Micro-Finance and Its Impacts on People and Societies

Microfinance origin has started in 1976 by Muhammad Yunus, it has positive impacts on poor and societies. In this article we have briefly described the microfinance and its impacts on people and society. We have also explained the Grameen Bank Model, the main purpose of the article is to provide the awareness about the microfinance, and how it can be helpful in well-being of the society and poverty reduction. In this first section we have describe the history of microfinance and Grameen Bank, next we have explained the impacts of microfinance, and in the last section we have discussed conclusion and suggestions. Keywords: Microfinance, Grameen Bank, poverty alleviation, women empowerment, economic growt

Understanding Perceived Organizational Performance through Human Resource Practices

The aim of this research study is to examine the causal relation of human resource management practices with perceived organizational performance. The study was conducted in Punjab Emergency services (Rescue 1122) of Pakistan. This study provides new insight to HR managers that they can increase the productivity of employees and improve the overall performance of organization. Sample of the study was the different cadres of rescue workers of Punjab Emergency services (Rescue 1122) of Pakistan. Among 384 questionnaires, 324 questionnaires were considered useful for data analysis. Regarding this, response rate was considered 84.38%. In order to examine casual relation of human resource management practices with perceived organizational performance, SEM has been incorporated. The findings of this research study suggested that HR managers now have to consider human resource management practices for achieving competitive advantage in the form of employees capacity building, worker’s commitment with organization and ownership of their responsibilities in Punjab Emergency services (Rescue 1122) of Pakistan. Moreover, relation of perceived organizational performance with other variables like recruitment and selection, training and development, reward and compensation, performance appraisal and employees participation were found positive and significant Keywords: perceived organizational performance, training and development, Rescue 1122, Reward, performance appraisal

AN ASSESSMENT OF SEVERITY LEVEL OF LIVER CIRRHOSIS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH PROLONGED QTC INTERVAL

Objective: The primary aim of the research was to find the connection of extended QTC period with the intensity of liver cirrhosis. Material and Methods: The research was performed at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore from February to September 2018. Total numbers of patients selected for research are ninety-seven. Results: The number of male and female patients was fifty-three (54.60%) and forty-four (45.40%) respectively. Whereas the average age and time period of the disease are 47.55±10.88 years &1.799±2.131 years respectively. With respect to MELD score, a number of patients (67.01%) was displayed with the temperate disease. Results had displayed extended QTC period (˃450msec) in (54.64%) cases, whereas (45.36%) patients displayed nil QTC period extension, liver cirrhosis intensity was expressively connected with (P-value ˂ 0.001) with extended QTC period. Conclusion: Commonness of extended QTC period in patients of liver cirrhosis was comparatively high and substantially linked with disease intensity. Keywords: Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD), International Normalized Ratio (INR)

Effect of Job Stress, Benefits and Salary on Employee Job Satisfaction Based on Mediating and Moderating Role of Work Environment and Leadership: Evidence from Telecom Sector

The study aimed to explore the mediating role of work environment with employee job satisfaction, job stress and benefits and salary, to investigate the moderating effects of leadership between work environment and employee job satisfaction. The quantitative and inductive approach was used to collect data for 515 employees. The data was collected through a field survey with a closed-ended questionnaire methodology. The Smart-Partial Least Square (PLS-3.0) was used to analyze structural equation modeling (SEM) for studied variables. Furthermore, findings proved that there is a positive relationship between benefits and salary with employee job satisfaction. The work environment mediates the relationship between Benefits & salary and employee job satisfaction. Here, leadership moderates between work environment and employees' job satisfaction. The job stress has a relationship between employee job satisfaction, whereas, the work environment has a positive effect on job stress. This study assists the executive bodies of the telecommunication sector, how to reduce job stress and raise the level of job satisfaction among employees

Impact of Public Investment on Economic Growth

The study examines the relationship between Gross domestic product and public investment. Time series data for empirical investigation covers the period 1980-2009. The data has collected from Pakistan bureau of Statistics, State bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Empirical results show, there is a positive relationship between GDP and public investment in short run. The increase in GDP causes a rapid increase in public investment. Granger causality test apply to check the causality. Results of test show that bi-causal relationship exists between GDP and public investment. Causality runs from GDP to public investment and similarly, from public investment to GDP

Impact of Public Investment on Economic Growth

The study examines the relationship between Gross domestic product and public investment. Time series data for empirical investigation covers the period 1980-2009. The data has collected from Pakistan bureau of Statistics, State bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Empirical results show, there is a positive relationship between GDP and public investment in short run. The increase in GDP causes a rapid increase in public investment. Granger causality test apply to check the causality. Results of test show that bi-causal relationship exists between GDP and public investment. Causality runs from GDP to public investment and similarly, from public investment to GDP

Aptitudes of Pakistani Rice Industry with Respect to Global Trade

Economy of Pakistan based on agriculture, owing to the export of agricultural commodities is major source of foreign exchange earnings. Export of rice play a vital role in country’s economy. However, trade policies influenced the performance of agricultural sector, as there are some gaps of technical advancement in system, financial irregularity, as well as other constitutional regulatory factors. Pakistan is following three years Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) since 2009, to enhance the performance and efficiency of trade sector. Since last few years, trade of rice is decreasing due to traditional markets, energy crises and lack of research and development in agricultural sector. Thus, Pakistan has lost its more than 30% share from Gulf market via rice export during previous three decades. The transaction cost to imports is significantly lower than the exportation, which is negatively affecting the competitiveness of country’s exports. So, it's prior need to pay attention in the export chain sector, to approach the Europeans markets for encouraging trade performance of rice sector, as well as, improve the reforms in trade policies to compete in the international market for maximum foreign exchange revenues. Keywords: Trade strategies, Export competition, Rice expor

6-Benzyl­sulfanyl-9H-purine

The phenyl ring of the title compound, C12H10N4S, a purine derivative, is oriented at a dihedral angle of 76.65 (6)° with respect to the purine ring system. An inter­molecular N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds stabilizes the crystal structure

G-QoSM: Grid Service Discovery Using QoS Properties

We extend the service abstraction in the Open Grid Services Architecture citeogsa for Quality of Service (QoS) properties. The realization of QoS often requires mechanisms such as advance or on-demand reservation of resources, varying in type and implementation, and independently controlled and monitored. Foster et al. propose the GARA citeFostKessl99 architecture. The GARA library provides a restricted representation scheme for encoding resource properties and the associated monitoring of Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Our focus is on the application layer, whereby a given service may indicate the QoS properties it can offer, or where a service may search for other services based on particular QoS properties

Fabrication of gentamicin sulphate laden stimulus responsive polymeric microarray patches for the treatment of bacterial biofilms

Treatment of microbial biofilms by conventional topical dosage forms remains a challenge due to the presence of extracellular polymeric substances, necrotic tissues and cellular debris. An advanced drug delivery system such as a microarray patch can breach these barriers and deliver antimicrobial agents to deep-seated pathogens. This study aimed to fabricate gentamicin sulphate laden dissolving microarray patches, comprising of sodium hyaluronate, gelatin, polyvinyl alcohol and D-sorbitol, by using vacuum micromoulding approach. Morphological and phase analysis of patches were carried out by scanning electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. In silico analysis was performed to study the molecular interactions between substrates (sodium hyaluronate and gelatin) and enzymes (hyaluronate lyase and gelatinase). In vitro insertion ability, stimulus-responsiveness, drug release study, antimicrobial assay, antibiofilm activity and in vivo antibiofilm activity were performed to assess the efficiency of prepared formulation. The patches displayed sharp-tipped, uniform-surfaced and equidistant microprojections. DSC and XRD results revealed that the microarray patch is an amorphous solid. In silico analysis indicated non-covalent interactions between substrates and enzymes. In vitro insertion test confirmed piercing ability of microarrays. Stimulus i.e., enzymes hyaluronate lyase and gelatinase responsiveness of sodium hyaluronate and gelatin, respectively was confirmed by liquefaction of media. During in vitro release study, 96 ± 2.6% antibiotic was released within 150 min. The patches exhibited antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella enterica (S. enterica). The biomass of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms was significantly reduced (≥70%), in vitro, following treatment with antibiotic laden patches. S. aureus infected wounds were completely healed after 11 days of treatment with prepared patches. In conclusion, fabricated microarray patches can be used for an on-site stimulus responsive administration of gentamicin sulphate and management of S. aureus infected cutaneous wounds