Bahria University

Parental history of schizophrenia, a complex and multifaceted psychological disorder, is recognized as a well-established risk factor in the development of the disorder among offspring. However, the developmental patterns of such children and adolescents before the onset of the problem have not yet been systematically documented. We present a comprehensive account of developmental checkpoints essential for preventing it from occurring. This review embarks on a detailed explanation of the domains requiring serious attention during the development of an individual with such a familial history. We examined a diversified set of studies comparing the developmental patterns of children with or without (a comparative) a parental history of schizophrenia and highlighted the areas of concern for the later development of the problem among the first group. We included the peer-reviewed articles, published in English based on children and adolescents, found in Web of Science, PubMed, and PsychInfo databases and separate citation searches. We summarized our findings under MESS typology covering motor development, emotional and behavioral issues, speech and hearing impairments, and socio-cognitive aspects as essential features of a child’s development serving as a guide to prevent the onset of psychological complications.

Surprisingly innovation process based on deliberate practice has rarely been unearthed that might explore the boundary conditions of the eco-friendly deliberate practice and eco-innovation performance relationship. Anchored on the organizational support theory and the social cognitive, the current study seeks to investigate the impacts of perceived organizational support (POS) and developmental leadership (DL) on eco-innovation performance (EP) through the mediating role of eco-friendly deliberate practice (EDP). In addition, the study explores the boundary effects of employee resilience (ER) on the relationship between EDP and EP. The study collects time-lagged (i.e., “three-wave”) and multisource (i.e., “self-rated and supervisor-rated”) data from 383 respondents working in the service sector organizations in Pakistan. The authors processed data in SmartPLS (v 4.0) to assess the measurement model and the structural model. The study finds that POS and DL have significant positive relationships with EDP. Further, EDP partially mediates the links between POS, DL, and EP. Moreover, ER intervenes the association between EDP and EP such that at high levels of ER, the relationship is stronger and vice versa. Despite growing interest in deliberate practice, the boundary conditions of EDP in the work context are rarely investigated. This is the first study that explores the contextual and individual factors that can underpin the influence of EDP on EP.

Accurate insights into the spatial distribution of cultivated areas, land use for effective agricultural management, and improvement of food security planning, especially in developing countries. Therefore, this study examined the impact of land changes and population growth on agricultural land and wheat crop productivity. First, by incorporating more than three decades of satellite data (1990–2022) and different Landsat missions with machine learning algorithms, high-confidence classes were defined for different land features, including cropland. Second, the wheat grown area was identified using the cropland extraction based wheat acreage assessment method (CLE-WAAM). Third, population dynamics were examined by applying an exponential growth model to forecast population growth and predict food demand. These findings necessitate the integrated methodological development for wheat demand and supply mechanisms using the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) approach for a more thorough analysis of socioeconomic developments. The results revealed that the cropland area was transformed into non-cropland, with a percentage of 8.01. A 79% rise in the population occured between 1990 and 2022, with a projected increase of 112% by 2030. Specifically, the wheat cultivation area decreased by 28%, despite stagnant parameters observed since 2000. The proposed method contributes efficiently to the United Nations’ sustainable development goal (02: Zero Hunger) using satellite, geospatial, and statistical data integration.

New and more transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2 have arisen multiple times over the course of the pandemic. Rapidly identifying mutations that affect transmission could improve our understanding of viral biology and highlight new variants that warrant further study. Here we develop a generic, analytical epidemiological model to infer the transmission effects of mutations from genomic surveillance data. Applying our model to SARS-CoV-2 data across many regions, we find multiple mutations that substantially affect the transmission rate, both within and outside the Spike protein. The mutations that we infer to have the largest effects on transmission are strongly supported by experimental evidence from prior studies. Importantly, our model detects lineages with increased transmission even at low frequencies. As an example, we infer significant transmission advantages for the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants shortly after their appearances in regional data, when they comprised only around 1-2% of sample sequences. Our model thus facilitates the rapid identification of variants and mutations that affect transmission from genomic surveillance data.

Social networks have a wider influence on youth political participation, providing the opportunity to remain actively engaged in socio-political issues aiming for good governance in Indonesia. The study highlights the pertinent role of social networks, social ties, and trends in increasing participation among youngsters in Indonesia’s political spheres. The study uses quantitative research to gather data from university students. Social networks indeed have a significant influence created a more engaged and informed generation of youth using social networks to voice their opinions and participate in political activities. The findings show that youth integrate with others through social networks to participate in politics, and this participation has increased political efficacy. Furthermore, a democratic society is a unit that provides network ties for youth-enhancing involvement in political activities. However, it is important to note that social networks alone are insufficient to ensure good governance in Indonesia. Ultimately, online and offline engagement is needed to create a truly participatory and inclusive democracy in Indonesia.

A number of technological advancements can facilitate the transition to a sustainable circular supply chain structure. When selecting the optimal digital tool, it is important to assess the readiness and efficacy of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This research looks at how well-known digital technologies like cloud manufacturing (CM), big data analytics (BDA), cyber-physical systems (CPS), and the internet of things (IoT) connect to the infrastructure of sustainable circular supply chain operations inside SMEs. Surveys were used to find out what the employees wanted in terms of revenue, innovation, environmental responsibility, and efficiency gains in sustainable circular supply chain management. Principal component analysis, separated these responses into four groups. The order performance by similarity to the ideal solution fuzzy technique, which is especially useful when uncertainties affect supply chain operations, was used to evaluate these technologies as trustworthy management tools. The findings showcase the technologies' sequential ranking (CPS > IoT > CM > BDA), as well as their impact on supply chain features post-installation and cyclical advantages. These benefits and attributes serve to evaluate the influence of these technological advancements on a circular economy. The research also discusses the influence of external factors on the selection process, including the enterprise's external orientation and internal structure.

Green human resource management (GHRM) practices are critical for enhancing sustainability outcomes. Still, literature is scarce on the granularity of how GHRM practices can be promoted to strengthen sustainability linking green dynamic capabilities and employee engagement in the presence of innovative climate. Drawing upon institutional theory, this study investigates the relationship between GHRM practices and sustainability, the mediation effect of green dynamic capabilities and employee engagement, and the moderation effect of innovative climate. This study employed a post-positivism approach and adopted a two-stage method for the selection of population and sampling to collect data through an online survey instrument from 374 respondents working at top, middle, and lower tiers of management positions in the telecom organizations of Pakistan, to test research hypotheses. Findings indicated a positive association between GHRM practices and sustainability and a significant mediation effect of green dynamic capabilities and employee engagement between GHRM practices and sustainability. In addition, the moderation effect of innovative climate is found insignificant on the relationship between GHRM practices and sustainability. Nevertheless, findings suggest that telecom organizations should boost green dynamic capabilities and employee participation to enhance sustainability while integrating GHRM practices in a conducive and innovative environment, to achieve and align with sustainable development initiatives.

The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) has significantly transformed the way physical objects communicate, facilitating a wide range of applications. Nonetheless, both IoT and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based applications face obstacles concerning the availability of computing resources, security, and constraints on energy consumption. While cloud computing provides certain resolutions, it also poses additional challenges, including heightened communication expenses and security vulnerabilities due to its physical disconnection from endpoint devices. As a countermeasure, fog computing emerges as a viable alternative by relocating computational resources nearer to the data origin at the edge of the network, yet it is not without its own set of issues such as the diversity of nodes and resource scarcity. This survey conducts an exhaustive analysis of the literature on scheduling within fog computing. It meticulously compares and contrasts various scheduling methodologies, taking into account critical aspects like the characteristics of fog computing, case studies, performance metrics, and simulation tools for evaluation, in addition to outlining their advantages and limitations. Moreover, it elaborates on a detailed taxonomy, assesses performance metrics, and examines performance parameters such as resource utilization, execution time, energy consumption, etc. Additionally, it identifies numerous prevailing challenges and issues. This survey paper aims to support the research community by highlighting potential avenues for future studies and key considerations in the development of scheduling strategies that leverage diverse contextual data.

Rock aggregates have been extensively exploited in the construction sector, and the associated engineering features play a critical role in their application. The main aim of this research is to assess the impact of petrographic characteristics on the engineering properties of carbonate rocks. A total of 45 carbonate rock samples from different geological formations within the Salt Range (Western Himalayan Ranges, Pakistan) were subjected to comprehensive petrographic analyses and standard aggregate quality control tests. The engineering characteristics encompassed Los Angeles abrasion value, aggregate crushing value, aggregate impact value, specific gravity, water absorption, and unconfined compressive strength, whereas petrographic examination of thin sections quantified the mineralogical composition. Statistical methods and machine learning models have been applied to elucidate the relationships between the petrographic and engineering features of the aggregates and establish potential predictive capability. The analysis identified clay, calcite, feldspar, and dolomite as the primary determinants for the engineering behavior of carbonate aggregates. Although multiple regression analyses produced R² values exceeding 0.84, the multiple regression equations did not provide substantial insights into the impact of all petrographic parameters on engineering properties. To enhance predictive accuracy, advanced machine learning models, including Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, Multi-Layer Perceptron, and Categorical Boosting, were applied. Among these, the Gradient Boosting model demonstrated superior predictive capability, overcoming both traditional regression methods and other machine learning algorithms as validated through the Taylor diagram and ranking system (i.e., r = 0.998, R² = 997, Root mean square error = 0.075, Variance Accounted For = 99.50%, Mean Absolute Percentage Error = 0.385%, Alpha 20 Index = 100, and performance index = 0.975). These results highlight the ability of machine learning techniques to provide a more effective and reliable prediction of aggregate engineering properties based on petrographic data. This approach offers significant advantages in the preliminary assessment of aggregate suitability, contributing to more efficient resource allocation in construction projects.

Anaerobic biological processes for wastewater treatment are gaining attention due to relatively lesser energy demand than aerobic processes. Since aeration is absent in anaerobic bioreactors, sludge mixing is usually done through mechanical mixing. Mechanical mixing speed is significant in terms of providing proper mixing and calculating the specific energy requirements of the plant. Moreover, the mixing speed affects the presence of different microbial species in the bioreactor. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of mechanical mixing speed in anaerobic sequencing batch reactors (AnSBRs) while treating synthetic domestic wastewater. The aim of the study is to find the optimum mixing speed, which gives the highest contaminant removal efficiency, stable sludge characteristics, higher gas production, and better microbial diversity in AnSBRs. Four AnSBRs were operated in parallel at different mixing speeds of 100 rpm, 200 rpm, 300 rpm, and 400 rpm at laboratory temperature (32 ± 2 °C) continuously for 30 days. Regular analysis of treated water quality and sludge characteristics and microbial profiling were performed. Colony morphology, biochemical tests, and 16 S rRNA based analysis were performed to isolate and identify the bacterial cultures. Mixing speed demonstrated a significant role and showed the highest contaminant removal at 400 rpm with 83% chemical oxygen demand, 74% biological oxygen demand, and 78% total suspended solids removals. The gases collected from the top of sealed reactors were identified as CH4, CO2 and H2. Overall, from mixed liquor volatile suspended solids growth and gas production point of view, 400 rpm was the most suitable speed. Different bacterial species were isolated from the sludge in the form of circular, paired irregular, and filamentous colonies. The dominant species identified were Acinetobacter, Aeromonas sp, Citrobacter, Clostridium, Salmonella sp, Bacillus and Clostridium sp bacteria, confirming the maintenance of anaerobic conditions inside reactors. Overall, the 400 rpm speed provides more stable conditions to operate the AnSBRs.

This study examines the influence that investments in renewable energy have on the long-term economic development of emerging nations via a comparative data analysis. In this work, a mix of quantitative econometric analysis and qualitative case studies is used to investigate the intricate processes that determine the link between the adoption of renewable energy and the outcomes of economic growth. The quantitative research reveals that positive associations are statistically significant between investments in renewable energy and several critical economic indicators. These indicators include GDP growth rates, employment levels, and average income levels per capita. Qualitative case studies, on the other hand, provide insights into the contextual elements that influence the performance of investments in renewable energy in specific developing country contexts. The findings of this study highlight the significant impact that strategic investments in renewable energy infrastructure have as a driver of sustainable economic growth. To get the greatest possible socioeconomic benefit from the implementation of renewable energy systems in various developing nation contexts, the research highlights the need to implement specific policy interventions and investment methods.

This paper explores Pakistan's initiatives in strengthening maritime security and combating piracy within its territorial waters while ensuring focus on agreements and implementation of international legal structure. The geo-strategic location of Pakistan, which borders important maritime routes, highlights the significance of strong maritime security measures to realize a secure passage for commerce and deter unlawful activities within its territorial waters. By using qualitative methods, this study delves into the evolution of Pakistan's maritime policies, the operational capacity and capabilities of its naval forces, and the collaboration with relevant international bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The paper also examines the efficiency of Pakistan's legal tools in prosecuting and punishing acts of piracy while showcasing a comparative study with global standards and practices. The findings suggest that while Pakistan has made notable progress in evolving its maritime security measures, it cannot be threatened that challenges continue in controlling the resources and regional geo-political variables. The study concluded with recommendations for strengthening Pakistan's anti-piracy struggle while highlighting the need for regional cooperation and capacity building to safeguard maritime interests in accordance with international law.

The main objective of this paper is to get various stakeholders acquainted with the immaculate work of [re] production of Buddhist Sculptural Art of Gandhara in Taxila, by master sculptor [s] using genuine stones and centuries old techniques. The paper reviews the [re] production process as practiced at present by the master sculptors in their workshops. The article analyses the major obstacles in open marketing of these exquisite pieces of Buddhist stone art. The findings are based on ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews of master sculptor [s] in Taxila, in particular in village Pathrian (pseudonym). Current analysis is carried out in the backdrop of various socio-religious and legal impediments obstructing the promotion and very survival of this ancient art form. Based on findings the study proposes some viable solutions to preserve and promote this dying art from total extinction.

The newly established KAL’AS’A DUR (the House of Kalasha) the Kalasha Museum and Cultural Centre (2002-2004) in Brua Village in Bumburet Valley of District Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPK) of Pakistan, is a new tourist attraction that entails a lot of cultural and heritage value. This first and only Kalasha Museum and Cultural Centre has given a new birth to the fast disappearing Kalasha people and their ancient culture. At the same time the Museum is under constant threat from armed conflict and terrorism in the region.The Kalasha Cultural Centre has six departments but this article will only focus on one department that is Ethnological Museum [or Kalasha Museum] and the heritage collections housed in it. Built by the NGO, Greek Volunteers, the museum houses a great collection of material cultural artifacts of endangered Kalsha Kafirs, an ethnic minority of Pakistan almost at the verge of extinction. Only 3,000 left in three Kalasha Valleys. This article contributes to the Kalasha material culture studies literature by documenting the heritage collections showcased in the Kalasha Museum. Further, it highlights the opportunities of empowerment the museum has provided to the fast declining numbers of Kalasha people and to reviving and preserving their unique cultural heritage. The article also intends to promote the establishment of this first ever Kalasha Museum and the newly opened up opportunities for scholars, researchers, conservation scientists, museums personnel, heritage tourists, and international organizations like ICOM, who can be instrumental in promoting the cause of the endangered Kalasha people and their ancient traditions, through further research and documentation.

Research assistants play very important role in producing research outputs and in supporting the research inHEIs. The focus of this study, initially, was to enlist the roles assigned to these teaching assistants in varioussetups (HEIs in this case). However, the impact of role ambiguity and role conflict on satisfaction and theirintention to leave was also ascertained. Data was collected from 120 teaching assistants, engaged in variousuniversities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The results found that the satisfaction and intention to leave arenegatively and positively affected, respectively by these role variables. The universities are recommended toencourage the research assistants by facilitating both in term of monetary and job related factors.

Realistic job preview (RJP) is the presentation of information both positive and negative given to the prospective employee about the job and the organization. The information provided is aimed to give the realistic image of the organization. The role of the information flow is to arrive at a stage where the expectations of the employee and the applicant match. It is being argued that employees who are given RJP’s during the recruitment and selection process have higher job satisfaction. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify the relationships between realistic job previews and employee job satisfaction in the organizations. Job satisfaction has been conceptualized with the expectations of an employee. The survey was conducted by using closed-end structured questionnaires from the employees working in telecommunication and banking sectors in Pakistan. A total of 224 questionnaires were received. Correlation and ANOVA were used to determine the relationship between the variables. The outcome indicates that there is a significant positive relationship between the realistic information provided to the employees at the time of recruitment and job satisfaction.

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) in Release 16 introduced New Radio in unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) to further enhance the capacity of licensed spectrum. The user equipment’s (UE) power consumption is an important metric identified by researchers in long-term evolution (LTE) and NR, and now in NR-U. In long-term evolution (LTE) and NR, 3GPP has introduced discontinuous reception (DRX) to save the UE’s power consumption and it can also be used in NR-U. In the DRX procedure, UE sleeps when there is no data packet to serve and wakes up at regular periodic intervals to check if there are any data packets in the downlink. The UE can sleep longer and skip most channel monitoring occasions, which helps to save the power of the UE. In this article, we analyze the power consumption of the UE in the DRX mechanism over NR-U networks. We model the DRX using semi-Markov-based modeling to analyze the power consumption of the UE, and the average delay experienced by the UE in the NR-U DRX mechanism. Analytical analysis indicates that power consumption increases with increasing DRX-ON duration and decreases with increasing sleep duration. The power consumption reduces at the cost of delay, i.e., delay increases with an increase in sleep duration.

The prime incentive of this exploration is to study the impacts of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), heat generation, and thermal radiation on Darcy-Forchheimer (DF) nanofluid flow having thermosolutal Marangoni convection over the extending surface. The impact of chemical reaction is also investigated in the present work. A transformation is applied which turns the leading equations into ordinary differential equations (ODEs). To acquire the numerical results, these ODEs are solved by MATLAB bvp4c, a built-in function. The rate of heat transfer, temperature, and velocity of the working fluid is calculated over the sheet. The consequence of many different parameters without dimensions on the temperature, concentration, and velocity profiles are explored through diagrams and thoroughly examined. These factors include the thermophoresis coefficient, Marangoni, Darcy, and Schmidt number, thermal radiation parameter, Prandtl number, and Brownian coefficient. It is observed that the exponential index number, which is generally due to the nonlinear heat source parameter, has an inverse relation with the rate of heat transfer. Also, the velocity decreases when the local inertia coefficient and Hartman number are increased.

The blade coating process holds significant importance due to its widespread application in manufacturing products such as newspapers, photographic film, fibers, catalogs, and magnetic storage media. Its economic impact has driven extensive research aimed at deepening the understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms, ultimately leading to improvements in process efficiency and optimization. Therefore, this article investigates the blade coating process of an electrically conducting Oldroyd 4-constant liquid with velocity slippage on the blade surface. The impression of viscous dissipation is also inspected through the energy equation. The mathematical equations are modeled with the use of lubrication approximation theory and the normalized equations of the Oldroyd 4-constant fluid and are numerically solved by the shooting method. To offer valuable insights, the pressure, pressure gradient, velocity, temperature, and load metrics are calculated and displayed in graphs and tables. It is found that liquid velocity and pressure decrease as the Hartmann number increases. As the Brinkman number increases, the temperature distribution increases, with the peak temperature appearing in the narrowest region of the flow.

Background Family planning facilities provide an extensive choice of assistance that is beneficial for women and the society. It may limit the fatality risk for mothers and babies by reducing the rate of pregnancies and abortions. The Government of Pakistan has been continuously trying to persuade the people about the importance of family planning. The accomplishment of these programs depends upon various aspects associated with the knowledge, availability, and access to contraceptives. This paper has investigated the effect of knowledge and access to contraceptives on the unmet need for family planning (UMNFP) among married women of reproductive age (MWRA) in Pakistan. Method The comprehensive dataset of the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18 has been used to investigate the effect of knowledge and access to contraceptives on UMNFP among MWRA in Pakistan by applying Multivariable Logistic regression. Results The prevelance of UMNFP is higher among MWRA of 25 to 34 years than other age groups. The likelihood of UMNFP decreases with increase in education above the primary level. The prevalence of UMNFP is found higher among women who belong to the poorer wealth quintile than the women of the poorest wealth quintile. The odds of UMNFP are considerably low among women belonging to the richer and richest wealth quintile, compared to the women of the poorest wealth quintile. Women’s participation in decision making for not using contraceptives is a significant factor to reduce UMNFP. The odds of UMNFP are higher among those women who have no knowledge and lack of access to contraceptives compared to those who have knowledge and access to contraceptives. Conclusions Both knowledge and access to contraceptives are important factors to determine UMNFP. The government should initiate programs to disseminate knowledge as well as provision of contraceptives for effective family planning.