Recipes for Life with Heat during Ramzan

The holy month of Ramzan (also spelled Ramadan) is a medium for Muslims around the world to rejuvenate their piety to the Creator. Each year, somewhere in the world, the month of Ramzan coincides with a period of seasonal or unseasonal heat. Against the backdrop of rising global temperatures, this collection asks: how do people and institutions manage the heat of Ramzan while fasting? This multilingual collection examines the gendered relationship between consumption, mobility and piety during Ramzan. The collection brings together participant observation and social analysis, with an archive of found materials from print and online media

Botanical Insecticides Are a Non-Toxic Alternative to Conventional Pesticides in the Control of Insects and Pests

Insect control for crops is one of the most critical global concerns. Pest management is an economic and ecological problem worldwide due to the human and environmental risks raised by most synthetic pesticide products. Botanical insecticides have resurfaced in popularity due to their low cost and low environmental impact, rather than their negative effects on human health. Botanical insecticides destroy only the insects they are meant to kill, leaving no residue on food or in the environment. Botanicals have long been used to combat pests. The compounds have many environmental advantages. However, as opposed to other bio-control pests and pathogens, their use was minimal during the twentieth century. In developing countries, botanical insecticides are well adapted for use in organic food production. Nonetheless, they may play a far bigger role in developed countries’ food production and post-harvest food protection. Consequently, the current chapter briefly addresses botanicals with active ingredients with insecticidal, antifeedant, or repellent properties

Extreme Heat and COVID-19: The Impact on the Urban Poor in Asia and Africa

The research on which this report was based was funded by the UK Research and Innovation and the Global Challenges Research Fund through the Economic and Social Research Council (Award ES/T008091/1) and by the Scottish Funding Council as part of Cool Infrastructures, a multi-disciplinary project into life with heat in global cities. We also thank the Norwegian Red Cross and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for publication support.The study provides substantial new data on the direct as well as indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, thermal comfort and heat-related illness, in Jakarta (Indonesia), Hyderabad (India), Karachi and Hyderabad (Pakistan) and Douala (Cameroon). These cities are home to very large or rapidly growing low-income populations dealing with extreme heat. Alongside data on heat exposure and symptoms associated with heat-related illness, the report supplies supplementary data points on access to electricity, water, food, health services, as well as income and food intake during the COVID-19 pandemic, that will be of use to policy makers and researchers. The report is intended for use by governmental and non-governmental organisations in these cities and countries as they work to fine-tune policy and programme responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and avoid heat-related health impacts. Its broader findings are intended to be of use to inform interventions in urban areas facing similar challenges across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South East Asia

Effect of camel milk lactoferrin against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic toxicity in Sprague Dawley rats

Background:Chronic Hepatitis and mortality due to liver cirrhosis is common in Pakistan. Camel milk Lactoferrin has antiviral, anti-inflammatory properties. Nutraceutical foods like camel milk have many uses. Camel milk lactoferrin might be used for the cure of hepatic fibrosis induced by CCI4 in Sprague Dawley rats.Methods: Seventy-five (75) male Sprague–Dawley rats were purchased from National Institute of Health Islamabad kept in animal house of UVAS Lahore and randomly divided into 5 groups under completely randomize design. In Each group carbon tetrachloride (CC14) was subcutaneously injected with a mixture of 40% CCI4 (a mixture of pure CC14 and sterile olive oil) at 200 uL/100g body weight as single dose, 48 hrs before the starting of treatment or 0 day. After 48 hrs. Rats were considered hepatic injured except the (+ve) control group. Among all groups, four groups –ve control, 30mg/kg/b.wt, 60mg/kg/b.wt and 90mg/kg/b.wt were supplied with standard diet plus Lactoferrin (different concentrations and doses) orally, while control group were provided only standard diet throughout the efficacy study (30 days).Results: The study was conducted in two phases, first one was on the isolation and purification of camel milk lactoferrin and the second one was based on efficacy study of lactoferrin in Sprague Dawley rats against the hepatic toxicity induced by carbon tetrachlorideConclusion: The present study on CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in Sprague Dawley rats clarifies that camel milk lactoferrin induced significant improvement in serum level of ALP, AST, AST, bilirubin, serum urea and serum Creatinine within the duration of 4 weeks treatment.Keywords: Carbon tetrachloride; Complete randomized design; Aspartate aminotransferas

Analysis of Conflict Resolution Strategies of Head Teachers: Teachers’ Perspective

Conflict managing has become a center of gravity of human activities in these days. Head teachers should be well aware how to resolve conflict among staff members.  So, the study was designed to analyze how head teachers can resolve conflict among staff members and was there any significance difference between male and female head teachers’ conflict resolving strategies. Survey method was used to investigate conflict resolving strategies of the head teachers. Bahawalpur was the population of the study. Convenient sampling technique was used to select sample.  Self-constructed instrument was applied to collect data. Questionnaire was consist of five types of parameters i-e  integrating conflict, obliging conflict, dominating conflict, avoidance conflict and compromising conflict. The major finding of the study was that majority of the head teachers exercise integrating conflict resolution strategies to resolve conflict. Major part of the head teachers adopted obliging conflict resolution strategies to resolve the conflict. Mainstream of head teachers used dominating conflict resolving strategies to resolve conflict. Majority of the head teachers exercise dominating conflict resolving strategies. Greater part of the respondents agreed that head teachers adopted compromising conflict resolving strategies to resolve conflict among staff members. Gender wise comparison indicates that there was a significance difference between male and female head teachers to use the conflict resolution strategies at secondary level

Mesophilic batch co-digestion of municipal solid waste and food waste: improved digester performance and stability at optimum organic loading rates

BACKGROUND The accumulative municipal solid waste (MSW) production calls for emerging efficient technology for its handling. Anaerobic digestion (AD) of MSW provides effective waste volatilization. The high C/N ratio of MSW and increasing organic loading rates (OLRs) are central AD restrictions that affect the AD process performance, inhibition due to aggregation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and rapid fall in pH. RESULTS This study examines the consequence of OLRs on AD of MSW with a high C/N ratio of 406 in food waste (FW) to have a balanced C/N ratio of 30. Three batch scale digesters investigate under mesophilic conditions (35 degrees C) with OLRs of 10, 15, and 20 gVS L-1 to assess the digester performance and stability in biogas yield, methane yield, and volatile solids (VS) reduction. The cumulative biogas and methane yield are observed to be 1336 and 776 mL gVS(-1), respectively, with a VS reduction rate of 78%, at 10 gVS L-1. VFA/alkalinity ratio ranges from 0.02 to 0.01 at OLR of 10 and 15 gVS L-1, which designates a higher buffering capability of the digester. While VFA/alkalinity ratio of 0.48 observes at OLR of 20 gVS L-1. A rapid deprivation in digester performance and stability finds at ORL of 15 and 20 gVS L-1. The cumulative biogas yield and methane yield decrease with the increase in OLR from 10 to 20 gVS L-1. CONCLUSION This study provided sufficient information for better AD processes and operational circumstances that are an optimum and effective method to convert organic matter to biogas fuel. (c) 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI)

Z-scheme 2D-m-BiVO4 networks decorated by a g-CN nanosheet heterostructured photocatalyst with an excellent response to visible light

For economical water splitting and degradation of toxic organic dyes, the development of inexpensive, efficient, and stable photocatalysts capable of harvesting visible light is essential. In this study, we designed a model system by grafting graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) (g-CN) nanosheets on the surface of 2D monoclinic bismuth vanadate (m-BiVO4) nanoplates by a simple hydrothermal method. This as-synthesized photocatalyst has well-dispersed g-CN nanosheets on the surface of the nanoplates of m-BiVO4, thus forming a heterojunction with a high specific surface area. The degradation rate for bromophenol blue (BPB) shown by BiVO4/g-CN is 96% and that for methylene blue (MB) is 98% within 1 h and 25 min, respectively. The 2D BiVO4/g-CN heterostructure system also shows outstanding durability and retains up to similar to 95% degradation efficiency for the MB dye even after eight consecutive cycles; the degradation efficiency for BPB does not change too much after eight consecutive cycles as well. The enhanced photocatalytic activities of BiVO4/g-CN are attributed to the larger surface area, larger number of surface active sites, fast charge transfer and improved separation of photogenerated charge carriers. We proposed a mechanism for the improved photocatalytic performance of the Z-scheme photocatalytic system. The present work gives a good example for the development of a novel Z-scheme heterojunction with good stability and high photocatalytic activity for toxic organic dye degradation and water splitting applications

Direct growth of m-BiVO4@carbon fibers for highly efficient and recyclable photocatalytic and antibacterial applications

Owing to photocatalytic and antibacterial properties, bismuth based oxides has drawn much attention in recent past. However, non-recyclability of these oxides has restricted their practical applications. In present work, a novel nanostructured composite monoclinic bismuth vanadate@ activated carbon fibers (BiVO4@ACF) photo catalyst was efficaciously synthesized using a solvothermal method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Bruner-Emmett-Teller (BET). The specific surface area, phase composition, microstructure, binding and photocatalytic activity of BiVO4@ACF pose great dependence on solvent nature and chelating agents utilized for synthesis. The photocatalytic and antibacterial potential of this composite was evaluated and optimized by using a model pollutant, Reactive Rhodamine Blue (RhB) and pathogenic microbes (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). The composite possesses enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial activity and was reutilized for three rounds of respective reaction without any loss of activity and structure as evident from SEM and XRD results. The photocatalytic mechanism of photodegradation of dye and bactericidal properties of samples under visible light irradiation was determined by scavenger and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial activity, chemical stability and most importantly good recyclability of BiVO4@ACFs highlight the potential application of this composite in water purification and other biological applications

The Multifunctional Role of Chitosan in Horticultural Crops; A Review

Chitosan is a naturally occurring compound and is commercially produced from seafood shells. It has been utilized in the induction of the defense system in both pre and post-harvest fruits and vegetables against fungi, bacteria, viruses, and other abiotic stresses. In addition to that, chitosan effectively improves the physiological properties of plants and also enhances the shelf life of post-harvest produces. Moreover, chitosan treatment regulates several genes in plants, particularly the activation of plant defense signaling pathways. That includes the elicitation of phytoalexins and pathogenesis-related (PR) protein. Besides that, chitosan has been employed in soil as a plant nutrient and has shown great efficacy in combination with other industrial fertilizers without affecting the soil’s beneficial microbes. Furthermore, it is helpful in reducing the fertilizer losses due to its coating ability, which is important in keeping the environmental pollution under check. Based on exhibiting such excellent properties, there is a striking interest in using chitosan biopolymers in agriculture systems. Therefore, our current review has been centered upon the multiple roles of chitosan in horticultural crops that could be useful in future crop improvement programs