Importance of Ethnicity: Differences in reported discrimination towards Muslim students

Numerous studies have reported on the negative impact of perceived discrimination on health of Arabs and Muslims (Ahmed, Kia-Keating, Tsai, 2011; Rippy & Neuman, 2006). However, it is unknown if discrimination is experienced at similar rates among co-religionists. To date, there have been no studies exploring perceived discriminatory experiences of Muslims by ethnicity. This study assumes that Arab Muslim student will report similar recent discriminatory experiences compared to other non-Arab Muslim students. Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit self-identified 156 Muslim under-graduates to complete a web-based survey (2010-11) at one large U.S. urban commuter university. Arab Muslim student (N=55) were compared to non-Arab Muslim students (N=101) on an 8 item measure assessing past year experiences of perceived discrimination. Additionally, the two groups were compared on potential confounding measures of demographic variables, religiosity, social influences, and acculturation. Frequencies, analysis of variance, and step-wise regression models were used. Arab students reported significantly greater number of past year discriminatory experiences than non-Arab Muslim students (2.25 vs. 1.51; p=.030). On the past year discriminatory measure, negative attitudes in public places were reported significantly more by Arab students than non-Arab students (p=.048). Arab students were more likely to report differences in racial profiling, interrogation by law enforcement lasting one hour, and being singled out at the airport/border for one hour which approached significance (p Muslim Arab college students reported higher level of perceived past year discrimination than non-Arab Muslims student. Discrimination continues to occur and may contribute to identity formation among Arab Muslim emerging adults. Additional studies are needed to understand the impact of the discrimination on Arab youth identity and the coping mechanisms utilized. Limitations of this study include reliance on secondary data analysis, the lack of objective verification of perceived discriminatory experience, impact on identity, and sample

History Matching of Reservoir Simulation Model: a Case Study from the Mishrif Reservoir, Buzurgan Oilfield, Iraq

In petroleum reservoir engineering, history matching refers to the calibration process in which a reservoir simulation model is validated through matching simulation outputs with the measurement of observed data. A traditional history matching technique is performed manually by engineering in which the most uncertain observed parameters are changed until a satisfactory match is obtained between the generated model and historical information. This study focuses on step by step and trial and error history matching of the Mishrif reservoir to constrain the appropriate simulated model. Up to 1 January 2021, Buzurgan Oilfield, which has eighty-five producers and sixteen injectors and has been under production for 45 years when it started in 1976. Reservoir exhibits heterogeneity in porosity and permeability throughout the field, therefore it’s a big challenge to control all reservoir properties during matching process. The historical matching process includes matching field and wells oil and water production rates, water injection rates, water cut, and reservoir static pressure. Finally, the results show that the good matching between simulated model and observed data; oil and water production rates, water injection rates, water cut, and static reservoir pressure which allow for implementing perfect future production forecasting strategies

Impact of Cognitive and Decision Making Style on Resilience: An Exploratory Study

Resilience refers to successful adaptation of an individual despite risk, acute stressors, and chronic adversities. Resilient students are more determined and they can enhance their efforts especially under difficult situations. Students need to be more resilient so that they can bounce back from the loads of pressures and adversities they encounter in studies. In this context there is a need to understand the resilient quality of students against his/her cognitive styles and thinking pattern. With this assumption, a research is designed to examine the relationship of cognitive and decision making styles with resilience of students of different departments. A sample of 152 students was selected randomly between the age group of 20 - 25 years from different departments of university of Gujrat, Pakistan. Correlation and Regression analysis were conducted to examine the relationship and impact of cognitive and decision making styles on Resilience. Results showed that resilience has a positive association with cognitive style whereas; there exists no relationship with decision making style. Furthermore, the systematic and intuitive cognitive styles have shown positive correlation with resilience. Finally, the cognitive styles have shown significant influence on resilience. The study concludes with the implication of resilience in the academics and approaches to enhance resilience in students. Keywords: Cognitive Styles, Decision Making, Resilience and Student

Estimation Pore and Fracture Pressure Based on Log Data; Case Study: Mishrif Formation/Buzurgan Oilfield at Iraq

Prediction of the formation of pore and fracture pressure before constructing a drilling wells program are a crucial since it helps to prevent several drilling operations issues including lost circulation, kick, pipe sticking, blowout, and other issues. IP (Interactive Petrophysics) software is used to calculate and measure pore and fracture pressure. Eaton method, Matthews and Kelly, Modified Eaton, and Barker and Wood equations are used to calculate fracture pressure, whereas only Eaton method is used to measure pore pressure. These approaches are based on log data obtained from six wells, three from the north dome; BUCN-52, BUCN-51, BUCN-43 and the other from the south dome; BUCS-49, BUCS-48, BUCS-47. Along with the overburden pressure gradient and clay volume, which were also established first, data such as gamma ray, density, resistivity, and sonic log data are also required. A key consideration in the design of certain wells is the forecasting of fracture pressure for wells drilled in the southern Iraqi oilfield of Buzurgan. The pressure abnormality is found in MA, MB21, MC1 and MC2 units by depending on pore pressures calculated from resistivity log. In these units, depths and its equivalent normal and abnormal pressure are detected for all sex selected wells; BUCS-47, BUCS-48, BUCS-49, BUCN-43, BUCN-51 and BBCN-52. For MA, MB21, MC1, and MC2 units, the highest difference in pore pressure values are 1698 psi @ 3750 m (BUCN-51), 3420 psi @ 3900 m (BUCN-51), 788 psi @ 3980 m (BUCS-49), and 5705 psi @ 4020 m (BUCN-52). On other hands, MB11 and MB12 units have normal pressure trend in all studied wells. Finally, the results show that the highest pore and fracture pressure values is existed in North dome, in comparison with that obtained in south dome of Mishrif reservoir at Buzurgan oilfield

On some properties of ideal convergent double sequences in fuzzy normed spaces

Recently, Rashid et al. [Rashid, Mohammad HM and Kočinac, Ljubiša DR. Ideal convergence in 2–fuzzy 2–normed spaces, Hacettepe Journal of Mathematics and Statistics, 46(1):149–162, 2017] defined the notion of ideal convergence of single sequences in 2–fuzzy 2–normed linear spaces. The aim of this paper is to generalize this notion to the double sequences in such spaces. For the sake of generalizing we define some concepts that contribute basically to outcomes that we came up with and study some basic properties of these new definitions.Publisher's Versio

Bilateral retractile testis: A possible risk factor for male infertility

Healthy youth is an asset and strength for economic and social growth of any society. Developmental changes during puberty of youngsters need proper guidance to avoid future physical, physiological and psychological ailments. Bilateral Retractile Testis (BRT) is a health problem if remains unnoticed till adolescence can lead to tribulations. BRT may affect testicular parenchyma and spermatogenesis. Cremasteric muscles (muscles attached with testes) pull the testes up into groin so it randomly moves up and down and do not reside in its natural pouch always. It has been a controversial issue in male infertility as retraction may affect infertility. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of male infertility among patients with Bilateral Retractile Testis. Methodology: A total of 200 male patients were enrolled after the power calculation, with different reproductive health problems between the age of 18 - 40 years during the year 2016 at Reproductive health clinic Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center (JPMC), Karachi. 25 male patients were reported with infertility and BRT. The data was collected using self-developed questionnaire including outdoor patients’ physical check-up, manual testicular examination as size and shape were done. Patient height, weight, blood pressure, their lifestyle, and dressing regarding wearing tight jeans habits were asked. Semen analysis was carried out showing abnormality in sperm count, motility or morphology and entered and analysed in the SPSS version 10. Means and percentages were calculated. Result: Out of 200 male infertile patients, a total of 25 (12.5%) patients with a diagnosis of BRT were found in the sample with the mean age of 29 years. Moreover, it was identified that those having BRT also have low motility of the sperms. Based on the results it was concluded that BRT is a possible cause of male infertility in Pakistani population. Conclusion: BRT is a possible risk factor to affect sperm motility and low sperm motility can lead to male infertility. The study estimates the prevalence of 12.5% among our sampled men

Breast cancer detection among young survivors of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma with screening magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND Female survivors of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) who have received chest radiotherapy are at increased risk of breast cancer. Guidelines for early breast cancer screening among these survivors are based on little data regarding clinical outcomes. This study reports outcomes of breast cancer screening with MRI and mammography (MMG) after childhood HL. METHODS We evaluated the results of breast MRI and MMG screening among 96 female survivors of childhood HL treated with chest radiotherapy. Outcomes measured included imaging sensitivity and specificity, breast cancer characteristics, and incidence of additional imaging and breast biopsy. RESULTS Median age at first screening was 30 years, and the median number of MRI screening rounds was 3. Ten breast cancers were detected in 9 women at a median age of 39 years (range, 24-43 years). Half were invasive and half were preinvasive. The median size of invasive tumors was 8 mm (range, 3-15 mm), and none had lymph node involvement. Sensitivity and specificity of the screening modalities were as follows: for MRI alone, 80% and 93.5%, respectively; MMG alone, 70% and 95%, respectively; both modalities combined, 100% and 88.6%, respectively. All invasive tumors were detected by MRI. Additional investigations were required in 52 patients, (54%), and 26 patients (27%) required breast biopsy, with 10 patients requiring more than 1 biopsy. CONCLUSIONS Screening including breast MRI with MMG has high sensitivity and specificity in pediatric HL survivors, with breast cancers detected at an early stage, although it is associated with a substantial rate of additional investigations. Cancer 2014;120:2507–2513. © 2014 The Authors. Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society. Screening female survivors of pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma for breast cancer with MRI and mammography detected tumors at an earlier stage than prior studies of mammography alone, although a substantial proportion of women required additional tests for benign imaging findings. The 5-year cumulative incidence of invasive or preinvasive tumors after initiating screening was 10.8%

Environmental impact of utilization of “produced water” from oil and gas operations in turfgrass systems

© 2020, The Author(s). This study attempted to use produced water (PW) to irrigate turfgrass species, Cynodon dactylon and Paspalum sp. Assessment on established grasses, heavy metal accumulation and germination tests for weeds and turf grass seeds were conducted to evaluate the impact of PW irrigation. C. dactylon depicted lower tolerance while Paspalum sp. showed better tolerance capacity towards PW. C. dactylon grown from seeds under greenhouse conditions were not able to tolerate more than 30% concentration of PW (4.5% salinity). In comparison to tap water irrigated turf grass, Paspalum sp. was found to accumulate higher concentrations of V and Pb in shoots and Cr, Ni and As in roots. The results of seed germination tests recommended that irrigation with PW is to be performed after turfgrass establishment. Germination tests also revealed that PW could encourage growth of the weed—Chloris virgata while it could discourage growth of Amaranthus viridis and Launaea mucronata. This study suggests that PW could be used for turfgrass as an alternative water resource but only after further research on the long-term scale

Trackable CEMB-Klean Cotton Transgenic Technology: Affordable Climate Neutral Agri-biotech Industrialization for Developing Countries

Background: Transgenic technology reflects the incorporation of novel useful traits in crop plants like cotton for economic benefits by overcoming the problems including insects’ pests and weeds in special. The present study is the success story of the continuous effort of CEMB team started back in the 1990s.Methods: This study includes characterization of a large number of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains taken from local soil and subjected to direct transformation of isolated BT genes into local cotton cultivars. Protocols for transformation into cotton plants were optimized and validated by the development of double gene codon optimized (Cry1Ac and Cry2A) transgenic cotton varieties.Results: The resulting GMOs in the form of CEMB-33, CA-12, CEMB-66 have been approved by Punjab Seed Council in 2013 and 2016 respectively. Double Bt and weedicide resistant cotton harboring CEMB-Modified and codon optimized cp4EPSPS (GTGene). These varieties can tolerate glyphosate spray @ 1900ml per acre without the appearance of necrotic spots/shedding and complete removal of all surrounding weeds in the cotton field is a significant advance to boost cotton production without spending much on insecticides and herbicides.Conclusion: In the current report, two unique sets of primers which amplify 1.1 Kb for CEMB-double Bt genes and 660 bp product for CEMB-Modified cp4EPSPS (GTGene) were tested. CEMB cotton variety CKC-01 is specially designed as low cost and easy to use by local farmer’s technology has the potential to revolutionize the cotton growing culture of the country.Keywords: Event detection; Bt Cotton; CEMB transgenic technology; GTGen