Search

EFL teachers working in Saudi Arabian universities are often from different social, cultural and academic backgrounds. The factors that affect their self-efficacy can vary from one teacher to another because of their different social and cultural associations. This research is carried out in the light of the existing literature to determine some of the factors and variables which may influence the level of EFL teachers' self-efficacy who teach at the universities in Saudi Arabia. Some of the factors are related to the personal traits of the teachers such as competence, experience, flexibility, hard work, perseverance, motivation, attitude, self-efficacy, resourcefulness and how they see themselves as teachers; whereas others are associated with their cultural, social and academic background, the working environment of an organization, and the attitudes of learners. Teacher self-efficacy is prone to be affected either negatively or positively by all these factors.

The nature of supervisory relationship is dynamic that changes over the course of candidacy. Subsequently, the supervision demands of supervisees also change to help them in performing certain tasks at specific research stages. In this context, this research is proposed to investigate the supervision experiences of supervisees in four different research stages (i.e. Stage 1: developing synopsis, Stage 2: collecting data, Stage 3: writing thesis and Stage 4: submitted thesis). In the light of six supervision aspects (i.e. Project management, Intellectual support, pertinent research skills, Inter-personal communication skills, Workload management and Supportive skills) the quality of supervision was assessed from supervisees' perspective. Cross-sectional survey design was used to assess the supervision experiences of (N=422) supervisees in four distinct stages of research supervision. The data were collected from 12 public and private universities of the Punjab. For this study, a multi-sectioned, self-constructed Supervisor-Supervisee Relationship Questionnaire (Saleem, 2014) was used. The findings of the study highlighted the need to train the supervisors to manage their time not just in terms of teaching and supervision of research students, but also keeping the stages of their research in mind. By addressing the stage specific needs of supervisees the quality of supervision could be improved.

ROP small GTPases function as signaling hubs that mediate various physiological processes, including plant defense. Their specific roles in strawberry resistance against gray mold remain uncharacterized. In this study, we identified 53 ROP genes across the genomes of six Rosaceae species. Based on sequence homology, they were classified into three distinct phylogenetic clades. Detailed analysis of FveROP proteins revealed the presence of highly conserved catalytic G-domains, which are essential for their GTPase activity. By conducting transient overexpression experiments in strawberry fruits challenged with the gray mold pathogen Botrytis cinerea, we investigated the impact of the FveROP4 gene on disease resistance. The overexpression of both wild-type and constitutively active forms of FveROP4 enhanced resistance against B. cinerea infection. Subsequent analysis revealed that overexpression of FveROP4 and FveCAROP4 genes led to increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Moreover, FveROP4 was localized on the plasma membrane, where it interacted directly with FveRBOHF1, corroborating the results obtained through yeast two-hybrid and luciferase complementation imaging assays. The study findings may provide valuable insights for investigating the mechanisms of ROP signaling in regulating the immune response in strawberries and could significantly contribute to strawberry breeding programs aimed at developing new cultivars with enhanced fruit shelf life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the frequency and pattern of thyroid dysfunction in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Endocrinology, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore Pakistan, from Jan from Jun 2017. Methodology: Seventy-seven patients diagnosed with PCOS, based on Rotterdam criteria, were enrolled in the study. Thyroid function status was evaluated using measurement of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free T3, T4 and anti-thyroperoxidase (anti-TPO) antibodies. Results: The mean age of the study population was 29.0±9.2 years. Out of 77 females with PCOS, 63(81.8%) were euthyroid, five (6.5%) patients were diagnosed with primary hypothyroidism, and nine (11.7%) were found to have subclinical hypothyroidism. Anti-TPO antibodies were detected in 18 patients (23.4%), including 12(19.0%) euthyroid females. Conclusion: Thyroid dysfunction was found among patients with PCOS. Evidence of autoimmunity was seen even in euthyroid patients.

Despite the growing salience of the Pakistan-China and US-Indian alliances, Pakistan-US relations continue to be a valuable enhancement both to stability and to Washington's influence in South Asia. The United States contributes to Pakistan's national security, just as Pakistan reciprocates in those areas where the U.S.-Indian relationship has its limitations. Pakistan also helps play a stabilizing effect on the US-China rivalry, despite Islamabad's close association with Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lyme borreliosis is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu leto. This disease has been recently reported in Pakistan but the efficacy of different antibiotics against it has not been tested. Therefore, this study was aimed at evaluating the efficacy of different antibiotics in curing this disease under field conditions and ascertaining the role of C-reactive protein as a prognostic agent in Borrelia-positive dogs. For this purpose, twenty-four dogs of different breeds were used in the study. These dogs were found Borrelia positive on PCR and equally divided into four groups (n=6). Group A was treated with doxycycline @ 10mg/Kg, B with azithromycin @ 20mg/Kg and C with clindamycin @ 11mg/Kg, and D with amoxicillin @2mg/Kg. All drugs were administered orally in different forms, i.e., tablet, capsule, or suspension as per the availability. Five clinical biomarkers including fever, anorexia, arthritis, lameness, and lymphadenopathy were used to declare the status of the disease at days zero, 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th. Serum samples were also collected on the same days for determining C-reactive protein (CRP) values. The results of clinical biomarkers showed that doxycycline cured the dogs immediately when checked on the 7th day followed by amoxicillin on the 21st day; whereas dogs treated with azithromycin and clindamycin did not show promising results. Besides, results of CRP showed that doxycycline had significantly (p < 0.05) greater efficacy than Azithromycin till the end of the trial and clindamycin till the 21st day. However, the comparative efficacy of doxycycline and amoxicillin showed a significantly (p < 0.05) greater efficacy of the former till the 7th day. These results have proved that doxycycline is the best drug, followed by amoxicillin, to treat dogs suffering from Lyme borreliosis. Moreover, it is also ascertained that CRP can be effectively used to monitor the prognosis of Lyme borreliosis in pet dogs. These results will be helpful for the pet clinicians and veterinarians working to diagnose, treat, and monitor Lyme borreliosis under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To procure inequalities for divergences between probability distributions, Jensen’s inequality is the key to success. Shannon, Relative and Zipf-Mandelbrot entropies have many applications in many applied sciences, such as, in information theory, biology and economics, etc. We consider discrete and continuous cyclic refinements of Jensen’s inequality and extend them from convex function to higher order convex function by means of different new Green functions by employing Hermite interpolating polynomial whose error term is approximated by Peano’s kernal. As an application of our obtained results, we give new bounds for Shannon, Relative and Zipf-Mandelbrot entropies.

Background: Publics’ attitudes and approach towards mental illness highly influence their behaviors in the way they treat, support, and help a person facing challenges of mental health. Objective: the current study envisioned to evaluate the literate and informally educated community person’s attitude toward Psychiatric disorders and individuals with mental health challenges in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: The current study utilized a descriptive survey research methodology. Data was collected from various areas of Karachi city, using the attitude Scale for Mental Illness (ASMI), which has also been used In numerous studies conducted globally. A total of 189 communityliterate and informal educated people were recruited from different areas. Results: on the Separatism, Restrictiveness, and Stereotyping sub-scales, similar positive results of literate people and informal educated people agreed with the statement. Significant differences were noted in the Pessimistic Prediction sub scale. A greater proportion of individuals with informal education people (72.5%) than literate (51.2%) felt (χ²=8.204, p<0.005). Stigmatization sub-scale: it’s a pleasant response that more than two-thirds of literate (74.1%) and informal educated people (79%) disagree. On the Benevolence sub-scale: almost half of the literate (45.6%) and more than half of informal educated community people (61.3%). They also concurred that there exists bias against individuals with mental illness (χ²=8.103, p<0.357). Conclusion: literate and informal educated people were showing similar positive attitudes on some subscales towards people with a mental illness but on some subscales, both groups were showing negative attitudes regarding individuals with mental illness warrant additional investigation, including the exploration of the impacts of educational interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The January 16, 2024, missile and drone strike by Iran against alleged sanctuaries of Jaish al-Adl inside Pakistan’s province of Baluchistan provoked a short crisis between Islamabad and Tehran, culminating in retaliation by Pakistan on January 18, 2024. The lack of close coordination on their shared frontier, amidst severe issues of drug trafficking from Afghanistan, terrorism in Baluchistan, and Iranian concerns about infiltration, undermined a mutual understanding between these two countries. Pakistan was entirely surprised, never having been attacked by Iran before. Despite the strike during the election campaign to determine Pakistan’s next governing party and executive, Islamabad resisted retaliation until it failed to elicit a conciliatory explanation from Tehran. Iran’s attack was most likely the result of a hardline foreign policy initiative decided and implemented by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as part of its escalating conflict with Israel and the defence of the Houthis in Yemen. Following Pakistan’s measured and proportionate response, Tehran and Islamabad, encouraged by China, the US, Russia, and Türkiye, diplomatically defused the tension, and bilateral relations normalised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary hyperhidrosis is a disorder of profuse sweating which negatively influences a patient's quality of life and is caused because of over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system. It was believed that hyperhidrosis is a condition limited to only anxious individuals; however, this hypothesis is discredited now. It has been found that people with a positive family history of primary hyperhidrosis are likely to suffer from this condition, suggesting a strong genetic basis. Genetic analysis has revealed a dominant autosomal pattern of inheritance with a variable degree of penetrance and is a sex-independent trait. It is a heterogeneous condition both genetically and clinically as different studies revealed variable genetics and clinical factors. There are no proper criteria for diagnosis as it is not treated as disease by most affected persons. Various studies revealed opposing results in localizing disease gene loci, so further genetic research is needed to pinpoint genes responsible for causing this debilitating condition. Gene expression profiling of human anxiety-causing genes in hyperhidrotic sufferers will also help to devise new treatment modalities. This review highlights the current genetic studies on hyperhidrosis, which may prove to be helpful in understanding the molecular mechanism governing hyperhidrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Temporo-mandibular dysfunction" is a terminology that is used to refer a broad/ wide range of interconnected conditions which affecting the Temporo-mandibular joint, muscles involve in the process of chewing, and clogging up of the joint. Cervical spine dysfunction is related with the temporomandibular joint dysfunction. To find out the association of temporomandibular joint dysfunction with the cervical spine pain. METHODOLOGY: The study, conducted at Al-Hamd Institute of Physiotherapy & Health Sciences, Karachi involved 145 participants aged 18-30 years, with 145 samples in 3 months ranges February 09 to May 09, 2023 after the approval of research study from Ethical research committee. Numeric Pain Rating Scale and Questionnaire form for TMD were used. Results were analyzed using SPSS version 22, and interpreted using frequency and tables.RESULTS: The test statistics of the cervical spine pain and chewing difficulty, uncomfortable bite, temple pain, and noises from the dysfunctional jaw (a = 10.898, a = 35.446, a = 18.813, and a = 14.345 respectively) have a p value of 0.000, which was less than the normal and standard p value of 0.05. So, there is association present between neck pain and chewing difficulty, uncomfortable bite, temple pain and noises from the dysfunctional jaw. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that there is positive association between the pain in the cervical-region and resistance in chewing, uncomfortable feelings during bite, pain in the temple region, and noises from the jaw. But there is negative association present between the neck pain and locking sensation of the jaw. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is the etiological agent of Lyme disease. We investigated presence of B. burgdorferi s.l. in 600 pet dogs and 391 tick pools using PCR assay and sequencing in the Lahore City Metropolitan Area, Pakistan. Potential association of various risk factors with occurrence of Lyme borreliosis was also estimated via univariate and multivariate logistic regression. From each dog, blood and tick samples were collected and then tick species were identified. DNA extraction was followed by detection of 16S rRNA signature gene using B. burgdorferi s.l. specific primers through conventional PCR. We found that 4.3% dogs and 8.9% tick pools were positive for B. burgdorferi s.l. Rhipicephalus sanguineus (86.5%) was the most abundant tick species. 57.1% I. gibbosus and 8.4% R. sanguineus pools tested positive for B. burgdorferi s.l. Phylogenetically, our sequences clustered with B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. bavariensis, B. garinii, and B. bissettii sequences sourced from different hosts worldwide. Sequences showed 40.2%-99.1% sequences identity among them and 39%–98.3% with previously reported sequences on NCBI GenBank. Our sequences were submitted in NCBI GenBank under accession numbers MW547399-MW547405. Four animal-related: age (p=0.03), weight (p<0.05), sex (p=0.03), and breed (p<0.05), while three management-related risk factors: type of housing (p<0.05), tick infestation (p=0.007), and travel history (p=0.003) were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with occurrence of Lyme borreliosis. This is the first report on the presence of B. burgdorferi s.l. in Pakistan indicating the need for more comprehensive molecular surveys to estimate its prevalence in wider geographical areas and additional animal species as well as human population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological advancements and tactical applications have always played a significant role in determining the outcomes of military conflicts. The emergence of Hypersonic Weapon Systems is considered a game-changer in contemporary and future warfare, as it can potentially dominate the early stages of conflict. Major powers like the US, China and Russia are pursuing technological superiority by developing hypersonic weapons, which could undermine conventional strategic capabilities and render even the most advanced air and missile defences obsolete. However, there has been limited discussion on the impact of deploying hypersonic weapons in the Indian Ocean region and its implications on strategic stability in the Pakistan-India military matrix. This paper examines the induction of hypersonic weapons by the Indian Navy, utilising insights from security dilemma and conventional deterrence theories to navigate the complex strategic landscape in the region. It contributes to the ongoing debate on the relationship between the arms race and conventional deterrence in Pakistan and India, highlighting the risks of an arms race in the Indian Ocean region. Without strategic dialogue on regulating hypersonic weapons systems, the chances of escalation and conflict could increase significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During surveys of chikoo (Manilkara zapota L. van Royen) plantation at Saedabad, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, several soil sample analysis revealed one new and one known free-living soil nematode species, Neorhabditis andrassyii n. sp., and Poikilolaimus oxycercus which represents a new record of this species from Pakistan. Neorhabditis andrassyii n. sp. is characterized by having male (1109-1222) µm long body, spicules 32-44 µm long, gubernaculum slightly curved, boat shaped with flat distal end eight pairs of bursal papillae were present. Tail (46-68) µm long conical with fine tip, leptoderan bursa. Female 1223-1742 µm long, anterior to middle vulva 48.7 (37-55) % tail filiform 156-206 µm long, 7-18.7 times as anal body width long. Detailed taxonomical studies of new species are given with measurements, descriptions, illustrations and photomicrophotographs along with brief description, measurements and microphotographs of Poikilolaimus oxycercus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipelines exhibit a magnetic anisotropy with the easy axis in the axial direction of the pipe. Three different types of steel API 5L (X52, X56, X60) obtained from out-of-service pipeline sections were investigated with respect to their microstructure, magnetic properties, and magnetostriction. In order to measure the magnetic properties samples were cut parallel as well as perpendicular to the pipe axis. The investigated steels contain 98% iron and 2% of additive elements like Mn, Si, C, and traces of others. The microstructure of steel types X52 exhibited banding along the rolling direction, whereas that of the X56 and X60 steels was negligible. The grain size was between 10 and 25 [micro]m. A similar grain size was observed by raster electron microscopy. The size of the magnetic domains was several micrometers which is distinctly smaller than the observed grain size. The saturation polarization was 2.07 [+ or -] 0.01 T which is 2% below that of pure Fe. Hysteresis loops were measured in a magnetically closed circuit. Saturation in the transversal direction was significantly more difficult to achieve than in the parallel direction. The loops showed clearly the effect of texture induced anisotropy. The stress sensitivity of the loop is caused by the magnetoelastic energy. The ratio of [J.sub.r]/[J.sub.s] was below the theoretical value of 0.75 for a cubic isotropic material indicating also the presence of a texture. These results are in agreement with the texture as observed in the microstructure and with the magnetostriction measurements (longitudinal and transversal) which also showed higher values in the transversal direction. Index Terms--Hysteresis, nondestructive testing, steel.

Post-anthesis drought poses a significant threat to wheat productivity on a global scale. To assess the performance of wheat genotypes under differing moisture regimes, a study was conducted at Agricultural University, Peshawar, using 24 advanced wheat lines alongside four check cultivars grown in irrigated (normal) and rainfed (stress) conditions. All measured traits, except grain weight per seed, showed significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) amid environments. There was also substantial genetic variation among the wheat lines for all traits with significant genotype × environment interactions, particularly for spike production and grain yield. Compared to irrigated conditions, rainfed conditions caused significant reductions in studied traits in all genotypes. This included a decrease of 117 spikes m-2, 7.0 grains spike-1, and a grain yield decline of 399 kg ha-1. Our results revealed that three stress selection indices, mean productivity (MP), geometric mean productivity (GMP), and stress tolerance index (STI), were most efficient in identifying adaptable wheat varieties that performed well under both irrigated and rainfed conditions. Selection based on trait index (TI) demonstrated effectiveness solely for grains spike-1 and 1000-grain weight under both conditions. On the contrary, selection based on tolerance (TOL) and trait stability index (TSI) proved most effective for grain yield, irrespective of the environmental conditions. These findings highlight the efficacy of TOL and TSI as primary criteria for genotype selection under irrigated conditions, whereas TI emerges as a appropriate criterion for rainfed environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]