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Face Super Resolution Based on Identity Preserving V-Network
Muhammad Younas
Numerous super-resolution methods have been developed to restore and upsample low-resolution and low-detail images to higher resolutions. Specifically, face super-resolution studies aim to restore various degradations in facial images while enhancing their resolution and preserving details. This study proposes the VNet architecture, which consists of a deep learning-based convolutional network for converting low-resolution and degraded facial images into high-quality and detailed images, and a pre-trained FaceNet model to preserve identity (biometric) information. The architecture leverages the advantages of the Encoder-Decoder structure bidirectionally to maintain details and recover lost information. In the initial stage, the Encoder module compresses the image representation, filtering out unnecessary information. The Decoder module then reconstructs the high-resolution and restored image from the compressed representation. The use of residual connections in this process helps minimize information loss while preserving details. The final stage utilizes the identity loss feedback from the FaceNet model to enhance the image without deviating from the original identity context. Tests conducted on various facial datasets demonstrate that VNet achieves high metric performance in both super-resolution and restoration tasks. The results indicate that the proposed architecture is effective in producing realistic and high quality versions of low-resolution and degraded facial images.
April 27, 2026
Evaluating Pakistan’s Legal Framework for Climate Justice: Normative Gaps and Reform Opportunities
Muhammad Younas
Pakistan’s acute vulnerability to climate change—manifested in glacial retreat, rising temperatures, water scarcity, and widespread climate-induced displacement—demands a critical examination of its climate governance and legal response. This study explores the country’s geographic and socio-political exposure to climate risks and investigates the effectiveness of its existing legal frameworks in promoting climate justice. Despite being a signatory to key international agreements, Pakistan continues to face challenges in translating policy commitments into inclusive and equitable outcomes. Using a qualitative methodology grounded in doctrinal legal analysis and policy review, the study evaluates national instruments such as the Pakistan Climate Change Act (2017) and the National Climate Change Policy (2021), alongside judicial interventions by the Supreme Court. Findings reveal systemic issues including institutional fragmentation, weak enforcement capacity, underutilization of climate finance mechanisms, and limited representation of vulnerable communities in decision-making. The judiciary’s proactive role in interpreting the constitutional right to a healthy environment is highlighted as a key enabler of climate justice. Nevertheless, substantial gaps persist between policy articulation and practical implementation. The research identifies opportunities to strengthen climate governance by institutionalizing participation, enhancing legal accountability, and operationalizing financial and institutional support mechanisms. By bridging these gaps, Pakistan can advance a more just, inclusive, and resilient response to climate change, setting a precedent for similar nations in the Global South. This article concludes with practical recommendations for legal reform, improved institutional coordination, and increased grassroots engagement to achieve climate justice.
April 27, 2026
Health dynamics in war-torn Yemen: insights from 32 years of epidemiological data (1990 2021)
Muhammad Younas, Mehmood Ahmad
Background Yemen is the poorest and war-torn country in the North Africa and Middle East region and lacks a comprehensive assessment of temporal trends in the overall disease burden, injuries, and disabilities at the country level; these insights are required to guide healthcare interventions and improve overall population health. We estimated the burden and temporal trends of diseases and their risk factors in Yemen between 1990 and 2021 using data from the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD), Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2021. Methods In this systematic analysis, we presented all-causes and cause-specific mortality rates, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), as well as the life expectancy at birth and health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) using the standardized GBD methodology. Moreover, we compared the disease burden of Yemen with the top five war-torn countries based on the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2021, including Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, and Iraq. Results In Yemen, the life expectancy at birth increased from 59.0 years (95% UI 56.4–61.8) in 1990 to 65.3 years (95% UI 62.2–67.9) in 2021. Between 1990 and 2021, the all-causes age-standardized mortality rate in Yemen decreased from 1471.7 deaths (95% UI 1268.4-1696.3) to 1347.2 deaths (95% UI 1097.5-1659.5). However, the age-standardized mortality rate caused by conflict and terrorism substantially increased from 1.9 deaths (95% UI 1.7–2.1) to 50.0 deaths (95% UI 45.5–55.0) between 2010 and 2021. In 2021, ischemic heart disease, COVID-19, stroke, hypertensive heart disease, conflict and terrorism, and neonatal disorders were leading causes of age-standardized mortality and YLLs rate. Dietary iron deficiency, low back pain, depressive disorders, headache disorders, anxiety disorders, and gynecological diseases were the leading causes of age-standardized YLDs rate in 2021. High blood pressure, high levels of low-density lipoprotein, smoking, low birth weight, and short gestations were the leading risk factors for age-standardized mortality in 2021. Yemen ranked 3rd in terms of high age-standardized all-causes deaths, YLLs, and lowest HALE at birth and lowest life expectancy at birth among the top five war-torn countries in 2021. Conclusion Yemen must proportionately address the burden caused by non-communicable diseases, communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases, and conflict and terrorism.
April 27, 2026
Adeel Testing
Adeel Gill
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April 15, 2026