SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION AND AFGHANISTAN: INTERESTS AND LIMITATIONS

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has greater relevance in Afghanistan because of its strategic importance and geographic proximity. For years, the country has harboured numerous extremist groups and insurgents. It has remained a battleground for US-led coalition forces and the Taliban for about two decades. Despite efforts by the US and its allies, peace has yet to be restored in Afghanistan, and the responsibility now rests on regional countries. It is crucial for these states, especially Eurasian nations, to work together to stabilise the war-torn country and bring lasting peace to the region. Therefore, the study examines the push and pull factors of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s interests in Afghanistan and the challenges that come with implementing their peace plans. The data has been collected from various primary and secondary sources, including websites, newspapers and research articles. The paper also highlights two major concerns for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the economic crisis in Afghanistan and the international recognition of the Taliban government.   Bibliography Entry Khan, Hameed Ullah, Muhammad Farooq Shah and Muhammad Ilyas Khan. 2023. "Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Afghanistan: Interests and Limitations." Margalla Papers 27 (1): 82-95

Earnings Per Share Versus Cash Flow Per Share as Predictor of Dividend; Evidence from Non Financial Sector of Pakistan

This research study has compared the relative predictive power of earnings and cash flow in order to find out the best predictor of dividend. This study has used panel data techniques and the data has been collected from the balance sheet analysis of 104 KSE-100 index non-financial companies. This study has employed a linear mixed effect model approach to investigate the main problem. The two models (earnings based model and cash flow based model) have been compared by using log likelihood estimator and Akaiki information criteria (AIC). The results have shown that cash flow per share is a better predictor of dividend than earnings per share in term of log likelihood estimator and Akaiki information criteria (AIC). The results have also concluded that both earnings per share and cash flow per share have a significant relationship with dividend. The study also finds out that all the control variables including firm’s size (SIZE), leverage ratio (LR), market to book value (MBV) and liquidity ratio (LIQ) have a significant relationship with dividend. Keywords: Earning per share (EPS), Cash flow per share (CFPS), Dividend, Linear mixed effect model, Log likelihood estimator, Akaiki information Criteria (AIC) and KSE-100 inde

EXAMINATION ON THE CROSS ROAD - A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION AT SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHAWA

Background: This qualitative study was aimed to clarify perplexes regarding examinations at secondary school level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and to understand the real position of examination in the education system. Method: Phenomenology was chosen as the enquiry method and purposive sampling was used for the collection of data through semi-structure interviews from six respondents (two each from board of intermediate and secondary education Peshawar, two from the department of elementary and secondary education KP and two from  the educationists one from public and other from private sector university). The collected data was analyzed through thematic analysis. Results: This study revealed that due to materialistic approach to education, examination which was a mean to education has usurped the very end of education. The abrogation and discontinuation of examination was timely needed due to Covid-19, while this practice is done in some advanced countries in normal situations. This study also identified that lack of professionalism in teachers has caused the students to resort to examination abuses. It was also find out that the exam culture is defective and is in the dire need of drastic reforms. Conclusion: This study recommended school based continuous assessment for the amelioration of examination system in the context of KP along with proper legislation regarding exams in abnormal situations; so that in pandemics disasters etc. the examinations could be handle without any hesitation

School Heads’ Perceptions About Their Leadership Styles

This study explores school heads’ perceptions regarding their school leadership styles. The study adopted qualitative design. The sample of the study consisted of 10 male and 10 female head teachers from Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that school heads adopted a number of leadership styles. The main leadership styles found included instructional leadership, transformational leadership and moral leadership. These different leadership styles were adopted keeping in view the need of the different situations that heads found themselves working in. The study has important implications for school management, school teachers, researchers and policy makers.Keywords: instructional leadership, moral leadership, school leadership,transformation leadershi

A knowledge based decision support system for tool changeover in CNCs

This paper describes an application of an adaptive planning system for automatic tool changers in flexible manufacturing systems. The conventional models of predictive control usually cannot adapt to a real time dynamic environment. The proposed adaptive control model is capable of self adjusting to changing environments. The algorithm is based on a decision logic, which is constructed by breaking up knowledge and converting them into mathematical form in order to cover all possible conditions that can exist during the implementation phase. Expert thoughts and knowledge from decision logic are stored in the decision tree, which consists of circular nodes, arcs and decision nodes. The suggested system is capable of accepting further rules, new nodes and branches to the tree when additional attributes are needed. This whole knowledge is encoded in the form of production rules and each rule represents a small chunk of knowledge relating to the given domain of tool replacement. A number of related rules collectively respond to highly useful conclusions.The system uses VP Expert development shell, contains an inference engine and, a user interface. The originality of the proposed strategy lies in that a knowledge-based expert system is developed to identify and analyze the current conditions and then readjust the output that reflects the real-time environment. Compared with the various classical models, the approach can synthesize and analyze as many variables as possible to adequately and reliably identify the real-time conditions. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and practicality of this tool-change planning and control strategy

THE APPLICATION OF BLOOM TAXONOMY FOR THE AMELIORATION OF EXAMINATION SYSTEM- A QUALITATIVE STUDY AT HSSC LEVEL IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Background: This qualitative study was aimed to apply Bloom Taxonomy forthe improvement of examination system at Higher Secondary SchoolCertificate (HSSC) level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study tried toexplore the techniques of improvement of examination system by employingBloom Taxonomy in teaching learning process as well as in the setting ofexamination papers to bring credibility in the result of examination at HSSClevel. Method: For collection of data purposive sampling was used. Throughfour sets of semi-structured interviews, from the four respondents, i.e.,educationist, chairman and Controller BISE (Board of Intermediate andSecondary Education), and an Associate Professor from the department ofHigher Education of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Results: Four themes emergedfrom these interviews which were properly analyzed through thematicanalysis. The results of the study showed that holistic teaching, SLO (StudentLearning Outcomes) based examination, variety of questions in papers andcombination of all learning domains will properly help in the improvement ofexamination. Conclusion: The study recommends the incorporation of BloomTaxonomy in both teaching learning practices, as well as for the setting ofexamination papers accordingly

Entropy generation in magnetohydrodynamic mixed convection flow over an inclined stretching sheet

This research focuses on entropy generation rate per unit volume in magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) mixed convection boundary layer flow of a viscous fluid over an inclined stretching sheet. Analysis has been performed in the presence of viscous dissipation and non-isothermal boundary conditions. The governing boundary layer equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations by an appropriate similarity transformation. The transformed coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations are then solved numerically by a shooting technique along with the Runge-Kutta method. Expressions for entropy generation (Ns) and Bejan number (Be) in the form of dimensionless variables are also obtained. Impact of various physical parameters on the quantities of interest is seen

5-[(E)-(2,6-Dichloro­benzyl­idene)amino]-2-hy­droxy­benzoic acid

There are two geometrically different mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C14H9Cl2NO3. The 5-amino-2-hy­droxy­benzoic acid units [r.m.s. deviations of 0.0323 and 0.0414 Å] and 2,6-dichloro­benzaldehyde groups [r.m.s. deviations of 0.0285 and 0.0226 Å] are roughly planar and oriented at dihedral angles of 11.69 (13) and 83.12 (6)° in the two mol­ecules. An intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond completes an S(6) ring motif in each mol­ecule. The two mol­ecules form dimers with each other through inter­molecular O—H⋯N and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, completing an R 2 2(8) ring motif. The dimers are inter­linked via inter­molecular O—H⋯N and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming polymeric sheets

INJURIES OF SUBCLAVIAN & AXILLARY VESSELS AND THEIR SURGICAL MANAGEMENT

Objective: The complicated operational coverage to severe injuries needed for the conventional method of surgeries associate with the high rate of mortality & morbidity. We demonstrated our outcomes with respect to the conventional way of surgeries following the axillosubclavian injuries. Methodology: The surgery of twenty-nine patients suffering from axillosubclavian injuries carried out at the emergency department of Lahore General Hospital from December 2014 to April 2019. The methods of treatment and detection of disease, related injury of organ, rates of morbidity and mortality in the patients were under evaluation. Results: The reason of the injuries were wounds because of stab in 37.90% (n: 11) patients, wounds of gun firing in 31.0% (n: 9) patients, iatrogenic injuries were available in 17.20% (n: 5) patients & blunt trauma was present in 13.70% (n: 4) patients. Total 8 (27.50%) patients found with separated injuries of arteries while 72.40% (n: 21) found with injuries of coexisting organs as veins, bones, nerves and soft tissues. The main important surgical procedures were primary repair & utilization of the saphenous vein. Myocardial infarction causes the death of 1 patient. Rate of mortality was 3.40%. Conclusions: Injuries of subclavian and auxiliary vascular have a close association with the neurogenic, injuries of the soft tissues & osseous and early intervention are very necessary to recover these injuries. The better choice of the surgery is conventional method which has a poor status and fulfills the condition of emergency. Keywords: Axillosubclavian, Injury, Intervention, Methodology, Mortality, Stab, Gunfire, Detection, Soft Tissues, Bones, Iatrogenic, Complicated

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension; three case reports with similar clinical manifestations, treated successfully using different management techniques.

Spontaneous Intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a rare neurological disorder, characterized by orthostatic headaches. Due to the complicity of its diagnosis and lack of awareness amongst physicians, SIH remains an under-diagnosed disease and its true prevalence remains unknown. It is a reversible condition, if diagnosed early. Delay in diagnosis can result in life threatening complications.Case Reports:We present a case series of three patients who presented with typical symptoms of SIH. But management course of each patient varied. The first patient responded well to the EBP (epidural blood patch) while the second improved with conventional symptomatic treatment. The third patient needed a surgical intervention for complication developed due to SIH. This case series hence covers a variety of treatment options for patients with SIH.Conclusion:SIH is an emerging challenge for neurologists worldwide. Awareness amongst physicians regarding this disease along with a high level of suspicion and good history skills will allow early diagnosis of the disease and prevent delay in treatment and hence complications