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The key purpose of the Study is to examine if institutional quality complements the relationship between Ownership Structure and Corporate Social Responsibility disclosure and performance in the light of legitimacy and agency theory. To the best of my knowledge, it is the first study in literature of finance. The sample comprises of 112 top-performing listed firms (based on market capitalization) at Pakistan Stock Exchange from 2010 to 2019. Institutional quality comprised of world governance indicators which is developed via principal component analysis, an instrumental variable approach and content analysis are used for CSR Disclosure Index to demonstrate the relationship between ownership structure and CSR. The resources complementary phenomenon is adopted to examine the institutional quality's role. Our results show significantly positive impact of Institutional and Foreign Ownerships on CSR while negative significant influence of CEO Duality and Family Ownership on CSR, suggesting that well governed firms will be more socially responsible. In addition, the findings suggest the institutional quality's positive moderating role on the relationship between ownership structure and CSR, signifying the institutional quality's complementary role for the weak corporate environment in Pakistan. Our findings are robust to a series of tests by using Generalized Method of Moment (GMM).

The main objective of this study is to design a custom-made weight-drop impactor device to produce a consistent spinal cord contusion model in rats in order to examine the efficacy of potential therapies for post-traumatic spinal cord injuries (SCIs).

The aim of this study is to empirically analyze the impact of corporate governance on stock liquidity and the moderating role of financial transparency, through the lens of information asymmetry and agency theory. The sample consists of non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan stock exchange during the 2009–2019 period. The study used an instrumental variable approach and new corporate governance index, developed with principal component analysis, to demonstrate a relationship between corporate governance and stock liquidity. The results show a significant, positive relationship between the corporate governance index and stock liquidity, suggesting that well governed firms have high liquidity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first finance study to investigate the moderating impact of financial transparency on the relation between corporate governance and stock liquidity. The results show that financial transparency, as measured by multiple proxies, has a negative moderating impact on the relationship between corporate governance and stock liquidity, suggesting that corporate governance in Pakistan is weak. Together, the results suggest that Pakistani firms use financial transparency as a substitute for corporate governance to improve stock liquidity. The results are robust to a series of endogeneity checks using alternative proxies of stock liquidity.

The study analyzes the impact of ownership structure on dividend smoothing via the lens of agency and information asymmetry theory. The study also investigates the impact of ownership on dividend smoothing in the unexamined asymmetric context Dividend smoothing is measured via speed of adjustment and relative volatility. The study documents that higher individual, management, and institutional ownerships are positively associated with increased dividend smoothing. Consistent with the rental hypothesis in foreign-owned firms smooth less also concentrated firms bear with cuts and omissions. Foreign ownership has the opposite impact on dividend smoothing in adjusting dividends from below and above i.e., always prefer high dividends. Individual ownership has also exhibited a different impact in smoothing from below and above. Institutional owners avoid cuts and omissions and negatively affect SOA (smooth more) in case of adjusting dividends from above. Ownership concentration is negatively associated with dividend smoothing irrespective of whether the firm is smoothing from above or below. In contrast, management ownership negatively affected SOA in adjusting from above or below. Family firms in Pakistan smooth more to win minor shareholders' trust and signal that they sacrifice their private benefits to reduce the type II agency problem. Finally, the authors found a negative association between dividend smoothing and corporate governance quality. Over all the findings of the current study provides insight to the investors and regulators by offering dividend smoothing as an alternative monitoring mechanism to corporate governance.

The main aim of this study was to empirically analyze whether Institutional Quality moderates the relationship between corporate governance and stock liquidity through the light of agency and information asymmetry theory. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first finance study. The sample consists of 230 non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan stock exchange during the period of 2009–2019. We used an instrumental variable approach and our new Institutional Quality index composed of world governance indicators and a corporate governance index, developed via principal component analysis, to demonstrate a relationship between corporate governance and stock liquidity and check the moderating role of Institutional Quality by following the resources complementary phenomenon. Our results show a significant, positive relationship between the corporate governance index and stock liquidity, suggesting that well-governed firms have high liquidity. The results show that the Institutional Quality index has a positive moderating impact on the relationship between corporate governance and stock liquidity, suggesting that corporate governance in Pakistan is weak. Our results are robust to a series of endogeneity checks using alternative proxies of stock liquidity.

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) causes interruption along the severed axonal tract(s) resulting in complete or partial loss of sensation and motor function. SCI can cause tetraplegia or paraplegia. Both these conditions can have lifelong excessive medical costs, as well as can reduce life expectancy. Preclinical research showed that Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), also known as Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT), possesses reparative and regenerative capabilities that have the potential to be used as a complimentary or supplementary SCI therapy. Despite the promising effects of PBMT, there are still no standardized irradiation parameters (i.e. different wavelengths, power, fluence, irradiance, beam type, beam diameters, and irradiation time) and there is also a lack of standardized experimental protocol(s), which makes it difficult to compare different studies. It is, nonetheless, essential to standardize such irradiation parameters in order to provide better PBMTs. The aim of this study, therefore, is to evaluate the delivery of light in a 3D voxelated SCI rat model for PBMT using different irradiation parameters (wavelengths: 660, 810, and 980 nm; beam types: Gaussian and Flat beam; and beam diameters: 0.04-1.2 cm) using Monte Carlo simulation. This study also aids in providing standardization for preclinical research for PBMT, which will eventually translate into clinical standardization upon clinical research studies and results.

We conducted an event-related potential (ERP) study using a 256-channel dense sensor array electroencephalography (EEG) system to examine how, and if the P200 neurophysiological signal is sexually dimorphic. We had two groups of participants: females (n= 15, mean age = 40.6 years old) and males (n = 15, mean age = 39.0 years old). ERPs from all participants were recorded while the participants performed an oddball task. Results showed that males on average had a significantly larger P200 peak amplitude and a significantly shorter P200 latency period. These results indicate that the P200 ERP is affected by sex. Therefore, suggesting that sex differences exist on an electrophysiological level, which may aid in better understanding of sex-biased biological influences, behaviors, neuropsychiatric disorders, and general brain function.

Age-related effects were studied in 14 younger (M = 34 years) and 14 (M = 47 years) older healthy participants. Event-related potential (ERP) recording was done using a 256-channel EEG system. Results indicated that ERP is affected by advanced age. There was a significant difference in P200 mean latency between the younger participants and older participants for the target (low-probability) stimuli, but no such significance was evident for the P200 mean latency during the presentation of the standard (high-probability) stimuli. As for the P200 mean peak amplitude, the results for the target (low-probability) stimuli did show a significant difference between the two age groups, while the results for the standard (high-probability) stimuli did not show any significant difference between the two age groups. The results of this study are explained in light of aging effects on attentional recruitment and frontal lobe intactness.

Light propagation in a fibrous anisotropic scattering medium is quite different from that in an isotropic medium. Both the anisotropic diffuse equation (ADE) and the continuous time random walk (CTRW) theory predict that the equi-intensity profiles of the surface reflectance have an elliptical shape in a fibrous turbid medium. In this study, we simulated the spatially resolved surface reflectance in a fibrous sample using a Monte Carlo model. A parametric equation was used to quantitatively characterize the geometric profiles of the reflectance patterns. The results indicated that the equi-intensity profiles of surface reflectance had elliptical shapes only when evaluated at distances far away from the incident point. The length ratio of the two orthogonal axes of the ellipse was not affected by the sample optical properties when the ratio of reduced scattering coefficients along the two axes is the same. But the relationship between the aforementioned two ratios was different from the predication of ADE theory. Only for fibers of small sizes did the fitted axes ratios approach the values predicted from the ADE theory. OCIS codes: 290.1990, 290.1750.

Background: Bilirubin is toxic substance to the central nervous system of neonates, so when neonates suffer from sever hyperbilirubinemia they need to be treated with phototherapy and even exchange transfusion. Objectives: is to detect the effects of intravenous infusion of human albumin before double volume exchange transfusion in rapid reduction of total serum bilirubin after exchange and in decreasing the risk of second time exchange. Patients and methods: A randomized control trial study done between January and December 2017 on fifty three neonates admitted to neonatal care unit of AL-Zahraa Teaching Hospital at AL-Najaf that fulfill the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. So two groups enrolled in the study as control group(n=29) and albumin group (n=24), the albumin group receive albumin 1g/kg 20% one hour prior to exchange transfusion while in control group exchange transfusion only without albumin used. Results: A significantly lower mean post exchange total serum bilirubin in albumin group than that in control group at 6,12and 24 hours as p-value< 0.001,the mean of phototherapy duration significantly decreased in test group in comparison to control group (8.6±0.96hoursvs 17.9±3.8hours) respectively as p-value<0.001, also none of albumin group need second time exchange while three cases in control group underwent second time exchange with no side effects related to albumin use noticed. Conclusion: We conclude that Albumin administration before exchange blood transfusion can effectively reduces total serum bilirubin, period of phototherapy and greatly minimize risk of another exchange transfusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Fecal peritonitis is caused by bacterial contamination from fecal material in a perforation of the bowel. A surgical approach is still a cornerstone in fecal peritonitis management, which includes the control and alleviation of the infection source. It has been controversial, over the years, whether peritoneal lavage, with or without antibiotics, is an essential step in the management of fecal peritonitis. Methods (Study A and Study B) Study A contained a total of 15 healthy Sprague-Dawley rats that were randomly divided into three groups. Cecal ligation and puncture were performed on all groups to establish sever fecal peritonitis. After a six-hour period, relaparotomy was performed, and swab cultures were taken before and after peritoneal lavage. The peritoneum was lavaged with normal saline 0.9% in Group A, with gentamicin in Group B, and with gentamicin and clindamycin in Group C. None of the groups was given any intramuscular or intravenous antibiotics. Study B contained a total of 20 healthy Sprague-Dawley rats that were randomly divided into four groups. The cecum was ligated, and punctures were performed with an 18-gauge needle through the ligated cecum. After a six-hour period, the rats were reanesthetized for a relaparotomy, and the punctured cecum was resected, followed by peritoneal lavage. Group A was treated with a normal saline peritoneal lavage. Group B was treated with antibiotic (gentamicin and clindamycin) peritoneal lavage. Group C was treated with antibiotic (gentamicin and clindamycin) peritoneal lavage and an intramuscular (IM) antibiotic (Rocephin) injection. Group D was treated with a normal saline peritoneal lavage and an IM antibiotic (Rocephin) injection. Results The microbiological examination results of the pre- and post-lavage cultures in Study A revealed no change in bacterial colonization in Group A, whereas there was a significant reduction of bacterial contamination in Group B and no growth of bacteria in Group C. However, the mortality rate of all groups was 100% within 24 to 48 hours. In Study B, the mortality rate of Group A was 5/5 (100%). The use of normal saline in a peritoneal lavage did not affect mortality. The use of antibiotic peritoneal lavage had some effect on mortality rate, as the mortality rate of Group B was 2/5 (40%). There was a significant effect upon mortality rate when combining IM injection and antibiotic peritoneal lavage, such that all rats in Group C survived the procedure (0/5; 0%). Group D had results similar to those of Group C, with a 0% mortality rate. Conclusion Peritoneal lavage with intraperitoneal gentamicin and clindamycin can reduce the bacterial contamination caused by bowel perforation. This study showed that antibiotic peritoneal lavage alone reduces mortality rate when compared to a normal saline peritoneal lavage. However, systemic antibiotics in the management of fecal peritonitis are still superior to intraperitoneal antibiotics used in addition to a peritoneal lavage. Further studies are needed to investigate peritoneal lavage with antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Femtosecond laser based deposition of nanoparticles is a promising technique for the formation of homogenous thin films. The introduction provides a literature review related to the techniques for thin film deposition including pulsed-laser deposition (PLD). We then describe the homemade chamber used for PLD with a femtosecond laser. An atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to measure the characteristics of the obtained films. Thickness, roughness and texture of the surface of the films were visualized using this technique. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the obtained thin layer of nanoparticle film. The band gap energy of zinc oxide film was determined using UV-VIS characterization, [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]