Impact of Maqasid al-Shariah Based Social Performance on Financial Performance of Islamic Banks: Evidence from Pakistan

The current study examined the impact of Maqasid al-Shariah based social performance of Islamic banks on their financial performance. It regressed financial performance on Maqasid al-Shariah based social performance using a robust fixed effect model after controlling for capital ratio, operating expense ratio, liquidity risk, and capital intensity. Unbalanced panel data was collected from the annual reports of all full-fledged Islamic banks operating in Pakistan for the period 2008-2018. The results revealed a significant positive influence of Maqasid al-Shariah based social performance on financial performance, inferring that an improved Maqasid al-Shariah based social performance leads to superior financial performance. Therefore, it is recommended that Islamic banks should increase their Maqasid al-Shariah based social performance. It will not only enhance their ‘Islamic’ image but will also improve their financial performance, resulting in creation of/increasing their shareholders’ wealth. This study contributes to the literature on the relationship between social performance and financial performance by measuring social performance from the perspective of Maqasid al-Shariah

Urbanization growth dynamic model of metropolitan city Karachi

The city Karachi has grown from a small fishing village to the enormous metropolis and now becomes the biggest and most industrialized city of Pakistan due to its multi-ethnic character. It population now exceeds 12 million (approximately) and its current growing rate is about 5% per year. This phenomenal, growth of the metropolitan city affects nomads as well as high class society and covers almost all aspect of life such as social, economical, political, sociological, psychological etc. This unchecked increase becomes the origin of the problems of slums, katchi abaadis, and encroachment. It has been estimated that one-third of the total population resides in squatter settlements and slums which results in chronic shortage of dwelling units, water supply, public transport, and civic amenities such as schools, hospitals , parks and playgrounds. This rapid growth of population is a burning issue for developing and governmental agencies. In this study attempts has been made to provide a systematic analysis of the population growth in the metropolitan city Karachi and model have been constructed by using the available demographic data. Finding of this model will serve as a basis for making planning to control rate of population growth in both Urban and Rural areas and develop a strategy to attain higher level of structural change of urbanization

Fortifying Smart Home Security: A Robust and Efficient User-Authentication Scheme to Counter Node Capture Attacks

In smart home environments, the interaction between a remote user and devices commonly occurs through a gateway, necessitating the need for robust user authentication. Despite numerous state-of-the-art user-authentication schemes proposed over the years, these schemes still suffer from security vulnerabilities exploited by the attackers. One severe physical attack is the node capture attack, which allows adversaries to compromise the security of the entire scheme. This research paper advances the state of the art by conducting a security analysis of user-authentication approaches regarding their vulnerability to node capture attacks resulting in revelations of several security weaknesses. To this end, we propose a secure user-authentication scheme to counter node capture attacks in smart home environments. To validate the effectiveness of our proposed scheme, we employ the BAN logic and ProVerif tool for verification. Lastly, we conduct performance analysis to validate the lightweight nature of our user-authentication scheme, making it suitable for IoT-based smart home environments

Ochronotic Arthropathy: Two Case Reports from a Developing Country

Alkaptonuria is a rare inborn error of metabolism, which is classified as an orphan disease. It is due to the lack of an enzyme homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, which results in an accumulation of homogentisic acid in different areas of the body, including sclera, skin, cardiac valves, articular cartilage of the large joints and intervertebral disks. We present two cases of alkaptonuria resulting in ochronotic arthropathy with advanced secondary generalized osteoarthritis, intervertebral disk calcifications, skin and scleral pigmentation. In these case reports, both patients had symptoms for >10 years before being diagnosed. Conservative management in the form of high-dose ascorbic acid, exercises, and gait aids was offered to both of them, which resulted in some symptomatic improvement in the first case, while the second case was lost to follow-up. Alkaptonuria is a rare disease, and although it does not clearly impact mortality, early diagnosis may improve the quality of life

Ascaris induced acute pancreatitis in paediatric population – a case series

The most common helminthic parasitic infection inhabiting human intestine is Ascaris lumbricoides (AL). Being the largest of the helminthic family, it infects almost one billion people worldwide, but any information about local population is unavailable especially in children. When patients present with abdominal pain, having ascaris induced pancreatitis never meets the differential diagnosis list even though AL itself is highly prevalent in our part of the world. Infected patients can present with a variety of symptoms depending on the location of parasite. If the biliary tree is inhabited, patients usually present with symptoms of choledocholithiasis or pancreatitis. We report the case series of 3 patients from paediatric age group, having acute pancreatitis secondary to AL. Patients had upper abdominal pain of varying duration. Ultrasound abdomen showed worm inside the Common Bile Duct (CBD) in all 3 patients. Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) showed worms coming out of the ampullary orifice. ---Continu

Pathological Study On Experimental Infection With Mycoplasma Mycoides Subspecies Capri In Different Age Groups of Goats

Introduction: To determine clinico-pathology caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri (PG3) in goats of different age groups and antibody titers. Methods: Twenty-one goats of three age groups viz; 1, 2 and 3 years with 7 goats of each age. Goats were divided in four groups i-e; G1, G2, G3 each contain 5 goats of each age while G4 comprise 6 goats; 2 from each group. Goats in G1, G2 and G3 were infected with Mycoplasma mycoides (PG3) dose (1×107 CFU/ml/kg) whereas, G4 was kept as control. Clinical examinations were recorded at 12-h intervals. The blood samples collected were tested through cELISA and the specimen of trachea, lungs, kidney, and liver were collected at the end of experiment for gross and histopathology. Results: Temperature, respiratory rate, pulse rate nasal discharge, coughing and lacrimation were noted higher in G1 compared to G2 and G3 groups. Gross pathology showed severe multifocal and diffused necrosis G1 compared to G2 and G3 groups. Histopathology showed sloughing of tracheal mucosa in all groups while hypertrophic secretary glands in G1. Lungs showed emphysema in all groups except G4. Kidneys showed glomerulonephritis while Liver showed congestion and hyperemia in all groups. cELISA, revealed the antibody titers rose from 1st to 3rd week post infection afterwards, reduced slowly. Antibody titers were higher in G1 compared to G2 and G3 groups. Conclusion: Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri (PG3) can cause infection in goats of all ages, yet the infection is more severe in young animals compared to old

Palynological Study of Fossil Plants from Miocene Murree Formation of Pakistan: Clues to Investigate Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironment

Palaeoflora in Pakistan in the Miocene is characterized by its high biodiversity. The present study investigated the pollen of fossil plants from the Murree Formation of Pakistan. Shales and mudstones were collected from the Murree section located at the foothills of the Margalla hills and analyzed by palynofacies and palynostratigraphic analyses. In this paleopalynological study of the Miocene Murree Formations of Pakistan, 31 samples were analyzed using microscopic techniques containing 48 pollen types from 12 families. The quantitative and qualitative morphological features of pollen were determined using light and scanning electron microscopy to help identify the pollen grains. Exine ornamentations and spines were the most important diagnostic features for distinguishing one pollen grain from another. The maximum exine thickness was observed in Ocimum basilicum of 4.25 μm, whereas the maximum pollen diameter was recorded for Pinus of 69.5 μm. Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, and Poaceae were the dominant families. The results showed that the preservation of floral records was not optimal. The presented results provide data on the dominant fossil plant taxa that existed in Pakistan (23.03–5.33 Ma). The evolution and phytogeographical histories of fossil plants can be unraveled using rock sediments to preserve biodiversity

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using the Plant Extract of Acer oblongifolium and Study of Its Antibacterial and Antiproliferative Activity via Mathematical Approaches

In this study, the antibacterial and antifungal properties of silver nanoparticles synthesized with the aqueous plant extract of Acer oblongifolium leaves were defined using a simplistic, environmentally friendly, reliable, and cost-effective method. The aqueous plant extract of Acer oblongifolium, which served as a capping and reducing agent, was used to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles. UV visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy were used to analyze the biosynthesized Acer oblongifolium silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus paramycoides and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) were used to test the AgNPs’ antibacterial activity. The presence of different functional groups was determined by FTIR. The AgNPs were rod-like in shape. The nanoparticles were more toxic against Escherichiacoli than both Bacillus cereus and Bacillus paramycoides. The AgNPs had IC50 values of 6.22 and 9.43 and mg/mL on HeLa and MCF-7, respectively, proving their comparatively strong potency against MCF-7. This confirmed that silver nanoparticles had strong antibacterial activity and antiproliferative ability against MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines. The mathematical modeling revealed that the pure nanoparticle had a high heat-absorbing capacity compared to the mixed nanoparticle. This research demonstrated that the biosynthesized Acer oblongifolium AgNPs could be used as an antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer agent in the future