Molecular diagnosis of bacteria isolated from Trifolium repens root nodules

The Fabaceae genus Trifolium comprises around 250 species widely distributed worldwide, with the temperate Northern Hemisphere exhibiting the highest variety. The plants in this genus are widely used as livestock fodder crops and are particularly significant economically.This study's objective included isolating bacteria from the root nodules of the Trifolium repens plant and diagnosing it at the molecular and microbiological levels. T. repens root nodules were used as the source of an endophytic bacteria isolated on Yeast Extract Mannitol (YEM) media that had solidified and diagnosed at the molecular level by DNA Sequencing technique for analysis of the sequence of the nitrogenous bases of 16S rRNA gene with the global database. The isolated bacteria were characteristic of greyish-white color after 48 hours of growth and appeared as a circular shape, slightly convex and gram-negative. The bacteria were resistant to the antibiotics 20µg/ml Aztreonam.The DNA sequencing technique for analysis of the sequence of the nitrogenous bases of 16S rRNA gene with the global database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) showed that the isolated bacteria was at least 96.22% similar to the species Acinetobacter baumannii As a result, it was recorded for the first time as Acinetobacter sp. AZS1 strain in NCBI.

Family control and corporate risk-taking in China: Does working capital strategy matter?

This study uses the data of A-share listed family firms during the period 2010-18 and employs multiple regression analysis to verify the role of family control and working capital strategy for corporate risk-taking in China. This study also explores the regulatory role of family control in the relationship between working capital strategy and corporate risk-taking of Chinese listed family firms. Results show that greater family control encourages risk-taking behavior in Chinese firms whereas conservative working capital strategy diminishes corporate risk-taking. The results also suggest a regulatory role for family control on the effects of working capital strategy for family firms’ risk-taking behavior. Strong family control weakens the negative association between working capital conservatism and corporate risk-taking. This study’s findings may help managers of family firms to adjust risk-taking behavior in response to changing working capital strategy. The results are robust to different measures of corporate risk-taking and working capital strateg

THE PERCEPTION AND EXPERIENCE OF NURSING STUDENTS REGARDING THE USE OF ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES

Abstract Active learning is a way of teaching rather than a particular, specialized technique. It necessitates active student participation in carefully planned teacher-structured classroom activities. Objective: This study aims to explore nursing students' perceptions and experiences regarding using active learning strategies. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the private nursing institute in Karachi, Pakistan, from May to August 2023. Moreover, this study used a convenient sampling technique. The eighty-seven student participants are included in this study. Results: The survey results reveal that a substantial proportion of nursing students strongly agree with the effectiveness and benefits of active learning strategies. Specifically, 40.2% strongly agree that active learning enhances their understanding of complex nursing concepts, while 47.1% and 43.7% strongly agree that active learning activities are more engaging than traditional lectures. Furthermore, 55.2% strongly agree that active learning helps them retain and apply knowledge effectively, and 51.7% strongly agree that it encourages teamwork and collaboration among nursing students. Notably, 83.9% of students prefer active learning over traditional lecture-based teaching. Additionally, 35.6% strongly believe that nursing education can enhance the implementation of active learning strategies through learning objectives. Conclusion: The survey overwhelmingly supports active learning strategies among nursing students. Most strongly agree that active learning enhances understanding, engagement, and knowledge retention, favoring it over traditional lectures, mainly through case studies. Many also believe that integrating clear learning objectives can enhance its effectiveness. These findings underscore the widespread acknowledgment of active learning's positive impact on nursing education, emphasizing its role in improving comprehension and student engagement

A note on the boundedness of Hardy operators in grand Herz spaces with variable exponent

The fractional Hardy-type operators of variable order is shown to be bounded from the grand Herz spaces ${\dot{K} ^{a(\cdot), u), \theta}_{ p(\cdot)}(\mathbb{R}^n)}$ with variable exponent into the weighted space ${\dot{K} ^{a(\cdot), u), \theta}_{\rho, q(\cdot)}(\mathbb{R}^n)}$, where $\rho = (1+|z_1|)^{-\lambda}$ and ${1 \over q(z)} = {1 \over p(z)}-{\zeta (z) \over n}$ when $p(z)$ is not necessarily constant at infinity

Effect of Heat Sink Configuration on the COP of Thermoelectric Vaccine Refrigerator

Polio vaccines are significantly sensitive to temperature and environment. During polio vaccination campaigns in far off villages of Pakistan, it is one of the biggest challenges to store and transport the vaccine without affecting its quality. Various refrigeration techniques are used to keep the vaccine below ambient temperature. The energy consumption of conventional refrigeration systems is too high and the refrigerants having CFCs are hazardous to environment, contributing to global warming by depleting ozone layer. These are also slightly difficult to be developed into a lightweight and portable solar devices used outside.  Solar Powered Thermoelectric Refrigerator (SPTR) is a distinct type of refrigeration system which runs on solar energy rather than that of conventional source of electrical energy, based upon the peltier effect to create hot and cold sides. The current research work was carried out at the Mechanical Engineering Department, U.E.T. Lahore (KSK Campus). The experimental results indicated the unit is capable to maintain a temperature of 6 0C at an ambient temperature below that of 50 0C. The maximum coefficient of performance was recorded as 0.78. Special configuration of heat sink was used to get maximum heat dissipation with minimum cost. An optimal value of solar irradiance let the cooling rate and coefficient of performance to attain maximum value. The designed SPTR would be of a great potential for cold storage in the areas where electricity supply is absent. It has the advantages of being small, lightweight, low running cost, noiseless, portable, reliable, and also low initial cost in mass production. &nbsp

Synthesis of 5-Fluorouracil Cocrystals with Novel Organic Acids as Coformers and Anticancer Evaluation against HCT-116 Colorectal Cell Lines

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) being a mainstream anticancer drug is under keen and detailed investigation for prodrugs formulations in order to minimize the associated side effects. Cocrystallization of 5-FU is an innovative technique for the synthesis of 5-FU prodrugs to improve its anticancer effectiveness. The present study is based on the synthesis of 5-FU supramolecular synthons with four coformers: succinic acid, cinnamic acid, malic acid, and benzoic acid utilizing acetone as a solvent. Solid state grinding followed by a slow evaporation solution method was applied. Colorless clear crystals were obtained in all the cases. The cocrystal formation was supported with the help of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Through FTIR, the main peaks of interest in the spectrum of 5-FU were N–H (3409.02 cm–1) and carbonyl group (1647.80 cm–1), which were prominently shifted in all spectra of the cocrystals demonstrating the replacement as well as the development of already present interactions with the new ones. For 5-FU–cinnamic acid cocrystals, the anticipated peaks were observed at 1673.13 cm–1 (−C═O) and 3566.89 cm–1 (N–H) manifesting a significant change in comparison to 5-FU. Furthermore, with the help of PXRD characterization, the representative peak of 5-FU was recorded at 2θ = 28.80°. The shifting of this specific peak and development of many new ones in the spectra of cocrystals proved the development of new structural entities. Finally, the anticancer activity of all cocrystals was evaluated in comparison to that of API. All cocrystals manifest significantly greater growth inhibition potential than the main active pharmaceutical ingredient. 5-FU–Cinnamic acid (3C) was the one that proved to be the most potent anticancer agent at all four concentrations: 4.82% (12 μg/mL), 34.21% (25 μg/mL), 55.08% (50 μg/mL), and 67.29% (100 μg/mL). In short, this study proved to be a true example to enhance the anticancer potential of 5-FU following fairly easy fabrication requirements of the cocrystallization phenomenon. After the successful synthesis of these supramolecular synthons and subsequent enhancement of growth inhibition potential of 5-FU, these cocrystals can further be evaluated for in vivo trials and membrane crossing potentials in the future

Numerical simulation of lead-free vacancy ordered Cs 2 PtI 6 based perovskite solar cell using SCAPS-1D

In recent years, vacancy-ordered halide double perovskites have emerged as promising non-toxic and stable alternatives for their lead-based counterparts in optoelectronic applications. In particular, vacancy ordered Cs2PtI6 has emerged as a star material because of its high absorption coefficient, band gap of 1.37 eV, and long minority carrier lifetime. Despite substantial experimental research on this new class of material, theoretical simulations of their device properties remain scarce. In this work, a novel n-i-p device architecture (FTO/SnO2/Cs2PtI6/MoO3/C) is theoretically investigated using a solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS-1D). Theoretical investigations are carried out in order to optimize the device performance structure by varying the perovskite and selective charge transport layer thickness, absorber and interface defect density, operating temperature, back contact, series and shunt resistance, respectively. The optimized device showed an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.52% at 300 K, which is higher than the previously reported values. Subsequent analysis of the device's spectral response indicated that it possessed 98.9% quantum efficiency (QE) and was visibly active. These findings will provide theoretical guidelines for enhancing the performance of Cs2PtI6-based photovoltaic solar cells (PSCs) and pave the way for the widespread implementation of environmentally benign and stable perovskites

Developing local guidelines for management of sepsis in adults: sepsis guidelines for Pakistan (SGP)

Background: The purpose of developing ‘Sepsis Guidelines for Pakistan’ (SGP) is to provide clinicians practicing in local hospitals with a framework to aid timely recognition and management of adult patients in sepsis by adopting evidence-based recommendations of Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) tailored to available resources. These recommendations are not meant to replace the SSC Guidelines. Methodology: SGP is an initiative of Pakistan Society of Critical Care Medicine (PSCCM). Four key decision points to be addressed in the guidelines were identified by a thirteen member multidisciplinary committee i.e., grading the hospitals in the country, recognition of sepsis and associated organ dysfunction, essential interventions to manage sepsis, and general measures for provision of a comprehensive care to patients in sepsis according to the level of education and training of healthcare providers and facilities and resources available in different levels of hospitals. The draft was presented at the 3rd Sepsis Symposium held on 13th September, 2014 in Karachi. The final document was approved by a panel of experts from across the country, representatives of relevant societies and Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA). Recommendations: Hospitals are divided into basic, intermediate and tertiary depending on the availability of diagnostic facilities and training of the medical personnel. Modified definitions of sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock are used given the lack of facilities to diagnose sepsis according to international definitionsand criteria in Pakistan. Essential interventions include fluid resuscitation, vasopressors to support the circulation, maintaining oxygen saturation ≥ 90% with oxygen, non-invasive ventilation or mechanical ventilation with lung protective strategies, prompt administration of antibiotics as recommended by the Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan (MMIDSP) and early source control. It is recommended to avoid starvation, keep an upper blood glucose ≤180 mg/dL, use daily pharmacoprophylaxis against venous thromboembolism (VTE), use stress ulcer prophylaxis, target haemoglobin of 7-9 g/dl in the absence of ischaemic heart disease, avoid sodium bicarbonate therapy as long as pH \u3e 7.20, avoid fresh frozen plasma in the absence of bleeding, transfuse platelets if indicated, not use intravenous immunoglobulins and avoid neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) in the absence of ARDS, target specific titration endpoints when continuous or intermittent sedation is required in mechanically ventilated patients and use continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) to facilitate management of fluid balance in hemodynamically unstable septic patients in tertiary care centers. In addition a comprehensive, meticulous and multidisciplinary general care is required to improve outcome of sepsis by reinforcing hand hygiene and other infection control measures, adequate monitoring and documentation tailored to the available resources. Goals of care and prognosis should be discussed with patients and families early and either shifting the patient to a hospital with better facilities or limiting or withdrawing therapy in case of poor prognosis should be considered

Overview of the Parents’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Children Vaccinations: A Systematic Review

Background: It is the parents' responsibility to vaccinate their children. As a result, parents' attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs about vaccination are critical because they influence their activities toward timely and full immunization.  Objectives: This systematic review comprehensively investigated the recently published literature on parents’ knowledge regarding children’s vaccination.  Methods: PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to include the relevant literature. Rayyan QRCI was used throughout this systematic approach. Results & interpretation: This review included twenty-four studies with a total of 13082 parents, and 70.9% were mothers. Knowledge level about children’s vaccination among parents was significantly related to their fathers' age, education level, women's employment status, and family type. Younger mothers were found to have a higher level of expertise. Good knowledge levels and positive attitudes towards the seasonal influenza vaccine were reported. Good knowledge with caution was reported among parents regarding COVID-19 vaccination. The knowledge about HPV infection and vaccination: All of them reported low vaccination rates and willingness to vaccinate their children. The findings of our study highlight the significance of parental understanding of vaccinations and immunization. Health officials should make additional efforts to promote the benefits of vaccination while emphasizing the risks of non- or late pediatric immunization

Solar-Hybrid Cold Energy Storage System Coupled with Cooling Pads Backup: A Step towards Decentralized Storage of Perishables

Post-harvest loss is a serious issue to address challenge of food security. A solar-grid hybrid cold storage system was developed and designed for on-farm preservation of perishables. Computational Fluid Dynamic analysis was performed to assess airflow and temperature distribution inside the cold chamber. The system comprises a 21.84 m3 cubical cold storage unit with storage capacity of 2 tonnes. A hybrid solar system comprising 4.5 kWp PV system, 5 kW hybrid inverter, and 600 Ah battery bank was used to power the entire system. A vapor-compression refrigeration system (2 tonnes) was employed coupled with three cooling pads (filled with brine solution) as thermal backup to store cooling (−4 °C to 4 °C). Potatoes were stored at 8 °C for a period of three months (May 2019 to July 2019) and the system was tested on grid utility, solar, and hybrid modes. Solar irradiation was recorded in range of 5.0–6.0 kWh/(m2 × d) and average power peak was found to be 4.0 kW. Variable frequency drive was installed with compressor to eliminate the torque load and it resulted about 9.3 A AC current used by the system with 4.6 average Coefficient of Performance of refrigeration unit. The average energy consumed by system was found to be 15 kWh with a share of 4.3 kWh from grid and 10.5 kWh from solar, translating to 30% of power consumption from grid and 70% from solar PV modules. Overall, cold storage unit efficiently controlled total weight loss (7.64%) and preserved quality attributes (3.6 ⁰Brix Total soluble solids, 0.83% Titratable acidity, 6.32 PH) of the product during storage time