The monetary transmission mechanism in Pakistan: a sectoral analysis

The present paper takes a first step in investigating the monetary transmission mechanism in Pakistan at a sectoral level. Using quarterly data spanning from 1973:1 to 2003:4, we examine whether monetary policy shocks have different sectoral effects. Taking note of structural transformation of the economy and the monetary and financial reforms during 1990s, we also assess whether the reform process has notable impact on the monetary transmission mechanism. We find evidence supporting sector-specific variation in the real effects of monetary policy. Our results also suggest significant changes in the transmission of monetary shock to real sector of the economy during post-reform period.Monetary transmission mechanism; VAR; Pakistan; Sectoral analysis

Graph Based Semi-supervised Learning with Convolution Neural Networks to Classify Crisis Related Tweets

During time-critical situations such as natural disasters, rapid classification of data posted on social networks by affected people is useful for humanitarian organizations to gain situational awareness and to plan response efforts. However, the scarcity of labeled data in the early hours of a crisis hinders machine learning tasks thus delays crisis response. In this work, we propose to use an inductive semi-supervised technique to utilize unlabeled data, which is often abundant at the onset of a crisis event, along with fewer labeled data. Specif- ically, we adopt a graph-based deep learning framework to learn an inductive semi-supervised model. We use two real-world crisis datasets from Twitter to evaluate the proposed approach. Our results show significant improvements using unlabeled data as compared to only using labeled data.Comment: 5 pages. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1805.0515

Screening-Limited Response of NanoBiosensors

Despite tremendous potential of highly sensitive electronic detection of bio-molecules by nanoscale biosensors for genomics and proteomic applications, many aspects of experimentally observed sensor response (S) are unexplained within consistent theoretical frameworks of kinetic response or electrical screening. In this paper, we combine analytic solutions of Poisson-Boltzmann and reaction-diffusion equations to show that the electrical response of nanobiosensor varies logarithmically with the concentration of target molecules, time, the salt concentration, and inversely with the fractal dimension of sensor surface. Our analysis provides a coherent theoretical interpretation of wide variety of puzzling experimental data that have so far defied intuitive explanation.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

Post- Operative Recovery Profile after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Comparing Inhalational Versus Intravenous Anaesthetic Regimen

Background: To compare inhalational anaesthetic regimen with intravenous regimen with regard to post operative recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy Methods: In this comparative study 166 patients were selected by lottery and assigned into two groups. Induction was done with sevoflurane 8% in 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen (group-A) and propofol 2mg/kg (group-B).All patients had volume controlled ventilation and standard monitoring.Before shifting Fast Track criteria was used inside operating room and Post Anaesthesia Discharge score employed in recovery area. Spearman’s Rank correlation was used to check interdependence between the two recovery scores i.e.Fast-Track criteria and Post Anaesthesia Discharge score in both groups. Results: Fast track criteria and post op anaesthesia scores were equal in both groups.Inhalation induction(group-A) was slightly slower as compared to intravenous induction with propofol (group-B) but a higher incidence of un-expected movement/cough was noted during propofol induction as compared to sevoflurane. ASA physical status classes of both groups are identical. Though different anaesthesia techniques were used in both groups while standardizing anaesthetic maintenance factors and per-operative medications, no clinical superiority in recovery times was noted in ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The value of correlation co-efficient(r) was .372 and .556 respectively in both groups and significant at 0.01 level

Fundamentals of PV Efficiency Interpreted by a Two-Level Model

Elementary physics of photovoltaic energy conversion in a two-level atomic PV is considered. We explain the conditions for which the Carnot efficiency is reached and how it can be exceeded! The loss mechanisms - thermalization, angle entropy, and below-bandgap transmission - explain the gap between Carnot efficiency and the Shockley-Queisser limit. Wide varieties of techniques developed to reduce these losses (e.g., solar concentrators, solar-thermal, tandem cells, etc.) are reinterpreted by using a two level model. Remarkably, the simple model appears to capture the essence of PV operation and reproduce the key results and important insights that are known to the experts through complex derivations.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Gender Wise Distribution of Income Using L-Moments Method

The main purpose of this work is to explore the income distribution of both male and female in Pakistan over the period of 2010-2011. For this purpose, the lognormal distribution with known parameters is used as a model and its unknown parameters are estimated by three methods that are likelihood, moments and L-moments. The results show that citizens of Pakistan are not equal in income and the probability plot suggested that the income of the male is greater than that of a female in Pakistan. Moreover, for small sample size, the best method of parameters estimation is the L-moments, while, for large sample size the best method is a maximum likelihood. Findings of the study suggest that suitable policy is required to maintain equality in income distribution in the country. It will consequently reduce the gap among rich and poor and will certainly improve social welfare

The Combined Effect of Market Orientation and Owner/Manager's Innovativeness on Innovation and Business Performance of Small and Medium Sized Manufacturing Firms in Pakistan

The study investigated various aspects of market orientation and owner/manager's innovativeness relationship with innovation and performance in the small and medium sized manufacturing firms in Pakistan. The objectives of the study were 1) to examine the relationship and effect of market orientation and owner/managers innovativeness in relation to innovation and performance, 2) to examine the relationship and effect of innovation in relation to performance, 3) to examine the combined effect of owner/managers innovativeness and market orientation in relation to innovation and performance, and 4) to examine the level of owner/manager's innovativeness and market orientation based on firm's and respondent's characteristics. This study used owner/manager's innovativeness, market orientation and innovation as they relate to firm overall performance. The innovativeness constructs used to measure the owner/manager's innovativeness and domain specific innovativeness had been widely used in consumer research studies. Based on the theories of Ricardian (1871), Penrose (1959), Schumpeter (1934) and Roger's Adoption of Innovation concept (2003), a model of relationship was proposed and developed to examine the relationships between market orientation, owner/manager's innovativeness, innovation and the small and medium sized firms' performance. To test the relationship of the variables in the model, data from 170 textile and apparel/garment manufacturing small and medium sized firms in Karachi-Pakistan were used. To test the relationship hypotheses of the study, correlation, multiple regression analysis, T-test and ANOVA were performed. The correlation analysis suggested a significant and positive relationship among all the four variables used in the model. Multiple regression analysis result indicated that owner/manager's general innovativeness as well as innovativeness in product-strategy and process domain has a significant influence on the overall innovation. The general innovativeness and innovativeness in product-strategy domain also significantly influenced the firm performance. Results from correlation and multiple regression analysis further suggested that market orientation and its three components appeared to be associated directly with innovations and firm performance. However customer orientation, which is one of the key variables, appeared to cause a main effect on firm overall innovation and also SMEs overall performance. It is also proven in this study that among the three innovation strategies, only product innovation significantly influenced the firm performance. One-way ANOVA results indicated that a significant difference of the level of owner/manger's general innovativeness and domain specific innovativeness in product-strategy and process domain. The result confirmed that younger managers and owners with higher qualification had better scores on innovativeness scale than the older and less qualified owner/managers. Other results of One-way ANOVA indicated that export oriented manufacturers were more market oriented than the non-export oriented. The results findings further confirmed that small and medium-sized firms can be market oriented at any stage of their life cycle and did not need to be established firms in the industry for being market oriented. Findings of this study showed that owner/manager's innovativeness permeated all the variables in the model and had a positive influence to market orientation, innovation and firm performance. The study confirmed the existence of the linear relationship between all the variables and in relation to SMEs performance, and further suggested that manufacturing textile SMEs must focus on innovative owners and managers, who could build a strong market orientation culture for the firm and greater level of adoptions of innovations and firm performance

Eco-material Rifts in South Asian Anglophone Fiction

I examine how South Asian Anglophone fiction represents the evolution and derangement of postcolonial ecologies, especially how unrelenting colonial and capitalist interventions affect the symbiotic relationship between subaltern people and nonhuman entities. The conceptual methodology develops from Karl Marx’s theory of “metabolic rift,” which illustrates how capitalist exportation of crops causes loss of important soil nutrients because the nutrients are consumed in distant locations and not returned to the original soil. My concept of “eco-material rifts” extends Marx’s idea to contend that the “rifts” have grown into more complicated and difficult to remediate modes of material rifts today. I scrutinize the ways in which South Asian authors, such as Amitav Ghosh and Indra Sinha, expand the concept of rifts in writing on the multilayered consequences of colonial and postcolonial exploitation. These eco-material rifts include dislocation of marginalized entities, organized drugging and demolition of human bodies, discriminatory displacement of humans based on their class, gender and race, toxification of ecological sites and human bodies, and the formation of psychological rifts that prompt replication of colonial violence of the past. The selected texts not only offer plural perspectives on pressing ecological concerns of postcolonial locations but also suggest narratives of resistance from subaltern viewpoints. Such integration of local perspectives, I argue, demonstrates that the complexity of postcolonial ecologies can enrich global environmentalism and foreground the question of environmental justice for the victimized communities. The epilogue examines pedagogical angles of teaching South Asian fiction through the lens of eco-material rifts