No abstract

Wheat provides more than 50% of the protein and calorie intake of the population of Pakistan. Legumes and animal protein that could complement the amino acid pattern of wheat, in which lysine is the first limiting amino acid for utilization of protein, are not affordable by members of lower socioeconomic groups in developing countries. The purpose of the study was to determine whether lysine fortification of wheat flour would have a positive impact on populations consuming a predominantly wheat-based diet. A double-blind study was carried out for three months on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan. Forty families received wheat flour fortified with lysine, and 40 families received wheat flour without lysine. Wheat provided 59% of the protein for men, 65% for women, and 58% for children. The weight and height of the children in both groups increased during the study, but the increase was significantly greater in the lysine group. Hemoglobin increased significantly in the women receiving lysine-fortified flour. Transferrin levels increased significantly in men, women, and children in the lysine group as compared with those in the control group. Prealbumin increased significantly in adults receiving additional lysine but decreased in children. Men, women, and children in the lysine-supplemented families had significant increases in CD4, CD8, and complement C3 as compared with controls. These results indicate that lysine fortification of wheat flour can significantly improve sensitive indicators of nutritional status in a population consuming a diet in which 58% to 65% of the protein, depending on age and sex, is supplied by wheat.

These days human beings are facing many environmental challenges due to frequently occurring drought hazards. It may have an effect on the country's environment, the community, and industries. Several adverse impacts of drought hazard are continued in Pakistan, including other hazards. However, early measurement and detection of drought can provide guidance to water resources management for employing drought mitigation policies. In this paper, we used a multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) algorithm for drought forecasting. We applied and tested MLPNN algorithm on monthly time series data of Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) for seventeen climatological stations located in Northern Area and KPK (Pakistan). We found that MLPNN has potential capability for SPEI drought forecasting based on performance measures (i.e., Mean Average Error (MAE), the coefficient of correlation ( ), and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE)). Water resources and management planner can take necessary action in advance (e.g., in water scarcity areas) by using MLPNN model as part of their decision-making.

Since its inception in 1987, the ISO 9000 standards series has received remarkable appreciation as a quality management system as well as a prolific field of research. The substantial amount of ISO standards scholarly research has contributed over the years to accumulation of sound scientific knowledge. This article aims to develop a better view of ISO 9000 standards, as a field of research, by investigating the intellectual structures of summative knowledge, underlying dynamics, temporal progression, current development, and future evolution of research dimension. The Elsevier Scopus Bibliometric database searched for journal articles largely focused on ISO 9000 series, published during 1987-2015 period. The synchronized use of Bibliographic Coupling Technique and Factor Analysis yields eight prominent research streams. The study suggests that within the domain of ISO 9000 standards, some issues have been more frequently researched, such as organizational motives behind seeking ISO 9000 certification, perceived operational, marketing, business outcomes, and cultural transformation essential for successful adaption of ISO 9000 standards. Secondly, research is still inconclusive about some other well-researched issues: comprehended performance outcomes, challenges in acquiring, registering, and maintaining certification, lessons learned, and effectiveness of certification, internal and external challenges, and the trade-off between cost and benefits.