bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analgesic Effect of Melittin on Oxaliplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Rats
Authors: Choi Seunghwan , Chae Hyeon Kyeong , Heo Ho , Hahm Dae-Hyun , Kim Woojin , Kim Sun Kwang
Published: July 2019

Oxaliplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent used for metastatic colon and other advanced cancers. Most common side effect of oxaliplatin is peripheral neuropathy, manifested in mechanical and cold allodynia. Although the analgesic effect of bee venom has been proven to be effective against oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy, the effect of its major component; melittin has not been studied yet. Thus, in this study, we investigated whether melittin has an analgesic effect on oxaliplatin-induced allodynia. Intraperitoneal single injection of oxaliplatin (6 mg/kg) induced mechanical and cold allodynia, resulting in increased withdrawal behavior in response to von Frey filaments and acetone drop on hind paw. Subcutaneous melittin injection on acupoint ST36 (0.5 mg/kg) alleviated oxaliplatin-induced mechanical and cold allodynia. In electrophysiological study, using spinal in vivo extracellular recording, it was shown that oxaliplatin-induced hyperexcitation of spinal wide dynamic range neurons in response to peripheral stimuli, and melittin administration inhibited this neuronal activity. In behavioral assessment, analgesic effect of melittin was blocked by intrathecal α1- and α2- adrenergic receptor antagonists administration. Based on these results, we suggest that melittin could be used as an analgesic on oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy, and that its effect is mediated by activating the spinal α1- and α2-adrenergic receptors.
Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Two-Dimensional Surface Waviness on the Current Density of Ion-Selective Membranes for Electrodialysis
Authors: Gross Andreas , Morvezen Arthur , Castillo Gomez Pedro , Xu Xuesong , Xu Pei
Published: July 2019

Ion-selective membranes are an important component of electrodialysis stacks for desalination. Manufacturing imperfections or slight inhomogeneity of the material can lead to minute membrane surface imperfections. Two-dimensional solutions of the coupled Poisson–Nernst–Planck and Navier–Stokes equations were sought for a perfectly smooth membrane and for membranes with well-defined small-amplitude harmonic surface roughness. The simulations were carried out with the validated rheoEFoam solver by Pimenta and Alves. In the overlimiting regime, the electric field is strong enough for an electrokinetic instability to occur. The instability leads to disturbance growth and the formation of electro-convection cells, which strongly increase the current density. The present simulations show that with an increasing ion concentration and applied voltage, the instability becomes stronger and the overlimiting regime is reached earlier. The limiting current density shows a noticeable dependence on the wavelength of the surface roughness. When the wavelength of the surface roughness is incommensurate with the wavelength of the naturally occurring instability, the limiting current density is increased. Since production membranes will always have some degree of surface roughness, this suggests that membrane surface treatments which favor certain wavelengths may have an effect on the overall membrane performance.
Impacts of Climate Change and Land-Use Change on Hydrological Extremes in the Jinsha River Basin
Authors: Chen Qihui , Chen Hua , Wang Jinxing , Zhao Ying , Chen Jie , Xu Chongyu
Published: July 2019

Hydrological extremes are closely related to extreme hydrological events, which have been and continue to be one of the most important natural hazards causing great damage to lives and properties. As two of the main factors affecting the hydrological cycle, land-use change and climate change have attracted the attention of many researchers in recent years. However, there are few studies that comprehensively consider the impacts of land-use change and climate change on hydrological extremes, and few researchers have made a quantitative distinction between them. Regarding this problem, this study aims to quantitatively distinguish the effects of land-use change and climate change on hydrological extremes during the past half century using the method of scenarios simulation with the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT). Furthermore, the variations of hydrological extremes are forecast under future scenarios by incorporating the downscaled climate simulations from several representative general circulation models (GCMs). Results show that: (1) respectively rising and declining risks of floods and droughts are detected during 1960–2017. The land use changed little during 1980–2015, except for the water body and building land. (2) The SWAT model possesses better simulation effects on high flows compared with low flows. Besides, the downscaled GCM data can simulate the mean values of runoff well, and acceptable simulation effects are achieved for the extreme runoff indicators, with the exception of frequency and durations of floods and extreme low flows. (3) During the period 1970–2017, the land-use change exerts little impact on runoff extremes, while climate change is one of the main factors leading to changes in extreme hydrological situation. (4) In the context of global climate change, the indicators of 3-day max and 3-day min runoff will probably increase in the near future (2021–2050) compared with the historical period (1970–2005). This research helps us to better meet the challenge of probably increased flood risks by providing references to the decision making of prevention and mitigation measures, and thus possesses significant social and economic value.
Climate Variability and Floods—A Global Review
Authors: Kundzewicz Zbigniew W. , Szwed Małgorzata , Pińskwar Iwona
Published: July 2019

There is a strong inter-annual and inter-decadal variability in time series of flood-related variables, such as intense precipitation, high river discharge, flood magnitude, and flood loss at a range of spatial scales. Perhaps part of this variability is random or chaotic, but it is quite natural to seek driving factors, in a statistical sense. It is likely that climate variability (atmosphere–ocean oscillation) track plays an important role in the interpretation of the variability of flood-related characteristics, globally and, even more so, in several regions. The aim of this review paper is to create an inventory of information on spatially and temporally organized links of various climate-variability drivers with variability of characteristics of water abundance reported in scientific literature for a range of scales, from global to local. The climate variability indices examined in this paper are: El Niño-Southern Oscillations (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillations (NAO), Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO), and Pacific Decadal Oscillations (PDO). A meta-analysis of results from many studies reported in scientific literature was carried out. The published results were collected and classified into categories after regions, climate variability modes, as well as flood-related variables: precipitation, river flow, and flood losses.
Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Using Different GIS-Based Bivariate Models
Authors: Nohani Ebrahim , Moharrami Meisam , Sharafi Samira , Khosravi Khabat , Pradhan Biswajeet , Pham Binh Thai , Lee Saro , M. Melesse Assefa
Published: July 2019

Landslides are the most frequent phenomenon in the northern part of Iran, which cause considerable financial and life damages every year. One of the most widely used approaches to reduce these damages is preparing a landslide susceptibility map (LSM) using suitable methods and selecting the proper conditioning factors. The current study is aimed at comparing four bivariate models, namely the frequency ratio (FR), Shannon entropy (SE), weights of evidence (WoE), and evidential belief function (EBF), for a LSM of Klijanrestagh Watershed, Iran. Firstly, 109 locations of landslides were obtained from field surveys and interpretation of aerial photographs. Then, the locations were categorized into two groups of 70% (74 locations) and 30% (35 locations), randomly, for modeling and validation processes, respectively. Then, 10 conditioning factors of slope aspect, curvature, elevation, distance from fault, lithology, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), distance from the river, distance from the road, the slope angle, and land use were determined to construct the spatial database. From the results of multicollinearity, it was concluded that no collinearity existed between the 10 considered conditioning factors in the occurrence of landslides. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were used for validation of the four achieved LSMs. The AUC results introduced the success rates of 0.8, 0.86, 0.84, and 0.85 for EBF, WoE, SE, and FR, respectively. Also, they indicated that the rates of prediction were 0.84, 0.83, 0.82, and 0.79 for WoE, FR, SE, and EBF, respectively. Therefore, the WoE model, having the highest AUC, was the most accurate method among the four implemented methods in identifying the regions at risk of future landslides in the study area. The outcomes of this research are useful and essential for the government, planners, decision makers, researchers, and general land-use planners in the study area.
Crystal Structure of 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase in Complex with Substrate Reveals a New Starting Point for Herbicide Discovery
Authors: Lin Hong-Yan , Chen Xi , Chen Jia-Nan , Wang Da-Wei , Wu Feng-Xu , Lin Song-Yun , Zhan Chang-Guo , Wu Jia-Wei , Yang Wen-Chao , Yang Guang-Fu
Published: July 2019

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is a promising target for drug and pesticide discovery. The unknown binding mode of substrate is still a big challenge for the understanding of enzymatic reaction mechanism and novel HPPD inhibitor design. Herein, we determined the first crystal structure of
Arabidopsis thaliana
HPPD (
At
HPPD) in complex with its natural substrate (HPPA) at a resolution of 2.80 Å. Then, combination of hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations confirmed that HPPA takes keto rather than enol form inside the HPPD active pocket. Subsequent site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic analysis further showed that residues (Phe424, Asn423, Glu394, Gln307, Asn282, and Ser267) played important roles in substrate binding and catalytic cycle. Structural comparison between HPPA-
At
HPPD and holo-
At
HPPD revealed that Gln293 underwent a remarkable rotation upon the HPPA binding and formed H-bond network of Ser267-Asn282-Gln307-Gln293, resulting in the transformation of HPPD from an inactive state to active state. Finally, taking the conformation change of Gln293 as a target, we proposed a new strategy of blocking the transformation of HPPD from inactive state to active state to design a novel inhibitor with

K

i

value of 24.10 nM towards
At
HPPD. The inhibitor has entered into industry development as the first selective herbicide used for the weed control in sorghum field. The crystal structure of
At
HPPD in complex with the inhibitor (2.40 Å) confirmed the rationality of the design strategy. We believe that the present work provides a new starting point for the understanding of enzymatic reaction mechanism and the design of next generation HPPD inhibitors.
Síndrome Metabólico
Authors: Mora Campos Julio , León Sánchez Ana María
Published: July 2019

La evolución de la definición del síndrome metabólico ha presentado un desafío para la comunidad científica internacional, ya que los factores claves para identificar este síndrome presentan una alta prevalencia e incidencia y se encuentran altamente asociados al riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular. Las primeras referencias datan de la década de 1920 cuando los científicos Hitzenberger y Richter reportan interdependencia entre el metabolismo con la hipertensión y de esta última con la presencia de diabetes Mellitus.1, 2 

Posterior a esta publicación se dan una serie de investigaciones y trabajos epidemiológicos, sin embargo el lograr consenso para definir el síndrome y establecer los lineamientos claros para el diagnóstico ha sido sumamente complejo. Esto ha propiciado la aparición de varias definiciones, entre ellas la que establece la Organización Mundial de la Salud, quienes en 1999 establecen que la insulina resistencia es la causa común de los componentes individuales del síndrome.
LA IMPORTANCIA DEL EJERCICIO PROPIOCEPTIVO EN LOS NIÑOS CON HEMOFILIA
Authors: Sáenz Ulloa David
Published: July 2019

La propiocepción se describe como el proceso de aporte de información al sistema nervioso central respecto a la posición y el movimiento, esta información proviene de receptores aferentes en los músculos, la piel, otros tejidos blandos y las articulaciones. Existe todo un mecanismo de propiocepción en el ser humano, en el cual hay receptores con funciones específicas que envían información al sistema nervioso central
SÍNDROME DEL DESFILADERO TORÁCICO
Authors: Bonila Alvarado Francisco
Published: July 2019

El síndrome del desfiladero torácico o síndrome de opérculotorácico (SDT) puede describirse como un complejo designos y síntomas que incluyen dolor, parestesias, debilidady malestar en miembro superior, que se agrava con losmovimientos de elevación del brazo, la movilidad del cuello y lacabeza1. Estos síntomas se deben a la compresión del paqueteneurovascular en la salida de la abertura torácica superior.
Hubungan Response Time Dengan Tingkat Kecemasan Keluarga Pasien di Instalasi Gawat Darurat RSUD Ambarawa
Authors: Sulistiyowati Maria Agustina , Aprilianti Ria Enes , Tjondronegoro Probowatie
Published: July 2019

Latar Belakang : Response time adalah kecepatan penanganan pasien yang dihitung sejak pasien tiba di pintu IGD sampai dilakukan penanganan dengan standar waktu pelayanan yang diperlukan paling lama 3 (tiga) menit setelah sampai di IGD. Kecemasan keluarga pasien adalah pengalaman subjektif yang tidak menyenangkan mengenai kekhawatiran atau ketegangan berupa perasaan cemas dan emosi yang dialami keluarga ketika mengantar pasien ke IGD. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu mengetahui hubungan response time dengan tingkat kecemasan keluarga pasien di IGD.Metode : Desain penelitian ini adalah deskriptif analitik dengan pendekatan Cross sectional. Sampel dalam penelitian ini  adalah keluarga yang datang ke IGD sebanyak 93 orang yang telah memenuhi kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi. Pengambilan sampel menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Pengolahan data menggunakan uji Kolmogorov smirnov.Hasil : Hasil penelitian menunjukkan 90 responden (96,8%) mendapatkan response time baik dan 3 responden (3,2%) mendapatkan response time kurang baik. Keluarga pasien tidak cemas 58 orang (62,4%), cemas ringan 23 orang(24,7%), cemas sedang 11 orang (11,8%), cemas berat 1 orang (1,1%). Analisis uji Kolmogorov smirnov menunjukkan p-value 0,018.Simpulan : Ada hubungan response time dengan tingkat kecemasan keluarga pasienKata kunci : Response time, Kecemasan, Keluarga pasien
Adaptación de variedades de ryegrass y kikuyo en la zona alta lechera de Cartago
Authors: Sánchez Ledezma William , Hidalgo Ardón Carlos , Mesén Villalobos María
Published: July 2019

El objetivo de esta investigación fue comparar la adaptación de las variedades de ryegrass Tetralite (Lolium hybridum) y Conquistador (Lolium perenne) con el pasto kikuyo (Kikuyuocloa clandestina) como testigo, en dos fincas de producción de leche de la zona alta de Cartago, Costa Rica. Se utilizó un diseño de bloques completos al azar con arreglo de parcelas divididas y tres repeticiones. Se evaluó la altura de la planta, cobertura del suelo, producción de materia seca, densidad volumétrica, porcentaje de proteína cruda, fibra neutro detergente y fibra ácido detergente. Se realizó un análisis de varianza y en caso de significancia (p≤0,05), se aplicó una comparación de medias. En el sitio de menor altitud (1750 m) el kikuyo alcanzó la mayor producción de materia seca (2,0 t ha-1), mientras que en el sitio localizado a mayor altitud (2500 m), el Tetralite fue el más productivo (1,5 t ha-1) pero no difirió significativamente (p>0,05) de los demás forrajes. El kikuyo redujo su producción (28%) en la época seca con respecto a la lluviosa, mientras que en promedio las variedades de ryegrass redujeron el 35%. La proteína cruda no fue afectada por la altitud ni la época, sin embargo, el kikuyo y el Tetralite, fueron superiores al Conquistador. El Tetralite y el Conquistador no se adaptaron a las condiciones de menor altitud, por lo que no se recomiendan para zonas climatológicamente semejantes. En cuanto al sitio localizado a mayor altitud, el Tetralite fue superior al Conquistador, pero semejante al kikuyo según sus datos de rendimiento y calidad.
Respuesta productiva del pasto kikuyo (Kikuyuocloa clandestina) al fertilizante nitrogenado de lenta liberación
Authors: Montenegro Ballestero Johnny , Calderón Fallas Jesús
Published: July 2019

El sector lechero costarricense se caracteriza por tener sistemas de producción intensivos que dependen de la producción de biomasa para alimentar a las vacas lecheras; por lo que se aplican grandes cantidades de nitrógeno. Debido al costo incremental de los mismos se requiere evaluar nuevas fuentes nitrogenadas, como los de lenta liberación, que podrían presentar ventajas para los productores. Por esta razón se evaluó la respuesta productiva del pasto kikuyo a la aplicación de una fuente nitrogenada de lenta liberación en un sistema de producción de lechería especializada y se comparó con la obtenida con un fertilizante nitrogenado comercial convencional. Los resultados mostraron que el promedio anual de la disponibilidad de la materia seca obtenida con el fertilizante de lenta liberación, comparado con la lograda con el fertilizante nitrogenado comercial convencional, fue similar a lo largo del período evaluado (2,22±0,34 tMS ha-1 con fertilizante de lenta liberación contra 2,59±0,23 tMS ha-1 con fertilizante convencional). Sin embargo, hubo variaciones estacionales importantes con cada uno de los fertilizantes evaluados. La calidad nutritiva de la pastura no se afectó por el uso del fertilizante delenta liberación. Palabras clave: sistemas de producción de leche, fertilizante nitrogenado de lenta liberación,fertilizante convencional.
Insectos, ácaros y agentes de control biológico asociados al cultivo helecho hoja de cuero
Authors: León González Ruth
Published: July 2019

El estudio se realizó en el cantón Central de Alajuela en el año 2000.Los principales insectos y ácaros encontrados causando daños al cultivo son los siguientes: Brachypnoea sp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Undulambia polystichalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Orthezia sp. (Hemiptera: Orthezidae), Rhizoecus sp. (Hemiptera: Rhyzoecidae) y los ácaros Hemitarsonemus tepidariorum y Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Acari: Tarsonemiidae). El enemigo natural de Undulambia polystichalis LGHQWL¿FDGR IXH Bracon sp. y las arañas depredadoras de varios artrópodos fueron Gasteracantha cancriformis y Leucage mariana.Palabras claves: Artrópodos, fronda, pínulas, parasitoide, depredadores, Rumohraadiantiformis
Social Welfare, Health and Pakistan
Authors: Arif Noshi , A. Khan Farakh
Published: July 2019

Some would claim that charity is a core cultural trait of mankind.
The urge to help others is a selfish act of survival of the group and hence
individual security. In today’s world, welfare has assumed a wider meaning
and is linked with the economy of the state, the concept of human rights of
society, structure of society and cultural expression of welfare. The state
may be willing to contribute towards welfare but poor economic conditions
may not allow welfare programmes or only allow low key programmes. With
poor level of governance most welfare work comes to a standstill. In such
situations the burden of poor economies can be shared by all rather than
the poor alone. Human rights, as defined by the UN, impinge on the basic
concept of welfare as seen by individual states. The right of all people to
shelter, security, health, job, education as well as freedom to speak,
associate and practice religion are concepts difficult to swallow for many
societies and states. Social disparity may not allow many to grant rights to
others. Yet social welfare is a practical arm of human rights and not an act
of charity to be left to individual whims. In Islam, social welfare is the right
of the underprivileged and not an act of charity extended by the state or
individual. On the other hand the welfare of all the citizens of the state is
vital for economic and social development. There are more than 94
indicators to measure social development. Each country’s performance in
this area can be monitored following each intervention.
Note:
Economic Systems and the Environment
Authors: Chaudhry Shamyla
Published: July 2019

In any economic system, be it a free market or a command economy,
the elementary functions of production, distribution and consumption take
place within the natural world. The natural world provides the raw materials
and the energy inputs for the production process whereas production and
consumption leave “residuals” or waste products which go back into nature.
The manner in which the residuals are handled will infact tell us how they
may lead to pollution or the degradation of the natural environment.
Does Equity Derivatives Trading Affect the Systematic Risk
of the Underlying Stocks in an Emerging Market: Evidence
from Pakistan’s Futures Market
Authors: Khan Safi Ullah , Abbas Zaheer
Published: July 2019

This paper examines the behavior of beta coefficients (systematic risk) for
underlying stocks around the introduction of single-stock futures (SSFs) contracts
in the Pakistani market, by employing models that account for nonsynchronous
and thin trading and varying market conditions as “bull” and “bear” markets.
Unlike the results of earlier studies on US markets, the empirical evidence tends to
support a decline in systematic risk for the majority of underlying stocks in the
post-futures listings period. Nevertheless, similar to SSFs stocks, we also find
empirical evidence of a decrease in systematic risk for many of the control group
stocks. This indicates that changes in beta estimates for SSFs-listed stocks might
not be induced by the introduction of SSFs contract trading, but could be
attributed to other market-wide or industry changes that have affected the overall
market. Several plausible reasons, such as lack of program trading activities
normally associated with index futures, market microstructure differences between
developed markets and a developing market such as Pakistan, and the capturing of
the “bear” and “bull” market effects on stock betas in our estimation procedure
could explain these different results for Pakistan’s market.
The Export Supply Response of Mangoes: A Cointegration
and Causality Analysis
Authors: Ghafoor Abdul , Mushtaq Khalid , Abedullah Abedullah
Published: July 2019

This paper analyzes the impact of major factors on the export of mangoes
from Pakistan. We use a cointegration approach and error correction mechanism
applied to data for the period 1970–2005. Mango exports are regressed against the
index of relative prices of mango exports (2000 = 100), the quantity of domestic
mango production, real agricultural gross domestic product (GDP), the length of
all-weather roads, and international standardization, i.e., the impact of the World
Trade Organization agreement. The results of the augmented Dickey-Fuller test
reveal that all the data series are I(1). Applying Johansen’s test shows that the
highest elasticity coefficients are found for mango production in the short and long
run, followed by real agricultural GDP. The Granger causality test points to the
bi-directional causality of mango exports with the relative price index and allweather
roads, and unidirectional causality with real agricultural GDP and mango
production. The study recommends promoting proper orchard management,
developing the appropriate infrastructure, and stabilizing export prices to increase
mango exports from Pakistan.
Economic Returns to Education in France: OLS and Instrumental Variable Estimations
Authors: Haider Bhatti Sajjad , Bourdon Jean , Aslam Muhammad
Published: July 2019

This article estimates the economic returns to schooling as well as analyzing other explanatory factors for the French labor market. It addresses the issue of endogeneity bias and proposes two new instruments for use in the instrumental variable two-stage least squares technique. Our results show that the proposed instruments are relevant and adequate, based on evidence from the available literature. After using the proposed instruments, we find that the OLS coefficients for schooling are biased downwards. Finally, we choose between the two proposed instruments.
Estimating Firms’ Vulnerability to Short-Term Financing Shocks: The Case of Foreign Exchange Companies in Pakistan
Authors: Hussain Ijaz
Published: July 2019

Using firm-level balance sheet data for 20 of the 24 exchange companies in Pakistan for the period 2006–11, we explore the sources of firms’ vulnerability to short-term financing shocks. Based on the probability estimates of a maximum likelihood binary probit model, this paper shows that the incidence and degree of vulnerability of foreign exchange companies to short-term financing shocks has risen significantly over time. If not managed opportunely, these shocks can cumulate into long-term financing shocks and even lead to corporate failure in the long run. Our regression results show that the corporate managers of these companies cannot ignore macroeconomic factors such as global changes and the macroeconomic environment (inflation and GDP growth) in addition to firm-specific factors (growth opportunities, firm size, permanent earnings, earnings volatility, and working capital management) when managing their firms’ vulnerability to short-term financing shocks.
Balancing Market and Government Failure in Service
Delivery
Authors: S. Hammer Jeffrey
Published: July 2019

Whether to provide services by the public or the private sector has been at the
center of debates within governments and those in the international aid industry for
decades. Unfortunately, this debate has often been cast in terms of absolutes with the
private sector either as savior or demon. Casting the issue in this light simply can’t
be correct. It cannot be the case that either is appropriate for every service and with
every government regardless of its capability to the exclusion of the other. In every
case, policy makers need to ask “how can the government improve the well-being of
citizens with the constraints and tools at hand?” Those constraints include the
ability to implement and monitor policy.
This paper outlines how limitations of the market can be matched to
appropriate interventions by government as it actually performs, not as it is hoped to
perform. This matching will, by necessity, vary with country circumstance. While
pure public goods must be provided by government regardless of its weaknesses and
pure private goods should generally be left to the market, most serious policies
operate in between. The balance of the limitations of the sectors needs careful
analysis. The welfare costs of private market failure are rarely measured and the
difficulties of implementing different policies are rarely discussed let alone quantified.
Policies that are sensitive to deviations from perfect implementation should be
avoided in preference to those that are more robust to circumstances. Further, every
policy will generate interest groups that will constrain future decisions through
political pressure.
Improving Public Health Delivery in Punjab, Pakistan:
Issues and Opportunities
Authors: Callen Michael , Gulzar Saad , Hasanain Ali , Khan Abdul Rehman , Khan Yasir , Zia Mehmood Muhammad
Published: July 2019

Pakistan has a large and dispersed primary public health system that gives
citizens access to trained doctors and staff, and to subsidized medicines. However,
both the use of these facilities and health outcomes remain low. Improvements in
information and communications technology provide exciting opportunities to
leverage technology to improve management. This paper presents a detailed
qualitative and quantitative study of the institutional context in which such
interventions in the public health sector in Punjab would be trialed. We describe
the structure and management of primary healthcare facilities, present selected
results from a survey of a representative sample of basic health units, and identify
some key issues. We also report and discuss officials’ responses to the question of
how services might be improved.
Increased Rural Connectivity and its Effects on Health
Outcomes
Authors: Majid Hadia
Published: July 2019

This paper examines the effects of increased connectivity in rural areas on
child health outcomes. In particular, it studies whether improved access to markets
for rural areas through an upgraded road network and greater openness, as
measured by village electrification status, has had a positive impact on child health
outcomes and awareness of health practices such as immunization and prenatal
care. Using a 16-year panel dataset from rural Pakistan, we estimate two iterations
of a probit model, where one examines the probability of child i being vaccinated
and the second estimates the incidence of use of prenatal care. The results support
the hypothesis that greater connectivity, as measured by road connectivity and
electrification, improves health outcomes by increasing the likelihood of
immunization and uptake of prenatal care.
Human Development and Economic Uncertainties:
Exploring Another Dimension of Development
Authors: Y. Uppal Jamshed , Rabab Mudakkar Syeda
Published: July 2019

This study makes the case that economic uncertainties—i.e., the extent to
which economies face systemic uncertainties—need to be considered another
dimension of human development because they render development vulnerable,
diminish social welfare, and constrain human capabilities. We propose a
methodology for adjusting the human development index (HDI) for economic
uncertainties, using the time variability of income changes as a proxy. We
construct an adjusted index associated with the income component for the 2011
HDI. Our analysis indicates that such an index contains additional information.
The percentage loss in the income component of the HDI seems to reflect the
variability in economic indicators arising from the political and economic
tribulations experienced by each country. In Pakistan’s case, the results of a timeseries
analysis of the percentage loss from the uncertainty adjustment appear to
closely trace the country’s political and economic upheavals.
Microinsurance in Pakistan: Progress, Problems, and Prospects
Authors: Thompson Chaudhry Theresa , Nabeel Fazilda
Published: July 2019

Microinsurance in Pakistan is still in its nascent stages. More than half of
the current microinsurance policies in effect in Pakistan are offered through the
Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), with the remainder provided in
conjunction with microcredit services offered by various microfinance institutions
(MFIs), microfinance banks, nongovernment organizations, and rural support
programs (RSPs). The policies offered by the microcredit sector are mainly creditlife
policies, which cover loan balances in the event of the borrower’s death. In
addition, some lenders—principally the RSPs—offer small health insurance
policies covering the hospitalization of the borrower and (sometimes) their spouse.
As catastrophic health expenses and deaths in the family are among the most
important economic stressors that households face, it makes sense that
microinsurance should first make inroads in these areas.
Determinants of School Choice: Evidence from Rural
Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Ahmed Hamna , Amjad Sheikh Sahar
Published: July 2019

The objective of this study is to understand why parents in rural areas of
Punjab, Pakistan, choose to send their children to private schools when free
public schools are available. The study utilizes the Privatization in Education
Research Initiative (PERI) school choice dataset compiled by the Lahore School of
Economics in collaboration with the Punjab Bureau of Statistics. These data
provide rich information on parents’ perception of their child’s school relative to
alternative schools he or she could have attended. The findings suggest that
parents’ perceptions play an important role in school choice. In particular, their
perceptions of school quality and employment opportunities emerge as key
determinants of private school choice. Additionally, expenditure on and access to
private schooling relative to public schooling as well as the socioeconomic status
of the household have a significant impact on parents’ probability of choosing a
private school for their child.
The Effect of Trade Liberalization on Firm Entry and Exit in Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Nasir Marjan
Published: July 2019

This study focuses on the impact of trade liberalization on firm entry and exit in Punjab’s export manufacturing sector over the decade 2001–10. As far as the province’s export industries are concerned, real exchange rate depreciation attracts new firms but also leads weaker firms to exit. A reduction in local or international tariffs, however, has no significant impact on firm entry or exit.
Can Analysts Really Forecast? Evidence from the Karachi Stock Exchange
Authors: Bin Jamil Haris , Ghazi Aurakzai Aisha , Subayyal Muhammad
Published: July 2019

This study examines the impact of analysts’ recommendations on stock prices listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange for the period 2006–12. The recommendations are extracted from the daily Morning Shout report published by Khadim Ali Shah Bukhari Securities Ltd (KASB), which provides buy and sell recommendations for different stocks. We use the market model to estimate the abnormal returns around the recommendation dates for these securities. The study also investigates whether the abnormal returns are due to price pressure or information content. We find that investors earn abnormal returns on the basis of analysts’ recommendations for these securities. The results are robust in considering only the sub-sample subsequent to 2008’s global financial crisis, and are also consistent with the information content hypothesis and price pressure hypothesis.
The Comparative Efficiency of Public and Private Power Plants in Pakistan’s Electricity Industry
Authors: Jahan Khan Amir
Published: July 2019

This study estimates a cost function for fossil fuel-based electricity generating plants operating in Pakistan during 2006–11. It employs a six-year panel dataset for 31 plants to estimate the cost function parameters. In the absence of any current evidence on comparative cost performance, the study’s attempt to document the economic efficiency of power plants in a large electricity sector is an important contribution to the literature. We find that on average, private nonutility plants (IPPs) are about 17 years younger than utility-owned plants and that the average capacity utilization, as measured by load factor, is higher for private IPPs than for public plants. After controlling for observables, the results show that, for a large part of the system, private plants produce electricity at a lower unit fuel cost than utility-owned public plants. The low efficiency of public plants is likely a result of the lack of operational maintenance and routine repairs. We find that the average fuel price (PRs per MMBTU) is lower for public plants and utility-owned private plants compared to nonutility-owned private plants which is mainly due to the composition of the fuel mix used for power generation. We also find that (i) the partial effect of fuel price changes on the average unit cost is higher for private plants than for public plants and (ii) on average, private plants use relatively expensive fuels compared to public plants. On an average fuel cost comparison, the private sector plants may be better base load plants than public sector plants, though the private sector plants may not be being used as base load plants because of the higher tariffs they change.
The Growth and Employment Impacts of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis on Pakistan
Authors: Haq Mirajul , Khan Karim , Parveen Ayesha
Published: July 2019

This study examines the impact of the 2008 global financial crisis on economic growth and employment in Pakistan. We conduct a time series analysis of quarterly data for 1997–2011, applying the autoregressive distributed lag bounds-testing approach and an unrestricted error correction model. Our analysis suggests that the impact of the crisis was transmitted primarily through two channels—the financial sector and trade—with a corresponding negative effect on economic growth and employment. Of the two channels, the magnitude of the trade effect is larger than that of the financial sector.
Analyzing Pakistan’s Trade Opportunity with Turkey
Authors: Gul Asha
Published: July 2019

Growing economic cooperation between the Pakistani and Turkish
governments—manifested in the recently proposed preferential trade agreement
(PTA)—has served to strengthen the historically good relations between both
countries. This paper explores the trade relationship between Pakistan and Turkey
in an attempt to analyze the potential gains for Pakistan under the proposed PTA.
We evaluate potential trade opportunities using descriptive statistics and three
trade indices: a trade complementarity index, export similarity index, and intraindustry
index. Our findings suggest that Pakistan’s trade surplus with Turkey,
strong export similarities, and intra-industry trade would allow greater
opportunities for firm synergies between the two countries. This, in turn, would
help Pakistan achieve greater value addition and a broader market base for its
exports. The Government of Pakistan should, therefore, lobby strongly for the
proposed PTA (which might later evolve into a free trade agreement) and leverage
the agreement in such a way that Pakistan can maximize its potential benefits.
Reviewing Pakistan’s Import Demand Function:
A Time-Series Analysis, 1970–2010
Authors: Saif Tirmazee Zunia , Naveed Resham
Published: July 2019

This paper investigates the conventional import demand function for
Pakistan using time-series data sourced from the World Development Indicators for
the period 1970 to 2010. Using a vector error correction model and impulse response
functions, we show that, for the given period, relative prices and income lose their
significance as long-run determinants of import demand. This indicates the need for
additional determinants. We compare the residuals of the conventional import
demand function with those of a model that includes the terms of trade and foreign
exchange availability (in addition to the conventional parameters) as determinants of
import demand, and find that the latter largely resolves much of what is
nondeterministic in the former model. The paper also explores the peculiar trend of a
falling imports-to-GDP ratio (from the 1980s to the 2000s), which is unusual for a
developing country. In a subsidiary regression analysis for this period, we argue that
falling net capital inflows explain this persistent fall in the imports-to-GDP ratio.
The recovery thereafter, when Pakistan started catching up with other developing
economies, may have been responsible for the 2008 balance-of-payments crisis.
Exporters in Pakistan and Firms Who Do Not Export: What’s the Big Difference?
Authors: Chaudhry Theresa , Haseeb Muhammad
Published: July 2019

A variety of stylized facts about exporters have emerged in the new literature on international trade based on firm-level data. These include low levels of export participation among firms; small shares of export sales in firm revenue; larger firms; and higher levels of productivity, skill, and capital intensity among exporters. In this paper, we seek to examine the extent to which these stylized facts fit the experience of firms in Pakistan, using two cross-sections of firm-level data—the Census of Manufacturing Industries (CMI) 2000/01 for Punjab and the World Bank Enterprise Survey dataset (2006/07) for all Pakistan.
We find similar levels of export market participation but very large shares of export sales in firm revenue for those who do, compared to the US sample studied by Bernard, Jensen, Redding, and Schott (2007). We also find, as do many other studies, that exporters exhibit significantly higher total factor productivity (TFP) and are larger in terms of employment than nonexporters. Exporters’ TFP was 150 percent higher than non-exporters before we controlled for firm size. Considering the eight largest sectors (which comprise more than 80 percent of the CMI Punjab), with a few exceptions, exporters had higher labor productivity and offered higher compensation to workers, but used more capital per worker and more imported inputs.
TRADISI PADUNGKU MASYARAKAT DESA MALEKU KECAMATAN MANGKUTANA KABUPATEN LUWU TIMUR SEBAGAI SUMBER BAHAN AJAR MATERI GEOGRAFI DI SMA NEGERI 4 LUWU TIMUR
Authors: Budianto Adi
Published: July 2019

This study aims 1). to know the process, 2). values, 3). the meaning of my traditional tradition in Maleku Village, Mangkutana Subdistrict, East Luwu Regency. 4). to know the position of traditional values padungku as a source of teaching materials learning materials Geography at SMAN 4 East Luwu. The type of this research is qualitative research using ethnography approach. Data collection techniques, 1). Observation, 2). Interview / interview, 3). Documentation. Data analysis techniques, namely 1). Reduction of data, 2). Presentation (display) data, 3). Conclusion / verification. The results showed that. Tradition Padungku in Maleku Village, District Mangkutana emerged when people began to open forests to farm, then there also appears to make a thanksgiving. Since the existence of Padungku religion at this time to be different meaning and different nuances. My fox was adopted by the church to be a thanksgiving feast not only for farmers but for all other kinds of work. Since the year 2000an practically no longer held the village hall, otherwise the harvest feast done in the church. 1). Stages in carrying out the tradition padungku that is, a). the timing of the implementation of my traditional tradition, b). Place of execution of my padungku tradition, c). equipment in the tradition of my paddle. 2). The values contained in the tradition are, a). religious, b). tolerance, c). hard work, d). responsibility, e). care about the environment, f). the value of art preservation, g). solidarity, and h). democratic values. 3). The tradition of my paddle means an expression of gratitude to the Almighty God for the harvest. 4). Associated with these values can be used as a source of teaching materials Geography learning materials in SMA that is, a). hard work, b). tolerance, c). responsibility, d). care about the environment, in order to instill good character in each student. Implementing the tradition of padungku, there are values and meaning is good to be cultivated to students to form the character of students.
Cine-parasito
Authors: Paradelas Thais , Mattos Danuza , Sudré Adriana Pittella , Millar Patrícia Riddell , Brener Beatriz , Leles Daniela
Published: July 2019

Inserir novos recursos na prática pedagógica é um importante aliado do processo de ensino. A utilização de vídeos divulgados pela mídia busca garantir o acesso ao conhecimento de diversas formas e aprimorar a dinâmica de ensino no ambiente da sala de aula. Este estudo buscou avaliar a contribuição da inclusão de seriados e vídeos com conteúdo de parasitologia durante as aulas, como estratégia complementar de ensino. Foram projetados e discutidos de forma crítica episódios de seriados como “Dr. House” e “Parasitas assassinos”. As atividades foram avaliadas por meio de questionários e desempenho dos alunos na avaliação teórica (n=125). Os resultados obtidos mostraram grande aceitação dessa metodologia e, na avaliação teórica, indicam um melhor desempenho por parte daqueles que assistiram aos vídeos (68% dos alunos obtiveram nota ≥50%) quando comparado aos que não assistiram (52% dos alunos obtiveram nota ≥50%), apontando que a inclusão dos vídeos trouxe efeito benéfico ao aprendizado dos estudantes.
PENGETAHUAN HAID PADA REMAJA DI MANADO
Authors: Kujangke Freddy , Lengkong Rudy A. , Suparman Eddy
Published: July 2019

Abstract: Backgrounds Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynecological symptom reported in adolescents. Prevalence estimates vary from 45% to 75%. Absenteeism from work and school as a result of dysmenorrhoea is common (13% to 51% women have been absent at least once and 5% to 14% are often absent owing to the severity of symptoms). Dysmenorrhea association with psychologist and behavior factors and its effects their physical activities and school performance. Some studies had shown that association between school performance with dysmenorrhea.Objective To assess the comparison between school performance with and without dysmenorrhea in pubertal adolescents. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted on Juni 2010.The samples were recruited with simple randomization in adolescents aged 10 until 18 years old at school of Musthafawiyah Mandailing Natal districs. All subjects who met the inclusion criteria were assessed their school performance on 2 consecutive semester in one year. In order to assessed the comparison between school performance with or without dysmenorrhea used X2 test. Results One hunderd and sixteen subject were participated in this study. After measured the school performance. No significant different on school performance with and without dysmenorrhea in two group (P=0.176 and P=008, 95%CI -0.05 to 0.05). Conclusion: There was no significant difference school performance between with and without dysmenorrheal. Keywords: Dysmenorrhea, school performance, pubertal adolescent.     Abstrak: Latar belakang Nyeri haid merupakan nyeri yang terjadi selama masa menstruasi.Angka kejadian nyeri haid berkisar antara 45% sampai 75% dari seluruh remaja perempuan pubertas. Dimana ketidak hadiran di sekolah berkisar antara 13% sampai 51% serta 5% sampai 14% ketidak hadiran tersebut disebabkan beratnya gejala yang terjadi. Nyeri haid berhubungan dengan faktor perilaku dan psikologis. Selain itu dapat menyebabkan pembatasan aktifitas sekolah dan prestasi akademik. Beberapa studi telah menunjukkan adanya kaitan prestasi akademik dengan nyeri haid. Tujuan Untuk mengetahui perbandingan prestasi akademik dengan dan tanpa nyeri haid pada anak perempuan pubertas. Metode Studi ini merupakan studi cross sectional. Pemilihan sampel secara acak sederhana yang dilakukan pada anak remaja perempuan yang berusia 10 sampai 18 tahun di SMP St Theresia Malalayang dan SMA St Theresia Malalayang Manado yang dilakukan pada bulan Desember 2011. Semua subjek yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi dinilai prestasi akademik selama dua semester berturut-turut.Untuk menilai perbandingan prestasi akademik dengan atau tanpa nyeri haid digunakan uji X2. Hasil Seratus enam belas subjek berpartisipasi dalam penelitian ini. Setelah dinilai prestasi akademik. Ditemukan bahwa tidak terdapat perbedaan yang bermakna antara prestasi akademik dengan atau tanpa nyeri haid (P 0.176 vs P: 0.08). IK 95%:-0.05; 0.05. Simpulan: Tidak ditemukan adanya hubungan prestasi akademik dengan dan tanpa nyeri haid. Kata kunci: Nyeri haid, prestasi akademik, perempuan pubertas