22 research outputs found
Herb and Plant-derived Supplements in Poultry Nutrition
No full textModern poultry industry faces the everlasting challenge of the growing
demand for high-quality, low-priced food without compromising general hygiene,
health, and welfare standards. To exploit optimal growth potential, antibioticsupplemented
feeds were implemented in the past decades. But later on, alternative
strategies to trigger the productive characteristics of birds were proposed, including the
use of phytochemicals. Phytobiotics are herbs and their derivatives, endowed with
many beneficial effects. Herbs and their products enhance feed intake by mitigating
intestinal damage, strengthening intestinal integrity, compensating nutritional needs for
local and general immune response, reducing the concentration of pathogenic
microflora, and preventing local inflammatory response. This form of feed
manipulation recently gained interest in the poultry sector due to the lack of side
effects, immune system modulation boosting, and stress tolerance. On the other hand,
several types of research highlighted the potentially harmful effects of some herbs and
their metabolites. This raised concerns among consumers about their safety and
implications as feed supplements or medicines. This chapter will provide insights into
phytobiotics, their role in immunity and growth, and the possible risks of herbal
supplemented feeds in the poultry sector
Patriotic songs: A strategic Tool in Hybrid Warfare
No full textThis research intends to examine and analyze the significant strategic tool of hybrid warfare, patriotism, in the songs produced by the ISPR. For this purpose, our study applied quantitative measures to analyze the textual and visual elements of patriotism. To provide a comprehensive detail, regarding the elements of patriotism, this study analyzed videos of the songs by creating 7 textual and 8 visual elements with respect to these two categories. Recently, when Pakistan Army is facing multiple complex challenges of internal and external threats and confrontation, the war across every domain has become obvious in this multifaceted battlefield which support military operations and develop favorable emotions and behavior among the nation, and minimize the negative effects of any loss. Motivation and willingness to sacrifice were found out to be major themes in patriotic songs produced by ISPR along with the focus on sacrifices and efforts of armed forces of Pakistan
Prevalence of Sleep Paralysis in the Medical Students of a Local Medical College
No full textAbstract
Objective: To find out the prevalence of sleep paralysis among the medical students of a local Pakistani medical college. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 107 medical students from, Karachi Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Karachi, Pakistan. Non-probability Convenient Sampling Technique was utilized for this study. Students suffering from any psychiatric illness were excluded from this study. The study was performed after taking permission from the Institutional Ethical Review Committee. Written informed consent was taken from all the students. The data were collected using a pretested predesigned Questionnaire which was consisted of 10 questions related to the common10 happening and symptoms of sleep paralysis. Data were recorded in the form of frequency and percentages and analyzed using SPSS 24.
Results: 52% (56 out of 107) participants have had an experience of sleep paralysis. Most of the participants (76.6%) described their experience as an Inability to move. Frequency of experience ranged from 0 to 20 times in the last year. Age at first experience ranged between 10-20 years.
Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of sleep paralysis (47.2%) among the medical students at a local Pakistani medical college. Majority of the students experienced the phenomenon multiple times in their life. The students associated the symptoms the factors such as academic stress, anxiety, workload, emotional experiences, sleep deprivation, work routine, sleep pattern, sleep deprivation, fatigue, mental disturbance, studies and routine stress. 37.3% of the students also related the phenomenon to their position of sleep (lying on back). The participants described the experience as a source of great distress. Sleep paralysis needs to be studied, investigated and addressed in context of mental health of the students
A Clinical Audit of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreaticogram of Patients performed in a Secondary Care Hospital
No full textIntroduction: Recent advances in ERCP techniques are developed to improve its efficacy and safety but there are limited data regarding the efficacy and safety of ERCP carried out in secondary care hospital setting using modern techniques.
Objective: To perform a clinical audit of ERCP of patients performed in secondary care hospital.
Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted at the Department of Gastroenterology hospital, Lahore from Jan 2018 - Dec 2018. After approval from the ethical committee and informed consent from subjects, detailed demographic information was collected and entered into a structured questionnaire. A total of 66 ERCP were included in the study by non-probability consecutive sampling. Data was analyzed in SPSS ver: 21.0. Frequency and percentages were calculated for qualitative variables like gender and diagnosis and complications.
Results: A total of 66 ERCP were performed. The mean age of patients was 57.35 + 12.30. 36.4% were male and 63.6% were female in our study. 53.0% had malignant ERCP findings and 47.0% had benign pathology. Among malignant conditions were proximal CBD malignant strictures (25.8%), distal CBD stricture with ampullary growth (9.0%), distal malignant CBD stricture (6.0%), long distal malignant CBD stricture (9.0%), and complete malignant obstruction mid CBD (3.1%).
Conclusion: The ERCP services provided at secondary care hospital are standardized with a desirable outcome. The rate of its technical success is comparable to tertiary care setting and complication rates are low alone with mortality related to the procedure
Polymicrobial multidrug-resistant bacteria isolated from street vended fresh fruit juices in Pakistan
No full text
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the prevalence and antibiograms of bacteria isolated from various fresh fruit juices at a local market in Faisalabad.
Design/methodology/approach
Fresh fruit juice samples (n=125) were randomly collected using aseptic technique. Each sample (10 mL) was serially diluted with 90 mL of sterile peptone water, from 1×10−1 to 1×10−5. Each dilution was then used to inoculate nutrient agar by surface spread plating. Aerobic colony counts (ACCs) were determined by colony counting. The isolates were sub-cultured on blood and MacConkey agar. Preliminary identification was achieved on the basis of colony morphology and culture characteristic, and confirmed by API® 20E, 20NE, and API® Staph testing. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay, per CLSI 2015 guidelines.
Findings
The mean ACC ranged from 2.0×106 CFU/mL to 4.93×106 CFU/mL, with the highest ACC determined for orange juice. Overall, 153 polymicrobial were identified in 125 samples; 103 of these were Gram-negative rods (GNR) and 28 were Gram-positive cocci (GPC). Escherichia coli (n=38), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=32) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=24) were the predominant GNR; Staphylococcus aureus (n=28) was the predominant GPC. Antibiogram analysis revealed that all GNR were resistant to ampicillin. However, most E. coli isolates were resistant to ceftazidime (72.4 percent of isolates), and ceftriaxone and cefepime (68.9 percent), while most K. pneumoniae isolates were resistant to cefepime (72 percent) and ceftriaxone (64 percent). All S. aureus isolates were resistant to penicillin, while most (64 percent) were resistant to piperacillin; the most effective drugs against bacteria were vancomycin and imipenem.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that the local government regulatory food and public health authorities should take immediate emergency measures. Appropriate surveillance studies and periodic monitoring of food items should be regularly performed to safeguard public health.
Originality/value
The current study revealed the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in freshly prepared fruit juices sold by local street vendors.
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Phytosociology and species diversity analysis of district Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: An approach for forest conservation
No full textPlant diversity is a key component of an ecologically stable environment and plays a crucial role in regulating nutrient cycling, energy flow and overall resilience of ecosystems. This study assessed the plant diversity across 4 tehsils (Lahor, Razzar, Swabi and Topi) in district Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The objective of the study was to examine the interaction between plant communities and ecological dynamics. Also documented the plant diversity of district Swabi, identifying 173 plant species belonging to 61 families. Angiosperms were the most dominant group with 168 species, followed by pteridophytes (3 species) and gymnosperms (2 species). Diverse habitat preferences were observed, with mesic habitats hosting 57.2 % of the species. Herbaceous species were the most abundant (25.4 %), followed by shrubs (25.4 %) and trees (17.3 %). Phenological assessment showed a variety of life cycles, with perennials making up 32.3 % of the species. Albeit, identified threats such as overgrazing (23.6 %) and habitat fragmentation impacted 74 % of the species. Chorotype analysis categorized species into uni-regional (31.2 %), bi-regional (42.7 %) and pluri-regional (20.2 %) distributions, with 8.67 % exhibiting cosmopolitan characteristics. The species abundance heatmap revealed Tehsil-Topi exhibited the highest alpha diversity, while Tehsil-Lahor showed the lowest. Additionally, Bray-Curtis Dissimilarity Heatmap highlights key ecological relationships among plant species. The analysis suggests that Topi is a diverse ecological hotspot, contributing significantly to overall biodiversity in the region. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) further indicates that geographical and anthropogenic influences shape plant diversity patterns. These findings underscore the need for targeted conservation strategies to protect Swabi unique biodiversity
Design, Development and Evaluation of Thermal Properties of Polysulphone–CNT/GNP Nanocomposites
No full textPolysulphone (PSU) composites with carbon nanotubes (PSU-CNT) and graphene nanoplatelets (PSU-GNP) were developed through the solution casting process, using various weight load percentages of 1, 3, 5, and 10 wt% of CNT and GNP nanofillers. The microstructural and thermal properties of the PSU-based composites were compared. The microstructural characterisation of both composites (PSU-CNTs and PSU-GNPs) showed a strong matrix–filler interfacial interaction and uniform dispersion of CNTs and GNPs in the PSU matrix. The analysis demonstrated that both the thermal conductivity and effusivity improved with the increase in the weight percentage (wt%) of CNTs and GNPs because of the percolation effect. The polysulphone-based composite containing 10 wt% CNTs showed a remarkably high thermal conductivity value of 1.13 (W/m·K), which is 163% times higher than pure PSU. While the glass transition temperature (Tg) was shifted to a higher temperature, the thermal expansion was reduced in all the PSU-CNT and PSU-GNP composites. Interestingly, the CNTs allowed homogeneous distribution and a reasonably good interfacial network of interaction with the PSU matrix, leading to better microstructural characteristics and thermal properties than those of the PSU-GNP composites. The findings highlight the importance of controlling the nature, distribution, and content of fillers within the polymeric matrix
Environmental Sustainability in Emerging Countries: The Role of Green Energy, Green Finance and Digitalization
No full textThis study examines the interplay between green energy, green finance, and digitalization in fostering environmental sustainability across a panel of emerging economies from 2000 to 2024. Utilizing advanced panel econometric techniques, including Cross-Sectional Augmented IPS (CIPS) and CADF unit root tests, Pedroni and Westerlund cointegration methods, and a CS-ARDL model, the analysis reveals that renewable energy adoption, green financial mechanisms, and digital transformation significantly mitigate CO₂ emissions in both the short and long term. Conversely, GDP per capita demonstrates a positive correlation with emissions, underscoring the ecological trade-offs of economic growth. Trade openness exhibits a modest negative link with CO₂ emissions, implying that its environmental effects may vary based on trade structure and policy frameworks. Robustness checks via FMOLS and DOLS estimators validate the reliability of these results, while the Dumitrescu–Hurlin Granger causality test confirms unidirectional causality from renewable energy, green finance, and digitalization to emissions reduction.
The findings emphasize the critical need for holistic policy strategies that simultaneously scale up renewable energy infrastructure, strengthen green financing instruments, and promote digital innovation to drive sustainable decarbonization. Additionally, sector-specific regulations, public-private partnerships, and international cooperation are vital to maximizing synergies among these drivers. By offering empirical evidence across multiple emerging economies, this study enriches the discourse on low-carbon transitions and provides actionable insights for policymakers seeking to balance economic development with ecological preservation. The research also highlights the importance of technology transfer and capacity-building in ensuring equitable green growth, particularly for developing nations. Ultimately, this work contributes to a deeper understanding of the pathways toward achieving global climate targets while fostering inclusive and sustainable development.
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Evaluation of alumina reinforced oil fly ash composites prepared by spark plasma sintering
No full textTribological and thermomechanical behaviour of alumina-based hybrid nanocomposites
No full textThis study investigated the influence of carbon nanotubes (1-5 wt.%) into 30 wt% cBN (Ni coated)-Al2O3 composite. Hybrid nanocomposites were prepared via spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1400 degrees C to target the optimum properties and innovative solutions to self-lubricating ceramic cutting inserts. The hybrid nanocomposite prepared with the lowest reinforcement (1 wt.% CNTs) showed the highest thermomechanical and tribological properties due to the better distribution of CNTs and interfacial bonding provided by the nickel coating on hard cBN particles, leading to better densification. The wear rate and coefficient of friction (COF) reduction are attributed to the self-lubrication provided by a small quantity of hBN, Ni, and CNTs in the alumina matrix. The 1 wt.% composition shows a high hardness value (H-n approximate to 25.5 GPa) and high thermal conductivity (approximate to 31.9 W/m & sdot;K) with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of approximate to 6.1 ppm & sdot;K-1. However, incorporating a higher CNT content reduced grain growth, interfacial bonding strength, and phase transformation from the more challenging phase (cBN) to the softer phase (hBN). Interestingly, the COF was significantly reduced to similar to 0.28 with increased CNTs (wt.%). Furthermore, the increased CNT content significantly enhanced the elastic modulus (E-r approximate to 617 GPa). It yielded an ultralow CTE (approximate to 4.4 ppm & sdot;K-1), which can be attributed to the densification and inherent nature of CNTs. This comprehensive analysis offers invaluable insights into the design and optimisation of hybrid composite materials for environment-friendly machining applications. Hybrid compositions were designed for hard-to-machine materials (i.e., titanium, superalloys) under dry conditions to be environmentally friendly and economically viable.</p
