An Empirical Investigation on Relationship between Risk, Capital and Efficiency in Banking Sector of Pakistan

In this study, data set of annual figures of 35 Pakistani banks is used over the period 2005-2014 with total 350 observations. Data set composed of four public sector banks fully owned by the state. Twenty three privately owned commercial banks incorporated in Pakistan, six commercial banks incorporated outside the country and four specialized banks. Information for all years of some banks was not available, for this study used an unbalanced panel to make the sample taken reasonable for the investigation. Information regarding banks is taken from Financial Statement Analysis presented by state bank of Pakistan for the period 2005-2009 and 2010-2014. The empirical findings proposed positive association between Z-score and capital level of Pakistani banks. Moreover, other risk indicators provided evidence of significant negative association. The link between risk levels (Loan Loss Provisions to total loans) and “technical efficiencies” found significantly positive. In case of banking factors, large Pakistani banks on the basis of total assets are technically more efficient, on the other hand technical and pure technical efficiencies declines in case of higher liquidity, moreover, liquidity influences level of capitalization positively. Keywords: Risk, Efficiency, Capital, Three stage Least squares, Pakistani banking secto

A Survey of Examination Phobia amongst Students at Secondary School Level

This paper focuses on exam phobia among students. Exam phobia is an irrational fear that leads to avoidance of the feared situation or object which in turn increases the severity of the phobia. The students having an excessive and unreasonable fear due to exam or the presence or anticipation of a horrible situation causes an anxiety. The sufferer realizes that the fear is irrational; and the avoidance or distress due to the stimuli causes impairment in functioning. Eleven (11) Districts (counties) of the province of the Punjab, Pakistan were taken through convenient sampling. Two public Secondary schools (one male and one female) were selected from each District from urban area randomly. Seventy students (35 students from Boys Secondary school and 35 from Girls Secondary school) of grade 9 from each District were selected randomly. The total sampling was 11×70=770 students. A questionnaire was developed to collect the data. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 16.0. The intensity of exam phobia was found. A comparison was also made on gender bases by using t-test. The results showed that the students suffer from exam phobia to some extent. Furthermore the results revealed that the level of exam phobia in male and female students was same. Recommendations have been given on the basis of findings

Optimal Spectrum Sensing Threshold for Unequal Priors Case

Classical spectrum sensing techniques utilize maximum likelihood (ML) detection for identification of spectrum holes. The approach is sub-optimal for the case of un-equal priors where the probabilities of channel occupation and vacancy are not the same. Such situations are bound to occur in most commercial bands such as GSM etc and hence are of more interest. The loss in performance has been disregarded as negligible in most of the work done on spectrum sensing techniques. This paper quantifies the effects of changing priors on classical energy detection and infers that the loss in spectrum sensing performance is not negligible. The deterioration is especially considerable at low SNR values and at low probabilities of channel occupation. An optimum threshold for achieving minimum probability of error has been derived in this work for unequal prior case. Detection based on the proposed threshold out-performs classical detectors under the assumption that priors are known at the receiver

A Novel Radio Mode Identification Approach for Spectrum Sensing in Cognitive Radios

The paper suggests a radio mode identification algorithm for spectrum sensing that utilizes time frequency analysis and digital image processing techniques to identify various transmission parameters of the primary user. The classical spectrum sensing techniques only provide information about existence of spectrum holes in the spectrum band of interest. However the proposed approach enables the cognitive radio to identify spectral behavior of the primary users in addition to identifying the spectrum holes with greater accuracy. These parameters can be utilized to decide the suitability of the identified spectrum holes and predict pattern of spectrum usage in near future

Conventional Weight-Based versus Low-Dose Regimen of Heparin Administration to Achieve Target Activated Clotting Time on Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Pakistani Population

Objective: A weight-based dose of heparin is calculated to achieve target ACT (Activated clotting time) for establishing CPB (cardiopulmonary bypass). Whether a target ACT can be achieved with lower dose of heparin in Pakistani population was the aim of this study. Methodology: The cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Department of Cardiac Surgery from 1st January 2019 to 1st January 2020. Three hundred thirty-six (336) patients undergoing elective open-heart surgeries on CPB were included in this study. Patients receiving weight-based heparin dose were placed in Group-A, while those on low-dose heparin were placed in Group-B. ACT was considered to have reached the target value in range of 400-480 seconds, values between 481-1500 seconds were considered excessive, whereas ACT of >1500 was regarded as potentially high-risk for peri-operative bleeding . Results: 14.1% (n= 28) of Group-A patients achieved target ACT, whereas 58.3% (n=116) exceeded the target of 480. In 25.1% (n=50), ACT values were beyond the measuring capacity of the assay machine i.e. >1500. Only 2.5% (n=5) required additional dosage of heparin. Target ACT in Group B was achieved in 19.7% (n= 27), 55.5% (n=76) had excessive ACT values, whereas in 16.8% (n= 23), it was >1500. 9.5% (n=13) required an additional dosage of Heparin. Conclusion: In Pakistani population, a target ACT can be achieved with significantly lower dose than the conventional weight-based heparin dose. Larger studies, preferably randomized controlled trials are needed to determine the optimal heparin dose calculation for safe anti-coagulation during CPB

Pattern of drugs of abuse identified in chemical samples

OBJECTIVE: To determine the pattern of drugs of abuse in urine and blood samples processed at referral laboratory in Pakistan so that information on the type of drugs used can be identified and used for ready reference for future strategy. Study Design: Observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Clinical Laboratory of The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from July 2006 to March 2008. Methodology: Retrospective review of records were done for the common drugs that are used for screening at the Clinical Laboratory include alcohol, amphetamine, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, cocaine and opiates. Alcohol was tested in blood and others were identified using urine. Percentages of tests screened positive and negative for individual drugs were computed by using SPSS 16.0. The ratio between male and female users was also established. RESULTS: A total of 17,714 tests were performed for drugs. The mean age of the patients whose samples were processed was 30+/-14.84 years. Majority used benzodiazepines 520/1317 (39.5%) among the samples tested for drug of abuse, followed by cannabinoids 423/5450 (7.8%), alcohol 75/1302 (5.8%), barbiturates 32/1148 (2.8%), opiates 137/5640 (2.4%), cocaine 5/1655 (0.3%) and amphetamine 3/1202 (0.2%). In all, males 15411 (87%) were tested more frequently as compared to females 2303 (13%). CONCLUSION: Males were more frequently tested for drug abuse; however, drug abuse is increasingly seen among females. Benzodiazepines are the most frequently used. The same pattern of drugs abuse existed in different gender and age group. There is a need to explore the pattern and type of drug abuse on national scale

Intelligent Agent for detection of ATM Theft

ATM service is considered as more profitable service of a bank. There are many pre caution have been determined to use an ATM but still some threats are face by customer to use an ATM, such as existence of another person with a customer will be encountered as threat for ATM. The focus of this paper is to design the architecture of an intelligent agent which incorporates with ATM agent to detect the existence of unknown person with customer and takes some safety steps for customer. Finally proposed intelligent can be enhanced to detect the more theft face by customer of ATM