Role of Employee Training in Enhancing Perceived Performance through competencies in Services Industry- A Study of Pakistani Banking Sector

Background: Employee Training is one of the leading contemporary human resource aspects, it is perfect approach leading towards effective employee development and is used as renowned technique for creating new leaders and enriching employee’s skills. Training is nowadays a no-way-option for almost all organizations. Training acts crucially at dual dimensions; it enhances employee performance and works on organizational development. This study plans to evaluate the role of training and training design and delivery towards the employee competencies leading to employee’s perceived performance in banking sector. Methodology: It is quantitative research with post-positivist approach. Data was collected from 152 bankers from different banks in Karachi through a survey questionnaire. Data was analyzed by applying descriptive analysis and statistical tests. Results: Results revealed that there exists substantial relationship between (IV-1) On-Job-Training, (IV-2) Training Design and Delivery and (DV) Perceived Performance, although (IV-3) Off-Job-Training proved as weak predictor. The study produced useful information for future researches

Evaluation of the implementation of English-Medium Instruction in a public and a private university in Pakistan

This study aims to evaluate the implementation of English-medium instruction (EMI) in both a public and a private university in Pakistan. The goals are to investigate: the role of linguistic capital in reproducing educational inequality; students’ difficulties in the EMI classroom; the integration of collaborative teaching and learning activities with pedagogical practices; and the impact of affective variables on teaching and learning practices in the EMI classroom. The study is informed by Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice and Social Reproduction; Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory; and Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis. This comparative mixed-method study employed a questionnaire, interviews, and classroom observation with a sample of 120 undergraduate students and 20 teachers. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test were used to analyse quantitative data using SPSS. Atlas.ti was used to analyse the qualitative data. The findings showed that the public university was given preference because of its low fees, value of credentials, whereas the private university, despite higher fees, was desirable for better infrastructure, scholarship, and merit flexibility. Additionally, students’ cultural capital, and family and institutional habitus were important factors for registration at a certain university. On the micro-level, the implementation of EMI was not adequate enough to create inclusive educational classrooms and reduce the reproduction of educational marginalisation, especially at the private university. The quantitative findings revealed that the students’ had difficulty in understanding EMI lectures, English textbooks, and scientific terms due to difficult vocabulary, stress of delivering presentations and writing examinations, fear of making mistakes, and anxiety of speaking in classroom. The qualitative data analysis further revealed the following areas of major concern: a lack of awareness of interactive activities to create a student-centred classroom; lack of training in translanguaging pedagogical strategies to effectively scaffold EMI; students’ inadequate language proficiency; the focus on finishing the syllabus and examination rather than on concept-based learning; and discrimination and favouritism on the basis of linguistic capital. The study provides recommendations for policy makers and institutional managements to clearly outline EMI goals with a practical follow-up system. Action research is needed to adequately implement translanguaging as a pedagogic tool in both education systems to encourage equality in academic participation. The study highlights the importance of teacher training in how to design and implement collaborative and translanguaging strategies to optimise students’ academic performance in an EMI setting.English StudiesPh. D. (English Studies

Laws of Consumption - An Economic Construal

Consumption is one of the important variables of macro economics.  It is that part of income of a house hold which is not saved.  It plays a vital role in the economy; this is the reason that, Quran has given special emphasis on it and gives some basic laws in this regard.  Quran has warned the human being that your consumption is under observation of God and on the Day of Judgment questions will be asked about that.  Moreover it is also ordered that, do not waste your wealth in any way and consume it in the optimum manner.  In addition gratitude of wealth is also compulsory.  The way of gratitude is the obedience of laws of God.  Keywords: Quran; Verses, Consumption, Wastage; Obedience

The Validity Of 75gms OGTT For Detection Of GDM Keeping 100gms OGTT As Gold Standard

Objective: To determine the validity of 75gms (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) OGTT for the detection of GDM keeping 100gms OGTT as the gold standard. Methodology: This was a Cross-sectional validation study done at the Mother and Child Health Centre, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. The duration of the study was Six months from the approval of the synopsis. Data was collected from  March 2019 to September 2019. Informed consent for participating in the study was taken from all 205 patients. The patients' bio data along with the hospital registration number was entered pro forma. The patients were assessed initially by History taking and examination. All pregnant women underwent a 75g oral glucose test in the 2nd trimester at 24-28 weeks of gestation. For this, the patients were sent to the MCH laboratory with overnight fasting where FBS was taken and they were given a 75 g glucose drink. Their blood sample was taken at 1-hour and 2-hour interval. Two or more elevated values out of the 3 blood samples were sufficient to diagnose GDM. Laboratory reports were reviewed and data was entered in the performa (attached) by the researcher. All the diagnosed patients were further evaluated for a 100g OGTT dose at the MCH laboratory with overnight fasting. Their FBS was studied and women were given a 100 g glucose drink and blood samples were drawn at an interval of 1, 2 and 3 hours respectively. Out of the 4 blood samples, two or more elevated values were sufficient to diagnose GDM. Lab reports were entered in the Performa. Results: From a total of 205 patients, the sensitivity and specificity of OGTT-75 g for diagnosing GDM were 83.02% and 82.83%. However, positive predictive and negative predictive value for OGTT-75 g was 83.81% and 82% respectively. However, the overall diagnostic accuracy of OGTT-75 g was 82.93%. Conclusion: Results of this study showed that 75 gms OGTT is highly sensitive (83.02%) and specific (82.83%) for the detection/diagnosis of gestational DM. Advanced screening and diagnosis of gestational DM, and its effective treatment not only inhibit adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes but also save the lives of both child and mother from diabetes in future

A novel homozygous missense variant in MATN3 causes spondylo- epimetaphyseal dysplasia Matrilin 3 type in a consanguineous family

Peer reviewe

Gut Microbiome: A New Organ System in Body

The gut microbiome is comprised of various types of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses naturally occurring in humans and animals as normal microflora. Gut microorganisms are typically host specific, and their number and type vary according to different host species and environment. Gut microbes contribute directly and/or indirectly to various physiological processes including immune modulation, regulation of various neurotransmitter, and hormones, as well as production of many antioxidants and metabolites. They also play a role as antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-carcinogenic agents. Moreover, the ability of gut microbes to attenuate various systemic diseases like coronary heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, metabolic diseases like diabetes mellitus, and infectious diseases like diarrhea has recently been reported. Current research findings have enough evidence to suggest that gut microbiome is a new organ system mainly due to the microorganisms’ specific biochemical interaction with their hosts and their systemic integration into the host biology. Investigations into the potential ability of gut microbiome to influence metabolism inside their host via biochemical interaction with antibiotics and other drugs has recently been initiated. This chapter specifically focuses on the importance of gut microorganisms as a new organ system

Detection of Paracetamol as substrate of the gut microbiome

Gut microbiome, a new organ; represent targets to alter pharmacokinetics of orally administered drugs. Recently, in vitro trials endorsed the idea that orally administered drugs interact and some of their quantity may be taken up by normal microbiome during transit through gut. Such transport mechanisms in microbiome may compete for drug with the host itself. Currently, no data confirms specific transport system for paracetamol uptake by gut microbiome. In vivo trial was conducted in normal healthy male rats (n=36). Paracetamol was administered orally in a single dose of 75mg/kg to isolate microbial mass after transit of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 hours post drug administration. Paracetamol absorbance by microbiome was pursued by injecting extracted microbial lysate in RP-HPLC-UV with C18 column under isocratic conditions at 207nm using acetonitrile and water (25:75 v/v) pH 2.50 as mobile phase. Paracetamol absorbance (14.10±0.75μg/mg of microbial mass) and percent dose recovery (13.16±0.55%) seen at transit of 4 hours was significantly higher (P<0.05) compared to other groups. Study confirms the hypothesis of homology between membrane transporters of the gut microbiome and intestinal epithelium. Orally administered drugs can be absorbed by gut microbes competitively during transit in small intestine and it varies at various transit times

The impact of culture and sociological and psychological issues on Muslim patients with breast cancer in Pakistan

This is a non-final version of an article published in final form in Cancer Nursing, 32(4), 2009. The final published article is available from the link below.Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in Muslim women in Pakistan. The impact of the initial diagnosis, culture, religion, and psychosocial and psychological aspects of the disease is not well established. This qualitative study examined the experience and coping strategies used by patients with breast cancer in relation to its impact on their physical, mental health, religious, and family issues. Thirty patients with breast cancer were interviewed. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The patient's experience of breast cancer focused on the range of emotions felt throughout the illness trajectory, the importance of religion and family support on coping strategies used to manage the adverse effects of chemotherapy, and also the financial concerns. This is the first study to examine Pakistani Muslim women's views on the lived experience of breast cancer. This article provides clarification of the voiced experiences of women with breast cancer. The data not only highlight the role of religion and family support as essential coping strategies but also emphasize the issues of isolation, aggression, and anger as common responses to chemotherapy. Unique features of this study are women's need to seek spiritual support for their illness and the overriding innate characteristic of maternal responsibility. These cultural features require further analysis and research