Evaluating the effectiveness of foreign capital flows in mitigation of gender inequality in Developing countries

Over the decades, foreign capital inflows (FCIs) have been contributing to the economic growth and development of underdeveloped and developing economies. However, it is imperative to inspect the effect of FCIs on gender inequality (GI). The latter includes SDG 5 which addresses the elimination of GI in all its forms. The existing empirical literature on the relationship between FCI-GI nexus shows mixed results. The current study scrutinized the effects of FCIs on GI in a panel of 71 developing economies for the time period 2001-2019. The study used the system generalized methods of moments (GMM) for model estimation. The positive and significant impact of remittances on G I was explored. It was found that official development assistance (ODA) caused an increase in GI in developing economies. The results showed that gross domestic product (GDP) and trade openness (TOP) increased GI. However, good governance was found to reduce GI in developing economies. The outcomes provide a guideline for the role of FCIs in reducing GI in developing economies

LUMINANT ENVIRONMENT IN RELATION TO ENERGY, COST AND CUSTOMER EFFICIENCY IN UPSCALE RESTAURANT SETTINGS

Restaurant is a place to accommodate a person to fulfill his needs of hunger. But a restaurant accompanies other factors along with hunger like interior, service, acoustics, timings etc. to satisfy customers. The most prominent feature of interior is light which enhances the beauty of a place. The lighting requires to be designed properly, the more efficient luminant environment, the more customers are expected in an eating place. This study analyzes the two lighting designs in view of their energy efficiency and cost which are concluded on the price and increase in number of customers in restaurant settings. The Lahore View (R1), restaurant’s specialty is rope lights in blue color along with spot lights. The second one i.e. Jasmine restaurant (R2) is specific with its chandeliers and spot lights. The use of spot lights enhances the functionality – reduced energy consumption and efficient. The items such as rope lights and chandeliers are installed for aesthetics to attract customers. The conclusion is that lighting in R1 is more energy efficient and cost effective than R2 but the customers increase in almost equal ratio in both restaurants in changed lighting. That means the properly installed lighting can increase the business and this experiment can also be effective on other retailers

LUMINANT ENVIRONMENT IN RELATION TO ENERGY, COST AND CUSTOMER EFFICIENCY IN UPSCALE RESTAURANT SETTINGS

Restaurant is a place to accommodate a person to fulfill his needs of hunger. But a restaurant accompanies other factors along with hunger like interior, service, acoustics, timings etc. to satisfy customers. The most prominent feature of interior is light which enhances the beauty of a place. The lighting requires to be designed properly, the more efficient luminant environment, the more customers are expected in an eating place. This study analyzes the two lighting designs in view of their energy efficiency and cost which are concluded on the price and increase in number of customers in restaurant settings. The Lahore View (R1), restaurant’s specialty is rope lights in blue color along with spot lights. The second one i.e. Jasmine restaurant (R2) is specific with its chandeliers and spot lights. The use of spot lights enhances the functionality – reduced energy consumption and efficient. The items such as rope lights and chandeliers are installed for aesthetics to attract customers. The conclusion is that lighting in R1 is more energy efficient and cost effective than R2 but the customers increase in almost equal ratio in both restaurants in changed lighting. That means the properly installed lighting can increase the business and this experiment can also be effective on other retailers

Data envelopment analysis with production trade-offs : the case of microfinance institutions

The success of microfinancing methodology, as a development tool for poverty alleviation, has been accompanied by a number of challenges. These challenges have resulted in increasing concerns about performance of those entities that act as vehicles for delivering microfinance, i.e. the microfinance institutions (MFIs). A major problem in this regard relates to selection of appropriate technique/s for evaluating MFIs’ performance. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is an established nonparametric methodology that has been used to assess the performance of MFIs. This study proposes a significant extension to standard DEA models. This is achieved by the identification of various trade-offs between the inputs and outputs and their subsequent incorporation in the DEA models. With this application, the current study contributes to existing knowledge in the field of operational research; by providing practical demonstration of the procedure, through which the trade-off approach can be used to enrich standard DEA models. The improvement to standard DEA models is accomplished through incorporation of additional information, in the form of technologically realistic trade offs. In addition, application of the trade-off approach is shown to help in overcoming the problem of insufficient discrimination; resulting from having a relatively small number of DMUS, in comparison to the total number of input and output variables. The current study also proposes a framework for DEA-based performance evaluation of MFIs. This framework acknowledges the need to evaluate both the social and financial dimensions of MFIs, in order to achieve a more holistic view of their performance. For this purpose, the social and financial performance aspects of a group of MFIs’, working in an under-researched economy, are analysed individually as well as simultaneously. A comparison of the efficiency scores is also used for investigating the conflict compatibility dilemma, which is a frequently discussed issue in the microfinance literature

Spectrum of Bacterial Pathogens Isolated from Burn Wound Patients

Objectives: To find out the spectrum of bacterial pathogens isolated from pus samples of infected burn sites and to come across the sample collection according to post burn day and distribution of Gram positive and negative isolates in samples in relation to time of collection.Methodology: It is a prospective, non-randomized, descriptive study conducted at Microbiology laboratory, Pathology department and burn care center (BCC), Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad for 4 months, from 2nd April to 3rd August 2013. One hundred and ten clinical isolates from 68 patients were collected. Sample collection from referred patients was done at the time of admission and from admitted patients was done during changing their dressings. The sample collected was immediately transferred to the Pathology laboratory and submitted for Culturing. The samples were inoculated on Blood agar and MacConkey agar (Oxoid USA) and incubated aerobically at 35+ 2 0C for 18 -48 hours. After incubation the pathogens were identified with the help of colonial Morphology, gram stain reaction, biochemical tests, and API 20E. Results: Out of 68 samples 110 burn wound pathogens were isolated. 47% of the samples yielded single etiological agent whereas the rest of 53 % had polymicrobial etiology. Gram negatives were in majority 81.82% and Gram positives were18.18 %. The samples in which only one isolate was obtained were 32. Amongst them P. aeruginosa was isolated in (65.6%) of samples. In 31 samples two isolates were obtained. In such samples coexistence of P .aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae was most prevalent i.e. in 10 (32.25%). There were only five samples in which more than two isolates were obtained. Amongst Gram negatives were the predominant bacterial pathogens out of them P. aeruginosa were 53 %. MRSA made the major bulk of Gram positives that is 65 %, the rest 35% were Staph aureus MSSA. Gram positives were isolated more in the first week samples i.e. 30% as compared to the subsequent weeks.Conclusion: It was concluded that more than 80 % of bacterial isolates of burn wound infections were Gram negative and less than 20% were Gram positive i-e Staphylococcus aureus

Clinical Accuracy of Inflammatory Markers Combined with Ultrasound in Acute Appendicitis

Objective: To determine the clinical accuracy of inflammatory markers combined with ultrasound, in acute appendicitis keeping histopathology as gold standard.Study design: Cross Sectional (validation) study.Study setting: Surgical B ward, Department of Surgery Khyber teaching hospital Peshawar.Duration of Study: 07 months i.e from 1st September 2014 to 31st of Mar, 2015Methodology: All patients having acute appendicitis were subjected to blood sampling for CRP, TLC and neutrophil%. After that all these patients were subjected to ultrasonography to detect the presence or absence of appendicitis. All removed appendices were sent for histopathology which was taken as the gold standard.Results In the present study, TLC had the highest sensitivity (77.68%) followed by neutrophil% (69.96%), CRP (67.10%) and U/Sound (62.96%) respectively. While U/Sound had the highest specificity (70.59%) followed by CRP and TLC (64.71% each) and neutrophil% (58.82%) respectively. When all the four tests were combined   the sensitivity, specificity, (99.17% and 98.45%) increased significantly. It was seen that when all the four tests were negative, appendicitis could be safely ruled out and surgery could be deferred in these patients.It would reduce the rate of negative appendicectomies.Conclusion: TLC  contains  important  diagnostic   information  and  hence  should  always  be included in  the diagnostic  workup of  acute appendicitis.  The sensitivity of   CRP and Neut. % is low individually, but when combined with TLC and u/sound the sensitivity and specificity increases significantly. But it is stressed that history and clinical examination by a skilled surgeon still remain important in diagnosing acute appendicitis, and its importance cannot be denied. The investigations can be used as an adjuvant to a surgeon’s clinical diagnosis

KCNQ1 rs2237895 polymorphism is associated with Gestational Diabetes in Pakistani Women

Background and Objective: Genetic studies on gestational diabetes (GDM) are relatively scarce; moreover, limited data is available for KCNQ1 polymorphism in Pakistani pregnant women. We aimed to determine the frequency of KCNQ1 rs2237895 in GDM and normal pregnant controls and its association with GDM-related phenotypes.Methods: A total of 637 pregnant females (429 controls and 208 cases) in their second trimester were classified according to the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study criteria in this study. Their blood samples were genotyped for KCNQ1 SNP rs2237895 using PCR-RFLP method and sequencing. Fasting and two hour-post glucose load blood levels, serum HbA1c, insulin, and anthropometric assessment was performed.: Pearson\u27s Chi Square test, Mann- Whitney U test, and regression analyses were performed. A p-value of \u3c 0.05 was considered significant.Results: The variant genotyped was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p \u3e 0.05). The rs2237895 showed an association with GDM (OR 2.281; 1.388-3.746: p \u3c 0.001) and remained significant after multiple adjustments for age and body mass index (OR 2.068; 1.430-2.997: p=0.005). The C allele showed positive association with insulin level, and HOMA-IR in study subjects.Conclusions: This study identifies that KCNQ1 rs2237895 polymorphisms might be associated with risk of GDM in Pakistani population and that it is related to higher glucose levels and insulin resistance. Further large scale studies are required to consolidate on the functional aspect of this polymorphism

Indo-US Strategic Partnership: Implications for Pakistan

In the scheme of American grand strategy for the ‘new world order’, India has emerged as the most powerful regional ally. The emerging “strategic partnership” between the US and India is based on a shared view for democracy and concerns about the threat of global terrorism as well as mutual unease considering the long-term implications of the rise of China in Asia and beyond. US and India have complementary economic and strategic security interests as the former desires to maintain her economic and military supremacy in the world. India on her part wants to develop security ties with America to facilitate her becoming dominant regional and global power in the foreseeable future. Shared perception about ‘terrorism’ has further cemented their relations where India promptly endorses US stance on “War on Terrorism” with a hope to turn US interests to its advantage by labeling freedom struggle in Kashmir as Pakistan sponsored insurgency. Reflections of converging interests include: US-India Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) initiative, signing of 123 Nuclear Agreement, missile defense, and ten-year defense framework agreement that calls for expanding bilateral security cooperation. Pakistan cannot afford to remain oblivious to these developments due to their security implications. Enhanced capacity building of Indian armed forces and nuclear collaborations may undermine the deterrent value of Pakistan's conventional and nuclear weapons. A combination of pragmatic foreign policy backed with credible conventional and nuclear deterrence could serve desired national security interests. While remaining strategically relevant to US, Islamabad will have to continue to cultivate good relationship with Beijing. On internal front, Pakistan must revive her economy and achieve more national cohesion so as to offset the negative effects of Indo-US strategic convergence

Oral Ulcers Presentation in Systemic Diseases: An Update

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of oral ulceration is always challenging and has been the source of difficulty because of the remarkable overlap in their clinical presentations. AIM: The objective of this review article is to provide updated knowledge and systemic approach regarding oral ulcers diagnosis depending upon clinical picture while excluding the other causative causes. METHODS: For this, specialised databases and search engines involving Science Direct, Medline Plus, Scopus, PubMed and authentic textbooks were used to search topics related to the keywords such as oral ulcer, oral infections, vesiculobullous lesion, traumatic ulcer, systematic disease and stomatitis. Associated articles published from 1995 to 2019 in both dental and medical journals including the case reports, case series, original articles and reviews were considered. RESULTS: The compilation of the significant data reveals that ulcers can be classified according to (i) duration of onset, (ii) number of ulcers and (iii) etiological factors. Causation of oral ulcers varies from slight trauma to underlying systemic diseases and malignancies. CONCLUSION: Oral manifestations must be acknowledged for precise diagnosis and appropriate treatment

Technological Dramas and the Punjab Police: The Downfall of Front Desk

Electronic dependence and utilization have been emerging as one of the driving forces towards departmental growth and development in this new era of globalization and modernization in Punjab police. The Front Desk (FD) project has a sign of change in Punjab police. It was changing the face of the police from the very first day it was started, but with the passage of time, it has changed its motive and began to change in the color of police. Hence, this paper highlights the issues and their solutions regarding the implementation and utilization of the FD project in the Punjab police department. It also highlights the working of Punjab police with and without FD and the importance of FD in the police department to delivering the grievance and of analysis the true nature of crimes. It discusses various aspects of police department myths and mistakes undertaken by the Punjab police officials and suggests various solutions for changing the face of the department. Keywords: Front Desk Project, Information Technology, Police Culture, Policing, Police Myths, Working of FD, Training & Development. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/11-1-07 Publication date: February 28th 202