The Nexus of Sustainability
type: channel
description: The Nexus of Sustainability is a multidisciplinary, open-access, quarterly, double-blind peer-reviewed publication. The Journal undertakes to complete the double-blind peer-review process within one (01) month of submission and to duly notify the author(s) of the decision. The Editorial Board, while maintaining academic rigor and integrity, endeavors to provide timely and constructive feedback within the stipulated period, thereby ensuring an efficient and transparent publication process. The Journal is published under the auspices of the International Institute of Modern Research [SMC – Private] Limited, a legal entity duly incorporated and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) under Registration # 0307037.
publisher: International Institute of Modern Research
language: en
publication name: The Nexus of Sustainability
items: APPLICATION OF TIME SERIES MODELS TO PREDICT DAILY EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS
items: MECHANISMS AND MANAGEMENT OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER AND NUTRIENT CYCLING IN AGRICULTURE
items: EXPLORING LANGUAGE AND THEMATIC FOREGROUNDING IN RICHARD CONNELL’S THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME
items: EMPLOYER PERSPECTIVES ON ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS: AN INTER-INDUSTRY ANALYSIS IN PAKISTAN
items: EXAMINING THE MEDIATING ROLE OF TRANSPARENCY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JUSTICE AND CARBON REDUCTION: A GLOBAL COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
items: VISUAL ANALYSIS OF BORDER DECORATION IN MUGHAL MINIATURE PAINTINGS
items: AI-DRIVEN MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION OF DYNAMIC ELECTROCHEMICAL RESPONSES IN PEM WATER ELECTROLYSIS SYSTEMS
items: ACADEMIC COMPETENCE, PERCEIVED TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP, AND PROCRASTINATION IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
items: LEADERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: EFFECTS ON PAKISTAN’S ECONOMY AND DIPLOMACY
items: OPTIMIZED R-CNN FOR REAL-TIME PASSPORT VERIFICATION AND FORGERY DETECTION
items: INVESTIGATING CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS TO ENHANCE EDUCATION QUALITY IN DISTRICT FAISALABAD
items: BOARD ATTRIBUTES AND AUDIT EFFECTIVENESS: GENDER DIVERSITY AS A MODERATOR
items: GREEN-SOURCED METAL OXIDE NANOPARTICLES: SYNTHESIS AND CATALYTIC EFFICIENCY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION IN WATER
items: FACULTY PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PARTICIPATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
items: EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT AI: IMPROVING HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION WITH NLP AND SENTIMENT ANALYSIS
items: DECODING DIGITAL HEURISTICS: MIXED-METHODS ANALYSIS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DRIVERS IN GOOGLE SEARCH BEHAVIOR
items: VENTURE CAPITAL CERTIFICATION AND FINANCIAL STABILITY: EVIDENCE FROM CHINESE IPOS
items: TIME SERIES FORECASTING OF DAILY EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ARRIVALS
items: SOIL ORGANIC MATTER AND NUTRIENT CYCLING IN AGRICULTURE: MECHANISMS AND MANAGEMENT
items: FOREGROUNDING IN LANGUAGE AND THEME IN THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME
items: EMPLOYER PRIORITIES FOR ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN PAKISTAN: AN INTER-INDUSTRY HR SURVEY
items: JUSTICE, TRANSPARENCY & CARBON REDUCTION: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

APPLICATION OF TIME SERIES MODELS TO PREDICT DAILY EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS
type: item
description: With the country’s growing population, the demand for healthcare services has increased, resulting in overcrowding in hospital Emergency Departments (EDs). Such overcrowding can adversely affect the healthcare system by diminishing patient satisfaction and quality of care, extending patient length of stay, and placing additional strain on hospital resources. To mitigate these challenges, researchers have emphasized the importance of forecasting ED patient arrivals—on hourly, daily, monthly, or yearly scales—to enable efficient resource planning and management. This study focuses on forecasting daily patient arrivals at the ED of District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Charsadda, with the aim of supporting hospital management in enhancing operational efficiency. Data on daily ED arrivals from January 2024 to January 2025 were collected from the hospital records. A Seasonal ARIMA (SARIMA) model was applied, with SARIMA (1, 0, 1) (2, 1, 3) _7 identified as the best-fit model based on the lowest values of the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). Model adequacy was confirmed through the Ljung-Box test for autocorrelation and the Jarque-Bera test for normality of residuals, validating the assumptions of the time series model. The selected SARIMA model produced an MAE of 13 and a MAPE of 2.15, demonstrating high forecasting accuracy. These results indicate that SARIMA is an effective tool for predicting daily ED arrivals and can assist hospital management in optimizing staff scheduling and resource allocation.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Emergency Department
  topic: keywords
subject: Patient Overcrowding
  topic: keywords
subject: Time Series Forecasting
  topic: keywords
creator: Ali Khan
creator: Muhammad Abbas
creator: Hasnain khan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-09-30
publication date: 2025-09-30
starting page: 53
ending page: 61

MECHANISMS AND MANAGEMENT OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER AND NUTRIENT CYCLING IN AGRICULTURE
type: item
description: Soil organic matter (SOM) is a critical determinant of soil fertility and agricultural productivity, primarily through its regulation of nutrient cycling processes essential for plant growth. Comprising a spectrum of organic constituents—from fresh plant residues to highly decomposed humic substances—SOM modulates the dynamics of macro- and micronutrients via mechanisms such as mineralization, immobilization, complexation, and sorption. These processes govern the availability, mobility, and retention of key nutrients, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and potassium (K), within the soil matrix. Additionally, SOM enhances cation exchange capacity, stabilizes soil pH, and improves soil structure, thereby optimizing the soil’s capacity to retain nutrients and moisture. This review explores the composition and classification of SOM, its biochemical interactions with essential nutrients, and the microbiological and physicochemical mechanisms underpinning SOM-mediated nutrient cycling. It further evaluates the influence of agricultural practices—including tillage, crop rotation, residue management, and organic amendments—on SOM dynamics and nutrient availability. While conventional practices may accelerate SOM depletion and disrupt nutrient cycling, conservation-oriented approaches offer effective strategies to enhance SOM levels and maintain nutrient balance. Emerging management techniques, such as integrated nutrient management, biochar application, and precision farming, are highlighted for their potential to sustain SOM and improve nutrient-use efficiency. Synthesizing current evidence, this review underscores the pivotal role of SOM-centered strategies in enhancing soil fertility, reinforcing agroecosystem resilience, and promoting sustainable intensification of agriculture
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Soil Organic Matter
  topic: keywords
subject: Nutrient Dynamics
  topic: keywords
subject: Sustainable Agriculture
  topic: keywords
subject: Mineralization Processes
  topic: keywords
subject: Organic Amendments
  topic: keywords
subject: Soil Management Strategies
  topic: keywords
creator: Maryam Naz
creator: Nimra Gul
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-09-30
publication date: 2025-09-30
starting page: 42
ending page: 52

EXPLORING LANGUAGE AND THEMATIC FOREGROUNDING IN RICHARD CONNELL’S THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME
type: item
description: This study presents a stylistic analysis of Richard Connell’s short story The Most Dangerous Game through the lens of Foregrounding Theory, originally proposed by Jan Mukařovský (1964) and later expanded by Geoffrey Leech (1969). The research investigates the roles of linguistic deviation and parallelism as key foregrounding mechanisms that underscore the narrative’s central themes of violence, morality, and survival instinct. By identifying and categorizing lexical, syntactic, phonological, and semantic deviations, along with patterns of repetition and structural parallelism, the study demonstrates how stylistic choices capture reader attention and emphasize thematic tensions. Findings reveal that Connell’s strategic use of language not only heightens suspense and emotional intensity but also challenges conventional moral boundaries, prompting reflection on the dichotomy between civilization and savagery. This study affirms the relevance of Foregrounding Theory in literary analysis and provides valuable insights for future research in stylistics, comparative literature, and literary pedagogy.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Foregrounding Theory
  topic: keywords
subject: Deviation
  topic: keywords
subject: Parallelism
  topic: keywords
subject: Stylistics
  topic: keywords
subject: Richard Connell
  topic: keywords
subject: The Most Dangerous Game
  topic: keywords
subject: Theme
  topic: keywords
subject: Language Analysis
  topic: keywords
subject: Literary Interpretation
  topic: keywords
creator: Samina Bibi
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-09-30
publication date: 2025-09-30
starting page: 34
ending page: 41

EMPLOYER PERSPECTIVES ON ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS: AN INTER-INDUSTRY ANALYSIS IN PAKISTAN
type: item
description: English, as a global lingua franca, serves as a gateway to career advancement in today’s interconnected world. Proficiency in English is particularly crucial for new graduates aiming to succeed in their careers, as it remains the official language and primary mode of communication in professional settings within Pakistan’s competitive job market. Aligning educational outcomes with industry requirements necessitates a clear understanding of recruiters’ expectations. This study aims to investigate recruiters’ preferences for specific English language skills in the hiring process. Employing a quantitative repeated-measures design, data were collected from 19 companies in Karachi using a convenient sampling method. Hiring professionals from diverse sectors—including Information Technology, Manufacturing, Education, and Healthcare—participated in the study. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS version 21, and a paired-sample t-test was applied to compare speaking and writing skills. Results showed a mean difference of 3.7894 (SD = 2.25) and a t-value of 7.340 (df = 18), indicating that recruiters highly value overall English proficiency. Factors such as pronunciation, general confidence, and enunciation significantly influence hiring decisions. The analysis further revealed that speaking skills are prioritized over writing skills in recruitment decisions.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Communication Skills
  topic: keywords
subject: Inter-Industry Analysis
  topic: keywords
subject: Speaking Proficiency
  topic: keywords
subject: Writing Proficiency
  topic: keywords
subject: HR Professionals
  topic: keywords
subject: Recruiters
  topic: keywords
creator: Sana Jamil
creator: Arham Chaudhry
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-09-30
publication date: 2025-09-30
starting page: 17
ending page: 33

EXAMINING THE MEDIATING ROLE OF TRANSPARENCY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JUSTICE AND CARBON REDUCTION: A GLOBAL COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
type: item
description: This study explores the pivotal role of judicial effectiveness and access to information in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across countries. Utilizing cross-country panel data and employing both Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the research examines how robust judicial systems and transparency mechanisms impact environmental outcomes. Findings indicate that judicial effectiveness significantly curbs GHG emissions by ensuring the enforcement of environmental regulations, while access to information enhances this effect by promoting accountability and public engagement. The analysis also identifies economic growth, population expansion, and trade as major contributors to emissions, whereas innovation acts as a mitigating factor. These results highlight the importance of reinforcing legal frameworks, improving transparency, and fostering innovation to achieve climate objectives. The study provides actionable policy insights for strengthening judicial institutions and enhancing access to information, enabling countries to implement climate policies more effectively and reduce their environmental footprint.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Justice
  topic: keywords
subject: Judicial Effectiveness
  topic: keywords
subject: Carbon Emissions
  topic: keywords
subject: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)
  topic: keywords
subject: Access to Information
  topic: keywords
creator: Sohail Khan
creator: Xing Chu Jin
creator: Faheem Awan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-09-30
publication date: 2025-09-30
starting page: 1
ending page: 16

VISUAL ANALYSIS OF BORDER DECORATION IN MUGHAL MINIATURE PAINTINGS
type: item
description: The Mughal era is renowned for its rich cultural and artistic heritage, with miniature painting standing out as a key expression of its aesthetic values. Among its distinctive features, border decoration played a vital role—not only enhancing visual appeal and manuscript illumination but also offering physical and symbolic protection to the artwork. This paper presents a visual analysis of border decoration in Mughal miniature paintings, focusing on motifs, colors, layouts, and stylistic elements. By examining these often-overlooked details, the study highlights the artistic techniques and cultural significance embedded in Mughal border design.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Mughal Miniature Paintings
  topic: keywords
subject: Border decoration
  topic: keywords
subject: floral motifs
  topic: keywords
subject: Geometrical motifs
  topic: keywords
creator: Zahin Anjum
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-06-30
publication date: 2025-06-30
starting page: 53
ending page: 63

AI-DRIVEN MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION OF DYNAMIC ELECTROCHEMICAL RESPONSES IN PEM WATER ELECTROLYSIS SYSTEMS
type: item
description: Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolysis is key for sustainable hydrogen production, but optimizing dynamic electrochemical responses is challenging due to complex interactions among temperature, pressure, and current density. This study develops AI-driven models to predict and optimize PEM electrolyzer performance across various operating conditions to enhance hydrogen yield and energy efficiency. Data from ten PEM electrolysers were used to train models with machine learning techniques including Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Decision Trees. Hyperparameters were optimized via Grid Search and Genetic Algorithms, while PCA and SHAP were applied for feature selection. Reinforcement learning and evolutionary algorithms tuned operational parameters. The ANN model achieved high accuracy (R² = 0.93), and optimization improved hydrogen production by 30% and reduced energy consumption by 15%. These results demonstrate that AI-based modeling and optimization significantly boost PEM electrolyzer performance, advancing sustainable hydrogen generation
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: AI-driven models
  topic: keywords
subject: PEM water electrolysis
  topic: keywords
subject: hydrogen production
  topic: keywords
subject: machine learning
  topic: keywords
subject: optimization
  topic: keywords
subject: reinforcement learning
  topic: keywords
creator: Rabeya Saman
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-06-30
publication date: 2025-06-30
starting page: 43
ending page: 52

ACADEMIC COMPETENCE, PERCEIVED TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP, AND PROCRASTINATION IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
type: item
description: This study examined the relationship between academic competence, perceived teacher-student relationship, and procrastination among university students. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) significant relationships exist between academic competence, perceived teacher-student relationship, and procrastination; (2) academic competence predicts perceived teacher-student relationship and procrastination. A total of 300 students (151 males, 149 females) from Gujranwala, Lahore, and Sialkot participated via convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Academic Competence Scale, Student-Instructor Relationship Scale, and Student Procrastination Scale. A cross-sectional design and regression analysis were employed. Results supported both hypotheses, showing significant correlations (p < .05) and that academic competence significantly predicts teacher-student relationship quality and procrastination (p < .05). These findings highlight the impact of psychological and psychosocial factors on student behavior.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Academic competence
  topic: keywords
subject: Perceived teacher student relationship
  topic: keywords
subject: Procrastination
  topic: keywords
subject: University students
  topic: keywords
creator: Dr. Saleem Abbas
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-06-30
publication date: 2025-06-30
starting page: 30
ending page: 42

LEADERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: EFFECTS ON PAKISTAN’S ECONOMY AND DIPLOMACY
type: item
description: Leadership in international construction projects is vital for Pakistan’s economic growth and diplomatic relations. Effective leadership ensures the successful delivery of major infrastructure initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), boosting trade, investment, and connectivity. It drives timely completion, cost efficiency, and quality, attracting foreign investment and strengthening Pakistan’s global reputation. Skilled leadership also enhances diplomatic ties—especially with China—by fostering trust and cooperation, while managing geopolitical and socio-political challenges through sustainable development and community engagement. Overall, strong leadership in these projects underpins Pakistan’s infrastructure progress and international partnerships
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: International Construction Projects
  topic: keywords
subject: Leadership
  topic: keywords
subject: Pakistan
  topic: keywords
subject: Economic Development
  topic: keywords
subject: Diplomatic Relations
  topic: keywords
subject: China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
  topic: keywords
subject: Infrastructure Projects
  topic: keywords
subject: Foreign Investment
  topic: keywords
subject: Bilateral Ties
  topic: keywords
subject: Geopolitical Challenges
  topic: keywords
subject: Sustainable Development
  topic: keywords
subject: Global Partnerships
  topic: keywords
subject: Community Engagement
  topic: keywords
creator: Bahadar Sher
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-06-30
publication date: 2025-06-30
starting page: 15
ending page: 29

OPTIMIZED R-CNN FOR REAL-TIME PASSPORT VERIFICATION AND FORGERY DETECTION
type: item
description: Manual and semi-automated passport inspections at airports cause delays and are prone to human error, especially under high passenger volumes and challenging imaging conditions. We propose a fully automated, real-time passport verification system achieving over 90% accuracy with sub-second inference on commodity GPUs. Our dataset includes 65+ country-specific passport formats from public repositories, lab captures, and synthetic augmentations. A region-based CNN with a ResNet-50 backbone and feature pyramid network detects passport regions, while machine vision extracts the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) for checksum validation. Evaluation metrics include precision, recall, F1 score, mean average precision (mAP) at IoU thresholds 0.50 and 0.75, and latency. The system processes images in 0.75s on average, attaining 95% accuracy and outperforming classical OCR pipelines by 13 percentage points in mAP@0.50. False acceptance rates remain below 1% under variable lighting, occlusion, and print artifact conditions. Ablation studies show geometric and color augmentations improve accuracy from 88% to 95%, with diminishing returns beyond 1024×768 input resolution. Improvements are statistically significant (p < 10⁻⁴, Cohen’s d > 0.8). This work demonstrates a robust, efficient passport verification solution integrating multi-scale detection, MRZ validation, and optimized inference, paving the way for fully autonomous smart gate ecosystems with multilingual MRZ parsing and face-passport matching.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: passport verification
  topic: keywords
subject: deep learning
  topic: keywords
subject: real-time security
  topic: keywords
subject: R-CNN
  topic: keywords
subject: airport automation
  topic: keywords
subject: MRZ validation
  topic: keywords
creator: Aadil Jamali
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-06-30
publication date: 2025-06-30
starting page: 1
ending page: 14

INVESTIGATING CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS TO ENHANCE EDUCATION QUALITY IN DISTRICT FAISALABAD
type: item
description: This study examines the impact of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs on teachers’ professional growth in public primary schools in District Faisalabad. A sample of 104 teachers from 31 randomly selected schools participated, with data collected via standardized questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS. Findings reveal that CPD activities, including training and mentoring, significantly enhance teaching methods, leading to improved student attitudes, learning outcomes, and academic performance. Statistical analysis using mean scores, standard deviation, and percentages identified key factors influencing teachers’ engagement in CPD. The results emphasize the importance of ongoing professional development in improving teaching quality and recommend expanding training opportunities to support educators' continuous growth.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
  topic: keywords
subject: Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s)
  topic: keywords
subject: Quality of Teaching
  topic: keywords
creator: Dr. Shafqat Rasool
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-03-31
publication date: 2025-03-31
starting page: 60
ending page: 69

BOARD ATTRIBUTES AND AUDIT EFFECTIVENESS: GENDER DIVERSITY AS A MODERATOR
type: item
description: This study investigates the impact of board characteristics on audit quality, focusing on the moderating role of female directors in non-financial companies listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE-100) from 2019 to 2023. Using secondary data from 70 companies, the research examines board independence, female directors, and board size as key variables, with firm size and auditor fees as controls. Employing correlation analysis and GMM regression, results reveal that gender diversity significantly enhances the positive effect of board independence on audit quality. The findings highlight the importance of inclusive boards and recommend promoting female participation to strengthen governance and audit outcomes. This study offers valuable insights for policymakers and corporate leaders on fostering gender diversity to improve audit effectiveness. Future research could extend to financial firms, other governance factors, and the long-term impact of diverse boards on financial performance and stakeholder trust
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: BOARD ATTRIBUTES AND AUDIT
  topic: keywords
subject: EFFECTIVENESS: GENDER DIVERSITY
  topic: keywords
subject: AS A MODERATOR
  topic: keywords
creator: Alishba Jamil
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-03-31
publication date: 2025-03-31
starting page: 48
ending page: 59

GREEN-SOURCED METAL OXIDE NANOPARTICLES: SYNTHESIS AND CATALYTIC EFFICIENCY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION IN WATER
type: item
description: Background: Synthetic dyes in industrial wastewater cause significant ecological pollution, and conventional remediation methods are often inefficient and unsustainable. Green nanotechnology offers an eco-friendly alternative for pollutant removal. Aim: This study focuses on the green synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) and iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles using leaf extracts from Azadirachta indica and Moringa oleifera, characterizing their physicochemical properties, and evaluating their catalytic efficiency in degrading methylene blue dye from aqueous solutions. Method: Nanoparticles were synthesized using aqueous leaf extracts as reducing and stabilizing agents. Characterization techniques included FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, and BET surface analysis. Catalytic activity was assessed via photodegradation of methylene blue under UV light, with recyclability tested over four cycles. Results: FTIR confirmed phytochemicals facilitating nanoparticle synthesis. XRD identified rhombohedral and wurtzite structures for Fe₂O₃ and ZnO, respectively. SEM and TEM showed uniform spherical nanoparticles at the nanoscale. BET analysis revealed larger surface areas for green-synthesized particles compared to commercial ones. Green ZnO degraded 96.5% of methylene blue within 60 minutes, outperforming commercial ZnO. Both nanoparticle types demonstrated excellent reusability with minimal activity loss. Conclusion: Green-synthesized ZnO and Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles exhibit superior physicochemical and catalytic properties compared to commercial counterparts, offering a sustainable, eco-friendly solution for wastewater treatment applications.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Green synthesis
  topic: keywords
subject: Zinc oxide nanoparticles
  topic: keywords
subject: Iron oxide nanoparticles
  topic: keywords
subject: Environmental remediation
  topic: keywords
subject: Methylene blue degradation
  topic: keywords
subject: Plant extracts
  topic: keywords
subject: Nano-catalysis
  topic: keywords
creator: Saima Sharif
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-03-31
publication date: 2025-03-31
starting page: 39
ending page: 47

FACULTY PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PARTICIPATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
type: item
description: Professional development is vital in education, as skilled and well-prepared teachers enhance the teaching-learning process. This qualitative study, grounded in an interpretivist and phenomenological approach, investigates faculty members’ perceptions of barriers hindering their participation in professional development activities at the University of Education. Using purposive sampling, 45 faculty members from various campuses were interviewed through semi-structured interviews until data saturation. Analysis with NVivo Plus revealed two main themes: Personal and Professional Barriers. Personal barriers included lack of family support, low motivation, financial constraints, and health issues. Professional barriers comprised heavy workload, additional administrative tasks, unsupportive attitudes, time constraints, inadequate financial incentives, limited facilities, restricted development opportunities, and favoritism. The study recommends that university administration increase professional development opportunities, reduce workloads, and provide support such as induction programs, workshops, higher education opportunities, and research grants. Implementing these strategies can foster a motivated, skilled faculty, ultimately enhancing the institution’s reputation and success.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: FACULTY PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
  topic: keywords
subject: TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
  topic: keywords
subject: PARTICIPATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
  topic: keywords
creator: Dr. Sumera Rashid
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-03-31
publication date: 2025-03-31
starting page: 26
ending page: 38

EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT AI: IMPROVING HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION WITH NLP AND SENTIMENT ANALYSIS
type: item
description: This study explores the development of emotionally intelligent AI systems that enhance human-computer interaction by recognizing and responding to user emotions using NLP and sentiment analysis. Unlike traditional AI tools with fixed responses, the proposed platform adapts its replies based on real-time emotion recognition, employing a transformer-based generative model that achieves 92% accuracy in detecting emotions. Evaluated for coherence, empathy, and relevance, the system produces realistic and empathetic conversations, marking a significant advancement in AI agents. Applications span customer service, healthcare, and psychological support, where the AI can detect frustration or stress and respond appropriately to improve user experience and trust. Ethical management of emotional data remains a priority as such systems become widespread. Future research will focus on detecting complex emotions, incorporating multimodal inputs, and enhancing intercultural communication. This work paves the way for more human-centric, empathetic AI, bridging effective task performance with meaningful emotional engagement.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject:
  topic: keywords
  value: Human computer interaction (HCI), Natural language processing (NLP), Sentiment analysis, Emotion recognition, Empathetic response generation, Transformer model, Ulti modal emotion analysis, Contest aware AI
creator: Shahid Ameer
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-03-31
publication date: 2025-03-31
starting page: 13
ending page: 25

DECODING DIGITAL HEURISTICS: MIXED-METHODS ANALYSIS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DRIVERS IN GOOGLE SEARCH BEHAVIOR
type: item
description: This study uses a mixed-methods corpus analysis of Google search queries to explore how heuristic thinking influences users' language and query formulation. Combining quantitative linguistic analysis with qualitative thematic coding, it examines the interaction between fast, intuitive (System 1) and slow, deliberative (System 2) reasoning as described by Kahneman (2011). Findings reveal distinct lexical and syntactic patterns linked to cognitive biases like anchoring and availability. Integrating corpus linguistics with psychological theory, the study highlights how digital search behavior reflects underlying cognitive heuristics. The results have implications for designing more adaptive, user-centered search algorithms and advance interdisciplinary understanding between psycholinguistics and cognitive science. Additionally, the research examines how Google’s algorithms influence language use and can perpetuate societal biases, contributing valuable insights to computational linguistics, digital humanities, and information science
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Digital Heuristics
  topic: keywords
subject: Corpus Analysis
  topic: keywords
subject: Psychological Underpinnings
  topic: keywords
subject: Google Search Behavior
  topic: keywords
creator: Ms. Nazra Zahid Shaikh
rights: Copyright (c) 2025
date: 2025-03-31
publication date: 2025-03-31
starting page: 1
ending page: 12

VENTURE CAPITAL CERTIFICATION AND FINANCIAL STABILITY: EVIDENCE FROM CHINESE IPOS
type: item
description: This study examines how venture capital (VC) certification reduces financial distress and lowers the cost of capital for Chinese IPOs. Analyzing 1,683 non-financial firms that went public from 2006 to 2016, the findings show that VC-backed firms face significantly less financial distress and benefit from better financing terms than non-VC-backed firms. Using propensity score matching to address endogeneity, the study confirms that VCs select firms with strong prospects and reduced financial risk. Notably, reputable and independent private VCs have a stronger impact on lowering financial distress and financing costs. Overall, the results highlight the critical certification role of VC backing in enhancing financial stability and capital efficiency for IPO firms.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Venture Capital
  topic: keywords
subject: IPOS
  topic: keywords
subject: Certification
  topic: keywords
subject: Distress
  topic: keywords
subject: Propensity Score Matching (PSM)
  topic: keywords
creator: Rui Li
rights: Copyright (c) 2024
date: 2024-12-31
publication date: 2024-12-31
starting page: 60
ending page: 80

TIME SERIES FORECASTING OF DAILY EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ARRIVALS
type: item
description: Rising population pressures have led to overcrowding in hospital Emergency Departments (ED), impacting patient care and resource management. This study forecasts daily ED arrivals at District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Charsadda using data from January 2024 to January 2025. A seasonal ARIMA (SARIMA) model—specifically SARIMA (1,0,1)(2,1,3)₇—was identified as the best fit based on AIC, BIC, MAE, and MAPE criteria. Model diagnostics confirmed its validity, with an MAE of 13 and MAPE of 2.15, demonstrating high accuracy. These results suggest SARIMA is effective for predicting daily ED demand, enabling better staff scheduling and resource allocation to mitigate overcrowding.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Emergency Department
  topic: keywords
subject: Overcrowding
  topic: keywords
subject: Time series forecasting
  topic: keywords
creator: Musa Khan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024
date: 2024-12-31
publication date: 2024-12-31
starting page: 51
ending page: 59

SOIL ORGANIC MATTER AND NUTRIENT CYCLING IN AGRICULTURE: MECHANISMS AND MANAGEMENT
type: item
description: Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a vital role in maintaining soil fertility and supporting nutrient cycling essential for plant growth. Through processes like mineralization, immobilization, complexation, and sorption, SOM regulates the availability and retention of key nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and potassium. It also enhances cation exchange capacity, buffers pH, and improves soil structure and moisture retention. This review explores the composition, classification, and nutrient interactions of SOM, along with the microbiological and physicochemical mechanisms driving SOM-mediated nutrient cycling. It also examines how agricultural practices—such as crop rotation, residue management, and organic amendments—affect SOM dynamics. While conventional practices can deplete SOM and disrupt nutrient cycles, conservation strategies like integrated nutrient management, biochar application, and precision farming can sustain SOM and improve nutrient-use efficiency. Overall, SOM-centered management is key to enhancing soil fertility, promoting agroecosystem resilience, and advancing sustainable agriculture.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: soil organic matter
  topic: keywords
subject: nutrient cycling
  topic: keywords
subject: soil fertility
  topic: keywords
subject: , agricultural sustainability
  topic: keywords
subject: mineralization
  topic: keywords
subject: organic amendments
  topic: keywords
subject: soil management practices
  topic: keywords
creator: Tahira Bibi
rights: Copyright (c) 2024
date: 2024-12-31
publication date: 2024-12-31
starting page: 41
ending page: 50

FOREGROUNDING IN LANGUAGE AND THEME IN THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME
type: item
description: This study applies Foregrounding Theory to Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game, focusing on linguistic deviation and parallelism to explore themes of violence, morality, and survival. Using examples of lexical, syntactic, phonological, and semantic deviation, along with repetition and structural parallelism, the analysis reveals how Connell’s stylistic choices heighten suspense and challenge moral boundaries. The findings underscore the role of language in deepening thematic impact and demonstrate the value of Foregrounding Theory in literary interpretation and stylistic analysis.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Foregrounding Theory
  topic: keywords
subject: Deviation
  topic: keywords
subject: Parallelism
  topic: keywords
subject: Stylistics
  topic: keywords
subject: Richard Connell
  topic: keywords
subject: The Most Dangerous Game
  topic: keywords
subject: Theme
  topic: keywords
subject: Language Analysis
  topic: keywords
subject: Literary Interpretation
  topic: keywords
creator: Shaista Kazim
rights: Copyright (c) 2024
date: 2024-12-31
publication date: 2024-12-31
starting page: 33
ending page: 40

EMPLOYER PRIORITIES FOR ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN PAKISTAN: AN INTER-INDUSTRY HR SURVEY
type: item
description: In Pakistan’s competitive job market, English serves as the primary language of professional communication and is essential for career advancement. This study investigates employers’ preferences for specific English communication skills in recruitment. Using a quantitative repeated-measures design, data were collected from HR professionals across 19 companies in Karachi, spanning industries such as IT, manufacturing, education, and healthcare. A paired-sample t-test revealed that speaking skills are significantly more valued than writing skills (mean difference = 3.79, SD = 2.25, t(18) = 7.34). Recruiters prioritize overall English proficiency, with particular emphasis on pronunciation, confidence, and enunciation, all of which influence hiring decisions.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Communication skills
  topic: keywords
subject: , Inter-Industry analysis
  topic: keywords
subject: speaking skills
  topic: keywords
subject: Writing skills
  topic: keywords
subject: HR Professionals
  topic: keywords
subject: Recruiters
  topic: keywords
creator: Imdad Ali
rights: Copyright (c) 2024
date: 2024-12-31
publication date: 2024-12-31
starting page: 17
ending page: 32

JUSTICE, TRANSPARENCY & CARBON REDUCTION: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
type: item
description: This study explores how judicial effectiveness and access to information impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across countries. Using cross-country panel data with OLS regression and Structural Equation Modeling, it finds that strong judicial systems and transparency significantly reduce emissions by enforcing environmental laws and promoting accountability. Economic growth, population, and trade drive emissions, while innovation mitigates them. The findings highlight the need to strengthen legal institutions, improve transparency, and foster innovation to support effective climate action and policy implementation.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: JUSTICE
  topic: keywords
subject: TRANSPARENCY & CARBON REDUCTION
  topic: keywords
subject: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
  topic: keywords
creator: Nawab Khan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024
date: 2024-12-31
publication date: 2024-12-31
starting page: 1
ending page: 16