Reducing uncertainties of mercury loading into the Everglades nutrient removal project

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 65).by Haseeb Mahmood and Carolyn E. Metzger.M.Eng

Spatio-temporal analysis of the potential toxicological burden of pollutants in a fluvial system, the River Irwell, Manchester, through anthropogenic activities (present and historical) and natural mechanisms

Anthropogenic addition of trace metals (lead, cadmium, copper, zinc and nickel), metalloids (arsenic) and common pollutingions (phosphate, nitrate, sodium and chlorine) to rivers degrades water quality and affects human, animal and plant health. The River Irwell, Greater Manchester, which has a long history of industrial pollution, was sampled along a rural-urban transect during summer (July) and autumn (November) to assess water quality of the river. Analysis of trace metals, metalloids and ions, via ICP-OES and IC, found concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, phosphate and sodium exceeding environmental quality standards. Water quality has improved since the 1980s, but concentrations of copper, zinc and phosphate remain above guidelines and require urgent remediation. Several potential pollution sources were identified, including wastewater treatment plants, agricultural run-off and urban centres

Whole exome sequencing identifies a novel mutation in ASPM and ultra-rare mutation in CDK5RAP2 causing primary microcephaly in consanguineous Pakistani families

Background & objectives: Primary Microcephaly (MCPH) is a rare neurogenetic disease, manifesting congenitally reduced head circumference and non-progressive intellectual disability (ID). To date, twenty-eight genes with biallelic mutations have been reported for this disorder. The study aimed for molecular genetic characterization of Pakistani families segregating MCPH. Methods: We studied two unrelated consanguineous families (family A and B) presenting \u3e2 patients with diagnostic symptoms of MCPH, born to asymptomatic parents. We employed whole-exome sequencing (WES) of probands to find putative causal mutations. The candidate variants were further confirmed and analyzed for co-segregation by Sanger sequencing of all available members of each family. This study was conducted at Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan, and Cologne Center for Genomics (CCG), University of Cologne, Germany; during 2017-2020. Results: We identified a novel homozygous variant c.10097_10098delGA, p.(Gly3366Glufs*19) in exon 26 of ASPM gene in family A which presents with moderate intellectual disability, speech impairment, visual abnormalities, seizures, and ptyalism. Family B was found to segregate nonsense, homozygous variant c.448C\u3eT p.(Arg150*) in CDK5RAP2. The patients also exhibited mild to severe seizures without ptyalism that has not been previously reported in patients with mutations in the CDK5RAP2 gene. Conclusion: We report a novel mutation in ASPM and ultra-rare mutation in the CDK5RAP2 gene, both causing primary microcephaly. The study expands the mutational spectrum of the ASPM gene to 212, and also adds to the clinical spectrum of CDK5RAP2 mutations. It also demonstrated the utility of WES in the investigation and genetic diagnosis of genetically heterogeneous disorders like MCPH. These findings would aid in diagnostic and preventive strategies including carrier screening, cascade testing, and genetic counselling

CONSTITUTIVE MODELLING OF SANDS UNDER MONOTONIC LOADING

This paper presents the drained and undrained behavior of soils using a modified version of the original cam clay constitutive model. The strain hardening behavior of soils is one of the major challenges in geotechnical engineering. The constitutive equations are numerically integrated over fixed time steps to apply effective stress to the derived elastoplastic soil model. Convergence of solution is controlled by a constitutive relation, namely the associated flow rule. This study provides step by step Python and octave programs to solve for q"-" p by solving the associated non-linear system. The problem is formulated by assuming small strains in the elastic region and large strains in the plastic region. The transition from over-consolidated to normally consolidated states is predicted to be smooth by this elastoplastic model. The model is recognized and solved as a boundary value problem with only two effective stress variables namely q"-" p which is an approximation of three-dimensional invariants

Neurological disorder burden in Faisalabad, Punjab-Pakistan:data from the major tertiary carecenters of the city

The burden of neurological disorders (NDs) in developing countries is 4-5%, compared to 10-11% in developed countries. This burden is rising in developing countries due to prolonged life expectancy, improved health facilities, easy access to diagnostic facilities, and a trend in urbanization. There is inadequate data about the epidemiology of major NDs in Pakistan and most available information are hospital-based estimations or physicians’ collected data

Epidemiological Data of Neurological Disorders in Pakistan and Neighboring Countries: A Review

Neurological disorders are the impairments of nervous system and are an important and growing cause of morbidity, mortality, and disability. In addition to health costs, those suffering from these conditions are also frequently victimized of stigmatization and discrimination. Stigmatization further minimizes the patients\u27 access to treatment and social activities. These disorders, therefore, require special attention particularly in developing countries where unfortunately, the burden of these disorders remains largely unrecognized. Moreover, the burden imposed by such chronic neurological conditions in general can be expected to be particularly devastating in poor populations. These conditions are emerging as severe public health concerns in the developing countries due to the facts such as unawareness, Illiteracy, large numbers of people who are untreated, and unavailability of inexpensive but effective interventions. Regrettably, reliable population-based data from developing countries including Pakistan on the epidemiology of neurological disorders are extremely limited. Although, some information on epidemiological aspects of neurological diseases are available from some developing countries (Pakistan, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and China) but disease prevalence and pattern are based on geographical, social, cultural, religious, and ethnic factors. In this review, w e critically analyzed data of 209 studies regarding the burden and prevalence of hypertension, depression, Stroke, Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD), epilepsy, and Parkinson\u27s disease (PD) in Pakistan and neighboring countries

Comparison of Surgical versus Conservative Management of Borderline Traumatic Extradural Hematomas Without Neurological Deficit

Objective:  To compare the outcome of surgical versus conservative treatment of traumatic extradural hematoma in the supratentorial regin. Material and Methods:  It was a prospective randomized controlled trial conducted in Departments of Neurosurgery, Allied Hospitals, Faisalabad between December 2019 to November, 2020. A total of 100 patients Supratentorial EDH; fulfilling the selection criteria were enrolled. All patients underwent clinical and radiological assessment of EDH volume by the same neurosurgical team. The patients were then divided randomly into two groups by using the lottery methods. Group A patients were conservatively managed. Group B underwent surgery. All surgeries were done by the same surgical team. Glasgow outcome scale was noted in 5 days after admission or surgery in both groups. Results:  The patients average age was 29.96 years, male to female ratio was 1.7:1. The mean volume of hematoma was 24.68 and 27.56 in group A (conservative group) and Group B (operated group) respectively. The favorable outcome was noted in all the patients and no mortality occurred in any patients. Conclusion:  Both surgical and conservative treatments are equally effective in terms of a favorable outcome and mortality occurrence in management of traumatic EDH <30ml without neurological deficit. The conservative treatment is safe and cost-effective in borderline patients

APPRAISAL OF CLIMATE CHANGE DISASTER AND FOOD SECURITY IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHAW PAKISTAN USING GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES

Drought is one of the most severe natural disasters. It negatively influences the crop output considerably as water resources are inadequate across large geographic areas. Food insecurity, hunger, and poverty are widespread in three Pakistani provinces: Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh. Until March/April 2022, roughly 4.66 million people, or 25% of the population examined, were severely food insecure. Historically, the severity of a drought is evaluated using several different indicators, with the selection of indices depending on the data that is easily accessible. By multiple aspects, including potential evapotranspiration and rainfall data on a standard timescale and computing monthly, seasonal, or annual data, the Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI) has a significant advantage over the other indices in determining drought severity. When rainfall in a region is significantly lower than the amount of potential evapotranspiration, drought situations can occur on the earth. Rainfall will often occur in locations with an increase in the relative humidity of the air. The reconnaissance drought index (RDI) for Khyber Pakhtaunkhawa province in Pakistan was calculated from 1981 to 2020 for 3-, 6-, and 12-month timeframes. This research employed rainfall, minimum and maximum temperature data from KPK province to describe drought using the DrinC program, the Man Kendall test, and Sen's slope calculator to determine drought patterns and variation. All regions had moderate, severe, and extreme droughts, with RDIs between -1.0 and -3.5. RDI 3-, 6-, and 12-month evaluations highlighted 1991, 1994, 2000, 2010, 2015, and 2017. These results indicate that productivity declines in dry and subsequent years due to seasonal rainfall and soil moisture retention.Wheat production averaged 1.7 tones ha-1 year-1, with significant variations. Between October and December, it is an essential to have favorable growing conditions to increase productivity. If droughts occur in this era, the yield will be substantially more negatively impacted than if they occur later in the growing cycle. The 3-month RDI values offer a more accurate description of this variation than the six-month and twelve-months RDI Values. Geospatial drought analysis indicates a considerable variance in drought patterns across the Kpk province over the last 4 decades. Because long-term droughts sometimes affect water quality, especially groundwater, a rise in the intensity of long-term droughts could pose a risk to the water management in the regions that have been examined. Analysis of the Landsat TM 30 m data took place. At the same time, Landsat imageries were utilized to generate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) for drought evaluation. The findings of the NDWI indicate an increase in value from 0.58 to 0.7 for the KPK region

Waste Animal Bones as Catalysts for Biodiesel Production; A Mini Review

Slaughterhouse waste is considered to be an emerging issue because of its disposal cost. As an alternative, it would be a great prospect for the bioeconomy society to explore new usages of these leftover materials. As per food safety rules mentioned by EU legislation, all bone waste generated by slaughterhouses ought to be disposed of by rendering. The huge quantity of worldwide bone waste generation (130 billion kilograms per annum) is an environmental burden if not properly managed. The waste animal bones can be efficiently employed as a heterogeneous catalyst to produce biodiesel. This mini review summarized the recent literature reported for biodiesel generation using waste animal bones derived heterogeneous catalyst. It discusses the sources of bone waste, catalyst preparation methods, particularly calcination and its effects, and important characteristics of bones derived catalyst. It suggests that catalysts extracted from waste animal bones have suitable catalytic activity in transesterification of different oil sources to generate a good quality biodiesel