Steep Analysis of Water Governance in Azad Jammu and Kashmir(AJK): An Exploratory Study

The River water is an essential and crucial resource for not only AJ&K but also for the economic and food security of Pakistan. The collective impacts of past and future infrastructural development specially roads and dams combined with the veracities of nature through earth quakes and climate change poses new threats and raises questions about the current regime of water governance in the entire region. At present, multiple institutions control different aspects of water governance in AJ&K. This study is a preliminary assessment of water governance efficacy in the region. The study is exploratory in nature based on primary data collected from  key stakeholders as  informants using the method of structured interviews of key informants. PESTLE/ STEEP analysis is done based on SWOT regarding the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities regarding water governance in the region. The findings of this study suggest that the dis advantages of the current fragmented, multi institution regime of water governance in the region  are outnumbered by the advantages. Keywords: AJ&K; water governance; Jhehlum River Basin; Watershed, Multi agency governanc

Soft Graphene-Based Antennas for Ultrawideband Wireless Communication

Ensuring user-friendliness and the seamless integration of technology into the fabric is a key challenge both for academics and industry participants. Thus, textiles that provide a seamless command-oriented user interface, and are capable of wireless communication have been an increasingly popular topic in recent years. In the field of textile antennas, patch antennas either with the use of embroidering techniques, conductive fabrics or inkjet-printing are leading the way over traditional bulky antennas. However, there are still significant problems in additive antenna fabrication such as the need to use metallic components as the conductive element which quickly becoming corroded and oxidised and also lead to high material costs. The main objective of this study is to develop graphene-based antennas for smart textiles that push the state-of-the-art in wireless body-centric systems, by utilising traditional textile manufacturing techniques. Hence, this research suggests a graphene-based antenna on a textile substrate, where the conformity of the antenna is highly desirable for wearable and body-centric applications. The designed antenna consists of a coplanar-waveguide-fed planar inverted cone-shaped patch geometry, aiming at ultrawideband antennas that work in a wide spectrum from 3.1 to 10.6GHz

A review on current and old SCADA networks applied to water distribution systems

Water is probably the oldest factor receiving attention from the population, since the beginning of the human race. The evolution of water supply systems is directly related to the urban growth of the cities and their geographical location. This study focuses on SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) systems used to control and managing water distribution systems all around the world, highlighting their components and deeply approaching SCADA networks and communication protocols. Based on the need of protection and security on SCADA networks, this study aims to provide a review of the existing literature, through the case study of water distribution systems, identifying the different components of a SCADA system, as well as its communication architectures and protocols and some known attacks, to design a framework on current and old SCADA networks. Results show that SCADA systems are not just applied to water distribution and water waste systems, but also to many other industrial automated systems that control on crucial systems. The security of such systems is yet weak and faces many vulnerabilities and threats, where security mechanisms must be applied. For this purpose, the study of SCADA networks and communications is considered a crucial point for the correct development of security tools

Design and Analysis of Wheel Rim with Magnesium Alloys (ZK60A) by Using Solidworks and Finite Element Method

A wheel rim is a highly stressed component in an automobile that is subjected to bending and torsional loads. Because of the long life and high stresses, as well as the need for weight reduction, material and manufacturing process selection is important in rim design. There are competitions among materials andmanufacturing processes, due to cost, performance, and weight. This is a direct result of industry demand for components that are lighter, to increase performance, and cheaper to produce, while at the same time maintaining fatigue strength and other functional requirements. Lighter wheels can improve handling by reducing unsprung mass , allowing suspension to follow the terrain more closely and thus improve grip, however not all alloy wheels are lighter than their steel equivalents. Reduction in overall vehicle mass can also help to reduce fuel consumption. Nowadays cars have been using steel alloy for its wheel rim. On moving with advancements the magnesium alloy can be used for the wheel rim .In this part structural analysis of wheel rim with magnesium alloy is done and compared the results with steel alloy. As magnesium alloy (ZK60A) matches the target of lighter wheel and having many benefits compared to othermetals, it can compete with exists

An Investigation on Design and Fabrication of Electromagnetic Internal Combustion Engines

This paper reports an investigation that was carried out in a magnetic engine is according to the concept appears to be a so-called "perpetual motion machine". Here you will find its images, patent, and also you will learn information from his production and testing. The Black pointer on the disk indicates the position of piston. It is evident that with the closed shutter the piston is located stably in the upper position, and shutter renders the valuable screening of magnets, fulfilling the functions described by me. Further, with the discovery of shutter piston accomplishes reciprocating motion. The stored energy of flywheel continues to move piston to the upper position. Work: the displacements of the shutter = of 0,444 the displacement of piston = 1,251

Melatonin serum level, sleep functions, and depression level after bilateral anodal transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a feasibility study

Objective: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with non-motor complications such as sleep disturbance and depression. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) showed therapeutic effects on the motor dysfunctions. However, the potential effects of tDCS therapy on melatonin hormone, sleep dysfunctions, and depression in patients with PD still unclear. This feasibility study aimed to identify any potential changes in melatonin serum level, sleep functions and depression after the bilateral anodal tDCS in patients with PD. Material and Methods: Tensessions of bilateral anodal tDCS stimulation applied over left and right prefrontal and motor areas were given to twenty-five patients with PD. Melatonin serum level, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and geriatric depression scale examined before and after tDCS stimulation. Results: After bilateral anodal tDCS, there was a significant reduction in melatonin serum level, improvement in depression, improvements in overall sleep quality, and sleep latency. Correlations test showed significant associations between melatonin serum level reduction and changes in subjective sleep quality, and sleep duration, as well as between improvements in depression and overall sleep quality, sleep latency, and sleep disturbance.Conclusion: Bilateral anodal tDCS therapy was a feasible and safe tool that showed potential therapeutic effects on melatonin serum level, sleep quality, and depression level in patients with PD. Although the further large scale and randomized-control trial studies are crucially needed, there is still a need for such a feasibility study to be established before such trials can be implemented as is recommended in the new medical research council guidelines

Connections between children's speaking and singing behaviours : implications for education and therapy

The purpose of the study was to investigate potential connections between children's speaking and singing behaviours, as well as to explore the potential use of such connections in speech or voice therapy and in educational settings. The objectives of the study were addressed through an exploratory approach. In the literature review, potential connections between the two vocal behaviours were investigated theoretically from the physiological (including neurological), voice-developmental, psychological and sociological perspectives. Based on the theorising, a model of children's vocal functioning was generated. The model advocates the interconnectedness of all vocal functioning and provides arguments towards the idea of musical elements possessing an enhancing effect on children's vocal functioning. In the empirical phase of the study, the theoretical model was exposed to empirical testing. The pre-pilot study consisted of interviews with eight professional speech and voice therapists. The procedute for the pilot and the main studies consisted of: voice recordings, questionnaires, interviews, observations and a psychological test. The procedure was conducted with four classes of children. Initially, all the participants were treated as one group and, subsequently, each class was looked at separately and treated as a case-study. In total, 76 7-10-year old children participated. In addition, interviews were carried out with the teachers of each class. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were used. The main findings were that children's speaking and singing behaviouts are connected through physiological, psychological and sociological routes, but not through the developmental route. Particularly strong evidence for the interconnectedness of the vocal behaviouts was found from the voice-scientific, psychological and sociological perspectives. The findings imply that children's speaking and singing behaviours are related and, therefore, it may be possible to enhance the quality and functioning of one vocal behaviour through the other. The findings also imply that children's vocal health is connected to a variety of holistic factors and that singing can potentially be used as a means to target these factors. Such findings have significant implications for both educational and therapeutic practice.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Clinical practice guidelines on the management of variceal bleeding

Gastroesophageal variceal bleeding occurs in 30 - 50% of patients of liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension, with 20-70% mortality in one year. Therefore, it is essential to screen these patients for varices and prevent first episode of bleeding by treating them with β-blockers or endoscopic variceal band ligation. Ideally, the patients with variceal bleeding should be treated in a unit where the personnel are familiar with the management of such patients and where routine therapeutic interventions can be undertaken. Proper management of such patients include: initial assessment, resuscitation, blood volume replacement, vasoactive agents, prevention of associated complications such as bacterial infections, hepatic encephalopathy, coagulopathy and thrombocytopenia, and specific therapy. Rebleeding occurs in about 60% patients within 2 years of their recovery from first variceal bleeding episode, with 33% mortality. Therefore, it is mandatory that all such patients must be started on combination of β-blockers and band ligation to prevent recurrence of bleeding. Patients who required shunt surgery/TIPSS to control the acute episode do not require further preventive measures. These clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been jointly developed by Pakistan Society of Hepatology (PSH) and Pakistan Society of Study of Liver Diseases (PSSLD)

The global, regional, and national burden of cirrhosis by cause in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases (collectively referred to as cirrhosis in this paper) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally, although the burden and underlying causes differ across locations and demographic groups. We report on results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 on the burden of cirrhosis and its trends since 1990, by cause, sex, and age, for 195 countries and territories. Methods We used data from vital registrations, vital registration samples, and verbal autopsies to estimate mortality. We modelled prevalence of total, compensated, and decompensated cirrhosis on the basis of hospital and claims data. Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were calculated as the sum of years of life lost due to premature death and years lived with disability. Estimates are presented as numbers and age-standardised or age-specific rates per 100 000 population, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). All estimates are presented for five causes of cirrhosis: hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol-related liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and other causes. We compared mortality, prevalence, and DALY estimates with those expected according to the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) as a proxy for the development status of regions and countries. Findings In 2017, cirrhosis caused more than 1.32 million (95% UI 1.27-1.45) deaths (440000 [416 000-518 000; 33.3%] in females and 883 000 [838 000-967 000; 66.7%] in males) globally, compared with less than 899 000 (829 000-948 000) deaths in 1990. Deaths due to cirrhosis constituted 2.4% (2.3-2.6) of total deaths globally in 2017 compared with 1.9% (1.8-2.0) in 1990. Despite an increase in the number of deaths, the age-standardised death rate decreased from 21.0 (19.2-22.3) per 100 000 population in 1990 to 16.5 (15.8-18-1) per 100 000 population in 2017. Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest age-standardised death rate among GBD super-regions for all years of the study period (32.2 [25.8-38.6] deaths per 100 000 population in 2017), and the high-income super-region had the lowest (10.1 [9.8-10-5] deaths per 100 000 population in 2017). The age-standardised death rate decreased or remained constant from 1990 to 2017 in all GBD regions except eastern Europe and central Asia, where the age-standardised death rate increased, primarily due to increases in alcohol-related liver disease prevalence. At the national level, the age-standardised death rate of cirrhosis was lowest in Singapore in 2017 (3.7 [3.3-4.0] per 100 000 in 2017) and highest in Egypt in all years since 1990 (103.3 [64.4-133.4] per 100 000 in 2017). There were 10.6 million (10.3-10.9) prevalent cases of decompensated cirrhosis and 112 million (107-119) prevalent cases of compensated cirrhosis globally in 2017. There was a significant increase in age-standardised prevalence rate of decompensated cirrhosis between 1990 and 2017. Cirrhosis caused by NASH had a steady age-standardised death rate throughout the study period, whereas the other four causes showed declines in age-standardised death rate. The age-standardised prevalence of compensated and decompensated cirrhosis due to NASH increased more than for any other cause of cirrhosis (by 33.2% for compensated cirrhosis and 54.8% for decompensated cirrhosis) over the study period. From 1990 to 2017, the number of prevalent cases snore than doubled for compensated cirrhosis due to NASH and more than tripled for decompensated cirrhosis due to NASH. In 2017, age-standardised death and DALY rates were lower among countries and territories with higher SDI. Interpretation Cirrhosis imposes a substantial health burden on many countries and this burden has increased at the global level since 1990, partly due to population growth and ageing. Although the age-standardised death and DALY rates of cirrhosis decreased from 1990 to 2017, numbers of deaths and DALYs and the proportion of all global deaths due to cirrhosis increased. Despite the availability of effective interventions for the prevention and treatment of hepatitis B and C, they were still the main causes of cirrhosis burden worldwide, particularly in low-income countries. The impact of hepatitis B and C is expected to be attenuated and overtaken by that of NASH in the near future. Cost-effective interventions are required to continue the prevention and treatment of viral hepatitis, and to achieve early diagnosis and prevention of cirrhosis due to alcohol-related liver disease and NASH. Copyright (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe