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Astragalus Stocksii a local flowering plant found in Hana Valley, Quetta Pakistan, used as home medicinal plant form many years. It is an encouraging source of bioactive compounds and has been conventionally manipulated for the coverage of several diseases. The present study based on the evaluation of phenolics, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory activities of Astragalus Stocksii by using three different solvents, i.e. ;acetone, ethanol and methanol. The results showed that extraction yield depends upon the type of the solvents used for extraction. Among these, extraction in methanol has the highest phenolic contents (10.086±0.08mgCE/g DW),total antioxidant capacity (TAC, IC50=14.50±0.01 μg/mL,phospho-molibdenummethod,IC50=66.62± 0.03 μg/mL by DPPH method)and high anti-inflammatory activity (IC50=75.0 ±2.5 μg/mL, oxidative burst assay). These results indicate that methanol is the best solvent for extraction of phenolic and antioxidants in Astragalus Stocksii. The high results of anti-inflammatory for Astragalus Stocksii suggests its use inpharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

Pollutants emitted from internal combustion engines cause significant environmental pollution, and the reduction of these pollutants is the goal of all. The deterioration of air quality is increasing year after year due to increasing the population and cars and low awareness of pollution reduction. In this study, the impact of recycling of exhaust gas in a spark ignition engine was tested on the NOx emitted from it, which is considered one of the most dangerous environmental pollutant. The results of the study showed that the brake specific fuel consumption increases by increasing the amount of the EGR interning the engine, also the brake thermal efficiency increases and the volumetric efficiency decreases with this increase. The NOx concentrations emitted are significantly reduced when high rates of EGR (15% and 20%) are added. The use of high octane fuel RON94.5 has helped to reduce the expected EGR damage, such as greater reduction in the specific fuel consumption, or a greater reduction in the volumetric efficiency.

The Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Himalaya (HKKH) range is called the third pole of the world due to heavy ice storage. Passu Glacier is one of the HKKH range glaciers in Pakistan. In the present stud...

The Hindu Kush mountains spread over Northern areas of Pakistan having hundreds of glaciers representing a unique ecosystem driven by the specific geochemistry and climate. The current study measured the distribution of culturable fungi in Tirich Mir glacier, Hindu Kush range, and the potential of these isolates to show antimicrobial activity and produce biotechnologically important enzymes. Samples of glacial ice, sediments, and meltwater were collected from Tirich Mir glacier, and 46 fungal strains were isolated and characterized for identity and biotechnological applications. The findings revealed Penicillium (10) as the most common genus, followed by Alternaria (9), Cladosporium (7), Coprinopsis, two isolates each belonging to genus Phoma, Ulocladium, Epicoccum, Onygenales, and Didymella, and one isolate of genus Davidiella, Aspergillus, Geomyces, Dothideomycetes, Pseudogymnoascus, Irpex, Scopulariopsis, Ascochyta, Tomicus, and Davidiellaceae. Davidiella tassiana HTF9 showed growth in the presence of 18% NaCl and pH 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. The isolates Ulocladium sp. and Onygenales sp. inhibited the growth of test fungi, Gram-negative and positive bacteria. Fungal strains were capable of producing cold-active enzymes, including cellulase, lipase, amylase, and deoxyribonuclease. The isolate Penicillium chrysogenum HTF24 was an efficient producer of amylase, deoxyribonuclease, and cellulase. The fungi of high-altitude glaciers are potent candidates for biotechnological applications; however, studies using more sensitive techniques are needed for further exploration.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) survey, air pollution has become the major reason of several fatal diseases, which had led to the death of 7 million peoples around the globe. The 9 people out of 10 breathe air, which exceeds WHO recommendations. Several strategies are in practice to reduce the emission of pollutants into the air, and also strict industrial, scientific, and health recommendations to use sustainable green technologies to reduce the emission of contaminants into the air. Photocatalysis technology recently has been raised as a green technology to be in practice towards the removal of air pollutants. The scientific community has passed a long pathway to develop such technology from the material, and reactor points of view. Many classes of photoactive materials have been suggested to achieve such a target. In this context, the contribution of conjugated polymers (CPs), and their modification with some common inorganic semiconductors as novel photocatalysts, has never been addressed in literature till now for said application, and is critically evaluated in this review. As we know that CPs have unique characteristics compared to inorganic semiconductors, because of their conductivity, excellent light response, good sorption ability, better redox charge generation, and separation along with a delocalized π-electrons system. The advances in photocatalytic removal/reduction of three primary air-polluting compounds such as CO

This study investigates the effect of ownership on firm performance of state-owned and non-state-owned enterprises in elected G20 countries and across the development spectrum. Annual financial and accounting data from the period 2011-2015 are compiled for 252, state-owned and 6503, non-state-owned enterprises. The empirical results show that state ownership and firm performance are negatively associated with selected G-20countries. This is also confirmed when countries are considered with respect to their level of development except for High-Income countries. The poor performance of state-owned enterprises in less developed countries can be justified by the argument that state-owned enterprises suffer from the intervention of self-oriented politicians, which leads to lower-than-expected performance.

In the present study, cyanobacterium isolate CHS1 isolated from Hopar glacier, Pakistan, was analyzed for the first time for cell membrane fatty acids and production of pigments. Sequencing of the 16-23S intergenetic region confirmed identification of the isolate CHS1 as Nodularia spumigena. All chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography and experiments to test tolerance against a range of physico-chemical conditions were conducted. Likewise, the fatty acid profile of the cell membrane CHS1 was analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. The cyanobacterium isolate CHS1 demonstrated tolerance to 8 g/L% NaCl, 35°C and pH 5–9. The characteristic polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) of isolate CHS1, C18:4, was observed in fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) extracted from the cell membrane. CHS1 was capable of producing saturated fatty acids (SFA) (e.g., C16:0), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (e.g., C18:1) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (e.g., C20:5) in the cell membrane. In this study, we hypothesize that one mechanism of cold adaptation displayed by isolate CHS1 is the accumulation of high amounts of PUFA in the cell membrane.

Due to the rapid change in technology, the world becomes more globalized, the success and survival of any organization build upon on its ability to stay creative and innovative. Innovation and creativity are the twin processes and have shown the greatest significance, achievement and sustainability to an organization. Innovation and creativity go hand in hand; greater creativity is a clue to more innovations. Innovation is one of the leading elements which inducing business success in a tremendously modest and vibrant way. The scholars and specialists have struggled to contribute to enhance and develop the awareness of the real management of innovation. Up to the present time, although the literature on innovation is growing quickly, very slight consideration has been waged to the administrative and executive matters relating to creativity. The aim of this paper is to review all the previous literature on the connection of organizational culture with creativity and innovation.

The study aims to examine the association between banking sector development, real exchange rates, inflation rates, federal discount rates, economic growth and bank deposits in Pakistan. The study employs Johansen co-integration method and Granger causality test. The empirical results confirm for the existence of a long run relationship between banking sector development and inflation, economic growth and federal discount rates. The results of Granger causality indicate that US interest rates affect the development of the Pakistani banking sector. This confirms the existence of spillover impact.

In this study, we isolated and characterized bacteria and analyzed the geochemistry of unexplored non-polar Tirich Mir glacier, Chitral, Pakistan. The glacier is located in the Hindu Kush m...

COVID-19 is an emerging infectious disease caused by the novel enveloped single-stranded RNA virus quickly declared a pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the severity of COVID-19 infection in patients with blood group type A. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Al-Amal specialized hospital, Al-Najaf (March 8 to March 20/2021). The study included 123 hospitalized patients (63 females and 60 males), aged between 15-95 years, diagnosed with COVID-19, tested for blood group, blood sugar, blood urea, D-dimer, and serum ferritin. Results indicated significant differences in blood sugar and D-dimer in patients with type A blood group at P0.05. At the same time, no significant difference was found in blood urea and ferritin at P0.05. The majority of patients showed elevated levels of blood sugar, blood urea, serum D-dimer and ferritin. COVID-19 can infect people of all ages and causes severe infection in all blood groups.

Manifold neuro-ophthalmological signs & symptoms have been described in association with corona virus disease 19 (COVID-19). These presenting manifestations probably due to the result of a range of pathophysiological mechanisms throughout the course from acute illness to recovery phase & late recovery phase. Optic nerve dysfunction like optic neuropathy is associated with post COVID-19 infection. In this case series we want to highlight about the course, sequelae & association of optic neuropathy in COVID-19 patients. BSMMU J 2021; 14 (COVID -19 Supplement): 42-44

The bismuth superhydrophobic surface (BiSHS) was fabricated on aluminum (Al) substrate by immersion in BiCl3 aqueous solution following annealing treatment. The surface morphology of the sample shows cauliflower and landmass like structures by scanning electron microscope. The size of NPs in the microscaled landmass texture is from 200 to 500 nm. The BiSHS contains the Bi/Bi2O3 layer on the top of Al/Al2O3 with static water contact of 160° ± 1° and a dynamic sliding angle of 2° ± 1°. The BiSHS exhibits excellent corrosion resistance, perfect environmental stability, and durability. The BiSHS has shown high photocatalytic activity in photodegradation of methylene blue with 98.17 % degradation efficiency. The photodegradation follows the pseudo-first-order kinetic reaction with a half-life period of 8.21 min. The photocatalytic capability of the BiSHS remained persistent even after the 11th cycles. The actual mechanism of BiSHS and wettability phenomena also elucidated according to the Wenzel and Cassie-Baxiture theories. This finding may open new windows for the utilization of superhydrophobic films as a photocatalyst.

Energy consumption of wireless network communication is still a big issue and a lot of research papers have proposed many solutions to increase node life time. The WMN architecture is made up of a fixed and mobile component, whereas the wireless mesh networks (WMNs) are multi-hop wireless networks with instant deployment, self-healing, self-organization and self-configuration features. The reduction in the distance by a factor of two can result in at least four times more powerful signals at the receiver. This paper presents suggestions that the links are more reliable without the increase in power of the transmitter in individual nodes. As a result, the present simulations networks are nine mobile nodes for considering coverage issues of the service area. The analytic results show that the link power node for direct communication between two nodes with long distance consuming more power than it is cleared. The improvement in the network performance for maintaining is available and this solution can be used to implement mobility in such case with low power region for the wireless mesh networks.

The Karakoram Mountain Range (KMR) is one of the largest mountain ranges in the world, with ~ 37% of its area glaciated. Here, we present the geochemistry of ice, sediment and meltwaters sampled from Ghulmet, Ghulkin and Hopar glaciers of the Karakoram Range, Pakistan, in addition to the first information on the diversity of pigmented bacteria evaluated using culture-dependent techniques. Geochemical analyses revealed Ca2+ and SO42− to be the most abundant cation and anion species across all glacial samples, respectively. Total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were found in the sediments of all glaciers studied in current research. Bacterial species were capable of producing a variety of different pigments, including alloxanthin, astaxanthin, bacterioruberin, β-carotene, 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin, peridinin, violacein and zeaxanthin. Culturable bacterial diversity was studied using two molecular biomarkers, 16S rRNA and rpoB gene, with a total of 82 bacterial strains representing 25 genera identified across all glacial samples. This study provides the first characterization of glacier-associated, pigment-producing bacterial communities from the KMR. Findings are important for considerations of alternative sources of conventional pigment production in industrial fields.

The microbial life that exists in harsh habitats of low pH possess several unique characteristics, which assign interesting qualities to these microorganisms and enable them to thrive in such a harsh environment. Among microorganisms inhabiting low pH environments, fungi are the second largest reported organisms. These acidophilic fungi are the main source of acid–stable enzymes that could be utilized in many industries including paper, leather making, food and feed industries, where the efficacy of commonly available enzymes is limited by challenges like stability and functional kinetics. The current review discusses the acidophilic fungi with emphasis on their diversity and pH homeostasis mechanisms adopted against low pH environments. In addition, an overview about the acid–stable enzymes obtained from these acidophilic fungi, their main sources and potential applications have also been discussed.

Cosmetic vein sclerotherapy is increasingly used to treat varicose veins because of its effectiveness and adherence with British Pharmacopoeia specifications. We present the first documented case of ophthalmic artery occlusion resulting in panocular ischemia secondary to intravascular injection of sodium tetradecyl sulfate sclerosant in a young healthy women seeking treatment for prominent facial veins in her forehead.The patient presented with unilateral sudden loss of vision. Funduscopy demonstrated a pale retina, cherry-red spot, and sclerosant visualized directly at the macula. She underwent emergency treatment for central retinal artery occlusion followed by fundal photographs, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography.Despite intervention, the vision remained no perception to light. Magnetic resonance imaging, echocardiography, and Doppler ultrasound were unremarkable. The patient later developed neovascular sequelae requiring laser pan-retinal photocoagulation.Widely regarded as safe, and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the only published ocular side effects of foam sclerotherapy are transient visual disturbances or temporary scotomas. This case demonstrates irreversible loss of vision as a previously unreported complication. While undoubtedly rare, we believe physicians and surgeons using sclerosant in the orbital adnexa, face, nose, and sinuses should be aware of this sight-threatening complication of injection and counsel potential patients accordingly.

Herein, a superhydrophobic Pt nanoparticle surface was fabricated on an aluminum substrate by a chemical method and thermal annealing process. The resulting surfaces demonstrated superhydrophobicity with the static water contact (WCA) of 162 ± 1° and dynamic sliding angle of about 2°. The resulting superhydrophobic surface exhibited wonderful self-cleaning, roll-down, super buoyancy, corrosion protection, anti-icing and excellent catalytic properties, and thus, it might have significant importance for further productive applications in many research and industrial fields. Moreover, the fabricated superhydrophobic surface possesses the fundamental ability to decrease the corrosion current density of surfaces by approximately more than 3.27 times in magnitude as compared to the untreated Al substrate.

Helicobacter pylori infection is non-hereditary disease caused by a bacteria H. pylori that possess gram-negative helical morphology. H. pylori infection can cause variety of gastrointestinal problems, including stomach ulcers, inflammation in stomach linings and cancer. The H. pylori bacterium has infected approximately 50% of the total populations. The frequency of H. pylori infection varies among countries, underdeveloped countries have high ratio of cases of H. pylori whereas its ratio is low in developed countries. Around 70% children of underdeveloped countries may be affected by H. pylori infection. Non-cardia gastric patient have a high chances to be infected by H. pylori however, the risk of gastric cardia cancer is relatively low in the H. pylori infection. Patients with weak metabolic control and poor glycemic condition especially diabetes type 2 patients are more susceptible to H. pylori disease. The Gastroesophageal reflux syndrome and H. pylori infection share an inverse relationship particularly those with CagA-positive strains, are less likely to have risk of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). The association of Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with H. pylori infection reveals that Cytotoxic-associated gene A (cagA) negative strain is the leading cause of H. pylori infection in NAFLD. Diagnosis of H. pylori can be performed by upper endoscopy or EGD, Breath test and stool culture. Treating H. pylori medicine with natural ingredient such as probiotic, green tea, honey and olive oil can improve the efficiency of antibacterial drug. This review demonstrates that patients of non-cardia gastritis, diabetes type 2 and NAFLD are more prone to be infected by H. pylori disease the ratio of H. pylori infection in humans can be reduced by improving domestic hygienic and sanitary infrastructure. Keywords: Breath test; Cancer of stomach; Diabetes type 2; Endoscopy; Gastroesophageal reflux disease; Gastric cardia cancer; Helicobacter pylori; Non-cardia gastric cancer; Stomach ulcers; Stool culture http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2020.90098

The study examines the impact of authentic leader’s personality on employee voice behavior through a quantitative study. The results, from a sample of 200 subordinate–supervisor dyads from a healthcare organization in Pakistan, provide evidence of a positive relationship for leader authentic personality with direct reports’ ratings of the leaders’ authentic leadership. In addition, authentic leadership was found to influence subordinates’ voice behavior, as rated by subordinates’ immediate supervisors; notably, this relationship was partially mediated by the subordinates’ perceptions of OBSE. Furthermore, leader authentic personality was indirectly related to subordinates’ voice behaviour through the mediating influence of authentic leadership and, in turn, subordinates’ perceptions of Organization-based selfesteem. The findings of this study will make management understand the linkage of an authentic leader’s personality and employee voice behavior.

Durable Ag-Fe3O4/Fe superhydrophobic surface (SHS) with dendritic structures on the galvanic sheet was obtained by chemical etching, deposition and following annealing process. The promising SHS showed fine superhydrophobicity having the water contact angle of 165° and dynamic sliding angle of 2°. Experimental results showed that the obtained SHS sample has excellent properties of anti-corrosion, catalysis, anti-icing, rolling-off and self-cleaning. The conditions of etching, chemical immersion, and annealing to obtain SHS were investigated. Chemical stability and durability of SHS were investigated via storage in air for ten months. The SHS as a catalyst showed long-term stability, catalytic activity, and reusability, as compared to the substrate of the un-annealed surface. It is an effortless and cheap method to fabricate SHS on the galvanic sheet for industrial applications. The SHS has a potential utilization in a diverse range of bio-medicines, chemistry, microfluidics fields, and electronics.

Pakistan considered as the leading agricultural country till late 1960s. The industrialization of major industries from 1970s to onward push country towards the major climate changes. Pakistan made significant progress especially in the textile industry. However, this progress results in bad impact on the climate because of poor implementation of climatic laws. The world carbon emission data of 2018 revealed that Pakistan contributed 195.71 M-Ton that was 24.43 M-ton in year 1969. Although, the global carbon emission has also shoot up from 19.87 G-Ton to 44 G-Ton. But the Pakistan’s carbon emission contribution to world has risen up four times in these years. Pakistan has a lesson to learn from China. Carbon emission was big problem in till early 2000s as approximately 70% of electric industry was coal based. Closing down industry in order to clean environment is never a good solution. Since, this will close the door to progress for country. However, proper implementation of climate laws and efficient use of the energy can slow down carbon emission. In this work an efficient model to manage energy resources has been given. The key-points to taken care are commitment with work, awareness of situation, proper energy auditing and knowledge. This eventually led towards low carbon emission.

Background: The clinical significance of the ABO blood group system extends beyond transfusion medicine as several reports have suggested an important involvement in the development of neoplastic and cardiovascular disorders, peptic ulcers, coagulation and infection. Objective: to show the prevalence of hypothyroidism in various ABO and Rh blood group subjects, and to examine the strength of association between hypothyroidism and ABO, Rh blood groups subjects in Arar City, Northern Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted in Arar city, Northern Saudi Arabia. During the period from 1 January to 31 May 2018. The study included 746 participants. Collected data analyzed using the SPSS program (version 22). P-value of less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: the total prevalence of hypothyroidism was 5.9%. As regards the blood group, blood group O was the most common (44.5%), followed by blood group A (26.7 %) and B (20.8 %), and the least common one was AB (8%). Rhesus factor (Rh) was positive in 86.1% and negative in 13.9%. The majority (86.4%) of hypothyroid patients were females (P value=0.0001). The data show a significant difference in hypothyroidism in the different blood groups (P value= 0.048) with group A subjects of the highest association (8% of group A subjects). Rh blood type had no statistically significant association with hypothyroidism. Conclusion: The results of our study showed a significant difference in hypothyroidism in the different blood groups with group A subjects of the highest association. Our findings support the need for further investigation to look for the association between ABO blood groups and hypothyroidism, further investigations in a larger population are warranted.