Preparation and Characterization of Barium Titanate Nano Particles Using Solution Combustion

Ferroelectric materials are gaining increased importance as a result of their high dielectric constants making them useful for electrical capacitors, high piezoelectric constants to make sensors, actuators, RF Filters, ferroelectric hysteresis suit making non-volatile memories, high pyroelectric properties for infra-red detectors, thermistors, and strong electro-optic effects to be used in optical switches, data storage, etc. Barium titanate undergoes change in shape from perovskite into cubic structure Curie temperature which causes polarization, or spontaneous, polarization. Many techniques were described for the synthesis of Barium titanate including solid-state reaction, sol-gel method, hydrothermal and solution combustion. Solution combustion. The last method offers good control of the properties to meet specific requirements of the products and allows the preparation of nanomaterials  to suit energy saving and protection of environment made it attractive for many purposes. In the present work barium titanate is synthesized as submicro to nano sized particles using the solution combustion technique utilizing urea and glycerin as fuel / oxidant mixture. The experimental parameters were varied to suit the optimization of the process

Development and pilot implementation of a locally developed Trauma Registry: lessons learnt in a low-income country

Background Trauma registries (TRs) play an integral role in the assessment of trauma care quality. TRs are still uncommon in developing countries owing to awareness and cost. We present a case study of development and pilot implementation of “Karachi Trauma Registry” (KITR), using existing medical records at a tertiary-care hospital of Karachi, Pakistan to present results of initial data and describe its process of implementation. Methods KITR is a locally developed, customized, electronic trauma registry based on open source software designed by local software developers in Karachi. Data for KITR was collected from November 2010 to January 2011. All patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) of the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) with a diagnosis of injury as defined in ICD-9 CM were included. There was no direct contact with patients or health care providers for data collection. Basic demographics, injury details, event detail, injury severity and outcome were recorded. Data was entered in the KITR and reports were generated. Results Complete data of 542 patients were entered and analysed. The mean age of patients was 27 years, and 72.5% were males. About 87% of patients had sustained blunt injury. Falls and motor vehicle crashes were the most common mechanisms of injury. Head and face, followed by the extremities, were the most frequently injured anatomical regions. The mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 4.99 and there were 8 deaths. The most common missing variables in the medical records were ethnicity, ED notification prior to transfer, and pre-hospital IV fluids. Average time to review each chart was 14.5 minutes and entry into the electronic registry required 15 minutes. Conclusion Using existing medical records, we were able to enter data on most variables including mechanism of injuries, burden of severe injuries and quality indicators such as length of stay in ED, injury to arrival delay, as well as generate injury severity and survival probability but missed information such as ethnicity, ED notification. To make the data collection process more effective, we propose provider based data collection or making a standardized data collection tool a part of medical records

Optimum spacing between grooved tubes: an experimental study

An experimental study on the optimum spacing between grooved tubes is reported in this paper. Two grooved tubes having a pitch of 10 mm and 15 mm and a plain tube were considered for the heat transfer analysis. The spacing between two tubes with the same pitch was varied from 10 mm to 35 mm with a step size of 5 mm. The velocity of air flowing over the tube surfaces was changed from 0.4 m/s to 1 m/s using a blower fan. Based on Nusselt number (Nu) the optimum spacing between the tubes was decided. The optimum spacing between grooved tubes of pitch 10 mm and 15 mm was compared with that of plain tubes. From the experimental analysis, it was noticed that with an increase in air velocity (increase in Reynolds number) the tube surface temperature reduced irrespective of any tube considered. Nu increased with an increase in air velocity for all the tubes. The important conclusion drawn from the present study was that there exists a limiting spacing (optimum) between the tubes above which no change in Nu was observed. The spacing of 30 mm was found to be the optimum spacing between the tubes irrespective of its surface geometry modifications

Shirkat Town Monitoring Using Digital Elevation Model

In this search, a colored image of French satellite SPOT, of Shirkat country in Salahadeen was used with resolution about (5m) for an area with dimensions (4km×8km), and a digital elevation model (DEM) with grids (20m×20m) and levels reach to (1m) resolution from the same satellite for the same country, with an image taken from the IKONOS satellite with (1m) resolution, in addition to master plan and administrative map for the same area. The IKONOS satellite image processed digitally, and intersected with the DEM, to create a three dimensional model for the area under study, with resolution about (1mm), by the use of AutoCAD and GIS programs, and making a comparison between the field survey and the images information, resulting extensive information about the levels in shirkat country streets and the surrounding buildings, and an attributive results about the agricultural or desert spaces around the country

Intentional and unintentional poisoning in Pakistan: a pilot study using the Emergency Departments surveillance project.

Background: Acute poisoning is one of the most common reasons for emergency department visits around the world. In Pakistan, the epidemiological data on poisoning is limited due to an under developed poison information surveillance system. We aim to describe the characteristics associated with intentional and unintentional poisoning in Pakistan presenting to emergency departments.Methods: The data was extracted from the Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance (Pak-NEDS) which was an active surveillance conducted between November 2010 and March 2011. All patients, regardless of age, who presented with poisoning to any of Pakistan\u27s seven major tertiary care centers\u27 emergency departments, were included. Information about patient demographics, type of poisoning agent, reason for poisoning and outcomes were collected using a standard questionnaire.Results: Acute poisoning contributed to 1.2% (n = 233) of patients with intentional and unintentional injuries presenting to EDs of participating centers. Of these, 68% were male, 54% were aged 19 to 44 and 19% were children and adolescents (\u3c18 years). Types of poisoning included chemical/gas (43.8%), drug/medicine (27%), alcohol (16.7%) and food/plant (6%). In half of all patients the poisoning was intentional. A total of 11.6% of the patients were admitted and 6.6% died.Conclusions: Poisoning causes more morbidity and mortality in young adults in Pakistan compared to other age groups, half of which is intentional. Improving mental health, regulatory control for hazardous chemicals and better access to care through poison information centers and emergency departments will potentially help control the problem

Stimulating immunoglobulin response by intramuscular delivery of exopolysaccharides-adjuvanted mannheimiosis vaccine in goats

Background and Aim: Pneumonic mannheimiosis (PM) is a common respiratory bacterial disease among small ruminants. Despite numerous management methods, vaccination remains a suitable strategy to combat or reduce PM in goats and sheep. Thus, a study was conducted in Malaysia to evaluate the immunogenicity of exopolysaccharide-adjuvanted Mannheimia haemolytica A2 vaccine (EPS-MHA2) under laboratory and field conditions for its potential use as an efficient vaccine against PM. Materials and Methods: This study induced immunoglobulin (Ig) responses following intramuscular (IM) delivery of the EPS-MHA2 vaccine on 12 goats for about 7 months. Goats were divided into three groups, with three goats per group, and they were vaccinated intramuscularly as follows: Group 1 was vaccinated with an adjuvanted vaccine prepared from formalin-killed M. haemolytica serotypes A2 and EPS excipient; Group 2 was vaccinated with formalin-killed M. haemolytica seed only, whereas Group 3 was injected with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as the negative control. Measures of specific immunity included serum IgM, IgG, and IgA as well as bronchoalveolar lavage fluid secretory IgA and the size and number of the bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT). Results: From the 1st day of vaccination, Groups 1 and 2 showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in serum IgM, IgG, and IgA levels. However, the antibodies started to decline 5-week post-vaccination, indicating that the booster dose was necessary. On the second exposure to the same vaccine (booster), the level of antibodies showed a significant increase (p < 0.05), particularly IgG. All groups were challenged intratracheally by virulent MHA2 2 weeks after the decline of second antibodies on the administration of booster. All goats were euthanatized and necropsied 4-week post-challenge. The number and size of the BALT in Group 1 goats significantly increased compared with those in Group 2 and the unvaccinated control. Bacteriological parameters were evaluated, in which MHA2 was reisolated successfully from lung samples in Group 3. The IgA level produced by the group vaccinated with EPS-MHA2 was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than that the MHA2 vaccine and PBS groups. All data obtained were analyzed statistically using a one-way analysis of variance. The results indicate that IM injection of EPS-MHA2 vaccine significantly enhanced the immune response against MHA2. Conclusion: Therefore, the addition of EPS to MHA2 (EPS-MHA2 vaccine) can effectively protect goats from lethal mannheimiosis infection. Factors such as the ideal concentration of EPS should be further studied to verify its application potential as a vaccine adjuvant, and the extraction of EPS from different microalgae species should be further investigated. This study showed a novel and exciting set of data and a vaccination system, in which the suppressive effects of mannheimiosis may be further investigated

Big data analytics techniques and their impacts on reducing information asymmetry: Evidence from Jordan

This study aimed to demonstrate the impact of big data analytics techniques on reducing information asymmetry in industrial companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange from the point of view of workers in Jordanian financial intermediation companies. Two approaches have been adopted to achieve the target of this research. The first approach is the analytical descriptive approach through a survey to collect primary data that measures the elements of the independent variable related to big data analytics techniques (Volume, Velocity, Variety, and Veracity). The second approach is an applied approach that measures the dependent variable of information asymmetry based on the financial statements of industrial companies listed on Amman Stock Exchange for the period (2015-2021). The statistical program (SPSS) has been used to analyze data and test the hypotheses through multiple regression testing. Based on the results of the statistical analysis of the data and the opinions of the research community, it was found that the huge volume of big data has become difficult to process using traditional data processing applications. Furthermore, there is a statistically significant relationship between big data analytics techniques and the reduction of information asymmetry from the point of view of employees in intermediation firms in Jordan. Consequently, it is necessary for those in charge of the industrial companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange to develop modern techniques capable of analyzing big data with high efficiency. It can also assist in providing target groups including investors, stakeholders, and other beneficiaries with reliable and efficient data required to make rational decisions, as well as to reduce the risks of information asymmetry

Students’ academic performance before, during, and after COVID-19 in F2F and OL learning: The impact of gender and academic majors

The main purpose of this study was to investigate students’ academic performance (SAP) before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in face-to-face (F2F) and online learning (OL) instructions. The study also attempted to determine the impact of gender and academic major on students’ academic performance. For the results of semester grade point average (SGPA), the findings of the study showed better SAP in F2F learning as compared to OL learning, while the results of grade point average (GPA) indicated better SAP in OL learning than in F2F learning. The findings supported the stated hypotheses by indicating the positive impact of gender and academic major on SAP in F2F and OL learning, before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The regression analysis revealed that the demographic variables can predict up to 18% variations in the student’s academic performance. These findings offer valuable insights for practical strategies to improve SAP in F2F and OL learning

Pattern of fall injuries in Pakistan: the Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance (Pak-NEDS) study.

Background: We aimed to analyse the frequency and patterns of fall-related injuries presenting to the emergency departments (EDs) across Pakistan.Methods: Pakistan National Emergency Departments surveillance system collected data from November 2010 to March 2011 on a 24/7 basis using a standardized tool in seven major EDs (five public and two private hospitals) in six major cities of Pakistan. For all patients presenting with fall-related injuries, we analysed data by intent with focus on unintentional falls. Simple frequencies were run for basic patient demographics, mechanism of falls, outcomes of fall injuries, mode of arrival to ED, investigations, and procedures with outcomes.Results: There were 3335 fall-related injuries. In cases where intent was available, two-thirds (n = 1186, 65.3%) of fall injuries were unintentional. Among unintentional fall patients presenting to EDs, the majority (76.9%) were males and between 15-44 years of age (69%). The majority of the unintentional falls (n = 671, 56.6%) were due to slipping, followed by fall from height (n = 338, 28.5%). About two-thirds (n = 675, 66.6%) of fall injuries involved extremities, followed by head/neck (n = 257, 25.4%) and face (n = 99, 9.8%). Most of the patients were discharged from the hospital (n = 1059, 89.3%). There were 17 (1.3%) deaths among unintentional fall cases.Conclusion: Falls are an important cause of injury-related visits to EDs in Pakistan. Most of the fall injury patients were men and in a productive age group. Fall injuries pose a burden on the healthcare system, especially emergency services, and future studies should therefore focus on safety measures at home and in workplaces to reduce this burden

Dead on arrival in a low-income country: results from a multicenter study in Pakistan

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the characteristics of dead on arrival (DOA) patients in Pakistan. METHODS: Data about the DOA patients were extracted from Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance study (Pak-NEDS). This study recruited all ED patients presenting to seven tertiary care hospitals during a four-month period between November 2010 and March 2011. This study included patients who were declared dead-on-arrival by the ED physician. RESULTS: A total of 1,557 DOA patients (7 per 1,000 visits) were included in the Pak-NEDS. Men accounted for two-thirds (64%) of DOA patients. Those aged 20-49 years accounted for about 46% of DOA patients. Nine percent (n = 72) of patients were brought by ambulance, and most patients presented at a public hospital (80%). About 11% of DOA patients had an injury. Factors significantly associated (p \u3c 0.05) with ambulance use were men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.72), brought to a private hospital (OR = 2.74), and being injured (aOR = 1.89). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed on 6% (n = 42) of patients who received treatment. Those brought to a private hospital were more likely to receive CPR (aOR = 2.81). CONCLUSION: This study noted a higher burden of DOA patients in Pakistan compared to other resourceful settings (about 1 to 2 per 1,000 visits). A large proportion of patients belonging to productive age groups, and the low prevalence of ambulance and CPR use, indicate a need for improving the prehospital care and basic life support training in pakistan