A novel concept and design for highly efficient photoelectrocatalytic materials with high performance, stability, and charge transport properties: development of an innovative next-generation green technology.

In semiconductors, generating charges via catalysis is a highly challenging task and characteristic of heterojunction photoanodes. A dithiophene-4,8-dione spin-coated film layer has a positive effect on the holes (positive charge carriers) for a long time in BHJ films in the solid state of materials. The photoexcited holes created in the BHJ film can persist for long periods of time, which is beneficial for catalytic reactions. In this study, a photoanode is electrically coupled to a hydrogen gas-evolving platinum cathode. When the photoanode is electrically coupled to a H2 gas evolving Pt cathode, curiously long-lived hole polaron states are observed on the timescale of seconds under operational conditions. These long-lived holes play a crucial role in enhancing the hydrogen peroxide oxidation performance of the film overlayer spin-coated onto the photoanode. The spin-coated film overlayer on the photoanode achieves the best oxidation performance for hydrogen peroxide of approximately 6.5 mA cm-2 at 1.23 VRHE without the need of a catalyst. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the overlayer in improving the catalytic performance of the photoanode with a better efficiency of 17.5% when using 851 nm excitation. This indicates that a relatively high percentage of incident photons at that specific wavelength is converted into photocurrent by the photoanode. This approach can lead to more efficient oxidation catalysis as demonstrated in the case of hydrogen peroxide oxidation.

Highly Tunable Beyond-Room-Temperature Intrinsic Ferromagnetism in Cr-Doped Topological Crystalline Insulator SnTe Crystals.

The combination of topological phase and intrinsic beyond-room-temperature ferromagnetism is expected to realize the quantum anomalous Hall effect at a high temperature. However, no beyond-room-temperature intrinsic ferromagnetism has been reported in either topological insulator or topological crystalline insulator (TCI) so far. Here, we report Cr-doping in TCI-phase SnTe crystals which possess highly tunable beyond-room-temperature intrinsic ferromagnetism including Tc, magnetic moment, and coercivity by varying Cr contents and crystal thickness. With the increase of the Cr content, the Tc increases by 159 K from 221 to 380 K and the saturation magnetic moments increase by ∼23.6 times from 0.018 to 0.421 µB/f.u. This intrinsic beyond-room-temperature ferromagnetism is fully demonstrated by the anomalous Hall effect and magneto-optical Kerr effect in a single CrxSn1-xTe nanosheet. Moreover, the room-temperature tunneling magnetoresistance effect has been realized by using a CrxSn1-xTe flake, a Fe thin film, and a commercially compatible ultrathin AlOx tunneling barrier. This work indicates a great potential of CrxSn1-xTe crystals in room-temperature magnetoelectronic and spintronic devices.

Genetic analysis of three wild Eurasian eagle-owl subspecies, B. b. kiautschensis, B. b. ussuriensis, and B. b. tibetanus, in Chinese populations.

The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is distributed throughout Asia and Europe and contains approximately twelve subspecies. Three subspecies, B. b. kiautschensis, B. b. ussuriensis, and B. b. tibetanus, are separately distributed in the refugia and plateau habitats of China. However, the genetics of these subspecies and populations have not been studied. Genetic differences were investigated among 32 individuals from six populations of these three B. bubo subspecies based on the mitochondrial genome. Low genetic diversity but high haplotype diversity was observed in these subspecies. The phylogenetic relationship of three B. bubo subspecies distributed in China was proven to be coordinated with geographic and environmental gradients. This study provides the first detailed insights into the mitochondrial genetic diversity of three Eurasian eagle-owl subspecies distributed in China and demonstrates the utility of the mitochondrial genome in intraspecific genetic population analyses of these eagle-owls.

Radon concentration in drinking water and soil after the September 24, 2019, Mw 5.8 earthquake, Mirpur, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir: an evaluation for potential risk.

Radon (222Rn), a radioactive gas resulted from the natural decay of other radioactive elements, pose a threat to the exposed human population. Radon gas emits along the seismically active faults and increased the 222Rn contamination in sorrounding water and soil. This study investigated the concentration of 222Rn in drinking water and soil after the September 24, 2019, Mw 5.8 earthquake, Mirpur District, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir (AJK). For this purpose, water (n = 24) samples were collected from the bore wells of orderly located houses and soil field sampling (n = 12) along with the NE-SW directions of fracture in the Mirpur District. Determined 222Rn in drinking water surpassed the maximum contamination level (MCL, 11.1 kBq/m3) set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) in 83%, 50%, and 33% of the sampling point at the site I, site II, and site III, respectively. However, that of soil 222Rn concentration was observed with the normal range (10-50 kBq/m3). Potential exposure of 222Rn consumption in drinking water was the mean effective dose through ingestion (EWing, 0.003 ± < 0.001 mSv/a), the effective dose for inhalation (EWInh, 0.038 ± 0.002 mSv/a), and the total effective dose of human (EWT, 0.041 ± 0.002 mSv/a). Exposure values along with the rupture showed multifold higher risk values (up to 4 times) compared to background sites. These values were observed within the limits (0.1 mSv/a) set by World Health Organization (WHO); however, surpassed the thresholds of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the effects of atomic radiations (UNSCEAR) for all exposure pathways. This study concluded that groundwater in the close vicinity should be avoided or boiled before used for drinking purposes.

Equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic studies of removal of phenol from aqueous solution using surface engineered chemistry.

Iron impregnated activated carbon has been used as a new adsorbent for the adsorptive removal of phenol from waste water. Impregnation of iron was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Different parameters affecting the adsorption capacity of Iron impregnated activated carbon such as Iron impregnated activated carbon dosage, contact time, pH of solution, initial concentration of phenol and agitation speed were optimized. The residual concentration of phenol was determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Maximum adsorption efficiency was calculated 98.5% at optimized parameters: concentration of phenol 25 mg L-1, Iron impregnated activated carbon dose 75 mg, pH 7.0 and agitation time 90 min. The experimental data was fitted to different adsorption isotherms and adsorption capacities obtained were 20 and 15 mg g-1, respectively. Adsorption energy was found to be 1.54 kJ mol-1 which predicts that phenol was adsorbed onto the Iron impregnated activated carbon through physisorption.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo, Strigiformes; Strigidae) from China.

In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Bubo bubo using PCR amplification, sequencing and assembling has been obtained for the first time. The total length of the mitochondrial genome was 16,250 bp, with the base composition of 29.88% A, 34.16% C, 14.35% G, and 21.58% T. It contained 37 genes (2 ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes and 22 transfer RNA genes) and a major non-coding control region (D-loop region). The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Bubo bubo provides an important data set for further investigation on the phylogenetic relationships within Strigiformes.

Complete mitochondrial genome of freshwater shark Wallago attu (Bloch & Schneider) from Indus River Sindh, Pakistan.

Complete mitochondrial genome of fresh water giant catfish, Wallago attu, was isolated by LA PCR (TakaRa LAtaq, Dalian, China); and sequenced by Sanger's method to obtain the complete mitochondrial genome. The complete mitogenome was 15,639 bp in length and contains 13 typical vertebrate protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA and 22 tRNA genes. The whole genome base composition was estimated to be 31.17% A, 28.15% C, 15.55% G and 25.12% T. The complete mitochondrial genome of catfish, W. attu, provides the fundamental tools for genetic breeding.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Channa marulius (Perciformes: Channidae: Channa).

The traditional polymerase chain reaction method was employed to obtain the complete mitochondrial genome of Channa marulius from Pakistan. The mitogenome was determined to be 16,569 bp in length. It contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNAs and 22 tRNAs. This is the first report on the complete mitogenome sequence of C. marulius.

Complete mitochondrial genome of burbot (Lota lota: family Gadidae) from Amur basin lineage, Northeastern China.

The mitochondrial genome was amplified in two large overlapping fragments by long PCR and one gap PCR. The complete Northeastern China burbot mitogenome sequence (KC844053) is 16,575 bp in length. Similar to most vertebrata, the mitogenome has a set of 37 genes: including 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA and 2 rRNA genes. More than 98% nucleotide sequence was simil to the reported individual.

Complete mitochondrial genome of catfish Sperata seenghala (Sykes, 1839) (Siluriformes, Bagridae) from Indus River Sindh, Pakistan.

Complete mitochondrial genome of catfish, Sperata seenghala, was isolated by LA PCR (TakaRa LAtaq, Dalian, China); and sequenced by Sanger's method to obtain the complete mitochondrial genome, which is listed Critically Endangered and red listed species. The complete mitogenome was 16,588 bp in length and contains 13 typical vertebrate protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA and 22 tRNA genes. The whole genome base composition was estimated to be 31.28% A, 27.80% C, 15.31% G, and 25.57% T. The complete mitochondrial genome of catfish, Sperata seenghala provides the fundamental tools for genetic breeding and conservation studies.

Complete mitochondrial genome of catfish Eutropiichthys vacha (Hamilton, 1822).

Complete mitochondrial genome of catfish, Eutropiichthys vacha, was isolated by LA PCR (TakaRa LAtaq, Dalian, China); and sequenced by Sanger's method to obtain the complete mitochondrial genome, which is listed Critically Endangered and Red-listed species. The complete mitogenome was 16,478 bp in length and contains 13 typical vertebrate protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA and 22 tRNA genes. The whole genome base composition was estimated to be 31.06% A, 27.59% C, 15.65% G, and 25.68% T. The complete mitochondrial genome of catfish, E. vacha provides the fundamental tool for genetic breeding and conservation studies.

Complete mitochondrial genome of catfish Bagarius bagarius (Hamilton, Sisoridae; Siluriformes) from Indus River Sindh, Pakistan.

Complete mitochondrial genome of fresh water catfish Bagarius bagarius, was isolated by LA PCR (TakaRa LAtaq, Dalian, China); and sequenced by Sanger's method to obtain the complete mitochondrial genome, which is listed Critically Endangered and Red Listed species. The complete mitogenome was 16,457 bp in length and contains 13 typical vertebrate protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA and 22 tRNA genes. The whole genome base composition was estimated to be 31.14% A, 27.72% C, 15.62% G and 25.50% T. The complete mitochondrial genome of fresh water catfish, B. bagarius provides the basic genetic tools for breeding and conservation program to enhance aquaculture production.

Features of retinopathy of prematurity in a tertiary care hospital in Lahore.

OBJECTIVE: To study the demographic and clinical features of Retinopathy of Prematurity in urban Punjab. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was performed at Hameed Latif Hospital, Lahore, from April 2010 to October 2013 and comprised neonates born with birth weight less than 2000 g, gestational age less than 37 weeks, or those who were considered high risk for Retinopathy of Prematurity. Variables recorded included history, birth weight, gestational age, oxygen supplementation, development of Retinopathy of Prematurity, and laser treatment. Data was analysed using SPSS 17. RESULTS: There were 285 neonates in the study with a mean birth weight of 1280.34 ± 350.43 g and mean gestational age being 29.38 ± 3.14 weeks. Overall, 167 (58.6%) received supplemental oxygen, 86(30.2%) were anaemic and 44 (15.4%) received blood transfusion. Besides, 47 (16.5%) premature babies were product of multiple gestation, 34 (11.9%) were having respiratory distress, 25 (8.8%) had sepsis and received intravenous antibiotics, 70(24.6%) developed Retinopathy of Prematurity, and 22 (7.7%) developed threshold disease and received laser treatment at mean gestational age of 32.11 ± 2.53 weeks. CONCLUSION: Screening is key to preventing childhood blindness caused by Retinopathy of Prematurity. Prematurity, low birth weight and supplemental oxygen therapy are significant risk factors for the condition.

QTL mapping for economically important traits of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.).

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) were analyzed for three economically important traits, i.e., body weight (BW), body length (BL), and body thickness (BT), in an F1 family of common carp holding the 190 progeny. A genetic linkage map spanning 3,301 cM in 50 linkage groups with 627 markers and an average distance of 5.6 cM was utilized for QTL mapping. Sixteen QTLs associated with all three growth-related traits were scattered across ten linkage groups, LG6, LG10, LG17, LG19, LG25, LG27, LG28, LG29, LG30, and LG39. Six QTLs for BW and five each for BL and BT explained phenotypic variance in the range 17.0-32.1%. All the nearest markers of QTLs were found to be significantly (p ≤ 0.05) related with the trait. Among these QTLs, a total of four, two (qBW30 and qBW39) related with BW, one (qBL39) associated with BL, and one (qBT29) related to BT, were found to be the major QTLs with a phenotypic variance of >20%. qBW30 and qBW39 with the nearest markers HLJ1691 and HLJ1843, respectively, show significant values of 0.0038 and 0.0031, correspondingly. QTLs qBL39 and qBT29 were found to have significant values of 0.0047 and 0.0015, respectively. Three QTLs (qBW27, qBW30, qBW39) of BW, two for BL (qBL19, qBL39), and two for BT (qBT6, qBT25) found in this study were similar to populations with different genetic backgrounds. In this study, the genomic region controlling economically important traits were located. These genomic regions will be the major sources for the discovery of important genes and pathways associated with growth-related traits in common carp.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Freshwater Catfish Rita rita (Siluriformes, Bagridae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of Catfish, Rita rita, was isolated by LA PCR (TakaRa LAtaq, Dalian, China); and sequenced by Sanger's method to obtain the complete mitochondrial genome, which is listed Critically Endangered and Red Listed species. The complete mitogenome was 16,449 bp in length and contains 13 typical vertebrate protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA and 22 tRNA genes. The whole genome base composition was estimated to be 33.40% A, 27.43% C, 14.26% G and 24.89% T. The complete mitochondrial genome of catfish, Rita rita provides the basis for genetic breeding and conservation studies.

Mapping QTLs for swimming ability related traits in Cyprinus carpio L.

Body height (BH), head length (HL), snout length (SL), and tail length (TL) are important traits related with swimming ability of fish. Therefore, improving these traits will increase the production which is the basic goal of aquaculture breeding. To understand the genetic basis of swimming ability related traits in Cyprinus carpio L., a high-density linkage map spanning 3,301 cM in 50 linkage groups was utilized for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. Mapping family comprised 190 offspring and 627 molecular markers were genotyped with average distance of 5.6 cM. A total of 15 QTLs including four (qBH13, qBH30, qBH33, qBH48) for BH, four (qHL10, qHL18, qHL29, qHL48) for HL, three (qSL24, qSL27, qSL45) for SL, and four (qTL15, qTL17, qTL18, qTL44) for TL were detected on 13 linkage groups LG10, LG13, LG15, LG17, LG18, LG24, LG27, LG29, LG30, LG33, LG44, LG45, and LG48. Each LG consisted on single QTL except LG18 and LG48. LG18 was found with two QTLs associated with HL and TL. While LG48 was comprised, the QTLs related with BH and HL. The phenotype variance was recorded from 12.6 to 40.6 %. Five QTLs, qHL48, qSL45, qTL15, qTL18, and qTL44, explained phenotype variance of >20 % with a significant levels of 0.047, 0.049, 0.037, 0.025, and 0.023, respectively. The neighbored loci of these QTLs were considered as main region of chromosomes controlling the traits. These identified genetic regions will be the main source of discovering gene(s) associated with swimming ability related traits in C. carpio L.

Detecting melanoma in dermoscopy images using scale adaptive local binary patterns.

Recent advances in the area of computer vision has led to the development of various assisted diagnostics systems for the detection of melanoma in the patients. Texture and color are considered as two fundamental visual characteristics which are vital for the detection of melanoma. This paper proposes the use of a combination of texture and color features for the classification of dermoscopy images. The texture features consist of a variation of local binary pattern (LBP) in which the strength of the LBPs is used to extract scale adaptive patterns at each pixel, followed by the construction of a histogram. For color feature extraction, we used standard HSV histograms. The extracted features are concatenated to form a feature vector for an image, followed by classification using support vector machines. Experiments show that the proposed feature set exhibits good classification performance comparing favorably to other state-of-the-art alternatives.

Efficacy and safety of artemehter-lumefantrine in uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Liberia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the in vivo efficacy and adverse effects of Artemether-lumefantrine combination in acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria. METHODS: A prospective, observational study was conducted at Department of Medicine and Pathology, Pakistan Medical level II hospital, Tubmanburg and Harper from March 2009 to September 2009. One hundred subjects with positive Plasmodium falciparum rings on malaria slide fulfilled the selection criteria and were included in the study. Mean, minimum and maximum values along with standard deviation of age, malarial parasite index, fever clearance time and parasite clearance time were calculated. A 28 day parasitological cure rate was determined. Frequency of various adverse events observed during this study were also noted. RESULTS: Of 100 subjects, 70 wereAfricans while remaining were Asians. Mean fever clearance time in Africans and Asians were 18.9 +/- 11.5 and 27.9 +/- 14.3 hours respectively. The mean parasite clearance time was almost similar in both races ranging from 28 to 31 hours. A 28 day parasitological cure rate was found to be 100%. About 10% of the subjects developed mild to moderate side effects including headache, vomiting, loss of sleep, vertigo and diarrhoea. There was no mortality during the study. CONCLUSION: Artemether Lumefantrine combination therapy may be used safely and effectively in the management of acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria.

Hematometrocolpos associated with common cloacal anomaly.

A rare case of hematometrocolpos is presented in a 14 years old female with known common cloacal malformation. It presented as a slowly growing tender pelvic mass. Ultrasound and CT scan of the pelvis revealed vagina and uterus filled with blood. A diagnosis of hematometrocolpos was made. Per-operatively multiple adhesions were found in the pelvis necessitating the removal of blood-filled uterus.