Adapting ACME to the database caching environment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Information Systems at Massey University

The field of database cache replacement has seen a great many replacement policies presented in the past few years. As the challenge to find the optimal replacement policy continues, new methods and techniques of determining cache victims have been proposed, with some methods having a greater effect on results than others. Adaptive algorithms attempt to adapt to changing patterns of data access by combining the benefits of other existing algorithms. Such adaptive algorithms have recently been proposed in the web-caching environment. However, there is a lack of such research in the area of database caching. This thesis investigates an attempt to adapt a recently proposed adaptive caching algorithm in the area of web-caching, known as Adaptive Caching with Multiple Experts (ACME), to the database environment. Recently proposed replacement policies are integrated into ACME'S existing policy pool, in an attempt to gauge its ability and robustness to readily incorporate new algorithms. The results suggest that ACME is indeed well-suited to the database environment, and performs as well as the best currently caching policy within its policy pool at any particular point in time in its request stream. Although execution time increases by integrating more policies into ACME, the overall time saved increases by avoiding disk reads due to higher hit rates and fewer misses on the cache

Training of Construction Workers in Pakistan

Pakistan’s construction Industry, in spite of its sizable share in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and its fairly large contribution towards employment generation, remains neglected especially when it comes to skill development of its workers. Literature review confirms that stakeholders fail to contribute to the development of construction workers due to the ambiguities regarding their responsibilities. Literature review shows that construction enterprises in Pakistan remain distanced from modern HR practice and therefore do not consider about investment on development of their human resource. Reports and papers by various authors also verify that  illiteracy and skill deficiencies in construction craftsmen lead to issues like low productivity, poor workmanship/quality, wastages/re-work, poor health and safety record, high turnover rate, inequitable compensation to the employees, lack of employment opportunities abroad, lack of skills to use of technology and many more, effecting all stake holders. Unfortunately, all problems remain undocumented. Study shows that developed countries have formulated elaborate systems of training their construction workers to support increasing demand of knowledge, skills and abilities. Following footsteps of modern world construction Industry in countries like Malaysia and Singapore is also doing well in developing their workforce.   The construction industry of Pakistan, with a large and young labour force, has a lot potential to grow. It is recommended that Pakistan must develop its construction industry by following the global best practices regarding training of construction workers keeping in view local environment. Keywords: Construction Industry, Workers, Training, Pakistan, Global best practice

Correlation and path analysis for yield and yield components in sunflower (Helianthus annus. L)

Ten (10) sunflower genotypes were evaluated in a triplicated randomized complete blocked design in field for plant height, stem diameter at base, internodal length, head diameter, number of whorls head-1, achene weight head-1, 100-achene weight, achene oil and protein content. Association among various plant traits and direct and indirect effects of various traits on achene weight head-1 were estimated. Correlations of head diameter, 100-achene weight, stem diameter at base, internodal length and oil contents were positive and significant with achene weight head-1. Path analysis showed that direct effects of plant height, head diameter, 100-achene weight and oil contents were positive while direct effects of stem diameter at base, internodal length, number of fertile whorls head-1 and protein contents were negative on achene weight head-1. This shows that selection based on head diameter, 100-achene weight, plant height, internodal length and stem diameter at base will be more effective in improving yield.Keywords: Sunflower, correlation coefficient, path coefficient, yield componentsAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(16), pp. 1968-197

Circulation of Dengue Serotypes in Local Population of District Lahore, Pakistan

Infection with dengue virus (DENV) is considered as serious public health issues internationally as amounted to 2.5 billion people are at infection risk throughout the world. Dengue is now endemic in Pakistan. Till now, no licensed vaccine is available against dengue virus infection. The main purpose of this study was to find out differences in the levels of IgM and IgG on gender basis as well as distribution of dengue serotypes in the local population of district Lahore, Pakistan. Fifteen blood samples including 3 control sample were collected from dengue infected patients and statistical results showed significantly higher mean levels of IgM (1.12 + 0.09) and IgG (2.07 + 0.56) antibodies in patients as compared to control groups for IgM (0.34 + 0.05) and IgG (0.10 + 0.05) antibodies respectively. Statistical results on Gender base showed significantly higher mean levels of IgM (1.10 + 0.19) in males and of IgG (2.27 + 0.74) in females. The enveloped gene of 1.5 kb was successfully amplified through polymerase chain reaction and cloned in ?TZ57R/T. The cloned gene was then confirmed through restriction digestion. Out of 15 dengue samples, only 3 dengue samples were successfully amplified using polymerase chain reaction which all belongs to serotype 2 In future, it may contribute in development of treatment to dengue infection with dengue virus type 2 which is more prevalent in district Lahor

Drug-Induced Hand-Foot Syndrome in Cancer Patients Receiving Capecitabine in A Tertiary Care Hospital

Objective: To determine the frequency of hand-foot syndrome and associated factors among patients receiving Capecitabine for the management of cancer in a tertiary care setting. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Oncology Department Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan from Dec 2020 to May2021. Methodology: One hundred patients with malignant conditions taking Capecitabine for more than two weeks were included in the study. A detailed relevant dermatological examination was carried out on all the patients to diagnose hand-foot syndrome based on the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0 Grading of Hand-Foot Syndrome. Results: Out of 100 cancer patients using Capecitabine for more than two weeks included in the study. Sixty-eight showed the presence of hand-foot syndrome, while 32 did not show any features of hand-foot syndrome. Combination treatment was statistically significantly associated with hand-foot syndrome among the patients included in our study (p-value<0.001). Conclusion: Hand-foot syndrome was a common side effect seen in patients managed with Capecitabine for their cancerous condition. Patients using other chemotherapeutic agents along with Capecitabine were more at risk of having hand-foot syndrome than those taking Capecitabine alone

COMBINING ABILITY ANALYSIS FOR YIELD AND ITS COMPONENTS IN BROWN MUSTARD

ABSTRACT A 6x6 diallel experiment was conducted on brown mustard Brassica juncea.L to determine combining ability analysis for yield and its components during 2000-2002 at the Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan. Estimates of variance due to general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA) and reciprocal effects were highly significant for all characters except the variances due to reciprocal effect for the number of primary branches, length of main inflorescence and specific combining ability effect for seed yield plant -1 which were found to be non significant. Higher magnitude of mean squares for general combining ability effects as compared to specific combining ability were recorded for all the characters and thus all the parameters were governed by additive type of gene action. B.L 9141 and 9142 were found to be the best general combiners for all the characters studied. The good general combiners for all the traits formed superior specific and reciprocal combinations with R. L-18 and Early raya for all the characters and is therefore recommended for inclusion in the breeding programs for the evolution of high yielding Brown mustard varieties

EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL IRRIGATION ON WHEAT WATER PRODUCTIVITY UNDER RAINFED ECOLOGY OF POTHOHAR, PAKISTAN

For rainfed ecology, water is the most limiting natural resource and its effective utilization is indispensable in order to optimize crop water productivity. A field study on wheat crop was carried out to asses the impact of different irrigation depths through sprinkler irrigation system at three phonological stages viz. tilleing, anthesis and grain filling. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used in the trail and had three repeats.  The area under study received 195 mm seasonal rainfall. Supplemental irrigation depths at three phonological stages, using small quantities of water through sprinkler irrigation system, significantly promoted the crop growth. The irrigation depth 25 mm gave the maximum output for biological yield (6504 ), grain yield (2030 ), thousand grain weight (28), plant height (87 ) and spike length (10 ). The highest water productivity of 0.97 kg/m3 was achieved with 25 mm supplemental irrigation depth when applied at tillering and anthesis stages

Exploring copyrolysis characteristics and thermokinetics of peach stone and bituminous coal blends

Copyrolysis, being an active area of research due to its synergistic impact in utilizing diverse fuel resources, including waste materials, like, peach stone (PS), has been the focal point for this study. PS, produced in vast quantities annually and typically intended for landscaping or insulation purposes, is being studied in combination with low‐grade bituminous coal for energy utilization focusing on thermokinetics and synergistic aspects. Coal‐peach stone (C‐PS) blends were formulated at different ratios and subjected to comprehensive characterization techniques, including ultimate analysis (CHN‐S), gross calorific value (GCV), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The ultimate analysis revealed an enhancement in carbon and hydrogen content from 45.38% to 68.08% and from 3.89% to 6.96%, respectively. Additionally, a reduction in sulfur and nitrogen content from 0.54% to 0.11% and from 1.16% to 0.42%, respectively, was observed with an increase in the ratio of PS in the C‐PS blends. The GCV of C‐PS blends ranged from 20.75 to 26.01 MJ kg−1. The pyrolysis conditions simulated in TGA are pivotal for evaluating thermokinetics and synergistic effects. The 60C:40PS blend shows a positive synergy index (SI) value of 0.0203% concerning total mass loss (MLT) indicating a favorable condition for bio‐oil generation. Coats–Redfern model‐fitting method reveals that the activation energy (Ea) of C‐PS blends increases in Section II with the addition of PS, and conversely, it decreases in Section III. The Ea for 100PS and 100C was 106.76 and 45.85 kJ mol−1 through (D3) and (F1), respectively, which was improved through the optimal blend 60C:40PS with an Ea of 94.56 and 27.58 kJ mol−1 through (D3) and (F2), respectively. The values obtained from linear regression prove that the kinetic models are effective while the thermodynamic analysis indicates that the pyrolytic behavior of C‐PS blends is characterized as endothermic, nonspontaneous, and capable of achieving thermodynamic equilibrium more rapidly

A comprehensive review on Gossypium hirsutum resistance against cotton leaf curl virus

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a significant fiber crop. Being a major contributor to the textile industry requires continuous care and attention. Cotton is subjected to various biotic and abiotic constraints. Among these, biotic factors including cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) are dominant. CLCuV is a notorious disease of cotton and is acquired, carried, and transmitted by the whitefly (Bemisia tabaci). A cotton plant affected with CLCuV may show a wide range of symptoms such as yellowing of leaves, thickening of veins, upward or downward curling, formation of enations, and stunted growth. Though there are many efforts to protect the crop from CLCuV, long-term results are not yet obtained as CLCuV strains are capable of mutating and overcoming plant resistance. However, systemic-induced resistance using a gene-based approach remained effective until new virulent strains of CLCuV (like Cotton Leaf Curl Burewala Virus and others) came into existence. Disease control by biological means and the development of CLCuV-resistant cotton varieties are in progress. In this review, we first discussed in detail the evolution of cotton and CLCuV strains, the transmission mechanism of CLCuV, the genetic architecture of CLCuV vectors, and the use of pathogen and nonpathogen-based approaches to control CLCuD. Next, we delineate the uses of cutting-edge technologies like genome editing (with a special focus on CRISPR-Cas), next-generation technologies, and their application in cotton genomics and speed breeding to develop CLCuD resistant cotton germplasm in a short time. Finally, we delve into the current obstacles related to cotton genome editing and explore forthcoming pathways for enhancing precision in genome editing through the utilization of advanced genome editing technologies. These endeavors aim to enhance cotton’s resilience against CLCuD