Search

This qualitative study seeks to know violent extremism and its underlying factors by analyzing the perceptions shared by the students and teachers of madrasahs and universities. Violent extremism is the prerequisite of terrorism and terrorist violence. Violent extremism as a human activity including actions, attitudes, beliefs, and tacticsemerges to be advocating and engaging in terrorist violence to gain its social, economic and political objectives. The focus of counterterrorism policy is to analyze how and why people develop violent extremist thoughts and actions which prepare them involve in the terrorist attacks. This article sees the violent extremism from the perspective of social structural that analyzes what social conditions motivate people adopt violent extremist thoughts. This article critically analyzes the influence of social structural variables on violent extremism by analyzing views and explanations collected from 127 students and teachers from the madrasahs and universities located in Sindh province. This study found that religion played a dominant role in shaping thinking and action patterns. Differences in religious ideologies, negative influence of political and international factors have significant impact on shaping and emerging violent extremist thoughts. Moreover, unequal and unsystematic distribution of educational, economic and political benefits has central impact on development extremist views. Bad governance failed to address religious, social and economic issues of people provided fueling factors for violent extremism. It can be summed that ineffective and weak policies of state and wrong distribution of social benefits promoted violent extremism in the Pakistani society making all the possibilities of violence and terrorism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study seeks to know violent extremism and its underlying factors by analyzing the perceptions shared by the students and teachers of madrasahs and universities. Violent extremism is the prerequisite of terrorism and terrorist violence. Violent extremism as a human activity including actions, attitudes, beliefs, and tacticse merges to be advocating and engaging in terrorist violence to gain its social, economic and political objectives. The focus of counterterrorism policy is to analyze how and why people develop violent extremist thoughts and actions which prepare them involve in the terrorist attacks. This article sees the violent extremism from the perspective of social structural that analyzes what social conditions motivate people adopt violent extremist thoughts. This article critically analyzes the influence of social structural variables on violent extremism by analyzing views and explanations collected from 127 students and teachers from the madrasahs and universities located in Sindh province. This study found that religion played a dominant role in shaping thinking and action patterns. Differences in religious ideologies, negative influence of political and international factors have significant impact on shaping and emerging violent extremist thoughts. Moreover, unequal and unsystematic distribution of educational, economic and political benefits has central impact on development extremist views. Bad governance failed to address religious, social and economic issues of people provided fueling factors for violent extremism. It can be summed that ineffective and weak policies of state and wrong distribution of social benefits promoted violent extremism in the Pakistani society making all the possibilities of violence and terrorism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like many low-income countries, Pakistan is facing children's health problems. The major health problems affecting children in the country are Pneumonia, Diarrhoea, Measles, Malaria and malnutrition. There is much research has already been conducted on biomedical and epidemiological aspects of these health problems, but little is known about the social and cultural dimensions of children's health issues. This paper attempts to propose the sociological research on children's health problems in Pakistan with the emic focus on local context. The proposed future research may mainly be situated in the interpretivist paradigm of qualitative inquiry. Thus, it will contribute in upscaling the very basic understanding of the meaning formed by people about social determinants of prevailing children health problems and their potential hazardous consequences in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with several comorbidities. Currently used synthetic medicines have various side effects. Herbal medicines are being widely used for management of diabetes. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of poly herbal formulation (PHF) (mixture of Citrullus colocynthis, Syzygium cumini and Holarrhena antidysenterica) in diabetic rats. We evaluated enzyme inhibition activity of PHF by ELISA and anti-hyperglycemic action was assessed in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Animals were divided into 5 groups, i.e., blank, negative control, standard control and PHF 250 and 500 mg/kg dosage respectively. Blood glucose level assessed through one touch method blood glucose monitoring system. The statistical analysis was performed by using one-way ANOVA p value of ≤0.05 was considered significant. Results of study indicated that PHF sufficiently inhibited DPPH at 0.5 mg/mL and serial dilutions with IC50 of 197 μg/mL while α- glucosidase inhibition assay showed marked inhibition of PHF at 0.5 mg/mL and serial dilutions with IC50 of 235 μg/mL. Oral intake of PHF reduced blood glucose level, serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels in wistar albino rats in dose dependent manner. Considering the multidirectional effects of PHF, it is concluded that PHF may be a therapeutic option in management of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper was to highlight the distinction between the public sphere models and market based model of mass media in order to understand the behavior of the media working either on profit directed or nonprofit directed perspective. Market based model was discovered to have trumped the public sphere model in recent times. This paper examined the implications, in the light of various studies, of the triumph of the market based model. Media, working according to market-based model, were found to be promoting trivial news items, disregarding the importance of news, and considering the brutality and violation of benchmark importantance for determining the worth of news items. The market-based model was found to be entrenched more firmly in entertainment-driven media, allowing commercial concern to shape the script of dramas and movies. The market-based model was found to be responsible for creating the wave of a crime and moral panic and developing fear for crimes. This paper examined the implications of the triumph of media that 'sell' to underscore that rather than having media that 'sell', media that are orientated to the public welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperuricemia is a biochemical abnormality and it affects the quality of life. Many medicinal substances are used in lowering the uric acid. The study designed to find hypouricemic effects ofultrahigh dilutions, the gum of Calophyllum inophyllum, Acid benzoicum in oxonate of potassium induced hyperuricemic wistar albinomodel. The experiment consist of 11 groups of albino rats. All the groups were treated with oxonate of potassium except normal control. Healthy group of animals received only distilled water, hyperuricemic control group were given alcohol mixed in distilled water. A standard allopathic medical substance Allopurinol and Acid benzoicum ultra high dilutions were given in time dependent manner (single dose/day) in different experimental groups. Blood samples were collected by rat tail vein bleeding. The uric acid and creatinine levels of serum were analyzed by using standard measuring kits. The Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis of difference between the groups p ≤ 0.05 was reflected significant. Oral intake of Acid benzoicum ultrahigh dilutions reduceduric acid levels of hyperuricemic wistar albino rats in time dependent mode. At 3rd day and 7th day administration of Acid benzoicum ultrahigh dilutions decreased the level of uric acid more ominously as compared to one day administration. However, allopurinol a standard allopathic drug normalized the uric acid level in all experimental groups. The current work showed significant hypouricemic effects of Acid benzoicum ultrahigh dilutions in hyperuricemic wistar albino model. However, clear conclusion of hypouricemic activity of Acid benzoicum needed repetition of experimental work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Belladonna and Pyrogenium are commonly used to treat fever in homeopathy. But in vivo antipyretic activity of these medicines is not reported yet. The study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrahigh dilutions of Belladonna (Bell) and Pyrogenium (Pyro) in fever model of rabbits induced by Baker's yeast. Methods: Healthy, local strain rabbits ( and ) were divided into seven groups (n=42): Normal control, negative control, standard control, pyro 1000c, pyro 200c, Bell 1000c and Bell 200c. Fever was induced by intra peritoneal injection of 135 mg/kg Baker's yeast suspension. Rectal temperature was measured hourly. All the medicines were administered once a day. The results were expressed as mean ± SEM. ANOVA and least significant difference post hoc test were applied for checking the level of significance, p-value of ≤0.05 was considered significant statistically. Results: Pyro in both potencies significantly reduced fever in rabbits compared to negative control group, while both potencies of Bell were ineffective. Paracetamol and Pyro 1000c reduced by 1.2 °C (39.7 ± 0.1 to 38.5 ± 0.1), while Pyro 200c reduced by 1 °C temperature (39.7 ± 0.5 to 38.7 ± 0.2). Conclusions: Pyro possesses marked antipyretic activity in rabbit's Baker's yeast fever model. It would embolden its clinical use in fever with more guarantee of its efficacy. However, caveat of small sample size necessitates replication of experiment in large sample size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invention of many of the new synthetic drugs is based on the knowledge of traditional system of medicine. Trachyspermum ammi L. (Apiaceae) is traditionally used to treat gout and rheumatism. The study was comprised of in vitro determination of total polyphenolic and flavonoid content, xanthine oxidase inhibition assay and in vivo hypouricemic activity of T. ammi in oxonate induced hyperuricemic rat model. In vivo activity consisted of 11 groups of rats each having 6 animals. All the groups except normal control were treated with potassium oxonate. Allopurinol, T. ammi 250 and 500 mg/kg were administered for one, three and seven days (single dose/day) in different study groups (3x3=9 groups). T. ammi has total phenolic content of 145.17 ± 1.70 gallic acid equivalents/g, and the total flavonoid content of 35 ± 2.20 rutin equivalents/g. T. ammi significantly inhibited xanthine oxidase in vitro (IC50= 68.6±0.2 µg/mL). Oral administration of T. ammi significantly reduced serum and hepatic urate levels in hyperuricemic rats in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, fractional excretion of uric acid was increased. The results suggested that hypouricemic effects of T. ammi could be explained, at least partly, by inhibiting xanthine oxidase in vitro and due to presence of phenolic and flavonoid contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Cassia absus is a plant of the family fabaceae with Ayurvedic ethnomedical records. It is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of bronchitis, asthma, cough, conjunctivitis, leucoderma, renal and hepatic diseases, constipation, tumors, venereal ulcer, headache, hemorrhoids and wound healing. Preliminary in vitro and in vivo studies have provided valuable scientific evidence for its use. This review aims to summarize reported pharmacognosy, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological potential of C. absus while identifying potential areas of further research of plant. Key findings The review comprises literature pertaining to the evidence base therapeutic potential, pharmacognosy and phytochemistry of C. absus spanning from 1935 to 2016 using published articles in peer-reviewed journals, ethno botanical text books, and worldwide accepted scientific databases via electronic search (Elsevier, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Springer, Web of Science, Wiley online library). Kew Botanical Garden databases and the Plant List were used to authenticate the scientific names. Different pharmacological experiments in many in-vitro and in-vivo models have proved the potential of C. absus with antihypertensive, antifertility, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-glycation, antibacterial activity, α- amylase inhibitory activity, antioxidant and reducing activitity etc. chaksine, iso-chaksine, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, chrysophanol, aloe-emodin and a wide range of chemical compounds have also been reported. Toxicity studies reveal the nontoxic nature of C. absus at a dose of 2000 mg/kg, however, plant possess reproductive toxicity and can be used as birth control or abortifacient. Summary Reported activities suggest that there is sufficient pharmacological potential for developing C. absus as a drug for hypertension, infections, diabetes and its complications. However, heterogeneity in study protocol and conflicting results mask the ability to replicate these studies. So, future studies should be replicated in line with best practices. More toxicological studies would aid the progress to clinical trial studies. Various ethno medical uses of C. absus have not been evaluated yet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phased-array ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation is an effective tool of safety assurance for key structural components. The paper presents a general post-processing methodology for phased-array ultrasonic inspection data. The methodology is developed to integrate three components: mapping of sampling points to structure model, re-sampling from non-uniformly distributed sampling points in phased-array to a uniform volume, and data fusion strategies for multiple channels. An adaptive method called spatially adaptive Gaussian splatting is proposed for data re-sampling and fusion considering the reconstruction resolution and local characteristics of ultrasonic sound paths. This adaptivity provides a viable approach to minimize the effects of under-sampling, over-sampling, and holes which are introduced by the non-uniformly distributed sampling points. The processing of large scale data through segmentation and parallelization techniques is discussed in detail. The effectiveness and performance of the proposed methodology are investigated using actual phased-array ultrasonic testing data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a general method and procedure for fatigue reliability assessment integrating automated ultrasonic non-destructive inspections. The basic structure of an automated ultrasonic inspection system is presented. Fatigue reliability assessment methodology is developed using uncertainty quantification models for detection, sizing, and fatigue model parameters. The probability of detection model is based on a classical log-linear model coupling the actual flaw size with the ultrasonic inspection reported size. Using probabilistic modeling, the distribution of the actual flaw size is derived. Reliability assessment procedure using ultrasonic inspection data is suggested. A steam turbine rotor example with realistic ultrasonic inspection data is presented to demonstrate the overall method. Calculations and interpretations of assessment results based on risk recommendations for industrial applications are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]