Trade Liberalization and Industrial Growth in Pakistan: Co integration Analysis (1990-2017

Free trade is the absence of any restrictions either through import duties or otherwise of the commercial movements of the goods and services as well as of the finances between a particular country and the rest of the world. The importance of trade is typically expressed relative to the size of a country’s economy. Through this paper we will analyze the attempts in Pakistan to liberalize her foreign trade regime. We apply co integration analysis, which will tell us about the long run relationship between trade liberalization and industrial growth. The time period of the study has been set 1990-2017 and the Error Correction Model after the existence of co-integration is applied showing the speed of adjustment i.e. the lag of error term has been found negative and significant with existence of long run relationship between trade liberalization and Industrial Growth in Pakistan with a convergence mode of relationship that confirmed that in case of any structural change or policy shocks the relationship can be bring back to its normal position with an speed of -0.21

Trade Liberalization and Industrial Growth in Pakistan: Co integration Analysis (1990-2017

Free trade is the absence of any restrictions either through import duties or otherwise of the commercial movements of the goods and services as well as of the finances between a particular country and the rest of the world. The importance of trade is typically expressed relative to the size of a country’s economy. Through this paper we will analyze the attempts in Pakistan to liberalize her foreign trade regime. We apply co integration analysis, which will tell us about the long run relationship between trade liberalization and industrial growth. The time period of the study has been set 1990-2017 and the Error Correction Model after the existence of co-integration is applied showing the speed of adjustment i.e. the lag of error term has been found negative and significant with existence of long run relationship between trade liberalization and Industrial Growth in Pakistan with a convergence mode of relationship that confirmed that in case of any structural change or policy shocks the relationship can be bring back to its normal position with an speed of -0.21

Spatiotemporal variation and socioeconomic factors of financial hardships of out-of-pocket health expenditure in Pakistan

Background: Financial hardships of out-of-pocket health expenditure (OPHE) is a growing concern for health policy makers in many low and middle-income countries. Spatiotemporal variation between Pakistan\u27s four provinces over 2001-2015 is discussed, which would help comparing existing health services delivery and financial risk protection plans.Aims: In this paper, we estimate financial hardship of OPHE in Pakistan.Methods: We use the data sets of the household integrated economic surveys 2001-02, 2005-06, 2010-11 and 2015-16. We estimate OPHE share in household total and non-subsistence expenditure, catastrophic headcount at the threshold of OPHE ≥ 10% of total expenditure or OPHE ≥ 25% of non-subsistence expenditure. We estimate impoverishment of OPHE using national poverty lines. Finally, we explore socioeconomic factors of financial hardships of OPHE.Results: Over the years, catastrophic headcount and impoverishment of OPHE had decreased at national level (-1.3% points) and in the provinces of Sindh (-7.8% points) and Khyber Pukhtoonkhawa (KPK), (-2.8% points). The province of KPK and the year 2005-06 witnessed the highest incidence of financial catastrophe (26.89% points) and impoverishment (4.8% points) of OPHE. Households in rural areas, in the middle and rich quintiles and those headed by a male were more likely to encounter financial catastrophe and impoverishment due to OPHE.Conclusion: Inter-provincial variation in financial hardships of OPHE provide aide to provincial level priority setting. The high impact of OPHE in the non-poor, in rural areas, and in KPK calls for enhanced targeting of financial risk protection plans

Design and Development of Small-Molecule Arylaldoxime/5-Nitroimidazole Hybrids as Potent Inhibitors of MARK4: a Promising Approach for Target-Based Cancer Therapy

[Abstract] Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4 (MARK4), a member of the serine/threonine kinase family, is an emerging therapeutic target in anticancer drug discovery paradigm due to its involvement in regulation of microtubule dynamics, cell cycle regulation, and cancer progression. Therefore, to identify the novel chemical architecture for the design and development of novel MARK4 inhibitors with concomitant radical scavenging property, a series of small-molecule arylaldoxime/5-nitroimidazole conjugates were designed and synthesized via multistep chemical reactions following the pharmacophoric hybridization approach. Compound 4h was identified as a promising MARK4 inhibitor with high selectivity toward MARK4 inhibition as compared to the panel of screened 30 kinases pertaining to the serine/threonine family, which was validated by molecular docking and fluorescence binding studies. The comprehensive cell-based examination divulged the promising apoptotic, antiproliferative, and antioxidant potential for the chemotype 4h. The compound 4h was endowed with the Ka value of 3.6 × 103 M–1 for human serum albumin, which reflects its remarkable transportation and delivery properties to the target site via blood. The present study impedes that in the future, such compounds may stand as optimized pharmacological lead candidates in drug discovery for targeting cancer via MARK4 inhibition with a remarkable anticancer profile.Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (India); 09/466 (0220) 2K19 EMR-IGovernment of India; EMR/2015/002372Government of India; BT/PR12828/AAQ/1/622/2015Indian Council of Medical Research; 45/9/2019-PHA/BM

Microstructure Evaluation and Impurities in La Containing Silicon Oxynitrides

Oxynitride glasses are not yet commercialised primarily due to the impurities present in the network of these glasses. In this work, we investigated the microstructure and instinctive defects in nitrogen rich La-Si-O-N glasses. Glasses were prepared by heating a powder mixture of pure La metal, Si3N4, and SiO2 in a nitrogen atmosphere at 1650-1800 °C. The microstructure and impurities in the glasses were examined by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy in conjunction with electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Analyses showed that the glasses contain a small amount of spherical metal silicide particles, mostly amorphous or poorly crystalline, and having sizes typically ranging from 1 µm and less. The amount of silicide was estimated to be less than 2 vol. %. There was no systematic relation between silicide formation and glass composition or preparation temperature. The microstructure examination revealed that the opacity of these nitrogen rich glasses is due to the elemental Si arise from the decomposition reaction of silicon nitride and silicon oxide, at a high temperature above ~1600 °C and from the metallic silicide particles formed by the reduction of silicon oxide and silicon nitride at an early stage of reaction to form a silicide intermetallic with the La metal

Phase analysis and microstructure study of sintered Ni-Cr composites containing MoS2, Ag and CaF2 additives as solid lubricants

Ni-Cr based composites with and without the addition of solid lubricants (MoS2, Ag and CaF2) were prepared by powder metallurgy method. The samples were sintered at different temperatures (1000oC, 1100oC and 1200oC) under controlled atmosphere and various holding times. The physical properties such as sintered density, relative density and porosity were studied. The microstructures and phase studies of the Ni-Cr based composites were conducted using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD) while the hardness of the composites was measured by the Vickers Micro Hardness Tester. The results revealed that as the sintering temperature was increased, the sintered density, relative density and hardness also increased while the porosity was reduced. At the sintering temperature of 1200oC, the relative density reached its maximum value. SEM and XRD analysis confirmed the existence of MoS2 and Ag in sintered samples. MoS2 and Ag were not mainly dissolved and/or decomposed even after sintering at 1200o

Patient delay in breast cancer diagnosis in two hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan: Preventive and life-saving measures needed

Purpose: Patients with breast cancer in Pakistan commonly present with advanced disease. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the frequency and length of delays in seeking medical consultation and to assess the factors associated with them.Methods: Four hundred ninety-nine patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer were enrolled and interviewed over the period from February 2015 to August 2017. Information on sociodemographic factors, delay to medical consultation, stage of breast cancer at presentation, and tumor characteristics of the breast cancer were collected through face-to-face interviews and medical file review.Results: The mean (standard deviation) age of patients with breast cancer was 48.0 (12.3) years. The mean (standard deviation) patient delay was 15.7 (25.9) months, with 55.2% of women detecting a breast lump but not seeking a medical consultation because of a lack of awareness about the significance of the lump. A total of 9.4% of the women decided to seek treatment initially using complementary and alternative medicine and traditional treatment; 9.4% of the women presented to a health care provider with a breast lump but no action was taken, and they were wrongly reassured about the lump without mammography or biopsy. For 26% of the women, the delay in presentation was caused by anxiety, fears and misconceptions regarding diagnosis and treatment, and other social factors including possible adverse effects on their relationship with their husband. Multivariable analysis showed a strong association of lower socioeconomic status (odds ratio [OR], 8.11 [95% CI, 2.46 to 26.69]) and late stage of breast cancer (OR, 4.83 [95% CI, 1.74 to 13.39]) with a patient delay of ≥ 3 months.Conclusion: Patient delay is a serious problem in Pakistan. There is an urgent need for intensive and comprehensive breast cancer education that addresses the myths and misconceptions related to breast cancer

A multicenter case control study of association of vitamin D with breast cancer among women in Karachi, Pakistan

Background: The prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy and breast cancer are both high among women living in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: A matched case control study was conducted in two hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan to evaluate the association of vitamin D (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D) concentrations, vitamin D supplementation and sun exposure with breast cancer among Pakistani women. A total of 411 newly diagnosed histologically confirmed primary breast cancer cases were enrolled and 784 controls, free of breast and any other cancers, were matched by age (year of birth ± 5 years), residence in the same geographic area and study site. Information was collected on sociodemographic history, history of vitamin D supplementation, past medical and obstetrical history, family history of breast cancer, sun exposure history, histopathology reports and anthropometric measurement and venous blood was collected to measure serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration. Results: Compared to patients with sufficient serum vitamin D (\u3e30 ng/ml), women with serum vitamin D deficiency (\u3c20ng/ml), had a higher risk of breast cancer (OR = 1.65, 95%CI: 1.10, 2.50). Women with history of vitamin D supplementation one year prior to enrollment, had significant protective effect against breast cancer (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.43). Conclusions and Recommendation: Serum vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased risk of breast cancer, while vitamin D supplementation was associated with decreased risk of breast cancer. In Pakistani women, where vitamin D deficiency is common, raising and maintaining serum vitamin D at population level is a safe and affordable strategy. It may play a role in reducing the incidence of both vitamin D deficiency and breast cancer, particularly among poor women where the breast cancer mortality is highest due to limited resources for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. The effects of vitamin D with regard to breast cancer risk in Karachi Pakistan should be further evaluated

The Low Velocity Impact Properties of Pandanus Fiber Composites

The impact properties of biodegradable Pandanus atrocarpus composite laminate is studied. Laminate samples were fabricated using a hot compression molding technique with high-density polyethylene and extracted Pandanus fiber. Pandanus composites were tested under impact loading in order to study their relative impact performance. Under low velocity impact loading, Pandanus fiber laminates offered an excellent resistance to impact penetration. Tests have shown that increasing the volume fraction of Pandanus fiber can enhance the toughness of the composite. The biodegradable composites imply attractive properties that may be accessible for use in engineering sectors