326 research outputs found
Performance Evaluation of Bus Rapid Transit System: A Comparative Analysis of Alternative Approaches for Energy Efficient Eco-Friendly Public Transport System
No full textThe development of the bus rapid transit system (BRTS) is tremendously growing in developing countries of the world. In large cities, the projection of transportation intends to enhance economic growth and changes the image of the city for both residents and outsiders. The purpose of this research was to study the application of alternative options for energy efficient BRTS in developing countries. The BRTS has some of its accessibility patterns that relate to the socio-economic strata. A decision-making efficiency analysis methodology has been applied to analyze the comparative analysis of both conventional fuel and hybrid bus systems for the Multan city of Pakistan. The section-wise application of a hybrid energy-based bus system has been analyzed in comparison to the conventional bus system. Out of 21 stations, the efficiency-wise hybrid bus system remained superior or equivalent to the standard value of 1 except one midpoint section. The finding of the analysis indicates that the hybrid mechanism of buses can not only replace a conventional fuel-based system, but will also help as an energy-efficient and eco-friendly economical solution. This study will help to revolutionize the bus rapid transit system in developing countries
A cross-cultural evaluation of the psychometric properties of Information Seeking Anxiety Scale in Pakistani environment
No full textThis study investigated the psychometric properties of Information Seeking Anxiety Scale (ISAS) using
postgraduate students in a Pakistani university. A 47-item ISAS was administered to 297 students,
selected through stratified convenient sampling procedure, by visiting each department at the
university. An eighty-five percent response rate was achieved through usable returned
questionnaires. The principal component analysis (PCA) using varimax rotation yielded six-factor
solution to the Information Seeking Anxiety Scale (ISAS), namely, (1) Resource Anxiety(2) ICT
Anxiety(3) Library Anxiety(4) Search Anxiety(5) Mechanical Anxiet
An intracellular glucose biosensor based on nanoflake ZnO
Get PDFIn this study, an improved potentiometric intracellular glucose biosensor was fabricated with immobilization of glucose oxidase on a ZnO nanoporous material. The ZnO nanoporous material with a wall thickness around 200 nm was grown on the tip of a borosilicate glass capillary and used as a selective intracellular glucose sensor for the measurement of glucose concentrations in human adipocytes and frog oocytes. The results showed a fast response within 4 s and a linear glucosedependent electrochemical response over a wide range of glucose concentration (500 nM-10 mM). The measurements of intracellular glucose concentrations with our biosensor were consistent with the values of intracellular glucose concentrations reported in the literature. The sensor also demonstrated its capability by detecting an increase in the intracellular glucose concentration induced by insulin. We found that the ZnO nanoporous material provides sensitivity as high as 1.8 times higher than that obtained using ZnO nanorods under the same conditions. Moreover, the fabrication method in our experiment is simple and the excellent performance of the developed nanosensor in sensitivity, stability, selectivity, reproducibility and anti-interference was achieved. All these advantageous features of this intracellular glucose biosensor based on functionalised ZnO nanoporous material compared to ZnO nanorods demonstrate a promising way of enhancing glucose biosensor performance to measure reliable intracellular glucose concentrations within single living cells.Original Publication:Alimujiang Fulati, Syed M. Usman Ali, Muhammad H. Asif, Naveed Ul Hassan Alvi, Magnus Willander, Cecilia Brännmark, Peter Strålfors, Sara I. Börjesson and Fredrik Elinder, An intracellular glucose biosensor based on nanoflake ZnO, 2010, Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical, (150), 2, 673-680.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2010.08.021Copyright: Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.http://www.elsevier.com/</p
Strengthening Democracy with Information: An Assessment of Rural Dwellers’ Political Information Behavior
Get PDFThis study explored political information behavior of citizens residing in a rural setting from the district of Toba Tek Singh, Punjab-Pakistan. Qualitative research design using an unstructured interview guide was employed to conduct this research. Face-to-face interviews of 51 participants, selected through purposive sampling process, were conducted for data collection by visiting their homes using local language. Each participant was informed of his responses at the end of the interview for data verification and authentication. Each interview was carefully recorded and transcribed. Using thematic analysis, the verbal data were analyzed and multiple responses were grouped together and reduced into ‘information needs’ and ‘information channels.’ After that, the frequencies and percentages of the responses against these themes were counted because it was possible due to the uniformity in the qualitative data. The results indicated that a large majority of these participants were politically ignorant and did not seem to be in need of political information. A good number of participants required political information on current affairs, rural development policies, government policies and decisions, and both local and national political news. They mainly depended on mass media particularly television for political information followed by newspapers, radio, and interpersonal relationships. Since the rural dwellers were not interested in political information due to political ignorance and backwardness, efforts should be made to improve their political awareness. There was a critical need to evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of the existing information infrastructure for the rural population in Pakistan. The results will assist the policy makers in the development of a need-based, unified, and integrated rural information delivery system. This research would make a worthy contribution in existing research on information needs and seeking behavior of rural communities as no such study found addressing directly rural citizens’ political information behavior
Evidence on Psychometric Properties of Scales Assessing Information Related Anxieties: A Systematic Review
Get PDFThis systematic review examined the evidence of psychometric properties of scales available in studies reporting surveys measuring information related anxieties such as library anxiety, information seeking anxiety, and information anxiety. A systematic search in four databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, LISA, and LISTA was carried out using the keywords \u27library anxiety\u27, \u27information anxiety\u27, \u27information seeking anxiety\u27, and \u27information seeking\u27 AND \u27anxiety\u27. This review included those studies reporting the use of any scale measuring information related anxiety published in the English language and included all type of documents (e.g. journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, theses/dissertations, research reports). The screening process resulted in 45 studies meeting the eligibility criterion. The extracted data included author names, year of publication, type of scale used, scale title, background, type of construct assessed, number of items in the scale, scale origin, studies reporting use, studies contributing psychometric information, scale availability, and psychometric properties reported. The results indicated nine instruments assessing information-related anxieties. The classical test theory was applied for eight instruments. No psychometric properties were reported for a single instrument. Most psychometric instruments were developed in the United States. Face/Content validity through experts, construct validity through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and internal consistency reliability through Cronbach alpha was the most commonly used psychometric analysis. None of these studies applied the Rasch model of modern item response theory for psychometric examination. This review has serious implications on the inferences drawn by the practitioners and researchers based on the earlier assessment of information related anxieties. It suggests the development of standards for not only designing new psychometric tests but also for the use and reporting of such tests. This study contributes to the existing research on information-related anxieties by systematic reviewing the evidence of psychometric properties as no such study available so far
Effect of the addition of the antioxidant taurine on the complete blood count of whole blood stored at room temperature and at 4°C for up to 3 days
Get PDFAbstract Background: The complete blood count is one of the most common routine tests. This study aimed to evaluate possible effects of the antioxidant taurine on the complete blood count of whole blood stored at room temperature and at 4°C over three days. Methods: Venous blood samples of 15 healthy males were distributed into two sets of tubes with each set of three tubes containing 50 μL of solutions with zero, 5 g/L, 10 g/L taurine. The tubes were kept at room temperature or at 4°C. Complete blood counts were performed on three successive days. The mean percentage changes [Δ = (mean value - mean baseline value) / mean baseline value x 100] were calculated and compared. Results: Complete blood count parameters exhibited different patterns of behaviour which were affected by the storage temperature, time and taurine concentration. Taurine at room temperature significantly enhanced the stability of: the platelet count over three days (Δ3 at 5 and 10 g/L taurine were 6.18, and 2.53 x 109 cells/L, respectively); the red blood cell count over three days (Δ3 at 5 and 10 g/L taurine were 2.59, and 1.39 x 1012 cells/L, respectively); mean corpuscular haemoglobin over three days (Δ3 at 5 and 10 g/L taurine were,-0.62 and -0.52 fl respectively); and red cell distribution width over two days (Δ2 at 5 and 10 g/L taurine were 1.30% and -0.1%, respectively). No additional stabilizing effects of taurine were reported for the mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit and haemoglobin, while it negatively affected the white blood cell stability. Conclusion: Complete blood count parameters exhibited variable stability patterns in respect to temperature, time and taurine concentration
Knowledge Sharing Behavior of Academicians in Pakistan
Get PDFThis study examined the knowledge sharing behavior of the academicians working at University of Sargodha, Sargodha. Quantitative research design using survey method was adopted to conduct this research. The data were collected from 237 academicians sing a questionnaire which contained Knowledge Sharing Behavior Scale and demographic variables. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were applied for data analysis. The results indicated that these academicians used to share their knowledge more often through documents and reports, personal conversations, team meetings, participation in brainstorming sessions, organizational meetings, sharing success stories and personal experiences, asking questions, past mistake and failure stories, coaching junior employees, supporting personal development of new members, and making presentations in the meetings. There were no statistically significant mean differences in the index of knowledge sharing behavior based on gender, social background, education, and teaching experience. Conversely, age and number of publications appeared to be the correlatives of knowledge sharing behavior. The results might help university administration in designing programs for promotion of knowledge sharing culture for collaborative learning and research. This study would be a worthy contribution to the existing literature on knowledge sharing in general and knowledge sharing behavior of academicians in particular
GPCR-MPredictor: multi-level prediction of G protein-coupled receptors using genetic ensemble
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