Interoperable Internet-of-Things platform for smart home system using Web-of-Objects and cloud

Iqbal, Asif,Ullah, Farman,Anwar, Hafeez,Kwak, Kyung Sup,Imran, Muhammad,Jamal, Waseef,Rahman, Atta ur Elsevier 2018 Sustainable cities and society Vol.38 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Recent advancements in the Internet, web and communication technologies cut across many areas of modern-day living and enabled interconnection of every physical object, including, sensors and actuators. Web-enabled smart objects empower innovative services and applications for different domains and improve utilization of resources. In this paper, we propose an interoperable Internet-of-Things (IoTs) platform for a smart home system using a Web-of-Objects (WoO) and cloud architecture. The proposed platform controls the home appliances from anywhere and also provides the homes’ data in the cloud for various service providers’ applications and analysis. Firstly, we proposed a Raspberry PI based gateway for interoperability among various legacy home appliances, different communication technologies, and protocols. Secondly, we bring the smart home appliances to the web and make it accessible through the Representational State Transfer (REST/RESTful) framework. Thirdly, we will provide the cloud server for smart homes’ to store the homes’ data due to low storage capabilities at a gateway and provide the data for various application’s service providers and analysis. In the proposed smart home platform, we implement a water-tank control using Zigbee communication, an automatic door security using a normal camera as an IP camera, and provide web connectivity to different home devices for web-based controlling. We aim to reduce the human intervention, secure access control to home devices from anywhere, provide smart homes data for application services as well as for analysis, and improve the utilization of resources.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Proposed an interoperable and flexible internet-of-things platform for smart home system using web-of-objects and cloud infrastructure. </LI> <LI> Provided Raspberry PI based gateway for interoperability among various legacy home appliances, different communication technologies, and protocols. </LI> <LI> RESTful based smart home system to assign a unique URIs to each sensor data and an actuator event to reduce the processing at the webserver. </LI> <LI> Provided cloud server storing smart homes data due to low storage capabilities at a gateway and providing data for service providers and analysis. </LI> </UL> </P>

Robustness and Performance Parameterization of Smooth Second Order Sliding Mode Control

Imran Khan,Aamer Iqbal Bhatti,Ali Arshad,Qudrat Khan 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2016 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.14 No.3

Novel robustness and performance parameters are established for Smooth Super Twisting Algorithm(SSTA). The stability of SSTA is well established for arbitrary gains using homogeneity approach. The designand tuning of the controller parameters is a major issue and no analytic design method is available so far. Anovel Lyapunov function is proposed and by the virtue of stability analysis, the stability bounds for a certain classof uncertainties are determined. In addition, the issue of finite time convergence is also explored, resulting indetermination of the settling time as a function of the controller parameters. The proposed settling time formulationsuggests a methodical approach to SSTA design in contrast to the available rules of thumb. Unlike the literatureavailable for Higher Order Sliding Mode (HOSM) controllers, the proposed design framework is validated againsta challenging problem of the Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) process control. Like the other process controlproblems the chosen problem is nonlinear and contains significant uncertainties.

Do neonicotinoid insecticides impaired olfactory learning behavior in Apis mellifera?

Imran, Muhammad,Sheikh, Umer Ayyaz Aslam,Nasir, Muhammad,Ghaffar, Muhammad Abdul,Tamkeen, Ansa,Iqbal, Muhammad Aamir Korean Society of Sericultural Science 2019 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.38 No.1

Bee's population is declining and disappearing at alarming rate. There are many factors responsible for declining the population of bees including diseases, natural enemies, environmental conditions and pesticides. Insecticides play its role dramatically for their population decline and neonicotinoid insecticides are critically important due to their wide application for pest control. Keeping in view of above problem, effect of neonicotinoid insecticides on olfactory learning behavior in Apis mellifera was observed using Proboscis Extension Reflex (PER) method. In this method, bees were harnessed in centrifuges tubes and feed on insecticides mixed sugar solution after three hours hunger. Bees were checked by feeding on non-treated sugar solution to observe PER response. Minimum proboscis extension was observed for acetamiprid and imidacloprid with 26% and 20% respectively at their recommend field doses while it was maximum for dinotefuran and thiamethoxam with 73% and 60% respectively. Only 40% bees showed response when exposed at 1/10 concentration of field dose for imidacloprid and the least at 1/100 of field dose. At control (Sugar solution) about 90% bees showed PER response. Among these neonicotinoid insecticides tested, imidacloprid and acetamiprid were the most damaging which impaired the olfactory learning performance in Apis mellifera.

Do neonicotinoid insecticides impaired olfactory learning behavior in Apis mellifera?

Muhammad Imran,Umer Ayyaz Aslam Sheikh,Muhammad Nasir,Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar,Ansa Tamkeen,Muhammad Aamir Iqbal 한국잠사학회 2019 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.38 No.1

Bee’s population is declining and disappearing at alarming rate. There are many factors responsible for declining the population of bees including diseases, natural enemies, environmental conditions and pesticides. Insecticides play its role dramatically for their population decline and neonicotinoid insecticides are critically important due to their wide application for pest control. Keeping in view of above problem, effect of neonicotinoid insecticides on olfactory learning behavior in Apis mellifera was observed using Proboscis Extension Reflex (PER) method. In this method, bees were harnessed in centrifuges tubes and feed on insecticides mixed sugar solution after three hours hunger. Bees were checked by feeding on non-treated sugar solution to observe PER response. Minimum proboscis extension was observed for acetamiprid and imidacloprid with 26% and 20% respectively at their recommend field doses while it was maximum for dinotefuran and thiamethoxam with 73% and 60% respectively. Only 40% bees showed response when exposed at 1/10 concentration of field dose for imidacloprid and the least at 1/100 of field dose. At control (Sugar solution) about 90% bees showed PER response. Among these neonicotinoid insecticides tested, imidacloprid and acetamiprid were the most damaging which impaired the olfactory learning performance in Apis mellifera. Bombyx mori silkworm has many silkworm varieties and the structure and properties of silk can be varied depending on the silkworm variety. Therefore, the choice of proper silkworm variety can be an effective way to control and improve the performance of silk materials in biomedical and cosmetic applications. As a preliminary study, in the present study, thirty nine Bombyx mori silkworm cocoons were prepared and their molecular conformation and crystallinity were examined. Molecular conformation and the crystallinity of silkworm cocoons were different depending on the silkworm variety. Interestingly, the crystallinity index of outside of cocoon was different from that of inside of cocoon and the difference between the crystallinities of outside and inside of cocoon was varied depending on the silkworm variety. In this study, the silkworm variety cocoons were classified into three groups (Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3) based on the difference of crystallinities between outside and inside.

Combined application of biochar, compost, and bacterial consortia with Italian ryegrass enhanced phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil

Hussain, Fida,Hussain, Imran,Khan, Aqib Hassan Ali,Muhammad, Yousaf Shad,Iqbal, Mazhar,Soja, Gerhard,Reichenauer, Thomas Gerhard,Zeshan, Thomas Gerhard,Yousaf, Sohail Elsevier 2018 Environmental and experimental botany Vol.153 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Petroleum hydrocarbons are extensively utilized in petrochemical industries and cause soil deterioration during exploration, transportation, refining and making petroleum products. We hypothesized that the combined use of compost, biochar and bacterial consortia as soil amendments may enhance the rhizoremediation potential of ryegrass by strengthening the plant rhizospheric effect for efficient total petroleum hydrocarbon removal. The present study focused on phytoremediation of hydrocarbons in spiked contaminated soil amended with biochar (5% v/v), and compost (5% v/v). Spiked soil was inoculated with consortia of four hydrocarbon degrading bacterial strains (<I>Pseudomonas poae, Actinobacter bouvetii, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila</I> and <I>Pseudomonas rhizosphaerae</I>). The spiked soil was prepared by spiking agricultural soil with 3.4% (w/w) of crude oil. Italian ryegrass (60 seeds pot<SUP>−1</SUP>) were sown and plants were harvested after 75 days.</P> <P>The highest hydrocarbon removal (85%) was observed in spiked soil amended with compost, biochar and consortia. Bacterial inoculation with biochar and compost showed significantly higher hydrocarbon degradation as compared to all other treatments. Highest TPHs degrading bacteria (5.74 × 10<SUP>7</SUP> cells g<SUP>−1</SUP> of soil) were observed in rhizosphere of spiked soil amended with compost, biochar and consortia. The organic amendments improved plant growth and bacterial count in rhizosphere which resulted in higher removal of hydrocarbons. We concluded that plant-microbe interactions together with the organic soil amendments offer an emerging trend for remediation of hydrocarbons. Rhizoremediation is a green solution to overcome the quandary of total petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in soil.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Biochar and compost amendment enhanced rhizosphere effect. </LI> <LI> TPHs Rhizoremediation is improved by bacterial consortia and organic amendments. </LI> <LI> The organic amendments improved plant growth and bacterial count in rhizosphere. </LI> <LI> Compost is a rich source of bacteria in the rhizosphere. </LI> </UL> </P>

Effect of partially replacing soybean meal with sunflower meal with supplementation of multienzymes on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, ileal digestibility, digestive enzyme activity and caecal microbiota in broilers

Yaqoob Muhammad Umar,Yousaf Muhammad,Imran Safdar,Hassan Safdar,Iqbal Waqar,Zahid Muhammad Umer,Ahmad Naveed,Wang Minqi 아세아·태평양축산학회 2022 Animal Bioscience Vol.35 No.10

Objective: An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of partially replacing soybean meal (SBM) with sunflower meal (SFM) with added exogenous multienzymes (MEs) on various biological parameters in broilers. Methods: One week-old, 400 broiler chicks were randomly divided into four treatments (control, 3SFM, 6SFM, and 9SFM) with 5 replicates/treatment (20 chicks/replicate). Control diet was without SFM and MEs, while diets of 3SFM, 6SFM, and 9SFM treatments were prepared by replacing SBM with SFM at levels of 3%, 6%, and 9%, respectively, and were supplemented with MEs (100 mg/kg). Feeding trial was divided into grower (8 to 21 day) and finisher phases (22 to 35 day). External marker method was used to measure the nutrient digestibility. At the end of trial, twenty birds (one birds per replicate) with similar body weight were slaughtered for samples collection. Results: No significant effect of dietary treatments was found on all parameters of growth performance and carcass characteristics, except relative weight of bursa. Weight (25.0 g) and length (15.80 cm) of duodenum were significantly (p<0.05) higher in 3SFM than control. Lowest (p<0.05) villus height/crypt depth ratio was found in 3SFM and 9SFM than control. Most of meat quality parameters remained unaffected, however, highest pH of breast meat (6.16) and thigh meat (6.44) were observed in 9SFM and 3SFM, respectively. Lowest (p<0.05) cook loss of thigh meat was found in 6SFM (31.76%). Ileal digestibility of crude protein was significantly (p<0.05) higher in 3SFM (72.35%) than control (69.46%). In addition, amylase (16.87 U/mg) and protease (85.18 U/mg) activities were significantly (p<0.05) higher in 3SFM than control. However, cecal microbial count remained unaffected. Conclusion: Partial replacement (up to 9%) of SBM with SFM, with added MEs can help to improve the nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, and digestive enzyme activities without affecting cecal microbial count and growth performance in broilers. Objective: An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of partially replacing soybean meal (SBM) with sunflower meal (SFM) with added exogenous multienzymes (MEs) on various biological parameters in broilers.Methods: One week-old, 400 broiler chicks were randomly divided into four treatments (control, 3SFM, 6SFM, and 9SFM) with 5 replicates/treatment (20 chicks/replicate). Control diet was without SFM and MEs, while diets of 3SFM, 6SFM, and 9SFM treatments were prepared by replacing SBM with SFM at levels of 3%, 6%, and 9%, respectively, and were supplemented with MEs (100 mg/kg). Feeding trial was divided into grower (8 to 21 day) and finisher phases (22 to 35 day). External marker method was used to measure the nutrient digestibility. At the end of trial, twenty birds (one birds per replicate) with similar body weight were slaughtered for samples collection.Results: No significant effect of dietary treatments was found on all parameters of growth performance and carcass characteristics, except relative weight of bursa. Weight (25.0 g) and length (15.80 cm) of duodenum were significantly (p<0.05) higher in 3SFM than control. Lowest (p<0.05) villus height/crypt depth ratio was found in 3SFM and 9SFM than control. Most of meat quality parameters remained unaffected, however, highest pH of breast meat (6.16) and thigh meat (6.44) were observed in 9SFM and 3SFM, respectively. Lowest (p<0.05) cook loss of thigh meat was found in 6SFM (31.76%). Ileal digestibility of crude protein was significantly (p<0.05) higher in 3SFM (72.35%) than control (69.46%). In addition, amylase (16.87 U/mg) and protease (85.18 U/mg) activities were significantly (p<0.05) higher in 3SFM than control. However, cecal microbial count remained unaffected.Conclusion: Partial replacement (up to 9%) of SBM with SFM, with added MEs can help to improve the nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, and digestive enzyme activities without affecting cecal microbial count and growth performance in broilers.

Preparation of superparamagnetic maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles by wet chemical route and investigation of their magnetic and dielectric properties

Kashif Ali,A.K. Sarfraz,Imran M. Mirza,A. Bahadur,S. Iqbal,A. ul Haq 한국물리학회 2015 Current Applied Physics Vol.15 No.8

Maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles have been synthesized using a wet chemical route, optimizing the reaction time, PH value and size of the crystallite during synthesis. The Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements confirmed the presence of an impurity free maghemite phase in our sample with an average crystallite size of 16 nm as calculated from the DebyeeScherrer equation. In physical characterization, the room temperature hysteresis (M-H loop) and blocking temperature (as observed from the M-T plot) revealed that the particles are in the superparamagnetic phase at room temperature. Dielectric behaviour of γ-Fe2O3 with respect to the variation of frequency and temperature was also performed. At room temperatures, we observe a decaying behaviour of both dielectric constant (έ) and tangent looses (tanδ) at smaller frequencies while at higher frequencies both saturate to smaller constant values. In temperature dependent dielectric properties we notice that the dielectric constant (both real and imaginary parts) show an increasing trend with increasing temperatures but an overall slower enhancement at elevated frequencies. The former effect can be attributed to the possible delocalization of impurities at higher temperatures while the latter effect can be explained as an inability of the electric dipole moments to respond at higher frequencies.

Clinical Efcacy and Safety of Injectable Levetiracetam Versus Phenytoin as Second-Line Terapy in the Management of Generalized Convulsive Status Epilepticus in Children: An Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial

Nuzhat Noureen,Saadia Khan,Asim Khursheed,Imran Iqbal,Moallah Maryam,Syed Muhammad Sharib,Neeta Maheshwary 대한신경과학회 2019 Journal of Clinical Neurology Vol.15 No.4

Background and Purpose Tere is sparsity of quality evidence for the use of drugs afer frst-line benzodiazepines in convulsive status epilepticus in children. Te aim of the study was to compare the clinical efcacy and safety of intravenous levetiracetam versus intravenous phenytoin as second-line drugs in the management of generalized convulsive status epilepticus in children. Methods Tis open-label randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Emergency Department of Te Children’s Hospital and Te Institute of Child Health, Multan, Pakistan over a period of 4 years and 6 months from January 2014 to June 2018. Tis study included 600 children with generalized convulsive status epilepticus: 300 in the 40 mg/kg levetiracetam group, and 300 in the 20 mg/kg phenytoin group. Cessation of a clinical seizure (seizure cessation rate) within 30 minutes afer the end of drug administration was the primary outcome in this study, and the presence or absence of adverse efects was noted as the secondary outcome. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 20.0). Results Te children in the levetiracetam and phenytoin were aged 3.5±0.2 and 3.4±0.2 years (mean±SD), respectively, their seizure durations before the start of treatment were 25.1±0.6 and 23.8±0.4 minutes, and their treatment efficacies were 278/300 (92.7%) and 259/300 (83.3%). Levetiracetam was signifcantly more efective than phenytoin (p=0.012), with no signifcant diference in safety. Adverse events were observed in eight children in the phenytoin group. Conclusions Levetiracetam is signifcantly more efective than phenytoin for the treatment of convulsive status epilepticus in children who have failed to respond to benzodiazepines.

Effect of multi-enzymes supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, ileal digestibility, digestive enzyme activity and caecal microbiota in broilers fed low-metabolizable energy diet

Yaqoob Muhammad Umar,Yousaf Muhammad,Iftikhar Mubashir,Hassan Safdar,Wang Geng,Imran Safdar,Zahid Muhammad Umer,Iqbal Waqar,Wang Minqi 아세아·태평양축산학회 2022 Animal Bioscience Vol.35 No.7

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of using low energy diet with multi-enzymes supplementation on different biological parameters in broilers. Methods: Three hundred Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly divided into three groups (Cont, standard metabolizable energy(ME); L-ME, ME reduced by 50 kcal/kg without enzyme; and L-ME-MES, L-ME diet was supplemented with multi-enzymes) with five replicates per group (20 chicks per replicate) at the start of second week. Grower and finisher diets were formulated according to breed specific guide and offered with free access in respective phase (two weeks for grower [8 to 21 d]; two weeks for finisher [22 to 35 d]). External marker method was used to measure the nutrient digestibility. After feeding trial, fifteen birds (one bird per replicate) were selected randomly and slaughtered for samples collection. Results: The results exhibited no effect (p>0.05) of dietary treatments on all parameters of growth performance, carcass traits, relative weight of internal organs except bursa and overall parameters of thigh meat quality. Relative weight of bursa was significantly (p<0.05) higher in L-ME than control. Multi-enzymes supplementation in low-ME diet significantly (p<0.05) improved the breast meat pH 24 h, digestibility of crude protein, duodenum weight and length, jejunal morphology, counts of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp., lipase and protease activities than control. Jejunum length was increased in both L-ME and L-ME-MES treatments than that of the control (p<0.05). Breast meat cooking loss and color lightness was lower in L-ME (p<0.05) than control. Conclusion: It can therefore be concluded that broilers could be reared on low energy diet with supplementation of multi-enzymes without compromising the growth performance. In addition, it is beneficial for other biological parameters of broilers. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of using low energy diet with multi-enzymes supplementation on different biological parameters in broilers.Methods: Three hundred Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly divided into three groups (Cont, standard metabolizable energy(ME); L-ME, ME reduced by 50 kcal/kg without enzyme; and L-ME-MES, L-ME diet was supplemented with multi-enzymes) with five replicates per group (20 chicks per replicate) at the start of second week. Grower and finisher diets were formulated according to breed specific guide and offered with free access in respective phase (two weeks for grower [8 to 21 d]; two weeks for finisher [22 to 35 d]). External marker method was used to measure the nutrient digestibility. After feeding trial, fifteen birds (one bird per replicate) were selected randomly and slaughtered for samples collection.Results: The results exhibited no effect (p>0.05) of dietary treatments on all parameters of growth performance, carcass traits, relative weight of internal organs except bursa and overall parameters of thigh meat quality. Relative weight of bursa was significantly (p<0.05) higher in L-ME than control. Multi-enzymes supplementation in low-ME diet significantly (p<0.05) improved the breast meat pH 24 h, digestibility of crude protein, duodenum weight and length, jejunal morphology, counts of <i>Lactobacillus</i> spp. and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> spp., lipase and protease activities than control. Jejunum length was increased in both L-ME and L-ME-MES treatments than that of the control (p<0.05). Breast meat cooking loss and color lightness was lower in L-ME (p<0.05) than control.Conclusion: It can therefore be concluded that broilers could be reared on low energy diet with supplementation of multi-enzymes without compromising the growth performance. In addition, it is beneficial for other biological parameters of broilers.

Poly(propylene glycol) stabilized gold nanoparticles: An efficient colorimetric assay for ceftriaxone

Daim Asif Raja,Syed Ghulam Musharraf,Muhammad Raza Shah,Abdul Jabbar,Muhammad Iqbal Bhanger,Muhammad Imran Malik 한국공업화학회 2020 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.87 No.-

Polymer capped metal nanoparticles have been used for numerous biomedical and analyticalapplications. In present study, highly stable gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) capped with polypropyleneglycol (PPG) were synthesized using chemical reduction method. The characterization of PPG-AuNPs wasaccomplished by atomic force microscopy (AFM), zetasizer, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and UV–vis spectroscopy. Furthermore, PPG-AuNPs were utilized as colorimetric probe for thirdgeneration cephalosporin antibiotic, ceftriaxone (CEF). PPG-AuNPs permitted efficient, selective,quantitative and rapid recognition in concentration range of 0.1–100 mM in presence of numerousother drugs and salts. PPG-AuNPs have great potential for quantitative recognition of ceftriaxone inbiological and environmental samples. Moreover, the developed sensor has capacity to be applied asquality control of pharmaceutical formulations containing ceftriaxone. The PPG-AuNPs based sensorpermits quantitative and fast recognition of ceftriaxone away from a sophisticated laboratory setup.