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The main objective of this study is to identify the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade openness (TO) on income inequality in 25 Asian economies using panel data from 1991 to 2018. The effects of FDI and trade openness on income inequality in the Asian region has been examined by using the Kuznets curve hypothesis on the growth–inequality relationship and employing a random effects model, generalized least squares, and system GMM estimations. This study found that the effect of FDI and trade openness on inequality is positive as they enhance income inequality in the Asian region. It also found that the growth–inequality relationship is non-linear with an inverted U-shape, which indicates that growth increases inequality in Asian economies to a certain level; after that, an additional increase in per capita GDP decreases the income inequality. This study exposed that FDI and trade openness have increased inequalities in the Asian region, making it difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10 within the stipulated timeframe. Asian economies should therefore review investment- and trade-related policies to reap the benefits and to ensure equitable income distribution.

Purpose ― The main objective is to examine the effects of foreign direct investment and trade openness on economic growth (SDG-8.1) about economic growth amid crises in 30 Asian economies. Design/methodology/approach ― The effects of FDI and trade openness on economic growth in the Asian region are examined using the fixed-effects model, panel corrected standard errors (PCSE), and generalized method of moments (GMM) estimations. The study also measures the long-run effects of the estimates and the granger causality tests. Findings ― The findings revealed that both FDI and trade openness contribute to boosting economic growth in Asian economies, and the effect is also persistent in the long run. We also find that the Asian and global financial collapse shocks in 1997-1998 and 2008-2009, respectively, adversely affected the region's economic growth. Additionally, the economic growths of some Asian countries are below the targeted level set in SDG-8.1. Practical implications ― The Asian countries should adopt appropriate policy measures for encouraging the inflow of FDI and cross-border trade of goods and services as it is evident that the inflow of FDI and open trade will improve local human capital and technological capabilities of the industries, which will ultimately help to enhance stable economic growth. Originality/value ― This study is unique in accompanying the Asian financial crisis and world recession in studying the effects of FDI and trade openness on SDG-8.1 in Asian economies.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate whether aggregate and sectoral disbursement of aid for trade (AfT) facilitates achieving gender equality and women empowerment in aid-recipient developing countries for the period 2005–2019.Design/methodology/approachThe study develops static and dynamic panel data and empirical specifications and employs fixed effects and generalised method of moments (GMM) estimation techniques to estimate the impact of aggregate AfT and different categories of AfT on women empowerment. The study uses the Gender Inequality Index (GII) and Global Gender Gap Index (GGI) as the proxy measures of SDG-5, where the higher (lower) value of GII (GGI) implies higher gender disparities and lower women empowerment, and vice versa.FindingsThe study finds that aggregate AfT and aid disbursement for the development of economic infrastructure, productive capability building and trade policy and regulations contribute significantly to achieve women empowerment by reducing gender inequalities concerning the labour force and political participation, education enrolment and better healthcare and by increasing gender gap index in relation to economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment. The impact of aggregate AfT and its different categories is found significant only in low- and lower-middle-income developing countries. The findings also indicate that the impact of AfT is not noticeably different across different regions of the world as well as the religious belief of the developing countries.Practical implicationsThe study recommends that more allocation of gender-responsive AfT, whether aggregated or disaggregated, significantly helps women empowerment and assists developing economies to achieve SDG-5.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few that investigate the impact of aggregate AfT on gender inequality and women empowerment. This is the foremost study that examines the effects of each individual category of AfT on women empowerment vis-à-vis SDG-5.

Bangladesh is an example of a highly populous, agricultural country where melioidosis may be a significantly under diagnosed cause of infection and death. A recent regression model predicted 16,931 cases annually in Bangladesh with a mortality rate of 56%. However, we only manage to confirm (culture) around 80 cases in last 60 years. A lack of awareness among microbiologists and clinicians and a lack of diagnostic microbiology infrastructure are factors that are likely to lead to the underreporting of melioidosis. Melioidosis transmits through inoculation, inhalation and ingestion. Diabetes mellitus is the most common risk factor (12 times higher chance of getting the infection) predisposing individuals to melioidosis and is present in >50% of all patients. The clinical presentation is widely varied and can be mistaken for other diseases such as tuberculosis or more common forms of pneumonia giving rise to its nickname as the “great mimicker”. Disease manifestations vary from pneumonia or localized abscess to acute septicemias, or may present as a chronic infection. Culture is considered the current gold-standard for diagnosis and culture-confirmation should always be sought in patients where disease is suspected. It is strongly recommended that any non–Pseudomonas aeruginosa, oxidase-positive, Gram-negative bacillus isolated from any clinical specimen from a patient in an endemic area should be suspected to be Burkholderia pseudomallei (BP). In addition, based on antibiogram, any Gramnegative bacilli that are oxidase-positive, typically resistant to aminoglycosides (e.g., gentamicin), colistin, and polymyxin but sensitive to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid should be considered as BP. This bacteria is inherently resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, first generation and second-generation cephalosporins, gentamicin, tobramycin, streptomycin, and polymyxin. For intensive phase (10 to 14 days), ceftazidime or carbapenem is the drug of choice. For eradication phase (3 to 6 months), oral trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole is the drug of choice. Surgery (drainage of abscess) has an important role in the management of melioidosis. Preventive measures through protective gears could be useful particularly for the risk groups. J MEDICINE 2021; 22: 139-145

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the consequence of the quality of governance (QoG) in moderating the effect of healthcare spending on human development.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ a two-step Windmeijer finite sample-corrected system-generalized method of moments (sys-GMM) estimation technique on a panel dataset of 161 countries from 2005 to 2019. The authors use healthcare expenditure as the main explanatory variable and the Human Development Index (HDI) as the dependent variable and also consider voice and accountability (VnA), political stability and absence of terrorism (PSnAT), governance effectiveness (GoE), regulatory quality (ReQ), rules of law (RLaw) and control of corruption (CoC) dimensions of governance indicators as proxies of good governance. The authors develop a new measure of good governance from these six dimensions of governance using principal component analysis (PCA).FindingsThe authors empirically revealed that allocating more healthcare support alone is insufficient to improve human development. Individually, PSnAT has the highest net positive effect on health expenditure that helps to increase human welfare. Further, the corresponding interaction effect between expenditure and the Good Governance Index (GGI) is negative but insignificant for low-income countries (LICs); negative and statistically significant for sub-Saharan African (SSA) economies and positive but insignificant for South Asian nations.Originality/valueThis study is an in-depth analysis of how governance impacts the effectiveness of healthcare expenditure to ensure higher human development, particularly in a large panel of 161 countries. The authors have developed a new index of good governance and later extended the analysis by separating countries based on the income level and geographical location, which are utterly absent in existing literature.

Purpose This study aims to examine how aid for trade policy and regulations (AfTPR) contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 8.1 (sustain per capita economic growth) and whether the effectiveness of AfTPR is conditional to the stable political environment. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a widely accepted endogenous growth framework and applies panel data fixed effects and two-step difference and system generalized method of moments estimation strategies on panel data of 50 developing countries over 2005–2017. Findings The findings of the study confirm that aid to trade policy promotes sustainable economic growth in developing countries, but this category of development assistance is only effective and significant for low and lower middle-income (LLMI) economies. The positive and significant effect of AfTPR in upper middle-income countries is conditional to their level of political stability. Under a stable political situation, the positive effect of AfTPR on sustainable growth remains almost same for the LLMI countries, whereas for the upper middle-income countries this growth effect reached almost double. Research limitations/implications International trade is considered as a driver for inclusive and sustainable economic growth, whereas aid for trade is acknowledged for its prospective contribution toward achieving these goals. The findings have dominant policy implications for the international development organizations and donors, which recommend that it is more desirable to transmit aid toward developing and implementing trade policy and regulations as per capita economic growth improves in the aid recipient countries. Originality/value According to the authors’ knowledge, no prior study empirically analyzes the effect of AfTPRs on SDG target 8.1.

Atherosclerosis is the principal cause of heart diseases and hemodynamics is a vital aspect. For current work, Large Eddy Simulation (LES) technique is chosen to visualize the variation between non-Newtonian Carreau and Casson viscosity models to simulate hemodynamics in idealized version of 75% eccentrically occluded artery. In the LES methodology, although the unsolved movements are rendered using the Smagorinsky-Lily model, the full resolution of large-size movements is achieved. Considering the swirl component of blood, a unique parabolic and pulsatile inlet velocity boundary condition is created to represent a realistic blood flow. By using proposed framework, the precise blood flow configuration and turbulent characteristics of the circulatory system are represented in a specific design. It was observed that the Casson model projected greater blood flow instability than the Carreau model, whereas the Carreau model predicted higher fluctuations in speed, pressure, and wall shear stress. High speed, pressure and WSS variations are responsible for a psychological problem termed arterial murmur.

The study aims to investigate the causal effect of cross-border paperless trade policy reforms and aid for trade on export performance in 14 Asian developing countries. Sample countries are selected based on membership of the South Asia Sub-regional and Economic Cooperation (SASEC) and Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC). This study uses annual panel data from 2005 to 2017, exploits the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Trade Facilitation Measures survey data to sort out the pre-treatment and post-treatment period of the paperless trade policy transformation, and employs the difference-in-differences method of estimation. The results show that the adaptation of paperless trade facilitation policy measures and aid for trade to trade facilitation and the communication technology sector has a positive and statistically significant impact on export performance in Asian economies including in SASEC and CAREC region. However, the findings of this study also point out that the economic growth, foreign direct investment and the labour force has a positive effect on export performance. Thus the results from this study suggest that the export performance in these regions could be enhanced by adopting paperless trade policy measures and more aid allocation for the trade facilitation and communication technology sectors.

Women empowerment is inevitable and a fundamental goal for inclusive growth and sustainable development. The study aims to analyze the effect of financial inclusion on women empowerment using both fixed-effects and panel generalized methods of moments (GMM) estimation techniques covering a panel dataset of 50 emerging economies from 2005 to 2017. We use accessibility to automated teller machine services, availability of bank branches and accessibility to bank assets as three different measures of financial inclusion and gender inequality index, gender development index and political participation of females as the measure of women empowerment. We find evidence that each measure of financial inclusion is associated with lower gender inequality, higher gender development and more opportunities for political involvement of women respectively. Using different econometric estimation method and a board range of inclusion measures confirms the more robust association between financial inclusion and women empowerment. The study, thus, concludes that financial inclusion plays an important role in the welfare of female and girls which would further assist emerging economies to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare different invasive methods for Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) detection, namely PCR for H. pylori specific ureC gene, Rapid urease test (RUT), and histopathological examination by modified Giemsa staining. Methodology: Endoscopic gastroduodenal biopsy materials were collected from dyspeptic patients who underwent endoscopic examination upon fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Three to four samples were collected from each patient after taking informed consent and proper clinical history. A rapid urease test (RUT) was done on spot with in-house RUT media from 1 specimen. One to two specimens were preserved in 10% formaldehyde for histopathology and PCR for ureC gene was done from 1 specimen. Collected biopsy specimens from gastric and duodenal mucosa of 142 patients were categorized as H. pylori-positive cases and H. pylori-negative cases based on the case definition used in the study upon positivity of 3 diagnostic tests. Results: Among 142 biopsy specimens, 34.5% were categorized as H. pylori-positive cases, 35.2% as H. pylori-negative cases, and finally 30.2% as doubtful or indeterminate cases. Rapid urease test was the most sensitive method, closely followed by ureC gene PCR and histopathology, with a sensitivity of 94.2%, 83.0%, and 76.5%, respectively. Whereas histology was the most specific, having 98.0% specificity followed by 83.0% in PCR. RUT was the least specific, with 55.5% specificity. Conclusion: While histopathology could detect H. pylori infection with the highest specificity, for definitive diagnosis combination of any 2 methods should be used, if available.

A computational analysis is performed using the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) method to predict non-Newtonian pulsatile flow of blood into Artery Bypass Graft (ABG) models with varying anastomosis angles. The traditional end-to-side bypass graft models of three distinct anastomosis angles (30°, 45° & 60°) are created on the 75% idealized arterial stenosis to serve the purpose of vascular reconstruction. A pulsatile parabolic inlet boundary condition with the contemplation of spiral component is formulated to model the naturalistic flow in the blood vessel & non-Newtonian Carreau viscosity model is used. The transient study was performed in the ANSYS Fluent 15.0. Initially, the numerical simulation process has been validated with the results of a classic experimental study and Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) study. The numerical study found that wall shear stress has significant effect on re-blocking while pressure has smaller effect. The artery bypass configuration of 30° anastomosis angle is the most favorable one for the common end-to-side graft design. As a whole, the LES study has provided basic but novel observations of flow projection in the specific artery bypass graft (ABG) models.