Prevalence and Prevention Strategies of Violence in Special Schools: A Quantitative Survey

This study was carried out to identify the opinions of students with hearing impairment and their teachers about prevalence of violence in special schools. This research was quantitative in nature and descriptive research method was used to conduct the study. The population of the study comprised students with hearing impairment (SWHI) and their teachers working in public sector schools. Researchers selected 60 students with hearing impairment studying at elementary level (males= 23, females= 37). A sample of 100 teachers were also taken from schools working in Lahore. On the basis of literature review, two structured questionnaires with close ended options were developed. The estimated reliability of teachers’ questionnaire was Cronbach alpha 0.82 and of students’ questionnaire (Cronbach alpha 0.85). Researchers personally visited schools to collect data from students whereas data from teachers were collected through telephone and email. Frequency percentages, mean and standard deviation were used for data analysis. The results of the study indicated that most of students with hearing impairment used to experience non- verbal violence and feel scary before and after school time. Teachers reported that students used to threaten one another, damage school property or personal items. They used abusive language. Schools had taken many initiatives to create healthy and safe environment i.e, appointing security guards to control access to school buildings, increasing monitoring by applying rules and regulations and involving students in conflict resolving activities. However, training teachers, counselling, student tutoring and mentoring are required for healthy school environment

Violence experienced by the girls with hearing impairment in the schools and its impact on their education

 School based violence is a type of youth violence that occurs within school premises. A students can be a victim, perpetrator or a witness of school based violence. The incidence of violence prevails more among girls with hearing impairment due to their communication and language problems. The main objectives of conducting this research were to explore the nature and type of violence experienced by the girls with hearing impairment studying in the schools of Punjab, highlight the impact of violence on their academic outcomes and to see the role of school administration for the rehabilitation of victimized girls. A qualitative research design was used to conduct the study. The population of the study consisted of girls with hearing impairment studying at secondary level in the schools of Punjab province. A sample of 17 girls with hearing impairment was purposively selected from the 17 schools of Punjab. Researchers took only those girls who had been victim of violence once and more in their life during school hours. An interview protocol was developed to take interview in-depth interviews from the victimized girls.  Based on the interviews, violence experience by the girls characterized into four themes including physical, psychological, sexual and verbal abuse. The study concluded that all types of violence effects on the overall personality and in particular on the academic performance of victim. The study highlighted that schools have not any formal system to deal the violence related issues. Study recommended for the empowerment of girls with hearing impairment to raise their voices against violence.  &nbsp

The Status of Inclusive Education in Baluchistan: A Qualitative Investigation

The central purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the existing condition of the inclusive schools working in the province of Baluchistan, Pakistan. Out of six divisions of Baluchistan, Quetta division was selected purposively. After conducting a survey, eight inclusive schools were taken as sample from the regular schools. An observation sheet containing the components of school ecology, instructional practices of teachers, curriculum adaptations, classroom management, infra structure of schools, and use of teaching aids in the classrooms was prepared. In eight schools, 48 observations (three observations in grade three and four each) were conducted. The results reflected that most of the children were at the mild level of disability and teachers were paying attention to special children but due to lack of training in deaf education and unavailability of assistive devices, the anticipated outcomes were not being obtained. The conclusions were drawn and recommendations to the Department of Education, Government of the Baluchistan were given for the improvement of inclusive set up

Management of arachnoid cysts: A comprehensive review

Arachnoid cysts are non-neoplastic, intracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled spaces lined with arachnoid membranes. Large arachnoid cysts are often symptomatic because they compress surrounding structures; therefore, they must be treated surgically. As several surgical management options exist, we explore the best approach according to each major type of arachnoid cyst: middle cranial fossa cyst, suprasellar cyst, intrahemispheric cyst, and quadrigeminal cyst

A Comparative Study of Prospective Teachers’ Attitude before and after Teaching Practice

The purpose of this study was to compare the prospective teachers’ attitude before and after teaching practice at master level. Research was quantitative in nature. Population comprised prospective teachers enrolled at Institute of Education and Research, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan (Session: 2016-2018). Only those students, who had completed their teaching practice, were included in the study. The sample of this study was 200 prospective teachers of Institute of Education and Research, University of the Punjab, Lahore selected through simple random sampling. It is concluded by the findings that prospective teachers emphasized more on classroom management before and after teaching practice in terms of qualification and age. It was also found that no significance mean difference existed between male and female prospective teachers’ perceptions regarding attitudes towards teaching practice before and after teaching practice. Therefore it was recommended that duration of teaching practice should be extended to at least two terms for developing teaching skills in prospective teachers

Leader-Member Exchange Quality and employee work behaviours: Mediating Role of Interactional Justice

The study aims to examine the mediating role of interactional justice between LMX quality and employee’s in-role behaviour and citizenship behaviour. Adam’s equity theory and social exchange theory are employed o explain the theoretical framework. Proposed mediation model is tested using time lagged data of 308 responses from service sector of Pakistan. To examine validity of the measures, confirmatory factor analysis has been done. The measurement model produced better indices for five factors. Structure equation modelling technique has been used to test mediation model. Results supported the hypothesis of mediation. Finally managerial implications and future research directions have been discussed. Keywords: LMX quality, Interactional Justice, Organization citizenship behaviour (OCB), In-role behavior (IRB)

Renal cancer in Adult Sudanese patients in Khartoum State: Clinico pathological Study

Objectives: Renal cancer became a noticeable tumor recently with high mortality rates in the developed countries The objective of this study to review the histopathological pattern of renal cancer and show the relationships between the histological type , the clinical presentation , the mode of surgical procedure, grading the tumors by using Fuhrman grading and staging the tumors by using TNM staging system. Methods: This is a descriptive retrospective case series study of 108 adult renal cancer patients during the period from Jan 2007 to Aug 2010 from different histopathology departments in Khartoum state including Soba Teaching Hospital, IbnSina Hospital, Khartoum Teaching Hospital & National Health Laboratory. Data was collected from the patients request forms and patients files including detailed personal, clinical and pathological data. Formalin fixed paraffin embedded blocks of processed histopathology specimens were recut, stained and examined by the candidate and reviewed by the supervisor to determine the histopathological type, tumor grade and clinical stage of the patients. Results: The study included 108 patients, 59 were males and 49 females, with a M: F ratio of 1.13:1.0. The youngest patient was 19 years and the eldest was 86 years. Thirty three patients (31.4%) were below 46 years with a mean age of 53 years. The majority of patients were from central regions. The clinical presentation included loin pain in 35.2% (n=37), abdominal mass in 31.4% (n=34), hematuria in 22.9% (n=24) and 4.8% (n=5) were incidental finding during ultra sound examination. Two types of surgical procedures were performed: nephrectomy and partial nepherctomy in 92 and 11 patients respectively. Eleven patients had needle biopsy only 8 Microscopic examination of the slides identified 7 histological types of renal cancer. These were clear cell RCC in 71.2%, papillary in 18%, sarcomatoid RCC in3.8%, Chromophobe in 0.9%, collecting duct RCC in 0.9%, transitional cell carcinoma in 4.5% and squamous cell carcinoma in 0.9% Using Fuhrman grading system showed grade II, III, I and IV in 48, 29, 16 and12 patients respectively TNM staging system showed stage III, II, I and IV in 41, 30,13and 8 patients respectively. Conclusions: Sudanese patients share many pathological and some of unique epidemiological features for renal cancer

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Role of Teachers in Career Counseling of Students at Higher Education Level

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a blessing for Pakistan and China. China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) appears as a major ‘Prosperity Tool’ which can help Pakistan to overcome its economic problems. CPEC has been researched up till now in various trade and commerce fields but its most important linkage with education was hard to find. This study was aimed to identify the role of university teachers in developing awareness and providing guidance and counseling to their students regarding career opportunities existing in the projects of CPEC. All the teachers of public and private universities of city Lahore were the population of the study. A sample of 150 teachers was selected randomly from different departments of two public and two private universities of city Lahore. A self-developed and validated instrument was used to identify the role of teachers. Reliability index (Chronbach Alpha) of the instrument was α= .82. Results showed that teachers were playing their role to make students aware of the CPEC projects. They were also providing counseling informally to their students at higher education level regarding the career opportunities existing in the CPEC projects. There was no significant difference found in the role of teachers in providing career counseling to their students at higher education level about CPEC projects with respect to their gender, residential area, type of university, designation and years of working experience. It was recommended that universities should arrange seminars, workshops, conferences, panel discussions and brainstorming sessions for the sensitization of their faculty members so that they could create awareness among their students regarding CPEC and take measures for their career counseling

Development of Biofilms for Antimicrobial Resistance

Biofilms are a unit referred to as assemblage of microbial cells growing as surface-attached microbial communities within the natural surroundings. Their genetic and physiological aspects are widely studied. Biofilm development involves the assembly of extracellular compound substances that forms the most bailiwick network. Quorum sensing is one more crucial development specifically connected with biofilm formation in several microorganism species. In ecological purpose, the biofilm offers protection against unfavorable conditions and provides a platform for the genetic transfer. A biofilm-forming bacterium area unit is medically necessary, as they are resistant to several antibiotics and might spread resistant genes. This chapter provides the summary of microorganism biofilm formation and its significance in ecology

Financial Autonomy for Unemployed and Disadvantaged Adolescents with Disabilities through Punjab Vocational Training Institutions

The central focus of this quantitative exploration was to know the awareness level of poor and disadvantaged students with disabilities (hearing impaired, visually impaired, physically handicapped and mild mentally challenged) about demand driven skill training provided by Punjab Vocational Training Institutions. A sample of 105 students with disabilities (male and female) enrolled in elementary and secondary level special education schools and centres located in Lahore division were selected through simple random sampling technique. A self developed and validated questionnaire (Cronbach Alpha 0.92) on five point Likert scale was used to elicit their responses. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. ANOVA was employed to find difference in awareness level among the students of four disabilities, t-test was used to find difference on the basis of gender, type of schools (public & private), and locale (urban & rural). No significant mean difference was found on the basis of gender. There was a significant difference on the basis of type of schools and disabilities. Recommendations were made to Government of the Punjab, Punjab Special Education Department, and private sector to increase employability through the enrolment of students with disabilities in Punjab Vocational Training Institutions