Initiation and Breakdown of an Axisymmetric Hydraulic Fracture Transverse to a Horizontal Wellbore

We investigate the initiation and early-stage propagation of an axi-symmetric hydraulic fracture from a wellbore drilled in the direction of the minimum principal stress in an elastic and impermeable formation. Such a configuration is akin to the case of a horizontal well and a hydraulic fracture transverse to the well axis in an open hole completion. In addition to the effect of the wellbore on the elasticity equation, the effect of the injection system compressibility is also taken into account. The formulation accounts for the strong coupling between the elasticity equation, the flow of the injected fluid within the newly created crack and the fracture propagation condition. Dimensional analysis of the problem reveals that three dimensionless parameters control the entire problem: the ratio of the initial defect length over the wellbore radius, the ratio between the wellbore radius and a length-scale associated with the fluid stored by compressibility in the injection system during the well pressurization, and finally the ratio of the time-scale of transition from viscosity to toughness dominated propagation to the time-scale associated with compressibility effects. A fully coupled numerical solver is presented, and validated against solutions for a radial hydraulic fracture propagating in an infinite medium. The influence of the different parameters on the transition from the near-wellbore to the case of a hydraulic fracture propagating in an infinite medium is fully discussed

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Foreign Students Stranded from Chinese Universities

The study aims to inspect the influence of the pandemic of COVID-19 on the mental health of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, who have been stranded from Chinese universities. The study used the online questionnaire, which was comprised of three scales. These are self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), the self-rating depression scale (SDS), and the scale for social avoidance and distress (SAD). A total of 159 undergraduates and 153 postgraduate students have participated in this study and it comprises both males and females. For exploring the impact of the Covid-19 on the mental health of the students, who have been stranded from Chinese universities, the study has made the use of the independent sample t-test and analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA). The findings show that Mental health of students stranded from universities negatively affected due to high level of anxiety, depression, and social anxiety due to pandemic. However, the level of anxiety, depression, and social anxiety has reduced to some extent as compare to earlier studies after the emergence of pandemic of COVID-19. The outbreak of COVID-19 has affected females more than males and the postgraduate students have a lower level of depression as compared to the undergraduate students because they have shown a higher level of mean and standard deviation values. Moreover, the depression level was high among the students of Natural and Applied sciences. The results also confirm that the level of anxiety, depression, and social anxiety was high in the young students as compared to the mature ones. Then, the level of anxiety and social anxiety was high in the students, who could not resume their classes and degrees. The findings of this study suggest that the mental health o undergraduate and postgraduate students should be carefully monitored after the pandemic of COVID-19 because it has left a deep mark on their mental health. Furthermore, it also calls for proper psychological counseling for addressing the issues of depression and anxiety in them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Tunneling and Propping through Related Party Transactions in Pakistani Family Business Groups

The aim of this study is to analyze the agency issues like tunneling and propping while examining the impact of Related Party Transactions (RPTs) in firms with respect to family business groups of Pakistan.This study used a sample of 326 non-financial firms listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange in the period from 2008 to 2013 by examination of over four thousand five hundred RPTs. For data analysis, panel regression models with both firm and year fixed effects as well as logit model are applied.The findings depict that controlling shareholder in firms affiliated with family business groups mostly tunnel resources through cash payments and trade of goods & services and prop up resources through cash receipts transactions. The study also finds that tunneling related transactions are more significant in firms that have larger size, market value and other receivables balances. Whereas, propping related transactions are dominant in highly leveraged firms with lower return on assets.This study is limited to Pakistani nonfinancial sector. The results implied that interests of minority shareholders are considerably affected by the hidden operations of the majority shareholders in family business group firms. The minority shareholders need to be more cognizant of the family business group firms’ ownership structures, board members, directors’ shareholding and related party transactions.This study provides new insights on ‘propping’ besides ‘tunneling’ in Pakistani family-owned companies, which has received little attention in the context of emerging economies, and Pakistan

Mandarin's Impact on Poverty Alleviation: An Empirical Study Based on Economic and Social Interaction Dimensions

This paper studies the effect of Mandarin proficiency on poverty reduction and its mechanism. The China General Social Survey (CGSS) is taken as the data source. From the perspective of social integration, the poverty reduction effect of Putonghua and its mechanism are empirically studied from the perspective of social interaction, social fairness, and social trust. The findings showed that improving the ability to listen and speak Mandarin positively affects social interaction, social trust, and social fairness. It showed that Putonghua proficiency positively correlates with the suppression of economic poverty. After the occurrence of poverty, whether a sample of absolute poverty or relative poverty, the ability to listen and speak in Mandarin has a specific inhibitory effect on social interaction, social trust, and social fairness. After the occurrence of poverty, the frequency of social interaction, social trust, and social public since have been reduced to a certain extent. Specifically, the ability to express Mandarin has shown remarkable results in improving social interaction, and the ability to listen among ordinary people has shown remarkable results in enhancing social fairness. The results of this paper provide empirical evidence of poverty alleviation in China via Improving Mandarin Proficiency. This research is also of great significance for optimizing poverty alleviation paths through language in the post-poverty alleviation era

Strategies for Improving Chinese Writing Exercises of Senior Grade Students in the Primary School of the Yi Ethnic Group

There has been a strong consensus among previous researchers that first language interferes with second language acquisition. A limited number of studies have been conducted to examine this interference in writing Chinese. Chinese writing exercises for primary school students of the Yi ethnic group in rural areas tend to encourage students to incorporate their native language habits into Chinese writing practices. This enables students to apply modern Chinese word order to the Yi language paradigm. Consequently, they are prone to grammatical errors, word order errors, and collocation errors in their compositions. This study focuses on elementary school students' writing abilities in order to alleviate their fears associated with Chinese writing. It also assists them in grasping the second language writing paradigm, and enjoying writing. In addition, by analyzing the composition errors of the students in the corpus, we propose some practical recommendations from three perspectives: educators, students, and institutions. These recommendations will enhance language and writing education within ethnic communities through theoretical and practical strategies

ROLE OF SPORTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELECTED MOOD PROFILE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ATHLETES HAVING DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC ATTRIBUTES

Background: Role of sports in the development of mood states or association between sports participation and different mood state is a topic debate for decades (Vitale, La Torre, Baldassarre, Piacentini, & Bonato, 2017). The main purpose of the study was role of sports in the development of selected mood profile: a comparative study of athletes having different demographic attributes. The hypotheses of the study were there is significant gender wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile, there is significant coaching style wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile, there is significant playing environment wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile and there is significant individual vs. team sports difference in selected mood profile of athletes. Methods: Total 1430 elite athletes were entertained using available sampling technique. Modified version of profile of mood states (POMs) was used as an instrument. Results: The researcher found that female score significantly better than male athletes in tension, depression anger, fatigue and confusion but not in vigor as well as athletes having supportive coach score better in total mood disturbance than athletes having controlling coach. Conclusions: The researcher concluded that the athlete who practicing in hot environment score better in total mood disturbance than athletes who played in cool environment. As well as the athletes from individual sports score better in total mood disturbance than team sports participant. The researcher recommended that the athletes should get special attention from the coach with special reference to psychological management of the athletes. The athletes should participate in individual sports to avoid tension depression and other psychological problems.  Â

Status of Rural Women: Patriarchy and Inevitability of Subjugation; A Study of Rural Area in Multan, Pakistan

Women are oppressed in every walk of life but oppression may differ from place to place. Urban Rural divide has shown the different social structures for women. The present research was conducted with these objectives: to identify the status of women in rural settings, to analysis perception of society about social status of women, to explore the impact of Patriarchy on women in context of rural settings of Multan, Pakistan. Mix research methods were used to carry this research. Interviews were conducted from 100 married women, living in rural areas of Multan. A Focus Group Discussion was also conducted to address the research questions. The findings of the study suggest that women’s health, education and economic status is poor, whereas women’s status stems from patriarchy, the power and controlling structure where men dominates over women. This is patriarchy which maintains the women’s submissive role and it generates a structure which subjugates women of rural area. The study suggests that by expanding the canvas of formal economy, it may channelize the women’s low paid or unpaid work. This can help enhance women’s economic and social status in rural areas. Key Words: Patriarchy, Status of Women, Rural Women, Gender Inequalit

ROLE OF SPORTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELECTED MOOD PROFILE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ATHLETES HAVING DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC ATTRIBUTES

Background: Role of sports in the development of mood states or association between sports participation and different mood state is a topic debate for decades (Vitale, La Torre, Baldassarre, Piacentini, & Bonato, 2017). The main purpose of the study was role of sports in the development of selected mood profile: a comparative study of athletes having different demographic attributes. The hypotheses of the study were there is significant gender wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile, there is significant coaching style wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile, there is significant playing environment wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile and there is significant individual vs. team sports difference in selected mood profile of athletes. Methods: Total 1430 elite athletes were entertained using available sampling technique. Modified version of profile of mood states (POMs) was used as an instrument. Results: The researcher found that female score significantly better than male athletes in tension, depression anger, fatigue and confusion but not in vigor as well as athletes having supportive coach score better in total mood disturbance than athletes having controlling coach. Conclusions: The researcher concluded that the athlete who practicing in hot environment score better in total mood disturbance than athletes who played in cool environment. As well as the athletes from individual sports score better in total mood disturbance than team sports participant. The researcher recommended that the athletes should get special attention from the coach with special reference to psychological management of the athletes. The athletes should participate in individual sports to avoid tension depression and other psychological problems.