The Development of India’s Financial Inclusion Agenda—Some Lessons for Pakistan

Financial Inclusion has assumed a vital position in the Public Policy discourse of developing economies. Provision of financial services to the otherwise excluded strata of the society enhances their potential to climb the economic ladder of opportunity and prosperity. Access to financial services to the otherwise excluded impacts their quality of life and enables the less privileged to increase and diversify their incomes, improve their social and economic conditions. Due to lack of access to financial services, most poor households have to rely on their meagre savings or money lenders which limit their ability to actively participate and benefit from the development process. The main theoretical arguments that economic theory postulates regarding the failure of financial markets in percolating poor and rural areas are of informational asymmetries, difficulties in contract designing and enforcement, greater transaction costs. The demand side aspects may be low demand for such services, arising from illiteracy, less investment opportunities in rural areas and difficult loan contracts [Basu (2006)]. When households are access constrained with respect to financial services, it becomes one of the important reasons for persisting inequalities. Economic theory suggests that unrelenting inequalities has a negative impact on the long term growth prospects of an economy [World Bank (2007)]. While establishing causality between financial development and economic growth has been quite tedious, with no simple answers, the evidence of a strong link between financial development and economic growth has continued to rise [Gattoo and Akhtar (2014)]. The interest in the financial inclusion discourse across developing and developing world stems from the recognition that a strong and vibrant financial system does not necessarily imply increasing financial to all across the societal divide [Honohan (2003)]

Morphometric analysis of glenoid cavity of dry scapulae and its role in shoulder prosthesis

Background: The lateral angle of scapula becomes truncated and broadened and form the glenoid cavity which shows variable morphology. There is a notch present on its anterosuperior part which gives its different shape. When this glenoid notch is indistinct its shape is piriform, when it is distinct it looks like inverted comma shape and when it is absent its oval shape. The shoulder joint is one among the most commonly dislocated joints in the body. The fracture of glenoid with dislocations is very common in the trauma. The detail knowledge about variation in anatomy of glenoid cavity like different shape, size and dimensions are important during designing and fitting of glenoid component for total shoulder arthroplasty. The objective of present study was to obtain anthropometric data of scapulae and the glenoid cavity specifically the diameters and various shape of glenoid belongs to population of Bihar and compare it to findings from other races of the world.Methods: The present study was a cross sectional study which has been carried out on 228 undamaged dry adult human scapulae in which 126 belongs to right side and 102 belongs to left side. The age and gender of the bones used in the study was not predetermined.Results: The most common shape of glenoid cavity recorded in the present study was pear shape (50.44%) followed by inverted comma shape (35.96%). The least common shape was oval (13.6%). The mean length of scapula was observed as 135.07±14.23mm, the mean breadth of scapula was 97.55±9.63 mm, the mean supero inferior glenoid diameter was 35.80±3.14mm, the mean antero posterior glenoid diameter 1 was 23.63±2.50mm, and the mean antero posterior glenoid diameter 2 was 16.17±2.24mm and mean glenoid cavity index was 66.40±8.14%. In all the above measurements bilateral differences was not statistically significant.Conclusions: The knowledge about the different shape and dimensions of glenoid are very important during designing and fitting of glenoid component for total shoulder arthroplasty. It is also helpful during evaluation of different pathological conditions like rotator cuff disease, osteochondral defects and Bankart lesion. Since the present study is conducted on a limited number of scapulae further cadaveric, radiological and clinical studies are indicated.

Duplication of hypoglossal canal in North Indian human skulls

Background: The hypoglossal canal is one among the permanent components of occipital bone of both human being and animal skull, which transmits the twelfth cranial nerve, meningeal branch of ascending pharyngeal artery and emissary veins. This is commonly known as anterior condylar canal. In some cases, this canal is divided by a bony spicule leading to a variant known as double hypoglossal canal. Such partition of hypoglossal canal predisposes the roots of twelfth cranial nerve to entrapment in the occipital bone during ossification which subsequently may leads to an alteration in the tongue movement as well as speech. The objectives of the present study were to obtain the incidence of the variant of double hypoglossal canal in north Indian population especially in Bihar and compare the incidence of such type of variation in skull of different parts of our country as well as various races of the world.Methods: The present study was carried out on 110 undamaged dry adult human crania of unknown age and sex for any variations in the hypoglossal canal or incidence of double hypoglossal canal.Results: We observed 15 cases (13.63%) of double hypoglossal canal in which 8 (7.27%) specimens had unilateral while 7 (6.36%) specimens had bilateral double hypoglossal canal. Double hypoglossal canal was more common in right side. In 5 cases (4.54%) unilateral bony spicules were seen.Conclusions: The study about the hypoglossal canal and its different variation is very important to clinicians, anatomist, forensic experts as well as anthropologists too. The knowledge about the different dimensions of hypoglossal canal is also very essential for neurosurgeons and radiologist for the planning of the surgeries around the posterior cranial fossa for tumors like schwannoma of hypoglossal nerve and treatment of sleep apnea syndrome. Hence the detailed morphometric study of hypoglossal canal will be helpful for the planning of surgical intervention around the base of skull becomes easier and safer

Serum electrolyte changes in major surgical trauma

Background:Operative trauma is followed by a series of changes collectively referred to as metabolic response to injury, the magnitude and duration of the response being directly proportional to the severity of the trauma. Operative trauma imposes a great impact in the physiology of fluid and electrolytes within the body. Fluid and electrolyte management has thus been an integral part of care of each and every surgical patient. In the present study, an attempt has been made to study the electrolyte changes, especially that of sodium and potassium following surgical trauma due to various surgical procedures and its implication in the principles of replacement therapy.Methods: The present study is being carried out in 50 surgical patients both male and female, of age group of 18-70 years. Serum electrolytes (Na, K, Cl, Ca and Mg) of each patient was estimated one day before operation (-1), on the day of operation (0) after surgery, next consecutive 4 postoperative days (+1, +2, +3, +4) and on 7th postoperative day (+7).Results: There occur a fall in serum sodium and chloride level on the day of operation in all cases which attain a still lower level in 1st postoperative day. Then from 2nd postoperative day onwards, there occur a gradual rise and attain preoperative value by 4th postoperative day in most cases and by 7th postoperative day in all cases. There occurs an elevation on serum potassium level from the day of operation, which becomes highest in 1st postoperative day. This follows a gradual fall in from 2nd postoperative day onwards and attains preoperative level in most cases by 4th postoperative day and in all cases by 7th postoperative day. Serum calcium and serum magnesium showed a constant serum level throughout the study period.Conclusion: There was tendency of the body to conserve sodium, chloride on the day of operation and on 1st postoperative day, while potassium is excreted from body in these days. From postoperative day onwards the trend started to attain preoperative values and completed by day 4 postoperatively. The changes in serum electrolytes were directly proportional to degree of tissue trauma or tissue handling.

TERMINALIA CHEBULA: AN EPHEMERAL GLANCE

Herbal drugs represent a major allocation of all the recognized systems of health in the world. Also, the medicinal plants have been regarded as valuable and cheap sources of various phytoconstituents which are used extensively in the development of drugs against various diseases. Terminalia chebula, commonly called as black myrobalan, ink tree, or chebulic myrobalan, is a deciduous tree belonging to the family Combretaceae, has been regarded as one of the most important medicinal plants used in medicines of ayurveda, siddha, unani and homeopathy. Numbers of phytochemical constituents have been found to be associated with the drug such as tannins, chebulinic acid, ellagic acid, gallic acid, punicalagin and flavonoids. Moreover, Terminalia chebula has been well reported to possess antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anticancerous, antiulcer, antimutagenic and wound healing activities. In addition, Terminalia chebula has been used extensively in the preparation of many Ayurvedic formulations for infectious diseases like chronic ulcer, leucorrhoea, pyorrhoea and fungal infections of the skin. The present review article has been designed to elucidate data on phytochemistry, pharmacognostic characters and pharmacological activities associated with Terminali

Study of insulin status in metabolic syndrome in correlation with presence of other risk factors

Background: The metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance syndrome is widely prevalent and multifactorial disorder. The majority of persons with metabolic syndrome have insulin resistance. Insulin resistance and / or associated hyperinsulinemia are believed to be the direct cause of other metabolic syndrome risk factors. The present work is being done to assess the insulin status and to assess the correlation between insulin status and other component of metabolic syndrome.Methods: The present work is being carried out in 112 cases of metabolic syndrome, defined as per modified NCEP ATP III (MS-4) criteria. Serum insulin of all cases was measured by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) technique.Results: It was observed that 62% of the patients of metabolic syndrome had elevated serum insulin level (Hyperinsulinemia). Hyperinsulinemia was found to be significantly associated with diastolic hypertension and HDL in males. A high association was also noted with BMI.  Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR >2.50) was significantly associated with waist circumference in males (p value<0.05).Conclusions: It was observed that metabolic syndrome is associated with elevated serum insulin levels and each component of metabolic syndrome, both biochemical as well as clinical, is associated with hyper-insulinemia and this reflects the presence of insulin resistance in subjects of study.

A morphometric study of foramen transversarium of dried cervical vertebrae

Background: Variation in number, size & shape of foramen transversarium affects the anatomical course of the vertebral vessels, which may cause pathological conditions like vertebrobasilar insufficiency.Since, inner ear derive it’s blood supply from vertebral and basilar arteries, any spasm of these arteries due to irritation of sympathetic plexus, may causes labyrinthine or hearing disturbances along with neurological symptoms. The objective of present study is to study the incidence of accessory foramen transversarium in dried cervical vertebrae in Indian population & compare it with incidence among various races of world.Methods: A total of 174 cervical vertebrae (Typical-126 & Atypical-48) of unknown sex & age are analyzed to see the accessory foramen transversarium.Results: Out of the 174 cervical vertebrae, accessory foramen transversarium is found in 25 (14.36%) vertebrae. Among these 25 vertebrae, 16 (9.19%) are typical and 9 (5.17%) are atypical cervical vertebrae. We observed in these 16 typical cervical vertebrae, 10 (5.75%) vertebrae have accessory FT on right side while 3 (1.72%) vertebrae have on left side and 3 (1.72%) vertebrae have bilateral accessory FT. Among 9 atypical cervical vertebrae, 4 (2.3%) vertebrae have accessory FT on right side while 3 (1.72%) vertebrae have on left side and 2 (1.15%) vertebrae have bilateral accessory FT. Accessory foramen transversarium are more common on right side in both typical & atypical cervical vertebrae. No any accessory FT is found on axis vertebra.Conclusion: Knowledge of accessory foramen transversarium is important for clinicians because it may affect the course of vertebral vessels & nerves, which causes various symptoms to patients. It is also helpful for spine surgeons in planning surgery around the cervical vertebrae and to avoid post-operative complications. These variations are also of importance and helpful for anatomist, anthropologist and radiologist.

An accessory brachialis muscle associated with abnormal arrangement of structures in the cubital fossa

An unusual variation of brachialis muscle was reported in the left superior extremity of a 61 year old North Indian female cadaver during routine dissection classes. It was observed that an additional belly of the accessory brachialis muscle was originated from the anteromedial surface of the shaft along with the medial supracondylar ridge of the left humerus. This additional muscle belly merged with the fibres of pronator teres in the cubital fossa & finally inserted on the lateral surface of the shaft of the radius, which was supplied by the musculocutaneous nerve. In the upper arm, the median nerve  lies along the lateral side of brachial artery but at the middle of the arm  the nerve  did not cross from lateral to medial side rather it continue along the lateral side of the brachial artery. In the lower part, they passed superficial to the brachialis muscle but lie deep to this additional slip of muscle. After separating the fibres of muscles it was found that median nerve was present just lateral to the brachial artery in the cubital fossa, its contents from medial to lateral side were brachial artery, median nerve, accessory brachialis muscle, biceps tendon and radial nerve just under cover of brachioradialis. The knowledge about these variations is helpful to physicians while facing the patients of compression neuropathy of median nerve. Before planning the surgery around the elbow joint these variations should be considered to minimize the complications. These information are also useful to interventional cardiologist while performing brachial catheterization & radiologist also who performed various radio diagnostic  procedures & angiographic studies around the cubital fossa.

Study of neck shaft angle of femur in population of Bihar

Background: Neck shaft angle is the angle formed between the long axis of shaft and long axis of neck. Neck shaft angle of femur is an important parameter considering the biomechanics of hip joint. Neck shaft angle gives important information regarding race to which they belong. Normal neck shaft angle is in the range of 1200 -1400. Objective of the study was to find out the neck shaft angle of femur and correlate with the previous study.Methods: present study was conducted on 60 dry femur collected from different medical colleges of Bihar. The neck shaft angle was measured by Goniometer.Results: In this study the neck shaft angle of femur was 130.820, in male neck shaft angle of femur was 130.280 and in females it was 131.420.Conclusions: There is no significance difference between the male and female neck shaft angle. Orthopaedists use the normal range and mean of the neck shaft angle in diagnosis and treatment of the disease of hip. The angle is increased in poliomyelitis, congenital subluxation and dislocation of hip and decreased in congenital coxa vara

Business precepts of Islam: the lawful and unlawful business transactions according to Shariah

The lawful or permissible (halal) and unlawful or prohibited (haram) transactions in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) are presented in this chapter. The rationale behind all of these tenets of business practices in Islamic economic system is bound by the fact that everything that is good and beneficial for the society is lawful and permissible and anything that causes harm or menace to the society is unlawful and prohibited. This is the foundation of Islamic business precept and quintessentially forms the ethical system in Islam. Some of the general rulings regarding the tenets of business transactions will be discussed in light of the Shariah-Islamic social/legal system and the basis for such decrees