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The purpose of this paper is to present the dependence of capacitive sensing of organic vapours by porous silicon (PS) on its molecular structure for the realization of a organic vapour sensor, compatible with existing silicon technology, with desired miniaturization and selectivity.

The method introduces large surface area of PS obtained by electrochemically etching of silicon wafer for characterization of organic vapours through capacitive sensing.

The method provides a comparative study of sensor response for organic vapour molecules of different structures and leads to an insight into the sensing mechanism.

The surface of PS has been stabilized by thermal oxidation process.

The method is useful for the development of a simple, cost‐effective sensor for selective gas analysis.

The result is an outcome of regular experimental work carried out to observe the capacitive sensing behavior of PS for different organic vapours.

The purpose of this paper is to present a selective wet‐etching method of boron doped low‐pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD) polysilicon film for the realization of piezoresistors over the bulk micromachined diaphragm of (100) silicon with improved yield and uniformity.

The method introduces discretization of the LPCVD polysilicon film using prior etching for the grid thus dividing each chip on the entire wafer. The selective etching of polysilicon for realizing of piezoresistors is limited to each chip area with individual boundaries.

The method provides a uniform etching on the entire silicon wafer irrespective of its size and leads to economize the fabrication process in a batch production environment with improved yield.

The method introduces one extra process step of photolithography and subsequent etching for discretizing the polysilicon film.

The method is useful to enhance yield while defining metal lines for contact purposes on fabricated electronic structures using microelectronics. Stress developed in LPCVD polysilicon can be removed using proposed approach of discretization of polysilicon film.

The work is an outcome of regular fabrication work using conventional approaches in an R&D environment. The proposed method replaces the costly reactive ion etching techniques with stable reproducibility and ease in its implementation.

Pakistan's present war against extremists has many folds and sheds. The country's initial participation in the Afghan War in 1979 later gave birth to different extremist trends in the country. State patronage of the extremist Wahabi Islamists during the Afghan jihad opened another conflict in Pakistan, and things became more complicated. The combination of external and internal factors gave birth to the worst kind of conflict, which now has not only become dangerous for the country's own existence but also a major threat for global peace. The Afghan jihad initially started as a war against Soviet occupation and later became the hub of global jihad-war against infidels.

This chapter analyzes how external factors promoted internal contradictions in Pakistan due to which the country became not only an exporter of jihadis for the world but also the worst kind of sectarian conflicts, including. Shia–Sunni, Deobandi–Wahabi clashes, entered into in the past two decades. Such a strong link exists with Pakistan's official support to global jihad. Draft sectarian groups now head to head with their opponents have killed thousands of members of rival sectors, have strong support from external sympathizers, and have spread in the country. The well planned terrorist activities of these groups reflect the fact that support to these groups in the past is now leading to a severe crisis in Pakistan. The nexuses of these indigenous extremists like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen with external terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan of Tahir Yuldasher Chechen Guerilla War has led to several bloody clashes in the country and outside.

The heat transport phenomenon in which energy transfers due to temperature differences is an important topic of interest for scientists in recent times. It is because of its wide range of applications in numerous domains such as electronics, heat dispersion, thermoregulation, cooling mechanism, the managing temperature in automotive mobile engines, climate engineering, magnetoresistance devices, etc. On account of such considerations, the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) entropy rate for nanomaterial (CoFe₂O₄/C₂H₆O₂) and hybrid nanomaterial (CoFe₂O₄+MoS₄/C₂H₆O₂) is analyzed. The Darcy–Forchheimer relation is utilized to describe the impact of a porous medium on a stretched sheet. Two nanoparticles molybdenum (MoS₄) and cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) are combined to make hybrid nanomaterial (CoFe₂O₄+MoS₄/C₂H₆O₂). Heat flux corresponds to the Cattaneo–Christov model executed through heat transfer analysis. The influence of dissipation and heat absorption/generation on energy expression for nanomaterial (CoFe₂O₄+MoS₄/C₂H₆O₂) and hybrid nanomaterial (CoFe₂O₄+MoS₄/C₂H₆O₂) is described.

Nonlinear partial differential expressions have been exchanged into dimensionless ordinary differential expressions using relevant transformations. Newton’s built-in shooting method is employed to achieve the required results.

Concepts of fluid flow, energy transport and entropy optimization are discussed. Computational analysis of local skin friction and Nusselt number against sundry parameters for nanomaterial (CoFe₂O₄/C₂H₆O₂) and hybrid nanomaterial (CoFe₂O₄+MoS₄/C₂H₆O₂) is engrossed. Larger magnetic field parameters decay fluid flow and entropy generation, while an opposite behavior is observed for temperature. Variation in magnetic field variables and volume fractions causes the resistive force to boost up. Intensification in entropy generation can be seen for higher porosity parameters, whereas a reverse trend follows for fluid flow. Heat and local Nusselt numbers rise with an increase in thermal relaxation time parameters.

No such work is yet published in the literature.

The presence and progression of stenosis disturb the normal circulation of blood through an artery and cause serious consequences. The proposed investigation is aimed to assess non-Newtonian characteristics of blood in an elliptical artery having stenosis. The blood is taken as Sutterby fluid flowing via a multi-stenosed elliptical cross-section artery.

The analytical solution of a mathematical model representing the considered problem is extracted in a non-dimensional form by utilizing the perturbation technique under the mild stenosis assumptions.

The graphical nature of these results is examined and discussed comprehensively for different physical parameters. The height and shape of stenosis are noted to have prominent effects on flow velocity. The wall shear stress and flow velocity attained high values in the stenotic portion of the artery. The non-uniform stenosis is observed to create higher resistance to the flow than the uniform stenosis. Further, a high disorder is noticed in the constricted region of the artery by streamlines analysis.

The manuscript completely comprehends the blood’s non-Newtonian flow in the arteries of elliptical shape having multiple stenoses. The present study is about the properties of non-Newtonian blood flow through an elliptical artery with many stenoses. The Sutterby fluid model is used to describe the blood’s non-Newtonian nature. By utilizing presumptions of mild stenosis, the mathematical model’s non-linearity is decreased, and the perturbation method is applied to generate the resulting equations.

The presence of stenosis can significantly impact the circulation of blood flow. When an artery becomes narrowed, it can create a constriction or obstruction in the flow path of blood, which can lead to several important fluid dynamics phenomena, i.e. increased velocity, shear stress, pressure drop, etc. The presence of stenosis can cause various damages and complications in the affected blood arteries and surrounding tissues, resulting in heart attacks or diseases like atherosclerosis.

The work presented in the manuscript was not published earlier in any form.

The learning outcomes of this paper are as follows: understanding the complexities of persuading a distributor to increase investments in the Pakistani fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) context. Understanding the data handled by an area sales manager (ASM) for effective territory management, along with the path taken for a focused approach to territory growth. Comparing the distinct perspectives of a company and an intermediary (e.g. distributor) who are pursuing similar business goals. Experiencing hands-on calculations of return on investment (ROI) for a distributor, in a straightforward situation.

In June 2015, Shah Mir, an ASM at PurePack Pakistan, was face-to-face with an irate distributor named Amir Kazmi, who ran Kazmi Agency in Sukkur, Sindh. PurePack Pakistan, a multinational organization dealing with FMCG products, had a turnover of approximately PKR 7.5bn¹ and was a fully owned subsidiary of PurePack Limited, UAE. Shah’s predecessor, Noor Azam, had managed the central Sindh territory very well and had recorded phenomenal growth. The retail outlet coverage had increased during Noor’s time, along with Amir’s investment in the territory. Knowing he was up against an outstanding past achievement, Shah had studied the data of the area and Kazmi Agency’s performance for the past two years and had concluded that there was still greater potential in the area. Amir Kazmi, owner of Kazmi Agency, was an astute businessman who visited his Sukkur market regularly. He knew the distribution business well and had benefitted from it. He was fully aware of the importance of working on relationships with his retailers in the FMCG industry because competition was high and loyalties needed to be nurtured. Like any businessperson, he was concerned about the growth and profitability of his business. Kazmi’s business had increased quite rapidly from a turnover of around PKR 8.7m in 2008 to one of around PKR 54m in 2014, indicating the potential in the Sukkur district. Shah, who was new to the territory and early in his career, was still grappling with the fact that the growth in central Sindh had been phenomenal and that expectations were high for him. He had gotten working on the territory while keeping in mind advice from his boss, Nabeel Asad, who had told him to identify one area at a time so that he could go about achieving his growth targets in a focused manner. This case brings out the challenges that young ASMs face while in the field, when they have to deal with experienced distributors in the Pakistani retail trade, especially in the smaller towns where relationships can greatly affect business. Students will gain an understanding of the key performance indicators required to focus on developmental issues in a territory. It will enable students to appreciate financial considerations as a major tool in dealing with intermediaries (distributors, in this case) and get hands-on experience in a method of convincing a distributor of his past investments and profitability and paving the way for further investment for retail expansion.

This case is designed for use at the postgraduate level in sales management, channel management and strategic marketing courses, as well as in executive management programs. It can be used at later stages of a course and show a link between a company’s requirements and a distributor’s goals. The students should have field experience or aspire to get into roles dealing with intermediaries, such as distributors. The case gives students a practical, hands-on experience in working on simple profitability calculations and pushes them to challenge the assumptions that need to be made. The case attempts to trigger a discussion on distributor management and its challenges in Pakistan, where managing relationships while keeping in mind the business perspective is imperative. Identifying the right geographical territories to focus on and working on the financials of the distributor are the key learning deliverables. The case is accompanied by a spreadsheet with calculations. This spreadsheet is for the instructor’s use and is for demonstrating calculations as the class progresses. By using the spreadsheet, the instructor can practically demonstrate the effects that changes in investments, expenses, etc. have on the distributor’s profits. It can even be used to build a far more complex situation than the one given in the case (advice for which is provided in this teaching note).

CSS 8: Marketing.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

This study aims to comprehensively examine the relationship between initial public offering (IPO) activities and macroeconomic factors in Sri Lanka.

This study uses principal component analysis (PCA) and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) techniques to examine the relationship between IPO activities and macroeconomic factors. Ten macroeconomic variables are transformed into principal components (factors) using PCA. Then, ARDL is applied to investigate the long- and short-term relationships between IPO activities and the transformed macroeconomic factors.

The empirical investigation identifies three principal factors from the ten macroeconomic variables, of which two factors have a significant long-run association with IPO activities: “return on investment (RTOI)” and “economic and market development (ECMD).” In the short run, “trade openness and banking sector development (TOBD)” and RTOI are significantly associated with IPO activities.

The study was based on 30 years of observations, which passed all diagnostic tests but may be insufficient for generalizing the findings. Future studies could use high-frequency data (monthly or quarterly) to increase the number of observations and repeat the method and analysis. Also, while the symmetrical ARDL method was used in this study, an asymmetrical ARDL method may provide more insightful results and interpretations.

The study highlights the importance of considering both long- and short-term associations when analyzing the impact of macroeconomic variables on IPO activities.

This study is the first to comprehensively examine the relationship between IPO activities and macroeconomic variables using PCA and the ARDL technique. The study provides insight into the macroeconomic factors that influence IPO activities in Sri Lanka and highlights the importance of considering long- and short-term associations.

Pedestrian injuries and deaths should be viewed as a critical public health issue. The purpose of this chapter is to show how incorporating safety from traffic into broader efforts to increase walking and physical activity has the potential to have a significant health impact. In this chapter we provide an overview of pedestrian safety considerations having to do with population health and the built environment. The chapter is organised around a conceptual framework that highlights the multiple pathways through which safe walking environments can contribute to improved population health. We review the existing literature on pedestrian safety and public health. Pedestrian safety will remain a vexing challenge for public health and transportation professionals in the coming decades. But addressing this problem on multiple fronts and across multiple sectors is necessary to reduce injuries and fatalities and to unleash the full potential of walking to improve population health through increased physical activity. This chapter uniquely contributes a conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between the walking environment and public health.

There is a debate between sound Shariah-compliant firms engaging in social good as a moral obligation and behaving ethically in terms of increasing corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and those firms that are not Shariah-compliant. The purpose of the present study is to contribute to this debate by empirically investigating the effect of the profitability of firms on CSR activities and shareholders’ dividends and the interaction effect of a firm’s Shariah compliance with religious and ethical principles.

The data used in this study were collected from the annual financial reports of 74 Pakistani listed companies over 2012-2016 (N = 370). An epistemological model of the unity of knowledge was applied to determine the contribution of Shariah-compliant enterprises to community well-being. Furthermore, the Tawhidi string relation methodology was used to establish the circular causal model. To check the robustness of our findings, we also analysed the data using fixed and random effects regression models to test the effect of firm profitability on CSR activities and dividends, whereas moderation regression analysis was applied to test the moderating effect of Shariah-compliant firms.

The results show that the profitability of firms has a significant impact on shareholders’ dividends in both Shariah and non-Shariah firms. Furthermore, the relationship between firm profitability and CSR is stronger for non-Shariah-compliant firms than Shariah-compliant firms. This indicates that Shariah firms are less involved in doing CSR activities than non-Shariah firms. This implies that Shariah status does not play an important role in ensuring managers’ ethical behaviour.

The results suggest that the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan should attach more importance to Shariah compliance by firms in developing their CSR policies to improve social development and human well-being. These findings have important implications for many Islamic countries irrespective of whether they are developed or developing.

The present study provides a new addition to the prior literature by investigating the relationship between profits and CSR activities and the interaction effect of Shariah-compliant firms. From an Islamic ethical perspective, this study can also contribute to the growing discussion on Shariah compliance and CSR activities.

This paper aims to examine bases of effectiveness in internal Shariah auditing undertaken in Islamic financial institutions (IFIs).

This paper is theoretical in approach taking, as its starting-point, an extensive literature review. From a general agency theory, an Islamic agency theory is articulated and then applied to ascertain attributes of internal Shariah audit effectiveness revolving around the concept of independence.

Effective internal Shariah auditing, as a mechanism of assuring Shariah compliance by IFIs, varies directly with the degree of independence enjoyed by internal Shariah auditors themselves. The research propounds that an articulated Islamic agency theory holds potential to serve as a theoretical foundation to build a multi-dimensional conceptual framework based on independence utile for evaluating internal Shariah audit effectiveness.

Evidence is drawn strictly from secondary sources.

To assure effectiveness of internal Shariah auditing, IFIs ought to increase the level of independence of internal Shariah auditors.

Internal Shariah audit effectiveness in IFIs has not been extensively studied in comparison with both studies of external Shariah audit effectiveness in IFIs and internal audit effectiveness undertaken by conventional financial institutions. This research fills that gap.