Cultural Exchange and Educational Activities : Experiences of Muslim International Students in South Korea

Hamza Nasir,Nasir Yasin,Sana ur Rehman 대구대학교 다문화사회정책연구소 2023 현대사회와 다문화 Vol.13 No.2

This paper discusses the experiences of international students in Korea and their involvement in various educational activities. The paper begins with a brief introduction of the students and their journey to Korea, followed by an exploration of the value of religion and its role in their life as Muslim international students. The paper then delves into the events in which the students participated, including a cross-cultural activity, a walk in the KNU, a food stall at the KNU fair, a visit to the mosque, a Daehyeon-dong movie day, an international cooking program, and an Apsan observatory hiking event. The paper highlights the cultural exchange and interactions that took place during these events, as well as the significance of such activities in promoting cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. The paper also acknowledges the efforts of the organizers and the role played by the university in facilitating these activities. Overall, the paper emphasizes the importance of such events in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in today’s globalized world.

Experimental and theoretical study of BF3 detector response for thermal neutrons in reflecting materials

Rubina Nasir,Faiza Aziz,Sikander M. Mirza,Nasir M. Mirza 한국원자력학회 2018 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.50 No.3

Experimental measurements of the response of BF3 detector to a 3 Ci AmeBe neutron source for threedifferent reflecting materials, i.e., aluminum, wood, and Perspex of varying thicknesses have been carriedout. The varying contribution of wall effect to the response due to change in active volume of the detectorhas also been determined experimentally. Then, a Monte Carlo code has been developed for the calculationof the neutron response function of the BF3 detector using source biasing and importance sampling. This code simulates the BF3 detector response exposed to the neutron field in a three-dimensionalsource, detector, and reflecting medium configurations. The results of simulation have been comparedwith the corresponding experimental measurements and are found to be in good agreement. Theexperimental neutron albedo measurements for various values of Perspex thickness show saturatingbehavior, and results agree very well with the data obtained by Monte Carlo simulation.

Effect of Kinetic Parameters on Simultaneous Ramp Reactivity Insertion plus Beam Tube Flooding Accident in a Typical Low Enriched U3Si2-Al Fuel based MTR-Type Research Reactor

Rubina Nasir,Sikander M. Mirza,Nasir M. Mirza 한국원자력학회 2017 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.49 No.4

This work looks at the effect of changes in kinetic parameters on simultaneous reactivityinsertions and beam tube flooding in a typical material testing reactor-type researchreactor with low enriched high density (U3Si2-Al) fuel. Using a modified PARET code,various ramp reactivity insertions (from $0.1/0.5 s to $1.3/0.5 s) plus beam tube flooding($0.5/0.25 s) accidents under uncontrolled conditions were analyzed to find their effects onpeak power, net reactivity, and temperature. Then, the effects of changes in kinetic parametersincluding the Doppler coefficient, prompt neutron lifetime, and delayed neutronfractions on simultaneous reactivity insertion and beam tube flooding accidents wereanalyzed. Results show that the power peak values are significantly sensitive to theDoppler coefficient of the system in coupled accidents. The material testing reactor-typesystem under such a coupled accident is not very sensitive to changes in the promptneutron life time; the core under such a coupled transient is not very sensitive to changesin the effective delayed neutron fraction.

Impact of Factors that Inhibit the Drive of Entrepreneurship in Pakistan: Empirical Evidence from Young Entrepreneurs and Students

Nasir Mahmood,Cai Jianfeng,Hina Munir,Nosheena Yasir 보안공학연구지원센터 2016 International Journal of u- and e- Service, Scienc Vol.9 No.12

Nowadays, in the era of competitiveness, competition, innovation and development of a country cannot be achieved without the successful entrepreneurial process. The current research is intended to elaborate the factors that obstruct the drive of entrepreneurship in Pakistan. For this purpose a quantitative survey was conducted in order to examine the six factors: lack of education and skills, terrorism, social status, political environment, lack of financial resources and business environment with motivation of entrepreneurship. Data was collected through questionnaire using simple random sampling technique from the young businessmen and students from the 3 cities of Pakistan which includes Lahore, Gujranwala and Islamabad. For the purpose of the analysis the sample of 250 were selected out of which 200 questionnaires which show the response rate is 80%. Analysis was run by using SPSS 19 and results showed that the factors including lack of education and skills, terrorism, social status, political environment, lack of financial resources and business environment have significant relation with the motivation of entrepreneurship in Pakistan. The current study has provided valuable information and recommendation to government, financial institutions, socialists and potential entrepreneurs to improve the culture of entrepreneurship in Pakistan.

Global Patterns of Protein Domain Gain and Loss in Superkingdoms

Nasir, Arshan,Kim, Kyung Mo,Caetano-Anollé,s, Gustavo Public Library of Science 2014 PLoS computational biology Vol.10 No.1

<▼1><P>Domains are modules within proteins that can fold and function independently and are evolutionarily conserved. Here we compared the usage and distribution of protein domain families in the free-living proteomes of Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya and reconstructed species phylogenies while tracing the history of domain emergence and loss in proteomes. We show that both gains and losses of domains occurred frequently during proteome evolution. The rate of domain discovery increased approximately linearly in evolutionary time. Remarkably, gains generally outnumbered losses and the gain-to-loss ratios were much higher in akaryotes compared to eukaryotes. Functional annotations of domain families revealed that both Archaea and Bacteria gained and lost metabolic capabilities during the course of evolution while Eukarya acquired a number of diverse molecular functions including those involved in extracellular processes, immunological mechanisms, and cell regulation. Results also highlighted significant contemporary sharing of informational enzymes between Archaea and Eukarya and metabolic enzymes between Bacteria and Eukarya. Finally, the analysis provided useful insights into the evolution of species. The archaeal superkingdom appeared first in evolution by gradual loss of ancestral domains, bacterial lineages were the first to gain superkingdom-specific domains, and eukaryotes (likely) originated when an expanding proto-eukaryotic stem lineage gained organelles through endosymbiosis of already diversified bacterial lineages. The evolutionary dynamics of domain families in proteomes and the increasing number of domain gains is predicted to redefine the persistence strategies of organisms in superkingdoms, influence the make up of molecular functions, and enhance organismal complexity by the generation of new domain architectures. This dynamics highlights ongoing secondary evolutionary adaptations in akaryotic microbes, especially Archaea.</P></▼1><▼2><P><B>Author Summary</B></P><P>Proteins are made up of well-packed structural units referred to as domains. Domain structure in proteins is responsible for protein function and is evolutionarily conserved. Here we report global patterns of protein domain gain and loss in the three superkingdoms of life. We reconstructed phylogenetic trees using domain fold families as phylogenetic characters and retraced the history of character changes along the many branches of the tree of life. Results revealed that both domain gains and losses were frequent events in the evolution of cells. However, domain gains generally overshadowed the number of losses. This trend was consistent in the three superkingdoms. However, the rate of domain discovery was highest in akaryotic microbes. Domain gains occurred throughout the evolutionary timeline albeit at a non-uniform rate. Our study sheds light into the evolutionary history of living organisms and highlights important ongoing mechanisms that are responsible for secondary evolutionary adaptations in the three superkingdoms of life.</P></▼2>

Ising Model on the Cayley Tree with Competing Interactions up to the Third Nearest-neighbors with Spins Belonging to Different Branches of the Tree

Nasir Ganikhodjaev,Mohd Hirzie Mohd Rodzhan 한국물리학회 2015 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.66 No.8

We study the phase diagram of the Ising model on the Cayley tree with competing interactions up to the third nearest-neighbors with spins belonging to different branches of the tree. In addition to the expected ferromagnetic, anti-ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases, we present a new paramodulated phase. Moreover, the transition lines are analyzed and they are in agreement with the lines obtained numerically. Lastly, the stability of the anti-ferromagnetic phase was studied in detail by investigating the Lyapunov exponent associated with the corresponding dynamical system.

Viral evolution : Primordial cellular origins and late adaptation to parasitism

Nasir, Arshan,Kim, Kyung Mo,Caetano-Anollé,s, Gustavo Landes Bioscience 2012 Mobile genetic elements Vol.2 No.5

<P>Explaining the origin of viruses remains an important challenge for evolutionary biology. Previous explanatory frameworks described viruses as founders of cellular life, as parasitic reductive products of ancient cellular organisms or as escapees of modern genomes. Each of these frameworks endow viruses with distinct molecular, cellular, dynamic and emergent properties that carry broad and important implications for many disciplines, including biology, ecology and epidemiology. In a recent genome-wide structural phylogenomic analysis, we have shown that large-to-medium-sized viruses coevolved with cellular ancestors and have chosen the evolutionary reductive route. Here we interpret these results and provide a parsimonious hypothesis for the origin of viruses that is supported by molecular data and objective evolutionary bioinformatic approaches. Results suggest two important phases in the evolution of viruses: (1) origin from primordial cells and coexistence with cellular ancestors, and (2) prolonged pressure of genome reduction and relatively late adaptation to the parasitic lifestyle once virions and diversified cellular life took over the planet. Under this evolutionary model, new viral lineages can evolve from existing cellular parasites and enhance the diversity of the world’s virosphere.</P>

Degree of Hydration and Compressive Strength of Conditioned Samples Made of Normal and Blended Cement System

Nasir Shafiq 대한토목학회 2011 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.15 No.7

In this paper; results of the degree of hydration of the pastes and the compressive strength of the 50 mm cubes prepared with the 100% cement and fly ash blended cement were determined. 24 hours after casting mortar cubes and the paste samples were cured for 28 days in the fog room. After 28 days curing, a set of three cubes and a paste sample was dried in the 100%, 75%, 65%, 40% and 12% ambient relative humidity at the constant temperature of 27oC. Drying conditions showed significant effects on the compressive strength and the degree of hydration. Highest compressive strength of 70 MPa was measured of mortar cubes dried in 100% RH;similarly, 97% degree of hydration was obtained for 100% cement samples dried in the 100% RH. For mortar cubes dried in 12%RH, the compressive strength was measured between 47 and 53 MPa. The similar paste samples showed the maximum degree of hydration as 81%. Statistically valid correlations were obtained between the degree of hydration and the compressive strength of normal and blended cement system.

Performance assessment and multi objective optimization of an Organic Rankine Cycle driven cooling air conditioning system

Nasir, Muhammad Tauseef,Ali, Muhammad Ansab,Khan, Tariq S.,Al-Hajri, Ebrahim,Kadri, Muhammad Bilal,Kim, Kyung Chun Elsevier Sequoia S.A 2019 Energy and buildings Vol.191 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Present work aims to investigate the thermal performance assessment of different combinations of working fluids for an Organic Rankine Cycle powered Vapor Compression Cycle (ORC-VCC) for air-conditioning applications. Analysis of system performance is conducted for a fixed cooling load of a small conditioned space having a sensible heat factor of 0.7, at different ambient conditions. A preliminary evaluation of the system at the baseline conditions was conducted considering the second law efficiency, overall heat capacity of exchangers, overall internal exergy destruction, and overall Coefficient of Performance. Afterwards, parametric study was performed for the best performing candidates from the preliminary analysis using second law efficiency and overall heat capacity of heat exchangers. The system parameters considered for the study include saturated temperatures of heat exchangers, ORC boiler superheat, pinch points and the sub-cooling of both the ORC and VCC condensers. Then, multi objective optimization was performed using Genetic Algorithm followed by multi-criteria decision-making using Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to select the best optimal solutions from the Pareto front. Sixteen combinations comprising of four working fluids, R245fa, R600, R600a, and R134a were analyzed. The optimization results showed R245fa ORC-R600a VCC to be the best candidate at ambient conditions of 30 °C, while at 35 °C and 40 °C, R600a ORC-R245fa VCC was found to be the most suitable candidate.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> The prospects of different working fluids and their combinations in an ORC driven air conditioning system are investigated. </LI> <LI> Ambient conditions considering the outdoor temperatures of 30 °C, 35 °C and 40 °C with 50% relative humidity is selected. </LI> <LI> Working fluids R245fa, R134a, R600a, and R600, and their combinations are the investigated. </LI> <LI> Sensitivity analysis of different parameters on the second law efficiency and UA values of heat exchangers is evaluated. </LI> <LI> Multi-objective optimization of the exergetic efficiency and the UA values of heat exchangers is carried out. </LI> </UL> </P>

Potts Model with Next-nearest-neighbor Ternary Interactions on an Arbitrary-order Cayley Tree

Nasir Ganikhodjaev,Ashraf Mohamed Nawi,Mohd Hirzie Mohd Rodzhan 한국물리학회 2012 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.61 No.7

We study the phase diagrams for the Potts model with restricted competing nearest-neighbor interactions <i>J</i>₁ and ternary interactions <i>J_pt</i> on a Cayley tree of arbitrary order <i>k</i>. At vanishing temperature, the phase diagram is fully determined for all values and signs of <i>J_pt</i>/<i>J</i>₁ and <i>T</i>/<i>J</i>₁. The phase diagrams are obtained from stability conditions, and characteristic points in the iteration scheme are numerically analyzed. The wavevectors versus temperature are plotted for some critical points in the modulated phases. Then, we using the Lyapunov exponent to verify the stability of the periods.