Xylitol is a pentahydroxy sugar-alcohol which exists in a very low quantity in fruits and vegetables (plums, strawberries, cauliflower, and pumpkin). On commercial scale, xylitol can be produced by chemical and biotechnological processes. Chemical production is costly and extensive in purification steps. However, biotechnological method utilizes agricultural and forestry wastes which offer the possibilities of economic production of xylitol by reducing required energy. The precursor xylose is produced from agricultural biomass by chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis and can be converted to xylitol primarily by yeast strain. Hydrolysis under acidic condition is the more commonly used practice influenced by various process parameters. Various fermentation process inhibitors are produced during chemical hydrolysis that reduce xylitol production, a detoxification step is, therefore, necessary. Biotechnological xylitol production is an integral process of microbial species belonging to Candida genus which is influenced by various process parameters such as pH, temperature, time, nitrogen source, and yeast extract level. Xylitol has application and potential for food and pharmaceutical industries. It is a functional sweetener as it has prebiotic effects which can reduce blood glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol level. This review describes recent research developments related to bioproduction of xylitol from agricultural wastes, application, health, and safety issues.

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In this paper, a methodology for digital image authentication using digital signature is proposed. The hash of the original image is taken and is encrypted by RSA. The digital signature obtained is concealed in the image. Digital signature is sent along with the encrypted image which decreases the probability of meticulous attack by the intruder. The encrypted image is shuffled using Chaotic Logistic Map to get the final shuffled encrypted image. The use of Logistic Map improves the randomness in the image. For the authentication, a comparator is employed which evaluates correctness of the hash extracted. The simulations have been carried out to examine the proposed authentication and encryption technique.

The purpose of this research was to identify the factors contributing to the deteriorating input quality of English in universities. It was a poll of higher educational institutions in Punjab's southern province. There were 112 English teachers from public sector universities that participated in the survey. A survey with a Likert scale of five options was used to compile the information. Statistics were utilized to describe the data, primarily using averages and percentages. The results showed that the quality of instruction was diminished due to the following factors: the appointment of teachers on merit, the absence of co-curricular activities and teaching aids, the reliance on the traditional grammar translation method, the writing of compositions on black boards, the assignment of homework designed to be memorized by rote, the lack of refresher courses, the insufficient time spent using English for communication, the overloading of teachers, and the overcrowding of classrooms. The research suggests appointing, setting up workshops to motivate teachers and improve teaching methods, organizing extracurricular activities to improve students' speaking, listening, and writing skills, fostering students' creativity and writing abilities, giving teachers enough time to prepare lessons, limiting class sizes, and avoiding overcrowding. Keywords: English Language, Quality, TEFL, curricular activities, teaching aids, GTM.

Background and Aim: Patients with acute coronary syndrome who receive radial access by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are less likely to experience clinical adverse events. The present study aimed to associate the PCI procedural time with left subclavian artery angle in acute coronary syndrome patients. Material and Methods: This retrospective study was carried out on 124 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention in Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore from June 2021 to June 2022. Prior to study conduction, the ethical committee approved the study protocol. After a CT scan on admission, patients with PCI via an LRA were included in this study. The angle of left subclavian artery was measured on CT scan through coronal view as an indicator for tortuosity and was related with procedural time and clinical variables. SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. Results: Of the total 124 consecutive patients who underwent PCI, the left radial approach was used in 60 (48.4%) acute coronary syndrome patients. The overall mean age was 64.8±12.6 years. There were 37 (29.8%) females and 87 (70.2%) males. Severe tortuosity patients (left subclavian artery angle <70 degree) had higher incidence of female gender (41.6% vs. 14.2%, p<0.001), older age (73.8±9.87 vs. 59.6±14.2 years, P<0.005), higher subclavian artery calcification (72.6% vs. 32.8%, P=0.001), and hypertension (92.6% vs. 74.8%, P<0.01) than those with angle of left subclavian artery ≥70 degrees. Total procedural time (ρ=-0.29, P=0.003), and sheath cannulation to first balloon time (ρ=-0.48, P<0.001) were negatively associated with left subclavian artery angle. Conclusion: The present study found that Left subclavian artery lower angles are indicators of tortuosity via left radial approach significantly associated with total procedural time and sheath insertion long duration to the first balloon time during percutaneous coronary intervention. Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome, Percutaneous coronary intervention, left radial access