Evaluating the effectiveness of \u27MCQ development workshop using cognitive model framework: A pre-post study

A workshop on MCQ development using cognitive model framework was conducted for health educators from Aga Khan University (AKU) and other academic institutions. The aim was to develop the skill of preparing MCQs for assessing higher cognitive levels. A pre-post study was conducted, participant satisfaction was evaluated and pre-post test scores were used to assess learning capability of the workshop participants. Out of the 19 who attended the workshop, 16 participated in the pre- and post-tests and were included in the study through convenience sampling. The total duration of the study was six months. There was a significant difference in the overall pre-post test scores of the participants with a mean difference of -4.176 ± 4.83 (p-value \u3c 0.05). A significant difference was observed in the mean pre-post test scores of junior faculty (-6.350± 4.5829; p-value = 0.02). The mean pre-test scores of junior faculty were significantly lower 4.950±2.83 as compared to the senior faculty 10.417±1.56 (p-value= 0.001). Active participation in faculty development workshops may lead to enhancing skills for preparing one-best MCQs based on international guidelines

Sensing and Automation Technologies for Ornamental Nursery Crop Production: Current Status and Future Prospects

The ornamental crop industry is an important contributor to the economy in the United States. The industry has been facing challenges due to continuously increasing labor and agricultural input costs. Sensing and automation technologies have been introduced to reduce labor requirements and to ensure efficient management operations. This article reviews current sensing and automation technologies used for ornamental nursery crop production and highlights prospective technologies that can be applied for future applications. Applications of sensors, computer vision, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Internet-of-Things (IoT), and robotic technologies are reviewed. Some advanced technologies, including 3D cameras, enhanced deep learning models, edge computing, radio-frequency identification (RFID), and integrated robotics used for other cropping systems, are also discussed as potential prospects. This review concludes that advanced sensing, AI and robotic technologies are critically needed for the nursery crop industry. Adapting these current and future innovative technologies will benefit growers working towards sustainable ornamental nursery crop production

Antipsychotic prescription patterns and treatment costs of schizophrenia in northwestern Pakistan: A one-year observational study

Purpose: To evaluate the antipsychotic drugs most commonly prescribed for schizophrenia patients in Peshawar, Pakistan and to analyze the treatment costs associated with these drugs.Methods: One hundred patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were recruited from outpatient psychiatry departments in Peshawar, Pakistan and followed for one year. Demographic data were collected for each patient at the beginning of the study. A questionnaire was used to collect antipsychotic prescription information at 4, 8 and 12 months. The cost of antipsychotics was obtained from PharmaGuide, Pakistan. The cost associated with antipsychotic drug use was statistically analyzed using post hoc tests.Results: Of the patients who completed this study, 68.1 % were prescribed second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) drugs, 6.9 % first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) drugs, and 25.0 % a combination of SGAs and FGAs. Furthermore, 40.3 % of the patients who completed the study received antipsychotic monotherapy and 34.7 % antipsychotic polytherapy. In monotherapy, risperidone was the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic drug, used by 44.8 % of patients while in polytherapy, risperidone plus olanzapine was the most commonly prescribed combination, used by 32 % of patients. Switching of antipsychotic drugs was observed in 25 % of patients. The mean annual cost of antipsychotic therapy was US$79.90 (8079 Pakistani rupees). Risperidone treatment cost was US$60.30 (PakRs 6095), constituting 52 % of the total monotherapy cost. The cost of SGAs was significantly higher than the cost of FGAs (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The results provide policymakers with appropriate information necessary for managing pharmacotherapy plans for the treatment of schizophrenia.Keywords: Schizophrenia, Prescribing pattern, Antipsychotics, Cost analysis, Pharmacotherap

5 × 5 MIMO Antennas for Future 5G mm-Wave Communication

A suggested MIMO antenna's goal is to function in one of the Federal Communication Commission's designated 5G spectral bands (FCC). Due to its propensity to handle both many inputs and numerous outputs, MIMO technology may effectively address issues with large amounts of transportation and high data rates. The overall dimension of a single-element antenna is 10 x 10 mm2, The proposed MIMO antenna design consists of twenty-five elements and the resonance frequency of each antenna element is 37 GHz. The maximum gain and directivity of an antenna are greater than 6 dB. For the designing and simulation of the proposed twenty-five element MIMO antennas is CST Studio Suite software. The proposed antenna will be a candidate for future mm-Wave communication applications in terms of compactness

A High Gain Flexible Antenna for Biomedical Applications

In this paper, a miniaturized antenna is presented for biomedical applications due to its flexibility. The proposed antenna operates in the Industrial, Medical, and Scientific (ISM) 24.00 GHz to 24.25 GHz band. This antenna consists of a radiating element with circular and rectangular slots and the ground with cross plus four square slots. The dielectric material Rogers RO3003 with permittivity of 3, is used for substrate and superstrate. The miniaturization of the antenna is achieved by shorting pin and some other techniques. The total volume of the designed antenna is (6.8×6.8×0.26) mm 3 . The maximum gain achieved by the simulation of the proposed antenna is 5.44 dB at 24.25 GHz, and at the start of the band, the gain is 4.9 dB at 23.98 GHz, and at the end of the band, the gain is 5.1 dB at 24.47 GHz. The designed antenna has better results than the antennas discussed in the literature in terms of size, gain, and efficiency

A Miniaturized Wide Band Implantable Antenna for Biomedical Application

In this paper, a miniaturized high gain antenna was designed for biomedical applications. The designed antenna operates on the industrial, medical, and scientific(2.40 - 2.4835) GHz band. The proposed antenna consists of the radiating element having rectangular, and circular slots, and a ground plane with rectangular slots. The total volume of the designed antenna is (7x7xO.2) mm 3 , and the thickness of the superstrate and substrate is 0.1 mm. The Rogers ULTRALAM (e , = 2.9, tanD = 0.0025) material is used for substrate and superstrate. The proposed antenna is placed inside the different phantoms of the human body. The maximum gain achieved by the simulations of the proposed antenna is -12 dBi at 2.45 GHz. The designed antenna has better results than the antennas discussed in the literature in term of size, gain, and bandwidth

Ultra wideband antenna for future 5G

An ultra-wideband miniature antenna based on circular patch with circular slots has been presented for future generation mm-wave indoor wireless applications. The proposed miniature antenna is fed by probe feed and, the maximum realized gain and the total efficiency throughout the three bands are 7.7 dBi in an upper higher band and 97% in the lower band, respectively. This proposed antenna covers the seven bands (five bands are in the existing allocation to mobile, and the other two bands are to be considered for allocation) for 5G higher bands and lower band covers uplink Ku-band (14GHz - 14.5GHz) for satellite communication. The proposed antenna in ultra-wideband has the impedance bandwidth of 31.8 GHz and the fractional bandwidth of 60.61%

Understanding the neighbourhood choice decisions of movers: an analysis of focus group discussions

Using a qualitative methods approach, this study explores the key factors that influence household neighbourhood choice. Three newly developed residential neighbourhoods have been studied to examine resident decision making around their neighbourhood preferences. Four focus group (n = 4) discussions with 29 individuals who were recent movers to the study areas were conducted to examine the reasons behind neighbourhood choice and the needs of the household. The results revealed that household neighbourhood choice decisions were multi-faceted and complex. The key findings can be classified into six categories: safety, residential environment, neighbourhood facilities, accessibility, economic and demographic factors. Residents emphasised that the combination of land-use and transportation planning may be one important part of multi-layered solutions to improve quality of life in residential neighbourhoods

Encapsulated green magnetic nanoparticles for the removal of toxic Pb2+ and Cd2+ from water: Development, characterization and application

Current research is based on an innovative approach of the fabrication of encapsulated sustainable, green, phytogenic magnetic nanoparticles (PMNPs), to inhibit the generation of secondary pollutants (Iron/Fe degrees) during water treatment applications. These novel bio-magnetic membrane capsules (BMMCs) were prepared using twostep titration gel crosslink method, with polyvinyl alcohol and sodium alginate matrix as the model encapsulating materials to eliminate potentially toxic metals (Pb2+ and Cd2+) from water. The development of BMMCs was characterized by FTIR, XRD, XPS, SEM, VSM, TGA and EDX techniques. The effects of various operating parameters, adsorbent dose, contact time, solution pH, temperature, initial concentration of metals cations and co-existing ions were studied. The hysteresis loops have illustrated an excellent super-paramagnetic nature, demonstrating the smooth encapsulation of PMNPs without losing their magnetic properties. The maximum monolayer adsorptive capacities estimated at pH 6.5 by the Langmuir isotherm model were 548 and 610.67 mg/g for Pb2+ and Cd2+, respectively. The novel BMMCs did not only control oxidation of PMNPs but also sustained the adsorptive removal over a wide range of pH (3-8), and the electrostatic interaction and ion-exchange were the core adsorption mechanisms. The BMMCs could easily be regenerated using 25% HNO3 as an eluent for successful usage in seven repeated cycles. Therefore, the BMMCs as a material can be used as an excellent sorbent or composite material to remove toxic metals Pb2+ and Cd2+, showing strong potential for improving water and wastewater treatment technologies