The Impact of Corporate Governance on Financial Reporting Quality: Evidence from Pakistan

This research aims to investigate whether corporate governance (CG) mechanisms and Financial Reporting Quality (FRQ) are related with each other in the context of Pakistan. For this purpose panel data is used and a sample of 200 firms is extracted for the period 2003 to 2017. In this study system GMM and STATA software is used for estimation of parameters. The findings suggest that board independence enhances FRQ by 0.0011% in large sample, 0.0018% in medium sample and 0.0033% in small sample. In addition, audit committee independence raises FRQ in all three samples. Specifically, a rise of 1% in audit committee independence increases FRQ by 0.0088% in large sample, 0.0083% in medium sample and 0.0087% in small sample. Institutional ownership improved the FRQ of Pakistani firms. More specifically, the result indicates that a 1% rise in institutional ownership bring 0.022% increase in large sample, 0.029% in medium sample and 0.018% in small sample. The results show that a rise of 1% in gender diversity brings about 42% increase in large sample, 15% in medium sample and 7% increase in small sample. The result indicates that a 1% rise in shareholder activism is associated with an increase of 6% (large sample), 28% (medium sample) and 22% (small sample) respectively. Concentrate ownership insignificantly affect FRQ in case of large and small sample but on other hand in medium size firm’s the relationship is significant and positive with FRQ. Keywords: Financial Reporting Quality, Corporate Governance, Pakistan Stock Exchange. DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/11-17-17 Publication date:October 31st 202

Threshold Modeling for Inflation and GDP Growth

The study has evaluated the relationship between the inflation rate and GDP growth of Pakistan using the annual data of inflation rate and GDP growth since 1972 to 2016 for Pakistan. The paper has used the different techniques like; OLS, FMOLS, TAR and dummy method threshold model, to estimate the true relationship between the concerned variables based on the previous studies those gives mixed results. The study has concluded the positive relationship between the inflation rate and economic growth of Pakistan at 5.5% to 9% threshold level of inflation and confirmed the nonlinear relationship between them. And low and double figure inflation rate are considered to have adverse effect on the economic growth of the Pakistan. So to stimulate the stable economic growth of Pakistan we need to have medium rate of inflation

Threshold Modeling for Inflation and GDP Growth

The study has evaluated the relationship between the inflation rate and GDP growth of Pakistan using the annual data of inflation rate and GDP growth since 1972 to 2016 for Pakistan. The paper has used the different techniques like; OLS, FMOLS, TAR and dummy method threshold model, to estimate the true relationship between the concerned variables based on the previous studies those gives mixed results. The study has concluded the positive relationship between the inflation rate and economic growth of Pakistan at 5.5% to 9% threshold level of inflation and confirmed the nonlinear relationship between them. And low and double figure inflation rate are considered to have adverse effect on the economic growth of the Pakistan. So to stimulate the stable economic growth of Pakistan we need to have medium rate of inflation

Threshold Modeling for Inflation and GDP Growth

The study has evaluated the relationship between the inflation rate and GDP growth of Pakistan using the annual data of inflation rate and GDP growth since 1972 to 2016 for Pakistan. The paper has used the different techniques like; OLS, FMOLS, TAR and dummy method threshold model, to estimate the true relationship between the concerned variables based on the previous studies those gives mixed results. The study has concluded the positive relationship between the inflation rate and economic growth of Pakistan at 5.5% to 9% threshold level of inflation and confirmed the nonlinear relationship between them. And low and double figure inflation rate are considered to have adverse effect on the economic growth of the Pakistan. So to stimulate the stable economic growth of Pakistan we need to have medium rate of inflation

Формирование эмоциональной культуры как компонента инновационной культуры студентов

Homozygosity has long been associated with rare, often devastating, Mendelian disorders1 and Darwin was one of the first to recognise that inbreeding reduces evolutionary fitness2. However, the effect of the more distant parental relatedness common in modern human populations is less well understood. Genomic data now allow us to investigate the effects of homozygosity on traits of public health importance by observing contiguous homozygous segments (runs of homozygosity, ROH), which are inferred to be homozygous along their complete length. Given the low levels of genome-wide homozygosity prevalent in most human populations, information is required on very large numbers of people to provide sufficient power3,4. Here we use ROH to study 16 health-related quantitative traits in 354,224 individuals from 102 cohorts and find statistically significant associations between summed runs of homozygosity (SROH) and four complex traits: height, forced expiratory lung volume in 1 second (FEV1), general cognitive ability (g) and educational attainment (nominal p<1 × 10−300, 2.1 × 10−6, 2.5 × 10−10, 1.8 × 10−10). In each case increased homozygosity was associated with decreased trait value, equivalent to the offspring of first cousins being 1.2 cm shorter and having 10 months less education. Similar effect sizes were found across four continental groups and populations with different degrees of genome-wide homozygosity, providing convincing evidence for the first time that homozygosity, rather than confounding, directly contributes to phenotypic variance. Contrary to earlier reports in substantially smaller samples5,6, no evidence was seen of an influence of genome-wide homozygosity on blood pressure and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or ten other cardio-metabolic traits. Since directional dominance is predicted for traits under directional evolutionary selection7, this study provides evidence that increased stature and cognitive function have been positively selected in human evolution, whereas many important risk factors for late-onset complex diseases may not have been

Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage. Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition to usual care. If bleeding continued after 30 min, or stopped and restarted within 24 h of the first dose, a second dose of 1 g of tranexamic acid or placebo could be given. Patients were assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight numbered packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Participants, care givers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. We originally planned to enrol 15 000 women with a composite primary endpoint of death from all-causes or hysterectomy within 42 days of giving birth. However, during the trial it became apparent that the decision to conduct a hysterectomy was often made at the same time as randomisation. Although tranexamic acid could influence the risk of death in these cases, it could not affect the risk of hysterectomy. We therefore increased the sample size from 15 000 to 20 000 women in order to estimate the effect of tranexamic acid on the risk of death from post-partum haemorrhage. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ISRCTN76912190 (Dec 8, 2008); ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00872469; and PACTR201007000192283. Findings Between March, 2010, and April, 2016, 20 060 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (n=10 051) or placebo (n=10 009), of whom 10 036 and 9985, respectively, were included in the analysis. Death due to bleeding was significantly reduced in women given tranexamic acid (155 [1·5%] of 10 036 patients vs 191 [1·9%] of 9985 in the placebo group, risk ratio [RR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·65–1·00; p=0·045), especially in women given treatment within 3 h of giving birth (89 [1·2%] in the tranexamic acid group vs 127 [1·7%] in the placebo group, RR 0·69, 95% CI 0·52–0·91; p=0·008). All other causes of death did not differ significantly by group. Hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (358 [3·6%] patients in the tranexamic acid group vs 351 [3·5%] in the placebo group, RR 1·02, 95% CI 0·88–1·07; p=0·84). The composite primary endpoint of death from all causes or hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (534 [5·3%] deaths or hysterectomies in the tranexamic acid group vs 546 [5·5%] in the placebo group, RR 0·97, 95% CI 0·87-1·09; p=0·65). Adverse events (including thromboembolic events) did not differ significantly in the tranexamic acid versus placebo group. Interpretation Tranexamic acid reduces death due to bleeding in women with post-partum haemorrhage with no adverse effects. When used as a treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, tranexamic acid should be given as soon as possible after bleeding onset. Funding London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Pfizer, UK Department of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Mapping age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000-2018

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Precise HIV burden information is critical for effective geographic and epidemiological targeting of prevention and treatment interventions. Age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence estimates are widely available at the national level, and region-wide local estimates were recently published for adults overall. We add further dimensionality to previous analyses by estimating HIV prevalence at local scales, stratified into sex-specific 5-year age groups for adults ages 15-59 years across SSA. METHODS: We analyzed data from 91 seroprevalence surveys and sentinel surveillance among antenatal care clinic (ANC) attendees using model-based geostatistical methods to produce estimates of HIV prevalence across 43 countries in SSA, from years 2000 to 2018, at a 5 × 5-km resolution and presented among second administrative level (typically districts or counties) units. RESULTS: We found substantial variation in HIV prevalence across localities, ages, and sexes that have been masked in earlier analyses. Within-country variation in prevalence in 2018 was a median 3.5 times greater across ages and sexes, compared to for all adults combined. We note large within-district prevalence differences between age groups: for men, 50% of districts displayed at least a 14-fold difference between age groups with the highest and lowest prevalence, and at least a 9-fold difference for women. Prevalence trends also varied over time; between 2000 and 2018, 70% of all districts saw a reduction in prevalence greater than five percentage points in at least one sex and age group. Meanwhile, over 30% of all districts saw at least a five percentage point prevalence increase in one or more sex and age group. CONCLUSIONS: As the HIV epidemic persists and evolves in SSA, geographic and demographic shifts in prevention and treatment efforts are necessary. These estimates offer epidemiologically informative detail to better guide more targeted interventions, vital for combating HIV in SSA

Mapping age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2018

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Precise HIV burden information is critical for effective geographic and epidemiological targeting of prevention and treatment interventions. Age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence estimates are widely available at the national level, and region-wide local estimates were recently published for adults overall. We add further dimensionality to previous analyses by estimating HIV prevalence at local scales, stratified into sex-specific 5-year age groups for adults ages 15–59 years across SSA. Methods: We analyzed data from 91 seroprevalence surveys and sentinel surveillance among antenatal care clinic (ANC) attendees using model-based geostatistical methods to produce estimates of HIV prevalence across 43 countries in SSA, from years 2000 to 2018, at a 5 × 5-km resolution and presented among second administrative level (typically districts or counties) units. Results: We found substantial variation in HIV prevalence across localities, ages, and sexes that have been masked in earlier analyses. Within-country variation in prevalence in 2018 was a median 3.5 times greater across ages and sexes, compared to for all adults combined. We note large within-district prevalence differences between age groups: for men, 50% of districts displayed at least a 14-fold difference between age groups with the highest and lowest prevalence, and at least a 9-fold difference for women. Prevalence trends also varied over time; between 2000 and 2018, 70% of all districts saw a reduction in prevalence greater than five percentage points in at least one sex and age group. Meanwhile, over 30% of all districts saw at least a five percentage point prevalence increase in one or more sex and age group. Conclusions: As the HIV epidemic persists and evolves in SSA, geographic and demographic shifts in prevention and treatment efforts are necessary. These estimates offer epidemiologically informative detail to better guide more targeted interventions, vital for combating HIV in SSA

A Study of Patient’s Satisfaction Level with their Dental Appearance and Treatment they Desire to Improve Aesthetics at Sardar Begum Dental Hospital Peshawar

Objectives:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patient satisfaction level with their dental appearance and treatment they desired to improve their facial aesthetics.Material &amp; Methods:This cross-sectional study was performed out among 400 patients who visited the Sardar Begum Dental Hospital. A structured, interviewer-guided questionnaire was used to identify patient satisfaction level with their general dental appearance and desired treatments. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation (SD) for continuous variables and frequency and percentage for categorical variables were determined. The chi-square test was used to compare the age of patient’s satisfaction level with their dental appearance. The level of significance was set at 0.05.Results:Out of 400 patients, 39 % were males and 60% were females. Mean age recoded was 25.05+10.02 years. Of these patients, 64% were not satisfied with their general dental appearance. In addition, 59% were not happy with the color of their teeth, 51% regarded their teeth as poorly aligned. Dissatisfaction with tooth color was significantly higher in female than in male patients. Tooth whitening was the treatment most desired by patients (45.2%). 51% females, as compared to males, considered their teeth to be more poorly aligned i.e. and was 51%.Conclusions:Most patients in this study were not satisfied with their general dental appearance with a greater percentage of females expressing dissatisfaction than males. Age had an association with satisfaction level of the subjects. Unhappiness with tooth color and feelings of having protruding teeth also had a significant negative influence on patient satisfaction with general dental appearance