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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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to find the correlation among the intelligence and academic achievement of MBBS students and to see if the correlation differs between boys and girls. Study Design: Cross Sectional Study. Setting: Ameer Ud Din Medical College / PGMI Lahore. Period: 1st January 2019 to 31st January 2019 Material & Methods: A total of 100 second year MBBS students volunteered to participate (46 males and 54 females). Modified Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) was used to access the IQ of students. Previous academic records of the students before their admission in medical college and written and oral test marks of second year MBBS students during the year were used for measuring academic achievements of students. The results were analyzed by spearmans correlation, Independent t test and Mann Whitney U test. Results: A statistically significant difference (p = 0.04) between IQ of boys and girls was found with males having mean IQ of 97.4±22.7 as compared to females 89.3±15.5. No significant difference was observed in academic achievements of male and female students. Correlation of IQ with academic achievements was also non-significant. Conclusion: Although males have higher IQ but it has no relationship with academic achievement of medical students. Hard work of the students with average or low IQ could be the reason that there was no difference in the academic achievement when they were compared with the students having higher IQ.

Purpose This paper aims to explore issues arising from ṣukūk (Islamic bonds) on blockchain, including Sharīʾah (Islamic law) and legal matters. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology is used in conducting this research where relevant literature on ṣukūk was reviewed. Through a doctrinal approach, the paper presents analyses on the practice of ṣukūk and ṣukūk on blockchain by discussing its legal, Sharīʾah and regulatory issues. This culminates in a conceptual analysis of blockchain ṣukūk and its peculiar challenges. Findings This paper reveals that digitizing ṣukūk issuance through blockchain remedies certain inefficiencies associated with ṣukūk transactions. Indeed, structuring ṣukūk on a blockchain platform can increase transparency of underlying ṣukūk assets and cash flows in addition to reducing costs and the number of intermediaries in ṣukūk transactions. The paper likewise brings to light legal, regulatory, Sharīʾah and cyber risks associated with ṣukūk on blockchain that confront investors, practitioners and regulators. This calls for deeper collaboration in research among Sharīʾah scholars, lawyers, regulators and information technology experts. Research limitations/implications As a pioneering subject, the paper notes the prospects of blockchain ṣukūk and the current dearth of literature on it. The paper would assist relevant Islamic capital market entities and authorities to determine the potential and impact of blockchain ṣukūk in their respective businesses and the financial system. Practical implications Blockchain ṣukūk will assist in addressing issues inherent in classical ṣukūk and in paving the way to innovative solutions that will facilitate and enhance the quality of ṣukūk transactions. For that, ṣukūk would require appropriate regulatory technology to address its governance and regulation peculiarities. Originality/value Integrating ṣukūk with blockchain technology will add value to it. The paper advances the idea that blockchain ṣukūk revolutionises ṣukūk and enhances its practice against known inadequacies.

This research investigates how Islamic banking institutions control default cases and the mechanisms they employ in handling such cases with reference to Malaysian Islamic banking regime. It was conducted on an exploratory design that employed doctrinal approach. Data were sourced from relevant statutes, regulatory guidelines, policy documents and established practices among Islamic banking institutions as well as academic texts that pertain to default cases. The data were examined with legal reasoning and qualitative analysis. The research finds that Islamic banks are prone to default cases and provide internal and external mechanisms to handle such cases in their operations. Though Islamic banks statutorily have wider scope than conventional ones, both banks are subject of the same framework in matter of credit risk regulations in Malaysia. The fusion of technology within procedures and governance mechanisms of dealing with default cases offers distinct benefits for Islamic banks in Malaysia. Analysis and reasoning in this research are restricted to the Malaysian Islamic banking regime only due to legal peculiarities among Islamic finance jurisdictions. Likewise, the research is confined to legal and regulatory perception of default cases only and could be furthered onto perceptions of other stakeholders in debt-recovery process. Again, subjective interpretation is inevitable in the analysis of some cases considered.This research contributes towards default cases literature in relation to Islamic banks and offers to fill research gaps therein. The research assists in understanding default control mechanisms employed by Islamic banks in Malaysia and stands to impart lessons to other jurisdictions thereon.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the literature on Islamic financevis-à-vislegal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks in its transactions and judicial dispute resolution in Nigeria. This is with a view to putting forward direction for future studies on the duo of legal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks and their impact in Islamic finance.Design/methodology/approachThis review is designed as an exploratory study and qualitative methodology is used in examining relevant literature comprising of primary and secondary data while identifying legal risk and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks of Nigeria’s Islamic finance industry. Using the doctrinal approach together with content analysis, relevant Nigerian laws and judicial precedents applicable to Islamic finance practice and related publications were examined in determining the identified risks.FindingsUndeveloped laws, the uncertainty of Sharīʿah governance and enforceability issues are identified as legal gaps for Islamic finance under the Nigerian legal system. The gaps are inimical to and undermine investor confidence in Nigeria’s Islamic finance industry. The review reveals the necessity of tailor-made Sharīʿah-based regulations in addition to corresponding governance and oversight for a legally safe and Sharīʿah-compliant Islamic finance practice. It brings to light the imperative for mitigating the legal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks associated with Islamic finance operations as crucial for Islamic finance businesses, Islamic finance institutions and their sustainable development.Research limitations/implicationsBased on content analysis, the review is wholly doctrinal and does not involve empirical data. Legal safety and Sharīʿah compliance are not to be compromised in Islamic finance operations. The review would assist relevant regulators and investors in Islamic financial enterprises to understand and determine the impact and potential ramifications of legal safety and Sharīʿah non-compliance on Islamic Finance Institutions.Practical implicationsThis study provides an insight into the dimensions and ramifications of legal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks of Nigeria’s Islamic finance industry. This study is premised on the imperative for research studies whose outcome would inform regulations that strike a balance between establishing Islamic financial institution/business and ensuring legal certainty and Sharīʿah compliance of their operations. This study paves way for this kind of research studies.Originality/valueThe findings and discussions provide a guide for regulators and researchers on the identification and mitigation of legal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks in Islamic finance via a literature review. This study, the first of its kind in Nigeria, advances the idea that research into legal and Sharīʿah non-compliance risks of Islamic financial entities is key to mitigating the risks and fostering the entities and their businesses.

Fundamental oil of Mentha piperita are perplexing blends detached from sweet-smelling plants which may have antimicrobial, cooling receptor trigger, pesticidal, anticancer, hack, asthma, and use in painkiller, exercises of enthusiasm for the sustenance and corrective enterprises just as in the human well-being field in pharmaceutical. According to the German Commission E monographs, peppermint oil is greatly employed as an antispasmodic in the stomach and intestine in bile channel and for the treatment of peevish entrails disorder, inflammation of the respiratory tract, and aggravation of the oral mucosa. Remotely, M. piperita has been employed for myalgia and neuralgia. As indicated by German Commission E, M. piperita may likewise go about as a carminative, disinfectant, and pectolytic, having soothing activity. Enteric-covered peppermint oil containers (Colpermin) are mostly employed as an orally controlled antispasmodic premedication in the study of large intestine.

The objective of the paper is to discuss the application of tawarruq in Islamic banking generally. The modus operandi of tawarruq in Islamic banking is an essential discussion in jurisdiction like Malaysia, where most Islamic banks use tawarruq to structure Islamic banking products. This paper employs a systematic literature review on best practice models and mechanism of current tawarruq application. The outcome of the research helps to understand the modus operandi of tawarruq transactions practically with a view towards understanding its future prospects in the era of Fintech. It is envisaged that this research will assist the growing understanding of the existing application of tawarruq in Islamic banking as well as its future development using technology.

Tawarruq which is also known as commodity Murabahah in Islamic banking is widely practiced in Malaysia to structure different types of Islamic banking products. The widespread use of tawarruq has made Islamic banks to be re-named as “tawarruq banks” and some even call tawarruq as the “magic lamp” of the industry. Shariah scholars have criticised this frequent usage of tawarruq in Islamic banking industry of Malaysia, while the practitioners have replied by saying that if tawarruq is a shariah approved concept, then what is wrong with the usage of it? However, from the shariah perspective, the issue here is not about the shariah compliance of tawarruq transactions per se. It is about the shariah limitations imposed by the scholars on the use of it. This simply means that there is a reservation made by shariah scholars in allowing the usage of tawarruq contract in Islamic finance as tawarruq is a contract allowed to be used when one has to choose between a conventional loan and tawarruq. The purpose of this research is thus to show the alternative Islamic commercial contracts that could be used to structure Islamic banking products that have been structured in the market using tawarruq. It is anticipated that the outcome of this research will assist Islamic banking industry to understand why and how they can move away from tawarruq.

Islamic banks play a significant role in social and environmental responsibility. It is known that Islamic finance is not merely profit-oriented but also looking at the prosperity of the society, as an ethical financial system Islamic finance give a massive contribution towards social responsibility. This exploratory study examines the relations between corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of Indonesian Islamic banks and socio-economic development. The evidence presented is based on the published annual reports of 13 Islamic commercial banks in 2017. The findings of this research suggests that CSR is a priority of Indonesian Islamic banks and has correlation to the socio-economic development. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the robust guiding principles on CSR need to be developed and it has potential of Islamic banks credibility and profitability.

This work focuses on the progress of space weather monitoring in Pakistan. Pakistan's first geomagnetic observatory was established in Quetta in 1953. However, the beginning of what we would now call space weather services on a formal level took place in 1971, when the national space agency, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), established the country's first ionospheric station. Later, in 1983, a geomagnetic observatory was set up in Karachi with the aim of providing high frequency (HF) support and geomagnetic storm alerts to relevant users. With the progression of time, nations began to prioritize space weather monitoring to ensure the safety and security of technological assets. Therefore, it was considered imperative to upgrade the array of instruments in order to maintain the reliability of operations and the efficient utilization of data to contribute to research at local, regional and global scales. Pakistan has recently established a dedicated space weather monitoring facility known as the Pakistan Space Weather Centre (PSWC). This paper describes the historic evolution of space weather infrastructure in Pakistan and the current contribution of the PSWC.

This paper explores leader and followers’ emotions in relation to the specific context of change in one of the public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A qualitative approach has been used to understand the way individuals interpret situations and emotions during the change process. Data has been collected from a leader and nineteen followers through semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data was analyzed through thematic analysis to see the emergent patterns and to gain deeper insights on the way the leader and the follower interpreted situated emotions. The respondents reported mixed emotions in relation to the change process that were highly interpretive and were manifested in three main situations: when followers felt excluded from the change process; when leader encouraged followers to accept and implement change; and when they feared repercussions of their unwillingness to accept change. This study theoretically and empirically contributes to the change management literature by demonstrating the manifestation of lived emotions during dynamic and processual change. It highlights that the lens of emotions can help to understand the micro-processes involved in the change process that is often overlooked in the change and change management literature.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of Kafalah in the practice of Islamic banking in Malaysia generally and ascertain applicable rules governing the application under relevant legislations and Shariah. The study also aims to examine the legislations in the light of Shariah provisions governing Kafalah and propose amendments. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative research where primary data sources mainly legislations and secondary sources comprising of articles and books on the subject of Kafalah were examined. It is an exploratory legal research that primarily focuses on library studies and adopts doctrinal approach for content analysis of data from the identified sources. Findings Kafalah is widely used in Islamic banking in Malaysia with primary or secondary application in structuring such products/services as personal guarantee, bank guarantee, Islamic credit card among others. The substantive law applicable to Kafalah in Islamic banking in Malaysia is the Contracts Act 1950 as decided cases indicate. However, provisions of the Act are at variance with rules of Shariah applicable to Kafalah on absolution of guaranteed debtor, multiple guarantors’ liability towards guaranteed sum as well as recourse and recovery from principal debtor. Research limitations/implications This research explored the practice of Kafalah in Islamic banking under Malaysian legal framework based on the available literature. The research does not embody an empirical evaluation. Originality/value This research suggests, with respect to the identified issues, an amendment to the Act for clarification as follows: that recourse and recovery from principal debtor is only where creditor has requested guarantor to settle outstanding debt, that presence of surety does not absolve principal debtor from his original liability and that multiple guarantors stand as having equal responsibility towards guaranteed amount. The research findings will assist policy and law makers to harmonize the relevant laws with the Shariah to facilitate sustainable development of Islamic banking.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to find out the existing practices of the Islamic banks in providing financing to the customers who have a requirement to purchase a finished property and to examine the existing products used by the Islamic banks in this regard by providing an insight into the modus operandi of these products. In doing this, attempt is made to find out the most famous product offered by the Islamic banks in this regard and to find out whether in reality, Malaysian Islamic banking industry has moved away from Bai Bithaman Ajil (BBA) or not. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative research, largely library-based, and it will consist of secondary sources such as books, journals, articles and other sources related to the Islamic house financing in Malaysia for finished properties. Recent information of the practises of the banks in this regard is obtained from the official websites of the banks. Findings It is found from this study that majority of Islamic Banks in Malaysia prefer to use the Commodity Murabahah facility for finished property. This finding contradicts with the observations made by some scholars who state that in Malaysia, BBA was initially used, and nowadays, the use of Musharakah Mutanaqisah is more common. The reason why Commodity Murbahah has gained popularity is because of the fact that via the Bursa Suq Al Sila platform, it is easy, swift, reliable, profitable, cheaper, convenient and has zero risk to do this type of transaction at the comfort of the office. It is recommended in this paper to use Musharakah Mutanaqisah, as this contract is an innovative contract that is classified as an equity contract under shariah where risk is shared between the parties. There is need to conduct further research to implement Musharakah Mutanaqisah in Malaysia, specifically to reduce the risk that Islamic Banks will bear by practicing this contract. Originality/value The findings of this paper might create confusion among readers, as some may perceive that the finding of the paper is not new as BBA has been dominating Islamic house financing industry from the inception of Islamic banking in the country, and BBA and Murabahah are similar in nature, and as such, commodity Murabahah is also a Murabahah transaction. The reality that needs to be understood is that the way BBA was or is practised in Malaysia in relation to Islamic house financing is that in the name of BBA, the transaction actually followed the Bai’ ‘inah contract, which is a controversial contract among the shariah scholars. Likewise, commodity Murabahah is also a different contract than Murabahah, as it actually refers to tawarruq. As such, this research finding is important to the Islamic banking industry to understand that Malaysia has moved away from the Bai’ ‘inah contract practised in the name of BBA in Islamic house financing, and there are new products introduced by the Islamic banks in Malaysia to replace this practice which were criticised by Shariah scholars.

Ju’alah is one of the least researched types of Shariah contracts used in Islamic finance. The objective of this paper is to explore the current and potential applications of Ju’alah with specific reference to Malaysian Islamic banking, takaful and the Islamic capital market. This paper establishes that there is potential for using Ju’alah in Islamic finance as a primary and/or secondary contract. It also establishes that Ju’alah can be used in takaful, though it is not being currently used for this in Islamic banking and the Islamic capital market in Malaysia. It is anticipated that the findings of this paper will improve understanding of the practice of Ju’alah in the Malaysian Islamic finance industry.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the structure of the Islamic treasury bills issued by the Central Bank of Maldives, Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) for the benefit of those jurisdictions that aspire to introduce short term Islamic liquidity management instruments. Design/methodology/approach This is exploratory research where the experience of the author in structuring the Islamic liquidity management instruments discussed in the paper. Findings It is evident from the discussions of this paper that innovation is the key to structure Sharīʿah-compliant short term liquidity management instruments. The example of Maldives has proved that there is a need to amend the laws of the country to facilitate Central banks to deal with Sharīʿah-compliant instruments. Originality/value It is hoped that this research has shed light on the importance of having the proper Sharīʿah-compliant liquidity management instruments for sustainable development of Islamic banking and how jurisdictions have practically made this possible. The Islamic money market has developed gradually and there is a need to innovate novel and competitive instruments and further research is required to be conducted on this.

This study aims to examine modern contraceptive use and unmet need of family planning of urban poor populations in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh as a part of IPE Global Project PAHAL (Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity). Findings from the study reflect that the unmet need of family planning among the married women in the selected states was more than 15%. Women having three children reported the highest use of modern contraceptive methods and the lowest was found among the women having no child. Use of modern contraception was low among the women who were the head of the households. Working women, women belonging to richest wealth quintile, women whose husbands reported to be working and women from male headed households were less likely to have unmet need for family planning. The findings of the present study indicate a remarkably low prevalence of modern contraceptive use indicating considerable high unmet need. This can be a concern and special emphasis of the policy makers should be on this since it is well researched that modern contraceptive use and addressing unmet need are of overriding importance in reducing pregnancy related morbidity, preventing unintended pregnancies that lead to abortion and will gradually improve reproductive well-being among women.

India is the home country for many Muslims and effective management of zakah is essential to the country. In this era of technology, it is imperative to use technology with zakat to ensure that the classical zakat administration approaches are upgraded to the uruf or customary practices of the society. The objective of this paper is to find out the potential of using technology in upgrading zakat administration in India. This is a qualitative approach where the primary sources such as zakat administration laws in India and secondary sources such as journal articles and published reports on the subject are analysed to derive conclusions. The findings of this paper suggest that the innovations such as rice ATMs, mobile applications, applications made with blockchain technology, artificial intelligence and big data can also play a vital role in the effective management of zakat in India. It is anticipated that the outcome of this research will assist the zakat administrators in India to adopt technology in this regard. Keywords: Artificial intelligence, big Data, fintech, rice ATM, zakat

In the current study, APOB (rs1052031) genotype-guided proteomic analysis was performed in a cohort of Pakistani population. A total of 700 study subjects, including Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) patients (n = 480) and healthy individuals (n = 220) as a control group were included in the study. Genotyping was carried out by using tetra primer-amplification refractory mutation system-based polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS-PCR) whereas mass spectrometry (Orbitrap MS) was used for label free quantification of serum samples. Genotypic frequency of GG genotype was found to be 90.1%, while 6.4% was for GA genotype and 3.5% was for AA genotypes in CAD patients. In the control group, 87.2% healthy subjects were found to have GG genotype, 11.8% had GA genotype, and 0.9% were with AA genotypes. Significant (p = 0.007) difference was observed between genotypic frequencies in the patients and the control group. The rare allele AA was found to be strongly associated with the CAD [OR: 4 (1.9–16.7)], as compared to the control group in recessive genetic model (p = 0.04). Using label free proteomics, altered expression of 60 significant proteins was observed. Enrichment analysis of these protein showed higher number of up-regulated pathways, including phosphatidylcholine-sterol O-acyltransferase activator activity, cholesterol transfer activity, and sterol transfer activity in AA genotype of rs562338 (G>A) as compared to the wild type GG genotype. This study provides a deeper insight into CAD pathobiology with reference to proteogenomics, and proving this approach as a good platform for identifying the novel proteins and signaling pathways in relation to cardiovascular diseases.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is defined as the onset of major depressive disorder in mothers, occurring during pregnancy or within 4 weeks post-delivery. With 7% of pregnancy-related death in the United States owing to mental health conditions, including PPD, and a global prevalence of 12%, PPD is a growing public health concern. In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved brexanolone, an exogenous analog of allopregnanolone, as the first ever drug to be specifically indicated for treating patients with PPD. This approval was preceded by an open-label study and three randomized placebo-controlled trials, each assessing the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of brexanolone, using mean Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) score reduction as the primary outcome. In each randomized controlled trial, the drug was administered as an intravenous infusion given over 60 h. Enrolled participants were followed up on days 7 and 30 to evaluate the sustained effect. A statistically significant reduction in mean HAM-D score compared to placebo was observed in all three studies, supporting brexanolone’s use in treating moderate-to-severe PPD. Therefore, this article attempts to briefly review the pharmacology of brexanolone, evaluate the latest available clinical data and outcomes concerning its use, reevaluate its position as a ‘breakthrough’ in managing PPD, and review the cost-related barriers to its worldwide standardized use.

The second year of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic has seen the need to identify and assess the long-term consequences of a SARS-CoV-2 infection on an individual’s overall wellbeing, including adequate cognitive functioning. ‘Cognitive COVID’ is an informal term coined to interchangeably refer to acute changes in cognition during COVID-19 and/or cognitive sequelae with various deficits following the infection. These may manifest as altered levels of consciousness, encephalopathy-like symptoms, delirium, and loss of various memory domains. Dysexecutive syndrome is a peculiar manifestation of ‘Cognitive COVID’ as well. In the previous major outbreaks of viruses like SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and Influenza. There have been attempts to understand the underlying mechanisms describing the causality of similar symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review, therefore, is attempting to highlight the current understanding of the various direct and indirect mechanisms, focusing on the role of neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2, the general pro-inflammatory state, and the pandemic-associated psychosocial stressors in the causality of ‘Cognitive COVID.’ Neurotropism is associated with various mechanisms including retrograde neuronal transmission via olfactory pathway, a general hematogenous spread, and the virus using immune cells as vectors. The high amounts of inflammation caused by COVID-19, compounded with potential intubation, are associated with a deleterious effect on the cognition as well. Finally, the pandemic’s unique psychosocial impact has raised alarm due to its possible effect on cognition. Furthermore, with surfacing reports of post-COVID-vaccination cognitive impairments after vaccines containing mRNA encoding for spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, we hypothesize their causality and ways to mitigate the risk. The potential impact on the quality of life of an individual and the fact that even a minor proportion of COVID-19 cases developing cognitive impairment could be a significant burden on already overwhelmed healthcare systems across the world make it vital to gather further evidence regarding the prevalence, presentation, correlations, and causality of these events and reevaluate our approach to accommodate early identification, management, and rehabilitation of patients exhibiting cognitive symptoms.

Seroma formation is a known complication after any surgery where excessive dissection of subcutaneous tissue leads to disruption of lymphatic channels. Seroma formation, its sequelae and frequent visits to doctor for their management are a common source of discomfort for patients. Objectives: Comparison of frequency of seroma formation after flap fixation versus convetional closure after modified radical mastectomy. Study Design: Randomized control trial. Setting: Department of Surgery, Allied Hospital Faisalabad. Period: 6 months from May 1, 2016 to October 31, 2016. Material & Methods: After permission from Hospital ethics committee and informed consent from patients, 70 patients were randomly divided into two groups (35 participants in each group). Findings were noted and data was analyzed statistically. Results: It was observed that incidence of seroma formation following modified radical mastectomy was lower with flap fixation technique (14.29%) as compared to conventional closure of wound margins (42.86%). Conclusion: Flap fixation technique is better approach compared to conventional method to prevent seroma formation.

India is the home country for many Muslims and effective management of zakah is essential to the country. In this era of technology, it is imperative to fuse technology with zakat to ensure that the classical zakat administration approaches are upgraded to the uruf or customary practices of the society. The objective of this paper is to find out the potential of using technology in upgrading zakat administration in India. This is a qualitative approach where the primary sources such as zakat administration laws in India and secondary sources such as journal articles and published reports on the subject are analysed to derive conclusions. The findings of this paper suggests that the innovations such as rice ATMs, mobile applications, applications made with blockchain technology, artificial intelligence and big data can also play a vital role in the effective management of zakat in India. It is anticipated that the outcome of this research will assist the zakat administrators in India to adopt technology in this regard.

Pakistani children of school going age significantly differed from WHO references in which overweight and obesity were significantly higher and underweight was lower than normal when compare to WHO references. Due to this huge discrepancy and lack of data, there was a dire need to establish age appropriate BMI ranges for Pakistani population. The basic aim of the study is to find out the BMI ranges among the school going children/adolescents of Karachi Pakistan. A cross sectional study was conducted among children belonging to different ethnic groups in primary, middle, secondary schools and Maddarsa (religious educational institutes) of Karachi. Height in centimeters (cm) and weight in kilogram (kg) were measured. BMI was calculated using height and weight. WHO’s BMI graph was used to find out the percentile for labelling underweight, normal healthy individual, overweight and obese. A total of about 1244 samples of children and adolescents aged seven to eighteen years were included. The mean age of the study participants was 12.96±2.8 years, in which boys having mean age of 13.1±2.7 years while for girls mean age was 12.66±2.8 years. The mean height (cm) and weight (kg) among the study participants were 146.92±15.84 and 41.20±15.69 respectively. Among younger age group, the girls were taller than the boys but after reaching the age of 15 the girls having approximately the same height up to the age of 18th and as for boys, the findings were vice versa. Majority of the participants reported normal BMI while for over abnormality, the higher prevalence of participants being overweight rather than underweight when comparing with the WHO references. Measures must be taken to assess what current set up is doing right, and then it must be implemented at a larger scale.

Ending poverty is the first of the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development set by the United Nations. The target is to have no more than 3 percent of the world’s population living on just $1.90 a day by 2030. A review on existing literature suggests that the United Nations need a more diverse approach to boost farming and alleviate poverty in order to meet its target. The paper is an effort to explore the possible application of an Islamic banking instrument in meeting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This paper aims to explore the feasibility of Salam as an alternative mode of agricultural financing. The concept of the paper can be extended to non-farming industry especially the manufacturing industry. This paper describes the modus operandi of the proposed models, and identifies potential risks involved. Some recommendations are also given as risk mitigation methods.

The gender gap in Islamic wealth management is an area often not discussed as some perceive Islam as a religion that bans women from acquiring and managing wealth separately from the men in their life. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the economic status of women from an Islamic perspective by examining the relevant literature. Drawing from the Malaysian context, this paper illustrates the gender gap in financial inclusion and also looks at market opportunities to empower women financially. This is a conceptual paper grounded in religious texts, academic publications and statistics published by authoritative bodies. The paper clarifies the general concept of Islamic wealth management and the economic status of women according to the Shariah perspective. Moreover, the paper also discusses certain products offered by Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) which women can channel their savings into.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the underlying issues of healthcare system in Maldives in order to provide an understanding of the challenges facing healthcare providers in islands and atolls in a wider context. The paper scrutinizes the financial burden faced by the current healthcare system in Maldives. It also proposes shariah compliant mechanism that can be utilized to minimize financial burden in a long-term basis. It is hoped that the outcome of the research will assist the policymakers of Maldives to devise a shariah compliant mechanism to finance the development of atoll and island health facilities in a sustainable manner.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to formulate ways in which Maldives could pioneer Islamic tourism on a befitting framework and financing structure as a leverage to develop its tourism industry. Design/methodology/approach The research uses qualitative approach whereby primary and empirical data on tourism practices as well as relevant laws and guidelines, issued in Maldives and in other Muslim jurisdictions of the Muslim, are analyzed. Doctrinal approach is used in analyzing secondary data on the subject. Findings The research reveals the potential of Islamic tourism in Maldives as well as the challenges that have constrained its development in the country. Certainty is needed in halal products, services and conducts. Codifying extant Maldives Halal Tourism Standards will establish legal framework for a standard Shariah-compliant tourism industry. Islamic financing structure enables mobilizing required funds and address financing constraints. Practical implications This research presents an insight into establishing and developing Islamic tourism industry in the Maldives. Harmonizing tourism regulations with Shariah shall bring about the required consciousness on Shariah compliance in target tourists and their desires. Private individuals can contribute in mobilizing the much needed Shariah-compliant resources to finance Islamic model resorts befitting an Islamic tourism industry. Originality/value The research puts forward proposal that identifies and recognizes a more viable Islamic financing alternative as well as Shariah-compliant regulations to pioneer the development of Islamic tourism in Maldives. The research recommends how to overcome related challenges helps government understand the proposed strategies for establishing Islamic tourism industry.

The objective of this paper is to explore the practical application of ta’widh and gharamah in Islamic banking in Malaysia with reference to the guidelines that are applicable to date; and find out the issues detected in the implementation of them. In the course of doing this, Shariah reasons for imposing ta’widh and gharamah in Islamic banking are discussed. Also, whether ta’widh and gharamah would be required for Islamic banking with reference to possible alternatives to them is also discussed. This qualitative study primarily focuses on library research and adopts case study approach for analyzing the application of ta’widh and gharamah. The jurisdiction of the study is Malaysia because the central bank of the country has made policies on the matter. The paper draws on observations made by Shariah scholars about the policies on the subject matter. This study gives an insight into the history and issues related to ta’widh and gharamah which are often kept tacit. It is recommended that future studies should look into the effectiveness of these two approaches to serve as a deterrent factor and contribute to the declining rate of non-performing financing in Islamic banks.

China’s One Belt and One Road (OBOR) is a global trade network across Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania. Also known as Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), OBOR is an attempt to redraw ancient Silk Road to foster global trade and economic development. Nearly 30 Muslims-majority countries are part of China’s vision of BRI. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate how public private partnership (PPP) has been applied in BRI projects; and second, to explore how Islamic finance can fit within a PPP context. This paper proposes a framework for using Islamic finance in infrastructure PPP projects. This paper also analyses two PPP projects where Islamic finance was deployed as project financing. It is hoped that the discussed risks and outcome of the study will assist in integration of Islamic finance in infrastructure projects that will create efficiency in processes in cross-border cooperation.

Screening mammography and evolving treatments have improved mortality over the last 25 years. However, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality for women in the United States. There are several contradictory recommendations regarding breast cancer screening. Familiarity with these recommendations will allow physicians to counsel their patients and ensure well-informed shared decision making.

There is increasing recognition that women experience mobility differently from men. A growing body of literature documents the differences in men and women’s mobility patterns. However, there is limited evidence on the evolution of these mobility patterns over time and the role that transportation networks play in women’s access to economic opportunities. This study attempts to fill these gaps. It contributes to the literature in two ways. First, it documents the differences in men and women’s mobility patterns in Mumbai, India, and the changes in these patterns over time, as the city has developed. Second, it explores whether the lack of access to mass transit limits women’s labor force participation. The study analyzes two household surveys conducted in the Greater Mumbai Region in 2004 and 2019. It finds important differences in the mobility patterns of men and women that reflect differences in the division of labor within the household. These differences in mobility patterns, and their evolution over time, point to an implicit “pink tax†on female mobility. Transport appears to be only one of many barriers to women’s labor force participation and not the most important one.

Islamic economics and finance is embedded with ethical and moral values as the lex loci applicable to it which is Shariah is an ethical and moral religion. Though the institutionalisation of Islamic economics and finance began recently, the axioms of Islamic economics and finance are derived since the inception of Islam. The issues in conventional economics and finance like the “bubble burst” are practically experienced every time a financial crisis is faced by humankind and the search and adoption of an alternative economics and finance system is assumed at these times more than ever. Covid-19 pandemic is a black swan event that began as a health crisis but eventually led to a human crisis that also brought an economic crisis to the world. There are numerous lessons learnt from this crisis in the way which the future economics and finance landscape need to be sculpted. Islamic economics and finance which is evolving around the notion of Shariah compliance also need to be redefined in the light of the pandemic. As such, this is an exploratory research which is conducted to find out the ways in which the scope of Islamic economics and finance could be redefined in the light of the pandemic considering the impact it has made on Islamic economics and finance. It is found that the impact of the pandemic on three main dimension needs to be assessed in this regard: that is from the perspective of the customers, institutions and economies including the society in which the Islamic economics and finance services and products are offered. This paper recommends that there is a need to redefine the scope of Islamic economics and finance in the light of the effects of pandemic by converging digitalization and social responsibility in the implementation of it. It is anticipated that the findings of this research will assist the key stakeholders of Islamic economics and finance such as policy makers, academicians, researchers and practitioners to shape the future of Islamic economics and finance that would be aligned more towards achieving maqasid al-Shariah (objectives of Islamic law), rather than merely rotating around the notion of Shariah compliance in isolation.

An Islamic banking system employs different Shariah contracts to develop and offer products and services in different jurisdictions. One of such contracts is salam which is a forward sale contract. This study aims to examine the practice of salam as an instrument of Islamic banks financing and how technology can be used to enhance its application thereto. A qualitative approach is employed in this research where primary data sources on salam contract were examined, along with content analysis of relevant secondary data sources on the contract and how its practiced in Islamic banking. In furtherance of that practice, salam instrument can be leveraged on technology, mainly the blockchain. This would enhance its operation by bringing about automation, transparency, fair pricing, saving time and cost as well as enabling widespread access of Islamic bank financing to smaller enterprises to promote societal well-being. This research reveals that salam instruments cater for different clients’ needs and enjoy patronage in many jurisdictions even though it is currently the least utilized contract in Islamic banks financing due to divergence of juristic views on its general permissibility. Also, salam is an exceptional contract for Islamic banks financing of agriculture and related enterprises among others. The research offers an insight for Islamic banks to leverage on technology in utilizing salam contract towards providing financing for variety of clients, particularly poor farmers. Similarly, jurisdictions not practicing salam stand to learn of the benefits of using salam to offer technologically innovative yet affordable Islamic banking products/services for variety of clients.

Performing hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam which may become compulsory for a Muslim who has financial ability to perform this ibadah at least once in his lifetime. To facilitate Muslims to fulfil this religious obligation, countries which have majority Muslim population like Malaysia, Indonesia and Maldives have established legal entities/institutions to manage hajj funds from hajj depositors (aspirant pilgrims) and provide services related to hajj. Although these institutions share the same objective in terms of helping Muslims to perform hajj, their operational activities are largely different. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of hajj fund management institution in these three different jurisdictions. This understanding is important for policy makers and regulators regulating hajj fund management. It is anticipated that the outcome of this research will shed a light on hajj fund management in Asia.

Higher education institutions are increasingly employing competitive formats such as case study competitions in business education to enhance students’ learning experience. The authors expl...

Scope, time, and cost permanently effects each other and most of Information Technology projects fails due to these three factors. Scope shifting mostly occur due to time and cost. At project start, lack of understanding of project and product scope is focal involvement that leads to unsuccessful projects. Complete software scope definition determines quality of project. Defining the customer requirement and the definite scope of project has key role for implementation of project management. The complications originates when systems are developed from impractical expectations and misunderstanding requirements. These problems are cause of many changes, occurs in system development and leads to poor scope management. Scope creep is one of the momentous prompting parameter on the success of project. The failure in manage scope creep leads for 80 percent of software projects failure. However, using agile approach the impact of scope creep on projects become insignificant. A correctly distinct scope tends us to develop a quality product, within identified plans and decided cost to the stake-holders.

The main purpose of this research is to use “DMAIC” and “DMADV” framework of six sigma to reduce cost of projects, increase yields, improve performance and reduce defects. This study conclude that the sigma level of cement bag production in four production lines is “4.7 DPMO” values of 710 and the possibility of defects per unit of 11 possibilities this situation was handled by using six sigma. Any business or industry run only to satisfy customer and increase their profits, this can be attained as development of quality product..For the ranking of newly established universities the certification of those institutes is very important and also a critical process. For this process we used Lean six sigma approach that can identify the wastes that affect this process.Six sigma can be applied to any work field such as education, power optimization and other types of industries Six sigma “DMAIC” approach is also used for the testing of EDA tools that occurs due to the complex coding or configurations, flows and platforms they support. To improve the process quality of SDLC it’s necessary to remove the defects of system in advance along with thorough valuation of size and it also makes project accordant with real time environment

The emergence of innovative digital financial technologies, namely blockchain and crowdfunding, indicates new ways to reach the poor and economically vulnerable groups. This paper contributes to the emerging literature on financial technology by presenting the case of crowdfunding in financial inclusion. The rationale behind this inquiry is to demonstrate the relevance of crowdfunding to financial inclusion, and how might blockchain technology fuel the development of crowdfunding. This paper also constitutes one of the first attempts to analyse crowdfunding in Malaysia and Shariah-compliant crowdfunding. In this paper, a desk research is conducted where journal articles, books, magazines, newspapers, industry reports published on the subject matter are reviewed critically. To analyse the development of crowdfunding in Malaysia, 6 crowdfunding platforms are examined. The outcome of this research suggests that crowdfunding is a viable means to promote financial inclusion, and blockchain technology could help mitigate the current issues faced by platform operators.

Purpose It is said that to establish an Islamic Capital Market, the first step would be to have a strong Islamic finance industry with numerous institutions offering Islamic financial services. This way it is easy to know that the demand for Islamic capital market would be there and that market will be sophisticated enough to comprehensive the nature of shariah compliant products. Generally, in most of the jurisdictions, this is how the Islamic capital market is created. The purpose of this paper is to understand the establishment of Islamic capital market in Maldives, small island nation where the establishment of Islamic capital market happened when at a time there was only one takaful company and one Islamic bank established. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a legal exploratory research that is based on the review of primary and secondary data available on the subject matter. Findings It is anticipated that this paper will provide assistance and inspiration to those jurisdictions that aims to create Islamic capital market from scratch. Originality/value It shall be noted that there are no literature available on this subject about Maldives, and as such, this paper can be starting point to preserve knowledge in this area.

Purpose Often, the application of specific relief to Islamic banking is unspoken and unwritten. However, few studies suggest that legislation on specific relief needs amendment to cater for the effective application of Islamic banking and finance in the country and proposing the idea to introduce an Islamic Specific Relief Act. This paper aims to understand the application of specific relief to Islamic banking in Malaysia. This paper will look at the application of specific relief in Malaysia and discuss the extent of its application to Islamic banking cases reported in Malaysia from 1983 to 2015. The study will shed light on the general types of specific relief from Malaysian and Islamic law perspectives to conclude whether the provisions of Malaysian specific relief law invoked in courts in Islamic banking cases are in line with the general principles of Sharīcah. To further support this, evidence from various commercial civil codes of Muslim countries have been discussed to analyse these provisions from a more practical perspective. Design/methodology/approach This is a legal exploratory study primarily focussed on library research. Findings When it comes to Islamic banking, federal legislations dealing with commercial matters are applicable. For example, in Islamic banking products, if the land is the subject matter, then National Land Code 1965 shall be applied, and when dealing with Islamic banking agreements, the provisions of Contracts Act 1950 shall be followed. This has been highlighted as a problem faced by Islamic financial services in the case of Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim v. Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad and other cases where the judge referred Engku Rabiah and quoted that in Islamic banking transactions, “the transactions entered by the parties may be Sharīcah-compliant in the first place, but upon enforcement of the contracts, the court may make orders and decisions that may side line the Islamic legal principles”. This happens when the substantive laws applicable to Islamic banking are incompatible with Islamic law. Fortunately, the analysis of the relevant sections of Specific Relief Act 1950 in this research proves that the provisions reviewed are in line with Sharīcah. However, to further enhance the operation of specific relief, the granting of specific relief could be made a general rule rather than an exceptional rule available with stringent rules. The research revealed that Specific Relief Act (1950) is expressly referred and discussed only in three cases reported from 1983 to 2015. There are only two specific sections of Specific Relief Act (1950) that have been deliberated in the reported case law on Islamic banking: provisions related to granting of a mandatory injunction and specific performance of contracts. Originality/value It is anticipated that this paper will assist to comprehend the importance of converging law and Sharīcah in legislations to attain Sharīcah compliance and will help to realise that not all conventional legislations are Sharīcah non-compliant.

Discretionary trading is an investment that a stockbroker executes using clients’ account which is done without getting specific approval from the client on decision whether to buy or sell the stock holding in the portfolio. The investment is conducted based on the experience and strategies made by the person in charge of the investment. The objective of this research is to study the existing policies and procedures of discretionary trading in the market, determine the shariah compliance of current practice of market discretionary trading, and formulate suitable shariah parameters for discretionary trading of Islamic securities. This research employs qualitative methodology. The finding related for this topic is limited as the researcher is the main findings. From the researcher findings, it is found that the respondents shared almost similar experience, but it is expressed in different ways. Besides, the priority of shariah compliant discretionary trading is highly important to the Muslim investors as it can be alternatives for them to grow their capital and the practice of discretionary trading in each stockbroker is different from the others due to the flexibility of the current guideline. It is anticipated that the findings of research will assist future researcher to develop and formulate better variables for Islamic discretionary trading.