Impact analysis of the in-service teacher training programmes of the Testing and Evaluation sub-committee of the ELTR Project in Pakistan

AbstractThe study seeks to explore the perception of the concerned EL teachers (trainees) on the in-service training programmes conducted by the Testing and Evaluation sub-committee of the English Language Teaching Reforms (ELTR) Project of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan. The researchers administered a questionnaire to gauge the overall effectiveness of programmes of the target sub-committee. The study brought to light a few gaps between the training objectives and their realization in real classroom settings mainly owing to the problem (of the lack of resources) faced by the trainees at their workplaces. The researchers felt the need for making merit or need-based selections/nominations of the trainees, devising a fool-proof mechanism for the follow-up of the trainees and for providing facilities to the trainees for implementation of the training input. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd

A study of English teachers and students’ perception about the differences between annual and semester system of education at postgraduate level in Mardan

AbstractThis research study tried to seek the perception of English teachers and students’ about the differences between Annual and Semester system in terms of students’ learning strategies at postgraduate level. A public sector university in Mardan (established in February 2009) provided the researchers a population who were new to Semester system and who had been seeking education in Annual system before joining it. In order to achieve the objective of the study, a questionnaire was distributed among a randomly selected 120 students having experience of both the educational systems, and interviews with 10 teachers were conducted to record their perception towards both systems of education.The analysis of the data got from both the tools showed that there was found a significant difference between Annual and Semester system in terms of students learning strategies. In Annual system students used to get ample time to master the target subjects, whereas in Semester system, the students had to synthesize the subjects and were not only made to undergo rigorous evaluation in terms of both intellectual and emotional growth

Evaluation of the effectiveness of English language teaching in English language institutes in Mardan

AbstractThe scope of English language is widening day by day. There are various English language institutes working in Mardan city. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the course content, class activities and adopted teaching methods in these language institutes. For this purpose, we distributed questionnaires among 76 students of different language institutes seeking their perception regarding the courses. We came to know that the courses were least effective due to the teachers’ ineptness, their focusing more on the content than on the students’ needs, and because of the unavailability of the proper resources for effective language practices at the institutes. However, some of the students at these institutes were found quite satisfied with their improvement in accent and pronunciation. As a whole, the language institutes in Mardan need to do a thorough overhauling of their practices to help students’ achieve their language goals satisfactorily

Simple and sensitive chromatographic method development for in-vitro and in-vivo analysis of doxorubicin-loaded poly lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles

Purpose: To develop a bioanalytical high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the quantification of doxorubicin in biological fluids and polymeric nano-formulations. Methods: Analysis of doxorubicin in polymeric nanoparticles and biological samples was carried out at 252 nm using Purospher® RP-18 end-capped column (250mm×4.6mm,5µm) secured with a guard column cartridge RP18 (30mm×4.6mm,10µm). The mobile phase used was 0.025M phosphate buffer and acetonitrile (ACN) (65:35, v:v) in isocratic mode at a flow rate of 0.9 ml/min, run time of 10 min, column oven temperature of 30 °C, and injection volume of 40 μL. Results: The standard curve for doxorubicin was linear (0.999) in the concentration range of 0.022 - 1.00 μg/mL in human and albino mice plasma. Nominal retention times of doxorubicin and IS were 3.5 and 5.5 min, respectively. Mean recovery was within acceptable limits (100 ± 2 %). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.012 and 0.022 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: A reliable HPLC method has been successfully developed, validated and applied for the in vitro analysis of doxorubicin released from polymeric nanoparticles and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies in albino mice. The method may also be applicable to the analysis of doxorubicin in human fluids

A new sensitive HPLC/UV method for simultaneous determination of paclitaxel, sorafenib and omeprazole in standard solutions and spiked plasma: Application to in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation of paclitaxel polymeric nanoformulations

Purpose: To develop a simple, novel, sensitive and rapid reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of paclitaxel, sorafenib and omeprazole in standard solutions and spiked human plasma and its application to the in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation of paclitaxel polymeric nanoparticle formulations.Methods: The method was tested for the assessment of paclitaxel, omeprazole and sorafenib using tamoxifen citrate as internal standard. The analysis was performed at a wavelength of 235 nm using Thermo HS C18 column, 40 °C column oven temperature, acetonitrile and water (70:30 v/v, pH 3.37 adjusted with phosphoric acid) as a mobile phase and at a flow rate of 0.8 ml/min. All analytes were extracted by simple protein precipitation method using acetonitrile. The linearity was assessed in the concentration range of 1 - 2000 ng/mL for paclitaxel, omeprazole and sorafenib.Results: The developed chromatographic method effectively separated omeprazole, paclitaxel, sorafenib and IS with retention time of 3.93, 5.18, 6.43 and 9.93 min, respectively. The chromatograms of the three target compounds and IS showed good resolution and peak separation. The LOD of the method was 1, 5 and. 5 ng/mL while the LOQ was 2, 7.5 and 10 ng/mL, for paclitaxel, sorafenib and omeprazole, respectively.Conclusion: The proposed RP-HPLC–UV method for the assessment of paclitaxel, sorafenib and omeprazole in standard solutions and spiked plasma is simple, economical, sensitive and robust. The method is also suitable for the analysis of paclitaxel in nanoformulations and for its pharmacokinetic studies in an animal model

Psycho-sociological processes under-mining pahari teaching in schools and homes in Pakistan

AbstractAs with other indigenous languages of Pakistan, Pahari is faced with a problem of acceptance for its induction in the schools as a subject and medium. It being an oral language has to struggle to get its script recognized and make itself acceptable to its indigenous community. The present study is part of a detailed ethnographic study and focuses on how and why the indigenous community is not willing to take it as a language of schools and even as a subject, despite the fact that the community under observation enjoys strong ethnic vitality

Comparison of the emotional intelligence of the university students of the Punjab province

AbstractThe study reports findings drawn from an amended version of Wong & Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLIS), university students’ of Punjab. 600 students from three universities were selected as the sample for the study. Gender wise, the male students and qualification wise the B.Sc. degree holders were found significantly better than their counterparts. There were also some significant differences in terms of the university the students were studying in. The study concludes that the emotional intelligence is positively correlated with age, gender, qualification as well as the educational institution the student is enrolled in