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Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology effectively addresses the dual challenges of wastewater treatment and energy generation, but its widespread application is restricted by the high cost of electrodes. To overcome this, the present study developed a low-cost ceramic anode by blending rice husk ash, mild steel dust, and soil, with the dual objective of treating dye-laden industrial effluents and generating bioelectricity. Two identical MFC configurations were operated using real textile dye wastewater (COD: 2,600 mg/L): one with a ceramic matrix anode containing 50% rice husk ash (MFC 1) and the other without rice husk ash (MFC 2). MFC 1 achieved a maximum open circuit voltage of 958 mV, power density of 250 mW/m², coulombic efficiency (CE) of 2.98%, COD removal efficiency of 88%, and color removal efficiency of 92%, outperforming MFC 2 (577 mV, 86 mW/m², 1.74%, 67%, and 72%, respectively). The incorporation of rice husk ash enhanced anode porosity and microbial attachment, while mild steel dust improved conductivity and mechanical stability. Our findings highlight the potential of rice husk ash and mild steel dust in ceramic anode as a low-cost, sustainable alternative to conventional electrodes for scaling up MFCs in industrial wastewater treatment and bioenergy recovery.

The emergence of carbapenem-resistant and hypervirulent hypermucoviscous strains poses a significant public health challenge. We determined the MDR profiles, antibiotic resistance factors, virulence gene complement, and hypermucoviscous features of 200 clinical isolates from two major tertiary care hospitals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Susceptibility profiling and phenotypic analysis were performed according to the CLSI guidelines. Genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance and virulence were detected by PCR. Biofilm formation analysis was performed by microtiter plate assay. The isolates displayed a high degree of antibiotic resistance: 36% MDR-CRKP; 38% carbapenem resistance; 55% gentamicin resistance; 53% ciprofloxacin resistance; and 59% aztreonam resistance. In particular, the level of resistance against fosfomycin (22%) and colistin (15%) is consistent with previous reports of increased resistance levels. Combined resistance to carbapenem and colistin was 7%. Genetic factors associated with colistin resistance ( and genes) were detected in 12 and 9% of the isolates, respectively. Significant differences in resistance to gentamicin and levofloxacin were observed between the 200 isolates. Many of the isolates harbored genes specifying extended-spectrum and/or carbapenem-resistant β-lactamases: (46%), (39%), and (24%). The prevalence of the hypermucoviscous phenotype was 22% and 13% of the MDR isolates carried the gene (regulator for mucoid phenotype). Key virulence factor genes detected include those encoding: porins ( and ; at 56 and 55% prevalence, respectively); adhesins ( and ; at 19, 18, and 22% prevalence, respectively); and the polysaccharide regulator, , at 16% prevalence. This report highlights carbapenem-resistant (CRKP) prevalence, emerging resistance to fosfomycin, and the presence of and in colistin-resistant isolates. Further, the detection of signifies the prevalence of the hypermucoviscous trait in CRKP clinical isolates from Pakistan.

Milk is seen as a chief source of protein and other biologically available nutrients for human beings. Pakistan, the fourth largest milk-producing country, is badly affected by the contagious transboundary apthoviral disease of ungulate animals; the foot and mouth disease (FMD) virus. FMD is endemic in Pakistan and has caused significant economic loss to the dairy industry in the form of a profound decrease in milk production and increased morbidity and deaths of dairy animals. Inclusively, the case fatality ratio of FMD was 15.11%. Of the seven FMDV serotypes, (O, A, C, Asia 1, SAT 1, SAT 2, and SAT 3), three serotypes (O, A, and Asia-1) are endemic in Pakistan. Rapid and highly sensitive diagnostic tools are required for efficient control of this disease. Presently, FMD in the laboratory is diagnosed via ELISA and molecular approaches, i.e., RT-PCR. Serotype-specific RT-PCR analysis not only confirms ELISA serotyping results but can also be used for the screening of ELISA negative samples. Genotypically, FMDV serotype O has a topotype (Middle East–South Asia (ME–SA) and lineage PanAsia-2) that is reported frequently from different areas of Pakistan. Confirmed cases of serotype A and Asia-1 are also reported. The information gathered can be used for understanding the molecular epidemiology of FMD in Pakistan. Further studies on the molecular dynamics of FMD could be useful for ensuring the timely diagnosis of this deadly pathogen, which would ultimately be beneficial for the mass vaccination programs of FMD in Pakistan.

This study evaluates the effect of steam-assisted pretreatment of Bougainvillea biomass on bioelectricity generation and wastewater treatment in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) utilizing reverse osmosis (RO) reject water as the electrolyte. Bougainvillea, an underutilized lignocellulosic ornamental plant waste, is naturally resistant to microbial degradation due to its high lignin content. To enhance its biodegradability, the biomass was steam-treated at 121 °C and 15 psi for 30 min, resulting in increased porosity and improved microbial accessibility. Both untreated and pretreated biomass were tested as substrates in dual-chamber MFCs inoculated with a pure Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), with RO reject water (total dissolved solids (TDS)—655 ± 23 mg/L) serving as the catholyte. Electrochemical characterization through cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy revealed enhanced redox activity and significantly reduced internal resistance in the system fed with steam-treated biomass. This setup achieved a peak power density of 275 mW/m2 and reduced TDS to ~ 200 mg/L within five days. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and microscopy analyses confirmed structural degradation of the lignocellulosic matrix. Moreover, the release of reducing sugars peaked at 215 mg/g, indicating enhanced substrate bioavailability. These findings demonstrate that steam pretreatment is an effective, low-cost strategy to improve both energy recovery and TDS wastewater remediation in MFCs, promoting a sustainable approach to biomass valorization and environmental management.Graphical abstractSteam treatment makes Bougainvillea waste easier to convert into clean bioenergy.The system generates strong electricity and efficiently reduces salts in wastewater.Provides a simple, low-cost method to turn plant and RO reject waste into resources.

The aim of this paper is to introduce two new subclasses R sin m ( ℑ ) and R sin ( ℑ ) of analytic functions by making use of subordination involving the sine function and the modified sigmoid activation function ℑ ( v ) = 2 1 + e − v , v ≥ 0 in the open unit disc E . Our purpose is to obtain some initial coefficients, Fekete–Szego problems, and upper bounds for the third- and fourth-order Hankel determinants for the functions belonging to these two classes. All the bounds that we will find here are sharp. We also highlight some known consequences of our main results.

The fast expansion of aquaculture to fulfil rising worldwide seafood demand poses considerable environmental concerns, particularly in the appropriate management of nutrient-rich wastewater. Traditional wastewater treatment methodologies often prove insufficient for addressing the high concentrations of organic matter and dissolved nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, characteristic of aquaculture discharge. This inadequacy underscores the urgent need for advanced and innovative approaches to mitigate the ecological impacts of aquaculture operations, including eutrophication and degradation of aquatic ecosystems. Recently, “algal-based hollow fibre membrane bioreactors” (A-HFMBRs) have surfaced as a viable solution for green and effective wastewater treatment. These bioreactors effectively remove organic and inorganic matter, reduce the risk of eutrophication, and generate valuable by-products. They also offer advantages such as low energy consumption, high algal biomass yield, and efficient water reclamation. This review critically evaluates advanced methodologies for aquaculture wastewater treatment, with a particular focus on membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems and A-HFMBR. It discusses the novel approaches for fouling prevention in MBR systems. The review delves into the critical factors impacting the efficiency of A-HFMBR systems, including hydraulic retention time, nutrient removal, etc. It also evaluates the environmental and cost-effective feasibility of these technologies to assess their suitability for large-scale deployment and highlights their significant challenges. By identifying key challenges and proposing future research directions, this study aims to advance the development of A-HFMBRs as a sustainable solution for aquaculture wastewater treatment.

Heavy metal pollution caused due to various industrial and mining activities poses a serious threat to all forms of life in the environment because of the persistence and toxicity of metal ions. Microbial-mediated bioremediation including microbial biofilms has received significant attention as a sustainable tool for heavy metal removal as it is considered safe, effective, and feasible. The biofilm matrix is dynamic, having microbial cells as major components with constantly changing and evolving microenvironments. This review summarizes the bioremediation potential of bacterial biofilms for different metal ions. The composition and mechanism of biofilm formation along with interspecies communication among biofilm-forming bacteria have been discussed. The interaction of biofilm-associated microbes with heavy metals takes place through a variety of mechanisms. These include biosorption and bioaccumulation in which the microbes interact with the metal ions leading to their conversion from a highly toxic form to a less toxic form. Such interactions are facilitated via the negative charge of the extracellular polymeric substances on the surface of the biofilm with the positive charge of the metal ions and the high cell densities and high concentrations of cell–cell signaling molecules within the biofilm matrix. Furthermore, the impact of the anodic and cathodic redox potentials in a bioelectrochemical system (BES) for the reduction, removal, and recovery of numerous heavy metal species provides an interesting insight into the bacterial biofilm-mediated bioelectroremediation process. The review concludes that biofilm-linked bioremediation is a viable option for the mitigation of heavy metal pollution in water and ecosystem recovery.

Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) consist of accelerometers, gyroscopes and a processor that generates position and orientation solutions by integrating the specific forces and rotation rates. In addition to the accelerometers and gyroscopes, magnetometers can be used to derive the user heading based on Earth’s magnetic field. Unfortunately, the measurements of the magnetic field obtained with low cost sensors are usually corrupted by several errors, including manufacturing defects and external electro-magnetic fields. Consequently, proper calibration of the magnetometer is required to achieve high accuracy heading measurements. In this paper, a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)-based calibration algorithm is presented to estimate the values of the bias and scale factor of low cost magnetometers. The main advantage of this technique is the use of the artificial intelligence which does not need any error modeling or awareness of the nonlinearity. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm can help in the development of Pedestrian Navigation Devices (PNDs) when combined with inertial sensors and GPS/Wi-Fi for indoor navigation and Location Based Services (LBS) applications.

A 39-year-old African-American female presented to the emergency department with a seven-day history of right upper quadrant abdominal pain accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. She was noted to be alert and following commands, but tachypneic with Kussmaul respirations; and initial laboratory testing supported a diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hypokalemia. To avoid hypokalemia-induced arrhythmias, insulin administration was withheld until a serum potassium (K) level of 3.3 mEq/L could be achieved. Efforts to increase the patient’s potassium level via intravenous repletion were ineffectual; hence, an attempt was made at more aggressive potassium repletion via hemodialysis using a 4 mEq/L K dialysate bath. The patient was started on Aldactone and continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVH) with ongoing low-dose insulin infusion. This regimen was continued over 24 h resulting in normalization of the patient’s potassium levels, resolution of acidosis, and improvement in mental status. Upon resolution of her acidemia, the patient was transitioned from insulin infusion to treatment with a subcutaneous insulin aspart and insulin detemir, and did not experience further hypokalemia. Considering our success, we propose CVVH as a tool for potassium repletion when aggressive intravenous (IV) repletion has failed.

Due to their micro-scale size and low power consumption, Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are now being utilized in a variety of fields. This leading-edge resource focuses on the application of MEMS inertial sensors to navigation systems. The book shows you how to minimize cost by adding and removing inertial sensors. Moreover, this practical reference provides you with various integration strategies with examples from real field tests. From an introduction to MEMS navigation related applications... to special topics on Alignment for MEMS-Based Navigation... to discussions on the Extended Kalman Filter, this comprehensive book covers a wide range of critical topics in this fast-growing area.