Measuring Default Risk in Farm and Non-Farm Sector

The purpose of this paper is to measure and analyze the risk associated with farming and non-farming sector and to investigate the liquidity and credit risk relationship. Also to analyze the market for farm and non-farm micro-finance which can be either high or low quality. The only project their borrowers, micro-finance institutions are high or low quality (MFI) because they know whether or not there is adverse selection. MFI is a competitive risk neutral, and they are the borrower's project is only profitable if they are to provide a loan agreement specifying the amount to be repaid. Otherwise, the borrower will default on his contract this. In this Research Qualitative research design is used in which different theoretical models are used to explore the default risk. Credit risk model is used to explicitly account for adverse selection, then a study of adverse selection, loan defaults, and made self-financing. This is a simple review of the existing literature related to the farm and non-farm credit risk. The main finding of this research is that Farming sector is more risky than non-farming for the loans granting. Keywords: Loans, Default risk, farming, non-farming secto

Measuring Default Risk in Farm and Non-Farm Sector

The purpose of this paper is to measure and analyze the risk associated with farming and non-farming sector and to investigate the liquidity and credit risk relationship. Also to analyze the market for farm and non-farm micro-finance which can be either high or low quality. The only project their borrowers, micro-finance institutions are high or low quality (MFI) because they know whether or not there is adverse selection. MFI is a competitive risk neutral, and they are the borrower's project is only profitable if they are to provide a loan agreement specifying the amount to be repaid. Otherwise, the borrower will default on his contract this. In this Research Qualitative research design is used in which different theoretical models are used to explore the default risk. Credit risk model is used to explicitly account for adverse selection, then a study of adverse selection, loan defaults, and made self-financing. This is a simple review of the existing literature related to the farm and non-farm credit risk. The main finding of this research is that Farming sector is more risky than non-farming for the loans granting. Keywords: Loans, Default risk, farming, non-farming secto

ROLE OF SONOELASTOGRAPHY IN THE EVALUATION OF THYROID NODULES

Thyroid nodular disease is one of the most common endocrine disorder. B mode ultrasound provides useful characteristic information about thyroid nodules but it has noticeably low accuracy to differentiate benign from malignant. Fine needle aspiration is widely been used in differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules but it is an invasive procedure. Sonoelastography is a newly developed non- invasive technique which uses ultrasound and gives information about the stiffness of tissue. It estimates the hardness of thyroid lesions in association with adjacent tissues and assists in the differentiation of benign from malignant nodules.Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the role sonoelastography in the evaluation of thyroid nodules. Methods:This study was conducted on 72 Patients of age between 18-80 years of either gender at Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Lahore (INMOL) Pakistan, from 25 March 2019 to 23 August 2019 for duration of five months. Elastography was performed using Toshiba Aplio 500.  Patient having one or more solid nodules in thyroid on conventional ultrasound examination were included in the study and the sonoelastography of nodules was confirmed with histopathological findings of nodules. Results: A total 72 participants were included in our study. The mean age of participants was 42.11 years. Gender distribution shows that 51.4% (n=37) were male and 48.6% (n=35) were female. Sonoelastographic strain ratio of 55.6% nodules (n=40) was more than 2.1(malignant feature) and 44.4% nodules (n=32) have less than 2.1 (benign). Histopathology showed 56.9% of participants (n=41) have malignant nodules and 43.1% (n=31) have benign nodules. The comparison of sonoelastography and histopathology in reference with nodules shows that the results of histopathology and sonoelastography were same and support each other. Conclusion: Sonoelastography is non-invasive and cost-effective imaging technique to diagnose thyroid nodules either benign or malignant. Keywords: Ultrasound Elastography, Thyroid Nodules, Benign, Malignant, Fine Needle Aspiration. DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/66-08 Publication date:September 30th 201

The state of indoor air quality in Pakistan—a review

Background and purpose: In Pakistan, almost 70% of the population lives in rural areas. Ninety-four percent of households in rural areas and 58% in urban areas depend on biomass fuels (wood, dung, and agricultural waste). These solid fuels have poor combustion efficiency. Due to incomplete combustion of the biomass fuels, the resulting smoke contains a range of health-deteriorating substances that, at varying concentrations, can pose a serious threat to human health. Indoor air pollution accounts for 28,000 deaths a year and 40 million cases of acute respiratory illness. It places a significant economic burden on Pakistan with an annual cost of 1% of GDP. Despite the mounting evidence of an association between indoor air pollution and ill health, policy makers have paid little attention to it. This review analyzes the existing information on levels of indoor air pollution in Pakistan and suggests suitable intervention methods. Methods: This review is focused on studies of indoor air pollution, due to biomass fuels, in Pakistan published in both scientific journals and by the Government and international organizations. In addition, the importance of environmental tobacco smoke as an indoor pollutant is highlighted. Results: Unlike many other developing countries, there are no long-term studies on the levels of indoor air pollution. The limited studies that have been undertaken indicate that indoor air pollution should be a public health concern. High levels of particulate matter and carbon monoxide have been reported, and generally, women and children are subject to the maximum exposure. There have been a few interventions, with improved stoves, in some areas since 1990. However, the effectiveness of these interventions has not been fully evaluated. Conclusion: Indoor air pollution has a significant impact on the health of the population in Pakistan. The use of biomass fuel as an energy source is the biggest contributor to poor indoor air quality followed by smoking. In order to arrest the increasing levels of indoor pollution, there is a dire need to recognize it as a major health hazard and formulate a national policy to combat it. An integrated effort, with involvement of all stakeholders, could yield promising results. A countrywide public awareness campaign, on the association of indoor air pollution with ill health, followed by practical intervention would be an appropriate approach. Due to the current socioeconomic conditions in the country, development and adoption of improved cooking stoves for the population at large would be the most suitable choice. However, the potential of biogas as a fuel should be explored further, and modern fuels (natural gas and LPG) need to be accessible and economical. Smoking in closed public spaces should be banned, and knowledge of the effect of smoking on indoor air quality needs to be quantified. © 2010 Springer-Verlag

Akkulturations-Stress, Leistungsstress und psychologisches Wohlbefinden bei ausländischen Studierenden

Die vorliegende Studie untersuchte akkulturativen Stress und dessen Zusammenhang mit akademischem Stress und psychologischem Befinden (einschließlich Belastungssymptomen und positiver Affektivität) bei Austauschstudenten in Deutschland. Weiterhin wurde überprüft, ob verschiedene sozio-demografische Variablen und der präferierte Bewältigungsstil das Stressniveau hinsichtlich Akkulturation und akademischen Angelegenheiten (academic affairs) vorhersagen. Auch einheimische Studenten wurden befragt, um Vergleiche zwischen den beiden Gruppen hinsichtlich der untersuchten Variablen ziehen zu können. Die Probanden setzten sich aus 652 Austauschstudenten und 562 deutschen Studenten zusammen, welche hauptsächlich über die Studierendenzentralen verschiedener deutscher Universitäten rekrutiert wurden. Sie füllten einen Online-Fragebogen aus, der die Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS), das Student Stress Inventory (SSI), das Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), das Major Depression Inventory (MDI), das Pennebaker Inventory for Limbic Languidness (PILL), den WHO-Five Well-being Index (WHO-5), das Problem-focused Styles of Coping Inventory (PF-SOC) und einen soziodemografischen Fragebogen für beide Subgruppen umfasste. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass das allgemeine Stresslevel von Austauschstudenten vergleichbar mit dem in anderen Studien ist, die zu verschiedenen Zeiten in den USA durchgeführt wurden. Der am häufigsten genannte Stressor war Heimweh während die Angst vor Unsicherheit/ fehlendem inneren Halt der schwächste Stressor ist. In multiplen Regressionsanalysen stellten sich das Alter, der Kontinent der Herkunft, die Beherrschung der deutschen Sprache, die in Deutschland verbrachte Zeit und vorherige Reiseerfahrungen als signifikante Prädiktoren von akkulturativem Stress heraus. Gegensätzlich zu den in dieser Studie aufgestellten Hypothesen hatten Austauschstudenten im Vergleich zu deutschen Studierenden ein niedrigeres Niveau von akademischem Stress und Belastungssymptomen (einschließlich Angst, Depression und Somatisierung) und ein höheres Level an positiver Affektivität. Insgesamt weist ungefähr die Hälfte aller Studierenden mittlere bis schwere Angstsymptome auf, während mittlere bis schwere Depressionslevel bei ungefähr einem Viertel der Gesamtstichprobe gefunden werden konnten. Ein signifikant niedriges Level von positiver Affektivität wurde bei einer knappen Mehrheit der Gesamtstichprobe beobachtet. In beiden studentischen Gruppen zeigten sich demografische Variablen sowie die Bewältigungsstile als bedeutsame Prädiktoren für akademischen Stress und psychologisches Befinden

Laws of Collateral in Today's World in Islamic Perspective

Taking from Pakistan State Bank case, this article initially elaborates and critically discusses collateral (in conventional term) and Islamic collateral (rahn). In conventional banking, collateral traditionally refers to secured lending (also known as asset-based lending). Since possession is pre-requisite for binding of the contract, the charge can be registered in this regard to the regulating authority. Third party charge registration in this regard will not be entertained until the debtor scrutinizes it with registration. We argue that it is allowed for a creditor to take one asset as collateral from two debtors and this asset will be considered from both debtors as rahn. Since one single asset is considered from both debtors, the creditor may hold the asset until his whole debt would be paid off. Although this research happens in Pakistan, the case of collateral and rahn can be academic precedence in Islamic global world.    Keywords: collateral, rahn, Pakistan state-bankin

Exploring Students’ Competency in Personal Information Management: Problems and Prospects

The selection of relevant information and its effective management is not a simple task and requires specific competencies. This study is aimed at exploring the competency of university students with regards to personal information management (PIM). The objective is to identify the problems in PIM and to provide a framework for improving it. For this study, the sample consisted of 400 undergraduate students randomly selected from a large public-sector university in Islamabad. The data were collected through a questionnaire with closed and open-ended items. The closed-ended items were analyzed through cross tabs and Chi-square tests to find a relationship between specific PIM competencies in different programs. The questionnaire items helped in acquiring information about students' specific competencies in PIM were categorized as ‘low', ‘moderate' and ‘high' competency. The students identified the problems they faced in PIM and suggested ways for improving it. The findings of this study will help in improving organization and application of information, and also in exploring further avenues of research in improving PIM skills of university students in the developing countries

Vaccination willingness among undergraduates: role of conspiracy mentality and belief in Covid-19 vaccine conspiracies

Objective: To investigate willingness to vaccination, conspiracy mentality, and belief in vaccine conspiracies among undergraduate students as well as the level of adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June, 2021, and comprised undergraduate students from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Data was gathered using the General Conspiracy Mentality Scale and the Belief in Vaccine Conspiracies Scale. Willingness for vaccination and degree of adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions was measured on a 5-point rating scale. Data was analysed using SPSS 26. Results: Of the 300 subjects, ?? were males and ?? were females. The overall mean age of the sample was ??. About one-third of the sample believed in vaccine conspiracies, while only one quarter showed disagreement. High scores on conspiracy mentality (p0.05). Conclusion: Medical practitioners and healthcare organisations need to understand the connection between belief in vaccine conspiracies and related vaccine resistance and noncompliance with behavioural recommendations in the face of a pandemic. Key Words: Vaccination, Intentions, Vaccine conspiracies, Adherence to NPI, Undergraduates

Arsenic and Cadmium Risk Assessment in a Domestic Wastewater Irrigated Area Using Samples of Water, Soil and Forages as Indicators

The recent research was performed to investigate the toxicity of As and Cd in suburban area of Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. Water, soil and forage samples were collected for this purpose in summer and winter season and analysis was done via wet digestion to determine the concentration of selected heavy metals. The mean concentration of As and Cd in water was found above the permissible maximum limit. Mean concentration of Cd in soil and forages was lower than the allowed limit whereas As which was higher than the PML in forages. So, continuous use of domestic wastewater for irrigation purpose should be avoided in order to secure the area from any hazard in near future