Analysis of Milk Collected From Milk Points for Composition, Adulterants and Microbial Quality in District Swat

Milk contains nutrients which are building block for growth and cannot be fulfill by any other food.  In Pakistan Approximately 50 %of the milk produced is consumed as fresh or boiled, one sixth as yoghurt or curd and remaining is utilized for manufacturing of indigenous varieties of milk products such as ice cream, butter, khoa, paneerrabri, kheer, barfi and gulabjamin. A total of 150 samples were collected 50 each from tehsil Babozai, kabal and khwazakhela. The composition was determined through lactoscane milk analyzer, microbial quality through MBRT and adulterant analysis through various procedures. High milk Fat was recorded in tehsil Kabal 5.21% followed by 4.48% in tehsil Khwazakhela and 4.08%in tehsil Babozai. High milk SNF% was 6.92% recorded in tehsil Kabal followed by 6.72% in tehsil Khwazakhela and 6.11% in tehsil Babozai. High milk protein was recorded in tehsil Kabal 3.15% followed by 3.1% in tehsil Khwazakhela and 2.79% in tehsil Babozai.High quantity of lactose in milk was recorded as 3.04% in tehsil Kabal followed by 2.96% in tehsail Khwazakhela and 2.69% in tehsil Babozai. High amount of added water was observed as 36.22% in tehsil Babozai followed by 34.07% in tehsail Khwazakhela and 31.69% in tehsil Kabal. Boric acid and starch were not detected in all the samples processed. Formalin was detected in all tehsils as 26%, 46% and 36% in tehsil Babozai, kabal and khwazakhela, respectively. On MBRT no sample (0%) was found to be of excellent quality. The good quality was found to be one sample in tehsil khwazakhela (0.6%), 41.33% were of fair quality, 32% were of poor quality and 26% samples were of very poor quality. In tehsil Babozai 20 samples were of very poor quality which was high value among all the three tehsils. The maximum no for fair quality was observed in tehsil Kabal followed by tehsil Khwazakhela. The colony forming unit per milliliter (cfu/ml) for salmonella on salmonella shagilla agar was found 538 in tehsil Babozai followed by 510 in tehsil Kabal and 370 cfu/ml was observed in tehsil Khwazakhela. The data regarding e.coli count (cfu/ml) shows that high number (595)  of colonies of e.coli were observed in milk collected from tehsil Kabal followed by 576  in tehsil Babozai and 480 in tehsil Khwazakhela. Colony forming unit on nutrient agar for various bacterial species showed that maximum number of microorganism were observed in milk samples for tehsil Babozai (590) followed by tehsil Khwazakhela 530 and 475 in tehsail Kabal

Performance of SAC305 and SAC305-0.4La lead free electronic solders at high temperature

Purpose – Tin-Silver-Copper is widely accepted as the best alternative to replace Tin-Lead solders in microelectronics packaging due to their acceptable properties. However, to overcome some of the shortcomings related to its microstructure and in turn, its mechanical properties at high temperature, the addition of different elements into Tin-Silver-Copper is important for investigations. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of lanthanum doping on the microstructure, microhardness and tensile properties of Tin-Silver-Copper as a function of thermal aging time for 60, 120 and 180 h at a high temperature of 150°C and at high strain rates of 25, 35 and 45/s. Design/methodology/approach – The microstructure of un-doped and Lanthanum-doped Tin-Silver-Copper after different thermal aging time is examined using scanning electron microscopy followed by digital image analyses using ImageJ. Brinell hardness is used to find out the microhardness properties. The tensile tests are performed using the universal testing machine. All the investigations are done after the above selected thermal aging time at high temperature. The tensile tests of the thermally aged specimens are further investigated at high strain rates of 25, 35 and 45/s. Findings – According to the microstructural examination, Tin-Silver-Copper with 0.4 Wt.% Lanthanum is found to be more sensitive at high temperature as the aging time increases which resulted in coarse microstructure due to the non-uniform distribution of intermetallic compounds. Similarly, lower values of microhardness, yield strength and ultimate tensile strength come in favours of 0.4 Wt.% Lanthanum added Tin-Silver- Copper. Furthermore, when the thermally aged tensile specimen is tested at high strains, two trends in tensile curves of both the solder alloys are noted. The trends showed that yield strength and ultimate tensile strength increase as the strain rate increase and decrease when there is an increase in thermal aging. Originality/value – The addition of higher supplement (0.4Wt.%) of Lanthanum into Tin-Silver-Copper showed a lower hardness value, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, ductility, toughness and fatigue in comparison to un-doped Tin-Silver-Copper at high temperature and at high strain rates. Finally, simplified material property models with minimum error are developed which will help when the actual test data are not available

Hierarchically macroporous silver monoliths using Pluronic F127: Facile synthesis, characterization and its application as an efficient biomaterial for pathogens

AbstractHerein we report the facile synthesis of three dimensional macroporous (MP) silver monoliths serving as intelligent biomaterials against Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium) and Gram positive (Bacillus subtilis) bacteria with more efficacy against Gram negative bacteria. The macroporous silver monoliths were examined by Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) study, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDX) and Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) adsorption technique. From the antibacterial activity results, it was concluded that macroporous silver monoliths can serve as efficient disinfection agents. The enhanced antibacterial properties of macroporous silver monoliths was possibly due to high surface free energy of the surface Ag+ atoms leading to cell membrane damage followed by cell death

Heat transfer augmentation and entropy generation analysis of Microchannel Heat Sink (MCHS) with symmetrical ogive-shaped ribs

This study proposes the use of symmetrical ogive-shaped ribs on the walls of microchannel heat sinks (MCHS) to improve their thermal performance with minimal pressure drop. The ribs are arranged in three different configurations: ribs attached to all channel walls (MC-SAWR), ribs attached to side channel walls (MC-SSWR), and ribs attached to the bottom channel wall (MC-SBWR). Numerical investigations are conducted using the laminar conjugate heat transfer model to study the flow and heat transfer characteristics of the MCHS. The augmentation entropy generation number and thermal enhancement factor criterion are used to quantify the overall hydrothermal performance of the MCHS. The results show that the inclusion of symmetrical ogive-shaped ribs improves the Nusselt number of MCHS. The MC-SAWR configuration shows the highest Nusselt number improvement of 13–50% compared to the smooth MCHS over the Reynolds number range of 100–1000. Additionally, the MC-SAWR configuration shows a maximum reduction of 58% in the total entropy generation rate as it has the smallest augmentation entropy generation number value of 0.42. In terms of the thermal enhancement factor criterion, the MC-SSWR configuration shows the highest performance at Reynolds numbers below 400, but the MC-SAWR configuration outperformed the MC-SSWR configuration at Reynolds numbers above 400. Therefore, the MC-SAWR configuration is the best configuration that provides high cooling performance

Effect of cutting parameters and tool geometry on the performance analysis of one-shot drilling process of AA2024-t3

Drilling is an important machining process in various manufacturing industries. High-quality holes are possible with the proper selection of tools and cutting parameters. This study investigates the effect of spindle speed, feed rate, and drill diameter on the generated thrust force, the formation of chips, post-machining tool condition, and hole quality. The hole surface defects and the top and bottom edge conditions were also investigated using scan electron microscopy. The drilling tests were carried out on AA2024-T3 alloy under a dry drilling environment using 6 and 10 mm uncoated carbide tools. Analysis of Variance was employed to further evaluate the influence of the input parameters on the analysed outputs. The results show that the thrust force was highly influenced by feed rate and drill size. The high spindle speed resulted in higher surface roughness, while the increase in the feed rate produced more burrs around the edges of the holes. Additionally, the burrs formed at the exit side of holes were larger than those formed at the entry side. The high drill size resulted in greater chip thickness and an increased built-up edge on the cutting tools

Agro-morphological and genetic diversity studies in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) germplasm using microsatellite markers

Background Knowledge of the genetic diversity and population structure of germplasm collections is an important foundation for crop improvement. Rice production across a broad range of rice-growing environments results in a diverse array of local rice varieties. Many rice varieties have been lost as a result of biodiversity loss and are now grown in Pakistan. Methods and results To protect the biodiversity of rice varieties, an experiment was carried out to check the genetic and morphological variations between 8 exotic and 7 local rice genotypes, using 5 different SSR markers, i.e., RM3, RM259, RM341, RM520, and RM11943. The analysis of morphological and quality traits of rice observed significant variation across genotypes. The results revealed that genotype Irri-Pak attained the highest plant height and primary branch plant-1, while genotype Mushkan produced a higher number of productive tillers and obtained a higher fertility factor (%). Similarly, the highest value for panicle length was observed for genotype Faker-e-Malakand, 1000-grains weight in genotype Calmochi, and maximum days to maturity was noticed in genotype Swati-2014. Moreover, the genotype Brio attained the highest value of stem diameter, while maximum seed length was noted in the genotype Sug Dasi. The highest number of primary branches plant(-1) in genotype Ibge-I and secondary branches plant(-1) in genotype Calmochi were noticed. A higher concentration of sodium and potassium was observed for the genotype Marte, while the genotype Muskan attained the maximum content of copper. Moreover, the highest concentration of iron in genotype Originario, zinc in genotype JP-5, and cadmium content were noticed in genotype Ibge. Similarly, the dendrogram analysis for quantitative parameters showed three clusters at 74.13% similarities. Whereas all the genotypes of European origin formed a separate cluster. A set of 5 simple sequence repeat primers, covering four chromosomes, amplified a total of 14 alleles and showed 100% polymorphism with an average PIC value ranging from 0.39 to 0.91. The UPGMA cluster analysis separated the 15 rice genotypes into 3 main groups based on 32.5% similarities and the highest genetic distance (45.1%) was observed between two genotypes (Fakher-e-malakand and Musa), having different geographical origins. There was no genetic distance between the genotypes Marte and Brio, irrespective of having the same origin. Conclusions The maximum genetic distances were noted for genotype, Fakhre-e-Malakand and Musa having a different origin, while the minimum genetic distance was shown by genotypes, Marte and Onice, from the same origin.Peer reviewe

FREQUENCY OF NASOPHARYNGEAL ANGIOFIBROMA IN PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH RECURRENT EPISTAXIS

Objective: To determine the frequency of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma in patients presenting with recurrent epistaxis. Study design: Cross sectional study. Duration and setting: This study was carried out from July 2017 to July 2018 at ENT, Head & Neck Surgery department, Khyber teaching hospital, Peshawar. Material and method: A total number of 93 patients were included in this study. Patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were collected from the outdoor patient department (OPD) of ENT, head and neck surgery, Khyber teaching hospital, Peshawar. Informed consent for participating in the study was taken from all patients. The patients’ biodata along with hospital registration number were entered on proforma. The patients were assessed initially by history and nasal endoscopic. CT scan nose and PNS with contrast was done and patient admitted and operated for the suspected nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. Biopsy specimen was sent for histopathology to consultant histopathologist in the hospital’s pathology laboratory. Lab reports of the biopsy specimen showing histopathology of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma were reviewed and data entered in the proforma. Results: Out of 93 patients, 32% patients were in age range 10-15 years, 68% patients were in age range 16-20 years. Mean age was 16 years with SD ± 1.26. Fifty seven percent patients had duration of symptoms <1 year while 43% patients had duration of symptoms > 1 year. The incidence of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma was 18%. Conclusion: Our study concludes that the incidence of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma in our setup is 18% which can be due to the increasing number of Afghan refugees. Key words: nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, recurrent epistaxis

Sequential damage study induced in fiber reinforced composites by shear and tensile stress using a newly developed Arcan fixture

This work presents the application of both uniaxial and bi-axial in-plane loads to unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminates using a newly developed Arcan fixture, which is a reliable experimental set-up to obtain a uniform shear stress field in a butterfly specimen. The set-up can be used for both damage model validation and parameters identification at various fiber orientations while using the same specimens. A sequential damage study was completed to highlight the influence of diffused damage induced in pure shear on the fiber direction tensile behavior of the laminate. This was accomplished by applying load on the specimens in two steps: (i) the pure shear step and then unloading at approximately 70% of the shear failure strength, (ii) in the tensile step until final failure. A clear drop in the tensile behavior of the laminate was observed by the diffused damage induced in the first loading step of pure shear. The experimental study is also supplemented with numerical simulations using a nonlinear elasto-plastic coupled damage constitutive law by employing Puck’s failure theory for mesodamage activation. In addition to the damage pattern, the non-linear mechanical behavior in shear is predicted and found in good correspondence with the experimental results

Optimizing Conservation of Nili Ravi Buffaloes in Southern Region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Phenotypic, Morphometric, and Productive Traits

In Pakistan, Nili Ravi buffalo is highly valued breed due to its high milk yield. Native to Punjab province, the breed is now extensively distributed throughout the country. To assess and optimize the conservation strategies for Nili Ravi buffaloes in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by evaluating their phenotypic, morphometric, productive, and reproductive characteristics. Buffaloes were maintained at Livestock Research and Development Station in Paharpur, Dera Ismail Khan from 2010-2023, under breed conservation program. A sum of 298 records Nili Ravi buffaloes were used for the investigation. The research examined physical attributes such as coat color, horn morphology, and other qualitative characteristics. In addition to body weight, body length, withers height, chest circumference, and hip breadth, morphometric measurements were recorded. Mean body weight of Nili Ravi buffaloes was recorded was 677 + 213 Kg, produced 1387.12 + 32.87 liters milk during their lactation period of 292.87 + 32.40 days that was substantially impacted by year (p \u3c 0.05) and calving season. Calving interval was 480.18 + 22.09 days, whereas parity year and calving season bear considerable (p \u3c 0.05) impact on their characteristic. Dry period was 181.2 + 18.01 days. This research aided in the development of conservation and enhancement strategies for Nili Ravi buffalo in the region. Nili Ravi buffaloes in the region have excellent milk yield but the study disclosed morphometric variations within the breed, demonstrating the need for targeted breeding and management practices

Antimicrobial potential of alkaloids and flavonoids extracted from Tamarix aphylla leaves against common human pathogenic bacteria

Background: Alkaloids and flavonoids are secondary metabolites extracted from different medicinal plants. Tamarix aphylla a traditionally valuable medicinal plant; was used for the extraction of alkaloids and flavonoids in order to evaluate their antibacterial activity.Methodology: The leaves of the plant were collected from district Kohat, Pakistan, and their alkaloids and flavonoids were extracted with ethanol and methanol, respectively. Four bacteria i.e. Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were selected for the biological screening of these phyto-constituents.Results: The concentration of alkaloids was found to be more in the leaves of Tamarix aphylla than flavonoids. The extracted phytochemicals showed varied inhibition zones against tested bacterial isolates. Alkaloids showed highest inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus (14±0.6 mm) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13±0.7 mm). Conversely, flavonoids showed the highest inhibitory affect against Salmonella typhi (17±0.7 mm) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (14±0.7 mm). However, both extracts showed the lowest inhibitory effects against Escherichia coli.Conclusions: It was concluded that the alkaloids and flavonoids from Tamarix aphylla leaves have antimicrobial potential against common human bacterial pathogens. However, flavonoids were found to be more active phytochemical against tested bacterial strains as compared to alkaloids.Keywords: Kohat; Medicinal plants; Phytochemical screening; In-vitro activity; Bacterial strains