Industrial development, agricultural growth, urbanization and environmental Kuznets curve in Pakistan

The debate of environmental issues and their analysis is of vital interest for economic policies. Institutions are engaged in identifying and estimating the extent of environmental impact of determinants controllable via policy measures. Annual data from the on Carbon Dioxide emission, economic growth, consumption of energy, openness for foreign trade, urbanization, industrial growth and agriculture growth on Pakistan is used for 1971 to 2007. Augmented Vector Autoregression technique and cointegration analysis is implemented to test Granger causality. Gross domestic product significantly Granger causes emission of Carbon Dioxide and energy consumption. On the other hand emissions of CO2 affect economic growth, agriculture and industrial growth in the long run. It is also evident that energy consumption unidirectional Granger causes emission of Carbon Dioxide. Industrialization and urbanization bidirectional Granger causes each other. The results indicate the more careful industrial and energy policies to reduce emissions and control global warming.Pakistan, Carbon Dioxide emission, Environment, Energy Consumption, Economic Growth, Foreign Trade

Development and Characterization of Piezoresistive Nanocomposites for Sensing Applications

Carbonnanotube basedhybrid nanocomposites are known to exhibit remarkable electrical and mechanical properties with many potentials in strain and damage sensing applications. In this work, we fabricate hybrid nanocomposites with carbon nanotube (CNT) sheet and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) as fillers with epoxy matrix. An improvement in both electrical conductivity and piezoresistivity is observed with the combination of CNTs and GNPs, indicating the formation of efficient hybrid conductive networks for strain and electrical transfer in the material. Different matrix materials have been compared to investigate the effect ofmatrixand to choose the one that yields increased strains, flexibility, and electromechanical response. The electromechanical behavior of the hybrid composites is investigated both under static and dynamic loading at various frequencies with induced levels of strains, and has shown positive response under all tested conditions. Digital image correlation has been used to investigate the strain variation within the specimen both during static and dynamic testing. As these sensors will be tested for damage sensing in space applications for inflatable habitat under Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD) impact, the sensitivity of the sensor with 3 mm impact holes is evaluated usingfour pointprobe electrical resistivity measurements. An array of these sensorswhen sandwiched between soft good layers in a space habitatcan act as a damage detection layer for inflatable structures. A computer program is developed to determine the event of impact, its severity and the location on the sensing layer for active health monitoring. Outgassing testing has been performed to evaluate the Total Mass Loss (TML) of the nanocomposite in space environment. Our results indicate that these hybrid nanocomposites exhibit a distinct piezo resistive response which can be beneficial for potential strain, vibration, and damage sensing applications

Mudarabah- A New Paradigm for Corporate Governance

It is increasingly believed that the shareholders have lost control over their wealth in the hands of management. As a consequent there is a need for an effective and efficient monitoring environment which can be materialized through active and effective participation of shareholders in policy making and major decision making. In this background, the purpose of this paper is to search for a new form of business organization in which the rights of all the stake holders are secured. “Mudarabah” is a basic mode of Islamic finance in which one party rabb-ul-mal (owner) provide capital to the mudarib (manager) to run business within a given paradigm. Here we are focusing on the point that how this concept can be applied in the context of corporate governance issues. Through applying this concept, much debating issue of activism of share holders can be addressed to a great extent. In addition the concept of limited liability can also be refined. As per teaching of Islam even the death of debtors can not write off the right of repayment of debt to the creditors. It may emerge into a new paradigm of corporate governance as the concept may leads to a major shift in principal-agent relationship. The concept can be successfully implemented either to structurally change the corporate form of business organization or make the way for a new form of business organization. However, there would be a need to form a global body to oversee and implement the recommendations. It will also require extensive legislation by the countries. Keywords: Corporate Governance, Mudarabah Board, Paradig

Towards The Total Synthesis Of Withanolide E And Physachenolide C

Withanolides are a class of ergostane natural products found in plants of family Solanaceae. Plants of this family are used in traditional medicine in Asia and South America. Recently, a series of 17β-hydroxy withanolides were identified from high-throughput screens as inhibitors of androgen-induced changes in gene expression of prostate cancer cells. Therefore, these compounds may have important applications as new therapies against prostate cancer. We have devised a synthetic route to members of this family and their analogues which allows stereoselective introduction of C14, C17 and C20 hydroxyl groups in separate steps. This will allow preparation of differentially hydroxylated analogues so as to identify which contributes to the potency and thus gain a better understanding of the SAR of this class of bioactive molecules. As part of this we have shown that the stereochemical outcome of the epoxidation of Δ 14-15 cholestanes with m-CPBA is controlled by the steric bulk of a C17 substituent. When the C17 is in the β configuration, the epoxide is formed on the α face, whereas if the C17 is trigonal (flat) or the substituent is in the α configuration, the epoxide is formed on the β face. The presence of a hydroxyl substituent at C20 does not influence the stereochemical outcome of the epoxidation. We have successfully introduced aldehyde functionality to the lateral side chain 14 hydroxyl compound. This aldehyde compound is a key intermediate from which many of the withanolides can be made. We have also investigated the introduction of a hydroxyl at the C18 as an entry into the physachenolides. Finally, we have carried out an assessment of the potency of the synthesised compounds against hormone-insensitive prostate cancer cell line, PC-3

Medicinal and pharmacological potential of Guava leaf powder, A Review

Guava (Psidium guajava) encompasses a broad range of nutritional and therapeutic potential. Depending on the species, the fruits are 4-12 cm long and have a round or oval form.  It belongs to the Myrtaceous family and is mostly cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates of the subcontinent including Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. The most therapeutic value could be traced in the pink form of guava. The phytochemicals “quercetin, avicularin, apigenin, guaijaverin, kaempferol, hyperin, myricetin, gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, and caffeic acid” have been investigated in the guava plant leaves for its therapeutic properties. Antidiarrheal, antihypertensive, antilipidemic, anticancer, and other health-promoting benefits are associated with both the fruits and the leaves of guava. The nutritional and phytochemical profiles of guava leaves are presented in detail in the current review. Many bioactivities of guava leaf extracts are also critically investigated. Guava leaves might be employed as a component in nutraceuticals and medications due to their phytochemical profile. To prove the efficacy of the guava leaf extracts, further extensive clinical trials are needed

Effect of river indus sand on concrete tensile strength

In the development of Pakistan construction industry, the utilization of River Indus sand in concrete as fine aggregate has expanded tremendously. The aim of this research is to study the effect of Indus River sand on the tensile strength of various grades of concrete when it is utilized as fine aggregate. Concrete Samples of M15, M20 and M25 grade concrete were cured for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Based on the results, it is found that concrete became less workable when Indus river sand was utilized. It is recorded that tensile strength of concrete is decreased from 5% up to 20% in comparison with hill sand. The results were derived from various concrete grades

Evaluation of Phenolic contents, Cytotoxic, and Antioxidant potential of Euphorbia nerrifolia

Objective: The researchers wanted to see how cytotoxic, phenolic, and antioxidant potential of Euphorbia nerrifolia were. Methods: The organic extracts were obtained by extraction of whole dried plant with n-hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol. Phyto-chemical screening was carried out using standard methods. Total phenolics contents were measured by using the Folin–CioEcalteu reagent method. Cytotoxic action was evaluated by brine shrimp lethality bioassay. DPPH radical assay was employed for antioxidant activity. Results: Phytochemical investigations confirmed the presence of anthraquinones, saponins, cardiac glycosides and flavonoids. Highest phenolic content (276.41 ± 64 mg GAE/g dry extract wt) was observed in methanol extract. Significant antioxidant potential was exhibited by methanol extract by means of 78.8% inhibition with IC50 value of 35.71µg/ml). In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, methanol extract demonstrated prominent cytotoxicity at highest level of dose with LD50 471.05. Conclusion: The study concluded that Euphorbia nerrifolia contains significant antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. Further investigation is suggested for the isolation of secondary metabolites responsible for reported biological activities.

With No Deliberate Speed: The Segregation of Roma Children in Europe

In this study, by taking the advantage of both inorganic ZnO nanoparticles and the organic material chitosan as a composite seed layer, we have fabricated well-aligned ZnO nanorods on a gold-coated glass substrate using the hydrothermal growth method. The ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by the Raman spectroscopic techniques, which showed the nanocrystalline phase of the ZnO nanoparticles. Different composites of ZnO nanoparticles and chitosan were prepared and used as a seed layer for the fabrication of well-aligned ZnO nanorods. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopic techniques were utilized for the structural characterization of the ZnO nanoparticles/chitosan seed layer-coated ZnO nanorods on a gold-coated glass substrate. This study has shown that the ZnO nanorods are well-aligned, uniform, and dense, exhibit the wurtzite hexagonal structure, and are perpendicularly oriented to the substrate. Moreover, the ZnO nanorods are only composed of Zn and O atoms. An optical study was also carried out for the ZnO nanoparticles/chitosan seed layer-coated ZnO nanorods, and the obtained results have shown that the fabricated ZnO nanorods exhibit good crystal quality. This study has provided a cheap fabrication method for the controlled morphology and good alignment of ZnO nanorods, which is of high demand for enhancing the working performance of optoelectronic devices