Intelligent Control Schemes for Maximum Power Extraction from Photovoltaic Arrays under Faults

Investigation of power output from PV arrays under different fault conditions is an essential task to enhance performance of a photovoltaic system under all operating conditions. Significant reduction in power output can occur during various PV faults such as module disconnection, bypass diode failure, bridge fault, and short circuit fault under non-uniform shading conditions. These PV faults may cause several peaks in the characteristics curve of PV arrays, which can lead to failure of the MPPT control strategy. In fact, impact of a fault can differ depending on the type of PV array, and it can make the control of the system more complex. Therefore, consideration of suitable PV arrays with an effective control design is necessary for maximum power output from a PV system. For this purpose, the proposed study presents a comparative study of two intelligent control schemes, i.e., fuzzy logic (FL) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), with a conventional control scheme known as perturb and observe (P&O) for power extraction from a PV system. The comparative analysis is based on the performance of the control strategies under several faults and the types of PV modules, i.e., monocrystalline and thin-film PV arrays. In this study, numerical analysis for complex fault scenarios like multiple faults under partial shading have also been performed. Different from the previous literature, this study will reveal the performance of FL-, PSO-, and P&O-based MPPT strategies to track maximum peak power during multiple severe fault conditions while considering the accuracy and fast-tracking efficiencies of the control techniques. A thorough analysis along with in-depth quantitative data are presented, confirming the superiority of intelligent control techniques under multiple faults and different PV types

Research on Library and Information Science Services by Pakistani Authors from 2011 to 2020

The main objective of the current study is to quantify the research productivity in Library and Information Science (LIS) Services produced by Pakistani authors during the period of ten years from 2011 to 2020. The retrospective research method by applying the bibliometric technique has been used. The data of the publications on LIS Services by Pakistani authors has been browsed from various online and print sources. The selected bibliographic parameters of publications were inserted in Microsoft Excel-2016 for data analysis. The findings have been presented in tabular and graphic formats. A total of 1,258 documents were identified, contributed by 3,110 authors including multiple counts with an average of 2.47 authors per document. As a distinct name, a total of 858 authors were recognized and the share of international authors was slightly more than one-fifth (21%). About one-third of the total documents were published in the last two years of the study. Eighty-three percent of the documents were the results of research collaboration and the two-author pattern was found the preferred authorship pattern. The majority of documents (91%) were published as journals articles, followed by conference papers, book chapters and books. The highest number of papers were published in Pakistan Library and Information Science Journal, followed by Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). Sixty-four percent of the authors contributed in one paper each while 69 authors contributed ten or more than ten papers each. Dr. Rubina Bhatti, Dr. Kanwal Ameen and Dr. Khalid Mahmood were found the top-three most productive authors with 103, 94 and 77 publications, respectively. The introduction of LIS doctorate programs and the establishment of the National Digital Library of Higher Education Commission put a healthy impact on the growth of publications. There is a need to inspire the practicing librarians that they should come forward to contribute to the research progress to develop LIS services

Growth, yield and ionic concentration of two sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) genotypes exposed to brackish water irrigation

The effects of brackish water application were assessed on the growth, uptake of sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), waterrelations, membrane stability index, proline accumulation, and yield of two sunflower genotypes (SF-187 and hysun-33). Treatments of irrigation water with different ECiw, SAR and RSC were T1, control; T2, EC: 8 dS m-1; T3, SAR: 16(mmol L-1)1/2; T4, RSC: 4 meq L-1, and T5, EC: 8 dS m-1 + SAR 16 (mmol L-1)1/2 + RSC 4 meq L-1. Genotypesdisplayed a substantial variability for salinity and/or sodicity tolerance and salt tolerant behavior of SF-187regarding, high K:Na ratio, increased water contents, higher membrane stability index and higher yield ascompared to Hysun-33, was confirmed under various treatments. Saline-sodic water caused maximum reductionin plant growth and yield in both sunflower genotypes followed by saline water treatment. However, no significantdifferences were noted between high SAR (T3) and high RSC (T4) treatments. In conclusion, SF-187 exhibited someimportant features of salt tolerance that can be successfully exploited under brackish water irrigation

Looking up and going down: Does sustainable adaptation to climate change ensure dietary diversity and food security among rural communities or vice versa?

Sustainable food systems are essential to ensure food security and mitigate climate change. Adaptation to climate change is part and parcel of sustainable food systems. Prior literature merely documented the climate-smart agricultural practices and explored the relationship with food security of adopters without taking the period of the strategies into account. Therefore, this study explored the factors affecting sustainable adaptation to climate change and created a further link between sustainable adaptation to climate change and the food security of rural households. The cross-sectional data were collected from 384 farmers through a face-to-face survey in Pakistan, selected by a multistage random sampling method. An ordered probit model and propensity score matching technique were used to analyze the data. Education, farm size, credit access, extension services, internet use for agriculture information, women's participation in farm-related decision making, and considering climate change a significant problem for agriculture were all positively influencing the sustainable adaptation to climate change at farms. The results indicated that farmers with a higher level of sustainable adaptation to climate change consumed more diversified diets and more daily calories as compared to those with a lower level of sustainable adaptation. Similarly, farmers with a lower level of sustainable adaptation to climate change had significantly lower food security than farmers with a high level of sustainable adaptation at their farms. This research indicated that farmers can gain food and nutrition benefits by becoming more sustainable adapters to climate change. This study has important policy implications for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) of zero hunger (SDG 2) and climate action (SDG 13) in developing countries

Colorimetric based sensing of dopamine using ionic liquid functionalized drug mediated silver nanostructures

© 2020 Elsevier B.V. The present work reports the drug mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for sensing of dopamine (biomarker Parkinson\u27s disease and others). Augmentin drug was chosen because of functionalities and aromaticity in its structure which will not only work in the synthesis of AgNPs but also enhance the electron density on nanoparticles (NPs) for better sensing properties. 1-H-3-methylimidazolium acetate ionic liquid (IL) having characteristic properties of aromaticity and conductivity were coated on to the surface of NPs to further enhance the mentioned properties. The FTIR, Raman spectroscopy and XRD analysis demonstrate the characteristic peaks assigned to AgNPs. SEM analysis shows round shaped morphology and EDX showed strong band for AgNPs. TGA analysis showed maximum degradation at 340 °C for the prepared AgNPs. The functionalized AgNPs/IL was used in sensing of dopamine. Different reaction conditions have been optimized to find the optimal performance of AgNPs/IL such as; (a) pH (b) amount of Ag/IL (c) time of incubation; (d) temperature. The response time of the proposed sensor for dopamine detection was only 4 min with a visible colorimetric change from light grey to brown color. The proposed sensor showed a wide linear range (1 × 10−8–3.6 × 10−6 M), low limit of detection 1.18 × 10−7 M, and limit of quantification 3.92 × 10−7 M with an R2 value of 0.9997. The IL capped Ag nano assembly exhibited no reactivity towards folic acid, urea, ascorbic acid, Ca+2, K+ and was successfully used to quantify dopamine in physiological sample

Awareness of Chronic Kidney Disease, Medication, and Laboratory Investigation among Nephrology and Urology Patients of Quetta, Pakistan

Patients’ awareness is critical in medical care, as it can serve as an input into the adjustment of interventions. The aim of study was to explore the level of awareness regarding chronic kidney disease (CKD), its medications, and laboratory investigations among nephrology and urology patients of Quetta. The cross-sectional study was used by adopting and culturally modifying a questionnaire. By convenient sampling technique, a total of 500 questionnaires were self-administered to inpatients, outpatients, and dialysis patients, and 468 responses (response rate 93.6%) were analyzed. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and reliability analysis were performed on SPSS v25. A majority, 50.3% (n = 235), was unaware of symptoms that will develop due to worsening of disease, while 56.2% (n = 263) were unaware of what aggravates their kidney function. Almost half of the affected individuals, 47.4% (n = 222), have no understanding about the long-term prognosis of the disease. The majority of the respondents, 51.5% (n = 248), do not know about the names and usage of medications, and 62.4% (n = 292) were unaware of the medicines that may impair kidney function; more than half, 66.7% (n = 312) , were unaware about the necessary laboratory investigations. A strong association between awareness and patient education level was found (p < 0.001). Awareness regarding disease condition, medications, and laboratory investigations of CKD among nephrology and urology patients of Quetta was found out to be low, which needs immediate educational intervention

Comparison of nutrients uptake in different varieties of rice in Pakistan

The objective of this research was to determine the uptake of different elements (K, Mg, Ca, Na, Fe, Co, Mn, Pb, Cu, Zn and Ni) which are used as nutrients by the rice crop. Different types of rice seeds KSK-282, KSK-134, BAS-515, IR6, BAS-2000, KSK-133 and super-BAS were collected from National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Islamabad Pakistan and grown in different plastic pots containing soil under the same condition. Ten days old immature plants of different varieties of rice were dried and their roots were separated from the whole plants. The dried roots were ground into fine powder followed by acid digestion (HNO , H SO and 3 2 4 HClO ) solution in a ratio of (5:1:0.1) individually. After digestion the solutions were filtered and the filtrates 4 were diluted by adding distilled water. The diluted solutions of all the above mentioned varieties of rice were analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) for nutrients (K, Mg, Ca, Na, Fe, Co, Mn, Pb, Cu, Zn and Ni) concentration. The different values obtained from AAS had shown that some rice varieties had taken up nutrients (elements) in large amount (e.g., KSK-134 had taken up maximum Fe while KSK-133 had taken up minimum) as compared to other varieties. Similarly, several verities absorbed comparatively minimum concentration of elements. The results obtained in this research work clearly indicated that the absorption of these elements from the soil was dependent on the rice variety (e.g., BAS-2000 absorbed maximum Mg while minimum Super-BAS). Interestingly most of the rice vaities had absorbed the beneficial elements in large quantity as compared to other toxic elements

Biallelic Variants in Seven Different Genes Associated with Clinically Suspected Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare clinically and genetically heterogeneous autosomal recessive multi-systemic disorder with 22 known genes. The primary clinical and diagnostic features include six different hallmarks, such as rod-cone dystrophy, learning difficulties, renal abnormalities, male hypogonadism, post-axial polydactyly, and obesity. Here, we report nine consanguineous families and a non-consanguineous family with several affected individuals presenting typical clinical features of BBS. In the present study, 10 BBS Pakistani families were subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES), which revealed novel/recurrent gene variants, including a homozygous nonsense mutation (c.94C>T; p.Gln32Ter) in the IFT27 (NM_006860.5) gene in family A, a homozygous nonsense mutation (c.160A>T; p.Lys54Ter) in the BBIP1 (NM_001195306.1) gene in family B, a homozygous nonsense variant (c.720C>A; p.Cys240Ter) in the WDPCP (NM_015910.7) in family C, a homozygous nonsense variant (c.505A>T; p.Lys169Ter) in the LZTFL1 (NM_020347.4) in family D, pathogenic homozygous 1 bp deletion (c.775delA; p.Thr259Leufs*21) in the MKKS/BBS5 (NM_170784.3) gene in family E, a pathogenic homozygous missense variant (c.1339G>A; p.Ala447Thr) in BBS1 (NM_024649.4) in families F and G, a pathogenic homozygous donor splice site variant (c.951+1G>A; p?) in BBS1 (NM_024649.4) in family H, a pathogenic bi-allelic nonsense variant in MKKS (NM_170784.3) (c.119C>G; p.Ser40*) in family I, and homozygous pathogenic frameshift variants (c.196delA; p.Arg66Glufs*12) in BBS5 (NM_152384.3) in family J. Our findings extend the mutation and phenotypic spectrum of four different types of ciliopathies causing BBS and also support the importance of these genes in the development of multi-systemic human genetic disorders

Evaluation of gut modulatory and bronchodilator activities of Amaranthus spinosus Linn.

Background The aqueous-methanolic extract of Amaranthus spinosus (A. spinosus Linn.,) whole plant, was studied for its laxative, spasmolytic and bronchodilator activities to validate some of its medicinal uses. Methods The crude extract of A. spinosus was studied in-vivo for bronchodilator and laxative activities and in-vitro using isolated tissue preparations which were mounted in tissue baths assembly containing physiological salt solutions, maintained at 37°C and aerated with carbogen, to assess the spasmolytic effect and to find out the possible underlying mechanisms. Results In the in-vivo experiments in mice, the administration of A. spinosus increased fecal output at doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg showing laxative activity. It also inhibited carbachol-induced bronchospasm in anesthetized rats at 1, 3, 10 and 30 mg/kg indicative of bronchodilator activity. When tested on isolated gut preparations, the plant extract showed a concentration-dependent (0.01-10.0 mg/ml) spasmogenic effect in spontaneously contracting rabbit jejunum and guinea-pig ileum. The spasmogenic effect was partially blocked in tissues pretreated with atropine (0.1 μM). When tested on K+ (80 mM)-induced sustained contractions in isolated rabbit jejunum, the plant extract caused complete relaxation and also produced a shift in the Ca++ concentration-response curves (CRCs) towards right, similar to diltiazem. In rabbit trachea, the plant extract completely inhibited K+ (80 mM) and carbachol (CCh, 1 μM)-induced contractions at 1 mg/ml but pretreatment of tissue with propranolol (1 μM), caused around 10 fold shift in the inhibitory CRCs of the plant extract constructed against CCh-induced contraction. The plant extract (up to 0.3 mg/ml) also increased both force and rate of spontaneous contractions of isolated guinea-pig atria, followed by relaxation at higher concentration (1.0-5.0 mg/ml). The cardio-stimulant effect was abolished in the presence of propranolol, similar to that of isoprenaline. Activity-directed fractionation revealed that the spasmolytic component(s) was separated in the organic fraction, whereas the spasmogenic component was concentrated in the aqueous fraction. Conclusion These results indicate that A. spinosus possesses laxative activity partially mediated through cholinergic action. The spasmolytic effect was mediated through calcium channel blocking (CCB), while bronchodilator activity through a combination of β-adrenergic and CCB pathways, which may explain the traditional uses of A. spinosus in gut and airways disorders