Financial Ratios and Firm's Value in the Bahrain Bourse

This paper attempts to measure how financial ratios explain the firms' value through price earnings ratio or market to book ratio in the Bahrain Bourse. All listed companies in Bahrain Bourse, with the exception of the closed ones, are used over the period of 1995 to 2013. Using all the main categories in financial ratios such as profitability, liquidity, efficiency and debt, the paper found that return on assets (ROA) is the most determinant factor in explaining the market value followed by financial leverage and beta. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the size of the firm also has a significant effect on its market value. The size of the firm is measured through total assets and Tobin's Q ratio. In this respect, investors perceive different signals from small firms compared to large ones, and from growth firms compared to no-growth firms. On the sector analysis, it is found that ROA is the main determinant factor for explaining the value of the firm. Keywords: Bahrain Bourse, Firm Value, Tobin's Q, Financial Ratios, Size and Sector Effect

Isolation and characterization of mesophilic bacteria from rhizosphere of plant rice (Oryza sativa) from Lodhran, Pakistan

The present study demonstrated isolation and characterization of 48 bacterial strains (ABOs01-ABOs48) from rhizosphere of rice plant (Oryza sativa) of Rind Jada (Kahror Pacca), Punjab, Pakistan. Morphological studies including colony color, bacterial shape and gram staining were performed and colonies were observed to be either orange yellow, light yellow, pink, greenish yellow, white, or off-white in appearance. Gram staining showed that out of 48 isolates, 38 were gram positive and 10 were gram negative. Various Biochemical tests were performed to identify these strains; the results were used to identify these strains at the species levels. These strains belongs to the following species Erwinia stewartii (13), Klebsiella terrigena (9), Klebsiella pneumonia susp. Ozaene (8), Serratia plymuthica (6), Yersinia (5), Escherichia blattae (5), 1 Edwardsiella ictaluri (1), and Obesumbacterium proteus (1). Additionally, amylase test showed that 39 strains were positive while 9 were negative. Conversely, all strains were negative for cellulase production. Finally, Antibiotics resistance showed 23 isolates were sensitive vs 25 resistant to ampicillin and 4 isolates were resistant vs 44 sensitive to penicillin. These findings suggested a great microbial diversity in rice plant rhizosphere which demands more investigations for agricultural and industrial purposes

Iraqi Women’s Leadership and State-Building

After 2003, Iraq witnessed radical changes in its political system. These changes occurred after many wars, multiple sanctions, and an external occupation during which its infrastructure and institutions were destroyed until it became one of the failed states from which the most serious problems that affect international security and stability emanate. It has also become an environment of conflict and multiple renewed crises, the most important of which is a crisis of leadership and state-building, which has become a necessity to discuss. This research focuses on the topic of the leadership crisis in Iraq and we look to women as a possible leaders in resolving crises and peacemaking in the stage of building the Iraqi state, and on the possibility of applying the relationship between women leadership and nation-building and what this relationship means in the context of continued insecurity and stability. Our research looks at a set of important points: 1- The possibility of exploring the role of women leaders in the process of building the Iraqi state; 2- The political behavior of Iraqi women and their role in the process of state-building; 3- The possibility of women’s participation in conflict resolution and reconstruction after a series of internal political conflicts; 4- The possibility of determining the status of Iraqi women as leaders in the context of political transitions and clarifying the roles they have already played in the transitional phase. Are Iraqi women considered essential actors in the processes of achieving peace and building the state

Three-dimensional vortex dipole solitons in self-gravitating systems

We derive the nonlinear equations governing the dynamics of three-dimensional (3D) disturbances in a nonuniform rotating self-gravitating fluid under the assumption that the characteristic frequencies of disturbances are small compared to the rotation frequency. Analytical solutions of these equations are found in the form of the 3D vortex dipole solitons. The method for obtaining these solutions is based on the well-known Larichev-Reznik procedure for finding two-dimensional nonlinear dipole vortex solutions in the physics of atmospheres of rotating planets. In addition to the basic 3D x-antisymmetric part (carrier), the solution may also contain radially symmetric (monopole) or/and antisymmetric along the rotation axis (z-axis) parts with arbitrary amplitudes, but these superimposed parts cannot exist without the basic part. The 3D vortex soliton without the superimposed parts is extremely stable. It moves without distortion and retains its shape even in the presence of an initial noise disturbance. The solitons with parts that are radially symmetric or/and z-antisymmetric turn out to be unstable, although at sufficiently small amplitudes of these superimposed parts, the soliton retains its shape for a very long time.Comment: will be published in Phys. Rev.

VITALISE - Visualising actIve TrAveL wIth pakiStani familiEs in Bradford

Millions more journeys need to be walked or cycled (active travel) to meet the UK's Net Zero emissions target by 2050. However, across the UK, we do not yet walk and cycle enough short trips to make a difference. There are several reasons including many people find it difficult to get out of the habit of using a car for every journey, there are not enough safe routes for people to use for walking or cycling and lower participation within some communities. This document reports on a Photovoice (PV) based Participatory Action Research study designed to investigate barriers to active travel in Bradford’s Pakistani heritage community. It also aimed to investigate the use of PV to encourage critical consciousness of active travel (AT)

Synthesis, characterization, anti-microbial and cytotoxic applications of zinc(II) complexes

ABSTRACT. In the present research, three zinc(II) complexes were synthesized using 3-(3-fluorophenyl)-2-methylacrylic acid (HL), 1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2'-pyridine as ligands. The composition, structural confirmation, coordination way of ligand and assignment of geometry to the complexes were made by different analytical tools like elemental analysis, FTIR and 1H-NMR. The ligand 3-(3-fluorophenyl)-2-methylacrylate appeared to coordinate the metal (Zn) atom via COO- moiety in all of the complexes (1-3) while 1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2'-pyridine co-ordinated to Zn(II) atom through N-donor sites in complexes 2 and 3, respectively. The complex 1 showed four while 2 and 3 showed six co-ordinated geometry. The synthesized complexes were evaluated for antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. The obtained results showed that complexes are active against microbial agents and exhibited significant cytotoxicity.                     KEY WORDS: Co-coordination, Geometry, Zinc(II) complexes, Biological activity   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2021, 35(2), 287-299. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v35i2.

Cardiovascular Complications of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Impact of Risk Factors and Therapeutic efficacy--a Tertiary Centre Experience in an Appalachian State

OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular complications became a notable cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with lupus as therapeutic advancements became more efficient at managing other complications. The Appalachian community in Kentucky has a higher prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, predisposing them to cardiovascular events. Namely, the mean body mass index of the members of the Kentucky Appalachian community was reported at 33 kg/m2 and 94.3% of male members of this community use tobacco. We sought to identify risk factors that predispose patients with lupus to cardiovascular morbidities and examine the effect of immunomodulatory drugs. METHODS: We identified 20 UKHS patients having both a lupus diagnosis and experienced at least one cardiovascular event. We chose three controls matched for birth-year ±5 years to each case. In a case-control design, we analysed lupus manifestations, cardiovascular risk factors and immunosuppressive therapies. We collected Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 disease activity index during the cardiovascular event. RESULTS: We identified 308 patients with lupus from among all University of Kentucky Health System patients. 20 (6.5%) of such patients with lupus were confirmed to cardiovascular complication. Of those 20, 7 (35%) had experienced myocardial infarction, 10 (50%) had experienced stroke and 4 (20%) had peripheral ischaemia. Tobacco use and male gender were the only traditional cardiovascular risk factors higher in the cases group. Hydroxychloroquine and steroids were less utilised in the cases than in the controls (70% vs 100% in hydroxychloroquine, 30% vs 82% in steroids). Venous thrombosis was found to be significantly higher in the cases. On multivariate analysis, venous thrombosis remained significant. CONCLUSION: Despite tobacco use partially explaining the increased risk of cardiovascular disease among the cases group, the higher prevalence of venous thrombosis in the cases group suggests lupus as a potential additional risk factor of cardiovascular morbidity among patients with lupus in this Appalachian community

MORPHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF TWO LEECH SPECIES (ANNELIDA, HIRUDINEA) WHICH USED IN SOME ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE CLINICS IN BAGHDAD PROVINCE, IRAQ

The aim of this study is to describe the leech species that are used in some of the alternative medicine clinics in Baghdad Province based on morphometric measurements and colouring pattern of the body. A collection of twenty leeches was provided from some clinics. All specimens were identified and described based on standard available keys. The morphometric characteristics and colouring patterns were recorded and the indicated that these leeches were Hirudo orientalisUtevsky & Trontelj, 2005 and H.verbana Carena, 1820

Auger recombination suppression and band alignment in GaAsBi/GaAs heterostructures

Using a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques we present the dependence of the bandgap Eg and the spin orbit splitting energy so, with Bi concentration in GaAsBi/GaAs samples. We find that the concentration at which so,> Eg occurs at 9%. Both spectroscopic as well as first device results indicate a type I alignment

Myopia progression in school children with prolonged screen time during the coronavirus disease confinement

Background: Myopia, the most common refractive error, is a global public health problem with substantial visual impairment if left untreated. Several studies have investigated the association between increased near-work and restricted outdoor activities in children with myopia; however, such studies in children without myopia are scarce. We aimed to monitor the effect of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) home confinement and mandatory virtual learning on myopic progression among myopic and non-myopic school-aged children. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of children aged 6 – 12 years attending regular visits to the pediatric ophthalmology clinic in a tertiary eye hospital in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Cycloplegic refraction was determined from three visits at least six months apart: two visits before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and one during the COVID-19 home confinement. Parents were asked about the time spent in near-work and outdoor activities, the devices used during virtual learning, and the demographic characteristics of the children. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare myopia progression before and during the COVID-19 home confinement. Results: A total of 160 eyes of 80 children were analyzed. The boy (n = 46) to girl (n = 34) ratio was 1.4:1. The hyperopia (n = 131 eyes) to myopia (n = 29 eyes) ratio was 4.5:1. Most eyes exhibited a hyperopic shift before the confinement; however, all eyes displayed a myopic shift during the confinement. When comparing both eyes of the same individual, the more myopic or less hyperopic eye in the same child had a significantly greater myopic shift than the fellow eye (both P < 0.05). Children who used tablets showed a significant myopic shift (P < 0.05). Likewise, children in both age categories (less than or equal to 8 and > 8 years), boys, those living in an apartment, and those having parents with bachelor’s degrees experienced a significant myopic shift during COVID-19 home confinement compared to before (all P < 0.05). The mean myopic shift was greater in children aged > 8 years than in those aged less than or equal to 8 years. Children with and without a family history of myopia had a myopic shift in the mean spherical equivalent during COVID-19 home confinement; however, that of children with no family history was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Progression of myopia accelerated in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Excessive time spent on digital screen devices at near distances is considered a substantial environmental contributor to myopic shift in children. Further multicenter studies with extended follow-up periods are needed to assess the factors contributing to myopic progression in our population