Management of Energy Recourses, Marginal Input- Output Coefficients, and Layers of Techniques: A Case Study of US Chemical Industry

The embodied technical change should reduce the cost of production of the commodity. However, price structure, wages and interest rates also will change over time. Thus if a commodity is following a fixed price regime, the adjustment of a historical input-output table to current price wage level will leaves less and less profit per unit of output. The extent of this reduction will indicate the extent of technological change. There are different approaches to the prediction of changes in input-output coefficients. The first approach, attributable to Leontief (1941) and Stone (1962), assumes that input-output matrices change over time in a “biproportional” way. The other approach is to estimate trends in individual coefficients using statistical data. Former approach is used by a number of experts, including Fontela, et al. (1970), Almon, et al. (1974) and Carter (1970). Arrow and Hoffenberg (1959), Henry (1974), Savaldson (1970, 1976), Ozaki (1976), Aujac (1972) and Buzunov (1970). These are examples of the application of the quantitative approach for forecasting input-output coefficients. Still another approach which could not get much attention for forecasting input-output coefficients, is constructing the marginal input-output coefficients [Tilanus (1967); Middelhoek (1970)]. Marginal coefficients for forecasting constructed by Tilanus and Middelhoek are based on average input-output tables, which shows that still new approach (marginal) is based on the old (average) on

Customer Satisfaction with Islamic Banks: A Case Study of Al Rajhi Bank

Abstract. This study aims to identify the factors that lead to the level of customer satisfaction about online services provided by Al Rajhi Bank, which is the largest Islamic Bank in the world. This study is conducted on a sample of customers who deal with Al Rajhi Bank in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia by measuring different constructs such as; reliability, efficiency, response, and empathy which have been taken as determinants of customer satisfaction. The sample size of the respondents is 184 clients. The study reveals that reliability, efficiency, response and empathy all have a positive and significant impact on customer satisfaction. In addition, the results also show that the dimension “efficiency” plays a leading role in the customer satisfaction. This means that indicators of efficiency like ease of service, diversity of online services, organized information and transactions in reasonable times frame are the most important factors in achieving customer satisfaction.</p

Dead on arrival in a low-income country: results from a multicenter study in Pakistan

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the characteristics of dead on arrival (DOA) patients in Pakistan. METHODS: Data about the DOA patients were extracted from Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance study (Pak-NEDS). This study recruited all ED patients presenting to seven tertiary care hospitals during a four-month period between November 2010 and March 2011. This study included patients who were declared dead-on-arrival by the ED physician. RESULTS: A total of 1,557 DOA patients (7 per 1,000 visits) were included in the Pak-NEDS. Men accounted for two-thirds (64%) of DOA patients. Those aged 20-49 years accounted for about 46% of DOA patients. Nine percent (n = 72) of patients were brought by ambulance, and most patients presented at a public hospital (80%). About 11% of DOA patients had an injury. Factors significantly associated (p \u3c 0.05) with ambulance use were men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.72), brought to a private hospital (OR = 2.74), and being injured (aOR = 1.89). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed on 6% (n = 42) of patients who received treatment. Those brought to a private hospital were more likely to receive CPR (aOR = 2.81). CONCLUSION: This study noted a higher burden of DOA patients in Pakistan compared to other resourceful settings (about 1 to 2 per 1,000 visits). A large proportion of patients belonging to productive age groups, and the low prevalence of ambulance and CPR use, indicate a need for improving the prehospital care and basic life support training in pakistan

The role of technology spillovers in convergence

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the role of human capital technology spillovers across countries in converging their growth rates. Design/methodology/approach – This paper develops a closed form mathematical endogenous growth model and applies it to a small open economy using simulation and calibration techniques. Findings – The paper finds that human capital technology spillovers play an important role in convergence in growth rates across countries regardless of tax policy and that there will be non-convergence in levels if saving rates are differentially distorted across countries because of taxes. In addition, the exploration of the optimal tax reveals that such a structure is a consumption tax. Research limitations/implications – This paper implies that higher levels of human capital are important in attaining higher levels of per capita income. Originality/value – This paper shows that some implications for the endogenous growth model are equivalent to those from the Solow model. This implies that some empirical tests commonly used will not resolve which model is more appropriate.Economic growth, Economic models, Economic theory, Fiscal policy, Taxes

The Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance Study (Pak-NEDS): Introducing a pilot surveillance

© 2015 Mir et al. Background: Evidence-based decision making is essential for appropriate prioritization and service provision by healthcare systems. Despite higher demands, data needs for this practice are not met in many cases in low- and middle-income countries because of underdeveloped sources, among other reasons. Emergency departments (EDs) provide an important channel for such information because of their strategic position within healthcare systems. This paper describes the design and pilot test of a national ED based surveillance system suitable for the Pakistani context. Methods: The Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance Study (Pak-NEDS) was pilot tested in the emergency departments of seven major tertiary healthcare centres across the country. The Aga Khan University, Karachi, served as the coordinating centre. Key stakeholders and experts from all study institutes were involved in outlining data needs, development of the study questionnaire, and identification of appropriate surveillance mechanisms such as methods for data collection, monitoring, and quality assurance procedures. The surveillance system was operational between November 2010 and March 2011. Active surveillance was done 24 hours a day by data collectors hired and trained specifically for the study. All patients presenting to the study EDs were eligible participants. Over 270,000 cases were registered in the surveillance system over a period of four months. Coverage levels in the final month ranged from 91-100% and were highest in centres with the least volume of patients. Overall the coverage for the four months was 79% and crude operational costs were less than $0.20 per patient. Conclusions: Pak-NEDS is the first multi-centre ED based surveillance system successfully piloted in a sample of major EDs having some of the highest patient volumes in Pakistan. Despite the challenges identified, our pilot shows that the system is flexible and scalable, and could potentially be adapted for many other low- and middle-income settings