bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
El Acuerdo Bruselas 2017 para Latinoamérica: una iniciativa de la GARD y SLaai
Authors: Gómez R. Maximiliano , González-Díaz Sandra Nora , Urrutia-Pereira Marilyn , Valentín-Rostan Marylin , Yáñez Anahí , Jares Edgardo , Cruz Álvaro , Calderón Moisés , Bousquet Jean , Latinoamericana de Alergia, Asma Sociedad , Against Chronic Respirat Global Alliance
Published: August 2018

La Alianza Global contra las Enfermedades Respiratorias Crónicas es una red de organizaciones coordinadas por la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Es una coalición voluntaria de organizaciones, instituciones y organismos nacionales e internacionales con alcance mundial comprometidos con acciones para mejorar el acceso a la prevención, asistencia y medicamentos esenciales. Durante su última reunión anual, efectuada en Bruselas, Bélgica, en septiembre de 2017, emergió la necesidad de agrupar acciones y representación por regiones geográficas. Existen diferentes programas exitosos en el control de la morbimortalidad de estas enfermedades y otros que mejoran el costo-beneficio y la calidad de vida. Así, desde SLaai se propone contribuir a la difusión y conocimiento de la magnitud y factores de riesgo en enfermedades respiratorias crónicas, identificar programas exitosos de Latinoamérica para ser replicados en la región y generar convenios estratégicos para el fortalecimiento de acciones conjuntas.
Severidad de bronquiectasias en pacientes adultos con inmunodeficiencia común variable
Authors: Vivas-Rosales Irving Jesús , Hernández-Ojeda Mariana , O'Farrill-Romanillos Patricia María , Herrera-Sánchez Diana Andrea , Maciel-Fierro Abril Helena , Núñez-Enríquez Juan Carlos
Published: August 2018

Antecedentes: La inmunodeficiencia común variable es la inmunodeficiencia primaria humoral sintomática más frecuente en el adulto. La deficiencia de anticuerpos conlleva mayor susceptibilidad a infecciones sinopulmonares y formación de bronquiectasias, que se relacionan con aumento de la mortalidad. Se han establecido escalas para evaluar el grado de severidad de las bronquiectasias para predecir desenlaces como mortalidad, exacerbaciones y hospitalizaciones.Objetivo: Determinar la severidad de las bronquiectasias en pacientes adultos con inmunodeficiencia común variable mediante la escala Brief Symptom Inventory.Método: Estudio transversal en población adulta con diagnóstico de inmunodeficiencia común variable atendida en el Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social.Resultados: La severidad de las bronquiectasias de acuerdo con la escala Brief Symptom Inventory fue leve en 60 % de los pacientes y moderada en 40 %. Las diferencias estadísticas significativas fueron para el índice de masa corporal, la cantidad de lóbulos afectados y el tipo de bronquiectasias (p < 0.001).Conclusiones: Es indispensable utilizar escalas de severidad de bronquiectasias en pacientes con inmunodeficiencia común variable para la toma de decisiones clínicas y terapéuticas, sin embargo, es necesario determinar el instrumento más apropiado para evaluar la severidad de las bronquiectasias en esta población.
La importancia de la UNAM en el aval de la especialidad de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica
Authors: Bazán-Miranda Germán , Olmedo Víctor , Heinze-Martin Gerhard , Sosa-Reyes Aurora , Torres-Carrillo Judith , Aguirre Diana
Published: August 2018

A finales del siglo XVIII inició la historia de la inmunología en México, con Francisco Xavier Balmis, quien realizó el proceso de vacunación contra la viruela, con lo que sentó las bases para la investigación y la práctica clínica en este campo de la medicina. Entre los precursores de la inmunología en México destacan Eduardo Liceaga, Maximiliano Ruiz Castañeda y Mario Salazar Mallén. Este último fundó el primer laboratorio de alergia en México, en el Hospital General de México, y el primer curso de alergia con reconocimiento por la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). El Programa Único de Especializaciones Médicas (PUEM) es un plan curricular organizado en una construcción conceptual funcional, destinado a encauzar las acciones educativas médicas, cuyo diseño estuvo a cargo de la Facultad de Medicina de la UNAM, las instituciones de salud y los consejos mexicanos de especialistas; su finalidad es que el médico residente adquiera los conocimientos, habilidades, destrezas y valores éticos para ejercer su práctica profesional con calidad y eficiencia. La especialidad de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica forma parte del PUEM desde 1994 en adultos y desde 1998 en pediatría. Actualmente, la especialidad se desarrolla en ocho instituciones de salud, con seis cursos para adultos y dos en pediatría. La UNAM evalúa la calidad de los cursos de especialización mediante diversos procesos, coordinados por la División de Estudios de Posgrado de la Facultad de Medicina, a través de la Coordinación de Subcomités Académicos y el apoyo de los integrantes del Subcomité Académico de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica, con el objetivo de garantizar la calidad de la formación de los recursos humanos.
Task Modification of Pre-service Elementary Teachers: Focus on Geometric Tasks
Authors:   The Korea Society Of Educational Studies In Mathematics, Park JinHyeong
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the manner in which the elementary pre-service teachers modify mathematical tasks in the textbook. This study especially focused on modification of geometric tasks to conjecturing tasks. The findings of this study showed that elementary pre-service teachers modified mathematical tasks by changing questions, examples, contexts, and tools of tasks. We identified pre-service teachers’ ways of modifying questions, examples, contexts, and tools of geometric tasks. Pre-service teachers’ question modifications were mainly focused on adjusting hints for supporting students’ conjecturing. They also added alternative examples to clarify and discern meanings and components of mathematical concepts in mathematical tasks.
A Case Study on the Changes in the Levels of Arithmetical Thinking and Transition to Algebraic Thinking of a 7th Grader who was an Underachiever in Number and Operation
Authors:   The Korea Society Of Educational Studies In Mathematics, Lim Miin , Chang Hyewon
Published: August 2018

Arithmetic and algebra are considered to be the most basic and core contents in school mathematics. However, many students in elementary and middle school have difficulties in arithmetic and algebra learning, and immense studies have been carried out in the field of mathematics education to solve these problems. The present study is a follow-up study which was conducted following the previous study conducted on a student who had difficulties in number and operation domain. This study investigated the manner in which the level of arithmetical thinking changed and how the transition from arithmetical thinking to algebraic thinking occurred after that student spent a year studying mathematics in middle school. Based on the results of the analysis, we suggest several implications for teaching and learning of number and operation domain at elementary and middle school in terms of the development of arithmetical thinking.
A Review of Research on Developing Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching
Authors:   The Korea Society Of Educational Studies In Mathematics, Kim Yeon
Published: August 2018

Researchers agree that there is a distinctive body of mathematical knowledge which is important for teaching since Shulman (1986) introduced the pedagogical content knowledge. Many studies have tried to improve teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching in their situations, and some reported their efforts in journals that can be shared with other teacher educators. To summarize the progress made in implementing such efforts, this research reviews studies on the development of mathematical knowledge for teaching. Based on a search in five major databases, 81 empirical articles were reviewed in order to identify what has been reported to influence the development of mathematical knowledge for teaching and how these results are warranted. From the analysis of research problems, research design, and findings, this review argues that more studies need to identify factors influencing the development of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching across programs and contexts, with particular attention on the role of practice-based approaches.
Labour Supply and Earning Functions of Educated Married Women: A Case Study of Northern Punjab
Authors: Eatzaz Ahmad
Published: August 2018

This study analyses labour supply of educated married women in Mandi Bahauddin, a typical district of northern Punjab in Pakistan. The study finds that the education level and economic compulsion are important factors affecting women’s labour force participation decision. But, otherwise, they are independent in their decision-making, e.g., the women living in joint families or those with less educated husbands and/or parents are not socially constrained in terms of participation. Human capital variables like education, experience, and training, besides the nature of occupation and distance from the central city, are the important factors affecting women’s earning rates, while the hours of work are mainly determined institutionally.
Malcolm Gladwell. The Tipping Point. London: Brettenham House. 2007. 279 pages. Paperback. £ 6.99
Authors: Durr-e- Nayab
Published: August 2018

The Tipping Point is a book about change. What brings on change and why so often it happens so quickly? The book is an intellectual journey taking the reader through the changes in the world of business, education, fashion, and media. It draws heavily from psychology, sociology, history, and epidemiology to explain these changes. The idea of “Tipping Point” is derived from epidemiology. It is the moment in any epidemic when the disease reaches its critical mass—the moment on the graph when the line shoots vertically upwards. Gladwell applies the same idea to “social epidemics”, and tries to figure out “tipping points” in business, social policy, advertisement, TV programming, and a number of other non-medical areas.
Fredrich Schneider and Dominik H. Enste. The Shadow Economy—An International Survey. New Delhi / Thousand Oaks / London: Sage Publications. 2006. Paperback. Indian Rs 550.00.
Authors: Sophia Ahmad
Published: August 2018

Social security fraud, economic crime, prostitution, money laundering, smuggling, and other illegal actions have one thing in common—they are all considered to be “shadow economy” activities. Such activities are increasing and require immediate attention from social and economic policy-makers and law-regulating authorities. Fredrich Schneider and Dominik H. Enste have made a commendable effort to highlight the causes, effects, and size of the underground economy in their new book.
Determinants of Interest Spread in Pakistan
Authors: M. Idrees Khawaja
Published: August 2018

Interest spread of Pakistan’s banking industry has been on the rise for the last two years. The increase in interest spread discourages savings and investments, on the one hand, and raises concerns about the effectiveness of the bank-lending channels of monetary policy, on the other. This study examines the determinants of interest spread in Pakistan using panel data of 29 banks. The results show that the share of interest-insensitive deposits in total bank deposits is a key determinant of interest spread, whereas industry concentration has no significant impact on interest spread. Furthermore, the ongoing merger wave in the banking industry will limit the options for the savers, with adverse implications for the interest spread. We argue that to maintain a reasonably competitive environment, merger proposals may be subjected to review by an anti-trust authority.
Paul Cook and Sarah Mosedale (eds.). Regulation, Markets and Poverty. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2007. Price not given.
Authors: G. M. Arif
Published: August 2018

Most developing countries have been pursuing structural adjustment programmes, driven by the World Bank and the IMF, for more than 25 years without initially recognising the importance of regulation for economic liberalisation. Without regulation, the potential advantages of liberalising markets were in danger of being diminished in terms of improved efficiency and welfare. As a consequence, new forms of regulation have been emerging that cover health, environment, industry, employment and so on. This book examines the concepts and theories that have driven these reforms and the particular contexts that have influenced and conditioned them. The research presented in the book was carried out at the Centre on Regulation and Competition (CRC), University of Manchester, the United Kingdom, over the past five years. It contains fourteen chapters organised in five parts: competition, regulatory governance, regulation, capacity building and poverty.
Tony Weis. The Global Food Economy: The Battle for the Future of Farming. London and New York: Zed Books/Halifax and Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishers, 2007. 217 pages. Paperback. Price not given.
Authors: Ejaz Ghani
Published: August 2018

Tony Weis’s book provides a systematic analysis of the dynamics, problems, and inequities of the global food economy. Starting with the current situation regarding hunger and poverty, the author states that despite the fact that food production is more than needed to provide every person on earth with a nutrition diet, hunger still persists. The percentage of world population with food shortages has declined but absolute numbers have grown. Similar is the case with poverty. According to the World Bank estimates, 2.8 billion people are living on less than US$2 a day and 1.2 billion are living in extreme poverty (less than US$1). And a special feature of the hunger and poverty is that these problems are acute in developing countries, especially South Asian and sub- Saharan African countries.
Foreign Aid—Blessing or Curse: Evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Muhammad Arshad Khan
Published: August 2018

The role of foreign aid in promoting economic growth is a debatable issue and remains unsettled at both theoretical and empirical levels. Pakistan has received a substantial amount of foreign aid since its Independence in 1947 but little improvement has been observed in its socio-economic development. This study considers the question as to whether foreign aid is a blessing or a curse for Pakistan. The empirical analysis is based on the ARDL cointegration approach. We examine the aid-growth link at the aggregate and disaggregate levels for the period 1972-2006. The results show negative and insignificant effects of foreign aid on the growth at the aggregate as well at the disaggregate level. The findings further suggest that domestic investment, export growth, and inflows of foreign direct investment are important contributors in enhancing economic growth in Pakistan.
Self-reported Symptoms of Reproductive Tract Infections: The Question of Accuracy and Meaning
Authors: Durr-E- Nayab
Published: August 2018

Verbal surveys are the most common way of gauging any population’s health status, but questions remain regarding the accuracy of the responses they elicit. The present paper compares women’s self-reports regarding their experiences with reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and the medical diagnosis that they went through to ascertain the presence or otherwise of the infections. Weak concordance was found between women’s self-reports and the medical diagnosis, with the former over-representing the presence of infections. Some of the selfreported symptoms were pathogenic in nature, as represented by the true positive reports, but the majority of the self-reports were false positives when compared to medical diagnosis. The conventional health surveys, relying solely on verbal responses, thus, do not essentially represent the actual health situation of a population studied, and any policy intervention formulated exclusively on this information would be flawed. There is a need to understand the non-medical context of illnesses to understand the disease fully.
Harinder S. Kohli (ed.). Growth and Development in Emerging Market Economies: International Private Capital Flows, Financial Markets and Globalisation. New Delhi: Sage Publication 2008. 369 pages. Hardbound. Indian Rs 695.00.
Authors: Henna Ahsan
Published: August 2018

The book discusses the different experiences in Asia and Latin America, while covering the closely related areas under the purview of Emerging Market Economies (EMEs). The first chapter, “Introduction and Overview” has written by Harinder S. Kohli gives an excellent review of the existing literature on the subject. The book discusses six related topics which include nine papers presented at the Emerging Markets Forum Meeting held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in September 2006. The book highlights the main factors of growth and development in Emerging Market Economies (EMEs) now closely related with international capital flows, development of financial market, the countries’ ability to integrate successfully with the global economy through trade and investment and their ability to forge public-private partnerships including infrastructure development.
Valuing Interventions to Reduce Indoor Air Pollution— Fuelwood, Deforestation, and Health in Rural Nepal
Authors: Pant Krishna Prasad
Published: August 2018

Household energy use, forest and poverty are entangled in developing countries with environmental and health problems. Dependence on wood for cooking fuel generally increases the dependency of poor people on forests. This fuelwood consumption is not only linked to the forest environment, but also to the health of the inhabitants due to indoor air pollution. As the women are exposed more to the smoke pollution than the men, and children are more sensitive to it than adults, the issue of fuel is also linked with the gender and child issues. Fuelwood is the main source of cooking energy in Nepal and will remain so for foreseeable future. About 66 percent of households use wood as the main fuel for cooking. Only about 13 and eight percent households, mostly in urban areas, use kerosene and LPG respectively. The households using biogas as the main fuel is less than two percent [CBS (2002)]. One study shows that over 89 percent of total energy use in Nepal comes from the traditional fuels [ADB (2003)]. Wood and other biomass fuels (crop residues as well as animal dung) can substitute for each other, though most consumers have a general preference for wood over other biomass [FAO (1997)]. With socio-economic development, the fuel used by a household changes to better ones in the fuel-ladder. Everybody likes to maximise their utility by choosing more convenient and prestigious fuel subject to the budget constraint. Climbing the fuel-ladder generally means stepping up from dung cakes or crop residues, fuelwood, kerosene, biogas, LPG and ultimately to the electricity. Moving to the higher steps in the ladder means better respiratory health of the family members due to lower emission.
The Fiscal Reaction Function and the Transmission Mechanism for Pakistan
Authors: Khalid Mahmood , Malik Wasim Shahid , Sattar Abdul
Published: August 2018

Modern macroeconomics literature emphasises both the short run and long run objectives of fiscal policy [Romer (2006)]. In the short run it can be used to counter output cyclicality and/or stabilise volatility in macro variables, which is descriptively same as of effects of the short run monetary policy. Further for the long-run, fiscal policy can also affect both the demand and supply side of the economy. But in most traditional analyses it is assumed that fiscal policy would adjust to ensure the intertemporal budget constraint to be satisfied, while monetary policy is free to adjust its instruments [‘Ricardian Regime’ by Sargent (1982)] such as stock of money supply or the nominal interest rate [Walsh (2003)]. The debt financing methods, expenditure and tax powers of fiscal authorities i.e. the fiscal policy has also been seen as to affect both the supply and demand side of the economy. As noted by Baxter and King (1993), the initial Real Business Cycle models had only the supply side effects of the fiscal policy, where these were transmitted through the wealth effect and labourleisure choices of the household. Recently also New-Keynesian type models with micro-foundations and sticky prices argue that still through the supply side fiscal policy management could be accorded for stabilisation [Linnemann and Schabert (2003)]. The demand side effects of the fiscal policy could also be found only with more imperfections such as ‘Rule of Thumb’ consumers or those with liquidity constraints, which lead to exclusion of Ricardian equivalence [Gali, et al. (2005)]. But all that depends on the structure of the economy, as Blanchard and Perotti (2002) stated:
Management of Energy Recourses, Marginal Input- Output Coefficients, and Layers of Techniques: A Case Study of US Chemical Industry
Authors: Toseef Azid
Published: August 2018

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) one
Rural-Urban Income Inequality under Financial Development and Trade Openness in Pakistan: The Econometric Evidence
Authors: Muhammad Shahbaz
Published: August 2018

Pakistan is a developing economy, which has adopted Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in the form of economic reforms initiated in early 1990s. Economic reforms related to privatisation of state-owned assets, deregulation, confiscation of price controls, trade liberalisation generally and financial reforms (especially to improve quality of financial institutions) particularly. The objective of such reforms was to improve the welfare of society but these reforms never fruited to every livelihood in the country. Perhaps, fruits of economic reforms are eaten up by poor governance, lack of transparency in economic policies, high level of corruption, high burden of internal and external debts and interest rate payments on these debts, weak situation of law and order, and improper implementation of economic policies.
Poverty and Natural Resource Management in Pakistan
Authors: Muhammad Irfan
Published: August 2018

Pakistan is a country of contrasts, with diversified relief having majestic high mountain ranges snow-covered peaks, eternal glaciers, and the inter-mountain valleys in the north. Irrigated plains in the Indus basin contrast with stark deserts and rugged rocky plateaus in southwest Balochistan. The country is arid and semi-arid with substantial variation in temperature depending upon the topography and characterised by continental type of climate. Over the years since independence the natural resources of the country (land and water) have been harnessed which in turn made it possible to feed the growing population which more than quadrupled during the past sixty years. Construction of Tarbela and Mangla Dam facilitated the growth of irrigated agriculture and led the cropping intensity to peak. Sectors other than the agriculture also developed because of the backward and forward linkage of the agricultural growth thereby having an economy diversified and much less dependent on agriculture.
Ecofeminist Movements— from the North to the South
Authors: Aneel Salman
Published: August 2018

Ecofeminism grows from the idea that a woman’s ethics are closer to nature than a man’s and it revalue feminine traits. Women are seen in sync with nature, working in union with it, while men have a hierarchical relationship with nature in which their actions try to dominate it. This view poses the idea that men’s control over nature has created an ecological crisis in much of the world today. Ecofeminists look for non-violent solutions to world problems. They consider feminine values necessary for survival in the conditions of the world's patriarchy. And while ecofeminists may subscribe to liberal, radical, or Marxist/socialist thought, their main focus is on ecology—both of nature and human systems.
Gender, Environment, and Sustainable Economic Growth
Authors: Saima Akhtar Qureshi
Published: August 2018

Both human and natural environment are interlinked with each other dynamically and keep this relation stable within themselves and with each other. The existence of all living organism including human being depends on the interlinkages between the physical human environment and natural environment. Natural resources and physical environment form a basis for sustainable livelihood system, in which human needs are met in the short and long run [Dankelman (2001)]. Although economic growth is an explicit goal in nearly every nation, but a wide range of independent scientific research provides undeniable evidence that the growth of the global economy is not sustainable because it consumes many of the environmental services that strengthen the production of goods and services [e.g., Houghton, et al. (1996); Vitousek, et al. (1997)]. Environmental services refer to the various ways that the environment influences production- and indeed-supports most part of human existence [Costanza and Daly (1992)]. There is a growing understanding that the degradation of environment and growth of waste materials can reduce the productivity of natural resources, as when ozone accumulates in the troposphere and lowers crop yields. This increases the quantity of human capital required to produce a specified quantity of food. The addition of wastes also slows the rate at which natural capital can process the waste material, as when sewage reduces the ability of aquatic ecosystems to process organic materials [Ayres (1996)]. There is also an increasing understanding that “economic growth does not necessarily go hand-in-hand with growth in the well-being of people”. It reflects the rising discrepancy between rich and poor and between genders in most countries [Ayres (1996)].
Demand Analysis of Recreation Visits to Chitral Valley: A Natural Resource Management Perspective
Authors: Muhammad Rafiq
Published: August 2018

Recreational visits are primarily about human activity which involves travel from an originating area to a destination for cultural, economic, and social exchange processes. People travel to exotic locations for sight seeing, picnicking, bird watching, and for cultural and religious settings. However, accessibility to such areas is often free, which not only results in environmental hazards but also deprives the cash destitute government from revenue that such these sites offer. Valuing the recreational benefits associated with a destination based on tourists’ preferences can help formulate an appropriate policy for Natural Resource Management (NRM). Environmental and natural resource management studies often try to measure the welfare change associated with a policy change. Welfare is generally defined as area under the demand curve; accordingly, by estimating the demand curve, consumer surplus is obtained which shows the welfare changes associated with an environmental policy change [Gunatilake (2003)]. The recreational values thus obtained can be utilised for a cost benefit analysis of a policy option, thereby, managing a park or a natural resource on a sustainable basis.
Role of Tourism in Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan Economy
Authors: Samina Khalil
Published: August 2018

Tourism activities are considered to be one of the major sources of economic growth. It can be regarded as a mechanism of generating the employment as well as income in both formal and informal sectors. Tourism supplements the foreign exchange earnings derived from trade in commodities and some times finance the import of capital goods necessary for the growth of manufacturing sectors in the economy. On the other hand rapid economic growth in the developed economies attracts foreign travels (Business travels), which leads to an increase in the foreign reserve of the country. Over the past several decades, international tourism has been gaining importance in many economies of the world. According to the World Tourism Organisation (2002), expenditures by 693 million international tourists traveling in 2001 totaled US $ 462 billion, roughly US $ 1.3 billion per day worldwide. In addition, tourists spending have served as an alternative form of exports, contributing to an ameliorated balance of payments through foreign exchange earnings in many countries. The rapid growth of tourism led to a growth of household incomes and government revenues directly and indirectly by means of multiplier effects, improving balance of payments and provoking tourism-promoted government policies. As a result, the development of tourism has generally been considered a positive contribution to economic growth.
Climate Change and Economic Development: A Pragmatic Approach (Invited Lecture)
Authors: John Gowdy
Published: August 2018

Two major problems promise to dominate economic and social policy during the twentyfirst century. These are global climate change and the growing gap between the rich and the poor. Economists are facing these issues at a time when many of the standard tools of economic analysis—for example, competitive general equilibrium and the theoretical system that supports it—have fallen into disfavour in analysing global issues involving uncertainty and irreversibility. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for development economics. This paper first examines economic models of human development and climate change, drawing, where possible, on the situation in Pakistan. We then outline an approach to coping with climate change based on new perspectives in behavioural and development economics, and on the likely consequences of global warming for Pakistan. We focus on adaptation to climate change rather than on mitigation strategies.
Wheat Markets and Price Stabilisation in Pakistan: An Analysis of
Policy Options
Authors: Dorosh Paul , Salam Abdul
Published: August 2018

This article provides a quantitative analysis of the effects
of Pakistan government domestic wheat procurement, sales, and trade
policies on wheat supply, demand, prices, and overall inflation.
Analysis of price multipliers indicates that increases in wheat
procurement prices (one means of promoting domestic procurement) have
relatively small effects on the overall consumer price index. Partial
equilibrium analysis of wheat markets suggests that fluctuations in
production, rather than market manipulation, are plausible explanations
for price increases in recent years. Comparisons of domestic and
international prices suggest that promoting private sector imports is
one alternative for increasing supply and stabilising market prices,
particularly in years of production shortfalls. Overall, this paper
concludes that market forces play a dominant role in price determination
in Pakistan, and that policies that promote the private sector wheat
trade can both increase price stability and reduce fiscal
costs.
The Politics of Service Delivery in Pakistan: Political Parties
and the Incentives for Patronage, 1988-1999
Authors: Hasnan Zahid
Published: August 2018

This paper examines the impact of the political party
structure on the incentives for politicians to focus on patronage versus
service delivery improvements in Pakistan. By analysing inter-provincial
variations in the quality of service delivery in Pakistan, the paper
argues that the more fragmented, factionalised, and polarised the party
systems, the greater are the incentives for patronage, weakening service
delivery improvements. Fragmentation and factionalism both exacerbate
the information problems that voters have in assigning credit (blame)
for service delivery improvements (deterioration), thereby creating the
incentives for politicians to focus on targeted benefits. Polarisation,
particularly ethnic polarisation, reduces the ability of groups to agree
on the provision of public goods, again causing politicians to favour
the delivery of targeted benefits.
S. A. OŜga. The Rate of Exchange and the Terms of Trade. New
Brunswick, New Jersey / London: Aldine Transaction, 2008. 116 pages.
Paperback. Price not given.
Authors: Qadir Usman
Published: August 2018

S. A. OŜga aims to provide a concise outline of the theory
behind the rate of exchange and the terms of trade, in textbook fashion
at an elementary level. The terms of trade are defined as the ratio of
the money prices of imports and exports, while the balance of trade is
the ratio of the value of exports to imports. The analysis in the book,
as pointed out by the author, is limited in several ways. First, it does
not go beyond defining and exploring relations between limited concepts,
and does not touch upon ways of testing or proving any concepts.
Secondly, the book deals with only the theory of ratios of exchange as
they pertain to international trade. Yet, the discussion in the book is
quite focused, which makes it easy to follow.
Self-reported Symptoms of Reproductive Tract Infections: The
Question of Accuracy and Meaning
Authors: Durr-e-Nayab Ms.
Published: August 2018

Verbal surveys are the most common way of gauging any
population’s health status, but questions remain regarding the accuracy
of the responses they elicit. The present paper compares women’s
self-reports regarding their experiences with reproductive tract
infections (RTIs) and the medical diagnosis that they went through to
ascertain the presence or otherwise of the infections. Weak concordance
was found between women’s self-reports and the medical diagnosis, with
the former over-representing the presence of infections. Some of the
selfreported symptoms were pathogenic in nature, as represented by the
true positive reports, but the majority of the self-reports were false
positives when compared to medical diagnosis. The conventional health
surveys, relying solely on verbal responses, thus, do not essentially
represent the actual health situation of a population studied, and any
policy intervention formulated exclusively on this information would be
flawed. There is a need to understand the non-medical context of
illnesses to understand the disease fully. JEL classification: I000,
I190 Keywords: Health, Reproductive Health, Health Surveys’
Accuracy
The Economic Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in
Developing Countries and Transition Economies
Authors: ÇEviŞ İSmail , ÇAmurdan Burak
Published: August 2018

The economic growth rates have dramatically increased in
developing economies, such as in Latin American, Asian, and Eastern
European countries, following the financial liberalisation attempt,
especially during the 1990s. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has become
an increasingly important element for economic development and
integration of developing countries and transition economies in this
period with the world economy. The main purpose of this study is to
develop an empirical framework to estimate the economic determinants of
FDI inflows by employing a panel data set of 17 developing countries and
transition economies for the period of 1989:01-2006:04. In our model
there are seven explanatory economic variables. They are, respectively,
the previous period FDI (the pull factor for new FDI), GDP growth
(measures market size), Wage (unit labour costs), Trade Rate (measures
the openness of countries), the real interest rates (measures
macroeconomic policy), inflation rate (as country risk and macroeconomic
policy), and domestic investment (Business Climate). Hence, throughout
the paper, only the economic determinants (being separated and apart
from the other studies in the literature) of FDI inflows to developing
countries and transition economies are studied. It is found out that the
previous period FDI which is directly related to the host countries’
economic resources is important as an economic determinant. Besides, it
is also understood that the main determinants of FDI inflows are the
inflation rate, the interest rate, the growth rate, and the trade
(openness) rate and FDI inflows give power to the economies of host
countries. JEL classification: F21, R19, C23 Keywords: Foreign Direct
Investment, the Determinants of FDI, the Developing Countries,
Transition Economies, Panel Data Analysis
Macroeconomic Factors and Equity Prices: An Empirical Investigation by Using ARDL Approach
Authors: Arshad Hasan  , Zafar Mueen Nasir
Published: August 2018

The relationship between macroeconomic variables and the equity prices has attracted the curiosity of academicians and practitioners since the publication of seminal paper of Chen, et al. (1986). Many empirical studies those tested the relationship reveal that asset pricing theories do not properly identify macroeconomic factors that influence equity prices [Roll and Ross (1980); Fama (1981); Chen, et al. (1986); Hamao (1986); Faff (1988); Chen (1991); Maysami and Koh (2000) and Paul and Mallik (2001)]. In most of these studies, variable selection and empirical analyses is based on economic rationale, financial theory and investors’ intuition. These studies generally apply Eagle and Granger (1987) procedure or Johanson and Jusilieus (1990, 1991) approach in Vector Auto Regressor (VAR) Framework. In Pakistan, Fazal (2006) and Nishat (2001) explored the relationship between macroeconomic factors and equity prices by using Johanson and Jusilieus (1990, 1991) procedure. The present study tests the relationship between macroeconomic variables such as inflation, industrial production, oil prices, short term interest rate, exchange rates, foreign portfolio investment, money supply and equity prices by using Auto Regressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) bounds testing procedure proposed by Pesaran, Shin, and Smith (1996, 2001). The ARDL approach in an errorcorrection setting has been widely applied to examine the impact of macroeconomic factors on economic growth but it is strongly underutilised in the capital market filament of literature. This methodology has a number of advantages over the other models. First, determining the order of integration of macroeconomic factors and equity market returns is not an important issue here because the Pesaran ARDL approach yields consistent estimates of the long-run coefficients that are asymptotically normal irrespective of whether the underlying regressors are I(0) or I(1) and of the extent of cointegration. Secondly, the ARDL approach allows exploring correct dynamic structure while many econometric procedures do not allow to clearly distinguish between long run and short run relationships.
Agricultural Development in European Union: Drivers, Challenges and Perspectives
Authors: Laura Giurca Vasilescu
Published: August 2018

Globalisation of world trade, consumer-led quality requirements and EU enlargement are the new realities and challenges facing European agriculture today. The changes will affect not only agricultural markets, but also local economies in rural areas. The future of the agricultural sector is closely linked to a balanced development of rural areas. The Community dimension in this relationship is therefore clear: agricultural and rural policy have an important role to play in the cohesion of EU territorial, economic and social policy. With over 56 percent of the population in the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) living in rural areas, which cover 91 percent of the territory, rural development is a vitally important policy area. Farming and forestry remain crucial for land use and the management of natural resources in the EU’s rural areas, and as a platform for economic diversification in rural communities. The strengthening of EU rural development policy is, therefore, an overall EU priority. The European Union has an active rural development policy because this helps to achieve valuable goals for the country sides and for the people who live and work there. The policy is funded partly from the central EU budget and partly from individual Member States' national or regional budgets. Theoretically, individual EU Member States could decide and operate completely independent rural development policies. However, this approach would work poorly in practice. Not all countries in the EU would be able to afford the policy which they needed and many of the issues addressed through rural development policy do not divide up neatly at national or regional boundaries. Also, rural development policy has links to a number of other policies set at EU level. Therefore, the EU has a common rural development policy, which nonetheless places considerable control in the hands of individual Member States and regions. The EU’s rural development policy is all about meeting the challenges faced by our rural areas, and unlocking their potential.
Impact of Global Financial Crisis on IDB Member Countries: The Case of Gulf Cooperation Council and Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Zafar Iqbal
Published: August 2018

The year 2008 witnessed three major crises (food, energy, global financial and economic crises) and their impacts were increasingly felt worldwide. Since the eruption of global financial crisis from September 2008, international financial markets have become more turbulent, and the global economic slowdown is expected to deepen further. Virtually no country, developing or developed, has escaped from the impact of the global financial turbulence, although countries that entered the crisis with less integration into the global economy have generally been less affected. There is an increasing concern that the ongoing global financial turbulence is likely to transform into human crisis, particularly in the developing world. Although, it will take sometime to assess the full impact of the these crises on developed as well as developing countries, various preliminary estimates have been reported about the losses due to these crises. For example, Kuwait Foreign Minister revealed in Arab Economic Summit that Arab investors lost $2.5 trillion just in four months (September to December 2008) due to credit crunch.1 Similarly, according to the latest estimate by the Asian Development Bank, the global financial market losses reached $50 trillion in 2008, which is equivalent to one year of world GDP.2 Like other developing countries, the impacts of these crises have also been increasingly felt in IDB member countries. Firstly, a large number of member countries were affected due to high food and fuel prices and since September 2008, they are being affected directly and indirectly by the global financial crisis although the channels of transmission are different from those operating in relatively more developed member countries.
Institutional Imperatives of Poverty Reduction
Authors: Akmal Hussain
Published: August 2018

The high food inflation in the last three years has pushed 11 million people into a state of hunger and poverty. Given the present trend, if no policy action is taken, an additional 22 million people will be impoverished over the next four years (see Table 7). According to the World Food Programme Survey for the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping Unit as many as 77 million people upto March 2008 are deemed “food insecure”1, where the food insecure population is defined as those consuming less than 2350 calories per person per day. The statistical evidence clearly shows Pakistan is in the grip of a poverty crisis. Ms. Bushra’s action stands as stark testimony of the human experience of poverty. It also poses a challenge to policy makers as much as to economists to undertake urgent policy action on the basis of a scientific analysis of the problem.
Testing the Fiscal Theory of Price Level in Case of Pakistan
Authors: Attiya Y. Javid  , Umaima Arif
Published: August 2018

There are two competing views of the interaction between monetary and fiscal policy and their effects on price stability for policy-maker’s point of view. In the classical view, in Ricardian regimes it is the demand for liquidity and its evolution over time that determines prices. In such a regime fiscal policy is passive, which implies that government bonds are not net wealth [Barro (1974)], and monetary policy works through the interest rate or another instrument to determine prices. In the opposite view which is more recent, a non-Ricardian regime will prevail whenever fiscal policy becomes active1 and does not accommodate or adjust primary surpluses to guarantee fiscal solvency. As a result, the Ricardian equivalence do not hold, and the increase in nominal public debt to finance persistent budget deficits is perceived by private agents as an increase in nominal wealth. In fiscal dominant regime the government’s fiscal policy becomes sustainable through debt deflation that is an increase in prices that wash away the real value of public debt and in turn the real value of financial wealth until demand equals supply and a new equilibrium is reached. In this regime prices are determined by fiscal policy, and inflation becomes a fiscal phenomenon. If, on the other hand, primary surpluses follow an arbitrary process, then the equilibrium path of prices is determined by the requirement known as fiscal solvency; that is, the price level has to jump to satisfy a present value budget constraint called non-Ricardian regime. The basic distinction between the two regimes is that in non-Ricardian regime fiscal policy plays the role where as in Ricardian regime monetary policy provides stability in prices. In FTPL, the results of fiscal and monetary policies depend on which policy has dominant characteristics. The consequences of policies differ depending on the active and passive characteristics of the policy and depending on the characteristics of the following policy. If the policy mix is such that monetary policy is active and fiscal policy is passive, fiscal policy accommodates monetary policies; these policies are called dominant monetary policy by Sargent and Wallace (1981) and Ricardian regime by Woodford (1994, 1995).