Geochemistry of Liquid Hydrocarbons and Natural Gases Combined with 1D Basin Modeling of the Oligocene Shale Source Rock System in the Offshore Nile Delta, Egypt.

The current study aims to integrate the geochemical characteristics of the Oligocene shale source rock system, oil, condensate, and natural gas samples in the Oligocene sandstone reservoirs from three exploration wells located in the offshore Nile Delta, East Mediterranean Sea, using organic geochemistry and a 1D basin modeling scheme. The Tineh shales exhibit total organic carbon values ranging between 0.90 and 1.89 wt %, along with hydrogen index values in the range of 54-240 mg hydrocarbon/g rock. The geochemical characterization suggests that the shale intervals of the Oligocene Tineh Formation contain type II-III and type III kerogens and, thereby, could be regarded as promising oil- and gas-prone source rocks with high contributions of gas generation potential. The study also reconstructs the 1D thermal and burial history models, showing that the Oligocene Tineh source rock system is in the main oil and wet gas generation phases from the late Miocene to the present time. The simulated basin models reveal the transformation (TR) of 10-50% kerogen to oil during the late Miocene-early Pliocene period and that the Oligocene Tineh source rock system has larger oil generation and expulsion competency, with a TR value of up to 65% during the early Pliocene-Pleistocene time period. The thermogenic gas was also formed during this time and continued to the present day. This study also investigated the presence of oil and condensate in the Oligocene sandstone reservoir samples and revealed that they were generated from mature source rock, ranging from moderately to highly mature stages. This source rock unit was deposited in fluvial to fluvial-deltaic environments under oxic mixed organic conditions and accumulated during the Tertiary time, as evidenced by the presence of the oleanane biomarker dating indicator. The molecular and isotope compositions of natural gases revealed that most of the natural gases in the Oligocene sandstone reservoir are mainly thermogenic methane gases that were generated from mainly mixed organic matter. The thermogenic methane gases were formed mainly from secondary cracking of oil and gas, with small contributions of primary kerogen cracking. The properties of natural gases together with oil and condensate in the Oligocene reservoir rocks suggest that most of the thermogenic methane gases and associated liquid hydrocarbons are derived primarily from the Oligocene shale source rock system and formed by primary kerogen cracking and secondary oil and oil/gas cracking in different thermal maturity stages. Therefore, the Oligocene Tineh Formation can be regarded as self-source generation and self-reservoir rock; hence, an intensive oil exploration and production program can be recommended whenever the Tineh source rock system is is well developed and deeply buried.

Initial Six Month's Study of Neonatal Covid-19 in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Bangladesh.

The pandemic Covid-19 affects mainly adult causing fatal illness specially who have co-morbidities. But as days pass by with increasing surveillances it's gradually obvious that this devastating disease also affects the children as well as neonates with greater number. The aim of study was to determine the Covid-19 in neonates. So, we can give proper emphasis on neonatal Covid-19. This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2020 to September 2020 at Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital in Bangladesh. Neonates with suspected Covid-19 were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT- PCR. Newborn who had suspected or confirmed COVID-19 mother, exposed to relatives infected with Covid-19, related with cluster outbreak or with abnormal clinical courses such as respiratory distress, not responded to conventional treatment and also abnormal chest x-ray was selected for Covid-19 test. Data regarding gestational age, birth weight, gender, positive cases and other findings were collected and analyzed. Statistics analysis was done by SPSS version 26.0. Forty three cases were Covid-19 positive. Among them 28(65.1%) cases were male and 15(34.9%) female. Term was 39(90.6%) cases and preterm 4(9.4%). Twenty nine (67.5%) cases were belonged to medicine and 14(32.6%) surgical cases. Fourteen (32.5%) cases with Covid-19 lived in Dhaka and 29(67.5%) cases in outside of Dhaka. Eleven (25.5%) cases were positive for SARS -CoV-2 by RT- PCR within 3 days, among them 5 (11.6%) cases were within 24 hours of age. Nine (20.9%) and 23(53.5%) cases were test positive at day 4-7 and 8-28 days respectively. The main symptoms at admission were respiratory difficulty (12/43, 27.9%), fever (8/43, 18.6%), convulsion (8/43, 18.6%) and reluctance to feed (7/43, 16.6%). In neonate two or more diseases coexist in same cases. Sepsis was present in 20 (46.5%) cases with COVID-19. Perinatal asphyxia was present in 10(23.3%) and pneumonia in 8 (18.6%) cases. In laboratory findings low Hb% was present in 2/43(4.7%) cases, leukopenia in 4/43(9.3%), leukocytosis in 2/43(4.7%) and thrombocytopenia in 5/43(11.6%). Elevated CRP was present in 14/29 (32.6%) cases, hypernatremia in 10/33 (30.3%), hyponatremia in 1/33(3%), increased serum creatinine in 10/18(55.6%), and prolonged PT, aPTT in 2/2(100%). Hyperglycaemia was found in 1/15(6.7%) cases and hypoglycaemia in 2/15(13.3%). No organism was found in blood C/S. In chest X-ray, one showed patchy opacities in right lower lobe, another showed bilateral ground-glass opacity and third one revealed few patchy opacities in the right perihilar region. Among 43 cases 21(48.9%) were discharged with advice, 12(27.9%) cases referred to Covid-19 designated hospital, 2(4.7%) cases LAMA (Leave against medical advice) and 8(18.6%) cases died including one surgical case. A good number (43) of Covid-19 cases were found in this study. In neonates the clinical features could not be differentiated properly between Covid-19 or associated diseases unlike children and adult. The neonate may be a source of transmission of this disease. So, we should give proper emphasis on test, tracing and management of neonatal Covid-19.

Cervical Vertebral Bone Quality Score Independently Predicts Distal Junctional Kyphosis After Posterior Cervical Fusion.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Posterior cervical fusion is the surgery of choice when fusing long segments of the cervical spine. However, because of the limited presence of this pathology, there is a paucity of data in the literature about the postoperative complications of distal junctional kyphosis (DJK). We aimed to identify and report potential associations between the preoperative cervical vertebral bone quality (C-VBQ) score and the occurrence of DJK after posterior cervical fusion. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed records of patients who underwent posterior cervical fusion at a single hospital between June 1, 2010, and May 31, 2020. Patient data were screened to include patients who were >18 years old, had baseline MRI, had baseline standing cervical X-ray, had immediate postoperative standing cervical X-ray, and had clinical and radiographic follow-ups of >1 year, including a standing cervical X-ray at least 1 year postoperatively. Univariate analysis was completed between DJK and non-DJK groups, with multivariate regression completed for relevant clinical variables. Simple linear regression was completed to analyze correlation between the C-VBQ score and total degrees of kyphosis angle change. RESULTS: Ninety-three patients were identified, of whom 19 (20.4%) had DJK and 74 (79.6%) did not. The DJK group had a significantly higher C-VBQ score than the non-DJK group (2.97 ± 0.40 vs 2.26 ± 0.46; P < .001). A significant, positive correlation was found between the C-VBQ score and the total degrees of kyphosis angle change (r 2 = 0.26; P < .001). On multivariate analysis, the C-VBQ score independently predicted DJK (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.27-1.67; P < .001). CONCLUSION: We found that the C-VBQ score was an independent predictive factor of DJK after posterior cervical fusion.

Efficiency of natural oils as alternative adjuvants to mineral oils in inactivated avian influenza vaccine formulation.

1. The effectiveness of inactivated vaccines depends on selecting the suitable adjuvant for vaccine formulation. The potency of vaccines with low antigen content can be improved with the appropriate adjuvant. This could allow production of more doses and lower the production cost.2. This study evaluated the efficiency of vaccines prepared using oil extracted from natural sources including argan oil, almond oil, sesame seed oil, pumpkin oil, cactus oil and black seed oil as alternative adjuvants for improving the protection capacity of inactivated influenza virus vaccine as compared to commonly used mineral oils.3. Each vaccine formulation was evaluated for stability, safety and immunogenicity in chickens, as well as for reducing the viral shedding after challenge infection.4. The cactus, sesame and pumpkin seed oil-based vaccines were found to be potent and successfully induced the production of humoral immunity in vaccinated chickens.

Thyroid Hormone Level in Children with Nephrotic Syndrome.

Nephrotic syndrome is the most common glomerular disease affecting children. Hypothyroidism is one of the most important complications which occur due to urinary loss of protein bound thyroid hormones, such as thyroxin binding globulin, transthyretin and albumin. This cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pediatric, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH), Bangladesh from February 2018 to October 2019. This study was carried out to find out the thyroid profile in children with nephrotic syndrome and compared with thyroid profile of other acute illness in children. Total 122 children aged 2-12 years, further subdivided into Group A (n=61) suffering from nephrotic syndrome (1st attack, infrequent relapse) and Group B (n=61) other disease like viral fever, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, diarrhoea, UTI. Demographic details of patients and their relevant clinical details were obtained by an interviewer administered questionnaire. Blood for free T4, TSH were taken and compared between both groups. The mean FT4 values in Group A and Group B were 16.09±22.32fmol/ml and 68.22±11.65fmol/ml respectively, whereas the TSH level was significantly higher in Group A than controls (5.42±1.04 vs. 3.53±1.44). The T4 levels in nephrotic syndrome (Group A) patients were low. Analysis was done by using SPSS 22.0 version for windows software. Continuous and catagorical parameters were compared by unpaired 't' test and Chi-Square test. A p-value of 0.05 was considered significant. Hypothyroidism was found more in younger children i.e. age less than 6 years. This study concluded that children with nephrotic syndrome have a state of hypothyroidism.

Antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Curcuma longa and Syzygium aromaticum against multiple drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria.

The present study was conducted to investigate the antimicrobial potential of essential oils of Curcuma longa and Syzygium aromaticum against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Four identified bacterial isolates including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii were selected and their antibiotic sensitivity was checked by disc diffusion assay. C. longa and S. aromaticum were subjected to steam distillation to obtain their essential oils. The crude essential oils were fractioned by employing column chromatography. Crude essential oils and their fractions were evaluated for their antibacterial activity by agar well diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentrations were calculated. All the selected bacterial isolates showed resistance to three or more than three antibiotic groups and were declared as multidrugresistant (MDRs). Crude essential oils of C. longa and S. aromaticum exhibited antimicrobial activity against all selected isolates but S. aromaticum activity was better than the C. longa with a maximum 19.3±1.50 mm zone of inhibition against A. baumannii at 1.04 µL/mL MIC. GC/MS analysis revealed the abundance of components including eugenol, eugenyl acetate, b- caryophyllene, and a- Humulene in both crude oil and fractions of S. aromaticum. While the main components of C. longa essential oil were Ar-tumerone, a-tumerone, b- Tumerone, I-Phellandrene, a-zingibirene, b- sesquiphellandrene, and p- Cymene. This study highlights that plant-based essential oils could be a promising alternative to antibiotics for which pathogens have developed resistance. C. longa and S. aromaticum carry compounds that have antimicrobial potential against multiple drug-resistant bacteria including MRSA. E. coli, K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii.

Relationship between Clinical Profile, Severity and Outcome of Community Acquired Pneumonia with Hyponatremia in Children Aged 2-60 Months.

Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte imbalance seen in clinical practice and a common laboratory findings in children with community acquired pneumonia. This study aimed to find out relationship between clinical profile, severity and outcome of community acquired pneumonia with hyponatremia in children aged 2-60 months. This descriptive cross-sectional study was done in pediatrics department of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh. Study period was 6 month from November 2016 to April 2017. Data were collected from 2 months to 60 months old children who fulfill the selection criteria. In this study sampling technique was purposive. Detailed history was taken, and meticulous examinations and relevant investigations were performed. 100 patients with community acquired pneumonia were enrolled, 34.0% patient had hyponatremia and 66.0% patients had no hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is more marked (45.5%) in severe pneumonia followed by moderate pneumonia (33.3%) and no hyponatremia found in mild pneumonia. Mean temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, head nodding, nasal flaring, grunting, stridor, cyanosis, convulsion, feeding problem, Poor air entry were significantly higher in patient of pneumonia with hyponatremia when compared to patient of pneumonia without hyponatremia. Mean duration of symptoms and mean duration of hospital stay were also significantly higher in patient of pneumonia with hyponatremia. The mean serum sodium concentration was 132.18±1.51mmol/L in hyponatremic patients and 137.91±1.94mmol/L in normonatremic patients. Mean values of total leucocyte count, ESR, and C-reactive protein were significantly higher in patient of pneumonia with hyponatremia. Serum hemoglobin was significantly lower in hyponatremic patients than normonatremic patients. Maximum (55.9%) patients of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) with hyponatremia had patchy opacity, 26.5% had consolidation, 11.8% had interstitial opacity and 5.9% had pneumatocele. All the patients were treated with appropriate antibiotics and fluid and discharged after complete recovery without any complication. There was no death in the study population. From this study we can conclude that, hyponatremia is directly related with the severity of community acquired pneumonia (CAP). The intensity of clinical profile and investigation findings are also directly related with the severity of pneumonia.

HOMA estimated insulin resistance as a marker for angiographic severity of coronary artery disease in non-diabetic and non-obese patients.

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) examined by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) measures increased carotid atherosclerosis risks in non-diabetic and non-obese persons. The information about the relationship between IR and coronary atherosclerosis severity among non-diabetic and non- obese population showed conflicting results. The goal of the current study was to assess the relationship that links IR and coronary artery disease (CAD) among non-diabetic and non-obese Egyptian populations. Methods: 112 non-diabetic and non-obese patients were included in this study. These patients underwent coronary angiogram (CA) either due to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or chronic stable angina with positive exercise tests. Results: Our study found a strong association between HOMA-IR and Gensini score (r = 0.831, with p<0.001) in general population. The HOMA-IR was the most influential independent predictor for the presence of extensive coronary atherosclerosis. Non-diabetic and non-obese people carrying the risk of developing the three-vessel disease (3VD) may be identified with a HOMA-IR score of over 5.9 according to the ROC curve analysis with a sensitivity of 67.7%. Conclusion: IR that developes in non-diabetic non-obese individuals coincides with more severe and more outspread CAD. In non-diabetic non-obese populations who need a CA, a single HOMA-IR value is higher than 5.9 may imply an elevated risk for clinically significant CAD. As insulin resistance is a reversible process, risk stratifications of CAD in non-diabetic non-obese populations could include HOMA-IR as one of its parameters.

China's belt and road initiative (BRI) under the vision of 'maritime community with a shared future' and its impacts on global fisheries governance.

'Maritime Community with a Shared Future' is the broad vision through which China aims to lead the global fisheries governance. This research has been motivated by China's ambition of equating its maritime development goals with sustainable development goal - 14 (Life Below Water). Through this research, the influential role of China in 'global fisheries governance' has been put through an 'ocean governance mechanism at various levels (national, regional, and international). Therefore, China's role in 'global ocean and fisheries' are discussed side-by-side, focusing on and supporting a better understanding of China's potential challenges and opportunities in world fisheries. The role of China in global and regional fisheries governance has been critically analysed throughout the discussion. It is also discussed how China plays its part in Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) and how this role-playing can be utilised through the Belt and Road initiative (BRI) for effective governance, conservation and preservation of marine fisheries. The scope of China's national ocean and fisheries legislation is framed to support China's stance in leading global fisheries governance. The conclusion followed the discussion in descending order suggesting ocean and fisheries governance improvement and appropriate advocacy options available to China.

An Analysis of the Toxicity, Antioxidant, and Anti-Cancer Activity of Cinnamon Silver Nanoparticles in Comparison with Extracts and Fractions of Cinnamomum Cassia at Normal and Cancer Cell Levels.

In this work, the extract of cinnamon bark was used for the green synthesis of cinnamon-Ag nanoparticles (CNPs) and other cinnamon samples, including ethanolic (EE) and aqueous (CE) extracts, chloroform (CF), ethyl acetate (EF), and methanol (MF) fractions. The polyphenol (PC) and flavonoid (FC) contents in all the cinnamon samples were determined. The synthesized CNPs were tested for the antioxidant activity (as DPPH radical scavenging percentage) in Bj-1 normal cells and HepG-2 cancer cells. Several antioxidant enzymes, including biomarkers, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and reduced glutathione (GSH), were verified for their effects on the viability and cytotoxicity of normal and cancer cells. The anti-cancer activity depended on apoptosis marker protein levels (Caspase3, P53, Bax, and Pcl2) in normal and cancerous cells. The obtained data showed higher PC and FC contents in CE samples, while CF showed the lowest levels. The IC50 values of all investigated samples were higher, while their antioxidant activities were lower than those of vitamin C (5.4 g/mL). The CNPs showed lower IC50 value (55.6 µg/mL), whereas the antioxidant activity inside or outside the Bj-1 or HepG-2 was found to be higher compared with other samples. All samples execrated a dose-dependent cytotoxicity by decreasing the cells' viability percent of Bj-1 and HepG-2. Similarly, the anti-proliferative potency of CNPs on Bj-1 or HepG-2 at different concentrations was more effective than that of other samples. Higher concentrations of the CNPs (16 g/mL) showed greater cell death in Bj-1 (25.68%) and HepG-2 (29.49%), indicating powerful anti-cancer properties of the nanomaterials. After 48 h of CNPs treatment, both Bj-1 and HepG-2 showed significant increases in biomarker enzyme activities and reduced glutathione compared with other treated samples or untreated controls (p < 0.05). The anti-cancer biomarker activities of Caspas-3, P53, Bax, and Bcl-2 levels were significantly changed in Bj-1 or HepG-2 cells. The cinnamon samples were significantly increased in Caspase-3, Bax, and P53, while there were decreased Bcl-2 levels compared with control.

DFT insights into Nb-based 211 MAX phase carbides: Nb2AC (A = Ga, Ge, Tl, Zn, P, In, and Cd).

In this study, we performed the first-principles calculations to study the 211 MAX phase carbides: Nb2AC (A = Ga, Ge, Tl, Zn, P, In, Cd, and Al). The structural characteristics are in good agreement with those of the prior studies. The mechanical behavior has been explored by calculating the stiffness constants, elastic moduli, and Vickers hardness. The stiffness constants and phonon dispersion curves were used to check the structural stability of the selected compounds. 2D and 3D plotting of elastic moduli and calculated anisotropy indices disclosed the anisotropy of the elastic properties. We utilized the Mulliken atomic and bond overlap population to explain the mixture of ionic and covalent bonding among these carbides. The metallic behavior has been confirmed by calculating the band structure and density of states (DOS). Partial DOS was also used to discuss the bonding nature and strength among the different states. The optical properties of these phases have also been computed and analyzed to reveal possible relevance in diverse fields. The Debye temperature (Θ D), Grüneisen parameter (γ), melting temperature (T m), and minimum thermal conductivity (K min) were studied to bring out their possible relevance in high-temperature technology. The outcomes of this research indicate that the titled carbides are suitable for use as solar radiation-protecting coating and thermal barrier coating (TBC) materials.

Antiviral activities of plant-derived indole and ß-carboline alkaloids against human and avian influenza viruses.

The persistent evolution of drug-resistant influenza strains represents a global concern. The innovation of new treatment approaches through drug screening strategies and investigating the antiviral potential of bioactive natural-based chemicals may address the issue. Herein, we screened the anti-influenza efficacy of some biologically active indole and ß-carboline (ßC) indole alkaloids against two different influenza A viruses (IAV) with varied host range ranges; seasonal influenza A/Egypt/NRC098/2019(H1N1) and avian influenza A/chicken/Egypt/N12640A/2016(H5N1). All compounds were first assessed for their half-maximal cytotoxic concentration (CC50) in MDCK cells and half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) against influenza A/H5N1. Intriguingly, Strychnine sulfate, Harmalol, Harmane, and Harmaline showed robust anti-H5N1 activities with IC50 values of 11.85, 0.02, 0.023, and 3.42 µg/ml, respectively, as compared to zanamivir and amantadine as control drugs (IC50 = 0.079 µg/ml and 17.59 µg/ml, respectively). The efficacy of the predefined phytochemicals was further confirmed against influenza A/H1N1 and they displayed potent anti-H1N1 activities compared to reference drugs. Based on SI values, the highly promising compounds were then evaluated for antiviral efficacy through plaque reduction assay and consistently they revealed high viral inhibition percentages at non-toxic concentrations. By studying the modes of antiviral action, Harmane and Harmalol could suppress viral infection via interfering mainly with the viral replication of the influenza A/H5N1 virus, whilst Harmaline exhibited a viricidal effect against the influenza A/H5N1 virus. Whereas, Strychnine sulfate elucidated its anti-influenza potency by interfering with viral adsorption into MDCK cells. Consistently, chemoinformatic studies showed that all studied phytochemicals illustrated HB formations with essential peptide cleft through the NH of indole moiety. Among active alkaloids, harmalol displayed the best lipophilicity metrics including ligand efficiency (LE) and ligand lipophilic efficiency (LLE) for both viruses. Compounds geometry and their ability to participate in HB formation are very crucial.

Metallic boro-carbides of A2BC (A = Ti, Zr, Hf and W): a comprehensive theoretical study for thermo-mechanical and optoelectronic applications.

High-hardness materials with ductile deformation behavior have recently piqued interest due to their prospective applications, particularly as hard and protective coatings. The crack formation, especially in metal and ceramic materials, is one of the biggest problems of the surface hard coatings on heavy-duty tools. In this regard, mechanical properties (Vickers hardness, fracture toughness, machinability index, index of brittleness, as well as Pugh's ratio) have been studied for the metallic boro-carbides of A2BC (A = Ti, Zr, Hf, and W) compounds using the state-of-the-art density functional theory in detail. The compounds under investigation are both thermodynamically and mechanically stable. The value of Vickers hardness (in GPa) for A2BC (A = Ti, Zr, Hf, and W) compounds are 28.20, 23.12, 12.44, and 35.70, respectively, which indicates the W2BC could be a member of the hard family (H v > 30 GPa). Pugh's ratio suggests ductile deformation for the W2BC compound, whereas the other three (Ti2BC, Zr2BC, and Hf2BC) compounds exhibit brittle deformation behavior. The W2BC compounds have the highest ductility among the other metallic boro-carbides (M2BC; M = V, Nb, Mo and Ta) and some other benchmark coating materials (TiN, TiAlN, C-BN, and Cr0.5Al0.5N). The fracture toughness (K IC) values are in the following sequence: Zr2BC < Ti2BC < Hf2BC < W2BC, which indicates that, the highest resistance (K IC = 4.96 MPam1/2) found for W2BC is suitable to prevent the crack propagation within the solid. In addition, the structural, electronic, optical, and thermal properties are also investigated for the A2BC (A = Ti, Zr, Hf, and W) compounds. The Ti2BC (W2BC) reflectivity spectra never fall below 53 (45)% in the 0 to 10.3 eV (0 to 16.70 eV) photon energy range, suggesting that these compounds have promise for usage as coating materials to reduce solar heating. Hf2BC and W2BC compounds could also be exploited as promising thermal barrier coating materials, while Ti2BC could be used as heat sink material based on the results of Debye temperature, melting temperature, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion coefficient. The electronic properties reveal the metallic behavior of these compounds. The results obtained here are compared with those of some commercially known compounds, where available.

Exploration of the physical properties of the newly synthesized kagome superconductor LaIr3Ga2 using different exchange-correlation functionals.

LaIr3Ga2 is a kagome superconductor with a superconducting temperature (Tc) of 5.16 K. Here, we present the physical properties of the LaIr3Ga2 kagome superconductor computed via the DFT method wherein six different exchange-correlation functionals were used. The lattice parameters obtained using different functionals are reasonable, with a slight variation compared to experimental values. The bonding nature was explored. The elastic constants (Cij), moduli (B, G, Y), and Vickers hardness (Hv) were computed to disclose the mechanical behavior. The Hv values were estimated to be 2.56-3.16 GPa using various exchange-correlation functionals, indicating the softness of the kagome material. The Pugh ratio, Poisson's ratio, and Cauchy pressure revealed the ductile nature. In addition, mechanical stability was ensured based on the estimated elastic constants. The anisotropic mechanical behavior was confirmed via different anisotropic indices. The Debye temperature (ΘD), melting temperature (Tm), and minimum thermal conductivity (kmin) were calculated to characterize the thermal properties and predict the potential of LaIr3Ga2 as a thermal barrier coating material. The electronic density of states was investigated in detail. The McMillan equation was used to estimate Tc, and the electron-phonon coupling constant (λ) was calculated to explore the superconducting nature. The important optical constants were also calculated to explore its possible optoelectronic applications. The values of reflectivity in the IR-visible region are about 62% to 80%, indicating that the compound under study is suitable as a coating to reduce solar heating. The obtained parameters were compared with previously reported parameters, where available.

Distribution, screening and biochemical characterization of indigenous microalgae for bio-mass and bio-energy production potential from three districts of Pakistan.

Trend of biofuel production from microalgal triacylglycerols is enhancing, because this substrate is a good sustainable and advantageous alternative to oil and gas fuel. In the present study, indigenous micro algal isolates were screened from water (n=30) and soil (n=30) samples collected from three districts of Punjab, Pakistan to evaluate their biofuel production potential. The samples were inoculated on BG - 11 agar medium plates by incubating at room temperature of 25°C providing 1000 lux for 16h light cycle followed by 8h of dark cycle for 15 d. Water samples were found to be rich in microalgae and 65.33% microalgae (49 isolates) were isolated from Faisalabad district. On the basis of microscopic morphology microalgal isolates (n=180) were selected and subjected to lipid detection by Nile red staining assay. Nile red positive isolates (n=23) were processed for biochemical (lipid, protein and carbohydrates) characterization. AIN63 isolate showed higher lipids (17.4%) content as detected by micro vanillin assay. Algal isolate AIN128 showed best protein contents (42.91%) detected by Bradford assay and AIN172 isolate showed higher carbohydrate contents (73.83%) as detected by anthrone assay. The selected algal isolates were also analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for confirmation of carbohydrate, protein and lipid analysis. These indigenous algae have the potential for in-vitro biofuel production from agricultural waste.

Functional Outcome of Subtrochanteric Femoral Fracture Fixation by Intramedullary Interlocking Surgical Implant Generation Network Nail.

Subtrochanteric femoral fractures are one of the common fractures encountered in today's Orthopaedic practice. High stress leads implant failure and produce varus collapse. From the perspective of biomechanics, intramedullary fixation has unique advantage which can better distribute stress and acting load-sharing implants. Biomechanically proximal wide canal and short segment provide less optimal fixation by conventional intramedullary nails. Intramedullary nail by Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) has proximal interlocking that gain purchase through femoral neck and provide improved stability for proximal part. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional outcome of subtrochanteric fractures fixation by intramedullary interlocking SIGN nail. This prospective study was conducted from July 2016 to June 2018 at National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) through non randomized purposive sampling. Total 31 patients, aged above 18 years irrespective of sex with closed subtrochanteric fractures were included. Patients with pathological fracture, multiple injuries were excluded from the study. The mean age of the patients was 42.61±19.59 years with range 18-80 years. Most common fractures were Seinsheimer type III (51.6%) and average follows up 42.39 weeks (24-48 weeks). Union rate 93.55% with delayed union 6.45% and no nonunion. Functionally most of patient started early partial (77.42%) and full (64.52%) weight bearing with 61.29% have full knee ROM and 83.9% without limb shortening. Maximum patients regained walking (83.87%) and squatting (90.32%) and return to preinjury state (80.65%) of activities. Evaluation of outcome by Modified Harris Hip Score showed excellent (70.97%), good (22.58%), fair (3.23%) and poor (3.23%) thus satisfactory outcome were 93.55%. This study concludes that intramedullary interlocking SIGN nail is a safe and reliable implant for the treatment of subtrochanteric fractures with excellent functional outcome.

Tandem repeats ubiquitously flank and contribute to translation initiation sites.

BACKGROUND: While the evolutionary divergence of cis-regulatory sequences impacts translation initiation sites (TISs), the implication of tandem repeats (TRs) in TIS selection remains largely elusive. Here, we employed the TIS homology concept to study a possible link between TRs of all core lengths and repeats with TISs. METHODS: Human, as reference sequence, and 83 other species were selected, and data was extracted on the entire protein-coding genes (n = 1,611,368) and transcripts (n = 2,730,515) annotated for those species from Ensembl 102. Following TIS identification, two different weighing vectors were employed to assign TIS homology, and the co-occurrence pattern of TISs with the upstream flanking TRs was studied in the selected species. The results were assessed in 10-fold cross-validation. RESULTS: On average, every TIS was flanked by 1.19 TRs of various categories within its 120 bp upstream sequence, per species. We detected statistically significant enrichment of non-homologous human TISs co-occurring with human-specific TRs. On the contrary, homologous human TISs co-occurred significantly with non-human-specific TRs. 2991 human genes had at least one transcript, TIS of which was flanked by a human-specific TR. Text mining of a number of the identified genes, such as CACNA1A, EIF5AL1, FOXK1, GABRB2, MYH2, SLC6A8, and TTN, yielded predominant expression and functions in the human brain and/or skeletal muscle. CONCLUSION: We conclude that TRs ubiquitously flank and contribute to TIS selection at the trans-species level. Future functional analyses, such as a combination of genome editing strategies and in vitro protein synthesis may be employed to further investigate the impact of TRs on TIS selection.

Location and Time Aware Multitask Allocation in Mobile Crowd-Sensing Based on Genetic Algorithm.

Mobile crowd-sensing (MCS) is a well-known paradigm used for obtaining sensed data by using sensors found in smart devices. With the rise of more sensing tasks and workers in the MCS system, it is now essential to design an efficient approach for task allocation. Moreover, to ensure the completion of the tasks, it is necessary to incentivise the workers by rewarding them for participating in performing the sensing tasks. In this paper, we aim to assist workers in selecting multiple tasks while considering the time constraint of the worker and the requirements of the task. Furthermore, a pricing mechanism is adopted to determine each task budget, which is then used to determine the payment for the workers based on their willingness factor. This paper proves that the task-allocation is a non-deterministic polynomial (NP)-complete problem, which is difficult to solve by conventional optimization techniques. A worker multitask allocation-genetic algorithm (WMTA-GA) is proposed to solve this problem to maximize the workers welfare. Finally, theoretical analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed WMTA-GA. We observed that it performs better than the state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of average performance, workers welfare, and the number of assigned tasks.