Influences of Head Teachers Managerial Skills on Pupils Academic Performance at Secondary School Level

The aim of this study was to discover the influence of head teachers’ managerial skills  (Effective Communication, Motivation, Study Habit, interest, Human skills, Conceptual  skills, Time Management skills, Leadership skills, Supervision) on students’ Academic  Performance at secondary school level. In this study, quantitative research design was  applied by the researcher. Moreover, purposive sampling technique was used by  distributing the questionnaires among sample of 239 students and 206 teachers of  Government secondary school in Multan District. While analyzing the data Z-test, Pearson  Correlation, and Multiple Linear Regressions were applied in order to explore the  influences of head teacher’s managerial skills upon the students’ academic performance.  The findings of the study indicated that all the factors were highly correlated with each   other and with students’ academic performance. Multiple Regression Model showed that all  the independent variables have positive influence on the dependent variables and all these  factors were statistically significant with respect to the students’ Academic Performance

Gestational Weight Gain and Its Relation to Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Sequelae: A Future Dilemma

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine the frequency of women with gestational weight gain (GWG) from recommended values in pregnancy and to establish the association of GWG with the mode of delivery (vaginal delivery (VD), instrumental delivery(ID), cesarean section(CS) and neonatal outcomes( low birth weight (LBW), low APGAR score, macrosomia, stillbirth (SB) and neonatal intensive care unit admissions(NICU). METHODOLOGY The prospective study was done in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology LRH Peshawar. A total of 140 women were included in this study by non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Those with congenital anomalies having known medical disorders were excluded. Ethical approval and Informed consent were obtained before the examination. Data were collected and analysed on SPSS version 22.RESULTSThe mean age was 29.4 ± 5.1 years. The mean first trimester BMI of the study sample was 25.2 ± 3.4kg/m2, while the mean BMI in 3rd trimester was 27.7± 2.3 kg/m2. GWG was recorded in 52 (37.1%) women. The mean GWG was calculated to be 12.9 kg ± 2.5. Mode of delivery was VD in 60(42.9%) women, ID in 50 (35.7%), and CS was done in 30(21.4%0) women. LBW in 15(10.7%), low APGAR score was recorded in 32(22.9%), macrosomia in 14(10%), SB in 12 (8.6%) and NICU admission in 39(27.9%). CONCLUSION GWG is common in pregnant women; however, there was no statistically significant association between GWG and mode of delivery or neonatal outcomes.

Economics of Wheat Production in Mohmand Agency, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

The central theme of this research endeavour was to compute the cost and net returns of wheat crop. This study has also highlighted the significant variables contributing in wheat productivity. The study universe was two focused villages namely Malok-Korona and Peer-Qila of Ekaghund Tehsil, Mohmand Agency. The proportional allocation sampling technique was used to get the required sample size of 70 respondents. However, 26 respondents from Malok-Korona and 44 respondents from Peer-Qila were interviewed through face to face interview technique. The marked findings of this study divulge that vast majority of the farmers (61.43%) were using certified seed and the study area was predominantly dependent upon rainfall as reported by 60 % of the respondents. It is further revealed that the mean cost of production incurred by the sampled growers was estimated as Rs. 30,000 per acre. Income trend observed by 70 per cent of the respondent through wheat crop was found Rs.40000 per acre. The average income of farmers through wheat crop was Rs.35286 per acre. The estimated results of regression analysis corroborate the expected sign of the majority of coefficient of explanatory variables. Among explanatory variables seed, irrigation and labor days were significant while urea and FYM were found insignificant for crop yield. The study recommends that attempts for awareness, supply of loans, inputs like fertilizer, pesticide, apt agriculture approaches, demonstration plots and training programs should be made available to farmers for higher wheat production in Mohmand Agency

Venoarterial PCO2 difference: a marker of postoperative cardiac output in children with congenital heart disease

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between venoarterial carbon dioxide gradient (DeltapCO2) and central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) in children after cardiac surgery. STUDY DESIGN: A cohort study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Paediatric cardiac intensive care unit of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from June 2006 to May 2007. METHODOLOGY: All children admitted in the paediatric cardiac intensive care after complete repair of congenital heart defect using cardiopulmonary bypass were included in the study. Simultaneous arterial and central venous blood gas samples were obtained from a catheter placed in the artery (either radial or femoral) and superior vena cava respectively. Linear regression analysis was performed between ScvO2 and DeltapCO2. RESULTS: Fifty seven children aged from 5 days to 14 years were included and 272-paired simultaneous arterial and central venous samples were analyzed. Mean venous pCO2 was 47.82+/-9.03 mmHg and mean arterial pCO2 was 40.50+/-9.06 mmHg. One hundred seventy four samples had ScvO2 \u3e 70% with mean DeltapCO2 of 5.44+/-2.55 mmHg and 98 samples had ScvO2 \u3c 70% with mean DeltapCO2 of 9.07+/-3.90 mmHg. With ScvO2 \u3c 70%, 77 samples had DeltapCO2 of \u3e 6 mmHg while only 21 samples had DeltapCO2 of \u3c 6 mmHg (p \u3c 0.001). On the contrary with ScvO2 \u3e 70%, 71 samples had DeltapCO2 of \u3e 6 mmHg and 103 samples had DeltapCO2 of \u3c 6 mmHg. Coefficient of correlation (R2) between 0.340 was ScvO2 and DeltapCO2. CONCLUSION: Elevated DeltapCO2 is practical and can be utilized as a useful adjunct to low ScvO2 in the assessment of low cardiac output syndrome in children after cardiac surgery

Association of High Prevalence of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci With Unsafe Waste Disposal Practices in Poultry Shops

Abstract: The occurrence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in human consumables like poultry is a major concern to be addressed. Fecal samples from broilers were analyzed for the presence of Vancomycin resistant Enterococci. A total of 100 broiler fecal samples obtained from different slaughterhouses of Lahore were spread on Kanamycin Aesculin Azide agar and incubated for overnight at 37ºC. The Vancomycin concentrations used during this study were 16µg/ml and 64µg/ml of the medium for enumeration of Vancomycin resistance and superbugs Enterococci, respectively. Chicken feces samples were contaminated with VRE and superbugs were 79% and 25%, respectively. It was observed that chicken feces collected from Dharampura, Islampura, Shadbagh, Garhi Shahu and Data Nagar had a heavy load of VRE. These congested and highly populated areas where there are inappropriate waste disposal systems and poor management practices contained high number of Vancomycin resistant Enterococci in chicken feces. Chicken feces samples collected from posh areas i.e., Lahore Cantt, Gulberg, Model Town, Samanabad, Walton Cantt and Allama Iqbal Town did not show any prevalence of Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus because of best hygienic practices. The prevalence of Vancomycin resistant Enterococci was high in all localities of northern division of Lahore as compared to other divisions. Results have confirmed that areas with unhygienic conditions and poor waste disposal practices promote the prevalence of Vancomycin resistant Enterococci. So, it is recommended to manage safe waste disposal practices in poultry shops to reduce the risk of food borne diseases

Scientist or entrepreneur?:Identity centrality, university entrepreneurial mission, and academic entrepreneurial intention

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between identity centrality and entrepreneurial intention. Based on a survey of 275 academic scientists from 14 Chinese universities, the results show that entrepreneurial identity centrality positively influences the intention to engage in research commercialisation activities, such as spin-off creation, patenting and licensing, contracting research and consulting. We also found that the conflict between entrepreneurial and scientific identity centrality is less problematic than expected in the literature. In fact, the interaction between both identity centralities strengthens academics scientists’ intention to involve in academic entrepreneurship. Concerning the influence of institutional factor on academic entrepreneurship, the finding confirms that university entrepreneurial mission moderates the relationship between both identity centralities and the intention to establish spin-offs. Finally, this paper provides insights for academic entrepreneurship in China and practical recommendation for policy makers

Foreign Assistance, Sustainable Development, and Commercial Law: A Comparative Analysis of the Impact of Corruption on Developing Economies

The essential purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between foreign assistance and economic growth. It also analyzes the role corruption might play in influencing this relationship in aid-recipient countries that have similar real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, but different development patterns. An analysis is performed on specific samples from 2000 to 2019. The model is split into three sections for this purpose: i.e., all developing economies, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the most corrupt countries from regions other than SSA. The difference generalized method of moments (GMM) panel framework is used for empirical analysis. The study concludes that foreign aid does not result in encouraging and significant changes in overall economic growth in developing economies. By contrast, corruption has a powerful impact on foreign aid effectiveness. It is also observed from the analysis that SSA economies receive high levels of foreign assistance, but still cannot extract maximum benefit due to various economic and social problems. Furthermore, foreign assistance effectiveness is almost insignificant in most corrupt economies from other regions

Implementation of ANN Controller Based UPQC Integrated with Microgrid

This study discusses how to increase power quality by integrating a unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) with a grid-connected microgrid for clean and efficient power generation. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) controller for a voltage source converter-based UPQC is proposed to minimize the system’s cost and complexity by eliminating mathematical operations such as a-b-c to d-q-0 translation and the need for costly controllers such as DSPs and FPGAs. In this study, nonlinear unbalanced loads and harmonic supply voltage are used to assess the performance of PV-battery-UPQC using an ANN-based controller. Problems with voltage, such as sag and swell, are also considered. This work uses an ANN control system trained with the Levenberg-Marquardt backpropagation technique to provide effective reference signals and maintain the required dc-link capacitor voltage. In MATLAB/Simulink software, simulations of PV-battery-UPQC employing SRF-based control and ANN-control approaches are performed. The findings revealed that the proposed approach performed better, as presented in this paper. Furthermore, the influence of synchronous reference frame (SRF) and ANN controller-based UPQC on supply currents and the dc-link capacitor voltage response is studied. To demonstrate the superiority of the suggested controller, a comparison of percent THD in load voltage and supply current utilizing SRF-based control and ANN control methods is shown

PLASMA DONATION AND PERCEPTION, ATTITUDE, BEHAVIOR OF COVID-19 PATIENTS: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

BACKGROUND: Current study aims to identify the perception, attitude and behavior about Covid and plasma donation in the Covid cases. METHODOLOGY: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted ---removed for blind review---Adult COVID-19/post-Covid patients were included by consecutive sampling. The critically ill, mechanically ventilated cases were excluded. Special questionnaire was developed including the demographic variables, mode of transmission, personal hygiene, prevention, post covid immunity, re-infection, psychosocial factors, financial reservations and post covid life. Willingness for plasma donation, laboratory diagnostics and blood groups inquired. Data was collected by direct interview by researcher and analyzed by SPSS V.20. RESULTS: Mean age was 39.8+15 years; 122(54%) females and 104(46%) males. Total 163(73%) participants said Covid has impact on health, economy, social, mental and psychological state. 188(83%) considered Covid a threat to human life. 142(63%) had a close Covid contact and 15(6.6%) had recently travelled. 131(58%) said they could have prevented getting infected. 171(75.7%) considered handwashing and 208(92%) cleanliness and158(77%) considered natural, herbal remedies as preventive. 191(84.5%) wore mask for most/all of the time. 130(57.5%) said they will be immune to Covid post-recovery. 179(79.2%) were aware of re-infection. 169(74.8%) considered smoking as a risk for Covid and137(60.6%) aimed to quit smoking. 204(93%) committed to hand washing and 210(92.9%) to wearing masks post-Covid. 127(56%) were concerned about their food, 78(34.5%) about finances, 103(45.6%) about their family getting infected. 213(94%) expected life to normalize post-Covid. Most frequent blood group was B+ 67(29.6%) followed by A+ 42(18.6%) and O+ 41(18.1%). 128(66.6%) participants showed willingness to donate their plasma after recovery. 24(10.6%) refused the donation. 134(59.3%) agreed that plasma donation won’t reduce their immunity. 186(82.3%) were clinically recovered at the time of interview. CONCLUSION: Our Covid patients had a positive approach towards plasma donation. They expected normalization of life post Covid and showed commitment toward continuation of preventive habits and smoking cessation. However, there were significant concerns about finances, safety of loved ones and mental health.

Clinical Utility of N-Terminal Prohormone B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels in Patients of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Heart Failure

Objective: To evaluate the effect of type 2 diabetes mellitus on plasma N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients with heart failure and correlate it with glycosylated haemoglobin levels. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemical Pathology in collaboration with the Department of Cardiology,Combined Military Hospital, Multan Pakistan, from Feb to Sep 2021. Methodology: We assayed plasma NT-pro BNP levels in 194 individuals with established heart failure, (98 non-diabetics, and 96 patients with diabetes). Plasma NT-pro BNP levels were compared between groups in addition, the correlation of glycosylated haemoglobin with plasma NT-pro BNP levels was explored. Results: The mean plasma NT-pro BNP values were higher in patients with diabetes (15826.08 ±8143.434pg/mL) than in nondiabetics (12534.06±6323.92pg/mL) with a p-value 0.02. When NT-pro BNP was compared there was no significant found difference between the non-diabetic group and the Controlled Diabetes-Group (p-value 0 .882), but it was significantly higher in the Uncontrolled Diabetes-Group (p-value<0.001). A moderate positive association was found between NT-pro BNP and glycosylated haemoglobin (r=0.541, p-value<0.001). Conclusion: Although obesity has an inverse relation with plasma natriuretic peptides level and most patients with diabetes are overweight, the plasma NT-pro BNP is still a very informative tool and holds its significance as a diagnostic and prognosis marker in diabetic patients with heart failure