Trade Openness and Growth: An Analysis of Transmission Mechanism in Pakistan

This paper investigates the linkages between trade policy openness and economic growth for Pakistan for the period 1973 to 2008. The paper tests the hypothesis that trade policy does not affect economic growth directly rather it affects through some growth determining economic variables, which then effect economic growth. For this purpose a simultaneous system of equations is estimated through the Three Stage Least Squares. The results suggest a positive impact of trade policy openness on Black Market Premium, Domestic Investment and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and negative impact on Macro Policy Index. However, Black Market Premium and FDI show negative and Domestic Investment shows positive impact on economic growth.Openness, Growth, Transmission Mechanism, Pakistan

Nano-Fertilizers for Sustainable Crop Production under Changing Climate: A Global Perspective

Since green revolution, chemical fertilizers are deemed an indispensable input of modern crop production systems, but these have associated environmental and ecological consequences. Loss of nutrients from agricultural fields in the form of leaching and gaseous emissions has been the leading cause of environmental pollution and climate change. Ensuring the sustainability of crop production necessitates exploring other sources of nutrients and modifying prevalent nutrient sources. Nanotechnology, which utilizes nanomaterials of less than 100 nm size, may offer an unprecedented opportunity to develop concentrated sources of plant nutrients having higher-absorption rate, utilization efficacy, and minimum losses. Nanofertilizers are being prepared by encapsulating plant nutrients into nanomaterials, employing thin coating of nanomaterials on plant nutrients, and delivering in the form of nano-sized emulsions. Nano-pores and stomatal openings in plant leaves facilitate nanomaterial uptake and their penetration deep inside leaves leading to higher nutrient use efficiency (NUE). Nanofertilizers have higher transport and delivery of nutrients through plasmodesmata, which are nanosized (50–60 nm) channels between cells. The higher NUE and significantly lesser nutrient losses of nanofertilizers lead to higher productivity (6–17%) and nutritional quality of field crops. However, production and availability, their sufficient effective legislation, and associated risk management are the prime limiting factors in their general adoption as plant nutrient sources

Optimizing Nitrogen Level to Improve Growth and Grain Yield of Spring Planted Irrigated Maize (Zea mays L.)

Nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients required by plants for vegetative growth and development. To investigate the effect of different levels of nitrogen on growth as well as grain yield of spring planted maize under irrigated conditions of central Punjab, a field trial was executed at Research Area of Maize and Millet Research Institute, Yousafwala Sahiwal, Punjab Pakistan, during 2009. The experimental design was randomized complete block design (RCBD) which was replicated thrice. Maize (cv. Sadaf) was sown in 75 cm apart rows, while plant to plant distance was maintained at 20 cm. Five levels of nitrogen (100, 120, 140, 160 and 180 kg per hectare) were employed as experimental treatments. Results revealed that all levels of nitrogen influenced the yield components as well as grain yield of maize. The highest grain yield (6.93 t ha-1) and biological yield (12.91 t ha-1) was given by nitrogen applied at the rate of 180 kg/ha. Similarly, the maximum number of grains per cob (471.3) and 1000-grain yield (328.4 g) was given by 180 kg/ha of nitrogen. The plant height, number of leaves per plant and stem diameter were also increased with increased level of applied nitrogen. Thus higher doses of nitrogen have the potential to give comparatively higher grain yield of spring planted irrigated maize

Effect of Seed Invigoration Techniques on Germination and Seedling Growth of Chinese Sweet Sorghum

To assess the comparative efficacy of different priming techniques on the germination and growth of Chinese sweet sorghum, a laboratory trial was conducted at Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, during 2013. The experiment was laid in completely randomized design (CRD) and was replicated thrice. The treatments included control treatment (T1) with no seed priming, seed priming with 1% KNO3 for 12 hours (T2), seed priming with 1% CaCl2 for 12 hours (T3), seed priming with 5% moringa leaf extract for 12 hours (T4), 10% moringa leaf extract for 12 hours (T5) and 15% moringa leaf extract for 12 hours (T6) and hydro-priming with distilled water for 12 hours (T7). The results showed that seed priming with 5% moringa leaf extract for 12 hours (T4) was the best seed priming technique as it gave the maximum final germination percentage and the minimum time for 50% germination as well as mean emergence time. This treatment also gave significantly the highest number of roots and leaves along with root and shoots length. Thus seed priming with 5% moringa leaf extract has the potential to give the highest germination as well as seedling growth and development

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES TOWARD CORONAVIRUS DISEASE-19 INFECTION AMONG RESIDENTS OF DELHI NCR, INDIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY BASED STUDY

Objective: In the given study, we have carried out a survey among general population of Delhi NCR (India) for the knowledge, perceptions, and attitude toward coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and also attempted to reach to a few conclusions in the form of recommendations. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire based online survey (using Google Forms) was conducted between April 2020 and May 2020 to investigative knowledge, perceptions, and attitude toward COVID-19. Chi-square test was used for the computation of p-value. Results: There were total 823 respondents, with 43.01% females and 56.98% males. Around 73.74% respondents believe that it has become a social stigma. About 75.09% were of the opinion that sneezing etiquettes can help in curbing the infection. About 93.43% of study population follows the personal hygiene, 24.78% wished to get insurance coverage. Similarly, interesting data were collected over different aspects of COVID-19. Conclusions: The current pandemic is the first exposure at such a large scale to the existing population but with the progression of time, authorities and general population are collating knowledge about the same. It is to be fought at all the fronts such as medical, social, economic, and psychological. Hence, this type of survey becomes an important tool in decision making

Trade Openness and Growth: An Analysis of Transmission Mechanism in Pakistan

This paper investigates the linkages between trade policy openness and economic growth for Pakistan for the period 1973 to 2008. The paper tests the hypothesis that trade policy does not affect economic growth directly rather it affects through some growth determining economic variables, which then effect economic growth. For this purpose a simultaneous system of equations is estimated through the Three Stage Least Squares. The results suggest a positive impact of trade policy openness on Black Market Premium, Domestic Investment and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and negative impact on Macro Policy Index. However, Black Market Premium and FDI show negative and Domestic Investment shows positive impact on economic growth

Integration of Next Generation IIoT with Blockchain for the Development of Smart Industries

In modern era, a wide range of smart industries is being focus on automation-based applications. Various technologies are rapidly implementing in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for manufacturing sectors that helping to achieve advanced schedule production framework and on time delivery of products. The integration of IIoT platforms with the blockchain are challenging service in manufacturing system. The primary objective of this article is to characterize various issues and challenges that are implementing IIoT and blockchain in industries. The proposed work is an integration of IIoT and blockchain in industrial processes for solving the security issues in real-time. Also, identifying various enablers of blockchain and issues of IIoT from smart industries manufacturing using a survey tool is formed in the form of questionnaire. Based on these responses Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique has been implemented for categorizing these challenges into cause and effect. In this paper, we introduce the general layout with their key issues and challenges of IIoT and blockchain that signifies the safety requirements to design the IIoT and blockchain. Further, we describe how IIoT can be integrated to the blockchain for smart Industrial applications. Finally, various recommendations are the proposed to upcoming IIoT and blockchain developments. The proposed work will be highly beneficial for the smart industries to develop a next generation IIoT and blockchain based framework

Trade Openness and Growth: An Analysis of Transmission Mechanism in Pakistan

This paper investigates the linkages between trade policy openness and economic growth for Pakistan for the period 1973 to 2008. The paper tests the hypothesis that trade policy does not affect economic growth directly rather it affects through some growth determining economic variables, which then effect economic growth. For this purpose a simultaneous system of equations is estimated through the Three Stage Least Squares. The results suggest a positive impact of trade policy openness on Black Market Premium, Domestic Investment and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and negative impact on Macro Policy Index. However, Black Market Premium and FDI show negative and Domestic Investment shows positive impact on economic growth

In vitro/in vivo performance of different complexes of itraconazole used in the treatment of vaginal candidiasis

A large majority of new chemical entities and many existing drug molecules exhibit poor aqueous solubility, which may limit their potential use in developing drug formulations, with optimum bioavailability. One of the approaches to improve the solubility of a poorly water soluble drug and eventually its bioavailability is complexation with agents like humic acid (HA), fulvic acid (FA), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and caffeine (Caff). The current work emphasized at employing these agents to prepare different complexes and their in vitro/in vivo assessment. All the complexes evaluated for their complexation efficiency and authenticated by molecular modeling; conformational analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy. Furthermore, the complexes were assessed in an in vivo, rat vaginal model for their efficacy in treatment of vaginal candidiasis. Amongst the five tested complexes, fulvic acid-itraconazole complex yielded better solubility as well as in vivo efficacy and therefore may further be explored for developing a commercial formulation for treating vaginal candidiasis.A maioria das novas entidades químicas e muitas moléculas de fármacos existentes apresenta fraca solubilidade em água, o que pode limitar seu uso potencial no desenvolvimento de formulações com biodisponibilidade ideal. Uma das abordagens para melhorar a solubilidade de um fármaco pouco solúvel em água e, eventualmente, a sua biodisponibilidade é a complexação com agentes como o ácido húmico (HA), ácido fúlvico (FA), β-ciclodextrina (β-CD), 2-hidroxipropil-β-ciclodextrina (HP-β-CD) e cafeína (Caff). O presente trabalho baseia-se no uso desses agentes para preparar diferentes complexos e suas avaliações in vitro/in vivo. Todos os complexos foram avaliados quanto à eficiência de complexação por modelação molecular, análise conformacional, calorimetria de varredura diferencial (DSC), difração de raios-X (XRD), ressonância magnética nuclear (RMN) e espectroscopia de massas. Além disso, os complexos foram avaliados in vivo, em ratas, no tocante à sua eficácia no tratamento de candidíase vaginal. Entre os cinco complexos testados, o complexo de ácido fúlvico-itraconazol foi o que apresentou melhor solubilidade, bem como melhor eficácia in vivo e, portanto, pode ser explorado para o desenvolvimento de uma formulação comercial para o tratamento de candidíase vaginal