Suchergebnisse

Human rights defender Noof Al-Madeed disappeared after releasing a series of videos in March providing evidence of violations of her civil and human rights by the Qatari State security apparatus.

The current energy scenario of Pakistan requires the adoption of a proper energy consumption framework to meet the demands of the Pakistani society. This paper compares the energy codes developed by ASHRAE (United States) and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (India) to suggest improvements in development of the energy conservation building codes for Pakistan. It has been realized that taking all relevant stakeholders on board is vital for the development, adoption and compliance of energy conservation building codes at provincial level. It is also evident that energy conservation culture has to be developed in all segments of the society to lessen energy consumption, reduce carbon emissions and create a sustainable future. The energy codes of Pakistan lack adoption mechanism and climatic zoning needed for building thermal performance. The comparative analysis shows that the thermal building code of Pakistan is the key instrument to reduce energy pressure while providing occupants comfortable living space. It has been concluded that the government should develop code adoption and compliance system for the reduction of energy demand in buildings.

Economic corridors unlock new economic opportunities and tourism development in the region to achieve sustainable development goals. Green economic growth is conducive to environmental sustainability. Economic mega-projects of CPEC promote tourism that leads to communities' well-being and better quality of life. Modern infrastructure development contributes significantly to economic growth and tourism activities. This study's objectives emphasize exploring tourism and sustainable development pursuits under OBOR economic projects that open doors to improving residents' quality of life. The growing world is an eyewitness to a continuous rise in emissions and its severe consequences for humankind. It is necessary to show off the leading factors that result in tourism and economic activities causing environmental pollution rather than blame policymakers. Undoubtedly, many studies previously focused on demonstrating the influence of socio-economic factors that lead to better environmental quality. However, the empirical literature on tourism, social well-being, foreign direct investment, and the Environment in Belt and Road developed economies needed improvement. This research applied a series of advanced estimators that help demonstrate the study's probable results. This study explores the role of Social well-being (HDI), tourism development, FDI, renewable energy, information & communication technology (ICT), and urbanization on CO2 emissions in Belt and Road (BRI) developed economies.Estimated results exhibited the significant contribution of ICT and renewable energy to sustainability. Besides, FDI contributes to emissions reduction after its threshold level. Conversely, urbanization and tourism activities contribute to environmental pollution. The study outcomes stated inverted/EKC U-shaped hypotheses related to specified economies. Finally, the analysis based on the D-H panel causality test constructs exciting results.The present study concludes that economic corridor plays a vital role in tourism development, the community's well-being, and SDGs goals (sustainable development) impact on environmental safety. The findings suggest essential and applicable policies to attain the desired sustainability level. Findings contribute to the literature on tourism, well-being, and sustainability. Further studies can use insights using this methodology.

Arwa Ahmed Aldeeri,1 Khaled Abdullah Alhababi,2 Fahad Abdullah Algahtani,3 Abrar Abdullah Tounsi,4 Khalid Ibrahim Albadr5 1Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Dental Department, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Periodontics and Community Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 5Orthodontic Department, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Arwa Ahmed Aldeeri Tel +966-53-900-4403Email ArwaAldeeri@gmail.comBackground: Mini-esthetics is an important concept in orthodontics concerned with relatedness of dentition to the face.Purpose: We compared the perception of altered smile esthetics between orthodontists, dentists, and laypeople in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Patients and Methods: A total of 216 participants (orthodontists, dentists, and laypeople) were conveniently surveyed. An image representing the ideal smile was altered in terms of buccal corridor, gingival display, and midline diastema. Using Likert scale, participants were asked to rate the attractiveness of the altered images.Results: The three surveyed groups preferred wide rather than narrow buccal corridors. Also, as the amount of gingival display and midline diastema increased, the smile was rated less attractive. Age of participants was significantly associated with more precise recognition of gingival display and midline diastema, P< 0.05 and P< 0.001, respectively.Conclusion: The concept of an ideal smile holds true across the heterogenous groups we studied despite gender and professional background.Keywords: dentistry, orthodontics, smile, beauty

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Sickle-cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited genetic disorder in sub-Saharan Africa, and it is associated with early mortality and lifelong morbidity. Early diagnosis is essential for instituting appropriate care and preventive therapy. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To compare parental knowledge or perception of their offspring's hemoglobin phenotype prior to testing and actual validated laboratory test results. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In a prospective community-based survey, we assessed parental knowledge of their children's hemoglobin phenotype and corroborated this with the results from a laboratory confirmatory test determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. <b><i>Results:</i></b> We screened 10,126 children aged less than 5 years. A total of 163 (1.6%) parents indicated that their offspring had been previously tested and had knowledge of the child's hemoglobin genotype. However, 51 (31.2%) of 163 parents of children who had been previously tested did not know the result of their offspring's test, and 18 (35.3%) of these 51 children were found to have SCD. Of those who claimed previous knowledge, 25 (15.3%) of 163 reported incorrect results. Overall, we identified 272 (2.76%) new cases from 9,963 children who had not been previously tested. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> There is the need to promote public awareness about SCD and the benefit of early diagnosis, quality assurance in laboratory diagnosis and institution of sustainable patient care pathways.