Investigating The Influence of Teacher Aggression on Student Academic Motivation in Province of Sindh, Pakistan

The present study aimed to explore the impact of teacher aggressive behaviors on student academic motivation in Sindh, one of the provinces in Pakistan. A descriptive survey research design was employed, utilizing a sample of 120 public school teachers (70 female and 50 male). Data was collected using a researcher-developed instrument called the "Teachers Aggressive Behavior Survey" (TABS). The research questions were answered using descriptive statistics, including means and standard deviations, and the hypothesis was tested using t-test statistics at a significance level of 0.05. The results indicated that teachers exhibit various forms of aggressive behaviors that negatively impact student participation in academic activities. It is recommended that school administrators take steps to raise awareness among teachers about the detrimental effects of aggressive behaviors on student academic motivation

Acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinopathy: A case report

A 25-year-old male presented with a complaint of acute visual loss in his right eye for two days. There was a history of visual loss in the left eye six months ago. Comprehensive eye examination showed evidence of posterior uveitis, and a placoid lesion on the right fundus. Further physical examination showed maculopapular rashes on the upper back which was highly suggestive of syphilis. Blood tests for venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test were ordered, which were both positive. Ocular syphilis should be suspected in all cases of uveitis. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment with appropriate antibiotics can prevent permanent visual loss

Prospecting endophytic fungal assemblage of Digitalis lanata Ehrh. (foxglove) as a novel source of digoxin: a cardiac glycoside

Endophytes, the chemical synthesizers inside plants, are the microorganisms having mutualistic relationship with the host plant. They can be used by plants for defense in addition to the production of a wide variety of beneficial bioactive secondary metabolites. There are reports that microbial endophytes mimic the bioactive compounds as produced by the plant itself thus making them a promising source of novel compounds. During the present study, endophytes were isolated from the symptomless leaves and stem of the angiosperm, Digitalis lanata (foxglove). Digitalis lanata belongs to the family Plantaginaceae and is an important medicinal plant known for the production of an important glycoside, digoxin having valuable medicinal importance. Glycosides from Digitalis have been reported to be cardiotonic and are widely used in the treatment of various heart conditions namely atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, heart failure, etc. Endophytic fungi were isolated from Digitalis to screen them for such glycosides as have been found in the plant itself. A total of 35 fungal endophytes were isolated and screened for the production of secondary metabolites. After preliminary analysis by thin layer chromatography for the presence of bioactive compounds, crude extracts of five fungal cultures were selected for HPLC. HPLC chromatograms revealed the production of glycoside digoxin from the five selected endophytic cultures, thus providing a novel, alternative and eco-friendly source for the production of such a pharmaceutically important and valuable drug

Optimization and Control of Acation Exchanger :1- Steady State Optimization

The effect of process variables on the recovery of hardness from water byacation exchanger was studied. At steady state the process could be represented bysecond order nonlinear emperical model. Although this model was less accurate thanthe dynamic model,the results show agreement when compared with the experimentaldata. The steady state optimization model was used to limit the operating conditions ofthe system. The static feed forward control could be used with the aid of on – linedigital computer

Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Induces a Spatial Bias in Whole-body Position Estimates

Letter to the Edito

Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Induces a Spatial Bias in Whole-body Position Estimates

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Brain Stimulation on 23/07/2015, available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2015.07.030 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Peripheral galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) has been shown to temporarily ameliorate left spatial neglect [ 1 ]. Specifically, anodal (facilitatory) stimulation over the left mastoid bone coupled with cathodal (inhibitory) over the right mastoid reduces visuospatial-neglect scores in line cancellation [ 2 ] and line bisection tasks [ 3 , 4 ]. This montage increases activity in the left vestibular nerve and suppresses activity in the right [ 5 ], which has been shown to focally activate vestibular networks that occupy visuospatial attention mechanisms, primarily in the non-dominant hemisphere [ 5 ]. Thus, it appears that electrical stimulation of the peripheral vestibular system can shift visuospatial attention to the left side of space [ 4 ]. However, whether such a shift of spatial attention in normal subjects can influence perception of spatial position during whole-body spatial translations is unknown. We hypothesized that shifting attention to the left would result in participants underestimating spatial position estimates during rightward whole-body translations and overestimating spatial position estimates during leftward whole-body translations

Locomotor adaptation is modulated by observing the actions of others

Observing the motor actions of another person could facilitate compensatory motor behaviour in 29 the passive observer. Here, we explored whether action observation alone can induce automatic 30 locomotor adaptation in humans. To explore this possibility we used the “broken‐escalator” 31 paradigm. Conventionally this involves stepping upon a stationary sled after having previously 32 experienced it actually moving (MOVING trials). This history of motion produces a locomotor 33 aftereffect when subsequently stepping on to a stationary sled. We found that viewing an actor 34 perform the MOVING trials was sufficient to generate a locomotor aftereffect in the observer, the 35 size of which was significantly correlated with the size of the movement (postural sway) observed. 36 Crucially, the effect is specific to watching the task being performed, as no motor adaptation 37 occurs after simply viewing the sled move in isolation. These findings demonstrate that locomotor 38 adaptation in humans can be driven purely by action observation, with the brain adapting motor 39 plans in response to the size of the observed individual’s motion. This mechanism may be 40 mediated by a mirror neuron system that automatically adapts behaviour to minimise movement 41 errors and improve motor skills through social cues, though further neurophysiological studies are 42 required to support this theory. This non‐verbal adaptive mechanism may have evolved to 43 facilitate motor conformity within social groups with respect to environmental hazards or risks

B7-H1 Blockade Increases Survival of Dysfunctional CD8+ T Cells and Confers Protection against Leishmania donovani Infections

Experimental visceral leishmaniasis (VL) represents an exquisite model to study CD8+ T cell responses in a context of chronic inflammation and antigen persistence, since it is characterized by chronic infection in the spleen and CD8+ T cells are required for the development of protective immunity. However, antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses in VL have so far not been studied, due to the absence of any defined Leishmania-specific CD8+ T cell epitopes. In this study, transgenic Leishmania donovani parasites expressing ovalbumin were used to characterize the development, function, and fate of Leishmania-specific CD8+ T cell responses. Here we show that L. donovani parasites evade CD8+ T cell responses by limiting their expansion and inducing functional exhaustion and cell death. Dysfunctional CD8+ T cells could be partially rescued by in vivo B7-H1 blockade, which increased CD8+ T cell survival but failed to restore cytokine production. Nevertheless, B7-H1 blockade significantly reduced the splenic parasite burden. These findings could be exploited for the design of new strategies for immunotherapeutic interventions against VL

Comparative Expression Profiling of Leishmania: Modulation in Gene Expression between Species and in Different Host Genetic Backgrounds

The single-celled parasite Leishmania, transmitted by sand flies in more than 88 tropical and sub-tropical countries globally, infects man and other mammals, causing a spectrum of diseases called the leishmaniases. Over 12 million people are currently infected worldwide with 2 million new cases reported each year. The type of leishmaniasis that develops in the mammalian host is dependent on the species of infecting parasite and the immune response to infection (that can be influenced by host genetic variation). Our research is focused on identifying parasite factors that contribute to pathogenicity in the host and understanding how these might differ between parasite species that give rise to the different clinical forms of leishmaniasis. Molecules of this type might lead to new therapeutic tools in the longer term. In this paper, we report a comparative analysis of gene expression profiles in three Leishmania species that give rise to different types of disease, focusing on the intracellular stages that reside in mammalian macrophages. Our results show that there are only a small number of differences between these parasite species, with host genetics playing only a minor role in influencing the parasites' response to their intracellular habitat. These small changes may be significant, however, in determining the clinical outcome of infection