The 50 most-cited articles in Journal of Bioresource Management, 2020

The slip phenomena in thin polymer films confined by either flat or periodically corrugated surfaces are investigated by molecular dynamics and continuum simulations. For atomically flat surfaces and weak wall-fluid interactions, the shear rate dependence of the slip length has a distinct local minimum which is followed by a rapid increase at higher shear rates. For corrugated surfaces with wavelength larger than the radius of gyration of polymer chains, the effective slip length decays monotonically with increasing corrugation amplitude. At small amplitudes, this decay is reproduced accurately by the numerical solution of the Stokes equation with constant and rate-dependent local slip length. When the corrugation wavelength is comparable to the radius of gyration, the continuum predictions overestimate the effective slip length obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. The analysis of the conformational properties indicates that polymer chains tend to stretch in the direction of shear flow above the crests of the wavy surface

Intelligent systems designed using machine learning algorithms require a large number of labeled data. Background knowledge provides complementary, real-world factual information that can augment the limited labeled data to train a machine learning algorithm. The term Knowledge Graph (KG) is in vogue as for many practical applications, it is convenient and useful to organize this background knowledge in the form of a graph. Recent academic research and implemented industrial intelligent systems have shown promising performance for machine learning algorithms that combine training data with a knowledge graph. In this article, we discuss the use of relevant KGs to enhance the input data for two applications that use machine learning-recommendation and community detection. The KG improves both accuracy and explainability.

Palliative care enhances the quality of life. To improve the quality of life, it is necessary for nurses to have good knowledge and attitude towards palliative care. It is imperative that nurses provide quality care to terminally ill and chronically sick patients. The present study was designed to assess the knowledge and attitude of medical staff nurses about palliative care in cancer. This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in Mayo Hospital, Lahore and Jinnah Hospital, Lahore with sample size of 300 registered nurses by using the simple random sampling technique. Inclusion and exclusion criteria was used. Data was collected from the nurses who have more than one-year job experience. The statistical analysis results showed that only 43.5% of respondents agree on when the palliative care is needed to be provided. Over all in the study, nurses were less aware about palliative care. Most of the nurses distorted the term palliative care. They become confused about the term palliative care and dying patient care.

The assessment of trust between users is essential for collaboration. General reputation and ID mechanisms may support users’ trust assessment. However, these mechanisms lack sensitivity to pairwise interactions and specific experience such as betrayal over time. Moreover, they place an interpretation burden that does not scale to dynamic, large-scale systems. While several pairwise trust mechanisms have been proposed, no empirical research examines trust score influence on participant behavior. We study the influence of showing a partner trust score and/or ID on participants’ behavior in a small-group collaborative laboratory experiment based on the trust game. We show that trust score availability has the same effect as an ID to improve cooperation as measured by sending behavior and receiver response. Excellent models based on the trust score predict sender behavior and document participant sensitivity to the provision of partner information. Models based on the trust score for recipient behavior have some predictive ability regarding trustworthiness, but suggest the need for…

Channa are the freshwater and important food fish species in Pakistan belonging to family Channidae. However, identification and phylogenetic analysis based on molecular tools of these species in Pakistan was not well known. Herein, the current investigation was conceptualized, which dealt with mitochondrial DNA sequences from three geographically distinct populations of this species from Pakistan’s water system. DNA from fin tissues was extracted. COI region of mtDNA was amplified using universal primers for fish. PCR products were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis conducted in the present study, i.e. neighbor-joining (NJ) cladogram, maximum likelihood, K2P genetic divergence and histogram suggests that the studied species of family Channidae are genetically different. The K2P intraspecific divergences were lower than interspecific divergences. The clades in the evolutionary tree for three species were clearly separated.Channa are the freshwater and important food fish species in Pakistan belonging to family Channidae. However, identification and phylogenetic analysis based on…

The structure and electrical properties of two-dimensional (2D) sheets of silicon on a graphene substrate are studied using first-principles calculations. Two forms of corrugated silicon sheets are proposed to be energetically favorable structures. A shift of the Fermi energy level is found in both corrugated structures. Calculations of electron density show a weak coupling between the silicon layer and graphene substrate in both structures. The two forms of 2D silicon sheets turn out to be metallic and exhibit anisotropic transport properties. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

The freshwater algae grow in a wide range of aquatic habitats across the globe and are rich in secondary metabolites. The present study was designed to conduct the phytochemical screening, proximate analysis, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of water net (Hydrodictyon reticulatum), an algal weed from Pakistan. The pure and dried algal mass was crushed into a fine powder and four solvent-based extracts were used for phytochemical screening. The results of preliminary qualitative screening indicated the presence of flavonoids, phenols, quinones, steroids, resins, anthraquinones, glycosides, lignin, proteins, saponins, tannins, reducing sugars, alkaloids, terpenoids, fats, and oils, whereas the quantification results revealed the high quantities of total ash, crude proteins, crude fiber, alkaloids, carotenoids, flavonoids, and chlorophyll a. The studied methanolic extracts with maximum concentration (150 μg/ml) showed significantly (p-value ≤ 0.05) higher antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The IC50 values of the crude methanolic extract of water net were found very close…

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. However, in Pakistan, in the absence of a national cancer registry, it is difficult to predict the current status of cancer incidence. Therefore, a need was felt to design a study that can give a depiction of the prevalence of common cancer types and their relevance to the local population in the absence of a proper cancer registry system. In view of this, data was collected from 2010 to 2016 for breast, prostate, head and neck, cervical and colorectal cancer from the cancer hospitals and centres located all over Punjab, Pakistan. All the data were analysed to calculate prevalence percentage, gender-based incidence rate, crude rate, and Age-specific rate (ASR) for each cancer type. The results showed that breast cancer was the most common type and its prevalence showed a linear increase through the study period (P < 0.001). Breast cancer (6561) was followed by prostate (1183), head and neck (833), cervical (697) and colorectal cancer (531) in terms of prevalence. Gender-specific cancers like breast, prostate, and cervical were…

The different features of soil greatly affect the flora and vegetative diversity of a forest. The physical and chemical characteristics of soils in Onigambari Forest Reserve were evaluated to assess the fertility and productivity status of the soils. Fifteen soil samples collected from different sample locations were analyzed for soil texture (sand, silt and clay), bulk density, porosity, pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable bases (Na, K, Ca and Mg) and available micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn). Texturally, the studied soils were loamy sand and sandy loam with percentage of sands (71.2-84.2 %), silts (7.4-10.4 %) and clay (6.4-19.4 %). The bulk density of the soils was 1.61-1.83 % while the porosity of the soils ranged from 35.2-44.1 %. The slightly acidic to neutral soil pH (5.90 - 6.60) and medium organic matter content (1.68 -2.60 %) suggest adequate level of soil nutrients. The soils had high total nitrogen (0.35 -0.65 %) and available phosphorus contents between 10.98 and 18.22mg/kg.

Different vegetation types, cater to the needs of butterflies at different stages of their life cycle. Some caterpillars are specific in their diet and egg-laying, such as the caterpillar of the Monarch butterfly, which mainly consumes leaves of milkweed and hence prefers laying eggs on this plant (Faldyn et al., 2018). This entomological research was undertaken at protected areas of Pakistan that include Dhirkot Nature Reserve, Pir Chanasi National Park, Banjosa Game Reserve, Pir Lasura National Park and Tolipir National Park. Forty-four different species of butterflies were recorded from the study area. The highest diversity of butterflies was observed from PCNP (34) and least from PLNP (15).

Present study was planned to assess the nutritional evaluation of maize plant grown in spring and autumn seasons. For this purpose, a total of 277 (n=130 in spring and n=147 in autumn season) samples were collected from high maize-growing localities i.e. Kasur, Pakpattan, Okara, Burewala, Sahiwal, Lahore and Melsi. These samples were analyzed for different parameters such as dry matter (DM) and Crude protein (CP) etc. It was noticed that during spring season the values of dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and starch were significantly higher than autumn season values. On the other hand, crude protein (CP) was higher in maize grown in autumn season. Furthermore, dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and starch were low in autumn sampling than spring season. The evident difference showed that during autumn season, at the time of growing season, the seasonal conditions are tough which gradually become favorable from nutrients point of view. While the maize grown in spring season found suitable environment…

Agro-wastes are abundant in both rural and urban areas and when carelessly disposed off to the environment by dumping or burning, they lead to environmental pollution, and consequently to health hazards. Growing of edible mushroom on these wastes can contribute to decrease in environment pollution. This work investigated the growth and yield of Pleurotus ostreatus on different agro-wastes: plantain midrib (PM), corn straw (CS), sugarcane bagasse (SB) and their combinations (PM+CS, PM+SB, CS+SB, CS+PM+SB) with a view to finding the best substrate for the growth of P. ostreatus. The experiment was carried out using completely randomized design with seven treatments and three replications. Results revealed that mycelia growth period and days to pinhead formation were faster in corn straw (7 and 11 days, respectively from the day of inoculation), this was followed by CS+SB (8 and 12 days, respectively) while CS+PM+SB recorded the longest days (13 and 17, respectively). Stipe length ranged from 2.6 cm in PM to 3.3 cm in CS+PM while the pileus diameter was between 3.3 cm in CS and PM and…

Lattice cell structures (LCS) are the engineered porous structures that are composed of periodic unit cells in three dimensions. Such structures have many scientific and engineering applications, such as in vessel gas technology, thermal systems, mechanical and aerospace structures, etc. for which lightweight, high strength, and energy absorption capabilities are essential properties. To have an optimized design, finite element analysis (FEA) based computational approach can be used for detailed analysis of such structures, sometime in full scale. However, developing a large-scale model for a lattice-based structure is computationally expensive. If an equivalent solid FE model can be developed using the equivalent solid mechanical properties of a lattice structure, the computational time will be greatly reduced. The main objective of this research is to develop a material model which is equivalent to the mechanical response of a lattice structure. In this study, the mechanical behavior of body centered cubic (BCC) configuration and its derivative such as a BCC placed inside boxed…

A two years (2014-15 and 2015-16) field experiment was performed to find out the effect of plastic film and straw mulching on yield, water use efficiency (WUE) of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and selected soil properties. There were three treatments i.e. control, plastic film and straw mulch. No mulch was added in control. Rice straw was applied on the surface at a rate of 5 Mg ha-1. Soil samples in 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depths were taken and analyzed. Soil water contents at 20 cm interval every 7 days were determined in 0-160 cm soil depth before sowing, after harvesting and during growing seasons. Results showed that grain yield was increased significantly by 29.8 in 2014-15 and 35.6% in 2015-16 over that of control under straw mulch. Straw mulch also decreased total water use with an increase in WUE. Soil bulk density was decreased significantly with a significant increase in porosity, water stable aggregates, active carbon, organic matter and soil water contents after harvesting. Soil water storage was higher under straw mulch for most sampling times. In conclusion, mulching soil…

Wildlife populations are at a risk of extinction mainly because of human-wildlife conflict (HWC). The present study was designed to evaluate the ongoing HWC with special reference to Common Leopard (Panthera pardus) in Ayubia National park through field study as well as a literature-based approach. Questionnaire interview surveys were designed for wildlife officials working in the park and the locals who bear the cost for leopard conflict through livestock depredation and crop damage. The study showed that human-leopard conflict in the study area has been increasing. More than 60% of people considered livestock depredation as the major reason for their negative perception towards the common leopard. Among livestock, goats were more vulnerable which showed that leopards mostly preferred smaller prey. A number of reported human injuries and deaths on account of Human-Leopard conflict in the study area helped conclude that human-wildlife conflict is a significant issue. Mitigation measures may hence be recommended, such as livestock compensation schemes and community-based conservation…

The present study was conducted to study diversity and damage assessment of snails in cultivated crops and ornamental plants. The study revealed two types of snail species Macrochlamys indica and Indoplanorbis exustus in the study area. The sampled plots of tomato, Karam, Palak, Dhania, Maize, Fresh beans, Sunflowers, Aloe Vera, Loki, Pumpkin, Bitter guard, Kheera, Kachmach, Hund were taken. The study revealed that at Neelabut, when 39 plants of Fresh beans were examined out of them 18 were found damaged and the damage percentage was 46%, 38 plants of sunflowers were examined and 17 (45%) were found damaged, 85 plants of tomato were examined and 11 (12.94%) were found damaged, 82 plants of Karam were examined and 12 ( 15%) were found damaged, 62 plants of Palak were examined and 16 (25%) were found damaged, 51 plants of maize were examined and 15 (29%) were found damaged. The snail is pest in the study area and measures should be taken to manage them through ecofriendly programs.

Wild plants have always held economic, nutritional and medicinal value for human beings. Present work is the study of local information of some wild plants being used for remedial purposes in District Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. The indigenous knowledge of local conventional uses was collected through survey and personal interviews during field trips. A total of 50 plant species were identified by taxonomic description using field guides and locally by medicinal knowledge of people living in the area. About 150 informers were interviewed randomly to record local names and ethno-medicinal uses of different plant species.

The biodiversity and quality of subterranean waters were comparatively studied in the Tarf plain near Oum-El-Bouaghi and in the Ksar S’bahi in Oum-El-Bouaghi, in North-eastern Algeria. For this purpose, physicochemical and faunistic analyses were carried out on the water of ten stations located in the area of Tarf, and thirteen in the area of S’bahi. In the wells of Tarf, the average stygobiologic diversity was relatively high in the wells located upstream the dumping site from the city where the groundwater presented low contents of nitrates and orthophosphates. In contrast, the wells located in the spreading zone of Tarf wastewaters were characterized by the scarcity or the absence of stygobic species; in these latter wells, the water was highly polluted. It was rich in nitrates, nitrites, ammonium, and the conductivity was rather high. In the area of S’bahi, the faunistic inventory recorded ten species, some of which were living in hot springs. The subterranean water was highly mineralized. In the two studied areas, biodiversity decreased when well water was locally polluted.

Black Drongo is an insectivorous bird native to Pakistan. The present study focused on its feeding preferences, behaviour, ecology and habitat relationships. The study was carried out from first week of December, 2019 to the second week of April, 2020 in the two villages of Rawalpindi named as Daultala (Location-I) and Nata Gujarmall (Location-II). Observations were made by point count method on foot using line transect method. Air (52.27%) was the most commonly used feeding substrate. Aerial feeding mode (52.27%) is preferred over plant or tree gleaning (n=58) and ground feeding (n=47). Most common perching site was man made obstacle, wire (37.72%). Thirteen indigenous tree species and two exotic trees including Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and Bottle brush (Callistemon citrinus) were used as perching site by Black Drongo throughout the study. Black Drongo remained solitary (36.36%) during feeding rituals and shared (63.63%) its intimate habitat with other birds. At Location-I and Location-II, habitat was shared with 12 and 16 bird species, respectively. The mean time of…

Water shortage is one of the major limiting factors of crop productivity worldwide. This study was planned to explore the impact of Capparis decidua stem extract on wheat varieties (FSD-2008, 12066 and 13348) under water stress condition. Water deficit condition negatively impacted the seedling germination, growth, photosynthetic pigments and ions uptake capacity. Water limited condition significantly (p≤0.05) increased time to attain 50% germination, lipid peroxidation, H2O2 and enhanced the antioxidant mechanism to overcome the oxidative stress. Different concentrations of C. decidua extract i.e. Not Soaking (NS), 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% were used for seed priming. It improved the negative effects of water stress and amended plant germination and growth by enhancing photosynthesis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging mechanism. The 20% and 30% C. decidua stem extract remained effective in mitigating the induced water stress effects in the tested cultivars. It was found that C. decidua stem extract significantly (p≤0.05) improved germination, growth Mg+2 and Fe+2 uptake in…

The Oum El Bouaghi region in Eastern Algeria, long considered as a cereal-growing area is nowadays a durum wheat production region par excellence. Although the damage caused by Coleoptera is very significant, studies on the knowledge of their diversity are few and remain limited for some entomological groups. Our work is the first step to evaluate the diversity of Coleoptera and the long-term impact of taking biological management measures against harmful fauna in favour of more environment friendly agriculture. To assess the beetle community, different sampling methods were combined (Barber trap, coloured traps, mowing net and sight hunting). Evaluation of the results of a single campaign showed that Coleoptera infested with durum wheat vary in abundance and diversity. We identified more than 100 species of Coleoptera belonging to 22 different families for a total number of 5698 individuals belonging mainly to the Carabidae, Curculionidae, Chrysomelidae, Scarabidae and Staphylinidae families. Although the majority of Coleoptera collected are pests of durum wheat crops (47.57%) the…

Okoubaka aubrevillei is an indigenous and sacred tropical tree in Africa. It is rare with allelopathic properties and has relatively little information available in terms of what is responsible for its usage for medicinal and traditional usage. The phytochemical screening and quantitative analysis of the compounds in the barks and leaves of Okoubaka aubrevillei was determined to ascertain and establish its earlier claimed usage as traditional and modern medicine. The most important classes of secondary metabolites (phytochemical compounds) specifically alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, anthraquinnes, mucilages, oses, holosides, coumarin and glycosides were detected in both, the leaves and barks of the tree. Quantitative determination of the phytochemical compounds found in the barks and leaves of the tree revealed that the leaves of O. aubreville tree had significantly higher values of alkaloids, flavonoids and glycosides than barks. Saponins and anthraquinnes were found to be significantly more in barks than in leaves. However, there was no significant difference found in…

© 2016, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. This work presents a theoretical study of the structural and electronic properties of bilayered silicon film (BiSF) under in-plane biaxial strain/stress using density functional theory (DFT). Atomic structures of the two-dimensional (2-D) silicon films are optimized by using both the local-density approximation (LDA) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA). In the absence of strain/stress, five buckled hexagonal honeycomb structures of the BiSF with triangular lattice have been obtained as local energy minima, and their structural stability has been verified. These structures present a Dirac-cone shaped energy band diagram with zero energy band gaps. Applying a tensile biaxial strain leads to a reduction of the buckling height. Atomically flat structures with zero buckling height have been observed when the AA-stacking structures are under a critical biaxial strain. Increase of the strain between 10.7% and 15.4% results in a band-gap opening with a maximum energy band gap opening of ∼0.17 eV, obtained when a 14.3% strain is…

Viral hepatitis poses a serious threat to mankind. Hepatitis B and C Virus are blood borne pathogens that affect millions of individually globally. This study was conducted on a hospital-based population in Islamabad, Pakistan over a period of 4 months, utilizing ELISA as the diagnostic technique which suggested a higher seroprevalence rate for both HBV and HCV i.e. 2.07% and 8.24% respectively. A correlational analysis of the biochemical parameters of these individuals with HBV and HCV infection was carried out and the results indicated a positive correlation of HBV with Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), HCV with Total Bilirubin (TBil) and both the viruses with Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT). Furthermore, the risk factors in relation to these viral infections were explored upon which our data suggested that surgery, blood transfusion and contact with contaminated instruments at the barber for haircut/shaving and jewelers for piercings were the major risk factors responsible for aiding the contraction of the viral disease by patients in the hospital. These high percentages of the viral…

A brain lesion is an area of tissue that has been damaged through injury or disease. Its analysis is an essential task for medical researchers to understand diseases and find proper treatments. In this context, visualization approaches became an important tool to locate, quantify, and analyze brain lesions. Unfortunately, image uncertainty highly effects the accuracy of the visualization output. These effects are not covered well in existing approaches, leading to miss-interpretation or a lack of trust in the analysis result. In this work, we present an uncertainty-aware visualization pipeline especially designed for brain lesions. Our method is based on an uncertainty measure for image data that forms the input of an uncertainty-aware segmentation approach. Here, medical doctors can determine the lesion in the patient's brain and the result can be visualized by an uncertainty-aware geometry rendering. We applied our approach to two patient datasets to review the lesions. Our results indicate increased knowledge discovery in brain lesion analysis that provides a quantification of…

Lattice structures (LSs) have been exploited for wide range applications including mechanical, thermal, and biomedical structures because of their unique attributes combining the light weight and relatively high mechanical properties. The first goal of this research is to investigate the effect of strut orientation and length on the compressive mechanical characteristics of body centered cubic (BCC) LS subjected to a quasi-static axial compressive loading using finite element analyses (FEA). In this study, two lattice generations were built and analyzed in commercial finite element (FE) software, ABAQUS/CAE 2016 using “smart procedure”, a meshing technique which was developed for this research to reduce the computational time and increase the accuracy of results by creating hexahedral mesh elements. The first generation comprises thirteen models having fixed strut length with strut angle variation from 40° to 100° with a step of 5°. The second also includes thirteen models; however, having variant strut length, kept constant for a single unit cell and through the entire lattice…

Animals use some habitats and quit others. It is essential to examine resource which is of great interest to the animal for its survival. Distribution and habitat selection of Grey Francolin was examined in Swegali game reserve during June 2007. Twelve line transects 200 meters wide and average 3.73 kilometers long were laid down randomly for collection of data from 06h00-20h00 and observed 58 Grey francolins singly or in pairs. Distributed of Grey francolin was observed in three of the available six habitat types including woody ravines, shrub land and agricultural fields. Chi-squared test showed that Grey francolin displayed significant habitat selection and highly significant preference for woody ravines, northerly aspects and foraged in the morning and evening, a slight drag to the afternoon was also observed. The study can contribute to planning of management interventions for the study species and its preferred habitats. It might assist policy makers to devise policies pertaining to agriculture, study species and their habitats to mitigate encroachment into marginal lands for…

The current pot trial was conducted to estimate the impacts of different types of biochar on the growth and nutrients availability of maize (Zea mays) and their effects on the properties of soil. Treatments including four different feedstock based biochar i.e wheat straw, rice husk, corn cob and wood bark were applied to the soil in 10 kg pots @ 1.5% w/w. The experiment was carried out using complete randomized design (CRD). The crop was harvested after the plants have completed their vegetative growth. Physiological parameters of the crop (plant height, leaf area, chlorophyll content) were measured before harvesting while shoot mass (fresh and dry) and root mass (fresh and dry) were calculated after harvesting of the crop. The data showed a significant difference when compared with the control. Plant height was significantly increased from 140cm (control) to 159.9cm in T4 (wood bark biochar). Experimental soil was analyzed in the laboratory for NPK, water aggregate stability, organic matter and active carbon. Wet aggregate stability value of the soil was improved from 17.82% to…

Knowledge of soil properties is essential for environmental sustainability for any forest reserve or plantation. The physical and chemical properties of soil under three different land uses was investigated to assess the nutrient and fertility status of the soils. Fifteen soil samples, each collected from different locations within the natural forest, plantation and farm land were analyzed for soil texture, bulk density, porosity, pH, organic carbon, organic matter content, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn. Texturally, the soils were loamy, loamy sand and sandy loamy in the natural forest, plantation and farmland respectively. There was a significant difference between the three different soils in composition and texture.

True morels collected from wild provide an economic source for the rural community of Mankial valley (District Swat, Khyber Pukhtunkhawa, Pakistan). Sale of approximately 334 kg in dry weight of five species of true morels (Morchella conica, M. esculenta, M. deliciosa, M. rotunda and M. semilibera) fetch US$ 57133 (under US$ 2015-16 exchange rate) to Mankial community and generate a revenue of US$ 62935 in Mingora (regional market) and US$ 87011 in Islamabad (national capital) markets. Morchella conica (average annual dry weight harvested 156 kg) has a high market price value (US$ 2964-44616) in all the three markets. M. esculenta (average annual dry weight harvested 120 kg) the second most harvested species (fetching US$ 20640-32040), M. deliciosa (34 kg; US$ 4216-6460), M. rotunda (13 kg; US$ 1482-2223) and M. semilibera (11 kg; US$ 1155-1672) appeared in decreasing order.

This is the fourth installment in the Shelter in Place (SiP) Lecture series. This installment covers the creative ways that 3D printing has supported efforts to combat the pandemic. It covers the basics of what 3D printing is, some of the various creative projects that have used 3D printing to combat the pandemic, among other topics and questions by the pandemic.

Discharges in Air Measured by Thomson Scattering.This work was an investigation of nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges in air by measuring the evolution of electron density and electron temperature between pulses using Thomson scattering of laser light.Bursts of repetitive pulses within several microseconds after the initial pulse were found to exhibit a coupling effect and create an even higher electron density than the initial pulse.The wide range of temperatures and densities of the electrons existing between pulses allow an opportunity to explore both the collective and non-collective regimes of Thomson scattering.By measuring electron density and temperature at a variety of times, an accurate description of the coupling between discharges can been formulated which provides insight into the behavior and potential applications of nanosecond repetitive pulse discharges.iii

Preeclampsia (PE) is a very common critical condition during pregnancy. As PE is a high-risk condition during pregnancy, occurring in 25% of all pregnancies, worldwide. In women with PE there is an increase in hypertension and albuminuria. Elevated blood pressure can be life-threatening after 20th week of pregnancy. Single nucleotide variation in gene sequence can be disease causing, among these pathogenic SNPs, a variant in TNF-α, G308A is analyzed in many studies as a causative variant to cause preeclampsia. In this case control study fifty patients and fifty healthy individuals were enrolled for analysis of TNF-α promoter region SNP G308A from Jinnah hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. The genotyping of TNF-α (G308A) rs1800629 polymorphisms was performed by PCR-RFLP method. Data analysis was performed by using SNPStats, statistical tool. The mean age of all patients and controls were calculated, 24.4 ± 6.6 and 25.1 ± 5.3 years, respectively. The frequency of G308A polymorphism was more prevalent in the case group, in association with control group (p<0.001). There was a significant…

There is an increasingly high suspicion of occupational health diseases amongst workers in sawmill factories. Hence this study aimed to determine the microbial diversity in some sawmill factories in Okada, Edo State, Nigeria to evaluate potential implications of the factory’s processing area on the health of the workers and wood merchants. Bacteria and fungi count in the bioaerosols within the processing area of each factory was performed with the passive air sampling technique. While in the sawdust samples, microbial counts were carried out with the pour plate technique. Identification of the microbes was performed with macroscopic and microscopic examinations as well as standard phenotypic tests. Mean total viable count (TVC) and total fungi count (TFC) of bioaerosols in the air within the processing area of the sawmill factories were found to be greater than 4162.99 CFU/m3 while mean total coliform count (TCC) was reported as 756.28 CFU/m3. Fisher (F) one-way ANOVA test of the TVC and TCC dataset of bioaerosols from the four sawmill factories indicated no significant difference…

Groundwater of Oum-El-Bouaghi and its surroundings hosts a variety of microflora and fauna. This study investigated the relationship between the effect of human activity and the biodiversity and distribution of aquatic fauna in two semi-arid regions Sighus region (Oum-El-Bouaghi) and El Rahmouni (Constantine) in north-eastern Algeria. Fourteen wells and six springs were studied in two hydrographic basins, that of Constantine and Seybouse Melegue. Significant differences were revealed between the wells and springs in the two watersheds, making it possible to distinguish four groups of wells and two groups of springs. The overall faunal richness of the stations appeared to be weakly correlated with water quality, but on the other hand, the specific richness of the stygoby fauna, and even more so the abundance of stygoby species, decreased when water quality deteriorated.

Doves and Pigeons are the members of living family Columbidae (Order: Columbiformes) having a wide range of taxonomic diversity and geographic distribution. Seven species with one sample each of family Columbidae were collected via random sampling from different districts of Pakistan to carry out this study. The targeted gene region was sequenced and identified by using BLAST tool at National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). CLUSTALW was used for sequence alignment and MEGA6 for reconstruction of phylogenetic trees to predict the effective ancestry of different Columbidae species. The following phylogenetic trees were obtained i.e. Maximum Likelihood tree, Neighborhood joining tree, Maximum parsimony tree and UPGMA tree. In the current study, COI gene barcoding and phylogenetic analysis of family Columbidae gave results of multiple alignment which showed that Columba livia livia and Columba eversmanni, closely resembled as well as Spilopelia senegalensis and Streptopelia decaocta. While Streptopelia tranquebarica and Spilopelia chinensis have great affinity due to small…

An in vitro study was planned to assess the effects of a homofermentative microbial inoculant on the fermentation parameters and nutritive value of corn silage. The inoculant was applied at concentrations of 5x104cfu/g of forage (T1), 1x105cfu/g of forage (T2) 1.5x105cfu/g of forage (T3) and a negative control group (T0) without bacterial inoculant in three replicates each. At day 3, 7, 45 and 90 of the experiment individual buckets were opened to characterize the material, quick acidification, dry matter recovery, and aerobic stability of silage respectively. The temperature of the trial samples was 32.75±1.92 throughout the trial duration. A rapid and significant reduction in pH even at third day of trial from 6.5 to 3.61 in the treatment (T2 and T3) groups and remained consistent till 90 day of experiment (with non-significant fluctuations) when compared with control group (6.5 to 5.0). The levels of lactic acid, acetic acid and propionic acids were significantly (P<0.05) higher for treatment groups (i.e. T2 and T3) than the T1 and T0 groups and almost stabilized till 90 day of…

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), the most common valvular heart disorder, is associated with complications such as stroke, heart attack, aortic aneurysm, left ventricular hypertrophy, and ultimately death. While hypertension has been identified as a major risk factor for CAVD, the mechanisms by which it may promote calcification are still unknown. Given the sensitivity of valvular tissue to mechanical stress alterations, the hemodynamic abnormalities linked to hypertension may play a role in the development of CAVD. Further, the effects of hypertension on the left ventricular functionality and coronary flow resistance remain largely uninvestigated. Hence, the objectives of this thesis were 1.) to quantify computationally AV hemodynamics and regional leaflet mechanical stresses under normotensive, prehypertensive and stage-1 hypertensive conditions using Fluid- Structure interaction modeling, and 2.) characterize the effect of hypertensive conditions on ventricular workload and coronary flow resistance. This study will provide insights on the mechano-etiology of CAVD in…

The Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a least concern carnivore according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2016). However, in Pakistan Red fox is considered as Near Threatened (NT), due to habitat destruction and depletion of food resources. The objective of the study was to identify habitat preferences and population density of Red fox in District Chakwal, Pakistan. Line transect census method was used to estimate the population density of Red fox through direct sighting and indirect method of burrow counting, presence of footprints and scats. A total of 10 transects were carried out at three potential sites: Devi, Photaki and Chumbisurla Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) in Chakwal based on preliminary surveys. Habitat preference was estimated by comparing three different study sites by quadrat method and found that CWS area is preferred habitat for Red fox. A total of 24 plant species were recorded in the study areas, among them Cynodon dactylon is major herb found to provide shelter to Red fox in all study sites based on Importance value Index (I.V.I) at CWS (IVI=208.8) followed by…

Mus spretus is endemic to the Mediterranean region and Jaculus orientalis is only found in North Africa and Saudi Arabia. Their presence in Algeria was previously evidenced in other studies, the present paper focuses on the recent discovery of the Jaculus orientalis Erxleben, 1777 and Mus spretus Lataste, 1883 in a new locality of the East of Algeria, in Khenchela region (Aurès Mountain), based on weight and external measurements. The sampling period took four months between April and July 2019. This observation will enrich the knowledge of Algerian Rodents fauna in general and of Khenchela in particular.

Gomphotheres existed in the Siwaliks from the middle Miocene (14.2Ma) to the middle Pleistocene (0.8Ma) and became extinct later on. In this paper, we tried to discuss the reasons of such extinction of gomphotheres in the lower Pleistocene time span by considering Linear Enamel Hypoplasia (LEH) among 114 isolated tooth samples to assess whether ecological changes correlate with the stress factor in gomphotheres. For this purpose, the Siwalik gomphotheres were divided into two Groups viz. early gomphotheres (middle Miocene to late Miocene) and late gomphotheres (Pliocene to middle Pleistocene). We presented the hypothesis, that as the gomphotheres are characterized by the brachydonty and relied on browsing for their feeding while inhabiting the semi forest land setting thus, expected to have higher stress in Plio-Pleistocene time span as vegetational change around ~6 Ma may have exerted stress on late gomphotheres. The results for the occurrence of frequency of LEH indicated severe ecological stress in late gomphotheres (33%). The significant differences were found (P < 0.05) among…

A novel corona virus named as 2019 n-CoV was identified to be the actual cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness in Wuhan, China beginning in late December 2019. This respiratory disease was named as COVID-19 by WHO. There are many countries affected by COVID-19 including Pakistan. In this review we have provided a brief introduction of COVID-19 and discussed epidemiological and phylogenetic analysis of Pakistani novel corona virus strain. Our epidemiological analysis of data till 16th May 2020 showed rapidly increasing number of new cases, while at the same time a higher recovery rate than number of deaths in Pakistan. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis indicated that 2019-nCoV strain of Pakistan shared 100 % bootstrap value with various countries’ novel corona virus strains. Similarly, phylogenetic analysis was also conducted in comparison with SARS species to confirm our results. In this review, current knowledge of pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment of COVID-19 and comorbidities which could be helpful in offering novel understanding and possible therapeutic targets for fighting…

Insects play a vital role for proper functioning of forest ecosystem, including positive roles as pollinators, seed dispersers, genetic linkers and detrimental effects by feeding on and/or killing trees. The present study was conducted to find insect association with plants in rural areas of Dhirkot. The study was conducted from March, 2019 to September, 2019. The sampling was carried out by line transect method. Thirty transects were taken for sampling insects. Sixty-five species of insects in association with 150 plants were recorded.

A general investigation of sub-tropical forests, from Pir Chinasi National Park, Tolipir National Park, Dhirkot Nature Reserve and Banjosa Game Reserve was carried out during different months from February 2008 to May 2010. The relative abundance of species was calculated using line transects of 50m. A total of five different species (Abies pindrow. Cedrus deodara, Pinus wallichiana, Pinus roxburgii and Picea smithiana) from the Pinaceae family were recorded. The main reported use of Cedrus deodara and Pinus wallichiana by the local people was for furniture and construction purposes. Pinus wallichiana was observed as the dominant species from all the selected sites.

Joan Robinson was one of the most renowned leftist economists of the 20th century. She wrote for almost 30 years, until her death, about Mao Zedong’s China. While her admirers argue that her support of the Cultural Revolution in particular was an eccentric detour she later renounced, and that overall her writings on China have held up well, this paper documents that she had a long history of supporting disastrous Chinese policies because they were consistent with how she saw the world, and that her later reconsideration of these views was modest at best. Because of her overall scholarly accomplishments, much has been and will continue to be written about her. Since 1978, China has moved in a direction very different than that she recommended.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate any possible differences in social determinants of health between rural and urban counties of Ohio and how the determinants relate to each other. Methods: All data for each variable (percentage of population who have some college education, food insecurity rate, number of primary care physicians per population, average mentally unhealthy days for adults in a month, drug overdose death rate, life expectancy, and child poverty rate) was collected through County Health Rankings and Roadmaps from either statewide or nationwide programs through different studies and surveys from 2013-2017. I utilized descriptive statistics, a one-way between subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA), and regressions in order to answer my research questions. Results: I found that Ohio’s rural and urban counties significantly differed (p<0.001) in two of the seven measures: percentage of population who have some college education and number of primary care physicians per population, with the rural counties having lower values in each. Additionally, the…

Objective: Determine whether access to exercise opportunities correlate to obesity in Ohio 2020, physical inactivity correlates to obesity in Ohio 2020, access to exercise opportunities correlates to physical inactivity in Ohio 2020, and whether access to exercise opportunities and physical inactivity can predict obesity in Ohio 2020. Methods: The data for this study was all gathered from counyhealthrankings.org and analyzed using a Pearson correlation for the correlation and a step wise linear regression analysis for assessing predictability. Results: While investigating how percent of population with access to exercise opportunities correlates to percent of obese adults in Ohio 2020 (RQ1), a Pearson correlation showed a small and significant negative correlation (r= -.334, p=.001). As percentage of access to exercise opportunities increased, percentage of obese adults decreased in Ohio 2020. While investigating how the percent of the population that is physically inactive correlates to percentage of obese adults in Ohio 2020 (RQ2), a Pearson correlation showed a moderate and…

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions globally. Various risk factors have been found to be associated with the incidence of diabetes. These include genetic predispositions, physical activity and diet. However, less attention has been given to the potential risk of food insecurity to diabetes prevalence. Therefore, the goal of this study was to look at the prevalence of food insecurity and diabetes in New York and Ohio, and try to see if a correlation exists between food insecurity and diabetes prevalence in these states. In our methods, we used the 2019 data from County Health Rankings (CHR) on both food insecurity and diabetes prevalence. We then used unpaired t-tests to compare food insecurity rates and diabetes prevalence between the two states. Finally, we used a Pearson correlation test to see if any correlation existed between food insecurity and diabetes prevalence in both states. After our analysis, we found that both food insecurity rates (13.69%) and diabetes prevalence (12.54%) were higher in Ohio than in New York State (11.03% and 10.63% respectively) in…