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This study sought to identify the most accurate forecasting models for COVID-19-confirmed cases, deaths, and recovered patients in Pakistan. For COVID-19, time series data are available from 16 April to 15 August 2021 from the Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination’s health advice portal. Descriptive as well as time series models, autoregressive integrated moving average, exponential smoothing models (Brown, Holt, and Winters), neural networks, and Error, Trend, Seasonal (ETS) models were applied. The analysis was carried out using the R coding language. The descriptive analysis shows that the average number of confirmed cases, COVID-19-related deaths, and recovered patients reported each day were 2,916, 69.43, and 2,772, respectively. The highest number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and fatalities per day, however, were recorded on April 17, 2021 and April 27, 2021, respectively. ETS (M, N, M), neural network, nonlinear autoregressive (NNAR) (3, 1, 2), and NNAR (8, 1, 4) forecasting models were found to be the best among all other competing models for the reported confirmed cases, deaths, and recovered patients, respectively. COVID-19-confirmed outbreaks, deaths, and recovered patients were predicted to rise on average by around 0.75, 5.08, and 19.11% daily. These statistical results will serve as a guide for disease management and control.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of oyster mushroom stem waste supplementation on the grown performance of quails. For this a total of 240 days old quails were purchased from a reputed hatchery. Equal number of chicks was assigned to four groups and each group was further replicated three times. Each replicate consisted of 20 chicks. Group PO-0 was considered as control and was fed with commercial ration with no supplementation. Group PO-1 was fed with commercial ration supplemented with 10 g mushroom waste/kg of feed. While group PO-2 and group PO-3 was fed with commercial ration supplemented with 20g and 30g of mushroom waste/kg of feed respectively. The study revealed that there was no notable impact on feed intake. However, there was a significant increase (P<0.05) in weight gain observed in the PO-3 group, accompanied by a considerably lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the same group. No instances of mortality were recorded in either the control or experimental groups. Nevertheless, there was a noteworthy improvement in dressing percentage observed in the PO-3 group. Additionally, the antibody titers against NDV, IBV, and IBDV were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the PO-3 group. Similarly, the histological features of the cecum, including villus height, width, and their respective ratio, were significantly higher in PO3 compared to the control group. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that supplementing the diet with various levels of oyster mushroom stem waste led to improved growth performance, enhanced immunity, and improved gut morphology in quails, all without affecting liver and kidney functions. The most favorable outcomes were achieved when oyster mushroom stem waste was incorporated at a 3% level in the feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optoelectronic devices are being extensively employed nowadays that are vital to diverse range of the appliances. The exploration of apposite materials for such efficient devices appears to be challenging. So, this study recommends novel combinations of chalcogenides as high energy materials that are seldom ever described. Here, density function theory (DFT) is employed to analyze the phase stability, optoelectronic, mechanical, thermodynamic, and vibrational properties of tellurium-based ternary chalcogenides XScTe2 (X = Li, Rb) by utilizing Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof-generalized gradient approximation (PBE-GGA) and HSE06 through CASTEP simulation code. The observed minimum magnitude of free energy for these structures is found to be well-consistent with the stability requirements of the thermodynamics that confirms their chemical stability. The indirect energy band gap declares them semiconductors. Significant absorption is noticed in the ultraviolet (UV) range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The mechanical properties determined through Voigt–Reuss–Hill approximation determine mechanical instability due to the appearance of some negative elastic constants. Pugh's ratios evaluated as larger than 1.75 while demonstrating its ductile nature. The comprehensive analysis of thermodynamic behavior declares that these are thermodynamically stable materials. The density functional perturbation theory (DFPT) delineates no imaginary frequencies signifying both these compounds as stable materials. The thorough examination suffices to identify these materials as effective ones for optoelectronic uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (UNAIDS) has risen as the serious public health problem across the world. Knowledge about HIV/AIDS is the cornerstone for prevention and treatment. Research is needed to explore the attitude and the effect of different demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic and media exposure factors on males knowledge about HIV in Pakistan. In this study, latest secondary data are used from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18. Sample results show that the majority of the respondents (70%) have knowledge about AIDS. Regression Modeling reveals that man's knowledge about HIV/AIDS is associated with age, place of residence, educational level, wealth index, ethnicity and media exposure factors. Males of age group 35-39, with higher education, belonging to Pukthon ethnicity, having exposure to mass media on a daily basis and belonging to richest wealth quintile has high Knowledge of HIV/AIDS. For example, the regression model predicts that men between the ages of 35 and 39 from Islamabad who live in urban areas, have higher education, are of Pukhtoon ethnicity, are the head of the household, belong to the richest quintile, work in professional occupations, and use media exposure factors on a daily basis would have probability of 97% of having knowledge of HIV/AIDS. But there is still need to focus to increase the men's knowledge of HIV/AIDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]