Adapted flower pollination algorithm for a standalone solar photovoltaic system

This Extraction of the maximum electrical power from a solar photovoltaic (PV) system under numerous weather conditions is required to reduce its payback time period, per unit energy price, and to compensate for the high initial price of the solar PV system. This could only be achieved by continuously operating the solar PV system at its maximum power point (MPP) under several weather conditions. Unlike under uniform weather conditions (UWC), identification of the real MPP (Global MPP) under partial shading condition (PSC) in a reasonable time is a challenging task due to the formation of multiple local MPP in the power-voltage (P-V) characteristic curve of a solar PV array. The nature-inspired MPP tracking algorithms have been proved suitable for global MPP tracking (MPPT) under PSC. In this research paper, a renowned nature-inspired flower pollination algorithm (FPA) is deeply reviewed, modified, and integrated with the random walk filter to improve its performance in terms of tracking speed, and efficiency. A comparison of the proposed ‘Adaptive Flower Pollination Algorithm (AFPA)’ and conventional FPA algorithm has been made under zero, weak, and strong PSCs for a 4S solar PV array. The proposed algorithm has produced remarkable results in tracking speed, and efficiency, for the global MPP (GMPP) tracking under different PSCs. The simulation is performed in MATLAB/Simulink software

Biological Activity and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds under Lead Induced Stress in Maize

Background: Lead is most commonly released environmental contaminant making its way to air, soils and water. It causes hormonal imbalance and over production of reactive oxygen in plants when absorbed through leaves and roots. It contaminates the ground water depending on the type of soils and characteristics of lead. Plants ability to tolerate lead is linked with cell wall potential, activation of antioxidants defense mechanism and synthesis of osmolytes.Methods: The study was designed to evaluate the effects of Pb(NO3)2 induced stress on biological activity and bioactive compounds in maize. The plants were subjected under two different lead concentrations (T1- 0.35mg/ml and T2- 0.45mg/ml). Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, coumarins, saponins, tannins and terpenoids in maize. Total Phenolic Content (TPC) was increased (T1- 45%, T2- 58.42%) under lead stress when compared with control (36.29%). The cytotoxicity was checked using hemolytic activity against human red blood cells.Results: The scavenging rate was highest (T1- 33.5%, T2- 52%) when compared with control (18.6%). Zone of inhibition of Aspergillus niger was highest amongst other fungal strains. The HPLC results showed that maize has some phyto-ingredients which may be accountable for cell reinforcement and anti-microbial activity. The extracts were further analyzed for the biochemical profile like superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, amylase and protease. Escherichia colishowed maximum activity with control (25±3.46mm) and maximum under stress (T1- 17±1.633 mm, T2- 20±4.08 mm).Conclusion: Lead stress altered all the activities when compared to control plants. In conclusion, Maize can be used as a potential indicator for lead and other compounds to play a vital role in phytoremediation. The results would further lead to find the new compounds and plant mechanism to cope with stress.

Molecular and Haematological Analysis of Dengue Virus-3 Among Children in Lahore, Pakistan

Background: Dengue virus (DENV) is an RNA virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae of the genus Flavivirus with worldwide distribution. Dengue fever is caused by any of four closely-related serotypes DENV, an emerging pandemic-prone viral disease in many regions of the world. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of dengue virus genotypes and serotypes in children aged below 15 years in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: In this study, 112 serum samples were collected from clinically suspected dengue fever patients from March 2017 to December 2018 at different tertiary care hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. Regarding the patients’ age, the samples were divided into four groups from A to D (i.e., 0 - 1, 1 - 5, 5 - 10, and 10 - 15 years of age). Rapid immuno-chromatography (ICT) test was conducted on the collected serum samples, followed by quantitative RT-PCR for serotype of dengue virus. Results: Out of 112 samples, 34 samples were diagnosed as DENV positive by the rapid ICT screening method. No virus was detected in groups A and B, while three samples were positive in group C (1 boy and two girls), and 31 samples (23 boys and 8 girls) were positive in group D. The results of quantitative RT-PCR exclusively showed DEN-3 serotype in all the ICT positive samples. The results indicated that the prevalence of DEN-3 serotype in children was 100%, indicating that DEN-3 serotype might cause severe epidemics in the future in Lahore, Pakistan. Hematological analysis revealed an increase in hematocrits in 41.1% dengue-positive cases. Leucopenia was prominent in 79.4% of the cases, while Thrombocytopenia was reported in 70.5% of the participants. The biochemical analysis also indicated an increase in liver enzymes in patients (ALT 88%, AST 79%), while the lower levels of cholesterol (69 %) and serum albumin (25%) were also observed. Conclusions: Dengue virus spreads and grows quickly worldwide over a highly short time interval. Dengue fever claims for a significant number of lives. This study would help individuals know about the status of laboratory parameters in dengue fever and detect how to overcome the prevalence of Dengue virus

Comparison between Outcomes of Open and Arthroscopic Fixation of Tibial Spine Avulsion Fractures

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to compare the functional outcomes of fragment reduction and to measure the rate of postoperative complications between arthrotomy (ORIF) and arthroscopy(ARIF) pediatric tibial spine avulsion fractures using the Lysholm knee scoring system (limp, pain swelling, climbing stairs) and IKDC subjective knee evaluation form. METHODS: This Comparative Study was conducted at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Jinnah Hospital Lahore, between 2021-2022. A total of 42 patients who had tibial spine avulsion fracture with follow-up of 6 months were included. Twenty-one patients were treated with ORIF, and 21 were treated with ARIF. Functional outcomes were assessed using the IKDC score and LYSHOLM score (Follow-up rate was 95 %). Radiographic findings of patients were recorded, and a statistical study was done. The level of significance was set at <0.05. RESULTS: The study revealed that out of 42 Participants, 36(85.71%) males and 6 (14.29 %) females participated in the survey with the age range of 8-16 years with a mean age of 12.02± (2.53) years. Out of 42 Participants, 22 (52.4%) had motor vehicle accidents with type 3(38.1%) and 4(54.8%) modified Meyers and Mckeever fracture classification. At the end of the follow-up period, the mean IKDC score was 90.52 + 1.50 (p = 0.00, CI = 95%). The Lysholm score was 90.676.11 compared to the last follow-up (p=0.20, CI = 95%). Compared to ORIF, only 5(11.9%) patients complained of post-op infection or vascular injury. CONCLUSION: This study observed better functional outcomes in arthroscopic reduction and immobilization than in open reduction internal fixation. Arthroscopy for TSAF decreases the risk of arthrofibrosis and minimizes morbidities and better management of symptoms. Compared to OIRF, ARIF showed good content validity for the IKDC and Lysholm scales

Study of Gc-ms And Hplc Characterized Metabolic Compounds in Guava (Psidium Guajava L.) Leaves

Psidium guajava leaves are rich source of nutrients, antioxidants, phytoconstituents and biological active compounds. The study was designed to elucidate secondary metabolites like alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins and glycosides in extracts of guava leaves through Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) by qualitative as well as quantitative procedures. These metabolites were further tested for their antimicrobial potential against two-gram positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) and two-gram negative (Escherichia coli and Pasteurella multocida) bacteria and three pathogenic fungal strains (Asprrgillus niger, Fusarium solani and Aspergillus flavus). GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of major constituents like Ca- Caryophyllene (22.70%), α cubebene (11.2%) and alpha Humulene (5.91%). The ethyl-acetate, methanol, n-hexane and chloroform extracts were tested for antibacterial and antifungal activities against above mentioned microbes. Among all the tested solvent extracts, Chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts of P. guajava demonstrated more sensitivity towards the growth of B. subtilis and P. multocida with MIC of 230±3.02, 316. ±6.2 and 237±5.09 and 288±1.55 μg/ml, respectively. Methanolic extracts showed higher MIC against S. aureus (233±5.51 μg/ml) and E. coli (192±2.05 μg/ml), respectively. The findings of this current study would provide the way to use guava as a potential therapeutic agent to combat antimicrobial and antifungal resistance

Frequency limited impulse response gramians based model reduction

In order to simplify the analysis of complex electronic systems, they needsto be modeled accurately. Model reduction is further required to streamline the procedural and computational complexities. Further the instability caused by the model reduction techniques worstly effects the accuracy of a system. Therefore, we have proposed some improvements in the frequency limited impulse response Gramians based model order reduction techniques for discrete time systems. The propsed techniques assures the stability of the model after it get reduced. The proposed techniques provided better results than the stability preserving techniques

Biosynthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles from Cedrela toona leaf extracts: An exploration into their antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant potential

This research work aims to synthesize environmentally benign and cost-effective metal nanoparticles. In this current research scenario, the leaf extract of Cedrela toona was used as a reducing agent to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The synthesis of AgNPs was confirmed by the color shift of the reaction mixture, i.e., silver nitrate and plant extract, from yellow to dark brown colloidal suspension and was established by UV-visible analysis showing a surface plasmon resonance band at 434 nm. Different experimental factors were optimized for the formation and stability of AgNPs, and the optimum conditions were found to be 1 mM AgNO3 concentration, a 1:9 ratio of extract/precursor, and an incubation temperature of 70°C for 4 h. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra indicated the presence of phytochemicals in the leaf extract that played the role of bioreducing agents in forming AgNPs. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the presence of AgNPs with a mean size of 25.9 nm. The size distribution and morphology of AgNPs were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, which clearly highlighted spherical nanoparticles with a size distribution of 22–30 nm with a mean average size of 25.5 nm. Moreover, prominent antibacterial activity was found against Enterococcus faecalis (21 ± 0.5 mm), Bacillus subtilis (20 ± 0.9 mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18 ± 0.3 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (16 ± 0.7 mm), Klebsiella pneumoniae (16 ± 0.3 mm), and Escherichia coli (14 ± 0.7 mm). In addition, antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH and ABTS assays. Higher antioxidant activity was reported in AgNPs compared to the plant extract in both DPPH (IC50 = 69.62 µg·ml−1) and ABTS assays (IC50 = 47.90 µg·ml−1). Furthermore, cytotoxic activity was also investigated by the MTT assay against MCF-7 cells, and IC50 was found to be 32.55 ± 0.05 µg·ml−1. The crux of this research is that AgNPs synthesized from the Cedrela toona leaf extract could be employed as antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer agents for the treatment of bacterial, free radical-oriented, and cancerous diseases

Effects of different acetylsalicylic acid doses on body organs, histopathology, and serum biochemical parameters in broiler birds

A indústria avícola é afetada por diversas doenças ou estresses. Particularmente devido às aves serem antipiréticas. O ácido acetilsalicílico (AAS) é largamente utilizado com diferentes objetivos que incluem o controle do estresse calórico, bem como a atividade respiratória e digestiva. O propósito deste estudo foi a avaliação dos efeitos benéficos e tóxicos do emprego de diferentes dosagens do AAS em frangos de corte. As variáveis analisadas foram: exame físico, parâmetros bioquímicos, bem como as alterações histopatológicas em seções de tecidos colhidas das aves em um ensaio experimental. O estudo foi conduzido em 60 frangos de corte com um dia de idade adquiridos em um mercado local de Faisalabad que foram recriados nos primeiros 14 dias em idênticas condições. Então no 15º dia as aves foram distribuídas randomicamente em quatro grupos identificados pelos números 1 a 4, com 15 aves em cada grupo. O grupo 4 foi mantido como grupo controle e os grupos 1, 2 e 3 foram tratados com AAS, respectivamente, nas doses de 300, 600 e 1200 mg/L de água de bebida, durante 21 dias. Foram realizadas três amostragens nos dias 21, 28 e 35 pós-tratamento. O peso vivo corpóreo e da carcaça foi registrado em cada amostragem. Em todos os órgãos viscerais foi analisada a presença de alterações patológicas. As amostras de soro sanguíneo foram colhidas para a avaliação bioquímica. O exame histopatológico de todos os órgãos viscerais foi realizado para a observação de alterações microscópicas. A partir da segunda amostragem foi observado um aumento significante (p&lt;0,05) no peso corpóreo na dosagem de 300mg/L. Um significante aumento no peso relativo dos órgãos foi registrado na dosagem de 1200 mg/L. Os grupos tratados com dosagens de 600 e 1200 mg/L de AAS, apresentaram aumento significante dos níveis de AST, ALT e de creatinina quando comparados ao grupo controle. O grupo tratado com 1200 mg/L de AAS apresentou um aumento significante (P,0,05) de uréia, proteína sérica total e de albumina em todas as amostragens. No grupo de alta dosagem foram observados alterações histopatológicas constituídas por aumento dos hepatócitos, aumento dos espaços sinusoidais no fígado, congestão e anormalidades nos espaços glomerulares nos rins, congestão e ruptura alveolar nos pulmões, degeneração das vilosidades e celular nos intestinos A conclusão obtida foi que em frangos de corte uma baixa dosagem do AAS pode ser utilizada por um período de longa duração, apresentando um efeito promotor do crescimento, contudo as doses elevadas determinam toxicidade hepática e renal.The poultry industry suffers from various diseases or stresses. In poultry, apart from being antipyretic, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is widely used to cope with different issues including heat stress, and respiratory and digestive orders. This study evaluated the beneficial and toxic effects of ASA at different dose levels in broiler birds. To evaluate these toxic and beneficial effects it is necessary to examine the physical and serum biochemical parameters as well as the histopathological changes with tissue sections taken from broiler birds under experimental trial. This study was conducted on 60 one-day-old broiler chicks purchased from a local market in Faisalabad. Chicks were reared for the first 14 days under similar conditions. On the 15th day, birds were randomly divided into 4 groups (1-4) with 15 birds in each group. Group 4 was kept as control, while groups 1, 2, and 3 were treated with ASA at the dose of 300, 600, and 1200 mg/L of drinking water for 21 days. There were 3 samplings performed at 21, 28, and 35 days post-treatment. The live body weight and carcass weight were noted on each sampling. All the visceral organs were recorded for gross pathological changes. The serum samples were collected for biochemical evaluation. Histopathology of all the visceral organs was performed to observe the microscopic changes. A significant (P&lt;0.05) increase in live body weight at a 300mg/L dose was noted after the first 2 samplings. A significant (P&lt;0.05) increase in the relative organ weight was recorded at 1200 mg/L. The groups treated with ASA 600 and 1200 mg/L showed increased (P&lt;0.05) AST, ALT, and creatinine levels from that of the control group. The group treated with 1200 mg/L of ASA showed increased (P&lt;0.05) urea, serum total protein, and albumin level in all the samplings. Histopathological changes revealed swollen hepatocytes, increased sinusoidal spaces in the liver, congestion and abnormal glomerular spaces in the kidney, congestion and alveolar disruption in the lungs, and generation of villi and cellular degeneration in the intestine in a high-dose group. The study concluded that ASA at a low dose can be used for a long time in broilers and has a growth promontory role, while high-level doses cause hepatorenal toxicity

A WORLD PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION INITIATIVE TO INCREASE INTEREST IN PSYCHIATRY AS A CAREER IN QATAR MEDICAL STUDENTS: A PILOT STUDY

Introduction: The World Health Organization identified a chronic shortage of psychiatrists in Low- Middle- and High-Income Countries. In Qatar, the situation is dire with reports there is one psychiatrist per 170,000 people in the population. A one-day, student-led mental-health conference was held in Doha, Qatar under the auspices of the World Psychiatric Association with the aim of increasing interest in psychiatry as a career. Subjects and methods: In this single-arm, pre-post comparison study, a questionnaire assessing interest in psychiatry as a career was administered on participants before and after attending the conference. Demographic information was obtained and response items were on a 5-point Likert scale. Statistical analysis was performed using a two-sample t-test with a significant p-value set at <0.05. Results: The conference was attended by 102 individuals. Fifty-four attendees completed the pre-conference survey (53% response rate) and 36 participants completed the post-conference survey (35% response rate). Data for the 36 matched pre-post responses were included in our analyses. The average age of respondents was 22 years and 81% were female. There was improvement in post-conference results however these changes were not statistically significant. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this is the first intervention study on increasing interest in psychiatry as a career carried out in Qatar. It is likely that psychiatry enthusiasts attended the conference and therefore their interest in this medical specialty was already high as corroborated by the favorable pre-conference survey results. This might explain why there was a lack of statistical significance in comparison to post- intervention scores. We recommend that such an event be integrated into the medical school curricula throughout Qatar to include students with low baseline interest in psychiatry. Further research in this area with more robust methodology is urgently needed to help narrow the pervasive treatment gap

Photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes and biological potentials of biogenic zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized using the polar extract of Cyperus scariosus R.Br. (Cyperaceae)

In this study, the polar root extract of Cyperus scariosus R.Br. was used for the biogenic synthesis of ZnO NPs. The results of this study show that ZnO NPs have a spherical structure with an average size of 85.4 nm. The synthesized catalysts were tested for their photocatalytic activity by degrading methyl orange and methylene blue under sunlight. Improved degradation efficiencies of 79.44% and 84.92% were achieved within 120 min. ZnO NPs exhibited strong antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive Listeria monocytogenes (18 mm) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (20 mm) and Gram-negative strains of Escherichia coli (16 mm) and Bordetella bronchiseptica (14 mm), as shown by the inhibition zones, which were comparable to the positive control (ceftriaxone) but larger than the plant root extract. ZnO NPs showed high antioxidant activity, as a ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay value of 66.29 µg (AAE µg·mL−1) and a DPPH value of 57.44 µg (AAE µg·mL−1) were obtained at a concentration of 500 µL, which was higher than those of the C. scariosus root extract. Quantification of the total phenolic and flavonoid content yielded values of 57.63 µg (GAE µg·mL−1) and 70.59 µg (QCE µg·mL−1), respectively. At a concentration of 500 μL (1 mg·mL−1), the tested nanoparticles (NPs) showed a greater anti-inflammatory effect (84.12%) compared to the root extract of C. scariosus (34.39%). Overall, our findings highlight the versatile properties of green synthesized ZnO NPs and demonstrate their potential for environmental remediation and antimicrobial formulations, as well as promising candidates for further investigation in biomedical fields such as drug delivery and therapy