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Background: Dengue fever has become a significant worldwide health concern, because of its high morbidity rate and the potential for an increase in mortality rates due to lack of adequate treatment. There is an immediate need for the development of effective medication for dengue fever. Methods: Homology modeling of dengue virus (DENV) non-structural 4B (NS4B) protein was performed by SWISS-MODEL to predict the 3D structure of the protein. Structure validation was conducted using PROSA, PROCHECK, Ramachandran plot, and VERIFY-3D. MOE software was used to find out the in-Silico inhibitory potential of the five triterpenoids against the DENV-NS4B protein. Results: The SWISS-MODEL was employed to predict the three-dimensional protein structure of the NS4B protein. Through molecular docking, it was found that the chosen triterpenoid NS4B protein had a high binding affinity interaction. It was observed that the NS4B protein binding energy for 15-oxoursolic acid, betulinic acid, ursolic acid, lupeol, and 3-o-acetylursolic acid were − 7.18, − 7.02, − 5.71, − 6.67 and − 8.00 kcal/mol, respectively. Conclusions: NS4B protein could be a promising target which showed good interaction with tested triterpenoids which can be developed as a potential antiviral drug for controlling dengue virus pathogenesis by inhibiting viral replication. However, further investigations are necessary to validate and confirm their efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid economic policy uncertainty, recognizing green bonds as stabilizing instruments underscores the imperative to address climate change. Existing research assesses the asymmetric effect of economic policy uncertainty on green bonds in the top 10 green bond-issuing countries (China, USA, Spain, France, Japan, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and Sweden). While past investigations have predominantly used panel data methodologies to probe the correlation between economic policy uncertainty and green bonds, it often overlooked the unique disparities among various economies. Contrarily, our approach utilizes the 'Quantile-on-Quantile' methodology, which offers a comprehensive global yet country-specific viewpoint for each economy. The study reveals a significant reduction in green bond prices associated with economic policy uncertainty across various quantile levels in most selected economies. Furthermore, our findings underscore the discrepancies in the connections among our variables across different countries. These discoveries stress that policymakers must manage thorough assessments and execute efficient tactics to manage fluctuations in economic policy uncertainty and green bonds at various levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are becoming an innovative agent in biological and environmental applications due to its unique characteristics, biocompatibility, low cost and toxicity. In this study, the composite ZnO NPs using Rhododendron arboreum (R. arboreum) stem bark were synthesized and characterized for UV–visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The biomedical assessment of the synthesized nanoparticles showed zones of inhibition of 23 ± 0.09, 18 ± 0.1 and 16 ± 0.05 mm, against the Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains, respectively. Likewise, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values against K. pneumoniae, S. aureus, and E. coli were found to be 34 ± 0.21 and 72.71 ± 0.47, 47 ± 0.11 and 94.86 ± 0.84 and 94 ± 0.18 and 185.43 ± 0.16 µg/mL, respectively. The biosynthesized ZnO NPs resulted in significant eradication of the outer and inner membranes of the tested bacterial cells. In addition, the environmental application of the synthesized ZnO NPs also showed time-dependent photocatalytic degradation activity and revealed 65% methyl orange dye degradation with an irradiation period of 6 h. The findings of this study suggest the suitability of the novel R. arboreum stem bark-based ZnO NPs as an effective ameliorant against bactericidal activities and photocatalytic potential for the removal of potentially toxic substances from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sample size determination is an active area of research in statistics. Generally, Bayesian methods provide relatively smaller sample sizes than the classical techniques, particularly average length criterion is more conventional and gives relatively small sample sizes under the given constraints. The objective of this study is to utilize major Bayesian sample size determination techniques for the coefficient of variation of normal distribution and assess their performance by comparing the results with the freqentist approach. To this end, we noticed that the average coverage criterion is the one that provides relatively smaller sample sizes than the worst outcome criterion. By comparing with the existing frequentist studies, we show that a smaller sample size is required in Bayesian methods to achieve the same efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), a global health concern, particularly coronary artery disease (CAD), poses a significant threat to well-being. Seeking safer and cost-effective diagnostic alternatives to invasive coronary angiography, noninvasive coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) gains prominence. This study employed OpenFOAM, an open-source Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, to analyze hemodynamic parameters in coronary arteries with serial stenoses. Patient-specific three-dimensional (3D) models from CCTA images offer insights into hemodynamic changes. OpenFOAM breaks away from traditional commercial software, validated against the FDA benchmark nozzle model for reliability. Applying this refined methodology to seventeen coronary arteries across nine patients, the study evaluates parameters like fractional flow reserve computed tomography simulation (FFRCTS), fluid velocity, and wall shear stress (WSS) over time. Findings include FFRCTS values exceeding 0.8 for grade 0 stenosis and falling below 0.5 for grade 5 stenosis. Central velocity remains nearly constant for grade 1 stenosis but increases 3.4-fold for grade 5 stenosis. This research innovates by utilizing OpenFOAM, departing from previous reliance on commercial software. Combining qualitative stenosis grading with quantitative FFRCTS and velocity measurements offers a more comprehensive assessment of coronary artery conditions. The study introduces 3D renderings of wall shear stress distribution across stenosis grades, providing an intuitive visualization of hemodynamic changes for valuable insights into coronary stenosis diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Weibull algorithm is one of the most accurate tools for forecasting and estimating wind energy potential. Two main parameters of the Weibull algorithm are the 'Weibull shape' and 'Weibull scale' factors. There are six different numerical methods to estimate the two Weibull parameters. These six methods are the empirical method of Justus (method 1), the empirical method of Lysen (method 2), the maximum likelihood method (method 3), the modified maximum likelihood method (method 4), the energy pattern factor method (method 5) and the graphical method (method 6). Many commercial wind energy software programs use the Weibull algorithm, and these six methods are used to calculate the potential wind energy at a given site. However, their accuracy is rarely discussed, particularly regarding wind data height. For this purpose, wind data measured for a long period (six years) at real sites are introduced. The wind data sites are categorized into three levels, i.e., low, medium, and high, based on wind data measurement height. The analysis shows that methods 1 and 2 are the most accurate methods among all six methods at low and medium heights. The number of errors increases with the height of these two methods. Methods 3 and 4 are the most suitable options for larger heights, as these scenarios have minimal error. The present study's findings can be used in various fields, e.g., wind energy forecasting and wind farm planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joint monitoring of time and magnitude is an important issue in many industrial and non-industrial fields and several proposals exist in the literature. The aim of this article is to propose a new maximum exponentially weighted moving average (Max-EWMA) chart assuming generalized exponential distribution for time as well as magnitude. As the test-statistic of Max-EWMA chart consists of two EWMA statistics, it is easy to identify the out-of-control signal raised by the chart. The performance of the chart is evaluated using different run length characteristics including, average run length (ARL), standard deviation of run length (SDRL), and quantiles of the run length distribution. Besides extensive simulation studies, a real data set is also used to show the practicality of the proposed chart. The results show that the proposed chart is efficient in detecting different size of small to moderate shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis is commonly used in clinical settings to check the performance of a single threshold for distinguishing population-wise bimodal-distributed test results. However, for population-wise three-modal distributed test results, a single threshold ROC (stROC) analysis showed poor discriminative performance. The purpose of this study is to use a double-threshold ROC analysis for the three-modal distributed test results to provide better discriminative performance than the stROC analysis. A double-threshold receiver operating characteristic plot (dtROC) is constructed by replacing the single threshold with a double threshold. The sensitivity and specificity coordinates are chosen to maximize sensitivity for a given specificity value. Besides a simulation study assuming a mixture of lognormal, Poisson, and Weibull distributions, a clinical application is examined by a secondary data analysis of palpation test results of the C7 spinous process using the modified thorax–rib static technique. For the assumed mixture models, the discrimination performance of dtROC analysis outperforms the stROC analysis (area under ROC (AUROC) increased from 0.436 to 0.983 for lognormal distributed test results, 0.676 to 0.752 for the Poisson distribution, and 0.674 to 0.804 for Weibull distribution). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional monitoring techniques are frequently used for monitoring a response variable, while ignoring the other important variables. A simple linear regression model to introduce covariates‐based charts has received a lot of attention in the recent publications. When the response variable belongs to the exponential family, the generalized linear model (GLM) is a flexible approach to model a phenomenon. This study uses gamma distribution to introduce GLM‐based Shewhart‐type control charts. The monitoring statistic is developed using the Pearson residuals (PRs) obtained from the gamma regression model. The suggested charts' performance is evaluated using the run‐length properties and extensive Monte Carlo simulations. A comparison of Pearson‐residual to the deviance‐residual charts is also discussed in this article. Finally, to emphasize the significance of the study, the proposed control charts are implemented on a real‐life data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control charts play a vital role in process monitoring to ensure the product’s desired standards. Due to rapid improvements in data collection methods, multivariate charts are preferred over univariate charts. This paper proposes a bivariate exponentially weighted moving average chart for the simultaneous monitoring of the mean vector of Gumbel’s bivariate Pareto type II (also known as the Lomax distribution) time-between-events data. The performance of the proposed chart is assessed through average run length, median run length, and the standard deviation of the run length criteria. To show the implementation of the chart in the real world, illustrative examples are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fresh water is one of the prime necessities of a society; however, its availability is becoming a major concern with the increasing population. There are not enough sources of fresh water at present due to the high rate of population increase. Many regions worldwide face limited access to fresh water. Given economic limitations, there is an urgent need to create and market technologies enabling households to generate their fresh water. In areas with abundant solar energy and proximity to seawater or well-water sources, solar still technology, if developed and commercialized, offers a cost-effective solution for freshwater needs. Thus, the current study is focused on exploring the potential of solar stills for producing fresh water. A single-slope solar still is designed, fabricated and experimentally tested for the production of fresh water. The results of the analysis indicate a maximum production of 2.88 L/day with an energy efficiency of 52.42% and an exergetic efficiency of 7.04%. Overall, the current study reveals significant potential in utilizing solar stills for producing fresh water, which could be increased further if research is conducted on modifying its basic design to increase its productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A constructive procedure is given to determine all ideals of a finite-dimensional solvable Lie algebra. This is used in determining all conjugacy classes of subalgebras of a given finite-dimensional solvable Lie algebra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic Mellitus is a leading etiology of renal failure globally. About 20% to 40% of patients with diabetes tend to develop diabetic nephropathy. DPP-4 inhibitors and SGLT-2 inhibitors are quite helpful medications for Diabetic Nephropathy. Remogliflozin etabonate (RE) is a recent addition to the SGLT-2 inhibitor group for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Objective: The present study was conducted to describe the effects of the combination of SGLT-2 inhibitors and DPP-4 inhibitors in comparison to the combination of sulphonylureas and metformin on patients with diabetic nephropathy in T2DM. Study design: a randomized controlled trial Place and Duration: This study was conducted in the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, MOH, Kuwait, from January 2022 to January 2023. Methodology: The study includes a total of 104 patients with type 2 DM and diabetic nephropathy. The patients have been divided into two groups, i.e., Group A and Group B. Group A was given glimepiride 1 mg twice daily and metformin 500 mg twice daily. Group B was given SGLT-2 inhibitors (remogliflizone 100mg) twice daily and DPP-4 inhibitors (vildagliptin 50 mg) twice daily. A total of 52 patients were allotted to group A, and 52 patients were allotted to group B. The urine ACR, creatinine, and eGFR of all the patients were measured at the time of screening, the 12th week, the 24th week, and the 36th week of initiation of treatment. Results: The mean ACR of urine in the patients in Group A was 93.54 at the time of screening before starting the treatment, 95.78 at the 12th week, 89.85 at the 24th week, and 90.8 at the 36th week of treatment. The mean ACR of urine in the patients in Group B was 108.17 at the time of screening, 100.42 at the 12th week, 99.68 at the 24th week, and 75.02 at the 36th week of treatment. The mean eGFR in Group A at screening was 59.51; it was 61.3 in the 12th week, 60.3 in the 24th, and 60.7 in the 36th week. The mean eGFR in Group B at the screening was 68.02; it was 65.7 in the 12th week, 66.17 in the 24th, and 68.1 in the 36th week. Conclusion: The vidagliptin and Remogliflozin combination is helpful in a significant reduction in proteinuria and has shown improvement in eGFR compared to the combination of glimepiride and metformin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control charts are commonly used to monitor a process to detect undesirable changes. The main goal of this work is to propose exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) and cumulative sum (CUSUM) control charts to track a process by utilizing type‐I censored generalized exponential (GE) distributed data. In particular, the censored data are replaced with the conditional expected value (CEV). A comparison between CUSUM and CUSUM ignoring unobserved covariates (CUSUM‐IUC) charts is also a part of this study. The GE distribution is considered due to its application in reliability analysis. The performance of the charts is evaluated by using the average run length along with the standard deviation of the run length. Furthermore, the study also examines the effect of smoothing parameters, censoring rate, and shifts on the proposed methodologies. The results indicate that the EWMA chart performs better than other schemes (CUSUM and CUSUM‐IUC) for shifts in the shape parameter of the GE distribution. Finally, the proposed schemes are also applied to a real‐life data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several control charts have been developed in the literature to monitor zero inflation using classic and simple linear regression models with covariates. Simple linear regression models may not be appropriate, especially when the response variable is skewed or count. When the response distribution follows the exponential family; however, the generalized linear model (GLM) gives a more flexible approach. The goal of this study is to use the Poisson hurdle model to provide GLM‐based Shewhart‐type control charts. To calculate monitoring statistics, the Pearson residuals (PRs) are obtained using the Poisson hurdle model. A detailed Monte Carlo simulation analysis is used to analyze the attributes of the suggested charts. Besides this, a real‐life data set is used to show the practical application of the charts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the charmonium and bottomonium correlators in the pseudoscalar channel and the corresponding spectral reconstruction on the lattice. The absence of a transport peak in the pseudoscalar channel spectral function allows for an easier study of the in-medium modification of bound states. However, extracting spectral information from Euclidean correlators is still a numerically ill-posed problem. To constrain the spectral reconstruction, we use an ansatz motivated from perturbation theory. The perturbative model spectral function has two main contributions: a thermal part around the threshold obtained from pNRQCD and the vacuum part well above the threshold. These two regions are matched continuously, and the model spectral function is obtained by introducing parameters that control the overall thermal shift of the peak and the overall amplitude. The lattice correlator data is computed using clover-improved Wilson valence fermions on large and fine gauge field configurations generated using N f = 2 + 1 flavors Highly Improved Staggered Quark action with physical strange quark mass m s , and slightly heavy degenerate up and down quark masses m l = m s / 5 that correspond to m π ≃ 320 MeV. Our results obtained at T = 220 MeV and T = 251 MeV suggest that no resonance peaks are needed to describe the charmonium lattice data at these temperatures, while for bottomonium thermally broadened resonance peaks persists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the efficacy of fistulotomy and fistulotomy with marsupialization in the management of simple anal fistula. Study Design: Randomized Controlled study. Setting: Department of Surgery, District Head Quarter Hospital, Mardan, Pakistan. Period: 1st September 2021 to 31st August 2022. Material & Methods: A total of 60 Patients coming to hospital with simple anal fistula were randomized into two equal groups. In group A, 30 patients were treated with fistulotomy, while in group B, 30 patients were treated with fistulotomy with marsupialization. The primary outcome was set as time required for complete wound healing. Secondary outcomes were operation time, postoperative pain, anal incontinence, incidence of recurrence and patient satisfaction. Results: The mean wound healing time after 6 weeks was shorter in group B in comparison to group A (4.7± 0.74 versus 6.4± 0.85 weeks; p=0.0001). There was no significant difference in mean operation time between Group B and Group A. The difference in mean pain score was also not statistically significant. There was no significant difference in the incidence of anal incontinence, incidence of recurrence and patient’s satisfaction among two groups. Conclusion: Fistulotomy with marsupialization is more effective procedure than fistulectomy alone in shape of early wound healing without increase in operation time and therefore can be taken as surgical procedure of choice for the simple anal fistula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artichoke is well known for its various medicinal properties i.e., lipid-lowering and antioxidant activity. Antioxidant activity of artichoke is mainly caused by the presence of various biologically active compounds, especially polyphenols. These polyphenols are being affected by a variety of environmental and cultivation factors including the application weedicides. The current study was aimed at clarifying the effects of various commonly used post-emergence weedicides (Phenmedipham, Pyridate, Quizalofop-p-ethyl, Prosulfocarb, Carfentrazone-ethyl, Rimsulfuron, Aclonifen, and Clomazone) on the production of polyphenolic compounds, including the flavonoids and caffeoylquinic acids. Weedicides were applied during the cultivation of artichoke in two growth phases. Polyphenols were analyzed in leaf extracts of artichoke using the HPLC method. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the leaf samples was determined. Results revealed minimum production of dry matter in the treatment with aclonifen (2.61 t ha-1). While different weedicide showed variable effects after each week (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th) of application. Significant difference among the various treatments of weedicide during both growth phases i.e., concentration of polyphenolics is being remarkably affecting by treatments with various weedicide. A positive correlation CQA (caffeoylquinic acid) with flavonoids on one hand and with ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) on the other showed the synergism among these. Moreover, the antioxidant capacity of artichoke leaf extracts is influenced by the content of caffeoylquinic acids and flavonoid in addition to some other antioxidants (carotenoids, terpenoids etc.). Weedicide application can lead to a reduction in phenolic constituents of artichoke leaf samples; however, this negative impact is quickly compensated during further growth and development of plant under moderate climate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various abiotic stresses affect plants in the environment, and the impact may be impaired by global climate change soon. Plants produce ethylene in response to almost all environmental stresses, which is detrimental to the viability of the plant. Thus, controlling the production of stress ethylene in plants is emerging as an intriguing approach to boost crop production and mitigate the unwanted effects of abiotic stressors. Plants use 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) as a precursor to produce ethylene. It is well known that rhizobacteria that promote plant growth and have ACC deaminase activity can regulate plant growth in extreme conditions by lowering the levels of stress ethylene in plants. Researchers suggest that rhizobacteria that produce ACC deaminase can help plant development under varying environmental conditions, and bacteria with ACC deaminase could play a pivotal role in conferring tolerance and adaptation in plants to various abiotic stressors, indicating their great potential in addition to microbial plant biostimulants. In the present study, we aimed to describe the mechanism of ACC deaminase-producing rhizobacteria in plant growth promotion and tolerance to abiotic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We extend our analysis of bound states in N = 1 supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory by the consideration of baryonic operators, which are composed of three gluino fields. The corresponding states are similar to the baryons in QCD, but due to the difference between gluino and quark fields, their properties and the fermion line contractions involved in their correlation functions are different from QCD. In this work, we first explain the derivation of these operators and the contractions needed in numerical calculations of their correlators. In contrast to QCD the correlators contain a spectacle piece, which requires methods for all-to-all propagators. We provide a first estimate of the two-point function and the mass of the lightest baryonic state in N = 1 supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lumbar puncture is a minimally invasive procedure that utilizes a spinal needle to puncture the lumbar epidural space to take a sample from the cerebrospinal fluid or inject drugs for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Physicians rely on their expertise to localize epidural space. Due to its critical procedure, the failure rate can reach up to 28%. Hence, a high level of experience and caution is required to correctly insert the needle without puncturing the dura mater, which is a fibrous layer protecting the spinal cord. Failure of spinal anesthesia is, in some cases, related to faulty needle placement techniques since it is blindly inserted. Therefore, advanced techniques for localization of the epidural space are essential to avoid any possible side effects. As for epidural space localization, various ideas were carried out over recent years to provide accurate identification of the epidural space. Subsequently, several methodologies based on mechanical and optical schemes have been proposed. Several research groups worked from different aspects of the problem, namely, the clinical and engineering sides. Hence, the main goal of this paper is to review this research with the aim of remedying the gap between the clinical side of the problem and the engineering side by examining the main techniques in building sensors for such purposes. This manuscript provides an understanding of the clinical needs of spinal needles from an anatomical point of view. Most importantly, it discusses the mechanical and optical approaches in designing and building sensors to guide spinal needles. Finally, the standards that must be followed in building smart spinal needles for approval procedures are also presented, along with some insight into future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product reliability is a crucial component of the industrial production process. Several statistical process control techniques have been successfully employed in industrial manufacturing processes to observe changes in reliability-related quality variables. These methods, however, are only applicable to single-stage processes. In reality, manufacturing processes consist of several stages, and the quality variable of the previous stages influences the quality of the present stage. This interdependence between the stages of a multistage process is an important characteristic that must be taken into account in process monitoring. In addition, sometimes datasets contain outliers and consequently, the analysis produces biased results. This study discusses the issue of monitoring reliability data with outliers. To this end, a proportional hazard model has been assumed to model the relationship between the significant quality variables of a two-stage dependent manufacturing process. Robust regression technique known as the M-estimation has been implemented to lessen the effect of outliers present in the dataset corresponding to reliability-related quality characteristics in the second stage of the process assuming Nadarajah and Haghighi distribution. The three monitoring approaches, namely, one lower-sided cumulative sum and two one-sided exponentially weighted moving average control charts have been designed to effectively monitor the two-stage dependent process. Using Monte Carlo simulations, the efficiency of the suggested monitoring schemes has been examined. Finally, two real-world examples of the proposed control approaches are provided in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional agrosystems, where humans, crops and microbes have coevolved over long periods, can serve as models to understand the ecoevolutionary determinants of disease dynamics and help the engineering of durably resistant agrosystems. Here, we investigated the genetic and phenotypic relationship between rice (Oryza sativa) landraces and their rice blast pathogen (Pyricularia oryzae) in the traditional Yuanyang terraces of flooded rice paddies in China, where rice landraces have been grown and bred over centuries without significant disease outbreaks. Analyses of genetic subdivision revealed that indica rice plants clustered according to landrace names. Three new diverse lineages of rice blast specific to the Yuanyang terraces coexisted with lineages previously detected at the worldwide scale. Population subdivision in the pathogen population did not mirror pattern of population subdivision in the host. Measuring the pathogenicity of rice blast isolates on landraces revealed generalist life history traits. Our results suggest that the implementation of disease control strategies based on the emergence or maintenance of a generalist lifestyle in pathogens may sustainably reduce the burden of disease in crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear transverse vibration of a micro‐size moving beam like structure under the influence of thermal conditions is studied. Hamilton principle is used to derive the nonlinear equation of motion. The derived equation of transverse motion is discretized using the Galerkin technique. The vibration attributes of the moving beam, such as frequencies of the transverse response, time response, and stability analysis, are investigated at different temperatures. For stability analysis, bifurcation diagrams are presented under the influence of temperature, length‐scale parameter, and excitation frequencies at various axial speeds of the beam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delineates the process through which a quantitative study in the context of Pakistan was adapted into emergent mixed methods research due to COVID-19-related complexities. The in-process data collection was halted abruptly as schools were closed and lockdowns were imposed across Pakistan in the early 2020s due to COVID-19. In response, the quantitative research design was adapted to adjust the research design by adding further research questions and introducing qualitative interviews. COVID-19 increased the complexity in the research context. We argue that mixed methods offer adaptive approaches in disruptive situations which help to deal with the complexities. The paper further suggests that disruption during research occurs in various forms and adaptive procedures should be described as part of the research rather than ignoring them. This article provides a practical example for researchers on using adaptive approaches to mixed methods in a developing country context where the possibilities of disruptions are more rampant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics and host defense systems is primarily due to bacterial biofilm formation in antibiotic therapy. In the present study, two complexes, bis (biphenyl acetate) bipyridine Cu (II) (1) and bis (biphenyl acetate) bipyridine Zn (II) (2), were tested for their ability to prevent biofilm formation. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of complexes 1 and 2 were 46.87 ± 1.822 and 93.75 ± 1.345 and 47.87 ± 1.345 and 94.85 ± 1.466 μg/mL, respectively. The significant activity of both complexes was attributed to the damage caused at the membrane level and was confirmed using an imaging technique. The biofilm inhibitory potential levels of complexes 1 and 2 were 95% and 71%, respectively, while the biofilm eradication potential levels were 95% and 35%, respectively, for both complexes. Both the complexes showed good interactions with the E. coli DNA. Thus, complexes 1 and 2 are good antibiofilm agents that exert their bactericidal actions possibly by disrupting the bacterial membrane and interacting with the bacterial DNA, which can act as a powerful agent to restrain the development of bacterial biofilm on therapeutic implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO), a colorless gaseous molecule, is a lipophilic free radical that easily diffuses through the plasma membrane. These characteristics make NO an ideal autocrine (i.e., within a single cell) and paracrine (i.e., between adjacent cells) signalling molecule. As a chemical messenger, NO plays a crucial role in plant growth, development, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Furthermore, NO interacts with reactive oxygen species, antioxidants, melatonin, and hydrogen sulfide. It regulates gene expression, modulates phytohormones, and contributes to plant growth and defense mechanisms. In plants, NO is mainly produced via redox pathways. However, nitric oxide synthase, a key enzyme in NO production, has been poorly understood recently in both model and crop plants. In this review, we discuss the pivotal role of NO in signalling and chemical interactions as well as its involvement in the mitigation of biotic and abiotic stress conditions. In the current review, we have discussed various aspects of NO including its biosynthesis, interaction with reactive oxygen species (ROS), melatonin (MEL), hydrogen sulfide, enzymes, phytohormones, and its role in normal and stressful conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the frequency of coronary artery ectasia in patients with MI in our population. Study Design: Descriptive, Cross Sectional study. Setting: Cardiac Catheterization Department of Ch. Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology, Multan. Period: 1st October 2019 to 31st March 2020. Material & Methods: A total of 191 patients with myocardial infarction of age 18-60 years of either gender undergoing coronary angiography were included. Patients with vulvular heart disease, cardiomyopthies, heart failure and CKD were excluded. Full demographic informations including name, age, gender and risk factors like diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN) and smoking were noted. The coronary angiographic films were reviewed and looked for presence or absence of coronary artery ectasia. Results: Mean age was 49.28 ± 9.64 years in our study. Out of the 191 patients, 85.86% were male and 14.14% were females with ratio of 6:1. The %age of vessel involvement in descending order was right coronary artery in 56.02%, left anterior descending artery in 25.13%, left circumflex artery in 13.10% and left main stem in 5.76% patients. Coronary artery ectasia was found in 62.83% patients. Conclusion: This study concluded that there is a high frequency of coronary artery ectasia (CAE) in myocardial infarction patients with positive association with older age, male gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, biomedical and dental researchers have started using micro-computed tomography (MCT) for research purposes. Due to a wide range of technological developments in various sources of X-ray and X-ray imaging techniques, the use of MCT in experimental studies has been improved. MCT systems allow researchers to analyze microstructures, differences in density, and morphological changes. This review article emphasizes on the recent advancements of MCT applied in endodontics. MCT applications in the analysis of root canal morphology, evaluation of biomechanical preparation, irrigation and intracanal medicament extrusion, restoration of root canal, and retreatment have been summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia, an oxygen-deprived condition of the tumor, is one of the major reasons for resistance to chemotherapy. Carbonic anhydrases are generally involved in pH homeostasis in normal conditions, but in solid tumors having a strong relation with hypoxia, the carbonic anhydrase IX (CA-IX) enzyme is overexpressed and results in an extracellular acidic environment. For most weakly basic anticancer drugs, including doxorubicin (Dox), the ionization in an acidic environment limits their cellular uptake, and consequently, the tumor exposure to the drug at sub-therapeutic concentration comes out as chemoresistance. Herein, a combined drug delivery system of liposomes and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) was developed for the co-delivery of the CA-IX enzyme inhibitor and Dox in hypoxic condition. The unique structure of MSNPs with higher surface area was utilized for higher drug loading and sustained release of Dox. Additionally, the biocompatible nature of liposomal coating as a second loading site for the CA-IX enzyme inhibitor has provided gatekeeping effects at pore opening to avoid premature drug release. Lipid coated MSNPs as a co-delivery system for Dox and the CA-IX inhibitor have synergistic cytotoxic effects against MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells in hypoxic conditions. These findings assure the potential of this drug delivery system to overcome hypoxia-related chemoresistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mango is a climacteric fruit and is prone to high perishability. The rapid softening and ripening (due to degradation and disassembly of cell wall polysaccharides) are the major limitations in extending the storability of the harvested mango fruits. Various types of gum-based edible coatings have been reported for the shelf life extension of mango fruits. Tragacanth gum (TCG) also has appropriate coating properties. Its use as an edible coating has been reported on certain fruits. However, the effect of TCG coating in the regulation of harvested mango fruits ripening and softening has not been reported yet. So, the objective of this work was to investigate the effect of TCG (control, 0.5 %, 1 % and 1.5 %) coating on postharvest softening and ripening of harvested mango fruits. TCG coating affected the ripening and softening of mango in a dose-dependent manner. Results exhibited that mango fruits coated with 1.5 % TCG showed substantially lower disease incidence and weight loss. The 1.5 % TCG-coated mangoes showed substantially lower ethylene biosynthesis and respiration rate peaks as well as superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide contents compared with the control. In the same way, 1.5 % TCG-coated mango fruits had markedly higher total chlorophyll content and lower L*, b* and a* along with substantially lower total carotenoids in peel tissues. Mango fruits coated with 1.5 % TCG exhibited markedly lower water-soluble pectin and higher chelate-soluble pectin, Na 2 CO 3 -soluble pectin, protopectin, cellulose and hemicellulose in flesh tissues compared with control. The activity of polygalacturonase (PG), cellulase (CX), pectin methylesterase (PME), β-galactosidase (β-Gal) and β-glucosidase (β-Glu) were significantly lower in flesh of 1.5 % TCG treated fruits along with substantially higher firmness in contrast with control. In addition, 1.5 % TCG coating treatment showed significantly higher activity of antioxidative enzymes and delayed the increase in soluble solids content (SSC) and ripening index (RI) along with considerably higher titratable acidity (TA) compared with the untreated control. So, pre-storage TCG based edible coating (1.5 %) could be applied to delay ripening and softening in mango fruit industry under postharvest ambient conditions. [Display omitted] • Tragacanth gum (TCG) impact was explored on softening and ripening of mango fruits. • TCG reduced disease incidence, mass loss, respiration rate and ethylene production. • TCG reduced carotenoids accumulation and delayed chlorophyll degradation in peel. • TCG reduced oxidative stress and inhibited polysaccharides disassembly in coated mango. • TCG exhibited higher antioxidant enzymes activity and showed conserved biochemical quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abiotic stresses lead to excessive crop yield losses and are a major threat to agriculture. It is essential to equip crops with multi-stress tolerance to mitigate the adverse effects of abiotic stressors and meet the demands of the increasing global population. The association between plants and symbiotic microorganisms is involved in key functions at the ecosystem and plant levels, and the application of microbial plant biostimulants (MPBs) is a sustainable strategy to augment plant growth and productivity, even under abiotic stress conditions. Several different microorganisms can be used as MPBs to enhance plant growth and produce progressive and reproducible effects on crops. In the present review, we assessed the current knowledge on the use of MPBs, discuss the diversity and characteristics of MPBs, and provide a meticulous assessment of the possible applications of MPBs in abiotic stress relief in crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To monitor time and magnitude, different types of control charts have been proposed in the literature. This article proposes a new maximum exponentially weighted moving average (Max-EWMA) control chart by assuming Weibull distribution. The test-statistic of the Max-EWMA chart consists of two EWMA statistics, where one statistic is used for monitoring magnitude while the other to monitor time interval between events. The performances of the proposed chart is assessed on the basis of run length characteristics like, average run length (ARL), standard deviation of the run length (SDRL), and quantiles of the run length distribution. Besides extensive simulation studies, real data sets are also considered to show the applications of the proposed chart. The results show that the proposed chart is efficient in detecting different size of small shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With advancements in the automotive industry, the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) has remarkably increased in recent years. However, the EV battery, which is a vital part of the EV, poses certain challenges that limit the performance of the EVs. The joining of dissimilar materials for different components affects the electrical and mechanical performances of EV batteries. Laser beam welding is a promising technique for joining Al and Cu for application in secondary battery fabrication because of the precise control over heat input and high process speed. However, the production of Al–Cu joints remains challenging because of the differences between their thermal and metallurgical properties and the resulting formation of brittle and hard intermetallic compounds, which reduce mechanical and electric properties. Thus, it is vital to characterize the weld to improve joint performance and enhance the laser welding process. This study investigates the joining of an Al alloy (AA1050) with Ni-coated Cu using a continuous-wave Yb fiber laser. The evaluation of the weld morphology showed a correlation between the weld characteristics and process parameters (laser power and welding speed). The weld interface width and penetration depth into the lower sheet (Cu) both increased with increasing heat input. Optical microscopy of the weld cross-section revealed many defects, such as voids and cracks. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was employed to examine the weld microstructure. The composition analysis revealed the presence of mixed morphology of Al–Cu eutectic alloy (α-Al+Θ-Al2Cu) phase in the form of dendrites in the weld fusion zone with traces of the highly brittle Al4Cu9 phase at a high heat input condition. Furthermore, the electrical contact resistance of the weld seam was measured to determine the correlation between heat input and resistance. In addition, Vickers microhardness measurements were performed on the weld cross-section to validate the SEM/EDS results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently among modern molecular tools, novel DNA barcode approach has gained significant importance for the accurate identification of animal species. However, still much remains unknown about the utility of DNA barcodes for plant species identification. To fill this research and knowledge gap, a study was designed to determine the efficacy of plant-based DNA barcodes for identification of spinach cultivars. In land plants, standard DNA barcode markers are Maturase K (matK) and RNA polymerase subunit beta' (rpoC1). Data for DNA barcoding of local spinach species were established based on matK and rpoC1 barcode using the modest taxonomic range. The results pertaining to the nucleotide sequence of matK markers from spinach exhibited maximum homology with sugar beet (Accession ID: HM850762) from Portugal, whereas rpoC1 sequence showed homology with two different plant species from China i.e., Spinach (Accession ID: AJ400848) and sugar beet (Accession id: EF534108). Our results demonstrate the promising potential of chloroplast marker genes as an effective and viable tool for species identification for spinach cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study analyzes the impact of trade openness, human capital, and institutional performance on economic growth in OIC countries. The traditional methodologies of panel data ignore the issues of cross‐sectional dependence (CD) and heterogeneity and give spurious results. A novel econometric technique "dynamic common correlated effects (DCCE)" is used to tackle these issues. The long‐run estimates indicate that trade openness, human capital, and public expenditure have a positive and significant association with economic growth for higher‐income and overall OIC countries. However, trade openness has a negative, and human capital has an insignificant correlation with economic growth in lower‐income OIC countries. Institutional performance is positively correlated with economic growth in all groups of OIC countries. The study tends to support the call for the continuation of trade openness and human capital formation policies for overall and higher‐income OIC countries to get benefits in the form of economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the manufacturing industry, process surveillance plays an important role in improving product reliability. Many monitoring procedures have been devised to improve the reliability of a product in the literature. Due to cascading nature of multistage processes, the quality variable of the final stage can be influenced by the quality variable in the previous stages. Furthermore, the ordinary least squares method produces biased estimates if there are outliers in the historical data. The existence of cascade property in the multistage process and the presence of influential observations (outliers) in the historical data make the analysis of control schemes more challenging. Therefore, it is essential to take into account the impact of effective covariates and outliers in the historical dataset. In this paper, a cumulative sum (CUSUM) and two exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) charts have been developed to monitor a two‐stage‐dependent process. The proportional hazard (PH) model has been applied to model the relationship among the incoming and outgoing variables of the two stage process. To deal with the deleterious effects of outliers on the results, a robust regression technique known as the M‐estimation has been implemented and the performance of the proposed monitoring procedures has been analyzed through Monte Carlo simulations. Lastly, two real‐life applications of the proposed control schemes are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding countrywide pathogen population structure and inter‐epidemic region spread is crucial for deciphering crop potential losses. Wheat stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici is a destructive disease that affects worldwide wheat production, widespread in China, representing largest epidemic region globally. This study aimed to understand the population structure and migration route of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici across China based on sampling from 15 provinces representing six epidemic zones, viz., over‐summering, over‐wintering, eastern, Yun‐Gui, Xinjiang and Tibet epidemic regions. High genotypic diversity was recorded in over‐summering, Tibet and over‐wintering epidemic regions. Epidemic regions partly explain population subdivision with variable divergence (FST = 0.005–0.344). Xinjiang and Tibet epidemic regions were independent epidemic zones with least sharing of genotypes. Among other epidemic zones, i.e. over‐summering, over‐wintering, eastern and Yun‐Gui epidemic zones, re‐sampling MLGs, clustering‐based structure, DAPC analyses, relative migration and low divergence (FST from 0.006 to 0.073) revealed frequent geneflow. Yun‐Gui epidemic regions, with a potential for both over‐summering and over‐wintering, could play an important role in causing epidemics in main wheat‐cultivating areas of China. High diversity, recombination signatures and inter‐epidemic region migration patterns need to be considered in host‐resistant cultivar development in China and neighbouring countries, considering risk of long‐distance migration capacity of pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin was discovered in plants in the late nineties, but its role, signaling, and crosstalk with other phytohormones remain unknown. Research on melatonin in plants has risen dramatically in recent years and the role of this putative plant hormone under biotic and abiotic stress conditions has been reported. In the present review, we discuss the main functions of melatonin in the growth and development of plants, its role under abiotic stresses, such as water stress (waterlogging and drought), extreme temperature (low and high), salinity, heavy metal, and light-induced stress. Similarly, we also discuss the role of melatonin under biotic stresses (antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal effects). Moreover, the present review meticulously discusses the crosstalk of melatonin with other phytohormones such as auxins, gibberellic acids, cytokinins, ethylene, and salicylic acid under normal and stressful conditions and reports melatonin receptors and signaling in plants. All these aspects of melatonin suggest that phytomelatonin is a key player in crop improvement and biotic and abiotic stress regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane desalination (MD) is preferred over other desalination techniques since it requires a lower temperature gradient. Its performance can be further enhanced by preheating the intake of saline water. In this context, a novel solar-assisted air gap membrane desalination (AGMD) system was hypothesized. The motivation was derived from the fact that the use of solar energy to provide power and a pre-heating source for the intake of saline water can offer a sustainable alternative that can further enhance the acceptance of MD systems. Since solar panels suffer from a loss of efficiency as they heat up during operation, a solar-assisted air gap membrane desalination (AGMD) system can help to improve the overall system performance by (1) providing the necessary pumping power to operate the system and (2) improving solar panel performance by exchanging heat using water that is (3) used to pre-heat the saline water necessary for increased performance of the AGMD system. To verify the hypothesis, a solar-assisted AGMD system for freshwater production was theoretically designed, fabricated locally, and then tested experimentally. The effect of the process operating parameters and the ambient conditions on the overall performance of the proposed solar-assisted AGMD desalination unit is presented in detail, both theoretically and experimentally. The results indicated a direct correlation between the permeate flux, saline hot feed temperature, and hot feed flow rate. In addition, an inverse relationship between the cold feed temperature, cold feed flow rate, and the air gap thickness of the module was also observed and reported, thus, validating the hypothesis that a solar-assisted air gap membrane desalination (AGMD) system can help to boost performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P), Zinc (Zn) and its application timing play a very important role in crop productivity. To study its effect on maize, an experiment was conducted at Fodder and Forage Crops Section Harichand, district Charsadda-Pakistan. Two levels of P (90 and 120 kg ha-1) and three levels of Zn (0 i.e., water spray only, 2.5 and 5 kg ha-1) were applied at three application stages (AS) i.e., full at vegetative stage V6 (AS1), full at reproductive stage R2 (AS2) and ½ at V6 and ½ at R2 stage (AS3) along with an overall control were used in the experiment. Randomized complete block design was used with three replications. Most of the studied parameters were significantly affected by P, Zn and AT. Least days to tasseling (54) and silking (55), leaf areaplant-1 (4180 cm2), leaf area index (2.8), plant height (255 cm) and days to harvest maturity (89 were significantly affected when120 kg P ha-1 was applied. Days to tasseling (53), days to silking (55), leaf areaplant-1 (4400 cm2), leaf area index (3.1), plant height (258.6 cm) and days to harvest maturity (89) were significantly affected in plots treated at the rate of 5 kg ha-1 with Zn. In case of application stages (AS), when Zn was applied 1/2 at vegetative and 1/2 at reproductive growth stages significantly enhanced the plant height (260.8 cm). It can be concluded from the study that increases in the rates of P and Zn improved majority of the studied parameters. Similarly, application of Zn, half at vegetative stage (V6) and half at reproductive stage (R2) improved significantly the phenological parameters of maize crop in the agro climatic condition of the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P), foliar zinc (Zn) and its time of application plays an important role in crop productivity. To study its effect on maize, field experiment was conducted at Fodder and Forage Crops Section Harichand-Charsadda, Pakistan. The field experiment was conducted on 7 July 2021. Two levels of P (90 and 120 kg ha-1) and three levels of Zn (0 i.e., water spray only, 2.5 and 5 kg ha-1) were applied at three growth stages, full at vegetative stage (V6), full at reproductive stage (R2) and ½ at V6 and ½ at R2 stage along-with an overall control were used in the experiment. Randomized complete block design was used with three replications. The studied parameters were significantly affected by P, Zn and AT. Ear length (17.8 cm), ear weight (115.8 g), grains ear-1 (390) and thousand grains weight (257 g) had significantly affected when 120 kg P ha-1 was applied. Similarly, ear length (18.4 cm), ear weight (129.6 g), grains ear-1 (407) and thousand grains weight (258.33 g) were significantly affected in plots treated at the rate of 5 kg ha-1 with Zn. In case of growth stages, Zn applied half at vegetative and half at reproductive stages significantly enhanced the ear length (18.2 cm), ear weight (127.4 g), grain ear-1(391) and thousand grains weight (255.5 g). It is concluded from the experiment that application of 120 kg P ha-1 significantly improved ear length, ear weight, grains per ear and thousand grain weight. In case of foliar application of 5 kg Zn ha-1 improved ear length, ear weight, grains per ear and thousand grain weight of cob. Similarly, in case of Zn application stages, ½ at vegetative and ½ reproductive stage will improve productivity of maize crop. Therefore, 120 kg P ha-1, 5 kg Zn ha-1 along with its application timing ½ at vegetative and ½ reproductive stage is recommended for the agro climatic conditions of Peshawar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P), foliar zinc (Zn) and its time of application plays an important role in crop productivity. To study its effect on maize, field experiment was conducted at Fodder and Forage Crops Section Harichand-Charsadda, Pakistan. The field experiment was conducted on 7 July 2021. Two levels of P (90 and 120 kg ha-1) and three levels of Zn (0 i.e., water spray only, 2.5 and 5 kg ha-1) were applied at three growth stages, full at vegetative stage (V6), full at reproductive stage (R2) and ½ at V6 and ½ at R2 stage along-with an overall control were used in the experiment. Randomized complete block design was used with three replications. The studied parameters were significantly affected by P, Zn and AT. Ear length (17.8 cm), ear weight (115.8 g), grains ear-1 (390) and thousand grains weight (257 g) had significantly affected when 120 kg P ha-1 was applied. Similarly, ear length (18.4 cm), ear weight (129.6 g), grains ear-1 (407) and thousand grains weight (258.33 g) were significantly affected in plots treated at the rate of 5 kg ha-1 with Zn. In case of growth stages, Zn applied half at vegetative and half at reproductive stages significantly enhanced the ear length (18.2 cm), ear weight (127.4 g), grain ear-1(391) and thousand grains weight (255.5 g). It is concluded from the experiment that application of 120 kg P ha-1 significantly improved ear length, ear weight, grains per ear and thousand grain weight. In case of foliar application of 5 kg Zn ha-1 improved ear length, ear weight, grains per ear and thousand grain weight of cob. Similarly, in case of Zn application stages, ½ at vegetative and ½ reproductive stage will improve productivity of maize crop. Therefore, 120 kg P ha-1, 5 kg Zn ha-1 along with its application timing ½ at vegetative and ½ reproductive stage is recommended for the agro climatic conditions of Peshawar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effect of Levo-Carnosine on biomarkers of oxidative stress and hepatocellular damage in cisplatin-treated rats. Study Design: Laboratory based experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Army Medical College, Rawalpindi Pakistan from Jul 2015 to Jun 2016. Methodology: This study was performed on ninety healthy male Sprague Dawley rats. Rats were separated into three groups (n=30 each), i.e., Group-I (control), Group-II (Cisplatin) and Group-III (Carnosine-Cisplatin combined) randomly. An Intraperitoneal injection of Cisplatin 2mg/kg body weight twice a week for one month was given to the rats of Group-II. In contrast, Group-III was administered a similar dose of Cisplatin as administered to Group-II plus intraperitoneal LevoCarnosine 10mg/kg body weight twice a week for one month. After blood sampling, rats were dissected, and liver tissue samples were obtained for quantitative analysis of total glutathione from liver tissue homogenate. Results: Levo-carnosine supplementation in Group-III showed a significant (p<0.001) decrease in mean serum MDA (4.0±0.30 μmol/L), ALT (52.3±4.3 IU/L) and AST (188.2±12.43 IU/L) levels as compared to Group-II (MDA 8.1±0.51 μmol/L, ALT 87.17±6.47 IU/L and AST 357.7±19.37 IU/L) whereas a significant (p<0.001) increase in plasma Albumin (3.9±0.46 g/100 ml) and Glutathione levels (3.86±0.44 μmol/L) in the liver homogenate as compared to Group-II (albumin 3.01±0.51 g/100 ml, glutathione 2.01±0.31 μmol/L). Conclusion: Levo-carnosine supplementation significantly attenuated Cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity by decreasing oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because leaks tend to form at joints or welds at the intersection of modular pipes, the occurrence of multiple leaks in a long pipeline is possible. In this study, a multiple-leak detection methodology using an acoustic method was adopted. A mathematical model based on using the transfer matrix method for calculating the sound transmission loss in a pipeline with multiple leaks is presented. It was found that one can clearly differentiate the transmission loss spectrum of multiple leaks from that of a single leak. It was also established that one can distinguish the transmission loss spectra of pipes having two or three concurrent leaks. The transmission loss curves further appear to provide useful indications on the level of leaking severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The source of the foreland basin sediments remain stable during the past 2 Ma. • The Lesser Himalayan and Higher Himalayan sources supplied sediments to the foreland basin. • Climate change controlled the weathering processes in the source region along the MPT. Tectonic uplift and climate change play a pivotal role in controlling silicate weathering in the source region. Being adjacent to the hinterland, the sediments of the Himalayan foreland basin (HFB) hold an excellent archive to elucidate weathering link with climate and uplift. In this study, we present geochemical records of major, trace and rare earth elements, clay mineral compositions as well as the environmental magnetic and stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of siliciclastic sediments of the HFB over the past 2.0 Ma. These records have been used to link silicate weathering with global climate change along the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT) period. The source rock compositions are characterized by selected elemental ratios, i.e., Cr/Th, Th/Sc, Th/Co and La/Sc as well as other geochemical proxies such as Al 2 O 3 /TiO 2 and TiO 2 /Zr, suggesting a felsic source rock composition. The enriched LREE pattern of Chondrite-normalised REE with a negative Europium anomaly also attributes to felsic source rock composition. All these inferences suggest that most of the studied sediments were derived from mixed sources of the Higher Himalayan rocks and the Lesser Himalayan crystalline regions. A declining trend in kaolinite/(illite + chlorite) ratios, decreasing values of geochemical weathering indices (such as Rb/Sr and CIA), a decrease in magnetic susceptibility and gradual depleted value of δ13C indicate a decrease in chemical weathering of the siliciclastic rocks in the source region, which is most probably associated with the global climate change from warm-humid to cold-dry condition along the MPT. This suggests that variation in silicate weathering in the Himalayan region are mainly controlled by global climate and monsoon conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control charts are used to detect assignable causes in different manufacturing and nonmanufacturing processes. This study presents a new maximum exponentially weighted moving average (Max-EWMA) chart for joint unit interval time and magnitude monitoring. To this end, beta distribution is considered for time whereas simplex distribution is used for magnitude. Average run length (ARL), standard deviation of run length (SDRL), and different quantiles are used to evaluate the performance of the Max-EWMA chart. A real data example is also included in the study to show the application of the proposed chart. The results provide evidences that the Max-EWMA chart is efficient in detecting small- to medium-sized shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examines the impact of trade openness, human capital, public expenditure and institutional performance on unemployment in various income groups of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries. Design/methodology/approach: Traditional panel data methodologies neglect the issue of cross-sectional dependence and provide ambiguous outcomes. A novel approach, "dynamic common correlated effects (DCCE)", is utilized in this study to tackle with aforementioned issue. Pooled mean group (PMG) estimation is also applied to verify the robustness of the findings. Findings: The long-run estimates show that trade openness has a significant and negative relationship with the unemployment rate in overall and lower-income OIC economies and a positive correlation with unemployment in higher-income OIC countries. Public expenditure is negatively and significantly correlated with unemployment in higher-income and overall OIC economies. Moreover, human capital reduces unemployment in higher-income and overall OIC countries while increases unemployment in lower-income OIC economies. Practical implications: The research tends to endorse the argument for continuous trade openness policy along with efficient use of public expenditure and improved institutional performance to reduce unemployment in OIC countries. Originality/value: The DCCE approach in this research considers heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence between cross-sectional units and thus gives robust outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan is currently facing the fourth wave of the deadly coronavirus, which was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. This work utilizes the epidemiological models to analyze Pakistan's COVID-19 data. The basic susceptible, infected, and recovered (SIR) model is studied assuming Bayesian and time-series SIR (tSIR) approaches. Many studies have been conducted from different perspectives, but to the best of our knowledge, no study is available using the SIR models for Pakistan. The coronavirus incubation period has been set to 14 days across the globe; however, this study noticed that the assumption of 14 days is not suitable for Pakistan's data. Furthermore, on the basis of R 0 , we infer that COVID-19 is not a pandemic in Pakistan, as it was in other nations, such as the United States, India, Brazil, and Italy, among others. We attribute this to the best strategy adopted by the Government of Pakistan to minimize the burden of COVID-19 cases in Pakistani hospitals. It is also noticed that the posterior-based SIR (pSIR) model with uniform prior to R 0 and Poisson distribution (of log-likelihood) provides better results as compared to other distributions. From time-series SIR (tSIR), we observed that the value of the reporting rate ρ is less than 1 which means that cases are underreported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present trace-element compositions and rare-earth elements (REEs) analyses of the Cambrian Series 2-Wuliuan (Miaolingian), Kunzam La Formation from the Sumna Valley, Spiti, Tethyan Himalaya, in order to identify the provenance, tectonic settings and depositional environment in the region. The trace elemental ratios (Th/Co, Th/Sc, La/Sc, Cr/Th) and REE patterns show compositions similar to the felsic composition, which are comparable with the upper continental crust, suggesting that the sediments in the Sumna Valley were derived from a felsic source that possibly lie in the felsic igneous province of the old Precambrian Indian craton. The elemental discrimination diagrams show deposition of the Sumna Valley rocks in a passive continental margin tectonic setting. The selected trace-element ratios such as V/Cr, Ni/Co, Th/U and V/V+Ni as well as positive Ce and negative Eu anomalies indicate oxidising conditions prevailed during the deposition of the Cambrian Series 2-Wuliuan (Miaolingian) rocks. The concentration of Y and Rb trace elements indicates continental sediments depositional site was proximal and close to near-shore environment. Finally, the low REE+Y and selected trace elements (La, Th, Sc, Ni, Cr, V, U, Rb, Zn, Y) concentration indicate a major transgressive event at the boundary of the Cambrian Series 2-Wuliuan (Miaolingian) associated with the Oryctocephalus indicus biozone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]