Survey of Hypocalcaemia Frequency in District Lahore, Pakistan

Calcium is important for regulation of various physiological functions like bones, teeth, different types of muscular movements, blood pressure, body growth and maintenance. But continuous calcium deficiency may cause hypocalcaemia in which major cause is insufficient intake of calcium along with other pathological states, financial constraints and lack of general public awareness about the significance and physiological role of calcium. Statistical analysis on the basis of current survey indicates that females remain malnourished and suffer from hypocalcaemia more than males. That’s why; there is urgent need of organized efforts for general public awareness from government and private platforms. Moreover, future researchers should introduce better diagnosis techniques and economical dietary sources and treatments to reduce frequency of hypocalcaemia

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Infections in Hostel Residents of Lahore, Pakistan

To maintain our good health, properly functioning gastrointestinal (GIT) track is always considered essential. Though in current era, living standards are much improved now but still gut infections are frequently reported around the globe. Because in third world countries, like Pakistan even in big cities people don’t have dietary sources of good quality. That’s why; a survey of randomly selected 10 hostels was conducted to estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal infections among them. The results showed that mostly sufferers fall in age group of 18-28years and among them, females are more than males. Important causative factors for transmission of enteric pathogens are intake of impure water (in 42% cases), unhygienic food (in 18% cases) and blend of these two (in 33% cases) with major symptoms of abdominal discomfort, acid reflux, nausea and vomiting. But still only 19% gastric patients of hostel take proper medication for cure and rest of other are left untreated either due to lack of awareness or financial constraints. So these issues should be seriously addressed by the authorities to control the frequency of GIT infections among hostilities of Lahore, Pakistan

Biochemical, Molecular and Morpho-Physiological Attributes of Wheat to Upgrade Grain Production and Compete with Water Stress

Enhancing grain quality and quantity is going very perilous with the incessant climate changes and rising population. Under these circumstances, to review the current strategies and researches regarding biochemical, physiological, morphological and molecular perspectives gain more consideration. Hence, its important to have know-how related to this in different parts of the world to utilize possible stratagems to increase our current production. Wheat is one of this foremost considerable crop as it is food of 21%25 of the world population and 77%25 developing countries import and consume wheat annually. Wheat is primarily important in Pakistan as it is staple food but adversely affected because of water and heat stresses. By using the information and approaches of expertise, we can achieve our objectives of high yield and admirable quality. In most of countries, yield is less than the actual potential yield, this can be overcome by utilizing appropriate resources and proper techniques. Advance knowledge and extrapolative capabilities can help us to find out best possible tools to contribute in world food security and to withstand changing climatic conditions

Fabrication of low emissivity paint for thermal/NIR radiation insulation for domestic applications

Recently, low-emissivity paint has gained more importance than commercial paints. Low emissivity (Low-E) Paint also termed as a coating for radiation control, in which the emissivity of radiations of longer waves are reduced dramatically (i.e., the emissivity of commercially available paint is 0.9) by imparting low emissivity particles in the base paint but not suitable to reduce near-infrared radiation. Commercially available paints as of today have minimum of 0.7 emissivity and it does not give any significant energy saving. The low emissivity property of paint makes it particularly suitable for reducing the radiative heat exchange in many domestic applications i.e., home electronics, building construction components, roof surfaces, heat storage tanks, and pipes, etc in result, low power required to heat or cool the building in respective whether conditions. In this work, different samples of white paint were prepared in the lab by using a low shear mixer (mechanical stirrer) under very controlled conditions and studied the results of dry paint films to reduce the thermal emissivity then commercially available paint. Then we investigate the drying time of the wet paint films and analyze thermal heat into visible light through thermal imaging camera, Crosshatch, and IR transmission. We also studied the emissivity through ET-100 and aging stability through a weather-o-meter instrument, which investigated that emissivity value achieved in the range of 0.4–0.6 than commercial paints. The results showed that paint exhibits an acceptable aesthetic emissivity value of ∼0.60. It was calculated theoretically that by the use of this novel Low-E paint, annually about 20%–25% less energy will be consumed in building for cooling or heating.The Open Access funding is provided by the Qatar National Library, Al Rayyan Doha Qatar . We are also thankful to everyone who supported and assisted us in completing this work. Our appreciations and thanks also go to our colleagues and laboratory engineers at National Textile University, Faisalabad, Pakistan and also Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China

Transportation and acclimation optimisation of wild marble goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata Bleeker, 1852)

The Marble goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata Bleeker) is usually found in freshwater bodies. Due to its high commercial value and demand, it is farmed in cages and pond systems. Marble goby fish are preferred to be freshly killed and processed upon request in Asian restaurants. Currently, there are some challenges faced by fishermen who wish to transport live fish to restaurants or markets due to the traditional method of using water tanks as carriers. These water tanks are usually very heavy and bulky, increasing transportation costs. Furthermore, coping with the survivability of fish post-transportation has proven to be a challenge. This study was aimed at investigating the semi-dry method for fish transport and acclimatization of fish after transport in different tank sizes. In the semi-dry, where fish were covered using a towel transportation method where the survival rate at ~92%. For the acclimation experimental group, stream water was found to be the most appropriate type of water for rearing the marble goby fish, which demonstrated a conspicuous survivability rate of ~83%. whereas, for adaptation, marble goby fish from the wild had a faster adaptation rate in smaller spaces like aquariums as compared to large ‘stock tanks.’ To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that will provide a better understanding of the transportation method, acclimation conditions, and habitat that can lead to a reduction in the mortality rate during the marble goby transit processes

Trackable CEMB-Klean Cotton Transgenic Technology: Affordable Climate Neutral Agri-biotech Industrialization for Developing Countries

Background: Transgenic technology reflects the incorporation of novel useful traits in crop plants like cotton for economic benefits by overcoming the problems including insects’ pests and weeds in special. The present study is the success story of the continuous effort of CEMB team started back in the 1990s.Methods: This study includes characterization of a large number of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains taken from local soil and subjected to direct transformation of isolated BT genes into local cotton cultivars. Protocols for transformation into cotton plants were optimized and validated by the development of double gene codon optimized (Cry1Ac and Cry2A) transgenic cotton varieties.Results: The resulting GMOs in the form of CEMB-33, CA-12, CEMB-66 have been approved by Punjab Seed Council in 2013 and 2016 respectively. Double Bt and weedicide resistant cotton harboring CEMB-Modified and codon optimized cp4EPSPS (GTGene). These varieties can tolerate glyphosate spray @ 1900ml per acre without the appearance of necrotic spots/shedding and complete removal of all surrounding weeds in the cotton field is a significant advance to boost cotton production without spending much on insecticides and herbicides.Conclusion: In the current report, two unique sets of primers which amplify 1.1 Kb for CEMB-double Bt genes and 660 bp product for CEMB-Modified cp4EPSPS (GTGene) were tested. CEMB cotton variety CKC-01 is specially designed as low cost and easy to use by local farmer’s technology has the potential to revolutionize the cotton growing culture of the country.Keywords: Event detection; Bt Cotton; CEMB transgenic technology; GTGen

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010–19: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

BACKGROUND: Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. METHODS: The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk–outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. FINDINGS: Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4·45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4·01–4·94) deaths and 105 million (95·0–116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44·4% (41·3–48·4) of all cancer deaths and 42·0% (39·1–45·6) of all DALYs. There were 2·88 million (2·60–3·18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50·6% [47·8–54·1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1·58 million (1·36–1·84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36·3% [32·5–41·3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20·4% (12·6–28·4) and DALYs by 16·8% (8·8–25·0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34·7% [27·9–42·8] and 33·3% [25·8–42·0]). INTERPRETATION: The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden

Smart Grid Cyber Security Enhancement: Challenges and Solutions—A Review

The incorporation of communication technology with Smart Grid (SG) is proposed as an optimal solution to fulfill the requirements of the modern power system. A smart grid integrates multiple energy sources or microgrids and is supported by an extensive control and communication network using the Internet of Things (IoT) for a carbon-free, more reliable, and intelligent energy system. Along with many benefits, the system faces novel security challenges, data management, integration, and interoperability challenges. The advanced control and communication network in the smart grid is susceptible to cyber and cyber-physical threats. A lot of research has been done to improve the cyber security of the smart grid. This review aims to provide an overview of the types of cyber security threats present for smart grids with an insight into strategies to overcome the challenges. As the selection of techniques and technologies may vary according to the threats faced, therefore the adoption of researched methods is compared and discussed. As cyber-security is the greatest challenge in smart grid implementation, this review is beneficial during the planning and operation of smart grids for enhanced security