The alarming surge of HIV/AIDS in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan demands urgent attention

The escalating human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)outbreaks in Pakistan are a matter of concern for both general population and health care settings[1].The first case of HIV was reported in 1987.Since then,0.2 million people are living with HIV,63202 know their positive status,and 40652 patients are acquiring health assistance from 78 anti-retroviral therapy centers[2,3].According to reports,the cases of HIV/AIDS escalated to 75%within a decade since 2013,with merely 4500 in Pakistan[1,2].

Experimental and DFT Studies of Au Deposition Over WO_(3)/g-C_(3)N_(4) Z-Scheme Heterojunction

A typical Z-scheme system is composed of two photocatalysts which generate two sets of charge carriers and split water into H2 and O2 at different locations.Scientists are struggling to enhance the efficiencies of these systems by maximizing their light absorption,engineering more stable redox couples,and discovering new O2 and H2 evolutions co-catalysts.In this work,Au decorated WO3/g-C3N4 Z-scheme nanocomposites are fabricated via wet-chemical and photo-deposition methods.The nanocomposites are utilized in photocatalysis for H2 production and 2,4-dichlorophenol(2,4-DCP)degradation.It is investigated that the optimized 4Au/6%WO3/CN nanocomposite is highly efficient for production of 69.9 and 307.3μmol h−1 g−1 H2 gas,respectively,under visible-light(λ>420 nm)and UV–visible illumination.Further,the fabricated 4Au/6%WO3/CN nanocomposite is significant(i.e.,100%degradation in 2 h)for 2,4-DCP degradation under visible light and highly stable in photocatalysis.A significant 4.17%quantum efficiency is recorded for H2 production at wavelength 420 nm.This enhanced performance is attributed to the improved charge separation and the surface plasmon resonance effect of Au nanoparticles.Solid-state density functional theory simulations are performed to countercheck and validate our experimental data.Positive surface formation energy,high charge transfer,and strong non-bonding interaction via electrostatic forces confirm the stability of 4Au/6%WO3/CN interface.

A looming twindemic of COVID-19 and dengue on post-flood scenario in the developing countries

Pakistan has recently faced a disastrous and lethal flooding across the country,affecting 33 million people and 1400 healthcare facilities,putting further strain on the nation's fragile healthcare system.The country faces widespread infectious diseases including dengue and COVID-19[1].To date,SARS-CoV-2 has caused about 6.53 million deaths and spread globally,infecting about 612 million people.Throughout the developing world,infection rate is particularly high in Pakistan,causing 30606 deaths so far[2].As of September 2022,healthcare authorities claimed a continued rise in dengue cases due to heavy flood in the country.Till date,a total of 14173 dengue cases have been reported,and the highest number of cases was documented in Sindh province(5203),followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(4538),Punjab(3101),and Islamabad with 1331[3].

Application of ultrasound-assisted cooking temperature for improving physicochemical and sensory properties of broiler meat

The current study investigates the effect of ultrasound-assisted cooking on broiler meat quality.The objective of this study was to explore the combined effect of ultrasound treatment(US)(40 kHz,120 Wcm^(-2))at different cooking temperatures(50,60,70,80℃)on physicochemical and sensory attributes of broiler meat.Therefore,pH,cooking loss%,Thio-barbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS),shear force,color,and sensory properties were investigated and compared with the control group.The result showed that the ultrasound treatment had no significant effect on pH values compared to the control group.The cooking loss%decreased with the application of US treatment at higher temperatures,which implied a higher cooking yield.Furthermore,sonicated meat showed lower shear force values even at 80℃ cooking temperature,which indicates increased tenderness.In addition,lower TBARS values were recorded at 50℃ temperature in combination with ultrasound,but the other treatments were similar to the control group.The application of ultrasound increased the lightness of meat with a significant decrease in lightness and yellowness.Meat cooked at 80℃ with US showed a significantly higher sensory score(odor,flavor,tenderness,juiciness,overall acceptability)than other treatment groups.The treatment of ultrasound combined with temperature was considered a promising and efficient technique for processing as it increased the perception of tenderness with less cooking losses and higher sensory attributes.