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Objective: To assess children with cerebral palsy using the Common Brief Core Set of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY). Study Design: Cross-sectional study Place and Duration of Study: Children Hospital & Institute of Child Health, Lahore Pakistan, from Nov 2020 to Jan 2021. Methodology: Fifty-nine children with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 0-18 years were included. Common Brief Core Set of International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health in Children and Youth (ICF-CY) was administered to children with cerebral palsy to assess their functional status. Strengths and weaknesses in body structure, body function,activity and participation and environmental factors were evaluated using the Common Brief Core Set of ICF-CY. Results: The majority of study participants were 38(64.4%), were spastic quadriplegic. Periventricular leukomalacia was noted in 36(67.9%) cases on MRI brain. Moderate to severe impairment was noted in body functions like intellectual function 46(78%). In addition, 26(44.1%) children with cerebral palsy had mild to moderate impairment in walking, while 4(6.8 %) could walk without any impairment. Social attitudes, construct, and design of buildings were the major barriers affecting the functionality of children with cerebral palsy. Conclusion: It was found that the Common Brief Core Set of ICF-CY in children with different types of cerebral palsy is a useful tool for assessing their functional level.Keywords: Cerebral Palsy, Common Brief Core Set, Disability, Health in Children and Youth (ICF-CY), International Classification of Functioning.

Objective: To determine the association between parenting practices and aggression in children with behaviour disorders. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Children Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Lahore Pakistan, from Nov 2020 to Jan 2021. Methodology: Parents of children and eighty-five children between the ages of 3 to 12 years with the diagnosis of behaviour disorders (autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, social communication disorder) and showing aggressive behaviour were enrolled. The multidimensional assessment of parenting scale was used to assess positive(proactive parenting, positive reinforcement, warmth and supportiveness) and negative (hostility, lax control, physical control) parenting practices. The modified overt aggression scale was used to assess aggression, including verbal aggression,aggression against property, auto-aggression (towards self), and physical aggression (towards others). Correlation and multiple regression analysis were done. Results: Among negative practices, it was found that leniency and inconsistent parenting (lax control) was significant positive predictor of aggression (p

Stylistics as an interdisciplinary field of study has evolved over the years as it encompasses theories and approaches of contemporary times from language, literature, sociology, pedagogy, psychology, and anthropology. Since the core to stylistics is language, the present research aims to address the ramifications of Colonization in the poetic works of Agha Shahid Ali. The sample for the study to explore the stylistic features is Language Games. The selected text has been investigated on graphological, phonological, lexical, syntactical, pragmatics and discourse levels of stylistic analysis to expose the hidden and profound meanings. The expressive means of the selected work have been interpreted using lens of Postcolonialism to relate the work with larger socio-cultural contexts. The poem’s stylistic analysis reveals the lament of the poet for his lost language and identity. The cost of learning a new language is the loss of one's native language. The lexical choices, parallel structures, and foregrounding function effectively highlight the major and minor themes of the selected text. This study also exposes Agha Shahid’s unique poetic style that distinguishes him as a great poet. This study affirms that stylistics links as a bridge two vital disciplines i.e., linguistics and literature. Language carries thoughts which need to be explored. This study has focused on all such features that the poet, knowing the importance of language, selected very carefully to carry his message. This research helps students understand the significant connection and bondage between language features and literature.

Objective: To see the impact of screen media usage on early childhood development. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of study: Developmental Behavioural Paediatrics Department, Children’s Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Lahore Pakistan, from Oct to Dec 2020. Methodology: This study included 100 children with an age range between 15-36 months and divided into two groups. Group-1 was children with communication behaviour disorders (CBD) (n=50), and Group-2 was typically developing (TD)children (n=50). ShaMaq Developmental Screening Tool (SDST) was administered to children to screen their development.Childhood behaviours were rated on a scale of 0-10 on a Behaviour rating scale. Results: Children with CBD had poor eye contact, response to names, poor imitation, poor pointing and poor one-step command following (p

This paper traces the impact of Translation Method and the Direct Method on adult language learners in Pakistan. It points out the major emotional and psychological factors related to the medium of instruction in the class. It explores whether L1 use in the class negatively or positively impacts adult English language learners. Since it is a descriptive/quantitative study, a survey has been administered to the teachers and students. With the help of statistical data analysis, this research explores the impact of DM-GTM. The study highlights the current situation and gives food for thought to language learners, teachers,administrators, and policymakers to improve English language teaching/learning in Pakistani colleges and universities. The article opens the doors for future research on diverse aspects of the issue.

The present study aimed to find out differences in health risk factors of COVID-19 among doctors, nurses and psychologists by determining the relationship of cognitive appraisal, coping styles, stress and fear among health professionals. Cross-sectional research design was used. Sample comprised of 3 groups; doctors, nurses and psychologists (

Political discourse is a recent but increasingly exciting field of study. The political discourse offers much scope for interdisciplinary research. This current study is a stylistic analysis of the Inaugural speech delivered by Nigerian President Muhammadu Bukhari in Abuja on 29th May 2015. The current study aims to signify the role of Stylistics in CDA to unleash socio-political cognition in speeches. This qualitative research owing to its interdisciplinary nature draws on stylistics and critical discourse analysis as well. Teun A. Van Dijk's socio-cognitive approach is used to analyze the mental models underlying linguistic structures made explicit through stylistic analysis. The stylistic analysis is conducted on lexical and grammatical levels, but cohesion and speech acts have also been highlighted in the findings and discussion part. The study explores how stylistic devices are used to create a rhetorical effect and how this effect qualifies for being persuasive. The stylistic analysis reconnoiters the linguistic patterns, and CDA leads to the ideologies that shape these patterns. This study strengthens the belief that both stylistics and critical discourse analysis have great scope and power in revealing discursive practices of hegemony and persuasion.

This research yields a review on demotivation among students due to poor language skills resulting in less participation in classrooms. It provides code-switching, the alternating use of languages in the discourse, as a solution to this problem. It is mixed-method research in which the data was collected from university teachers and students on a survey. The study followed Fairclough’s model of Critical Discourse Analysis and helped reach conclusions regarding the use of code-switching in classes. It finds out that our university teachers are already using code-switching in their classes to help reduce foreign language anxiety and motivate learners towards learning. The study also highlighted the possible harm code-switching may bring to the students: students suffer in the long run due to their reliance on the usage of code-switching, and this complete dependency ultimately results in poor language skills development. Thus, the study recommends that teachers be careful and judicious in the use of code-switching in classes and that too only in the initial phase of university education.

Critical Discourse Analysis views language in use as a kind of social practice, it is often applied to political language (discourse— text, talk, and/or visual), including public speeches. This paper critically analyzes the speech by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, delivered at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 28, 2019. The study uses Fairclough's Three-Dimensional Model, to reflect upon "Us" and "Them" in the context of four major themes of the speech: climate change, money laundering, Islamophobia, and Kashmir. The study uses a mixed-method approach for a thorough review of the speech and discusses power within the discourse and power behind discourse. The findings reveal how language reflects the ideology of the political leaders, and how discourse can form and be formed by social practices. The Prime Minister used language effectively to present the ideological dichotomies between "Us" and "Them" in the context of developing countries-developed countries (powerful politically and economically), Muslims - anti-Muslims, and Pakistan/Kashmir - India. He urged the world-leaders at UNGA's highest political forum, after drawing the line of demarcation, to take steps to resolve the differences to achieve harmony and peace in the world. This research enables the common public of Pakistan to understand their leader in terms of the concept of power by comprehending the profounder meaning that language conveys.

This paper reviews the reading strategies and their theoretical perspectives in reading comprehension inside/outside the classroom. Reading strategies aim to build vocabulary and help integrate the existing knowledge of the readers/learners with the new knowledge through analysis and critical reflection on textual form and content. The study covers four major types of strategies, namely basic differentiated strategies, metacognitive strategies, cognitive strategies, and socio-affective strategies, to highlight their pedagogical value. The study opens up the research area of how these strategies are viewed as significant, which strategies the teachers and the students neglect, and how these strategies are influenced by pedagogical instructions and assessment and shape the participatory and transformative teaching/learning. It is recommended that all these strategies should be given due attention as they collectively involve orthographic recognition and processing through cognitive patterns that engage memory and retention to integrate new knowledge with the previous for possible conceptual change.

This study analyzed adult learners’ motivation in learning English from two diametrically different paradigms viz., the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) from Saudi Arabia and the ESL (English as a Second Language) from Pakistan. The quantitative tool of the 20-items questionnaire administered at 100 EFL learners and 100 ESL learners helped find out the factors impacting the adult learners’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation resulting in their being amotivated, unmotivated, and highly motivated English language learners. The major findings are that the learners in both the EFL and the ESL contexts were found intrinsically motivated to learn the English language. However, the Saudi EFL students, unlike ESL learners, lacked extrinsic motivation due to i) lack of an environment conducive for English language learning and ii) social disapproval of the English language learning. The extrinsic factors lacking for ESL learners in Pakistan are the provision of highly motivated and trained teachers, well-equipped classrooms, financial rewards, and a conducive learning environment in the institutions. Based on the findings, the study recommends that teachers must be trained to involve the intrinsically motivated students in challenging and encouraging activities. The teachers engaged in teaching to Saudi EFL learners need to exert more to create an excellent learning environment in their class to motivate and encourage their students towards learning of the English language, and to waive off the negative impact of social disapproval of the language outside the classroom.

This paper explores error treatment practices in teaching English to Saudi adult English Language learners. In this genderbased qualitative study, thirty-six male and twenty-four female teachers were interviewed, using Hendrickson's (1978) theoretical framework to analyze learners' error treatment practices by EFL teachers. No significant difference in the male and female teachers was found in their perception of the students' errors, reasons and ways to correct students' errors and their perceptions of the backwash effect of the error correction. However, female teachers find a lack of student motivation as a major cause of errors. The study has also explored some unreflective and unprofessional error treatment practices that urge the need for regular training for the teachers to make them aware of the psychological dimensions of error treatment practices. The study recommends the transformation of the traditional style of teaching into coaching to give professional, reflective, and effective treatment to adult EFL/ESL learners' errors.

Contains fulltext : 283128.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy 35 (DEE 35) is a severe neurological condition caused by biallelic variants in ITPA, encoding inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase, an essential enzyme in purine metabolism. We delineate the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of DEE 35, analyzing possible predictors for adverse clinical outcomes. We investigated a cohort of 28 new patients and reviewed previously described cases, providing a comprehensive characterization of 40 subjects. Exome sequencing was performed to identify underlying ITPA pathogenic variants. Brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans were systematically analyzed to delineate the neuroradiological spectrum. Survival curves according to the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to investigate outcome predictors in different subgroups of patients. We identified 18 distinct ITPA pathogenic variants, including 14 novel variants, and two deletions. All subjects showed profound developmental delay, microcephaly, and refractory epilepsy followed by neurodevelopmental regression. Brain MRI revision revealed a recurrent pattern of delayed myelination and restricted diffusion of early myelinating structures. Congenital microcephaly and cardiac involvement were statistically significant novel clinical predictors of adverse outcomes. We refined the molecular, clinical, and neuroradiological characterization of ITPase deficiency, and identified new clinical predictors which may have a potentially important impact on diagnosis, counseling, and follow-up of affected individuals.

The study aims to explore how far interactive teaching can produce desirable learning outcomes in educational institutions in Saudi Arabia with EFL paradigm and no scope of social interlocutions in English language in most of the areas. This is in sharp contrast to ESL paradigm as is observed in Pakistan. It points out possible implications of interactive teaching with the contrastive analysis of EFL and ESL paradigms. Using mixed method research design, a survey from learners and teachers in Pakistan and KSA, observations and interviews, it finds out that most of EFL/ESL learners and teachers realize the importance of interactive teaching in optimizing language learning; however, there are certain administrative, psychological and social factors that discourage its application: too much stress on class discipline, the anxiety faced by the learners on their turn of speaking, and the negative social image of the language specially in the context of Saudi Arabia.

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis of worldwide distribution, caused by infection with pathogenic Leptospira species. The vaccines that are currently available are bacterins, with limited human use, that confer short-term, serovar-specific immunity. Lig proteins are considered to be the best vaccine candidates to date. Here, we aimed to construct a recombinant Lig chimera (LC) comprised of LigAni and LigBrep fragments, and to evaluate it as subunit or DNA vaccine using different administration strategies. Vaccines were formulated with 50 µg of recombinant LC associated with different adjuvants or with 100 µg of pTARGET/LC. Four-week-old hamsters received two doses of vaccine with different strategies and were challenged with 5 × DL50Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130. The immune response generated by Lig chimera conferred 100% protection to hamsters treated with at least one dose of recombinant LC. Despite the high levels of antibodies that vaccinated animals produced, a sterilizing immunity was not achieved. The lack of a sterilizing immunity could indicate the importance of a mixed humoral and cellular immune response. The present study generated insights that will be useful in the future development of improved subunit vaccines against leptospirosis.

The present study aims to analyze the pros and cons of both the existing system (English for General Purposes for one year and English for Specific Purposes for six months)and the proposed one (both ESP and EGP for one year) in Preparatory Year Programme (PYP) in Qassim University. It starts with an assumption that if the students are placed on the medical or science track in level-1 instead of level-2, they can be better prepared for the professional colleges after studying ESP for a full year.The study uses quantitative research approach by analyzing the data statistically in a comprehensive way. The complete record of high school grades, Pre-PYP tests and the first semester results of 615 PYP students in the main branch have been thoroughly studied. Likewise, 50 medical male, 50 medical female, 50 science male and 50 science female students have been surveyed on the 5-point Likert scale with 10-items quantitative tool. Major finding is that existing system of placing the students on medical and science tracks in the 2nd semester is better as the students get refined and polished due to the competition and hard work in the 1st semester of PYP. They remain both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated that despite their low performance on the high school exams, aptitude test and entry test, they still have another chance of being placed on the medical track (the first choice of majority of the students). The study, nevertheless, recommends reforms in the existing system without changing it drastically.

Aim To see the effect of an eclectic approach in management of ASD in a resource constrained set up. Material and method A total number of 70 children were enrolled after parental consent. Parental Questionnaire, Functional Behaviour Analysis (FBA), Childhood Autism Rating Scale II (CARS II), Portage Early Education Programme (PEEP) were administered in addition to clinical diagnosis of autism based on DSM V (APA 2013). Children below 2.5 years and above 5 years along with children with cerebral palsy and Syndromes were excluded from the study. An Eclectic Approach included Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Functional Behaviour Analysis, Speech And Language Therapy and Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Developmental therapy, Occupational and Sensory Integration Therapy, Social Skills Training and parents as partners. Statistical Analysis was done using SPSS 21 (Frequencies,Pearson correlation). Results Males were more affected than females and mean age of diagnosis was 3.4 years. Improvement was seen both in Behavioural and Developmental Profile. Longer duration of therapy lead to better outcome in language, cognition and socialisation. Conclusion An Eclectic Approach is a useful intervention in children with ASD in a low resource country.

This study highlights the major emotional and psychological factors related to the medium of instruction (use of First Language (L1) in the classroom) in the domain of bilingual education for adult Saudi English as foreign language (EFL) learners. The primary area of emphasis is to consider whether the use of L1 in the class reduces the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA) or it deprives the learners of the real and constant language inputs, viz., the words of the teacher in the target language. Thus, the main research question of the study is how the medium of instruction (use/mixing of Arabic or use of English-only approach) impacts the FLCA (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety) of Saudi adult learners. The quantitative research tool of survey has been administered on the teachers and students on five-point Likert-scale with the responses ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. There are twelve items in the survey and each item tends to explore different psychological dimension of the issue. 100 adult Saudi university students and 100 EFL teachers have responded to these items. The main finding of the study is that learner’s L1 speeds up the language learning process in a natural way if used occasionally and judiciously with the objective of keeping self-esteem and self image of the learners intact and bringing their FLCA down. The research study not only brings to surface the current state of bilingual EFL education in Saudi context, but also puts forth recommendations for learners, teachers, administrators, and policy makers to strengthen English language teaching/learning in EFL perspective in the bilingual context.

Background Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonosis attributed to multiple reservoirs. Climatic conditions influence the transmission of pathogenic leptospires, which require warm and humid conditions for survival. The influence of seasonality in human and animal leptospirosis in the subtropical region of Brazil remains poorly understood. Methods We performed a retrospective study to describe the patterns of human and animal exposure to leptospirosis and their association with precipitation events in Southern Brazil. Rainfall data were obtained from satellite images. Serum samples were tested using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT); samples with titer ≥ 100 were defined as seroreactive. Linear regression and Pearson's correlation were performed to assess whether there is a relationship between these variables. Results We found that precipitation events were not significantly associated with the exposure to leptospirosis in humans or animal species, except for dogs. The interspecies analysis revealed an association between canine and human exposure to leptospirosis. Leptospira kirschneri serovar Butembo (serogroup Autumnalis) presented the highest seroreactivity in humans. Conclusion This study provides valuable insights in human and animal leptospirosis in Southern Brazil. These insights will be essential to design intervention measures directed to reduce disease dissemination.

The young learners have an inbuilt and inborn capacity of absorbing the language inputs. With the growing age, their absorbing capacity reduces though it gets compensated by experience. The adult age can bring wisdom and knowledge but for acquisition, improvement and development of the skills, particularly the language skills, prime time is the young age. There has been a growing awareness about this in Pakistan where, in recent years, a major shift has taken place i.e., starting compulsory English from class-1 in all private and Government schools instead of class 6 th which had been the earlier practice since the independence of the country in 1947. There are many associated complex issues surrounding this new scenario which have emerged due to this major shift and need to be explored, meditated and researched from all the possible dimensions in order to enhance the advantages of the changed paradigm, reduce the risks to the bare minimum and train and fine tune the teachers and the schools to cope with this change in a professional and effective manner.

This mini field-based study has explored the issue of teacher identity in the field of SLE. It highlights the significance of the issue and gives a comprehensive review of the body of literature available in this comparatively newer focus of study in the field. This study reports that second language teachers are primarily concerned about student achievement and institutional evaluation beside numerous other factors such as job satisfaction, socio-economic concerns, choices of teaching strategies and tools and native and non-native speaking issues which directly and indirectly influence the second language teacher identity. This study also reports a few very personal teacher narratives and finally concludes that today’s second language teaching scenario is pleasant; teachers are enthusiastic, motivated and focused on student achievement which they believe is the end of all their endeavours.