The Long-run Relationship between Real Exchange Rate and Real Interest Rate in Asian Countries: An Application of Panel Cointegration

The role of exchange rate policy in economic development has been the subject of much debate and controversy in the development literature. Interest rates and exchange rates are usually viewed as important in the transmission of monetary impulses to the real economy. In the short run the standard view of academics and policy-makers is that a monetary expansion lowers the interest rate and rises the exchange rate, with these price changes then affecting the level and composition of aggregate demand. Frequently, these influences are described as the liquidity effects of monetary expansion, viewed as the joint effect of providing larger quantities of money to the private sector. Popular theories of exchange-rate determination also predict a link between real exchange rates and real interest rate differentials. These theories combine the uncovered interest parity relationship with the assumption that the real exchange rate deviates from its long-run level only temporarily. Under these assumptions, shocks to the real exchange rate—which are often viewed as caused by shocks to monetary policy—are expected to reverse themselves over time. This study investigates the long-run relationship between real exchange rates and real interest rate differentials using recently developed panel cointegration technique. Although this kind of relationship has been studied by a number of researchers,1 very little evidence in support of the relationship has been reported in the case of developing countries.

A Spill over Relationship - Corporate Governance and Investor Reaction: A Case of Karachi Stock Exchange

The current study aims to investigate the relation of corporate governance with reaction of investor towards investment. The sample of the study contains on 114 companies of manufacturing sectors specifically and sample is acquired from (2004-2013). Thus, single and composite correlation is applied to check relationship of variables. Moreover, univariate and multivariate both regression methods are applied and study concluded negative insignificant relationship of variables of study. Keywords: Corporate Governance, Investor Reaction, Univariate, Multivariate, Composite

Cesarean scar pregnancy: an experience of three cases with review of literature

Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), often considered the rarest form of ectopic pregnancy, is a result of implantation of the gestational sac into the fibrous tissue scar of a previous cesarean section. With an increase in the rate of cesarean sections, along with better awareness and improvement in sonographic diagnosis, the number and detection of scar pregnancies are on the rise. Because of its early invasion of the myometrium, usually in the first trimester, CSP is considered to be potentially lethal, leading to high risks of uterine rupture. We report a series of three cases of scar pregnancy that presented at different gestational ages and were managed by different methods. The aim of this case series is to share our experience with CSP, review previous literature, and emphasize on the radiological criteria to making a confident diagnosis. Diagnosis and management of CSP needs considerable expertise and a multidisciplinary approach to prevent complications. KEYWORDS

Polypoid adenomyoma of the uterus.

Polypoid adenomyoma is a rare uterine endometrial polypoid tumor of mixed epithelial and mesenchymal origin. Although the clinical and pathologic features of polypoid adenomyomas have been described extensively, imaging findings for these tumors have not been frequently reported in the literature. On imaging, their features may be confused with prolapsed leiomyomas or malignancy. Hemorrhagic cystic spaces in a prolapsed uterine tumor within the vagina should raise consideration of a diagnosis of polypoid adenomyoma. Such blood-containing cystic spaces would be unusual findings in leiomyomas and malignancy. Diagnosing polypoid adenomyoma is vital because it can potentially be managed by hysteroscopic resection, unlike an ordinary form of adenomyosi

BRCA1 status in Pakistani breast cancer patients with moderate family history

OBJECTIVE: To determine BRCA1 status in breast carcinoma patients of Pakistani origin. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Oncology Clinics of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, between May 2005 and December 2009. METHODOLOGY: Fifty three breast cancer patients based on clinical and laboratory diagnosis were recruited for this study. Moderate family history was defined as having a close relative (mother, daughter, sister) diagnosed with breast cancer under 45 years. Peripheral blood samples were collected from each patient in a 5 ml tube containing EDTA as anticoagulant. Subsequent to DNA extraction, mutational analysis of BRCA1 exons 2, 5, 6, 16, 20 and 22 was carried out using single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) assay while protein truncation test (PTT) was used to examine mutations in exon 11. All BRCA1 sequence variants were confirmed by DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were diagnosed with early onset breast cancer, 30 patients had moderate family history. At the time of diagnosis, the median age of enrolled patients was 39 years (range 24-65 years). Out of 53 patients, analyzed by SSCP assay, mobility shift was detected in exon 6, 16 and 20 of three patients, whereas one patient was tested positive for mutation in exon 11 by PTT assays. All patients with BRCA1 mutations were further confirmed by DNA sequencing analysis. In exon 16 c.4837A \u3e G was confirmed, which is a common polymorphism reported in several populations including Asians. Moreover, mutations in exon 6 (c.271T \u3e G), exon 20 (c.5231 delG) and exon 11 (c.1123 T \u3e G) were reported first time in the Pakistani population. CONCLUSION: Several BRCA1 mutations were observed in Pakistani breast cancer patients with moderate family history. Therefore, mutation-based genetic counselling for patients with moderate family history can facilitate management, if one first or second degree relative or early onset disease is apparent

Short stories as an innovative EFL teaching technique to improve Pakistani elementary students’ English vocabulary

Short stories are becoming very popular around the globe. Learning vocabulary, a crucial component of learning a foreign language, is at the heart of teaching a language and is important for language learners. The researchers believe that vocabulary plays a crucial part in learning any language. Therefore, it is crucial to look at the best strategies for enhancing vocabulary learning. With the aim of effectively utilizing short stories to improve vocabulary at the primary level, the current study was created to raise awareness among elementary-level teachers about how they might develop the English vocabulary of their students. The study was experimental with a pretest-posttest design. Sixty students were randomly selected from an elementary school in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Twenty-five close-ended questions (MCQs) type questions for pre-test and post-test and the English reading assessment survey (ERAS) questionnaire were used to collect data, and the data were analyzed by using SPSS. The results show that most students spoke about three things: the value of short stories in vocabulary learning, their interest in reading short stories, and their approval of using short stories. The study implies that primary school English teachers should use short stories to increase their students' vocabulary

Patient delay in breast cancer diagnosis in two hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan: Preventive and life-saving measures needed

Purpose: Patients with breast cancer in Pakistan commonly present with advanced disease. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the frequency and length of delays in seeking medical consultation and to assess the factors associated with them.Methods: Four hundred ninety-nine patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer were enrolled and interviewed over the period from February 2015 to August 2017. Information on sociodemographic factors, delay to medical consultation, stage of breast cancer at presentation, and tumor characteristics of the breast cancer were collected through face-to-face interviews and medical file review.Results: The mean (standard deviation) age of patients with breast cancer was 48.0 (12.3) years. The mean (standard deviation) patient delay was 15.7 (25.9) months, with 55.2% of women detecting a breast lump but not seeking a medical consultation because of a lack of awareness about the significance of the lump. A total of 9.4% of the women decided to seek treatment initially using complementary and alternative medicine and traditional treatment; 9.4% of the women presented to a health care provider with a breast lump but no action was taken, and they were wrongly reassured about the lump without mammography or biopsy. For 26% of the women, the delay in presentation was caused by anxiety, fears and misconceptions regarding diagnosis and treatment, and other social factors including possible adverse effects on their relationship with their husband. Multivariable analysis showed a strong association of lower socioeconomic status (odds ratio [OR], 8.11 [95% CI, 2.46 to 26.69]) and late stage of breast cancer (OR, 4.83 [95% CI, 1.74 to 13.39]) with a patient delay of ≥ 3 months.Conclusion: Patient delay is a serious problem in Pakistan. There is an urgent need for intensive and comprehensive breast cancer education that addresses the myths and misconceptions related to breast cancer

Variability of breast density assessment and the need for additional imaging: A comparison between computed mammography and digital mammography

Objective: To determine the variability of breast density assessment and the need for additional imaging using computed radiography (CR) mammography versus digital radiography (DR) mammography.Study design: Cohort study.Place and duration of study: Department of Radiology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from March to June 2018.Methodology: Patients who underwent screening CR mammography, followed by DR mammography a year later, were selected. Only disease-free individuals were included in the study. Evaluation of breast density was done subjectively, using the breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) by two independent experienced radiologists. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcox Signed Rank-sum test to compare both modalities. Fisher Exact method was used to compare the need for ultrasound imaging.Results: A total of 295 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 52.76 ± 0.64 years. There was a significant difference in the change of breast density when comparing both modalities (Z= -11.839, p \u3c0.001). A statistically significant reduction in the need for further breast ultrasound was observed after DR mammography than with CR mammography (p \u3c0.001).Conclusion: Use of DR mammography, especially in patients with dense breast parenchyma, is a better screening tool overall. It translates to better feasibility for the radiologist and is more economical for the patient. DR mammography decreases unnecessary imaging and leads to better visualisation, thus providing a more accurate categorisation of breast density. Key Word: Computed radiography mammography, Breast density, Screening, Breast cancer, Digital mammography, Ultrasound