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Abstract Low oxygen stress (hypoxia) induced by submergence significantly impairs respiration in fruit trees, leading to reduced yield and, in extreme cases, tree mortality. While extensive research has focused on the root responses of peach trees to waterlogging, the mechanisms underlying leaf responses to complete submergence remain poorly understood. In this study, both transcriptomic and metabolic approaches were employed to explore the differential submergence tolerance between two peach cultivars: 'Dongxi Xiaoxian' (DX), which exhibits tolerance, and 'Hujing Milu' (HM), which is sensitive. Compared to HM, DX leaves experienced less decline in leaf verdancy, chlorophyll, and carotenoid content under submergence. DX leaves also showed enhanced antioxidant activities of ROS scavengers and reduced levels of H2O2 and MDA, correlating with improved tolerance. Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant alterations in the expression of genes involved in photosynthesis, glycan biosynthesis, and α-linolenic acid metabolism between the two cultivars. Key metabolites, including sugars (sorbitol and sucrose), amino acids (phenylalanine and L-norvaline), cell wall polysaccharides (lignin and pectin), and plant hormones (jasmonic acid and salicylic acid), were identified as critical for DX's superior submergence tolerance. These findings elucidate the mechanisms of peach leaf tolerance to submergence, providing insights into potential strategies for genetic improvement aimed at enhancing hypoxia resistance in fruit trees.

Each year, a significant amount of waste is produced from carbon fiber polymer composites at the end of its lifecycle due to extensive use across various applications. Utilizing regenerative carbon fiber as a feedstock material offers a promising and sustainable approach to additive manufacturing based on materials. This study proposes the additive manufacturing of recycled carbon fiber with a polyamide-12 polymer composite. Filaments of recycled carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide-12 (rCF-PA12) with different recycled carbon fiber contents (0%, 10%, and 15% by weight) in the polyamide-12 matrix are developed. These filaments are utilized for 3D printing of specimens by using various infill density parameters (80% and 100%) on a fused deposition modeling 3D printer. The study examined how the fiber content and infill densities influenced the flexural performance of the printed specimens. Notably, the part containing 15 wt% recycled carbon fiber (rCF) composites showed a significant improvement in flexural performance due to enhanced interface bonding and effective fiber alignment. The results indicated that reinforcing the printed part with 10% and 15 wt% recycled carbon fiber (rCF) improved the flexural properties by 49.86% and 91.75%, respectively, compared to the unreinforced printed part under the same infill density and printing parameters. The investigation demonstrates that the additive manufacturing-based technique presents a potential approach to use carbon fiber-reinforced polymers waste and manufacture high-performance engineering, economic, and environmentally friendly industrial applications with the complicated design using different polymer matrices.

This work investigated the photochemical degradation of malachite green (MG), a cationic triphenylmethane dye used as a coloring agent, fungicide, and antiseptic. UV photolysis was ineffective in the removal of MG as only 12.35% degradation of MG (10 mg/L) was achieved after 60 min of irradiation. In contrast, 100.00% degradation of MG (10 mg/L) was observed after 60 min of irradiation in the presence of 10 mM H2O2 by UV/H2O2 at pH 6.0. Similarly, complete removal (100.00%) of MG was observed at 30 min of the reaction time by UV/H2O2/Fe2+ employing [MG]0 = 10 mg/L, [H2O2]0 = 10 mM, [Fe2+]0 = 2.5 mg/L, and [pH]0 = 3.0. For the UV/H2O2 process, the degradation efficiency was higher at pH 6.0 than at pH 3.0 as the kobs values were 0.0873 and 0.0690 min−1, respectively. However, UV/H2O2/Fe2+ showed higher reactivity at pH 3.0 than at pH 6.0. Chloride and nitrate ions slightly inhibited the removal efficiency of MG by both UV/H2O2 and UV/H2O2/Fe2+ processes. Moreover, three degradation products (DPs) of MG, (i) 4-dimethylamino-benzophenone (DABP), (ii) 4-amino-benzophenone (ABP), and (iii) 4-dimethylamino-phenol (DAP), were identified by GC-MS during the UV/H2O2 treatment. These DPs were found to demonstrate higher aquatic toxicity than the parent MG, suggesting that researchers should focus on the removal of target pollutants as well as their DPs. Nevertheless, the results of this study indicate that both UV/H2O2 and UV/H2O2/Fe2+ processes could be implemented to alleviate the harmful environmental impacts of dye and textile industries.

The rapid increase in the application of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites in the fabrication and development of modern industrial products is attributed to their lightweight nature, excellent mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance, among other factors. Additive manufacturing of recycled carbon fiber (rCF), which has garnered significant attention in recent years owing to the massive potential waste obtained from carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPC) and the manufacturing of rCF after the surface treatment produced the parts with excellent properties comparable to virgin carbon fiber (vCF). Additive manufacturing of rCF obtained after recycling has received much interest over the past few years because of the massive potential waste of the carbon fiber and the excellent properties after the surface treatment of the rCF. This research examines additive manufacturing of the rCF, surface treatment for enhancing the properties of the printed specimens, the potential waste of the carbon fiber obtained from the different sectors, and applications of reclaimed carbon fiber composites in manufacturing various products. Specifically, the mechanical characteristics of the printed specimens using rCF and the different percentages of the rCF reinforcement in the other polymer's matrix composites are discussed. This work demonstrates that an additive manufacturing-based recycling approach can recycle carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (rCFRPC) waste and create high-performance engineering parts with complicated geometries that are both cost-effective and environmentally acceptable. This review also defines the significant challenges and outlook for future developments in manufacturing of rCFRPC.

The introduction of dwarfing genes triggered a wave of “green revolution”. A number of wheats dwarfing genes have been reported in previous studies, and only a small fraction of these have been applied to production practices. Therefore, the development of novel dwarfing genes for wheat is of great value. In this study, a novel dwarfing site, Rht-yz, identified in the Yanzhan mutation, is located on chromosome 4B (30-33MB) and its mechanism of action is different from that of Rht-B1b (C-T mutation), but whether it affects the Rht-B1a (TraesCS4B02G043100) or other genes is unclear. Exogenously applied GA3 experiments showed that Rht-yz is one of the gibberellin-insensitive dwarf genes. The effects of the dwarf gene Rht-yz on agronomic traits in wheat were evaluated in the field using Yanzhan, Yanzhan mutations, F2:3 and F3:4 lines. The results showed that Rht-yz improved lodging resistance by reducing plant height, increasing diameter, wall thickness and mechanical strength of the basal stem. In terms of yield traits, Rht-yz had negative effects on tiller number plant-1, biomass plant-1 and yield plant-1, but had no significant effect on harvest index, 1000-kernel weight and spike traits. In addition, Rht-yz significantly increased crude protein, wet gluten and starch content. Therefore, the rational use of the new dwarfing site Rht-yz has potential and value in dwarf wheat breeding.

The United Nation's adaptation of the 2030 sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda has swung the attention toward sustainability. However, in achieving SDGs, this study investigates the nexus between agricultural productivity, renewable energy, ICT, human capital, CO2 emissions, and natural resources in a panel of ten European Union (EU) countries from 1996 to 2019. Our study uses the panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model of the Pool Mean Group (PMG) to estimate the long-run and short-run effects and heterogeneous causality approach. The empirical results ratify that a 1 % upsurge in the coefficient of renewable energy, ICT, and human capital increases agricultural productivity by 0.174 %, 0.030 %, and 2.158 % in the long run. Whereas, CO2 emission and natural resources decrease agricultural productivity. Finally, various causality exists among variables for EU countries. Our empirical results for the EU countries are notionally reliable and offer important policy implications accordingly.

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRPC) are commonly used in various applications like sports, aviation, transportation, and the building sector. In particular, CFRPC preparations (intermediate products) are employed in CFRPC manufacturing, with much waste being generated through fabrications procedures and after its life cycle. Recovering of the carbon fiber from the waste of the CFRPC is a serious challenge for the renewable energy division. This paper describes an advances in the different recycling techniques of the recycled carbon fiber from the carbon fiber polymer composites and re-manufacturing of the recovered carbon fiber from the recycling technique into three-dimensional printed composite products. Physical and mechanical properties of the recovered carbon fiber printed using the different polymers matrix materials have been discussed. The aim of this paper also includes present problems and developments in the disposal and reuse of fiber-reinforced composites. Overall, the research presented in this paper gives valuable insights into the recycling techniques of carbon fiber and remanufacturing of the recovered carbon fiber for society's long-term development. After a thorough review of the available literature, study gaps are identified in order to determine future paths in this work.

Waterbody extraction in the high-elevated region of the Tibetan Plateau from remote sensing imagery is an efficient way to investigate and monitor water resources. The intrusion of shadows, snow/ice, and other impediments are still unconvincing in cryospheric regions. Landsat 8 OLI images were used to extract water bodies by applying various spectral indices such as; Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), Automated Water Extraction Index (AWEI_sh), New Water Index (NWI), Water Ratio Index (WRI), and LST based Water Extraction Index (LBWEI). The result showed that the LBWEI index has high accuracy in all weather conditions from 93.66% to 97.63% and improved consistency around 3% to 7% as compared to other techniques. The study suggests the LBWEI technique may be used in the cryospheric region for quick evaluation and provide the baseline information for researchers in algorithm developments.

Argasid ticks have the vectorial potential for transmitting disease-causing pathogens to avian hosts, resulting in economic losses that may not be fully estimated. Borrelia species are the responsible agents of borreliosis in poultry, animals and humans. Our previous studies have reported a high prevalence of Argas persicus infesting domestic fowls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. However, molecular screening and genetic characterization of Borrelia spp. in A. persicus have been neglected in Pakistan. In this study, we focused on the molecular epidemiology and genetic characterization of Borrelia spp. associated with A. persicus ticks infesting domestic fowls and ducks, and Carios vespertilionis infesting bats in selected districts of KP. Overall, 1818 ticks, including females (415; 23%), males (345; 19%), nymphs (475; 26%) and larvae (583; 32%), were collected from 27 locations in nine districts (Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Chitral, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Bajaur and Hangu) from domestic fowls, ducks and their shelters, and bats. A subset of 197 ticks was selected for DNA extraction and PCR to amplify fragments of the cytochrome c oxidase (cox) gene for ticks and flagellin B (flaB) for the detection and genetic characterization of associated Borrelia spp. Among these, only Borrelia anserina DNA was detected in 40 ticks (27.2%) of different life stages, where highest prevalence was found in female ticks (18; 45%), followed by nymphs (12; 30%), larvae (7; 17.5%) and males (3; 7.5%). Tick infestation in shelters (1081; 77%) was higher than on hosts (323; 23%). The resultant cox amplicons of A. persicus showed 100% identity with the same species reported from Pakistan, China, Iran, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Egypt and C. vespertilionis show 100% identity with the species reported from Pakistan, China, Japan, Kenya, Vietnam, Spain, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Hungry, and clustered with the aforementioned species in the phylogenetic tree. The obtained Borrelia sequences showed 100% identity with B. anserina and revealed a close resemblance to the relapsing fever group and clustered in a monophyletic clade with B. anserina from India, Iran and Brazil in a phylogenetic tree. These results establish the first molecular characterization of B. anserina in A. persicus infesting domestic fowls and ducks in the region, as well as their shelters. To effectively control zoonotic consequences, country-wide surveillance research should be encouraged to screen soft ticks infesting various birds for associated pathogens.

This century is undergoing a wave of knowledge and inventions making use of exceptional properties of nanofluids (NFs) in applications such as manufacturing and process heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems, solar energy, heat pipes, electrical cooling systems and many others. Research investigations about NFs are on the increase due to growing attention and demand for NFs as heat transfer fluids. This can be observed from the number of articles published. To endorse the field further, the objective of this study is threefold. First, it presents the literature that specifies the preparation of NFs which are developed by the suspending of solid nanoparticles (NPs) in conventional working liquids. Secondly, it offers contemporary research on thermophysical features results of NFs. In this review, which primarily emphasizes research carried out in the last couple of decades, experimental inquiries from the latest developments of NFs applications and performance as a heat transfer system are summarized. Moreover, heat transfer mechanisms, challenges and impeding trends associated with NFs regarding heat transfer improvement are deliberated; which must motivate additional exploration.This analysis also deliberates numerous dynamics affecting the thermophysical features; comprising of synthesis techniques, the stability of NFs, various base fluids, type, size, shape, surface modification and volume fraction of nanoparticles (NPs). Though, there are inconsistent findings have been observed in the literature on the effect of factors on the thermophysical traits of NFs. The study also discovers that appropriate characterization of NFs may result in superior heat transfer fluids compared to conventional base fluids. Nevertheless, more extreme exploration is required towards the suitable selection of NPs, their synthesis, characterization and long-term stability of NF is essential to exploit their full potential along with the application of these innovative fluids on commercial levels. The stability of NFs is likewise a fundamental feature of their sustainability and effectiveness. Both academia and professionals in the industry possibly will find this review valuable, as it summarizes significant outlines of research in the field.

Cognition is of paramount importance in modern communication systems for this brings the potential for adaptiveness and self-fine-tuning for dynamic reconfigurability. To achieve this feat, two primary tasks are to identify the influential configurable parameters and availability of comprehensive datasets representative of the real-world scenarios rather than simulated ones. For this article, an extensive dataset covering diverse settings of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) driven internet of things (IoT) is collected. It covers broad variations of 10 pre-configured communication parameters as well as some runtime information. In addition to legacy parameters (e.g., transmission power, and packet size, etc.), we also used two different medium access control protocols (i.e., carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) and time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH)), and routing metrics (i.e., objective function 0 (OF0), minimum rank with hysteresis (MRH), MRH with expected transmission count (ETX2)). Important quality of service (QoS) metrics like packet delivery ratio, throughput, and energy consumption against all combinations of the communication parameters are measured and recorded. A statistical analysis is carried out to identify the correlations among the communication parameters and QoS metrics. The results lay the foundation for the design of a data-driven framework for predictive QoS control in the IoT.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is an infection affecting the endocardial lining and contributed to socioeconomic burden due to prolonged admission, invasive procedure, and expensive treatment. The high prevalence of intravenous drug user intravenous drug user (IVDU) shifts the paradigm of the disease, and thus, we aim to determine the clinical characteristics, outcome, and inhospital mortality of IE among IVDU patients. Materials and Methodology: This is a retrospective cohort by analyzing case records for IVDU patients admitted to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan diagnosed with IE from January 2014 until June 2017. Results: A total of 32 patients were included, with a median age of 35 years old (standard deviation: 6.5). Only 56.3% presented with fever, whereas most of them complained of nonspecific symptoms such as reduced exercise tolerance (59.4%) and weight loss (56.3%). Seventy-five percent had concomitant hepatitis C, but only 6.3% of them were HIV positive. Valvular heart disease accounted for 46.9%, while chronic rheumatic heart diseases and previous IE infection accounted for 28.1% and 18.8%, respectively. For microbiological characteristics, Staphylococcus aureus accounted for 62.5%, followed by streptococci (15.4%) and others (2%). The most common valve affected in IVDU was tricuspid valve (62.5%), followed by mitral valve (21.9%) and pulmonary valve (9.4%). Furthermore, mortality was reported at 25%, while severe valvular complications (62.5%) were observed with elevated episodes of emboli (62.5%) and cardiogenic shock (40.6%). Conclusion: Hence, IVDU is an essential predictive factor and is associated with various severe complications and thus warranted for aggressive preventive measurement to reduce the morbidity.

Nietzsche’s idea of ‘will to power’ is one of the most influential concepts of history of philosophy that emerges out as a result of his criticism of certain knowledge and tradition morality. The rejection of certain knowledge and traditional morality lead Nietzsche to regard human interest and ‘supremacy’ as most prior. Nietzsche conceives ‘will to power’ as act of ‘free spirit’. He believes that ‘will to power’ being act of ‘free spirit’ is an inner potential by virtue of which men overcome their false beliefs which are barriers in human projection and authenticity of self. Santayana argues that ‘will to power’ is a mistaken concept. He believes that ‘life’ is not necessarily assertion of power to get supremacy over others. He raises an objection that the idea of ‘will to power’ ultimately leads to admiration of ‘egotism’ that takes superiority of human for granted and creates disharmony between human and reality. Santayana links Nietzsche’s thought to German philosophical tradition that pursues ‘free spirit’ and authenticity of self but embraces egotism. For Santayana, one can pursue authenticity of self through his wisdom and creativeness like Greek who had been supporter of ‘free spirit’ but always had harmony with reality. This paper aims to explore Santayana’s question that inquires how authenticity of self can be achieved without egotistic implication. I will revisit the notion of authenticity of self by giving an analysis of Nietzsche’s theory of ‘will to power’ and Santayana’s critique of this theory.

Excretion of heavy metals especially mercury (Hg2+) from the industries into the environment becomes a major global problem. In this context, mercury is a highly dangerous metal which poses serious impact on human health. In the present study, acridine- (ACR-) based silver nanoparticles (ACR-AgNPs) were prepared and employed as a nanosensor for effective detection and quantification of Hg2+ in tap water. Conjugation between ACR-based coating agent and silver was examined by UV-visible and FT-IR spectroscopy, while morphology and particle size were determined through atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, sensing behavior of nanosensor for metal ions was evaluated by mixing different metals such as Mn2+, Ni2+, Ba2+, Mg2+, Cr3+, Pb2+, Pd2+, Al3+, Sn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Fe3+, Cd2+, and Hg2+with ACR-AgNPs. Among all the added metal ions, only Hg2+resulted in significant quenching in the absorption intensity of ACR-AgNPs. The limit of detection of the ACR-AgNP-based nanosensor was found to be 1.65 μM in a wide pH range (1-14). The proposed mercury sensor worked efficiently in the presence of other interfering agents such as other metal ions. Therefore, the synthesized ACR-AgNPs have proved to be an efficient and robust nanosensor for quantitative detection of Hg2+ in real sample analysis such as tap water. The proposed method does not require expensive instrumentation and trained manpower.

ABSTRACT: Globally, all environmental sectors are threatened by climate change, most especially to the food and agriculture sectors. Pakistan is a developing country that is most vulnerable to extreme and harsh climatic conditions, especially in Southeast Asia. Climate change has often adverse effects on Pakistan because it is often affected by severe weather conditions. Although, some studies have reported on farmers’ perceptiveness regarding climate change adaptation and mitigation, there is still insufficient awareness among Pakistanis’ farmers. Key knowledge is very important for farmers to overcome the harsh climatic conditions for harvesting and saving crops. To bridge this gap, this research discovered the awareness level of climate change, weather conditions, and related factors among Pakistani farmers. Through a stratified random sampling technique, 500 structured questionnaires were distributed among the farmers in four districts of Punjab Pakistan for study analysis. The probit model was used to analyze the farmer’s perception regarding climate change, socio-demographic and economic variables. The findings of this research showed that 75% of farmers are aware of climate change. Perception of climate change between farmers was directly associated with agriculture experience, farmers’ age, land ownership status, level of education, information sources, and access to extension. Also, our research showed that farmers’ assessment of adaptive behavior showed that farmers are actively implementing crop diversification, irrigation, and other adaptation strategies. Results of this study will help government agencies and policymakers in Pakistan and other regions to develop sustainable adaptation measures in the framework of climate change.

The pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) is an important accessory fruit in which the pear core is tarter than the pear pulp. However, the reason for the acidic core and diversity in the taste of the same fruit is not clear. In this study, we observed that the citrate contents were three times higher in the core than in the pulp, while the malate content decreased along with fruit development and was significantly lower in the core than in the pulp at 110 days after flowering. Overall transcript levels for citrate-malate synthesis-related genes increased more in the pear core than the pulp at early fruit development, while degradation-related genes activity was nearly similar or non-significant between the core and pulp during fruit development. The lesser malate accumulation in the pear core compared to the pulp at 110 DAF was possibly due to the reduced activity of tDT2 gene. Regarding citrate accumulation, we identified five important p-type H+-ATPase genes in pear and found that the relative expression level of the PH8.1 gene was four-fold higher in the core than in the pulp during fruit development. Moreover, the expression level of di-carboxylate carrier gene 2 (DIC2) was constantly and significantly higher in the core than in the pulp. In addition, correlation analysis signified that the transcript levels of the two genes PH8.1 and DIC2 positively and significantly correlated with the citrate contents. These results suggested that the increased and collaborative activity of PH8.1 and DIC2 played a key role in the higher citrate accumulation in the core than the pulp, thus, with the help of molecular breeding tools, the citrate contents can be optimized in pear fruit for divers and improved fruit flavoring.

The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) requires to accommodate diverse applications with stringent performance requirements. Delay is one of the key metrics in the IoT, particularly, for domains, such as health care, where critical cases requiring an emergency response frequently occur. In this paper, we analyze the performance data generated using the IEEE 802.15.4 standard to derive an accurate predictive model for delay-sensitive applications. A deep neural network (DNN) is adopted to model the relationship between diverse communication parameters (e.g., queue size, application traffic rate, and transmission power) and delay. Evaluation reveals that the DNN model achieves a prediction accuracy of over 98% and outperforms other popular regression models. In addition, a fine-grained analysis of the size of training data, depth (number of layers), width (number of neurons per layer), and epochs (number of iterations) is carried out in an attempt to achieve best possible prediction results with minimally complex DNN. The statistics show that the derived model achieves a comparable accuracy even when trained with a small fraction (≥10%) of data. The proposed model recommends the values for different controllable communication parameters to the transmitter that can be fine-tuned considering the desired delay bounds.

Vicilin has nutraceutical potential and different noteworthy medicative health-promoting biotic diversions, and it is remarkable against pathogenic microorganisms and insects. In this study, Vigna aconitifolia vicilin (VacV) has been identified and characterized from the seed of Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal (Moth beans). LC-MS/MS analysis of VacV provided seven random fragmented sequences comprising 238 residues, showing significant homology with already reported Vigna radiata vicilin (VraV). VacV was purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation (60%) followed by size exclusion chromatography on Hi-Load 16/60 Superdex 200 pg column and anion-exchange chromatography (Hi trap Q FF column). Purified VacV showed a major ~50 kDa band and multiple lower bands on 12% sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) under both reduced and non-reduced conditions. After all, a three-dimensional molecular structure of VacV was predicted, which showed β-sheeted molecular conformation similar to crystallographic structure of VraV. All Vicilins from V. aconitifolia and other plants were divided into six sub-groups by phylogenetic analysis, and VacV shared a high degree of similarity with vicilins of Vigna radiata, Pisum sativum, Lupinus albus, Cicer arietinum and Glycine max. Additionally, VacV (20 μg) has significant growth inhibition against different pathogenic bacteria along strong antifungal activity (50 μg). Likewise, VacV (3.0 mg) produced significant growth reduction in Rice Weevil Sitophilus oryzae larvae after 9 days compared with control. Furthermore, by using MMT assay, the cytotoxicity effect of VacV on the growth of HepG2 liver cancerous cells was tested. VacV showed cytotoxicity against the HepG-2 line and the acquired value was 180 µg after 48 h. Finally, we performed molecular docking against caspase-3 protein (PDB ID: 3DEI) for VacV bioactive receptor interface residues. Hence, our results reveal that VacV, has nutraceutical potential and moth beans can be used as a rich resource of functional foods.

Although ticks prevalent in various agro-systems of Pakistan are associated with economic losses, information is still missing about the tick’s diversity, hosts they infest, seasonal dynamics and molecular phylogeny of Rhipicephalus microplus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Pakistan. This study for the first time enlisted ticks infesting diverse hosts including humans in various regions of KP. A total of 8,641 ticks were collected across the northern, southern and central regions of KP and were morpho-taxonomically categorized into six genera comprising 17 species, R. microplus (n = 3,584, 42%), Hyalomma anatolicum (n = 2,253, 27%), Argas persicus (n = 1,342, 16%), Hya. impeltatum (n = 586, 7%), R. turanicus (n = 161, 2%), R. haemaphysaloides (n = 142, 2%), R. annulatus (n = 132, 2%), Hae. montgomeryi (n = 123, 1.4%), Hya. marginatum (n = 110, 1.3%), R. sanguineus (n = 34, 0.4%), and Hae. longicornis (n = 31, 0.4%). Ticks infesting wild animals included Amblyomma gervaisi, Amb. exornatum, Amb. latum, Dermacentor marginatus, and Hae. indica, while ticks collected from humans included R. microplus, R. annulatus, Hya. anatolicum, Hya. marginatum, and Hae. punctata. The overall prevalence of ticks infesting domestic animals was 69.4% (536/772). Among animal hosts, cattle were found highly infested (87.2%, 157/180) followed by buffalos (79%, 91/114), domestic fowls (74.7%, 112/150), goats (68.3%, 82/120), dogs (66.7%, 32/48), horses (61.3%, 49/80), and sheep (16.3%, 13/80). Analysis revealed that the tick burden significantly differed among domestic animals and was found to be high in cattle, followed by buffalos, goats, sheep, domestic fowl, dogs, and horses. Seasonal patterns of ticks distribution showed highest prevalance in July, August, and September due to the prevailing high temperature and humidity during these months. The phylogenetic analysis of cattle tick R. microplus based on partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COX1), 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequences, revealed that R. microplus prevalent in this region belongs to clade C which include ticks originating from Bangladesh, Malaysia, and India. Further large scale studies across the country are necessary to explore the molecular and cross breeding aspects at the geographical overlapping of various tick species and their associated pathogens to facilitate designing control strategies as well as awareness against tick infestation in the region.

The fourth industrial revolution is the transformation of industrial manufacturing into smart manufacturing. The advancement of digital technologies that make the trend Industry 4.0 are considered as the transforming force that will enable this transformation. However, Industry 4.0 digital technologies need to be connected, integrated and used effectively to create value and to provide insightful information for data driven manufacturing. Smart manufacturing is a journey and requires a roadmap to guide manufacturing organizations for its adoption. The objective of this paper is to review different methodologies and strategies for smart manufacturing implementation to propose a simple and a holistic roadmap that will support the transition into smart factories and achieve resilience, flexibility and sustainability. A comprehensive review of academic and industrial literature was preformed based on multiple stage approach and chosen criteria to establish existing knowledge in the field and to evaluate latest trends and ideas of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing technologies, techniques and applications in the manufacturing industry. These criteria are sub-grouped to fit within various stages of the proposed roadmap and attempts to bridge the gap between academia and industry and contributes to a new knowledge in the literature. This paper presents a conceptual approach based on six stages. In each stage, key enabling technologies and strategies are introduced, the common challenges, implementation tips and case studies of industrial applications are discussed to potentially assist in a successful adoption. The significance of the proposed roadmap serve as a strategic practical tool for rapid adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies for smart manufacturing and to bridge the gap between the advanced technologies and their application in manufacturing industry, especially for SMEs.

With the inception of high voltage (HV), requisites on the insulating permanence of HV equipment is becoming increasingly crucial. Mineral/synthetic oil liquid insulation—together with solid insulation materials (paper, pressboard)—is the fundamental insulation constituent in HV apparatuses; their insulation attributes perform a substantial part in a reliable and steady performance. Meanwhile, implications on the environment, scarcity of petroleum oil supplies and discarding complications with waste oil have stimulated investigators to steer their attention towards sustainable, renewable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly insulating substances. The contemporary insulating constituent’s evolution is driven by numerous dynamics—in particular, environmental obligations and other security and economic issues. Consequently, HV equipment manufacturers must address novel specifications concerning to these new standards. Renewable, sustainable and environmentally friendly insulating materials are continuously substituting conventional insulating items in the market place. These are favorable to traditional insulating materials, due to their superior functionality. The also offer explicit security and eco-friendly advantages. This article discusses cutting-edge technology of environmentally friendly insulating materials, including their fabrication, processing and characterization. The new renewable, insulating systems used in HV equipment are submitted and their fundamental gains stated in comparison with conventional insulating materials. Several experimental efforts carried out in various parts of the world are presented, offering an outline of the existing research conducted on renewable insulating systems. The significance of this article lies in summarizing prior investigations, classifying research essence, inducements and predicting forthcoming research trends. Furthermore, opportunities and constraints being experienced in the field of exploration are evidently reported. Last but not least, imminent research proposals and applications are recommended.

In the title compound, C10H9NS, the C—S—C bond angle is 99.41 (9)° and the dihedral angle between the trans-alkene fragment and the benzene ring is 16.49 (19)°. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of extremely weak C—H...N interactions occur, as does a short S...N contact [3.2258 (19) Å].

The long-term anticipation of electricity supply (ELS) and demand has supposed substantial prominence in the elementary investigation to offer sustainable resolutions to electricity matters. In this editorial, an outline of the organization of the electricity segment of Pakistan and analysis of historical supply and demand statistics, an up-to-date position of the contrary set of energy plans is presented. The intention of this analysis is to explore the Granger causality relationship between electricity supply and economic growth (EG) by using a multivariate context with time series statistics covering 1990 to 2015 in Pakistan. Augmented dickey-fuller (ADF) and Philips-Perron (PP) unit root tests indicate that variables are non-stationary and integrated in a similar order (1). Our findings also reveal that variables economic growths (GDP), electricity supply (ELS), investment (INV), and export (EX) are co-integrated. The study also finds the Granger causality runs from EG to ELS deprived of any feedback effect. Therefore, the policy implications from our findings indicate that electricity preservation strategies may be implemented without any economic adverse impacts.

Small-to-medium scale smart buildings are an important part of the Internet of Things (IoT). Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are the major enabler for smart control in such environments. Reliability is among the key performance requirements for many loss-sensitive IoT and WSN applications, while Energy Consumption (EC) remains a primary concern in WSN design. Error-prone links, traffic intense applications, and limited physical resources make it challenging to meet these service goals—not only that these performance metrics often conflict with one another, but also require solving optimization problems, which are intrinsically NP-hard. Correctly forecasting Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) and EC can play a significant role in different loss-sensitive application environments. With the ever-increasing availability of performance data, data-driven techniques are becoming popular in such settings. It is observed that a number of communication parameters like transmission power, packet size, etc., influence metrics like PDR and EC in diverse ways. In this work, different regression models including linear, gradient boosting, random forest, and deep learning are used for the purpose of predicting both PDR and EC based on such communication parameters. To evaluate the performance, a public dataset of the IEEE 802.15.4 network, containing measurements against more than 48,000 combinations of parameter configurations, is used. Results are evaluated using root mean square error and it turns out that deep learning achieves up to 98% accuracy for both PDR and EC predictions. These prediction results can help configure communication parameters taking into account the performance goals.

Background: To study the surgical management outcome of Hidradenitis suppurativa Methods: In this descriptive study, patients presenting with Hidradenitis suppurativa were analyzed with reference to presentation and surgical management outcome. Results: Out of 31 patients 3 (09.67%) patients were male and 28 (90.32%) were female. Mean duration of onset of disease and presentation was 15 months. Axilla was the commonest site involved(74.19%) followed by inframammary fold (19.35%). Nine (29.03%) patients presented in the emergency in the form of single or multiple abscess requiring incision & drainage. Excision and primary skin grafting was the most frequent surgical procedure performed in 54.83% with acceptable outcome. Conclusion: Hidradenitis suppurativa needs individualized patient based management strategy with close collaboration of surgeon and dermatologist

Background: To determine the prevalence and management outcome in female patients presenting to general surgeon with acute abdomen due to gynecological causes. Methods: In this observational, descriptive study female patients presenting in emergency with acute abdomen were evaluated. Management either conservative or intervention was planned. Patients with acute abdomen that were diagnosed due to gynecological causes were included in the study. Results: Over a period of two years, a total of 449 female patients with acute abdomen, were managed. Seventy nine (17.59%) patients were diagnosed as acute abdomen secondary to gynecological causes. Most of the patients (59%) were of child bearing age. Pain in the right iliac fossa was the commonest presenting symptom (54.43%). Surgical exploration was required in 68.35% patients. Ruptured ovarian cyst and adnexal torsion was the most frequent peroperative diagnosis. Conclusion: Acute abdominal symptoms in females need a thorough work up due to varied presentations, diagnoses and management options

Background: To determine the pattern of penetrating thoracic injury, including the causes, the role of surgery and intervention outcomes in general surgical unit. Methods: In this descriptive study patients of all age groups and either sex with isolated penetrating chest trauma or poly trauma were included. Results: Out of total 926 patients, studied during ten years period, 694 cases (74.94%) were medico legal. Haemopneumothorax was the most commonly observed consequence of penetrating chest injury. (n=539). Tube thoracostomy was performed in 855 (92.33%) cases.Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome(ARDS) was the commonest complication(5.07%). Overall mortality rate was 08.96%. Conclusion: Timely rescue of patients, from site of accident, to the adequate health facility ensures better outcome

Background: Duodenal injury is an uncommon injury but is associated with significant morbidity and mortality Methods: In this descriptive study, 67 patients with duodenal injury were studied. Surgical algorithms were adopted in accordance with the grade of duodenal injury. Results: The incidence of duodenal trauma was 3.1%. Age of the patients ranged from 15 to 70 years. Male to female ratio was 2.2:1. Gunshot wound (58.2%) was the commonest. Grade II injury (haematoma and laceration, involving more than one portion of duodenum) was seen in 29.85%. Majority (50.7%) were managed by primary repair and complex duodenal repair was performed in 11.94%. 88% had associated intraabdominal organ damage. Twenty three (34.3%) patients had haemorrhagic shock, five (7.4%) died peroperatively and overall mortality was 11.9%. Conclusion: Most of primary grade I and II duodenal injuries can be primarily repaired, whereas in grade III and IV complex injuries primary duodenal decompression with tube duodenostomy should be considered

In this research, we investigate mixed convection transport of mass and heat transfer in the unsteady boundary layer flow of the Eyring‐Powell fluid around a rotating cone in the presence of Brownian and thermophoresis effects. Rotating cones are widely used in conical diffusers, medical devices, Aerospace Engineering and a variety of rheometric and viscosimetry applications. Specifically, we focus on the flow of the Eyring‐Powell fluid around the cone in the presence of magnetohydrodynamics and nanofluid. The modeled momentum, energy, and concentration equations of the problem are transformed into nonlinear dimensionless, nonlinear ordinary equations by utilizing the similarity variables. These nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equations are solved numerically via Bvp4c, and the outcomes for important physical parameters on momentum, energy, and concentration equations are presented graphically. The computational outcomes of physical parameters for skin friction coefficient, local Nusselt number, and Sherwood are also presented in tabular form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]