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The vibrations of bearings holding the high-speed shaft of a steam turbine are critically controlled for the safe and reliable power generation at the power plants. In this paper, two artificial intelligence (AI) process models, i.e., artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) based relative vibration modeling of a steam turbine shaft bearing of a 660 MW supercritical steam turbine system is presented. After extensive data processing and machine learning based visualization tests performed on the raw operational data, ANN and SVM models are trained, validated and compared by external validation tests. ANN has outperformed SVM in terms of better prediction capability and is, therefore, deployed for simulating the constructed operating scenarios. ANN process model is tested for the complete load range of power plant, i.e., from 353 MW to 662 MW and 4.07% reduction in the relative vibration of the bearing is predicted by the network. Further, various vibration reduction operating strategies are developed and tested on the validated and robust ANN process model. A selected operating strategy which has predicted a promising reduction in the relative vibration of bearing is selected. In order to confirm the effectiveness of the prediction of the ANN process model, the selected operating strategy is implemented on the actual operation of the power plant. The resulting reduction in the relative vibrations of the turbine’s bearing, which is less than the alarm limit, are confirmed. This cements the role of ANN process model to be used as an operational excellence tool resulting in vibration reduction of high-speed rotating equipment.

The transport sector has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting travel behaviors and mobility patterns around the globe. The pandemic has also affected mode choice behavior. This research study modeled the mode choice behavior before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. Data was collected through an online questionnaire survey consisting of questions about socio-economic characteristics, factors affecting mode choice, and mode chosen for shorter as well as longer distances for both before and during COVID-19 pandemic situations. The results indicated that public transport use declined, whereas walking and bicycling slightly increased during the pandemic. The respondents placed more priority on safety and security, comfort, cleanliness, infection concerns, personal social status, availability of hand-sanitizers, waiting, and paying more for less congested vehicles during the pandemic. Factor analysis was performed to explore the underlying factors affecting mode choice before and during the pandemic. Discrete choice models were developed to model the mode choice behavior. Monthly household income and pandemic-related underlying factor were significant predictors of mode choice for shorter distances (i.e., 5 km) during the pandemic. Understanding the modal shift during a pandemic will surely help urban and transport planners to prepare better for effective transport management in the future. Policy implications are also presented to help policymakers in developing policies for post-pandemic mobility needs, particularly in developing countries.

This study intended to examine the relationship between free cash flow and agency costs towards firm performance based on the data from 350 public listed companies in Malaysia. The data was collected from year 2005 to 2015. There is a need to re-examine the free cash flow hypothesis and the agency theory based on Malaysian data as the results from previous studies shown a mix results.The findings shown free cash flow is significantly giving positive impact on firm performance. This result is contradict to free cash flow hypothesis, but it can occur due to, when the availability of investments opportunities that can be generated when firm more free cash flow that later able to increase firm performance. Meanwhile, total asset turnover has a positive impact on return on asset. However, the operating expenses ratio demonstrates that the operating expenses ratio has a negative impact on return on asset. The mix findings of agency cost are supported by previous studies.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of Nucleated RBC (NRBC) Count using a fully automated haematology analyzer versus manual counting. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Hematology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, from Sep 2019-Jun 2020. Methodology: Routine fresh whole blood samples were run on Sysmex XN-3000 automated haematology analyzer and 384 samples with results of ≥0.1% Nucleated red blood cells were included in this study. Manual NRBC counting was carried out twice on Leishman-stained peripheral blood smears from all 384 samples. Comparison between manual and automated nucleated red blood cell counting methods was statistically analyzed through linear regression analysis & coefficient correlation. The degree of agreement between two methods was analyzed through Bland-Altman plot. Finally, concordance between the two methods was also analyzed at 5 different ranges of nucleated red blood cells. Results: Linear regression analysis revealed a (r2) value of 0.97. Regression equation was calculated as XN = 0.76MC ± 1.28, with 95% limits of agreement between ± 40.42% and -24.47%. A mean bias of 7.97% was demonstrated through Bland-Altman plot. Concordance analysis revealed a concordance rate of 93.74% (360/384). Nucleated red blood cell counting between two methods were more concordant when nucleated red blood cell counts were

This study investigated the differences in knowledge sharing (KS) behavior among academicians from research universities (RUs) and non-research universities (Non-RUs) and the impact of their differences on research engagement in Malaysia. From the lens of the theory of planned behavior, research engagement is integrated into the original theory as the consequence of KS behavior. Applying a multi-group analysis through partial least square structural equation modeling, 458 academic staff from twenty public universities in Malaysia participated in the study. The study findings revealed that in the RU sample, commitment and subjective norm have no significant impact on attitude and intention, respectively. However, a significant impact of commitment and subjective norm on attitude and intention, respectively, was found in the non-RU sample. This study contributes to the knowledge management perspective among academicians and compares RU and non-RU academicians in Malaysia. A relevant mitigation plan must be taken to ensure that academicians in both RUs and non-RUs share their knowledge willingly and sincerely to elevate the status of higher education in the country to a greater height as a top world-class university. Moreover, an analysis of the implication of higher education in the country as well as institutionalization of education excellence could be achieved through better KS behavior in the South East Asian region.

Considering that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global challenge, there is a dire need to gauge the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of clinicians in endemic countries. The aim of the current multicenter, cross-sectional study was to highlight the knowledge, aptitude and practice gaps in antimicrobial (AM) stewardship and AMR among practicing doctors working in public tertiary care teaching hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. A KAP survey, based on a self-administered questionnaire containing 45 questions, was conducted among 336 clinicians practicing in 6 randomly selected hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. Overall, 92% of the clinicians considered AMR as a worldwide problem but only 66% disagreed that cold and flu symptoms require antibiotics. Moreover, around 68% doctors felt confident about their practice in AM but still 96% felt need to get more knowledge about AM. Need to establish courses on rational antibiotic use was demanded by 84% of participants. The main contributing factors considered for AMR by the doctors included excessive AM usage in medical profession (87.1%) and multiple antibiotics per prescription (76.4%). Pharmacologically, AM spectrum was accurately chosen by 1.4% (ampicillin), 0.003% (erythromycin) and 0% (levofloxacin). Clinically, a more than 50% of clinicians used miscellaneous AM for empirical therapy of respiratory tract infection and cholecystitis. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The knowledge of clinicians is relatively poor in AM spectrum and drugs of choice for certain infections. However, they know about their short comings with positive approach towards improvement.

Objective: To determine the superbug infection in a burn centre, its impact on mortality/morbidity and to review all preventive/therapeutic steps taken to fight this menace. Study Design: Retrospective cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Burns & Plastic Surgery, Army Burn Centre, Combined Military Hospital Kharian, from Oct 2018 to Sep 2019. Methodology: A detailed retrospective audit of departmental data was carried out. Parameters like direct admission vs transferred patient, percentage of burns (Total Burn Surface Area-TBSA%), records of all burns related deaths and all culture/sensitivity reports were analysed using SPSS-20. As a standard practice in our unit blood, tracheal secretions and pus culture specimens of all patients are collected at the time of admission and then periodically fresh samples are taken every week or earlier when-ever required. Results: Out of 515 patients, 283 (54.95%) were children under the age of 12 years. The overall survival rate improved by 13.43% as compared to last year. Out of 584 bacteriology reports 396 (67.81%) were positive and 188 (32.19%) were negative. On culture 508 organisms were isolated, majority of which were Carbapenem Resistant Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Enterobacteriaceae and Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus. Conclusion: Multi drug resistant superbug infection is a worldwide menace. The best clinical practices, strict contact isolation, enhanced environmental cleaning and judicious use of appropriate antibiotics are the main strategies in this war. Need for newer more effective antibiotics cannot be overemphasized.

Objective: To determine the normal value of thyroid Technetium-99m uptake value in a single centre Pakistani population. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Nuclear Medical Centre, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, from Feb 2019 to Apr 2020. Methodology: A total of 90 patients who presented to Nuclear Medical Centre for parathyroid dual radiopharmaceutical scintigraphy were included in study and selected by non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Thyroid uptake studies were calculated via gamma camera acquisition. Pre injection counts were taken from the Technetium-99m pertechnetate filled syringe, thyroid counts were taken from the anterior thyroid image 20 minutes post injection and to look for any residual radiopharmaceutical counts of the empty syringe were also taken. Results: Out of total of 90 patients, 32 (35.6%) were male while 58 (64.4%) were female with male to female ratio of 1:2. The mean age was 38.4 ± 12.7. Mean Thyroid Stimulating Hormone values were 1.6 ± 0.8 and mean T4 values were 11.9 ± 3.5. The 5th-95th percentile range was 0.4-2.2% and median was 1.2%. The interquartile range was calculated to be 0.9-1.5%. Conclusion: Normal value of thyroid Technetium-99m uptake value in a single centre Pakistani population values varies significantly as compared to global figures i.e. 0.3-4.5% and is different than the one used in our own department i.e. 0.5-2.0%.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the interrelationships between COVID-19 pandemic impact and architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) organizations. To achieve that aim, the objectives are to: identify the critical pandemic impact (CPI) of COVID-19 on AEC organizations; compare the CPI between the different organization characteristics; and analyze the interrelationships between the CPI.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review of 519 articles and in-depth interviews with 40 AEC practitioners were carried out, yielding 12 COVID-19 impacts. Then, data on the 12 impact’s criticality were collected through a survey among AEC practitioners. In total, 127 valid responses were received and analyzed using mean ranking analysis, analysis of variance and Spearman’s correlation. The findings were also compared with pandemic impacts from prior works.FindingsFive CPI exist among the 12 impacts, namely, “reduced construction productivity,” “reduced foreign investment in the construction industry,” “reduced demand on construction-related works,” “disruption in the supply chain” and “reduced number of public projects.” “Reduced foreign investment in the construction industry” and “reduced demand on construction-related works” significantly impact small-medium enterprises than large enterprises. Also, “disruption in the supply chain” and “reduced construction productivity” are recurring impacts in all countries compared. Finally, moderate relationships exist between “reduced foreign investment in the construction industry” and “reduced demand on construction-related works” and “disruption in the supply chain” and “reduced construction productivity.”Originality/valueThe findings can be used to prioritize available resources in developing short-term responses for COVID-19. Also, action plans can be developed to mitigate the CPI from recurring.

Climate change-induced disasters show the highest risk for agriculture and livelihoods in rural areas of developing countries. Due to changing rainfall pattern, the arid and semiarid region of Pakistan faces frequent droughts. Farming communities affected by drought disasters are causing serious threats to livelihood, global food crises, environmental migration, and sustainable development. The existing study was designed to quantify two key components through (1) analysis of agrometeorological data (1981–2017) with exploratory data analysis and Mann–Kendall trend analysis; (2) extensive field survey (200 households). The multivariate probit model has been run to detect determinants of coping and adaptive strategies by farmers. Our results showed that the farmers supposed that temperature and rainfall were highly fluctuating in recent years equally. Farmers adopted different coping and adaptive measures that include crop diversification, input adjustment, water management, asset depletion, income diversification, and migration to sustain their livelihood during stress periods. The agrometeorological data analysis revealed that the agricultural vulnerability to drought risks increased significantly, and the survey results projected that 64.7% of the population is exposed to drought directly or indirectly. Sen’s slope quantification resulted in (0.025 °C) rise in temperature, (− 2.936 mm) decline in rainfall year−1. Modeling future scenarios resulted in an increase in temperature up to 0.7 °C, 1.2 °C, and a decrease in precipitation up to 161.48 mm, 103.5 mm in 2040 and 2060. The study evaluated a huge gap in the provision of drought risk resilience services, crop insurance, and climate-smart training practices to build capacities among farmers to cope with the impacts of extreme weather conditions. Our research might provide the groundwork to upgrade actions to drought prevention and early warning in water scarcity areas. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11069-021-04913-4.

Aims Gastroenteritis is a digestive disorder among children with symptoms of abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, and vomiting. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of gastroenteritis in children in the Bannu district in 2019, and also contributed for adopting preventive measures to reduce mortality in children. Subject and methods A retrospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence of gastroenteritis in children in Bannu. The data were collected from official registers of admission maintained in the children wards in the Women and Children Hospital, Bannu. Patients with symptoms of gastroenteritis at the outpatient department were admitted to one of the children wards. Results Overall, 1456 children—897 (61.4%) males and 559 (38.6%) females—suffered from gastroenteritis during the study period. The age group ≤6 months demonstrated the highest share (37.8%), followed by >6 m ≤ 1y (35.5%), >1y ≤ 2y (15.8%), >2y ≤ 5y (7.3%), >5 ≤ 10y (3.2%), and > 10y ≤ 15y (0.4%). Overall, 89.1% of cases were from children ≤2 years old and 96.4% of cases were attributed to children ≤ 5 years of age. April demonstrated the highest percentage of prevalence of 17.7, followed by May (13.5%), November (13%), June (11.7%), September (10.4%), October (9.8%), July (9.5%), August (8.4%), March (3.4%), and February (2.6%). The age group ≤6 m was the dominant group during February through May and was replaced by the age group >6 m ≤ 1y during August through November. Conclusion Gastroenteritis showed a reduced prevalence when shifted from lower to higher age groups. Being male and age group ≤6 m showed the highest prevalence of gastroenteritis with the peak of disease in April. Further research is needed to determine the cause-based prevalence of different gastroenteritis cases in the study area.

Based on the existing literature, it is clear that the Summer Olympic Games since 1896 have been carefully evaluated, with detailed statistical records compiled accordingly. However, documentation ...

With the rapid growth and commercialization of wearable sensor technology, the research community foresees great potential of Body Area Sensor Network (BASN) applications in the healthcare industry, including elderly healthcare. We consider the issue of fall in elderly, which has severe consequences including death. Most of the related proposals in the literature are reactive. In this paper, we propose a proactive Fall Risk Assessment mechanism for elderly by performing Muscle Fatigue Analysis on data collected using BASN consisting of wearable sensors. We first discuss the in-house developed android application that connects with the wearable EMG sensors placed on the human body to collect data of four activities including walking, sitting and getting up from a chair, and ankle stretch (Dorsiflexion and planter flexion) in a controlled environment. Then we present our Fall Risk Assessment algorithm that computes the Fall Risk Assessment score based on various levels of muscle fatigue. We tested our algorithm using four features to determine muscle fatigue in two lower limb muscles i.e. Tibilias (TM) and Gastrocnemius (GM) muscles. The implementation results of various scenarios on Matlab are presented as the proof-of-concept. Our evaluation results of two lower limb muscles behavior in selected activities justify our claim that muscle fatigue in these two muscles could lead to falling in an elderly person.

FEMA-P695 procedure was applied for seismic collapse safety evaluation of reinforced concrete moment resisting frames with/without beam-column joint detailing common in Pakistan. The deficient frame lacks shear reinforcement in joints and uses concrete of low compressive strength. Shake-table tests were performed on 1:3 reduced scale two-story models, to understand the progressive inelastic response of chosen frames and calibrate the inelastic finite-element based models. The seismic design factors i.e. response modification coefficient, overstrength, ductility, and displacement amplification factors (R, W0, Rμ, Cd) were quantified. Response modification factor R = 7.05 was obtained for the frame with beam-column joint detailing while R = 5.30 was obtained for the deficient frame. The corresponding deflection amplification factor Cd/R was found equal to 0.82 and 1.03, respectively. A suite of design spectrum compatible accelerograms was obtained from PEER strong ground motions for incremental dynamic analysis of numerical models. Collapse fragility functions were developed using a probabilistic nonlinear dynamic reliability-based method. The collapse margin ratio (CMR) was calculated as the ratio of seismic intensity corresponding to the 50th percentile collapse probability to the seismic intensity corresponding to the MCE level ground motions. It was critically compared with the acceptable CMR (i.e. the CMR computed with reference to a seismic intensity corresponding to the 10% collapse probability instead of MCE level ground motions). Frame with shear reinforcement in beam-column joints has achieved CMR 11% higher than the acceptable thus passing the criterion. However, the deficient frame achieved CMR 29% less than the conforming frame. This confirms the efficacy of beam-column joint detailing in reducing collapse risk.

This paper presents a simplified numerical modeling technique for nonlinear static and dynamic seismic analysis of Dhajji-Dewari structures. The technique comprised idealizing timber beam/column me...

The outbreak of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) causing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected travel behaviors and lifestyles in a matter of days and weeks In transport planning process, the concept of accessibility is usually interpreted as an acronym of mobility For decades, researchers have been advocating to interlink the mobility-based approach with accessibility-based approach Despite considerable research work has been done for the development of accessibility measures, yet its effective use in transport planning is not very pervasive In this research study, stress is emphasized to reflect on why significant progress for adopting accessibility-based approach has been difficult to accomplish especially in planning practices Some of the promising efforts made so far have been highlighted This study provides insights on the power of accessibility-based approach in urban settings and discussed why planners should adopt this approach to reshape safe travel behaviors in uncertain pandemic situations like COVID-19 © 2021, Chulalongkorn University, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts All rights reserved

Experimental and numerical studies performed on traditional timber-frame masonry buildings have confirmed excellent deformability of timber structure; however, observations from dynamic shake table...

Objective: The objective of the article is to understand entrepreneurial abilities of students in Malaysian higher education system. Hence, the role of transformational leadership, psychological empowerment, and knowledge sharing in inducing this behaviour are imperative to ensure that students are inclined to and familiar with entrepreneurial activities during their studies. Research Design & Methods: This research focused on Malaysian undergraduate students’ entrepreneurial behaviour and related antecedents. A group of 177 undergraduate students from various engineering programs was collected. A partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was conducted to analyse the relationship between entrepreneurial behaviour and related antecedents. Findings: The results show that among the four transformational factors, inspirational motivation is deemed to be the strongest predictor of both knowledge sharing and entrepreneurial behaviour. This is followed by an individualised consideration which tracks full significant impact and partial impact on knowledge sharing and entrepreneurial behaviour. On the other hand, idealised influence and intellectual stimulation show no effect, while psychological empowerment and knowledge sharing show a significant impact on entrepreneurial behaviour. Implications & Recommendations: The outcomes of this study would benefit stakeholders in implementing entrepreneurial activities and foster successful implementation in the curriculum of the Malaysian higher education system. Contribution & Value Added: This study contributes to the body of knowledge in the relationship of knowledge sharing, transformational leadership style, and entrepreneurial behaviour of students in Malaysian higher education institutions. Article type: research article

Aim/Objectives/Background Pulmonary tuberculosis is one of the major threats to human health and is the leading cause of death worldwide. Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes the disease in humans. The present study deals with to determine the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis in the general population of district Bannu. Patients and methods All 745 registered and suspected patients of the pulmonary tuberculosis were diagnosed during the study period by sputum smear microscopy. The data were collected from the tuberculosis (TB) control register at the national tuberculosis control center at Khalifa Gul Nawaz (KGN), Teaching Hospital, Bannu, from January through December 2018. The data were classified into six age groups (in years) including 60. Percentage case positivity was determined for both sex and age groups. Results and Conclusions The number of positive cases of the disease were 133 (17.85%) out of 745 patients enrolled for diagnosis of the disease. Females represented 57.14%, whereas males accounted for 42.86% of the disease. The highest prevalence of disease occurred in the age group 46–60 y (34.59%), followed by 15–30 y (29.32%), >60 y (19.55%), 31–45 y (12.03%), and 5–14 y (4.51%). Age group

Objective: to evaluate the relationship between dietary fats and physical fitness in young athlete of Pakistan. Methodology: An correlational study conducted in Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) in 2018, after the approval of Director Admin of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), a total sample size of n=130 elite athletes (both male and females) were recruited from the camp for National games held in PSB through convenience sampling technique. The data was collected about the age, gender, BMI and physical fitness. Physical fitness was measured through following tests; back ward throw with 3kg medicine ball, 30 meter Speed Test, Single-leg hope three step test, Agility T test and 800 meter Endurance test. The pre camp dietary fat intake was calculated through online software Self Nutrition Data by entering the meal recipe and Nutrition Facts label was generated according to the nutrition labelling standard maintained by the FDA. The results were presented in terms of n (%), mean±SD and to determine association Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used. Results: The mean age of participants was 23.63±5.30 years. The results showed positive correlation of agility T test (sec) with saturated fat (r=0.180, p=0.040), mono unsaturated fat (r=0.199, p=0.023), poly unsaturated fat (r=0.187, p=0.033), Omega 3 fatty acids (r=0.187, p=0.033) and total fat intake(r=0.202, p=0.021). The 800 M endurance test was positively correlated with polyunsaturated fat (r=0.187, p=0.033), omega 6 fatty acids (r=0.182, p=0.038) and total fat intake (r=0.181, p=0.039). While leg strength test was found to be negatively correlated with monounsaturated fats (r=-0.174, p=0.048) and polyunsaturated (r=-0.175, p=0.047). Conclusion: Nutrition rich in dietary fats results in decreases performance and ability of athletes involved in agility and endurance training, while for those involved in strength training dietary fats may enhance their performance

Unclaimed property is a major issue in Malaysia. It is also a disadvantage to the Islamic economy because wealth cannot be exploited. It continues to grow year by year and it does not appear that it will be completed in a short time. This article discusses issues affecting the increase of unclaimed property and the authorities involved in resolving these endless issues. In addition to issues of public awareness, social issues and administrative and legal issues, educational level also plays a significant role in contributing to the increase in unclaimed property as the availability of education on this property will provide awareness and smart people to act to prevent frozen inheritance. Therefore, this artwork provides an overview of related issues and provides steps to be taken to mitigate the increase in unclaimed property.

The increase in urban population and private vehicle ownership has resulted in traffic congestion on road networks. The traffic congestion tends to increase social cost in terms of increased travel delays, road crashes and environmental pollution. Traffic congestion also increases the generalized travel cost of road users. There is a need to look for alternative travel options to ensure sustainable development of the society and transportation infrastructure. This study aims to identify the significant relationships between the socio-economic demographics (SEDs) of the travelers and their intentions with carpooling. The data was collected with the help of a questionnaire survey. This survey was conducted in Lahore city and three hundred and ninety four samples were obtained. The data was analyzed using frequency analysis and ordered probit regression analysis. The results revealed that the traveler’s marital status, education, daily trip distance, current travel mode, household income, car ownership and possession of a driving license had a significant influence on their willingness to adopt a carpooling alternative. Besides the trip, purpose of carpooling and the number of persons with whom to share a ride had significant correlations with carpooling. These significant attributes implicate that travelers’ specific characteristics play an important role in their decision to carpool. Carpooling programs are required to design, seeking the significant characteristics of travelers in the context of Lahore city as well as in other regions. These findings provide useful information to the transport planners and decision-makers in designing the transportation policies related to carpooling strategies.

Objective: To describe the surgical management of complex bile duct injuries in a specialized hepatopancreatobiliary unit. Design of the Study: It was a retrospective study. Study Settings: This study was carried out at Department of Anaesthesia and Hepatobiliary Unit, Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore from August 2017 to August 2019. Material and Methods: This retrospective study includes 80 patients of bile duct injury who underwent surgical correction of bile duct injury at specialized Hepatopancreatobiliary [HPB] and liver transplant department of Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore. All the subjects were evaluated by retrospectively. The information regarding primary operative procedure, drain placement, T-tube placement, presentation, hospital stay, Liver Function Tests [LFTs], level of biliary tract injury and type of surgical procedure obtained from patients records. Results of the Study: During the study period 80 patients – 65 females and 15 male were operated for bile duct injury. Mean age was 39.89 years range 21 to 65 years. Hospital stay ranges from 9 to 36 days with mean of 16.18 days. Patients underwent open cholecystectomy, 43.8% laparoscopic cholecystectomy and in 3 patients procedure was converted from laparoscopic to open. 52.5% patients underwent open cholecystectomy, 43.8 laparoscopic cholecystectomy and in 3 patient’s procedure was converted from laparoscopic to open. Conclusion: It is concluded that the correct long lasting and physiological method to treat injuries of bile duct is only surgical repair. Although, surgical repair of bile duct must be operated by skilled hepatopancreaticobiliary surgeons. A practical method which is selected appropriately and implemented successfully has surely improved surgical outcome without any problem faced during the operation. Keywords: Hepatopancreatobiliary, Bile Duct Injury, Surgical Management

The crashes of educational institutions buses have become common and posing a serious risk to students’ lives in Oman. There are many reasons for the increasing bus crashes including driver’s risk-taking behavior and non-compliance with traffic laws. This study aims to assess the safety aspects of the University of Nizwa bus service considering the perceptions of its students. A questionnaire was designed, and the student’s perceptions were asked on driving attitudes, styles and norms, and some other selected attributes of bus service safety. The total collected samples were 350. Almost 30% of the students have experienced a crash while traveling on the bus. Student’s perceptions showed that speeding and cell phone usage are the main reasons for the bus crashes as drivers frequently use cell phone and exceed the speed limits. Some students believed that the age and experience of the drivers influence their driving behavior and crash propensity. Bus service reliability and comfort, driver’s driving habits, norms, and compliance with traffic signs are underlying factors of student’s intentions to use the bus service in the future. Strict enforcement related to the use of cell phone and exceeding the speed limits and proper compliance of drivers with traffic rules would help in improving the safety of bus service. The educational institutions should develop a clear safety policy regarding the hiring of drivers for buses and monitoring of their behavior during driving. There is also a need to initiate special training and awareness programs for the bus drivers of educational institutions.

Green IT (GIT) has become essential in ensuring the sustainable consumption and production of IT equipment for positive environmental outcomes. Nevertheless, existing studies on GIT practices have focused on the organizational level, with limited emphasis on the engagement of the IT professionals in sustainable environmental performance. Thus, the present study draws on the belief action and outcome (BAO) framework to investigate the factors of IT professionals' GIT beliefs and attitudes toward adopting GIT practices for environmental performance. The hypothesized model was tested with data collected from 333 IT professionals in Malaysia. The results of path analysis supported the significant impacts of environmental awareness and leadership commitment in shaping IT professionals' GIT beliefs and attitudes. Also, their attitude was a significant mediator between beliefs and engagement in GIT practices, and both GIT attitudes and practices were significantly related to environmental IT performance. This study offers empirical support for the role of IT professionals in enhancing environmental performance through engagement in sustainable IT practices.

Productivity of food crops like wheat, a staple food of major portion of the world, is hampered due to salinity stress, thereby threatening food security. With the advancements in plant physiology and molecular biology based techniques, a number of structural and regulatory genes (transcription factors, miRNA, siRNA etc.) have been identified that contribute to inducing salinity tolerance responses. Location of these salt tolerant genes or genetic loci on specific chromosomes has also been partially characterized through QTL mapping. This information helps in efficient transfer of these genes into other crop cultivars through molecular breeding tools. Although plant salt tolerance mechanisms include osmotic adjustment, ion exclusion, ion inclusion, efficient antioxidant system, hormonal signaling etc., ion exclusion has long been recognized as central to salinity tolerance in wheat. Ion exclusion involves highly coordinated activity of a variety of channels, pumps and antiporters at parenchyma cells in root, stem and leaves associated with xylem. A number of molecular markers have been identified which are associated with ion exclusion or Na+ exclusion. However, some of them are associated with undesirable traits thereby producing lower crop productivity, e.g. Kna1. Thus, it is imperative to assess novel sources of ion exclusion with subsequent characterization before their introgression into other crop cultivars. In this review, recent advancements in identifying novel sources of ion exclusion in wheat have been discussed at length. In addition, up to what extent marker assisted breeding using these ion exclusion sources will help improve crop salt tolerance in wheat, thereby reducing global food security threat. An effective new paradigm is the targeted identification of specific genetic determinants of stress adaptation that have evolved in nature and their precise introgression into elite varieties.

Bitcoin and other prominent cryptocurrencies have gained much attention since the last several years. Globally known as digital coin and virtual currency, this cryptocurrency is gained and traded within the blockchain system. The blockchain technology adopted in using the cryptocurrency has raised the eyebrows within the banking sector, government, stakeholders and individual investors. The rise of the cryptocurrency within this decade since the inception of Bitcoin in 2009 has taken the market by storm. Cryptocurrency is anticipated as the future currency that might replace the current paper currency worldwide. Even though the interest has caught the attention of users, many are not aware of its opportunities, drawbacks and challenges for the future. Researches on cryptocurrencies are still lacking and still at its infancy stage. In providing substantial guide and view to the academic field and users, this paper will discuss the opportunities in the cryptocurrency such as the security of its technology, low transaction cost and high investment return. The originality of this paper is on the discussion within law and regulation, high energy consumption, possibility of crash and bubble, and attacks on network. The future undertakings of cryptocurrency and its application will be systematically reviewed in this paper.

Owing to the depletion of natural gas reserves and economic constraints of imported oil, Bangladesh plans on shifting to an electricity mix dominated by coal. Among a number of planned coal-fired power plants, five power plants each with 1320-MW generation capacity are expected to be installed by 2030 in areas within 5-km radius of Payra, situated in Patuakhali district, by 2030. This study involved simulation of pollutant concentration and evaluation of health risks due to emission from these power plants. Four pollutants, SO2, NOx, PM2.5, and PM10, were assessed for health risks under two scenarios: (a) scenario I, operation of Payra phase I and phase II power plants (expected by 2022); and (b) scenario II, cumulative operation of all 5 power plants. An air dispersion model has been used to investigate the pollutant dispersion and ground-level concentration at receptor grids over a 30 × 30-km model domain for a 1-year period. Hazard quotients (HQ) of the selected pollutants were estimated at 10 sensitive receptors, which revealed that long-term HQ were well below the safe limits; however, short-term NOx exposure might pose serious threat to the residents. To depict the cumulative hazardous footprint of the pollutants, a hazard impact map has been created to delineate the potential high-risk areas.

The contamination of food with mycotoxins could be a major health risk. Identification and quantification of mycotoxins in maize are essentially required to guarantee food safety. Seven commonly grown maize cultivars were sown at semi-arid conditions in Pakistan. After harvesting plants, total aflatoxin (AFs), aflatoxins B1 (AFB1), B2 (AFB2), G1 (AFG1), G2 (AFG2), and ochratoxin-A (OTA) contents were determined in maize flour using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results showed an unusual pattern of AFs in maize with a higher concentration of AFG1 in all maize varieties. The AFB1 was not found in most of the samples, however, all maize grains contained AFs above the maximum tolerable limit (20 μg/kg). The highest concentration of AFs was recorded in Ayub-1/26 maize (362.8 μg/kg). Ochratoxin-A (OTA) was detected in 71% maize samples ranged from 2.14 to 214 μg/kg. The highest OTA and microbial load were recorded in Ayub-2/27 grains that exceeded the FDA limit (50 μg/kg). These results indicated the higher prevalence of total AFs, AFG1, and OTA at the harvest stage of maize that could pose significant health hazards to humans and livestock.

Organic manures are a vital source of plant nutrients and act as the main pillar of sustainable agriculture. This 2-year field study was done to evaluate the influence of different organic manures and their combinations on productivity and grain quality of bread wheat. In a 2-year field experiment, there were eight organic manure application treatments: (1) control (no manure), (2) press mud (PM) 10 t ha−1, (3) vermicompost (VC) 10 t ha−1, (4) farmyard manure (FYM) 10 t ha−1, (5) press mud 5 t ha−1 + vermicompost 5 t ha−1, (6) press mud 5 t ha−1 + farmyard manure 5 t ha−1, (7) vermicompost 5 t ha−1 + farmyard manure 5 t ha−1, and (8) press mud 3.3 t ha−1 + vermicompost 3.3 t ha−1 + farmyard manure 3.3 t ha−1. Overall, the increase in grain yield from organic manures application (press mud, vermicompost and farmyard manure), alone and in combinations, was VC > VC + FYM > FYM > PM + VC > PM > PM + VC + FYM > PM + FYM with 68, 66, 55, 53, 38, 36, and 30% increase as compared to control during both years. The highest improvement (14.1%) in grain protein contents was recorded from vermicompost as compared to control during both years. Application of different organic manures, alone and in combinations, were cost effective. However, the highest benefit-cost ratio (1.56) was recorded from the farmyard manure application. Sole and combined application of organic manures improved the productivity and quality of bread wheat. However, the highest productivity and profitability were recorded from the application of vermicompost and farmyard manure, respectively.

Plant biofibers are of great economic and commercial importance. Among various fiber producing crops, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), and jute (Corchorus capsularis L.) are of prime importance. Fibers harvested from these crops are of fine quality and have a significant commercial value worldwide. Owing to multiple structural and functional roles of these fibers within plants, the mechanical properties vary to a considerable extent. In the present review, insights into the history, geographical distribution, and production of these crops on saline soils is discussed. The salinity stress tolerance of the fiber crops can be improved via improvement in free radical scavenging, upregulation of antioxidants, potassium retention, enhanced osmolyte synthesis, and accumulation and better ion partitioning. Biotechnological approaches to increase tolerance and fiber quality under salt-affected areas include development of transgenic fiber crops for Na+ vacuolar sequestration and improvements in physio-biochemical attributes.

PurposeThis study examines the role of continuous trust (i.e., a trust that develops over time as a result of continuous usage interactions) in determining customers' intention to continue using online product recommendations (OPRs).Design/methodology/approachBased on information system (IS), continuance model, and continuous trust, we propose that continuous trust will influence customers’ intention to continue OPRs’ use directly and indirectly via their satisfaction and usefulness of the OPRs. The research model is tested using data collected via an online survey from 626 existing users of OPRs in 15 different countries.FindingsThe empirical results revealed that continuous trust is shown to be a significant predictor of customers’ intention to continue OPRs use for future purchases. Additionally, the customers’ perceived confirmation and continuous trust positively influence their perceived usefulness and satisfaction with the OPRs, which subsequently influence customers’ OPRs continuous usage intention.Research limitations/implicationsThe saliency of continuous trust and usefulness of OPRs present e-retailers with potential fruitful areas to shape future usage of OPRs. In addition, e-retailers must understand that improving the OPR usefulness on its own may not lead to OPRs continuous usage until OPRs trustworthiness is not continually improved. OPRs itself may be convenient and useful, but trustworthy OPRs will pay stronger dividends for customer satisfaction and OPRs’ continuous usage.Originality/valueThe incorporation of continuous trust into the IS continuance model offers a new theoretical lens and an alternative explanation for the OPR continuous usage intention. This study stands in contrast to the large majority of research concerning initial trust and OPRs adoption, in that it focuses on continuous trust (as opposed to initial trust) and on a customers’ OPRs continuous usage intention as opposed to the initial adoption decision.

This research aims to investigate the stress distribution of Savonius type vertical axis wind turbine subjected to different wind speeds and different penetration positions. This research work involves applying 12 different wind speeds to the design generated from Pugh Method. The wind energies were applied to two positions, which were the edge of blade and uniformly distributed throughout the surface of the blade. SolidWorks 2015 software was used to draw the design of Savonius type vertical axis wind turbine. The drawing was imported to Inspire 2017 for analysis. The analysis is conducted to determine the stress distribution of the blade as wind energy applied to the blade. The results showed that the stress was higher in the area near to the rotor. The results also showed that the maximum displacement, maximum tension/compression stress, maximum shear stress, maximum von Mises stress, and maximum major principal stress of the blade increased as the force or pressure applied increased.

The present study has measured the cereal export competitiveness of Pakistan in global economy by utilizing different indices of Revealed comparative advantage (RCA): Balassa index (RCA), Vollrath index (RCA#), Revealed symmetric comparative advantage index (RSCA), Revealed import advantage index (RMA), Revealed trade advantage index (RTA) and Net export index (NEI). The data have been obtained from the International Trade Center UN-COMTRADE Statistics for cereal exports of Pakistan from 2003-2018. The findings of the analysis illustrate that Pakistan had a comparative and competitive advantage in the cereal sector. Further, the findings of the RTA index show that Pakistan’s cereal exports had also a net comparative advantage. Based on current findings, Pakistan needs to concentrate on production and exports of cereals. The brand name marketing of Pakistani rice with a special focus on better quality and improved market access can enhance the country’s share of the cereal sector in the global market.

Sparseness is the distinctive aspect of big data generated by numerous applications at present. Furthermore, several similar records exist in real-world sparse datasets. Based on Iterative Trimmed Transaction Lattice (ITTL), the recently proposed TRICE algorithm learns frequent itemsets efficiently from sparse datasets. TRICE stores alike transactions once, and eliminates the infrequent part of each distinct transaction afterward. However, removing the infrequent part of two or more distinct transactions may result in similar trimmed transactions. TRICE repeatedly generates ITTLs of similar trimmed transactions that induce redundant computations and eventually, affects the runtime efficiency. This paper presents D-GENE, a technique that optimizes TRICE by introducing a deferred ITTL generation mechanism. D-GENE suspends the process of ITTL generation till the completion of transaction pruning phase. The deferral strategy enables D-GENE to generate ITTLs of similar trimmed transactions once. Experimental results show that by avoiding the redundant computations, D-GENE gets better runtime efficiency. D-GENE beats TRICE, FP-growth, and optimized versions of SaM and RElim algorithms comprehensively, especially when the difference between distinct transactions and distinct trimmed transactions is high.

Salinity has drastic effects on plant growth and productivity and is one of the major factors responsible for crop yield losses throughout the agricultural soils of the world. The mechanisms of salinity tolerance in plants are regulated by a set of inherent multigenes and prevalent environmental factors, which bring about a myriad of metabolic changes in each plant part. The stress-induced metabolic changes in the rice plant have been intensively studied, but extensively in plant parts such as stem, leaf, and root. However, little information exists in the literature about such stress-induced architectural and physiological changes in rice grain, a premier staple food of a large proportion of human population. Thus, the current review comprehensively describes the effects of salinity stress on rice grain composition including changes in carbohydrate, protein, fat, and mineral contents. Elucidation of salinity induced changes in rice grain composition would help to understand whether or not a nutritious and healthy staple food is available to human population from rice grown under saline environments.

Sirah writing is such a marvelous and comprehensive subject upon which a number of writers have worked. In sub-continent (Indo-Pak) a large number of scholars served hard for the evaluation and presentation of Islam. As it is obvious that western powers have ruled this region for almost one hundred years, so their civilization and thoughts have left profound impact upon the natives. Some intellectuals among Muslims were deeply impressed by western thoughts and they tried to co-relate the both school of thoughts. Such scholars strived to adjudge Sirah on western parameters of rationalism. They would deny the incidents which have no rationale. They started to argue in such a way that was contrary to the predecessor Sirah writers. The founding fathers of this traditions were Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Molvi Chiragh Ali. Regarding the polygamy, and miracles of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). They presented such logics which were basically influenced by the western philosophy. This tendency continued gradually until Professor Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Ghulam Ahmad Pervez and Jaffer Shah Phulwarvi. So in Sub-continent a new diction of Sirah writing emerged which based upon purely on self-made rationalism instead of following the traditional method of Sirah writing.