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The chemical industry is one of the main fossil fuel consumers, so its reliance on sustainable and renewable resources such as wind and solar energy should be increased to protect the environment. Accordingly, solar-driven thermocatalytic synthesis of octahydroquinazolinone using polyvinylchloride (PVC)-supported aluminum oxide (Al2O3) as a catalyst under natural sunlight is proposed in this work. The Al2O3/PVC catalysts were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, BET, XRD, and XPS techniques. The obtained results indicate that the yield and reaction time can be modified by adjusting the molar ratio of the catalyst. To investigate the stability of the catalyst, the spent catalyst was reused in several reactions. The results indicated that, when a 50% Al2O3 catalyst is employed in an absolute solar heat, it performs exceptionally well in terms of yield (98%) and reaction time (35 min). Furthermore, the reaction times and yield of octahydroquinazolinone derivatives with an aryl moiety were superior to those of heteroaryl. All the synthesized compounds were well characterized by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR. The current work introduces a new strategy to use solar heat for energy-efficient chemical reactions using a cost-effective, recyclable environmentally friendly PVC/Al2O3 catalyst that produces a high yield.

This article is about cultural determinants of depression. The article explores relationship between cultural patterns and psycho-social factors causing depression among people living in a small rural village of Mir Karam Ali Khan Mangal district Kamber-Shahdadkot northern Sindh Pakistan. Current research also aims to investigate the local’s point of view about health, wellbeing, illness, and depression. Qualitative methods were employed to conduct the research for understanding cultural nuances of depression as culture and health cannot be studied in isolation. Health system of any society is innately associated with the cultural ethos and practices. Consequently, culture plays a significant role in shaping and developing overall health of an individual and society. There are few important factors such as family conflicts, change of moral values, famishment of wealth and economic hardships which are important cultural determinants of depression in selected research locale. The study has observed how cultural or social factors, one way or another, become the cause of depression.

Globally, around 2000 plant species are used against pest control. The utilization of botanicals is considered the most economic and biodegradable methods for the control of stored grains pests. Therefore, the current study was carried out to investigate the repellency potential of five botanicals against

Linear fracturing fluid (LFF) provides viscosity driven benefits of proppant suspensibility and fluid loss control, and with the use of a breaker agent, flowback recovery can be greatly enhanced. Shale tensile strength is critical in the prediction of fracture initiation and propagation, but its behavior under the interaction with LFF at reservoir temperature conditions remains poorly understood. This necessitated an in-depth investigation into the tensile strengths of Eagle Ford and Wolfcamp shales under thermally conditioned LFF and reservoir temperature controlled conditions. Brazilian Indirect Tensile Strength (BITS) testing was carried out for the quantitative evaluation of shale tensile strength, followed by extensive failure pattern classifications and surface crack length analysis. The thermally conditioned LFF saturation of shale samples led to average tensile strength (ATS) increases ranging from 26.33–51.33% for Wolfcamp. Then, for the Eagle Ford samples, ATS increases of 3.94 and 6.79% and decreases of 3.13 and 15.35% were recorded. The exposure of the samples to the temperature condition of 90 °C resulted in ATS increases of 24.46 and 33.78% for Eagle Ford and Wolfcamp shales, respectively. Then, for samples exposed to 220 °C, ATS decreases of 6.11 and 5.32% were respectively recorded for Eagle Ford and Wolfcamp shales. The experimental results of this research will facilitate models’ development towards tensile strength predictions and failure pattern analysis and quantifications in the LFF driven hydraulic fracturing of shale gas reservoirs.

The neglected area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan: Oriental region), consisting of Buner, Haripur, and Swabi districts, were surveyed for termites during the summer of 2016–2019 for identification and assessment of the distribution of colonies. Collections were made either directly from visible galleries or using traps with ethanol. Soldiers were used for morphometric identification and DNA extraction. Morphometric identification was carried out based on the available literature through measurements of 20 characters/indices and evaluating species differences statistically. Based on these characteristics, we generated a key and a distribution map of the genus Odontotermes for the study area. This is the first record of Odontotermes assmuthi and Odontotermes obesus in these three districts, the first record of Odontotermes parvidens for the Buner and Swabi districts, and the first record of Odontotermes horai for Haripur. We subsequently used barcoding of the mtDNA COII to verify species assignments of colonies and for phylogenetic analyses using Neighbor-Joining and Maximum Likelihood analyses.

This study investigates CO

Textile industry utilize a massive amount of dyes for coloring. The dye-containing effluent is released into wastewater along with heavy metals that are part of dye structure. The treatment of textile industry wastewater using conventional techniques (coagulation, membrane technique, electrolysis ion exchange, etc.) is uneconomical and less efficient (for a low concentration of pollutants). Moreover, most of these techniques produce toxic sludge, making them less environmentally friendly. Algae base industry is growing for food, cosmetics and energy needs. Algae biomass in unique compared to lignocellulosic biomass due to presence of various functional group on its surface and presence of various cations. These two characteristics are unique for biochar as a tool for environmental decontamination. Algae biomass contain functional groups and cations that can be effective for removal of organic contaminants (dyes) and heavy metals. Algae can be micro and macro and both have entirely different biomass composition which will lead to a synthesis of different biochar even under same synthesis process. This study reviews the recent progress in the development of an economically viable and eco-friendly approach for textile industry wastewater using algae biomass-derived absorbents. The strategy employed microalgal biochar to remove organic pollutants (dyes) and heavy metals from textile effluents by biosorption. This article discusses different methods for preparing algal biochar (pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization and torrefaction), and the adsorption capacity of biochar for dyes and heavy metals. Work on hydrothermal carbonization and torrefaction of microalgal biomass for biochar is limited. Variation in structural and functional groups changes on biochar compared to original microalgal biomass are profound in contract with lignocellulosic biomass. Existing Challenges, future goals, and the development of these technologies at the pilot level are also discussed.

Pyrolysis has been demonstrated to be a highly effective thermochemical process for converting complex biomaterials into biochar and syngas rich in hydrogen. The pyrolysis of mixed date palm seeds from Saudi Arabia was conducted using a fixed-bed pyrolyzer that was custom made for the purpose. The influence of the pyrolysis temperature (200–1000 °C) on the various physicochemical parameters of the date seed biochar generated through the pyrolysis process and the hydrogen-rich syngas was investigated. Proximate and ultimate analyses indicated a high carbon content in the lignocellulosic constituents such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Using energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, it was discovered that the elemental composition of biochar changes with the pyrolysis temperature. The date seeds pyrolyzed at 800 °C were found to have the maximum carbon concentration, with 97.99% of the total carbon content. The analysis of the biochar indicated a high concentration of carbon, as well as magnesium and potassium. There was a potential for the production of hydrogen-rich syngas, which increased with the pyrolysis temperature. At 1000 °C, the highest hydrogen and carbon monoxide compositions of 40 mol% and 32 mol%, respectively, were obtained. The kinetic data of the date seed pyrolysis were fitted using linearized model-free methods, such as Friedman, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), as well as non-linear methods such as Vyazovkin and advanced Vyazovkin. The activation energies obtained from Friedman, FWO, and KAS varied in the range of 30–75 kJ/mol, 30–65 kJ/mol, and 30–40 kJ/mol, respectively, while those of Vyazovkin and advanced Vyazovkin were found in the range of 25–30 kJ/mol, and 30–70 kJ/mol, respectively. The analysis showed that the FWO and KAS models show smaller variation compared to Friedman.

The role of aldose reductase (ALR2) in causing diabetic complications is well-studied, with overactivity of ALR2 in the hyperglycemic state leading to an accumulation of intracellular sorbitol, depletion of cytoplasmic NADPH and oxidative stress and causing a variety of different conditions including retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and cardiovascular disorders. While previous efforts have sought to develop inhibitors of this enzyme in order to combat diabetic complications, non-selective inhibition of both ALR2 and the homologous enzyme aldehyde reductase (ALR1) has led to poor toxicity profiles, with no drugs targeting ALR2 currently approved for therapeutic use in the Western world. In the current study, we have synthesized a series of N-substituted thiosemicarbazones with added phenolic moieties, of which compound 3m displayed strong and selective ALR2 inhibitory activity in vitro (IC50 1.18 µM) as well as promising antioxidant activity (75.95% free radical scavenging activity). The target binding modes of 3m were studied via molecular docking studies and stable interactions with ALR2 were inferred through molecular dynamics simulations. We thus report the N-substituted thiosemicarbazones as promising drug candidates for selective inhibition of ALR2 and possible treatment of diabetic complications.

Online shopping has gained high popularity across all groups of society in Malaysia since its commencement and continued to grow every day. Malaysia being the central hub of South-East Asia has been considered as a favourite place for shopaholic people for physical shopping and the same trend is seen in terms of online shopping. While the socioeconomic characteristics of society have been studied to measure various consumer behaviours within different contexts including Malaysia. However, the Malaysians attitude towards online purchase behaviour is one of the significant areas that need to be investigated, hence, this study focuses on measuring the socioeconomic attitude towards online purchase intention. A total of 400 complete questionnaire were collected by using convenience sampling method within shopping malls of Klang Valley region through face to face questionnaires distribution technique. Two inferential statistical tests were used to measure the relationship between various characteristics of socioeconomics group towards the online purchase intention. These tests were independent sample T-test and univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA). A T-test was used to evaluate the effect of gender towards the online purchase intention, whereas one-way ANOVA was performed to check the significant effect of age, monthly income, and education towards the online purchase intention. The results revealed that there is a significant difference based on the age and income; while individuals with higher income shop more as compared to individuals with less income and the individuals within the income group of 5000 to 7000 shop more as compared to other income groups. Whereas, individuals between the age group of 41 to 50 shopped more as compared to other age groups. Furthermore, the results also revealed that there was no significant difference found in terms of gender and education, male and female shopped online despite of their gender and education background.

For a graph G , an ordered set S ⊆ V G is called the resolving set of G , if the vector of distances to the vertices in S is distinct for every v ∈ V G . The minimum cardinality of S is termed as the metric dimension of G . S is called a fault-tolerant resolving set (FTRS) for G , if S \ v is still the resolving set ∀ v ∈ V G . The minimum cardinality of such a set is the fault-tolerant metric dimension (FTMD) of G . Due to enormous application in science such as mathematics and computer, the notion of the resolving set is being widely studied. In the present article, we focus on determining the FTMD of a generalized wheel graph. Moreover, a formula is developed for FTMD of a wheel and generalized wheels. Recently, some bounds of the FTMD of some of the convex polytopes have been computed, but here we come up with the exact values of the FTMD of two families of convex polytopes denoted as D k for k ≥ 4 and Q k for k ≥ 6 . We prove that these families of convex polytopes have constant FTMD. This brings us to pose a natural open problem about the existence of a polytope having nonconstant FTMD.

This study aims to investigate the influence and interaction of experimental parameters on the production of optimum H2 and other gases (CO, CO2, and CH4) from gasification of municipal solid waste (MSW). Response surface method in assistance with the central composite design was employed to design the fifteen experiments to find the effect of three independent variables (i.e., temperature, equivalence ratio and residence time) on the yields of gases, char and tar. The optimum H2 production of 41.36 mol % (15.963 mol kg-MSW−1) was achieved at the conditions of 757.65 °C, 0.241, and 22.26 min for temperature, ER, and residence time respectively. In terms of syngas properties, the lower heating value and molar ratio (H2/CO) ranged between 9.33 and 12.48 MJ/Nm3 and 0.45–0.93. The predicted model of statistical analysis indicated a good fit with experimental data. The gasification of MSW utilizing air as a gasifying agent was found to be an effective approach to recover the qualitative and quantitate products (H2 and total gas yield) from the MSW.

Objectives: The purpose of study is to ascertain the prevalence of malignancy in thyroid single/multiple nodules after ascertaining the features of nodules on different criteria. Study Design: Cross Sectional Study. Setting: Department of Surgical at PMCH Nawabshah. Period: April 2015 to April 2018. Material & Methods: All patients got admission from OPD and they were investigated for the disease. All biochemical examinations were done. Thyroid profile with thyroid scan was obtained. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) was done to diagnose the type of cells either benign/ malignant. The decision of the surgical procedure was done according to the FNAC report of the thyroid nodule. Results: Total 80 patients were investigated. 55 (68.75%) females, 35 (43.75%) male and 60 (75%) showed the benign cells and 20 (25%) patient’s reports had malignant cells. Biopsies were sent for histopathology. 60 (75%) showed thyroid adenomas after biopsy. 10(12.5%) patients papillary carcinoma, 7 (8.75%) follicular, 2 (2.5%) medullary, 1 (1.25%) anaplastic, 0 for thyroid lymphoma, 0 thyroid carcinoma. 0 for squamous cell carcinoma. 40 (50%) were treated conservatively with thyroxine, 20 (25%) were operated for lobectomy. All malignant cases were undergone for total thyroidectomy. Conclusion: it is summed up that the prevalence of malignancy in thyroid nodules in our setup is only 25% that is the lower one as compared to other studies.

Objectives: The purpose is to compare two options of management of appendicular lump in order to sort out the better one for the benefit and betterment of populace. Study Design: Cross Sectional study. Setting: Peoples Medical College Hospital Nawabshah. Period: 2016 August to August 2018. Material & Methods: Total 50 patients of appendicular lump were included in this research. All patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 included those patients undergoing emergency appendectomy. They were admitted, optimized and the required treatment was initiated. Results: Of total 50, 30(60%) were male and 20(40%) were females. Age was between 14 to 51 years. All patients presented with different clinical presentations. Pain in RIF was in 42(84%) patients whereas 47(94%) patients presented with lump in RIF. 20(40%) patients were operated for appendectomy in emergency and 5(10%) patients for right hemi-colectomy. Histopathological diagnosis was inflammation in 24(48%) patients and 1(2%) resulted in cecal tumor. Infected wound was found in 15 (30%) patients, hematoma in 3 (6%), wound dehiscence in 1(2%) and also cecal fistula in 1 (2%). Conclusion: Conservative treatment is better option to treat appendicular lump with least negative results.

Teachers sketch diagrams and use other representations as a portion of systematic inquiry in science. This study was consist of a qualitative paradigm that examined the five students’ perceptions of teachers’ instructional strategies with multiple representations in the learning of chemistry. The purposive sampling techniques were used to collect data from 5 students using interview protocol in a natural environment. The audio tapped data were transcribed by the researcher and found that the teacher use of diagram is an interesting activity, teacher draw diagram for imparting the knowledge, uses relevant diagram, lecture-demonstration method is used, using charts graphs and models, assessment is done through conducting test and using questions.

In the present study an effort has been made to optimize the in vitro regeneration protocol for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Brassica juncea, because of its importance as oilseed crops. The highest callus induction frequency of 87% was observed on MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) medium supplemented with 4 µM 6-benzyladenine (BA) after four weeks of culture period. Subculturing of organogenic calli in MS media with a similar hormonal composition resulted in shoot organogenesis after six weeks of culture cultivation. The highest shoot induction frequency (92%) was recorded on MS medium containing 4 µM BA in combination with 1 µM of α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Further, well-developed roots were formed in MS media augmented with 6 µM of Indole acetic acid (IAA) in combination with 1 µM Kinetin (Kn). Cotyledon explants were exploited in vitro for the successful transformation of B. juncea. A binary vector comprised of the Euonymus alatus diacylglycerol acetyltransferase (EaDAcT) gene under the transcriptional control of a glycinin promoter and with a basta selection marker was introduced into A. tumefaciens strain GV3101 via electroporation. EaDAcT gene is responsible for unusual triacylglycerol’s production where the sn-3 position is esterified with acetate instead of the long-chain fatty acid found in the triacylglycerol’s. The highest regeneration frequency (100%) of transgenic shoots was observed on MS medium supplemented with 4 µM BA plus 1 µM NAA in the presence of 25 mg l−1 basta and 160 mg l−1 timintin. The efficiency of stable transformation was found to be approximately 7% in the transgenic plants. Moreover, the transformed regenerated shoots were confirmed by PCR analysis using EaDAcT gene-specific primers. Keywords: Brassica juncea, Callus, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Transgenic plants, Biodiesel

The aim of this paper is to highlight the power of judicial review in the 1973 constitution of Pakistan. The three organ of the government the executive, judiciary and legislature are working in such a way that each organ is functioning in its sphere. The functions and activities may not be disturbed by each other. There is a mechanism in the 1973 constitution of Pakistan of judicial review. In this way the judiciary has some check on the other branches of the government. Under the 1973 constitution, the judiciary has certain powers to control the executive and legislative branches of the government. In this way judiciary is playing a key role in Pakistan. The paper is an attempt to highlight the process of judicial review in the 1973 constitution of Pakistan and its role in constitutional history in Pakistan.

The following interview with a collective of scholars describes the organization, conceptualization, and thematic framework of the online syllabus #IslamophobiaisRacism. The goals of the syllabus i...

Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems are increasingly becoming an essential part of the solar application systems integrating the photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal collectors into a single unit to produce heat and electrical energy from the intermittent solar irradiation. Energy systems are usually analyzed by energy and exergy analyses. Most of these systems are designed considering their energy performances based on the 1st law of thermodynamics. Generally, the energy reduction occurring in systems can be detected using exergy analysis and is a valuable tool for investigating the energy efficiency of energy systems, thereby helping the complicated thermodynamic systems more efficient. The exergoeconomic analysis is a form of economics focused on exergy analysis and is a hybrid of exergy and cost analysis to enhance the output of PVT systems. This allows designers to determine strategies to enhance the system efficiency from its cost perspective. Herein, a detailed literature review on energy, exergy and exergoeconomics (3E) analysis and their applications in air-based, water-based and bi-fluid PVT systems with and without integrated phase change materials (PCMs) is executed. It was found that water-based PVT systems with PCMs (PVT-PCM) are more feasible as the energy and exergy efficiencies are enhanced and their energy payback time reduced as compared to other conventional systems. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the water-, air- and bi-fluid-based PVT systems integrated with PCMs were found to be higher than the systems without PCM integration. PCM integration with a water-based PVT system can lead to the storage of thermal energy and also enhance the overall exergetic efficiency of the system up to 25%. The exergy efficiencies of PVT systems were found to be between 3–14%, and generally less than their energy efficiencies. Thus, 3E analysis is found to be a more technical approach to assess the performance of PVT systems and gives a complete overview of the performance of the system.

In the study, Al7075-TiC composites were synthesized by using a novel dual step blending process followed by cold pressing and sintering. The effect of ball milling time on the microstructure of the synthesized composite powder was characterized using X-ray diffraction measurements (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Subsequently, the integrated effects of the two-stage mechanical alloying process were investigated on the crystallite size and lattice strain. The crystallite size and lattice strain of blended samples were calculated using the Scherrer method. The prediction of the crystallite size and lattice strain of synthesized composite powders was conducted by an artificial neural network technique. The results of the mixed powder revealed that the particle size and crystallite size improved with increasing milling time. The particle size of the 3 h-milled composites was 463 nm, and it reduces to 225 nm after 7 h of milling time. The microhardness of the produced composites was significantly improved with milling time. Furthermore, an artificial neuron network (ANN) model was developed to predict the crystallite size and lattice strain of the synthesized composites. The ANN model provides an accurate model for the prediction of lattice parameters of the composites.

Oily sludge is a hazardous waste stream of oil refineries that requires an effective process and an environment-friendly route to convert and recover valuable products. In this study, the pyrolytic conversion of the wet waste oil sludge was implemented in an autoclave pyrolyzer and a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) at 5°C/min, 20°C/min, and 40°C/min, respectively. The kinetic analysis was performed using model-free methods, such as Friedman, Kissenger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), and Ozawa–Flynn–Wall (OFW) to examine the complex reaction mechanism. The average activation energy of wet waste oil sludge (WWOS) estimated from Friedman, KAS, and OFW methods was 198.68 ± 66.27 kJ/mol, 194.60 ± 56.99 kJ/mol, and 193.28 ± 54.88 kJ/mol, respectively. The activation energy increased with the conversion, indicating that complex multi-step processes are involved in the thermal degradation of WWOS. An artificial neural network (ANN) was employed to predict the conversion during heating at various heating rates. ANN allows complex non-linear relationships between the response variable and its predictors. nH, ΔG, and ΔS were found to be 191.26 ± 2.82 kJ/mol, 240.79 ± 2.82 kJ/mol, and −9.67 J/mol K, respectively. The positive values of ΔH and ΔG and the slightly negative value of ΔS indicate the endothermic nature of the conversion process, which is non-spontaneous without the supply of energy.

Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is recognized as a valuable product of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) derived from cellulosic materials that could find future bioplastic application if a feasible separation process is developed. To find a commercially available solvent that can selectivity separate FDCA and HMF as well as the downstream process was supported by Py-GC-MS experiments with density functional theory (DFT). Evaluation of the sigma potential and sigma surface analysis showed that benzene and ethyl acetate have better extraction and selectivity of HMF, whereas FDCA indicated ideal behavior in DMF and DMSO solvents, where the hydrophobicity is changed by improving the hydrogen-bonding interaction between them. The up-down selection of classes of solvents based on the experimental data found by GC-MS revealed that polar molecular solvents (ethanol-water) are more compatible with carboxylic acids and alcohol compounds, while n-hexane is a desirable solvent for phenolic compounds. It is discovered that levoglucosan retains a significant fraction of water compared to other solvents that need to be considered for further economic and environmental analyses under the multifaceted framework of biomass-derived products.

Multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) can lead to male infertility due to impaired sperm motility and morphology. Calmodulin- and spoke-associated complex (CSC) are known for their roles in radial spoke (RS) assembly and ciliary motility in Chlamydomonas, while the role of cilia- and flagella-associated protein 61 (CFAP61), a mammalian ortholog of the CSC subunits, in humans is yet unknown. Here, we recruited three unrelated Pakistani families comprising of 11 infertile male patients diagnosed with MMAF. CFAP61 variants, c.451_452del (p.I151Nfs*4) in family 1 and c.847C > T (p.R283*) in family 2 and 3, were identified recessively co-segregating with the MMAF phenotype. Transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed severe disorganized axonemal ultrastructures, and missings of central pair, RSs, and inner dynein arms were also observed and confirmed by immunofluorescence staining in spermatozoa from patients. CFAP61 and CFAP251 signals were absent from sperm tails of the patients, which suggested the loss of functional CSC in sperm flagella. Altogether, our findings report that homozygous variants in CFAP61 are associated with MMAF and male infertility, demonstrating the essential role of this gene in normal sperm flagellum structure in humans.

Coffee is a globally consumed beverage that produces a substantial amount of valuable organic waste known as spent coffee grounds (SCG). Although SCG is a non-edible biomass, research initiatives focused on valorizing/utilizing its organic content, protecting the environment, and reducing the high oxygen demand required for its natural degradation. The integration with biorefinery in general and with pyrolysis process in specific is considerered the most successful solid waste management strategy of SCG that produce energy and high-value products. This paper aims at providing a quantitative analysis and discussion of research work done over the last 20 years on SCG as a feedstock in the circular bioeconomy (CBE). Management stratigies of SCG have been thoroughly reviewed and pyrolysis process has been explored as a novel technology in CBE. Results revealed that explored articles belong to Chemical, physical., biological and environmental science branches, with Energy & Fuels as the most reporting themes. Published works correlate SCG to renewable energy, biofuel, and bio-oil, with pyrolysis as a potential valorization approach. Literature review showed that only one study focused on the pyrolysis of defatted spent coffee grounds (DSCG). The insightful conclusions of this paper could assist in proposing several paths to more economically valorization of SCG through biorefinery, where extracted oil can be converted to biofuels or value-added goods. It was highlighted the importance of focusing on the coupling of SCG with CBE as solid waste managment strategy. Deanship of Scientific Research, King Faisal University Scopus