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Background & Objectives: Iodine deficiency is considered as a global challenge, even after decades of efforts to solve the issue. Our objective was to assess the iodine deficiency status and associated prevalence of goiter in population groups (school-age children and women) from rural areas of District Poonch, and to assess the determinants of iodine deficiency in the area. Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted in District Poonch Azad Jammu and Kashmir from 25 April 2022 to 30 June 2023. A total of 150 goiter patients from different villages of the District Poonch was included. Their urinary iodine concentration and goiter prevalence was assessed. Using palpation techniques, a trained and experienced public health officer assessed the presence of goiters based on WHO/ UNICEF/ICCIDD criteria. Descriptive statistics were computed for continuous variables and presented in frequency and percentage, based on the distributional characteristics of the data. chi-square was used to check association between socio-demographic factors and goiter. It was a HEC Project No.: 20-16988/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2021. Results: Iodine status and associated goiter prevalence was high and 59.3% of them were severely iodine deficient. Within the district, the highest severe iodine deficiency was observed in 81.1% goiter patients of the Rawalakot subdivision, Hajira and Abbaspur subdivisions. Regarding goiter status 40% of the patients were classified with palpablevisible goiter and 56% were characterized with visible but nodular goiter. Conclusion: Study showed that there was a severe iodine deficiency and associated goiter prevalence in the area. Policymakers should take actions for future to overcome iodine deficiency in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical simulation has been used in the current work to investigate improving the cool-down of electronic parts of cubical form involving dummy parts within a rectangular duct. Three working fluids (air, CO2, and helium) were used to cool 12 electrical chip arrays in the duct. The simulation investigates the effects of cooling fluid type and shifting hot element placements on whole cooling functioning at various Reynolds numbers. Also, the impact of the distance among electronic parts is researched. This is accomplished by moving the heat sources while leaving other components in their original positions as dummies to preserve the flow characteristics. The Reynolds number falls between (500-19000). The dimensionless entropy generation number reduces with the rise of the Reynolds number, while the pumping power ratio increases. It is determined that the dimensionless entropy generation computed for the case of constant viscosity of air yields slightly greater values than those obtained for the case of temperature-dependent viscosity. A high level of agreement in the experimental work is used to verify the standard k-model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the efficacy of table salt with silver nitrate in the treatment of umbilical granuloma presenting to the neonatal unit/paediatric department KTH. Study Design: Randomized Controlled Trial Setting: Neonatal Unit of Khyber Teaching Hospital. Period: November 2019 to November 2022. Methods: A total of 120 patients who presented to the neonatal unit/paediatric department, aged 15-60 days were enrolled in this study via consecutive sampling. Seventy-five patients each, were allocated to two groups, Group A (common salt) and Group B (silver nitrate). Sixteen patients from Group A whereas, in Group B, 17 patients were lost to follow-up. Results: A total of 58 out of the remaining 117 patients were female whereas 59 patients were male. Treatment response was recorded for both groups. The cure rate was greater among Group B (93%) as compared to Group A (88%) but there was no statistically significant difference between Group A and B in treatment response (p= 0.35). Conclusion: Table salt is a cheaper, easily accessible, and safe alternative to topical silver nitrate in the treatment of umbilical granuloma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allelochemicals have emerged as an important player in inducing the abiotic stress tolerance. The experiment included three components: different levels of salinity stress (SS: control, 6 dS m-1, 12 dS m-1), seed priming with moringa leaf extract (MLE: 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, 3.0%), and saltwater-tolerant and salinity-sensitive wheat cultivars (Faisalabad-2008, Galaxy-2013). Results showed that salinity lowered photosynthetic pigments, photosynthesis, transpiration, internal carbon, and stomatal conductance while causing poor and delayed germination, inconsistent seedling growth, and increased hydrogen peroxide accumulation. However, hydro-priming and MLE priming enhanced emergence dynamics, growth, biochemical and enzymatic characteristics, and physiological aspects. The cultivar Faisalabad-2008 (wheat) performed well, but at high salinity levels, the hormetic impact of moringa leaf extract was more obvious, enhancing the germination and growth of cultivar Galaxy-2013, which was salinity-sensitive. Wheat cultivars' germination and seedling growth improved most when primed with 2% MLE (Faisalabad-2008) and 2.5% MLE (Galaxy-2013). This demonstrated that moringa possesses growthpromoting compounds that efficiently mitigate the toxic impacts of salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global concern over socioeconomic activities' environmental impact is undeniable, given their implications for climate and human welfare. In our study, we analyze Pakistan's landscape, with emphasis on the effects of electricity generation and consumption (both symmetric and asymmetric), energy trade, and the role of information and communication technology (ICT). We harnessed data from 1993 to 2020, sourced from World Development Indicators, Climate Watch, and the USA EIA. Our analysis involved application of the Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag model and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag bounds testing methods. Our results reveal that electricity consumption, whether experiencing positive or negative shocks, exhibits a tendency to elevate emissions over the long term. Similarly, shocks in electricity generation from fossil fuels, whether positive or negative, have adverse environmental consequences both in the short and long run. A negative shock in electricity generation from renewable and alternative sources triggers environmental degradation. Remarkably, nuclear energy plays a pivotal role in bolstering environmental sustainability in Pakistan. Conversely, we identified factors contributing to ecological degradation, including imports of coal, crude oil, metallurgical coke, and ICT usage, in the long run. Equally, trade and natural resources rent emerge as mitigating factors over time. Ultimately, our study underscores the importance of diversifying the energy mix, with a particular emphasis on expanding the renewable sources for reducing emissions and fostering environmental sustainability in Pakistan. Additionally, our research suggests that leveraging natural resources rent and trade capabilities can pave the way for an eco-friendlier future in the country. This study assesses the environmental impact of electricity generation by source, electricity consumption, energy trade, and ICTs in Pakistan. The findings confirm that both positive and negative shocks in fossil fuel electricity generation and consumption detrimentally affect the environment. Coal, crude oil, metallurgical coke imports, and ICTs degrade the environment, while nuclear electricity generation, natural resources rent, and trade improve it. Integrating energy diversification with focus on promoting renewable energy sources has the potential to significantly reduce emissions and advance long-run environmental sustainability. Strategically utilizing natural resources rent and trade capabilities can aid in establishing an environmental sustainability in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]