Health Care Workers of Rawalpindi Medical University: The Vanguards at the COVID-19 War

COVID-19 has been ravaging the world since November 2019, when the first case was detected. The population affected by this affliction is well North of 21 million cases worldwide. The hardest-hit countries include the USA (5.5 Million), Brazil (3.3 Million), and India (2.6 Million), accounting for nearly 55% of all cases. No part of the world has been left untouched by the plague and at this point, daily cases seem to be only increasing, with more than 250,000 cases, being reported worldwide daily. Close to 775,000 individuals have fallen prey to this disease, with the daily death tally averaging north of 5000 cases.1 14.5 million people have recovered to date, demonstrating a closed case mortality rate of 5

Structural transformations related to organic solid-state reactions: correlation studies of NMR and X-ray analysis

Eine zielgerichtete Steuerung und Durchführung von organischen Festkörperreaktionen wird unter anderem durch genaue Kenntnis von Packungseffekten ermöglicht. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit konnte durch den kombinierten Einsatz von Einkristallröntgenanalyse und hochauf-lösender Festkörper-NMR an ausgewählten Beispielen ein tieferes Verständnis und Einblicke in die Reaktionsmechanismen von organischen Festkörperreaktionen auf molekularer Ebene gewonnen werden. So konnten bei der topotaktischen [2+2] Photodimerisierung von Zimt-säure Intermediate isoliert und strukturell charakterisiert werden. Insbesondere anhand statischer Deuteronen- und 13C-CPMAS NMR Spektren konnten eindeutig dynamische Wasserstoffbrücken nachgewiesen werden, die transient die Zentrosymmetrie des Reaktions-produkts aufheben. Ein weiterer Nachweis gelang daraufhin mittels Hochtemperatur-Röntgen-untersuchung, sodass der scheinbare Widerspruch von NMR- und Röntgenuntersuchungen gelöst werden konnte. Eine Veresterung der Zimtsäure entfernt diese Wasserstoffbrücken und erhält somit die Zentrosymmetrie des Photodimers. Weiterhin werden Ansätze zur Strukturkontrolle in Festkörpern basierend auf der molekularen Erkennung des Hydroxyl-Pyridin (OH-N) Heterosynthon in Co-Kristallen beschrieben, wobei vor allem die Stabilität des Synthons in Gegenwart funktioneller Gruppen mit Möglichkeit zu kompetetiver Wasserstoffbrückenbildung festgestellt wurde. Durch Erweiterung dieses Ansatzes wurde die molekulare Spezifität des Hydroxyl-Pyridin (OH-N) Heterosynthons bei gleichzeitiger Co-Kristallisation mit mehreren Komponenten erfolgreich aufgezeigt. Am Beispiel der Co-Kristallisation von trans--1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylen (bpe) mit Resorcinol (res) in Gegenwart von trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethan (bpet) konnten Zwischenprodukte der Fest- körperreaktionen und neuartige Polymorphe isoliert werden, wobei eine lückenlose Aufklärung des Reaktionswegs mittels Röntgenanalyse gelang. Dabei zeigte sich, dass das Templat Resorcinol aus den Zielverbindungen entfernbar ist. Ferner gelang die Durchführung einer seltenen, nicht-idealen Einkristall-Einkristall-Umlagerung von trans--1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylen (bpe) mit Resorcinol (res). In allen Fällen konnten die Fragen zur Struktur und Dynamik der untersuchten Verbindungen nur durch gemeinsame Nutzung von Röntgenanalyse und NMR-Spektroskopie bei vergleichbaren Temperaturen eindeutig und umfassend geklärt werden.Deeper understanding of packing effects will expand control and design of organic solid-state reactions. The combination of organic solid-state chemistry, single crystal X-ray analysis and high resolution solid-state NMR have revealed valuable insights into the reaction mechanism that govern the resulting structures. In particular, the topotactic nature of the reaction intermediates and products as well as structural changes on molecular level occurring in [2+2] photodimerizations under tail irradiation have been demonstrated. Dynamic hydrogen bonding has been observed in both -trans-cinnamic and -truxillic acid obtained by [2+2] photodimerization. Unexpected peak splittings previously observed in the corresponding 13C-CPMAS spectra of -truxillic acid were so far attributed to packing effects. But, based on high-temperature X-ray analysis and solid-state NMR analysis it has been clearly shown that these splittings rather resulting from the transient asymmety of the hydrogen bonds in the crystal that temporarily destroy the photodimer’s center of symmetry. Indeed, removing the hydrogen-bonds by esterification of -truxillic acid restores a centrosymmetric structure. Moreover, topochemical alignment of olefins in the solid-state has been achieved using the molecular recognition of hydroxyl-pyridine (O-H•••N) supramolecular heterosynthons. The deliberate use of a variety of resorcinols containing different hydrogen bonding active functional groups has allowed determining the robust nature of the given approach. The organizational consequences of hydrogen bonds in the O-H••••N heterosynthon in the presence of other competitive hydrogen bonding functional groups were explored. As major causes for the deviation of the design principle in case of O-H••••N heterosynthons, intramolecular hydrogen bond formation due to the presence of hydrogen bonding active functional groups in close proximity, C-O bond flexibility of resorcinol and steric hindrance were identified. Additionally, the crystal engineered [2+2] photodimerization of trans--1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpe) yielding tetrakis(4-pyridyl) cyclobutane in the solid-state has been studied. Multi-component co-crystallization experiments were performed to probe the molecular specificity of resorcinol-pyridine recognition. Therefore, bpe and resorcinol were co-crystallized in the presence of trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpet), where a new metastable polymorph (monoclinic P21/n phase) of 2(bpe):2(res) in the chain form was obtained. In contrast to the stable ring form, which is suitable for photodimerization, the new polymorph is comprised of hydrogen bonded chains. In addition, it has been clearly demonstrated that the crystal-engineered monomer complex of 2(bpe):2(res) (ring form) yielded two different dimer polymorphs upon photoirradiation, that are the metastable as-dimerized dimer (triclinic, P-1 phase) and the stable recrystallized dimer (monoclinic, P21/n phase). Thus, all examples presented here demonstrate the advantage of the joint approach of solid-state NMR and single crystal X-ray analysis at comparable temperatures, which has allowed determining the dynamic features of structural motifs in the organic solid-state

ANALYSIS: ALIGNING INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND BUSINESS PROCESSES IN THE COFFEE INDUSTRY

The coffee industry, which encompasses more than 25 million smallholder farmers worldwide, requires efficient and sustainable supply chain management. Integrating Information Systems (IS) with business processes in the coffee sector can enhance operational performance. This study utilizes a combination of literature reviews and field surveys to examine the alignment of IS in the industry. The primary findings underscore the significance of web-based and desktop solutions in facilitating stakeholder access to accurate information. Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD) and Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) ensure a comprehensive understanding of the system's structure. The integration of IS supports sustainable practices by monitoring environmental impact and promoting fair trade. The discussion highlights the benefits of digital transformation, including improved decision-making and operational efficiency. Adopting structured approaches such as ERD and DFD facilitates effective communication among stakeholders. The integration of IS with sustainable practices reflects a commitment to environmental stewardship and ethical business conduct. Recommendations include the continued development of IS customized to meet the needs of stakeholders, fostering collaboration for innovation, enhancing digital literacy, designing sustainable IS solutions, and advocating for the adoption of IS policies. The implementation of these recommendations has the potential to drive efficiency, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement in the coffee industry

Vaccination, the only weapon against COVID-19, for the nonce

Epidemics of infectious diseases have always been well documented throughout the human history, particularly by ancient Egypt and Greece and for diseases like smallpox, leprosy, tuberculosis, meningococcal infections and diphtheria. Since the ancient times, the morbidity and mortality of these infectious diseases has profoundly shaped the politics, commerce, culture and social structure of different eras in epidemics. (1) With the beginning of 2020, world has encountered a new challenge, with the name of Covid-19. Commencing from Wuhan city of China, this disease spread like wildfire within a matter of next few months, with a rising death toll and serious consequences on the entire globe. The impact of COVID-19 on the population was no less than terror and shock. Since COVID-19 disease kept on spreading via aerosol and droplet infections, World Health Organization (WHO) declared emergency and along with other health agencies emphasized on respiratory hygiene i.e. covering the nose and mouth with a mask and using cough etiquettes in addition to standard precautionary measures. Social distancing was emphasized. Different rapid treatment guidelines were developed and practiced across the globe, with no definitive management guaranteeing the recovery cent per cent. Where a number of interventions were being tried and tested, attention was diverted towards vaccination since it had always been contemplated to be the integral in control of many infectious diseases.(2) Vaccination is envisaged as one of the most effective public health interventions for preventing and saving lives of from different infectious diseases and promoting good health. Hence scientists from all over the world got involved in rapid and expeditious development of vaccines against this novel disease

Positive Solutions to Nonlinear Higher-Order Nonlocal Boundary Value Problems for Fractional Differential Equations

We study existence of positive solutions to nonlinear higher-order nonlocal boundary value problems corresponding to fractional differential equation of the type 0+()+(,())=0, ∈(0,1), 0<<1. (1)=()+2, (0)=()−1, (0)=0, (0)=0⋯(−1)(0)=0, where, −1<<, (≥3)∈ℕ, 0<,,<1, the boundary parameters 1,2∈ℝ+ and 0+ is the Caputo fractional derivative. We use the classical tools from functional analysis to obtain sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of positive solutions to the boundary value problems. We also obtain conditions for the nonexistence of positive solutions to the problem. We include examples to show the applicability of our results

Temporal trends in hepatitis B and C infection in family blood donors from interior Sindh, Pakistan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) infections are a serious global and national public health problem. Earlier studies have reported increasing rates of hepatitis infection in Pakistan, particularly in rural areas. Pakistan has no active surveillance program to monitor trends of these infections. The objective of this study was to verify this trend in blood donors from the rural Sindh area of the country.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study analysed the data of blood donors of interior Sindh who donated blood at JPMC blood bank from January 1, 2004 to September 15, 2007. HBsAg status was determined by using HBsAg Serodia kit and antibodies to HCV using the Detect HCV ™ V.3 Kit. Samples repeatedly reactive for HBsAg or anti-HCV were considered positive for HBV or HCV infection respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall seroprevalence of HBV infection among donors was 6.2 % (95% CI 5.5%–6.9%) and did not change significantly over the study period. Overall seroprevalence of HBV infection in literate blood donors was 5.7 %(95% CI 4.7%–6.8%). Prevalence decreased significantly in this group over the study period (p = 0.05). No other significant trends in seroprevalence of HBV infection were seen in the stratified analyses.</p> <p>The overall seroprevalence of HCV among donors was 7.5% (95% CI 6.8%–8.3%) and increased significantly over the study period from 7.2% (95% CI 5.8%–8.7%) in 2004 to 8.9% (95% CI 7.4%–10.6%) in 2007 (p = 0.02). Significant increase in seroprevalence was particularly seen in literate (p = 0.03), non–first time (p = 0.01) and Sindhi speaking (p = 0.01) donors.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study finds a steady increase in the prevalence of HCV infection in blood donors from interior Sindh between 2004 and 2007. On the contrary, decreasing prevalence of HBV was found, particularly in literate blood donors. There may be a need to have rural community-based epidemiological studies to identify the determinants of the spread of HCV infection and also those that are limiting the spread of HBV infection particularly in the literate blood donor population.</p