Automated analysis of weighted voting games

Weighted voting games (WVGs) are an important mechanism for modeling scenarios where a group of agents must reach agreement on some issue over which they have different preferences. However, for such games to be effective, they must be well designed. Thus, a key concern for a mechanism designer is to structure games so that they have certain desirable properties. In this context, two such properties are PROPER and STRONG. A game is PROPER if for every coalition that is winning, its complement is not. A game is STRONG if for every coalition that is losing, its complement is not. In most cases, a mechanism designer wants games that are both PROPER and STRONG. To this end, we first show that the problem of determining whether a game is PROPER or STRONG is, in general, NP-hard. Then we determine those conditions (that can be evaluated in polynomial time) under which a given WVG is PROPER and those under which it is STRONG. Finally, for the general NP-hard case, we discuss two different approaches for overcoming the complexity: a deterministic approximation scheme and a randomized approximation method

The Role of Student Expectation and Service Quality in Higher Education Institutions of Pakistan

A sharp increase in tuition fee and the demand for efficient university graduates for employment from the employers’ perspective has given rise to an increase in students’ expectations. In private sector, students of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have greater expectations as they pay more money but the private sector HEIs do not have the required capabilities to meet such expectations. There are a lot of students who feel that the courses they are studying have no significant value against the money which they are paying to study these courses. The management of HEIs allocates more funds for research activities, updating libraries, innovative teaching methodologies, science laboratories and academic career services. Various studies showed how to gauge service quality in the specific area of higher education. The current study focuses specifically on first year/semester students of all academic disciplines of private sector HEIs. It is based on a questionnaire, and 162 responses were collected; data collection tool, that is, the questionnaire was administered personally by the researcher. By using Exploratory Factor Analysis, those dimensions of service quality were elaborated which had a considerable impact on students’ expectations and also the factors that influence students’ choice or priority to get enrolled in private sector universities. Reliability analysis of the 5 dimensions of service quality including reliability, tangibility, responsiveness, assurance and empathy depicted the value of Cronbach’s alpha to 0.980. Factor Analysis of the five dimensions of service quality was also done .Loadings after Varimax rotation with Kaiser Normalization (KMO) by considering the values of loadings suppressed to 0.50 shows that 43 out of 48 items converged into 7 factors, while 5 items did not converge. The non-convergent items recommend the management of HEIs to focus on such areas of students’ expectations.&nbsp

PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS (PCMs) APPLICATION IN BUILDING ENVELOP (A REVIEW)

Global contribution of energy consumption of building sector, both residential and commercial, is very high and steadily increased. In buildings, chief energy consumer is heating ventilation &air conditioning (HVAC) system used for thermal comfort and maintaining indoor air quality. Building envelope plays vital role in regulating indoor thermal comfort conditions as it is interface between indoor and outdoor environment. The key component of building envelop are walls, roof, floor and fenestrations. Energy consumption of HVAC system can be reduced up to desired limit by using different methods in construction of building envelop. One of these innovative methods is use of phase change materials (PCM).  PCM are considered as a possible solution for controlling energy demand of buildings. PCM's are substances that can absorb and release thermal energy by changing their phase from solid to liquid at room temperature and stabilize thermal comfort inside the building with reduced carbon dioxide emissions. In this paper recent developments in the field of PCMs, their application in building envelop, incorporation and their influence on energy reduction are reviewed.Key Words: Energy consumption, Building Envelope, Phase Change Material (PCM)

Morphometric study of mandibular foramen and its clinical significance in inferior alveolar nerve block

Background: This study was done to determine the precise location of the mandibular foramen so as to lower down the percentage of the failure of the attainment of the anaesthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve during dental procedures. Methods: In this cross sectional study a total of 50 dry human mandibles were examined. The measurements were taken from the anterior border of the ramus (coronoid notch) to the midportion of the MF (mandibular foramen) and from the midportion of the mandibular foramen to other landmarks such as posterior border of ramus, from inferior limit of MF to inferior border of ramus and the midpoint on symphysis menti. Results: The comparison of data was done using student’s t-test. The mandibular foramen was positioned at a mean distance of 18.26 mm (with a standard deviation of 1.77) from the anterior border of the ramus. The mean distance from posterior border of the ramus to the mid point of mandibular foramen was 13.5 mm with a SD of 2.16. Conclusions: The present study gives a fair knowledge of the position of mandibular foramen and provides information for successful local anesthesia of inferior nerve block to maxillofacial surgeons, ENT surgeons and onco-surgeons

A RESEARCH STUDY TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF MEASLES AND RELATED PROTECTIVE MECHANISMS ALONG WITH RELATED CONSEQUENCES

Background: Measles is a disorder commonly present in children. It can be protected by the proper use of vaccination. It can easily transfer from one person to another. It mostly occurred in progressing countries like Pakistan. It can even cause deaths because of its severity. Objective: The reasons causing the measles, protective mechanisms of the patients, its severe reactions and consequences were noticed. Material and Methods: We carried out this research at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore (March 2017 to February 2018). Total of 166 patients showing the symptoms of measles were admitted in the hospital. Different factors like age, gender, the standard of livelihood, the ability of self-protection and quality of food taken by the patients were completely observed. The severe conditions in measles can cause pneumonia, gastroenteritis, encephalitis, otitis media, condition after measles, dysentery and heart issues. The consequences of the patients were examined by assessing the conditions of liberation from the clinics, leave towards clinical prescription, referral and mortalities of patients. The data was examined by using SPSS. Results: Out of 166 patients 93 were men and 73 were women. The average age of the patients were (3.72 ± 2.7) years. 117 patients belong to village area and 59 belong to city areas. 150 patients were already immunized by vaccination however 9 patients were not undergone vaccination. 59 patients gained nutritious and high-quality food. But most of the patients about 107 gained a less nutritious food. Pneumonia was observed in 72 cases. Gastroenteritis was examined in 37 patients. Encephalitis was recognized in 5 patients. Post measles state was recorded in 11 cases. Most of the patients were cured completely and discharged from the hospital. While mortality was observed in 9 patients. Conclusion: Measles was mainly observed in children having the age of 1 to 5 years. These children were mostly not vaccinated. Most of the patients gaining poor nutrition were attacked by measles. So, every patient should vaccinate two times in a year. Keywords: Measles, Immunization Status, Nutritional Status, Pneumonia, Encephalitis, Post Measles State

Kisspeptin and attributes of infertile males and females: A cross-sectional study in a subset of Pakistani population

Kisspeptin, a peptide hormone, plays a pivotal role in fertility and neuroendocrine regulation of hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. Increased kisspeptin and reproductive hormones are responsible for fertility in male and females. This study aimed to explore the role of kisspeptin on hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis by comparing the levels of kisspeptin in fertile and infertile subjects and identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of KISS1 gene in exon 2 and exon 3 of infertile male and female cohorts. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 80 males (44 infertile and 36 fertile) and 88 females (44 in each group). Significantly high levels of kisspeptin (KP), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone and testosterone were observed in fertile male and female subjects except low FSH levels in comparison with infertile female subjects. One polymorphism in exon 2 (E1225K [G/A 3673]) and three in exon 3 (P1945A [C/G 5833]; Insertion of T at 6075; G2026G [C/G 6078]) in infertile group were detected, with low KP and hormonal levels. Male subjects had abnormal sperm parameters and unsuccessful attempt of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in females. Expression of SNP in exon 2 and exon 3 of KISS1 could be responsible for alteration in release of reproductive hormones and gonadal functions, hence causing infertility

Effective bioconversion of locally obtained apple waste into citric acid using aspergillus niger (NRRL 567)

A viable and sustainable method was used to produce citric acid. Apple waste (pomace) was used as a substrate and displayed a good efficiency for citric acid yield. The fermentation process was carried out using Aspergillus Niger (NRRL 567) strain. This fungal strain showed a competent performance in fermenting apple waste to produce citric acid. Various key parameters were analyzed and optimized such as incubation temperature, amount of substrate, ph, moisture content, nitrogen source, metal ions, methanol inducer and inoculum density. Among such parameters, the highest citric acid yield of 158 g/kg of apple pomace was achieved with the use of methanol inducer. Methanol inducer, moisture content, amount of substrate and nitrogen source were found to have significant impact on CA production. The fungal strain used in the present study is known to possess an impressive biomass fermentation capacity, as also demonstrated by the present work. In Pakistan, this strain has not been analyzed for its efficiency to produce citric acid using pomace of locally cultivated apple, hence the novelty of the present work. All the experimental work, analysis and optimization was accomplished on laboratory scale at Advanced Research Laboratory, Zoology Department, GC University, Faisalabad, Pakistan

Ready-made content: is that fair? Pakistani English Newspapers Reliance on International News Agencies

A major portion of Pakistani national press is filled with news and commentaries taken from the global press i.e., Agency France-Presse, Associated Press, Reuters, Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times etc. News from foreign press are reproduced on multiple pages in Pakistani English newspapers. The study based on nine in-depth interviews with the journalists1 responsible for content selection and formation of foreign pages in the three newspapers i.e., Dawn, the News & the Nation. The results of the study showed that National English Newspapers are highly influenced by the global press. It was also noted that the national press lacked resources, commitment and capacity to gather international news of its own. As a result, they just relied on the foreign press for information.  &nbsp

PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS (PCMs) APPLICATION IN BUILDING ENVELOP (A REVIEW)

Global contribution of energy consumption of building sector, both residential and commercial, is very high and steadily increased. In buildings, chief energy consumer is heating ventilation &air conditioning (HVAC) system used for thermal comfort and maintaining indoor air quality. Building envelope plays vital role in regulating indoor thermal comfort conditions as it is interface between indoor and outdoor environment. The key component of building envelop are walls, roof, floor and fenestrations. Energy consumption of HVAC system can be reduced up to desired limit by using different methods in construction of building envelop. One of these innovative methods is use of phase change materials (PCM).  PCM are considered as a possible solution for controlling energy demand of buildings. PCM's are substances that can absorb and release thermal energy by changing their phase from solid to liquid at room temperature and stabilize thermal comfort inside the building with reduced carbon dioxide emissions. In this paper recent developments in the field of PCMs, their application in building envelop, incorporation and their influence on energy reduction are reviewed.Key Words: Energy consumption, Building Envelope, Phase Change Material (PCM)