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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of corporate governance quality and ownership structure on the relationship between the agency cost and firm performance. Both the fixed-effects model and a more robust dynamic panel generalized method of moment estimation are applied to Chinese A-listed firms for the years 2008 to 2016. The results show that the agency&ndash, performance relationship is positively moderated by (1) corporate governance quality, (2) ownership concentration, and (3) non-state ownership. State ownership has a negative effect on the agency&ndash, performance relationship. Various robust tests of an alternative measure of agency cost confirm our main conclusions. The analysis adds to the empirical literature on agency theory by providing useful insights into how corporate governance and ownership concentration can help mitigate agency&ndash, performance relationship. It also highlights the impact of ownership type on the relationship between agency cost and firm performance. Our study supports the literature that agency cost and firm performance are negatively related to the Chinese listed firms. The investors should keep in mind the proxies of agency cost while choosing a specific stock. Secondly, the abuse of managerial appropriation is higher in state-held firms as compared to non-state firms. Policymakers can use these results to devise the investor protection rules so that managerial appropriation can be minimized.

There is dire and critical need to deeply understand green consumers, given the implications for marketers to comprehend and communicate green buying patterns on the one hand, and to design and strategize both product range and motivation and financing available to develop them on the other hand. The chapter is built on theory Rational Choice and Revealed preferences Theory, while extending using experimental approaches involving multi actors' model. The multiple actors included consumer with their preferred order of choices, entrepreneurs with their preferences, and financiers with their preferred order, under the budget constraint. This chapter interacts with practical aspects of green product innovation behavior in general, and advances research with a focus on specific behaviors, highly desired in this field investigating the rise of green purchases. Globally, consumers are increasingly acquiring green products, and this study indicates to an improved understanding of the decision-making process of consumers' green product.

Objective: Frequency of wound dehiscence in interrupted vs continuous suturing after laparotomy. Study Design: Randomize control trial. Settings: Department of Surgery Sheikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan. Duration of Study: 01-01-2018 to 30-11-2018. Methodology: In this study the cases of both gender having age 18 years or more were selected and were divided into two equal groups. After the surgery the cases in group A were closed with interrupted while those in group B with continuous suturing method and were followed on daily basis to look for signs of dehiscence i.e. effacement of the wound margins. Results: In this study total 64 subjects undergoing laparotomy were enrolled with mean age of 44.81±8.09 vs 43.63±9.13 years in group A and B with p= 0.87. There were 16 (50%) males in group A and 18 (56.25%) in group B (p= 0.91). Wound dehiscence was observed in 3 (9.38%) cases in group A managed by interrupted suturing and 7 (21.88%) cases with continuous suturing with p= 0.01. Conclusion: Wound dehiscence is significantly more observed with continuous in contrast to interrupted suturing. Keyword: Suturing, Interrupted, Continuous.

Facial nerve is usually sacrificed in total parotidectomy. The objective of this study is to present results of immediate reconstruction of facial nerve in total parotidectomy cases where facial nerve is sacrificed.This is a prospective study done in patients who had total parotidectomy including facial nerve and immediate reconstruction was done with inter-positional nerve grafts (sural n=12 and greater auricular n=10) from December 2017 till February 2018 by single surgeon (MR). Wounds were closed primarily (n=15), local flap (n=2) and free flap (n=5). Clinical evaluation was done at four months minimum follow up (those operated in January to February 2018) and eight months maximum follow up (those operated in December 2017), for facial nerve functional recovery using House and Brackmann grading system by single author (MR).Total of 22 (male n=7, female n=15) patients included in study from December 2017 till February 2018. Sural nerve grafts were used in 54% (n=12) and greater auricular nerve grafts in 45% (n=10) patients for reconstruction of facial nerve. On clinical evaluation using House and Brackmann grading system, showed grade V (n=4), grade IV (n=7), grade III (n=8) and grade II (n=3) repairs.Although primary end to end facial nerve repair is ideal but in situation where a significant segment of nerve is lost or where the repair is under tension, inter-positional nerve grafting is a simple and reliable reconstructive technique with good outcomes.

Free tissue transfer is a routine practice in adults with good success rates. Further advances in techniques and microsurgical skills have proved that free tissue transfer in paediatric population is feasible, reliable and safe.This study is conducted to compare anastomosis duration, total general anaesthesia duration, hospital stay and outcomes of flaps (survival, partial loss, complete loss, complications) in paediatric group (age15 years) and adult group (15-70 years age). All patients with large soft tissue defects, congenital defects, traumatic defects and post tumour extirpation were included in this study from December 1st 2017 to May 30th 2018. These patients underwent different microsurgical procedures, the reconstructive armamentarium included use of Latissimus dorsi flap, Anterolateral thigh flap, Fibula flap, Radial forearm flap, functioning Gracillis muscle, iliac crest flap, deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap and Rectus abdominis muscle flap. Post-traumatic defects were the commonest indication of free tissue transfer in Paediatric population while post tumour extirpation defects were commonest defects encountered in adult population..On average the total anaesthesia duration is slightly shorter in paediatric group than in adult patients while anastomosis duration is slightly shorter in adults then in paediatric patients. The overall complication rate is comparable in both groups and all the flaps survived well.Microsurgical free tissue transfer can be confidently attempted in children and their results are comparable with those of adult group.

The developmental triangle earlier comprises economic growth, income inequality, and poverty, while in this study, we extended it by incorporating environmental and resource factors, health and education factors, sectoral value added, and some other growth-specific factors for assessing pro-poor growth, by considering Bolivian economy as a case study. The elasticity estimates show that agriculture and industrial sector growth is not pro-poor due to account of high income inequality, while services sector played a vital role in country’s economic development and supports poor livelihood in a country. Energy and environmental resources negatively impact on quality of life of the poor relative to non-poor, which create income differences among them. Health and education expenditures give favors to the poor and supported the notion of pro-poor growth, while country’s per capita income and foreign direct investment inflows increase income inequality that lead towards pro-rich growth. The results conclude that, in general, Bolivian economy growth is fairly unstable, polluted, and unhealthy that biased to the poor relative to non-poor.

Floods are among the most deadly disasters that affect people's well-being and livelihoods in China. Although improving resilience to floods is an important measure for disaster mitigation, few studies compare flood resilience in different watershed regions in China. To fill this gap, we constructed a comprehensive evaluation model that focused on revising the indicator system. We used the entropy-weighting TOPSIS method to comprehensively consider the four dimensions of economy, society, environment, and management, and then we diagnosed the resilience to flood disasters in 31 key flood control cities across China. The results showed that both cities in the Haihe River Basin and the provincial capitals had a stronger resilience to flooding than other basins, but for the cities of the Huaihe River Basin, resilience was weaker. In some regions with weak economic strength, however, the resilience to floods was strong. The levels of urban infrastructure, water conservation projects, and information about water conservation should be enhanced to improve flood resilience.

Motor vehicles scrap tires and tube rubbers generate a large amount of waste with different characteristics and compositions, contaminating the environment when not properly disposed. Waste inner tube rubber (isobutylene isoprene) representing a threat to the environment can be used as valuable source of energy. Waste inner tube rubber was pyrolyzed thermally under atmospheric pressure both with and without catalyst. Parameters of temperature, time, and catalyst weight were optimized for catalytic and thermal pyrolysis of isobutylene-isoprene rubber into liquid fuel, using MgO as catalyst. It was found that one-hour heating time at 350 °C using 2 g catalyst (MgO) constitutes a suitable parameter for the maximum conversion of scrap inner tube rubber into oil. The oil obtained was characterized by physical and chemical tests. Among the physical tests, Density, specific gravity, viscosity, kinematic viscosity, analine point and flash point were determined according to IP and ASTM standard valves. The physical tests indicate the presence of aromatic and olefinic hydrocarbons. Among the chemical tests, the phenol test, bromine number, bromine water test, and KMnO4 tests were conducted. The chemical tests are also the support of physical tests conducted. The physical and chemical tests indicate that the oil obtained is a mixture of kerosene, diesel, and light oil and could be used for fuel purposes.

Objective: The aim of current research was to highlight the abilities of patients tounderstand and follow prescription. Study design: Cross sectional study. Setting: District HeadQuarter (DHQ) hospital Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. Duration: Data was collected betweenApril to June, 2015. Methods: Study was conducted by well-trained pharmacists regardingprescription understanding and following. A well structured questionnaire was designed to gatherinformation from 150 patients that comprised of questions based on all factors to be evaluated forprescription understanding and following. Results: The findings of this critique reveal that, 30%of patients understood instructions given on prescription where as, 12% of patients were able tocomprehend physicians writing and 23% were those who even didn’t understand prescriptionabbreviations. Similarly, correct method of drug administration, compliance with frequencyof dose and dosage form and accurate dose intake were acknowledged by 66%, 65%, 73%and 80% patients, respectively while, 28% patients were able to make clear understandingwith precautions written on prescription. However, 20% of patients reported that medicineshave disturbed their routine life, 29% recognized their dependency on prescribed medications,22% consulted with a third person for prescription interpretation, 36% reduced their dose tohalf due to side effects, 35% stated that prescribed brands were available to them and 65%missed their doses due to high cost of brands. Moreover, 76% patients showed consciousnessregarding value of therapy and only 31% patients acknowledged that prescribed brandswere economical. Conclusion: There is a lot of room for improvement in factors related toprescription understanding and following. Enhanced literacy rate, generic prescribing practicesand cost-effectiveness should be considered for prescription consideration. Most importantfrom Pakistan’s point of view, role of pharmacist should be implemented in every health sectorof country to mimic most of prescription related problems.

The objective of the study is to examine the impact of gender discrimination in education, health, and labour market on economic growth in a panel of 20 high-income OECD countries for the period of 1980–2015. In addition, the study proposed an index of pro-equality growth, which is flared with education, health, and labour market initiatives to promote economic growth. The results show that gender parity index for educational attainment significantly promotes economic growth while health and labour market required substantial policy reforms to reduce health and labour market inequalities to sustain long-term economic growth. The results classified three countries as highly equitable growth, one country for equitable growth, two countries are moderate growth, four countries are less equitable growth while remaining 10 countries fall in the category of inequitable growth, where greater inequality promotes economic growth on the cost of education, health, and labour market inequalities.

The quadrilateral relationship between information and communications technology (ICT), patent applications, research and development expenditures and specific growth factors examine to formulate the broad-based growth policies in the context of Group of seven (G-7) countries, over the period of 1995–2013. The ICT variables are explained by internet users, mobile cellular subscriptions and high-technology exports; while research and development (R&D) variables include R&D expenditures and researchers in R&D. Patent data is used to evaluate the amount of innovation undertaken in the G-7 countries and it comprises residential patent applicants and non-residential patent applicants. Finally, the study used three growth factors including GDP per capita, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and GDP per unit use of energy for appraising the growth reforms in the G-7 countries. The results show that there is a significant and positive relationship between high-technology exports and growth factors, while there is a negative relationship between residential patent applicants and per capita GDP (and FDI inflows). Non-residential patent applicants’ increases GDP per capita while it decreases energy efficiency. Residential patent applicants’ significantly increases energy efficiency in the region. There is a negative relationship between R&D expenditures and GDP per capita (and energy efficiency), while researchers involved in R&D activities significantly enlarge the per capita GDP and energy efficiency in the G-7 countries. The results of variance decomposition analysis confirmed the importance of ICT over the next 10 years period. The study concludes that R&D expenditures and innovation required strong policy vista in order to amplify the growth factors in the region.

Echelon utilization of waste power batteries in new energy vehicles has high market potential in China. However, bottlenecks, such as product standards, echelon utilization technology, and recycling network systems, have given rise to the urgent need for policy improvement. This study uses content analysis to code policies and investigate the central and local policies on the echelon utilization of waste power batteries in China from two dimensions, namely, basic policy instruments and industrial chain processes. Results show that in terms of basic policy instruments, central policies focus on structural mandatory instruments, whereas local policies focus on contractual inducement, which tend to be diversified. Interactive impact instruments are the least frequently used in both central and local policies. From the perspective of the recycling industry chain, central and local policy instruments concentrate mainly on the echelon utilization and detection and evaluation stages and focus less on the collection and transportation stages. Suggestions are offered as follows. (1) Increase the use of interactive impact instruments and optimize their classification. (2) Emphasize the matching between basic policy instruments and the recycling industry chain.(3) The policy instrument combination of “one place, one policy” could be implemented.

Sulfur compounds in fuel oils are a major source of atmospheric pollution. This study is focused on the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT)

Sulfur compounds in fuel oils are a major source of atmospheric pollution. This study is focused on the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) via the coupled application of 0.5 wt% Pd-loaded Co–Mo/Al2O3 and Ni–Mo/Al2O3 catalysts with ionic liquids (ILs) at ambient temperature (120 °C) and pressure (1 MPa H2). The enhanced HDS activity of the solid catalysts coupled with [BMIM]BF4, [(CH3)4N]Cl, [EMIM]AlCl4, and [(n-C8H17)(C4H9)3P]Br was credited to the synergism between hydrogenation by the former and extractive desulfurization and better H2 transport by the latter, which was confirmed by DFT simulation. The Pd-loaded catalysts ranked highest by activity i.e. Pd–Ni–Mo/Al2O3 > Pd–Co–Mo/Al2O3 > Ni–Mo/Al2O3 > Co–Mo/Al2O3. With mild experimental conditions of 1 MPa H2 pressure and 120 °C temperature and an oil : IL ratio of 10 : 3.3, DBT conversion was enhanced from 21% (by blank Ni–Mo/Al2O3) to 70% by Pd–Ni–Mo/Al2O3 coupled with [(n-C8H17)(C4H9)3P]Br. The interaction of polarizable delocalized bonds (in DBT) and van der Waals forces influenced the higher solubility in ILs and hence led to higher DBT conversion. The IL was recycled four times with minimal loss of activity. Fresh and spent catalysts were characterized by FESEM, ICP-MS, EDX, XRD, XPS and BET surface area techniques. GC-MS analysis revealed biphenyl as the major HDS product. This study presents a considerable advance to the classical HDS processes in terms of mild operating conditions, cost-effectiveness, and simplified mechanization, and hence can be envisaged as an alternative approach for fuel oil processing.

The similarity of spatial structure between radicicol and matrine urged us to perform conformation modification of matrine, followed by L-shaped matrine derivatives, 6, 12, 21a-h and 22a-h were originally designed, synthesized and evaluated for Hsp90N inhibitors as anticancer agents. TSA (Thermal Shift Assay) results indicated that 21e, 22a-c and 22e-g exhibited strong binding force against Hsp90N with∣ΔTm∣ > 3, meanwhile, MTT assay also revealed these compounds displayed potent anticancer activity with IC50 values below 25 μM against HepG2, HeLa and MDA-MB-231 cells lines. Then, compound 22g with a high ΔTm = 10.92 was chosen as a representative to perform further mechanism study. It can induce cell apoptosis, arrest the cell cycle at the S phase and decrease the expression level of Hsp90 in Hela cell. These results originally provided targeted modification strategy for matrine derivatives to serve as Hsp90 inhibitors for cancer therapy.

Chalcones (1, 3-Diphenyl-2-propen-1-one) consist of a three carbon α, β-unsaturated carbonyl system and act as precursors for the biosynthesis of flavonoids in plants. However, laboratory synthesis of various chalcones has also been reported. Both natural and synthetic chalcones are known to exhibit a variety of pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial and antituberculosis. These promising activities, ease of synthesis and simple chemical structure have awarded chalcones considerable attraction. This review focuses on the anti-inflammatory effects of chalcones, caused by their inhibitory action primarily against the activities and expressions of four key inflammatory mediators viz., cyclooxygenase, prostaglandin E

This study examines the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational performance by evaluating the mediatory role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and organizational innovation which has received considerably less attention in the literature. This study introduces CSR and organizational innovation as potential mediators of relationships between the key constructs of transformational leadership and organizational performance. Sufficient direct and mediation effects of predictors were tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with data from 396 French firms. Sufficient configurations of the predictors indicating high and low scores of performance were explored using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The PLS-SEM results show that both direct and indirect effects of transformational leadership on performance are significant. The fsQCA results reveal that a combination of CSR and transformational leadership leads to high performance. Alternately, high performance results from high innovation. This empirical study contributes to the current knowledge by applying both symmetrical and asymmetrical approaches to indicate performance at an organizational level. This study discusses the findings and provides theoretical, managerial, and research implications.

The rapid deployment of embedded image processing applications have forced a paradigm shift from complete hardware and software based implementations providing best performance and lowest cost, respectively towards a hybrid approach, namely, application specific instruction-set processor (ASIP). In this paper, we evaluate the applicability of CuSP, a softcore DSP-ASIP, for image processing applications. CuSP has a Crimson DSP processor core and hardware accelerators directly coupled with the core offering improved performance with flexibility. Results show that CuSP offers performance improvement over standard softprocessor MicroBlaze by up to a factor of 36 times. Crimson DSP core alone gives up to 5.3 times lower execution cycles than MicroBlaze.

A self-designed reaction device was used as a promising equipment to investigate the oxidation characteristics and kinetics of rosin pentaerythritol ester (RPE) under UV irradiation. Photo-oxidation kinetics and the initial quantum yield (&Phi, ) of RPE were calculated. The initial oxidation product of the photo-oxidation reaction&mdash, peroxide was analyzed by iodimetry. The peroxide concentration is related to the light intensity (I) and the temperature (T), and the increasing T and I would destabilize the RPE by accelerating peroxide forming. Photo-oxidation of RPE follows the pseudo first-order reaction kinetics. The relationship between activation energy and logarithm of light intensity (ln I) is linear, and it is expressed as Ea = &minus, 4.937ln I + 45.565. &Phi, was calculated by the photo-oxidation kinetics, and the average value of &Phi, was 7.19% in the light intensity range of 200&ndash, 800 &mu, W cm&minus, 2. This research can provide fundamental information for application of RPE, and help obtain a better understanding of the stability of rosin esters.

Safe transportation of temperature sensitive medicines and vaccines require controlled temperature environment that is critical for preservation of their potency. This paper describes the design and development of automatic temperature controlled portable cooling cabinet that can be used for transportation of sensitive medicines or vaccines. A solid State device based on semiconductor junctions called peltier module is used for maintaining desired temperature. Peltier module based cooling system can be designed for any such application that require controlled temperature environment. The said module absorbs heat energy from cabinet with aid of heat exchanger and dissipates this energy on its opposite side with help of another heat exchanger. Extruded rectangular fin aluminum heat sinks were used as heat exchanger that effectively increases the surface area. Heat sinks are air cooled but to facilitate heat transfer between ambient air and heat sink, forced convection has been used. A closed loop feedback controller is also implemented to maintain the desired temperature range inside cabinet, using ON-OFF control for peltier module. Experiments were conducted for desired temperature ranges and performance of system is evaluated. To the best of their knowledge the authors feel that suggested setup is not only cost effective but also energy efficient as compared to conventional vapor compression cooling Systems.

A series of (S)-tryptamine derivatives containing an allyl group and an aryl sulfonamide unit were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their potential application as anticancer agents. The structures of the synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and ESI-MS spectral analyses. The target compounds were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity against HepG2, HeLa, CNE1 and A549 human cancer cell lines. Some of the synthesized compounds showed moderate to good anticancer activities against four selected cancer cell lines, among of which 6ag was found to be the most active analogue possessing IC50 values 16.5–18.7 μM. Further mechanism studies revealed that compound 6ag could significantly induce HepG2 cell cycle arrest at G1 phase, promote cell apoptosis, and inhibit the colony formation as well.

Taking sophoridine as a lead compound, 58 sophoridine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity in the HepG2 cancer cell line. Among the 58 compounds, 33 compounds showed potent antiproliferative activity with IC50 less than 10 μM. Compound 5w showed the most potent anti-proliferative activity in the HepG2 cancer cell line. Thus, we further extended our characterization of the antiproliferative activity of 5w in six cancer cell lines (HepG2, SMMC-7721, Hela, CNE1, CNE2 and MCF7). The representative compound 5w displayed robust anti-proliferative activities in all the tested cell lines with IC50 values in range of 0.93–1.89 μM which were much lower than that of sophoridine. Here, we report the structure–activity relationships (SAR) in a sophoridine series of compounds, which indicated that introduction of N-benzyl indole group on the 14-carbon atom of sophoridine can significantly enhance the antiproliferative activity. By molecular docking and enzymatic assay, compound 5w was found to be able to inhibit the activity of DNA Topo I. Furthermore, apoptosis assay displayed that compound 5w could significantly induce the apoptosis of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner by activating caspase-3, increasing expression of cleaved caspase-3 and reducing the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax. The in vivo antitumor assay demonstrated that 5w suppressed the growth of HepG2 xenografts in nude mice without any obvious side effects.

Maxilla is perhaps the most essential and visible part of the mid-face. It is a threedimensional structure and when reconstructing maxillectomy defects the principles of aesthetics as well as the best functional outcomes are taken into account. The aim of this study is to compare the Anterolateral Thigh Flap (ALTF) to the standard option like the Rectus Abdominis Free Flap (RAMFF) for the reconstruction of complex maxillary defects.This descriptive case series was conducted at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shifa International Hospital Islamabad, Pakistan from 2009 to 2016. Patients of all age groups with complex maxillectomy defects, (Type III and IV according to Cordeiro classification) resulting from tumour resection, trauma, osteoradionecrosis or infection, underwent reconstruction with the free anterolateral thigh flap and the rectus abdominis free flap.Over a period of 8 years, 49 Rectus Abdominis free flaps and 32 Anterolateral thigh free flaps were performed for reconstruction of Type III and IV maxillectomy defects. The follow up was weekly for 1 month and then 3 monthly for the 1st year, 6 monthly for 2nd year and then yearly. All the patients had an uneventful immediate recovery.ALTF has advantages over the RAMFF in terms of the donor site morbidity, operative time and postoperative recovery in the reconstruction of complex maxillectomy defects.

Pt-Sn supported on MWCNTs were synthesized and characterized by SEM, EDX, XRD, XRF and surface area and pore size analyzer. The catalyst was used for the partial oxidation of cyclohexane in a Parr type reactor. It was found that Pt-Sn supported on MWCNTs can act as an efficient catalyst for the partial oxidation of cyclohexane into cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, generating both in a high yield under mild reaction conditions.

Chiral protected monoaryl esters (2a–2h) were synthesized from monoester of l-tartaric acid, having two asymmetric centers and C2 axis of symmetry. l-tartaric acid was protected and partially hydrolyzed to give the corresponding monoester. Monoester upon treatment with different substituted phenols gave desired monoaryl esters (2a–2h). Fries rearrangement of monoaryl esters was then tried under various conditions by using different Lewis acids. All the compounds were purified and characterized by using spectroscopic techniques like IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HRMS-ESI, and elemental analysis. The structure of compound 2e was obtained by X-ray crystallography.

The global hike in the prices of gold and oil made an impact in the economy of the countries around the globe. The impact has varied in the developing and developed countries. The research is a preliminary investigation into the subject matter. It has plunged into the relation of these two commodities prices with the GDP of an emerging economy of Pakistan. The findings give a compelling insight into the subject matter. The study used the stock market data with the average Gold and Oil prices from the period of 1997 to 2014. The data analysis results show that gold and oil prices have a significant impact on GDP.

This paper scrutinizes the impact of inflation on financial development in the case of Pakistan for the period of 1991-2011. In order to do so, Regression and Correlation methods have been applied. Experimental findings expose that high trends of inflation delay the performance of financial markets. GDP per capita promotes the development of financial sector through its causing channels. Three indicators namely money supply, total level of deposits, BCPS (bank credit to private sector) represent the financial development in Pakistan. There is a negative relationship between inflation and financial development.

Using sophoridine 1 and chalcone 3 as the lead compounds, a series of novel α, β-unsaturated sophoridinic derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis indicated that introduction of α, β-unsaturated ketone moiety and heterocyclic group might significantly enhance anticancer activity. Among the compounds, 2f and 2m exhibited potential effects against HepG-2 and CNE-2 human cancer cell lines. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were performed to understand possible docking sites of the molecules on the target proteins and the mode of binding. This work provides a theoretical basis for structural optimizations and exploring anticancer pathways of this kind of compound.

Deprotonation of 2-acetylpyridine was carried out in the presence of NaH as a phase transfer catalyst instead of NaOH to minimize side products formation. The products were then treated with two equivalents of alkyl/aryl halide to synthesize a variety of acetyl pyridine derivatives. The compounds were structurally characterized by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy in solution state. Structure of compound 2 was also confirmed in solid state by X-ray diffraction. Electronic properties such as Mulliken charges, frontier molecular orbitals (HOMO-LUMO), ionization energy (IE), electron affinity (EA), global hardness (η), Chemical Potential (µ) and Global electrophilicity (ω) of some compounds were investigated by the same theory using B3LYP-6-311G basis set.

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of air pollutants, including mono-nitrogen oxides (NOx), nitrous oxide (N2O), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on ecological footprint, habitat area, food supply, and biodiversity in a panel of thirty-four developed and developing countries, over the period of 1995–2014. The results reveal that NOx and SO2 emissions both have a negative relationship with ecological footprints, while N2O emission and real GDP per capita have a direct relationship with ecological footprints. NOx has a positive relationship with forest area, per capita food supply and biological diversity while CO2 emission and GHG emission have a negative impact on food production. N2O has a positive impact on forest area and biodiversity, while SO2 emissions have a negative relationship with them. SO2 emission has a direct relationship with per capita food production, while GDP per capita significantly affected per capita food production and food supply variability across countries. The overall results reveal that SO2, CO2, and GHG emissions affected potential habitat area, while SO2 and GHG emissions affected the biodiversity index. Trade liberalization policies considerably affected the potential habitat area and biological diversity in a panel of countries.

Objective: Diabetes mellitus is wide spread non transmissible disease but its prevalence is increasing everyday so this study was conducted with an aim to investigate the factors that are modifying diabetes mellitus among patients at DHQ (District Head Quarter) Hospital Sargodha. Methodology: A prospective study was carried out by well-trained pharmacists in DHQ Sargodha, Pakistan to assess the factors modifying diabetes mellitus. Data was collected from 110 patients randomly by using convenience sampling method. A well structured questionnaire was designed to collect information from patients and entire procedure was conducted with the permission of concerned authorities of Hospital management. The factors that are considered in present study are medication, treatment, patient physician interaction and society attitude towards diabetic patients which are helpful in halting the progression of diabetes and prevention of co morbidities. Results: The results of study disclose that 74.5% diabetic patients felt better after treatment whereas 56% diabetic patients were satisfied with the information provided by physician to them but still 70% patients were suffering from co morbidities. The survey indicated that 62.7% patients said that exercise proved to be healthy activity in improving diabetes. However 59% diabetic patients were following a proper diet plan which was helpful in modifying their diabetes. Conclusions: The diabetic patients must be informed about importance of regular follow-up in averting long-standing complications. Patients should be guided about importance of dietary recommendations, exercise and strict metabolic control, that can holdup or avert the series of complications allied with diabetes.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has become a prominent imaging technique in medicine. MRI contrast agents are used to increase the sensitivity of this technique. Recently, a new method for cancer treatment with a less side effect called photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been introduced. In this method cancer tissues are selectively destroyed without injuring the surrounding healthy cells. However, for the successful use of this method, the selection of an appropriate photosensitizer is important. Hence, diagnosis-treat union of MRI and PDT will be significantly promoted if a new family of bi-functional agents is found, which would combine the effects of a contrast agent in MRI and of a photosensitizer in PDT. It will bring great improvement to the cancer diagnosis and treatment. Porphyrins have proved to be useful photosensitizing agents in PDT due to their promising photophysical efficiency and a less side effect. This work briefly describes the research development of porphyrins as a photosensitizer applied in PDT, and also highlights the recent progress in the research on bi-functional agents of MRI-PDT. Diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) units are incorporated at a meso-position of the porphyrin ring to synthesize new bi-functional agents of MRI-PDT with sufficient water solubility and high relaxation potency. Gd3+ complexes are prepared by the reaction of the high molecular weight porphyrin-based ligand with GdCl3·6H2O. The longitudinal relaxivity measurement indicates 154% and 251% enhancement compared to that of the widely used MRI contrast agent Gd-DTPA. These results indicate that the two complexes could possibly be used as bi-functional agents of MRI-PDT.

Self-assembled hollow microspheres poly(o-chloroaniline) (POC) have been synthesized by simple oxida- tive polymerization of o-chloroaniline using camphor-sulfonic acid (CSA) as dopant acid and ammonium persulfate (APS) as oxidant. The POC microspheres were characterized by means of FTIR, XRD and SEM analysis. Adsorption characteristics of POC spheres were studied by using methyl orange (MO) as adsorbate. It was found that adsorption of MO by POC was better described by pseudo-second-order kinetics than any other kinetic model, such as the pseudo- first-order and intra-particle diffusion models. Langmuir adsorption isotherm model was the best to fit experimental data. The results showed that hollow microspheres of POC can be used as novel and low-cost adsorbent for removal of organic dye from waste water.

Objectives: The objectives of the study was to determine differentmicroorganisms responsible for causing urinary tract infections UTI in children and to evaluatesensitivity and resistance pattern of different antibiotics used in UTIs. Setting: Study wasconducted in Children Hospital Complex (CHCM), Multan, Pakistan. Methods: Total 125 childrenhaving UTI were taken to determine the antibiotic sensitivity and resistance pattern againstmicroorganisms causing urinary tract infections in children. The urine samples were collected inurine bottles and smears were made within 2 hours of sample collection. Urine sample wasinoculated on agar media and then incubated for 24 hours. A smear was prepared on a slide formculture of microorganisms and gram testing was conducted. The microorganisms were thencharacterized by use of API (Analytical Profile Index) MICROBACT TM 24E of Oxoid England. Theantimicrobial susceptibility testing of various antibiotics was performed by disc diffusion method.Results and Conclusions: The percentage of Gram +ve bacteria causing urinary tract infectionsin children was 28%, Gram –ve 62.4% and Yeast 9.6%. The most prevailing species are S. aureus,S. epidermidis and E.coli. Results showed that female children are more prone to UTI than malechildren. Norfloxacin is effective in S. Aureus UTI while cefaclor is effective in S.epidermidis UTI.Amikacin, Norfloxacin and Cefuroxime are effective in UTI caused by E.coli.

As in most developing countries, incidence of cancer is also increasing inPakistan. It is important that information on the frequency and epidemiology of malignant tumorsbe updated, as it is the basis of future health planning for the population at risk. This retrospectivestudy was carried out to find the prevalence of various cancers in the population of Sargodhadistrict (central Punjab, Pakistan) and to compare the regional and international studies, so as toplan and develop the oncology setup of Sargodha Medical College on a rationalized basis ofdisease prevalence. Data from July 2010 to June 2013 was retrieved from the department ofstatistics of the hospital and variables of interest were collected and analyzed using SPSS 10.0. Itwas observed that the most frequent cancer in our patients was breast cancer (n=172) whilecarcinoma of lungs was the most frequent carcinoma in male population (n=24). However ourobservations were a bit different from the international studies published on the subject, theprobable reason being the availability of treatment facility and easier access in the nearbydistricts of Faisalabad and Lahore where many patients still go directly. More over the illiterateand poorer faction of the society does not come to the hospitals for management of the diseasebut rather go to the quakes and faith healers to relieve them of their sufferings. It is concluded thatthe department of clinical oncology should arrange cancer awareness programs for the generalpopulation to avoid delays in getting consultation, as at present they report to the hospital whenthe disease is quite advance and surgery is often not possible. Our study also revealed asomewhat different pattern of malignancies in our community raising a need for further studies toevaluate the reasons for this changed pattern in relation to various etiological factors.

Hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of fuel oils is the most viable and commercially acceptable approach operated under harsh operating conditions. To avoid harsh reaction conditions, this study is designed on the HDS of dibenzothiophene (DBT) under the combined effect of five types of Phosphonium based ionic liquids (PILs) i.e. [C4H9)3(C14H29)P]Br, [(C8H17)(C4H9)3P]Br [(C4H9)4P]Cl, [BMIM]PF6 and [C4H9)3(C16H33)P]Br with 5 wt% Mn promoted (Co or Ni)-Mo/Al2O3 catalysts at extremely ambient temperature and pressure. Catalysts were prepared by wet impregnation technique followed by their sulfidation (30% CS2 in cyclohexane) and textural characterization via SEM, BET, PXRD and XPS techniques. Catalytic activity results indicated that DBT conversion was boosted from 24% (by mere Mn-Ni-Mo/Al2O3) to 84% (by Mn-Ni-Mo/Al2O3 coupled with 10 g of [(C4H9)3(C16H33)P]Br) at 3 MPa H2 pressure, 120 °C and 4 h reaction time. Among the five types of PILs, the enhancement in HDS activity combined with solid catalyst was found dependent on the type and length of cation chain. The enhanced DBT conversion caused by Mn-Ni-Mo/Al2O3 solid catalyst coupled with IL was envisioned to be due the synergy between hydrogenation reaction (by the former) and extractive desulfurization (by the later) with an overall HDS activity order of: Mn-Ni-Mo/Al2O3 > Mn-Co-Mo/Al2O3 > Ni-Mo/Al2O3 > Co-Mo/Al2O3. HDS products were analyzed by GC-MS and possible reaction route was anticipated. This study successfully discovered and elaborated of boosting of HDS of DBT at extremely mild operation conditions under the integrated effect of solid catalyst and PILs and hence can be pragmatically envisaged as an alternative approach for fuel oils desulfurization and other similar reactions on industrial level.

The financial management of natural resource market is imperative to achieve global environmental sustainability agenda through financing green projects. The objective of the study is to examine the role of financial development and growth specific factors on natural resource market in a context of Pakistan by using a time series data from 1970 to 2018. The results show that in the short-run, there is a negative relationship between broad money supply and total natural resource rents (including coal rents, mineral rents, and oil rents) while carbon tax negatively impact total natural resource rents through low mineral rents, thus the viability of ‘resource curse’ hypothesis is confirmed under financial constraint environment in a country. The ‘resource enhancing’ growth activities are largely visible with country's per capita income, FDI inflows, and trade openness that increases forest rents, mineral rents and oil rents respectively. In the long-run, broad money supply and carbon tax negatively impact a large number of prescribed natural resource rents with mediation of population density, while FDI inflows and trade in service supported few resource rents that entrenching growth activities in a given time period. The results further discussed the forecast relationship between financial factors and natural resource markets, which gives sound inferences to develop green financing resource management policies in a country.

The chemical absorption of CO2 by monoethanolamine for CO2 separation from other gases produced by burning fossil fuels in power plants was considered. The factors that influence the process of decomposition of monoethanolamine were studied. It was shown that addition of piperazine to the system reduces the decomposition rate of monoethanolamine during CO2 absorption from the flue gases, which are formed in an oxidizing atmosphere.

Background: Management of patients with the brugada ECG sign who have no previous history of syncope is still negotiable. We present a case of a 57 year-old Caucasian lady who presented to the emergency department with substernal chest pain. Results: Her past medical history showed that she had two previous episodes of lightheadedness, but no syncope. She had a family history of sudden death secondary to unknown cause in her aunt at the age of 61. Physical exam was unremarkable except for diaphoresis. Electrocardiography (ECG) showed ST elevation in the right precordial leads (V1-V2) with T inversion, mimicking a STEMI. Emergent cardiac catheterization revealed normal coronary arteries. Echocardiogram was normal. Again, interpretation of ECG revealed a Brugada type 1 pattern, characterized by coved-type, gradually descending ST-T segment, elevated J point of more than 2 mm and T wave inversion. Electrophysiological (EPS) testing with a Sodium channel blocker challenge showed a persistent Brugada type 1 pattern with non inducible ventricular tachycardia. This patient had Brugada type 1 ECG pattern with no previous history of syncope (asymptomatic). Thus she was considered at low risk of developing a serious arrhythmogenic event in the future. Conclusion: A history of syncope remains the best available predictor for arrhythmogenic events. EPS testing in such patients, to stratify the risk and predict for any future events, is still controversial. It is still unjustified to place an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in asymptomatic non-inducible individuals with the Brugada pattern. These patients should follow up closely with a cardiologist and be aware of the risk of possible triggers of ventricular arrhythmias.

The facilitated passage of Zn (II) across flat sheet supported liquid membrane saturated with TDDA (tri-n-dodecylamine) in xylene membrane phase has been investigated. The effect of acid and metal ion concentration in the feed solution, the carrier concentration in membrane phase, stripping agent concentration in stripping phase, and coions on the extraction of Zn (II) was investigated. The stoichiometry of the extracted species, that is, complex, was investigated on slope analysis method and it was found that the complex (LH)2·Zn(Cl2) is responsible for transport of Zn (II). A mathematical model was developed for transport of Zn (II), and the predicted results strongly agree with experimental ones. The mechanism of transport was determined by coupled coion transport mechanism with H+and Cl−coupled ions. The optimized SLM was effectively used for elimination of Zn (II) from waste discharge liquor of galvanizing plant of Zn (II).

This paper evaluates the Triplet Based Architecture, TriBA — a new idea in chip multiprocessor architectures and a class of Direct Interconnection Network (DIN). TriBA consists of a 2D grid of small, programmable processing units, each physically connected to its three neighbors so that advantageous features of group locality can be fully and efficiently utilized. Any communication model can be well characterized by locality properties and, any topology has its intrinsic, structural, locality characteristics. We propose a new criterion in performance evaluation that is based on the concept of locality in an interconnection network, the “lower layer complete connect”. Our proposed criterion depicts how completely a processing node is connected to all its neighbors. TriBA is compared with 2D Mesh and Binary Tree as static interconnection network. The comparison / evaluation is enumerated from three orthogonal view points, viz., computational speed, physical layout and cost. Our analysis concludes that TriBA is computationally efficient interconnection strategy that exploits group locality in processing nodes.

Influence of gamma irradiation and colored polyethylene packaging on the selected parameters, namely moisture, proteins, fiber, fats and shelf life of palm date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) was studied. The date samples were irradiated with 20, 50, 100, 200 and 300 krads, respectively. The treated and whole samples were packed in blue, green, yellow, black and white polyethylene bags. The moisture contents of date were very close in all packed and treated date samples with irregular changes. In proteins, the decrease is higher in the first 3 months, whereas in the last 3 months no prominent difference was noticed. Maximum protein decrease was recorded for control samples in the blue packaging, i.e., the decrease is from 2.32 to 0.1%. Minimum decrease (2.32–1.4%) was recorded for samples in white and yellow packaging, at doses of 300 and 200 krads, respectively. The fiber contents of date samples irradiated with 20, 50, 100, 200 and 300 krads and packed in white packaging decrease as 2.33, 2.37, 2.36, 2.34 and 2.31%, respectively. The fiber levels decrease gradually in all samples in irregular pattern. The results of fat contents clearly indicate that packaging and radiation doses up to 300 krads do not affect the contents. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Conservation and preservation of food is a prerequisite for food security. It provides economic stability and self-reliance to a nation. Date palms (Pheonix dactylera L.) are usually stored for longer periods and thus postharvest contamination of dates is common. The spoilage of fresh/dried dates by insects, bacteria, color deterioration and chemical changes during storage is a serious problem in hot, humid tropical conditions like in that Pakistan. Because of the ban on chemical fumigants, many countries have had to either limit or stop the export of some agricultural commodities. This resulted in economic loss, further balance-of-trade deficits and curtailment of consumer food choices. In this situation, food irradiation offers a significant alternative method for reducing storage losses and meeting plant quarantine requirements. The study conducted was of prime importance and great economic value, especially to the forthcoming regulations and standards of the World Trade Organization, involving pest-free quality-export commodities.

Aliskiren, an antihypertensive drug approved in the United States and Europe, is the first in a new class known as direct renin inhibitors. Aliskiren has been evaluated for safety and tolerability in more than 6400 patients. It has demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile alone or in combination with other drugs.This article reviews the currently available safety and tolerability data for aliskiren.Using the search term aliskiren, MEDLINE (no timeframe set) and major cardiovascular congresses (2005-2008) were searched. Articles and abstracts with safety and drug interaction data were included.Aliskiren may share common adverse effects observed with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) therapy. In placebo-controlled trials, those commonly reported for aliskiren at the approved dosage were headache, diarrhea, for personal and fatigue, with incidences similar to those of placebo. Aliskiren has been well tolerated in black, geriatric, diabetic, or obese patients and patients with renal or hepatic impairment. Aliskiren neither inhibits nor induces the cytochrome P450 system; it does not inhibit P-glycoprotein, but is a substrate for this drug transporter. Adding a direct renin inhibitor to another renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitor may further improve cardiovascular outcomes, renal outcomes, or both, without increasing the incidence of adverse effects.Aliskiren is well tolerated, has an adverse effect profile comparable to that of placebo, and has a low potential for drug interactions. Data from ongoing trials evaluating the effects of aliskiren on surrogate markers, morbidity, and mortality will further define the role of direct renin inhibition in the antihypertensive armamentarium.