Engineer The World

2017 will go down in history as the year mainstream discourse on sexual violence was finally forced to confront the universal impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of assault. Unfortunately, these global developments have failed to trigger any corresponding debate on the inability of Pakistan’s criminal justice system to provide redress to survivors. In a country where conviction rates for rape are less than 4% and the National Police Bureau records an average of over 3,000 reported cases every year, the need for gender-sensitive legal and policy reform has never been more critical. In recent years, any attempts to end impunity have focused on the introduction of piece-meal legislation, which whilst important for political visibility of the women’s movement, has failed to translate into increased conviction rates. Related: Female Pakistani journalists share stories of harassment at the workplace Key amongst the reasons underlying the limited impact of legislative developments in s...

For decades, experts have warned that older Americans are taking too many unnecessary drugs, often prescribed by multiple doctors, for dubious or unknown reasons. Researchers estimate that 25 percent of people aged 65 to 69 take at least five prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions, a figure that jumps to nearly 46 percent for those between 70 and 79. Doctors say it is not uncommon to encounter patients taking more than 20 drugs to treat acid reflux, heart disease, depression or insomnia or other disorders. Unlike the overuse of opioid painkillers, the polypharmacy problem has attracted little attention, even though its hazards are well documented. But some doctors are working to reverse the trend. At least 15 percent of seniors seeking care annually from doctors or hospitals have suffered a medication problem; in half of these cases, the problem is believed to be potentially preventable. Studies have linked polypharmacy to unnecessary death. Older patients, who have greate...

My dad was big on juicing, and here I refer to the ’70s era, when only a few indulged in such uppity pastimes. One fine day he picked up a juicer, and suddenly orange juice, apple juice and, most importantly, carrot juice became a daily breakfast fare. I loved the little talks I got while drinking the juice, especially carrot juice. “Beta, for sure your eyesight will remain 20/20 forever if you drink a glass of carrot juice every day.” Rightly so, I don’t need glasses at this ripe old age a little south of 50. And then there was my school friend Ayla, whose older sister developed an orange hue to her skin tone because she ate a bucket load of carrots while on a ‘teen years-onset-induced diet’. Hence the carrot anecdotes I have are many, but for now I’ll introduce you to some interesting history notes about the journey of the carrot. Borrowing from the article Food Stories: Gajar Ka Halwa, “Carrots were indigenous to Afghanistan for almost 5,000 years. They came in colours such as ...

Preface to the fourth edition This book was originally intended to combine volumes 1 and 2 of Engineering Surveying, 3rd and  2nd editions respectively. However, the technological developments since the last publication date  (1984) have been so far-reaching as to warrant the complete rewriting, modernizing and production  of an entirely new book. Foremost among these developments are the modern total stations, including the automatic selfseeking instruments; completely  utomated, ‘field to finish’ survey systems; digital levels; land/ geographic information systems (L/GIS) for the managing of any spatially based information or activity; inertial survey systems (ISS); and three-dimensional position fixing by satellites (GPS). In order to include all this new material and still limit the size of the book a conscious decision was made to delete those topics, namely photogrammetry, hydrography and field astronomy, more adequately covered by specialist texts. ...

Socioeconomic inequalities adversely affect health Socioeconomic status is a major determinant of health for both sexes. As a general rule, women in high-income countries live longer and are less likely to suffer from ill-health than women in low-income countries. In high-income countries, death rates among children and younger women are very low and most deaths occur after the age of 60 years   In low-income countries the picture is quite different. The population is younger and death rates at young ages are higher, with most deaths occurring among girls, adolescents and younger adult women. In high-income countries, noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, dementias and cancers, predominate in the 10 leading causes of death, accounting for more than four in every 10 female deaths. By contrast, in low-income countries, maternal and perinatal conditions and communicable diseases (e.g. lower respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases and HI...

Running from PTSD at the Leadville Trail Marathon The mission was to get all 10 participants, not pictured, through the miles, together.  (iStock) Tony Hofmann says he has one goal: to put himself out of a job by making PTSD a thing of the past. “But we’re a long way from that,” he said. The 51-year-old retired army colonel works with Warriors Ascent, an organization that helps veterans and first responders cope with post-traumatic stress using holistic techniques that target the mind, body, and soul. This past Saturday, Hofmann and his team of 10, made up of military personnel and civilian family and friends, tackled the Leadville Trail Marathon, a high-altitude 26.2-mile trail race that winds through one of the highest incorporated cities in America, with an elevation of 10,152 feet, and its highest point peaking at 13,185 feet. The trail courses through an old mining district, with terrain varying from flat paved dirt roads to rocky slopes. Hofmann, ...

Australia wins landmark WTO tobacco packaging case A landmark Australian law on restrictive tobacco packaging has been upheld at the World Trade Organization after a five-year legal battle, Bloomberg news reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the situation. The news is a blow to the tobacco industry as such a ruling from the WTO has been widely anticipated as giving a green light for other countries to roll out similar laws. It could have wider implications if applied to packaging for alcohol and junk food. The Australian law goes much further than advertising bans and graphic health warnings enforced in many other countries. The rules, introduced in 2010, ban logos and distinctive-colored cigarette packaging in favor of drab olive packets that look more like military or prison issue, with brand names printed in small standardized fonts. Tobacco firms said their trademarks were being infringed, and Cuba, Honduras, Dominican Republic and Indonesia com...

Mahnoor Found Way to Weight Loss, Wants to Help Others Social Life ,  18.11.2016 , Photo: personal microblog. Hello, guys! Everybody has noticed that I have lost a lot of weight and  started bombarding me with questions.  I was trying my best to write an answer to everyone and support all of you, but failed - with so many messages to respond to I would have to live online. So, I decided to write this post to answer to the question: " How did you manage to lose 30 kg? " (That doesn't mean you can't write to me or ask something, it just makes my life easier). My transformation took me only ONE MONTH! AMAZING RESULT, RIGHT? Background I've never been skinny but I noticed that I kept gaining more and more weight. Three terrible creases appeared on my belly, I looked like a bulldog in bikini, and my hips, legs and butt were getting bigger and bigger!  I decided to get a fit and healthy body by all means, so I  stopped eating greasy and fried food and g...