Most of the current methods for the synthesis of two-dimensional materials (2DMs) require temperatures not compatible with traditional back-end-of-line (BEOL) processes in semiconductor industry (450 ...°C). Here, we report a general BiOCl-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach for the low-temperature synthesis of 27 ultrathin 2DMs. In particular, by mixing BiOCl with selected metal powders to produce volatile intermediates, we show that ultrathin 2DMs can be produced at 280-500 °C, which are ~200-300 °C lower than the temperatures required for salt-assisted CVD processes. In-depth characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal the low-temperature processes promoting 2D growth and the oxygen-inhibited synthetic mechanism ensuring the formation of ultrathin nonlayered 2DMs. We demonstrate that the resulting 2DMs exhibit electrical, magnetic and optoelectronic properties comparable to those of 2DMs grown at much higher temperatures. The general low-temperature preparation of ultrathin 2DMs defines a rich material platform for exploring exotic physics and facile BEOL integration in semiconductor industry.
Purpose: The available literature on various sectors to examine the impact of earnings on dividend payments, indicates that still, extensive research lacks in the financial sector of Pakistan. The ...rationale behind paying higher dividends has been observed in emerging countries like Pakistan to maintain a strong financial footing. This study aims to investigate various factors that can influence dividend payouts. Design/Methodology/Approach: ARDL approach has been used to establish a long-term impact of selected variables on dividend payouts. Data of 50 financial listed firms for 2000-2021 has been used to subsume the impact of earnings-related variables on the dividend payouts of the financial companies of Pakistan. Findings: Results indicate that market capitalization, ROA, EPS, and firm size have a significant and positive impact on dividend decisions, while leverage generates a significant inverse impact on dividend declarations. The study also indicates discretionary accruals (a factor in earnings management under IAS) do not impact dividends significantly. ROE has no impact on the volume of dividends due to the specific nature of the firms under study. Implications/Originality/Value: The study demonstrates a conjecture that the financial sector must maintain its dividends not only to retain its old stakeholders but also to recruit new ones.
Disadvantaged or minority customers are always vulnerable to discriminatory treatment by service employees. Discrimination against minority customers has become a frequent headline in the news. The ...main objective of this research is to construct a model that explains the relationship between perceived customer discrimination, negative word-of-mouth, and customer embarrassment. The paper proposes a direct relationship between perceived customer discrimination and switching intentions and an indirect relationship via customer embarrassment. Furthermore, discriminatory service experiences are classified into three categories to add transparency to customers’ discriminatory experiences. This research also investigates the mediating role played by customer embarrassment. We collected data from minority customers to prove the proposed hypotheses' statistical significance. A survey was designed to collect data from respondents using self-administrative questionnaires. The data collection process was rigorous and yielded 252 useful questionnaires. Direct and indirect hypotheses testing was carried out by using Analysis of Moment Structures software. The research findings reveal that perceived customer discrimination significantly influences customer embarrassment. Furthermore, all perceived customer discrimination, i.e., overt, subtle, and service-level, significantly impact customer embarrassment. It is also found that customer embarrassment statistically impacts negative word-of-mouth. Additionally, the mediating role of customer embarrassment is also successfully substantiated. The paper includes implications for theory and practice, limitations of research, and future research options.
Background: Individuals with diabetes have an incremental risk of developing a number of complications and among them, the most prevalent complication is, diabetic neuropathy causing sensory and ...motor deficits resulting in balance impairments and increases the risk of fall. Objective: To determine the risk of fall in chronic type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methodology: A descriptive case series was conducted at Diabetic Out-Patient Unit of Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore. 59 diagnosed cases of chronic type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited based on inclusion criteria. Each participant was questioned before conducting an assessment. The inclusion criteria were established neuropathy and patients having diabetes mellitus for at least ten years. Exclusion criteria were patients with recent onset of diabetes, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases which interfere with daily activities, neurological conditions which affects balance (Parkinson’s and Stroke) and severe pain. Data were recorded through interviews and balance test. Berg Balance Scale was used to assess the static and dynamic balance of the patients. Results: Mean age of the patients was 57.43±7.28 years. 19 (32.2%) of the patients were male and 40 (67.8%) patients were female. In a sample size of 59, 17(28.8%) patients were at high risk of falling, whereas 33 (55.9%) patients were at medium and 9 (15.3%) patients were at low risk of fall respectively. Conclusions: Greater numbers of patients with diabetic neuropathy have moderate risk of fall. Keywords: Balance impairments, Berg balance scale, Diabetes Mellitus type 2, Diabetic Neuropathy, Fall Risk.
Two-dimensional (2D) metallic transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have garnered significant attention as promising candidates for various applications, including electronics, spintronics, and ...energy-related fields. Their appeal lies in their exceptional electronic conductivity, room-temperature ferromagnetism, charge density wave (CDW) phenomena, and catalytic properties, among other attributes. Among the diverse array of metallic TMDs, vanadium dichalcogenides (VX2, X = S, Se, and Te) stand out due to their distinctive set of physical and chemical properties. These properties have positioned VX2 materials at the forefront of both fundamental research and technological exploration in fields such as condensed matter physics, materials science, and device physics. In this comprehensive review, we present a thorough investigation of the recent advancements in 2D metallic VX2 materials and related heterostructures in the aspects of their structures, fabrication methods, key properties, and potential applications. First, the electronic and crystal structures of 2D VX2 are introduced. Second, the growth methods of VX2 and their heterostructures are discussed. Then, the novel physical properties and potential applications of 2D VX2 and its heterostructures are highlighted. Finally, we assess the current state of development in this growing field, acknowledging the obstacles ahead and the promising avenues for future research.
•In-depth analysis of diverse growth techniques for 2D vanadium dichalcogenides and related heterostructures.•Thorough investigation into the unique physical properties of 2D vanadium dichalcogenides.•Summarized the novel application, assesses the current state, challenges, and future prospects.
The study was designed to purify enzyme from weed plant in association with wheat crop to assess and compare the purification and biochemical properties with acid phosphatases of seedlings of various ...plants. Acid phosphatase from seedlings of Rumex dentatus (Curly dock) was purified by different chromatography and chromatofocusing techniques with specific activity of 63U/mg of protein. The yield was about 3%. Single band was detected on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis confirming the enzyme was homogeneous. Apparent molecular weight of 48 kDa was obtained. Gel filtration experiment indicated that native enzyme had a approximately molecular weight of 96 kDa, suggesting that this enzyme is homodimer. The enzyme showed Km value of 0.5 mM and Vmax of 60 and#181;M of p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysed/min/mg of protein under experimental conditions. The optimum pH of 5.0 and temperature of 50and#176;C were obtained. Divalent cations such as copper and zinc ions caused acid phosphatase inhibition but the presence of 20 mM EDTA in the enzyme-metal ions incubation mixtures reversed the enzyme inhibition to some extent. The activity of 54 % and 63% were recovered back, respectively. Ca2+ and Mg2+ had very small activating effect on activity in the absence or presence of EDTA. The reaction of enzyme with iodoacetic acid or N-ethyl-maleimide had no inhibitory effect, pointing to a non-involvement of cysteine residues in enzyme action. Further, β-mercaptoethanol or dithiothreitol at low concentrations had very little activating effect revealing that SH-group containing amino acid in the enzyme may not be significant for its catalytic activity. The pH dependent variation of Km study showed that histidine may constitute a part of the active site. Acid phosphatase was competitively inhibited by phosphate and vanadate. Fluoride and Zn2+ acted as non-competitive inhibitors while molybdate showed mixed type of inhibition.
•Proposal of a correlation approach for System Equivalent Model Mixing (SEMM).•Assessing quality of the hybrid models by frequency response assurance criteria.•Better prediction of substructure ...interface dynamics by correlated hybrid models.•Blade-disk joint identification improved by using correlated SEMM•Identification of a blade-root joint without direct measurements at the interface.
In mechanical systems coupled with joints, accurate prediction of the joint characteristics is extremely important. Despite years of research, a lot is yet to be learnt about the joints’ interface dynamics. The problem becomes even more difficult when the interface Degrees-of-Freedom (DoF) are inaccessible for Frequency Response Function (FRF) measurements. This is, for example, the case of bladed-disk systems with dove-tail or fir-tree type joints. Therefore, an FRF based expansion method called System Equivalent Model Mixing (SEMM) is used to obtain expanded interface dynamics. The method uses numerical and experimental sub-models of each component and their assembly to produce the respective expanded or hybrid sub-models. By applying substructure decoupling to these sub-models, the joint can be identified. However, the joint can be noisy due to expansion and measurement errors which propagate to the hybrid sub-models.
In this paper, a correlation based approach is proposed in the SEMM method wherein the quality of the expanded sub-models is improved. In this new approach, several expanded models are generated systematically using different combinations of the experimental FRFs and computing a parameter, Frequency Response Assurance Criteria (FRAC), to evaluate quality of the contribution of the different measurements. The lowest correlated channels or FRFs can be filtered out based on a certain threshold value of FRAC. Using the improved hybrid sub-models, the joint identification also shows a remarkable improvement. The test object for the method is an assembly of disk and one blade with a dove-tail joint.
Social science disciplines have consistently been viewed for granted when contrasted with the physical sciences in the academia of Pakistan. The key objective of this research was to analyze the ...progress in the Social Science Education in terms of curriculum development, faculty increment and HEC policy Priority through content analysis. The Academic Dependency Theory was used for theoretical underpinnings. The qualitative research paradigm was used for this study. The relevant secondary data was gathered from books, articles, diaries, Bureau of statistics surveys, and other chronicled records of HEC and broken down appropriately. Applicable published and non-published information from 2003 to 2019 was chosen arbitrarily, of which approx. One hundred fifty articles were taken as sample. According to research findings, higher Education in Pakistan was designed without a solid policy and methodology. As a result, social science disciplines faced numerous challenges, including the defenseless instructional program development, a scarcity of skilled labor, dubious research frameworks, and inappropriate research projects.
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