Place image and place branding : What the data tells us

Of the two co-authors of this article, the first has led a long-term research program and participated in a large number of additional studies on these issues, involving numerous co-researchers in various countries, and the second is a newer lead member of the team that is working on the next wave of research in this field. This international group has studied place images and their effects since the early 1980s, and place branding since it emerged some 15 years ago. During this period, more than 80 studies have been carried out, resulting in over 100 publications arising from both conceptual as well as field research with over 22,000 consumers, investors, tourists, and others in almost 25 countries. After highlighting the nature and importance of this area as a field of practice and study, the goal of this article is to summarize key findings, and draw implications from, this research program

Design and Analysis of Even-Positioned Cavity - Based Optical Amplification Device in Dielectric Metasurface

Recently, the development in the field of optical technology is exemplary, specifically relating to the design of the components necessary for optical integrated circuits. This research work investigates optical amplification action in a 2D Photonic Crystals (PhCs) structure with variable radius even-positioned PhC-cavity within its lattice. Twooptical signals are used, first acting as data signals coupled into the optical structure using the phenomenon of the Guided-mode-resonances (GMR) and the second one as a pump signal index-guided into the optical structure. The pump signal is used to amplify the data signal and the PhC-cavity is used for spectral tuning of the device operating in near-infrared (NIR) range. The dielectric structure consists of an optical waveguide packed in between the substrate and a cladding layer. The design and analysis of the proposed device is performed in a Finite-Difference-Time-Domain (FDTD) based open-source software package. The investigated results present optical amplific

Ground water quality of selected areas of Punjab and Sind Provinces, Pakistan: Chemical and microbiological aspects

The assessment of groundwater is essential for the estimation of suitability of water for safe use. An attempt has been made to study the groundwater of selected areas of Punjab (Sheikhupura & Sahiwal) and Sindh (Sindh, Jawar Dharki and Dharki), Pakistan. The results indicate that pH, color and odor were all within limits of WHO that is pH ranges 6.5–8.5, colorless and odorless respectively. The high values of suspended solids were observed in the Sindh-1 and Dharki samples. Microbiologically only Sahiwal and Jawar Dharki were found fit for drinking purpose. Trace metals analysis of Sheikhupura-1 and Sindh-1 has showed that they do not fall within limits of WHO for Iron. The ionic concentration analysis showed that high bicarbonate (HCO3-), ions are present in the samples of Sahiwal and Dharki; Sindh-1 and Jawar Dharki samples have showed very high concentration for chloride ions, all samples were satisfactory level for sulphate (SO42-), sodium, magnesium and phosphate ions except samples of Sindh-1 and Jawar Dharki. High concentration of calcium and potassium ions noticed in samples of Sindh-1 while all samples were found fit for drinking purposes in respect of nitrate, nitrite and ammonium ions. The high concentration of Fluoride was found only in Sheikhupura-2 samples

Here’s No Fear When You’re Having Fun, Evaluating the Influence of Recreational Activities on Employees’ Well-Being

The role of cultural and recreational activities has been underestimated. Purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of cultural and recreational activities on employee’s well-being, and the mediating role of Psychological contract based on the conservation of resource theory. A questionnaire, designed as a self-reported survey, was distributed to full-time employees working in 35 firms (manufacturing sectors) in Pakistan. Data were collected from 400 employee–supervisor dyads. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Recreational activities predicted employee’s well-being while psychological contract remained mediator. The research conclusions not only enrich the theoretical research in the field of trade unions but also provide theoretical support for strengthening trade union-enterprise cooperation and building harmonious labor relations

Graphene: The Material of Today and Tomorrow

Graphene has astounding aptitudes owing to its unique band structure characteristics outlining its enhanced electrical capabilities for a material with the highest characteristic mobility known to exist at room temperature. Graphene, one-atom-thick, a planar sheet of carbon atoms densely packed in a honeycomb crystal lattice, has grabbed considerable attention due to its exceptional electronic and optoelectronic properties. Reported properties and applications of this two-dimensional form of carbon structure have opened up new opportunities for the future devices and application in various fields. Though graphene is recognized as one of the best electronic materials, synthesizing single sheet of graphene has been less explored. This review article aims to present an overview of the progression of research in graphene, in the area of synthesis, properties and applications. Wherever applicable, the limitations of present knowledge base and future research directions have also been discusse

Significance of Internet Marketing in Promoting Consumer Goods in Subcontinent

The purpose of this article is to uncover the major factors that organizations consider when opting to add Internet Marketing as a part of their marketing communication mix found in the research. Especially now in Pakistan marketing tools and techniques are becoming either too expensive or just plain monotonous. The Internet as a new media is a perfect opportunity for Multinational and Local Consumer Organizations to exploit this type of tool for reaching their customers. This article will try to understand what exact role Internet Marketing has in affecting the processes, image, and brands of a company learned from the research. We will determine the various aspects that can be measured to see the success or failure of Pakistani Consumer Goods Industry in utilizing this new technique

Assessing the Impact of Leadership and Quality of Work Life on Employees Job Satisfaction: Evidence from Jiangsu University

This research aimed to focus on the influences of motivational factors (e.g., Leadership (LDSP), Quality of work life (QWLF) on the employees’ job satisfaction (EJS).A quantitative method was employed in the sample size of 211. The convenient random sampling technique was selected for data collection. Data was collected through a field survey by using a closed-ended questionnaire. The analysis was done on the structural equation model of partial least square. More specifically, techniques of bootstrapping and PLS Algorithm were used. Thefindings for this study is consistent with previous researchers, prove the direct relationship between LDSP, QWLF and EJS. The positive and statistically significant effects of motivational factors and employees job satisfaction. This study assists the executives from different departments of Jiangsu University. Furthermore, the study conclude with some brief views that the organization need to recognize the significance of good Leadership and Quality of work life for maximizing the level of employee’s job satisfaction. This study offers an advantage to the society, boosting the values in people to add more to their jobs and may help them in their personal growth and development. Hence, it’s essential for firms to inspire their employees’ to work hard for achieving the firm’s goals and objectives

Understanding COVID-19: From Origin to Potential Therapeutics

Currently, a global pandemic era of public health concerns is going on with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first case of COVID-19 was reported from Wuhan’s Huanan seafood market in China late December 2019. Bats, pangolins, and snakes have been nominated as salient carriers of the virus. Thanks to its high pathogenicity, it can cause severe respiratory infections. Fever, dry cough, sore throat, pneumonia, septic shock, and ground-glass opacities are the foremost clinical manifestations of COVID-19. Immunocompromised patients are at high risk for COVID-19 infection and may lead to death. Scientist and government agencies around the globe are putting forward their best efforts and resources for the effective treatment of human coronavirus infections; however, neither vaccines nor antiviral drugs are available for the treatment of human coronaviruses (HCoV) infections such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), MERS (Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome), and COVID-19. Since the outbreak, a plethora of research and review articles have been published. Moreover, the mass media has bombarded the public with conflicting opinions about the pandemic. There is a dire need for accurate and reliable information concerning this pandemic. In this review, we have compiled the up to date information about the origins, evolution, epidemiology, and pathogenesis of this disease. Moreover, very few reports have addressed the clinical features and current status of treatment for COVID-19; we have adequately addressed these topics in detail in this review. Finally, a detailed account of clinical trials of vaccines and other therapeutics currently in progress has been delineated

A multiresolution framework for local similarity based image denoising

In this paper, we present a generic framework for denoising of images corrupted with additive white Gaussian noise based on the idea of regional similarity. The proposed framework employs a similarity function using the distance between pixels in a multidimensional feature space, whereby multiple feature maps describing various local regional characteristics can be utilized, giving higher weight to pixels having similar regional characteristics. An extension of the proposed framework into a multiresolution setting using wavelets and scale space is presented. It is shown that the resulting multiresolution multilateral (MRM) filtering algorithm not only eliminates the coarse-grain noise but can also faithfully reconstruct anisotropic features, particularly in the presence of high levels of noise