Predicting Owner Satisfaction Through Business Development Services: A Case of Islamic Microfinance Sector of Pakistan

This paper means to examine the moderating effect of business growth on the connection between Business Development Services (BDS) and owner satisfaction on the Islamic Microfinance System in Pakistan. In particular, this paper demonstrated the adequacy of the business development services given by Islamic microfinance framework to fulfill the SMEs clients and how this relationship is dependent upon the business growth openings. In looking at the theorized demonstrate, the quantitative approach was utilized. The outcomes affirmed the immediate impact of BDS on owner satisfaction and the moderating part of business growth on the said relationship. Keywords: SMEs, Islamic microfinance system, business development services, customer satisfaction

The impact of ERP implementation on the financial performance of the firm:An empirical study

This thesis consists of eight chapters on investment in ERP and its impact on financial performance of adopters and non-adopters. In first two chapters, we discuss ERP implementation in general and why it is interesting to focus on the context of Pakistan and literature review respectively. The conceptual innovation of research is the cost of not investing in IT is discussed in chapter three. In this chapter, an ITIVJ Model has been developed based on Game-theoretic ground and review of past studies. It has also been shown how the cost of not investing can be used to extend a traditional decision model based on NPV. Chapter four and five focus on variables and hypotheses and data and methodology respectively. It has also been probed in these chapters that how ERP implementation affect variables representing the operational and strategic performance of adopters and non-adopters. Chapter six explore the results of statistical techniques used in this study. The main result of the research is that companies implementing ERP are not necessarily doing better after implementation, but they perform better than the non-adopters whose financial performance generally degraded in the same period of time. These results also validate the model developed in chapter three. The discussion and limitation are given in chapter seven whereas chapter eight conclude the dissertation and provide the gaps for future research

RISE OF CHINA: GROWING STRATEGIC COMPETITION BETWEEN THE US AND CHINA

The emergence of China as a great power is indubitably one of the greatest perplexities in the international arena since the cold war era. Similarly, it poses challenges to the strategic position of the US. The economic and technological height of China has now become a big question mark for the US hegemony. The US has adopted some essential policies and actions like the B3W initiative and Strategic Competition Act of 2021, which label China a strategic competitor in multiple areas, including economics, technology, and military security. Such actions and policies by the US generate growing strategic competition between Beijing and Washington. However, the Chinese political elite has reservations that the US wants to curb the expansion of Chinese influence. This paper, therefore, analyses how strategic competition between China and the US increases with the rise of China, particularly after China’s BRI, and how China poses a challenge or an opportunity for the US. This paper employs the Power-transition theory as an analytical framework to investigate the power transition debated among policymakers in the US and China.   Bibliography Entry Ali, Irfan, and Rubina Ali. 2021. "Rise of China: Growing Strategic Competition between the US and China." Margalla Papers 25 (1): 103-114

A Survey of Techniques for Improving Security of GPUs

Graphics processing unit (GPU), although a powerful performance-booster, also has many security vulnerabilities. Due to these, the GPU can act as a safe-haven for stealthy malware and the weakest `link' in the security `chain'. In this paper, we present a survey of techniques for analyzing and improving GPU security. We classify the works on key attributes to highlight their similarities and differences. More than informing users and researchers about GPU security techniques, this survey aims to increase their awareness about GPU security vulnerabilities and potential countermeasures

Advancement of a modular rotor permanent magnet flux switching machine for high torque performance

Usage of electric motors in electric vehicle applications have gained a lot of attention since the motor must possessed high torque density and power. Permanent magnet flux switching machines have attracted considerable interests in recent years since the flux focusing is utilizable, both armature windings and PM excitation sources are on the stator, and the salient pole rotor is simple yet robust. Regrettably, salient rotor and stator of PMFSM with single tooth winding have inherited flux cancellation, flux leakage, high iron losses, high winding losses, and longer flux paths which reduced the torque and efficiency of the motor. In this thesis, a flux switching motor using permanent magnet employing modular rotor is designed and investigated for high torque making it suitable for high torque performances applications. The design engaged a three-phase 12 stator tooth taking up four sets of windings per phase with 10 pole feasible modular rotor. The characteristics performance of modular rotor PMFSM were designed and analysed using JMAG designer 14.1 utilizing 2D finite element analysis (2D-FEA). The initial 12S/10P modular rotor PMFSM topology achieved an average torque of 34.44 Nm with an output power of 5.67 kW. To further improve the performance of modular rotor PMFSM, local optimization approach was conducted which achieved an average torque of 60.49Nm and an output power of 23.34 kW while maintaining the same motor’s outer diameter. Furthermore, to compare modular rotor PMFSM with salient rotor PMFSM, FEFSM and HEFSM were utilized to choose best candidate for high torque performance. In comparison, optimized modular rotor PMFSM generated the highest output torque followed by optimized salient rotor HEFSM which generated the second highest torque. Consequently, the modular rotor PMFSM produced higher average torque, less iron losses, less weight and shorten flux path than using salient rotor pole PMFSM, FEFSM or HEFSM. In conclusion, modular rotor PMFSM confirms good agreement with high torque applications

KONTRIBUSI KEKUATAN OTOT LENGAN, FLEKSIBILITAS PERGELANGAN TANGAN DAN KEKUATAN OTOT TUNGKAI TERHADAP HASIL FREE THROW PADA PERMAINAN BOLA BASKET

Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui kontribusi kekuatan otot lengan, fleksibilitas pergelangan tangan dan kekuatan otot tungkai terhadap hasil free throw pada permainan bola basket. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah deskriptif. Fokus penelitian yang ditetapkan yaitu mengenai apakah terdapat kontribusi kekuatan otot lengan, fleksibilitas pergelangan tangan dan kekuatan otot tungkai terhadap hasil free throw pada permainan bola basket. Pengambilan sampel menggunakan teknik total sampling, jumlah sampel 10 orang atlet laki-laki UKM Bola Basket UPI. Alat pengumpulan data yang digunakan yaitu bola medicine, goniometer, leg dynamometer. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang telah dilakukan, Nilai R=0.435 ini berarti bahwa korelasi antara variable X1,X2,X3 secara bersama dengan y adalah 0.435. Dari hasil perhitungan tersebut dapat dikatakan bahwa terdapat hubungan antara kekuatan otot lengan, fleksibilitas pergelangan tangan dan kekuatan otot tungkai terhadap hasil free throw pada permainan bola basket. Terlihat pada signifikan kekuatan otot lengan, fleksibilitas pergelangan tangan dan kekuatan otot tungkai terhadap hasil free throw dengan nilai Sig=0,717>0,05 maka Ho ditolak, atau tidak terdapat kontribusi yang signifikan. Dari hasil tersebut ternyata dapat disimpulkan bahwa terdapat hubungan yang siginifikan antara kekuatan otot lengan, fleksibilitas pergelangan tangan, dan kekuatan otot tungkai terhadap hasil free throw pada permainan bola basket.---This study is aimed to investigate the contribution of the arm and the leg muscles, as well as wrist flexibility towards the free throw in a basketball. The method used in this study is the descriptive one. In this sense, this study examines if the free throw in a basketball is influenced by the strength of the arm and leg muscles, as well as wrist flexibility. Meanwhile, the technique called total sampling is used in this study with 10 male participants involved. Those participants are considered as basketball players from UPI. Moreover, a medicine ball, goniometer, as well as leg dynamometer are used in order to obtain further results on this study. Based on the findings of this study, the score R=0.435 which means that the correlation between the variable X1,X2, and X3 along with Y is 0.435. In addition, the aforementioned measurement indicates that there is a significant contribution from the arm and the leg muscles, as well as wrist flexibility towards the free throw in a basketball. Moreover, the significance level of the arm and the leg muscles, as well as wrist flexibility shows up with Sig=0.717 > 0.05 and Ho is rejected. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is a significant contribution from the arm and the leg muscles, as well as wrist flexibility to the free throw in a basketball

Pemanfaatan Bahan Baku Lokal untuk di Glasir Guna Meningkatkan kualitas Gerabah (Earthenware) Menjadi Keramik Di Dusun Sandi Kecamatan Pattallassang Kabupaten Takalar

Penelitian ini merupakan upaya peningkatan kualitas gerabah menjadi seni keramik dengan melakukan berbagai eksperimen penerapan teknik glasir. Oleh karena kualitas tanah liat lokal di daerah sekitar perajin gerabah berada diragukan hanya bisa untuk bakaran rendah (gerabah) maksimal 800°, maka akan di gunakan beberapa alternatif bahan baku tanah liat, seperti tanah liat dari Kabupaten Pangkep maupun tanah liat dari Kabupaten Gowa, yang diperkirakan dapat diglasir dengan bakaran tinggi di atas 800°. Alternatif lainnya adalah mencampur tanah liat lokal dari daerah perajin dengan tanah liat dari luar dengan teknik pengolahan bahan untuk memperoleh bahan baku tanah yang lebih plastis dan tahan untuk di glasir. Permasalahan utama penelitian adalah seni kerajinan gerabah telah bertahan selama ratusan tahun di Kabupaten Takalar, namun peningkatan mutu berjalan sangat lambat sehingga kurang kompetitif di pasar nasional maupun pasar global, permasalahan lainnya adalah sebagian besar perajin lebih dari 60 % masih bertahan dengan membuat seni gerabah tradisional sementara harga seni gerabah tradisional masih sangat rendah. 11 bahan tanah local sebagai sampel penelitian berlanjut pada tahap pengglasiran dengan teknik celup menggunakan bahan glasir FT360 (transparan), 19I (biru), dan 19 (putih). Pembakaran dilakukan dengan tungku kontinu terbuat dari batu tahan api dengan menggunakan bahan bakar kayu (sisa kayu jati) dan dapat diukur suhu bakarnya menggunakan pyrometer. Rencana pembakaran dilakukan selama 5 jam hingga mencapai 1100°. Hasil pembakaran glasir menunjukkan pada umumnya seluruh sampel yang diglasir dapat bertahan pada suhu 1100° dan glasir meleleh. Kelemahannya adalah teknik glasir yang belum sesuai standar menyebabkan hasil glasir belum merata, masih banyak pecah-pecah (retak) permukaan glasirnya. Namun demikian body keramik yang diglasir tidak mengalami perubahan bahkan dapat tetap stabil, hanya saja teknik glasir perlu lebih diperbaiki pada penelitian selanjutnya

PENERAPAN IDENTITAS LOKAL PADA MEBEL KAYU MELALUI PELATIHAN DAN PENDAMPINGAN

Kelurahan Mannongkoki di kabupaten Takalar merupakan sentra industri mebel kayu lokal, namun kebanyakan produk mebel yang dibuat adalah mebel tradisional tanpa ukiran.Terdapat ratusan kelompok usaha mebel kayu, namun hanya dua unit usaha yang dapat membuat mebel ukir, oleh sebab itu kedua unit usaha mebel tersebut kesulitan dalam memenuhi perminataan pembeli terhadap mebel ukir. Permasalahannya adalah kekurangan tenaga utama pengukir kayu, sehingga jumlah produk yang dihasilkan sangat terbatas dan belum mampu memenuhi permintaan pembeli. Permasalahan lainnya adalah mebel ukir yang dibuat terkadang tidak sesuai dengan keinginan pembeli, sebab pembeli menginginkan mebel dengan ukiran baru. Oleh sebab itu, upaya pembinaan dan pelatihan mengukir untuk menambah tenaga pengukir yang dimiliki perlu dilakukan. Selain itu, perlu menawarkan ukiran baru bernuanasa lokal, agar mebel ukir yang dibuat dapat menarik minat pembeli dan sekaligus menampilkan identitas lokal dengan ukiran baru yang dikembangkan dari ikon budaya lokal khususnya di Kabupeten Takalar. Melalui PKM Perajin Mebel Mannongkoki dilakukan pelatihan dan pendampingan agar dapat menambah tenaga pengukir. Hasil PKM menunjukkan bahwa pada umumnya pemuda lokal dapat dilatih membuat dan mengeksplorasi ornament sesuai kreativitasnya, bahkan dapat menerapkan sebagai ukiran pada kayu, namun masih perlu kesungguhan dan komitmen agar dapat menekuni pekerjaan sebagai pengukir. Hasil PKM juga telah menambah tenaga pengukir menjadi 4 orang dan telah menerapkan ornament lokal sebagai salah satu alternatif produk yang dijual

Knowledge of emergency contraception among women of childbearing age at a teaching hospital of Karachi

OBJECTIVES: To assess knowledge and attitudes about Emergency Contraception among women of childbearing age in Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS: A questionnaire based survey was conducted on 400 married women, attending the family practice clinics at a teaching hospital in Karachi, Pakistan from July to December 2006. Questionnaire was administered to women at the family practice clinic-seeking level of knowledge of emergency contraception (EC) and attitudes towards its use, Ethical requirements of informed consent and confidentiality were ensured Data was entered into Epi data and analyzed in SPSS.RESULTS: Eighty-eight percent of women were not aware of EC. 83% were housewives. Only a small number (11.5%) ever used EC to prevent pregnancy, out of those, the correct timing of effectiveness of post-coital pill was known to only 40% of women while none of these women were aware of the existence of Intra Uterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD) insertion as an option for EC About 50% of women identified general practitioners or family medicine clinics as their main sources of knowledge about EC. Increased advertising was considered desirable by 72% while 37% considered over the counter availability of EC pill desirable and only 36% of women were uncomfortable to use EC because of religious reasons. CONCLUSION: EC has a potential to offer women an important option for fertility control. Lack of women\u27s knowledge about EC use and availability may account in part for its limited use. There is a need to improve women\u27s education about EC. The primary health care providers can play a major role in informing their patients about emergency contraception