Global contribution of statistical control charts to epidemiology monitoring: A 23-year analysis with optimized EWMA real-life application on COVID-19.

Control charts help epidemiologists and healthcare professionals monitor disease incidence and prevalence in real time, preventing outbreaks and health emergencies. However, there remains a notable gap in the comprehensive exploration and application of these techniques, particularly in the context of monitoring and managing disease outbreaks. This study analyses and categorizes worldwide control chart applications from 2000 to 2023 in outbreak monitoring in over 20 countries, focusing on corona-virus (COVID-19), and chooses optimal control charts for monitoring US COVID-19 death waves from February 2020 to December 2023. The systematic literature review analyzes available 35 articles, categorizing data by year, variable, country, study type, and chart design. A selected optimal chart is applied to monitor COVID-19 death patterns and waves in the USA. Control chart adoption in epidemiology monitoring increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, with annual patterns showing a rise in 2021 to 2023 (18%, 36%, 41%). Important variables from 2000 to 2019 include influenza counts, Salmonella cases, and infection rates, while COVID-19 studies focus more on cases, infection rates, symptoms, and deaths. Among 22 countries, the USA (29%) is the top applier of control charts. The monitoring of USA COVID-19 deaths reveals 8 waves with varying severity  >  >  >  >  >  >  > . The associated with the JN.1 variant, highlights ongoing challenges. This study emphasizes the significance of control charts in outbreak monitoring for early disease diagnosis and intervention. Control charts help healthcare workers manage epidemics using data-driven methods, improving public health. COVID-19 mortality analysis emphasizes their importance, encouraging worldwide use.

Minimization of heavy metal toxicity in radish (Raphanus sativus) by strigolactone and biochar.

Due to the high solubility of Cd in water, it is considered a potential toxin which can cause cancer in humans. In plants, it is associated with the development of oxidative stress due to the generation of reactive oxygen species. To overcome this issue, the roles of different plant hormones are vital. Strigolactones, one of such natural plant hormones, show promise in alleviating cadmium toxicity by mitigating its harmful effects. Acidified biochar (AB) can also effectively mitigate cadmium toxicity via ion adsorption and pH buffering. However, the combined effects of strigolactone and AB still need in-depth investigations in the context of existing literature. This study aimed to assess the individual and combined impacts of SLs (0 and 25 µM) and AB (0 and 0.75% w/w) on radish growth under Cd toxicity, i.e., 0 and 20 mg Cd/kg soil. Using a fully randomized design (CRD), each treatment was administered in four replicates. In comparison to the control under 20 mg Cd/kg soil contamination, the results showed that 25 µM strigolactone + 0.75% AB significantly improved the following: radish shoot length (~ 17%), root length (~ 47%), plant fresh weight (~ 28%), plant dry weight (~ 96%), chlorophyll a (~ 43%), chlorophyll b (~ 31%), and total chlorophyll (~ 37%). It was also noted that 0.75% AB was more pronounced in decreasing antioxidant activities than 25 µM strigolactone under 20 mg Cd/ kg soil toxicity. However, performing 25 µM strigolactone + 0.75% AB was far better than the sole application of 25 µM strigolactone and 0.75% AB in decreasing antioxidant activities in radish plants. In conclusion, by regulating antioxidant activities, 25 µM strigolactone + 0.75% AB can increase radish growth in cadmium-contaminated soils.

Geographic conditions impact the relationship between plant phenology and phylogeny.

Plant phenology is influenced by a combined effect of phylogeny and climate, although it is yet unclear how these two variables work together to change phenology. We synthesized 107 previously published studies to examine whether phenological changes were impacted by both phylogeny and climate changes in various geographical settings globally. Phenological observation data from 52,463 plant species at 71 sites worldwide revealed that 90 % of phenological records showed phylogenetic conservation. i.e., closely related species exhibited similar phenology. To explore the significant and non-significant phylogenetic conservation between plant phenophases, our dataset comprises 5,47,000 observation records from the four main phenophases (leaf bud, leaf, flower, and fruit). Three-dimensional geographical distribution (altitude, latitude, and longitude) data analysis revealed that plant phenology may exhibit phylogenetic signals at finer special scales (optimal environmental conditions) that vanish in high altitude and latitude regions. Additionally, climatic sensitivity analysis suggested that phylogenetic signals were associated with plant phenophases and were stronger in the regions of ideal temperature (7-18 °C) and photoperiod (10-14 h) and weaker in harsh climatic conditions. These results show that phylogenetic conservation in plant phenological traits is frequently influenced by the interaction of harsh climatic conditions and geographical ranges. This meta-analysis enhances our knowledge of predicting species responses over geographic gradients under varied climatic conditions.

A study on assessing the toxic effects of ethyl paraben on rohu (Labeo rohita) using different biomarkers; hemato-biochemical assays, histology, oxidant and antioxidant activity and genotoxicity.

Parabens are being used as preservatives due to their antifungal and antimicrobial effects. They are emerging as aquatic pollutants due to their excessive use in many products. The purpose of this study was to determine the toxic effect of ethyl paraben (C9H10O3) on the hematobiochemical, histological, oxidative, and anti-oxidant enzymatic and non-enzymatic activity; the study also evaluates the potential of ethyl paraben to cause genotoxicity in Rohu Labeo rohita. A number of 15 fish with an average weight of 35.45±1.34g were placed in each group and exposed to ethyl paraben for 21 days. Three different concentrations of ethyl paraben, i.e., T1 (2000µg/L), T2 (4000 µg/L), andT3 (6000 µg/L) on which fish were exposed as compared to the control T0 (0.00 µg/L). Blood was used for hematobiochemical and comet assay. Gills, kidneys, and liver were removed for histological alterations. The results showed a significant rise in all hemato-biochemical parameters such as RBCs, WBCs, PLT count, blood sugar, albumin, globulin, and cholesterol. An increase in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels directed the hepatocytic damage. Histological alterations in the liver, gills and kidneys of fish were found. Ethylparaben induces oxidative stress by suppressing antioxidant enzyme activity such as SOD, GSH, CAT and POD. Based on the comet assay, DNA damage was also observed in blood cells, resulting in genotoxicity. Findings from the present study indicate that ethyl paraben induces hemato-biochemical alterations, tissue damage, oxidative stress, and genotoxicity.

Phylogenetic conservation in plant phenological traits varies between temperate and subtropical climates in China.

Phenological traits, such as leaf and flowering dates, are proven to be phylogenetically conserved. The relationship between phylogenetic conservation, plant phenology, and climatic factors remains unknown. Here, we assessed phenological features among flowering plants as evidence for phylogenetic conservatism, the tendency for closely related species to share similar ecological and biological attributes. We use spring phenological traits data from 1968-2018 of 65 trees and 49 shrubs in Xi'an (temperate climate) and Guiyang (subtropical climate) to understand plant phenological traits' relationship with phylogeny. Molecular datasets are employed in evolutionary models to test the phylogenetic conservatism in spring phenological characteristics in response to climate-sensitive phenological features. Significant phylogenetic conservation was found in the Xi'an plant's phenological traits, while there was a non-significant conservation in the Guiyang plant species. Phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) models correlate with phenological features significantly in Xi'an while non-significantly in Guiyang. Based on the findings of molecular dating, it was suggested that the Guiyang species split off from their relatives around 46.0 mya during the middle Eocene of the Tertiary Cenozoic Era, while Xi'an species showed a long evolutionary history and diverged from their relatives around 95 mya during the late Cretaceous Mesozoic Era. First leaf dates (FLD) indicative of spring phenology, show that Xi'an adjourned the case later than Guiyang. Unlike FLD, first flower dates (FFD) yield different results as Guiyang flowers appear later than Xi'an's. Our research revealed that various factors, including phylogeny, growth form, and functional features, influenced the diversity of flowering phenology within species in conjunction with local climate circumstances. These results are conducive to understanding evolutionary conservation mechanisms in plant phenology concerning evolutionary processes in different geographical and climate zones.

Effect of carboxymethyl cellulose and gibberellic acid-enriched biochar on osmotic stress tolerance in cotton.

The deleterious impact of osmotic stress, induced by water deficit in arid and semi-arid regions, poses a formidable challenge to cotton production. To protect cotton farming in dry areas, it's crucial to create strong plans to increase soil water and reduce stress on plants. The carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), gibberellic acid (GA3) and biochar (BC) are individually found effective in mitigating osmotic stress. However, combine effect of CMC and GA3 with biochar on drought mitigation is still not studied in depth. The present study was carried out using a combination of GA3 and CMC with BC as amendments on cotton plants subjected to osmotic stress levels of 70 (70 OS) and 40 (40 OS). There were five treatment groups, namely: control (0% CMC-BC and 0% GA3-BC), 0.4%CMC-BC, 0.4%GA3-BC, 0.8%CMC-BC, and 0.8%GA3-BC. Each treatment was replicated five times with a completely randomized design (CRD). The results revealed that 0.8 GA3-BC led to increase in cotton shoot fresh weight (99.95%), shoot dry weight (95.70%), root fresh weight (73.13%), and root dry weight (95.74%) compared to the control group under osmotic stress. There was a significant enhancement in cotton chlorophyll a (23.77%), chlorophyll b (70.44%), and total chlorophyll (35.44%), the photosynthetic rate (90.77%), transpiration rate (174.44%), and internal CO2 concentration (57.99%) compared to the control group under the 40 OS stress. Thus 0.8GA3-BC can be potential amendment for reducing osmotic stress in cotton cultivation, enhancing agricultural resilience and productivity.

Naturally manufactured biochar materials based sensor electrode for the electrochemical detection of polystyrene microplastics.

In recent times, microplastics have become a disturbance to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and the ingestion of these particles can have severe consequences for wildlife, aquatic organisms, and even humans. In this study, two types of biochars were manufactured through the carbonization of naturally found starfish (SF-1) and aloevera (AL-1). The produced biochars were utilized as sensing electrode materials for the electrochemical detection of ∼100 nm polystyrene microplastics (PS). SF-1 and AL-1 based biochars were thoroughly analyzed in terms of morphology, structure, and composition. The detection of microplastics over biochar based electrodes was carried out by electrochemical studies. From electrochemical results, SF-1 based electrode exhibited the detection efficiency of ∼0.2562 µA/µM∙cm2 with detection limit of ∼0.44 nM whereas, a high detection efficiency of ∼3.263 µA/µM∙cm2 was shown by AL-1 based electrode and detection limit of ∼0.52 nM for PS (100 nm) microplastics. Process contributed to enhancing the sensitivity of AL-1 based electrode might associate to the presence of metal-carbon framework over biochar's surfaces. The AL-1 biochar electrode demonstrated excellent repeatability and detection stability for PS microplastics, suggesting the promising potential of AL-1 biochar for electrochemical microplastics detection.

Role of safety-specific transformational leadership in fostering extra-role behaviors through psychological contract fulfillment among frontline workers during COVID-19.

Objectives. The emergence of COVID-19 has drastically changed the safety outlook of how the work world is viewed by leaders and followers. In this backdrop, the current study aimed at extending the safety leadership literature in the context of organizations operating in crisis situations by investigating the impact of safety-specific transformational leadership on the followers' extra-role behaviors through the mediation of psychological contract fulfillment. Methods. Using a time-lagged and multisource design, data were collected from 384 frontline rescue and healthcare workers dealing with COVID-19-related situations. Results. Results revealed that safety-specific transformational leadership behavior positively affects extra-role behaviors of frontline employees by enhancing their innovative work behavior, knowledge sharing behavior and organizational citizenship behavior. Also, psychological contract fulfillment plays a bridging role in translating the impact of safety-specific transformational leadership behavior on extra-role behaviors. Conclusion. The followers working in an unsafe context view the safety concern of their leader as a fulfillment of their unwritten expectations from their employers. Implications of these findings along with limitations and future research directions are also delineated.

Histotoxicity induced by copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) on developing mice (Mus musculus).

The wide range of applications of nanoparticles (NPs) in various industries have led to serious consequences in terms of teratogenic toxicity. The aim of current work was to evaluate the teratogenic effects of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles in albino mice.In this experimental study, after mating, inseminated 40 female mice were divided randomly into 4 pools (1 control and 3 experimental), ten each. Doses were administered intravenously (We followed the protocol by Yaqub et al. (2018), intravenous application is faster route as compared to oral dosage)to all the experimental groups on the 6th day of gestation (GD), dose concentrations were 200, 133.3 and 100 mg/kg body weights respectively.The doses were prepared in sequence (1/2, 1/3, 1/4 0f LD50) according to already published work. The effects of CuO-NPs show linear relationship with the above sequence. The control group was administered only with distilled water.The gravid females were sacrificed through cervical disruption at the 18th day of gestation, fetuses were removed and divided into four sets (pools) for morphometric, morphological and histological studies. Data were subjected to statistical analysis by using Tukey's test in light of ANOVA at p < 0.05 level of significance. Findings of the present study showed that CuO-NPs various concentrations affect developmental abnormalities i.e.runt embryos, resorbed uteri, exencephaly, hygroma, macroglossia, micromelia, open eye, omphalocoel, scoliosis, kyphosis and kinked tail. It is concluded that exposure to CuO-NPs may potentially lead to the developmental deformities in mice.

Enhancing maize productivity by mitigating alkaline soil challenges through acidified biochar and wastewater irrigation.

In alkaline soil conditions, the availability of essential nutrients for plant growth becomes limited, posing a significant challenge for achieving optimal maize growth and yield. Exploring the impact of biochar and waste irrigation on soil alkalinity and maize production in arid regions has received limited attention. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of three levels of acidified biochar (0, 5, and 10 Mg ha-1) in two growing seasons of maize-spring and autumn. The treatments were applied following a randomized complete block design with three replications. Biochar was applied only in the autumn season, and its residual effects were evaluated in the spring season. The study found that using acidifying biochar at a rate of 10 Mg ha-1 significantly increased maize yield by 35.8% compared to no application and by 16.4% compared to a rate of 5 Mg ha-1. In the autumn, applying acidified biochar at 10 Mg ha-1 reduced soil pH by 3.65% and 6.41% compared to 0 and 5 Mg ha-1. In the spring, the same application led to a decrease in soil pH by 5.84% and 7.37% compared to the lower rates. Additionally, using 10 Mg ha-1 of acidifying biochar increased soil phosphorus concentration by 87.6% and soil potassium concentration by 38.0% compared to not using biochar, and by 46.2% and 35.0% compared to the 5 Mg ha-1 application. These findings suggest that the reduction of soil pH by applying biochar at a rate of 10 Mg ha-1 facilitated an increase in nutrient availability in the soil, consequently leading to higher maize yield. Notably, no significant differences were observed in maize productivity and soil properties between the spring and autumn seasons. Therefore, this study paves the way for further exploration into the long-term effects of acidifying biochar on maize productivity and soil properties in similar agroecological contexts.

Metric and fault-tolerant metric dimension for GeSbTe superlattice chemical structure.

The concept of metric dimension has many applications, including optimizing sensor placement in networks and identifying influential persons in social networks, which aids in effective resource allocation and focused interventions; finding the source of a spread in an arrangement; canonically labeling graphs; and inserting typical information in low-dimensional Euclidean spaces. In a graph G, the set S⊆V(G) of minimum vertices from which all other verticescan be uniquely determined by the distances to the vertices in S is called the resolving set. The cardinality of the resolving set is called the metric dimension. The set S is called fault-tolerant resolving set if S\{v} is still a resolving set of G. The minimum cardinality of such a set S is called fault-tolerant metric dimension of G. GeSbTe super lattice is the latest chemical compound to have electronic material that is capable of non-volatile storing phase change memories with minimum energy usage. In this work, we calculate the resolving set (fault tolerant resolving set) to find the metric dimension(fault-tolerant metric dimension) for the molecular structure of the GeSbTe lattice. The results may be useful in comparing network structure and categorizing the structure of the GeSbTe lattice.

Morphometry and food preference in relation to sex and hematological values of Eurasian collared dove (Streptotella decaocto).

Objective: The study investigated the gut content and recorded morphometric and hematological parameters in the Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto). Materials and Methods: 24 samples of healthy birds (12 from each sex) were collected from different wetlands in Punjab, Pakistan, from December 2022 until February 2023. Birds were captured live for blood samples, morphometric, and gut analyses. Results: The current study revealed that mensural measurements showed no significant differences in all parameters except tail length, which was significantly longer in males (14.59 ± 0.30) compared to females (12.88 ± 0.43). Hematological parameters were hemoglobin, 23.95 gm/dl; red blood cells, 3.97 × 106/µl; white blood cells, 429.9.67 × 103/µl; hematocrit, 72.14%; mean corpuscular volume, 183.24 FL; mean corpuscular hemoglobin, 61.70 pg; mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, 32.37 pg; platelets, 7.01/µl; and red cell distribution width, 110.86/µl. The percentages of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils were 71.33%, 23.03%, 3.30%, and 1.43%, respectively. The gut content of the Eurasian collared dove mainly consisted of rice, wheat, corn, and millet seeds. Some stony materials were also present. Conclusion: Our study concluded that male and female Eurasian collared doves are alike in biometrics (except tail length) and hematological profiles. Gut content and weight were also similar. Males were slightly larger than females. The gut content showed that the Eurasian collared dove mainly feeds on rice, wheat, corn, and millet seeds. In this study, hematological parameters were also studied.

Effects of Poultry Manure on the Growth, Physiology, Yield, and Yield-Related Traits of Maize Varieties.

Industries play a significant role in the improvement of lifestyle and in the development of a country. However, the byproducts from these industries are a source of environmental pollution. The proper use of the byproducts of these industries can help to cope with environmental pollution. Some byproducts have high nutritional content and are good for crop plants. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of different rates of poultry manure on the soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of maize. A pot experiment was conducted in the botanical garden of the Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Pakistan to investigate the effect of various treatments of poultry manure (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 g/pot) on the morphological, physiological, and yield attributes of two maize varieties, Pearl and MMRI. Treatment T1 was a mixture of soil and 75 g/pot poultry manure, T2 was a mixture of soil and 50 g/pot poultry manure, T3 was a mixture of soil and 25 g/pot poultry manure, and T4 was 100 g/pot poultry manure. Soil without any industrial byproduct (100% soil only) was used as the control (T0). The results revealed that the use of poultry manure enhanced the physical properties of the soil. Available P and soil organic matter were improved in soil amended with poultry manure. It is evident from the results that the vegetative growth of both maize varieties was significantly enhanced by growing in soil amended with poultry manure as compared to their respective control. Similar responses were also recorded for the physiological attributes of leaf area, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency of both varieties. Yield and yield-contributing traits of both maize varieties were significantly improved by growing plants in soil amended with 50 and 75 g/pot of poultry manure. It is also inferred that the use of 50 g/pot poultry manure in soil amendment is an eco-friendly and economically effective option for maize growers of arid and semiarid regions to enhance the kernel yield and profit per annum. Poultry manure could be useful to ameliorate the adverse effects of salinity stress on all parameters, particularly the grain yield. Furthermore, this would be a useful and economical method for the safe disposal of byproducts.

Assessment of thermokinetic behaviour of tannery sludge in slow pyrolysis process through artificial neural network.

In the leather industry, tannery sludge is produced in large volume. This study investigated the thermal degradation behavior of tannery sludge using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The experiments were carried out in an inert atmosphere using nitrogen gas at varied heating rates of 5, 10, 20, and 40 °C/min in the temperature range of 30-900 °C. For the kinetic parameters calculation, three different models, Friedman, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and the Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW), were employed. The average activation energy (Ea) obtained from Friedman, KAS, and the OFW methods were 130.9 kJ mol-1, 143.14 kJ mol-1, and 147.19 kJ mol-1 respectively. Along with that, experiment of pyrolysis was accomplished in fixed bed reactor (FBR) at temperature of 400 °C. Biochar produced from FBR had a yield of about 71%. The analysis of gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy shows the different chemical compounds present in the bio-oil containing hydrocarbons (alkanes and alkenes), oxygen containing compounds (alcohols, aldehyde, ketones, esters carboxylic acids and the esters) and the nitrogen containing compounds. The kinetic assessment was complemented by distributed activation energy model (DAEM). In the pyrolysis of tannery sludge six pseudo-components were found to be involved. Furthermore, artificial neural network (ANN) was used to predict the activation energy from conversion, temperature, and the heating rate data. MLP-3-11-1 (Multilayer Perceptrons) described well the conversion behavior of tannery sludge pyrolysis.

Seasonal variation in non-point source heavy metal pollution in Satpara Lake and its toxicity in trout fish.

Heavy metal contamination in surface water is widespread throughout the world as a result of numerous anthropogenic activities and geo-genic mechanisms. This contamination is also affecting aquatic life, as fish have the potential to acquire heavy metals in their tissues making them vulnerable. Worldwide lakes are an important source of water for the inhabitants of the area. So, in the present study, we have focused on the Satpara Lake to check the extent of heavy metal pollution and their accumulation in fish to provide baseline data for metal pollution management. Samples were collected from three locations (inflow, center, and outflow sites) during two seasons (summer and winter). Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was applied to analyze heavy metals concentration. Among the metals, Cd, Pb, As, and Fe revealed relatively higher concentrations. The highest concentration of heavy metal found in water and fish was of Cd, i.e., 8.87 mg L-1 and 18.19 mg L-1 in summer season, respectively. Arsenic concentration was also higher than the permissible limits in both water (0.76) and fish (1.17 mg L-1). The water quality assessment showed that in the summer season, the HPI (heavy metal pollution index) value 253.01 was more than 100, indicating the bad quality of water for drinking purposes. However, the HPI value 35.72 was less than 100 in winter. Toxicity hazard calculation of fish in summer seasons gives Hi values greater than 10.0, indicating the acute effect on human health as compared to winter.

Nanobiochar Associated Ammonia Emission Mitigation and Toxicity to Soil Microbial Biomass and Corn Nutrient Uptake from Farmyard Manure.

The unique properties of NB, such as its nano-size effect and greater adsorption capacity, have the potential to mitigate ammonia (NH3) emission, but may also pose threats to soil life and their associated processes, which are not well understood. We studied the influence of different NB concentrations on NH3 emission, soil microbial biomass, nutrient mineralization, and corn nutrient uptake from farmyard manure (FM). Three different NB concentrations i.e., 12.5 (NB1), 25 (NB2), and 50% (NB3), alone and in a fertilizer mixture with FM, were applied to corn. NB1 alone increased microbial biomass in soil more than control, but other high NB concentrations did not influence these parameters. In fertilizer mixtures, NB2 and NB3 decreased NH3 emission by 25% and 38%, respectively, compared with FM alone. Additionally, NB3 significantly decreased microbial biomass carbon, N, and soil potassium by 34%, 36%, and 14%, respectively, compared with FM. This toxicity to soil parameters resulted in a 21% decrease in corn K uptake from FM. Hence, a high NB concentration causes toxicity to soil microbes, nutrient mineralization, and crop nutrient uptake from the FM. Therefore, this concentration-dependent toxicity of NB to soil microbes and their associated processes should be considered before endorsing NB use in agroecosystems.

Acute myocardial infarction after a negative Dobutamine stress echocardiogram in a patient with end-stage liver disease.

Dobutamine stress echocardiogram (DSE) is generally a safe and reliable test for detection of myocardial ischaemia. We report the case of a 43-year-old male with end-stage liver disease (ESLD), who underwent DSE as part of workup for liver transplantation. Although the patient had an uneventful negative DSE, within 45 minutes he developed inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). His coronary angiography showed severe 2-vessel coronary artery disease, which was treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with implantation of drug-eluting stents (DES). Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after a normal DSE has previously been reported in the literature. We describe one such case, with added complexity of managing an ACS in a patient with high bleeding risk. Our case is unique in reporting a STEMI after a negative DSE in a liver transplant recipient. Increased physician awareness of potential complications of DSE is essential to allow timely recognition and management.