Understanding Poverty through the Eyes of Lowsalaried Government Employees: A Case Study of the NED University of Engineering and Technology

The last few decades have witnessed a significant shift in the concept of development. Research focusing on development has shifted its focus from macroeconomic to more microeconomic development. More recently, poverty has become an important interest area for researchers, governments, United Nations agencies, NGOs and some specialised international development agencies. The United Nations has designated the period 1997-2006 as the decade for poverty eradication [World Summit for Social Development (1995)]. The millennium meeting at the United Nations headquarters and its follow-up meeting at Brussels set up on ambitious target for reducing poverty by half by the year 2015. [Altaf (2004)]. Since the overall objective is “human development,” people are presumed to play a major role in assuming the initiative, management of, and control over resources, as well as the setting of priorities for poverty reduction. The translation of this idea into reality necessitates the investigation of people’s understanding and experiences of poverty and adjustment to, or coping with, chaotic socio-economic situations and catastrophes (both human and natural), be they food insecurity, hunger, famine outbreaks, or poverty. Some of these crises, in many cases, are not occasional occurrences; rather they are the consequences of long term processes, especially poverty, which is caused by a combination of interacting factors related to social, economic, political, and natural dimensions [Abdel (1996)]

People’s definition and escape from poverty trap

Abstract. The traditional methods of poverty measurement include material or objective indicators such as income, expenditure, calorie intake, education or living standards. However, this study is aimed to identify whether people perceive poverty through these factors or not. The definitions of poverty given by study respondents have proven that although, poverty can be defined through objective indicators but its scope is not limited to them rather it includes various other indicators including no children or parents, lack of self-efforts, person’s laziness, sense of understanding things and mental stress. Through interviewing household heads, some coping strategies have been identified which are employed during economically difficult events. Apart from increasing income sources and reducing expenditure, the coping strategies also include living in joint family system, social networking and borrowing in form of general provident fund as the selected sample was from government sector, they utilize their funds at times of need which give rise to a self-perpetuating poverty. The people’s perceptions related to poverty determine the nature and extent to which society is encountering hardships and prevalence of poverty in it.Keywords. Poverty, Perceptions, Coping strategies.JEL. I32

Staged dental extraction and three interim prostheses for implants based rehabilitation in a periodontally compromised subject

Studies have shown that the presence of advanced periodontal disease lowers the success of dental implants. The recommended approach for such cases is the delayed placement and delayed loading of implants. The present paper reports a case of a subject who presented with severe periodontally compromised dentition. Placement and early loading of 12 implants was done using a staged approach. Three different sets of fixed-type dental prostheses were employed in the interim period. The final prostheses were cement retained metallo-ceramic fixed bridge. Use of staged extraction and using three sets of interim prostheses helped the patient to maintain his aesthetics and function during the entire treatment period. This approach can be a predictable management option in cases of advanced periodontitis. The key is proper planning and execution of the implant surgery and prosthetics

A 6-year Evaluation of 223 Tapered Dental Implants and associated prosthesis in 92 patients at a university hospital

Abstract The aim of the retrospective study was to assess the clinical and radiographic outcome of the dental implant surgery and prosthetics. It was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised of medical charts and radiographic records of patients visiting between 2010 and 2015. Variables such as implant dimensions, final prosthesis, method of retention, loading protocol and patient factors were analysed. A total of 223 implants (143(64.1%) in maxilla and 80(35.9%) in mandible) were placed in 92 subjects (50(54.3%) males and 42(45.7%) females). All implants were Zimmer tapered screw-vent. Length of 108(48.4%) implants was 11.5mm and diameter of 84(37.7%) implants was 4.7mm. Besides, 6(2.7%) implants failed to osseointegrate, whereas 1(0.4%) implant failed at 12 months of loading. Among the 216(96.9%) successful implants, 140(64.8%) served as bridge abutments, 72(33.3%) were single crown abutments and 4(1.9%) were overdenture abutments. Also, 37(17.1%) implants were immediately loaded. The six-year survival rate of implants was 96.9%

Economic growth, foreign direct investment and governance oscillation: Empirical evidence from SAARC economies (1996-2015)

Abstract. Foreign direct investment (FDI) considered as one of the conventional determinant of Economic growth. Economies that are pursuing for better tomorrow must focus on attracting foreign direct Investments. FDI depends on a number of factors in a country such as market size, level of openness, natural resources, labor cost and productivity, economic growth rate, macroeconomic stability, technology level and so on. Beside these factors, Governance in the recipient economy is also an important pre-determinant of FDI. This study seeks to investigate the impact of FDI (inflows) on Economic growth via Governance through empirical evidence from SAARC economies by using Panel data technique. The data is cross-sectional time series for the period 1996-2015. GDP per capita growth has been used as a variable to assess Economic growth; foreign direct Investment (inflows) and governance data has obtained from World Bank, World Development Indicators. The results indicate that governance does not exert their impact on FDI (inflows) and fails to act as a mediating factor of FDI (inflows) in case of SAARC economies However the SAARC economies should focus on improving level of institutions for catalyzing domestic financial markets.Keywords. Foreign Direct investment (inflows), Governance, Economic Growth, Human Capital, Gross Capital Formation.JEL. F21

External Resources and Economic Growth: An Empirical Analysis of South Asian Countries

This study aims to investigate the role of three important external resources on the economic growth of leading South Asian countries. A sample of four countries is studied from 1983 to 2014. Empirical analyses are carried out in two phases. First, we have checked the combined effect using CD test, CIPS, Pedroni, and Westerlund panel cointegration, pooled mean group (PMG) framework and Heterogeneous non-causality test. In the second phase, we compared the regional and country-wise estimations using ARDL bound testing, stability test, and Granger causality. Results suggest that remittances play a vital role in the economic growth of selected South Asian countries, whereas, imports and foreign direct investment found to be insignificant. Also, while evaluating the same model for the individual countries using the ARDL estimations also reveal that remittances significantly contribute to the economies of Pakistan and Sri Lanka and imports found to be negatively related with economic growth in the same economies. However, imports showed a strong relationship with the economic growth of Bangladesh. Thus, this paper has drawn some insights for the policymakers

Analysis of Sectoral Energy Demand in Pakistan

Purpose This research aims to estimate the energy demand for different sectors, including commercial, industrial, residential, transportation, and agriculture. For this purpose, various factors affecting the demand for energy in each sector have been analyzed. Methodology The adopted methodology is box Jenkins a systematic approach of identification, estimation, diagnostic checks, and forecasting of the model. This model is appropriate for time series data of medium to long-term length. Findings The data analysis outcomes specified that Pakistan's energy demand mainly depends on five fuel types. Within each sector, the consumption of fuel varies. Results show that 86% of energy consumption share is held by transport oil, industrial gas, industrial coal, residential gas, and residential electricity. Conclusion The major issue in the energy sector is the demand-supply gap primarily caused by the gas and electricity deficit. Conclusively, sectoral demand increases in each sector where commercial, residential, and industrial energy demand has higher growth. Moreover, the price effect is negative for all variables except coal, making it a Giffen goo

Ameloplasty is counterproductive in reducing microleakage around resin modified glass ionomer and resin based fissure sealants

Objective: To compare the microleakage around resin modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) based sealants and flowable resin based sealants placed with or without ameloplasty in extracted human teeth.Methods: This in-vitro experimental study was conducted at the Operative Dentistry Department, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan from June 2017 to December 2018. Sixty extracted human molars and premolars were assigned to four groups (n=15) each, according to the type of fissure sealant (flowable resin based sealant or resin modified glass ionomer based sealant) used and either placed with or without ameloplasty. Specimens were thermocycled and then immersed in 1% methylene blue for 24 hours. Specimens were then sectioned and examined using stereo-microscope (50X) for microleakage that was scored on an ordinal scale. Mann-Whitney U test and Ordinal regression were applied. Level of significance kept at 0.05.Results: There was a statistically significant difference (p-value \u3c0.001) between the two sealant types for the microleakage scores. Sealants placed with ameloplasty demonstrated significantly higher microleakage values (p-value \u3c0.001).Conclusion: Microleakage was found to be more pronounced in RMGIC based sealants compared to the resin based sealants. Ameloplasty resulted in higher leakage around the sealants irrespective of the chemistry of material