The relationship between sports diplomacy and Nigerian foreign policy: A reiteration of the application of the 2009 national sports policy

The inclusion of sports in the political domain of states has improved diplomatic ties among states in the comity of nations, though Nigeria\u27s foreign policy framework remains Africa-centric. The goal of this article is to examine Nigerian sports diplomacy as a tool for pursuing its foreign policy. The study employed a qualitative approach and adopted liberal theory, which provides a comprehensive framework for examining the fundamental factors that influence a state\u27s foreign policy. Nigerian foreign policy stipulates that the security and protection of Nigeria\u27s independence as a sovereign nation, the protection of its nationals and their welfare, the enhancement of its reputation, and the holistic implementation of the 2009 National Sports Policy are all needs that must be met. The current study`s findings revealed that participating in or hosting international tournaments has a positive impact on a country. Nations that triumph in international sporting events, such as the Olympics and World Cups, do so by showcasing their brands, resolving disputes, and attracting foreign investment. The findings also showed that, to remedy the country\u27s flawed sectoral policies, Nigerian sports infrastructure and services could not be managed solely by the government and instead required the establishment of public-private partnerships

Impact of sectarian insecurities and terror-driven violence in South Punjab, Pakistan

A qualitative study was conducted on sectarian-prone cities in South Punjab, i.e., Sargodha and Jhang, and yielded certain findings. First, in the region of Central and South Asia, wars in the name of religion wedged open the door of sectarian disharmony, which refuses to die. Second, from the 1980s to the 2000s, sectarian disharmony instilled divisions in the domains of political capital and economic resources in South Punjab. Third, the addition of explosive self-controlled jackets, improvised remote-controlled or time-controlled volatile devices and a surfeit of ever-willing suicide bombers, besides target killers, pushed sectarian discord to new limits of terror-driven violence. Fourth, a deep division in the interpretation of religion, such as religious and spiritual scholars, solidified the grounds taken by religious extremists for perpetual dissonance. Fifth, all state efforts to foster sectarian harmony and security still fall short of restoring society to the era of peaceful coexistence. The conclusion drawn is that wars fought near Pakistan’s borders affected society adversely, one example of which is sectarian conflict, causing a perpetual disharmony. No doubt, the state of Pakistan has brought the situation under control, but sectarian divisions in society have gone deeper than before and may take some years to heal

Knowledge and practices of healthcare workers regarding infection prevention and control in public and private hospitals of Timergara, Dir Lower, Pakistan

Infection control is fundamental to ensuring patient safety and providing quality healthcare. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections acquired during medical care, posing serious risks to patients, including increased morbidity, longer hospital stays, and mortality. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of healthcare workers (HCWs) regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) at Dir Lower. It employed a descriptive cross-sectional design with a sample of 254 HCWs selected via the Raosoft sample size calculator from a population of 740. Participants were chosen through convenience sampling, following matching inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study took place in both public and private hospitals in Dir Lower, using a modified self-administered questionnaire for data collection, and the data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Results showed HCWs had good knowledge of IPC, while their practice scores were moderate. Knowledge levels varied significantly with age (p = 0.046), and among medical professionals, the p-value was 0.000. Additionally, significant differences in practice scores were observed by gender (p = 0.0009), department (p = 0.006), and total professional experience (p = 0.005). Overall, findings suggest that HCWs possess strong knowledge of IPC, but current practices remain average

Analyzing Russia-Ukraine war: The context, evolution, and global economic-cum-institutional implications

The Russia-Ukraine war is one of the significant geopolitical crises of the 21st century, with far-reaching political, social, and economic consequences. It begins with the legacy of the Cold War, highlighting the impact of NATO enlargement on shaping Russia’s perceptions of security. It examines President Putin’s strategic motives, based on nationalism, fear of NATO expansion toward Russian-speaking regions, and attempts to reaffirm Moscow’s regional power. This study examines political, military, and economic aspects of the Russia-Ukraine war for both countries and the global world order. Ukraine has suffered vast displacement, infrastructure damage, and long-term losses of investment and trade, whereas Russia has been hit by sanctions, shrinking exports, and currency devaluation. The war has disrupted global food and energy supplies, exacerbated inflation, and rattled supply chains. Mediation by international bodies, such as the UN and the EU, has been largely ineffective. Furthermore, the findings of this study suggest that the conflict is not merely a regional battle but also an economic one, reshaping global markets and altering political relations between countries. Sustained diplomatic engagement and strong international cooperation will be necessary to achieve lasting peace, and one cannot ignore the humanitarian and economic elements at stake

New records of spiders Araneae, Corinnidae, Thomisidae, and Theridiidae: impact of environmental degradation analysis in Peshawar Valley, Pakistan

The genus Sinothomisus Tang, Yin, Griswold & Peng, 2006, previously known only from South China and represented by Sinothomisus hainanus (Song, 1994), is recorded here for the first time from Pakistan, where it shows a clumped population distribution. The genus Monaeses Thorell, 1869, is also newly documented in the study area, represented by Monaeses israeliensis Levy, 1973, a species widely reported from the Middle East and observed with an even population distribution. Additionally, the Central Asian ant-mimicking spider Castianeira arnoldii Charitonov, 1946, is reported for the first time in Pakistan and exhibits a clumped distribution pattern. The species Theridion melanostictum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876, is newly recorded from the subtropical northwestern Hindu Kush region of the Peshawar Valley and demonstrates a uniform population distribution. Environmental pressures in the region are increasing due to agricultural expansion, intensive mining, land-use change, habitat degradation, and overgrazing in scrub mountain ecosystems. Infrastructure development and increasing anthropogenic activities further intensify these disturbances, significantly affecting predatory arthropods, particularly spiders. Such environmental changes may reduce suitable habitats for endemic species while promoting the spread of eurytopic species, potentially leading to the displacement of specialized stenotopic taxa. Photographs of habits and genital structures are provided for identification

The role of local government in environmental governance and sustainable development: An assessment from rural Bangladesh

Bangladesh has ranked among the most vulnerable in the world where the survival of millions of people and possibility of a sustainable development is intrinsically linked to the health of its environment. Focusing on Union Parishad as the sole unit of rural administration, the research attempts to analyze the role and power of the said institution, the systemic pressures limiting its performance using the mixed method approach. The findings suggest a profound conundrum. While there is near unanimity among the rural communities that environmental degradation, taking the forms of floods, river erosion and salinity, is a very threatening hazard, the fact is that the study also shows deep disillusionment with those institutions that are supposed to protect them. The study identifies a near-total lack of community engagement (81.5%) driven by chronic funding shortages, corruption, and political interference. To resolve this, a paradigm shift toward fiscal decentralization, through a dedicated \u27Climate Resilience Fund\u27 and mandatory \u27Ward Shavas,\u27 is required to restore public trust and localize the SDGs. The paper moves towards a conclusion that this is not because of lack of interest of the citizens, but a broken system of governance

Investigation and classification of bone fracture using a deep learning model

Bone fractures represent a large percentage of medical cases worldwide, requiring accurate and precise detection to improve patient results. The current work, therefore, suggests a new deep learning model for detecting and classifying bone fractures from medical images that addresses the limitations of traditional diagnostic methods. Leveraging the power of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), the model learns imaging data, identifies subtle fracture features, and labels them with high accuracy into the pre-existing categories. They trained their model on a comprehensive dataset comprising numerous triaged and undistributable fractures, which was coupled with data augmentation to improve the model’s robustness to variation in clinical presentation. Systematic regularisation strategies applied throughout the training prevented overfitting and improved model generalizability. Preliminary results indicate strong levels of accuracy, suggesting that the model can potentially complement or replace traditional diagnostic pathways. Implementing advanced AI-based systems into clinical workflows may transform radiology by speeding up diagnostic workflows and improving uniformity for identifying fractures. This research represents progress in the science behind automated fracture diagnosis techniques and the importance of artificial intelligence in healthcare, currently in implementing solutions to complex diagnostic challenges and improvements in related patient care outcomes

Impact of temperature and precipitation variability on the sowing time and pest incidence on late-season gourd in Pakistan

Pakistan is an agricultural country where most people work in the agriculture sector. However, Pakistan’s agriculture industry is being severely impacted by climate change. This study examines the effects of temperature, precipitation, and pest incidence on late-season gourd crops, focusing on the districts of Mardan and Charsadda. Time series data were obtained from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Meteorological Office, while cross-sectional data were gathered by survey questionnaires in the research area. Statistical analysis was used to evaluate the effects of temperature and precipitation on the variability of sowing dates and its subsequent impact on the frequency and growth of pests. Temperature rose by 0.15°C/year in Mardan and 0.1°C/year in Charsadda, while rainfall dropped by 1.4 mm/year and 0.9 mm/year, increasing pest damage to 79% and 75%, respectively. The findings indicate that farmers postpone sowing the gourd crop from the first to the last week of September to protect their crops from insect attacks and other damage. This is because the climatic factors (temperature and precipitation patterns) are changing. The primary pest causing significant harm to the gourd crop is the white fly, which spreads the virus known as mosaic viral disease. It is advised to offer heat-tolerant types with a brief lifespan

The scale direct shear test effect on the shear strength characteristics of different sands in Lahore, Pakistan

The direct shear test is a widely used method for determining soil and material shear strength parameters. This study examines the impact of shear box size on the shear strength properties of poorly graded sands collected from Lahore, Pakistan. Sand samples were classified using the Unified Soil Classification System and tested at dry densities ranging from 1.601 to 1.825 g/cm3 using shear boxes with 60 mm, 100 mm, and 160 mm diameters. Tests were performed at a constant rate of 1.25 mm/min under normal stresses of 23.42, 35.76, and 48.11 kPa. Results indicate that increasing box size leads to higher cohesion and lower friction angles, while increasing soil density enhances both parameters. Regression relationships were developed to relate small-scale and large-scale test results. These findings underscore the importance of accounting for scale effects in laboratory shear testing and offer guidance on extrapolating small-scale results to design applications. The study highlights the significance of considering container size effects in the interpretation of laboratory shear tests. Future research may explore varying soil types and moisture contents to generalise these findings further. Understanding these scale effects is crucial for improving the accuracy of geotechnical assessments and ensuring safe construction practices

Optimizing wettability alteration in carbonate reservoirs using hybrid low saline brine formulations for enhanced oil recovery

The study explores the effects of hybrid low-saline brine (LSB) formulations on wettability alteration to promote oil displacement efficiency in carbonate reservoirs. It  addresses the challenges of shifting rock surfaces from oil-wet to water-wet conditions, particularly in high-salinity, and temperature environments. Five hybrid LSB injection schemes were designed, incorporating different salts, xanthan polymer, silica nanoparticles, and reef salts to improve wettability alteration in carbonate cores. The Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), revealing significant changes in mineralogy, and surface structure. Contact angle (CA) measurements were performed to evaluate the impacts of modified LSB on carbonate cores, signifying that rock-brine-oil interactions potentially altered the surface chemistry, shifting wettability from oil-wet to water-wet. The findings reveal that higher salinity and temperature improved the wettability shift, decreasing CA from 126° to 80°. Scheme 5, containing silica nanoparticles, reef salts, and xanthan polymer, significantly altered surface alkalinity and wettability by reducing CA over 30° at 60°C. This indicates that higher salinity and temperature in LS brine enhance wettability alteration and decrease interfacial tension, substantial for efficient oil recovery. The study confirms the usefulness of hybrid LSB formulation in wettability alteration, advancing enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques in carbonate reservoirs, under complex conditions