24 research outputs found
A model for Islamic development: an approach in Islamic moral economy
No full textThis book explores and analyses economic development within Islamic Moral Economy (IME), which is proposed as an alternative economic and social system to capitalism and socialism. It presents a new model of Islamic development based on the substantive morality of Islam via micro dynamics expressed through an Islamic framework of spiritual development. Shafiullah Jan and Mehmet Asutay argue that the observed development failures of Muslim countries to provide basic necessities and an environment free of oppression and injustice can be overcome with an authentic Islamic development framework and its corresponding value system explored in the book, rather than the existing Eurocentric theory and policy making. In addition, it identifies the theological, political, social and economic boundaries for changing society to produce IME oriented development. Utilising a novel approach to development in Islam, through its substantive ethical and moral framework, the authors critically examine and evaluate the progress of Islamic banking and finance institutions in relation to its aspirations as identified by IME
Publisher's Note: “A practical biogas based energy neutral home system for rural communities of Bangladesh” [J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 8, 023101 (2016)]
No full textThis article was originally published online on 2 March 2016 with an error in the first initials of author GM Shafiullah: “G.M.” has been corrected to “GM” and appears accurately above. In addition, there was an error in Table IX: The value “35 000” under the column labeled “BDT/year” was incorrectly set on the line corresponding to “Variable operational cost (VOC)”; 35 000 should have been set on the line corresponding to “Overheads.” AIP Publishing apologizes for these errors. All online versions of the article were corrected on 15 March 2016
Molecular Epidemiological Analysis of the Sources and Diarrheagenicity of Shiga toxin-Producing Escherichia coli and Atypical Enteropathogenic E. coli
No full textThree Essays in Macroeconomics with a Focus on Forecasting GDP Growth with Machine Learning, Measuring Uncertainty with NLP, and Revisiting a Small Open Economy RBC Model
No full textChapter 1 presents a study using machine learning algorithms to forecast Canadian monthly real GDP growth using Google Trends (GT) data and official data, such as employment, before the official release of GDP data. Nonlinear tree-based ensemble algorithms like eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), CatBoost, Random Forest (RF), and Microsoft's Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), as well as the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm are used for forecasting. The results show that CatBoost performs best for short-horizon forecasts, while SVM is effective for long-horizon forecasts. Chapter 2 introduces a natural language processing (NLP) based approach to measuring economic policy uncertainty (EPU) induced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and the US. A newspaper-based EPU index is developed using several algorithms, including the rapid automatic keyword extraction algorithm (RAKE), RoBERTa and Sentence-BERT algorithms, PyLucene search engine, and GrapeNLP local grammar engine. The EPU-NLP index is compared to an index based on a strictly Boolean method, and it is found that the former is more effective in capturing COVID-19-related uncertainty. The EPU-NLP index generates larger declines in key macroeconomic variables than the EPU-Boolean index when subjected to a one standard deviation economic policy uncertainty shock using a structural VAR approach. Chapter 3 focuses on a unit-root problem that arises in small-open-economy RBC models. The closing devices proposed by Schmitt-Grohé and Uribe to induce stationarity in such models are analyzed. It is found that Seoane's analysis of the business cycle characteristics of Argentina, which identified a unit-root problem in the form of extreme persistence in consumption, output, and the trade-balance-to-output ratio, was affected by the values assigned to various parameters and his choice of a pruning method. The unit-root problem and inordinately large second moments are addressed by varying the values of the risk aversion parameter and the wage elasticity of labor supply, using various third-order perturbation methods, and applying third-order perturbation without pruning but with revised parameter values. Finally, the results show that the closing devices effectively generate greater consumption volatility than output and a counter-cyclical relationship between the trade balance and GDP
Impact of Monetary Policy on Post Crashed StockMarket Performance: Evidence from Dhaka Stock Exchange
No full textVolume 4 No. 1, Jan-June 201
Extended expression of MaKN1 contributes to the leaf morphology in aquatic forms of Myriophyllum aquaticum
No full textMyriophyllum aquaticum is heterophyllous in nature with highly dissected simple leaves consisting of several lobes. KNOX1 (KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX) genes are believed to have played an important role in the evolution of leaf diversity. Up-regulation of KNOX1 during leaf primordium initiation can lead to leaf dissection in plants with simple leaves, and, if overexpressed can produce ectopic meristem on leaves. A previous study on KNOX1 gene expression in the aerial form of this species showed that this gene is expressed in the shoot apical meristem (SAM), as well as in leaf primordia P0 to P8. Based on these results, it was hypothesized that the prolonged expression of the MaKN1 (Myriophyllum aquaticum Knotted1-like homeobox) gene beyond P8, might play an important role in the generation of more lobes, longer lobes, and hydathode formation in the aquatic leaves of M. aquaticum. The technique of in situ hybridization was carried out using a previously sequenced 300 bp long fragment of MaKN1 to determine the expression patterns of this gene in the shoot of aquatic forms of the plant. Expression patterns of MaKN1 revealed that the SAM and leaf primordia of aquatic forms of M. aquaticum at levels P0 (youngest) to P4 were distributed throughout these structures. The level of expression of this MaKN1 gene progressively became more localized to lobes in older leaf primordia (levels P5 to P12). Previous studies of aerial forms of this plant showed MaKN1 expression until P8. Our results with aquatic forms show that the highly dissected leaf morphology in aquatic forms was the result of the prolonged expression of MaKN1 beyond P8. This resulted in the formation of elongated and slightly more numerous lobes, and hydathodes in aquatic forms. These findings support the view that KNOX1 genes are important developmental regulators of leaf morphogenesis and have played an important role in the evolution of leaf forms in the plant kingdom.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author
Comparative leaf development of aerial and aquatic growth forms of Myriophyllum aquaticum
No full textMyriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc. produces two morphologically different forms of leaves based on whether they are aerial or aquatic. The objective of this study was to determine whether there are any similarities or differences between these two growth forms during their early stages of development. A comparative developmental study of aerial and aquatic growth forms of M. aquaticum was conducted from a qualitative and quantitative perspective using a scanning electron microscope. The pattern of leaf and lobe initiation such as their origin and shape were similar in both growth forms until the fourth plastochron (stage P4). Differences between the two growth forms became evident from stage P5 onward, where a larger shoot apical meristem (SAM), elongated epidermal cells, shorter and slightly more numerous lobes, as well as the presence of appendage-like structures characterized aquatic growth forms. On the other hand, aerial growth forms had smaller SAM, bulb-like epidermal cells, and longer and slightly less numerous leaf lobes. Significant differences between growth forms were noted for parameters such as volume of SAM, length of terminal, first, and middle lobes, as well as the length from first to last lobes. The volume of the SAM of aquatic shoot tips was always greater than aerial forms. On the other hand, lobes of aerial forms were always longer than the aquatic counterpart during early stages of development. This study on the development of M. aquaticum shows that the aerial and aquatic growth forms diverge from their early stages of development
Shariah governance in Islamic banking institutions
No full textShariah governance assumes the primary instrument through which Islamic Banking Institutions (IBIs) ensure the Islamicity of their products, services, operations, and internal environments. It is considered to be one the fundamental elements that differentiates IBIs from their traditional counterparts.Shariah Governance in Islamic Banking Institutionsprovides a critical overview of the key aspects pertaining to Shariah governance within Islamic financial institutions and presents a detailed analysis of its conceptual background. The authors have identified the unique issues that have emerged due to the integration of Shariah, namely the involvement of the Shariah supervisory board (SSB), in the corporate governance arrangements of Islamic banks. These issues relate to disclosure, transparency, independency, consistency, confidentiality, competency, and reputation. The book details the doctrines of Shariah pronouncements in Islamic banks, the importance of having a central advisory board at a regulatory level in the standardization of Islamic banking practices, as well as the competence required for Shariah supervisory board members. It provides a critical analysis of the Shariah governance framework in Pakistan and introduces the authors’ vision of an ideal Shariah governance framework. Furthermore, the chapters offer guidance in promoting effective policies for improving Shariah governance.This is one of the core challenges facing Islamic banks, namely, to ensure compliance with faith and provide legitimacy to the business of IBIs, and as such, the book will appeal to both the research and professional communities
