LAOZI’S PHILOSOPHY: ITS COMPARISON WITH WESTERN THOUGHTS AND APPLICATION ON PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN RELATIONS

The complex Pakistan-Afghanistan relations always engage policymakers on both sides of the border. Their concerns towards each other have been changing the socio-political environment intermittently due to internal and external dynamics coupled with historical legacies. This study, therefore, covers the post-independence period, the Soviet Union’s communist influence in Afghanistan, the rise of the Taliban, and the post-9/11 era. It employs Lao Tzu’s philosophy which advocates the overarching features of domestic politics, global governance, and statecraft to address the prevailing intricacies in Pakistan and Afghanistan foreign policies. It discusses vital concepts and approaches of softness, normalness, and actionless action at the individual, state, and system levels while carving out institutionalized foreign policy orientations between the two neighbours. The paper also considers the western thought of realism paradigm through which peace in the region remained elusive. It deliberates upon Lao Tzu’s philosophy which lays down the foundation of the political order in a natural, peaceful and balanced way.   Bibliography Entry Mirza, Zahid Latif. 2021. "Laozi’s Philosophy: Its Comparison with Western Thoughts and Application on Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations." Margalla Papers 25 (2): 1-13.

Web Disclosure as Mediating Role in the Relationship Between Paradox of Choice, Investor Experience, Financial Literacy and Investment Decision Making: Evidence From China

Purpose: The aims of this study to find the web disclosure as mediating role in the relationship between paradox of choice, investor experience, financial literacy and investment decision making.. Design/Methodology/Approach: Data were obtained from the 200 respondents for recent empirical investigation. The structural equation model is employed for analyzing the data. Findings: The novel findings suggest that paradox of choice, investor experience, and financial literacy have direct positive effect on investment decision making. Moreover, the findings recommend that web disclosure acts as a mediator between paradox of choice, investor experience, financial literacy and investment decision making Implications/Originality/Value:  The novel findings recommend that an important policy implication of web information disclosure for the investor

Corrigendum: Probiotics: mechanism of action, health benefits and their application in food industries

In the published article, there was an error in affiliation 2. Instead of “UniLaSalle, Transformations and Agroressources Research Unit, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France”, it should be “UniLaSalle, Univ. Artois, ULR7519 - Transformations & Agro-resources, Normandie Université, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.” The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated

Probiotics: mechanism of action, health benefits and their application in food industries

Probiotics, like lactic acid bacteria, are non-pathogenic microbes that exert health benefits to the host when administered in adequate quantity. Currently, research is being conducted on the molecular events and applications of probiotics. The suggested mechanisms by which probiotics exert their action include; competitive exclusion of pathogens for adhesion sites, improvement of the intestinal mucosal barrier, gut immunomodulation, and neurotransmitter synthesis. This review emphasizes the recent advances in the health benefits of probiotics and the emerging applications of probiotics in the food industry. Due to their capability to modulate gut microbiota and attenuate the immune system, probiotics could be used as an adjuvant in hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, cancer, and gastrointestinal diseases. Considering the functional properties, probiotics are being used in the dairy, beverage, and baking industries. After developing the latest techniques by researchers, probiotics can now survive within harsh processing conditions and withstand GI stresses quite effectively. Thus, the potential of probiotics can efficiently be utilized on a commercial scale in food processing industries

Intrusion Detection Framework for the Internet of Things Using a Dense Random Neural Network

The Internet of Things (IoT) devices, networks, and applications have become an integral part of modern societies. Despite their social, economic, and industrial benefits, these devices and networks are frequently targeted by cybercriminals. Hence, IoT applications and networks demand lightweight, fast, and flexible security solutions to overcome these challenges. In this regard, artificial-intelligence-based solutions with Big Data analytics can produce promising results in the field of cybersecurity. This article proposes a lightweight dense random neural network (DnRaNN) for intrusion detection in the IoT. The proposed scheme is well suited for implementation in resource-constrained IoT networks due to its inherent improved generalization capabilities and distributed nature. The suggested model was evaluated by conducting extensive experiments on a new generation IoT security dataset ToN_IoT. All the experiments were conducted under different hyperparameters and the efficiency of the proposed DnRaNN was evaluated through multiple performance metrics. The findings of the proposed study provide recommendations and insights in binary class and multiclass scenarios. The proposed DnRaNN model attained attack detection accuracy of 99.14% and 99.05% for binary class and multiclass classifications, respectively

Morphological Identification and Resistance Profile of Antibiotic and Heavy Metals-Resistant Bacteria in Hospital Sewage of Peshawar

Background: Increased resistance of microorganisms to commonly prescribed antibiotics has emerged as a significant hurdle in contemporary medical practice. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared antibiotic resistance as a " major threat to public health.". In the present study, bacterial isolates were selected based on high antibiotic and heavy metal tolerance from a water sample taken from hospital sewage.Methods: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were isolated through the disk diffusion method. Gram staining was done for morphological identification. For molecular identification, the 16s rDNA PCR amplification was done with universal primers. Results: The strain BC1 was found resistant to ampicillin (10μg/ml), and cefixime (5μg/ml). While, susceptible to kanamycin (30μg/ml), azithromycin (15μg/ml) and intermediate in response to amoxicillin (30μg/ml). The strain BC2 was resistant to ampicillin (10μg/ml), cefixime (5μg/ml) and kanamycin (30μg/ml). While, Susceptible to amoxicillin (30μg/ml), and intermediate in response to azithromycin (15μg/ml). The strains were also found resistant to heavy metals.Conclusion: The recent investigation on bacterial strains from hospital effluent found interesting candidates for understanding the AMR bacteria and developing novel active biomolecules to combat the antibiotics problem. The isolated strains could be a source of novel resistant genes however; a comprehensive molecular analysis is needed for advanced studies

Corrigendum: Probiotics: mechanism of action, health benefits and their application in food industries

In the published article, there was an error in affiliation 2. Instead of “UniLaSalle, Transformations and Agroressources Research Unit, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France”, it should be “UniLaSalle, Univ. Artois, ULR7519 - Transformations & Agro-resources, Normandie Université, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.” The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Probiotics: mechanism of action, health benefits and their application in food industries

Probiotics, like lactic acid bacteria, are non-pathogenic microbes that exert health benefits to the host when administered in adequate quantity. Currently, research is being conducted on the molecular events and applications of probiotics. The suggested mechanisms by which probiotics exert their action include; competitive exclusion of pathogens for adhesion sites, improvement of the intestinal mucosal barrier, gut immunomodulation, and neurotransmitter synthesis. This review emphasizes the recent advances in the health benefits of probiotics and the emerging applications of probiotics in the food industry. Due to their capability to modulate gut microbiota and attenuate the immune system, probiotics could be used as an adjuvant in hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, cancer, and gastrointestinal diseases. Considering the functional properties, probiotics are being used in the dairy, beverage, and baking industries. After developing the latest techniques by researchers, probiotics can now survive within harsh processing conditions and withstand GI stresses quite effectively. Thus, the potential of probiotics can efficiently be utilized on a commercial scale in food processing industries