1
|
Awais M, Ahmad R, Kausar N, Alzahrani AI, Alalwan N, Masood A. ALL classification using neural ensemble and memetic deep feature optimization. Front Artif Intell 2024; 7:1351942. [PMID: 38655268 PMCID: PMC11035867 DOI: 10.3389/frai.2024.1351942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a fatal blood disorder characterized by the excessive proliferation of immature white blood cells, originating in the bone marrow. An effective prognosis and treatment of ALL calls for its accurate and timely detection. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have shown promising results in digital pathology. However, they face challenges in classifying different subtypes of leukemia due to their subtle morphological differences. This study proposes an improved pipeline for binary detection and sub-type classification of ALL from blood smear images. At first, a customized, 88 layers deep CNN is proposed and trained using transfer learning along with GoogleNet CNN to create an ensemble of features. Furthermore, this study models the feature selection problem as a combinatorial optimization problem and proposes a memetic version of binary whale optimization algorithm, incorporating Differential Evolution-based local search method to enhance the exploration and exploitation of feature search space. The proposed approach is validated using publicly available standard datasets containing peripheral blood smear images of various classes of ALL. An overall best average accuracy of 99.15% is achieved for binary classification of ALL with an 85% decrease in the feature vector, together with 99% precision and 98.8% sensitivity. For B-ALL sub-type classification, the best accuracy of 98.69% is attained with 98.7% precision and 99.57% specificity. The proposed methodology shows better performance metrics as compared with several existing studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Awais
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah, Pakistan
- Department of Computer Engineering, TED University Ankara, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Computer Science, Iqra University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Department of Computer Science, COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah, Pakistan
| | - Nabeela Kausar
- Department of Computer Science, Iqra University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Ahmed Ibrahim Alzahrani
- Department of Computer Science, Community College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nasser Alalwan
- Department of Computer Science, Community College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anum Masood
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hussain I, Ahmad R, Ullah K, Muhammad S, Elhassan R, Syed I. Deep learning-based recognition system for pashto handwritten text: benchmark on PHTI. PeerJ Comput Sci 2024; 10:e1925. [PMID: 38660206 PMCID: PMC11041937 DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.1925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
This article introduces a recognition system for handwritten text in the Pashto language, representing the first attempt to establish a baseline system using the Pashto Handwritten Text Imagebase (PHTI) dataset. Initially, the PHTI dataset underwent pre-processed to eliminate unwanted characters, subsequently, the dataset was divided into training 70%, validation 15%, and test sets 15%. The proposed recognition system is based on multi-dimensional long short-term memory (MD-LSTM) networks. A comprehensive empirical analysis was conducted to determine the optimal parameters for the proposed MD-LSTM architecture; Counter experiments were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed system comparing with the state-of-the-art models on the PHTI dataset. The novelty of our proposed model, compared to other state of the art models, lies in its hidden layer size (i.e., 10, 20, 80) and its Tanh layer size (i.e., 20, 40). The system achieves a Character Error Rate (CER) of 20.77% as a baseline on the test set. The top 20 confusions are reported to check the performance and limitations of the proposed model. The results highlight complications and future perspective of the Pashto language towards the digital transition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ibrar Hussain
- Department of Computer Science, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringel, Dir, Pakistan
- Department of Computer Science & IT, University of Malakand, Chakdara, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Computer Science, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringel, Dir, Pakistan
| | - Khalil Ullah
- Department of Software Engineering, University of Malakand, Chakadara, Pakistan
| | - Siraj Muhammad
- Department of Computer Science, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringel, Dir, Pakistan
| | - Rasha Elhassan
- Department of Computer Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ikram Syed
- AI and Software, Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Republic of South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abou Fayssal S, Kumar P, Popescu SM, Khanday MUD, Sardar H, Ahmad R, Gupta D, Kumar Gaur S, Alharby HF, Al-Ghamdi AG. Health risk assessment of heavy metals in saffron ( Crocus sativus L.) cultivated in domestic wastewater and lake water irrigated soils. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27138. [PMID: 38455530 PMCID: PMC10918222 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Irrigation of crops with domestic wastewater (DW) is a common practice in developing countries like India. However, domestic wastewater irrigation poses a risk of migration of toxic heavy metals to edible parts of crops, which requires serious measures to prevent their uptake. In this study, the effect of DW irrigation in comparison with Sarbal Lake water (SLW) and borewell water (BW) on soil characteristics and cultivated saffron (Crocus sativus L.) was investigated. For this purpose, samples of water, soil, and saffron (corm, petal, and stigma) were collected from the suburban area of Pampore, Srinagar district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The results showed that DW irrigation had the maximum significant (p < 0.05) influence on the physico-chemical and nutrient characteristics of the soil, followed by SLW and BW irrigation, respectively. The growth and yield parameters of saffron were also significantly (p < 0.05) increased in the case of DW irrigation as compared to SLW and BW. The quality ranking of the cultivated saffron was found to be in accordance with the ISO standard (III: BW and II: DW and SLW). On the other hand, DW irrigation showed a significant increase in heavy metal contents (mg/kg) of saffron plant parts such as As (0.21-0.40), Cd (0.04-0.09), Cr (0.16-0.41), Cu (7.31-14. 75), Fe (142.38-303.15), Pb (0.18-0.31), Mn (15.26-22.81), Hg (0.18-0.25), Ni (0.74-1.18), Se (0.13-0.22), and Zn (3.44-4.59), followed by SLW and BW. However, the levels of heavy metals did not exceed the FAO/WHO safe limits. Bioaccumulation factor (BAF), dietary intake modeling (DIM<0.006496), health risk assessment (HRI<0.028571), and target hazard quotient (THQ<1) analyses showed no potential health hazard associated with the consumption of saffron irrigated with DW and SLW. Therefore, the results of this study provide valuable insights into the optimization of irrigation sources for saffron cultivation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sami Abou Fayssal
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Forestry, 10 Kliment Ohridski Blvd, 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria
- Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Lebanese University, Beirut 1302, Lebanon
| | - Pankaj Kumar
- Agroecology and Pollution Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology and Environmental Science, Gurukula Kangri (Deemed to Be University), Haridwar 249404, Uttarakhand, India
- Research and Development Division, Society for AgroEnvironmental Sustainability, Dehradun 248007, India
| | - Simona M. Popescu
- Department of Biology and Environmental Engineering, University of Craiova, A.I. Cuza 13, 200585 Craiova, Romania
| | - Mehraj ud-din Khanday
- Division of Soil Science, Faculty of Horticulture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Kashmir 190025, India
| | - Hasan Sardar
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan 29111, Pakistan
| | - Deep Gupta
- College of Smart Agriculture, COER University, Roorkee 247667, India
| | | | - Hesham F. Alharby
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Plant Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah G. Al-Ghamdi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abbas MS, Jehanzaib B, Hussain S, Mahmood A, Ahmad R. Mass spectrometric study of low energy Cs + ion-induced sputtered fragmentation of PADC polymer. J Mass Spectrom 2024; 59:e5002. [PMID: 38311469 DOI: 10.1002/jms.5002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
In this study, low-energy cesium (Cs+ ) ion-induced sputtered fragmentation of poly allyl diglycol carbonate (PADC) was investigated using mass spectrometry. The collision-induced dissociation mechanism revealed emission of various fragments, including monoatomic (H- , C1 - , O1 - ), diatomic (C2 - ), and multiatomic (C3 - , CO2 - , C2 O2 - , C3 O2 - ) species within the Cs+ ion energy range of 1-5 keV. The anion current of these fragments exhibited a linear increase with rising incident Cs+ ion energy, indicating a corresponding rise in fragment abundance. Analysis of normalized yield indicated that at 1 keV incident energy, the dominant fragment was monoatomic hydrogen (H- ), followed by diatomic carbon (C2 - ), monoatomic carbon (C1 - ), and monoatomic oxygen (O1 - ). Although C2 - remained dominant up to 5 keV, other fragments exhibited varying normalized yields at different ion energy steps. The sputter yield estimation revealed that monoatomic hydrogen (H- ) and diatomic carbon (C2 - ) exhibited the highest yields, increasing exponentially beyond 3 keV, while multiatomic fragments like C3 - , CO2 - , C2 O2 - , and C3 O2 - displayed the lowest yields. The sputter dissociation mechanism pointed to dehydrogenation, chain scission, and bond breakage as the primary processes during low-energy Cs+ ion impact. Postsputtering Scanning Electron Mircoscope (SEM) micrographs show craters, pits, and micropores on the PADC surface, indicating significant surface degradation. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) spectra exhibited reduced diffraction intensity, while Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated the absence of molecular bands in the IR spectrum, confirming extensive surface damage due to Cs+ ion-induced sputtering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Bilal Jehanzaib
- Department of Physics, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Shahzad Hussain
- Department of Physics, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Abid Mahmood
- Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Physics, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Shah MF, Nasir IUI, Ahmad R, Ahmad S, Amjad A, Zaineb KB, Rehman R. Short-Term Outcomes of First 100 Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgeries at a Newly Developed Surgical Setup at Peshawar. Cureus 2024; 16:e53588. [PMID: 38449997 PMCID: PMC10915358 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.53588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) has risen steadily, necessitating innovative strategies for diagnosis and treatment. Minimally invasive surgery, exemplified by laparoscopic techniques, has emerged as a transformative approach in colorectal surgical practices. Laparoscopy offers advantages such as improved aesthetic outcomes, reduced post-operative pain, early patient mobilization, and shorter hospital stays. OBJECTIVE This study aims to present the short-term surgical outcomes of the first 100 elective laparoscopic CRC resections performed at a newly established tertiary care cancer center in Peshawar, Pakistan. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were prospectively collected for CRC resections performed between April 2021 and February 2022. The study included patients above 18 years of age with biopsy-proven CRC. Surgical procedures were performed by two dedicated colorectal surgeons trained in minimally invasive surgery. Patient demographics, pre-operative factors, intraoperative parameters, and post-operative outcomes were systematically recorded and analyzed. RESULTS Among the 100 cases included in the study, laparoscopic colorectal surgeries were successfully performed without any conversions to open surgery. The mean age of the study population was 52.5 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. The majority of cases were colon (48%) and anorectal cancers (52%). The mean lymph node yield was 18.29 (range 6-49). Only one patient required a re-look laparoscopy for a pelvic hematoma, and overall mortality was reported at 1%. CONCLUSION Laparoscopic colorectal surgery is a safe and effective treatment option for elective colorectal operations with minimal post-operative complications and favorable short-term outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad F Shah
- Surgical Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Peshawar, PAK
| | - Irfan Ul Islam Nasir
- Surgical Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Peshawar, PAK
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Colorectal Surgery, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Peshawar, PAK
| | - Sajjad Ahmad
- Medicine, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Peshawar, PAK
| | - Aalia Amjad
- Medicine, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Peshawar, PAK
| | - Khush Bakht Zaineb
- Medicine, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Peshawar, PAK
| | - Romana Rehman
- Medicine, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Peshawar, PAK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Nooreen N, Zahid M, Jawad M, Ullah SA, Khan MI, Khan K, Shah M, Wahab A, Ahmad R, Sajid M, Jawad SM, Khan S. Studying biodiversity of spiders species in seven different localities of Charsadda District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. BRAZ J BIOL 2024; 84:e260515. [DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.260515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract The current research work aims to provide knowledge about the diversity of spiders’ fauna and their occurrence throughout the year from District Charsadda Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Research data were collected from March-2015 to January-2017 from seven different localities of Charsadda District by using the camera, bottle, plastic bags, paraffin films, field book and 70% of ethylene alcohol and 20% of glycerine were used as chemicals. By using special identification keys, spiders were differentiated into families, genera and species. During the study time, a total of 2734 specimens of spiders were collected belonging from 35 genera, 15 families and 44 species were identified. Salticidae was the dominant family according to genera studied plus spiders samples numbers collected with 10 genera and 616 species specimens count. The high occurrence of spiders was studied during July. The result of the current study also shows a reduction of spider’s species in December due to lowering the temperature. The current study shows that Salticidae were the dominant family as capered to other species. The occurrence of spiders species greatly depends on changing the weather condition. The present study also shows great fluctuation in spider’s occurrence with changing of hot climate to colder during the study duration. Moreover, the wet season plays a great role in spiders’ population increase and growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - M. Zahid
- Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - M. Jawad
- Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan
| | | | | | - K. Khan
- Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - M. Shah
- Government College Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - A. Wahab
- Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - R. Ahmad
- Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - M. Sajid
- Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan
| | | | - S. Khan
- Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Naz S, Mushtaq A, Ali S, Muhammad HMD, Saddiq B, Ahmad R, Zulfiqar F, Hayat F, Tiwari RK, Lal MK, Altaf MA. Foliar application of ascorbic acid enhances growth and yield of lettuce ( Lactuca sativa) under saline conditions by improving antioxidant defence mechanism. Funct Plant Biol 2024; 51:NULL. [PMID: 36167606 DOI: 10.1071/fp22139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) production is low because of different environmental stresses. Salt stress significantly reduces lettuce growth and yield. Foliar application of ascorbic acid is considered as a possible way to mitigate the adverse salinity effects on plants. This current study investigated the effect of foliar spray of ascorbic acid (control, 100, 200, 300 and 400mg/L) to mitigate negative effects of salinity (0, 50, 100 and 150mMNaCl) in lettuce plants in 2019 and 2020. Salinity level of 200mMNaCl significantly reduced growth and yield traits; i.e. leaf length and diameter, number of leaves, fresh plant weight, number of roots, root length and root dry weight and these traits increased under foliar application of ascorbic acid concentration of 400mg/L. Two salinity levels (150 and 200mMNaCl)×400mg/L ascorbic acid enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) content in lettuce plants. Peroxidase (POD) content increased in 200mMNaCl and 400mg/L ascorbic acid. Catalase (CAT) content increased in 100, 150 and 200mMNaCl and 400mg/L ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid was significantly greater in 200mMNaCl and 400mg/L ascorbic acid. Phenolic content was the maximum in 200mMNaCl and 300mg/L and 400mg/L ascorbic acid. Titratable acidity was higher in 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200mMNaCl and control of ascorbic acid. We conclude that ascorbic acid had potential to mitigate the adverse effects of salinity by reducing oxidative injury in agricultural crops especially lettuce.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Safina Naz
- Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | - Abubakar Mushtaq
- Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | - Sajid Ali
- Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | | | - Bushra Saddiq
- Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan
| | - Faisal Zulfiqar
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Faisal Hayat
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, P. R. China
| | | | - Milan Kumar Lal
- ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla 171001, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Park JS, Ahmad R, Choe K, Kang MH, Park TJ, Kim MO. Immunization Effects of a Novel α-Synuclein-Based Peptide Epitope Vaccine in Parkinson's Disease-Associated Pathology. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1820. [PMID: 38140224 PMCID: PMC10748214 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11121820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system, specifically the motor system. It is mainly caused by the loss of dopamine due to the accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) protein in the striatum and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Previous studies have reported that immunization may be a potential preventive strategy for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Therefore, the aim of the study was to design an α-syn specific epitope vaccine and investigate its effect in PD-related pathophysiology using an α-syn-induced mouse model. We used an in silico model to identify and design a non-toxic α-syn-based peptide epitope vaccine and, to overcome poor immunogenicity, the vaccine was coupled with immunogenic carrier proteins, i.e., ovalbumin (OVA) and keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH). Our results showed that vaccinated PD mouse models, especially with vaccines with carrier proteins, improved in motor functions compared with the non-vaccinated PD model. Additionally, the vaccinated groups showed increased immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in the spleen and plasma as well as decreased interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels in the plasma. Furthermore, vaccinated groups, especially OVA and KLH groups, showed decrease in α-syn levels and increased dopamine-related markers, i.e., tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), vesicle monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), and dopamine transporter (DAT), and autophagy activities in the striatum and SNpc. Lastly, our data showed decreased neuroinflammation by reducing the activation of microglia and astrocytes and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the immunized groups, especially with OVA and KLH carrier proteins. Overall, these results suggest that vaccination, especially with immunogenic carrier proteins, is effective in reducing the accumulation of α-syn aggregates in the brain and ameliorate PD-related pathophysiology. Hence, further development of this approach might have a potential role in preventing the development of PD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Sung Park
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea; (J.S.P.); (R.A.); (M.H.K.)
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea; (J.S.P.); (R.A.); (M.H.K.)
| | - Kyonghwan Choe
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea; (J.S.P.); (R.A.); (M.H.K.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Min Hwa Kang
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea; (J.S.P.); (R.A.); (M.H.K.)
| | - Tae Ju Park
- Haemato-Oncology/Systems Medicine Group, Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences (MVLS), University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 0ZD, UK;
| | - Myeong Ok Kim
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea; (J.S.P.); (R.A.); (M.H.K.)
- Alz-Dementia Korea Co., Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hussaini N, Lane C, Ahmad R, Hussaini N, Hussaini A. Transient ST-elevation MI diagnosed by Holter monitoring. Ir Med J 2023; 116:862. [PMID: 37874542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
|
10
|
Ahmad R, Cantwell J, Borrelli C, Lim P, D'Souza D, Gaze MN, Moinuddin S, Gains J, Veiga C. Development of Population-Based Pediatric Computational Phantoms for Radiotherapy Applications. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 117:e456. [PMID: 37785462 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.06.1647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Age-specific pediatric computational phantoms are used in radiotherapy (RT) for quality assurance and for reconstruction of historical RT doses (within others). Phantoms are typically developed from healthy patients and may not effectively represent those with cancer due to pathology and/or treatment effects. This study evaluated a set of population-based pediatric computational phantoms developed in-house in terms of anatomical plausibility. MATERIALS/METHODS Planning CTs and contours from historical craniospinal irradiation (CSI) patients (n = 74, median age 7y, range: 1-17y) were used to generate and evaluate a set of in-house age-specific population-based RT phantoms (RT-P). The RT-P were generated by combining a sub-set of clinical CTs and contours through groupwise deformable image registration, generating average models of CSI sub-populations (n = 74, median age 7y, range: 3-14y). Models were then compared against clinical data and two libraries of phantoms representing healthy populations: the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) pediatric reference computational phantoms (n = 8, median age 8y, range: 1-15y) and a variety of default 4D extended cardiac torso (XCAT) phantoms (n = 75, median age 9y, range: 1-18y). Variation between organ volumes for the different datasets was assessed through a linear fit of organ volume with age, reporting the slope (∑) of each fit [y-1]. Average difference between the volume datapoints and the linear fit for clinical data (Δ) [%] were also reported. This allowed for comparisons of the RT-P to clinical and reference data in terms of organ volumes across developmental stages. RESULTS The table shows 9 of the 19 investigated organs. The ∑ reported for RT-P models were of similar magnitude as the clinical data and other phantoms, effectively modelling changes with age. The greatest and least ∑ were reported from lungs and thyroid respectively, in agreement with expected relative sizes between organs. Larger values for Δ were likely due to differences in organ filling and segmentation strategy between datasets, limitations of RT-P methodology, and/or anatomical differences between healthy and cancer populations. CONCLUSION The RT-P models show promise in representing the RT cohort that may benefit from specialized anatomical phantoms. Further work is needed to address the limitations of the current methodology and its applicability to other RT cohorts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Ahmad
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - J Cantwell
- Radiotherapy, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - C Borrelli
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - P Lim
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - D D'Souza
- Radiotherapy, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - M N Gaze
- Department of Oncology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - S Moinuddin
- Radiotherapy, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - J Gains
- Department of Radiotherapy, University College London Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - C Veiga
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rehman UU, Ghafoor D, Ullah A, Ahmad R, Hanif S. Epigenetics regulation during virus-host interaction and their effects on the virus and host cell. Microb Pathog 2023; 182:106271. [PMID: 37517745 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics, a field of study focused on cellular gene regulation independent of DNA sequence alterations, encompasses DNA methylation, histone modification and microRNA modification. Epigenetics processes play a pivotal role in governing the life cycles of viruses, enabling their transmission, persistence, and maintenance with in host organisms. This review examines the epigenetics regulation of diverse virus including orthomoxyviruses, coronavirus, retroviridae, mononegavirales, and poxviruses among others. The investigation encompasses ten representative viruses from these families. Detailed exploration of the epigenetic mechanisms underlying each virus type, involving miRNA modification, histone modification and DNA methylation, sheds light on the intricate and multifaceted epigenetic interplay between viruses and their hosts. Furthermore, this review investigates the influence of these epigenetic processes on infection cycles, emphasizing the utilization of epigenetics by viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to regulate gene expression during chronic or latent infections, control latency, and transition to lytic infection. Finally, the paper explores the novel treatments possibilities stemming from this epigenetic understanding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ubaid Ur Rehman
- Medical Genetics Research Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan.
| | - Dawood Ghafoor
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430064, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Asad Ullah
- Medical Genetics Research Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Medical Genetics Research Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan
| | - Sumaira Hanif
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Ali S, Rahman AU, Ali E, Karabulut F, Ali S, Ahmad R, Fadl ME, AbdelRahman MAE, Ahmed MAA, Scopa A. Insights on the Nutritional Profiling of Cantaloupe ( Cucumis melo L.) via 1-Naphthalene Acetic Acid. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:2969. [PMID: 37631181 PMCID: PMC10459078 DOI: 10.3390/plants12162969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
The nutritional components of cantaloupe, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, contribute to overall health, improved immunity, hydration, and protection against chronic diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of different concentrations (0 (control), 100, 150, and 200 ppm) of 1-naphthalene acetic acid (1-NAA) on the nutritional components of the cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L. Var. Super White Honey). All the studied treatments were applied twice at the 2nd and 4th leaf stages. The applied concentrations of 1-NAA significantly improved the sex expression and fruit yield attributes. Different nutritional components like proximate contents, minerals, vitamins, selected fatty acids, and amino acids were analyzed. The results showed that the maximum moisture content, proteins, carbohydrates, ash, and energy were recorded with 100 ppm. The higher lipids were recorded during the supplementation of 150 ppm. Significantly greater fibers were recorded using 200 ppm. Regarding minerals, 100 ppm was found to be the best as it increased calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sodium (Na), phosphorous (P), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). Vitamins were also found to be the maximum with 100 ppm, including vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K. Total selected fatty acids and amino acids were also found significantly greater in the fruits administered 100 ppm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad Ali
- Department of Botany, Bacha Khan University, Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 24461, Pakistan; (S.A.); (A.U.R.)
| | - Atta Ur Rahman
- Department of Botany, Bacha Khan University, Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 24461, Pakistan; (S.A.); (A.U.R.)
| | - Ehsan Ali
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan 29220, Pakistan;
| | - Fadime Karabulut
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Firat University, 23119 Elazig, Turkey;
| | - Saqib Ali
- Department of Entomology, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan 29220, Pakistan;
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan 29220, Pakistan
| | - Mohamed E. Fadl
- Division of Scientific Training and Continuous Studies, National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Cairo 11769, Egypt;
| | - Mohamed A. E. AbdelRahman
- Division of Environmental Studies and Land Use, National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Cairo 11769, Egypt;
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Remote Sensing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Mohamed A. A. Ahmed
- Plant Production Department (Horticulture—Medicinal and Aromatic Plants), Faculty of Agriculture (Saba Basha), Alexandria University, Alexandria 21531, Egypt;
- School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Chenggong District, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Antonio Scopa
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali (SAFE), Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Iqbal W, Ayyub CM, Jahangir MM, Ahmad R. Effect of foliar application of bio-stimulants on growth, yield and nutritional quality of broccoli. BRAZ J BIOL 2023; 83:e263302. [PMID: 37493781 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.263302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Broccoli is one of important cole crop grown all over the world due to its unique nutritional profile consumed fresh as well as processed. It contains a wide range of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and specific anti-cancer compounds such as glucosinolates. Broccoli cultivation in Pakistan is increasing rapidly, however, till now there is no standardized cropping technology for broccoli cultivation under local climate. Considering research gap (lack of suitable varieties, poor growth, and unavailability of optimized crop technology), trial was conducted at Vegetable research area, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad to evaluate the impact of bio-stimulants on different broccoli cultivars under local climatic conditions. The set of experimental treatments was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Pre-harvest application of Isabion and Seaweed extract significantly enhanced the plant height (11%), dry weight (4%), leaf area (7%), and yield plant-1 (5%). Moreover, Isabion and seaweed extract application led to the increase in antioxidant enzymes i.e., superoxide dismutase (18%), peroxidase (38%) and catalase (12%). In crux, the foliar application of bio-stimulants (Isabion and seaweed extract) on broccoli enhanced the growth, yield, and contents of antioxidant enzymes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W Iqbal
- University of Agriculture, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - C M Ayyub
- University of Agriculture, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - M M Jahangir
- University of Agriculture, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - R Ahmad
- University of Agriculture, Department of Agronomy, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Park JS, Rehman IU, Choe K, Ahmad R, Lee HJ, Kim MO. A Triterpenoid Lupeol as an Antioxidant and Anti-Neuroinflammatory Agent: Impacts on Oxidative Stress in Alzheimer's Disease. Nutrients 2023; 15:3059. [PMID: 37447385 DOI: 10.3390/nu15133059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease illustrated by neuronal dysfunctions, leading to memory weaknesses and personality changes mostly in the aged population worldwide. The exact cause of AD is unclear, but numerous studies have addressed the involvement of oxidative stress (OS), induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), to be one of the leading causes in developing AD. OS dysregulates the cellular homeostasis, causing abnormal protein and lipid metabolism. Nutrition plays a pivotal role in modulating the antioxidant system and decreases the neuronal ROS level, thus playing an important therapeutic role in neurodegenerative diseases, especially in AD. Hence, medicinal herbs and their extracts have received global attention as a commercial source of antioxidants Lupeol. Lupeol is a pentacyclic triterpenoid and has many biological functions. It is available in fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants. It has shown effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and higher blood-brain barrier permeability. Also, the binding and inhibitory potentials of Lupeol have been investigated and proved to be effective against certain receptor proteins and enzymes in AD studies by computational molecular docking approaches. Therefore, AD-related research has gained interest in investigating the therapeutic effects of Lupeol. However, despite its beneficial effects in AD, there is still a lack of research in Lupeol. Hence, we compiled in this analysis all preclinical research that looked at Lupeol as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent for AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Sung Park
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Inayat Ur Rehman
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyonghwan Choe
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeon Jin Lee
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeong Ok Kim
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
- Alz-Dementia Korea Co., Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Manzoor M, Naz S, Muhammad HMD, Ahmad R. Smart reprogramming of jujube germplasm against salinity tolerance through molecular tools. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:222. [PMID: 37402037 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-01140-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Meryam Manzoor
- Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Safina Naz
- Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
| | | | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Fernandez I Marti A, Parungao M, Hollin J, Selimotic B, Farrar G, Seyler T, Anand A, Ahmad R. A Novel, Precise and High-Throughput Technology for Viroid Detection in Cannabis (MFDetect TM). Viruses 2023; 15:1487. [PMID: 37515174 PMCID: PMC10385567 DOI: 10.3390/v15071487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Hop latent viroid (HLVd) is a severe disease of cannabis, causing substantial economic losses in plant yield and crop value for growers worldwide. The best way to control the disease is early detection to limit the spread of the viroid in grow facilities. This study describes MFDetectTM as a rapid, highly sensitive, and high-throughput tool for detecting HLVd in the early stages of plant development. Furthermore, in the largest research study conducted so far for HLVd detection in cannabis, we compared MFDetectTM with quantitative RT-PCR in a time course experiment using different plant tissues, leaves, petioles, and roots at different plant developmental stages to demonstrate both technologies are comparable. Our study found leaf tissue is a suitable plant material for HLVd detection, with the viroid titer increasing in the infected leaf tissue with the age of plants. The study showed that other tissue types, including petiole and roots, were equally sensitive to detection via MFDetectTM. The assay developed in this research allows the screening of thousands of plants in a week. The assay can be scaled easily to provide growers with a quick turnaround and a cost-effective diagnostic tool for screening many plants and tissue types at different stages of development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angel Fernandez I Marti
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- MyFloraDNA, Inc., 1451 River Park Dr., Sacramento, CA 95815, USA
| | - Marcus Parungao
- MyFloraDNA, Inc., 1451 River Park Dr., Sacramento, CA 95815, USA
| | - Jonathan Hollin
- MyFloraDNA, Inc., 1451 River Park Dr., Sacramento, CA 95815, USA
| | - Berin Selimotic
- MyFloraDNA, Inc., 1451 River Park Dr., Sacramento, CA 95815, USA
| | - Graham Farrar
- Glass House Farms, 645 W Laguna Road, Camarillo, CA 93012, USA
| | - Tristan Seyler
- Glass House Farms, 645 W Laguna Road, Camarillo, CA 93012, USA
| | - Ajith Anand
- MyFloraDNA, Inc., 1451 River Park Dr., Sacramento, CA 95815, USA
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- MyFloraDNA, Inc., 1451 River Park Dr., Sacramento, CA 95815, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Atiq A, Lee HJ, Khan A, Kang MH, Rehman IU, Ahmad R, Tahir M, Ali J, Choe K, Park JS, Kim MO. Vitamin E Analog Trolox Attenuates MPTP-Induced Parkinson's Disease in Mice, Mitigating Oxidative Stress, Neuroinflammation, and Motor Impairment. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9942. [PMID: 37373089 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24129942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Trolox is a potent antioxidant and a water-soluble analog of vitamin E. It has been used in scientific studies to examine oxidative stress and its impact on biological systems. Trolox has been shown to have a neuroprotective effect against ischemia and IL-1β-mediated neurodegeneration. In this study, we investigated the potential protective mechanisms of Trolox against a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease mouse model. Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and ROS/LPO assays were performed to investigate the role of trolox against neuroinflammation, the oxidative stress mediated by MPTP in the Parkinson's disease (PD) mouse model (wild-type mice (C57BL/6N), eight weeks old, average body weight 25-30 g). Our study showed that MPTP increased the expression of α-synuclein, decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine transporter (DAT) levels in the striatum and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), and impaired motor function. However, Trolox treatment significantly reversed these PD-like pathologies. Furthermore, Trolox treatment reduced oxidative stress by increasing the expression of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Lastly, Trolox treatment inhibited the activated astrocytes (GFAP) and microglia (Iba-1), also reducing phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB, (p-NF-κB) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the PD mouse brain. Overall, our study demonstrated that Trolox may exert neuroprotection on dopaminergic neurons against MPTP-induced oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, motor dysfunction, and neurodegeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abubakar Atiq
- Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK21 FOUR), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeon Jin Lee
- Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK21 FOUR), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Amjad Khan
- Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK21 FOUR), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Hwa Kang
- Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK21 FOUR), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Inayat Ur Rehman
- Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK21 FOUR), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK21 FOUR), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Muhammad Tahir
- Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK21 FOUR), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Jawad Ali
- Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK21 FOUR), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyonghwan Choe
- Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK21 FOUR), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jun Sung Park
- Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK21 FOUR), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeong Ok Kim
- Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK21 FOUR), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
- Alz-Dementia Korea Co., Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Zeb K, Khan I, Ahmad R, Eldin SM. Transmission dynamics of a novel HIV/AIDS model through a higher-order Galerkin time discretization scheme. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7421. [PMID: 37156899 PMCID: PMC10167370 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34696-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
There are numerous contagious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, that have the propensity to culminate in fatal consequences. A communicable disease is an illness caused by a contagion agent or its toxins and spread directly or indirectly to a susceptible animal or human host by an infected person, animal, vector, or immaterial environment. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, hepatitis A, B, and C, and measles are all examples of communicable diseases. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a communicable disease caused by HIV infection that has become the most severe issue facing humanity. The research work in this paper is to numerically explore a mathematical model and demonstrate the dynamics of HIV/AIDS disease transmission using a continuous Galerkin-Petrov time discretization of a higher-order scheme, specifically the cGP(2)-scheme. Depict a graphical and tabular comparison between the outcomes of the mentioned scheme and those obtained through other classical schemes that exist in the literature. Further, a comparison is performed relative to the well-known fourth-order Ruge-Kutta (RK4) method with different step sizes. By contrast, the suggested approach provided more accurate results with a larger step size than RK4 with a smaller step size. After validation and confirmation of the suggested scheme and code, we implement the method to the extended model by introducing a treatment rate and show the impact of various non-linear source terms for the generation of new cells. We also determined the basic reproduction number and use the Routh-Hurwitz criterion to assess the stability of disease-free and unique endemic equilibrium states of the HIV model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kamil Zeb
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Bacha Khan University, Charsadda, 24461, Pakistan
| | - Ilyas Khan
- Department of Mathematics, College of Science Al-Zulfi, Majmaah University, Al-Majmaah, 11952, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Sayed M Eldin
- Center of Research, Faculty of Engineering, Future University in Egypt, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Lubna S, Ahmad R. Clinical and biochemical understanding of Zinc interaction during liver diseases: A paradigm shift. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2023; 77:127130. [PMID: 36641955 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Zinc (Zn) is an essential and the second most abundant trace element after Iron. It can apply antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic activity. It is assumed to be indispensable for cell division, cellular differentiation and cell signalling. Zinc is essential for proper liver function which is also the site of its metabolism. Depleted Zn concentrations have been observed in both acute and chronic hepatic diseases. It is reported that Zn deficiency or abnormal Zn metabolism during majority of liver diseases is attributed to deficient dietary intake of Zn, augmented disposal of Zn in the urine, activation of certain Zn transporters, and expression of hepatic metallothionein. Undoubtedly, Zn is involved in generating many diseases but how and whether it plays role from acute to fulminant stage of all chronic liver diseases remains to be cleared. Here, we will discuss the role of Zn in development of different diseases specifically the involvement of Zn to understand the aetiology and intricate mechanism of dynamic liver diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shiba Lubna
- Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202001, India
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202001, India.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Ahmad R, Awais M, Kausar N, Tariq U, Cha JH, Balili J. Leukocytes Classification for Leukemia Detection Using Quantum Inspired Deep Feature Selection. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092507. [PMID: 37173974 PMCID: PMC10177199 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukocytes, also referred to as white blood cells (WBCs), are a crucial component of the human immune system. Abnormal proliferation of leukocytes in the bone marrow leads to leukemia, a fatal blood cancer. Classification of various subtypes of WBCs is an important step in the diagnosis of leukemia. The method of automated classification of WBCs using deep convolutional neural networks is promising to achieve a significant level of accuracy, but suffers from high computational costs due to very large feature sets. Dimensionality reduction through intelligent feature selection is essential to improve the model performance with reduced computational complexity. This work proposed an improved pipeline for subtype classification of WBCs that relies on transfer learning for feature extraction using deep neural networks, followed by a wrapper feature selection approach based on a customized quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithm (QIEA). This algorithm, inspired by the principles of quantum physics, outperforms classical evolutionary algorithms in the exploration of search space. The reduced feature vector obtained from QIEA was then classified with multiple baseline classifiers. In order to validate the proposed methodology, a public dataset of 5000 images of five subtypes of WBCs was used. The proposed system achieves a classification accuracy of about 99% with a reduction of 90% in the size of the feature vector. The proposed feature selection method also shows a better convergence performance as compared to the classical genetic algorithm and a comparable performance to several existing works.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Computer Science, Iqra University, Islamabad 44800, Pakistan
- Department of Computer Science, COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah Campus, Wah 47010, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Awais
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah Campus, Wah 47010, Pakistan
| | - Nabeela Kausar
- Department of Computer Science, Iqra University, Islamabad 44800, Pakistan
| | - Usman Tariq
- Department of Management Information Systems, College of Business Administration, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 16278, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jae-Hyuk Cha
- Department of computer Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Jamel Balili
- College of Computer Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lakshminarayan R, Bent C, Taylor J, Bryant T, Ahmad R, Diamantopoulos A, Morgan RA. Developing day-case units: imperative for optimal patient care in interventional radiology. Clin Radiol 2023; 78:295-300. [PMID: 36702708 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2022.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
As interventional radiology (IR) treatments have evolved, they have become less invasive, enabling rapid recovery, which expedites ambulation and promotes same-day discharge. As a result of this, a significant proportion of IR elective work can be provided using a day-case service model. Reconfiguration of IR services to increase day-case procedures using a dedicated IR day-case unit (RDU) to facilitate the passage of patients is vital to ensure best medical practice. The aim of this review is to discuss the benefits of day-case IR procedures, the optimal structure of an RDU, and to inform radiologists how to introduce and/or improve day-case IR services in their IR practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Lakshminarayan
- Department of Vascular Radiology, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull, UK
| | - C Bent
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Dorset, Dorset, UK
| | - J Taylor
- Interventional Radiology, Frimley Health Foundation Trust, Surrey, UK
| | - T Bryant
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - R Ahmad
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - A Diamantopoulos
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Guys' and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - R A Morgan
- Department of Radiology, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and St George's, University of London, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Galiveeti MRV, El-Abed K, Ahmad R. Early Failure of Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Due to Massive Osteolysis Caused by Bio-Absorbable Interference Screws. Cureus 2023; 15:e38143. [PMID: 37252598 PMCID: PMC10224710 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.38143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
We report an unusual case in which an unabsorbed bio-absorbable screw in the tibial tunnel of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) performed 11 years ago caused massive osteolysis and subsequent failure of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). ACLR was performed using suspensory fixation on the femoral side and a bio-absorbable interference screw on the tibial side. Fragmentation of the bio-absorbable screw at the time of tibial component implantation is thought to have evoked an accelerated inflammatory response, causing osteolysis, which finally resulted in early failure of the TKA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mukund Reddy V Galiveeti
- Trauma and Orthopaedics, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston, NHS Foundation Trust, Weston-super-Mare, GBR
| | - Khaldoun El-Abed
- Trauma and Orthopaedics, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston, NHS Foundation Trust, Weston-super-Mare, GBR
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Trauma and Orthopaedics, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston, NHS Foundation Trust, Weston-super-Mare, GBR
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Bryant T, Ahmad R, Diamantopoulos A, Lakshminarayan R, Bent C, Taylor J, Morgan RA. Access to beds for interventional radiology patients: improving patient care. Clin Radiol 2023; 78:288-294. [PMID: 36707396 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
This review describes the rationale in support of admitting rights for interventional radiologists and presents options for the management of interventional radiology (IR) inpatients. The manuscript also discusses wider aspects of IR involvement in inpatient treatment, such as income and funding for IR services, and the implications for IR as a clinical specialty.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T Bryant
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - R Ahmad
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - A Diamantopoulos
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Guys' and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - R Lakshminarayan
- Department of Vascular Radiology, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull, UK
| | - C Bent
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Dorset, Dorset, UK
| | - J Taylor
- Department of Radiology, Frimley Health Foundation Trust, Surrey, UK
| | - R A Morgan
- Department of Radiology, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and St George's, University of London, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Ahmad R, Ali HM, Lisek A, Mosa WFA, Ercisli S, Anjum MA. Correlation among some phenological and biochemical traits in date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) germplasm. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1118069. [PMID: 37063210 PMCID: PMC10101145 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1118069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Date palm is an economically important fruit crop in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. The knowledge of genetic variation, genotype-by-traits comparison, as well as the relationship among several phenological traits is effective for developing breeding populations by choosing the best allelic combinations and employing selection approaches. Information regarding the genetic variability and inter-relationships among fruit characteristics is facilitating the plant breeders to efficiently exploit the date palm germplasm for the introduction of elite genotypes. The present study was conducted to examine genetic variation among different date palm cultivars -collected from two different research stations in Pakistan as well as the relationship among their phenological and biochemical characteristics. Biplot analysis revealed that the cultivars 'Dhakki', 'Chohara', and 'Kupra' possessed the highest fruit and pulp weights. Moreover, the fruits of the cultivars 'Champa Kali' and 'Shakri' had the maximum TSS (total soluble solids) and total sugar content. Similar variations were observed in the mean values of the studied phenological and biochemical characteristics as in the biplot analysis. Cluster analysis on the basis of phenological and biochemical characteristics divided 50 cultivars into seven clusters, showing differences in the studied characters. A correlation matrix revealed that pulp weight had a strong relationship with fruit weight, length, and diameter. A strong correlation also existed among antioxidant capacity, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content. These results demonstrated a huge diversity in phenological and biochemical characteristics of date palm cultivars as well as a correlation among several characteristics of the studied germplasm, which can be exploited in future breeding programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan
| | - Hayssam M. Ali
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anna Lisek
- The National Institute of Horticultural Research, Konstytucji 3 Maja 1/3, Skierniewice, Poland
| | - Walid F. A. Mosa
- Plant Production Department (Horticulture-Pomology), Faculty of Agriculture, Saba Basha, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Sezai Ercisli
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Türkiye
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Khan MFS, Tahir L, Zhou X, Bary G, Sajid M, Shahzad AK, Khan I, Mohamed A, Ahmad R. Method development for simultaneous estimation of Amlodipine Besylate and Perindopril Tertbutyl amine in fixed-dose. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14209. [PMID: 36923897 PMCID: PMC10009730 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The fixed-dose combination of Amlodipine Besylate (ADB) with Perindopril Tertbutylamine (PTBA) drug is used to treat patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. In recent times researchers are interested to find the efficient analytical method development and validation for the simultaneous determination of ADB and PTBA in a fixed-dose, film-coated tablet. Therefore, the current study was performed with a reverse-phase liquid chromatography method developed to simultaneously analyze ADB and PTBA in film-coated tablets as fixed-dose combinations. The linearity of the proposed method was calculated by preparing six different mixtures of both ADB and PTBA in the mobile phase. The concentration of both the analytes was analyzed at 56mg/100 mL to 84mg/100 mL and 32mg/100 mL to 48mg/100 mL, respectively. The ratio of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer was 35:65. The flow rate was adjusted to 1.5 ml per minute to reduce the retention time. The validation study was performed for the parameters specificity, linearity, precision, range, limit of detection, limit of quantification, accuracy/biasness, and robustness. The relative percentage standard deviation for Perindopril Tertbutyl amine was 0.148%, and for Amlodipine is 0.312%. These results show that the advanced analysis method for simultaneous analysis of fixed-dose is precise. The theoretical IR spectra were also calculated by Gaussian 9.2 by employing the B3LYP functional at density functional theory (DFT) level study. All these parameters studied in this work authenticate the effectiveness of the developed validation method and ensure its repeatability/reproducibility accordingly. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to develop a new fast, and easy method for simultaneous identification and quantification of ADB and PTBA by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a time-efficient and cost-effective approach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xu Zhou
- Faculty of International Applied Technology, Yibin University, Yibin 644000, Sichuan China
| | - Ghulam Bary
- Faculty of Science, Yibin University, Yibin 644000, Sichuan, China
| | - Muhammad Sajid
- Faculty of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Yibin University, Yibin 644000, Sichuan, China
| | | | - Ilyas Khan
- Department of Mathematics, College of Science Al-Zulfi, Majmaah University, Al-Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Mohamed
- Research Centre, Future University in Egypt, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Faculty of Science, Yibin University, Yibin 644000, Sichuan, China
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Sardar H, Khalid Z, Ahsan M, Naz S, Nawaz A, Ahmad R, Razzaq K, Wabaidur SM, Jacquard C, Širić I, Kumar P, Abou Fayssal S. Enhancement of Salinity Stress Tolerance in Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) via Foliar Application of Nitric Oxide. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:plants12051115. [PMID: 36903975 PMCID: PMC10005404 DOI: 10.3390/plants12051115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Salt stress negatively affects the growth, development, and yield of horticultural crops. Nitric oxide (NO) is considered a signaling molecule that plays a key role in the plant defense system under salt stress. This study investigated the impact of exogenous application of 0.2 mM of sodium nitroprusside (SNP, an NO donor) on the salt tolerance and physiological and morphological characteristics of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under salt stress (25, 50, 75, and 100 mM). Salt stress caused a marked decrease in growth, yield, carotenoids and photosynthetic pigments in stressed plants as compared to control ones. Results showed that salt stress significantly affected the oxidative compounds (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) and non-oxidative compounds (ascorbic acid, total phenols, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, and H2O2) in lettuce. Moreover, salt stress decreased nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium ions (K+) while increasing Na ions (Na+) in the leaves of lettuce under salt stress. The exogenous application of NO increased ascorbic acid, total phenols, antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) and MDA content in the leaves of lettuce under salt stress. In addition, the exogenous application of NO decreased H2O2 content in plants under salt stress. Moreover, the exogenous application of NO increased leaf N in control, and leaf P and leaf and root K+ content in all treatments while decreasing leaf Na+ in salt-stressed lettuce plants. These results provide evidence that the exogenous application of NO on lettuce helps mitigate salt stress effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Sardar
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | - Zubair Khalid
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ahsan
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
| | - Safina Naz
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | - Aamir Nawaz
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan 29111, Pakistan
| | - Kashif Razzaq
- Department of Horticulture, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan 60000, Pakistan
| | - Saikh M. Wabaidur
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Cédric Jacquard
- Research Unit Induced Resistance and Plant Bioprotection, University of Reims, EA 4707 USC INRAe 1488, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS 3417, 51100 Reims, France
| | - Ivan Širić
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Svetosimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Pankaj Kumar
- Agro-Ecology and Pollution Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology and Environmental Science, Gurukula Kangri (Deemed to Be University), Haridwar 249404, India
| | - Sami Abou Fayssal
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Forestry, 10 Kliment Ohridski Blvd, 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria
- Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Lebanese University, Beirut 1302, Lebanon
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Idrees I, Ahmad R, Umair M, Zargham A, Din MJU, Lone TM. Drug-Induced Hand-Foot Syndrome in Cancer Patients Receiving Capecitabine in A Tertiary Care Hospital. PAFMJ 2023. [DOI: 10.51253/pafmj.v73i1.6786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: To determine the frequency of hand-foot syndrome and associated factors among patients receiving Capecitabine for the management of cancer in a tertiary care setting.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Oncology Department Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan from Dec 2020 to May2021.
Methodology: One hundred patients with malignant conditions taking Capecitabine for more than two weeks were included in the study. A detailed relevant dermatological examination was carried out on all the patients to diagnose hand-foot syndrome based on the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0 Grading of Hand-Foot Syndrome.
Results: Out of 100 cancer patients using Capecitabine for more than two weeks included in the study. Sixty-eight showed the presence of hand-foot syndrome, while 32 did not show any features of hand-foot syndrome. Combination treatment was statistically significantly associated with hand-foot syndrome among the patients included in our study (p-value<0.001).
Conclusion: Hand-foot syndrome was a common side effect seen in patients managed with Capecitabine for their cancerous condition. Patients using other chemotherapeutic agents along with Capecitabine were more at risk of having hand-foot syndrome than those taking Capecitabine alone.
Collapse
|
28
|
Ahmad R, Manzoor M, Muhammad HMD, Altaf MA, Shakoor A. Exogenous Melatonin Spray Enhances Salinity Tolerance in Zizyphus Germplasm: A Brief Theory. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13020493. [PMID: 36836849 PMCID: PMC9958626 DOI: 10.3390/life13020493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Fruit orchards are frequently irrigated with brackish water. Irrigation with poor quality water is also a major cause of salt accumulation in soil. An excess of salts results in stunted growth, poor yield, inferior quality and low nutritional properties. Melatonin is a low molecular weight protein that shows multifunctional, regulatory and pleiotropic behavior in the plant kingdom. Recently, its discovery brought a great revolution in sustainable fruit production under salinity-induced environments. Melatonin contributed to enhanced tolerance in Zizyphus fruit species by improving the plant defense system's potential to cope with the adverse effects of salinity. The supplemental application of melatonin has improved the generation of antioxidant assays and osmolytes involved in the scavenging of toxic ROS. The tolerance level of the germplasm is chiefly based on the activation of the defense system against the adverse effects of salinity. The current study explored the contribution of melatonin against salinity stress and provides information regarding which biochemical mechanism can be effective and utilized for the development of salt-tolerant germplasm in Zizyphus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan 29220, Pakistan
| | - Meryam Manzoor
- Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Awais Shakoor
- Teagasc, Environment, Soils and Land Use Department, Johnstown Castle, Co., Y35 Y521 Wexford, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Saleem R, Ahmad R. Ultrasonication induced alterations in physicochemical and functional properties of myosin. Protein Pept Lett 2023; 30:221-232. [PMID: 36734905 DOI: 10.2174/0929866530666230124093804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several reports have indicated that ultrasonication can change the solubility of muscle proteins and improves the functional properties of meat and isolated muscle proteins. Moreover, available literature suggests that ultrasonication can significantly improve the gelling properties of muscle proteins. OBJECTIVES The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of low-frequency ultrasonication on the secondary structure of myosin and the impact of these structural changes on solubility and gelling ability. METHODS Myosin from breast muscles (Pectoralis major) of broiler chicken was extracted and exposed to low-frequency ultrasonication for 30 min. Four aliquots collected at the interval of 5, 10, 20, and 30 min were analysed for change in ATPase activity, sulfhydryl content, surface hydrophobicity, alpha-helicity. The possible impact of these changes on heat-induced gelation was observed through electron micrographs. RESULTS Ultrasonication reduced the enzymatic activity of myosin and increased the reactive sulfhydryl content. Decreased α-helicity and increased intrinsic fluorescence displayed significant structural changes at the secondary and tertiary levels. Myosin aggregation, as indicated by electron micrographs, showed a marked decrease. The microstructure of myosin gels displayed a distinct correlation with ultrasonication-induced structural changes. Furthermore, improved microstructure led to a significant increase in the water retention capacity of myosin gels. CONCLUSION In conclusion, ultrasonication of myosin caused a marked change in structure at the tertiary and secondary levels. Structural changes apparently confined within the globular head region and rod portion of myosin were displayed by reduced enzymatic activity and improved gelation/solubility. Results of our study convincingly showed that ultrasonication improved the microstructure of myosin gels resulting in increased WHC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rashid Saleem
- Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, 202001, India
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, 202001, India
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Shuaib U, Hussain T, Ahmad R, Imranullah M, Amjad M, Yasin A, Shakir I, Kang DJ. Novel synthesis of nickel oxide-copper hexacyanoferrate binary hybrid nanocomposite for high-performance supercapacitor application. J Solid State Electrochem 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10008-022-05357-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
31
|
Wang T, Yu Z, Ahmad R, Riaz S, Khan KU, Siyal S, Chaudhry MA, Zhang T. Transition of bioeconomy as a key concept for the agriculture and agribusiness development: An extensive review on ASEAN countries. Front Sustain Food Syst 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.998594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Transition of bioeconomy plays an important role in the development of any economy. Therefore, the purpose of the current paper is to review the key concept of transition of the bioeconomy in the ASEAN economies that is considered to be an innovative collective method for observing the operation of national economies' numerous sectors that produce and process biological wealth. Based on current literature, it has been reviewed that the transition of bioeconomy is being presented with respect to the theoretical concept, and their essence and bioeconomy size, and the challenges and risks which are related to the bioeconomy transition. The various ways and the area of action along with present strategies which are supporting the development of bio economies and their relationship with the circular economies model had been presented. It was seen in the literature that ASEAN agricultures sectors had been contributing their major part in the development of value-added products and employment, except for Malaysia, Thailand, and Laos. Moreover, the analysis results had also shown that the transition of bioeconomy is considered to be an important concept in the growth of agriculture, forestry, agribusiness, and various sectors that produce and use bio-based raw materials. It was further found that for real bio-economy opportunities, it is essential that there should be a proper national and regional strategy for the bioeconomy development in place and for the development of a proper design and proper management coordination at every level of sectors, enterprises, and provincial systems.
Collapse
|
32
|
Abbas A, Waseem M, Ahmad R, Khan KA, Zhao C, Zhu J. Sensitivity analysis of greenhouse gas emissions at farm level: case study of grain and cash crops. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:82559-82573. [PMID: 35751727 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21560-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sensitivity analysis is useful to downgrade/upgrade the number of inputs to limit greenhouse emissions and enhance crop yield. The primary data from the 300 rice (grain crop) and 300 cotton (cash crop) farmers were gathered in face-to-face interviews by applying a multistage random sampling technique using a well-structured pretested questionnaire. Energy use efficiency was estimated with data envelopment analysis (DEA) model, and a second-stage regression analysis was conducted by applying Cobb-Douglas production function to evaluate the influencing factors affecting. The results exhibit that chemical fertilizers, diesel fuel and water for irrigation are the major energy inputs that are accounted to be 15,721.55, 10,787.50 and 6411.08 MJ ha-1 for rice production, while for cotton diesel fuel, chemical fertilizer and water for irrigation were calculated to be 13,860.94, 12,691.10 and 4456.34 MJ ha-1, respectively. Total GHGs emissions were found to be 920.69 and 954.71 kg CO2eq ha-1 from rice and cotton productions, respectively. Energy use efficiency (1.33 and 1.53), specific energy (11.03 and 7.69 MJ ha-1), energy productivity (0.09 and 0.13 kg MJ-1) and energy gained (14,497.85 and 20,047.56 MJ ha-1) for rice and cotton crop, respectively. Moreover, the results obtained through the second-stage regression analysis revealed that excessive application of fertilizer had a negative impact on the yield of rice and cotton, while farm machinery, diesel fuel and biocides had a positive effect. We hope that these findings could help in the management of the energy budget that we believe will reduce the high emissions of GHGs to address the growing environmental hazards.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adnan Abbas
- Land Science Research Center, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
| | - Muhammad Waseem
- Center of Excellence in Water Resources, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, 54890, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | | | - Chengyi Zhao
- Land Science Research Center, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
| | - Jianting Zhu
- Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 13 82071, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Zubair A, Zhang H, Scholfield DW, Ahmad R, Ahmed J, Ali S, Ghufoor K. Head-neck dissection course during COVID-19 pandemic: challenges, adaptations and how we did it. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2022; 104:694-699. [PMID: 35175784 PMCID: PMC9685903 DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2021.0316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cadaveric dissection courses have come to a standstill since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to limited operative opportunities, cancellation of such courses has severely impacted surgical training, especially in a craft-based specialty such as head-neck surgery. The aim of this educational project was to: (1) study the feasibility of an in-person head-neck cadaveric dissection course during COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) validate the educational benefit of this teaching method to ear, nose and throat (ENT) trainees. METHODS We developed a 2-day head-neck cadaveric dissection course for ENT trainees. The course programme covered essential head-neck open surgical procedures. Content validity (subjective feedback) was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Construct validity (objective usefulness) was evaluated via two pre- and post-course questionnaires, estimating knowledge of head-neck surgical anatomy and self-assessment of levels of confidence with head-neck procedures, respectively. RESULTS A risk assessment was conducted and a protocol developed (risk was deemed to be low/tolerable). Content validity showed high satisfaction compared with a median Likert score of 3, 'average' (p=0.000002). For construct validity, the mean score per question improved significantly (p=0.001). Overall levels of confidence showed a trend towards improvement (p=0.08). There was significant improvement in laryngectomy (p=0.01) and level I dissection (p=0.01), with an indication of improvement in level II-V dissection (p=0.07). CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that a cadaveric dissection course, using thorough risk assessment and protocol, could be safely conducted with high content and construct validation during these unprecedented times. This is an invaluable learning environment that needs to be encouraged despite infection control restrictions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - H Zhang
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | | | - R Ahmad
- Queen Mary University of London, UK
| | | | - S Ali
- Barts Health NHS Trust, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Khattak R, Ahmad R, Nadeem M, Amjad H, Khan A, . I. QTC Changes Associated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Cancer Patients. PAFMJ 2022. [DOI: 10.51253/pafmj.v72i4.6776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To look for QTc changes associated with Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors and factors related to these changes among patients suffering from cancer.
Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Oncology Department, CMH Rawalpindi Pakistan from Dec 2020 to Apr 2021.
Methodology: The study included one hundred and eighty patients with solid or haematological malignancies taking Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors for more than three months. They underwent 12 lead ECGs inside the oncology department. QTc interval was calculated on the ECG of all the patients, and they were evaluated for the presence of prolonged QT interval. Age, gender, duration of Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor use and presence of comorbid illness were correlated with the presence of QTc changes in our study participants.
Results: Out of 180 cancer patients using Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors for more than three months included in the study, 96 (53.3%) were male, while 84 (46.7%) were female. One hundred and eighteen (65.5%) had normal QTc intervals, while 62 (34.5%) had prolonged QTc intervals in our study participants. Chi square test revealed that the advanced age of the patient and prolonged use of Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors was statistically significantly associated with QTc prolongation in our study (p-value<0.001).
Conclusion: Significant number of cancer patients using Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors had prolonged QTc intervals in our study. Special attention should be paid to cancer patients with advancing age and prolonged use of Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors.
Collapse
|
35
|
Khattak R, Ahmad R, Nadeem M, Tufail U, Khan A, Ahmad A. Osteoporosis/Osteopenia in Post-Menopausal Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Hormonal Therapy. PAFMJ 2022. [DOI: 10.51253/pafmj.v72i4.6784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To analyze the presence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in post-menopausal breast cancer patients receiving hormonal therapy.
Study Design: Comparative Cross-sectional Study.
Place and Duration of Study: Oncology Department, Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Dec 2020 to May 2021.
Methodology: This study was conducted on 200 post-menopausal female breast cancer patients who had been taking Aromatase inhibitors for more than six months. All the study participants underwent a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan to measure bone mineral density. As a result, they were classified as having osteoporosis or osteopenia based on bone mineral density. In addition, age, duration of therapy, tumour stage and molecular subtypes of breast cancer were correlated with the presence of osteopenia/osteoporosis in the study participants.
Results: A total of 200 post-menopausal patients with breast cancer using hormonal therapy for more than six months were included in the final analysis. The mean age of the patients was 56.331 ± 6.744 years. In addition, 55 (22.5%) patients had normal bone mineral density, 92 (46%) had osteopenia, while 53 (26.5%) had osteoporosis on a dual-energy X-ray absorp- tiometry (DEXA) scan. Molecular subtypes of the tumour, the advancing age of patients and the long duration of hormonal therapy were statistically significantly associated with the presence of osteopenia/osteoporosis (p-value <0.05) in our study participants.
Conclusion: Considerable number of post-menopausal patients with advanced breast cancer taking hormonal therapy showed the presence of osteopenia and osteoporosis. Molecular subtyping, the advanced age of patients and the long duration of hormonal therapy significantly predicted.........
Collapse
|
36
|
Vornehm M, Wetzl J, Giese D, Ahmad R, Knoll F. Spatiotemporal variational neural network for reconstruction of highly accelerated cardiac cine MRI. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/ehjci/jeac141.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Siemens Healthcare GmbH; NIH Grant.
Background
Acquisition of cardiac cine MRI usually requires the subject to repeatedly hold their breath for several seconds. Deep learning-based reconstruction of highly undersampled data could allow higher accelerations and has been proposed for several applications. The variational network [1] (VN) was one of the first network architectures for MRI reconstruction, replicating iterative reconstruction with a regularization term learnt from training data.
Purpose
To expand the concept of VNs to spatiotemporal data from cardiac cine acquisitions. Reconstructions are presented and compared using 3D, 2D spatial-only, and 2D+t spatiotemporal convolutions.
Methods
A VN with intermediate quantities in k-space [2] was trained to reconstruct cine sequences from retrospectively undersampled data. The network architecture is illustrated in Fig. 1. It consisted of 10 cascades, each resembling a gradient descent step of an iterative reconstruction. Each refinement step contained a Residual U-Net (cf. Fig. 1d). Pre-estimated coil sensitivity maps were used in all transformations between k-space and image space.
The convolution operations were implemented as either 2D spatial-only, 3D, or separable 2D+t spatiotemporal convolutions. A 2D+t convolution consisted of a 2D spatial convolution followed by an activation function and a 1D temporal convolution (cf. Fig. 1e).
The OCMR dataset [3] was used for training and evaluation. It contains 183 fully sampled cine slices from 74 subjects in different imaging planes with 15 to 38 coils and 15 to 31 temporal frames at 1.5T and 3T. The training set contained 142 slices from 33 individuals, which includes all multi-slice acquisitions from the dataset. The validation set consisted of 22 single slices and the network performance was evaluated on the remaining, previously unseen 19 single-slice acquisitions.
The k-space data was retrospectively undersampled using a variable density mask [4]. Sensitivity-based coil combination of the fully sampled k-space was used as ground truth. Coil sensitivity maps were estimated with ESPIRiT. Six networks were trained using the different convolution types mentioned above, each for acceleration factors R=8 and R=12.
Results
Exemplary reconstructions and quantitative results are given in Fig. 2. At R=8, reconstruction with 2D+t and 3D convolutions reached high structural similarity (SSIM) scores of around 0.95, while the 2D convolutions only reached 0.74. Artifacts are clearly visible in reconstructions learnt with 2D kernels. At R=12, reconstruction quality degraded most considerably with 2D convolution kernels.
Conclusion
Reconstruction of highly accelerated cardiac cine data using VNs yielded very good preliminary results. Convolutions that exploit temporal correlations are clearly beneficial over spatial-only convolutions. 2D+t spatiotemporal convolutions may be preferable over 3D convolutions due to reduced model capacity with similar reconstruction capability. Network design with 2D+t convolutionExample reconstruction and time profiles
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Vornehm
- Friedrich Alexander University, Computational Imaging Lab , Erlangen , Germany
| | - J Wetzl
- Siemens Healthcare GmbH , Erlangen , Germany
| | - D Giese
- Siemens Healthcare GmbH , Erlangen , Germany
| | - R Ahmad
- The Ohio State University, Biomedical Engineering , Columbus , United States of America
| | - F Knoll
- Friedrich Alexander University, Computational Imaging Lab , Erlangen , Germany
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Ahmad S, Hussain T, Ahmad R, Imranullah M, Shuaib U, Mubarik FE, Yasin A, Qazi UY. Natural sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue using spinel MgAl2O4-rGO nanocomposite. Appl Nanosci 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13204-022-02562-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
|
38
|
Ahmad R, Zhou Y, Liang C, Li G, Zhao N, Abbas A, Yu F, Li L, Gong J, Wang D, Yang Y, Tang Z, Sultan M, Sun C, Dong R. Comparative evaluation of thermal and emission performances for improved commercial coal-fired stoves in China. RSC Adv 2022; 12:20886-20896. [PMID: 35919151 PMCID: PMC9297129 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra03364j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The extensive use of traditional cooking stoves to meet daily cooking and heating requirements has highlighted the serious problem of indoor and outdoor air pollution. This study evaluates seven improved coal-fired space-heating and cooking stoves and compares them with a widely used stove of an older design, selected as a baseline reference. The seven stoves were selected from a range of candidate improved stoves submitted by manufacturers for testing as part of the air quality improvement in the Hebei Clean Air Project, Hebei Province, China. Stove performance was evaluated when burning raw coal and coal briquettes during the high and low power stages respectively. All seven improved cooking stoves surpassed the baseline stove in combined heating and cooking thermal and emission performance. Among the improved cooking stoves, Model 2-TL was found to have the highest average thermal efficiency, 87.2 ± 0.5%, when burning coal briquettes at high and low power. The lowest emission of PM2.5 was 0.94 ± 0.5 mg MJNET -1, CO 0.55 ± 0.28 g MJNET -1, and CO/CO2 1.1 ± 0.6%, respectively. It is concluded that the use of these improved heating and cooking stoves should be promoted for daily cooking and heating requirements. This strategy will not only save fuel to the benefit of the household, but widespread adoption could contribute to significant reductions of CO and PM2.5 emissions in Hebei Province.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Riaz Ahmad
- Bioenergy and Environmental Science and Technology Laboratory, College of Engineering, China Agricultural University Beijing 100083 China
- Key Laboratory for Clean Renewable Energy Utilization Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Beijing 100083 China
- National Center for International Research of BioEnergy Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology Beijing 100083 China
| | - Yuguang Zhou
- Bioenergy and Environmental Science and Technology Laboratory, College of Engineering, China Agricultural University Beijing 100083 China
- Key Laboratory for Clean Renewable Energy Utilization Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Beijing 100083 China
- National Center for International Research of BioEnergy Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology Beijing 100083 China
| | - Chao Liang
- Bioenergy and Environmental Science and Technology Laboratory, College of Engineering, China Agricultural University Beijing 100083 China
- Key Laboratory for Clean Renewable Energy Utilization Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Beijing 100083 China
- National Center for International Research of BioEnergy Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology Beijing 100083 China
| | - Gang Li
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing 100048 China
| | - Nan Zhao
- School of Ecology and Environment, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou Henan Province 450001 China
| | - Adnan Abbas
- Bioenergy and Environmental Science and Technology Laboratory, College of Engineering, China Agricultural University Beijing 100083 China
| | - Fan Yu
- School of Economics, Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing 100048 China
| | - Lianliang Li
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing 100048 China
| | - Jue Gong
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing 100048 China
| | - Duoyi Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou Henan Province 450001 China
| | - Yanming Yang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou Henan Province 450001 China
| | - Zixuan Tang
- School of Art and Communication, Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing 100048 China
| | - Muhammad Sultan
- Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University Bosan Road Multan 60800 Pakistan
| | - Chao Sun
- Shandong Warm Valley New Energy & Environ. Protection Technology Co., Ltd Yantai 264001 China
| | - Renjie Dong
- Bioenergy and Environmental Science and Technology Laboratory, College of Engineering, China Agricultural University Beijing 100083 China
- Key Laboratory for Clean Renewable Energy Utilization Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Beijing 100083 China
- National Center for International Research of BioEnergy Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology Beijing 100083 China
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Husain H, Ahmad R. Proteolytic Sensitivity, In Vitro Glycation Efficiency of Diabetic and Non-diabetic Human Serum Albumin. Avicenna J Med Biochem 2022. [DOI: 10.34172/ajmb.2022.05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Glycation of human serum albumin (HSA) leads to disturbances in its stability, activity, and other properties which, in turn, affect the functional properties of HSA. Modification of albumin by glycation shows considerable potential as a significant biochemical biomarker for diagnosing diabetes. The characteristics of the glycation process in proteins have not been fully examined yet and, therefore, there is insufficient knowledge about them in the field. Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the differences between diabetic and non-diabetic HSA as well as their structure-function relationship. Methods: The physiological and laboratory characteristics of glycated albumin as well as HSA were explored. A total of 30 subjects were enrolled in this study in which 15 normal healthy individuals were assigned into the control group, and 15 type-2 diabetic patients were included in the diabetic group. Patients with type-1 diabetes, pregnant women, and individuals with other diseases were excluded from the study. Protein estimation, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, ammonium sulphate fractionation, dialysis, glycation of HSA followed by gel electrophoresis of glycated samples, digestion of BSA, as well as HSA by α-chymotrypsin and their documentation and stoichiometry were all performed. Results: Various characteristic differences were observed between diabetic and non-diabetic HSA including proteolytic susceptibility and in vitro glycation efficiency. Hypoalbuminemia was, particularly, observed in diabetic patients, which was suggestive of a relationship between hyperglycemia and hypoalbuminemia. Conclusion: Peculiar contrariety between diabetic and non-diabetic HSA, specific differences in their glycation efficiencies, as well as proteolytic susceptibility and their innuendos were precisely traced out. It was concluded that albumin may have been regarded as a significant clinical biomarker for diagnosing diabetes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hadiya Husain
- Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Science, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202001, India
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Science, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202001, India
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Gillani SSA, Ahmed I, Zeba I, Shakil M, Ahmad R. First-principles calculations to investigate structural phase transformation to semi-conductor–metal transition and their impact on optical properties in lead titanium oxynitrate. Molecular Simulation 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2022.2078816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. S. A. Gillani
- Department of Physics, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Iqra Ahmed
- Department of Physics, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - I. Zeba
- Department of Physics, Lahore College for Woman University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - M. Shakil
- Department of Physics, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Physics, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Wang J, Ahmad R, Mbugua Nyambura S, Li X, Li H, He R, Li B, Pan X, Xu J. Design and evaluation of coconut fiber bionic‐stripping device based on Lucanidae palate frictional characteristics. J FOOD PROCESS ENG 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jfpe.14068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jufei Wang
- College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Agricultural Equipment in Jiangsu Province Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Agricultural Equipment in Jiangsu Province Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
| | - Samuel Mbugua Nyambura
- College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Agricultural Equipment in Jiangsu Province Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
| | - Xuhui Li
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Agricultural Equipment in Jiangsu Province Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University Lianyungang Jiangsu China
| | - Hua Li
- College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Agricultural Equipment in Jiangsu Province Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
| | - Ruiyin He
- College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Agricultural Equipment in Jiangsu Province Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
| | - Bohong Li
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Agricultural Equipment in Jiangsu Province Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
- College of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Nanjing Tech University Nanjing Jiangsu China
| | - Xingjia Pan
- College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Agricultural Equipment in Jiangsu Province Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
| | - Jialiang Xu
- College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Agricultural Equipment in Jiangsu Province Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Jiangsu China
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Veiga C, Cantwell J, Ahmad R, Lim P, D'Souza D, Gaze M, Moinuddin S, Gains J. PO-1789 Quantitative evaluation of whole-body spatial normalisation in paediatric patients. Radiother Oncol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8140(22)03753-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
43
|
Ahmad R, Baer E, Pile K, Collins-Fekete C, Gulliford S, Wickers S, Hawkins M. PO-1731 Investigating proton therapy as a treatment option for pregnant breast cancer patients. Radiother Oncol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8140(22)03695-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
44
|
Shen Y, Ahmad R. The Influence of Brand Image and Favorability Toward Citizens in a Product's Country of Origin on Product Evaluation: Moderating Effects of Switching Costs. Front Psychol 2022; 13:740269. [PMID: 35300166 PMCID: PMC8921870 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.740269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to provide practical implications for South Korean corporations seeking to enter the Chinese market. It explored the influences of brand image and favorability toward citizens in a product’s country of origin (FCPCO) on consumers’ product evaluation and repurchase intention, in addition to examining the moderating effects of procedural switching costs (economic risk costs, evaluation costs, learning costs, and set-up costs), financial switching costs (benefit loss costs and monetary loss costs), and relational switching costs (personal relationship loss costs and brand relationship loss costs) on the aforementioned influences. Although previous studies have established the relationships between some of the aforementioned variables, further research is required to determine the moderating effects of switching costs in various dimensions. Studies on the relationships of a product’s country of origin with product evaluation and repurchase intention have rarely explored FCPCO. Through a questionnaire survey, this study obtained effective data from 302 respondents. Constituted of an exploratory research design, this study adopted PLS-SEM method for empirical analysis. IPMA analysis results indicated that brand image had a stronger influence on product evaluation than FCPCO did and that FCPCO had a stronger influence on repurchase intention than brand image did. Overall, the performance of FCPCO was higher than that of brand image. Moreover, economic risk costs and brand relationship loss costs positively moderated the relationship between brand image and product evaluation; monetary loss costs and brand relationship loss costs negatively moderated the relationship between FCPCO and product evaluation. These study results could help corporations gain competitive edge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Shen
- School of Economics, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, China
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- School of Education, Yulin University, Yulin, China
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Liu W, Wang YW, Zhang H, Xie XF, Ma A, Zaman Q, Javed AR, Abbas T, Shah W, Ahmad R, Zhao DR, Ma H, Zubair M, Khan R, Shi QH. Computationally predicted pathogenic USP9X mutation identified in infertile men does not affect spermatogenesis in mice. Zool Res 2022; 43:225-228. [PMID: 35084129 PMCID: PMC8920844 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Yue-Wen Wang
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Xue-Feng Xie
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Ao Ma
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Qumar Zaman
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Abdul Rafay Javed
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Tanveer Abbas
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Wasim Shah
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Medical Genetics Research Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Da-Ren Zhao
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Hui Ma
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Muhammad Zubair
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Ranjha Khan
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China. E-mail:
| | - Qing-Hua Shi
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China. E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Gillani SSA, Mukhtar M, Zeba I, Shakil M, Hussain T, Ahmad R. Systematic study of phase transformation, wide-to-narrow electronic band transition and optical properties of barium zirconium Oxynitrate: Ab initio calculations. Mol Phys 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/00268976.2022.2049386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. S. A. Gillani
- Department of Physics, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Musaddaq Mukhtar
- Center for Advanced Studies in Physics, Department of Physics, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - I. Zeba
- Department of Physics, Lahore College for Woman University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - M. Shakil
- Department of Physics, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan
| | - Tousif Hussain
- Center for Advanced Studies in Physics, Department of Physics, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Physics, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Al-Siweedi SYA, Ngeow WC, Nambiar P, Abu-Hassan MI, Ahmad R, Asif MK, Chai WL. A new classification system of trifid mandibular canal derived from Malaysian population. Folia Morphol (Warsz) 2022; 82:315-324. [PMID: 35285511 DOI: 10.5603/fm.a2022.0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to identify and classify the anatomic variation of mandibular canal among Malaysians of 3 ethnicities. MATERIALS AND METHODS The courses of the mandibular canal in 202 CBCT scanned images of healthy Malaysians were evaluated, and trifid mandibular canal (TMC) when present, were recorded and studied in detail by categorizing them to a new classification (comprising of 12 types). The diameter and length of canals were also measured, and their shape determined. RESULTS TMC were observed in 12 (5.9%) subjects or 16 (4.0%) hemi-mandibles. There were 10 obvious categories out the 12 types of TMCs listed. All TMCs (except one) were observed in older than 30 years. The prevalence according to ethnicity is 6 in Malays, 5 in Chinese and 1 in Indian. Four (33.3%) patients had bilateral TMCs, which was not seen in any Indian subject. More than half (56.3%) of the accessory canals were located above the main MC. Their mean diameter was 1.32mm and 1.26mm for the first and second accessory canal, and the corresponding lengths were 20.42mm and 21.60mm, respectively. Most canals (62.5%) had irregularly shaped lumen; there were more irregularly shaped canals in the second accessory canal than the first branch. None of the second accessory canal was oval (in shape). CONCLUSIONS This new classification can be applied for the variations in the branching pattern, length and shape of TMCs for better clinical description.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Y A Al-Siweedi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - W C Ngeow
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - P Nambiar
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,Faculty of Dentistry, MAHSA University, Jln SP 2, Bandar Saujana Putra, 42610 Jenjarum, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - M I Abu-Hassan
- Centre of Studies for Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sg Buloh 47000 Malaysia
| | - R Ahmad
- Centre of Studies for Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sg Buloh 47000 Malaysia
| | - M K Asif
- Department of Research and Forensic Odontology, Shifa College of Dentistry, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - W L Chai
- Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Mao J, Siyal S, Javed Ahmed M, Ahmad R, Xin C, Qasim S. The Nexus Between Human Resource Management Practices and Service Recovery Performance in Takaful Insurance Industry in Pakistan: The Mediating Role of Employee Commitment. Front Psychol 2022; 12:752912. [PMID: 35359813 PMCID: PMC8964282 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.752912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Service recovery performance (SRP) is very important for the takaful insurance industry for maintaining and attracting new clients, which in turn serves as a competitive advantage for the survival and continued future of the businesses. If the insurance sector could not maintain SRP, then the competitive advantage of the organizations could be decayed. Therefore, under the theoretical foundation of equity theory and resource-based theory, this research has investigated the link between human resources management practices (HRMP) (such as human capital, training, job description, teamwork, empowerment, and rewards) and SRP directly and indirectly through the employee commitment. By using a convenient sampling technique data was collected from the employees working in the Takaful industry in Pakistan to empirically test the proposed hypotheses and validate the findings. Using cross research design and quantitative research approach. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) had presented the positive relationship between HRM practices and SRP. On the other hand, employee commitment had also mediated this relationship. As employee commitment is significantly mediated among most of the HRMP, this aspect is therefore considered to be a big contribution of the study in the context of Pakistan. Based on these findings, the current study has several important implications the practitioners and readers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Mao
- Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China
| | - Saeed Siyal
- School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
- Department of Business Administration and Information Studies, Greenwich University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Business Administration, Iqra University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Chunlin Xin
- School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Samina Qasim
- Department of Business Administration, Iqra University, Karachi, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Wu LM, Shi QH, Zubair M, Khan R, Ma A, Hameed U, Khan M, Abbas T, Ahmad R, Zhou JT, Shah W, Hussain A, Ahmed N, Khan I, Khan K, Zhang YW, Zhang H. A recurrent homozygous missense mutation in CCDC103 causes asthenoteratozoospermia due to disorganized dynein arms. Asian J Androl 2022; 24:255-259. [PMID: 35259782 PMCID: PMC9226689 DOI: 10.4103/aja2021122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthenoteratozoospermia is one of the most severe types of qualitative sperm defects. Most cases are due to mutations in genes encoding the components of sperm flagella, which have an ultrastructure similar to that of motile cilia. Coiled-coil domain containing 103 (CCDC103) is an outer dynein arm assembly factor, and pathogenic variants of CCDC103 cause primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). However, whether CCDC103 pathogenic variants cause severe asthenoteratozoospermia has yet to be determined. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed for two individuals with nonsyndromic asthenoteratozoospermia in a consanguineous family. A homozygous CCDC103 variant segregating recessively with an infertility phenotype was identified (ENST00000035776.2, c.461A>C, p.His154Pro). CCDC103 p.His154Pro was previously reported as a high prevalence mutation causing PCD, though the reproductive phenotype of these PCD individuals is unknown. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of affected individuals’ spermatozoa showed that the mid-piece was severely damaged with disorganized dynein arms, similar to the abnormal ultrastructure of respiratory ciliary of PCD individuals with the same mutation. Thus, our findings expand the phenotype spectrum of CCDC103 p.His154Pro as a novel pathogenic gene for nonsyndromic asthenospermia.
Collapse
|
50
|
Zeba I, Batool W, Maqsood A, Shakil M, Tahir MB, Ahmad R, Gillani SSA. Structural phase transformation, insulator to semiconductor transition by Be/Sr doping and impact on optical properties of KMgF 3 fluro-perovskite. Mol Phys 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00268976.2021.1959661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- I. Zeba
- Department of Physics, Lahore College for Woman University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Warda Batool
- Department of Physics, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Asma Maqsood
- Department of Physics, Lahore College for Woman University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - M. Shakil
- Department of Physics, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan
| | - M. B. Tahir
- Department of Physics, Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology Rahim Yar Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Physics, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - S. S. A. Gillani
- Department of Physics, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|