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Objective: To compare the clinical effectiveness of Paracetamol with Ibuprofen as an antipyretic, fever relief and linked discomfort in children. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital, Abbottabad Pakistan from Apr to Nov 2019. Methodology: Children aged six months to five years, who reported fever between 38-41°C were included. Two temperature groups were developed, i.e., 37.8–38.9ºC and 39–41ºC with baseline temperatures of 38.60±0.56 for Paracetamol-Group and 38.58± 0.56ºC for Ibuprofen-Group. The prescriptions were given over to the parents with clarification about the dose of the medication. The medication had active and placebo forms. Information was gathered until saturation was done. Results: A total of 104 children were taken in the study. Of these, 77(74.08%) were females, and 27(24.96) were males. Comparing Ibuprofen-treated children with Paracetamol-Group, the final result showed that the extent of children's temperature management was greater in the Ibuprofen-Group 37(71%) than in the Paracetamol-Group 34(65%). Conclusion: Doctors, attendants and guardians wishing to use medications to treat children suffering from fever should be encouraged to use Ibuprofen first and to consider the relative risks and advantages of using Ibuprofen in addition to Paracetamol for fever. Comparatively, Ibuprofen is more effective than Paracetamol.

The study analyzes the framing of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the leading international broadcast media. For this purpose, RT News, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN were selected. Using Framing as theoretical work, the study examined slants and thematic frames with help of content analysis. The timeframe of the study was from Jult-2019-July2022. By using systematical sampling, the 100 news stories each from the News Channels about the conflict were selected for data analysis. The RT and Al-Jazeera gave more coverage to the Pro-Palestine frame whereas BBC and CNN gave more Pro-Israel Coverage. The RT and Al-Jazeera gave more coverage to the human interest frame while BBC and CNN gave more coverage to the conflict frame. Similarly, the responsibility frame got more coverage on Aljazeera and RT though the least coverage was witnessed on BBC and CNN for this Frame.

The present study focuses on the use of politeness in teacher-student interaction in a Special Education institute in Pakistan. Using the concepts of Brown and Levinson (1987) and Leech (2014), visually impaired students in grade 8th were observed using or flouting politeness strategies and maxims in the classroom. The results show that the students used both positive and negative politeness strategies. The students repeatedly used negative politeness strategies in order to maintain social distance and to avoid imposition on the teacher. Also, they used maxims of modesty and obligation more frequently than the other maxims. Moreover, it has been observed that these students usually remained quiet and asked fewer questions during class. This research is significant in providing future researchers with a framework to work specifically in the domain of Special Education not only in Pakistan but also globally and will facilitate the development of pedagogical methods for inclusive education.

Research work was designed to investigate the density and diversity of pelagic rotifers in a Lake near Marala Headworks. The physico-chemical parameters of water such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, electrical conductivity, transparency and turbidity were evaluated. Correlation between rotifers and these parameters was also studied. Plankton sampling was done on monthly basis in order to check the population density of rotifers. In total, 18 species of rotifers were identified which belonged to 11 genera. The highest number of rotifers and their diversity was shown by genera namely Brachionus, Keratella, and Filinia. The Brachionus calyciflorus was dominant species in all the samples with mean population density (41%). Analysis of variance of physico-chemical parameters presented that the air and water temperature, electrical conductivity, transparency, dissolved oxygen and oxygen saturation were statistically significant in all the months. While pH was statistically non-significant (p≥0.05. Pearson correlation showed that oxygen and transparency were negatively correlated with rotifers density and diversity. Air and water temperature, concentration of hydrogen ions (pH), electrical conductivity and salinity showed positive relationship with density and diversity of rotifers. Resumo O trabalho de pesquisa foi projetado para investigar a densidade e diversidade de rotíferos pelágicos em um lago perto de Marala Headworks. Foram avaliados os parâmetros físico-químicos da água como pH, oxigênio dissolvido, temperatura, condutividade elétrica, transparência e turbidez. A correlação entre rotíferos e esses parâmetros também foi estudada. A amostragem do plâncton foi realizada mensalmente para verificar a densidade populacional dos rotíferos. No total, foram identificadas 18 espécies de rotíferos pertencentes a 11 gêneros. O maior número de rotíferos e sua diversidade foi demonstrado pelos gêneros Brachionus, Keratella e Filinia. O Brachionus calyciflorus foi a espécie dominante em todas as amostras, com densidade populacional média (41%). A análise de variância dos parâmetros físico-químicos mostrou que a temperatura do ar e da água, condutividade elétrica, transparência, oxigênio dissolvido e saturação de oxigênio foram estatisticamente significantes em todos os meses. Enquanto o pH foi estatisticamente não significativo (p≥0,05), a correlação de Pearson mostrou que o oxigênio e a transparência foram negativamente correlacionados com a densidade e diversidade dos rotíferos. A temperatura do ar e da água, a concentração de íons de hidrogênio (pH), a condutividade elétrica e a salinidade mostraram relação positiva com a densidade e diversidade de rotíferos.

Pakistan is an agricultural country and fisheries play a very important role in the economic development of the country. Different diseases are prevalent in Pakistani fish but information related to the causative agents is not well-known. Keeping in view the significance of bacterial pathogens as the causative agents of multiple fish diseases, the present study was conducted for identification, characterization and analysis of virulence genes of Aeromonas spp. isolated from diseased fishes. A total of fifty fish samples having multiple clinical indications were collected from different fish farms of district Kasur, Punjab Pakistan. For isolation of Aeromonas spp. samples were enriched and inoculated on Aeromonas isolation medium. Isolates were identified and characterized by different biochemical tests, Analytical Profile Index (API) 20E kit and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assays. All isolates were screened for three putative virulence genes including aerolysin (aer), haemolysin (hyl) and heat labile cytotonic enterotoxin (alt). Seven isolates of Aeromonas (A.) hydrophila were retrieved and identified based on API 20E. These isolates were further confirmed as A. hydrophila on the basis of PCR assays. Three isolates were detected positive for the presence of virulence genes (alt and hyl). Whereas aerolysin (aer) gene was not present in any of A. hydrophila isolates. The present study confirmed A. hydrophila as the causative agent of epizootic ulcerative syndrome and motile Aeromonas septicemia in fish farms of district Kasur, Punjab Pakistan. Moreover, detection of two virulence genes (alt and hyl) in A. hydrophila isolates is a threat for fish consumers of study area. Resumo O Paquistão é um país agrícola, onde a pesca desempenha um papel muito importante para o desenvolvimento econômico. Diferentes doenças são prevalentes em peixes do Paquistão, mas as informações relacionadas aos agentes causadores não são bem conhecidas. Tendo em vista a importância dos patógenos bacterianos como agentes causadores de múltiplas doenças em peixes, o presente estudo foi conduzido para identificação, caracterização e análise de genes de virulência de isolados de Aeromonas spp. de peixes doentes. Foram coletadas 50 amostras de peixes com múltiplas indicações clínicas em diferentes fazendas do distrito de Kasur, Punjab, Paquistão. Para isolar Aeromonas spp., as amostras foram enriquecidas e inoculadas em meio de isolamento. Os isolados foram identificados e caracterizados por diferentes testes bioquímicos, kit Analytical Profile Index (API) 20E, e ensaios de reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR). Todos os isolados foram selecionados para três genes de virulência putativos, incluindo aerolisina (aer), hemolisina (hyl) e enterotoxina citotônica termolábil (alt). Sete isolados de Aeromonas hydrophila foram recuperados e identificados com base no API 20E. Esses isolados foram posteriormente confirmados como A. hydrophila de acordo com ensaios de PCR. Três isolados indicaram a presença de genes de virulência (alt e hyl), enquanto o gene aerolisina (aer) não esteve presente em nenhum dos isolados de A. hydrophila. O presente estudo confirmou A. hydrophila como o agente causador da síndrome ulcerativa epizoótica e septicemia móvel por Aeromonas em fazendas de peixes, no distrito de Kasur, Punjab, Paquistão. Além disso, a detecção de dois genes de virulência (alt e hyl) em isolados de A. hydrophila é uma ameaça para os consumidores de peixes da área de estudo.

In this study, the laser-induced kohl plasma is produced in the vicinity of the transverse magnetic field ( B) of 0.8 T. A Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) pulse laser (λ = 1064 nm, E = 100 mJ, τl = 8 ns) is focused to produce the kohl plasma with and without a B, and the plasma emissions are recorded using a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) spectrometer. The comparison of the emission spectra shows that most of the emission line intensities are reduced due to the field. However, except for a few lines which are enhanced up to three times. However, the plasma parameters such as electron temperature ( T e), electron number density ( N e), and plasma frequency (ʋ p) have been increased. Furthermore, thermal beta (βt) is also estimated analytically, and its value is smaller than one (β < 1) for all samples, which confirmed the evidence of magnetic confinement effects. According to the analysis of the kohl emission spectrum, several elements were detected (Pb, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cr, and Zn), among which lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) may cause chronic health effects like contact dermatitis and neurological diseases. A calibration-free LIBS (CF-LIBS) method is used for the quantitative elemental analysis of the detected elements, which yields Pb as 15–74% and Cr as 3%, which exceed the permissible limit for kohl.

The study of the TLR (Toll-like receptor) family has progressed our knowledge of the intrinsic insusceptible framework. The familiar resistant of microorganisms' constitutive and protected substances is the reason for intrinsic insusceptible response. Similarly, TLRs can be blocked by damaging substances. Favorable to provocative cytokines are created when TLRs are actuated by microbial or have determined mixtures that can be valuable or unsafe to the host. TLRs are found in an assortment of organs, including those of the cardiovascular framework, notwithstanding invulnerable cells. This review takes a gander at the job of TLRs in septic cardiomyopathy, viral myocarditis, there is a lack of knowledge not only about the role of clear to the TLRs in starting and coordinating homoeostatic processes inside the heart, but also about stressed actuated TLR enactment in cardiovascular framework tissues. As per mounting proof, TLRs might assume a part in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, viral myocarditis, widened cardiomyopathy, heart allograft dismissal, and sepsis-actuated left ventricular brokenness.

Around the globe Type II diabetes is a major health issue that proceeds both from inheritance-environment interaction along with varied health risk factors like obesity and sedentary lifestyle. The body mass index (BMI) significantly linked diabetes to insulin resistance in people with high blood glucose levels. The main objective of this study was to determine a link between obesity and parental history (PH), which is a key risk factors for onset of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in the offsprings of Type II diabetic parents. This study includes a total of 70 offsprings i.e. 50 obese and 20 non-obese offsprings from both genders with a familial history of diabetes (FHD). The important observations like BMI, Waist/Hip ratio, FBG test, 2hr OGTT and Urine examination were determined in control and test group individuals respectively. Thus, it is concluded that obesity and overweight are the key risk factor for onset of diabetes in offsprings as the mean of FBG was 115.5mg/dl as compared to 75.5mg/dl in controls and mean of 2-hr OGTT was 155.5mg/dl as compared to 89.9 mg/dl in controls respectively. However, cautious modifications in diet and exercises regime can aid to diminish or delay the onset of diabetes in offsprings with a prior history of Type II diabetic parents.

Saline conditions affect plant development and significantly reduce its yield. Maize (Zea mays) is the one of main cash crops in Pakistan, and unfavourable saline conditions are among the core reasons for its reduced productivity, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The identification of potential genotypes is essential for genetic modifications. By considering this situation, the current experiment was conducted to evaluate the inbred maize lines under different salinity levels. We evaluated ten maize inbred maize lines at seedling stage under three salinity levels (0 mM, 75 mM, and 125 mM NaCl). The highly significant (p ≤ 0.001) differences in inbred lines, salinity levels, and in their interaction were revealed by analysis of variance results for most of the traits. The results indicated that inbred lines D-135 and NCIL-20-4 performed better under saline conditions. Our results showed that salinity severely affects seedling growth. Accordingly, a significant decline was observed in root length, shoot length, root weight, and shoot weight, and these traits offered the maximum values for heritability and genetic advance. From the correlation and path coefficient analysis, it has been concluded that root length, shoot length, fresh root weight, and root density are the traits that can be beneficial for the identification of better germplasms under saline conditions and that are helpful for improving tolerance against saline conditions.

Introduction: Endoscopy for the screening of esophageal varices (EVs) is costly and cannot be performed in remote areas with limited resources. Recently, certain non-invasive cost effective models have been proposed for the prediction of EVs but have failed recommendation on a larger scale. EVendo score is a recently developed bedside score for the detection of EVs. Therefore, our aim was to determine the utility of EVendo score as a screening tool for the detection of high risk esophageal varices in Pakistani population. Methods: It was a cross sectional study which was conducted in the department of Hepatogastroenterology from January 2021-June 2022.All the patients of either gender aged greater than 18 years with newly diagnosed cirrhosis were included in the study while those patients with prior history of esophageal varices and variceal bleeding as well as those with acute liver failure, renal impairment, non-cirrhotic portal hypertension and those on anticoagulants were excluded from the study. Area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) was obtained for EVendo score, Aspartate Transaminase to platelet ratio(APRI) and Platelet count to Splenic Diameter and diagnostic accuracy was obtained for these scores in predicting EVs and also in identifying HRVs. Results: A total of 272 patients were enrolled in the study. Among them, 167(61.4%) were males. Most common cause of chronic liver disease was viral hepatitis.On screening endoscopy, EVs were noted in 118(43.4%) patients while high risk EVs (HRV) were noted in 47(17.3%) patients respectively. AUROC was obtained for EVendo score, APRI and Platelet count to Splenic Diameter in predicting EVs and also for identifying HRVs and it was 0.93 (p-value

Objective: The study aimed to compare the procedural time (wire crossing time) of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) using the radial approach versus the femoral approach. Study Design: A single-center, observational, retrospective cohort study was conducted. Setting: The study was carried out in the Cardiology Department of Saidu Group of Teaching Hospital (SGTH) in the period from July, 2022 TO December, 2022. Methods: Medical records of patients with acute STEMI who underwent PPCI using either the radial or femoral approach were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic, clinical, and procedural data were collected, and the primary outcome was the procedural time (wire crossing time) for each approach. Results: A total of 276 patients were included in the study, with 137 in the radial approach group and 139 in the femoral approach group. The mean procedural time (wire crossing time) was significantly longer in the radial approach group (29.6 ± 7.3 minutes) compared to the femoral approach group (24.2 ± 6.5 minutes), p

Background: This study intends to ascertain the prevalence and overall burden of various adverse drug reactions (ADRs) driven by oral antidiabetics for treating type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in India. Methods: Patients with T2DM taking oral antidiabetic medications participated in prospective observational research. Data collection used the pretested format by the Indian pharmacovigilance program to record the history of drugs suspected to be responsible for ADRs. The causality evaluation is according to the guidelines of the Uppsala Monitoring Center and the World Health Organization. Results: This study included 424 patients with established diabetes. Female patients showed a non-significant higher percentage of ADRs (p = 0.059). Naranjo’s assessment recorded 51 suspected ADRs with significant (p = 0.042) categorical differences in casualty. According to ADR severity, there was a significant (p = 0.048) difference between moderate 8.25% (n = 35) and mild 3.80% (n = 16); however, none of the ADRs showed severity. Metformin caused abdominal discomfort, itching, and rashes, accounting for 4.95% (n = 21) of all reported adverse reactions. Gliclazide and glimepiride induced hypoglycemia, itch, and rashes, 1.65% (n = 7), abdominal pain, 1.18% (n = 5), flatulence caused by acarbose, abdominal discomfort caused by pioglitazone, and pedal edema caused by pioglitazone 1.18% (n = 5). Conclusion: ADRs due to oral antidiabetic agents are a frequent problem. Therefore, active pharmacovigilance is essential for risk identification, management, and establishing a robust antidiabetic drug ADR database.

The study aims to analyze the Financial Development, Economic Development, Governance, and consumption of Fossil Fuels impact on Environmental Quality. Panel data of 40 developing countries for the period of 1996-2019 were examined by applying the System Generalized method of moments (GMM) technique of Blundell and Bond (1998). The results show that financial and economic development in developing countries is at the stake of environmental degradation. The governance impact is negative but low compared to other variables in the study, which shows that governance in these developing economies is not up to the mark and needs continuous improvement to maximize the impact of governance on environmental quality. Fossil fuels consumption in the sample countries showed a devastating effect on environmental quality. Financial reforms are needed to encourage and give incentives to the firms to adopt environmentally friendly technologies, which will result in development in a more sustainable way in developing economies. Easy access to low-interest loans in developing economies will help farmers and live stockholders to adopt new technologies and rethink their approaches to using fertilizers and livestock production to mitigate the emissions of CH4 and N2O. Renewable energy sources (solar panel-generated energy in industries and households, electric cars, etc.) in these developing economies will help to tackle the increase in greenhouse gases emissions because of fossil fuel consumption.

This study investigates the impact of oil price variations, exchange rates, macroeconomic factors and domestic stock volatility in South Asian countries. This study employs a general autoregressive heteroskedastic (GARCH) model using quarterly data from 2001 to 2021. The results reveal that there is a significant relationship between the domestic stock of credit and macroeconomic factors. We find surprising results for the set of the countries; there is a negative impact of asset portfolio investment in the domestic stock for Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan and a positive effect for the remaining countries. There is a positive impact on the economic growth in the majority of countries with the exception of Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Inflation seems to increase while there is an increase in the credit in the economy except for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. Exchange rate has a negative impact on the domestic stock except for India and Nepal. Further, there is a positive effect on the interest rate spread in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Finally, oil prices have a significant impact on exchange rates within the countries’ investments.

In the current economic climate of boosted economic globalization culture that results in an ease in the movement of resources from one corner of the globe to the other, unemployment is still a bitter reality. Using annual data for Pakistan from 1986 to 2020, an attempt was made in this study to empirically evaluate the long-run and short-run link between the unemployment rate and FDI, economic growth, and trade. Using the multivariate co-integration technique, the data were examined. The long-term link between the unemployment rate and explanatory variables was validated by Johansen's co-integration method. The data series' stationarity was verified using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root test (ADF test), which demonstrates that all of the relevant variables are first-difference stationary. Results suggested a contradiction between the unemployment rate and foreign direct investment. Also, extensive studies found a conflict between economic expansion and the unemployment rate. While there is a long-term positive correlation between trade and the unemployment rate. Using the Impulse Response Function, short-run relationships are evaluated.

Background and Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are more susceptible to the initiation of severe periodontitis which can ultimately intensify their systemic inflammation associated with RA. The present study aimed to determine the incidence of periodontitis in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Materials and Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out on 168 rheumatoid arthritis patients in the Department of Dentistry and Internal Medicine of a Tertiary Care Hospital of Lahore, Pakistan from January 2022 to December 2022. All the patients were inquired about their demographic details, medical history and smoking habits. A detailed periodontal examination of full mouth was done and plaque index, clinical attachment level (CAL) and probing pocket depth (PPD) was measured. Rheumatoid factor (RF)’s presence, number of tender and swollen joints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR); Disease Activity Index (DAS) and hand radiographs were the different RA parameters which were recorded. Periodontal conditions were then associated and correlated with RA parameters. Results: Out of the total 168 RA patients, there were 142 (84.5%) females and 26 (15.5%) male patients. The overall mean age was 48.6 ± 8.64 years. The overall mean DAS score and disease duration was 4.58 ± 1.32 and 9.58 ± 6.8 years respectively.

Emotion detection (ED) plays a vital role in determining individual interest in any field. Humans use gestures, facial expressions, and voice pitch and choose words to describe their emotions. Significant work has been done to detect emotions from the textual data in English, French, Chinese, and other high-resource languages. However, emotion classification has not been well studied in low-resource languages (i.e., Urdu) due to the lack of labeled corpora. This article presents a publicly available Urdu Nastalique Emotions Dataset ( UNED ) of sentences and paragraphs annotated with different emotions and proposes a deep learning (DL)-based technique for classifying emotions in the UNED corpus. Our annotated UNED corpus has six emotions for both paragraphs and sentences. We perform extensive experimentation to evaluate the quality of the corpus and further classify it using machine learning and DL approaches. Experimental results show that the developed DL-based model performs better than generic machine learning approaches with an F1 score of 85% on the UNED sentence-based corpus and 50% on the UNED paragraph-based corpus.

Objective: This study examines the asymmetric impact of both internal (military, education, and health expenditures) and external (trade opening and foreign direct investment) factors that contribute to poverty reduction. Methodology: To find an asymmetric relationship between the proposed variables, we used a non-linear ARDL co-integration approach for the period ranging from 1981-2019. Findings: The findings of the study confirm the asymmetric impact of internal (education, military, health expenditures, quality of governance) and external (foreign direct investment, openness) factors on poverty. The finding confirms that ignoring nonlinear or asymmetric properties of macroeconomic variables may mislead inferences. This study has policy implications for government officials to reduce poverty. Novelty: theeconomic theory of poverty is studied from different perspectives by using internal and external factors that have direct and indirect effects on poverty. Furthermore, for in-depth analysis, a nonlinear approach is used to determine which factor has a strong contribution to eliminating poverty. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-03-07 Full Text: PDF

Azadirachta indica constituents exhibit potential therapeutic role to control cancer progression. The potential anti-cancerous activity of neem extracts reduces cell propagation, migration, inflammation, and invasion. The current review describes the importance and effectiveness of neem extracts in different solvents against various cancers. Studies performed in different geographic locations from 2001 to 2021 were searched in Google, PubMed, Google Scholar, and NCBI. The relevant information has been retrieved, including the type of extracts, solvents, year of publication, and type of cancers. A total of 125 relevant studies published in different journals have been screened, among which the most commonly used neem part was leaf (n = 79), followed by seed (n = 18), flower (n = 10), oil (n = 10), bark (n = 10), roots (n = 6), fruit (n = 6), gum (n = 5), limonoids (n = 5), nimbolide (n = 4), stem (n = 4), xylem (n = 1), and as herb (n = 1). Similarly, the most commonly investigated cancer to be treated with the neem extract was breast cancer (n = 23), followed by cancerous cell lines (n = 21), prostate cancer (n = 11), and leukemia (n = 8). Most of the studies applied ethanol (n = 40) as a solvent for neem extraction, followed by methanol (n = 25), distilled water (n = 17), ethyl acetate (n = 6), Gibco Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (n = 4), 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (n = 4), MTT assay (n = 3), acetone (n = 3), ether (n = 3), ethyl alcohol (n = 2), hexane (n = 2), glucose (n = 2), oxadiazol-2yl-benzothiazole (n = 2), and N-nitrosodiethylamine (n = 1). In conclusion, neem is an important medicinal plant with therapeutic potency against different types of cancer. However, its role has not been investigated widely in some cancers, including bone cancer, retinoblastoma, and oral cancer. Moreover, its potential role may be enhanced if nanocarriers are conjugated to prevent them from human enzymatic metabolism and for successful targeted delivery in cancer therapy.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) improvement program was initiated at Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in 2018. Germplasm from various research institutes and farmers’ fields in KP was collected. The collected germplasm was evaluated in non-replicated fashion in spring 2018 and 2019 at research farm of NIFA for plant type, yield and yield components. Six genotypes were finally selected based on seed color, growth habit and subsequently tested in replicated yield trials conducted at NIFA, Peshawar and on farmers’ fields at Charsadda in spring 2020 & 2021, at Agricultural Research Institute (ARI), Mingora, Swat and Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Chitral in Kharif 2020, and on farmers’ fields at different locations in Kuram in kharif 2020 and 2021. Two genotypes, NCB-Tajaki (NIFA Lobia Red-22) and NCB-Watani (NIFA Lobia Yellow-22) out yielded all other genotypes across all locations as well as seasons. In spring 2020 and 2021, NCB-Tajaki (NIFA Lobia Red-22) and NCB-Watani (NIFA Lobia Yellow-22) produced higher average seed yield of 2195 and 2206 kg ha-1, respectively, whereas in kharif 2020 and 2021, the two genotypes produced higher average seed yield of 2082 and 2075 kg ha-1, respectively compared with other genotypes. The two genotypes were approved by the KP Seed Council under the name NIFA Lobia Red-22 and NIFA Lobia Yellow-22 for general cultivation in common bean growing areas of the KP on 20-01-2022.

Friction stir welding is a solid-state welding process used extensively for aluminium alloys. EN AW-1100 alloy is mostly used for its exceptional corrosion resistance, high ductility, high thermal and electrical conductivities, and cost-effectiveness. This study is focused on the optimisation of friction stir welding parameters to achieve enhanced mechanical properties of 5mm thick EN AW-1100 alloy plates welded with a single pass, using Taguchi L9 orthogonal array and ANOVA analysis. Experimental results revealed that maximum tensile strength of 79 MPa and percentage elongation of 38.87 % were achieved. The maximum Vickers hardness achieved in the stir zone was 34.15. These results were used for optimisation using Minitab and it was determined that 2000 RPM, 30 mm·min−1 traverse speed and square probe profile came out to be the best parameters for maximum tensile strength. 4000 RPM, 30 mm·min−1 traverse speed and square probe geometry were the best parameters for maximum hardness in the stir zone. ANOVA analysis showed that the most significant parameter for tensile strength was traverse speed. None of the considered parameters were influencing the hardness value in the stir zone at a 95 % confidence level.

Purpose. To explore the therapeutic efficiency of acupuncture and the related molecular mechanism of neural plasticity in depression. Methods. Chronic unpredictable mild stress- (CUMS-) induced rats were established for the depression animal model. There were a total of four rat groups, including the control group, the CUMS group, the CUMS+acupuncture group, and the CUMS+fluoxetine group. The acupuncture group and the fluoxetine group were given a 3-week treatment after the modeling intervention. The researcher performed the open-field, elevated plus maze, and sucrose preference tests to evaluate depressive behaviors. The number of nerve cells, dendrites’ length, and the prefrontal cortex’s spine density were detected using Golgi staining. The prefrontal cortex expression, such as BDNF, PSD95, SYN, and PKMZ protein, was detected using the western blot and RT-PCR. Results. Acupuncture could alleviate depressive-like behaviors and promote the recovery of the neural plasticity functions in the prefrontal cortex, showing the increasing cell numbers, prolonging the length of the dendrites, and enhancing the spine density. The neural plasticity-related proteins in the prefrontal cortex, including BDNF, PSD95, SYN, and PKMZ, were all downregulated in the CUMS-induced group; however, these effects could be partly reversed after being treated by acupuncture and fluoxetine ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion. Acupuncture can ameliorate depressive-like behaviors by promoting the recovery of neural plasticity functions and neural plasticity-related protein upregulation in the prefrontal cortex of CUMS-induced depressed rats. Our study provides new insights into the antidepressant approach, and further studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of acupuncture involved in depression treatment.

Anthrax is a highly fatal zoonotic disease caused by a Gram-positive and spore-forming bacterium, Bacillus anthracis. The epidemiological situation of anthrax is unstable worldwide, and outbreaks have been reported in all the continents and commonly cause high mortality in domestic and wild herbivores as well as several mammals and bird species. The disease is endemic in Pakistan, and outbreaks were reported in domestic animals and wildlife species in limited zones. Sporadic cases also reemerged infrequently in some areas, and anthrax became a public health concern in Pakistan. Bacillus anthracis has been isolated from soil samples in different localities of Pakistan, and the risk of the emergence of anthrax is increased after flooding that has occurred recently. Therefore, this review aims to provide an update on the current trends and incidence of anthrax in Pakistan to increase awareness and will be useful for stakeholders and healthcare providers to suspect and manage anthrax.

Assess whether cross-linking the carrier donor cornea of the Boston Keratoprosthesis (BKPro) improves retention of the device in participants at high risk of keratolysis.Prospective, double-masked randomized clinical trial.In this multicenter study, sixty-eight adult participants who were scheduled for BKPro implantation were enrolled. Masked participants were randomized to receive either a cross-linked (CXL) or non-cross-linked (non-CXL) donor corneal carrier. Kaplan-Meier event-free survival was determined by the product-limit method and compared by the log-rank test to examine if survival curves were different between the CXL and non-CXL groups. The primary outcome of the study was time from surgery to BKPro removal. Secondary endpoint was twelve-month retention rate.Sixty-eight participants were enrolled and randomized 1:1 to each group. Average age at the time of surgery was 62 [24-89] years and 42 (62%) participants were male. Overall BKPro retention rate was 70% during a mean follow-up time of 93 (6 - 201) weeks. Twenty BKPros were removed, ten in the CXL group and ten in the non-CXL group, with 18 requiring removal because of sterile keratolysis. There was no difference in the time to removal between the groups during the study (P = 0.910). At twelve months, there was no significant difference in the retention rate in the CXL group (94%) versus the non-CXL group (82%, P = 0.150).In this prospective study, cross-linking of the carrier cornea prior to BKPro implantation did not reduce the incidence of sterile keratolysis or increase device retention among participants at high risk for retention failure.

Accurate and reliable measurement of key biological parameters during penicillin fermentation is of great significance for improving penicillin production. In this research context, a new hybrid soft sensor model method based on RF-IHHO-LSTM (random forest-improved​ Harris hawks optimization-long short-term memory) is proposed for penicillin fermentation processes. Firstly, random forest (RF) is used for feature selection of the auxiliary variables for penicillin. Next, improvements are made for the Harris hawks optimization (HHO) algorithm, including using elite opposition-based learning strategy (EOBL) in initialization to enhance the population diversity, and using golden sine algorithm (Gold-SA) in the search strategy to make the algorithm accelerate convergence. Then the long short-term memory (LSTM) network is constructed to build a soft sensor model of penicillin fermentation processes. Finally, the hybrid soft sensor model is used to the Pensim platform in simulation experimental research. The simulation test results show that the established soft sensor model, with high accuracy of measurement and good effect, can meet the actual requirements of engineering.

Background: Urinary stones are now a worldwide problem due to a rise in occurrence over the past few decades. All racial and cultural groups have experienced this. Complex metabolic and environmental risk factors are both involved in the pathogenetic pathways of stone production. This disease affects roughly 12% of the world's population. Its recurrence rate is about 70% in men and 47% in women. Urinary stones have significantly increased in prevalence over the past 20 years, becoming a global disease. Aim: This review covers literature on the medical therapy of urolithiasis to facilitate urinary stone passage and their mechanism of action in the light of the new data on the diagnosis and different types of urinary tract stones. Method: A preliminary search of related articles was obtained from three online databases PubMed, Sci.hub and Google scholar whichwere used to conduct a systematic evaluation of the literature. Inclusion and exclusion criteria screened the initial search results, and 67 papers were chosen to be appropriate for this literature review following careful reading, analysis, and evaluation. Results: Different methods of medical therapy (phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, alpha blockers, calcium blockers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and different types of surgical procedures (extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy,ureteroscopy)were thoroughly reviewed but among all of them the expulsion rate to remove the urinary stone was found to be larger and faster in calcium channel blocker (CI 1.33-1.66) and alpha blockers(CI 1.152–7.45). Practical implications: Medical therapies facilitate the urinary-stone passagebut these therapies are not generally used. The choices for treating urinary stones are expanded by these techniques. Patients with big ureteral stones have had better results with medical expulsive therapy.Removing the urinary stones also decreases the chances of other diseases which happened as a result of urinary stone. There are many benefits of medical expulsive therapy which are diverse in nature andthis therapy minimizes the exposure to anesthesia and radiations. Conclusion: Different surgical procedures are used to remove the stones from the urinary passage. Despite of surgical procedures, medical expulsive therapy are more helpful. Alpha-blockers and calcium channel blockers are the main medical expulsive therapies for primary evacuation of urinary tract stones. Keywords: Urolithiasis, Urinary tract stones, Medical expulsive treatment.

Wheat Research Institute (WRI), Faisalabad, Pakistan, a premier foundational birthplace of the Green revolution in Pakistan, has played a vital role in attaining food self-sufficiency. Latest grown varieties have succumbed to ever-changing pathogens, unable to stand in the fields. Hence, the initiative to develop an indigenous type to withstand high disease pressure producing better grain yield transpired during 2008–2009, with the hybridization of Dilkash-20 (WBLL*2/4/SNI/TRAP#1/3/KAUZ*2/TRAP//KAUZ/5/ PB.96//LU26/HD2179). It proceeded with segregating generations from F2 to F7 from 2009 to 2016. During 2016–2017 and 2017–2018, its testing followed at station yield trials, including Preliminary (A) and Regular (B), under code V-16005. It produced a significantly higher yield (10.86% and 10.40%) than the check varieties (Faisalabad-08 [FSD-08] and Punjab-11 [PB-11]). In provincial trials, it out-yielded a check variety by 4.06%. Testing in national yield trials, line V-16005 produced 17.40% and 12.03% higher grain yield than check cultivars during 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, respectively. It yielded better when planted on the first 10 days of November with a 100 kg ha-1 seed rate and 120:90:60 NPK (kg ha-1) fertilizer rate. The Dilkash-20 variety is a medium-height (105–115 cm), semi-erect producing 425 tillers per m2, with 119 days to heading and 145–150 days to maturity. It is of excellent quality, with protein (15.1%), starch (52.7%), gluten (28.7%), and test weight (72.1 kg hl-1), highly suitable for chapatti making. It has an effectual, durable resistance against brown and yellow rusts based on adult plant resistance genes. Therefore, the Punjab Seed Council approved Dilkash-20 for general cultivation throughout the irrigated areas of Punjab.

Background: Infants born between 34 0/7 and 36 6/7 weeks of gestation are referred to as late-preterm infants (LPI). The study’s objective was to examine the prevalence and course of LPI at our institution. Methods: This single-center prospective observational study was conducted at the level 3 NICU from June 2018 to June 2019 and included LPIs born in the hospital. Both the prevalence of LPI and the reasons for premature births were evaluated. Infants were observed until discharge for complications and outcomes (mortality and NICU admission). The risk factors associated with NICU admission were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: LPI constitutes 2.94% of all live births and 40.45% of total preterm births. Pre-eclampsia (15.1%) and premature membrane rupture (9.4%) were the two main causes of preterm birth, while the majority of mothers (37.7%) experienced spontaneous labor. A total of 55 (51.9%) babies developed complications, with respiratory distress (33.9%) being the most common. Three infants died, and 65 infants needed admission to the NICU. NICU hospitalization was independently associated with the existence of maternal risk factors, gestational age of 35 weeks, the requirement for resuscitation, and children whose weight was out of proportion to their gestational age. Conclusions: LPIs account for a large proportion of premature babies, are prone to complications, and have a high mortality and morbidity rate.

The choice and the dimensioning of the controller for the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) are determined for the ideal energy efficiency of the photovoltaic (PV) systems. Many works have been developed in the field of MPPT methods, especially fuzzy logic controllers. However, these are robust if the parameters of the membership functions have been well designed. In this paper, the performances of an intelligent fuzzy logic controller (FLC)-based MPPT method have been optimized by an evolutionary genetic algorithm (GA). The works presented in the literature have shown the efficiency of the proposed method compared to classical methods. In our paper, the validation of the experimental results obtained is given with respect to a reference signal. The control of the simulated PV source and the proposed method are built using the Simulink/Matlab environment and implemented on the dSPACE DS1104 controller to validate the practical execution of the suggested method. The standalone PV system has been tested in an emulated test bench experimentation. Experimental results confirm the efficiency of the proposed method and its high accuracy in handling fast varying load conditions.