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Automatic gender classification is an important task in facial analysis. Recently, deep learning has achieved remarkable progress in extracting deep features for face image analysis, particularly in gender classification. Gender classification through facial analysis poses a difficult challenge in extracting reliable and relevant features from facial images and classifying them accurately, especially in uncontrolled environments. So, in this study, a novel deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) aided with convolutional long short-term memory (ConvLSTM) layer and squeeze-and-excitation (SE) block is designed to extract most distinguishable and relevant features from facial images. The ConvLSTM layer aims to establish spatial relationship among the extracted feature maps, while the SE block enhances the emphasis on critical features by directing more attention towards them. The extracted features are pre-processed and deployed to Kernel principle component analysis (KPCA) for dimensionality reduction. Finally, these reduced features are fed into a stacking classifier that utilizes several machine learning classifiers such as K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Random Forest (RF), AdaBoost, Extra Tree Classifier (ETC), Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB), XGBoost classifier (XBC), Support Vector classifier (SVC), Bagging Classifier, NuSVC, Gradient boosting classifier (GBC) for the first stage,and SVC as a meta-classifier for final gender prediction with Stratified K-fold cross-validation in order to mitigate the issue of overfitting. The proposed method was evaluated on two publicly available datasets, label faces in the wild (LFW) and Adience, and achieved accuracies of 99.20% and 98.01%, respectively. These results indicate that our proposed approach outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underlying investigation reports the impact of surface roughness on the mechanism of ciliary transport of Carreau–Yasuda (C–Y) liquid through a horizontal passage. The considered equations are further simplified with the help of a low Reynolds number and large wavelength approximation. The resulting boundary value problem is numerically tackled with the MATLAB built-in function bvp5c. The impact of sundry parameters on physical quantities is examined through graphical representation. The results indicate that the influence of roughness cannot be ignored during the cilia-driven channel flow, as a significant impact of roughness is observed on velocity, pressure, pressure rise, and streamlines. For several non-Newtonian pumping analysis with rough surface, this evaluation will serve as a benchmark. The current findings will also be applied to the creation of new medical pumps for transportation phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiographic measurements play a crucial role in evaluating the alignment of distal radius fractures (DRFs). Various manual methods have been used to perform the measurements, but they are susceptible to inaccuracies. Recently, computer-aided methods have become available. This review explores the methods commonly used to assess DRFs. The review introduces the different measurement techniques, discusses the sources of measurement errors and measurement reliability, and provides a recommendation for their use. Radiographic measurements used in the evaluation of DRFs are not reliable. Standardizing the measurement techniques is crucial to address this and automated image analysis could help improve accuracy and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic welfare is essential in the modern economy since it directly reflects the standard of living, distribution of resources, and general social satisfaction, which influences individual and social well-being. This study aims to explore the relationship between national income accounting different attributes and the economic welfare in Pakistan. However, this study used data from 1950 to 2022, and data was downloaded from the World Bank data portal. Regression analysis is used to investigate the relationship between them and is very effective in measuring the relationship between endogenous and exogenous variables. Moreover, generalized methods of movement (GMM) are used as the robustness of the regression. Our results show that foreign direct investment outflow, Gross domestic product growth rate, GDP per capita, higher Interest, market capitalization, and population growth have a significant negative on the unemployment rate, indicating the rise in these factors leads to a decrease in the employment rate in Pakistan. Trade and savings have a significant positive impact on the unemployment rate, indicating the rise in these factors leads to an increase in the unemployment rate for various reasons. Moreover, all the factors of national income accounting have a significant positive relationship with life expectancy, indicating that an increase in these factors leads to an increase in economic welfare and life expectancy due to better health facilities, many resources, and correct economic policies. However, foreign direct investment, inflation rate, lending interest rate, and population growth have significant positive effects on age dependency, indicating these factors increase the age dependency. Moreover, GDP growth and GDP per capita negatively impact age dependency. Similarly, all the national income accounting factors have a significant negative relationship with legal rights that leads to decreased legal rights. Moreover, due to better health facilities and health planning, there is a negative significant relationship between national income accounting attributes and motility rate among children. Our study advocated the implications for the policymakers and the government to make policies for the welfare and increase the social factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and efficient gender recognition is an essential for many applications such as surveillance, security, and biometrics. Recently, deep learning techniques have made remarkable advancements in feature extraction and have become extensively implemented in various applications, including gender classification. However, despite the numerous studies conducted on the problem, correctly recognizing robust and essential features from face images and efficiently distinguishing them with high accuracy in the wild is still a challenging task for real-world applications. This article proposes an approach that combines deep learning and soft voting-based ensemble model to perform automatic gender classification with high accuracy in an unconstrained environment. In the proposed technique, a novel deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) was designed to extract 128 high-quality and accurate features from face images. The StandardScaler method was then used to pre-process these extracted features, and finally, these preprocessed features were classified with soft voting ensemble learning model combining the outputs from several machine learning classifiers such as random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), logistic regression (LR), gradient boosting classifier (GBC) and XGBoost to improve the prediction accuracy. The experimental study was performed on the UTK, label faces in the wild (LFW), Adience and FEI datasets. The results attained evidently show that the proposed approach outperforms all current approaches in terms of accuracy across all datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is crucial to investigate fluid flow velocity and temperature distribution for theoretical and practical purposes. Determining the velocity and temperature distributions in fluid flows is necessary for designing effective heat exchange equipment, creating heat and thermomechanical modes of product treatment, and calculating heat losses in pipeline systems. The present article elaborates on the thermal analysis of Carreau fluid inside a horizontal passage. The influence of the small Peclet number and Brinkman number is also considered. The energy equation is tackled by Graetz's traditional approach for fixed wall temperature conditions. A MATLAB function bvp5c is employed for the numerical solution of the eigenvalue problem in the form of eigenvalues and related eigenvectors. Local Nusselt number and mean temperature are thoroughly elaborated under the influence of emerging parameters and displayed through several graphs. A numerical validation is also presented with already existing literature. The findings reveal that when the small values of Peclet number are taken into account, the axial conduction is dominant in upstream region. In addition, the flow index and Weissenberg number assist the temperature profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current investigation emphasizes the influence of viscous dissipation in laminar forced convection internal flow for horizontal conduit using the non-Newtonian fluid. A Carreau fluid model is taken into account. The hydrodynamically developed velocity profile is obtained by employing a perturbation approach. A classical Graetz approach is utilized to achieve the solution of the developed energy equation while the MATLAB built-in command bvp4c is taken into account for the solution of the Eigenvalue problem. The negligible axial conduction and uniform physical characteristics are presumed. The influence of the viscous dissipation and model parameters on non-dimensional bulk temperature and Nusselt number is deliberated for both cooling and heating situations. The current analysis is valid for small values of Weissenberg number $\left({We \le 1} \right)$We≤1. The findings reveal that viscous dissipation has a significant impact on temperature distribution in both developing and fully established regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have become highly promising materials for a wide range of applications because of their distinct characteristics and structural adaptability. The utilization of MOFs in composite materials has the potential to expand their range of applications. This study focuses on the development of an iron-doped zinc metal organic framework (Fe@Zn-MOF-2) using a previously synthesized zinc-based MOF. The efficacy of Fe@Zn-MOF-2 was investigated for sensing Gd3+ and acetophenone, as well as its potential as an electrode material for energy storage devices. The photoluminescence sensing experiments showed a significant improvement in the efficiency of sensing Gd3+ and acetophenone when using the Fe@Zn-MOF-2 composite. The composite achieved sensing efficiencies of 97.73% and 98.45%, respectively, which were higher than the efficiencies of 33.25% and 35.71% observed when using only the Zn-MOF. Furthermore, both materials exhibited substantial disparities in specific capacitance when examined as energy storage electrodes through the methods of cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Fe@Zn-MOF-2 exhibits a specific capacitance of 318.09 F g−1, while the Zn-MOF has a specific capacitance of 33.00 F g−1. Fe@Zn-MOF-2 exhibits a specific capacitance retention of 94.57% after undergoing 2000 cycles in cyclic voltammetry. The results emphasize the capability of Fe@Zn-MOF-2 for versatile uses in sensing and energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to discuss the Graetz problem for the Casson fluid model under the influence of prescribed heat flux in a circular duct. For this purpose, we employed the separation of variables and the principle of superposition methods to obtain the solution to the problem. The resulting boundary value problem is numerically tackled with MATLAB function bvp4c. The impact of the Brinkman number is also taken into account. Results are presented graphically to show how the prescribed heat flux affects fully developed temperature, average temperature, wall temperature, and the local Nusselt number in the presence of the Casson parameter and viscous dissipation. The analysis reveals that the local Nusselt number is higher for the negative Brinkman number and lower for the positive Brinkman number as compared to the no dissipation function. Moreover, the Casson parameter enhances the local Nusselt number. The findings of this investigation may be beneficial in the improvement of several types of thermal apparatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the history of gestational diabetes mellitus and other risk factors in women presenting with Type-2 diabetes mellitus at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Baqai Institute of Diabetology & Endocrinology (BIDE), Baqai Medical University (BMU), Karachi-Pakistan from July 2019 to May 2022. Women with Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) visiting outpatient department of BIDE with a previous history of GDM were recruited. Details were obtained on predesigned questionnaire after taking informed written consent. Results: A total of 378 women who had a prior history of GDM were included. Mean age (years) was 43.53±10.17. Mostly women were obese (BMI = 30.53±6.08) and have sedentary lifestyle. Mean HbA1c (%) was 9.08±2.24. This study found family history of T2DM and hypertension were common risk factors in women with GDM history. Mostly, women were diagnosed as GDM during 2nd trimester 153(42%) and was mainly seen in multiparous women (occur in 4th and above pregnancy). We found hypertension as common complication during pregnancy. Around 46% women developed T2DM within one year of GDM diagnosis, and 29.6% between one to five years. Conclusion: Majority of women with GDM developed T2DM within five years of diagnosis. The potential associated risk factors were age, family history of diabetes, insulin use during pregnancy, trimester of GDM diagnosis, and hypertension during pregnancy. Awareness and life style modifications along with regular post-partum follow up with screening for T2DM should be part of GDM management to prevent or delay the occurrence of this serious complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a significant event of the current century, introducing substantial transformations in economic and social activities worldwide. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between daily COVID-19 cases and Pakistan stock market (PSX) return volatility. To assess the relationship between daily COVID-19 cases and the PSX return volatility, we collected secondary data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the PSX website, specifically focusing on the PSX 100 index, spanning from March 15, 2020, to March 31, 2021. We used the GARCH family models for measuring the volatility and the COVID-19 impact on the stock market performance. Our E-GARCH findings show that there is long-term persistence in the return volatility of the stock market of Pakistan in the period of the COVID-19 timeline because ARCH alpha (ω1) and GARCH beta (ω2) are significant. Moreover, is asymmetrical effect is found in the stock market of Pakistan during the COVID-19 period due to Gamma (ѱ) being significant for PSX. Our DCC-GARCH results show that the COVID-19 active cases have a long-term spillover impact on the Pakistan stock market. Therefore, the need of strong planning and alternative platform should be needed in the distress period to promote the stock market and investor should advised to make diversified international portfolio by investing in high and low volatility stock market to save their income. This study advocated the implications for investors to invest in low volatility stock especially during the period of pandemics to protect their return on investment. Moreover, policy makers and the regulators can make effective policies to maintain financial stability during pandemics that is very important for the country's economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insect gustatory system participates in identifying potential food sources and avoiding toxic compounds. During this process, gustatory receptors (GRs) recognize feeding stimulant and deterrent compounds. However, the GRs involved in recognizing stimulant and deterrent compounds in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, remain unknown. Therefore, we conducted a study on the genes SinvGR1, SinvGR32b, and SinvGR28a to investigate the roles of GRs in detecting feeding stimulant and deterrent compounds. In this current study, we found that sucrose and fructose are feeding stimulants and the bitter compound quinine is a feeding deterrent. The fire ant workers showed significant behavior changes to avoid the bitter taste in feeding stimulant compounds. Reverse transcription quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction results from developmental stages showed that the SinvGR1, SinvGR32b, and SinvGR28a genes were highly expressed in fire ant workers. Tissue‐specific expression profiles indicated that SinvGR1, SinvGR32b, and SinvGR28a were specifically expressed in the antennae and foreleg tarsi of workers, whereas SinvGR32b gene transcripts were also highly accumulated in the male antennae. Furthermore, the silencing of SinvGR1 or SinvGR32b alone and the co‐silencing of both genes disrupted worker stimulation and feeding on sucrose and fructose. The results also showed that SinvGR28a is required for avoiding quinine, as workers with knockdown of the SinvGR28a gene failed to avoid and fed on quinine. This study first identified stimulant and deterrent compounds of fire ant workers and then the GRs involved in the taste recognition of these compounds. This study could provide potential target gustatory genes for the control of the fire ant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of transformational leadership is vital in engaging employees to perform for the betterment of organization. This study intends to predict hospitality industry frontline managers work engagement, innovative work behavior, sustainable employability, and organizational citizenship behavior. Limited empirical research conducted on these behaviors in the context of hospitality industry. Two hundred and nine frontline managers of four and five-star hotels in six tourists' city of Pakistan participated. The study results revealed that transformational leadership has positive influence on managers' work engagement. Further, work engagement significantly mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative work behavior, sustainable employability, and organizational citizenship behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syed Ali Hussaini was an eminent religious scholar, and a prestigious spiritual mentor. He served Islam by influencing the hearts of the Muslims through his ethical and spiritual teachings. His words and practical implementation of the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah by his own-self, inspired the hearts and the souls of the Muslims of his era. The selfless dedication of Syed Ali Hussaini enlightened the dark alleys of the straying hearts and confused minds of the Muslims. His enthusiastic and strict subordination to the Sunnah of The Prophet (PBUH) enlivened the true spirit of Islam in this age of Science and Technology. The people, who ever came in contact with him, fell in love with his noble personality and sublime character. He has written many books on different categories, but in this article a few of his books on the category of Tasawuf have been introduced and reviewed. It maybe concluded that he has imparted a legacy in the field of Tasawuf, in general; and guidance to the people of Pakistan, in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The risk of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalization is highest during the first months of life, but few studies have assessed the population‐based rates of hospitalization in monthly age groups of infants. Methods: We determined the average population‐based rates of hospitalization with virologically confirmed RSV infections in children ≤15 years of age admitted during the 10‐year period of 2008–2018. Testing for RSV was routine in all children hospitalized with respiratory infections, and all RSV‐positive children admitted at any time during the study period were included in the analyses. Results: The annual population‐based rate of RSV hospitalization was highest in infants 1 month of age (52.0 per 1000 children; 95% CI, 45.2–59.7), followed by infants <1 month of age (34.8 per 1000; 95% CI, 29.2–41.1) and those 2 months of age (32.2 per 1000; 95% CI, 26.9–38.4). In cumulative age groups, the rate of hospitalization was 39.7 per 1000 (95% CI, 36.2–43.4) among infants <3 months of age, 26.8 per 1000 (95% CI, 24.8–29.0) in infants aged <6 months, and 15.8 per 1000 (95% CI, 14.7–17.0) in those <12 months of age. Conclusion: In monthly age groups of infants, the incidence rates of virologically confirmed RSV hospitalization in all infants up to 3 months of age were substantially higher than those reported in earlier studies. These data may be important for improving the estimates of the cost‐effectiveness of various interventions to reduce the burden of RSV in young infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study utilizes a slurry-pot wear tester to investigate the relationship between slurry concentration and slurry-erosion performance of sDSS 2507/IN625 dissimilar weld joint (DWJ). Varying slurry concentrations (10 and 30 wt.% silica sand) were utilized to investigate erosion, weight loss, and wear mechanisms in severe environments. The study aimed to provide an in-depth knowledge of erosion behaviors by analyzing surface characteristics, microstructure characteristics, and material removal mechanisms. The electron probe micro-analyzer studied weld zone element segregation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examined microstructure and erosion mechanism. ER2594 filler weld shows higher microhardness as compared to weld fabricated using ERNiCrMo-3 filler metal. Sand particle density, particle-to-surface contact, particle interactions, and fluid impacts increase cumulative weight loss and decrease erosion rate per unit solids weight. Slurry concentration increased weight loss by 23% for sDSS 2507 BM and 33% for IN-625 BM. ER2594-LHI lost 72% and ERNiCrMo-3-LHI 77% more weight with increasing slurry concentration. Filler ERNiCrMo-3 has less erosion wear than filler ER2594 as the concentration of slurry increases. SDSS 2507 BM and IN-625 BM erode 1.45 and 1.8 times faster with increasing slurry concentration, respectively. The erosion rate of ER2594-LHI and ERNiCrMo-3-LHI increases 0.85 and 1.2 times with slurry concentration. SEM analysis of the worn surface exhibits mixed cutting–ploughing modes coexisting with the formation of craters. The material removal has predominantly occurred from the cutting and ploughing mechanism, whereas the characteristic presence of craters and frontal and lateral lips is also found across the entire surface. The results from this study suggest the optimum heat input to be maintained during weld fabrication of sDSS 2507/IN-625 using ER 2594 and ERNiCrMo-3 filler metals for enhanced resistance against slurry erosion wear. Also, an insight into the wear mechanism helps in understanding the effect of microstructural features on the wear performance of welds in operational conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have demonstrated higher performance results when compared to traditional approaches for implementing robust myoelectric control (MEC) systems. However, the delay induced by optimising a MEC remains a concern for real-time applications. As a result, an optimised DNN architecture based on fine-tuned hyperparameters is required. This study investigates the optimal configuration of convolutional neural network (CNN)-based MEC by proposing an effective data segmentation technique and a generalised set of hyperparameters. Firstly, two segmentation strategies (disjoint and overlap) and various segment and overlap sizes were studied to optimise segmentation parameters. Secondly, to address the challenge of optimising the hyperparameters of a DNN-based MEC system, the problem has been abstracted as an optimisation problem, and Bayesian optimisation has been used to solve it. From 20 healthy people, ten surface electromyography (sEMG) grasping movements abstracted from daily life were chosen as the target gesture set. With an ideal segment size of 200 ms and an overlap size of 80%, the results show that the overlap segmentation technique outperforms the disjoint segmentation technique (p-value < 0.05). In comparison to manual (12.76 ± 4.66), grid (0.10 ± 0.03), and random (0.12 ± 0.05) search hyperparameters optimisation strategies, the proposed optimisation technique resulted in a mean classification error rate (CER) of 0.08 ± 0.03 across all subjects. In addition, a generalised CNN architecture with an optimal set of hyperparameters is proposed. When tested separately on all individuals, the single generalised CNN architecture produced an overall CER of 0.09 ± 0.03. This study's significance lies in its contribution to the field of EMG signal processing by demonstrating the superiority of the overlap segmentation technique, optimizing CNN hyperparameters through Bayesian optimization, and offering practical insights for improving prosthetic control and human–computer interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muslim scientists have played an important role in scientific development and many famous scientific scholars have made great contribution in various fields, which have helped in the development of science. Some important Muslim scientists' contribution to the field of science has discussed in this article. Jābir ibn ayyān (721-815) was a prominent Muslim chemist whose chemical works later became the basis of traditional alchemy. He made important analysis in the field of alchemy and determined the basic properties of metals. Al-Khwārizmī (780-850) was one of the most famous mathematicians in human history and the founder of Algebra. He solved many calculus problems and invented numerical techniques that later proved important to geometrical mathematics. Ibn al-Haytham (965-1040 AD) was a well-known scientist and mathematician of the Islāmic class. He laid the foundation of scientific principles in the field of physics and introduced the knowledge of light, the study of which was crucial to Einstein's development of quantum mechanics. Abu Alī Ibn Sinā (980-1037) was a prominent Muslim physician, philosopher, and medical expert. His work proved to be very important in the field of medical science and he made detailed studies of the human body which later proved to be very important to European medical knowledge. The work of these Muslim scientists contributed significantly to scientific progress and their analyzes and inventions improved scientific thinking and experiments in various fields. His intellectual legacy has inspired scientists around the world, which has further enhanced scientific progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several carpal pathologies are considered to be related to ulnar variance. Recently, computer-aided computed tomography (CT) analysis software was introduced to quantify three-dimensional (3D) carpal alignment with high accuracy and reliability. Purpose: To determine the association of ulnar variance with 3D carpal alignment and demographics. Material and Methods: A wrist of 121 asymptomatic volunteers (69 men, 52 women; mean age = 38 ± 10.4 years) was imaged in the neutral wrist position with cone-beam CT. Computer-aided CT analysis software (Bonelogic), based on segmentation and numerical modelling, was used to define ulnar variance and standardized 3D axes for all carpal bones. The association of ulnar variance with 3D carpal alignment, age of the volunteer, and side and dominance of the imaged wrist was assessed. Results: The mean ulnar variance was −1.6 ± 1.5 mm (range = −5.3 to 2.4 mm). The mean ulnar variance was −1.9 mm and −1.1 mm in men and women (P = 0.007), respectively. Of the imaged 121 wrists, 18 (15%) had positive and 103 (85%) negative ulnar variance. There was no association between ulnar variance and any of the radio- or intercarpal angle values in either the sagittal or coronal plane (ρ = −0.16...0.17, r = −0.13....0.12). The ulnar variance showed no association with side (P = 0.51) or dominance (P = 0.27) of the imaged wrist. Conclusion: 3D carpal alignment is not affected by ulnar variance. The association of ulnar variance with sex may in part explain the difference in reported prevalence of some carpal pathologies, such as ulnar impaction syndrome and Kienböck's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coordination polymers (CPs) have been widely proven as sacrificial electrode materials for energy storage applications because of their high porosity, specific surface area and tunable structural topology. In this work, a new 2D Cu(II)-based CP, formulated as [Cu2(btc)(μ-Cl)2(H2O)4]n (CP-1) (H3btc = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid), fabrication of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) and its composite (CuO@CP-1) were successfully synthesized using solvothermal, precipitation and mechanochemical grinding approaches. Single-crystal X-ray analysis authenticated a two-dimensional (2D) layered network of CP-1. Further, CP-1, CuO NPs and composite were characterized by diffraction (Powder-XRD), spectroscopic (FTIR), microscopic (SEM), and thermal (TGA) techniques. The porosity and surface behavior of CP-1 and the composite were demonstrated using BET analyzer. Topological simplification of CP-1 shows a 3-c connected hcb periodic net. The photocatalytic behavior of CP-1 was examined over methyl red (MR) dye in the presence of sunlight and showed a promising degradation efficiency of 96.80%. The electrochemical energy storage properties of CP-1, CuO NPs and composite were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) analysis under aqueous 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte. The electrochemical results show better charge storage performance of CP-1 with a specific capacitance of 602.25 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 current density by maintaining a retention of up to 84.51% after 5000 cycles at 10 A g−1 current density. Comparative electrochemical studies reveal that CP-1 is a promising electrode material for energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every economic sector in the world is threatened by climate change, but the agricultural sector is especially vulnerable because of its strong dependence. That is the way this study aims to introduce the causal dynamic interactions of a vital maize food crop, fertilizer consumption as a non-climate factor, and meteorological factors in the provinces of Pakistan. The breakpoint unit root tests achieve the validity of variable stationary properties. Constant variation is imposed to demonstrate the long- and short-run autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach, which is covered by the use of quarterly data from the years 2000 to 2020. The results reveal that fertilizer consumption substantially influences maize production in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; except for Sindh, it exhibits a negative connection. In Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, maize production is negatively linked with air temperature, whereas Balochistan illustrates a significant positive association. Long-term analysis noticed that the production of maize, a staple food crop, is significantly and favorably correlated with evapotranspiration in the province. At the same time, relative humidity demonstrates no relationship with maize crops in overall provinces. Rainfall over the long term shows an unfavorable and robust relationship with maize production in Pakistan's provinces. Throughout Punjab, air temperature and relative humidity have more of an effect over the long and short terms, respectively. The fertilizer strongly influences the province of Sindh in the long run, while maize is more sensitive to air temperature in the short term. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, evapotranspiration and Balochistan's air temperature greatly influence maize crops in the short and long term. Based on scientific evidence, inventing applicable agricultural-specific policy is made for farmers with the resilience to deal with climate influence. Significant food crop quality that can withstand increased temperatures and rainfall should be the focus of agricultural innovation and research to ensure long-term production and distribution efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most controversial issues that had been prevailing since the advent of Islam in the Sub-continent,even now is as debatable as it was,is the question of Simā (Ṣufi Song) and Moseeqī (Music).The views about Simā and Moseeqī had been originated though not directly from the text (Qurān and Ḥadīth),and inferred to Ḥalāl and Ḥarām and this inference is a matter of seriousness.No doubt in it as our history tells us that great saints like Alī Hajverī and Moeen ad-Din Chishtī and his disciples used Simā as tool to preach Islām.Now the question arises whether it is allowed by the Qurānic injunctions or not.If Simā is permissible,the what are the limitations as it is noted that a lot of music instruments are being used in it and the foremost functionality of the musical instruments is to rouse sensuality,and instigation of sensuality is in no way to Islām.This paper presents in the light of the text (Qurān and Ḥadīth),an analytical study about the status of Simā and Moseeqī. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cilia beating influences bio-fluid flow, and conduits with ciliated surfaces serve numerous purposes. Cilia are hair-like adjuncts that produce liquid drive and cell locomotion. This novel research integrates magnetohydrodynamics, Hall effects, and porous medium with the cilia-driven flow. The developed problem is further simplified by utilizing famous assumptions, i.e., low Reynolds number and large wavelength. The bvp5c function in MATLAB (2023a) is adopted to achieve a convergent solution. The graphical illustrations of streamlines, pressure drop, and axial velocity under the influence of pertinent parameters are thoroughly examined. The findings suggest that when a high magnetic field (Hall current) and porous media are combined with the Carreau–Yasuda fluid, the pumping equipment operates better than the viscous liquid. In addition, fluid movement in biological organs is improved by metachronal ciliary motion. Furthermore, it is predicted that this study will make a significant contribution to biomedical engineering in terms of the upgrading and advancement of various types of drug-delivery technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study conducted on a consanguineous family with individuals affected by cholestasis, a condition characterized by impaired bile flow between the liver and small intestine. The study identified a novel pathogenic variant in the KIF12 gene through clinical exome sequencing. The affected individuals exhibited variable phenotypes, ranging from chronic liver disease to early death. The study highlights the importance of genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for families affected by rare inheritable diseases. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a micro vascular disorder that is on a rapid increase in number of diagnosed and undiagnosed cases, and it is estimated that approximately 191 million people may be suffering from this disorder by year 2030. It affects major vital organ and organ systems of the body, and is frequently accompanied with neuropathy, nephropathy, cardiovascular disorders and retinopathy. The quality of life of diabetic patients is significantly impacted by diabetic neuropathy. Aims and Objectives: To investigate the difference in peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness between normal population and Type-II diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy using optical coherence tomography. Materials and Methods: Between May 2021 and May 2022, this case control research was conducted at Skims MCH Bemina SRINAGAR. Out of 400 eyes, 200 eyes belonged to healthy people and 200 eyes to Type II diabetics who did not have diabetic retinopathy. Age and gender were the same for both groups. Results: Mean age of study population was 47.05±5.47 years. Mean peripapillary RNFL thickness was 126.98±10.07 µm in Group-A (normal persons), and 120.77±5.41 µm in Group-B (Type-II diabetes). Between the two groups, there was a statistically significant difference in mean RNFL thickness as well as RNFL thicknesses in each quadrant (P=0.001). Conclusion: The diagnosis of any disease based on RNFL thinning must take into consideration the fact that diabetic patients have thin RNFL in comparison to normal persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mother nature utilizes an assembly of beating cilia to transport liquid in various circumstances. The arrays of these hair-like cellular appendages also aid in propelling microorganisms like spermatozoa and paramecium. In our implicit finite difference analysis, we present a pumping performance of a curved channel comprising mucus flow induced via active cilium. The non-Newtonian mucus is modelled as Carreau fluid model. The undulating cilia attached with curved walls are assumed to be complex wavy. The tips of these cilia form a complex wavy peristaltic curved passage with porous medium effects. Well-known continuity and momentum equations (in curvilinear coordinates) are utilized to model the flow problem. Cilia-driven flow is creeping which is based on low Reynolds number assumption. Moreover, long wavelength assumption is also employed in this analysis. The reduced fourth-order BVP is solved via implicit finite difference method (IFDM). The computed results are plotted by using MATLAB (2021a). The mucus velocity is plotted at three different cross-sections and flow rates. Moreover, velocity of mucus, pressure gradient, pressure rise, and level curves are also expounded for various rheological, porous and cilia-based parameters. A special case of straight passage is also presented in the graphical result section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onion is one of the most important salad and vegetable plants in all parts of Pakistan. Onions in storage are being affected by different types of diseases, but Blue Mold of Onions is one of the most important detrimental post-harvest diseases of onions. The research was conducted in the Plant Pathology Laboratory at Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam, to manage Penicillium expansum by applying different Botanical extracts, Viz., Caramon, Garlic and Neem. The efficacy of all three botanicals was tested on storage onion with three replications and data was collected at four days' intervals. After statistical analysis, it was observed that all three botanicals cause significant reductions in the rot severity of onion in storage: among the three botanicals, Neem was found most effective in reducing rot severity, followed by garlic and caramon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is a comparison of wind and seismic loads on medium and high-rise buildings in Muscat, Oman. It uses the proposed Omani Seismic Code and Eurocode EN1991 for seismic and wind calculations, respectively. Muscat falls under Zone-1 in the Omani seismic code and experience basic wind speed of 30 m/sec. The research investigates buildings with varying aspect ratios (1:1 and 1:2), heights (11, 15, and 19 stories), and structural layouts (frame only, core shear wall, and corner shear wall), using ETABS for structural analysis. The findings reveal that seismic actions are generally more significant than wind actions for buildings in Muscat. In frame-only structures, wind-induced base shear ranges from 16%-33% for 1:1 aspect ratio and 21%-43% in the x-direction and 10%-20% in the y-direction for 1:2 aspect ratio, when compared to seismic actions. This difference decreases with increasing building height. Incorporating shear walls notably reduces the maximum lateral displacement across all scenarios, with core-located walls being most effective, leading to a 49% reduction in lateral displacement. Shear walls also substantially mitigate first-story column shear forces and bending moments. The study concludes that seismic actions are more critical than wind actions in Muscat for simple moment-resisting frame systems. Additionally, using shear walls in these buildings is highly beneficial for controlling lateral displacements and reducing member forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirteen known Yr gene-associated markers pertaining to genes (Yr5,Yr10,Yr15,Yr24/Yr26) were used to identify the genes in selected wheat germplasm which were found resistant under field conditions at two locations in Punjab, India against stripe rust. In field evaluation, 38 genotypes exhibited highly resistant response, with a final rust severity (FRS) ranging from 0 to TR. Seven genotypes expressed a resistant to moderately resistant response with FRS ranging from 5MR–10S. In race-specific phenotying against most prevalent pathotypes of Pucciniastriiformistritici (46S119,110S119 &238S119) by seedling reaction test (SRT) 14 genotypes (29.2%) were found to be immune (IT = 0), 28 genotypes (58.3%) were resistant (IT = 1), and 3 genotypes (6.3%) were moderately resistant (IT = 2). Yr5 was detected in sixteen lines with the help of two markers Xwmc175 and Xgwm120 linked with Yr5. Yr10 was detected in ten lines with the marker Xpsp3000 and Yr15 was detected in fourteen lines with two linked markers; Xgwm413 and Xgwm273. Likewise, Yr24/26 was detected in 15 lines with two linked markers, namely Xbarc181 and Xbarc187. Based on the race specific phenotyping data and marker data, fourteen lines were found to carry a single gene, 16 showed the presence of two gene combinations, and seven genotypes were found to have a combination of three genes. Frequencies of Yr5, Yr15 and Yr26/Yr24 was high among test wheat germplasm in comparison to Yr10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirteen known Yr gene-associated markers pertaining to genes (Yr5,Yr10,Yr15,Yr24/Yr26) were used to identify the genes in selected wheat germplasm which were found resistant under field conditions at two locations in Punjab, India against stripe rust. In field evaluation, 38 genotypes exhibited highly resistant response, with a final rust severity (FRS) ranging from 0 to TR. Seven genotypes expressed a resistant to moderately resistant response with FRS ranging from 5MR–10S. In race-specific phenotying against most prevalent pathotypes of Pucciniastriiformistritici (46S119,110S119 &238S119) by seedling reaction test (SRT) 14 genotypes (29.2%) were found to be immune (IT = 0), 28 genotypes (58.3%) were resistant (IT = 1), and 3 genotypes (6.3%) were moderately resistant (IT = 2). Yr5 was detected in sixteen lines with the help of two markers Xwmc175 and Xgwm120 linked with Yr5. Yr10 was detected in ten lines with the marker Xpsp3000 and Yr15 was detected in fourteen lines with two linked markers; Xgwm413 and Xgwm273. Likewise, Yr24/26 was detected in 15 lines with two linked markers, namely Xbarc181 and Xbarc187. Based on the race specific phenotyping data and marker data, fourteen lines were found to carry a single gene, 16 showed the presence of two gene combinations, and seven genotypes were found to have a combination of three genes. Frequencies of Yr5, Yr15 and Yr26/Yr24 was high among test wheat germplasm in comparison to Yr10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citric acid, one of the representative chelate compounds, has been widely used as an additive to achieve the highly dispersed metal-supported catalysts. This study aimed to investigate the effect of citric acid concentration on the preparation of the highly dispersed Ni catalysts on mesoporous silica (SBA-15) for the dry reforming of methane. A series of Ni/SBA-15 catalysts with citric acid were prepared using the acid-assisted incipient wetness impregnation method, and the Ni/SBA-15 catalyst as a reference was synthesized via the impregnation method. First of all, the citric acid addition during the catalyst synthesis step regardless of its concentration resulted in highly dispersed Ni particles of ~4–7 nm in size in Ni/SBA-15 catalysts, which had a superior and stable catalytic performance in the dry reforming of methane (93% of CO2 conversion and 86% of CH4 conversion). In addition, the amount of coke formation was much lower in a series of Ni/SBA-15 catalysts with citric acid (~2–5 mgcoke gcat−1 h−1) compared to pristine Ni/SBA-15 catalysts (~22 mgcoke gcat−1 h−1). However, when the concentration of citric acid became higher, the more free NiO species that formed on the SBA-15 support, leading to large Ni particles after the stability test. The addition of citric acid is a very clear strategy for making highly dispersed catalysts, but its concentration needs to be carefully controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sentiment analysis (SA) from the user‐generated reviews is the latest research topic in natural language processing. Nowadays, the extraction of consumer sentiment from the content of the consumer reviews is getting much attention because of its importance in understanding consumers' experiences regarding services or products. Consumer sentiment may be helpful for both consumers and organizations; a consumer can refer to previous consumers' feedback while making their purchase decisions, and organizations can use it in service improvements. For the consumer SA, this article proposed the BERT‐GAN model with review aspect fusion, which improves the fine‐tuning performance of the BERT model by introducing semi‐supervised adversarial learning. For our objective, we extracted various service aspects from consumer reviews and fused them with the word sequences before feeding them into the model. That helps in incorporating aspect representation as well as position information in context with the sentences. Our results analysis and their demonstration show the contribution of the presented model in terms of accuracy compared with the existing models found in the previous work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of recovery and training of the patients suffering from osteoarthritis, muscular dystrophy and stroke, we present a design and validation model of a mechanical rehabilitation device for the hand. The objective is to bring together the advances in mechanism effectiveness, reduced size, simpler assembly, and lower manufacturing costs. As a result, the proposed exoskeleton employs a minimal number of components and has a very simplistic design. Moreover, training on the designed hand should reduce spasticity, paresis and recover the tone of the muscle. The designed device can deliver motions that include opening/closing, pronation/supination of the hand and flexion/extension of the hand as well as the arm. This work will focus toward increasing DOF, cost-effectiveness and some modifications in the design to ease assembly. Three servo motors and a linear actuator were used virtually to obtain four different motions. 3D designing of the parts, parts assembly, simulation and studies like kinematic, dynamic and static were carried out. Static analysis of the device shows the device is able to carry the loads without any fracture or deformation. Preliminary results obtained through motion curves show this device is able to deliver all the required motions smoothly without facing any dead point. Design and validation model of a mechanical rehabilitation device for the hand. Advances in mechanism effectiveness, simpler assembly, and lower manufacturing costs. Study focuses towards increasing DOF, cost-effectiveness and ease assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Intrinsic capacity (IC) is conceptualized by World Health Organization (WHO) with a focus on healthy aging. Identifying impairment could help in making a person-centred plan for the care of older adults. Objectives. Establish the prevalence of IC among community-dwelling older adults age >60, the prevalence of impairment in each domain, and identify factors associated with an impairment in IC. Methods. This cross-sectional observational study in the community setting included 1000 older adults aged 60 years and above in two-year study period. The 6 domains of IC including cognition, locomotor capacity, psychological, vitality, hearing, and vision were derived from the comprehensive geriatric assessment. The IC composite score was calculated based on these domains, and a higher IC score indicated greater IC. Results. During the study period, 1000 older adults, with the median age of 66.5 (IQR-63-73) were included, and 629 (62.9%) were women. Only in 157 (15.7%) community-dwelling older adults, all 6 domains were intact. Impairment in one, two, and three domains was seen in 442 (42.2%), 305 (30.5%), and 91 (9.1%), respectively. The most prevalent impaired domain was locomotor (593, 59.3%), followed by vision (441, 44.1%), hearing (193, 19.3%), cognition (106, 10.6%), mood (38, 3.8%), and vitality (37, 3.7%). The factors associated with lower IC included increasing age (β-coefficient −0.01, 95% CI: −0.02 to −0.01, p value = 0.002), impaired activities of daily living (β-coefficient −0.13, 95% CI: −0.49 to −0.18, p value <0.001), and chronic neurologic illness (β-coefficient −0.10, 95% CI: −0.77 to −0.18, p value = 0.001). Conclusions. In conclusion, we found that impairment in IC was frequent in community-dwelling older adults, and it is associated with age, presence of chronic neurologic illness, and declining functionality. The adoption of IC should be seen as an opportunity to disseminate geriatric care in our healthcare systems which lack the necessary attention to the needs of older persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter discusses the challenges of diagnosing epilepsy in Pakistan. The country has a high prevalence of epilepsy, with the majority of cases occurring in rural areas. However, there is a significant treatment gap, with many patients not receiving proper treatment due to misdiagnosis. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of neurologists in the country, with less than three doctors available per million individuals. Additionally, the cost of diagnostic tests, such as MRI and EEG, is prohibitively expensive for many people, especially those in rural areas. The authors suggest that the government should improve access to neurologists and diagnostic facilities, and that non-governmental organizations could also play a role in addressing this issue. [Extracted from the article]

Background: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been promoted as a time-efficient exercise strategy to improve health and fitness in children and adolescents. However, there remains little consensus in the literature regarding its efficacy in children and adolescents with special educational needs (SEN). This study aimed to examine HIIT as a means of improving key health and fitness parameters in children and adolescents with SEN. Methods: A systematic search was conducted on eight databases (MEDLINE, Embase, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library). Studies were eligible if they 1) included an HIIT protocol, 2) examined parameters related to both physical and mental aspects of health and fitness, and 3) examined children and adolescents with SEN aged 5–17 years. Results: Of the 1727 studies yielded by the database search, 13 (453 participants) were included and reviewed. We found that HIIT generally improved body composition, physical fitness, and cardiometabolic risk biomarkers across a spectrum of SEN (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder, and mental illness). Improvements in mental health and cognitive performance following HIIT have also been observed. Conclusion: This review provides up-to-date evidence for HIIT as a viable exercise strategy for children and adolescents with SEN. Further research investigating the benefits of HIIT in a wider range of SEN populations is warranted. Trial registration: This study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Review (PROSPERO; registration number CRD42022352696). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ubiquity of the World Wide Web has provided massive opportunities to teachers and learners around the globe to share knowledge anytime anywhere via learning management system. Hence, considering the needs of the students; universities have arranged the facilities of the learning management system. This study is an empirical evaluation of university faculty members' intention to use a learning management system. We extended Davis's (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to evaluate faculty members' intention to use learning management system amid COVID‐19. Data were obtained from the faculty members of Pakistani universities through the convenience sampling technique and analyzed using PLS‐SEM. The outcomes of the study revealed that perceived ease of using a learning management system, user‐interface design, and faculty members' innovativeness have a favorable impact on their intention to use learning management system. Facilitating conditions positively influenced intention to use learning management system. However, the positive relationship between facilitating conditions and perceived ease of using the learning management system was insignificant. The results indicate that the extended TAM model has effectively predicted faculty members' intention to use the learning management system. The findings of the current study can be used for the training and development of faculty members by institutions and regulatory bodies in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine the association of fasting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) with dyslipidemia in newly diagnosed diabetes (NDD). Method: This collaborative prospective interventional clinical study was carried out by the Biochemistry Department, at the University of Karachi-Pakistan, Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology, Karachi-Pakistan and Kansai Electric Power Medical Research Institute, Osaka, Japan. The study duration was from March 2019 to May 2020. Participants were identified on the basis of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results. Of 34 participants, 17 were NDD and 17 were healthy. Demographics and anthropometric details were noted on a predesigned questionnaire. Blood samples were collected at fasting state for plasma glucose, lipid profile, HbA1c, and hormones (GIP and GLP-1). Results: The healthy participants included nine males and eight females, and the NDD participants included ten males and seven females. Mean age was 50.78±2.44 years and BMI was 28.41±0.76 kg/m2. Among healthy participants, both GIP and GLP-1 showed non-significant weak correlation for biochemical parameters. In NDD participants, GIP showed significantly negative moderate correlation with age and non-HDL and positive moderate correlation with LDL only. However, GLP-1 showed significantly positive moderate correlation with total cholesterol (r = 0.564, p = 0.018), LDL (r = 0.498, p = 0.042), HDL (r = 0.50, p = 0.041) and non-HDL (r = 0.503, p = 0.047) in NDD participants. Conclusion: The effect of GIP and GLP-1 measures on dyslipidemia were substantially different among NDD participants in our population. In the NDD group, GLP-1 is significantly moderately associated with dyslipidemia compared to GIP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shiblī Nu‟māni's contribution to theology i.e. ʿIlm al)Kalām, holds significant importance. His work on this subject began in the early 20th century, at a time when only a handful of scholars across the Muslim world were actively pursuing it. Shiblī's contribution was unique in the sense that he attempted to strike balance between traditional and modern approaches forʿIlm al-Kalām,. Shiblī firmly believed that the modern era required modern theology. However, despite his great efforts, Shiblī did not succeed in constructing new theology that could fully respond to modern intellectual challenges. One of the main reasons for this failure was his lack of familiarity with the new questions raised by modern science and philosophy concerning religion and its metaphysical structure. This paper seeks to examine and study the distinctive features of Shiblī's views on ʿIlm al)Kalām, and to critically evaluate the method adopted by him in the context of his attempt to create a new theology. Through this examination, the paper aims to draw new insights and perspectives on the subject matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Inclined walking is associated with multiple musculoskeletal benefits and is considered a therapeutic exercise. Various patterns of increased and decreased muscle activation with inclined surfaces have been observed in normal muscles, with more focus on the proximal lower limb musculature. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the differences in electromyographic activation of gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis anterior at various inclined surfaces during gait. METHODS: Fourteen healthy male participants aged between 17–30 years walked at a self-selected speed at motor driven treadmill on 0, 2 and 4 degrees of inclination. EMG activity of the muscles was recorded using the Delsys Trigno surface EMG system. RESULTS: Results showed that muscular activation of tibialis anterior significantly decreased with increase in the level of inclination (p < 0.05). However, soleus, gastrocnemius medialis and gastrocnemius lateralis showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in their muscular activation, and no noticeable trends were found. Furthermore, no significant difference was found between all the muscles at ground level and inclined level 2 and 4. CONCLUSION: These differences in activation patterns found in distal extremity can be useful for designing rehabilitation protocols in sports training and for patients with neurological and musculoskeletal pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Genetic relationship with biochemical, hormones and markers of inflammation. METHODOLOGY: This collaborative study was cross-sectional and carried out by the Department of Biochemistry, Karachi University, Baqai Diabetology and Endocrinology Institute (BIDE), Karachi-Pakistan and Kansai Electric Power Institute of Medical Research (KEPIIMR), Osaka-Japan. The duration of the research was from March 2019 to May 2020. Both genders aged 30-70 (years) visiting the outpatient department of BIDE and fulfilling the inclusion criteria were recruited. An oral glucose tolerance test as diagnostic criteria was used. Subjects were categorized into healthy (glucose levels of fasting glucose (FPG) less than 100 (mg/dL), a two-hour glucose post level (2-hr PGL) below 140mg/dL). Newly diagnosed diabetics (NDD) (FPG =126mg/dL or 2-hr PGL =200mg/dL or both without any antidiabetic medicines use). Subjects with any complications were excluded. SPSS (Social Science Package for Statistical) Version 20 was used to analyze data. RESULTS: Of 34 subjects, 17 were NDD and 17 were healthy. The mean age was 49.65±1.95, and the mean BMI was 28.12±0.93. DPP-4 C/T exhibited significant findings (p<0.05) compared with GLP-1R C/A among healthy and NDD subjects. Polymorphism of GLP1R C/A is associated significantly with fasting triacylglycerides and GLP1. In Comparison, polymorphism of DPP4 C/T was associated significantly in fasting with GLP1, GIP, HDL and IL-1ß when compared to NDD with healthy participants. CONCLUSION: We found significantly more association of DPP4 C/T polymorphism rs2970932 with biochemical parameters than GLP1R C/A polymorphisms rs1042044 in NDD individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine and describe the Implementation of Loli Channel Village Fund Allocation, Banawa District, Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The type of research conducted is descriptive qualitative. The informants in this study revealed 5 people. ensure that informants are carried out using a purposive method. This type of data uses primary and secondary data. The data analysis used is Miles and Huberman, namely data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. The theory used is Edward III's theory which consists of 4 (four) aspects, namely: Communication, resources, attitudes, and employee structure. Based on the research results, show that first, from the aspect of communication it has not been running effectively, where the delivery of communication has not gone well. Second, from the aspect of resources, it has not been supported by adequate human resources in terms of work quality, as well is a lack of technical understanding of the implementing apparatus regarding Village Fund Allocation. Third, in the Disposition aspect, there are still some things that are not appropriate and have not been running properly. Fourth, from the aspect of the bureaucratic structure, there is no standard operating procedure (SOP) regarding the management process and accountability for Village Fund Allocation. Thus, the researcher concludes that the implementation of the Loli Channel Village Fund Allocation policy, Banawa District, Donggala Regency has not run as expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb) is a biologically non-essential element in the soil that brutally affects plants and other living organisms in soil; hence, its removal has become a worldwide concern. In this work, a multifunctional nanoscale zerovalent-iron assisted biochar (nFe°/BC) was used to minimize the Pb bioavailability in soil with aim of alleviating the Pb-induced toxicity in sunflower. Results revealed that nFe°/BC treatment had significantly improved plant growth (58%), chlorophyll contents (66%), intracellular permeability (60%), and ratio factor (93%), while decreasing the Pb uptake (78%) in plants. The Pb-immobilization and transformation mechanisms were proposed, suggesting that the presence of organic functional groups over the nFe°/BC surface might induce the complex formation with Pb by the ions exchange process in soil solution. The XPS analysis confirmed that surface-active components (Fe+, O2−, O*, C═O) were the key factor for high Pb-immobilization within soil matrix. In addition, 87% of stable Pb species, including PbCO3, PbO, Pb (OH)2, and Pb-O-Fe were found in the soil surface. Current findings have exposed the diverse functions of nFe°/BC on plant health and established a phenomenon that nFe°/BC application could improve the plant agronomic attributes by regulating the homeostasis of antioxidants and Pb uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]