Prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its relation to diet and physical work in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its relation to diet and physical work was studied in three selected districts namely Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Poonch of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. A city, a town and a village were selected from each selected district, and hundred households (families) from each city, town and village were randomly selected for the study. A total 900 households were selected for interview. A responsible individual of 40 years or older of each household was interviewed and information about diabetes, occupation and diet were recorded in the questionnaire. The mean prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 0.95% in the selected region of the state. The prevalence of the disease was higher in cities than towns and villages. The disease was slightly higher in males than females. The milk and meat consumption of the residents of the area was lower than the recommended amount. The exercise level/physical work status of majority of the residents was almost equal to heavy exercise level. The data suggest that at present, the prevalence of diabetes is not of great concern in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The prevalence of the disease is linked with diet and exercise level/physical work. The residents have marginal deficiency of food intake

Tuning the Optical Properties of ZnO by Co and Gd Doping for Water Pollutant Elimination

In the present study, pure, Co, Gd, and Co/Gd di-doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via the co-precipitation synthesis route. The prepared samples were characterized through different techniques such as the X-ray diffraction method (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL)spectroscopy, and an impedance analyzer and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The XRD pattern shows ZnO’s wurtzite hexagonal crystal structure; moreover, the shifting of characteristic peaks toward the lower angle indicates the inclusion of Co and Co/Gd in the ZnO host lattice. SEM micrographs show various morphologies such as rods, the agglomeration of particles, and spherical nanoparticles. The UV-Vis spectroscopy reveals that the absorption increased in the visible region and there was a substantial redshift for the doped samples. The bandgap decreased from 3.34 to 3.18 eV for the doped samples. The PL spectra show near-edge and inter-band transitions; the origin of inter-band transitions is attributed to the defect states present within the bands. The dielectric constant is strongly frequency dependent and decreases with Co and Co/Gd doping, while the electrical conductivity increases. A VSM study indicates that pure ZnO is diamagnetic, while the Co and Co/Gd doped ZnO nanoparticles showed ferromagnetic behavior. Under UV-visible light irradiation, the Co/Gd-ZnO nanoparticles showed higher photocatalytic activity than the ZnO nanoparticles. The enhanced photocatalytic activity may be attributed to a decreased bandgap with doping