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Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) possess memory capability to revert its original shape when exposed to load or temperature changes. This unique thermomechanical property occurs during solid state phase transformations which corresponds to functional properties of SMA, shape memory effect (SME) and super elasticity (SE). The significant coupling behaviour of SMA can be utilized as actuator in aerospace, automotive, electrical and civil fields. However, in practical applications, the coupling behaviour of SMA are non-linear and hysteretic. The control mechanism of SMA coupling behaviour is complex. Therefore, in order to achieve good control of thermomechanical properties, a highly controllable and promising heating technique is required. Thus, this paper reviewed the existing heating techniques for the SMA intending to find a controllable heating technique for the SMA. Besides that, this review suggested the promising induction heating for SMA thermomechanical characterization which offer temperature controllability and faster heating capability. However, till date most of research works are purely empirical. The present paper is able to provide an insight on the experimental approaches toward induction heating of SMA. Thus, the main aim of this paper is to provide a better understanding on the heating mechanism of SMA to develop an optimized utilization of SMA as an actuator.

Mainly determination focused on examining the 'underemployment 'via exploring its relationship with 'turnover intention'. Furthermore, the other variable 'job deprivation' was analyzed as a mediator for said relationship. In addition, the moderating role of 'job stress' was also premeditated for underemployment and job deprivation. Our targeted audience for this research article was "Traffic Police Wardens" (TPW). We have collected sample data from three cities of Punjab province (1) Lahore, (2) Multan, & (3) Bahawalpur. The population was the whole of Pakistan. Data was collected with the help of a questionnaire via cross-sectional data. 600 were distributed and received N= 499 which were completed by all aspects. The CFA was carried out in SEM (Structural Equation Model), whereas the data was analyzed in SPSS, on the 22nd version. The statistical analysis of this research article retrospection that Cronbach alpha (α) > 0.72 among all variables which are presenting the highest reliability. Further, we check the correlation of the variables among each other, and we found that the dependent variable (DV) is positively correlated to independent variables (IV) because 'underemployment in turnover intention is positively correlated with job deprivation and job stresses. Results of this research article demonstrate that correlation values were r = >0.5 and Regression’s values p =

Recently, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) have attracted an increasing interest, due to their promising properties such as high Young’s modulus and tensile strength. CNTs are considered to be an attractive reinforcement material for lightweight and high-strength metallic matrix composites. When powder metallurgy (PM) is used to form these MMCs (such as Cu/CNTs composites), the sintering parameters are crucial in obtaining good final parts. This work attempts to investigate the effect of sintering parameters on physical properties in these MMCs. The process comprised of mixing of Cu powder with CNTs, compacting of the powder mixture to form green parts and sintering using a quartz tube furnace under argon atmosphere. In this study, four trials of heating rate were performed and evaluated before sintering process was conducted. Finally, the green body was initially heated isothermally at 100°C for 1 hour with heating rate of 1.0 °C/min and sintered at a temperature of 900°C for 2 hours with heating rate of 0.5 °C/min. The composites contained 0 to 4 vol% of pristine CNTs (PCNTs) and acid treatment CNTs (ACNTs), respectively. It was observed that as the CNTs content increased, the density of the composites was also decreased owing to low density of the CNTs. The sintered part in this present work has undergone volume shrinkage ranging from 12.41% to 17.02% and 13.36% to 19.30%, for Cu/PCNTs and Cu/ACNTs respectively. It was found that the heating rate played an important role in producing a good sintered part. A high heating rate induced large thermal stress and possibly increased the pore volume, leading to swelling. As part of the temperature sensitivity, the heating rate was useful in controlling microstructure evolution in sintering. A correlation between the volume shrinkage, density and porosity of the good sintered part was confirmed in this work.

The zircon powder from Zircon Minerals Malaysia is a pure premium grade zircon sand milled 1.5 µm that contain ZrSiO 4 , ZrO 2 , HfO 2 , SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , and Fe 2 O 3 . The monoclinic zirconia powders were synthesized from the zircon sand of Zircon Minerals Malaysia, by caustic fusion method at calcination temperatures between 500 °C to 800 °C. The as-synthesized zirconia was characterized through X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), and X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques. The XRD results show two monoclinic phases of microcrystalline zirconia. Zirconia that was calcined at 600 °C obtained the highest value of ZrO 2 , which was 54.48%; followed by zirconia calcined at 700 °C, 800 °C, and 500 °C, which obtained the ZrO 2 values of 53.58%, 52.41%, and 51.53%, respectively, based on the XRF analysis. As-synthesized zirconia showed monoclinic phases where the surface areas were 0.0635 m 2 /g, 0.135 m 2 /g, 0.0268 m 2 /g, and 0.0288 m 2 /g, for zirconia calcined at temperatures of 500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C, respectively. The surface structure of the powder that had been calcined at 600 C showed similarities with the commercial zirconia. The similarities of the synthesized zirconia and commercial zirconia showed that the zirconia powder could be synthesized using zircon sand by caustic fusion method, even though the content of zirconia was lower compared to that of the commercial zirconia powder.

A field experiment was performed at Research Farm of the University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan to evaluate the effect of biochar on soil and plant nitrogen and yielding parameters of mung bean. The experiment was performed in randomize complete block design with split plot arrangement with four replications. Area of each experimental unit was 10.5 m2 and was applied with biochar at the rate of 0, 20, and 40 t ha-1 along with full and half levels of P and K i-e., (90 kg P, 60 kg K ha-1 and 45 kg P, 30 kg K ha-1). Nitrogen was applied to all the experimental units uniformly @ 25 kg N ha-1. The data showed that all of the analyzed parameters were significantly influenced with various biochar levels except fresh and dry weight of nodules. With full and half dose of P and K application, soil total N and soil organic matter were found significant with an increase of 16% and 7% as compared to half dose. With application of various levels of biochar, a significant increase was recorded in most of the parameters. Data regarding Soil N and soil O.M were found significantly enhanced at 40 t ha-1 with values of 0.15% and 2.64% which were 200% and 94% higher as compared to 0 t ha-1 biochar applications. Other parameters like 1000 grain weight, biological yield (fresh and dry), plant N and number of nodules were significantly affected with 20 t ha-1 biochar application which were increased by 20 %, 33%, 21% and 21% as compared to control. Combined application of P&K and biochar significantly affected soil total nitrogen i-e., 0.16% at (full×40 t ha-1) and nodulation number i-e., 36 at (half×20 t ha-1). It was concluded that biochar application @ 20 t ha-1 along with half levels of P and K, proved the best treatments combination for most of the plant parameters and hence they are recommended.

Increased incidence and severity of fatal Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) in commercial and domestic poultry has been reported from across Pakistan. The present study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of various live NDV vaccines (Gallivac, Intervet and Ceva) by adapting different vaccination schemes in broilers. Antigenic count of each vaccine and its generated antibody were determined by Haeamagglutination and Haemagglutination inhibition tests respectively. Two different NDV vaccination schemes were tested in such a way that one group had received three vaccines in different time periods whereas, the other after priming at 0 day, was followed by a single booster dose. For this purpose, healthy broilers were divided into four groups A, B, C, and D. On zero day of vaccination, there was no detectable anti NDV-HI titer for all vaccines (Gallivac=2, Intervet=2 & Ceva=2). In first vaccination scheme, detectable anti NDV-HI titer was observed on 16th day of vaccination (Gallivac=3.8, Intervet=4.2 & Ceva=3.6). All vaccines showed protective anti NDV-HI titer on 32nd day, post vaccination (Gallivac=5.8, Intervet=6.2, Ceva=5.8). In second vaccination scheme, detectable anti NDV-HI titer was achieved on 16th day of post vaccination (Gallivac=3.8, Intervet=4.2 & Ceva=3.6). While on 32nd day vaccination, all vaccines showed protective anti NDV-HI titer (Gallivac=5.4, Intervet=5.6 & Ceva=5.2). It is concluded that the two-dose vaccination program, with interval of 12 days, is much effective than the 3-dose vaccination scheme. However, in broilers, anti-NDV antibody titer was induced by all three types of vaccines manufactured by various companies. Keywords: Newcastle disease virus, Humoral Response, Haemagglutination inhibition test, Vaccine schedule

The role of Alternaria sp on seed vigor of rapeseed, Brassica napus, was investigated. Seed samples were collected from rapeseed growing regions of Sindh province. The samples were processed for fungal recovery using blotter paper and agar plate methods. Both methods produced a number of parasitic and saprophytic fungi. Among the recovered fungi, Alternaria sp was predominant with 16% average infection. Similarly, effect of seed treatment with Topsin M. was examined in this experiment. It improved seed health significantly over inoculated seeds. The treated seeds showed greater germination (16.15%) with 83.69% more healthy seedling in comparison with inoculated seeds. Root and shoot systems were significantly improved in seedlings from treated seed compared to those from inoculated seeds. The results of this study suggest grading seed samples to reduce seed impurities and seed treatment (particularly with Topsin M) to eliminate seed borne pathogen, especially Alternaria from rapeseed to enhance production by the growers. Key words: Seed health, seed borne fungi, Alternaria, seed treatment.

The purpose of this work is to present the dynamics of a fractional SIR model with generalized incidence rate using two differential derivatives, that are the Caputo and the AtanganaBaleanu. Firstly, we formulate the proposed model in Caputo sense and carried out the basic mathematical analysis such as positivity, basic reproduction number, local and global dynamics of the disease free and endemic case. The disease free equilibrium is locally and globally asymptotically stable when the basic reproduction number is less than 1. We also show that the SIR fractional model is locally and globally asymptotically stable at endemic state when the basic reproduction number greater than unity. Further, to analyze the dynamics of Caputo model we provide some numerical results by considering various incidence rates and with different fractional order parameters. Then, we reformulate the same model using the Atangana-Baleanu operator having nonsingular and non-local kernel. We prove the existence and uniqueness of the Atangana-Baleanu SIR model using PicardLindelof approach. Furthermore, we present an iterative scheme of the model and provide graphical results for various values of the fractional order α. From the graphical interpretation we conclude that the Atangana-Baleanu derivative is more prominent and provides biologically more feasible results than Caputo operator.

In this experimental approach, we explored the structures, morphologies, phototoxicities, and antibacterial activities of undoped and Mn-doped ceria nanocomposite materials, MnxCe1−xO2. The MnxCe1−xO2 nanocomposites were synthesized by employing a soft chemical route. Our prime focus was on the influence of different factors, both physical and chemical, i.e., the concentration of manganese in the product, size of the nanocomposite, drug dose, and incubation time, on the bacterial strains. Different bacterial strains were selected as experimental biological models of the antibacterial activity of the manganese-doped cerium oxide nanocomposite. In addition to the photodynamic response, the adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) was also studied. Based on cell viability losses and bacterial inhibition analyses, the precise mechanisms of apoptosis or necrosis of 5-ALA/PpIX-exposed MCF-7 cells under 630 nm red lights and under dark conditions were elucidated. It was observed that the undoped nanocomposites had lower cytotoxicities and inhibitions compared with those of the doped nanocomposites towards pathogens. The antibacterial activity and effectiveness for photodynamic therapy were enhanced in the presence of the manganese-doped ceria nanocomposite, which could be attributed to the correlation of the maximum reactive oxygen species generation for targeted toxicity and maximum antioxidant property in bacteria growth inhibition. The optimized cell viability dose and doping concentration will be beneficial for treating cancer and bacterial infections in the future.

BACKGROUND Wound injury is a critical issue in hair restoration. The shape and size of blades cause varying degree of tissue trauma. AIMS To check (mathematically) the tissue trauma (injury) caused by different shapes of the blades at varying angles. PATIENTS/METHODS The trigonometric theories were applied to each shape and angles to calculate the surface area (correlating with the tissue injury). These shapes included rectangular blade, 30°-angled blades, 60°-angled blade, 30°-sapphire blade, and 60°-sapphire blade. The surface areas were calculated at 90°, 45°, 30°, and 15° insertion angles. RESULTS The 30°-sapphire blade caused the least injury followed by 30°-angled blade. The rectangular blade had the largest surface area and hence will produce the maximum amount of tissue injury. The blade at 90° produced maximum injury whereas the blade entering at 15°, produced lowest amount of tissue injury. The blade in sagittal direction caused less injury as compared to the blade in coronal direction. CONCLUSION The 30°-sapphire blade caused the least tissue injury whereas the rectangular blade caused maximum injury. The amount of tissue injury decreases as the angle of insertion decreases and vice versa.

In reality, copper has many potential applications, especially in thermal management but due to heavyweight, many researchers came out with a solution to reduce the weight but at the same time maintain the good properties of copper and porous copper is one of the good alternatives for this issue. Porous copper is an ideal heat transfer medium because it has high thermal conductivity that can be used as a heat sink. In this study, a material with low density and weight than dense copper with a good thermal conductivity behavior was fabricated using copper and sodium chloride (NaCl) feedstock. The volume fraction for this study is 100% Cu, 80% Cu, 70% Cu and 60% and the fabrication process to produce porous copper which covered powder blending, powder characteristic analysis, hot compaction process, debinding process and lastly sintering process. The effect of varying NaCl shows that the thermal conductivity of the sample is inversely proportional from space holder percentage and percentage of porosity,e. the porosity achieved was 11.06% up to 27.96% for 4 different formulations of copper and NaCl. From the experiment, the highest value of thermal conductivity is 100% copper which is 363.99 W/mK and the lowest is 128.99 W/mK for the 60% copper with 40% sodium chloride. Overall, porous copper that has porosity below than 30% is suitable for heat sink applications that usually have range of thermal conductivity around 166–400 W/mK for copper alloy. So, it can concluded that the best formulation with optimum porosity and thermal conductivity that suitable for heat sink application is 80% Cu with 20% NaCl that have 283.957 W/mK for thermal conductivity and 24.49% for porosity level.

In the present study, we determined the levels of chlorinated pesticide residues in surface water samples collected from the Charsadda district (KPK, Pakistan). SPME-GC-ECD with COMBI PAL CTC autosampler was used for extraction and analysis of 20 organochlorine pesticides in the collected water samples. For maximum efficiency of the SPME procedure, several parameters were studied, including the extraction and desorption time of the fiber, solution pH, agitation of samples, and stirring speed, etc. This method showed good liner response, with R2 values in the range of 0.9887 to 0.9999 for all pesticides. This method also provided good percent recoveries at 1 µg L−1 (87.5 to 106.0%) and at 2 µg L−1 (88.5 to 109.2%). Lower limits of detection for all 20 chlorinated pesticides were found to be lower than their maximum permissible contamination levels. Approximately 50% of the surface water samples collected from the Charsadda district were found to be contaminated with the pesticides γ-BHC, heptachlor, aldrin and dieldrin, with maximum concentrations of 0.023, 0.108, 0.014 and 0.013 µg L−1, respectively. For adults and children, the cancer risk from water due to contamination by various pesticides ranged from 0 to 33.29 × 10−6. The non-carcinogenic risk from each pollutant in the water samples of the Charsadda district was found to be in the order of heptachlor &gt, aldrin &gt, dieldrin &gt, γ-BHC. However, the pesticides α-BHC, β-BHC, heptachlor epoxide, chlordane, endrin, 4,4′-DDD, endrin ketone, 4,4′-DDT, endosulfan sulfate and methoxychlor were not detected in any of the surface water samples of investigated in the present study.

A topic of interest to researchers and engineers alike is the potential of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as a relay base station in cellular communication. The driving factor behind its use is the innovations in wireless communication technologies, in particular the upcoming 5G network. The super-low latency and enormous bandwidth availability in millimeterwave triggers the usefulness of UAV deployment in Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANET). This paper is a brief experimental review on ray-tracing simulation for a UAV-aided 5G network. The objective of this paper is to assess the usage of UAV in next-generation wireless networks, i.e., deploying UAV as a relay using millimeter-wave concurrently in backhaul and access links. Ray-tracing simulations are used to synthesise the coverage of UAV-aided base station (UAV) in three scenarios; i) UAV elevation, ii) UAV horizontal variation, and iii) UAV base station elevation and horizontal variation-simultaneously. In all three scenarios, the optimum placement of UAV for enhanced User (UE) coverage is spotlighted. In addition, the significance of the amplification factor in the relay path is illustrated. It is believed that the findings reached in this paper are of great value to 5G ad-hoc network planners.

Inactivated oil based avian influenza vaccines are being used to confront viral outbreaks but seem to be ineffective due to the shorter life span of broiler birds. In such situations immunostimulating agents may play a vital role to overcome the problem. The current study was designed to investigate the co-stimulatory effect of levamisole on humoral response of chicken against inactivated oil based influenza vaccines in broiler birds. The efficacy of levamisole (LMS) hydrochloride, a standard immune modulator was evaluated on one hundred broilers in association with inactivated adjuvanted avian influenza vaccines. Avian influenza susceptible broilers were divided into nine groups, each having ten birds. The birds in groups G1, G2, G3, G5, G6 and G7 were offered 30 , 20 and 15mg kg-1 bwt levamisole for four consecutive days after being vaccinated with oil and gel based inactivated influenza vaccines respectively; birds in group G9 were kept as control. Whereas, birds in Group G4 were kept as oil base vaccinated control and Group G8 were kept as gel base vaccinated control without levamisole medication. Blood samples were obtained from wing vein on 14th, 28th and 36th days post vaccination. Anti-influenza antibody response was measured using haemagglutination inhibition (HI) technique. Data analyzed by one way ANOVA and DMR test showed that levamisole in both regimens had appreciable effect on antibody titers (p

Avian viral problems have been consistently reported in commercial poultry of Pakistan causing heavy economic losses to the poultry farmers. Authentic idenfication and confirmation of the causative agent is always been question mark for the selection of vaccinal strain in this regard. Current study was therefore undertaken to optimize the virus neutralization test for the serological survey of vaccinated poultry particularly for avian influenza virus’s subtypes and Newcastle disease virus. Various physiochemical factors such as concentration of antigen and antibody, Incubation temperature and incubation period for in vitro and in-vivo reaction of antigen and antibody were optimized in chicken embryonated eggs. Serum samples were obtained from vaccinated breeder birds of five commercial poultry breeder companies and subjected for VNT using different concentration of three antigen and their respective homologous antibodies under optimized conditions. AIV H9 (EID50-1×109.0/ml) and NDV (EID50-1×108.2/ml) having biological titer of 10-7 /50ul HA units were neutralize with 10-2/50ul HIU of antibody and incubated at 37°C for 30 minutes was injected subsequently into 10 day old chicken embryo followed by incubation at 37°C for 38 hours showed ≥90% neutralizing specificity. Furthermore, sera obtained from five AIV-H9, AIV-H5 and NDV exposed commercial poultry farms revealed that Big bird broiler, Big bird breeders and A&S chicks are 100% sensitive and specific whereas, Gateway chicks and Waqas poultry breeders showed 100% homology for AIV-H5 virus but do not confers similarity with prevailing AIV-H9 and NDV field strains. Therefore, high sensitivity, reproducibility and specificity VNT, it could be a tool for indirect detection of homology between vaccinal strain and wild virus antigen using known antisera. Particularly, for those organisms possess natural ability to mutate in the adverse climatic conditions. Keywords: Virus neutralization test, Avian Influenza Virus, Newcastle Disease Virus, Sensitivity, Specificity

Metastable beta (β) titanium alloy welds typically exhibit low strength and hardness due to their coarse fusion zone (FZ) microstructure. Efforts to improve the mechanical properties of these alloys have been confined to the use of various heat treatment processes as the means to promote α precipitation in the β matrix. The present study employs a novel method of using boron-added commercial pure-Ti fillers in gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) of the Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al metastable β titanium alloy. Microstructural analysis of boron-added welds showed refined prior-β grains and equiaxed dendritic grains with nonlinear grain boundaries. The formation of TiB and consequent microstructural modification of the FZ in the welds prepared using 0.5 wt% boron-added CP-Ti filler contribute to the improvement in the mechanical properties.

This study is the first report on the epidemiological status of house dust mite (HDM) allergy in Pothwar, Pakistan. Allergy data of 2087 symptomatic patients were obtained, of whom 1706 (81.7%) patients were skin-prick-test positive for HDM allergens. This percentage was significantly higher than for pollen and food allergens. In the results of this study Dermatophagoides farinae (61%) and D. pteronyssinus (29%) were the predominant species in the study area. Besides these pyroglyphids, predatory Cheyletus sp. (10%) and an oribatid mite sp. (1%) were also observed. Random and patients' houses showed 87.4 and 87.1% positive mite infestation, respectively. Mean (± SEM) D. farinae counts per g of dust in random samples was 235.4 ± 7.93 compared to 274.7 ± 10.78 from patients' homes. Mean D. pteronyssinus counts from random houses compared to patients' houses were 115.0 ± 4.57 and 124.6 ± 5.76, respectively. Mite counts depicted seasonal variation, with peaks during monsoon season. ELISA results of dust samples demonstrated that of the dust samples with > 10 µg/g of dust, the threshold value described as a risk factor for developing asthma, 57.6% had Der f1 and 20% Der p1 allergen load. Mean Der f1 burden was significantly higher than Der p1, with maximum levels during monsoon and autumn seasons. This research established a better awareness about the epidemiological status of HDM allergy and prevalence of allergy causing HDM species in Pakistan.

Cotton is an economically important natural fiber in the world, whose seeds are used as food and fiber used in the manufacturing of textiles. Cotton is naturally a renewable synthetic fiber which is derived from petroleum. Restriction in conventional breeding program to hereditary change may be because of those of information something like yield revenue and fiber quality of traits. Vitally, the genome representation of the cotton for various traits is the basic need for breeding purposes. The present review discusses the issues of conventional breeding and genomics resources & efforts are utilized to enhance the yield of cotton.

Ceramic injection moulding (CIM) is a near net shape process to produce smaller and intricate parts at a competitive cost. However, fine particle size (nano scale) used for such injection moulding process generally leads to agglomeration, higher binder content and critical dimensional shrinkage which results in defects on the sintered components. This study extensively investigates the characteristics of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) for CIM process. YSZ parts were moulded by CIM process that utilized a multi-component binder system using palm stearin (PS) and polyethylene (PE) in 60:40 (vol %) ratio. The powders were characterized using particle size analyzer, pycnometer density and scanning electron microscopic (SEM). The binders were characterized by the pycnometer density, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Powders loading were choosen by the critical powder volume percentage (CPVP) through oil absorption test. YSZ powder was mixed with the binders at different powder loadings ranging from 58 to 60 vol% based on CPVP. The parts were injected moulded, thermal debound, pre-sintered and sintered. The microstructure, green strength and hardness of the sintered part at different powder loadings were investigated. A large porous region was clearly observed at 58 vol% compared to 60 vol%. All samples were sintered at 1350°C, with the highest green strength and hardness were 13MPa and 357.42 HV respectively was given by the sintered part at powder loading of 60 vol.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced with metal matrix composites (MMCs) have attracted an increasing interest due to their promising properties. One of the challenges in metal matrix-CNTs composites research is producing a uniform dispersion of CNTs. A poor dispersion of CNTs within the matrix, attributed to strong CNTs entanglement caused by Van der Waals forces. In this study, Cu/CNTs composites have been successfully fabricated by the powder metallurgy (PM) route. The thermal conductivity of Cu/CNTs composites showed that the thermal conductivity decreased after the incorporation of CNTs. The analysis revealed that the interfacial thermal resistance between the Cu matrix and CNTs plays a significant role in determining the thermal conductivity performances. Besides, the influences of porosity and distribution of CNTs also affected the thermal conductivity results.

The materials that possessing narrow band-gap had got great attention in the field of thermoelectric especially in the field of optoelectronics for a number of applications like as in infrared radiation detection. In this study, thermodynamical, optoelectronic and thermoelectric properties of BaMn2P2 have been studied using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We did different sides e.g., for the nonmagnetic, antiferromagnetic, and ferromagnetic phase. The antiferromagnetic study directs narrow bandgap (less than 1 ​eV, closed results with the literature value) and upright optoelectronic and thermoelectric properties. Optical spectra display that absorption lies in visible as well as in UV region of the radiation. As a result, it looks to have probable applications in optoelectronics. Thermoelectric properties indulged the semiconducting nature with high Seebeck coefficient and dominant character of p-type charge carriers. Furthermore, we have computed both pressure and temperature-dependent thermodynamic parameters for this compound using quasi-harmonic Debye approximation.

In the present study, a molecular dynamics simulation employing embedded atom method potential is performed to investigate the formation and characterization of CuZr bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). To elucidate the effect of component concentration of three samples of BMGs including Cu25Zr75, Cu50Zr50, and Cu75Zr25 that are formed by melt quenching. The local structure of BMGs is analyzed by means of radial distribution function and local atomic number density, ρ. The mechanical behavior of three compositions is investigated using uniaxial compressive loading at a constant strain rate. It is revealed from the results that yield strength increases with increasing Cu concentration. Thermal expansion of CuZr BMGs is examined and variation in length and volume is measured. The analysis revealed that Cu25Zr75, and Cu50Zr50 exhibited the typical expansion behavior while Cu75Zr25 showed an anomalous behavior.

High-throughput technologies, such as synthetic biology and genomics have paved new paths for discovery and utility of medicinally beneficial plants. Bioactive molecules isolated from different plants have significantly higher biological activities. The present study was done to analyze antibacterial potential of some medicinal plants against multi drug resistant (MDR) pathogens and anticancer effect against MCF-7 cell line. Methanolic and ethanolic extracts were tested for their antibacterial activity by disc diffusion method against six MDR bacterial strains and for cytotoxicity evaluation by MTT assay. Ethanolic extracts of the three tested plants exhibited growth inhibitory effect against Klebsiella pneumonia, Serratia marcescens and Methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was more resistant to all extracts as its growth was least inhibited by the extracts of all tested plants. Ethanol extract of Foeniculum vulgare exhibited significant inhibition of cancer cells proliferation. Methanol extract of Justicia adhatoda also showed considerable inhibition of cancer cells. Future studies must converge on detailed investigation of modes of action of extracts of tested plants.

Increase of soaking time contributed to the effectiveness of case depth formation, hardness properties and carbon content of carburized steel. This paper investigates the effect of different soaking time (7-9 hours) using powder and paste compound to the carburized steel. Low carbon steels were carburized using powder and paste compound for 7, 8 and 9 hours at temperature 1000°C. The transformation of microstructure and formation carbon rich layer was observed under microscope. The microhardness profiles were analyzed to investigate the length of case depth produced after the carburizing process. The increment of carbon content was considered to find the correlation between types of carburizing compound with time. Results shows that the longer carburized steel was soaked, the higher potential in formation of carbon rich layer, case depth and carbon content, which led to better hardness properties for carburized low carbon steel. Longer soaking time, 9 hours has a higher dispersion of carbon up to 41%-51% compare to 8 hours and 7 hours. By using paste carburizing, it has more potential of carbon atom to merge the microstructure to transform into cementite (1.53 wt% C) compare to powder (0.97 wt% C), which increases the hardness of carburized steel (13% higher).

This investigation was conducted to study on the effect of shot blasting on the case depth of boride layers produced and microhardness after performing paste boronizing on 316L stainless steel. 250 micron diameter of glass beads had been used in the process of shot blasting with variation in the blasting pressure. Paste boronizing was performed at 850°C with 8 hours of soaking time. The samples involved were tested and analyzed on the microstructure and microhardness. Boride layers of FeB and Fe2B formed due to paste boronizing improve the microhardness of 316L stainless steel and the effect of shot blasting with increasing the blasting pressure increase both of case depth of boride layers and microhardness on the studied metal.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the vital characteristic of an innovative ceramic injection molding (CIM) process for orthopedic application with controlled porosity and improved tribological and mechanical properties which were affected by complex tribological interactions, whether lubricated like hip implants and other artificial prostheses. The main objective is to maximize the usage of palm stearin as a single based binder as the function of flow properties during injection molding process. Design/methodology/approach The binder used in this present study consists of 100 per cent palm stearin manufactured by Kempas Oil Sdn Bhd and supplied by Vistec Technology Sdn Bhd. The feedstock was prepared by using a Z-blade mixer (Thermo Haake Rheomix OS) and Brabender mixer model R2400. The feedstock prepared was injection molded using a manually operated vertical benchtop machine with an average pressure of about 5-7 bars. The firing step included the temporary holds at intermediate temperatures to burn out organic binders. At this stage, the green molded specimen was de-bound using a single-step wick-debinding method. Findings The maximum content of ceramic material is applied to investigate the efficiencies of net formulation that can be achieved by ceramic materials. The longer the viscosity will change with shear rate, the higher the value of n obtained instead. From the slope of the curves obtained in Figure 3, the value of n for the feedstock was determined to be less than 1, which indicates a pseudoplastic behavior and suitability for the molding process. Moreover, high shear sensitivity is important in producing complex and intrinsic specimens which are leading products in the CIM industry. Originality/value The feedstock containing HAp powder and palm stearin binder was successfully prepared at very low temperature of 70°C, which promoting a required pseudo-plastic behavior during rheological test. The single binder palm stearin should be optimized in other research works carried out, as palm stearin is most preferred compared to other polymeric materials that provided high energy consumption when subjected to the sintering process. Besides the binder is widely available in Malaysia, low cost and harmless effect during debinding process.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the wear behaviour of copper matrix composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) prepared by powder metallurgy route. Design/methodology/approach The CNTs were treated by sulphuric acid and nitric acid to deagglomerate the CNTs prior mixing with copper powder. The composites comprised 0 to 4 Vol.% pristine CNTs (PCNTs) and also after acid-treated CNTs (ACNTs). The optimum value (pure Cu, 3 Vol.% PCNTs, 3 Vol.% ACNTs) evaluated by micro-hardness test was selected for wear test analysis. Findings The results showed that the enhancement of hardness, weight loss, coefficient of friction, wear depth and surface roughness (Ra) was due to the effect of homogenous distribution of ACNTs in Cu matrix and significant bonding compared to pure Cu and Cu-reinforced PCNTs. The scanning electron microscopy micrograph of worn surfaces and wear depth of the specimens also showed that the addition of ACNTs in Cu resulted in better wear performances. Originality/value CNTs were treated prior processing to improve hardness and wear properties of Cu/CNTs composites.

High requirements in biomedical applications are yet to be met, equally in joint and bone substitution and the healing and renewal of bone weaknesses. The compatibility with the human body is the main precondition for the choice of biomaterials, which should thus have some significant properties that will be durable for use in the body without rejection. This paper concentrates, especially, on biocompatible metals, although there are also biomaterials made of polymers, ceramics, and composite materials. Considerations in selecting materials for biomedical applications such as biocompatibility, the high corrosion and wear resistance, and osseointegration are discussed. This paper reviews the applications of three main types of biocompatible metal, namely, stainless steels, cobalt-chromium alloys, and titanium and its alloys. The corrosion resistance of each alloy is in focus. It can be confidently declared that biocompatible metals will continue to be used as biomaterials in the future with further improvements and new revolutionary bio-functionalities in the use of metals.

The dental restorations by the usage of implants have been one of the most favourable treatment. However, the existing dense dental implant causes overloading towards the human bone that triggers ‘stress shielding effect’ and also implant loosening. This paper focused on the development of highly porous Ti-6Al-4V dental implant by metal injection molding with palm stearin binder system with an addition of sodium chloride as space holder which has been established in the fabrication of porous Ti-6Al-4V. The evaluated compositions consist of the powder volume fraction of 63vol% and 65vol%. SEM analysis shows that highly porous Ti-6Al-4V dental implant were obtained. The average density is 3.325g/cm3 for 63vol% sample and 3.915g/cm3 for 65vol% sample. While for the Vickers hardness are 113.68HV and 162.8HV for 63vol% and 65vol% respectively.

Launching of underwater projectile from submarine is carried out by gas-steam ejection dynamic system. Specific velocity of projectile at water exit is essential for its successful launch. The velocity of projectile depends upon the projectile dimensions, mass and water depth which govern the pressure requirements for gas-steam ejection dynamic system. To investigate the pressure required to launch the projectile under various conditions, a two-dimensional, axisymmetric numerical model was established. The numerical simulations were performed using ANSYS Fluent software. Dynamic mesh method was applied to track the motion of projectile combined with a User Defined Function (UDF) to compute the forces exerted on the body of the projectile. To achieve specific exit velocity of projectile for number of cases by varying vehicle mass, nose shape, and water depth simulations were performed and corresponding pressure requirements for each case was determined. Results shows the nonlinearity in pressure requirements with changing different parameters to achieve same exit velocity. In addition, bubble cavity formation in water is analyzed.

The silver oxide nanoparticles (AgO(2) ‐NPs) were synthesised using silver foil as a new precursor in wet chemical method. X‐ray diffraction analysis shows crystallographic structures of AgO(2) ‐NPs with crystallite size of 35.54 nm well‐matched with standard cubic structure. Scanning electron microscopy analysis clearly shows the random distribution of spherical‐shaped nanoparticles. Energy dispersive X‐ray analysis confirmed the purity of the samples as it shows no impurity element. Fourier transforms infra‐red analysis confirmed the formation of AgO(2) ‐NPs with the presence of Ag‐O‐Ag stretching bond. All the techniques also confirmed the loading of ceftriaxone drug on the surface of AgO(2) ‐NPs. This study also described the effect of AgO(2) ‐NPs having synergistic activity with β lactam antibiotic i.e. ceftriaxone against ESBL generating Escherichia coli (E. coli). Among isolated strains of E. coli, 60.0% were found to be ESBL producer. The synergistic activities of AgO(2) ‐NPs with ceftriaxone suggest that these combinations are effective against MDR‐ESBL E. coli strains as evident by increase in zone sizes. The present study observed rise in MDR‐ESBL E. coli with polymorphism of blaCTXM and blaSHV causing UTI infections in Pakistani population. The antibiotic and AgO(2) ‐NPs synergistic effect can be used as an efficient approach to combat uro‐pathogenic infections.

Alumina (Al2O3) has been considered as satisfactory material used for ceramic guide pin in mechanical engineering applications owing to its excellent properties particularly high strength, good wear and corrosion resistance and extremely low thermal conductivity. However, there is still a major concern with regard to the manufacturing process of the ceramic guide pin, especially in controlling dimensional consistency after the sintering process, leading to part rejection. In this work, the manufacturing of alumina guide pin using powder processing is presented. The focus of this paper is to evaluate dimensional changes and surface analysis of the ground sintered guide pin using an upgraded grinding system. Alumina ceramic guide pin samples were fabricated by a Cold Isostatic Pressure (CIP) technique with four different range of diameters known as M6, M8, M10 and M12. All samples underwent sintering process at 1600°C, followed by secondary process by a micro-grinder to remove excessive diameter after sintering. Dimensional measurement was taken using a Vernier calliper, before and after the grinding process for evaluation. The surface roughness of the guide pin was then analysed by a surface roughness analyser followed by morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). From the result obtained, it clearly showed that, the proposed method of post-processing using of micro-grinding has worked successfully in reducing numbers of part rejection by the company owing to the inconsistency of dimensional changes after the sintering process. Diameter reduction of about 20 – 50 μm was done for all guide pin models corresponded to the improved surface roughness of Ra, Ry and Rz by 1.3 to 2.0 μm, 8.5 to 11.0 μm and 5.0 to 7.0 μm, respectively. From the SEM analysis, better surface morphology was observed corresponded to surface roughness improvement.

Strength and ductility of fusion zone of metastable β titanium alloy welds can be improved by choosing suitable fillers. This paper reports the effects of using CP-Ti filler on the microstructural and mechanical properties of Ti-15-3 weldments. Full penetration autogenous and CP-Ti filler welds were produced by pulsed gas tungsten arc welding. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed small amounts of α-Ti phase in the diffraction pattern obtained for welds prepared using CP-Ti filler. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed presence of grain boundary and intragranular α in the fusion zone of the welds prepared using CP-Ti filler. The welds prepared with CP-Ti filler showed higher hardness, higher UTS and lower % strain compared to autogenous welds.

Mechanical properties of as-cast beta titanium (β-Ti) alloy can be improved by grain refinement and formation of insoluble precipitate. This paper reports the effect of carbon (C) addition on microstructure and hardness of cast Ti–15V–3Cr–3Sn–3Al (Ti-15-3) samples prepared by argon arc melting. X-ray diffraction analysis of C added as cast Ti-15-3 samples revealed the presence of β-Ti and TiC phases. Scanning electron microscope analysis revealed eutectic TiC precipitates in C added Ti-15-3 samples while a reduction in grain size was observed with increasing carbon addition. Inoculation effect due to TiC and growth restriction by C for β phase resulted in decreased grain size. Hardness of C added Ti-15-3 alloys increased with the increased carbon content of the sample. The improvement in hardness was contributed by grain refinement and the formation of TiC precipitates in the samples.

The usage of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as reinforcement has been limited due to difficulties associated with dispersion of MWCNTs during the processing and poor adhesion between MWCNTs and matrix. In this paper, the effect of chemical functionalization with strong acid on the dispersion of MWCNTs were studied. The functionalization of MWCNTs were performed in chemical solution of sulphuric acid (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO3) with ratio of 3:1 and prepared at 80°C for 4 hours. The pristine MWCNTs (PMWCNTs) and acid treated MWCNTs (AMWCNTs) were analyzed using TEM, XRD, FTIR and Pycnometer density. The effect of dispersion of PMWCNTs and AMWCNTs was studied in three different matrices which are in aqueous media (distilled water), metal matrix and polymer matrix. The XRD results determined that the impurities in pristine MWCNTs such as NiZn3 have been removed after the purification process. The presence of carboxylic acid (-COOH) and hydroxyl (-OH) functional groups were determined using FT-IR. Based on the dispersion analysis in aqueous media, PMWCNTs were poor in suspension stability. While, the TEM images showed less agglomeration of the AMWCNTs compared to PMWCNTs and obtained a uniform dispersion in metal matrix (Cu) and polymer (epoxy) matrix composites.

The characterization of CIM feedstock consisting 58, 59, 60vol% of YSZ powder with binder system comprising a palm stearin (PS) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) were studied. The effects of powder loading and temperature (°C) on the rheological behavior of the YSZ were investigated by using Rosand RH2000 Capillary Rheometer. The results showed all the feedstock achieved desirable injection moulding characteristics such as pseudoplastic behavior, flow behavior index (n) less than 1 and low activation energy (E). The rectangular parts were successfully injected moulded at optimum temperature of 170°C with the highest green strength was 12.7 N, obtained from 60 vol% powder loading which correspond to greater density and low porosity of the samples.

This paper highlights the influence of titanium hydride particle on the rheological behaviour of nickel-titanium feedstock used in the metal injection process. The ratio of 50at% nickel and 50at% titanium hydride with 2 different powder loadings (65.5vol% and 67.5vol%) were investigated. A Rosand RH2000 capillary rheometer was used to determine the flow behaviour of feedstocks. The feedstocks were characterized at different temperature ranging from 150°C and 170°C and shear rate ranging from 50/s and 4442.63/s. The results showed on pseudo-elastic behaviour flow of NiTi feedstock which is suitable for injection moulding process.

Polymorphisms in vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1) gene lead to interindividual variability in warfarin dose requirement. The characterization of genotype frequency distribution is required in different populations for construction of customized dosing algorithms to enhance the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of warfarin therapy. This study was carried out in Pakistani population to evaluate the contribution of common VKORC1 polymorphisms to warfarin therapy. A total of 550 stable patients taking warfarin were enrolled after medical history, physical examination, and laboratory investigations. Single blood sample was collected after informed consent. Genomic DNA was extracted and genotype analysis for VKORC1 1173C>T and VKORC1-1639G>A polymorphisms was done by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. A number of samples were also analyzed by direct DNA sequencing for validation of results. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Genotype frequency distributions of VKORC1 1173C>T and VKORC1-1639G>A were found to be different from other populations. Both of these polymorphisms did not demonstrate significant effect on warfarin dose requirement. Although Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) and VKORC1 polymorphisms together attributed only 3.8% variability in warfarin dose but it was statistically significant ( p value = .004). It is concluded that there is a need to study genotype frequency distribution and their effect on warfarin dose variability among different populations due to diversity in outcome. At the same time, no effect on warfarin dose variation explained by VKORC1 polymorphisms and small variability explained by studied genotypes stresses the need for exploration of more genetic and nongenetic factors in Pakistani population.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of phase formation to the mechanical strength of Ti-Nb alloy produced by powder metallurgy (PM) process. Niobium (Nb) powder was added to the elemental titanium (Ti) powder by wt%, cold-compacted and sintered at 1200°C. The samples were characterized in term of shape and sizes of the particle, phases present, microstructures and compressive strength. XRD pattern showed that increasing Nb content resulted in increased beta-phases which also evidenced by a greater fraction of light gray-scale image in back-scattered SEM analysis. The alpha phase region almost eliminated in the 35 wt% Nb. The lowest compressive strength was observed in 45 wt% Nb is due to partly crystallized region in the microstructure observed. The alloy containing 35 wt% Nb exhibited better beta-phase structures in the matrix. The Young’s modulus of 13.46±2.44 GPa were obtained from 45 wt% Nb addition in the Ti alloy. All sintered samples are potential candidates for implant applications.