Sustainability Analysis of Marble Sector in Buner

Marble is an ornamental stone, extremely popular for use as architectural and sculptural purposes. Nonrenewable marble resources in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan are mostly mined by conventional mining methods(producing irregular shaped blocks) instead of using mechanized mining producing regular shaped blocks.Conventional mining methods are more economical but are less environment friendly due to more quantity of wasteproduced. While, mechanized marble mining has a better recovery, reduces mining cost (processing and transportation)and is less environmentally hazardous. In this study a situation and sustainability analysis of marble mining operationsat Buner, the most productive marble mining cluster in KP, Pakistan, is carried out. Buner has about 1.4 billion tons ofmarble resources and contributes around 51 percent of total country’s marble production. Analytical Hierarchy Process(AHP) is used on the basis of key sustainability factors (economic, technical, social, environmental and safety) forselection of most sustainable mining methods. The analysis revealed that conventional mining is least sustainable andproduces maximum waste, cracks, irregular shaped blocks, high working faces, back break, rock falls and accidents. Itwas concluded and recommended that these conventional mining methods should be replaced with the more sustainablemining methods i.e. semi-mechanized (controlled blasting / expansion material) at sunny grey and get black marbledeposits and mechanized mining (rope cutting) at Bampokha No.1 and Chagharzai white marble deposits

Mediating Role of Environmental Management Accounting and Control System between Top Management Commitment and Environmental Performance: A Legitimacy Theory

The purpose of current study is to assess the impact of top management commitment on firms’ performance, based on legitimacy theory with mediating role of environmental management accounting and environmental management control system. Survey-based data has been collected through questionnaires from ISO 14001 based manufacturing firms of Pakistan. Path analysis has been conducted by applying structural equation modelling on total 304 respondents' data to answer the study hypotheses by using SPSS and AMOS. Results of the study indicate that there is a positive and direct impact of top management commitment on the firms' environmental performance. Moreover, environmental management accounting and control system significantly mediate the relationship between top management commitment and environmental performance. The theoretical model of this study is first time developed and tested by the researcher in Pakistan. Practically, the findings of this research give a deep insight and understanding of how the managers in Pakistan can improve the environmental performance of their firms, through commitment and environmental management accounting as well as environmental management control system tools

Assessment of hearing loss in multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients undergoing Aminoglycoside treatment

Background: Incomplete treatments and treatment failures has led to Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, which has emerged as a significant problem in treating tuberculosis and thus the second line drugs are used with the concomitant increase in the incidence of adverse effects.Methods: This prospective study was carried out from June 2009 to May 2014 in the department of ENT in collaboration with TB & Chest at Teerthanker Mahaveer Medical College & Research Centre. Out of 104, only 84 patients were included in our study. Patients were divided into three groups: group I (n=27) patients using Amikacin, group II (n=40) patients using kanamycin and group III (n=17) patients using streptomycin. Baseline pre-treatment pure tone audiometry was performed on all the patients and repeated every three months until completion of therapy.Results: Patients included were 15 to 55 years age with higher number of males (65%, n=55) than females (35%, n =29). Only 22.7% (n=19) of patients were found to be suffered from Hearing Loss. At the end of the study (at 12 month), Overall incidence of HFL was 58.0% (n=11) while incidence of Dead ear was 31.5% (n=6) and LFL was 10.5% (n=2). Amikacin was found to be more Ototoxic than Kanamycin and streptomycin.Conclusion: Aminoglycosides in MDR-TB patients may cause irreversible hearing loss involving higher frequencies and can become a hearing handicap as speech frequencies are too implied in more or less of the patients, thus underlining the need for regular audiologic evaluation in patients of MDR-TB during the treatment.

MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT CRISES IN THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A CASE STUDY OF PESHAWAR CITY

Due to the speedy increase in population, the solid waste management issues are becoming a challenge for the developing countries. Unhealthy collection, improper transportation and open dumping of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is causing a serious threat to the environment and the people residing in the surroundings. In Pakistan, unsustainable way of solid waste management, lack of the authorities to deal with effectively with the MSW and least vision of the society towards the emerging issues of the solid waste is depicting the worst situation in the country. To highlight the significant Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) issues in the developing countries of the world, Peshawar city has been selected as a case study. Peshawar city is experiencing serious environmental issues due to speedy urbanization pace, rapid industrialization, deficiency of the authorities to manage the solid waste issues properly and lack of public awareness towards the challenging issue. Open dumping of the MSW on the open lands, utilized as dumping sites are responsible for the environmental problems increasing day by day. The research findings clearly reveal the MSWM crises in the city. Improper MSWM practices are not only creating air, land and water pollution but it also causes the blockage of open drains, smaller canals and ruining the aesthetics of the city

Pulmonary arteriovascular malformation: a rare cause of unexplained hypoxia and acute dyspnoea in young patients

2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are anomalous vascular connections between arteries and veins in the lung and comprise of two types, simple and complex. PAVMs are associated with congenital conditions such as hereditary haemorrhagic telengiectasia along with acquired causes. We present a case of a 26-year-old man who presented with dyspnoea, palpitations and decreased oxygen saturation as an initial presentation of PAVM, which was treated successively with embolisation

Aging study of the powdered magnetite nanoparticles

© 2016 Elsevier B.V. Magnetite nanoparticles were produced via co-precipitation method and then stored at room temperature for 6 years in aerobic atmosphere. Variations in the inherent solid phase and solid interfacial properties of the prepared magnetite nanoparticles were investigated. For this purpose the fresh and aged samples were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, X-ray diffractometer and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. The solid phase transformations of magnetite nanoparticles to maghemite nanoparticles as well as formation of other iron oxides were happened. After aging of 6 years, no change was occurred in the magnetic features; however increase in particle size from 9.6 to 18.5 measured by transmission electron microscopy was confirmed. The crystallite size and vibrating sample magnetometer values were measured before and after aging and found to increase from 8.98 nm and 47.23 emu/g to 16.18 nm and 58.36 emu/g respectively. The formation of other iron oxides, recrystallization and agglomeration during aging process, caused a significant decrease in the specific surface area from 124.43 to 45.00 m2/g of the stored sample

A Secure Healthcare 5.0 System Based on Blockchain Technology Entangled with Federated Learning Technique

In recent years, the global Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) industry has evolved at a tremendous speed. Security and privacy are key concerns on the IoMT, owing to the huge scale and deployment of IoMT networks. Machine learning (ML) and blockchain (BC) technologies have significantly enhanced the capabilities and facilities of healthcare 5.0, spawning a new area known as "Smart Healthcare." By identifying concerns early, a smart healthcare system can help avoid long-term damage. This will enhance the quality of life for patients while reducing their stress and healthcare costs. The IoMT enables a range of functionalities in the field of information technology, one of which is smart and interactive health care. However, combining medical data into a single storage location to train a powerful machine learning model raises concerns about privacy, ownership, and compliance with greater concentration. Federated learning (FL) overcomes the preceding difficulties by utilizing a centralized aggregate server to disseminate a global learning model. Simultaneously, the local participant keeps control of patient information, assuring data confidentiality and security. This article conducts a comprehensive analysis of the findings on blockchain technology entangled with federated learning in healthcare. 5.0. The purpose of this study is to construct a secure health monitoring system in healthcare 5.0 by utilizing a blockchain technology and Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to detect any malicious activity in a healthcare network and enables physicians to monitor patients through medical sensors and take necessary measures periodically by predicting diseases.Comment: 20 pages, 6 tables, 3 figure

Human Capital – Growth Nexus: The Role of Skill Mismatch

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0Economics is a branch of social science that touches upon many aspects of our lives and has important effects on the well-being of all people. Within economics, human well-being is significantly contingent on the process of growth. Production takes place via a combination of human and physical capital; therefore, human capital is expected to be a main contributor to economic growth. However, many studies have failed to uncover a significant association between human capital and growth, and others have found only marginal contributions therein. Several economists have tried to explain this paradox. This study brings forth skill mismatch as another potential explanation of the weak relationship between education and growth, and shows that skill mismatch can nullify the potential advantage of increased human capital. Most countries have failed to take skill mismatch seriously; therefore, there is no systematic data on the indicators that relate to it. This paper emphasizes the need for reliable and sufficient data on the indicators of skill mismatch, so that planning for the better utilization of human capital can take place

Effective Utilization of Municipal Solid Waste as Substitute for Natural Resources in Cement Industry

The aim of this study was to evaluate the municipal solid waste (MSW) composition of Peshawar city and its affective utilization for energy purpose in the cement industry. A total 14 days consecutive testing of MSW samples was conducted for winter and summer periods for the purpose of evaluation of the waste composition followed by calculating its heating values. Compliance level of MSW at source was determined which was based upon the questionnaire distribution followed by the financial analysis and feasibility evaluation of the project. The results revealed that the average waste composition of the samples consists of organic waste contents (20.72%), combustible items (37.86%), readily saleable items (20.95%) and other miscellaneous waste items (20.46%). Moreover, the samples were then tested for the evaluation of calorific value and it was found that the heating value of MSW is recorded up to 35513 KJ/Kg whereas; the value for coal is around 38000 KJ/Kg. These findings revealed that the replacement of coal by MSW may be more efficient and might be effectively utilized in the production of cement as the energy production of MSW and coal is nearly same. In addition, the utilization of MSW as a replacement of coal has a great potential of enhancing the service life of the landfills. Besides, NPV analysis of this study revealed that the project is worthwhile to be implemented as it shows high returns regarding financial aspects

Cytotoxic, antibacterial activity and physico-chemical properties of some acid catalyzed Schiff bases

Some novel Schiff bases have been derived using aromatic aldehydes and aromatic amine in ethanol under acidic conditions. The geometry of these Schiff bases was established using various spectroscopic methods like infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry. The conductivity studies reveal the non electrolytic behavior of Schiff bases. The synthesized Schiff bases were tested in vitro with the aim of identifying novel lead compounds active against various types of bacteria and shrimps.Keywords: Acid catalyzed, Schiff bases, NMR, antibacterial activity, brine shrim