Firm Specific Determinants of Growth in a Post CPEC Situation

Purpose: The study explores  the determinant of firm growth in a post CPEC scenario by taking a panel data of 53 textile based firms listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). Approach/Methodology/Design: The data were extracted from the Financial Statement Analysis (FSA) published by State Bank of Pakistan for a period ranging from 2012 to 2017. In this research, we applied some methods to evaluate results descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression models such as random effect model, fixed effect model and pooled OLS and also we use GMM method (generalized method of movement).  Findings: The results after the calibration of CPEC as dummy variable proved that profitability and financial leverage are significant determinants of firm growth in the textile sector of Pakistan even after controlling the endogeneity problems.   Originality/value: The results imply that the firms in textile sector should focus on sustained profitability and also the availability of healthy financial arrangements to pursue growth in the long term

Microwave-vacuum extraction technique as a green and clean label technology: kinetics, efficiency analysis, and effect on bioactive compounds

Grape pomace is a rich source of bioactive compounds and dietary fiber. This study aims to valorize the grape pomace by microwave-vacuum-assisted drying and extraction, which is a novel, green, and clean label technology. The drying and extraction of bioactive compounds from the grape pomace was optimized using response surface methodology. Box-Behnken design was used for three process variables, i.e., time, power, and vacuum levels. The highest drying rate was observed (5.53 g/100 g min after 10 min of drying) at the combination of 80 W and 20 inHg. This combination significantly reduced the drying time (25%) and resulted in the highest yield (64.5%) of bioactive compounds. Equally, changes in moisture ratio behavior were rapid under these processing conditions. Furthermore, Midilli model (R2 = 0.999, RMSE = 0.002, SSE = 3.71 × 10−6) was the best to justify the fitness of experimental values with predicted values. In addition, the diffusion coefficient, activation energy, and extraction yield were increased with increase in power and pressure. The concentration of bioactive components was higher in dried pomace compared to the extract. The extraction was successfully achieved without the use of solvent and the characteristics of extracted phenolics remained unaltered. Based on these findings, the microwave-vacuum-assisted drying and extraction process can be claimed as a sustainable approach.Universidade de Vigo/CISUGAxencia Galega de Innovación | Ref. IN607A2019/0

The perceived psychological well-being of LGBTQ individuals in Malaysia

This study explores the psychological well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) individuals in Malaysia, focusing on their experiences of identity formation, societal understanding, and the impact of prevailing attitudes on their mental health. Through qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews with nine participants from the LGBTQ community in Kuantan, Pahang, this research delves into the personal narratives of two lesbians, two gay individuals, two bisexuals, and three transgender persons, to understand the complexities of living as an LGBTQ individual in a society marked by religious and legal considerations. .The findings reveal that participants recognized their LGBTQ identity during adolescence, often navigating societal expectations discreetly to avoid backlash. Despite challenges, participants demonstrated resilience and found support within familial and community networks. Notably, the study highlights a shift towards greater understanding of LGBTQ individuals in Malaysia, potentially reducing instances of psychological distress within the community. This research underscores the importance of supportive environments and the need for culturally competent mental health care for LGBTQ individuals. It also calls for further studies to include broader societal perspectives and professional insights to enrich the discourse on LGBTQ mental well-being. This study contributes valuable insights into the evolving landscape of LGBTQ perceptions and the factors influencing the psychological health of LGBTQ individuals in Malaysia

Ramadan Effect on Price Movements: Evidence from Pakistan

This paper attempts to verify the widespread perception that general price level tends to rise due to the month of Ramadan in Pakistan. For this purpose, the ARIMA methodology (simple and extended form), along with simple graphical and scenario analysis, has been applied on the monthly data for overall, food and non-food indices of consumer prices in Pakistan from July 1991 to December 2008. URL:[http://www.sbp.org.pk/publications/wpapers/2010/wp32.pdf]pakistan, ramdan, data, government activism, price level, monthly data, food, non-food, indices, consumer prices, economic time series, ramadan, ARIMA methodology,

Detection of Self-Mixing Interferometric Fringes of a Laser Sensor Using Matched Filter

Self-Mixing (SM) is a promising technique for sensing vibration, distance, velocity etc. To retrieve accurate metric measurements from an acquired SM signal, it is necessary to correctly detect all interferometric fringes. Traditionally, SM fringes are detected by a derivative based threshold (DBT) scheme. However, such a scheme gives correct results only for SM signals with high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and moderate optical feedback regime. So, in this paper, a better fringe detection method, based on Matched Filter (MF), is proposed which has provided correct SM fringe detection even in case of low SNR and weak optical feedback regime. The proposed approach has resulted in fringe detection accuracy of 100% for a low SNR SM signal belonging to the weak feedback regime

Effect of Elevated Temperatures on Mortar with Naturally Occurring Volcanic Ash and Its Blend with Electric Arc Furnace Slag

The mechanical behavior of basaltic volcanic ash (VA) and fly ash (FA) as a cement replacement under elevated temperatures is mainly investigated in the current study. For this, cement content has been partially replaced with and without the presence of electric arc furnace slag (S). Four distinct ranges of temperatures (200°C, 400°C, 600°C, and 800°C) were selected, and the modified mixes were subjected to these gradually elevated temperatures. Samples were cured and cooled by using air- and water-cooling techniques. Test results were established by examining the sample weights and compressive strength before and after the exposure of each temperature level. The pozzolanic potential of volcanic ash and fly ash samples was identified using the strength activity index. After analyzing the test results, it has been found that there is a significant effect on the compressive strength of mortar mixes at the early ages of its strength gain. However, at the later ages of curing, samples modified with volcanic and fly ash with the presence of electric arc furnace slag have shown a better performance than control mix in terms of strength and weight loss

Up-scaling of fly ash-based geopolymer concrete to investigate the binary effect of locally available metakaolin with fly ash

Owing to the increasing threat to environment due to the emission of greenhouse gases from cement industry globally, various promising solutions has been introduced in the past decades. The development of geoplymer concrete (GPC) is one of the contribution by the researches towards ecofriendly and sustainable construction. In this research, geopolymer concrete (GPC) is optimized by adding fixed amount of fly Ash (FA) and alkali activator to fine aggregate ratio as 0.5 with varying Molarity from 12 M to 16 M and Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio from 1.5 to 2.5. Physical and mechanical properties along with effect of heat and ambient curing conditions were investigated at various ages. The optimized mixture of fly ash based geopolymer concrete was then up scaled by blending with locally available Metakaolin (MK) with different dosages (i.e., 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%). The aim of the study is to identify the binary effect of FA and MK on overall performance of geopolymer concrete. Results showed that 30% FA-MK based GPC depicted 21%, 19% and 26% more compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength respectively than Fly Ash based GPC alone at heat cured condition. This can be explained mainly due to two facts namely binary action of metakaolin that enhances compaction of GPC and pozzolanic activity of MK that expedite geopolymeric strength causing phases. The results were further verified by Modified Chapelle test and FTIR. Morphology of the developed GPC is also examined from SEM images. The work is an effort to utilize the fly ash produced by coal power plants to effectively address UN sustainable development goal related to sustainable cities and communities

Impact Resistance of Styrene–Butadiene Rubber (SBR) Latex-Modified Fiber-Reinforced Concrete: The Role of Aggregate Size

Improvements in tensile strength and impact resistance of concrete are among the most researched issues in the construction industry. The present study aims to improve the properties of concrete against impact loadings. For this purpose, energy-absorbing materials are used along with fibers that help in controlling the crack opening. A polymer-based energy-absorbing admixture, SBR latex, along with polypropylene fibers are used in this study to improve the impact resistance. Along with fibers and polymers, the effect of the size of aggregates was also investigated. In total, 12 mixes were prepared and tested against the drop weight test and the Charpy impact test. Other than this, mechanical characterization was also carried out for all the 12 concrete mixes. Three dosages of SBR latex, i.e., 0%, 4%, and 8% by weight of cement, were used along with three aggregates sizes, 19 mm down, 10 mm down, and 4.75 mm down. The quantity of polypropylene fibers was kept equal to 0.5% in all mixes. In addition to these, three control samples were also prepared for comparison. The mix design was performed to achieve a normal-strength concrete. For this purpose, a concrete mix of 1:1.5:3 was used with a water to a cement ratio of 0.4 to achieve a normal-strength concrete. The experimental study concluded that the addition of SBR latex improves the impact resistance of concrete. Furthermore, an increase in impact resistance was also observed for a larger aggregate size. The use of fibers and SBR latex is encouraged due to their positive results and the fact that they provide an economical solution for catering to impact strains. The study concludes that 4% SBR latex and 0.5% fibers with a larger aggregate size improve the resistance against impact loads

Trade-Offs for the Optimal Energy Efficiency of Road Transportation: Domestic Cases in Developing Countries

The increase in domestic transportation in developing countries may adversely affect the energy efficiency of road transportation due to effective productivity and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2). When evaluating quantitatively the countries on the efficiency frontier, poor efficiency can still be seen sometimes due to the slack available in undesirable output measures. This paper uses desirable and undesirable output variables, such as passenger-kilometers (PKM), tones-kilometers (TKM), and carbon dioxide (CO2), to compute the weakly efficient decision-making units (DMUs). The data envelopment analysis (DEA) technology is used to assess the efficiencies of the decision-making units (DMUs), which are countries in our case. Then, the trade-off method with efficient binding surfaces is used to attain the optimal efficiencies of the weakly efficient DMUs. The marginal rates aid this trade-off analysis. Resultantly, such marginal trade-offs do not deteriorate the efficiency of the DMUs below the frontier line. We calculate the maximum change (margin) in a specific variable amount when another variable’s amount is changed. Thus, such a computation gives us different margins, with which each output variable can be a traded off to bring a DMU further toward the closest optimal point possible. The marginal trade-off can help the managers and policymakers in effective decision-making, and it is further recommended to address efficiency damages (by the undesired outputs)

Analysis of Flow-Induced Vibrations in a Heat Exchanger Tube Bundle Subjected to Variable Tube Flow Velocity

Tube bundles of shell and tube-type heat exchangers often fail because of vibrations produced in tubes due to flow. The turbulence in the flow is the primary cause of vibrations in the tubes. In this study, a tube positioned in the third row of the tube bundle was considered to determine the vibrational response of the heat exchanger tubes. The tube bundle was parallelly arranged in a triangular (60°) configuration having a pitch to diameter (P/D) ratio of 1.44. The internal tube flow velocity ranges from 0 to 0.371 m/s and the shell side velocity ranges from 0.5 m/s to 2 m/s. The experimentation shows that the amplitude of vibration without flow inside the tube is less as compared to the amplitude with the flow. Furthermore, as the velocity of internal tube flow escalates; the amplitude of tube vibrations tends to escalate as well even when the shell side flow velocity is kept constant. The data points from experiments tend to reside in the unstable region of the stability map and particularly on the map’s left side, although the tube shows stable vibration behaviour as confirmed by the experimental results. Thus, further, development can be done by modifying the theoretical models to predict the realistic stability behaviour of tubes with internal tube flow