CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN TOURISM INDUSTRY OF PAKISTAN

This study focuses on the consumer behavior (CB) in travel and tourism industry of Pakistan. The aim of this paper was to identify determinants that have an impact on consumer behavior in travel and tourism industry around Pakistan. This study deals with different determinants that will help to understand changing consumer behavior in travel and tourism industry. Literature is reviewed for this purpose. Simple random sampling technique is used to collect data from 50 respondents. The study reveals that growth in tourism industry of Pakistan can establish new ways of businesses in the country which ultimately leads to revenue generation, job opportunity and foreign investments. Key words: Consumer Behavior (CB), tourism, tourism, revenue generatio

Determinant’s of Job Satisfaction & Employee Turnover in Pakistan Paint Industry

Purpose The aim of this research is to identify the factors that affect job satisfaction and turnover in the “Paint Industry” of Pakistan. Specifically, the study seeks to examine the relative effects of demographic and environmental factors on job satisfaction and turnover among the employees of such industries. Design/methodology/approach A scale development process was used. The first stage was a review of the literature on the determinants of job satisfaction in order to generate a pool of items that reflect job satisfaction along with turnover construct. A list of items was then gathered to cover all facets of job satisfaction and turnover. In?depth interviews and thorough questionnaires were employed to generate additional items. Findings Overall, the findings show that in an Eastern culture such as the Pakistan, especially in the Paint Industry, internal factors play a more important role as the determinant’s of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction that can lead to high or conversely, low turnover. Originality/value Given the importance of understanding the determinants of job satisfaction and turnover coupled with the dire need to fill the niche of research on the topic in our country; this study is of great importance to both academia and practitioners in the Paint Industry of Pakistan

Impact of External Factors on Fast Food Business

This paper investigates the impact of external factors on the fast food business. The major objective of this paper is to analyze Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors which affect the performance of fast food business. Qualitative method of research is used. The results show that external factors (political, economical, social and technological) have significant impact on the fast food business. To improve administrative performance and to make business prosper, organizations should focus on the factors which affect their business by taking repeated examination. Given the importance of understanding the PEST analysis with need to fill the niche of research on the topic in our country; this study is of high significance to academia and practitioners in the Hotel Industry. Keywords:  external factors, political, economical, social, technological, administrative performance, fast food

Mortality patterns among critically ill children in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of a developing country

Background and Aim: Advances in biomedical technology have made medical treatment to be continued beyond a point, at which it does not confer an advantage but may increase the suffering of patients. In such cases, continuation of care may not always be useful, and this has given rise to the concept of limitation of life-sustaining treatment. Our aim was to study mortality patterns over a 6-year period in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in a developing country and to compare the results with published data from other countries.Materials and Methods: Retrospective cohort study was conducted in a PICU of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Data were drawn from the medical records of children aged 1-month - 16 years of age who died in PICU, from January 2007 to December 2012.Results: A total of 248 (from an admitted number of 1919) patients died over a period of 6 years with a mortality rate 12.9%. The median age of children who died was 2.8 years, of which 60.5% (n = 150) were males. The most common source of admission was from the emergency room (57.5%, n = 143). The most common cause of death was limitation of life-sustaining treatment (63.7%, n = 158) followed by failed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (28.2%, n = 70) and brain death (8.1%, n = 20). We also found an increasing trend of limitation of life-sustaining treatment do-not-resuscitate (DNR) over the 6-year reporting period.Conclusion: We found limitation of life support treatment (DNR + Withdrawal of Life support Treatment) to be the most common cause of death, and parents were always involved in the end-of-life care decision-making

Gene Locater: Genetic linkage analysis software using three-point testcross

Locating genes on a chromosome is important for understanding the gene function and its linkage and recombination. Knowledge of gene positions on chromosomes is necessary for annotation. The study is essential for disease genetics and genomics, among other aspects. Currently available software's for calculating recombination frequency is mostly limited to the range and flexibility of this type of analysis. GENE LOCATER is a fully customizable program for calculating recombination frequency, written in JAVA. Through an easy-to-use interface, GENE LOCATOR allows users a high degree of flexibility in calculating genetic linkage and displaying linkage group. Among other features, this software enables user to identify linkage groups with output visualized graphically. The program calculates interference and coefficient of coincidence with elevated accuracy in sample datasets

Mechanistic Approaches to the Application of Nano-Zinc in the Poultry and Biomedical Industries: A Comprehensive Review of Future Perspectives and Challenges

Bio-fortification is a new, viable, cost-effective, and long-term method of administering crucial minerals to a populace with limited exposure to diversified foods and other nutritional regimens. Nanotechnology entities aid in the improvement of traditional nutraceutical absorption, digestibility, and bio-availability. Nano-applications are employed in poultry systems utilizing readily accessible instruments and processes that have no negative impact on animal health and welfare. Nanotechnology is a sophisticated innovation in the realm of biomedical engineering that is used to diagnose and cure various poultry ailments. In the 21st century, zinc nanoparticles had received a lot of considerable interest due to their unusual features. ZnO NPs exhibit antibacterial properties; however, the qualities of nanoparticles (NPs) vary with their size and structure, rendering them adaptable to diverse uses. ZnO NPs have shown remarkable promise in bio-imaging and drug delivery due to their high bio-compatibility. The green synthesized nanoparticles have robust biological activities and are used in a variety of biological applications across industries. The current review also discusses the formulation and recent advancements of zinc oxide nanoparticles from plant sources (such as leaves, stems, bark, roots, rhizomes, fruits, flowers, and seeds) and their anti-cancerous activities, activities in wound healing, and drug delivery, followed by a detailed discussion of their mechanisms of action.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)Open Access Publication Fund of Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinPeer Reviewe

Synthesis of Boron-Doped Zinc Oxide Nanosheets by Using Phyllanthus Emblica Leaf Extract: A Sustainable Environmental Applications

The use of Phyllanthus emblica (gooseberry) leaf extract to synthesize Boron-doped zinc oxide nanosheets (B-doped ZnO-NSs) is deliberated in this article. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows a network of synthesized nanosheets randomly aligned side by side in a B-doped ZnO (15 wt% B) sample. The thickness of B-doped ZnO-NSs is in the range of 20–80 nm. B-doped ZnO-NSs were tested against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Escherichia coli. Against gram-negative bacterium (K. pneumonia and E. coli), B-doped ZnO displays enhanced antibacterial activity with 26 and 24 mm of inhibition zone, respectively. The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mean free path (MFP), half-value layer (HVL), and tenth value layer (TVL) of B-doped ZnO were investigated as aspects linked to radiation shielding. These observations were carried out by using a PTW® electron detector and VARIAN® irradiation with 6 MeV electrons. The results of these experiments can be used to learn more about the radiation shielding properties of B-doped ZnO nanostructures

Biogas Production and Fundamental Mass Transfer Mechanism in Anaerobic Granular Sludge

Anaerobic granules are responsible for organic degradation and biogas production in a reactor. The biogas production is entirely dependent on a mass transfer mechanism, but so far, the fundamental understanding remains poor due to the covered surface of the reactor. The study aimed at investigating the fundamental mass transfer characteristics of single anaerobic granules of different sizes using microscopic imaging and analytical monitoring under single and different organic loadings. The experiment was conducted in a micro reactor and mass transfer was calculated using modified Fick’s law. Scanning electron microscopy was applied to observe biogas production zones in the granule, and a lab-scale microscope equipped with a camera revealed the biogas bubble detachment process in the micro reactor for the first time. In this experiment, the granule size was 1.32, 1.47, and 1.75 mm, but 1.75 mm granules were chosen for further investigation due to their large size. The results revealed that biogas production rates for 1.75 mm granules at initial Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) 586, 1700, and 6700 mg/L were 0.0108, 0.0236, and 0.1007 m3/kg COD, respectively; whereas the mass transfer rates were calculated as 1.83 × 10−12, 5.30 × 10−12, and 2.08 × 10−11 mg/s. It was concluded that higher organic loading and large granules enhance the mass transfer inside the reactor. Thus, large granules should be preferred in the granule-based reactor to enhance biogas production

Influence of biofilm carriers on membrane fouling propensity in moving biofilm membrane bioreactor

In moving biofilm membrane bioreactor (MB-MBR) sponge carriers for biofilm growth were coupled with conventional submerged membrane bioreactor (C-MBR). This study compared the fouling propensity of C-MBR with MB-MBR and investigated factors affecting fouling variations in both the systems. Membrane fouling tendencies were monitored in terms of trans-membrane pressure (TMP) and the fouling characterization included membrane fouling resistances in situ and specific cake resistance (SCR) in batch filtration cell. Comparison of TMP profiles depicted prolong filtration periods in MB-MBR. Cake layer resistance (Rc), pore blocking resistance (Rp) as well as SCR were higher in C-MBR. The study reveals that hybrid biomass in MB-MBR creates relatively more porous cake structure in the absence of filamentous bacteria which were found in abundance in C-MBR. Filamentous bacteria were also responsible for the release of high concentration of carbohydrates in the form of soluble extra polymeric substance (EPS) contributing to higher Rp in C-MBR