76 research outputs found

    Electronic Debit Card Usage and their Impact on Profitability of Pakistan Banking Sector: ROA, Model

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    Advancements in ICT (Information and Communication Technology) have become the heart of banking sector and indeed banking sector is a root cause of success for each economy. Its importance is absolutely evidenced from the current recession in European banks crisis. The influences of innovation, globalization and competition in the banking sector by its providers to offer their services make essential the understanding of how various aspect of advancements in technology especially in sense of debit card, credit cards, mobile banking, internet banking, ATM and much more can affect the profitability in both form of assets and equity belongs to shareholders. In this study we have endeavored to develop an integrated mathematical model to testify the impact of debit card usage on ROA of Pakistan banking industry by implying the regression analysis. The results have enlightened that increased in debit card usage enhance the profitability of banking industry in form of ROA over the period of 2004 to 2013 quarterly. Hence, this study along with limitations can be recommended further in the process of transforming paper based transactions to electronic based to reduce the cost and enhance the customer satisfaction through high quality of service delivery. Keywords: Debit Card, ICT, ROA, Pakista

    Is Internet Banking a determinant of Liquidity and Asset Quality? Empirical Evidence of Pakistan Banking Sector

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    In this paper, we investigate the effects of internet banking on the liquidity and asset quality of Pakistan banking sector overall, for the period of 2004 to 2013, quarterly. To evaluate the regression among the variables, SPSS has been used on the collected data for 46 operational banks in Pakistan. Though, results have enlightened that 1% increase in transaction via internet banking will lead toward more than 1% enhancement of liquidity and asset quality of banking sector in Pakistan. As liquidity and asset quality are components of CAMELS/ CAELS for measuring the performance of banking sector in Pakistan. Keywords: Internet Banking, Liquidity, Asset Quality, Pakistan Banking Secto

    A Close Assessment of X-ray Image Enhancement Techniques for Contraband Detection

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    X-ray image enhancement plays a vital role in the detection of explosive or illicit objects. X-ray image viewability is still a challenging task. To overcome this task, in this paper, we compare both new and old techniques of X-ray image enhancement for baggage inspection system on the basis of nine statistical measures of X-ray image viewability. From the experiments, it is concluded that some new techniques outclass the recent X-ray image enhancement methods that are regularly used at airports. From the viewability measurements, it is concluded that airport security baggage inspection system must be updated with our suggested enhancement approaches

    Efficient removal of norfloxacin using nano zerovalent cerium composite biochar-catalyzed peroxydisulfate

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    Norfloxacin (NOR), an important antibiotic used for the treatment of different infections which is reportedly causing huge quantity of water pollution and severe environmental issues. In this study, biochar prepared from Phoenix dactylifera roots biomass (PB) and composited with mesoporous nano-zerovalent cerium (nZVCe) was used for treatment of NOR solutions. The various characterization and treatment studies showed successful formation of the nZVCe and PB composite. The nZVCe was found to improve physiological characteristics and catalytic efficiency of PB. The nZVCe/PB composite caused 52% removal of NOR as compared to 23% by the individual PB. The use of peroxydisulfate (PDS) with PB and nZVCe/PB showed further improvement in the removal of NOR and caused 58 and 84% removal efficiencies of NOR by PB/PDS and nZVCe/PB/PDS, respectively. The use of PDS with PB and nZVCe/PB was found to yield ●OH and SO4 ●– which improved degradation of NOR, however, addition of ●OH and SO4 ●– scavengers impeded NOR degradation. The PB was found to have several oxygen functional groups which decomposed PDS into ●OH and SO4 ●–. The nZVCe/PB showed high recovery, reusability, and stability and caused high removal of NOR even at fifth cycle of treatment both in the absence and presence of PDS. The treatment of NOR by nZVCe/PB-catalyzed PDS showed encouraging results under different pH, and varying concentrations of PDS, nZVCe/PB, and NOR as well as in real water samples which suggest potential practical applications of NOR contaminated water. Degradation of NOR resulted into several products and the resulting final product proved to be non-toxic

    Ultrasensitive Leaky Surface Acoustic Wave Immunosensor for Real-Time Detection of Alpha-Fetoprotein in Biological Fluids

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    We propose an ultrasensitive leaky surface acoustic wave (LSAW) immunosensor based on molybdenum disulfide @ cuprous oxide—gold (MoS2@Cu2O-Au) nanoparticles and subsequent gold staining for the detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). MoS2@Cu2O-Au nanoparticles, with their large specific surface area and good biocompatibility, not only capture the secondary antibodies (Ab2) but also amplify the mass loading effect of the acoustic wave sensor in the detection of AFP. The immunosensor signals are further amplified upon injection of gold staining solution. The developed immunosensor achieved a low detection limit of 5.5 and 25.0 pg/mL with and without gold staining, respectively. The immunosensor demonstrated its efficiency for the quantitative detection of AFP in complex biological fluids, including human serum and saliva samples, with excellent selectivity and long-term stability, showing great potential for the quantification of AFP in clinical diagnosis

    Synthesis of green metaloxide nanoparticles using aloe-barbadensis leaf extract (Acid Red 28) for dye removal applications

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    The present study focuses on the synthesis of stable metal oxide nanoparticles (MO-NPs) using Aloe Vera Barbadensis leaf extracts via a green route approach. The MO-NPs were synthesized by the interaction of Aloe-Barbadensis leaf extract with metaloxide salt and its azodye (Congo red). These NPs were then characterized using SEM (surface morphology), XRD (Crystallography structure, peaks of MO-NPs), UV-Vis (Absorption spectrum) and FTIR (presence of functional group). The SEM images revealed the surface morphology of nano sized powder while the XRD results showed that the particle size ranged between 5-30 nm. The UV-Vis absorption spectrum revealed that the MO-NPs are iron and copper oxide respectively. FTIR data, on the other hand, indicated the hydroxyl (OH) functional group stretching due to the presence of alcohols and phenolic chemicals in the extract. Moreover, the effect of physical properties such as solution concentration, their PH and MO-NPs adsorbent dosage on percentage of dye degradation was also determined. As per results, the NPs removed about 70-80% of Congo red dye solution at optimum condition of reaction factors. The dynamics of pseudo-second order was followed in the adsorption process by MO-NPs

    Bismuth-Doped Nano Zerovalent Iron: A Novel Catalyst for Chloramphenicol Degradation and Hydrogen Production

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    © In this study, we showed that doping bismuth (Bi) at the surface of Fe0 (Bi/Fe0, bimetallic iron system) - synthesized by a simple borohydride reduction method - can considerably accelerate the reductive degradation of chloramphenicol (CHP). At a reaction time of 12 min, 62, 68, 74, 95, and 82% degradation of CHP was achieved with Fe0, Bi/Fe0-1 [1% (w/w) of Bi], Bi/Fe0-3 [3% (w/w) of Bi], Bi/Fe0-5 [5% (w/w) of Bi], and Bi/Fe0-8 [8% (w/w) of Bi], respectively. Further improvements in the degradation efficiency of CHP were observed by combining the peroxymonosulfate (HSO5-) with Bi/Fe0-5 (i.e., 81% by Bi/Fe0-5 and 98% by the Bi/Fe0-5/HSO5- system at 8 min of treatment). Interestingly, both Fe0 and Bi/Fe0-5 showed effective H2 production under dark conditions that reached 544 and 712 μM by Fe0 and Bi/Fe0-5, respectively, in 70 mL of aqueous solution containing 0.07 g (i.e., at 1 g L-1 concentration) of the catalyst at ambient temperature

    Perovskite SrFe1-xTixO3-δ (x < = 0.1) cathode for low temperature solid oxide fuel cell

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    © 2018 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. Stable and compatible cathode materials are a key factor for realizing the low-temperature (LT, ≤600 °C) operation and practical implementations of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In this study, perovskite oxides SrFe 1-x Ti x O 3-δ (x < = 0.1), with various ratios of Ti doping, are prepared by a sol-gel method for cathode material for LT-SOFCs. The structure, morphology and thermo-gravimetric characteristics of the resultant SFT powders are investigated. It is found that the Ti is successfully doped into SrFeO 3-δ to form a single phase cubic perovskite structure and crystal structure of SFT shows better stability than SrFeO 3-δ . The dc electrical conductivity and electrochemical properties of SFT are measured and analysed by four-probe and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) measurements, respectively. The obtained SFT exhibits a very low polarization resistance (R p ),.01 Ωcm 2 at 600◦C. The SFT powders using as cathode in fuel cell devices, exhibit maximum power density of 551 mW cm −2 with open circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.15 V at 600◦C. The good performance of the SFT cathode indicates a high rate of oxygen diffusion through the material at cathode. By enabling operation at low temperatures, SFT cathodes may result in a practical implementation of SOFCs

    Aspergillus fumigatus in commercial poultry flocks, a serious threat to poultry industry

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    ABSTRACT The present study was carried out to determine the incidence of Aspergillus fumigatus in commercial poultry flocks. Aspergillus fumigatus was isolated from the lungs and air sacs of affected birds. Sixty four suspected cases of fungal infection were used in the study. Thirty one cases were found positive for Aspergillus fumigatus by culturing. Gross lesions were observed in lungs, trachea and thoracic air sacs at postmortem examination. Small white nodular lesions 1 millimeter diameter were observed in the congested lungs and thoracic air sacs. Branched septate hyphae were observed under oil emersion. Aspergillus fumigatus was cultured on sabouraud agar. Velvety white colonies were seen, at first, which turned dark green to grayish later. It was observed that disease was significantly (P&lt;0.005) higher in hot and humid season. The disease was significantly (P&lt;0.000) higher in birds of less than two weeks age. It was also found that incidence of Aspergillus fumigatus was considerably high in flocks reared on sawdust litter as compared to rice husk litter
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