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The proposed research aimed to examine abusive leadership and workplace ostracism as predictors of employee silence among school teachers in Sargodha, Pakistan. Studies further tend to examine the moderating role of power distance. Purposive sampling was employed to acquire the data. The research variables were quantified using the Abusive Supervision Scale (Mitchell & Ambrose, 2007), Workplace Exclusion Scale (Hitlan & Noel, 2009), Silence Scale (Van Dyne et al., 2003) and Power Distance Scale (Dorfman & Howell, 1988). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between abusive leadership, workplace ostracism, employee silence, and power distance. Results showed that abusive leadership, ostracism, silence, and power distance have a positive relationship with each other. The findings of linear regression revealed that abusive leadership, ostracism and power distance positively predicted employee silence. Moderation analysis revealed that power distance significantly moderated the relationship of abusive leadership and workplace ostracism with employee silence. The proposed research provides some recommendations and conclusions for future researchers who may be interested in examining the abuse that teachers experience in a high-power-distance culture that compels them to act silently.

IntroductionThe present study examined the moderating effects of sleep quality in the relationship between coping and distress among medical college students. Present study was conducted to ensure the mental health of medical students and to dig out the reasons behind their disturbed health which can directly impact their performance at work.MethodsThe study utilized a cross-sectional survey and was distributed to students at various medical institutions in the Punjab province of Pakistan from October 2019 to June 2020. The sample comprised 369 participants (120 males; 32.5%). The survey included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Kessler Scale of Psychological Distress (K10), Brief Cope Scale, and Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale.ResultsThe results showed there was a significant relationship between coping and distress. More specifically, adaptive coping and distress were negatively associated (r=-.24), and maladaptive coping and distress were positively associated (r=.46). Moreover, the present study found that poor sleep quality was a significant positive predictor of distress. Moderation analysis showed that sleep quality was a significant moderator in the relationship between adaptive coping and distress (ΔR2=.011, β=-.36, p

The proposed research aimed to examine abusive leadership and workplace ostracism as predictors of employee silence among school teachers in Sargodha, Pakistan. Studies further tend to examine the moderating role of power distance. Purposive sampling was employed to acquire the data. The research variables were quantified using the Abusive Supervision Scale (Mitchell & Ambrose, 2007), Workplace Exclusion Scale (Hitlan & Noel, 2009), Silence Scale (Van Dyne et al., 2003) and Power Distance Scale (Dorfman & Howell, 1988). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between abusive leadership, workplace ostracism, employee silence, and power distance. Results showed that abusive leadership, ostracism, silence, and power distance have a positive relationship with each other. The findings of linear regression revealed that abusive leadership, ostracism and power distance positively predicted employee silence. Moderation analysis revealed that power distance significantly moderated the relationship of abusive leadership and workplace ostracism with employee silence. The proposed research provides some recommendations and conclusions for future researchers who may be interested in examining the abuse that teachers experience in a high-power-distance culture that compels them to act silently.

Abstract The present paper examines longitudinally how subjective perceptions about COVID-19, one’s community, and the government predict adherence to public health measures to reduce the spread of the virus. Using an international survey (N = 3040), we test how infection risk perception, trust in the governmental response and communications about COVID-19, conspiracy beliefs, social norms on distancing, tightness of culture, and community punishment predict various containment-related attitudes and behavior. Autoregressive analyses indicate that, at the personal level, personal hygiene behavior was predicted by personal infection risk perception. At social level, social distancing behaviors such as abstaining from face-to-face contact were predicted by perceived social norms. Support for behavioral mandates was predicted by confidence in the government and cultural tightness, whereas support for anti-lockdown protests was predicted by (lower) perceived clarity of communication about the virus. Results are discussed in light of policy implications and creating effective interventions.

ObjectiveThe current study sought to investigate the effects of perceived stigma and discrimination on epilepsy patients' psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, and quality of life.Study designA purposive sampling technique was used in this cross-sectional study.Materials and methodsThe sample consisted of 186 patients with epilepsy. The Stigma Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and Quality of life in Epilepsy-10 were used to measure the study variables.ResultsFindings showed that both the perception of stigma and discrimination have a significant positive correlation with depression as well as anxiety. Stigma is a significant positive predictor of depression and anxiety at [F (1, 184) = 27.8, 15.92, p < 0.001, 0.001, respectively] and explains 12.7 and 7.5% variance that could be attributed to Stigma. Stigma is also a significant predictor of quality of life at [F (1, 184) = 16.10, p < 0.001] and explains the 7.5% variance that could be attributed to Stigma. Results also indicate that discrimination is a significant positive predictor of depression and anxiety at [F (1, 184) = 32.39, 19.91, p < 0.001] and explains 15 and 9.8 % variance, respectively, that could be attributed to Stigma. However, stigma negatively predicts quality of life at [F (1, 184) = 20.34, p < 0.001] and explains 10 % variance. Non-significant differences were found in all the demographic variables (i.e., gender, socio-economic status, and disease duration), except the quality of life was significantly high among individuals with high Socio-economic status.ConclusionsStigma is significantly higher in epileptic patients and has a detrimental effect on the patient's quality of life, recovery, and prognosis. Thus, there is undoubtedly a need to address psychological issues, most notably the stigma associated with illnesses. Psychologists, psychiatrists, other physicians, and care givers of epileptic patients must pay close attention to the stigma in this patient population.

AimPrevious theory and research postulate that workaholism is one of the important factors that contribute to burnout. The present study aimed to analyze the role of psychological capital as a mediator between the two. Moreover, the study examined the moderating role in the stated mediated relationship.MethodsThe researchers approached a sample of university teachers (N = 1,008) including both male (n = 531) and female (n = 477) university teachers by using a multi-stage random sampling technique. For this purpose, DUWAS-10 Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, Challenging Job Demands Scale, and Anila PsyCap Scale were applied to measure workaholism, burnout, challenging job demands, and PsyCap, respectively. The data obtained from the sample was subjected to analysis by using Model 14 of Process Macro by Hayes.ResultsThe results confirmed the mediating role of PsyCap and moderating role of time pressure and cognitive demands in the relationship of the two variables. The results concluded that workaholism is not directly related to burnout rather the negative relationship existed through psychological capital, and the mediated relationship was stronger for the university employees who were to face a higher level of challenging job demands including cognitive demands and time pressure.ConclusionBurnout is an occupational health problem that causes devastating effects on both the employees as well as to the organizational economy. Improving personal resources might help the negative relationship between workaholism and burnout in higher education institutions in the country.

Anxiety associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and home confinement has been associated with adverse health behaviors, such as unhealthy eating, smoking, and drinking. However, most studies have been limited by regional sampling, which precludes the examination of behavioral consequences associated with the pandemic at a global level. Further, few studies operationalized pandemic-related stressors to enable the investigation of the impact of different types of stressors on health outcomes. This study examined the association between perceived risk of COVID-19 infection and economic burden of COVID-19 with health-promoting and health-damaging behaviors using data from the PsyCorona Study: an international, longitudinal online study of psychological and behavioral correlates of COVID-19. Analyses utilized data from 7,402 participants from 86 countries across three waves of assessment between May 16 and June 13, 2020. Participants completed self-report measures of COVID-19 infection risk, COVID-19-related economic burden, physical exercise, diet quality, cigarette smoking, sleep quality, and binge drinking. Multilevel structural equation modeling analyses showed that across three time points, perceived economic burden was associated with reduced diet quality and sleep quality, as well as increased smoking. Diet quality and sleep quality were lowest among respondents who perceived high COVID-19 infection risk combined with high economic burden. Neither binge drinking nor exercise were associated with perceived COVID-19 infection risk, economic burden, or their interaction. Findings point to the value of developing interventions to address COVID-related stressors, which have an impact on health behaviors that, in turn, may influence vulnerability to COVID-19 and other health outcomes.

Abstract This paper examines whether compliance with COVID-19 mitigation measures is motivated by wanting to save lives or save the economy (or both), and which implications this carries to fight the pandemic. National representative samples were collected from 24 countries (N = 25,435). The main predictors were (1) perceived risk to contract coronavirus, (2) perceived risk to suffer economic losses due to coronavirus, and (3) their interaction effect. Individual and country-level variables were added as covariates in multilevel regression models. We examined compliance with various preventive health behaviors and support for strict containment policies. Results show that perceived economic risk consistently predicted mitigation behavior and policy support—and its effects were positive. Perceived health risk had mixed effects. Only two significant interactions between health and economic risk were identified—both positive.

The present study was carried out to examine the impact of self-efficacy on job stress in teachers besides finding out the differences on self-efficacy and job stress in terms of marital status. The sample of the study was consisted of (N = 203) teachers (married = 115 and unmarried = 88). Teacher’s self-efficacy scale and job stress scale were used for data collection through purposive sampling technique. Linear regression analysis revealed that teacher’s self-efficacy was the significant negative predictor of job stress. Results further demonstrated that unmarried teachers scored significantly higher on job stress, whereas non-significant differences were found on self-efficacy regarding marital status. Findings of this study showed that teachers’ job stress can be reduced though building up skills in them to monitor their stress levels. Certain limitations of the current study have also been discussed.

Tightening social norms is thought to be adaptive for dealing with collective threat yet it may have negative consequences for increasing prejudice. The present research investigated the role of desire for cultural tightness, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in increasing negative attitudes towards immigrants. We used participant-level data from 41 countries (N = 55,015) collected as part of the PsyCorona project, a cross-national longitudinal study on responses to COVID-19. Our predictions were tested through multilevel and SEM models, treating participants as nested within countries. Results showed that people's concern with COVID-19 threat was related to greater desire for tightness which, in turn, was linked to more negative attitudes towards immigrants. These findings were followed up with a longitudinal model (N = 2,349) which also showed that people's heightened concern with COVID-19 in an earlier stage of the pandemic was associated with an increase in their desire for tightness and negative attitudes towards immigrants later in time. Our findings offer insight into the trade-offs that tightening social norms under collective threat has for human groups.

During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. conservative politicians and the media downplayed the risk of both contracting COVID-19 and the effectiveness of recommended health behaviors. Health behavior theories suggest perceived vulnerability to a health threat and perceived effectiveness of recommended health-protective behaviors determine motivation to follow recommendations. Accordingly, we predicted that—as a result of politicization of the pandemic—politically conservative Americans would be less likely to enact recommended health-protective behaviors. In two longitudinal studies of U.S. residents, political conservatism was inversely associated with perceived health risk and adoption of health-protective behaviors over time. The effects of political orientation on health-protective behaviors were mediated by perceived risk of infection, perceived severity of infection, and perceived effectiveness of the health-protective behaviors. In a global cross-national analysis, effects were stronger in the U.S. (N = 10,923) than in an international sample (total N = 51,986), highlighting the increased and overt politicization of health behaviors in the U.S.

This study was aimed at understanding the role of integrity in relationship of negative emotions with behaviour problems i.e. aggression, bullying, and shyness among university students. The sample consisted of two hundred and seventy (N= 270) university students, that comprised of one hundred and thirty-three (n=133) male and one hundred and thirty seven (n=137) female students of university. The convenient sampling technique was used for data collection. Study measures included, Urdu versions of integrity scale (Schlenker, 2008),aggression scale (Orpinas & Frankowski, 2001), and shyness scale (Cheek & Melichor, 1985) translated by Umar (2016), and Illinois bullying scale(Espelage & Holt, 2001)translated by Shujja and Atta (2013), and negative emotions subscale of Berkeley expressivity questionnaire (Gross & John, 1997) were used to measure the pertinent constructs. Pearson correlation showed the positive relationship between negative emotions and shyness behaviour problem. Hierarchical regression demonstrated that integrity did not moderate the relationship between negative emotions and behaviour problems including aggression, bullying, and shyness. Limitations, suggestions, and practical implications were also thoroughly discussed.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in post thymectomy patients of thymomatous myasthenia gravis (MG-T) is a rare procedure. A 42 years old patient with previous thymectomy and chest radiotherapy was in disease remission on pyridostigmine, oral steroids and azathioprine for seventeen years until developed critical diffuse left main stem (LMS) disease. He underwent coronary artery bypass grafting, early extubation, smooth post operative course and was discharged home on 4th post operative day. Optimization for surgery, intraoperative revascularization technique and post operative intensive care management of these patients can be really challenging and require multidisciplinary team effort. Moreover, treatment therapy should be tailored according to severity of symptoms and disease stratification of each individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agro-qualitative response of forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) sown alone and in mixture with forage legumes was studied through field experiment conducted during the first week of April 2009 at farmer's field at Sahiwal. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) comprising of treatments as T1= Sorghum broad casted, T2= Sorghum at 30 cm apart rows, T3= Broad cast of blended sorghum and cowpea seeds, T4= Blended sorghum and cowpea seeds at 30 cm apart rows, T5= Broad cast of blended sorghum and cluster bean seeds, T6= Blended sorghum and cluster bean seeds at 30 cm apart rows, T7=Broad cast of blended sorghum, cluster bean and cowpea seeds, T8=Blended sorghum, cluster bean and cowpea seeds at 30 cm apart rows, T9= Sorghum sown at 30 cm apart rows and cowpea in between the rows and T10= Sorghum sown at 30 cm apart rows and cluster bean in between the rows. The treatments were replicated thrice with a net plot size was 6 m × 4.5 m. All growth, yield and quality parameters were significantly affected by different geometrical arrangement and intercropping systems. Sorghum sown alone in 30 cm apart rows (T2) produced maximum plant population of 47 plants m-2, plant height (203.60 cm), number of leaves per plant (11.23), leaf area (2684.60 cm2), green forage yield (49.66 t ha-1) and dry matter yield of sorghum (20.50 t ha-1) . Sorghum sown in 30 cm apart rows and intercropped with cluster bean in between the rows (T9) produced significantly higher mixed green forage yield of 69.98 t ha- 1 and dry matter yield of 25.37 t ha-1. The maximum crude protein (14.94 %) and ash (10.34 %) was recorded in treatment T8 when blended the seeds of sorghum, cluster bean and cowpea sown in 30 cm apart rows but highest crude fiber (24.15 %) in T1 where sorghum sown alone by broad cast method. Current study revealed that quality and quantity of forage sorghum mixed with forage legumes can be obtained by growing forage sorghum in 30 cm apart rows and cluster bean in between the rows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research was conducted to develop an indigenous scale to measure peer pressure for adolescents (14-18 years). Behaviors exhibited due to peer pressure were identified using theoretical and empirical methods. During behaviors generation phase, 161 behaviors were generated with the help of existing literature, experts, university students, adolescents. A team of researchers selected behaviors representing peer pressure after careful scrutiny. Repeated, overlapping, age-wise inappropriate behaviors were discarded and 58 behaviors were transformed into items by researchers. The response format selected for Peer Pressure Assessment Scale (PPAS) was: Never (1), Sometimes (2), Seldom (3) and Always (4). For empirical evaluation, sample comprising 207 adolescents (118 girls and 89 boys) was conveniently drawn from government and private schools and colleges of Sargodha. Principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation provided two factors solution and 29 items were finally retained using .4 factor loading criterion for Peer Pressure Assessment Scale (PPAS) with two subscales; Destructive influence of peer pressure (22 items) and Constructive influence of peer pressure (7items) respectively. Item analysis and alpha reliability revealed high internal consistency for PPAS (α=.84) and its subscales. Initial Scoring procedure was devised by analyzing percentile scores and discriminated among high, moderate and low peer pressure. There was no gender difference in experiencing peer pressure that is why no separate cutoff scores were determined. Findings are discussed in the light of indigenous cultural knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the effects of thymol, powdered form, with 3.2% oxalic acid (OA) on two ectoparasitic mites, Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman and Tropilaelaps clareae Delfinado and Baker populations in honeybee Apis mellifera linguistica colonies in the fall. Results reveal that thymol 2 g, 4 g and 6 g with 3.2% OA applied on 20 honeybee colonies on three different dates demonstrated 26%, 41%, 36% mortality in T. clareae and 93%, 99% and 94% mortality in V. destructor, respectively. The findings indicate that 3.2% OA with 4 g thymol was the best treatment for controlling these mites. During the experiment, no queens were lost, and no adult honeybee was killed in any of the colonies.