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Objective: To identify the echocardiographic abnormalities in children with chronic kidney disease on maintenance hemodialysis. Study Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Place and Duration of Study: Hemodialysis unit of Department of Pediatric Nephrology, The Children's Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Lahore from Jun to Nov 2020. Methodology: A total of 75 children of chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis were included. Blood and urine tests, chest x-ray and transthoracic echo cardio-grapy were performed to assess the cardiac morphological and functional abnormalities. Results: The mean age of patients was 12.14 ± 2.18 years with 54 (72%) males and 21 (28%) females. The mean duration of hemodialysis was 22.54 ± 17.01 months with mean urea reduction ratio (URR) (%) 65.58 ± 4.31 and mean Kt/v 1.3 ± 0.1. Hypertension was noted in 70 (93.3%) patients with mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure 134.07 ± 10.64 and 89.13 ± 6.78 mmHg, respectively. The echocardiography revealed the mean ejection fraction of 58.02 ± 12.40 with mild systolic and diastolic dysfunction noted in 48 (64%) patients, pericardial effusion in 23 (30.7%) cases and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in 52 (69.3%) cases. Conclusion: As the frequency of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was noted to be high in our chronic kidney disease patients on hemodialysis, there is a need to implement echocardiographic screening of these patients at regular intervals to identify and rectify cardiac complications early. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically evaluates whether or not the power of judicial review was entertained by the courts during the era of Muslim rulers. To this end, this article appraises the criteria for exercising the power of judicial review including the concept of independent and impartial judiciary and the presence of the department of Walī al-Maẓālim. This article inspects the dynasties where the power of judicial review was arbitrarily utilized to pinpoint the ups and downs in the application of the power of judicial review. This article describes the significance of judicial review by employing qualitative method of surveying the Islamic Jurisprudence. With this purpose, this article finds that all the actions of rulers, government, and executive were inspected by the court to verify the conformity of these acts with the injunctions of Islamic law. This study recommends the exercise of power of judicial review, in modern era, by the courts of Muslim states because it provides a way to the accountability of the government officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the type, frequency and clinical presentation of congenital anomalies of kidney and urinary tract in children. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Pediatric Nephrology Unit of the Children’s Hospital and Institute of Child Health Lahore, from Mar 2018 to Feb 2019. Methodology: All patients from birth to 18 years of either gender with suspicion of congenital anomalies of kidney and urinary tract presenting to Pediatric Nephrology unit with different clinical manifestation were enrolled for study. All the children were subjected to detailed history and physical examination including age, gender, height, weight and associated anomalies of other systems while screening ultrasound was carried out with other radiological investigations accordingly. Results: One hundred and forty subjects were enrolled in the study with male to female ratio = 3:1. The mean weight and height of children were 13.35 ± 9.35 kg and 89.66 ± 29.95 cm respectively. Total 85 (60.7%) patients were product of consanguineous parents while 12 (8.6%) were premature and 31 (22.1%) were small for gestational age (SGA). There was history of birth asphyxia in 4 (2.9%) subjects while mothers of 6 (4.3%) were diabetic at the time of conception. Patients had diverse clinical presentation - the most common being urinary tract infection (UTI) seen in 67 (47.86%) while 32 (15.7%) subjects had associated anomalies of other systems. Most common primary anomaly was vesicoureteic reflux (VUR) 83 (59.3%). Conclusion: The most common type of congenital anomalies of kidney and urinary tract seen in our patients was vesicoureteic reflux. Majority of children presented in infancy with urinary tract infection being the clinical presentation in two-thirds subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is one of the important staple crops over the world. Potato crop is threatening by a number of biotic stresses which not only affect plant health and yield but also the quality of the produce. Among biotic diseases, fungal stem and tuber rot are the most common diseases that cause significant loss in potato production in Punjab province, Pakistan. Neocosmospora rubicola was found as a new pathogen causing stem rot of potato in the potato growing area of district Kasur. Symptoms of the N. rubicola infected potato plants were necrotic stem lesions near the collar region. Causal organism was isolated from the infected tissues, purified and identified on the basis of morphological characters, nucleotide sequences of internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and partial beta tubulin gene. Phylogenetic analysis was also conducted to determine the phylogenetic relationship of this species with other reported species of this genus. Pathogenic potential of the isolate was verified by artificially inoculating the spores of pathogen in healthy plants. Appearance of same symptoms and re-isolation of N. rubicola from infected tissue confirmed Koch's pathogenicity postulates. Association of N. rubicola causing stem rot in potato is never reported before in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of various strategies is being used to manage the Plant diseases. These strategies are used for the management of plant diseases by applying the cultural, genetical, chemical and biological controls. The biological control approaches are getting more importance on account of their less expensive and environmental, friendly usage. Therefore, the research is conducted to evaluate the anti-microbial activity of Nigella sativa seed oil for the management of the most common plant pathogenic gram -ve bacteria pseudomonas and burkholderia. The isolated bacterias are being mentioned here with FCBP reference like Pseudomonas syringae pv syringae (FCBP009), P. Syringae pv populans (FCBP010), P. Syringae (FCBP405), Burkholderia pseudomallei (FCBP036; FCBP350; FCBP460) and B. Glumae (FCBP459) were collected from infected fruit/seed. The above mentioned bacterial strains were examined by using concentrations (10, 40, 60, 100 and 200 ppm) of Nigella sativa seed oil, ampicillin and streptomycin antibiotics. After investigation, the study found that Nigella sativa maximum inhibition (65.0 mm) were recorded at 200 ppm concentration in assessment of B. Glumae (FCBP459) pathogen. Conversely, the minimum inhibition (20.25 mm) were recorded at the similar concentration in assessment of P. syringae pv. syringae (FCBP405). Particularly, the present research observes that the antibiotic drugs use against the above mentioned bacteria have shown the great variation in resistance. This research suggests to use of antibacterial materials from biological origin in managing these disease-causing bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Primary distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by an impaired urinary acidification process in distal nephrons that results in the production of alkaline urine. Loss of function variants in any of the three genes, ATP6V0A4, ATP6V1B1, or SLC4A1, which all play a role in normal acidification of urine by kidneys, may lead to dRTA. Objective: This study was designed to identify genetic variants underlying dRTA in Pakistani patients using whole exome sequencing, followed by confirmatory Sanger sequencing. Materials and Methods: Patients were identified following presentation with characteristic clinical features of dRTA including vomiting, dehydration, and highly alkaline urine with metabolic acidosis during the first few days of life. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were employed for genetic analyses of the patients. In silico analyses of the identified variants were performed using web-based bioinfomatics programs. Results: Through whole exome sequencing, we identified two splice site variants (c.2257 + 1G>A and c.722 + 5G>A) in the ATP6V0A4 gene that likely underly the disease phenotype in the two families. Multiple in silico tools predicted these variants to affect the respective splice sites supporting their likely role in pathogenesis. Conclusion: The study extends the spectrum of ATP6V0A4 variants associated with dRTA and should benefit the genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis of the affected families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine frequency of various types of infectious complications occurring in patients undergoing hemodialysis using temporary non-cuffed hemodialysis catheters. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The Children's Hospital and the Institute of Child Health, Lahore, from Oct 2016 to Sep 2017. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on 104 patients aged 5-15 years with end stage renal disease. Demographic information like age, gender, duration of end stage renal disease (ESRD), and details about etiology of ESRD, number of days catheter remained in situ, difficult catheter insertion and infectious complications related to catheter were recorded. Exit site, tunnel and blood stream infections and their causative organisms were detected using blood and catheter tip cultures. Results: The mean age of the patients was 11.1 ± 2.7 (range: 5-15) years and female to male ratio 1.48. Internal jugular, femoral and subclavian veins were used in 85.6%, 7.7% and 6.7% of the cases respectively. The frequency of catheter related exit site infection, tunnel infection, blood stream infection and infective endocarditis was found to be 16.3%, 7.7%, 52.9% and 34.6% respectively. Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia were the commonest etiological pathogens in blood cultures whereas Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeuroginosa and Escherichia coli were the commonest organisms found in the catheter tip cultures. Conclusion: Hemodialysis poses a very heavy burden of blood stream infections which should alert clinicians of their timely management to prevent life threatening complications later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ice formation on surfaces is a fascinating phenomenon with a major impact on a huge range of human activities from airplanes and shipping to wind mill parks, power transmission and telecommunication. A significant amount of work has been dedicated to the development of icephobic surfaces, often with the basis in superhydrophobicity. However, most surfaces investigated so far have not been very robust (an issue for operation in harsh and high humidity environments). Anti-icing strategies for practical applications in harsh environments have therefore mainly been related to the development of heatable coatings and/or mechanical removal or, in the case of airplanes, de-icing with glycol. Here we present a robust and lightweight anti-icing coating based on fluorinated graphene. The new coating delays ice formation for a striking 90 min at −15 °C up to 6 h and 45 min at −5 °C. All experiments were carried out at high humidity (50–55%). We also present first experiments of anti-icing on pure graphene. The very superior performance of the fluorinated graphene can be explained as a favourable combination of very low surface energy and nanoscale roughness. Graphical abstract Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moisture ingress is one of the key fault mechanisms responsible for photovoltaic (PV) devices degradation. Understanding moisture induced degradation (MID) mechanisms in field-aged PV modules is more reflective of the reality in the field. In the present work, MID products of reclaimed solar cells from 20-year-old field-aged silicon PV modules is investigated. The defective areas in the PV modules were identified using visual inspection, electroluminescence (EL), ultraviolet fluorescence (UV–F), and infrared thermal (IR-T) techniques. SEM-EDS analysis is used to elucidate the role of moisture on the observed degradation mechanisms. Degradation of the ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulation produces acetic acid, carbon dioxide, phosphorus, sulfur, fluorine, and chlorine. Migration of metal ions under the influence of moisture ingress makes the formation of oxides, hydroxides, sulfides, phosphates, acetates, and carbonates of silver, lead, tin, copper, zinc, and aluminum feasible. Also, other competing reactions can lead to the formation of stannates of copper, silver, sodium, and zinc. Another observation is that, in the presence of MID species, Pb is preferentially corroded (to form lead acetate complexes) instead of the expected sacrificial Sn in the solder. These MID species account for different defects and fault modes that lead to parasitic resistance losses. This is witnessed by the 1.2%/year degradation in the P max of the PV module. • The effect of moisture ingress on a field-aged PV modules is investigated. • Effect of moisture around the solar cell solder joints dominates. • Moisture degradation products appear as dark spots and hotspots in EL/UV-F and IR-T images, respectively. • Moisture can induce the formation of photosensitive metal-ligand complexes of Ag, Sn, and Ti. • Moisture and MID species accounted for corrosion, cell and optical degradation, and PID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necrosis on Cycas revoluta leaves was observed on trees growing in a local garden in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Phoma herbarum was isolated and identified on the basis of morphological characters from the necrotic areas of leaf. Morphology-based identification was confirmed by sequencing of ITS region of rDNA. Koch’s pathogenicity postulates were verified. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. herbarum as a pathogen of leaf necrosis of C. revoluta in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucorales (Zygomycetes) are among the most ancient groups of fungi. Although they are fast growing in culture but preservation of these cultures is rather sensitive as compared to other filamentous fungi. First Fungal Culture Bank of Pakistan maintained a large number of isolates of this group. Recently viability of members of mucorales was assessed that were isolated and purified from a variety of substrates between the years 2003-2006. Agar slants of pure cultures of these strains were preserved at 4 °C. These include seven species each of the genus Absidia and Mucor, four species of Rhizopus, two of Cunninghamella and one species belonging to genus Phycomyces. Results indicated that most of the strains lost their viability during storage period even none of the species from genus Absidia and Phycomyces survived. Therefore maintaining cultures of mucorales by this method is not recommended for their long term preservation. For long term preservation of fungal cultures, cryopreservation, lyophilization or silica gel preservation could be the alternate methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: There is not much information regarding the prevalence of different renal diseases in paediatric population in Pakistan due to lack of central data. A few studies have been previouslypublished from individual centres. This study reflects the different histology patternsof renal diseases in children in our centre. OBJECTIVES: To assess the indications for kidney biopsy and determine the different histology patterns of renal diseases in paediatric patients in our centre. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study has been conducted at The Children-s Hospital and The Institute of Child Health Lahore from February 2014 to February 2015. The data has been collected from the renal biopsy record of Paediatric Nephrology department. The paediatric patients of either sex aged less than 16 years diagnosed with renal diseases that required renal biopsy were included in the study. RESULTS: Out of the total of 159 patients, 102(64.2%) were males and 57(35.8%) were females. The age range was 0.7 years to 16 years, mean age= 7.86 years and SD + 4.00. The most common indications for renal biopsy were steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS), atypical nephrotic syndrome and lupus (SLE) nephritis.The most common histology reportedwas Mesangioproliferative Glomerulonephritis in 71(44.7%) patients followed by Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis in 36(22.6%)whilelupus nephritis was seen in(18)11.4% patients. CONCLUSIONS: The most common indication of renal biopsy was SRNS and the frequent histology reported was Mesangioproliferative Glomerulonephritis. SLE nephritis also prevails in large number of paediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nephronophthisis is an autosomal recessive cystic kidney disease characterized by tubular interstitial infiltration, periglomerular fibrosis, and cysts, and is the most frequent genetic cause of end-stage renal disease in children. Nephronophthisis is pleiotropic as almost all the causative genes are involved in primary cilium and centrosome function which are found in almost all human cells. Genetic heterogeneity in nephronophthisis makes the molecular and genetic diagnosis somewhat difficult. Homozygous deletions in the nephronophthisis 1 (NPHP1) gene are the major contributor of nephronophthisis cases, while other genes accounts for less than 3% each. Nephronophthisis-related ciliopathy is a term used for extrarenal symptoms in addition to nephronophthisis. Herein, we are reporting the molecular study of 7 children from independent families fulfilling the criteria of nephronophthisis. A deletion analysis of the NPHP1 gene was performed in each case, and NPHP5 mutation screening was performed in the absence of such deletion in patients with Senior Loken syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Renal biopsy is the gold standard in nephrology, not only for diagnosis of renal diseases but also defining the management, prognosis and outcome. OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of the renal biopsy as an outpatient basis procedure with same day admission and discharge. DESIGN: Observational study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study had been conducted at Nephrology Department, The Children's Hospital and The Institute of Child Health, Lahore form 15 January 2014 till 14 January 2015. Total of 169 paedaitric patients having kidney disease who underwent renal biopsy were included as their their admission day, discharge day, biopsy day and complications were taken in account as before procedure patients were screened for bleeding diathesis. After renal biopsy patients were monitored for any complication and patients who showed no complication and stable were discharged from hospital on same day of biopsy. RESULTS: Total of 169 patients included, 109(64.5%) were male and 60(35.5%) were females. The age range was from 0.7 to 16 years. 59(34.9%) patients were admitted on same day and renal biopsy was done while 110(65.1%) patients were admitted before the procedure day for renal biopsy. Ninety patients were admitted one day prior for renal biopsy and renal biopsy was done next day. About 88.7% patients were discharged on same day after the procedures. Hematuria was observed in 4.7% patients. CONCLUSION: Renal biopsy is a safe procedure which can be easily done and successfully accomplished as an outpatient procedure with minimum complications as this reduces financial and logistic burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergilli constitute the largest fungal group present in all types of soil and also contribute in maintaining the soil structure and fertility. Fungicides that are used to control fungal plant pathogens may also be toxic to beneficial soil fungi. The present study was conducted to assess the impact of seven broad-spectrum fungicides namely Tebuconazole, Bloom, Benedict, Epic, Primacy and Hiten on growth of five different species of Aspergillus namely A. nidulans (Eidam) Wint., A. niger Tiegh., A. terreus Thom., A. fumigatus Fresen. and A. flavus Link. The results of the current study presented a comprehensive overview of the negative effects of fungicides on growth of commonly found soil Aspergilli. With the increasing concentration of all the tested fungicides from 0 to recommended dose (R), a gradual reduction in growth of all the fungal species was observed. Hiten and Epic were most effective in controlling the growth of Aspergillus spp. by causing complete growth arrest at only 0.05R. Bloom ceased the growth at one fourth of the recommended dose (0.25R). No growth of the A. niger, A. terreus, A. fumigatus and A. flavus was observed at 0.75R and that of the A. nidulans at recommended dose of Tebuconazole. In case of Benedict, A. nidulans and A. terreus were sensitive to 0.75R and A. niger, A. fumigatus and A. flavus to the recommended dose of the fungicide. Fungal Strains showed maximum resistance against Wisdom and Primacy as they continue to grow even at recommended doses of these fungicides. Thus the application of fungicides may cause alteration in soil microbial community structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combretum indicum leaf spot disease was observed during a survey of horticultural plants in Lahore. Isolation of causal organism was carried out from the disease leaves. The pathogen, Alternaria brassicae, was first identified considering morphological characters. The morphology based identification was confirmed by nucleotide sequence analysis of ITS region of rDNA and phylogentic analysis of this fungus with closely related other fungal species. Pathogenicity of A. brassicae was verified following the Koch's Pathogenicity postulates. This report represents the first record of leaf spot of Combretum indicum by Alternaria brassicae from Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal spot disease is an emerging problem of canola, a major edible oil producing crop in Pakistan. During present study, Alternaria sp. was isolated and identified from the different infected tissues of diseased plant. Eighteen different commercially available fungicides; Defeater, Defeater Plus, Bloom, Wisdom, Trifort, Definite, Cordate, Flare, Benedict, Triton, Hiten, Pyranil, Flumax, Tebuconazole, Epic, Primacy, Vegard and Picoxystrobin were screened for their efficacy in controlling the identified pathogen. Maximum reduction of 90% in fungal growth was obtained by Wisdom, Benedict and Tebucanazole followed by Bloom, Flare and Flumax with 75-81% growth inhibition. Afterward by Epic, Defeater plus, Primacy and Picoxystrobin with upto 55 % fungal growth inhibition. Remaining fungicides caused 11-50% restricted fungal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic properties of superconducting yttrium barium copper oxide (YBaCuO) nanoparticles (31-43 nm) prepared by a chemical route have been studied. These nanoparticles have been found to clearly exhibit ferromagnetism at room temperature while superconducting transition is observed at lower temperatures. The low temperature hysteresis loops show evidence suggesting the presence of a large paramagnetic contribution in addition to the superconducting contributions from the particles. Bulk YBCO obtained by pelletizing and heating the same nanoparticles at a high temperature, displays the usual superconducting characteristics and gives no trace of ferromagnetism down to 10 K. The superconducting transition temperature of the nanoparticles is lower than for the bulk YBCO and there is a trend of decreasing T with smaller size of the particles. In contrast the ferromagnetic moment increases with decreasing particle size. The development of ferromagnetism is attributed to the presence of surface oxygen vacancies that lead to electron redistribution on the different ions at the surface. The simultaneous decrease of superconducting T and the increase of ferromagnetism with decreasing size considered as being reflective of the increased role of finite size and surface defects that weaken the superconductivity and enhance the ferromagnetism. Possible coexistence of surface ferromagnetism and bulk superconductivity at lower temperatures is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal anemia is a well recognized complication of chronic kidney disease with erythropoietin deficiency being the primary cause. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), introduced almost two decades ago, have replaced blood transfusions as first line therapy for anemia. They have been shown to markedly improve the quality of life but the effects on blood pressure and rate of progression of disease are still a matter of controversy. This prospective interventional study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of recombinant human erythropoietin therapy (rHuEPO) in correction of renal anemia, ascertain its effect on progression of renal excretory function and assess the quality of life in predialysis patients of chronic renal failure. We prospectively studied 50 anemic (hemoglobin levels <10.0 g/dL) predialysis patients of chronic renal failure (GFR between 15-90 mL/min/1.73 m2). The children, under 14 years of age, and were randomly selected in the outpatient clinic at The Children's Hospital and Institute of Child Health Lahore, Pakistan between July 2007 to June 2008. These patients were treated with rHuEPO for 48 weeks. The maintenance dose of subcutaneous rHuEPO used was 100 U/kg/week given twice weekly along with oral iron and folate supplementation. Patients underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation during the trial period. GFR was calculated using the Schwartz formula. The mean age of the children enrolled in the study was 7.68 years at presentation with male to female ratio of 1.63. Hemoglobin and GFR values before initiation of rHuEPO treatment were 8.20±1.28 g/dL and 29.82±12.00 mL/min/1.73 m2 as compared to the final results of 10.94±1.04 g/dL and 32.36±11.24 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively. Only 4 (8%) patients developed end - stage renal disease by the end of the study period and had to begin dialysis while others continued with the conservative management of chronic renal failure. No significant side - effects were seen in any of the study population like hypertension, seizures or hyperviscosity syndrome, except 3 (6%) children who required increase in dose of antihypertensive medication. The health - related quality of life improved in terms of physical performance and sense of well being in the majority of subjects. Our study provides conclusive evidence that rHuEPO therapy is beneficial for correction of renal anemia with substantial retardation of maintenance dialysis in the majority of predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher manganese silicide (HMS) alloys (Mn x-α Mo α Si y-β Ge β (x = 0.99–1.011, α = 0.005–0.02, y = 1.75, β = 0.005–0.01)) were studied to elucidate the effect of Mo and Ge pertaining to oxidation. Oxidation experiments were conducted using thermogravimetry and characterized using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Isoconversion experiments below 450 °C, shows that doping (up to 2 at%) raises the oxidation potential of HMS. Isothermally, the oxidation rate reduces buy one order of magnitude by doping on Mn and/or Si sites from 0.5 to 2 at%, revealing that the dopants-based oxides do not lessen the robustness of SiO 2 oxide. • The effects of Mo and Ge dopants on oxidation of HMS between 250ºC-600ºC were studied. • The dopants changed the oxidation kinetic model of the base alloy. • The long-term oxidation revealed that the Mn x − α Mo α Si y − β Ge β is stable below 400 °C. • Homogeneity of the alloys is key to improving the oxidation robustness of the alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First Fungal Culture Bank of Pakistan (FCBP) has a collection of 59 isolates of Alternaria alternata that were isolated from different substrates collected from various localities of Pakistan. These isolates include plant pathogenic as well as saprophytic strains of A. alternata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The stability of HMS alloys in air in the temperature range 200 °C–500 °C were studied. • The purity of raw feedstock has a major effect on the oxidation of the HMS alloys. • The dopant type and concentration are key factors to oxidation of HMS alloys. • Low porosity is key to enabling good oxidation resistance for MnSi 1.75-α X α alloys. The oxidation kinetics and mechanisms of higher manganese silicides (HMS) MnSi 1.75 , MnSi (1.75-x) Ge x , MnSi (1.75-x) Al x (with x = 0.005 and 0.01)were studied and the effects of densification methods and dopant concentration discussed. Oxidation experiments were conducted using thermogravimetry (TGA), while post characterization with X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) showed that spark plasma sintering (SPS) is a better densification method than hot pressing (HP). Except for undoped HMS, HMS doped with 0.5at% Ge had the lowest oxidation rate. Stable formation of a SiO 2 protective layer was the main reason for improved oxidation resistance in air in the temperature range 200 °C–500 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-icing coatings reduce the freezing onset temperature for water by changing the chemical and physical environment at the water-substrate interface to prevent ice nucleation and growth. Graphene oxide has several attributes that make it attractive as an anti-icing coating and it has been theoretically predicted that graphene oxide has a lower freezing onset temperature than pristine graphene. Here, we test this hypothesis using carefully prepared, well-characterized graphene oxide substrates. We compare the water contact angle for graphene and graphene oxide coatings, both prepared on iridium(111) surfaces. The results show both materials to be transparent to wetting, but indicate a lower freezing onset temperature for graphene oxide than for pristine graphene. The measured water contact angles are dominated by the properties of the underlying Ir(111) substrate while the freezing onset temperature is dictated by the functional groups present on the graphene basal plane. We suggest that the lowering of the freezing onset temperature is caused by the formation of a viscous water layer on the surface. Scanning tunneling microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data are used to evaluate the robustness of the coating material and suggest ways to improve the long-term performance, namely by advancing strategies to avoid water intercalation. Image 1 • Graphene and graphene oxide on Ir(111) are transparent to wetting but not to icing. • Graphene oxide on Ir(111) have a lower freezing onset temperature than pristine graphene on Ir(111). • Wettability and freezing onset temperature of graphene and graphene oxide on Ir(111) are stable over days. • STM and XPS analysis show that the chemical environment on the graphene surfaces change after wetting and icing experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the frequency and pattern of dyslipidemia in pediatric patients with end stage renal disease presenting in a tertiary care hospital. Study Design: Cross-sectional, observational study. Place and Duration of Study: The Children's hospital and the Institute of Child Health Lahore, from Sep 2016 to Nov 2017. Material and Methods: Children aged 5-15 years, of either gender and diagnosed with end stage renal disease were selected for the study. All the patients were undergoing renal replacement therapy in the form of hemodialysis and/or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. The serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein were measured. Results: There were 138 patients in the study with mean age 11.24 ± 2.37 years and male to female ratio 2.5:1. The mean ± SD values of total serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and low density lipoprotein were found to be 174.0 ± 54.1, 241.2 ± 142.4 and 95.2 ± 49.0 mg/dl respectively. The frequency of abnormally high levels of total serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and low density lipoprotein were found to be 21.7%, 84.8% and 19.6% respectively. The lipid profile of patients on peritoneal dialysis was markedly elevated as compared to that of patients on maintenance hemodialysis (p-value ≤0.05). Conclusion: Majority of pediatric patients with end stage renal disease had suffered from dyslipidemia especially raised serum triglycerides. Timely identification of abnormal lipid levels and appropriate management is expected to help reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with dyslipidemia in these pediatric patients. Moreover, lipid profile of patients on peritoneal dialysis was more deranged than those on hemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to examine the applicability of purposes of Shariah and Public Interest and their role in convergence in corporate governance. In present global world scenario, the convergence of corporate governance features has become norm. The developing countries are in the process of being converged to developed countries to improve their corporate governance mechanism. It is widely considered that the western model of corporate governance and Shariah are two rival systems. The article analyses the possibility and applicability of purposes of Shariah in corporate governance and further analyses the extent to which the purposes of Shariah and public interest help in convergence in corporate governance so that it can improve governance mechanism. The doctrinal, qualitative and comparative research methodology has been widely used in this research. It concludes that the purposes of Shariah and public interest are conducive for convergence rather than divergence in corporate governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf necrosis is a common fungal problem of plants. During a survey of Lahore, Dracaena Red Edge (Dracaena mariginata Lam.) and Sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus L.) were infected with leaf spots. Pathogens isolation from the infected leaves of both plants was done followed by confirmation of Koch's pathogenicity postulates. Based on morphological and genetic characterization, Alternaria arborescens Simmons. and Phyllosticta aristolochiicola R.G. Shivas. were isolated from D. mariginata and S. oleraceus, respectively. In addition to isolation and identification, biological control of both pathogens was conducted using methanol extract of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum J. Presl.). All concentrations of extract suppressed the growth of both pathogens to variable extent. In case of A. arborescens, 0.5% concentration induced approximately 90% suppression in fungal growth. Contrastingly, P. aristolochiicola was least affected at lower concentrations of extract as only 4-10% arrest in fungal biomass production was recorded at 0.5-1.5% concentrations. However, 2.0% or more of the extract was most potent as fungal pathogens failed to grow at these concentrations. Therefore, Cinnamon extract was considered more effective in controlling A. arborescens than P. aristolochiicola. Further, studies are required to identify active antifungal compounds in Cinnamon crude extract against the target pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugative DNA transfer is a major factor in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. In the Gram-positive pathogen Clostridium perfringens , the majority of conjugative plasmids share the conserved tcp locus that governs the assembly of the transfer system. Here, we describe multiple structures of the coupling protein TcpA, an essential ATPase that is suggested to provide the mechanical force to propel the DNA through the transfer apparatus. The structures of TcpA in the presence and absence of nucleotides revealed conformational rearrangements and highlight a crucial role for the unstructured C terminus. Our findings reveal that TcpA shares most structural similarity with the FtsK DNA translocase, a central component of the bacterial cell division machinery. Our structural data suggest that conjugation in C. perfringens may have evolved from the bacterial chromosome segregation system and, accordingly, suggest the possibility that double-stranded DNA is transferred through the Tcp conjugation apparatus. [Display omitted] • Crystal structures of TcpA (with and without ATP) were determined • TcpA shares most structural similarity with the bacterial segregation protein FtsK • The unstructured C-terminal domain of TcpA might be an anchor point for the relaxosome Conjugative plasmids have the capacity to move themselves from one bacterium to another. Traore et al. determined the crystal structure of TcpA, a key protein involved in conjugation in the pathogen Clostridium perfringens. This study suggests that conjugative transfer in C. perfringens might have evolved from the bacterial cell division machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vigna radiata L., an imperative legume crop of Pakistan, faces hordes of damage due to fungi; infecting host tissues by the appressorium. The use of natural compounds is an innovative concern to manage mung-bean fungal diseases. The bioactive secondary metabolites of Penicillium species are well documented for their strong fungi-static ability against many pathogens. Presently, one-month-old aqueous culture filtrates of Penicillium janczewskii, P. digitatum, P. verrucosum, P. crustosum, and P. oxalicum were evaluated to check the antagonistic effect of different dilutions (0, 10, 20, ... and 60%). There was a significant reduction of around 7–38%, 46–57%, 46–58%, 27–68%, and 21–51% in Phoma herbarum dry biomass production due to P. janczewskii, P. digitatum, P. verrucosum, P. crustosum, and P. oxalicum, respectively. Inhibition constants determined by a regression equation demonstrated the most significant inhibition by P. janczewskii. Finally, using real-time reverse transcription PCR (qPCR) the effect of P. Janczewskii metabolites was determined on the transcript level of StSTE12 gene involved in the development and penetration of appressorium. The expression pattern of the StSTE12 gene was determined by percent Knockdown (%KD) expression that was found to be decreased i.e. 51.47, 43.22, 40.67, 38.01, 35.97, and 33.41% for P. herbarum with an increase in metabolites concentrations viz., 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60% metabolites, respectively. In silico studies were conducted to analyze the role of Ste12 a transcriptional factor in the MAPK signaling pathway. The present study concludes a strong fungicidal potential of Penicillium species against P. herbarum. Further studies to isolate the effective fungicidal constituents of Penicillium species through GCMS analysis and determination of their role in signaling pathways are requisite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation deals with the morphological and biochemical identification of rhizobacteria having plant growth promoting characteristics, with a focus on the family Papilionaceae, whose representatives are widespread in nature as leguminous crops. Eleven bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizoplane of pea (Pisum sativum L.), chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) and clover (Trifolium pretense L.). The media used to isolate the rhizosphere bacteria were Luria Bertani (LB) agar and Nutrient agar (NA). Rhizosphere bacteria were identifiedbased on different characteristic i.e. phenotypic and biochemical characters. The isolated strains were characterized and assigned to various genera and species, such as Enterobacter aerogenes, Aureobacterium flavescens, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Kurthiasp., Acidovorax facilis, Bordetella pertussis, Corynebacterium sp., Bacillus sp., Curtobacterium albidum and Microbacterium lacticum. All identified species are given FCBP accession numbers and were stored for further use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatigue cracks are a major defect in metal alloys, and specifically, their study poses defect evaluation challenges in aluminum aircraft alloys. Existing inline inspection tools exhibit measurement uncertainties. The physical-based methods for crack growth prediction utilize stress analysis models and the crack growth model governed by Paris' law. These models, when utilized for long-term crack growth prediction, yield sub-optimum solutions and pose several technical limitations to the prediction problems. The metaheuristic optimization algorithms in this study have been conducted in accordance with neural networks to accurately forecast the crack growth rates in aluminum alloys. Through experimental data, the performance of the hybrid metaheuristic optimization–neural networks has been tested. A dynamic Levy flight function has been incorporated with a chimp optimization algorithm to accurately train the deep neural network. The performance of the proposed predictive model has been tested using 7055 T7511 and 6013 T651 alloys against four competing techniques. Results show the proposed predictive model achieves lower correlation error, least relative error, mean absolute error, and root mean square error values while shortening the run time by 11.28%. It is evident through experimental study and statistical analysis that the crack length and growth rates are predicted with high fidelity and very high resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canola (Brassica napus L.) is a major edible oil producing crop belongs to family Brassicaceae. Species of genus Alternaria have always been an increasing threat to Brassicaceae crops as pathogen of black spot diseases in plants. The present study was conducted to analyze the content of chlorophyll, protein and proline along with activities of peroxidase and catalase in canola plants infected with Alternaria destruens. Comparative analysis of physiology as well as biochemistry of diseased and healthy plants demonstrated that metabolism of disease plants was affected to a great extent. Content of chlorophyll, protein and proline was significantly declined by 60, 40 and 50%, respectively in diseased leaves as compared to healthy leaves. Activity of catalase was significantly increased and that of peroxidase was non-significantly different in diseased leaves in comparison to healthy ones. It was concluded that disturbed physiology and biochemistry of disease plants could lead to a disaster for the yield of this major oil producing crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zingiber officinale L. is a common condiment for various foods and a long history of important traditional Medicine herb for the treatment of ailments and body disorders. Soil microorganisms are very important as almost every chemical transformation taking place in soil involves active contributions from soil microorganisms. In contrast, other soil microorganisms are pathogenic to plants and may cause considerable damage to crops. Large numbers of pathogenic microorganisms are routinely found in the soil and many can infect the plant through the roots. Through the current study describes the ginger rhizome associated soilborn bacterial strains. Rhizosphere bacteria were isolated from soil around the root zones of ginger fields. This study reports results concerning the isolation and identification of bacteria on the morphological basis and biochemical analysis. Ten species of bacteria belonging to eight different genera viz., Acidovorax temperans, Arthrobacter sp., Burkholderia pseudomallei, B. cepacia , Aeromonas hydrophila, A. veronii, Cupria-viridis sp., Bacillus sp., Flavobacterium odoratum, Oscillospira sp. were isolated and processed for identification by their enzymatic activity and carbohydrates utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is one of the most popular and significant commercial crop of Pakistan. Outbreak of leaf spot was observed on leaves of tomato plants growing in fields of Lahore. Causal organism was isolated and initially identified on the basis of morphological characters. Complete description of macro and microscopic characters was prepared. Identification was confirmed by rDNA spacer sequence. Based on morphological and molecular approaches, Alternaria metachromatica was identified as causal organism. Culture of pathogen was deposited in First Fungal Culture Bank of Pakistan (FCBP) and the gene sequence in GenBank. Pathogenicity was confirmed by exposing the healthy leaves to spores of A. metachromatica as well as inoculums in the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An evaluation of hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) char is investigated in this work. Morphological studies, N2 adsorption behavior, FTIR analysis, thermal behavior, and elemental composition are studied. The HTL char yield showed an increase with higher operating temperatures. It increased from 11.02% to 33% when the temperature increased from 573 K to 623 K. At lower temperatures, the residence time showed an impact on the yield, while close to the critical point, residence time became less impactful. Elemental analysis showed that both higher operating temperatures and longer residence times increased the nitrogen content of the chars from 0.32% to 0.51%. FTIR analysis suggested the char became more aromatic with the higher temperatures. The aliphatic groups present diminished drastically with the increasing temperature. Residence time did not show a significant impact as much as the temperature when considering the functional group elimination. An increase in operating temperatures and residence times produced thermally stable chars. HTL char produced at the lowest operating temperature and showed both the highest surface area and pore volume. When temperature and residence time increase, more polyaromatic char is produced due to carbonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel architecture, termed Fusion-Fission Optimisation (FuFi) based Convolutional Neural Network with Bi-Long Short Term Memory Network (FuFi-CNN-Bi-LSTM), to enhance state of charge (SoC) estimation performance. The proposed FuFi-CNN-Bi-LSTM model leverages the power of both Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Bi-Long Short Term Memory Networks (Bi-LSTM) while utilizing FuFi optimization to effectively tune the hyperparameters of the network. This optimization technique facilitates efficient SoC estimation by finding the optimal configuration of the model. A comparative analysis is conducted against FuFi Algorithm-based models, including FuFi-CNN-LSTM, FuFi-Bi-LSTM, FuFi-LSTM, and FuFi-CNN. The comparison involves assessing performance on SoC estimation tasks and identifying the strengths and limitations of models. Furthermore, the proposed FuFi-CNN-Bi-LSTM model undergoes rigorous testing on various drive cycle tests, including HPPC, HWFET, UDDS, and US06, at different temperatures ranging from -20 to 25 degrees Celsius. The model's robustness and reliability are assessed under different real-world operating conditions using well-established evaluation indexes, including Relative Error (RE),Mean Absolute Error (MAE), R Square (R 2) , and Granger Causality Test. The results demonstrate that the proposed FuFi-CNN-Bi-LSTM model achieves efficient SoC estimation performance across a wide range of temperatures at higher and lower ranges. This finding signifies the model's efficacy in accurately estimating SoC in various operating conditions. • FuFi-CNN-Bi-LSTM combines CNN and Bi-LSTM with FuFi optimization for SoC estimation. • Optimal hyperparameter tuning in FuFi-CNN-Bi-LSTM enhances SoC estimation accuracy. • Comparison with FuFi-based models shows FuFi-CNN-Bi-LSTM's superior performance. • Tested across HPPC, HWFET, UDDS, US06 cycles, proving robustness in diverse conditions. • Achieves accurate SoC estimation across temperature ranges, demonstrating reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defects play a key role in tailoring the functional properties of metal oxides for next generation technologies. A comprehensive understanding and control of defects is therefore of vital importance in order to determine defect engineering strategies in materials and to allow for their technological realization. In this article, we report room temperature photoluminescence from plasma treated rutile TiO 2 (110) single crystals. The effect of capacitively coupled radio frequency plasma etching on the luminescence properties of TiO 2 (110) single crystals is discussed in detail. The plasma treatment modifies the surface of TiO 2 (110) single crystals and introduces oxygen vacancies in the near surface region. The discharge parameters such as treatment time and pressure are correlated with the luminescence properties of treated TiO 2 (110) single crystals. The Langmuir probe method is employed to determine the plasma electron density ' n e ', ion density ' n i ', electron temperature ' T e ' and electron energy probability function (EEPF) of the plasma used to etch the TiO 2 single crystals. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra reveal blue and green-light emission with an intensity dependent on the plasma treatment process. We hope that inducing defects through plasma treatment will be extended to other metal oxides surfaces, which may find utility in various applications. • RF capacitively coupled helium plasma is used to induce defects in the surface region of rutile TiO 2 (110) single crystals. • A broadband PL emission is observed from plasma etched samples, whose intensity is strongly dependent on the treatment time and/or pressure. • Plasma treatment introduced oxygen vacancy related defects that lead to energy levels within the band gap. • The effect of discharge parameters on the electronic structure of TiO 2 single crystals is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant challenge concerning the development of fluorescence lifetime (FL) based pH sensors is the paucity of fluorophores with sufficiently large FL variation with pH. Acridine is amongst the indicators with highest fluoresce lifetime responses to pH, with a change in lifetime of about 13 ns within a pH range of 5–8. Here we examine the two acridine derivatives, 9-acridinemethanamine (9-AMA) and acridine-9-carbaldehyde (9-ACA) in terms of their FL pH sensitivity and pH sensing range. Both indicators are characterized when dissolved in buffer solutions, as well as when immobilized in support materials. 9-AMA has a change in FL of 11 ns between pH 2–5, both when dissolved in solution and when immobilized in surfactant-filled mesoporous silica. The FL of 9-ACA is not sensitive to pH when dissolved in buffer solutions; however, when covalently bound to amine-modified silica, its FL changes 15 ns between pH 3–6. 9-AMA and 9-ACA represent promising FL in the pH range of pH 2–6, and could potentially form the basis of new FL pH sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To Determine the clinical spectrum, complications and outcome of atypical Hemolytic uremic Syndrome (aHUS). Study Design: Case series study. Place and Duration of Study: The Children's Hospital & The Institute of Child Health Lahore, from Mar 2017 to Jun 2018. Methodology: Twenty five Children fulfilled the inclusive and exclusive criteria of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Their demographics, clinical characteristics, investigations and treatment modalities used, were documented on the specially designed proforma. Results: Out of twenty five cases, 15 (60%) were male and 10 (40%) were female with mean age of presentation being 8.47 ± 3.8 years. Seven children (28%) each with preceding history of respiratory tract infection (RTI) and family history of HUS. Twenty four (96%) children presented with anemia, hematuria in 15 (60%). Respiratory distress in 9 (36%) children and seizure in 7 (28%). Fragmented RBCs were present in all children, with thrombocytopenia in 22 (88%). Plasma therapy in 23 (92%) patients and plasma exchange was offered to 2 (8%) while peritoneal dialysis was done in 18 (72%) and hemodialysis was continued in 10 (40%) subjects. Hypertension was persistent in both acute and chronic phase of illness. Conclusion: Although not uncommon, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome have variable presentation with high mortality rate. Therefore one should be vigilant in prompt diagnosis as early detection can improve outcome of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general drawback for optical based pH sensors is that their response is typically limited to within 2–3 pH units centered around the pKa of the indicator. Fluorescence lifetime (FL) is a particularly compelling basis for highly stable pH sensors since this is an intrinsic property of the indicator molecule. Here we demonstrate that it is possible to broaden the sensing range of FL based sensors significantly by placing the indicator in a support material where the indicator's chemical environment itself changes with pH. For acridine immobilized in amine-modified porous silica, a total FL change of 20 ns in the pH range 2–12 is achieved. A linear pH vs FL relationship is observed with three break points occurring at pH 4, 6 and 9 that are related to the pKa values of the indicator and the silica material. This proves the concept that tuning the fluorophore's chemical environment can broaden the FL pH sensing range, where currently available fluorophores do not cover the full pH range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commonto all of the nitrate nitrite porter family are two conserved motifs in transmembrane helices 5 and 11 termed NS (nitrate signature) 1 and NS2. Although perfectly conserved substrateinteracting arginine residues have been described in transmembrane helices 2 and 8, the role of NSs has not been investigated. In the present study, a combination of structural modelling of NrtA (nitrate transporter from Aspergillus nidulans) with alanine scanning mutagenesis of residues within and around the NSs has been used to shed light on the probable role of conserved residues in the NSs. Models show that Asn168 in NS1 and Asn459 in NS2 are positioned approximately midway within the protein at the central pivot point in close proximity to the substrate-binding residues Arg368 and Arg87 respectively, which lie off set from the pivot point towards the cytoplasmic face. The Asn168/Arg368 and Asn459/Arg87 residue pairs are relatively widely separated on opposite sides of the probable substrate translocation pore. The results of the present study demonstrate the critical structural contribution of several glycine residues in each NS at sites of close helix packing. Given the relative locations of Asn168/Arg368 and Asn459/Arg87 pairs, the validity of the models and possible role of the NSs together with the substrate-binding arginine residues are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]