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The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of sales managers’ aggressiveness on ethical sales leadership and salesperson performance in B2B context, taking into consideration the sequential mediation of emotional labor and adaptive selling behavior. Sales managers spend most of their time in solving salesforce-related issues, while empirical studies have largely neglected such factors that can have negative consequences on salesforce-related tasks. In order to overcome this gap in the literature, we draw from conservation of resources (COR) theory to introduce and establish an advanced theoretical paradigm. The authors tested the model through 336 responses from B2B salesperson-manager dyads. The findings of the study reveal that sales managers’ aggressiveness has a negative association with ethical sales leadership. Also, sales managers’ aggressiveness is positively related to emotional exhaustion and negatively related to salesperson performance. Consequently, we found significant serial mediation of ethical sales leadership and adaptive selling behavior between the relationship of sales managers’ aggressiveness and salesperson performance. In last, manager decisiveness is playing as a significant moderator in the study. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are also discussed.

ABSTRACTThe study was designed to develop functional cucumber and pomegranate based ready-to-serve (RTS) drink as thirst quencher. To boost antioxidant activity and to add natural preservation to the drink, microwave-assisted extracts of herbs and spices; mint, lemongrass, ginger, cinnamon were incorporated either individually or collective, at an equivalent dose of 2% for comparison. In this regard, ginger extract incorporated drink maintained its storage quality owing to highest free radical scavenging potential (49 to 67%) in relevance to highest polyphenol and flavonoid contents (1203 ± 64 mg GAE/L and 178 ± 8 mg TE/L, respectively). Whereas, ascorbic acid was maximally recorded in lemongrass-based drink 22 ± 1 mg/100 mL. During 30 days storage under refrigeration, significant decrease was recorded in pH of the RTS drink along with considerable increase in acidity and browning index however, total soluble solids demonstrated non-significant pattern. Sedimentation showed an inclining trend (p˂.05) with progression in storage but comparatively less sedimentation was attributed to lemongrass incorporated drink followed by cinnamon containing drink. Turbidity also indicated significant changes but showed inverse pattern with respect to sedimentation. Additionally, ginger-based drink expressed considerably low total plate count as 2.3 ± .1 log CFU/mL with nil yeast and mold growth by all the extracts throughout storage. Further, ginger portrayed highest rate for odor, taste and consistency though, mixed herbs and spices based drink attained the best color score. Conclusively, ginger-based drink portrayed maximum antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Metabolic syndrome and its components are established risk factors for type-2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. The Objectives of the current study were to assess the mean values of cardiometabolic risk factors and anthropometric parameters among the teaching faculty of Allama Iqbal Medical College and Jinnah Hospital Lahore (AIMC/JHL). To investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2022 to July 2023 at AIMC/JHL. Faculty members (n=115), aged 30-60, were recruited by convenience sampling from basic and clinical departments. Metabolic syndrome was defined by ATP-III criteria. Means of quantitative variables were compared by student t-test. Chi-square was used to determine associations between nominal variables. RESULTS: Mean values of arterial blood pressure were significantly higher in males than females. Fasting hyperglycemia was present in 38.3% of participants. Decreased HDL, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, and central obesity were found in 65.2%, 24.3%, 34.8%, and 74.8% of participants, respectively. The prevalence of low HDL and central obesity was significantly higher among females; however, hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension were more prevalent among males. A significant correlation (r=0.241) was observed (p=0.009) between age and waist circumference. Pre-metabolic syndrome and metabolic syndrome were present in 38.3% and 43.5% of participants, respectively. CONCLUSION: An alarmingly high prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components was observed among healthcare professionals who endeavor to treat similar diseases. This irony underscores the need for increased awareness and routine screening of metabolic syndrome among healthcare professionals

Abstract Background Globally, 80 million people are suffering from chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Sofosbuvir ribavirin-based anti-HCV therapy is associated with anemia and other adverse effects. Polymorphisms of Inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) gene may cause functional impairment in the Inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase enzyme, resulting in enhanced sustained viral response (SVR) and protection from ribavirin-associated anemia in patients on therapy. The study objective was to investigate the effect of Inosine triphosphatase gene polymorphism on SVR achievement, hemoglobin decline and ribavirin dose reduction in patients on therapy. Methods This prospective cohort study was of 170 hepatitis C infected patients received 6-month sofosbuvir ribavirin therapy. Patient viral load, reduction in ribavirin amount, liver function test, and complete blood count were noted monthly. Inosine triphosphatase variants rs1127354 and rs7270101 were assessed through the restriction fragment length polymorphism and confirmed using Sanger sequencing. The impact of polymorphism on cumulative reduction of ribavirin, and anti-HCV therapy outcome were studied. Results A total of 74.3% of patients had ITPA rs1127354 CC genotype, 25.7% were CA and AA 0%. The frequency of ITPA genotype rs7270101-AA was 95%, AC 5%, and CC was 0%. ITPA rs1127354-CA had a notably positive impact on SVR achievement with a zero-relapse rate. ITPA rs1127354-CA genotype was significantly (P ˂0.05) protective against ≥ 2 g/dl Hb reduction from baseline to 1st, 2nd and 6th months of therapy. During treatment, Hb reduction ≥ 10 g/dl was frequently observed in rs1127354-CC genotype and rs7270101-AA genotype patients. Ribavirin dose reduction was significantly (P ˂0.05) high in rs1127354-CC genotype as compared to genotype CA whereas no significant difference was observed in ribavirin dose reduction in rs7270101 AA and non-AA genotype. Patient baseline characteristics such as age, body mass index, rs1127354-CC genotype, and baseline Hb were significantly associated with significant Hb reduction. Conclusion Pretreatment evaluation of ITPA polymorphism can be a diagnostic tool to find out patients at risk of anemia and improve treatment adherence. ITPA genotype rs1127354-CA contributes to improved compliance with ribavirin dose and protects against hemoglobin decline in HCV patients while taking ribavirin-based therapy. However, ITPA rs1127354, rs7270101 polymorphism have no significant impact on SVR achievement.

Orb web spiders are common and highly diversified animals found in almost all habitats. They have remarkable plasticity against biotic and abiotic factors, making them excellent indicators of environmental health. The web creation behavior of spiders is influenced by disturbances in the environment. The aim of this research was to observe the alteration in the web-building behavior of Neoscona vigilans caused by human activities, specifically traffic disturbances. Spider webs were located and photographed at nighttime along the roadside, and their web characteristics were calculated. Spiders were captured from webs for their body measurements. Spider fourth leg length, carapace width, and body length had a significant association with web size and diameter, CTL, capture area, and mesh size. The quantity of trapped prey, the height of the plant, and the foliage radius increased with the distance from the road. Conversely, anchor points and web elevation from the ground dropped. The highest and lowest proportions of anomalies (modifications/defects) were recorded as holes (52.7%) in 105 webs (100%) and supernumerary (0.7%) in 55 webs (52.4%), respectively. Road disturbance had a negative influence on the spider’s behavior as the webs formed in close proximity to the road had a higher frequency of anomalies, with a gradual decrease distantly. We can gain further insight into how different environmental changes, disruptions, and pollutants lead to this imperfection in the otherwise flawless perfect structure of spider webs.

Microwave couplers are used in large numbers in beamforming networks, and their miniaturization can lead to a significant size reduction in the overall phased array. While the miniaturization of 3 dB couplers in the transverse direction (width) has been given considerable attention in the literature, there is minimal to no information on reducing coupler length. This is because of the trade-off between aperture length, bandwidth and coupling strength. The Bethe–Hole theory requires adding multiple apertures in the longitudinal direction for wide bandwidth, thus increasing the device length. Another factor is the aperture size, which determines the coupling strength and puts additional strain on the compactness of a 3 dB coupler. Contrariwise, this paper proposes to merge two weak (and hence compact) coupling mechanisms to design a wideband 3 dB coupler. This is achieved by using a longitudinal rectangular slot and three cross-slots in the transverse direction. Because of weak coupling, the slot sizes are smaller than a conventional 3 dB coupler, hence yielding a device whose length is less than one guided wavelength (λg) without compromising the bandwidth. The presented coupler is 0.63 λg in length, which is smaller than the state-of-the-art while maintaining a fractional bandwidth of 37% that is comparable to half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) couplers.

The previous studies have found an association between Big Five personality traits and postpartum depression in women. The present study aimed to find out an association between Big Five personality traits and postpartum depression in a sample of Pakistani fathers. A total of 400 Pakistani fathers who had birth of a child in the past 1 month to 1 year period and had been living with their married partners were recruited purposively by using Google Form based survey from the major cities of Pakistan. The Urdu translated versions of Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were used as the main outcome measures to assess the relationship between personality traits and postpartum depression. The results found a significant negative and moderate association between Big Five personality traits and paternal postpartum depression except openness which had a weak association and neuroticism which had a positive and moderate association with PPPD (r(398) = .45). The multiple linear regression analysis found that Big Five personality traits significantly predicted paternal postpartum depression (F(5, 394) = 53.33, p = .001) except openness (B = .007, p = .98). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) found significant differences in paternal postpartum depression for age of father (F(2, 397) = 6.65, p = .001, ηp2 = .03), spouse age (F(2, 393) = 5.97, p = .003, ηp2 = .02), employment type (F(2, 395) = 9.69, p = .001, ηp2 = .04) and time spent at home (F(2, 397) = 6.23, p = .002, ηp2 = .03) while there were found no significant differences for education (F(2, 397) = 1.29, p = .27, ηp2 = .006), marital duration (F(2, 397) = 2.17, p = .11, ηp2 = .01), and birth number of recent child (F(2, 397) = 1.48, p = .22, ηp2 = .007). The study concluded that Big Five personality traits are significantly correlated with and predict paternal postpartum depression except openness which did not predict paternal postpartum depression. The occurrence of paternal postpartum depression varied significantly for age of father, age of spouse, type of employment and time spent at home.

The study was designed with the intention to explore the content, in Islamiat Textbooks of Elementary level (grades 6th-8th), that motivates students’ social skills development. Content analysis method of qualitative research to collect and analyze the data was applied. All the textbooks of Islamiat at Elementary level published by Punjab curriculum and textbook board Lahore, Pakistan; for the academic year 2020-21 served as the population of the study. The Textbooks of Islamiat were selected through purposive sampling. A checklist developed in the light of reviewed literature related to social skills, was used as a research tool to analyze the textbooks content. The checklist was also got validated from the experts of the relevant field. In order to find out social skills given in the checklist, the manifest and latent content of the selected textbooks of Islamiat was analyzed. It was found that the Islamiat textbooks contained content that motivates the development of these seven social skills: critical thinking communication, decision making, cooperation, interpersonal relationship, empathy, and creative thinking skills. However, the content of Islamiat motivated the improvement of critical thinking, creative thinking, communication and cooperation skills at low level: empathy skills at moderate level and decision making and interpersonal relationship skills at high level.

Since its inception, the Internet of Things (IoT) has witnessed mushroom growth as a breakthrough technology. In a nutshell, IoT is the integration of devices and data such that processes are automated and centralized to a certain extent. IoT is revolutionizing the way business is done and is transforming society as a whole. As this technology advances further, the need to exploit detection and weakness awareness increases to prevent unauthorized access to critical resources and business functions, thereby rendering the system unavailable. Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed DoS attacks are all too common. In this paper, we propose a Protocol Based Deep Intrusion Detection (PB-DID) architecture, in which we created a data-set of packets from IoT traffic by comparing features from the UNSWNB15 and Bot-IoT data-sets based on flow and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). We classify non-anomalous, DoS, and DDoS traffic uniquely by taking care of the problems like imbalanced and over-fitting. We have achieved a classification accuracy of 96.3% by using deep learning (DL) technique.

Objective: To find out the mediating role of challenge, uncontrollability, and stressfulness in predicting perceived stress from threat during COVID-19 pandemic in the general public. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey. Place and Duration of Study: Bahawalpur City, from Mar to May 2020. Methodology: A total of 360 participants (men=154, women=206) were recruited from different cities of Punjab province. The stress appraisal measure, perceived stress scale, and coping scale were administered through Google forms using social media platforms. The participation in the online survey implied signing the written informed consent available in the survey. Results: The primary and secondary appraisals of challenge (IE=0.84, SE=0.27, 95% LL=0.31, 95% UL=1.40), uncontrollability (IE=1.03, SE=0.36, 95% LL=0.34, 95% UL=1.76), and stressfulness (IE=-0.28, SE=0.12, 95% LL=-0.56, 95% UL=-0.08) fully mediated the relationship between threat of COVID-19 and perceived stress. Additionally, there was statistically significant positive relationship between threat of COVID-19 and use of coping strategies (r=0.14, p

Social media has always been described as the channel through which knowledge is transmitted between communities, students, and learners. This social media has been utilized by university students in a way to encourage collaborative learning and social interaction. This study explores the use of social media in the process of collaborative learning among university students in China using a survey method, a total of 583 students from different universities were surveyed in this study. Through this investigation, different factors enhancing collaborative learning among university students in the context of using social media are going to be examined. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and hierarchical regression were used to analyze the suggested hypothesis. Results show that perceived benefit, active learning, and interaction with students are significantly related to social media collaboration. However, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness have an insignificant effect on social media collaborative learning. Additionally, students’ academic self-efficacy significantly moderates the relationship between social media collaboration and learning performance. The implication and limitations of the study are also discussed in the last section.

The major objective of the research was an exploration of the impact of Head teachers’ instructional supervisory practices in Government Secondary Schools on teachers’ performance. In this descriptive research, data was collected through a survey. The population was all the female and male head-teachers and teachers of Government high secondary schools of Sargodha. Sample of 75 schools and their head teachers and 225 teachers from each school were selected by multistage random sampling technique. Two rating scales were used to collect data. Pearson r and descriptive statistics watershed for data analysis. The conclusion of the study was that there was a significant positive relationship between head teachers’ supervisory practices and teachers’ performance. On the basis of conclusion, in-service training for both the teachers and the head teachers are commended

Introduction: The integrated treatment combining phosphodiesterase-type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) and Cognitive Behavior Sex Therapy (CBST) has been shown to yield promising results in the treatment of Non Organic Erectile Dysfunction (NOED) in young men. Aim: The current study aimed to establish the efficacy of integrated treatment combining Sildenafil Citrate (SC) 50mg and CBST as a treatment of choice in young Pakistani men with NOED. Methods: One hundred thirty-seven young men were recruited to participate in the study out of 164 men referred from sexual health clinics in Pakistan. They were randomized sequentially into 4 treatment groups namely SC = 35, CBST = 34, integrated treatment = 35, and placebo = 33. 7, 4, 6, and 4 men were dropped out of each treatment group respectively. The data of 116 men were analyzed. The on demand SC 50 mg, twice weekly 50 minutes sessions and home assignments, a combination of SC and 50 minutes sessions, and placebo were administered to firsst, second, third, and fourth group respectively for a period of 12 weeks. The follow-up assessment was done after 12 weeks of post-treatment for all groups. Main Outcome Measures: The Urdu standardized versions of International Index of Erectile Functoning-5 (IIEF-5) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were the main outcome measures. Results: The mixed repeated measures analysis of co-variance yielded significant impact of both CBST and integrated treatment groups in improving IIEF-5 scores at post treatment as compared to placebo. The CBST group experienced reduction in depression scores at post treatment as compared to both SC and integrated treatment. Only the integrated treatment brought reduction in anxiety scores at post treatment as compared to SC. The covariates age and NOED duration did not significantly impact the treatment outcome for all treatment groups. Clinical Implications: The efficacy of integrated treatment approach for improving symptoms of NOED and associated depression and anxiety is strong clinical implication of the study. Strengths & Limitations: The effectiveness of integrated treatment approach in the improvement of NOED symptoms and associated depression and anxiety scores is the main strength of the study. The improvement in depression scores is the added strength of CBST component of integrated treatment approach. The study should have included other PDE5i to compare their effects with the CBST or placebo groups. Conclusion: The study concludes that the CBST and integrated treatments are treatment of choice for NOED and associated depression and anxiety in young men.Bilal A, Abbasi NH. Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial of Sildenafil Citrate, Cognitive Behavior Sex Therapy and Integrated Treatment in Men Diagnosed With Non Organic Erectile Dysfunction. Sex Med 2022;10:100464.

Introduction: An increasing number of young men have been found to develop nonorganic erectile dysfunction (NOED) in recent years. The NOED has been shown to respond better to cognitive behavior sex therapy (CBST) in a few past studies. Aim: The present research aims to establish the efficacy of CBST as a promising treatment option in young men suffering from NOED by administering a feasibility pilot trial. Methods: 28 young men (M = 31 years) out of a total of 39 men (7 excluded, 4 quit treatment) diagnosed with NOED from sexual health clinics in Pakistan were recruited to receive CBST treatment (n = 13) on average twice a week for a period of 50 minutes per session for a period of 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks for the mild, mild to moderate, moderate, and severe forms of NOED, respectively, and sildenafil citrate group (n = 15) receiving sildenafil citrate 50 mg on demand. The trial design was sequential random assignment clinical trial. Main Outcome Measures: International Index of Erectile Functoning-5 and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 were used before treatment, after treatment, and in follow-up as the main outcome measures. Results: The repeated measures analysis of covariance established a nonsignificant difference between CBST and sildenafil citrate 50 mg in NOED scores improvement, NOED severity reduction, and reduction in depression scores at posttreatment assessment. There were significant differences among different CBST modalities in improving NOED scores, reduction in NOED severity, and depression scores. There was significant difference in CBST and sildenafil citrate 50 mg in anxiety reduction at posttreatment assessment. The covariates age, age groups, and NOED duration did not significantly impact the treatment outcome for both treatment groups except age which impacted the interaction of treatment and anxiety scores. Conclusion: The CBST is an emerging and promising treatment choice in younger men suffering from NOED.Bilal A, Abbasi NuH. Cognitive Behavioral Sex Therapy: An Emerging Treatment Option for Nonorganic Erectile Dysfunction in Young Men: A Feasibility Pilot Study. J Sex Med 2020;8:396–407.

Objective: To determine the effect of age and gender on acute complications of hemodialysis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) secondary to diabetes mellitus. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicine, Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad, from Jan 2015 to Oct 2016. Methodology: Only patients who were diagnosed cases of diabetes for the last 10 years, and were aged between 30 and 65 years were included in the study. Any patient who was suspected to have chronic kidney disease due to any other cause e.g. glomerulonephritis, Polycystic Kidney Disease, analgesic abuse, atherosclerosis, Obstructive nephropathy and chronic hypertension were excluded to control confounding and bias. Results: Out of these 202 patients, 92 patients (45.54%) patients developed acute complications of hemodialysis. Hypotension was the commonest complication followed by atrial fibrillation, fever and headache. When the acute complications of hemodialysis were stratified according to sex, age and duration of chronic kidney disease, the results were statistically not significant (p 0.28, 0.34 & 0.085 respectively). Conclusion: This study showed that hypotension is the most common acute complication of hemodialysis followed by atrial fibrillation and fever. The effect of age and gender on acute complications of hemodialysis was statistically insignificant.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The Western studies had reported a change in parent child relationship during COVID-19 lockdown. The present study was conducted to assess the parental relationship with children during COVID-19 lockdown in Punjab province of Pakistan. METHODOLOGY: The study involved correlational research design. 529 parents from the Punjab province were recruited using a Google Form based questionnaire, which also contained information about the nature of the study and informed consent. The study was conducted from March 2020 to May 2020. The study was duly approved by Research Ethics Committee at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur vide No. REC/B/G-3/2020-S. The participants were required to give their consent for participation in the online study. The Child Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS) was appended to a single questionnaire to collect the data. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 25, was used for statistical analysis. The correlation analysis, t-test, and analysis of variance were used to compute results. RESULTS: The study found a statistically significant positive correlation between closeness and dependence and a positive significant but weak correlation of conflict with both closeness and dependence. The mothers had more closeness and dependence with their children as compared to fathers. There were found no age wise differences in a parental relationship for conflicts, closeness, and dependence. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that mothers had more closeness and dependence with their children as compared to fathers. Moreover, the age of parents had no effect on their relationship with children.

Abstract Background The shift towards hypercaloric diets and sedentariness has raised lifestyle related disorders and escalated health care cost. In order to tackle this epidemiological transition, healthy, affordable food choices should be introduced in the routine menu. In this context, red cabbage is known for its rich phytochemistry, minerals, antioxidant vitamins and dietary fiber. Considering these evidences, red cabbage leaves and its extract were assessed against hypercholesterolemia and associated oxidative stress. Methods In bioefficacy assessment trial (12 weeks), there were two dietary regimens; normal and hypercholesterolemic (1% cholesterol) that were further split into three groups each. In both feeding trials, red cabbage leaves (20%) and its extract in dose equivalent to red cabbage leaves were assessed against control diets. At termination of trial, serum lipidemic parameters and oxidative stress biomarkers were assessed to test the efficacy of diets. Results In hypercholesterolemic rabbits, red cabbage leaves showed significant reduction in cholesterol, LDL-c and triacylglycerol levels i.e. 15.19, 18.09 and 9.42% than extract administered groups; 10.79, 12.24 and 5.72, respectively. Besides, red cabbage leaves also portrayed momentous enhancement of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity up to 13.29 & 17.63% by lowering lipid peroxidation by 27.86% in hypercholesterolemic diet fed groups, whereas red cabbage extract administered group depicted relatively lesser amelioration in lipid peroxidation i.e. 21.42%. Conclusions Red cabbage leaves possess higher ameliorative potential against altered lipidemic profile and lipid peroxidation as compared to its extract thus explains its ability to prevent exhaustion of endogenous antioxidant enzymes; SOD and CAT.

Designer foods carrying nutraceuticals or polyphenols are in fame to address varied free radical mediated disorders. In this context, green tea extract incorporation in designer products is considered as an effective approach to improve antioxidant capacity owing to epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). In the current project, EGCG was extracted using solvent (acetone) and supercritical fluid (CO2) extraction methods. Then, EGCG was quantified in the resultant extracts via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system that showed an upper hand of EGCG in supercritical fluid extract (77.23 mg/g) as compared to acetonic extract (65.88 mg/g) at constant extraction temperature and time. In product development phase, different chicken soup prototypes were prepared such as S0 (Control soup without green tea extract), S1 (soup carrying 3% acetonic green tea extract) and S2 (soup carrying 2.5% supercritical CO2 green tea extract). The resultant products were then analyzed for physiochemical and sensory aspects during storage intervals; 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hr. Storage impacted significantly on some color values like a*, b* and chroma. The statistical analysis demonstrated obvious impact of treatments and storage on total soluble solids (TSS). Further, storage affected significantly on pH and acidity of the resultant samples. Green tea extract carrying products significantly improved TPC; S1 (46.66 ± 2.39 mg GAE/100mL) and S2 (49.19 ± 2.36 mg GAE/100mL) in contrast to control treatment (18.19 ± 0.89 mg GAE/100 mL). During storage, significant decline in TPC was noted from 39.43 ± 1.98 to 36.02 ± 1.82 mg GAE/100 mL. Moreover, considerable response of treatments was viewed on taste scores whilst, storage impacted remarkably on flavor, taste, texture and overall-acceptability, excluding organoleptic response regarding color. Conclusively, supercritical fluid green tea extract based designer chicken soup (S2) has proven its relatively better antioxidants retention, storage stability and sensory profile in comparison to conventional solvent green tea extract based soup (S1).

Abstract Background Nowadays, consumers are focusing on therapeutic diets that not only serve the purpose of basic nutrition but also possess varied ingredients to fight against free radical mediated malfunctions especially cardiac disorders and type 2 diabetes. In this context, green tea polycatechins need to be introduced in the dietary regimens as per their effective level. Keeping in view, the present study was aimed to assess the hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic potential of conventional and supercritical fluid extracted green tea polycatechins, using male Sprague Dawley rats. Methods The in vivo study was carried out for 60 days to check the response of green tea extract based diets on animal body and serum biomarkers. Three animal trials were conducted; Study I (Normal rats), Study II (hyperglycemic rats) and Study III (hypercholesterolemic rats). Each study was further sectioned into three groups based on dietary modules; control diet, functional diet (enriched with solvent extracted green tea polycatechins) and nutraceutical diet (carrying supercritical fluid extracted green tea polycatechins). Results The decrease in cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c) and glucose was viewed among all groups along with increment in high density lipoproteins-cholesterol (HDL-c) and insulin levels. Furthermore, green tea nutraceutical diet showed an upper hand in ameliorating lifestyle related disorders as compared to functional diet. Though, marked decrement in lipid biomarkers especially cholesterol (15.22%) and LDL-c (20.50%) were found in Study III (hypercholesterolemic rats), whereas highest suppression in glucose (12.71%) and improvement in insulin (8.28%) was obviously recorded in Study II (hyperglycemic rats). Conclusion Green tea polycatechins based diets have proven their efficacy in mitigating hypercholesterolemia and hyperglycemia induced by cholesterol and sucrose based dietary regimen.

This article demonstrates that the complex value of S11 of an antenna, acquired in a multi-monostatic configuration, can be used for localization of a dielectric anomaly hidden inside a dielectric background medium when the antenna is placed close (~5 mm) to the geometry. It uses an Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) imaging framework where data is acquired at multiple frequencies and look-angles. Initially, near-field scattering data are used for simulation to validate this methodology since the basic derivation of the Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm is based on the plain wave assumption. Later on, from an applications perspective, data acquisition is performed using an antipodal Vivaldi antenna that has eight constant-width slots on each arm. This antenna operates in a frequency range of 1 to 8.5 GHz and its S11 is fed to the 2D MUSIC algorithm with spatial smoothing whereas the antenna artifact and background effect are removed by subtracting the average S11 at each antenna location. Measurements reveal that this methodology gives accurate results with both homogeneous and inhomogeneous backgrounds because the size of data sub-arrays trades between the image noise and resolution, hence reducing the effect of inhomogeneity in the background. In addition to near-field ISAR imaging, this study can be used in the ongoing research on breast tumors and brain stroke detection, among others.

Background: Genome wide association studies elucidate that IL28B rs12979860 genetic polymorphism has a substantial role as a pretreatment predictor during PEG-IFN therapy in Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, however its role in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is ambiguous. Methods: In this study, we have investigated the role of IL28B variant rs12979860 for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. 200 CHB patients were treated for 24 weeks, then we carried out our study on these patients. Moreover, all patients were investigated for IL28B rs12979860 genotypes CC, CT, TT through RT-PCR. Based on our preliminary results we categorized these patients into two groups i.e. Responder ¢R (n = 104) and Non-responder¢NR (n = 96). Results: The proportion of IL28B CC, CT, TT genotypes were in both responder and non-responder groups as (72.1%, 25.0%, 2.9% vs 53.1%, 40.6%, 6.2% respectively; P = 0.02). In this study CC was the most frequent genotype, which has significant outcome in PEG-IFN therapy in both R and NR groups (72.1% vs 53.1%) (P = 0.03), while CT and TT were found as (25.0% vs 40.6%) (P = 0.1, 2.09% vs 6.2%) (P = 0.3) respectively. Conclusion: Current study clearly demonstrates that IL28B rs12979860 polymorphism is a pretreatment predictor during PEG-IFN therapy in CHB infection, and patients with favorable genotype of rs12979860 (CC) may clear the virus than the non-favorable genotypes (CT, TT) in Pakistani population.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Cervical spondylosis is a general terminology used for degeneration of inter vertebral disc. Ultrasound (US) are high frequency sound waves which are generated when electrical energy is converted into mechanical vibrations by piezoelectric crystal present in ultrasound probe. Phonophoresis is a technique by which therapeutic ultrasound is used to introduce pharmacologic agents, usually anti-inflammatory or analgesic drugs, through intact skin into the subcutaneous tissues. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this purposed study was to check the effectiveness of ibuprofen and methyl salicylate with therapeutic ultrasound in patients with neck pain due to cervical spondylosis. The other objective was to check which treatment is best so it can improve the activities of the daily living (ADLs) of the patients. STUDY DESIGN: It was a Randomized Control Trial (Comparative Interventional Study), conducted at Madina Physical Therapy Clinical Services, Allied Hospital Faisalabad, District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) and Aziz Fatima Hospital Faisalabad. METHODOLOGY: The participants were selected by convenient sampling technique, who were neck pain patients diagnosed with cervical spondylosis. The sample size was 80 patients divided into two groups. Group A was treatment group and received phonophoresis with ibuprofen and methyl salicylate. Group B was control and received ultrasound intervention with aqueous gel. The treatment duration was 2 months with 3 sessions per week. The pain intensity was measured by visual analogue scale (VAS) and functional level was measured neck disability index (NDI) before and after the conclusion of treatment. RESULTS: Pain mean before treatment of ibuprofen and methyl salicylate group was 7.3939±1.67592 and 7.8182±1.07397 in ultrasonic with aqueous gel group. After treatment pain mean was decreased to 1.8788±1.31714 in ibuprofen and methyl salicylate phonophoresis group and 5.0606±1.19738 in ultrasound with aqueous gel group. Functional level was also improved in ibuprofen and methyl salicylate phonophoresis group as compared to ultrasound group. CONCLUSION: It is concluded from the results that neck pain was decreased markedly of patients who received phonophoresis with ibuprofen and methyl salicylate as compared to patients who received ultrasound treatment with aqueous gel.

Television commercials are generally produced in two different styles: in argumentative manner, and in narrative style. In argumentative style various attributes of the product are shown in a logical manner; whilst narrative style is more towards storytelling and product is presented as a part of the story. Generally around the globe, and particularly in Pakistan argumentative style has always been in fashion. Particularly in the earlier years advertisements are considered to be a logical way to present the key characteristics of a product to its consumers. Mostly, this straight forward approach is because advertising is still at its infancy in Pakistan; however, in the last five years, a shift from the argumentative to narrative can be observed. This research paper reviews the some of the television advertisements, and examines these to study the shift in the trends of advertisements.

Abstract An intelligent video surveillance system is crucial to enhance public safety, crime prevention, traffic, and crowd management in a smart city milieu. Situational awareness is an essential aspect of these surveillance systems and it is inferred through underlying context aware frameworks. However, these systems may not possess the ability to proactively disseminate the real‐time context among its sensor nodes. Moreover, in the specific conditions of occurrence of related or repeated events, these systems may also perform inefficiently through afresh context processing and disseminate cycles, without learning from the relevant context that has already been occurred and processed by the system. It leads to deteriorated performance, especially delay in reaction, overwhelmed processing, and energy expenditures. Therefore, to counter such issues, this research work proposes an energy efficient situational aware framework deployed in visual sensors network that is incorporated with context associative learning. System observes currently occurring context at each instance of an event. Overtime, context is refined and stored in context database. Such mechanism empowers the system to learn from previous experiences and develop relationship among the subsequent events that is embedded through this associative (adaptive) learning. Eventually, each event is processed through intelligent resource allocation, supported through mechanism of context learning that further illustrates the independent functions of reduced processing and improved (rapid) decision making resulting in evolution of energy efficient computing paradigm. Ultimately, the capability of learned reflex‐action is induced through introspectively evolved context of the system in entirety and against specific condition of recurred situation depicting minimum energy expenditure.

Graph energy is defined to be the p-norm of adjacency matrix associated to the graph for p = 1 elaborated as the sum of the absolute eigenvalues of adjacency matrix. The graph’s spectral radius represents the adjacency matrix’s largest absolute eigenvalue. Applications for graph energies and spectral radii can be found in both molecular computing and computer science. On similar lines, Inverse Sum Indeg, (ISI) energies, and (ISI) spectral radii can be constructed. This article’s main focus is the ISI energies, and ISI spectral radii of the generalized splitting and shadow graphs constructed on any regular graph. These graphs can be representation of many physical models like networks, molecules and macromolecules, chains or channels. We actually compute the relations about the ISI energies and ISI spectral radii of the newly created graphs to those of the original graph.

New results relating to the maximum and minimum degree spectral radii of generalized splitting and shadow graphs have been constructed on the basis of any regular graph, referred as base graph. In particular, we establish the relations of extreme degree spectral radii of generalized splitting and shadow graphs of any regular graph.

Abstract The sinkhole attacks for Internet of Things (IoT) situations can overcome the network and interrupt communication. Sinkhole attacker nodes can advertise the best possible shortest path towards the destination, and once the normal node starts transferring the packets by the given path, the attacker node starts troublemaking the flow of the network. In this environment, the destination is unable to receive proper information or may not receive complete information. Sinkhole attacked network keeps the problems like the enhanced end‐to‐end delay, less throughput, and reduced packet delivery. Furthermore, it can affect other network constraints. So, it has become important to design an effective model to prevent the IoT environment from sinkhole attacks. In this article, an intrusion detection model is proposed to protect the IoT environment from sinkhole attacks. A model proposed by using rich resourced edge nodes to detect various kinds of sinkhole attacker nodes by exchanging messages. A well‐known NS2 simulator is used for the practical implementation of the model. The proposed model attains more than 95% detection rate with a near about 1.4% false‐positive rate, which seems better than previously given schemes. Finally, the proposed scheme is the appropriate match for a sensitive platform like a monitoring and security system.

Quick response codes (QRCs) are found on many consumer products and often encode security information. However, information retrieval at receiving end may become challenging due to the degraded clarity of QRC images. This degradation may occur because of the transmission of digital images over noise channels or limited printing technology. Although the ability to reduce noises is critical, it is just as important to define the type and quantity of noises present in QRC images. Therefore, this study proposed a simple deep learning-based architecture to segregate the image as either an original (normal) QRC or a noisy QRC and identifies the noise type present in the image. For this, the study is divided into two stages. Firstly, it generated a QRC image dataset of 80,000 images by introducing seven different noises (speckle, salt & pepper, Poisson, pepper, localvar, salt, and Gaussian) to the original QRC images. Secondly, the generated dataset is fed to train the proposed convolutional neural network (CNN)-based model, seventeen pre-trained deep learning models, and two classical machine learning algorithms (Naïve Bayes (NB) and Decision Tree (DT)). XceptionNet attained the highest accuracy (87.48%) and kappa (85.7%). However, it is worth noting that the proposed CNN network with few layers competes with the state-of-the-art models and attained near to best accuracy (86.75%). Furthermore, detailed analysis shows that all models failed to classify images having Gaussian and Localvar noises correctly.

Some studies with Western men have shown promising results for the efficacy of cognitive behavior sex therapy (CBST) in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The two randomized controlled trials were conducted to assess the efficacy of CBST as a treatment of choice for young men with non-organic erectile dysfunction (NOED). The two randomized controlled trials were run to assess the efficacy of CBST and integrated treatment approaches for the treatment of NOED in young Pakistani men. The two studies were registered with ClinicalTrials.gov vide No. NCT04179747 and NCT04126252. The sex therapy techniques were combined with cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness to develop an indigenous approach for the treatment of NOED in young Pakistani men. The CBST significantly improved International Index of Erectile Functioning-5 scores in two studies. The CBST also decreased depression scores associated with NOED. The CBST is a treatment of choice for young Pakistani men with NOED. The CBST is also significant in improving the mental health conditions associated with NOED.

The present article presents some new results relating to Atomic Bond Connectivity energies and Spectral radii of generalized splitting and generalized shadow graphs constructed on the basis of some fundamental families of cycle graph Cn, complete graph Kn and complete bipartite graph Kn,n referred as base graphs. In fact we relate the energies and Spectral radii of splitting and shadow graphs with the energies and Spectral radii of original graphs.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Self-esteem and optimism are important for students’ success. Our objectives were (a) to determine self-esteem and life-orientation (optimism) levels among Optometry students in the Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences at the University of Lahore (UoL) (b) to investigate associations between sociodemographic factors, self-esteem, and optimism. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was conducted during November 2021 to December 2021 at the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, UoL. A total of 168 Optometry students were recruited by convenience sampling. Self-esteem was estimated using Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire. Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) questionnaire was used to measure optimism. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the UoL. Chi-square was used to determine associations between sociodemographic variables, self-esteem, and optimism. RESULTS: Mean self-esteem score was 18.48±3.86 (range:8-30). About 20% of students had low self-esteem. The mean life orientation score was 14.15±2.8 (range:5-24). About 43% of students had low optimism. Significant associations were found between self-esteem, reason of admission in the Optometry program with p-value=0.001, family income p=0.037 , choice of the Optometry program p=0.036, and reason of admission in the Optometry program 0.032. CONCLUSION: Low self-esteem and low optimism have been observed among a significant percentage of Optometry students at the UoL. Reason of admission in the Optometry program and family income were significantly associated factors. Students’ own decision to choose a study program may increase their self-esteem and optimism. Financial assistance for students from the low socioeconomic background may be a positive approach to boost their self-esteem and optimism. Teachers, parents, and counselors should support the students to increase their self-esteem and optimism.

Abstract Background Flaxseed has emerged as a potential source of bioactive components that can be utilized in routine diet to address lifestyle disorders. Methods In this context, three studies were carried out on the basis of induction therapies i.e. Study I (Normal diet), Study II (Hyperglycemic diet; 40% sucrose) and Study III (Hypercholesterolemic diet; 1.5% cholesterol) using Sprague Dawley rats. Each study was further split into three groups based on diets; Control (free from flaxseed powder or extract), Functional diet (incorporation of flaxseed powder; 10%) and Nutraceutical diet (inclusion of ethanolic extract of flaxseed; 5%). During experimental period, hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic parameters were evaluated alongside, alterations in hematological aspects were also assessed. Results Feed intake and body weight demonstrated significant response (p

With the increasing volume of mental health illness in Pakistan, there is always a need to develop effective methods for the amelioration of those mental illness. The modern science and technology have resulted in the development of sophisticated techniques and methods in the form of both psychotropic medicines, and psychotherapy to aid the mentally ill recover from mental illness. But the Western developed methods and techniques do not fully encompass the social aspects inherent in mentally ill people in Muslim societies. The need for the introduction and integration of Muslim form of psychotherapy is utmost and can not be ignored. The Muslim form of psychotherapy is built upon the Islamic teachings and principles and employs techniques such as meditation, reading, and performing religious duties. The goal of such Islamic techniques is to restore the equilibrium and make the mentally ill person to regain meanings in life by exploring knowledge and redefining one’s relationship with Allah. Allah is the supreme authority and chief therapist in Islamic model. The psychotherapist facilitates the mentally ill person find the lost meaning and to follow the right path towards utilizing one’s full potential.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The previous studies had found a significant relationship among positive emotions, academic self-efficacy (ASE), self-regulated learning (SRL), and satisfaction with life (SWL). The present study was conducted to predict SWL from positive emotions and SRL in medical students. METHODOLOGY: The study involved a cross-sectional survey research design. Three hundred medical students from the three medical colleges in Bahawalpur, Lodhran, and Sahiwal were randomly recruited to participate in the study from October 2019 to January 2020. Research Ethics Committee duly approved the study at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur vide No. REC/B-31/2019-F. All the participants filled the necessary informed consent form. Four Likert type scales (a) Dispositional Positive Emotions Scale, (b) Academic Self Efficacy Scale, (c) Efficacy for Self Regulated Learning Scale, and (d) Satisfaction with Life Scale were appended to a single questionnaire to collect the data. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 25, was used for statistical analysis. The correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and analysis of variance were used to compute results. RESULTS: The study found a statistically significant positive correlation among positive emotions, ASE, SRL, and SWL in medical students. The positive emotions and SRL significantly predicted SWL while ASE did not significantly predict SWL in medical students. The 4th and 5th-year students showed more positive emotions, and students of 1st and 4th years showed more SRL than students of other years. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that both positive emotions and SRL significantly predicted SWL in medical students. There were found significant year-wise differences in both positive emotions and SRL.

This abstract gives the case description of a married woman in her 30s who suffered from persistent genital arousal disorder for a decade. This paper reviews the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in the management of her disorder. The client had been reported as experiencing persistent genital arousal, vaginal engorgement, accompanied by feelings of distress, irritability and psychosocial impairment. She had a history of marital discord with her husband as well and never get sexual satisfaction. Besides, she had also suffered from dysthymia for the last eight years. She was prescribed antidepressants for dysthymia and local anesthetic ointment for genital irritability. She appeared normal in her medical evaluations. She reported mild relief in her genital arousal and dysthymia in response to psychiatric medication. She was treated with MBCT for a period of six months. Six months periodical follow-up reported a moderate improvement in symptoms of dysthymia, distress, and persistent genital arousal. She had been advised to see her therapist at regular intervals for periodic evaluation and administration of MBCT. She has been instructed to practice mindfulness exercises on her home regularly to keep the effects intact.

Background: Some studies have reported methodological flaws and shortcomings in the International Index of Erectile Functioning-5 (IIEF-5) which is a self-report measure for the assessment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Aim: The aim of this research is to point out methodological flaws and shortcomings in IIEF-5 when used with Pakistani men. Settings and Design: Two independent clinical trials were run to assess the efficacy of different forms of treatment for ED in young Pakistani men. Materials and Methods: The IIEF-5 in Urdu version was employed to diagnose and assess the severity of ED in young men at 3 time points. Results and Conclusions: Several flaws and shortcomings were noted including the unidimensionality of the scale, categorization of the scale into severity categories based on cutoff points, the inability of the scale to differentiate between organic and nonorganic ED, double barrel item statement, and lack of standardized translation in local or regional languages of Pakistan. The validity of IIEF-5 can be increased if the above-mentioned flaws and shortcomings are addressed.

Abstract Background: Marital satisfaction is an integral part of the life of Pakistani women. Married women cannot get satisfied with their lives without marital satisfaction. But previous studies hint at the possible role of sexual satisfaction in addition to marital satisfaction to bring about overall satisfaction with life in married women. Aims: This study was designed with an objective to assess the mediating role of sexual satisfaction in marital satisfaction as a predictor and satisfaction with life as an outcome in married Pakistani women. Previous studies have demonstrated a possible link among marital satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and satisfaction with life. Settings and Design: One hundred married women of childbearing age (18-48 years, M = 29 years) were recruited by a convenient sampling method from the three hospitals of Bahawalpur in the South Punjab state of Pakistan. Methods and Material: Three questionnaires (a) Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale; (b) Index of Sexual Satisfaction, and (c) Satisfaction with Life Scale, were administered to collect the data. Statistical Analysis: The results were analyzed by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM, USA), version 25, and Process Macro, version 3.4, and expressed in the form of descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, and frequencies), mediation analysis, analysis of co-variance, analysis of variance and t test. Results and Conclusion: The unstandardized indirect effects yielded a significant mediation (IE = 0.4757, SE = 0.1786, P < .05, LL = 0.1736, UL = 0.8681). The sexual satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between marital satisfaction and satisfaction with life in married women. It was concluded that married women cannot get marital satisfaction and satisfaction with life without a satisfied sexual life.

Purpose. We report a case of a 1-year-old girl who was referred to us with a cerebellar anomaly and delayed growth and development for bilateral ptosis and poor fixation. Based on our ophthalmologic examination, we concluded that she has bilateral persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) with morning glory syndrome (MGS). A closer look into her neurologic condition revealed that she has Joubert’s syndrome. Observations. External examination revealed bilateral symmetrical ptosis with syndromic facies and her fundus examination revealed a large dysplastic optic disc with anomalous radiating vessels and a fibrous tissue tuft originating from the disc. The left eye showed similar findings in addition to a central excavation and a fibrovascular stalk extending from the optic disc. These findings were consistent with bilateral MGS and bilateral PFV. The brain imaging included a computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging, both of which revealed a “molar tooth appearance” of the midbrain and an anomalous cerebellum suggestive of Joubert’s syndrome. Conclusions and Importance. This is the first case report of a case of bilateral MGS and bilateral PFV associated with Joubert’s syndrome. This case report documents the associated optic nerve disease in these patients, not previously described, which are additive causes of visual compromise in addition to the brain insult.

The Palmyra's chain, is one of the Syrian strategic petroleum regions. Thus the petroleum companies were interested by this structure through the petro-service contracts. This study focused on petroleum potential of the Mizozoic formations in the N-Palmyra. The formation thickness variations have permitted to estimate this potentiality relating to: Kurachina dolomite, Butma, Al- Haramon, and Rutba formations. In the other side, the other formations are poor. Also, through the results of executed studies, using the time- map data and the seismic profiles analysis, a new promising structure, El Khashabia, is proposed. In this structure a new well is suggested, which must be promising as petroleum potential.

Television commercials are generally produced in two different styles: in argumentative manner, and in narrative style. In argumentative style various attributes of the product are shown in a logical manner; whilst narrative style is more towards storytelling and product is presented as a part of the story. Generally around the globe, and particularly in Pakistan argumentative style has always been in fashion. Particularly in the earlier years advertisements are considered to be a logical way to present the key characteristics of a product to its consumers. Mostly, this straight forward approach is because advertising is still at its infancy in Pakistan; however, in the last five years, a shift from the argumentative to narrative can be observed. This research paper reviews the some of the television advertisements, and examines these to study the shift in the trends of advertisements.