Analysing Usages of Conversational Japanese Discourse Marker ‘tte’ : From the Perspective of Hindi Translation

The Japanese colloquial discourse markers, ‘tte’ has a number of usages in spoken Japanese language. ‘tte’ is used to mark a quotation, to denote hearsay (report), to provide emphasis to a sentence, to define a noun, to show condition in a sentence etc. The multiple functions of Japanese discourse marker ‘tte’ is unique on one hand but, at the same time creates confusion among the learners of Japanese language on the other hand. Therefore, this paper deals with the problems of this discourse marker wherein its usages and functions have been examined using Hindi translation. The main objective of this paper is to find out the ways to accurately translate colloquial Japanese discourse marker ‘tte’ in Hindi language. The data collected for this study is from a popular Japanese anime “Kotonoha no Niwa”, an anime drama released in April, 2013. To conduct the analysis for this study, the dialogues containing ‘tte’ has been translated into Hindi language to find out the minuscule differences and appropriate meaning between the several functions

Determinants of Energy Inflation in Pakistan: An Empirical Analysis

Energy inflation has remained a significant topic in macroeconomic policy for the past few decades. This is due to several reasons pertaining to both demand and supply sides. In addition, the history of energy prices has also been characterised by extreme volatilities, Hamilton (2008). This makes forecasting and modelling of energy prices difficult, nevertheless it is important to model and forecast energy prices in all economies. In this paper we have tried to identify the determinants of energy inflation in Pakistan. Energy products are a critical component in any economy, serving as a core input, particularly in manufacturing industries. Moreover, the demand for energy and fuel comes from households fuelling cars and kitchens for which other alternatives are not easily available. This renders the demand inelastic compared to any other good [Edelstein and Kilian (2009)], making economies vulnerable to supply and price shocks. The energy price inflation therefore through cost push inflation and demand-pull inflation has a major impact on core inflation itself, thereby playing a significant role in macroeconomic health of a country. As predicted by Ben Bernanke for the US in 2006, “in the long run energy prices can reduce the productive capacity of US economy if high energy costs make businesses less willing to invest new capital”. The nature of the energy market itself creates a major gap between the oil consumers and oil producers. Whilst demand is inelastic everywhere, supply is limited and is difficult to increase, and confined to certain regions on Earth. This is true particularly for two of the most common energy types: oil and gasoline. The supply of oil is controlled by a few countries, and supply shocks therefore lead to an immediate surge in prices

Effect of Trading Companies Share on Investors Attitude and Financial Behavior

Pakistan is under developing country and it has an unpredictable market nature of shareholder-investors observe the company’s performance. This research could help to companies in understanding financial behavior, attitude and investors’ satisfaction in stock trade. Financial behavior is comparatively new subject in Pakistan therefore; this study has examined the financial behavior and attitude of investors. The behavioral finance that has been attempt to understand the positive experiences influences investors’ financial behavior. This study has find out that investor satisfaction is strongest in influence of positive financial behavior of investor and trader in stock trading; positive experience and investors satisfaction are strengthens the investment decision of investors and increases behavior loyalty to prefer over competitor. The findings of this study has showing that investment gains results in more positive financial behavior and experience which leads investors satisfaction and preference the company over competitor. However negative financial behavior and complain induce by loss and loss also results decrease in behavior and attitudinal loyalty which leads the disappointment and regret. Purpose – The main purpose of this study is to find factors that effects the positive experiences with stock trading on investors’ and trader’s satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty and financial behavior in Pakistan. Design /methods and approach – The research framework links with experiences in stock trade for positive (negative) experiences, attitude and financial behavior is developed. The research framework is measured with data from sample of Karachi; the data is analyzed in smart PLS which is variance based structural equation modeling using partial least square path modeling, non-parametric software. Research Limitation – This study is focused on trading experience with company’s active investors and traders in banking industry in Pakistan. The future research could be research in other sectors with inter-related issue of investors and traders in stock trade. Originality/ Value – This is the first study in this research area; this study is determined the experiences with positive (negative) financial behavior, attitude and investors satisfaction of investors and traders in stock trade. Therefore adding in this area of study, which will help in understanding the investors and traders attitude and financial behavior in financial market. Keywords – Financial Behavior, Investor satisfaction and Attitudes, Traders or Brokers and Investors Behavior, Positive and negative Experience. Paper type – Research Paper DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/11-12-09 Publication date:June 30th 202

Design and implementation of a quadruped amphibious robot using duck feet

Roaming complexity in terrains and unexpected environments pose significant difficulties in robotic exploration of an area. In a broader sense, robots have to face two common tasks during exploration, namely, walking on the drylands and swimming through the water. This research aims to design and develop an amphibious robot, which incorporates a webbed duck feet design to walk on different terrains, swim in the water, and tackle obstructions on its way. The designed robot is compact, easy to use, and also has the abilities to work autonomously. Such a mechanism is implemented by designing a novel robotic webbed foot consisting of two hinged plates. Because of the design, the webbed feet are able to open and close with the help of water pressure. Klann linkages have been used to convert rotational motion to walking and swimming for the animal's gait. Because of its amphibian nature, the designed robot can be used for exploring tight caves, closed spaces, and moving on uneven challenging terrains such as sand, mud, or water. It is envisaged that the proposed design will be appreciated in the industry to design amphibious robots in the near future. - 2019 by the authors.Faculty of Robotics and Advanced Computing, Qatar Armed Forces-Academic Bridge Program, Qatar Foundation, 24404 Doha, Qatar Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology, 93350 Sarawak, Malaysia Faculty of Computer Engineering Signal and Image Processing Qatar University, 24404 Doha, Qatar Correspondence: [email protected]

Consequences of Drug Abuse among Female and Male Population of Karachi: A Statistical Surveyed Approach

Drugs are chemicals. Different drugs, because of their chemical structures, can affect the body in different ways. The most obvious effects of drug abuse which are manifested in the individuals include ill health, sickness and ultimately, death. The social life is also not spared by the hazardous impacts of the problem. Whereas the load at health department is increased, rise in crime rate is also a perilous effect faced by the society related to the growth of abusers in the country. The following study highlights the different effects that can influence male and female drug abusers to get rid of their drug misuse habits. Abusers age, level of awareness about drugs adverse effects, their encounters to health ailments including the life threatening infection HIV, and involvement in crimes were included in the survey which was carried out in Karachi in order to assess the magnitude of this problem

Effect of alloying elements on the compressive mechanical properties of biomedical titanium alloys: A systematic review

Due to problems such as the stress-shielding effect, strength-ductility trade-off dilemma, and use of rare-earth, expensive elements with high melting points in Ti alloys, the need for the design of new Ti alloys for biomedical applications has emerged. This article reports the effect of various alloying elements on the compressive mechanical performance of Ti alloys for biomedical applications for the first time as a systematic review following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines on this subject. The search strategy in this systematic review used Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases and searched the articles using (Beta-type OR β) AND Titanium AND (Mechanical property OR Microstructure) AND Alloying element keywords. Original articles from 2016 to 2022 published in English have been selected for this study as per the inclusion criteria. The results have shown that Nb can be used as the primary alloying element with Ti as it is a strong β-stabilizer element which also reduces the elastic modulus of Ti alloys. The β-eutectic elements (Fe, Cr, and Mn) have also emerged as cost-effective alloying elements that could improve the mechanical performance of Ti alloys. Ti-Nb-Zr-Ta alloyed with Si has shown potential to withstand the strength-ductility trade-off dilemma. The combination of a Ti-Nb binary alloy has emerged as an attractive material for designing low elastic modulus Ti alloys. The mechanical performance of the Ti-Nb alloy can be further improved using the β-eutectic (Fe, Cr, and Mn) and neutral (Zr, Sn) elements to be alloyed with a Ti-Nb binary alloy. The strength-ductility trade-off issue can be overcome using Si as an alloying element in Ti-Nb-Zr-Ta alloys

Treatment of supra condylar fractures of humerus in children, a SKIMS medical college study

Background: Supracondylar fractures of the humerus account for sixty percent of all fractures around the elbow in children. Delayed presentation of these fractures is very common even in developed countries. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical, radiological and functional results following closed reduction (C/R) and percutaneous pinning of widely displaced supracondylar fractures of humerus. An objective of this study was to study supracondylar fractures of humerus in children in Skims medical College.Methods: A total 86 patients with displaced extension type supracondylar fractures (gartland type III) of humerus were managed by closed reduction and percutaneous fixation at Skims medical college after achieving optimal and satisfactory reduction. There were 52 boys and 28 girls. Average age was 6.69 years (range 2-12).Results: A total 86 patients were successfully treated with C/R and cross pinning. 6 patients were lost to follow-up. 80 patients with a minimum follow-up period of 12 months formed the basis of this study.Conclusions: C/R and pinning is effective method despite delayed presentation. Strict anatomical reduction and stable fixation minimises the risk of developing cubitus varus deformity

Smoking and blood pressure levels in hypertensive patients: evaluating the role of gender, age and hypertension duration

Background: Hypertension is estimated to affect about 40% of adults above 25 years of age globally. While many of the risk factors of hypertension are well known, such is not the case with smoking. Pertinent published literature is heterogeneous, with a dearth of relevant local data. Objectives was to study the relationship between smoking and blood pressure levels in hypertensive patients and to assess the effects of gender, age and hypertension duration on such a relationship.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on a total of 298 conveniently sampled patients, aged 18 or above, from the medical outpatient department of a secondary care hospital of Karachi. The relevant data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire whereas the blood pressure level was checked using sphygmomanometer with stethoscope. Mann Whitney U test was used for inferential analysis whereas the significance level was set at 0.05.Results: Overall, both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were significantly associated with smoking history (p<0.05 for both) where they were found to be higher in smokers than in non-smokers. Furthermore, after gender, age and hypertension duration based stratifications; both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were still significantly associated with smoking history in patients who were male, were ≥35 years old and had <5 years hypertension duration (p<0.05 for both) where they were again found to be higher in smokers than in non-smokers.Conclusions: The study results showed a significant association of positive smoking history with higher mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels, though after stratifying for gender, age and hypertension duration, this relationship persisted only in patients who were male, were ≥35 years old and had <5 years hypertension duration

Prophylactic use of laxative for constipation in critically ill patients

<b>Background</b> : This study was designed to evaluate the use of laxative prophylaxis for constipation in intensive care unit (ICU) and the impact of early versus late bowel movement on patient&#x2032;s outcome. <b>Methods</b> : The study was a prospective, randomized controlled trial in critically ill ventilated adult patients, who were expected to stay on ventilator for &gt;72 h. Control group did not receive any intervention for bowel movement for the first 72 h, whereas interventional group received prophylactic dose of lactulose 20 cc enterally every 12 h for the first 72 h. The parameters measured during the study were admission diagnosis, age, gender, comorbid conditions, admission Simplified Acute Physiologic Score (SAPS II), sedative and narcotic agents with doses and duration, timing and tolerance of nutrition, daily assessment of bowel movement, total use of prokinetic, doses of suppositories, and enema for first bowel movement, total number of days on ventilator, weaning failures, extubation or tracheostomy, ICU length of stay, and death or discharge. <b>Results</b> : A total of 100 patients were enrolled, 50 patients in each control and interventional group. Mean age was 38.8 years, and both groups had male predominance. Mean SAPS II score for both was 35. Mean dose of Fentanyl (323.8 &#177; 108.89 mcg/h in control and 345.83 &#177; 94.43 mcg/h in interventional group) and mean dose of Midazolam (11.1 &#177; 4.04 mg/h in control and 12.4 &#177; 3.19 mg/h in interventional group). There were only two (4&#x0025;) patients in control, while nine (18&#x0025;) patients in interventional group who had bowel movement in &lt;72 h (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05). Mean ventilator days were 16.19, and 17.36 days in control and interventional groups, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the patients who moved bowel in &lt;5 days in both groups had mean ventilator days of 18.5, whereas it was 15.88 days for the patients who moved bowel after 5 days in both groups (<i>P</i>&lt; 0.05). Mean ICU days for control was 21.15 &#177; 10.44 and 20.77 &#177; 8.33 days for interventional group. Forty-eight (96&#x0025;) patients in each group were discharged from the ICU. Two (4&#x0025;) patients died in ICU in each group. <b>Conclusions</b> : Laxative prophylaxis can be used successfully to prevent constipation in ICU patients. Late bowel movement &gt;5 days is associated with less ventilator days, compared to early &lt;5 days bowel movement

Vitamin D Deficiency in HCV Antiviral Treatment Responders versus Non-Responders

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease (CLD). Pakistan has a high burden of infectious diseases, including HCV. Its prevalence varies according to geographic regions in the country from about 2·4% to 6·5%. The objective of the study was to compare the frequency of vitamin D deficiency in responders and non-responders of antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis C.Material and Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in Hepatitis Clinic, Jinnah hospital, Lahore from 20th May to 20th November 2013. After ethical approval, participants were selected by using purposive non-probability sampling, 52 responder patients i.e. who were labeled negative for HCV RNA by PCR after 12 weeks of antiviral treatment and 52 non-responder patients were included in this study. Data was collected by using pretested structured questionnaire. Vitamin D3 levels were measured by ELISA and a cut-off value of below 30ng/ml was labeled as Vitamin D deficiency. SPSS version 21 was used to analyze data with p value less than 0.05 taken as statistically significant.Results: Out of 104 patients (mean age 35±8.1 years), 61.5% were males and 38.5 % were females. There was a significant difference in frequency of vitamin D deficiency in treatment responder group when compared to non-responders (p = 0.016). Mean level of vitamin D was 21.8±10.8ng/ml in responders whereas it was 15.6±7.5 in non-responders with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001).Conclusion: This study concludes that there is a significant vitamin D deficiency among treatment non-responders as compared to treatment responders in patients with chronic hepatitis C