Abstract Precise cost estimation is the first and crucial step for decision-makers at the planning stage of product development. Due to the unavailability of knowledge and the complex nature of manufacturing processes, materials, and product designs, the selection of suitable alternatives based on estimated cost has become more challenging. The purpose of this paper is to present the development of a knowledge-based system (KBS) for assisting decision-makers in identifying suitable alternatives for precise cost estimation in a mistake-proof environment. The system architecture is comprised of three layers namely the database layer, application layer, and end-user layer, and developed using knowledge-based engineering, set-based concurrent engineering, and poke-yoke as lean enabling approaches. Based on the captured knowledge through industrial investigation and experimentation, a real-time system application was developed using C# language and validated using a real case study in the foundry industry using sand casting as the manufacturing process. It ensured the validity of the developed system. KBS provides an extensive tool to decision-makers for accurate decision-making at the design stage using cost and other associated values. Further, it facilitates the practitioners of every business sector to capture, save, and use the identified knowledge for problem-solving in the future.

ABSTRACT Background: Safety and efficacy concerns regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are common among the public and have a negative impact on their uptake. We aimed to report the adverse effects currently associated with the vaccine in Pakistan to build confidence among the population for its adoption. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in five districts of the Punjab province of Pakistan between January and March 2022. The participants were recruited using convenience sampling. All data were analyzed using SPSS 22. Results: We recruited 1622 people with the majority aged between 25-45 years. Of these, 51% were female, including 27 pregnant women and 42 lactating mothers. Most participants had received the Sinopharm (62.6%) or Sinovac (17.8%) vaccines. The incidences of at least one side effect after the first (N = 1622), second (N = 1484), and booster doses (N = 219) of the COVID-19 vaccine were 16.5%, 20.1%, and 32%, respectively. Inflammation/erythema at the injection site, pain at the injection site, fever, and bone/muscle pain were common side effects of vaccination. No significant differences were observed in the adverse effect scores between all demographic variables except for pregnancy (P = 0.012) after the initial dose. No significant association was observed between any variable and the side effect scores of the second and booster doses of the vaccine. Conclusions: Our study showed a 16-32% prevalence of self-reported side effects after the first, second, and booster COVID-19 vaccinations. Most adverse effects were mild and transient, indicating the safety of different COVID-19 vaccines.

Abstract Introduction Disease phobia may impose distressing manifestations along with compromised quality of life, particularly in young age. COVID-19 caused substantial psychological concerns in general population which required the attention of health authorities to address the issue as soon as possible. Objective This study was aimed to determine COVID-19 phobia in Pakistani youth during the current pandemic. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted to ascertain the extent of fear of COVID-19 among university students in Lahore, Pakistan using the COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S). Psychological, somatic, social, and economic factors were ascertained among students. The relationship of demographics with the phobia score was determined through appropriate statistical tests. Result This study included 374 students with a male preponderance (64.7%). The mean C19P-S score was 59.08 ± 14.44 (IQR: 50 - 70), with no significant difference among demographics except gender (male 57.65 ± 14.77 vs female 61.70 ± 13.47; p = .009). The mean psychological, psycho-somatic, economic, and social subscale scores were 19.59 ± 5.00 (25th percentile = 16 and 75th percentile = 24), 12.29 ± 4.56 (25th percentile = 10 and 75th percentile = 15), 11.22 ± 3.67 (25th percentile = 8 and 75th percentile = 14) and 15.97 ± 4.04 (25th percentile = 13.75 and 75th percentile = 19), respectively. Male students had a significantly lower score on social and psychological subscales than females (p< .05). Discussion and conclusion One fourth of the students achieved a fear score > 70 on C19P-S. These results indicate the need of dire maneuvers for reducing corona-phobia among university students.

Resumen Introducción La fobia a las enfermedades puede imponer malestar psicológico y comprometer la calidad de vida, particularmente en edades tempranas. El COVID-19 causó serias preocupaciones psicológicas en la población en general y éstas requieren la atención de las autoridades de salud para abordar el problema cuanto antes. Objetivo Este estudio buscó determinar la fobia al COVID-19 en jóvenes paquistaníes durante la pandemia actual. Método Se realizó un estudio transversal basado en la web para evaluar el miedo al COVID-19 entre los estudiantes universitarios en Lahore; para esto se utilizó la Escala de Fobia COVID-19 (C19P-S). Se evaluaron factores psicológicos, somáticos, sociales y económicos entre los estudiantes. La relación de la demografía con la puntuación de fobia se determinó mediante pruebas estadísticas apropiadas. Resultados Este estudio incluyó a 374 estudiantes con preponderancia masculina (64.7%). La puntuación media de C19P-S fue 59.08 ± 14.44 (IQR: 50 - 70), sin diferencias significativas entre los datos demográficos, excepto el género (hombres 57.65 ± 14.77 versus mujeres 61.70 ± 13.47; p = .009). Las puntuaciones medias de las subescalas psicológicas, psicosomáticas, económicas y sociales fueron 19.59 ± 5.00 (percentil 25 = 16 y percentil 75 = 24), 12.29 ± 4.56 (percentil 25 = 10 y percentil 75 = 15), 11.22 ± 3.67 (percentil 25) = percentil 8 y 75 = 14) y 15.97 ± 4.04 (percentil 25 = 13.75 y percentil 75 = 19), respectivamente. Los estudiantes varones obtuvieron una puntuación significativamente menor en las subescalas sociales y psicológicas que las mujeres (p< .05). Discusión y conclusión Una cuarta parte de los estudiantes obtuvo una puntuación de miedo > 70 en la C19P-S. Estos resultados indican la necesidad de aplicar medidas extremas para reducir la fobia al Coronavirus entre los estudiantes universitarios.

Abstract Food is a basic human right since it is necessary for survival. Unsafe food threatens billions of people throughout the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people grow sick and die. Microbial, chemical, personal, and environmental hygiene are all issues that the food chain faces from farm to fork/plate. Human tragedies and economic disasters have been reported in the past as a result of purposeful or inadvertent personal behavior and government inability to ensure food safety and quality. The issue of food safety has gotten a lot of press. As a result, a Food Safety Information Platform (FSIP) based on machine learning and open data with a Chatbot based on cloud computing (MLODCCC) architecture was developed, which includes a nice Facebook hyperlink and chatbot interface for locating trustworthy food safety knowledge. Rumors about the safety of food goods instill fear in people, leading to a broad boycott and, as a result, significant economic loss. This study looked into the function of rumors among friends. The findings suggested that people choose to use news media information in interaction with friends because it is seen to be more reliable than other resources.

Abstract: Risk evaluation and its identification is one of the prominent fields in the construction industry concerning performance management and project success. Under the project mechanism and business development system, risk assessment and mitigation are compulsory components of a management network to achieve the project's success. In this study, the major focus of risk assessment and management revolves around the SCP (small construction projects) which are the backbone of the construction industry. Every stakeholder is involved in this process because the construction of the house is a basic need of humans for a living. Targeting the major stakeholders (contractors, consultants, and clients) as mixed-method (qualitative & quantitative) sequential approach has been adopted to evaluate the major risk factors and their occurrence with the assessment of risk management system at the country level in SCP (small construction projects). The data used in this research has been collected from sixty-two (62) small construction firms, thirty-two (32 projects), to attain the research objectives. The results indicate that the performances of most of the risk management system and organizations are responsive, shapeless, semi-stable, and unorganized with inexistent and confined compromised resources to respond with risks. The major issue was identified as the non-existence of a proper risk management system because no formal education is involved with the personals working in small construction projects. The five most important risks that should be preferable are quality and quantity dissimilarity, change in scope of work/design, deficiency of manpower, planning, and management, and technical errors. The prime hurdles which are analyzed for impressive risk management are the absence of connection between construction experts and contractors who have not been formally trained at any technical institute. This study will help in targeting the existing gap for implementation of the risk management system at small construction engineering projects. Furthermore, it will generate a pathway for the young enterprisers to come forward and take part in the development of the small construction industry by implementing effective risk management practices to achieve the project performance in terms of project success and fruitful outcomes for the upcoming projects.

Abstract The trend towards tunnel farming and hydroponic systems is increasing owing to the climatic changes as well as the need to increase crop yield. Hydroponic is a technique of growing plants without soil. Tunnel farming and hydroponic system requires controlled environmental parameters like temperature, humidity and soil moisture for better production of crops. This paper presents an effective method, named, ACHPA (Automatically Controlled Hydro-Ponic Agriculture) scheme that monitor and controls environmental parameters using sensors and controller. ACHPA provides better environmental control over traditional manual monitoring and controlling, thus yield high-quality crops. Sensor based monitoring and control system regulates the temperature and humidity of the tunnel to yield better. For the sake of saving water, an efficient method of drip irrigation is implemented which delivers water directly to the plants rather than being sprayed on as in conventional farming method. The proposed system here is tested for controlled environment and observations recorded for crop analysis purpose. This makes an effective solution to growing highly efficient, good quality and disease free crop production.

Resumo Objetivo: anemia é uma complicação comum de doenças renais crônicas (DRC) e está significativamente envolvida na morbidade cardiovascular. O objetivo de nosso estudo foi investigar a prevalência e a gravidade da anemia em pacientes adultos pré-diálise, bem como determinar fatores preditores da terapia antianêmica. Método: estudo retrospectivo observacional foi realizado em pacientes pré-diálise adultos que recebiam tratamento no Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia de janeiro de 2009 a dezembro de 2013. Resultados: ao todo, 615 casos elegíveis foram incluídos. A idade média dos pacientes foi de 64,1±12,0 anos. A prevalência de anemia foi de 75,8%, e a gravidade da anemia foi considerada leve em 47,7%, moderada em 32,2% e grave em 20% dos pacientes. Com base nas características morfológicas da anemia, os pacientes foram classificados em anemia normocrômica normocítica (76,9%), anemia hipocrômica microcítica (21,8%) e anemia macrocítica (1,3%). Suplementos de ferro oral foram prescritos para 38% dos pacientes e a nenhum dos pacientes foram dados eritropoietina, agentes estabilizadores (ESA) e preparações de ferro por via intravenosa. Na regressão logística, os preditores significativos de utilização da preparação antianêmica foram diminuição da hemoglobina e do hematócrito e estágios avançados da DRC. Conclusão: os resultados do presente estudo sugerem que a prevalência de anemia em pacientes pré-diálise é maior do que o atualmente aceito e está associado com a função renal; a prevalência aumenta com a diminuição da função renal. A identificação precoce e o manejo adequado da anemia não só terão um impacto positivo na qualidade de vida, mas também reduzirão internações de pacientes com DRC decorrentes de eventos cardiovasculares.

Summary Objective: Anemia, a common complication of chronic kidney diseases (CKD), is involved in significant cardiovascular morbidity. Therefore, the objective of our study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of anemia in pre-dialysis patients, as well as to determine the predictors of anti-anemic therapy. Method: A retrospective, observational study was conducted on adult pre-dialysis patients receiving treatment at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia from January 2009 to December 2013. Results: A total of 615 eligible cases were included. The mean age of patients was 64.1±12.0 years. The prevalence of anemia was 75.8%, and the severity of anemia was mild in 47.7% of the patients, moderate in 32.2%, and severe in 20%. Based on morphological classification of anemia, 76.9% of our patients had normochromic-normocytic anemia whereas 21.8 and 1.3% had hypochromic-microcytic anemia and macrocytic anemia, respectively. Oral iron supplements were prescribed to 38.0% of the patients and none of the patients was given erythropoietin stabilizing agents (ESA) or intravenous iron preparations. In logistic regression, significant predictors of anti-anemic preparation use were decreased hemoglobin and hematocrit, and advanced stages of CKD. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that the prevalence of anemia in pre-dialysis patients is higher than currently accepted and it is found to be correlated with renal function; prevalence increases with declined renal function. An earlier identification as well as appropriate management of anemia will not only have a positive impact on quality of life but also reduce hospitalizations of CKD patients due to cardiovascular events.

RESUMO CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: Doença renal crônica (DRC) é um problema médico e socioeconômico crescente. As informações relativas às causas da DRC são pré-requisito para reduzir a carga da doença, e são escassas na Malásia. Este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar as causas atribuíveis à DRC na população adulta de um hospital de referência terciária. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Estudo retrospectivo realizado no Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM). MÉTODOS: Análise de prontuários de pacientes adultos de HUSM. Foram obtidos dados demográficos, exames laboratoriais, causas atribuíveis e estágio da DRC. RESULTADOS: Um total de 851 casos elegíveis foi incluído. A idade média dos pacientes foi de 61,18 ± 13,37 anos. DRC fase V foi contabilizada em 333 casos (39,1%), enquanto casos de estágio IV, IIIb, IIIa e II foram 240 (28,2%), 186 (21,9%), 74 (8,7%) e 18 (2,1%), respectivamente. A porcentagem de pacientes com DRC estágio V recebendo a terapia de substituição renal foi 15,6%. As causas atribuíveis mais importantes da DRC foram nefropatia diabética (ND) (44,9%), hipertensão (24,2%) e uropatia obstrutiva (9,2%). A diferença na prevalência da DRC devido à ND, hipertensão e glomerulonefrite entre pacientes ≤ 50 anos e > 50 anos de idade foi estatisticamente significativa. CONCLUSÃO: Nossos resultados sugerem que a ND e a hipertensão são as principais causas atribuíveis da DRC em pacientes sob cuidados terciários na Malásia. Os resultados apontam para a possibilidade de maior ênfase na prevenção primária da diabetes e hipertensão como impactante na redução das internações hospitalares devidas a DRC na Malásia.

ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an escalating medical and socioeconomic problem worldwide. Information concerning the causes of CKD, which is a prerequisite for reducing the disease burden, is sparse in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the attributable causes of CKD in an adult population at a tertiary referral hospital. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective study at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM). METHODS: This was an analysis based on medical records of adult patients at HUSM. Data regarding demographics, laboratory investigations, attributable causes and CKD stage were gathered. RESULTS: A total of 851 eligible cases were included. The patients' mean age was 61.18 ± 13.37 years. CKD stage V was found in 333 cases (39.1%) whereas stages IV, IIIb, IIIa, and II were seen in 240 (28.2%), 186 (21.9%), 74 (8.7%) and 18 (2.1%), respectively. The percentage of CKD stage V patients receiving renal replacement therapy was 15.6%. The foremost attributable causes of CKD were diabetic nephropathy (DN) (44.9%), hypertension (HPT) (24.2%) and obstructive uropathy (9.2%). The difference in the prevalence of CKD due to DN, HPT and glomerulonephritis between patients ≤ 50 and > 50 years old was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that DN and HPT are the major attributable causes of CKD among patients at a Malaysian tertiary-care hospital. Furthermore, the results draw attention to the possibility that greater emphasis on primary prevention of diabetes and hypertension will have a great impact on reduction of hospital admissions due to CKD in Malaysia.

Malaria is one of the serious diseases threatening human health in Pakistan and contributes to a large proportion of the total malaria deaths in South Asia. However, little is known about the nature and extent of genetic diversity of the malarial parasites circulating in Pakistan. This study was designed to assess the infection status of Plasmodium and the genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum by analyzing msp-3α, msp-3β and msp-1, msp-2 genes respectively using allele specific nested PCR and RFLP assays. For this purpose, 130 field isolates were collected from the individuals who exhibited clinical symptoms associated with malaria in the Kohat region of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. Among 130 blood samples collected, P. vivax was detected in 105/130 (80.8%) and P. falciparum in 21/130 (16.2%). Mixed infections with both parasites were detected in 4/130 (3%) of the isolates. A large number of distinguishable alleles were found for msp genetic markers: 10 alleles for msp-3α and seven for msp-3β with one mixed infection in case of msp-3β. The genotyping of P. falciparum showed that K1+MAD20 mixed genotype was dominant in msp-1 and FC27 in msp-2. The results collectively suggest that P. vivax and P. falciparum populations in this region are highly polymorphic and mixed infections are prevalent.

A rapid, simple and portable technique to measure Ni(II) and Cr(VI) at trace level in aqueous samples has been proposed. Colored spots were developed by interacting micro-liter drops of metal solutions with suitable reagents on TLC plates. Soon after, TLC having spots was scanned to import the image into the computer. Color densities of spots were calculated with the help of homemade software. Simple regression was practiced on calibration between standards' concentrations and their color densities. For both metals, correlation coefficients were approaching to one, which pointed out a good correlation between color densities and corresponding analyte concentrations. Real samples from electroplating unit were analyzed with the present and conventional spectrophotometric method (employed as reference), and the results were compared to evaluate the pertinence of the proposed technique in the real analysis.

Se ha propuesto una técnica rápida, sencilla y portátil para medir Ni(II) y Cr(VI) a nivel de trazas en muestras acuosas. Puntos de color de los metales se han desarrollado mediante la interacción de microlitros con reactivos adecuados en las placas de cromatografía de capa fina, TLC. Posteriormente se escanea el cromatograma para importar la imagen al ordenador. Se calcularon densidades de color de los puntos con la ayuda de un software realizado en nuestro laboratorio. Una sencilla regresión se utilizó para correlacionar las concentraciones de los estándares y las densidades de color medidas. Para ambos metales, los coeficientes de correlación se acercaban a uno, lo que indicaba una buena correlación entre la densidad del color y las correspondientes concentraciones de analito. Muestras reales provenientes de procesos electroquímicos se analizaron con este método y con el método espectrofotométrico convencional, y se compararon los resultados para evaluar su aplicación en el análisis de muestras reales.