Structural performance of precast self-compacting concrete beam consisiting banana skin powder and coir fibre under flexural load

In present, environmental pollution is become serious problem. Agricultural products generate waste in huge amount, which creates the disposal and environmental problems such as leachate and odour smell. An initiative is needed to reduce these wastes and utilize the agricultural waste as a construction material like concrete. The agricultural waste widely used as supplementary cementing material, filler and fibre reinforcement. In this research Banana Skin Powder (BSP) and Coir Fibre (CF) utilized as partially cementing material and filler respectively, to reduce the agricultural waste and save the natural recourses which is used in manufacturing of cement and reduces the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) in atmosphere. This research investigated the physical and chemical properties of BSP. The fresh properties (filling ability, passing ability and segregation resistance) and hardened properties such as compressive, tensile, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio of self-compacting concrete (SCC) consisting BSP and CF were studied experimentally. The ultimate load, crack pattern and load deflection profile of Precast Self-Compacting Concrete containing BSP and CF Beam (PSCC-BSP-CF-B) were analysed under flexural load by experimental work. The results were validated by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) using software package Abaqus. The outcomes from XRF test proved that the BSP is the Class F pozzolan which contributes to enhance the strength of SCC. The fresh properties of SCC like filling ability, passing ability and segregation resistance were satisfied the EFNARC SCC specifications. The mechanical properties and ultimate bearing capacity were improved with the BSP and CF incorporation in SCC. The crack pattern predicts the PSCC-B were fail in flexural. The deflection became lower when CF and BSP were added in PSCC-B. The optimum percentage which was found through experimental tests are 0.4%BSP and 0.5% for CF. The crack pattern, ultimate load and deflection in PSCC-B using FEA through ABAQUS have 2% to 8% difference compare to experimental studies

Application of Multiple Criteria Decision Models for Oilseed Crops in Pakistan’s Punjab

Pakistan is deficient in major food products. Self-sufficiency in food has virtually always been a major priority, because imports of wheat, edible oil, sugar, pulses and milk products put a massive burden on the balance of payments for the country. The increase in the production of oilseed has been a priority goal of the agricultural development policy in Pakistan. The oilseed crops have been validated as alternative crops on several target locations of different agro-ecological zones [PARC (1990)]; but the success of this validation work in terms of their dissemination is very limited. The possibility of including these crops in well established systems needed to be well conceived. The selection of farming systems, which have the potential to adopt such crops, is a prerequisite to investigate the problems and prospects of oilseed crops. The emphasis of the study is, therefore, on the identification of typical farm situations where the oilseed crops can be evaluated for their potential inclusion in the cropping plans. A real decision-making environment in agriculture involves several objectives along with their explicit targets.

Maternal education, empowerment, economic status and child polio vaccination uptake in Pakistan: a population based cross sectional study

Objectives: To explore the association of maternal education and empowerment with childhood polio vaccination using nationally representative data of Pakistani mothers in a reproductive age group. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Secondary analysis of Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS), 2012–2013 data was performed. Participants: Of the 13 558 mothers included in the survey sample, 6982 mothers were able to provide information regarding polio vaccinations. Main outcome measures: Polio vaccination coverage among children aged up to 5 years was categorised as complete vaccination (all four oral polio vaccine (OPV) doses), incomplete vaccination, and no vaccination (zero OPV dose received). Mothers' empowerment status was assessed using standard ‘Measure DHS’ questions regarding their involvement in decision-making related to health, household possessions and visits among family and friends. Education was categorised as no education, primary, secondary and higher education. Results of multinomial regression analyses were reported as adjusted OR with 95% CI. We adjusted for age, wealth index, urban/rural residence, place of delivery, and antenatal and postnatal visits. Results: Only 56.4% (n=3936) of the children received complete polio vaccination. Women with no education had significantly higher odds of their child receiving no polio vaccination (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.05 to 5.18; p<0.01) and incomplete vaccination (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.87; p<0.01). Further, unempowered women also had significantly higher odds of not taking their child for any polio vaccination (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.12; p<0.01) and incomplete vaccination (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.41; p=0.04). Conclusions: Illiteracy, socioeconomic status and empowerment of women remained significant factors linked to poorer uptake of routine polio vaccination

Tidak Islamiknya Pembangunan di Negara Islam

Selepas berakhirnya pemerintahan Khulafa al-Rasyidin iaitu Khalifah Ali sistem pembangunan Islam telah mengalami perubahan drastik.Hampir kesemua pemimpin tidak lagi mewujudkan pembangunan Islam secarakomprehensif kecuali di zaman pemerintahan Umar bin Abdul Aziz (717 M). Pembangunan Islam yang telah musnah sebelumnya ditegakkan semula oleh Umar bin Abdul Aziz selaras dengan ajaran Islam sebenar. Walaubagaimanapun, selepas pemerintahan beliau corak pembangunan mula disesuaikan dengan ideologi pemegang kuasa pemerintahan.Keadaan ini terus berlangsung hingga ke zaman moden. Makalah ini cuba menjelaskan mengapa pembangunan Islam terjejas selepas pemerintahan Khulafa al-Rasyidin hingga ke zaman moden? Makalah ini mendapati,terabainya pembangunan Islam dalam tempoh masa panjang menyebabkan ia kurang dikenali di dunia Islam. Dalam keadaan sebegini pula para pemimpin jarang-jarang yang membangun selaras dengan syariat melainkan disesuaikan dengan kepentingan pemimpin yang berkuasa.Wujudnya revolusi industri di Eropah-Barat di bawah payung sekularisme telah memenjarakan pemikiran para pemimpin dan masyarakatIslam sekaligus melumpuhkan keyakinannya terhadap kehebatan konsep pembangunan Islam. Ia menyebabkan pembangunan di Negara-negara Islam cenderung berasaskan sistem sekular berbanding sistem pembangunan Islam kerana dipandang lebih bertenaga menjayakan pembangunan

ANALYSIS OF REWARD PRACTICES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AMONG SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FIRMS IN PAKISTAN

The current study is based on investigation of current reward practices of the software development firms in Pakistan, employee’s preference for different type of reward offered, and influence of reward practices on employee’s work engagement. The design of the study is cross-sectional and explanatory, and it is based on quantitative approach and survey method. Primary data is collected from staff of 10 selected software development firms located in the city of Islamabad (n=160). Our results indicate that in monetary reward category, employees prefer reward such as enough payments, overtime payments, and transportation allowances which are not adequately provided by the employers. Similarly, in non-monetary reward category, employees prefer reward such as social security, and appreciation and recognition which are not adequately addressed by the employers. Furthermore, results indicate that both monetary reward as well as non-monetary reward has positive and significant effects on employee engagement. Both type of reward explains 66.9% change in the employee engagement level. Our results imply that software development firms in Pakistan should review their reward practices and give attention to both type of reward

Development of Novel Blends based on Rubber and in-situ Synthesized Polyurethane-urea

Polyurethane and the analogous ‘polyurethane-urea’ are high performance polymeric materials having remarkable properties such as high stiffness, abrasion and tear strengths. In many studies, the low strength rubbers have been blended with various types of polyurethanes for new and improved materials. However, until now, the reported heterogeneous blends offer only a narrow temperature range of application due to the high temperature softening of their polyurethane (-urea) phase. In addition, the conventional solution-or melt-blending methods are time and energy intensive, which tend to forfeit the economical realization of the reported blends. In contrast to earlier studies, a simplified reactive blending process is suggested to synthesize polyurethane-urea via a prepolymer route during blending with rubbers to obtain novel elastomeric materials having extended performance characteristics. The reactive blending process is opted to prepare blends based on nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) and in-situ synthesized polyurethane-urea (PUU). The blending is carried out in an internal mixer at a preset temperature of 100°C. The critical temperatures of the reactive blending process are determined from the chemo-rheological analysis of a premix, composed of a 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI)/polyether (PTMEG) based prepolymer admixed with 1,3-phenylene diamine (mPD). The prepared NBR/PUU blends exhibit highly improved mechanical properties. Contrary to previous reports, the reinforced dynamic-mechanical responses of the novel blends remain stable till very high temperatures (≥180°C). The influence of diamine type on the in-situ synthesized polyurethane-urea and the performance of prepared blends are investigated. Four different diamines, namely 1,3-Phenylene diamine, 1,4-Bis(aminomethyl)benzene, 4,4′-Methylene-bis(2-chloroaniline) and 4,4ʹ-(1,3-Phenylenediisopropylidene)bisaniline, are selected to chain extend the prepolymer to PUU during blending with NBR. The chemical and domain structure of the PUUs are found to greatly influence the reinforced tensile and dynamic-mechanical responses of the NBR/PUU 70/30 blends. The PUU (based on MDI/PTMEG prepolymer and mPD) is blended with polar (CR, XNBR) and nonpolar (NR, EPDM, sSBR) rubbers. PUU compatibilizes with all the rubbers irrespective of their polarity and reinforces their tensile and dynamic-mechanical characteristics. The use of blends in industrial applications, for example, in a truck tire tread compound and as a roller covering material, is examined. In a simplified tire tread formulation, the carbon black for NR-CB composite is partially replaced with an equivalent quantity of PUU for NR/PUU-CB composite of similar hardness. The dynamic mechanical investigations reveal that the energy dissipation and strain dependent softening is high in NR-CB as compared to the NR/PUU-CB composite. In another application, NBR/PUU blend is successfully tested as a rubber roller covering material. The tested blend-covered roller retains its structural integrity and develops less heat build-up as compared to the silica filled NBR-covered roller. This shows a substantial suitability of the blend-covered rollers for film, printing and textile processing machinery. These novel blends are considered to be the promising new materials for many commercial applications including wheels, rubber rollers, belts or pump impellers