Analysis of Financial Sector Reforms and Impacts: Reflections from Pakistan

The purpose of this paper is to examine all efforts made by the Government of Pakistan in order to uplift the efficiency of financial sector through financial restructuring institutions such as banks, as well as to recognize the impact of these reforms on various financial indicators. Results of this study suggested that financial sector performance was very much better after the completion of first generation reforms but many new reforms are still required for macroeconomic stability and economic growth of Pakistan. This was the first attempt made by researcher in which detailed discussion was provided about financial sector reforms and it will help out the policy makers while developing policies for future and it will enhance the knowledge of economists and all other beneficiaries as well. Moreover, discussion for further reforms and gap for future studies was also provided

Experimental Analysis on Tensile Behavior of Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) using Polypropylene Fiber

The high demand of tensile strength in concrete is always a critical issue for engineers, as 10% of the compressive strength is not sufficient to withstand higher loadings. Lesser ductility and strain capacity is another major issue of normal concrete. In the queue of modern researches, this paper is an attempt to study Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) from research of Professor Victor Li, the University of Michigan. ECC is an ultra-ductile cementitious composite which is highly crack resistant, with a high tensile strain capacity over that of normal concrete. The composite replaces coarse aggregates and fine aggregates by sand and fly ash respectively. ECC is made up of OPC, sand (passing from 250 µm and retained on 150µm), Fly Ash (Class F) with addition of Polypropylene fiber on different percentages i.e. 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1.0% were studied. Tensile Strength of ECC was measured by casting & testing cylinders of 4”x 8” in Universal Testing Machine (UTM). The experimental results revealed that 111.40% increment in tensile strength was found at 0.5% PP fiber at ECC 1:1:1 and an increment of 74.74% was observed at ECC 1:0.8:1.2 at 1% PP fiber. The study concludes that this composite could substitute the normal concrete where high tension is the ultimate requirement with higher strain capacity

Cinematic Presentation of Pakistan-India Relations: A Comparative Study of Lollywood and Bollywood Movies (2000 - 2013)

Movies are a major source of entertainment for viewers, but they have also become an effective tool for furthering foreign policy objectives of the countries. Pakistan and India are neighboring countries having a long history of ups and downs in their bilateral relations since they got independence in 1947. The movies being produced on both sides of the border cannot stand aloof from portraying nature of the relationship between the two neighbors. The research focuses on how Bollywood, representing Indian film industry, and Lollywood, representing Pakistani movies, portray Pakistan-India relations. A content analysis of selected movies from both sides in a chosen sample was conducted, which explores that films are not very much neutral and always showcase foreign policies of their respective countrie

PERSONAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMERS’ IMPULSE BUYING BEHAVIOR: A DEVELOPING COUNTRY PERSPECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of Personality, shopping enjoyment   tendency, materialism, impulse buying tendency, and cultural dimension namely collectivism and individualism on impulse buying behavior. This study employed a quantitative approach that involved a convenience sampling technique to collect data from customers (n=320) using a structured survey. Structured Equation Modeling was applied to analyze data by using AMOS 24. According to the study's findings, shopping enjoyment tendency and materialism strongly affect impulse buying. Further, buyers with a high tendency to impulsiveness, buy more spontaneously. More importantly, the findings revealed that personality traits; neuroticism and extraversion, have also a strongly positive impact on consumers’ IBB. This study provides important information regarding the buying behavior of consumers from the retail sector of a developing nation and checks the effect of the above-mentioned important factors on consumers’ impulse buying. The outcomes of this study will help retailers and marketers to develop effective strategies in accordance with consumer buying behavior

Principals Perception Regarding Factors Affecting The Performance Of Teachers

This study investigated the perception of principals on how the factors of subject mastery, teaching methodology, personal characteristics, and attitude toward students affect the performance of teachers at higher secondary level in the Punjab. All principals of higher secondary level in the Punjab were part of the population of the study. From the population, 120 principals were selected as the sample. A questionnaire was developed and validated through pilot testing. The data obtained were tabulated and analyzed by using statistical techniques of mean and standard deviation. The major conclusions of the study were that the factor of subject mastery was perceived to be influencing the performance of teachers maximally, but the factor of attitude toward students was affecting the performance of teachers minimally. The remaining two factors - teaching methodology and personal characteristics - were perceived to be at the intermediary level

Assessment of parameters effectiveness in the reserve estimation methods applicable to coal bed methane reservoirs

The reserve estimation of coal bed methane (CBM) reservoirs is ascertained through the analytical methods (volumetric method, material balance equation and decline curve analysis). However, the adoption of reserve estimation methods depends on exploration stage and availability of the required parameters. This study deals with the analytical assessment of parameters that participate in effecting the reserve estimation of CBM reservoirs through the analytical techniques. The accurate measurement challenges always exist for the parameters which participate in the reserve estimation of the conventional and unconventional reservoirs because of the inclusion of limitations while measurement. Therefore, the impact of that measurement challenge must be assessed. The study specifies the impact of parametric change on the reserve estimation of CBM reservoirs so that the degree of parametric effectiveness is analyzed. Uncertain values are adopted which are associated during the evaluation of input parameters for each method to determine the overall impact on potential of CBM reserves. Results reveal that change in specific parameters considering each method provide relatively more effect on estimation of reserves. Thus, the measurement of parameters must be done accurately for assessing reserves of CBM reservoirs based on available methods.publishedVersio

Assessment of Change Orders Attributes in Preconstruction and Construction Phase

Construction projects are very complex in nature. Each activity involves multiple varying tasks. Construction industry is the main source of economic growth. When change order occur performance of projects momentously affected.  Change orders often have a serious impact on the quality, time and cost. Eventually it results in disputes, delays, and dissatisfactions among stakeholders and ultimately results in failures of projects. In past several studies have been done to evaluate the causes of change order and its effects. Attempts have been made to quantify these impacts by many researchers, but the aim of this study is to identify the causes of change order in two different phases i.e. preconstruction and construction stage. Views were taken from relevant experts over included factors after in-depth literature review from past researches. A questionnaire was made and floated with different construction players from clients, consultants and contractors side. The data was analyzed by SPSS using average index technique. The analysis of data showed that, Mistakes in specifications, Mistakes in design and Lack of experience in selecting construction team by client are the most critical factors during preconstruction phase. Whereas, Design modification by owner, change in scope at later stage and Delays in payment by client are most critical factors of construction phase, responsible for change order. The extensive discussion of these factors revealed various parameters related to Pakistan construction. This study will enable the clients, consultants and contractors to be aware of factors which causes changes in orders and their consequences on project completion. By the identification of possible reasons, the right decisions can be made to mark the project successful

A role corporate governance and firm's environmental performance: a moderating role of institutional regulations

Climate change has become one of the biggest issue across the globe as most countries have been bearing the consequences of this phenomenon on a global scale. Countries have been drafting environmental regulations to help mitigate the environmental pollution caused by climate change. Therefore, the implications of environmental policies in various sectors of the economy are dependent on state regulations. The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of corporate governance on environmental performance. Furthermore, this study examines the impact of institutional regulations on the relationship of corporate governance and firms’ environmental performance. The data was collected from the top 120 manufacturing companies that are based in Pakistan, India, China and Bangladesh. The binary logit regression methodology was employed in this study. The results indicate that the attributes of corporate governance have a positive and significant impact on green performance. In addition, the results were also positive and significant on the moderating role of institutional regulation for corporate governance and firm performance. Hence, based on the empirical findings, this study recommends strict environmental institutional regulations to further enhance environmental performance

ABO Blood Groups are efficient in delineating relationships across linguistic subpopulations of Pakistan

Objective: Variances in ABO blood groups frequencies across world populations make them valuable markers for studying population genetics. In this study, phenotype and gene frequencies of ABO blood group were investigated to delineate relationships across major linguistic subpopulations of Pakistan. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective multiple cohort study design conducted during 2009-2014. Karachi with population from diverse linguistic and ethnic backgrounds was chosen as the study area. Cohorts were formed on the basis of mother tongue and termed as linguistic subpopulations. There were five major cohorts namely Balochi, Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu. Blood samples were collected from 2,327 unrelated individuals through random sampling within each cohort. ABO blood groups were determined using antisera. ABO gene frequencies were estimated through Bernstein methods. Cluster and Correspondence analyses were performed to explore relationships between linguistic subpopulations. Results: Gene B was the most common across all the subpopulations except Balochi subpopulation that showed relatively higher frequency of gene A. Dendrogram of cluster analysis and biplot of correspondence analysis showed closeness of three subpopulations namely Punjabi, Sindhi and Urdu. Conclusions: Apart from describing the frequencies of ABO blood groups, this study asserts the importance of ABO blood group in delineating the relationships between the subpopulations of Pakistan. ABO blood group has long been used as identification markers in medico-legal investigation. It is interesting to know that these markers are also efficient in delineating population genealogical structure. Randomization within a cohort, un-relatedness and a larger sample size enhance the reliability of the results.

ENHANCING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES: THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORKERS IN DISTRICT RAHIM YAR KHAN, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract In recent years, the intricate relationship between climate change and its profound impact on agricultural productivity has garnered increasing attention, particularly concerning the pivotal role played by agricultural extension workers. This study delves into climate change mitigation strategies within the realm of agriculture, with a specific focus on the instrumental contributions of agricultural extension workers. Climate change presents a multifaceted challenge to global agricultural systems, exerting significant influences on productivity, crop yields, and food production. Amid these challenges, agricultural extension workers emerge as central figures bridging the chasm between technical knowledge and practical adaptation methods for farmers. This qualitative investigation draws upon a synthesis of existing research and incorporates insights from key informant interviews. By shedding light on the intricate interplay between climate change, agricultural productivity, and the pivotal function of agricultural extension workers, this research aspires to provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic relationships between these variables. By facilitating the adoption of climate-resilient techniques, such as cultivating drought-resistant crop varieties, implementing water-efficient irrigation methods, and promoting agroforestry, extension workers empower farmers to mitigate the severe impacts of climate change. Furthermore, extension workers play a pivotal role in bolstering farmers' adaptive capabilities and equipping them with essential skills to navigate increasingly volatile climatic conditions. Studies underscore that farmers who receive training from extension workers report heightened confidence in successfully implementing climate-adaptive strategies