346 research outputs found
Identification of a sustainable approach to conserve rain water: a conceptual study
No full textDue to the acute water scarcity, the consumption of water resources to serve our daily purposes has gone crucial. An ingenious way for rainwater harvesting can help all modern town planners make design arrangements for harvesting rainwater through specific and sustainable methods. It is vital to reduce the line water or the reclaimed water used for domestic and other daily processes. Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is not a new technique, but it can be altered with engineered and contemporary approaches to create a maintainable and eco-friendly parameter which would ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all - SDG6. Herein an attempt has been made to visualize the concept of core cut method via FLOW-3D on the roof top that would not only focuses on the storage of water but also mitigates urban flooding and reduces the heavy amount spent on floor cleaning, flushing toilets, etc. © 2022 IEEE.Authors:
Syed Muzzamil Hussain Shah
Civil Engineering Department, Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
Ebrahim Hamid Hussein Al-Qadami
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Perak, Malaysia
Nadia Qamar
Civil Engineering Department, Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
Zahiraniza Mustaffa
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia
Eduardo Matínez-Gomariz
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain
Azhar Nathani
Department of Civil and Environmental, Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
Muhammad Bilal
Civil Engineering Department, Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
Muhammad Tasin
Civil Engineering Department, Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
Malik Abdur Rehman
Civil Engineering Department, Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, PakistanObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::6 - Aigua Neta i SanejamentPostprint (published version
Performance of Cs-Doped Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cells in Ambient Environment
No full textThe development of organometal halide-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has made remarkable progress in photovoltaics. The commercialization of PSCs is still significantly limited, owing to their poor stability and the high material cost of a hole transport layer (HTL) and metal electrodes. To counter these issues, a carbon-based HTL and noble metal-free PSCs are being used. In this work, the effect of Cs-doping on perovskite film morphology and device performance has been systematically studied because the Cs+ and Br− ions-doping has proved to be a good choice to improve the stability of PSCs in combination with a carbon electrode. The results showed that when the Cs-doping concentration in perovskite film, MA1−xCsxPb(I1−yBry)3, was equal to x = 0.09, there was a substantial change in the morphological and optoelectronic properties of perovskite films. The grain size of perovskite films was improved from 70 nm (x = 0.00 control) to 170 nm (x = 0.09 Cs-doped), reducing grain boundaries. Moreover, the trap states were additionally passivated resulting in improved radiative recombinations in the perovskite film. The device fabrication was carried out in a controlled dry glovebox, with relative humidity < 40% using carbon as a counter electrode. As a result, Cs-doped PSCs showed a significant increase in efficiency (5.27%) compared to control PSCs (1.55%)
Remittances and Poverty Linkages in Pakistan: Evidence and Some Suggestions for Further Analysis
No full textGlobal remittances experienced a dramatic increase over the years, particularly since 1990 wherein the developing world emerged to be the major beneficiary accounting for 60 percent of the total amount. Because of the sheer volume, and magnitude of the remittances, and pre-eminence of these flows compared to the FDIs, development assistance and in some cases the trade related transactions, the development practitioners tended to focus and investigate the importance of remittances which are generally regarded as a dependable source for growth, improved welfare and poverty alleviation in the developing world. Given the fact that remittances flows entail wide ranging ramifications both for sending as well as receiving countries, difficult to be generalised, hence empirical evidence has been mounted though lack of consensus is visible.
Influence of cobalt redox couple concentration on the characteristics of liquid and quasi-solid electrolytes and on the photovoltaic parameters of dye-sensitised solar cells
No full textDye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) is a next-generation solar energy conversion device. The electrolyte, which is one of the key components of a DSSC, greatly affects its short-circuit current density (Jsc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc) and hence, its overall performance. In this work, bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (TFSI) cobalt complex was used for the first time as redox couple in DSSC, and an effort was carried out to study the effects of the varying concentration of cobalt complex redox ions on the characteristics of the prepared liquid electrolytes (LEs) and quasi-solid electrolytes (QEs), and on the photovoltaic parameters of DSSCs. Specifically, the electrolyte characteristics include the viscosity and electrical conductivity, while the photovoltaic parameters of DSSCs include Jsc, Voc, fill factor (FF) and power conversion efficiency (PCE). The viscosity of electrolytes was found to increase with increasing molar concentrations and then further increased with the addition of polyethylene oxide (PEO); the highest viscosity of 2.49 cP was obtained at 44 rpm for QE-50. The highest conductivity measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was 83 mS cm− 1 for LE-50. Finally, zinc oxide-based DSSCs with platinum counter electrodes were fabricated for current-voltage measurements. Among the synthesised electrolytes, QE-35-based DSSC showed a better combination of Jsc and Voc, resulting in a PCE of 0.48%
Performance evaluation of ruthenium complexes and organic sensitizers in ZnO-based dye-sensitized solar cells
No full textRuthenium (Ru) dyes are a well-known player in the field of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) due to their high efficiency and excellent stability. Their properties and complexes have been studied for almost three decades. Although these sensitizers show better performances, their high cost makes these third-generation solar devices less economical. Organic dyes have recently been explored as an alternative to Ru-based dyes due to their easy and low-cost synthesis. A comparative performance evaluation of Ru complexes and dicyanoisophorone and rhodanine organic dyes in ZnO-based DSSCs is here reported. All the Ru complexes showed better performance in comparison to organic dyes except R-4. Among the Ru sensitizers, R-3 exhibited the highest efficiency of 1.21% followed by R-2, which is attributed to the presence of several anchoring groups such as carboxyl, nitro and amine. However, the presence of more nitrogen-based groups has drastically reduced the performance as observed for R-4, which is the least performing dye among the Ru-based ones. On the contrary, organic sensitizers S-06 and P-4 revealed to be less efficient with respect to R-3 owing to the presence of only one anchoring group and weak photoanode/dye interaction
Contribution of Services Sector in the Economy of Pakistan
No full textThe services sector has provided steady support to Pakistan’s economic growth. It share in GDP now stands a more than 50 percent. The paper analyses its continuation in the growth of the economy in general and the development of trade and genera tion of employment in particular. The study identifies the bottlenecks in its growth and suggest measures to remove them. A set of policy reforms has been suggested to make the sector more effective in the growth of the national economy.Services Sector, Industry, Employment, Financial Institutions and Pakistan’s Economy
Poverty Dynamics of Female-headed Households in Pakistan: Evidence from PIHS 2000-01 and PSLM 2004-05
No full textThe paper attempts to empirically test a naïve version of what is rather stylistically termed as “feminisation of poverty”, using the sub-sample of female -headed households (FHHs) from two household surveys in Pakistan. Although, the database is constrained by quality factors and small sample size, the following findings add to the richness of current research in this area: (a) The numerical incidence of poverty among households headed by females is less than that for all households in the country, at the national, urban and rural level for both the years. This can be traced to the finding that more than 70 percent of households headed by females receive remittances, (b) The incidence of poverty among FHHs during the period 2000-01 to 2004-05 did not decline as fast as it did for mixed households, nationwide. In urban areas, it did not decline at all, (c) Among the determinants of poverty of FHHs, illiteracy, dependency and rural residence exacerbate poverty, while remittances domestic and/ or foreign reduce poverty, (d) The dynamics of incidence of poverty among FHHs during the period indicated that Illiteracy as the factor exacerbating poverty became less important in 2004-05. Moreover, residence in rural areas was also a weaker factor in determining the incidence of poverty. By far the most notable contribution in reducing the incidence of poverty was self-employment in agriculture in 2004-05.
اجتہاد الرسول ﷺ از نادیہ شریف العمری کا تعارفی مطالعہ: An Introductory Study of Ijtihad Al-Rasool ﷺ by Nadia Sharif Al-Omari
No full textThe biography of the Prophet ﷺ is a subject that has been extensively written about since the first century of Hijra, continues to be written about today, and will undoubtedly remain a topic of scholarly and devotional interest in the future. This subject holds religious, academic, historical, and contemporary significance, prompting Muslim scholars of every era to contribute to its exploration. Alongside men, women have also engaged in writing on this subject to express their devotion and love for the Prophet ﷺ. From ancient to modern times, women have played their part in this field, and while their contributions are fewer in comparison to men, their numbers are steadily increasing in modern times. Women have also explored various aspects of the Prophet's ﷺ biography in the Arabic language. One notable work in this context is "Ijtihad Al-Rasool" authored by Nadia Sharif Al-Omari. This book uniquely combines the principles of Islamic jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh) with the life of the Prophet ﷺ, analyzing whether the Prophet ﷺ engaged in ijtihad (independent reasoning). The author meticulously presents evidence supporting her conclusion that the Prophet ﷺ did indeed engage in ijtihad. This article provides a research-based and analytical study of her book. It begins by discussing the biographical details of the author, followed by an introduction to the book. Subsequently, the writing style of the author and the nuanced insights within her work are critically examined. Finally, the findings and recommendations of the study are presented.
Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia treated with Tocilizumab in a Pakistani population: Variables impacting Outcomes
No full textBackground:
The association of severity of COVID-19 with raised Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels led to Tocilizumab (TCZ) approval for treatment based on its IL-6 inhibiting mechanism of action. Treatment outcomes reported have been variable, with little data from Pakistan.
Objective:
To identify demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables impacting outcomes (recovery or death) of patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia treated with intravenous tocilizumab in a Pakistani hospital setting.
Methodology:
A single-center, retrospective, descriptive case series was conducted at the National Hospital Postgraduate Training and Medical Centre, Lahore from April to December 2020. Severe COVID-19 pneumonia (oxygen saturation below 90%, chest HRCT severity score more than 15) administered intravenous tocilizumab was included. Not fulfilling the above inclusion criteria. Data was analysed to identify significant differences between expired patients and those discharged after recovery.
Results:
Forty-nine patients were admitted to intensive care/ high dependency units (ICU/HDU) with severe COVID pneumonia and treated with intravenous tocilizumab during the study period. The mean age was 61 years, with male predominance. Of the 49 patients, 23 expired. In the expired group lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were significantly higher throughout the admission course, while D-Dimers plus the last available white blood cell (WBC) count, were significantly higher post-TCZ, as was odds of co-infection evidenced by positive blood cultures.
Conclusion:
Mortality correlated with increased inflammatory markers LDH and NLR ratio. Post TCZ raised D-Dimers may be indicators of fibrin microthrombi and prophylactic anticoagulation with TCZ may benefit such patients. High odds of secondary bacterial infection post-TCZ had a significant negative impact on recovery
Directivity Gain Improvement in Phase Array Antenna via a Novel L2-Norm Adaptive Beamforming Algorithm
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