Beyond the Horizon, Backhaul Connectivity for Offshore IoT Devices

The prevalent use of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices over the Sea, such as, on oil and gas platforms, cargo, and cruise ships, requires high-speed connectivity of these devices. Although satellite based backhaul links provide vast coverage, but they are inherently constrained by low data rates and expensive bandwidth. If a signal propagated over the sea is trapped between the sea surface and the Evaporation Duct (ED) layer, it can propagate beyond the horizon, achieving long-range backhaul connectivity with minimal attenuation. This paper presents experimental measurements and simulations conducted in the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) Band Wi-Fi frequencies, such as 5.8 GHz to provide hassle-free offshore wireless backhaul connectivity for IoT devices over the South China Sea in the Malaysian region. Real-time experimental measurements are recorded for 10 km to 80 km path lengths to determine average path loss values. The fade margin calculation for ED must accommodate additional slow fading on top of average path loss with respect to time and climate-induced ED height variations to ensure reliable communication links for IoT devices. Experimental results confirm that 99% link availability of is achievable with minimum 50 Mbps data rate and up to 60 km distance over the Sea to connect offshore IoT devices

Perception Of E-Learning In Medical Students Of Fatima Jinnah Medical University

Introduction: In the modern era, advancing information technology is leaving an impact on the educational system as well wherein classroom learning is being replaced by e-learning. This type of learning is a part of formal educational system in many institutions around the globe. HEC is emphasizing the implementation of e- learning in formal education, thus perception of students about e learning need to be known. Aims & Objectives: To determine the perception of medical students of FJMU regarding e-learning. All institutions throughout world had to shift to online learning during COVID- 19 pandemic. This new online system is challenging for many students. The current study was planned to know the perception of medical students of FJMU about e- learning. Place and Duration of Study: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that took place in FJMU, Lahore and duration of study was 2 weeks in August 2021. Material & Methods: The study was conducted on 377 medical students of 1st and 2nd year MBBS. Nonprobability purposive sampling technique was employed. A predesigned and pretested questionnaire was administered to the students in August 2021. Data was analyzed by SPSS 23 and frequency % was calculated for quantitative variables as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and e learning stressors were calculated. Results: Mean age of students were 19.4 years, with range of 18-22 years and all were females. Majority (85%) used mobile phones for e-learning. 72.6% of the students preferred face to face learning over e-learning. Major stressors included inadequate IT skills, lack of motivation and poor internet connections. Conclusion: Medical students of FJMU didn’t prefer e- learning over face to face learning

Macroeconomic factors driving exchange rate volatility and economic sustainability: case study of Pakistan /

Volatility increases the risk of exchange rate, and the risk of exchange rate refers to losing money due to fluctuations in the exchange rate. Thus, it significantly impacts the country's economic development stability or sustainability, as making investment and trade decisions under volatile exchange rates is complicated. The macroeconomic stability of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations can only be achieved partially with the fluctuation of the exchange rate in a country. Therefore, to stabilise exchange rate fluctuations, Pakistan's policy makers are making determinations about the US dollar specifically, which is one of the main reasons why this research study aims to identify the macroeconomic factors that determine the volatility of exchange rates in Pakistan; therefore, for this research study, annual data is used. This study uses an Autoregressive distribution lag (ARDL) model, which assesses cointegration between variables to see their short- and long-term relationship. As a result, there is cointegration, according to the results of the ARDL bound test. Furthermore, in short- and long-period relationships, debt, interest rates, and political stability are revealed to have statistically significant consequences on currency rate volatility. Finally, the Granger causality test analyses that terms of trade, debt, political stability, and inflation cause fluctuations in the exchange rate. On the contrary, the volatility of the exchange rate affects the country's current account. As a result, it is stated that, except for current account balance and interest rate from Granger causality, all the macroeconomic factors selected in this study are drivers of exchange rate volatility. However, the vital common determinants from the ARDL and Granger test are debt and political stability, which influence exchange rate fluctuation and hamper the country's economic sustainability. This study implies that the government should also reduce its debt financing by reducing its non-productive expenditure and ensuring political stability, essential for stabilising the exchange rate. This macroeconomic stability can increase the impact of the market rate to influence foreign direct investment, leading to appreciation of the currency and sustainable economic growth of the country

Synthesis of cross-linked carboxymethyl cellulose and poly (2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) hydrogel for sustained drug release optimized by Box-Behnken Design

This research aims to fabricate and characterize chemically crosslinked CMC/PVP-co-poly (AMPS) based hydrogel for the sustained release of model drug metoprolol tartrate through the free radical polymerization technique. Box-Behnken Design was used to optimize CMC/PVP-co-poly (AMPS) hydrogel by varying the content of reactants such as; polymers (CMC and PVP), monomer (AMPS), and crosslinker (EGDMA). Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was crosslinked chemically with AMPS with a constant ratio of PVP by the ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the crosslinker in the presence of sodium hydrogen sulfite (SHS)/ammonium peroxodisulfate (APS) as initiators. After developing CMC-based hydrogels using different polymers, monomer, and crosslinker concentrations, this study encompassed dynamic swelling, sol–gel fraction, drug release and chemical characterizations such as FTIR, XRD, TGA, DSC, and SEM. In vitro drug release and swelling were performed at 1.2 and 6.8 pH to determine the sustained release pattern and pH-responsive behavior. These parameters depended on the crosslinker, polymer, and monomer ratios used in the formulation development. XRD, SEM, and FTIR showed the successful grafting of constituents resulting in the formation of a stable hydrogel. DSC and TGA confirmed the thermodynamic stability of the hydrogel. Hydrogel swelling was increased with an increase in the ratio of monomer; however, an increase in the ratio of polymer and crosslinker decreased the hydrogel swelling. In vitro gel fraction and drug release also depended on polymer, monomer, and crosslinker ratios. The fabricated CMC/PVP-co-poly (AMPS) hydrogels constituted a potential system for sustained drug delivery

Enhanced optoelectronic characteristics of La-doped ZnO and its compatibility with Cs-doped MAPbI3 perovskite absorber material

The present study investigates the structural, electrical and optical characteristics of pristine and lanthanum (La)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) electron transport layers fabricated by the sol–gel method and their compatibility with Cs0.10MA0.90Pb(I0.9Br0.10)3 absorber layer for perovskite solar cells. All the electron transport layers were deposited under the same deposition conditions, with the only difference in La percentage in the precursor solutions, ranging from 0 to 6%. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated the presence of crystalline ZnO thin films and the absence of any impurity phases after La-doping. The calculated crystallite size, determined using Scherrer's equation, increased from 11.13 to 21.76 nm after the introduction of dopant. The doping with 4% La led to the decrease in the optical band gap from 3.32 eV of pristine ZnO to 3.23 eV. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed better morphology of perovskite / 4% La:ZnO specimen, which facilitated the absorbance and reduced the charge carrier recombination. It also exhibited superior resilience towards moisture and humidity which will eventually contribute to the development of more stable and efficient planar perovskite solar cells

Investigation of the Biological Applications of Biosynthesized Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles Mediated by <i>Buxus wallichiana</i> Extract

The preparation of nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) was carried out using an environmentally friendly and novel green synthetic strategy that included the use of Buxus wallichiana leaf extract as a reducing agent. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques were used to characterize the resulting NiO NPs. At various concentrations, NiO NPs were tested for their percentage scavenging activity against the ABTS (2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) free radical, with an IC50 value of 234.84 g/L. Furthermore, the bactericidal activity of NiO NPs was studied by the agar well diffusion method against two Gram-positive bacterial strains (B. licheniformis and B. subtilis) and two Gram-negative bacterial strains (E. coli and K. pneumoniae)

pH-sensitive docetaxel-loaded chitosan/thiolated hyaluronic acid polymeric nanoparticles for colorectal cancer - supplementary material

Supplementary figure 1Supplementary Table S1. Thiol group quantification assaySupplementary Table S2. Kinetic characteristics of DTX release from formulations of CS/SH-HA nanoparticlesSupplementary Table S3. An acute oral toxicity investigation for SH-HA nanoparticles with clinical outcomesSupplementary Table S4. Stability study of the thiolated NP formulation at different storage conditions for three months</p

Expression kinetics of natural resistance associated macrophage protein (NRAMP) genes in Salmonella Typhimurium-infected chicken

Abstract Background Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (Salmonella Typhimurium) is a zoonotic pathogen responsible for severe intestinal pathology in young chickens. Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (NRAMP) family has been shown to be associated with resistance to intracellular pathogens, including Salmonella Typhimurium. The role of NRAMP proteins in macrophage defence against microbial infection has been ascribed to changes in the metal-ion concentrations inside the bacteria-containing phagosomes. The present study was conducted to investigate tissue-specific (liver, spleen and caecum) expression kinetics of NRAMP gene family (NRAMP1 and NRAMP2) in broilers from day 0 to day 15 after Salmonella Typhimurium challenge concomitant to clinical, blood biochemical and immunological parameters survey. Results Clinical symptoms appeared 4 days post-infection (dpi) in infected birds. Symptoms like progressive weakness, anorexia, diarrhoea and lowering of the head were seen in infected birds one-week post-infection. On postmortem examination, liver showed congestion, haemorrhage and necrotic foci on the surface, while as the spleen, lungs and intestines revealed congestion and haemorrhages. Histopathological alterations were principally found in liver comprising of necrosis, reticular endothelial hyperplasia along with mononuclear cell and heterophilic infiltration. Red Blood Cell (RBC) count, Haemoglobin (Hb) and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in blood while heterophil counts increased up to 7 days post-infection. Serum glucose, aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) enzymes concentrations increased significantly throughout the study. A gradual increase of specific humoral IgG response confirmed Salmonella infection. Meanwhile, expression of NRAMP1 and NRAMP2 genes was differentially regulated after infection in tissues such as liver, spleen and caecum known to be the target of Salmonella Typhimurium replication in the chicken. Conclusion Thus the specific roles of NRAMP1 and NRAMP2 genes in Salmonella Typhimurium induced disease may be supposed from their differential expression according to tissues and timing after per os infection. However, these roles remain to be analyzed related to the severity of the disease which can be estimated by blood biochemistry and immunological parameters