Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering & Technology

This paper presents a new robust mutual authentication scheme known as SA-SIP for the protection of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) in VoIP systems. This scheme differs in incorporating an additional version of the Secure PAKE that makes it possible to achieve mutual authentication while avoiding storing secret information on clients. This innovation helps to solve a critical issue of physical attacks on credentials stored during the traditional authentication process. The importance of this work, therefore, is to perform enhancement to both security and performance in SIP-based VoIP systems. First, since PAKE is incorporated in the proposed scheme, some of the attacks such as man-in-the-middle, impersonation, registration hijacking, and denial of service are eliminated but at the same time, the existing security of VoIP is also improved by eliminating the vulnerability of existing systems where credentials are usually stored. Second, the scheme is proven theoretically using the formal tool, ProVerif. Finally, the result of the performance analysis is that SA-SIP still has low computational complexity which makes the proposed scheme suitable for deployment in practical systems. Thus, by providing both security and performance characteristics SA-SIP has the advantage of being an effective and high-impact change in VoIP security.

Abstract The sustainability of public health systems relies heavily on the mental health and well-being of the healthcare workforce. In resource-constrained settings like South Punjab, Pakistan, excessive job demands pose a significant risk to both employee welfare and the quality of healthcare delivery. This study examines the impact of job demands on job performance, specifically investigating the mediating role of emotional exhaustion as a critical determinant of public health service effectiveness. Grounded in the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model and Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERI) theory, this research utilized a quantitative cross-sectional design. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to a purposively selected sample of 249 healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff, from public sector institutions. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique was employed to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings indicate that high job demands exert a significant positive effect on emotional exhaustion (β = 0.835), which subsequently degrades job performance. Emotional exhaustion was found to significantly mediate the relationship between job demands and performance (β = 0.426), suggesting that workforce burnout is a primary pathway through which systemic pressures undermine healthcare service quality.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a common occupational health problem among nurses and may reduce productivity and functional capacity in hospital settings. Objective: To determine the prevalence of LBP among female nursing professionals and evaluate associations between LBP severity and selected occupational and individual risk factors. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted over six months in Lahore hospitals using purposive sampling. Female nurses (n=130) completed a modified Nordic low back pain questionnaire and a visual analogue scale (VAS). Occupational exposures included bending/twisting movements, lifting activities, and patient transfers; individual factors included exercise status and body mass index (BMI). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0, with chi-square tests for associations. Results: Ever-LBP prevalence was 63.8% (83/130) and 12-month prevalence was 53.8% (70/130). Among nurses reporting ever-LBP, 6.0% reported daily pain and 24.1% reported pain for >30 days but not daily during the past 12 months. Reduced work activity and reduced leisure activity were reported by 51.8% and 49.4% of symptomatic nurses, respectively. Severity was significantly associated with bending/twisting (p<0.05), lack of regular exercise (p=0.008), lifting activities (p=0.009), patient transfers (p=0.01), and BMI (p=0.001), while shift time, standing time, and sleep duration were not significant. Conclusion: LBP was highly prevalent among nurses and was linked to modifiable ergonomic exposures and BMI.

ABSTRACT This study systematically evaluated the effects of various physical and chemical modifications, including heat‐moisture treatment, sonication, annealing, acetylation, and succinylation, on the physicochemical and functional properties of mango kernel starch. The characterization of modified starch revealed that the modifications significantly improved key parameters; tapped density ranged from 0.39±0.04 to 0.74±0.01 g/mL, and bulk density from 0.32±0.04 to 0.62±0.05 g/mL among different treatments, indicating enhanced packing and flow properties. Water absorption capacity was in the range of 128.67±3.06% to 203.67±1.53%, and swelling power was between 28.67±1.56% and 53.33±0.40%, reflecting improved starch granule hydration and swelling potential after modification. Amylose content ranged from 41.42±0.36% to 8.29±0.02%, while amylopectin content correspondingly ranged between 58.58±0.36% and 91.70±0.02%, suggesting structural changes favoring branched glucan chains. The degrees of substitution for acetylated (0.06±0.02 to 0.09±0.02) and succinylated (0.03±0.01 to 0.06±0.01) starch confirmed altered functional attributes. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis revealed positive correlations of modification treatments and amylopectin, whitening index, and absorption capacities, while negative correlations with amylose content, tapped density, bulk density, and Carr's index. The findings of this study suggest that both physical and chemical modification treatments can diversify starch properties for potential applications in food industries.

This research’s prime focus was to synthesize the nano-sized Nd[Formula: see text]-substituted Sr[Formula: see text]Nd x Fe 8 O[Formula: see text] T-type hexaferrites with the composition ([Formula: see text], 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15) to augment indulgence of their magnetic properties. Such insights are essential for exploring the imminent applications of these materials in the biomedical field. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the samples were single-phase hexagonal ferrites. The crystallite size varied from 25.10[Formula: see text]nm to 25.39[Formula: see text]nm. The P–E loops indicated that the materials’ lossy behavior decreased with Nd[Formula: see text] content, unveiling an improvement in ferroelectric behavior. The saturation magnetization (M s ) values varied from 4.79[Formula: see text]emu/g to 18.41[Formula: see text]emu/g and coercivity from 1955.90[Formula: see text]Oe to 2614.34[Formula: see text]Oe. The coercivity value suggests that the material might be used in data storage, recording media devices and storage and permanent magnet applications. The heat generated during the alternative magnetic field hyperthermia process establishes these materials as a formidable intervention for decisively targeting tumors, leveraging elevated temperatures to disrupt their growth and survival, paving the way for a significant breakthrough in cancer therapy.

In this work, design and implemention of a Conversational AI Platform of Medical Appointment Management that will be automated to schedule patients with the help of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and intelligent scheduling algorithms. The system is built on the Rasa framework and connected with a real-time database, MySQL, which provides users with the possibility to book, reschedule, and cancel the appointments using natural dialogue. Experimental analysis on 200 simulated interactions showed that it decreased the time to book by 72 percent, reduced no-show rates by 37 percent, and increased user satisfaction by 24 percent over manual procedures. The findings affirm that conversational AI can be a significant contributor to operational efficiency and patient participation in the e-health setting.

This work showcases the design and development of a real-time health monitoring system with the STM32F429 microcontroller. The system is designed to monitor continuously and analyze fundamental physiological parameters such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature. These vital signs are essential indicators of an individual's health condition and can help identify medical abnormalities early. The core processing unit is the STM32F429 microcontroller, which is renowned for its low power usage, high performance, and extensive peripheral support. It communicates with biomedical sensors to read data, which is processed and output on an LCD display. Abnormality detection logic is also provided as part of the system to notify users when any of the parameters exceed the specified safe limits. With portability, accuracy, and affordability as the designing philosophy, this embedded solution provides enormous opportunities for tracking personal health, remote monitoring of patients, and integration with Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems. The project showcases the effective application of embedded systems to enhance healthcare delivery, particularly in resource-limited or remote settings.

Co-housing is a new type of modern housing where residents share interests, intentions but above all share a common living space where they are like a family. It is based on the concept of openness and collaboration; residents benefit from their bedroom and bathroom and share common spaces such as the kitchen, stairs, gym, and working spaces, etc. Through its various common spaces, co-housing offers the possibility of creating a large network of friends, making new acquaintances, and sharing several things with others. Most residences organize various activities and eventsin the common spaces to integrate the users of these spaces in daily life. This paper will examine, understand, and study Common Spaces and how they are planned out is Co-Housing Projects. The main objective of this paper is to highlight the trend of Co-housing increasing throughout the world and its prime focus would be on the spaces the user shares and how and where these spaces such as Living Areas, Dining Areas, and Laundry Service Areas should be given to have maximum social interaction. The paper will use the method of comparison to study five Co-housing projects from different areas of the world to provide a discussion and understanding of how these common spaces are planed out and provide a platform for human interactions, and how these spaces can make the life of its users easy and comfortable.