Northeast Thailand.

This study investigates the influence of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on monthly precipitation anomaly (PPTA) in Northeast Thailand using 30 years (1993-2022) data obtained from 27 weather stations of the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD). Pearson correlation analysis elucidates the relationship between ENSO indices and PPTA. Results reveal significant correlations between ENSO indices and PPTA, providing insights into their intricate relationship. La Niña events have a stronger relationship with PPTA than El Niño events, with notable correlations observed.•Strong La Niña phases, PPTA tends to increase across Northeast Thailand when Niño 3, 3.4, and 4 are more strongly negative -0.64, -0.50, and -0.65, respectively. These correlations provide valuable insights into the hydrological influence of ENSO in Thailand.•After the ENSO event, there appears to be a 4-5 month lag period from the impact on PPTA that shows a higher correlation.•Wavelet transform coherence (WTC) analysis dissects the temporal and frequency-specific nature of the relationship between ENSO and PPTA found during the frequency of 2-7 years. These findings underscore the importance of studying regional variations in ENSO impacts for PPTA in Northeast Thailand.

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Coumarin-thiazolotriazole Pharmacophores for SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein through In-vitro and In-silico Evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 significantly impacted human life around the globe. Numerous unexpected modifications of the SARS-CoV-2 genome have resulted in the emergence of new types and have caused great concern globally. METHOD: Inhibitory effects of bioactive phytochemicals derived from natural and synthetic sources are promising for pathogenic viruses. in vitro and in silico techniques were used in the current study to identify novel inhibitors of coumarin clubbed thiazolo[3,2-b][1,2,4]triazoles against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. RESULT: Interestingly, all the tested molecules demonstrated substantial inhibition of spike protein with 91.81-57.90% inhibition. The spike protein was remarkably inhibited by compounds 6k (91.83%), 6j (89.75%), 6m (87.69%),6i (86.60%), 6l (85.40%), 6h (84.70%), 6l (84.70%), 6g (83.40%), 6b (82.60%), 6f (81.90%), while compounds 6d 6a, 6c, and 6e exhibited significant activity against spike protein with 79.60%, 77.10%, 75.30%, and 57.90% inhibition, respectively. The binding mechanism of these novel inhibitors with spike protein was deduced in silico, which reflects that the active molecules firmly bind with the receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike protein, thereby inhibiting its function. CONCLUSION: The combined in vitro and in silico investigations unfold the therapeutic potential of coumarin-thiazolotriazole scaffolds in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Transforming healthcare performance monitoring - A cutting-edge approach with generalized additive profiles: GAMs for healthcare quality monitoring.

Recent findings indicate a growing trend in data analysis within healthcare using statistical process control. However, the diversity of variables involved necessitates the expansion of new process control methodologies. This study examined control chart applications in cardiology by using generalized additive models (GAMs) to construct profiles while involving multiple healthcare variables (08). Two distinct statistics: deviation (D), and Hotelling (T2) were employed for constructing control charts: a commonly used single-variable statistic for nonparametric profiles and an innovative multivariate statistic that assesses the contribution of each element to process changes. These statistics were tested for monitoring ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes in 1-year acute stroke (369) patients at the Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology. Demographic parameters (age, gender), vascular risk factors (diabetes, family history, sleep), socioeconomic variables (smoking, location), and blood pressure are included in the model. The research includes the computation of zero-state average run length (ARL) for assessing the performance of control charts. The characteristics of the proposed profile were analyzed, such as the T2 control chart, performing better than the D chart for medium-to-large shifts (δ ≥ 0.50). On the other hand, for small δ = 0.25, the D control chart produces smaller ARL values but more significant standard deviations. While both statistics contribute to profile monitoring, T2 is more effective at identifying and tracing medium and large shifts. In conclusion, such handy tools may aid healthcare performance monitoring, especially for complicated predictor-response relationships. Monitored profiles demonstrated that GAMs are useful for healthcare analysis and process monitoring.

Food expenditure, income, and mental health: Outcomes from the UK Household Longitudinal Survey.

The incidence of mental health problems is increasing in the United Kingdom and may be associated with lower dietary quality. Food expenditure is a marker of food insecurity with potential implications for mental health. This analysis considers data collected as part of the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Survey (UKHLS), also known as 'Understanding Society' (2009-2021) (N = 388,944) to determine the extent to which food expenditure within and outside the household, is associated with mental health, whilst controlling for demographic factors. Mental health was measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) for which responses were on a 4-point scale and reverse-scored so that a higher score represented more favourable mental health. Household food expenditure and food expenditure outside the home were the outcomes. Controlling for socioeconomic and demographic factors, fixed-effects models indicated that better mental health was associated with greater household food expenditure and with greater food expenditure outside the home and that this association persisted post-lockdown. Among those on lower incomes better mental health was associated with lower food expenditure. When people who identified as white and non-white were modelled separately, better mental health was associated with lower food expenditure within and beyond the household only in those who identified as white. These findings imply that the mental health of people residing in the UK, particularly those on lower incomes and those who identify as white, may benefit from spending less of the household budget on food. In achieving United Nations General Assembly (2012) Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty, hunger and in promoting mental health, policies are needed to render food more affordable and to reduce other aspects of expenditure that impact upon food budgeting.

Design and Evaluation of Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Bio-composite for Site-Specific Oral Delivery of Darifenacin.

Benign hyperplasia (BHP) is a common disorder that affects men over the age of 60 years. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the gold standard for operative treatment, but a range of drugs are also available to improve quality of life and to reduce BHP-associated urinary tract infections and complications. Darifenacin, an anti-muscarinic agent, has been found effective for relieving symptoms of overactive bladder associated with BHP, but the drug has poor solubility and bioavailability, which are major challenges in product development. An inorganic/organic bio-composite with gastric pH-resistant property was synthesized for the targeted oral delivery of Darifenacin to the lower gastrointestinal tract (GIT). This development was accomplished through co-precipitation of calcium carbonate in quince seed-based mucilage. The FTIR, XRD, DSC, and TGA results showed good drug-polymer compatibility, and the SEM images showed calcite formation in the quince hydrogel system. After 72 h, the drug release of 34% and 75% were observed in acidic (0.1N HCl) and 6.8 pH phosphate buffer, respectively. A restricted/less drug was permeated through gastric membrane (21.8%) as compared to permeation through intestinal membrane (65%.) The developed composite showed significant reduction in testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia (2.39 ± 0.12***) as compared to untreated diseased animal group. No sign of organ toxicity was observed against all the developed composites. In this study, we developed an inorganic-organic composite system that is highly biocompatible and effective for targeting the lower GIT, thereby avoiding the first-pass metabolism of darifenacin.

How to decouple tourism growth from carbon emission? A panel data from China and tourist nations.

A pervasive threat regarding human health, ecological balance, progress, and sustainability marks the current era. Many nations are grappling with the consequences of the overabundance of carbon emissions from a wide range of destructive human activities, which is the primary driver of air pollution, global warming, and warming. Thus, while some countries are squandering their riches, others are making great strides to keep the environment clean and green so that future generations may thrive. National governments and policymakers are now focusing a lot of energy on addressing the dangers posed by environmental concerns and the threat of climate change. A very contentious issue in recent years has been the link between environmental change and tourism and its vulnerability. This study focuses on the impact of fluctuating visitor numbers on greenhouse gas emissions, the primary gas responsible for the acceleration of global warming and other environmental changes. Therefore, we look at how the most visited countries' carbon emissions have changed due to increased tourism. The ecological effects of tourism on a regional scale are investigated using a panel data analysis spanning the years 2001-2018 in China, including the top 80 countries. The best-modified assessment methodologies determine the overall, direct, and indirect impact of tourist spending on carbon emissions. The findings demonstrate that CO2 emissions might be reduced by environmental regulation, urbanization, and tourist revenue and that they could be increased through economic expansion, population, and tourism. Due to this distinction, tourists' overall impact is much more harmful than their direct impact. In addition, a U-shape is formed by the direct effects of carbon emissions and a growing economy, and vice versa. Several factors impact environmental regulation, including population density, population growth, pollution, and GDP growth. Spending on infrastructure development and economic expansion also considerably mitigates the impacts of tourism and environmental alteration. The results reveal that a nation's emissions often rise with the expansion of its tourism industry. Still, they begin to decline after certain levels and show that the link between the two has important policy implications.

Pregnancy Establishment and Diagnosis in Livestock.

This comprehensive review explores the complex processes of reproduction, pregnancy establishment, and pregnancy diagnostic methods in cattle, sheep, goats, swine, horses, and camelids. It provides an overview of the history of pregnancy detection and an in-depth exploration of the physiology of pregnancy in livestock. The detection of conceptus tissue and fluids, conceptus-produced hormones, and maternal responses to conceptus signals, crucial for pregnancy diagnosis, are also discussed in detail, as are emerging methods for pregnancy diagnosis in livestock species. Overall, this review emphasizes the direct impact of pregnancy diagnosis and efficient pregnancy management for profitability of livestock enterprises.

An insight into heat stress response and adaptive mechanism in cotton.

The growing worldwide population is driving up demand for cotton fibers, but production is hampered by unpredictable temperature rises caused by shifting climatic conditions. Numerous research based on breeding and genomics have been conducted to increase the production of cotton in environments with high and low-temperature stress. High temperature (HT) is a major environmental stressor with global consequences, influencing several aspects of cotton plant growth and metabolism. Heat stress-induced physiological and biochemical changes are research topics, and molecular techniques are used to improve cotton plants' heat tolerance. To preserve internal balance, heat stress activates various stress-responsive processes, including repairing damaged proteins and membranes, through various molecular networks. Recent research has investigated the diverse reactions of cotton cultivars to temperature stress, indicating that cotton plant adaptation mechanisms include the accumulation of sugars, proline, phenolics, flavonoids, and heat shock proteins. To overcome the obstacles caused by heat stress, it is crucial to develop and choose heat-tolerant cotton cultivars. Food security and sustainable agriculture depend on the application of genetic, agronomic, and, biotechnological methods to lessen the impacts of heat stress on cotton crops. Cotton producers and the textile industry both benefit from increased heat tolerance. Future studies should examine the developmental responses of cotton at different growth stages, emphasize the significance of breeding heat-tolerant cultivars, and assess the biochemical, physiological, and molecular pathways involved in seed germination under high temperatures. In a nutshell, a concentrated effort is required to raise cotton's heat tolerance due to the rising global temperatures and the rise in the frequency of extreme weather occurrences. Furthermore, emerging advances in sequencing technologies have made major progress toward successfully se sequencing the complex cotton genome.

Disrupting protease and deubiquitinase activities of SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease by natural and synthetic products discovered through multiple computational and biochemical approaches.

The single-stranded RNA genome of SARS-CoV-2 encodes several structural and non-structural proteins, among which the papain-like protease (PLpro) is crucial for viral replication and immune evasion and has emerged as a promising therapeutic target. The current study aims to discover new inhibitors of PLpro that can simultaneously disrupt its protease and deubiquitinase activities. Using multiple computational approaches, six compounds (CP1-CP6) were selected from our in-house compounds database, with higher docking scores (-7.97 kcal/mol to -8.14 kcal/mol) and fitted well in the active pocket of PLpro. Furthermore, utilizing microscale molecular dynamics simulations (MD), the dynamic behavior of selected compounds was studied. Those molecules strongly binds at the PLpro active site and forms stable complexes. The dynamic motions suggest that the binding of CP1-CP6 brought the protein to a closed conformational state, thereby altering its normal function. In an in vitro evaluation, CP2 showed the most significant inhibitory potential for PLpro (protease activity = 2.71 ± 0.33 µM and deubiquitinase activity = 3.11 ± 0.75 µM), followed by CP1, CP5, CP4 and CP6. Additionally, CP1-CP6 showed no cytotoxicity at a concentration of 30 µM in the human BJ cell line.

Creation of a predictive calculator to determine adequacy of occlusion of the woven endobridge (WEB) device in intracranial aneurysms-A retrospective analysis of the WorldWide WEB Consortium database.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular treatment with the woven endobridge (WEB) device has been widely utilized for managing intracranial aneurysms. However, predicting the probability of achieving adequate occlusion (Raymond-Roy classification 1 or 2) remains challenging. OBJECTIVE: Our study sought to develop and validate a predictive calculator for adequate occlusion using the WEB device via data from a large multi-institutional retrospective cohort. METHODS: We used data from the WorldWide WEB Consortium, encompassing 356 patients from 30 centers across North America, South America, and Europe. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed on a variety of demographic and clinical factors, from which predictive factors were selected. Calibration and validation were conducted, with variance inflation factor (VIF) parameters checked for collinearity. RESULTS: A total of 356 patients were included: 124 (34.8%) were male, 108 (30.3%) were elderly (≥65 years), and 118 (33.1%) were current smokers. Mean maximum aneurysm diameter was 7.09 mm (SD 2.71), with 112 (31.5%) having a daughter sac. In the multivariate regression, increasing aneurysm neck size (OR 0.706 [95% CI: 0.535-0.929], p = 0.13) and partial aneurysm thrombosis (OR 0.135 [95% CI: 0.024-0.681], p = 0.016) were found to be the only statistically significant variables associated with poorer likelihood of achieving occlusion. The predictive calculator shows a c-statistic of 0.744. Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test indicated a satisfactory model fit with a p-value of 0.431. The calculator is available at: https://neurodx.shinyapps.io/WEBDEVICE/. CONCLUSION: The predictive calculator offers a substantial contribution to the clinical toolkit for estimating the likelihood of adequate intracranial aneurysm occlusion by WEB device embolization.

Assessing the influence of tourism development, via renewable energy and green finance in achieving high-quality economic development.

This study empirically examines the influence of tourism development, renewable energy and green finance (GF) on high-quality economic development. Using data from 33 years of data in China from 1990 to 2022, this study applies Gregory Hansen analysis to investigate the relationships between tourism development (TD), renewable energy (RE), green finance, and high-quality economic development (HQED), and accepts a Spatial auto regressive. This study demonstrates that tourism development plays a crucial role in promoting high-quality economic growth by positively impacting all three of its components. Moreover, the utilization of renewable energy further enhances the beneficial influence of green finance on the promotion of superior economic growth (EG), while also impacting the correlation between foreign direct investment (FDI) and superior economic growth. Our study suggests three policy recommendations for policymakers based on these findings. These recommendations include strengthening the integration of tourism development with GF, establishing an environmental disclosure framework to oversee local governments in enhancing the effectiveness of GF, and implementing medium- and long-term favorable policies as an external intervention strategy to encourage green finance in the private sector.

Initial Experience of Pancreaticoduodenectomy in a Newly Developed Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Unit Serving in a Lower-Middle-Income Country.

Introduction: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is the only potentially curative treatment for pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. This study aimed to determine the short-term outcomes of PD performed over 1 year at a newly established hepato-pancreatico-biliary unit in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained hospital information system (HIS) was undertaken of all patients referred to the unit between May 2021 and August 2022. Data were collected from the medical records of patients in the HIS. Data were analyzed for primary location, age, complications, and operative parameters. Results: The primary sites of disease were ampulla (n = 18, 52.9%), pancreas (n = 11, 32.4%), and duodenum (n = 5, 14.7%). The median duration of surgery was 7 h. 16 (47.1%) patients required blood transfusion either intraoperatively or in the perioperative period. Patients with pre-operative biliary drainage (PBD) were more likely to have multidrug-resistant positive bile cultures with a P-value of 0.2 (n = 12 [35.3%] vs. n = 5 [14.7%]). Overall morbidity was 38.2%. The most common complications were wound infection (n = 12, 35.3%), delayed gastric emptying (n = 6, 17.6%), and type B pancreatic fistula (n = 3, 8.8%). The complication rate was higher in patients with biliary stenting (n = 11 [32.4%] vs. n = 2 [5.9%]; P = 0.06). The median length of hospital stay for patients without complications was less (6 vs. 12 days; P < 0.001). The complication rate was lower in total laparoscopic PD (TLPD) with P = 0.4 (TLPD: 2.9%, open: 23.5%, laparoscopic assisted: 11.8%). 90-day mortality was zero. Conclusion: Short-term outcomes for PD in our facility are comparable to high-volume centers. PBD can significantly increase operative time, hospital stay, and morbidity.

Green hybrid coagulants for water treatment: An innovative approach using alum and bentonite clay combined with eco-friendly plant materials for batch and column adsorption.

Textile industries contribute to water pollution through synthetic dye discharge. This study explores the use of natural bio-coagulants to remove acid dyes from wastewater, investigating factors like pH, coagulant dose, dye concentration, contact time, and temperature for optimal results. The optimum pH and coagulants capabilities of (CAAPP, CAAPH, CBAGL, CBAPP and CBAPH) were 3 (49.6 mg/g), 3 (42.5 mg/g), 3 (38.9 mg/g), 4 (35.7 mg/g), 4 (34.1 mg/g), and 4 (29.4 mg/g) respectively, while treating of selected BRF-221 dyes from water solution. The acidic range (3-4) was found to have the best pH for the maximal coagulation, and the optimal dose were found to be 0.05 g/50 mL. The equilibrium was attained within 45-60 min for all coagulants. After 60 min of shaking, the maximum coagulation capacities (21.9, 21.02, 16.5, 27.9, 25.3, and 23.4 mg/g) of several coagulant composites (CAAGL, CAAPP, CAAPH, CBAGL, CBAPP, CBAPH) were determined. The initial BRF-221 dye concentration in the range of 10-200 mg/L was considered as optimum for gaiting maximum elimination of dye using different coagulants. At a dye value of 100 mg/L of BRF-221, maximal coagulation capacities CAAGL (179.19 mg/g), CAAPP (166.06 mg/g), CAAPH (141.60 mg/g), and CBAGL (126.49 mg/g), CBAPP (113.9 mg/g), CBAPH (93.08 mg/g) were attained. The study found 35 °C to be the optimal temperature for maximum acid dye removal using bio-coagulants. Increasing temperature reduced coagulation capacity, indicating an exothermic process. Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms showed suitability for pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics in biosorption. Thermodynamic parameters were assessed for process feasibility. Effective coagulants demonstrated sensitivity to electrolyte variations. In column studies, adjusting parameters achieved maximum coagulation efficiency for removing BRF-221 dyes. The study successfully applied optimal parameters to remove real textile effluents at a practical scale. SEM, FT-IR, BET and XRD characterized coagulants, providing insights into stability and morphology.

Predictors of Aneurysm Obliteration in Patients Treated with the WEB Device: Results of a Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Despite the numerous studies evaluating the occlusion rates of aneurysms following WEB embolization, there are limited studies identifying predictors of occlusion. Our purpose was to identify predictors of aneurysm occlusion and the need for retreatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a review of a prospectively maintained database across 30 academic institutions. We included patients with previously untreated cerebral aneurysms embolized using the WEB who had available intraprocedural data and long-term follow-up. RESULTS: We studied 763 patients with a mean age of 59.9 (SD, 11.7) years. Complete aneurysm occlusion was observed in 212/726 (29.2%) cases, and contrast stasis was observed in 485/537 (90.3%) of nonoccluded aneurysms. At the final follow-up, complete occlusion was achieved in 497/763 (65.1%) patients, and retreatment was required for 56/763 (7.3%) patients. On multivariable analysis, history of smoking, maximal aneurysm diameter, and the presence of an aneurysm wall branch were negative predictors of complete occlusion (OR, 0.5, 0.8, and 0.4, respectively). Maximal aneurysm diameter, the presence of an aneurysm wall branch, posterior circulation location, and male sex increase the chances of retreatment (OR, 1.2, 3.8, 3.0, and 2.3 respectively). Intraprocedural occlusion resulted in a 3-fold increase in the long-term occlusion rate and a 5-fold decrease in the retreatment rate (P < .001), offering a specificity of 87% and a positive predictive value of 85% for long-term occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: Intraprocedural occlusion can be used to predict the chance of long-term aneurysm occlusion and the need for retreatment after embolization with a WEB device. Smoking, aneurysm size, and the presence of an aneurysm wall branch are associated with decreased chances of successful treatment.

Endovascular Treatment for Complex Vascular Pathologies in the Pediatric Population: Experience from a Center with Dual-Trained Neurosurgeons.

OBJECTIVE: Endovascular treatment of complex vascular pathologies in the pediatric population is often performed by nonpediatric subspecialists with adaptation of equipment and techniques developed for adult patients. We aimed to report our center's experience with safety and outcomes of endovascular treatments for pediatric vascular pathologies. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of our endovascular database. All patients ≤18 years who underwent endovascular treatment between January 1, 2004 and December 1, 2022 were included. RESULTS: During the study time frame, 118 cerebral angiograms were performed for interventional purposes in 55 patients. Of these patients, 8(14.5%) had intracranial aneurysms, 21(38.2%) had intracranial arteriovenous malformations, 6(10.9%) had tumors, 5(9.1%) had arterial occlusions (n = 3) or dissections (n = 2), 8(14.5%) had vein of Galen malformations, and 7(12.7%) had other cerebrovascular conditions. Of the total 118 procedures, access-site complications occurred in 2(1.7%), intraprocedural complications occurred in 3(2.5%), and transient neurological deficits were observed after 2(1.7%). Treatment-related mortality occurred in 1(1.8%) patient. CONCLUSIONS: Neurointervention in pediatric patients was safe and effective in our experience.

Integrated assessment of groundwater quality dynamics and Land use/land cover changes in rapidly urbanizing semi-arid region.

Rapid urbanization worldwide, poses numerous environmental challenges between escalating land use land cover (LULC) changes and groundwater quality dynamics. The main objective of this study was to investigate the dynamics of groundwater quality and LULC changes in Sargodha district, Punjab, Pakistan. Groundwater hydrochemistry reveals acceptable pH levels (<8) but total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC) and HCO3- showed dynamic fluctuations by exceeding WHO limits. Piper diagrams, indicated dominance by magnesium and bicarbonate types, underscoring the influence of natural processes and anthropogenic activities. Major ion relationships in 2010, 2015, and 2021 showed a high correlation (R2 > 0.85) between Na+ and Cl-, suggesting salinization. whereas, the poor correlation (<0.17) between Ca2+ and HCO3- does not support calcite dissolution as the primary process affecting groundwater composition. The examination of nitrate contamination in groundwater across the years 2010, 2015, and 2021 was found to be high in the municipal sewage zone, suggesting a prevailing issue of nitrate contamination attributed to urban activities. The Nitrate Pollution Index (NPI) reveals a concerning trend, with a higher proportion of samples classified under moderate to high pollution categories in 2015 and 2021 compared to 2010. The qualitative assessment of nitrate concentration on spatiotemporal scale showed lower values in 2010 while a consistent rise from 2015 to 2021 in north-east and western parts of district. Likewise, NPI was high in the north-eastern and south-western regions in 2010, then reduced in subsequent years, which may be attributed to effective waste management practices and alterations in agricultural practices. The health risk assessment of 2010 indicated Total Health Hazard Quotient (THQ) within the standard limit, while in 2015 and 2021, elevated health risk was observed. This study emphasizes the need to use multiple approaches to groundwater management for sustainable land use planning and regulations that prioritize groundwater quality conservation.

Risk Factors of Kidney Stones in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Renal calculi, commonly known as kidney stones, affect approximately 12% of the global population, often resulting in mild to severe pain and complications such as infection and renal failure. The causes are multifactorial, involving lifestyle factors, genetic predisposition, and various medical conditions. Despite advancements in treatment, the incidence of kidney stones is on the rise, especially in regions like Asia's stone belt, which includes Pakistan as well. This study investigates the risk factors associated with kidney stones in patients at the Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan, with the goal of informing healthcare policymakers and educating patients to reduce the prevalence and economic burden of the disease in the region. Methods Over a four-month period, 173 patients admitted to the department with confirmed urolithiasis were recruited using a consensus sampling technique. Inclusion criteria were adults aged 18 or older residing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Exclusion criteria included pregnancy, incomplete medical records, secondary causes of renal stones, and unwillingness to participate. Data on socio-demographic factors, clinical history, and lifestyle habits were collected through structured interviews. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS software version 23 (IBM Inc, Armonk, New York). Results The study findings indicate that kidney stones were notably prevalent among patients aged 31 to 45 years, with 85 cases identified, comprising 49.1% of the study participants. Furthermore, a significant proportion of affected individuals were males, accounting for 94 cases (54.3%). Those with primary schooling or lower education comprised 106 cases (61.3%), and 124 individuals (71.7%) had lower socioeconomic status. Overweight individuals constituted 81 cases (45.8%) of the total. The study also found a considerable prevalence among residents of rural areas, with 128 cases identified (74.0%). Additionally, 104 cases (60.1%) had a personal history of renal stones. Insufficient water intake was prevalent among 122 individuals (70.5%), while daily consumers of more than one cup of tea also exhibited a higher prevalence, with 97 cases identified (56.1%). Lastly, individuals with a high sodium diet were notably affected, with 112 cases (64.7%) recorded. Conclusion In summary, individuals aged 31-45, males, those residing in rural areas, with lower educational and socioeconomic status, insufficient water intake, a diet high in sodium, personal history of kidney stones, and overweight are at higher risk of urolithiasis. Public education on preventive measures is essential to decrease the incidence of kidney stones and enhance quality of life.

A Theoretical Investigation for Exploring the Potential Performance of Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells Through Side-Chain Engineering Having Diphenylamino Groups to Enhance Photovoltaic Properties.

The development of ecofriendly fabrication phenomenon is essential requirement for commercialization of non-fullerene acceptors. Recently, end-capped modeling is employed for computational design of five non-fullerene acceptors to elevate various photovoltaic properties. All new molecules are formulated by altering the peripheral acceptors of CH3-2F and DFT methodology is employed to explore the opto-electronic, morphological and charge transfer analysis. From the computational investigation, all reported molecules manifested red shifted absorption with remarkable reduced band gap. Among investigated molecules, FA1-FA3 evinced effectively decreased value of band gaps and designed molecules have low excitation energy justifying proficient charge transference. The lower values of binding energy of FA1 and FA2 suggest their facile exciton dissociation leading to improved charge mobility. By blending with J61 donor, FA4 have sufficiently enhanced value of VOC (1.72 eV) and fill factor (0.9228). Energy loss of the model (R) is 0.57 eV and statistical calculation demonstrate that all our modified molecules except FA3 has profoundly reduced energy loss compelling in its pivotal utilization. From accessible supportive outcomes of recent investigation, it is recommended that our modified chromophore exhibit remarkable noteworthy applications in solar cells for forthcoming innovations.

Hydrological model parameter regionalization: Runoff estimation using machine learning techniques in the Tha Chin River Basin, Thailand.

Understanding hydrological processes necessitates the use of modeling techniques due to the intricate interactions among environmental factors. Estimating model parameters remains a significant challenge in runoff modeling for ungauged catchments. This research evaluates the Soil and Water Assessment Tool's capacity to simulate hydrological behaviors in the Tha Chin River Basin with an emphasis on runoff predictions from the regionalization of hydrological parameters of the gauged basin, Mae Khlong River Basin. Historical data of Mae Khlong River Basin from 1993 to 2017 were utilized for calibration, followed by validation using data from 2018 to 2022. •Calibration results showed the SWAT model's reasonable accuracy, with R² = 0.85, and the validation with R² of 0.64, indicating a satisfactory match between observed and simulated runoff.•Utilizing Machine Learning (ML) techniques for parameter regionalization revealed nuanced differences in model performance. The Random Forest (RF) model exhibited an R² of 0.60 and the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) model slightly improved upon RF, showing an R² of 0.61 while the Support Vector Machine (SVM) model demonstrated the highest overall performance, with an R² of 0.63.•This study highlights the effectiveness of the SWAT and ML techniques in predicting runoff for ungauged catchments, emphasizing their potential to enhance hydrological modeling accuracy. Future research should focus on integrating these methodologies in various basins and improving data collection for better model performance.