Fingerprinting of Octane Rating Gasoline and its Contaminants Using Synchronous Fluorescence Spectroscopy.

Fuel fraud has proliferated due to underlying economic advantage in nearly every nation. For the purpose of detecting adulteration and providing real-time quality assurance, non-destructive oil analysis is crucial. This paper reports the simple approach for fingerprinting undiluted petroleum products including gasoline from various brands, diesel, and kerosene oil in comparison with organic solvents using synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and hierarchical cluster analysis. Fluorescence-based successful detection of adulterated samples is demonstrated in imported RON 92 gasoline, synthetically adulterated with kerosene oil (KO) in proportions up to 70%. Compared to gasoline, kerosene oil has a lower relative poly aromatic hydrocarbons, as the amount of kerosene oil (KO) increases, the KO peak at 352 nm rises, but the gasoline's peak intensity decreases in the range of 371-500 nm. It is noteworthy that imported fuel grades RON 92 and RON 95 are comparable to each other and surprisingly clustered with RON 91 from the Attock refinery presenting concerns about quality. Similarly, the Shell website mentions that Shell V-Power is RON 99 but interestingly it clusters with retail fuel samples acquired from PSO filling stations and PSO RON 95 showing disagreement with the claim that the fuel is high octane. Another use for this technique in oil exploration was the detection of adulterants and successfully spotted methanol, ethanol, and kerosene oil in the tainted samples. These findings suggest SFS as an accurate, and low-cost testing tool for gasoline fingerprinting and contamination screening.

In vitro study: methylene blue-based antibacterial photodynamic inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most antibiotic-resistant and opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised and debilitated patients. It is considered the cause of most severe skin infections and is frequently found in hospital burn units. Due to its high antibiotic resistance, eliminating P. aeruginosa from skin infections is quite challenging. Therefore, this study aims to assess the novel in vitro antibacterial activity of methylene blue using a 635-nm diode laser to determine the effective power and energy densities for inhibition of P. aeruginosa. The strain was treated with various concentrations of methylene blue and 635-nm diode laser at powers of 300 mW/cm2 and 250 mW/cm2. The diode laser's potency in the photo-destruction of methylene blue and its degradation through P. aeruginosa were also evaluated. Colony-forming unit (CFU)/ml, fluorescence spectroscopy, optical density, and confocal microscopy were used to measure the bacterial killing effect. As a result, the significant decrease of P. aeruginosa was 2.15-log10, 2.71-log10, and 3.48-log10 at 60, 75, and 90 J/cm2 after excitation of MB for 240, 300, and 360 s at a power of 250 mW/cm2, respectively. However, a maximum decrease in CFU was observed by 2.54-log10 at 72 J/cm2 and 4.32-log10 at 90 and 108 J/cm2 after 300 mW/cm2 of irradiation. Fluorescence images confirmed the elimination of bacteria and showed a high degree of photo-destruction compared to treatment with methylene blue and light alone. In conclusion, MB-induced aPDT demonstrated high efficacy, which could be a potential approach against drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. KEY POINTS: • Combination of methylene blue with 635-nm diode laser for antibacterial activity. • Methylene blue photosensitizer is employed as an alternative to antibiotics. • aPDT showed promising antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Association of TGF-ß1 Polymorphism and TGF-ß1 Levels With Chronic Hepatitis C and Cirrhosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Despite the extensive research conducted on the relationship between transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1) polymorphisms and levels and the onset and development of liver disease, there are still certain gaps that need to be addressed. To address these gaps and provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge, this review aimed to identify relevant published research on TGF-ß1/TGF-ß1 polymorphism, TGF-ß1/TGF-ß1 levels, and their associations with cirrhosis and hepatitis C. The synthesis of available data was performed to further enhance our understanding in this area. Adopting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, a search strategy was implemented across several online databases to search for relevant articles as per the defined selection criterion. Eight studies were selected after the completion of the search strategy. Of the eight studies, five revealed a considerably high level of TGF-ß1 in patients who had hepatitis C virus (HCV) and liver cirrhosis caused by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The forest plot analysis showed a statistically significant impact of TGF-ß1 polymorphism and levels on the incidence of hepatic cirrhosis and hepatitis C, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.65 and a risk ratio (RR) of 0.76. The heterogeneity test showed a high level of heterogeneity at 94% and 95% for OR and RR, respectively, but the overall effect was significant with P < 0.01 for both measures. According to the results obtained, the authors concluded that TGF-ß1 polymorphism and its associated levels should be taken into account while developing preventive and therapeutic approaches for hepatic cirrhosis and hepatitis C.

Self-assembled and Zn(II)-coordinated dipeptide nanoparticles with membrane-rupturing action on bacteria.

Metal ion-coordinated self-assembled short-chain amino acid peptide molecules with multi-photon excitation wavelengths and their photoluminescence properties are advantageous for fluorescence-based diagnostics and treatments of biological diseases based on their extra features of antibacterial agents. We have designed a novel strategy based on tryptophan molecule coordinated with Zn(II) ions in the form of biocompatible spherical nanoparticles of diameter 30-80 nm which have been used for antibacterial treatments against different kinds of pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas). Preferably, we have used tryptophan-phenylalanine (Trp-Phe), a dipeptide molecule having tryptophan as principal material against E. coli strains as antimicrobial agents for surface rupturing and killing purposes. Furthermore, based on single amino acid, tryptophan, self-assembled and Zn(II)-coordinated dipeptide nanoparticles (Zn-DPNPs) were studied against three types of multi-drug-resistant bacteria as an active antimicrobial agent. These antibacterial efficient nanoparticles may have best alternative of antibiotic drugs for clinical applications. The capability of self-assembled fluorescence behavior of Zn-coordinated dipeptide molecules and higher hydrophobicity against bacterial cell wall will perform as antimicrobial fluorescent agents. KEY POINTS: • Zn(II) and Cu(II) better coordinated into self-assembled NPs. • Fluorescence signals showed interaction of NPs with gram -ve cell wall. • Significant surface-damaging effects were observed in the case of Cu-DPNPs and Zn-DPNPs.

Spiritual intelligence and psychological wellbeing of Pakistani University students.

The objective of this study was to find out the predictive role of spiritual intelligence for psychological wellbeing in university students and also to assess gender differences. For that reason, data of N= 250 (M age = 21.8; SD= 1.9) students of undergraduate programs was taken from different universities of Pakistan. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, data was collected online (google form) by using purposive sampling technique and sample was comprised of 77 men and 173 women. Spiritual Intelligence (King, 2008) and Ryff's 42-item Psychological Wellbeing Scale (Ryff, 1989, Muzzafar & Rana, 2019) were utilized for measuring variables of the study. Results were analyzed via SPSS (version 21), Hierarchical Regression and t-Test were carried out. The study results revealed that spiritual intelligence is a significant positive predictor of psychological wellbeing. It was also found that male students have high level of spiritual intelligence and psychological wellbeing in comparison to female students. Results of this study provide an implication for instructors as well as educationists to design activities which provide facilitation in increasing spiritual intelligence of students.

Fluorescence Spectroscopy for the Assessment of Microbial Load in UVC Treated Water.

In this article, Fluorescence spectroscopy has been employed for the assessment of microbial load and it has been compared with the gold standard colony forming unit (CFU) and optical density (OD) methods. In order to develop a correlation between three characterization techniques, water samples of different microbial loads have been prepared by UVC disinfection method through an indigenously developed NUVWater sterilizer, which operates in close cycle flow configuration. A UV dose of 58.9 mJ/cm2 has been determined for 99.99% disinfection for a flow rate of 0.8 l/min. The water samples were excited at 270 nm which results in the tryptophan like fluorescence at 360 nm that decreases gradually with increase of UVC dose, indicating the bacterial degradation and it has been confirmed by OD and CFU methods. In addition, it has been proved that a close cycle water flow around UV lamp is imperative so that an appropriate dose must be delivered to microorganisms for an efficient disinfection. It has been found that due to the sensitive nature of Fluorescence spectroscopy, it yields immediate results, whereas, for CFU and OD methods, water samples needs to be inoculated for 24 h. Fluorescence spectroscopy, therefore, provide a fast, online, reliable and sensitive method for the monitoring of pathogenic quantification in drinking water.

Validation of conventional and synchronous fluorescence emission of potable water.

Water from filter plants and bottled water is generally safe to drink but regular quality monitoring of these facilities requires development of quick analytical technique to ensure public safety and health. This study presented the variation of two components in spectra of conventional fluorescence spectroscopy (CFS) and four components in synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS) to assess the quality of 25 water samples from different sources. Poor quality water either due to organic or inorganic contaminants presented high intensity fluorescence emission in the blue green region and low intensity water Raman peak unlike an intense water Raman peak originated from pure water when excited at 365 nm. Emission intensity in the blue green region and water Raman peak can be used as a marker for quick screening of water quality. Although few discrepancies were observed in CF spectra of samples with intense Raman peak but were found to be positive for bacterial contamination, thus questioning the sensitivity of CFS that needs to be addressed. Whereas, SFS presented highly selective and detailed picture of water contaminants emitting aromatic amino acid, fulvic and humic like fluorescence. It is suggested that the specificity of CFS can be enhanced by coupling it with SFS or use of multiple excitation wavelengths to target different fluorophores for water quality analysis.

High-performance terahertz refractive index sensor for cancer cells detection.

Metamaterial absorbers in the terahertz region are highly desirable in sensing and detection. In this work, a novel terahertz refractive index sensor based on metamaterial absorber for sensing biomedical samples is reported. The proposed structure consists of three asymmetrical metallic resonators made of gold placed above on a gallium arsenide (GaAs) dielectric layer. Due to high-intensity field confinement in the sensing regime, four resonance modes with nearly 100% absorption are achieved with a high Q-factor of 456.5 in the absorption spectra. The design absorber is highly sensitive to the change of refractive index of the surrounding medium. Furthermore, the proposed sensor exhibits extremely high sensitivity of 1.87 THz/RIU and high FOM of 125 RIU-1 in the refractive index range from 1.35 to 1.39 with fixed analyte thickness of 45 µm. The design RI sensor can be fitted for biomedical sensing applications such sensing and detection of various cancerous cell as the RI varied in the range of 1.35-1.39. In addition, the design sensor has the ability to sense early stage infection of cancer cells with any of its four absorption bands due to its high quality factor, high sensitivity and high figure of merit.

Gold nanocubes based optical detection of HIV-1 DNA via surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Optical detection of HIV-1 DNA with surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a quick and versatile method, having great potential in screening and characterization of HIV-1 virus particle. We have synthesized and applied novel gold nanocubes (AuNCs) for signal enhancement of SERS to study HIV-1 DNA strands by taking into account the specific vibrational bands of functional groups. Raman peaks at 562 cm-1, 800 cm-1, 1094 cm-1 were observed in both Human Random Control DNA and HIV-1 DNA, while three new peaks were detected in infected DNA at 421 cm-1, 1069 cm-1 and 1254 cm-1. Raman bands in case of AuNCs coated HIV-1 DNA molecules were observed with enhanced intensity values as compared to the silver nanoparticles-based SERS substrate. In case of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) conjugate DNA, we get all signatures of HIV-1 virus at almost the same position with peak distortions, peak alterations and intensities reductions. We overall molecularly observed HIV-1 infected DNA and Human Random Control DNA, with high sensitivity and selectivity using highly sensitive and stable AuNCs in SERS. This technique can be utilized to identify molecular structures and chemical identification of biomacromolecules which can further be investigated as biomarkers for the screening of whole-body HIV-1 virus particles.

Designing a clean environmental framework for Pakistan: analyzing the nonlinear impact of aggregate demand drivers on CO2 emissions.

Aggregate demand in every country is one of the main components of macroeconomics, and Pakistan is no exception. This paper uses a fresh econometric framework to analyze the nonlinear impact of aggregate demand drivers on CO2 emissions in Pakistan by using a nonlinear ARDL approach over the data period from 1975 to 2019. The linear findings reveal that consumption and government expenditure indicates deteriorating effects on carbon emissions in long run in Pakistan. However, nonlinear findings revealed that positive change in government expenditure and trade has positive effects on carbon emissions. The positive change in investment has a negative significant and meaningful effect on the environment in Pakistan and asymmetric findings are also country-specific. Therefore, this study offers a few important policy implications for theorists, academics, and policymakers of Pakistan as well developing economies.

An integrated model of UTAUT2 to understand consumers' 5G technology acceptance using SEM-ANN approach.

It has been a decade since the first extensive study on the internet's adoption and use was conducted. Circumstances have changed in the last decade internet has become an essential need for every human being. Socio-psychological, economic, and personal factors play a significant role in shaping human behaviour. But their role in shaping consumer behaviour toward 5G is still unexplored. In order to determine the impact of socio-psychological elements on 5G technology adoption intention, the study integrated curiosity, perceived value, functional value, and environmental awareness into UTAUT2 and analyzed how they interact. Instead of relying on linear models, this study employed a dual-stage SEM-ANN approach because customers' decision-making process to adopt new technology is complex. Valid responses from 840 respondents were collected, investigated, and ranked using the deep learning ANN approach. All predictors were found statistically significant except social influence. ANN sensitivity analysis revealed that newly integrated predictors (environmental awareness, curiosity) are surprisingly the most important predictors, followed by facilitating conditions and perceived satisfaction. SEM-ANN hybrid two-step deep learning approach explained 83.6% variance higher than the baseline model (UTAUT2). The study improved UTAUT2 by adding new variables and expanding its canvas to predict user technology adoption. This will show how consumers react to 5G services and help telecoms grow into new markets.

Does an Adjustable-Loop Device Loosen following ACL Reconstruction with a Hamstring Graft? A Retrospective Study with a Follow-Up of Two Years.

Arthroscopic anatomic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is the gold standard treatment for an ACL tear and requires the use of fixed or adjustable-loop devices to fix a femoral-side graft. Although the adjustable mechanism is designed to provide one-way tensioning, there is a concern that the adjustable loop will loosen and lengthen during cyclic loads, creating graft laxity. The present paper is a retrospective study of patients who underwent ACLR with the fixation of a hamstring graft with an adjustable loop on the femoral side from November 2016 to October 2018. The knee's functional outcome was evaluated using an International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, Lysholm score, Lachman test, and pivot shift test. The patients were assessed preoperatively and finally postoperatively after two years of surgery. Thirty-two patients were analyzed. Significant improvement was obtained in the final clinical outcome of the patients. Twenty-seven patients (84.4%) were Lachman negative, and twenty-eight patients (87.5%) were pivot shift test negative, the mean Lysholm score was 96.91, and the IKDC score was 91.47 (p < 0.001). There was no infection, graft failure, or flexion restriction. Arthroscopic ACLR with an adjustable-loop suspensory device is a successful fixation method for femoral-side graft fixation and offers a similar functional outcome as with fixed-loop devices.

Task allocation in multi-robot system using resource sharing with dynamic threshold approach.

Task allocation is a fundamental requirement for multi-robot systems working in dynamic environments. An efficient task allocation algorithm allows the robots to adjust their behavior in response to environmental changes such as fault occurrences, or other robots' actions to increase overall system performance. To address these challenges, this paper presents a Task Allocation technique based on a threshold level which is an accumulative value aggregated by a centralized unit using the Task-Robot ratio and the number of the available resource in the system. The threshold level serves as a reference for task acceptance and the task acceptance occurs despite resource shortage. The deficient resources for the accepted task are acquired through an auction process using objective minimization. Despite resource shortage, task acceptance occurs. The threshold approach and the objective minimization in the auction process reduce the overall completion time and increase the system's resource utilization up to 96%, which is demonstrated theoretically and validated through simulations and real experimentation.

Third International Conference on Medical Education and Medical writing, University of Karbala College of Medicine, Karbala, Iraq.

University of Karbala College of Medicine (UKCM), Iraq, conducted a three days' workshop on Medical Education and medical writing. The UKCM is now transforming to conform with the latest trends of modern education. This will help to re-shape the future of medical education and produce capable doctors. This requires a strong faculty, which is sound in teaching, training, learning improvement, research capacity building, and leadership development. The capacity building of faculty at UKCM has been initiated in collaboration with Medics International at a local and government level and includes a series of workshops and online symposia. This educational activity was conducted after a delay of three years due to COVID-19. A three -day refresher course was conducted in the first week of August, 2022. Medical writing is another important feature which has been continuously covered by UKMM since many years with the collaboration of Al-Sadiq International Virtual University (SIVU) and Imamia Medics International (IM).

An intelligent cluster optimization algorithm based on Whale Optimization Algorithm for VANETs (WOACNET).

Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs) an important category in networking focuses on many applications, such as safety and intelligent traffic management systems. The high node mobility and sparse vehicle distribution (on the road) compromise VANETs network scalability and rapid topology, hence creating major challenges, such as network physical layout formation, unstable links to enable robust, reliable, and scalable vehicle communication, especially in a dense traffic network. This study discusses a novel optimization approach considering transmission range, node density, speed, direction, and grid size during clustering. Whale Optimization Algorithm for Clustering in Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (WOACNET) was introduced to select an optimum cluster head (CH) and was calculated and evaluated based on intelligence and capability. Initially, simulations were performed, Subsequently, rigorous experimentations were conducted on WOACNET. The model was compared and evaluated with state-of-the-art well-established other methods, such as Gray Wolf Optimization (GWO) and Ant Lion Optimization (ALO) employing various performance metrics. The results demonstrate that the developed method performance is well ahead compared to other methods in VANET in terms of cluster head, varying transmission ranges, grid size, and nodes. The developed method results in achieving an overall 46% enhancement in cluster optimization and an F-value of 31.64 compared to other established methods (11.95 and 22.50) consequently, increase in cluster lifetime.

Effect of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Bone Mineral Density.

OBJECTIVE: Various studies have suggested that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects bone metabolism. One of the most significant factors is hypoxia which induces certain transcription factors that stimulate bone osteoclastic activity. It also induces respiratory acidosis and oxidative stress which enhances bone resorption. Leptin and melatonin secretions are regulated by the circadian system which is affected due to sleep fragmentation in OSA. Other comorbidities associated with OSA such as vitamin D deficiency, hypogonadism, obesity, and insulin resistance are indirect mechanisms that affect bone mineral density (BMD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a prospective case-control study. All patients having symptoms of sleep-related breathing disorder (excluding post-menopausal females or patients with known case of osteoporosis or any other clinical illness which is a direct cause of osteoporosis) attending the Sleep Out Patient Department (OPD) were screened for OSA as per the STOPBANG questionnaire scoring system. Participants having score >2 constituted the final study population and were subjected to the polysomnography test. Participants with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) > 5 in polysomnography were considered as cases and those with AHI <5 were considered as controls. Both the groups were then subjected for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan and vitamin D to establish a comparison. RESULTS: Out of 93 participants, 59 were taken as cases (OSA group), whose mean age was 48.02 (±8.435) years, mean body mass index (BMI) was 33.73 (±7.48) kg/m2, mean neck circumference was 37.8 cm (±5.08) as compared with the age, sex, and BMI matched non-OSA control group (n = 34). Mean BMD in the case group was found to be significantly on the lower side as compared with the control group (-2.02 ± 1.09 vs. -1.03 ± 0.97) (P < .001) when compared in Z score, while (0.885 ± 0.535 vs. 0.933 ± 0.616) when compared in g/cm2 (P < .001), with negative correlation between AHI and BMD (r = -0.507, P < .001). Mean vitamin D level in the case group was at a lower level as compared to the control group (21.02 ± 7.27 vs. 24.48 ± 6.92, P < .05), with negative correlation between AHI and serum vitamin D level (P < .001, r = -0.286). CONCLUSION: OSA affects BMD by various pathophysiologic mechanisms. The AHI is inversely correlated with BMD; that is, with increasing severity of OSA, there is a decrease in BMD.

Retraction Note to: A Comparative Study of the Toxicity of Polyethylene Glycol-Coated Cobalt Ferrite Nanospheres and Nanoparticles.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Protamine loops DNA in multiple steps.

Protamine proteins dramatically condense DNA in sperm to almost crystalline packing levels. Here, we measure the first step in the in vitro pathway, the folding of DNA into a single loop. Current models for DNA loop formation are one-step, all-or-nothing models with a looped state and an unlooped state. However, when we use a Tethered Particle Motion (TPM) assay to measure the dynamic, real-time looping of DNA by protamine, we observe the presence of multiple folded states that are long-lived (∼100 s) and reversible. In addition, we measure folding on DNA molecules that are too short to form loops. This suggests that protamine is using a multi-step process to loop the DNA rather than a one-step process. To visualize the DNA structures, we used an Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) assay. We see that some folded DNA molecules are loops with a ∼10-nm radius and some of the folded molecules are partial loops-c-shapes or s-shapes-that have a radius of curvature of ∼10 nm. Further analysis of these structures suggest that protamine is bending the DNA to achieve this curvature rather than increasing the flexibility of the DNA. We therefore conclude that protamine loops DNA in multiple steps, bending it into a loop.

Conference Report on First Certificate Course in Health Professions Educationat College of Medicine, University of Kerbala, Iraq.(September 2019).

The current status of medical education in Iraq requires complete transformation to conform to the latest trends of modern education. Presently it is compromised due to the influence of political factors, finances, weakness or fragility of planning and security. It has to be re-shaped for the future of medical education to produce good and efficient medical professionals. It is necessary to reform and revise the curriculum as accreditation in accordance with international medical universities. The initial requirement is faculty development in areas including but not limited to, curriculum development, teaching and learning improvement, research capacity building, and leadership development. The capacity building of faculty at College of Medicine, University of Kerbala (CMUCK) has been initiated in collaboration with Medics International at a local and the government level. Medics International conducted the current Course on Certificate in Health Professions Education (CHPE) programme in September, 2019 to facilitate the faculty to revise their curriculum and improve their current educational practices. Further steps will be taken to develop the faculty for Masters in Medical Education (MME), PhD, and fellowship programmes. To face the on-going challenges in the medical and health care system, continous efforts are required for faculty education. Medics International has volunteered to begin a series of Webinars through its global faculty to reach out to the Iraqi Board followed by engagement of the Arab Board covering 18 countries.

A Comparative Study of the Toxicity of Polyethylene Glycol-Coated Cobalt Ferrite Nanospheres and Nanoparticles.

We present a comparative study of the toxicity of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated cobalt ferrite nanoparticles and nanospheres. Nanoparticles were prepared by hydrothermal method while nanospheres were prepared by solvothermal technique. The surface of nanomaterials was successfully modified with polyethylene glycol. To investigate the morphology of the prepared samples, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and electron microscopy techniques were employed. Structural analyses confirmed the formation of polycrystalline cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with diameters in the range 20-25 nm and nanospheres in the range 80-100 nm, respectively. Kunming SPF mice (female, 6-8 weeks old) were used to investigate the toxicity induced by cobalt ferrite nanoparticles and nanospheres in different organs of the mice. Biodistribution studies, biochemical indices, histopathological assessments, inflammatory factors, oxidation and antioxidant levels, and cytotoxicity tests were performed to assess the toxicity induced by cobalt ferrite nanoparticles and nanospheres in mice. Cobalt ferrite nanospheres were found to be more toxic than the nanoparticles and curcumin was proved to be a good healing agent for the toxicity induced by PEG-coated cobalt ferrite nanomaterials in mice.