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Background: Ovine and caprine theileriosis is a tick-borne hemoprotozoan disease, caused by Theileria spp., responsible for heavy economic losses in terms of high mortality and morbidity rates. Diagnosis of ovine theileriosis is primarily based on clinical symptoms, microscopic screening of stained blood smears, and lymph node biopsy smears, but the limitations of these detection methods against Theileria spp. infection limits their specificity. Aim: To overcome these limitations, the current study reports the differential diagnosis of theileriosis through a blood smear examination and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in small ruminants from Pakistan. Methods: The study was conducted on 1,200 apparently healthy small ruminants (737 sheep and 463 goats). First, blood smears were screened for the presence of Theileria piroplasms in red blood cells. Second, PCR amplification based on 18S rRNA gene was performed by using primers specific to Theileria spp. Results: Out of the 1,200 samples of examined blood smears, 100 animals (8.33%) were found positive for Theileria species, which showed intra-erythrocytic bodies in the form of dot and comma shapes. Amplification of the isolated DNA from randomly collected blood samples of 737 sheep and 463 goats showed that an amplicon size of 1,098 bp was positive for Theileria spp. In total, 315 out of the 1,200 small ruminants examined in this study were found positive for Theileria spp. DNA through PCR amplification. Notably, out of the 885 blood samples negative by PCR amplification, only 15 blood samples were found positive by the blood smear test. Conversely, 230 blood samples that tested negative in the smear technique produced a specific band through PCR amplification. Overall, the sensitivity and specificity rates were 26.98% and 98.31% for the blood smear method and 73.01% and 100% for the PCR assay, respectively. Conclusion: Our finding suggests that PCR is the gold standard method compared to the conventional method of smear examination for the diagnosis of ovine and caprine theileriosis in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southwestern foothills of the Himalayan Mountain range have been experiencing a surge of catastrophic landslides in the last two decades, as a tragic result of the adverse effects of climate change. This research is about the landslide risk assessment (LRA) which has not been explored yet in the landslide-prone district Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. Landslide susceptibility (spatial probability) was analyzed using random forest model while landslide hazard (temporal probability) was analyzed using Poisson probability model. A random forest-based landslide susceptibility map depicts an accuracy of 0.90. A landslide hazard map was generated by multiplying the temporal probability with the spatial probability and classified as well. Semi-quantitative danger pixels and a fuzzy set theory approach for LRA have been adopted to estimate future landslide risks in the region. The pixel-based LRA approach indicates that 14, 18 and 20 km2 area of settlement while, the fuzzy set theory-based approach depicts that 15, 19 and 21 km2 area of the settlement are under very high landslide risk for 1-, 3-, and 5- year return period respectively. Both approaches produced risk maps that designated various risk zones with almost the same area coverage and results. The LRA maps were classified into five classes including very high (1.99%, 2.33%, 2.80%), high (2.16%, 2.53%, 3.04%), moderate (8.02%, 9.79%, 11.22%), low (17.76%, 22.94%, 23.20%), and very low (70.08%, 62.40%, 59.74%) risk zones for 1, 3 and 5 years return period respectively. This research will assist planners and scientists in developing high-precision management strategies for landslide-affected natural resources, especially in the context of the increasing impact of geomorphic hazards on climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cotton growing areas, short duration sunflower hybrids are desired. The sunflower hybrid ORISUN-675 was developed as short duration sunflower hybrid with better yield in 2016. ORISUN-675 was the outcome of hybridization between CMS line ORI-01 and a restorer line RL-72. The initial cross was attempted during 2016 at farm area of Oilseeds Research Institute, Faisalabad. Later on, this hybrid was tested at various levels like on station trial and multilocation trails for yield and stability evaluation and proved its worth against Hysun-33, NKS-278 and AGSUN-5264. The Station Yield Trial was conducted during 2017 at Oilseeds Research Institute, Faisalabad and Micro Yield Trial during 2018 at various locations in Punjab. National Uniform Sunflower Yield Trials were conducted during 2019 and 2020 at different ecological zones of Pakistan under the supervision of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. All yield trials showed outstanding results of ORISUN-675 in terms of yield and quality against check hybrids. Mean yield of sunflower hybrids showed that ORISUN-675 had the highest average seed yield of 2636 kg/ha under various locations with the highest seed yield of 3367 kg/ha at Rajanpur district followed by the district D.I. Khan with the seed yield of 3248 kg/ha. It also showed good results against disease infestation and attack of insect pests. It has a very good oil quality with excellent ratio of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Stability studies at various locations of Pakistan also showed the worth of this hybrid. Moreover, this hybrid showed very good results at southern Punjab (Cotton zone) which makes it suitable for cotton sunflower cotton cropping scheme. On the basis of yield and stability evaluation, ORISUN-675 was recommended by the Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) during 2020 for general cultivation in whole Pakistan whereas it is approved by Punjab Seed Council (PSC) for general cultivation in Punjab during 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Picture fuzzy sets (PFSs), the generalization of intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs), are more capable of dealing with vague data in real-life problems. Models based on PFSs may be suitable particularly in those circumstances where human perceptions become challenging as well as various kinds of reasoning, like yes, no, abstention, or denial. The aggregation operators (AOs) are essential components in information aggregation as they have the ability to aggregate a group of fuzzy numbers into a single fuzzy number of the same kind. A lot of aggregation operations for PFSs have been developed. Nevertheless, the existing aggregation operators for picture fuzzy information are inaccurate as they fail to aggregate a group of picture fuzzy numbers into a single picture fuzzy number (PFN). To cover the drawbacks of existing AOs, we developed some modified picture fuzzy aggregation operators (PFAOs) named as picture fuzzy modified weighted averaging (PFMWA), picture fuzzy modified ordered weighted averaging (PFMOWA) and picture fuzzy modified hybrid averaging (PFMHA) aggregation operator along with their distinctive features. These operators are essential in developing new multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques. This paper defines a number of stakeholder roles (or tactics), with an objective of overcoming the challenges to executing Education 4.0 (EDUC4) that have recently been highlighted in the literature. A MCDM problem provides the basis for the evaluation of the responsibilities of the stakeholders with respect to these constraints. Several management concerns are provided as stepping stones for the development of EDUC4 implementation. The purpose of this study is to identify the qualities that influence the degree of optimism for the adoption and implementation of the EDUC4 in Pakistan's education system while taking government policies into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several devastating landslides have occurred in the NW Himalayas, which has prompted several researchers to strive for improvement in landslide susceptibility modelling (LSM) methodologies. This research analyzes the effectiveness of alternative landslide partitioning techniques on LSM in the landslide-prone district, Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. We developed a landslide inventory of 961 landslides and then traditionally divided it into training (672; 70%) and testing (289; 30%) samples. These training samples (672) are processed by the Average Nearest Neighbour Index (ANNI) method to estimate the spatial pattern of landslides in nature. The results provide an ANNI ratio of 0.672 confirming that the landslides distribution pattern is cluster in the complex Himalayan terrain of Muzaffarabad. Among 672, the majority of landslides (529; 79%) depict cluster behaviour, while 189 landslides (21%) depict random behaviour. To evaluate the effectiveness of landslide cluster samples in prediction, five machine learning algorithms (MLAs), that is, K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN), Naïve Bayes (NB), Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Logistic Regression (LR) using proposed cluster (529) and traditional (672) random training samples along with 17 geo-environmental factors are executed. However, testing samples (289; 30%) separated at the initial stage remained the same to check the model's effectiveness. The areas under the curve (AUC-ROC), sensitivity, specificity, Kappa index and accuracy (ACC) have been used to evaluate the MLA's performances. An alternative partitioning technique (cluster) shows the highest predictive power with AUC-ROC values ranging from 0.96 to 0.86, Kappa index ranges from 0.76 to 0.60 and ACC ranges from 0.90 to 0.83. Conversely, the random partitioning approach performs less well with AUC-ROC values ranging from 0.95 to 0.83, Kappa index ranges from 0.70 to 0.49 and ACC ranges from 0.87 to 0.80. In comparison, the RF cluster sampling-based model outperforms the other models and their counterparts. The RF model achieved the highest accuracy (0.902), highest AUC (0.962) and highest Kappa index (0.755) followed by XGboost having ACC (0.885), AUC (0.95) and Kappa index (0.724) employing proposed cluster training samples. However, traditional random training samples yield comparatively low ACC of RF (0.868) and XGboost (0.862). These results confirm that cluster training sampling performs well in obtaining reliable and precise LSMs for complex Himalayan terrain. Although random landslide partitioning for training datasets is seldom utilized in LSM, this study highlights that cluster partitioning for landslide training datasets might be a realistic and reliable approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background of the Study. Statistical models have been extensively used in modeling and forecasting the different fields of agriculture, economics, social sciences, and medical sciences. The transmission of some diseases is a serious life threat around the globe; therefore, proper assessment and modeling need time. Malaria is one of the major life-threatening diseases in Pakistan, and some death cases due to this disease have been reported during the last decade. Methodology. The data have been collected from the Ministry of Health, Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan, from January 2011 to March 2022. Data were analyzed by applying time series models for prediction purposes. Diagnostic measures such as RMSE, MAE, and MAPE were used to choose the best forecasting model. Results and Discussion. This study aims to forecast malaria cases by choosing the best forecast model. After comparison, it was concluded that the Holt–Winter multiplicative model outperformed the ARIMA and SARIMA models, with the lowest RMSE, MAPE, and MAE compared to other models. Malaria cases in the district Rahim Yar Khan were forecasted by the Holt–Winter multiplicative model, for the month of April 2022 to January 2023. From the forecasting results, the minimum number of cases was found to be 586.75 in June 2022 and the maximum number of cases was found to be 1281.93 in October 2022 among the next ten months. Based on the results, it is paramount for the GOP (Govt. of Pakistan) to enhance the vaccination policy to erase the impacts of malaria cases to flatten the curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton is an important cash crop of Pakistan and export commodity. Yield of cotton crop is affected by many factors but insect pests especially whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) is destroying cotton crop yield and quality in recent times. Many control measures are adopted against this pest including chemical control methods. Due to certain environmental issues and insecticide resistance problems, adoption of alternate methods of insect control is imperative. In this experiment we used some insecticides alone and in combination with Salicylic acid against B. tabaci. Flonicamid 50% DF at the rate of 80 g/ac and Diafenthiuran 50% SC at the rate of 200 mL/ac were used against Whitefly. Salicylic acid (SA) by Sigma-Aldrich 500 G was used 01 mL/L of water along with the tested insecticides under field conditions. Highest reduction 90.63% was observed in Flonicamid+SA treatment followed by 82.89% in Diafenthiuran +SA, Flonicamid 77.76%, Diafenthiuron 76.28% and lowest 29.36% reduction was observed in SA treatment with respect to control after 72 hrs. of treatment application. After 7 days maximum reduction 83.43% was observed in Flonicamid+SA followed by 69.02 % in Diafenthiuron+SA, 77.76% in Flonicamid, 66.37% in Diafenthiuron and lowest 21.97% recorded in SA treatment. In SA treatments population of rove beetle, green lace wing and spiders was significantly higher as compared to other treatments. It is evident from the results that SA has enhanced plant resistance against whitefly and thus reduced the damage of pest. SA can be used as alternative combination for the management of cotton whitefly and the amount of insecticide can be reduced for the control of whitefly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Pakistan, a hierarchical healthcare system is an efficient way of addressing the issue of limited and insufficient healthcare services. Identifying the various degrees of disease based on the doctor's diagnosis is an important step in developing the hierarchical healthcare treatment structure. This research presents a framework for dealing with the issue of diagnosis values presented as "picture fuzzy numbers (PFNs)". Specifically, the goal of this study is to establish some innovative operational laws and "aggregation operators" (AOs) in a picture fuzzy environment. In this regard, we proposed some new neutral or fair operational laws that incorporate the concept of proportional distribution in order to achieve a neutral or fair remedy to the positive, neutral and negative aspects of PFNs. Based on the developed operational laws, we proposed the "picture fuzzy fairly weighted average operator" and the "picture fuzzy fairly ordered weighted averaging operator". Compared to previous techniques, the proposed AOs provide more generalized and reliable. Furthermore, using proposed AOs with multiple decision-makers and partial weight information under PFNs, a "multi-criteria decision-making" algorithm is developed. Finally, we provide an example to show how the novel approach can aid hierarchical treatment systems. This is essential for merging the healthcare capabilities of the general public and optimizing the medical care system's service performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Wheat is a staple food in Pakistan and Government of Pakistan stores huge amount of wheat every year to maintain food supply chains especially during scarcity period. Every year, surplus stored wheat is provided to poultry feed manufacturers at lower price and poultry feed manufacturers use stored wheat in diet of poultry with different exogenous enzymes. However, no data is available on the utilization of stored wheat (1.5 and 2.5 years storage) with or without exogenous enzymes in broilers. This study will provide evidence that storage of wheat will require exogenous enzymes in the diet of broilers for enhanced productivity. The current study was conducted to evaluate the effects of stored wheat-based diet (1.5 and 2.5 years stored wheat) with and without the supplementation of xylanase and phytase enzymes in combination or individually on performance parameters, digestibility, digesta viscosity and carcass characteristics of broilers. For this purpose, a total of 640-day-old male broilers were randomly distributed to the 64 pens, and each pen had 10 birds. Two basal isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets contained 1.5 and 2.5 years stored wheat were formulated in this experiment. In the current study, experimental feeds were prepared by supplementing exogenous enzymes in both basal diets with xylanase (500 XU), phytase (500 FTU) alone or in a combination of phytase and xylanase. Performance parameters data represents that both in starter phase and finisher phase, inclusion of exogenous enzymes xylanase and phytase in both basal diets alone or in combination enhance the feed intake, and body weight gain (p < 0.05) and improve the feed conversion ratio in overall phase (p < 0.05). Similarly, supplementation of exogenous xylanase and phytase alone or in combination enhance the nutrient digestibility and reduce the digesta viscosity (p < 0.05). Based on the results of this experiment, it is concluded that supplementation of exogenous xylanase and phytase enzymes alone or in combination in wheat-based diets (stored wheat 1.5 and 2.5 years) enhance and improves the performance of birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide predictive performance is expected to vary with different sampling techniques, such as landslide random and cluster sampling. Current advancements in remote sensing technologies and machine learning (ML) have enhanced landslide prediction performance. The Himalayan Mountain range in Pakistan poses an unadorned threat to the ecosystem and valley population because of landslide occurrence. The present study explores, and tests alternative sampling technique based on spatial pattern characterization in the wake of increased landslide prediction efficacy, rather than a renowned random technique for training and testing sampling. Thereupon, landslide inventory data with 17 geo-environmental factors (i.e. topographic, hydrological and seismic factors) were determined. Landslide cluster patterns were confirmed by the Nearest Neighbor Index (NNI) method and after getting the cluster patterns, the predicted performance of landslide sampling was tested using ML and statistical methods. Advanced ML algorithms including Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Naive Bayes (NB), K-nearest Neighbors (KNN) and statistical methods including Weight-ofEvidence (WofE) and Logistic Regression (LR) were used and validated. The landslide-prone district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Neelum Valley), Kashmir Himalayas, Pakistan, was selected as a case study. Prediction performance rates are high with area under the curve (AUC) ranging from 0.802 to 0.912; accuracy (ACC) ranges from 0.78 to 0.89, and kappa ranges from 0.50 to 0.68 with cluster sampling technique, whereas the performance was low with random sampling technique, with AUC ranges from 0.768 to 0.895; ACC ranges from 0.74 to 0.86 and kappa ranges from 0.48 to 0.64. The descending order of accuracy of the six algorithms was XGboost, RF, KNN, NB, LR and WofE. Our results confirmed that the landslides followed cluster patterns in the study area, and ML algorithms with cluster training samples positively affected landslide susceptibility prediction with a statistically significant difference. The outcomes support the hypothesis that using landslides spatial natural existence, as training samples instead of random concepts, improves the prediction ability; and highlights that alternative landslide partitioning technique could be a practicable and robust choice for landslides prediction modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the diagnostic value of rapid COVID-19 antigen test (Panbio, Abbott) in comparison with Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) in suspected community cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection at a tertiary care center in Pakistan Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Pathology Department, Combined Military Hospital, Lahore Pakistan, from Jun 2020 to Jun 2021. Methodology: The diagnostic value of the Panbio®COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test (Panbio, Abbott), was determined in comparison with RT-PCR in suspected community cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection at a tertiary care center on samples taken simultaneously. 200 individuals reporting to the hospital with signs and symptoms of potential COVID infection or history of significant contact exposure (>1 hour without masking and social distancing) to a RT-PCR positive COVID patient and concurrently requiring a rapid COVID antigen test due to an underlying health condition were included in the study by consecutive sampling. Results: Out of 200 individuals, 53(26.5 %) were COVID positive by RT-PCR whereas 147(73.5%) were clearly negative with no cases of indeterminate viremia on RT PCR. 32(60.3%) out of 53 RT-PCR positive COVID cases were also found to be positive by COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test, whereas 21(39.6%) were negative. Out of 147 RT-PCR negative COVID cases, 146(99.3%) were negative by COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test as well whereas 1(0.68%) was positive. Conclusion: COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test is suitable adjunct to RT-PCR testing in suspected cases in emergent settings in early days of admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit fly (Bactrocera zonata) is a destructive pest of citrus fruits. Use of synthetic insecticides against fruit fly infestations has created different ecological problems such as the development of insecticide resistance, eradication of beneficial fauna and human health hazards. This situation necessitates looking for alternate biorational fruit fly management tools such as botanical insecticides. This laboratory study was aimed at determining the toxicity of some selected plant extracts (i.e. Azadirachta indica A. Juss., Nigella sativa L. and Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad) alone and as binary combinations against B. zonata adults. The study was conducted in the at Department of Entomology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan in July to September, 2019. Bioassay results showed that aqueous extract of A. indica was most toxic to B. zonata adults with a median lethal concentration (LC50) of 383.3 μl/g of artificial diet, followed by C. colocynthis and N. sativa with LC50 values of 656.3 and 734.2 μl/g of artificial diet, respectively. Bioassays with binary combinations revealed that A. indica with C. colocynthis (ratio 1:1) showed a synergistic effect exhibiting a LC50 value of 293.1 μl/g of artificial diet. However, all other treatment combinations showed an antagonistic effect. It is suggested that the mixture of botanical extracts should be used carefully as they may sometimes reduce the efficacy of each other upon mixing. These results can thus be used in the development of potential botanical formulations against insect pests such as fruit flies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the efficacy of intravenous phenylephrine infusion versus boluses for blood pressure management in elective caesarean sections. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Anaesthesia Department, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Feb to Jul 2022. Methodology: Three hundred ninety patients requiring elective caesarean section were divided into an Infusion Group (n=195) and a Bolus Group (n=195). The Infusion Group received phenylephrine with 100 mcg/ml titration immediately after spinal anaesthesia as per weight and height at a 1 ml/minute rate and continued for 5 minutes. Infusion stopped if MAP at 5 minutes was above baseline and restarted if dropped below baseline in subsequent readings. In the case of bradycardia, 600mcg of Glycopyrrolate was administered. Parameters recorded at 1, 5, 10 and 15-minute intervals. In the bolus group, total numbers of 100mcg boluses at the end of fifteen minutes were recorded. Protocol for bradycardia and data record intervals was the same. The primary variables were mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate(HR), the total dose of phenylephrine used, and nausea and vomiting. Results: Primary outcome variables showed consistent improvement in maintaining MAP in the Infusion Group versus the Bolus Group (p<0.05). A similar trend was seen with heart rate between both groups (p<0.05). However, the infusion group had an average fall in heart rate compared to the bolus group at all-time intervals. Conclusion: Phenylephrine infusion offers better hemodynamic stability, requiring less ephedrine support than when given in boluses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan developed the ever first variety of barley as Jau-17 in Pakistan. Barley variety performed best in a series of irrigated and rainfed yield trials conducted at Wheat Research Institute, Faisalabad and outstation yield trials throughout the Punjab province during 2008-2019. In the yield trials for three consecutive years from Preliminary to Regular and Advanced Yield Trials, it had out-yielded the check variety Haider-93 by an average of 23.34% while in outstation yield trials throughout the Punjab province, it produced 11.40% higher grain yield than commercial check variety Haider-93. Jau-17 had medium to tall stature of about 99 to 110 cm length, growth habit was semi erect and had medium-length-awned ear which had yellowish white color. It took 90 to 100 days to complete heading and matured in 140 to 145 days with tillering capacity (154-160 per m²). The seed is amber in color with 1000-grain weight of upto 42 gram. For quality trait evaluation it had good quantity for protein (12 to 13.7%) and test weight (52.7 to 58 kg/hl) along with opaque seed surface. Its malt making quality was excellent for industrial uses. In 2019 Jau-17 was approved by Punjab Seed Council for general cultivation due to its superior performance over the years for better grain yield, resistance against rusts and nutrition quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road traffic accidents are quite common in developing countries like Pakistan and mainly affect middle aged men. Objectives: To determine the frequency of epidural hematoma in different ages due to road traffic accidents on Computed Tomography scan brain. Study Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting: Emergency Radiology Department, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore. Period: August 2017 to November 2017. Material & Methods: One hundred fifteen patients were selected who visited to emergency due to road traffic accidents. The individuals with head injury bearing hematoma were included. Axial computed tomography scan brain without contrast was performed. The frequency of epidural hematoma in different ages was determined. Result: Total one hundred fifteen patients were enrolled in the study; epidural hematomas were 49 (42.60%) while no epidural hematomas were 66(57.39%). Out of 49 epidural hematoma cases males were 38(77.55%) and females were 11 (22.45%) with a mean age of 19 years with a range of 2-55 ± 9.59 years. All the individuals with head injury were categorized into three groups. The frequency of epidural hematoma in different ages was 75.51% (15-44 years) followed by 20.40% (<14years) and then 4.08% in (>45years). Conclusion: It was concluded from this study that epidural hematoma determined by computed tomography scan brain is more frequent in middle age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable supply of food, energy, and water resources under the additional pressures caused by climate change is a global grand challenge. In Pakistan and many other developing countries, population growth and escalating demands for clean energy, food, and water also impose mounting pressure on agricultural land, necessitating the rapid development of innovative, holistic, and climate-compatible solutions. Here, we use a self-consistent electrical–optical–thermal model to explore the potential of east/west (E/W) vertical bifacial photovoltaic (PV) farms for state-of-the-art agrivoltaic (AV) systems—an innovative production system that enables solar energy generation over crops—an approach that can solve key obstacles in solar energy growth for Pakistan and the world whilst ensuring food–water–climate security. We compare the performance of E/W vertical bifacial PV farms with north/south (N/S) tilted bifacial PV farms for PV energy production and ground irradiance available for crops. We show that optimally designed E/W vertical bifacial PV farms provide spatial homogeneity for crop light. We further explore the effect of soiling on PV energy yield and show that due to their inherent resilience to soiling losses, E/W vertical PV farms could reduce the water budget and could be the potential candidates to be mounted in AV systems particularly in the regions having scarce water supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current survey was designed to study the infections of Theileria spp. (Theileria lestoquardi and T. ovis) in small ruminants through PCR and microscopy in Musa Pak Shaheed, Multan district, Pakistan amidst 2013. A total of 200 small ruminants (93 sheep and 107 goats) without any apparent signs of theileriosis were examined to diagnose Theileria piroplasms. During sampling, blood was amassed by puncturing the jugular vein in eppendorf comprising EDTA as anticoagulant coated tubes for the detection of Theileria piroplasms. DNA was extracted from collected samples and subjected to PCR amplification to determine ovine and caprine theileriosis. Through a questionnaire, the data regarding animals as well as herds characteristics were gathered to define the risk factors favors the spread of Theileria spp. infection. 24% and 8.5% Theileria infection identified through PCR and microscopic examination during present investigation. The PCR detected 14.5% and 9.5% Theileria piroplasms infection in sheep and goats, respectively. Among Theileria species, PCR identified the incidence of T. lestoquardi and T. ovis was 16.5% and 5% respectively while 6% blood samples revealed mixed infection of both species in overall small ruminants. The infection rate of T. lestoquardi was higher (9.5% and 7%) than T. ovis (3% and 2%) in sheep and goats respectively. Statistically significant correlation revealed between theileriosis and animal species, different age groups, presence of ticks, herd size and herd composition in small ruminants. The outcomes of the current survey ratified PCR amplification is discernible, specific and sensitive assay for diagnosis of ovine and caprine theileriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been no detailed investigations of the association between different types of childhood traumatic experiences and personality disorders (PDs) and mediating effect of maladaptive schemas among young adults in Pakistan. Hence, this study aimed to explore the relationship between retrospective reports of various types of childhood traumatic experiences and current diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-V) PDs in a non-clinical population in Pakistan, Sargodha. Objective: To investigate the relationship between childhood's traumatic experiences, maladaptive schemas personality disorders and examine the indirect effect of childhood traumatic experiences. Study type, settings and duration: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Sargodha, Pakistan from October 2016 to November 2017. Subjects and Methods: The study population comprised of 300 adults. Data was collected by administering childhood traumatic questionnaire, young schema questionnaire and personality diagnostic questionnaire. SPSS-23 had been used for data analysis. Correlation and mediation analysis was done though process software. Results: Male to female ratio was 1:1. Childhood traumatic experiences had positive correlation with histrionic (r = .23, p <0.05), narcissistic (r = .14, p <0.05), borderline (r = .19, p <0.05) and antisocial personality disorder (r = .17, p <0.01). Childhood traumatic experiences had positive correlation with early maladaptive schemas (r = .82, p <0.01).Thus Childhood traumatic experiences have direct and indirect effect (through schemas) on personality disorders which was anticipated in the study. Conclusion: Childhood traumatic experiences contribute to personality disorder later in life among young adults through maladaptive schemas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The traditional research in Pakistan has excessively focused on major depression. However the present study has examined the predictors and coping of seasonal depression in winter. Thus, it is a unique stance to work on winter depression in low and high altitudes of Pakistan. Objective: The objective was to determine the buffering role of coping strategies between seasonality and winter depression. Subjects and Methods: The study participants comprised of adolescents and adults (n = 500). Seasonal attitude scale, brief cope and personal inventory for seasonal affected disorder and winter depression were major data collection tools. The study was completed in one year. Results: Moderation analysis confirmed the moderating effect of coping strategies between seasonality and symptoms of winter depression. Findings revealed that the effective strategies of coping were problem-focused and emotion-focused coping which proved as protective factors in the seasonality and winter depression relationship. The dysfunctional avoidance yields negative effects when seasonality triggers winter depression. Conclusion: The findings share applied insights to use appropriate coping style for the seasonal individuals to deal with the seasonality-induced symptoms of winter depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High blood pressure is an important public health concern and the leading risk factor for global mortality and morbidity. To assess the implications of this condition, we aimed to review the existing literature and study the factors that are significantly associated with hypertension in the Pakistani population. Methods: We conducted several electronic searches in PubMed, ISI Web of Science, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Scopus, Elsevier, and manually searched the citations of published articles on hypertension from May 2019 to August 2019. We included all studies that examined factors associated with hypertension regardless of the study design. To assess the quality of the research, we used the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. We also conducted meta-analyses using the DerSimonian & Laird random-effects model to collate results from at least three studies. Results: We included 30 cross-sectional and 7 case-control studies (99,391 participants country-wide) in this review and found 13 (35.1%) to be high-quality studies. We identified 5 socio-demographic, 3 lifestyle, 3 health-related, and 4 psychological variables that were significantly associated with hypertension. Adults aged between 30–60 years who were married, living in urban areas with high incomes, used tobacco, had a family history of hypertension, and had comorbidities (overweight, obesity, diabetes, anxiety, stress, and anger management issues) were positively associated with hypertension. On the other hand, individuals having high education levels, normal physical activity, and unrestricted salt in their diet were negatively associated with hypertension. Conclusion: We found several socio-demographic, lifestyle, health-related, and psychological factors that were significantly (positively and negatively) associated with hypertension. Our findings may help physicians and public health workers to identify high-risk groups and recommend appropriate prevention strategies. Further research is warranted to investigate these factors rigorously and collate global evidence on the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing popularity of social commerce may transform the purchase behaviour of consumers. It is the need of time to investigate the factors that impact the consumers' purchase intention in the social commerce environment, especially in a developing country like Pakistan. The study is a drive to investigate the factors influencing the purchase intentions of consumers in social commerce. By employing social learning theory, this study proposed a theoretical model to explore the factors affecting consumers' purchase intention and decision making. A structured questionnaire-based survey was conducted for data collection, and 232 valid responses were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) to validate the proposed research model. The results of the study concluded that social commerce constructs in the form of learning from forums and communities, learning from ratings and reviews, and learning from social advertisements were significant predictors of social support constructs. Furthermore, social support constructs such as emotional and informational support significantly contribute to predicting consumer's purchase intentions in social networking sites. In addition, this study revealed that special focus was needed to build social commerce constructs and social support by the managers of social commerce sites to attain consumers' purchase intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between personality disorders (PDs) among adults, their fathers and grandfathers and to explore the inter-generational differences (between these three generations) on PDs. Study type settings & duration: This cross-sectional study had been conducted in Mandi-Bahuddin city of Pakistan and was completed from March 2016 to April 2017. Methodology: Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire used for data collection from 300 participants including adults, their fathers and grandfathers. Results: Findings indicate that significant positive correlation among adults, their fathers and grandfather PDs. Conclusion: There is significant positive correlation in PDs among three generations and results also indicated that PDs shift from one generation to another that shows genetic factors play significant role in development of PDs. [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 present study was carried out to examine the impact of acculturation attitudes, acculturative stress, and cross-cultural capital on socio-cultural adaptation among Chinese academic sojourners. East Asian Acculturation Measure (Berry, 2001), Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (Sandhu & Asrabadi, 1994), Cross-cultural Capital Scale (Nawaz, 2017), and Revised Socio cultural Adaptation Scale (Wilson, 2013) were used for data collection. The participants of the study comprised of 200 academic sojourners that were approached by using purposive sampling. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were used to examine the hypothesized relationship and prediction of variables. Results indicated that acculturation attitudes, acculturative stress and cross cultural capital have a significant impact on the prediction of socio-cultural adaptation. The present study is insightful in understanding the process of adaptation among Chinese academic sojourners in the indigenous context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The main objective of study was to investigate the effect of psycho-social predictors on acculturative stress and adjustment in Pakistani institutions. Methods: The study was carried out from November 15, 2016 to January 18, 2019. For this purpose data was collected from 450 international students who were studying in public and private sector universities of Pakistan and who experienced acculturative stress. The instruments include Relationship Assessment Scale, Acculturative Stress Scale for International, Psychological Adaptation Scale, and Revised Socio Cultural Adaptation Scale. The proposed model was tested by using SPSS (Version-23) and AMOS (Version-9). Results: Findings of the study revealed that relationship satisfaction (p<0.05), length of stay (p<0.05), and financial support (p<0.05) significantly negatively predicted acculturative stress. Financial support significantly positively predicted psychological adjustment (p<0.05). Employment status did not predict acculturative stress, psychological and socio-cultural adjustment (p>0.05). Moreover, all psycho-social predictors did not show effect on socio-cultural adjustment among international students (p>0.05). Conclusion: It can be concluded that general relationship satisfaction, more length of stay in host country, and financial support are very important for international students to manage their acculturative stress and to adjust better in a new cultural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Socio-demographic characteristics has impact on the sleep quality and health among insomnia patients. Objectives: The present research aimed to determine the effect of socio-demographic characteristics on sleep quality and health among insomnia patients. Study design, settings and duration: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Gilgit, Pakistan from February 2016 to February 2017. Patients and Methods: In the current study, data of 200 insomnia patients were collected by scales including Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Health Status Questionnaire (SF-36) through purposive sampling technique. The data analysis was carried out by using SPSS (Version-22). Independent sample t test and one way ANOVA were used to test the assumptions. Results: Results revealed that female insomnia patients had better sleep quality, t (198) = 3.21, p-value <0.01, as compared to males, while males had better overall physical and mental health t (198) = 2.69, p-value <0.05. Young adults had better sleep quality t (198) = 2.34, p-value <0.05, and physical functioning t (198) = 2.02, pvalue <0.05 as compared to late adolescents. More educated insomnia patients had better sleep quality t (198) = 2.11, p-value <0.05, physical functioning t (198) = 214, p-value <0.05 and overall physical and mental health t (198) = 2.77, p-value <0.05 whereas less educated patients had better vitality level t (198) = 2.22, p-value <0.05. Moreover the results revealed that insomnia patients with rural background had better physical functioning t (198) = 2.55, p-value <0.05 whereas patients with urban background had better overall physical and mental health t (198) = 4.12, p-value <0.05. Conclusion: Socio-demographic factors, like age, gender, education and residential status, greatly influence the level of sleep quality and health among insomnia patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The curve-shaped Chaman transform fault between Pakistan and Afghanistan demarks the western boundary of the Indian plate, which is the locus of many catastrophic earthquakes, and this is poorly studied region to understand the earthquake/fault interaction and hazard assessment. Based on earthquake triggering theory, we investigate a sequence of earthquakes comprising five earthquakes that occurred in the Chaman Fault System since 1892. Our results elucidate that three out of four earthquakes are triggered by the preceding earthquakes. The 1935 earthquake of magnitude Mw 7.7 is somewhat an independent earthquake in this sequence, slightly influenced by the 1892 event. The 1935 earthquake significantly loaded either terminus of its rupture with positive stress, which later triggered the 1975 earthquake with 35% of its rupture length where ΔCFS is above triggering threshold value, and 1990 earthquake with 44% of its rupture length in positive stress lobe, on Ghazaband Fault, in the south lobe. Since the 1935 earthquake significantly increased the ΔCFS on either terminus of its rupture, the 2013 earthquake with magnitude Mw 7.7 occurred on Hoshab Fault in the positive stress zone with 23% of its rupture length where ΔCFS is positive. Moreover, the northern locked segment of CF, the southern segment of GBF, southeastern segment of HF and PAF demonstrate a high value of ΔCFS. It could trigger seismicity in these regions, thus requiring arrangements to mitigate any seismic hazards in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Babesia infections in sheep can cause a wide range of clinical and laboratory presentations. Changes in blood parameters are a meaningful manifestation of physiological and pathological changes in an organism. Aim: Therefore, the present study was conducted to analyze and compare hematological and biochemical parameters between blood profiles of Lohi sheep naturally infected and uninfected with Babesia ovis, the main causative agent of ovine babesiosis. Methods: Initially, blood and serum samples from 67 Lohi sheep were collected, DNA was extracted and babesial infection was detected through polymerase chain reaction. The overall infection rate of B. ovis was 37% (25/67). Sixteen infected (experiment group) and 16 uninfected (control group) sheep that were apparently healthy with no history of previous treatment for babesiosis, were selected for hemato-biochemical analysis. Blood samples were analyzed through an automatic CBC analyzer, while serum collected from gel vacutainers was analyzed for blood urea, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and total bilirubin. Each parameter was compared between infected and uninfected animals using a paired t-test in Minitab Express™ software for statistical analyses. Results: Erythron comparison showed a highly significant (p < 0.0001) decrease in RBC, hemoglobin, and Hct. A nonsignificant increase in mean corpuscular volume (MCV), red cell distribution width (RDW), and RDW- standard deviation (RDW-SD), while a nonsignificant decrease in mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and MCH concentration (MCHC) values was recorded in infected sheep. Leukon comparison showed a significantly low level of total leukocyte (p < 0.001) in infected sheep. Platelet (Plt) along with platelet crit (Pct) and platelet distribution width (PDW) were nonsignificantly higher, whereas a nonsignificant decrease in mean Plt volume was recorded in infected sheep as compared to uninfected animals. Among biochemical parameters, blood urea, BUN, and total bilirubin showed significant differences (p < 0.05), while creatinine showed a nonsignificant difference. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on hemato-biochemical changes associated with babesiosis in the Lohi breed. Consistent with hemolytic anemia, these data would justify physical examination and, together with the medical history, would provide an excellent basis for the diagnosis of babesiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present cross-cultural study aimed to examine the moderating role of social support between sense of coherence and mental health outcomes among university students of individualistic culture and collectivistic culture. Sense of Coherence Scale (Antonovsky, 1987), Perceived Social Support Scale (Zimet, Dahlem, & Farley, 1988), Short Warwick Edinburg Scale (Tennant et al., 2006), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) were used for data collection. Sample of the study comprised of university students (N = 200) further equally divided in individualistic culture that is, Germany and collectivistic culture, that is, Pakistan. Few hypotheses were fully supported; while some were partially accepted in the study. Senses of coherence positively predicted well-being in individualistic culture as well as collectivistic culture. Social support positively predicted well-being and negatively predicts stress in both cultures. Social support as a moderator of well-being is partially accepted in individualistic culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton is an important cash crop of Pakistan and export commodity. Yield of cotton crop is affected by many factors but insect pests especially whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) is destroying cotton crop yield and quality in recent times. Many control measures are adopted against this pest including chemical control methods. Due to certain environmental issues and insecticide resistance problems, adoption of alternate methods of insect control is imperative. In this experiment we used some insecticides alone and in combination with Salicylic acid against B. tabaci. Flonicamid 50% DF at the rate of 80 g/ac and Diafenthiuran 50% SC at the rate of 200 mL/ac were used against Whitefly. Salicylic acid (SA) by Sigma-Aldrich 500 G was used 01 mL/L of water along with the tested insecticides under field conditions. Highest reduction 90.63% was observed in Flonicamid+SA treatment followed by 82.89% in Diafenthiuran +SA, Flonicamid 77.76%, Diafenthiuron 76.28% and lowest 29.36% reduction was observed in SA treatment with respect to control after 72 hrs. of treatment application. After 7 days maximum reduction 83.43% was observed in Flonicamid+SA followed by 69.02 % in Diafenthiuron+SA, 77.76% in Flonicamid, 66.37% in Diafenthiuron and lowest 21.97% recorded in SA treatment. In SA treatments population of rove beetle, green lace wing and spiders was significantly higher as compared to other treatments. It is evident from the results that SA has enhanced plant resistance against whitefly and thus reduced the damage of pest. SA can be used as alternative combination for the management of cotton whitefly and the amount of insecticide can be reduced for the control of whitefly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the diagnostic value of rapid COVID-19 antigen test (Panbio, Abbott) in comparison with Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) in suspected community cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection at a tertiary care center in Pakistan Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Pathology Department, Combined Military Hospital, Lahore Pakistan, from Jun 2020 to Jun 2021. Methodology: The diagnostic value of the Panbio®COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test (Panbio, Abbott), was determined in comparison with RT-PCR in suspected community cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection at a tertiary care center on samples taken simultaneously. 200 individuals reporting to the hospital with signs and symptoms of potential COVID infection or history of significant contact exposure (>1 hour without masking and social distancing) to a RT-PCR positive COVID patient and concurrently requiring a rapid COVID antigen test due to an underlying health condition were included in the study by consecutive sampling. Results: Out of 200 individuals, 53(26.5%) were COVID positive by RT-PCR whereas 147(73.5%) were clearly negative with no cases of indeterminate viremia on RT PCR. 32(60.3%) out of 53 RT-PCR positive COVID cases were also found to be positive by COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test, whereas 21(39.6%) were negative. Out of 147 RT-PCR negative COVID cases, 146(99.3%) were negative by COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test as well whereas 1(0.68%) was positive. Conclusion: COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test is suitable adjunct to RT-PCR testing in suspected cases in emergent settings in early days of admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan is the only country in the world carved painfully out of India on the basis of its population's Muslim identity. Despite its population's diverse ethnic and religious affiliation, the state formation in Pakistan was such that it always depended on the reactionary Islamist forces in the country that made the system exclusively for the majority whereas the minorities -- particularly the Christian minority -- of the country were institutionally marginalized and suppressed, resulting in the constraint of civil liberties and minority rights. The monolithic image of the country as an Islamic state and the identity of its populations as Muslims explain the structural violence against the Christian and other minorities and the present crisis of human rights violations in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of traditional medicines has tremendously increased over the past few decades. Approximately 80% of the world's population relies on traditional medicines for their primary healthcare needs because of their cost effectiveness and efficiency with no or minimal side effects. Zootherapy refers to the use of medicines that are prepared or derived from animals or from their products. The current study documented the folk knowledge related to the practice of various animal‐derived products and ethnozoological based drugs used as medicines by the residents of the Cholistan desert of Bahawalpur (Pakistan). In this regard 46 knowledgeable and reliable elderly people, hakims and spiritual healers ranging from 35–60 years of age having knowledge related to zootherapy were included in the current study. A field survey from February 2006 to November 2007 was conducted by interviewing the selected respondents through a structured questionnaire. They provided knowledge regarding the use of animals and their derived products in traditional medicine. The zootherapeutic knowledge was based on both domestic animals as well as wild animals. A total of 20 animal species were included in the study, among which nine animals were domestic while 11 were wild animals. Among selected animals, nine were mammals, four birds, four reptiles and three insects. It was reported that camel was the most commonly used (n = 32 respondents) among mammals while Pigeon (n = 39 respondents), Spiny‐tailed lizard (n = 41 respondents) and Indian honey bee (n = 27 respondents) among birds, reptiles and insects, respectively, have significant use for the treatment of different diseases. Based on this communication we could recommend that this type of abandoned knowledge should be considered for the management and conservation of faunistic resources. However, the advantageous role of animals and their products was reported but more extensive research is required to explore the bioactive constituents in the raw material of these animals responsible for their beneficial effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The LC50 values for malathion-resistant (PAK) and organo-phosphate-susceptible (FSS-II) strains of red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) adult beetles were determined through filter paper impregnated method against azadirachtin (Nimbokil 60 EC) and polychlorinated petroleum hydrocarbon (Tenekil 100 EC). The LC50 values of these insecticides were worked out as 12830 and 9331 ppm for azadirachtin and 5148 and 4047 ppm for Tenekil 100 EC against PAK and FSS-II strains, respectively. The results revealed that polychlorinated petroleum hydrocarbon was more toxic than the azadirachtin. Furthermore, both the insecticides were equally toxic to the adult beetles of T. castaneum as the difference was non-significant because of overlapping 95% FLs to LC50. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sub lethal effects of abamectin (Sure 1.8 EC) were studied on malathion-resistant (PAK) and organophosphate susceptible (FSS-II) strains of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae in the laboratory. The objective was to examine changes in production or activities of carboxylesterase (CE), total esterases (TE), alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, alkaline phosphatase (AkP), acidic phosphatase (AcP), total protein, soluble protein and free amino acids (FAA). The sixth instar larvae of T. castaneum were released and exposed for 48h without food on abamectin treated glass petri dishes. The surviving ones were then homogenized in saline and centrifuged prior to biochemical analyses. Results showed differences in the activities of enzymes and quantities of total protein, soluble protein and FAA between strains and among concentrations. Abamectin, at LC10 and LC20, changed the activities /levels of TE, CE, AcP, total protein and FAA in the larvae of both the strains. The activities of alpha-amylase, glucoamylase and AkP remained non-significant at both doses in the two strains. In PAK strain larvae, the TE activity was inhibited with depletion of total protein contents and elevation of FAA contents. In FSS-II larvae, the effect of abamectin on levels of α-amylase, glucoamylase, AkP, total protein and soluble protein remained non-significant. The activities of TE and AcP were reduced at both doses, while activities/levels of CE reduced at LC10 and FAA increased at LC20. It is concluded that abamectin affected the overall body functioning of PAK strain more as compared to FSS-II strain considering disturbances caused in the levels/activities of biochemical components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kappa-casein (κ- CN ) is the subtype of casein protein, an important constituent of bovine milk protein. The current study was undertaken to investigate the genetic polymorphism in κ - CN gene of Nili-ravi buffalo, Achai and Sahiwal cattle of Pakistan using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism ( PCR- RFLP) technique. The Nili-ravi buffalo was found to be monomorphic (genotype BB only) for κ - CN gene. Achai cattle were polymorphic for κ - CN (having three genotypes AA, AB and BB) with a frequency of 0.70, 0.18 and 0.12, respectively, while in Sahiwal cattle, both the genotypes AA and AB were found with genotypic frequencies of 0.92 and 0.08, respectively. The presence of genotype BB in Achai cattle is surprising as it is absent in most of the cattle breeds worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long-term energy crisis has resulted in increased combustion of biomass fuel in industrial and household sectors in Pakistan. We report results of a study on the emission characteristics of rice husk, rice straw, corncobs and bagasse since they are frequently used as biomass fuel and differed remarkably in physico-chemical and combustion characteristics. Emission concentrations and emission factors were determined experimentally by burning the biomass fuel using a burning tower. Modified combustion efficiency (MCE) of rice husk, rice straw, corncobs and bagasse was >0.97 indicating that combustion was dominated by flaming mode. Emission factors of gaseous pollutants CO, CO2, NO2, NO, NO x and SO2 for rice straw were calculated to be 17.19 ± 0.28, 1090.07 ± 24.0, 0.89 ± 0.03, 1.48 ± 0.04, 3.16 ± 0.08 and 0.38 ± 0.03 g kg−1 respectively which were significantly (p < 0.05) higher compared to those from rice husk (14.05 ± 0.18, 880.48 ± 8.99, 0.19 ± 0.01, 1.38 ± 0.02, 2.31 ± 0.04 and 0.11 ± 0.03 g kg−1), corncobs (8.63 ± 0.12, 595.44 ± 10.38, 0.16 ± 0.01, 0.70 ± 0.01, 1.23 ± 0.02 and 0.02 ± 0.00 g kg−1) and bagasse (12.39 ± 0.08, 937.03 ± 9.07, 0.36 ± 0.03, 1.44 ± 0.02, 2.57 ± 0.04 and 0.18 ± 0.02 g kg−1). Total emissions of CO, CO2, NO2, NO, NO x and SO2 were estimated to be 3.68, 230.51, 0.05, 0.36, 0.60 and 0.03 Gg for rice husk, 33.75, 2140.35, 1.75, 2.91, 6.20 and 0.75 Gg for rice straw, 1.11, 76.28, 0.02, 0.02 and 0.03 Gg for corncobs and 42.12, 3185.53, 1.22, 4.90, 8.74 and 0.61 Gg for bagasse respectively. Rice straw, however, had significantly (p < 0.05) higher potential of gaseous pollutant emission factors. Bagasse had the highest values of total emissions followed by rice straw, rice husk and corncobs. Rice straw and bagasse, on cumulative basis, contributed more than 90% of total emissions of gaseous pollutants. Results reported in this study are important in formulating provincial and regional emission budgets of gaseous pollutants from burning of agricultural residues in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the ease of placement of arterial catheters using palpation versus ultrasound guidance under aseptic measures. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Feb to Aug 2022. Methodology: Patients of either gender, aged 18 to 90 years presenting to a paranesthesia clinic that required intra-arterial blood pressure monitoring were included in the study. After induction, under General Anaesthesia, arterial lines were placed following an aseptic technique using ultrasound or palpatory method; in Group-U (ultrasound) or Group-P (Palpation), respectively. Demographic variables of the patient along with hemodynamic readings and success rate at first or multiple attempts, along with the total time of cannulation, were recorded. Results: Out of the total 74 patients, 59(79.7%) patients belonged to ASA-1 Grade, and 15(20.3%) patients in ASA-2 Grade. The mean age of the patients was 48.3±16.3, while mean BMI was 25.42±2.8kg/m2. In Group-P, the first-pass success was achieved in 19(51.4%) patients as compared to 32(86.5%) in Group-U when ultrasound was used (p<0.05). Conclusion: The success rate in placing an arterial line using ultrasound was significantly greater than the conventional palpatory method. Therefore, ultrasound should be a preferred modality during intra-arterial line placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to examine the mediating role of spiritual wellness in the relationship between emotional intelligence and life satisfaction among nurses. The study also aimed at. investigating the role of emotional intelligence and spiritual wellness in the prediction of life satisfaction among nurses. Hypotheses of the study included (1) emotional intelligence will positively predict life satisfaction among nurses, (2) spiritual wellness will positively predict life satisfaction among nurses, and (3) spiritual wellness will mediate between emotional intelligence and life satisfaction. Emotional Intelligence Scale, Spiritual Wellness Inventory and Life Satisfaction Ladder Scale were used to collect the information from the participants. A total of 300 nurses participated in the study. Data was collected from different hospitals of Islamabad. Purposive convenient sampling technique was used to collect the data. Multiple Regression analysis demonstrated that emotional intelligence and spiritual wellness had significant positive effect on life satisfaction. Hierarchal Regression analysis showed that spiritual weliness mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and life satisfaction. The present study is pretty insightful in understanding the role of spiritual wellness as a mediator. The findings have numerous practical implications for health professionals in general and for female nurses in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Private TV channels in Pakistan have established a new tradition of comedy shows in which they portrayed our politicians in hilarious manners as corrupt, greedy, fighting for power, pelf and personal interest etc. This article explored a comprehensive perception of the people regarding the framing of Politicians through caricatures in the leading comedy shows. A survey of 774 respondents was administered in the Islamabad city by utilizing the probability sampling method. The Findings of the study revealed that the majority of people were convinced that comedy TV shows are presenting a true picture of our politicians and they are responsible for bad governance and political instability in Pakistan. Most of the viewers were sure that female politicians and religious politicians were not being depicted in a more humiliating way as compared to other politicians. They expressed their concern regarding the integrity of the leadership of the mainstream political parties and they also believed that our politicians are liars and they are involved in embezzlement of money. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spices are an essential part of our food preparations and are considered a potential source of health-protective components. However, spices may also contain some toxic substances primarily aflatoxins and heavy metals. This study aimed to quantify the level of total aflatoxins and three most toxic heavy metals i.e. lead (Pb), arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) in commercially available non-branded and branded spices. Furthermore, risk assessment through aflatoxins and heavy metals was performed by computing the values of Margin of Exposure (MOE) and Total Hazard Quotient (THQ), respectively. The concentration of aflatoxins was recorded higher in non-branded spices while heavy metals especially Pb was recorded higher in branded spices. MOE values for aflatoxins through spices consumption indicated that all age group of people were consuming aflatoxins above the threshold level. The THQ values for heavy metals toxicity assessment were found within the acceptable ranges. Females, especially above 24 years of age, were found at more risk as compared to male, due to their higher intake rate of spices. • Aflatoxins and heavy metals were quantified in branded and non-branded spices. • Branded spices were found less contaminated as compared to non-branded. • Margin of Exposure values indicated the chances of toxicity in all age groups. • Total Hazard Quotient values for heavy metals were found within safe ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eocene Kuldana Formation (KF) in the Yadgar area of Pakistan, comprises a diverse range of sedimentary facies, including variegated red beds of shales, mudstones, and sandstones, as well as interbedded limestone and marl. In this study, we conducted an integrated micropaleontological, sedimentological, mineralogical, and geochemical investigation to determine the depositional setting, biochronology, provenance, and paleoclimate of the KF. The study identified six lithofacies and six microfacies, which indicate a variety of environments ranging from floodplains and channels to the margins and shallow marine settings. The nannofossil biostratigraphy places the KF in the Early Eocene, more precisely the NP10 zone (Ypresian), and the fossil zone of benthic foraminifera classifies the study section as the Shallow Benthic Zone SBZ-8 (Middle Ilerdian 2). In terms of petrography, the KF sandstone was classified as litharenite and feldspathic litharenite, while the QtFL diagram suggests a recycled orogen. Geochemical proxies indicate an oxidizing environment, a high-to-low regular sedimentation rate, moderate-to-intense chemical weathering in the source region, and a warm-humid to dry climate during the deposition of KF. Overall, the findings suggest that the deposition of KF marks the end of Neo-Tethys due to the Early Eocene Indian–Kohistan collision and that the uplifting of the Himalayas provided the source for the deposition of KF in the foreland basin. The study provides new insights into the depositional environment, biochronology, provenance, and paleoclimate of KF, and highlights the potential for red beds as reliable indicators of oxygenation levels in proximity to mineral deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides are a complex geohazard, and the key parameters that have a prominent effect on their nature are variations in slope angle and fluctuations in groundwater. The focus of this research was to analyse the prevailing conditions of the Danna‐Sahotar landslide in the south of Muzaffarabad district, Sub‐Himalayas, Pakistan, and evaluating how different conditions effect the stability of the landslide with the integration of geotechnical, geophysical, and slope stability analysis. The geotechnical investigations revealed that the surface layer is mainly sandy with clayey and silty content. The two‐dimensional (2D) electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) demarcated the presence of a possible slip surface situated in the portion where the resistivity values clearly change. The ERT of the crown is characterized by low resistivity due to the presence of water seepages, which increase the degree of saturation and pore water pressure hence, leading to the slope failure. It was proved that the presence of high moisture content has played an influential role in triggering the landslide. Thorough analysis of integrated research yielded reliable and accurate information on the geotechnical and geological aspects of the landslide. The outcomes were used in slope stability limit equilibrium method (LEM) analysis using GeoStudio software. The slip surface predicted from the LEM was almost circular, which was confirmed by the geotechnical and ERT method. The factor of safety Fs (0.830) along the longitudinal profile of the landslide was calculated, indicating that the slopes along the profile are unstable. The geotechnical survey in combination with ERT and slope stability analysis helped to understand the failure mechanism of the landslide and to improve the layout of the future monitoring experiment, which may be used as a key for the observation of similar slope investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geological units of sub-Himalaya Pakistan lying in the core of Hazara Kashmir Syntaxial bend provide vast potential for concrete aggregates in the region. The selection of suiTab. aggregate within active tectonic, fragile lithologic and geotechnical environments is a challenging approach. The present study focused on evaluating the physico-mechanical properties of crushed rock aggregates (CRA) that are already being mined in Muzaffarabad and surrounding areas. For this purpose, integrated physico-mechanical with combined petrographic and mineralogical analysis was performed on dolomite and dolomitic limestone of the Cambrian Muzaffarabad Formation and Eocene Margalla Hill Limestone of Yadgar section. Therefore, samples of aggregates were collected from different quarries in accordance with ASTM standards and their mechanical and engineering properties were evaluated through ASTM and BS standards. The physico-mechanical properties of dolomite and dolomitic limestone conclude that the dolomite rocks have the average strength against abrasion (25.12%), impact (20.75%) and crushing (19.57%), higher specific gravity (2.76), lower water absorption (0.65%) and higher value of sulphate soundness (1.5%). On the contrary, the Margalla Hill Limestone which exhibits average values of abrasion (16.93%), impact (22.03%), crushing (19.95%) with lower specific gravity (2.63), high water absorption (0.68%), and low values sulphate soundness (0.77%). The petrographic investigations showed that chert 3 - 6 % and granular quartz 25 - 30 % on average are also found in dolomite and dolomitic limestone, which causes the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and alkali-carbonate reaction (ACR) when used in the concrete. The XRD analysis confirmed that both the formations dominantly contain the minerals dolomite, calcite and quartz. It was also found that Margalla Hill Limestone is more suiTab. to be utilised as coarse aggregate in concrete as compared to dolomite of the Muzaffarabad Formation. These exploitations allow recommending Eocene Margalla Hill Limestone of Yadgar section in the production of the coarse aggregate for concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The number of extremely drug-resistant (XDR) Salmonella typhi isolates is growing in the northwest of Pakistan, where health-care facilities are already under strain due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) issue. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, we currently describe the first widespread appearance of an XDR Salmonella typhi epidemic during the COVID-19 pandemic. This strain of Salmonella typhi is resistant to all first- and second-line drugs and even the third-generation cephalosporin. Methods: Salmonella species isolated from pediatric blood samples shown a high level of resistance to the various antibiotic classes evaluated between November and December 2020. Gender, age, address, and clinical symptoms were among the demographic information that was recorded. A total of 562 blood cultures from symptomatic patients have been collected by the Pathology Laboratory at a tertiary care institution of Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar. All samples have been processed in accordance with regulatory requirements and incubated in BacT/ALERT 3D. Results: Of the 562 blood samples, 71 included Salmonella typhi, of which 66 (92.9%) and 5 (7%) were multidrug resistant (MDR) and XDR, respectively. Ciprofloxacin (100%), chloramphenicol (100%), ceftriaxone (100%), ampicillin (100%), and cotrimoxazole (93%) were completely resistant to all isolates. Azithromycin and carbapenems were effective against every Salmonella typhi isolate that was MDR or XDR. Males (76%) were more commonly affected than females (24%), and the frequency was substantially higher in children under 15 years of age (88%) than in adults (P = 0.0016). Conclusion: The emergence of XDR Salmonella typhi with a high level of resistance is in fact alarming. Due to the lack of viable treatment alternatives, the current situation necessitates the immediate implementation of efficient preventive measures, such as campaigns for typhoid vaccination and food and water safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workplace incivility is a common issue experienced by employees around the globe. However, studies observing and interpreting cultural variation in workplace incivility across multiple countries are quite limited. Drawing from the stressors–emotion model, we aimed to investigate how perceived workplace incivility leads to next-day instigated incivility toward coworkers via increased negative affect (NA) at the end of the workday between Chinese and Pakistani employees. Data were collected through snowballing from 100 Chinese and 115 Pakistani employees over 10 consecutive workdays. We found that perceived incivility enhanced one’s after-work negative affect, which led to increased instigated incivility the next morning. Moreover, a higher level of self-regulation mitigates the relationship between perceived incivility and after-work negative affect. The higher level of state-mindfulness mitigates the relationship between after-work negative affect and instigated incivility the next morning. Although the first path of mediation was not significant among Chinese, there was a significant moderating effect on this relationship in both groups. In addition, this effect was weaker among Chinese than among Pakistanis. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, along with limitations and a future research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive sedimentological and sequence stratigraphic analyses of the Kussak Formation were carried out at the Nilawahan Gorge, the Karuli Section and the Khewra Gorge, Pakistan. The studied Kussak Formation has been grouped into: (1) bioturbated mudstone, (2) interbedded sandstone/shale, (3) sandy dolomite, (4) glauconitic sandstone and (5) laminated sandstone and siltstone. Hard to friable sandstone is present with condensed neobolus beds in the mud at the top. Bioturbation and glauconite are in middle parts, while a few beds of sandy dolomite are also present in the upper and middle parts of the Kussak Formation. These five depositional sequences had developed during the phase of transgression. Mineralogically, the average modal composition classifies it as quartz arenite. Rock fragments belong to the igneous origin, and feldspar grains most likely indicate an igneous and metamorphic source. The field and petrographic study indicate that the source area belongs to arid and semi-arid environments. Presence of wavy and flaser bedding indicates tidal flat deposition. Burrows, mud cracks, and synaeresis cracks indicate supra-tidal environment. Subsurface data show the finning upward sequence that confirms the deposition during transgression. In summary, the environment of deposition is subtidal, intertidal to supra-tidal environment. Palaeogeographic setting shows that the Kussak Formation source belongs to Aravalli and Malani ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood forecasting in a transboundary river basin is challenging due to insufficient data sharing between countries in the upper and lower reaches of a basin. A solution is the use of satellite-observed rainfall and numerical weather prediction (NWP) for hydrological forecasting.We applied thismethod to the transboundary sparsely gauged Chenab River basin in Pakistan and India to reproduce the exceptionally high flood in 2014.We employed globalNWPs by threeweather centers to consider forecast uncertainty and downscaled themusing the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)Model to prepare precipitation inputs. For hydrological simulations, we used a kinematic wave model, the Integrated Flood Analysis System (IFAS), for the upper-reach basin with high mountains and steep slopes, and we used a diffusive-wave rainfall--runoff--inundation (RRI) model for low altitudes and mild slopes. In our forecasting experiment, the precipitation by the global NWP was not able to predict flood peaks consistently. However, the downscaled rainfall by regionalNWP showed good performance in predicting flood waves quantitatively, and a multimodel approach provided added value in issuing reliable warning as early as 6 days in advance. A confident streamflow forecasting near the border of the countries also led to reliable inundation forecasting by the RRI model in the lower-reach basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic variants of bovine Beta-casein protein (CSN2) gene especially A1 and A2 are the most important variants in dairy cattle. A1 milk protein is considered as risk factor for different disease and milk intolerance which release Beta-Casomorphin-7 during digestion which is a bioactive opioid but not released from A2 milk protein. This opioid is responsible for several human health problems like Coronary Heart disease, type 1 diabetics, milk intolerance and other neurological disorders. In present study, 360 blood sample were collected from Lohani, Achai, jersey, Holstein Friesian, Achai x jersey, Friesian x Sahiwal and Sahiwal x Friesian from different region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicons were sequenced for the identification of polymorphism in exon 7 of Beta-casein protein (CSN2) gene. Sequencing analysis explored CSN2 genotype in exon 7 using the Genomic sequence from GenBank (X.71104) g.8101 C > A at codon 67. The allelic and genotypic frequencies of CSN2 gene were analyzed and observed that Holstein Friesian cattle exhibited A1A2 33%, A1A1 50% and A2A2 17%, Jersey cattle show 68% A1A1, 18% A1A2 and 14% A2A2, Sahiwal x Friesian 56% A1A1, 26% A1A2 and 18% A2A2, Jersey × Achai 78% A2A2, 15% A1A2 and 7% A1A1, Achai 100% A2A2 Lohani 100% A2A2. This is a preliminary study, conducted with meager resources, therefore, it is very difficult to make conclusion that which particular breed possess harmful alleles and which breed possess useful alleles of beta-casein gene. Therefore, a comprehensive molecular work is needed to be performed with greater number of samples sequencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycation generates advanced glycation end products (AGE) and its intermediates, thus increasing the risk of developing various ailments including diabetes mellitus. Current study was planned to explore the antioxidant and antiglycation potential of selected nuts viz, Juglans regia (Walnut), Prunus dulcis (Almond), Pistacia vera (Pistachio), and Arachis hypogaea (Peanut), locally available and readily consumed in Faisalabad, Pakistan, for their health‐promoting properties. The prepared methanolic extracts of selected nuts were tested for biological activities including the antioxidant and antiglycation potential. The effect of these extracts against oxidation and AGE formation was evaluated by in vitro method using bovine serum albumin (BSA)‐glucose system. Juglans regia, Pistacia vera, and Arachis hypogaea were found rich in phenolics and flavonoids contents with increased reducing potential and least IC50 due to the DPPH free radical scavenging inhibition. Dose‐ and time‐dependent inhibition of glucose‐induced advanced glycation end‐product (AGE) was exhibited by fruit extracts through in vitro bovine serum albumin (BSA)‐glucose system. Juglans regia and Pistacia vera were predominantly effective in the inhibition of early and intermediary glycation products at different incubation conditions. The study indicated that the extracts of selected nuts possess significant antioxidant capacity and are rich in phenolics and flavonoids, making them useful supplements as an important part of a balanced diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]