Incoherent Transport through Molecules on Silicon in the vicinity of a Dangling Bond

We theoretically study the effect of a localized unpaired dangling bond (DB) on occupied molecular orbital conduction through a styrene molecule bonded to a n++ H:Si(001)-(2x1) surface. For molecules relatively far from the DB, we find good agreement with the reported experiment using a model that accounts for the electrostatic contribution of the DB, provided we include some dephasing due to low lying phonon modes. However, for molecules within 10 angstrom to the DB, we have to include electronic contribution as well along with higher dephasing to explain the transport features.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Perceptions of parents and religious leaders regarding minimal invasive tissue sampling to identify the cause of death in stillbirths and neonates: Results from a qualitative study

Background: Recently, the minimal invasive tissue sampling (MITS) procedure has been developed to support determination of the cause of death as an alternate to conventional autopsy, especially in countries where complete diagnostic autopsy is not routine. To assess the feasibility of implementation of the MITS procedure for a study to determine cause of death in premature births and stillbirths in south Asia, we explored the views and perceptions of parents and religious leaders on the acceptability of MITS.Methods: A qualitative study was conducted at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) hospital of Karachi, Pakistan. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with parents of newborns who visited well-baby clinics of the NICH hospital for post-natal check-ups. Key-informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with religious leaders. Data were analyzed using NVivo 10 software.Results: A total of 13 interviews (FGDs = 8; KIIs = 5) were conducted. Three overarching themes were identified: (I) acceptability of MITS; (II) concerns affecting the implementation of MITS; and (III) religious and cultural perspectives. Participants\u27 acceptance of MITS was based on personal, religious, cultural and social beliefs. Parents widely recognized the need for this procedure in cases where the couple had experienced multiple stillbirths, neonatal deaths and miscarriages. Counseling of parents was considered vital to address emotional concerns of the parents and the family. Religious leaders indicated acceptability of the MITS procedure from a religious perspective and advised that respect for the deceased and consent of the guardians is mandatory when performing MITS.Conclusions: This qualitative study provided a unique opportunity to understand the views of parents and religious leaders towards the use of MITS. Generally, MITS appears to be an acceptable method for identifying the cause of death in neonates and stillbirths, provided that the deceased is respected and buried as soon as possible without any delays and parents are counseled appropriately. Findings from this research are essential in approaching families for consent for MITS

Comparative study of combustion product emissions of Pakistani coal briquettes and traditional Pakistani domestic fuels

A comparative emissions study was conducted on combustion products of various solid domestic cooking fuels; the objective was to compare relative levels of organic and inorganic toxic emissions from traditional Pakistani fuels (wood, wood charcoal, and dried animal dung) with manufactured low-rank coal briquettes (Lakhra and Sor- Range coals) under conditions simulating domestic cooking. A small combustion shed 12 m[sup 3] internal volume, air exchange rate 14 h[sup [minus]1] was used to simulate south Asian cooking rooms. 200-g charges of the various fuels were ignited in an Angethi stove located inside the shed, then combusted to completion; effluents from this combustion were monitored as a function of time. Measurements were made of respirable particulates, volatile and semi-volatile organics, CO, SO[sub 2], and NO[sub x]. Overall it appears that emissions from coal briquettes containing combustion amendments (slaked lime, clay, and potassium nitrate oxidizer) are no greater than emissions from traditional fuels, and in some cases are significantly lower; generally, emissions are highest for all fuels in the early stages of combustion

Perceptions of health professionals regarding minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) to identify the cause of death in stillbirths and neonates: results from a qualitative study

Background Pakistan is considered to be one of the riskiest places in the world for childbirth as measured by its high stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates. Complete diagnostic autopsy remains the gold standard to determine the cause of death (CoD); however, it is not routinely implemented due to religious objections, sociocultural beliefs, limited resources and low demand from physicians and families. Recently, minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) using needle biopsies of multiple tissues to obtain tissue for histological examination and organism identification with PCR has been developed and promoted to determine CoD in low-resource areas. To ensure successful implementation of MITS, it is important to understand health professionals’ attitudes and perceptions related to MITS. Methods A qualitative study was conducted at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), Karachi, Pakistan. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and Key-informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with health professionals including doctors, nurses, trainees, clinicians, bioethics experts and public health experts to explore their perceptions and views on acceptability of MITS. Data were analyzed using NVivo 10 software. Results A total of 12 interviews (FGDs = 4; KIIs = 8) were conducted. Four overarching themes were identified: (I) acceptability of MITS; (II) perceived benefits of the MITS procedure; (III) factors facilitating the implementation of MITS; and (IV) health system requirements for implementing the MITS procedure. Generally, MITS was considered as a positive development for the health system. Diagnostic accuracy and identification of less common causes of death were highlighted as two main benefits of the MITS procedure. The study highlighted a number of facilitators for the acceptability of MITS including effective counseling, building trust with parents, fast procedure time, and approaching families within a few hours of death. In addition, lack of skilled staff, poorly equipped healthcare facilities and the potential high cost to conduct MITS were identified as challenges for the implementation of MITS. Conclusions This formative research provided a unique opportunity to explore health professionals’ views and attitudes towards the MITS procedure. Such insights are crucial to ensure successful implementation and integration of a new technique into the existing health system. The research identified the factors influencing the acceptability of MITS among health professionals in Pakistan. The study also informed factors that could help facilitate the implementation of the MITS procedures in the context of Pakistan and similar settings

Perceptions of parents and religious leaders regarding minimal invasive tissue sampling to identify the cause of death in stillbirths and neonates: results from a qualitative study

Background Recently, the minimal invasive tissue sampling (MITS) procedure has been developed to support determination of the cause of death as an alternate to conventional autopsy, especially in countries where complete diagnostic autopsy is not routine. To assess the feasibility of implementation of the MITS procedure for a study to determine cause of death in premature births and stillbirths in south Asia, we explored the views and perceptions of parents and religious leaders on the acceptability of MITS. Methods A qualitative study was conducted at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) hospital of Karachi, Pakistan. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with parents of newborns who visited well-baby clinics of the NICH hospital for post-natal check-ups. Key-informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with religious leaders. Data were analyzed using NVivo 10 software. Results A total of 13 interviews (FGDs = 8; KIIs = 5) were conducted. Three overarching themes were identified: (I) acceptability of MITS; (II) concerns affecting the implementation of MITS; and (III) religious and cultural perspectives. Participants’ acceptance of MITS was based on personal, religious, cultural and social beliefs. Parents widely recognized the need for this procedure in cases where the couple had experienced multiple stillbirths, neonatal deaths and miscarriages. Counseling of parents was considered vital to address emotional concerns of the parents and the family. Religious leaders indicated acceptability of the MITS procedure from a religious perspective and advised that respect for the deceased and consent of the guardians is mandatory when performing MITS. Conclusions This qualitative study provided a unique opportunity to understand the views of parents and religious leaders towards the use of MITS. Generally, MITS appears to be an acceptable method for identifying the cause of death in neonates and stillbirths, provided that the deceased is respected and buried as soon as possible without any delays and parents are counseled appropriately. Findings from this research are essential in approaching families for consent for MITS

Fixed points of Suzuki type generalized multivalued mappings in fuzzy metric spaces with applications

The aim of this paper is to introduce a class of multivalued mappings satisfying a Suzuki type generalized contractive condition in the framework of fuzzy metric spaces and to present fixed point results for such mappings. Some examples are presented to support the results proved herein. As an application, a common fixed point result for a hybrid pair of single and multivalued mappings is obtained. We show the existence and uniqueness of a common bounded solution of functional equations arising in dynamic programming. Our results generalize and extend various results in the existing literature.http://link.springer.com/journal/11784hb201

Evaluation of internet access and utilization by medical students in Lahore, Pakistan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The internet is increasingly being used worldwide in imparting medical education and improving its delivery. It has become an important tool for healthcare professionals training but the data on its use by medical students in developing countries is lacking with no study on the subject from Pakistan. This study was, therefore, carried out with an aim to evaluate the pattern of internet access and utilization by medical students in Pakistan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A structured pre-tested questionnaire was administered to a group of 750 medical students in clinical years studying at various public and private medical colleges in Lahore. The questions were related to patterns of internet access, purpose of use and self reported confidence in performing various internet related tasks, use of health related websites to supplement learning and the problems faced by students in using internet at the institution.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 532 medical students (70.9%) returned the questionnaire. The mean age of study participants was 21.04 years (SD 1.96 years). Majority of the respondents (84.0%) reported experience with internet use. About half of the students (42.1%) were using internet occasionally with 23.1%, 20.9% and 13.9% doing so frequently, regularly and rarely respectively. About two third of the students (61.0%) stated that they use internet for both academic and professional activities. Most of the participants preferred to use internet at home (70.5%). Self reported ability to search for required article from PubMed and PakMedinet was reported by only 34.0% of the entire sample. Students were moderately confident in performing various internet related tasks including downloading medical books from internet, searching internet for classification of diseases and downloading full text article. Health related websites were being accessed by 55.1% students to supplement their learning process. Lack of time, inadequate number of available computers and lack of support from staff were cited as the most common problems faced by students while accessing internet in the institution premises. There were significant differences among male and female students with respect to the place of internet use (p = 0.001) and the ability to search online databases for required articles (p = 0.014).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Majority of the medical students in this study had access to internet and were using it for both academic and personal reasons. Nevertheless, it was seen that there is under utilization of the potential of internet resources to augment learning. Increase in awareness, availability of requisite facilities and training in computing skills are required to enable better utilization of digital resources of digital resources by medical students.</p

Hydrogeological typologies of the Indo-Gangetic basin alluvial aquifer, South Asia

The Indo-Gangetic aquifer is one of the world’s most important transboundary water resources, and the most heavily exploited aquifer in the world. To better understand the aquifer system, typologies have been characterized for the aquifer, which integrate existing datasets across the Indo-Gangetic catchment basin at a transboundary scale for the first time, and provide an alternative conceptualization of this aquifer system. Traditionally considered and mapped as a single homogenous aquifer of comparable aquifer properties and groundwater resource at a transboundary scale, the typologies illuminate significant spatial differences in recharge, permeability, storage, and groundwater chemistry across the aquifer system at this transboundary scale. These changes are shown to be systematic, concurrent with large-scale changes in sedimentology of the Pleistocene and Holocene alluvial aquifer, climate, and recent irrigation practices. Seven typologies of the aquifer are presented, each having a distinct set of challenges and opportunities for groundwater development and a different resilience to abstraction and climate change. The seven typologies are: (1) the piedmont margin, (2) the Upper Indus and Upper-Mid Ganges, (3) the Lower Ganges and Mid Brahmaputra, (4) the fluvially influenced deltaic area of the Bengal Basin, (5) the Middle Indus and Upper Ganges, (6) the Lower Indus, and (7) the marine-influenced deltaic areas