Uncertainty in Fiscal and Monetary Policy and its Impact on Economic Growth: An Analysis from Pakistan

Uncertainty or shocks in macroeconomic policies have been a debated issue all over the world because these shocks severely influence the growth of economies. To analyze the impacts of these shocks in the context of Pakistan, the current study determined the role of fiscal and monetary policy uncertainty by taking the time series data for the period 1971-2020. In this regard, GARCH and ARDL cointegration model were applied. Empirical evidence revealed that in the long-run, fiscal uncertainty in terms of government expenditure positively affects the economy and monetary uncertainty in terms of money supply negatively affects the economy. While, in the short-run, uncertainty of both policies has a negative influence on the economic growth of Pakistan. The study also gauged other factors, such as, exchange rate, interest rate, and inflation with respect to their impact on economic growth. It was found that these factors positively and significantly sway growth in the long-run

Drinking Water Quality Characterization and Heavy Metal Analysis in Springs of Dewan Gorah, District Palandri, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan¤

In this study, water quality and microbial characterizations of fresh water springs of union council Dewangorah, Palandri, AJK have been studied. Sampling was done from January to October 2017, from fifteen different locations of study area, which are a drinking water source for natives of the area. Water samples were collected in sterilized glass bottles for physicochemical and microbial analysis and in clean plastic bottles for heavy metals analysis from various locations. Various physiochemical parameters including pH, Total dissolved solids (TDS), Conductivity, Chlorides (Cl-), Fluorides (F-), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), hardness and alkalinity were measured by standard methods. Heavy metals concentrations including Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb) and Nickel (Ni) were evaluated using atomic absorption spectroscopy. It was found that concentration of Pb and Cr were above permissible limits of WHO at all locations. Standard plate count (SPC) was used to determine total viable count and total coliform counts in water samples. Various bacterial colonies were isolated from water samples and characterized by performing different biochemical tests including Gram staining, Catalase, Oxidase and Citrate utilization tests. Results showed that various physicochemical parameter such as pH, TDS, Cl-, F-, COD and heavy metals including As, Cu, Fe were within World Health Organization (WHO) standards. While values for conductivity of few samples were above permissible limits of WHO. The calculations for human health risk showed that heavy metals at present levels are not posing a threat to the population. Microbial analysis showed that water samples contain different pathogenic bacteria like E. coli, Salmolella spp., shigella spp etc. and are not fit for drinking purposes. The quality of drinking water of Dewangorah must be monitored by regulatory authorities and further research is required to identify the sources of water contamination and its mitigation

IAA production and maize crop growth promoting potential of endophyte Aspergillus niger (AO11) under salt stress

Maize is cultivated under a broad range of soil conditions and environments. Maize is slightly vulnerable to salt stress and therefore it is seriously affected by soil salinity all over the world. Recognizing the responses of maize to salt stress and making a good strategy to overcome this problem could aid to develop solutions in saline areas to improve maize productivity. We investigated in this research the impacts, tolerance and salt stress management in corn. Many endophytic fungi can produce the Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is known for their role in plant growth and development both with and without salt stress conditions. The current study was focused on the production of IAA by endophytic fungi (Aspergillus niger) and maize seeds germination and promotion of seedling growth and vigor. In order to evaluate the defense response of maize plant, in relation to A. niger, an experiment was designed with three replications of treatments (control, salt stressed, salt stressed inoculated with A. niger, and only A. niger inoculated plants. It was determined that A. niger has the ability to produce the IAA in NaCl and KCl stress peaking 53 μg/ml and was not significantly by alternating the nitrogen and carbon sources in the nutrient broth but increasing the tryptophan concentration raised its production level. High concentration stress of sodium chloride and potassium chloride decrease maize plant seeds germination percentage, shoot and root length also affected the fresh and dry weight of maize. A. niger improves salt resistance in maize and also increased the germination percentage up to 30%, also improved the chlorophyll level and it was proved an effective approach for improving maize germination and growth under salt stress

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infections in patients visiting to gestroenterology department Rehman Medical Institute Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Gastritis and peptic ulcer is common worldwide as well in Pakistan. H. pylori is causative agent and can survive in acidic medium like stomach. H. pylori is unique bacteria that capable to cause stomach cancer. The objective of present study was to report the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infections in patients visiting to Rehman Medical Institute Peshawar. In the present descriptive cross-sectional study, a total number of 150 patients visiting to Gastroenterology Department Rehman Medical Institute Peshawar were gone through H. pylori screening test by Immunochromatography (BD ICT) method and test was performed to find out prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients visiting to Gastroenterology Department Rehman Medical Institute Peshawar. Data was recorded and analysed by SPSS-22 and shown here in the form of tables. Total number of patients was 150, out of them 44 (29.3%) patients were H. pylori positive and 106(70.7%) were H. pylori negative. The prevalence of H. pylori infection is higher in the patients visiting to gastroenterology department of Rehman Medical Institute Peshawar. It is more common in males as compared to female patients. We conclude here that patients of gastroenterology should be screened for H. pylori to cope with treatment & prevention from further complications

Resistance Pattern of Levofloxacin against Uropathogens Causing Urinary Tract Infection in Selected Areas of Dhaka city, Bangladesh

A crucial public health problem in developing country like Bangladesh is resistance of antibiotics to different types of bacteria and the rates of these bacterial resistances are changing for various antibiotic therapy. Our aim was to assess the susceptible pattern of Levofloxacin a 3rd generation Quinolone antibiotic against uropathogens. A total of 12943 urine samples were collected in 2016 (Jan-Dec) and out of which 1236 (9.55%) were bacteriologically positive. Among the isolated uropathogens, 95.1% were gram negative and 4.9% gram positive organism. Male were found more prone to get UTI under 10 years and between 51-90 years of age and female were more affected in 10 to 50 years and over 90 years of age group. E. coli was the most prevalent (83.9%) isolate followed by Klebsiella spp. (6.7%), Staphylococcus aureus (2.6%), Pseudomonas spp. (2.2%), Enterococcus spp. (2.0%) and Proteus spp. (1.1%). The most predominant Levofloxacin sensitive organisms were found in male Enterobacter spp. (100%) and in female patients Serretia spp. (100%), Citrobacter spp. (100%) and Streptococcus Group B (100%). On the other hand the most predominant Levofloxacin resistant organisms were found in male and female both Acinetobacter spp. (100%). Around (61.7%) male and (46.9%) female were found resistant to E. coli. Keywords: Levofloxacin, Quinolone, UTI, Resistance, Uropathogen

Over-the-Counter Medicine Attitudes and Knowledge among University and College Students in Brunei Darussalam:Findings from the First National Survey

Over-the-counter (OTC) medicine is defined as safe and effective for the general public to use, without seeking therapy from a health professional. As primary social media and internet users, university and college students are more likely to be exposed to unverified sources of health information. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour of students at institutions of higher learning in Brunei with regard to the safe use of OTC medicines. A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-administered online questionnaire, adapted from the literature with additional information from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the educational resources in understanding OTC medicine for consumers. The questionnaire consisted of 4 sections: demographic information, knowledge of OTC medicines, attitudes, and practice. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. A total of 335 students returned a completed questionnaire. The students had a mean knowledge score of 7.1 out of 9, with more than half (53.4%) having good knowledge (knowledge score > 7), and only a small percentage (5.7%) with poor knowledge. Almost all of the students (99.7%) had a positive attitude toward OTC medicine use. Few of the students practiced improper habits in terms of OTC medicine use, such as not reading the instructions or taking more than the recommended dose. Awareness of proper OTC medicine use among students in institutions of higher learning is necessary to prevent the rise of inappropriate user practices

Diagnostic Accuracy and Agreement between Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Ultrasound Finding for the Diagnosis of Rotator Cuff Tears

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy and agreement between ultrasound and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in determining rotator cuff tears. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of the Study: Armed Forces Institute of Radiology and Imaging, Pak Emirates Military Hospital,Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jul 2018 to Jan 2019. Methodology: Patients of either gender with a traumatic shoulder injury duration of less than 15 days were consecutively included. Rotator cuff tear on ultrasonography was diagnosed on the presence of a hypoechoic discontinuity in the tendon and accentuation of cartilage shadow, giving a 'double cortex' view while on MRI, the hyper-intense signal area within the tendon on T2W, fat-suppressed and GRE sequences, corresponding to fluid signal seen. Results: Of 88 patients, the mean age was 54.022±5.19 years. Ultrasound diagnosed rotator cuff tears in 42(47.7%) patients, and MRI diagnosed rotator cuff tears in 44(50.0%) patients. Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound taking MR imaging as the gold standard showed sensitivity as 81.82%, specificity as 77.27%, negative predicted value as 78.26%, positive predicted value as 80.95%, and overall diagnostic accuracy as 79.55%. A moderate agreement was found between ultrasound and MRI findings (p-value=0.591). Conclusion: The findings of the current study showed significant moderate agreement between ultrasound and MR imaging in the determination of rotator-cuff tears

UV-Accelerated Photocatalytic Degradation of Pesticide over Magnetite and Cobalt Ferrite Decorated Graphene Oxide Composite

Pesticides are one of the main organic pollutants as they are highly toxic and extensively used worldwide. The reclamation of wastewater containing pesticides is of utmost importance. For this purpose, GO-doped metal ferrites (GO-FeO and GO-CoFeO) were prepared and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic techniques. Photocatalytic potentials of catalysts were investigated against acetamiprid's degradation. A detailed review of the parametric study revealed that efficiency of overall Fenton's process relies on the combined effects of contributing factors, i.e., pH, initial oxidant concentration, catalyst dose, contact time, and acetamiprid load. ~97 and ~90% degradation of the acetamiprid was achieved by GO-CoFeO and GO-FeO, respectively during the first hour under UV radiations at optimized reaction conditions. At optimized conditions (i.e., pH:3, [HO]: 14.5 mM (for FeO, GO-FeO and GO-CoFeO) and 21.75 mM (for CoFeO), catalysts: 100 mgL, time: 60min) the catalysts exhibited excellent performance, with high degradation rate, magnetic power, easy recovery at the end, and efficient reusability (up to 5 cycles without any considerable loss in catalytic activity). A high magnetic character offers its easy separation from aqueous systems using an external magnet. Moreover, the combined effects of experimental variables were assessed simultaneously and justified using response surface methodology (RSM).This research received no external funding

Harnessing Soil Potential: Innovation in Strategic Tillage and Management - New Perspectives

The sustainability of the environment and the productivity of agriculture are both critically dependent on soil. Maximizing agricultural yields while reducing agriculture’s negative environmental effects is becoming more and more important as the world’s population continues to expand. Innovating tillage and management techniques to harness the potential of the soil is a topic that is explored in this chapter. The first section of the chapter describes the difficulties that contemporary agriculture faces, such as soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and water shortages. The part new technology has played in managing soil. Making educated management decisions is made easier by using precision agricultural technology like soil sensors, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS). These technologies provide useful insights into soil variability. It emphasizes how crucial it is to implement sustainable soil management techniques in order to guarantee long-term agricultural output and ecological harmony. The chapter’s conclusion emphasizes the need of maximizing soil potential through creative methods of tactical tillage and management. Agricultural systems may raise crop yield, lessen their environmental effect, and become more resilient to climate change by using sustainable soil practises, assuring a more sustainable and food-secure future

Comparative trends in ischemic heart disease admissions, presentation and outcomes due to the COVID-19 pandemic: First insights from a tertiary medical center in Pakistan

Introduction: COVID-19 has manifested a striking disarray in healthcare access and provision, particularly amongst patients presenting with life-threatening ischemic heart disease (IHD). The paucity of data from low-middle income countries has limited our understanding of the consequential burden in the developing world. We aim to compare volumes, presentations, management strategies, and outcomes of IHD amongst patients presenting in the same calendar months before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis at the Aga Khan University Hospital, one of the premier tertiary care centres in Pakistan. Data were collected on all adult patients (\u3e18 years) who were admitted with IHD (acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stable angina) from March 1 to June 30, 2019 (pre-COVID) and March 1 to June 30, 2020 (during-COVID), respectively. Group differences for continuous variables were evaluated using student t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. The chi-squared test or Fisher test was used for categorical variables. Values of p less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. P-value trend calculation and graphical visualization were done using STATA (StataCorp, College Station, TX).Results: Data were assimilated on 1019 patients, with 706 (69.3%) and 313 (30.7%) patients presenting in each respective group (pre-COVID and during-COVID). Current smoking status (p=0.019), admission source (p\u3c0.001), month of admission (p\u3c0.001), proportions ACS (p\u3c0.001), non-ST-elevation-myocardial-infarction (NSTEMI; p\u3c0.001), unstable angina (p=0.025) and medical management (p=0.002) showed significant differences between the two groups, with a sharp decline in the during-COVID group. Monthly trend analysis of ACS patients showed the most significant differences in admissions (p=0.001), geographic region (intra-district vs intracity vs outside city) (p\u3c0.001), time of admission (p=0.038), NSTEMI (p=0.002) and medical management (p=0.001).Conclusion: These data showcase stark declines in ACS admissions, diagnostic procedures (angiography) and revascularization interventions (angioplasty and coronary artery bypass graft surgery, CABG) in a developing country where resources and research are already inadequate. This study paves the way for further investigations downstream on the short- and long-term consequences of untreated IHD and reluctance in health-seeking behaviour