27 research outputs found
Modelling Value of Time for Trip Chains in Daily Schedules
No full textAbstractThe decision about spending time on an activity, switching to the next activity and transport mode used to travel to the next activity location depends on money value of time; opportunity cost of time at activity. Optimal condition of transition between two activities occurs when their marginal utility of time is equal. The presented framework in this paper models the marginal utility of activity to express the money benefit earned by spending each unit of time at the given activity. The proposed model is generalized for the schedule with any number of activities as contrast to previous studies, where such models were used for schedules with fixed number of activities. This framework can be used to calculate the loss in value of time due decreased activity participation resulting from travel delays
Nadeem Ul Haque. Looking Back: How Pakistan Became an Asian Tiger by 2050
No full textThe book is about development economics and, at the same time,
a work of fiction, which predicts the future of Pakistan as a developed
country. Though the book is written and conceived on a strong
theoretical basis, that is, ‘complexity analysis,’ it remains a
fictional work. Because the book is based on complexity analysis, it
would fall under the rubric of ‘speculative fiction’, as it attempts to
speculate the future development of Pakistan. As far as speculative
fiction is concerned, it is of two types, namely, dystopian and utopian.
The book is indeed a ‘utopian speculative fiction’ as it presents
Pakistan as a very developed country, contrary to current conditions
where Pakistan is striving hard for its survival. Thus, the book equates
to the likes of ‘Orwellian’ works, such as “1984”. Right at the
beginning of the book, the author argues that conventional economic
analysis has failed to yield any sound analysis of the economy that can
be employed for development economics. He further adds that both
macroeconomics and microeconomics are inherently insufficient to lead to
any meaningful policy analysis and recommendations. Thus, the author
presents complexity analysis as an alternative tool for development
economics
A coordinated Framework for Optimized Charging of EV Fleet in Smart Grid
No full textAbstractElectric vehicles can be sustainable alternative in contrast to conventional fossil fuel powered vehicles only if the green energy is used to power them. Without coordination among electric vehicles and grid operator, it can imbalance the power production and demand. This paper presents an automated coordinated mechanism among EV fleet and the grid operator that plans a charging strategy for electric vehicles while sustaining the grid capacity constraints. The intelligent planner plans the charging strategy at the cheaper moments and keep the vehicle charged enough to complete its scheduled trips It suggests a charging pattern for the electric vehicle by using the time dependent electric prices and available power at the given time slots. It also ensures the cheapest charging cost and fulfills the constraints of battery state of the charge. A central power tracker is also introduced which keeps track of the available and required power at each time slot. According to the current market share of the electric vehicles, a fraction of the daily agendas, created by an operational activity-based model, is used to test the framework. Moreover, an experiment has been set up, it makes use of wind and solar renewable energy to power the vehicles
Liquidity Traps, Digital Currencies and Inflation Targeting: A Comparative Analysis of Policy Effectiveness in Advanced and Emerging Economies
No full textThis research investigates how the evolving challenges and opportunities of implementing United States (US) monetary policy, especially liquidity traps, digital currency, and inflation targeting, have changed since the 1930s. A case of public perceptions of the Federal Reserve’s policy effectiveness and the adjustment of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) to key macroeconomic issues like liquidity management and inflation control is studied. Data was collected using a quantitative survey-based approach from a diverse sample of US residents regarding their views on the pervasiveness of liquidity traps and support for possible modifications of the inflation-targeting framework to improve the operational efficacy of interest rate policy in light of the introduction of digital currencies. For assessing the relationships between demographic factors, economic sentiment, financial literacy, and trust in the Federal Reserve, statistical analyses was run: Chi-Square tests, T-tests, ANOVA, and regression models. It suggests substantial support for the adoption of digital currency, but there are still basic issues related to privacy, financial stability, and public acceptance among the general public. The research also finds that new financial innovations require adjustments in the inflation targeting frameworks. The contribution of this study is to the ongoing discussion on how monetary policy can evolve and how it needs to be altered to confront modern economic challenges.
References
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Butt, S., & Yazdani, N. (2023). Relationship between execution of quality management practices and firm’s innovation performance: A review of literature. Journal of Asian Development Studies, 12(3), 432–451.
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De-mystifying the Muslimah: Exploring Different Perceptions of Selected Young Muslim Women in Britain
No full textIn this research I argue that although Islam as a faith is inherently emancipatory, Muslim
women are doubly marginalised: by patriarchal interpretations of their faith within Muslim
communities and by pluralist society that often does not understand the faith-based values
and practices of Muslim women. The empowerment of Muslim women is crucial not just for
the women themselves but also for socio-political dynamics within the Muslim community
and its relationships in pluralist society. It is from this context, and acknowledging the paucity
of academic literature written by Muslim women, that I set out to give voice to them, so that
their opinions may be heard in discourses that they think are relevant to their lives. By
encouraging Muslim women to take voice and by facilitating mechanisms for these voices to
be heard, this research presents alternate narratives of Muslim women that challenge
dominant media imagery of the oppressed and subjugated Muslim woman. These narratives,
which are by and for Muslim women, portray instead the inherent diversity in the category
'Muslim woman' and thus add more facets to the category 'woman'.
I used an ethnographic methodology that involved participants as contributors in the creation
of new knowledge. Semi-structured interviews with 45 young university-educated Muslim
women and 7 group discussions were used as initial data-gathering tools. The penultimate
ethnographic stage involved Muslim women creating 3-minute long self-representational
digital stories (DSTs), which consist of an autobiographical narrative accompanied by still
pictures. This was a process of self-reflection for the women and an opportunity to take voice
and to be heard. The subsequent screening of these DSTs to audiences who were not
Muslim resulted in discussion and active debate about the reasons for prevalent
(mis)understandings of Muslim women and stereotypes were challenged. In its initiation of
more balanced representations of Muslim women this research empowers Muslim women,
and by contributing to dialogue and cohesion it also empowers pluralist society as a whole.
This research clarifies the overlapping priorities and identities of young British Muslim
women and initiates new discourses, as narrated by the women, on subjects including
religious interpretation and practice, feminism, media representation and social cohesion. In
the research findings I propose an evolving British-Muslim identity among Muslim youth (in
this case young women) which is distinct from that of their parents; a theological articulation
of a 'feminist' struggle for women's rights; and the need to engage with the media and others
to create positive representations of Muslim women. Experiences with DSTs indicate the
potential of personal narratives and interaction for the purposes of inter-community dialogue
Al-Haqaiq al-Ijtima'iyyah al-Andalus fi Syi'r Madh wa Tahniah li Ibn Zaydun
No full textPurpose
This study aimed to describe the influence of race, environment, and era in Andalusian society on Ibn Zaidun's hymn (praise) and tahniah (congratulations) poetry using the perspective of Hippolite Adolf Taine.
Method
This study was a qualitative research using a library research design that relied on the hymn and tahniah poetry in Diwan Ibn Zaidun: Rasailuhu, Akhbaruhu, Syi'rul Mikjain written by Kamil Kailani and Abdurrahman. This study analyzed the tradition of praise (madah) and congratulations (tahniah) of the Andalusian community in 19 of Ibn Zaydun's poems communicated with 3 indicators of Taine's theory of social facts, namely race, climate, and time factors.
Results/Findings
This study revealed the influence of the three aspects of Andalusian social facts on Ibn Zaidun's poetry, namely: 1) Ras-Spirit, showing that Andalusian society has the tradition of writing poetry for leaders; 2) Environment-Milieau, that was cool climate surrounded by beautiful green plants have a strong influence on Andalusian Literature, giving rise to many expressions of natural beauty in their poems, especially in praise (madah) and congratulations (tahniah) on Ibn Zaidun's poetry; 3) The Age of Moments privileging Andalusian with many muwashahat, so that the poets paid great attention to rhyme (qafiyah) in their poetry, and the uses of the Andalusian language with Arabic writing became greater in a number of poems.
Conclusion
Andalusian poetry represented by the poet Ibn Zaydun contains three aspects of Tain social facts. Ibn Zaydun's poetry tradition is influenced by the characteristics of Andalusian society, the climate in the Andalusian city, and the time of writing the poem. The author suggests further studies on the Hypolite Taine social fact theory with its unique scope of social facts. Likewise with Andalusian studies, further studies are urgently needed to find the meaning and social facts behind his classical poems
Muslim supplementary classes and their place within the wider learning community : a Redbridge-based study
No full textUsing his own professional experiences and fieldwork in the north-east of London as a
starting point, the author suggests that the time is now right to consider the place of Muslim
supplementary education in a wider social and educational setting. He suggests that four
factors support this: the growing public interest in the emergence of British Islam; the
continuing debate about the efficacy of traditional forms of Islamic education; the increasing
use of networking within the educational community; and the growing official recognition of
the contribution made by supplementary schooling.
Following a review of a wide range of relevant literary material, the author draws on a
number of life-story interviews in order to portray the reality and variety of British Muslims'
experience of Islamic education. The outcomes of ethnographic fieldwork are then used to
describe and analyse what takes place in a British maktab (elementary mosque school). This
includes a detailed explanation of how and why the Qur'an is learned, particularly by those
individuals who are training to become huffaz (those who have committed the whole Qur'an
to memory).
The ways in which Muslim supplementary schools might form part of the wider social and
educational community are then explored together with factors that might block or encourage
the creation of such an ideal. Analysis includes a review of existing organisational attempts
to promote the work of supplementary schooling. A case is also presented for the reappraisal
of the role of memorisation as a distinct form of learning.
The thesis ends with a concluding statement, focusing on the ideal of maktabs and
mainstream LEA schools working together to mutual benefit, and a number of
recommendations aimed at researchers and those involved in both Muslim and wider
community schooling
Lamellar Bilayer to Fibril Structure Transformation of Tough Photonic Hydrogel under Elongation
No full textSynthetic hydrogels possessing both macroscopic anisotropic structure and toughness, which are analogous to the load-bearing bio-tissues such as muscles and tendons, are rarely available. Studying the molecular mechanism of tough and anisotropic hydrogel under deformation is beneficial to understand the load-deformation functions of soft bio-tissues. In this work, the deformation-induced structure transformation of a macroscopically anisotropic and tough hydrogel has been investigated to understand the role of structure evolution for enhanced toughness. At rest, the hydrogel possesses a well-defined hierarchical structure in which self-assembled nanometer thick lamellar bilayers are alternatively stacked in hundred nanometer thick hydrogel matrixes. Stretching along the lamellar direction induces structure transformation from lamellar bilayers to hierarchical fibrous structures
aligned along the deformation axis. The generated hierarchical structures consist of micrometer thick fiber bundles made from nanometer thick fibrils analogous to tropo-collagen bundles or microfibrils of the tendon. The fibrous structure formed at large elongation is associated with damage and rupture of the bilayers, which underpins the molecular mechanism of the unique mechanical behaviors of the tough lamellar hydrogel
Performance analysis of noninvasive electrophysiological methods for the assessment of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy in clinical research: a systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis
No full textDespite the availability of various clinical trials that used different diagnostic methods to identify diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN), no reliable studies that prove the associations among diagnostic parameters from two different methods are available. Statistically significant diagnostic parameters from various methods can help determine if two different methods can be incorporated together for diagnosing DSPN. In this study, a systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis (TSA) were performed to determine the associations among the different parameters from the most commonly used electrophysiological screening methods in clinical research for DSPN, namely, nerve conduction study (NCS), corneal confocal microscopy (CCM), and electromyography (EMG), for different experimental groups. Electronic databases (e.g., Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar) were searched systematically for articles reporting different screening tools for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. A total of 22 studies involving 2394 participants (801 patients with DSPN, 702 controls, and 891 non-DSPN patients) were reviewed systematically. Meta-analysis was performed to determine statistical significance of difference among four NCS parameters, i.e., peroneal motor nerve conduction velocity, peroneal motor nerve amplitude, sural sensory nerve conduction velocity, and sural sensory nerve amplitude (all p < 0.001); among three CCM parameters, including nerve fiber density, nerve branch density, and nerve fiber length (all p < 0.001); and among four EMG parameters, namely, time to peak occurrence (from 0 to 100% of the stance phase) of four lower limb muscles, including the vastus lateralis (p < 0.001), tibialis anterior (p = 0.63), lateral gastrocnemius (p = 0.01), and gastrocnemius medialis (p = 0.004), and the vibration perception threshold (p < 0.001). Moreover, TSA was conducted to estimate the robustness of the meta-analysis. Most of the parameters showed statistical significance between each other, whereas some were statistically nonsignificant. This meta-analysis and TSA concluded that studies including NCS and CCM parameters were conclusive and robust. However, the included studies on EMG were inconclusive, and additional clinical trials are required. 2020, The Author(s).Study Funded by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) under the Grant Number DIP-2020-004, and DIP-2018-017 and the Qatar National Research Fund, Grant Number: NPRP12s-0227-190164).Scopu
Prevalence of non-adherence to antihypertensive medication in Asia:a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textBackground Hypertension and its associated complications are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Asia. Racial disparities in terms of treatment outcomes among hypertension patients have been reported in literature with Asian patients resulting in poorer treatment outcomes. Non-adherence to antihypertensive therapy is frequently associated with poor treatment outcomes. Aim of the review The aim of this review was to estimate the prevalence of non-adherence to antihypertensive medications among patients with hypertension residing in Asia. Method PubMed, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CINHAL and Cochrane library were searched for studies published between 2000 and 2019 involving hypertensive patients. Studies investigating the prevalence of medication non-adherence in Asian countries, rated either good or fair on National Institute of Health quality assessment tool and published in English language were included in our review. Data were extracted by one author and checked by another using a structured and pilot-tested data extraction sheet. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed using STATA version 14.3®. Results Sixty-Six studies from 22 Asian countries including 2,532,582 hypertensive patients were included. Mean (± SD) age of participants was 58(± 6) years. Overall, the estimated prevalence of non-adherence to antihypertensive medication in Asia was 48% (95% CI: 41–54, P = 0.001). The rate of non-adherence was higher among females 49% (95% CI: 41–56, P = 0.001) compared to males 47% (95% CI: 40–53, P = 0.001). As per the region, the highest prevalence of non-adherence was found in South Asia 48% (95% 44–51, P = 0.877) followed by East Asia 45% (31–59, P = 0.001) and the Middle East 41 (95% 30–52, P = 0.001). Similarly, higher rate of non-adherence was observed in low and lower middle-income countries i.e. 50% (95% CI: 47–54, P = 0.220) as compare to upper-middle and high-income countries i.e. 37% (95% CI: 25–49, P = 0.001) and 44% (95% CI: 29–59, P = 0.001) respectively. Conclusion The prevalence of non-adherence to antihypertensive medication is high in Asia. This may partly explain poor treatment outcomes and incidence of higher mortality rate in Asia frequently reported in the literature. There is a need to implement appropriate policies and clinical practices to improve medication adherence
