Exploring the Nexus between Profitability, Dividend Policy and Share Prices in Kuwaiti Insurance Companies

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of dividend policy and profitability ratios on the share prices of insurance companies listed on Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) between 2014 and 2022. The study's findings demonstrated that 42.4% of share prices could be explained by factors related to profitability and dividend policy. Earnings per share (EPS) was the only variable that demonstrated a significant direct relationship with share prices when the individual effects of each variable were examined. While dividend payout ratio (DPR) exhibited a negative correlation with stock prices, it was not statistically significant. Other characteristics that were considered included dividend yield (DY) and interest rate (IR), both of which showed significant inverse relations. This study concludes that investors in Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) shares of the insurance sector favor unpredictable future capital gains over more assured dividends

First evidence for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its surroundings, northern Saudi Arabia

Recent advances in interdisciplinary archaeological research in Arabia have focused on the evolution and historical development of regional human populations as well as the diverse patterns of cultural change, migration, and adaptations to environmental fluctuations. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of cultural developments such as the emergence and lifeways of Neolithic groups has been hindered by the limited preservation of stratified archaeological assemblages and organic remains, a common challenge in arid environments. Underground settings like caves and lava tubes, which are prevalent in Arabia but which have seen limited scientific exploration, offer promising opportunities for addressing these issues. Here, we report on an archaeological excavation and a related survey at and around Umm Jirsan lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar, north-western Saudi Arabia. Our results reveal repeated phases of human occupation of the site ranging from at least the Neolithic through to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age. Pastoralist use of the lava tube and surrounding landscape is attested in rock art and faunal records, suggesting that Umm Jirsan was situated along a pastoral route linking key oases. Isotopic data indicates that herbivores primarily grazed on wild grasses and shrubs rather than being provided with fodder, while humans had a diet consistently high in protein but with increasing consumption of C3 plants through-time, perhaps related to the emergence of oasis agriculture. While underground and naturally sheltered localities are globally prominent in archaeology and Quaternary science, our work represents the first such combined records for Saudi Arabia and highlight the potential for interdisciplinary studies in caves and lava tubes

Effects of Goat Manure Fertilization on Grain Nutritional Value in Two Contrasting Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Varieties Cultivated at High Altitudes

In this study, the effects of goat manure fertilization (2, 4, 8, and 12 Tn/ha) on the grain yield, organic compounds, and mineral composition of two quinoa varieties (CICA-17 and Regalona Baer) were evaluated under field conditions in Northwest Argentina. The results indicate that fertilization improved the quinoa grain yield and total protein content. Low manure doses positively affected the fatty acid (FA) profile, and significant changes were determined for the monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acid contents of CICA-17 and on the saturated fatty acid (SFA) contents of R. Baer seeds. The amino acid contents were positively affected in CICA-17 and negatively in R. Baer. Soluble sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose), major elements (K, Si, P, Mg, Ca, and Na), minor elements (Fe, Mn, Al, Zn, and Cu), and ultratrace elements (Cr and Li) were detected and discussed in terms of their impact on human nutrition and health. Conclusively, manure addition affected some essential amino acids, the desaturase activity, the n6:n3 and SFA/UFA ratios, the atherogenic index, soluble sugars, and mineral content, and the fatty acid metabolism of each variety was differently affected, especially the C16 and C18 desaturase activity, which responded differently to various manure doses. Manure addition is a promising alternative to improve the nutritional quality and functionality of quinoa grains, but the response is not linear

An Overview Healthcare Management Roles with the Physicians, Nurses, Medical Laboratory and Pharmacist to Promote Patient Saftey and Care

Through interactions with healthcare administration in community settings, nurse-pharmacists, clinical laboratories, and physicians were able to enhance disease management, prevent adverse medication events, and minimize the number of patients who required hospitalization. In the end, they led to the early detection and rectification of medication safety-related difficulties, a reduction in wait times to see general practitioners, and an improvement in the ability of individuals living in the community to manage chronic diseases on their own. For the purpose of maintaining such cooperation, particularly in community settings, it is necessary to do research in order to enhance the existing policies and organizational structures. Through interaction with both the patient and the physician, the clinical pharmacist becomes an essential member of the healthcare team and contributes to the improvement of patient care

Potential bioactivity of Phoenix dactylifera fruits, leaves, and seeds against prostate and pancreatic cancer cells

The use of functional foods’ phytochemicals in the chemoprevention of different cancer diseases has become one of the hot scientific areas in the clinical nutrition field. For instance, the Khalas palm cultivar (KPC; Phoenix dactylifera) is one of the natural sustainable resources that have high bioactivity and functionality. This study aimed to investigate the antiproliferative activity and mode of action of KPC’s different parts on prostate (Pc3) and pancreatic (panc1) cancer cells at a molecular level. In the methods, KPC’s leaves, seeds, and fruits’ chemical composition and phytochemical analysis were analyzed. Also, the cytotoxic effects of each extract were assessed against pc3 and panc1 cell lines. Besides, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle analysis, and gene expression of both Cap3 and Cap9 were studied. The obtained results indicated that KPC leaves extract exhibited the highest significant (P < 0.01) anti-proliferation activity against the utilized cancer cell lines compared to fruits and seeds extracts. Also, there were significant (P < 0.05) differences in the phenolic contents, flavonoid of compounds, and antioxidant power of the leaves when compared to the seeds and fruits. Additionally, the highest cytotoxic effect (lowest IC50) was recorded with leave extract than seeds and fruits. Meanwhile, the seeds extract induced (P < 0.05) the apoptosis and arrested cells in the G2/M phase as well as up-regulated the gene expression of the apoptotic-related genes (Casp3 and Casp9) compared to the control group. In conclusion, this study showed that the presence of bioactive components in the KPC different parts extracts have the significant ability to induce the apoptotic pathway that could down-regulate the proliferation of prostate (pc3) and pancreatic (panc1) cancer cells. The pathway mechanism of action was induced by the phytol molecule presented in its leaves extract

The global retinoblastoma outcome study : a prospective, cluster-based analysis of 4064 patients from 149 countries

DATA SHARING : The study data will become available online once all analyses are complete.BACKGROUND : Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular cancer worldwide. There is some evidence to suggest that major differences exist in treatment outcomes for children with retinoblastoma from different regions, but these differences have not been assessed on a global scale. We aimed to report 3-year outcomes for children with retinoblastoma globally and to investigate factors associated with survival. METHODS : We did a prospective cluster-based analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed between Jan 1, 2017, and Dec 31, 2017, then treated and followed up for 3 years. Patients were recruited from 260 specialised treatment centres worldwide. Data were obtained from participating centres on primary and additional treatments, duration of follow-up, metastasis, eye globe salvage, and survival outcome. We analysed time to death and time to enucleation with Cox regression models. FINDINGS : The cohort included 4064 children from 149 countries. The median age at diagnosis was 23·2 months (IQR 11·0–36·5). Extraocular tumour spread (cT4 of the cTNMH classification) at diagnosis was reported in five (0·8%) of 636 children from high-income countries, 55 (5·4%) of 1027 children from upper-middle-income countries, 342 (19·7%) of 1738 children from lower-middle-income countries, and 196 (42·9%) of 457 children from low-income countries. Enucleation surgery was available for all children and intravenous chemotherapy was available for 4014 (98·8%) of 4064 children. The 3-year survival rate was 99·5% (95% CI 98·8–100·0) for children from high-income countries, 91·2% (89·5–93·0) for children from upper-middle-income countries, 80·3% (78·3–82·3) for children from lower-middle-income countries, and 57·3% (52·1-63·0) for children from low-income countries. On analysis, independent factors for worse survival were residence in low-income countries compared to high-income countries (hazard ratio 16·67; 95% CI 4·76–50·00), cT4 advanced tumour compared to cT1 (8·98; 4·44–18·18), and older age at diagnosis in children up to 3 years (1·38 per year; 1·23–1·56). For children aged 3–7 years, the mortality risk decreased slightly (p=0·0104 for the change in slope). INTERPRETATION : This study, estimated to include approximately half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017, shows profound inequity in survival of children depending on the national income level of their country of residence. In high-income countries, death from retinoblastoma is rare, whereas in low-income countries estimated 3-year survival is just over 50%. Although essential treatments are available in nearly all countries, early diagnosis and treatment in low-income countries are key to improving survival outcomes.The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Wellcome Trust.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/homeam2023Paediatrics and Child Healt

The effect of static electric fields on Drosophila behaviour

Electric fields are present in the environment and generated from natural sources, such as a thunderstorm or artificially from electrical devices and transmission lines. The electric field is defined as the space surrounding an electric charge, which exerts forces on other charged objects. In recent years, the existence of artificial electric and magnetic fields (EMF) in the environment has provoked concern regarding potential adverse effects on public health, including childhood leukaemia, brain tumours and cardiovascular diseases. Establishing experimental procedures to investigate causal relationships in a human system is fraught with difficulties. Invertebrate model systems are often used as an alternative for basic research. Drosophila melanogaster is one such system. Previous studies have shown that exposure of insects to static and alternating electric fields induces changes in their behaviour in relation to field strength. Unfortunately, the majority of these publications are not comprehensive (focused on either behaviour or harmful effects) and tend to be on invertebrates that are not established model systems.The present study focused on developing a thorough quantitative analysis of the interactions between static electric fields and Drosophila melanogaster. Firstly, this required developing novel bioassay procedures to measure detection and avoidance behaviour to static electric fields, detailed mapping of electric fields in the apparatus and investigating the potential mechanisms of detection. Secondly, to establish a suitable bioassay procedure to test whether the exposure of Drosophila to static electric field leads to harmful effects, by measuring knockdown and mortality. Most of the previously published research investigated the EMF component which included both electric and magnetic fields. Thus, it is difficult to separate and identify the individual effect of each of them as they are usually emitted together (for example, AC power lines). In this study, only the static electric field was used in order to identify its effects.The results showed that D. melanogaster, in a novel Y-tube bioassay avoided static electric fields, after applying 0.5 kV as threshold level (corresponding to a modeled electric field strength of 26-34 kV/m). As the applied voltage increased from 1kV to 3kV so did the level of avoidance. Wing movement caused by electrical field forces were associated with avoidance. This became clear when vestigial winged mutants and wild-type flies with cut wings were exposed to these fields. They exhibited avoidance behaviour only when the highest voltage potentials (2 kV and 3 kV) were applied. In addition, the field strength required to raise the intact and excised wing in females was greater than in males due to the bigger size of the female wing. It was found that the field strength required to raise the intact wings in live and dead male flies was similar, indicating that movement of the wing in response to a static electric field is uncontrolled even with live flies. It is postulated that the electric field imposes physical forces on the wings due to polarization between opposite charges, causing wing movement and ultimately inducing a change in behaviour.To assess the harmful effects of longer term exposure (up to 168 hours), a novel vertical tube design was developed. There was a significant relationship between field strengths and mortality with a (lethal time) LT50 value of 6.48 h in males and 13.02 h in females with field strengths between 89-100 kV/m. The results showed that Drosophila mortality occurred at higher field strength than those that induced avoidance behaviour.This research provides new results and experimental designs to underpin future research using Drosophila as a model system to understand the other possible effects of sublethal static electric fields, such as the induction of stress proteins. Although not the remit of this thesis, the results also provide evidence for the potential ecological effects of static electric fields on organisms in the environment

Forecast-Driven Inventory Management for the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Industry

This thesis investigates the development and evaluation of various demand forecasting models for the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry on real-world data to devise an inventory control policy for a third-party logistics provider. Demand forecasting is crucial in the retail industry, influencing supply chain management, inventory control, and pricing strategies. Accurately predicting demand is essential for optimizing resource allocation, reducing stockouts, and minimizing holding costs. In this study, we employ several time series models, including traditional time series models, such as ARIMA and SARIMA, and machine learning techniques, such as Random Forests, XGBoost, and Prophet, to forecast retail demand. The performance of these models is assessed using time series cross-validation techniques and accuracy measures, such as RMSE, MAPE, and MAE. Data preprocessing steps, including resampling, imputation of missing values and outliers, SKU prioritization, and feature engineering, are performed to enhance the reliability of the forecasting models. The results indicate that XGBoost outperforms the other models, showcasing its ability to generate accurate FMCG demand forecasts. Based on the forecasting error, a continuous review (s,Q) policy is formulated to improve inventory management for the third-party logistics provider. The proposed inventory control policy demonstrates the potential to minimize holding costs for the FMCG industry. Future research directions include the investigation of additional forecasting models, the integration of external factors, and the extension of the study to other retail contexts.S.M