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Purpose: To share our recent experience of the pattern and demography of endemic bladder calculi in children and the outcomes of current management strategies for the removal of bladder calculi in a peri-urban setting. Material and Methods: This retrospective longitudinal study was carried out at a dedicated urology centre. All patients with endemic bladder stones from January 2020 to December 2021 managed at our centre were included in this study. After discharge, each patient was followed up for 1 year. Data analysis was carried out with IBM SPSS v23. Mean and standard deviation were calculated for normally distributed continuous variables; for non-normally distributed continuous variables, median and IQR were calculated; frequency and percentage were calculated for categorical variables. Results: This study included 254 patients, with a male-to-female ratio of 10.5:1. The mean age of the patients was 4.80 ± 2.86 years. Ninety-one percent of the patients belonged to rural areas. Open cystolithotomy (OC) was performed in 11 (4.3%) patients, transurethral cystolithotripsy (TUCL) in 165 (65.0%), and percutaneous cysto- lithotomy (PCCL) in 78 (30.7%). The mean operative time was 48.8 ± 4.34 minutes for TUCL, 36.18 ± 7.4 minutes for open cystolithotomy, and 38.6 ± 5.2 minutes for PCCL. The most common stone composition was ammonium urate + calcium phosphate (33.1%). The complication rate was 4.8% in TUCL, 12.8% in PCCL, and 27.3% in open cystolithotomy. Stone clearance was 98.1% for TUCL and 100% for both PCCL and OC. Conclusion: Paediatric bladder calculus is still endemic in rural areas of Sindh with poor socioeconomic back- grounds. Timely diagnosis and early intervention with preventive measures can lead to better outcomes and fewer complications. Minimally invasive methods of cystolithotomy have a shorter hospital stay, are more cost-effective, and have fewer complications as compared to open cystolithotomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sheehan syndrome is the infarction of a pituitary gland that has been physiologically enlarged as a result of postpartum bleeding. A galactorrhea and amenorrhea are classic symptoms, but a constellation ofmanifestations occurs in both the acute and chronic forms. These manifestations can remain largely non emergent unless Sheehan syndrome is complicated by severe adrenal dysfunction secondary to an inciting event such as dengue. We present a case of Sheehan syndrome that was uncovered in a patient with a dengue infection presenting as adrenal crisis. Case Report: A 45-year-old female presented with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis and severe dehydration. Her medical history was significant for secondary amenorrhea for 14 years after her last delivery followed by symptoms of endocrine dysfunction. At presentation, the patient was in adrenal crisis with hypotension, hypoglycemia, and hyperthermia. Dengue nonstructural protein 1 antigen was positive, along with signs of plasma leakage. Blood work showed bicytopenia with abnormal liver enzymes. Ultra-sonography and computed tomography of the abdomen were suggestive of serositis with a calculous cholecystitis. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed an empty sella. Anterior pituitary hormone levels were significantly decreased with low serum cortisol, and the patient's thyroid profile analysis suggested secondary hypothyroidism. The inal diagnosis was Sheehan syndrome presenting as adrenal crisis precipitated by severe dengue fever. The patient was managed conservatively and discharged on hormone supplement therapy. Conclusion: Sheehan syndrome is an important cause of panhypopituitarism in the developing world. Knowledge of Sheehan syndrome is important to help prevent its occurrence and reduce its resultant multifactorial effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐layer carbon nitride (SLCN) is introduced as a metal‐free organic electron transport material (ETL) for organic solar cells, delivering a performance comparable to that of the benchmark nanocrystalline ZnO. SLCN is produced in the form of stable aqueous inks and can serve as an efficient electron transport layer for three different types of active layers, showing high stability to photodegradation. A lower conductivity of SLCN films as compared to ZnO is counter‐balanced by their higher transparency and lower light scattering losses. The SLCN ETL provides a unique opportunity to tune the work function from ca. −4.1 to −4.6 eV by varying the annealing temperature due to partial thermal oxidation of the SLCN film. The PL band position follows the oxidation‐induced changes of the work function allowing PL properties of SLCN to be used to predict the PV efficiency. The 2D structure of SLCN coupled with unique structural and compositional variability, and tunability of the work function show a high promise for emerging organic PV devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Impaired mitochondrial dynamics have been identified as a significant contributing factor to reduced neurogenesis under pathological conditions. However, the relationship among mitochondrial dynamics, neurogenesis, and spatial memory during normal development remains unclear. This study aims to elucidate the role of mitophagy in spatial memory mediated by neurogenesis during development. Methods: Adolescent and adult male mice were used to assess spatial memory performance. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to evaluate levels of neurogenesis, and mitochondrial dynamics were assessed through western blotting and transmission electron microscopy. Pharmacological interventions further validated the causal relationship among mitophagy, neurogenesis, and behavioral performance during development. Results: The study revealed differences in spatial memory between adolescent and adult mice. Diminished neurogenesis, accompanied by reduced mitophagy, was observed in the hippocampus of adult mice compared to adolescent subjects. Pharmacological induction of mitophagy in adult mice with UMI‐77 resulted in enhanced neurogenesis and prolonged spatial memory retention. Conversely, inhibition of mitophagy with Mdivi‐1 in adolescent mice led to reduced hippocampal neurogenesis and impaired spatial memory. Conclusion: The observed decline in spatial memory in adult mice is associated with decreased mitophagy, which affects neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. This underscores the therapeutic potential of enhancing mitophagy to counteract age‐ or disease‐related cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMethodResultConclusionA long-standing issue in identifying developmental language disorder (DLD) in multilingual children is differentiating between effects of language experience and genuine impairment when clinicians often lack suitable norm-referenced assessments. In this tutorial we demonstrate, via a case study, that it is feasible to identify DLD in a multilingual child using the CATALISE diagnostic criteria, Language Impairment Testing in Multilingual Settings (LITMUS) assessment tools, and telepractice.This tutorial features a case study of one 6-year-old Urdu-Cantonese multilingual ethnic minority child, and seven age- and grade-matched multilinguals. They were tested via Zoom using Urdu versions of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (LITMUS-MAIN), the Crosslinguistic Lexical Task (LITMUS-CLT), the Crosslinguistic Nonword Repetition Test (LITMUS-CL-NWR), and the Sentence Repetition Task (LITMUS-SRep).The child scored significantly lower in the LITMUS tests compared to her peers in her best/first language of Urdu. Together with the presence of negative functional impact and poor prognostic features, and absence of associated biomedical conditions, the findings suggest this participant could be identified as having DLD using the CATALISE diagnostic criteria.The result demonstrates the promise of this approach to collect reference data and identify DLD in multilingual children. The online LITMUS battery has the potential to support identification of multilingual DLD in any target language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To share our recent experience of the pattern and demography of endemic bladder calculi in children and the outcomes of current management strategies for the removal of bladder calculi in a peri-urban setting. Material and Methods: This retrospective longitudinal study was carried out at a dedicated urology centre. All patients with endemic bladder stones from January 2020 to December 2021 managed at our centre were included in this study. After discharge, each patient was followed up for 1 year. Data analysis was carried out with IBM SPSS v23. Mean and standard deviation were calculated for normally distributed continuous variables; for non-normally distributed continuous variables, median and IQR were calculated; frequency and percentage were calculated for categorical variables. Results: This study included 254 patients, with a male-to-female ratio of 10.5:1. The mean age of the patients was 4.80 ± 2.86 years. Ninety-one percent of the patients belonged to rural areas. Open cystolithotomy (OC) was performed in 11 (4.3%) patients, transurethral cystolithotripsy (TUCL) in 165 (65.0%), and percutaneous cystolithotomy (PCCL) in 78 (30.7%). The mean operative time was 48.8±4.34 minutes for TUCL, 36.18±7.4 minutes for open cystolithotomy, and 38.6±5.2 minutes for PCCL. The most common stone composition was ammonium urate + calcium phosphate (33.1%). The complication rate was 4.8% in TUCL, 12.8% in PCCL, and 27.3% in open cystolithotomy. Stone clearance was 98.1% for TUCL and 100% for both PCCL and OC. Conclusion: Paediatric bladder calculus is still endemic in rural areas of Sindh with poor socioeconomic backgrounds. Timely diagnosis and early intervention with preventive measures can lead to better outcomes and fewer complications. Minimally invasive methods of cystolithotomy have a shorter hospital stay, are more cost-effective, and have fewer complications as compared to open cystolithotomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of developing of new drugs is greatly hampered by their inadequate physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and intrinsic characteristics. In this regard, the selected chloro indolinone, (Z)-6-chloro-3-(2-chlorobenzylidene)indolin-2- one (C1), and nitro indolinone, (Z)-6-chloro-3-(2-nitrobenzylidene)indolin-2- one (C2), were subjected to SwissADME and density function theory (DFT) analysis. For compounds C1 and C2, the BOILED-Egg pharmacokinetic model predicted intestinal absorption, blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration, and p-glycoprotein interaction. According to the physicochemical analysis, C1 has exceptional drug-like characteristics suitable for oral absorption. Despite only being substrates for some of the major CYP 450 isoforms, compounds C1 and C2 were anticipated to have strong plasma protein binding and efficient distribution and block these isoforms. The DFT study using the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) approach with implicit water effects was performed to assess the structural features, electronic properties, and global reactivity parameters (GRP) of C1 and C2. The DFT results provided further support for other studies, implying that C2 is more water-soluble than C1 and that both compounds can form hydrogen bonds and (weak) dispersion interactions with other molecules, such as solvents and biomolecules. Furthermore, the GRP study suggested that C1 should be more stable and less reactive than C2. A concentration-dependent 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'- azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity was shown by both C1 and C2. In brief, this finding has provided a strong foundation to explore furtherthe therapeutic potential of these molecules against a variety of human disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we find fractional solutions for the Clannish Random Walkers Parabolic (CRWP) equation and Ablowitz-Kaup-Newell-Segeur (AKNS) equation. Different areas of applied sciences, the study of these equations plays a significant role. We select two methods for this purpose, firstly new recent well-established technique is improved Auxiliary equation scheme and second technique is (G ′ G 2) -technique with the help of beta derivative. We used fractional term which involves in beta derivative, in our selected mathematical models. To show how the obtained solutions physically look, they plotted different profiles including both 2D and 3D graphics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the use of gated recurrent units (GRUs) for automated brain tumor detection using MRI data. The GRU model captures sequential patterns and considers spatial information within individual MRI images and the temporal evolution of lesion characteristics. The proposed approach improves the accuracy of tumor detection using MRI images. The model's performance is benchmarked against conventional CNNs and other recurrent architectures. The research addresses interpretability concerns by employing attention mechanisms that highlight salient features contributing to the model's decisions. The proposed model attention-gated recurrent units (A-GRU) results show promising results, indicating that the proposed model surpasses the state-of-the-art models in terms of accuracy and obtained 99.32% accuracy. Due to the high predictive capability of the proposed model, we recommend it for the effective diagnosis of Brain tumors in the E-healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal combustion engine inefficiencies and waste heat emissions raise environmental concerns, as they waste fuel energy in the form of heat, increasing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, waste heat contributes to the urban heat island effect. Waste heat recovery is a vital solution, capturing and repurposing heat to reduce fuel use, emissions, and costs while promoting sustainability, innovation, and economic growth. Polygenerative waste heat recovery maximizes energy efficiency by generating multiple forms of energy from a single source, enhancing overall sustainability. The proposed Trinitor model is a polygenerative system encompassing power generation, product drying, space cooling/heating, and oxygen production. Power generation utilizes exhaust heat stored in a phase change material (PCM) to generate electricity through a Hot Air Turbine. The PCM also stores heat from the PVT thermal collector and supports produce drying. In the space cooling/heating process, the temperature contrast resulting from the hot air generated by the turbine and the cooled air from the Cooling chamber is harnessed by the Seebeck principle within the TEG, converting heat energy into electricity, and it is possible to create temperature variations using the Peltier Effect by supplying electricity. Oxygen production involves dehumidifying air, separating oxygen from hydrogen using an electrolyzer and storing oxygen for civilian use. A component review identifies SiC wall flow-diesel particulate filters (DPF), a paraffin-based Latent Heat Storage System, and electric-assisted turbo compounding as cost-effective for energy production. Produce drying relies on hot air or infrared drying, a revolving wicks humidifier, and a cooling coil dehumidifier. Space cooling/heating needs a water-type PV/T collector, MPPT charge controller, lithium-ion batteries, and ceramic TEGs. A PEM electrolyzer with appropriate components (bipolar plates, electrodes, catalyst, membrane, and gasket) enhances oxygen production efficiency. Based on existing literature, the trinitor has the potential to attain an overall efficiency ranging from 40.12–54.81%. Thus, a combination of low-efficiency processes results in a highly efficient waste heat recovery Trinitor system, with further improvements possible through identified components' integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reveals the different types of optical solitons of non-linear coupled Riemann wave equation and Wazwaz Kaur Boussinesq equation. We adopted a direct integration technique namely, modified G ′ G 2 -expansion. Different sorts of soliton's existence criteria are also presented here. The proposed technique provides the new travelling wave solutions with the aid of different types of derivatives such as beta derivative, M-Truncated derivative and Conformable derivative and also offers special kinds of solutions including rational, trigonometric and hyperbolic solutions. In this work, we compared and analysed solitary wave solutions obtained by using different types of fractional derivatives. The outcomes of the study are highly significant for modern communication network technology, optical fiber, ion-acoustic, magneto-sound waves in plasma, and stationary media, particularly in the propagation of tidal and tsunami waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer prediction in the early stage is a topic of major interest in medicine since it allows accurate and efficient actions for successful medical treatments of cancer. Mostly cancer datasets contain various gene expression levels as features with less samples, so firstly there is a need to eliminate similar features to permit faster convergence rate of classification algorithms. These features (genes) enable us to identify cancer disease, choose the best prescription to prevent cancer and discover deviations amid different techniques. To resolve this problem, we proposed a hybrid novel technique CSSMO-based gene selection for cancer classification. First, we made alteration of the fitness of spider monkey optimization (SMO) with cuckoo search algorithm (CSA) algorithm viz., CSSMO for feature selection, which helps to combine the benefit of both metaheuristic algorithms to discover a subset of genes which helps to predict a cancer disease in early stage. Further, to enhance the accuracy of the CSSMO algorithm, we choose a cleaning process, minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) to lessen the gene expression of cancer datasets. Next, these subsets of genes are classified using deep learning (DL) to identify different groups or classes related to a particular cancer disease. Eight different benchmark microarray gene expression datasets of cancer have been utilized to analyze the performance of the proposed approach with different evaluation matrix such as recall, precision, F1-score, and confusion matrix. The proposed gene selection method with DL achieves much better classification accuracy than other existing DL and machine learning classification models with all large gene expression dataset of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of tracheostomy on COVID positive patients and the risk included in the procedure for the patient and health care workers. Study Design: Retrospective Observational Study. Setting: Shifa International Hospital Islamabad, Pakistan. Period: 30th May 2020 to 15th February 2022. Material & Methods: The tracheostomies were performed in COVID ICU at bed side by ENT team. This is a study of 22 patients mostly with multiple comorbidities who presented to the hospital with symptoms of SARS-COVID-19. The changes in their ventilation were recorded before and after the tracheostomy. The health care workers included in the study were also kept under observation for any possible cross infection. Results: Eight out of twenty two patients were weaned off from ventilator. There was decrease in partial pressure of oxygen after the procedure but the mortality rate was high. None of the members of operating team, ICU team, anaesthesia team was infected with the virus. Conclusion: Our study shows that although tracheostomy helps in weaning off from ventilator, it has no role in weaning off COVID patients. There is no benefit of tracheostomy for a COVID positive patients. Furthermore, if adequate personal protective equipment's are used, there is no risk of spread of infection from patient during the procedure of tracheostomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conway [A Lagrangian method for deriving new indefinite integrals of special functions. Integral Transforms Spec Funct. 2015;26:812–824] introduced a new and simple method named the 'Lagrangian method' for deriving indefinite integrals of both elementary and special functions, provided the function satisfies the second-order linear differential equation. In this paper, different Meijer's G-functions have been used for deriving indefinite integrals, which satisfy second-order differential equations. We have derived recurrence relations and the integration of those recurrence relations by the Lagrangian method. We have discussed the integration of Euler identity, which is given in terms of Meijer's G-function. Different additional relations of Meijer's G-functions have also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photochemical tissue bonding (PTB) is considered to be used in surgery to enhance healing of cutaneous wounds and to minimize the complications i.e., wound dehiscence, inflammatory reactions, and infections affecting animal health. The aim of this study is to analyze the wound healing process by using PTB and cyanoacrylate-based tissue adhesive. The results showed that PTB group had quicker healing time, good healing score and stronger tensile strength for incisional wounds of rabbits. However, Vetbond group showed delayed healing, poor healing score, and weaker tensile strength. The 14-days post-surgery PTB treated rabbits cutaneous layers were stained with hematoxylin and eosin stain. The histological examinations of these cutaneous specimens revealed higher thicknesses (µm) of regenerated Epidermal, Dermal and Hypodermal layers, collagen fibers, and epithelial ridges. Whereas, for 14 days Vetbond treated rabbits cutaneous layers showed less thickness of these cutaneous layers, degenerated collagen fibers and no ridges. In future, large-scale analysis of combined suture less technique is required to enhance wound healing processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity has a negative impact on the agricultural production of crops. It adversely affects the physiochemical properties of the soil and ecological balance of the area. Plant growth-promoting bacteria play a key role in the biological control of phyto-pathogens and abiotic stress including salinity. Four varieties of wheat crop (V1: Akbar 2019, V2: Dilkash 2021, V3: Faisalabad 2008, and V4: Subhani 2020) were compared for their salinity stress tolerance and response towards Bacillus subtilis NA2. A completely randomized design (4 wheat varieties × 3 salt stress levels × 3 replicate × 2 control and bacterial treatments = 72 pots) was adopted using distilled water as a control. Stress negatively affected the plant growth. However, plants primed with Bacillus subtilis NA2 showed improved growth (plant lengths 29.45% and increased biomass 33.23%). Overall, bacterial strain enhanced the levels of carotenoids (45.53%), anthocyanin (32.51%), ascorbic acid (41.53%), total soluble proteins (59.21%), chlorophyll contents (49.65%), and peroxidase activity (31.76%). Levels of malondialdehyde (27.42%) and hydrogen peroxide (20.37%), catalase (16.48%), and ascorbate peroxidase (19.24%) decreased. With commensurable benefits, it can be inferred from the above study that the Bacillus subtilis NA2 strain is beneficial for the better yield of wheat under salinity stress by improving the plant defense mechanism and may be adopted in future by farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afghanistan has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the world, with an estimated 46% women reporting lifetime violence. Survivors of domestic violence experience significant stigma from their families and communities, often in the form of blame, shame, gossip, and dismissal. While the manifestations of stigma are often the same across cultural settings, the drivers may be different. We conducted sixty semi-structured interviews with survivors of domestic violence in three provinces of Afghanistan. Data were analysed using thematic network analysis. Our analysis highlights stigma as a structural phenomenon in Afghanistan underpinned by mutually reinforcing structural elements (including community, government authorities, marital and natal families, other survivors and the self). In a country with a deeply patriarchal social structure, the main manifestation of stigma was the silencing of survivors of violence, as domestic violence was considered a private affair. Notions of honour were paramount in fuelling stigma against survivors of violence, as any action to report or leave violent relationships was considered dishonourable. Our findings have implications for the design of services to help survivors of violence seek help for the violence they experience, especially at a time when such services are increasingly constricted for women in Afghanistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial applications of fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) in structures require extensive experimental and analytical investigations of the FRC material properties. For design purposes and applications involving the flexural loading of the member, it is essential to have a predictive model for the flexural strength of the FRC material. In the present paper, a fracture mechanics approach based on Bridged Crack Model (BCM) is used to predict the flexural strength of steel fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams. The model assumes a quadratic tension-softening relationship (s-d) governing the bridging action of the steel fibres and a linear profile of the propagating crack. The proposed tension-softening relationship is considered valid for a wide range of fibre-reinforced concrete materials based on the knowledge of either the material micromechanical parameters (such as fibre volume fraction, fibre/matrix bond strength, fibre length, and fibre tensile strength) or an actual experimentally-measured σ-δ relationship. The flexural strength model thus obtained allows the prediction of the flexural strength of SFRC and study the variation of the latter as a function of the micromechanical parameters. An experimental program involving the flexural testing of 13 SFRC prism series was carried out to verify the prediction of the proposed model. The SFRC mixes incorporated two types of steel fibres (straight-end and hooked-end), four different concrete compressive strengths (40, 50, 60, and 70 MPa), three different fibre volume fractions (1, 1.5, and 2%), and three specimen depths (100, 150, and 200 mm). The experimental results were compared to the predictions of the proposed flexural strength model, and a reasonable agreement between the two has been observed. The model provided a useful physical explanation for the observed variation of flexural strength as a function of the test variables investigated in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Spectral characterization of innovative slime based glazing systems. • Economical Air-Conditioning Costs with Slime-Infused Glazing for Energy-Efficient Buildings. • Assessment of Slime-Enhanced Glazing Systems for Natural Illuminance and Colour Rendering. • Slime Glazing vs. Conventional Glazing: Carbon Emission Mitigation and Payback Periods. Heat gain and loss from the building's windows raise the loads needed for cooling and heating, respectively. This paper introduces an innovative approach to deliver an economical passive energy-efficient glazing solution, making use of various colored transparent slime materials for the first time. This work fills the gap in double-pane glazing with five different colored slime materials: blue (TBS), yellow (TYS), pink (TPS), green (TGS), and colorless slime (TCS), each maintained at different thicknesses (4 mm, 8 mm, and 12 mm). The eighteen samples are analyzed, considering reductions in heat gain, annual cooling expenses, payback duration, carbon emission reduction, Color Rendering Index (CRI), and Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) for Vellore climatic conditions in India. Thermal and daylighting simulations are conducted using Design-Builder simulation tool, incorporating slime glazings into an office complex model. Among the different coloured slime glazings, the transparent yellow slime glazings have shown better thermal performance. The transparent yellow slime glazings, TYS-4, 8, and 12, have the highest annual cooling load reductions of 641.61, 702.05, and 708.37 kWh, respectively, and the shortest payback durations of 2.94, 3.25, and 3.77 years, respectively. They also significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2.5, 2.8, and 2.83 tCO2/year, respectively, when compared to standard DPG-4, 8, and 12. Among TYS-4,8,12, TYS-4 stands out for glazing applications due to its commendable thermal performance and visual quality (CRI > 80). This work reports an innovative, cost-effective solution for energy-efficient glazing, demonstrating the potential benefits of colored slime materials in reducing energy consumption, and carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global demand for energy in the construction sector has increased drastically. A substantial portion of this energy belongs to fulfilling the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning requirements of buildings, which are essential for maintaining the well-being of people. The development of zero-energy or environmentally friendly structures is required to attain a sustainable future. Strategic design of the building's envelopes in green energy buildings can reduce air conditioning expenses. This article focuses on several insulation-integrated fly ash brick wall envelopes that have been designed to reduce CO 2 emissions, reduce air conditioning expenses, and figure out payback times in warm-temperate and hot-arid regions. The degree-hour technique for heating and cooling, as well as unsteady heat transfer characteristics, are taken into consideration in this research. This is achieved by incorporating thirteen innovative insulation materials into fly ash bricks in three distinct configurations, (i.e., insulation layer near to the outer end of the fly ash block, on the middle of the fly ash block, and near to the inside end of the fly ash block). Experimental measurements were carried out to determine the thermo-physical characteristics of insulation materials. The analytical findings are confirmed through experimental validation. In hot-arid and composite climatic zones, placing an insulation layer (cloth-40/foam-60) near the outer end of the fly ash block resulted in the highest savings on air-conditioning costs of 0.89 $/m2 and 0.90 $/m2, respectively. They also achieved the highest carbon mitigation values at 17.2 and 16.8 kg/kWh. Insulation-integrated wall envelopes represent the pinnacle of energy efficiency in green building design, seamlessly combining advanced insulation materials with cutting-edge construction techniques to minimise energy consumption and maximise sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS) and identify its associated risk factors among computer-using bank workers in Pakistan. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on computer-using bank workers. The data collection procedure included a self-administered questionnaire and comprehensive ocular health examination. The prevalence of CVS and its associated risk factors were investigated. The chi-square test was used to study the significance of the association of CVS with potential risk factors. Results: Of 127 participants, 95 (74.8%) were men. Most of the participants (n=53; 41.7%) were in the 30-40 years age group. A total of 101 participants (79.5%) reported any ocular symptom, with burning eyes being the most frequent ocular symptom (77.2%). General body fatigue was the most common non-ocular symptom of CVS (92.9%), followed by headache (83.5%). Out of 127 participants, 71 men and 30 women had some degree of CVS. Female participants had significantly higher risk of CVS than male participants (p=0.01). Total duration of computer use per day and duration of uninterrupted computer use were significantly associated with the occurrence of CVS (p=0.001 and p=0.008, respectively). No significant association was found between CVS and distance from computer screen (p=0.89), frequency of breaks (p=0.18), or font size (p=0.12). Conclusion: A high prevalence of CVS-related symptoms was observed among computer-using bank workers. Non-ocular symptoms associated with computer use were more common than ocular symptoms (92.9% vs. 77.2%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical and geochemical character of the post‐depositional changes present in the Early‐Middle Jurassic carbonate‐dominated units (Samana Suk, Shinawari, Chiltan and Loralai formations) of the Indus Basin, Pakistan have been addressed. The study is based on 11 sections along a N‐S transect on the western margin of the Indian Plate to provide an insight into the nature of cementation and dolomitization behavior by using an integrated petrographic and geochemical analysis. The carbonates located in the northern proximity are dominated by the eogenetic signatures of hardgrounds, biogenic micritization, and iron‐containing burrows. The pattern and yellowish‐brown coloration of the burrows is distinct, and shows a positive relationship with the Fe, Si, Al, K, Mn concentrations, and meteoric phase. The transition from the Early to Middle Jurassic is marked by a correspondent increase in the dolomitization and bioturbation but its intensity decreases from north to the south. The packing index and marine phreatic environments generally increase towards the south. The planar‐s to planar‐e protodolomite and dolomite proper have particularly targeted the micritic facies and allochems, courtesy of retaining high‐magnesian calcite waters, and the geochemical analysis also reveals some dedolomitization, associated with sequence boundaries. The pore occluding cements of the Samana Suk and Chiltan formations are Fe deficient and have low Sr and Mn levels, as compared to the Shinawari Formation. The latter has an elevated concentration of Fe, Mg, Si, Al, Sr, Mn, and the Fe + Mn versus Sr relationship and Mn* values suggest that cementation dominantly occurred in the oxic‐dysoxic zones of sub‐tropical climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to chronic stress has detrimental effects on cognitive and emotional processing. Also, the neuroprotective influences of environmental enrichment (EE) and royal jelly (RJ) have been indicated in previous studies. To our knowledge, to date, there are no studies about the synergistic effects of EE and RJ on cognitive changes induced by stress. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the protective effects of RJ, and EE on anxiety-like behaviors, cognitive functions, and expression of hippocampal and also prefrontal cortex (PFC) brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in stressed rats. By using restraint and cold temperature, rats were exposed to stressful situations and then subjected to treatment with RJ or/ and EE for 14 days. Stress induction was done 14 days before treatments by placing the rats in the restrainer under 4°C. Following the interventions, anxiety-like behaviors, novel object recognition memory (NORM), inhibitive avoidance performance, hippocampal, and PFC BDNF expression were examined. The plasma corticosterone level of all groups was also evaluated. Results showed increased plasma corticosterone levels, stress-induced deficits in the NORM and IA tests, and increased anxiety-like behaviors. EE and RJ improved these deficits with a decline in serum corticosterone and also increased BDNF levels in the hippocampus and PFC in stressed ones. The EE and the RJ prevented the detrimental effects of stress on anxiety-like behaviors and memory processes. These treatments can protect susceptible brain areas against chronic stress via improvement in behavioral and cognitive impairments through mediating BDNF expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D nanomaterials-based heat transfer fluids show excellent thermal properties due to their large specific surface area; hence, they find large-scale applications in automobile industries and cooling processes. Therefore, it is very essential to study the environmental and economic aspects of these 2D nanomaterial-based nanofluids. In this review, we have discussed the environmental impact of 2D nanomaterial-based heat transfer nanofluids under various conditions. The environmental impact analysis of these materials has shown excellent capability in reducing the energy consumption for heat transfer operations. Moreover, the possibility of nanomaterials and base fluid recovery makes it a sustainable alternative. In addition, health risk assessment on humans, cytotoxicity, and life cycle analysis have also been explored. The price-performance index has been successfully used to study the economic impact of 2D nanomaterial-based heat transfer fluids. The overall economic impact of 2D nanomaterial-based heat transfer nanofluids provides an optimistic perspective over conventional heat transfer fluids. Moreover, graphene production, market trend, and commercialization obstacles were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of perovskite and spinel materials into multifunctional composites offers diverse technological applications due to their unique properties. This study explores the detailed multifunctional characteristics of tri-phasic composites with general formula (1−x)(0.6BiFeO 3 + 0.4BaTiO 3) + xMgFe 2 O 4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1), synthesized using a straightforward two-step process. X-ray diffraction confirmed the high crystallinity and phase purity of the composites. Subsequent observations using field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed a highly porous morphology with varying grain sizes. Electrically, the composite with x = 0.08 exhibited notable dielectric impedance, and modulus characteristics, aligning well with the requirements for efficient energy storage. Magnetically, the material displayed a gradual reduction in coercivity values, reaching 199.59 Oe at x = 0.10, alongside a peak magnetization of 5.140 emu/g and a remanent magnetization-to-saturation magnetization (M r /M s) ratio of 0.173. These features underscore the material's potential for magnetic memory applications. Detailed dielectric response analysis across wide frequency range highlighted suitability of as synthesized composites for advanced energy storage devices. [Display omitted] • Facile synthesis of a novel triphasic composite by a cost-effective sol–gel auto-combustion technique • Rietveld's refinement assured the development of tri-phasic compositions • Identification of a composition (x = 0.04) with exceptional energy storage capabilities • Precision control of grain size leads to a significant reduction in coercivity while maintaining high magnetization • Suitable for highly sensitive magnetoelectric devices, impacting energy and data storage applications [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity enhances the performance of the healthcare system by providing better patient outcomes and reducing physician burnout. In this study, we explored the gender and racial trends in the recruitment of women and racial minorities into forensic psychiatry fellowship programs in the US. Retrospective data analysis was performed by utilizing the data from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)'s annual Data Resource Books from the year 2007 to 2021. Demographic data, including gender and race, were extracted for forensic psychiatry fellows. The number of female trainees increased significantly to become a majority, i.e., 58.8% of all forensic psychiatry trainees in 2020–2021 were female compared to 27.78% of women forensic psychiatry fellows in 2007–08. Between 2011–12 and 2020–2021, there was a relative increase in White (Non-Hispanic), Asian/Pacific Islander and Black (Non-Hispanic) forensic psychiatry fellows, by 54.75%, 114.4%, and 0.36% respectively. Despite the overall increase in the numbers of ethnic minorities in US psychiatry residency and fellowship programs, racial minorities remain significantly under-represented in forensic psychiatry fellowship programs. We need to revise policies to promote underrepresented minorities in medicine (URMM) in forensic psychiatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States (US) has a culturally diverse population. However, the percentage of underrepresented minorities (URMs) and women in healthcare does not fully reflect their current and future demographics. Our objective was to explore and forecast the gender and racial trends in the US addiction psychiatry fellowship programs. A retrospective analysis was performed using data from Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Resource Books which encompassed US addiction psychiatry fellows from 2007 to 2020. Simple linear and multiple regression were used to predict the 2030 addiction psychiatry workforce. White (Non-Hispanic) and Asian/Pacific Islander had a relative change of -2.8% and -26.1% from 2011 to 2020, respectively. Black (non-Hispanic) had a relative change of + 5.2%. Hispanic and Native American/Alaskan had no relative change during this time. From 2007 to 2020, women's representation relatively decreased by 10.9%. Statistically, these dynamic trends of the addiction psychiatry workforce will continue to exist in 2030. Women and URM addiction psychiatrists play an effective role in addressing substance use disorders (SUD). Unfortunately, the current gender and racial disparities in addiction psychiatry will exist in the future. Understanding the continued gender and racial bias in addiction psychiatry fellowships and devising appropriate recommendations can help mitigate the existing disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The United States (USA) is a culturally and ethnically diverse country with an estimated 5.6 to 8 million elderly population living with psychiatric and substance use disorders and a dwindling geriatric psychiatry workforce. In this study, we explored the gender and racial trends in USA geriatrics psychiatry fellowship programs from 2007–20, and forecasted the 2030 geriatric psychiatry workforce to identify the gaps and provide recommendations. Method: This retrospective analysis of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) data included trainees in geriatric psychiatry fellowship programs in the USA from 2007–20. Races were classified as White (Non-Hispanic), Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black (Non-Hispanic), Native American/Alaskan, Others, and Unknown. Gender was categorized as Male, Female, and Not Reported. Results: Amongst the geriatric psychiatry fellowship trainees, there was an overall decrease in the representation of all races from 2011–20. There was a relative decrease of 16%, 8.6% and 2.3% for White (Non-Hispanic), Asian/Pacific Islander, and Black (Non-Hispanics) respectively whereas the Hispanic and Native American/Alaskan trainees remained unchanged. Women relatively increased 28.4% from 2007–20 while men relatively decreased 27.1%. Our projections suggest that without changes in the current health professional recruitment trends and the shortage of geriatric psychiatrists will persist with a shortfall of 1,080 (9.7%) by 2030. Conclusion: There are critical gaps in racial and gender representation in geriatric psychiatry fellowship programs in the USA. An inclusive workforce is required to address diverse communities and bridge gaps in physician workforce gender and racial disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation and removal of microplastic pollution from aquatic environments as a global environmental issue is classified as one of the major concerns in both water and wastewater treatment plants. Microplastics as polymeric particles less than 5 mm in at least one dimension are found with different shapes, chemical compositions, and sizes in soil, water, and sediments. Conventional treatment methods for organic separation have shown high removal efficiency for microplastics, while the separation of small microplastic particles, mainly less than 100 μm, in wastewater treatment plants is particularly challenging. This review aims to review the principle and application of different physical and chemical methods for the separation and removal of microplastic particles from aquatic environments, especially in water treatments process, with emphasis on some alternative and emerging separation methods. Advantages and disadvantages of conventional separation techniques such as clarification, sedimentation, floatation, activated sludge, sieving, filtration, and density separation are discussed. The advanced separation methods can be integrated with conventional techniques or utilize as a separate step for separating small microplastic particles. These advanced microplastic separation methods include membrane bioreactor, magnetic separation, micromachines, and degradation-based methods such as electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, biodegradation, and thermal degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorptive removal of dyes from industrial wastewater using commercially available adsorbents is not significantly efficient. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) offer outstanding properties which can boost the separation performance over current commercial adsorbents and hence, these materials represent a milestone in improving treatment methods for dye removal from water. Accordingly, in this paper, the recent studies in the modification of MOF structures in dye removal from the aquatic environment have been discussed. This study aims to elaborate on the synthetic strategies applied to improve the adsorption efficiency and to discuss the major adsorption mechanisms as well as the most influential parameters in the adsorptive removal of dyes using MOFs. More particularly, the advanced separation performance of MOF-based adsorbents will be comprehensively explained. The introduction of various functional groups and nanomaterials, such as amine functional groups, magnetic nanoparticles, and carbon-based materials such as graphene oxide and CNT, onto the MOFs can alter the removal efficiency of MOF-based adsorbents through enhancing the water stability, dispersion in water, interactions between the MOF structure and the contaminant, and the adsorption capacity. Finally, we summarize the challenges experienced by MOF-based materials for dye removal from water and propose future research outlooks to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing level of various pollutants and their persistence in aquatic environments. The improper use of antibiotics and their inefficient metabolism in organisms result in their release into aquatic environments. Antibiotic abuse has led to hazardous effects on human health. Thereby, efficient removal of pharmaceuticals, particularly antibiotics, from wastewater and contaminated water bodies is greatly interested in international research communities. Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials, as a hybrid group of material containing metallic center and organic linkers, offer a porous structure that is highly efficient for removing different pollutants from contaminated water and wastewater streams. This article aims to review the recent advancement in using MOF-based adsorbents and catalysts for the removal of pharmaceuticals, especially antibiotics, from polluted water. Applying MOFs-based structures for removing antibiotics using photocatalytic removal and adsorptive removal techniques will be discussed and evaluated in this review paper. Various MOF-based materials such as functionalized MOFs, MOF-based composites, magnetic MOF-based composites, MOFs templated-metal oxide catalysts for removing pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and antibiotics from contaminated aqueous media are discussed. Furthermore, effective operational parameters on the adsorption, adsorption mechanisms, adsorption isotherms, and thermodynamic parameters are explained and discussed. Finally, in the concluding remarks, the challenges and future outlooks of using MOFs-based adsorbents and catalysts for removing antibiotics are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building glazing systems have a significant impact on air-conditioning loads and diurnal illumination in buildings. Incorporating thermal-insulating materials in the interspace of double-glazing is an ideal energy-efficient choice to insulate glazing for reduced air-conditioning costs with comfortable daylight factors. This paper evaluates the solar-optical, color rendering properties, thermal indices, and cost-savings potential of novel glazing systems, where the air-space of double-glazing is filled with different colored hydrogel granules (hydrogel glazing). Thermo-economic analysis was carried out with a numerical model for India’s three distinct climatic regions (Warm, Hot, and Temperate). Proposed hydrogel glazing showed a substantial heat gain/loss reduction, resulting in enhanced air-conditioning cost savings. The double glazing with orange hydrogels granules (DGOH) showed a reduction of 31.67% in summer solar heat gains for the temperate climate. The analysis had concluded net annual cost savings of 6.99 $/m2 for DGOH glazing with a payback period of 0.40 years for the temperate climate. Warm and hot climates also reported identical heat gain reductions and annual savings ($/m2). Carbon emission mitigations of building with hydrogel glazing were estimated with the help of yearly carbon emission factors. The simulated average daylight factors of model buildings with hydrogel glazing were well above the recommended levels in compliance with building codes. The assessed color rendering metrics of hydrogel glazings were satisfactory for visual acceptability in building interiors. The results of this work help engineers and architects to decide on energy-efficient glazing systems for energy-conscious buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diverse medical workforce is pivotal for the provision of high-quality healthcare services to the US population.1 Currently, women comprise 50% of all medical students in the United States, whereas only 35.2% of the physician workforce is represented by women.2 The under-represented minority (URM) physicians are significantly lower in number compared to the White physicians.1 Women and the URM workforce are less represented at leadership and faculty levels.3 Although female residents have gradually increased, recruitment of URM residents in psychiatry continues to be low.3 The field of child and adolescent psychiatry has faced numerous challenges in recruitment and representation of URM residents.4 In 2017, among 134 child and adolescent psychiatry programs, 535 fellows (64.5%) were women.5 Considering racial trends, there were 383 White, 282 Asian, 78 African American/Black, and 2 American Indian child and adolescent psychiatry fellows.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A healthy honey bee stock is critical to the beekeeping industry and the sustainability of the ecosystem. The quality of the supplemental diet influences the development and strength of the colony, especially during the pollen dearth period in the surrounding environment. However, the extent to which pollen substitute protein feeding affects honey bee colony parameters is not fully known. We conducted this study to test the influence of various supplemental diets on foraging effort, pollen load, capped brood area, population density, and honey yield. The treatment groups were supplied with patties of pollen substitute diets, whereas sugar syrup was given to the control group. Our results indicated that honey bees consumed a significantly higher amount of Diet 1 (45 g soybean flour + 15 g Brewer's yeast + 75 g powdered sugar + 7.5 g skimmed milk + 7.5 g date palm pollen + 200 mL sugar syrup supplement with Vitamin C) followed by others supplemented diets. Further, pollen load, worker-sealed brood area, population strength, and honey yield differed significantly when Diet 1 was consumed instead of other supplemental diets. The proportion of biological parameters was less in the control group as compared to other treatments. This study highlights the potential of supplemental diets to improve the bee's health and colony development when the pollens availability and diversity are insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy gain of domestic solar water heating systems is determined by solar to thermal energy conversion and glazing optical efficiency. For this study, solar transmission properties of different transparent glazing materials such as acrylic, low-iron, medium-iron, and high-iron glasses were measured. The collector thermal efficiency under natural convection mode was compared for different transparent covers determined by numerical simulation using the Hottel-Whillier-Bliss equation. The low-iron glass (LiG-12 mm) has 16.3% and 20% higher thermal efficiency than medium-(MiG-12 mm) and high-iron glasses (HiG-12 mm), respectively, for a peak summer day. The effect of glass thickness on thermal performance is noteworthy in glasses than in acrylic glass sheets. Low-iron content glass with 6 mm thickness has the highest thermal and optical efficiency of 63.2% and 75.65%, respectively, for the collector optimum tilt for Vellore city in Tamil Nadu, India. The results are useful in the selection of glass covers for energy-efficient solar flat plate collectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc (Zn) deficiency can severely inhibit plant growth, yield, and enzymatic activities. Zn plays a vital role in various enzymatic activities in plants. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a crucial role in improving the plant's Zn nutrition and mitigating Zn stress effects on plants. The current study was conducted to compare the response of inoculated and non-inoculated maize (YH 1898) in the presence of different levels of zinc under greenhouse conditions under a Zn deficient condition. There were two mycorrhizal levels (i.e., M + with mycorrhizae, M- without mycorrhizae) and five Zn levels (i.e., 0, 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 mg kg-1), with three replicates following completely randomized design. At the vegetative stage (before tillering), biochemical, physiological, and agronomic attributes were measured. The results showed that maize plants previously inoculated with AMF had higher gaseous exchange traits, i.e., a higher stomatal conductance rate, favoring an increased photosynthetic rate. Improvement in antioxidant enzyme activity was also observed in inoculated compared to non-inoculated maize plants. Moreover, AMF inoculation also played a beneficial role in nutrients availability and its uptake by plants. Higher Zn12 (12 mg Zn kg-1 soil) treatment accumulated a higher Zn concentration in soil, root, and shoot in AMF-inoculated than in non-inoculated maize plants. These results are consistent with mycorrhizal symbiosis beneficial role for maize physiological functioning in Zn deficient soil conditions. Additionally, AMF inoculation mitigated the stress conditions and assisted nutrient uptake by maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sedimentary strata along the Permian–Triassic Boundary in the Western Salt Range of the sub‐Himalayas were analysed to gain an insight of its geological character regarding palaeoenvironments, palaeoclimate, and sequence stratigraphic attributes. The Early Triassic Mianwali Formation is dominated by shallow marine facies with transgressive phases, differentiation in facial character, and palaeowater depth among different sections. The study suggests that compared to the siliciclastic‐dominated Nammal Gorge Section, the Zaluch Nala Section is more carbonate‐dominated, representing algal‐laminated limestones, dolomitic marls, and siliciclastics – mainly restricted to the Mittiwali Member. There is a general decrease in ammonoids and increase in thickness from east to west, that is believed to be due to algal‐induced rapid sedimentation in the shallow marine environments as compared to deeper marine in the east. The Mianwali Formation has been deposited in two transgressive systems tracts, two highstand systems tracts, and one falling‐stage regressive systems tract. Two flooding surfaces, one each in the Mittiwali and Narmia members, have been recognized. The maximum regressive surfaces at the bottom (with the Chhidru Formation) and top (with the Tredian Formation) mark second‐order eustatic falls. The study also advocates for existence of a low‐energy platform in the temperate waters of the Palaeo‐Tethys. The sediments have similarities with various sections of Gondwanaland having the same trend of shallow marine facies and presence of algal‐laminated deposits. In the Middle Triassic, the gradual loss of sediment binding organisms shifted the low‐energy meandering patterns to high‐energy braided systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have been carried out regarding the awareness and usage of cannabis around the world, especially in developed countries. Pakistan ranks amongst the top nations in regards to cannabis consumption. However, the amount of literature shedding light on people's perception, knowledge and practices are scarce. Therefore, the authors sought to establish a baseline study to ignite the discussion on the possibility of cannabis' induction in the medical field in Pakistan, and additionally provide a foundation for further research. The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of understanding and consumption practices in Karachi with respondents from different socio-economic backgrounds, age groups and gender regarding cannabis use and assessing the awareness of the general population. The null hypothesis is that the usage of cannabis does not have a significant correlation with age, gender, or socio-economic status of a population. We conducted a cross-sectional study in November 2018 using convenience sampling and interviewed 518 individuals for their gender, age, and socio-economic status, to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cannabis usage. The participants were questioned about their knowledge and its source. Attitudes were judged using three and five-point Likert scales while questions regarding practices centered upon the past and current usage of cannabis. One-way analysis of variance and chi-square tests were used as the primary statistical tests. Out of the 518 people who responded, more than half of the respondents were males (n = 340, 65.6%). The majority was familiar with the use of cannabis (n = 514, 99.2%), and the different ways in which it is consumed (n = 435, 84%). About one-third of the participants happened to consume cannabis (n = 168, 32.4%), and a quarter mentioned recreational use/curiosity as the principal reason (n = 134, 25.9%). Majority of the respondents agreed upon the harmful effects of consuming cannabis (n = 364, 70.3%), while when compared to other inimical drugs, half of them believed it to be less harmful (n = 259, 50%). Besides, an overwhelming majority stated, that if they were to consume cannabis, they would not consider taking permission from their parents/guardians (n = 441, 85.2%). Concerning legality, three-fifths of the participants chose cannabis to remain illegal in Pakistan (n = 307, 59.3%) and, for not consuming/quitting cannabis, the primary reason chosen was its harmful consequences (n = 210, 40.5%). Our study revealed that knowledge about usage of cannabis still requires a great deal of attention. Only individuals from higher socio-economic backgrounds have a positive attitude towards cannabis usage and are aware of it. There is an urgent need for awareness programs that especially reach out to the lower socio-economic status population, who otherwise do not have access to essential information resources. We also found that males were more likely to be consumers and to have more knowledge about cannabis, therefore, it is equally important to educate females about this topic so that an informed discussion about cannabis use and its medical benefits can be generated in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their significant impact on worldwide energy consumption, buildings have emerged as the primary focus of current studies on the subject of energy conservation. Glass buildings are becoming increasingly popular due to their many desirable characteristics. The basic clear glass, however, is transparent to more heat and light, causing thermal and visual discomfort. The glazing application in this research makes use of three organic phase change materials (PCMs organic mixture of 21, 30, and 35 °C). The organic mixture PCMs were stuffed into the space between glass panes of double-pane glazing units (DUs) and are explored for solar-visible characteristics, solar heat inputs, cooling and heating operating costs, annualised cost savings, payback time, and natural illuminance in the two climates of India (Vellore and Delhi). The results obtained by the three proposed PCM glazings are compared with conventional DU. To facilitate the numerical methodology of calculating heat gain, operating costs, and cost savings, a MATLAB code was developed. A model of the building's ground floor and first floor was created utilising the Design-Builder, and then the model was run through the daylighting simulation tool to estimate the natural illuminace in the interior. In comparison to PCM glazings, conventional DU has a high transmittance and a low absorption. Among the studied proposed glazings, OM30(L) in its liquid state had shown the greatest reductions in heat input of 238.96 kWh and 208.5 kWh in the Vellore and Delhi climates, respectively. When compared to composite estimates, OM30 has performed admirably in hot climates. When placed in the south orientation, OM30 glazing has recorded the lowest annualised operating cost of 4.33 $/m2 in the Vellore climate. The highest cost savings of $2142.59 was recorded by OM30 in hot climates. Among those studied glazings, conventional DU, OM21(L), and OM30(L) glazing allowed adequate natural illumination in nearly all interior spaces, whereas solid-state PCMs (OM21(S), OM30(S), and OM35(S)) have blocked the interior's natural daylight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we define a new extension of Srivastava's triple hypergeometric functions by using a new extension of Pochhammer's symbol that was recently proposed by Srivastava, Rahman and Nisar [H. M. Srivastava, G. Rahman and K. S. Nisar, Some extensions of the Pochhammer symbol and the associated hypergeometric functions, Iran. J. Sci. Technol. Trans. A Sci. 43 2019, 5, 2601–2606]. We present their certain basic properties such as integral representations, derivative formulas, and recurrence relations. Also, certain new special cases have been identified and some known results are recovered from main results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tremendous increase in occupational multidimensional inequality has become an emerging challenge across the developing globe. Present research examines the inequality in uni-dimensional and multidimensional spectrum across different occupations at provincial level in Pakistan through HIES/PSLM survey data for the years 1998–1999 and 2013–2014. The estimation of uni-dimensional inequality based upon positive and normative measures (Gini-coefficient; and Atkinson measure and Generalized Entropy Index). Analysis of multidimensional inequality employs the methodology of Araar (The hybrid multidimensional index of inequality. CIRPEE. Working Paper 09-45, 2009), while using three core dimensions i.e. health, education and housing services. Results indicate the reduction in inequality among all occupations in uni-dimensional context over the time, with the exception of self-employed group, which have experienced higher consumption inequality. The figures of multidimensional inequality identify that daily wage labor has experienced higher inequality in multidimensional context, because of having smaller income that restrict them to enjoy the basic facilities of life as compare to higher income groups associated with other professions. At the provincial level, Punjab has lower multidimensional inequality across all professions, which was mainly attributed to the fact that wider population of such provinces belong to urban areas and having good access to basic facilities and other necessities of life. Contrarely, Baluchistan has higher multidimensional inequality, mainly due to over spread rural sector along with poor access to basic facilities like as health, education & housing services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbonate factories of the tropical to sub-tropical regions characterize a number of facies, attributable to biological and oceanographic variables. For this purpose, the Middle Jurassic carbonate rock unit (Samana Suk Formation) of the Upper Indus Basin of Pakistan was studied to understand the various Tethyan platform attributes. Four sections from Hazara area were chosen which were also compared with a section from the Nizampur Basin. The resultant microfacies were placed in their paleoenvironmental settings to reveal the facies distribution and geometry of the platform. The platform represents a gently dipping ramp, dominated by peloidal–bioclastic–ooidal grainstones and peloidal lime mudstones. The allochems and fauna show some contrasting signatures regarding paleoclimate. These microfacies infer about existence of a relatively extended tropical climatic belt in the paleo Tethys during the Middle Jurassic. The notable presence of planktonic lime mudstone facies corresponds with global marine transgression, occurring in the middle of rock unit. The nature of ooids and types of fauna of sub-tropics to tropics advocate an extended warm climatic zone in comparison with today. The dominance of gently dipping inner-ramp shoals accompanied by lagoons to steep dipping outer-ramp planktonic lime mudstones restricted the development of least encountered middle-ramp facies. The ramp platform was struck by waves and tides of different strengths including low-middle amplitude storms and the overall absence of evaporites and primary dolostones designate a humid region as manifested by euryhaline conditions. The study has drawn paleoenvironmental and palaeoceanographic similarities with sections in Tanzania, western India, NW Iran, NW Afghanistan and Western Australia. The oceanic parameters compare with present day Trucial Coast of Persian Gulf, reflecting an almost similar nature of paleoceanography in the paleo Tethys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: This paper deals with the problem of the formation control of nonholonomic mobile robots in the leader–follower scenario without considering the leader information, as a result of its velocity and position. The kinematic model is reformulated as a formation model by incorporating the model uncertainties and external disturbance. The controller is presented in the two-step process. Firstly, the tracking problem is taken into consideration, which can be used as a platform to design a controller for the multi-agents. The proposed controller is designed based on a non-singular fast terminal sliding mode controller (FTSMC), which drives the tracking error to zero in finite time. It not only ensures the tracking but also handles the problem related to non-singularities. Moreover, the design control scheme is modified using high-gain observer to resolve the undefined fluctuations due to man-made errors in sensors. Secondly, the multi-agent tracking problem is considered; hence, a novel formation control is designed using FTSMC, which ensures the formation pattern as well as tracking. Furthermore, the obstacle avoidance algorithm is incorporated to avoid the collision, inside the region of interest. With the Lyapunov analysis, the stability of the proposed algorithm is verified. As a result, simulated graphs are shown to prove the efficacy of the proposed control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a bivariate extension of exponentiated Fréchet distribution is introduced, namely a bivariate exponentiated Fréchet (BvEF) distribution whose marginals are univariate exponentiated Fréchet distribution. Several properties of the proposed distribution are discussed, such as the joint survival function, joint probability density function, marginal probability density function, conditional probability density function, moments, marginal and bivariate moment generating functions. Moreover, the proposed distribution is obtained by the Marshall-Olkin survival copula. Estimation of the parameters is investigated by the maximum likelihood with the observed information matrix. In addition to the maximum likelihood estimation method, we consider the Bayesian inference and least square estimation and compare these three methodologies for the BvEF. A simulation study is carried out to compare the performance of the estimators by the presented estimation methods. The proposed bivariate distribution with other related bivariate distributions are fitted to a real-life paired data set. It is shown that, the BvEF distribution has a superior performance among the compared distributions using several tests of goodness–of–fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Azad Jammu and Kashmir has an agrarian economy which is confronted with substantial challenges of poverty, health facilities and education. To cope-up with deprivations through various facet, series of rural/community development programs have been launched for long times. The research gap needs to be addressed is an empirical analysis of contribution of such initiatives in the welfare of masses through poverty reduction in the area. This research endeavor is designed to figure out the impact of one of such projects named as Azad Jammu and Kashmir Community Development (AJKCDP) through poverty estimation and exploring the correlates of poverty in AJ and K. Multistage sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 540 respondents from the universe comprising both registered and nonregistered members of AJKCDP. Primary data were collected through interview schedule. Foster Greer and Thorbecke measure was used to calculate incidence of poverty which is then used to model the probability expressions with the help of Logit to investigate the correlates of poverty in the research area. Poverty was found at below for registered members and investigations showed that education, area under cultivation, possession of assets, status of employment, ownership of livestock and jobs of females increased the likelihood of decrease in poverty. Therefore, successful components of this program should be replicated with great care and focus should be given on education because any intervention in community cannot be helpful in reducing poverty unless the respondents are educated. The study also revealed empirically that participation of women in different economic activities plays an important role in poverty reduction so the policies which are gender friendly can be highly advantageous particularly in the distant regions. Local communities may be involved and private sector should also be invited by foundation of mutual social conscientiousness to improve education related infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Azad Jammu and Kashmir has an agrarian economy which is confronted with substantial challenges of poverty, health facilities and education. To cope-up with deprivations through various facet, series of rural/community development programs have been launched for long times. The research gap needs to be addressed is an empirical analysis of contribution of such initiatives in the welfare of masses through poverty reduction in the area. This research endeavor is designed to figure out the impact of one of such projects named as Azad Jammu and Kashmir Community Development (AJKCDP) through poverty estimation and exploring the correlates of poverty in AJ and K. Multistage sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 540 respondents from the universe comprising both registered and nonregistered members of AJKCDP. Primary data were collected through interview schedule. Foster Greer and Thorbecke measure was used to calculate incidence of poverty which is then used to model the probability expressions with the help of Logit to investigate the correlates of poverty in the research area. Poverty was found at below for registered members and investigations showed that education, area under cultivation, possession of assets, status of employment, ownership of livestock and jobs of females increased the likelihood of decrease in poverty. Therefore, successful components of this program should be replicated with great care and focus should be given on education because any intervention in community cannot be helpful in reducing poverty unless the respondents are educated. The study also revealed empirically that participation of women in different economic activities plays an important role in poverty reduction so the policies which are gender friendly can be highly advantageous particularly in the distant regions. Local communities may be involved and private sector should also be invited by foundation of mutual social conscientiousness to improve education related infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Return to scale; technological change; DEA model; fresh produce; China EN Return to scale technological change DEA model fresh produce China INTRODUCTION Fresh vegetable produce along with its smooth supply has gained great importance in recent years. Comparing all the planting conditions, the current CRS is 37.7 mu and most of the sample planting area is less than this value, while the CRS point is 3.1 mu compared with the excellent farmers of the most of the growers and most of the sample planting area is less than this value. Conclusions: Based on the sampling data of vegetable growers from 6 primary growing areas, the return to scale and technological progress index in vegetable production were calculated by applying BCC-DEA and Malmquist-DEA models. [Extracted from the article]

Spin coating has been widely used for obtaining uniform thin polymeric coating over glass surfaces. Previous studies have shown that the thin-coated film can deform and bulge out upon immersion in liquid. Such deformations can affect various properties of the films. In this study, we have analyzed the interaction of glass colloidal particle and the polystyrene (PS) spin-coated surface immersed in deionized (DI) water. It was found that the glass colloidal particle interacts with the surface in dissimilar way at various locations on the surface. A sudden reduction in the forces was also observed at different locations on the same surface. The separation distances at which the sudden change in the force occurred was closer to the height of the spherical domains. Therefore, the change could be attributed to the presence of blisters on the surface formed due to permeation of water into the thin film-substrate interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]