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This study examined how Lithuania’s CO2 emissions were affected by macroeconomic variables and mortality rates between 1995 and 2020. ARDL analysis, cointegration regression, diagnostics test, and robustness test were used to quantify the impact of mortality rates, macroeconomic variables, and CO2 emissions. The findings of the unit root test confirmed that all variables are stationary. Similarly, the ARDL bound test values show that the variables are cointegrated and that a long-run relationship exists between them. However, the ARDL methods both showed that mortality rates, trade openness, and economic growth have a significant positive impact on CO2 emissions. Hence, renewable energy consumption helps reduce CO2 emissions. Furthermore, diagnostic tests confirmed no serial correlation, no heteroscedasticity exists, and robust tests also show that the model is stable. While cointegration regression results are similar to the ARDL model test. The study analysis suggests the essential policy recommendations aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and the need to improve health sectors (specifically, mortality rates under 5). This study expands the existing literature on environmental economics, and its findings will help improve policy and frameworks in Lithuania to reduce carbon emissions.

Abstract Background The increasing prevalence of physical inactivity, declining fitness, and rising childhood obesity highlight the importance of physical literacy (PL), as a foundational component for fostering lifelong health and active lifestyle. This recognition necessitates the development of effective tools for PL assessment that are applicable across diverse cultural landscapes. Aim This study aimed to translate the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy-2 (CAPL-2) into Urdu and adapt it for the Pakistani cultural context, to assess PL among children aged 8–12 years in Pakistan. Method The Urdu version of CAPL-2 was administered among 1,360 children aged 8–12 from 87 higher secondary schools across three divisions in South Punjab province, Pakistan. Statistical analysis includes test-retest reliability and construct validity, employing confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the tool’s performance both overall and within specific subdomains. Results The Urdu version of CAPL-2 demonstrated strong content validity, with a Content Validity Ratio of 0.89. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure proposed by the original developers, evidenced by excellent model fit indices (GFI = 0.984, CFI = 0.979, TLI = 0.969, RMSEA = 0.041). High internal consistency was observed across all domains (α = 0.988 to 0.995), with significant correlations among most, excluding the Knowledge and Understanding domains. Notably, gender and age significantly influenced performance, with boys generally scoring higher than girls, with few exceptions. Conclusion This study marks a significant step in the cross-cultural adaptation of PL assessment tools, successfully validating the CAPL-2 Urdu version for the Pakistani context for the first time. The findings affirm the tool’s suitability for assessing PL among Pakistani children, evidencing its validity and reliability across the Pakistani population.

BackgroundThe effect of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on the relationship of physical activity (PA), and physical literacy (PL) in 8–12 Pakistani children are largely unknown. Therefore, this study aims to examine the mediating role of CRF in the relationship between PA and PL in this demographic.MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved 1,360 children aged 8–12 (mean age = 10.00, SD = 1.41 years) from 85 higher secondary schools in South Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected during the 2020–2021 academic year using the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy-2 (CAPL-2) protocol to assess physical activity (PA), Body Mass Index (BMI), and PL levels. CRF was measured using the PACER (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run) test. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, Chi-squared tests, and Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale, and Shape (GAMLSS) were used for age and sex-specific CAPL-2 scoring. Associations among components were evaluated through Pearson's correlation, multivariate logistic regression, and mediation analyses.ResultsThe study revealed that boys had significantly higher scores in CRF, PA, and PL across all age groups compared to girls (p

BackgroundThe physical health of adolescents is crucial for the prosperity and sustainable development of a nation. Developing specific growth standards is essential for prioritizing the wellbeing of the youth of Pakistan. This study aimed to establish normative standards for height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) among 12- to 16-year-olds in South Punjab, facilitating accurate health assessments and tailored interventions.MethodThis study utilized a cross-sectional design and stratified random sampling to select 2,970 adolescents (49.73% boys and 50.26% girls) aged 12–16 years from South Punjab, Pakistan. Anthropometric measurements, including height, weight, and BMI, were collected. The data were stratified by age and sex, and smoothed percentile curves were computed using the LMS method, which incorporates the L (γ-lambda), M (μ-mu), and S (δ-sigma) parameters. The results were compared to international references to provide a comprehensive analysis.ResultsThe results highlight sex-specific trends in anthropometric indicators among adolescents. Boys exhibited higher mean values in height (160.50 ± 11.50 cm), weight (45.02 ± 9.78 kg), and BMI (17.30 ± 2.41) than girls (158.57 ± 9.34 cm, 41.00 ± 7.89 kg, and 16.29 ± 2.82, respectively). Growth patterns indicate boys grow faster in height and weight between ages 12 and 14, whereas girls show slower annual increases. Comparative analysis with international standards reveals that boys’ height and weight were generally lower than international medians (P50th), whereas girls’ height was comparable or higher. BMI values for both sexes were lower than international norms, reflecting unique regional growth patterns.ConclusionThis research establishes updated age- and sex-specific normative reference standards for adolescents in South Punjab, Pakistan. The study revealed that Pakistani adolescent boys exhibit higher mean values in height, weight, and BMI than girls, with faster growth rates between ages 12 and 14. Compared to international standards, Pakistani adolescents show lower BMI values, highlighting unique regional growth patterns. These standards have practical applications in screening, monitoring, and health strategy planning, contributing to efforts to promote a healthier future for the population. Future studies are recommended to utilize these local growth references for health surveillance and treatment in the local population.

Abstract Background Premature aortic involvement and comprehensive management strategies in familial hypercholesterolemia familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder, poses significant challenges due to its propensity for elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, premature coronary heart disease, and vascular atherosclerosis. Case presentation Unraveling Cardiovascular Complexities: A Striking Familial Hypercholesterolemia. This case study delves into a remarkable instance of FH in a 16-year-old female who presented with chest pain and worsening dyspnea. Diagnostic evaluation revealed distinct electrocardiographic changes, elevated troponin levels, and profound dyslipidemia. Remarkable findings on transthoracic echocardiography, computed tomography angiography, and catheterization prompted multidisciplinary interventions and demonstrated remarkable enhancements in ventricular function, mitral regurgitation, and aortic stenosis. Conclusion The case study underscores the urgency of comprehensive management strategies in confronting the myriad challenges of FH, emphasizing the value of early intervention, innovative therapies, and rigorous imaging modalities for unraveling the intricate cardiovascular manifestations of this condition.

Background: Heart Failure (HF) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) often coexist, and each condition independently increases the likelihood of developing the other. While there has been concern regarding the increasing burden of disease for both conditions individually over the last decade, a comprehensive examination of mortality trends and demographic and regional disparities needs to be thoroughly explored in the United States (US). Methods: This study analyzed death certificates from the CDC WONDER database, focusing on mortality caused by the co-occurrence of HF and DM in adults aged 75 and older from 1999 to 2020. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) and annual percent changes (APCs) were computed and categorized by year, gender, race, census region, state, and metropolitan status. Results: A total of 663,016 deaths were reported in patients with coexisting HF and DM. Overall, AAMR increased from 154.1 to 186.1 per 100,000 population between 1999 and 2020, with a notable significant increase from 2018 to 2020 (APC: 11.30). Older men had consistently higher AAMRs than older women (185 vs. 135.4). Furthermore, we found that AAMRs were highest among non-Hispanic (NH) American Indian or Alaskan natives and lowest in NH Asian or Pacific Islanders (214.4 vs. 104.1). Similarly, AAMRs were highest in the Midwestern region and among those dwelling in non-metropolitan areas. Conclusions: Mortality from HF and DM has risen significantly in recent years, especially among older men, NH American Indian or Alaska Natives, and those in non-metropolitan areas. Urgent policies need to be developed to address these disparities and promote equitable healthcare access.

Abstract Despite attractive cost‐effectiveness, scalability, and superior stability, carbon‐based printable perovskite solar cells (CPSCs) still face moisture‐induced degradation that limits their lifespan and commercial potential. Here, the moisture‐preventing mechanisms of thin nanostructured super‐repellent coating (advancing contact angle >167° and contact angle hysteresis 7°) integrated into CPSCs are investigated for different moisture forms (falling water droplets vs water vapor vs condensed water droplets). It is shown that unencapsulated super‐repellent CPSCs have superior performance under continuous droplet impact for 12 h (rain falling experiments) compared to unencapsulated pristine (uncoated) CPSCs that degrade within seconds. Contrary to falling water droplets, where super‐repellent coating serves as a shield, water vapor is found to physisorb through porous super‐repellent coating (room temperature and relative humidity, RH 65% and 85%) that increase the CPSCs performance for 21% during ≈43 d similarly to pristine CPSCs. It is further shown that water condensation forms within or below the super‐repellent coating (40 °C and RH 85%), followed by chemisorption and degradation of CPSCs. Because different forms of water have distinct effects on CPSC, it is suggested that future standard tests for repellent CPSCs should include rain falling and condensate formation tests. The findings will thus inspire the development of super‐repellent coatings for moisture prevention.

The increasing deployment of Internet of Things devices has introduced significant cyber security challenges, creating a need for robust intrusion detection systems. This research focuses on improving anomaly detection in industrial Internet of Things networks through feature reduction and selection. Experiments were performed to compare the effectiveness of Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance for feature selection with Principal Component Analysis for feature reduction. Six machine learning algorithms—Decision Trees, k-nearest neighbors, Gaussian Support Vector Machine, Neural Network, Support Vector Machines kernel, and Logistic Regression Kernel—were evaluated for both binary and multi-class classification using feature sets of 4, 12, 23, 50, and 79 features. The results reveal that Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance is superior to Principal Component Analysis in identifying crucial features. Notably, Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance achieves high accuracy with just 12 features, where the Decision Tree classifier reached an outstanding 99.9% accuracy in binary classification, and k-nearest neighbors achieved 99% accuracy in multi-class classification. The article emphasizes the critical role of feature engineering, with a specific focus on feature selection and reduction, and elaborates on applying MRMR and PCA algorithms to various feature sets. By comparing these methods, it showcases their influence on both model performance and complexity, leading to the development of more efficient and precise intrusion detection systems for Industrial IoT networks. What sets this study apart from previous ones is its novel demonstration of how these techniques significantly reduce training time and model complexity while maintaining or even improving performance, confirming the effectiveness of strategic feature utilization in strengthening Industrial IoT security by balancing accuracy, speed, and model size.

Background: Zygomatic bone, a malar bone or cheekbone usually works as eye socket. All over the world, around 15 to 20 million people are traumatized with road accidents. Over 50% of these statistics are diagnosed with zygomatic fractured bone. There are different approaches of therapy to treat zygomatic fractured bone. In this research, two approaches have been studied. The Percutaneous Hook approach is extraoral while Keen’s approach is intraoral. The objective of this study was to evaluate outcomes of two different treatment protocols (percutaneous bone hook method and Keen’s method) for reduction of zygomatic bone fracture. Methods: This comparative analytical study conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad, Pakistan. Subjects with displaced isolated zygomatic bone fracture were divided in two groups, Group A (Percutaneous Hook Method) and Group B (Keen’s Method). The data was analyzed through SPSS and p

This study investigated the habits and attitudes of individuals towards poultry consumption, utilizing primary data collected through a survey of 5 households from 285 localities in Tehsil Shakargarh, Punjab, Pakistan (n = 1425). Household selection was randomized, and personal visits were conducted for data collection via formal interviews employing a structured questionnaire. Coordinates for each site were obtained using a Garmin eTrex device, in conjunction with meteorological data, to determine global positioning system (GPS) coordinates. A notable portion of respondents (38.8 %) possessed basic knowledge, while the majority (61.2 %) demonstrated intermediate knowledge regarding commercial broilers (chickens raised for meat production). A significant proportion (70.3 %) harbored misconceptions about the inclusion of hormones/antibiotics in poultry feed, with a minority (0.2 %) misinformed about broiler chickens' leg weakness. Some respondents (17.3 %) held both misconceptions, while others (12.2 %) had none. The majority (97.6 %) favored egg consumption, with 51.7 % preferring commercial chicken eggs and 48.3 % opting for domestic chicken eggs. Preference for white-colored eggs (51.5 %) slightly outweighed that for brown-colored eggs (48.5 %). A minority (1.3 %) speculated that poultry consumption could be a potential cause of COVID-19, while the majority (65.7 %) disagreed, and a portion (33.0 %) remained uncertain. Nearly all respondents (99.9 %) believed in the immunity-boosting properties of protein intake, with 65 % associating such benefits with poultry meat and eggs. Similarly, 99.7 % did not encounter difficulties in accessing poultry products during lockdowns. Approximately half (46.3 %) of respondents believed that consuming well-cooked and safely handled poultry meat was safe during outbreaks. Poultry meat and eggs emerged as potentially efficient sources of nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for protein-deficient populations like Pakistan. Therefore, initiatives should focus on enhancing commercial poultry production and educating the populace about its advantages.

In this article, we define and discuss some new subclasses of bi-univalent functions associated with Fibonacci numbers and shell-like curves. We estimate the first two Taylor-Maclaurin coefficients for functions belonging to these classes. We study the inequalities related with Fekete-Szegö type. Furthermore, we point out some corollaries related to existing result.

Abstract Motorbike spoke wheel injuries (SWIs) among children are a notable public health concern, especially in low and middle-income regions. The primary objective of this study is to comprehensively examine the patterns of motorbike spoke wheel injuries (SWIs) in children. Additionally, the study introduces a novel classification system for these injuries. The implementation of this classification system aims to streamline the management of SWIs, making it more efficient and facilitating the development of standardized treatment protocols. This prospective observational study was conducted in the Accident and Emergency Department from January 2019 to 2021. Children

Objectives: The aim was to study the types of gynaecological cancers and their stages at the time when patients first presented at the cancer registry of a major cancer hospital. Methods: This observational study was carried out in a large cancer hospital in Pakistan. We analysed secondary data on new cases of gynaecological cancer without age restriction of the patient. Fully anonymised data were obtained retrospectively from the cancer registry for 3 years from 01 January 2018 to 31 December 2020. Data were analysed for frequencies and descriptive statistics using SPSS. Results: A total of 285 new cases of gynaecological cancer were registered in the cancer registry during the study period. The patients had a median age of 52 years (mean 51.3, SD 15.7), and all had no education. Ovarian cancer was the most common gynaecologic cancer (57.9%, n = 165), followed by cervical cancer (25.9%, n = 74), uterine (endometrial) cancer (10.9%, n = 31), vaginal cancer (3.9%, n = 10), and choriocarcinoma (1.4%, n = 4). About 32% of the patients had stage 1 cancer (n = 89), 37.5% had stage 2 cancer (n = 105), 25.7% had stage 3 cancer (n = 72), and 5% had stage 4 cancer (n = 14). Conclusion: Ovarian, cervical, uterine, and vaginal cancers are the most prevalent gynaecological cancers. In Pakistan, women with gynaecological cancers, especially those who are uneducated and live in rural areas, attend tertiary care cancer hospitals with advanced cancers that can have a poor prognosis.

Ras-related Rap1A GTPase is implicated in pancreas β-cell insulin secretion and is stimulated by the cAMP sensor Epac2, a guanine exchange factor and activator of Rap1 GTPase. In this study, we examined the differential proteomic profiles of pancreata from C57BL/6 Rap1A-deficient (Null) and control wild-type (WT) mice with nanoLC-ESI-MS/MS to assess targets of Rap1A potentially involved in insulin regulation. We identified 77 overlapping identifier proteins in both groups, with 8 distinct identifier proteins in Null versus 56 distinct identifier proteins in WT mice pancreata. Functional enrichment analysis showed four of the eight Null unique proteins, ERO1-like protein β (Ero1lβ), triosephosphate isomerase (TP1), 14-3-3 protein γ, and kallikrein-1, were exclusively involved in insulin biogenesis, with roles in insulin metabolism. Specifically, the mRNA expression of Ero1lβ and TP1 was significantly (p < 0.05) increased in Null versus WT pancreata. Rap1A deficiency significantly affected glucose tolerance during the first 15–30 min of glucose challenge but showed no impact on insulin sensitivity. Ex vivo glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) studies on isolated Null islets showed significantly impaired GSIS. Furthermore, in GSIS-impaired islets, the cAMP-Epac2-Rap1A pathway was significantly compromised compared to the WT. Altogether, these studies underscore an essential role of Rap1A GTPase in pancreas physiological function.

Community-acquired pneumonia is one of the most lethal infectious diseases, especially for infants and the elderly. Given the variety of causative agents, the accurate early detection of pneumonia is an active research area. To the best of our knowledge, scoping reviews on diagnostic techniques for pneumonia are lacking. In this scoping review, three major electronic databases were searched and the resulting research was screened. We categorized these diagnostic techniques into four classes (i.e., lab-based methods, imaging-based techniques, acoustic-based techniques, and physiological-measurement-based techniques) and summarized their recent applications. Major research has been skewed towards imaging-based techniques, especially after COVID-19. Currently, chest X-rays and blood tests are the most common tools in the clinical setting to establish a diagnosis; however, there is a need to look for safe, non-invasive, and more rapid techniques for diagnosis. Recently, some non-invasive techniques based on wearable sensors achieved reasonable diagnostic accuracy that could open a new chapter for future applications. Consequently, further research and technology development are still needed for pneumonia diagnosis using non-invasive physiological parameters to attain a better point of care for pneumonia patients.

Abstract Introduction An enhanced knowledge of Emergency Medicine (EM) personnel regarding negative Social Determinants of Health (SDH) can impact EM service provision in a resource limited country like Pakistan. Interventions to build capacity in identifying and addressing these SDH through education in Social Emergency Medicine (SEM) can be one of the ways in which EM key performance indicators (KPIs) can be improved. Method A SEM based curriculum was administered to the EM residents at a tertiary care center in Karachi, Pakistan. Pre, post and delayed post-test was conducted for knowledge of EM residents and analyzed using Repeated Measures ANOVA (RMANOVA). Clinical impact of this intervention was assessed through the ability of the residents to identify the patients’ SDH and determining appropriate disposition. Comparison of the bounce-back of patients in the pre-intervention (2020) and post-intervention year (2021) year was appreciated to see the clinical impact of this intervention. Result A significant improvement was seen in post intervention (p

Objective: To determine the frequency of infections in cardiac implantable Electronic device patients, identify risk factors, and look for optimization in reducing Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device infections, with a resultant decrease in mortality and morbidity, decrease in hospital stay, and total expenditure. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Electrophysiology Department of National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi Pakistan, from Jul 2019 to Jun 2020. Methodology: The study was conducted on the patients with cardiac implantable devices. Adult patients of either gender with cardiac implantable Electronic device and infection were included. Epicardial leads and surgical site infections within six weeks were excluded. Results: One thousand and forty-six (1046) patients were enrolled in the study. There were 596(57%) male patients. 385(36.8%) patients were implanted with single chamber pacemakers, 390(37.3%) with dual chamber pacemakers, 146(14%) single chamber ICD (implantable cardiac defibrillator), 67(6.4%) dual-chamber cardiac implantable Electronic device, 46(4.4%) CRT-D, 12(1.1%) TPM, 134(12.8%) Re-do, 114(10.9%), 114(10.9%) generator change, 20(1.9%) leads revision, 26(2.5%) patients had extraction. The rate of CIED infection was 34(2.1%). The association of the study parameters with infection rate revealed that type of device (p=0.002), extraction, suture type, and post-procedure hematoma (p

In this study, a copper-containing polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme was extracted from the selected agricultural food products, i.e., Mangifera indica (L.), Solanum tuberosum (L.), and Luffa cylindrica (L.), which has efficiently degraded the azo dyes (Methylene blue, Reactive Black-5, and Toluidine Blue-O) into less toxic compounds. After preparing the dye solution at various concentrations, the PPO enzymes extracted with phosphate buffer were incubated with it for 2 hours. The percentage of decolorization was estimated by using the unprocessed dye solution. The degraded products were characterized by UV–vis and FT-IR. All sets of experiments followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The highest kinetic degradation rate constant was observed at kt = 0.0213 min─1 (R2 = 0.9258) and kt = 0.0244 min─1 (R2 = 0.7627) in reactive black-5 from Mangifera indica (L.) and Solanum tuberosum (L.), respectively. The enzyme extracted from the peel of Solanum tuberosum (L.) decolorized Reactive Black-5 and Toluidine Blue-O dyes to a greater extent, i.e., 83.29 and 70.84% with reaction times of 120 and 90 min, respectively.

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to examine the current evidence regarding the timing of surgical intervention for acetabular fractures and to explore the outcomes of early versus late surgical management. Additionally, this review aims to evaluate the experiences of low-resource settings in managing acetabular fractures. Method: A systematic literature search was conducted using electronic databases to identify relevant studies published between 2010 and 2022. Inclusion criteria consisted of studies that assessed the timing of surgical intervention for acetabular fractures and reported on outcomes such as pain, functional outcomes, and radiographic healing. A total of 22 studies were included in this review. Literature Review: The literature review revealed conflicting evidence regarding the optimal timing of surgical intervention for acetabular fractures. Some studies suggested that early intervention leads to improved outcomes in terms of pain relief, functional outcomes, and radiographic healing. However, other studies found no significant differences in outcomes between early and delayed surgical management. The experience of low-resource settings also showed comparable outcomes to those of high-income settings, although studies in these settings were limited. Results: The results of this literature review suggest that the timing of surgical intervention for acetabular fractures remains controversial. While some studies suggest that early intervention may result in better outcomes, others found no significant differences in outcomes between early and delayed surgery. Furthermore, the experience of low-resource settings suggests that successful outcomes can be achieved despite limited resources. However, further studies in these settings are needed to better understand the challenges and limitations of managing acetabular fractures in low-resource settings.

Abstract Background To detect and identify mosquitoes using their characteristic high-pitched sound, we have developed a smartphone application, known as the ‘HumBug sensor’, that records the acoustic signature of this sound, along with the time and location. This data is then sent remotely to a server where algorithms identify the species according to their distinctive acoustic signature. Whilst this system works well, a key question that remains is what mechanisms will lead to effective uptake and use of this mosquito survey tool? We addressed this question by working with local communities in rural Tanzania and providing three alternative incentives: money only, short message service (SMS) reminders and money, and SMS reminders only. We also had a control group with no incentive. Methods A multi-site, quantitative empirical study was conducted in four villages in Tanzania from April to August 2021. Consenting participants (n = 148) were recruited and placed into one of the three intervention arms: monetary incentives only; SMS reminders with monetary incentives; and SMS reminders only. There was also a control group (no intervention). To test effectiveness of the mechanisms, the number of audio uploads to the server of the four trial groups on their specific dates were compared. Qualitative focus group discussions and feedback surveys were also conducted to explore participants’ perspectives on their participation in the study and to capture their experiences of using the HumBug sensor. Results Qualitative data analysis revealed that for many participants (37 out of 81), the main motivation expressed was to learn more about the types of mosquitoes present in their houses. Results from the quantitative empirical study indicate that the participants in the ‘control’ group switched on their HumBug sensors more over the 14-week period (8 out of 14 weeks) when compared to those belonging to the ‘SMS reminders and monetary incentives’ trial group. These findings are statistically significant (p 0.95 under a two-sided z-test), revealing that the provision of monetary incentives and sending SMS reminders did not appear to encourage greater number of audio uploads when compared to the control. Conclusions Knowledge on the presence of harmful mosquitoes was the strongest motive for local communities to collect and upload mosquito sound data via the HumBug sensor in rural Tanzania. This finding suggests that most efforts should be made to improve flow of real-time information back to the communities on types and risks associated with mosquitoes present in their houses.

Polyphenolic compounds are vital components of plants. However, their analysis is particularly difficult and challenging due to their similar chemical and structural properties. In this study, we developed a simple and reproducible HPLC-DAD protocol for determining nineteen pharmacologically important polyphenols in plant-based food samples, including fruits (apple, banana, grapefruit, peach, grapes, plum, and pear), vegetables (onion, cabbage, capsicum, garlic, lemon, tomato, potato, and spinach), and other edible items (corn, kidney beans, green tea, black tea, and turmeric). The reference standards were pooled into four different groups based on logP values and expected retention time to avoid compound co-elution. These developed methods will be useful for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of biologically important polyphenolic compounds in various food samples and botanicals.

Improvements in technology have led to further enhancements in cyber security threats. Additionally, the mass application of IoT technology and networks has made the ecosystem vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Thus, this study focuses on analysing methods to enhance the security and privacy of IoT devices and networks against cyber threats/AI through a primary quantitative method. The methodology section looks into different factors associated with the development of the study. In order to analyse cyber security, a primary quantitative method is employed. It is found that factors such as data security protocol, type of IoT device, users’ precautions, and regulatory policy are related to the security measures of the study. The discussion section briefly considers the findings of the study. Moreover, detailed observation can be found in the discussion section of the study.

Infectious diseases remain among the most pressing concerns for human health. This issue has grown even more complex with the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. To address bacterial infections, nanoparticles have emerged as a promising avenue, offering the potential to target bacteria at multiple levels and effectively eliminate them. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AA-AgNPs) were synthesized using the leaf extract of a medicinal plant, Abroma augusta. The synthesis method is straightforward, safe, cost-effective, and environment friendly, utilizing the leaf extract of this Ayurvedic herb. The UV-vis absorbance peak at 424 nm indicated the formation of AA-AgNPs, with the involvement of numerous functional groups in the synthesis and stabilization of the particles. AA-AgNPs exhibited robust antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). The MIC values of AA-AgNPs ranged from 8 to 32 μg/mL. Electron microscopic examination of the interaction of AA-AgNPs with the test bacterial pathogens showed a deleterious impact on bacterial morphology, resulting from membrane rupture and leakage of intracellular components. AA-AgNPs also demonstrated a dose-dependent effect in curtailing biofilm formation below inhibitory doses. Overall, this study highlights the potential of AA-AgNPs in the successful inhibition of both the growth and biofilms of MRSA and VRE bacteria. Following studies on toxicity and dose optimization, such AgNPs could be developed into effective medical remedies against infections.

BackgroundThe decline in adolescent physical fitness is a significant global public health concern, and Pakistan is no exception. The country’s absence of a health-related physical fitness (HRPF) evaluation system has compounded this issue. To bridge this gap, this study aims to develop a scientifically-based HRPF evaluation system for the adolescent population that meets international standards. The evaluation system identifies at-risk children and improves adolescent health outcomes, including obesity, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders, chronic diseases, and psychological illnesses, through crucial physical fitness evaluation. This study specifically aims to establish an HRPF evaluation system for school adolescents aged 12–16 in Pakistan.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,970 school adolescents aged 12–16 years in the South Punjab, Pakistan. The study used a stratified sampling technique to select participants. The HRPF evaluation system included four components: cardiorespiratory endurance, core muscular endurance, muscular strength, and body composition. Data were collected through standardized tests and anthropometric measurements.ResultsThe study’s results indicated that the HRPF evaluation scoring system was feasible and valid for evaluating the HRPF of school adolescents in the South Punjab region of Pakistan. The results of the evaluation system categorized participants into five groups based on their performance: excellent (6.2%), good (24.9%), medium (50.7%), poor (17%), and very poor (1.2%).ConclusionThe study establishes an HRPF evaluation system for Pakistani school adolescents. This system lays the foundation for implementing effective strategies to improve their physical health. The findings offer valuable insights to policymakers, health professionals, and educators, enabling them to promote fitness and devise impactful interventions for enhancing HRPF in this population.

Implant placement in edentulous posterior maxilla along the maxillary sinuses poses difficulties following tooth extraction due to ridge resorption and pneumatization of sinuses resulting in inadequate vertical bone height. The maxillary sinus lying close to the posterior maxillary edentulous ridge can be augmented by various methods such as lateral window sinus floor elevation, crestal approach, and grafting procedures. Summers introduced the less invasive approach for the sinus floor elevation known as osteotome sinus floor elevation technique in which the vertical bone height was attained by retaining and relocating existing bone using different graded osteotomes. He further modified this technique by addition of bone graft to the osteotomy site before sinus elevation known as bone added osteotome mediated sinus floor elevation (BAOSFE). This case report shows placement of implant in atrophic maxillary region using BAOSFE technique.

Abstract Background The incidence of heat emergencies, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion, have increased recently due to climate change. This has affected global health and has become an issue of consideration for human health and well-being. Due to overlapping clinical manifestations with other diseases, and most of these emergencies occurring in an elderly patient, patients with a comorbid condition, or patients on poly medicine, diagnosing and managing them in the emergency department can be challenging. This study assessed whether an educational training on heat emergencies, defined as heat intervention in our study, could improve the diagnosis and management practices of ED healthcare providers in the ED setting. Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted in the EDs of four hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. Eight thousand two hundred three (8203) patients were enrolled at the ED triage based on symptoms of heat emergencies. The pre-intervention data were collected from May to July 2017, while the post-intervention data were collected from May to July 2018. The HEAT intervention, consisting of educational activities targeted toward ED healthcare providers, was implemented in April 2018. The outcomes assessed were improved recognition—measured by increased frequency of diagnosing heat emergencies and improved management—measured by increased temperature monitoring, external cooling measures, and intravenous fluids in the post-intervention period compared to pre-intervention. Results Four thousand one hundred eighty-two patients were enrolled in the pre-intervention period and 4022 in the post-intervention period, with at least one symptom falling under the criteria for diagnosis of a heat emergency. The diagnosis rate improved from 3% (n = 125/4181) to 7.5% (n = 7.5/4022) (p-value

Abstract Background The need to improve gender equity (GE) in academic medicine is well documented. Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs), partnerships between leading National Health Service (NHS) organizations and universities in England, conduct world-class translational research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In 2011, eligibility for BRC funding was restricted to universities demonstrating sustained GE success recognized by the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science Silver awards. Despite this structural change, GE research in BRC settings is underdeveloped, yet critical to the acceleration of women’s advancement and leadership. To explore both women’s and men’s perceptions of GE and current markers of achievement in a BRC setting. Methods Thematic analysis of data from two research projects: 53 GE survey respondents’ free-text comments (34 women, 16 men), and 16 semi-structured interviews with women affiliated to the NIHR Oxford BRC. Results Four major themes emerged from the analysis: perceptions of the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science (GE policy); views on monitoring GE in BRCs; views on current markers of achievement in academia and GE; and recommendations for actions to improve GE in BRC settings. Monitoring of GE in BRCs was deemed to be important, but complex. Participants felt that current markers of achievement were not equitable to women, as they did not take contextual factors into account such as maternity leave and caring responsibilities. BRC-specific organizational policies and metrics are needed in order to monitor and catalyse GE. Conclusions Markers of achievement for monitoring GE in BRCs should consider contextual factors specific to BRCs and women’s career progression and professional advancement. GE markers of achievement should be complemented with broader aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion.

This study provides techno-economical insights for acid regeneration and metal recovery from spent acidic wastewater by a diffusion dialysis plate-and-frame module using Quaternized Polyepichlorohydrin – Polyacrylonitrile (QPECH-PAN) membranes. Quaternized Polyepichlorohydrin (QPECH) membranes were synthesized using 1,4-diazobicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) and blended with polyacrylonitrile (PAN). Said membranes were analyzed in terms of their mechanical, physicochemical, and electrochemical characteristics, providing significant results comparable to the commercial membranes (IEC: 1.76 mmol/g, SD: 60.91%, Permselectivity: 79.5 ± 0.31%, and transport no. t(−): 0.5). Mechanical characterization reveals that the QPECH-PAN membranes possess comparable mechanical strengths (tensile strength: 329.56 MPa). Further, sheet resistivity (6.11 Ω cm2) and conductivity (0.16 S/cm2) reveal the relative conductive nature of these membranes. Percent acid recovery and metal ion recovery ratios were found to be 72% and 48% respectively, and separation factors were 126.8 and 84.57 respectively. The QPECH-PAN membrane's techno-economic feasibility was also analyzed within the context of a textile industry processing up to 5500 kg/d of acidic wastewater. It indicates a potential cost saving of US $0.53 million on H2SO4 and NaOH, as well as an OPEX saving of 40.91% against a semi-continuous acid neutralizer.

Metabolomics has been used as a powerful tool for the analysis, and drug-lead identification in medicinal plants and herbal medicines. For the coverage of a broader range of plant-based metabolites using LC-MS, one of the important parameters is the selection of analysis mode and data processing for identification. This paper describes the utility of two distinctive acquisition modes in combination, a classic data-dependent acquisition (DDA) mode and a data-independent acquisition (DIA) mode for obtaining the mass spectrometry data of plant extracts using LC-ESI-QTOF/MS. Tribulus terrestris plant was used as a case study. We have applied three-step data analysis pipeline 1-annotation and putative identification of metabolites, 2-validation, and relative quantification, and 3-multivariate analysis using open-access MS-DIAL, Skyline, and Perseus software. A total of four samples of T. terrestris (aqueous extracts), two fruits, and two whole plant samples, from two different regions, were used. By combining data analysis results of plant fruit samples from two different regions, a total of 95 and 77 metabolites were identified in positive and negative ionization modes, respectively. Similarly, in the analysis of the whole plant from two different regions, 75 and 76 metabolites were identified in positive and negative ionization modes, respectively. We suggested the use of DDA mode for annotation, identification of metabolites, and generation of transition lists in MS-DIAL, furthermore, the use of DIA acquisition mode for enhancing metabolites sensitivity in complex samples, deconvolute MS1/MS2 spectra in Skyline for the quantitative performance and analytical reliability. The developed protocol can be used for the broader coverage of plant-based metabolites.

Introduction A quasi-experimental study was conducted to estimate the impact of sequential emergency department (ED) capacity building interventions on key performance indicators such as patients’ length of stay (LOS) and wait time (WT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was achieved through augmenting personnel education and head count, space restructuring and workflow reorganisation.Setting and participants This study included 268 352 patients presenting from January 2019 to December 2020 at Indus Hospital and Health network Karachi, a philanthropic tertiary healthcare facility in a city of 20 million residents. A follow-up study was undertaken from January to December 2021 with 123 938 participants.Primary and secondary outcome measures These included mean and median ED-LOS and WT for participants presenting in different cohorts. The results of the pre-COVID-19 year 2019 (phase 0) were compared with that of the COVID-19 year, 2020 (phases 1–3 corresponding to peaks, and phase 4 corresponding to reduction in caseloads). The follow-up was conducted in 2021 to see the sustainability of the sequential capacity building.Results Phases 1, 2 and 3 had a lower mean adjusted LOS (4.42, 3.92 and 4.40 hours) compared with phase 0 (4.78 hours, p

Abstract Phase change memory (PCM) is one of the most promising candidates for non‐von Neumann based analog in‐memory computing–particularly for inference of previously‐trained deep neural networks (DNN). It is shown that PCM electrical properties can be tuned systematically using a projection liner, which is designed for resistance drift mitigation, in the manufacturable mushroom PCM. A systematic study of the electrical properties‐including resistance values, memory window, resistance drift, read noise, and their impact on the accuracy of large neural networks of various types and with tens of millions of weights is performed. It is sown that the DNN accuracy can be improved by the PCM with liner for both the short term and long term after programming, due to reduced resistance drift and read noise, respectively, despite the trade‐off of reduced memory window. The liner conductance, PCM device characteristics, and network inference accuracy with PCM memory window and reset state conductance is correlated, which allows us to identify the device optimization space to achieve better short term and long term accuracy for large neural networks.

Abstract The objective was to identify translational researchers’ training and development needs, preferences, and barriers to attending training. This cross‐sectional study involved an online questionnaire survey. The research population comprised a convenience sample of translational researchers and support staff (N = 798) affiliated with the National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. The response rate was 24%. Of 189 respondents, 114 were women (60%) and 75 were men (40%). The respondents were mainly research scientists (31%), medical doctors and dentists (17%), and research nurses and midwives (16%). Many of the respondents had attended at least one training course in the last year (68%). Training in statistics and data analysis was the most common training received (20%). Leadership training was the most wanted training (25%). Morning was the most preferred time of training (60%). Half a day was the ideal duration of a training course (41%). The main teaching hospital site was the most preferred location of training (46%). An interactive workshop was the most favored delivery style of training (52%). Most common barriers to attending training were the lack of time (31%), work (21%) and clinical commitments (19%), and family and childcare responsibilities (14%). Some differences in training needs, preferences, and barriers were found by gender and role, though these were not statistically significant. Translational researchers want short, easily accessible, and interactive training sessions during the working day. The training needs, preferences, and barriers to attending training need to be considered while developing inclusive training programs in biomedical research settings.

Candida spp. is one of the most common opportunistic human fungal pathogens, responsible for 90–100% of mucosal infections. Germ tube formation, hyphal morphogenesis, the production of tissue-damaging extracellular enzymes, and drug-resistant biofilm formation contribute to their pathogenicity, which can lead to systemic infections in the worst scenarios. Thus, there is an urgent need to discover new therapeutic agents to overcome the above virulence factors. Therefore, we aimed to prepare Crinum latifolium leaves-mediated biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) that was characterized by various sophisticated techniques, and further their antifungal, antibiofilm, and anti-virulence activities was investigated. The AuNPs show a zone of inhibition between 19 and 22 mm for test strains of Candida spp. at 1000 µg/ml, whereas the MIC values were ranged from 250 to 500 µg/ml. AuNPs inhibit germ tube formation in C. albicans by 93.3% at 50 µg/ml. Furthermore, exposure to AuNPs significantly reduced the secretions of phospholipase, proteinase, hemolysin, esterase, and lipase. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) investigation shows that 25 µg/ml of AuNPs significantly inhibit colonization and biofilm formation. Lastly, the interaction of Candidal cells with AuNPs revealed, ultrastructural changes in the cell wall and cell membranes as visualized by a transmission electron microscope (TEM).

The continuous development of resistance to antibiotic drugs by microorganisms causes high mortality and morbidity. Pathogens with distinct features and biochemical abilities make them destructive to human health. Therefore, early identification of the pathogen is of substantial importance for quick ailments and healthcare outcomes. Several phenotype methods are used for the identification and resistance determination but most of the conventional procedures are time-consuming, costly, and give qualitative results. Recently, great focus has been made on the utilization of advanced techniques for microbial identification. This review is focused on the research studies performed in the last five years for the identification of microorganisms particularly, bacteria using advanced spectroscopic techniques including mass spectrometry (MS), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy (RS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Among all the techniques, MS techniques, particularly MALDI-TOF/MS have been widely utilized for microbial identification. A total of 44 bacteria i.e., 6 Staphylococcus spp., 3 Enterococcus spp., 6 Bacillus spp., 4 Streptococcus spp., 6 Salmonella spp., and one from each genus including Escherichia, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Proteus, Clostridioides, Candida, Brucella, Burkholderia, Francisella, Yersinia, Moraxella, Vibrio, Shigella, Serratia, Citrobacter, and Haemophilus (spp.) were discussed in the review for their identification using the above-mentioned techniques. Among all the identified microorganisms, 21% of studies have been conducted for the identification of E. coli, 14% for S. aureus followed by 37% for other microorganisms.

Some types of machine learning rely on the interaction between multiple signals, which requires new devices for efficient implementation. Here, Sarwat et al demonstrate a memristor that is both optically and electronically active, enabling computational models such as three factor learning.

In this paper, we will discuss some generalized classes of analytic functions related with conic domains in the context of q-calculus. In this work, we define and explore Janowski type q-starlike functions in q -conic domains. We investigate some important properties such as necessary and sufficient conditions, coefficient estimates, convolution results, linear combination, weighted mean, arithmetic mean, radii of starlikeness, growth and distortion results for these classes. It is important to mention that our results are generalization of number of existing results.

The leaves of the Aegle marmelos plant were used for the green synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles and further characterized by different techniques, including (Ultra Violet-Visible) UV-Vis, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The UV-Vis showed a peak at 330 nm, which may be due to the Surface Plasmon Resonance phenomenon. XRD analysis showed the crystalline nature of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs). In contrast, SEM showed that nanoparticles were not aggregated or clumped, EDX showed the presence of elemental copper., and further, the TEM analysis revealed the average particle size of copper oxide nanoparticles to be 32 nm. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcusaureus (S. aureus) was found to be 400 µg/mL, whereas for Candida albicans (C. albicans) and Candida dubliniensis (C. dubliniensis) it was 800 µg/mL. The zone of inhibition in the well diffusion assay showed the antimicrobial activity of copper oxide nanoparticles, and it also showed that as the concentration of copper oxide nanoparticles increased, the zone of inhibition also increased. Further, the electron microscopic view of the interaction between copper oxide nanoparticles and C. albicans cells showed that CuO NPs were internalized and attached to the cell membrane, which caused changes in the cellular structure and caused deformities which eventually led to cell death. The prepared CuO NPs showed significant photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes in the presence of sunlight.

Citizen science approaches are widely and successfully used in biological, environmental, and ecological sciences; however, they are rarely applied in other domains, such as translational health research, notably in the field of liver disease and metabolism. We have designed a study that aims to explore the application of the citizen science approach in a translational experimental medicine study on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and a 12-week lifestyle and weight loss program. In this methodological paper, we describe the process of involving citizen scientists in the study. We will recruit a convenience sample of 31 participants (with and without NAFLD) and a half-dozen citizen scientists (members of the public). Citizen scientists will work alongside clinical and non-clinical researchers in a translational experimental medicine study on NAFLD. Citizen scientists will be involved in the co-design and/or review of data collection tools (e.g., semi-structured open-ended questionnaire surveys and semi-structured wellbeing diaries completed by the participants), co-analysis of data on participants’ experiences and motivations, co-drafts of research findings and papers, and suggestions for policy recommendations. Citizen scientists will be trained in the research tasks they will undertake, and will be either co-authors or their names will be mentioned in the acknowledgements in research paper(s) based on the level of research contributions. Lessons learned from implementing citizen science in this study will help to reveal the advantages, limitations, and implications of involving citizen scientists in the translational medicine research. Knowing citizen scientists’ motivations, expectations, training needs, and overall experience of involvement in this study could provide insights, which could inform the planning and conduct of future translational research studies. Involving citizen scientists in translational medicine research is an important step in extending research opportunities for members of the public; however, there may be methodological challenges, which may be identified and resolved by more research studies.

Context: COVID-19-affected patients showed increased stress, impaired sleep quality, altered complete blood count, and increased inflammatory and oxidative parameters. Yoga is an add-on nonpharmacological treatment that is established to normalize the abovementioned parameters. Heartfulness meditation is a form of Raja yoga. Aims: The present study aimed to study the effects of 4 weeks of heartfulness meditation on the abovementioned parameters in COVID-19 patients following treatment completion. Settings and Design: The present study was a randomized controlled trial carried out in the Department of Physiology, AIIMS, Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh. Subjects and Methods: Out of 50 COVID-19 treatment-completed patients recruited for the study, 25 were randomly assigned to the study group who received 4-week app-based heartfulness meditation. Other 25 patients were assigned to the control group who received app-based relaxation for 4 weeks. Perceived stress score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire, baseline cardiovascular parameters, complete blood count, serum cortisol, inflammatory parameters, oxidative stress parameters, and antioxidant parameters were assessed before and after 4 weeks of intervention in both the groups. The outcome assessor was blinded in the present study. Statistical Analysis Used: The mean difference between the two groups was tested using the Student's t-test or Mann–Whitney U-test based on data distribution. Effect of intervention was analyzed using paired Student's t-test for dependent samples test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test based on data distribution. Results: The groups were comparable before intervention for all the variables. After 4 weeks of intervention, we observed a significant decrease in stress, circulating cortisol, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress biomarker in both the groups. Further, we observed improved sleep quality and antioxidant biomarkers in both the groups. These beneficial alterations following intervention were high in the study group compared to the control group. Conclusions: Our results suggest that app-based heartfulness meditation/relaxation can be used as a nonpharmacological adjuvant to hasten the recovery process in patients who have completed the COVID-19 treatment protocol. Beneficial effects in subjects practicing heartfulness meditation were more than that observed in subjects practicing relaxation.

Background: Extrapulmonary tuberculosis represents about 14% of all cases of tuberculosis (TB) in Malaysia. The aim of the study includes the evaluation of sociodemographic factors, clinical manifestations, comorbidities among patients with tuberculous lymphadenitis and their treatment outcomes. Methods: The retrospective study was conducted from 2006 to 2008. Data on sociodemographic along with histopathological results were collected. The signs and symptoms were also recorded from TB registers, treatment cards, and TB medical personal files using the standard data collection tool. Among multiple variables, the significant factors identified by univariate analysis were included in the multivariate logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios with the 95% confidence intervals. The statistically significant P value was considered 10 in 280 (45.9%) patients. Therefore, among 280, there were 115 (41.1%) patients were found to have unsuccessful treatment showing very strong association with P < 0.001. Conclusion: The finding signifies that effect of weight loss on poor treatment outcomes' and active screening measures for patients with comorbidities are therefore recommended in patients with tuberculous lymphadenitis along with improvements in the diagnosis and early management of comorbidities complications. As young age group was found to have poor or unsuccessful treatment outcomes and required aggressive strategy together with educating patients can further increase the treatment success rate.

Background: Most Emergency Departments (EDs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Pakistan, are staffed by physicians not formally trained in Emergency Medicine (EM). As of January 2022, there were only 13 residency training programs in EM throughout all of Pakistan. Therefore, an intermediate solution—a one-year training program in EM—was developed to build capacity. Objective: To determine the impact of a novel training program in EM on clinical metrics and outcomes. Methods: The first cohort of a novel, one-year training program—the Certification Program in Emergency Medicine (CPEM)—completed the program in June 2019. The program consisted of two arms: CPEM-Clinical (CPEM-C), which included physicians from the Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN) ED; and CPEM-Didactic (CPEM-D), which included physicians from EDs across Karachi. Both groups participated in weekly conferences, such as didactics, small group discussions, workshops, and journal clubs. CPEM-C learners also received clinical mentorship from local and international faculty. Mortality, length of stay (LOS), and time-to-evaluation, as well as metrics in four key areas—patients at risk for cardiovascular disease/acute coronary syndrome, sepsis, respiratory illness, and intra-abdominal trauma—were assessed before and after the initial cohort at IHHN and compared with other groups in IHHN. Findings and Conclusions: More than 125,000 patients were seen from July to December 2017 (pre-CPEM) and July to December 2019 (post-CPEM). Overall, there were significant improvements in all clinical metrics and outcomes, with the exception of LOS and time-to-evaluation, and a trend toward improved mortality. In comparing CPEM graduates to other groups in IHHN ED, most metrics and outcomes significantly improved or trended toward improvement, including mortality. Implementation of a medium-duration, intensive EM training program can help improve patient care and the development of EM as a new specialty in lower-resource settings.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to analyze the existence of information pollution in the banking sector of Pakistan. Worldwide unlimited and without restrictions information production and dissemination have resulted in an information-dense society and information-polluted environment. Methodology: An empirical study of 155 employees in the banking sector was undertaken. The influence of information quality and information quantity has caused information pollution. Eight factors of information quality were taken as independent variables. Decision-making is the key function of leaders and managers in the organization. Therefore, Decision making was taken as a dependent variable to gauge the influence of information pollution in organizations. Findings: The reliability and validity of data have been checked and results show that information influences a positive 37% influence on decision-making. According to the result, information pollution exists in the banking sector of Pakistan. Implications: It is further suggested to investigate the impact of information pollution on the work performance and productivity of organizations.

Abstract Background The evaluation of translational health research is important for various reasons such as the research impact assessment, research funding allocation, accountability, and strategic research policy formulation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the research productivity, strength and diversity of research collaboration networks and impact of research supported by a large biomedical research centre in the United Kingdom (UK). Methods Bibliometric analysis of research publications by translational researchers affiliated with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) from April 2012 to March 2017. Results Analysis included 2377 translational research publications that were published during the second 5-year funding period of the NIHR Oxford BRC. Author details were available for 99.75% of the publications with DOIs (2359 of 2365 with DOIs), and the number of authors per publication was median 9 (mean = 18.03, SD = 3.63, maximum = 2467 authors). Author lists also contained many consortia, groups, committees, and teams (n = 165 in total), with 1238 additional contributors, where membership was reported. The BRC co-authorship i.e., research collaboration network for these publications involved 20,229 nodes (authors, of which 1606 nodes had Oxford affiliations), and approximately 4.3 million edges (authorship linkages). Articles with a valid DOIs (2365 of 2377, 99.5%) were collectively cited more than 155,000 times and the average Field Citation Ratio was median 6.75 (geometric mean = 7.12) while the average Relative Citation Ratio was median 1.50 (geometric mean = 1.83) for the analysed publications. Conclusions The NIHR Oxford BRC generated substantial translational research publications and facilitated a huge collaborative network of translational researchers working in complex structures and consortia, which shows success across the whole of this BRC funding period. Further research involving continued uptake of unique persistent identifiers and the tracking of other research outputs such as clinical innovations and patents would allow a more detailed understanding of large research enterprises such as NIHR BRCs in the UK.

The present study concerns the application of nano-/micro-sized fibers (bio-char of Santa Maria feverfew) in cementitious mortars. The bio-char was added @ 0, 0.05 and 0.1% by mass of cement. The addition of bio-char did not affect the setting and consistency of the mortars. The fresh density was reduced by 11%, while the followability decreased by 50%. It is concluded that the bio-char results in a light-weight cementitious material, without affecting the setting time or consistency. Bio-char produces carbon-rich materials, the use of which as building materials adds to carbon sequestration in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of the UNO.

The objective of the study is to contemplate the effectiveness of hierarchical CEO succession and hierarchical CEO succession intensity on SOEs & Non-SOEs performance separately. Meanwhile, the impact of hierarchical CEO succession on cash holdings has also been analysed. The authenticated data has been accumulated from CSMAR for the years 2012-2016 contemplating the listed companies (SOE and Non-SOEs separately for performance while overall companies for cash holdings) on Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges. Through categorization of hierarchical CEO succession, it has been signified that middle-level hierarchical CEO succession elevates the SOEs performance. In contrast, middle and high-level hierarchical CEO succession mitigate the cash holdings. Conclusively, earning management as a moderator has been analysed while deducing that hierarchical CEO succession reduces cash holdings despite firms involving earning management activity which is ultimately beneficial for firms’ growth. The empirical results are robust to alternate technique 2SLS instrumental regression that controls for endogeneity.

The present research evaluated spatio-temporal change in the sub-tropical forest of district Malakand through Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. The main objective was to identify different land cover classes and to determine temporal changes in forest cover in the study area. This study was based on the two different classification techniques for the land cover classification. In this study, four Landsat images were acquired with the interval of 10 years from 1988 to 2018. The maximum likelihood classification and Minimum distance classification was applied on all the four images step by step. The total area of district Malakand was recorded as 975.32 km2. Regarding percent wise area coverage Forest covered 22.1 % of the total area while other classes’ settlements, agriculture, barren land and water have covered 17.7, 23.3, 33 and 3.9% respectively in 1988. Whereas in 2018, percent wise area coverage forest covered 9.3 % of the total area although other classes settlements, agriculture, barren land and water have covered 33.8, 22.3, 31.8 and 3.7 respectively. The change in forest area over the time was 60.4 km2 which is equal to 6.2 % during 1998 to 2008 and ultimately overall deforestation was 124.4 km2 which is equal to 12.7 % loss of forest area lost from 1998 to 2018. Thus, the forest area was changed to settlements and barren lands from 1988 to 2018. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated for 1988, 1998, 2008 and 2018. Based on NDVI analysis, total deforestation over the time was 166.29 km2 in last 30 years (1988-2018) with percent deforestation of 43.66 % area lost. The Landsat images have 30 meters resolution and small forest area changes can not detected by Landsat images, thus high-resolution products can detect more deforestation comparatively.

Introduction: An alteration of oxidant and antioxidant levels is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of malaria. Limited data is found on association between oxidant and antioxidant status and significance of oxidative stress index in patients with malarial infection and anaemia in south Indian population. Aim: To measure the levels of oxidants and antioxidants and oxidative stress index in patients with malaria and their association with anaemia. Materials and Methods: The present case-control study was conducted in Department of Biochemistry, Osmania General Hospital, Hyderabad, India. A total of 50 subjects of malaria aged 20-45 years were included as cases based on inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. Control group comprised of 50 healthy age and gender matched subjects. Haemoglobin (Hb), serum Malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) was estimated in both the groups by standard methods using Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer. Independent sample t-test was used to test for the difference in all biochemical parameters among study and control groups. The study of orrelation among the parameters was done by Pearson’s correlation. Results: Both the groups were age and gender matched (p=0.39). MDA was significantly elevated in cases as compared to controls (p

Agricultural production is greatly influenced by environmental parameters such as temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind speed. The accurate information about environmental parameters plays a vital and useful role when making policies for the agriculture sector as well as for other sectors. Pakistan meteorological department observed these environmental parameters at more than 90 stations. The allocation of these monitoring stations is not made systematically correct. This leads to inaccurate predictions for unobserved locations. The study aims to propose a monitoring network by which these prediction errors of the environmental parameters can be minimized. The well-known prediction techniques named, model-based ordinary kriging and model-based universal kriging (UK) with the known Matheron variogram model are used for prediction purposes. We investigate the monitoring network of Pakistan for rainfall and focus on both the optimal deletion/addition of monitoring stations from/to this network. The two stochastic search algorithms, spatial simulated annealing, and genetic algorithm are used for optimization purposes. Furthermore, the minimization of the Average Kriging Variance (AKV) is taken as the interpolation accuracy measure. The spatial simulated annealing exhibits a lower AKV as compared to the Genetic algorithm when adding/removing the optimal/redundant locations from the monitoring network.