Leakage analysis of gasketed flange joints under combined internap pressure and thermal loading

Leakage in Gasketed Flanged Joints (GFJs) have always been a great problem for the process industry. The sealing performance of a GFJ depends on its installation and applied loading conditions. This paper aims to finding the leak rate through ANSI class#150 flange joints using a compressed asbestos sheet (CAS) gasket under combined structural and thermal transient loading conditions using two different leak rate models and two different bolt-up levels. The first model is a Gasket Compressive Strain model in which strains are determined using finite element analysis. The other model is based on Porous Media Theory in which gasket is considered as porous media. Leakage rates are determined using both leak rate models and are compared against appropriate tightness classes and the effectiveness of each approach is presented

Repositioning Virtual University of Pakistan

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the concept of repositioning with a single case study design.  Case study selected for this research is the Virtual University (VU) of Pakistan. VU is the first Pakistani university based completely on modern information and communication technologies, was established by the Government as a public sector, not-for-profit institution. One of the challenges VU management faces as of now is regarding the perception of the university. Generally, VU is perceived as a sub-standard university and it is thought that only those who could not secure admission anywhere else have joined this institution. Secondly, masses have always been skeptical about the quality of education imparted at VU. The low fees are assumed to indicate poor quality of education and the government funding and subsidies are not considered as efforts to improve the standard of education in the country. VU has also signed a number of MOUs with top foreign and local universities, but these important associations have not been promoted effectively by VU so far.  Perhaps the greatest challenge surrounding the VU management is the consumer’s perception about the employability of VU graduates. This perception of masses about VU could have been changed by repositioning VU with an appropriately redesigned promotion campaign. Soon VU management realized the lack of advertising effectiveness and changed their positioning strategy. Three important changes they have made. Firstly, instead of targeting graduation ceremony or convocation, they moved towards Endorsements. They contacted their well-placed graduates in corporate sector and ask their endorsements. This was sensed immediately by the target audience and helped VU in enhancing their image.  Secondly they moved towards color advertisements in black and white classified pages which resulted in immediate recognition of their advertisements. Thirdly, they changed their program offerings and started offering 18-year MS degree programs which has resulted in enhancing consumer perceptions towards high quality education at VU. This capstone decision was proved fruitful measured by subsequent perception surveys. Keywords: Marketing, Positioning, Repositioning, Advertising Campaign, Services, University, Pakista

Youth Development Challenges in Pakistan: Need for Youth Empowerment

This paper discusses challenges related to youth development in Pakistan. Youth bulge is an ever increasing global threat and Pakistan’s majority of population is youth. No doubt, youth is a resource but if left unutilized and ignored, it can be a challenge for a country. Youth in Pakistan is facing multiple challenges that hinder their endeavor for their own development as well country’s wellbeing. This paper suggests creating and implementing effective youth policies with equal participation of young people as stakeholders. It is also recommended to create coordination among provinces of the country for the purpose of improving youth wellbeing. This paper puts forth assumption that developed youth make a developed country, so youth development must be taken as priority task by the policymakers and legislators of Pakistan. Keywords: Youth Development, Youth Empowerment, Youth Policy, Pakista

Isolated deep venous thrombosis--case series, literature review and long term follow up.

Cerebral Venous Sinus thrombosis may rarely be isolated to a cortical vein or to the deep venous system. When the deep venous system is involved, prognosis is generally poor. In addition, long term follow up is not reported. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients admitted to a major tertiary care center, with the diagnosis of isolated deep venous thrombosis. Two patients were identified with isolated involvement of the deep venous system, they are reviewed in detail with long term follow up. Two young South Asian women in their thirties with rapid onset of neurologic signs and symptoms are reported. Even when one patient required intubation and mechanical ventilation for stupor, both had excellent neurologic recovery. Over 6 years of follow up there has been no recurrence. In spite of stupor at presentation, complete recovery is possible without long term recurrence

Restoration of glenohumeral motion in erb\u27s palsy by tendon transfers

Background: Children with erb\u27s palsy have significant functional disability, mainly related to the shoulder. The objective of this study was to analyze the functional outcome of tendon transfers performed for restoration of shoulder motion in patients with Erb\u27s palsy.Methods: This descriptive case series was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital from May 1999 to December 2003. Ten patients who had functional deficit of shoulder elevation were operated by a single surgeon. The surgical procedure; modified Sever L\u27Episcopo procedure was uniform in all cases. The data was collected through patient interviewing and medical records maintained through Health Information Management System (HIMS). Mallet class was recorded preoperatively and postoperatively.Results: Ten patients; seven females (70%) and three males (30%), with average age of 75 months at operation were included in this series. Right shoulder was affected in seven cases (70%) while left in three cases (30%). Preoperative mallet class for global abduction improved from 3 to 4; for global external rotation from 2 to 4 and for ability to bring the hand to mouth and neck from 1 to 3. Post operatively mallet class improved in all aspects to 4 and 5; statistically significant on paired t-test with p value of less than 0.005. There was a significant improvement in abduction, forward flexion and external rotation as compared to -preoperative values; statistically significant on paired t-test with p value of less than 0.005.Conclusion: Tendon transfer improves the functional status of shoulder in late cases of Erb\u27s Palsy with significant improvement in mallet class, cosmesis and patient satisfaction. A motivated patient, compliance and aggressive rehabilitation are important outcome parameters

Delayed supramalleolar flap: An innovative technique for enhanced viability

Background: Delaying flap rotation for 48 to 72 hours leads to opening of choke anastomotic vessels linking adjacent vascular territories. This mechanism enhances flap circulation. Lateral supramalleolar flap with larger dimensions or vascular variations can potentially have survival problems. The purpose of this study is to assess the outcome of delayed lateral supramalleolar flap.Methods: This descriptive case series was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from May 1999 to December 2004. Eight cases of delayed lateral supramalleolar flap were identified through medical records maintained through Health Information Management Systems (HIMS). A detailed questionnaire was developed addressing variables of interest.Results: Eight patients required flap delay for 48 hours out of 25 patients, who underwent lateral supramalleolar flap for coverage of foot and ankle soft tissue defects. There were six male (75%) and two female (25%) patients with average age of 31.25 years ranging from 5-52. The reasons for delaying lateral supramalleolar flap were larger flap dimension in four (50%), absent peroneal artery perforator in three (37.5%) and one patient (12.5%) had poor circulation in immediate postoperative period. All the patients required two stage procedure and had excellent coverage of defects. No flap failure occurred subsequent to the delay procedure.Conclusions: Flap delay enhanced survival and extended the viable dimensions of lateral supramalleolar flap. Compromised circulation in larger flaps and flaps with vascular variations can be improved by delaying flap transfer to the recipient site for 48 hours following its elevation

The role of dynamic response parameters in damage prediction

This article presents a literature review of published methods for damage identification and prediction in mechanical structures. It discusses ways which can identify and predict structural damage from dynamic response parameters such as natural frequencies, mode shapes, and vibration amplitudes. There are many structural applications in which dynamic loads are coupled with thermal loads. Hence, a review on those methods, which have discussed structural damage under coupled loads, is also presented. Structural health monitoring with other techniques such as elastic wave propagation, wavelet transform, modal parameter, and artificial intelligence are also discussed. The published research is critically analyzed and the role of dynamic response parameters in structural health monitoring is discussed. The conclusion highlights the research gaps and future research direction

Effects of audit quality on earnings quality and cost of equity capital: evidence from India

In this paper, using a large sample covering the 10 years from 1998 to 2009, we examine the role of audit quality in earnings quality (discretionary accruals and income smoothing) and cost of equity capital of Indian firms. We find evidence that firms employing high quality auditors experience higher earnings quality and lower cost of equity capital. We find that firms belonging to business groups have higher earnings quality and lower cost of equity capital than their non-business group counterparts. The results do not change after utilising alternative proxies for audit quality, earnings quality and cost of equity. Our findings contribute significantly to the literature on the role of audit quality as an effective monitoring mechanism as reflected in firm level earnings quality and cost of equity capital of listed firms in India which has distinct institutional features in relation to ownership structures and operations