The addition of massive machine type communication (mMTC) as a category of Fifth Generation (5G) of mobile communication, have increased the popularity of Internet of Things (IoT). The sensors are ...one of the critical component of any IoT device. Although the sensors posses a well-known historical existence, but their integration in wireless technologies and increased demand in IoT applications have increased their importance and the challenges in terms of design, integration, etc. This survey presents a holistic (historical as well as architectural) overview of wireless sensor (WS) nodes, providing a classical definition, in-depth analysis of different modules involved in the design of a WS node, and the ways in which they can be used to measure a system performance. Using the definition and analysis of a WS node, a more comprehensive classification of WS nodes is provided. Moreover, the need to form a wireless sensor network (WSN), their deployment, and communication protocols is explained. The applications of WS nodes in various use cases have been discussed. Additionally, an overlook of challenges and constraints that these WS nodes face in various environments and during the manufacturing process, are discussed. Their main existing developments which are expected to augment the WS nodes, to meet the requirements of the emerging systems, are also presented.
Phyto-synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) having reduced chemical toxicity have been focused globally and become essential component of nanotechnology recently. We prepared green phytochemically (ginger ...and garlic) reduced NiO-NPs to replace synthetic bactericidal and catalytic agent in textile industry. NPs were characterized using ultra-violet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The synthesis of NPs was confirmed by XRD and UV-Vis having strong absorption at 350 nm with size ranged between 16–52 nm for ginger and 11–59 nm for garlic. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy confirmed pleomorphism with cubic- and more spherical-shaped NPs. Moreover, exact quantities of garlic and ginger extracts (1:3.6 ml) incorporated to synthesize NiO-NPs have been successfully confirmed by FTIR. Phytochemically reduced NPs by garlic presented enhanced bactericidal activity against multiple drug-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
at increasing concentrations (0.5, 1.0 mg/50 μl) and also degraded methylene blue (MB) dye efficiently. Conclusively, green synthesized NiO-NPs are impending activists to resolve drug resistance as well as environment friendly catalytic agent that may be opted at industrial scale.
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•There are more than 114 reported full-scale anammox treatment plants around the world.•Remaining issues are longer start-up, mainstream application and poor effluent water ...quality.•Preservation and immobilization of anammox biomass are key to efficient start-up.•A combined anammox-MFC system is proposed for energy-positive wastewater treatment.
Nitrogen removal from wastewater via anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox)-based process has been recognized as efficient, cost-effective and low energy alternative to the conventional nitrification and denitrification processes. To date, more than one hundred full-scale anammox plants have been installed and operated for treatment of NH4+-rich wastewater streams around the world, and the number is increasing rapidly. Since the discovery of anammox process, extensive researches have been done to develop various anammox-based technologies. However, there are still some challenges in practical application of anammox-based treatment process at full-scale, e.g., longer start-up period, limited application to mainstream municipal wastewater and poor effluent water quality. This paper aimed to summarize recent status of application of anammox process and researches on technological development for solving these remaining problems. In addition, an integrated system of anammox-based process and microbial fuel cell is proposed for sustainable and energy-positive wastewater treatment.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The adverse impacts of climate change have occupied central theme of many policy initiatives. This paper investigated the impact of economic development, fossil fuel consumptions and population ...density on CO2 in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh using annual data over the period 1971–2014. We have applied panel Autoregressive distributed lags model to estimate the long‐run dynamics and Vector error correction model specified Granger causality test for finding the causality direction. Using three multivariate equations model, the empirical outcome of our study has established key associations that have crucial policy implications. Firstly, the results of auto‐regressive distributed lags (ARDL) confirmed the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis that the relationship between CO2 and economic development is U‐shaped. Moreover, fossil fuel consumption and population density have a positive impact on CO2 emission in the long run. VECM test evidence suggests that short‐run causalities from economic development to CO2, population density to CO2 and fossil fuel consumption to CO2 exist. Secondly, CO2 has a negative impact on economic development while the impacts of fossil fuel, FDI and total exports on economic development have been significantly positive in the long run. In short run, CO2, fossil fuel consumption and FDI Granger cause economic development. Lastly, CO2 emission negatively influences population density while economic development positively affects population density in long run. Moreover, short‐run causalities from economic development to population density and CO2 to population density exit. For policy drives, efficient and low carbon emission technologies should be used.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
For multi-attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problem, there exist inter-dependent or interactive phenomena among criteria or preference of decision makers, therefor it is not suitable for us to ...aggregate them by conventional aggregation operators based on additive measures. In this paper based on fuzzy measures an interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy Choquet integral geometric (IVPFCIG) operator is investigated for multiple criteria group decision making. First, some operational laws on interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy numbers (IVPFNs) are introduced. Then an interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy Choquet integral geometric (IVPFCIG) operator is proposed. Moreover, some of its properties are given and discussed in detail. Then Choquet integral-based distance between interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy numbers is defined. Combining the IVPFCIG operator with Choquet integral-based distance, an extension of TOPSIS method is developed to deal with multi-attribute interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy group decision making problems. Finally a numerical example is used to illustrate the developed procedures.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is caused by SARs-CoV-2. The virus is transmitted from person to person through droplet infections i.e. when infected person is in close contact with another person. In ...January 2020, first report of detection of SARS-CoV-2 in faeces, has made it clear that human wastewater might contain this virus. This may illustrate the probability of environmentally facilitated transmission, mainly the sewage, however, environmental conditions that could facilitate faecal oral transmission is not yet clear. We used existing Pakistan polio environment surveillance network to investigate presence of SARs-CoV-2 using three commercially available kits and E-Gene detection published assay for surety and confirmatory of positivity. A Two-phase separation method is used for sample clarification and concentration. An additional high-speed centrifugation (14000Xg for 30 min) step was introduced, prior RNA extraction, to increase viral RNA yield resulting a decrease in Cq value. A total of 78 wastewater samples collected from 38 districts across Pakistan, 74 wastewater samples from existing polio environment surveillance sites, 3 from drains of COVID-19 infected areas and 1 from COVID 19 quarantine center drainage, were tested for presence of SARs-CoV-2. 21 wastewater samples (27%) from 13 districts turned to be positive on RT-qPCR. SARs-COV-2 RNA positive samples from areas with COVID 19 patients and quarantine center strengthen the findings and use of wastewater surveillance in future. Furthermore, sequence data of partial ORF 1a generated from COVID 19 patient quarantine center drainage sample also reinforce our findings that SARs-CoV-2 can be detected in wastewater. This study finding indicates that SARs-CoV-2 detection through wastewater surveillance has an epidemiologic potential that can be used as supplementary system to monitor viral tracking and circulation in cities with lower COVID-19 testing capacity or heavily populated areas where door-to-door tracing may not be possible. However, attention is needed on virus concentration and detection assay to increase the sensitivity. Development of highly sensitive assay will be an indicator for virus monitoring and to provide early warning signs.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The aim of this study is to measure the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction among the customers of Pakistani Islamic banks. This study employed a modified SERVQUAL model by ...introducing a unique dimension of compliance in the context of service industry. A self-administered questionnaire-based field survey was conducted with the help of modified SERVQUAL dimensions. Data were gathered from 450 walk-in customers of Islamic bank. The sample data were statistically analysed through exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis to determine the service quality perception and customer satisfaction. Namely, CFA is used in order to test the model validity, while SEM is used for testing the impact of different service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction. Results revealed that the multidimensional service quality scale is positively and significantly associated with the unidimensional scale of customer satisfaction. In addition, the compliance dimension of the SERVQUAL model proved its importance by showing the highest contributing factor in the overall model. Furthermore, this study has practical implications for the policy-makers of Islamic banks to better understand the behavioural intentions of Islamic bank customers.
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BFBNIB, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Graphene-based metamaterials are gaining popularity for developing various reconfigurable and electrically tunable optical devices - especially in terahertz (THz) and infrared (IR) bands. Therefore, ...in this paper, we aim to investigate the broadband metamaterial-based absorber that efficiently absorbs the THz radiation ranging from 2.2 to 4.6 THz. The proposed absorber comprises a simple meta-square ring of graphene, which possesses different slots in its structure to induce multiple plasmonic resonances. It is observed that the proposed absorber manifests above 95% absorption for the normally incident THz waves, and it also maintains its absorption value over 80% for different obliquely incident operating conditions. Furthermore, the proposed absorber shows polarization-insensitive features. In addition, the absorption characteristics regulate from 95% to 15% by adjusting the chemical potential of graphene from 1 eV to 0.1 eV. Some of the salient features of the proposed absorber is largest reported bandwidth for single layer absorber with smallest footprint without sacrificing polarization insensitivity or amplitude tunability. From the application point of view, it could provide the pathway for implementing switching, cloaking, smart absorbers, and detection phenomena in the THz range.
Concept of an approximation space associated with each parameter in a soft set is discussed and an approximation space associated with the soft set is defined. For any subset
X of the universe
U, ...there is a fuzzy subset of
U associated with each parameter of the soft set, also there is a fuzzy subset associated with the soft set. Furthermore each soft set over a set
U, gives rise to a fuzzy soft set over
P(
U) and induces a soft equivalence relation over
P(
U).
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Economic development in a contemporary setting encompasses a broad range of parameters. This balanced panel study of 30 countries uses two single-equation models to investigate the impacts of natural ...resource abundance, international trade, financial development, trade openness and institutional quality on two proxies for economic development – economic growth and a human development index. The data spans from 1990 to 2016 and the impact is assessed in aggregate as well as the countries' level of development in three groups – Lower-middle, Upper-middle and High Income Countries. Four panel estimation approaches are used: Fixed Effects (FE), Random Effects (RE), Panel Fully Modified Least Squares (FMOLS) and Panel Dynamic Least Squares (DOLS). While natural resource abundance has a significantly positive impact on economic growth, a primarily negative and insignificant effect on human development exists. Interestingly, international trade and broad money have significantly negative impacts on economic development. Trade openness’ positive effect exceeds that of institutional quality. The findings suggest that the variables have a stronger influence on economic growth as compared to human development.
•Broader view of economic development examined with inclusion of a human development index in addition to usual economic growth proxy.•Economic growth positively impacted by natural resource abundance, trade openness and institutional quality.•Natural resource abundance and trade openness had a respective negative and positive effect on human development.•International trade and financial development adversely affected economic development.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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