Evaluation of the air pollution tolerance index of ornamentals growing in an industrial area compared to a less polluted area

Iftikhar Ahmad,Bilal Abdullah,John Martin Dole,Muhammad Shahid,Khurram Ziaf 한국원예학회 2019 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.60 No.4

The aim of this study was to compare the ability to absorb various air pollutants of common roadside ornamental plants growing in an industrial center of Faisalabad, Pakistan, with that of ornamental plants growing at University of Agriculture, Main Campus, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Leaf samples of 17 plant species were collected from both locations and four physiological and biochemical parameters, i.e., relative water content, leaf extract pH, total chlorophyll content, and ascorbic acid content, were assessed. The air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was calculated from the obtained values. The results demonstrated the substantial impact of pollutants on the APTI; most of the tested plants grown at the industrial site had a higher APTI than those grown on the campus. Among the tested ornamental plant species, Hibiscus rosa - sinensis (9.8) had the highest APTI value, which was similar to Alstonia scholaris (9.4), Bougainvillea spectabilis (9.6), Morus nigra (9.5), Murraya exotica (9.0), and Nerium oleander (9.0) at the industrial location, while at the campus, B. spectabilis (7.2) had the highest APTI value, which was similar to Ficus benjamina (6.5), H. rosa - sinensis (6.6), Lagerstroemia indica (6.6), and Nerium oleander (6.5). However, Duranta repens , Melia azedarach , and Tecoma stans had the lowest APTI values at both locations, with values of 6.6, 7.5, and 7.7 at the industrial location and 5.5, 5.5, and 5.6 at the campus, respectively. Moreover, Alstonia scholaris , H. rosa - sinensis , and M. nigra had the highest relative diff erence in APTI between the two sites, with diff erences of 3.7, 3.2, and 3.2, respectively. In summary, among 17 ornamental species, A. scholaris , B. spectabilis , H. rosa - sinensis , L. indica , M. nigra , and N. oleander are the most desirable for planting around industrial zones on the basis of APTI and can be used as bio-monitors of environmental pollutants in industrial zones.

Synergic influence of MWCNTs and SiC nanoparticles on the microstructure and properties of Al2O3 ceramic hybrid nanocomposites

Iftikhar Ahmad,Sharjeel Ahmed,Tayyab Subhani,Khalid Saeed,Mohammad Islam,Nannan Wang,Yanqiu Zhu 한국물리학회 2016 Current Applied Physics Vol.16 No.12

Synergic role of 2 wt% MWCNTs and 5 wt% SiC nanoparticles on the structure and properties of the hybrid alumina nanocomposites fabricated through fast sintering route was studied. The hybrid nanocomposite demonstrated fourfold reduced grain size with substantial improvement in fracture toughness (110%) and hardness (30%) against bench-marked monolithic Al2O3. Fine-grained microstructure and the harder SiC nanoparticles led hybrid nanocomposite to superior hardness while better toughness was attributed to the synergic toughening mechanisms induced by the 0D SiC nanoparticles and 1DMWCNTs. The stability of MWCNTs and SiC nanoparticles and their interfaces with Al2O3 matrix were appraised by combined electron microscopes.

Effects of cobalt and cobalt oxide buffer layers on nucleation and growth of hot filament chemical vapor deposition diamond films on silicon (100)

Mushtaq Ahmad Dar,Hatem Abuhimd,Iftikhar Ahmad,Mohammad Islam,Mohammad Rezaul Karim,Hyung-Shik Shin 한국화학공학회 2014 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.31 No.7

An initial study on the nucleation and growth of diamond, using hot filament chemical vapor deposition(HFCVD) technique, was carried out on Co and CoO thin buffer layers on non-carbon substrates (Si (100)), and theresults were compared with conventional scratching method. The substrate temperature during the growth was maintainedat 750±50 oC. A mixture of CH4 and H2 (1 : 100 volume %) was used for deposition. The total pressure duringthe two hour deposition was 30±2 Torr. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study showed the diamond nucleationat different time periods on the Co and CoO seed layers. It is observed that Co helps in nucleation of diamond eventhough it is known to degrade the quality of diamond film on W-C substrate. The reason for improvement in our studyis attributed to (i) the low content of Co (~0.01%) compared to W-C substrate (~5-6%), (ii) formation of CoSi2 phaseat elevated temperature, which might work as nucleation sites for diamond. SEM analysis reveals a change in the morphologyof diamond film grown on cobalt oxide and a significant reduction in the size of densely packed crystallites. Raman spectroscopic analysis further suggests an improvement in the quality of the film grown on CoO buffer layer.

Allgrove (Triple A) Syndrome: A Case Report from the Kashmir Valley

Raiz Ahmad Misgar,Nazir Ahmad Pala,Mahroosa Ramzan,Arshad Iqbal Wani,Mir Iftikhar Bashir,Bashir Ahmad Laway 대한내분비학회 2015 Endocrinology and metabolism Vol.30 No.4

Allgrove (Triple A) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by cardinal features of adrenal insufficiency due to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) resistance, achalasia, and alacrimia. It is frequently associated with neurological manifestations like polyneuropathy. Since its first description by Allgrove in 1978, approximately 100 cases have been reported in the literature. Here we report an 18-year-old boy diagnosed as having Allgrove syndrome, with ACTH resistant adrenal insufficiency, achalasia, alacrimia, and severe motor polyneuropathy. Alacrimia was the earliest feature evident at the age of 8 years. He presented with achalasia and adrenal insufficiency at 12 and 18 years respectively and developed neurological symptoms in the form of severe muscle wasting at the age of 15 years. Patients with Allgrove syndrome usually manifest adrenal insufficiency and achalasia during first decade of life. Our patient manifested adrenal insufficiency and achalasia in the second decade and manifested neurological dysfunction before adrenal dysfunction.

Astroblastoma in a Young Female Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review of Clinicopathological, Radiological and Prognostic Characteristics and Current Treatment Strategies

( Muhammad Sadiq ),( Iftikhar Ahmad ),( Jamila Shuja ),( Zubair Ahmad ),( Riyasat Ahmed ),( Khushnaseeb Ahmad ) 대한뇌종양학회·대한신경종양학회·대한소아뇌종양학회 2017 Brain Tumor Research and Treatment Vol.5 No.2

Astroblastoma is an uncommon glial tumor with predominant manifestation in the young age. Herein, we report a case of 18-year-old astroblastoma female patient who presented with history of two months headache. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain demonstrated well circumscribed, intra-axial abnormal signal intensity lesion (size=5×4 cm²) in the right parieto-occipital region of the brain. The patient underwent complete surgical resection of the gross tumor, as confirmed by an early post-surgical MRI (i.e., within 24 hours of surgery). Histopathological examination revealed neoplastic lesion exhibiting perivascular pseudo-rosettes with centrally hyalinized blood vessel and focal nuclear pleomorphism. Immunohistochemistry staining illustrated reactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein and inte-grase interactor 1 (INI-1). These features rendered the diagnosis of astroblastoma. A comprehensive re-view of the current literature to summarize the clinicopathological and radiological characteristics, prog-nostic factors and current treatment strategies of astroblastomas is also presented. Our study would expand the pool of this uncommon tumor towards its better understanding and optimal treatment.

Identification of hub genes and their SNP analysis in West Nile virus infection for designing therapeutic methodologies using RNA-Seq data

Iftikhar Aslam Tayubi,Ahmad Firoz,Omar M. Barukab,Adeel Malik 한국유전학회 2015 Genes & Genomics Vol.37 No.8

The West Nile virus (WNV) infections are generally asymptomatic and are considered as immediate concerns of biodefense due to the lack of any therapeutic remedies. In this work, we created an interaction network of 1159 differentially expressed genes to detect potential hub genes from WNV infected primary human macrophages. We go on to explore the genetic variations that can alter the expression and function of identified hub genes (HCLS1, SLC15A3, HCK, and LY96) using the PROVEAN Protein Batch tool and PolyPhen-2. Community analysis of the network revealed that these clusters were enriched in GO terms such as inflammatory response and regulation of proliferation. Analysis of hub genes can aid in determining their degree of conservation and may help us in understanding their functional roles in biological systems. The nsSNPs proposed in this work may be further targeted through experimental methods for improving treatment towards the infection of WNV.

Molecular Identification and Characterization of Pseudomonas sp. NCCP-407 for Phenol Degradation Isolated From Industrial Waste

Ahmad, Nazir,Ahmed, Iftikhar,Shahzad, Armghan,Khalid, Nauman,Mehboob, Farrakh,Ahad, Karam,Ali, Ghulam Muhammad The Korean Society for Applied Biological Chemistr 2014 Applied Biological Chemistry (Appl Biol Chem) Vol.57 No.3

Phenol is a toxic pollutant found in effluent of numerous industries and its elimination is a foremost challenge. The utilization of bacteria plays a crucial role in phenol bioremediation. For isolation of phenol degrading bacteria, sample was collected from industrial waste and enriched in mineral salt medium (MSM) contained 300 mg/L phenol. The strain was identified based on 16S rRNA gene analysis as Pseudomonas species and the phylogenetic analysis affiliated the strain with Pseudomonas monteilii (AF064458) as the most closely related species. Phenol tolerance of the strain in MSM supplemented with various concentrations of phenol indicates that the strain NCCP-407 can grow best at $750mgL^{-1}$ phenol. The strain showed complete degradation of $750mgL^{-1}$ phenol in 56 hours when supplement as a sole source of carbon and energy with the average degradation rate of $28mgL^{-1}h^{-1}$. The doubling time was recorded approximately as $12.49h^{-1}$. The present study suggests that this strain is efficient in phenol degradation and can be used in treatment of wastewater containing phenol.

Molecular Identification and Characterization of Pseudomonas sp. NCCP-407 for Phenol Degradation Isolated From Industrial Waste

Nazir Ahmad,Iftikhar Ahmed,Armghan Shahzad,Nauman Khalid,Farrakh Mehboob,Karam Ahad,Ghulam Muhammad Ali 한국응용생명화학회 2014 Applied Biological Chemistry (Appl Biol Chem) Vol.57 No.3

Phenol is a toxic pollutant found in effluent ofnumerous industries and its elimination is a foremost challenge. The utilization of bacteria plays a crucial role in phenol bioremediation. For isolation of phenol degrading bacteria, sample was collectedfrom industrial waste and enriched in mineral salt medium (MSM)contained 300 mg/L phenol. The strain was identified based on16S rRNA gene analysis as Pseudomonas species and thephylogenetic analysis affiliated the strain with Pseudomonasmonteilii (AF064458) as the most closely related species. Phenoltolerance of the strain in MSM supplemented with variousconcentrations of phenol indicates that the strain NCCP-407 cangrow best at 750 mg L−1 phenol. The strain showed completedegradation of 750 mg L−1 phenol in 56 hours when supplementas a sole source of carbon and energy with the average degradationrate of 28mg L−1 h−1. The doubling time was recorded approximatelyas 12.49 h−1. The present study suggests that this strain is efficientin phenol degradation and can be used in treatment of wastewatercontaining phenol.

A Novel Compact Ultra-Wideband Frequency-Selective Surface-Based Antenna for Gain Enhancement Applications

Din Iftikhar Ud,Ullah Waheed,Abbasi Nisar Ahmad,Ullah Sadiq,Shihzad Waleed,Khan Bilawal,Jayakody Dushantha Nalin K. 한국전자파학회 2023 Journal of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science Vol.23 No.2

This article presents a compact ultra-wideband (UWB) circular monopole antenna with a frequency-selective surface (FSS) for gain enhancement. The proposed antenna has a circular patch with circular cuts at the edges and is excited by a microstrip feed. The bottom plane is truncated and further modified by two triangular cuts at the sides and one rectangular cut in the middle to improve the radiation characteristics of the UWB antenna. The antenna is designed on an FR-4 substrate with a thickness of 1.6 mm, a relative permittivity of 4.3, and planner dimensions of 30 mm × 30 mm. To improve the proposed antenna’s gain, an FSS is designed that consists of periodic unit cells of metal printed on the upper layer of an FR-4 substrate with dimensions of 0.11λ × 0.11λ at the lowest operating frequency of 3.3 GHz. The FSS shows a very low transmission coefficient and linearly reducing reflection phase with increasing frequency over a frequency range of 3.3–10.8 GHz. The gain of the proposed antenna is increased from 3 dB to 8.1 dB at 9 GHz by placing the antenna on the FSS. Moreover, the prototype of the proposed antenna is fabricated, and the experimental results are measured, which show close agreements with simulated results. The FSS-based antenna has directional radiation patterns, making it a potential candidate for ground-penetrating radar and UWB applications.

Ensuring Security in Cloud Computing : Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

Mubeen Iftikhar,Awais Ashraf,Sehrish Aqeel,Gulzar Ahmad,Kanza Fatima,Muhammad Adnan Khan 한국차세대컴퓨팅학회 2023 한국차세대컴퓨팅학회 학술대회 Vol.2023 No.12

This paper delves into the crucial need for robust security measures to protect web services from cyber threats that can compromise their availability, veracity, and privacy. The introduction highlights the inadequacy of existing solutions that are limited to specific use areas and emphasizes the importance of web services being able to respond effectively to assaults and incursions. The related work section discusses the research on web services that has primarily focused on modeling, design, and testing in light of more damaging threats. The methodology section outlines the penetration testing cycle for the SPARCI System, which includes testing for various types of attacks such as DOS, Brut Force Web, Brute Force SSH, Session Hijacking, DNS Spoofing, ARP poisoning, NoSQL Injection, and Memory dump. In this study, we have worked on DOS attacks, and the remaining will be targeted later in the future. The experimental setup includes the necessary instance, Linux system, Python packages, and installed software such as Burp Suite to perform the attack. The results section presents the findings of the penetration testing and the effectiveness of the mitigation strategies employed. The paper concludes that the proposed methodology can be used to identify vulnerabilities in web services and provide recommendations for their mitigation. The study highlights the importance of continuous monitoring and testing of web services to ensure their security and prevent cyber-attacks in terms of identifying and mitigating various vulnerabilities in the existing systems.as.