Teaching Undergraduates Students through Connectivity: Part 3

Teaching in a classroom becomes pointless, if it is unable to induce creativity among students. The scenario for teaching and learning methods is changing at a fast pace to ensure quality education. Connectivity approach for teaching and learning is one of such steps that concept building exercise becomes easier for teachers and helps students to assimilate ideas, normally considered to be difficult. In this model lesson, we have tried to build an understanding of various applications of Grignard reagent in synthetic organic chemistry

Numerical computing approach for solving Hunter-Saxton equation arising in liquid crystal model through sinc collocation method

In this study, numerical treatment of liquid crystal model described through Hunter-Saxton equation (HSE) has been presented by sinc collocation technique through theta weighted scheme due to its enormous applications including, defects, phase diagrams, self-assembly, rheology, phase transitions, interfaces, and integrated biological applications in mesophase materials and processes. Sinc functions provide the procedure for function approximation over all types of domains containing singularities, semi-infinite or infinite domains. Sinc functions have been used to reduce HSE into an algebraic system of equations that makes the solution quite superficial. These algebraic equations have been interpreted as matrices. This projected that sinc collocation technique is considerably efficacious on computational ground for higher accuracy and convergence of numerical solutions. Stability analysis of the proposed technique has ensured the accuracy and reliability of the method, moreover, as the stability parameter satisfied the condition the proposed solution of the problem converges. The solution of the HSE is presented through graphical figures and tables for different cases that are constructed on various values of θ and collocation points. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed technique is analyzed on the basis of absolute errors.This research has been partially supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades grant number PGC2018-0971-B-100 and Fundación Séneca -Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Región de Murcia grant number 20783/PI/18. Also, It has been supported by the National Research Program for Universities (NRPU), Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, No. 8103/Punjab/NRPU/R and D/HEC/2017

ETHNOBOTANICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forssk.) Decne.: A REVIEW

Background: Leptadenia pyrotechnica is traditionally used for treating various diseases. This species holds variety of bioactive constituents that trigger healing properties. The present review was aimed to analyze nutritional, phytochemical and pharmacological activities of L. pyrotechnica. Materials and Methods: The present review regarding Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forssk.) Decne. Is the compilation of data from the previous research works conducted by various scientists across the world. Various published papers, medicinal plant databases,etc were utilized to compile the information. Results: L. pyrotechnica is a wonderful desert plant belongs to the family Asclepiadaceae This plant possesses antifungal, antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, wound healing, anthelmintic, antiatheroscloretic, hypolipidemic, antdiabetic and hepatoprotective activities coupled with other multifarious uses. Almost all plant parts are used in the traditional medicinal system to treat various disorders. Conclusion: This review includes the substance of different ethnobotanical uses, phytochemistry and exclusive capability of this plant in the field of anti-microbial and human disease activities

Exploring the relationship of cognitive function with and without COVID-19 recovered schizophrenic patients

BackgroundThe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is linked to the deterioration of cognitive function among individuals suffering from schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to compare the cognitive performance of schizophrenic patients before and after COVID-19.MethodsA longitudinal cohort study involving a sample of 219 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia was enrolled between June 2022 and May 2023. The participants were split into two groups infected with COVID-19 (n = 165) and not infected with COVID-19 (n = 54). The data were gathered via a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).ResultsThe repeated-measures ANOVA showed that Among patients diagnosed with COVID-19, there was a deterioration in global cognitive function (before COVID-19 = −2.45 vs. after COVID-19 = −3.02, p = 0.007), working memory (before COVID-19 = −2.76 vs. after COVID-19 = −3.34, p < 0.00 1), motor speed (before COVID-19 = −1.64 vs. after COVID-19 = −2.12, p < 0.001), attention and speed of information processing (before COVID-19 = −1.93 vs. after COVID-19 = −1.16, p = 0.008). multi-variable analysis showed that several factors as having a secondary grade of education (β = 0.434), experiencing insomnia (β = 0.411)and the interaction between COVID-19 diagnosis and cognition at baseline (β = 0.796) were significantly associated with cognitive deficits. At the same time, no significant associations were found between global cognition and clinical symptoms, autonomy, or depression (p > 0.05).ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted various cognitive functions, such as verbal memory, working memory, and global cognition. Insomnia has been identified as the predominant determinant of cognitive impairment, alongside the confirmation of a COVID-19 diagnosis. Additional research is imperative to elucidate the diversification of cognitive functionality observed in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia who have acquired COVID-19

Sustainable flame retardant treatment for cotton fabric using non formaldehyde cross linking agent

Most flame-retardant finishing agents have been found to have an adverse effect on our environment and human skin because of the carcinogenic chemicals in their structure. Pyrovatex CP New is an Organophosphorus based flame retardant (FR) agent widely used in FR treatment of combustible. However, the main problem related to it is the release of high formaldehyde content (a known carcinogen). When used with methylated melamine (MM) an effective cross-linker. The objective of this research was to use citric acid (CA) and its integration with sodium hypophosphite (NaH2PO2) and two different co-catalyst Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and phosphoric acid (PA) as a flame‐retardant finishing for cotton fabrics. The flammability of cotton fabric was assessed by a manual vertical flammability test, it is found that the combination of co-catalysts in FR formulation lowers the flammability of cotton. The pyrolysis characteristics and char residue yield of the treated cotton shows that the flame retardancy improves as the amount of catalyst is increased. The whiteness index, crease recovery and tensile strength of the treated cotton fabric was also significantly improved with our suggested recipe formulation. The finished cotton has significant variations in terms of its tensile strength, crease recovery, and whiteness index

Ramadan-specific nutrition education improves cardio-metabolic health and inflammation—a prospective nutrition intervention study from Pakistan

There are recent reports that Ramadan fasting (RF) results in weight gain instead of weight loss. In addition, the data on the efficacy of brief nutrition education on healthy eating practices in Ramadan for better health are scarce. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the effects of brief nutrition education before the start of RF on healthy eating practices during RF. For this purpose, a prospective observational study focused on “Dietary Education and Awareness for Ramadan (DEAR)” as an intervention was carried out. The participants (n = 74) were recruited and divided into two groups, i.e., intervention and control groups (n = 37 each). As an intervention, nutrition education lessons were given before and during RF month. The control group did not attend these nutrition education lessons. Data on anthropometrics, dietary intake, and other parameters were collected at three time points: before, in the end, and 4 weeks after RF. Weight was measured in kg; height, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC) were measured in cm; and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was calculated by dividing the waist value by the hip value. Body composition analysis was performed by the body composition analyzer (BF-907). Blood pressure (BP) was measured using a validated automated blood pressure. A 3–5 ml of venous blood was collected, and plasma and serum were separated. Serum and plasma samples were processed for general blood chemistry (blood lipid profile, glucose, and CRP) within 2 h. CRP was determined by the immunoturbidimetry method using an auto-analyzer. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine cytokine/chemokines. Adherence to nutrition education (intervention) was assessed. The results show that nutrition education has positive effects on overall nutrition. Significant improvement in dietary adherence to dietary advice in the intervention group was noted. Significant BW loss (mean loss: 1.21 kg) in the intervention group was observed. The majority (63.3%) had lost BW ≥ 1.0 kg. Other changes observed as a result of the intervention included improvements in blood glucose, cholesterol, CRP levels, and systolic and diastolic BP. There was a notable shift in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine concentrations: IL-7, IL-4, and TGF-α decreased, while IL-2, TNF-α and resistin, IL-1 RA, IL-17 A, and sCD40 increased. In conclusion, RF resulted in a loss in mean BW and an improvement in related blood chemistry and cytokine profiles. Furthermore, nutrition education before RF resulted in better nutrition practices during RF and a desirable healthy BW, blood lipid, and cytokine profiles

A CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDY TO ASSESS THE DENTAL PROFESSIONAL'S SHADE MATCHING COMPETENCE BY USING ISHIHARA COLOR BLINDNESS 14 PLATE TEST

Objective: The objective of this clinical study was to evaluate and assess the shade matching proficiency of dental professionals under day and yellow light without being formally trained. Methods: We conducted this research at Allied Hosp Faisalabad (October 2017 to July 2018). We evaluated the dental professional’s ability to test the colour blindness with the help of fourteen plate test (Ishihara Color Blindness). We also used guidelines of Vita Pan Shade under two sources of light. Participants were divided into five equal groups including twenty participants in each group of dental students, dental interns, dental practitioners, dental technicians and prosthodontists. Every professional was assessed and compared through the same test (Ishihara Color Blindness Test). Every group matched three artificial maxillary shades visually by using the mentioned guidelines. Results: Total research sample of 100 participants was further subdivided into five groups including twenty participants in each group. The participants were in the age bracket of 18 – 50 years. We did not include the colour coefficient. The highest score was obtained by dental interns about the accurate matching of the shades. Ninety percent of the respondents were prosthodontist using light-yellow light, the dental practitioner (65%), dental interns (65%) did accurate matching of shade. Correct shade matching was not carried out by dental students and technicians. Conclusion: Dental students and prosthodontists were highly accurate in the shade matching process in the presence of light-yellow light source; whereas, dental interns were good in the normal daylight. It is preferable to use a visual method of shade matching as dental students and prosthodontists become dependent on the presence of light-yellow light source for the shade matching process. Keywords: Color Matching, Shade Matching, Ability, Color Blindness, Ishihara, Dental, Interns and Prosthodontists

Facile fabrication and comparative exploration of high cut resistant woven and knitted composite fabrics using Kevlar and polyethylene

Abstract Composite materials offer a number of distinct advantages in a wide range of low and high technology engineering applications. Considering the fact, in this study, a facile fabrication method of highly cut resistant composite fabrics using Kevlar and polyethylene is reported. 100% Kevlar, 100% Polyethylene and 50% Kevlar/50% Polyethylene composite fabrics are fabricated by weaving and knitting techniques. These fabrics were tested for cut index, abrasion, and puncture resistance for comparative exploration. Owing to higher mechanical strength and greater number of interlacements; the woven fabrics demonstrated twice cut resistance in contrast to knitted fabrics. The surface morphology of deformed samples investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) also proved that the woven fabrics of all types offered much resistance towards cutting than the knitted fabrics. Moreover, it is found that greater thickness of fabrics leads to intensification of the cut resistance. Furthermore, the effect of fiber type on cut resistant property of the fabrics was also measured and it was found that the composite fabric exhibited double cut resistance than 100% Kevlar and 100% Polyethylene fabrics. The 50% Kevlar/50% Polyethylene composite woven fabric resisted up to 35 consecutive strokes of sharp steel cutter whereas the knitted fabric completely torn apart at 20 strokes only. Thus, the as synthesized 50% Kevlar/50% Polyethylene composite woven fabric exhibiting superior cut resistance property offer a judicious choice for the preparation of efficient cut resistant fabric for industrial and domestic applications

Construction and validation of ShaMaq developmental screening tool

Introduction: The diagnosis of developmental delay and early intervention ameliorates long-term sequelae. There is a need for an appropriate, regionally adapted and reliable developmental screening tool to be used in low and middle-income countries with scarce resources. Aim: The aim of this research is to construct and validate a screening tool for identifying developmental delay in Pakistani children. Method: ShaMaq developmental screening tool (SDST) was developed consisting of five proformas to be administered at different age groups: 6-8 weeks (Group 1), 6-10 months (Group 2), 18-24 months (Group 3), 3-3.5 years (Group 4), and 4.5-5.5 years (Group 5). On an average, Groups 1-3 took 10-15 min, whereas Groups 4 and 5 took 20-25 min. We sampled children between the ages of 6 weeks to 5.5 years and tested them all within their designated age groups. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach\u27s alpha. Interobserver testing was done for reliability and concurrent validity was undertaken by using the senior consultant developmental paediatrician\u27s final diagnosis as the gold standard. Results: Out of 550 healthy children, 8-19% in the five groups were found to have some form of developmental delay using SDST. Approximately 50% of the families were in the low-to-moderate income bracket, and nearly 93% lived in a joint family system. Internal consistency of items in the five groups ranged from 0.784 to 0.940, whereas both interobserver reliability and concurrent validity ranged from 0.737 to 1.0. SDST showed 94.4% sensitivity and 92.9% specificity. Conclusion: SDST is an effective tool for identifying delay in healthy children with good internal consistency, reliability, and validit