Roads investment and economic growth : similarity or divergence between developed and developing countries : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Planning at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

This research investigates how arguments for economic growth are perceived and advanced to promote road investment. In particular, it addresses the question of whether there is similarity or divergence between developed and developing countries given their different growth trajectories. In literature, the relationship between building roads and achieving economic growth is heavily reliant on quantitative tools while ignoring the socio-economic and political contextual details of developed and developing countries. Using the Aristotelian concept of phronēsis, the research undertakes a comparative case study involving New Zealand and Pakistan. Phronēsis is an intellectual virtue capable of incorporating practical problems and contextual issues in everyday life. The concept was operationalized for this thesis by devolving it into three main questions in which the roads policy direction, the associated processes and discursive pragmatism was explored. Detailed analysis of two major roading infrastructure projects, MacKays to Peka Peka (M2PP) in the Wellington region of New Zealand and a Ring Road in Lahore, Pakistan, shows that roads investment is promoted on the basis of national visions and policies without robust evidence of how economic growth will be achieved. The findings indicate that the national visions, related to case study projects, are not based on robust analyses and research but rather on strategic needs that advance the agenda of the powerful. The research found that the discourse of economic growth in each project was based on similar arguments about travel time saving, efficiency and employment growth regardless of public consultations. The research concludes that ‘economic growth’ is a niche created, advanced, and interpreted by power to achieve its strategic objectives in road development without contextual differences being considered in developed and developing countries

Association Mapping Study of Various Desirable Traits of Rice

Background: This study was performed to evaluate the diversity of various morphological characters and their relationship with yield in rice.  The goal of this work was to find quantitative trait loci (QTL) for yield, yield components, and other agronomic variables in 100 different rice germplasm samples, as well as to assess the genetic structure and degree of linkage disequilibrium in the rice germplasm diversity panel.  To establish Linkage Disequilibrium (LD) between markers and causative mutations, marker density is essential. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns of various SNP markers on all chromosomes. If markers are sufficiently dense to have good coverage of LD, the LD decay with distance can be compared to the marker density.Methods: Different traits were measured and recorded under Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) experiment. DNA extraction and PCR analysis was done to measure the genotypic characteristics of rice. Genotypic and phenotypic variability was measured by using ANOVA and GWAS.Results: For pair-wise markers, linkage disequilibrium is calculated as R square and plotted versus the distance between the markers. In this study, the overall phenotypic variability among the examined traits was represented by R2 and ranged from 11.47% to 25.44%. The genetic architecture of these traits may be implied by the recently identified genomic regions (loci). An influential replacement for bi-parental gene maps, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) use data from genome-wide markers in large amounts of easily obtained germplasm.Conclusion: The linkage disequilibrium, which is the non-random link between an allele at two or more loci, is used in this mapping method to infer the innate relationships between phenotypic variations and marker polymorphisms. Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) of genotypes provides the information about for the selection of genotypes and determination of new marker trait association.Keywords: Oryza sativa L; Rice; DNA; Association mapping; Traits   

Sectorial analysis on dividend policy across non-financial Pakistani listed firms

In corporate finance, dividend policy is considered as one of the most challenging area of strategic financial decision. The earlier studies on dividend policy have primarily focused on dividend policy theories, firm, and country level factors which influence the dividend policy of firms. The development of sectors is an important factor to economic development of any country. As such, in-depth analysis on the impact of sector-level factors, sectors different behavior and different political regimes on dividend policy of firms is vital. Moreover, in the horizon of sector level variables, political risk, stock market development, debt market development, and different political regimes, the dividend policy remained less investigated, particularly unique and comprehensive studies in the emerging market. This study contributes to prevailing body of literature by exploring these unique issues in the perspective of emerging economy from three distinctive ways. Firstly, this study investigated the impact of firm, sector, and country level variables on dividend policy across Pakistani non-financial listed firms. Secondly, keeping in view the significance of sectors and political regimes, this study examined the significant determinants of dividend policy across sectors and different political regimes. Thirdly, this study explored the relative importance of each level factor that best explain the nested effect of higher-level factors on the lower-level factors. This study adopts the census sampling and performed analysis of 134 non-financial listed firms on Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) during the 18-year period of 2000-2017 covering two political regimes; from 2000 to 2008 as dictatorship period and from 2009 to 2017 as democratic period. This study employed two estimators namely pooled ordinary least square (OLS) and fixed effect model to investigate the significant determinants of dividend policy. To examine the relative importance of each level factor, this study used artificial nested testing procedure and nested model statistics. The results demonstrated that the sector level variables such as industry concentration, munificence, and dynamism as well as country level variables such as political risk, stock market development, and debt market development play important roles in dividend policy. In addition, findings revealed that significant determinants of dividend policy vary across the overall sample, sectors, and political regimes. Furthermore, sector level and country level variables characteristics explained about 3% and 4% variations in dividend policy of non-financial listed firms. The findings of the study also offer policy direction and practical implications to the investors, managers, and researchers. The focus of investors and managers should be on the significant determinants identified by this study when making investment decision. Future researchers should focus on propensity to pay dividend, and qualitative studies to produce comprehensive understanding of dividend policy. Future research should also focus on triangulation approach to investigate the significant determinants of dividend policy

N-[(E)-(5-Methyl­thio­phen-2-yl)methyl­idene]-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-amine

In the title Schiff base, C8H8N4S, a condensation product of 5-methyl­thio­phene-2-carboxaldehyde and 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, the dihedral angle between the triazolyl and thienyl rings is 6.44 (14)°. The compound exists as a polymeric chain arising from inter­molecular N—H⋯N bonding

PENGARUH MODEL PEMBELAJARAN KOOPERATIF TIPE STUDENT TEAMS ACHIEVEMENT DIVISION TERHADAP HASIL BELAJAR KOGNITIF SISWA PADA MATA PELAJARAN KONSTRUKSI JALAN & JEMBATAN KELAS XI DPIB DI SMK NEGERI 1 CILAKU JAWA BARAT

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh model pembelajaran kooperatif tipe student teams achievement division terhadap hasil belajar kognitif siswa pada mata pelajaran konstruksi jalan & jembatan kelas XI DPIB di SMK Negeri 1 Cilaku Jawa Barat. Jenis Penelitian ini merupakan Quasi Experimen dengan desain nonequivalen control group design., dengan instrument pengumpulan data berupa tes hasil belajar melalui pretesti posttest.. Sampel diambil 2 kelas yang ditentukan dengan simple random sampling. Jumlah Sampel 62 orang. Kelas XI DPIB 1 sebagai kelas eksperimen dengan model pembelajaran koopeartif tipe STAD, sedangkan XI DPIB 2 sebagai kelas kontrol menggunakan metode konvensional. Berdasarkan hasil uji hipotesis menggunakan uji regresi linier sederhana diperoleh konsisten variabel hasil belajar siswa adalah 13,758. Sedangkan koefisien regresi X sebesar 0,244 dengan persamaan regresi Y =13,758 + 0,244X. Hal tersebut dapat diartikan bahwa bahwa setiap penambahan 1% nilai pelaksanaan Model Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe STAD, maka nilai hasil belajar siswa bertambah 0,244. Koefisien tersebut bernilai positif. Sehingga hubungan antara variabel X dan Y adalah positif. Berdasarkan hasil uji perhitungan determinasi atau uji R Square , hasil dari nilai R^2 adalah 0,084. Menandakan bahwa nilai pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe STAD terhadap hasil belajar kognitif siswa sebesar +8,4%. Dari hasil penelitian tersebut dapat ditarik kesimpulan bahwa penggunaan model pembelajaran koopearatif tipe STAD berpengaruh terhadap hasil belajar kognitif siswa. This study aims to determine the effect of the cooperative learning model type student teams achievement division on student cognitive learning outcomes in the subject of road & bridge construction class xi dpib at SMK Negeri 1 Cilaku, West Java. This type of research is a quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent control group design, with data collection instruments in the form of learning outcomes tests through posttest pretest. The sample was taken 2 classes determined by simple random sampling. The number of samples is 62 people. Class XI DPIB 1 as an experimental class with a cooperative learning model type STAD, while XI DPIB 2 as a control class using conventional methods. Based on the results of hypothesis testing using a simple linear regression test, it was found that the student learning outcomes variable was consistent with 13,758. While the regression coefficient of X is 0.244 with regression equation Y =13,758 + 0,244X Where it can be interpreted that for every 1% addition of the value of the implementation of the STAD Type Cooperative Learning Model, the value of student learning outcomes increases by 0.244. The coefficient is positive. So the relationship between the variables X and Y is positive. Based on the results of the determination calculation test or R Square test, the result of the R^2 value is 0.084. Indicates that the value of the effect of the STAD Type Cooperative Learning Model on Student Learning Outcomes is +8.4%. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that the use of the STAD type of cooperative learning model has an effect on students' cognitive learning outcomes

Detection of phytoplasma in citrus orchards of Pakistan

Citrus fruits are one of the major export commodities of Pakistan. However, being such an important crop citrus is affected by a number of destructive diseases and phytoplasmal disease is one of them. In Pakistan no significant research has been conducted on phytoplasmal diseases of citrus. Therefore, present study was conducted to confirm the presence of phytoplasmal particles in diseased samples of citrus from Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Multan and Khaenwal districts the most important citrus growing areas of Pakistan. For this purpose DNA was extracted from leaf samples collected from the three districts and single (O-MLO) and nested PCR were applied to detect phytoplasmal particles. With O-MLO primers a 558bp fragment was amplified from 16S rRNA phytoplasmal gene and 1.2kb phytoplasmal DNA fragment was amplified with nested PCR. The results revealed the presence of citrus phytoplasma in Southern Punjab region of Pakistan. In order to confirm the alternate hosts of citrus phytoplasma as well as the insect vectors involved in the transmission of the disease, weeds as well as insects were collected from citrus orchards for molecular detection of phytoplasma and their analysis are is in progress

Evaluating the exchange rate and commodity price nexus in Malaysia: evidence from the threshold cointegration approach

This paper examines the long- and short-run dynamics of asymmetric adjustment between the nominal exchange rate and commodity prices, namely oil, palm oil, rubber, and natural gas prices, in Malaysia using monthly data from January 1994 to December 2017. The relationship between exchange rate and each commodity price is examined in terms of Engle-Granger and threshold cointegrations. The estimated results provide evidence of long-run threshold cointegration and show that the adjustments towards the long-run equilibrium position are asymmetric in the short run. Furthermore, this study finds evidence of a unidirectional causal relationship running from the nominal exchange rate to oil price in the long and short run using a spectral frequency domain causality application. There is also empirical evidence of bidirectional causality between the nominal exchange rate and palm oil price, rubber price, and natural gas price in the long and short run. Overall, the findings have significant implications for the current debate on the future of primary commodities in Malaysia

Plant-Derived bioactive compounds as Skin Photo protection Agents

Exposure to the sun is unavoidable in daily life. Ultra-violet radiations are the major component of sunlight and play a significant role in damaging the skin. They induce many skin problems like erythema, sun burn, rashes as well as skin cancer. Although the protective layer of earth, the ozone layer, filters most of the damaging radiations from the sun, with the dramatic rise in pollution, global warming is reaching at its peak point. These pollutants deteriorate the protective ozone layer of earth, resulting in its thinning which in turn allows the passage of hazardous solar radiations to the earth. These radiations act as the most potent irritant for the skin cells. In order to avoid these hazardous effects of UV radiations, there is an emerging demand for the use of photo protectants. Manufacturers of various cosmetic and skin care companies are focusing on natural compounds to deal with skin problems caused by UV radiations. It includes phytochemicals and bioactive compounds from the plants. As these are natural and economic, they don’t leave any damaging effect on the body and are the best photo protectants against UV radiations. There are several plants with their chemical compounds derived and studied for their photoprotective role. Most of them are proven best for cosmetic remedies. This review will provide a look over the plant-derived bioactive compounds of Southeast Asia with their photo protectant effect

Metal-Based Antibacterial and Antifungal Agents: Synthesis, Characterization, and In Vitro Biological Evaluation of Co(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) Complexes With Amino Acid-Derived Compounds

A series of antibacterial and antifungal amino acid-derived compounds and their cobalt(II), copper(II), nickel(II), and zinc(II) metal complexes have been synthesized and characterized by their elemental analyses, molar conductances, magnetic moments, and IR, and electronic spectral measurements. Ligands (L(1))−(L(5)) were derived by condensation of β-diketones with glycine, phenylalanine, valine, and histidine and act as bidentate towards metal ions (cobalt, copper, nickel, and zinc) via the azomethine-N and deprotonated-O of the respective amino acid. The stoichiometric reaction between the metal(II) ion and synthesized ligands in molar ratio of M : L (1 : 1) resulted in the formation of the metal complexes of type [M(L)(H(2)O)(4)]Cl (where M = Co(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II)) and of M : L (1 : 2) of type [M(L)(2)(H(2)O)(2)] (where M = Co(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II)). The magnetic moment data suggested for the complexes to have an octahedral geometry around the central metal atom. The electronic spectral data also supported the same octahedral geometry of the complexes. Elemental analyses and NMR spectral data of the ligands and their metal(II) complexes agree with their proposed structures. The synthesized ligands, along with their metal(II) complexes, were screened for their in vitro antibacterial activity against four Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Shigella flexeneri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhi) and two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) bacterial strains and for in vitro antifungal activity against Trichophyton longifusus, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, Microsporum canis, Fusarium solani, and Candida glaberata. The results of these studies show the metal(II) complexes to be more antibacterial/antifungal against one or more species as compared to the uncomplexed ligands. The brine shrimp bioassay was also carried out to study their in vitro cytotoxic properties. Five compounds, (3), (7), (10), (11), and (22), displayed potent cytotoxic activity as LD(50) = 8.974 × 10(−4), 7.022 × 10(−4), 8.839 × 10(−4), 7.133 × 10(−4), and 9.725 × 10(−4) M/mL, respectively, against Artemia salina

CORRELATION OF SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULIN E LEVELS WITH ASTHMA SEVERITY IN CHILDREN (2-12 YEARS) PRESENTING TO A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

OBJECTIVE: To determine the correlation of serum IgE levels with asthma severity in children (2-12 years) presenting to Pediatric Outpatient Department, Liaquat National Hospital Karachi. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done at Department of Pediatric Medicine, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi from June 2016 to December 2016. A total of 106 children with symptoms of airflow obstruction characterized by recurrent cough, difficulty in breathing and wheeze were included in this study. The severity of asthma were classified as intermittent, mild, moderate or severe persistant asthma based on subjective experience of the patients. Blood samples for serum IgE levels were taken and serum IgE levels were estimated by automated chemiluminescence system. RESULTS: The average age of the children was 6.38±6.0 years. In this study, intermittent asthma was observed in 24 (22.64%) cases. There were 30 (28.6%) children with mild asthma, 40 (37.74%) children with moderate asthma and severe asthma was found in 12 (11.32%) children. The mean IgE concentration was lowest in children with intermittent asthma (277.92±45.87 IU/ml), higher in children with mild persistent asthma (487.47±58.47 IU/ml) and highest in children with moderate and severe persistent asthma (688.75±52.08 and 1078.83±64.10IU/ml), respectively. . CONCLUSION: Our results support the hypothesis that severity of asthma is reflected by serum IgE levels in children. We found that the mean IgE concentration correlates with the severity of asthma, being highest in the patients with severe asthma and dropping down as the symptoms wane