233 research outputs found
Folio
No full textPreamble. pp. 5-7; Muhammad Zakria-Profile. pp. 8; Editorial. pp. 9-10; Jahanzaib Jilani-Formanites. pp. 11; Khalid Rashid-Folio's Journey. pp. 12-15; Khalid Rashid-A Galaxy of Distinguished Formanites. pp. 16-19; Khalid Rashid-Taught Now Teachers at F.C.C. pp. 20-21; Muzammil Abbas-A to Z of Life. pp. 22; Nasrullah Khan-Speech-Chairman's Address on the Occasion of 115th Annual Athletic Championship 2001-2002. pp. 23-25; List Showing the Participation and Performance of the Students in Extra Curricular Activities 2001-2002. pp. 26-27; Nadeem Ullah-Pakistan a Foreigner's Perspective. pp. 28-29; Syed Imad-ud-Din Asad-Article-Quaid-e-Azam: a Great Personality. pp. 30-32; Khalid Rashid-Article-Role of Testing and Evaluation in the Process of Islamization of Education. pp. 33-37; Article-Idealism in Literature. pp. 38-45; Altaf-ur-Rehman Malik-On Neighbors. pp. 46-47; Mian Muhammad Nadeem Akhtar-What is Life. pp. 47; Khazima Tahir-Ponder A Moment. pp. 48-49; Aiza Ehsan-Anger. pp. 50; Hafsa Rasti-Article-Virginia Wolf as a Feminist Writer. pp. 51-56; Shahid Imtiaz-Article-A Study of Symbols in Yeats Poetry. pp. 57-61; Bashir Ahmed Ch-Poetry-Quaid-e-Azam: The Founder of Pakistan. pp. 62; Bashir Ahmed Ch-Poetry-Pakistan. pp. 63-64; M. Arif Qureshi-Poetry-Musings. pp. 65; M. Arif Qureshi-Poetry-Requiem. pp. 66; M. Arif Qureshi-Poetry-Music. pp. 66; Academic Medals. pp. 67-29; Sports Awards. pp. 70-71; Folio [Punjabi]. 44 p.; Folio [Urdu]. 84 p.Dr Muhammad Zakria Butt. after page 8; Several College Event Photos at the end of Punjabi Sectio
Improving international relations conferences through virtual interactions: Embodying a multi-agent Z specification framework
No full textThis study investigates virtual interactions in distributed collaboration, with the aim to improve international relations conferences through virtual interactions. This is done by addressing the problems and issues of operation, context and strategy that frequently affect international relations conferences, while preserving conference deliberations. The study deploys a qualitative inductive research approach, based on the deployment of a finite number of case studies, specifically comprising Virtual Embassy: Diplomacy in the Era of the Internet, Terrorism: Focus on 9/11, and Internet Governance and Standardisation. The key to the empirical research phase was, first, to set up of a distributed WAN with nodes worldwide; second, to run a series of virtual sessions on case study themes; and, third, to capture data as fragments of textual transcript, analyse using a coding schema, and formulate states-as-actors concepts and behaviours. The findings demonstrate, empirically, the existence of states-as-actors behaviour. A formal system specification language, Z, is invoked, which is used to model states-as-actors behaviour, with the aim to provide a broader generalisation, theory and framework as a core research outcome. A multi-agent Z specification framework is obtained, which models states-as-actors behaviour as comprising passive behaviour, active generic behaviour, active goal-oriented behaviour, and active autonomous behaviour, which manifest at any time during a session as a quasi-dynamic metamorphic binary system of agent deletion and agent creation, in which one behaviour mode appears as another behaviour mode disappears. The contribution of this research study is three-fold. First, the study contributes to knowledge, the Z specification framework, which models virtual interactions in distributed collaboration, in terms of states-asactors behaviour in international relations conferences. This has the potential of realising an information system in which artificial intelligence can be embedded to provide further insight into the behaviour modes of states-as-actors, possibly in a time continuum. Second, the study contributes to the practical feasibility of a distributed collaboration system as an implementable system on the electronic communication medium. This has the potential of enhancement through the incorporation of trustworthy computing (twc). Third the study contributes a 9-stage process-based strategy as a practical set of guidelines on how to run a multilateral negotiation in the international relations context. This has the potential being subjected to further testing and validating in an action-oriented research mode.Technology, Policy and Managemen
Capital Structure Decisions in Energy Companies Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
No full textMaster i økonomi og administrasjonIn this thesis, we have analyzed which factors that may affect the capital structure choices of
the oil and gas companies listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, which historically have paid a
huge contribution to the Norwegian economy and welfare. This sector consists of 48 companies
which we have analyzed from 1998 until 2016. The companies in our dataset compete in a
capital intensive industry where ongoing investments are required to develop and exploit
projects and future growth prospects. Through this thesis, we aim to provide a contribution to
the understanding of which factors the companies emphasize on when deciding how to finance
their activities and operations.
We have created a model where the dependent variable representing capital structure is
defined as debt ratio. The independent variables are the degree of asset tangibility, firm size,
profitability, risk and growth. We have also included two control variables, oil price and interest
rate to enrich our thesis with elements of macroeconomic nature.
The findings show that there is a positive relationship between debt ratio and firm size,
profitability and interest rate. This means that the debt ratio increases when firm size,
profitability and interest rate increase. We also found a negative relationship between debt ratio
and asset tangibility, as well as between debt ratio which means that when the asset tangibility
increases the debt ratio decreases. We found a negative relationship between debt ratio and our
proxy for risk, the Z-score, which means that when the debt ratio increases, risk increases. The
findings also revealed that there is no significant relationship between the dependent variable,
debt ratio, and oil price and growth.publishedVersio
Capital Structure Decisions in Energy Companies Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
No full textIn this thesis, we have analyzed which factors that may affect the capital structure choices of
the oil and gas companies listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, which historically have paid a
huge contribution to the Norwegian economy and welfare. This sector consists of 48 companies
which we have analyzed from 1998 until 2016. The companies in our dataset compete in a
capital intensive industry where ongoing investments are required to develop and exploit
projects and future growth prospects. Through this thesis, we aim to provide a contribution to
the understanding of which factors the companies emphasize on when deciding how to finance
their activities and operations.
We have created a model where the dependent variable representing capital structure is
defined as debt ratio. The independent variables are the degree of asset tangibility, firm size,
profitability, risk and growth. We have also included two control variables, oil price and interest
rate to enrich our thesis with elements of macroeconomic nature.
The findings show that there is a positive relationship between debt ratio and firm size,
profitability and interest rate. This means that the debt ratio increases when firm size,
profitability and interest rate increase. We also found a negative relationship between debt ratio
and asset tangibility, as well as between debt ratio which means that when the asset tangibility
increases the debt ratio decreases. We found a negative relationship between debt ratio and our
proxy for risk, the Z-score, which means that when the debt ratio increases, risk increases. The
findings also revealed that there is no significant relationship between the dependent variable,
debt ratio, and oil price and growth
Harnessing information technology to improve women’s health information: evidence from Pakistan
No full textZakar R, Zakria Zakar M, Qureshi S, Fischer F. Harnessing information technology to improve women’s health information: evidence from Pakistan. BMC Women's Health. 2014;14(1): 105.Background
More than half of Pakistani women are illiterate, marginalized, and experience myriad health problems. These women are also disadvantaged in terms of their restricted mobility and limited access to public space. Nonetheless, user-friendly information and communication technologies (ICTs) have opened up new opportunities to provide them with information that is essential for their health and well-being.
Methods
We established an Information and Communication Centre (ICC) in a village in Sialkot (Pakistan) on a pilot basis in 2009. The basic philosophy of the ICC was to provide women with health-related information by exposing them to modern sources of information on their doorstep. By design, the ICC was a community-based and community-managed institution where women could access information through online (e.g., internet, mobile phone etc.) and offline (e.g., CDs, TV etc.) resources. The ICC was managed by a group of local volunteer women who had the capacity and skills to use the devices and tools of modern ICTs.
Results
We noted an overwhelming participation and interest from local women in the activities of the ICC. The women wanted to receive information on a wide range of issues, from family planning, antenatal care, and childcare to garbage disposal and prevention of domestic violence. Overall, the ICC was successful in initiating a meaningful “information dialogue” at community level, where much-needed information was retrieved, negotiated, mediated, and disseminated through intimate and trusted relations.
Conclusion
We conclude that ICTs have the capacity to cross the barriers of illiteracy and can reach out to disadvantaged women living under a conservative patriarchal regime
A Four Step Feedback Iteration and Its Applications in Fractals
No full textFractals play a vital role in modeling the natural environment. The present aim is to investigate the escape criterion to generate specific fractals such as Julia sets, Mandelbrot sets and Multi-corns via F-iteration using complex functions h(z)=zn+c, h(z)=sin(zn)+c and h(z)=ezn+c, n≥2,c∈C. We observed some beautiful Julia sets, Mandelbrot sets and Multi-corns for n = 2, 3 and 4. We generalize the algorithms of the Julia set and Mandelbrot set to visualize some Julia sets, Mandelbrot sets and Multi-corns. Moreover, we calculate image generation time in seconds at different values of input parameters
Polarized Rigid Del Pezzo Surfaces in Low Codimension
No full textWe provide explicit graded constructions of orbifold del Pezzo surfaces with rigid orbifold points of type ki×1ri(1,ai):3≤ri≤10,ki∈Z≥0 as well-formed and quasismooth varieties embedded in some weighted projective space. In particular, we present a collection of 147 such surfaces such that their image under their anti-canonical embeddings can be described by using one of the following sets of equations: a single equation, two linearly independent equations, five maximal Pfaffians of 5×5 skew symmetric matrix, and nine 2×2 minors of size 3 square matrix. This is a complete classification of such surfaces under certain carefully chosen bounds on the weights of ambient weighted projective spaces and it is largely based on detailed computer-assisted searches by using the computer algebra system MAGMA
Research Article Software Component Selection Based on Quality Criteria Using the Analytic Network Process
No full textComponent based software development (CBSD) endeavors to deliver cost-effective and quality software systems through the selection and integration of commercially available software components. CBSD emphasizes the design and development of software systems using preexisting components. Software component reusability is an indispensable part of component based software development life cycle (CBSDLC),which consumes a significant amount of organization’s resources, that is, time and effort.
It is convenient in component based software system (CBSS) to select the most suitable and appropriate software components that provide all the required functionalities. Selecting the most appropriate components is crucial for the success of the entire system. However, decisions regarding software component reusability are often made in an ad hoc manner, which ultimately results in schedule delay and lowers the entire quality system. In this paper, we have discussed the analytic network process (ANP) method for software component selection. The methodology is explained and assessed using a real life case study
Wheat growth and phytoavailability of copper and zinc as affected by soil texture in saline-sodic conditions
No full textNutrient disorders in saline-sodic soils can adversely affect crop growth. In order to evaluate the growth response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to Cu and Zn and the phytoavailability of these essential elements, a pot experiment was conducted in three different textured saline-sodic soils [sandy loam (SL), sandy clay loam (SCL) and clay (C)] having an ECe 8.63, 8.80, 8.98 dS m–1 and SAR 21.66, 23.48, 24.84 (mmol L–1)1/2 respectively. Seven treatments including levels of Cu (4, 6 and 8 mg kg–1) and levels of Zn (4, 6 and 8 mg kg–1) were separately applied together with a single control treatment. Dry matter yield (straw + grain) of wheat increased up to 35.2% with Cu and up to 31.2 % with Zn application relative to the control. As soil clay content increased, dry matter yield decreased up to 39.2% in SCL and up to 62.7% in C soil when compared to SL soil. Application of Cu increased the concentration in both wheat straw and grains up to 2.46 and 2.20 mg kg–1 DW respectively relative to the control. Zinc concentration in wheat straw and grains was also increased up to 29.97 and 29.40 mg kg–1 DW respectively relative to the controls. Copper application significantly increased Zn concentrations in wheat plants
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