Radon concentration in spring water as an indicator of seismic activity: a case study of the Muzaffarabad Fault in Pakistan.

Radon and its progenies found in water indicate the existence of seismically active faults in the region. However, exposure to high levels of radon can also result in radiation-related health risks. This study focuses on radon-based active tectonic studies along the Muzaffarabad Fault in the core of the Hazara-Kashmir Syntaxis (HKS), NW Himalayas, Pakistan. In this study, spring water samples were collected along roadside of Jhelum Valley and in close proximity to the Muzaffarabad Fault in Pakistan using Radon Thoron Monitor (RTM1688-2). The results of the study showed that the radon concentrations in the water samples ranged from 1.895 to 17.097 Bq/l. The study found that the highest radon concentration was observed in the samples collected closest to the fault, while the lowest concentration was observed in the samples collected further away. The statistical analysis between the radon concentration and the distance from the fault showed a strong inverse relationship (R2=0.73). The study also found that 68% of the sampling sites had radon concentrations that exceeded the maximum contamination level (MCL) set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The higher radon concentrations in the springs water suggest the probability of earthquake, which in turn poses potential health risks for the local population. The findings suggest that the measurement of radon concentration in water can be used as a tool for identifying seismically active faults in the region.

Enhancing Diabetes Care in LMICs: Insights from a Multinational Consensus.

The International Cardio-Metabolic Forum held a plenary session to establish a multinational consensus on the challenges faced in diabetes management within lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) and their potential solutions. Stakeholders, including patients, family/caretakers, healthcare professionals, and healthcare policymakers & organizations, participated in discussions. The audience of 280 doctors from 15 different countries (Pakistan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Myanmar, Georgia, Nigeria, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Tanzania, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, South Sudan and Libya) was divided into 4 groups led by Group Leaders to represent each stakeholder group. Questionnaires addressing key challenges and solutions specific to each group were used to facilitate consensus development. Participants voted on relevant options based on their clinical experience. SLIDO software was used for polling, generating separate results for each group. The insights shared by healthcare professionals highlighted the importance of improving medication accessibility and cost-effectiveness for patients, emphasizing the need for adherence to treatment plans and lifestyle modifications. The significance of balanced nutrition with low glycemic index food for enhancing quality of life was recognized. Caregivers of diabetic patients with comorbidities face increasing demands for care, particularly in relation to age-related milestones. Healthcare professionals emphasized the challenges posed by cultural beliefs and health awareness, underscoring the importance of teamwork and early referral for managing comorbidities. Healthcare policymakers need to focus on disease education, awareness programs, screening guidelines, and advocacy for community and clinical screening. By addressing these challenges, a more comprehensive and effective approach to diabetes management can be achieved in LMICs, ultimately improving outcomes for individuals with diabetes.

Ternary Metal (Cu-Ni-Zn) Oxide Nanocomposite via an Environmentally Friendly Route.

In this work, we report the engineering of sub-30 nm nanocomposites of CuO/ZnO/NiO by using Dodonaea viscosa leaf extract. Zinc sulfate, nickel chloride, and copper sulfate were used as salt precursors, and isopropyl alcohol and water were used as solvents. The growth of nanocomposites was investigated by varying the concentrations of precursors and surfactants at pH 12. The as-prepared composites were characterized by XRD analysis and found to have CuO (monoclinic), ZnO (hexagonal primitive), and NiO (cubic) phases with an average size of 29 nm. FTIR analysis was performed to investigate the mode of fundamental bonding vibrations of the as-prepared nanocomposites. The vibrations of the prepared CuO/ZnO/NiO nanocomposite were detected at 760 and 628 cm-1, respectively. The optical bandgap energy of the CuO/NiO/ZnO nanocomposite was 3.08 eV. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy was performed to calculate the band gap by the Tauc approach. Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the synthesized CuO/NiO/ZnO nanocomposite were investigated. It was found that the antimicrobial activity of the synthesized nanocomposite increases with an increase in the concentration. The antioxidant activity of the synthesized nanocomposite was examined by using both ABTS and DPPH assays. The obtained results show an IC50 value of 0.110 for the synthesized nanocomposite compared to DPPH and ABTS (0.512), which is smaller than that of ascorbic acid (IC50 = 1.047). Such a low IC50 value ensures that the antioxidant potential of the nanocomposite is higher than that of ascorbic acid, which in turn shows their excellent antioxidant activity against both DPPH and ABTS.

Safety and efficacy of Empagliflozin in Pakistani Muslim patients with type 2 diabetes (SAFE-PAK); a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Sodium-Glucose-Co-Transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor (Empagliflozin) is an effective drug in controlling blood glucose through predominantly glycosuria. Glycosuria increases the risk of genitourinary infections in diabetes. This study was aimed to establish the safety and efficacy of Empagliflozin (Group-A) versus standard care (Group-B) in Pakistani Muslim individuals with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A multicenter, randomized clinical trial was conducted in five cities across Pakistan from July 2019 to August 2020. Patients of both genders aged 18-75 years, body mass index (BMI) ≤ 45 kg/m2, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) 7-10% (53 mmol/mol to 86 mmol/mol) and treatment-naive to Empagliflozin were included. Treatment was given for 24 weeks, and allocation was done through randomization. RESULTS: Out of 745 screened patients, 333 met the eligibility criteria, and a total of 244 (73.3%) patients were enrolled. More hypoglycemic events were reported in the standard care group, whereas positive urine culture, fungal infection, dehydration, and hypotension occurrence were comparable between the two groups. The 6 months mean HbA1c reduction was significant in both groups; (Group-A: 0.91 ± 0.15; p < 0.001 vs. Group-B2: 0.79 ± 0.14; p < 0.001). Efficacy comparison at 6 months revealed a significant reduction in weight and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in Group A only (Group-A: 1.4 ± 0.4 kg; p < 0.002 vs. Group-B: 0.01 ± 0.5 kg; p < 1.00), (Group-A: 5.1 ± 1.7 mmHg; p < 0.012 vs. Group-B: 2.3 ± 1.7 mmHg; p < 0.526). CONCLUSIONS: Empagliflozin was a safe drug compared to standard care in Pakistani Muslim patients with diabetes. It was as effective as standard care in the clinical setting but achieved glycemic control by reducing weight and SBP in type 2 diabetes patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the NIH US National Library of Medicine clinical trials registry at Clinicaltrials.gov with the registration number: NCT04665284 on 11/12/2020.

Free Space Optics Transmission Performance Enhancement for Sustaining 5G High Capacity Data Services.

Enhanced bandwidth issues for 5G system are fruitfully resolved by organizing free space optics (FSO) communication frameworks. The high bandwidth, the maximum number of channel transmission requirements, and high data rate have been boosted during the last years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The online services and digital applications have increased pressure on installed optical network models. In addition, the optical networks with high capacity transmission produce nonlinear distortions, which degrade system efficiency. This paper presents a mixed FSO and fiber network to tackle the factors of nonlinearities and enrich the system capacity and range. Furthermore, the issues related to radio frequency, FSO pointing, and co-channel interference are considered in this work. The theoretical and simulation structures are validated using advanced measuring parameters, such as bit error rate (BER), peak to average power ratio (PAPR), cumulative distribution function (CDF), and outage probability. The nonlinear factors are addressed successfully, and the capacity is developed from current models. Finally, the proposed model's limitations and future direction are discussed in this paper.

Optimization and characterization of alkaliphilic lipase from a novel Bacillus cereus NC7401 strain isolated from diesel fuel polluted soil.

Five Bacillus cereus strains including B. cereus AVP12, B. cereus NC7401, B. cereus BDBCO1, B. cereus JF70 and B. specie JL47 isolated from the diesel fuel polluted soil adhered to the roots of Tagetes minuta were screened for lipase production with phenol red agar method. B. cereus NC7401 strain successfully expressing and secreting lipase with maximal lipolytic activity was subjected to a submerged fermentation process with five different carbon (starch, glucose, maltose, fructose, and lactose) and five different nitrogen (tryptone, ammonium nitrate, peptone, urea, yeast extract) sources to produce lipase enzyme. Maximum enzyme activity was found with starch (30.6 UmL-1), maltose (40 UmL-1), and tryptone (38.6 UmL-1), and the lipases produced using these sources were named lipase A, B, and C respectively. The total protein content of 8.56, 8.86, and 2.75 µg mL-1 were obtained from B. cereus NC7401 cultured using starch, maltose, and tryptone respectively. Lipase was stable between temperature range 30-80°C and pH 5-10 whereas optimally active at 55°C and pH 8.0. The enzyme was relatively stable for 10 days at 4°C and its optimum reaction time with the substrate was 30 minutes. It was tolerant to 1.5% (v/v) methanol as an organic solvent, 1.5% (v/v) Triton X-100 as a media additive and 1.5% (w/v) Ni2+ as a metal ion. SDS, n-hexane, and Ag+ inhibited lipolytic activity. Oil stains were removed from cotton fabric which showed oil removal efficiency enhancement in the presence of a lipase. Fat hydrolysis of 20, 24, and 30% was achieved following 6 hours of incubation of the fat particles with lipase A, B, and C respectively at a concentration of 20 mg mL-1. To as best of our knowledge, this study on lipases extracted from bacteria of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan origin has never been reported before.

Ultrafast Studies of ZrTe3 by Transient Absorption Spectrometer.

Two-dimensional (2D) tri-TMDCs carrier dynamics provide a platform for studying excitons through Ultrafast Pump-Probe Transient Absorption Spectroscopy. Here we studied the ZrTe3 nanosheets (NTs) exciton dynamics by transient absorption (TA) spectrometer. We observed different carrier dynamics in the ZrTe3 NTs sample at different pump powers and with many wavelengths in the transient absorption spectrometer. The shorter life decay constant is associated with electron-phonon relaxation. Similarly, the longer-life decay constant represents the long live process that is associated with charge separation. The interactions between carrier-phonons at nanoscale materials can be changed by phonons quantum confinements. The hot carrier lifetime determined the strength of carrier phonon interactions. The value of fast decay in the conduction band is due to carrier relaxation or the carrier gets trapped due to surface states or localized defects. The value of slow decay is due to the recombination of surface state and localized defects processes. The lifetime declines for long wavelengths as size decreases. Whereas, during short wavelength-independent decay, carrier characteristics have been observed. TA spectroscopy is employed to investigate insight information of the carrier's dynamical processes such as carrier lifetime, cooling dynamics, carrier diffusion, and carrier excitations. The absorption enhanced along excitons density with the increase of pump power, which caused a greater number of carriers in the excited state than in the ground state. The TA signals consist of trap carriers and (electron-hole) constituents, which can be increased by TA changes that rely on photoexcitation and carrier properties.

A Case of Membranous Nephropathy Hypothesized to be Associated With COVID-19 Vaccine.

A 56-year-old male patient with a medical history of essential hypertension was referred to the emergency room after he was found to have a serum creatinine level of 13 mg/dL at his primary care physician's office. The patient reported that he had developed a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-like infection six months prior that was not confirmed. Two months later, he started to notice dyspnea on exertion and bilateral lower limb swelling and was started on furosemide. He received the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine a month before the presentation but did not receive the second dose. Subsequently, his lower limb swelling and exertional dyspnea started worsening. He denied any new medication, dysuria, oliguria, hematuria, fever, or any other symptoms. Initial evaluation was consistent with kidney failure. Hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia were noted, along with medical renal disease on renal ultrasound. Eosinophils and nephrotic-range proteinuria were found in the urine. His serum phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibodies were positive. A renal biopsy showed membranous glomerulonephritis with moderate segmental sclerosis, as well as tubulointerstitial fibrosis with neutrophils, consistent with acute interstitial nephritis. Positive staining for PLA2R in the glomerular deposits suggested primary membranous nephropathy (MN). He was treated with prednisone first, and when the kidney biopsy was conclusive for membranous glomerulopathy, he was started on rituximab. On admission, he received hemodialysis intermittently, but this was stopped a month after discharge as his renal function normalized. Recently, there have been numerous cases reported with new onset of glomerular disease after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Further studies of vaccinated patients are needed to determine whether the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus vaccination is associated with a higher risk of MN and to identify potential predisposing factors and mechanisms of kidney injury in patients in whom it occurs.

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) Using Debregeasia Salicifolia for Biological Applications.

The synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using the green route is environmentally harmonious and cost-effective compared to conventional chemical and physical methods. In this study, the green synthesis of silver NPs was carried out using an extract of Debregeasia salicifolia. The synthesized Ag NPs were characterized by means of different techniques i.e., UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and XRD. The XRD pattern exhibited distinctive Bragg's peaks at (200), (111), (311), and (220). The XRD analysis confirmed the face-centered cubic geometry of the synthesized NPs and revealed that the nature of these NPs is crystalline. The synthesized NPs were verified for their antibacterial activities against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. It showed that antibacterial activity of synthesized silver (NPs) was increased with increasing concentrations of both calcined and non-calcined NPs. The antioxidant activities of Ag NPs were also determined against ABTS at different concentrations for both calcined and non-calcined Ag NPs. Non-calcined Ag NPs have greater antioxidant activity than calcined Ag NPs. This report has a significant medicinal application, and it might open up new horizons in this field.

Asymptomatic urinary tract infections and associated risk factors in Pakistani Muslim type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: One of the leading long-term complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) includes renal dysfunction and urinary tract infections (UTI) which are considered to be prevalent in uncontrolled diabetes. Moreover, physiological factors like age, gender, duration of diabetes, other diabetic complications like neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy and glycosuria are also considered as predisposing factors for increased prevalence of UTI in diabetes which can be symptomatic or asymptomatic. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, multi-centre study including diabetic patients from 12 clinical sites spread across major cities of Pakistan. The inclusion criteria were adult Pakistani population of age between 18 to 75 years both genders and suffering from T2DM irrespective of duration. A detailed clinical history of the past 3 months was recorded and, biochemical investigations of blood samples were conducted. Urine culture analysis performed identified the type of pathogen present and was done only for asymptomatic patients. RESULTS: A total of 745 type 2 diabetic patients were initially screened, out of 545 patients considered for final analysis 501 (91.92%) were negative and the rest 44 (8.08%) had positive urine culture. Female gender had a significantly higher proportion of positive urine culture (77.27%, p-value< 0.001). Body mass index and mean age had insignificant distribution among the two groups of positive and negative urine culture, with age 40-59 years having higher proportion (70.45%) in the positive group. Escherichia coli was detected in most of the positive samples (52.3%). All bacterial samples were found resistant to Ciprofloxacin. CONCLUSION: Diabetic Pakistani muslim female patients are identified to be at high risk of suffering from asymptomatic UTI and age more than 40 years is an important risk factor. Escherichia coli was the most common causative organism among people living in this geographical area.

High performance thermoelectric materials based on metal organic coordination polymers through first-principles band engineering.

Metal organic coordination polymers (MOCPs) provide an intriguing platform to design functional thermoelectric materials through modifying metal atoms, organic ligands, etc. Based on density functional theory (DFT) coupled with Boltzmann transport theory, the thermoelectric properties of several MOCPs, which is designed by intercalating organic linkers ranging from benzene to pentacene between two inorganic units, have been investigated. We found that the interplay of d orbital of Ni atom and π orbitals of the organic linkers play an important role in band engineering and then thermoelectric efficiency. Combining the high conductivity for π orbitals of organic ligands and high Seebeck coefficient of the d orbital of Ni atom, such intercalated MOCPs provide new way to design high performance thermoelectric materials. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lecithin-gold hybrid nanocarriers as efficient and pH selective vehicles for oral delivery of diacerein-In-vitro and in-vivo study.

We report the synthesis and evaluation of lecithin-gold hybrid nanocarriers for the oral delivery of drugs with improved pharmacokinetics, Au-drug interactive bioactivity and controlled drug releasing behavior at physiological pH inside human body. For this purpose, diacerein, a hydrophobic anti-arthritic drug, was loaded in lecithin NPs (LD NPs), which were further coated by Au NPs either by in-situ production of Au NPs on LD NPs or by employing pre-synthesized Au NPs. All LDAu NPs were found to release drug selectively at the physiological pH of 7.4 and showed 2.5 times increase in the oral bioavailability of diacerein. Pharmacological efficacy was significantly improved i.e., greater than the additive effect of diacerein and Au NPs alone. LDAu NPs started suppressing inflammation at first phase, whereas LD NPs showed activity in the second phase of inflammation. These results indicate the interaction of Au NPs with prostaglandins and histaminic mediators of first phase of carrageenan induced inflammation. Acute toxicity study showed no hepatic damage but the renal toxicity parameters were close to the upper safety limits. Toxicity parameters were dependent on surface engineering of LDAu NPs. Apart from enhancing the oral bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs and improving their anti-inflammatory activity, these hybrid nanocarriers may have potential applications in gold-based photothermal therapy and the tracing of inflammation at atherosclerotic and arthritic site.

Suicide: current trends.

Suicide is the act of a human being intentionally causing his or her own death. More than 1 million people commit suicide every year. It is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide, with China, India, and Japan accounting for almost half of all suicides. In less than 50 years, the rate of suicide among Sri Lankans has risen from a modest level to one of the highest in the world (118 per 100,000). Suicide is a major preventable cause of premature death. It is influenced by psychosocial, cultural, and environmental risk factors. The impact of suicide can be devastating for all concerned. It is common in people who are living with chronic mental illness. Individuals with severe clinical depression and alcohol use disorders are at highest risk if untreated. On an interpersonal level, friends and families of suicide victims require social support. On a national level, governments need to recognize the causes of suicide and protect those most vulnerable. If governments commit to defining national responses to prevent suicide, significant progress can be made. On a global scale, research and health organizations can identify global trends and encourage the sharing of information in effective prevention activities. In September 2010, World Suicide Prevention Day, with a theme of "Many faces, many places: suicide prevention across the world," encouraged public awareness worldwide to unite in commitment and action to promote understanding about suicide and removal of stigmatization'. There is compelling evidence that adequate prevention and awareness can reduce suicide rates.

Analysis of homicidal deaths in district DI Khan: an autopsy study.

BACKGROUND: One of the oldest crimes in human civilization is homicide which started from murder of Abel by the hands of Cane. With the passage of time manner of homicide have been changing. Study of pattern of homicide in any civil society is the first step towards development of intervention to reduce the impact of homicidal crimes. This study was conducted at the department of forensic medicine and toxicology Gomal Medical College DI Khan to know the pattern of the homicides, taking it as the first step in the prevention of crime. METHODS: The present study was conducted over two years 2007-08. The data collected includes all reported unnatural deaths from the urban and rural areas of district on which autopsies were conducted in the district headquarter teaching hospital DI Khan and department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Gomal Medical College DL Khan. RESULTS: Homicidal deaths constituted 259/341 (76%) of all autopsies. Out of these homicides 59.07% were caused by the firearm. The most common firearm weapons were high velocity rifled weapons (AK-47, rifles and pistols). A total of 304 injuries were found in various body regions giving an average of about two injuries per victim/person. The head, neck and face sustained the highest numbers of injuries 100, (32.90%) followed by chest 91 (29.93%) and abdomen 47 (15.4%); the extremities, buttock and genitalia together sustained 65 (21.38 %) injuries. A part from firearm injuries unfortunately in our this study the second highest cause of homicidal deaths was bomb blasts injuries either due to suicide bombers or remote control bombs. The numbers of deaths due to blast injuries were 82 for the year 2007/08 out of total homicidal deaths and percentage was 32.66%. CONCLUSION: The vast majority of homicidal deaths in this area are caused by firearms like other big cities of the province like Peshawar, which bring up issues related to possession of firearms and change in cultural attitude towards the use of firearm, if a decrease in firearm related homicides is desired.