Revisiting the macroeconomic variables and economic growth nexus: A Markov regime-switching approach

Purpose ―Current paper assesses the impact of macroeconomic variables on Pakistan's economic growth. Method ― This study analyzed the data using the Markov Regime switching (MS) model using monthly data for 1981-2020. Firstly, BDS and CUSUM square tests were applied to detect the non-linearity of the model. Results ―The model is non-linear, so the Markov regime-switching model is used for analysis. Each regime's mean and variance are highly significant and show a high growth regime with high volatility and a low growth regime with low volatility. Furthermore, the results show that inflation, interest rate, and trade openness negatively impact while real effective exchange rates positively affect development in both regimes. The negative effect of interest rate, exchange rate, inflation, and trade openness become more pronounced in low growth regimes. Implication ― This study suggests that policymakers should consider the non-linear behaviour of macroeconomics. This will help to formulate better policies for the economy's economic growth. Originality ―The current research adds to the existing literature by identifying the non-linear effect of growth indicators on economic growth, which was previously neglected in the case of Pakistan

Infección con Sarcoptes scabiei (Acari: Sarcoptidae) en conejos (Oryctolagus cuniculus): estudio de caso.

A partir de una sospecha de sarna sarcóptica en tres de cinco conejos albinos europeos (Oryctolagus cuniculus), mantenidos con fines experimentales, se hizo un examen general que reveló áreas multifocales de alopecia alrededor de los ojos, las fosas nasales y los labios. Se procesaron cortes de piel y un análisis de PCR con el objeto de identificar los ácaros. La histopatología de los cortes de piel mostró epidermis erupcionada y estrato córneo con una infiltración de células inflamatorias. El raspado o frotis de piel reveló la presencia de ácaros tanto en adultos como en huevos. Al examen microscópico, los ácaros adultos fueron identificados como Sarcoptes (S.) scabiei (Acari: Sarcoptidae). El análisis de muestras de los tres casos por PCR reveló una banda de 311 pb confirmando la infestación de S. scabiei en los conejos. La infección en conejos con S. scabiei puede representar un problema de salud pública de transmisión indirecta debida a la manipulación de conejos infestados. Hasta la presente, este es el primer reporte de infección por S. scabiei en conejos de Pakistán

What is Emotional Pain? - A Review of Pathophysiology and Treatment Options

Pain is a dynamic process that involves multiple physiological systems for the perception and its outcomes. The basic pain process involves a complex neurological process. and biochemical changes. Emotional pain is an extended form of the already known pain where the stimuli are emotional of nature that involves abstract feelings, for example, losing a loved one. Like the pain, now there is a growing evidence that emotional pain also involves inflammatory process and the behavioral approach is directly linked with them. This association can help us modify the emotional pain by modulating the inflammatory processes that already known to us.   Other than therapeutic and known interventions, mindfulness, writing therapy, exposure based intervention and other actions can help us in just not treating the condition but can serve as exploration of other avenues of the pain physiology. Emotional Pain has always been the part of human history but one of the least discussed form of pain. Multiple neuropsychiatric studies can help further in evaluation of this process

Point prevalence survey of antimicrobial use during the COVID-19 pandemic among different hospitals in Pakistan : findings and implications

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced antimicrobial use in hospitals raising concerns regarding increased antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through their overuse. The objective of this study was to assess patterns of antimicrobial prescribing during the current COVID-19 pandemic among hospitals in Pakistan, including the prevalence of COVID-19. A point prevalence survey (PPS) was performed among 11 different hospitals from November 2020 to January 2021. The study included all hospitalized patients receiving an antibiotic on the day of the PPS. The Global-PPS web-based application was used for data entry and analysis. Out of 1024 hospitalized patients, 662 (64.64%) received antimicrobials. The top three most common indications for antimicrobial use were pneumonia (13.3%), central nervous system infections (10.4%) and gastrointestinal indications (10.4%). Ceftriaxone (26.6%), metronidazole (9.7%) and vancomycin (7.9%) were the top three most commonly prescribed antimicrobials among surveyed patients, with the majority of antibiotics administered empirically (97.9%). Most antimicrobials for surgical prophylaxis were given for more than one day, which is a concern. Overall, a high percentage of antimicrobial use, including broad-spectrums, was seen among the different hospitals in Pakistan during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Multifaceted interventions are needed to enhance rational antimicrobial prescribing including limiting their prescribing post-operatively for surgical prophylaxis

The study of biomethane potential from the Anaerobic Digestion and Co-digestion of complex Organic Wastes in Batch and CSTR modes

Master's thesis in Environmental engineeringThe world is now exploring economical and environmentally friendly resources of renewable energy. Refined biogas is one of the essential resources of renewable energy that has the potential of substituting some of the fossil fuels. Anaerobic digestion has been recognized as a biochemical method of biogas generation that can transform organic compounds into a sustainable source of energy but possess some drawbacks linked to substrate characteristics. Therefore, anaerobic digestion and co-digestion of various wastes were carried out to assess the biogas yield using batch and semi CSTR systems. In the batch tests, four different waste fractions, i.e., primary and secondary sewage sludge, fish wastes, food wastes, and the industrial sludge were investigated in mono-digestion and co-digestion processes. Different mixture ratios were prepared, and the methane yield (YCH4=gCODCH4/gCODremoved), the specific methanogenic activity (SMA), and a kinetic parameter (kh) were determined using the batch digestion assays at mesophilic conditions (35oC) and possible effect of co-digestion of these wastes was examined. The primary sludge showed the higher (70%) COD conversion to methane than fish sludge and co-digestion caused the lowering of methane yield (60%). But mixing of secondary sludge with food wastes and fish sludge from Steinsvik had greater yield (89%) than individual substrates (59-60%). The starch as positive control gave about 70-80 % methane production showing good biodegradability. Then co-digestion of primary sludge and fish sludge (3:1) was carried out in four CSTR reactors with 15 days, 7.5 days, 5 days and 3.75 days at a constant loading rate of 2.9gCOD/d. Furthermore, the effect of different operational conditions like pH, VFA concentration, hydraulic retention time (HRT), chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, volatile solid (VS) removal efficiency and biogas or methane production was studied in these reactors. The co-digestion of primary sludge and fish sludge in CSTR showed a stable system at retention times of 15 and 7.5 days throughout the experiment and give higher methane yields (60-100%). The overall system performance was stable in each of the four reactors with different retention times and CSTR proved to be better system for co-digestion than batch reactors

Experience of transcatheter device closure of atrial septal defect in a tertiary care institute

Objective: To share our experience of transcatheter device closure of secundum atrial septal defect in children and adults. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at department of Paediatric Cardiology Ch. Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology Multan from 2011 to September 2019. Patients with moderate to large ASD secundum without severe pulmonary hypertension were studied. All procedures were performed under general anaesthesia and trans-Oesophageal echo guidance. Success and safety of procedure were evaluated. Results: During study period, a total of 75 patients underwent ASD device closure. Mean age was 25 ± 1.53 (4 -54 years) and male to female ratio 1:2. Mean defect was 20.38 ± 0.58 (09 to 32 mm). Large defects (> 25 mm) were 17 (22.7 %). Significant PS (> 30 mm Hg) observed in three and valvuloplasty performed. Device size was selected on the basis of TOE measurement + 4-5 mm. Balloon sizing was performed in only three patients. Amplatzer   septal occluder was used in 80 %. Balloon assisted technique was used in 09 (12 %) patients. All the procedures were successful except two (2.7 %) where device embolized and retrieved by surgery. Transient arrhythmias were observed in 05 (6.6 %) and small pericardial effusion which was managed conservatively in one patient. There was no procedure related mortality. Conclusion: Transcatheter closure of moderate to large ASD secundum in children and adults is a safe procedure. Among the major events, device embolizaion was common. Other complications were rare including small pericardial effusion and transient arrhythmias. Continuous..

Wear failure of a leaded bronze bearing: correlation between plant experience and laboratory wear test data

This paper describes an investigation on the failure of a large leaded bronze bearing that supports a nine-ton roller of a plastic calendering machine. At the end of the normal service life of a good bearing, which lasted for seven years, a new bearing was installed. However the new one failed catastrophically within a few days, generating a huge amount of metallic wear debris and causing pitting on the surface of the cast iron roller. Following the failure, samples were collected from both good and failed bearings. The samples were analyzed chemically and their microstructures examined. Both samples were subjected to accelerated wear tests in a laboratory type pin-on-disk apparatus. During the tests, the bearing materials acted as pins, which were pressed against a rotating cast iron disk. The wear behaviors of both bearing materials were studied using weight loss measurement. The worn surfaces of samples and the wear debris were examined by light optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, and energy-dispersive x-ray microanalyzer. It was found that the laboratory pin-on-disk wear data correlated well with the plant experience. It is suggested that the higher lead content (∼18%) of the good bearing compared with 7% lead of the failed bearing helped to establish a protective transfer layer on the worn surface. This transfer layer reduced metal-to-metal contact between the bearing and the roller and resulted in a lower wear rate. The lower lead content of the failed bearing does not allow the establishment of a well-protected transfer layer and leads to rapid wear.status: publishe

A quantitative study to assess breast cancer awareness among females in Bahawalpur Pakistan

The study was aimed to assess breast cancer awareness among females in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. We performed a quantitative cross sectional study from January to April 2015. We enrolled adult women over the age of 18. Trained researchers conducted the interviews in-person. We used SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 15 to perform the data analysis. In total, 423 females participated in the study and the mean age of the respondents was 35.15 ± 12.66 year, of which, the majority were married (66.0%), and 45.4% had graduate level education. The participants had a severe lack of awareness regarding breast cancer risk factors. We found that the breast cancer awareness scores were significantly associated with old age (p = 0.012), personal history of cancer (p = 0.005), and occupation (p = 0.040) of respondents. We found no associations with marital status, level of education, residence area, and family history of breast cancer. In conclusion, we observed a severe lack awareness of in the study population of breast cancer risk. To raise breast cancer awareness in this population, there is a great need of culturally appropriate, socially-acceptable and effective breast cancer awareness educational programs

Incidence and Risk of Lung Cancer in Tuberculosis Patients, and Vice Versa: A Literature Review of the Last Decade

Background. The incidence and risk of both lung cancer (LC) and tuberculosis (TB) are increasing rapidly. These two diseases frequently exist together and can influence the incidence and risk of each other. The aim of the current review was to summarize the incidence and risk of LC in TB patients, and vice versa, short out research gap, and contemplate future research perspectives. Methodology. PubMed and Scopus databases, and Google Scholar search engine were searched for epidemiological studies that investigated the incidence and risk of TB and LC, published since January 2011 to April 2022, and written in English. We used the searching keyword “tuberculosis” combined with “lung cancer” and associated medical subject heading (MeSH) to retrieve eligible research articles. We retrieved information’s regarding the diagnosis of TB and LC, confounders, the associations of TB and LC, and incidence and risks of each other. Results. We found higher incidence rate and risks (1.64 to 6 times higher) of LC in TB patients in comparison to non-TB participants. However, the incidence rate and risks of TB in LC patients were comparatively low. Male patients were exhibited higher risks than female. The medical comorbidities, smoking habits, and age can also influence the associations and risks of LC in TB patients or vice versa. Conclusion. Our summarized studies might suggest that existing active TB may increase the incidence and risk of LC. However, large prospective cohort study is warranted to explore the real scenario worldwide