Analysis of microstructure and mechanical properties of bismuth-doped SAC305 lead-free solder alloy at high temperature

SAC305 lead-free solder alloy is widely used in the electronic industry. However, the problems associated with the growth formation of intermetallic compounds need further research, especially at high temperatures. This study investigates the doping of Bismuth into SAC305 in the various compositions of 1, 2, and 3 wt.%. The microstructure in terms of intermetallic compound particles and mechanical properties was examined after thermal aging at temperatures of 100 °C and 200 °C for 60 h. The microstructure examination was observed using scanning electron microscopy, and the chemical composition of each alloy was confirmed with an energy dispersive X-ray. Tensile tests were performed to find the mechanical properties such as yield strength and ultimate tensile strength. The intermetallic compound’s phase analysis was identified using X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry was done to study the temperature curves for melting points. Results showed that the addition of Bismuth refined the microstructure by suppressing the growth of intermetallic compounds, which subsequently improved the mechanical properties. The thermal aging made the microstructure coarsen and degraded the mechanical properties. However, the most improved performance was observed with a Bismuth addition of 3 wt.% into SAC305. Furthermore, a decrease in the melting temperature was observed, especially at Bismuth compositions of 3 wt.%

An Overview on Synthetic Biology: its Classification, Engineering Approaches, and Applications of Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on living organisms and systems, employing engineering techniques to create innovative biological devices, systems, and components. It represents the convergence of old and new approaches, bridging the gap between chemistry and biology, with synthetic chemistry laying the foundation for its emergence. At its core, synthetic biology aims to develop and engineer biological systems by bringing together engineers and biologists to design and construct novel biomolecular parts, circuits, and pathways. These constructs are then utilized to reconstruct, reanalyze, and reprogram organisms for various purposes. There are five primary categories within synthetic biology: bioengineering, synthetic genome, protocell synthetic biology, unconventional molecular biology, and in silico techniques. Traditionally, four engineering approaches have been employed in synthetic biology, including top-down, parallel, orthogonal, and bottom-up methods. These approaches provide a systematic and rational way of reassembling and reconstructing biological components, enabling the creation of functional biological devices, systems, and organisms with known, useful, and novel functions. Synthetic biology holds the promise of providing efficient solutions to various significant challenges in the modern world, encompassing areas such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, energy, and bioremediation. By leveraging engineering methods in the realm of biology, synthetic biology benefits from over 50 years of molecular biological and functional genomic research, along with advanced technologies that allow for the analysis, synthesis, assembly, modification, and transfer of genetic components into living organisms. In essence, synthetic biology offers an exciting avenue to unlock the potential of biological systems and revolutionize multiple industries through innovative modifications and breakthrough innovations

Quality of life in individuals surgically treated for congenital hydrocephalus during infancy: A single-institution experience

Background: Congenital hydrocephalus (CH) is a frequently encountered birth anomaly that can hinder long-term neurologic maturity and social well-being of affected children. This study was undertaken to assess quality of life (QOL) 10-15 years after surgical treatment for primary CH during infancy at a tertiary care hospital in a developing country.Methods: This retrospective cohort study included individuals who presented to Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, between 1995 and 2005 at QOL.Results: Of 118 patients, 90 patients participated in the study. Mean age at first admission was 6.2 months. Mean length of follow-up was 5.4 years. Of these, 28 patients had died after surgery. Shunt infection (P = 0.012) and delayed milestones (P = 0.003) were found to be statistically significant factors affecting mortality in the patients who died. The mean overall health score was 0.67 ± 0.30. Age (P = 0.039).Conclusions: In our analysis, we assessed the QOL associated with CH. We hope that these results will provide insight for future prospective work with the ultimate goal of improving long-term QOL in children with CH

Distribution of gastric carcinoma in an area with a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: South Asia is an enigma for gastric cancer (GC) because it is a low risk region with a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections. We evaluated the trend of GC clinical presentation and risk factors in patients with dyspeptic symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of patients, coded by the international classification of diseases (ICD-10-CM, 2015, Diagnosis Code C16.9) for malignancies of stomach diagnosed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and histopathology, were studied. RESULTS: 394 GC cases with a mean age of 54±15 years, range of 18 to 88, were analyzed. 256 (65%) were male. Distal non-cardiac and cardiac tumors were 302 (77%) and 92 (23%) cases, respectively. The WHO classification of GC defined 222 (56%) cases as intestinal type adenocarcinoma, 68 (17%) cases as signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC), 62 (16%) cases as diffuse type and 42 (11%) cases as B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The co-morbid conditions associated with GC were H. pylori infection (positive in 246 (62%) cases), diabetes mellitus type 2 (in 90 (23%) cases), and cigarette smoking (in 94 (24%) cases). Of the male patients, 88 (34%) (p\u3c0.001) were smokers. Body mass index was abnormal in all age groups and in both sexes. Cardiac regions for GC were more common in the 46- to 60-year old age range and in males. Diffuse GC was seen in all age groups but there were significantly more common in the 18- to 45-year old age range. Gastric non-Hodgkin\u27s lymphoma was seen at an early age of 18-45 years in 14(12%) and a later of 61-88 years in 20 (15%). CONCLUSION: Intestinal type GC is common at all ages but SRC and diffuse GC are more common in patients less than 50 years old. SRC and diffuse GC were not specific to the elderly in our study population

A study protocol for integrating outpatient services at the primary health care level as part of the universal health coverage benefit package within the national health insurance program of Pakistan through private health facilities

Introduction and aimPakistan has a mixed-health system where up to 60% of health expenditures are out of pocket. Almost 80% of primary healthcare (PHC) facilities are in the private sector, which is deeply embedded within the country’s health system and may account for the unaffordability of healthcare. Since 2016, the existing national health insurance program or Sehat Sahulat Program (SSP), has provided invaluable coverage and financial protection to the millions of low-income families living in Pakistan by providing inpatient services at secondary and tertiary levels. However, a key gap is the non-inclusion of outpatient services at the PHC in the insurance scheme. This study aims to engage a private provider network of general practitioners in select union councils of Islamabad Capital Authority (ICT) of Pakistan to improve access, uptake, and satisfaction and reduce out-of-pocket expenditure on quality outpatient services at the PHC level, including family planning and reproductive health services.Methods and analysisA 24-month research study is proposed with a 12-month intervention period using a mixed method, two-arm, prospective, quasi-experimental controlled before and after design with a sample of 863 beneficiary families from each study arm, i.e., intervention and control groups (N = 1726) will be selected through randomization at the selected beneficiary family/household level from four peri-urban Union Councils of ICT where no public sector PHC-level facility exists. All ethical considerations will be assured, along with quality assurance strategies. Quantitative pre/post surveys and third-party monitoring are proposed to measure the intervention outcomes. Qualitative inquiry with beneficiaries, general practitioners and policymakers will assess their knowledge and practices.Conclusion and knowledge contributionPHC should be the first point of contact for accessing health services and appears to serve as a programmatic engine for universal health coverage (UHC). The research aims to study a service delivery model which harnesses the private sector to deliver an essential package of health services as outpatient services under SSP, ultimately facilitating UHC. Findings will provide a blueprint referral system to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and improve timely access to healthcare. A robust PHC system can improve population health, lower healthcare expenditure, strengthen the healthcare system, and ultimately make UHC a reality

Surveillance of molecular markers of antimalarial drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax in Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), Pakistan

This molecular epidemiological study was designed to determine the antimalarial drug resistance pattern, and the genetic diversity of malaria isolates collected from a war-altered Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), in Pakistan. Clinical isolates were collected from Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai and Kurram agencies of FATA region between May 2017 and May 2018, and they underwent DNA extraction and amplification. The investigation of gene polymorphisms in drug resistance genes (dhfr, dhps, crt, and mdr1) of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax was carried out by pyrosequencing and Sanger sequencing, respectively. Out of 679 PCR-confirmed malaria samples, 523 (77%) were P. vivax, 121 (18%) P. falciparum, and 35 (5%) had mixed-species infections. All P. falciparum isolates had pfdhfr double mutants (C59R+S108N), while pfdhfr/pfdhps triple mutants (C59R+S108N+A437G) were detected in 11.5% of the samples. About 97.4% of P. falciparum isolates contained pfcrt K76T mutation, while pfmdr1 N86Y and Y184F mutations were present in 18.2% and 10.2% of the samples. P. vivax pvdhfr S58R mutation was present in 24.9% of isolates and the S117N mutation in 36.2%, while no mutation in the pvdhps gene was found. Pvmdr1 F1076L mutation was found in nearly all samples, as it was observed in 98.9% of isolates. No significant anti-folate and chloroquine resistance was observed in P. vivax; however, mutations associated with antifolate-resistance were found, and the chloroquine-resistant gene has been observed in 100% of P. falciparum isolates. Chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance were found to be high in P. falciparum and low in P. vivax. Chloroquine could still be used for P. vivax infection but need to be tested in vivo, whereas a replacement of the artemisinin combination therapy for P. falciparum appears to be justified

Assessment of Human Health Risk of Zinc and Lead by Consuming Food Crops Supplied with Excessive Fertilizers

For the study of heavy metals impact on human beings, areas in Sargodha city that were supplied with various types of fertilizers were chosen. The three industrial areas; (Bhalwal, Sillanwali, and Sahiwal) of this city were explored for research reasons. The researchers wanted to know how much heavy metal was in the soil, food crops, and human. Excess fertilizer use contributes to global pollution. Farmyard manure, urea, and potassium chloride were used on Site 1; urea phosphate, manure, and ammonium sulphate were used on Site 2; and super phosphate, ammonium phosphate, and nitrate phosphate were used on Site 3. Samples of commonly used food crops, their respective soils and blood of residents who ingested the food crops of the studied area were collected. The zinc and lead levels in soil (8.30-16.80 and 1.80-12.71 mg/kg) and food crops (0.26-2.02 and 2.26-4.70 mg/kg) were far lower than WHO permitted limits. Blood mean concentration of both Zn (2.30-4.30 mg/L) and Ni (0.24-0.70 mg/L) were found maximum in residents of Site 3. The values of pollution load index, bioconcentration factor, enrichment factor for both zinc and lead were (0.18-0.37 and0.220-0.948), (0.027-0.138 and 0.316-1.705), (0.020-0.144 and 0.515-2.780), respectively. Daily intake of metal (0.004-0.008 and 0.001-0.002 mg/kg/day) and health risk index (0.0001-0.016 and 0.005-0.115) values were observed to be lower in individuals for Zn and Pb, respectively. In present work values of all pollution indices wereSo, there would be no human health hazard

Effects of Fertilizers on Copper and Nickel Accumulation and Human Health Risk Assessment of Vegetables and Food Crops

Despite the fact that fertilizers have been used for millennia for sustainable crop production, this high and considerable dependence on fertilizers heightens environmental concerns with the indirect human exposure due to accumulation of toxins in food chain via soil contamination. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the application of fertilizers to the soil and their effect on the accumulation of copper and nickel in spinach (Spinacia oleracea), garlic (Allium sativum), wheat (Triticum aestivum), maize (Zea mays), and barley (Hordeum vulgare); as well as potential health concerns associated with consuming vegetables cultivated on this contaminated land. Samples of available soil, food crops, and human blood were collected from three different Tehsils: Bhalwal, Sahiwal, and Silanwali and were regarded as site 1, site 2 and site 3 respectively. Urea, farmyard manure, and potassium chloride were delivered to Site 1; urea phosphate, manure, and ammonium sulphate were delivered to Site 2; and superphosphate, ammonium phosphate, and nitrate phosphate were delivered to Site 3. Data was subjected to statistical analysis for computing out ANOVA and correlation. Analysis revealed that minimum copper concentration was found in the soil of T. aestivum grown at Site-1 while the inhabitants of Site 3 had the highest concentration of Cu in their blood. The highest level of HIR was found in the human beings that ate the S. oleracea grown at Site 3. It is strongly advised that fertilizers be used sparingly, as their excessive use can cause human health risks