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Air pollution is found to have significant association with living health all over global world. Environment Protection Department of Punjab, Pakistan provides the monthly air quality index (AQI) data on air pollution with concentrated particulates like PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2 and O3. Air particulates concentrations may vary of season, regional geography and climate. We performed blood sampling of 45 dogs from different breeds (Labrador retrievers, German shepherds and Pit bulls) from three different areas categorized on basis of AQI as less polluted (Gulberg), polluted (Town Hall) and highly polluted (Shadman) in winter and spring seasons. Data were analysed using paired sample t-tests for seasonal study and independent sample t-tests for area and breed study by SPSS (P < 0.05 ascertained as significant). Seasonal study resulted that less polluted area had no significant effects on hematological indices in any three breeds of dogs in both seasons. Polluted area was presented with increased significant effects on values of monocytes in Labrador retrievers, Hct and MCHC in German shepherds while decreased significant effects on MCH value in Pit bulls in winter season as compared to spring season. Highly polluted area had significant effects with decreasing WBC counts only in German shepherds in winter season than spring season. This study concludes that polluted and highly polluted areas in winter season with worst AQI affects blood indices more than spring season in dogs.

Instruments of monetary and fiscal policy are beyond the control of the management but they do influence the short-term as well as long-term decision making of the firm. Empirical studies with respect to their effect on financing decisions of the firm are somewhat under researched particularly in the context of developing countries. The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of these instruments on the financing decisions of the non-financial firms listed on PSX for the period 2008-2015. Fixed effect model was used to analyse the effect of instruments of monetary policy and fiscal policy on the financing decisions of firms. Based on sample of 338 firms, the findings of the study revealed that instruments of monetary policy and fiscal policy do influence the financing decisions of the firm. M2, tax revenue and government debt has a significant effect on the debt ratio of listed firms whereas real interest rate is insignificantly related. Moreover, the relationship between real interest rate, M2 and tax revenue and debt ratio is negative whereas in case of government debt it is positive.

This study imperially investigated the impact of oil prices and exchange rate on stock returns over the period of demand driven oil shock from 2001 to 2008 and supply driven oil shock from 2009 to 2016. To further explore the variation due to frequency of data, the study used daily, weekly and monthly data. The data was analyzed by applying Johansen Cointegration test, Vector error correction model, Granger causality test and Impulse response function. The Johansen Cointegration and vector error correction models confirm the long run relationship between oil prices and stock returns in all six samples. In short run, oil prices and exchange rate are not associated with the changes in stock returns. However, during demand driven oil price shocks, results confirm bidirectional relationship between oil prices and stock return.

The somatotropic axis consists of genes associated with economic traits like muscle growth and carcass traits in livestock. Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are the major proteins that play a vital role in the somatotropic axis. The present study performed a genome-wide characterization of IGFBP genes in cattle. Genomic sequences of the IGFBP gene family for different mammals (cattle, buffalo, goat, and sheep) were recovered from the NCBI database. Sequence analyses were performed to investigate cattle’s genomic variations in the IGFBP gene family. Phylogenetic analysis, gene structure, motif patterns, and conserved domain analysis (CDA) of the IGFBP family revealed the evolutionarily conserved nature of the IGFBP genes in cattle and other studied species. Physicochemical properties of IGFBP proteins in cattle revealed that most of these proteins are unstable, hydrophilic, thermostable, and acidic. Comparative amino acid analysis revealed variations in all protein sequences with single indels in IGFBP3 and IGFBP6. Mutation analysis revealed only one nonsynonymous mutation D212 > E in the IGFBP6 protein of cattle. A total of 245 nuclear hormone receptor (NHRs) sites were detected, including 139 direct repeats (DR), 65 everted repeats (ER), and 41 inverted repeats (IR). Out of 133 transcription factors (TFs), 10 TFs (AHR, AHRARNT, AP4, CMYB, E47, EGR2, GATA, SP1, and SRF) had differential distribution ( P value < 0.05) of putative transcriptional binding sites (TFBS) in cattle compared to buffalo. Synteny analysis revealed the conserved nature of genes between cattle and buffalo. Two gene pairs (IGFBP1/IGFBP3 and IGFBP2/IGFBP5) showed tandem duplication events in cattle and buffalo. This study highlights the functional importance of genomic variation in IGFBP genes and necessitates further investigations better to understand the role and mechanisms of IGFBPs in bovines.

In this study, we have presented an optimal microgrid design that ensures the uninterrupted energy supply to Mirpur University of Engineering and Technology (MUST), Azad Jammu and Kashmir AJK, Pakistan at the cheapest price by using reliable energy resources. The availability of energy resources, environmental viability, and economic feasibility are the key parameters of design. The available resources for the MUST site include the National grid, Solar photovoltaic (SPV), Battery bank, and Diesel generator. The data of electrical load, solar illumination, atmospheric temperature at the university, diesel fuel cost, SPV module lifetime, SPV degradation factor, SPV efficiency, SPV cost, battery cost, battery life, national grid energy price, load shedding and toxic emissions have been considered valuables in designing the hybrid micro-grid. The difference in net present cost (NPC) of the optimal design and the worst design is calculated by considering the above parameters. The proposed optimal microgrid design supplies energy to the load using SPV, Diesel generator, and battery bank with NPC of $250,546 and the renewable fraction of 99%. Whereas the worst design includes the Diesel generator and battery bank as energy supplying sources with the NPC of $2.14 M and a renewable fraction of 0%. Simulations performed using HOMER Pro software (HOMER Energy, HOMER Pro-3.11, Boulder, CO, USA) proved that after considering all the data and requirements mentioned above, out of 979 feasible designs, the proposed hybrid microgrid design is best suitable for MUST.

Magic Realism refers to the method of describing reality in a mythical, magical and supernatural version of the indigenous cultures. This paper highlights the significance of the tool of Magic Realism with reference to Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude as a fantastic literary form employed by the writer to present his culture, society and political history. Reality combined with magical elements, this paper has Magic Realism as theoretical framework to prove how Gabriel Garcia Marquez manipulates this tool to tell the reality of his national history, colonialism, and post-colonialism period. Employing the tool of Magic Realism, the writing is all about troubles, loss and death in the Colombia. The intention is to combine fantastic in order to present his Colombia, where myths and modern inventions are part of the same environment; where the indigenous culture has not been subdued by the advent of modern technology. The writer of the novel also wants his people to acquire true knowledge in lieu of mere imitation of the West. The main source of the data in this paper was literature review that helped identify the gap. This paper is meant to bridge the gap identified through the literature. The specific objective is to ascertain as to how Magic Realism has been employed by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in One Hundred Years of Solitude so as to stick to the truth of his national history.

Thin films of lead sulfide (PbS) are being extensively used for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices for commercial and military applications. In the present work, PbS films were fabricated onto a soda lime glass substrate by using an electron beam (e-beam) evaporation technique at a substrate temperature of 300 °C. Samples were annealed in an open atmosphere at a temperature range of 200–450 °C for 2 h. The deposited films were characterized for structural, optical, and electrical properties. Structural properties of PbS have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The results of XRD showed that the PbS thin film was crystalline in nature at room temperature with cubic crystal structure (galena) and preferential (111) and orientation (022). The morphology of the thin films was studied by FESEM, which also showed uniform and continuous deposition without any peel-off and patches. EDS analysis was performed to confirm the presence of lead and sulfur in as-deposited and annealed films. The thickness of the PbS film was found to be 172 nm, which is slightly greater than the intended thickness of 150 nm, determined by RBS. Ultraviolet-Visible-Near-Infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) spectroscopy revealed the maximum transmittance of ~25% for as-deposited films, with an increase of 74% in annealed films. The band gap of PbS was found in the range of 2.12–2.78 eV for as-deposited and annealed films. Hall measurement confirmed the carriers are p-type in nature. Carrier concentration, mobility of the carriers, conductivity, and sheet resistance are directly determined by Hall-effect measurement. The as-deposited sample showed a conductivity of 5.45 × 10−4 S/m, which gradually reduced to 1.21 × 10−5 S/m due to the composite nature of films (lead sulfide along with lead oxide). Furthermore, the present work also reflects the control of properties by controlling the amount of PbO present in the PbS films which are suitable for various applications (such as IR sensors).

The redox behaviour of a potential anticancer organic compound, 5,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione (DND), was investigated in 1 : 1 buffered aqueous ethanol using cyclic, differential pulse, and square wave voltammetry. The redox processes were found to occur in a pH-dependent diffusion-controlled manner. Presence of an α-hydroxyl group stabilised semiquinone radical of DND, formed by the gain of 1 e– and 1 H+, prevented the second step reduction, which is in contrast to the general mechanism previously reported for quinines in protic and aprotic media. In addition, our results supported an independent oxidation and reduction process. Square wave voltammetry provided evidence about the reversible and quasi-reversible nature of oxidation and reduction peaks. Based on the voltammetric results, the electrode reaction mechanism of DND was proposed. Parameters including pKa, transfer coefficient, diffusion coefficient, and electron transfer rate constant were evaluated. The values of pKa obtained from cyclic voltammetry and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy not only agreed with each other, but also with reported values of structurally related compounds evaluated by other techniques.