Intelligent Remote Monitoring and Management system for Type1 Diabetes

The work presented in this thesis focuses on developing a telemedicine system for better management of type1 diabetes in children and teenagers. The research and development of the system is motivated by the inadequate communication in the current system of management of the disease, which results in non-compliance of patients following the regimen. This non-compliance generally results in uncontrolled blood glucose levels, which can result in hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia and later life health complications. This further results in an increase in health care costs. In this context, the thesis presents a novel end-to-end, low cost telemedicine system, WithCare+, developed in close collaboration between the University of Sheffield (Electronics & Electrical Engineering) and Sheffield Children’s Hospital. The system was developed to address the challenges of implementing modern telemedicine in type 1 diabetic care with particular relevance to National Health Service children’s clinics in the United Kingdom, by adopting a holistic care driven approach (involving all stakeholders) based on specific key enabler technologies such as low cost and reconfigurable design. However, one of the major issues with current telemedicine system is non-compliance of the patients due to invasive procedure of the glucose measurement which could be clearly addressed by non-invasive method of glucose measurement. Hence, the thesis also makes a contribution towards non-invasive glucose measurement using Near Infrared spectroscopy in terms of addressing the calibration challenge; two methods are proposed to improve the calibration of the Near Infrared instrument. The first method combines locally weighted regression and partial least square regression and the second method combines digital band pass filtering with support vector regression. The efficacy of the proposed methods is validated in experiments carried out in a non-controlled environment and the results obtained demonstrate that the proposed methods improved the performance of the calibration model in comparison to traditional calibration techniques such as Principal Component Regression and Partial Least Squares regression

KCNQ channels regulate age-related memory impairment:KCNQ regulates age-related memory

In humans KCNQ2/3 heteromeric channels form an M-current that acts as a brake on neuronal excitability, with mutations causing a form of epilepsy. The M-current has been shown to be a key regulator of neuronal plasticity underlying associative memory and ethanol response in mammals. Previous work has shown that many of the molecules and plasticity mechanisms underlying changes in alcohol behaviour and addiction are shared with those of memory. We show that the single KCNQ channel in Drosophila (dKCNQ) when mutated show decrements in associative short- and long-term memory, with KCNQ function in the mushroom body α/βneurons being required for short-term memory. Ethanol disrupts memory in wildtype flies, but not in a KCNQ null mutant background suggesting KCNQ maybe a direct target of ethanol, the blockade of which interferes with the plasticity machinery required for memory formation. We show that as in humans, Drosophila display age-related memory impairment with the KCNQ mutant memory defect mimicking the effect of age on memory. Expression of KCNQ normally decreases in aging brains and KCNQ overexpression in the mushroom body neurons of KCNQ mutants restores age-related memory impairment. Therefore KCNQ is a central plasticity molecule that regulates age dependent memory impairment

Career Counseling in Pakistan

This is a qualitative study that aims to identify and understand the importance, availability and practical implementation of career counseling at different educational levels of Pakistan. The importance of a career counselor and the influence on career choice has also been highlighted in the study. The in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from 25 participants, belonging to different universities of Pakistan, having different academic and professional background. The collected information was processed after coding the interviews by thematic analysis using the software (N-vivo, ed. 10). The results from thematic analysis showed that a proper career counseling system is not available at any level of education. In fact career counseling does not exist in Pakistan in a true sense.  Most students do not get any counseling at any level of their academic life about their career path.  It was seen that people choose their career under the influence of their family members or due to the availability of the subjects/profession. It was also found that a career counselor must be a professional counselor, equipped with psychological, academic and professional skills and knowledge. As Career counseling plays an important role for the right selection of a person’s career path, the study aims to highlights the information of career counseling to help the educational policy makers in Pakistan. It may enable the regulatory bodies to understand the current level and importance of career counseling to shape up their future policies and practices keeping in view the findings of the study. Keywords: Career Counseling, career counselor, career choice, pre-school, post college, university level, family level, Career Choice Influence

Citizenship Education in Pakistan

The purpose of writing this paper is to assess the importance of citizenship education as a part of curriculum. How we can use citizenship education to make young students good citizens. The study is done in Pakistani context with the comparison of countries having well established system of citizenship education, like Canada and UK. Pakistan is a new country and it has inherited many difficult problems from its former rulers, such as illiteracy poverty, disease and social misery. Citizens should not only take interest in the problems of the country, but also participate in solving them. Citizenship education is the most effective way of making people civil so that they can contribute in the development of their country. Citizenship education is necessary for students to become responsible and active citizens of the country. A right approach is needed to establish a strong citizenship education system in Pakistan. The system must include the understanding of updated economic, social and political happenings of the country especially the democratic system. This can encourage students to effectively participate for the right development of their country. Keywords: Citizenship Education, Curriculum, Democrac

Lead induced changes in biomarkers and proteome map of Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.)

Lead (Pb) toxicity is a serious environmental problem as it affects the food production by interfering plant growth and development, thus declines the production yield. In the present research work, Cichorium intybus L. plants were subjected to different concentrations of Pb (0, 100, 200 and 300µM) upto 46days to determine the oxidative stress. The length of root and shoot, accumulation of biomass were estimated along with the changes in biomarkers (H2O2 and TBARS). Further proteomic analysis of chicory leaves (46days old) at 300µM Pb concentration was done to identify the proteins of interest. The root growth increased significantly in a concentration-dependent manner however; shoot growth, biomass accumulation declined significantly with Pb stress compared to control. Changes in biomarkers (H2O2 and TBARS) content elevated with the increment in the concentration of metal treatment but exhibited a gradual decline at 300µM Pb treatment.. Proteomics data of 46days old chicory plants under 300 µM Pb stress analyzed by PDQuest software detected approximately 168 protein spots on each gel and 81 spots were differentially expressed in which 16 were up-regulated and 13 were down-regulated. The present study suggested that chicory possess a strong antioxidative defense system to combat Pb stress and thus could be explored for cultivation in Pb contaminated soils

Numerical solutions of non-linear fractional transport models in unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs using variational iteration method

Unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs, such as, shale gas deposits, offer a new source of energy resources. These reservoirs consist of tight porous rocks which are characterized by nano-scale size porous networks with ultra-low permeability. The mathematical modeling of phenomena through such tight porous media provides its own challenges. In this study, we consider a relatively new approach by modeling the transport of gas by the time-fractional advection-diffusion equation

Fractional diffusion model for transport through porous media

We model the transport of fluid through porous media in terms of fractional diffusion equation (FDE) for the pressure (,)pxt. Potential application could be to shale gas recovery in tight porous media. Specifically, we pose the time FDE in a finite domain of length L

Drosophila adult olfactory shock learning

Drosophila have been used in classical conditioning experiments for over 40 years, thus greatly facilitating our understanding of memory, including the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in cognitive diseases1-7. Learning and memory can be assayed in larvae to study the effect of neurodevelopmental genes8-10 and in flies to measure the contribution of adult plasticity genes1-7. Furthermore, the short lifespan of Drosophila facilitates the analysis of genes mediating age-related memory impairment5,11-13. The availability of many inducible promoters that subdivide the Drosophila nervous system makes it possible to determine when and where a gene of interest is required for normal memory as well as relay of different aspects of the reinforcement signal3,4,14,16. Studying memory in adult Drosophila allows for a detailed analysis of the behavior and circuitry involved and a measurement of long-term memory15-17. The length of the adult stage accommodates longer-term genetic, behavioral, dietary and pharmacological manipulations of memory, in addition to determining the effect of aging and neurodegenerative disease on memory3-6,11-13,15-21. Classical conditioning is induced by the simultaneous presentation of a neutral odor cue (conditioned stimulus, CS+) and a reinforcement stimulus, e.g., an electric shock or sucrose, (unconditioned stimulus, US), that become associated with one another by the animal1,16. A second conditioned stimulus (CS-) is subsequently presented without the US. During the testing phase, Drosophila are simultaneously presented with CS+ and CS- odors. After the Drosophila are provided time to choose between the odors, the distribution of the animals is recorded. This procedure allows associative aversive or appetitive conditioning to be reliably measured without a bias introduced by the innate preference for either of the conditioned stimuli. Various control experiments are also performed to test whether all genotypes respond normally to odor and reinforcement alone

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) after bevacizumab therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is an increasingly recognizable neuro-clinical syndrome. Clinical and neurological manifestations of PRES include hypertension, headache, encephalopathy, seizures, and symmetrical white matter changes on brain MRI. Most common precipitants of PRES are acute medical illness, hypertensive crisis, eclampsia, immunosuppressive therapy, and chemotherapy. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that halts angiogenesis by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor. It has gained widespread popularity in oncology world especially for metastatic and recurrent cancers due to its inherent ability to stop angiogenesis; a vital step for tumor growth. Bevacizumab has also been implicated as the cause of PRES due to dysregulation of the blood-brain barrier. We are reporting a case of PRES induced by Bevacizumab in a patient of colorectal cancer

Aplicación del modelo de gravedad aumentada de las TIC: análisis por sectores en la región de Asia Pacífico

The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in commerce improves the commercial structure and economic capacity of a country. This study empirically assesses the impact of ICTs on international trade in 36 countries in Asia and the Pacific, at the sectoral level, between 2007 and 2018. The study evaluates whether ICTs improve international trade by hiring the gravity model of international trade and increasing it with the ICT variable. An ICT development indicator (IDI) is formed by joining seven different ICT variables that show ICT infrastructure, use, and skills. Using the Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) estimation technique, this study shows that ICTs improve trade by reducing transaction costs. The findings reveal that information and communication technology positively and significantly influence international trade in all sectors of the Asia-Pacific region, and that trade intensifies when both trading partners have a high endowment of information and communications technology. The study recommends that governments in developing countries upgrade their ICT infrastructure levels.El uso de las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones (TIC) en el comercio mejora la estructura comercial y la capacidad económica de un país. Este estudio evalúa empíricamente el impacto de las TIC en el comercio internacional en 36 países de Asia y el Pacífico a nivel sectorial entre 2007 y 2018. El estudio prueba si las TIC mejoran el comercio internacional mediante la contratación del modelo de gravedad del comercio internacional al aumentarlo con la variable TIC. Un indicador de desarrollo de las TIC (IDI) se forma uniendo siete variables TIC diferentes que muestran la infraestructura, el uso y las habilidades de las TIC. Al emplear la técnica de estimación de Poisson pseudo-máxima verosimilitud (PPML), este estudio muestra que las TIC mejoran el comercio al reducir los costos de transacción. Las conclusiones revelan que la tecnología de la información y las comunicaciones influye positiva y significativamente en el comercio internacional en todos los sectores de la región de Asia y el Pacífico y que el comercio se intensifica cuando ambos interlocutores comerciales tienen una alta dotación de tecnología de la información y las comunicaciones. El estudio recomienda que los gobiernos de los países en desarrollo actualicen sus niveles de infraestructura TIC