118 research outputs found
A novel simulated annealing trajectory optimization algorithm in an autonomous UAVs-empowered MFC system for medical internet of things devices
No full textThis article investigates a new autonomous mobile fog computing (MFC) system empowered by multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in order to serve medical Internet of Things devices (MIoTDs) efficiently. The aim of this article is to reduce the energy consumption of the UAVs-empowered MFC system by designing UAVs' trajectories. To construct the trajectories of UAVs, we need to consider not only the order of SPs but also the association among UAVs, SPs, and MIoTDs. The above-mentioned problem is very complicated and is difficult to be handled via applying traditional techniques, as it is NP-hard, nonlinear, non-convex, and mixed-integer. To handle this problem, we propose a novel simulated annealing trajectory optimization algorithm (SATOA), which handles the problem in three phases. First, the deployment (i.e., number and locations) of stop points (SPs) is updated and produced randomly using variable population sizes. Accordingly, MIoTDs are associated with SPs and extra SPs are removed. Finally, a novel simulated annealing algorithm is proposed to optimize UAVs' association with SPs as well as their trajectories. The performance of SATOA is demonstrated by performing various experiments on nine instances with 40 to 200 MIoTDs. The simulation results show that the proposed SATOA outperforms other compared state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of saving energy consumption.The author would like to thank Prince Sultan University for their support. Also, the studies at St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications. prof. M.A. Bonch-Bruevich were supported by the Ministry of Science and High Education of the Russian Federation by the grant 075-15-2022-1137
Role of Vitamin D in Preventing Relapse and maintaining Remission in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis - A Case Control Study
No full textBackground & Objectives: Ulcerative colitis (UC) affects the mucosa of the rectum and the colon, and is characterized by flares and remission. It is observed that defect of proliferation of T-lymphocytes is the causative factor of ulcerative colitis. Vitamin D appears to play an important role in decreasing the incidence of active UC. The study was undertaken to determine the effect of Vit.D in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).
Place & Duration of Study: This study was conducted from January 2014 to January 2016 in Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.
Methodology: Data was collected from patients suffering from UC who visited the surgical out-patient department and/or were admitted to the surgical floor. A total of 84 patients within the age range of 18-70 years and divided into two equal groups of 42 were included in the study. The control group was given standardized treatment of ulcerative colitis according to severity of disease as measured by Truelove and Witt's criteria. The intervention group was given an additional dose of Vitamin D along with primary disease treatment.
Results: It was seen that patients in the intervention group showed significant remission and a decrease in the frequency of relapses.
Conclusion: Our study supports the hypothesis that vitamin D supplementation helps to achieve significant remission and reduce relapse in patients suffering with active ulcerative colitis
Visible light assisted photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue using iodine doped Fe3O4-GO composite
No full textEnvironmental contamination and wastewater discharge from industrial activities are global issues that must be addressed immediately. The uncontrolled discharge of dangerous organic compounds constitutes a significant environmental risk. To solve this issue, heterogeneous photocatalysis with semiconductor metal oxides has appeared as an environmentally benign method for wastewater treatment. Our research aims to create a new iodine-doped magnetic graphene oxide nanocomposite and test its ability to break down the refractory methylene blue dye by photocatalytic techniques using sunlight. The I-Fe3O4-GO composite was synthesized using a facile ultrasonication-assisted co-precipitation method. Several physiochemical techniques were employed for detailed characterization, including SEM-EDX, XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis DRS, and Raman spectroscopy. The band gap value of 2.6 eV was measured using a tauc plot. The I-Fe3O4-GO nanocomposite showed 95% methylene blue degradation under sunlight in about an hour. The improved catalytic efficiency of the synthesized photocatalyst was attained at pH 8, with an I-FeGO dose of 50 mg/100 mL and an oxidant dose of 14 mM. The photocatalyst displayed exceptional photostability after five consecutive reusability cycles. Response surface methodology was the statistical tool for evaluating several interacting parameters for optimizing dye degradation.Dr. Muhammad Zahid (corresponding author) is grateful to the University of Agriculture Faisalabad in Pakistan for providing the facilities for this study. The Central Lab at LUMS Pakistan and the Centre for Advanced Materials (CAM) at Qatar University offered invaluable assistance with sample characterization.Scopu
TRNSYS simulation of a solar cooling system for the hot climate of Pakistan
No full textCooling is a basic need for buildings in hot and sunny climates. In most countries the major source of cooling is electrical powerbased. During summer in hot climates there is an increase in electricity consumption due to cooling load. Pakistan is facing anelectricity shortage crisis, which becomes worse in summer due to the high demand for cooling. The annual average insolationfor Pakistan is 5-6 kWh/m2/day, reaching 6-8 kWh/m2/day in summer with sunshine of 10-13 hours a day, which gives suitableconditions for solar powered cooling system operation. TRNSYS software provides the possibility to simulate a complete solarair conditioning system integrated with a building. In this study, TRNSYS is used to model an absorption chiller operated by hotwater from an evacuated tube collector. It is found that, with a hot water storage tank, a collector area of 12 m2 is sufficient tomaintain the temperature in a room in a typical house at or below 26°C during the cooling season
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase expression and overall survival in patients diagnosed with breast cancer in Pakistan
No full textKashif Asghar,1 Asif Loya,2 Iftikhar Ali Rana,2 Muhammad Tahseen,2 Muhammad Ishaq,2 Asim Farooq,3 Muhammad Abu Bakar,4 Iqra Masood5 1Department of Basic Sciences, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH & RC), Lahore, Pakistan; 2Department of Pathology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH & RC), Lahore, Pakistan; 3Department of Biomedical Engineering & Sciences, School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan; 4Department of Cancer Registry and Clinical Data Management, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH & RC), Lahore, Pakistan; 5Department of Clinical Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH & RC), Lahore, Pakistan Background: Immune dysfunction in breast cancer patients is well established. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an immunosuppressive enzyme that is linked with progression of cancer. IDO is overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cases. Materials and methods: We conducted the first study to analyze IDO expression and overall survival in breast cancer cases in Pakistan. Expression of IDO, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human EGF receptor 2 (HER2) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissues of 100 (TNBC, n=49 and non-TNBC, n=51) patients were obtained from Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre. IDO expression was analyzed in association with clinicopathological features and overall survival. A total of 100 patients were classified based on the ordinal IDO score variables as low, medium, and high. In addition, overall mean age and SD of patients was 48.28±11.82. Results: Immunohistochemical analysis showed that high IDO was observed in the TNBC patients (65.3%) compared to that in the non-TNBC patients (33.3%). Multivariable analyses showed that TNBC was an independent risk factor for high IDO expression. Overall survival was also significantly associated with IDO score. Conclusion: Our study showed that IDO protein expression is higher in TNBC patients (P<0.01) and may suggest its role in disease pathogenesis. TNBC might be effectively treated with IDO inhibitors. Furthermore, high IDO expression is considerably associated with overall decreased patient survival. IDO might be utilized as a potential biomarker and immunotherapeutic target in breast cancer patients. Keywords: indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase, breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, Pakista
Measuring Public Opinion Regarding Peaceful Solution of Palestine Issue: An Experimental Study of University Students in Pakistan, Iran and United Arab Emirates
No full textThis study aimed to measure public opinion in the Pakistan Iran and United Arab Emirates regarding peaceful solution of Palestine issue Data N 276 was collected from two universities one postgraduate college and one degree college in Pakistan two universities in Iran and two universities in United Arab Emirates Although Pakistan and Iran have theocratic environment and we got anti-Israel replies but there were 77 Pakistani and 41 Emirati students who presented their rational views about peaceful solution of this conflict There is a brief debate on One-State Solution Two-States Solution Three-States Solution and the status of Jerusalem The plan of forming union among the territories of Israel and Palestine single currency and Rail-Road plan for secular transportation from one region to another is also discussed in this study During comparing such public opinion with other previous international proposals for resolving this issue recommendations from the author are presented in the las
Coal fly ash supported CoFe2O4 nanocomposites: Synergetic Fenton-like and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue
No full textRapid industrialization is causing a serious threat for the environment. Therefore, this research was aimed in developing ceramic cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanocomposite photocatalyst coated with coal fly ash (CFA-CoFe2O4) using facile hydrothermal synthesis route and their applications against methylene blue. The pristine cobalt ferrite photocatalyst was also prepared, characterized, and applied for efficiency comparison. Prepared photocatalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Optical response of catalysts was check using photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). pH drift method was used for the surface charge characteristics of the material under acidic and basic conditions of solution pH. The photocatalytic degradation potential of all the materials were determined under ultra-violet irradiations. The influencing reaction parameters like pH, catalyst dose, oxidant dose, dye concentration, and irradiation time, were sequentially optimized to obtain best suited conditions. The 99% degradation of 10 ppm methylene blue was achieved within 60 min of reaction time under pH = 5 and 7, catalyst dose = 10 and 12 mg/100 mL, oxidant = 12 mM and 5 mM for cobalt ferrite and CFA-CoFe2O4 photocatalysts, respectively. Afterwards, the radical scavenging experiments were conducted to find out the effective radical scavengers (˙OH, h+, and e−) in photocatalytic degradation process. The kinetic study of the process was done by applying 1st order, 2nd order, and BMG models. Statistical assessment of interaction effect among experimental variables was achieved using response surface methodology (RSM).Dr. Muhammad Zahid (corresponding author) is thankful to TWAS (Grant No. 15-410 RG/MSN/AS_C–FR3240288961 under TWAS-COMSTECH joint Research Grant) for equipment and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan for facilities to conduct this research. The valuable support from Center of Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Central Lab, LUMS Pakistan for characterization of samples is highly acknowledged
ہیملٹ کے اردو تراجم: تعارفی جائزہ
No full textShakespear is a renowned genius who has engraved his everlasting marks in English plays and poetry. In his famous play "Hamlet" he highilghts the inner working of human soul and psychological conflicts of man. This play has been translated in prose and poetic form in many language. In this research paper, the author has given the introduction of different translations of 'Hamlet'. He has highlighted the various aspects of the style of translations of urdu translators
Asymmetric Effects Of Oil Prices And Exchange Rates On Sectoral Stock Indices In South Asian Countries
No full textGlobalization has grown but at accelerating uncertainties. Therefore, contagion and spillover effects among financial markets have become the center of research in finance in the past decades. Most of the past studies on stock market mainly consisted of two streams first one is the impact studies on stocks and another one is spillover studies. Existing impact studies mainly examine the relationship between stocks and key factors such as oil price and exchange rate but do not account for asymmetric effects and sectoral effects. These studies utilize aggregate index which normally suffers from aggregation bias. Secondly, apart from that, numerous studies that assess the financial shock transmissions mainly focus on developed nations but less attention was given to the emerging south asian region. So far, to the best knowledge of the author, none of the previous studies measure directional spillover at the sectoral level for south asian countries. Taking note of the issues mentioned, the present study is designed into two parts. First part of this study evaluates asymmetric impacts of both up-down movements in oil prices and exchange rates on sectorial stock prices of india, pakistan, and sri lanka (ips). For this purpose, this study adopts the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (nardl) given by shin et al. (2014). Second, this study examines the connectedness among the oil, forex, and sectoral stock returns of ips. The spillover index framework given by diebold and yilmaz (2012) and barunik and krehlik (2018) are used for respective time-domain and frequency-domain spillover analysis
Not All Acute Abdomen Cases in Early Pregnancy Are Ectopic; Expect the Unexpected: Renal Angiomyolipoma Causing Massive Retroperitoneal Haemorrhage
No full textPublisher version availableRetroperitoneal haemorrhage (or retroperitoneal haematoma) refers to an accumulation of blood found in the retroperitoneal space. It is a rare clinical entity with variable aetiology including anticoagulation, ruptured aortic aneurysm, acute pancreatitis, malignancy, and bleeding from renal aneurysm. Diagnosis of retroperitoneal bleed is sometimes missed or delayed as presentation is often nonspecific. Multislice CT and arteriography are important for diagnosis. There is no consensus about the best management plan for patients with retroperitoneal haematoma. Stable patients can be managed with fluid resuscitation, correction of coagulopathy if any, and blood transfusion. Endovascular options involving selective intra-arterial embolisation or stent-grafts are clearly getting more and more popularity. Open repair is usually reserved for cases when there is failure of conservative or endovascular measures to control the bleeding or expertise is unavailable and in cases where the patient is unstable. Mortality of patients with retroperitoneal haematoma remains high if appropriate and timely measures are not taken. Haemorrhage from a benign renal tumour is a rarer entity which is described in this case report which emphasizes that physicians should have a wide index of suspicion when dealing with patients presenting with significant groin, flank, abdominal, or back pain, or haemodynamic instability of unclear cause. Our patient presented with features of acute abdomen and, being pregnant, was thought of having a ruptured ectopic pregnancy
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