Virulent and multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae from clinical samples in Balochistan.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important pathogen causing hospital-acquired infections in human beings. Samples from suspected patients of K pneumoniae associated with respiratory and urinary tract infections were collected at Bolan Medical Complex, Quetta, Balochistan. Clinical samples (n = 107) of urine and sputum were collected and processed for K pneumoniae isolation using selective culture media.

Liquid-Phase Assisted Engineering of Highly Strong SiC Composite Reinforced by Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes.

Despite the ultrahigh intrinsic strength of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), the strengthening effect on ceramic matrix composite remains far from expectation mainly due to the weak load transfer between the reinforcement and ceramic matrix. With the assistance of the in situ pullout test, it is revealed that the liquid-phase sintering (LPS) can serve as a novel strategy to achieve effective load transfer in MWCNT reinforced ceramic matrix composites. The YAlO formed liquid phase during spark plasma sintering of SiC composite greatly facilitates radical elastic deformation of MWCNT, leading to highly increased interfacial shear strength (IFSS) as well as interlayer shear resistance (ISR) of nested walls.

Novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak: A comprehensive review of the current literature.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The spread of the virus was rapid and currently COVID-19 cases are present worldwide in 213 countries, area or territories. Researchers worldwide are working and sharing their contribution regarding epidemiology, prevention, treatment, clinical and diagnostic patterns of the COVID-19.

A Secure Communication in IoT Enabled Underwater and Wireless Sensor Network for Smart Cities.

Nowadays, there is a growing trend in smart cities. Therefore, the Internet of Things (IoT) enabled Underwater and Wireless Sensor Networks (I-UWSN) are mostly used for monitoring and exploring the environment with the help of smart technology, such as smart cities. The acoustic medium is used in underwater communication and radio frequency is mostly used for wireless sensor networks to make communication more reliable.

An Energy Efficient Routing Approach for IoT Enabled Underwater WSNs in Smart Cities.

Nowadays, there is a growing trend in smart cities. Therefore, Terrestrial and Internet of Things (IoT) enabled Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (TWSNs and IoT-UWSNs) are mostly used for observing and communicating via smart technologies. For the sake of collecting the desired information from the underwater environment, multiple acoustic sensors are deployed with limited resources, such as memory, battery, processing power, transmission range, etc.

Moving towards IoT Based Digital Communication: An Efficient Utilization of Power Spectrum Density for Smart Cities.

The future of the Internet of Things (IoT) is interlinked with digital communication in smart cities. The digital signal power spectrum of smart IoT devices is greatly needed to provide communication support. The line codes play a significant role in data bit transmission in digital communication.

Diabetic Retinopathy and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Gene Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of the retina of the eye and represents a major cause of blindness worldwide. It is a complex disorder characterized by both genetic and environmental factors. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene is among the main candidate genes for DR, as it is also involved in several other diseases, such as microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus and cancer.

Diverse drivers of unsustainable groundwater extraction behaviour operate in an unregulated water scarce region.

Depletion of groundwater resources is of increasing concern in many parts of the world; however, farmers' perceptions of resource status and the role these have in influencing decisions about groundwater use are rarely considered and even more rarely analysed. This paper investigates the links between farmers' perceptions of resource condition and drivers of groundwater decline and patterns of groundwater use in the semi-arid highland region of Balochistan, Pakistan. Key factors associated with groundwater over-exploitation in this region, identified by farmers, include: high returns from irrigated fruit and vegetable cultivation; drought; mass installation of tubewells; inefficient irrigation practices; government policies and subsidies that promote groundwater development; and lack of effective groundwater governance.