Journal of Research (Science) ISSN (Print): 1021-1012; ISSN (Online) 3007-1968 Welcome to the Journal of Research (Science), a prestigious multidisciplinary publication serving as a hallmark of scholarly excellence. For the past two decades, we have been dedicated to advancing knowledge across a wide array of disciplines, including life sciences, natural sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and veterinary science. Published in print form from Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan, Pakistan, our journal has long been a trusted source of high-quality research. Now, as we embark on a new chapter, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our online version, ensuring broader accessibility to our valuable insights and discoveries. Committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic rigor, the Journal of Research (Science) operates under a single-blind peer review process, ensuring the integrity and credibility of the research we publish. Join us on our journey as we continue to foster innovation and collaboration in the pursuit of knowledge. We invite submissions of original research articles, reviews, and short communications that contribute significantly to these diverse disciplines.
Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan (Pakistan)
Integrated Thermal-Structural Analysis and Material Optimization of a Compression Ignition Engine Exhaust Valve Using Finite Element Simulation
This study presents an integrated thermal and structural analysis of a compression ignition engine exhaust valve to enhance its performance, durability, and thermal efficiency under severe operating conditions. The exhaust valve operates under high combustion temperatures and fluctuating mechanical loads, requiring careful optimization of both material properties and geometry. A three-dimensional valve model was developed in SolidWorks and analyzed in ANSYS Workbench 16.2 under steady-state thermal and static structural conditions. Five materials, stainless steel, structural steel, carbon steel, martensitic steel, and nickel-titanium, were evaluated based on heat-flux distribution, equivalent stress, and deformation behavior. Results showed that structural steel achieved superior thermal performance with the highest total and directional heat flux, while nickel-titanium exhibited the lowest von Mises stress, indicating better mechanical resilience. Analysis of fillet radius variation further revealed that a 37.4 mm fillet provided an optimal balance between heat dissipation and stress reduction. The proposed thermo-structural approach establishes reliable design recommendations for exhaust valves, contributing to improved efficiency and extended service life of compression ignition engines. This study bridges the gap between independent thermal and structural analyses by combining both within a single ANSYS-based framework to assess material and geometric optimization for CI engine exhaust valves.
Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Saaiq Tauseef, Aman Qaisar, Rana Muhammad Rehan Ashraf, Muhammad Huzaifa Saeed, Muhammad Saad, Tehreem Asif, Muhammad Umair Ahsan Khan, Abu Summama Sadavi Bilal, Syed Ahmed Sohaib Bukhari, Akbar Ali Qureshi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF SOME NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-RHEUMATIC DRUGS
Based upon some reports indicating the role of bacterial pathogens in rheumatoid arthritis, this study was undertaken to determine the anti-bacterial activity of some non-steroidal anti-rheumatic drugs including some of their copper(II) complexes. Thus, D-penicillamine, levanisole, flurbiprofen, tiaprofenic acid, pirprofen, ketoprofen, sulphasalazine, phenylbutazone, aspirin, Cu(II)-aspirinate, Cu(II)-penicillamine and some Cu(II)-amino acid complexes (possible active metabolites of the copper complexes of the drugs) were tested for their anti-bacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All the compounds exhibited from moderate to high activity against one or more strains. These results substantiate the speculated role of bacterial pathogens in the causation and/or perpetuation of rheumatoid arthritis.
Biological, Agricultural & Health Sciences
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
FLOATATION — SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF PHOSPHORUS AS BRILLIANT GREEN-MOLYBDOPHOSPHATE ION-PAIR
Orthophosphate in natural waters is determined spectrophotometrically as Brilliant Green–Molybdophosphate ion-pair. The ion-pair is floated as a membrane-like substance at the interface between the aqueous and diethyl ether phases. After discarding the aqueous phase, the excess of Brilliant Green extracted into the diethyl ether along with the ion-pair is removed by shaking with 25 ml of 1.0 M hydrochloric acid. The floated ion-pair is dissolved in methanol and absorbance is measured at 625 nm against methanol. The calibration graph is linear upto 1 μg with a relative standard deviation of 3.2% at 0.3 μg phosphate phosphorus. The detection limit is 2.5 μg l⁻¹ which is twice of the standard deviation of the reagent blank. The apparent molar absorptivity for orthophosphate phosphorus is 1.25 × 10⁴ l mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹. Arsenic (V), citrate, tartrate and sulphate interfere.
Copyright (c) 1993 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Physico-chemical soil attributes associated with Bambusa plantation at Rana Safari Park, Head Balloki
Bamboo (Bambusa spp.) plantations can change soil physical and chemical characteristics. This impacts nutrient cycling, moisture retention, and soil fertility. This study evaluated soil properties under Bambusa plantations at Rana Safari Park, Head Balloki, Punjab, Pakistan. The park spans 250 acres, with roughly 200 acres covered by bamboo forest. Six representative plantation sites were sampled at standard depths to assess physical attributes, such as texture, moisture content, and saturation percentage, along with chemical attributes, including pH, electrical conductivity, and macro- and micro-nutrients. Soil analyses followed standard protocols, and we evaluated results using Redundancy Analysis (RDA). Soils showed slight alkalinity, with pH levels between 7.51 and 8.72. Electrical conductivity varied from 0.324 to 1.796 dS m⁻¹. The contents of sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), and nitrogen (N) ranged from 11 to 47 mg g⁻¹, 14 to 32 mg g⁻¹, 3 to 38 mg g⁻¹, and 0.196 to 0.294 mg g⁻¹, respectively. Moisture content ranged from 8.35% to 29.6%, and saturation percentage varied from 33% to 45%. Textures ranged from sandy loam to sandy clay loam. The findings show that Bambusa plantations improve soil nutrient levels and water retention. They play a crucial role in soil conservation and sustainable land management in semi-arid ecosystems.
Copyright (c) 2025 Madiha Yaqoob, Muhammad Sajid Aqeel Ahmad, Alia Riffat, Mansoor Hameed, Farooq Ahmad, Wasifa Rani (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Adaptive strategies modulated by microstructural and functional modifications in common reeds across aquatic habitats
The adaptive strategies of common reeds (Phragmites karka and Arundo donax) is fundamental to exploring plant interactions to environment across heterogeneous aquatic habitats. Both common species are the most widely distributed species in different aquatic habitats, by the adapting the morpho-anatomical as well as functional strategies. This study conducted from 6 different habitats of Faisalabad such as Fish Pond UAF, Gat Wala Forest, Canal Bank FSD, Water Channel Canal Road, Water Channel Malkhan Wala and Water Channel Sitana Road of Faisalabad Pakistan. The selected plant species showed adaptive traits in morphology such as leaf area, shoot length, inflorescence length, and root length varied with species and habitats. The anatomical features of roots such as epidermal thickness, endodermal thickness, cortical thickness, and stellar region thickness, as well as aerenchyma and metaxylem areas, varied greatly between species and habitats. Stem parameters, including epidermal thickness, vascular bundle size, sclerenchyma, and phloem area, also showed significant site specific adaptive strategies. The leaf also played an important role in survival of these plants in diversified habitats in the form changes particularly lamina thickness, midrib thickness, vascular bundle cell area, parenchyma cell area, and stomatal densities, which were strongly influenced by habitat. Physiological parameters, including proline, glycine betaine, soluble sugars, chlorophyll contents, and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, POD), exhibited clear species and habitat related variation. Ion concentrations (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺) in shoots and roots further highlighted adaptive responses to environmental conditions, with P. karka generally performing better in Fish Pond UAF and Canal Bank FSD sites, while A. donax showed stronger responses at Water Channel Sitana Road and Water Channel Canal Road habitats. These results emphasize the remarkable adaptive strategies of the common reeds in different habitats.
Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Efficacy of Gibberellic Acid in promoting salt stress resilience in pea (Pisum sativum L.)
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of gibberellic acid on the growth, physiological, and biochemical attributes of pea plants under salt stress. Two pea cultivars were examined to determine their comparative performance in saline conditions. An experiment was conducted at the Old Botanical Garden, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, using two pea cultivars, Pea 2009 and Green Pea. Plants were grown in pots arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. Salt stress was applied using sodium chloride at two concentrations (0 and 100 millimoles), 21 days after sowing. Gibberellic acid was applied as a foliar treatment at three levels (0, 5, and 10 parts per million) fourteen days after salt application. Data on morphological and physiological traits were collected fourteen days after hormone treatment. Salt stress caused a noticeable reduction in shoot and root length, number of leaves and branches, and fresh and dry weights of shoots and roots. However, gibberellic acid significantly improved these parameters, even under salt stress. It enhanced chlorophyll content, carotenoids. Among the two cultivars, Pea 2009 exhibited better performance in both growth and stress tolerance. The application of gibberellic acid mitigated the adverse effects of salt stress in pea plants by improving morphological growth and enhancing key physiological responses. Pea 2009 showed greater resilience to salinity, making it more suitable for cultivation under saline conditions.
Weibull Distribution Model for the Breast Cancer Survival Data Using Maximum Likelihood Method.
Mathematical Modeling and Statistical Techniques
The effects of family income on the relationship of various anthropometric parameters with blood pressure in male population of Multan
A randomly selected sample of 497 human males, ageing from 18 to 90 years and representing different ethnic and socio-economic groups of Multan was taken. Income (Rs.), height (cm), weight(kg), BMI (kg m/sup -2), circumferences and blood pres one of the six different income groups i.e., <5000, <10000, <15000, <20000, <25000 and >25000.Mean values plus minus SEM of income, weight, height, BMI, arm, neck, waist, hips and total circumferences, were 13881.6 plus minus 1835.6, 64.0 plus minus 0.5, 171.6 plus minus 2.9, 21.5 plus minus 0.2, 26.5 plus minus 0.1, 36.2 plus minus 0.1, 81.4 plus minus 0.5, 93.0 plus minus 0.4 and 237.2 plus minus 0.9 respectively. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were 122.2 plus minus 0.5, 80.7 plus minus 0.4, 41.5 plus minus 0.5 and 94.5 plus minus 0.4 respectively. All these parameters were also recorded and analysed in different income groups. The prevalence of obesity and hypertension was found to be 3.6% and 11.4% in the total sample. The correlation and regression coefficients between different independent (income, weight, height, BMI, circumferences) and dependent (SBP, DBP, PP and MAP) parameters were calculated and it was observed that there was a strong association between different parameters (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The regression coefficients of BMI with SBP, DBP, PP and MAP were 0.744 mmHg, 0.449 mmHg, 0.296 mmHg and 0.551 per unit of BMI, respectively (P<0.001). The arm, neck, waist, hip and total circumference had regression coefficients with SBP, DBP, and MAP as, arm 0.879, 0.547, 0.667, neck 1.020, 0.660, 0.788, waist 0.244, 0.162, 0.149, hip 0.348, 0.181, 0.238 and total 0.142, 0.855, 0.105 (P<0.01) respectively. It was found that weight and BMI are more important for the prediction of blood pressure whereas all the circumferences had weak association with blood pressure.
Immigration Supervision Strategies and the Role of Immigration Law in Facing Threats to State Sovereignty in Indonesia
Copyright (c) 2025 D. Mayang, Wani P., Ambia W. (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
DYNAMICAL PARAMETRIC BEHAVIOR BASED ON CREEP COEFFICIENT FOR LINEARIZED RAILWAY VEHICLE WHEELSET MODEL
The essential dynamic parameters for proper running of vehicle through wheelset on rail track are discussed. Alternately state space equation is manipulated for application and observation of simulation results. The kinematic and torsional modes are watched by migration of eigenvalues through concerned stiffness properties. As creep coefficient has great importance with respect of adhesion to avoid slip. Hence two major maximum and minimum coefficients of creep are implemented to watch the attitude of eigenvalues with damping and frequency of railway wheels. The frequency behavior is also observed with vehicle velocity through wavelength. This research paper amends some principle ideas for stability of railway vehicle wheels over track.
INFERENCE ABOUT THE FIFA MATCHES: AN APPLICATION OF THE LOGISTIC REGRESSION AND CLASSICAL TESTS
The basic idea behind this work is to apply some classical inferential techniques for the goals scored in the football world cup tournaments. The Fédération International de Football Association (FIFA) organizes this event after every four years. According to the FIFA ranking, first three ranks are given to the national teams of Spain, Germany and Argentina, respectively. We take 56 matches of Spain, 99 matches of Germany and 70 matches of Argentina. The logistic regression is used to find the match-win prediction using different factors. As a result Germany is found to be an unpredictable team. For testing the mean goal of the said teams, we used the Wald, LR and Score tests. To compare the power of these tests empirically and graphically, the Monte Carlo simulation scheme is used.
ENHANCEMENT OF WHEAT (Triticum Aestivum L.) GROWTH AND Zn CONTENT BY ZINC SOLUBILIZING BACTERIA
The influence of biofertilizer inoculation, viz. Rhizobium, Azospirillum and Pseudomonas in different combinations with recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (NP) on wheat (Triticumaestivum L.) crop was tested during year [2011-2012], to explore the possibility of reducing doses of chemical fertilizers, zinc solubilization and uptake. The results revealed significant uptake of zinc by biofertilizers as compared to chemical fertilizers. Highest shoot zinc(47.6 mg kg-1) uptake was recorded with Azospirillum + ½ NP, Pseudomonas N ½ P. Highest flag leaves zinc uptake was recorded with Pseudomonas + N ½ P (34.73 mg kg-1) and Azospirillum + N ½ P (1.46 mg kg-1). Maximum zinc content in wheat straw was recorded with Rhizobium ½ NP(13.2 mg kg-1), Pseudomonas N ½ P(12.26 mg kg-1) and Azospirillum + ½ NP(12.6 mg kg-1). In grain highest zinc (32.33 mg kg-1) uptake was recorded with Rhizobium ½ N P, Pseudomonas N ½ P and Azospirillum + ½ NP.
EFFECT OF EGG ADAPTED GAMETOCYTIC VACCINE (LOCAL ISOLATES) ON LESION SCORE IN COCCIDIOSIS IN POULTRY
An egg adapted gametocytes (Local isolates) E. tenella, vaccine(s) were used against coccidiosis in chickens. A total of two hundred day old chicks were utilized in this study. On day fifth of their age, they were divided into four groups, viz Group-I, group-II, Group-III and Group-IV having 50 chicks in each groups. These groups were distributed as; Group-I, Group-II, Group-III and Group-IV and were administered vaccine(s) for immunization orally viz; Vaccine I (gametocytes), to chicks of Group-I, Vaccine II (gametocytes inactivated) to Group-II, Vaccine III (gametocytes sonicated inactivated) to Group-IIII and Group-IV served as control given normal saline. On day 15th post- immunization, chicks were challenged with 60,000–70,000 sporulatedoocysts of mixed species of Eimeria. On day 21st post vaccination, birds were subjected to postmortem and their lesions score were recorded. A maximum of 46 (92%) birds having lesions in intestine and caeca of Group-IV were observed while a minimum of 17 (34%) birds having slight lesions in intestine and caeca were observed in Group-III. There was non-significant difference (P>0.05) in lesions score of Group-I, II and IV. Lesions scores in Group-III were significantly different (P>0.05) from Group-I, II and IV. It is concluded that on the basis of lesions score the egg-adapted vaccine saved the chicks against coccidiosis on challenge.
SCREENING FAISALABAD FLORA FOR ALLELOPATHIC POTENTIAL
Indiscriminate pesticidal usage has fabricated harsh effects on environment, human and animal health. None chemical pest control is therefore gaining attraction now a days; allelopathy has emerged as natural technique of pest management in recent years in this regard. Various plants were sampled from different parts of Faisalabad and their extracts were prepared in Weed science and Allelopathy Laboratory, Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. The extracts were then applied to the maize seeds to check their allelopathic activity. Total phenolic, EC and pH of the extracts were determined to find out the relation between allelopathic activity and their biochemical properties. Results showed that 62 plants had significant inhibitory effect (>20% inhibition) where as 35 plants had significant promotory effect (>20%). Plant water extracts of Heliotropium europoeum, Rumex dentatus, Tribulus terestris, Sesbania sesban and Trianthema portulacastrum showed highest inhibitory effect where as Gossypium arboreum, Cassia fistula, Conyza ambigua and Quercus Virginia had highest promotory effect. Positive correlation was found between inhibition percentage, and phenolic contents. From preliminary screening about 32 plants were selected and further checked against lettuce and these selected plant were used as natural bio-herbicide on three noxious weeds of wheat (Cronopus didymus, chenopodium murala and Avena futua). Resulted aqueous extracts should be used as potent plants on their allelopathic behavior for natural integrated crop management.
A STUDY OF ESSENTIAL PARAMETERS ON GAS CARBURIZING OF AISI 8620 (Ni-Cr-Mo) ALLOY STEEL
Carburizing of steel components is an essential process in the automotive industry especially for heavy load bearing machine parts such as gear teeth, pinions, crank and camshafts. Carburizing is used to induce carbon in the steel component and the final part has a surface of higher carbon content whereas the core remains soft, thus making it to bear heavy loads. In this paper effect of physical and chemical parameters in gas carburizing atmosphere furnace were observed. Various samples of 8620 steel were carburized in different furnaces for discrete time periods and temperatures followed by water, oil quenched and tempered. The gas carburized samples were characterized performing different tests like impact, hardness and metallographic. Any changes in properties were determined. It was concluded that for optimum carburizing of 8620 alloy steel with a case depth of 1 mm after carburizing the samples, the temperature in the furnace should be lowered to 830◦C before quenching in oil medium to avoid distortion.
BHAGNARI BULL WITH NON-HAEMOLYTIC BLOODY URINE: A CASE REPORT
A Bhagnari bull of 5 years age was presented to Veterinary Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan. Live Weight of animal was about 400 kg having masculine body. The owner complained for bloody red urine and anorexia for seven days. The animal was examined and given proper treatment of medicines including antibiotics but it could not survive. After postmortem it was tried to diagnose the cause of death and possible remedies for the future.
GENOTYPIC VARIATION IN ENDOSPERM PROTEIN, LYSINE AND TRYPTOPHAN CONTENTS OF NORMAL EXTRA-EARLY MAIZE CULTIVARS AND THEIR QUALITY PROTEIN HYBRIDS UNDER NITROGEN STRESS AND NON-STRESS ENVIRONMENTS
Drought and nitrogen (N) tolerance quality protein maize (QPM) could serve as a succor for malnourishment in the Sub-Saharan Africa, and adoption should be intensified where resource poor farmers cannot afford N fertilizer and drought on maize at grain filling stage is frequent. This study compares the quality index, protein, tryptophan and lysine contents of normal extra-early drought-tolerant and their quality protein maize hybrids under sub-optimal and optimal soil N conditions. Four normal drought-tolerant and their respective QPM hybrids were planted under no (0 kg N ha-1), low (30 kg N ha-1) and optimal (90 kg N ha-1) fertilizations at Oke Oyi, Ilorin in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria in 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons. The trials were set up in a split plot arrangement with the N rates as main plot and the eight cultivars as sub-plots. Each plot within N levels was four-row, laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The normal cultivars outyielded the QPM versions across N rates with no significance difference. There is a linear increase in all protein qualities with increase in N rates among QPM, while normal maize counterparts had a linear decline with increase in N fertilization. The QPM cultivars also maintained their endosperm protein qualities across N rates. Across N environments, the grain quality characters, such as crude protein, tryptophan, and lysine contents in grain, showed a significant negative relationship with grain yields, which were relatively much stronger under low-N stress. 99TY, TYEEC4, 99TYQ and 20SYNEEWQ have viable traits that could be explored for the development of maize varieties with good grain yield and better protein qualities to improve protein availability in maize based diets and feed for large population of man and livestock.
CONSTRUCTION OF BALANCED INCOMPLETE BLOCK DESIGNS USING CYCLIC SHIFTS
The construction of balanced incomplete block designs is considered using the method of cyclic shifts. An interesting feature of this method is that there is no need to construct the bocks of the actual design to obtain the properties of a design. One can obtain the off-diagonal elements of the concurrence matrix from the sets of shifts with less effort. A catalogue of balanced incomplete block designs for 3 ≤ v ≤ 18 with k = v -1, 19 ≤ v ≤ 100 with k = 2, 3 and for 19 ≤ v ≤ 25 with k = 4, 5 restricted with r < 60 is compiled.
EFFECT OF THERMAL HARDENING ON GERMINATION AND SEEDLING VIGOUR OF TOMATO
The study was carried out to investigate the effects of thermal hardening on germination and seedling growth of two tomato cultivars i.e. Nagina and Pakit. Dry heat treatment i.e 50°C and chilling (–19°C), Chilling + Heating, Chilling + Heating + Chilling, Heating + Chilling + Heating treatment each applied for the period of 24h along with a control. The both cultivars responded maximum final germination percentage in case of dry heat treatment applied at 50°C for the period of 24h followed by chilling at -19°C for 24h, while minimum final germination percentage was recorded in case of Heating + Chilling + Heating for 24h. Dry heat treatment at 50°C significantly reduced time taken to 50% germination. Whereas it also gave more GI, root and shoot length, fresh and dry weight, where as minimum EC of seed leachates was recorded in dry heat treatment in Nagina as compared to Pakit.
EVALUATION OF CARDIAC BIOMARKERS AND RISK FACTORS TO ASSESS MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a sever emergency and the life threatening condition if left untreated, it may be a cause of death. Objective: This study was conducted to (i) observe patients of different age groups who are mostly affected from the MI in Southern Punjab, Pakistan and (ii) evaluate various cardiac biomarkers (Troponin-T, CPK, CKMB, AST and LDH enzymes) for the detection of MI and the role of risk factors especially hypertension, age factor and diabetes. Methodology: This study was carried out at Ch. Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology (CPEIC) Multan, Pakistan. One hundred (100) patients who were suffering from severe chest pain (one of the risk factor) were selected from the Emergency Department of the hospital. All the history of the patient including age, sex and family history regarding cardiac or hypertensive disease was taken on special designed Performa (one of the experimental tool) and blood samples were collected to test cardiac biomarkers in Main Laboratory by kit method. Results: The mean values of the systolic, diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate of infracted patients (129.2±21.4, 83.9±11.4 and 84.8±16.7) were compared with mean values of that of the control group of patients (119.33±8.28, 79.67±5.7 and 76.90±12.90) which showed significant (p<0.05) increase in blood pressure and the pulse rate of the infracted patients. All the enzymes levels were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the MI patients. Troponin-T (0.351±0.52), CPK (499±85.5), CKMB (45±4.78), AST (60.3±7.5) and LDH (542±292) were significantly (P<0.05) higher from the control (0.014±0.005), (90.3±26.2), (20.77±3.6), (20.3±6.19) and (373.4±56.6), respectively. Conclusion: Patients in the age group of 40-59 are mostly affected from the myocardial infarction. All the cardiac biomarkers have their importance because in some cases the Troponin-T was negative but the patient was suffering from MI but in the early diagnosis of MI, Troponin-T is superior to the other enzymes.
PREPARATION OF Ni1-xMnxFe2O4 FERRITES BY SOL-GEL METHOD AND STUDY OF CATION DISTRIBUTION
The nanoparticles of the spinel ferrite system Ni1-xMnxFe2O4 with x=0.0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 were prepared by sol-gel combustion technique using chlorides of Ni, Mn and Fe with citric acid as a source. The structure of ferrite materials and the particle size were determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD). It was observed that the structure is single phase, face centered cubic with lattice parameters and the particle size ranging from 8.365Ǻ to 8.394Ǻ and 23.86Ǻ to 38.30Ǻ respectively. The lattice parameter showed a linear dependence on concentration in accordance with the Vegard’s law. By analyzing XRD patterns, the cation distribution over A and B-sites was estimated through R-Factor method. The magnetic moment for each sample was determined from cation distribution on the two sites. An enhancement in the net magnetic moment was observed with gradual increase in the Mn content.
A RESISTOMETRIC STUDY OF PRECIPITATION-HARDENING IN Fe-0.5wt%Cu ALLOY
Precipitation-hardening study was carried out on Fe - 0.5 wt% Cu alloy by measuring electrical resistivity and Vickers hardness at different ageing temperatures and for long ageing times. On ageing, it was observed that electrical resistivity initially rises with ageing time and then falls after very long ageing at a constant temperature. On the other hand hardness shows only small rise during early stages and rapid rise for further ageing. It may be inferred from XRD patterns, behavior of resistivity and / or hardness that the metastable Cu-rich clusters are formed at the earlier stages of the precipitation process causing only small changes in hardness but large rise in resistivity. These metastable Cu-clusters might have transformed to stable Cu-rich precipitates for long times causing further variations in hardness/ resistivity.
HEAT- RETENTION COOKING AND NO -TRACKING PROPERTIES OF SOLAR OVEN WITH FIVE SIDES OF DOUBLE GLAZING
Solar oven with five sides of double glazing is a solar cooker of box type with multiple reflectors that receive the solar radiation from five sides and needs no tracking during the cooking period. Heat-retention cooking is also a salient feature of the device. This paper reports on the study of heat-retention and no-tracking properties of the said device. For heat retention cooking in conventional solar cookers the pot is removed from the oven and is covered for heat retention cooking. While in Solar oven with five sides of double glazing the oven as a whole is covered with an insulated cap meant for the purpose and the heat present in food, pot, cooking chamber and the double glazing is trapped in. As a result the food keeps on cooking slowly at low temperature for an extended period of time in the absence of solar radiation. To evaluate the heat-retention property in this test a load of 3 kg of water was heated up to 94.5 °C by solar radiation and the oven was insulated for the heat retention cooking. After 4.5 hours the food temperature reached at 65.5 °C. No-tracking property was achieved by extending the length of the reflectors towards both ends. As a result span of the reflected radiation increased and re-tracking was not required up till 80 minutes of cooking.
Testing of Heteroscedastic Economic Model using Kernel Bootstrap Estimators: A Panel Data Perspective from Pakistan
This study focuses on testing of the heteroscedastic panel economic model through kernel bootstrap estimators developed by (Saeed and Aslam, 2016) for improved inferences. The heteroscedasticity consistent covariance matrix estimators have also been used for inference of the panel model. For the present article, the data from Pakistan Stock Exchange include micro and macroeconomic variables related to the stock prices of sugar and allied mills from 2010 to 2014.
Heteroscedastic consistent covariance matrix estimator
Students’ Behavior towards Electronic Devices during Covid-19 in Karachi
The objective of this study was to find to what extent was there availability of electronic devices for students involved in online education during Covid-19 in Karachi and if there was not, in what ways did the students react and what were its implications. Another objective was to find the idea of success of online education among these students. A comprehensive Google Forms questionnaire was circulated among university/high school students in Karachi. Descriptive Analysis has been done on excel to analyze the behavior of students towards electronic devices for academic purpose. The study found that 78.7%had a proper device, and from the remaining, 13.4% either bought a new device, got their devices repaired and 7.3% borrowed from someone or rented it. These numbers implied that around 20.7% of our sample sought help from the electronics industry by buying new devices, getting their devices repaired, and renting them, generating an income of PKR 860,733 (USD 5370) for the electronics industry just from this sample size. More findings of the study are that more than 50% of the respondents rejected the idea of online learning in near future. Major problems they faced were unstable internet and unclear course concepts. The overall results concluded that the influx of consumers towards the consumer electronics industry has led to a minor boost in Pakistan's economy, and the students in Karachi have come closer to adopting technology and IT, which is a necessity in the contemporary world.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mansoor M. Isani, Amna Imran, Shahana Khan, Syed Haseeb Ali, Waliya Faisal (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Strategic Design of Graphenized Plasmonic/Nb2O5 Hybrid Nanocomposite for Highly Efficient Plasmonic Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
This study presents the strategic design of a graphenized plasmonic/Nb2O5 hybrid nanocomposite for high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The composite was synthesized via a hydrothermal method, integrating reduced graphene oxide and Cu nanoparticles with Nb2O5 to enhance light harvesting and charge transport. Structural characterization using XRD confirmed the orthorhombic phase of Nb2O5 and successful rGO incorporation, while SEM revealed a hierarchical 3D architecture with uniformly dispersed Nb2O5 nanoparticles (50-100 nm) anchored on rGO sheets. TGA demonstrated enhanced thermal stability, with only 25% weight loss up to 800°C, while UV-Vis spectroscopy identified a plasmonic absorption band (550-650 nm) from Cu nanoparticles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed a 55% reduction in charge transfer resistance (250 Ω vs. 550 Ω for pristine Nb2O5), attributed to rGO’s conductive network and Cu’s plasmonic effects. Photovoltaic testing under AM 1.5G illumination showed a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.15% for the rGO/Cu/Nb2O5-based DSSC, a 23% improvement over Nb2O5 (4.19%). This performance boost stemmed from synergistic enhancements: a 29% increase in short-circuit current density (14.36 mA/cm2) due to improved light absorption and charge collection, while maintaining a high fill factor (~60%) and open-circuit voltage (~0.6 V). EQE spectra further validated these gains, with a peak efficiency of 68% at 530 nm. The study demonstrates the potential of plasmonic rGO/Cu/Nb2O5 nanocomposites as advanced photoanodes for high-performance DSSCs, combining efficient light harvesting, charge transport, and thermal stability.
Copyright (c) 2024 Tehreem Asif, Muhammad Umair Ahsan Khan , Hafiz Abdullah Bin Hameed , Hafiz Liaqat Ali, Taimoor Abbas, Nimra Zafar, Zaheer Abbas, Hafiz Muhammad Noman (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Awareness of Diabetes Mellitus and Associated Factors in Diabetic Patients in Nishtar Hospital Multan: A Cross-Sectional Study
Background: Pakistan ranks seventh among the global top ten countries with the highest number of people with diabetes. The complications found among diabetics include retinopathy in 43%, hypertension in 37%, and foot ulcers in 4%. Access to affordable treatment and counseling about medication and lifestyle including physical activity and dietary practices is critical to manage diabetes and reduce its burden. Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to assess awareness of diabetes among patients with type-2 diabetes in Nishtar hospital Multan. Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional health facility-based survey approach. A universal sampling technique was used to identify and select 98 diabetes in-patients in Nishtar hospital Multan, Pakistan. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics using the latest version of SPSS. Results: The main findings revealed that 52% of the study participants in Nishtar Hospital Multan showed adequate awareness of diabetes while the remaining 48% were not adequately aware. There was no significant association between gender, educational qualification, and family history of diabetes with overall awareness of patients about diabetes. However, a statistically significant association was found between the age of study participants and their overall awareness about diabetes. Conclusion: As Pakistan is ranked high burden country with diabetes, so there is an utmost need to look into the constraints of knowledge, attitude, and practices among patients with diabetes to develop future effective health education programs to reduce disease burden and related complications.
A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess the Predictors of Quality of Life in Patients with End Stage Renal Disease in a Tertiary Care Hospital Multan
Introduction: Globally chronic kidney disease (CKD) has a severe impact on patients health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Hemodialysis (HD) significantly influence HRQoL. Objective: This cross-sectional study was conducted to find out physical, mental and societal factors that affect the quality of life (QOL) with ESRD disease. Methods: The Kidney Disease of Quality of Life (KDQOLTM-36) short form questionnaire was used to measure QOL. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the individual responses and Pearson correlation, Chi-square tests were utilized to describe the relationship between various patient-specific factors and their QOL. Results: A total of 218 patients (123 male and 95 female) undergoing HD with a mean ± SD of age 40.81 ± 7.42 in years were included in the final analysis. Major cause of ESRD was hypertension (24.8%), followed by diabetes (17%). The mean scores for physical component survey (PCS), mental component survey (MCS) and kidney disease component survey (KDCS) were 23.54 ± 12.69, 28.92 ± 12.86 and 45.01 ± 3.44 respectively. The burden of kidney disease (BKD) had the lowest mean score of 9.90 ± 7.51 and social interaction (58.48 ± 18.19) had the highest mean score. Conclusion: The findings indicate negative effects of the disease on QOL can be observed in dialysis patients. There is a need for more effort towards raising awareness among patients with ESRD about their disease while on treatment. This is important to help control and prevent the disease.
New Food Product Development by Incorporation of O. bracteatum Extract to Produce Memory Enhancing Milk Toffee
Product development is the life-blood of companies and societies. In the present study a new nutraceutical (memory enhancing) milk toffee was produced by incorporating of Eastern Medicine O. bracteatum. Among the various combination, the O. bracteatum mixed toffee containing 120mg/5g was found to be better for its nutritional quality and sensory evaluation. The addition of 120mg/5gm of O. bracteatum to produce milk toffee imparts memory enhancing impact on the children according to the daily dose of the Eastern medicine. The metallic coated polythene wrapper was used to wrap the final product, 50-micron polythene bags were used to pack and were kept for 6 months at 27 ± 2oCand were refrigerated at 5 ± 2oC. The chemical changes in the final product containing O. bracteatum during storage have shown that the moisture content is decreased from 6.9 to 6.6 % and 6.9 to 6.8%, TSS is increase from 82.7 to 85.7oBrix and 82.7 to 85.1oBrix and titrable acidity from 0.17 to 0.15% and 0.17 to 0.16% at ambient and refrigerated condition respectively. The sensory evaluation shows that the colour was changed from 8.6 to 7.9 and 8.6 to 8.1, texture 8.7 to 7.9 and 8.7 to 8.1, flavour8.5 to 7.9 and 8.5 to 8.0, taste 8.8 to 8.1 and 8.8 to 8.2, and overall acceptability (9-point Hedonic) was 8.65 to 8.0 and 8.65 to 7.9 at ambient temperature and refrigerated conditions respectively. The results after 6 months indicated increase in TSS, while acidity and moisture content were decreased. The decrease in sensory quality during storage period, however the final product was found to be acceptable even after 6-month storage. There are several confectionery products sold in the market and are happily consumed by the children (6 to 13 years of age) and few of them have medicinal properties, but no milk toffee with memory enhancing properties has been reported in the literature earlier. Therefore, the introduction of this first ever memory enhancing toffee in the market will improve the health of children as well as the product cycle of the industry. It also has the market competent price therefore the product is likely to gain the attraction of consumer and improves the market trends.
Copyright (c) 2025 Rashid Raza, Syeda Hafsa Aamir, Minhal Arif, Hibah Hanif, Eruj Aslam, Iqra Jawed (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A cross-sectional Study to Assess Symptoms of Depression Anxiety and Stress in Cardiovascular Patients in Tertiary Care Hospital
In recent decades, depression was known as Melancholia. It had been considered as a serious spiritual disorder rather than a physical state. The ubiquity of depression in CVD patients has been observed for more than 50 years. In Pakistan, depression affects probably 34% of the population and both inheritance and ecological factors play a vital role in its progression. Objective: The primary objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress associated with some risk factors in cardiac hospitalized patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted for 3 weeks at Nishtar Hospital Multan. Depression, anxiety, and stress scale (Dass 42) containing 42 questions had been used. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics using the latest version of SPSS. Results: A total of 108 patients were selected randomly. The final results of the current study were observed as depression was found to be 14.8% moderate and 13.9% very severe. Anxiety was found to be 17.6% moderate and 8.3 % very severe while stress was 22.2% moderate and 2% very severe. 57.4% of females were observed having mental disorders while only 42.5% of males were observed. 55.6% of smokers and 44.4% non-smokers were found to be the victim of these mental disorders. Depression was found to be more in patients with age group 40-60 years. Patients having diabetes mellitus, hypertension and angina were more associated with these disorders. On the basis of literacy 43% educated and 56.5% uneducated patients were observed. Discussion: Multivariate analysis were used to access the depression, anxiety, and stress in cardiovascular patients. Among them depression is a major cause of cognitive in the world. Most severely depressed patients were diabetic and had cardiovascular disorder. Conclusion: It is concluded that poor lifestyle, socio-economic factors, gender, age, marital status and concomitant disorders play a significant role in causing these disorders so they can be overcome by providing compassionate care, proper education, psychiatric monitoring, and social support.