Routing protocols based on protocol operations for underwater wireless sensor network: A survey

Underwater Wireless Sensor Network (UWSN) is the well interesting area for research community due to its versatile applications like: ocean monitoring, underwater mineral extraction, tactical surveillance, marine internal wild life, offshore explorations and ocean monitoring. Majority of the researchers have used deployment and topological structure of the terrestrial Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) for UWSN but almost these kinds of structures are failure due to the environmental conditions of underwater environment. This research article covers the dynamic structure, route discovery, route maintenance and data forwarding mechanisms of routing protocols based on protocol operations. This research further covers the analytical analysis and numerical simulations results of the routing protocols based on protocol operations and will guide to the researcher to further research in the area of routing protocols

RMEER: Reliable Multi-path Energy Efficient Routing Protocol for Underwater Wireless Sensor Network

Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) is interesting area for researchers.To extract the information from seabed to water surface the the majority numbers of routing protocols has been introduced. The design of routing protocols faces many challenges like deployment of sensor nodes, controlling of node mobility, development of efficient route for data forwarding, prolong the battery power of the sensor nodes, and removal of void nodes from active data forwarding paths. This research article focuses the design of the Reliable Multipath Energy Efficient Routing (RMEER) which develops the efficient route between sensor nodes, and prolongs the battery life of the nodes. RMEER is a scalable and robust protocol which utilizes the powerful fixed courier nodes in order to enhance the network throughput, data delivery ratio, network lifetime and reduces the end-to-end delay. RMEER is also an energy efficient routing protocol for saving the energy level of the nodes. We have used the NS2.30 simulator with AquaSim package for performance analysis of RMEER.We observed that the simulation performance of RMEER is better than D-DBR protocol

Dietary Calcium Intake, Vitamin D Status, and Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women in Rural Pakistan

The high prevalence of osteoporosis in Pakistan is of public-health concern. However, there is a paucity of information regarding nutrition and bone density in rural communities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dietary and lifestyle factors that impact bone health in Nahaqi. Data were collected from 140 postmenopausal women using an interviewer-administered 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire. Bone mineral density was estimated using the quantitative ultrasound index (QUI). Serum 25(OH)D was measured in fasting blood samples. The QUI scores revealed that 42% and 29% of the women had T-scores, indicative of osteopaenia and osteoporosis respectively. The mean calcium intake was 346 mg/d, which is less than 50% of the recommended daily intake. The QUI correlated with 25(OH)D after controlling for age (p=0.021, r=0.41, r2=0.168). Vitamin D deficiency and low intake of dietary calcium are two key factors contributing to poor bone health in this population

Developing health service delivery in a poor and marginalised community in North West Pakistan

Objective: To improve maternal health and reduce child mortality through developing health service delivery in a poor and marginalised community in North West Pakistan. Methodology: A multifaceted intervention to extend and strengthen the range and quality of services provided at an existing health centre, in a rural community in Peshawar District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The intervention was developed with community involvement and had four main components: service development, staff capacity development, community engagement and the introduction of a micro-credit scheme. The evaluation assessed the efficiency and effectiveness of project implementation, including a survey of maternal and child health indicators. Results: Between 2014 and 2017, a range of new health services were developed at the health centre. Local volunteers were trained to promote health awareness in the community and refer pregnant women to the health centre. The survey indicated health improvements, such as increased vaccination rates for women and children, and a dramatic reduction in unskilled deliveries. Conclusions: Community engagement was essential to achieve much needed maternal and child health improvements in this poor and marginalised community. Sustainability was achieved by training local volunteers as community health workers

Comparison of Outcome in Microdiscectomy V/S Conventional Discectomy

Objective: To Compare surgical outcome of microdiscectomy V/S Conventional Discectomy. Study Design: Experimental Randomized Controlled trail. Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in Department of neurosurgery Lahore General Hospital Lahore Duration of Study was Six Months followed by Six Months Follow up. Sample Size: Forty Patients for herniated Laumber Disc were Divided into two Group of 20 Each. Results: Mean age of Patients range from 18 to 70 years in Group A (Open Discectomy) out of 20 Patients, 14 Patients (70%) stayed < 5 days and 6 Patients (30%). Stay in Hospital > 5 days. In Group B 20 patients (100%). Hospital Stay < 5 days. C.S.F leak in group A 5%. In group B No. CSF leak recorded in Group A 4 Patients (25%) wound infection. In Group B, 1 Patient (5%) wound infection. Conclusion: Both techniques are equally good and effective but in term of hospital stay and wound infection microdisectomy showed better results than open discectomy

Role of Endoscopic Assisted Microsurgery for Pituitary Tumors

Objective: To determine the outcome of endoscopic assisted microsurgery for pituitary tumors in terms of gross tumor removal and visual field improvement. Materials and Methods: This Descriptive case series conducted at Department of Neurosurgery, Lahore General Hospital Lahore over a period of six months from July 2012 to December 2012. Sixty five patients were included through non-probability purposive sampling technique. All cases of pituitary tumor diagnosed on MRI/CT scan of either gender having age 18 – 80 years and patients with recurrent cases, sellar and with suprasellar extension (assessed on CT and MRI findings). Informed consent was taken from the patients. All laboratory tests were done in hospital laboratory and reported by hospital pathologist Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital Lahore. Pre- and post-operative visual field status (at least 3 months after surgery) was analyzed. Surgery was performed by a single team of surgeons. Surgical procedure involves introduction of 4-mm to 2.7mm endoscope to visualize the sphenoethmoid recess. The bilateral sphenoid Ostia are entered. The posterior nasal septum was incised at middle turbinate and it was patients resected. All the data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS 20. Fre-quency and percentages were calculated for all qualitative variables like gross removal rate and visual filed improvement. Results: The mean age of the patients was 50.46 ± 17.80 years. There were 64.62% male patients and 35.38% female patients. Gross removal of tumor was observed in 56 (86.2%) and visual field improvement was found in 92.31% patients. 56 patients were those in which gross removal of tumor was observed in which 34 were males and 22 were females, similarly in 9 patients them was subtotal resection of tumor in which 8 were males and only 1 was female. Conclusion: In this study, gross removal of tumor as well as visual field improvement was found in maximum number of patients and it is concluded that endoscopic assisted microsurgery for pituitary tumors is a better technique for such surgeries.&nbsp

Out Come of Surgical Management of Tethered Cord Syndrome

Objective: To determine neurological outcome after surgical management of tethered cord syndrome. Material and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in the department of Neurosurgery, Lahore General Hospital Lahore. Over a period of Three Years From 2012 to 2014. Study Comprised of Fifty Patients after fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The mean age of the patients was 36 ± 10 Years There were 30 (60.0%) male and 20 (40.0%) female patients. There was improvement in neurological status. The distribution of improvement in neurological status, revealed 35 (70.0%) patients had improvement in back pain, 18 (36.0%) improved motor function and 17 (34.0%) improved urinary incontinence. Conclusion: It is concluded from this study that back pain, motor function and urinary incontinence improve postoperatively in the majority of patients. The rate of symptomatic improvement was greatest for back pain, followed by motor, and then urinary improvement. Abbreviations: TCS: Tethered Cord Syndrome. ATCS: Adult Tethered Cord Syndrome

Site-specific factors influence the field performance of a Zn-biofortified wheat variety

Background: Biofortification of wheat with zinc (Zn) through breeding and agronomy can reduce Zn deficiencies and improve human health. ‘High-Zn’ wheat varieties have been released in India and Pakistan, where wheat is consumed widely as a dietary staple. The aim of this study was to quantify the potential contribution of a ‘high-Zn’ wheat variety (Triticum aestivum L. var. Zincol-2016) and Zn fertilisers to improving dietary Zn supply under field conditions in Pakistan. Methods: Grain Zn concentration of Zincol-2016 and local reference varieties were determined at three sites of contrasting soil Zn status: Faisalabad (Punjab Province; diethylenetriamine pentaacetate- (DTPA-)extractable Zn, 1.31 mg kg-1 soil; gross plot size 13.3 m2; n=4; reference var. Faisalabad-2008), Islamabad (Capital Territory; 0.48 mg kg-1; 4.6 m2; n=5; reference var. NARC-2011), and Pir Sabak (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, KPK, Province; 0.12 mg kg-1 soil; 9.1 m2; n=4; reference vars. Pirsabak-2015, Wadhan-2017). Eight Zn fertiliser treatment levels were tested using a randomised complete block design: control; soil (5 or 10 kg ha-1 ZnSO4.H2O; 33% Zn applied at sowing); foliar (0.79 or 1.58 kg of ZnSO4.H2O ha-1 applied as a 250 L ha-1 drench at crop booting stage); three soil foliar combinations. Results: At the Faisalabad site, the grain Zn concentration of Zincol-2016 was greater than Faisalabad-2008, with no yield penalty. Zincol-2016 did not have larger grain Zn concentrations than reference varieties used at Islamabad or Pir Sabak sites, which both had a lower soil Zn status than the Faisalabad site. Foliar Zn fertilisation increased grain Zn concentration of all varieties at all sites. There were no significant effects of soil Zn fertilisers, or variety·fertiliser interactions, on grain Zn concentration or yield. Conclusions: Environment and management affect the performance of ‘high-Zn’ wheat varieties, and these factors needs to be evaluated at scale to assess the potential nutritional impact of Zn biofortified crops. Designing studies to detect realistic effect sizes for new varieties and crop management strategies is therefore an important consideration. The current study indicated that nine replicate plots would be needed to achieve 80% power to detect a 25% increase in grain Zn concentration