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The capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) is regarded as an NP-hard problem. Moreover, the CVRP is described as a model that can be used in many applications such as transport, logistics, and distribution. The exact algorithms can find exact optimal solutions on the small-sized problem instances; however, for large-sized instances it is difficult to find the exact optimal solutions in polynomial time. This reason motivated the researchers to present heuristic/metaheuristic algorithms to solve large-sized problem instances within a reasonable computational time. One of the good algorithms that deal with the CVRP is the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm. Several ACO algorithms have been suggested in the literature, such as the ant system (AS) algorithm, ant colony system (ACS) algorithm, and so on. On the other hand, ACO is designed to solve the path problem that finds the best way. However, this algorithm still lacks exploratory mechanisms, which results in premature convergence and stagnation issues. Therefore, we propose to develop an enhanced ACS (EACS) algorithm for solving the CVRP based on subpaths. In our proposed algorithm, we propose to utilize the K-nearest neighbour (KNN) algorithm for finding the best initial solution and then enhance the diversity mechanism of the proposed algorithm by avoiding the generation of the same solution using subpaths. This uses the diversity of the generated solution to find a better solution with a shorter route in a reasonable amount of computational time. Furthermore, we propose to apply the three-opt algorithm to the completed subtour and the k-opt algorithm to the subpath gained from the experience of the subpath. Finally, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed EACS algorithm, the algorithm is tested on some CVRP instances and is compared with one of the state-of-the-art methods, namely, the enhanced simulated annealing algorithm. The comparative study showed a better performance of our EACS compared to the enhanced simulated annealing algorithm.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of expulsive medical therapy for treating ureteric stones with or without mirabegron as an add-on to Diclofenac. METHODOLOGY: A prospective randomized controlled trial was undertaken between April 2018 to March 2019 at the Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Sindh. A total of two hundred participants who had ureteric stones were enrolled using non-probability convenience sampling. Diclofenac Only 100 mg/day (group A, n=100), and Mirabegron 50 milligrams/day + diclofenac 100 milligrams/day (group B, n=100) were administered to patients, adjunctively. Age, sex, site, size of the stone, and laterality were noted. The stone expulsion time for each patient was evaluated. SPSS version 24 was used for analysis. A p-value of 0.05 or less was set as the cut-off value for significance. RESULTS: Age, sex, site of stone, and laterality were not significantly different between the two groups (p=0.886, p=0.755, p=0.168, p=0.321, & p=0.889, respectively). Spontaneous stone expulsion ratios were observed as 43% and 71% in group A and group B (p4mm (p=0.04). The SER for middle and distally localized stones was higher in group B with a statistically significant p=0.02. CONCLUSION: The present study indicated that combined therapy with both mirabegron and Diclofenac is more effective than monotherapy with Diclofenac only. Mirabegron is a safe drug that improves the stone expulsion ratio in ureteric stones by > 4mm.

Abstract The addressed work explains SWCNTs (Single walled carbon nanotubnes) and MWCNTs (Multi walled carbon nanotubnes) nanofluid flow under the influences of temperature dependent viscosity and mixed convection. Comparative study of SWCNTs and MWCNTs suspended in base liquid is presented. Further heat and mass transfer are addressed for nanofluid effected by radiation, heat generation/absorption and diffusion species. Mathematical development of problem is taken in cylindrical coordinates. System of highly nonlinear differential equations are constructed via appropriate transformations. The system of equations are tackled numerically by bvp4c MATLAB solver. The findings of the study show that larger volume fraction $$\left( \phi \right)$$ ϕ contributes to enhance the nanoliquid flow. The velocity by submerging MWCNTs is noted higher than SWCNTs. Furthermore, the relationship between the viscosity variable $$\left( \theta _{r}\right)$$ θ r and the temperature is such that the temperature near the surface decreases with increase in $$\left( \theta _{r}\right)$$ θ r , while at the same time the temperature away from the surface increases. Subsequently, higher temperature is observed in SWCNTs-liquid compared to the MWCNTs-liquid to the similar values of $$\left( \theta _{r}\right)$$ θ r . Further, heat transfer is an increasing function of varying viscosity variable $$\left( \theta _{r}\right)$$ θ r .

Objective :To determine the pain intensity of non-specific neck pain and find out the association of neck pain with stress, anxiety and depression. Methodology: A cross sectional study was carried out on 254 young adults in Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University Islamabad, Pakistan from July to December 2017. Participants of either gender in age range 18 to 24 years and have non-specific neck pain were included in the study. All the participants with any illness or trauma that might cause neck pain and pathological condition associated with neck were excluded from the study. “Numeric Pain Rating Scale” and “Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21” were used to evaluate pain intensity and negative emotions such as depression, anxiety and stress. Chi square test was applied to determine the association between pain and depression, anxiety and stress. The data was analyzed through SPSS v-21. Results: Out of total 254 participants 212 (83.5%) were females and 42 (16.5%) were males. Participants mean age was 20.66±1.83 (years). According to the results stress and depression had significant association with neck pain (p value 0.05. Conclusion: The study concluded that majority of the participants had mild level of non-specific neck pain and significant association of neck pain was found with depression and stress. Key words: Anxiety, Depression, Mental health, Pain, Stress.

C. globosum is an endophytic fungus, which is recorded effective against several fungal and bacterial diseases in plants. The exclusively induce defense as mechanism of biocontrol for C. globosum against phyto-pathogens is reported. Our pervious study states the effectiveness of induced defense by C. globosum (Cg), in tomato against Alternaria solani. In this study the temporal transcriptome analysis of tomato plants after treatment with C. globosum was performed for time points at 0 hpCi, 12 hpCi, 24 hpCi and 96 phCi. The temporal expression analysis of genes belonging to defense signaling pathways indicates the maximum expression of genes at 12 h post Cg inoculation. The sequential progression in JA signaling pathway is marked by upregulation of downstream genes (Solyc10g011660, Solyc01g005440) of JA signaling at 24 hpCi and continued to express at same level upto 96 hpCi. However, the NPR1 (Solyc07g040690), the key regulator of SA signaling is activated at 12 h and repressed in later stages. The sequential expression of phenylpropanoid pathway genes (Solyc09g007920, Solyc12g011330, Solyc05g047530) marks the activation of pathway with course of time after Cg treatment that results in lignin formation. The plant defense signaling progresses in sequential manner with time course after Cg treatment. The results revealed the involvement of signaling pathways of ISR and SAR in systemic resistance induced by Cg in tomato, but with temporal variation.

Bio-control agents are the best alternative to chemicals for the successful management of plant diseases. Among them, Trichoderma is commonly used as a biological control agent in plant disease management due to its ability to suppress soil-borne plant pathogens. In the present study, 20 Trichoderma asperellum isolates were collected from different geographical locations and confirmed using morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic inferences based on combined ITS and β-tubulin sequences. All twenty isolates were screened for their antagonism against the collar rot pathogen under in vitro and in planta conditions. The isolates were evaluated through dual culture and volatile methods in an in vitro study. Isolate A10 inhibited the test pathogen Agroathelia rolfsii at 94.66% in a dual culture assay and 70.95% in a volatile assay, followed by the isolates A11 and A17, which recorded 82.64% and 81.19% in dual culture assay and 63.75% and 68.27% in the volatile assay respectively. An in planta study was conducted under greenhouse conditions in tomato var. pusa ruby by pre- and post-inoculation of T. asperellum isolates in the A. rolfsii infected soil to evaluate their antagonistic potential against the disease. The A10 isolate was found effective under both pre- and post-inoculation conditions, with a disease inhibition percent of 86.17 and 80.60, respectively, followed by the isolates A11 and A17, which exhibited inhibition of 77.80% and 75.00% in pre-inoculation and 72.22% and 69.44% in post-inoculation, respectively. Further, biochemical analysis was conducted to determine the specific activity of hydrolytic enzymes produced by T. asperellum during interaction with A. rolfsii. We found that isolate A10 produces more hydrolytic enzymes with the specific activity of 174.68 IU/mg of β-1,3 glucanase, 183.48 IU/mg of β-1, 4 glucanase, 106.06 IU/mg of protease, followed by isolate A17, A11 respectively. In GC-MS analysis, we observed maximum anti-microbial volatile organic compounds from the isolate A10, including 2H-Pyran-2-one (17.39%), which was found to be most abundant, followed by dienolactone (8.43%), α-pyrone (2.19%), and harziandione (0.24%) respective retention time of 33.48, 33.85, 33.39, and 64.23 min, respectively, compared to other isolates. In the TLC assay, we observed that a greater number of bands were produced by the A10 and A17 isolates in the Hexane: Ethyl Acetate (1:1) solvent system than in the 9:1 solvent system, which represents the presence of major metabolites in the ethyl acetate extract.

In this paper, we study a new filtration class MFα,βμ, associated with the filtration of infinitesimal generators, by using the nonlinear fractional differential operator and study certain properties, like sharp Fekete–Szegö inequalities and filtration problems.

Background: Renal Trauma is one of the significant causes of deterioration, morbidity, and mortality in the pediatric age group around the globe. Firearm injuries are among one of the essential causes for renal trauma. Overall, trauma is the leading cause of death and accounts for approximately 50% of mortality in children over 1 year of age. Therefore, the current study aims to determine the frequency of morbidity, mortality and renal trauma in blunt and firearm accidents in pediatric population. Methodology: A total of 180 children, aged up to 15 years with blunt and penetrating trauma, including firearm injuries, were enrolled in our study. All patients with in the inclusion criteria of the study, who were presented in the emergency department were evaluated and resuscitated by a pediatric surgeon. Patients indicated with renal trauma were operated and were post-operatively managed in the pediatric surgery ward. All patients included were followed as an outpatient. The data of this descriptive case series were collected prospectively and was analyzed on SPSS version 22.0. Results: Out of 180 patients 110 (61.11%) were male and 70 (38.89%) were female with mean age of 8.5 ± 2.9 years. Majority of the patients had blunt trauma (54.44%) followed by firearm injuries (60, 33.33%). While penetrating trauma were observed in 22 patients (12.22%). Overall Renal trauma was observed in 40 (22.2%) of patients. Out of 40 patients, 20 (50%) patients had blunt, while 14 (35%) had firearm and 05 (12.5%) had penetrating abdominal trauma. Majority of renal injuries were Grade II (60%) followed by Grade III (17.5%), Grade IV (12.5%) and Grade I (10%) injury. The major morbidities noted in firearm injured patients were surgical site infection that was reported in 33.33% patients, limb deformity in 6.66% and neurological deficit in 5% patients. Overall Mortality was observed in 6.6% patients and firearm injuries was responsible for 8.33%. Conclusion: Firearm injuries are one of the significant causes of trauma in children. The renal trauma was observed in 22.2% of cases, and all were managed conservatively. The frequency of morbidity and mortality secondary to firearm injuries was high as compared to other studies.

Chiral Metal-Organic Frameworks (CMOFs) are unique crystalline and porous class of materials which is composed of organic linkers and metal ions. CMOFs surpass traditional organic and inorganic porous materials because of their tunable shape, size, functional diversity, and selectivity. Specific applications of CMOFs may be exploited by introducing desired functional groups. CMOFs have chiral recognition abilities, making them unique for chiral compound synthesis and separation. The CMOFs can be synthesized through different approaches. Two main approaches have been discussed, i.e., direct and indirect synthesis. Synthetic strategies play an essential role in getting desired properties in MOFs. CMOFs find potential applications in adsorption, asymmetric catalysis, luminescence, degradation, and enantioselective separation. The MOFs’ porosity, stability, and reusability make them an attractive material for these applications. The plethora of applications of CMOFs have motivated chemists to synthesize novel MOFs and number of MOFs have been ever-escalating. Herein, the synthetic methods of CMOFs and their various applications have been discussed.

Poly (l-lacticacid) (PLLA) is an FDA approved material for bone tissue engineering but its inherent brittleness and low melting ability are major challenges for its large-scale commercial applications. This challenge can be overcome by making its blends. This study reports blends of PLLA with a relatively new class of polymer i.e. cyclic olefinic copolymer and their miscibility, thermal behavior, morphology, crystallinity, degradability, and excellent biocompatibility is evaluated. Blends were prepared by taking 5–30 weight percent COC with PLLA matrix using solvent casting method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that PLLA/COC form miscible blends up to 5–20 wt% of COC. FTIR, XRD, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data showed that addition of COC to PLLA resulted in decrease in crystallinity along with formation of new α′-crystalline phase which coexists with inherent α-phase of PLLA in the blends. The transformation of α′-form is due to the presence of Van der Waals forces of interactions of the polymer chain moieties between PLLA and COC. Interestingly, PLLA/COC blends exhibited superior mechanical properties in relation to the pure PLLA. Compressive modulus values for PLLA/COC 10wt% increased 117% as compared to pure PLLA. PLLA/COC blends at 10 wt% have maximum ultimate tensile strength, modulus, and toughness ~ 123%, 67.8% and, 18.87% respectively. PLLA/COC blends showed increased swelling and degradation results as compared to PLLA. PLLA/COC blends exhibited excellent cytocompatibility over PLLA with preosteoblast (MC3T3-E1) and bone marrow stem cells (BMSc) cell lines suggesting possible candidate for Bone Tissue Engineering.

Abstract Background Public trust is central to the collection of genomic and health data and the sustainability of genomic research. To merit trust, those involved in collecting and sharing data need to demonstrate they are trustworthy. However, it is unclear what measures are most likely to demonstrate this. Methods We analyse the ‘Your DNA, Your Say’ online survey of public perspectives on genomic data sharing including responses from 36,268 individuals across 22 low-, middle- and high-income countries, gathered in 15 languages. We examine how participants perceived the relative value of measures to demonstrate the trustworthiness of those using donated DNA and/or medical information. We examine between-country variation and present a consolidated ranking of measures. Results Providing transparent information about who will benefit from data access was the most important measure to increase trust, endorsed by more than 50% of participants across 20 of 22 countries. It was followed by the option to withdraw data and transparency about who is using data and why. Variation was found for the importance of measures, notably information about sanctions for misuse of data—endorsed by 5% in India but almost 60% in Japan. A clustering analysis suggests alignment between some countries in the assessment of specific measures, such as the UK and Canada, Spain and Mexico and Portugal and Brazil. China and Russia are less closely aligned with other countries in terms of the value of the measures presented. Conclusions Our findings highlight the importance of transparency about data use and about the goals and potential benefits associated with data sharing, including to whom such benefits accrue. They show that members of the public value knowing what benefits accrue from the use of data. The study highlights the importance of locally sensitive measures to increase trust as genomic data sharing continues globally.

The dawn of mass plastic production in the early 20th century has accelerated the penetration of microplastics into the environment, making them known to be an insidious threat to diverse ecosystems. The current scenario for microplastics is dire, as they pervade living organisms and disrupt vital functions while also affecting the environment by altering soil quality. They pose an inherent risk to human health, making their elimination a multifaceted challenge. Due to factors such as small size, low biodegradability, and ubiquity, microplastics are particularly challenging to detect, and methods for their elimination from terrestrial and marine environments are an ever‐evolving field of research. The detection of such microplastics has necessitated the use of various biotechnological techniques to monitor microplastic pollution. The control of microplastic pollution in natural ecosystems can be met by replacing mass‐produced single‐use plastics with viable bio‐based alternatives. The main objectives of this review are to discuss how microplastic pollution is currently monitored, assessed, and controlled using satellite‐generated imagery complemented with a range of biotechnological and bioremedial techniques. This review also traces the development of a range of bio‐based plastic alternatives that are observed to potentially replace single‐use plastics. Further discussion on the various challenges and prospects for the mitigation of microplastics will also be conducted, stressing the importance of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of selenium nanoparticle (Se-NP) supplementation on the growth performance, carcass composition, antioxidant status, hepatic enzyme activities, and immunity of Cirrhinus mrigala. For this purpose, fish with an average initial weight of 7.44 ± 0.04 g were fed five experimental diets containing 0 (control), 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg kg-1 Se-NPs diets for 90 days. The analysed selenium (Se) contents of the diets were 0.35, 0.64, 0.92, 1.43, and 2.39 mg kg-1. Twenty five fish were randomly distributed in each of 5 aquarium (36 × 23.7 × 24.3 inches) in triplicate. The results showed that supplementation with Se up to 0.92 mg/kg significantly increased (p<0.05) weight gain, weight gain% (WG%), and specific growth rate (SGR) by 34%, 33%, and 16%, respectively, compared to the control diet. Dietary Se concentrations up to 0.92 mg/kg significantly increased the crude protein and crude fat and reduced (p<0.05) the moisture content as compared to the control group. Fish fed 0.92 mg kg-1 Se had significantly lower malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and higher activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase in liver and serum as compared to other experimental diets. Moreover, a significant increase (p<0.05) in the level of serum immunoglobulin and lysozyme (LYZ) activity was recorded in fish fed 0.92 mg/kg Se diet. Moreover, the highest (p<0.05) values of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were recorded in fish fed 2.39 mg/kg Se level. However, serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity remained unaffected by dietary treatment. Broken-line regression analysis indicated that 0.83 mg/kg Se is required for the optimum growth performance of C. mrigala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the Peacekeeping Stress syndrome and see its relationship with various demographic variables (age, years of service and marital status). Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Study was carried out on Pakistani Peacekeepers who were deployed in Democratic Republic of Congo in Jun 2019. Methodology: About 536 Pakistani male peacekeepers with mean age of 33 years, deployed in Democratic Republic of Congo were taken as study sample. By group testing method, all participants were assessed through Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Urdu version and demographic form consisted of age, marital status, education, years of service and rank. Results: Results revealed that DASS-21 has good reliability (α=0.71) for the present sample and prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among Pakistani peacekeepers was low (2.9%, 4% and 4% respectively). Further to it, there was significant negative correlation of depression and stress with the age and years of service whereas relationship of anxiety with these variables (age and years of service) was non-significant. There were significant mean differences between the married and unmarried peacekeepers on Anxiety and Stress and non-significant on depression. Conclusion: Present study provided useful information regarding the mental health of peacekeepers and highlighted the fact that Pakistani peacekeepers are resilient enough to handle the challenges of international environment.

The current study aimed to assess the effects of various selenium(Se) sources on the growth performance, blood biochemistry, and antioxidant status of intensively reared silver carp. For this, (N = 420) fingerlings with an average body weight of 13 ± 1.5 g were randomized into 21 aquariums (20 fish/100 L aquaria) and was subjected to one of the seven dietary treatments under completely randomized design. The dietary treatments were control(C), with 0.5 mg/kg sodium selenite(N-0.5), 1 mg/kg sodium selenite(N-1), 0.5 mg/kg Se methionine(M-0.5), 1 mg/kg Se methionine(M-1), 0.5 mg/kg Se yeast(Y-0.5), and 1 mg/kg Se yeast(Y-1). The experiment was of two-weeks of fish acclimatization to ponds followed by 12-weeks of feeding trial. The source of Se influenced the growth performance and the group M-0.5supplemented diet achieved the highest(P 0.05) in fish supplemented with M-0.5 and M-1. The dry matter, fat, ash and protein contents of the fish meat were similar (P > 0.05) in all. The WBCs, HGB, HCT, and MCHC were higher (P 0.05) by Se supplementation. Similarly, levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase enzymes in the fish whole body, muscle, and liver were also remained unchanged (P > 0.05). From the findings, we can conclude that Se methionine is the best source, and 0.5 mg/kg dietary supplementation improved the growth performance, organs enrichment, and antioxidant status of silver carp.

The present study discloses entropy analysis in flow of hybrid nanofluid under the influences of magnetohydrodynamics, variable viscosity and mixed convection. Melting heat, heat generation and radiation effects have been implemented for the second law of thermodynamics analysis. Homogeneous reaction of cubic auto-catalyst and first order heterogenous reaction regulate the concentration. Graphene oxide (GO) and molybdenum-disulphide(MoS2) are dealt as nanomaterials and water as a continuous phase liquid. Second law of thermodynamics is utilized for the formulation of entropy optimization rate. Bejan number has examined for the irreversibility process due to heat and mass transfers. Variations in entropy rate and Bejan number have been studied under the influences of sundry variables. Furthermore, comparative analysis of nanoliquid and hybrid nanoliquid has been examined for the entropy generation and Bejan number. Cylindrical coordinate system is taken for the problem formulation. Bvp4c maltab solver is used to deal with the obtained boundary layer problems. The findings of this study reveal that entropy rate and Bejan number in hybrid nanoliquid flow are noted maximum than the normal nanoliquid. The irreversibility due to heat transfer and entropy generation can be controlled by melting variable and temperature dependent viscosity variable.

BackgroundOnline false or misleading oral health–related content has been propagated on social media to deceive people against fluoride’s economic and health benefits to prevent dental caries. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to characterize the false or misleading fluoride-related content on Instagram. MethodsA total of 3863 posts ranked by users’ total interaction and published between August 2016 and August 2021 were retrieved by CrowdTangle, of which 641 were screened to obtain 500 final posts. Subsequently, two independent investigators analyzed posts qualitatively to define their authors’ interests, profile characteristics, content type, and sentiment. Latent Dirichlet allocation analysis topic modeling was then applied to find salient terms and topics related to false or misleading content, and their similarity was calculated through an intertopic distance map. Data were evaluated by descriptive analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test, the Cramer V test, and multiple logistic regression models. ResultsMost of the posts were categorized as misinformation and political misinformation. The overperforming score was positively associated with older messages (odds ratio [OR]=3.293, P

In this study, Ag@In2O3 modified nickel foam (NF) was reported for its role as a non-enzymatic glucose sensor. Ag@In2O3 was prepared by a simple two-step method; preparation of a metal-organic framework (MOF) MIL-68(In) by solvothermal method, entrapment of Ag + by adding AgNO3 then drying it for 2 h to complete the entrapment process and subsequent calcination at 650°C for 3 h. The Ag@In2O3 modified NF was employed as a non-enzymatic glucose sensor to determine glucose concentrations in an alkaline medium. Two linear ranges were obtained from Ag@In2O3 modified electrode, i.e., 10 μM to 0.8 mM and 0.8–2.16 mM with a sensitivity of 3.31 mA mM−1 cm−2 and 1.51 mA mM−1 cm−2 respectively, with a detection limit of 0.49 µM. Ag@In2O3 modified NF exhibited high selectivity for glucose, among other interfering agents.

The murder of Jamal Khashoggi in the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Turkey is still controversial. The judgment relies on valid and reliable evidence. This study is vital due to investigating a murder case based on pragmatic meanings as language evidence broadcasted in media. This research employs Grice’s conversational implicature to investigate the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by analyzing the exposed recorded tapes of Jamal Khashoggi and the accused inside the consulate, the utterances of Khadija Changiz, the fiancée of Jamal Khashoggi, and Adel al Jubeir’s statements, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia as a representative of the Saudi Arabian. The design of this research is a case study, and content analysis is used to analyze the data based on Mayring’s (2000) qualitative content analysis. Based on the findings of the study, the recorded tapes of Jamal Khashoggi and the accused are outlined as ambiguous language. Saudi Arabia denied the murder by saving face, misleading the hearer, and skipping the questions, but later on, affirmed the murder and promised to bring justice. Hence, the results of this study will affect the verdict on the judicial decree, and the accusations will be prosecuted, and justice will be served to Jamal Khashoggi.

The structure-properties relationships of novel cyclic olefinic copolymer (COC)/poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) polymer blends are investigated by varying the PLLA content from 5–20 wt % in COC matrix, forming an immiscible blends at all concentrations. Despite immiscibility, COC favors the formation of α- crystal form of PLLA in the blends, contrary to the α’- crystal form in neat PLLA due to non-covalent interactions of the chain moieties as evident from x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and differential scanning calorimetry. The COC/PLLA blends revealed tunable superior mechanical and barrier properties as compared to the neat counterparts. The tensile modulus, strength and toughness of COC/PLLA blends at 15 wt% are significantly enhanced ∼ 89 %, 103 % and one order of magnitude, respectively. Such reinforcement and super toughening mechanisms are pertaining to the effective dissipation of loads across the interfaces, enabling them to delay the crack growth by avoiding stress concentration sites. Likewise, the water vapor permeation (WVP) of the blends is reduced ∼ 4 times than neat COC.

The usefulness of medicinal plants has evoked increasing research interests to combat antimicrobial resistance. The current work reports on the in vitro bioactive activities, i.e., antibacterial, anti-biofilm and cytotoxicity evaluation of three medicinal plants. Extracts from different plant parts (leaves, stems, and root barks) were obtained using different solvents, such as methanol, ethanol, and water. The methanolic extracts of bark of Juglans regia and Tamarix aphylla L., whereas the stem of Acacia modesta (Wall.) exhibited the highest antibacterial activity. The maximum zone of inhibition, i.e., 21.8±0.76 mm was observed against H. influenza for a methanolic extract of J. regia. Similarly, the maximum inhibition zones of ethanolic extract of T. aphylla L. against A. baumannii and methanolic extract of A. modesta against S. aureus were recorded. Notably, a higher anti-biofilm potential of the methanolic extract of J. regia was recorded against six pathogenic strains. Finally, the cytotoxicity of plants extracts was evaluated by testing the hemolytic activity against human erythrocytes, that displayed the negligible percent lysis of RBCs. In conclusion, the results of this study provided information related to the possible use of some medicinal plants in the treatment of microbial related ailments.

This article investigates the effect of powder metallurgy processing parameters on multi-responses: mass density and hardness of Al2O3/Cu composite based on Taguchi method coupled with Grey relational analysis. Based on Taguchi’s L18 orthogonal array, the experimental trial runs were conducted with four controllable powder processing parameters: milling time, compaction pressure, sintering temperature and holding time. The Grey relational analysis (GRA) was performed to find the optimal powder processing condition with Grey relational grade (GRG) as a measure of performance index. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), 3D surface plots and contour plots were used to express the most influential parameter that affects mass density and hardness of Al2O3/Cu composite. Confirmation tests were conducted to make sure the validity of test results. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show the presence of Al2O3 particle in the composite. The Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) spectrum indicates the presence of chemical elements: Cu, Al, O in the composite. The results show that the optimal powder metallurgy parameter combination is A2B3C3D1. The mean Grey relational coefficient (GRC) analysis shows that the mass density was more easily influenced by factors considered compare to hardness. The mean GRG result shows that the compaction pressure has the strongest correlation to responses. The result of 3D surface plots, contour plots and ANOVA indicate that the compaction pressure has most influential parameter that affect GRG. The % contribution of parameters shows that the % contribution of compaction pressure is significant (80.22%) compare to other main effects and interaction effects. The confirmation tests revealed that the performance characteristic of Al2O3/Cu composite was improved by GRA based Taguchi technique. The Monte Carlo simulated model summery show that based on Taguchi L18 Orthogonal Array design, one can easily find the reality of what will be happening in a process. Therefore, optimization of processes parameter could be simplified by using the Grey-based Taguchi method.

Nowadays, using a rental fleet to transport goods for delivering to customers at a particular time frame is very important in the services and industry. That is why, in this study, we consider the heterogeneous fixed fleet open vehicle routing problem with time windows, which is one version of the vehicle routing problem with time windows. The problem has not attracted attention so much in the operational research literature than the usual vehicle routing problem. The problem consists of determining the minimum cost routes for a fleet of a fixed number of vehicles with various capacities in order to fulfil the demands of the customer population. Moreover, the vehicles start at the headquarters and terminate at one of the customers. In this study, we introduce a mixed integer programming model and then integrate an exact algorithm to solve this model. Furthermore, a hybrid algorithm (HA) based on modified rank-based ant system is developed and then its efficiency is compared with the exact method and some metaheuristic methods on some standard instances in literature. The results proved the effectiveness of our proposed HA.

Amaranth and buckwheat are two pseudo-cereals preferred for their high nutritional value, are gluten free and carry religious importance as fasting food. Germplasm resources are the reservoir of diversity for different traits, including nutritional characteristics. These resources must be evaluated to utilize their potential in crop improvement programs. However, conventional methods are labor-, cost- and time-intensive and prone to handling errors when applied to large samples. NIRS-based machine learning to predict different nutritional traits is applied in different food crops for multiple traits. NIRS prediction models are developed in this study using the mPLS regression technique for oil, protein, fatty acids and essential amino acid estimation in amaranth and buckwheat. Good RSQ external (power of determination) values were obtained for the above traits ranging from 0.72 to 0.929. Ratio performance deviation (RPD) value for most of the traits ranged between 2 and 3, except for valine (1.88) and methionine (3.55), indicating good prediction capabilities in the developed model. These prediction models were utilized in screening the germplasm of amaranth and buckwheat; the results obtained were in good agreement and confirmed the applicability of developed models. It will enable the identification of a trait-specific germplasm as a potential gene source and aid in crop improvement programs.

BackgroundDuring August 2017, increased numbers of suspected dengue fever cases were reported in the hospitals of Rawalpindi district. A case control study was conducted to determine the risk factors among urban areas, dengue serotype, and recommend preventive measures. ObjectiveThe objective of the investigation was to determine the risk factors among urban areas, dengue serotype, and recommend preventive measures. MethodsA case was defined as having acute febrile illness with one or more of the following symptoms: retro-orbital pain, headache, rash, myalgia, arthralgia, and hemorrhage. The cases were residents of Rawalpindi and were confirmed for dengue fever from August 30, 2017, to October 30, 2017. All NS1 confirmed cases from urban areas of Rawalpindi were recruited from tertiary care hospitals. Age- and sex-matched controls were selected from the same community with a 1:1 ratio. Frequency, univariate, and multivariate analyses were performed at 95% CI with P