46 research outputs found
The Debt of the Nation
No full textThe debt of the nation comprises two parts, the external debt and the internal debt. After rapidly accumulating arrears of external debt in the post-sanctions period, Pakistan has had to seek re-scheduling of her external debt as part of a financing and reform package negotiated with the IMF. While re-scheduling has not been sought for the first time, the rising burden of this debt has generated a serious debate for the first time. In the heat of this debate, the heavier burden of the costlier internal debt has been nearly ignored. Although this paper takes account of the totality of the debt towards the end, its main focus is on the problem of external debt for reasons not only of its immediacy but the prospects of forced self-reliance raised by the financial and economic fall-out of the nuclear explosions of May 1998. Section II looks for the data sources and discovers that there are as many sizes of the debt as there are sources. In its latest report, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) characterises the economy as “highly indebted” in terms of its external debt, while the latest Economic Survey (ES) does not consider the external debt as large as it appears. Section III analyses these claims in terms of the internationally recognised debt burden indicators. In Section IV, attention is devoted to debt sustainability criteria. Section V of the paper examines the question as to how debt, which also shows access to capital required for economic growth, was allowed to become a burden over time. The last Section presents main conclusions and suggests an agenda for action.
SCPD-IT: Smart COVID-19 patient detection over IoT-WSN
No full textThis research focuses on the development and implementation of an Internet of Things based Wireless sensor network (IoT-WSN) in healthcare for detecting and assessing the mobility pattern of the COVID-19 patient within the coverage region. Signal processing applications of Pyroelectric Infrared sensors (PIR) are being investigated to detect non-contact human body infrared radiation. Human body temperature's time-varying sensor signal is utilized to infer infrared radiation. Finding an appropriate design circuit required a significant design procedure. Pyroelectric infrared (PIR) sensors, micro controllers, and communication units are tested in IoT-WSN research. The customized GUI lets users monitor and manage the entire IoT-WSN on a PC functioning as a base station. The IoT-WSN system presented has higher potential in the healthcare system with more cost-effective outcome
How Culturally Sensitive is our Curriculum? A Multi-Institutional Study
No full textThe Office for Students has set a target for all higher education institutions in England charging higher fees to:
-eliminate the unexplained gap in degree outcomes (1sts or 2:1s) between white students and black students by 2024-25, and to eliminate the gap entirely by 2030-31
Degree outcomes are affected by a wide range of factors and, in this case, racialised inequalities within the sector appear to be a key element.Creating more culturally sensitive curricula is one way to build more equitable higher education institutions, and research indicates that it may have a positive impact on students’, particularly racially minoritised students’, experience of and engagement with the curriculum and final degree outcome.
In this study, seven NERUPI institutions worked together to survey second year undergraduate students in at least one selected programme (in the arts, humanities, social sciences or an applied health sciences) per university to determine the relationship between cultural sensitivity of the curriculum, students’ interest in their course, and their satisfaction with the course. Students completed a 15 minute survey rating six dimensions of the cultural sensitivity of the curriculum (the Culturally Sensitive Curricula Scales or CSCS), their interest in their course (a measure of engagement) and their satisfaction with their course, as well as providing demographic information. If what students were taught and the way they were taught it was culturally sensitive, students rated five of the six CSCS dimensions highly. These dimensions were:
-Diversity Represented (e.g. diversity cultures, people, perspectives are represented in the curriculum)
-Positive Depictions (e.g. people of colour and people of diverse ethnicities are presented in positive ways that affirm their strengths and assets)
-Challenge Power (e.g. students are encouraged to raise critical questions about power and privilege that are usually taken for granted)
-Inclusive Classroom Interactions (e.g. instructors encourage students to be mindful of others’ perspectives)
-Culturally Sensitive Assessments (e.g. students are encouraged to connect the subject to diverse cultural experiences, perspectives, histories or contexts.)
-On the sixth dimension, Negative Portrayals, (e.g. people of colour are presented in negative or stereotyped ways), we expected to see disagreement indicated by low ratings if the curricula is culturally sensitive.
286 students (64% white; 17% Asian; 10% Black) from 7 universities and 8 different disciplinary areas completed the survey. We found that:
-Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students rated the curricula as less culturally sensitive than their white peers across almost all dimensions of the CSCS. Black African, Caribbean and Black British students tended to rate the curriculum as less culturally sensitive than Asian and Asian British students, particularly on Positive Depictions and Negative Portrayals of people of colour in the curriculum. This finding shows that BAME students, particularly Black students, perceive their curriculum differently from White students. They may feel excluded, marginalised or ignored as a result. This finding was true across universities and courses, suggesting it is a widespread problem. Educators need to improve the cultural sensitivity of our curriculum to ensure it is inclusive for all students.
-Regardless of the ethnicity of the student, culturally sensitive curricula were associated with higher interest in the course, even when controlling for teachers’ approachability and enthusiasm. The five positive aspects of culturally sensitive curricula each predicted students’ interest. That means culturally sensitive curricula are likely to benefit all students, not just BAME students.
-BAME students were less satisfied with their courses. This finding was expected because we selected items from the National Student Survey on which there have been consistently lower scores from BAME students. We found that students’ scores on the cultural sensitivity of the curriculum may help to explain these gaps in satisfaction between BAME and White students, but we aren’t sure because the role is CSCS is no longer significant when controlling for teachers’ enthusiasm and approachability. More research is needed on this issue.
To conclude, BAME students, and particularly Black students, perceive the curricula as less culturally sensitive than their peers, highlighting a significant and meaningful “experience gap”. Improving the cultural sensitivity of the curriculum, then, may help create a more equitable HE experience for racially minoritised students. Doing so may also improve their course satisfaction. In sum, culturally sensitive curricula are good for both BAME and White students insofar as they are associated with higher interest in the course (engagement) for all students. Based on the findings, universities should continue to emphasise efforts to create more culturally sensitive curricula. It is also important to collaborate across universities to share promising practices and tools. Given the discipline-specificity of curricula, professional societies and accrediting bodies can play an important role in leading on processes of reimagining curricula in their fields
When is it safe to operate after the failure of therapeutic steroid injections in carpal tunnel syndrome?
No full textCarpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a multifactorial neuropathy caused by the compression of the median nerve due to its entrapment as it passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. It accounts for nearly 90% of neuropathies and usually presents as numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain. These symptoms are predominantly present in the thumb, second finger, third finger, and radial half of the hand's fourth finger. In the US, CTS has a prevalence of 50 per 1,000, which is similar to the prevalence in other developed countries.1 Overall, the prevalence of CTS in the general population in developed countries ranges from 3% to 6%, whereas the prevalence of CTS in developing countries like Pakistan has been reported to be from 10% to 15%.2
The management of mild to moderate CTS ranges from conservative management, including ultrasound therapy using the pulsed mode, wrist splinting, and tendon gliding exercises, to Neuro-mobilization.3 On the other hand, the management of moderate to severe CTS, which is unresponsive to the above-mentioned therapies comprises therapeutic steroid injections and surgical decompression of the median nerve. In many cases, surgical decompression is used as a last resort after the failure of therapeutic steroid injections. However, studies have shown that surgical decompression in these cases is associated with poor postoperative outcomes, including increased risk of pain and paresthesia.4 Furthermore, such cases are also associated with an increased risk of surgical site infections, non-infectious wound complications, and 1 year-reoperation. The risk of these complications is maximum when surgery is performed within 30 days of the last therapeutic steroid injection along with a high number of therapeutic steroid injections (infections 1.77%, non-infectious complications 1.12%, 1-year re-operation 2.09%), and is minimal when performed from 90 to 180 days of the last therapeutic steroid injection with a low number of therapeutic steroid injections (infections 1.19%, non-infectious complications 0.44%, 1-year re-operation 1.58%). Therefore, surgical decompression of the median nerve should be delayed for 90 to 180 days after the last therapeutic steroid injection, depending on the severity.5
There is a high prevalence of CTS in developing countries like Pakistan and therapeutic steroid injections are frequently prescribed as first-line treatment for moderate to severe CTS.
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Cyperus rotundus L.: traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities
No full textEthno-pharmacological relevance: Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae) is a medicinal herb traditionally used to treat various clinical conditions at home such as diarrhea, diabetes, pyresis, inflammation, malaria, and stomach and bowel disorders. Currently, it is one of the most widespread, problematic, and economically damaging agronomic weeds, growing wildly in various tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The present paper summarizes the available information that will aid in future medicine preparation by identifying active ingredients and their mode of action for a specific therapeutic activity using the latest technologies. Material and method: This review article is based on the information available on the phytochemical, toxicological, and pharmacological studies on and traditional uses of C. rotundus. The present paper covers the literature available particularly from 2000 to 2015 online (Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, SpringerLink, and Web of Science) and in books on phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, and botany of this plant. Results: Phytochemical and pharmacological studies revealed the significance of C. rotundus as an antiandrogenic, antibacterial, anticancerous, anticonvulsant, antidiabetic, antidiarrheal, antigenotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antilipidemic, antimalarial, antimutagenic, antiobesity, antioxidant, anti-uropathogenic, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and nootropic agent. This is the most investigated plant worldwide due to the higher concentration of active ingredients in the form of essential oils, phenolic acids, ascorbic acids, and flavonoids in the tuber and rhizomes. Unfortunately, this significant plant species has not been assessed under improved cultivation conditions with the aim of conservation in natural habitats and high quality. Conclusion: Reports can be found on the ehtnobotanical use of C. rotundus in atherosclerosis, aging, apoptosis, cancer, cystitis, epilepsy, hirsutism, nociception, prostatitis, and genotoxicity disorders. The phytochemical and pharmacological activities of C. rotundus have supported its traditional as well as prospective uses as a valuable Ayurvedic plant. Previous researches focuses on the phytochemistry, biological properties and clinical application of rhizomes and tubers of C. rotundus. However, such studies on the other parts of this medicinally important plant are still quest to be investigate. Furthermore, future study should aim at confirming the clinical activities and safety of this plant before being used for the development of new therapeutic agent in human subjects
Corporate Risk Tolerance and Acceptability towards Sustainable Energy Transition
No full textThe omnipresence of risk prevails in almost every aspect of human life. Individuals and societal factors are pivotal in the decision-making process to judge acceptability and tolerability of risk. Tolerability of risk (ToR) is characterized by dynamism pinned in the process of decision making that helps to gauge the society and individual’s risk. The energy transition implies switching the energy system from fossil fuels or any traditional mechanism to modern renewable sources that are sustainable. The energy transition is paramount important in the current global energy system to attain sustainable goals for organizations. This study used the positivism research paradigm to address the research questions. The quantitative approach helps to examine the cause-and-effect relationship. It also helps to collect systematic information to meet the objectives of the research. A total sample of 300 was selected for the data collection from renewable energy companies. The study used positivism research philosophy applied deductive approach. The data is analyzed through PLS-SEM. It is summarized that the scale of risk acceptability and tolerability in Pakistan is moderate which encourages companies to work progressively and increases sociocultural activities to make society a partner of this new shift in energy transition that will ultimately increase the level of risk acceptability. Nevertheless, as a society, people are neither high-risk takers nor risk avoiders due to income constraints, macroeconomic uncertainty, and political instability
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NDL-Net: a hybrid deep learning framework for diagnosing neonatal respiratory distress syndrome from chest X-rays
No full textObjective: Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome (NRDS) poses a significant threat to newborn health, necessitating timely and accurate diagnosis. This study introduces NDL-Net, an innovative hybrid deep learning framework designed to diagnose NRDS from chest X-rays (CXR).
Results: The architecture combines MobileNetV3 Large for efficient image processing and ResNet50 for detecting complex patterns essential for NRDS identification. Additionally, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) layer analyzes temporal variations in imaging data, enhancing predictive accuracy. Extensive evaluation on neonatal CXR datasets demonstrated NDL-Net's high diagnostic performance, achieving 98.09% accuracy, 97.45% precision, 98.73% sensitivity, 98.08% F1-score, and 98.73% specificity. The model's low false negative and false positive rates underscore its superior diagnostic capabilities.
Conclusion: NDL-Net represents a significant advancement in medical diagnostics, improving neonatal care through early detection and management of NRDS
Assessment of sustainable and biodegradable agricultural substrates for eminence production of cucumber for kitchen gardening
No full textAbstract Purpose Different agricultural substrates were evaluated for growth and productivity of cucumber under pot culture for kitchen gardening. Methods Several agricultural substrates such as leaf compost, compost, perlite, and coconut compost were used in with silt in several combinations. Seeds were sown in plastic pots of 9-L capacity and filled with growing substrates in various combinations. The study consisted of eight treatments; each treatment had four replicates. Results Use of different growing media alone or in combination significantly enhanced plant growth and productivity, compared to control. Results showed that maximum germination, plant growth, emergence percentage, gas exchange attributes, shoot/root length, shoot fresh and dry biomass, root fresh and dry biomass, no. of leaves, leaf mineral contents, and chlorophyll concentration and yield was noted in the plants grown in leaf compost + perlite + silt (1:1:1) media combination. In case of proline contents, all treatment combinations showed non-significant; but, NPK status varied because of the presence of organic matter in substrates that ultimately enhanced the nutrient uptake of cucumber plants. Conclusions Although all media either alone or in combination positively influenced different studied parameters of cucumber, but, leaf compost + perlite + silt (1:1:1) combination was the best. Therefore, leaf compost + perlite + silt (1:1:1) media combination could be considered suitable for the cucumber cultivation in the form of kitchen gardening
