A survey on radiation protection awareness at various hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan.

Purpose: To assess the awareness level of radiation protection among the radiation workers (i.e. medical radiation technologists, medical physicists, and medical radiological professionals) at the selected radiology, nuclear medicine, and radiotherapy facilities in Karachi, Pakistan.

Psyllium-Husk-Assisted Synthesis of ZnO Microstructures with Improved Photocatalytic Properties for the Degradation of Methylene Blue (MB).

Wastewater from the textile industry is chronic and hazardous for the human body due to the presence of a variety of organic dyes; therefore, its complete treatment requires efficient, simple, and low cost technology. For this purpose, we grew ZnO microstructures in the presence of psyllium husk, and the role of psyllium husk was to modify the surface of the ZnO microstructures, create defects in the semiconducting crystal structures, and to alter the morphology of the nanostructured material. The growth process involved a hydrothermal method followed by calcination in air.

Development and Characterization of Chitosan and Chondroitin Sulfate Based Hydrogels Enriched with Garlic Extract for Potential Wound Healing/Skin Regeneration Applications.

Hydrogels can provide instant relief to pain and facilitate the fast recovery of wounds. Currently, the incorporation of medicinal herbs/plants in polymer matrix is being investigated due to their anti-bacterial and wound healing properties. Herein, we investigated the novel combination of chitosan (CS) and chondroitin sulfate (CHI) to synthesize hydrogels through freeze gelation process and enriched it with garlic (Gar) by soaking the hydrogels in garlic juice for faster wound healing and resistance to microbial growth at the wound surface.

A molecular simulation study on amine-functionalized silica/polysulfone mixed matrix membrane for mixed gas separation.

Polysulfone (PSF) based mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) are one of the most broadly studied polymeric materials used for CO/CH separation. The performance of existing PSF membranes encounters a bottleneck for widespread expansion in industrial applications due to the trade-off amongst permeability and selectivity. Membrane performance has been postulated to be enhanced via functionalization of filler at different weight percentages.

Recent progress in bio-mediated synthesis and applications of engineered nanomaterials for sustainable agriculture.

The ever-increasing demand for agricultural food products, medicine, and other commercial sectors requires new technologies for agricultural practices and promoting the optimum utilization of natural resources. The application of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) enhance the biomass production and yield of food crop while resisting harmful environmental stresses. Bio-mediated synthesis of ENMs are time-efficient, low-cost, environmentally friendly, green technology.

Renewable and eco-friendly ZnO immobilized onto dead sea sponge floating materials with dual practical aspects for enhanced photocatalysis and disinfection applications.

In this study, we have investigated the role of natural dead sea sponge (DSS, Porifera) as a three-dimensional (3D) porous host substrate for the immobilization of nanostructured ZnO material towards the development of ZnO based floating photocatalysts for efficient removal of methylene blue (MB) dye under the illumination of sunlight. After photodegradation, the treated water after dye degradation contains several pathogens, different disinfectants or chemical reagents that are essentially used. This is not the case for DSS as it can naturally kill any pathogens during the wastewater treatment process.

Facile synthesis of a luminescent carbon material from yogurt for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue.

The present study is focused on yogurt as a simple, inexpensive, abundant, and green source for the preparation of luminescent carbon material for enhancing the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB). It introduces an ecological and sustainable approach for the large-scale production of carbon material using the direct thermal annealing of yogurt in a muffle furnace. The size of the as-prepared carbon material is about 200-300 nm, with average particle size distribution of 355 nm.

A green approach for the preparation of ZnO@C nanocomposite using agave americana plant extract with enhanced photodegradation.

The present study demonstrates the crucial role of agave americana extract in enhancing the optical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) through thermal treatment method. Various analytical and surface science techniques have been used to identify the morphology, crystalline structure, chemical composition, and optical properties, including scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and UV-visible spectroscopy techniques. The physical studies revealed the transformation of ZnO nanorods into nanosheets upon addition of an optimized amount of agave americana extract, which induced large amount of amorphous carbon deposited onto ZnO nanostructures as confirmed by HRTEM analysis.

Lightweight Deep Learning Classification Model for Identifying Low-Resolution CT Images of Lung Cancer.

With an astounding five million fatal cases every year, lung cancer is among the leading causes of mortality worldwide for both men and women. The diagnosis of lung illnesses can benefit from the information a computed tomography (CT) scan can offer. The major goals of this study are to diagnose lung cancer and its seriousness and to identify malignant lung nodules from the provided input lung picture.

Effective Removal of Methylene Blue by Surface Alteration of TiO with Ficus Carica Leaf Extract under Visible Light.

The present study describes the use of a leaf extract from as a source of natural antioxidants for the surface alteration of bulk titanium dioxide (TiO) in two steps. First, the hydro-thermal treatment of the bulk TiO material was carried out and followed by thermal annealing at 300 °C for 3 h in air. The role of the leaf extract of on the performance of the bulk TiO material for the removal of methylene blue (MB) was also studied.

Development and Characterization of Zein/Ag-Sr Doped Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles Coatings for Biomedical Applications.

Implants are used to replace damaged biological structures in human body. Although stainless steel (SS) is a well-known implant material, corrosion of SS implants leads to the release of toxic metallic ions, which produce harmful effects in human body. To prevent material degradation and its harmful repercussions, these implanted materials are subjected to biocompatible coatings.

Exergy, advance exergy, and exergo-environmental based assessment of alkanol amine- and piperazine-based solvents for natural gas purification.

Purification of Natural gas is vital for utilizing it as a source of energy harvesting for the world. Amine-based chemical absorption technique is the most utilized in the gas field for the purification of gas that ensures the purity of the sweet gas stream with the elimination of carbon dioxide. However, it is considered an energy-intensive process to deal with considerable energy loss and environmental damage to the ecosystem.

Characterization and calibration of multiple 2D laser scanners.

This paper presents the comparative evaluation of multiple compact and lightweight 2D laser scanners for their possible backpack based scanning and mapping applications. These scanners include Hokuyo URG-04LX, Slamtec RPLidar A1-M8 and Hokuyo UTM-30LX-EW scanners. Since the technical datasheets provide general information and limited working details, this research presents a thorough study on the performance of each scanner related explicitly to indoor mapping operations.

Experimental Techniques to Obtain the Cross-Sectional Images of Textile Yarns.

In the fabric industry, textile yarns are the fundamental building blocks. Hence, visualizing and studying yarn structure is essential to understand the structure and behavior of the fibers. Obtaining the yarn's cross-section images is crucial in the calculations of yarn's porosity; furthermore, a more precise expansion for the fiber's migration can be concluded from the cross-sectional images.

The Severity of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress: Recommendations From Joint Work of Research Center and Psychology Clinics in COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the psychological stability of general population of Pakistan. However, research on the severity of COVID-19 induced depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) in Pakistan is scarce. This paper thereby investigates the severity of COVID-19 induced DAS based on demographic, socioeconomic, and personal feeling variables by modeling DAS.

Synthesis of dihydropyrimidine stabilized silver nanoparticles with significant anti urease and catalytic applications.

We synthesized and explored biological and environmental applications of novel silver nanoparticles (AgNps) stabilized by short chain heterocyclic thiol namely Ethyl 6-methyl-4-phenyl-2-thioxo1,2,3,4-dihydropyrim-idine-5-carboxylate (DHPM). Dihydropyrimidines (DHPM), a biological active class of compounds that contain a single thiol group at the focal point which strongly stabilized the nascent AgNps. The short alkyl chain of (DHPM) effectively controlled the growth kinetics and surface morphology of AgNps.

1,3,5-Thiadiazinane thione derivatives as significant urease inhibitors.

We report the promising urease inhibitory activity of four sets of tetrahydro thiadiazine thiones (THTT) namely 3,5-disubstituted tetrahydro-2H-1,3,5-thiadiazine thiones: THTT 5-8 (set A) having alkyl/aryl substituents at N-3 and N-5 positions; THTT 9-12 (set B) and THTT 13-14 (set C) with 3-carboxylic acid derivatives and tetrahydro-2H-1,3,5-thiadiazine-6-thione esters 15-16 (set D). Gratifyingly, all four sets of THTT were recognized as promising inhibitors of urease enzyme. Among 12 tested compounds; THTT 6, 8, 10, 14 and 15 from each set respectively, demonstrated significant urease inhibitory activity with IC values between 11.

Deposition of Aluminide Coatings onto AISI 304L Steel for High Temperature Applications.

The nickel aluminides are commonly employed as a bond coat material in thermal barrier coating systems for the components of aeroengines operated at very high temperatures. However, their lifetime is limited due to several factors, such as outward diffusion of substrate elements, surface roughness at high temperatures, morphological changes of the oxide layer, etc. For this reason, inter-diffusion migrations were studied in the presence and absence of nickel coating.

1-Phenyl ethyl substituted tetrahydro-2H-1,3,5-thiadiazine-2-thione derivatives as promising antimicrobial agents.

Seven derivatives of 1-phenyl ethyl group containing 3,5-disubstituted tetrahydro-2H-1,3,5-thiadiazine-thiones (THTT) were prepared and examined for their antibacterial and antifungal properties by using Microplate Alamar Blue Assay (MABA) and agar tube dilution protocol respectively. In vitro antifungal potential was investigated against five human pathogens and compared with the standard drugs amphotericin B and miconazole. In vitro antibacterial activity was investigated against four pathogens and compared with the ofloxacin.

Influence of Low Sintering Temperature on BaCeZrYO IT-SOFC Perovskite Electrolyte Synthesized by Co-Precipitation Method.

BaCe0.2Zr0.6Y0.

Compacted Area with Effective Links (CAEL) for Data Dissemination in VANETs.

Vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) is a specialized form of wireless network that is solely intended for collaboration between vehicles. Several studies have shown that standard routing protocols cannot be implemented in VANETs because of their unique characteristics such as their significant count of vehicles on the network and the rapid evolution of the network's design. Because VANET communication links are broken very frequently, it is necessary to address the routing consistency of these highly dynamic networks.

Proactive approach for preamble detection in 5G-NR PRACH using supervised machine learning and ensemble model.

The physical random access channel (PRACH) is used in the uplink of cellular systems for initial access requests from the users. It is very hard to achieve low latency by implementing conventional methods in 5G. The performance of the system degrades when multiple users try to access the PRACH receiver with the same preamble signature, resulting in a collision of request signals and dual peak occurrence.

Energy, exergy, economic, environmental, energoeconomic, exergoeconomic, and enviroeconomic (7E) analyses of wind farms: a case study of Pakistan.

Wind energy has been seen as a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels in recent decades. However, only a fraction of wind energy potential is exploited for Pakistan compared to the overall output due to insufficient multi-dimensional analysis. In this study, the energy, exergy, economic, environmental, energoeconomic, exergoeconomic, and enviroeconomic (7E) performance of a 50 MW wind energy system is analyzed for eight locations of Pakistan.

Characterization of Microstructure, Phase Composition, and Mechanical Behavior of Ballistic Steels.

For the protection of civil and military armored vehicles, advanced steels are used, due to their outstanding mechanical properties, high ballistic performance, ease of manufacturing and low cost. However, after retrofitting, weight is the prominent issue. In this regard, several strategies are being proposed, which include the surface engineering of either low-thickness ballistic steels or conventional steels, in addition to new alloys and composites.