Impact of Islamic Microfinance on Borrower’s Income in Pakistan- A Case Study of Akhuwat

Microfinance is a process of providing financial access in the form of micro-credits, and other services such as micro-insurance, savings, checking accounts and payment systems to the poor who do not have access to conventional banking. Lack of collateral and capital assets put limitations on the marginalized community to access the funds through the conventional banking system which leads to their financial exclusion. It is grasped that the objective of financial inclusion can be achieved at its full potential through redistributive instruments (Zakah, Awqaf, Qard al-hassan) of the Islamic microfinance industry. Pakistan Microfinance Review (2017) revealed that Akhuwat (A leading Islamic microfinance organization based on voluntarism and philanthropy) had maintained its outreach top spot in terms of Active Borrowers (820,000) during the year 2017. This study is conducted to analyze microfinance services provided by Akhuwat and its effects on borrowers’ income and consumption. The study adopted the qualitative research designed by applying questionnaires and interviewing techniques to collect data. The study finds that there was a reasonable increase in the income and consumption of the borrowers. Results indicate an average increase of 18 % in rural borrowers’ income and an average increase of 23% in urban borrowers’ income. The study recommends that vocational training should be provided to people in rural areas to enable them to engage in diverse business activities instead of solely relying on agriculture-related business

In vitro Micropropagation of Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad: an endangered medicinal plant

Background: The experiment describes the establishment of in vitro conditions for seed germination, micropropagation, callogenesis, organogenesis and acclimatization of Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad, of family Cucurbitaceae.Methods: In vitro grown seedlings from decontaminated seeds were micropropagated in basal MS medium at 23±2oC temperature and light intensity of 3000 Lux for 16 hours in culture room. In vitro grown nodal explants were supplemented with BAP (6-Benzylaminopurine) and NAA (Naphthalene acetic acid) with basal MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium to induce multiple shoots. Indole butyric acid (IBA; 0.1 to 2.0 mg/L) was supplemented to MS medium to develop roots of micropropagated shoots. Internodes and leaves of micropropagated shoots used to induce callus in MS medium enriched with varying concentration of 2, 4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4 D; 0 to 2.0mg/L) and kinetin (KIN; 0 to 1.0mg/L). Shoot initiation from callus was tested by adding 2, 4-D (0.1 to 2.0 mg/L) and BAP (1.0 to 1.5 mg/L) in basal MS medium. Conditions were carefully monitored during the experiment. After hardening, the micropropagated plantlets were placed in open filed environment in pots filled with sand and peat moss (3:1).Result: Surface sterilized seeds of Citrullus colocynthis (L.) showed 100% germination in regulator free medium. Significantly mature shoots (75%) from nodal explant recorded in BAP (2.0 mg/L) and NAA (1.0 mg/L) augmented MS medium. Highest number (90%) of roots per shoot explant were observed in IBA (2.0 mg/L). Leaf explants showed better response to form callus with a combination of 2, 4-D (1.0 mg/L) and KIN (1.0 mg/L) and further rise in 2, 4-D concentration caused a sharp decrease in callus formation. Shoot induction from callus cultures observed in MS medium containing 2, 4-D (2.0 mg/L) and BAP (1.5 mg/L), producing an average of 10 shoots per culture. Plants were effectively transplanted in open environment with survival rate of 85%.Conclusion: Results indicate the successful establishment of the growth room conditions for in vitro micropropagation of the endangered medicinal plant, Citrullus colocynthis.Keywords: In vitro; Indole butyric acid; callus induction; Citrullus colocynthis; organogenesi

Rising Caesarean Section Rate – Whether Women Choice, Doctor Preference or Clinical /Non Clinical Indications are Responsible.

Background : To determine the factors responsiblefor the rise in caesarean section rates whetherwomen choice, doctor preference or clinical /nonclinical indications are responsible.Methods: In this observational study antenatalpatients of any age ,with any previous obstetrichistory and parity were asked about their wishesregarding mode of deliveries in the currentpregnancy irrespective of any clinical consideration.Actual indications for caesarean done in the next 3months were noted down and rate of caesarean andfrequencies for each caesarean indication werecalculated. Discussions with doctors regardingreasons for caesarean decisions in their practiceswere done and percentages were calculated for majorindications of caesarean in their practice.Results:Among 558 antenatal women, majority(74.1%) wished for vaginal delivery. Total caesareanrate in 3 months was 42.8%. Previous onecaesareans(24.67%) or previous multiplecaesareans(21.83) were the commonest indications.Clinicians revealed suspected fetalcompromise(intrapartum)(76.6%), previous onecaesareans(66.6%) and previous multiplecaesareans(50%) as the common indications. Nodoctor agreed on economic incentive being the solereason for caesarean in their practice.Conclusion: Majority of women wish to delivervaginally. The main reason for rise in caesarean rateare clinical indications like previous one andmultiple caesareans , suspected fetalcompromise(intrapartum) and failure to progress.Risk minimizing behaviour is prominent among nonclinical reasons for caesarean delivery

PROFICIENT AUTOMATED LIBRARY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM(PALMS): A NEW MODEL FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES OF PAKISTAN.

The basic objective of this study is to provide a detailed perspective of current situation of public libraries workings and procedures in Karachi (Pakistan) and propose automation strategy with implementation strategy. The study elaborates on the needs of automated library management system components ideally packaging into an ALMS. Differences between available library management system(s) and proposed ALMS have been highlighted as well. This study recommends the development as well as implementation architectures, development technologies, database platforms, required human resources, and Infrastructure (i.e. servers, client machines etc.) for ALMS as a preferred system for public libraries in Karachi,Pakistan.In this study we have proposed a new model for public libraries that refocuses them on the vital task of knowledge management coherent within their communities by way of forming a hub for sharing and disseminating pertinent knowledge. A multi-layered architecture has been proposed for managing information on both local and global levels by creating a connection among multiple instances of system via internet. Statistical data collected by surveying thirty public libraries all over Karachi played a pivotal role in the proposed system design. Different aspects of the system has been identified, quantified and grouped into robust and flexible modules to facilitate the common interactions with the application. The system incorporates modules as pluggable and/or reusable components using MVC design pattern to ease the process of adding, modifying, and/or deleting modules without affecting the integrity of the system. The system features an extremely fast NoSQL database for local storage for real time and offline search (while internet is down). All local databases are combined to form a global database to facilitate the passive users (book readers) of the system. The system also defines four different user-views to provide multi-level access of either the local or global database to its users. Since the horizon of technology is very fragmented, the system is designed to be extremely portable by using Electron framework which enables the application to cover all major platforms Windows, Linux, and Macintosh which are most widely used Operating systems by Institutions

A Quantum based Evolutionary Algorithm for Stock Index and Bitcoin Price Forecasting

Quantum computing has emerged as a new dimension with various applications in different fields like robotic, cryptography, uncertainty modeling etc. On the other hand, nature inspired techniques are playing vital role in solving complex problems through evolutionary approach. While evolutionary approaches are good to solve stochastic problems in unbounded search space, predicting uncertain and ambiguous problems in real life is of immense importance. With improved forecasting accuracy many unforeseen events can be managed well. In this paper a novel algorithm for Fuzzy Time Series (FTS) prediction by using Quantum concepts is proposed in this paper. Quantum Evolutionary Algorithm (QEA) is used along with fuzzy logic for prediction of time series data. QEA is applied on interval lengths for finding out optimized lengths of intervals producing best forecasting accuracy. The algorithm is applied for forecasting Taiwan Futures Exchange (TIAFEX) index as well as for Bitcoin crypto currency time series data as a new approach. Model results were compared with many preceding algorithms

Exploring the Usage of Information Technology for Library Automation

Abstract The basic objective of this research study is to provide a detailed perspective of the current scenario of public libraries workings and procedures in Karachi (Pakistan) and propose automation with an implementation strategy. The study elaborates on the needs of automated library management system components ideally packaging into an ALMS. Differences between the available library management system(s) and proposed ALMS have been highlighted as well. This study recommends the development as well as implementation architectures, development technologies required human resources, and Infrastructure (i.e. servers, client machines, etc.) for ALMS as a preferred system for public libraries in Karachi. In this study, we have proposed a new model for public libraries that refocuses them on the vital task of knowledge management coherent within their communities by way of forming a hub for sharing and disseminating pertinent knowledge. A multi-layered architecture has been proposed for managing information on both local and global levels by creating a connection among multiple instances of the system via the internet. Statistical data collected by surveying thirty public libraries all over Karachi played a pivotal role in the proposed system design. Different aspects of the system have been identified, quantified and grouped into robust and flexible modules to facilitate the common interactions with the application. The system incorporates modules as pluggable and/or reusable components using the MVC design pattern to ease the process of adding, modifying, and/or deleting modules without affecting the integrity of the system. The system features an extremely fast NoSQL database for local storage for real-time and offline search (while the internet is down). All local databases are combined to form a global database to facilitate the passive users (book readers) of the system. The system also defines four different user-views to provide multi-level access of either the local or global database to its users. Since the horizon of technology is very fragmented, the system is designed to be extremely portable by using Electron framework which enables the application to cover all major platforms Windows, Linux, and Macintosh which are most widely used Operating systems by Institutions

Molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2: A tertiary care hospital experience from Pakistan

Objectives: The current study was conducted to assess the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in the general population. Methodology: This study was conducted from April to July 2020, at the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) General Hospital Islamabad, Pakistan. A total of 28,274 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected in Viral Transport Medium (VTM) media from symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals at the sample collection centers of our hospital and other affiliated hospitals. RNA was extracted using both automated and manual extraction platforms as per the manufacturer's instructions. Multiple qualitative reverse transcription real-time PCR kits for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 were used. Results: The results showed that 1,722 (6.09%) were positive for SARA-CoV-2 RNA. The males exhibited a prevalence of 2.76% while females showed a high prevalence of 13.44%. Among males,  most patients 424 (31.47%) were in the age group of 31-40 years followed by the age group of 41-50 years 306 (22.71%). Similarly among females, the majority of patients were from the age group 31-40 years with 91 (24.66%) followed by 41-50 years of age group 70 (18.66%) confirmed cases. Conclusion: The molecular epidemiological data may support the national policy formulation, transmission tracking, and the execution of measures to control viral transmission

The TriTryp Phosphatome: analysis of the protein phosphatase catalytic domains

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The genomes of the three parasitic protozoa <it>Trypanosoma cruzi</it>, <it>Trypanosoma brucei </it>and <it>Leishmania major </it>are the main subject of this study. These parasites are responsible for devastating human diseases known as Chagas disease, African sleeping sickness and cutaneous Leishmaniasis, respectively, that affect millions of people in the developing world. The prevalence of these neglected diseases results from a combination of poverty, inadequate prevention and difficult treatment. Protein phosphorylation is an important mechanism of controlling the development of these kinetoplastids. With the aim to further our knowledge of the biology of these organisms we present a characterisation of the phosphatase complement (phosphatome) of the three parasites.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>An ontology-based scan of the three genomes was used to identify 86 phosphatase catalytic domains in <it>T. cruzi</it>, 78 in <it>T. brucei</it>, and 88 in <it>L. major</it>. We found interesting differences with other eukaryotic genomes, such as the low proportion of tyrosine phosphatases and the expansion of the serine/threonine phosphatase family. Additionally, a large number of atypical protein phosphatases were identified in these species, representing more than one third of the total phosphatase complement. Most of the atypical phosphatases belong to the dual-specificity phosphatase (DSP) family and show considerable divergence from classic DSPs in both the domain organisation and sequence features.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The analysis of the phosphatome of the three kinetoplastids indicates that they possess orthologues to many of the phosphatases reported in other eukaryotes, including humans. However, novel domain architectures and unusual combinations of accessory domains, suggest distinct functional roles for several of the kinetoplastid phosphatases, which await further experimental exploration. These distinct traits may be exploited in the selection of suitable new targets for drug development to prevent transmission and spread of the diseases, taking advantage of the already extensive knowledge on protein phosphatase inhibitors.</p