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Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 has created a significant challenge to healthcare systems, since the disease has spread rapidly, outweighing hospital capacity and exposing Health Care Workers (HCWs) to the risk of infection. The main objective of this study shows the HCW’s self-reported use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), symptoms, and exposure to revealed and suspected people during the pandemic, as well as the implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines that effectively limit the spread of the infection among healthcare personnel.Method: A single-center retrospective cohort study has been done at a tertiary care hospital. There were 3,651 hospital employees of these 1,890 HCWs and 1,761 nonclinical staff among those who were proven or suspected COVID-19 cases and had symptoms were included. The data was gathered using a standardized self-assessment questionnaire. Information about quarantine protocol and line listing was collected through telephonic conversations.Result: The majority of the participants were males (66%). The average age was 32.1±7.62. Out of 432 HCWs, 32.9% with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR findings were nurses, 19.2% were doctors, and 47.9% were non-clinical employees from the hospital’s inpatient and outpatient departments. 31.5% had a higher-risk exposure, 64.1% had a moderate-risk exposure, and 4.4% of practitioners with COVID-19 had a lower-risk exposure. A statistically significant association was found between COVID-19 disease and adherence to PPE and risk exposure.Conclusion: This study represents the healthcare workers’ experience with COVID-19 patients in the early stages of the pandemic and emphasizes the measures required to overcome the problems, however, this study highlights that HCWs are being progressively infected with COVID-19 as a result of inadequate/ inappropriate PPE wear.

Land snails, including some economically important species, are commonly found in forests and mountainous regions of Türkiye. Türkiye's large geomorphological region and four surrounding seas, which offer a variety of malacofauna, help Türkiye achieve an endemism grade of over 65%. Despite extensive research over the past few decades, we still lack a sufficient understanding of the species identification of land snails in Türkiye, particularly in areas like forested mountain regions, and it is assumed that there are more than 1000 taxa in total. This review emphasizes the existence of invasive non-native snail species in Türkiye, such as Arion ater (Linnaeus, 1758) and Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon, 1855, which have a negative impact on agricultural and horticultural output. In addition to these species, Theba pisana, Cornu aspersum, Xeropicta derbentina, Xeropicta krynickii, Cernuella virgata and Eobania vermiculata are also found in Türkiye as non- native land snail species. Moreover, it also places a strong emphasis on the necessity of managing invasive species to reduce their detrimental effects on natural ecosystems by giving examples from the world and covers the predictions about the possible threats that the presence of non-native invasive land snail species in Türkiye may pose in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was intended to develop and explore psychosocial issues of migraine patients in Pakistani culture context. In first phase of scale development, 16 participants were interviewed individually with inclusion criteria of diagnosed migraine history, aged 18-35 years (M = 23.84, SD = 3.64) generating an item pool of 44 psychosocial issues experienced by them. After 13 experts' validation, 36 items were finalized and tried out on 10 participants. To determine psychometric properties, Scale of Psychosocial Issues was presented along with demographic sheet to 160 migraine patients (41 men and 119 women). Exploratory factor analysis of Psychosocial Issues Scale clustered total of 34 items into three factors named as Functional Impairment, Mental Exhaustion, and Somatic Problems. Scale of Psychosocial Issues was found to have high internal consistency .92, test-retest reliability .80, split-half reliability .86 and .85, and acceptable convergent validity. Moreover, results were discussed in context of factor structure of Psychosocial Issues Scale, demographics and risk factors as predictors of newly developed scale in cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The women in developing countries face a lot of hurdles in effective participation in the political, social and economic development of their countries. This is particularly true for women in Pakistan who comprise 48.54% of the total population but their contribution in political and economic development is not proportionate to their numerical strength. This research paper aims at to find out the impediments of women participation in political development of Pakistan. It also highlights the conceptual framework work under which this research paper has been written i.e.by using some of Lucian Pye's aspects of political development. The role of women participation in political development of Pakistan is being analyzed with regard to economy, mobilization/participation, democracy and modernization. Women's inadequate involvement in economic sector, the lack of their representation in legislative, executive, administrative and judicial bodies not only negatively impacts the political development but it also has an even deeper impact on the progress at familial, communities and even individual levels. The question how these impediments determine the process of political development in Pakistan has been resolved by applying qualitative method of research. The countries where females are marginalized are unlikely to modernize and capitalize on its benefits. Democracy is not workable in such countries where almost half of the population is ignorant or deprived of their due rights and duties. It is infer that there is a need to bring radical socio-cultural changes in Pakistan to empower women and put the country on the path of political development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining homeostasis is of utmost importance regarding human health. Several factors could protect human body's internal environment from harms and fluctuations from external environment. Regulation of physiological pH has a considerable role in maintaining human health and its metabolic functions. Several studies have shown that the interstitial body fluid pH around metabolic tissues is easily reduced due to weaker pH buffering capacity than that in the cytosol and blood circulation. Therefore, pH reduction in the interstitial fluid may cause the onset of metabolic dysfunctions. However, several dietary food components have potential benefits in maintaining the interstitial fluid pH to the normal range by improving buffering capacities, suppressing proton production, and activating proton transporters, which strengthen the effect of appropriate diet on metabolic health. Keeping deep insights about this aspect, we have summed up several facts and figures for maintaining human body homeostasis via regulation of physiological pH. Furthermore, we have discussed about different food categories and their potential renal acid load and its relation with maintaining homeostasis. Afterwards we have deeply discussed the potential beneficial role of healthy food components in different pathological conditions of human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We report the infrared absorption properties of polyaniline nanocomposites (AgFe2O3/ZnO) with different amounts of PANI (5 and 10 wt%) powder samples by in situ chemical oxidation polymerization synthesis. In contrast, silver ferrite nanomaterial has been synthesized using a hydrothermal approach. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the prepared samples. Rhombohedral structures were seen in the pure (AgFe2O3/ZnO) and its PANI composites. The size of the crystallites was found between 30 to 40 nm. The SEM images of the composites confirmed the morphology of prepared samples. The FTIR spectrum for each of the samples consists of two wide absorption bands that correspond to the tetrahedral V1 and octahedral V2 sites bending vibrations. Force constants were found higher for tetrahedral sites as compared to octahedral sites. FTIR parameters have been used to calculate the Bulk modulus (B), Rigidity modulus (R), Young’s modulus (Y), and Poisson ratio (σ). Elastic parameters for PANI doped ferrites have improved significantly compared to pure AgFe2O3/ZnO ferrite due to strong inter atomic bonding. This can be beneficial in overcoming physical stresses that may arise during material fabrication and commercialization. Debye temperature increased with increasing PANI concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]