Yasir Iqbal - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Yasir Iqbal

2021 International Bhurban Conference on Applied Sciences and Technologies (IBCAST), 2021

The ESM receivers with wide monitoring bandwidth face great challenges in detection of weak radar... more The ESM receivers with wide monitoring bandwidth face great challenges in detection of weak radar pulses while keeping the sensitivity high. The likelihood ratio based adaptive energy detectors impose a high signal to noise ratio constraint for successful detection of multiple radar signals falling in wide analysis bandwidth. This paper proposes a detection technique for enhancing the SNR of a weak radar pulse by investigating the relation between the monitoring bandwidth, the signal bandwidth and the frequency resolution among simultaneously intercepted multiple radar pulses. The algorithm explores the multi-rate poly phase filtering architecture to reduce the noise bandwidth of each intercepted pulse, thus increasing its SNR. Its performance is evaluated against different sets of digital channels through Monte-Carlo simulations. The SNR boosting is found highly dependent on the definition of frequency resolution among multiple cointercepted pulses. It is concluded through simulations that the proposed method effectively improves the receiver's sensitivity by improving the signal's SNR in wide analysis spectra.

Energy from Organic Materials (Biomass), 2018

Physical Review B, 2022

We investigate the ground state properties of the spin-1/2 pyrochlore Heisenberg antiferromagnet ... more We investigate the ground state properties of the spin-1/2 pyrochlore Heisenberg antiferromagnet using pseudofermion functional renormalization group techniques. The first part of our analysis is based on an enhanced parton mean-field approach which takes into account fluctuation effects from renormalized vertex functions. Our implementation of this technique extends earlier approaches and resolves technical difficulties associated with a diagrammatic overcounting. Using various parton ansätze for quantum spin liquids, dimerized and nematic states our results indicate a tendency for lattice symmetry breaking in the ground state. While overall quantum spin liquids seem unfavorable in this system, the recently proposed monopole state still shows the strongest support among all spin liquid ansätze that we have tested, which is further confirmed by our complementary variational Monte Carlo calculations. In the second part of our investigation, we probe lattice symmetry breaking more directly by applying the pseudofermion functional renormalization group to perturbed systems. Our results from this technique confirm that the system's ground state either exhibits broken C3 rotation symmetry, or a combination of inversion and C3 symmetry breaking.

GCB Bioenergy, 2021

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2020

Miscanthus is a promising bioeconomy crop with several biomass utilisation pathways. However, its... more Miscanthus is a promising bioeconomy crop with several biomass utilisation pathways. However, its current cultivation area in Europe is relatively low. This is most likely due to a lack of knowledge about the implementation of miscanthus into farming systems. This study reviews current best practices and suitable land areas for miscanthus cultivation. Biomass production costs and labour requirements were evaluated over the whole 20year cultivation cycle of four utilisation pathways: combustion, animal bedding, and both conventional and organic biogas production. The assessment was performed for two field sizes (1 and 10 ha), two average annual yield levels (15 and 25 t dry matter ha À 1), and both green and brown harvest regimes. The maximum attainable annual gross margins are 1657 € ha À 1 for combustion, 13,920 € ha À 1 for animal bedding, 2066 € ha À 1 for conventional and 2088 € ha À 1 for organic biogas production. The combustion pathway has the lowest labour demand (141.5 h ha À 1), and animal bedding the highest (317.6 h ha À 1) due to additional baling during harvest. Suitable cultivation areas include depleted soils, erosion-prone slopes, heavy clay soils and ecological focus areas such as riparian buffer zones and groundwater protection areas. On such sites, miscanthus would (i) improve soil and water quality, and (ii) enable viable agricultural land utilisation even on scattered patches and strips. Due to its low demands and perennial nature, miscanthus is suitable for sustainable intensification of industrial crop cultivation in a growing bioeconomy, benefiting soil and water quality, while providing large amounts of biomass for several utilisation pathways.

Physical Review B, 2019

We investigate the spin S = 1/2 Heisenberg model on the body centered cubic lattice in the presen... more We investigate the spin S = 1/2 Heisenberg model on the body centered cubic lattice in the presence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor J1, second-neighbor J2, and third-neighbor J3 exchange interactions. The classical ground state phase diagram obtained by a Luttinger-Tisza analysis is shown to host six different (noncollinear) helimagnetic orders in addition to ferromagnetic, Néel, stripe and planar antiferromagnetic orders. Employing the pseudofermion functional renormalization group (PFFRG) method for quantum spins (S = 1/2) we find an extended nonmagnetic region, and significant shifts to the classical phase boundaries and helimagnetic pitch vectors caused by quantum fluctuations while no new long-range dipolar magnetic orders are stabilized. The nonmagnetic phase is found to disappear for S = 1. We calculate the magnetic ordering temperatures from PFFRG and quantum Monte Carlo methods, and make comparisons to available data.

GCB Bioenergy, 2018

Efficient utilization of lignocellulosic Miscanthus biomass for the production of biochemicals, s... more Efficient utilization of lignocellulosic Miscanthus biomass for the production of biochemicals, such as ethanol, is challenging due to its recalcitrance, which is influenced by the individual plant cell wall polymers and their interactions. Lignocellulosic biomass composition differs depending on several factors, such as plant age, harvest date, organ type, and genotype. Here, four selected Miscanthus genotypes (Miscanthus sinensis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, Miscanthus × giganteus, Miscanthus sinensis × Miscanthus sacchariflorus hybrid) were grown and harvested, separated into stems and leaves, and characterized for their non-starch polysaccharide composition and structures, lignin contents and structures, and hydroxycinnamate profiles (monomers and ferulic acid dehydrodimers). Polysaccharides of all genotypes are mainly composed of cellulose and low-substituted arabinoxylans. Ratios of hemicelluloses to cellulose were comparable, with the exception of Miscanthus sinensis that showed a higher hemicellulose/cellulose ratio. Lignin contents of Miscanthus stems were higher than those of Miscanthus leaves. Considering the same organs, the four genotypes did not differ in their Klason lignin contents, but Miscanthus × giganteus showed the highest acetylbromide soluble lignin content. Lignin polymers isolated from stems varied in their S/G ratios and linkage type distributions across genotypes. p-Coumaric acid was the most abundant ester-bound hydroxycinnamte monomer in all samples. Ferulic acid dehydrodimers were analyzed as cell wall cross-links, with 8-5-coupled diferulic acid being the main dimer, followed by 8-O-4-, and 5-5-diferulic acid. Contents of p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and ferulic acid dimers varied depending on genotype and organ type. The largest amount of cell wall cross-links was analyzed for Miscanthus sinensis. K E Y W O R D S biomass, cell wall polysaccharides, cross-links, lignin, Miscanthus 1 | INTRODUCTION There is an increasing interest in using biomass from fast growing non-food perennial grasses as renewable resource. Miscanthus, a perennial C4 grass, is considered a leading candidate for bioenergy production due to its high biomass yield capacity, tolerance for temperate climates, and its ability to grow on marginal land. Currently, Miscanthus × giganteus is the only genotype that is commercially available in Europe. Introducing new genotypes are required in order to reduce biomass production costs,

Physical Review Materials, 2017

We theoretically investigate the low-temperature phase of the recently synthesized Lu2Mo2O5N2 mat... more We theoretically investigate the low-temperature phase of the recently synthesized Lu2Mo2O5N2 material, an extraordinarily rare realization of a S = 1/2 three-dimensional pyrochlore Heisenberg antiferromagnet in which Mo 5+ are the S = 1/2 magnetic species. Despite a Curie-Weiss temperature (ΘCW) of −121(1) K, experiments have found no signature of magnetic ordering or spin freezing down to T * ≈ 0.5 K. Using density functional theory, we find that the compound is well described by a Heisenberg model with exchange parameters up to third nearest neighbors. The analysis of this model via the pseudofermion functional renormalization group method reveals paramagnetic behavior down to a temperature of at least T = |ΘCW|/100, in agreement with the experimental findings hinting at a possible three-dimensional quantum spin liquid. The spin susceptibility profile in reciprocal space shows momentum-dependent features forming a "gearwheel" pattern, characterizing what may be viewed as a molten version of a chiral noncoplanar incommensurate spiral order under the action of quantum fluctuations. Our calculated reciprocal space susceptibility maps provide benchmarks for future neutron scattering experiments on single crystals of Lu2Mo2O5N2.

Annals of Saudi Medicine, 2003

Annals of Saudi Medicine, 2002

Thrombolytic therapy with urokinase 5000 units has been the standard therapy for the restoration ... more Thrombolytic therapy with urokinase 5000 units has been the standard therapy for the restoration of thrombosed central catheters. However, with the decreased availability of urokinase, alternatives needed to be sought. The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy, bioactivity, dwell time and cost of cryopreserved recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) in the restoration of occluded central venous access devices. For children < 10 kg, a dose of 0.5 mg, and for children >10 kg, a dose of 1mg was used. The dwell time was 1-2 hours. Of the 40 courses of rTPA, 39 fully restored central venous line patency (97%). Successful courses were instilled for an average of 1 hour. Cryopreserved rTPA appears to be safe and effective in the dose used to restore the patency of occluded central venous access devices in pediatric oncology patients.

Annals of Saudi Medicine, 2003

Case Report A 4-year old male was admitted to the hospital with a 3-week history of gradually wor... more Case Report A 4-year old male was admitted to the hospital with a 3-week history of gradually worsening upper back pain, weakness in the lower extremities, low grade fever and the appearance of painless swelling around the neck. Physical examination on the day of admission ...

Annals of Saudi Medicine, 2002

Rhabdomyosarcoma is an uncommon childhood malignancy which usually arises in the head and neck, a... more Rhabdomyosarcoma is an uncommon childhood malignancy which usually arises in the head and neck, and in the extremities. The condition rarely develops in the biliary tract or urogenital organs. Primary pulmonary rhabdomyosarcoma is extremely rare. To our knowledge, only ...

Annals of Saudi Medicine, 2002

Frontiers in plant science, 2017

Delayed harvest can improve the quality of miscanthus biomass for combustion and enhance the long... more Delayed harvest can improve the quality of miscanthus biomass for combustion and enhance the long-term sustainability of the crop, despite accompanying yield losses. The aim of this study is to identify the optimal harvesting time, which can deliver improved biomass quality for combustion of novel miscanthus genotypes at various sites across Europe, without high yield losses and without compromising their environmental performance. The relevant field trials were established as part of the European project OPTIMISC with 15 genotypes at six sites across Europe. For this study, the five highest yielding genotypes from each germplasm group and three sites with contrasting climatic conditions (Stuttgart, Germany; Adana, Turkey; and Moscow, Russia) were selected for assessment. The biomass samples were collected between August and March (depending on site) and subjected to mineral and ash content analysis. At Stuttgart, the delay in harvesting time led to a significant variation in combus...

Frontiers in plant science, 2017

The development of models to predict yield potential and quality of a Miscanthus crop must consid... more The development of models to predict yield potential and quality of a Miscanthus crop must consider climatic limitations and the duration of growing season. As a biomass crop, yield and quality are impacted by the timing of plant developmental transitions such as flowering and senescence. Growth models are available for the commercially grown clone Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg), but breeding programs have been working to expand the germplasm available, including development of interspecies hybrids. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of diverse germplasm beyond the range of environments considered suitable for a Miscanthus crop to be grown. To achieve this, six field sites were planted as part of the EU OPTIMISC project in 2012 in a longitudinal gradient from West to East: Wales-Aberystwyth, Netherlands-Wageningen, Stuttgart-Germany, Ukraine-Potash, Turkey-Adana, and Russia-Moscow. Each field trial contained three replicated plots of the same 15 Miscanthus germplasm t...

Frontiers in plant science, 2016

This paper describes the complete findings of the EU-funded research project OPTIMISC, which inve... more This paper describes the complete findings of the EU-funded research project OPTIMISC, which investigated methods to optimize the production and use of miscanthus biomass. Miscanthus bioenergy and bioproduct chains were investigated by trialing 15 diverse germplasm types in a range of climatic and soil environments across central Europe, Ukraine, Russia, and China. The abiotic stress tolerances of a wider panel of 100 germplasm types to drought, salinity, and low temperatures were measured in the laboratory and a field trial in Belgium. A small selection of germplasm types was evaluated for performance in grasslands on marginal sites in Germany and the UK. The growth traits underlying biomass yield and quality were measured to improve regional estimates of feedstock availability. Several potential high-value bioproducts were identified. The combined results provide recommendations to policymakers, growers and industry. The major technical advances in miscanthus production achieved b...

Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2015

Gutzwiller-projected fermionic states can be efficiently implemented within quantum Monte Carlo c... more Gutzwiller-projected fermionic states can be efficiently implemented within quantum Monte Carlo calculations to define extremely accurate variational wave functions for Heisenberg models on frustrated two-dimensional lattices, not only for the ground state but also for low-energy excitations. The application of few Lanczos steps on top of these states further improves their accuracy, allowing calculations on large clusters. In addition, by computing both the energy and its variance, it is possible to obtain reliable estimations of exact results. Here, we report the cases of the frustrated Heisenberg models on square and Kagome lattices.

JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 2014

To assess perceptions of medical students about the factors that may enhance motivation for learn... more To assess perceptions of medical students about the factors that may enhance motivation for learning through small group discussions. The qualitative descriptive study was conducted in May, 2013, at Riphah International University, Islamabad, and comprised undergraduate medical students from the first to the fourth year who were given a questionnaire that sought their opinion about group characteristics, composition, expectations from the teachers, environment, additional tools and optimum time duration. The effects of granting extra marks for active participation, feedback and weightage of attendance in enhancing motivation in small group discussions were also explored. Common themes from within the responses were highlighted. Initially, 400 students were given the questionnaire, but complete responses were received from 290(72.5%). About the effective group size, 221(76.2%) suggested 12 or less students, while 153(52.75%) thought groups should be divided into subgroups according t...

Physical Review B, 2015

We report variational Monte Carlo calculations for the spin-1 2 Heisenberg model on the kagome la... more We report variational Monte Carlo calculations for the spin-1 2 Heisenberg model on the kagome lattice in the presence of both nearest-neighbor J1 and next-nearest-neighbor J2 antiferromagnetic superexchange couplings. Our approach is based upon Gutzwiller projected fermionic states that represent a flexible tool to describe quantum spin liquids with different properties (e.g., gapless and gapped). We show that, on finite clusters, a gapped Z2 spin liquid can be stabilized in the presence of a finite J2 superexchange, with a substantial energy gain with respect to the gapless U (1) Dirac spin liquid. However, this energy gain vanishes in the thermodynamic limit, implying that, at least within this approach, the U (1) Dirac spin liquid remains stable in a relatively large region of the phase diagram. For J2/J1 0.3, we find that a magnetically ordered state with q = 0 overcomes the magnetically disordered wave functions, suggesting the end of the putative gapless spin-liquid phase.

2011 IEEE 14th International Multitopic Conference, 2011

So far all the efforts to automate the EMI/EMC testing facility consider only the automation of i... more So far all the efforts to automate the EMI/EMC testing facility consider only the automation of instruments used in these tests, for example Antenna, Spectrum Analyzer, RF Generator and different software to manipulate the results of these tests. Movement of Device Under Test (DUT) has not been automated to meet the new standards. Currently it is being done manually by

2021 International Bhurban Conference on Applied Sciences and Technologies (IBCAST), 2021

The ESM receivers with wide monitoring bandwidth face great challenges in detection of weak radar... more The ESM receivers with wide monitoring bandwidth face great challenges in detection of weak radar pulses while keeping the sensitivity high. The likelihood ratio based adaptive energy detectors impose a high signal to noise ratio constraint for successful detection of multiple radar signals falling in wide analysis bandwidth. This paper proposes a detection technique for enhancing the SNR of a weak radar pulse by investigating the relation between the monitoring bandwidth, the signal bandwidth and the frequency resolution among simultaneously intercepted multiple radar pulses. The algorithm explores the multi-rate poly phase filtering architecture to reduce the noise bandwidth of each intercepted pulse, thus increasing its SNR. Its performance is evaluated against different sets of digital channels through Monte-Carlo simulations. The SNR boosting is found highly dependent on the definition of frequency resolution among multiple cointercepted pulses. It is concluded through simulations that the proposed method effectively improves the receiver's sensitivity by improving the signal's SNR in wide analysis spectra.

Energy from Organic Materials (Biomass), 2018

Physical Review B, 2022

We investigate the ground state properties of the spin-1/2 pyrochlore Heisenberg antiferromagnet ... more We investigate the ground state properties of the spin-1/2 pyrochlore Heisenberg antiferromagnet using pseudofermion functional renormalization group techniques. The first part of our analysis is based on an enhanced parton mean-field approach which takes into account fluctuation effects from renormalized vertex functions. Our implementation of this technique extends earlier approaches and resolves technical difficulties associated with a diagrammatic overcounting. Using various parton ansätze for quantum spin liquids, dimerized and nematic states our results indicate a tendency for lattice symmetry breaking in the ground state. While overall quantum spin liquids seem unfavorable in this system, the recently proposed monopole state still shows the strongest support among all spin liquid ansätze that we have tested, which is further confirmed by our complementary variational Monte Carlo calculations. In the second part of our investigation, we probe lattice symmetry breaking more directly by applying the pseudofermion functional renormalization group to perturbed systems. Our results from this technique confirm that the system's ground state either exhibits broken C3 rotation symmetry, or a combination of inversion and C3 symmetry breaking.

GCB Bioenergy, 2021

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2020

Miscanthus is a promising bioeconomy crop with several biomass utilisation pathways. However, its... more Miscanthus is a promising bioeconomy crop with several biomass utilisation pathways. However, its current cultivation area in Europe is relatively low. This is most likely due to a lack of knowledge about the implementation of miscanthus into farming systems. This study reviews current best practices and suitable land areas for miscanthus cultivation. Biomass production costs and labour requirements were evaluated over the whole 20year cultivation cycle of four utilisation pathways: combustion, animal bedding, and both conventional and organic biogas production. The assessment was performed for two field sizes (1 and 10 ha), two average annual yield levels (15 and 25 t dry matter ha À 1), and both green and brown harvest regimes. The maximum attainable annual gross margins are 1657 € ha À 1 for combustion, 13,920 € ha À 1 for animal bedding, 2066 € ha À 1 for conventional and 2088 € ha À 1 for organic biogas production. The combustion pathway has the lowest labour demand (141.5 h ha À 1), and animal bedding the highest (317.6 h ha À 1) due to additional baling during harvest. Suitable cultivation areas include depleted soils, erosion-prone slopes, heavy clay soils and ecological focus areas such as riparian buffer zones and groundwater protection areas. On such sites, miscanthus would (i) improve soil and water quality, and (ii) enable viable agricultural land utilisation even on scattered patches and strips. Due to its low demands and perennial nature, miscanthus is suitable for sustainable intensification of industrial crop cultivation in a growing bioeconomy, benefiting soil and water quality, while providing large amounts of biomass for several utilisation pathways.

Physical Review B, 2019

We investigate the spin S = 1/2 Heisenberg model on the body centered cubic lattice in the presen... more We investigate the spin S = 1/2 Heisenberg model on the body centered cubic lattice in the presence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor J1, second-neighbor J2, and third-neighbor J3 exchange interactions. The classical ground state phase diagram obtained by a Luttinger-Tisza analysis is shown to host six different (noncollinear) helimagnetic orders in addition to ferromagnetic, Néel, stripe and planar antiferromagnetic orders. Employing the pseudofermion functional renormalization group (PFFRG) method for quantum spins (S = 1/2) we find an extended nonmagnetic region, and significant shifts to the classical phase boundaries and helimagnetic pitch vectors caused by quantum fluctuations while no new long-range dipolar magnetic orders are stabilized. The nonmagnetic phase is found to disappear for S = 1. We calculate the magnetic ordering temperatures from PFFRG and quantum Monte Carlo methods, and make comparisons to available data.

GCB Bioenergy, 2018

Efficient utilization of lignocellulosic Miscanthus biomass for the production of biochemicals, s... more Efficient utilization of lignocellulosic Miscanthus biomass for the production of biochemicals, such as ethanol, is challenging due to its recalcitrance, which is influenced by the individual plant cell wall polymers and their interactions. Lignocellulosic biomass composition differs depending on several factors, such as plant age, harvest date, organ type, and genotype. Here, four selected Miscanthus genotypes (Miscanthus sinensis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, Miscanthus × giganteus, Miscanthus sinensis × Miscanthus sacchariflorus hybrid) were grown and harvested, separated into stems and leaves, and characterized for their non-starch polysaccharide composition and structures, lignin contents and structures, and hydroxycinnamate profiles (monomers and ferulic acid dehydrodimers). Polysaccharides of all genotypes are mainly composed of cellulose and low-substituted arabinoxylans. Ratios of hemicelluloses to cellulose were comparable, with the exception of Miscanthus sinensis that showed a higher hemicellulose/cellulose ratio. Lignin contents of Miscanthus stems were higher than those of Miscanthus leaves. Considering the same organs, the four genotypes did not differ in their Klason lignin contents, but Miscanthus × giganteus showed the highest acetylbromide soluble lignin content. Lignin polymers isolated from stems varied in their S/G ratios and linkage type distributions across genotypes. p-Coumaric acid was the most abundant ester-bound hydroxycinnamte monomer in all samples. Ferulic acid dehydrodimers were analyzed as cell wall cross-links, with 8-5-coupled diferulic acid being the main dimer, followed by 8-O-4-, and 5-5-diferulic acid. Contents of p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and ferulic acid dimers varied depending on genotype and organ type. The largest amount of cell wall cross-links was analyzed for Miscanthus sinensis. K E Y W O R D S biomass, cell wall polysaccharides, cross-links, lignin, Miscanthus 1 | INTRODUCTION There is an increasing interest in using biomass from fast growing non-food perennial grasses as renewable resource. Miscanthus, a perennial C4 grass, is considered a leading candidate for bioenergy production due to its high biomass yield capacity, tolerance for temperate climates, and its ability to grow on marginal land. Currently, Miscanthus × giganteus is the only genotype that is commercially available in Europe. Introducing new genotypes are required in order to reduce biomass production costs,

Physical Review Materials, 2017

We theoretically investigate the low-temperature phase of the recently synthesized Lu2Mo2O5N2 mat... more We theoretically investigate the low-temperature phase of the recently synthesized Lu2Mo2O5N2 material, an extraordinarily rare realization of a S = 1/2 three-dimensional pyrochlore Heisenberg antiferromagnet in which Mo 5+ are the S = 1/2 magnetic species. Despite a Curie-Weiss temperature (ΘCW) of −121(1) K, experiments have found no signature of magnetic ordering or spin freezing down to T * ≈ 0.5 K. Using density functional theory, we find that the compound is well described by a Heisenberg model with exchange parameters up to third nearest neighbors. The analysis of this model via the pseudofermion functional renormalization group method reveals paramagnetic behavior down to a temperature of at least T = |ΘCW|/100, in agreement with the experimental findings hinting at a possible three-dimensional quantum spin liquid. The spin susceptibility profile in reciprocal space shows momentum-dependent features forming a "gearwheel" pattern, characterizing what may be viewed as a molten version of a chiral noncoplanar incommensurate spiral order under the action of quantum fluctuations. Our calculated reciprocal space susceptibility maps provide benchmarks for future neutron scattering experiments on single crystals of Lu2Mo2O5N2.

Annals of Saudi Medicine, 2003

Annals of Saudi Medicine, 2002

Thrombolytic therapy with urokinase 5000 units has been the standard therapy for the restoration ... more Thrombolytic therapy with urokinase 5000 units has been the standard therapy for the restoration of thrombosed central catheters. However, with the decreased availability of urokinase, alternatives needed to be sought. The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy, bioactivity, dwell time and cost of cryopreserved recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) in the restoration of occluded central venous access devices. For children < 10 kg, a dose of 0.5 mg, and for children >10 kg, a dose of 1mg was used. The dwell time was 1-2 hours. Of the 40 courses of rTPA, 39 fully restored central venous line patency (97%). Successful courses were instilled for an average of 1 hour. Cryopreserved rTPA appears to be safe and effective in the dose used to restore the patency of occluded central venous access devices in pediatric oncology patients.

Annals of Saudi Medicine, 2003

Case Report A 4-year old male was admitted to the hospital with a 3-week history of gradually wor... more Case Report A 4-year old male was admitted to the hospital with a 3-week history of gradually worsening upper back pain, weakness in the lower extremities, low grade fever and the appearance of painless swelling around the neck. Physical examination on the day of admission ...

Annals of Saudi Medicine, 2002

Rhabdomyosarcoma is an uncommon childhood malignancy which usually arises in the head and neck, a... more Rhabdomyosarcoma is an uncommon childhood malignancy which usually arises in the head and neck, and in the extremities. The condition rarely develops in the biliary tract or urogenital organs. Primary pulmonary rhabdomyosarcoma is extremely rare. To our knowledge, only ...

Annals of Saudi Medicine, 2002

Frontiers in plant science, 2017

Delayed harvest can improve the quality of miscanthus biomass for combustion and enhance the long... more Delayed harvest can improve the quality of miscanthus biomass for combustion and enhance the long-term sustainability of the crop, despite accompanying yield losses. The aim of this study is to identify the optimal harvesting time, which can deliver improved biomass quality for combustion of novel miscanthus genotypes at various sites across Europe, without high yield losses and without compromising their environmental performance. The relevant field trials were established as part of the European project OPTIMISC with 15 genotypes at six sites across Europe. For this study, the five highest yielding genotypes from each germplasm group and three sites with contrasting climatic conditions (Stuttgart, Germany; Adana, Turkey; and Moscow, Russia) were selected for assessment. The biomass samples were collected between August and March (depending on site) and subjected to mineral and ash content analysis. At Stuttgart, the delay in harvesting time led to a significant variation in combus...

Frontiers in plant science, 2017

The development of models to predict yield potential and quality of a Miscanthus crop must consid... more The development of models to predict yield potential and quality of a Miscanthus crop must consider climatic limitations and the duration of growing season. As a biomass crop, yield and quality are impacted by the timing of plant developmental transitions such as flowering and senescence. Growth models are available for the commercially grown clone Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg), but breeding programs have been working to expand the germplasm available, including development of interspecies hybrids. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of diverse germplasm beyond the range of environments considered suitable for a Miscanthus crop to be grown. To achieve this, six field sites were planted as part of the EU OPTIMISC project in 2012 in a longitudinal gradient from West to East: Wales-Aberystwyth, Netherlands-Wageningen, Stuttgart-Germany, Ukraine-Potash, Turkey-Adana, and Russia-Moscow. Each field trial contained three replicated plots of the same 15 Miscanthus germplasm t...

Frontiers in plant science, 2016

This paper describes the complete findings of the EU-funded research project OPTIMISC, which inve... more This paper describes the complete findings of the EU-funded research project OPTIMISC, which investigated methods to optimize the production and use of miscanthus biomass. Miscanthus bioenergy and bioproduct chains were investigated by trialing 15 diverse germplasm types in a range of climatic and soil environments across central Europe, Ukraine, Russia, and China. The abiotic stress tolerances of a wider panel of 100 germplasm types to drought, salinity, and low temperatures were measured in the laboratory and a field trial in Belgium. A small selection of germplasm types was evaluated for performance in grasslands on marginal sites in Germany and the UK. The growth traits underlying biomass yield and quality were measured to improve regional estimates of feedstock availability. Several potential high-value bioproducts were identified. The combined results provide recommendations to policymakers, growers and industry. The major technical advances in miscanthus production achieved b...

Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2015

Gutzwiller-projected fermionic states can be efficiently implemented within quantum Monte Carlo c... more Gutzwiller-projected fermionic states can be efficiently implemented within quantum Monte Carlo calculations to define extremely accurate variational wave functions for Heisenberg models on frustrated two-dimensional lattices, not only for the ground state but also for low-energy excitations. The application of few Lanczos steps on top of these states further improves their accuracy, allowing calculations on large clusters. In addition, by computing both the energy and its variance, it is possible to obtain reliable estimations of exact results. Here, we report the cases of the frustrated Heisenberg models on square and Kagome lattices.

JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 2014

To assess perceptions of medical students about the factors that may enhance motivation for learn... more To assess perceptions of medical students about the factors that may enhance motivation for learning through small group discussions. The qualitative descriptive study was conducted in May, 2013, at Riphah International University, Islamabad, and comprised undergraduate medical students from the first to the fourth year who were given a questionnaire that sought their opinion about group characteristics, composition, expectations from the teachers, environment, additional tools and optimum time duration. The effects of granting extra marks for active participation, feedback and weightage of attendance in enhancing motivation in small group discussions were also explored. Common themes from within the responses were highlighted. Initially, 400 students were given the questionnaire, but complete responses were received from 290(72.5%). About the effective group size, 221(76.2%) suggested 12 or less students, while 153(52.75%) thought groups should be divided into subgroups according t...

Physical Review B, 2015

We report variational Monte Carlo calculations for the spin-1 2 Heisenberg model on the kagome la... more We report variational Monte Carlo calculations for the spin-1 2 Heisenberg model on the kagome lattice in the presence of both nearest-neighbor J1 and next-nearest-neighbor J2 antiferromagnetic superexchange couplings. Our approach is based upon Gutzwiller projected fermionic states that represent a flexible tool to describe quantum spin liquids with different properties (e.g., gapless and gapped). We show that, on finite clusters, a gapped Z2 spin liquid can be stabilized in the presence of a finite J2 superexchange, with a substantial energy gain with respect to the gapless U (1) Dirac spin liquid. However, this energy gain vanishes in the thermodynamic limit, implying that, at least within this approach, the U (1) Dirac spin liquid remains stable in a relatively large region of the phase diagram. For J2/J1 0.3, we find that a magnetically ordered state with q = 0 overcomes the magnetically disordered wave functions, suggesting the end of the putative gapless spin-liquid phase.

2011 IEEE 14th International Multitopic Conference, 2011

So far all the efforts to automate the EMI/EMC testing facility consider only the automation of i... more So far all the efforts to automate the EMI/EMC testing facility consider only the automation of instruments used in these tests, for example Antenna, Spectrum Analyzer, RF Generator and different software to manipulate the results of these tests. Movement of Device Under Test (DUT) has not been automated to meet the new standards. Currently it is being done manually by