Messages in Cosmophilia: The “Love of Ornament” in Islamic Architecture

Islamic architecture is predominantly rich in ornamentation, and therefore, perfectly epitomizes the phenomenon of “cosmophilia” – meaning “love of ornament.” Taking this association as a point of departure, this article focuses on broadly identifying notions of cosmophilia in Islamic monuments that offer the finest and most varied examples of architectural ornamentation. In Islamic structures, where singular and unique ornamental devices can be located, the artistic programs of several monuments are concurrently found to be characterized by the “repeat ornament” – decorative elements replicated many times to envelope the façades in entirety. In this article, a variety of structures, erected under different dynastic polities from the medieval and early modern Islamic world, have been examined to understand the connotations and meanings attached to the Islamic ornaments. This will be done by looking at figural imageries, geometric and vegetal motifs, calligrams synthesizing images and texts, as well as structural and non-structural components integrated into the historic structures for aesthetic purposes. The ultimate goal of this study is to attempt an interpretation of the concepts and in some cases philosophical undertones, that were meant to be communicated through the Islamic architectural ornaments

The Role of Technology Entrepreneurship in Higher Education Sector of Developing Countries: A Case Study of Pakistan

In modern theories of growth and development, technological innovation has taken the focus stage and such innovations are commercialized by technology entrepreneurs. Colleges and universities are investing heavily in the development of their student’s entrepreneurial skills and have tremendous impact on innovation and entrepreneurial development. Universities today equally function as an important driving force to enhance economic value by creation of networks with innovators across a region through their incubators and scientific and technology parks. In developed countries many entrepreneurs start up their companies at their universities but in developing countries there are so many challenges yet to be faced by new starts up. Technology entrepreneurship in education basically explores how technology entrepreneurs are applying business practices or technology innovations to transform education to lead to higher performance. As higher education industry is changing radically and that transformation is worth for commercial benefits of businesses and also for innovative startups. Today the presence of colleges and universities are not only meant to be the gatekeeper of knowledge and information instead various innovators are in flowing as entrepreneurs in education industry. This study will explore that in what ways technology entrepreneurship is facilitating the educator sector of the emerging economies specifically in Pakistan. Keywords: Technology entrepreneurship, High Education Sector, Developing economies, Business Incubation Centers

The traditional courtyard house of Lahore: an analysis with respect to Deep Beauty and sustainability

Master of ScienceArchitectureGary J. CoatesSustainability is essential for survival on this planet but only focusing on the green aspects is not a comprehensive solution. The idea of Deep Beauty provides a more thorough and complete framework that is the answer to the sustainability problem of today. This framework is comprised of three levels: functional, typological and archetypal. These three levels combined, look at a building in terms of its functionality, its relevance to its region and the universal beauty that it must possess to exist long term. The union of aesthetics with function is what can save the planet. For this research, the focus of study is the traditional residential architecture of the city of Lahore, Pakistan, a city with a rich cultural background. Throughout history, Lahore has seen many transformations with respect to its architecture. Its architectural history can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization in the 3rd millennium BC, to a predominance of Buddhism, to a prevalence of Hinduism transformed further by the advent of Islam, the arrival of the British and the founding of the independent state of Pakistan. Currently, the housing trends are continuing to become more and more westernized in a pattern that is not fit for the region because of their inability to provide comfortable living environments and life-enriching spaces. In order to provide better housing solutions for the future, it is important that we look back at examples that have passed the test of time. This report discusses the present day and traditional housing trends of Lahore. With the purpose of improving the current residential designs, an analysis of a traditional house of Lahore has been performed to learn how it meets the criteria of Deep Beauty and sustainability. The results from this analysis provide design strategies that can be incorporated into present day houses to achieve sustainability. Based on these conclusions, a more sustainable design has been proposed for the modern house

Investigating Sustainability of the Traditional Courtyard Houses Using Deep Beauty Framework

In Pakistan, power outages have become frequent over the past two decades, due to a continuing energy crisis. Reliance on machines for thermal comfort of buildings has led to high energy demands of the increasing population. The negative impacts of artificial environments have, also, diminished the sense of place, biophilia and cultural values. Moreover, globalization has standardized the built environments, causing a lack of regional identity and an absence of climate sensitivity in design. Keeping all these issues in focus, this article re-examines the fundamental aspects of traditional architecture and aims to stimulate architects and designers to create sustainable and life-enriching designs, which are appropriate for contemporary times. In this research, the first two levels of Deep Beauty (functional and typological) are used, as a conceptual framework for sustainable design, to analyse a representative of a traditional courtyard house. In conjunction with the theoretical underpinnings of the Deep Beauty framework, the analysis utilizes photographs, drawings, and diagrams to support the arguments. The research shows that the traditional courtyard house possesses numerous attributes of sustainable design, which can be incorporated into contemporary house design

Optimizing multi-objective task scheduling in fog computing with GA-PSO algorithm for big data application

As the volume and velocity of Big Data continue to grow, traditional cloud computing approaches struggle to meet the demands of real-time processing and low latency. Fog computing, with its distributed network of edge devices, emerges as a compelling solution. However, efficient task scheduling in fog computing remains a challenge due to its inherently multi-objective nature, balancing factors like execution time, response time, and resource utilization. This paper proposes a hybrid Genetic Algorithm (GA)-Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to optimize multi-objective task scheduling in fog computing environments. The hybrid approach combines the strengths of GA and PSO, achieving effective exploration and exploitation of the search space, leading to improved performance compared to traditional single-algorithm approaches. The proposed hybrid algorithm results improved the execution time by 85.68% when compared with GA algorithm, by 84% when compared with Hybrid PWOA and by 51.03% when compared with PSO algorithm as well as it improved the response time by 67.28% when compared with GA algorithm, by 54.24% when compared with Hybrid PWOA and by 75.40% when compared with PSO algorithm as well as it improved the completion time by 68.69% when compared with GA algorithm, by 98.91% when compared with Hybrid PWOA and by 75.90% when compared with PSO algorithm when various tasks inputs are given. The proposed hybrid algorithm results also improved the execution time by 84.87% when compared with GA algorithm, by 88.64% when compared with Hybrid PWOA and by 85.07% when compared with PSO algorithm it improved the response time by 65.92% when compared with GA algorithm, by 80.51% when compared with Hybrid PWOA and by 85.26% when compared with PSO algorithm as well as it improved the completion time by 67.60% when compared with GA algorithm, by 81.34% when compared with Hybrid PWOA and by 85.23% when compared with PSO algorithm when various fog nodes are given

Peoples’ Perceptions about Visiting Sufi Shrine in Pakistan

Sufi shrines hold great importance in Pakistani society. Followers of the shrines consider it sacred place and they perform different rituals there. The role of Sufis has been considered as intermediary who lead towards the path of God and success. Present study deployed qualitative research technique whereby data was drawn from 19 in-depth interviews at the Hazrat Mian Mir’s Shrine in Lahore. Findings of the study revealed that majority of the people have strong belief upon the blessings of Sufis and they visit shrine to fulfill their social, economic, physical, and spiritual needs. They believed that the late Sufis of shrine could listen, correspond and help them in multiple ways. However, some people thought otherwise. They believed the Sufi of shrine as pious ones but they did not believe upon the intermediary role of Sufis between human beings and Allah. Perceptions about myths and superstitions varied with regard to gender and level of education but majority of visitors did not believe in myths and superstitions.&nbsp

Effect of In Vitro Digestion on the Antioxidant and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Potential of Buffalo Milk Processed Cheddar Cheese

The purpose of this study was to develop an in-vitro digestion protocol to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the peptides found in processed cheddar cheese using digestion enzymes. We first studied antioxidant and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition and antioxidant activities of processed cheddar cheese with the addition of spices e.g., cumin, clove, and black pepper made from buffalo milk and ripened for 9 months. Then we conducted an in vitro digestion of processed cheddar cheese by gastric and duodenal enzymes. Freeze-dried water (WSE) and ethanol-soluble fractions (ESE) of processed cheddar cheese were also monitored for their ACE inhibition activity and antioxidant activities. In our preliminary experiments, different levels of spices (cumin, clove, and black pepper) were tested into a cheese matrix and only one level 0.2 g/100 g (0.2%) based on cheese weight was considered good after sensory evaluation. Findings of the present study revealed that ACE-inhibitory potential was the highest in processed cheese made from buffalo milk with the addition of 0.2% cumin, clove, and black pepper. A significant increase in ACE-inhibition (%) of processed cheddar cheese, as well as its WSE and ESE, was obtained. Lower IC50 values were found after duodenal phase digestion compared to oral phase digestion

Outcome of inadvertent high dose BCG administration in newborns at a tertiary care hospital, Karachi- Case series

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is given to newborns soon after birth. BCG vaccine overdose has been rarely reported. Here we report the outcome of newborns who accidently received high dose BCG at a tertiary care hospital, Karachi. We reviewed records of 26 newborns, who accidentally received intradermal high dose BCG, used for the treatment of urinary bladder cancers and 80 times higher dose than the BCG used for routine vaccination. The incident happened from 14-16th April, 2016 at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Analysis was carried out using SPSS. A total of 23/26(88.5%) newborns were followed for atleast 3 months and 11/26 (42.3%) were followed for atleast one year. 13/26 (50%) were male. All 26 patients were prescribed isoniazid and rifampicin for 3 months. 3/26 (11.5%) were lost to follow-up before completion of anti-tuberculous drugs (ATT). Lesions at the BCG site were observed in 16/26 (61.5%) infants, of which 15 (93.8%) had a papule, 3 (18.8%) developed a pustule, 3 (18.8%) had skin induration and 2 (12.5%) had skin erythema. Axillary lymphadenopathy was observed in 1/26 (3.8%) patient. Coagulation was deranged in 3/26 (11.5%) of babies. Intracranial bleeding was observed in 1/26 (3.8%) case. Localized skin lesions were the most common adverse events. None of them developed clinical tuberculosis. Chemoprophylaxis for inadvertent high dose BCG administration should be given for atleast 3 months. Furthermore, vigilant follow-up, transparency and disclosure are the vital steps in the management of any medical error

Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage. Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition to usual care. If bleeding continued after 30 min, or stopped and restarted within 24 h of the first dose, a second dose of 1 g of tranexamic acid or placebo could be given. Patients were assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight numbered packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Participants, care givers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. We originally planned to enrol 15 000 women with a composite primary endpoint of death from all-causes or hysterectomy within 42 days of giving birth. However, during the trial it became apparent that the decision to conduct a hysterectomy was often made at the same time as randomisation. Although tranexamic acid could influence the risk of death in these cases, it could not affect the risk of hysterectomy. We therefore increased the sample size from 15 000 to 20 000 women in order to estimate the effect of tranexamic acid on the risk of death from post-partum haemorrhage. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ISRCTN76912190 (Dec 8, 2008); ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00872469; and PACTR201007000192283. Findings Between March, 2010, and April, 2016, 20 060 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (n=10 051) or placebo (n=10 009), of whom 10 036 and 9985, respectively, were included in the analysis. Death due to bleeding was significantly reduced in women given tranexamic acid (155 [1·5%] of 10 036 patients vs 191 [1·9%] of 9985 in the placebo group, risk ratio [RR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·65–1·00; p=0·045), especially in women given treatment within 3 h of giving birth (89 [1·2%] in the tranexamic acid group vs 127 [1·7%] in the placebo group, RR 0·69, 95% CI 0·52–0·91; p=0·008). All other causes of death did not differ significantly by group. Hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (358 [3·6%] patients in the tranexamic acid group vs 351 [3·5%] in the placebo group, RR 1·02, 95% CI 0·88–1·07; p=0·84). The composite primary endpoint of death from all causes or hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (534 [5·3%] deaths or hysterectomies in the tranexamic acid group vs 546 [5·5%] in the placebo group, RR 0·97, 95% CI 0·87-1·09; p=0·65). Adverse events (including thromboembolic events) did not differ significantly in the tranexamic acid versus placebo group. Interpretation Tranexamic acid reduces death due to bleeding in women with post-partum haemorrhage with no adverse effects. When used as a treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, tranexamic acid should be given as soon as possible after bleeding onset. Funding London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Pfizer, UK Department of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Extra-Curricular Activities: An Effective Approach for Better Professional Development of Students

Extracurricular activities (ECA) are, nowadays, considered as an essential part of any school system of any level. The present study reveals the relation of ECA with student’s performance, academic achievements, career selection and, last but not the least, professional development (PD) of students. The research focuses on the effect and impact of ECA on PD of students for their career selection and personal development. The research was carried out by developing a questionnaire. It consists of five comprehensive questions relating the ECA with PD. The validity and reliability of questions were checked. The research population consisted of students, with some managerial and leadership experience, from different institutes of Pakistan. The sample consist of majorly all the members of the respective population. After purposively selection, the questionnaire was distributed among 110 selected members of populations for research. Response rate was 90.9% as 100 members filled the form and all the responses was considered valid for the statistical study. Different statistical methods were used to carry out the research consisting of standard deviation, arithmetic means etc. It was clearly observed the respondent’s consideration of ECA as tool for PD of students is high. It was also observed that consideration of ECA for cultivation of interpersonal skills is high and same rate was high for ECA’s impact on career selection. In addition to this, the consideration rate of ECA for improving of managerial skills and self-efficacy is high. So, it is concluded that educational institutes should motivate their students to participate in ECA for better a career