Identifying factors in differential hurricane damage to the forests in the Southern Yucatan Peninsula using MODIS imagery

Hurricane damage to tropical forests has immediate impacts such as branch and trunk damage or tree uprooting, and long-term impacts including mortality, and changes in species composition. Satellite imagery can provide regional-scale, continuous coverage of hurricane damage to locate areas of high impact and track forest recovery. This study identifies immediate disturbance to forest types from Hurricane Dean, category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, in 2007 in the southern Yucat´an Peninsula. Spectral mixture analysis applied to 500 m 8-day surface reflectance imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is used to map changes in fractions of green vegetation (GV) and non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) throughout the hurricane impacted area. GV loss and NPV gain varied by wind speed and forest type. Tall and medium forests covered the largest area that experienced coincident high GV loss and NPV gain. Throughout all forest types, the highest mean GV loss occurred in modeled wind speeds of 60-62 m/s. The highest mean NPV gain throughout all forests occurred in wind speeds of 75-77 m/s. Forests experienced a higher mean GV loss north of the track at a distance of up to 10 km from the track and 25-80 km from the track. At 25-80 km from the hurricane track, forests experienced a higher mean NPV gain north of the track as opposed to south of the track. The results of the study indicate that locating hurricane damage using satellite imagery might benefit from using multiple indicators that are sensitive to both the decrease in green vegetation and the increase in woody debris

Modest Aspirations: Day Dreams, Frivolity, and Digital Lives of Public College Girls in Lahore, Pakistan

This project was conceived out of a policy announcement in 2016 where the Higher Education Commission Pakistan announced that the two-year colleges were to be phased out and eventually eliminated. In doing so, the notice suggested that they will be replaced by programs modeled around the United States community college and called Associate Degrees. This ongoing development formed the basis of my research as for many gender and class minorities, these programs are the only option for post-secondary education in a country where many do not have the privilege to go to college. I aimed to analyze the kind of education they received during their time, their aspirations, and what they hope to get out of this program. This thesis is divided into three chapters: the first one is called “Daydreams and Aspirations” and it explores a straightforward question: what does the future look like for these girls? Do they have certain aspirations regarding their careers or their home lives? What kinds of lives do they envision for themselves and how do we understand dreams and aspirations from a gendered and classed lens? Following this thread of inquiry, the second chapter is called “Navigating the Mundane: Fun, Frivolity, and Timepass” where I re-examine notions of transgressions, idleness, and the passing of time in college outside of attending classes and studying. Through this perspective, I am making a larger argument about how frivolities like teasing, joking, and doing nothing which are usually dismissed are important points of observation that unravel the complex dynamics of home and personal lives. In doing so, they also act as coping mechanisms and foster communities of support and friendship outside the jurisdiction of the home – which is rare for women who do not have access to public spaces. Finally, the last chapter “Mobile Phones, Digital Lives, and Morality in All-Girls Public Colleges in Lahore, Pakistan” looks at an important terrain in the contemporary moment: digital landscapes. Most women and girls in colleges own a mobile phone or have access to one, yet there is little work has been done on how digital access and mobile phone ownership impact the everyday lives of young, urban, Pakistani girls. By looking at ownership trends and usage of mobile phones, I attempt to understand the complex dynamics of a conservative Pakistani household and young people’s access to the internet. What kind of freedoms or restrictions do these girls have and how do they navigate these terrains? Through these questions, I try to add to my larger argument of how these girls live complex and multi-faceted lives despite living under disciplinary regimes of home and college

Dental Practitioners and their Perceptions Regarding the Use of Antioxidants in the Promotion of Oral Health

INTRODUCTION: The role of free radicals is well established as a crucial component of the immune system. AIM: To assess the perception of dental practitioners of Northern and Central India regarding the role of antioxidants in oral health.MATERIALS AND METHOD: A pre-tested and pre-validated online questionnaire was distributed among various dental practitioners in Northern and Central India which consisted of dichotomous responses. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, followed by the Chi square test to check significant differences between the responses. Correlation between responses were analysed through the Spearman’s rank correlation. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 (SPSS 20).RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was observed among the genders, with females 126 (43.7%) having lesser knowledge than males 162(56.3%) regarding the use of antioxidants in their clinical practice. High knowledge scores were observed in 288 (69.2%) dental professionals. Postgraduates were found to have (p=0.05) a higher level of knowledge as compared to graduates.CONCLUSION: The use of antioxidants in dentistry should be increased through the conduction of various CDE programmes. workshops and evidence-based practice guidelines

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF PRODUCT PACKAGING CUES ON PRODUCT QUALITY PERCEPTION: DEVELOPING COUNTRY PERSPECTIVE

The study aims to investigate the effect of food packaging cues on the quality perceptions of the consumers. The data was collected from Pakistani consumer market through survey. The regions of Rawalpindi and Islamabad were selected for data collection by using self-administered questionnaires.  Mall intercept method was applied for collecting the responses and the malls were selected on the basis of popularity and high customer turn out. SPSS and PLS were used in order to carry out descriptive and inferential analysis respectively. The outcomes of the study indicate that both the image variables taken as predictors (Halal label, nutritional label) casts a worthwhile effect on perceptions of quality while consumer knowledge casted no moderating impact on the perceived product quality in Pakistani consumer market.Alike other studies, there are few research limitations to this study as well. Since the data has been collected from the regions of Rawalpindi and Islamabad only, an issue of generalizability can occur. The findings of the study reveal that cues presented on the packaging can cast a meaningful impression on the minds of consumers. The findings of the study also suggest that intelligent placement of the extrinsic cues by practitioners can help in the formation of positive quality perceptions which in turn lead to better sale outcomes. Since there are limited number of such studies in Pakistani context so it provides significant contribution to the literature as well.

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF PRODUCT PACKAGING CUES ON PRODUCT QUALITY PERCEPTION: DEVELOPING COUNTRY PERSPECTIVE

The study aims to investigate the effect of food packaging cues on the quality perceptions of the consumers. The data was collected from Pakistani consumer market through survey. The regions of Rawalpindi and Islamabad were selected for data collection by using self-administered questionnaires.  Mall intercept method was applied for collecting the responses and the malls were selected on the basis of popularity and high customer turn out. SPSS and PLS were used in order to carry out descriptive and inferential analysis respectively. The outcomes of the study indicate that both the image variables taken as predictors (Halal label, nutritional label) casts a worthwhile effect on perceptions of quality while consumer knowledge casted no moderating impact on the perceived product quality in Pakistani consumer market.Alike other studies, there are few research limitations to this study as well. Since the data has been collected from the regions of Rawalpindi and Islamabad only, an issue of generalizability can occur. The findings of the study reveal that cues presented on the packaging can cast a meaningful impression on the minds of consumers. The findings of the study also suggest that intelligent placement of the extrinsic cues by practitioners can help in the formation of positive quality perceptions which in turn lead to better sale outcomes. Since there are limited number of such studies in Pakistani context so it provides significant contribution to the literature as well.Â

Frequency of Impacted Third Molar in Mandibular Angle Fractures in Patients Presenting to Ayub Teaching Hospital

Mandibular fractures are one of the commonest maxillofacial injury. Fractures take place at various locations. Mandibular angle fracture susceptibility in addition to being associated to the type and direction of impact is also associated with impacted 3rd molar.The objective of the study is to determine the frequency of impacted third molar in mandibular angle fracture.This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed for a period of six months on one hundred and twenty-two patients with mandibular. OPG was done to determine the state of 3rd molar tooth. The states of 3rd molar tooth along with its inclination were noted on a proforma.The frequency of 3rd molar impaction in fractures of angle of mandible was 36.1%. Young age (less than 31 years in this study) was significantly associated with development of impacted 3rd molar tooth (p < 0.05).Individuals with impacted 3rd molar should be educated about the possibility of the fracture of mandibular angle so that preventive measures can be adopted

Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm: A rare complication of amoebic liver abscess

Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm (HAP) is an infrequently encountered entity, usually seen secondary to blunt or penetrating trauma. The clinical presentation is often due to complications such as intrahepatic or intraperitoneal bleeding as a result of rupture of the pseudoaneurysm. Diagnosis is frequently delayed and made by splanchnic angiography. HAP associated with a liver abscess, has very rarely been described in the literature. We report the case of a 50-year-old man with amoebic liver abscess and right hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm which was suspected on high resolution contrast-enhanced abdominal computer tomography (CT). The lesion was confirmed by arteriography and treated prophylactically with transcatheteter embolization

Mobile Banking Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction: An Application of Carter Model

Purpose: Mobile banking is one of the modern means of handy banking services. Using the Carter model, this study aims to find the nexus between customer satisfaction and mobile banking service quality among Pakistani users. Design/methodology/approach: The structured questionnaire has been administered to 400 mobile banking users in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Wah Cantt. Simple random sampling was used to gather the respondents for data collection.Findings: The analysis shows that there exists a positive association between the dimensions of assurance, tangibility as well as responsiveness with customer satisfaction. However, there exists no relationship between empathy and reliability with customer satisfaction.Implications: This study fills up the gap in literature by providing insights from mobile banking sector of Pakistan. Furthermore, the model of the study can be extended in different contexts with other dimensions also. It will be better if banks develop their e banking services up to date by adapting to the latest changes in industry and technology.Originality/value: This particular study has a deep importance as it provides evidence from the developing nation of Pakistan. It has spread heading endeavour to explore the consumer loyalty in the keeping money industry of Pakistan by utilizing a vast example and progress measurable systems.Limitations/Future horizons: The study has been conducted in the area of Rawalpindi and Islamabad however future researchers may expand the premises as well as add more variables to the model to gain deeper insights

[un] Shaded Territories: a design for women empowerment in rural Pakistan.

The separation between Pakistan and India in 1947 was a direct result of the struggle between two different religious groups in the region; Hindus, and Muslims. Of all the provinces split, Punjab was the only one province that was split between the two nations. This division caused one of the biggest migrations in history, affecting about 10 million people.1 People left behind their homes, their lives, and beloved religious buildings to start fresh in a new, unknown land. This intermingling of people at the time of the partition, resulted in a displaced variety of cultural and religious practices. To this day, Punjab’s rural population suffers from caste system marriages, female infanticide, and oppression of women, including a lack of educational opportunities for females. Many rural families believe that if their women are educated, social risk can rise. In some cases, these ancient cultural traditions are mistakenly thought to be religious obligations. 77.1% of Kasur district’s population lives in rural areas and 47.64% of Kasur’s population is female.2 Of the rural female population, only 32.7% are literate, compared to 55.2% of the males.3 More than half of the female population in Kasur is thus deprived of an education as a result, and many are married at a young age with expectations to start a family. These young women cannot read or write the language they speak, and many become victims of domestic violence. A design for a skill development institution is suggested to address the social, cultural and economical challenges faced by the impoverished female population of rural Punjab, Pakistan. The proposal is situated in the town of Kasur with a program aimed at teaching independence

CAPITAL STRUCTURE DETERMINANTS OF ISLAMIC AND CONVENTIONAL BANKS OF PAKISTAN

Purpose- The major objective behind conducting this research is to explicate that how does the conventional as well as Islamic banks opt for their capital structures and what are the noteworthy variables that effect the decisions of the company as regard to their capital structure. Design/methodology/approach- Data for study was gathered throughthe yearly reports of the KSE indexed companies. The yearly reports from the years 2004-2014 were selected for the study. For analysis, ordinary least square (OLS) is applied in order to obtain the results. Findings- The primary outcomes of study prove that the conventional banks are more leveraged as compared to the Islamic banks. In addition, the conventional banks are bigger in size than Islamic banks and possess higher level of profitability. The fixed operating resources possessed by the Islamic banks are more in comparison to the conventional banks. The outcomes show that the profitability and tangibility are inversely associated with book leverage however the bank size has significant nexus with the book leverage of Islamic banks. On the other hand, profitability, growth and tangibility are negatively related to book leverage in whereas the bank size positivelyimpacts the decisions of the conventional banks for choosing the capital structure. Earning volatility shows no impact on capital structure decisions. Practical implications- The outcomes of the study present that the directors of bank need to develop an understanding related to the bank specific factors which would help them to decide regarding the capital structure of the bank taking into consideration that the controlling powers are vested with state bank of Pakistan. Originality/value- This study would propose that some noteworthy insights regarding the variables that impact financing decisions ofPakistani conventional and Islamic banks. This study also provides a framework to the future researchers for deeper exploration regarding capital structure of the banks.  Keywords- Conventional Banks; Islamic Banks, Ordinary Least Square, State bank of PakistanÂ