Trade Liberalisation and Industrial Productivity: Evidence from Manufacturing Industries in Pakistan

This study examines the impact of trade liberalisation on the industrial productivity for a panel of twenty seven 3-digit manufacturing industries in Pakistan over the period 1980-2006. Using a variant of the Cobb-Douglas production function for industrial sector, we estimated output elasticities. The results show positive output elasticities with respect to labour, capital and raw materials for the pre-trade liberalisation period (1981 –1995) as well as post-trade liberalisation period (1996-2006). For the pre-liberalisation period, we observe positive output elasticity with respect to energy, while it turns out to be negative in the post-liberalisation period probably due to energy crisis in Pakistan. In the second stage, we calculate total factor productivity (TFP) and examine the impact of trade liberalisation on TFP for pre-and post-trade liberalisation periods. The results reveal that trade liberalisation proxied by import duty has positive but negligible impact on the TFP in the pre-as well as post-liberalisation periods. On the other hand, effective rates of protection exert large negative impact on the TFP in the post-liberalisation than the pre-liberalisation period. JEL Classifications: F14, F13, O53, L60 Keywords: Trade Liberalisation, Total Factor Productivity, Manufacturing Sector of Pakista

Assessment of knowledge & practice of contraceptives in females of reproductive age group at a tertiary care hospital

Abstract Objectives: To assess the knowledge & practice of contraceptives in females of reproductive age group.Study Design: Cross sectional descriptive. Place and Duration of Study: OPD of Fauji Foundation Hospital from February 2008 – September 2008.Subjects and Method: 339 Females of age b/w of 15 – 49 years attending OPD of Fauji Foundation Hospital were included in study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data.Results: Eighty eight percent of the females in our study sample were familiar with one or more methods of contraception (72.7%were familiar with combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), 60.7% were aware of intra uterine contraceptive device (IUCD) &76% knew about condoms) whereas 12% showed ignorance. 64.6% of the study population was contraceptive users & 35.4% were not using any method of contraception. Regarding preferred method of contraception 34.6% of females said they are using COCP, about 21.8% females said their tubes had been liagated whereas 26.9%& 16.7% were using IUCD & Condoms respectively. Almost 46%of our study population said that contraceptive method they were using was suggested by their husbands, 44 % said by health professional .Only 10 % of the study population were using a method of their own choice.Conclusion: The present study concludes that there is a gap between knowledge (88%) and use (64.6%) of contraceptives among females of reproductive age group. Another important inference drawn from the study is that men should be made equal targets of such programs in since 46% females in our study population were using method of contraceptive suggested by their husban

Critical success factors in implementing an e-rostering system in a healthcare organisation

Effective and efficient staff scheduling has always been a challenging issue, especially in health service organisations. Both the extremes of staff shortage and overage have an adverse impact on the performance of healthcare organisations. In this case, an electronic and systematic staff scheduling (e-rostering) system is the often seen as the best solution. Unless an organisation has an effective implementation of such a system, possible cost savings, efficiency, and benefits could be minimal. This study is aimed to research key success factors for the successful effective implementation of an electronic rostering system, especially at healthcare organisations. A case study research method was used to evaluate critical success factors for effectively implementing an e-rostering system. The data were collected through interviews and observations. The findings indicate that technical support, an effective policy, leadership, clear goals and objectives, gradual change, evidence of the advantages of the new system, senior management support, and effective communication are the critical success factors in implementing an e-rostering system in healthcare organisations. Prior to this study, no such factors were grounded in the current context, so this research would help in bridging the gap towards effective implementation of an e-rostering system in the healthcare sector. This research also suggests future studies in different cultures and contexts

Performance Evaluation Metrics: Can buffer size override the higher rotational speed of hard disk in terms of overall performance or throughput?

Abstract: The aim of performance evaluation is to find out some performance metrics for systems under consideration or for prototypes to workout novel systematic and methodological basis for some portions of performance evaluation, discover methods to use speculative methods in conceiving and assessing performance models. In this paper measurement based performance evaluation techniques have been applied to two hard disks of same storage capacity but of different rotational speeds. Results have been studied, plotted and discussed. Introduction In Design and Procurement the important benchmark is performance. The hardware design reflects the improvement in performance [8] Normal practice for the analyst, engineers and scientist is to get peak performance within the stipulated defined cost. The necessary knowledge of Performance analysis tricks and techniques is mandatory for a performance analyst 2 Goals of Performance Evaluation There are approximately three goals in the performance evaluation area [5]: • Find out some performance metrics for SUT i-e the system under consideration. • Carve novel investigative and systematic basis for some portions of performance evaluation, e.g. search for developments in queuing theory or analyzing the results of time series simulations and measurements [5]. • Thirdly for crafting and assessing performance models it necessary to search techniques either theoretical or practical. A Systematic Performance Evaluation Methodology In relation to approach the steps are, Measurements This technique is used when SUT is in prior existence and access to this is within the reasonable effort range

SPREAD OF COVID-19 AND ITS IMPACT ON PAKISTAN: A NEED FOR PROSPECTIVE PLANNING

COVID-19, a global pandemic, has spread in about 215 countries of the world. It has caused enormous damage to the lives, economies, and socio-political fabric of the societies. More than 14 million people stand affected world-wide, with death toll crossing 0.75 million. The expert virologists apprehend that the worst situation is yet not over. The IMF, World Bank, and WTO have issued warnings about the impending global recession. It has also been reported that low-income countries and weak segments of the societies have been the major victims of this malady. Keeping in view the fragile economy and unsound healthcare system of Pakistan, WHO and experts of various fields have predicted multiple effects on various aspects of our national life. The paper in hand attempts to analyze the magnitude of the spread of COVID-19 in Pakistan and its implications for our national security, with a view to offering policy recommendations.   Bibliography Entry Abbasi, Manzoor Ahmed, Muhammad Arshad, and Raja Nadir Mahmood Khan. 2020. "Spread of Covid-19 and Its Impact on Pakistan: A Need for Prospective Planning." Margalla Papers 24 (1): 16-30

Probabilistic Analysis of Strength of Structural Concrete for Post-Code Buildings in Developing Countries

Code compliance and quality construction remain a point of interest for developing countries. For structural vulnerability studies on reinforced concrete buildings, researchers usually adopt random strength parameters to represent the compressive strength of concrete for various structural members. This matter becomes a challenge if researchers are dealing to quantify the structural response of code-compliant buildings. Since the research on the response of code-compliant buildings is limited hence this paper aims at data collection and presenting the probabilistic trends in compressive strength variation of structural concrete being used or has been used in multiple projects of the federal capital city of Pakistan for code-compliant buildings. The data has been collected from well-reputed academic and commercial testing labs in the area for past 10 years (the timeline after implementation of BCP 2007). Compressive strength testing records of concrete cylinders for 28 days strength have been sorted for different structural members i.e., beams, columns, shear walls, slabs and footings separately. From the selected data, histograms have been plotted for each member category and mean values with standard deviations have been highlighted. Obtained results are further compared with anticipated design compressive strengths which were obtained from different tagged reports, design offices and resident engineers of the sites. The produced results would lead to true representation of structural strength of concrete for code-compliant buildings, to be further studied for structural vulnerability and risk assessments of the desired areas in developing countries

Knowledge, attitude and practices towards eye care, among primary health care workers in District Ckakwal.

Introduction: Despite the fact, that an estimated 80% of worldwide blindness is preventable or treatable, the number of individuals living with blindness or impaired vision is on a rise. According to epidemiological data, worldwide over 2.2 billion people are blind or have impaired vision and 90% of them live in underdeveloped countries. A large number of people consult primary health care workers for their health issues, whether it is general illness or eye problems. Objectives: To assess the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) of Primary Health Care workers with regard to Primary Eye Care (PEC) in District Chakwal, Pakistan. Methodology: A Quantitative Cross-sectional study design, using a Random Sampling technique was employed. Participants in the study were given a standardized semi-structured questionnaire to fill out. The questionnaire included questions on primary health care providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices about PEC. The data were analyzed by using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results: Among the total of 232 Primary Health Care workers 73.7% were below 40 years of age. The majority of primary health care workers were female (60.8%). About 40.9% were having diplomas. The majority of workers (58.6%) had less than 5 years of experience as a Primary Health Care worker. Most of them (60%) had sufficient knowledge about the causes of eye diseases or injuries and (40.8%) had knowledge about conditions that may result in eye illnesses or injuries. The attitude toward referral of patients to medical doctors was 51.2%. The practices regarding method and approach for the treatment of eye diseases, of the majority of workers (58.9%) were not satisfactory. Conclusion: Knowledge regarding causes of eye diseases, diagnosis, and methods of treatment were not satisfactory amongst the primary health care workers. A positive attitude was noted for the will to improve the knowledge of eye care. The research revealed, the requirement for a training program for primary health care workers regarding modern primary eye care

Hybrid Nano-carriers for Potential Drug Delivery

Nanocarriers have provided the versatile platform for the delivery of various therapeutic and diagnostic agents. Liposome, niosomes, polymeric and solid lipid nanoparticles are the most promising nanocarriers that have been entered in the clinical trials and become commercially available. However, each system has been associated with some problems that can be minimized by using the combinatorial approach of hybrid nanocarriers. These hybrid systems combine the benefits of different structural components to synergize the outcome of the therapy. In this chapter, the different types of hybrid nanocarriers have been described with particular emphasis on the brief rationale for the development of these hybrid nanocarriers along with different fabrication approaches with greater emphasize on the lipid polymer hybrid nanoparticles. A brief description factors governing the optimized response characteristics and their potential application of these hybrid nanoparticles are also presented

Safety and efficacy of ketamine xylazine along with atropine anesthesia in BALB/c mice

Anesthetics are an indispensable prerequisite for surgical intervention and pharmacological animal studies. The objective of present study was to optimize the dose of ketamine (K) and xylazine (X) along with atropine sulfate (A) in order to achieve surgical tolerance in BALB/c mice. Several doses of ketamine (100, 150, 200 mg/kg) and xylazine (10, 15, 20 mg/kg) were mixed and combination of nine doses (K/X: 100/10, 100/15, 100/20, 150/10, 150/15, 150/20, 200/10,200/15,200/20) were evaluated (n=9 per combination). A constant dose of atropine (0.05 mg/kg) was also used to counter side effect. Timerelated parameters were evaluated on the basis of reflexes. KX at dose 200/20 mg/kg produced surgical tolerance in all nine mice with duration 55.00±6.87 minutes. The induction time 0.97±0.09 minutes, sleeping time 90.67±5.81 minutes and immobilization time (102.23±6.83 minutes) were significantly higher than all combination. However, this combination was considered unsafe due to 11 % mortality. While, KX at dose 200/15 mg/kg results in none of the mortality, so was considered as safe. Moreover, this combination produces surgical tolerance in 89 % mice with duration (30.00±7.45 minutes). It was concluded that KX at dose 200/15 mg/kg along with atropine 0.05 mg/kg is safe for performing surgical interventions in BALB/c mice

Stability-indicating HPLC-PDA assay for simultaneous determination of paracetamol, thiamine and pyridoxal phosphate in tablet formulations

With the increased number of multi-drug formulations, there is a need to develop new methods for simultaneous determinations of drugs. A precise, accurate and reliable liquid chromatographic method was developed for simultaneous determination of paracetamol, thiamine, and pyridoxal phosphate in pharmaceutical formulations. Separation of analytes was carried out with an Agilent Poroshell C18 column. A mixture of ammonium phosphate buffer (pH = 3.0), acetonitrile and methanol in the ratio of 86:7:7 (V/V/V) was used as the mobile phase pumped at a flow rate of 1.8 mL min-1. Detection of all three components, impurities and degradation products was performed at the selected wavelength of 270 nm. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, specificity, precision, accuracy, LOD and LOQ as per ICH guidelines. Linearity of the developed method was found in the range 17.5-30 µg mL–1 for thiamine, 35-60 µg mL–1 for pyridoxal phosphate and 87.5-150 µg mL–1 for paracetamol. The coefficient of determination was ≥0.9981 for all three analytes. The proposed HPLC method was found to be simple and reliable for the routine simultaneous analysis of paracetamol, thiamine and pyridoxal phosphate in tablet formulations. Complete separation of analytes in the presence of degradation products indicated selectivity of the method