Islam and Terrorism in Post 9/11th Literature

Although it has been always difficult to provide an adequate and comprehensive definition of “Terrorism”, Islam has been falsely and closely associated with to this concept in post 9/11th literature. Focusing on Joseph Geha’s Alone and All Together (2002), Laila Halaby’s Once on a Promised Land (2007), and Mohsin Hamid’s the Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007), I explain how Islam and the Arabic identity—which relates to Islam in one way or another—become responsible for the misery experienced by the Arab-American minority after the terrorist attacks of 9/11th. In the aforementioned works, Islam and the Arab ethnicity are entrapped under the strong feelings of patriotism and Americanism in post 9/11 United States. Islam falsely becomes the religion of terrorists who are referred to as radical Arabs and who are not recognized as patriotic citizens of the United States

Earnest Hemingway: Truth & Fiction

The difference between fiction, reality and truth has been a subject of a long debate since Plato excluded literature from his Utopia. Plato insists that literature is a thrice-removed reality or at least an inferior imitation of it. Aristotle, on the other hand, believes that literature might be an improved version of reality. This article explores the possibilities of bridging the gab between fiction and reality and if literature has the power to express truth. I focus the discussion on Earnest Hemingway’s An Old Man at the Bridge, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and a collection of his nonfiction writing- his Spanish Civil War Dispatches. Hemingway indeed managed to portray what he refers to as “absolute truth” in his fiction more than he does in his journalism

Termite activities and surface characteristics of coastal plain sands

This study evaluated the effect of mound building termites on the increase in the quantity of fine particles of the dimension of clay on the surface of  coastal plain sands of south-eastern Nigeria. Six termite mounds were selected in different locations, destroyed completely and sampled in three replications. Surface and subsurface soils were sampled within the periphery of the termite mounds in similar replications as the mounds. Samples were processed and analyzed in the laboratory. Data were analysed using ANOVA, correlation and principal component. Termite mounds were not common but massive, with base diameter more extensive than height. The major determinants (responsible for 28%) of the effects of termite activities on the surface characteristics are total sand, clay and silt + clay. Termite mounds were similar to the surface soil in available phosphorus, exchangeable sodium and potassium, effective cation exchange capacity, fine sand and silt. These similarities result from homogenization through erosion and redistribution of the mound material within the surface soil vicinity. The fortified mound materials redistributed in surface soil vicinity is responsible for the high clay, elevated pH, enhanced effective cation exchange capacity, improved structural stability, minimized leaching and subsequently improved fertility of coastal plain sands.Key words: termite mounds, pedogenesis, acid sands, biopedoturbation, surface finin

Evaluation of Aluminium, Copper and Aluminium-30% Copper Alloy Rivets

This work studied the failure of rivets made from different material compositions; Aluminium, copper, and aluminium-copper alloy under the same working condition. The strength to weight ratio and other properties of these materials make them ideal materials for rivet design. Six different rivets were produced each using pure aluminium ingot, pure copper ingot and aluminium copper alloy and each of the rivet was used to join mild steel together using the same pressing force of 50 kN. Each of the joint was subjected to impact test to measure the amount of impact energy they can absorb before failure. The impact test analysis showed that copper rivets had the highest impact resistance as only partial failure occurred. Impact test analysis of aluminium rivet resulted in fracture, thereby making it a weak material for riveting when it comes to components that requires high loading force. Also, Al-30%Cu alloy has high impact resistance, but less than that pure copper. Thus, it is concluded that for application with expected impact energy ˂ 12J, rivet made from pure copper is recommended. For application with expected impact energy ˂ 10J, rivet made from Al-30% Cu alloy is recommended, while for application with very low impact energy ˂ 5J, rivet made from pure aluminium is recommended. Keywords: Rivet joint, aluminium-copper alloy, pressing force, failure test, Impact energ

Acute Pancreatitis severity scoring index: Prospective study to identify determinants in Pakistan

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to compare different parameters used in Ranson’s Criteria, Bedside Index of Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE-II), and modified computed tomography severity index (MCTSI) for predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis and formulate a new scoring system to assess the severity of acute pancreatitis based on their prognostic severity index in the local population. Materials and Methods: This prospective pilot study was conducted at Rawalpindi Medical University allied hospitals from August 2019 to December 2019. All patients with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis were included in the study through non-probability convenient sampling. Different scoring parameters were entered into standardized proforma. Results: 100 patients were included in the pilot study with a mean age of 46.53 ± 15.324. Among 24 parameters from APACHE-II, Ranson’s, BISAP, and MCTSI, only 11 parameters, Pleural effusion (PE), Pancreatic necrosis (PN), LDH, serum Calcium (Sca++), Pulse, GCS, MCTS1, Base deficit, Po2, BUN-24, and BUN-48 were significantly related(at 10% level of significance) with the severity of acute pancreatitis. Similarly out of 24, 10 parameters AST, LDH, Sca++, Pulse, PE, PN, Base deficit, MCTS1, Po2, and BUN 48were significantly covered more than 50% of the area in AUC analysis. Our proposed criteria based on 9 parameters LDH, Sca++, Pulse, PE, PN, Base deficit, MCTS1, Po2, and BUN 48which were blowing by the two methods (ANOVA and ROC). The sensitivity and specificity were higher with our proposed criteria 93.1% and 60.6%respectively as compared to the Ranson’s, modified Ranson, BISAP, and APACHE-II criteria. Conclusion: The newly proposed criteria for the assessment of the severity of AP is superior as compared to old criteria

CFD Analysis of Nanorefrigerant through Adiabatic Capillary Tube of Vapour Compression Refrigeration System

Over time attempts have been made to understand the flow characteristics of refrigerants through capillary tubes as well as to seek more thermally efficient working fluids for refrigeration systems. This study investigated the flow of nanorefrigerants through adiabatic capillary tubes of vapour compression refrigeration systems; and afterwards creates numerical models that will account for solution of refrigerant side pressure drop and mass flow rate. Also in this study, a CFD flow analysis was carried out using a CFD simulation/solver such that the results of the simulations obtained were discussed so as to establish a distinction between the conventional and nano-refrigerants. Upon comparison of the CFD results of nanorefrigerants (CuR134a, CuR600a) and the conventional refrigerants (R134a, R600a), the conventional refrigerants were noticed to have more isothermal regions implying that heat was not being transferred quickly enough to raise the temperature of the adjoining region thus proving that the addition of nanoparticles improves the thermophysical properties of the base fluid. Also, based on the results of the study of the flow patterns of both working fluids, the density of pressure contours in the conventional refrigerants was far larger than that of the nanorefrigerant implying that more compressor work and ultimately greater power will be required. The findings from this study were validated with experimental results showing that a CFD analysis tool/method can be employed to understudy the phenomenal changes that take place in nano-refrigerant movement through capillary tubes without recourse to experimentation

Anticonvulsant, antiamnesic and anxiolytic activities of methanol leaf extract of Bambusa vulgaris (Poaceae) in mice

Background: Previous findings have shown that epilepsy can precipitate amnesia and anxiety, among other neuropsychiatric disorders. Bambusa vulgaris is used in African traditional medicine against convulsion, amnesia and anxiety but there is scanty scientific basis for these ethnomedicinal claims. Hence, this study investigated the anticonvulsant, antiamnesic and anti-anxiety effects of Bambusa vulgaris in mice. Methods: The acute oral ingestion of Bambusa vulgaris (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) was investigated using pentylenetetrazole-, and strychnine-induced convulsion; antiamnesic using scopolamine-, and diazepam-induced amnesic models while the anxiolytic effect was assessed using elevated plus maze models. The phytochemical analysis was carried out using standard methods. Results: The extract at all the doses used significantly (p<0.05) elongated the death latency while at 400 mg/kg the onset of clonic and tonic convulsions were significantly (p<0.05) prolonged in pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion model. The extract at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg offered 60, 80 and 100% protection respectively in pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion test. The extract showed no significant (p>0.05) effect on strychnine-induced convulsion model ruling out the involvement of strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor in the anticonvulsant effect of the extract. The extract at all the tested doses significantly (p<0.05) in a dose dependent fashion ameliorated the amnesia induced by scopolamine and diazepam suggesting antiamnesic effect. Bambusa vulgaris at all the tested doses significantly (p<0.05) in a dose dependent pattern increased the percentage open arm entries and percentage open arm duration on the open arm of the elevated plus maze as well as reduced the anxiety indices of the experimental mice consistent with anxiolytic effect. The phytochemical quantification of the extract showed abundance of tannins and corroborated by the findings from the Fourier transform infrared spectra of the extract. Conclusion: This study therefore concluded that Bambusa vulgaris may possess anticonvulsant, antiamnesic and anxiolytic effects and provided scientific proof for its traditional use. Keywords: Bambusa vulgaris, anticonvulsant, antiamnesic, anxiolytic, tannin, Fourier Transform-Infra Red spectr

Prescription of medicines by medical students of Karachi, Pakistan: A cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prescription of medicines by non-doctors is an issue with serious global implications. To our knowledge prescription of drugs by medical and non-medical students has not been studied before. We aimed to determine the practice and attitudes of drug prescription by medical students and: a) how non-medical students respond to this practice, b) How this compares with the attitudes and practices of non-medical students.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 600 students randomly selected from 2 medical and 2 non-medical universities. Ethical requirements were ensured and data was collected using self administered questionnaires. The Chi square tests and logistic univariate regression analyses were performed using SPSS v 14 to identify associations and differences.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 572 forms were completed and the sample consisted of 295 medical students and 277 non-medical students with no significant difference in their demographic profile. Of the 295 medical students 163 (55.3%) had prescribed a medicine independently and most (48.5%) said that they did this 2–3 times a year. The commonest reasons for this were 'previous experience' (68.7%), 'problem too trivial' (34.4%) and 'we knew everything about the condition' (31.3%). One-third (33.6%) of the undergraduate medical students thought that it was alright to independently diagnose an illness while a vast majority (78.3%) thought that it was alright for them to prescribe medicines to others. Common prescriptions were pain-killers, antipyretics, antiallergics and antibiotics. Medical students who prescribed medicines were of lesser age (CI = 1.366–1.887) and more likely to belong to the 1^st(CI = 3.588–21.731), 2^nd(CI = 2.059– 10.869) or 3^rd(CI = 4.331–26.374) year of medical college. One-third (33.9%) of the non-medical students reported that a medical student had prescribed medicines to them and 21.3% said that they trusted medical students and would follow their advice blindly. Many students thought it alright for medical students to diagnose and treat illnesses. A similar proportion of non-medical students (58.5%) reported prescribing medicines to others.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Prescription of medicines by non-doctors is rampant and urgent corrective measures are warranted. We have highlighted areas for future research and intervention and have given a few recommendations.</p