Does Capital Structure, Profitability, and Dividend Policy Improve Stock Prices?

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate how capital structure, profitability, and dividend policy impact the stock prices of companies in the consumer goods manufacturing industry sector listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2018 to 2020   Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework is based on agency theory and financial management. It focuses on the relationship between financial structure, profitability, dividend policy, and stock prices. Financial structure is measured by the debt-to-equity ratio, profitability by return on assets, and dividend policy by the dividend payout ratio. The framework highlights the fundamental factors that affect a company's financial performance, which in turn influence its stock price.   Design/methodology/approach:  The data utilized for this research is quantitative in nature, consisting of financial ratios and approached descriptively. Descriptive statistics and panel data regression analysis were employed for data analysis with the aid of the Eviews 12 Student version application.   Findings: The Results of the research indicate that capital structure, profitability, and dividend policy have a simultaneous impact on the closing price of stocks. Partially, the debt-to-equity ratio, which proxies for capital structure, has a significant and negative effect on the stock price. However, return on assets, which proxies for profitability, does not seem to have any influence on the stock price. Moreover, the dividend payout ratio, which proxies for dividend policy, also does not seem to have an impact on the stock price.   Research, Practical & Social implications:  The findings can be used as a basis for further research on the impact of other financial factors on stock price.  Investors can use the results to make investment decisions, such as adjusting their portfolio based on the capital structure and dividend policies of the company.  The study contributes to the development of the Indonesian stock market by providing insights for investors, analysts, and companies on the factors that affect the stock price   Originality/value: The emphasis on the importance of considering not only financial ratios but also external factors when making investment decisions. It highlights the need for companies to maintain good financial performance and keep their DER ratio under control to maintain investor confidence and ensure financial stability

Analisis Pengaruh Perubahan Tutupan Lahan Terhadap Distribusi Suhu Permukaan Lahan Di Kota Salatiga Tahun 2010 Dan 2021

Global warming merupakan fenomena alam meningkatnya suhu rata-rata atmosfer, suhu air laut, dan suhu permukaan. Meningkatnya suhu permukaan disebabkan adanya konversi lahan dari daerah bervegetasi menjadi tidak bervegetasi. Kota Salatiga salah satu kota yang mengalami perubahan tutupan lahan dikarenakan adanya pembangunan berkelanjutan. Pembukaan lahan daerah bervegetasi yang cukup besar menjadi kawasan terbangun mengakibatkan terjadinya peningkatan suhu permukaan di Kota Salatiga. Berdasarkan permasalahan tersebut tujuan penelitian adalah untuk 1.Mengetahui perubahan tutupan lahan Kota Salatiga tahun 2010 dan 2021. 2.Mengetahui perubahan suhu permukaan Kota Salatiga tahun 2010 dan 2021. 3.Menganalisis pengaruh perubahan tutupan lahan terhadap distribusi suhu permukaan Kota Salatiga pada tahun 2010 dan 2021. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan data penginderaan jauh melalui beberapa ekstraksi yaitu klasifikasi terbimbing, dan Suhu Permukaan Lahan. Pengolahan data dilakukan menggunakan citra satelit Landsat 7 Tahun 2010, dan Landsat 8 Tahun 2021. Hasil pengolahan berupa persebaran tutupan lahan dan persebaran SPL (Suhu Permukaan Lahan), kemudian uji regresi linier sederhana untuk mengetahui tingkat lineritas. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan persebaran tutupan lahan tahun 2010 memiliki luas 2001.3 ha daerah bervegetasi dan 3290.0ha daerah tidak bervegetasi. Pada tahun 2021 mengalami peningkatan luas tutupan lahan daerah bervegetasi sebesar 5,87 ha dan turunnya daerah tak bervegetasi sebesar 5,67 ha. Suhu rata-rata permukaan lahan tahun 2010 mencapai 29,4oC. Sedangkan tahun 2021 suhu permukaan mencapai 26,1oC. Hasil uji regresi linier sederhana antara perubahan tutupan lahan terhadap distribusi suhu permukaan menghasilkan nilai koefisien determinasi (R2) sebesar 38,6%. Sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa perubahan tutupan lahan berpengaruh positif terhadap distribusi suhu permukaan lahan dengan nilai koefisien 0,621

Sensitive determination of uric acid at layered zinc hydroxide-sodium dodecyl sulphate-propoxur nanocomposite

An electrochemical chemical sensor for the determination of uric acid (UA) with high sen­si­ti­vity and a wide working range was fabricated using the layered zinc hydroxide-sodium dode­cyl sulphate-propoxur (LZH-SDS-PRO) nanocomposite, modified with multi­wall carbon nano­tu­bes (MWCNT). The introduction of LZH-SDS-PRO as a conducting matrix has en­hanced the con­ductivity of MWCNT. The morphology of LZH-SDS-PRO/MWCNT was cha­rac­terized by trans­mission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron micro­scopy (SEM), while electro­chemical behavior of UA and K3[Fe(CN)6] at LZH-SDS-PRO/MWCNT paste electrode was studied by square wave and cyclic voltammetry, respect­tively. Under the opti­mized ex­peri­mental conditions, the electrode established linear plot for UA con­centrations 7.0 mol L-1 to 0.7 mmol L-1 (R2 = 0.9920) and LOD was calculated to be 4.28 µmol L-1 (S/N = 3). The fabri­ca­ted LZH-SDS-PRO/MWCNT electrode was success­sfully applied to urine samples, exhi­bi­t­ing excellent stability and reproducibility, which made it worthwhile for analytical applica­tions

Lie symmetry analysis and numerical solutions for thermo-solutal chemicallyreacting radiative micropolar flow from an inclined porous surface

Steady, laminar, incompressible thermo-solutal natural convection flow of micropolar fluid from an inclined perforated surface with convective boundary conditions is studied. Thermal radiative flux and chemical reaction effects are included to represent phenomena encountered in high-temperature materials synthesis operations. Rosseland’s diffusion approximation is used to describe the radiative heat flux in the energy equation. A Lie scaling group transformation is implemented to derive a self-similar form of the partial differential conservation equations. The resulting coupled nonlinear boundary value problem is solved with Runge-Kutta fourth order numerical quadrature (shooting technique). Validation of solutions with an optimized Adomian decomposition method algorithm is included. Verification of the accuracy of shooting is also conducted as a particular case of non-reactive micropolar flow from a vertical permeable surface. The evolution of velocity, angular velocity (micro-rotation component), temperature and concentration are examined for a variety of parameters including coupling number, plate inclination angle, suction/injection parameter, radiation-conduction parameter, Biot number and reaction parameter. Numerical results for steady state skin friction coefficient, couple stress coefficient, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are tabulated and discussed. Interesting features of the hydrodynamic, heat and mass transfer characteristics are examined

Transverse magnetic field driven modification in unsteady peristaltic transport with electrical double layer effects

The influence of transverse magnetic field on time-dependent peristaltic transport of electrically-conducting fluids through a microchannel under an applied external electric field with induced electric field effect is considered, based on lubrication theory approximations. The electrohydrodynamic (EHD) problem is also simplified under the Debye linearization. Closed-form solutions for the linearized dimensionless boundary value problem are derived. With increasing Hartmann number, the formation of bolus in the regime (associated with trapping) is inhibited up to a critical value of magnetic field. Flow rate, axial velocity and local wall shear stress are strongly decreased with greater Hartmann number whereas pressure difference is enhanced with higher Hartmann number at low time values but reduced with greater elapse in time. With greater electro-osmotic parameter (i.e. smaller Debye length), maximum time-averaged flow rate is enhanced, whereas the axial velocity is reduced. An increase in electrical field parameter (i.e. maximum electro-osmotic velocity) causes an increase in maximum time-averaged flow rate. The simulations find applications in electromagnetic peristaltic micro-pumps in medical engineering and also “smart” fluid pumping systems in nuclear and aerospace industries

Characterization of an Alkali- and Halide-Resistant Laccase Expressed in E. coli: CotA from <i>Bacillus clausii</i>

The limitations of fungal laccases at higher pH and salt concentrations have intensified the search for new extremophilic bacterial laccases. We report the cloning, expression, and characterization of the bacterial cotA from Bacillus clausii, a supposed alkalophilic ortholog of cotA from B. subtilis. Both laccases were expressed in E. coli strain BL21(DE3) and characterized fully in parallel for strict benchmarking. We report activity on ABTS, SGZ, DMP, caffeic acid, promazine, phenyl hydrazine, tannic acid, and bilirubin at variable pH. Whereas ABTS, promazine, and phenyl hydrazine activities vs. pH were similar, the activity of B. clausii cotA was shifted upwards by ~0.5-2 pH units for the simple phenolic substrates DMP, SGZ, and caffeic acid. This shift is not due to substrate affinity (K(M)) but to pH dependence of catalytic turnover: The k(cat) of B. clausii cotA was 1 s⁻¹ at pH 6 and 5 s⁻¹ at pH 8 in contrast to 6 s⁻¹ at pH 6 and 2 s⁻¹ at pH 8 for of B. subtilis cotA. Overall, k(cat)/K(M) was 10-fold higher for B. subtilis cotA at pH(opt). While both proteins were heat activated, activation increased with pH and was larger in cotA from B. clausii. NaCl inhibited activity at acidic pH, but not up to 500-700 mM NaCl in alkaline pH, a further advantage of the alkali regime in laccase applications. The B. clausii cotA had ~20 minutes half-life at 80°C, less than the ~50 minutes at 80°C for cotA from B. subtilis. While cotA from B. subtilis had optimal stability at pH~8, the cotA from B. clausii displayed higher combined salt- and alkali-resistance. This resistance is possibly caused by two substitutions (S427Q and V110E) that could repel anions to reduce anion-copper interactions at the expense of catalytic proficiency, a trade-off of potential relevance to laccase optimization

Biofilm Induced Tolerance towards Antimicrobial Peptides

Increased tolerance to antimicrobial agents is thought to be an important feature of microbes growing in biofilms. We address the question of how biofilm organization affects antibiotic susceptibility. We established Escherichia coli biofilms with differential structural organization due to the presence of IncF plasmids expressing altered forms of the transfer pili in two different biofilm model systems. The mature biofilms were subsequently treated with two antibiotics with different molecular targets, the peptide antibiotic colistin and the fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin. The dynamics of microbial killing were monitored by viable count determination, and confocal laser microscopy. Strains forming structurally organized biofilms show an increased bacterial survival when challenged with colistin, compared to strains forming unstructured biofilms. The increased survival is due to genetically regulated tolerant subpopulation formation and not caused by a general biofilm property. No significant difference in survival was detected when the strains were challenged with ciprofloxacin. Our data show that biofilm formation confers increased colistin tolerance to cells within the biofilm structure, but the protection is conditional being dependent on the structural organization of the biofilm, and the induction of specific tolerance mechanisms

Novel Echocardiographic Biomarkers in the Management of Atrial Fibrillation

Purpose of Review: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in adults. The number of patients with AF is anticipated to increase annually, mainly due to the aging population alongside improved arrhythmia detection. AF is associated with a significantly elevated risk of hospitalization, stroke, thromboembolism, heart failure, and all-cause mortality. Echocardiography is one of the key components of routine assessment and management of AF. Therefore, the aim of this review is to briefly summarize current knowledge on “novel” echocardiographic parameters that may be of value in the management of AF patients. Recent Findings: Novel echocardiographic biomarkers and their clinical application related to the management of AF have been taken into consideration. Both standard parameters such as atrial size and volume but also novels like atrial strain and tissue Doppler techniques have been analyzed. Summary: A number of novel echocardiographic parameters have been proven to enable early detection of left atrial dysfunction along with increased diagnosis accuracy. This concerns particularly experienced echocardiographers. Hence, these techniques might improve the prediction of stroke and thromboembolic events among AF patients and need to be further developed and disseminated. Nonetheless, even the standard imaging parameters could be of significant value and should not be discontinued in everyday clinical practice. © 2019, The Author(s)

The microRNA response associated with methyl jasmonate-induced resistance in Norway spruce bark

Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment elicits induced resistance (IR) against pests and diseases in Norway spruce (Picea abies). We recently demonstrated using mRNA-seq that this MeJA-IR is associated with both a prolonged upregulation of inducible defenses and defense priming. Gene expression can be regulated at both a transcriptional and post-transcriptional level by small RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs). Here we explore the effects of MeJA treatment and subsequent challenge by wounding on the Norway spruce miRNA transcriptome. We found clusters of prolonged down- or upregulated miRNAs as well as miRNAs whose expression was primed after MeJA treatment and subsequent wounding challenge. Differentially expressed miRNAs included miR160, miR167, miR172, miR319, and the miR482/2118 superfamily. The most prominent mRNA targets predicted to be differentially expressed by miRNA activity belonged to the nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) family. Among other predicted miRNA targets were genes regulating jasmonic acid biosynthesis. Our results indicate that miRNAs have an important role in the regulation of MeJA-IR in Norway spruce