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BackgroundRabies, caused by the rhabdovirus, is a fatal zoonotic disease with over 59,000 annual deaths globally. Asia and Africa account for 95%, with India leading, followed by China. In Pakistan, where it's endemic, over 50,000 cases are reported yearly. Controlling rabid dog populations through vaccination is crucial in curbing mortality. This research aimed to evaluate healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning rabies in Peshawar, Pakistan.MethodsThe study was conducted at different tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar, Pakistan from 16 August 2021 to 15 February 2022. Cross-sectional research was conducted to gather data from a total of 100 healthcare workers representing different sections within the healthcare field, including Medical Officers, House Officers, Faculty Staff, Nurses, and Paramedics. Data on knowledge, attitudes, and practices about rabies were collected using a standardized questionnaire. The data analysis included using descriptive statistics and chi-square testing to ascertain potential correlations.ResultsAmong the healthcare professionals, 68 (68%) were males, and 32 (32%) were females. Profession-wise, the included professionals were Nurses 31 (31%), Medical Officers 27 (27%), House officers 26 (26%), paramedical staff 13 (13%), and faculty staff 3 (3%). 91 (91%) and 9 (9%) healthcare professionals responded that dogs and cats are responsible for rabies transmission, respectively. Moreover, 82 (82%) individuals responded that animal bite plays a vital role in the transmission of rabies, whilst 76 (76%) individuals responded that rabies transferred from human to human. 82 (82%) individuals replied that the anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) is the treatment of choice for rabies. Furthermore, 78 (78%) individuals responded that ARV is safe in pregnancy and lactation. Moreover, after being asked about the perception of the health care professionals about the failure in controlling rabies, their responses were unavailability of ARV/RIG 41 (41%), lack of control of stray dogs 34 (34%), lack of awareness 20 (20%). The study revealed statistically significant correlations between healthcare occupations and variables: knowledge of animals responsible for transmitting rabies (p = 0.024) and awareness of human-to-human transmission (p = 0.007). Significant disparities were noted in understanding rabies transmission through contaminated water (p = 0.002). There were variations in attitudes and practices seen across different positions, particularly about views about home treatments (p = 0.033) and the perceived effectiveness of cleansing bite wounds (p = 0.010). Disparities in perceptions of rabies treatment and the accessibility of anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulin were observed, with variations based on individual roles.ConclusionThe present research elucidates variations in rabies knowledge, attitudes, and practices among healthcare workers, specifically concerning their respective roles. Tailored training programs and standardized practices play a crucial role in mitigating these discrepancies, fostering a greater understanding of rabies, and enhancing the quality of patient treatment. It is recommended that future studies undertake an assessment of the efficacy of therapies and advocate for the adoption of collaborative One Health strategies in the realm of rabies management.

The design of cheap, noble-metal-free, and efficient electrocatalysts for an enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) to produce hydrogen gas as an energy source from water splitting is an ideal approach. Herein, we report the synthesis of Fe2O3 nanorods–NiFe2O4 nanoparticles on cotton fiber cloth (Fe2O3-NiFe2O4/CF) at a low temperature as an efficient electrocatalyst for HERs. Among the as-prepared samples, the optimal Fe2O3-NiFe2O4/CF-3 electrocatalyst exhibits good HER performance with an overpotential of 127 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, small Tafel slope of 44.9 mV dec−1, and good stability in 1 M KOH alkaline solution. The synergistic effect between Fe2O3 nanorods and NiFe2O4 nanoparticles of the heterojunction composite at the heterointerface is mainly responsible for improved HER performance. The CF is an effective substrate for the growth of the Fe2O3-NiFe2O4 nanocomposite and provides conductive channels for the active materials’ HER process.

The expansion of E-wallet service providers in Indonesia is quite encouraging. In its report, Bank of Indonesia indicated that 48 E-wallet services are lawful. This is consistent with the number of E-wallet transactions, where USD 1.5 billion were recorded in 2018 and this number is expected to increase in 2023. This statistic increases the researcher's motivation to investigate E-wallet acceptability in Indonesia. The intention to use e-wallets among Indonesian adults must be studied in order to comprehend adoption factors, identify user preferences, inform marketing strategies, promote financial inclusion, and inform policy and regulatory decisions. This cross-sectional quantitative study conducted in Indonesia aimed to examine the factors influencing the formation of an intention to use electronic wallets (E-Wallets). It focused on perceived ease of use, perceived trust, perceived risk, perceived usefulness, social influence, compatibility, facilitating conditions, and perception of new technology. While previous studies have explored factors influencing users' intention to adopt electronic wallets, few have explicitly focused on mediating factors in the Indonesian context. This study fills this gap by investigating the mediating factors that affect Indonesian users' intention to adopt electronic wallets. It enhances the understanding of the direct factors influencing users' intention and sheds light on the complex relationships of other factors (mediators) that explain the underlying dynamics of this phenomenon. The study analyzed data from 384 valid participants using partial least squares and structural equation modeling with Smart PLS 4.0. The findings revealed that e-wallet facilitating conditions, perceived usefulness, perceived trust, compatibility, perception of risk, and perception of new technology positively and significantly influenced users' intention to use e-wallets in Indonesia. However, social influence and ease of use did not have a positive impact on e-wallet adoption intention among the Indonesian sample. The implications of this study suggest that e-wallet providers should prioritize balancing ease of use and security in their systems. If an e-wallet system is perceived as too easy to use, it may raise concerns about safety and unauthorized access, negatively affecting users' intention to adopt electronic wallets. Therefore, e-wallet providers should ensure user-friendly systems that address security concerns. Future research should explore other factors related to e-wallet adoption and assess their long-term effects on users' intention to use and adopt e-wallets. Despite its limitations, this study provides valuable insights for e-wallet providers, policymakers, and researchers in understanding electronic wallet adoption in Indonesia. It offers guidance for developing effective strategies and interventions to promote widespread adoption and use of electronic wallets.

Abstract Background The incidence of inguinal hernia in the pediatric population is 0.8–4.4% with a male to female ratio of 5:1.The reported incidence of sliding hernia containing an ovary in female infants and children is 15–20%.The complete androgen insensitivity syndrome occurs in 1–2% of girls with an inguinal hernia. Thus, the incidence of CAIS in females with hernias and palpable gonads is 4/1,000,000. Results This is a retrospective analysis of 694 children that had undergone inguinal hernia repair in last 11 years. Out of these, 123 were females, 36 cases had palpable gonads at the time of presentation. FISH analysis was done in 29 cases (80%). None of the cases showed the presence of the Y chromosome. An abnormal chromosomal pattern was seen in one case on complete karyotyping. Conclusion The reported incidence of CAIS in girls with inguinal hernia is low, thus subjecting every girl child with inguinal hernia to undergo karyotyping is distressing for the parents. FISH analysis is an effective screening modality to rule out CAIS in girls with an inguinal hernia. Thus, it is recommended to screen only high-risk cases with palpable gonads at presentation.

This paper reflects on the lived experiences of young refugees located in Pakistan and Rwanda when interacting with education technology (EdTech) during and following displacement. We offer a broad decolonial commentary on issues related to the design and development of EdTech initiatives for refugees, noting some of the historical trends prevalent in the education and emergencies sector. We are guided by questions such as: Why EdTech to start with? Who designs the products? Where are they designed? How are they designed? And, which power dynamics are at play during the design process? From this, we draw on qualitative data generated through three focus groups, where we explore young refugees’ experiences of EdTech. The focus group included a creative element inviting participants to imagine what a liberatory EdTech practice would look like. We aim to illustrate the practical implications of design choices taken by EdTech developers and, from this, recommend a set of justice-centred design principles for developers of EdTech in refugee contexts. These insights relate specifically to the experiences of refugees in Rwanda and Pakistan, though we also discuss the implications of these learnings for other contexts.

Abstract Background Congenital perineal hernia is an extremely rare entity with only 10 cases having been reported in literature. We report a newborn with exposed bowel loops coming out through a defect in the perineum to the right of the median raphe and propose the term perineoschisis for this abnormality. The exposed bowel loops were a sequestered segment of colon. The baby also had extreme perineal hypospadias and left undescended testis. Case presentation A term neonate, born of caesarean section, was noted at birth to have exposed bowel loops visible in the perineum. The bowel loops were not covered by any membrane. To avoid injury to the exposed bowel loops and setting in of infection, the baby was taken up for emergency surgery. At laparotomy, the bowel loops were traced from duodeno–jejunal junction to ileocecal junction and sigmoid colon and rectum. No loops were seen herniating outside from the abdomen through the perineum opening. The extruded bowel loops were sequestered and ending blindly close to the rectum. The sequestered bowel loops were excised completely and perineum reconstruction was done. Conclusion The extruded bowel loops would appear to be a form of colonic duplication with the duplicated colonic loops herniating outside through an opening in the perineum. Since the bowel loops were lying to the right of median raphe and were not covered by hernia sac or any other membrane we propose the term perineoschisis for this abnormality. The baby also had extreme hypospadias with a perineal meatus, bifid scrotum and penoscrotal transposition. This association of herniated duplicated colon with extreme hypospadias is hitherto unreported to the best of our knowledge.

RhoGTPase regulators play a key role in the development of the nervous system, and their dysfunction can result in brain malformation and associated disorders. Several guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEF) have been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. In line with this, ARHGEF17 has been recently linked as a risk gene to intracranial aneurysms. Here we report siblings of a consanguineous Pakistani family with biallelic variants in the ARHGEF17 gene associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder with intellectual disability, speech delay and motor dysfunction but not aneurysms. Cranial MRI performed in one patient revealed generalized brain atrophy with an enlarged ventricular system, thin corpus callosum and microcephaly. Whole exome sequencing followed by Sanger sequencing in two of the affected individuals revealed a homozygous missense variant (g.11:73021307, c.1624C>T (NM_014786.4), p.R542W) in the ARHGEF17 gene. This variant is in a highly conserved DCLK1 phosphorylation consensus site (I/L/V/F/M]RRXX[pS/pT][I/L/M/V/F) of the protein. Our report expands the phenotypic spectrum of ARHGEF17 variants from increased intracranial aneurysm risk to neurodevelopmental disease and thereby add ARHGEF17 to the list of GEF genes involved in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Geological structures such as faults play a critical role in the flow of fluids in a reservoir by affecting its permeability. This study explores the role of the Chaman Fault in the distribution of hydrological division, groundwater separation of the aquifer systems of Khojak and Chaman basins. The Chaman Fault is a left-lateral strike-slip transform plate boundary located at the border city of Chaman, District Killa Abdullah, Balochistan. The Chaman fault plays an important role in the division of groundwater in the subsurface, accommodating the structural compartment of the aquifer system. The studies showed that the strike-slip movement of the fault made the aquifer impervious along the fault line. This assertion may also be confirmed by the drastic change in the water table across the fault. Sharp changes in the groundwater table and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) were observed during the study. The Karazes which are an indigenous method of irrigation is present in the eastern foothills of Khojak mountains called Khojak basin. Here the water table is as shallow as ≈ 6 meters in comparison to the western side of the fault, where the water table drops to ≈274 meters towards the valley of Chaman basin. The average TDS level on the eastern side of the fault line is 773 mg/L and 1361 mg/L on the western side. Therefore, the Chaman fault is acting as a groundwater barrier which is feeding the Karezes for centuries.

Organizations are increasingly adopting green human resource management policies to encourage environmentally friendly behaviors. Research shows that adopting green policies and procedures is beneficial for the hospitality industry. However, limited empirical evidence exists on the association between environmental-specific ethical leadership, psychological green climate, and employees’ green behavior. Therefore, this study intends to examine psychological green climate (PGC) as a mediator between the relationship of environmental-specific ethical leadership (ESEL) and employees’ green behavior (EGB), specifically in the hotel industry of Pakistan. Data from 224 non-managerial position employees in the understudy sector was collected using a convenient sampling technique. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to examine the direct and indirect effects among the variables using the Smart PLS 3.3.3 version. This study showed that ESEL is positively related to PGC and EGB. Moreover, PGC is positively associated with EGB, and PGC mediated in the relationship between ESEL and EGB. Thus, current research highlights the significance of environmental-specific ethical leadership behavior, which assists in establishing a green psychological climate, thereby fostering employees’ green behavior in the hotel industry of Pakistan.

In Pakistan, women face economic and social vulnerability, which keeps them underpaid even without social barriers. Government micro and macroeconomic policies are aimed at income generation rather than making women part of the economic mainstream. The cash transfer program is an essential component of social protection policy in the developing world, with one of its key objectives of raising women's financial autonomy. This research investigates the impact of Pakistan's first and largest cash transfer program, named Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), on women's vulnerable employment. BISP was initiated by identifying poor households based on poverty score cutoff, thereby exploiting Regression Discontinuity Design. The findings revealed that this program reduced vulnerable employment in the initial years of its inception. However, it does not impact the later follow-up years. Policymakers should take necessary measures so that women's non-vulnerable employment may improve.

This study examined the effect of high-performance work systems on developing incremental and radical innovation capabilities. Drawing on resource-based and knowledge-based theories, the mediating effects of human capital, social capital, and organizational capital were tested. Data were collected from 233 middle-to-senior level managers working in the banking sector of Pakistan, and hypotheses were tested through partial least squares structural equation modeling using Smart PLS 4.0. The findings showed that all components of intellectual capital mediated the relationship to develop both types of innovation capabilities. In terms of the strength of the relationship, social capital was found to be a more effective mediator, and next to this were human capital and organizational capital, respectively. Our findings contribute to the existing literature by explaining the relationship between HPWS and innovation capabilities, which is also referred to as the black box through the mediation of intellectual capital. Decision makers should recognize the importance of this relationship because it develops innovation capabilities that enhance organizational performance by giving them a competitive advantage.

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant implications to the workplace and highly impacted employee performance in every organization. In contemporary research, the scholars agree that leadership is one of the critical antecedents to predict employee performance in organizations. However, research is needed to investigate the mediating role of integral factors such as benevolence values (BV) and self-efficacy (SE) in predicting employee performance in the workplace. This study aimed to investigate the impact of key antecedents on employee performance in the banking industry. The findings reveal that the key antecedents, e.g., servant leadership (SL), self-efficacy (SE), and benevolence values (BV), have a direct positive relationship with employee performance (EP). Moreover, multiple indirect paths were tested, including serial mediation. This study used a quantitative methodology based on the positivist paradigm. A sample of 560 employees was randomly chosen. A survey questionnaire was distributed among them, and 400 were returned with a response rate of 70%, and the clean data of 400 employees was used for data analysis. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was employed using Smart PLS 3.3.3 software. The results confirmed that both SE and BV mediate the relationship between SL and EP. Likewise, BV mediates the relationship between SE and EP, and SE mediates the relationship between SL and BV. Finally, in serial mediation, the relationship between SL and EP is also established via SE and BV together as mediators.

This research aims to assess the household and individual-level factors, specifically education, that affect the probability of women being engaged in decent work activities in the labor market. The study utilized the most recent labor force survey data from Pakistan with a sample size of 64,009 women. The research exploits the multinomial logit model (MNL) for data analysis. Several studies exist on the causes of female labor force participation nationally—in Pakistan—and internationally. However, there is a lack of research exploring the link between women’s access to decent work and various household and individual-level characteristics. This study intends to fill this literature gap by exploiting the largest nationwide labor force survey and exploring how household and individual-level factors, specifically focusing on women’s education level, relate to women’s employment status categories. The study’s findings reveal that education plays an essential role in uplifting women for better employment opportunities, i.e., educated women are more likely to be engaged in decent labor market activities such as paid employees and employers. The findings of the study propose some significant policy implications. E.g., (i) since education is the key to open better and decent work opportunities, it is crucial for women and their household heads to invest in education and vocational training; (ii) there is a dire need to have a policy shift in providing women access to at least a higher secondary (HS) level of education in Pakistan. The rationale is that less educated and illiterate women are concentrated in vulnerable employment; and (iii) at a micro level, there is a need to bring awareness among male household heads, specifically in rural areas, to realize that working women should not be considered a social stigma for the household.

This study investigated the relationship between entrepreneurial education and big-five personality traits with entrepreneurial intention. Besides, it assessed how the attitude toward entrepreneurship mediates these relationships. Employing a quantitative approach to address the research objectives, data of 165 respondents were collected through questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and path analysis were conducted using AMOS 24 software. Study findings revealed that attitude toward entrepreneurship mediates the relationship of entrepreneurial education and big-five personality traits with entrepreneurial intention. Entrepreneurial education and big-five personality traits cause attitude which in turn affects entrepreneurial intention. These findings suggest that if the appropriate educational supports applied, it could help to develop students’ entrepreneurial attitudes and improve matching their skill expectations with their skill achievement. Universities can play a considerable role to promote entrepreneurship view by more focus on increasing entrepreneurial thinking and offering different types of vocational training workshops.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship among multiple organizational climates and micro level performance (MLP) in public sector organization of Pakistan. The research study has examined that five types of organizational climates (participative, innovative, leadership, service and ethical) effect MLP outcomes. The primary data was collected via standard questionnaire randomly from sample size of 250 employees working at regional head office and various branches of National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) Peshawar, KPK, Pakistan. In addition standard multiple regressions model was used to test several hypotheses statistically about multiple climate, ‘MLP’ outcomes including, group level organizational citizenship behavior (GOCB), exit, and job satisfaction. The research findings have revealed that multiple climates were positively related with MLP outcomes i.e. employees’ job satisfaction and GOCB and exit.

This paper examines the extent to which refugee girls and young women were able to access learning during COVID-19 education closures in Pakistan, and the role that EdTech played in their learning access. It is based on findings from a survey with 403 Afghan refugee students, along with in-depth interviews with six young female refugees. The research shows that, while the majority of female refugee students were able to continue accessing education in some form during school closures, learning access was nevertheless limited, and a sizable minority were not engaged in any learning during this time. Teacher and institutional support was either absent or inadequate for many students, and infrastructure and devices that serve to support remote learning were not always reliable or accessible. Although male respondents were less likely than females to engage in independent study during the closures, refugee girls and young women were significantly less likely than their male counterparts to own the devices they needed for learning. The findings demonstrate how targeted investment in specific types of EdTech and teacher professional development, as well as supporting educational institutions in the establishment of remote learning opportunities, could help sustain learning during future periods of educational restriction.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) remains a significant threat to web application security, exploiting vulnerabilities to hijack user sessions and steal sensitive data. Traditional detection methods often fail to keep pace with the evolving sophistication of cyber threats. This paper introduces a novel hybrid ensemble learning framework that leverages a combination of advanced machine learning algorithms—Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machines (SVM), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Categorical Boosting (CatBoost), and Deep Neural Networks (DNN). Utilizing the XSS-Attacks-2021 dataset, which comprises 460 instances across various real-world traffic-related scenarios, this framework significantly enhances XSS attack detection. Our approach, which includes rigorous feature engineering and model tuning, not only optimizes accuracy but also effectively minimizes false positives (FP) (0.13%) and false negatives (FN) (0.19%). This comprehensive methodology has been rigorously validated, achieving an unprecedented accuracy of 99.87%. The proposed system is scalable and efficient, capable of adapting to the increasing number of web applications and user demands without a decline in performance. It demonstrates exceptional real-time capabilities, with the ability to detect XSS attacks dynamically, maintaining high accuracy and low latency even under significant loads. Furthermore, despite the computational complexity introduced by the hybrid ensemble approach, strategic use of parallel processing and algorithm tuning ensures that the system remains scalable and performs robustly in real-time applications. Designed for easy integration with existing web security systems, our framework supports adaptable Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and a modular design, facilitating seamless augmentation of current defenses. This innovation represents a significant advancement in cybersecurity, offering a scalable and effective solution for securing modern web applications against evolving threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are essential for a healthy and productive life. High-quality access to these services reduces disease occurrence and spread in communities. Developing countries, including Pakistan, face significant challenges in providing these facilities. This study aims to highlight WASH-related service disparities in Pakistani households based on socioeconomic strata. Methodology: A stratified random sampling strategy was used, with a sample size of 1200 households based on the PDHS 2019 special survey. Descriptive analysis and chi-square tests were conducted to assess the association between wealth quintiles and WASH access. Results: The study found that 82.4% of households had access to improved sources of drinking water. Only 4.8% of households in the lowest quintile had access to improved drinking water sources. Water unavailability for at least one day per week was 13% higher among the lower quintiles. Forty-four percent of households using improved sanitation facilities belonged to the two highest strata, while poorer households predominantly used unimproved sanitation facilities. Conclusion: Lower-quality WASH access is more prevalent among lower wealth quintiles, increasing the risk of disease and infection. Further research is needed to inform policymakers and develop plans to reduce inequalities in access to WASH services. Keywords: Water and sanitation, hygiene, Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, inequalities, wealth quintiles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the concept of spiritual healing and compare its effects with allopathic medicine in terms of disease conceptualization, treatment approach and patient perception and use in community setting. Methods: A qualitative research design with a grounded theory approach was utilized for this study. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were conducted, and data were analyzed using thematic content analysis technique. Results: The explorative of spiritual healing revealed motivation challenges and treatment frameworks. Healers emphasized skills mastery and adherence to values, employing methods like Ijazas and wazaiif. Patients reported mixed experiences, with some finding benefit while others expressed their doubt. Comparison with allopathic medicine highlighted drawbacks leading to discussion on preference or potential co-existence. Conclusion: In conclusion, spiritual healing offers a unique perspective on healthcare, while challenges exist, including skepticism and the need for integration with allopathic medicine. The field continues to play a pivotal role in addressing social well being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years, Malaysian manufacturers struggled to mitigate the widened gap among the three aspects of TBL performance, e.g., economic, social, and environmental. Although, the economic performance is relatively elevated compared to environmental performance based on environmental performance index (EPI) data reports. Similarly, less than twenty per cent (20%) of manufacturers are ISO14001-certified out of the total registered firms in the 52nd FMM directory. The firms must employ green HRM practices to foster pro-environmental behaviour and support their managers to adopt the environmental management system (EMS) framework to reap the benefits of TBL performance. To resolve these issues, sustainability has become an essential strategy for manufacturers in addressing environmental problems due to consistent ecological awareness among stakeholders that compels firms to adopt EMS and green HRM practices to foster organizational citizenship behaviour for the environment (OCBE) and improve triple bottom line (TBL) performance. This research aimed to investigate the impact of the EMS on TBL performance through green HRM practices and OCBE via a serial mediation approach among ISO14001-certified manufacturing firms. A quantitative methodology was employed based on a positivist paradigm. The sample of 350 respondent firms was randomly targeted via standard questionnaires. Around 248 manufacturers responded with a response rate of 70%, which is sufficient for data analysis. After outliers and normality assessment, the clean data of 216 manufacturers were finally analysed using SmartPLS 4.0. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis revealed that EMS is positively related to OCBE, and OCBE is positively associated with TBL. EMS is positively related to green HRM practices, and green HRM practices are positively associated with OCBE. Furthermore, it was confirmed that green HRM practices and OCBE serially mediated the relationship between EMS and TBL performance among ISO14001-certified manufacturing firms. The current study also presents vital organizational and managerial implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effect of high-performance work systems on developing incremental and radical innovation capabilities. Drawing on resource-based and knowledge-based theories, the mediating effects of human capital, social capital, and organizational capital were tested. Data were collected from 233 middle-to-senior level managers working in the banking sector of Pakistan, and hypotheses were tested through partial least squares structural equation modeling using Smart PLS 4.0. The findings showed that all components of intellectual capital mediated the relationship to develop both types of innovation capabilities. In terms of the strength of the relationship, social capital was found to be a more effective mediator, and next to this were human capital and organizational capital, respectively. Our findings contribute to the existing literature by explaining the relationship between HPWS and innovation capabilities, which is also referred to as the black box through the mediation of intellectual capital. Decision makers should recognize the importance of this relationship because it develops innovation capabilities that enhance organizational performance by giving them a competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overflowing garbage bins and unnecessary truck visits to collect waste have always been core issues of sustainability and maintaining a green environment. In the recent past, a transition has been observed in waste management towards a better environment and the achievement of sustainability goals. Companies are not only focused on producing less but also transforming waste into energy and reusable products. This transition process needs to evolve through sustainable solutions and innovative marketing initiatives that increase awareness and education among end users. This study used a systematic literature review protocol to identify and review the available research on sustainable waste-management solutions, innovative marketing initiatives, and a proposed conceptual model. It analyzed the latest literature from 1976 to 2022 to assess waste-management trends using the Web of Sciences and Scopus databases. To evaluate the practical perspective, this study analyzed ten waste-management companies offering services in the USA, the UK, Korea, Finland, Ireland, Turkey, Brazil, Slovakia, Portugal, Denmark, and Canada to assess their technological and marketing development for the creation of a better future. It was found that Ecube, Enevo, smart bins, Compology, Bigbelly, Sensoneo, Citibrain, ACO recycling, Evrek, Rico, and BrighterBins focus more on technology and less on user awareness and marketing. There is minimal focus on education and empowerment of end users. Our study's findings guide academics, practitioners, and policymakers to apply ambidextrousness in energy innovation, particularly in the waste-management sector. By implementing sustainable and innovative solutions, companies can not only reduce waste products, but they can also recover, recycle, and better dispose of the waste. However, to do so, companies also need to educate end users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations are increasingly adopting green human resource management policies to encourage environmentally friendly behaviors. Research shows that adopting green policies and procedures is beneficial for the hospitality industry. However, limited empirical evidence exists on the association between environmental-specific ethical leadership, psychological green climate, and employees' green behavior. Therefore, this study intends to examine psychological green climate (PGC) as a mediator between the relationship of environmental-specific ethical leadership (ESEL) and employees' green behavior (EGB), specifically in the hotel industry of Pakistan. Data from 224 non-managerial position employees in the understudy sector was collected using a convenient sampling technique. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to examine the direct and indirect effects among the variables using the Smart PLS 3.3.3 version. This study showed that ESEL is positively related to PGC and EGB. Moreover, PGC is positively associated with EGB, and PGC mediated in the relationship between ESEL and EGB. Thus, current research highlights the significance of environmental-specific ethical leadership behavior, which assists in establishing a green psychological climate, thereby fostering employees' green behavior in the hotel industry of Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic flow prediction is the most critical part of any traffic management system in a smart city. It can help a driver to pick the most optimized way to their target destination. Air pollution data are often connected with traffic congestion and there exists plenty of research on the connection between air pollution and traffic congestion using different machine learning approaches. A scheme for efficiently predicting traffic flow using ensemble techniques such as bagging and air pollution has not yet been introduced. Therefore, there is a need for a more accurate traffic flow prediction system for the smart cities. The aim of this research is to forecast traffic flow using pollution data. The contribution is twofold: Firstly, a comparison has been made using different simple regression techniques to find out the best-performing model. Secondly, bagging and stacking ensemble techniques have been used to find out the most accurate model of the two comparisons. The results show that the K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) bagging ensemble provides far better results than all the other regression models used in this study. The experimental results show that the KNN bagging ensemble model reduces the error rate in predicting the traffic congestion by more than 30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Organizations worldwide are integrating sustainability into their operations to reduce the damage they do to the environment and to earn a better reputation in society. Scholars have acknowledged the role of environmental transformational leadership (ETL) in creating pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). The manufacturing sector has shown interest in accepting an environmental management system (EMS) and fostering a mechanism for what is called perceived support organizational support for the environment (POSE). Voluntary PEBs taking the form of organizational citizenship behavior toward the environment (OCBE) increasingly interests researchers because it is important for the success of the EMS in the manufacturing sector. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of the EMS and POSE in the relationship between ETL and OCBE within ISO14001-certified Malaysian manufacturing firms. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative design was used based on a positivist approach. The data of 216 manufacturing firms were targeted using random probability sampling via a survey questionnaire. Later, the data were analyzed through the structural equation modeling (SEM) method using the SmartPLS 3.3.3 software. Findings: Research findings confirmed a significant direct positive relationship between ETL and OCBE. Also, they confirmed the mediating role of the EMS and POSE in the relationship between ETL and OCBE among ISO14001-certified Malaysian manufacturing firms. Research limitations/implications: This research has vital ramifications for both managers and organizations. Manufacturing firms should modify the traditional OCB towards pro-environmental OCBE using key antecedents, e.g. ETL, EMS and POSE. Originality/value: The study analyzed the impact of ETL on OCBE through the mediating role of PSOE and the EMS. Here the focus is on the impact of OCBE key antecedents, i.e. ETL, EMS and POSE in predicting OCBE among ISO14001-certified Malaysian manufacturing firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Entrepreneurship is a vital source of job creation and a key driver in promoting economic growth. The Malaysian government encourages higher educational institutions (HEIs) to develop more competitive and innovative graduates for the economy so that Malaysia achieves high-income nation status by 2025. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of attitude toward entrepreneurship (ATE) in the relationship between key psychological factors, that is, subjective norm (SN), perceived behavior control (PBC), big-five (BF) personality traits, entrepreneurial motivation (EM) and educational factors (EFs) with entrepreneurial intention (EI) among Malaysian university students. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a quantitative design based on a positivist approach. The adopted questionnaire was used as the survey instrument. The primary data were collected from a sample of 251 final-year students in the management field who were enrolled in research-intensive Malaysian universities. Data were analyzed through the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique using AMOS 24 software. Findings: Findings confirmed that the BF personality traits, EM, PBC, SN, ATE and EFs were positively related to EI. Furthermore, ATE mediated the relationship between BF personality traits, EM, PBC, SN, EF, and EI among Malaysian university students. Research limitations/implications: This research provides critical insights into the key antecedents, for example, psychological and EFs, in explaining the EI of university students and future graduates. However, results can only be generalized to research-intensive Malaysian universities. Originality/value: This study investigated the relationship between psychological factors, that is, BF personality traits, EM, PBC, SN and EFs in predicting EI of Malaysian university students. ATE mediated the relationship between BF personality traits, EM, PBC, SN, EF and EI among these students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE) is vital for manufacturing firms' ability to improve their triple bottom line (TBL) performance. This study's objective was to examine the direct relationship between three OCBE key dimensions, i.e. eco-initiatives (EIs), eco-civic-initiatives and eco-helping (EH) and TBL performance, i.e. economic (ECOP), social (SOP) and environmental (ENP). Design/methodology/approach: The quantitative design was used based on the positivist approach. A sample of 350 manufacturing firms was targeted using random probability sampling via a survey questionnaire. The data were analyzed through the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique employing AMOS 24 software. Findings: Research findings confirmed a significant direct positive relationship between components of OCBE, i.e. EIs, eco-civic- initiatives and EH and TBL performance within ISO14001-certified Malaysian manufacturing firms. Research limitations/implications: This research presents vital implications for both managers and organizations. The findings revealed that the three OCBE key dimensions, i.e. (EIs, eco-civic-initiatives and EH) are essential for enhancing TBL performance (ECOP, SOP and ENP), respectively. Manufacturing firms should modify the traditional OCB toward pro-environmental OCBE to improve TBL performance. Originality/value: This research focuses on the impact of OCBE key types, i.e. EIs, eco-civic-initiatives and EH on TBL performance (ECOP, ENP and SOP) dimensions among ISO14001-certified Malaysian manufacturing firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the causes and consequences of overcrowding of women prisoners in jails. For this purpose, an attempt is made to investigate the issue of overcrowding in prisons. An in-depth interview for exploring these areas was developed and validated. Data were collected from 30 women prisoners and personnel of jail. Analysis of data has revealed that jails have an excessive number of prisoners beyond authorized capacity. Deficiency of area and persistent movement of a high number of women prisoners in and out is a major problem. Due to little space, they keep the food items under their cots and sleep above. Moreover, they sleep with one another in the same cot. The availability of few washrooms with broken doors has made the situation worse because persons using the washroom can be seen by outsiders. Mixed accommodation of under-trial women prisoners and convicted besides juveniles and adolescents with adults is unethical and is a serious violation of the rules. The study recommends that prisoners may be categorized according to their level of risk. To reduce their idleness, opportunities for exercise and sports may be increased. An alternative community-based punishment rather than prison for non-dangerous offenders may be followed. Training for using the available facilities efficiently may be arranged for all concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable performance is a key area of concern for Malaysian manufacturing firms in addressing environmental issues. The goal of this study is to examine the direct relationship between green human resource practices such as green selection and recruitment, green training and development, green assessment and sustainable performance. A quantitative research design is employed using survey primary data. Primary data collected from 248 ISO-14001 certified Malaysian manufacturing firms and analysed by SEM technique using statistical tools. Research findings confirmed a significant direct positive relationship between green human resource practices and sustainable performance within the selected firms. This study adhered recommendations and directions for future research with inherent limitations. The findings from this study will be useful for Malaysian ISO-14001 certified firms and elsewhere with a similar economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avocado being an energetic fruit owing to its high nutritional value has gained global popularity. Its global production has witnessed a two-fold increase in the last decade. This scenario has led a pressure on avocado nursery production. Generally, avocado has been propagated through seed production that led to variability among off-spring and long juvenile period. Therefore, asexual propagation via grafting is the most appropriate method for producing high-quality, true to type plants. The current study was planned to evaluate four different grafting techniques (Cleft, Tongue, Patch and T-budding) in ten different cultivars of avocado. The outcomes suggested that Cleft grafting was most suitable one among all other evaluated techniques. The highest survival rate (27.40%) was recorded in cleft grafting. Moreover, vegetative characters, i.e., no. of leaves and leaf area, no. of internodes and internodal length, shoot length and diameter were also higher in cleft and tongue grafting as compared to other grafting method. Among cultivars, NARC-Feurte and NARC-Purple give the best outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyber space or technology is used to share data or information with unlimited audience. So, sophistication of cyber space has created a global network, where information can be shared or accessed while sitting at home, office or cafe. It has been used by business entrepreneurs to expand their business, researchers to access requires data and information; media houses to increase their TRPs and government bodies to maintain their policies and records. Meanwhile, the coin always has two sides. Thus, beside positive uses of internet; cyber space has been used by terrorist and criminal gangs for the propagation of their thoughts or to increase their working capacity. It also generates space for financing, training and incitement for terrorist organizations. Meanwhile, internet is used as a mean to access and exploit the mind of young individuals by propagating the Jihadi literature. The use of cyber space to enhance radical thoughts has created challenges for states like Pakistan in war against terrorism. So, this paper is an attempt to examine the dynamics of E-Jihad in Muslim world in the context of changing communication means that have been used by terrorist in contemporary digital age. The used methodology to explore the topic is qualitative research methods followed by case study of Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dealing with war studies, one wonders how to tackle with a variety of approaches involved during pre-historic period and in the modern globalized world. Regardless the fact that the world is packed with modern sophisticated weapons, it is suicide bombing (SB) that seems to haunt the people everywhere in the world. This paper aims at analyzing SB as a resisting force. It tries to unearth the factors and scenarios that forces individuals and groups to use SB as an ultimate tool to achieve their objectives. The paper also throws light on the twin simmering issues of SB and martyrdom. The paper attempts to segregate martyrdom from SB and terrorism and silence those quarters who attach terror with Islam for their personal objectives. Besides, the paper attempts to answer the question as why the act of powerful is justified while the act of weak and deprived is labeled as terrorism? Moreover, the paper also aims at bringing to limelight the horrible consequences of SB in the world in general and in the war-torn countries in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focused on the attitude of the jail staff with the well-being of the juvenile inmates in targeted prisons of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study aimed to explore that how the jail staffs interact with juvenile inmates in jails on daily basis. The study further revealed that what kind of conditions and facilities are available to juvenile inmates in jails. The targeted prisons such as Mansehra, Swabi, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar and Mardan were purposively selected. The researchers applied simple random sampling technique for the collection of the primary data. The researchers used structured interview schedule for collection of the empirical data from 132 juveniles out of 199. The empirical data were analysed through SPSS where univariate data was analysed through descriptive statistics and bivariate data was analysed through inferential statistics where Chi-square test is used to find out the association between the independent (attitude of the jail staff) and dependent (Well-being of juveniles) variables. The results of the study show a highly significant association between jail staff who fairly deals with juveniles. The results show a highly significant association with jail staff promoting the welfare of juveniles. Furthermore, the analysis gave a highly significant association between rehabilitative practices at correction facilities available at jails. Additionally, penalty at jail has negative effects on juveniles where the results show a highly significant association with the wellbeing of juveniles. The results of the study recommend that the government must take strict actions against those jail staff whose behaviour and attitude are very harsh with the juvenile inmates. The government must give proper training and education to the jail staff and they must deal the juvenile inmates in a proper way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studied the human rights violations during the dictatorial regime of Zia ul Haq in Pakistan. The paper examined the Zia government in historical perspective in order to scrutinize his process of Islamization and to know how and why he used the Islam as a political tool. He also used it for the introduction of laws based on the gender-discrimination which seriously weakened women rights. The paper also examined the Law of Evidence, Zina and Hudood ordinances and their inflexible and archaic rules that govern morality and sexual behaviour under Pakistani laws. It also brought to the lime lights the problems and difficulties faced by the female rape victims, in getting justice. The paper also explored the women's and feminist resistance in Pakistan against the gender discriminatory laws. The resistance strategies and techniques were adopted by organizations for women's rights in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National character, leadership, and charisma produce modern type of charismatic leadership. This paper examines charisma in national leadership in Pakistan. It observes that national leadership and charisma is not theoretical, but contextual, arguing that there is a connection between prevailing self-image of a nation concerning its own national character, culture and values and the kind of charismatic leadership that holds sway over the nation in times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant implications to the workplace and highly impacted employee performance in every organization. In contemporary research, the scholars agree that leadership is one of the critical antecedents to predict employee performance in organizations. However, research is needed to investigate the mediating role of integral factors such as benevolence values (BV) and self-efficacy (SE) in predicting employee performance in the workplace. This study aimed to investigate the impact of key antecedents on employee performance in the banking industry. The findings reveal that the key antecedents, e.g., servant leadership (SL), self-efficacy (SE), and benevolence values (BV), have a direct positive relationship with employee performance (EP). Moreover, multiple indirect paths were tested, including serial mediation. This study used a quantitative methodology based on the positivist paradigm. A sample of 560 employees was randomly chosen. A survey questionnaire was distributed among them, and 400 were returned with a response rate of 70%, and the clean data of 400 employees was used for data analysis. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was employed using Smart PLS 3.3.3 software. The results confirmed that both SE and BV mediate the relationship between SL and EP. Likewise, BV mediates the relationship between SE and EP, and SE mediates the relationship between SL and BV. Finally, in serial mediation, the relationship between SL and EP is also established via SE and BV together as mediators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability is a vital strategy for manufacturing industries to address major environmental issues. Stakeholders' growing ecological awareness is forcing manufacturers to adopt green human resource management practices (green HRM practices) and environmental management systems (EMS) to improve sustainable performance (SP). This research explores the key themes of green HRM practices, EMS, and OCBE, and how these themes affect the environment and explain SP among ISO14001-certified manufacturing firms. This research used a qualitative methodology following an interpretivist approach. It employed the thematic networks technique, using qualitative data to achieve the objectives. The qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews conducted with HR managers and then analyzed using NVivo 12. Thematic network analysis explores basic and organizing themes within qualitative data. Four central (parent) themes, i.e., green HRM practices, OCBE, EMS, and SP, emerged. First, green HRM was sub-divided into three sub-themes: (i) green recruitment and selection, (ii) green training and development, and (iii) green assessment and rewards. Consequently, OCBE was then sub-divided into three themes: (i) eco-helping behavior, (ii) eco-initiatives behavior, and (iii) eco-civic engagement behavior emerged. Likewise, EMS was sub-divided into three themes: (i) ISO14001, (ii) EMS key benefits, and (iii) EMS key motives. Lastly, SP was further divided into three sub-themes: (i) economic, (ii) social, and (iii) environmental. This research also discusses important implications for managers and organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to assess the household and individual-level factors, specifically education, that affect the probability of women being engaged in decent work activities in the labor market. The study utilized the most recent labor force survey data from Pakistan with a sample size of 64,009 women. The research exploits the multinomial logit model (MNL) for data analysis. Several studies exist on the causes of female labor force participation nationally—in Pakistan—and internationally. However, there is a lack of research exploring the link between women's access to decent work and various household and individual-level characteristics. This study intends to fill this literature gap by exploiting the largest nationwide labor force survey and exploring how household and individual-level factors, specifically focusing on women's education level, relate to women's employment status categories. The study's findings reveal that education plays an essential role in uplifting women for better employment opportunities, i.e., educated women are more likely to be engaged in decent labor market activities such as paid employees and employers. The findings of the study propose some significant policy implications. E.g., (i) since education is the key to open better and decent work opportunities, it is crucial for women and their household heads to invest in education and vocational training; (ii) there is a dire need to have a policy shift in providing women access to at least a higher secondary (HS) level of education in Pakistan. The rationale is that less educated and illiterate women are concentrated in vulnerable employment; and (iii) at a micro level, there is a need to bring awareness among male household heads, specifically in rural areas, to realize that working women should not be considered a social stigma for the household. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voluntary pro-environmental behaviors in the workplace such as organizational citizenship behavior towards environment (OCBE) are pertinent for the organizations striving to become environmentally responsible entities. The significance of OCBE for green organizational initiatives has led scholars to strive for expanding its nomological network. Approaching from the theoretical angle of the social information processing approach, this quantitative, survey-based study theoretically links and empirically tests the impact of environmental transformational leadership on organizational citizenship behavior towards environment (OCBE) via mediating mechanism of perceived meaningful work. Data from a sample of 311 employees working in Pakistan's hospitality sector were collected and analyzed to test the hypothesized relationships using structural equation modelling. Results indicated the indirect effect of perceived meaningful work on the relationship between environmental transformational leadership and organizational citizenship behavior towards environment. Implications of both theoretical and practical nature are laid out in the relevant sections of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability is integral for organizations to manage environmental issues. Environmental awareness among stakeholders builds pressure on manufacturers to adopt green human resource management practices (GHRMPs), environmental management system (EMS), and foster organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE) to improve sustainable performance (SP). This study investigates the mediating effects of OCBE and EMS on the relationship between GHRMP and SP among ISO14001-certified manufacturing firms and SP. The quantitative design employed, and data of 227 respondents were analyzed via the SEM technique using AMOS 24™. Thus, findings revealed that GHRMP is positively related to SP, while OCBE and EMS partially mediated the relationship between GHRMP and SP among ISO14001-certified Malaysian manufacturing firms. This study makes novel academic and practical contributions to green HRM, organizational behavior, and sustainable performance. However, this study also has some limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]