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Water is a primary element for human life on Earth. Fresh water, which includes rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds, contributes less than one thousandth of a percent of the total water on Earth, but it is critical for the environment and human life. Change in land use and land cover (LULC) is a foremost concern in global environment change. Rapid changes in LULC lead to the degradation of ecosystems and have adverse effects on the environment. There is an urgent need to monitor changes in LULC and evaluate the effects of these changes in order to inform decision makers on how to support sustainable development. This study used Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometry images to detect and investigate changes in LULC patterns in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, between 2008 and 2017. Six types of LULC were used to explain the major changes of LULC in the study area. The results showed that there was a reduction of barren lands and an increase of urban areas. It also showed an inconsistent behavior of water bodies during the study. Snow area, which also increased, needs further investigation. HIGHLIGHTS Comprehensive overview of six different LULC (barren, snow, urban, forest, water bodies, and wetlands) in Gilgit Baltistan were studied.; Representation of the variation in spatial, temporal, compositional, and configurational patterns of different LULC were assessed using MODIS data.; Trend analysis of LULC changes over the last decade was measured using the Mann–Kendall test and Sen's Slope Estimator.

One of the attractive and practical techniques to transform the domain integrals to equivalent boundary integrals is the dual reciprocity method (DRM). The success of DRM relies on the proper treatment of the non-homogeneous term in the governing differential equation. For this purpose, radial basis functions (RBFs) interpolations are performed to approximate the non-homogeneous term accurately. Moreover, when the interpolation points are large, the global RBFs produced dense and ill-conditioned interpolation matrix, which poses severe stability and computational issues. Fortunately, there exist interpolation functions with local support known as compactly supported radial basis functions (CSRBFs). These functions produce a sparse and well-conditioned interpolation matrix, especially for large-scale problems. Therefore, this paper aims to apply DRM based on multiquadrics (MQ) RBFs and CSRBFs for evaluation of the Poisson equation, especially for large-scale problems. Furthermore, the convergence analysis of DRM with MQ and CSRBFs is performed, along with error estimate and stability analysis. Several experiments are performed to ensure the well-conditioned, efficient, and accurate behavior of the CSRBFs compared to the MQ-RBFs, especially for large-scale interpolation points.

The current study investigates the toxic effects of acute dose of an endocrine disruptor atrazine on Grass carp (Ctenepharyngodon idella) using histopathological changes as biomarkers. Histopathology is promising field for research in aquatic toxicology, in this manner vital organs; brain, gills, and liver tissues were inspected histological after exposing to sublethal groupings of atrazine 0.025 and 0.03 μl/L for 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days individually with equal untreated control group. Against various doses, rapid movements, gulping of air and jumping of fish to scat from toxic medium were noticed. Various severe (+++) morphological modifications in tissue were documented in comparison with control group comprised of degenerated neurons, vacuolization, inflammatory cells infiltration and neural necrosis in brain tissue. The most well-known gills tissue alteration at all concentrations of atrazine was epithelial hyperplasia, desquamation, epithelial lifting and smaller aneurism while hepatic injuries were described by overcast expanding of hepatocytes esteemed as cloudy swelling of hepatocytes followed by karyolysis, karyohexis and dilation of sinusoids which shows that atrazine introduction upgraded the toxicosis impacts with the increase concentration, influenced the strength of the fish, inferable from histological inconsistencies.

The idea of microgrid, smart grid, and virtual power plant (VPP) is being developed to resolve the challenges of climate change in the 21st century, to ensure the use of renewable energy in the electrical grid. For the increasing demand for electricity, raising public consciousness about reducing carbon emission, the microgrid is established which is transformed into a virtual power plant (VPP) or a smart grid with the blessing of modern communication systems, intelligence technology, and smart devices. So, to keep these systems up-to-date and to ensure security, it is important to know the details about the uses and benefits of these systems in the developed world and also to improve control methods and automation, it is important to achieve the present essence of such systems. This paper is focused to contribute to this flourishing area of energy sustainability covering microgrid, smart grid, and virtual power plant by compiling and recapping their recent advancements, technical requirements, control problems, and solutions. The paper is mainly intended to address the role of control strategies applied to the microgrid, smart grid, and virtual power plant towards future energy generation, distribution, management, and security.

Mini Remotely Operated Vehicle (mini-ROV) technology has been utilized to perform underwater inspection with optimized Risk-based Underwater Inspection (RBUI) scope for offshore platforms which conventionally utilize divers and ROV supported by Dynamic Positioning II Diving Support Vessel (DPII DSV). This offshore technology was introduced by launching mini-ROV from platform deck to perform General Visual Inspection (GVI), Cathodic Potential (CP) Survey, Flooded Member Detection (FMD) & Ultrasonic Thickness (UT) measurement with customized mini-ROV integration with other tooling. The small size ROV is light and easy to handle by technician onboard platform deck. It is also capable to enter congested areas as it is easily maneuvered, which help to capture close visual of the findings. During emergency, the mini-ROV can be mobilized instantly at site to support any GVI related scope. PETRONAS has successfully deployed this technology at four platforms in one of the operating regions from 2017 to 2021 with cost saving of 30%–50% compared to conventional method. The successful implementation in PETRONAS can become benchmark and reference for other Oil & Gas operators as an alternative to conduct optimized RBUI scope which can contribute to lower Operating Expenditure (OPEX).

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been a highly prevalent medical condition in all parts of the world affecting the haemostasis of the body in number of ways. Epidemiological data suggest that no region of the world has been spared from this condition and both developing and developed countries equally share the burden of this disease. Objective was to compare the vascular calcification and mineral bone disease in non-dialysis vs dialysis patients suffering from chronic kidney disease at a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan. It is a Comparative study, conducted at the Department of nephrology Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi. Four months from November 2020 to February 2021.A total of 310 cases were included in the study, which were diagnosed as chronic kidney disease in nephrology department by a consultant nephrologist on basis of National Kidney Foundation/Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative (NKF/KDOQI) 2002. They were divided into two equal groups by block randomization. Group I had the patients who were not dependent on dialysis (CKD4/5ND) while group II had dialysis dependent patients. Abdominal aorta, mitral and tricuspid valves were assessed to look for vascular calcification. Calcium, phosphate and parathyroid hormone levels were done to assess the mineral bone profile.Out of 310 patients, 192 (61.9%) patients were males and 118 (38.1%) were females. Ninty-eight (31.6%) had evidence of vascular calcification while 212 (68.4%) did not have vascular calcification. 147 (47.4%) had hypocalcaemia, 167 (53.8%) had hyperphosphatemia while 98 (31.6%) patients had raised Parathyroid hormone levels. Regression analysis revealed that vascular calcification and abnormal mineral bone profile was significantly present more among patients who were dependent on dialysis (p-value0.05).Bone mineral disease and vascular calcification were consistent findings among patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. Patients who were dependent on dialysis were more prone to develop these complications as compared to those who were not dependent on dialysis.

Background The allotetraploid wild cotton species, Gossypium darwinii, possess important traits of stress tolerance and good genetic stability that can be used for cotton improvement.Materials and Methods In this study, we analyzed the RNA-seq transcriptomes from leaves of G. darwinii seedlings with and without drought stress. A total of 86.7 million valid reads with an average length of 95.79 bp were generated from the two samples and 58,960 transcripts with a length of more than 500 bp were assembled. We searched the known proteins on the strength of sequence similarity; these transcripts were annotated with COG, KEGG and GO functional categories. According to gene expression abundance RPKM value, we carried out RT-qPCR analysis to determine the expression pattern of the obtained transcription factors.Results A total of 58,961 genes was differentially expressed (DEG), with 32,693 and 25,919 genes found to be upregulated and downregulated, respectively. Through gene ontology and KEGG pathways, the upregulated genes were found to associate with all the GO terms, molecular functions (MF), biological process (BP) and cellular components (CC), which are highly linked to enhancing drought stress tolerance.Conclusion The results obtained provide valuable information and a large number of transcripts, which can be exploited by cotton breeders in developing a more drought stress tolerant cotton germplasm.

Graphene oxide (GO) concentrated slurry dispersion method was used to prepare the GO epoxy thermal insulation and anti-corrosion coating. Corrosion test was carried out in 3.5% NaCl solution at 50∘C, and a thermal testing device tested the thermal insulation performance. The results of the electrochemical corrosion test after 456[Formula: see text]h show that the low-frequency impedance of the coating with 0.5% GO-modified significantly improved, and the corrosion resistance of the coating is better than that of the coating without GO and 1.0% GO-modification. SEM analysis results show that surface morphology of the coating modified with GO 0.5% and 1.0% after 456 h of corrosion, there were no cracks and corrosion products at the substrate interface. In contrast, coatings without GO modification have apparent corrosion damage. Before corrosion testing, the thermal insulation performance of coating modified by 0.5%, 1.0% GO coating was not significantly different from that of the neat epoxy. The bonding strength is also reduced to 3.9, 2.3, and 1.0 MPa. The experimental results show that the coating with 0.5% GO modified is the best for corrosion resistance and insulation.

Wild cotton Gossypium darwinii, an allotetraploid harbours important traits useful for tolerating abiotic stress, i.e., drought, salt and good genetic stability, hence these characteristics can be transferred to cultivated cotton for genetic improvement.In this study, we analyzed the RNA-seq transcriptomes from leaves of G. darwinii seedlings with and without drought stress. A total of 86.7 million valid reads with an average length of 95.79 bp were generated from the two samples and 58,960 transcripts with a length of more than 500 bp were assembled. We searched the known proteins on the strength of sequence similarity; these transcripts were annotated with COG, KEGG and GO functional categories. According to gene expression abundance RPKM value, we carried out RT-qPCR analysis to determine the expression pattern of the obtained transcription factors.A total of 58,960 genes was differentially expressed (DEG), with 32,693 and 25,919 genes found to be upregulated and downregulated, respectively. Through gene ontology and KEGG pathways, the upregulated genes were found to associate with all the GO terms, molecular functions (MF), biological process (BP) and cellular components (CC), which are highly linked to enhancing drought stress tolerance.The study provides an in-depth knowledge of regulation of pathways and genes involved in photosynthesis during drought stress in G. darwinii. These pathways and genes were found to be significantly downregulated and this information could be further utilized by cotton breeders in developing a more drought tolerant cotton germplasm.

Background: Pain is a common complaint of patients after surgery. Different techniques or medications including local anesthetics infiltration, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or opioids have been used for postoperative analgesia. Lidocaine is an amide local anesthetic agent that works by influencing the complex phenomenon of pain. Aim: To compare the mean pain score with intraoperative lidocaine versus control in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia. Methods: 350 patients aged 20-60 years of either sex scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were included in the study. Patients with allergy to lidocaine; patients with neuromuscular disease, endocrine or metabolic disorder and pregnant patients were excluded from study. Patients were randomly divided in two groups by using lottery method after taking informed consent. On arrival to the operating room, monitor was attached to display continuous ECG, mean arterial blood pressure, and arterial oxygen saturation. Results: In lidocaine group, the mean age of patients was 39.93±11.56years. In control group, the mean age of patients was 37.93±11.83years. In lidocaine group, there were 91 (52%) males and 84 (48%) females. In control group, there were 77 (44%) males and 98 (56%) females. In lidocaine group, the mean BMI of patients was 26.66±4.81kg/m2. In control group, the mean BMI of patients was 26.77±4.76kg/m2. In lidocaine group, the mean pain score of patients was 1.00±0.84. In control group, the mean pain score of patients was 2.39±1.10. The difference was significant (p

Organic and inorganic fertilizers improve soil fertility and give both macro and micronutrients to the soil for better growth of agricultural crops. Therefore, current study was designed to find out the efficacy of inorganic phosphorus (P) alone and in combination farmyard manure (FYM) applied in various doses on production and quality aspects of garlic. A field experiment was organized in a randomized complete block design, replicated thrice using different rates of P in the form of single super phosphate (SSP) and farmyard manure (FYM). Seven different treatments of various levels of P, either using inorganic phosphorus from SSP alone or in combination with organic phosphorus from FYM, i.e. T0 = control; T1 = 50 kg P.ha-1 (SSP); T2 = 70 kg P.ha-1 (SSP); T3 = 90 kg P.ha-1 (SSP); T4 = 25 kg P.ha-1 (SSP) + 25 kg P.ha-1 (FYM); T5 = 35 kg P.ha-1 (SSP) + 35 kg P.ha-1 (FYM); T6 = 45 kg P.ha-1 (SSP) + 45 kg P.ha-1 (FYM)] were applied to the soil. All the growth, yield and quality parameters recorded showed significant response when P was applied in combination of inorganic and organic sources as compared with control and inorganic P alone. A combined treatment of 45 kg P.ha-1 (SSP) + 45 kg P.ha-1 (FYM) gave comparatively better results in terms of plant height (66.87 cm), fresh leaf weight (2.70 g), leaf area plant-1 (83.83 cm2), relative leaf chlorophyll content (11.90), weight of bulb plant-1 (42.66 g), diameter of bulb (4.50 cm), number of cloves bulb-1 (8.50), bulb yield (4382.96 kg ha-1) and vitamin C content (6.43 mg 100 g-1). Thus, it was concluded from this study that a combined treatment of 45 kg P.ha-1 (SSP) + 45 kg P.ha-1 (FYM) should be applied for quality production of garlic under rainfed conditions of Rawalakot.

Objective: To determine the immunohistochemical expression of CK 13 and CK 17 in Oral Epithelial Dysplasia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Methods: A total of 170 cases were retrieved from record files of Histopathology Department, to conduct a cross sectional study at Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, over a period of one year from June 2018 to June 2019 along with their formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded blocks comprising 85 cases of each oral squamous cell carcinoma and oral epithelial dysplasia. Blocks were trimmed and cut into very thin sections of 5 microns using microtome and mounted on slides. Tissue mounted slides were stained with routine haematoxylin and eosin followed by immunohistochemical staining of cytokeratin 13 and cytokeratin 17. New histological diagnosis of each case was made. Mean and standard deviation were calculated for quantitative variables. Frequency and percentages were calculated for qualitative variables. Chi-square test was employed to assess the significance of difference. The P-value

The Sentinel-2A satellite having embedded advantage of red edge spectral bands offers multispectral imageries with improved spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions as compared to the other contemporary satellites providing medium resolution data. Our study was aimed at exploring the potential of Sentinel-2A imagery to estimate Above Ground Biomass (AGB) of Subtropical Pine Forest in Pakistan administered Kashmir. We developed an AGB predictive model using field inventory and Sentinel 2A based spectral and textural parameters along with topographic features derived from ALOS Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Field inventory data was collected from 108 randomly distributed plots (0.l ha each) across the study area. The stepwise linear regression method was employed to investigate the potential relationship between field data and corresponding satellite data. Biomass and carbon mapping of the study area was carried out through established AGB estimation model with R (0.86), R2 (0.74), adjusted R2 (0.72) and RMSE value of 33 t/ha. Our results showed that first order textures (mean, standard deviation and variance) significantly contributed in AGB predictive modeling while only one spectral band ratio made contribution from spectral domain. Our study leads to the conclusion that Sentinel-2A optical data is a potential source for AGB estimation in subtropical pine forest of the area of interest with added benefit of its free of cost availability, higher quality data and long-term continuity that can be utilized for biomass carbon distribution mapping in the resource constraint study area for sustainable forest management.

Background: According to WHO, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the women worldwide, soearly diagnosis is the best way to reduce its morbidity and mortality. Among various risk factors, the relationship between serum lipid profile and breast cancer is still unclear. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate this relationship. Methodology: Prospective, descriptive observational study with a comparative study designconducted at Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi between November 2018 to April 2019. Results: 140 patients were divided into two groups i.e. cases and controls. Both groups were equally sub divided based on menstrual status. Independent student t-test was applied for comparison between the groups. BMI was significantly higher in the study group as compared to control group (p=0.002). Serum TG and LDL levels were higher in breast cancer patients (p= 0.032 and p=0.07 respectively). Cholesterol level was not statistically different in any group (p= >0.05). Higher HDL levels were seen in pre-menopausal cases (p=0.004) but there was no statistical difference when studied across cases and control groups. Conclusion: As breast cancer is the most common tumor in females, so early diagnosis is the key to reduce its morbidity and mortality. In this study, higher BMI, TG and LDL levels were seen in breast cancer patients as compared to controls. So, it may be concluded that BMI and dyslipidemia have some role in the etiology of breast cancer.

Thermochemical heat storage materials for space heating applications such as, ZnSO4 offer high energy storage density, low cost and clean mean of long-term solar energy storage. Herein, we studied the ZnSO4 hydrated salt as potential heat storage material at low temperature and furthermore observed the impact of temperature and concentration on the dehydration/hydration process and enthalpy. The thermal behavior of ZnSO4•7H2O was investigated by applying various dehydration temperatures. The results showed that 85% of water loosed at 100 °C temperature, which released 699 J/g (1.37 GJ/m3) in the dehydration process. The hydration process of ZnSO4.7H2O at 100 °C recovered 541 J/g enthalpies, which delivered 1.1 GJ/m3. Similarly, the dehydration result obtained at 150 °C was the same as showed at 100 °C. However, the enthalpy of hydration was 20% less than prior. The XRD result showed that at higher temperatures agglomeration appeared followed by Van der Waals forces which affect the hydration rate. The result of good cyclability and larger water sorption performance of ZnSO4 make them a promising and suitable for heat storage in space heating application, which can be used as thermochemical heat storage material for thermal storage devices.

Disputes are referred to arbiter/judges for settlement and Determination of rights. Similarly the compensations and penalties in penalty and punishment are also determined through lawsuit, and no one can claim his right without referring the judge. The importance of lawsuit is mandatory for judgment i.e. the judge should settle the dispute only when claim or lawsuit is filled by the parties. One sided judgments or judgments in absentia of a party is incorrect in Islam. Because judgments are based on arguments which depends on, Witness confessions and denials. These are not found in judgments in absentia. But as per Islamic jurists some legal exceptions are that if the absent witness presents himself later, then the earlier judgment will be cancelled.

Print media semiotic discourses are one of the best sites for ideological investment and their role is very significant in the production and dissemination of certain ideology. The aim of the present study is to critically decode the semiotic discourse(s) of Pakistani English newspaper DAWN (daily) with special reference to the representation of Pak- Us relationship through the analysis of the semiotics discourses. The data for the present research has been collected from the mentioned newspaper. The time span for data collection ranges from October 2018 to December 2018. Out of ten (10) caricatures which represent Pakistan attempting to survive at its own rather than depending on America one was purposively selected for linguistic and semiotic analyses. The study is descriptive and utilizes qualitative research design. For this purpose, the researchers have devised an amended research model by drawing upon Fairclough (1995), Kress (2010) and Kruger’s (2000) research models to analyse linguistic, semiotic and focus group discussions data. The semiotic analysis has also been validated by incorporating the remarks of focus group participants. Based on the analysis of data the study concludes that noting is absolute in politics as far as Pak- Us relations through semiotic discourses are concerned. Additionally, the research reveals that print media semiotic discourses work insidiously to represent socio- political changes by employing linguistic and meta-linguistic devices and techniques.

غیر مسلموں کی تقریبات میں شرکت کی حدود وقیود: ایک تجزیاتی مطالعہ This article aims to highlight an important aspect of Islamic Law, which relates to social life of a Muslim. Islamic law promotes social harmony and tolerance, but it makes it balance in the light of basic principles and objectives of Shar'īah. Likewise, Islamic law determines social relation between Muslims with each other as well as the relation of Muslims with Non-Muslim citizens in the Islamic state. Furthermore, it is very significant to know that a Muslim can participate in the traditional and religious functions of Non-Muslim or not? Islamic law has made some parameters in this regard, in this research paper we have focused on this specific issue of Islamic law and tried to explain the legal status of this issue in the light of Quran, Prophetic traditions, and opinions of Muslim Scholars. The research method applied in this paper is descriptive and critical study of different school of thoughts is also provided. Muslims have a long history of mutual contacts with the non-Muslims guided by the Shar’īah principles as they have come together in every age in different political and geographical contexts. In the early days of Islam, Muslims were in the minority. At that time, Muslims participated in the social life of their non-Muslims neighbors. Islam respects other religions. Provides all kinds of facilities to non-Muslims. And allows Muslims to participate in their legitimate programs.۔

The Thal region of Punjab often experiences dry weather conditions with extreme variability in rainfall on a spatiotemporal scale during Rabi cropping season. The current study assesses the impacts of agricultural drought on wheat crops for 2000–2015. MOD13Q1 and CHIRPS data were used for identifying and assessing variation in agricultural drought patterns and severity. Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Stress Vegetation Index (STVI) and wheat crop yield anomalies were computed to characterize the gravity of drought across the Thal region. The results indicate that the wheat Rabi cropping seasons of the years 2000–2002 experienced extreme agricultural drought, with a spatial difference in severity level causing low and poor yield, while the years 2011 and 2014 were almost normal among all the years, leaving varied impacts on wheat yield. The combined agricultural risk map was generated by integrating the agricultural and meteorological droughts severity maps. The combined risk map generated using weighted overlay analysis of all the parameters indicate that the total Thal area can be classified into slight, moderate and no drought covering 28.12, 12.76, and 59.12% respectively of the total area. Hence an agricultural risk map would be extremely helpful as a tool to guide the decision-making process for monitoring drought risk on agricultural productivity.

This paper presents the development of theoretical model for the purpose to calculate and analyze halo and eddy current effects in the tungsten divertor of Tokamak (Fusion) reactor. In the first st...

Objective The key objective of this paper is to present the methodology of the Upstream Inspection, Maintenance and Assurance Guideline (U-IMAGe) and its implementation across a fleet of ageing assets. The U-IMAGe has been developed within PETRONAS’, Upstream Operational Excellence (OE), Center of Excellence (CoE). The U-IMAGe provides a flexible, efficient, cost effective new way of inspecting and maintaining current assets and equipment, without compromising the inherent safety and health of the asset. The U-IMAGe is applicable to Upstream assets, facilities and equipment including disciplines such as wells, pipelines, structural (offshore, fixed and floating and onshore), electrical, instrumentation, telecommunications, process, storage tanks, mechanical static, rotating equipment, subsea, single point moorings and piping systems.

This paper describes the SPM Integrity Management approach using risk based strategies for Single Point Mooring (SPM) throughout its asset life cycle, to ensure that there is a structural integrity management processes are implemented and SPM asset fitness for purpose is always maintained. SPM is one of the most important assets for any oil and gas upstream business, as its primary function is for product export and offloading operations. PETRONAS UPSTREAM currently operate seven (7) Single Point Mooring (SPM) assets for its Malaysia Upstream/ Downstream. To manage the integrity of the SPMs, an Integrity Management system has been developed and includes newer assets and those that are approaching or exceeding design lives. To optimize and focus limited resources toward critical activities, a SPM risk-based strategy and methodology for the SPM assets has been developed. The risk based inspection approach is aligned with the Structural Integrity Management (SIM) processes of DATA, EVALUATION, STRATEGY PROGRAM of the API RP2SIM code of practice. A qualitative risk based integrity management has been developed and for its implementation, inspection and maintenance activities shall target high expenditure items. SPM design, characteristic, assessment, and inspection data have been compiled and utilized in the risk based approach development. With this risk-based approach, PETRONAS can optimize and significantly reduce its inspection and maintenance activities whilst keeping operational risk levels within acceptable limits. The risk-based approach provides that added advantage to look at inspections and maintenance activities critically and make informed decisions on resourcing and aligning inspection & maintenance campaigns for the future. Inspection and maintenance measures also include an anomaly management, RBI, data management and inspections scopes of work which are being digitized and maintained within the Company's Structural Integrity Compliance System (SICS).

This paper presents a digitized Technical Limits Weight Control (TLWC) tool for integrity management of existing fixed offshore structures. The tool is currently integrated into PETRONAS's Structural Integrity Compliance System (SICS), which is a web-based application for Structural Integrity Management (SIM) of fixed offshore structures. The main capability of the TLWC tool is to allow a user (engineer/ manager) to determine the fitness for purpose of an offshore facility quickly and efficiently for the inclusion of additional topsides loading at various locations on the platform decks. The tool makes use of global ultimate strength analyses results which considers the acceptance criteria for each operating region in Malaysian Waters. The limits of these criteria are used to create contour boundaries, which depending on Centre of Gravity (CoG) shifts due to topsides loading patterns. The tool can provide a high-level check on platform suitability for such increase in loading to cater for further development or operational needs. This quick check enables decision making at early engineering stage without the use of further elaborate and costly analyses. The contour plot shown in the results indicates the limiting acceptable Reserved Strength Ratio (RSR) for that platform. The TLWC decision-making tool is ideal for practicing offshore structural integrity engineers in operations to make a quick decision with regards to addition of topside loading for platforms with marginal reserved strength. Detailed assessment is required to address potential local member overstress for the topside structural members.

PETRONAS currently operates several subsea fields in Malaysian water. In 2019, PETRONAS embarked on developing Subsea Integrity Management (SubSIM) for Malaysian operations, to better understand and manage the operating risks of subsea assets throughout the lifecycle of a subsea field development. Subsea Integrity Management (SubSIM) is a Management System which ensures appropriate processes and procedures are applied throughout the subsea asset life cycle, from commissioning all the way through to decommissioning, to ensure that through a process of risk management, the subsea asset fitness-for-purpose will be upheld. PETRONAS has also initiated a Data-Driven Maintenance workstream whereby the PETRONAS's Upstream Inspection and Maintenance Assurance Guideline (U-IMAGe) has been determined as a key enabler for PETRONAS top-quartile oil and gas industry performance. U-IMAGe is a standard suite of guidelines for the implementation of inspection and maintenance programs in PETRONAS upstream production facilities, where subsea assets are part of this (PETRONAS, 2018b). An essential element of U-IMAGe is an effective data management to drive inspection and maintenance strategy. In order to ensure effective delivery of SubSIM and to support and strengthen the U-IMAGe implementation, PETRONAS has embarked on a Subsea Risk Based Underwater Inspection (RBUI) strategy and methodology for its subsea assets (PETRONAS 2020). As part of SubSIM that supports the U-IMAGe implementation, the Subsea RBUI approach prioritizes and optimizes inspection efforts by balancing risk costs (people, safety, environmental or business related) with inspection costs, and allows a better understanding of risk levels over the intended life of the subsea asset to initiate cost effective remedial actions. The Subsea RBUI involves identification of threats on a subsea asset, development of the integrity loops and risk assessments (PETRONAS 2020). The risk assessments are then used as a tool to develop suitable inspection plans. The risk assessments will also be used to optimise the operational inspection plans and frequencies, focusing on the safety, environmental and financial risks as well as the inspection costs. This paper will address the methodology and tools used to conduct Subsea Risk Based Underwater Inspection (RBUI) planning for subsea asset within PETRONAS Operations.

Wave-in-deck (WID) loading has been an issue of concern for engineers dealing with the performance of fixed offshore structures. The issue is particularly relevant for reassessment of existing structures due to subsidence or structures designed to older codes and standards, where WID was not considered. WID issues often in costly subsea remediation, impact platform occupancy levels or premature decommissioning critical structures due to safety concerns. The current in-house procedure is a simplified approach and revised to reflect the silhouette method and new industry requirements for the reliability of fixed offshore structures. The revised reassessment process shall enhance the methodology, based on widely accepted industry best practices. The platform model is calibrated based on the measured in-field platform natural frequencies using a structural health monitoring (SHM) system, so that the reliability assessment can be performed on a structural model to validate the effects of the revised wave in deck approach. The revised methodology demonstrates the potential of unlocking structural capacity of offshore structures by removing conservatism normally associated with traditional reliability assessment methods, thus significantly improving the ability to achieve target structural reliability levels in a cost-effective manner. A case study was embarked upon to demonstrate the benefit of the revised methodology for fixed offshore with insufficient air gap due to subsidence. The pilot study revealed significant improvement in ultimate strength of the structure using the revised methodology by more than 10% improvement in reserve capacity. This provides added benefits for increasing inspection intervals and optimizing the maintenance strategy due to risk reduction and avoidance of costly strengthening modification and repair (SMR). The objective of the present paper is to establish an updated methodology to determine wave-in-deck loading for ultimate strength analysis. The scope of work of the study are as follow: Perform a literature review of wave-in-deck assessment best practices, codes and standards. Develop assessment procedure based on international standards and research papers. Perform ultimate strength assessment based on revised methodology on a selected platform. Preparation of assessment methodology and case study report.

The primary goal of this work seems to be to investigate the numerical results of the steady 2-D MHD stagnation point flow of an incompressible nanofluid along a stretching cylinder. This paper also investigates the effects of radiation and convective boundary conditions. Brownian motion and thermophoresis are included into the nanofluid model. Similarity transformations are used to modify the obtained momentum, energy, and nanoparticle volume fraction equations. The distributions of velocity, temperature, and nanoparticle fractions are all numerically computed using bvp5c inbuilt MATLAB tool. The diagrammatic representation of the effect of physical important flow fields on velocity, temperature, species concentration, heat transfer coefficient rates, and nanoparticle fraction. In this study as Bi and Nr increases the result in temperature profile and volume fraction of nanoparticles rises and the rate of heat transfer diminishes as Nb & Nt values enhances.

Upland cotton is one of the main cultivated species of cotton, and salt stress is an important factor in its growth and development. Wall-associated receptor kinase galacturonan binding (GUB_WAK_bind) is an extracellular domain of wall-associated kinase (WAK), which can sense the environment and play a role in the response to plant stress.In this study, the GUB_WAK_bind gene in Gossypium hirsutum was identified and analyzed by bioinformatics at the whole genome level, including its physicochemical properties, evolutionary development, gene structure, chromosome positioning, cis-acting elements in the promoter, etc., and the expression of the GUB_WAK_bind genes under salt stress were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A total of 22 GUB_WAK_bind gene members were identified in Gossypium hirsutum and divided into three subgroups by evolutionary development and motif analysis, most of which contained motif 5, which is similar to the motif pattern of subgroup members. The number of exons in this gene family is between 1 and 4, the number of introns is between 0 and 3, and 22 gene members are distributed on 14 chromosomes of Gossypium hirsutum. Almost all gene members have adverse stress response elements in their promoter region. The expression analysis in response to salt stress showed that the selected six genes were induced by NaCl stress with significant expression differences (P 0.05).The results of this study have a certain reference value for understanding the evolution and function of GUB_WAK_bind genes and studying the salt tolerance genes of Gossypium hirsutum.

The present study examines cellular targeted drug delivery (CTDD) pattern of two novel Hyaluronic acid (HA) Tuberculosis Drug (TB) conjugates and its efficacy and strong binding affinity towards TB molecular protein targets. Two TB drugs ethambutol (EB) and isoniazid (IN) and their Hyaluronic acid conjugates (HA-EB & HA-IN) were tested for its metabolism, toxicity and excretion prediction through In silico tools they revealed hyaluronic acid conjugate of two TB drugs exhibited good drug profile over their free form of TB drugs. Further these four molecules subjected to In silico molecular docking study with four potential Mycobacterium tuberculosis target proteins (3PD8, 4Y0L, 5DZK and 6GAU). Molecular docking study revealed that hyaluronic conjugates (HA-EB & HA-IN) exhibit significant binding affinity and excellent docking scores with all screened molecular protein targets of TB over their free form of drug. Further molecular dynamic simulation was calculated for the four drug molecules (EB, IN, HA- EB & HA-IN) with DNA gyrase enzyme (PDB ID 6GAU) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the MDS results revealed that both the conjugates with the TB target protein possessed good number of interaction with binding pocket residues and good simulation scores than the free form of drugs. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Wild Himalayan figs (Ficus palmata Forsk.), native to East Asia and the Himalayan region, are closely related to the well-known cultivated fig (Ficus carica L.), which is grown mainly in the Mediterranean region. The Pakistani state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has a rich variety of figs. However, no comprehensive study has been carried out to utilise the diversity of these wild figs for possible use in sustainable fruit production. Therefore, the present study was designed to assess the variability of 35 wild fig accessions using quantitative and qualitative traits. Descriptive statistics were used to measure quantitative characteristics, while the coefficient of variance (CV %) was analysed using SAS® version 9.1. A principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate analysis were performed using R Studio (v1.1.4). Pearson correlation coefficients between characteristics were obtained using SPSS software. The studied accessions showed high variability and the coefficient of variation (CV) ranged from 4.46–14.81%. Days to maturity varied from 71 to 86, leaf area from 38.55 to 90.06 cm2. The fruit length, fruit diameter and fruit weight ranged from 11.25 to 29.85 mm, 11.85 to 27.49 mm and 2.65 to 9.66 g, respectively. The photosynthetic activity and total chlorophyll content also varied from 7.94 to 10.22 μmol CO2 m−2s−1 and 37.11 to 46.48 μgml−1. In most of the fig accessions studied, apical dominance was found to be ‘absent’ while fruit shape was observed to be ‘globular’. A strong correlation was observed between all the studied characteristics. In the PCA analysis, all 35 fig accessions were distributed in four quadrants and showed a great diversity. This could be a valuable gene pool for future breeding studies and provide improved quality varieties. Wild Himalayan figs from the wild are well adapted to local pedoclimatic conditions and, combined with easy propagation and production can contribute to the local economy and have a significant impact on the socio-economic and ecological balance. The results of this study show high variability in some of the studied traits of 35 accessions from different parts of Northeast Pakistan, indicating their good potential for further enhancement and utilisation in sustainable agricultural production.

Anthocyanins are water-soluble, colored compounds of the flavonoid class, abundantly found in the fruits, leaves, roots, and other parts of the plants. The fruit berries are prime sources and exhibit different colors. The anthocyanins utility as traditional medicament for liver protection and cure, and importance as strongest plants-based anti-oxidants have conferred these plants products different biological activities. These activities include anti-inflammation, liver protective, analgesic, and anti-cancers, which have provided the anthocyanins an immense commercial value, and has impelled their chemistry, biological activity, isolation, and quality investigations as prime focus. Methods in extraction and production of anthocyanin-based products have assumed vital economic importance. Different extraction techniques in aquatic solvents mixtures, eutectic solvents, and other chemically reactive extractions including low acid concentrations-based extractions have been developed. The prophylactic and curative therapy roles of the anthocyanins, together with no reported toxicity has offered much-needed impetus and economic benefits to these classes of compounds which are commercially available. Information retrieval from various search engines, including the PubMed®, ScienceDirect®, Scopus®, and Google Scholar®, were used in the review preparation. This imparted an outlook on the anthocyanins occurrence, roles in plants, isolation-extraction, structures, biosynthetic as well as semi- and total-synthetic pathways, product quality and yields enhancements, including uses as part of traditional medicines, and uses in liver disorders, prophylactic and therapeutic applications in liver protection and longevity, liver cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. The review also highlights the integrated approach to yields maximizations to meet the regular demands of the anthocyanins products, also as part of the extract-rich preparations together with a listing of marketed products available for human consumption as nutraceuticals/food supplements.

This Ethnobotanical study was aimed to document the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants of Dhirkot district Bagh AJK along with their therapeutic values and ethnopharmacological importance. The ethnobotanical data was collected by using the open-ended questionnaire from the local people about the use of medicinal plants. The current study reported three plant species, viz: Sarcoccoca saligna (Ganeera), Rumex hastatus (Chukhri), Cichurium intybus (Kasni) are mainly used for different ailments. The Plant species selected on the basis of used value were subjected to antibacterial activity by using the disc diffusion method. Different statistical techniques were employed to analyze the data of informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), use value (UV) and relative frequency citation (RFC). Current study reported 93 plant species belonging to 46 families and 81 genera for the treatment different ailments like stomach, liver, diabetes, skin, kidney, blood disorders. The most frequent plant part used was leaf (40%), followed by fruit (23%), whole plant (14%), stem and seeds (8% each), tuber (4%) and flower (1%). Modes of administration were grouped into 7 categories including raw use (30 use citation) followed by decoction (28), powder (14), paste and extract (7) and seeds (1 use citation). Fresh plant material was most preferable method and oral administration was the highly prevalent. The highest RFC value was calculated for the gastro-paresis (0.71) by Zanthoxylum alatum and the highest UV value was calculated by Malia azedarach (0.54) for fever, blood purification. Similarly Juglans regia, Sarcoccoca saligna and Datura stramonium were show highest fidelity level (FL=100%). Local communities were highly dependent on the medicinal plants and reported the best therapeutic values for specific disorders. Urgent attention must be needed to conserve the local flora, detailed documentation of indigenous knowledge and phytochemical/pharmacological authentication of different plants used for different diseases.

Ectoparasites, including lice, ticks, and mites, inhabit the host skin and depend on their host for sustenance, maturation, and multiplication. Among these, ticks are more prevalent in various regions of Pakistan because of favorable climatic conditions, lack of awareness of livestock keepers' regarding ectoparasite infestation rate, insufficient veterinary services, and inadequate control measures. Ectoparasitic infestation is a primary threat to cost-effective livestock production by damaging skin and transmitting multiple diseases between animals. This review aimed to determine the infestation rates of various ectoparasites in cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, camels, equids and to ascertain the prevalence and epidemiology of ectoparasites in different regions of Pakistan. This review could be useful in devising prevention and control strategies and identifying the risk factors associated with ectoparasites to enhance animal productivity. It provides directions for veterinary schools, researchers, and organizations aiming to collaborate with neighboring countries to eradicate these parasites. Future studies could support working veterinarians and administrators and contribute to human well-being.

The Miocene Gachsaran Formation across Onshore Abu Dhabi and Dubai possesses high potential of generating shallow biogenic gas. A dynamic model and field development plan generated based on a detail G&G analysis to understand and evaluate its capability as promising gas resources. Specific approaches and workflow generated for volumetric and dynamic reservoir model capable of defining the most viable development strategy of the field from both an economic and technical standpoint. The proposed workflow adapts also the development plan from single pad-scale to full field development plan. A fine-grid field-scale with more than hundreds of Pads covering the sweet spot area of three thousands of square kilometers including structure, reservoir properties built based on existing vertical wells, newly drilled horizontal wells and seismic interpretation. In this paper, a robust workflow for big and complex unconventional biogenic gas reservoir modeling and simulation technique have been developed with hydraulic fracture and stimulated area created through LGR. Independent workflows generated for the adsorbed gas in place calculation, desorption flow mechanism, and Pads field development plan. An accuracy on in place calculation, desorption flow mechanism and Pseudo steady state flow through direct and indirect total gas concentration measured using (1) Pressurize core and sorption isotherm capacity experiment, (2) Langmuir /BET function and Vmax scaling curves for each grid cells, and (3) Gas concentration versus TOC relationship. Field development plan for unconventional shallow biogenic gas reservoirs is possible only if a communication network created through hydraulic fractures connects a huge reservoir area to the wellbore effectively. A complete workflow presented for modeling and simulation of unconventional reservoirs, which in-corporates the characterization of hydraulic fracture and their interaction with reservoir matrix. Dual porosity model has been constructed with accurate in place calculation through scaling the Langmuir function and calculation Vmax for each grid cell of the full field model, The single Pad design approach in the development plan has exhibited great advantages in terms of improvement in the quality and flexibility of the model, reduction of working time with the same Pad model design which is adapted for the full field development plan. The proposed unconventional modeling and field development plan workflow provides an efficient and useful unconventional dynamic model construction and full field development planning under uncertainty analysis. Minimizing the uncertainty in place calculation and production forecasting for unconventional reservoirs necessitates an accurate direct and indirect data measurement of gas concentration and flow mechanism through the laboratory measurement. Field development plan for unconventional reservoirs is possible only if fracture network can be created through hydraulic fractures that connects a huge reservoir area to the wellbore effectively through pad completion.

Understanding reservoir architecture is key to comprehend the distribution of reservoir quality when evaluating a field's prospectivity. Renewed interest in the tight, gas-rich Middle Miocene anhydrite intervals (Anh-1, Anh-2, Anh-3, Anh-4 and Anh-6) by ADNOC has given new impetus to improving its reservoir characterisation. In this context, this study provides valuable new insights in geological knowledge at the field scale within a formation with limited existing studies. From a sedimentological point of view, the anhydrite layers of the Miocene Formation, Anh-1, Anh-2, Anh-3, Anh-4 and Anh-6 (which comprise three stacked sequences: Bur1, Bur2 and Bur3; Hardenbol et al., 1998), have comparable depositional organisation throughout the study area. Bur1 and Bur2 are characterised by an upward transition from intertidal-dominated deposits to low-energy inner ramp-dominated sedimentation displaying reasonably consistent thickness across the area. Bur3 deposits imply an initial upward deepening from an argillaceous intertidal-dominated to an argillaceous subtidal-dominated setting, followed by an upward shallowing into intertidal and supratidal sabkha-dominated environments. This Bur3 cycle thickens towards the south-east due to a possible deepening, resulting in the subtle increase in thickness of the subtidal and intertidal deposits occurring around the maximum-flooding surface. The interbedded relationship between the thin limestone and anhydrite layers within the intertidal and proximal inner ramp deposits impart strong permeability anisotropy, with the anhydrite acting as significant baffles to vertical fluid flow. A qualitative reservoir quality analysis, combining core sedimentology data from 10 wells, 331 CCA data points, 58 thin-sections and 10 SEM samples has identified that reservoir layers Anh-4 and Anh-6 contain the best porosity and permeability values, with the carbonate facies of the argillaceous-prone intertidal and distal inner ramp deposits hosting the best reservoir potential. Within these facies, the pore systems within the carbonate facies are impacted by varying degrees of dolomitisation and dissolution which enhance the pore system, and cementation (anhydrite and calcite), which degrade the pore system. The combination of these diagenetic phases results in the wide spread of porosity and permeability data observed. The integration of both the sedimentological features and diagenetic overprint of the Middle Miocene anhydrite intervals shows the fundamental role played by the depositional environment in its reservoir architecture. This study has revealed the carbonate-dominated depositional environment groups within the anhydrite stratigraphic layers likely host both the best storage capacity and flow potential. Within these carbonate-dominated layers, the thicker, homogenous carbonate deposits would be more conducive to vertical and lateral flow than thinner interbedded carbonates and anhydrites, which may present as baffles or barriers to vertical flow and create significant permeability anisotropy.

Plant cytochrome P450 (P450) participates in a wide range of biosynthetic reactions and targets a variety of biological molecules. These reactions lead to various fatty acid conjugates, plant hormones, secondary metabolites, lignin, and various defensive compounds. In our previous research, transcriptome analysis was performed on the salt-tolerant upland cotton “Tongyan No. 1.” Many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) belong to the P450 family, and their domains occur widely in plants. In this current research, P450 genes were identified in Gossypium hirsutum with the aid of bioinformatics methods for investigating phylogenetic relations, gene structure, cis-elements, chromosomal localization, and collinearity within a genome. qRT-PCR was conducted to analyze P450 gene expression patterns under salt stress. The molecular weights of the 156 P450 genes were in the range of 5,949.6–245,576.3 Da, and the length of the encoded amino acids for all the identified P450 genes ranged from 51 to 2,144. P450 proteins are divided into four different subfamilies based on phylogenetic relationship, gene structure, and chromosomal localization of gene replication. The length of P450 genes in upland cotton differs greatly, ranging from 1,500 to 13,000 bp. The number of exons in the P450 family genes ranged from 1 to 9, while the number of introns ranged from 0 to 8, and there were similar trends within clusters. A total of 31 cis-acting elements were identified by analyzing 1,500 bp promoter sequences. Differences were found in cis-acting elements among genes. The consistency between qRT-PCR and previous transcriptome analysis of salt tolerance DEGs indicated that they were likely to be involved in the salt tolerance of cotton seedlings. Our results provide valuable information on the evolutionary relationships of genes and functional characteristics of the gene family, which is beneficial for further study of the cotton P450 gene family.