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The purpose of this study is to analyze the dynamic causal relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI), gross domestic product (GDP) and trade openness (TO) on a set of five selected South Asian countries.

This study used newly developed bootstrap auto regressive distributed lags (ARDL) cointegration test to examine the long-run relationship among FDI, GDP and TO for selected South Asian countries for 1975–2016.

The economic growth (EG) is significantly related to TO for Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka and the expansion of TO is crucial for growth in these countries. The results show that all countries (except Bangladesh) found the existence of long-run cointegration between FDI, GDP and TO, whereas FDI is a dependent variable. These results concluded that FDI and TO are contributing to EG in these selected countries.

This study is one of the first attempts to investigate the causal relationship and address the short and long dynamic among FDI, GDP and TO regarding five south Asian countries such as Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Depleting reserves of crude oils and their adverse environmental effects have shifted focus toward environment friendly and biobased lubricant base oils. Natural oils and fats act as good lubricants but they have low oxidation and thermal stability which makes them unsuitable for modern day uses. This paper aims to produce trimethylolpropane ester biolubricant from cottonseed oil and study the effects of its use in spark ignition (SI) engines.

In this work, cottonseed oil is converted to TMP lubricant by a two-step based catalyzed esterification. The lubricants thermophysical properties are then analyzed and a 20% blend with synthetic poly-alpha olefin is used in an spark ignition engine.

The produced lubricant has viscosity @100^oC of 4.91 cSt, a viscosity index of 230 and a flash point of 202^oC. When used as a 20% blend in a petrol engine, the rate of oil deterioration was reduced by 18%, however, the overall wear increased by 6.7%. However, this increase is offset by its improved environmental impacts.

In its current state, such a biolubricant can be used as an additive to most commercially available lubricants to improve oil deterioration characteristics and environmental impact. However, further work on improving biolubricant’s wear characteristics is needed for the complete replacement of mineral oil-based lubricants.

This paper aims to focus on technical and economical analysis of small scale wind/solar hybrid system for domestic consumers. The analysis is carried out on HOMER II simulation software. Pakistan is one of those developing countries which are encountered with severe energy crises. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a technically and economically feasible system to meet the domestic consumer’s demand, as well as contribute to the central grid. HOMER Energy software is used to analyze different systems and to obtain the most reliable and feasible system for the customer. Simulation was carried out to find an economically and technically feasible system. Sensitivity analysis was carried out with hub height, PV De-rating factor, PV life, Wind turbine life. Change in hub height drastically affected energy production and economic prospect as the main factors of the system. Implementing such type of small hybrid systems on domestic level can be truly helpful to overcome energy shortage.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the studies of momentum and transmission of heat on mixed convection boundary layer Darcy‒Forchheimer flow of Casson liquid over a linear extending surface in a porous medium. The belongings of homogeneous‒heterogeneous retorts are also affianced. The mechanism of heat transmission is braced out in the form of Cattaneo‒Christov heat flux. Appropriate restorations are smeared to revolutionize coupled nonlinear partial differential equations conforming to momentum, energy and concentration of homogeneous‒heterogeneous reaction equations into coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs).

Numerical elucidations of the transmogrified ODEs are accomplished via a dexterous and trustworthy scheme, namely optimal homotopy analysis method. The convergence of planned scheme is exposed with the support of error table.

The exploration of mixed convection Darcy‒Forchheimer MHD boundary layer flow of incompressible Casson fluid by the linear stretched surface with Cattaneo‒Christov heat flux model and homogeneous‒heterogeneous reactions is checked in this research. Imitations of the core subsidized flow parameters on velocity, temperature and concentration of homogeneous‒heterogeneous reactions solutions are conscripted. From the recent deliberation, remarkable annotations are as follows: non-dimensional velocities in x_a− and x_b− directions shrink, whereas the non-dimensional temperature upsurges when the Casson fluid parameter ameliorates. Similar impact of Casson fluid parameter, magnetic parameter, mixed convection parameter, inertia parameter, and porosity parameter is observed for both the components of velocity field. An escalation in magnetic parameter shows the opposite attitude of temperature field as compared with velocity profile. Similar bearing of Casson fluid parameter is observed for both temperature and velocity fields. Enhancement in concentration rate is observed for growing values of (N_s) and (Sc), and it reduces for (k₁). Both temperature and concentration of homogeneous‒heterogeneous upturn by mounting the magnetic parameter. Demeanor of magnetic parameter, Casson fluid parameter, heat generation parameter is opposite to that of Prandtl number and thermal relaxation parameter on temperature profile.

In many industrial and engineering applications, the current exploration is utilized for the transport of heat and mass in any system.

As far as novelty of this work is concerned this is an innovative study and such analysis has not been considered so far.

This study aims to examine whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) of Islamic banking is delivering financial returns or otherwise enhancing the cost.

The methodology of this study includes the content-analysis approach with aid of the CSR disclosure index, and it deploys the partial least squares regression to examine the CSR-financial performance relationship. Regarding CSR disclosure and financial measures, this study takes the data from the annual reports of Islamic banking of Pakistan, from the year 2003 to 2017.

The results of this study indicate that there is a significant positive relationship exists between CSR and financial performance of Islamic banks, consistent with the instrumental-stakeholder theory. These results imply that Islamic banks, which ensure that CSR is practiced extensively, and aim to positively affect their stakeholders, perform well. Hence, the CSR engagement by Islamic banks yields instrumental returns rather it is a cost.

Islamic banks of Pakistan must work on a better CSR policy, it would enhance the reputation of Islamic banks, on the other hand, it would also increase their capabilities to cope with future reputation damage and negative news, thus it would protect and secure the financial results. In addition to these, investors of Islamic banks must also look at the social and ethical engagements of Islamic banks of Pakistan, while making investment decisions.

In general, there is a dearth of research in the domain of CSR-financial performance regarding Islamic banking. This is one of the studies which contributes to this area.

This study aims to focus on second grade fluid flow over a rotating disk in the presence of chemical reaction. Uniform magnetic field is also taken into account. Because of the smaller magnetic Reynolds number, induced magnetic field is negligible. Heat equation is constructed by considering heat source/sink.

Suitable variables are used to transform nonlinear partial differential equations to ordinary ones. Convergent series solutions are attained by applying homotopy analysis method.

Trends of different parameters on concentration, velocity and temperature are shown graphically. Skin friction coefficient and local Nusselt number are calculated and investigated under the effect of elaborated parameters. An elevation in the value of magnetic field parameter causes collapse in the velocity distributions. Velocity distribution in increasing function of viscoelastic parameter. Temperature and concentration profiles are decreasing functions of viscoelastic parameter. Concentration distribution reduces by increasing the chemical reaction parameter. There is more surface drag force for larger M, while opposite behavior is noted for β.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, such consideration is yet to be published in the literature.

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how alertness enable small and medium scale enterprise (SME) owners to leverage their individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) such as risk-taking, pro-activity, innovation, passion and perseverance in a better way to recognize opportunities for financial resources as compared to their counterparts who are not alert. Moreover, it elaborates on the mediating role of opportunity recognition of financial resources between IEO and SMEs’ access to finance (AF).

A three-wave time-lagged survey from a stratified sample of 271 small and medium scale business owners in Pakistan was conducted and the data were analysed using PROCESS models 1 and 4.

The findings grounded in the theory of Action Regulation, signify that the IEO of small and medium scale business owners helps them attain financial resources through opportunity recognition capacity which is an action characteristic. Moreover, the IEO of SME owners, coupled with entrepreneurial alertness (EA; a cognitive pre-action state), amplifies their ability to recognize opportunities for financial resource availability.

This is one of the initial studies to test the IEO scale, including passion and perseverance. Moreover, it has added to the individual-level antecedents of AF in small and medium scale businesses through the role of EA and opportunity recognition.

This paper begins with a challenge to explore the scope and dimensions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Islamic banking and design a CSR disclosure index, which may gauge the level of CSR disclosure in Islamic banking.

It adopts a two-fold approach to develop the CSR disclosure index for Islamic banking, such as “identification” and “prioritization.” In the ambit of identification, it relies on the existing literature related to CSR and Islamic banking. However, it undertakes analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method for prioritization through the sample of 104 experts related to Islamic banking of Pakistan.

It concludes the CSR index for Islamic banking contains five dimensions, including 79 items across 20 sub-dimensions. The results of AHP indicate that the CSR dimensions are important for Shariah governance, employee, community, customer and environment. Moreover, within dimensions, the most important sub-dimensions are Shariah compliance, customer service and quality, green investing/banking, customer relationship, training and development and poverty alleviation.

The CSR disclosure index of this study has important implications for academicians, such as it paves the ways for further investigations and practical usage of index to gauge the level CSR disclosure of Islamic banking. Moreover, it delineates the spectrum of responsibilities for managers of Islamic banking under the domain of CSR.

The proposed CSR disclosure index is comprehensive and stresses on the social responsibility of Islamic banking toward stakeholders. In nutshell, this study offers what is expected from the practitioners of Islamic banking in the domain of social responsibility.

The purpose of this paper is to address the entropy analysis of the 3D flow of Maxwell nanofluid containing gyrotactic microorganism in the presence of homogeneous–heterogeneous reactions with improved heat conduction and mass diffusion models over a stretched surface. Improved models are supported out by utilizing Cattaneo–Christov heat flux and generalized Fick’s law, respectively.

Governing equations which present the given flow phenomenon are modeled in the form of PDEs by applying boundary layer analysis and then suitable makeovers are engaged to transfigure prevailing partial differential equations into a set of ordinary differential equations. Transformed equations are handled via optimal homotopy analysis process in computational tool Mathematica and also a special case of already published work is substantiated and found to be in excellent settlement.

The bearing of innumerable convoluted physical parameters on velocity, temperature, concentration, reaction rate, the concentration of motile microorganism and entropy generation are presented and deliberated through graphs. Moreover, the convergence of the homotopic solution is presented in tabular form which confirms the reliability of the proposed scheme. It is perceived that mounting values of the magnetic parameter and Brinkman number boosts the irreversibility analysis and Bejan number diminishes for these parameters. Moreover, the growing values of Prandtl and Schmidt numbers reduce the temperature and concentration fields, respectively.

The work contained in this paper has applications in a different industry.

The work contained in this paper is original work and it is good for the researcher in the field of applied mathematics.

This paper aims to gauge the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure of Islamic banks of Pakistan.

The annual reports of Islamic banks of Pakistan from the year 2003 to 2017 were considered as the source of data. The content analysis method was used to gauge the level of CSR disclosure with the help of the CSR disclosure index. Islamic banks proclaim religiously motivated and ethical institutions; hence, full disclosure was expected from Islamic banks in the domain of CSR.

The average level of CSR disclosure of Islamic banks after a one-and-a-half decade of Islamic banking in Pakistan is 31.23%, which is far below the expected level of CSR disclosure and even below the mean level. The mean comparison analyzes show that the level of CSR disclosure differs among the Islamic banks, old and large Islamic banks are disclosing more information, in addition, the local Islamic banks have a relatively high level of CSR disclosure as compare to the foreign Islamic banks.

The current CSR disclosure policy of the government regarding corporations in Pakistan is insufficient. There is a need to revise this policy which may result in higher CSR disclosure. The results indicate, that there is a difference in CSR disclosure among local and foreign Islamic banks, so this policy must address this aspect as well.

Islamic banking proclaims a new wave of the corporate that has higher social objectives, but a contradiction exists among the ideology and reality of social responsibility of Islamic banks. Then, this study also supports that the same dilemma of low CSR disclosure also prevails in the Islamic banks of Pakistan.