The macroeconomics of public sector deficits : the case of Pakistan

For almost twenty years, Pakistan's fiscal deficit, at about 7 percent of GNP, averaged nearly twice the level for Asian countries as a whole. This paper examines the causes of Pakistan's fiscal deficits. The authors examine why, despite these deficits, the country's macroeconomic performance has been surprisingly good. The equilibrium deficit is estimated to have been quite high in recent years (about 5.5 percent of GNP), despite a low inflation rate, because of a very high underlying rate of growth of real output (about 6 percent a year). This allowed a fairly rapid expansion of debt without recourse to inflationary finance. To gain additional insight into the role of fiscal deficit in Pakistan, the authors analyze how alternative fiscal policies would have affected the country's economic performance during the 1980s. They find that : i) reducing the deficit by cutting public expenditure could have had a favorable effect on the trade balance, but at a cost to economic growth and with few price payoffs; ii) increasing tax revenues could achieve a similar external adjustment while reducing the output cost; and iii) altering the composition of deficit financing would have predictable results - shifting to more money financing would mean higher prices, lower interest rates, and higher growth.Environmental Economics&Policies,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Economic Theory&Research,Economic Stabilization,Banks&Banking Reform

Research Notes : Frequency of spectrum of visible mutations induced by gamma rays in soybean

Although mutation studies are very common in most of the crop plants, soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merrill.) has received comparatively little attention by the mutation breeders. In view of this, systematic mutation studies were started at Ranchi Agriculture College, Kanke. The present study reports the effect of ganma rays on the frequency and spectrum of visible mutations in soybean. Materials and methods: Seeds of a soybean variety Sepaya Black, brought to uniform moisture content, were irradiated with ganma rays at Fertilizer Corporation of India, Sindri, Dhanbad (Bihar) at a dose of 10 kr, 20 kr, 30 kr, and 40 kr

Haloferax volcanii for biotechnology applications: challenges, current state and perspectives

© 2019, The Author(s). Haloferax volcanii is an obligate halophilic archaeon with its origin in the Dead Sea. Simple laboratory culture conditions and a wide range of genetic tools have made it a model organism for studying haloarchaeal cell biology. Halophilic enzymes of potential interest to biotechnology have opened up the application of this organism in biocatalysis, bioremediation, nanobiotechnology, bioplastics and the biofuel industry. Functionally active halophilic proteins can be easily expressed in a halophilic environment, and an extensive genetic toolkit with options for regulated protein overexpression has allowed the purification of biotechnologically important enzymes from different halophiles in H. volcanii. However, corrosion mediated damage caused to stainless-steel bioreactors by high salt concentrations and a tendency to form biofilms when cultured in high volume are some of the challenges of applying H. volcanii in biotechnology. The ability to employ expressed active proteins in immobilized cells within a porous biocompatible matrix offers new avenues for exploiting H. volcanii in biotechnology. This review critically evaluates the various application potentials, challenges and toolkits available for using this extreme halophilic organism in biotechnology

Neglected Heterogeneity and Dynamics in Cross-country Savings Regressions

This paper examines the extent to which the conclusions of cross-country studies of private savings are robust to allowing for the possible heterogeneity of savings behaviour across countries and for the inclusion of dynamics. It reviews the econometric implications of neglected slope heterogeneity and dynamics for the fixed effects estimators routinely used in such studies, and illustrates the nature and extent of the biases involved by a re-examination of time series data from 21 OECD countries. The paper shows that neglecting heterogeneity and dynamics in cross-country savings regressions can lead to misleading inferences about the key determinants of savings behaviour. The results indicate that among the many variables considered in the literature only the fiscal variables - the general government surplus as a proportion of GDP and the ratio of government consumption to GDP - seem to be the key determinants of private savings rates in the industrial countries in the post-World War II periodSavings behaviour, Cross-country studies. Slope heterogeneity, Dynamics, Panel data models

Spatial prediction of malaria prevalence in an endemic area of Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria is a major public health burden in Southeastern Bangladesh, particularly in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region. Malaria is endemic in 13 districts of Bangladesh and the highest prevalence occurs in Khagrachari (15.47%).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A risk map was developed and geographic risk factors identified using a Bayesian approach. The Bayesian geostatistical model was developed from previously identified individual and environmental covariates (p < 0.2; age, different forest types, elevation and economic status) for malaria prevalence using WinBUGS 1.4. Spatial correlation was estimated within a Bayesian framework based on a geostatistical model. The infection status (positives and negatives) was modeled using a Bernoulli distribution. Maps of the posterior distributions of predicted prevalence were developed in geographic information system (GIS).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Predicted high prevalence areas were located along the north-eastern areas, and central part of the study area. Low to moderate prevalence areas were predicted in the southwestern, southeastern and central regions. Individual age and nearness to fragmented forest were associated with malaria prevalence after adjusting the spatial auto-correlation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A Bayesian analytical approach using multiple enabling technologies (geographic information systems, global positioning systems, and remote sensing) provide a strategy to characterize spatial heterogeneity in malaria risk at a fine scale. Even in the most hyper endemic region of Bangladesh there is substantial spatial heterogeneity in risk. Areas that are predicted to be at high risk, based on the environment but that have not been reached by surveys are identified.</p

Attitudes and practices of postgraduate medical trainees towards research--a snapshot from Faisalabad

Objective: To assess the attitudes and practices of postgraduate medical trainees towards research.Methods: It was a self-administered questionnaire based cross-sectional survey conducted on 55 conveniently selected trainees in Allied Hospital, Faisalabad.Results: Only 11 trainees read journals monthly, seven had written an article for a journal, 51 regarded reading literature important, 39 intended to engage in future research and 37 said they received inappropriate research training. The major reasons cited for poor research activity in Pakistan were poor research training and awareness.CONCLUSION: Though the attitudes towards research were positive, they were deficient practically in terms of reading and writing literature. There is an immediate need to improve research training in our educational institutes to facilitate the development of the local literature both in terms of research utilization and productio

Involvement of Mycoplasma synoviae in Respiratory Distress Cases of Broilers

Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) is an important pathogen of poultry worldwide, causing respiratory tract infection and infectious synovitis in chickens and turkeys. The study was designed to detect M. synoviae through serology, culture isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to document the involvement of MS infection in respiratory distress cases of broiler birds. The validated PCR assay amplifying the conserved gene region of 16SrRNA gene was applied for the detection of M. synoviae from culture as well as in clinical samples. The results indicated that 04 out of total 17 commercial broiler flocks showing respiratory distress signs were found positive with M. synoviae infection indicating 76.57% sero-positivity as, determined with rapid serum agglutination (RSA) test. Out of 85 clinical specimens (collected from sero-positive birds); M. synoviae culture isolation was successfully attained in 36 (42.35%) samples. Whereas, PCR test has detected 84 (98.82%) positive cases. The prevalence of MS in broiler birds was observed maximum as measured through PCR. It is suggested that the true prevalence of MS may best be reflected by combining RSA and PCR test findings

Milk peptides; effect on the enzymatic hydrolysis of sodium caseinate

Sodium caseinate (NaCN) was hydrolyzed using Rhozyme 41 (Rh41), Neutrase (Neu) and plasmin (PL) to obtain peptide preparations termed; Na-Cas-P-Rh41, Na-Cas-P-Neu, and Na-Cas-P-Plasmin, respectively. Indigenous whey peptides (IWP) were obtained from fresh sweet whey, at different levels of ufconcentration, by a precipitation method described earlier. These peptide fractions were then used to observe their effect on the activity of some proteases. All peptide preparations depressed enzyme activity. Na-Cas-P-Rh41 was the most powerful inhibitor of enzyme activity and decreased the activity of trypsin, Rh41, Neu. and PL by 15, 32, 50, and 14%, respectively. IWP markedly depressed activity of Rh41. The degree of uf-concentration of whey from which IWP was obtained was directly related to degree of inhibition

Analysis of Marketing Efficiency and Spatial Co-Integration of Rohu (Labeo Rohita) Fish in Some Selected Areas of Bangladesh

The study was undertaken to examine the value chain, value addition, marketing cost &amp; margin, marketing efficiency and market integration of rohu fish in selected areas of Bangladesh during the month of July-August 2012. The objectives of the study were to estimate costs and margins, seasonal price variation and to test market integration of rohu fish. Primary and secondary data were used for this study. The higher marketing cost was incurred by paiker and the lowest by retailer. On the other hand, retailers earned the highest net marketing margins. Chain II was found the most efficient chain. Analysis of market integration shows that rohu fish market in Bangladesh was well integrated. The findings of the study revealed that the marketing of rohu fish was a profitable business and some recommendations were provided for the improvement of rohu fish marketing in the country. Keywords: Value addition, marketing cost &amp; margin, marketing efficiency and spatial co-integratio