External Debt and Pro-Poor Economic Growth: Evidence from Bangladesh

( Naeem Akram ) 한국정책학회 2013 International Journal of Policy Studies Vol.4 No.2

At the beginning of the 21st century, the developing world has faced two major inter-related problems i.e. heavy indebtedness and the incidence of poverty. The triumphal view about debt-financed growth has been replaced by a more balanced view about how it affects economic growth, employment, inequality of income and the incidence of poverty. The present study examines the consequences of external debt for poverty regarding Bangladesh for the period 1975-2010. In this regard GINI coefficient has been used as an indicator of pro-poor growth and Auto Regressive Distributed Lags (ARDL) model has been used for the empirical analysis. It has been found that an increase in external debt, openness, urbanization and inflation resulted in widening the income inequality whereas an increase in per capita GDP tends to reduce the income inequality.

Interaction of English Grain Aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.) and Their Natural Enemies to an Agro-forestry Environment

Naeem Muhammad,Steve Compton,L.D. Incoll,Waseem Akram,Jong-Jin Lee 한국응용곤충학회 2005 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.8 No.2

The agro-forestry landscape can influence the distribution of wheat-feeding aphids and their natural enemies. Aphid population densities were significantly higher in the arable control areas compared to the arable alleys. The ratio of alate to apterous adults indicated that relatively higher numbers of alates were found in the control areas. The apterous S. avenae adults and nymphs combined were found to constitute approximately 97 % and 98 % of the total from the arable alleys and arable control areas respectively. Parasitism rates (the proportion of aphids that were mummified) were 12.80% and 7.60% in the arable alleys and control areas respectively. In contrast, the numbers of mummies per aphids were found to be lower in the arable controls. The small-scale variation in the distance of plants from the tree rows did not significantly influence insect abundance.

Seasonal distribution and species composition of daytime biting mosquitoes

Waseem Akram,Faisal HAFEEZ,Unsar Naeem ULLAH,김연국,Aftab HUSSAIN,이종진 한국곤충학회 2009 Entomological Research Vol.39 No.2

Adults and immatures of Aedes mosquito populations were collected at temperatures between 40 and 44°C (summer), while larvae were collected at 0°C (winter). Major mosquito activities were observed from February to mid-December at various collection sites that yielded high populations of Aedes spp. from May to September, and high populations of Culex spp. and Anopheles spp. from March to September. In June to July, mosquito activity was suspended because the relative humidity was high (70%); a result of the monsoon rains. In August, with temperature ranging from 38 to 42°C, the populations of Culex, Anopheles and Aedes began to increase (36.8, 32.1 and 26.3%, respectively). Population estimates (through standard prototype Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Biogents (BG)-sentinel) and species composition of Aedes in forest habitats indicated a rapid increase in the populations of Ae. albopictus (52.3%), Ae. aegypti (19.1%) and Ae. vittatus (28.5%) following the rainy season in July. Areas positive for Ae. albopictus had identical population levels and distribution ranges of Ae. vittatus, however, there were no Ae. aegypti in Ae. albopictus areas from August to September. The population level, seasonal distribution, habitat and areas of adult activity marked by global positioning system (GPS) coordinates are being used for reference and for species composition data of Anopheles spp. (2), Culex spp. (10) and Aedes spp. (5) in addition to associated temperature, relative humidity and physico-chemical factors of larval habitat. Global meteorological changes have caused an expansion of the active period, leading to the mosquito's possibility of being a vector of disease increasing, resulting in the spread of dengue fever.

Interaction of English Grain Aphid, Sitobionavenae(F.) and Their Natural Enemies to an Agro-forestry Environment

Muhammad Naeem,Compton Steve,Incoll L.D.,Akram Waseem,Lee Jong-Jin Korean Society of Applied Entomology 2005 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.8 No.2

The agro-forestry landscape can influence the distribution of wheat-feeding aphids and their natural enemies. Aphid population densities were significantly higher in the arable control areas compared to the arable alleys. The ratio of alate to apterous adults indicated that relatively higher numbers of alates were found in the control areas. The apterous S. avenae adults and nymphs combined were found to constitute approximately $97\%$ and $98\%$ of the total from the arable alleys and arable control areas respectively. Parasitism rates (the proportion of aphids that were mummified) were $12.80\%$ and $7.60\%$ in the arable alleys and control areas respectively. In contrast, the numbers of mummies per aphids were found to be lower in the arable controls. The small-scale variation in the distance of plants from the tree rows did not significantly influence insect abundance.

Risk Factors of Prostate Cancer: a Case-control Study in Faisalabad, Pakistan

Bashir, Muhammad Naeem,Ahmad, Muhammad Riaz,Malik, Akram Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.23

Background: Prostate cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer among males in Pakistan but very little is known about risk factors among the Pakistani population. Therefore a hospital-based, case-control study was carried out in Faisalabad to identify potential risk factors. Materials and Methods: This study was based on 140 prostate cancer cases and 280 normal controls. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for odds ratios to assess the relationship between prostate cancer and different risk factors. Results: Family history of prostate cancer, age, smoking, obesity, consumption of red meat and frequent use of fat items significantly increased the prostate cancer risk (odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of: 7.32; 1.79-29.8; 16.9, 5.60-50.8; 2.47, 1.17-5.18; 5.79, 2.66-12.6; 2.71, 1.07-6.91; and 3.39, 1.47-7.83, respectively. On the other hand, more consumption of fruit, fluid intake and better lifestyle (physical activity) significantly reduced the risk of developing prostate cancer with odd ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals of: 0.27, 0.11-0.61; 0.05, 0.02-0.12; and 0.28, 0.13-0.58. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggested that age, family history of prostate cancer, smoking, obesity, fluid intake, frequent use of fat items, consumption of fruits and better lifestyle might be associated with prostate cancer among Pakistani males.

Case-Control Study of Diet and Prostate Cancer in a Rural Population of Faisalabad, Pakistan

Bashir, Muhammad Naeem,Malik, Muhammad Akram Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.6

Background: The effects of diet on epidemiology of prostate cancer are inconclusive. Therefore a hospitalbased, case-control study was conducted in a rural population of Faisalabad, Pakistan, to examine the impact of dietary factors on risk of cancer development. Materials and Methods: This study was based on 102 confirmed cases of prostate cancer and 204 normal controls. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for odds ratios to evaluate the relationship between prostate cancer and diet. Results: Consumption of red meat and fat items significantly increased the prostate cancer risk having odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of 3.41; 1.46-7.96 and 2.45; 1.17-5.15, respectively. On the other hand, more consumption of vegetables, fluid intake and fruit significantly decreased the prostate cancer risk (odd ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals of 0.21; 0.10-0.44, 0.10; 0.05- 0.19 and 0.09; 0.03- 0.23, respectively. Conclusions: The present study supports the hypothesis that frequent consumption of red meat and fat items may increase prostate cancer risk while more intake of fruit, vegetables and fluid intake may protect against prostate cancer in the relatively low risk group in rural Pakistan.

The importance of deprotonation of copper oxyhydroxide on its activity towards water oxidation reactions

Guo Jia,Akram Naeem,Zhang Liugen,Cao Xianglei,Wang Guangyao,Ahmad Ali,Niu Junmin,Mansha Muhammad Saad,Zhang Yi,Wang Jide 한국화학공학회 2023 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.40 No.11

This work reveals a schematic strategy to massively fabricate a series of OH-riched copper oxides (CuO-OH), which could be used as highly efficient chemo catalysts for water oxidation reaction (WOR). The results indicate that the as-prepared CuO-OH exhibited excellent catalytic activity (2,900 µmol·h−1·g−1) toward water oxidation, far higher than the pure CuO formed through calcination. According to the radical capture results and the DRIFTS, XRD, and Raman spectra data, sulfate radicals were the main active species. Subsequent data of BET, HR-TEM, and FT-IR spectra reveal that the CuO-OH could activate persulfate ions in the dark to produce sulfate radicals efficiently at room temperature and promote the sulfate radicals to carry out immediately to hydroxide-mediated deprotonation steps in WOR. Based on the results above, a mechanism is proposed.