REVIEW : Open Access ; Peste des petits ruminants in Pakistan; past, present and future perspectives

( Muhammad Abubakar ),( Muhammad Irfan ),( Shumaila Manzoor ) 한국동물자원과학회(구 한국축산학회) 2015 한국축산학회지 Vol.57 No.32

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is considered to be one of the main constraints to enhancing the productivity of goats and sheep in regions where it is present and becoming endemic. PPR was recognized in Pakistan in early 1990s but got importance during the Participatory Disease Surveillance (PDS) of Rinderpest Eradication Campaign. Lot of research work has been initiated during last decade towards disease epidemiology, risk factor recognition, laboratory diagnosis, vaccination and demonstration of control strategies. Although there are ongoing projects working towards the progressive control of the disease in country yet there is need to have a national level control program for PPR. Also there is need to have comprehensive social economic surveys, disease hot spot recognition and identification of role of other species in disease transmission. With combined efforts of local and national authorities and political will, there is high likelihood that this devastating disease can be controlled and eventually eradicated in near future.

Antiplatelet Effects of Garlic and Chitosan

Muhammad Irfan,Minki Kim,Hyuk-Woo Kwon,Man Hee Rhee,Hyun-Kyoung Kim 대한의생명과학회 2018 Biomedical Science Letters Vol.24 No.3

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is increasing rapidly in developed countries, with CVDs now representing the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Natural products and ethnomedicines have been shown to reduce the risk of CVDs. Garlic is a medicinal plant used throughout the world for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiplatelet activities. Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide obtained from chitin, and derivatives of chitosan have been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation and adhesion. We hypothesized that fermented preparations of these products may possess stronger antiplatelet effects than the non-fermented forms owing to the increased bioavailability of the bioactive compounds produced during fermentation. Therefore, we compared these compounds via in vitro and ex vivo platelet aggregation assays by using standard light transmission aggregometry and ex vivo granule secretions from rat platelets. We found that fermented preparations exerted more potent and significant inhibition of platelet aggregation both in vitro and ex vivo. Likewise, ATP release from dense granules of platelets was also significantly inhibited in fermented preparation-treated rat platelets compared to that in non-fermented preparation-treated ones. We concluded that fermented preparations exerted more potent effects on platelet function both in vitro and ex vivo, possibly as a result of the increased bioavailability of active compounds produced during fermentation. We therefore suggest that fermented products may be potent therapeutics against platelet-related CVDs and can be used as antiplatelet and antithrombotic agents.

Adaptogenic effects of Panax ginseng on modulation of cardiovascular functions

Muhammad Irfan,Yi-Seong Kwak,Chang Kyun Han,Sun Hee Hyun,MAN HEE RHEE 고려인삼학회 2020 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.44 No.4

Cardiovascular diseases are a rapidly growing epidemic with high morbidity and mortality. There is anurgent need to develop nutraceutical-based therapy with minimum side effects to reduce cardiovascularrisk. Panax ginseng occupies a prominent status in herbal medicine for its various therapeutic effectsagainst inflammation, allergy, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer, with positive, beneficial,and restorative effects. The active components found in most P. ginseng varieties are known toinclude ginsenosides, polysaccharides, peptides, alkaloids, polyacetylene, and phenolic compounds,which are considered to be the main pharmacologically active constituents in ginseng. P. ginseng is anadaptogen. That is, it supports living organisms to maintain optimal homeostasis by exerting effects thatcounteract physiological changes caused by physical, chemical, or biological stressors. P. ginseng possessesimmunomodulatory (including both immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive), neuromodulatory,and cardioprotective effects; suppresses anxiety; and balances vascular tone. P. ginseng hasan antihypertensive effect that has been explained by its vasorelaxant action, and paradoxically, it is alsoknown to increase blood pressure by vasoconstriction and help maintain cardiovascular health. Here, wediscuss the potential adaptogenic effects of P. ginseng on the cardiovascular system and outline a futureresearch perspective in this area.

Application of Glycerin and Polymer Coated Diammonium Phosphate in Alkaline Calcareous Soil for Improving Wheat Growth, Grain Yield and Phosphorus Use Efficiency

Muhammad Imran,Muhammad Irfan,Muhammad Yaseen,Naser Rasheed 한국작물학회 2018 Journal of crop science and biotechnology Vol.21 No.5

Low-use efficiency of phosphatic fertilizers in calcareous soils is a serious issue worldwide resulting in sub-optimal phosphorus (P) availability to plants. Polymer-coated fertilizers provide an effective solution to enhance P-use efficiency in such soils by reducing fixation and ensuring slow and consistent phosphate supply to growing plants. The present field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of commercial diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer and coated DAP with polymer and/or glycerin to improve plant growth, grain yield, and P-use efficiency of wheat crops. The results revealed that application of 100% recommended rate of glycerin + polymer coated DAP significantly enhanced plant height, number of fertile tillers m-2, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, and P uptake in comparison with commercial DAP fertilizer. Moreover, polymer coated DAP produced comparatively better results than glycerin coated DAP alone. The sustainable yield index, P agronomic and recovery efficiencies were also improved and recorded higher with glycerin + polymer-coated DAP fertilizer at 100% of the recommended rate. Furthermore, higher P uptake, P recovery, and agronomic efficiencies in response to coated DAP were found responsible for sustainable wheat yield. Overall, the glycerin + polymer-coated DAP with 75% recommended rate showed statistically identical results to uncoated DAP with 100% recommended rate. The amount of applied P vulnerable to fixation was significantly reduced with the application of glycerin + polymer-coated DAP thereby resulting in improved plant growth, grain yield, and P-use efficiency of wheat crops.

An Experimental Study on the Shear Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Deep Beams with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers

Muhammad Afaq Javed,Muhammad Irfan,Sumera Khalid,Yulong Chen,Saeed Ahmed 대한토목학회 2016 KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Vol.20 No.7

In recent years, Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) have emerged as useful materials for structural strengthening and rehabilitation. The main aspire of this research is towards evaluating the efficiency of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) in enhancing the shear strength of deep beams. The research work included construction and testing of eight (08) reinforced concrete deep beams. Two of the beams, designated as control beams, were without any shear reinforcement. Remaining six beams were divided into three groups, with each group having two identical beams. Beams in one of these groups were strengthened with conventional type of steel web reinforcement. Remaining two groups were strengthened externally by CFRP sheets with different orientations of CFRP. Magnitude of load causing shear cracks to initiate, and the failure load of each beam was recorded. Significant increase in overall load carrying capacities was observed with both CFRP sheets and web steel reinforcement. CFRP was found to be considerably effective in delaying the initial appearance of shear cracks, thereby improving the serviceability limit state of beams. Beams with CFRP orientation perpendicular to the shear cracks showed higher increment in shear strength. In conclusion, CFRP laminates could effectively be used to strengthen existing RC structures deficient in shear strength, and also to reduce/replace internal steel web reinforcement in new RC structures. Material cost comparison of CFRP reinforced beams with conventional web reinforcement is presented, and the general cost effectiveness of structural rehabilitation by means of CFRP is also discussed.

Miniaturized MIMO Antenna with Low Inter-radiator Transmittance and Band Rejection Features

Muhammad Irshad Khan,Muhammad Irfan Khattak,Mauth Al-Hasan 한국전자파학회JEES 2021 Journal of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science Vol.21 No.4

In this article, compact a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) system with flag-shaped radiators and a mountain-shaped ground plane is presented. Isolation is enhanced with the help of a decoupling stub placed between radiators, where two bands are stopped with the help of slits etched into the radiators. The overall size of the proposed antenna is 15 mm × 25 mm × 1.6 mm. The reflection coefficients are less than -10 dB between 3–10.9 GHz, except the bands WiMAX (3.2–3.7 GHz) and WLAN (5–6 GHz); similarly, measured and simulated transmission coefficients are less than -20 dB across the entire band of UWB. The envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) is less than 0.02 and the diversity gain is greater than 9.9 dB. The gain, ECC, radiation pattern, multiplexing efficiency, diversity gain and various other parameters are discussed and evaluated in detail.

Anti-platelet role of Korean ginseng and ginsenosides in cardiovascular diseases

Muhammad Irfan,김민기,Man Hee Rhee 고려인삼학회 2020 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.44 No.1

Cardiovascular diseases prevail among modern societies and underdeveloped countries, and a highmortality rate has also been reported by the World Health Organization affecting millions of peopleworldwide. Hyperactive platelets are the major culprits in thrombotic disorders. A group of drugs isavailable to deal with such platelet-related disorders; however, sometimes, side effects and complicationscaused by these drugs outweigh their benefits. Ginseng and its nutraceuticals have been reported toreduce the impact of thrombotic conditions and improve cardiovascular health by antiplatelet mechanisms. This review provides (1) a comprehensive insight into the available pharmacological options fromginseng and ginsenosides (saponin and nonsaponin fractions) for platelet-originated cardiovasculardisorders; (2) a discussion on the impact of specific functional groups on the modulation of plateletfunctions and how structural modifications among ginsenosides affect platelet activation, which mayfurther provide a basis for drug design, optimization, and the development of ginsenoside scaffolds aspharmacological antiplatelet agents; (3) an insight into the synergistic effects of ginsenosides on plateletfunctions; and (4) a perspective on future research and the development of ginseng and ginsenosides assuper nutraceuticals.

Image steganography using uncorrelated color space and its application for security of visual contents in online social networks

Muhammad, Khan,Sajjad, Muhammad,Mehmood, Irfan,Rho, Seungmin,Baik, Sung Wook North-Holland 2018 Future generations computer systems Vol.86 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Image steganography is a growing research field, where sensitive contents are embedded in images, keeping their visual quality intact. Researchers have used correlated color space such as RGB, where modification to one channel affects the overall quality of stego-images, hence decreasing its suitability for steganographic algorithms. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an adaptive LSB substitution method using uncorrelated color space, increasing the property of imperceptibility while minimizing the chances of detection by the human vision system. In the proposed scheme, the input image is passed through an image scrambler, resulting in an encrypted image, preserving the privacy of image contents, and then converted to HSV color space for further processing. The secret contents are encrypted using an iterative magic matrix encryption algorithm (IMMEA) for better security, producing the cipher contents. An adaptive LSB substitution method is then used to embed the encrypted data inside the V-plane of HSV color model based on secret key-directed block magic LSB mechanism. The idea of utilizing HSV color space for data hiding is inspired from its properties including de-correlation, cost-effectiveness in processing, better stego image quality, and suitability for steganography as verified by our experiments, compared to other color spaces such as RGB, YCbCr, HSI, and Lab. The quantitative and qualitative experimental results of the proposed framework and its application for addressing the security and privacy of visual contents in online social networks (OSNs), confirm its effectiveness in contrast to state-of-the-art methods.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> A secure framework for ensuring the security of visual contents in online social networks. </LI> <LI> Image scrambling using a light-weighted image scrambler before data embedding. </LI> <LI> Encryption of sensitive contents using iterative magic matrix-based encryption algorithm. </LI> <LI> Data hiding using an adaptive LSB substitution method. </LI> </UL> </P>

Investigation of Distribution System Protection in Presence of Battery Energy Storage Systems

Muhammad Irfan,Sang-Bong Rhee 대한전기학회 2019 대한전기학회 학술대회 논문집 Vol.2019 No.10

Anti-platelet role of Korean ginseng and ginsenosides in cardiovascular diseases

Irfan, Muhammad,Kim, Minki,Rhee, Man Hee The Korean Society of Ginseng 2020 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.44 No.1

Cardiovascular diseases prevail among modern societies and underdeveloped countries, and a high mortality rate has also been reported by the World Health Organization affecting millions of people worldwide. Hyperactive platelets are the major culprits in thrombotic disorders. A group of drugs is available to deal with such platelet-related disorders; however, sometimes, side effects and complications caused by these drugs outweigh their benefits. Ginseng and its nutraceuticals have been reported to reduce the impact of thrombotic conditions and improve cardiovascular health by antiplatelet mechanisms. This review provides (1) a comprehensive insight into the available pharmacological options from ginseng and ginsenosides (saponin and nonsaponin fractions) for platelet-originated cardiovascular disorders; (2) a discussion on the impact of specific functional groups on the modulation of platelet functions and how structural modifications among ginsenosides affect platelet activation, which may further provide a basis for drug design, optimization, and the development of ginsenoside scaffolds as pharmacological antiplatelet agents; (3) an insight into the synergistic effects of ginsenosides on platelet functions; and (4) a perspective on future research and the development of ginseng and ginsenosides as super nutraceuticals.