Parental Effects on Primary School Enrolment under Different Types of Household Headship: Evidence from Pakistan

Previous studies in Pakistan have established the number of pupil, parents, household, and community characteristics as determinants of primary school enrolment. However, treatment of the role of the household power structure in these studies is limited to the inclusion of a single dummy variable for female headship. Present study estimates separate probit regressions for different types of headships, hence allowing for an analysis of the power structure of the household and its impact on other explanatory variables. In addition to confirming the findings of previous studies, this study concludes that mother‘s headship results in greater positive influence of her own education and the economic status of the household on child‘s primary school enrolment. Father‘s headship in this regard has only limited influence. JEL Classification: C25, J16, I21 Keywords: Probit Models, School Enrolment, Gender Issue

Optimal Design of Box Composting Plant; A Case Study Of Pakistan

In this research, a feasible design framework has been developed in order to design a box composting facility. Box composting technique is potentially a sustainable method to deal with solid waste management issues. Three different existing composting facilities in the different provinces of Pakistan have been studied to investigate the duration of composting under different weather conditions and therefore baseline durations for composting against the varying climate of different regions in Pakistan have been established. The data validated that the duration of the composting decreases with the increase in temperature. Moreover, a design framework that incorporates the weather conditions, as well as the density of waste, has been presented to calculate the sizes of composting and maturing boxes. A numerical design example has been successfully solved by assuming the data which proved the feasibility of the developed framework to design the compost facility as per any given requirements

Long-term results of chronic achilles tendon ruptures repaired with V-Y tendon plasty and fascia turndown

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term follow-up results of V-Y tendon plasty with fascia turndown, for repairing chronic Achilles tendon ruptures. Methods: Seventeen patients (12 males, 5 females), who were diagnosed with chronic Achilles tendon rupture and met the inclusion criteria, were included in the study. These patients received treatment by means of V-Y tendon plasty with fascia turndown from January 1995 to December 2001. Clinical outcomes of the patients were assessed by using isokinetic strength testing, questioning the patient regarding residual discomfort, pain, or swelling and having the ability to perform heel rises and using American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society’s (AOFAS’s) Ankle-Hind Foot Scale score. Mean followup duration was 16 years (13-18 years). Results: Mean time from the injury to operative treatment was 7 months. Mean operative defect of Achilles tendon in neutral position after debridement was 6 cm. During the follow-up, the mean calf atrophy was 3.4 cm. The mean 30 degrees/s plantarflex and 120 degrees/s plantarflex peak torques were 89 and 45 Nm, respectively. The mean 30 degrees/s plantarflex peak torque deficiency was 16%. The mean 120 degrees/s plantarflex peak torque deficiency was 17%. The average peak torque deficiency was 17%. The pre- and postoperative mean AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Scale scores were 64 and 95, respectively. No patient had a rerupture. Superficial wound infection was treated with oral antibiotic therapy in 2 patients (11%). Conclusions: The V-Y tendon plasty with fascia turndown for repairing chronic Achilles tendon ruptures yielded results comparable with the literature regarding clinical outcomes. This method did not require synthetic materials for augmentation and was an economic alternative compared to other repair methods. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative study

Smart Nutrition Management of Rice Crop under Climate Change Environment

Soil fertility and plant nutrition remained main pillars of agricultural sciences in twentieth century. However, due to recent interest in achievement of sustainability and restricted natural resources, importance of soil fertility and plant nutrition is expected to be increased many folds in twenty-first century. Therefore, increasing rice crop yield under such scenario will require judicious and efficient use of mineral sources of nutrient with combination of natural resources, recycling of bioavailable nutrients, and genetic modification of crops for efficient nutrient utilization. There is an increasing pressure on agricultural land to produce sufficient amount of food needed to feed the growing global population. The pressure is associated with changing weather patterns related to fluctuations in rainfall and temperature, supply of fertilizers inflating price associated with energy demand, which is very closely linked with weather patterns and reducing soil fertility. Increasing rice yield under these constraints will require a rational use of chemical fertilizers with increase the use of natural resources of nutrition, recycling of plant available nutrients, and an exploitation of the genetic potential of crop species to make efficient use of nutrients a key feature to establish smart plant nutrition management in the recent global climate change scenario

Critical behavior in Ni2MnGa and Ni2Mn0.85Cu0.15Ga

The critical behaviors of polycrystalline Ni2MnGa and Ni2Mn0.85Cu0.15Ga have been examined through high-resolution bulk magnetization measurements. The critical exponents, β and γ, were derived from modified Arrott plots using the Kouvel-Fisher method. The values of the extracted critical exponents satisfied the scaling equation of state and associated exponent relations, indicating self-consistency of the extracted values. In Ni2MnGa, the critical exponents (β = 0.401 ± 0.003, γ = 1.27 ± 0.02) indicate a deviation from the 3D-Heisenberg values toward the mean-field values, likely due to the presence of long-range Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interactions. However, the critical exponents of Ni2Mn0.85Cu0.15Ga (β = 0.389 ± 0.004, γ = 1.39 ± 0.02) are closer to the 3D-Heisenberg values. This indicates a weakening of the long-range exchange interactions due to the substitution of Cu in the Mn site

Relationship of BMI and age with gallstone disease

Objective: To find out the relationship of BMI and age in patients with gallstone disease.  Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study done from March 2019 to February 2020 at the Department of General Surgery PIMS, Islamabad. All patients admitted with a diagnosis of Cholelithiasis were included and patients with previous abdominal surgery were excluded from the study. Patients’ data was collected about their age, sex, dietary habits, occupation and medical history. Their weight in kilograms and heights in centimeters were measured and BMI was calculated in kg/cm2. All data was collected, recorded and analyzed using SPSS 22. Results: A total of 158 patients were included in the study with mean age was 46.2±6.7 years (18 - 83 years). Majority (63%) of the patients were between 41 and 60 age group. There were 120 females and 38 males with ratio of 3:1. The mean BMI of the study population was 25.8 ± 7.61 (Range 19.37 - 33.12). Most of the patients were healthy (n=86, 54.4%) having their BMIs between 18 and 24.9 whereas 72 (46.6%) patients were overweight and obese. Conclusion: Increased frequency of cholelithiasis is found with increasing age even with normal BMI

MUTU PENDIDIKAN ISLAM: JENIS KESISTEMAN, KONSTRUKSI KESISTEMAN DAN BERFIKIR KESISTEMAN

Dalam meningkatkan Mutu Pendidikan Islam sangat di perlukan Perubahan dan usaha yang lebih baik lagi, di karenakan tantangangan zaman yang akan datang menuntut lembaga pendidikan islam untuk mengikuti perkembangan zamannya, untuk menumbuhkan kepercayaan dan minat masyarakat sangat perlu peningkatan Mutu pendidikan itu sendiri, agar anak anak yang mereka titipkan pada Lembaga pendidikan Islam mampu bersaing dan mampu mengahadapi era saat ini. Pendekatan sistem atau berpikir kesisteman adalah salah satu solusi mendasar yang harus dipahami dan diterapkan oleh setiap manajer lembaga pendidikan Islam agar Lembaga Pendidikan Islam menjadi Lembaga pendidikan yang bermutu. Artikel ini mereview Faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi Mutu Pendidikan Islam, yaitu: Jenis Kesisteman, Konstruksi Kesisteman dan Berfikir Kesisteman, suatu studi literatur Manajemen Sumberdaya Manusia. Tujuan penulisan artikel ini guna membangun hipotesis pengaruh antar variabel untuk digunakan pada riset selanjutnya. Hasil artikel literature review ini adalah: 1) Jenis Kesisteman berpengaruh terhadap Mutu Pendidikan Islam; 2) Konstruksi Kesisteman berpengaruh terhadap Mutu Pendidikan Islam; dan 3) Berfikir Kesisteman   berpengaruh terhadap Mutu Pendidikan Islam

Frequency of hepatitis E and Hepatitis A virus in water sample collected from Faisalabad, Pakistan

Hepatitis E and Hepatitis A virus both are highly prevalent in Pakistan mainly present as a sporadic disease. The aim of the current study is to isolate and characterized the specific genotype of Hepatitis E virus from water bodies of Faisalabad, Pakistan. Drinking and sewage samples were qualitatively analyzed by using RT-PCR. HEV Genotype 1 strain was recovered from sewage water of Faisalabad. Prevalence of HEV and HAV in sewage water propose the possibility of gradual decline in the protection level of the circulated vaccine in the Pakistani population

Bullets over ballots: Islamist groups, the state and electoral violence in Egypt and Morocco

This article is concerned with state-sponsored electoral violence in liberalized autocracies. The first section of the paper identifies a number of variables that can help explain the decision calculus of authoritarian incumbents to deploy force against strong electoral challengers. The second section then examines these propositions with reference to Egypt and Morocco. Drawing on recent parliamentary elections in both countries the article questions why, despite facing the challenge of political Islam, the two regimes differed so markedly in their willingness to manipulate the polls by recourse to violence. Whilst the Egyptian authorities decided to abrogate all pretence of peaceful elections in favour of violent repression against the Muslim Brotherhood candidates and sympathizers, no such tactics were deployed by the ruling elite in Morocco. We suggest that three principal factors influenced the regimes' response to this electoral challenge: (1) the centrality of the elected institution to authoritarian survival; (2) the availability of alternative electioneering tools; and (3) the anticipated response of the international community. The article concludes by suggesting that in order to understand better when and how states deploy violence in elections, we need to focus on a more complex set of factors rather than simply on the electoral potency of key opposition challengers or the authoritarian nature of the state

Tuning martensitic transitions in (MnNiSi)0.65(Fe2Ge)0.35 through heat treatment and hydrostatic pressure

A first-order magneto-structural transition from a ferromagnetic orthorhombic TiNiSi-type martensite phase to a paramagnetic hexagonal Ni 2In-type austenite phase was observed in (MnNiSi) 0.65(Fe 2Ge) 0.35. In this work, we demonstrate that the first-order magneto-structural transition temperature for a given composition is tunable over a wide temperature range through heat treatment and hydrostatic pressure. The first-order transition temperature was reduced by over 100 K as the annealing temperature went from 600 to 900 °C, and this first-order transition was converted to second order when the sample was annealed at 1000 °C. The maximum magnetic-induced isothermal entropy change with μ0ΔH=7 T reaches -58 J/kg K for the sample annealed at 600 °C, and the relative cooling power reaches 558 J/kg for the sample annealed at 700 °C. Similar to the influence of annealing temperatures, the first-order martensitic transition temperatures were reduced as the application of hydrostatic pressure increased until they were converted to second order. Our results suggest that the (MnNiSi) 0.65(Fe 2Ge) 0.35 system is a promising platform for tuning magneto-structural transitions and the associated magnetocaloric effects. Furthermore, a similar heat treatment methodology or application of hydrostatic pressure can be applied to MnNiSi-based shape memory alloys to tailor their working transition temperatures