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In this study, alterations in behavior, oxidative stress, and related gene expressions, as well as histopathological changes in the brain, of zebrafish were evaluated following exposure to cadmium chloride and mercury chloride alone and in combination for 21 days. In the light–dark preference test, the time spent in the dark side and numbers of entries in the light side by zebrafish of all toxicity groups compared to those of control were significantly higher and lower, respectively. In novel tank test, times spent in the lower zone by zebrafish of toxicity groups were at par but significantly higher compared to those of the control group, which indicate the development of anxiety-like behavior in all toxicity groups. Zebrafish exposed to Cd + Hg showed significant downregulation of Nrf2 mRNA expression (Nrf2— protein that is responsible for the expression of antioxidant proteins) in the brain compared to other toxicity groups. The downregulation of Nrf2 plays a crucial role in cellular oxidative damage in the brain of zebrafish. The glutathione level of the brain was significantly decreased in Cd and Cd + Hg-exposed fish. However, the malondialdehyde level of the brain was significantly higher in Hg and Cd + Hg groups. Significant microscopic pathological changes were noticed in the olfactory bulb, corpus cerebelli, and optic tectum of zebrafish of all toxicity groups. The Cd + Hg-exposed group showed severe changes in periventricular gray zone of optic tectum. Significant synergistic toxicity in the brain was not observed following simultaneous exposure of Cd and Hg in zebrafish.

This study examines the effect of heat production and radiation absorption on the magnetohydrodynamic Casson fluid flow at the stagnation point in a porous medium. We convert the group of fluid flow equations, which are non-linear partial differential equations with suitable boundary constraints, into a set of non-linear ordinary differential equations using similarity transformations. The homotopy analysis method (HAM) solves the converted system of ordinary differential equations. We draw graphs for numerous values of non-dimensional parameters and tables of surface drag force, rates of heat transfer, and mass transfer to analyze the relationship between velocity field, temperature field, concentration field, and other essential parameters involved in the study. We have proven that the Dufour number, radiation parameter, and heat generation parameter elevate the fluid temperature, whereas the magnetic parameter lowers it. The Casson fluid parameter, buoyancy force parameter, and mixed convection parameter all promote fluid movement throughout the flow field. The presented tabular data allows us to see the trend of heat and mass transfer rates, as well as drag force rates, against important parameters, enhancing our understanding of these rates.

In the present work, 224 adult female zebrafish (56 fish in each group) were randomly divided into four groups (two control groups and two toxicity groups) as per duration of exposure (7 and 21 days). All fish of the two toxicity groups were exposed to 0.610 mM acrylamide (ACR) concentration for 7 and 21 days. The effects of ACR exposure on behavior, oxidative stress biomarkers, molecular expression of antioxidant genes ( sod , cat , and nrf2 ), and histopathological examination of the brain and eye were examined. Our result shows that ACR exposure for 7 days produced an anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish. Short-term exposure of ACR resulted in alterations of oxidative stress markers (SOD and CAT activity, and the level of GSH and MDA) in the brain and eye of zebrafish. However, the antioxidant defense system of adult female zebrafish could be able to counteract the free radicals generated in long-term ACR exposure as indicated by non-significant difference in oxidative insult following short-term and long-term exposure. ACR exposure downregulated the mRNA expression of the sod , cat , and nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2) genes in the brain and eye without significant difference between the two toxicity groups. Mild histological changes in the dorsal telencephalic area, tectum opticum, medulla, and hypothalamus area of the brain of zebrafish have been observed following short-term and long-term ACR exposure. In the eye, marked histological changes in the retinal pigmented epithelium layer (RPE), structural changes of the photoreceptor layer (PRL) with disorganized layer of rods and cones, and reduction of the relative thickness of the RPE, PRL, outer nuclear layer (ONL), and inner nuclear layer (INL) have been noted following ACR exposure for 21 days as compared to 7 days. ACR produced neurobehavioral aberrations and oxidative stress within 7 days of exposure, while various histological changes in the brain and eyes have been observed following long-term exposure (21 days) to ACR. Graphical Abstract

The toxicity of the binary mixture of cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) on the ovary of adult zebrafish was evaluated in the present study. Adult female zebrafish were exposed to cadmium chloride (1 mg/L), mercury chloride (30 µg/L), and a binary mixture of both metals for 21 days. The toxic effects of both metals on the ovary were investigated by evaluating the oxidative stress markers and related gene expression in ovarian tissue along with the histopathological examination. The significantly decreased level of GSH and increased level of MDA in ovarian tissue of adult female zebrafish exposed to Cd + Hg indicated that the exposure of binary mixture of Cd and Hg caused more lipid peroxidation in the ovary. The significant changes in expression of mRNA of catalase (CAT) and nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NF-E2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2) were not observed in the ovary of zebrafish exposed to the binary mixture. Upon histological evaluation, a decreased number of full-growth (mature) oocytes along with degenerative changes due to Cd exposure were noticed, while ovary of zebrafish of the Hg-exposed group had shown a decreased number of pre-and early vitellogenic oocytes along with atretic previtellogenic oocytes compared to the control group. The ovary of zebrafish of the Cd + Hg-exposed group had shown a decreased number of previtellogenic oocytes with marked pathological changes in mature oocytes. Present findings elucidate that simultaneous long-term exposure of Cd and Hg compared to individual exposure significantly damaged the various stages of oocytes of an ovary of adult zebrafish. Graphical abstract

Due to their potential to boost plant development and agricultural productivity, nano fertilizers have become increasingly used in agriculture. Nano fertilisers are known to increase photosynthetic efficiency, enhance nutrient delivery, and protect plants from pests and illnesses. An investigation was needed to highlight the importance of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles (TiO2 and ZnO NPs) in agriculture. This study examined the potential effects of ZnO and TiO2 NPs on soil micronutrients. The impact of TiO2 and ZnO NPs on soil micronutrient concentrations was evaluated before and after their addition. An ICP-OES instrument was used to determine the concentration of micronutrients in the studied soils. The impact of TiO2 NPs was more effective than that of ZnO NPs on micronutrient concentration improvement. The Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu concentrations increased by 2.44, 197.94, 52.27 and 111.18%, respectively. The synergistic effects of the used NPs were investigated, and there were obvious changes in the concentration of micronutrients after adding NPs. The Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu levels changed in all soils due to adding TiO2 and ZnO NPs. However, SCity and BS were more influenced than SAgri and RS due to their high clay and organic matter content. This research uniquely demonstrated the effects of TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles on soil micronutrient concentrations and their interactions with other soil nutrients.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of universal repeat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening late in pregnancy as opposed to the existing system of single HIV test early in pregnancy. Background: Strategy of universal repeat HIV screening in pregnancy to achieve Elimination of mother to child transmission in a low prevalence setting such as India should be examined from the cost-effectiveness point of view. Methodology: In a cross-sectional study, 2500 pregnant women with 32 weeks gestation or more and screened HIV nonreactive at least 3 months before the study were offered repeat HIV screening. A decision analysis model was used to determine cost-effectiveness of a repeat HIV screening late in pregnancy in both government (societal) and healthcare payer perspectives, followed by one-way sensitivity analysis at different rates of incident HIV in pregnancy. Results: The incidence of HIV infection during pregnancy was 1.18/1000 women years (95% confidence interval: 0.29-4.7). The existing system of single HIV test is 1.9 times costlier per quality adjusted life years gained than the proposed system of repeat HIV screening. Conclusion: When the incidence of HIV in pregnancy is 1.18/1000 woman-years, even in settings with antenatal HIV positivity rates as low as 0.01%, repeat HIV screening in pregnancy is cost effective.

This paper presents a graphene–gold-metasurface sensor designed for rapid and precise detection of heavy metals, particularly Cu 2+ and Mg 2+ ions, in water samples. By employing COMSOL simulations, the sensor’s performance across various cases was comprehensively analyzed. The sensor demonstrates an optimized sensitivity of 1140 GHz/RIU for Cu 2+ detection and 1149 GHz/RIU for Mg 2+ detection. Furthermore, this sensor achieves minimum figure of merit (FOM) of 2.781 RIU −1 and 2.855 RIU −1 for Cu 2+ and Mg 2+ detection, respectively, showcasing its superior performance in sensing these metal ions. Also the highest quality factors (Q factors) of 11.244 for Cu 2+ detection and Q factor 11.247 for Mg 2+ detection are attained. The proposed sensor structure additionally demonstrates very low detection limits- which is 0.466 for Cu 2+ and 0.485 for Mg 2+ detection-and this implies it can detect trace amounts without any difficulty. The excellent promising features of this sensor position it as a self directed candidate for detection of Cu 2+ and Mg 2+ ions with high accuracy and sensitivity. These solid applications act as the gateway to the monitoring of environmental cleanliness among other applications. Additionally,the proposed sensor can also be used as a 2-bit encoder.

This study reveals the fabrication of a gas sensor with a PEDOT:PSS/graphene ink composite as an active layer on glossy paper. The glossy paper was chosen as the substrate material due to its low cost and easy availability. PEDOT:PSS/graphene ink was synthesized by simple mixing of PEDOT:PSS and graphene solution in the presence of distilled water, ethanol, glycerol, and diethylene glycol and was then sonicated and stirred at room temperature and characterized by FTIR, UV, XRD, AFM, and SEM. The sensitivity of the gas sensors towards acetonitrile, propanol, butanol, benzene, methanol, and ammonia analytes was investigated by measuring the change in resistance using a conventional multimeter at room temperature. The results exhibited that the composite’s response to ammonia change is stable and can measure concentration were the results also indicate that the sensors show promising responses with ± 1% reading error with a high response percentage.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of exposure at different doses of acephate on hematology, blood biochemistry, oxidative stress and immune system of Wistar rats. The experiment was carried out on 40 Wistar rats, which were divided in four groups. Animals of the three treatment groups were given with different sublethal doses (1/40th, 1/20th, 1/10th of lethal dose 50 value) of acephate by oral gavage. The hematology, blood biochemistry, oxidative stress marker, humoral immune response and cell-mediated immunity were evaluated following acephate exposure. Significant alteration in hematological parameters was not observed following different doses of acephate; however, significant alteration in alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase, acetyl cholinesterase, lipid peroxidase and superoxide dismutase was observed in medium- and high-dose group animals. Nonsignificant decrease in antibody titer in animals exposed to high dose has been observed compared with animals of control group. However, significant alteration in cell-mediated immunity was not observed in animals treated with acephate at different doses.