Women's contested politics of presence : learning from the experiences of Pakistani women parliamentarians

This study provides a case study of women’s political representation in the National Parliament of Pakistan, where a particular form of the quota approach has been adapted in a highly gendered political context. By examining the experiences of Pakistani women parliamentarians, this thesis contributes to key academic literature on gender quotas and political representation that has received a considerable attention from feminist scholars. The aim of this thesis is to explore the extent to which women’s formal representation is translated into substantive change for women. This is an empirical case study, primarily based on qualitative analyses of face-to-face in-depth semi-structured interviews of 20 women parliamentarians (out of 76) and proceedings of the parliament of the last three years (2008-11). By adapting Anne Phillips’s (1995) The Politics of Presence in entirely new and novel way, one of the major contributions this study claims to make to the theoretical literature is to analytically examine the effects of quotas from various aspects of political representation: descriptive, substantive and symbolic representation and from a broader perspectives than has hitherto been seen. It also addresses a major gap in the literature on the reasons why some quota women act more often than others in legislatures, and what factors contribute to the silence and suppression of Pakistani women leaders. It is argued that women’s presence in the political spheres is important, but that it is vital to take the particular context into account when judging whether women can and do act for women. This thesis shows that representation depends on various factors which can positively or negatively contribute towards substantive change. It also demonstrates that quotas may challenge existing gender dynamics and have various effects on women’s representation within and outside parliament. However, some gender and human rights issues may be difficult to tackle, especially those challenging the powerful feudal and tribal political elite (mainly men)

GLOBAL WARMING CHALLENGES AND TACTICAL RAMIFICATIONS: ADDRESSING ECOLOGICAL SECURITY CONCERNS

Humanity has been facing frequent trials in the contemporary era. One seriously emerging challenge is global warming. It has a record of disastrous impacts on earth that are severe and cataclysmic. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change attributes mega-disasters to global warming. These environmental calamities have raised serious concerns for leaders, scientists, environmentalists as well as public. The defence experts warn about gradually changing weather tendencies and emerging of new security challenges. Global warming is causing continuous fluctuations in our fragile ecosystem, and any persistent malfunctioning in the ecosystem would affect the politico-economic, strategic, and even very existence of humanity. It would require rational choices and new strategic approaches for saving humanity and numerous organism species under global warming impacts. Strategists, in the future, will inevitably explore looming tactical security concerns to safeguard defence capabilities. Against this backdrop, this paper argues that global warming will create severe strategic complications. In the coming decades, traditional national defence systems will have to undergo a new transformation supportive to cope with emerging cataclysmic security issues due to global warming. Therefore, innovative lines of tactical ecological rationale will become an essential part of national defence.   Bibliography Entry Shah, Syed Muhammad Ali, Shaheen Akhtar, and Fozia Bibi. 2021. "Global Warming Challenges and Tactical Ramifications: Addressing Ecological Security Concerns." Margalla Papers 25 (1): 12-22

Lipid Profiles and Its Association with Pre-Eclampsia and Eclampsia in Nulliparous Pregnant Women

Objectives: To access the lipid profiles and its association with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in nulliparous pregnant women. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 234 nulliparous pregnant women with gestation period of  > 20 weeks and aged 15-45 years, from March to October 2014, in Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (IBMS), Khyber Medical University (KMU), Peshawar, Pakistan with cooperation from gynecology and obstetrics departments of three tertiary-care hospitals of Peshawar & Khyber Medical College, Peshawar,  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. Subjects were assigned to three groups i.e., group A, group B and group C. For performing biochemical assays and lipid profiling, through ELISA, blood samples were collected from already subjects both with the disease and the controls. Results: Both subjects having pre-eclampsia and eclampsia showed significant elevated levels (p < 0.001) for low density lipoproteins cholesterols (LDL-c), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-c and LDL-c/HDL-c ratio. But TC of pre-eclampsia subjects were found significantly elevated (p < 0.001) in relation to controls. LDL-c/HDL-c and TC/HDL-c also revealed an elevated significant change (p < 0.001) both for pre-eclamptic and eclamptic subjects. On the other hand, only TG/HDL-c in pre-eclamptic patients was found significantly higher (p<0.004) when compared to control group.  Conclusion: Serum lipid levels were observed higher in pre-eclampsia and eclampsia patients hence an early assessment is necessary to prevent complications in such patients

Latest Advancements and Future Patterns in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor systems (WSNs) have turned out to be a standout amongst the most intriguing ranges of research in the previous couple of years. A WSN is made out of various remote sensor hubs which frame a sensor field and a sink. These vast quantities of hubs, having the   capacities            to                     detect                 their environment,       perform       constrained calculation and impart remotely frame the WSNs. Late advances in remote and electronic advances have empowered an extensive variety of uses of WSNs in military, activity reconnaissance, target following, environment checking, human services observing, et cetera. There are numerous new difficulties that have surfaced for the creators of WSNs, keeping in mind the end goal to meet the necessities of different applications like detected amounts, size of hubs, and hubs'       independence.       Accordingly, upgrades in the present advancements and better answers for these difficulties are required. The future advancements in sensor hubs must create capable and financially savvy gadgets, with the goal that they might be utilized as a part of utilizations like submerged acoustic sensor frameworks, detecting based digital physical frameworks, time-basic applications, subjective detecting and range administration, and security and protection administration. This paper likewise     portrays          the      examination challenges for WSNs

The UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy and childhood hospital admissions for asthma in England

Sugar sweetened beverage consumption has been suggested as a risk factor for childhood asthma symptoms. We examined whether the UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), announced in March 2016 and implemented in April 2018, was associated with changes in National Health Service hospital admission rates for asthma in children, 22 months post-implementation of SDIL. We conducted interrupted time series analyses (2012-2020) to measure changes in monthly incidence rates of hospital admissions. Sub-analysis was by age-group (5-9,10-14,15-18 years) and neighbourhood deprivation quintiles. Changes were relative to counterfactual scenarios where the SDIL wasn't announced, or implemented. Overall, incidence rates reduced by 20.9% (95%CI: 29.6-12.2). Reductions were similar across age-groups and deprivation quintiles. These findings give support to the idea that implementation of a UK tax intended to reduce childhood obesity may have contributed to a significant unexpected and additional public health benefit in the form of reduced hospital admissions for childhood asthma.</p

Quick Decline Disease Disturbs the Levels of Important Phytochemicals and Minerals in the Stem Bark of Mango ( Mangifera indica

Quick decline is one of the deadly diseases of mango (Mangifera indica) which causes a serious damage to the tree and its production. In the current study, we examined the levels of important phytochemicals and minerals in the stem bark of healthy and infected mango tree. Infected stem bark showed 12.5% lower levels of total sugars and 51.1% higher levels of proteins as compared to healthy parts, whereas no variation was observed in reducing sugar, free amino acid, and ascorbic acid. Among micronutrients, the levels of Zn, Na, Cr, and Cl were lowered by 25%, 54.3%, 25%, and 75.4%, respectively, whereas the level of Ni was 62.5% higher in the infected stem bark when compared with the healthy stem bark. However, other micronutrients did not show significant differences between healthy and infected parts. Among macronutrients, the quantity of N, P, and Mg showed an increase of 51.2%, 34.7%, and 27.6%, respectively, whereas the quantity of Ca and K was decreased by 25.2% and 7.66% in the infected stem barks as compared to healthy ones. The results of this study provide some basic but important information that may ultimately be helpful in managing the quick decline disease in the mango trees

Genomic Determinants and Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern of Clinical Isolates of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL) Producing Escherichia coli

The growing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a worldwide public health apprehension, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) is one of the most commonly implicated bacterial species. Among E. coli isolates, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains have been identified as a key contributor to antibiotic resistance. Penicillin’s, cephalosporins, and monobactams are only a few of the β-lactam antibiotics that can be rendered inactive by ESBLs. This investigation’s goals were to determine the prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli isolates found in clinical samples and to analyze the distribution of the blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaCTX-M genes among them. Additionally, we aimed to determine the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of these isolates to other antibiotics. Clinical isolates from urine, ear swab, and wound/pus swabs were collected from patients with suspected E. coli bacterial infections from different regions of north India viz., SKIMS-JVC medical college and NABL accredited Dr. Qadri’s Lab both from Srinagar Kashmir valley region and SMSR, SU from Greater Noida UP. Standard laboratory techniques were used to identify E. coli isolates, and the combined disc method and other phenotypic confirmation techniques were used to confirm ESBL formation. PCR amplification and sequencing were used to find the blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaCTX-M genes. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used to test the antimicrobial susceptibility of various bacteria to different antibiotics. A total of 210 E. coli isolates were collected from different clinical samples and only 158 isolates showed positive results for ESBL by DDST and phenotypic confirmatory tests. Of these, 124 (78.48%) were ESBL-producing isolates. We found that blaTEM was the most prevalent gene (45.16%), followed by blaCTX-M (34.16%) and blaSHV (12.09%). Antimicrobial resistance profiles were assessed for each of the 120 isolates. Ampicillin and Cefepime were the most resistant drugs to ESBL-producing isolates, followed by Gentamicin, Ceftriaxone, and Cefixime

Physico-chemical properties and toxicological effects on plant and algal models of carbon nanosheets from a nettle fibre clone.

peer reviewedCarbon nanosheets are two-dimensional nanostructured materials that have applications as energy storage devices, electrochemical sensors, sample supports, filtration membranes, thanks to their high porosity and surface area. Here, for the first time, carbon nanosheets have been prepared from the stems and leaves of a nettle fibre clone, by using a cheap and straight-forward procedure that can be easily scaled up. The nanomaterial shows interesting physical parameters, namely interconnectivity of pores, graphitization, surface area and pore width. These characteristics are similar to those described for the nanomaterials obtained from other fibre crops. However, the advantage of nettle over other plants is its fast growth and easy propagation of homogeneous material using stem cuttings. This last aspect guarantees homogeneity of the starting raw material, a feature that is sought-after to get a nanomaterial with homogeneous and reproducible properties. To evaluate the potential toxic effects if released in the environment, an assessment of the impact on plant reproduction performance and microalgal growth has been carried out by using tobacco pollen cells and the green microalga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. No inhibitory effects on pollen germination are recorded, while algal growth inhibition is observed at higher concentrations of leaf carbon nanosheets with lower graphitization degree

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level.

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale. Objectives: To report the retinoblastoma stage at diagnosis in patients across the world during a single year, to investigate associations between clinical variables and national income level, and to investigate risk factors for advanced disease at diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 278 retinoblastoma treatment centers were recruited from June 2017 through December 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed in 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age at presentation, proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, and tumor stage and metastasis. Results: The cohort included 4351 new patients from 153 countries; the median age at diagnosis was 30.5 (interquartile range, 18.3-45.9) months, and 1976 patients (45.4%) were female. Most patients (n = 3685 [84.7%]) were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, the most common indication for referral was leukocoria (n = 2638 [62.8%]), followed by strabismus (n = 429 [10.2%]) and proptosis (n = 309 [7.4%]). Patients from high-income countries (HICs) were diagnosed at a median age of 14.1 months, with 656 of 666 (98.5%) patients having intraocular retinoblastoma and 2 (0.3%) having metastasis. Patients from low-income countries were diagnosed at a median age of 30.5 months, with 256 of 521 (49.1%) having extraocular retinoblastoma and 94 of 498 (18.9%) having metastasis. Lower national income level was associated with older presentation age, higher proportion of locally advanced disease and distant metastasis, and smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma. Advanced disease at diagnosis was more common in LMICs even after adjusting for age (odds ratio for low-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 17.92 [95% CI, 12.94-24.80], and for lower-middle-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 5.74 [95% CI, 4.30-7.68]). Conclusions and Relevance: This study is estimated to have included more than half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017. Children from LMICs, where the main global retinoblastoma burden lies, presented at an older age with more advanced disease and demonstrated a smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, likely because many do not reach a childbearing age. Given that retinoblastoma is curable, these data are concerning and mandate intervention at national and international levels. Further studies are needed to investigate factors, other than age at presentation, that may be associated with advanced disease in LMICs