Dividend Policy, Stock Price Volatility & Firm Size Moderation: Investigation of Bird in Hand Theory in Pakistan

The current study hypothesized dividend policy on stock price volatility with moderating impact of firm size with respect to bird in hand theory. The study investigated manufacturing sector of Pakistan. And have found significant impact of firm size between dividend policy facets and stock price volatility. The connivance sampling technique is used for data acquisition and the period of data consists from Jan 2009 to Dec 2013. Thus, up to the bird in hand theory all hypothesis of the study are accepted and study revealed key implication with respect to historic investigations. Keywords: Convenience Sampling, Manufacturing Sector, Pakistan, Hypothesi

Sonographic Association of Uterine Artery Pulsatility Index with Hypertension During Third Trimester of Pregnancy

Background: Hypertension (HTN) in pregnancy is the second most basic reason for maternal death and cause obstetric complications in 5-10% of all pregnancies. HTN directly affects the blood flow of uterine artery.  Doppler screening test is a valuable method to do safe and non-invasive detection and has high reliability in the detection of uterine artery blood flow characteristics. Objective: The purpose of the present study is to find association between predictive value of uterine artery pulsatility index in normal and hypertensive pregnancy during third trimester. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with the sample size of 138 patients by selecting the convenient sampling from Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore. The pulsatility index of uterine artery of all the women with normal singleton pregnancy and hypertensive during third trimester of pregnancy were obtained using Doppler ultrasound. Data was analyzed with the help of Anova .The results were derived by mean, frequency and standard deviation . Results: The significance between groups was 0.002. The mean values of right and left uterine artery pulsatility index of 36 hypertensive patients were 1.40 and 1.41 and standard deviation 0.4 and 0.5 respectively whereas the mean values of right and left uterine artery pulsatility index of 102 normal patients were 0.739 and 0.77 and standard deviation 0.23 and 0.5 respectively Conclusion: Our study concluded that there was an association between uterine atery pulsatility index and hypertension during pregnancy. The uterine artery pulsatiltiy index has increased with hypertension in third trimester of pregnancy. Keywords: Hypertension, Pulsatility Index, Doppler Ultrasound DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/72-07 Publication date:March 31st 202

Sustained release biodegradable solid lipid microparticles: Formulation, evaluation and statistical optimization by response surface methodology

For preparing nebivolol loaded solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) by the solvent evaporation microencapsulation process from carnauba wax and glyceryl monostearate, central composite design was used to study the impact of independent variables on yield (Y1), entrapment efficiency (Y2) and drug release (Y3). SLMs having a 10–40 µm size range, with good rheological behavior and spherical smooth surfaces, were produced. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry pointed to compatibility between formulation components and the zeta-potential study confirmed better stability due to the presence of negative charge (–20 to –40 mV). The obtained outcomes for Y1 (29–86 %), Y2 (45–83 %) and Y3 (49–86 %) were analyzed by polynomial equations and the suggested quadratic model were validated. Nebivolol release from SLMs at pH 1.2 and 6.8 was significantly (p ˂ 0.05) affected by lipid concentration. The release mechanism followed Higuchi and zero order models, while n ˃ 0.85 value (Korsmeyer-Peppas) suggested slow erosion along with diffusion. The optimized SLMs have the potential to improve nebivolol oral bioavailability

Planning a Least Cost Gas Pipeline Route: A GIS & SDSS Integration Approach

Pakistan Geographical Review62284-89Pakista

Reliability and Validity of the Malay Version of Mindful Organizing Scale Amongst Nursing Staff

Aim: This study tested the reliability and validity of the 9-item Mindful organizing scale and safety performance scale in the sample of private hospital nurses in different states of Malaysia. Methods: Mindful Organizing scale and safety behavior scale were translated into Bahasa Malaya. To accomplish this task, the survey was conducted of 475 registered nursing staff in different states of Malaysia in 2020 through a self-administered questionnaire. For convergent and discriminant validity of our research variables, we used the Structural equation modeling (SEM) technique with the help of SPSS AMOS 21. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability analysis, and analysis of aggregation through intra-class correlation coefficients indices were also carried out. Results: Our results testified the unidimensional structure of the mindful organizing scale as well as for safety performance both indicators, and exhibited satisfactory internal consistency for both mindful organizing and safety performance. Also, the aggregation of scores to the team level was well under the prescribed limit. Conclusions: We are confident to establish that the Malay version of the mindful organizing and safety performance scales has shown to be a reliable and valid measure that can measure collective mindfulness and safety behavior amongst nursing staff. Our translated version can be used in other high-reliability organizations (HROs) in this cultural context and other industries that also want to achieve reliability in their operational performance

Sustained release biodegradable solid lipid microparticles: Formulation, evaluation and statistical optimization by response surface methodology

For preparing nebivolol loaded solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) by the solvent evaporation microencapsulation process from carnauba wax and glyceryl monostearate, central composite design was used to study the impact of independent variables on yield (Y1), entrapment efficiency (Y2) and drug release (Y3). SLMs having a 10-40 μm size range, with good rheological behavior and spherical smooth surfaces, were produced. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry pointed to compatibility between formulation components and the zeta-potential study confirmed better stability due to the presence of negative charge (-20 to -40 mV). The obtained outcomes for Y1 (29-86 %), Y2 (45-83 %) and Y3 (49-86 %) were analyzed by polynomial equations and the suggested quadratic model were validated. Nebivolol release from SLMs at pH 1.2 and 6.8 was significantly (p 0.85 value (Korsmeyer- Peppas) suggested slow erosion along with diffusion. The optimized SLMs have the potential to improve nebivolol oral bioavailability

Streptococcus mutans carriage in the saliva of mothers and its association with dental caries and Streptococcus mutans carriage in the saliva of children between 6 and 30 months old in a low‐income setting in Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract Background Early childhood caries poses a significant health issue in children under 6 years old. It is determined that Streptococcus mutans is a primary etiological agent, likely to be transferred through maternal contact. Objectives To determine the association of maternal S. mutans counts with S. mutans counts in their children between 6 and 30 months of age, and to determine the maternal and child DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth) indices. Material and Methods A community‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted in Karachi, Pakistan. A sample of 193 dyads of mother–children (6–30 months of age) was selected via purposive sampling. Saliva samples of the dyads were collected to assess S. mutans count. Caries assessment was performed for both using the DMFT index. A pretested questionnaire was used. The association of bottle‐feeding, oral hygiene measures, and other factors with S. mutans counts in children were also explored. Zero‐inflated negative binomial regression model at a 5% level of significance was applied using STATA version 12.0. Results Out of 193 children, 109 (56.47%) were males and 84 (43.52%) were females. The mean age of mothers and children was 29.4 ± 6.2 years and 19.54 ± 6.8 months, respectively. Maternal S. mutans counts were not statistically associated with child's S. mutans counts (Mean child's S. mutans count ratio: 1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1, 1.01; p = .882). Compared with children who were breastfed, S. mutans counts were higher in children who were bottle‐fed (mean S. mutans count ratio= 4.85 [95% CI: 1.53, 15.41], p = .007). Age of mother and present caries status of mothers was significantly associated with the child's S. mutans count. Conclusion No association between maternal S. mutans and child S. mutans was observed. However, maternal age, children who were breastfed, children who did not use pacifiers, and children with mothers who did not have caries, exhibited low S. mutans counts in their saliva

Knowledge, practices, and barriers to access of emergency contraceptive pills in married women and men: A multicenter clinic-based cross-sectional study from Karachi, Pakistan

Background: Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) are significantly underutilized in many parts of the world, especially in South-Asia. Within Pakistan, despite the population surge, the utilization of ECPs remains alarmingly low. The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge and practices regarding ECPs amongst married women and men in Karachi, Pakistan and the possible barriers hindering access to and use of these contraceptives.Methodology: A multi-centric cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi, Pakistan. Interviews were conducted with participants using validated questionnaire involving different sections on demographics, knowledge, practices, and barriers to ECP use. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and percentages while continuous variables were characterized using mean and standard deviation. A chi-square test of variance was used for association between knowledge scores and different categorical values. A p-value of \u3c 0.05 at 95% CI was statistically significant.Results: Over half of the respondents (52.5%) were not using any method of contraception. 11.1% of respondents had used ECP at some point in their life. 337 (85.8%) participants had low knowledge, 55 (14%) had moderate while only 1 (0.25%) had high knowledge regarding ECPs. There was no significant association of knowledge scores with gender, age, employment status or parity. However, participants who had received counseling for family planning in the past or had previously used ECPs had significantly higher knowledge regarding ECPs. A majority 58% (221) of the participants expressed concerns about the potential side effects and 128 (33.9%) of them believed that ECPs were in contradiction to their religious and moral values.Conclusion: Our study in Karachi, Pakistan, highlights critical challenges in ECP awareness, utilization, and family planning. Although the results show improved ECP usage than studies previously done in Pakistan, there is a further need to increase the reach of ECPs through a variety of methods. Persistent myths and misconceptions and a severe lack of awareness further hinders their use

Enhancement of the Solubility and Bioavailability of Pitavastatin through a Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SNEDDS)

The purpose of the study was to develop an SNEDDS to improve the solubility and bioavailability of pitavastatin. The solubility of pitavastatin in different oils, surfactants, and co-surfactants was determined and a pseudo-ternary phase diagram was constructed. The SNEDDS was characterized by zeta-sizer, zeta-potential, FTIR, DSC, and TGA. Release and permeation of pitavastatin from the SNEDDS was studied for 12 and 24 h, respectively. The lipolysis test, RBC lysis, effect on lipid profile, and pharmacokinetics were studied. The SPC3 formulation showed a 104 ± 1.50 nm particle size, a 0.198 polydispersity index (PDI), and a –29 zeta potential. FTIR, DSC, and TGA showed the chemical compatibility and thermal stability. The release and permeation of pitavastatin from SPC3 was 88.5 ± 2.5% and 96%, respectively. In the lipolysis test, the digestion of SPC3 yielded a high amount of pitavastatin and showed little RBC lysis. The lipid profile suggested that after 35 days of administration of the SNEDDS, there was a marked decrease in TC, LDL, and triglyceride levels. The SNEDDS of SPC3 showed an 86% viability of Caco-2 cells. Pharmacokinetics of SPC3 showed improved values of Cmax, Tmax, half-life, MRT, AUC, and AUMC compared to the reference formulation. Our study demonstrated that the SNEDDS effectively enhanced the solubility and bioavailability of a BCS class II drug

Sustained release biodegradable solid lipid microparticles: Formulation, evaluation and statistical optimization by response surface methodology

For preparing nebivolol loaded solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) by the solvent evaporation microencapsulation process from carnauba wax and glyceryl monostearate, central composite design was used to study the impact of independent variables on yield (Y1), entrapment efficiency (Y2) and drug release (Y3). SLMs having a 10–40 µm size range, with good rheological behavior and spherical smooth surfaces, were produced. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry pointed to compatibility between formulation components and the zeta-potential study confirmed better stability due to the presence of negative charge (–20 to –40 mV). The obtained outcomes for Y1 (29–86 %), Y2 (45–83 %) and Y3 (49–86 %) were analyzed by polynomial equations and the suggested quadratic model were validated. Nebivolol release from SLMs at pH 1.2 and 6.8 was significantly (p ˂ 0.05) affected by lipid concentration. The release mechanism followed Higuchi and zero order models, while n ˃ 0.85 value (Korsmeyer-Peppas) suggested slow erosion along with diffusion. The optimized SLMs have the potential to improve nebivolol oral bioavailability