An Analysis of Public Expenditure on Education in Pakistan

Achieving economic growth is an important goal of any country. However, in recent years it has increasingly been realised that economic growth is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for human development. Pakistan provides a good example of a country which has historically enjoyed a respectable GDP growth rate and yet failed to translate this positive development into a satisfactory level of human development. Since its independence in 1947, Pakistan’s development policies have focused primarily on realising high economic growth and only incidentally on the task of providing social necessities. Such a process has given rise to a structure of production and distribution which has been only indirectly responsive to social goals. However, there is now a growing realisation that we could have done much better had we stressed human resource investments relatively more.

Analysis of Public Expenditure on Education in Pakistan

This study attempts to analyse the priorities accorded to Education by the federal as well as the provincial governments. Since education is in large part a provincial responsibility, a comparative analysis of the performance of the public sector education in the four provinces of Pakistan would be useful to provide feedbacks to the provincial administrations of relative strengths and weaknesses of their educational system. Also, differences in priorities and performance among provinces provide useful insights, and, more importantly, raise many questions for planners. Such an analysis is also necessary for overall resource allocation. The analysis will be extended to district level but confined to Punjab and Sindh due to data constraints. The study will also examine the disparities in budget allocations to education in the two provinces.Education; Public expenditures; Pakistan

Growth Response of Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) Seedlings to Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium Fertilizers

Teak (fectona grandis L.f) is one of the high quality timber species in the world. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the growth response of teak seedlings to N, P, K fertilizers. The results of the present study indicated that root weight, leaf area and total plant weight of the teak seedlings were significantly affected by all the three main factors i.e. N, P and K Height increment, leaf weight, shoot weight and root length showed statistically significant responses to N and P fertilizers. The main effects of N and K but not of P were statistically significant for diameter increment. There was significant main effect of N only far root-shoot ratio. The present study also revealed that the application of 564 kg/ha ammonium sulphate, 300 kg/ha triple superphosphate and 75 kg/ha muriate ofpotash are required to enhance height and diameter growth and total plant weight of teak seedlings at nursery stage

Fertilizer Requirements of Newly Planted Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) Seedlings

The results of the present study indicated that height and diameter increments of newly planted teak seedlings were significantly affected by N and P fertilizers. Leaf weight, shoot weight, root weight and total dry matter production showed statistically significant responses to fertilizer application at harvest, one year after planting. Root-shoot ratio decreased as a result of fertilizer application. The present study also revealed that the application of 300 kg/ha triple superphosphate and 200 kg/ha ammonium sulphate are required to enhance the height and diameter growth and total plant weight of newly planted teak seedlings on Penambang soil series

Weather effects on stock returns and volatility in South Asian markets

We study the effect of mood-proxy variables on index returns and volatility in six South Asian markets. Our mood-proxy variables include six weather (temperature, humidity, cloud cover, air pressure, visibility, and wind speed), three weather indicator variables (fog, thunder storm and rain or drizzle) and two biorhythmic variables (SAD and lunar phases). We adopt a robust approach and attempt to select the best parsimonious econometric model for each market. Our findings suggest that mood-proxy variables have some convincing influences in South Asian capital markets. In some instances, these variables are influencing returns while in other instances they are influencing volatility

Validity of intracerebral haemorrhge score in predicting prognosis of hemorrhagic stroke

Stroke is a common neurological disorder, leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Intra cerebral hemorrhage comprises of 10-15% of all strokes but associated with high risk of morbidity and mortality than cerebral infraction .The ICH Score is a good prognostic tool calculated very easily, when it is used to predict 30 day morality. Objective:To determine the validity of Intracerebral hemorrhagic score in predicting prognosis (adverse outcome or death) in patients of hemorrhagic stroke.Material&Methods:This case series study was carried out at department of medicine Liaquat medical University Hospital Jamshoro and Hyderabad from June 16th 2012 to December 15th 2012.Eighty nine 89 patients were enrolled in the study, non-probability consecutive sampling technique was applied and data was collected after inclusion and exclusion criteria and structured proforma were designed for study.Results: Out of 89 patients 56 (62.9%) were male and mean age of the patients in our study was 65.14 years .In 32(36%) patients ICH score was ≥ 3 while 57 (64%) patients had ICH score was \u3c 3. Out of total 32 patients who had ICH score ≥ 3, Adverse outcome i.e. death occurred in 25 (78.12%) patients and males were 16(80%) and 9(75%) were female patients.Conclusion: Frequency of adverse outcome (death) was found in 28.1% while ICH score predicted adverse outcome (death) in 36.1%. ICH score correctly predicted 77.77% adverse outcome, therefore we can conclude that ICH score is useful scale to predict mortality in patients suffering from intracerebral hemorrhage

Loss of function mutations in RP1 are responsible for retinitis pigmentosa in consanguineous familial cases.

PurposeThis study was undertaken to identify causal mutations responsible for autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) in consanguineous families.MethodsLarge consanguineous families were ascertained from the Punjab province of Pakistan. An ophthalmic examination consisting of a fundus evaluation and electroretinography (ERG) was completed, and small aliquots of blood were collected from all participating individuals. Genomic DNA was extracted from white blood cells, and a genome-wide linkage or a locus-specific exclusion analysis was completed with polymorphic short tandem repeats (STRs). Two-point logarithm of odds (LOD) scores were calculated, and all coding exons and exon-intron boundaries of RP1 were sequenced to identify the causal mutation.ResultsThe ophthalmic examination showed that affected individuals in all families manifest cardinal symptoms of RP. Genome-wide scans localized the disease phenotype to chromosome 8q, a region harboring RP1, a gene previously implicated in the pathogenesis of RP. Sanger sequencing identified a homozygous single base deletion in exon 4: c.3697delT (p.S1233Pfs22*), a single base substitution in intron 3: c.787+1G>A (p.I263Nfs8*), a 2 bp duplication in exon 2: c.551_552dupTA (p.Q185Yfs4*) and an 11,117 bp deletion that removes all three coding exons of RP1. These variations segregated with the disease phenotype within the respective families and were not present in ethnically matched control samples.ConclusionsThese results strongly suggest that these mutations in RP1 are responsible for the retinal phenotype in affected individuals of all four consanguineous families

Hepatitis B and C: prevalence and risk factors associated with seropositivity among children in Karachi, Pakistan

Background Infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) can lead to chronic liver disease and hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC). This cross-sectional study estimated the prevalence and identified risk factors associated with Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HCV antibody (anti-HCV) sero-positivity among children 1 to 15 years of age. Methods The study targeted the low to middle socioeconomic population that comprises 80% to 85% of the population. Consent was obtained from parents of the eligible children before administering questionnaire and collected a blood sample for anti-HCV and HBsAg serology. Results 3533 children were screened for HBsAg and anti-HCV. 1826 (52 %) were males. 65 (1.8 %) were positive for HBsAg, male to female ratio 38:27; mean age 10 ± 4 years. 55 (1.6 %) were positive for anti-HCV with a mean age 9 ± 4 years. 3 (0.11%) boys were positive for both HBsAg and anti-HCV. The overall infection rate was 3.3 % in the studied population. Hepatitis BsAg was more prevalent in subjects who received therapeutic injections 45 (69.2%) positive [Odd Ratio OR = 2.2; 95% Confidence interval CI: 1.3–3.6] inspite of using new needle and syringe 44 (67.7%) positive [OR = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.3–3.7] and vaccination in the government healthcare facilities 46 (70.7 %) positive with [OR = 3.0; 95% CI: 1.4–6.4]. These factors were not significant in anti-HCV positive cases. Conclusion There is a need to educate general population regarding HBV and HCV infection and risks associated with inappropriate therapeutic injections. Hepatitis B vaccine should be administered to all newborns regardless of maternal HBsAg status

Software Quality Assurance A Study Based on Pakistan’s Software Industry

This paper investigates the role of quality management practices in software industry of Pakistan. We present a comparison between the more-experienced and less-experienced firms with respect to the critical factors of quality management. The critical factors of quality management practices in the software industry are first identified from the literature survey and validated through an empirical study. The study attempts to probe the influence of “age of quality” and “use of software” over software quality management practices and programs. The results of the study shows that the ‘age of quality” and “use of software” have partial influence over the software quality management