Search results for: Usman Ahmed Khan
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 2360

Search results for: Usman Ahmed Khan

2300 Examining the Relevance of Electoral Commission in Fostering Democratic Governance in Nigeria

Authors: Ahmed Usman

Abstract:

This paper attempts to examine the relevance of an Electoral Commission in the democratic process of governance in Nigeria. However, democratic system and governance present a clear indication of responsive and responsible governments. The idea of a government being responsive and responsible is based on the premise of conventional principles of democracy such as freedom of political, economic and social rights of and individual. More so, upholding of the Rule of Law based on the ground of constitutionalism is a clear manifestation of the democratic governance. The burdens of ascertaining theses democratic ethos rely solely on the constituted election management body known as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the case of Nigeria. This body is however, saddled with the responsibility of organizing and conducting periodic regular credible election known as free and fair election. The body also, is expected to be neutral, and independent to ensure fair treatment to all. It is on the basis of this fair treatment that credible leaders emerged. To this end, the paper examines the powers, functions and features of Independent National Electoral Commission. More so, the concepts of election and democracy have been operationalized. It is obvious that electoral process in Nigeria is marred with series of problems of which the paper identified and solutions were proffered towards credible, free and fair elections for sustainable democratic governance. In order to succinctly discuss and analyze the issues at stake, Structural Functional Analysis theory is adopted as a theoretical frame work for the paper.

Keywords: election, electoral commission, democracy, governance

Procedia PDF Downloads 184
2299 Seed Germination and Recovery Responses of Suaeda Heterophylla to Abiotic Stresses

Authors: Abdul Hameed, Muhammad Zaheer Ahmed, Salman Gulzar, Bilquees Gul, Jan Alam, Ahmad K. Hegazy, Abdel Rehman A. Alatar, M. Ajmal Khan

Abstract:

Seed germination and recovery from salt stress of an annual halophyte Suaeda heterophylla (Kar. and Kir.) Bunge to different iso-osmotic concentrations (0, -0.46, -0.92, -1.38, -1.84, and -2.30 MPa) of NaCl and PEG-6000 at 15/25, 20/30 and 25/35°C in both 12-h temperature and light regimes and in complete darkness were studied. Maximum number of seeds germinated in distilled water and increase in concentrations of both NaCl and PEG-6000 decreased germination at all temperature regimes, light and dark conditions, with higher inhibition in NaCl than PEG-6000. Recovery of germination and viability of seeds were lower in NaCl than PEG-6000 both in the light and dark. Moderate alternate temperatures (20/30°C) and 12-h photoperiod were found to be the optimal for seed germination and recovery. Better seed germination of S. heterophylla when osmotic potential caused both by NaCl and PEG 6000 is lower, temperature regime of 20/30°C and light regime is for 12 h.

Keywords: seed germination, abiotic stresses, Suaeda heterophylla, molecular biology

Procedia PDF Downloads 406
2298 Leveraging Laser Cladding Technology for Eco-Friendly Solutions and Sustainability in Equipment Refurbishment

Authors: Rakan A. Ahmed, Raja S. Khan, Mohammed M. Qahtani

Abstract:

This paper explores the transformative impact of laser cladding technology on the circular economy, emphasizing its role in reducing environmental impact compared to traditional welding methods. Laser cladding, an innovative manufacturing process, optimizes resource efficiency and sustainability by significantly decreasing power consumption and minimizing material waste. The study explores how laser cladding operates within the framework of the circular economy, promoting energy efficiency, waste reduction, and emissions control. Through a comparative analysis of energy and material consumption between laser cladding and conventional welding methods, the paper highlights the significant strides in environmental conservation and resource optimization made possible by laser cladding. The findings highlight the potential for this technology to revolutionize industrial practices and propel a more sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing landscape.

Keywords: laser cladding, circular economy, carbon emission, energy

Procedia PDF Downloads 51
2297 Government Final Consumption Expenditure and Household Consumption Expenditure NPISHS in Nigeria

Authors: Usman A. Usman

Abstract:

Undeniably, unlike the Classical side, the Keynesian perspective of the aggregate demand side indeed has a significant position in the policy, growth, and welfare of Nigeria due to government involvement and ineffective demand of the population living with poor per capita income. This study seeks to investigate the effect of Government Final Consumption Expenditure, Financial Deepening on Households, and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure using data on Nigeria from 1981 to 2019. This study employed the ADF stationarity test, Johansen Cointegration test, and Vector Error Correction Model. The results of the study revealed that the coefficient of Government final consumption expenditure has a positive effect on household consumption expenditure in the long run. There is a long-run and short-run relationship between gross fixed capital formation and household consumption expenditure. The coefficients cpsgdp (financial deepening and gross fixed capital formation posit a negative impact on household final consumption expenditure. The coefficients money supply lm2gdp, which is another proxy for financial deepening, and the coefficient FDI have a positive effect on household final consumption expenditure in the long run. Therefore, this study recommends that Gross fixed capital formation stimulates household consumption expenditure; a legal framework to support investment is a panacea to increasing hoodmold income and consumption and reducing poverty in Nigeria. Therefore, this should be a key central component of policy.

Keywords: government final consumption expenditure, household consumption expenditure, vector error correction model, cointegration

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2296 Government Final Consumption Expenditure Financial Deepening and Household Consumption Expenditure NPISHs in Nigeria

Authors: Usman A. Usman

Abstract:

Undeniably, unlike the Classical side, the Keynesian perspective of the aggregate demand side indeed has a significant position in the policy, growth, and welfare of Nigeria due to government involvement and ineffective demand of the population living with poor per capita income. This study seeks to investigate the effect of Government Final Consumption Expenditure, Financial Deepening on Households, and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure using data on Nigeria from 1981 to 2019. This study employed the ADF stationarity test, Johansen Cointegration test, and Vector Error Correction Model. The results of the study revealed that the coefficient of Government final consumption expenditure has a positive effect on household consumption expenditure in the long run. There is a long-run and short-run relationship between gross fixed capital formation and household consumption expenditure. The coefficients cpsgdp financial deepening and gross fixed capital formation posit a negative impact on household final consumption expenditure. The coefficients money supply lm2gdp, which is another proxy for financial deepening, and the coefficient FDI have a positive effect on household final consumption expenditure in the long run. Therefore, this study recommends that Gross fixed capital formation stimulates household consumption expenditure; a legal framework to support investment is a panacea to increasing hoodmold income and consumption and reducing poverty in Nigeria. Therefore, this should be a key central component of policy.

Keywords: household, government expenditures, vector error correction model, johansen test

Procedia PDF Downloads 29
2295 In Search of CO₂: Gravity and Magnetic Data for Eor Prospect Generation in Central Libya

Authors: Ahmed Saheel, Milad Ahmed Elmaradi, Tim Archer, Muammer Ahmed Aboaesha, Abdulkhaliq Abdulmajid Altoubashi

Abstract:

Enhanced oil recovery using carbon dioxide (CO₂-EOR) is a method that can increase oil production beyond what is typically achievable using conventional recovery methods by injecting and hence storing, carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the oil reservoir. In Libya, plans are underway to source a proportion of this CO₂ from subsurface geology that is known from previous drilling to contain high volumes of CO₂. But first, these subsurface volumes need to be more clearly defined and understood. Focusing on the Al-Harouj region of central Libya, ground gravity and airborne magnetic data from the LPI database and the African Magnetic Mapping Project respectively have been prepared and processed by Libyan Petroleum Institute (LPI) and Reid Geophysics Limited (RGL) to produce a range of grids and related products suitable for interpreting geological structure and to make recommendations for subsequent work that will assist CO₂ exploration for purposes of enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

Keywords: gravity anomaly, magnetic anomaly, DEDUCED lineaments, Total horizontal derivative, upward-continuation

Procedia PDF Downloads 89
2294 A New Genus Longicheles (Acari: Mesostigmata: Macrochelidae) for Pakistan Fauna from Punjab, Pakistan

Authors: Muhammad Asif Qayyoum, Bilal Saeed Khan

Abstract:

Macrochelid mites are poorly studied from the planes of Punjab, Pakistan. The study was conducted as a part of PhD thesis research partially funded by the Royal Society of Entomology, UK. The genus Longicheles was first time reported from the Pakistan. Samples were collected on the monthly basis from different districts of Punjab province, Pakistan. The genus Longicheles was frequently found from five districts (Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhung, Layyah, and Rajanpur) of Punjab province. Taxonomic studies were performed in Acarology Lab., Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad with slide deposition. Taxonomic work was performed by using Phase contrast microscope and adobe illustrator (drawings) for finishing of picture. The detail descriptions of two (Longicheles mandibularis and Longicheles hortorum) females are given along with diagrams and key.

Keywords: macrochelidae, longicheles, new records, Punjab

Procedia PDF Downloads 361
2293 Texturing of Tool Insert Using Femtosecond Laser

Authors: Ashfaq Khan, Aftab Khan, Mushtaq Khan, Sarem Sattar, Mohammad A Sheikh, Lin Li

Abstract:

Chip removal processes are one of key processes of the manufacturing industry where chip removal is conducted by tool inserts of exceptionally hard materials. Tungsten carbide has been extensively used as tool insert for machining processes involving chip removal processes. These hard materials are generally fabricated by single step sintering process as further modification after fabrication in these materials cannot be done easily. Advances in tool surface modification have revealed that advantages such as improved tribological properties and extended tool life can be harnessed from the same tool by texturing the tool rake surface. Moreover, it has been observed that the shape and location of the texture also influences the behavior. Although texturing offers plentiful advantages the challenge lies in the generation of textures on the tool surface. Extremely hard material such as diamond is required to process tungsten carbide. Laser is unique processing tool that does not have a physical contact with the material and thus does not wear. In this research the potential of utilizing laser for texturing of tungsten carbide to develop custom features would be studied. A parametric study of texturing of Tungsten Carbide with a femtosecond laser would be conducted to investigate the process parameters and establish the feasible processing window. The effect of fluence, scan speed and number of repetition would be viewed in detail. Moreover, the mechanism for the generation of features would also be reviewed.

Keywords: laser, texturing, femtosecond, tungsten carbide

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2292 Incidence of Post Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Biliary Ascariasis Diagnosed on Ultrasound

Authors: Shehzad Khan, Jehangir Khan, Shah Babar, Rashid Mahmood, Rizwan Khan, Sanya Hadi

Abstract:

Ascaris lumbricoides are familiar with the roundworm that causes biliary infections in humans. Nevertheless, ascariasis is primarily found in the jejunum and transferred in numerous body parts with the intake of Ascaris lumbricoides present in food and water. These study methods were implemented at the Saidu Teaching Hospital Radiology Department from December 2021 to January 2023. This study includes the participants suffering from biliary ascariasis admitted or visited Saidu Teaching Hospital in that time frame. Clinical assessment of the participants was done based on the appearance of signs and symptoms present in them. The participant's laboratory test was done to determine the level of basic body parameters. After that ultrasonography was used to diagnose the presence and appearance of worms. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was used to extract worms from biliary channels, and the incidence of post-ERCP biliary ascariasis was accessed with ultrasonography. This study's results show the presence of numerous types of worms in the biliary channels of patients. Also, the level of body parameters, for instance, neutrophil, hemoglobin, and others, were compared at the time of admission and at the time of discharge from the hospital. Furthermore, the incidence of post-ERCP biliary ascariasis was reported as 4% in females, and 1% in males, respectively.

Keywords: Ascaris, biliary, ERCP, ultrasound

Procedia PDF Downloads 65
2291 Replacing MOSFETs with Single Electron Transistors (SET) to Reduce Power Consumption of an Inverter Circuit

Authors: Ahmed Shariful Alam, Abu Hena M. Mustafa Kamal, M. Abdul Rahman, M. Nasmus Sakib Khan Shabbir, Atiqul Islam

Abstract:

According to the rules of quantum mechanics there is a non-vanishing probability of for an electron to tunnel through a thin insulating barrier or a thin capacitor which is not possible according to the laws of classical physics. Tunneling of electron through a thin insulating barrier or tunnel junction is a random event and the magnitude of current flowing due to the tunneling of electron is very low. As the current flowing through a Single Electron Transistor (SET) is the result of electron tunneling through tunnel junctions of its source and drain the supply voltage requirement is also very low. As a result, the power consumption across a Single Electron Transistor is ultra-low in comparison to that of a MOSFET. In this paper simulations have been done with PSPICE for an inverter built with both SETs and MOSFETs. 35mV supply voltage was used for a SET built inverter circuit and the supply voltage used for a CMOS inverter was 3.5V.

Keywords: ITRS, enhancement type MOSFET, island, DC analysis, transient analysis, power consumption, background charge co-tunneling

Procedia PDF Downloads 501
2290 Modified 'Perturb and Observe' with 'Incremental Conductance' Algorithm for Maximum Power Point Tracking

Authors: H. Fuad Usman, M. Rafay Khan Sial, Shahzaib Hamid

Abstract:

The trend of renewable energy resources has been amplified due to global warming and other environmental related complications in the 21st century. Recent research has very much emphasized on the generation of electrical power through renewable resources like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, etc. The use of the photovoltaic cell has become very public as it is very useful for the domestic and commercial purpose overall the world. Although a single cell gives the low voltage output but connecting a number of cells in a series formed a complete module of the photovoltaic cells, it is becoming a financial investment as the use of it fetching popular. This also reduced the prices of the photovoltaic cell which gives the customers a confident of using this source for their electrical use. Photovoltaic cell gives the MPPT at single specific point of operation at a given temperature and level of solar intensity received at a given surface whereas the focal point changes over a large range depending upon the manufacturing factor, temperature conditions, intensity for insolation, instantaneous conditions for shading and aging factor for the photovoltaic cells. Two improved algorithms have been proposed in this article for the MPPT. The widely used algorithms are the ‘Incremental Conductance’ and ‘Perturb and Observe’ algorithms. To extract the maximum power from the source to the load, the duty cycle of the convertor will be effectively controlled. After assessing the previous techniques, this paper presents the improved and reformed idea of harvesting maximum power point from the photovoltaic cells. A thoroughly go through of the previous ideas has been observed before constructing the improvement in the traditional technique of MPP. Each technique has its own importance and boundaries at various weather conditions. An improved technique of implementing the use of both ‘Perturb and Observe’ and ‘Incremental Conductance’ is introduced.

Keywords: duty cycle, MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking), perturb and observe (P&O), photovoltaic module

Procedia PDF Downloads 149
2289 Aerodynamic Investigation of Rear Vehicle by Geometry Variations on the Backlight Angle

Authors: Saud Hassan

Abstract:

This paper shows simulation for the prediction of the flow around the backlight angle of the passenger vehicle. The CFD simulations are carried out on different car models. The Ahmed model “bluff body” used as the stander model to study aerodynamics of the backlight angle. This paper described the airflow over the different car models with different backlight angles and also on the Ahmed model to determine the trailing vortices with the varying backlight angle of a passenger vehicle body. The CFD simulation is carried out with the Ahmed body which has simplified car model mainly used in automotive industry to investigate the flow over the car body surface. The main goal of the simulation is to study the behavior of trailing vortices of these models. In this paper the air flow over the slant angle of 0,5o, 12.5o, 20o, 30o, 40o are considered. As investigating on the rear backlight angle two dimensional flows occurred at the rear slant, on the other hand when the slant angle is 30o the flow become three dimensional. Above this angle sudden drop occurred in drag.

Keywords: aerodynamics, Ahemd vehicle , backlight angle, finite element method

Procedia PDF Downloads 735
2288 Depression among Housewives and Professional Women in Karachi: A Comparative Study

Authors: Naheed Khan

Abstract:

A non-experimental study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in middle-class women in Karachi, a metropolitan city of Pakistan. The Aga Khan University Anxiety and Depression Scale (AKUADS) was self -administered by a sample of 50 housewives and 50 professional women between the ages of 24 and 54 years. All the participants were at least graduates, married, had children, and were living in joint family systems. Results showed a 48% prevalence of anxiety and depression in housewives as compared to 34% in professional women. The data showed significant difference in mean of total scores on AKUADS and the calculated t-value of 1.957 with a df = 98 and α = 0.05. Two variables, that is, profession and a higher level of education were significantly related to the outcome. Hence acquiring higher education and taking up a job, even a part time one, may alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression in housewives. Other factors responsible for the relief of such symptoms, such as quality of relationship with husbands, may be investigated for both categories of women.

Keywords: anxiety, depression, housewives, professional women

Procedia PDF Downloads 389
2287 Modeling of a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Authors: Ahmed Elsayed Ahmed, Ashraf Hafez, A. N. Ouda, Hossam Eldin Hussein Ahmed, Hala Mohamed ABD-Elkader

Abstract:

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are playing increasingly prominent roles in defense programs and defense strategies around the world. Technology advancements have enabled the development of it to do many excellent jobs as reconnaissance, surveillance, battle fighters, and communications relays. Simulating a small unmanned aerial vehicle (SUAV) dynamics and analyzing its behavior at the preflight stage is too important and more efficient. The first step in the UAV design is the mathematical modeling of the nonlinear equations of motion. In this paper, a survey with a standard method to obtain the full non-linear equations of motion is utilized,and then the linearization of the equations according to a steady state flight condition (trimming) is derived. This modeling technique is applied to an Ultrastick-25e fixed wing UAV to obtain the valued linear longitudinal and lateral models. At the end, the model is checked by matching between the behavior of the states of the non-linear UAV and the resulted linear model with doublet at the control surfaces.

Keywords: UAV, equations of motion, modeling, linearization

Procedia PDF Downloads 708
2286 An Analysis of Methodological Approaches of Ahmed Cevdet and Fatma Aliye towards the Ottoman Historiography in a Comparative Context

Authors: Aysen Muderrisoglu Esiner

Abstract:

As an intellectual, scholar, bureaucrat, and statesman, Ahmed Cevdet Pasha (1822-1895) was the prominent figure of “Tanzimat” (reorganization) reforms of the Ottoman State while his daughter Fatma Aliye (1862-1936) was a novelist, columnist, essayist, and women’s rights activist. His father had numerous books on law, grammar, linguistics, logic, and astronomy, moreover, Aliye accepted as the first female novelist in the Turkish literature and the Islamic world. Even if she was better known as a novelist, she also published some works on philosophy, Islam, poetry. In addition, Aliye who was one of the pioneers of the Ottoman women’s movement, also wrote historical works. Her historical works which titled as Tarih-i Osmaninin Bir Devre-i Mühimmesi Kosova Zaferi-Ankara Hezimeti (An Important Era of the Ottoman History: Kosova Victory-Ankara Defeat), and Ahmed Cevdet Paşa ve Zamanı (Ahmed Cevdet Pasha and His Time) have been generally ignored in the literature. However, Aliye’s works in history field are worth being studied in terms of her methodological approach to the Ottoman historiography. On the other hand, written by Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, such as Tarih-i Cevdet (History of Cevdet), Tezâkir (Memoir), Mâruzat (Reports, the events that took place between 1839-1876, 1890), Kısas-ı Enbiya ve Tevârîh-i Hulefa (Retaliation of the Prophets and the History of Calips), Kırım ve Kafkas Tarihçesi (Crimean and Caucasian History) are the most important works in terms of historiography in the 19th century. In contrast to the traditional methodology, Cevdet Pasha brought a new understanding to the Ottoman historiography by making a synthesis between the traditional and modern methods. In this research, the historical works of these two prominent figures of the Ottoman State will be analyzed in terms of their approaches to the Ottoman historiography while evaluating the following questions: to what extent that their use of local and foreign historical sources and their handling of the historical events differ, or if it is possible to talk about a methodological similarities in terms of historiography.

Keywords: Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, Fatma Aliye, historiography, methodology

Procedia PDF Downloads 224
2285 Smart Meter Incorporating UWB Technology

Authors: T. A. Khan, A. B. Khan, M. Babar, T. A. Taj, Imran Ijaz Imran

Abstract:

Smart Meter is a key element in the evolving concept of Smart Grid, which plays an important role in interaction between the consumer and the supplier. In general, the smart meter is an intelligent digital energy meter that measures the consumption of electrical energy and provides other additional services as compared to the conventional energy meters. One of the important element that makes a meter smart and different is its communication module. Smart meters usually have two way and real-time communication between the consumer and the supplier through which its transfer data and information. In this paper, Ultra Wide Band (UWB) is recommended as communication platform because of its high data-rate and presents the physical layer, which could be easily incorporated in existing Smart Meters. The physical layer is simulated in MATLAB Simulink and the results are provided.

Keywords: Ultra Wide Band (UWB), Smart Meter, MATLAB, transfer data

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2284 The Study of Indigenous Communities in Sefidkuh Makran, the Showcase of Prehistoric Societies in the 21st Century, Based on Ethnoarchaeological Studies

Authors: Hossein Vahedi, Zahra Soleymani Fard

Abstract:

SefidKuh area in Baluchistan, Iran, is one of the impossible areas which the focused archeological investigations have not been on it. In the Sefidkuh area, there are colonies as if they were stopped in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic ages. These colonies exhibit culturally specific behaviors, which their study can reveal much of the cultural nature of the Neolithic, Chalcolithic inhabitants of the region. In the villages of this area, still, circular architecture is used in different types. The political management of the villages in the region is also the responsibility of Khan, whose characteristics can be compared to the prehistoric era. These people's livelihoods include hunting, animal husbandry, horticulture, and limited crop storage. Residents of Sefidkuh use the exchange of goods to obtain needed supplies that they themselves cannot produce. In this area, there are central location villages that are quite similar to the cluster model, and the Great Khan leads the surrounding villages.

Keywords: archaeology, social structure, neolithic, chalcolithic, Sefidkuh, Baluchistan

Procedia PDF Downloads 91
2283 The Impact of Temporal Impairment on Quality of Experience (QoE) in Video Streaming: A No Reference (NR) Subjective and Objective Study

Authors: Muhammad Arslan Usman, Muhammad Rehan Usman, Soo Young Shin

Abstract:

Live video streaming is one of the most widely used service among end users, yet it is a big challenge for the network operators in terms of quality. The only way to provide excellent Quality of Experience (QoE) to the end users is continuous monitoring of live video streaming. For this purpose, there are several objective algorithms available that monitor the quality of the video in a live stream. Subjective tests play a very important role in fine tuning the results of objective algorithms. As human perception is considered to be the most reliable source for assessing the quality of a video stream, subjective tests are conducted in order to develop more reliable objective algorithms. Temporal impairments in a live video stream can have a negative impact on the end users. In this paper we have conducted subjective evaluation tests on a set of video sequences containing temporal impairment known as frame freezing. Frame Freezing is considered as a transmission error as well as a hardware error which can result in loss of video frames on the reception side of a transmission system. In our subjective tests, we have performed tests on videos that contain a single freezing event and also for videos that contain multiple freezing events. We have recorded our subjective test results for all the videos in order to give a comparison on the available No Reference (NR) objective algorithms. Finally, we have shown the performance of no reference algorithms used for objective evaluation of videos and suggested the algorithm that works better. The outcome of this study shows the importance of QoE and its effect on human perception. The results for the subjective evaluation can serve the purpose for validating objective algorithms.

Keywords: objective evaluation, subjective evaluation, quality of experience (QoE), video quality assessment (VQA)

Procedia PDF Downloads 581
2282 A Cross Culture Analysis of Medicinal Plants and Phytotherapies: Highly Effective for Gastropathic Disorders among Three Ethnic Communities of South West Pakistan

Authors: Sheikh Z. Ul Abidin, Raees Khan, Rainer W. Bussmann, Mushtaq Ahmad, Shayan Jamshed, Humera Jabeen, Ajmal Khan

Abstract:

Gastropathic disorders are increasing rapidly and millions patients are reported every years across the world. Herbal medicines and traditional phytotherapies are very effective for many diseases including gastropathic ailments. Many communities and study region have their own unique remedies for such diseases. The current study was aimed to investigate and document high valued medicinal plants and folk remedies for different gastropathic disorders among the three ethnic groups of three regions in South West Pakistan. A total of 104 semi-structured interviews involving experts of traditional knowledge in 21 localities of the three regions (D.I. Khan, Zhob and Mianwali) were conducted. The interviews were especially focused on the documentation of folk herbal remedies. The collected data was analyzed using different quantitative methods. The highly effective plants from all localities were identified with the help of local interviewers and collected for proper taxonomic identification. A total of 56 medicinal plants and 33 effective recipes for 12 gastropathic diseases were documented from all the three ethnic groups in 21 localities. Fabaceae and Asteraceae were most prominently used for different gastropathic diseases. Diarrhea, vomiting and dysentery were the most commonly diseases treated with herbal remedies. It was observed that the three communities shared knowledge about the use of medicinal plants, 35 species were commonly reported from all three areas. However, each community had also their own unique uses of medicinal plants, e.g. 23 plants species were only used in Zhob, 20 plant species were only reported in D.I. Khan and 16 species in Mianwali. The present study reveals that different communities and ethnic groups share some traditional knowledge and also have their own unique knowledge of plants utilization. Gastropathic disorder is increasing very rapidly and the traditional cross-cultural knowledge of medicinal plants use can be very effective for its cure.

Keywords: cross cultural, ethnic groups, gastropathy, phytotherapies, South West Pakistan

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2281 Managing Incomplete PSA Observations in Prostate Cancer Data: Key Strategies and Best Practices for Handling Loss to Follow-Up and Missing Data

Authors: Madiha Liaqat, Rehan Ahmed Khan, Shahid Kamal

Abstract:

Multiple imputation with delta adjustment is a versatile and transparent technique for addressing univariate missing data in the presence of various missing mechanisms. This approach allows for the exploration of sensitivity to the missing-at-random (MAR) assumption. In this review, we outline the delta-adjustment procedure and illustrate its application for assessing the sensitivity to deviations from the MAR assumption. By examining diverse missingness scenarios and conducting sensitivity analyses, we gain valuable insights into the implications of missing data on our analyses, enhancing the reliability of our study's conclusions. In our study, we focused on assessing logPSA, a continuous biomarker in incomplete prostate cancer data, to examine the robustness of conclusions against plausible departures from the MAR assumption. We introduced several approaches for conducting sensitivity analyses, illustrating their application within the pattern mixture model (PMM) under the delta adjustment framework. This proposed approach effectively handles missing data, particularly loss to follow-up.

Keywords: loss to follow-up, incomplete response, multiple imputation, sensitivity analysis, prostate cancer

Procedia PDF Downloads 59
2280 Carbon Coated Yarn Supercapacitors: Parametric Study of Performance Output

Authors: Imtiaz Ahmed Khan, Sabu John, Sania Waqar, Lijing Wang, Mac Fergusson, Ilija Najdovski

Abstract:

Evolution of textiles, from its orthodox to more interactive role has stirred the researchers to uncover its application in numerous arenas. The idea of using textile based materials for wearable energy harvesting and storage devices have gained immense popularity. This is mainly due to textile comfort and flexibility features. In this work, nano-carbonous materials were infused on cellulosic fibers using caustic soda treatment. This paper presents the complete procedure of yarn supercapacitors fabrication process through dip coating technique and its characterization method. The main objective is to study, the effect of varying caustic soda concentration on mass loading of activated carbon on yarns and the related capacitance output of the designed yarn supercapacitor. Polyvinyl alcohol and Phosphoric acid were used as electrolyte in a two-electrode cell assembly to measure device electrochemical performance. The results show a promising increase in capacitance value using this technique.

Keywords: yarn supercapacitors, activated carbon, dip coating, caustic soda, electrolyte, electrochemical characterization

Procedia PDF Downloads 434
2279 Ecological Investigations for the Control of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Selected Study Districts of Punjab, Pakistan

Authors: Muhammad Sohail Sajid, Muhammad Abdullah Malik, Muhammad Saqib, Faiz Ahmad Raza, Waseem Akram

Abstract:

Aedes (Ae.) aegypti, the vector of pathogens of one health significance, has gained currency over the last decade. The present study reports the prevalence of A. aegypti larvae in indoor and outdoor niches from the three districts of different agro-geo-climatic zones of Punjab, including Chakwal (north), Faisalabad (central), and Dera Ghazi Khan (south). Mosquito larvae were collected, preserved, and transferred for identification. The relevant data were collected on a predesigned questionnaire. Stegomyia indices, including House Index (HI), Breteau Index (BI), and Container Index (CI), were calculated. The association of different breeding containers with the prevalence of Ae. aegypti larvae were estimated through Chi-square analysis. The highest Stegomyia indices were calculated in Chakwal (HI = 46.61%, BI = 91.67%, and CI = 15.28%) as compared to Faisalabad (HI = 34.11%, BI = 68.75% and, CI = 13.04%) and DG Khan (HI = 28.39%, BI = 68.23% and, CI = 11.29%), respectively. Irrespective of the geographical area, earthen jars, water tanks, and tree holes were found to be significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the abundance of Ae. aegypti larvae. However, tires and plastic bottles in Faisalabad and DG Khan while flower tubs and plastic buckets in Faisalabad and Chakwal were found to be significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the larval abundance. The results are a maiden attempt to correlate the magnitude of Ae. aegypti larvae in various microclimatic niches of Punjab, Pakistan, which might help in policy-making for preventive management of the menace.

Keywords: Aedes aegypti, ecology, breeding habitats, Stegomyia indices, breeding containers

Procedia PDF Downloads 96
2278 Sleep Tracking AI Application in Smart-Watches

Authors: Sumaiya Amir Khan, Shayma Al-Sharif, Samiha Mazher, Neha Intikhab Khan

Abstract:

This research paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of sleep-tracking AI applications in smart-watches. It focuses on comparing the sleep analyses of two different smartwatch brands, Samsung and Fitbit, and measuring sleep at three different stages – REM (Rapid-Eye-Movement), NREM (Non-Rapid-Eye-Movement), and deep sleep. The methodology involves the participation of different users and analyzing their sleep data. The results reveal that although light sleep is the longest stage, deep sleep is higher than average in the participants. The study also suggests that light sleep is not uniform, and getting higher levels of deep sleep can prevent debilitating health conditions. Based on the findings, it is recommended that individuals should aim to achieve higher levels of deep sleep to maintain good health. Overall, this research contributes to the growing literature on the effectiveness of sleep-tracking AI applications and their potential to improve sleep quality.

Keywords: sleep tracking, lifestyle, accuracy, health, AI, AI features, ML

Procedia PDF Downloads 53
2277 Establishment of Virtual Fracture Clinic in Princess Royal Hospital Telford: Experience and Recommendations during the First 9 Months

Authors: Tahir Khaleeq, Patrick Lancaster, Keji Fakoya, Pedro Ferreira, Usman Ahmed

Abstract:

Introduction: Virtual fracture clinics (VFC) have been shown to be a safe and cost-effective way of managing outpatient referrals to the orthopaedic department. During the coronavirus pandemic there has been a push to reduce unnecessary patient contact whilst maintaining patient safety. Materials and Methods: A protocol was developed by the clinical team in collaboration with Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioners (APP) on how to manage common musculoskeletal presentations to A&E prior to COVID as part of routine service development. Patients broadly triaged into 4 categories; discharge with advice, referral to VFC, referral to face to face clinic or discussion with on call team. The first 9 months of data were analysed to assess types of injury seen and outcomes. Results: In total 2489 patients were referred to VFC from internal and external sources. 734 patients were discharged without follow-up and 182 patients were discharged for physiotherapy review. Only 3 patients required admission. Regarding follow-ups, 431 patients had a virtual follow-up while 1036 of patients required further face to face follow up. 87 patients were triaged into subspecialty clinics. 37 patients were felt to have been referred inappropriately. Discussion: BOA guidelines suggest all patients need to be reviewed within 72 hours of their orthopaedic injury. Implementation of a VFC allows this target to be achieved and at the same time reduce patient contact. Almost half the patients were discharged following VFC review, the remaining patients were appropriately followed up. This is especially relevant in the current pandemic where reducing unnecessary trips to hospital will benefit the patient as well as make the most of the resources available.

Keywords: virtual fracture clinic, lockdown, trauma and orthopaedics, Covid- 19

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2276 Total Arterial Coronary Revascularization with Aorto-Bifemoral Bipopliteal Bypass: A Case Report

Authors: Nuruddin Mohammod Zahangir, Syed Tanvir Ahmady, Firoz Ahmed, Mainul Kabir, Tamjid Mohammad Najmus Sakib Khan, Nazmul Hossain, Niaz Ahmed, Madhava Janardhan Naik

Abstract:

The management of combined Coronary Artery Disease and Peripheral Vascular Disease is a challenge and brings with it numerous clinical dilemmas.The 56 year old gentleman presented to our department with significant triple vessel disease with occluded lower end of aorta just before bifurcation and bilateral superficial femoral arteries. Operation was done on 11.03.14. The The Left Internal Mammary Artery (LIMA) and the Right Internal Mammary Artery (RIMA) were harvested in skeletonized manner. The free RIMA was then anastomosed with LIMA to make LIMA-RIMA Y. Cardio Pulmonary Bypass was then established and coronary artery bypass grafts performed. LIMA was anastomosed to the Left Anterior Descending artery. RIMA was anastomosed to Posterior Descending Artery, 1st and 2nd Obtuse Marginal arteries in a sequential manner. Abdomen was opened by midline incision. The infrarenal aorta exposed and was found to be severely diseased. A Vascular Clamp was applied infrarenally, aortotomy done and limited endarterectomy performed. An end-to-side anastomosis was done with upper end of PTFE synthetic Y-graft (14/7 mm) to the infarenal Aorta and the Clamp released. Good flow noted in both limbs of the graft. Patient was then slowly weaned off from Cardio Pulmonary Bypass without difficulty. The distal two limbs of the Y graft were passed to the groin through retroperitoneal tunnels and anastomosed end-to-side with the common femoral arteries. Saphenous vein was interposed between common femoral and popliteal arteries bilaterally through subfascial tunnels in both thigh. On 12th postoperative day he was discharged from hospital in good general condition. Follow up after 3 months of operation the patient is doing good and free of chest pain and claudication pain.

Keywords: total arterial, coronary revascularization, aorto-bifemoral bypass, bifemoro-bipopliteal bypass

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2275 Tibyan Automated Arabic Correction Using Machine-Learning in Detecting Syntactical Mistakes

Authors: Ashwag O. Maghraby, Nida N. Khan, Hosnia A. Ahmed, Ghufran N. Brohi, Hind F. Assouli, Jawaher S. Melibari

Abstract:

The Arabic language is one of the most important languages. Learning it is so important for many people around the world because of its religious and economic importance and the real challenge lies in practicing it without grammatical or syntactical mistakes. This research focused on detecting and correcting the syntactic mistakes of Arabic syntax according to their position in the sentence and focused on two of the main syntactical rules in Arabic: Dual and Plural. It analyzes each sentence in the text, using Stanford CoreNLP morphological analyzer and machine-learning approach in order to detect the syntactical mistakes and then correct it. A prototype of the proposed system was implemented and evaluated. It uses support vector machine (SVM) algorithm to detect Arabic grammatical errors and correct them using the rule-based approach. The prototype system has a far accuracy 81%. In general, it shows a set of useful grammatical suggestions that the user may forget about while writing due to lack of familiarity with grammar or as a result of the speed of writing such as alerting the user when using a plural term to indicate one person.

Keywords: Arabic language acquisition and learning, natural language processing, morphological analyzer, part-of-speech

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2274 Importance of Standards in Engineering and Technology Education

Authors: Ahmed S. Khan, Amin Karim

Abstract:

During the past several decades, the economy of each nation has been significantly affected by globalization and technology. Government regulations and private sector standards affect a majority of world trade. Countries have been working together to establish international standards in almost every field. As a result, workers in all sectors need to have an understanding of standards. Engineering and technology students must not only possess an understanding of engineering standards and applicable government codes, but also learn to apply them in designing, developing, testing and servicing products, processes and systems. Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET) criteria for engineering and technology education require students to learn and apply standards in their class projects. This paper is a follow-up of a 2006-2009 NSF initiative awarded to IEEE to help develop tutorials and case study modules for students and encourage standards education at college campuses. It presents the findings of a faculty/institution survey conducted through various U.S.-based listservs representing the major engineering and technology disciplines. The intent of the survey was to the gauge the status of use of standards and regulations in engineering and technology coursework and to identify benchmark practices. In light of survey findings, recommendations are made to standards development organizations, industry, and academia to help enhance the use of standards in engineering and technology curricula.

Keywords: standards, regulations, ABET, IEEE, engineering, technology curricula

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2273 Electrochemical Performance of Carbon Nanotube Based Supercapacitor

Authors: Jafar Khan Kasi, Ajab Khan Kasi, Muzamil Bokhari

Abstract:

Carbon nanotube is one of the most attractive materials for the potential applications of nanotechnology due to its excellent mechanical, thermal, electrical and optical properties. In this paper we report a supercapacitor made of nickel foil electrodes, coated with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) thin film using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method. Chemical vapor deposition method was used for the growth of MWCNTs and ethanol was used as a hydrocarbon source. High graphitic multiwall carbon nanotube was found at 750 C analyzing by Raman spectroscopy. We observed the electrochemical performance of supercapacitor by cyclic voltammetry. The electrodes of supercapacitor fabricated from MWCNTs exhibit considerably small equivalent series resistance (ESR), and a high specific power density. Electrophoretic deposition is an easy method in fabricating MWCNT electrodes for high performance supercapacitor.

Keywords: carbon nanotube, chemical vapor deposition, catalyst, charge, cyclic voltammetry

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2272 Comparative Study for Power Systems Transient Stability Improvement Using SFCL ,SVC,TCBR

Authors: Sabir Messalti, Ahmed Gherbi, Ahmed Bouchlaghem

Abstract:

This paper presents comparative study for power systems transient stability improvement using three FACTS devices: the SVC(Static Var Compensator), the Thyristor Control Breaking Resistor (TCBR) and superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL)The transient stability is assessed by the criterion of relative rotor angles. Critical Clearing Time (CCT) is used as an index for evaluated transient stability. The present study is tested on the WSCC3 nine-bus system in the case of three-phase short circuit fault on one transmission line.

Keywords: SVC, TCBR, SFCL, power systems transient stability improvement

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2271 Investigation Into the Effects of Egg Shells Powder and Groundnut Husk Ash on the Properties of Concrete

Authors: Usman B.M., Basheer O. B., . Ahmed A., Amali N. U., Taufeeq O.

Abstract:

This study presents an investigation into the improvement of strength properties of concrete using egg shell powder (ESP) and groundnut husk ash (GHA) as additives so as to reduce its high cost and find alternative disposal method for agricultural waste. A standard consistency test was carried out on the egg shell powder and groundnut husk ash. A prescribed concrete mix ratio of 1:2:4 concrete cubes (150mm by 150mm) and water-cement ratio of 0.6 were casted. A total of One hundred and forty four (144) cubes were cast and cured for 3, 7 and 28 days and compressive strength subsequently determined in comparison with the relevant specifications. Consistency test on the cement paste at the various concentrations exhibited an increase in the setting time as the concentration increases with the highest value recorded at 5% egg shell powder and groundnut husk ash concentration as 219 minutes for the initial setting time and 275 minutes for the final setting time as against the control specimen of 159 minutes and 234 minutes for both initial and final setting times respectively. The results of the investigations showed that GHA was predominantly of Silicon oxide (56.73%) and a combined SiO₂, Al₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃ content of 66.75%; and the result of the investigations showed that ESP was predominantly of Calcium oxide (52.75%) and a combined SiO₂, Al₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃ content of 3.86%. The addition of GHA and ESP in concrete showed slight different in compressive strength with increase in GHA and ESP additive up to 5% and high decrease in compressive strength with further increase in GHA and ESP content. The 28 days compressive strength of the concrete cubes; compared with that of the control; showed a slight increase. Thus the use of GHA and ESP as partial replacement of cement will provide an economic use of by-product and consequently produce a cheaper concrete construction without comprising its strength

Keywords: additive, concrete, eggshell powder, groundnut husk ash compressive strength

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