Bioinspired NC Coated BM‐ZIF for Electrochemical Monitoring of Adrenaline from Blood and Pharmaceutical Samples

Herein, we have developed highly sensitive and selective non‐enzymatic bioinspired polydopamine derived nitrogen rich carbon (NC) coated bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate framework (BM‐ZIF) electrochemical sensor via simple hydrothermal approach for monitoring adrenaline (AD) from COVID‐19 quarantined person blood and pharmaceutical sample. The designed NC‐BM‐ZIF electrode shows excellent sensitive and selective performance towards AD monitoring with detection limit (LOD) of 0.01 nM and 0.1931 μA/nM/cm2 sensitivity over a wide linear range of 50–1625 nM. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of using of NC‐BM‐ZIF electrode for the electrochemical sensing of AD from quarantined person blood and pharmaceutical sample. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Electroanalysis is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Effects of WFH on Educators' Wellbeing: Mediating Role of Institutional Head's Support and Moderating Role of Employees' Self-Efficacy at University Level

Purpose: The present study aims to examine the effects of work from home (WFH) on employees' performance and wellbeing during the second wave of pandemic and to find out the effects of institutional head's support as mediating variables and employees' self-efficacy as moderating variables on employees' performance and wellbeing during WFH. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative approach with causal comparative research design was adopted to collect the data from the respondents. The participants of the study were 586 teachers from public and private universities of Karachi, Pakistan, who were teaching from home during the second wave of pandemic, selected randomly from the population. An adopted questionnaire was used to collect data which consists of six parts. Findings: Results found the positive significant effects of WFH on teachers' social wellbeing, negative significant effects on teachers' performance, their physical and mental wellbeing. No significant effects of WFH were found on teachers' financial wellbeing. The study also found that head's support plays a partially mediating significant role in the relationship between WFH and job performance, and social wellbeing, while no mediation on physical, social and financial wellbeing was found. Moderating effects of teachers' self-efficacy exist between the relationship of WFH and teachers' job performance, mental wellbeing and social wellbeing, while no effects exist between the relationship of WFH and teachers' physical and financial wellbeing. Originality/value: The new research model will contribute significantly to education practitioners' knowledge, especially the government of Pakistan, which needs to measure their work from home policy's effectiveness during the pandemic.

An overview of viral mutagenesis and the impact on pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Viruses are submicroscopic, obligate intracellular parasites that carry either DNA or RNA as their genome, protected by a capsid. Viruses are genetic entities that propagate by using the metabolic and biosynthetic machinery of their hosts and many of them cause sickness in the host. The ability of viruses to adapt to different hosts and settings mainly relies on their ability to create de novo variety in a short interval of time. The size and chemical composition of the viral genome have been recognized as important factors affecting the rate of mutations. Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is a novel viral disease that has quickly become one of the world's leading causes of mortality, making it one of the most serious public health problems in recent decades. The discovery of new medications to cope with Covid-19 is a difficult and time-consuming procedure, as new mutations represent a serious threat to the efficacy of recently developed vaccines. The current article discusses viral mutations and their impact on the pathogenicity of newly developed variants with a special emphasis on Covid-19. The biology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), its mutations, pathogenesis, and treatment strategies are discussed in detail along with the statistical data.

Non-enzymatic electrochemical sensing of dopamine from COVID-19 quarantine person.

The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, is not only a great threat to the victim life but it is leaving invisible devastating negative affect on mental health of quarantined individual because of isolation, depression, bereavement, and loss of income. Therefore, the precise monitoring catecholamine neurotransmitters specifically of dopamine (DA) is of great importance to assess the mental health. Thus, herein we have synthesized Co-based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) through solvothermal method for precise monitoring of DA. To facilitate the fast transportation of ions, highly conductive polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene; PEDOT) has been integrated on the surface of ZIF-67 which not only provides the smooth pathway for ions/electrons transportation but also saves the electrode from pulverization. The fabricated ZIF-67/PEDOT electrode shows a significant sensing performance towards DA detection in terms of short diffusion pathways by expositing more active sites, over good linear range (15-240 µM) and a low detection limit of (0.04 µM) even in the coexistence of the potentially interfering molecules. The developed ZIF-67/PEDOT sensor was successfully employed for sensitive and selective monitoring of DA from COVID-19 quarantined person blood, thus suggesting reliability of the developed electrode.

The Cost Benefit Analysis of Commercial 100 MW Solar PV: The Plant Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Pvt Ltd

The energy crisis in Pakistan has crippled the country’s economy with an energy shortfall reaching up to 6000 MW. Fortunately, Pakistan lies close to the Sun Belt and therefore receives very high irradiation. To this end, in the beginning of 2014 the Pakistani government sanctioned a solar photovoltaic project namely Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park which was rated at 1000 MW. In this study, a cost benefit analysis for the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park has been developed. The model uses RETScreen software. In fact, a literature review pointed out that most of the previous research work with reference to cost benefit analysis for solar projects has been mainly carried out on smaller power plants. The outcome of the study shows promising results with the simple payback period coming out at 5.6 years. Furthermore, this analysis can serve as guideline for future solar photovoltaic projects in Pakistan and can help in the development and utilization of the huge solar potential of the country, thus aiding in the reduction of energy shortage. In its proposal, our research is unique and innovative in the Pakistani context. The results aim to serve as a guideline for decision makers and researchers interested in this topic.

Knowledge management process, knowledge based innovation: Does academic researcher's productivity mediate during the pandemic of covid-19?

Drucker's knowledge-worker productivity theory and knowledge-based view of the firm theory are widely employed in many disciplines but there is little application of these theories in knowledge-based innovation among academic researchers. Therefore, this study intends to evaluate the effects of the knowledge management process on knowledge-based innovation alongside with mediating role of Malaysian academic researchers' productivity during the Pandemic of COVID-19. Using a random sampling technique, data was collected from 382 academic researchers. Questionnaires were self-administered and data was analyzed via Smart PLS-SEM. Knowledge management process and knowledge workers' productivity have a positive and significant relationship with the knowledge-based innovation among academic researchers during the Pandemic of COVID-19. In addition, knowledge workers' productivity mediates the relationship between the knowledge management process (knowledge creation, knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, and knowledge utilization) and knowledge-based innovation during the Pandemic of COVID-19. Results have also directed knowledge sharing as the key factor in knowledge-based innovation and a stimulating task for management discipline around the world during the Pandemic of COVID-19. This study provides interesting insights on Malaysian academic researchers' productivity by evaluating the effects of knowledge creation, acquisition, sharing, and application on the knowledge-based innovation among academic researchers during the Pandemic of COVID-19. These useful insights would enable policymakers to develop more influential educational strategies. By assimilating the literature of defined variables, the main contribution of this study is the evaluation of knowledge creation, acquisition, sharing, and utilization into knowledge-based innovation alongside the mediating role of knowledge workers productivity in the higher education sector of Malaysia during the Pandemic of COVID-19.

Evaluation of myocardial injury patterns and ST changes among critical and non-critical patients with coronavirus-19 disease.

Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led to a major public health crisis globally. Currently, myocardial damage is speculated to be associated with COVID-19, which can be seen as one of the main causes of death of patients with COVID-19. We therefore, aim to investigate the effects of COVID-19 disease on myocardial injury in hospitalized patients who have been tested positive for COVID-19 pneumonia in this study. A prospective study was conducted among 201 patients with COVID-19 in the Pakistan Military Hospital from April 1 to August 31, 2020, including non-critical cases and critical cases. COVID-19 patients were stratified as critical and non-critical according to the signs and symptoms severity; with those requiring intensive care and invasive mechanical ventilation as critical, and those did not requiring invasive mechanical ventilation as non-critical. A total of 201 COVID-19 patients with critical and non-critical categories presented with myocardial injury. All patients with myocardial injury had an elevation in CKMB and Troponin-I levels. Of these patients, 43.7% presented with new electrocardiography (ECG) changes, and ST depression was typically observed in 36.3% patients. In addition, 18.7% patients presented with abnormal echocardiography findings, with right ventricular dilatation and dysfunction commonly seen among critical group patients. Results analyzed by a logistic regression model showing COVID-19 direct contribution to myocardial injury in these patients. COVID-19 disease directly leads to cardiovascular damage among critical and non-critical patients. Myocardial injury is associated not only with abnormal ECG changes but also with myocardial dysfunction on echocardiography and more commonly observed among critical patients.