The Matter of Formation of Human Being Described By the Holy Quran In Comparison With the History of Embryology

What is the matter of creation of human? This question has been addressed since long back in the history from ancient Indian and Egyptian civilizations to the Greeks and until the advent of modern sciences. The answers to this question were varying and led to various ideologies about the paternity of the newborn and the role and importance of women in society. More or less the concept was that the human is formed from the male semen and female menstrual blood where semen is the actual matter of formation and the part of the female is just to nourish and nurture; until it is proved by the modern science that both male and female gametes equally take part in the formation of the embryo. However, the Islamic Holy Scripture, the Quran, and the narrations from Islamic prophet (PBUH) and the descriptions of the Islamic scholars stand in opposition to these concepts and have a stunning correlation with the modern scientific descriptions of the embryology

Fan Industry of Pakistan: Growth Dynamics of Small, Medium and Large Enterprises

Executive Summary This research report ‘Fan Industry of Pakistan: Growth Dynamics of Small, Medium and Large Enterprises’ explores the various dimensions of growth dynamics of small, medium and large size firms in this specific industry. The fan industry landscape is, as typical of a developing economy, full of inter-firm resource heterogeneity and ‘technological dualism’, where larger, and some medium scale enterprises use more modern methods of production and business, and the small scale firms reply upon the traditional processes. Based on the information and data gathered through field surveys, this research attempted to formally analyse the pattern and determinants of the performance of fan making firms. The information and data comprised of various dimensions of entrepreneurial competence, business operation, skill sets, technological capabilities, as well as input-output dynamics. Starting from the development of industry specific classifications of firm sizes, based on number of workers, output range, number and types of machines, the research has analysed various issues related with firm performance across and within firms of different sizes. Other characteristics of firms like targeted income groups, types of markets (local and/or international), outsourcing practices, product diversification, R&D practices, product testing, nature and sources of skills acquisition, technological upgradation, over-time and advertisement practices have also been used for deeper and broader evaluation of industry and firm-size specific dynamics. The research has contributed to literature in terms of its industry specific findings, and also by developing an estimate of ‘growth orientation’ of different sized firms and their determinants. A low-growth oriented firm is characterised by fewer intentions and actions to expand vis-à-vis a more growth oriented firm. The how and why questions of this growth orientation have been dealt with in detail. One important general findings is that firms with higher growth orientation are more active in terms of investment, technological up-gradation, certifications, and product diversification. They usually analyse key factors shaping the demand and production processes etc. formally, though with less sophisticated methods and techniques. On the other hand, low growth oriented firms lack the relevant resources and hence are unable to overcome the barriers to growth. The resource heterogeneity hints towards what is often referred to as ‘technological dualism’ within the industry. The real challenge for any policy for technological up-gradation and also for skill development, at firm and industry levels, is to address this issue effectively. It is hoped that the further research may discover new horizons in our understanding of the SMEs in Pakistani context

Impact of service provision platforms on maternal and newborn health in conflict areas and their acceptability in Pakistan: a systematic review

Various models and strategies have been implemented over the years in different parts of the world to improve maternal and newborn health (MNH) in conflict affected areas. These strategies are based on specific needs and acceptability of local communities. This paper has undertaken a systematic review of global and local (Pakistan) information from conflict areas on platforms of health service provision in the last 10 years and information on acceptability from local stakeholders on effective models of service delivery; and drafted key recommendations for improving coverage of health services in conflict affected areas. The literature search revealed ten studies that described MNH service delivery platforms. The results from the systematic review showed that with utilisation of community outreach services, the greatest impacts were observed in skilled birth attendance and antenatal consultation rates. Facility level services, on the other hand, showed that labour room services for an internally displaced population (IDP) improved antenatal care coverage, contraceptive prevalence rate and maternal mortality. Consultative meetings and discussions conducted in Quetta and Peshawar (capitals of conflict affected provinces) with relevant stakeholders revealed that no systematic models of MNH service delivery, especially tailored for conflict areas, are available. During conflict, even previously available services and infrastructure suffered due to various barriers specific to times of conflict and unrest. A number of barriers that hinder MNH services were discussed. Suggestions for improving MNH services in conflict areas were also laid down by participants. The review identified some important steps that can be undertaken to mitigate the effects of conflict on MNH services, which include: improve provision and access to infrastructure and equipment; development and training of healthcare providers; and advocacy at different levels for free access to healthcare services and for the introduction of the programme model in existing healthcare system. The obligation is enormous, however, for a sustainable programme, it is important to work closely with both the IDP and host community, and collaborating with the government and non-government organisations

Ramadan-specific nutrition education improves cardio-metabolic health and inflammation—a prospective nutrition intervention study from Pakistan

There are recent reports that Ramadan fasting (RF) results in weight gain instead of weight loss. In addition, the data on the efficacy of brief nutrition education on healthy eating practices in Ramadan for better health are scarce. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the effects of brief nutrition education before the start of RF on healthy eating practices during RF. For this purpose, a prospective observational study focused on “Dietary Education and Awareness for Ramadan (DEAR)” as an intervention was carried out. The participants (n = 74) were recruited and divided into two groups, i.e., intervention and control groups (n = 37 each). As an intervention, nutrition education lessons were given before and during RF month. The control group did not attend these nutrition education lessons. Data on anthropometrics, dietary intake, and other parameters were collected at three time points: before, in the end, and 4 weeks after RF. Weight was measured in kg; height, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC) were measured in cm; and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was calculated by dividing the waist value by the hip value. Body composition analysis was performed by the body composition analyzer (BF-907). Blood pressure (BP) was measured using a validated automated blood pressure. A 3–5 ml of venous blood was collected, and plasma and serum were separated. Serum and plasma samples were processed for general blood chemistry (blood lipid profile, glucose, and CRP) within 2 h. CRP was determined by the immunoturbidimetry method using an auto-analyzer. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine cytokine/chemokines. Adherence to nutrition education (intervention) was assessed. The results show that nutrition education has positive effects on overall nutrition. Significant improvement in dietary adherence to dietary advice in the intervention group was noted. Significant BW loss (mean loss: 1.21 kg) in the intervention group was observed. The majority (63.3%) had lost BW ≥ 1.0 kg. Other changes observed as a result of the intervention included improvements in blood glucose, cholesterol, CRP levels, and systolic and diastolic BP. There was a notable shift in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine concentrations: IL-7, IL-4, and TGF-α decreased, while IL-2, TNF-α and resistin, IL-1 RA, IL-17 A, and sCD40 increased. In conclusion, RF resulted in a loss in mean BW and an improvement in related blood chemistry and cytokine profiles. Furthermore, nutrition education before RF resulted in better nutrition practices during RF and a desirable healthy BW, blood lipid, and cytokine profiles

Use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process Technique for Land-use Analysis

The AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) is a useful tool in decision making method for land-use planning. Hillside development often contains environmental constraints because of hilly topography. Planners and decision makers have a limited opportunity to implement innovative approaches in land-use planning decision making process. This paper discusses on a possible MCDA (Multi Criteria Decision Analysis) method of land suitability analysis for sustainable hillside development. A hierarchical structure model is developed for the land suitability analysis. Land-use planners can get benefit from MCDA techniques for hillside development projects and various kinds of land-use planning problems. Criteria are prioritized by the experts and a number of sub-criteria are set in order to select the best alternatives for sustainable hillside development by using AHP method. Various techniques and modules are available that can check uncertainty of a computed final decision by experts. CR (Consistency Ratio) method is used to examine the uncertainty in decision obtained by the experts. If CR is more than required CR standards that it can revise weights with minor changes in criteria judgements to check uncertainty in decision-making of land suitability analysis. The AHP steps can be used by using the EC (Expert Choice) decision support software automatically or manually. This paper intends to introduce MCDA as a policy design tool for planners and decision makers like an AHP application in land-use plannin

Preference shocks in an RBC model with intangible capital

In this paper, we develop and simulate an RBC model that includes intangible capital as a third factor of production. We study the effects of intra-temporal preference shocks on economic aggregates, employing the undetermined coefficient method of to solve the model. Impulse response functions to preference shocks reveal that demand-side shocks are important in explaining the variations in macroeconomic aggregates

Integrated GIS-Based Site Selection of Hillside Development for Future Growth of Urban Areas

Urbanization is a challenging issue for developing countries, like Malaysia. Penang Island is one of the states of Malaysia selected as a study area where limited flat land exists. As a result, this would create urban environmental problems, such as unstable slopes and landslides due to uneven topography. The purpose of this study was to develop land suitability model for hillside development. Hence, this research aims land suitability analysis modelling for hillside development by using integrated GIS (Geographic Information System) based MCDM (Multi-Criteria Decision Making approach. The hill land portion of Penang Island was selected for hillside site development using GIS and AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) as a MCDM method for sustainable hillside development. This study found that 15% of land was highly suitable, 27% moderately suitable, 41% less suitable, and 17% not suitable. Therefore, this research can be consistently used by the concerned authorities for sustainable hillside urban planning and development. This approach can be used as a policy tool in decision making of urban planning and development

Forex and financial markets dynamics: A case of China and ASEAN

The paper aims to investigate the possible dual causality between exchange rates and stock indices of China and ASEAN using Structural Vector Auto-Regressive Model (SVAR). The paper has analysed the dynamic relationships between the Yuan and the Shanghai Composite Index and Shenzhen Stock Index in the context of China's third largest trading bloc, i.e., ASEAN, after the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997. The Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-98 had an adverse impact on stock indices and the currencies of ASEAN countries. It was also expected that a devaluation of the Yuan would follow soon, thus plummeting investors' confidence in the Chinese markets. Further research was needed to explore the complex relationship between financial and forex markets in the context of China and ASEAN. The focus of this paper is to explore such relationship with the focus on China. The results of the model confirm the dual causality between the two variables of interest in China. It concludes that a positive financial shock does have a small but significant impact upon the Yuan, whereas a positive exchange rate shock has a high and a significant impact upon the Shanghai and Shenzhen Composite Indices. The paper finds the effect of monetary and demand shocks upon the Yuan and stock market indices to be insignificant

Utilization of Biopolymers in Water Based Drilling Muds

With the increase in energy demand, deeper wells drilling is one of the solutions to fulfill the energy demand, which demands specialized drilling mud formulation. These muds are composed of thermally stable materials that can sustain in high-temperature conditions. Biopolymers are widely used out of various mud additives for improving the rheology and filtration characteristics of mud. Owing to the high temperature and poor thermal stability of such additives, these additives lose their primary functions, resulting in the nonproductive time and irreversible problems. The book chapter highlights the uses of water-based mud, its limitations, and the degradation of biopolymers. Various additives’ significance and susceptibility in harsh borehole conditions have been discussed. The existing additives used for the rheological and filtration characteristics improvements and their shortcomings are presented. Furthermore, the field applications of native and modified polymeric-based mud formulations have been further examined and presented