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Railway projects are incredibly costly due to their complex nature. This study performs risk analysis and management of Pakistan railways ML-1 project expansion and upgradation that will be undertaken at US$6.8 billion under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The risks were identified based on an extensive literature review and their relevance to the CPEC. We employed fuzzy set theory (integrated with the risk severity index) to obtain the most severe risks. The novelty of this study is the technique employed to analyse and rank the risk, also there are no previous studies conducted that emphasized the construction risk of railway projects in Pakistan. The study is useful for all stakeholders of the project, as it can plan for them to tackle these risks and implement ML-1 successfully.

Image segmentation and identification are crucial to modern medical image processing techniques. This research provides a novel and effective method for identifying and segmenting liver tumors from public CT images. Our approach leverages the hybrid ResUNet model, a combination of both the ResNet and UNet models developed by the Monai and PyTorch frameworks. The ResNet deep dense network architecture is implemented on public CT scans using the MSD Task03 Liver dataset. The novelty of our method lies in several key aspects. First, we introduce innovative enhancements to the ResUNet architecture, optimizing its performance, especially for liver tumor segmentation tasks. Additionally, by harassing the capabilities of Monai, we streamline the implementation process, eliminating the need for manual script writing and enabling faster, more efficient model development and optimization. The process of preparing images for analysis by a deep neural network involves several steps: data augmentation, a Hounsfield windowing unit, and image normalization. ResUNet network performance is measured by using the DC metric Dice coefficient. This approach, which utilizes residual connections, has proven to be more reliable than other existing techniques. This approach achieved DC values of 0.98% for detecting liver tumors and 0.87% for segmentation. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluations show promising results regarding model precision and accuracy. The implications of this research are that it could be used to increase the precision and accuracy of liver tumor detection and liver segmentation, reflecting the potential of the proposed method. This could help in the early diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer, which can ultimately improve patient prognosis.

In this article, a fuel tank is coupled with gyrostat in a moving spacecraft to discuss its dynamical behaviour and bringing stability in velocity vectors. Parametric study is performed using Hopf bifurcation to find the bifurcation parameter for a considered mechanical model. Furthermore, a region is constructed in which negligible limit cycles appear around unstable spirals for angular momentum greater than bifurcation point. Based on local dynamical analysis, trajectories of angular velocities are observed with respect to damping constant, which is formulated in the form of bifurcation parameter. Moreover, a controller is designed in this article for considered dynamical system by achieving global stability, with the help of Lyapunov theory, into the spacecraft coupled with filled fuel tank, and their results are compared with effective spacecraft control strategies to observe the effectiveness of our proposed control technique. Finally, in presented research, numerical simulations are performed using MATLAB for validation of analytical results, which the authors have achieved for Hopf bifurcation and designed controller.

School mapping being a form of local planning is dealt as a local subject but has national and international impacts. This is a dynamic process which initiates with detailed diagnoses of the local situation, and on the basis of national objectives and international norms, provides for future educational needs at the local level and to indicates the obligatory measure required to achieve these needs. Ironically, local and national planners in Kyhber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan still show reluctance in using School Mapping Techniques. As a result the resources are misused, supervision becomes difficult and ghost and un-operational schools are not uncommon. This qualitative study focuses to address the customary conditions of school mapping in twenty four districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for diagnosis of the major factors that make the educational planners reluctant and in addition to determine the causes of not realizing its importance in Educational Management Information System (EMIS). This makes the study unique as no such effort has ever made before in the area to probe the matter and suggest remedies. Data were collected by means of interview schedule with dealing EMIS managers at provincial level of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and Executive District Officers of Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Kohat, Karak, Charsadda, Abbottabad and Mansehra districts while from the rest of sixteen districts telephonic conversation was focused as a major tool for collecting data. The results show that respondents both at Provincial and District level are well aware of the importance of school mapping but were reluctant to implement it practically due to very minor or no reasons.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the status of antimicrobial‐resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus in Pakistan, their association in terms of co‐occurrence with the biofilm‐forming genes, resistance profiling and associated discrepancies in diagnostic methods. Methodology: A total of 384 milk samples from bovine was collected by using convenient sampling technique and were initially screened for subclinical mastitis, further preceded by isolation and confirmation of S. aureus. The S. aureus isolates were subjected to evaluation of antimicrobial resistance by phenotypic identification using Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method, while the genotypic estimation was done by polymerase chain reaction to declare isolates as methicillin, beta‐lactam, vancomycin, tetracycline, and aminoglycoside resistant S. aureus (MRSA, BRSA, VRSA, TRSA, and ARSA), respectively. Results: The current study revealed an overall prevalence of subclinical mastitis and S. aureus to be 59.11% and 46.69%, respectively. On a phenotypic basis, the prevalence of MRSA, BRSA, VRSA, TRSA, and ARSA was found to be 44.33%, 58.49%, 20.75%, 35.84%, and 30.18%, respectively. The results of PCR analysis showed that 46.80% of the tested isolates were declared as MRSA, 37.09% as BRSA, and 36.36% as VRSA, while the occurrence of TRSA and ARSA was observed in 26.31% and 18.75%, respectively. The current study also reported the existence of biofilm‐producing genes (icaA and icaD) in 49.06% and 40.57% isolates, respectively. Lastly, this study also reported a high incidence of discrepancies for both genotypic and phenotypic identification methods of resistance evaluation, with the highest discrepancy ratio for the accA‐aphD gene, followed by tetK, vanB, blaZ, and mecA genes. Conclusion: The study concluded that different antibiotic resistance strains of S. aureus are prevalent in study districts with high potential to transmit between human populations. The study also determined that there are multiple resistance determinants and mechanisms that are responsible for the silencing and expression of antibiotic resistance genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the two emerging seaports: Gwadar port (Pakistan); and Chabahar port (Iran). The study evaluates the trade attractiveness among the neighboring countries, i.e., Afghanistan, China, and the Central Asian States, while keeping China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) development in perspective. The two ports may provide one of the closest sea links for the resource-rich Central Asian countries and Afghanistan. At the same time, Gwadar provides China with an alternative and short trade route via Pakistan. The study employs the Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) technique of Multi-Criteria Decision Making methods to evaluate and select the best seaport. The findings establish that Gwadar is a better option. The study also provides recommendations for the authorities of the two ports and the prospective other countries in the neighborhood to ensure maximum return on their investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate correlation of fasting serum cholesterol level with severity of chronic liver disease (CLD). Study Design: Cross-sectional Survey. Setting: North Medical Ward, Mayo Hospital Lahore. Period: June 2020 to December 2020. Material & Methods: Patients having chronic liver disease with age 25-85 years and of either gender, were included. After 12 hours of fasting, 5ml of blood was drawn from patients under all aseptic precautions into sterile disposable syringes and blood samples were sent to laboratory for measurement of total cholesterol. Total cholesterol (TC) in mg/dl was noted from their reports. CLD severity patients was defined by using Modified Child Pugh classifications. Data was entered in SPSS version 20 and analyzed by same software. Results: Total 100 cases diagnosed with chronic liver disease (CLD) were studied, with an average age of 53.8±10.76 years. The majority of participants, constituting 72%, were male. Overall average TC was 119.85±31.51mg/dl. Out of all 27% patients belonged to CPT class A, 28% had CPT class B and 45% had CPT class C. Spearman correlation between Child Pugh score and total cholesterol level was calculated. A negative spearman correlation was found as r= -.672. It was significant at the level of 0.01. Conclusion: As per the study conclusion, total serum cholesterol level was observed to be the significantly corelated with degree of liver damage. The significance of this correlation highlights the potential clinical utility of serum total cholesterol as a prognostic tool for evaluating the degree of liver damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Excessive lead (Pb) in industrial dust increases serious concerns about its potential impact on human health and environment. Urban trees, as a green and cost-effective alternative, are now considered an eco-sustainable tool used to monitor and mitigate this environmental pollution. The present study investigated the effect of dust particles and lead deposition on plant functioning and micromorphology of two common roadside plants, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Conocarpus lancifolius, in an industrial city, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Tree leaf samples were collected from 20 sites varying in dust exposure intensity. These samples were analyzed for antioxidant enzymes such as superoxidase dismutase (SOD), peroxidases (POD), and catalases (CAT), as well as for proline and protein contents. An increased leave of reactive oxygen species and proline contents in response to increasing dust load and lead tissue lead concentrations across the tested locations suggested the sensitivity of plants to urban dust. This study suggested that C. lancifolius leaves accumulated relatively higher dust particles and lead contents than E. camaldulensis. However, this excessive dust deposition and lead uptake inhibited carbon and protein synthesis in E. camaldulensis and C. lancifolius, as evidenced by relatively lower leaf photosynthesis and protein contents. We also found that the concentration of CAT (4.90 nmol min–1 g–1 protein), SOD (38.42 U mg–1 protein), and POD (2.64 µmol min–1 g–1 protein) were higher in E. camaldulensis. The results provide experimental support for the hypothesis that genetically rich populations are better adapted to changing conditions and suggest that C. lancifolius is less sensitive to dust load and lead uptake in terms of growth reduction. Regarding lead uptake and dust removal, C. lancifolius performed better as compared to E. camaldulensis. The above findings are helpful in the quantification of services, assessing the diversity, and identification of eco-friendly trees in urban areas. Furthermore, this study will be helpful for the formulation of future tree-planting policies in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle Eastern dilemma is the corollary of the power vacuum after the Iraq invasion. ‘Replacement of authority’ does not necessarily conform to the objective of democracy and hope. Invade, overthrow, install and roll-back, a Machiavellian scheme, does not serve the goals of democracy. A major power in a hurry disturbs equilibrium. Replacing one autocrat with another will not do any good for the society at hand and the region into consideration. All the regional actors would try to adjust to the changes in equilibrium. As a result, organizations like ISIS exploit the slip-ups of provisional governments and get the backing of other actors, whose interests are at stake. The regional actors, operating in the environment of security dilemma join the conflict to extract as much as possible to keep regional balance in order. History replicates this phenomenon time and again. Middle East (Iraq and Syria) is the contemporary example of this phenomenon. This paper will try to understand the ongoing conflict in the Middle East from the perspective of regional politics operating under the environment of security dilemma, and major powers’ politics operating under the basic logic that regional influence enhance the capabilities of major powers that contribute to state’s hierarchical position internationally, which therefore, makes it difficult to create common grounds for peace process.

Objective: To see the pattern of bone involvement in metastatic breast carcinoma. To study the distribution of bone metastasis, central skeleton vs. peripheral skeleton, in metastatic breast carcinoma. Study Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Department of Surgery, Nishtar Medical University, Multan, in accordance with Breast Clinic MINAR. Period: March, 2021 to August, 2022. Material & Methods: The study was done in breast clinic MINAR, Multan. It was retrospective, non-randomized and single institution based study. The female patients who presented with breast carcinoma from March 2021 to August 2022, aged 25 to 70 years were scrutinized. Among these, the patients with metastatic breast carcinoma having metastasis in bones, confirmed on bone scan, were included in the study. 90 cases were collected in this research. The tumours which primarily arise from bone, lymphoid tumours, soft tissue tumours and bone marrow tumours and bone metastasis due to malignancies arising from other visceral organs were excluded. All the data was entered and analyzed using computer programme SPSS version 25.0. Results: The highest range of patients were between ages of 46-65 years. 87.8% were married, 2.2% were unmarried and 10% were divorced or widow. 43.3% were from rural area and 56.7% were from urban area. 93.3% previously had not any history of breast carcinoma. Only 6.7% had family history of breast carcinoma. 64.4% had menarche during the age of 12 to 14 years. And 42.2% had menopause between 50 to 55 years. While in all these cases 46.7% were those who had no menopause at all when they presented with metastatic breast carcinoma. Among these 13.3% had solitary bone metastasis and 86.7% had metastasis to multiple bones. 46.7% had central or axial skeletal involvement, 13.3% had peripheral skeletal involvement and 40% had both, including central and peripheral skeleton. Conclusion: This study has shown that among all the patients there were 46.7% patients had central skeletal involvement and 13.3% had peripheral skeleton involvement and 40% had both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]