Search Results (32)

Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) are a primary source of milk in Pakistan, where bovine mastitis is a significant health issue among cattle, leading to substantial economic losses. Staphylococcus aureus is a predominant pathogen associated with mastitis; however, a detailed molecular characterization of the strains in the country remains limited. We previously characterized mastitis strains from the Hazara division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. In this study, we investigated mastitis cases in the Peshawar division, including samples from both animals and human farm workers for comparison. Higher rates of mastitis (67.27% of animals) and sub-clinical mastitis (91.03% of positive animals) were identified in Peshawar than for those (34.55% and 75.31%, respectively) previously observed in Hazara. Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) belonging to clonal complex 9 (ST2454) were predominant. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) belonging to ST22 and ST8 were also detected in the Nowshera district. While no S. aureus colonization was observed among animal handlers, evidence of hand contamination suggests a potential route for pathogen spread. Low levels of antibiotic resistance were noted amongst isolates, but higher rates were seen in MRSA. This study presents only the second comprehensive molecular investigation of S. aureus isolated from buffalo mastitis in Pakistan and indicates a concerning rise in mastitis within the province. Full article

In this work, we report the formation of multiple mode-locking states in an Erbium/Ytterbium co-doped fiber laser, such as domain-wall (DW) dark pulses, high-order dark harmonic pulses, dissipative soliton resonance (DSR) pulses, and dual-wavelength h-shaped pulses. By increasing the pump power and adjusting the quarter-wave retarder (QWR) plates, we experimentally achieve 310th-order harmonic dark pulses. DSR pulses emerge at a pump power of 1.01 W and remain stable up to 9.07 W, reaching a maximum pulse width of 676 ns and a pulse energy of 1.608 µJ, while Dual-wavelength h-shaped pulses have a threshold of 1.42 W and maintain stability up to 9.07 W. Using a monochromator, we confirm that these h-shaped pulses result from the superposition of a soliton-like pulse and a DSR-like pulse, emitting at different wavelengths but locked in time. The fundamental repetition rate for dark pulsing, DSR, and h-shaped pulses is 321.34 kHz. This study provides new insights into complex pulse dynamics in fiber lasers and demonstrates the versatile emission regimes achievable through precise pump and polarization control. Full article

Environmental pollutants significantly impact health and quality of life. High levels of harmful metals in drinking water, vegetables, and soil can accumulate in the body, leading to serious health issues. In Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, the prevalence of cancer is notably high, and heavy metals are considered among the possible risk factors. In this study, the distribution of heavy metals, e.g., Cd, Mn, Cu, Cr, and Ni, in the drinking water, vegetables, and soil in the Gilgit and Skardu Districts was assessed. A geo-accumulation index was combined with a deterministic technique to examine potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic impacts on human health. Cr and Ni levels in drinking water exceeded the permissible limits from both districts. Drinking water had a HQ > 1 for Cd, Cr, Ni, and Mn, posing significant non-carcinogenic health effects. The lifetime cancer risk (LCR) by drinking water for Cd, Cr, and Ni in Gilgit (0.0087, 0.55, and 0.0048) and Skardu (0.071, 0.21, and 0.014) indicated a considerable cancer risk (>1 × 10⁻⁴) for adults. The cancer risk for vegetable intake was observed within the safe limit, while LCR_ingetsion > LCR_dermal and LCR_inhalation for the soil samples in both regions. These findings highlight the need for regular monitoring, enhanced waste management, and advanced purification methods to reduce cancer risk, lower heavy metal contamination, and safeguard public health in the region. Full article

Multipolarized nanoantennae are promising for terahertz applications due to their ability to support multiple resonance and polarization sensitivity. This study investigates the behavior of multipolarized gold nanoantennae placed on a Si-SiO₂ substrate and compares their performance with antennae in air. The results show that the resonance frequency shifts from 27 THz in the air to 26 THz on the SiSiO₂ substrate. SEM and FTIR analysis confirmed the antenna dimensions and optical response, with experimental reflectance spectra revealing resonance at 21 THz and 26 THz. The multi-polarized antenna demonstrated stable performance across different polarization angles compared to traditional dipole antennae, making it suitable for various terahertz applications. These findings provide insights into optimizing nanoantenna design for advanced sensors and communication systems. Full article

Highland ecologies are the most susceptible to climate change, often experiencing intensified impacts. Due to climate change and human activities, there were dramatic changes in the alpine domain of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is a vital project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The CPEC is subjected to rapid infrastructure expansion, which may lead to potential land surface susceptibility. Hence, focusing on sustainable development goals, mainly SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure) and SDG 13 (climate action), to evaluate the conservation and management practices for the sustainable and regenerative development of the mountainous region, this study aims to assess change detection and find climatic conditions using multispectral indices along the mountainous area of Gilgit and Hunza-Nagar, Pakistan. It has yielded practical and highly relevant implications. For sustainable and regenerative ecologies, this study utilized 30 × 30 m Landsat 5 (TM), Landsat 7 (ETM+), and Landsat-8/9 (OLI and TIRS), and meteorological data were employed to calculate the aridity index (AI). The results of the AI showed a non-significant decreasing trend (−0.0021/year, p > 0.05) in Gilgit and a significant decreasing trend (−0.0262/year, p < 0.05) in Hunza-Nagar. NDVI distribution shows a decreasing trend (−0.00469/year, p > 0.05), while NDWI has depicted a dynamic trend in water bodies. Similarly, NDBI demonstrated an increasing trend, with rates of 79.89%, 87.69%, and 83.85% from 2008 to 2023. The decreasing values of AI mean a drying trend and increasing drought risk, as the study area already has an arid and semi-arid climate. The combination of multispectral indices and the AI provides a comprehensive insight into how various factors affect the mountainous landscape and climatic conditions in the study area. This study has practical and highly relevant implications for policymakers and researchers interested in research related to land use and land cover change, environmental and infrastructure development in alpine regions. Full article

Landslides have become a common global concern because of their widespread nature and destructive power. The Gaizi Valley section of the Karakorum Highway is located in an alpine mountainous area with a high degree of geological structure development, steep terrain, and severe regional soil erosion, and landslide disasters occur frequently along this section, which severely affects the smooth flow of traffic through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In this study, 118 views of Sentinel-1 ascending- and descending-orbit data of this highway section are collected, and two time-series interferometric synthetic aperture radar (TS-InSAR) methods, distributed scatter InSAR (DS-InSAR) and small baseline subset InSAR (SBAS-InSAR), are used to jointly determine the surface deformation in this section and identify unstable slopes from 2021 to 2023. Combining these data with data on sites of historical landslide hazards in this section from 1970 to 2020, we constructed 13 disaster-inducing factors affecting the occurrence of landslides as evaluation indices of susceptibility, carried out an evaluation of regional landslide susceptibility, and identified high-susceptibility unstable slopes (i.e., potential landslides). The results show that DS-InSAR and SBAS-InSAR have good agreement in terms of deformation distribution and deformation magnitude and that compared with single-orbit data, double-track SAR data can better identify unstable slopes in steep mountainous areas, providing a spatial advantage. The landslide susceptibility results show that the area under the curve (AUC) value of the artificial neural network (ANN) model (0.987) is larger than that of the logistic regression (LR) model (0.883) and that the ANN model has a higher classification accuracy than the LR model. A total of 116 unstable slopes were identified in the study, 14 of which were determined to be potential landslides after the landslide susceptibility results were combined with optical images and field surveys. These 14 potential landslides were mapped in detail, and the effects of regional natural disturbances (e.g., snowmelt) and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., mining projects) on the identification of potential landslides using only SAR data were assessed. The results of this research can be directly applied to landslide hazard mitigation and prevention in the Gaizi Valley section of the Karakorum Highway. In addition, our proposed method can also be used to map potential landslides in other areas with the same complex topography and harsh environment. Full article

Climate change has recently increased the frequency of landslides in alpine areas. Susceptibility mapping is crucial for anticipating and assessing landslide risk. However, traditional methods focus on static environmental variables to emphasize the spatial distribution of landslides, ignoring temporal dynamics in landslide development in the context of climate change. In this work, we focused on static and dynamic environment factors and utilized the certainty factor-logistic regression (CF-LR) model to assess and predict landslide susceptibility in Taxkorgan County, located in the Karakorum. The assessment and prediction were based on a catalog of climate change-related landslides over the past 20 years, the causative factors, and predicted climatic variables for the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6) scenario. The results indicated that elevation, slope, groundwater, slope length gradient (LS) factor, Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), valley depth, and maximum precipitation were the key causes of slides below the snow line. The key factors causing debris flow above the snow line were elevation, slope, topographic relief, aspect, LS factor, distance to the river, and maximum temperature. The accuracy of slide and debris flow susceptibility was 0.92 and 0.89, respectively. The area of slides with medium, high, and very high susceptibility is 25.5% of the Taxkorgan. In addition, 82.6% of the slides happened in this region, and 49.5% of the entire area is covered by debris flows with medium, high, and very high susceptibility. Moreover, this area accounts for 91.8% of all debris flows. Until 2060, the region’s climate is anticipated to become warmer and wetter. Slides below the snow line will gradually decrease and shift eastward, and debris flows above the snow line will expand. Our findings will contribute to the management of landslide risks at the regional scale. Full article

Erdene Zuu is the oldest extant Buddhist temple in the country of Mongolia, founded following the reintroduction of Tibetan Buddhism to Inner Mongolia in the sixteenth century. The subject of this paper is the building activities of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, particularly of the complex centering on Gurban Zuu (Three Temples), which are the main buildings of Erdene Zuu. The author first confirms Gurban Zuu’s ground plan based on measurements, and then interprets the “black-ink inscription” discovered on the ridge purlin of the Central Buddha Hall. This complex is then compared with Inner Mongolian Buddhist temples of the same period. Finally, the author studies whether or not the spatial structure of the temple architecture of the Mongolian Empire of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries was continued at Erdene Zuu, and analyzes the position that Erdene Zuu occupied in the Tibetan Buddhist sphere. This comparative study investigates the origins of Erdene Zuu’s architectural spatial composition within East Asia. Full article

Land use has a great impact on soil dynamics. The soils of various land use systems in Central Karakoram have been under immense pressure in the recent past due to certain anthropogenic activities such as land use practices and land use cover changes. These influences have an impact on the spatial distribution of metallic elements (MEs) in the soils of various land uses. Herein, we investigated the occurrence of the MEs, copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni), in soils of various land uses such as the permafrost, pasture, forest, and agricultural lands of the Central Karakorum region. The MEs were extracted in exchangeable, adsorbed, organically bound, carbonated, precipitated, and residual forms. The concentrations of MEs showed a significant dependence on the extraction method used, and the extraction trend followed the order of EDTA > HNO₃ > KNO₃ > NaOH > H₂O. Zn showed the highest concentration compared to Ni and Cu in all extractions, whereas the land uses’ ME concentration followed the order of agricultural land > permafrost > forest > pasturelands. The highest values of total Zn, Ni, and Cu were 712 ± 01 mg/kg, 656 ± 02 mg/kg, and 163 ± 02 mg/kg, respectively, in agricultural soil. The ME concentration showed significant variations between different land uses, and the highest concentration was noted in agricultural soil. Zn was found to be a dominant ME compared to Ni and Cu. We believe this effort will provide opportunities for scholars to investigate MEs around the globe. Full article

High Mountain Asia (HMA) is one of the concentrated areas of surging glaciers in the world. The dynamic movement of surging glaciers not only reshapes the periglacial landscape but also has the potential to directly or indirectly trigger catastrophic events. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the distribution patterns, periodicities, and occurrence mechanisms of surging glaciers. Based on Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI remote sensing images from 1986 to 2021, a total of 244 surging glaciers were identified in HMA in this study, covering an area of 11,724 km² and accounting for 12.01% of the total area of glaciers in this region. There are 185 surging glaciers identified within the Karakoram Range and Pamirs, which constitute the primary mountainous regions in HMA. From 1986 to 2021, these surging glaciers advanced at least 2802 times and exhibited different temporal and spatial patterns. A total of 36 glaciers in HMA experienced 2 or more surges during this period, with the highest number observed in the Pamirs (19), followed by the Karakorum (13), with the other regions having fewer occurrences. Obvious differences exist in the surge phase and the quiescent phase of glaciers in different regions of HMA. The surge phase of surging glaciers in the Karakoram Range and Pamirs is generally short, mostly in the range of 2~6 years. The quiescent phase lasts for 5~19 years and the overall surge cycle ranges from 9 to 24 years. The complex nature of glacier surges in HMA suggests that multiple mechanisms may be at play, necessitating further research. Full article

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of adding cinnamon bark oil (CBO) on the quality of ground lamb meat, considering different packaging conditions, including modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) using Hengxian HX-300H and overwrapped packaging. The CBO was incorporated into lamb meat samples at three different levels: 0% (control), 0.025% and 0.05% (v/w). The samples were then subjected to three packaging methods: MAP1 (80% O₂ + 20% CO₂), MAP2 (40% O₂ + 30% CO₂ + 30% N₂) and overwrapped packaging and stored at 4 °C for 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 days. The findings of the present study revealed that the addition of 0.025% and 0.05% CBO under MAP1 condition significantly improved the color of the meat samples after 12 days of storage at 4 °C (p < 0.05). The overwrapped samples exhibited higher levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) compared to all other treatments, starting from day 4 of storage (p < 0.05). Furthermore, microbial counts were notably higher in the overwrapped samples than in all other samples after day 8 of storage (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the combination of 0.05% CBO with MAP proved to be an effective strategy for enhancing the color stability and oxidative stability of ground lamb meat. These results suggest that CBO can be utilized as a beneficial protective agent in meat packaging processes. Full article

In the context of global climate change, the Tibetan Plateau is particularly susceptible to meteorological disasters, including snow disasters. This study utilized daily temperature and precipitation data from 44 meteorological stations on the Tibetan Plateau spanning from 1960 to 2018 to construct a snow event dataset. Optimal marginal distribution and the copula function were chosen to calculate the joint return period and joint probability, which effectively assess the hazard of snow disasters in the region. Additionally, the study analyzed the comprehensive risk of snow disasters under various return periods by integrating social and economic data. The results indicate the following: (1) Based on the five different Archimedean copula functions, the joint return period of an error rate of each station was calculated to be less than 36%, which is significantly lower than the recurrence interval of univariate analysis; (2) High-hazard areas are predominantly concentrated in the northwest region of the Tanggula Mountains and the eastern foothills of the Bayankara Mountains. As the return period increases, the spatial distribution of snow disaster hazard probability shifts gradually from “double-core” to continuous distribution; and (3) the northwestern Karakorum Mountains and Bayankara Mountains are two distinct high-risk areas for snow disasters. The range of high-risk areas in the region expands with an increase in the return period. Full article

In recent years, after the global financial crisis, the issue of credit risk management has received increased attention from international regulators. Credit risk management frameworks are often not sufficiently integrated within the organization, there is no unified approach, and there is no holistic view of all risks. Likewise, where they exist, sound risk management practices have helped institutions to weather financial crises better than others. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the determinants of credit risk management and their relationship with the performance of commercial banks in Nepal. It also examines the mediating role of credit risk management on the performance of commercial banks in Nepal. The results indicate that there is a positive relationship between environmental risk and credit risk management. It is also found that credit appraisal measurements have a significant effect on credit risk management. The results reveal that market risk analysis has a significant effect on credit risk management. The results show that credit risk management mediates the relationship between environmental risk, credit appraisal measurements, market risk analysis, and the performance of commercial banks. Therefore, managers should strive to impart risk prevention and control mechanisms to reduce credit risk and achieve good financial performance. Full article

Predicting the susceptibility of rockfall mountain hazards for block-in-matrix soils is challenging for critical steep cuts. This research illustrates a hydrogeotechnical approach for the prediction of rockfall triggering by performing laboratory tests on low-cohesive-matrix soil collected from steep slopes with 85° to 88° angles at the Tatta Pani site, Karakorum Highway (KKH), and then real-scale moisture-induced rockfall was conducted on site for the validation of laboratory data. Laboratory data of forty quick direct shear tests on samples collected from the field depicted a 3-fold drop in peak shear stress (P_S) at the soil–soil interface and a 9.3-fold drop at the soil–rock interface by varying the moisture content from 1% (taken as dry phase) to a critical laboratory moisture content (MC)_LC of 21% (taken as wet phase). Similarly, a drop in the elastic modulus (E_S) was observed to be 5.7-fold at the soil–soil interface and 10-fold at the soil–rock interface for a variation of moisture content from 1 % to 21% for the matrix with a permeability (k) range of 3 × 10⁻⁴ to 5.6 × 10⁻⁴ m/s, which depicts the criticality of moisture content for the rockfall phenomenon. The critical moisture content evaluated in laboratory is validated by an innovative field-inundation method for thirty-two moisture-induced real-scale forced rockfall cases, which showed the rock-block triggering at field dry density (γ_d)_f and the critical field moisture content (MC)_FC of the matrix ranging from 1.78 g/cm³ to 1.92 g/cm³, and 1.3% to 25.4%, respectively. Hydrogeotechnical relations, i.e., MC versus P_S and E_S, at the soil–rock interface are developed for the prediction of rockfall triggering. The proposed correlations may be helpful in the prediction of rockfall hazards by using expected rainfall in the field for disaster warning and landslide disaster prevention at ecological geotechnical engineering projects. The results revealed that the critical (MC)_FC and (MC)_LC are within 20%, depicting a good confidence level of the outcomes of this research. Full article

This study investigated the effect of animal age, calcium chloride marination, and storage time on meat quality characteristics of buffalo bulls to suggest a cost-effective method of improving buffalo meat quality. The current study was designed considering the importance of buffalo meat and the usage of meat from spent buffalo animals in local markets of South Asian countries. A total of 36 animals comprised of 18 young and 18 spent buffalo bulls were selected. After slaughtering and 24 h of postmortem chilling, striploins were separated and cut into 16 steaks and equally divided into two groups, i.e., either marinated with calcium chloride or not. Meat quality characteristics were recorded on 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days of storage. The results showed that the pH value of young animals was higher than the value of spent animals and pH was increased over the storage time. Color b*, C*, and h* values were higher in spent animals as compared with the young animals; however, values of colors L* and h* were higher and a* was lower in marinated samples than the values of non-marinated samples. Color a* and C* values were increased and h* was decreased with lengthening the storage time. The meat cooking loss was higher in marinated and the water-holding capacity was higher in non-marinated meat samples. Shear force values were lower in young animals and marinated samples than the values of spent animals and non-marinated meat samples, respectively. Sensory characteristic scores of marinated samples were better than the non-marinated samples. In conclusion, calcium chloride marination can be used to improve the quality characteristics of buffalo meat. Full article