On using Multiple Quality Link Metrics with Destination Sequenced Distance Vector Protocol for Wireless Multi-Hop Networks

In this paper, we compare and analyze performance of five quality link metrics forWireless Multi-hop Networks (WMhNs). The metrics are based on loss probability measurements; ETX, ETT, InvETX, ML and MD, in a distance vector routing protocol; DSDV. Among these selected metrics, we have implemented ML, MD, InvETX and ETT in DSDV which are previously implemented with different protocols; ML, MD, InvETX are implemented with OLSR, while ETT is implemented in MR-LQSR. For our comparison, we have selected Throughput, Normalized Routing Load (NRL) and End-to-End Delay (E2ED) as performance parameters. Finally, we deduce that InvETX due to low computational burden and link asymmetry measurement outperforms among all metrics

New validated rp-hplc method for simultaneous estimation of lamivudine and tenofovir disproxil fumarate in tablets

A simple, specific and precise reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of Lamivudine and Tenofovir disproxil fumarate in tablets. Quantification was achieved by using a reverse-phase C18 column (Inertsil ODS 3V, 250 mm x 4.6 mm; 5) at 31 o C. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of phosphate buffer and acetonitrile in the ratio of 55:45 v/v at a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min. The retention times of Lamivudine and Tenofovir disproxil fumarate were found to be 2.430 min and 4.550 min respectively. The developed method was validated as per ICH Guidelines for linearity, accuracy, precision, detection limit, quantification limit, ruggedness, robustness, specificity and system suitability. The percentage recoveries for both of the drugs from their tablets were found to be 98.48 % and 98.64 % respectively. The method may successfully be employed for the simultaneous determination of Lamivudine and Tenofovir disproxil fumarate in pharmaceutical tablet dosage forms

Isolation and characterization of mesophilic bacteria from rhizosphere of plant rice (Oryza sativa) from Lodhran, Pakistan

The present study demonstrated isolation and characterization of 48 bacterial strains (ABOs01-ABOs48) from rhizosphere of rice plant (Oryza sativa) of Rind Jada (Kahror Pacca), Punjab, Pakistan. Morphological studies including colony color, bacterial shape and gram staining were performed and colonies were observed to be either orange yellow, light yellow, pink, greenish yellow, white, or off-white in appearance. Gram staining showed that out of 48 isolates, 38 were gram positive and 10 were gram negative. Various Biochemical tests were performed to identify these strains; the results were used to identify these strains at the species levels. These strains belongs to the following species Erwinia stewartii (13), Klebsiella terrigena (9), Klebsiella pneumonia susp. Ozaene (8), Serratia plymuthica (6), Yersinia (5), Escherichia blattae (5), 1 Edwardsiella ictaluri (1), and Obesumbacterium proteus (1). Additionally, amylase test showed that 39 strains were positive while 9 were negative. Conversely, all strains were negative for cellulase production. Finally, Antibiotics resistance showed 23 isolates were sensitive vs 25 resistant to ampicillin and 4 isolates were resistant vs 44 sensitive to penicillin. These findings suggested a great microbial diversity in rice plant rhizosphere which demands more investigations for agricultural and industrial purposes

EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SOIL IN VILLAGE DINGI, DISTRICT HARIPUR

The present report is an outcome of research work conducted in Dingi village, District Haripur in 2012. The research aimed to assess and analyze the effects of industrial effluents on the soil fertility of the village, investigate contributing factors responsible for soil pollution and underlying causes creating the problems. Data analysis revealed that area had problems pertaining to water and soil quality. The key factors affecting soil fertility were the careless discharge of the untreated industrial effluents from Hattar Industrial Estate (HIE) into the natural stream passing through village. The results were compared with the soil standards set by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and European Committee Commission (ECC) and all of these were exceeding the permissible limits and affecting the soil fertility. The soils were found not fit for agriculture. The investigation highlighted the need to take some effective steps to manage the monitoring program set for checking of industries by the government according to set rules and regulation

Body composition, blood pressure and dietary habits among young qatari male adults

Introduction: Due to a rapidly changing lifestyle in Qatar, determinants of non-communicable diseases and linked levels of risk factors have risen. These facts pose a national challenge (1). Information about Qatari adults` (19-30yr.) dietary habits is essential because of the increase in the incidence and prevalence of obesity in Qataris. In 2006, the percentage of Qatari boys who are overweight and obese is 28.6%, and 7.9%, respectively (3). Aim of this study was to determine body composition, blood pressure and dietary habits of the next cohort, those 18-29 yrs old. Methods: 80 Qatari male students, 18-29 yrs of age, from Qatar University (QU) participated. Blood pressure (BP) was measured by Omron HEM-780, body composition (body weight and percent of body fat (BF), were measured by OMRON BF-400. Dietary habits were evaluated using the NHANES Food Frequency Questionnaire. For data analysis, Chi-square test and univariate analyses of variance were conducted using SPSS version 20. Results: The mean systolic and diastolic BP was 128.6±1.42 mmHg, 73.32±1.1 mmHg, respectively. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) was 91.74±1.06 mmHg. The mean BF is 23.79±1.19%. 30.77% of the subjects were classified as overweight, 38.46% as obese. The crosstab statistical analyses yielded a difference between fast food (FF) vs. seafood (SF) consumptions (p=.007). No statistical difference between vegetables consumption vs. pasta intake occur. However, the subjects` soda consumption was greater than fruit juices (p=.05). The BF is expressed by an interaction between salad and SF consumption, p=.047, ηp2=.409, but these main effects are not qualified by a separate interaction on BF (p=.234, ηp2=.181 vs. p=.34, ηp2=.149, respectively). No interaction was found between FF, SF or sweets and blood pressure values. Conclusion: Obesity is uniformly considered to be the most important factor in developing non-communicable diseases in Qatar (2). Our study supports the results. In our sample, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher compared to previously published studies. No correlation between dietary habits and MAP occurred though, due to the wide range of nutrients consumed. High caloric diets are prevalent among QU students

Segment, Select, Correct: A Framework for Weakly-Supervised Referring Segmentation

Referring Image Segmentation (RIS) - the problem of identifying objects in images through natural language sentences - is a challenging task currently mostly solved through supervised learning. However, while collecting referred annotation masks is a time-consuming process, the few existing weakly-supervised and zero-shot approaches fall significantly short in performance compared to fully-supervised learning ones. To bridge the performance gap without mask annotations, we propose a novel weakly-supervised framework that tackles RIS by decomposing it into three steps: obtaining instance masks for the object mentioned in the referencing instruction (segment), using zero-shot learning to select a potentially correct mask for the given instruction (select), and bootstrapping a model which allows for fixing the mistakes of zero-shot selection (correct). In our experiments, using only the first two steps (zero-shot segment and select) outperforms other zero-shot baselines by as much as 19%, while our full method improves upon this much stronger baseline and sets the new state-of-the-art for weakly-supervised RIS, reducing the gap between the weakly-supervised and fully-supervised methods in some cases from around 33% to as little as 14%. Code is available at https://github.com/fgirbal/segment-select-correct

Effect of Iron Deficiency Anemia on Intellectual Performance of Primary School Children in Islamabad, Pakistan

Purpose: To assess the differences, if any, in the intellectual performance scores of children who have iron deficiency anemia and those who are neither anemic nor iron-deficient in New Kashmir Model School, Islamabad, Pakistan.Methods: A total of 108 primary New Kashmir Model School children of Islamabad, Pakistan between the ages of 7 to 9 years were included in the study. They were divided into two groups based on Iron deficiency anemia and Non-anemia children’s. A brief clinical history and physical examination was performed. All the 5 mandatory subjects of WISC-R were administered to the children of both groups. Electronic cell counter was used for the evaluation of hemoglobin, packed cell volume (PVC), mean cell volume (MCV), Mean cell hemoglobin (MCH) while serum parameters were determined after first separating serum from blood. Giemsa stain was used to evaluate red cell morphology.Results: Seventy six of these children had iron deficiency anemia based on their hemoglobin, packed cell volume, serum iron, total iron binding capacity and serum ferritin levels. The remaining 32 children were neither anemic nor iron-deficient based on their profiles. Intellectual performance scores which comprised of central nervous system (CNS) impact, as well as hemoglobin, packed cell volume, serum iron, total iron binding capacity and serum ferritin levels and also clinical parameters for the iron deficiency anemia group, were significantly lower than those of the non-anemia group.Conclusion: Iron deficiency anemia appears to be associated with lower intellectual performance scores in school children. These results support previous findings that iron depletion leads to psychological and developmental effects in children.Keywords: Intellectual performance, Anemia, Children, Psychological and developmental effect