Pro-Environmental Behaviors and Ecological Responsibilities: An Evaluation of Pakistani University Students’ Behavioral Intentions Towards Climate Change

Rapid and devastating changes in climate and environment have affected individuals from all around the globe to indulge in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The aim of this research is to evaluate the role of students in climate change mitigation and adaptation by analyzing their behavioral intentions. We incorporated the theory of planned behavior in evaluating the environmental knowledge among university students in Pakistan. The results implicated that the attitudes, societal norms and perceived behavioral control contributes significantly in an individual’s pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Additionally, education was found to be contributing merely in building attitudes towards pro-environmental behaviors. However the societal norms and individual’s perceived behavioral control were found to be less influenced by the educational background of individuals.This research provides strategic policy suggestions in face of formulating encouraging engagement in deliberative discussions, interaction with scientists, and formulation of community projects to induce education, resources and opportunities which can be beneficial in changing behaviors of individuals on a larger scale in society

Floods and flood management and its socio-economic impact on Pakistan: A review of the empirical literature

Flood is one of the most damaging natural disasters as the recent floods have shown their serious impact on Pakistan. Flood control and regulation policies are essential to reduce the risks of economic downturn, a threat to human existence, and to sustain the ecology. The severity of flood catastrophe activities represents a constant and severe issue in the world. Floods are rising year by year in severity and duration, causing negative impacts on the social and economic conditions of the nation concerned. While the frequency of floods cannot be avoided, their adverse impacts can be considerably reduced by adopting careful planning and efficient training. This paper reviews the socioeconomic impact of floods, and the existing condition of flood control policies outlines the flood protection problems and discusses opportunities for successful and efficient flood control in Pakistan. The paper also intends to propose several suggestions for efficient and sustainable flood control in Pakistan

Phragmites karka as a Biosorbent for the Removal of Mercury Metal Ions from Aqueous Solution: Effect of Modification

Batch scale studies for the adsorption potential of novel biosorbent Phragmites karka (Trin), in its natural and treated forms, were performed for removal of mercury ions from aqueous solution. The study was carried out at different parameters to obtain optimum conditions of pH, biosorbent dose, agitation speed, time of contact, temperature, and initial metal ion concentration. To analyze the suitability of the process and maximum amount of metal uptake, Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) model, Freundlich isotherm, and Langmuir isotherm were applied. The values of max for natural and treated biosorbents were found at 1.79 and 2.27 mg/g, respectively. The optimum values of contact time and agitation speed were found at 50 min and 150 rpm for natural biosorbent whereas 40 min and 100 rpm for treated biosorbent, respectively. The optimum biosorption capacities were observed at pH 4 and temperature 313 K for both natural P. karka and treated P. karka. values indicate that comparatively treated P. karka was more feasible for mercury adsorption compared to natural P. karka. Both pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were applied and it was found that data fit best to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic studies indicate that adsorption process was spontaneous, feasible, and endothermic

Ensuring food safety with molecularly imprinted polymers: innovative methods for the detection of aflatoxins in food and feed samples

Aflatoxins, a group of mycotoxins, represent a heterogeneous class of secondary metabolites that pose a significant risk to food safety and public health due to their potent toxicity. Aflatoxins are widely distributed in the environment, with high levels frequently observed in hot and humid conditions. There is an ongoing development of various methods for detecting aflatoxins in food and feed samples. Herein, a review of these methods is presented with special emphasis on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as selective materials for aflatoxins’ detection. The key findings of various methods for real-time analysis of food and feed samples are presented and analyzed, providing a comparative assessment of their performance. Furthermore, the challenges and limitations of these methods are discussed, considering their commercialization prospects and real-world requirements

Difficult Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy and Its Conversion to Open Cholecystectomy Using Intra-Operative Scoring System

Objective: To determine the frequency of conversion of laparoscopic cholecystectomy to open cholecystectomy using proposed intra-operative scoring system and to check the validity of the scoring system. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Department of Surgery, Federal Government. Polyclinic Hospital (FGPC) Islamabad from 1 February 2019 to 31 July, 2019. Materials and Methods: This study enrolled 197 patients of either gender with age ranging between 20-60 years planned for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). All the recruits were assessed intraoperatively using proposed objective intraoperative scoring-system for difficult LC. The conversion rate of LC to open cholecystectomy was recorded in correlation with demographic data and co-morbidities. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Results: Out of 197 enrolled patients, 64% were females. The mean age of study population was 42.7 ± 12.1 years. Forty six percent (46%) patients had co-morbidities with fifty-nine (n=59) being diagnosed as hypertensive and thirty-two (n=32) as diabetic. A total of 8.1% (n=16/197) patients underwent conversion to open cholecystectomy. The overall mean objective intra-operative score was 3.6 ± 1.73; which was significantly higher in patients who underwent conversion to open cholecystectomy compared to those who did not undergo conversion (7.19 ± 0.83 vs 3.28 ± 1.39; p-value = 0.001). Conversion rate was significantly more in the patients who were above 40 years, hypertensive, and diabetic. (p<0.05 in all cases). Conclusion: The intra-operative scoring system can be used as a valuable predictor of difficult LC and conversion to open surgery to improve clinical outcome for the patients indicated for LC

Hyperglycemia-associated Alzheimer’s-like symptoms and other behavioral effects attenuated by Plumeria obtusa L. Extract in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic complaint with numerous short- and long-term complications that harm a person’s physical and psychological health. Plumeria obtusa L. is a traditional medicine used in the treatment of diabetes to reduce complications related to behavior. Plumeria is a genus with antipsychotic activities. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a methanolic extract of Plumeria obtusa L. in the attenuation of diabetes, on symptoms of Alzheimer disease, and on other associated behavioral aspects. A single dose of alloxan was administered to an experimental group of rats to induce development of diabetes (150 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) and the rats were then administered selected doses of methanolic extract of Plumeria obtusa L. (Po.Cr) or glibenclamide (0.6 mg/kg) for 45 consecutive days. Behavioral effects were evaluated using three validated assays of anxiety-related behavior: the open field test, the light and dark test, and the elevated plus maze. Anti-depressant effects of Plumeria obtusa L. were evaluated using the forced swim test (FST) and memory and learning were assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM) task. Po.Cr was also evaluated for phytochemicals using total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and high-performance liquid chromatography assays, and antioxidant capability was assessed through assays of DPPH radical scavenging, total oxidation capacity, and total reducing capacity. In the alloxan-induced model of diabetes, the administration of Po.Cr and glibenclamide for 45 days produced a marked decrease (p &lt; 0.001) in hyperglycemia compared to control animals. Po.Cr treatment also resulted in improvement in indicators, such as body weight and lipid profile (p &lt; 0.05), as well as restoration of normal levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) (p &lt; 0.001), a biomarker of liver function. Diabetic rats presented more Alzheimer-like symptoms, with greater impairment of memory and learning, and increased anxiety and depression compared to non-diabetic normal rats, whereas treated diabetic rats showed significant improvements in memory and behavioral outcomes. These results demonstrate that Po.Cr reversed alloxan-induced hyperglycemia and ameliorated Alzheimer-related behavioral changes, which supports additional study and assessment of conventional use of the plant to treat diabetes and associated behavioral complications

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

چیک اور پرامیسری نوٹ بطور کاغذی کرنسی اور ان کی شرعی حیثیت:ایک تحقیقی جائزہ: Cheque and Promissory Notes as paper currency and their Shariah status :A research review

There is no doubt that Islam is a universal constitution, it is a religion that is consistent with the conditions and requirements of all times, and contains comprehensive rules for all spheres of life .In human society, the "value" of mutual transactions is the backbone, but the orbit of reciprocity is the real value. Value is something through which exchange takes place, value is created and value is protected, but it does not have to be legally a forced exchange tool. The use of currency in various forms has been going on since ancient times. Even before Islam and after Islam, the forms of currency kept changing in different periods and their prices kept fluctuating due to which different kinds and forms of currency came into being. Then the paper currency was gradually replaced by the credit currency and transactions began on the basis of credit receipts only. Currency is a major factor in the survival and stability of the economic system. Currency is a universal term and its various forms are prevalent in the current era of trade and transactions. Therefore, there was a need to discuss the current ways of earning a living from an Islamic point of view so that it would be easier to understand contemporary business matters, especially those dealing with currency. At present, great efforts are being made to rid the Islamic world, and especially the economy, of the menace of usury and to offer an effective and comprehensive alternative to it. Therefore, in this research, an attempt has been made to collect the rules related to bank cheques and promissory notes and to give corrections and suggestions regarding the rules and issues related to them and their shariah solutions