Trends of Radicalization among the Ranks of the Afghan National Police

This study examines and compares trends of radicalization among the ranks of Afghan National Police (ANP) force across eleven provinces in Afghanistan. This is the first part of an ongoing series of papers dedicated to examining the evolving trends in radicalization among the Afghan National Defense and Security Force (ANDSF). Since the formation of the defense and security in 2002, various potential manifestations of radicalization, including insider attacks, dereliction of duty, and desertion have plagued its ranks. Radicalization is broadly defined as constraints on both the perspective of individuals and their tolerance to ideology and practices which diverge and differentiate from their own political, religious and social beliefs. Making the distinction between political deviance (PD), religious extremism (RE), and social intolerance (SI), 1498 uniformed rank and file personnel, 151 commissioned officers, and 8 uniformed religious leaders from among the ANP were surveyed on their views toward the political system in Afghanistan, anti-government elements including the Taliban, democracy in light of Islamic values, and women and human rights

The management of short-term decision-making in practice

The main aim of this thesis is to investigate the management of working capital in practice. The three-fold objectives are to: (i) address the issues surrounding the management of short-term assets and liabilities within the framework of working capital management, and investigate the various linkages between the key working capital variables using existing conceptual tools of finance (these links have not been tested using the empirical data as discussed below); (ii) identify the possible reasons why It is believed that little progress has been made in traditional short-term financial management performance measures and to review the modern methods of working capital management applied in practice; (iii) investigate the effect of global trading on working capital management policies This is an interesting area to explore as a natural extension to the main study. [Continues.

Moisture absorption and diffusivity of epoxy filled layered-structure nanocomposite

This paper studies moisture absorption and diffusivity of epoxy reinforced layered structure nanocomposites and its effect on fracture toughness. Two different types of layered fillers employed in the study were clay and graphene platelets, in which both surface layers were unmodified and modified by characterized by swelling analysis and fracture toughness measurement. The outcomes surfactant. The nanocomposites were showed that the moisture absorption and diffusivity decreased with the addition of layered fillers. It was found that the modified graphene platelets and clay outperformed the unmodified layers and neat epoxy in terms of reduction of moisture absorption and diffusivity. The modified graphene platelets reduced the moisture uptake and diffusivity about 30% and 33%, respectively compare to neat epoxy, thus indicates its outstanding performance in barrier applications. However, once the nanocomposites were swelling in the water for 5 days, it is noticed that the fracture toughness of nanocomposites were reduced significantly about 35% in average. Nevertheless, the modified graphene platelets still display the better performance compare to the other samples although there was reduction of fracture toughness

Measuring the Impact of Industrialization and Financial Development on Water Resources: A Case Study of Pakistan

The objective of the study examines the impact of industrialization and financial development on water resources, in the specific context of Pakistan. Data set from 1975-2009 are taken for time series analysis. The result reveals that economic growth positively linked with the water resource, as water plays a pivotal role in the economic development of a country. Thus limiting this resource would affect the process of economic growth. Industrial processes have a negative environmental impact which causing water pollution. Financial development has an indirect effect on water consumption, as it shows that private firms finds more funding opportunities in a country, therefore, avoid dirty industry game.Economics growth, financial development, industrialization, water resource, cointegration, bonds test, Pakistan.

Dynamic Linkages between International Trade, Gross Fixed Capital Formation, Total Labor Force and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan

Objectives The objective of the study is to examine the long-run relationship between international trade, gross fixed capital formation, total labor force ad economic growth in the context of Pakistan. Prior Work Although the positive association between international trade and economic growth has been widely investigated in different economic settings, however, the findings in developing countries are still inconclusive. Approach This study analyzed the impact of trade openness on Pakistan’s economic growth during a period of 1980 – 2017.  The total labor force and gross fixed capital formation are served as control variables in this study. The study employed Johansen cointegration and Granger causality test for robust inferences. Implications The results confirm the growth-led trade hypothesis in a given country. The results further show a unidirectional causality running from i) trade openness to gross fixed capital formation and ii) total labor to economic growth. The study proposed a number of policy implications to diffuse trade openness in a given country for long-term sustained growth. Value The study has a novel contribution in the existing literature by including labor and capital in the trade-growth modeling to analyze endogenous production function, which is imperative for country’s long-term growth

Developing World Is Not the Only Custodian of Child Labor

The study attempts to look into the menace of the child labor around the contemporary world while also tracing its history. The study endeavors to find traces of child labor in the developing as well as developed world. The worst forms of child labor including armed conflict, trafficking, slavery, sexual exploitation, and hazardous work which absorb three-forth (3/4th) of the total child labor force. Menace of child labor continued either under inappropriate laws or unwilling implementers. The facts reveal that children’s having ages 7-14 years is 145,000 in Italy. Approximately 1.5 million child labor force is estimated in Italy. Although, unpleasant but child labor was considered desirable, at times.  Child labor is an established fact in Europe. Reasonable extent of child labor in Europe is not documented; however, 50% of rural child labor worked under 3 hours a day with only 18% worked more than 8 hours. Child labor is fundamentally dangerous as it adversely affects the child’s productive age. Keywords: Child labor; Developing countries; Developed world

The quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects: from weak to strong system-environment coupling

By repeatedly measuring a quantum system, the evolution of the system can be slowed down (the quantum Zeno effect) or sped up (quantum anti-Zeno effect). We study these effects for a single two-level system coupled to a collection of harmonic oscillators. Previously, such systems have been studied in both the weak and the strong system-environment coupling regimes. In this paper, we apply a polaron transformation in a manner that allows us to study the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects for a large variety of system-environment parameters. Using this approach, we reproduce previous results for the weak and strong system-environment coupling regimes. Moreover, as long as the environment is super-Ohmic, we show how our approach can be used to explore regimes such as the moderate system-environment coupling regime that could not be investigated before in a straightforward manner.Comment: 9 pages, comments most welcom

Impact of Agriculture Sector Development on Economic Growth: Application of Robust Linear Least Squares Regression on Pakistan’s Data Set

The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between economic growth and  agricultural crops, i.e., maize, rice, sugarcane, and wheat production in the context of Pakistan by using the last 14 years time period from 2003-2016. The study used some other exogenous factors, i.e., agriculture exports and agriculture employment, which gives conclusive findings in a given country context. The study employed robust least squares regression apparatus that gives unbiased, efficient, and reliable estimates. The results show that agricultural crops, i.e., maize and wheat production substantially increases country’s economic growth, while agricultural exports does not supported due to some structural flaws in agriculture commodity market. The results confirm the positive association between agriculture employment and economic growth that helpful to reduce Pakistan’s internal migration issues. The study emphasized the need to support rice and sugarcane production through protective prices, economic policies, and financialization in the commodity markets.&nbsp

The impact of demographic trends on economic growth ? productivity in Pakistan (1980-2007)

This paper seeks to examine the impact of demographic variables on economic growth in Pakistan. A long-run relationship between the variables has been found by applying Johanson?s Co-integration Technique after finding the series I(1). The Error Correction Model (ECM) has been applied to streamline the short-run and long- run impacts of the variables on economic growth. Population has a positive but decreasing impact on economic growth in the long run. Trade liberalisation and Human Capital Formation have a negative impact on globalisation in the long run and an insignificant impact in the short run. As a result of an increase in unemployment in the labour market in the short run, Life Expectancy, Labour Productivity Per Capita and Population Growth Rate have a negative impact on economic growth. This analysis will help decision makers in developing strategies and policies to accelerate economic growth, human capital formation and trade liberalisation in Pakistan