Personality Traits and Entrepreneurial Intentions: Financial Risk-Taking as Mediator

The interaction between environment and individual personality determines career. Over the past decades, the role of personality traits in explaining entrepreneurship cannot get much attention of researchers. To fill this gap, this study aims to investigate the effect of personality traits (extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness) on the entrepreneurial intentions (EI) along with the mediating role of financial risk taking (FRT). Sample size consists of 500 students of business and management of different universities of Pakistan, out of which 466 useable questionnaires were collected and analyzed. The results of the study are consistent with conventional wisdom as explored by past studies. In line with past studies and proposed hypothesis, we found that both extraversion and openness to experience have a positive association with FRT, whereas neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness have negative association with FRT. The results also revealed that there is positive association between FRT and EI; however, FRT did not mediate the relationship between agreeableness and EI

The Pakistan risk of myocardial infarction study: A resource for the study of genetic, lifestyle and other determinants of myocardial infarction in south Asia

The burden of coronary heart disease (CHD) is increasing at a greater rate in South Asia than in any other region globally, but there is little direct evidence about its determinants. The Pakistan Risk of Myocardial Infarction Study (PROMIS) is an epidemiological resource to enable reliable study of genetic, lifestyle and other determinants of CHD in South Asia. By March 2009, PROMIS had recruited over 5,000 cases of first-ever confirmed acute myocardial infarction (MI) and over 5,000 matched controls aged 30-80 years. For each participant, information has been recorded on demographic factors, lifestyle, medical and family history, anthropometry, and a 12-lead electrocardiogram. A range of biological samples has been collected and stored, including DNA, plasma, serum and whole blood. During its next stage, the study aims to expand recruitment to achieve a total of about 20,000 cases and about 20,000 controls, and, in subsets of participants, to enrich the resource by collection of monocytes, establishment of lymphoblastoid cell lines, and by resurveying participants. Measurements in progress include profiling of candidate biochemical factors, assay of 45,000 variants in 2,100 candidate genes, and a genomewide association scan of over 650,000 genetic markers. We have established a large epidemiological resource for CHD in South Asia. In parallel with its further expansion and enrichment, the PROMIS resource will be systematically harvested to help identify and evaluate genetic and other determinants of MI in South Asia. Findings from this study should advance scientific understanding and inform regionally appropriate disease prevention and control strategies

"Redefining Ethical Engagement: Integrating Ethics of Care in Contemporary Moral Discourse"

The paper considers the roots of Care Ethics as a new way of moral thinking that is changing the ways of perceiving to the moral responsibility and compassionate behavior in the present world. Influenced by feminist ethics, relational ontology, and different philosophical sources, the essay confronts the ethical consequences of care systems in different areas like health care, environment care and social justice. By means of its critical elaboration and utilizing case studies from actual experience it shows the way Ethics of Care transcends traditional moral theories and helps change the ethical approach into more empathetic and inclusive. Essentially, this essay argues for the adoption of care ethics as a key component in the worldview of moral decisions when seeking to tackle the complex ethical issues of today

Inheritance of seed yield and related traits in some lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) genotypes

. Fifteen lentil lines/varieties were evaluated to exploit yield components to the maximum extent and to formulate selection criteria for the improvement of seed yield. Significant genetic variation was observed for all the traits. All the traits under study had high heritability values except number of primary branches. Higher values of heritability coupled with genetic advance were observed for seed yield (98.30%, 128.20%), harvest index (97.10%, 79.40%), biological yield (94.30%, 56.10%) and hundred seed weight (88.30%, 50.80%) which indicates the role of additive genes to control these traits. Hundred seed weight (0.67, 0.65), harvest index (0.94, 0.93) and biological yield (0.81, 0.80) had positive and highly significant correlation with seed yield at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. Number of primary branches, hundred seed weight, harvest index and biological yield showed positive direct effect along with positive genotypic correlation with seed yield. Finally, it was concluded that the traits like hundred seed weight, harvest index and biological yield can be exploited for the improvement of seed yield in lentil

Comparative Analysis of Urban Sprawl through KNN and Random Forest Classification (RFC) ML Techniques

The majority of optimization strategies fail to take into account the dynamic impact of urban sprawl on the spatial criteria that underlie decision-making processes. Furthermore, the integration of the existing simulation methodology with land use optimization techniques to arrive at a sustainable judgment regarding the appropriate site involves intricate procedures. The urban heat island phenomenon is a prominent consequence of urban expansion and human activities, leading to elevated temperatures within cities compared to their rural surroundings. The extent of sprawl was estimated through ML algorithms and it was revealed that RFC provided promising results that were near to statistics by various administrative authorities. Urban vegetation plays a crucial role in countering the urban heating effect by providing cooling mechanisms through evaporation and shading. In this context, a study was conducted in Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore, focusing on the assessment of land use changes, as well as the analysis of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and Land Surface Temperature data for the years 2000, 2010, and 2023, obtained from Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 satellite imagery. The findings reveal significant land use changes of 7.52% (36.2 km2) in the study area. The built-up areas expanded by 50.76%, while smart green spaces decreased by 48.30%. The relationships between NDVI and LST demonstrate a robust negative relationship (R² = 0.99). This research underscores the potential of utilizing GIS and remote sensing techniques to inform urban planning, decision-making, and policy formulation, ultimately contributing to the creation of sustainable urban environments in Allama Iqbal Town

Comparative Analysis of Urban Sprawl through KNN and Random Forest Classification (RFC) ML Techniques

The majority of optimization strategies fail to take into account the dynamic impact of urban sprawl on the spatial criteria that underlie decision-making processes. Furthermore, the integration of the existing simulation methodology with land use optimization techniques to arrive at a sustainable judgment regarding the appropriate site involves intricate procedures. The urban heat island phenomenon is a prominent consequence of urban expansion and human activities, leading to elevated temperatures within cities compared to their rural surroundings. The extent of sprawl was estimated through ML algorithms and it was revealed that RFC provided promising results that were near to statistics by various administrative authorities. Urban vegetation plays a crucial role in countering the urban heating effect by providing cooling mechanisms through evaporation and shading. In this context, a study was conducted in Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore, focusing on the assessment of land use changes, as well as the analysis of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and Land Surface Temperature data for the years 2000, 2010, and 2023, obtained from Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 satellite imagery. The findings reveal significant land use changes of 7.52% (36.2 km2) in the study area. The built-up areas expanded by 50.76%, while smart green spaces decreased by 48.30%. The relationships between NDVI and LST demonstrate a robust negative relationship (R² = 0.99). This research underscores the potential of utilizing GIS and remote sensing techniques to inform urban planning, decision-making, and policy formulation, ultimately contributing to the creation of sustainable urban environments in Allama Iqbal Town

Deceased-donor organ transplantation: knowledge and attitudes among health care professionals managing critically ill patients in Karachi

Objectives: Adequate knowledge and positive attitudes of health care professionals regarding deceased-donor organ transplants lead to higher donation consent rates. This study assessed the knowledge and attitudes of health care professionals toward this issue in the light of recent organ transplant legislation in Pakistan. Materials and Methods: Health care professionals in critical care areas of 2 hospitals in Karachi were selected (n=243) and asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their knowledge and attitudes toward deceased-donor organ transplants. Results: In all, 58.8% of the participants were physicians and 41.2% were nurses; 91.4% correctly identified brain death; 51.5% expressed support for deceased-donor organ transplants; 56.8% had concerns of religious rulings against deceased organ donation; 67.5% felt that a government body could not run such a system fairly; 56.4% of the respondents would consider receiving a deceased-donor organ if needed, but only 35.3% would donate after their own death. Only 42.7% and 37% were willing to approach patients and families for consent for a deceased-donor organ transplant, respectively. Most of those unwilling felt that the patient could refuse, become upset and aggressive, and lose trust in the health care professionals. Conclusions: Before implementing a deceased-donor organ transplant system in hospitals, health care professionals should attend a training program regarding their concerns. This would increase motivation when approaching patients/patients’ families for consent, thus increasing deceased-donor consent rates

Morpho-Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Cymbopogan citratus (DC.) and Asparagus officinalis L. to Waterlogging and Salinity Stress

Salinity stress is an alarming issue causing a substantial reduction in crop productivity. Water logging also limits crop productivity and the extent of both these stresses is increasing due to climate change and global warming. This study investigated the response of Lemongrass and Asparagus grass under salinity stress and waterlogged conditions. The study was comprised of different treatments: control, salinity stress, waterlogged conditions and salinity stress + waterlogged conditions. The results revealed that salinity + waterlogging pressure negatively affected cymbopogan citratus and Asparagus officinalis. The physio-morphological, biochemical attributes, enzymatic antioxidants, and nutrient parameters showed a greater reduction under combined salinity and water waterlogged conditions. Waterlogging caused a marked decrease in root growth, leaves production and plant height of both grasses compared to the control. Salinity stress also resulted in similar morphological modifications, albeit to a lesser extent. Physiological analysis showed a decline in chlorophyll content and RWC, indicating reduced photosynthetic capacity and water uptake efficiency in response to waterlogging and salinity. Electrolyte leakage, increased significantly under waterlogging and salinity stress, suggesting cellular damage and membrane disruption. C.citratus exhibited greater resilience to waterlogging and salinity compared to A. officinalis. Despite the adverse conditions, C. citratus maintained higher chlorophyll content, RWC, and lower electrolyte leakage, indicating better stress tolerance mechanisms. In conclusion, water logging and salinity induced significant morpho-physiological modifications in both C. citratus and A. officinalis. However, C. citratus exhibited better tolerance to these stresses, suggesting its potential for cultivation in waterlogged and saline environments

pH-sensitive docetaxel-loaded chitosan/thiolated hyaluronic acid polymeric nanoparticles for colorectal cancer - supplementary material

Supplementary figure 1Supplementary Table S1. Thiol group quantification assaySupplementary Table S2. Kinetic characteristics of DTX release from formulations of CS/SH-HA nanoparticlesSupplementary Table S3. An acute oral toxicity investigation for SH-HA nanoparticles with clinical outcomesSupplementary Table S4. Stability study of the thiolated NP formulation at different storage conditions for three months</p