bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the influence of water sampling strategy on the performance of tracer-aided hydrological modeling in a mountainous basin on the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Nan Yi , He Zhihua , Tian Fuqiang , Wei Zhongwang , Tian Lide
Published: August 2022

Abstract. Tracer-aided hydrological models integrating water isotope modules into the
simulation of runoff generation are useful tools to reduce uncertainty of
hydrological modeling in cold basins that are featured by complex runoff
processes and multiple runoff components. However, there is little guidance
on the strategy of field water sampling for isotope analysis to run
tracer-aided hydrological models, which is especially important for large
mountainous basins on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) where field water sampling
work is highly costly. This study conducted a set of numerical experiments
based on the THREW-T (Tsinghua Representative Elementary Watershed -
Tracer-aided version) model to evaluate the reliance of the tracer-aided
modeling performance on the availability of site measurements of water
isotope in the Yarlung Tsangpo river (YTR) basin on the TP. Data conditions
considered in the numerical experiments included the availability of glacier meltwater isotope measurement, quantity of site measurements of
precipitation isotope, and the variable collecting strategies for stream
water samples. Our results suggested that (1) in high-mountain basins where
glacier meltwater samples for isotope analysis are not available, estimating glacier meltwater isotope by an offset parameter from the precipitation isotope is a feasible way to force the tracer-aided hydrological model. Using a set of glacier meltwater δ18O that were 2 ‰–9 ‰ lower than the mean precipitation δ18O resulted in only small changes in the model performance and the quantifications of contributions of runoff components (CRCs, smaller than 5 %) to streamflow in the YTR basin. (2) The strategy of field sampling for site precipitation to correct the global gridded isotope product of isoGSM (isotope-incorporated global spectral model) for model forcing should be carefully designed. Collecting precipitation samples at sites falling in the same altitude tends to be worse at representing the ground pattern of precipitation δ18O over the basin than collecting precipitation samples from sites in a range of altitudes. (3) Collecting weekly stream water samples at multiple sites in the wet and warm seasons is the optimal strategy for calibrating and evaluating a tracer-aided hydrological model in the YTR basin. It is highly recommended to increase the number of stream water sampling sites rather than spending resources on extensive sampling of stream water at a sole site for multiple years. These results provide important implications for collecting site measurements of water isotopes for running tracer-aided hydrological models to improve quantifications of CRCs in high-mountain basins.
Evaluating downscaling methods of GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) data: a case study over a fractured crystalline aquifer in southern India
Authors: Pascal Claire , Ferrant Sylvain , Selles Adrien , Maréchal Jean-Christophe , Paswan Abhilash , Merlin Olivier
Published: August 2022

Abstract. GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) and its follow-on mission have provided since 2002 monthly anomalies of total water storage (TWS), which are very relevant to assess the evolution of groundwater storage (GWS) at global and regional scales. However, the use of GRACE data for groundwater irrigation management is limited by their coarse (≃300 km) resolution. The last decade has thus seen numerous attempts to downscale GRACE data at higher – typically several tens of kilometres – resolution and to compare the downscaled GWS data with in situ measurements. Such comparison has been classically made in time, offering an estimate of the static performance of downscaling (classic validation). The point is that the performance of GWS downscaling methods may vary in time due to changes in the dominant hydrological processes through the seasons. To fill the gap, this study investigates the dynamic performance of GWS downscaling by developing a new metric for estimating the downscaling gain (new validation) against non-downscaled GWS. The new validation approach is tested over a 113 000 km2 fractured granitic aquifer in southern India. GRACE TWS data are downscaled at 0.5∘ (≃50 km) resolution with a data-driven method based on random forest. The downscaling performance is evaluated by comparing the downscaled versus in situ GWS data over a total of 38 pixels at 0.5∘ resolution. The spatial mean of the temporal Pearson correlation coefficient (R) and the root mean square error (RMSE) are 0.79 and 7.9 cm respectively (classic validation). Confronting the downscaled results with the non-downscaling case indicates that the downscaling method allows a general improvement in terms of temporal agreement with in situ measurements (R=0.76 and RMSE = 8.2 cm for the non-downscaling case). However, the downscaling gain (new validation) is not static. The mean downscaling gain in R is about +30 % or larger from August to March, including both the wet and dry (irrigated) agricultural seasons, and falls to about +10 % from April to July during a transition period including the driest months (April–May) and the beginning of monsoon (June–July). The new validation approach hence offers for the first time a standardized and comprehensive framework to interpret spatially and temporally the quality and uncertainty of the downscaled GRACE-derived GWS products, supporting future efforts in GRACE downscaling methods in various hydrological contexts.
Design of a CMOS memristor emulator-based, self-adaptive spiking analog-to-digital data conversion as the lowest level of a self-x hierarchy
Authors: Abd Hamam , König Andreas
Published: August 2022

Abstract. The number of sensors used in modern devices is rapidly increasing, and the interaction with sensors demands analog-to-digital data conversion (ADC). A conventional ADC in leading-edge technologies faces many issues due to signal swings, manufacturing deviations, noise, etc. Designers of ADCs are moving to the time domain and digital designs techniques to deal with these issues. This work pursues a novel self-adaptive spiking neural ADC (SN-ADC) design with promising features, e.g., technology scaling issues, low-voltage operation, low power, and noise-robust conditioning. The SN-ADC uses spike time to carry the information. Therefore, it can be effectively translated to aggressive new technologies to implement reliable advanced sensory electronic systems. The SN-ADC supports self-x (self-calibration, self-optimization, and self-healing) and machine learning required for the internet of things (IoT) and Industry 4.0. We have designed the main part of SN-ADC, which is an adaptive spike-to-digital converter (ASDC). The ASDC is based on a self-adaptive complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) memristor. It mimics the functionality of biological synapses, long-term plasticity, and short-term plasticity. The key advantage of our design is the entirely local unsupervised adaptation scheme. The adaptation scheme consists of two hierarchical layers; the first layer is self-adapted, and the second layer is manually treated in this work. In our previous work, the adaptation process is based on 96 variables. Therefore, it requires considerable adaptation time to correct the synapses' weight. This paper proposes a novel self-adaptive scheme to reduce the number of variables to only four and has better adaptation capability with less delay time than our previous implementation. The maximum adaptation times of our previous work and this work are 15 h and 27 min vs. 1 min and 47.3 s. The current winner-take-all (WTA) circuits have issues, a high-cost design, and no identifying the close spikes. Therefore, a novel WTA circuit with memory is proposed. It used 352 transistors for 16 inputs and can process spikes with a minimum time difference of 3 ns. The ASDC has been tested under static and dynamic variations. The nominal values of the SN-ADC parameters' number of missing codes (NOMCs), integral non-linearity (INL), and differential non-linearity (DNL) are no missing code, 0.4 and 0.22 LSB, respectively, where LSB stands for the least significant bit. However, these values are degraded due to the dynamic and static deviation with maximum simulated change equal to 0.88 and 4 LSB and 6 codes for DNL, INL, and NOMC, respectively. The adaptation resets the SN-ADC parameters to the nominal values. The proposed ASDC is designed using X-FAB 0.35 µm CMOS technology and Cadence tools.
“We actually came to a point where we had no staff”: Perspectives of Senior Leadership in Canadian Homelessness Service Providers During COVID-19
Authors: Campbell Stephanie , Noël Chelsea , Wilkinson Ashley , Schiff Rebecca , Waegemakers Schiff Jeannette
Published: August 2022

Canadian homeless service providers (HSPs) serve individuals with complex needs. COVID-19 has introduced additional challenges to service provision leading to increased pressure on the organizations and the staff they employ. Little is known about how Canadian HSPs were affected by the global pandemic. The current research sought to address this knowledge gap by using qualitative research methodology to assess leaders’ perception of staff well-being and identify specific organizational challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. 42 semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior leadership in Canadian HSPs, including Program Directors, Executive Directors, CEOs, key department managers and program coordinators. Although unanticipated, themes relating to positive outcomes and growth were also identified. Qualitative analysis revealed four overarching themes within the data: Organizational Challenges, Individual Challenges, Organizational Opportunities and Individual Opportunities. Implications of this study include informing pandemic preparedness in the homelessness sector and reducing occupational risks for staff.
Effectiveness of Sensor-based Rehabilitation in Improving Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors:   NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, Hong Loo Jing , Han Hai Hao ,   NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, Abd Razak Hamid Rahmatullah Bin ,   Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
Published: August 2022

Background: Physical rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is important for long-term functional recovery. Recently, sensor-based home rehabilitation (SHR) has gained prominence as a promising method that allows monitoring and guidance that is both structured and accessible, compared to traditional methods of physical rehabilitation. Despite the advent of wearable sensor systems, there is a paucity of evidence regarding SHR in the current literature. Thus, this systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of wearable SHR on post-TKA outcomes. Methods: We performed a systematic search of three electronic databases from the beginning of record to March 12, 2021. Primary outcomes were patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) after rehabilitation, including the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and Knee Society Score (KSS). Secondary outcomes were physical activity levels and functional performance including range of motion (ROM) and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). Results: A total of 16 studies involving 1321 subjects were included. All wearable sensors in our included studies involved a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers as functional units. These studies reported favourable outcomes for all three PROMs, although the extent of improvement in specific domains varied among studies. Moreover, physical activity in terms of daily steps and time spent on physical activity increased post-rehabilitation. Similarly, there were improvements in ROM and TUG that reflected a favourable post-operative trajectory during rehabilitation. Conclusion: SHR is effective for improving subjective and objective outcomes post-TKA. The role of SHR should be evaluated by a dedicated cost-benefit analysis to facilitate its wider adoption in healthcare systems.
Outcomes of Deep Wound Management Methods During Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors:   Center for Joint Preservation and Replacement, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, Baltimore, Maryland, Chen Zhongming , Bains Sandeep S. ,   Center for Joint Preservation and Replacement, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, Baltimore, Maryland, Sodhi Nipun ,   2Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, North Shore University Hospital Northwell Health, New York, New York, Mont Michael A. ,   Center for Joint Preservation and Replacement, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, Baltimore, Maryland
Published: August 2022

Wound closure for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) typically focuses on promoting the most optimal healing, while preventing infection, allowing for functionality and immediate ambulation, as well as providing for excellent cosmesis. We have previously described four aspects of closure for TKA including the: (1) deep fascial layer; (2) subdermal layer; (3) intradermal layer, including the subcuticular region; and (4) a specific dressing. In this systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature, we will focus on closure of the deep fascial layer. Specifically, we assessed: (1) wound complication risks of different techniques; (2) closing times of different sutures; and (3) postoperative ranges of motion depending on varying levels of knee flexion or extension. There were 12 reports on wound complication risks, closing times, and positionings. The meta-analysis demonstrated overall lower wound complication risks with the use of barbed sutures (6 versus 13%, p<0.05). It also demonstrated overall significant closing time reductions with the use of barbed sutures (p<0.05). Additionally, three out of four reports showed the positive effects of closure in flexion for TKAs, while one report was inconclusive. In conclusion, this systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated lower wound complications, decreased closing times for barbed sutures, as well as superior outcomes for closures in a semi-flexed knee position.
Recognition Of CAPTCHA Characters Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Malhotra Dipika , Kaur Satinder
Published: August 2022

The Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) is a test used in many online applications to safeguard the authentication process by distinguishing humans from bots. Recognition of characters is incorporated with the help of the CAPTCHA method to make web applications safe and trustworthy. CAPTCHA incorporates some complicated pictures in some cases and owing to noisy values, it might be difficult to distinguish the characters from these images. Using machine-learning approaches, several researchers have attempted to overcome this challenge. As a result, the focus of this work is on a comparison of classification algorithms such as k-NN, SVM, and CNN for recognising CAPTCHA characters in the literature. After a careful review of the past work, it has been determined that CNN, rather than k-NN or SVM, is the most accurate strategy in terms of classification accuracy. In the future, CNN might be used to improve the process of character recognition.
Online Proctoring System
Authors: N U Sri Raaghav , S K Aathikrishna , T Anbumani , B Subbulakshmi
Published: August 2022

An online proctoring system will be an effective application to monitor and minimize the malpractices done by students. The main focus here is face detection and face spoofing. Face detection is an artificial intelligence (AI) based computer technology used to find and identify human faces in digital images. It now plays an important role as the first step in many key applications -- including face tracking, face analysis, and facial recognition. By using open cv tensor flow libraries we will be building our face detection model. dlib library is used to mark facial pointers from the detected face. We will be also building a face spoofing model to differentiate the devotional phase from images, videos, photos, and stuff. In this model, live video is provided from the integrated camera or web camera as an input to the model so that we would get the result about whether there is any malpractice that has happened or not.
Feature Selection for Classification of Abnormalities in Medical Images – A Review
Authors: K V Suja , K K Rajkumar
Published: August 2022

In medical imaging, Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) has become one of the major research topics but is still in the infancy stage due to the lack of its full potential for applications to analyze the lesions obtained from various modalities. Pattern recognition and computer vision plays a significant role in clinical procedures for detecting and diagnosing different human diseases through the processing and analyzing of images acquired through various medical imaging modalities. In many cases of medical applications having high dimensional data characterized by huge number of features require large amount of memory and computation power. In order to tackle this problem, the aim is to construct a combination of feature that builds a unique model to provide better classification performance and accuracy. In this paper, we have conducted a survey on widely used approaches for feature selection and analyzed the purpose to investigate the strength and weakness of existing methods used in different types of modalities of images. Most of the work discussed in this literature review faces many limitations such as accuracy, cost, time and storage when dealing with huge amount of data. Our prime intention is to tackle these problems by building a uniform modal for feature selection to rank the features which are extracted from different medical image modalities to detect and diagnose the abnormalities present in those images in a most efficient way.
Social Networking Sites in Daily Life: Benefits and Threats
Authors: Y Venugeetha , Rathod Ranjeet , Kumar Rishabh
Published: August 2022

Social networking’s current growth rate indicates that the global population usage of the internet and social media can exceed 8 billion by mid-2023. According to the statistics sources of Global WebIndex the year 2021, 57.6% of the world population uses social media and the average daily usage is 6 to 8 hours especially after the covid-19 struck. The whole world had a transition from offline to online mode of operating. About 5.29 billion in October 2021 is an increase of global users by 100 million (i.e., +1.9 per cent). It equates to almost 62% users of internet i.e., 4.88 billion internet users all over the world; due to pandemic global users have increased by more than 220 million (+4.8%) the real number might be considerably higher. As so the impact was also on social media, here the users increased by 400 million (+9.9%) over a year to reach 4.55 billion during 2021 with an increase of 1 million users every day globally. People are actively using social networking sites. Social networking sites include a wide range such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn are major contributors to the number of account users. The number of social media users is increasing at a high-rate year after year, and privacy, security issues are also increasing at the same rate. Although the overall impact of social media is good, it also has risk factors and drawbacks, users are unaware of how they can secure themselves and the privacy of social media accounts. Marlon Brando says, “Privacy is not something I am only entitled to, it is an absolute prerequisite”.
Relationship Between Job Role and Identity Change
Authors: Upadhyay Rekha R
Published: August 2022

People’s personalities and identities are very malleable and can be influenced by factors such as the environment they live and work in, different roles as well as different expectations that society puts on them. This might lead them to change the way they behave, by how they’re expected to behave and how they would behave when their roles are changed. The study aims at exploring how job role changes have led to changes in identities, in the form of how they deal with themselves as well as others, such as while managing teams, decision making, conflicts and managing other people or how they behave in their personal lives. A survey was conducted on individuals from the corporate sector who have more than ten years of working experience and recently have a job role change. The survey consists of a 13-item questionnaire. The survey was completed by 171 individuals. In statistical analysis, descriptive statistical methods were used. It was found out that job role changes led to changes in some aspects of their identities like decision-making skills, and personality traits and these changes have changed them for the better. Some aspects do not change after changes in job roles like their relationship with family members and friendship at the workplace. Results showed that individual differences play an important role as it depends on person to person how they cope with and respond to the changes at the workplace.
Use of Diphenhydramine for Pain Management in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Alsager Ahmad , Alsuhaibani Abdulaziz , Bin Nafisah Sharafaldeen
Published: August 2022

BACKGROUND
Diphenhydramine, commonly prescribed as an antihistamine drug, is not known for its analgesic effect and its use in acute pain management has not been thoroughly investigated.
AIM
In this study, we aim to explore the analgesic properties of diphenhydramine and its role in acute pain reduction in the emergency department (ED).
METHODS
A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed. The inclusion criteria were randomised controlled trials that investigated the effect of intravenous diphenhydramine on the management of acute pain. Acute pain reduction was defined as a reduction in the visual pain score within one hour of drug administration. We excluded non-English articles, articles that measured the impact of diphenhydramine beyond the acute period, and those that used a pain score other than the 10-point visual pain scale.
The information sources included PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane, PROSPERO, and grey literature (ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) databases for articles published between 1963 and January 2022, along with the articles referenced at the end of the reviews, for the keywords ‘diphenhydramine’, ‘antihistamine’, ‘pain’, and ‘analgesia’. The researchers used the RoB 2 Cochrane risk-of-bias tools for randomised controlled trials.
RESULTS
We included four studies out of 128,902 involving 438 patients, out of whom 218 received diphenhydramine for pain control. The mean pain score in patients who received diphenhydramine was reduced by 28%; t(6)= -2.879, 95% CI [-2.87 to -0.23], p=0.028. When the baseline pain score was included in the analysis, we noted a reduction of 48% from the initial pain score. The pooled effect size or mean difference in acute pain reduction favouring diphenhydramine, taken from a random-effects model, was -1.53 (95% CI: [-2.35 to -0.70]) using Cohen’s d.
CONCLUSION
This meta-analysis confirms the analgesic advantages of diphenhydramine and supports its consideration as an adjunct for acute pain management in the ED.
An Empirical Assessment of Mediating Role of Financial Self Efficacy on Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion in Pakistan
Authors: Noor Nimra , Batool Irem , Rehman Hafeez Ur
Published: August 2022

Financial inclusion refers to having an account in a recognized financial organization that enables people to formally save, borrow cash, and have insurance and use payment services. The study revealed that financial account ownership is just a nominal form of financial inclusion as people own the financial accounts just to keep their money safe (as in lockers) and to withdraw their salaries in the financial accounts. While the real financial inclusion is a much deeper concept that depends upon the users’ actual ease of access to the financial institution, the active utilization of various financial products (like saving accounts, loans and credits, insurance and remittances services, etc.) of the financial system and the user’s acquired satisfaction level by using the financial products and services. The study used this approach and measured the financial inclusion of individuals based on their real experiences in terms of access, usage and satisfaction level derived from financial institutions using their financial products and services. The target population of the study is the adult population aged above 20 years, having a financial account in district Sahiwal. The study used the self-administered questionnaire-based survey and collected the responses on individuals’ socio-demographic characteristics, financial inclusion, financial literacy and financial self-efficacy. Further, a study linked financial inclusion with the individual’s financial literacy and financial self-efficacy levels.  Estimated results prove that financial literacy has a positive and significant impact on financial inclusion. Besides, it is also proved that an individual’s financial self-efficacy level serves as a mediator and further strengthens the individual ability to acquire, use more confidently and get economic benefits from financial accounts.
A Literature Review for Understanding Entrepreneurial Intention: Call for Study on Potential Research Areas
Authors: Sadaf Tallia  , Muhammad Haroon Hafeez  , Zerlish Ali Syed
Published: August 2022

This paper examined research studies to understand the antecedents and impact of entrepreneurial intention (EI) on the SME's growth. The literature review revealed that the focus of previous studies' discussion on entrepreneurial intention (EI) was mostly focused on the Western, Middle, and Far East countries. Petite empirical evidence is noticeable in Africa and Asia. Therefore, the role of entrepreneurial intention (EI) and the need to understand its impact on firms' value creation is yet to be explored exhaustively. In addition to it, empirical studies mostly revealed gaps in the selection of the right respondents, stages of venture creation, and the appropriate theory selection. Subsequently, results are frequently inconsistent and demand future studies to address gaps, particularly in the Asian context in countries like Pakistan to address the SMEs' sustainability issues. For that purpose, this paper highlighted research gaps in Pakistani SMEs and developed the urge to explore EI to rethink the nascent research angles on EI development. Thus, this paper is a wake-up call for empirical studies to assess the impact of EI in Pakistani SMEs where studies of this kind are rarely found in the literature.
This paper examined research studies to understand the antecedents and impact of entrepreneurial intention (EI) on the SME's growth. The literature review revealed that the focus of previous studies' discussion on entrepreneurial intention (EI) was mostly focused on the Western, Middle, and Far East countries. Petite empirical evidence is noticeable in Africa and Asia. Therefore, the role of entrepreneurial intention (EI) and the need to understand its impact on firms' value creation is yet to be explored exhaustively. In addition to it, empirical studies mostly revealed gaps in the selection of the right respondents, stages of venture creation, and the appropriate theory selection. Subsequently, results are frequently inconsistent and demand future studies to address gaps, particularly in the Asian context in countries like Pakistan to address the SMEs' sustainability issues. For that purpose, this paper highlighted research gaps in Pakistani SMEs and developed the urge to explore EI to rethink the nascent research angles on EI development. Thus, this paper is a wake-up call for empirical studies to assess the impact of EI in Pakistani SMEs where studies of this kind are rarely found in the literature.
An Analysis of the Perception of Teachers on the Inclusion of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) In the Curriculum of Teacher Education
Authors: Ershad Qurratulain , Kamran Umaima , Umar Lubna
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study is to explore the perception of aspiring teachers on promoting the education of sustainability (ESD). The ideology of ESD is paramount being one of the lifelong skills of 21st century. ESD empowers pupils to take informed decisions about the integrity of environment and economy keeping in view the cultural diversity. The study aims to explore the perception of aspiring teachers on promoting the education of sustainability (ESD) in the curriculum of teachers ‘education. The fundamental emphasizes of this paper is gathering a variety of participants’ perception of the implementation of ESD in teachers’ education curriculum. The paper utilized the primary qualitative design and conducted semi-structured interviews to have an in-depth analysis of the perception of final year students enrolled in B.Ed. program. The data is analyzed using the technique of thematic analysis. Three themes emerged out of the analysis (1) the role of primary education, (2) sustainability issues such as knowledge, understanding and attitudes, and (3) attitudes towards ESD. The findings reflected that teacher (enrolled in B.Ed.) positively opined incorporating ESD in the curriculum of teaching education to allow them to improve the existing practices.  They suggested that this inclusion will help them save environment while promoting such practices among their students. Resultantly, it would lead to environmentally sustainable future. All the participants were of the view that ESD was no doubt highly desirable. The participants comprehended that ESD could be incorporated in various disciplines like science, history, geography etc. to promote the idea of sustainability across all the disciplines, In this Research Context ESD carries a lot of importance as the interview questions and answers provided a very clear-cut insight of the novice teachers who were enthusiastic to bring this innovation in the primary education by volunteering themselves to learn and educate themselves first for a successful implementation of ESD.
Green Nanosuspensions of Elettaria Cardamomum Seeds – Comparative Data Analysis for Enhanced Bioactivities
Authors: Nadeem Fareeha , Rashid Kayani Haroon ur , Hussain Fatima
Published: August 2022

In order to conclude the efficiency of a plant for a specific ailment, its phytochemicals are evaluated using different scientific procedures. In this study, the aim was to evaluate the bioactive compounds and biological activities of Elettaria cardamomum seeds extract and nanosuspension. Nanosuspensions were formed using nano-precipitation method. Among bioactivities, antioxidant property was measured through total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) activity. Antidiabetic activity was evaluated through alpha-amylase inhibition and antiglycation assays. Cytotoxicity and antibiofilm activity was determined using the hemolytic assay and micro-titer dish assay respectively. For functional groups and structural characterization FTIR was performed. In TPC and TFC the results showed 358.89 and 126.27 mg gallic acid equivalent to 100gram dry weight, 137.78 and 65.145 mg catechin equivalent to 100gram dry weight for nanosuspensions and extract respectively. Whereas the DPPH inhibition was 31.3% and 32.1% for nanosuspensions and extract respectively. Nanosuspensions and extract showed growth resistance against E. coli i.e. 68.12% and 64.09% respectively. Cardamom seeds nanosuspension and extract showed 55.77% and 55.15% antidiabetic property through glycation inhibition. According to alpha amylase inhibition analysis 51.67% and 33.67% inhibiting property of nanosuspension and extract was observed. Hemolytic assay gave 18% and 32% hemolysis by using nanosuspension and extract. The nanosuspension that showed existence of sulfoxides, fluoro compounds, amines, phenols, alkaloids and alcohols as determined by FTIR.  In order to do this seeds were obtained and ethanol extract was formulated. This study showed that nanosuspensions and extract prepared from Elettaria cardamomum exhibited enhanced bioactivities and further research is essential to determine remarkable characteristics and pharmacological potentials of these unique seeds.
Genome –wide Allelic Variations and Population Structure Analysis of Cotton Genotypes using SSR Markers
Authors: Rehman Abdul , Iqbal Muhammad
Published: August 2022

The limited genetic base of modern cotton genotypes makes it difficult to improve cotton fibre yield and quality, emphasizing the necessity to study existing cotton germplasm resources. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of different cotton genotypes at DNA level. A total of 105 cotton genotypes were analyzed using 208 polymorphic SSR markers which were distributed on both A and D genomes. The total number of alleles in all genomes are 1382 Out of which 665 and 717 alleles were recorded in A and D genomes, respectively. In A genome, the maximum PIC values; 0.89 was observed for markers M92, M82 and M76 with the 10-total number of alleles exhibiting 100% polymorphism. These markers (M92, M82 and M76) located at the chromosomes 12A, 11A and 10A respectively with the estimation of 0.84 gene diversity. The highest PIC value 0.89 of D genome was detected for M191, M128 and M117 markers on 24D, 16D and 15D chromosomes with the 10 total numbers of alleles having the 0.84 values of gene diversity with 100% polymorphism. The UPGMA cluster DARWIN tree and Model-based Bayesian analysis clustered the studied cotton germplasm into four subpopulations, and the highest molecular variation revealed among subpopulations. Phylogenetic tree constructed for the whole germplasm population identified four major groups including; Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4 consisting of 12, 21, 39 and 69 genotypes, respectively. Genetic distances among clusters clearly showed the variations among one another. SSR markers appear to be useful and reliable assets for future genetic and genomic analyses of cotton, such as genetic map construction, comparative genomic analyses, genetic diversity, and molecular marker-assisted breeding to select promising cotton genotypes, according to the current experiment.
Qualitative and Quantitative Assesment of Phytochemicals in Selected Medicinal Plants native to Shujabad, Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Jabeen Shazia , Amir Nazia , Meryem Syeda Shaima
Published: August 2022

The present study aimed at screening of phytochemicals qualitatively and quantitatively in six selected medicinal plants native to Shujabad, Multan, Pakistan. Screening of various phytochemicals (phenols, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, anthocayanins, phlobatannins, coumarins, triterpenoids, cardiac glycosides, sterols and alkaloids)was done by preparing plant leaf extracts in different solvents i.e., ethanol, methanol and water.
Optical density of total phenolic and alkaloid compounds was measured via UV-Visible spectrophotometer at 640 nm and 470 nm respectively.  Phenols and anthocayanins were found in all the six selected medicinal plants. Alkaloids were absent in O. corniculata. Flavonoids were absent in R. communis. Tannins were absent in O. corniculata and E. prostrata. Phlobatannins, coumarins and triterpenoids were absent in O. corniculata and R. communis. Terpenoids were absent in R. communis. Steroids were only present in O. corniculata, C. album and C. citratus. Sterols were absent in R. communis and saponins were only absent in O. corniculata. Glycosides were absent in C. album, M. pipperita and in C. citratus. Cardiac glycosides were only present in C. citratus. Phenolic content was found highest in R. communis while the highest alkaloid content in E. prostrate was found. It is evident from the study that C. citratusis of highest therapeutic efficacy possessing a majority of phytochemicals classes of compounds and R. communisis of lowest therapeutic potential due to the absence of the majority of phytoconstituents. Plants having these phytochemicals are considered important both medicinally and economically. There is a need to do further research on phytoconstituents of these plants and their role in mitigating the disease.
The Dark Side of Skin Lightening: A review of a Public Health Issue Affecting Dermatology
Authors: Shah Syeda Hajira , Anjum Iram , Majeed Tanveer
Published: August 2022

Women in Pakistan are obsessed with the concept of glowing whitish complexion to get good marriage proposals, jobs and desired status in society. Most of these fairness creams contain very high amount of mercury and hydroquinone. These act by inhibiting the tyrosinase enzyme responsible for melanin production. The use of skin fairness products that frequently contain toxic ingredients is associated with significant adverse health side effects, resulting in immense challenges for dermatologists. Despite current regulations, lightening agents continue to dominate the cosmetic industry. In this review, our international team of dermatologists tackles the topic of skin lightening as a global public health issue, one of great concern for both women’s health and racial implications. We aim to inspire a global discourse on how modern dermatologists can utilize scientific evidence and cultural competency to serve and protect patients of diverse skin types and backgrounds. In doing so, we hope to promote healthy skin and inclusive concepts of beauty in our patients and society.
Production of pectinases towards the extraction of natural pectin from orange peels using fungal sources
Authors: Awan Javeria , Sikandar Shomaila , Afzal Imran
Published: August 2022

Pectin is a polysaccharide, which is present in middle lamella of cell wall of higher plants. Almost all fruits have a part of pectin in their cell walls. Pectinases are used in the degradation of the plant material and promptly extract juices from different fruits. For this purpose, identified fungi were screened qualitatively and quantitatively for the production of pectinase at 30 ºC for 92 hours of incubation time. In liquid state fermentation, identified strains of Trichoderma asperellum, Aspergillus niger and Thermomyces were treated in which Trichoderma asperellum produced maximum pectinase activities (9.2 U/ml) after 24 hours of incubation by using orange peels as a sole carbon source. Furthermore, pectinases produced from fungal strains were used to produce natural pectin from fruit waste like orange peels. During fermentation process, pectinase produced from fungal strains were inoculated to dried orange peels for 24 hours of incubation time at 30 ºC. The filtered extract was treated with 3 volumes of 80% ethanol for washing to extract pectin. Trichoderma asperellum gave maximum pectin yield [(11.7%)], Aspergillus niger and Thermomyces gave minimum pectin yield [(9.7%, 7.5%)] from orange peels respectively and the amount of pectin yield extracted from orange peels control was [(3.5%)]. Pectinases and pectin has found huge industrial applications in soft drinks, dairy products, pharmaceuticals and food industries, therefore, the present work has focused on the cost effective production of pectinase enzyme and extraction of natural pectin by using potential indigenous fungal strains.
Punjabi Folklore and The War of Independence 1857-58
Authors: Turab-ul-Hassan Sargana
Published: August 2022

Oral history is one of the branches of the discipline of history which is based on verbal accounts and verbal traditions of histography. Folklore is an essential element of oral history to build an alternative history. Generally, folklore presents a different point of view form the written history. Folklore presents the wishes and emotions of common people while written history. In many cases fulfill the ruling elite class. So, it can be concluded that to understand role of the people of Punjab during the war of independence. The study of the Punjabi folklore and folk songs is inevitable for it
Historical Perspective of Poverty in Pakistan: Identifying Key Determinants / Strategies
Authors: Nabila Asghar  , Muhammad Asif Amjad  , Hafeez ur Rehman
Published: August 2022

Poverty is the most important problem for every society and political leadership. The political leaders failed to seek solution to the poverty in society. Poverty also encompasses poor health and individual cannot cover basic needs such as food, housing, and clothes. The present study is focused on historical perspective of poverty in Pakistan. The reasons for rising poverty in Pakistan are discussed and important factors are enumerated that could dent poverty. On the basis of the systematic literature review of past studies, the key policy variables are highlighted to reduce poverty. The concept of poverty reduction is multi-dimensional phenomenon which requires macroeconomic management as well as poverty targeted programs. Among the macro-economic management, the sustainable inclusive growth with special focus in reducing income inequality is highly important for addressing poverty in Pakistan. The micro financing for small enterprises and skill enhancement of the marginalized people have the ability to reduce poverty in Pakistan. The policy mix based on efficient management of macroeconomic indicators coupled with targeted poverty reduction strategies are helpful in addressing poverty in Pakistan.
Africa’s Poverty and Famines: Developmental Projects of China on Africa
Authors: Akhtar Gul  , Muhammad Ghulam Shabeer  , Rija Ahmad Abbasi  , Abdul Wahab Khan
Published: August 2022

Poverty exists without any face; it is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon. Poverty and famines existed before human civilization and culture. Human culture existed 0.07 million years ago, and civilization began 6000 years ago. In a modern civilized society, ‘first famine in human history occurred in 1708 B.C. From 1708 BC to 1878 AD, 350 famines occurred in various spheres of the world. The Encyclopedia Britannica listed 31 main famines from prehistoric to the 1960s. The sub-continent has also faced eleven severe famines from 1769-70 to 1943, and about 40.9 million people have died due to these famines. Similarly, more than 2 billion people live below the poverty line. Besides, China left 800 million people due to ‘Open Door Policy’. Now she is changing the world's shape through BRI. Africa is a complex and perplexing region of the world. Because, Africa is facing all the root problems of the world, i.e., poverty, massive unemployment and income inequality, mono-culture political economy, border disputes, intra-state wars, and ethnic and lingual clashes. In the land of Africa, the first famine was recorded 2273 years ago in Ethiopia’. About 2,582 languages[i] and 1,382 dialects are found on the African continent. From 1945 to 1999, humanity faced 25 interstate wars, most of which occurred in Africa. Therefore, 127 civil wars happened among 73 states in the same era, and 16.2 million people died. The Export and Import Bank of China will spend 1US$ trillion on the African continent in 2025.
[i]       Language which is speaking in Africa, Arabic (170 million) English (130 million), Swahili (100), French (115), Berber (50), Hausa (50), Portuguese (20) and Spanish (10) (Spolsky, 2018)
The Emerging Concept of Community Development Parks (CDP): An Evaluation of Rashidabad CDP
Authors: Nazuk Ayesha , Shah Syed Irteza Ali , Naveed Samina
Published: August 2022

The concept of "Science Parks" is a well-known concept, whereas the phrase "Community Development Parks" is embryonic, even though there is a need to consider these as equally important. The Community Development Parks form social transformation matrices, encouraging the social inclusion of community groups by offering an environment conducive to common identity formation. This study aims to assess the overall performance of a Community Development Park titled, Rashidabad in Tando Allahyar, initiated by Rashid Memorial Welfare Organization (RMWO). This Community Development Park not only createsrural-urban interaction, thereby generating positive externalities for adjoining areas, but it also provides health, education, and employment opportunities. The current study delineates motivational channels that explain the initiation of this Community Development Park. The results of the study show that Rashidabad has proved to be exemplary in uplifting education and health facilities for the local community, besides contributing to social inclusion.
Giải pháp nâng cao hiệu quả hợp tác giữa Trường Đại học Quảng Nam và các doanh nghiệp du lịch
Authors: Hồ Thị Thanh Ly , Trần Văn Anh , Bùi Thị Tiến
Published: August 2022

Nâng cao hiệu quả hơp tác giữa nhà trường và doanh nghiệp luôn là mối quan tâm của các cơ sở đào tạo.  Trường Đại học Quảng Nam tham gia đào tạo nguồn nhân lực du lịch từ khá sớm, sinh viên ra trường có tỉ lệ việc làm đúng chuyên ngành khá cao và được các doanh nghiệp du lịch ghi nhận. Có được thành quả này chính là nhờ vào sự hợp tác, liên kết với các doanh nghiệp. Tuy nhiên, quy mô đào tạo ngành du lịch còn nhỏ, chương trình đào tạo chưa đáp ứng được nhu cầu của thị trường lao động, nguồn kinh phí và các cơ chế hợp tác chưa được hình thành để tạo hành lang pháp lý cho các đơn vị chủ động triển khai. Việc hợp tác giữa nhà trường và doanh nghiệp trong đào tạo nguồn nhân lực vẫn mang tính hình thức, mới chỉ đạt kết quả ở một số mặt, chưa toàn diện, chưa đi sâu vào nội dung cụ thể, chưa khai thác hết các thế mạnh của doanh nghiệp cho công tác đào tạo. Kết quả nghiên cứu đã chỉ ra thực trạng, nguyên nhân và đề xuất các giải pháp để quá trình hợp tác hiệu quả và thực chất hơn trong thời gian tới.
SAVAŞ NEDENİYLE ÜLKELERİNDEN GÖÇEN SURİYELİLERİN YAŞAM KOŞULLARI VE PSİKOSOSYAL DURUMLARI: BURSA ÖRNEĞİ
Authors: METİN Salih , EKİNCİ Ferhat , TAŞ Tuncay Aydın , RAY KUTLU Tümay"
Published: August 2022

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı Suriye’de ortaya çıkan savaş sonucu bulundukları yerleri terk etmek zorunda kalan ve Türkiye’de yaşayan Suriyeli göçmenlerin depresyon, anksiyete seviyeleri ve ilişkili sosyal, ekonomik ve kültürel faktörler ve göçmenlerin yaşam koşullarını incelemektir. Yöntem: Gözlemsel bir çalışma olan bu araştırmanın evrenini Bursa ilinin Yıldırım bölgesinde yaşayan 18- 65 yaş arası Yıldırım Göçmen Sağlığı Merkezi’ne başvuran gönüllü ve sağlıklı 254 Suriyeli katılımcı oluşturdu. Araştırmada katılımcılara yüz yüze görüşme yöntemi ile Arapça bilen araştırmacı tarafından gerekli görüldüğünde tercüman desteği ile anket uygulandı. Katılımcılara Göçmen Sağlığı Merkezi (GSM) İzleme ve Değerlendirme Formu, Beck Depresyon Ölçeği (BDÖ), Beck Anksiyete Ölçeği (BAÖ) uygulandı. Bulgular: Katılımcıları depresyon ve anksiyete düzeylerinde yükseklik vardı. Kadınların depresyon ve anksiyete düzeyleri erkeklerden anlamlı olarak yüksekti. Anksiyete ve depresyon düzeyleri ile gebelik sayısı ve düşük sayısı arasında pozitif yönde zayıf ilişki vardı. Madde bağımlılığı olanların depresyon düzeyleri madde bağımlılığı olmayanlara göre anlamlı yüksekti. Sonuç: Mültecilerin psikolojik ve sosyal ihtiyaçlarının giderilmesine yönelik psikososyal destek programlarının geliştirilmesi faydalı olabilir.