Volume 4, Issue 5

Impact Factor 3.582

1) Gender Influence on Health Care Utilization among Antenatal Care Women in Nigeria.
Author Details: Dr Azuh Dominic.
Abstract:
Gender is a very serious factor affecting maternal health particularly in a patriarchal setting like Nigeria.  Gender is a force that exacerbated poor utilization of maternal health services. The dynamics of gender roles especially in a patriarchal society affects maternal roles adversely through male domination, female dependency, low status of women and socio-economic status, cultural beliefs and practices with unpleasant implications for poor maternal health utilization which culminate in high maternal mortality and morbidity….Continue
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2) Performance Of State Owned Bank Of Pakistan In  The Perspective Of Global Financial Crisis.
Author’s Details:⁽¹⁾Munawwar Ali Kartio-Ph D Scholar University of Sindh Jamshoro⁽²⁾Dr Ambreen Khaskhelly-Assistant Professor ,Department of Economics University of Sindh Jamshoro ⁽³⁾Ms Fatima Gill,Assistant Professor ,Government College For women Rawalpindi⁽⁴⁾Ms Tanveer Channa ,Student MBA Sindh University Campus Larkana.
Abstract:
This study aims at investigating the performance of one and only state owned commercial bank ie National Bank of Pakistan during recent financial crisis.The key performance indicators for this purpose were liquidity, profitability and stability. This study covers a period of five years from 2008-2012 and the Year 2007 was taken as base year on the basis of that the impact and performance was gauged by using financial ratios as measuring tool .The financial ratios meant for Profitability, liquidity and capital structure were calculated. Also impact on performance of loans was evaluated to relate it with globalization.
Primary data was also collected through survey by using a closed ended questionnaire. The main findings (I) there seems significant impact on liquidity and profitability of banking system. (II) Non Performing Loans were accumulated significantly after multi year better performance of healthy loans. (III) It was also revealed that the cost of deposits were increased which has adversely affected the profitability of well established five big banks of the country.
Key Words: Global Financial Crisis, Commercial Banks, Liquidity, profitability, Non Performing Loans
[Download Full Paper] [Page 07-12]
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3) Removal of organic Pollutants from wastewater using different treatment technologies.
Author’s Details:⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾Saleh Sulaiman, ⁽³⁾Mustafa Khamis, ⁽⁴⁾Shlomo Nir, ⁽¹⁾Filomena Lelario, ⁽⁵⁾Laura Scrano, ⁽¹⁾Sabino Bufo and ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾Rafik Karaman* ^– (1)Department of  Science, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy, (S.S); (S.A.B.). ⁽²⁾Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem 20002, Palestine; ⁽³⁾Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem 20002, Palestine,(M.K.); ⁽⁴⁾Department of Soil and Water Sciences, R.H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel, (S.N.); ⁽⁵⁾Department of European Cultures (DICEM), University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy,
Abstract:Stability and removal of anti-inflammatory dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP), anti-anxiety drug diazepam (valium) and spironolactone (SP) from wastewater produced at Al-Quds University Campus were investigated. Kinetic studies in both pure water (abiotic degradation) and in sludge (biodegradability) at room temperature were investigated. They demonstrated that DSP underwent degradation to its hydrolytic derivative, simply named dexamethasone, in both media. The first order hydrolysis rate of DSP in activated sludge at 25°C (3.80×10^-6 s^-1) was about 12-fold greater than in pure water (3.25×10^-7 s^-1). Diazepam showed high chemical stability toward degradation in pure water, and underwent faster biodegradation in sludge providing two main degradation products. The degradation reactions in sludge and pure water showed first order kinetics with rate constant values of 2.6 × 10^-7 s^-1 and 9.08 × 10^-8 s^-1, respectively. The potassium-sparing diuretic (water pill) SP underwent degradation to its hydrolytic derivative, canrenone, in both media. The first order hydrolysis rate of SP in activated sludge at 25°C (3.80×10^-5 s^-1) was about 49-fold greater than in pure water (7.4×10^-7 s^-1) Continue.
Keywords: Dexamethasone sodium phosphate, Diazepam, Spironolactone, Activated sludge, Activated charcoal, Micelle – clay complex.
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4) Efficiency of Membrane Technology Activated Charcoal and a Clay Micelle Complex for the Removal of Ibuprofen and Mefenamic Acid.
Author’s Details: ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾Samer Khalaf, ⁽³⁾Fuad Al-Rimawi, ⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾Mustafa Khamis, ⁽⁵⁾Shlomo  Nir, ⁽⁶⁾Laura Scrano, ⁽¹⁾Sabino A. Bufo and ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾Rafik Karaman^*(1)Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy,(S.K);(S.A.B.). ⁽²⁾Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem 20002, Palestine, ⁽³⁾Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem 20002, Palestine, ⁽⁴⁾Department of Chemistry, Biology and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE. ⁽⁵⁾Department of Soil and Water Sciences, The R.H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel, ⁽⁶⁾Department of European Cultures (DICEM), University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10,Potenza 85100, Italy,
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: Rafik Karaman
Abstract:Kinetic studies on the stability of two non-steroids anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ibuprofen and mefenamic acid, in pure water and activated sludge indicated that both pharmaceuticals were resistant to degradation for one month. The efficiency of sequential advanced membrane technology wastewater treatment plant towards removal of both drugs from wastewater was investigated. The sequential system included activated sludge, ultrafiltration (hollow fiber membranes with 100 kDa cutoff, and spiral wound membranes with 20 kDa cutoff), activated carbon column and reverse osmosis (RO).  The overall performance of the integrated plant demonstrated complete removal of ibuprofen and mefenamic acid from spiked wastewater samples. Activated carbon column was the most effective component in removing these NSAIDs with a removal efficiency of 98.8% for both ibuprofen and mefenamic acid. Batch adsorption of both NSAIDs by activated charcoal and a composite micelle (octadecyltrimethylammonium (ODTMA)–clay (montmorillonite) was determined at 25 ˚C. The results revealed that both adsorptions fit Langmuir isotherm with Q_max of 66.7 mg/g and 62.5 mg/g for ibuprofen using activated carbon and clay-micelle complex, respectively, and with Q_max of 90.9 mg/g and 100.0 mg/g for mefenamic acid using activated charcoal and clay-micelle complex, respectively. These results suggest that an integration of ODTMA-clay-micelle complex column in wastewater treatment plant is highly promising and can lead to an improvement of the removal efficiency of these drugs from wastewater.
Keywords: Ibuprofen;  Mefenamic acid; Wastewater treatment; Stability in sludge; HF-membranes; Activated carbon; Micelle–clay complex.
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5) Removal of Aspirin, Salicylic Acid, Paracetamol and p-Aminophenol by Advanced Membrane technology Activated Charcoal and Clay Micelles Complex.
Author’s Details:⁽¹⁾Fatima Ayyash, ⁽²⁾⁽³⁾Mustafa Khamis, ⁽¹⁾⁽⁴⁾Samer Khalaf, ⁽¹⁾⁽⁴⁾Amin Thawabteh and ⁽¹⁾⁽⁴⁾Rafik Karaman^*
(1)Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem 20002, Palestine,⁽²⁾Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem 20002, Palestine, ⁽³⁾Department of Chemistry, Biology and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.⁽⁴⁾Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Viadell’AteneoLucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy,
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: Rafik Karaman
Abstract:The stability of aspirin and paracetamol in sludge and the efficiency of advanced nano-membrane technology towards their removal from wastewater were investigated. The kinetics study revealed that aspirin and paracetamol were degraded in wastewater to salicylic acid and p-aminophenol, respectively. The kinetics at room temperature for the degradation reactions of both pharmaceuticals was first order kinetics with rate constants of 0.845 × 10^-8 Ms^-1 and1.0 × 10^-8 Ms^-1, respectively. These values are about 10-foldhigher than those obtained for both pharmaceuticals in pure water under the same conditions. The performance of Al-Quds University wastewater treatment plant has shown complete removal of both pharmaceuticals from spiked wastewater within the detection limit of the analytical method. In addition, the adsorption isotherms for aspirin and paracetamol, and their metabolites were studied using both activated carbon and a clay-micelle complex. The isotherms were found to fit Langmuir isotherm.
Keywords: Aspirin, Paracetamol, p-Aminophenol, Pharmaceuticals, Wastewater, Membrane technology, Activated carbon, Clay micelles complex.
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6) Tunisian Banking System Vulnerabilities beyond the Global Financial Crisis and Recent Political Instability.
Author Details :Sana Ayachi Jebnoun-Laboratoire de Recherche en Microéconomie Appliquée : LARMA-University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia
Abstract-The Tunisian banking sector has weathered the global financial crisis and the revolution’s immediate impacts. Political uncertainty and prevailing social tensions have considerably impacted the activities of certain sectors.
The paper aims at examining the implications of the macroeconomic environment on the soundness and performance of Tunisian banks. In other words, the paper purports to identify whether the Tunisian banks’ profitability, liquidity and leverage indicators have been impacted by the world financial crisis and the recent political instability by use of financial soundness indicators during the period 2002-2012.
We propose first to analyse the evolution of the economic performance during this period. Second, we attempt to study the repercussions of the economic downturn on the Tunisian banks’ overall soundness and profitability.
The results suggest that Tunisian banks remain resilient from the affects of the global financial crisis. Nevertheless, they have been impacted by the revolution’s turmoil. It will be argued that the difficult economic situation resulting from the political changes has enhanced the Tunisian banks’ vulnerability.
Key Words: Tunisian Banking System, Global Financial Crisis, Political Instability, Financial Ratios
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7) Evaluation of District wise Differences in Proper Implementation of Different Activities in the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya ( KGBV).
Author’s Details:⁽¹⁾Sampreety Gogoi,District Programme Officer (Inclusive Education) SSA Sivasagar Assam.⁽²⁾Sajib Borua, Assistant Professor, Dept of Agricultural Extension, Agricultural University Jorhat Assam.
Abstract: Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya are residential school which covers hard to reach girls especially the deprived ones belonging predominantly to the SC, ST, OBC community and minority groups. It also seeks to evaluate the operational and management issues in the running of KGBVs and hostels, such as the quality of teachers, safety and security of girls, infrastructural provision, financial norms of the scheme, etc. Multistage sampling technique was adopted for conducting the study. The state of Assam in India was selected for conducting the study. The six districts namely Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Kamrup and Barpeta were selected purposively for the study. Observation method was mainly used for the study; it involves the direct observation of phenomenon in their natural settings. Although there was differences in conducting the activities in different districts, but no major differences were observed. It may be because the same guideline and instructions were provided by the Mission Director and State Programme Officer, Sarba Siksha Abhijan, Assam to the entire District at the same time. Generally the differences were observed when the district official, block official or the KGBV functionaries do not act and follow the orders accordingly or show negligence and give less importance to the work.
Keywords: Evaluation, differences, implementation, activities, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya
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8) The Impact of Dividend Payments on Stock Prices in a Developing Economy. The case of Services Firms listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, (2008 to 2012).
Author Details: ⁽¹⁾Chirima Darlington Tinashe-Department of Banking and Finance Bindura University of Science Education P. Bag 1020 Bindura, Zimbabwe
Abstract:The study aimed at providing a modern and concrete perspective on the role of dividends in Zimbabwe, a developing economy, by examining views regarding the role of the relevance of the conventional signaling theory. The objective of this study was to add to the knowledge body concerning stock price reactions at the dividend announcement and at the ex-dividend day. Data was collected through documentary review, questionnaires and interviews. The sample included finance executives, stock brokers and investors on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE). The chi-square, linear regression and correlation techniques were used in data analysis. The findings of the study show that 70% of the sampled firms take the dividend decision as an active decision variable due to the realization that dividend decisions influence firm value and because dividend policy decisions send messages to the market. A coefficient of 0.9707 indicates a strong positive relationship between dividend announcements and share prices. Share prices increase upon announcements. From the ex-dividend date share prices start to go down. However, this study failed to show that prices go down by an amount equivalent to the dividend paid. This paper therefore recommends that managers avoid dividend increases which may not be sustained by the future earnings. Further research may be conducted cutting across all sectors in the economy and over an extended period of time. Other efforts may be directed at investigating dividend policies in hyper-inflationary environments, or even dividend preference in an economy with high dividend taxation levels.
Key Words: Signaling Hypothesis, ex-dividend date, dividend announcement date, dividend preference.
[Download Full Paper] [Page 126-133]
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9)Statistical Considerations for Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinical Trials.
Author’s Details: ⁽¹⁾ Shein-Chung Chow–Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA ⁽²⁾ Fuyu Song-Peking University Clinical Research Institute, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
Abstract:In recent years, the use of complementary and alternative medicine including botanical drug product and traditional Chinese (herbal) medicine (TCM) in humans for treating critical and/or life-threatening diseases has received much attention. In pharmaceutical/clinical development of a given TCM, one of the major criticisms is lack of objectively scientific evidence (documents) of clinical safety and efficacy. Unlike the Western medicines (WM), TCM often consists of multiple components (active ingredients) whose pharmacological activities are often unknown or are not fully characterized or understood. Thus, standard methods for WM clinical trials may not be appropriately applied directly to TCM clinical trials. In this article, some statistical considerations including selection of study design, preparation of matching placebo, development of study endpoint, validation of an instrument, calibration of the validated instrument, and power calculation for sample size estimation are discussed. These considerations have an impact on effectively and scientifically evaluation of clinical safety and efficacy of TCM in clinical trials. In addition, some practical issues regarding test for consistency in raw materials, stability of drug substance, and animal studies are also discussed.
Key Words: Herbal medicine; Botanical drug products; Matching placebo; Calibration; QOL-like instrument.
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10)Removal of Antibacterial Agents by Advanced Membrane Technology and ODTMA-Micelle-Clay Comlex.
Author’s Details: ⁽¹⁾Mohammad Awwad, ⁽¹⁾Fuad Al-Rimawi, ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾Mustafa Khamis, ⁽³⁾Shlomo Nir, ⁽⁴⁾⁽⁵⁾Samer Khalaf, ⁽⁴⁾⁽⁵⁾Amin Thawabteh and ⁽⁴⁾⁽⁵⁾Rafik Karaman* ⁽¹⁾ Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem 20002, Palestine,  ⁽²⁾Department of Chemistry, Biology and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE, ⁽³⁾Department of  Soil and Water Sciences, The R.H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel, ⁽⁴⁾Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Viadell’AteneoLucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy, ⁽⁵⁾Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem    20002, Palestine,
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: Rafik Karaman
Abstract: The efficiency of sequential advanced membrane technology wastewater treatment plant towards removal of amoxicillin and cefuroxime axetil from wastewater was investigated. The sequential system included activated sludge, ultrafiltration (hollow fiber membranes with 100 kDa cutoff, and spiral wound membranes with 20 kDa cutoff), activated carbon column and reverse osmosis (RO).  The overall performance of the integrated plant showed complete removal of amoxicillin and cefuroxime axetil from spiked wastewater samples. The adsorption isotherms for these compounds have been studied using both activated carbon adsorbent and newly developed adsorbent named micelle-clay complex (octadecyltrimethylammonium (ODTMA)–clay (montmorillonite)). The results revealed that both isotherms adsorption fit the Langmuir equation with Q_max of 100 mg/g and 90.91 mg/g, and with K values 0.229 L/mg and 0.158 L/mg for amoxicillin using activated carbon and micelle-clay complex, respectively, and with Q_max of 26.31 mg/g and 31.25 mg/g and with K values 0.271 L/mg and 0.122 L/mg for cefuroxime axetil using activated charcoal and micelle-clay complex, respectively. Removal of amoxicillin and Cefuroxime axetil from polluted water in high concentrations (100 ppm) by column filter including a mixture of micelle-clay or activated charcoal composite with sand indicated an efficient removal of both pharmaceuticals.
Keywords: Antibiotics; Amoxicillin; Cefuroxime axetil; Wastewater; ultrafiltration; Activated carbon; Clay micelle complex; Adsorption.
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11) Ownership structure, leverage and firm value.
Author’s Details: ⁽¹⁾Wissem Daadaa-University of Carthage- FSEG Nabeul- Tunis –Tunisia⁽²⁾Mohamed Anis Daadaa-University of Tunis El Manar- FSEGTunis-Tunisia
Abstract:This study analyzes the effect of ownership structure on leverage and firm value of French firms from 2006 to 2012. In particular, we classified ownership on three groups: High, medium and low concentration structure. High ownership concentration incite firms to uses more debt and then increases leverage. We find that the effect of the ownership is positive on leverage and firm value. The result confirms the cost agency hypothesis; high leverage therefore improves the firm performance. This effect is more important for firms characterized by dispersed ownership structure.
Keywords: Ownership structure, firm performance, capital structure.
[Download Full Paper] [Page 165-172]
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