The Relationship between the WES Interventions and the Incidence of Diarrhoea

Access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities have a direct positive impact on health through prevention of water-borne diseases, especially diarrhoeal morbidity of children. Lack of WES (Water and Environmental Sanitation) services and poor hygiene practices in Pakistan contribute significantly to the prevalence of diarrhoea, a major cause of infant death and children less than five years of age. The estimates show that about 30 percent of total deaths among children are attributed to diarrhoeal disease [Gallup (2001); UNICEF (2000)], and 4.1 years in life expectancy can be added if water borne diseases are eliminated [Ali and Haq (2003)]. Hence, reduction of diarrhoeal morbidity stands out as an important policy goal, which can ultimately lead to reduction in infant/child mortality. In this paper, we shall examine the relationship of WES interventions with that of the incidence of diarrhoea among children under age 10.

Women’s Autonomy and Happiness: The Case of Pakistan

It is generally believed that “autonomy” brings happiness and satisfaction in women’s lives. In this study we examine whether or not the established autonomy indicators are a source of “happiness” for Pakistani women. By using the nationally representative data, only two indicators, i.e., “women’s education” and “decisionmaking authority”, prove to be important factors in finding “very happy” status in women’s life. Additionally, “possession of assets” also proves to be an important factor in providing the “very happy” status in a women’s life. However, the “possession and utilisation of assets” and “going alone outside the house” are not important indicators of a “very happy” status in women’s life in Pakistan and “Labour force participation” is indicative of unhappiness. The results of this study show that not all established indicators of autonomy bring about happiness in the lives of Pakistani women. This is because Pakistani society differs from other societies, in particular the western society, and hence the concept of “autonomy” in bringing about “happiness” in the lives of Pakistani women yields effects different from those in other societies. Thus, there is a need to focus on the advocacy of only those autonomy variables which lead to happiness in a woman’s life, which is the end-goal for women, who form a vital part of the society.Women

Strategy and Factors Affecting the Supply Chain of Manufacturing Industries in Saudi Arabia

Supply chain management is becoming very important in the agile manufacturing industries of nowadays. It is imperative to study the strategy and factors affecting the integration of supply chain management in company’s operating divisions. Forecasting and quality functions should be integrated in supply chains. It is assumed that SCM can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of company’s transformation process. Hence it is important for companies in Saudi Arabia to follow this trend and began implementing SCM to squeeze the excessive fat out of their operations. The paper will start by general introduction with an overview about supply chain management. Then, it will summarize the theoretical background for strategy. In next section method and research methodology will be discussed with analysis of results. Finally, the paper will close with a conclusion Keywords: Supply Chain Management, Strategy, Factors, Manufacturing industries, Lean and Agile Supply Chain

Is Supply Chain Management Important To Implement In Manufacturing Industries of Saudi Arabia?

Supply Chain management is becoming very crucial for the survival of world class enterprises. Economic slowdowns are pronouncing major stresses to keep critical products & suppliers moving, manage inventory levels efficiently and maintain productivity. In this paper we intend to emphasize on studying the existing supply chain of Saudi Arabia. SCOR model would be utilized to interpret the problems in SCM and generate alternative solution. Performance measurement methods would be induced to monitor performance, reveal progress, enhance motivation and diagnose problems in Saudi Manufacturing Industries . The paper will start by general introduction with an overview about supply chain management. Then, it will summarize the literature work that has been done so far with advantages of supply chain management. In next section, problem definition and analysis approach will be discussed. Finally, the paper will close with a conclusion Keywords: Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Performance, Manufacturing indutsry, SCOR, Performance Managemen

Replacement of soybean meal with varying inclusions of black soldier fly larvae in albino wistar rats as a model for monogastric animals

Dünya genelinde gıda yetersizliği ve gıda güvenliği dikkate alındığında alternatif yem kaynakları pazarın önde gelen tercihlerindendir. Kara Asker Sineği ise uygun maliyeti, ekolojik olması, sürdürülebilirliği ayrıca iş gücü ve arazi ihtiyacının düşük olması sebebiyle son derece dikkat çeken bir üründür. Kara Asker Sineği larvalarının getirdiği kazanımlar hayvan sağlığının sürdürülebilirliği açısından da bir gereklilik haline gelmiştir. AB, bu ürünün kümes hayvanları, balıklar, domuzlar, kediler, köpekler, bıldırcınlar, ördekler, sürüngenler, kuşlar ve laboratuvar hayvanlarını beslemek için kullanımına müsaade vermiştir. Kara Asker Sineği larvası, hayvan beslemenin yanı sıra tarımda da kullanılarak biyolojik atıkların oluşumunu azaltmakta, organik gübre ve biyoyakıt ihtiyacını karşılamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Wistar albino ratların beslenmesinde farkli duzeylerde soya küspesinin yerine kullanilan Kara Asker Sineği larvalarının performans, kan parametreleri ve histopatolojik parametrelere etkilerini tespit etmek için yapılmıştır. Bu çalışmada yarısı dişi yarısı erkek olmak üzere toplam 80 rat kullanılmıştır. Tüm ratlar 5 farklı deney grubuna ayrılıp her deney grubu 8 erkek ve 8 dişi olmak üzere toplam 16 rattan oluşmaktadır. Alt gruplar her birinde 2 rat olacak şekilde ayrı kafeslere alınmışlardır. Ratların rasyonundaki soya küspesi, %0 (kontrol), %5, %10, %15 ve %20 oranlarında Kara Asker Sineği larvası unu ile değiştirilmiştir. Kara Asker Sineği larvasının canlı ağırlık artışı, ortalama yem tüketimi, hematolojik ve serum biyokimya parametreleri, doku ve serum oksidatif stres parametreleri ve histopatolojik bulgular araştırılmıştır. Çalışma sonunda tüm ratlardan kan ve doku örnekleri alınarak hematoloji ve serum biyokimya parametreleri analiz edildi. Kan ve doku (karaciğer, böbrek ve kalp) örneklerinin bir kısmı biyokimya laboratuvarında serum oksidatif parametrelerinin analizi için -18 °C'de saklandı. Karaciğer, böbrek, kalp, testisler, yumurtalıklar, uterus ve duodenum gibi dokular formalin içeren steril kavanozlara alındı ve histopatolojik inceleme için analiz edildi. Çalışmada kullanılan yemler, soya küspesi ve Kara Asker Sineği larvasından alınan örnekler besin madde profili analizi için Tübitak Marmara Araştırma Merkezi'ne gönderilmiştir. Yem örnekleri ilgili laboratuvarda kuru madde, ham kül, ham protein, ham yağ, ham lif, yağ asidi bileşimi ve amino asit bileşimi açısından analiz edilmiştir. İstatistiksel analizlerden önce değerler üzerinde normallik testi yapılmış, veriler deney grupları arasındaki farkı analiz etmek için IBM SPSS (V. 24.0) programı tarafından gerçekleştirilen “Tek Yönlü Varyans Analizi (ANOVA)” ve “Kruskal Wallis Testi” kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Korelasyon analizi için ise “Pearson Testi” uygulanmıştır. İstatistik sonuçlarına bakıldığında, kontrol grubu ile kıyaslanan deney grupları için ağırlık artışı ve ortalama yem tüketiminde önemlilik bulunmamıştır (p > 0.05). Ayrıca yapılan analizlerde kontrol grubu ile kıyaslandığında, MCHC, PDW, MPV, P-LCR, ürik asit, ALT, ALP, LDL, HDL, total kolesterol, karaciğer ve böbrek MDA ve GSH ve doku TOS ve TAS parametrelerinde erkek ve dişi ratlar da cinsiyet dikkate alınmaksızın beraber değerlendirildiğinde önemli düzeyde farklılıklar görülmüştür (p < 0.05). Bununla beraber cinsiyete özgü etki olarak MCV, MCHC, PLT, RDW-CV, LDL, HDL, ALP erkek ratlarda, total kolesterol, lenfosit, PDW, PCT, kreatinin, total protein, ALT, kalsiyum, fosfor, OSI, GSH (kalp) ise dişi ratlarda istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmuştur (p < 0.05). Ayrıca serumda, ürik asit, TOS ve TAS; böbrek ve karaciğerde MDA ve GSH; bağırsaklarda ise villus uzunluğu hem erkek hem de dişi ratlarda önemli düzeyde farklılıklar oluşmuşken histopatolojik bulgular açısından önemli farklılıklar görülmemiştir. Sonuç olarak, rasyona soya küspesinin yerine %20'ye kadar Kara Asker Sineği larvasının dâhil edilmesinin, ratlarda olumsuz bir etkisinin olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Bununla birlikte kan biyokimya parametreleri, sindirim sistem parametreleri ve oksidatif parametreler açısından bakıldığında %20'ye kadar Kara Asker Sineği kullanımı ratlar için tavsiye edilebilir.Regarding universal food and feed security, alternate feed resources are the leading market stance. Black Soldier Fly (BSF) is the most well-reputed because of its cost-effectiveness, ecological, sustainability, and less labor and land intensive. Subsequently, the payback of BSF larvae for health sustainability has become a great necessity. EU has legalized it to feed poultry, fish, pigs, cats, dogs, quails, ducks, reptiles, birds, and laboratory animals. BSF larvae farming helps to reduce organic waste removal and in return it provides animal feeding, organic fertilizer and biodiesel as end products. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding varying inclusions of BSF larvae to Wistar albino rats as a replacement to soybean meal on blood chemistry, oxidative biomarkers and tissue histopathology parameters. The number of total rats was 80 in this study. Half of the rats were male, and half of them were female. All rats were divided into five groups; each group contained eight subgroups, of which the first four contained male rats and the following four included female rats. In this way, each group had 16 total rats, 8 male and 8 female, and each subgroup consisted of two rats in one cage. The rats were fed with 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% inclusions of BSF larvae meal as replacement to soybean meal. The effect of BSF larvae on body weight gain, average feed intake, hematological and serum biochemical parameters, tissue and serum oxidative stress parameters, and histopathological findings were seen. At the end of the study, the blood and tissue samples were collected from all rats. The blood samples were immediately analysed for hematological and serum biochemical parameters. Some of the blood and tissue (liver, kidney, and heart) samples were stored at -18 °C for serum oxidative parameters analysis which was performed at the Biochemistry lab. Tissues including liver, kidney, heart, testis, ovaries, uterus and duodenum were collected in sterile jars containing formalin and were analysed for histopathalogical analaysis. The experimental feeds, soybean and BSF larvae samples were sent to the TUBITAK Marmara Research Centre for their nutritional profile analysis. The feed samples were analysed for dry matter, crude ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, fatty acid and amino acid composition. The statistical analysis showed weight gain and average feed intake to be non-significant (p > 0.05) for all experimental groups compared to control. For statistical analysis, first of all, the normality test of the data was performed by descriptive statistics. On the basis of the normality test, the data was further analysed by One way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) or Kruskal Wallis test (KWH) which were performed by IBM SPSS (V. 24.0) to analyse the difference between experimental groups. For Correlational analysis Pearson’s test was performed. The statistical analysis showed that MCHC, PDW, MPV, P-LCR, uric acid, ALT, ALP, LDL, HDL, cholesterol total, liver, and kidney MDA and GSH, and tissue TOS and TAS were significant (p < 0.05) compared to the control as the male and female combined effect. However, as a gender-specific effect, MCV, MCHC, PLT, RDW-CV, LDL, non-HDL, ALP and cholesterol total in male rats and lymphocytes, PDW, PCT, creatinine, protein total, ALT, calcium, phosphorous, OSI, GSH (heart) in female rats were statistically significant (p < 0.05) compared to the control. Moreover, uric acid, TOS and TAS in serum, MDA and GSH in kidney and liver, and villus length were significant in both male and female rats and there were not any considerable histopathological changes. Convincingly, up to 20% inclusion of BSF larvae as replacement to soybean meal is effective for feeding rats without causing any negative effect on health and nutrient absorption. An improvement in blood chemistry, intestinal histopathology and oxidative parameters in response to partial inclusion of BSFL up to 20% is recommend for use in lab animals.This thesis was supported by Afyon kocatepe University Scientific Research Project Coordination Unit (BAPK) with the project number “21. SAĞ.BIL.15

Bismuth Ferrites/Graphene Nanoplatelets Nanohybrids for Efficient Organic Dye Removal

The doped bismuth ferrites have got tremendous attraction owing to its ideal properties for photocatalysis application. We have fabricated the novel lanthanum and manganese co-doped BiFeO3 (namely BLFMO)/graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) nanohybrid for photocatalysis with easy and effective synthesis routes namely the co-precipitation (C-hybrid) and hydrothermal (H-hybrid) processes. The H-hybrid showed crystalline structure with lower band-gap than the C-hybrid samples. However, C-hybrid showed higher dye degradation (92%) due its higher surface area (55 m2/g) and the fine incorporation of BLFMO nanoparticles into the GNPs which enhanced the surface adsorption. This is verified from more degradation in dark conditions for these samples. The proposed nanohybrids are novel for photocatalytic application fabricated through the low cost routes which show higher efficiency for practical applications

Maxillary Impacted Second Premolar; A Surgical Intervention in an Orthodontic Case

In clinical settings, impacted teeth are a typical occurrence. Because of their proximity to the nasal and oral cavity, impacted teeth have the potential to create more severe and catastrophic difficulties, such as the formation of dentigerous cysts and other disorders. The goal of this report is to look into the fundamentals of treating maxillary premolars that have been palatally impacted. A case report of a palatally impacted right maxillary second premolar is presented in this case report

Computational Analysis of Nanostructures for Li-Ion Batteries

Due to the energy crisis, the focus on the study of new materials has increased vastly. For the increasing demand of renewable energy, there are different ways suggested to attain that, which include the rechargeable batteries and the need to achieve them at smaller costs and for longtime use. Lithium ion batteries have gained a lot of attention for that specific reason. Along with the experiments, the easier way to understand and increase the efficiency of these materials for LIBs is to study them through simulations and theoretically. Density functional theory (DFT)-based study gives us an insight into the internal workings of the compounds used in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). In this chapter, an analysis of different structures is presented for use in LIBs, which mainly includes carbon nanostructures or nanotubes as well as 2D material graphene. The various ways in which the carbon-based structure is enhanced include doping into the structure, heterostructure of graphene with other 2D materials, and adsorption of atoms like Si onto the surface. The adsorption of Li on these various structures and the varying binding energies and capacity with the changing structure along with the understanding at atomic and nanoscale are mentioned

Implementing TQM practices in Pakistani Higher Education Institutions

Implementing TQM practices at the Higher Educational Institutions of Pakistan, especially at the business schools, is relatively a new concept and it is in its initial stages. The theoretical framework of this study is based upon the instrument that measures the extent of TQM implementation in Higher Education Institutions. Based upon literature review, the framework having 14 dimensions is used in this study. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) extracted 13 factors as the determinants of TQM Implementation in business schools of Pakistan such as Stakeholders’ Focus, Recognition and Reward, Measurement and Evaluation, Process Control and Improvement, Resources, Leadership, Empowerment are some of the main factors as each of these factors are explaining more than 5% of the variation in the dat