Effect of Perceived Organizational Politics and Core Self Evaluation on Job Satisfaction

Many studies explore the effect of perception of organizational politics on job satisfaction but a very few investigate for the factors that are salient to this relationship. Perceptions of politics have been considered to be a source of stress at workplace which has detrimental consequences on the desired outcomes. Current study aims to explore the effects of perception of organizational politics (POP) and core self-evaluation (CSE) on employee job satisfaction. The present research also examines core self-evaluation as a moderator in the relationship between perception of organizational politics and job satisfaction. With a sample size of 100 respondents drawn from the health sector of 3rd largest city of Pakistan, named Faisalabad, the current study tested the main effects of POP and CSE on job satisfaction by using a self-administered survey having a total of 30 items. For analyzing the data, SPSS was used. As hypothesized, results show that perceived organizational politics had a significant negative relationship with job satisfaction but the results for CSE were not significant. Furthermore, CSE moderated the relationship of POP and job satisfaction, such that the negative relationship between perception of organizational politics and job satisfaction was weaker when core self-evaluation was high

Immunochemical and PCR analysis of Staphylococcus aureus Enterotoxin B (SEB) in milk and fruit juices collected in Lahore, Pakistan

Enterotoxins secreted by S. aureus are known as a food-poisoning agent that is associated with various gastro-intestinal pathological conditions. In this study, a one-step immunodetection method was devised for routine checking of SEB in milk and fruit juices available locally. Antibodies against recombinant SEB were raised, purified, and cross reactivity was checked against clinically important bacteria (Shigella flexneri, Streptococci, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella and Bacillus subtilis). Purified anti-SEB antibodies were conjugated with gold nanoparticles (Ab-GNPs) for direct detection of SEB in samples. SEB (33%, 4.76% and 15%) was found in non-sterilized milk (118), sterilized milk (42) and juices (60), respectively. Coagulase, MSA tests and PCR amplification of 725 bp of the SEB gene confirmed the presence of S. aureus in the collected samples positive for SEB. Immunoassay is easy, reliable and less time consuming and will be helpful to detect the SEB in food samples at local level

Feet Microbial Infections

Microbial foot disorders are quite common around the globe. People who usually don’t take care about their foot hygiene and overall health often suffer from serious foot ailments. Causes of these disorders may be poor cleanliness, diabetes miletus, improper foot ware and socks use.  Among them, shoes and socks as remain moist due to sweat and dirt, are a potent source of microbial invasion which may be either of bacterial, fungal or viral origin, sometimes algal too. People of third world countries are more prone to such disorders because of lack of awareness. These issues can be controlled by introducing proper general mass awareness regarding foot care and hygiene and by spreading information regarding foot ulcers and wounds handling to medical staff and common people

Bovine Brucellosis: Old and New Concepts with Pakistan Perspective

Brucellosis is considered to be one of the most widespread zoonoses in the world. According to OIE, it is the second most important zoonotic disease in the world after rabies. The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats, camels and dogs. It may also infect other ruminants and marine mammals. The disease is manifested by late term abortions, weak calves, still births, infertility and characteristic lesions are primarily placentitis, epididymitis and orchitis. The organism is excreted in uterine discharges and milk. The disease is economically important, is one of the most devastating transboundary animal diseases and also a major trade barrier. Although not yet reported, some species of Brucella (e.g., B. abortus) are zoonotic and could be used as bioweapons. Brucellosis has a considerable impact on animal and human health, as well as wide socio-economic impacts, especially in countries in which rural income relies largely on livestock breeding and dairy products. Considering the poor health infrastructure and manpower in rural areas, the focus should be on preventive measures coupled with strengthening the curative health care services for early diagnosis and treatment. The incidence of brucellosis is increasing particularly in large dairy herds in Pakistan. Several studies have been conducted using sero-diagnostic techniques to determine the prevalence of brucellosis in different provinces, districts and livestock farms in government and private sector

An Abattoir Based Study on Brucellosis, Bovine Tuberculosis and Paratuberculosis in Buffaloes and Cattle at Faisalabad, Pakistan

A study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of these diseases at Faisalabad abattoirs in buffaloes and cattle. For this purpose, 400 consecutive animals, including 200 buffaloes and 200 cattle were included in the study. Blood and diseased organ, tissue samples were collected for further processing. For a study on the prevalence of brucellosis, the serum samples were screened by RBPT (Rose Bengal Precipitation Test). The overall prevalence of brucellosis recorded was 10% and 11% in buffaloes and cattle, respectively. The prevalence of brucellosis did not vary between male and females, three age groups and three weight groups each in buffalo and cattle. However, the odds of contracting brucellosis were 3.8 vs 1 for cattle than buffalo at an age below 5 years. On the basis of specific gross and histopathological lesions in different organs/tissues, including lungs, liver, lymph nodes and intestine, the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis and paratuberculosis were assessed. The suspected prevalence of bovine tuberculosis was 1.5% and 1%, while it was 3.75% and 4.1 % in case of paratuberculosis in buffaloes and cattle, respectively. The cattle revealed significant (P = 0.05) difference between age groups on the basis of suspected lesions of tuberculosis in lungs with young cattle showing the lesions more than adult, but it was not so in buffaloes. The odds of contracting paratuberculosis in males were 3.74 vs 1 of buffalo than cattle. The other comparisons were not marked between age groups, sex and weight groups between buffaloes and cattle. The prevalence of these diseases is not unexpected in abattoir and is a threat not only for workers at the slaughterhouse, meat sellers (butchers) but also to the general public

Medical & Dental Students' Perceptions of Health and Well-Being

Objective: As a way to examine how medical & dental students adhere to different dimensions of well-being within the framework of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study of Riphah International University's 300 medical & dental students from each gender was done from January to December 2010. Predictive Analysis Software (PASW) version 18 assessed the replies ranging from "no," "sometimes," "usually," and "yes/always" (numbered 0-4). Results: The study population consisted of 287 out of the 300 questionnaires, or 95.7% of the total. A total of 103 men (35.89 percent) and 184 women (64.11 percent) participated in the poll. P values of 0.0159 and 0.0240 show that illness and athletic participation have an effect on physical well-being based on gender. Mood swings and family friends had p values of 0.0059 and 0.00, respectively, in relation to emotional well-being. P values of 0.0024 and 0.0116 show that prayer and spiritual fasting have an effect on spiritual well-being. It is clear that spiritual wellbeing is distinct from emotional and bodily wellness, as shown by Tukey's simultaneous comparison t-values (d.f. = 858). Conclusion: As part of their basic curriculum, medical students should be taught stress and time management methods in order to better handle the stress and demands of practicing medicine. Colleges and institutions need to increase and enhance their research on gender bias in health and wellness. &nbsp

Association between TSH status and prevalence of miscarriages and stillbirth

Thyroid hormones play a significant role in normal human body growth. Abnormalities in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels can result in pregnancy loss due to miscarriages and intrauterine death (IUD). The objective of the study was to assess the levels of association of thyroid stimulating hormone with miscarriages and IUD. The descriptive study involving 110 samples between 18-40 years of age fulfilling inclusion criteria were sampled for TSH testing (2ml blood) after attaining their written informed consent. The mean age of participants was 29.49±4.26 year. The prevalence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism was 3.64% and 2.73%, respectively. Complications like gestational hypertension, depression and oligomenorrhea were found prevalent in these females. Majority of females were taking high/low iodine than recommended iodine level (150mcg). This work shows that there is a significant association between pregnancy loss and disturbed TSH levels among pregnant females

Two-dimensional SnS and SnSe as hosts of K-ion storage: a first-principles prediction

Potassium ion batteries (KIBs) have attracted remarkable consideration due to their intrinsic safety and huge availability of potassium. However, the large size of the K ion and low charge−discharge efficiency are the main obstacles to the progress of KIBs. To overcome these hurdles, we chose SnS and SnSe monolayers as K anodes for KIBs due to their layered structural assemblies, wider surface area to accommodate more K content, and high thermal stabilities. First-principles simulations were carried out to study the electronic properties and K storage capability of SnS and SnSe monolayers as anode materials for KIBs. We found that K adsorption enhances the electrical conductivity of both SnS and SnSe monolayers, which become metallic after the adsorption of a very minor concentration of K. The outcomes of the ab initio molecular dynamic simulations display the thermal stability of the host materials for KIBs. According to our calculations, the theoretical capacities of SnS and SnSe monolayers are 355 and 271 mA h/g, respectively. Consequently, we obtain very low average voltages of 0.45 V for SnS and 0.36 V for SnSe monolayers. In addition, the low diffusion barriers for the K-ion on SnS and SnSe monolayers are 0.14 and 0.16 eV, correspondingly, illustrating the fast ion transfer rate with rapid potassiation and depotassiation. These intriguing results suggest that SnS and SnSe monolayers could be promising anode materials for KIBs

The SSC of the Generalised Jahangir’s Graph Jm,k and its Algebraic Characterizations

In this article, we present important combinatorial and algebraicproperties of spanning simplicial complex (SSC) of the generalised Jahangir’sgraph Jm,k. We describe the relation to find f−vectors associatedto Δs(Jm,k) and determine the Hilbert series for the SR-ring KΔs(Jm,k).In the end, we present the associated primes of the facet ideal IF(Δs(Jm,k))and the Cohen-Macaulay characterization of the SR-ring of Δs(Jm,k).AMS (MOS) Subject Classification Codes: Primary 13-P10, Secondary 13-F20, 13-C14, 13-H10.Corresponding Author: Agha KashifKey Words: Simplicial Complexes, f-vectors, Spanning Trees, Face Ring, Hilbert Series, CohenMacaulay

Monitoring and Evaluation System in Education: An Overview of Elementary Schools

This research study aims to discuss and analyse the current monitoring and evaluation practices at elementary schools in Punjab. The main objective of this study was to know the usefulness of monitoring and evaluation system and to investigate how the teachers and administrators perceive school effectiveness through monitoring and evaluation system. This study is helpful for the educational leaders to know the advantages and disadvantages of monitoring system. Elementary school teachers (4013) of district Bahawalnagar were the population of this study. The sample of the study was selected by using multistage sampling technique. A thorough review of literature was carried out to develop relevant data collection tools. A questionnaire with five-point Likert scale was developed to record the responses of the participants of the study. The questionnaire was constructed with the statements about determinants for monitoring and evaluation in system of education at elementary school level. Quantitative data was collected and analysed using descriptive statistics e.g., mean, and standard deviation through computer software SPSS-21. A questionnaire comprised of 19 statements including two objectives was devised as a research tool. The findings and conclusion of the study related to effectiveness found that monitoring system for the evaluation of the schools is working partly. The analysis of the data revealed that the monitoring and evaluation system is helpful in enhancing total school performance. However, still there are some gaps in the system which needs to be plugged in. The participants proposed to revise the mechanism of monitoring