Determinants of Export Performance in the Wake of the Global Financial Crisis: Evidence from South Asia

The idea that trade is important for economic growth dates back to the nineteenth century when classical economists like Adam Smith, Ricardo, John Stuart Mill etc. advocated the favourable effects of international trade on output. Since then a rich body of both theoretical and empirical literature has evolved with regards to exports and trade policy. Within this overall literature, two competing approaches that can be broadly identified are Import Substitution industrialisation (IS) and Export-Led (EL) growth. According to the EL growth hypothesis, exports can promote economic growth through three main channels that are as follows: (i) trade enables firms (at the micro level) and countries (at the macro level) to gain through specialisation and economies of scale. The most efficient producers witness increasing market shares, that in turn lead to aggregate productivity gains through a reallocation of resources [Taylor (1981) and Melitz (2003)], (ii) Exports are an important source of foreign exchange. These resources are important not just for the purchase of vital inputs such as capital and machinery but are extremely valuable where balance of payments constraints are widespread [Faridi (2012)]. (iii) Trade is an important source of knowledge and technological transfers. New growth theory has shown that trade with technologically innovative countries allows access to the technological know-how of trading partners, and also has the potential of encouraging innovative activity by increasing the returns to innovate as traders have access to a larger market relative to non-trading firms

What Determines Innovation in the Manufacturing Sector? Evidence from Pakistan.

This study analysed the behaviour of a sample of manufacturing firms in Pakistan in order to understand what determines innovative activity employing a panel data set for the years 2002 and 2006-07. Probit estimation results reveal that size of the firm and human resource quality are important internal factors that increase the likelihood of a firm innovating. Interestingly, whether a firm is exporting or not has no bearing. However, post innovating there is a large increase in number of firms who export. Externally, presence in a geographic cluster is important though further analysis reveals that the impact varies according to firm size. Size per se does not increase likelihood of innovating for medium sized firm who only have an advantage over small sized firms when present in a cluster. Large firms on the other hand continue to have an advantage and the advantage further increases with presence in a cluster. Finally, analysis by product and process innovators reveals that the characteristics of firms undertaking the two types of innovative activity are similar. The only noteworthy difference being that process innovation does not benefit from presence of a firm in a cluster which might be attributable to the more visible nature of product innovation which benefits from technological spillovers that are a characteristic of presence in a cluster. JEL classifications: O14, O31, O33, L6 Keywords: Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentive, Developing Countries, Industry Stud

Prevalence of raised Alanine Amino transaminase (ALT) in pregnant mothers: A Cross-sectional Study

Objective: To determine the prevalence of raised ALT, common causes, and associated fetomaternal morbidity  in pregnant mothers presenting, at cantonment general hospital Rawalpindi Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at cantonment general hospital Rawalpindi from July 2016 till June 2017. Results: Out of 1924 women, 102 were identified with raised ALT making a prevalence of 5.3%. Sixty-one (59.8%) were booked. The hypertensive group which included severe preeclampsia, chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia/eclampsia were 55(53.9%), intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy(ICP) 32(31.7%), acute viral hepatitis 9(8.8%), Acute fatty liver of pregnancy(AFLP) 2(1.96%), and unknown cause in 4(3.92%). Mean ALT levels were 54.1±6.94, 71.28±23.25, 84.22±27.82, 231.5±47.37 respectively. In four cases no definitive cause could be identified with the available tests were labeled as an unknown group, having a mean ALT level of 79.25±10.07. (p=0.01). Term delivery occurred in 71(69.6%), while 31(30.39%) were preterm. There was one termination of pregnancy. Vaginal birth occurred in 42(42.2%), and 53(51.9%) underwent emergency cesarean. There was one peripartum hysterectomy. Meconium stain of liquor was 19(18.6%). The birth weight of most babies 73(71.5%) was between 2-3 kilograms only three were ≤ 1 kilograms. Eight cases of postpartum hemorrhage, three maternal deaths, and six perinatal/early neonatal deaths were observed. Conclusion: Raised ALT in pregnancy leads to increased fetomaternal complications. Severe preeclampsia and obstetric cholestasis were the commonest causes. Women of younger age groups were having acute viral hepatitis. Timely recognition and diagnosis are essential to institute appropriate management strategies

Experience in correcting eating disorders in the clinic of mental illness

Introduction: Eating disorders - a class of psychogenic behavioral syndromes associated with eating disorders. The class of these disorders includes anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, compulsive overeating, as well as several other disorders, which are included in the international classification, to section F 50-F 59. Purpose: The purpose of our study is to trace the dynamics of individual eating disorders in patients with various mental illnesses under the influence of corrective therapy. Methodology: Were examined 77 patients with various mental diseases who have had eating disorders. The first (I) group included 33 patients. They have added Metoclopramide at a dose of 20 mg/day to the main treatment. The second group (II) - 44 patients who received the drug Ondansetron at a dose of 4 mg/day, respectively. The condition of all patients was assessed according to the following scales: Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), 36-Item Short-Form Health Status (SF-36). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated to study the dynamics of weight. All examinations of patients were performed at the beginning and after 14 days of treatment. Results: According to the EAT-26 scale the average score in the I group was 29 ± 2.8 points, and in the II - 30.1 ± 2.4, respectively. According to the SF-36 questionnaire, the average total score in the I group was - 69.5 ± 1.8 before treatment, 79.5 ± 1.6 - after treatment improved by 12.5% (p <0,05). In group II - 70.8 ± 1.2 and 89.4 ± 1.5, improving by 20.8%, respectively (p <0.05). Under the influence of the therapy, the patients' manifestations of eating behavior decreased, which contributed to the growth of BMI: in group I - by 2.1 ± 1.3 kg, in group II - by 3.5 ± 2.3 kg, which is 1.6 times more. Conclusions: The drug Ondansetron, intended for the correction of eating disorders, in combination with therapy of the underlying pathology, was likely to be more effective than Metoclopramide hydrochloride, which should be considered in practical psychiatr

How to prevent caries in young children of immigrants?

Bachelor, tannpleie 2017Tannhelsen til barn i Norge er generelt god, men vi ser allikevel at innvandrerbarn er mer utsatt for karies enn etnisk norske barn. Hensikten med bacheloroppgaven er å finne ut hvordan vi på best mulig måte kan nå frem med kariesforebyggende tiltak til pasienter og pårørende med innvandrerbakgrunn. Problemstillingen vi kom frem til er: «Hvordan nå frem med forebygging av karies hos innvandrerbarn?». Bacheloroppgaven er en litteraturstudie, som bygger på eksisterende kunnskap. Ved bruk av ulike vitenskapelige artikler, bøker, pensumlitteratur og egen erfaring vil vi besvare problemstillingen ovenfor. Undersøkelser peker i retning av at pasienter/pårørende mangler kunnskaper om tannhelse. De bakgrunnsforeliggende årsakene til manglende kunnskap er blant annet språkbarriere, utdanning, sosioøkonomiske forskjeller, kulturforskjeller, ulike holdninger og vaner. Kommunikasjon og veiledningen kan være et hinder for tannhelsepersonell dersom ikke riktig metodikk blir anvendt. Gjennom bacheloroppgaven har vi undersøkt hvilken metoder som er optimale for å nå frem til denne målgruppen. Bacheloroppgaven beskriver metoder som MI (motiverende intervju), LØFT (løsningsfokusert tilnærming), tolkebruk og tverrprofesjonelt samarbeid samt kombinasjonen av disse. Ved å ta i bruk metodikken beskrevet i denne oppgaven har vi som tannpleiere en større sjanse for å nå frem til innvandre

Low-cost peer-taught virtual research workshops for medical students in Pakistan: A creative, scalable, and sustainable solution for student research

Background: Pakistan has not been a major contributor to medical research, mainly because of the lack of learning opportunities to medical students. With the increase in online learning systems during COVID-19, research related skills can be taught to medical students via low-cost peer taught virtual research workshops.Aim of the study: To assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive low-cost peer-taught virtual research workshops amongst medical students in Pakistan.Methods: This quasi-experimental study assessed the effectiveness of five virtual research workshops (RWs) in improving core research skills. RWs for medical students from across Pakistan were conducted over Zoom by medical students (peer-teachers) at the Aga Khan University, Pakistan, with minimal associated costs. The content of the workshops included types of research, ethical approval and research protocols, data collection and analysis, manuscript writing, and improving networking skills for research. Improvement was assessed via pre-and post-quizzes for each RW, self-efficacy scores across 16 domains, and feedback forms. Minimum criteria for completion of the RW series was attending at least 4/5 RWs and filling the post-RW series feedback form. A 6-month post-RW series follow-up survey was also emailed to the participants.Results: Four hundred medical students from 36 (/117; 30.8%) different medical colleges in Pakistan were enrolled in the RWs. However, only 307/400 (76.75%) medical students met the minimum requirement for completion of the RW series. 56.4% of the participants belonged to the pre-clinical years while the rest were currently to clinical years. The cohort demonstrated significant improvement in pre-and post-quiz scores for all 5 RWs (p \u3c 0.001) with the greatest improvement in Data Collection and Analysis (+ 34.65%), and in self-efficacy scores across all domains (p \u3c 0.001). 166/307 (54.1%) participants responded to the 6 months post-RWs follow-up survey. Compared to pre-RWs, Research involvement increased from 40.4 to 62.8% (p \u3c 0.001) while proportion of participants with peer-reviewed publications increased from 8.4 to 15.8% (p = 0.043).Conclusion: Virtual RWs allow for a wide outreach while effectively improving research-related knowledge and skills, with minimal associated costs. In lower-middle-income countries, virtual RWs are a creative and cost-effective use of web-based technologies to facilitate medical students to contribute to the local and global healthcare research community

Does academic assessment system type affect levels of academic stress in medical students? A cross-sectional study from Pakistan

Introduction Stress among medical students induced by academic pressures is on the rise among the student population in Pakistan and other parts of the world. Our study examined the relationship between two different systems employed to assess academic performance and the levels of stress among students at two different medical schools in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods A sample consisting of 387 medical students enrolled in pre-clinical years was taken from two universities, one employing the semester examination system with grade point average (GPA) scores (a tiered system) and the other employing an annual examination system with only pass/fail grading. A pre-designed, self-administered questionnaire was distributed. Test anxiety levels were assessed by The Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS). Overall stress was evaluated using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Results There were 82 males and 301 females while four did not respond to the gender question. The mean age of the entire cohort was 19.7±1.0 years. A total of 98 participants were from the pass/fail assessment system while 289 were from the GPA system. There was a higher proportion of females in the GPA system (85% vs. 59%; p \u3c 0.01). Students in the pass/fail assessment system had a lower score on the WTAS (2.4±0.8 vs. 2.8±0.7; p=0.01) and the PSS (17.0±6.7 vs. 20.3±6.8; p \u3c 0.01), indicating lower levels of test anxiety and overall stress than in students enrolled in the GPA assessment system. More students in the pass/fail system were satisfied with their performance than those in the GPA system. Conclusion Based on the present study, we suggest governing bodies to revise and employ a uniform assessment system for all the medical colleges to improve student academic performance and at the same time reduce stress levels. Our results indicate that the pass/fail assessment system accomplishes these objectives

Dietary habits and physical activity patterns in relation to nutritional status among school-aged children in Pakistan: A cross-sectional study

Background: Childhood malnutrition remains a significant public health problem impacting the physical and mental growth if school aged children, particularly in limited-resource countries. Objective: The study objective was to assess levels of physical activity, patterns of screen time (S.T.), the relationship between physical activity and screen time patterns, and how these factors affect growth status (adjusting for socioeconomic status). Methodology: A cross-sectional study included 3,834 children between 6–14 years attending pre-selected schools. Teachers, students, and parents were invited to fill out a standardized questionnaire, and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated using Center for disease control (CDC) centile charts. A Chi-square was performed to see the possible association between any height and weight abnormalities and all possible risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to see the effect of variables significantly associated with univariate analysis. Results: Approximately 2,447 (63.8%) children were between 11–14 years old and 1,387 (36.2%) were between 4–10 years old. The mean height was 143.71 ± 16.51 centimetres, the mean weight was 36.5 ± 12.9 kilogram, and the mean BMI was 17.16 ± 3.52. Multivariate logistic regression status and junk food combined affected stunting socioeconomic status was significantly associated with being underweight p = 0.001. Conclusion: Childhood obesity and stunting remain significant problems in Pakistani school-going children. These are significantly associated with poverty, a lack of physical activity opportunities, and available food quality

Serial population-based serosurveys for COVID-19 in two neighbourhoods of Karachi, Pakistan

Objective: To determine population-based estimates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a densely populated urban community of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: Three cross-sectional surveys were conducted in April, June and August 2020 in low- and high-transmission neighbourhoods. Participants were selected at random to provide blood for Elecsys immunoassay for detection of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 antibodies. A Bayesian regression model was used to estimate seroprevalence after adjusting for the demographic characteristics of each district. Results: In total, 3005 participants from 623 households were enrolled in this study. In Phase 2, adjusted seroprevalence was estimated as 8.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.1-13.1] and 15.1% (95% CI 9.4-21.7) in low- and high-transmission areas, respectively, compared with 0.2% (95% CI 0-0.7) and 0.4% (95% CI 0-1.3) in Phase 1. In Phase 3, it was 12.8% (95% CI 8.3-17.7) and 21.5% (95% CI 15.6-28) in low- and high-transmission areas, respectively. The conditional risk of infection was 0.31 (95% CI 0.16-0.47) and 0.41 (95% CI 0.28-0.52) in low- and high-transmission neighbourhoods, respectively, in Phase 2. Similar trends were observed in Phase 3. Only 5.4% of participants who tested positive for COVID-19 were symptomatic. The infection fatality rate was 1.66%, 0.37% and 0.26% in Phases 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Conclusion: Continuing rounds of seroprevalence studies will help to improve understanding of secular trends and the extent of infection during the course of the pandemic. &nbsp;</p