Archives-May 2012

Team multicast identifies clusters of nodes with same affinity as teams and manages the multicast membership information using the unit of team rather than dealing with individual node members. The source propagates a data packet to each subscribed team’s leader and each leader forwards the data to the entire team. But none of the existing work on team multicasting consider the QoS metrics of the team leader like power, bandwidth etc. In this paper, we propose a QoS-aware team multicast protocol for MANETs, which gives a better solution to the above said problems. In our proposed protocol, the team leaders are selected based on the QoS metrics like bandwidth, residual energy and stability. Thus, the problem of link breakage can be reduced proactively. In case of link breakage occurring at any place of the network, a new team leader is selected in reactive basis. This avoids the delay in route repair mechanism. By simulation results, we show that the proposed protocol achieves better packet delivery ratio with reduced delay and overhead.

Association Rule (AR) mining is a data mining task that discovers interesting relations between variables in databases. The main focus of research in association rule mining is on improving the computational efficiency of mining the rules. The conventional methods available for mining association rules depend on the threshold values of minimum support and minimum confidence. The setting up of these values needs great care and knowledge about the application domain. This paper deals with mining association rules using chaotic Particle swarm optimization (cPSO). Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is simple but powerful population based search technique for solving optimization problems. Chaotic PSO modifies the velocity updation function by introducing chaotic operators derived from chaotic maps. Both PSO and chaotic PSO generate AR with consistency and better computational accuracy when tested on three datasets. The range of attribute values in the dataset is found to affect the performance of the system.

The main purpose of this paper is to present the importance of benchmarking in TQM and organizational performance. To determine the various benefits an organization can derive from the application of total quality management practices, or the relationship between total quality management and quality outcomes/benefits in services sector of telecom industry of Pakistan. The study is based on primary and secondary data. Eight most important constructs were found through literature review for conceptual framework in this study. Primary data is collected through questionnaires. The same questionnaire was used in comparison of TQM practices in different countries such as India, USA, Mexico, China and Norway. The theoretical framework adopted is by Raghunathan et al. (1999). Findings revealed that TQM practices and implementation have positive effects on quality benefits or outcome (productivity, profitability, competitive position, reduce customer complaints, cost reduction, reduce rework level, reduces scrap level, stay in business) in services sector of telecom industry of Pakistan. Benchmarking also plays a significant role in the development of organizations. In addition to the research data, findings from different field studies and other research works have further supported conclusion drawn from this research, that TQM practices have positive effect on organizational development. The findings based on this empirical research would be useful to both decision makers and researchers.

Concerns have been raised over the increase of problems like drug abuse, alcoholism premarital sex, cheating in examinations and teenage pregnancies in Kenyan Public Universities. The study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of guidance and counselling services at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology. The Goal Setting Theory by Locke and Latham (1990) formed the theoretical framework for the study. The Study adopted a descriptive survey design. The sample size comprised of 204 university students. It was found out that guidance and counselling services at Masinde MuliroUniversity of Science and Technology were effective among students who sought the services. The study, however recommended that the guidance and counselling department should focus more on social, health and financial issues affecting students in the campus as well as exploring the influence of university enrolment and home oriented factors that may affect students and the stakeholders were encouraged to be involved in the process of guiding and counselling students.

One of most important discussion in consumer behavior and marketing sciences is choice of product and buying behavior. Most behavioral researchers make an effort to make in behavior models. In this research, the effect of situational variables (time available, money available) on impulse buying investigated among different ethnics in Malaysia. These variables influenced to urge to buy impulsivity & at last this variable influenced to impulse buying. Data were collected in Malaysia (Chinese, Indians, Malay people). In this study, Path Analysis used to measure effect of variables. A descriptive statistics (Frequencies, Means, and Standard deviations) is used to describe the quantitative data. For measuring the validity and reliability of items, we used CFA (Confirmatory Factor Analysis) and Alpha Cronbach Coefficient respectively. Results revealed that the situational variables (money available and Time available) were influence to the felt urge to buy impulsively and impulse buying. Beside that positive effect has mediating role between situation variables and impulse buying.

The present paper is an attempt to explore the status of teacher education in Pakistan with reference to challenges in the field of teacher education curriculum and teacher education institutions. The objectives of this study were to find out the challenges faced by the teacher education institutions and to highlight the factors responsible for the low performance of the teacher education institutions. It was a theoretical study in which available related literature was explored. Major findings inferred from review were that teachers educators are reluctant to change in curriculum or in teaching methods, the entry criteria into teacher education programmes is low, usually whoever does not get any other opportunity, his/her last choice becomes teaching, no national standards for entry qualification of teachers, lack of professionalism in teacher educators, isolated curriculum which has no connection with realities of classroom and school environment, lack of planning for teaching practice, political interference, lack of infrastructure and lack of research and innovations in the area of teacher education, lack of promotion structure of in-service teachers and lack of Incentives for teachers for appearing in continuous professional development programmes. The quality education is strongly related to the quality of teacher education in any education system. Today, teacher education institutions are facing multiple problems and confronted with number of challenges. In order to face these challenges we need complete renovation of our teacher education programmes. The status of teacher education in Pakistan can be raised by certain measures in order to meet the challenges in teacher education field offering incentives for educators for successful implementation of any innovative programmes of teacher education, raising the entry criteria /standards of into teaching profession, making teaching profession attractive , teachers’ training for developing professionalism in teachers, course on professional ethics, courses may be redesigned to make it correlated with real practices and problems of classroom and school, teacher education curriculum may be made more practice-oriented rather merely theory- oriented, raising, budget for education, stopping political interference in teachers’ selection and transfer, introducing separate teacher education cadre and a national commission for teacher education, conducting research for resolving teacher education problems and bringing innovations in teacher education programmes, relating in-service teacher education programmes to teachers’ concern.

The present study investigates the relationship between corporate governance profile of acquiring firms and operating performance changes associated with merger and acquisitions in political uncertainty in Nepal. The financial sector mergers and acquisitions have been selected as sample transactions for the period of 2008 to 2011 and two years pre- and post-merger analysis has been conducted by using OLS regression. The estimated results indicated that post-merger operating performance of acquiring firms is positively related to its pre-merger level. Moreover, board size and CEO duality are negatively while board independence, outside dominated boards, and presence of large independent block holder are positively related to change in post-merger operating performance of acquiring firms in Nepal. The results were also robust with an alternative dependent variable of change in market value of acquiring firms. The results from replaced dependent variable were found to be more strong and cohesive with corporate governance profile of acquiring firms. Aligned with the existing literature, the study concluded that effective corporate governance mechanism does play its role in aligning the interests of managers with shareholders and enhances value for firms, particularly in large scale transactions of mergers and acquisition.

Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) plays an important role in communication and information security. ECC is an approach to public-key cryptography based on the finite fields. We propose a hardware architecture for scalar multiplication, which is the main operation of ECC based on mixed coordinates (Lopez-Dahab) over GF(2163) in the Karatsuba multiplication polynomial representation. The proposed design is implemented using Verilog as a language and Xilinx virtex4Vlx15sf363-12 as a target device, and it is verified in Model Sim 6.3g. The results show that the proposed design occupies 30k slices with a delay of 35.086 ns.

An experimental investigation of applying a magnetic field and a radiation source horizontally with the direction of alloy once and vertically in another, current range passing through alloy is (1-3) AMP. Alloy conductivity increase with magnetic field strength in the case of applying a magnetic field horizontally with the electrons movement direction once and vertically in another. Alloy electrical conductivity decreases with irradiation time when applying a magnetic field horizontally with the electrons movement direction once and vertically in another. Alloy conducutivity decreases with irradiation time by applying a magnetic field and a radiation source horizontally with the direction of alloy once and vertically in another. Magnetic field intensity increases with temperature when applying a magnetic field and a radiation source horizontally with the electrons direction in the alloy once and vertically in another.

We are very happy to announce that from 10th May 2012, Mr. Pudaruth Sameerchand has joined the team of Elixir Editorial Advisory Board. He will carry a special responsibility for dealing with manuscripts based on Computer Science and Engineering. Mr. Pudaruth Sameerchand is currently associated with Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Mauritius, Mauritius . The appointment of Mr. Pudaruth Sameerchand as member Editorial Advisory Board strengthens the links and will make it easier for prospective authors to establish contact with the journal. Please send any expressions of interest to chiefeditor@elixirjournal.org. Sincerely Editor-in-Chief