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The study is underpinned by the public sphere paradigm, which emphasizes that language policy and planning (LPP) should be studied from the actual practices of local stakeholders/agents and communi...

The National Education Policy 2009 of Pakistan designated English for two important roles in the government schools of Pakistan: English be taught as a compulsory subject from Grade 1; and also Eng...

The present investigation represents the synthesis of new p-sulphonatocalix[8]arene-based silica resin, p-SC8SR (5) and its application for the enhanced removal of methylene blue (MB) dye f...

The study proposes that Critical Multilingual Language Awareness (CMLA) can be deployed as a productive theoretical construct for scholarly activism in a country such as Pakistan where multilingualism and linguistic diversity have historically been seen as problems than assets in education. We illustrate that such activism can transform orientations and deconstruct myths/misconceptions about bi/multilingual/plurilingual education as research suggests greater public glorification of the dominant languages such as English and Urdu vis-a-vis native languages. Given the subtractive linguistic ecology, this paper explores how prevailing orientations about native languages can be neutralized and positively transformed. The study suggests how scholars/researchers or activists can create 'ideological and implementational spaces' [Hornberger, N. H. (2003). Continua of biliteracy: An ecological framework for educational policy, research, and practice in multilingual settings. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters;...

The present study describes the synthesis of silica and magnetic nanoparticle-decorated graphene oxide (GO-MNPs-SiO2) and its application as an adsorbent for the removal of naproxen from wastewater...

This article presents letter writing as a form of arts-based inquiry and reflective practice. The author argues that letter writing can be employed to develop a reflective space for autobiographical reflection. The letter featured here captures and demonstrates the shuffling, shifting, and shaping processes of the author’s researcher identity through letter writing, and is informed by the theoretical underpinnings of reflective practice. It records and investigates the experiences that the author underwent during a compulsory course in the first year of a doctoral program at a North American university. Three interrelated themes are identified in the letter: the researcher identity in crisis, the nature of research, and future researcher identity. It is concluded that letter writing can facilitate the self-evolution, self-introspection, self-awareness, and identity change that emerges with, and through, reflection. Letter writing as a reflective practice offers the benefits of developing self-know...

Wastewater effluents of many industries are usually composed of dye mixtures and their removal poses a significant challenge. The present study reports on the use of an advanced oxidation process namely UV/H2O2 to degrade Malachite Green (MG) (k = 0.0518 min−1) and Thiazole Yellow G (TYG) (k = 0.0367 min−1), and their binary mixture in aqueous solutions. Interestingly, it was seen that the photolytic degradation of dyes in binary solution was slower (by 10% for MG and by 46% for TYG) than that in neat solutions under comparable conditions. The total organic carbon analysis (TOC) was also carried out in both the neat dyes (38.5% decrease for MG and 13% decrease for TYG), and in mixture the TOC change was 40%. HPLC analyses confirmed the formation of intermediates in both individual dye solutions, which were however not seen in binary mixtures. The present work shows that dye mixtures behave very differently than neat dyes, and highlights the importance of studying complex dye mixtures and the possi...

To determine the prevalence of retinopathy among people with normal and abnormal glucose metabolism in a remote rural community of Bangladesh, and to identify the associated risk indicators for developing retinopathy in this population.A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted through screening in camp settings, which included a total of 836 participants (468 male and 368 female) aged 30 years or over. Retinopathy was determined by fundus photography. Anthropometric measures (body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio), oral glucose tolerance, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure, lipid profile, serum creatinine and urine albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) were measured. Logistic regression analysis was used with adjustment for potential confounders.The overall prevalence of retinopathy was 5.4% (95% confidence interval, CI, 3.9-6.9). The prevalence rates of retinopathy among diabetic, impaired glucose regulation and non-diabetic subjects were 21.6%, 13% and 3.5%, respectively. Adjusted odds ratios for retinopathy were 2.53 (95% CI 1.52-5.41) for abnormal glucose metabolism and 1.98 (95% CI 1.17-5.63), 1.74 (95% CI 1.09-3.02) and 1.63 (95% CI 1.08-3.12) for hypertension, HbA1c and UACR, respectively. Additionally, age, body mass index, triglyceride and total cholesterol were also found to be significant independent risk indicators for the occurrence of retinopathy in this population.A high prevalence of retinopathy was observed in this rural Bangladeshi population. In addition to blood glucose control for diabetes, screening for hypertension, obesity, hyperlipidemia and proteinuria as well as adequate treatment of these risk indicators may prevent retinopathy in rural Bangladeshi populations.

The effects of Ficus racemosa Linn. fruit extract and fraction on fasting serum glucose levels of normal, type 1 and type 2 diabetic model rats are presented. The aqueous 80% EtOH extract and its water soluble fraction of F. racemosa fruit did not show any serum glucose lowering effect on non-diabetic and type 2 diabetic rats at the fasting condition, whereas the extract showed significant hypoglycaemic effect on the type 1 diabetic model rats. Both the extract and fraction were consistently active in both non-diabetic and types 1 and 2 diabetic model rats when fed simultaneously with glucose load. On the contrary, they were ineffective in lowering blood glucose levels when fed 30 min prior to glucose load. The 1-BuOH soluble part of the ethanol extract exhibited significant antioxidant activity in DPPH free radical scavenging assay. 3-O-(E)-Caffeoyl quinate (1) was isolated for the first time from this plant, which also showed significant antioxidant activity.

Pterospermum semisagittatum leaves yielded three megastigmane glycosides (Z)-4-[3′-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy) butylidene]-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one (1), (E)-4-[3′-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)butylidene]-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one (2) and (E)-4-hydroxy-4-[3′-(β-D-glucopyrano syloxy)butylidene]-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one (3). Their structures were established by detailed spectroscopic studies. Compound 3 showed a significant insulin releasing effect on rat pancreatic islets.

The effect of operating cycle and fuel burnup on the isotopic composition and decay characteristics of irradiated nuclear fuel has been investigated using a standard computer code, KORIGEN. The parameters studied include isotopic compositions of actinides; activities due to the actinides, fission products, and light elements; decay heat; and the spontaneous fission neutron source. Calculations have been performed for a typical swimming pool-type research reactor, using materials test reactor-type low-enriched uranium fuel, for four different operating cycles. A fuel burnup range of 5 to 35% has been considered. The cooling time ranged from a fraction of a second to thousands of years. Results indicate that the amount of plutonium produced is strongly dependent on fuel burnup. It is not significantly affected by the operating cycle. The operating history of the reactor has a strong influence on fission product inventory and decay heat. The main contributors to activity and decay heat for the first two to three centuries are fission products; thereafter, actinides are the main contributors. The activity and decay heat drop drastically during the first day after shutdown. Both alpha activity and the spontaneous fission neutron source are strongly dependent on the operating cycle and fuel burnup. These increase with an increase in the fuel burnup but decrease for a longer power-on cycle.

SUMMARYPistillate seedling plants of the local cultivar of papaya ‘Deshi’, transplanted 40 d after sowing, were sprayed with aqueous solutions of IBA (25 and 50 ppm), GA3 (100 and 200 ppm), kinetin (50 and 100 ppm), BA (25 and 50 ppm), ethephon (100 and 200 ppm) or with water (control) 100 d after transplanting, when the experimental fruits borne by them were 15 d old. Latex was collected from the fruits when they were 90-95 d old and continued on four occasions, at 7 d intervals. Highly significant increases in yield and in protease activity of the latex over the control was obtained by application of ethephon. IBA and GA, also increased latex production, but spraying the plants with kinetin or BA solutions gave no clear results

Screening tests carried out at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, indicated that 10 exotic cotton lines introduced from the U.S.A. were immune to all the races of Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum (Smith) Dye, present in Pakistan. The immune lines screened in this test appear to be a valuable source of germplasm for the control of the disease in Pakistan.