The Effect Of Natural Retarder On Geopolymer Concrete With Different Curing Regime

Gcopolymer concrete is an alternative environmentally friendly product to replace Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) concrete as main construction material around the world. '['his eco-friendly concrete material developed because of the needs to reduce the greenhouse gases emission, minimize waste and save the non-renewable resources as the effect of Ordinary Portland Cement production. This research was proposed to obtain the optimum mix proportion and curing method for geopolymer concrete with cast in-situ applications. Fly ash has been used as a source material for this research work while the alkaline solutions used in geopolymerisation is a combination of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3). Different curing regimes have been applied to cure the geopolymer concrete to find the best curing method. Sucrose was utilized in the mixture to produce workable geopolymer concrete which is not too stiff and easily hardened. The compressive strength test done on the geopolymer concrete sample showed that external exposure curing provided superior performance compared to other curing method. It was also supported by the observation at microstructure level through FESEM test

The mediating role of risk perception among cognitive biases towards decision to start a new venture

The Objective of the study is to investigate the relationship of overconfidence bias and illusion of control bias towards the start of new venture, with the mediating role of risk perception in context of Pakistan. To understand the relationship, this study developed and tested hypothesis by correlation and regression analysis. This study's sample consisted of 170 students pursuing a Masters of Business Administration. The students' responses to a survey based on a case study regarding a decision to start a venture were examined. This study found illusion of control and risk perceptions have significant effect on decision to start new venture. Conversely, overconfidence bias has insignificant relationship with decision to start new venture. The positive and negative impact of biases and perceiving low levels of risk suggest the importance of exploring the area of venture formation. As this study has incorporated two biases but many other biases should also be considered that effect human decision making process like self-efficacy, availability heuristics, law of small numbers and escalation of commitment

Contents and Methods of al-Hadith Memorization: Perceptions of Religious Teachers in Tahfiz Schools around Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya

This research attempts to gather arguments from the literature to explain the importance of memorizing al-Hadith as a complement to the curriculum of tahfiz students. The argument is further strengthened by the findings on the suitable contents and methods for students to practise from the point of view of religious teachers in tahfiz schools in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. A quantitative survey was conducted to gather the opinions of 210 respondents using a questionnaire instrument. Respondents mostly agreed that al-Hadith should be memorized in the form of perfect sanad and matan. The book al-Arba’in an-Nawawiyyah has been chosen as the most ideal content among some of the proposed al-Hadith books. The tasmi’ method is considered to be the most suitable to be practised in memorizing al-Hadith. The role of nutritious food and drinks is also an added value emphasized in the things that can help students’ memorization. The findings and discussion of this study conclude that al-Hadith memorization is a thoughtful proposal in complementing the curriculum of tahfiz students. The input from this article is targeted to be a pioneer of more discussions and studies within the scope of Islamic education in our country

Service quality towards customer loyalty in Malaysia's domestic low cost airline service

Delivering high quality service to the passengers is imperative so that airline companies can survive and strengthen their competitiveness. Even though there have been extensive research on service quality and customer loyalty in the past, little study has been conducted in this specific area. Hence, this paper aims to propose a conceptual framework on service quality and its relationship towards customer loyalty among Malaysia’s domestic low cost airline services passengers. Reliability, tangibles, responsiveness, assurance and empathy are considered as critical dimensions of service quality that possibly provide empirical evidence in relation to customer loyalty. Subsequently, the consequences of the customer loyalty are further elaborated in this paper too. It is expected that the findings of this study can assist the organization to deliver high service quality to the customers and enhancing customers’ satisfaction in fulfilling their needs and wants. More importantly, improving service quality in such an organization may result in long-term increase in customer’s loyalty; this in turn leads to cost savings and improved profitability and market share

Vulnerability of Environmental Resources in Indus Basin after the Development of Irrigation System

The climatic and topographic characteristics of Indus Basin provided an excellent condition for the development of irrigation system. Archaeological remains of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro indicated that several canals were constructed in this region. The Indus River System (IRS) was developed into a complex network of canals, and 74% of its water was utilized for irrigation after Indus Water Treaty. After 1947, Indus irrigation network was extended, and cropland area was increased from 8.5 to 18.2 MH in Pakistan and 2.02 to 8.5 MH in India. Construction of dams, barrages, and canals to divert the maximum river water for irrigation resulted in drying up the natural pathways of the rivers, except during monsoon season. The aquifer in the irrigated areas became high and created problems of waterlogging and salinity, but due to extensive groundwater extraction, water table near urban centers is lowered now. Water quality was degraded due to addition of fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals, municipal sewage, and industrial effluents. Due to climate change, the glaciers in the upper catchment areas are continuously retreating and the frequency of floods and droughts is increasing. The objective of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive review of irrigation system developments in Indus Basin and its implications on environmental resources

Identification of Viral Hepatitis by Real Time PCR and its Gender Association in Punjab, Pakistan

In the developing countries including Pakistan, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) cause serious health problems. A range of risk factors are responsible for this infectious diseas

The Relationship between Levels of Serum Vit. D and Kidney Function in Diabetic Nephropathy Iraqi Patient

Background: According to several animal and human studies, Vitamin D appears to play a substantial role in the development of diabetic nephropathy, However, the possibility of vitamin D's Reno protective impact and influence on the reversal of already-existing renal damage remains speculative. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are ubiquitous worldwide and have been linked to a variety of pathophysiological conditions, including diabetes, allergies, autoimmune illnesses, pregnancy difficulties, and, more recently, worse COVID-19 clinical outcomes. From a translational perspective, the goal of this review is to look into the potential function of vitamin D in the development of diabetic kidney diseases Aim of the study:  to evaluate the role of vit. D on renal function in patients with DMT1. Patient and Method: The total number of study participants was 120, divided into three groups: Group A: Included 40 patients have DM with NP (stage1, stage 2, stage 3a), Group B included 40 patients who had DM without NP, and group C included 40 healthy participants (control). Samples were taken from the Diabetic control clinic of Endocrinology and Diabetes Center/Al-Kindy Hospital, Baghdad Teaching Hospital/ Medical City, and Al-Shaheed Al-Sadder General Hospital during the period from October 2021 to March 2022.  Result: Statistically significant weak positive correlations were detected between vitamin D and GFR (r= 0.321, P= 0.001); while a significant moderate negative correlation was seen between vitamin D and HbA1c (r= -0.494, P= 0.001) and weak negative correlation was seen with B. Urea (r= -0.2, P= 0.028). No statistically significant correlations were detected between vitamin D and all of age, DM duration, and s. creatinine. Conclusion: Our data suggest a correlation between reduced levels of vitamin D3 and diabetes nephropathy and it may be a potential predictor for both the occurrence and severity of diabetic nephropath

Detection of bacterial load in drinking water samples by 16s rRNA ribotyping and RAPD analysis

Background: Safe and healthy drinking water is inaccessible to more than 20% of the world population. Among some major risks to safety of potable water, contamination with pathogenic microorganisms is the most alarming and harmful Therefore, it is needed to develop and implement fast and accurate methods for the detection of bacterial contamination in water. Methods: Biological analysis of drinking water samples obtained from nine different collection points of Lahore city was carried out and total of six different bacterial strains were isolated. Biochemical characterization was done under standard laboratory conditions. Molecular identification of these isolates was done by using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Results: The drinking water sample collected from Punjab University showed highest bacterial count 1066/0.5 ml of drinking water while residential area of University of the Punjab contained least number of bacterial counts i.e., 38/0.5 ml of drinking water. Amplification patterns of isolates SZ1, SZ3, SZ4 and SZ6 obtained by RAPD were found similar to genus Bacillus. While, SZ2 and SZ5 had unique amplification patterns identical to Bacillus megaterium. All the six bacterial strains were tested for the presence of protease, lipase, cellulase, and amylase. Strain SZ2 gave positive result for all of them except amylase.Conclusion: Tube well water of Punjab University area of Lahore is safe for drinking purpose except admin block tube. It is recommended to monitor the bacteriological load of drinking water at regular intervals in order to control water borne bacterial diseases

Doctors Strike During COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia: Between Right and Wrong

A strike to highlight the plight facing contract doctors which has been proposed has received mixed reactions from those within the profession and the public. This unprecedented nationwide proposal has the potential to cause real-world effects, posing an ethical dilemma. Although strikes are common, especially in high-income countries, these industrial actions by doctors in Malaysia are almost unheard of. Reviewing available evidence from various perspectives is therefore imperative to update the profession and the complexity of invoking this important human right

A Comprehensive Review on Impact of Microorganisms on Soil and Plant

Soils have the most diversified microbial communities of any environment on the planet. Bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa are all found in abundance in soil. Maintaining a healthy environment for crops requires a strong link between plants and soil microorganisms that are essential for good crop development. Soil bacteria are key regulators of the nutrient cycle. Mineralization, legume nitrogen fixation, and ammonia conversion to plant-available nitrate would all be impossible without bacteria. Effective microorganisms have the ability to boost crop growth and yield. When used in conjunction with organic amendments, these bacteria performs better than to the sole application. It also contributes to soil health and provides a variety of ecological services. They also help in the cleaning of the environment, landfill disinfection, and the development and implementation of sustainable, closed-cycle organic waste treatment processes across the globe. The whole study remarks a conclusion that the application or presence of effective microbes to soil not only enhance the nutritional capacity, fertility and productivity of soils but also helps to remediate soil problems cost effectively