Flexible, economical, and low-toxic organic solar cells are becoming highly popular in photovoltaic research. Interestingly, its efficiency of energy conversion remains lower than that of ...silicon-based solar cells. As a result, it is unavoidable to focus on organic solar cell efficiency enhancement. This article presents a nano-composite thin-film developed using zinc oxide (ZnO) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with a solution casting technique varying weight percentage (wt.%) of ZnO into the PVA matrix. The characterization of the thin-film of ZnO/PVA has been made using SEM, XRD, FTIR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The characterization reveals that the ZnO nanoparticle network forms an excellent path for electron flow in the PVA matrix at the optimal ZnO concentration of 16.66 % and a PVA concentration of 83.33 %. The thin film was applied to an organic solar cell of architecture consists of carbon fiber reinforced with ZnO-epoxy resin/CuO-epoxy resin for performance investigation. The solar cell’s maximum efficiency was determined to be 9.01 % before and 14.65 % after using the nano-composite film. 5.64 % increase in the efficiency of organic solar cells are observed after the ZnO/PVA nanocomposite thin film is applied.
Researchers and policy-makers have identified loss to follow-up as a major programmatic problem. Therefore, the objective of this study is to quantify TB related pre-treatment loss to follow up and ...treatment delay in private sector health care facilities in Pakistan.
This was a retrospective, descriptive cohort study using routinely collected programmatic data from TB referral, diagnosis and treatment registers. Data from 48 private healthcare facilities were collected using an online questionnaire prepared in ODK Collect, for the period October 2015 to March 2016. Data were analysed using SPSS. We calculated the: (1) number and proportion of patients who were lost to follow-up during the diagnostic period, (2) number and proportion of patients with pre-treatment loss to follow-up, and (3) the number of days between diagnosis and initiation of treatment.
One thousand five hundred ninety-six persons with presumptive TB were referred to the laboratory. Of these, 96% (n = 1538) submitted an on-the-spot sputum sample. Of the 1538 people, 1462 (95%) people subsequently visited the laboratory to submit the early morning (i.e. the second) sample. Hence, loss to follow-up during the diagnostic process was 8% overall (n = 134). Of the 1462 people who submitted both sputum samples, 243 (17%) were diagnosed with sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB and 231 were registered for anti-TB treatment, hence, loss in the pre-treatment phase was 4.9% (n = 12). 152 persons with TB (66%) initiated TB treatment either on the day of TB diagnosis or the next day. A further 79 persons with TB (34%) commenced TB treatment within a mean time of 7 days (range 2 to 64 days).
Concentrated efforts should be made by the National TB Control Programme to retain TB patients and innovative methods such as text reminders and behavior change communication may need to be used and tested.
The hydrogen hydroxyl (HHO) gas as a fuel additive in gasoline for SI engines has a positive impact on improving the performance and reducing the consequences of the burning of fossil fuels alone ...which are continuously depleting and causing severe problems to the environment. In this paper, the effect of injecting HHO gas additive in the gasoline fuel of a petrol engine was experimentally explored in detail to improve the overall efficiency in terms of performance indicators such as engine fuel consumption, brake horsepower and engine’s torque developed. The engine was coupled with an electric generator to be used for the production of electricity at a relatively low cost. An experimental setup was established to measure the performance indicators and it consists of an HHO gas generator integrated with solar panels, a gasoline engine coupled with an electricity generator, a storage battery, and relevant measuring instruments. The HHO gas was produced and injected into the intake manifold of the engine whilst it was running at different load conditions. The main parameters such as engine RPM, output voltage/amperes of the electric generator were measured and performance indicators were calculated to determine the overall efficiency of the system. From the results, it was shown that the HHO additive had increased performance of the petrol engine performance at a lower HHO-fuel ratio while the engine is running at lean fuel conditions.
The concepts of lean manufacturing operations and sustainability are congruent in nature, marked by the facet of improving organizational efficiency. However, only difference lies in the definition ...of waste. This definition is given a new dimension by sustainability by incorporating the extensive scope of reductions in the environmental consequences in the form of 6R (reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign and remanufacture); which requires a consolidated integrated approach. Therefore, as to affirm the requirement, a systematic literature review has been carried out which scrutinized previous researches in view of their originality, methodology, objectives and limitations. Based on this literature study, 25 most related approaches (lean and sustainable integrated approaches) were selected and their originality was investigated. Investigation revealed that few research articles are integrating lean and sustainable approaches. This study identifies the gap of the integration of lean practices with 6Rs and a framework was developed which implemented on the case study that carries ability to attain 6R based sustainable lean production systems. Because of more social and environmentally friendly atmosphere achieved through 6R based implementation, the results achieved are 50% decrease in heating cost by redesigning furnaces (from oil furnaces to gas furnaces), 36.33% improvement in value added time, 40.14% in lead-time and 22% reduction in labour utilization. This improvement indicates that use of proposed integrated framework is highly beneficial for any kind of manufacturing sector.
Data quality is core theme of programme's performance assessment and many organizations do not have any data quality improvement strategy, wherein data quality dimensions and data quality assessment ...framework are important constituents. As there is limited published research about the data quality specifics that are relevant to the context of Pakistan's Tuberculosis control programme, this study aims at identifying the applicable data quality dimensions by using the 'fitness-for-purpose' perspective.
Forty-two respondents pooled a total of 473 years of professional experience, out of which 223 years (47%) were in TB control related programmes. Based on the responses against 11 practical cases, adopted from the routine recording and reporting system of Pakistan's TB control programme (real identities of patient were masked), completeness, accuracy, consistency, vagueness, uniqueness and timeliness are the applicable data quality dimensions relevant to the programme's context, i.e. work settings and field of practice.
Based on a 'fitness-for-purpose' approach to data quality, this study used a test-based approach to measure management's perspective and identified data quality dimensions pertinent to the programme and country specific requirements. Implementation of a data quality improvement strategy and achieving enhanced data quality would greatly help organizations in promoting data use for informed decision making.
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to analyze the existence of information pollution in the banking sector of Pakistan. Worldwide unlimited and without restrictions information production and ...dissemination have resulted in an information-dense society and information-polluted environment.
Methodology: An empirical study of 155 employees in the banking sector was undertaken. The influence of information quality and information quantity has caused information pollution. Eight factors of information quality were taken as independent variables. Decision-making is the key function of leaders and managers in the organization. Therefore, Decision making was taken as a dependent variable to gauge the influence of information pollution in organizations.
Findings: The reliability and validity of data have been checked and results show that information influences a positive 37% influence on decision-making. According to the result, information pollution exists in the banking sector of Pakistan.
Implications: It is further suggested to investigate the impact of information pollution on the work performance and productivity of organizations.
Waldenstroms macroglobulinemia (WM) is an uncommon B-cell lymphoproliferative neoplasm characterized by lymphoplasmacytic cells infiltrating the Bone Marrow, along with demonstration of an IgM ...monoclonal gammopathy in the serum. Lytic lesions are considered one of the basis for differentiating a patient of Multiple Myeloma (MM) and WM. However, very few cases have been reported with a patient presenting with lytic lesions in a WM patient, thereby, complicating the disease. By finding the extent of these lytic lesions and bone involvement, Not only can we signify the presence or absence of bone lesions, but we can also direct the more efficient use of skeletal X-rays for documentation of the extent, location, and response of bone abnormalities to interventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Our case was mimicking the classic case of MM. Using the International Criteria for diagnosis for WM, diagnosis for MM was excluded and diagnosis for WM was made. After two weeks of therapy, the patient showed marked clinical improvement.
In the light-activated work-holding devices, hardened adhesive residues on the fixture plate need to be removed to make it available for the subsequent work holding. There are several ways to remove ...the cured adhesive from the gripper, such as laser-based degradation, and softening and removing with high temperature pressured water wash. These processes are associated with the generation of carbon black, affecting transparency which compromises the efficiency of the light-activated device. A novel peripheral grinding-based cleaning process has been developed to strip the adhesive from the fixture plate. The present research is aimed to analyze the effect of variation in grinding parameters, viz., spindle speed, feed, depth of cut, and the grain size of the grinding wheel on the temperature of the adhesive being ground and cleaning of the adhesive-filled channel. Aggressive values of grinding parameters are selected to achieve the desired removal of adhesive, putting a step towards sustainability. Moreover, a comprehensive investigation of the temperature of the grinding zone and the grinding wheel is made by inspecting the effective cleaning of the cured adhesive-filled channel. Higher values of spindle speed (11.57 m/s) and feed (0.406 mm/rev) resulted in an improved, cleaned surface of the ground adhesive-filled channel. Moreover, the grinding wheel with a more prominent grain size (46/
Ø
0.35 mm) and porosity was proved to be more effective in the cleaning process by reducing and maintaining the grinding temperature (~52 °C) of the adhesive-filled channel.
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