Lodging is a major factor contributing to yield loss and constraining the mechanical harvesting of wheat crops. Genetic improvement through breeding effectively reduced the lodging and improved the grain yield, however, the physiological mechanisms involved in providing resistance to lodging are different in the breeding stage and are not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in the lodging resistance (LR) of the wheat varieties released during the different decades and to explore the effect of the application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on the plasticity of LR.0 (0 kg ha–1), N180 (200 kg ha–1), and N360 (360 kg ha–1) using eight varieties of wheat released for commercial cultivation from 1950 to date. The results obtained showed that genetic improvement had significantly enhanced the LR and grain yield in wheat. In the first breeding stage (from 1950 to 1980s) the lodging resistant index increased by 15.0%, which was primarily attributed to a reduced plant height and increased contents of cellulose, Si, and Zn. In the second breeding stage (the 1990s–2020s) it increased by 172.8%, which was mainly attributed to an increase in the stem diameter, wall thickness, and the contents of K, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Cu. The application of N fertilizer improved the grain yield but reduced the LR in wheat. This was mainly due to an increase in plant height resulting in an elevation of the plant center of gravity, a decrease in the contents of cellulose, and a reduction in the area of large-sized vascular bundles in the stems, even if N supplementation increased the concentrations of K, Ca, and Si.A field study was conducted during the cultivation seasons of 2019–2020 and 2020–2021, in soil supplemented with three N levels: NAlthough breeding strategies improved the stem strength, the trade-off between the grain yield and LR was more significantly influenced by the addition of N. Overcoming this peculiar situation will serve as a breakthrough in improving the seed yield in wheat crops in the future. Triticum aestivum L.), is one of the world’s most widely cultivated crops and plays an important role in ensuring national food security [Wheat  genes, including both the gibberellic acid (GA)-sensitive and GA-insensitive loci [Rht loci also affect the architecture of the inflorescence and thus may influence grain yield (GY) [Rht genes [Stem lodging usually occurs at the basal second internode, and it is correlated with plant height and stem strength . For oveive loci , 9. In aeld (GY) , 11. Quaeld (GY) , 12. A seld (GY) . A commoeld (GY) . Many QTht genes , 16. Theht genes . Similarht genes .The enhancement in the GY is hampered by the commonly occurring problem of crop lodging, which is perhaps underestimated and is constantly aggravating as the yield increases . ImproviUndoubtedly, the genetic improvement of crops and the addition of chemical-based fertilizers especially nitrogen (N) fertilizer are the two most important factors affecting agricultural output . PreviouThe production of biomass and GY were concomitantly reduced with the decreasing application of N . Achievi−1 decade−1 during the experimental period of 2019–2020, and 1.56 kg ha−1 decade−1 during 2020–2021. The mean decadal rate of increase in the yield of the cultivars from the 1990s–2020s was 3.32 kg ha−1 decade−1 during 2019–2020, and 2.78 kg ha−1 decade−1 during 2020–2021. The application of N fertilizer significantly increased the GY in all eight cultivars, but excessive input of N did not further improve the GY but inhibited it. In comparison with the N0 treatment, the GY at N180 increased by 65.1% (the 1950s), 54.7% (1960s), 40% (1970s), 33.8% (1980s), 26.8% (1990s), 46.9% (2000s), 54.3% (2010s), and 38% (2020s) during the experimental season of 2019–2020; and by 65% (1950s), 81.6% (1960s), 24.7% (1970s), 20.6% (1980s), 40.8% (1990s), 64% (2000s), 74.5% (2010s), and 45.5% (2020s) during the experimental season of 2020–2021. At N360, the GY of all the cultivars improved less rapidly or even declined when compared to that at N180.Two-way ANOVAs revealed that the grain yield was markedly affected by the variety (V), N rate (N) and their interaction effect (V × N) during 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 , the number of grains per panicle (NGP) and 1000-grain weight (TGW) were markedly affected by variety (V) and N rate (N). Also, the effects of V and N interactions (V × N) on NPP and NGP were highly significant  and 27.4% (2020–2021) higher than those from the 1950s–1990s  and N rate (N), and there was interaction effect on the SBS, NSVB, MLT and WT. No significant changes in the SBS among the wheat cultivars from the 1950s–1980s were observed in both the experimental seasons  and 16.5% (2020–2021); while that at N360 decreased by 25.4% (2019–2020) and 23.4% (2020–2021). Similarly, the mechanical layer thickness (MLT) of the cultivars from the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s was on average 22.7% (2019–2020) and 23.0% (2020–2021) higher than that of the others. However, the response of MLT to N fertilizer was opposite to that of the WT. Compared with that at N0, the mean MLT at N180 increased by 14.1% (2019–2020) and 11.9% (2020–2021); and that at N360 enhanced by 28.7% (2019–2020) and 27.8% (2020–2021).The mean WT of the second internode of the cultivars from the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s was 42.7% (2019–2020) and 52.4% (2020–2021) higher than that of the cultivars from the 1950s–1990s  and 20.9% (2020–2021); at N360 enhanced by 35.2% (2019–2020) and 31.8% (2020–2021). The mean NLVB at N180 increased by 7.9% (2019–2020) and 11.8% (2020–2021); at N360 enhanced by 10.4% (2019–2020) and 9.6% (2020–2021).There appeared to be no clear trend in the number of small vascular bundles (NSVB) and large vascular bundles (NLVB) among the different wheat cultivars Table . However0, the mean ASVB at N180 increased by 21.9% (2019–2020) and 23.6% (2020–2021); that at N360 was enhanced by 40.7% (2019–2020) and 48.1% (2020–2021). In contrast, the mean area of LVB (ALVB) of the cultivars from the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s was 32.6% (2019–2020) and 21.1% (2020–2021) higher than that of the cultivars from the 1950s–1990s. Compared to N0, the mean ALVB at N180 decreased by 5.8% (2019–2020) and 4.6% (2020–2021); and at N360 was reduced by 9.7% (2019–2020) and 10.6% (2020–2021).Similarly, no clear trend in the area of the SVB (ASVB) among different wheat cultivars was observed, whereas marked differences were found after the addition of N fertilizer Table . CompareFigure Rht genes have been identified in wheat, the use of which ultimately led to the development of varieties with higher GYs [−1 in 1978 to 5740.5 kg ha−1 in 2021, which was ~ 1.6 times the global average yield [Breeders have used dwarf and semi-dwarf phenotype-related genes to cultivate dwarf varieties, with a significantly reduced PH, improved harvest index, and enhanced LT; to date, 25 gher GYs , 36. Thegher GYs , 38. Thege yield . In thisge yield .Lodging in plants is a crucial constraint for the stable yield and productivity of crops and is a problem that needs to be solved urgently for breeding superior, high-yielding varieties in wheat . In thisThe accumulation of lignin and cellulose contributed to the improvement of LR . In thisThe addition of N fertilizer improved the GY, but the excessive application could not further increase productivity and even negatively affected it. In this study, the application of N enhanced the yield in all the varieties and can be summarized as the 1950s–1960s > 2000s–2020s > 1970s–1990s , the total N was 1.23 g kg−1, the available K was 88.95 mg kg−1, the available P was 20.2 mg kg−1, and the bulk density was 1.34 g cm−3.Field experiments were conducted at the scientific research site of Henan Agricultural University , Xinxiang County, Henan Province, China during the winter wheat cultivation season lasting from October 2019 to June 2021. During 2019–2020, the mean annual temperature was 12.1 °C, the mean winter temperature was 3.6 °C, and the total annual rainfall was 111.5 mm. During 2020–2021, the mean annual temperature was 11.2 °C, the mean winter temperature was 2.9 °C, and the total annual rainfall was 135.4 mm , 180 (recommed rate for wheat in Henan province), and 360 kg N ha−1 (farmer practise fertilization) were applied to the subplots, with the yield performance of the different cultivars in the field determined at the grain filling stage  and K (90 kg KCl ha−1) were applied as the basal dose. The plants were harvested on June 1st, 2020, and June 3rd, 2021. Weeds, diseases, and insects were intensively controlled during the entire growing season to avoid yield loss.Eight popular cultivars of wheat developed from the 1950s to the 2010s in the plains of North China were selected. These included Nanda 2419 (ND2419), Beijing 8 (BJ8), Zhengyin 1 (ZY1), Xiaoyan 4 (XY4), Bainong 3217 (BN3217), Yumai 2 (YM2), Bainong 207 (BN207), and Bainong 4199 (BN4199)  was determined using a YYD-1A collapse resistance meter  . The LR  gravity .Three uniformly sized plants of each N-treatment group were selected at the grain-filling stage. The stem segments from the middle of the basal second internode were quickly cut with a double-sided blade and fixed in an formaldehyde-acetic acid–ethanol fixative (FAA) fixation solution  . The ima2SO4 and 0.1 mol L−1 of K2Cr2O7 was added, shaken adequately, and kept in boiling water for 15 min. The precipitate was then rinsed with 30 mL of distilled water, transferred to clean Erlenmeyer flasks , and allowed to cool down for titration. Finally, 5 mL of 20% KI was titrated against 0.2 mol L−1 Na2S2O3 until the solution started to turn blue and retained the same color for 30 s. The control was without straws. The CC was calculated as follows:The stem samples were collected at the grain-filling stage, and the total CC was determined according to an already-described method with slight modifications . 1 g of 2S2O3 (mL) consumed by titration with the control, V0 is the volume of Na2S2O3 (mL) consumed by titration with the test sample containing straw. Wstraw is the dry weight of the straw (g).where V is the volume of NaThe plant samples were collected at the grain-filling stage, the stems were stripped of the leaf sheaths, dried at 70 °C, and then crushed to a powder. The levels of the mineral nutrients- K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Si in the stems were determined using the MARS6 microwave digestion instrument  and a Prodigy7 inductively coupled plasma spectrometer .n = 3) were compared using Fisher’s F-protected least significant difference (LSD) test at a P < 0.05. The graphs were plotted using the Origin 9.0 software .Data were analyzed using the Statistical Software Package for Social Science   and MS Office Excel 2010, the variance of analysis and mean value (


Renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) has been shown to lower arterial blood pressure both in the presence and in the absence of antihypertensive medication in an observation period of up to 3 years. However, long-term results beyond 3 years are scarcely reported.We performed a long-term follow-up on patients who were previously enrolled in a local renal denervation registry and who underwent radiofrequency RDN with the Symplicity Flex® renal denervation system between 2011 and 2014. The patients were assessed to evaluate their renal function by performing 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM), recording their medical history, and conducting laboratory tests.P < 0.001 for both systolic and diastolic ABP). The number of antihypertensive medications used by the patients significantly decreased from 5.4 ± 1.5 at baseline to 4.8 ± 1.6 at long-term FU (P < 0.01). Renal function showed a significant but expected age-associated decrease in the eGFR from 87.8 (IQR: 81.0–100.0) to 72.5 (IQR: 55.8–86.8) ml/min/1.73 m2 (P < 0.01) in patients with an initial eGFR > 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, while a non-significant decrease was observed in patients with an initial eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 at long-term FU [56.0 (IQR: 40.9–58.4) vs. 39.0 (IQR: 13.5–56.3) ml/min/1.73 m2].Ambulatory blood pressure readings for 24 h were available for 72 patients at long-term follow-up (FU) [9.3 years (IQR: 8.5–10.1)]. We found a significant reduction of ABP from 150.1/86.1 ± 16.9/12.0 mmHg at baseline to 138.3/77.1 ± 16.5/11.1 mmHg at long-term FU (RDN was accompanied by a long-lasting reduction in blood pressure with a concomitant reduction in antihypertensive medication. No negative effects could be detected, especially with regard to renal function. High blood pressure remains one of the leading cardiovascular risk factors and the leading cause of premature death, affecting more than 30% of the adult population worldwide . VariousIn patients in whom secondary causes for hypertension, which need specific treatments, can be excluded, the guidelines recommend lifestyle changes and, depending on additional risk factors and hypertension severity, antihypertensive medication –4. NeverIn recent randomized sham-controlled trials, renal denervation (RDN) has been shown to effectively reduce blood pressure in the absence or presence of antihypertensive medication over a period of up to 6 months –12. MoreThe aim of this analysis is to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of radiofrequency RDN in a cohort of patients with treatment-resistant hypertension, with a particular focus on the course of blood pressure in patients who initially did not respond to RDN treatment.www.drks.de; identifier: DRKS00004173). All patients underwent baseline evaluation through 24 h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) measurement and laboratory tests prior to renal denervation. A total of 108 patients were available for long-term follow-up (FU). For 72 of these patients, complete 24 h ABP measurements were available. Patients who declined an on-site visit and ABP measurement (ABPM) were asked to take a telephonic interview and undergo ABPM and laboratory tests through their primary care physician. This study was approved by the local ethics committee.After obtaining approval from the local ethics committee, we identified and contacted 245 patients who were previously enrolled in a local renal denervation (RDN) registry and who underwent radiofrequency RDN with the Symplicity Flex® renal denervation system at the University Hospital Halle , Germany, between 2011 and 2014  according to guideline recommendations , 16. TheBlood samples were drawn to determine the electrolyte, creatinine, urea, and HbA1c levels.Spot urine tests for determining the albumin and creatinine levels were completed during FU of the original registry up to 12 months of FU.Patients who were not willing or able to complete an on-site visit at long-term FU were asked to have the relevant laboratory tests, electrocardiogram, and ABPMs performed by their primary care physician. Antihypertensive medication was recorded and divided into nine classes .The primary efficacy endpoint was the change in mean systolic ABP at long-term FU. The safety endpoints were the change in renal function [the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated by using the CKD-EPI equation] and new-onset renal artery stenosis.Early response to RDN treatment was defined as a reduction in mean systolic ABP ≥ 5 mmHg at a 3-month FU.t-test. The median and the 25% and 75% quartiles were calculated to describe skewed variables. The between-group differences of these variables were compared using the Mann–Whitney test. Normal distribution was tested using the Kolmogorov‒Smirnov test. Between-group differences in categorical variables were compared using the χ2 test. Categorical variables between baseline and long-term FU were compared by using McNemar's test. Urine albumin levels between baseline and FU were compared by using the signed-rank test.Continuous symmetrically distributed variables are presented as means ± standard deviation and confidence intervals. Between-group differences were compared using the To evaluate the changes in systolic and diastolic ABP, the glomerular filtration rate during FU and linear mixed-effects models were used to account for repeated observations in the same patients over time.To identify independent correlates of the early response to RDN treatment (as defined above), the following baseline characteristics were assessed in a one-step multivariate binary logistic regression analysis: age, male gender, BMI, number of ablations, systolic ABP, diastolic ABP, mean heart rate, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, current smoking, diabetes mellitus, number of prescribed antihypertensive medications, eGFR, BNP > ULN, and HbA1c.In case of missing observations in any of the recorded variables, all other available follow-up observations were included in the calculations. No imputation of missing data was done. All endpoints were analyzed exploratively.P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analyses were performed by using SPSS Version 28 , and GraphPad Prism version 9 .A score of From a total of 245 potential participants, data for 108 patients were available for this analysis. A total of 85 patients were lost to FU, 15 declined participation, and 37 were deceased . Of the At the time when the procedure was carried out, the patients were 63.2 ± 8.8 years old, and 60 of them (55.6%) were male.2, which increased slightly but significantly to 31.6 ± 5.4 during long-term FU. Atrial fibrillation  was noticed in 11.1% of patients at baseline and 35.2% at long-term FU (P < 0.01). The proportion of patients with chronic kidney disease  increased from 10.2% to 33.3% (P < 0.01).The patients were mildly obese with a BMI of 30.9 ± 5.1 kg/mOf the patients, 13.9% had known coronary artery disease. Diabetes mellitus was present in 43.5% of patients. The patients were treated with 12.4 ± 3.1 ablations. The baseline characteristics are given in The median time to FU was 9.3 (IQR: 8.5–10.1) years.P < 0.01, and diastolic ABP from 86.1 ± 12.0 to 77.1 ± 11.1, P < 0.01).Both mean systolic and mean diastolic blood pressure of the overall cohort significantly decreased from baseline to long-term FU . Reduced blood pressure was also evident at all subsequent FU time points .Changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure over time of patients whose ABPMs were complete at baseline and FU are shown in n = 35, 47.9%), with respect to baseline characteristics, no significant differences were found except for baseline systolic ABP, which was significantly higher in the early responder group .A total of 38 of 73 patients (52.1%), whose blood pressure readings were available at baseline and at 3-month FU, responded early to RDN treatment (as defined by a reduction in mean systolic blood pressure ≥5 mmHg). When early responders at the 3-month FU were compared with non-responders (P = 0.03), systolic ABP (Exp(B) 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02–1.17, P = 0.01), mean heart rate (Exp(B) 0.92, 95% CI: 0.85–1.00, P = 0.04), and dipping (Exp(B) 0.22, 95% CI: 0.05–0.96, P = 0.04; In the multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify independent correlates of early treatment response (as defined above), it was found that age (Exp(B) 0.85, 95% CI: 0.73–0.99, P = 0.02; When applying the model to determine whether there was a clinically meaningful reduction in systolic ABP of 10 mmHg during the long-term FU, it was found that only systolic ABP was an independent predictor of the long-term treatment response (Exp(B) 1.11, 95% CI: 1.02–1.21, In the comparison of early responders and non-responders, a significantly pronounced reduction in blood pressure was already observed at the 3-month FU in the early responder group, whereas in the non-responder group, a gradual reduction over the follow-up period was observed after an initial increase in mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure. While systolic ABP was significantly higher in the early responder group at baseline, there was no significant difference between the two groups at long-term FU .P < 0.01). When comparing patients classified as early responders at 3 months with non-responders, it was found that a slightly but not a significantly higher number of antihypertensive agents was being consumed by non-responders during FU. Between baseline and long-term FU, a non-significant decrease in the number of antihypertensive agents being consumed could be observed in both groups  and other antihypertensive medication  decreased significantly. In contrast, the low proportion of MRA at baseline increased significantly at long-term FU . Patients treated with MRA tended to have lower blood pressure than patients without this therapy; however, this difference was not statistically significant .The medication prescribed at baseline and long-term FU is shown in 2) as calculated through the CKD-EPI formula using plasma creatinine with a median eGFR of 87.8 (IQR: 81.0–100.0) ml/min/1.73 m2, which remained stable over the FU period up to 12 months. Similarly, the estimated GFR in patients with a baseline eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and a median eGFR of 56.0 (IQR: 40.9–58.4) ml/min/1.73 m2 was stable up to 12 months after RDN. A decrease in the eGFR was observed at the long-term FU in both groups  compared with that at baseline in patients with normal renal function during RDN. There was a non-significant reduction in the eGFR to 39.0 (IQR: 13.5–56.3) ml/min/1.73 m2 in the group of patients with impaired renal function during RDN; The renal function of the patients was determined by measuring their plasma creatinine levels. In addition, urine albumin values were available for the first 12 months of FU. At baseline, most patients (89.8%) had a normal renal function  mg/L at baseline to 4.8 (IQR: 3.0–13.7) mg/L at 12 months (P < 0.01 for comparison with baseline). Urinary albumin levels of patients with an eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 at the time of ablation increased during the FU [baseline 5.7 (IQR: 4.4–87.7) mg/L and 12 months 13.5 (IQR: 2.9–26.2) mg/L]. However, the changes observed in patients with impaired renal function were not significant  response to RDN and the role that reinnervation and remodeling of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve fibers play in this context are complex, and therefore, have not yet been fully understood , 24. FroAs in many other reports , 25, 26,However, it must be noted that, to date, there has been no uniform definition of (early) treatment response to RDN. Therefore, we decided to use a dichotomous definition of early treatment response for a clinically relevant reduction in systolic ABP by ≥5 mmHg at 3-month FU from baseline systolic ABP as in previous studies .P < 0.01). In recent years, MRAs have become increasingly important in the drug therapy of resistant hypertension and have received higher grades of recommendation in the corresponding guidelines . This finding is consistent with that of other reports demonstrating this over a FU period of 12 2). This od of 12  months. patients , 33. AltAs is common in registry studies, especially over a long period of time, FU results are available only for a limited proportion of the patients originally included (the number of patients for whom information on the variables given in Compared with the registry of randomized controlled trials, this registry includes a more heterogeneous population. However, it represents a real-world collective. The lack of a control group is also a limitation of this study. Adherence to antihypertensive drug therapy was not assessed. However, recent data from controlled trials indicate that the effect of RDN is independent of the medication taken or of adherence , 12, 34.In this analysis, a long-lasting and profound ABP reduction was seen with a concomitant reduction in antihypertensive medications. Moreover, the results provide an additional indication that RDN can sustainably and progressively lower blood pressure over a period of more than 3 years, even in patients who do not initially respond to the therapy, underscoring its importance as a complementary treatment for arterial hypertension. Also in the long term, no negative effects of RDN can be detected, especially with regard to renal function. Therefore, RDN can be considered an effective, long-lasting, and safe treatment method for arterial hypertension combined with lifestyle modification and drug therapy.


Partial Tonsillectomy (PT) is an alternative method to treat sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and/or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The current guidelines do not differentiate it from traditional tonsillectomy. Thus, children younger than 3 years old undergoing PT are admitted for surveillance similar to traditional tonsillectomy due to possible postoperative complications. The aim of this study is to assess the risks of PT in children 3 years old and younger, compared to older children.Children underwent inpatient partial tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy, due to SDB/OSA, from 2018 to 2020. A special protocol was designed, including follow-up at 2-, 4-, 6-, 8- and 24-h after surgery. Variables analyzed included visual analogue pain score, oral intake, oxygen saturation, pulse rate, postoperative hemorrhage, urine output, temperature, analgesics and fluid administration. Furthermore, major interventions were recorded. Comparison of all variables between children younger than 3 years old with older children was performed.p = 0.22). Mean age in the younger group was 25.7 ± 6.9 months, and 56.1 ± 20.1 months in the older group. In total we had 7 children with post-operative complications; 4 with fever, 3 with low intake. There were no major interventions recorded in either group. The complications were more common in the older group (n = 5) than the younger group (n = 2) without a statistical significance (p = 0.59). There were no differences in VAS, use of painkillers, oral intake, urine output, oxygen saturation and tachycardia among the two groups.Ninety-two children were included; mean age of the whole cohort was 44.5 ± 21.9 months. Thirty-five (38%) children were 3-years old or younger and n = 57 (62%) were older than 3 years old, with no significant statistical difference in sex (This study supports that children undergoing ambulatory PT may be at low risk of complications, regardless of age. Partial tonsillectomy (PT) is one of the most common operations in pediatric otolaryngology. It is variously described as tonsillotomy, intra-capsular tonsillectomy and subcapsular tonsillectomy. All terms refer to the technique which involves removing most of the tonsil lymphoid tissue, while sparing the capsule . The remIn 2019, the American Academy of Otolaryngology published updated clinical practice guidelines for pediatric tonsillectomy [According to the American guidelines, total tonsillectomy can be performed as an outpatient surgery, however, inpatient monitoring is recommended for children younger than 3-years or with severe OSA . SimilarThe recommendation of inpatient monitoring for young children is supported by previously published studies that showed a high rate of respiratory complications in children younger than 3 years old and weight less than 14 kg, after total tonsillectomy –7. HowevThe aim of this prospective pilot study is to assess the risks of PT in children 3 years old and younger, compared to older children.This prospective cohort study was conducted in the Department of Otolaryngology, Meir Medical Center, Israel (affiliated with Tel-Aviv University) and approved by the Institutional Review Board (0276-18-MMC).The study was conducted 2018–2020, and included children 1–12 years-old who underwent powered intracapsular tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (with or without insertion of ventilation tubes) in our department, due to clinical symptoms of SDB. SDB was diagnosed based on history and physical examination. Children with severe obesity (body mass index for age at the 99th percentile or above), Down syndrome, craniofacial abnormalities, neuromuscular disorders, cyanotic heart diseases or mucopolysaccharidoses were excluded. Parents provided a written informed consent.Procedures were performed under general anesthesia. Enlarged palatine tonsils were partially removed from within the capsule using a straight blade micro-debrider (Medtronic) and adenoid tissue was removed using a curette. Hemostasis was accomplished using local packing with gauze and suction cautery. Surgeries were performed in the morning by residents under the supervision of an attending otolaryngologist. Patients received 0.15 mg/kg intravenous dexamethasone preoperatively.All PT procedures performed in our institution are inpatient PT, hence the child is kept for surveillance for at least 24 h post-operatively. Essentially, all children were transferred to PACU for recovery, and then admitted for a 24-h overnight surveillance in the Pediatric Surgery Department.We built a special follow-up protocol designed for this study which included follow-up at 5 time-points: 2-, 4-, 6-, 8- and 24-h post-surgery. Follow-up at each time-point included: 1. visual analogue pain scale (VAS). Scores were given subjectively by the nurse and the parents. 2. Oral intake: any oral liquid or solid intake was reported by the parents. If a successful intake was recorded in one time-point, the subsequent time-points were considered normal. 3. Oxygen saturation, below 93% was considered abnormal 4. Heart rate between the 10th and 90th age-specific percentiles was considered normal. 5. Physical examination; i.e. to rule out bleeding. Children were examined by a resident for signs of oral or nasal bleeding. 6. Urine output. If the child urinated at any time-point, the subsequent time-points were considered normal. 7. Temperature; Sub-axillary temperature above 37.5 °C was considered elevated. 8. Intake of oral analgesics. 9. Intravenous fluid administration.From the 8th hour post surgery and onward, a standard inpatient clinical monitoring was performed by the nurses, which included bed-side evaluation every 2–3 h. Since monitoring of SpO2 was not continuous, the team was instructed to closely observe these children and report any change in the clinical status. This monitoring included clinical observation for any apneas, significant snoring, increased work of breathing or bleeding.After the 24-h follow-up, a clinical decision regarding discharge was made ). Children were discharged if they had an optimal oral intake and an optimal respiratory status . Reasons for continued admission were defined a priori as: (1) inadequate oral intake, (2) poor hydration, (3) sub-axillary temperature above 38.5 °C, (4) desaturation, or (5) anuria. Furthermore, any major interventions  were recorded.The study population was divided into two groups; younger than 3 years old and older than 3 years old. All above mentioned variables, interventions and complications were compared between the two groups to assess the risks and safety of PT.Data were analyzed using SPSS v.28 . Where appropriate, data at each time point were recoded into binary variables : Patients took either no painkillers or at least one; oxygen saturation was either normal or ≤ 92%; heart rate was either normal or tachycardic; temperature was either normal or indicated a high-grade fever (38.5 degrees Celsius or higher); patients either experienced no bleeding or bleeding; intravenous fluids were either not administered or administered. The first instance of either oral intake or urination were similarly coded, except that once a patient had either eaten or urinated, no new information was coded for these variables across the subsequent time points. Patients were also coded as being discharged or having complications 24 h post-surgery.t-test. For the remaining variables, if, at least once during the five time points, patients used a painkiller, had oxygen saturation ≤ 92%, were tachycardic, had a high-grade fever, bled, were administered intravenous fluids, had oral intake, or urinated, these variables were coded as 1. Chi-square tests were used to compare these variables between the younger and older groups. We explored whether we had sufficient power to find a large difference between the two groups. For an independent samples t-test with two-tailed alpha = . 05, an allocation ratio of 2:1, d = 0.80 , and power = 0.80, N = 58 is required. For a chi-square test two-tailed alpha = 0.05, df = 1, Cohen’s w = 0.50 , and power = 0.80, N = 32 participants are required. Given our total sample of N = 92 children, a sufficient statistical power level was reached.To facilitate analyses, data across the five time points were collapsed into single variables. VAS scores at each time point were averaged across all five time points to create a grand mean and were analyzed using independent samples p = 0.22, Phi = 0.13). . There were n = 39 females (42%) and n = 53 males (58%). Thirty-five (38%) children were 3-years old or younger and n = 57 (62%) were older than 3 years old. Mean age in the younger group was 25.7 months (SD = 6.9), and 56.1 months (SD = 20.1) in the older group. The number of males and females in each group were not significantly different from each other  = 1.52, Across both groups, thirteen (14%) weighed less than 12 kg. In addition to PT, n = 33 (36%) received ventilation tubes.Table p = 0.74. No significant statistical differences were recorded between the groups in the use of painkillers or IV fluid administration. . Regarding tachycardia, we found no significant statistical between the two groups at any time point; 2nd time point: p = 0.27, 4th: 0.77, 6th:0.21, 8th:0.32, 24th: 0.32. Mean overall oxygen saturation was 97% ± 0.79 in the younger group and older group 98% ± 0.81. Significant differences between the groups were found in the 2nd and 6th time-points . However, no significant differences were found at the following timepoints; 4th, 8th, and 24th hour. . Similarly, by six hours post-surgery all but ten children—three in the younger group (9%) and seven in the older group (12%)—had urinated at least once, with no significant difference between groups (chi-square(1) = 0.31, p = 0.58, Cohen’s w = 0.06). By eight hours post-surgery, all children had urinated at least once.By six hours post-surgery, all but four children—two in the younger group (6%) and two in the older group (4%)—had oral intake at least once. These four children did not eat at any point in the subsequent 18 h. Rates of oral intake were not significantly different (chi-square(1) = 1.08, p = 0.59, Phi = 0.06).Eighty-five children (92.4%) were discharged after the 24-h follow-up after meeting the discharge criteria. Seven (7.6%) were hospitalized more than 24 h; 4 due to high fever (> 38.5 °C sub-axillary) and 3 due to insufficient oral intake. Of the children in the younger group, n = 2 (5.71%) were not discharged and of the children in the older group, n = 5 (8.77%) were not discharged. The complications were more common in the older group than the younger group without a statistical significance (chi-square(1) = 0.29, All of the children who had fever were in the older group n = 4), and underwent fever work-up included chest radiograph and urinalysis. Three were discharged on oral antibiotics due to suspected pneumonia, none of these children had desaturation below 93%. No respiratory complications were found in the younger group. Three children had insufficient oral intake at the 24th hour (2 in the younger group and 1 in the older group). . The decrease in recurrent tonsillitis in the PT group was attributed to a disturbance of the bacteriological environment established prior to surgery [PT is a surgical option for treating OSA and potentially chronic tonsillitis. Schmidt et al . compare surgery . In a re surgery . Another surgery .Despite these benefits of intracapsular tonsillectomy and increased use of this method among otolaryngologists worldwide, it was not mentioned in the 2019 Tonsillectomy Guidelines . The majp < 0.05 and 97.7 vs. 98.4, p < 0.01, respectively), however, no significant differences were found at the following timepoints; 4th, 8th, and 24th hour. Thus, these changes were not clinically significant, furthermore, respiratory complications were not detected in younger group. These findings are supported by several retrospective studies. Bent et al. [A recent published meta-analysis and a systematic review, demonstrated lower rates of postoperative complications and a faster return to diet in PT compared to total tonsillectomy , 17. HenWe suggest that younger children, without significant comorbidities, undergoing PT for OSA/SDB may undergo ambulatory PT surgery with low risk of complications. However, further larger studies are needed to confirm these findings since the power of our study was limited due small cohort numbers.As of today, children undergoing PT in publicly-funded hospitals in Israel are admitted for a 24 h surveillance. This conservative approach is a stark deviation from the national Israeli guidelines, which suggested that healthy children older than 2 years old can undergo an ambulatory PT. Hopefully, the results of our study can facilitate decision makers to adopt the national guidelines [The current study had some limitations, firstly, the small cohort number in both groups, however, the study was sufficiently powered to detect differences that have d >  = 0.63. The study was underpowered to detect differences that are smaller than that, given our sample size, a power of 0.8, and an alpha of 0.05. Secondly, Monitoring of SpO2 was not continuous. Theoretically, the follow-up could have missed possible respiratory complications, that underwent self-resolution. However, all of these children were admitted and closely observed. The team was instructed to report any change in the clinical status. Furthermore, all the variables collected in the 24th hour, including a heart rate, oxygen saturation and a general physical examination by a physician were used to detect any ongoing respiratory complication. An additional limitation is that all children at our institution underwent a microdebrider assisted PT, although there are multiple methods around the world to perform such procedure.The results of this cohort support that children undergoing ambulatory PT may be at low risk of complications, regardless of age.


The study was carried out to analyze the impacts of boiling, steaming, and microwave cooking on the physicochemical properties, the content of bioactive compounds, and boiling effect on mineral and heavy metal content of six widely consumed vegetables in Bangladesh's north-eastern region. In comparison to raw, boiled, and microwave-cooked vegetables, those that are steam-cooked retain a higher percentage of β-carotene with the exception of carrots. Boiling vegetables led to the most substantial reduction in ascorbic acid content (from 9.83 % to 70.88 %), with spinach experiencing the greatest decline. In contrast, microwaving had the mildest effect on ascorbic acid, preserving over 90 % of the initial content. The decrease in carotene content may be associated with color changes (decreasing greenness and increasing hue angle) in the chosen vegetables. The colorimeter shows the L* value (lightness/darkness) of all cooked vegetables significantly decreased. In terms of total polyphenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), boiling had a higher negative effect on most vegetables than the other two cooking methods, with losses of up to 70.3 % and 82.27 %, respectively. All cooked vegetables, with the exception of carrot and microwave pumpkin, had substantial reductions in free radicals scavenging activity, with losses ranging from 8.48 % to 56.73 %. In comparison to raw vegetables, boiled vegetables significantly lost minerals like potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn). On the other hand, the calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe) content of all cooked vegetables, except for carrots and peas, exhibited an increase, ranging from 6 to 17 % and 6–12 %, respectively. The Cr concentration in all vegetables and the Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cd content in the spinach sample was higher than the FAO/WHO recommended maximum permissible level (MPL), whereas the accumulation of Cu and Ni content was lower in all vegetables. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that microwaving was the most effective method for retaining the nutritional value of vegetables, while steaming had a moderate impact. VegetabAlthough vegetables are good source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals such as chromium, nickel, selenium, zinc, they are susceptible to contamination of different chemicals for example heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, lead, arsenic etc that accumulated in their leaves, roots, stem etc. In recent years, contamination of the food chain by heavy metals has become a major concern due to its significant accumulation in bio-systems via contaminated water, soil, and air . VegetabThere are a few vegetables that can be eaten raw, but most are cooked before they are consumed. The most prevalent household cooking methods include boiling, steaming, and microwave ovens . In geneOnly a few studies have been done on how cooking methods affect vitamin, mineral, heavy metal and phenolic component loss and retention ,14. This22.1Dacus carota), Sathkora (Citrus macroptera), Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), Green Peas (Pisum sativum), Pepper (Capsium annum), and Spinach (Spinacia oleracea), were procured from the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) Agro Service Center in Kumargaon, Sylhet, Bangladesh in 2022. To lessen bio variability, physically discolored, damaged, rotting samples as well as uneatable parts were discarded. The samples were then rinsed with tap water, then with distilled deionized water (DDW) to remove any adherent particles of dust, soil, single-celled algae and so on. Furthermore, the cleansed vegetables were dried with blotting paper. The samples were then sliced into 1 cm thin layers to attain the identical texture in the given cooking time and divided into 5 segments of 300g each, 4 of which were utilized to observe the cooking effect and 1 segment for mineral and heavy metal testing. This segment for mineral and heavy metal testing was oven-dried at (70 ± 1) ⁰C and then ground the dried vegetable using an electric grinder. The resultant powder was stored in desiccator in an airtight polythene pouch pending further analysis. All the samples were used in the cooking effect and analyzed within 15 h of preparation and extraction. The treatment time, amount of water and sample used are given in 3), potassium acetate, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were used in this study were of analytical grade and purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Co. .Two kg of fresh vegetable samples, consumed in Sylhet region including Carrot .2.2.2Rana et al. (2020)  reported2.32.3.1l-ascorbic acid as the standard.The total AA content of raw and cooked samples was determined using a modified version of the method described by Salkić et al. (2009) . 1 g of 2.3.22 = 0.9999).To measure overall carotenoids, 1 g of sample was homogenized in 10 mL distilled water for 2 min. Following that, 5 mL of hexane was added and rapidly stirred for 1 min, then left for 5 min to increase mass transfer, and finally stirred for 1 min. The absorbance of the resulting supernatant was measured at 452 nm using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer  . All inv2.3.3To evaluate the bioactive compound, samples were extracted using the method presented by Zhang & Hamauzu (2004) , with so2.3.42 = 0.9998) was used to estimate the total phenolic content in the extract, which was expressed as Gallic acid equivalents (mg GAE/100g).According to Da Silva et al. (2011) , the tot2.3.53), 0.1 mL of 1 M potassium acetate, and 2.8 mL of distilled water were mixed together and left the mixture in incubator at 25 °C for 40 min. After that, using deionized water as blank, the mixture absorbance was assessed in a UV–Vis spectrophotometer  at 415 nm. The total flavonoid content was calculated from a calibration curve , and the result was expressed as quercetin equivalent (mg QE/100g) for the flavonoid contents [To estimate the flavonoid content, 1.5 mL of 95 % ethanol, 0.1 mL of 10 % aluminium chloride (AlCl2.3.6control). The following equation was used to determine the sample's ability to scavenge DPPH radicals.control = the absorbance of blank; Asample = the absorbance of the sample.The antioxidant activity of the extract was assessed by the 2,2-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay using UV–2.4Atomic absorption spectrophotometer, flame emission spectrophotometer and UV spectrophotometer were used to identify and quantify minerals and heavy metals in the raw and boiled samples. Both raw and boiled vegetable samples were first washed with deionized water to remove any surface contaminants. The samples were then dried in an oven at 70 °C until a constant weight was achieved. The dried samples were then combusted in a muffle furnace at 550 °C for 6 h to produce ash. Each vegetable sample's ash residue was digested using a 1:4 solution of perchloric acid and nitric acid. After letting the samples cool, the contents were filtered through Whatman no 1 filter paper. Each sample solution was diluted with deionized water to a total volume of 25 mL. The mineral content of the aliquot was determined separately using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer  [2.5Results have been analyzed using SPSS software  and reported as the mean ± standard deviation (SD).33.1The colorimetric values of raw and cooked samples summarized in 3.23.2.1Carotenoids are precursors of vitamin A and comprise β-carotene, lycopene and cryptoxanthin that are transformed to vitamin A in the body. β-carotene responsible for more than 90 % of overall carotenoids in plants and is essential for a significant amount of vitamin A activity. 3.2.2Ascorbic acid (AA), often known as vitamin C, is an essential water-soluble vitamin. It is obvious from this study's results that AA concentration varies greatly across the raw vegetables tested (5.90–87.75 mg/100g fresh weight), which are shown in 3.2.3The antioxidant properties of plant extracts come mostly from phenolic compounds, and the beneficial effects of phenolic compounds have been linked to their antioxidant capacity . So, as 3.2.4Fruits and vegetables receive a significant portion of their color and flavor from flavonoids, the most prevalent group of plant polyphenols. The total flavonoid content of raw and cooked vegetables is presented in 3.2.5Measuring a substance's capacity to scavenge DPPH is a prominent way to estimate its antioxidant capacity. Antioxidants can change the color of DPPH from purple to yellow by accepting an electron or hydrogen radical . Green pAccording to research, phenolic substances, ascorbic acid, and carotenoids can all make a contribution to antioxidant activity . In the 3.2.6The minerals K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu and Cr of the raw and boiled vegetables are displayed in The heavy metals concentrations of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr)) obtained from the selected vegetables were listed in It is clearly noticeable that all vegetables exceeded the maximum permissible limit of chromium. In addition, only spinach exceeded the maximum permissible limit (MPL) of Cd among the vegetables. On the other hand, the study result displayed that the level of accumulated Ni content in all tested vegetable species were below MPL value recommended by the FAO/WHO organization. Boiling exhibited reduction, ranging from 19 to 58 %, 14–49 %, 7–24 % in Cd, Ni and Cr respectively in selected vegetables . The dec4In general, boiling had the most detrimental impact on biochemical compounds, mineral and heavy metal contents. On the other hand, microwave cooking retained most of the AA, TPC, as well as steaming preserved most of the β-carotene. Additionally, compared to boiled and steamed vegetables, which impart more brightness, microwave-cooked vegetables demonstrated an upward tendency in hue angle (H). Cooked carrot and pumpkin showed a considerable reduction in redness (a*), while cooked pea and spinach showed an increase in greenness (-a*). All cooked vegetables experienced an obvious loss of lightness. After all, this investigation revealed that microwave cooking best preserved the nutritious value of vegetables, whereas steaming had a moderate effect.Data included in article and no additional information is available for this paper.Abdur Razzak: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Supervision, Methodology, Investigation, Funding acquisition, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization. Tasnima Mahjabin: Methodology. Md Rashedul Munim Khan: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Methodology, Formal analysis. Murad Hossain: Writing – original draft, Formal analysis. Ummay Sadia: Writing – original draft, Formal analysis. Wahidu Zzaman: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Supervision, Formal analysis, Conceptualization.The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.


Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato complex have been reported in this region except for E. equinus, possibly due to the small number of studies involving equids. This study reports the frequency of different Echinococcus species in donkeys from eastern Africa. A total of 5961 donkeys were examined during meat inspection in 3 slaughterhouses in Kenya. Identification of Echinococcus spp. was achieved through polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism and sequencing of the mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene. The prevalence of CE was 5.7% (337/5961). The 263 genotyped cysts belonged to E. equinus (n = 163), E. granulosus sensu stricto (n = 70), E. canadensis (G6/7) (n = 26) and E. ortleppi (n = 4). One donkey harboured a metacestode of Spirometra theileri. All E. equinus cases, except 2, originated from southern Ethiopia, whereas the other species were more evenly distributed across the study area. Most of the cysts belonging to E. equinus were fertile (111/163), while those of the other species were non-fertile. This is the first report of Echinococcus spp. in donkeys from sub-Saharan Africa and the first confirmation of E. equinus in East Africa. The frequent fertility of E. equinus cysts in donkeys affirms their suitability as intermediate hosts of this species, while low frequency and cyst fertility suggest a marginal role of donkeys in the transmission of E. granulosus s. s., E. canadensis (G6/7) and E. ortleppi.Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is endemic in humans and domestic animals in eastern Africa. All the species of the  Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s. l.). The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed echinococcosis among 20 neglected diseases targeted for control or elimination by 2050  is a zoonotic disease caused by metacestodes of the cestode 050 WHO, . AlthougE. granulosus s. l. complex includes at least 5 cryptic species and some distinct genotypes (G), namely E. granulosus sensu stricto (s. s.) , E. equinus (G4), E. ortleppi (G5), E. canadensis  and E. felidis  and E. equinus. The latter mainly infects intermediate hosts of the horse family (Equidae), is rarely zoonotic and occurs around the globe mainly in domestic lifecycles involving dogs and horses or donkeys  and 2 in central Kenya (Naivasha: Star Brilliant Ltd. and Mogotio: Goldox Kenya Ltd.) . The oriin toto, cleaned and stored individually in 70% ethanol. The cysts were examined microscopically for the presence of protoscoleces, and with sterile cysts (not containing protoscoleces), the integrity of the germinal layer was visually assessed to discriminate between viable and degenerated cysts.The study was done at 2 intervals; the first between January and September 2017 which involved all the 3 slaughterhouses (3197 donkeys). The second phase was carried out only in Naivasha slaughterhouse between February and August 2019 (2764 donkeys). Carcasses were examined for cysts by palpation and subsequent incision of the major organs. The cysts/lesions were excised et al., Cyst material or a single protoscolex were lysed in 0.02 M NaOH at 99°C for 10 min (Nakao nad1) were used for genotyping of cysts depending on their conditions. The first PCR targeted the entire nad1 gene (894 bp) and was carried out according to Hüttner et al. (nad1 gene (550–552 bp) as described by Mulinge et al. , 1 mm Dithiothreitol (DTT), 0.1 mm Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), 100 mm KCl, 0.5% (v/v) Nonidet P40, 0.5% (v/v) Tween 20] , 0.2 mm deoxynucleotide triphosphate , 0.25 μm of forward and reverse primers each, 2 mm MgCl2 and 0.625 units of DreamTaq Green DNA Polymerase (Thermo Scientific) in 25 μL final volume. The PCR cycling conditions were 5 min for initial denaturation at 94°C, 40 cycles of 94°C for 30 s, 55°C for 30 s and 72°C for 60 s, and a final extension at 72°C for 5 min , either the entire or partial nad1 gene  and 10 μL PCR product. The restriction digests were incubated overnight at 37°C and separated on 3% agarose gel alongside positive controls for E. granulosus s. s., E. equinus, E. ortleppi, E. canadensis (G6/7) and E. felidis  , E. granulosus s. s. (n = 70), E. canadensis (G6/7) (n = 26) and E. ortleppi (n = 4) (E. equinus cysts was high (111/163), but low for the other species: 7/70 for E. granulosus s. s., 1/4 for E. ortleppi and 3/26 for E. canadensis (G6/7). The most frequently infected organs were the liver for E. equinus (115/163) and E. canadensis (G6/7) (15/26) and the lungs for E. granulosus s. s. (43/70), while 2/4 E. ortleppi cysts occurred in the lungs and the kidneys each   and 2. D (n = 4) . Detailseys each .Table 1S. theileri. The geographical origin of the donkeys is presented in E. equinus, where all except 2 infected animals originated from southern Ethiopia. The other Echinococcus spp. were widely spread across the study area; all of the (few) characterized cyst from central Kenya were E. granulosus s. s., all cysts from Karamoja were E. canadensis (G6/7)  were infected with CE and 1 with a metacestode of s (G6/7) . The donet al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., Echinococcus. Thus, E. equinus has been identified in Tunisia and Egypt  dogs or wild scavengers. Ongoing research on Echinococcus transmission in southern Ethiopia may shed light on the risk factors in that focus. This is not irrelevant, as E. equinus – long assumed to be apathogenic for humans – has recently been reported as causative agent of human CE  do approximately reflect the relative frequencies of these species in their typical intermediate hosts  in the study area. In Kenya, E. granulosus s. s. is the most abundant species in sheep, goats and cattle followed by E. canadensis (G6/7) and E. ortleppi, this frequency can also be seen in donkeys. However, the prevalence of these 3 species in donkeys was far lower than in their ruminant hosts in the same region , 1/4 for E. ortleppi] were far lower compared to their typical hosts. In case of E. granulosus s. s., this is in accordance with studies from the Mediterranean area, where few or no cysts of this species were found fertile in donkeys and horses  and E. ortleppi, the presented results are even the first confirmation that these species can infect donkeys and reach fertility there; apart from our findings, an E. ortleppi cyst of unknown fertility status previously reported from an unspecified species of zebra in Namibia was the only record of E. ortleppi from any member of the Equidae  and E. ortleppi are likely the result of spillover from the typical lifecycles between dogs and domestic ruminants, and donkeys probably play a small role, if any, in the transmission of these parasites.The numbers of donkeys infected with S. theileri calcified cyst in a donkey that was located in the kidney and initially misidentified as a degenerated Echinococcus cyst. Domestic and wild carnivores serve as the definitive hosts of Spirometra spp., while the first intermediate hosts are copepods and the second intermediate hosts are amphibians, reptiles or herbivorous mammals (paratenic hosts). A sylvatic cycle for Spirometra spp. involving wild herbivores  as second intermediate hosts (paratenic) and carnivores (hyenas) was proposed in Maasai Mara (Nelson et al., Spirometra spp. are known from Kenya (Schmid and Watschinger, S. theileri is unknown, infections with adult worms of this species have been found in leopards and spotted hyenas in Tanzania and recently in domestic dogs in Maasai Mara (Eom et al., et al., S. theileri in the area is in need of investigation.This study reports the unusual finding of


Klebsiella pneumoniae in food is increasing, and it has emerged as a food pathogen. Global health is threatened due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and hypervirulent (hv) K. pneumoniae. Phages have a promising application as antibacterial agents and have the ability to lyse MDR strains. Hence, phage vB_KpP_HS106 against MDR-hv K. pneumoniae strains was isolated from sewage collected from a hospital. It can maintain stable activity at a pH range of 4–12 and a temperature range of 4°C to 50°C. The maximum adsorption rate of phage HS106 was found to be approximately 84.2% at 6 min. One-step growth curve analysis showed that the latent period of HS106 was 10 min and the burst size was approximately 183 PFU/cell. Furthermore, whole genome analysis indicated that the genome of phage HS106 was a double-stranded linear 76,430-bp long DNA molecule with 44% GC content. A total of 95 open reading frames were annotated in the HS106 genome, which did not contain any virulence genes or antibiotic resistance genes. Phage HS106 reduced MDR K. pneumoniae in milk by approximately 1.6 log10 CFU/mL at 25°C and in chicken by approximately 2 log10 CFU/cm3 at 25°C. Therefore, vB_KpP_HS106 is a promising alternative to antibiotics for biocontrol against multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae in foods.The detection rate of  It can pathogen , which cpathogen . In anime severe . Studiesate meat  and dairate meat , which cate meat . 29  was isolated from sewage collected from a hospital, and its characteristic features and genome sequence were determined. Finally, the effectiveness of the application of the phage was determined in milk and chicken meat.MDR n health . In prev2.2.1.K. pneumoniae strains isolated from dairy farms in Shanghai were used in this study. The drug resistance and capsular type of each strain are shown in K. pneumoniae 106 (a K2 capsular type) was used as a host bacterium for phage isolation and propagation. All K. pneumoniae strains were cultured in 5 mL of LB broth  and incubated up to 109 CFU/mL at 37°C with shaking for 4 h.In total, 41 2.2.K. pneumoniae 106 was used as the bacterial host for phage isolation, using the method described previously  was added to enhance the phage adsorption rate and inoculated with 1 mL of K. pneumoniae 106 culture (109 CFU/mL). The mixture was incubated at 37°C for 24 h with shaking at 120 rpm. After incubation, the bacteria were removed by centrifugation  , and the supernatant was filtered through 0.22 μm filters . The filtrate was collected and used in a spot test to detect the presence of phages. The phages were purified at least three times to obtain a pure phage using a double-layer agar method (eviously . Brieflyr method . The pur2.3.K. pneumoniae strains using the method described previously (8 PFU/mL) was dropped onto lawn cultures of 41 MDR K. pneumoniae strains  was added dropwise to copper mesh and fixed for 10 min, and the residual liquid was absorbed by filter paper. Then, 2% phosphotungstic acid was added to stain for 2 min. The sample was air-dried and observed by transmission electron microscope .Cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation was used to purify the enriched phages. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the morphology of the phage according to 2.5.The temperature stability of the phage was tested after treatment in a water bath at 4°C, 25°C, 37°C, 50°C, 60°C,70°C, and 80°C for 1 h using the double-layer agar plate. In order to detect the stability of the phage at different pH values, SM buffer with different pH values (2–13) were prepared using 1 M HCl or 1 M NaOH. At each pH value, 100 μL of the phage and 900 μL SM buffer were mixed. After incubation at 37°C for 1 h, the phage titer was determined using the double-layer agar method.2.6.9, 108, 107, 106, 105, and 104 PFU/mL, then the host strain was mixed with MOIs of 100, 10, 1, 0.1, 0.01, 0.001, and 0.0001, respectively. After the mixture was incubated for 4 h at 37°C, the phage titer was determined by the double-layer agar method. The MOI that generated the highest phage titer was considered as the optimal MOI , and the supernatant containing unabsorbed phages was diluted and counted using the double-layer agar plate method. The adsorption rate was expressed by calculating the percentage of free phage in the culture system. The one-step growth curve of the phage was determined using the method described previously with minor modifications (K. pneumoniae 106 culture (109 CFU/mL) was centrifuged , the supernatant was discarded, and the precipitate was resuspended in 8 mL of SM buffer. The phage at the optimal MOI was added to the suspension and incubated at 37°C for 6 min. The mixture was then centrifuged at 12,000× g for 2 min to remove unabsorbed phages. The pellet was resuspended in 10 mL LB broth and incubated at 37°C. Samples were taken at 10 min intervals during the 100 min period then diluted and counted using the double-layer agar plate method.In order to determine the adsorption rate of phage to host bacteria, phage was mixed with ications . Briefly2.8.Phage DNA was extracted using the phenol/chloroform extraction method . Phage D2.9.2.9.1.K. pneumoniae 106 in LB broth was detected in 100-well microtiter plates by the method previously described .The inhibition ability of the phage against MDR escribed . Briefly2.9.2.K.pneumoniae in milk, sterile skim milk purchased from the Lotus supermarket in Shanghai, China was used as the medium for K. pneumoniae according to the method previously described  was added to the contaminated milk. SM buffer was added instead of phage suspension as the control group. The mixture was incubated at 4°C and 25°C for 24 h. At 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h, 100 μL of the mixture was taken for counting.To investigate the inhibition effect of the phage on escribed . Briefly2.9.3.K. pneumoniae in chicken was assessed according to the method with some modifications  and the differences were analyzed with two-way ANOVA using GraphPad Prism 9.0. Differences were considered statistically significant at 3.3.1.K. pneumoniae 106 as a host and was designated as vB_KpP_HS106 (phage HS106). The plaque morphology of phage HS106 is shown in Schitoviridae family according to the demarcation criteria of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)  .3.2.K.pneumoniae strains used in this study, 26 could be lysed by phage HS106, which had the ability to lyse multiple capsular serotypes. Phage HS106 could lyse MDR K.pneumoniae, including K.pneumoniae 211, K.pneumoniae 061, and K.pneumoniae 102. At an MOI of 0.001, the phage HS106 titer was the highest . The sequence identity between vB_KpP_HS106 and vB_KpnP_P184 was 83.86% (coverage (88.00%) × identity (95.30%) = 83.86%). Comparative genomic analysis using Easyfig software showed that phage HS106 and phage P184 contain similar ORFs. However, there were differences in the tail proteins , Thymidylate synthase complementing protein (ORF64), and some hypothetical proteins . Tail fiber/spick protein had a pectate domain, which was a depolymerase used to depolymerize bacterial exopolysaccharides. ORF59 was annotated as lysozyme in the HS106 genome, which shared 96.82% identity with the Caudoviricetes sp. Lysozyme protein sequence (GenBank: DAQ70617.1). Lysozyme is inhibited from degrading the peptidoglycan by being tethered to the inner membrane and by having its catalytic domain locked in an inactive conformation either covalently or non-covalently  K.pneumoniae is increasing (A. hydrophila by 1.2 log10 CFU/m2 on lettuce (K. pneumoniae in food (milk and chicken). At 25°C, phage HS106 reduced MDR-K. pneumoniae by 1.6 log10 CFU/mL in milk and 2 log10 CFU/cm3 in chicken. Therefore, phage HS106 is a good candidate for use as a food additive to control K. pneumoniae remaining after pasteurization in dairy products. However, in milk and chicken meat, viable counts of K. pneumoniae increased after 12 h at 24°C, even in the presence of phage HS106 at an MOI of 100, suggesting that bacteria developed phage resistance (data not shown). The use of a phage cocktail or food additives combined with the phage could be an alternative approach to prevent phage resistance  GenBank, XS: methodology. CC: software, data curation and writing—original draft preparation. HC, TL, and ZT: investigation. XS and TL: writing—review and editing. YZ: supervision. XS: project administration. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.This work was supported by Shanghai Agriculture Applied Technology Development Program, China (Grant No. 2019-02-08-00-10-F01149).The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.


To explore the effect of the application of the ‘Internet+’ nursing teaching mode on the comprehensive teaching ‘Fundamentals of Nursing’.Parallel design and convenient sampling were used to select vocational nursing students from the Nursing College of Capital Medical University.Selected students were randomly divided into two groups. The control group consisted of 30 students in Grade 2020 higher vocational nursing education . The observation group consisted of 30 students in Grade 2021 higher vocational nursing education (Internet+ mixed teaching mode). Training assessment results, automatic learning ability, professional identity, and satisfaction were compared between the two groups.p < 0.05 for all scores). The total scores for autonomous learning ability and subjective satisfaction were also higher in the observation group compared with the control group .Compared with the control group, the students in the observation group scored higher in the following operation practices: venous blood sampling, intradermal injection, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), sputum aspiration, and putting on and taking off robes (84.01 ± 0.87 vs. 92.14 ± 1.23; 91.41 ± 0.82 vs. 96.86 ± 0.27; 87.56 ± 0.31 vs. 93.91 ± 2.79; 88.11 ± 0.51 vs. 93.75 ± 0.29; and 82.29 ± 0.29 vs. 90.96 ± 0.34, respectively, with In the post-epidemic era, the ‘Internet+ hybrid teaching mode’ was applied to comprehensive nursing teaching. This changed the traditional education mode, which focuses only on professional knowledge. The ‘Internet+’ teaching mode results showed that the professional, ideological, and political courses exhibited the same value guidance, which improved students’ independent learning ability, practical operation ability, professional identity, and satisfaction. The COVID-19 outbreak has confirmed that a shortage of nursing staff leads to difficulties in the prevention and control of an epidemic, as well as the recovery and treatment of patients. Therefore, training high-quality nurses and developing their professional identity is an urgent problem for nursing educators and society. A post-epidemic era refers to an era when planning and development occurs in preparation for a new epidemic in the future , 3. TherIn recent years, the teaching methods of colleges and universities have also gradually deepened the reform. For example, a flipped classroom can be used with the help of the internet since its development is less limited by classroom time and location, achieving better results. Thus, the flipped classroom has been applied and promoted in recent years , 8. In aThe parallel design research method was used to facilitate sampling and selection of students from the higher vocational nursing classes of 2020 and 2021 in Capital Medical University. Simple random sampling and the random number table method were used to divide the students into two groups. The control group consisted of nursing students from the 2020 higher vocational nursing class and the observation group of nursing students from the 2021 higher vocational nursing class. The inclusion criteria were students in the higher vocational nursing classes of 2020 and 2021 who had completed all Comprehensive Nursing Training courses. The exclusion criterion was students absent for over 10% of the class hours. The research purpose and method were explained to participants, and informed consent was obtained. The data collected were only used for the analysis conducted in this research, and formative evaluation did not consider students’ academic achievements. This study followed the CONSORT Guidelines for the design and implementation of randomized controlled trials  and was post hoc measures  The control group: For nursing students from the 2020 higher vocational nursing class, we carried out face-to-face teaching under the routine skill operation line; the teacher prepared the teaching plan according to the comprehensive nursing training syllabus, formulated the teaching schedule and class hours, and imparted theoretical and practical knowledge to students through PPT, on-site operation demonstration, blackboard writing, and other forms. The teacher demonstration teaching method included nursing student practise, anti-teaching, comments, and then re-practise.(2) Observation group: For nursing students from the 2021 higher vocational nursing class, the online and offline hybrid teaching mode was adopted. The mixed teaching group used a method based on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) combined with PBL and Case Study Based Learning (CBL), and used Tencent Conference, WeChat Group, and the first hospital network Bb platform as auxiliary teaching tools. ① MOOC teaching: Students were required to obtain the course content from the teacher before the class began. To improve student participation, videos of case questions and related nursing operations were included in the teaching content of each chapter, and knowledge points and test questions related to case questions were posed to facilitate student understanding and retention. Using a backstage management page, teachers were able to oversee students’ video viewing, learning duration, and test results at any time. They also dynamically mentored students’ participation and learning, and provided targeted feedback and supervision. ② PBL teaching: The teacher prepared a teaching plan incorporating ideological and political material according to the requirements of the syllabus, and presented nursing problems. Students searched the literature and consulted data on the problems, organized the contents, made records, and actively participated in discussions by applying their own analysis and thinking. ③ CBL teaching: Teachers collected typical and special clinical nursing cases, prepared and created complete teaching cases, and organized the students into groups to discuss and learn. ④ Bb teaching platform and WeChat group: Relevant information, case analysis, practical teaching, curriculum-related vocabulary, online testing, syllabus, courseware, a question bank, teaching plan, operation videos recorded by teachers, and other teaching materials were published on the Bb network platform. Course information, teaching progress, syllabus, examination arrangement, etc., were published through a class WeChat group announcement. After class, the training room was opened. After the students had practised in their spare time, they worked with other team members. Each group used mobile phones to record and upload an operation video. The students also carried out operator self-comments, team members’ comments, teachers’ comments, determined the existing problems, and compared videos of the teacher’s demonstration and the nursing students’ operations after class. They then analyzed the cause of the problem and suggested modifications. ⑤ Tencent Conference: Using Tencent Conference, supplementary teaching of the missing chapters in MOOC, in-depth analysis, supplementary explanation of the key chapters, difficult points in the course, and online tutorship were conducted. Comprehensive nursing training, technology operation, hospital training for teachers in the classroom, and real-time interaction with students by way of live display were also conducted.Through case teaching, nursing skills as well as ideological and political education were organically integrated, and the teaching effect was evaluated. The evaluation was performed as follows:(1) Comprehensive nursing training assessment: This was conducted in the form of an operation examination, where the assessment was divided into three parts. Theory accounted for 10 points. The examination papers for the Comprehensive Nursing Training were drawn from the question bank according to three levels: easy, medium, and difficult. Additionally, part of the papers aimed to evaluate the theoretical knowledge level of nursing students after learning. Skills accounted for 70 points, and students’ operation skill level was evaluated according to the scoring standard of each operation in the teaching material for the Comprehensive Nursing Training. Three teachers participated in the operation assessment to ensure fairness. Humanistic care accounted for 20 points.(2) The self-study ability of nursing students before and after training was evaluated using the Self-Learning Ability Assessment Scale for Nursing Students compiled by Lin and Jiang . The sca(3) Assessment using the nurse professional identity rating scale. This scale includes 30 items in the five following dimensions: professional cognitive evaluation, professional social support, professional social skills, professional frustration coping, and professional self-reflection . From ‘v(4) Subjective satisfaction survey of the teaching mode: This survey was a self-designed satisfaction questionnaire, which included six dimensions: course content, teacher teaching, student learning, teacher-student interaction, evaluation, and platform support. The meaning and content of each dimension are defined as follows: Dimension 1: Course content. This refers to the knowledge, skills, concepts, tasks, or activities presented to the students; Dimension 2: Teacher’s teaching. This refers to the teacher’s explanation, demonstration, and guidance of knowledge, skills, concepts, tasks, and other aspects of the teaching process. Dimension 3: Learner’s learning. This refers to the attitude, motivation, engagement, and behavior of the learner during the learning process. Dimension 4: Interaction. This refers to the interactions between teachers and students and among students during the online teaching process. Dimension 5: Assessment. This refers to the assignments, tests, examinations, etc., that students were required to complete to consolidate, test, and evaluate their learning. Dimension 6: Platform support. This refers to the learning environment and support provided by online teaching, including learning resources, retrieval functions, and other services . The higAll questionnaires were completed anonymously. The online questionnaires were distributed and completed using the ‘Questionnaire Star’ online platform. The ‘Questionnaire Star’ survey method not only ensures the integrity of the questionnaire but also enables the participants to fill in the questionnaire in a more natural way, improving the authenticity of the questionnaire results. The survey was sent by professional researchers to the students at the Nursing College of Capital Medical University in Beijing through the ‘Questionnaire Star’ platform. Within 10 days of the comprehensive practical training and assessment of the nursing students, all participants were asked to complete the online questionnaires. Informed consent was obtained at the beginning of the questionnaire. Quality control was carried out by limiting the number of answers and by limiting users with the same internet protocol address to answer only once. A total of 60 questionnaires were issued. All 60 questionnaires were recovered (effective recovery rate 100.00%) and all were valid.t-tests or Pearson chi-square tests were used to compare the demographic characteristics of the intervention and control groups, including age, sex, and nationality. Frequency data (percentage) were analyzed using chi-square tests. Paired sample t-tests were used to compare the mean scores on questionnaires. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Epidata 3.0 was used for data entry and SPSS 24.0 was used for data analysis. The Shapiro–Wilk test was used to test the normality of measurement data. All variables were tested for normal distribution. Measurement data in line with a normal distribution were expressed as (p > 0.05)  .p < 0.001), as shown in Compared with the control group, the students in the observation group had higher scores in venous blood sample collection (84.01 ± 0.87 vs. 92.14 ± 1.23), intradermal injection (91.41 ± 0.82 vs. 96.86 ± 0.27), CPR (87.56 ± 0.31 vs. 93.91 ± 2.79), sputum aspiration (88.11 ± 0.51 vs. 93.75 ± 0.29), and putting on and taking off robes (82.29 ± 0.29 vs. 90.96 ± 0.34), with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001), as shown in Compared with the control group, the students in the observation group had higher scores in self-management ability (33.59 ± 6.34 vs. 37.96 ± 2.73), information acquisition ability (20.14 ± 2.28 vs. 30.68 ± 3.21), learning cooperation ability (27.06 ± 1.20 vs. 31.70 ± 2.19), and total score (82.98 ± 4.72 vs. 93.17 ± 5.01), with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001), as shown in Compared with the control group, the students in the observation group had higher scores in occupational cognitive evaluation (23.59 ± 2.4 vs. 28.16 ± 2.37), occupational social support (22.14 ± 2.82 vs. 26.06 ± 2.31), occupational social competence (21.06 ± 2.10 vs. 27.12 ± 2.27), coping with occupational frustration (22.28 ± 3.72 vs. 26.17 ± 4.01), occupational self-reflection (13.10 ± 0.91 vs. 17.12 ± 1.21), and total scores of occupational identity (102.17 ± 11.98 vs. 124.63 ± 12.17), with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001), as shown in The subjective satisfaction of nursing students in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (96.67% vs. 90.00%), with a statistically significant difference .The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.


Recently, the development of heterogeneous nanocatalytic systems using solid supports has been gaining importance due to some advantages such as easy handling, high thermal stability, high efficiency, reusability, and so on. Therefore, the design of catalyst supports for the preparation of stable heterogeneous catalytic systems is of great importance. In this work, Schiff base-modified ZnO particles have been developed (ZnO–Scb) as a novel support. A heterogeneous nanocatalyst system has then been prepared by immobilizing palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) on the ZnO-Scb surface as the support. The resulting palladium nanocatalyst (Pd–ZnO–Scb) structure has been characterized by different analytical techniques  and used to catalyze the Heck coupling reactions and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction. Test results revealed that Pd–ZnO–Scb could effectively couple various aryl halides with styrene in yields of up to 98% in short reaction times. Pd–ZnO–Scb was also efficiently used in the complete 4-NP reduction within 135 s at room temperature. Additionally, it was found that Pd–ZnO–Scb was more effective than other reported catalysts in the Heck coupling reaction. Moreover, the recycling tests indicated that Pd–ZnO–Scb could be easily isolated from the reaction medium and reused in seven consecutive catalytic runs while retaining its nanostructure. Generally, homogeneous phosphine-based catalysts have played an important role in the Heck coupling reaction6. However, there are some problems such as the cost of most phosphine ligands, their toxicity, and the incapability of the catalyst to be readily recycled from the media, which limits their large-scale applications8. Therefore, efforts to substitute phosphine-based catalysts with heterogeneous solid-supported Pd catalysts have been gaining much interest recently. Different organic/inorganic compounds such as zeolites, carbon materials, metal oxides, MOFs, silica, and polymers have been utilized as carriers to prepare Pd catalysts with high activity and recyclability14. However, many developed heterogeneous catalysts have poor recyclability and chemical stability, which restrict their application in industrial or academic fields15. The selection or design of suitable supports can help overcome these problems. Moreover, the development of environmentally friendly, economic, highly stable, and recyclable catalytic systems is needed for the Heck coupling reaction from the green chemistry aspect.Pd-catalyzed Heck coupling reaction is one of the significant synthetic methodologies used to form C–C bonds between olefins and aryl halides and has thus been widely used in the fabrication of various compounds such as natural products, pharmaceuticals, and bioactive materials19. Nitrophenols with high risks to the humans and environment are one of the most significant major organic pollutants in agricultural and industrial wastewaters due to their highly toxic nature, stability, and solubility in water20. In particular, 4-NP is an infamous organic pollutant commonly found in industrial wastewaters21. When it is discharged into the environment, it remains for a long time due to its high stability, thus negatively affecting human health, the environment, and aquatic life22. Therefore, 4-NP removal from water/wastewater is of great importance. Various conventional methods such as adsorption, ion exchange, oxidation, reverse osmosis, and membrane separation have previously been applied for the removal of this contaminant25. However, the treatment or purification of water/wastewater by these methods is not generally sufficient due to some weaknesses such as low adaptability, extraordinary cost, low efficiency, and generation of contamination27. Among these processes, catalytic reduction is highly effective due to its simplicity, inexpensiveness, formation of non-toxic compounds, speed, and simplicity of operation29. Additionally, reduction products, which are obtained as a result of the catalytic reduction, are valuable compounds for industrial applications. For example, 4-NP reduction product, 4-aminophenol (4-AP), has a significant role in the fabrication of analgesic and antipyretic drugs32. Therefore, catalytic reduction is a good strategy and the development of highly active catalysts is important.Removal of toxic inorganic/organic contaminants from wastewater and soil is a serious and imperative challenge for human life34. Therefore, different metal oxides have been designed and used in various fields including water treatment, solar cells, biomedicine, and catalysis36. Among metal oxide NPs, ZnO is one of the most effective compounds widely used in various applications due to its reasonable cost, simple fabrication, biocompatibility, high availability, and non-toxicity38. Additionally, ZnO particle surfaces can be easily modified with different functionalities. For example, (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES), which is a member of the organosilanes, is a good agent to provide free –NH2 groups on the surface of ZnO40. According to the literature, Schiff base ligands are able to coordinate many different metals and metal oxides and can act as catalysts for various organic transformations and different applications43. In this regard, reactive NH2 groups on the ZnO surface can be further modified by reacting with aldehydes or ketones to form Schiff bases, which strongly interact with metal ions. Schiff base-modified ZnO particles can act as good catalyst supports for the synthesis of different catalysts and the resulting catalysts can be used in different industrial or academic applications.Recently, the preparation of nanosized metal oxides has gained growing interest from researchers due to their optical, electrical, biological, and catalytic prowessIn this work, Schiff base-modified ZnO particles have been designed as novel catalyst supports for the first time. Pd nanocatalysts have then been synthesized via the stabilization of Pd on the developed support Scheme . The str2, and ZnO–Scb were recorded using a Perkin Elmer 100 FT-IR spectrophotometer. XRD spectra of ZnO and Pd–ZnO–Scb were recorded using a Rikagu smart lab system. FE-SEM/EDS images of ZnO, ZnO–NH2, ZnO–Scb, and Pd–ZnO–Scb were obtained using a QUANTA–FEG 250ESEM/EDAX–Metek instrument. TEM analysis of Pd–ZnO–Scb nanocatalyst was carried out using a Zeiss Sigma 300 instrument. NMR analyses were performed by a Bruker Avance III 400 MHz spectrometer. The 4-NP reduction was followed by UV–Vis spectroscopy (Genesys 10 S UV–Vis spectrophotometer).All chemical compounds were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Co. FT-IR spectra of ZnO, ZnO–NH3)2·6H2O (5.94 g) and (NH4)2CO3 (3.61 g) were separately dissolved in 20 mL of water to form solutions 1 and 2. Solutions 1 and 2 were next mixed and vigorously stirred at room temperature for 3 h to yield ZnO precursors. Finally, the resulting white precipitates were collected by filtration, rinsed with water, dried at 100 °C for 6 h and then calcinated at 550 °C for 4 h.Zn and APTES (8 mL) in 40 mL of anhydrous toluene for 48 h at 100 °C. Finally, ZnO–NH2 (1.5 g) was dispersed in EtOH by sonication for 1 h, followed by the addition of 5 mL of furfural and refluxing the resulting mixture for 72 h. After the reaction was completed, the product denoted as ZnO–Scb, was collected by filtration, rinsed with hot EtOH, and dried at 60 °C.ZnO–NH2 were added to EtOH (30 mL) and the resulting mixture was heated at 70 °C. After 1 h, the reaction solution turned black, confirming the formation of Pd NPs on the support surface. After another 1 h, the dark-colored Pd–ZnO–Scb catalyst was isolated by filtration, washed with water and EtOH, and then dried at 60 °C.1 g of ZnO–Scb and 0.2 g of PdCl2CO3 (2 mmol), and Pd–ZnO–Scb nanocatalyst (15 mg) in 4 mL of DMF was heated at 120 °C for the required time. At the end of the reaction (monitored by TLC), Pd–ZnO–Scb was recovered from the media and the mixture was extracted with CH2Cl2:H2O (1:1) three times. The organic phase bearing the Heck products was dried on MgSO4 and the products were obtained by evaporating the solvent. For further purification, column chromatography was carried out.A mixture of aryl halide (1 mmol), styrene (1.5 mmol), Na–4 M) and NaBH4  was stirred for 2 min at room temperature. 10 mg of Pd–ZnO–Scb were then transferred into the media to start the catalytic reduction of 4-NP and the resulting mixture was stirred for the desired time. The progress of 4-NP reduction was followed by UV–Vis spectroscopy.The mixture of an aqueous solution of 4-NP : δH = 7.51 , 7.34 , 7.27–7.24 , 7.11 ; 13C NMR : δC = 137.40, 128.76, 128.70, 127.64, 126.54.1H NMR : δH = 7.49–7.43 , 7.33 , 7.24–7.20 , 7.06 , 6.96 , 6.88 , 3.80 ; 13C NMR : δC = 159.40, 137.74, 130.24, 128.68, 128.30, 127.77, 127.25, 126.70, 126.31, 114.21, 55.35.1H NMR : δH = 7.50 , 7.41 , 7.34 , 7.26–7.22 , 7.16 , 7.09 , 7.05 , 2.35 ; 13C NMR : δC = 137.58, 134.62, 129.41, 128.66, 128.66, 127.77, 127.41, 126.45, 126.42, 21.25.1H NMR : δH = 8.21 , 7.62 , 7.55 , 7.42–7.31 , 7.26 , 7.13 ; 13C NMR : δC = 146.85, 143.88, 136.24, 133.36, 128.92, 128.86, 127.05, 126.88, 126.33, 124.15.1H NMR : δH = 7.64–7.57 , 7.53 , 7.39 , 7.33–7.30 , 7.21 , 7.08 ; 13C NMR : δC = 141.89, 136.34, 132.50, 132.47, 128.87, 128.66, 126.94, 126.89, 126.77, 119.00, 110.66.1H NMR : δH = 8.36 , 8.09 , 7.79 , 7.55–7.49 , 7.39 , 7.32 , 7.23 , 7.12 ; 13C NMR : δC = 148.81, 139.22, 136.32, 132.23, 131.83, 129.56, 128.87, 128.54, 126.86, 126.14, 122.03, 120.91.2, FE-SEM images, elemental mapping and EDS spectra of samples, and also TEM image and XRD pattern of Pd–ZnO–Scb after seven cycles.Contains information about the NMR spectra of Heck coupling reaction products, ninhydrin color test of ZnO–NH2, and ZnO–Scb were confirmed by FT–IR analysis and the corresponding spectra are given in Fig. −1 related to the Zn–O stretching vibration45. However, this stretching band could not be detected due to the range of ATR/FT-IR. Therefore, XRD, EDS, and FE-SEM analyses were performed to study the fabrication of ZnO. Figure 2. The strong peaks located at 2926 and 2867 cm−1 were assigned to the aliphatic C–H stretching vibrations of APTES molecules. Additionally, the peaks at 1575 and 1012 cm−1 were attributed to the NH2 deformation and Si–O stretching vibrations. These important and characteristic peaks confirmed the successful attachment of APTES to the surface of ZnO46. Additionally, a ninhydrin color test was performed to confirm the presence of APTES molecules on ZnO surface. For this purpose, 5 mg of ZnO–NH2 and 5 mg of ninhydrin were refluxed in 10 mL of ethanol47. After 3 min, the color of the suspension turned to purple, resulting in an absorbance peak of 580 nm in the UV–Vis spectrum , (200), and (220) planes of Pd, respectively, confirming the stabilization of Pd NPs on the support49.The XRD patterns of ZnO and Pd–ZnO–Scb are shown in Fig. 2, ZnO–Scb, and Pd–ZnO–Scb, FE-SEM analysis was performed and the images are illustrated in Figure 2 and ZnO–Scb, it was observed that ZnO surface was covered with particles, confirming the successful chemical modification of ZnO. The FE-SEM images of Pd–ZnO–Scb indicated the deposition of Pd NPs on ZnO–Scb surface with a nearly spherical shape. EDS analyses were performed to determine the presence of elements in ZnO, ZnO-NH2, and Pd-ZnO-Scb. Additionally, elemental mapping analysis was conducted to investigate the distribution of elements on the surface of the Pd-ZnO-Scb complex. The corresponding spectra are displayed in Figures 2 displayed the presence of C, N, and Si peaks, related to APTES molecules, which confirmed that APTES molecules were attached to the surface of ZnO. As for Pd–ZnO–Scb spectrum, Pd peaks were observed in addition to the expected elements such as C, N, O, Si, and Zn. Additionally, the presence of Pd was determined using elemental mapping . In addition, the reaction progress can be easily followed by UV–Vis spectroscopy at 400 nm61. As Fig. 4 solution into 4-NP solution, the color of the solution changed to deep yellow and the absorption peak at 317 nm shifted to about 400 nm, indicating the formation of 4-nitrophenolate anion. Therefore, 4-NP reduction is carried out on 4-nitrophenolate anion (4-NPT). It was observed that this solution was very stable and the absorption peak at 400 nm did not change even after 5 h without Pd–ZnO–Scb. This indicated that Pd–ZnO–Scb was required for 4-NP reduction. Upon the addition of Pd–ZnO–Scb into 4-NP + NaBH4 mixture, the absorption at 400 nm gradually decreased and disappeared within 135 s. Additionally, a new peak appeared at about 300 nm simultaneously with the reduction reaction, confirming the formation of 4-AP. Moreover, the yellow color of the reaction solution turned colorless at the end of the catalytic reduction. All these findings confirmed the successful conversion of 4-NP to 4-AP by Pd–ZnO–Scb within 135 s without any side products, in concordance with previous studies. Figure 0) and reaction time (t) for Pd–ZnO–Scb catalyzed 4-NP reduction. The rate constant was found as 0.007 s−1 for 4-NP reduction using the following equation. The catalytic system followed pseudo-first-order kinetics due to NaBH4 concentration being higher than 4-NP.0 and c are the initial and final concentrations of 4-NP at tested reaction time (t), respectively, and k (s−1) is the reaction rate.Inspired by the performance of our catalyst in the Heck coupling reaction, it was also used in the catalytic reduction of 4-NP to 4-AP by NaBHTable It is known that the recyclability of a catalyst is a crucial factor for both industrial and academic applications in terms of economy, cost-effectiveness, labor, and sustainability. Therefore, the recycling potential of Pd–ZnO–Scb nanocatalyst was investigated in the model Heck coupling reaction under optimized conditions. After each cycle, Pd–ZnO–Scb was isolated by filtration, rinsed with water and ethanol, and dried. The recovered Pd–ZnO–Scb was then directly used in the next reactions. The results revealed that Pd–ZnO–Scb could be reused and recycled up to 7 successive runs giving a product yield of 87%. To check the stability of Pd–ZnO–Scb, its surface was examined by TEM and XRD analyses following the seventh run and the corresponding images are given in Figures A hot filtration test was performed on 1-bromo-4-nitrobenzene under the optimal reaction conditions determined in the Heck coupling reaction. The Heck coupling reaction was carried out for 45 min in the presence of Pd–ZnO–Scb nanocatalyst. The catalyst was then recovered from the reaction medium and allowed to react for an additional 45 min under the same conditions to complete the reaction time with the filtrate. It was observed that the Heck coupling reaction did not progress further, indicating that Pd–ZnO–Scb did not leach. Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) analysis revealed that the content of Pd NPs loaded on the ZnO–Scb surface was about 9.6%. To check the heterogeneity of catalyst, which is an important factor, the phenomenon of leaching was studied by ICP analysis of the resulting reaction mixture. According to the ICP analysis, the Pd content of the used catalyst was determined as 9.2%.In summary, Pd–ZnO–Scb has been designed as a retrievable/recyclable heterogeneous nanocatalyst by stabilizing Pd NPs on the prepared Schiff base functionalized ZnO support. The nano-structured Pd–ZnO–Scb was successfully characterized by FT-IR, FE-SEM, TEM, XRD, elemental mapping, and EDS analyses. The catalytic prowess of Pd–ZnO–Scb was then evaluated in the Heck coupling reaction and 4-NP reduction. The results indicated that Pd–ZnO–Scb successfully coupled aryl chlorides, bromides and iodides with styrene, giving 63–98% isolated yields. 4-NP reduction was also efficiently catalyzed by Pd–ZnO–Scb in a short reaction time (135 s). Furthermore, Pd–ZnO–Scb was utilized for seven successive runs with 87% reaction yield and the protection of the nanostructure following the recycling tests was confirmed by TEM analysis. Due to its low cost, simplicity of separation, high yield, stability, and high recoverability/reusability, Pd–ZnO–Scb has a high potential for catalytic transformations and therefore, its catalytic prowess can be evaluated in other applications in the future.Supplementary Figures.