Search

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of IPL in patients with inflammatory Acne Vulgaris. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Dermatology, Pakistan Air Force Hospital, Fazaia Medical College, Islamabad Pakistan, from Aug 2019 to Jan 2020. Methodology: Ninety patients with inflammatory facial acne were enrolled and received four Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) sessions at two weeks intervals with fluence 25J/cm2 and 420nm cut-off filter. The duration of treatment for each patient was two months. Clinical improvement was assessed using the Global Acne Grading System score (GAGs score). Results: Mean age of the patients was 18.5±3.3years, of which nine were males (10%), and 81 were females (90%). IPL was effective in 42(46.7%) patients with inflammatory acne vulgaris. The median GAGS score before treatment was 20(22–19), and after treatment was 10(12-9), with a significant p-value(

Purpose This study aims to scrutinize the modus operandi of global financial frauds in Islamic financial institutions and assesses whether those frauds can be prevented using High Standards of Shariah Governance. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research methodology is deployed to conduct this study by analyzing and scrutinizing academic journals, reports, regulatory guidelines and articles. Findings The findings in this study show that the modus operandi ranges from bribery, forged documents, unlawful profiteering, credit limit allowance ignorance, Ponzi scheme, culprit collaboration from inside and outside the banks. This paper also argues that the centralized and high-standard Shariah governance framework better prevents fraud by providing better Shariah supervision and risk management measures. Research limitations/implications The observations in this study are limited to financial fraud at Islamic financial institutions that happened in the 21st century with more than $100m in financial loss or penalty. Originality/value This study may contribute significantly by providing insight for regulators to strengthen the Shariah governance framework in their respective countries. It also benefits Islamic financial institutions by enhancing their capacity to anticipate future financial fraud.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became apparent that Islamic social finance (ISF) must be institutionalised due to inadequacies of Islamic commercial finance in providing adequate financial solutions to achieve financial inclusion. As such, the convergence of ISF with Islamic commercial finance is emerging while institutionalisation of ISF is gaining momentum globally. However, so far, there is no comprehensive governance code enacted to regulate the ISF institutions to guide them in the offering of their financial products and services within the parameters of Shari’ah, which include avoidance of corruption. Therefore, the objective of this research is to explore the existing mismanagement and corrupt practices found in managing the ISF and to recommend ways to overcome them. To meet its objective, this study adopts document analysis as its research methodology to review and discuss the selected management and corrupt practices of ISF institutions reported worldwide. It is anticipated that findings of this paper would assist policymakers, standard-setting bodies for Islamic finance, and ISF institutions to realise the significance of adopting good governance practices to take ISF to the next level. Further research could be undertaken to study the effectiveness of adopting good governance practices by ISF institutions and the implications of adopting such practices.

This study analyses legal and regulatory framework of Islamic capital market (ICM) in the Maldives to find out the legal reform required to further develop ICM in the country. The regulatory authority for ICM in the Maldives is the Capital Market Development Authority which has set up an apex Shari’ah Advisory Council to seek advice on Shari’ah related matters and has enacted the regulations required for ICM. This study adopts doctrinal legal research and qualitative study using the content analysis approach. It is imperative to note that only limited research has been found on the subject and as such, it is anticipated that findings of this research will assist the policymakers to understand the legal reform required to further strengthen ICM in the Maldives. Findings of this study reveal that there is a need to amend the Securities Act (2006) to recognize Shari’ah Advisory Council for capital markets as a statutory body. The findings suggest the Shari’ah Advisory Council to make their decision binding, and the regulations enacted for ICM need to be amended considering the existing hiccups and challenges faced.

PurposeThis paper identified the ṣukūk structure suitable for deficit financing during the COVID-19 crisis. The study also explored the relevant Sharīʿah contracts that could be utilized to issue ṣukūk that is suitable for various jurisdictions and corporations in handling deficit financing during the COVID-19 crisis.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have adopted a qualitative research approach in which primary and secondary sources available on the subject were reviewed, especially a number of cases related to ṣukūk structures prior to and during the COVID-19 crisis and analyzed their performances and drawn their conclusions.FindingsThe outcome of this paper suggests that certain ṣukūk structures used during the COVID-19 crisis aimed primarily at financing deficit have been successful. Furthermore, these ṣukūk structures are relied very much on the obligator’s/issuer’s cash flow position. It has been revealed that if the ṣukūk is structured on equity-based contracts with lower repayment amount or no payment, it would not trigger default because the nature of this ṣukūk is the sharing of profit and loss, in accordance with a Sharīʿah rule that there will be compensation for any loss only if deliberate and notable negligence is proven. However, if it is debt based or ijarah and wakalah contracts, then the payment to ṣukūk holders ought to be made as agreed and if not, it will trigger default. This payment is to be made from the cash flow of the issuer and if there is an issue in the cash flow of the issuer due to COVID-19, consent from the ṣukūk holders needs to be obtained to reschedule payment as found in the case of the Garuda Indonesia ṣukūk. However, as found in MASB’s IMTN ṣukūk case, if the cash flow of the company is good, then the chances of default are very slim. However, so far, three new ṣukūk in the middle of COVID-19 were issued, one by a corporation and two issued by a sovereign, one of which addresses the liquidity issues during the pandemic, and all these proved that ṣukūk is definitely a viable alternative mode for deficit financing and a reliable option during the COVID-19 pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper looked into the ṣukūk structure, especially the ṣukūk which are yet to mature and the new ṣukūk issued during the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Practical implicationsIt is anticipated that the outcome of this research will assist the stakeholders in ṣukūk markets to understand the ṣukūk impact on COVID-19 related deficit financing and suggest various structures that could be utilized in the ṣukūk market in an unprecedented situation such as the COVID-19 economic distress.Social implicationsLooking at the social aspect of ṣukūk markets, this paper has endeavored to provide solutions to the financing of deficit for social well-being as a tool to provide relief and social stability in the lives of the people.Originality/valueThe novel COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented economic difficulties and market distress on a global scale; and this research sought to identify the relevant ṣukūk structures to be used for deficit financing during the pandemic crisis, especially the ṣukūk which are yet to mature and new ṣukūk issued during the pandemic crisis. The former includes HDFC Muḍārabah ṣukūk (2019) Maldives and MAHB ṣukūk/IMTN program (2010) Malaysia, while the latter includes IsDB Trust Certificates, Phase 2 of the tranches (2020), the Federal Government of Nigeria Road ṣukūk (May, 2020) and Sharj’ah Government two billion Dirham ṣukūk (June, 2020).

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has long been used to treat various pathological conditions like arthritis, gout, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Although exploring the effective anti-inflammatory agents possessing antioxidant along with pain relieving properties is still challenging. Acetamide-containing compounds are known to possess analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, xanthine oxidase, and analgesic activity of an acetamide derivative, N-(2-Hydroxyphenyl) Acetamide. In-vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities were assessed by protein denaturation inhibition and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, respectively. Xanthine oxidase potential was also evaluated. In-vivo anti-inflammatory activity was determined by the Formalin-induced paw edema method and analgesic potential was evaluated by an acetic acid-induced writhing test. Results of in-vitro anti-inflammatory activity showed significant (p< 0.001) inhibition of protein denaturation by N-(2-Hydroxyphenyl) Acetamide at both100 and 300 µg/ml. It also exhibited high radical scavenging activity (88.16%) by DPPH at 300 µg/ml. In-vivo Formalin-induced paw edema method revealed significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of paw edema when compared with control and formalin groups. Likewise, NA-2 also significantly (p < 0.001) reduced the number of writhes in the Acetic acid-induced writhing test. Moreover, in both aforementioned in-vivo tests, NA-2 showed comparable results with Indomethacin (10 mg/kg). This study demonstrates that N-(2-Hydroxyphenyl) Acetamide possesses substantial anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic activity.

Purpose Green Sukuk (GS) is a recent innovation that has the potential to serve humankind in sustainable development. However, its potential can only be achieved if the proceeds of GS are used for the priority areas needed. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find out, using selected GS issued to determine whether the proceeds of GS are actually given to the needed areas. Design/methodology/approach This is qualitative research utilizing case studies where the “priorities given” areas are observed through information collected from the library that consists of primary and secondary sources, such as statutes, books, articles and internet sources, while “priorities needed to issue GS” areas are determined through information collected from Al-Quran and Hadiths to derive conclusions. Findings The outcome of this study reveals some untouched areas that needed immediate attention where GS can be implemented. This study recommends implementing GS for the plant, agriculture, forests, road, water, animal and others. One example in this regard is to create “forest sukuk,” which is a tool for financing forest preservation. Originality/value It is anticipated that, via the outcome of this research, GS issuance frameworks can be enhanced, especially in revising the areas in which Sukuk proceeds can be used, and it will provide guidance to the potential GS issuers to choose financing projects.

Purpose This study aims to explore several challenges in the use of regulatory technologies (RegTech) in Islamic and conventional financial markets and share recommendations in this regard. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research methodology was used to identify the existing challenges. Literature was reviewed and analyzed, and seven experts were interviewed or consulted online and their feedback examined. The judgment of the case B2C2 Ltd v Quoine Pte Ltd. was reviewed. Findings This study reveals a lack of relevant regulatory frameworks capable of meeting some of the evolving challenges, lack of awareness among market players and lack of expertise in RegTech. The list of additional challenges includes the issue of legacy technology, the weaknesses of human programmers and the need for a multifaceted solution for compliance requirements. Research limitations/implications This study notes the novelty of RegTech in the financial world, especially in the Islamic financial market. Thus, there is a dearth of relevant literature. This study assists relevant conventional and Islamic financial market entities and authorities in determining the potential impact of RegTech on their respective businesses and the financial system. Practical implications This study proffers recommendations to assist in addressing the challenges facing its users and paving the way for innovative solutions that will facilitate and enhance the use of RegTech in financial markets. Regulators and other stakeholders of the financial industry will learn from the challenges identified and can review the recommendations for adoption. Apart from that, the decision of B2C2 Ltd v Quoine has practical implications for RegTech users, as the court in B2C2 Ltd v Quoine accessed the “knowledge” of the programmers of deterministic software at the time of the coding. Originality/value RegTech can offer cost-effective and efficient means to comply with regulations and ensure the accuracy of the information provided to regulators. This study provides a better understanding of the challenges associated with its use. The recommendations include enactment of a blueprint for a digitally enabled regulatory framework, creating awareness of RegTech via stakeholder roundtable discussions, development of human talent, formulating human governance standards and finding innovative ways to manage risks.

Purpose Despite the significant growth in Islamic economies and the increasing number of Muslim youths inclining digital services, empirical-based research addressing the adoption of digital Islamic services is still limited. ZakaTech is a new phrase that has recently emerged as a modern term describing novel technologies adopted by zakat institutions; yet, it has been largely neglected in the literature. Therefore, this study aims to provide an integrated model that scrutinizes the determinants of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) of ZakaTech, combined with social cognitive theory (SCT), in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis where social distancing is the norm in conducting economic activities. Design/methodology/approach Based on cross-national evidence from two Muslim-majority countries, a total of 1,006 valid responses were collected from zakat payer users in Saudi Arabia and Egypt using a Web-based survey. To validate the research model and draw significant insights, SmartPLS structural equation modeling was used. Findings By analyzing both Saudi and Egyptian samples, the authors found that all UTAUT constructs are statistically significant, except for effort expectancy in Egypt. The effects of self-efficacy and social isolation on ZakaTech adoption are supported across both countries. Trust in technology reduces users’ inherent risks and increases their likelihood of adopting ZakaTech services in Saudi Arabia, while this is not the case in Egypt. However, the study revealed that trust in electronic-zakat systems (EZSs) is a vital predictor for mitigating perceived risk among Egyptian users of ZakaTech, but it is not the case in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, significant gender differences were found between males and females in the adoption of such digital services in both countries, particularly regarding self-efficacy, trust in EZSs, social isolation and social influence. Practical implications The results provide meaningful insights for policymakers to find ways to develop strategies to escalate the adoption of technology in zakat administration and also to create awareness among the users of ZakaTech in a gender-balanced manner that will include zakat payers and recipients as well in the hope that the digital gender divide will be bridged. Bridging the digital gender divide in this regard is imperative for sustainable inclusive development of zakat. Further, strategies need to be developed to provide incentives to zakat authorities and zakat organizations that adopt technology in managing zakat. This is important to escalate the process of fusing technology with zakat, which is an important social finance tool to eradicate poverty in the world. Originality/value This research serves as a building block for literature by empirically testing an integrated model of UTAUT-SCT within a modern and unique related context like ZakaTech. Also, it adds value by testing gender disparities in ZakaTech adoption among Muslims.

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of information overload (referred to as the saddling effect in this study) of underlying contracts on the sales performance of the salesforce at takaful institutions with special reference to addressing the heterogeneous effect among distribution channels. Design/methodology/approach A total of 311 samples were collected from the sales professionals of the takaful industry in Malaysia using a purposive sampling technique and the empirical analysis was conducted with the measures of model fit and bootstrapping technique using partial least square structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis. Findings Empirical results indicate that the saddling effect of the underlying contracts is evident among salesforce and the magnitude of the impact was found to be heterogeneous between the groups of salesforces in different distribution channels. Practical implications Findings recommend respective authorities of takaful institutions to intensify capacity building for their salesforce, particularly in the area of shariah knowledge and nature of underlying Islamic contracts used in the takaful products. A significant heterogeneous effect between distribution channels suggests that the actions and policy formulations should be diverse between the salesforce at different distribution channels and higher attention should be catered for the salesforce at the direct selling channel. Originality/value The increased information expectation (i.e. underlying contract knowledge) on takaful salesforce and its impact on their sales performance have not been documented before. The increase in information may create a burdening effect or what is referred to in this study as the information or knowledge “saddling effect.” If a saddling effect is identified, this may be a formidable reason for the slowing growth of the takaful industry in the respective market. It is expected that the outcome of this study would assist not only to fill the gap in the literature of personnel selling in the takaful industry but also will assist the takaful institutions in formulating appropriate policies for tackling the issue of the saddling effect of underlying contracts.

Purpose To analyse Sukuk Prihatin (SP), the first-ever retail digital sukuk issued by the Government of Malaysia in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of the national economic recovery plan. The issuance of SP was oversubscribed, even upsized, resulting in the government announcing its intention to issue similar types of sukuk in the future. In light of this, the purpose of this study is to understand the motivation for retail investors to invest in SP. Design/methodology/approach The purposive sampling method was applied via a self-administered survey, while the cross-sectional data were empirically tested using the SmartPLS 3.2.9 structural equation modelling. An integrated model of the theory of planned behaviour and social cognitive theories was used in determining investors’ intention to invest in SP. Findings The findings of this research revealed that attitude (ATT) towards SP investment (SPI), social norms (SN), perceived control (PBC) regarding SPI, sukuk features (SF), tax incentives (TI) and the spirit of unity and brotherhood (SUB) were significant determinants of investors’ willingness to invest in SP. This research also provided evidence for significant national pride-moderated interactions of ATT, SN, PBC, SF, TI and digitisation on investment intention. Practical implications The outcome of this study could assist governments and policymakers to structure sukuk and other debt-based capital market products to attract retail investors who would be willing to invest in the development of the nation in the midst of a crisis. Originality/value This study is the first of its kind to investigate various relevant predictors, which have been derived from behavioural, contextual and motivational perspectives. These predictors could influence investors’ perceptions of an innovative sukuk like SP, which was issued in the midst of a pandemic. The value of this study is its possible use by governments and policymakers to further develop debt-based capital market products that have the dual function of an investment vehicle and a source of funds for the economic recovery of a nation.

The triangular linguistic cubic fuzzy sets (TLCFSs) can express the fuzzy data easily, and also very useful in modeling of uncertain data in decision making (DM) problems. First of all, on the basis of Dombi t-norm and t-conorm (DTT), we propose novel operational rules of triangular linguistic cubic fuzzy numbers (TLCFNs). We propose some new aggregation operators of TLCFNs based on the newly-developed operations, i.e., triangular linguistic cubic fuzzy Dombi weighted averaging (TLCFDWA), triangular linguistic cubic fuzzy Dombi weighted geometric (TLCFDWG), triangular linguistic cubic fuzzy Dombi order weighted averaging (TLCFDOWA), triangular linguistic cubic fuzzy Dombi order weighted geometric (TLCFDOWG), triangular linguistic cubic fuzzy Dombi hybrid weighted averaging (TLCFDHWA), and triangular linguistic cubic fuzzy Dombi hybrid weighted geometric (TLCFDHWG) operators. Furthermore, a new method is proposed with the help of the proposed operators to solved the decision making problem. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the new method. Comparative analysis is used to demonstrate the proposed method's superiority.

PurposeSharīʿah Secretariat plays a significant role in assisting Sharīʿah Supervisory Boards (SSBs) in their role in achieving Sharīʿah compliance in Islamic banks (IBs). The key objective of the study is to develop a organizational framework of the Sharīʿah Secretariat for the IBs in Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachThe study applied qualitative case study research. The data have been collected from 17 respondents through semi-structured interviews from IBs and professional experts in Bangladesh.FindingsThis study proposes a full-time Sharīʿah Secretariat and several departments for further enhancement of the Sharīʿah functions in IBs in Bangladesh. The framework proposed in this study covers the formation, functions, composition, qualification, reporting line, independence, remuneration and terms of appointment of the Sharīʿah Secretariat to set a uniform benchmark for all IBs in Bangladesh. It is anticipated that the outcomes of this research will assist to further strengthen the Sharīʿah governance of IBs in Bangladesh.Research limitations/implicationsThis research contributed to the national and global regulatory authorities and IBs by proposing a Sharīʿah Secretariat framework for the smooth functioning of the IBs in Bangladesh. The framework proposed in this study covers the formation, functions, composition, qualification, reporting line, independence, remuneration and terms of appointment of Sharīʿah Secretariat.Originality/valueThis study proposed a framework which is considered the first organizational framework so far for the Sharīʿah Secretariat of IBs in Bangladesh. IBs can apply this proposed framework to form their Sharīʿah Secretariat structure.

The aims of this study is to define a cubic fuzzy set based logarithmic decision-making strategy for dealing with uncertainty. Firstly, we illustrate some logarithmic operations for cubic numbers (CNs). The cubic set implements a more pragmatic technique to communicate the uncertainties in the data to cope with decision-making difficulties as the observation of the set. In fuzzy decision making situations, cubic aggregation operators are extremely important. Many aggregation operations based on the algebraic t-norm and t-conorm have been developed to cope with aggregate uncertainty expressed in the form of cubic sets. Logarithmic operational guidelines are factors that help to aggregate unclear and inaccurate data. We define a series of logarithmic averaging and geometric aggregation operators. Finally, applying cubic fuzzy information, a creative algorithm technique for analyzing multi-attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problems was proposed. We compare the suggested aggregation operators to existing methods to prove their superiority and validity, and we find that our proposed method is more effective and reliable as a result of the comparison and sensitivity analysis.

This study was planned to bio-fortify hen eggs with natural and synthetic apo-ester and canthanxanthin and evaluate physio-chemical quality parameters. Seventy-two laying hens were allocated into two main groups for eighteen natural and synthetic carotenoids fortified different diets. They were weighed and placed into cages to feed diet fortified with apo-ester and canthanxanthin for 44 days. The results showed a significant effect of natural canthaxanthin and apo-ester on egg breadth, albumin height, yolk color, yolk diameter, yolk index, and haugh units. The effect of natural apo-ester on egg length, yolk color, yolk diameter, yolk index and haugh units is also significant. Combination of natural-canthanxanthin and apo-ester significantly affects yolk color, yolk height, yolk diameter, shape index, yolk index and haugh units. A significant effect of synthetic canthaxanthin on egg breadth, shell thickness, albumin height, yolk color, yolk height, yolk diameter, yolk index, and haugh units was noted. The effect of synthetic apo-ester pigments on yolk color, yolk height, yolk diameter, yolk index and haugh unite were also significant. Synthetic canthanxanthin and apo-ester significantly affect shell thickness, yolk color, yolk height, yolk diameter, shape index, and haugh units. Thus, carotenoid feeding can significantly improve the quality parameters of eggs

Thalassemia is a hereditary blood disorder. It occurs due to two mutations in the HBB gene located on chromosome 11. This gene has 1606 base pairs and contains three exons. Moreover, HBB gene codes for β globin protein have been identified to posses 868 mutations, which comprise point mutation, insertion, deletion, and gene arrangement. In β thalassemia major, both alleles are mutated and no β chain is synthesized. In this study, three human families with thalassemia were selectedfrom different areas of Balochistan. For DNA extraction and estimation, 5 ml blood samples were extracted intravenously from the affected individuals, their normal siblings, and parents in 15ml falcon tubes containing 200μl EDTA. Primer sequences were designed on primer 3 for the mutational analysis of the HBB gene. Since the gene has a total of three exons and two introns, three primers, namely HBBX1, HBBX2 and HBBX3, were designed. These primers were used to amplify the HBB gene responsible for β thalassemia in all family samples. The amplified product was sequenced through an automated 3100 ABI Prism DNA sequence. The sequencing results were analyzed by the SaqMan software. This was done to determine if any genetic variable in the selected families showed mutations. In Family 1, 1 bp substitution mutation (c.9T>C) (p.his3his) and 1bp insertion (c.111T>G) (p.Ser10 val) in exon 1 of HBB gene were identified in thalassemia locus, while in in Family 2, 1bp substitution mutation (c.9T>C) (p.His3His) in exon 1 of HBB gene was identified in thalassemia locus. No mutation was observed in Family 03after sequencing.

We report the estimation of the Maximum Usable Frequency of F2-layer for 3000 km circuit ( MUF ( 3000 ) F 2 ) using Earth-ionosphere geometry. The study is based on the assumption that h ′ F 2 may replace hmF 2 to estimate M ( 3000 ) F 2 . The monthly hourly medians of f o F 2 , h ′ F 2 , and M ( 3000 ) F 2 are extracted for Karachi (geog. coord. 24.9 ° N, 67.3 ° E) & Multan (30.2 ° N, 71.5 ° E) during 1996, 1992, & 1989 representing low, moderate & high solar activity years, respectively. The MUF ( 3000 ) F 2 estimated using spherical geometry shows large deviation and greater Root Mean Square Error values (RMSE > 4 MHz) on comparison with MUF ( 3000 ) F 2 observed from ionosonde. In order to reduce the error, linear regression analysis technique is used and applied on independent data set of years 1995, 1993 and 1991 representing low, moderate and high solar activity to compute corrected MUF ( 3000 ) F 2 , respectively. It is found that corrected MUF is in good agreement with observed MUF decreasing RMSE to less than 2.0 MHz for the stations and years under study. The results of this study would be helpful in MUF estimation using h ′ F 2 and also in improving radio services for smooth HF communication.

Globally, bullous pemphigoid affects less than fifteen people per million per year worldwide. This autoimmune disease occurs most frequently amongst those of northern European ancestry and, most predominantly, in the elderly over sixty-five. While bullous pemphigoid can present as a paraneoplastic syndrome, it can occasionally occur alone. Bullous pemphigoid typically presents with several large blister-like lesions on the skin of flexor surfaces and the trunk. These generally vary in size and stage and are formed after an autoimmune attack on the hemidesmosomes, causing a separation between the basement membrane and the basement membrane cells. Here we present, to our knowledge, the first known case of non-paraneoplastic bullous pemphigoid in an elderly Native American / American Indian patient.

Background: Pancytopenia is a common disorder faced by physicians, especially haematologists, in their daily clinical practice. Hakeem prescribed medications have been implicated as causative agent for inducing pancytopenia but frequency of such cases has not yet been reported. This study was conducted to assess the frequency of Hakeem medication in patients presenting with pancytopenia in a tertiary care hospital Patients and methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Haematology, Allama Iqbal Medical College / Jinnah hospital, Lahore from October 2021 to February 2022. 135 patients referred to the Department of Haematology for investigation of pancytopenia were enrolled into the study through non-probability consecutive sampling after they fulfilled the selection criteria. They were inquired about taking medicines given by hakeem prior to their index visit to the hospital. Demographics and history were recorded on a specially designed proforma. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: 135 referred patients presenting with pancytopenia were enrolled into the study. Mean age of the sample population was 33.14 ± 15.57 years. There were 92 (68.1%) males and 43 (31.9%) females. For their current medical condition, 40 (29.63%) patients were using Hakeem prescribed medicines with or without concomitant use of allopathic medicines, whereas 79 had no prior treatment at all. Conclusion: The use of Hakeem prescribed medications is high in our sample population and cannot be ignored as a causative agent for occurrence of pancytopenia. Keywords: Pancytopenia, Anaemia, Hakeem medication, Platelet count, Total leucocyte count, Absolute neutrophil count

Background: Medication prescribing errors were always known as inevitable errors in health care system which mainly includes physician’s writing error which then leads to wrong dispensing error. Manual Prescribing has now shifted to CPOE System that seems to be more efficient. Through this system, it is believed that quality and patient security is improved by lessening medicine and different mistakes at various phases of the request the board procedure and by maintaining a strategic reserve from repetitive testing. This Study was conducted to compare the prescribing errors in different hospital wards of a tertiary care hospital for in-patients by using two approaches; Manual Prescribing and CPOE System Prescribing. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on manual prescriptions for three months and on CPOE prescriptions for three months. In this way a total of 4102 prescriptions were evaluated for different types of prescribing errors occurred in different wards. Whole study was conducted on In-patients from all the wards in the hospital except Emergency and OPD patients. Results and Discussion: The results showed that the maximum number of manual prescription errors were found in Medical ICU ward, while prescribing errors for CPOE setup were found comparatively at higher rate in Medicinal ward. It was also found that maximum frequency of prescribing errors were found in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in both the settings; CPOE System and Manual Prescribing Conclusion: It was concluded that CPOE system is helpful for reducing prescribing errors but it must be supervised by pharmacists to overcome potential errors.

The present study reports the variations in bottom-side thickness (B0) and shape (B1) parameters from ionospheric measurements of Digisonde Portable Sounder, DPS-4 installed at Multan (geog coord 30.18°N, 71.48°E, dip 47.4°) during the deep solar minimum between solar cycles 23/24 i.e., 2008–09 as a continuation to our previous work (Ameen et al., 2018). We have found that B0 has peak values during daytime whereas, B1 exhibits nighttime peaks, with both parameters showing a diurnal pattern. Seasonally, B0 showed annual trend with maximum values during summer and the least values in winter. B1 has the converse seasonal behaviour with respect to B0. These electron density profile parameters have been compared with International Reference Ionosphere (IRI-2016) to check the performance of three available options namely, ‘Gul-1987’, ‘Bil-2000’ and ‘ABT-2009’. The least Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values with respect to the three options show that ABT-2009 estimated seasonal B0 and B1 with greater confidence as compared to other two options. For day and nighttime values of the parameters, no specific model may be declared the best predicting B0 and B1 for the period under study. Much of the factors that influenced the behaviour of hmF2 over Multan (Ameen et al., 2018) seem to be affecting the magnitude of B0 including the post-sunset peak in winter. The present study may be helpful in updating sub-model ABT-2009 of IRI for better reconstruction of bottom-side profile over Multan.

Purpose While the world is yet to fully recuperate from the social and economic repercussions of COVID-19, the Russia–Ukraine conflict poses another major threat causing a humanitarian crisis and economic shock. Although the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its pledge to “leave no one behind” is a universal commitment to protect the livelihoods of vulnerable groups, the Russia–Ukraine ongoing conflict is causing immense suffering and a gloomy future for the 2030 Agenda. The purpose of this study is to provide a holistic understanding of the ramifications of the Russia–Ukraine war in SDGs progress around the world. Further, the authors shed light on how stakeholders can help engage in support of SDGs in such a challenging time. Design/methodology/approach This study is qualitative in nature and relies on secondary sources. The motive behind this study is to allow social and economic policy researchers and practitioners to learn from the Russia–Ukraine dispute. The authors conduct a preliminary factual analysis to determine patterns of how the conflict affects the SDGs Agenda. On this basis, the authors propose some recommendations. Findings While it is still early to measure the full impact of the war on crises worldwide, it is clear that the repercussions will be multi-dimensional. The authors argue that the conflict in Ukraine is severely threatening the achievement of the SDGs. As such, the authors identify patterns of this crisis that have halted progress on SDGs worldwide. Of all SDGs, the authors argue that SDG16 (i.e. peace and justice) is an absolute pre-requisite to sustaining other goals. Further, refugees should be economically empowered, resilient and sustainable food systems need to be put in place and renewable energy transition is required. Research limitations/implications This study serves as a springboard for future research by identifying patterns of war crises that have halted progress in achieving sustainable development worldwide. Empirical evidence needs to be conducted on the impact of this ongoing conflict on sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda. Practical implications This study could provide guidance to leaders and stakeholders across the globe on patterns for the impact of the Ukraine–Russia conflict on undermining global sustainable development while highlighting the need for major additional efforts to achieve the relevant SDGs. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to analyse the threats the Russia–Ukraine dispute presents to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for SDGs.

PurposeMicro-enterprises, like any other business entity, face financing challenges. However, micro-enterprises often cannot access financial institutions as they cannot fulfill the conditions to obtain financing facilities from a formal financial institution. As such, they have to rely on family or friends for financing needs. The most critical challenge faced in this regard to Muslim micro-enterprises is finding out a way in which family and friends could give a financial helping hand without the involvement of riba (interest). At the same time, the person giving the financing can enjoy a profit. This paper aims to propose the Tawarruq Fardi Financing (TFF) model that Islamic micro-enterprises could use to fulfill their financial needs. It becomes a solution when obtaining financing from friends and family or any other third party who could be a private investor who does not want to engage in an equity relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a qualitative research methodology, combining descriptive and content analysis using the inductive reasoning approach.FindingsThe paper's outcome shows that the proposed TFF could assist Islamic micro-enterprises in obtaining Shariah-compliant financing without engaging in an equity partnership. It allows them to fulfill their financing needs bearing in mind the interest of both parties involved in the transaction.Originality/valueThis research will assist Islamic micro-enterprises to find out a Shariah-compliant financing facility from family, friends and any other private investors without entering into an equity relationship. The proposed model would be a Shariah-compliant alternative to interest-free loans and engaging in an equity relationship for the sake of getting benefits for both parties involved in the transaction.

The use of sukuk in social development is an under-researched area, especially in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa. Although the Kenyan government has issued the world’s first mobile bond and the Indonesian government has used mobile platforms as a distribution channels for the issuances of retail sukuk, little is known about mobile sukuk and its potential from the perspective Islamic social finance. This paper aims to explore the opportunities and challenges of mobile sukuk for social development, namely perpetual waqf mobile sukuk, where the concept of waqf is combined with qard. It is anticipated that the proposed type of sukuk has the potential to be used as an Islamic social finance instrument.

Purpose There is a misconception that Hajj and Umarah is just a worship matter and the consequences of suspending these religious gathering due to the pandemic is only limited to delay of going Saudi Arabia to perform it. However, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the impact of the pandemic in Hajj and Umrah by exploring its impact on different stakeholders affecting its disruption due to the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach This is a library-based study that uses qualitative method to explore the impact of COVID-19 on Hajj and Umrah. Thus, provisions of Quran and hadith on Hajj and Umrah were examined as primary data for the research to establish the importance of the rituals in Islam. Guidelines set by Hajj regulators and instruments enabling them in that behalf were examined likewise. In addition, content analyses were made of relevant secondary data from published sources including articles, books, newspapers and web resources that embody scholarly, scientific and religious views on the issue being studied. Findings It is realised that in the first year of the pandemic, while Umrah is entirely suspended, Hajj was scaled back and performed by 10,000 people altogether, a tiny segment of the over two and half million that partook in the ritual previously. Hajj and Umrah have been greatly inhibited and jeopardised by the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in religious, social, economic, psychological effects on the eligible but affected Muslims and Muslims countries. Along these lines, recommendations were accordingly proffered on the way forward to better Hajj and Umrah management. Originality/value It is anticipated that the findings of the research would assist policy makers to comprehend the impact of the pandemic on Hajj and Umrah to ensure that the policies they make in this regard would adequately cover every aspect affecting the stakeholders which is deliberated in this research. It is also expected that the recommendations provided in this paper will assist stakeholders of Hajj and Umrah to grasp the importance of taking precautions for any crisis similar to COVID-19 when it happens.

Objective: This study was aimed to establish the prevalence of overweight, obesity and related its factors among the citizens of Karachi. Methodology: From Jan 2018 to August 2018. This cross-sectional analysis was conducted to obtain information from 772 persons using a validated questionnaire and traditional height and weight evaluation methods have been used. Overweight and obesity were described by South Asian cut-off points as 23 ≥ BMI (Normal), 25.0 - 29.9 BMI (Overweight) and 30 ≤ BMI (Obese) respectively. For data processing, version 21.0 of SPSS was used. Results: In this sample study men was 44.5% and women was 55.5%.Age group 20-39 was the most numerous group which was 55.70%. Among Overweight and obesity were found to be higher in men than in women. About 23.3% of the people were smokers, 1.42% was alcohol consumer, while 20.3% had vegetarian diet, 55.8% had semi-vegetarian diet, and 23.8% had non-vegetarian diet. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among individuals with co-morbidities is 33.96 %, p=0.000. There were 38.5% of people who performed physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity prevalence was found to be high among Karachi individuals, particularly in men than in women. The predictors of obesity were sedentary lifestyle, including diet and lack of physical exercise, smoking, alcohol intake, and presence of co-morbidities. Preventive steps to avoid overweight and obesity may be recommended for people.

Huntington's disease is a rare neurodegenerative illness of the central nervous system that is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. Mutant huntingtin protein is produced as a result of enlargement of CAG repeat in the N-terminal of the polyglutamine tract.Herein, we aim to investigate the mutations and their effects on the HTT gene and its genetic variants. Additionally, the protein-protein interaction of HTT with other proteins and receptor-ligand interaction with the three-dimensional structure of huntingtin protein were identified.A comprehensive analysis of the HTT interactome and protein-ligand interaction has been carried out to provide a global picture of structure-function analysis of huntingtin protein. Mutations were analyzed and mutation verification tools were used to check the effect of mutation on protein function.The results showed, mutations in a single gene are not only responsible for causing a particular disease but may also cause other hereditary disorders as well. Moreover, the modification at the nucleotide level also cause the change in the specific amino acid which may disrupt the function of HTT and its interacting proteins contributing in disease pathogenesis. Furthermore, the interaction between MECP2 and BDNF lowers the rate of transcriptional activity. Molecular docking further confirmed the strong interaction between MECP2 and BDNF with highest affinity. Amino acid residues of the HTT protein, involved in the interaction with tetrabenazine were N912, Y890, G2385, and V2320. These findings proved, tetrabenazine as one of the potential therapeutic agent for treatment of Huntington's disease.These results give further insights into the genetics of Huntington's disease for a better understanding of disease models which will be beneficial for the future therapeutic studies.

To compare the effects of reciprocal peer-assisted learning (PAL) with traditional faculty-led teaching on the academic performance of fourth-year medical students in Family Medicine clerkship.An experimental study.Department of Health Professions Education and Department of Family Medicine, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan, from 22nd February 2019 to 25th February 2020.The study was conducted longitudinally in three clerkship rounds of Family Medicine with 77 fourth-year students separated into a control group and an intervention group taught by faculty and peers respectively. All peer tutors were trained prior to their sessions and there were parallel peer-led and faculty-led sessions. Both groups were given a pre-test prior to the intervention and a post-test after the intervention. The data were entered in SPSS version 24 and analysed using chi-square, independent and paired sample t-tests.Participants of both intervention (PAL) and control (non-PAL) groups demonstrated a significant difference in post and pre-test scores with a p-value0.05. However, the mean difference in the post-and pre-test scores between the two groups was not significant with a p-value0.05.Students taught by peers performed as well as students taught by the faculty in this study, as depicted by their academic scores. Henceforth PAL is comparable to faculty-led teaching in acquisition of knowledge in Family Medicine clerkship.Peer-assisted learning, Reciprocal peer-assisted learning, Traditional teaching, Family medicine.

The objective of this Element is to provide an overview of Islamic finance by highlighting the impact of the pandemic on it in a comprehensive manner by looking at two branches of Islamic finance: Islamic commercial finance; and Islamic social finance. The approach that is adopted in this Element is to first provide an overview of Islamic finance to the readers in a simple and easy manner followed by the impact of pandemic discussed separately for both types of Islamic finance. Last, but not least, the Element also recommends ways in which Islamic finance could be further improved in the light of the lessons learnt from the pandemic. It is anticipated that the recommendations made in this regard would assist policymakers, practitioners, researchers and other stakeholders of Islamic finance to understand the way to unlock the full potential of Islamic finance to reduce the wealth gap and achieve financial inclusion.

This paper develops fuzzy multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach to evaluate performance of airports according to the passengers’ perspective. Assessments for qualitative measures and quantitative measures are represented by intuitionistic cubic fuzzy numbers (ICFNs), and crisp numbers represents criteria weights, which are obtained via surveys. To construct a strategy for solving MCDM problems, we have developed extended forms of VIKOR method and TOPSIS method for ICFNs and constructed ICF-VIKOR and ICF-TOPSIS algorithm under ICF information in group decision environment. We have applied these methods for an experimental analysis of 7 significant international airports in the Asia-Pacific region to evaluate their performance with conflicting criteria under ICF environment. To show the supremacy of the proposed techniques, we have presented comparative analysis with the existing techniques.

PurposeThis study explores the practical application of the Shariah screening process and how it could be enhanced by converging the same with the ethical screening of stocks.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a qualitative research methodology by combining the qualitative descriptive approach and content analysis.FindingsThe findings of this research suggest that there is scope to converge ethical screening of stocks with Shariah Screening as the lex loci applicable to Shariah screening is derived from Shariah, which considers ethics as part of determining its rules.Practical implicationsThe data from this study reveal several practical applications, the ultimate goal of which is to help the policymakers and stakeholders understand the relevance of the Shariah screening of stocks and get a streamlined screening process, paving the way to enhance the same using ethical screening criteria to develop its function to become much more relevant irrespective of the denomination of faiths.Originality/valueThis is original research, which is expected to contribute to understanding the extent to which Shariah screening can be enhanced by integrating the ethical stock screening dimension to it.

A fundamental requirement of Islamic financial practice, Shariah-compliance covers all aspects of the transaction from contractual agreements to execution to dispute resolution. Thus a sound judicial system with in-built Shariah-compliance mechanisms is indispensable to facilitate the execution of such contracts and to ensure the sustainability of the practice. In Nigeria, this system is still under development with the judiciary the most readily available option for dispute resolution. However, comprised merely of civil courts with jurisdiction to hear Islamic finance cases, these mechanisms subject the industry to possible legal and Shariah-compliance risks. Having conducted a series of interviews with experts, this study recommends: constitutional and legislative reform to grant jurisdiction to existing civil courts; the Financial Regulations Advisory Committee of Experts (FRACE) should be statutorily entitled to offer binding advice to courts; the practice itself should be enshrined in appropriate legislation; and there should be curricular reform to ensure judges and lawyers are adequately trained/educated in the particulars of Islamic finance.

This article is an advanced approach to picture fuzzy set through the application of cubic set theory. For instance, we establish the idea of the picture cubic fuzzy sets (PCFSs) theory and define several operations for PCFS. Also, presented some weighted aggregation operators under picture cubic fuzzy information, so called picture cubic fuzzy weighted averaging (PCFWA) operator, picture cubic fuzzy order weighted averaging (PCFOWA) operator, picture cubic fuzzy weighted geometric (PCFWG) operator, and picture cubic fuzzy order weighted geometric (PCFOWG) operator. Further, we study their fundamental properties and showed the relationship among these aggregation operators. In order to determine the feasibility and practicality of the mentioned new technique, we developed multi-attribute group decision -making algorithm with picture cubic fuzzy environment. Further, the developed method applied to supply chain management and for implementation, consider numerical application of supply chain management. Compared the developed approach with other preexisting aggregation operators, and we concluded that the defined technique is better, reliable and effective.

This paper describes statistical attempts of estimating the critical frequency of the F2 layer ( foF 2 ) using Global Positioning System (GPS) Total Electron Content (TEC), with the help of electron density model NeQuick2, for monthly hourly median conditions. The stations under study are Islamabad (geog. lat: 33.66° N, long: 73.23° E, geomag. lat: 25.21° N) and Darwin (geog. lat: 12.46° S, long: 130.85° E, geomag. lat: 21.96° S) for the years 2011 to 2014. As first approximation, a linear regression analysis between ionosonde foF 2 values and GPS TEC produced a regression coefficient that lies between 77% to 83% at Darwin and between 81% and 87% at Islamabad. Two methods were used for the same purpose - First, using GPS TEC and NeQuick2 slab thickness, which produced the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of less than 1 MHz at Islamabad, but greater than 1 MHz for Darwin. Second, using an iteration process by ingesting GPS TEC in NeQuick2 to improve foF 2 such that optimum foF 2 obtained by iteration process has corresponding NeQuick2 TEC, which is close to GPS one within ±5%. This provides foF 2 estimation with 84% confidence over Islamabad. The results show that the attempts are inspiring for obtaining reliable foF 2 from GPS TEC over Islamabad.