On Geometro-thermodynamics of Dilaton Black Holes

In this talk we present the latest results from our ongoing project on geometro-thermodynamics (also known as information geometry of thermodynamics or Ruppeiner geometry) of dilaton BHs in 4D in both Einstein and string frames and a dyonic dilaton BH and at the end we report very briefly results from this approach to the 2D dilaton BHs.Comment: Talk given at 30th Spanish Relativity Meeting (ERE 2007): Relativistic Astrophysics And Cosmology, 10-14 Sep 2007, Puerto de La Cruz, Tenerife, Spain. Typos correcte

Ruppeiner theory of black hole thermodynamics

The Ruppeiner metric as determined by the Hessian of the Gibbs surface provides a geometric description of thermodynamic systems in equilibrium. An interesting example is a black hole in equilibrium with its own Hawking radiation. In this article, we present results from the Ruppeiner study of various black hole families from different gravity theories e.g. 2D dilaton gravity, BTZ, general relativity and higher-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell gravity.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure. Talk given by N Pidokrajt at ERE2006 in Palma de Mallorca, Spai

WORK-LIFE CONFLICT AND FEMALE STAFF TURNOVER INTENTIONS: A CASE OF BANKING INDUSTRY OF PESHAWAR PAKISTAN

Employees’ turnover is a substantial challenge faced by every organization and that of the banking industry is of no exemption. Previous researches primarily focused on investigating the single-level analysis of employees’ turnover intentions in the banking industry of Pakistan, but this study seeks to investigate the multi-dimensional work-life conflict effect on turnover intentions particularly amongst females working at banks of Peshawar. The data gathered through structured questionnaires from a total of one fifty female staff primarily working at private, public, and foreign banks of Peshawar, Pakistan. The study concludes that an increased multi-dimensional effect in terms of social, family and personal life and work-life conflict ultimately leads to the greater female staff’s turnover intentions in banking industry Peshawar. This study proposes some valuable recommendations for human resource managers and policymakers to retain female workers in banks. Â

Urease Inhibitor Application Stages and Nitrogen Levels Influenced on Morpo-Phenological Traits of Wheat Cultivars

A field trial was carried out at New Developmental Farm of The University Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan during winter 2012-13, in order to study the urease inhibitor application stages and nitrogen levels influenced on morpo-phenological traits of wheat cultivars. Therefore the field experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement having four replications.  Nitrogen levels (60, 120 and 150 kg ha-1) and urease inhibitor  stages (100% sowing stage, 50% sowing stage + 50% booting stage and 100% booting stage) were allotted to main plots, while  wheat cultivars (Siran and Atta Habib)  were allotted to sub plots.  Plots treated with 120 kg N ha-1 took maximum days to booting (128), improved plant height (97.9 cm), leaf area tiller-1 (117.8 cm2), spike length (11.3 cm) and biological yield (10382 kg ha-1) but maximum (185) days to maturity  was observed when plots treated with 150 kg N ha-1 as compared with control plots. Application of urease inhibitor 100% at sowing stage took maximum booting (133) days, maturity (186) days, improved plant height (102 cm), leaf area tiller-1 (128 cm2), spike length (11.6 cm) and biological yield (11386 kg ha-1) as compared with urease application 100% at booting stage. Wheat cultivar Siran had significantly took maximum booting (123) days, maturity (178) days, plant height (94.5 cm), leaf area tiller-1 (97.6 cm2), spike length (10.3 cm) and biological yield (9331 kg ha-1) as compared to Atta Habib. Hence cultivar Siran treated with 120 kg N ha-1 and coated urease inhibitor 100% at sowing stage produced the best results in terms of plant height, leaf area tiller-1, physiological maturity and biological yield. Keywords: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), urease inhibitor application stages, nitrogen levels, wheat cultivars, phenology, morpholog

RELATIVE COMPARISON OF STABILITY AND DEGRADATION OF METHYLCOBALAMIN TABLETS OF DIFFERENT BRANDS AT DIFFERENT STORAGE SETTINGS

Objective: To assess relative comparison of stability and degradation of Methylcobalamin tablets of different brands at various storage circumstances. Methods: The comparative in vitro study of Methycobal (innovator brand) with its other 5 different brands Cobalamin, Neuromet, Incobal, Qbal and Mecobal was organized for evaluation of physicochemical features of hardness, thickness, friability, weight variation, disintegration time and accelerated stability at 3 temperatures, 25 °C, 30 °C±65 % and 40 °C±75 % respectively for 3 mo. Later all brands were passed through HPLC for checking the extent of degradation of drug products. Results: All tablet brands were within the weight variation specified limits except Mecobal with a relative standard deviation of 6.83%. The weight variation values of Methycobal, Cobalamin, Neuromet, Incobal, Qbal and Mecobal were 0.29%, 0.11%, 0.09%, 0.13%, 0.09% and 0.14% after friability test respectively as per standard limits. The average thickness of Cobalamin, Incobal and Mecobal were not within specified limits. The average hardness of all trades was within limits except Cobalamin and Mecobal exceeding 6kp. The disintegration time of all companies was as per specifications. Conclusion: Qbal was found economical and cost-effective. However, study facts unveiled no noteworthy variety in the Q. C assessments of Methylcobalamin brands

A Historical Analysis of Trends in Pakhtun Ethno-Nationalism

Although, historically, the first political manifestations of Pakhtun nationalism may be traced to Bayazid Ansari’s (1525-85) Roshani movement (Gregorian, 1969 :43-45; and Misdaq, 2006: 36-39) and Khushal Khan Khattak’s (1513-89) rebellion against the Mughal rule, however, its ethno-nationalist roots are usually mapped out from the pre-partition mobilization of common Pakhtun masses by the Khudai Khidmatgar (servants of the God) movement of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. Starting off as a social reform society, the Khudai Khidmatgars metamorphosized into first an anti-colonial nationalist movement, evolving on the eve of partition of India, into one of ethnic nationalism. The post-independence period witnessed calls for attainment of either an independent Pakhtunistan or greater autonomy for the Pakhtun regions within a federal structure of the state. The irredentist trend in Pakhtun ethno-nationalist politics manifested itself in the controversial Pakhtunistan issue that strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistani state’s growth and rise in ethnic Pakhtun share in the civil-military bureaucracy witnessed greater integration of Pakhtuns within the polity of Pakistan and a dampening of separatist tendencies in them. Renaming of NWFP as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and extension of provincial autonomy under the 18th Amendment further boosted Pakhtun ethnic integration into the state of Pakistan. More recently, however, Pakhtun ethno-nationalist movement is believed to be assuming a distinct fervor. The rise of Taliban phenomenon in the tribal belt and settled districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been labeled as a violent manifestation of Pakhtun ethnonationalism manifested in an Islamist garb. The paper, besides analyzing the integrationist and the separatist (irredentist) trends in Pakhtun ethno-nationalist politics, also aims at exploring the more recent phenomena of its construction around the conceptual framework of ‘ethnicizing Islam’ in the Pakhtun context.&nbsp

An optimized beuro-bee algorithm approach to predict the FRP-concrete bond strength of RC beams

Over the world, there is growing worry about the corrosion of reinforced concrete structures. Structure repair, rehabilitation, replacement, and new structures all require cost-effective and long-lasting technologies. Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) has been widely employed in both retrofitting existing structures and building new ones. Due to its varied qualities in reinforced concrete and masonry constructions as a repair composite material, FRP have seen a rise in use over the last decade. This material have several advantages such as high stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios, light weight, possibly high longevity, and relative ease of usage in the field. Among all the parameters the bond between concrete and FRP composite play an important role in the strengthening of structures. However, the bond behaviour of the FRP-concrete interface is complex, with several failure modes, making the bond strength difficult to forecast, resulting in the FRP strengthened concrete structure. To overcome such kind of issues machine learning models are sufficient to forecast the bond strength of FRP-concrete. In this article Artificial Neural Network (ANN), optimized Artificial Bee Colony (ABC)-ANN and Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) algorithms are deployed to predict the bond strength. The R-value of ABC-ANN and GPR models are 0.9514 and 0.9618 respectively. This research aids researchers in estimating bond strength in less time, at a lower cost, and with less experimental work.Web of Science103806379

Banning the bulb: institutional evolution and the phased ban of incandescent lighting in Germany

Much academic attention has been directed at analysing energy efficiency investments through the lens of ‘behavioural failure’. These studies have challenged the neoclassical framing of regulation which emphasises the efficiency benefits of price based policy, underpinned by the notion of rational individual self-mastery. The increasing use of a regulatory ban on electric lamps in many countries is one of the most recent and high profile flash points in this dialectic of ‘freedom-versus-the-state’ in the public policy discourse. This paper interrogates this debate through a study of electric lamp diffusion in Germany. It is argued that neoclassical theory and equilibrium analysis is inadequate as a tool for policy analysis as it takes the formation of market institutions, such as existing regulations, for granted. Further still, it may be prone to encourage idealistic debates around such grand narratives which may in practice simply serve those who benefit most from the status quo. Instead we argue for an evolutionary approach which we suggest offers a more pragmatic framing tool which focuses on the formation of market institutions in light of shifting social norms and political goals—in our case, progress towards energy efficiency and environmental goals