Hematological Trends in Severe Burn Patients: A Comprehensive Study for Prognosis and Clinical Insights

Severe burn injuries pose diagnostic challenges, contributing to increased fatality rates with delayed diagnoses. This study aims to identify early risk factors and understand their impact on clinical outcomes by examining hematological dynamics in severe burn cases. The focus includes age-related patterns, Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) affected by burns, hospital stay duration, and changes in hematological markers during burn injuries. An analytical cross-sectional study at the Burn Care Centre involved 135 participants hospitalized between January 2018 and December 2021. Demographic data and hematological markers were recorded, with statistical analysis using IBM SPSS 25.0. Non-survivors exhibited a greater mean TBSA, shorter hospital stay, and an enhanced early immune response indicated by WBC count on the first day. Hematological markers, including HGB, RCC, and PLT, showed dynamic patterns over the study period. Marginal variations in platelet counts and intriguing patterns in RCC suggested potential consequences like disseminated intravascular coagulation. The study provides crucial insights into hematological responses to severe burn injuries. Early identification of risk factors, particularly age-related patterns and immune responses, informs clinicians about predicting outcomes and guiding therapeutic interventions. Despite limitations, this work underscores the need for further multi-center research to comprehensively understand the complex relationships between burn injuries, hematological responses, and clinical outcomes.

Micro and Nanoporous Membrane Platforms for Carbon Neutrality: Membrane Gas Separation Prospects

Recently, carbon neutrality has been promoted as a potentially practical solution to global CO2 emissions and increasing energy-consumption challenges. Many attempts have been made to remove CO2 from the environment to address climate change and rising sea levels owing to anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Herein, membrane technology is proposed as a suitable solution for carbon neutrality. This review aims to comprehensively evaluate the currently available scientific research on membranes for carbon capture, focusing on innovative microporous material membranes used for CO2 separation and considering their material, chemical, and physical characteristics and permeability factors. Membranes from such materials comprise metal-organic frameworks, zeolites, silica, porous organic frameworks, and microporous polymers. The critical obstacles related to membrane design, growth, and CO2 capture and usage processes are summarized to establish novel membranes and strategies and accelerate their scaleup.

Domestic Cylinder Blasts: A Neglected Torpedo

High-pressure cylinders are used to store liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). An instant and swift explosion of these cylinders can result in serious burn injuries. This current research was conducted to study the epidemiological characteristics of LPG-related burns to highlight a major public health issue. Analysis was conducted on patients with LPG-related burns over a span of 10 years admitted to our center between January 2011 and December 2020. The data recorded included demographic features, site of burn, %TBSA, associated injuries, and outcomes. The variable data were documented for every patient in a Microsoft Excel file and analyzed by IBM SPSS version 25.0. Over the span of 10 years, 678 patients were affected by LPG-related accidents. The peak incidence was seen in 2019 when there was a surge to 18.03%. The patient's age ranged from 1 to 79 years, with a median of 40.86 ± 15.27 years. Of the 678 patients, 52.50% were males and 47.50% were females. The majority (57.96%) of patients had a total BSA of >60% and 86.72% were diagnosed with inhalation injury. The majority of burns (84.66%) occurred at home. The mean hospital stay was 24.5 days. The total mortality rate was 59.58%. This study concludes that LPG cylinder blast is a preventable cause that can be minimized by making people aware of its safe use and by arranging awareness programs at every national level.

Burns During Covid-19 Pandemic: Demographics, Etiological and Clinical Trends in 2021 at the National Burn Care Centre in Islamabad, Pakistan

The scarcity of data on burn-related injuries in Pakistan prompted this study. The study is specifically aimed at assessing the burn patients who were admitted to a national burn care center (BCC) in Pakistan. This single-center retrospective analysis was conducted for 12 months from January to December 2021. During this time period, 14,069 patients visited BCC with burn injuries of diverse natures while 613 of them were admitted. The patients' information was abstracted from the hospital database. This information included age, sex, diagnosis, burn depth/degree, time of arrival, circumstances of burn injury, TBSA (total burn surface area), complications, outcome, and management plan. This information was shifted to Microsoft Office Excel Worksheet 2015 and then coded into the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. Of 14,069 patients, 613 were admitted to the burn care center, indicating an admission rate of 4.35%. Among these 613 patients, there was a high proportion of males (58.89%) and a mean age of 20.2±12.5 years. Most patients (40.4%) visited within the first hour after being burnt and flame burns were the most common (41.10%). Most patients were burnt due to accidents (97.7%). The mean length of hospital stay was 15.5 days. Flames were the main cause of burns among our cohort of patients. Most patients had a TBSA of >10% and generally had a second-degree burn, mostly in the pediatric population. An urgent appraisal of burn policies and related legislation is needed to halt the burn burden in the country.

A novel output feedback consensus control approach for generic linear multi-agent systems under input saturation over a directed graph topology

This paper considers an output feedback consensus control approach for the generic linear multi-agent systems (MASs) under input saturation over a directed graph. A region of stability-based approach has been established for dealing with the input saturation. A conventional Luenberger observer for estimating the states of followers by themselves and an advanced cooperative observer for estimating the state of leader by followers have been applied for an estimated state feedback control. The stability conditions have been derived by considering a three-term-based combined Lyapunov function. Moreover, computationally simple controller and estimator design conditions have been obtained by resorting to a decoupling approach A set of initial conditions has been investigated to achieve the leader-following consensus of MASs under the input saturation constraint. To the best of our knowledge, an output feedback consensus approach, providing a consensus region, for generic linear MASs under input saturation over directed graphs without requiring the exact state of the leader has been explored for the first time. In contrast to the existing methods, the proposed approach considers an output feedback approach (rather than the state feedback), accounts for both linear and nonlinear saturation regions, applies an estimate of the state of the leader through cooperative observer, and is based on a generalized sector condition for the saturation nonlinearity. In addition, it offers a computationally simple design solution owing to the proposed decoupling method. Simulation results are provided to validate the efficacy of the designed protocol for F-18 aircraft and unmanned ground vehicles.

Efficacy and safety of itopride SR for upper gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with diabetic gastroparesis: real-world evidence from Pakistan

Background

Gastroparesis is a serious condition that can be caused by diabetes, surgery or infection, or can be idiopathic. When there is no mechanical obstruction, gastroparesis is characterized by delayed stomach emptying. Itopride, a prokinetic drug, inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity in addition to antagonizing dopamine D2 receptors.

Methods

This prospective, multicentre study is based on real-world data from 988 patients with a diagnosis of diabetic gastroparesis for index (PAGI-SYM2) evaluation at baseline and week 4 of treatment for upper gastrointestinal disorder symptoms.

Results

Upper gastrointestinal symptom severity scores improved significantly after 4 weeks of treatment (p<0.001), with significant improvement across all categories of gastroparesis (very mild (37-58.6%), mild degree (24.6-31.6%), moderate (29.3-7.3%) and severe (8.8-2.6%).

Conclusion

Itopride SR (Nogerd SR) in a 150 mg once-daily dose showed promising results in reducing the severity of upper gastrointestinal disorder symptoms associated with diabetic gastroparesis. Both statistical and clinical effectiveness were observed. Moreover, the treatment demonstrated a favourable tolerability profile, with a low incidence of adverse effects.

Smart capsules for sensing and sampling the gut: status, challenges and prospects

Smart capsules are developing at a tremendous pace with a promise to become effective clinical tools for the diagnosis and monitoring of gut health. This field emerged in the early 2000s with a successful translation of an endoscopic capsule from laboratory prototype to a commercially viable clinical device. Recently, this field has accelerated and expanded into various domains beyond imaging, including the measurement of gut physiological parameters such as temperature, pH, pressure and gas sensing, and the development of sampling devices for better insight into gut health. In this review, the status of smart capsules for sensing gut parameters is presented to provide a broad picture of these state-of-the-art devices while focusing on the technical and clinical challenges the devices need to overcome to realise their value in clinical settings. Smart capsules are developed to perform sensing operations throughout the length of the gut to better understand the body's response under various conditions. Furthermore, the prospects of such sensing devices are discussed that might help readers, especially health practitioners, to adapt to this inevitable transformation in healthcare. As a compliment to gut sensing smart capsules, significant amount of effort has been put into the development of robotic capsules to collect tissue biopsy and gut microbiota samples to perform in-depth analysis after capsule retrieval which will be a game changer for gut health diagnosis, and this advancement is also covered in this review. The expansion of smart capsules to robotic capsules for gut microbiota collection has opened new avenues for research with a great promise to revolutionise human health diagnosis, monitoring and intervention.

Improving the Device Performance of CZTSSe Thin-Film Solar Cells via Indium Doping

Cation incorporation emerges as a promising approach for improving the performance of the kesterite Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) device. Herein, we report indium (In) doping using the chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique to enhance the optoelectronic properties of CZTSSe thin-film solar cells (TFSCs). To incorporate a small amount of the In element into the CZTSSe absorber thin films, an ultrathin (<10 nm) layer of In2S3 is deposited on soft-annealed precursor (Zn-Sn-Cu) thin films prior to the sulfo-selenization process. The successful doping of In improved crystal growth and promoted the formation of larger grains. Furthermore, the CZTSSe TFSCs fabricated with In doping exhibited improved device performance. In particular, the In-CZTSSe-2-based device showed an improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.53%, open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 486 mV, and fill factor (FF) of 61% compared to the undoped device. Moreover, the small amount of In incorporated into the CZTSSe absorber demonstrated reduced nonradiative recombination, improved carrier separation, and enhanced carrier transport properties. This study suggests a simple and effective way to incorporate In to achieve high efficiency and low Voc loss.

Analysis of Factors Affecting Burns Mortality: A National Burn Centre Experience From Pakistan 2007-2021

Burns are a public health concern burdening the healthcare delivery system across the globe. Mortality rates are significant outcome parameters after a burn injury. The objective of the current study was to analyze the characteristics of the patients admitted to our burn care center and identify the factors related to mortality in the burn patients. This was a cross-sectional single-center study involving a retrospective analysis of mortality rates in burn patients over a period of 15 years from July 2007 to December 2021. During the study period, 7,866 burn patients were admitted to the ICU of the burn care center. Patients who died [Group 1] were compared to the group of survivors (control cases [Group 2]) to ascertain the contributing factors that might forecast a high risk for mortality. The mortality rate was calculated as 23.16% (1,822/7,866). The majority of the patients (both groups) had a total body surface area (TBSA) of >50% (p 0.001). The average duration of stay at the burn care center was 15.5 days for the survivors' group (Group 2) while it was 11.4 days for the patients who died (Group 1) during the course of their treatment. About 23.16% of all admitted patients died mostly from flame burns, and sepsis was the commonest cause of death. Patients with risk factors should be classified as high risk for mortality at the time of ICU admission. It is necessary to initiate educational and awareness programs for sensitization related to the prevention of burn injuries.

Unlocking integrated waste biorefinery approach by predicting calorific value of waste biomass

The current study analyzed the high heating values (HHVs) of various waste biomass materials intending to the effective management and more sustainable consumption of waste as clean energy source. Various biomass waste samples including date leaves, date branches, coconut leaves, grass, cooked macaroni, salad, fruit and vegetable peels, vegetable scraps, cooked food waste, paper waste, tea waste, and cardboard were characterized for proximate analysis. The results revealed that all the waste biomass were rich in organic matter (OM). The total OM for all waste biomass ranged from 79.39% to 98.17%. Likewise, the results showed that all the waste biomass resulted in lower ash content and high fixed carbon content associated with high fuel quality. Based on proximate analysis, various empirical equations (HHV=28.296-0.2887(A)-656.2/VM, HHV=18.297-0.4128(A)+35.8/FC and HHV=22.3418-0.1136(FC)-0.3983(A)) have been tested to predict HHVs. It was observed that the heterogeneous nature of various biomass waste considerably affects the HHVs and hence has different fuel characteristics. Similarly, the HHVs of waste biomass were also determined experimentally using the bomb calorimeter, and it was observed that among all the selected waste biomass, the highest HHVs (21.19 MJ kg-1) resulted in cooked food waste followed by cooked macaroni (20.25 MJ kg-1). The comparison revealed that experimental HHVs for the selected waste biomass were slightly deviated from the predicted HHVs. Based on HHVs, various thermochemical and biochemical technologies were critically overviewed to assess the suitability of waste biomass to energy products. It has been emphasized that valorizing waste-to-energy technologies provides the dual benefits of sustainable management and production of cleaner energy to reduce fossil fuels dependency. However, the key bottleneck in commercializing waste-to-energy systems requires proper waste collection, sorting, and continuous feedstock supply. Moreover, related stakeholders should be involved in designing and executing the decision-making process to facilitate the global recognition of waste biorefinery concept.

Real-World Evidence to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Vonoprazan in Gastrointestinal Disorders in the Pakistani Population

BACKGROUND AND AIM

While proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy has proven to be effective in managing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a notable portion of patients who experience GERD symptoms may not respond to this treatment. Research suggests that roughly 30% of individuals with a presumed GERD diagnosis may continue to experience symptoms, whether partially or completely, even when receiving PPI therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases with a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), vonoprazan, in terms of its effectiveness and safety in the Pakistani population.

METHODS

This prospective, multicenter, observational study was conducted in Pakistan. This study included 1,642 patients from January 2023 to August 2023, aged 18 years, with gastrointestinal disorders. All demographic data, medical history, GERD severity assessment questionnaire (GerdQ), and laboratory parameters, including stool assessment for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), were observed. Patients were orally treated with vonoprazan at doses of 10 mg or 20 mg, once or twice daily. Statistical analysis was done by one-way ANOVA.

RESULTS

Out of 1,642 patients, 840 (51.2%) were males and 802 (48.8%) were females, with a mean age of 39.81±14.61 years. The mean GerdQ score at baseline was 20.37±15.87, 7.24±8.15 at the second week of treatment, and 3.70±6.31 at the fourth week of treatment (p<0.001). 90.74% of patients achieved H. pylori eradication. Most patients were acid regurgitation and heartburn-free for >70% of days. Most of the patients, 1,283 (78.13%), exhibited good treatment compliance. Mild adverse events were reported in 37 (2.3%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of vonoprazan significantly reduced the likelihood of GERD by improving symptoms and was also highly effective in the elimination of H. pylori infections. Vonoprazan was generally well tolerated.

Treadmill Versus Overground Gait Training in Patients with Lower Limb Burn Injury: A Comparative Study

The primary goal of the rehabilitation services offered to patients with lower limb burns is to enhance gait function. Exercise on a treadmill and conventional overground gait training are the two most widespread gait-training methods. Numerous studies have been published in the literature that claim treadmill training helps people walk more easily. Therefore, it would be intriguing to investigate whether treadmill gait training affects the progress made by post-lower limb burn patients compared to traditional overground gait training. The goal of the current study was to compare the effectiveness of treadmill training and traditional physical therapy therapies for improving gait after lower limb burn injury. A comparative study was conducted between January to August 2022 at a burns care unit, in Islamabad. All the participants were informed about the study procedure and consent was taken before initiating the study. All the participants received the set standard of Burn Rehabilitation by the American Burn Association (ABA). The program consists of ROM exercises, mobilization, functional mobility, stretching, balance training, and resisted exercises for enhancing muscle power. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 24.0 software. The study subjects selected were 30 burn patients, aged above 18 years, vitally stable, and had lower limb burn injuries with an average TBSA (total burn surface area) of 20-30%. The mean for the Experimental is 18.86 and for the control group is 21.13. Patients were randomly either assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The Experimental group had a lower Time Up and Go test score of 11.86 ± 3.58 (9.50-24.07) as compared to the control group's TUG score (of 12.78 ± 4.41 (6.30-24.07). Functional mobility significantly improved as the P < 0.05. The total mean scores calculated on the Tampa Kinesiophobia scale for the Experimental group were 35.66 ± 6.32 which was less compared with those of the control group 37.93 ± 6.36. It demonstrates that fear of movement was reduced for treadmill training participants. Comparison of pre-distance (350.9 ± 86.82), pre-velocity (62.78 ± 20.20), and post-distance (385.02 ± 32.29), post-velocity 40.48 ± 21.91 of the experimental group with the control group pre-distance (339.26 ± 98.17), pre-velocity (55.07 ± 22.63), post-distance (383.07 ± 36.914), and post-velocity (40.57 ± 21.95) showed significant changes in results. In contrast to traditional gait training, treadmill training significantly improves walking ability in burn patients with lower limb damage.

Pattern of Acute Adverse Transfusion Reactions in Patients With Burn Injuries: A Novel Initiative Towards Haemovigilance at the National Burn Centre of Pakistan

The transfusion of blood and blood components is a life-saving medical procedure, however, it is linked with adverse reactions to transfusions. Information about different types of adverse transfusion reactions (ATRs) will assist in their early identification and subsequent management, as well as in devising strategies to minimize the occurrence of adverse reactions related to blood component transfusion. The current study was therefore executed to analyze the pattern of ATRs in patients with burn injuries at a national burn center. This was a cross-sectional, prospective study involving an analysis of immediate ATRs from January 2020 to June 2021 (18 months). ATRs observed during the study period were documented and analyzed. During the study period, 2,220 units of blood and blood components were transfused to 1,075 burn patients (2.06 transfusions per patient). A total of 27 ATRs were recorded (1.21%). Allergic reactions were the commonest (55.55%) followed by febrile non-haemolytic transfusion reaction (37.03%). The mean volume of blood unit transfused, when the reactions were noted, was approximately 75 ml (range: 15-230 ml). The mean time at which transfusion reactions were noted was 17 min (range: 5-220 minutes). The ATRs were more common in patients with multiple transfusions compared to those receiving a single transfusion. The common adverse reactions were allergic and febrile non-haemolytic transfusion reactions. It is vital to report all transfusion reactions to the attached blood center and hospital transfusion committee (HTC) on standardized reporting forms. Continuous medical education through seminars and sensitization workshops will support consolidating haemovigilance systems.

Shrapnel in carotid sheath: A rare penetrating neck injury

Injuries deeper than the platysma are considered as penetrating neck injuries, constituting approximately 5% - 10% of all trauma. Many vital organs are at risk from a penetrating neck injury. These injuries in zone 1 have the highest mortality, because the injuries are close to the vital organs and difficult to access surgically. A 41-year-old male, a car mechanic by profession, presented to the emergency department with a penetrating neck injury on the right side. CT scan demonstrated a metallic foreign body in zone 1 between the right internal jugular vein and the common carotid artery. The patient was asymptomatic, and the foreign body was removed surgically. This case shows a rare presentation of a penetrating neck injury with a foreign body located in zone 1, where no vital internal structure was injured. As of now, no previous case report has been identified on such presentation. Thus, it will provide a valuable addition to the pre-existing literature.

The effects of trade, renewable energy, and financial development on consumption-based carbon emissions (comparative policy analysis for the G20 and European Union countries)

Recently, there has been a lot of focus on global trade and consumption-based carbon (CCO2) emissions. More research, however, has examined how financial development (FD) and international trade in renewable energy affect CO2 emissions. Furthermore, there are no distinct trends in the research about how globalization affects environmental quality. Our research analyzes and empirically investigates the relationship between CCO2 emissions and renewable energy, FD, and trade. A large panel of data from 41 G20 and European Union (EU) countries is assembled for empirical analysis from 1990 to 2019. The practical outcomes of panel quantile regression and feasible generalized least square (FGLS) approaches display that renewable energy and FD positively relate to CCO2 emissions; furthermore, trade to GDP hurts CCO2 emissions; market classification has been taken as a control variable which shows that the developed countries released more carbon than non-developed countries. These results suggest that the financial sector focuses more on supporting companies that use ecologically friendly techniques and pushing them to use other energy well-organized technologies in their production processes. As a result, CCO2 emissions will be reduced, preventing environmental damage at the non-renewable energy plant.

Observer-based event-triggered leader-following consensus of multi-agents with generalized Lipschitz nonlinear dynamics

This paper discusses a leader-following consensus problem for nonlinear multi-agent systems (MASs) subjected to generalized Lipschitz-type nonlinearity using output feedback. An event-triggered (ET) leader-following control scheme, based upon estimated states using observers, is proposed for efficient bandwidth utilization by application of invariant sets. Distributed observers are designed to estimate the states of the followers because actual states are not always readily available. Besides, in order to reduce unnecessary data communication among the followers, an ET strategy has been formulated which excludes Zeno behavior as well. Under this proposed scheme, sufficient conditions are formulated using Lyapunov theory. These conditions not only guarantee the asymptotic stability of estimation error, but also ensure the tracking consensus of nonlinear MASs. Further, a simple and less conservative design approach using a decoupling scheme for assuring necessity and sufficiency for the main design approach has also been explored. The decoupling scheme is similar to separation principle for linear systems. Contrary to the existing works, the nonlinear systems considered in this study cover a wide family of Lipschitz nonlinearities, including both globally and locally Lipschitz systems. Moreover, the proposed approach is more efficient in handling ET consensus. Finally, the obtained results are verified with single link robots and modified Chua's circuits.

A new event-triggered distributed state estimation approach for one-sided Lipschitz nonlinear discrete-time systems and its application to wireless sensor networks

This article proposes the design of a distributed state estimator for a class of one-sided Lipschitz nonlinear systems over wireless sensor networks. The suggested estimation scheme utilizes the one-sided Lipschitz constraint in conjunction with quadratic inner-boundedness, which makes it applicable to a broader class of nonlinear systems. The proposed estimator design is evaluated under a conventional event-triggered mechanism both in the absence and presence of external perturbations. Furthermore, a novel event-triggering condition is introduced that ensures error convergence to the origin in the absence of external perturbations. It is further established that the inclusion of new triggering condition reduces the estimation error upper bounds in the presence of external disturbances and noises. Sufficient conditions for boundedness of estimation errors are derived for each case, and matrix inequalities are developed for the calculation of estimator gains. Finally, a numerical example is considered to illustrate the efficacy of the proposed estimator.

Static anti-windup compensator design for locally Lipschitz systems under input and output delays

This paper proposes a static anti-windup compensator (AWC) design methodology for the locally Lipschitz nonlinear systems, containing time-varying interval delays in input and output of the system in the presence of actuator saturation. Static AWC design is proposed for the systems by considering a delay-range-dependent methodology to consider less conservative delay bounds. The approach has been developed by utilizing an improved Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, locally Lipschitz nonlinearity property, delay-interval, delay derivative upper bound, local sector condition, L2 gain reduction from exogenous input to exogenous output, improved Wirtinger inequality, additive time-varying delays, and convex optimization algorithms to obtain convex conditions for AWC gain calculations. In contrast to the existing results, the present work considers both input and output delays for the AWC design (along with their combined additive effect) and deals with a more generic locally Lipschitz class of nonlinear systems. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is demonstrated via simulations for a nonlinear DC servo motor system, possessing multiple time-delays, dynamic nonlinearity and actuator constraints.

Detection of adaptive genetic diversity and chemical composition in date palm cultivars and their implications in controlling red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliver

This study, about RPW and date palms, is under the scope of date palm bioecology and nutrition (nutritional ecology) which includes the integration of several areas of research such as date palm biochemistry, genetics, and RPW infestation behavior through various date palm cultivars. Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.; Arecaceae) production is under threat from the red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliver. A better understanding of genetic diversity within date palm cultivars can be useful for its implementation within the insect IPM program in the future. Three indices, namely simple-sequence repeats (SSR) markers to elucidate genetic diversity, chemical components, and a natural infestation index of RPW, were used to evaluate the resistant or susceptible date palm cultivars in Qassim. Based on a field survey of RPW infestation within 79 date palm farms involving 11 cultivars at Qassim, the sensitivity and resistance cultivars were determined. The resistant date palm cultivars were Nabtat Ali, Shakrah, red Sukary, and um Kobar which had the lowest degree of RPW abundance %. Values of the essential minerals, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium within the date palm cultivars were also estimated. RPW abundance % was negatively correlated with the calcium content of date palm cultivars. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the calcium content and RPW abundance % were highly affected by the cultivars. SSR markers of the date palm cluster tree divided genotypes into two main groups at similarity coefficients between 0.56 and 0.91. The 1st group included; Nabtet Ali, Red Sukary, Um Kobar, and Shakrah with similarity coefficients between 0.56, this group was the most resistant cultivars. Therefore, SSR markers were able to characterize and resolve genetic diversity in date palm cultivars for RPW resistance. When SSR markers coupled with higher calcium (Ca) content can efficiently replace indices in characterizing resistant date-palm genotypes with a high confidence level. Integration between date palm genetic diversity, chemical structures, and RPW infestations rates promoted the understanding of the interplay between the diversity of RPW management (short-time scale), and the resistance genes, plant nutrition, and dynamics of the diversity of RPW through domestication and diversification (long-timescale). Therefore, our results may lead to a change in RPW control strategies by switching to using safe alternative pesticide control methods (Resistant cultivars of date palm), which are underestimated and may reveal the impact of low-cost, but highly effective agricultural practices in the field of date production in the world. Understanding the genetic structure and calcium content of date palm cultivars mechanisms could help to predict date palm resistance against RPW populations in the new IPM strategy in RPW control.

On Relative-Output Feedback Approach for Group Consensus of Clusters of Multiagent Systems

In this article, the group consensus problem is addressed for a network of multiagent systems (MASs). Unlike in existing literature, where a relative-state feedback-based distributed control input is used to achieve group consensus, this work aims at designing a relative-output-based distributed control law to achieve the same goal. To that effect, the Lyapunov stability theory is used to formulate the sufficient and necessary conditions for the existence of such a feedback controller and then separate conditions have been included for its design. In addition to that, a new linear matrix inequality is explored to choose the intracluster coupling strengths to ensure group consensus. In this article, the relative-output-based control approach is investigated for both the leaderless and the leader-following frameworks of the group consensus problem, and the theoretical findings presented are validated using numerical examples and simulation results.

Anchoring Mechanism for Capsule Endoscope: Mechanical Design, Fabrication and Experimental Evaluation

Capsule endoscopes are widely used to diagnose gut-related problems, but they are passive in nature and cannot actively move inside the gut. This paper details the design process and development of an anchoring mechanism and actuation system to hold a capsule in place within the small intestine. The design centres around the mechanical structure of the anchor that makes use of compliant Sarrus linkage legs, which extend to make contact with the intestine, holding the capsule in place. Three variants with 2 legs, 3 legs and 4 legs of the anchoring mechanism were tested using a shape memory alloy spring actuator (5 mm × ϕ 3.4 mm). The experiments determine that all the variants can anchor at the target site and resist peristaltic forces of 346 mN. The proposed design is well suited for an intestine with a diameter of 19 mm. The proposed design allows the capsule endoscopes to anchor at the target site for a better and more thorough examination of the targeted region. The proposed anchoring mechanism has the potential to become a vital apparatus for clinicians to use with capsule endoscopes in the future.

Exploring the mediating role of environmental strategy, green innovations, and transformational leadership: the impact of corporate social responsibility on environmental performance

This study examines the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on environmental performance by utilizing data collected from ten big industrial organizations operating in Lahore, Pakistan. The research data was organized using the cross-sectional process. Of the 316 questionnaires completed by employees, 226 were considered valid, and these responses were used for further PLS analysis. The findings of the research indicate CSR has a moderate impact on environmental performance. Furthermore, the result revealed that green innovation, green capability, environmental strategy, and green transformational leadership are a better ecological performance example that could mediate CSR and environmental performance. This research study postulates the existing resource-based view (RBV) theory for overall directors of industrial organizations and representatives to achieve and manage CSR, green innovation, green capability, environmental strategy, and green transformational leadership to find optimal environmental performance. Thorough study will provide valuable inputs to the overall directors and managers of the enormous industrial sector to support their internal strategies such as CSR, green innovation, green capability, environmental strategy, and green transformational leadership to expand the environmental performance (to help directors, managers, policymakers, and executives to take appropriate/profitable decisions in the future).

An adaptive gain based approach for event-triggered state estimation with unknown parameters and sensor nonlinearities over wireless sensor networks

The distributed state and parameter estimation problem is investigated in this paper for discrete-time nonlinear systems subject to sensor nonlinearities and stochastic disturbances over a wireless sensor network. A novel architecture for distributed state estimator is introduced that incorporates adaptive coupling gains to govern the information exchange between the sensor nodes under event-triggering mechanism. The aim of this paper is to provide a scalable structure for unknown parameter identification independent of sensor networks' complexity. The boundedness of estimation error is ensured in the framework of uniformly ultimately bounded stability by developing an algebraic connectivity based criterion. The estimator gains including proposed coupling gains are then presented as solution to matrix inequalities. Finally, two simulation examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed estimation architecture.

Monitoring of infestation percentages of the invasive red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and management tactics: a six-year study

Red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), is a devastating invasive pest, that invaded Saudi Arabia's date palms in 1987. Evaluation of the infestations and the efficacy of both preventative and control treatments have been studied from 2015- 2020 in Qassim. The results indicated that the number of infested date palms varied according to the years and locations. The infested date palm trees percentage was relatively high in 2016 (2.24%) and 2017 (3.19%), then gradually decreased to reach its lowest in 2020 (0.73%) due to the management protocol applied by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. Furthermore, the infested palm trees' percentage varied among the eight study locations, reaching the highest percentage in location G (SA7) with a general average of 4.31%. While in the other locations, the general infested percentage average was very low when compared to location G (SA7) with 1.21 and 0.47% in locations A (SA1) and H (SA8), respectively. The effectiveness of control methods increased sharply from 52.141% in 2015 to 90.0% in 2020 with a general average of 72.73%. The quarantine and management protocols of R. ferruginous applied in Qassim decreased the number of palm infestations. Contrary, the intensive use of insecticide in the last two decades promoted genetic mutations within the Rhynchophorus, which led to the emergence of a new species R. bilineatus. This leads to increase pesticide pollution, and control costs and the insect becomes more resistant to pesticides.

A Soft Multi-Axis High Force Range Magnetic Tactile Sensor for Force Feedback in Robotic Surgical Systems

This paper presents a multi-axis low-cost soft magnetic tactile sensor with a high force range for force feedback in robotic surgical systems. The proposed sensor is designed to fully decouple the output response for normal, shear and angular forces. The proposed sensor is fabricated using rapid prototyping techniques and utilizes Neodymium magnets embedded in an elastomer over Hall sensors such that their displacement produces a voltage change that can be used to calculate the applied force. The initial spacing between the magnets and the Hall sensors is optimized to achieve a large displacement range using finite element method (FEM) simulations. The experimental characterization of the proposed sensor is performed for applied force in normal, shear and 45° angular direction. The force sensitivity of the proposed sensor in normal, shear and angular directions is 16 mV/N, 30 mV/N and 81 mV/N, respectively, with minimum mechanical crosstalk. The force range for the normal, shear and angular direction is obtained as 0–20 N, 0–3.5 N and 0–1.5 N, respectively. The proposed sensor shows a perfectly linear behavior and a low hysteresis error of 8.3%, making it suitable for tactile sensing and biomedical applications. The effect of the material properties of the elastomer on force ranges and sensitivity values of the proposed sensor is also discussed.

Role of Pie Crusting Technique on Soft Tissues in Preventing Soft Tissue Complications Compared to Conventional Closure of Wound in Fractures of Distal Tibia (PILON) and Fibula

Objective: To demonstrate the effect of performing pie crusting on skin bridging two incisions used for open reduction and fixation to reduce wound complications compared to conventional wound closure. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi from Jan to Nov 2020. Methodology: Forty-seven patients, managed primarily with open reduction and internal fixation for type-43 fractures per AO/OTA classification, were studied. Group-1 comprised patients in whom the pie crusting technique was used during the closure of the wound. Group-2 included patients in whom conventional closure of the wound was performed. Evaluation of complications in the presence or absence of superficial and deep infection and necrosis was done. The time from injury to surgery was 6 hours to 72 hours. Patients were followed for an average of 12 weeks. Results: In group-1 (pie-crust technique), there were 23 patients, whereas group-2 (classic wound closure) comprised 24 patients. In group-1, only 1 (4%) patient had a superficial infection, and no deep infection was reported. Whereas in group-2, six patients (25%) had superficial infection, and two patients (8%) had the deep infection. Conclusion: Results indicated that pie-crust technique significantly reduces the risk of superficial and deep wound complications compared to classic wound closure because it reduces skin tension and allows the drainage of subcutaneous fluids.

The clinical course, biochemical markers, and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 positive patients from the third wave in Pakistan: A retrospective cohort study

Background

Third wave of COVID-19 has affected several countries. Case fatality rates from first and second waves are expected to be surpassed by the current wave due to various variant transmissions. This study was aimed to compare and contrast the significant clinical markers between survivors and non-survivors during the third wave of COVID-19 to assess severity and prognosis.

Methods

It includes all the patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) during the third wave, and were monitored for their disease course and outcomes. A total of 209 patients were included in the analysis via non-probability consecutive sampling method.

Results

The median age was higher in non-surviving patients (p = 0.010). Majority of deaths occurred in intensive care patients (p < 0.001) and those with diabetes (p = 0.032) and hypertension (p = 0.003). Fever was the most predominant symptom in all patients (78.9%), dyspnea was common among expired individuals (p = 0.043) while recovered patients were more likely to be asymptomatic (p = 0.044). Gastrointestinal symptoms were not found marked during this wave. Being on ventilator has higher mortality (p < 0.001). Predominant radiological findings were interstitial patches or infiltrate (43.7%). Multivariable analysis showed hypertension (p = 0.042), BiPAP/CPAP (p < 0.001), being on ventilator (p = 0.004), and ARDS (p < 0.001) was associated with poor survival while patchy interstitial infiltrates on X-ray had good survival probability (p = 0.032). On Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, hypertension (p = 0.003), BiPAP/CPAP (p = 0.008), ventilator (p = 0.025), ICU stay (p = 0.001), high-grade fever (p = 0.001), and ARDS (p < 0.001) had reduced cumulative survival.

Conclusion

Certain biochemical markers were more predictive of disease severity in the third-wave than the preceding waves.

Short Term Stress of Covid-19 on World Major Stock Indices

The main objective of this study is to check the short-term stress of COVID-19 pandemic on the American, European, Asian, and Pacific stock market indices and furthermore the correlation between all the stock markets during the pandemic. Secondary data of 41 stock exchange from 32 countries have been collected from investing.com website from 1st July 2019 to 14th May 2020 for the stock market and the COVID-19 data has been collected according to the first cases reported in the country, stocks market are classified either developed or emerging economy, further divided according to the subcontinent i.e. America, Europe, and Pacific/Asia, the main focus in the data is the report of first COVID-19 cases. The study reveals that there is volatility in the all the 41 stock market (American, Europe, Asia, and Pacific) after reporting of the first case and volatility increase with the increase of COVID-19 cases, moreover, there is a significant negative relationship between the number of COVID-19 cases and 41 major stock indices of American, Europe, Asia and Pacific, European subcontinent market found more effected from the COVID-19 than another subcontinent, there is Clustering effect of COVID-19 on all the stock market except American's stock market due to smart capital investing.

COVID-19-associated Coagulopathy and Thromboembolism: Determination of their Patterns and Risk Factors as Predictors of Mortality Among Severe COVID-19 Patients

BACKGROUND

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with coagulopathy (CAC) and venous thromboembolism (VTE). These are well-reported complications of COVID-19 infection. Earlier publications have shown that CAC and thromboembolism are predictors of mortality among COVID-19 patients with severe disease.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A prospective study was conducted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where all confirmed COVID-19 patients were enrolled and followed until death or ICU discharge. CAC, VTE, along with all comorbidities were recorded. Predictors of mortality were determined by univariate and multivariate regression.

RESULTS

Among 261 patients with COVID-19, 48.3% survived and 51.7% died. CAC was present in 53.2% and 76.3% of the survivors and non-survivors, respectively (p<0.001); 89 patients (31.4%) had VTE (p=0.36) and 11 patients (4.2%) had arterial thrombosis (p=0.76) among survivors and non-survivors. Age between 71-80 years (p=0.009), male gender (p=0.045), CAC (p<0.001), comorbidities like chronic kidney disease (CKD, p=0.013), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, p=0.001) and asthma (p=0.046), were significant predictors of mortality.

CONCLUSION

A severe complication of COVID-19 is CAC, such as sepsis-induced coagulopathy, overt disseminated-coagulopathy and VTE. Old age, various comorbidities (e.g. COPD, CKD or asthma), CAC, VTE (pulmonary embolism) and coagulation parameters with critical severity score (D-dimers, platelets, prothrombin time) and the SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) score were significant predictors of mortality among COVID-19 patients.

Sleep Quality and Compliance to Medical Therapy Among Hemodialysis Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Depression is a fairly common finding among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and is an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality. The psychiatric manifestations of the disease may affect their compliance to medications and alter sleep quality that is often overlooked. This translates into poor quality of life and poorer disease prognosis. Our study aims to assess the prevalence of depression and its association with compliance to medical therapy and sleep quality among ESRD patients on hemodialysis.

Methodology

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 288 hemodialysis patients with a confirmed diagnosis of ESRD were evaluated for depression using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale. Only patients with moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms on PHQ-9 were further evaluated for sleep quality and compliance to medications using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Drug Attitude Inventory-10 (DAI-10), respectively. The characteristics of ESRD patients with depression were also assessed. Median PHQ-9, DAI-10, and PSQI scores were calculated, and the correlation between study variables was assessed using Spearman’s correlation.

Results

Of the 288 included participants, 188 (65.27%) had depression as evaluated via PHQ-9. Of these 188 patients, 114 were males while 74 were females. A total of 113 (60.01%) of depressed patients had poor compliance to medication while 137 (72.87%) patients had poor sleep quality. Higher PHQ-9 scores were positively correlated with disease duration, dialysis years, and time between diagnosis and therapy (r = 0.41, 0.39, and 0.43, respectively) and negatively with marital and employment status (r = -0.32 and -0.49, respectively). Spearman’s correlation showed a significant negative correlation of PHQ-9 scores with DAI-10 scores but a significant positive correlation with PSQI scores. The correlation between DAI-10 and PSQI was a significant negative correlation.

Conclusions

This study indicated a high prevalence of moderate-to-severe depression among ESRD patients on hemodialysis. Poor sleep quality and non-adherence to medications are frequent among ESRD patients with depression. These psychiatric components must be considered to optimize medical treatment and improve the quality of life in this subset of patients. More studies should be conducted to assess the risk factors of depression in patients with ESRD.

Production of high quality biodiesel from novel non-edible Raphnus raphanistrum L. seed oil using copper modified montmorillonite clay catalyst

This study focused on producing high quality and yield of biodiesel from novel non-edible seed oil of abundantly available wild Raphnus raphanistrum L. using an efficient, recyclable and eco-friendly copper modified montmorillonite (MMT) clay catalyst. The maximum biodiesel yield of 83% was obtained by base catalyzed transesterification process under optimum operating conditions of methanol to oil ratio of 15:1, reaction temperature of 150 °C, reaction time of 5 h and catalyst loading of 3.5%. The synthesized catalyst and biodiesel were characterized for their structural features and chemical compositions using various state-of-the-art techniques, including x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H, ¹³C) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The fuel properties of the biodiesel were estimated including kinematic viscosity (4.36 cSt), density (0.8312 kg/L), flash point (72 °C), acid value (0.172 mgKOH/g) and sulphur content (0.0002 wt.%). These properties were compared and found in good agreement with the International Biodiesel Standards of American (ASTM-951, 6751), European Committee (EN-14214) and China GB/T 20828 (2007). The catalyst was re-used in five consecutive transesterification reactions without losing much catalytic efficiency. Overall, non-edible Raphnus raphanistrum L.. seed oil and Cu doped MMT clay catalyst appeared to be highly active, stable, and cheap contenders for future biofuel industry. However, detailed life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of Raphnus raphanistrum L. seed oil biodiesel are highly recommended to assess the technical, ecological, social and economic challenges.

Capsule robot for gut microbiota sampling using shape memory alloy spring

BACKGROUND

Human gut microbiota can provide lifelong health information and even influence mood and behaviour. We currently lack the tools to obtain a microbial sample, directly from the small intestine, without contamination.

METHODS

Shape memory alloy springs are used in concentric configuration to develop an axial actuator. A novel design of sampling mechanism is fabricated for collecting the sample from the gut. Storage chamber (500 µl) is used to protect the sample from downstream contamination.

RESULTS

The developed actuator occupies a small space (5 × Ø5.75 mm) and produces sufficient output force (1.75 N) to operate the sampling mechanism. A non-invasive capsule robot was tested ex vivo on the animal intestine, and it captured an average of 134 µl content which was sufficient for microbiome assessment.

CONCLUSIONS

Laboratory testing revealed that the collected sample had an amino acid signature indicative of microbiota, mucus and digesta, which provided a proof of concept for the proposed design.

Consensus tracking of nonlinear multi-agent systems under input saturation with applications: A sector-based approach

This paper focuses on the consensus tracking control of nonlinear multi-agent systems by utilizing the quadratic inner-bounded (QIB) and the one-sided Lipschitz (OSL) conditions in the presence of input saturation constraint under a directed communication topology. A novel sector constraint for the saturation function to formulate consensus control of nonlinear systems under saturating inputs is derived. This sector condition is applied to develop a leader-following consensus of nonlinear agents. A local treatment of the consensus control, ensuring a guaranteed region of stability in the presence of input constraints is provided herein. A computationally simple convex routine-based approach is attained for extraction of the coupling weight and gain of the relative state feedback-based consensus protocol along with the enlargement of the region of stability. Unlike the conventional schemes, the proposed approach can deal with OSL nonlinear agents, effectively employs the information of communication topology in the sector condition, and can be applied to both linear and nonlinear regions of actuators. Moreover, a useful consensus approach for the Lipschitz nonlinear agents is obtained as a particular scenario of the resultant method. Numerical examples to demonstrate the applications and effectiveness of the proposed approach for the input-constrained nonlinear mobile and robotic agents are provided.

Temporal expression profiles of lncRNA and mRNA in human embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons during differentiation

Background

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) have been an invaluable research tool to study motor neuron development and disorders. However, transcriptional regulation of multiple temporal stages from ESCs to spinal motor neurons (MNs) has not yet been fully elucidated. Thus, the goals of this study were to profile the time-course expression patterns of lncRNAs during MN differentiation of ESCs and to clarify the potential mechanisms of the lncRNAs that are related to MN differentiation.

Methods

We utilized our previous protocol which can harvest motor neuron in more than 90% purity from hESCs. Then, differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) and mRNAs (DEmRNAs) during MN differentiation were identified through RNA sequencing. Bioinformatic analyses were performed to assess potential biological functions of genes. We also performed qRT-PCR to validate the DElncRNAs and DEmRNAs.

Results

A total of 441 lncRNAs and 1,068 mRNAs at day 6, 443 and 1,175 at day 12, and 338 lncRNAs and 68 mRNAs at day 18 were differentially expressed compared with day 0. Bioinformatic analyses identified that several key regulatory genes including POU5F1, TDGF1, SOX17, LEFTY2 and ZSCAN10, which involved in the regulation of embryonic development. We also predicted 283 target genes of DElncRNAs, in which 6 mRNAs were differentially expressed. Significant fold changes in lncRNAs (NCAM1-AS) and mRNAs (HOXA3) were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Then, through predicted overlapped miRNA verification, we constructed a lncRNA NCAM1-AS-miRNA-HOXA3 network.

CO2 utilization: Turning greenhouse gas into fuels and valuable products

This study critically reviews the recent developments and future opportunities pertinent to the conversion of CO₂ as a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) to fuels and valuable products. CO₂ emissions have reached an alarming level of around 410 ppm and have become the primary driver of global warming and climate change leading to devastating events such as droughts, hurricanes, torrential rains, floods, tornados and wildfires across the world. These events are responsible for thousands of deaths and have adversely affected the economic development of many countries, loss of billions of dollars, across the globe. One of the promising choices to tackle this issue is carbon sequestration by pre- and post-combustion processes and oxyfuel combustion. The captured CO₂ can be converted into fuels and valuable products, including methanol, dimethyl ether (DME), and methane (CH₄). The efficient use of the sequestered CO₂ for the desalinization might be critical in overcoming water scarcity and energy issues in developing countries. Using the sequestered CO₂ to produce algae in combination with wastewater, and producing biofuels is among the promising strategies. Many methods, like direct combustion, fermentation, transesterification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion (AD), and gasification, can be used for the conversion of algae into biofuel. Direct air capturing (DAC) is another productive technique for absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere and converting it into various useful energy resources like CH₄. These methods can effectively tackle the issues of climate change, water security, and energy crises. However, future research is required to make these conversion methods cost-effective and commercially applicable.

FREQUENCY OF ABO, RH AND ABO-RH BLOOD GROUPS IN STUDENTS OF GOMAL MEDICAL COLLEGE, D.I.KHAN, PAKISTAN

Background: Blood group of an individual is commonly determined by ABO & Rh status. The objectives of the study were to determine the frequency of ABO, Rh and ABO-Rh blood groups in students of Gomal Medical College, D.I.Khan, Pakistan. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Community Medicine, Gomal Medical College, D.I.Khan, Pakistan from April 1 to May 23, 2019. The population being accessible was taken as sample. Sample size was 452. Our research variables (attributes) were ABO (A, B, AB, O), Rh (positive and negative) and ABO-Rh (A+, B+, AB+ O+, A-, B-, AB-, O-) respectively. All variables being nominal were described by count and percentage. The estimated parameters were given as confidence interval for proportion at 95% confidence level. The observed frequency of ABO, Rh and ABO-Rh blood groups was tested against their expected frequency using chi-square goodness of fit test. Results: Out of 452 students, the frequency of ABO blood group was; A 127 (28.12%), B 165 (36.53%), AB 57 (12.62%) & O 103 (22.73%); Rh blood group was; Rh+ 408 (90.33%) & Rh- 44 (9.67%) and ABO-Rh was; A+ 116 (25.60%), B+ 148 (32.05%), AB+ 50 (11.30%), O+ 91 (20.10%), A- 11 (2.40%), B- 17 (03.70%), AB- 7 (1.50%) & O- 12 (2.60%). The observed frequency of ABO & ABO-Rh blood groups was significantly different whereas of Rh blood group was similar to expected prevalence. Conclusion: In our population, most common blood group was B+ and the least common was AB-. The observed frequency of ABO & ABO-Rh blood groups was different while of Rh was same as expected. Awareness of blood groups in populations will help in the effective management of blood banks record in routine as well as during blood related life emergency situations.

Untapped renewable energy potential of crop residues in Pakistan: Challenges and future directions

Sustainability in power generation mainly depends on the transition from fossils to sustainable energy resources. Biomass from the crop residue has huge potential for renewable power generation, but it is still not utilized to its full potential. This study presents a comprehensive methodology to evaluate and forecast the current and future availability of selective crop residue to generate renewable energy. A forecast model incorporating historical trends in the crop yield has been developed in MATLAB and implemented for crop residue based biomass resource assessment of five primary crops (wheat straw, rice husk, rice straw, cotton straw, corn stover, and bagasse) in order to estimate the energy generation potential for Pakistan from 2018 till 2035. It was found that about 40 million tonnes of crop residue was available in Pakistan for power generation in the year 2018 considering a residue removal (availability) factor of 50%. This translates to an estimated potential of about 11,000 MW of electricity generation capacity using crop residue derived biomass for 2018. This capacity is predicted to gradually increase up to 16,000 MW by the year 2035 based on the trends in the growth of crop production since 2001. The suitability of a potential region for the installation of 100 MW biomass-fired power plants was also assessed by calculating crop residue density and an equivalent collection radius (R_e) of 50 km (km). Punjab province of Pakistan, being an agricultural province, with relatively better road infrastructure can sustain crop residue based power plants of up to 7000 MW cumulative capacity at various locations. The challenges, such as economic, logistics, regulatory and political barriers, in generating renewable energy from biomass along with their potential solutions were also discussed. The study also provides a baseline for future research to evaluate and forecast the growth in bio-power generation potential of any biomass resource in a region based on crop yield and area of the region.

Domination of Filamentous Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacteria and Prediction of Metabolic Pathways in Microbial Mats from the Hot Springs of Al Aridhah

Microbial mats in hot springs form a dynamic ecosystem and support the growth of diverse communities with broad-ranging metabolic capacity. In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to analyse microbial communities in mat samples from two hot springs in Al Aridhah, Saudi Arabia. Putative metabolic pathways of the microbial communities were identified using phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt). Filamentous anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria associated with phylum Chloroflexi were abundant (> 50 %) in both hot springs at 48 °C. Chloroflexi were mainly represented by taxa Chloroflexus followed by Roseiflexus. Cyanobacteria of genus Arthrospira constituted 3.4 % of microbial mats. Heterotrophic microorganisms were mainly represented by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. Archaea were detected at a lower relative abundance (< 1 %). Metabolic pathways associated with membrane transport, carbon fixation, methane metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and degradation of aromatic compounds were commonly found in microbial mats of both hot springs. In addition, pathways for production of secondary metabolites and antimicrobial compounds were predicted to be present in microbial mats. In conclusion, microbial communities in the hot springs of Al Aridhah were composed of diverse bacteria, with taxa of Chloroflexus being dominant.

Development of novel MnO2 coated carbon felt cathode for microbial electroreduction of CO2 to biofuels

Fabrication of superior and cost-effective cathodic materials is vital in manufacturing sustainable microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) for biofuels production. In the present study, a novel manganese dioxide (MnO₂) coated felt cathode (Mn/CF) has been developed for MECs using electrodeposition method via potentiostat. MnO₂ is considered to encourage exogenous electron exchange and, in this way, improves the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂). MnO₂, as a cathodic catalyst, enhances the rate of biofuel production, electron transfer, and significantly reduces the cost of MECs. A maximum stabilized current density of 3.70 ± 0.5 mA/m² was obtained in case of MnO₂-coated Mn/CF based MEC, which was more than double the non-coated carbon felt (CF) cathode (1.70 ± 0.5 mA/m²). The dual chamber Mn/CF-MEC achieved the highest production rate of acetic acid (37.9 mmol/L) that was significantly higher (43.0%) in comparison to the non-coated CF-MEC. The cyclic voltammograms further verified the substantial enhancement in the electron transfer between the MnO₂ coated cathode and microbes. The obtained results demonstrate that MnO₂ interacted electrochemically with microbial cells and enhanced the extracellular electron transfer, therefore validating its potential role in biofuel production. The MnO₂ coated CF further offered higher electrode surface area and better electron transfer efficiency, suggesting its applicability in the large-scale MECs.

Frequency of maintenance hemodialysis patients meeting K/DOQI criteria for serum calcium, phosphorus, calcium phosphorus product and PTH levels; a single institutional experience from Pakistan: a cross sectional study

Introduction

There is a great scarcity of literature in Pakistan investigating the proportion of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) who meet the recommended kidney diseases outcome quality initiative (K/DOQI) guidelines for serum calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), calcium phosphorus product (Ca x P) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Our study aimed to determine frequencies of patients who met the K/DOQI targets for these minerals at a tertiary care hospital's dialysis unit.

Methods

111 ESRD patients on maintenance HD were selected from a tertiary care hospital. Serum Ca and P were assayed on chemistry analyser. PTH was measured through electrochemiluminescence sandwich method. Data were compared with K/DOQI targets and analysed using SPSS-21.

Results

The mean age of patients was 55.85 years (SD ± 13.95). Gender distribution was almost equal with 49.5% males and 50.5% females. The patients had mean corrected serum Calcium 9.12 ± 0.64 mg/dL, Phosphorus 4.57 ± 1.54 mg/dL and Parathyroid hormone 333.8 ± 278.4 pg/mL. The patients had achieved K/DOQI target ranges of Ca, P, PTH, Ca x P product and all 4 criteria in 63.1%, 47.6%, 38.7%, 84.7% and 10.8% respectively.

Conclusion

Majority of patients on maintenance HD at our institution did not achieve the recommended K/DOQI target ranges. Further studies pertaining to the Asian subcontinent will prove resourceful for comparison of mineral metabolism and dialysis outcome of ESRD patients.