Sajjad Ullah - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Sajjad Ullah

Research paper thumbnail of Designing Highly Photoactive Hybrid Aerogels for In-Flow Photocatalytic Contaminant Removal Using Silica-Coated Bacterial Nanocellulose Supports

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, May 8, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Phytochemical and Elemental Evaluation of Chrozophora plicata Leaves, Bannu, KPK, Pakistan

The main objective of our current research work is to evaluate and explore the phytochemistry of ... more The main objective of our current research work is to evaluate and explore the phytochemistry of the methanolic crude extract of Chrozophora plicata leaves and elemental ions analysis by using flame photometer to determine the concentration of alkali and alkaline earth metals ions following wet digestion method. Chrozophora plicata was collected from district Bannu in the month of May 2016. Results obtained from the various activities showed that the Chrozophora plicata leaves methanolic crude extract possess much quantity of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds which are good scavengers of the free radicals that cause oxidative stress and can be used against cancer, arthritis and diabetes. Important phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenolic and alkaloids were present in the Chrozophora plicata leaves extract. Furthermore the biologically important ions results also suggest that the powder of the Chrozophora plicata leaves possess a significant composition of Li, Na, K, Ca, Ba ions. The present study results suggest as a whole that the Chrozophora plicata already used in Greek medicine SAFI can be used to design new drugs and natural antioxidants. Keywords: Chrozophora Plicata; Phytochemistry; Elemental ions analysis;

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of P2O5 and SiO2 Addition on the Phase, Microstructure, and Electrical Properties of KNbO3

Iranian Journal of Science and Technology Transaction A-science, Dec 17, 2018

In this contribution, the effect of P 2 O 5 and SiO 2 addition on the phase, microstructure, and ... more In this contribution, the effect of P 2 O 5 and SiO 2 addition on the phase, microstructure, and electrical properties of KNbO 3 was studied. Sample powders with the general formula (1-x)KNbO 3 .xP 2 O 5 (x = 0.03, 0.05) and (1x)KNbO 3 .xSiO 2 (x = 0.1) were prepared via mixed-oxide route. The thermal behavior of the mixed-milled powder was investigated by TG/DTA which revealed an overall weight loss of 33.4 wt % in the temperature range of 30 ≤ T ≤ 1200 • C and crystallization exotherm occurring at about 795 • C. The present results indicated that P 2 O 5 acted as a sintering aid and lowered the sintering temperature by about 30 • C and promoted densification of KNbO 3. Sample compositions at various stages of processing were characterized using X-ray diffraction. Samples sintered at T ≤ 1020 • C revealed mainly KNbO 3 together with a couple of low-intensity K 3 NbO 4 peaks as a secondary phase. The SEM images of (1-x)KNbO 3 .xSiO 2 (x = 0.1) samples showed a slight increase in the average grain size from 3.76 µm to 3.86 µm with an increase in sintering temperature from 1000 • C to 1020 • C. Strong variations in dielectric constant and loss

Research paper thumbnail of Unusual Local Therapies Used for the Treatment of Low Back Pain and Sciatica: Concepts and Approaches

Cureus, Aug 11, 2021

Background and objective Low back pain (LBP) and sciatica are major healthcare issues globally. S... more Background and objective Low back pain (LBP) and sciatica are major healthcare issues globally. Since patients may seek various ways to cure their ailments, these conditions are managed not just by physicians, but many other health-related professionals provide alternative treatment options for it as well. We conducted this study to examine a local subset of patients who used stabbing their back and legs as a treatment option for curing LBP and sciatica. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient clinic of the Neurosurgery unit of Government Naseer Ullah Babar Memorial Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan, from July 2019 to March 2020. Patients who presented to the outpatient department (OPD) with complaints of LBP with or without sciatica, with a history of invasive therapy in the form of stabbing the back or leg, or drawing blood from the veins of the lower limbs, were included. All other patients with LBP seeking neurosurgical advice were excluded from the study. The study was approved by the management of the hospital and informed consent was obtained from the patients before interviewing them. Special permission was taken for publishing the photographs. The demographics and clinical information related to patients, such as age, gender, duration of symptoms, time since the local therapy, particulars of the treatment provider, any relief experienced by the patient, duration of relief, the patient beliefs/notions about the therapy and disease, and education level of the patients, were recorded on a predesigned form after taking informed consent. The study was done on purposive sampling. The data was presented in tables and charts and was analyzed using SPSS Statistics version 20 (IBM, Armonk, NY). Results During the study period, more than 8,000 patients visited the neurosurgical OPD, and the majority of them (>70%) sought treatment for LBP and sciatica. Of them, around 130 patients had a history of undergoing some alternative therapy that is not scientifically proven, and it was either in the form of stabbing the back or drawing blood from the veins in the lower limbs. Amongst these patients, almost 80% were males and 20% were females who had undergone this kind of treatment. The age range among the cohort was 25-68 years and the mean age was around 43 years. The duration of symptoms ranged from two months to nine years, and the time since the therapy and patient seeking medical advice ranged from three months to 4.5 years. The treatment had been provided by a local individual who did not hold any medical degree according to the patients in 100% (n=130) of the cases; 67% of patients felt they had experienced some relief from the therapy for a short period, which ranged from three days to one month. About the condition, none of the patients seeking the therapy knew it was nerve-related and were often confused about the term rugg (vessel in the native language) but could not differentiate it from the nerve. Of these patients, 76 required surgery while 54 were managed conservatively for LBP and sciatica. Conclusion A subset of the local population in our part of the world used stabbing the back and leg as a form of therapy for treating the problems of the lower back and sciatica. This has not been previously reported and has no scientific basis. Also, the majority of the patients were uneducated and had very little knowledge of the disease, and the treatment provider was a non-health-related professional.

Research paper thumbnail of Halide-based perovskites in photonics: From photocatalysts to highly efficient optoelectronic devices

Research paper thumbnail of APOBEC3G Variant (rs6001417) CG and GG Genotypes and their protective feature against HIV-1 Infection in Pakistani Dwelled Community

Advancements in Life Sciences, Mar 13, 2021

ackground: APOBEC3G (Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3G) gene is... more ackground: APOBEC3G (Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3G) gene is one of the genetic host factors, have been linked with HIV-1 AIDS predisposing and protection in different residence populations. The investigation of genetic marker (APOBEC3G) variant (rs6001417) CC, CG and GG genotypes in Pakistan. Methods: The extraction of DNA, the DNA Rapid Salting-out method was used. Then the observed DNA with electrophoresis technique referred for quantitative real-time PCR to identify the APOBEC3G variant rs6001417 genotypes and Taq Man genotyping. Results: Three genotypes of rs6001417 (CC, CG and GG) were compared both in HIV-1 infected patients and healthy control groups (p=0.73, p=0.007, p=0.01 respectively). The rs6001417 CG and GG genotype demonstrated a significant involvement in both the healthy and infected individuals and portraying possible protective effect against HIV-1 infection with predictive value of 36.43% and 13.57% respectively. Conclusion: APOBEC3G (rs6001417) CG and GG genotypes may have a protective feature in the progression of HIV-1 infection and we may use this as a preliminary predictive marker in the country for HIV-1 infected individuals as well.

Research paper thumbnail of Manuscript File APP CAT B 2105

Research paper thumbnail of To Evaluate the Outcome of Endoscopic Removal of 3rd Ventricle Colloid Cyst

Pakistan journal of neurological surgery, Nov 8, 2018

Objective: To analyze the outcome of 3 rd ventricle colloid cyst removal by endoscopic approach. ... more Objective: To analyze the outcome of 3 rd ventricle colloid cyst removal by endoscopic approach. Material and Methods: It is a prospective observational case series study. About 11 patients of third ventricle colloid cyst were included. Site of the study was Neurosurgery B department, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. Study duration was from July 2015 to June 2017. All routine investigations were done including CT brain and MRI .The clinical presentation, radiological findings, post-surgery outcome was analyzed. Endoscopic approach was applied in all cases using a rigid endoscope through right pre-coronal burr hole. Results: our study consisted of total 11 patients. Headache and giddiness were the most common presentations (n = 9). 5 patients had change in vision. 2 patients suffered ataxia. One patient presented with urinary incontinence. Post-operative hydrocephalus was observed in only one patient.no recurrence was noted on followup visits, Conclusions: Endoscopic approach to colloid cyst treatment is safe and effective with low complications rate.

Research paper thumbnail of Early Complications of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt in Pediatric Patients With Hydrocephalus

Cureus, Feb 23, 2021

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is the most commonly used procedure for the treatment of hydroce... more Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is the most commonly used procedure for the treatment of hydrocephalus (HDC), especially in children. However, this is prone to many complications, and requires repeated surgeries, which as such increases the morbidity of the patients. It is estimated that majority of the complications occurs in the immediate post-operative period and the rate of complications decreases over the time, with no impunity to these, though. We conducted this study to know about the complications of VPS in the early post-operative period, in pediatric patients with hydrocephalus.

Research paper thumbnail of Enhanced photocatalytic activity of BiVO4/Pt/PtOx photocatalyst: The role of Pt oxidation state

Applied Surface Science, Nov 1, 2021

Abstract Monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BVO) has gained attention as a low-cost and promising visib... more Abstract Monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BVO) has gained attention as a low-cost and promising visible light photocatalyst but suffers from fast charge carrier recombination. The present study reports the controlled photoreduction deposition of different Pt-based co-catalysts on the surface of BVO to address this drawback and brings a detailed discussion on the role of the oxidation state of Pt in determining the photoactivity of the photocatalysts. Results evidenced the presence of both metallic Pt and Pt oxides on the surface of BVO, with proportions that depended on the photoreduction time. The photocatalytic activity towards degradation of three model dyes revealed that platinum oxides (PtOx, x = 1 or 2) or a mixture of Pt0/PtOx species act out as better cocatalysts than Pt0, with an almost 4-fold higher apparent quantum yield for the optimized sample. The enhanced photoactivity of BVO/Pt/PtOx photocatalysts was attributed to their improved visible light absorption and enhanced charge carrier separation than pristine BVO or BVO/Pt. This study provides important insight into and a better understanding of the general photodeposition strategy employed to prepare semiconductor/metal (photo)catalysts on one hand and highlights the role of the oxidation state of deposited metal in determining the properties of composite (photo)catalysts on the other.

Research paper thumbnail of An Empirical Analysis of the Trade Balance of Pakistan Using the Elasticities, Monetary, and Absorption Approaches

Journal of finance & economics research, 2023

This study attempts to estimate the trade balance of Pakistan by developing a model that incorpor... more This study attempts to estimate the trade balance of Pakistan by developing a model that incorporates the three major approaches i.e., absorption, elasticities, and monetary for a time ranging from 1971 to 2021. Autoregressive Distributed lagged (ARDL) model is used to estimate the short-run and longrun response of GDP growth, broad money growth, and real effective exchange rate to trade balance. The results show that the real effective exchange rate is negatively related to the trade balance of Pakistan both in the long run and short run. This indicates that variation in the exchange rate does not improve the trade balance. The study also does not confirm the existence of the J-Curve in Pakistan. The GDP growth has a statistically insignificant impact on the trade balance in the short run while negatively related to the trade balance in the long run. The broad money growth is negatively related to trade balance in the short run as well as in the long run. The long-run effect is higher than the short-run effect. The monetary authority should adopt an appropriate monetary policy to improve the adverse balance of payments in Pakistan.

Research paper thumbnail of Emerging Challenges in the Management of Initial Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Study from a Developing Country

Pakistan journal of neurological surgery, Jan 19, 2023

Objective: To identify and highlight the challenges faced in initial traumatic brain injury manag... more Objective: To identify and highlight the challenges faced in initial traumatic brain injury management in a developing country Materials and Methods: The study includes 294 TBI-related admissions. We included all admitted Patients with Traumatic brain injury via. A and E (accident & emergency) departments and all patients of either age or gender. We included information related to the area of the initial trauma, whether the patient was referred from another setup after initial management, whether CT brain was performed at an initial health care facility, time since trauma to our hospital/ER presentation, duration of stay in our hospital, whether ICU was provided or not, and whether the patient was managed conservatively or required surgery at our hospital. Results: Out of the total patients received male to female ratio was 9 to 1 and the age group most involved was 15 to 45 years old.72% of patients were referred from local healthcare setups. 24% of patients underwent surgery. 64% were received from other districts. CT was performed by 41% before presenting. 61% of patients reached the hospital within 3 hours of injury. 51% stayed in the hospital for 1-3 days. 17% were shifted to ICU, Ventilator support was only given to 9.5% of patients. In 25% of patients, Steroids were given, and 5 redo surgeries were performed in the same hospital setting. Conclusion: This Short report provides a snapshot of the difficulties and weaknesses of the health system in the region.

Research paper thumbnail of Low Back Pain

The professional medical journal, May 10, 2019

Materials and Methods: All patients with low back pain were evaluated. Inclusion criteria was; al... more Materials and Methods: All patients with low back pain were evaluated. Inclusion criteria was; all patients with low back pain greater than 3 months duration whether operated or not, patients with non-radiating symptoms, patients with acceptable radiology (no listhesis, obvious stenosis/disk, albeit some degree of degeneration was acceptable), further helping points were morning exacerbations and elicitation of tender spot by the patient. The exclusion criteria was Low back pain with less than 3 months duration, obvious pathology on radiological examination, radiating symptoms, generalized low back pain without any point tenderness elicitation. The patients were sent home on medications and asked to avoid strenuous activity for a couple of weeks, they were followed after one month and asked about their pain satisfaction. Results: Approximately 2800 patients were evaluated for low back pain and of them 237 (8.46%) patients were upto the inclusion criteria, only 112 patients had agreed to have a TPI, which showed an acceptance rate of 47.25%. There were 65 males and 58 females, with a male to female ratio approaching almost 1:1. The age range was from 18 to 48 years, and the mean age was 32 years. The minimum duration of pain was 3 months and the maximum duration was 4 years, 4 patients had undergone back surgery. Almost all patients pointed out the pain spot, but a typical trigger point was elicited in 58(51.78%) patients, while morning exacerbation was present in 43(38.38%). Radiological examination was performed on all patients in the form of simple xrays and Magnetic resonance imaging scans, it was acceptable in 67%, as patients with radiating symptoms were already excluded. 10.71% (n=12) patients had some problems. Conclusion: In patients with chronic low back pain due to Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) eliciting the trigger points by either elaboration through history or physical examination and treating them with a TP injection with lignocaine and a steroids has good short term results.

Research paper thumbnail of Enhanced Photoredox Activity of BiVO4/Prussian Blue Nanocomposites for Efficient Pollutant Removal from Aqueous Media under Low-Cost LEDs Illumination

Catalysts, Dec 8, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Predictive value of <i>IL-28B</i> rs12979860 variants for peg-IFN, sofosbuvir plus ribavirin treatment of HCV infection in Pakistani population

Personalized Medicine, Nov 1, 2018

Aim: The correlation of IL28-B genetic variants (rs12979860) with combinational therapy (peg-inte... more Aim: The correlation of IL28-B genetic variants (rs12979860) with combinational therapy (peg-interferon, sofosbuvir plus ribavirin) of hepatitis C virus infection were studied in 154 chronic hepatitis C patients. Methods &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; results: The sustained virological response for efficient antiviral regimen was achieved in 75.32% treated individuals. Three genotypes of rs12979860 (CC, CT and TT) were compared both in sustained virological response and nonresponders groups (p = 0.25, p ≤ 0.001, p = 0.10, respectively). CT genotype demonstrated a significant correlation (p ≤ 0.001) in both groups with higher positive predictive value (81.55%). Conclusion: IL28 polymorphism and positive predictive value may be considered as the markers for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the treatment regimen. Further clinical trials are recommended to verify the role of IL28-B in hepatitis C virus treatment.

Research paper thumbnail of A UV-visible-NIR active smart photocatalytic system based on NaYbF<sub>4</sub>:Tm<sup>3+</sup> upconverting particles and Ag<sub>3</sub>PO<sub>4</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> for photocatalytic processes under light on/light off conditions

Materials advances, 2022

A UV-visible-NIR active smart photocatalytic system based on NaYbF 4 :Tm 3+ upconverting particle... more A UV-visible-NIR active smart photocatalytic system based on NaYbF 4 :Tm 3+ upconverting particles and Ag 3 PO 4 /H 2 O 2 for photocatalytic processes under light on/light off conditions Materials Advances rsc.li/materials-advances

Research paper thumbnail of One-pot ligand-free synthesis of gold nanoparticles: The role of glycerol as reducing-cum-stabilizing agent

Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, Mar 1, 2019

The synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), especially by green methods, has attracted great att... more The synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), especially by green methods, has attracted great attention due to their unique size-dependent optical properties, biocompatibility and diverse applications in various field. The formation of stable AuNPs with control of size and shape often requires the use of a surfactant or surface stabilizing ligands. Unfortunately, these stabilizing agents may hinder the catalytic activity and adversely affect the

Research paper thumbnail of Duration of In-hospital Stay for Elective Neurosurgical Procedures in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Cureus, Jun 18, 2021

Objective: Public hospitals have fixed days with allotted time slots during which to perform neur... more Objective: Public hospitals have fixed days with allotted time slots during which to perform neurosurgical elective cases. If emergency operations or other events preempt these scheduled time slots, the patient remains hospitalized, waiting in queue for a new time slot. We conducted this study to determine the number of days patients remained admitted waiting for elective cases in a tertiary care public hospital, which operates on fixed days. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Neurosurgery Unit B, Medical Teaching Institution (MTI)-Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Peshawar. We reviewed the admission charts and discharge slips of all patients who were admitted and underwent operations between September 2018 and August 2019. A form was made and was completed with each patients' records like age, gender, number of days spent preoperatively and postoperatively and the total duration of stay, indication for surgery (spinal, cranial, peripheral nerve), etc. Patients who had undergone elective neurosurgical procedures were included while those who had undergone emergency surgeries or had expired during the hospital stay, had been discharged or referred to other centers were excluded from the study. All the data were entered into the statistical software SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) and were converted into tables and charts. Results: A total of 1818 patients were admitted/discharged during the study period, and of them, 823 patients were admitted for elective neurosurgical procedures. There were 601 (73.7%) males and 222 (26.3%) females with a male to female ratio of approximately 3:1. The age range was from 09 days to 72 years and was further subdivided into six groups. The procedures were broadly divided into cranial, spinal, related to hydrocephalus (HCP)-related, and miscellaneous. Cranial procedures comprised of surgeries for brain tumors, transsphenoidal operations, vascular procedures for aneurysms, and nerve decompressions, and they comprised about 29.43% (n=244) while spinal procedures accounted for 317 (36.63%) procedures, the rest were related to HCP and miscellaneous. Preoperative and postoperative stay durations were calculated and then added to determine the total stay durations and were further stratified for the specific procedures and categorized into days and weeks. About 58.26% (n=143) of cranial cases, and 156 (49.36%) of spinal cases, 37.57% (n=65) of HCP-related cases, and 36.66% (n=41) of cases in the miscellaneous group had a duration of stay between eight days to more than three weeks.

Research paper thumbnail of Prevelence of dermoid cyst in congenital midline craniofacial masses in paediatric population"A case series study in tertiary care hospital

Journal of Saidu Medical College, Mar 12, 2022

Background: Objective: To determine the prevalence of dermoid cysts in midline craniofacial masse... more Background: Objective: To determine the prevalence of dermoid cysts in midline craniofacial masses in pediatric population in tertiary care hospital. Material and Methods: This case series study was conducted at Department of Neurosurgery, Lady Reading Hospital(MTI) Peshawar, Pakistan from March 2016 to February 2019. A total of 52 patients with midline craniofacial masses were studied. After obtaining permission from hospital ethical committee and taking consent from patients included in the study, dermoid cysts in midline craniofacial masses was diagnosed on the basis of histopathology report done in our hospital laboratory. All the data like age, gender, place of residency, site of the midline craniofacial mass and dermoid cyst, its intracranial extension and its diameter (cm) were recorded in a pre designed proforma. All the data was analyzed in SPSS version 20. Mean and standard deviation was calculated for numerical variables and frequencies and percentages were calculated for qualitative variables. Chi square test for categorical variables was applied with p value of < 0.05 as significant. Results were presented in the form of tables and charts. Results: Out of 52 patients with midline congenital craniofacial masses, 33(63.5%) patients were from the age group 1-5 years. Out of 52 patients having midline congenital craniofacial masses, 23(44.2%) were females and 29(55.8%) were males. 33 (63.5%) out of 52 patients with midline congenital craniofacial masses resided in urban areas. Out of 52 midline congenital craniofacial masses, 16 (Conclusion: Dermoid cyst is a common congenital midline craniofacial mass and is more n males and urban population. The prevalence of dermoid cyst in congenital midline craniofacial masses is 30.8%. Dermoid cyst may present with intracranial extension and should be properly investigated before resection.

Research paper thumbnail of Increasing the Photocatalytic Activity of BiVO4 by Naked Co(OH)2 Nanoparticle Cocatalysts

Photochem, Oct 12, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Designing Highly Photoactive Hybrid Aerogels for In-Flow Photocatalytic Contaminant Removal Using Silica-Coated Bacterial Nanocellulose Supports

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, May 8, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Phytochemical and Elemental Evaluation of Chrozophora plicata Leaves, Bannu, KPK, Pakistan

The main objective of our current research work is to evaluate and explore the phytochemistry of ... more The main objective of our current research work is to evaluate and explore the phytochemistry of the methanolic crude extract of Chrozophora plicata leaves and elemental ions analysis by using flame photometer to determine the concentration of alkali and alkaline earth metals ions following wet digestion method. Chrozophora plicata was collected from district Bannu in the month of May 2016. Results obtained from the various activities showed that the Chrozophora plicata leaves methanolic crude extract possess much quantity of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds which are good scavengers of the free radicals that cause oxidative stress and can be used against cancer, arthritis and diabetes. Important phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenolic and alkaloids were present in the Chrozophora plicata leaves extract. Furthermore the biologically important ions results also suggest that the powder of the Chrozophora plicata leaves possess a significant composition of Li, Na, K, Ca, Ba ions. The present study results suggest as a whole that the Chrozophora plicata already used in Greek medicine SAFI can be used to design new drugs and natural antioxidants. Keywords: Chrozophora Plicata; Phytochemistry; Elemental ions analysis;

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of P2O5 and SiO2 Addition on the Phase, Microstructure, and Electrical Properties of KNbO3

Iranian Journal of Science and Technology Transaction A-science, Dec 17, 2018

In this contribution, the effect of P 2 O 5 and SiO 2 addition on the phase, microstructure, and ... more In this contribution, the effect of P 2 O 5 and SiO 2 addition on the phase, microstructure, and electrical properties of KNbO 3 was studied. Sample powders with the general formula (1-x)KNbO 3 .xP 2 O 5 (x = 0.03, 0.05) and (1x)KNbO 3 .xSiO 2 (x = 0.1) were prepared via mixed-oxide route. The thermal behavior of the mixed-milled powder was investigated by TG/DTA which revealed an overall weight loss of 33.4 wt % in the temperature range of 30 ≤ T ≤ 1200 • C and crystallization exotherm occurring at about 795 • C. The present results indicated that P 2 O 5 acted as a sintering aid and lowered the sintering temperature by about 30 • C and promoted densification of KNbO 3. Sample compositions at various stages of processing were characterized using X-ray diffraction. Samples sintered at T ≤ 1020 • C revealed mainly KNbO 3 together with a couple of low-intensity K 3 NbO 4 peaks as a secondary phase. The SEM images of (1-x)KNbO 3 .xSiO 2 (x = 0.1) samples showed a slight increase in the average grain size from 3.76 µm to 3.86 µm with an increase in sintering temperature from 1000 • C to 1020 • C. Strong variations in dielectric constant and loss

Research paper thumbnail of Unusual Local Therapies Used for the Treatment of Low Back Pain and Sciatica: Concepts and Approaches

Cureus, Aug 11, 2021

Background and objective Low back pain (LBP) and sciatica are major healthcare issues globally. S... more Background and objective Low back pain (LBP) and sciatica are major healthcare issues globally. Since patients may seek various ways to cure their ailments, these conditions are managed not just by physicians, but many other health-related professionals provide alternative treatment options for it as well. We conducted this study to examine a local subset of patients who used stabbing their back and legs as a treatment option for curing LBP and sciatica. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient clinic of the Neurosurgery unit of Government Naseer Ullah Babar Memorial Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan, from July 2019 to March 2020. Patients who presented to the outpatient department (OPD) with complaints of LBP with or without sciatica, with a history of invasive therapy in the form of stabbing the back or leg, or drawing blood from the veins of the lower limbs, were included. All other patients with LBP seeking neurosurgical advice were excluded from the study. The study was approved by the management of the hospital and informed consent was obtained from the patients before interviewing them. Special permission was taken for publishing the photographs. The demographics and clinical information related to patients, such as age, gender, duration of symptoms, time since the local therapy, particulars of the treatment provider, any relief experienced by the patient, duration of relief, the patient beliefs/notions about the therapy and disease, and education level of the patients, were recorded on a predesigned form after taking informed consent. The study was done on purposive sampling. The data was presented in tables and charts and was analyzed using SPSS Statistics version 20 (IBM, Armonk, NY). Results During the study period, more than 8,000 patients visited the neurosurgical OPD, and the majority of them (>70%) sought treatment for LBP and sciatica. Of them, around 130 patients had a history of undergoing some alternative therapy that is not scientifically proven, and it was either in the form of stabbing the back or drawing blood from the veins in the lower limbs. Amongst these patients, almost 80% were males and 20% were females who had undergone this kind of treatment. The age range among the cohort was 25-68 years and the mean age was around 43 years. The duration of symptoms ranged from two months to nine years, and the time since the therapy and patient seeking medical advice ranged from three months to 4.5 years. The treatment had been provided by a local individual who did not hold any medical degree according to the patients in 100% (n=130) of the cases; 67% of patients felt they had experienced some relief from the therapy for a short period, which ranged from three days to one month. About the condition, none of the patients seeking the therapy knew it was nerve-related and were often confused about the term rugg (vessel in the native language) but could not differentiate it from the nerve. Of these patients, 76 required surgery while 54 were managed conservatively for LBP and sciatica. Conclusion A subset of the local population in our part of the world used stabbing the back and leg as a form of therapy for treating the problems of the lower back and sciatica. This has not been previously reported and has no scientific basis. Also, the majority of the patients were uneducated and had very little knowledge of the disease, and the treatment provider was a non-health-related professional.

Research paper thumbnail of Halide-based perovskites in photonics: From photocatalysts to highly efficient optoelectronic devices

Research paper thumbnail of APOBEC3G Variant (rs6001417) CG and GG Genotypes and their protective feature against HIV-1 Infection in Pakistani Dwelled Community

Advancements in Life Sciences, Mar 13, 2021

ackground: APOBEC3G (Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3G) gene is... more ackground: APOBEC3G (Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3G) gene is one of the genetic host factors, have been linked with HIV-1 AIDS predisposing and protection in different residence populations. The investigation of genetic marker (APOBEC3G) variant (rs6001417) CC, CG and GG genotypes in Pakistan. Methods: The extraction of DNA, the DNA Rapid Salting-out method was used. Then the observed DNA with electrophoresis technique referred for quantitative real-time PCR to identify the APOBEC3G variant rs6001417 genotypes and Taq Man genotyping. Results: Three genotypes of rs6001417 (CC, CG and GG) were compared both in HIV-1 infected patients and healthy control groups (p=0.73, p=0.007, p=0.01 respectively). The rs6001417 CG and GG genotype demonstrated a significant involvement in both the healthy and infected individuals and portraying possible protective effect against HIV-1 infection with predictive value of 36.43% and 13.57% respectively. Conclusion: APOBEC3G (rs6001417) CG and GG genotypes may have a protective feature in the progression of HIV-1 infection and we may use this as a preliminary predictive marker in the country for HIV-1 infected individuals as well.

Research paper thumbnail of Manuscript File APP CAT B 2105

Research paper thumbnail of To Evaluate the Outcome of Endoscopic Removal of 3rd Ventricle Colloid Cyst

Pakistan journal of neurological surgery, Nov 8, 2018

Objective: To analyze the outcome of 3 rd ventricle colloid cyst removal by endoscopic approach. ... more Objective: To analyze the outcome of 3 rd ventricle colloid cyst removal by endoscopic approach. Material and Methods: It is a prospective observational case series study. About 11 patients of third ventricle colloid cyst were included. Site of the study was Neurosurgery B department, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. Study duration was from July 2015 to June 2017. All routine investigations were done including CT brain and MRI .The clinical presentation, radiological findings, post-surgery outcome was analyzed. Endoscopic approach was applied in all cases using a rigid endoscope through right pre-coronal burr hole. Results: our study consisted of total 11 patients. Headache and giddiness were the most common presentations (n = 9). 5 patients had change in vision. 2 patients suffered ataxia. One patient presented with urinary incontinence. Post-operative hydrocephalus was observed in only one patient.no recurrence was noted on followup visits, Conclusions: Endoscopic approach to colloid cyst treatment is safe and effective with low complications rate.

Research paper thumbnail of Early Complications of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt in Pediatric Patients With Hydrocephalus

Cureus, Feb 23, 2021

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is the most commonly used procedure for the treatment of hydroce... more Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is the most commonly used procedure for the treatment of hydrocephalus (HDC), especially in children. However, this is prone to many complications, and requires repeated surgeries, which as such increases the morbidity of the patients. It is estimated that majority of the complications occurs in the immediate post-operative period and the rate of complications decreases over the time, with no impunity to these, though. We conducted this study to know about the complications of VPS in the early post-operative period, in pediatric patients with hydrocephalus.

Research paper thumbnail of Enhanced photocatalytic activity of BiVO4/Pt/PtOx photocatalyst: The role of Pt oxidation state

Applied Surface Science, Nov 1, 2021

Abstract Monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BVO) has gained attention as a low-cost and promising visib... more Abstract Monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BVO) has gained attention as a low-cost and promising visible light photocatalyst but suffers from fast charge carrier recombination. The present study reports the controlled photoreduction deposition of different Pt-based co-catalysts on the surface of BVO to address this drawback and brings a detailed discussion on the role of the oxidation state of Pt in determining the photoactivity of the photocatalysts. Results evidenced the presence of both metallic Pt and Pt oxides on the surface of BVO, with proportions that depended on the photoreduction time. The photocatalytic activity towards degradation of three model dyes revealed that platinum oxides (PtOx, x = 1 or 2) or a mixture of Pt0/PtOx species act out as better cocatalysts than Pt0, with an almost 4-fold higher apparent quantum yield for the optimized sample. The enhanced photoactivity of BVO/Pt/PtOx photocatalysts was attributed to their improved visible light absorption and enhanced charge carrier separation than pristine BVO or BVO/Pt. This study provides important insight into and a better understanding of the general photodeposition strategy employed to prepare semiconductor/metal (photo)catalysts on one hand and highlights the role of the oxidation state of deposited metal in determining the properties of composite (photo)catalysts on the other.

Research paper thumbnail of An Empirical Analysis of the Trade Balance of Pakistan Using the Elasticities, Monetary, and Absorption Approaches

Journal of finance & economics research, 2023

This study attempts to estimate the trade balance of Pakistan by developing a model that incorpor... more This study attempts to estimate the trade balance of Pakistan by developing a model that incorporates the three major approaches i.e., absorption, elasticities, and monetary for a time ranging from 1971 to 2021. Autoregressive Distributed lagged (ARDL) model is used to estimate the short-run and longrun response of GDP growth, broad money growth, and real effective exchange rate to trade balance. The results show that the real effective exchange rate is negatively related to the trade balance of Pakistan both in the long run and short run. This indicates that variation in the exchange rate does not improve the trade balance. The study also does not confirm the existence of the J-Curve in Pakistan. The GDP growth has a statistically insignificant impact on the trade balance in the short run while negatively related to the trade balance in the long run. The broad money growth is negatively related to trade balance in the short run as well as in the long run. The long-run effect is higher than the short-run effect. The monetary authority should adopt an appropriate monetary policy to improve the adverse balance of payments in Pakistan.

Research paper thumbnail of Emerging Challenges in the Management of Initial Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Study from a Developing Country

Pakistan journal of neurological surgery, Jan 19, 2023

Objective: To identify and highlight the challenges faced in initial traumatic brain injury manag... more Objective: To identify and highlight the challenges faced in initial traumatic brain injury management in a developing country Materials and Methods: The study includes 294 TBI-related admissions. We included all admitted Patients with Traumatic brain injury via. A and E (accident & emergency) departments and all patients of either age or gender. We included information related to the area of the initial trauma, whether the patient was referred from another setup after initial management, whether CT brain was performed at an initial health care facility, time since trauma to our hospital/ER presentation, duration of stay in our hospital, whether ICU was provided or not, and whether the patient was managed conservatively or required surgery at our hospital. Results: Out of the total patients received male to female ratio was 9 to 1 and the age group most involved was 15 to 45 years old.72% of patients were referred from local healthcare setups. 24% of patients underwent surgery. 64% were received from other districts. CT was performed by 41% before presenting. 61% of patients reached the hospital within 3 hours of injury. 51% stayed in the hospital for 1-3 days. 17% were shifted to ICU, Ventilator support was only given to 9.5% of patients. In 25% of patients, Steroids were given, and 5 redo surgeries were performed in the same hospital setting. Conclusion: This Short report provides a snapshot of the difficulties and weaknesses of the health system in the region.

Research paper thumbnail of Low Back Pain

The professional medical journal, May 10, 2019

Materials and Methods: All patients with low back pain were evaluated. Inclusion criteria was; al... more Materials and Methods: All patients with low back pain were evaluated. Inclusion criteria was; all patients with low back pain greater than 3 months duration whether operated or not, patients with non-radiating symptoms, patients with acceptable radiology (no listhesis, obvious stenosis/disk, albeit some degree of degeneration was acceptable), further helping points were morning exacerbations and elicitation of tender spot by the patient. The exclusion criteria was Low back pain with less than 3 months duration, obvious pathology on radiological examination, radiating symptoms, generalized low back pain without any point tenderness elicitation. The patients were sent home on medications and asked to avoid strenuous activity for a couple of weeks, they were followed after one month and asked about their pain satisfaction. Results: Approximately 2800 patients were evaluated for low back pain and of them 237 (8.46%) patients were upto the inclusion criteria, only 112 patients had agreed to have a TPI, which showed an acceptance rate of 47.25%. There were 65 males and 58 females, with a male to female ratio approaching almost 1:1. The age range was from 18 to 48 years, and the mean age was 32 years. The minimum duration of pain was 3 months and the maximum duration was 4 years, 4 patients had undergone back surgery. Almost all patients pointed out the pain spot, but a typical trigger point was elicited in 58(51.78%) patients, while morning exacerbation was present in 43(38.38%). Radiological examination was performed on all patients in the form of simple xrays and Magnetic resonance imaging scans, it was acceptable in 67%, as patients with radiating symptoms were already excluded. 10.71% (n=12) patients had some problems. Conclusion: In patients with chronic low back pain due to Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) eliciting the trigger points by either elaboration through history or physical examination and treating them with a TP injection with lignocaine and a steroids has good short term results.

Research paper thumbnail of Enhanced Photoredox Activity of BiVO4/Prussian Blue Nanocomposites for Efficient Pollutant Removal from Aqueous Media under Low-Cost LEDs Illumination

Catalysts, Dec 8, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Predictive value of <i>IL-28B</i> rs12979860 variants for peg-IFN, sofosbuvir plus ribavirin treatment of HCV infection in Pakistani population

Personalized Medicine, Nov 1, 2018

Aim: The correlation of IL28-B genetic variants (rs12979860) with combinational therapy (peg-inte... more Aim: The correlation of IL28-B genetic variants (rs12979860) with combinational therapy (peg-interferon, sofosbuvir plus ribavirin) of hepatitis C virus infection were studied in 154 chronic hepatitis C patients. Methods &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; results: The sustained virological response for efficient antiviral regimen was achieved in 75.32% treated individuals. Three genotypes of rs12979860 (CC, CT and TT) were compared both in sustained virological response and nonresponders groups (p = 0.25, p ≤ 0.001, p = 0.10, respectively). CT genotype demonstrated a significant correlation (p ≤ 0.001) in both groups with higher positive predictive value (81.55%). Conclusion: IL28 polymorphism and positive predictive value may be considered as the markers for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the treatment regimen. Further clinical trials are recommended to verify the role of IL28-B in hepatitis C virus treatment.

Research paper thumbnail of A UV-visible-NIR active smart photocatalytic system based on NaYbF<sub>4</sub>:Tm<sup>3+</sup> upconverting particles and Ag<sub>3</sub>PO<sub>4</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> for photocatalytic processes under light on/light off conditions

Materials advances, 2022

A UV-visible-NIR active smart photocatalytic system based on NaYbF 4 :Tm 3+ upconverting particle... more A UV-visible-NIR active smart photocatalytic system based on NaYbF 4 :Tm 3+ upconverting particles and Ag 3 PO 4 /H 2 O 2 for photocatalytic processes under light on/light off conditions Materials Advances rsc.li/materials-advances

Research paper thumbnail of One-pot ligand-free synthesis of gold nanoparticles: The role of glycerol as reducing-cum-stabilizing agent

Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, Mar 1, 2019

The synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), especially by green methods, has attracted great att... more The synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), especially by green methods, has attracted great attention due to their unique size-dependent optical properties, biocompatibility and diverse applications in various field. The formation of stable AuNPs with control of size and shape often requires the use of a surfactant or surface stabilizing ligands. Unfortunately, these stabilizing agents may hinder the catalytic activity and adversely affect the

Research paper thumbnail of Duration of In-hospital Stay for Elective Neurosurgical Procedures in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Cureus, Jun 18, 2021

Objective: Public hospitals have fixed days with allotted time slots during which to perform neur... more Objective: Public hospitals have fixed days with allotted time slots during which to perform neurosurgical elective cases. If emergency operations or other events preempt these scheduled time slots, the patient remains hospitalized, waiting in queue for a new time slot. We conducted this study to determine the number of days patients remained admitted waiting for elective cases in a tertiary care public hospital, which operates on fixed days. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Neurosurgery Unit B, Medical Teaching Institution (MTI)-Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Peshawar. We reviewed the admission charts and discharge slips of all patients who were admitted and underwent operations between September 2018 and August 2019. A form was made and was completed with each patients' records like age, gender, number of days spent preoperatively and postoperatively and the total duration of stay, indication for surgery (spinal, cranial, peripheral nerve), etc. Patients who had undergone elective neurosurgical procedures were included while those who had undergone emergency surgeries or had expired during the hospital stay, had been discharged or referred to other centers were excluded from the study. All the data were entered into the statistical software SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) and were converted into tables and charts. Results: A total of 1818 patients were admitted/discharged during the study period, and of them, 823 patients were admitted for elective neurosurgical procedures. There were 601 (73.7%) males and 222 (26.3%) females with a male to female ratio of approximately 3:1. The age range was from 09 days to 72 years and was further subdivided into six groups. The procedures were broadly divided into cranial, spinal, related to hydrocephalus (HCP)-related, and miscellaneous. Cranial procedures comprised of surgeries for brain tumors, transsphenoidal operations, vascular procedures for aneurysms, and nerve decompressions, and they comprised about 29.43% (n=244) while spinal procedures accounted for 317 (36.63%) procedures, the rest were related to HCP and miscellaneous. Preoperative and postoperative stay durations were calculated and then added to determine the total stay durations and were further stratified for the specific procedures and categorized into days and weeks. About 58.26% (n=143) of cranial cases, and 156 (49.36%) of spinal cases, 37.57% (n=65) of HCP-related cases, and 36.66% (n=41) of cases in the miscellaneous group had a duration of stay between eight days to more than three weeks.

Research paper thumbnail of Prevelence of dermoid cyst in congenital midline craniofacial masses in paediatric population"A case series study in tertiary care hospital

Journal of Saidu Medical College, Mar 12, 2022

Background: Objective: To determine the prevalence of dermoid cysts in midline craniofacial masse... more Background: Objective: To determine the prevalence of dermoid cysts in midline craniofacial masses in pediatric population in tertiary care hospital. Material and Methods: This case series study was conducted at Department of Neurosurgery, Lady Reading Hospital(MTI) Peshawar, Pakistan from March 2016 to February 2019. A total of 52 patients with midline craniofacial masses were studied. After obtaining permission from hospital ethical committee and taking consent from patients included in the study, dermoid cysts in midline craniofacial masses was diagnosed on the basis of histopathology report done in our hospital laboratory. All the data like age, gender, place of residency, site of the midline craniofacial mass and dermoid cyst, its intracranial extension and its diameter (cm) were recorded in a pre designed proforma. All the data was analyzed in SPSS version 20. Mean and standard deviation was calculated for numerical variables and frequencies and percentages were calculated for qualitative variables. Chi square test for categorical variables was applied with p value of < 0.05 as significant. Results were presented in the form of tables and charts. Results: Out of 52 patients with midline congenital craniofacial masses, 33(63.5%) patients were from the age group 1-5 years. Out of 52 patients having midline congenital craniofacial masses, 23(44.2%) were females and 29(55.8%) were males. 33 (63.5%) out of 52 patients with midline congenital craniofacial masses resided in urban areas. Out of 52 midline congenital craniofacial masses, 16 (Conclusion: Dermoid cyst is a common congenital midline craniofacial mass and is more n males and urban population. The prevalence of dermoid cyst in congenital midline craniofacial masses is 30.8%. Dermoid cyst may present with intracranial extension and should be properly investigated before resection.

Research paper thumbnail of Increasing the Photocatalytic Activity of BiVO4 by Naked Co(OH)2 Nanoparticle Cocatalysts

Photochem, Oct 12, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY