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Objectives Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare genetic metabolic bone disease that can cause chronic pain and fractures. Its hallmark is a persistently low serum ALP. HPP is now recognised by many osteoporosis specialists, but other specialists, such as rheumatologists and primary care physicians, may be less aware of this condition, causing diagnostic delay and possible harm to these patients. Our objective was to highlight features that can reduce this delay. Methods We retrospectively analysed 14 patients that presented with musculoskeletal pain to general rheumatology clinic at St. George’s Hospital and were subsequently diagnosed with HPP. Results Median diagnostic delay was 13 years. All patients had an ALP below reference range for age and gender, with lowest mean ALP of 16 IU/L. All but one patient were women with median age of 51 years. Most common presentation was peripheral joint pain in 85.7% of patients. This was due to early-onset CPPD (calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease) in 71.4% of patients, osteoarthritis in 50%, or bursitis in 50%. Axial pain was reported in 64% of patients due to osteoarthritis or spinal stenosis. Fifty percent of patients had a history of long bone pain. Fifty percent had previous fracture(s). A total of 28.6% of patients had psoriatic arthritis, of which 1 patient had spondyloarthropathy, and 4 patients also had enthesitis. Conclusion Patients with HPP can present to rheumatology with musculoskeletal pain, and if a persistently low ALP is confirmed, this may reduce the diagnostic delay of this rare disease. Similar to other rheumatologic patients, musculoskeletal pain in HPP was noted in peripheral joints and in the spine with almost a third of patients having psoriatic arthritis. Pain was also noted in the long bones, a feature consistent with metabolic bone disease. The diagnosis of HPP was also more likely in those patients with a personal or family history of dental disease or arthritis.

Heavy metal ion (HMI) contamination poses significant threats to public health and environmental safety, necessitating advanced detection technologies that are rapid, sensitive, and field-deployable. While conventional methods like atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) remain prevalent, their limitations—including high costs, complex workflows, and lack of portability—underscore the urgent need for innovative alternatives. This review consolidates advancements in the last five years in microfluidic technologies for HMI detection, emphasizing their transformative potential through miniaturization, integration, and automation. We critically evaluate the synergy of microfluidics with cutting-edge materials (e.g., graphene and quantum dots) and detection mechanisms (electrochemical, optical, and colorimetric), enabling ultra-trace detection at parts-per-billion (ppb) levels. We highlight novel device architectures, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based labs-on-chip (LOCs), paper-based microfluidics, 3D-printed systems, and digital microfluidics (DMF), which offer unparalleled portability, cost-effectiveness, and multiplexing capabilities. Additionally, we address persistent challenges (e.g., selectivity and scalability) and propose future directions, including AI integration and sustainable fabrication. By bridging gaps between laboratory research and practical deployment, this review provides a roadmap for next-generation microfluidic solutions, positioning them as indispensable tools for global HMI monitoring.

In modern agriculture, farm produce accumulates a lot of nitrates that can reach toxic levels owing to the unfair use of nitrogen fertilizers, cultural methods, farming policies in multiple areas of the world, thereby increasing concerns about the availability of hygienic food supply and environmental hazards. Over the past few decades, global interest in achieving greater output through intensive fertilization has been a growing trend. The fertilizer based on urea or ammonium mainly yields ammonium, which is then transformed to nitrate through the oxidation process that is biologically mediated. Nitrate tends to accumulate differently in distinct crop plants and distinct components of agricultural commodities based on species, crop variety, genetic history, environmental circumstances, harvest phase, post-harvest storage conditions, agronomic variables, nature, and fertilizer application rate. The current article highlights various factors that could directly or indirectly contribute to the accumulation of nitrates in different parts of crop plants and discusses strategies to minimize the accumulation of nitrates in farm produce, thus ensuring healthy food supply and protecting the environment from the accumulation of nitrates.

Background Heavy metals especially cadmium (Cd), has become a matter of concern for environmentalists due to extensive industrialization and poor management of industrial waste. As a toxic pollutant, Cd has ability to deteriorate soil quality and hence disturbs the plant growth and yield. Co-composted biochar (COMBI) has been reported as an excellent organic amendment for improving soil quality, crop productivity and amelioration of heavy metals polluted soil. Therefore, an experiment was performed to assess the potential of co-composted biochar to enhance sunflower growth under Cd stressed soil. Different concentrations 0, 30 and 60 mg kg -1 Cd and normal, modified and co-composted biochar at the rate of 1% (w/w) were applied to soil. Results The application of normal and modified biochar considerably improved the sunflower growth, yield, physiology and biochemistry and decreased the Cd uptake in plant tissues. Among applied amendments, co-composted biochar showed better results, by increasing the crop agronomic parameters ranging from 115 to 132%, as compared to control treatment under Cd stress. The chlorophyll content, water use efficiency (WUE), photosynthetic rate (A), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (gs), sub-stomatal conductance (Ci), relative water content (RWC), and electrolyte leakage (EL) were improved by 122, 117, 126, 133, 128, 131, 123, and 121%, respectively, when co-composted biochar was used compared to the control. Moreover, stress related metabolites and antioxidant enzyme essays showed increase in proline content, soluble sugars, lipid peroxidation, catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) by using co-composted biochar by 123, 121, 118, 128, 124, 133 and 126%, respectively, in Cd (60 mg kg -1 ) contaminated soil. In addition to this, a prominent reduction in accumulation of Cd in the root (66%), shoot (77%) and grain (94%) was observed due to its immobilization in soil (121%) under the influence of co-composted biochar application. Conclusion The results of this study revealed that application of biochar could improve crop growth and immobilize Cd in soil and co-composted biochar could be adopted as a better strategy to remediate the heavy metal stressed soils. It can be considered as an effective practical approach to transform agricultural waste materials into organic soil amendments to be applied for sustainable agricultural practices in polluted soil.

IntroductionUGIB is common. By completion of clinical training, most gastroenterology trainees will be expected to be able to treat UGIB endoscopically. Training is variable and is often conducted on an opportunistic basis and many trainees desire additional training. Current demand for courses is very high and we aimed to develop a local course with low costs to help address it.MethodsWe have organised a half day, hands-on, consultant-run course for 3 years now, for trainees within the same trust. We made models using pig stomachs with simulated bleeding using expired overtubes, plastic storage boxes, and cable ties. The initial cost for equipment was 2755 pounds. Ongoing costs were kept under a 100 pounds yearly for fresh pig stomachs, as we prospectively saved expired equipment for the course. Expendables, such as clips, were provided as part of a sponsorship, and animal model stacks and scopes were loaned.Feedback was collected from each trainee using open ended questions. Trainees explained what they found most useful and what could be improved. Their responses were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsOver 3 years, we recorded 29 responses from trainees. Common themes emerged from what trainees found most useful. These were: hands-on experience, step-by-step use of techniques, using technical variations, building familiarity with equipment, and practicing communicating during endoscopy. Specific techniques which trainees found most helpful were gluing 79% (n=23), Danis stent insertion 69% (n=20), clipping 28% (n=8), and banding 24% (n=7). Common themes around improvement included: an expansion in the scope of the course to cover more techniques particularly foreign body removal, and more time per station.ConclusionsOur course represents a distinct approach to improving local endoscopy training. The use of a porcine model allows trainees to gain valuable hands-on experience, particularly in techniques that they may not encounter frequently and allows them to experiment with technical variations. Our model kept ongoing costs minimal, following some initial investment, and was easily expanded over subsequent years. It could be up scaled to cover more techniques and can be employed across multiple centres of varying sizes. Our thematic analysis demonstrates that trainees found our course helpful, particularly as it was hands on and covered a broad range of techniques.Current endotherapy training is variable. A course such as ours can serve as a template for a home-made, low cost, hands-on course which could help improve training, confidence, and technical ability in the use of certain endotherapy techniques.

Most near‐infrared (NIR) light‐responsive photocatalysts inevitably suffer from low charge separation due to the elevated Coulomb interaction between electrons and holes. Here, an n‐type doping strategy of alkaline earth metal ions is proposed in crystalline K+ implanted polymeric carbon nitride (KCN) for visible and NIR photoactivity. The n‐type doping significantly increases the electron densities and activates the n→π* electron transitions, producing NIR light absorption. In addition, the more localized valence band (VB) and the regulation of carrier effective mass and band decomposed charge density, as well as the improved conductivity by 1–2 orders of magnitude facilitate the charge transfer and separation. The proposed n‐type doping strategy improves the carrier mobility and conductivity, activates the n→π* electron transitions for NIR light absorption, and breaks the limitation of poor charge separation caused by the elevated Coulomb interaction. The proposed n‐type doping strategy improves the carrier mobility and conductivity, activates the n→π* electron transitions for NIR light absorption, and breaks the limitation of poor charge separation caused by the elevated Coulomb interaction.

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has reached 26.1% in small-scale devices. However, defects at the bulk, surface, grain boundaries, and interfaces act as non-radiative recombination centers for photogenerated electron-hole pairs, limiting the open-circuit voltage and PCE below the Shockley–Queisser limit. These defect states also induce ion migration towards interfaces and contribute to intrinsic instability in PSCs, reducing the quasi-Fermi level splitting and causing anomalous hysteresis in the device. The influence of defects becomes more prominent in large-area devices, demonstrating much lower PCE than the lab-scale devices. Therefore, commercializing PSCs faces a big challenge in terms of rapid decline in working performance due to these intrinsic structural defects. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advances in understanding the nature and the classification of defects, their impact on voltage losses, device parameters, intrinsic stability, and defect quantification and characterization techniques. Novel defect passivation techniques such as compositional engineering, additive engineering, post-treatments, dimensionality engineering, and interlayer engineering are also reviewed, along with the improvements in PCE and stability based on these techniques for both small-area devices and large-area roll-to-roll coated devices.

Inflammatory microenvironment after transplantation affects the proliferation and causes senescence of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs) thus compromising their clinical efficacy. Priming stem cells with herbal extracts is considered very promising to improve their viability in the inflammatory milieu. Aesculus indica ( A . indica ) is used to treat many inflammatory diseases in Asia for decades. Herein, we explored the protective role of A . indica extract on human adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hADMSCs) against Monosodium Iodoacetate (MIA) induced stress in vitro . A . indica ameliorated the injury as depicted by significantly enhanced proliferation, viability, improved cell migration and superoxide dismutase activity. Furthermore, reduced lactate dehydrogenase activity, reactive oxygen species release, senescent and apoptotic cells were detected in A . indica primed hADMSCs. Downregulation of NF-κB pathway and associated inflammatory genes, NF-κB p65/RelA and p50/NF-κB 1, Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Interleukin 1 (IL-1β), Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) were observed in A . indica primed hADMSCs as compared to stressed hADMSCs. Complementary to gene expression, A . indica priming reduced the release of transcription factor p65, inhibitory-κB kinase (IKK) α and β, IL-1β and TNF-α proteins expression. Our data elucidates that A . indica extract preconditioning rescued hADMSCs against oxidative stress and improved their therapeutic potential by relieving inflammation through regulation of NF-κB pathway.