Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Information Systems In Media Organization: A Study Of Pakistan News TV

Information technology (IT) based information management systems in different organizations have gained a lot of attention from researchers around the globe. The effectiveness of information systems is a challenge in emerging media organizations. The present study extends Delone and Mclean's theoretical framework to check the effectiveness of information systems in media organizations in Pakistan. The employees of the top 15 news channels using the survey method have been selected to collect the sample data for the study. Stratified sampling technique is used to collect the data of 400 news channel employees who are using information systems for news processing. SEM (structural equation modelling) technique is used to analyse the collected data. It is evident from the results of the study that system, service, and information quality are significant contributors to use and user satisfaction. User satisfaction is supported with the use of the system. Use and user satisfaction positively contribute to an individual as well as organizational performance. A positive relationship is also found significant between individual performance and organizational performance.  The study provides ground to the researchers who want to further explore information systems in media organizations. The media industry may also be get benefitted from the findings in decision-making about information systems

A case of non-resolving cough and weight loss.

Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous multi-system disease with a clinical picture often mimicking tuberculosis. We present a case of a patient who presented with a clinical picture akin to both of these granulomatous disorders and was started on anti-tuberculous regimen despite the lack of any solid evidence pointing towards tuberculosis. As a result her clinical condition continued to deteriorate for months until finally a bronchoscopic biopsy established her disease process as sarcoidosis. She was then started on systemic corticosteroid therapy for sarcoidosis and during the ensuing period has shown marked improvement in her clinical picture with near normalization of the biochemical and radiographic parameters of her pathology. This case illustrates the need for vigilant interpretation of the clinical scenario in patients such as these where a misdiagnosis may lead to significant patient distress as well as weighing down on the economic and health resources

Highly efficient catalytic degradation of low-density polyethylene using a novel tungstophosphoric acid/kaolin clay composite catalyst

In order to take advantage of Bronsted acidity of tungstophosphoric acid(TPA) and Lewis acidity of kaolin, TPA loaded kaolin catalysts with varying percentages of TPA (10-50wt%) have been prepared by wet impregnation method. Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analyzer, and Scanning Electron Microscope characterizations were performed to confirm the successful loading of TPA onKaolin. Catalytic cracking of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), by employing our TPA loaded Kaolin as the catalyst, produced a higher percentage of fuel oil (liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons) with negligible amount of semisolid wax (1.0 wt.%), significantly lower compared to the thermal cracking which produced ~22wt.% solid black residue. Moreover, GCMS analysis of oil showed that thermal cracking produces mainly higher hydrocarbons(C22) as compared to the catalytic cracking where larger fraction oflowerhydrocarbons were obtained. We purpose that the higher performance of our catalysts was due to the presence of both Bronsted and Lewis acid sites, which increase their catalytic efficiency and degraded the LDPE at the relatively lower temperatures. Our results suggest that prepared materials were effectivecatalysts with low cost and easily scalable production method; suitable for large-scale highperformance catalytic cracking of LDPE based materials

Discovery of novel 1,2,4-triazole tethered β-hydroxy sulfides as bacterial tyrosinase inhibitors: synthesis and biophysical evaluation through in vitro and in silico approaches

In this study, a series of 1,2,4-triazole-tethered β-hydroxy sulfide scaffolds 11a–h was synthesized in good to remarkable yields (69–90%) through the thiolysis of oxiranes by the thiols in aqueous basic catalytic conditions. The synthesized 1,2,4-triazole-tethered β-hydroxy sulfides were screened against bacterial tyrosinase enzyme, and Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial cultures i.e., (S. aureus) Staphylococcus aureus & (E. coli) Escherichia coli. Among the synthesized derivatives, the molecules 11a (IC50 = 7.67 ± 1.00 μM), 11c (IC50 = 4.52 ± 0.09 μM), 11d (IC50 = 6.60 ± 1.25 μM), and 11f (IC50 = 5.93 ± 0.50 μM) displayed the better tyrosinase inhibitory activity in comparison to reference drugs ascorbic acid (IC50 = 11.5 ± 1.00 μM) and kojic acid (IC50 = 30.34 ± 0.75 μM). The molecule benzofuran-triazol-propan-2-ol 11c proved to be the most potent bacterial tyrosinase inhibitory agent with a minimum IC50 of 4.52 ± 0.09 μM, as compared to other synthesized counterparts and both standards (kojic acid and ascorbic acid). The compound diphenyl-triazol-propan-2-ol 11a and benzofuran-triazole-propan-2-ol 11c showed comparable anti-bacterial chemotherapeutic efficacy with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC = 2.0 ± 2.25 mg mL−1 and 2.5 ± 0.00 mg mL−1, respectively) against S. aureus bacterial strain in comparison with standard antibiotic penicillin (MIC = 2.2 ± 1.15 mg mL−1). Furthermore, among the synthesized derivatives, only compound 11c demonstrated better anti-bacterial activity (MIC = 10 ± 0.40 mg mL−1) against E. coli, which was slightly less than the standard antibiotic i.e., penicillin (MIC = 2.4 ± 1.00 mg mL−1). The compound 11c demonstrated a better binding score (−7.08 kcal mol−1) than ascorbic acid (−5.59 kcal mol−1) and kojic acid (−5.78 kcal mol−1). Molecular docking studies also validate the in vitro anti-tyrosinase assay results; therefore, the molecule 11c can be the lead bacterial tyrosinase inhibitor as well as the antibacterial agent against both types of bacterial strains after suitable structural modifications

Analysis of Determinants of Debt Financing: A Case study of the Cement Industry of Pakistan

: The aim of this study is to an analysis of Determinants of Debt Financing: A Case study of the Cement Industry of Pakistan. As Profitability is one of the best tools to measure the performance of any firm or sector. The current study also aims to analyze the impact of intangible assets on the profitability of the cement industry of Pakistan. To analyze the impact of intangible assets on profitability some control variables are also used in this research i.e. capital structure, firm size, growth rate, non-debt tax shield, and working capital, alongside these variables intangible assets are also used as a determinant of the profitability and age of the firm is used as a moderator between intangible assets and the profitability of the firm. The Data collected Twenty years of (unbalanced) annual data i.e. 1998 to 2017 of twenty cement companies listed under the Pakistan stock exchange is used and the data sources are secondary. To analyze the data panel data regression is used, the results of the study concluded that a positive and significant relationship exists between intangibles and profitability, and the age of the firm moderated the relationship between the two variables. Firms in Pakistan should report intangible assets in their financial statements, the managers of the said industry need to manage the intangible assets of their firm efficiently and should work on its disclosure in their financial statements

Khamosh Pani: Partition trauma, gender violence, and religious extremism in Pakistan

This paper looks at the question of partition of British India in 1947 and the rise of religious extremism in Pakistan through an analysis of internationally acclaimed and award-winning Pakistani film Khamosh Pani (silent waters). The paper uses Symbolic Interactionism and Feminist Theory with a critical perspective to establish how the present-day religious extremism in Pakistan has its roots in the colonial history of the country. However, it also highlights the diagnostic inability of Symbolic Interactionism as it smacks of the volunteerism and overlooks how statist and organized institutional power infringes upon socio-political meaning making processes. This paper argues that the film connects the communal nature of pre-partition violence to grassroots contemporary religious extremism in Pakistan to show how the rupture of a village life is the continuation of colonial heritage of communal violence. We argue based on the findings of this study that religious extremism that is manifest in today’s Pakistan is not a break from the past; instead, it is rooted in the colonial history connecting the national Pakistani elite with the regional neo-colonial interests

Breaking the Bubble: Bullous scabies – A case report

The article describes a rare case of bullous scabies in a 30-year-old female. Scabies is a skin condition caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei and is typically transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. Bullous scabies is a rare presentation of scabies and is characterized by tense bullae and blisters that resemble bullous pemphigoid. The patient presented with pruritus, bullae on the hands and feet, and papules on various body parts. After a provisional diagnosis of scabies was made, microscopic examination confirmed the presence of mites and eggs. The patient was treated with Permethrin cream and antihistamines, and her symptoms regressed over the next two months. The husband and two other family members also reported improvement after treatment. While bullous scabies is an uncommon presentation of scabies, it is important to consider it in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with bullae and pruritus. The exact pathophysiology of bullous scabies is yet to be determined, but theories include a staph aureus superinfection or production of autoantibodies in response to scabies lytic enzymes. Early recognition and appropriate treatment can lead to good outcomes in patients with bullous scabies

Genetic analysis of pollen viability%253A an indicator of heat stress in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Pollen viability represents sporo-gametophytic tolerance to the heat stress. Therefore, pollen fertility index under heat stress can be exploited to differentiate resistant and susceptible genotypes. Information relative to genetics of pollen viability is necessary to improve pollen viability under heat stress. Studies were initiated to develop and evaluate heat tolerant populations under controlled and field conditions. Result showed that pollen fertility index of genotypes was stable over the years. It showed moderate to high heritability, which was due to greater magnitude of genotypic effects in total phenotype. Studies showed that pollen fertility was primarily controlled by dominant type of genetic variability which showed that selectionper sefor the pollen fertility could be improved through recurrent selection. General combining analysis showed that gametophytic type of heat resistance was important in the inheritance of pollen viability. Heat resistance was dependent on the genotype of gametes as indicated from lack of relationship between mean performance of inbred line per se and their progenies for pollen viability