Financial Development and Economic Growth: The Case of Pakistan

In this study, the relationship between financial depth and economic growth is examined in an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) framework for Pakistan utilising annual data for the period 1971- 2004. The main empirical findings suggest that both in the long and the short run, financial depth exerted a positive effect on economic growth. The findings also suggest that in the long run, real interest rate had a significant and positive effect on economic growth. However, the short-run response of the real interest

Murree (Pakistan) çevresindeki oldukça bozulmuş iğne yapraklı ormanların vejetasyonu

This phytosociological investigation is conducted in various disturbed forests around Murree hills. The main purpose of study is to explore community types, associated ground flora and their relation to soil characteristics. Eight community types and two monospecific tree stands have been recognized as follows: Pinus wallichiana (pure), Pinus roxburghii (pure), Pinus wallichiana-Quercus baloot, Pinus wallichiana-Cedrus deodara, Pinus wallichiana-Abies pindrow, Pinus wallichiana-Quercus dilatata, Quercus dilatata-Cedrus deodara, Pinus roxburghii-Pinus wallichiana, Pinus roxburghii-Cedrus deodara, Pinus roxburghii-Quercus dilatata. Pinus wallichiana dominates monospecifically in 8 stands while Pinus roxburghii -Pinus wallichiana community types found at 5 locations. Pinus wallichiana formed community type with Cedrus deodara and Abies pindrow at 4 locations separately. Highest stand density achieved in Pinus wallichiana-Cedrus deodara and Pinus roxburghii-Quercus dilatata community i.e. 128 trees/h. Highest basal area (48.06 (m²/ha) recorded from Pinus wallichiana (pure) stands. Pinus wallichiana-Pinus roxburghii communities correlated significantly (p < 0.05) with tree density. Range of DO. pH, Temperature, Conductivity, Salinity, ORP and chemical parameters in each community type has also shown and discussed.Bu fitososyolojik araştırma, Murree tepeleri çevresindeki çeşitli bozulmuş ormanlarda yapılmıştır. Çalışmanın temel amacı topluluk türlerini, ilişkili zemin florasını ve toprak özellikleri ile ilişkilerini araştırmaktır. Sekiz bitki topluluğu ve iki monospesifik meşcere tanımlanmıştır: Pinus wallichiana (saf), Pinus roxburghii (saf), Pinus wallichiana-Quercus baloot, Pinus wallichiana-Cedrus deodara, Pinus wallichiana-Abies pindrow, Pinus wallichiana-Quercus dilatata, Quercus dilatat-Cedrus deodara, Pinus roxburghii-Pinus wallichiana, Pinus roxburghii-Cedrus deodara, Pinus roxburghii-Quercus dilatata. Pinus wallichiana 8 standda monospesifik olarak baskınken, 5 yerde bulunan Pinus roxburghii-Pinus wallichiana topluluk türleri. Pinus wallichiana, Cedrus deodara ve Abies ile 4 yerde ayrı ayrı topluluk oluşturmuştur. Pinus wallichiana-Cedrus deodara ve Pinus roxburghii-Quercus dilatata topluluğunda, yani 128 ağaç/saatte elde edilen en yüksek meşcere yoğunluğu olarak gözlenmiştir. Pinus wallichiana (saf) meşcerelerinden kaydedilen en yüksek bazal alan (48.06 (m²/ha) olarak kaydedilmiştir. Pusus wallichiana-Pinus roxburghii toplulukları ağaç yoğunluğu ile anlamlı bir şekilde korelasyon göstermiştir (p <0.05). DO. PH, Sıcaklık, İletkenlik, Tuzluluk, ORP her topluluk türündeki kimyasal parametreler de gösterilmiş ve tartışılmıştır

Confirmation of sunflower F1 hybrids using SDS-PAGE analysis

Among bio-chemical techniques, sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDSPAGE) is most widely used due to its validity and simplicity for describing genetic structures of group of plants. In the present study, SDS-PAGE was used to confirm sunflower hybrids. Four male sterile lines, four restorer lines and their sixteen F1 hybrids were analyzed. Based on results of electrophoretic band spectra, Jaccard&#8217;s similarity index (S) was calculated for all possible pairs. The similarity matrix, thus, generated was converted to a dissimilarity matrix and used to construct dendrogram, using unweighed pair-group method with arithmetic means. Euclidean distance of 1.0 was observed among 5 comparisons, whereas maximum distance (3.87) was observed for 1 comparison only. In most of the cases, female parents, along with their respective crosses, were found in one cluster, indicating thatSDS-PAGE can be used reliably for the identification of hybrids in sunflower

Financial Development and Economic Growth: The Case of Pakistan

The pioneering contributions of Goldsmith (1969), Mckinnon (1973) and Shaw (1973) regarding the relationship between financial development and economic growth has remained an important issue of debate in developing economies. The theoretical argument for linking financial development to growth is that a well-developed financial system performs several critical functions to enhance the efficiency of intermediation by reducing information, transaction, and monitoring costs. A modern financial system promotes investment by identifying and funding good business opportunities, mobilises savings, monitors the performance of managers, enables the trading, hedging, and diversification of risk, and facilitates the exchange of goods and services. These functions result in a more efficient allocation of resources, in a more rapid accumulation of physical and human capital, and in faster technological progress, which in turn feed economic growth [Creane, et al. (2004)]

Capacity Dimensioning of HSDPA Urban Network

To launch a cellular network, prelaunch capacity dimensioning is performed which includes coverage estimation and throughput prediction. Cellular companies in developing countries like Pakistan are only providing 2G services, while 3G services are yet to be launched. Although a lot of research has been done on 3G services in developed countries but there is very little knowledge regarding practical aspects of planning and optimization of 3G networks in third world countries like Pakistan. This research paper includes a thorough analysis of factors that affect capacity of 3G networks, including radio propagation models. Various propagation models are studied and propagation constants of Standard Propagation Model are tuned according to topography of Islamabad. The performance analysis of these propagation models is done using Matlab and results are verified through planning tool Atoll and field measurements. Based on analysis of these results capacity dimensioning, in terms of number of sites, is carried out for an urban network of Islamabad

Deep-Learning-Based Computer Vision Approach For The Segmentation Of Ball Deliveries And Tracking In Cricket

There has been a significant increase in the adoption of technology in cricket recently. This trend has created the problem of duplicate work being done in similar computer vision-based research works. Our research tries to solve one of these problems by segmenting ball deliveries in a cricket broadcast using deep learning models, MobileNet and YOLO, thus enabling researchers to use our work as a dataset for their research. The output from our research can be used by cricket coaches and players to analyze ball deliveries which are played during the match. This paper presents an approach to segment and extract video shots in which only the ball is being delivered. The video shots are a series of continuous frames that make up the whole scene of the video. Object detection models are applied to reach a high level of accuracy in terms of correctly extracting video shots. The proof of concept for building large datasets of video shots for ball deliveries is proposed which paves the way for further processing on those shots for the extraction of semantics. Ball tracking in these video shots is also done using a separate RetinaNet model as a sample of the usefulness of the proposed dataset. The position on the cricket pitch where the ball lands is also extracted by tracking the ball along the y-axis. The video shot is then classified as a full-pitched, good-length or short-pitched delivery

Assessment of Optimal Production Through Assembly Line-Balancing and Product-Mix Flexibility

Timely accomplishment of production targets is a challenging task in low volume–high variety environment. Assessment of the manufacturing flexibility of a production system assists in achieving the desired objectives. In this research, the operational flexibility of a production system is investigated which operates under the low-volume high-variety production scenario. Prospective dimensions of theproduction flexibility are studied to analyze its interface with the integrated functional units. It was analyzed that with a low-volumeoperational flexibility (OF) varies rationally despite high job varieties. Line-balancing and queuing techniques are applied to ascertain theoptimum productivity. A sensitivity analysis is also performed to evaluate the critical parameters that affect the OF and productivity level.OF index of the production system was estimated by means of the optimized production parameters. A comparative analysis is performedto evaluate the flexibility in conventional and flexible production cells. Analytical and computational results show a close approximationand validate the implemented schemes

Anticonvulsant, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities of Berberis calliobotrys Aitch ex Koehne (Berberidaceae)

Purpose: To evaluate the anticonvulsant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of Berberis calliobotrys.Methods: The powdered plant material (10 kg) was extracted thrice with methanol (3 × 12 L) by dipping for seven days. The methanol extract was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure, and then successively fractionated with solvents of different polarity, including n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The anticonvulsant effect of the extract and fractions (at oral doses 500 and 1000 mg/kg) was studied against picrotoxin-, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)- and strychnine-induced seizures in Swiss albino mice of either sex divided into 12 groups (n = 6). Diazepam was used as standard drug. Antimicrobial activity of the extract against Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus as well as against Candida albicans, Penicillium notatum was conducted by disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Cytotoxicity of the extract/fractions was analyzed by  haemolytic method while the phenolic compounds present in the ethyl acetate fraction of the plant were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Results: The extract and its ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions showed maximum response against drug-induced convulsions and provided 100 % protection to animals at both doses. They also showed zones of inhibition of 27.00 ± 2.51, and 22.00 ± 2.51 mm against all bacterial and fungal strains, respectively, especially Staphylococcus aureus. The methanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction also showed high MIC against all bacterial and fungal strains. Cytotoxicity data from hemolytic assay indicate that the extract/fractions are safe. The highest amount of phenolic found was chlorogenic acid (84.44 ± 0.06 ppm).Conclusion: The plant is thus a potential source of new lead compounds for the development of new clinically effective anticonvulsant and antimicrobial compounds.Keywords: Berberis calliobotrys, Anticonvulsant, Antimicrobial, Haemolytic, Phenolics, Chlorogenic aci

Frequency of Gγ-globin promoter −158 (C>T) XmnI polymorphism in patients with homozygous/compound heterozygous beta thalassaemia

BackgroundResponse to hydroxyurea therapy in homozygous or compound heterozygous beta thalassaemia (BT) has been reported as more favourable in the presence of XmnI polymorphism. The prevalence of XmnI polymorphism may vary with BT phenotypes and genotypes, and differs geographically in distribution. Prevalence of XmnI polymorphism is not known in northern Pakistan.ObjectiveTo determine the frequency of Gγ-globin promoter −158 (C>T) XmnI polymorphism (XmnI polymorphism) in patients with homozygous or compound heterozygous beta thalassaemia.MaterialsPolymerase chain reaction (PCR) for common beta thalassaemia mutations and Gγ-globin promoter −158 (C>T) XmnI polymorphism was performed on 107 blood samples of transfusion dependent beta thalassaemia (BT) patients in Pakistan. One hundred samples of unrelated BT traits and 94 samples of healthy subjects as controls were also analysed for BT mutations and XmnI polymorphism.ResultsOut of 301 DNA samples, XmnI polymorphism was detected in 71(24%); in normal controls, XmnI polymorphism was detected in 34/94 (36%) subjects; while in homozygous/compound heterozygous BT, it was detected in 14/107(13%) patients (Fisher’s exact test, p=.0002). In heterozygous BT group, XmnI polymorphism was detected in 23/100 subjects (Fisher’s exact test, p=.03 with normal controls, and p=.049 with homozygous/compound heterozygous BT). The most common BT genotype was Frame Shift (Fr) 8–9/Fr 8–9, and none of the patients with this genotype had XmnI polymorphism. The second most common genotype was IVSI-5/IVSI-5; 4/26 (15%). Cases with this genotype had XmnI polymorphism.ConclusionXmnI polymorphism in homozygous/compound heterozygous BT group is 13%. The most common genotype associated with XmnI polymorphism was IVSI-5/IVSI-5