42 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.
Alkaloids and colon cancer: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic implications for cell cycle arrest
No full textCancer is the second most fatal disease worldwide, with colon cancer being the third most prevalent and fatal form of cancer in several Western countries. The risk of acquisition of resistance to chemotherapy remains a significant hurdle in the management of various types of cancer, especially colon cancer. Therefore, it is essential to develop alternative treatment modalities. Naturally occurring alkaloids have been shown to regulate various mechanistic pathways linked to cell proliferation, cell cycle, and metastasis. This review aims to shed light on the potential of alkaloids as anti-colon-cancer chemotherapy agents that can modulate or arrest the cell cycle. Preclinical investigated alkaloids have shown anti-colon cancer activities and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation via cell cycle arrest at different stages, suggesting that alkaloids may have the potential to act as anticancer molecules
Nephroprotective effects of Helianthus annuus seeds extract in gentamicin induced nephrotoxic male mice
No full textAcute kidney injury (AKI) causes a decrease in renal function which leads to failure in balancing electrolyte, fluid and acid-base homoeostasis. AKI is a damaging and life-threatening disorder, but it can be managed if identified earlier. This study aimed to investigate the possible nephroprotective effect of Helianthus annuus seeds extract against gentamicin (GM) induced nephrotoxicity in male mice. The control group (0.5 ml normal saline i.p.,), Gentamycin (GM) group (GM 100 mg/kg i.p), silymarin + GM group (silymarin 50 mg/kg and GM 100 mg/kg i.p.,), H. annuus extract (HAE) and GM, group (HAE 250 mg/kg and GM 100 mg/kg i.p), HAE2 + GM group (HAE2; 500 mg/kg and GM 100 mg/kg i.p) and H. annuus oil (HAO) + GM (HAO 2.5 ml/kg and GM 100 mg/kg i.p). Serum creatinine, urea and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were significantly (P< 0.001) elevated in the GM group compared to the control group. The elevated level of serum creatinine, urea and BUN were decreased significantly (P<0.001) in groups treated with HAE and HAO extracts compared to the GM group. The kidney histopathological study from the GM group showed tubular necrosis, vacuolation and fibrosis. However, the animal that received HAE and HAO showed no tubular necrosis and vacuolation. Only mild inflammation was observed compared to the GM group. In conclusion, the extract caused marked radical scavenger and protected the kidney from oxidative damage of GM. H. annuus seeds contain strong antioxidant compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, tocopherols and minerals, which could be responsible for the current show
Kritik Pervez Hoodbhoy terhadap Islamic Science
No full textAbstract: One of the prominent Islamic scientists who reject and criticize the development of Islamic science is Pervez Hoodbhoy. He said that the Qur'an is not a scientific book, even though it explicitly discusses various natural events. Therefore, in this article, the author will discuss the criticism of the scientist Pervez Hoodbhoy in Islamic Science. And examines the reasons for criticism and rejection as well as the responses of several other Islamic scientists to Pervez Hoodbhoy's criticism. by using a qualitative approach, which is library research. The research results show that, Hoodboy's greatest error in understanding Islamic science was first his belief that science is secular while acknowledging the existence of divinity; second, he stated that attempts to create Islamic sciences would fail because knowledge from the West raises doubt and prediction to scientific degrees in terms of methodology; third, morality and theology in any way will not be able to create new science; and fourth, there is no definition of science. Fourth, there is no acceptable definition of science among Muslims. fifth, there is only one universal science on the globe. Sixth, religion and science have different research dimensions. Seventh, questions regarding Islamic Science in the Middle Ages, and eighth, Muslim-developed doubts about Islam's character in science.
Keywords: Criticism, Islamic Science, Pervez Hoodbooy
Abstrak: Pervez Hoodbhoy adalah salah satu tokoh ilmuwan islam yang menolak dan mengkritik pengembang islami sains. Ia menyatakan bahwa Al Qur’an bukan sebagai kitab sains walaupun secara eksplisit membahas berbagai peristiwa alam. Oleh karena itu, artikel ini bertujuan untuk mengkritik pemikiran ilmuwan Pervez Hoodbhoy terhadap Islamic Science. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif yang bersifat library research. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kesalahan terbesar Hoodboy dalam memahamai sains Islam adalah pertama, pemikirannya bahwa sains bersifat sekuler padahal ia mengakui eksistensi ketuhanan, kedua, ia menyatakan bahwa usaha untuk menciptakan sains Islam akan gagal karena pengetahuan dari barat mengangkat keraguan dan pendugaan ke derajat ilmiah dalam hal metodologi, ketiga, prinsip-prinsip moral dan teologi betapapun tidak akan mampu menciptakan sains baru, keempat, belum ada definisi sains yang dapat diterima kaum muslimin, kelima, hanya ada satu sains di dunia ini dan bersifat universal, keenam, agama dan sains memiliki dimensi penelitian yang berbeda, ketujuh, keraguannya terhadap ilmu pengetahuan Islam di abad pertengahan, dan kedelapan, keraguannya akan karakter Islam dalam sains yang dikembangkan oleh muslim.
Kata Kunci: Kritik, Sains Islam, Pervez HoodbooyAbstrak: Pervez Hoodbhoy adalah salah satu tokoh ilmuwan islam yang menolak dan mengkritik pengembang islami sains. Ia menyatakan bahwa Al Qur’an bukan sebagai kitab sains walaupun secara eksplisit membahas berbagai peristiwa alam. Oleh karena itu, artikel ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji kritik ilmuwan Pervez Hoodbhoy terhadap Islamic Science dan alasan-alasan kritik dan penolakannya serta tanggapan beberapa ilmuwan Islam lainnya terhadap kritik Pervez Hoodbhoy. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif yang bersifat library research. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Pertama, menurut Hoodbhoy, di dunia ini hanya ada satu sains yang bersifat universal. Tidak ada sains Islam, sains Hindu, sains Kristen, sains Yahudi dan sains Konghucu, serta sains-sains lain yang ditunggangi dengan ideologi tertentu. Ia berpendapat, apabila sains, ditunggangi oleh sebuah ideologi keagamaan, maka akan sangat berbahaya, sebab, bagaimana mungkin Islam sebagai agama yang mengandung kebenaran disandingkan dengan teori sains yang kebenarannya berubah-ubah sesuai waktu, perkembangan dan kajian para saintis. Kedua, menurutnya, agama dan sains memiliki dimensi penelitian yang berbeda. Ketiga, kritik yang paling tajam adalah pertanyaan Hoodbhoy mengenai kesuksesan ilmu pengetahuan Islam di abad pertengahan apakah benar-benar sains Islam atau sains muslim. Sebagaimana kita ketahui bersama bagaimana fakta keemasan peradaban Islam.
Kata Kunci: Islamic Science, Pervez Hoodboo
Suppression of inflammatory response by chrysin, a flavone isolated from Potentilla evestita Th. Wolf. in silico predictive study on its mechanistic effect
No full textFlavonoids are the most abundant natural polyphenols widely distributed in plants. Among them, chrysin has recently attracted the attention for its anti-tumor and anti-oxidant activities and also for its protective effects on allergic inflammation. Therefore, in this study, we set out to investigate and characterize the effects of chrysin in classical models of inflammation reasoning that this would expand our knowledge on the pharmacological properties of this flavone. To this aim we have firstly isolated chrysin from Potentilla evestita Th. Wolf. and successively evaluated its anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential on writhing and formalin test and also on carrageenan-induced paw oedema. Finally, the present study was planned to investigate, by the aim of docking analysis, the molecular interaction of this compound on the binding site of COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. On writhing test, we observed a significant inhibition of writhings after the administration of chrysin at 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg i.p. (25.00 +/- 9.22% and 55.67 +/- 7.62% respectively). On formalin test, the flavone at dose of 10.0 mg/kg i.p. displayed its maximum analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect on both early (35.67 +/- 7.88%) and late phase (50.57 +/- 5.36%) and similarly displayed at 4 h a significant anti-inflammatory effect in carrageenan-induced paw oedema. Moreover, in silica analysis of receptor ligand complex shows that chrysin interacts weakly with COX-1 binding site whereas displayed a remarkable interaction with COX-2. These findings suggest that the flavone chrysin isolated from P. evestita Th. Wolf. possesses in vivo anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive potential, which are supported in silica by an interaction with COX-2 binding site
Evaluation of cost benefit analysis of municipal solid waste management systems
No full textThe rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in developing countries is continuously growing in proportion to the gross national product. Landfilling, incineration, composting, and waste to energy (WtE) have a brief history as management strategies for MSW in India. Economic evaluation via cost benefit analysis (CBA) of MSW is establishing the most appropriate treatment/disposal strategy and it is often a major concern for solid waste management (SWM) policymakers. Thus, this study aims to analyze the municipal solid waste management (MSWM) activities in India's capital, Delhi, and the CBA of MSWM systems to identify the major problems and limitations involved. Sixty-six samples totaling 6,600 kg were collected and analyzed at random from various locations, including the sources of generation, composting plants, and disposal sites. Storage, collection, transportation, and recycling information were gathered from departments such as Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and self-surveys. The total costs of each MSW option were calculated for cost analysis. The results revealed a high organic moisture content, indicating the possibility of composting and bio-methanation, except for waste from commercial, institutional area and restaurants that can be used to develop Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF). It was also revealed that only about 80% of the garbage generated in Delhi is collected. In terms of treatment and disposal, the MCD has proposed additional facilities such as disposal through sanitary landfills with linings, as well as a system for leachate collection and disposal. Furthermore, construction and demolition waste are used in the construction of various pavement components, such as base coarse, surface coarse, and so on. The total social value added by garbage trade operations in Delhi is expected to be INR 358.7 crores (approximately 46.60 million USD) between 2017 and 2020. Recycling saves the municipal budget about INR 17.6 crores (approximately 2.3 million USD per year).(c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
CRITICISM OF HOODBOY'S THOUGHTS ON ISLAMIC SCIENCE
No full textOne of the prominent Islamic scientists who reject and criticize the development of Islamic science is Pervez Hoodbhoy. He said that the Qur'an is not a scientific book, even though it explicitly discusses various natural events. Therefore, in this article, the author will discuss the criticism of the scientist Pervez Hoodbhoy in Islamic Science. And examines the reasons for criticism and rejection as well as the responses of several other Islamic scientists to Pervez Hoodbhoy's criticism. by using a qualitative approach, which is library research. The research results show that, Hoodboy's greatest error in understanding Islamic science was first his belief that science is secular while acknowledging the existence of divinity; second, he stated that attempts to create Islamic sciences would fail because knowledge from the West raises doubt and prediction to scientific degrees in terms of methodology; third, morality and theology in any way will not be able to create new science; and fourth, there is no definition of science. Fourth, there is no acceptable definition of science among Muslims. fifth, there is only one universal science on the globe. Sixth, religion and science have different research dimensions. Seventh, questions regarding Islamic Science in the Middle Ages, and eighth, Muslim-developed doubts about Islam's character in science
Nephroprotective effect of Berberis baluchistanica against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rabbit
No full textThe present study was conducted to explore the protective effect of B. baluchistanica against gentamicin-induced renal toxicity in rabbits. Phytochemical investigations lead to the isolation of berberine and palmatine. The crude hydro-methanolic extract at various doses (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight) elicited strong nephroprotective effects by restoring various biomarkers which were deranged by gentamicin such as creatinine, urea, serum uric acid levels (p<0.001) in plasma and urine output creatinine clearance, urinary protein and γ-glutamyl transferase level (p<0.001) in urine in a dose dependent manner. The mediators involved in oxidative stress such malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase levels were significantly (P˂0.05-0.001) modulated in kidney tissue homogenate. Correspondingly, there is a significant (P<0.05) recovery in kidney weight and % loss in body weight compare to GM group. From these results, it is possible that B. baluchistanica exhibited protective effect mediated through the presence of berberine and palmatine.
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In Vitro Attenuation of Thermal-Induced Protein Denaturation by Aerial Parts of Artemisia scoparia
No full textInternational drug trafficking: a case study of the South Asian region
No full textThe complex dynamics of international drug trafficking in South Asia, a region characterized by diverse cultures, socioeconomic difficulties, and complex geopolitical landscapes, are examined in this paper. Due to its physical proximity to the Golden Crescent, South Asian nations have emerged as a significant hub for the production and transportation of a variety of illegal substances, most notably opiates. The study evaluates how drug trafficking and regional instability interact, with a particular emphasis on how corruption, poverty, and insurgency support the drug trade. Analyses with adjacent regions show varying regulation strategies and enforcement capacities, while case studies from Afghanistan highlight the effects of drugs on local economies and governments. Additionally, the study investigates how drug trafficking affects the region\u27s socioeconomic development, public health, and security. Along with evaluating the efficacy of present policies and initiatives, the involvement of bilateral and international agencies in the fight against drug trafficking is also evaluated. Lastly, the results highlight the necessity of a thorough, multifaceted strategy to address the underlying causes of drug trafficking in South Asia, focusing on cooperation between regional governments and foreign partners to promote long-term solutions and improve security
