Investigation of green foamed concrete incorporating palm oil fuel ash and eggshell ash as partial cement replacement

The tendency of concrete to absorb heat, high thermal conductivity and self-weight due to its high density, and its extensive use has given rise to Urban Heat Island (UHI). Therefore, this study was carried out to provide a solution to these limitations by developing innovative lightweight green foamed concrete (GFC) of 1800 kg/m3 density incorporating Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA) ranging from 20% to 35% and Eggshell Ash (ESA) from 5% to 15% as partial cement replacement. The effect of partial replacement on the workability was determined by J-ring test, mechanical properties such as, compressive and tensile strengths as well as modulus of elasticity and thermal performance of GFC was determined by thermal conductivity and surface temperature. Based upon the results, it was observed that the combined utilization of POFA and ESA reduced the workability slightly but enhanced the mechanical properties of GFC such that it can be used for structural applications. It was also observed that 25P5E, a total 30% cement replacement, was the optimum mix at which the maximum compressive and higher tensile strength, though up to 40% cement replacement can be done without any loss in strength. With the addition of POFA, the colour of specimens became blackish, thus due to albedo effect, these samples recorded higher surface temperature, though the surface temperature reduced slightly with the increment of ESA content. The inclusion of POFA and ESA in GFC reduced the thermal conductivity value. The combined utilization of POFA and ESA in the development of GFC contributes not only to reduction of dependency on cement for manufacturing of concrete but also towards the development of sustainable buildings which reduce the use of natural resources while at the same time provide beneficial mean for utilization of waste materials instead of disposing in landfills which causes scarcity of land and environmental issues

A Rare Presentation of Crohn's Disease

Free peritoneal perforation is a rare complication of Crohn's disease with a report of only 100 cases in the literature. It needs an emergency exploration and an unaware general surgeon is confounded in intraoperative decision-making. We present our experience when this rarity struck us in a district hospital and briefly review the guidelines of optimal management of this complication of Crohn's disease

Financial Sector Reform and Its Impact on Investment and Economic Growth: An Econometric Approach

The financial sector is central to economic development as it serves the role of intermediary by mobilising savings and subsequently allocating credit for productive activities. However, in many developing countries including Pakistan, administered interest rate, domestic credit controls, high reserve requirements, use of captive banking system to finance large budgetary requirements of the government and controls on international capital inflows have remained the main features of the monetary policy. These repressive policies had their repercussions in the form of excess liquidity with the banking system, disintermediation of cash flows, segmentation of financial markets, underdeveloped money and capital markets, etc. [McKinnon (1973) and Shaw (1973)], therefore, argued that low interest rate ceilings unduly restrict the real flow of loanable funds, thus depressing the quantity of productive investment. Financial liberalisation, on the other hand, is defined as policy measures designed to deregulate certain operations of the financial system and transform its structure with a view to achieving a liberalised market oriented system with an appropriate regulatory framework. The financial sector reforms would lead to increase in loanable funds by attracting more household savings to bank deposits due to higher interest rates. This, in turn, would result in greater investment and faster economic growth.

The training and development of Muslim faith leaders: current practice and future possibilities

"There were three broad aims [of the review]: 1. To research and evaluate the current training provisions for imams and scholars provided by seminaries and other imam-training institutions in the UK; to explore the strengths and weaknesses of current provision; and, in particular, to identify any gaps in the training of faith leaders that need to be addressed. 2. To explore the different models and methods employed for training faith leaders and to identify elements of best practice for wider dissemination. 3. To explore the possibilities of collaborative initiatives between the providers of Muslim faith leadership training and mainstream further education and higher education institutions and the possibility of attaining additional knowledge and skills leading to higher education qualifications and better employment prospects." - Page 8

Exports, Growth and Causality: An Application of Co-integration and Error-correction Modelling

The relationship between export expansion and economic growth has been examined extensively during the last two decades in the context of the suitability of the alternative development strategies. The decade of the 1970s witnessed an emerging consensus in favour of export promotion as development strategy. Such a consensus was based on the following facts. First, higher export earnings working through alleviating foreign exchange constraints may enhance the ability of a developing country to import more industrial raw materials and capital goods, which, in turn, may expand its productive capacity. Secondly, the competition in export markets abroad may lead to the exploitation of economies of scale, greater capacity utilisation, efficient resource allocation, and an acceleration of technical progress in production. Thirdly, given the theoretical arguments mentioned above, the observed strong correlation between exports and economic growth was interpreted as empirical evidence in favour of export promotion as a development strategy.