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Every year, millions of people around the world are disabled by stroke, it is well recognized that complications aftera stroke extend hospital stays and pressure ulcers, a stroke consequence, which can be prevented by educating the caregiver. The primary focus of this research is not only to investigate the prevalence of pressure ulcers (PU) among stroke patients, but this study also introduced a variety of factors which influence the formation of PU, such as restricted mobility, gender, duration of stroke, hypertension, diabetes, hygiene, type of mattress, malnutrition, awareness, etc. In addition, this research provides a comparative and statistical analysis, a cause of the catastrophic disabilities influenced by a variety of factors. Moreover, the proposed research also provides a room for the pertinent treatment of stroke patient to curtail the formation of pressure ulcer. In this research, a total of 120 stroke patients were initially included to monitor the frequency of pressure ulcers at incipient stage. Out of the total patients, the number of patients with ischemic stroke were 78.5 % while 8.3 % were of haemorrhagic type. In the results, the demographic characteristics and the factors which influence the formation of PU of the patients were examined with their cross-sectional impact on each other through comparative and statistical analysis. It was discovered that among all the stroke patients, 8.3 % were found with a PUs and the most frequent localization was sacrum and no new PU was observed for the participants under the observation. • The primary focus of this research is not only to investigate the prevalence of pressure ulcers (PU) among stroke patients, but this study also introduced a variety of factors which influence the formation of PU, such as restricted mobility, gender, duration of stroke, hypertension, diabetes, hygiene, type of mattress, malnutrition, awareness, etc. • In addition, this research provides a comparative and statistical analysis, a cause of the catastrophic disabilities influenced by a variety of factors. Moreover, the proposed research also provides a room for the pertinent treatment of stroke patient to curtail the formation of pressure ulcer. • In this research, a total of 120 stroke patients were initially included to monitor the frequency of pressure ulcers at incipient stage. Out of the total patients, the number of patients with ischemic stroke were 78.5 % while 8.3 % were of haemorrhagic type. In the results, the demographic characteristics and the factors which influence the formation of PU of the patients were examined with their cross-sectional impact on each other through comparative and statistical analysis. • It was discovered that among all the stroke patients, 8.3 % were found with a PUs and the most frequent localization was sacrum and no new PU was observed for the participants under the observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lane-changing maneuvers are challenging and contributes to traffic accidents and crashes. They are complicated task that often lead to an increased risk of vehicle collisions and deteriorates traffic flow. This paper proposes a vehicle collision risk model based on vehicle lane-changing movement for autonomous vehicles using the probability threat assessment approach and the lane-changing risk index (LCRI). Given two vehicles, A and B, we first estimate the movements of vehicle B using a GPS device, which accurately identifies the vehicle while changing lanes. We then evaluate the collision risks between vehicles using the probabilistic assessment approach to determine whether a collision event occurs at a later stage. Then, we propose the LCRI, which aims to identify the risk level associated with vehicle lane-changing movement and determine the severity of the crash level. In this study, the HighD vehicle trajectory dataset is used to obtain accurate traffic information and help us investigating collision risks among vehicles. The results show that the proposed model can identify the risks of collision ahead of time. Furthermore, the random parameter ordered logit (RPOL) with heterogeneity model achieves better performance and provides a good fit model and measures for improving traffic safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many patients discharged after an acute pulmonary embolism (PE) admission have inconsistent outpatient follow-up and insufficient workup for chronic complications of PE. A structured outpatient care program is lacking for the different phenotypes of chronic PE, such as chronic thromboembolic disease, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and post-PE syndrome. A dedicated PE follow-up clinic extends the organized, systematic care provided to patients with PE via the PERT (Pulmonary Embolism Response Team) model in the outpatient setting. Such an initiative can standardize follow-up protocols after PE, limit unnecessary testing, and ensure adequate management of chronic complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gentamicin (GM) is a broadly used antibiotic against severe and life-threatening infections, but its efficacy is restricted by the development of liver toxicity. The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of salicylic acid (SA) in gentamicin-induced hepatotoxicity in rabbits. Gentamicin and salicylic acid were given at a dose of 80 mg/kg i.p for twenty days. For this purpose, 24 male albino rabbits were randomly divided into four groups. Group I remained untreated and served as control. Group II was given gentamicin, group III was given gentamicin along with Salicylic acid (SA) and group IV was given only salicylic acid. The degree of hepatoprotection was measured by assessment of body weight, liver weight, absolute liver weight and estimations of plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total and direct bilirubin, tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. Significant reduction in the elevated liver weight, plasma levels of AST, ALT, bilirubin & tissue MDA and significant elevation in reduced body weight, SOD and CAT activities were found that confirms the protective role of salicylic acid in gentamicin induced hepatotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) was introduced as a treatment modality for patients with inoperable, medically refractory chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension decades ago; however, reports of high rates of pulmonary vascular injury have led to considerable refinement in procedural technique. The authors sought to better understand the evolution of BPA procedure-related complications over time. The authors conducted a systematic review of original articles published by pulmonary hypertension centers globally and performed a pooled cohort analysis of procedure-related outcomes with BPA. This systematic review identified 26 published articles from 18 countries worldwide from 2013 to 2022. A total of 1,714 patients underwent 7,561 total BPA procedures with an average follow up of 7.3 months. From the first period (2013-2017) to the second period (2018-2022), the cumulative incidence of hemoptysis/vascular injury decreased from 14.1% (474/3,351) to 7.7% (233/3,029) (P < 0.01); lung injury/reperfusion edema decreased from 11.3% (377/3,351) to 1.4% (57/3,943) (P < 0.01); invasive mechanical ventilation decreased from 0.7% (23/3,195) to 0.1% (4/3,062) (P < 0.01); and mortality decreased from 2.0% (13/636) to 0.8% (8/1,071) (P < 0.01). Procedure-related complications with BPA, including hemoptysis/vascular injury, lung injury/reperfusion edema, mechanical ventilation, and death, were less common in the second period (2018-2022), compared with first period (2013-2017), likely from refinement in patient and lesion selection and procedural technique over time. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specimens of Apis mellifera, A. dorsata and A. florea were collected during field surveys during July, 2018 to August, 2020 from selected sites of Punjab, Pakistan. These sites included Bhawalpur, Khaniwal, Kasur, Lahore, Chakwal and Rawalpindi. The captured specimens were identified first on the basis of morphology and then identified using mitochondrial DNA genes. A. mellifera workers, queens and drones were black in color. Apis dorsata workers were yellow, however, queens and drones were brown. Apis florea queens and workers were yellow banded and the drones were black. The phenol chloroform technique was used to extract whole genomic DNA from preserved honey bee tissues. The quality of the DNA was determined using gel electrophoresis, and the quantity was determined using a thermal scientific Nano-drop. COI primers were used for PCR amplification. All of the acquired specimens' DNA sequences revealed reliable and obvious species identification. GenBank was contacted when appropriate amplified DNA samples were uploaded, and accession numbers were acquired (MZ433243.1, MZ433277.1 and MZ433289.1). After removing problematic bases, the Apis mellifera, Apis dorsata, and Apis florea COI gene fragments were 670, 680, and 675, respectively. Closely comparable Apis sequences were collected from NCBI in blast queries and used in phylogenetic studies. Neighbor-Joining tree, Maximum Likelihood tree and Minimum Evolution tree of the genus Apis was constructed based on p-distance using MEGA X. The overall, genetic divergence of genus Apis was 0.098 ± 0.022. It can be concluded that the morphological characteristics provide information as an indicator for estimating genetic variations between honey bee populations. Further work is needed to explore more areas of Pakistan and molecular identification is required to report any new or subspecies from country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure ulcer (PU) is a localized injury to the skin or underlying tissues usually over a bony prominence, which results due to pressure or pressure in combination with shear. It is an expensive health care problem that have deterring impact on the length of hospitalization and cause extra nursing care time. Moreover, PUs negatively impacts patients' health related quality of life. High PUs prevalence figures were found in specialized hospital units such as intensive care unit (ICU), orthopedics, surgery, and also in stroke patients in medical units. The major purpose of this study is to assess the frequency of pressure ulcers in stroke patients at Ayub teaching hospital. The methodology used for carrying out the research was cross-sectional study conducted during months of September, October, and November 2020. Questionnaire was used to collect the data and well-informed written consent was taken from the patients. A total of 120 stroke patients were initially included with the intention to study the frequency of PUs among them. Different age groups were taken but majority (48.3%) belonged to the age group 31–60 years. Maximum patients were hypertensive (65%), while few of them were diabetic (35%). From the results of proposed work, it is found that out of 120 stroke patients, 75.8% presented with ischemic stroke while 24.2% presented with hemorrhagic stroke. 8.3% that is 10 out of 120 stroke patients developed pressure ulcers of grade 1 (1.7%), grade 2 (1.7%), grade 3 (2.5%), and grade 4 (2.5%) mostly in the sacral region (6.7%) and also on ankle (0.8%), and shoulder (0.8%) respectively. Patients in the study group had unsatisfactory hygiene (6.7%) were malnourished (11.7%) and were not using preventive mattresses (79.2%). Those at the risk of developing pressure ulcers were not being repositioned (6.7%) and did not had awareness (10%). Prevention and treatment used in ward is 100%. Conclusively, the frequency of pressure ulcers in stroke patients was determined to be 8.3% and the most frequent localization was sacrum. The PU care in this hospital is appropriate but still could be improved further by improving risk assessment, prevention specially use of air mattress and patient education regarding PUs. The main objective of the study is to identify the frequency of PUs in stroke patients and to highlight various factors that would avoid PUs development. • The quality of pressure ulcer care in stroke patients. • This paper provides the frequency of pressure ulcers in stroke patients was determined. • This paper highlights various factors that would avoid PUs development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's world is technology-oriented, and the use of mobile devices is imperative for individuals to keep pace with the modern lifestyle. This paper aims to determine the causes that formulate a consumer's choice to adopt mobile payment technology in an underdeveloped economy. Data is collected through an online questionnaire from a sample drawn from a population determined through a statistical database. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the conceptual framework with the assessment of measurement and structural model. The software used is SmartPLS version 3.0. The results of data analysis show that even in the presence of perceived security risk, customers show a tendency to engage in mobile payment systems based on strong relationships among perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness with attitude towards the use of MPS. The results point out a strong affinity for mobility, compatibility, and subjective norms in mobile technology acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are commonly treated through orthopaedic surgery, with traditional procedures relying on arthroscopy using fluid as the medium. However, dry arthroscopy has emerged as a potentially advantageous alternative technique. This method allows the knee joint to remain dry, reducing the risk of fluid leakage and enabling a more precise surgical visualization, resulting in shorter operation times and fewer complications. Recent research has highlighted the benefits of carbon dioxide (CO 2) insufflation during ACL reconstruction, which can decrease pain and discomfort during early recovery. This article introduces a technique for performing ACL reconstruction that eliminates the need for arthroscopic fluid for visualization or instrumentation. Based on CO 2 insufflation, this technique shows promise as a viable alternative to traditional fluid distention methods. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the status, collection, and challenges of community libraries in the capital of Pakistan. A purposive sampling technique was used for data collection from 12librarians/library in-charges working in these community libraries. This study found that the collection of reading materials in the community libraries was between 4000 to 7000 and offered Web-OPAC, interlibrary loan, books borrow services. These libraries have proper websites, classified books, adequate sitting arrangements, and a heating and cooling system to support the community. Though, these libraries were facing some major challenges such as lack of sufficient funds, lack of training opportunities for LIS, old library building, lack of attention of Government, and non-availability of electronic resources. Similarly, uncomfortable furniture and lack of knowledge about new library trends among librarians were the major obstacles in the effective utilization of community libraries in the capital of Pakistan. Through reliable research work, the findings of this study highlight certain recommendations for developing these community libraries into learning resource centers that could support truly the information needs of the community at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine the activity of various digestive enzyme protease, lipase, and amylase related to their body size in digestive tract of wild, marine, Scomberoides commersonnianus. Scomberoides commersonnianus has good quality and demand in market as a food with higher nutrition value and protein content in its flesh. The concentration of various enzymes increases significantly with gut morphometric parameters in Scomberoides commersonnianus. The Protease concentration was found maximum than the concentration of lipases and amylases. Body weight of fish showed a positive correlation with fish total length, gut weight, gut length, relative gut length and Protease activity. Total length showed a positive correlation with gut weight, gut length, relative gut length and lipase activity. Gut weight showed a positive correlation except for enzyme activities. In contrast, gut length showed a correlation with relative gut length, relative gut mass, and Fulton's K. Lipase showed a positive correlation with amylase activity. While remaining, all the variables shows negative correlation with each other. Variables as total length, body weight, gut length, gut weight, RGL, RGM, Zihler's index and Fulton's factor correlated with PCI along x-axis. Standard length, amylase, protease, and lipases found highly associated with PC2 along y-axis. All the variables present at the x-axis on PCI showed positive correlation, TL and body weight; RGM, Zihler's index, RGL, and gut length showed close association with each other. Amylase activity varied significantly with the first two principle components and showed a negative correlation. Protease has a positive correlation with all traits. By analysis, the data in terms of variance Dunnett's test protease analysis show a positive trend, and lipase showed a significantly negative trend in Scomberoides commersonnianus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure caused by corrosion in industries are the major cause of breakdown maintenance. Acoustic emission during the accelerated corrosion testing is a reliable method for corrosion detection, however, classification of these acoustic emission signals by machine learning techniques is still in its infancy. Proposed approach uses a hybrid technique that combines the detection of corrosion through acoustic emission signals from accelerated corrosion testing with machine learning techniques to accurately predict the corrosion severity levels. Laboratory based experimentation setup was established for accelerated corrosion testing of mild steel samples for different time spans and mass loss of samples were recorded. Acoustic emission signals were acquired at high frequency sampling rate with Sound Well AE sensor, NI Elvis kit and NI Labview software. AE mean, AE RMS, AE energy, and kurtosis were selected as distinct features as they represent a linear relationship with the corrosion process. For multi-class problem, five Corrosion severity levels have been made based on mass loss occurred during accelerated corrosion testing for which Naive Bayes, BP-NN and RBF-NN showed accuracy of 90.4%, 94.57%, and 100% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Captive breeding is one of the pre-eminent practices to warrant the future survival of animal and bird species. This study is a first-time report with a long-term analysis of the breeding account and mortality rates of Black Swan at the first National Park in Pakistan i.e., Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur, established in Pakistan under the Punjab Wildlife Act 1974. We obtained the reproduction and mortality data of captive Black Swans from the park management logs from 2008-2009 to 20162017. During the nine years (2008-2009 to 20162017), breeding output was significantly higher than the mortality rate, especially in cygnets. The results show that the species breeds three times in a year, and the breeding months include December-January, April-May, and October-November. These seasonal variations in breeding and mortality may be due to environmental factors, including climatic conditions, potential management protocols, and disease outbreaks. Further studies are suggested to thoroughly investigate all factors that affect the population of Black Swans in captivity so that proper management can be carried out for their conservation and protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign investment flows are translated into capital intensive and technically state-of-the-art industrial sectors and resultantly accelerate the intra-firm and intra-industry trade in the world. This study is an attempt to investigate the determinants of bilateral foreign investment flows to Pakistan by disaggregating the bilateral foreign investment flows into bilateral foreign direct investment flows and bilateral foreign portfolio investment flows through an application of gravity model from 1995-2017. The study confirms the findings of the foreign investment-gravity model for Pakistan. The results indicate that the income of the host country and investing country have a positive bearing on all bilateral foreign investment flows while the population of the host country and source country along with geographical distance turn out with negative sign by validating the traditional gravity model. In the modified gravity model, language, colony, and area dummies have shown a positive association with bilateral foreign investment flows while terrorism appears with a negative sign. The study points out Pakistan can gain benefits by facilitating capital movements in source countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salicylic acid, a phenolic compound, found in plants, possesses free radical scavenging and iron chelation properties. The present study is designed to study the antioxidant effect of salicylic acid in gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in rabbits. For this purpose twenty four male albino rabbits were divided into 4 groups (n=6); control group, healthy untreated rabbits, gentamicin group, received only gentamicin (80mg/kg), gentamicin + salicylic acid group, received gentamicin (80mg/kg) + salicylic acid (80mg/kg) and salicylic acid group, received only salicylic acid (80mg/kg) via intra peritoneal route for 21 consecutive days. Biochemical evaluation was carried out by assessment of body weights and by estimating renal function tests (plasma urea, plasma creatinine and plasma uric acid), tissue antioxidant enzymes (catalase, SOD) and MDA level. Gentamicin induction resulted in decreased body weights, increased plasma urea, plasma creatinine, plasma uric acid, tissue MDA level and decreased tissue SOD and tissue catalase activity in gentamicin treated group which was restored by supplementation with salicylic acid in gentamicin + salicylic acid group. Our data suggests that supplementation of salicylic acid can be useful in reducing gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Battery failures are obvious after being subject to abuse conditions however predicting these failures in advance is crucial when using test and validation techniques to understand battery potential. Lithium-ion battery cells are widely used due to their high energy and power densities. When abusive conditions like the three-point bend loading are applied to lithium-ion batteries, what occurs to the mechanical behaviours and components is still mostly unknown. To further this understanding, this paper investigates the mechanical behaviour of the separator in the LiCoO2/Graphite cylindrical 18650 cells. Internal short circuit (ISC) behaviour, strain rate dependency, and electrochemical status of the cells (i.e. SOC dependency) are studied to understand failure patterns. Furthermore, a simple and effective constitutive model for the separator layer is formed, facilitating further mechanical analysis and numerical simulation of lithium-ion battery study. The occurrence of ISC is investigated by jellyroll deformation where the casing is removed, and quasi-static load is applied. A numerical simulation model is developed to further investigate sequential structural failures and temperature changes. Simulation results showed good accuracy with experimental results and are useful to predict structural failure of cells. The number of failures including electrolyte leakage, change in shape, sudden voltage drop/temperature rise, and gas venting is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gentamicin (GM) is a generally utilized as an antibiotic against dangerous and life threatening contaminations, yet its value is restricted by the development of nephrotoxicity. The present investigation was intended to decide the defensive impact of salicylic acid (SA) in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rabbits. Quantitative assessment of gentamicin-induced structural changes and level of functional modifications in the kidneys were performed by biochemical examinations keeping in mind the end goal is to decide the potential protective impacts of SA co-administration with gentamicin. Gentamicin was seen to cause a serious nephrotoxicity which was proved by a plasma urea, plasmacreatinine, plasma uric acid, plasma Na+, plasma K+, intra-erythrocyte Na+ and intra-erythrocyte K+ levels. On the other hand, simultaneous SA administration protected kidney tissue against the oxidative damage and the nephrotoxic effect caused by GM treatment. The outcomes from our investigation show that SA supplement lessens oxidative-stress related to renal damage by reducing oxygen free radicals in gentamicin-treated rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses only on internal social and environmental aspects of corporate social responsibility as per general orders 2009 to define the CSR of a firm. Using the hand collected data of non-financial listed companies of Pakistan Stock Exchange from their annual reports from 2010 to 2015; this study finds that CSR is significantly positive impact on firm performance across all three proxies, while the relationship is stronger for Tobin Q as compared to return on assets and return on sales. It means that the firms those have higher levels of CSR disclosure tend to have higher market value because of overwhelm response from stakeholders, which not only improves the image of the company but also enhances client loyalty. Moreover, this study finds no significant difference in the findings of internal social and environmental disclosure, but the significant positive impact of internal social disclosure and environmental disclosure on firm performance suggests that Pakistani firms keep in mind agency as well as legitimacy theoretical prospects at the time of designing their CSR strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to investigate the relationship between energy consumption and macroeconomic performance for Pakistan by using the time series data from 1972 to 2016.Thestudy has focused two sectors i.e. energy sector and non-energy sector. To explore the direct effect of energy sector on macroeconomic performance and externality (indirect) effect through non-energy sector on macroeconomic performance, Feder-sectoral type classification has been used. Macroeconomic performance index is constructed by using variables such as inflation rate, unemployment rate, budget deficit and gross domestic product (GDP) growth. ARDL technique is employed to estimate the long run relationship among energy consumption and macroeconomic performance. The results of this study reveal that direct and externality effects of all categories of energy consumption at aggregate level (energy use, fossil energy consumption and renewable energy consumption) and disaggregate level (gas, oil, electricity and coal energy consumption) have positive relationship with macroeconomic performance index. The study recommends that any type of energy consumption is a major factor of macroeconomic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing population (urbanization) has impact on land around the world. Therefore, this study was conducted to find out nexuses between urbanization and agricultural land conversion in the study area. Thus, the population of the study area was Hyderabad district, and the sample size was 192 respondents. Both primary and secondary data were used for this study. Hyderabad is leading fro urban population density per km2 in Pakistan, and second in the world with 40,000 people per km2 where it is 2nd largest urban city of Sindh, and 6th of the country. While Hyderabad district's overall population increased by 44 percent in last 36 years (from 1981 to 2017). Additionally, Qasimabad sub-district was most affected sub-district by the process of urbanization in Hyderabad district. In which 3508 acres of agricultural land converted followed by Latifabad sub-district with 1064 acres, Hyderabad city sub-district with 562 acres and Hyderabad rural sub-district with 342 acres. According to affected individuals point of view, 70 percent of agricultural land has been sold and converted in urbanization in Hyderabad district. The average income of the respondents was about Rs. 86,000 ($ 860 US), literacy ratio was 83 percent, average family size was 6 and the average age was 48 years. Further, 41 percent affected people are in jobs (public and private), 21 percent are respondents are daily wage laborer, 17 percent are engaged in personal business, 16 percent in agricultural farming and five percent have other sources of income. This superposition of land can create shortage of food and fibre for its growing population as well as can germinate socioeconomic and infrastructural issues not only in this mega city, but also in the country. So, this study is a tool for policy makers and future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small cells are a promising technique to improve the capacity and throughput of future wireless networks. However, user association and power allocation in heterogeneous networks is complicated by the dense deployment of small cells, resulting in non-convex and combinatorial problems. Conventionally, machine learning techniques are applied to the joint optimization problem, which has different action spaces. Gauging the continuous spaces to discrete spaces results in the loss of granularity due to discretization (e.g. potential power values in power allocation). Due to its hybrid action space, it is sub-optimal to solve joint user association (discrete spaces) and power allocation (continuous spaces) problems by applying traditional machine learning approaches. This work proposes a Multi-Agent Parameterized Deep Reinforcement Learning (MA-PDRL) approach to address the joint user association and power allocation problem efficiently. According to simulation results, the proposed multi-agent PDRL performs better in energy efficiency and QoS satisfaction than WMMSE, game theory, Q-learning, and DRL techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anxiety and depression are commonly experienced by individuals with heart conditions, significantly impacting their overall well-being and prognosis. This review aims to provide an updated examination of the relationship between anxiety, depression, and heart disease. The review begins by exploring the prevalence of anxiety and depression in heart patients, highlighting the substantial rates at which these mental health disorders co-occur in this population. It further elucidates the risk factors that contribute to the development and exacerbation of anxiety and depression in individuals with heart conditions, including biological, psychological, and social factors. The impact of anxiety and depression on cardiac outcomes is a central focus of this review. It explores the intricate bi-directional relationship between mental health and cardiovascular health, discussing the mechanisms through which anxiety and depression can lead to adverse cardiac events and worsen existing heart conditions. Additionally, it examines the potential impact of anxiety and depression on treatment adherence, lifestyle modifications, and overall quality of life in heart patients. The review also investigates the diagnostic and assessment methods for anxiety and depression in heart patients, emphasizing the importance of implementing comprehensive screening protocols in clinical settings. In conclusion, this updated review provides valuable insights into the prevalence, impact, assessment, and management of anxiety and depression in heart patients. It underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing these mental health disorders within the context of cardiac care, ultimately aiming to enhance the overall well-being and prognosis of individuals living with heart conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Glioblastoma remains the most resistant malignant brain tumor owing to the lack of an efficient delivery system for therapeutic genes or drugs, especially in outgrowing tumor islands. Cell-based delivery systems such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a potential candidate in this regard. Conventionally, MSCs have been genetically modified for cancer therapy by using viral vectors that can illicit oncogenicity and limit their use in clinical trials. In this study, we have used nonviral agents such as the polylysine-modified polyethylenimine (PEI-PLL) copolymer to generate genetically engineered MSCs with suicidal genes, namely, HSV-TK and TRAIL. Our results demonstrated that an intratumoral injection of polymer-double-transfected MSCs along with prodrug ganciclovir injections can induce a significant synergistic therapeutic response both in vitro and in vivo compared to single plasmid transfections or untransfected MSCs. The proliferation marker Ki67 and the angiogenesis marker VEGF were also significantly reduced in treatment groups, whereas the TUNEL assay demonstrated that apoptosis is significantly increased after treatment. Our findings suggest that the PEI-PLL copolymer can successfully modify MSCs with therapeutic genes and can produce a pronounced impact during glioblastoma therapy. This study proposes a potential nonviral approach to develop a cell-based therapy for the treatment of glioma. Statement of Significance In this study, we have used a polylysine-modified polyethylenimine polymer (PEI-PLL) copolymer, a non viral transfection agent, for gene delivery in mesenchymal stem cells. These PEI-PLL-transfected mesenchymal stem cells with HSV-TK and TRAIL genes have the potential to treat glioma both in vitro and in vivo. This combinational therapy through PEI-PLL-transfected mesenchymal stem cells can provide cost-effective, low immunogenic, and tumor-targeted delivery of suicideal genes (HSV-TK and TRAIL) for promising glioblastoma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Lithium-ion batteries are considered efficient energy source for current electric vehicles (EVs) due to better power and energy densities; however, safety of these batteries is vital when it comes to large scale deployment. Short circuit of batteries is one of the concern as it can spread quickly within battery module or pack if not controlled at cell level. In this paper single lithium-ion battery cell is investigated where two mechanical abuse conditions, compression and bending are used to investigate short circuit and propagation of failures due to short circuit. Quasi-static loading approach is used for mechanical abuse conditions. Numerical simulation tool LS-DYNA is used to model battery cell where each layer thickness is considered 0.3mm and concentric layered formation is used for this purpose. Separator failures are analysed using simulation models, where at maximum displacement separator temperature increases significantly and drop in force is observed, another significant finding from separator layer analysis is the high-temperature locations. In the case of three-point bend test which has immediate short circuit response and circular punch test where a slow build-up of short circuit is evident from experiment, separator failure occurs well in advance for short circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the economic determinants of bilateral trade flows and trade potential of Pakistan with ECO member countries by using panel data for years 2003-2014. Gravity trade model is estimated through panel least squares technique and trade potential is calculated through Predicted to Actual trade ratio method. The results show that Pakistan's bilateral trade flows with ECO member countries are positively correlated with GDP, trade openness, and border while negatively correlated with distance, per capita GDP, exchange rate, inflation rate, and landlocked. The study also reveals that Pakistan has potential to expand its trade with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Supportive measures are needed to exploit the unrealized potential of trade in ECO region. Trade should be further liberalized through reduction in tariff barriers and non-tariff barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]