EMOTIONAL CONTAGION AND JOB SATISFACTION AMONG TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IN PAKISTAN

The Objective of current study was to investigate the relationship between emotional contagion, job satisfaction and different demographic variables among special education teachers. A sample of 80 special education teachers with age range of 20 to 50 years, from all kinds of learning disabilities, more than six months teaching experience were recruited from different special education centers of federal and Punjab. Emotional contagion was measured by Emotional Contagion Scale developed by Doherty (1997) and job satisfaction of teachers was measured by Teaching Satisfaction Scale (TSS) developed by Ho and Au (2002). Result showed that happiness is positively associated with job satisfaction and anger and sadness are negatively associated with job satisfaction, whereas emotions of love and fear were not associated with job satisfaction. Moreover, it has been found that different demographic variables of special education teachers such as education and pay scale are associated with job satisfaction whereas gender, age, job experience and marital status are not associated with job satisfaction. Results suggest that in order to improve job satisfaction of teachers, emotional contagion should be considered.   Article visualizations

DNA Barcoding: Amplification and sequence analysis of rbcl and matK genome regions in three divergent plant species

Background: DNA barcoding is a novel method of species identification based on nucleotide diversity of conserved sequences. The establishment and refining of plant DNA barcoding systems is more challenging due to high genetic diversity among different species. Therefore, targeting the conserved nuclear transcribed regions would be more reliable for plant scientists to reveal genetic diversity, species discrimination and phylogeny.Methods: In this study, we amplified and sequenced the chloroplast DNA regions (matk+rbcl) of Solanum nigrum, Euphorbia helioscopia and Dalbergia sissoo to study the functional annotation, homology modeling and sequence analysis to allow a more efficient utilization of these sequences among different plant species. These three species represent three families; Solanaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae respectively. Biological sequence homology and divergence of amplified sequences was studied using Basic Local Alignment Tool (BLAST).Results: Both primers (matk+rbcl) showed good amplification in three species. The sequenced regions reveled conserved genome information for future identification of different medicinal plants belonging to these species. The amplified conserved barcodes revealed different levels of biological homology after sequence analysis. The results clearly showed that the use of these conserved DNA sequences as barcode primers would be an accurate way for species identification and discrimination.Conclusion: The amplification and sequencing of conserved genome regions identified a novel sequence of matK in native species of Solanum nigrum. The findings of the study would be applicable in medicinal industry to establish DNA based identification of different medicinal plant species to monitor adulteration

Practice of written feedback in nursing degree programmes in Karachi: the students\u27 perspective

Objective: To identify students\u27 perceptions about the practices of provision and utilization of written feedback in the nursing degree programmes in Karachi. Study Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Nine Nursing Institutions in Karachi, Pakistan were selected for the study, from February to October 2011. Methodology: The sample consisted of 379 second year nursing students from nine institutions in Karachi. The data was collected through a modified Assessment Experience Questionnaire (AEQ) developed by Gibbs and Simpson. The data obtained through AEQ was analyzed in the SPPS. Results: Students reported wide variations in the practices related to written assignments, and the provision of written feedback. Although 80% of the students, reported receiving written feedback with or without oral feedback, 20% of them, received only verbal feedback on their assignments. For 44 - 46% of the students, the quality, quantity, timing, and utilization of feedback was below the reference scores, which is indicative of negative perceptions. Only 40% reported receiving feedback on regular basis. Assignment guidelines were not always provided in a written form. In most cases, the guidelines were ambiguous as well as the feedback was not always reflective of the guidelines. Conclusion: The findings have implications for teachers, students, and institutions similar to the context of this study. Teachers need to be aware of the role and the impact of written feedback on students\u27 learning and develop competence for giving effective feedback. Finally, institutional commitment and policies are needed to promote the practices of written feedback

Role of aldose reductase in Ischemic Heart Disease in subjects visiting Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore

Background:  Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is one of the major cardiovascular diseases due to insufficient blood supply to cardiac cells. Aldose reductase (AR) is a multifunctional enzyme that converts glucose into sorbitol in the polyol pathway. The main objective of this study is to determine the role of aldose reductase in ischemic heart disease subjects in our local population and its relationship with lipid profile. Methods: This cross-sectional study sampled 100 subjects from Jelani Block of PIC Lahore after ethical approval, categorized into two groups depending on disease condition, i.e., the IHD (n=50) group and Control Group (n=50), including healthy subjects. They were taken together with disease history, age, smoking, hypertension, and physical activity examined as inclusion criteria. The level of biochemical parameters was evaluated by using a chemistry analyzer. Hormonal (AR) and cardiac marker (CK-MB) assessments were performed on the ELISA system using commercially available ELSA diagnostic kits. Results: The results revealed that levels of aldose reeducate and CK-MB was comparatively more significant in the IHD group than control, but total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) showed no significant difference between the control and IHD group. Conclusion: A statistically non-significant relationship was observed between aldose reductase and CK-MB and lipid profile in the IHD patients, indicating the role of aldose reductase in IHD subjects because it increases oxidative stress in cardiac cells

Correlation of Uric Acid Levels with Feto-Maternal Outcomes in Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy

Objective: To explore the correlation between uric acid levels and feto-maternal outcomes in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Feb to Aug 2021. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, 90 pregnant women with hypertensive disorders having greater than 26 weeks of gestation were included after seeking Ethical Committee approval. Selected parameters were noted on a structured proforma. Results: Among the participants, 38(42.2%) had pregnancy-induced hypertension, 32(35.5%) had pre-eclampsia, 13(14.5%) had chronic hypertension with pre-eclampsia, and 7(7.8%) had eclampsia. Mean Uric acid levels ranged between 363.66±50.45 μmol/L and 451.86±120.62μmol/L, with a significant difference between PIH and eclampsia (p<0.001). Mode of delivery was avaginal, primary cesarean section, and repeat cesarean section in 31(34.4%), 38(42.2%), and 21(23.4%) patients, respectively(p<0.001). Liquor was meconium stained in 49(54.4%) while clear in 41(45.6%) births, with (p<0.001). Early neonatal deaths6(6.7%) participants had significantly higher uric acid levels than no NICU admission 22(24.4%). In maternal outcomes, 83 patients (92.2%) required routine post-operative care, while 7(7.8 %) went to the intensive care unit. Uric acid levels had a negative correlation with gestational age. Conclusion: Maternal uric acid levels differ significantly in different hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and affect the mode of delivery and neonatal outcomes

Identification of novel and safe fungicidal molecules against fusarium oxysporum from plant essential oils: in vitro and computational approaches.

Phytopathogenic fungi are serious threats in the agriculture sector especially in fruit and vegetable production. The use of plant essential oil as antifungal agents has been in practice from many years. Plant essential oils (PEOs) of Cuminum cyminum, Trachyspermum ammi, Azadirachta indica, Syzygium aromaticum, Moringa oleifera, Mentha spicata, Eucalyptus grandis, Allium sativum, and Citrus sinensis were tested against Fusarium oxysporum. Three phase trials consist of lab testing (MIC and MFC), field testing (seed treatment and foliar spray), and computer-aided fungicide design (CAFD). Two concentrations (25 and 50 μl/ml) have been used to asses MIC while MFC was assessed at four concentrations (25, 50, 75, and 100 μl/ml). C. sinensis showed the largest inhibition zone (47.5 and 46.3 m2) for both concentrations. The lowest disease incidence and disease severity were recorded in treatments with C. sinensis PEO. Citrus sinensis that qualified in laboratory and field trials was selected for CAFD. The chemical compounds of C. sinensis PEO were docked with polyketide synthase beta-ketoacyl synthase domain of F. oxysporum by AutoDock Vina. The best docked complex was formed by nootkatone with -6.0 kcal/mol binding affinity. Pharmacophore of the top seven C. sinensis PEO compounds was used for merged pharmacophore generation. The best pharmacophore model with 0.8492 score was screened against the CMNP database. Top hit compounds from screening were selected and docked with polyketide synthase beta-ketoacyl synthase domain. Four compounds with the highest binding affinity and hydrogen bonding were selected for confirmation of lead molecule by doing MD simulation. The polyketide synthase-CMNPD24498 showed the highest stability throughout 80 ns run of MD simulation. CMNPD24498 (FW054-1) from Verrucosispora was selected as the lead compound against F. oxysporum

A mechanistic insight into chemical cues and interactions involved in herbivory induced jasmonate mediated plant defense mechanism

The first step in plant defense mechanism is to sense the insect attack stimulus. Plant sensitivity of an insect attack is the first step of defense. Molecules generated by the oral secretion of the insect interact with the plant receptors to trigger plant defense mechanisms. We selected some highly cited insect elicitors molecules, volicitin, caeliferin, bruchin which interact with plant defense by interacting with plant elicitors (systemin, inceptin and peps) located on the plant cell surface. This interaction activates plant receptors SYR1, LRR, PEPR and triggers downstream defense signaling. The octadecanoid pathways, involving enzymes allene oxide synthase (AOS) and Hydroxyperoxide lyase (HPL) are activated. These enzymes mediate production of green leafy volatiles and Jasmonic acid by interacting with hydroxperoxide molecules. We docked the elicitors with receptors and enzymes with substrates in the pathway of JA production. Phe was found to be an important amino acid that interacts with 13-hydroxyperoxides in the case of AOS to produce JA but not in the case of HPL. JA is converted to JA-Ile which shows strong binding with COI1 and COI1-JA-Ile complex docked with JAZ which showed strong interaction with ve hydrogens and one salt bridge bond. AOS and HPL showed less than 40% identity for sequence and structure alignment. AOS and HPL had shown an interaction between each other and showed a common interaction partner of the Lipoxygenase family. HPL shows interaction with ADH2 (Alcohol dehydrogenase) involved in GLVs production. AOS also showed interaction partner AOC, COI1 and OPR1 which are involved in JA-induced plant defense mechanism.peer-reviewe

Characterization of greater middle eastern genetic variation for enhanced disease gene discovery

The Greater Middle East (GME) has been a central hub of human migration and population admixture. The tradition of consanguinity, variably practiced in the Persian Gulf region, North Africa, and Central Asia1-3, has resulted in an elevated burden of recessive disease4. Here we generated a whole-exome GME variome from 1,111 unrelated subjects. We detected substantial diversity and admixture in continental and subregional populations, corresponding to several ancient founder populations with little evidence of bottlenecks. Measured consanguinity rates were an order of magnitude above those in other sampled populations, and the GME population exhibited an increased burden of runs of homozygosity (ROHs) but showed no evidence for reduced burden of deleterious variation due to classically theorized ‘genetic purging’. Applying this database to unsolved recessive conditions in the GME population reduced the number of potential disease-causing variants by four- to sevenfold. These results show variegated genetic architecture in GME populations and support future human genetic discoveries in Mendelian and population genetics

A distortion-free contrast enhancement technique based on a perceptual fusion scheme

Contrast enhancement, in a broad sense, is a process whereby some characteristics of an image signal are highlighted. Techniques for image contrast enhancement improve the visibility of image details but may generate some undesirable artifacts such as noise amplification, ringing and overshooting. As a consequence, developing distortion-free methods for image enhancement is of great interest. In this paper, we propose a perceptual fusion technique to improve the performance of some existing contrast enhancement methods in terms of noise amplification. Multi-resolution fusion using the Laplacian pyramid decomposition is performed to account for the multi-channel characteristics of the human visual system (HVS). The results show the efficiency of the proposed method in enhancing details while preventing noise amplification.Scopu