95 research outputs found
Rent - seeking trade policy : a time series approach
Get PDFUsing a time-series approach, the author analyzes the relationship between the extent of rent-seeking trade policy and both political and economic variables. For rent-seeking trade policy, the indicator he uses is the number of foreign-trade regulations passed each year for the benefit of a single firm or industry. The author uses data from Uruguay for 1925-83. Uruguay, which experienced an impressive economic decline, is an outstanding example of a rent-seeking society. After being a wealthy economy in midcentury, it suffered almost complete stagnation, which led to social and policital disintegration by the end of the 1960s. Three decades of restrictive regulations on foreign trade had created a nearly closed economy by the end of the 1960s. It was worth analyzing whether policymakers'great receptiveness to demands for protection could account for Uruguay's decline. Over the period 1925-83, the author finds almost 4,000 laws, decrees, and administrative resolutions that create, maintain, or modify a foreign-trade regulation for the benefit of a single firm or industry. About half of them explicitly identify the petitioner - usually a firm or guild. Since the size of the Uruguayan economy changed over the period studied, the author scales the annual number of regulations by output or exports to measure the extent of rent-seeking trade policy. The author shows that the extent of rent-seeking trade policy increased with discretionary policies and under dictatorship. (In the period studied, there were two stages of democracy - until 1932 and from 1943-72 - and two stages of dictatorship.) He also shows that rent-seeking trade restrictions increased under import-substitution strategies and, more unexpectedly, under active export promotion. This suggests that discretionary power leads to wasteful distribution, whether it is used to support inward- or outward-oriented policies. Finally, the author analyzes the correlation between innovations in the trade policy indicator and innovations in the growth rates of output and exports, with a lag of up to 20 years. Surprisingly, he finds a positive correlation with output growth rates after two or three years. But the correlation becomes negative some years later, particularly in the case of exports. The short-run positive impact on growth rates, together with the surprisingly long time lag before the negative impact, may account for policymakers'receptiveness to demands for protection.Trade Policy,Achieving Shared Growth,TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies
FORMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF FLOATING SUSTAINED RELEASE TABLETS OF RITONAVIR THROUGH BOX-BEHNKEN DESIGN
No full textObjective: The purpose of this study is to design and evaluate floating sustained-release tablets of ritonavir (RTZ) employing box-behnken development (BBD).
Methods: The BBD was utilized to improve the formulation parameters. The main release-retarding polymers were selected as independent variables: methocel K100M (A), the gas-generating agent was sodium bicarbonate (B), the secondary release-retarding polymer was ethyl cellulose (C), and the floating aid was Cetyl alcohol and which was kept constant. Floating lag time (FLT) (Y1), swelling index (SI) (Y2), and percentage drug release (Y3) were chosen as the dependent variables. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to assess the compatibility of the drug and excipient. FLT, flotation time, SI, hardness, drug content, friability, in vitro drug release, and drug release kinetics were assessed after the tablets were manufactured using the direct compression method.
Results: FTIR and DSC analyses showed no interaction between the drug and the excipients. Every tablet that was tested produced positive outcomes. The validated optimized (VO) tablets exhibited zero-order kinetics, with a steady and sustained drug release over 12 h (95.76±0.75 %), FLT of VO formulation was found to be 53±0.5 sec with 91.21±1.6% of SI. In vivo bioavailability of optimized formulation shows a 1.5-fold increase in bioavailability.
Conclusion: Using a statistical optimization model, the optimized tablets with the desired formulation characteristics were identified. The optimized formulation remarkably maintained the drug release for up to 12 h, suggesting improved therapeutic potential for HIV therapy
Observational Study on the Prevalence of Thyroid Dysfunction in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome
No full textBackground: Metabolic syndrome is commonly linked with endocrine disturbances, including thyroid dysfunction, which may influence metabolic control and cardiovascular risk. Recognizing thyroid status in affected individuals can support timely intervention and improve clinical outcomes. This study assessed the prevalence and pattern of thyroid dysfunction among patients with metabolic syndrome.
Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 100 adults fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome. Thyroid function was evaluated using serum TSH, FT3 and FT4 levels. Thyroid status was classified as euthyroid, subclinical hypothyroidism, overt hypothyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism or overt hyperthyroidism. Clinical details, metabolic parameters and the number of metabolic syndrome components present were recorded. Data were analyzed and results were presented using descriptive statistics.
Results: Thyroid dysfunction was observed in 36% of the study population. The most common abnormality was subclinical hypothyroidism (22%), followed by overt hypothyroidism (8%). Hyperthyroid patterns were less frequent (subclinical hyperthyroidism 4%, overt hyperthyroidism 2%). Females showed a significantly higher prevalence of dysfunction (57.1%) compared to males (20.7%). The age group of 40–59 years demonstrated the highest proportion of thyroid abnormalities (40.4%). A rising trend of thyroid dysfunction was noted with increasing metabolic load: 25.5% in those with three metabolic components, 45.7% with four components and 60.0% with five components. These findings indicate a close association between metabolic burden and thyroid imbalance.
Conclusion: A considerable proportion of patients with metabolic syndrome exhibit thyroid dysfunction, especially subclinical hypothyroidism. Female sex, middle age and higher clustering of metabolic components were associated with increased risk. Early detection and appropriate management of thyroid abnormalities may contribute to better metabolic control and reduced long-term complications.
Recommendations: Routine screening of thyroid function should be considered in all patients with metabolic syndrome. Clinicians should maintain a proactive approach in counseling, early follow-up and lifestyle modification support to minimize disease progression
VLSI realization of a secure filter bank based transmultiplexer for images using MCKBA and finite field wavelet packet division multiplexing
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