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Soybean Glycine max L., paleopolyploid genome, poses challenges to its genetic improvement. However, the development of reference genome assemblies and genome sequencing has completely changed the field of soybean genomics, allowing for more accurate and successful breeding techniques as well as research. During the single-cell revolution, one of the most advanced sequencing tools for examining the transcriptome landscape is single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Comprehensive resources for genetic improvement of soybeans may be found in the SoyBase and other genomics databases. CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology provides promising prospects for precise genetic modifications in soybean. This method has enhanced several soybean traits, including as yield, nutritional value, and resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses. With base editing techniques that allow for precise DNA modifications, the use of CRISPR-Cas9 is further increased. With the availability of the reference genome for soybeans and the following assembly of wild and cultivated soybeans, significant chromosomal rearrangements and gene duplication events have been identified, offering new perspectives on the complex genomic structure of soybeans. Furthermore, major single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to stachyose and sucrose content have been found through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), providing important tools for enhancing soybean carbohydrate profiles. In order to open up new avenues for soybean genetic improvement, future research approaches include investigating transcriptional divergence processes, enhancing genetic resources, and incorporating CRISPR-Cas9 technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the extension of Milne-type inequalities to the realm of Katugampola fractional integrals, aiming to broaden the analytical tools available in fractional calculus. By introducing a novel integral identity, we establish a series of Milne-type inequalities for functions possessing extended s-convex first-order derivatives. Subsequently, we present an illustrative example complete with graphical representations to validate our theoretical findings. The paper concludes with practical applications of these inequalities, demonstrating their potential impact across various fields of mathematical and applied sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hexaploid bread wheat underwent a series of polyploidization events through interspecific hybridizations that conferred adaptive plasticity and resulted in duplication and neofunctionalization of major agronomic genes. The genetic architecture of polyploid wheat not only confers adaptive plasticity but also offers huge genetic diversity. However, the contribution of different gene copies (homeologs) encoded from different subgenomes (A, B, D) at different growth stages remained unexplored. Methods: In this study, hybrid of elite cultivars of wheat were developed via reciprocal crosses (cytoplasm swapping) and phenotypically evaluated. We assessed differential expression profiles of yield-related negative regulators in these cultivars and their F1 hybrids and identified various cis-regulatory signatures by employing bioinformatics tools. Furthermore, the preferential expression patterns of the syntenic triads encoded from A, B, and D subgenomes were assessed to decipher their functional redundancy at six different growth stages. Results: Hybrid progenies showed better heterosis such as up to 17% increase in the average number of grains and up to 50% increase in average thousand grains weight as compared to mid-parents. Based on the expression profiling, our results indicated significant dynamic transcriptional expression patterns, portraying the different homeolog-dominance at the same stage in the different cultivars and their hybrids. Albeit belonging to same syntenic triads, a dynamic trend was observed in the regulatory signatures of these genes that might be influencing their expression profiles. Conclusion: These findings can substantially contribute and provide insights for the selective introduction of better cultivars into traditional and hybrid breeding programs which can be harnessed for the improvement of future wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraordinary mechanical capabilities of 2D self-supporting nanofilms render them highly desirable for fabricating flexible devices. These films possess unique structural properties at the nanoscale, translating into exceptional rigidity or flexibility at the macroscopic level. Their remarkable ability to maintain structural integrity and shape under stress situations empowers them to bend, fold, and twist without compromising performance. Furthermore, the excellent elasticity of film enables them to adapt to curved surfaces, facilitating their seamless integration into wearable electronics. 2D self-supporting films with outstanding superior properties surpass substrate-based films and hold tremendous promise for various applications in energy storage, sensing, membranes and biomedical devices. Achieving their full potential in multiple applications necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical flexibility of these 2D nanomaterials. Researchers can gain insights into the material's responses to applied force or deformation by analyzing its mechanical behavior, which is crucial for designing and developing. The primary objectives of this study are to provide in-depth elucidation of the mechanical characteristics of 2D nanomaterials, their formation into nanofilms, and the subsequent removal of these films from the substrate. Such a comprehensive investigation enables researchers to understand the intrinsic behavior of 2D nanomaterials and develop strategies to optimize their properties for a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyze the serum and salivary levels of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn) and the Cu/Zn ratio and investigate the association between LOX gene variants (rs18800449 and rs2288393) and oral submucosal fibrosis (OSMF). A total of 250 subjects were included in the study: OSMF patients (n = 50), areca nut chewers without OSMF (n = 100) and controls (n = 100). Trace metals were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, while LOX gene variants were genotyped using the tetra primer amplification refractory mutation system (tetra ARMS) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The results showed significant variations in serum and salivary Cu, Zn, Fe and Cr levels and serum Mn concentrations among the three groups (p < 0.0001). Serum Cu levels were significantly higher in OSMF patients, while serum Zn levels were significantly lower. Both serum and salivary Cu/Zn ratios demonstrated a statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001) and diagnostic potential to differentiate OSMF from chewers and controls. However, LOX gene variants did not show an association between OSMF and chewers, except for rs1800449 genotypes, which showed a significant and increased risk with the AA genotype in OSMF patients compared to controls (OR = 7.58; 95%CI 2.30–24.97). The study suggests that trace elements and genetic variants may impact the etiology of OSMF. The findings may aid in early diagnosis, suitable treatment, and as a prognostic indicator for disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After completing treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC), patients often face oral complications like oral pain, limited mouth opening and dry mouth which significantly reduce their oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL). These issues impact their overall well-being, social activities and long-term survival. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate OHRQoL and its association with sociodemographic characteristics, oral hygiene practices and oral clinical parameters such as oral hygiene status and oral mucositis grade in patients who have completed treatment for head and neck cancer. This cross-sectional study involved 79 HNC-treated patients within first year after completion of cancer treatment attending ENT and dental clinics at outpatient department (OPD) setting in Karachi. Data was collected electronically using structured questionnaire comprising of EORTC QLQ H&N – 35 to measure OHRQoL, patients were also examined for oral hygiene status using oral hygiene index- simplified (OHI-s) and oral mucositis grade using WHO oral mucositis scale. Multiple linear regression was used to test OHRQoL associations with the sociodemographic and different clinical factors. The result showed an overall mean score for oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) of 25.02 ± 15.86 (95% CI 21.46–28.57), with difficulty in mouth opening 53.16 ± 18.88 and dry mouth 45.14 ± 24.48 being predominant concerns for decline in the OHRQoL in the population. Male predilection was observed among participants n = 60 (75.9%), majority of the participants n = 41 (51.9%) were below 52 years of age. n = 63 (80%) participants received radiotherapy alongside surgery and chemotherapy. Most of participants n = 66 (83.5%) experienced moderate to severe oral mucositis with poor oral hygiene status n = 56 (71%). Significant associations were found between OHRQoL and BMI, OH status, marital status, monthly income, gender and fluoride toothpaste (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that Quality of Life (QoL) among HNC treated patients is negatively impacted by their poor oral health, post cancer treatment. Therefore, it is important to evaluate and modify the current treatment modalities and involve multidisciplinary teams, to improve their OHRQoL thereby enhancing overall QoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Nasopharyngeal cancer has a global incidence of less than 1.0 per 100,000 person-years. It originates from nasopharyngeal mucosa with the Fossa of Rosenmuller being the most common site. Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy is an established first-line treatment modality given the sensitivity of the tumor. Objectives: The aim of our study was to report survival outcomes amongst patients undergoing endonasal endoscopic nasopharyngectomy at a tertiary care referral center. Methods: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal cohort study. We collected data on age, gender, prior treatment, histology, extent of surgery, post-operative adjuvant therapy, and recurrence and reported the survival along mean survival time using Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank test. Results: A total of six patients, three males and three females with a mean age of 43.7 years were included in our study. Of the six, three patients underwent a salvage procedure whereas three patients received upfront definitive surgical resection. Three patients developed recurrence with a mean survival time of 19.3 months. The disease-free survival at 1 and 2 years of surgery was 88.3% and 66% respectively. Conclusion: Endonasal endoscopic nasopharyngectomy is an effective surgical procedure that can be undertaken for both salvage and primary cases. Our survival results are comparable to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean (Glycine max) as an oilseed crop plays a vital role in agro-based industries. However, its sustainable production is challenged by biotic and abiotic factors. Fungal pathogens infecting soybean are a major concern. But, their extent in Pakistan is less explored. During crop season 2019-20, soybean plants showing leaf spots were observed in a research trial. Infected samples were assayed for isolation of pathogen on potato dextrose agar. Initial mycelial growth was purified on fresh nutrient media. Based on growth pattern and microscopic observations, the fungus was identified as Alternaria alternata. Koch postulates also confirmed by inoculating spore suspension of A. alternata in soybean plants under controlled environmental conditions. Moreover, phenotypic features of fungus were validated through amplification of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions using ITS-1and ITS-4 primers. Amplicon size of 570-bp was sequenced and NCBI BLASTn results confirmed fungus as A. alternata. Representative sequences of isolates (NBG1-4) were submitted to public database NCBI with accession numbers MZ769364-67. Phylogenetic study also inferred their relationship with previously reported isolates of A. alternata. Morphological feature of fungus, its pathogenicity and molecular characterization revealed the association of A. alternata with leaf spot in soybean. These results confirmed the incidence of leaf spot of soybean caused by A. alternata for the first time from Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed health plays a pivotal role in profitable crop production. However, seed-borne pathogens deteriorate seed health and reduce the market value of crops. Curvularia lunata is an important fungus associated with seeds of several crops. In the present study, broken, discolored and unhealthy seeds were observed during the inspection of soybean germplasm entries indicative of a fungal disease. The suspected fungus was isolated from these seeds using blotter paper and potato dextrose agar. Purified growth of fungus on nutrient media was smooth, regular and conidia were curved which appeared to be C. lunata. DNA was isolated and Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified. The amplicon (550 bp) of three isolates NBGCLI-III were sequenced. NCBI BLASTn confirmed assembled sequences as C. lunata. These sequences were submitted to NCBI GenBank with accession numbers OP093623-25. Soybean seeds were also subjected to culture filtrate of these isolates. Inoculated seeds showed reduced germination and the seedlings produced were abnormal as observed earlier when compared to untreated control. From infected seeds fungal DNA was isolated and ITS region was amplified and sequenced. The sequence results confirmed the presence of C. lunata. Hence, the present study has shown the deleterious effects of C. lunata on seed health in soybean and suggests the use of diseased-free seeds for better germination and vigorous crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ubiquitin-specific protease (UBP) family is the largest group of deubiquitinates playing a key role in eukaryotes. Presently, we identified 41 UBP genes from Brassica rapa which were classified into three groups via phylogenetic analysis. Structural and motif analysis revealed that these genes have diverse exon–intron structures and share an equal number of conserved motifs within the same group. Cis-regulatory elements were identified for salicylic acid, abscisic acid, gibberellin, methyl jasmonate, auxin, low temperature, anaerobic, defense and stress, light, and drought. Furthermore, six br-miRNAs named br-miRN159a, br-miRN159b, br-miRN159c, br-miRN159d, br-miRN324a, and br-miRN324b were found targeting BrUBP13.1, BrUBP13.2, BrUBP12.1, BrUBP12.2, BrUBP12.3, and BrUBP17. BrUBP genes were highly expressed in stem, root, silique, flower, leaf, and callus tissues; however, leaf qRT-PCR results indicated that the genes expression was high under SA and drought stresses. Our findings provide the novel foundations for future genetic and physiological studies of BrUBPs in Brassica rapa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fires in various parts of the world cause irreversible environmental and economic losses due to the increase in global warming. Determining the risk levels of forest fires is very important in terms of minimizing the negative effects of this fire disaster. In this context, the aim of this study is to mathematically model forest fires from January 2020 to January 2021 in Antalya/Türkiye region with fuzzy logic approach. The model has been created with the climatic and topographic characteristics of the region and the fuzzy logic approach. The results obtained from the fuzzy logic approach have been compared with the real data, and it has been shown that the results are 84 % compatible in this model. As a result, with the risk assessments to be made thanks to this model, the most effective intervention will be made in a current forest fire. What we mean by the most effective intervention here is to determine which vehicle group will be used according to the degree of risk of the fire. As a result of all these, a serious contribution will be made to overcome the struggle against a current forest fire disaster and to ensure the sustainability of nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumors of the salivary glands are rare and have various histo-pathological subtypes. The overall incidence is 2.5–3 per 100,000 patients per year. Myoepithelioma of the parotid gland is very rare with an incidence of only 1–1.5% among all salivary gland tumors. The diagnostic criteria for benign myoepithelioma were laid down on the basis of the work of Barnes and Sciubba. A 30-year-old lady presented to our university with a mass slowly increasing in size. There were no aggravating and/or relieving factors found. On examination a 3 × 3 cm diffuse swelling was found around the right pre auricular area. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) was performed. The findings were suggestive of a pleomorphic adenoma. The patient underwent a right sided superficial parotidectomy to remove the tumor. The final histopathology report revealed the tumor to be a myoepithelioma. Myoepithelioma is a benign salivary gland neoplasm formed almost entirely of myoepithelial cells arranged in a sheet, island or cord-like fashion. On CT scans, it presents as a well-circumscribed homogenous lesion with lobulated or smooth margins. Myoepitheliomas may also have nodules that enhance under contrast and areas of linear bands that do not. The recommended treatment for a myoepithelioma is complete surgical excision with wide margins. It has a very low recurrence rate compared to the 15–18% recurrence rate for pleomorphic adenomas. Utilization of immunohistochemical staining is of utmost importance in suspected myoepithelioma cases to ensure proper treatment and follow-up. Myoepitheliomas are rare tumors which must be included in the differential if a patient presents with a tumor of characteristics similar to those described above. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy are useful tools for the diagnosis of myoepitheliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In District Jhang, farmers use municipal wastewater to irrigate fodder crops as an alternative source to the deficient availability of fresh water. Therefore, the present study selected the three irrigation sources in District Jhang (canal water, ground water and municipal wastewater) to study the iron (Fe) concentration in the soil, fodder crops and ultimately their transfer into the animal body. Analysed Fe concentration varied as 16.40–27.53 mg/kg in soil samples, 19.72–30.34 mg/kg in fodder crops and 2.49–5.11 mg/kg in animals. Analysed Fe concentration in soil was higher on the wastewater irrigation site while canal water-irrigated fodder crop Zea mays exhibit the higher Fe concentration. In animal samples, higher Fe concentration was observed in the cow blood (4.09 mg/l), cow hairs (3.39 mg/kg) and cow faeces (5.11 mg/kg). Results of pollution load index (0.288–0.484 mg/kg) and enrichment factor (0.112–0.197 mg/kg) indicated that Fe concentration was minimally dispersed and enriched in these sites. Health risk and daily intake values were observed between the 0.029–0.059 and 0.042–0.084 mg/kg/day. Bio-concentration factor (0.834–1.47 mg/kg) for Fe which was greater than 1 explains that Fe contamination was transferred from the soil to fodder tissues and may raise health issues in the grazing animals if they are continuously exposed to these contaminated forages. Wastewater irrigation in study area has increased the Fe content in soil–plant environment that is a risking factor for animal and human health. Hence, this study recommended that wastewater should be treated prior to their irrigation on agricultural lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver (Ag) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films are synthesized through three different methods namely sol–gel deposition, electrodeposition, and chemical bath deposition (CBD) on conducting glass substrate. The XRD patterns of ZnO and Ag/ZnO visibly revealed the presence of hexagonal wurtzite polycrystalline structure with the films oriented along the (101) plane. The shift in peak position with silver doping provided a strong evidence of Ag+ substitution for the Zn2+ site. The crystal structure, surface morphology and the particle size distribution were monitored for the 0.5 to 4 wt % Ag content. The SEM analysis evidently showed the effect of Ag+ doping whereby a highly porous structure was obtained for the CBD films and a layered structure for the sol–gel and electrodeposition films. The UV–Vis transmittance and absorbance spectra showed highest transmittance in sol–gel films which further increased on Ag+ addition and a decrease in transmittance was observed in electrodeposited and CBD films. The higher absorbance and longer absorption window (up to 900 nm) were recorded in CBD and electrodeposition films than to that of sol–gel films. Lowering in band gap of the CBD films (up to 1.98 eV), a slight decrease in electrodeposited films (3.12 eV) and nearly no change in the sol–gel films (3.20 eV) was recoded upon silver doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing animals act as a bioindicator to study the heavy metal status in the pasture lands because excessive amount of toxic metals in the animal diet either disturb their normal activity or deposit the contaminants into their tissues. The aim of this study was to appraise the chromium status in soil and pasture crops with respect to the nutritional requirement of grazing animals. Three different sites were selected to collect soil, forages, and animal samples from District Jhang. All the samples were processed through atomic absorption spectrophotometer to analyze the chromium concentration in them. Chromium concentration was varied as 0.703–4.20 mg/kg in soil, 0.45–2.85 mg/kg in forages, and 0.588–2.37 mg/kg in all collected animal samples. Both the soil and forage samples displayed the maximum chromium concentration in the Capparis decidua, whereas animal samples revealed maximum concentration in animal blood. Results of pollution load index (0.078 to 0.463 mg/kg) exhibited that all the sample values are less than unity while enrichment factor (1.57–8.25mg/kg) showed that significant level of chromium is enriched in these sites. The maximum value of daily intake (0.0007–0.0055mg/kg/day) and health risk index (0.0004–0.00370055mg/kg/day) was observed in the buffalo that feed on the Capparis decidua. Bio-concentration factor (0.398–2.09mg/kg) value was the maximum in the Medicago sativa. It is concluded that all the animal samples showed chromium concentration beyond their standards. Thus, proper measures should be taken to reduce the metal contamination in these areas that ultimately lessen the availability of toxic metals to grazing animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals pollution has thorough worldwide apprehensions due to the instantaneous growth of industries. Farming regions are irrigated mainly with wastewater which contains both municipal and industrial emancipations. Keeping in view the above scenario, a study was designed in which three sites irrigated with ground, canal, and municipal wastewater in the District Jhang were selected to determine the zinc accumulation and its transfer in the soil, plant, and animal food chain. Zinc concentration was ranged as 18.85–35.59mg/kg in the soil, 26.42–42.67 mg/kg in the forage, and 0.982–2.85mg/kg in the animal samples. Investigated zinc concentration in soil and forages was found to be within the recommended WHO/FAO limits, but blood samples exceed the standards of NRC (2007). The maximum level of pollution load index (0.427–0.805mg/kg) and enrichment factor (0.373–0.894 mg/kg) for zinc was noticed upon wastewater irrigation. Daily intake (0.039 to 0.082 mg/kg/day) and health risk index (0.130 to 0.275 mg/kg/day) of zinc metal was higher in the buffaloes that feed on wastewater-irrigated forages. Bio-concentration factor (0.840 to 2.01mg/kg) for soil-forage was >1 which represents that these plants accumulated the zinc concentration into their tissues and raised health issues in grazing animals on consumption of wastewater-contaminated forages. As animal-derived products are part of human food, then zinc toxicity prevailed in livestock tissues ultimately affects the human food chain. Overall, findings of this study concluded that animal herds should be monitored periodically to devise preventive measures regarding the toxic level of heavy metals availability to livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors derive some new generalizations of fractional trapezium-like inequalities using the class of harmonic convex functions. Moreover, three new fractional integral identities are given, and on using them as auxiliary results some interesting integral inequalities are found. Finally, in order to show the efficiency of our main results, some applications to special means for different positive real numbers and error estimations for quadrature formulas are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to access the Mn contamination in soil, forages, and animals. Heavy metal pollution is a matter of prime significance in natural environment. Through food chain, toxicity of heavy metals and their bioaccumulation potential are transferred into humans. Higher concentrations of metallic compounds are toxic to living organisms but these are essential to maintain body metabolism. Intake of food crops polluted with heavy metals is chief food chain channel for human exposure. Animals are exposed to heavy metal stress by the intake of richly contaminated food crops; those are chief part of food chain. Samples of soil, plant, animal blood, hair, and feces were collected to find contamination through wet digestion process in lab and metal analysis. Different forages were collected to study Mn content that was our major concern in this study. The present findings also emphasized on the assessment of bio-concentration factor (BCF). Other significant indices of mobility and pollution of metal were also calculated, i.e. pollution load index (PLI), daily intake of metal (DIM), health risk index (HRI), and enrichment factor (EF). The experimentation result showed different concentrations of metal in different seasons. The Mn concentration in forages was 20.01–28.29 mg/kg and in soil was 5.27–8.90 mg/kg. Soil samples showed higher level of (PLI) Pollution load index. Bio-concentration of MN was 2.59–4.21 mg/kg. It can be concluded that regular monitoring of the metal is essential to evaluate the contamination status. Mn contents were in the safe limits in soil and plants; however, its toxic level was observed in animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-known model of Vestal aims to avoid excessive pessimism in the quantification of the processing requirements of mixed-criticality systems, while still guaranteeing the timeliness of higher-criticality functions. This can bring important savings in system costs, and indirectly help meet size, weight and power constraints. This efficiency is promoted via the use of multiple worst-case execution time (WCET) estimates for the same task, with each such estimate characterized by a confidence associated with a different criticality level. However, even this approach can be very pessimistic when the WCET of successive instances of the same task can vary greatly according to a known pattern, as in MP3 and MPEG codecs or the processing of ADVB video streams. In this paper, we present a schedulability analysis for the new multiframe mixed-criticality model, which allows tasks to have multiple, periodically repeating, WCETs in the same mode of operation. Our work extends both the analysis techniques for Static Mixed-Criticality scheduling (SMC) and Adaptive Mixed-Criticality scheduling (AMC), on one hand, and the schedulability analysis for multiframe task systems on the other. A constrained-deadline model is initially targeted, and then extended to the more general, but also more complex, arbitrary-deadline scenario. The corresponding optimal priority assignment for our schedulability analysis is also identified. Our proposed worst-case response time (WCRT) analysis for multiframe mixed-criticality systems is considerably less pessimistic than applying the static and adaptive mixed-criticality scheduling tests oblivious to the WCET variation patterns. Experimental evaluation with synthetic task sets demonstrates up to 20% and 31.4% higher scheduling success ratio (in absolute terms) for constrained-deadline analyses and arbitrary-deadline analyses, respectively, when compared to the best of their corresponding frame-oblivious tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this article is to establish a new post quantum version of Montgomery identity. Some estimates of associated post quantum bounds are also obtained. In order to obtain the main results of the article, we use the preinvexity property of the functions. Some special cases are also discussed in detail. Finally, we present some applications of the obtained results, which shows the significance of the discussed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, we introduce the generalized exponentially μ-preinvex function, derive a new q-integral identity for second order q-differentiable function, and establish several new q-trapezoidal type integral inequalities for the function whose absolute value of second q-derivative is exponentially μ-preinvex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury and cadmium are highly dangerous metals that can lead to disastrous effects in animals and humans. The aim of the current research was to elucidate the poisonous effects of mercuric chloride and cadmium chloride individually and in combination on biochemical profiles of plasma and their accumulation in heart. The therapeutic effect of vitamin C against these metals in rabbits was also studied. Mercuric chloride (1.2 μg/g), cadmium chloride (1.5 μg/g), and vitamin C (150 μg/g of body weight) were orally given to treatment groups of the rabbits (1—control; 2—vitamin; 3—CdCl2; 4—HgCl2; 5—vitamin + CdCl2; 6—vitamin + HgCl2; 7—CdCl2 + HgCl2, and 8—vitamin + CdCl2 + HgCl2. After the biometric determination of all intoxicated rabbits, biochemical parameters, viz low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), cholesterol, creatine kinase, and troponin T (TnT) were analyzed using available kits. Levels of cholesterol (0.7 ± 0.1 mmol/l), creatine kinase (2985.2 ± 11 IU/L), LDL (20.35 ± 1.31 mg/dl), and troponin T (1.22 ± 0.03 μg/l) were significantly (P < 0.05) increased. HDL (84.78 ± 4.30 mg/dl) was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased, while supplementation of vitamin C decreased the adverse effects of CdCl2 and HgCl2 on biochemical parameters in all metal-exposed groups. A similar trend was also seen in rabbits treated with CdCl2 + vitamin and vitamin + CdCl2 + HgCl2. Accumulation of Cd and Hg was higher in heart tissues. This study, therefore, provides awareness on the cardiac toxicity of mercury and cadmium chlorides in the rabbits and the possible protective role of vitamin C against the perturbations induced by metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new numeric technique to estimate the operating power system frequency. The technique employs a recurrent scheme which consists of a tunable input FIR filter, frequency calculator and an averaging output filter. The recurrent structure ensures that power system frequency is efficiently tracked while minimizing signal distortions arising from harmonic and noise effects. The performance of the developed technique has been thoroughly investigated using computer simulations, and the results are provided. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is demonstrated by comparing it with three different methods reported in the literature. An experimental setup is successfully developed to evaluate the practical operation of the estimator corroborating the performance during simulations. It was confirmed that the proposed estimator performs well during static and dynamic conditions which makes it useful for the estimation of online power system frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, we introduce a class of n-polynomial harmonically convex functions, establish their several new Hermite–Hadamard type inequalities which are the generalizations and variants of the previously known results for harmonically convex functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new auxiliary result based on a three step quadratic kernel utilizing the concepts of local fractional calculus is obtained. Using this new auxiliary result we have several new Newton type inequalities whose power q of local fractional derivative in modulus is a generalized harmonic convex function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of multi-cores for mixed-criticality systems has fueled research on techniques for providing scheduling isolation guarantees to applications of different criticalities. These are especially hard to provide in the presence of contention in shared resources of the system, such as buses and DRAMs. The state-of-the-art Single-Core Equivalence (SCE) framework improves timing isolation by enforcing periodic memory access budgets per core, which allows computing safe stall delays for the cores as input to the schedulability analysis. In this work, we extend the theoretical toolkit for this state-of-the-art framework by considering EDF and server-based scheduling, instead of partitioned fixed-priority scheduling which SCE has assumed so far. A second extension to the theory of SCE consists in additionally allowing memory access budgets to be uneven and defined on a per-server basis, rather than just on a per-core basis, which is what was supported until now. This added flexibility allows better memory bandwidth efficiency, especially when servers with dissimilar memory access requirements co-exist on a given core, and this in turn improves schedulability. Finally, we also formulate an Integer-Linear Programming Model (ILP) guaranteed to find a feasible mapping of a given set of servers to processors, including their execution time and memory access budgets, if such a mapping exists. Our experiments with synthetic task sets confirm that considerable improvement in schedulability can result from the use of per-server memory access budgets under the SCE framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thallium (Tl) and yttrium (Y) have been doped separately, as an extrinsic impurity, into titania (TiO2) matrix to investigate the effect of dopant ion on the photovoltaic properties of the resultant dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The metals were selected on the basis of their electrical conductivities. Two types of DSCs were fabricated: the first type with a single semiconductor layer of either pure TiO2 or Tl- or Y-doped TIO2, and the second type was of double-layered cells having a nanocrystalline TiO2 foundation layer and above it mesoporous TiO2 (pure or doped) as a scattering layer. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed the formation of composite-like Tl4O3 structures in an anatase matrix of annealed Tl-doped titania, whereas Y limited the nucleation and growth process and resulted in smaller particles. UV-visible and photoluminescence spectroscopies showed obvious improvement in the optical properties of TiO2 with Tl doping, whereas Y adversely affected the film characteristics. The resultant photo-anodes in DSCs under 100 mW cm−2 light illumination gave a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 1.07% for pure TiO2, while Y-doped and Tl-doped TiO2 showed 0.36% and 3.63% efficiency, respectively. The findings were ascribed mainly to the relative electrical conductivities and partially to the morphological structures of the doped samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of BiErO3 (BE) as a doping material on the structural, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of (KNa)NbO3 ceramics was explored in this research. Co-existence of two phase regions was confirmed in the composition range at x = 0.5% and x = 1.0%. The addition of BE content led to a decrease of the grain size and the ceramics became denser. Bulk P-E hysteresis loops were obtained with a maximum polarization of Pmax = 30.56 µC/cm2 and a remnant polarization of Pr = 25.10 µC/cm2, along with a coercive field of Ec ~ 11.26 kV/cm. The results revealed that a field strain value of ~ 0.26 for x = 0.5% of BE substitution was attained. This presents outstanding piezoelectric and dielectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock depredation by leopards is one of the key conservation issues in landscapes with limited resources worldwide. Any attempts to mitigate human-leopard conflict and conserve the species in conflict should be based on an unequivocal understanding of the conflict patterns. A household survey was conducted with an intention to quantify livestock losses resulting from depredation by leopards in and around the Machiara National Park, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. A total of 301 livestock were killed between June 2007 and August 2008 by leopards. The extent of loss varied in different months, with maximum killing occurring in the month of May. Small-bodied livestock such as goats and sheep were more vulnerable than large-bodied cattle. Goats were killed in significantly higher numbers as compared to other livestock. Domestic animals were killed more frequently at night as compared to other times of the day. There was a significant effect of the nighttime protection measures on depredation. Most attacks happened in valleys and in areas far from the forests. Factors most closely associated with livestock depredation included decline of natural prey, herding practices, guarding especially during the nighttime, and repeated use of pastures where predators were known to be hunting actively. Attitudes of the local community towards leopards were largely negative, and further efforts should be made to improve support for carnivore conservation. We suggest widespread local community education and proactive human-leopard conflict management, particularly through adopting carnivore-friendly livestock protection measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to establish some new refinements of fractional Hermite-Hadamard inequalities via a harmonically convex function with a kernel containing the generalized Mittag-Leffler function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors first introduce the concepts of generalized $(\alpha,m)$ -preinvex function, generalized quasi m-preinvex function and explicitly $(\alpha, m)$ -preinvex function, and then provide some interesting properties for the newly introduced functions. The more important point is that we give a necessary and sufficient condition respecting the relationship between the generalized $(\alpha, m)$ -preinvex function and the generalized quasi m-preinvex function. Second, a new Riemann-Liouville fractional integral identity involving twice differentiable function on m-invex is found. By using this identity, we establish the right-sided new Hermite-Hadamard-type inequalities via Riemann-Liouville fractional integrals for generalized $(\alpha,m)$ -preinvex mappings. These inequalities can be viewed as generalization of several previously known results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous multicore platforms are becoming an interesting alternative for embedded computing systems with limited power supply as they can execute specific tasks in an efficient manner. Nonetheless, one of the main challenges of such platforms consists of optimising the energy consumption in the presence of temporal constraints. This paper addresses the problem of task-to-core allocation onto heterogeneous multicore platforms such that the overall energy consumption of the system is minimised. To this end, we propose a two-phase approach that considers both dynamic and leakage energy consumption: (i) the first phase allocates tasks to the cores such that the dynamic energy consumption is reduced; (ii) the second phase refines the allocation performed in the first phase in order to achieve better sleep states by trading off the dynamic energy consumption with the reduction in leakage energy consumption. This hybrid approach considers core frequency set-points, tasks energy consumption and sleep states of the cores to reduce the energy consumption of the system. Major value has been placed on a realistic power model which increases the practical relevance of the proposed approach. Finally, extensive simulations have been carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. In the best-case, savings up to $$18\,\%$$ of energy are reached over the first fit algorithm, which has shown, in previous works, to perform better than other bin-packing heuristics for the target heterogeneous multicore platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CHEK2 encodes a serine/threonine-protein kinase which plays a critical role in DNA damage signaling pathways. CHEK2 directly phosphorylates and regulates the functions of p53 and BRCA1. Most women with breast and/or ovarian cancer are not carriers of mutant BRCA1 or BRCA2. Multiple studies have shown that a CHEK2*1100delC confers about a two-fold increased risk of breast cancer in unselected females and a tenfold increase in males. Moreover, studies have shown that first-degree relatives of bilateral breast cancer cases who carried the CHEK2*1100delC allele had an eight-fold increased risk of breast cancer. It has been suggested that CHEK2 functions as a low-penetrance susceptibility gene for cancers and multiplies the risks associated with other gene(s) to increase cancer risk. The main goal of this study was to evaluate and to compare the role of truncating mutations, splice junction mutations and rare missense substitutions in breast cancer susceptibility gene CHEK2. Present study was performed on 140 individuals including 70 breast cancer patients both with and without family history and 70 normal individuals. Written consent was obtained and 3 ml intravenous blood was drawn from all the subjects. DNA was extracted from all the samples through inorganic method published already. Primers were synthesized for all the 14 exons of CHEK2 gene. Coding and adjacent intronic sequences of CHEK2 gene were amplified and sequenced. Two genetic variants (p.H371Y, p.D438Y) were found in exon 10 and exon 11 of gene CHEK2 which were not found in any of the 70 control individuals from same geographical area and ethnic group. The genetic variant c.1312G>T (p.D438Y) identified in a patient with a family history of breast cancer. To our knowledge, this is first mutation scanning study of gene CHEK2 from Balochistan population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous circuit topologies have been proposed for divide-by-ρ injection-locked frequency dividers (ILFDs), most of which have been optimized for division by even numbers, especially divide-by-2. It has been more difficult to realize division by odd numbers, such as divide-by-3. In this paper we present simulations of an RF CMOS ILFD that can operate equally well in both divide-by-2 and divide-by-3 modes. The ILFD is based on a cross-coupled CMOS LC oscillator with direct injection and an auxiliary injection path. The paper presents two variants of the circuit architecture and Cadence simulations in the multi-GHz frequency range using a standard TSMC 65 nm CMOS process design kit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study describes optimization of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) experimental parameters for the determination of heavy metals in ambient air particulate matter. The optimization was performed using solidified metal standards on filter discs. The optimized values of LIBS parameters were 4.5 μs (delay time), 89.5 mJ (laser pulse energy), and 70 mm (lens to sample surface distance). At these optimized values LIBS demonstrated strong spectrum lines for each metal keeping the background noise at minimum level.The new method of preparing metal standards on filter discs exhibited calibration curves with good linearity over the concentration range 50-500 ppm with correlation coefficients, R in the range of 0.992-0.998. The limit of detection for the three metals was in the range of 29-48 ppm. The developed method was tested on real ambient air samples for determination of cadmium, zinc, and lead. The concentration of various metals determined by the developed LIBS method was verified against a conventional analytical technique, flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total quality management (TQM) is widely recognised as a management philosophy for improving customer satisfaction and organisational performance. However, there is no consensus over the critical success factors of TQM, in particular, in higher education (HE) and developing countries. Literature shows mixed results on the success and applicability of TQM principles in education, thus, underlining the need to revisit the application of TQM principles in HE. This paper identifies the critical success factors of TQM in Pakistani universities. Data was collected from faculty members of universities through questionnaires. The findings reveal that 'leadership', 'vision', 'measurement and analysis', 'process control and evaluation', 'programs design and resources allocation' and 'stakeholder focus' emerge as the critical success factors of TQM in HE. The findings have implications at macro, meso, and micro levels of HE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grey langurs ( Semnopithecus spp.) occupy a variety of habitats, ranging from lowland forests and semi-desert to alpine forests. Little is known about their foraging and ranging in alpine forests, which appear to contain less food than lowland forests. We conducted a 1-year study of Himalayan grey langurs ( Semnopithecus ajax) in Machiara National Park, Pakistan, where they occur at relatively high altitudes (range 2000-4733 m). We followed three groups of different sizes and compositions and examined the effects of ecological and social factors on ranging and feeding. The home-range sizes of a small bisexual group (SBG), a large bisexual group (LBG), and an all-male group (AMG) were 2.35 ± 0.92 (mean ± SD; average of four seasons), 3.28 ± 0.55, and 3.52 ± 1.00 km, respectively, and were largest in winter for all groups. The daily path lengths of the SBG, LBG, and AMG were 1.23 ± 0.28 (mean ± SD; average of four seasons), 1.75 ± 0.34, and 1.84 ± 0.70 km, respectively; that of the LBG was longer in winter, while that of the AMG was shorter in summer. Both the home-range size and daily path length of the AMG were larger than those of the other groups, even after partialling out the effect of group size differences. The mean altitude used by the langurs and the proportion of animals seen feeding did not differ among seasons or group types. As the mean temperature increased, the altitude used by langurs significantly increased for the SBG and LBG, but not for the AMG. On the other hand, as the temperature increased, the home-range sizes significantly decreased for the SBG and AMG, but not for the LBG. Rainfall did not show any correlation with ranging or feeding in any of the groups. Our results suggested that grey langurs in Machiara National Park employ a high-cost, high-return foraging strategy in winter, and that the ranging of the AMG also reflects its reproductive strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]