Quality of Education in Independent and Franchise Private Secondary Schools in Pakistan

Pakistan has a variety of privately managed schools. Inspired by thecorporate model the large school systems offer franchise to the smallschools in the name of better quality education leading to better marketacceptability. This study was conducted to find out the difference in thequality of education provided by the franchise and independent privatesecondary schools. Ten schools of a renowned large spread schoolsystem were selected conveniently and ten independent schools wereselected from the same localities for ensuring similarity of the context.Quality of education was define dalong input, process and product/outputindicators. Opinion of Head Teachers (HTs)/ School principals wasgathered through a questionnaire consisting five point rating scale oninput and process indicators. Opinion of HTs about input indicators wasvalidated through direct observation of the input indicators in the schoolsby one of the researchers. Students’ achievement scores in thematriculation examination conducted by the Board of Intermediate andSecondary Education, Lahore were the indicator of quality output. TheHTs of the two types of schools perceived no significant difference in thequality of input and process at their schools but the independent schoolsscoring slightly better on each of the two indicators. However, theindependent private schools were significantly superior to the franchiseschools in quality of output in terms of students’ pass percentage anddistribution over grades. Thus, the claim of franchising for better qualityeducation was not supported by this research

Soft Translations and Soft Extensions of BCI/BCK-Algebras

The concept of soft translations of soft subalgebras and soft ideals over BCI/BCK-algebras is introduced and some related properties are studied. Notions of Soft extensions of soft subalgebras and soft ideals over BCI/BCK-algebras are also initiated. Relationships between soft translations and soft extensions are explored

What type of leadership is more effective for managing change during force majeure? Achieving organizational effectiveness during the pandemic

Purpose – Leaders have been facing serious challenges in managing organizations during COVID-19, which has brought the need for implementing sudden technological change across the globe. Hence, it was important to identify effective leadership styles to successfully manage the transformational process during the period. Therefore, the current study aims to explore and compare the effectiveness of transformational and ethical leadership (EL) in terms of achieving organizational goals during COVID-19 in public and private sector organizations in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach – Comparative research was carried out to find out the effectiveness of transformational and EL during and pre-COVID-19 in public and private sector organizations using the lens of social exchange theory. Data was collected from 214 respondents representing 67.6% of public and 32.4% of private sector organizations of Pakistan at two different points in time. Detailed comparative analyses were conducted in AMOS version 24 to assess the effectiveness of leadership styles before and during COVID-19 times. Findings – On the whole, transformational leadership (TL) was found to have a greater impact on organizational effectiveness (OE) in comparison with EL in both pre-and during COVID-19 situations. Moreover, the effectiveness of TL significantly increased and the same decreased for EL during COVID-19. Additional analyses indicated that TL was effective for the private sector and EL for public sector organizations during COVID-19. Research limitations/implications – The study has not considered the mediating mechanisms of employee motivation, engagement and performance in the relationship between transformational and EL styles and OE, which can be explored in the future. Practical implications – These results have important implications for private and public sector organizations and suggest that the adoption of a TL style will generate better results in the private sector and an EL style in public sector organizations to achieve OE in uncertain situations such as COVID-19. Social implications – The study shows that leadership with more care and concern for humanity tends to perform better in terms of generating results for OE. Therefore, both transformational and EL are based on individualized consideration for employees and are effective during COVID-19 in private and public sector organizations in Pakistan. Originality/value – The study has carried out the comparative analyses in three different ways, including leadership styles (transformational and ethical), type of organization (private and public) and time frames (pre and during COVID-19), which is a true contribution of the research in the Pakistani context

Effects of polyphenol-rich traditional herbal teas on obesity and oxidative stress in rats fed a high-fat–sugar diet

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Zingiber officinalis teas are traditionally used for the therapies of various diseases, including obesity. The present research work was planned to appraise the potential of polyphenol-rich extracts of selected herbal plants in obesity and related biochemical parameters of high-fat–sugar diet-induced obese rats. Three herbal teas were prepared from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flowers and Zingiber officinalis rhizomes and their mixture (3:1, respectively). Total phenolic contents (TPC) of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Zingiber officinalis extracts were found to be 5.82 and 1.45 mg/g of dry plant material, measured as GAE, while total flavonoid contents (TFC) were 9.17 and 1.95 mg/g of dry plant material, measured as CE, respectively. Two doses (250 and 500 mg/kg BW) of each tea were administered and body weight, BMI, kidney, liver, and atherogenic indices, TC, TG, HDL, LDL, VLDL, BT, AST, ALT, AP, SC, MDA, SOD, GSH, and TAC of rats groups were measured. Data showed that higher doses of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis significantly reduced the rat's BMI (0.50 g/cm2) in comparison with the high-fat–sugar diet group (0.79 g/cm2). All treatment groups, especially H-500 group, showed a significant decrease in the elevated kidney and liver weights and atherogenic index in comparison with HFSDC groups. Higher doses of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis significantly decreased the levels of AST, ALT, AP, and SC in comparison with the HFSDC group. A significant decrease in the levels of serum TC, TG, LDL, and VLDL was observed in all the treatment groups in comparison with the HFSDC group. Furthermore, all the teas, especially higher doses of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, prevented the alterations in MDA, SOD, and GSH levels of experimental groups, thus showing the potential against oxidative stress. It can be concluded from these results that Hibiscus rosa-sinensis teas exhibited strong protective effects against obesity and oxidative stress, especially at higher doses

Millions of Bangladeshi Children Missed Their Scheduled Vaccination Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Daniel Reidpath - ORCID: 0000-0002-8796-0420 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8796-0420The Government of Bangladesh imposed a movement control order as a mass quarantine strategy to control the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Adherence to the home quarantine may put children at risk by missing routine vaccination. In this study, we investigated the impact of COVID-19 on child routine immunization in a rural area of Bangladesh and consider the broader implications. Data for this study comes from the Chakaria Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) of icddr,b with a population of 90,000 people residing in 16,000 households in 49 villages in a rural, coastal area of Southeast Bangladesh. We used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design which involved two phases between March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020: first, we observed 258 outreach sessions of 86 EPI centers. We calculated the number of Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) outreach sessions suspended and the number of children who missed their routine vaccination due to the COVID-19. We extrapolated the number of Bangladeshi children who missed their routine vaccination using Chakaria HDSS observations. Secondly, we conducted in-depth interviews to explain the quantitative results. The EPI outreach session (EOS) declined to 74.42% (95% CI 63.97–83.22), 10.45% (95% CI 5.00–18.94), and 3.45% (95% CI 1.00–9.75) from 2019 levels in March, April, and May 2020, respectively. By extrapolation, in Bangladesh, between March and May 2020, 3.2 million children missed their scheduled vaccination compared to 2019. Results from in-depth interviews showed that the unwillingness of villagers to hold EOS and the absenteeism of the vaccinators due to social distancing recommendations and lack of personal safety measures were the main reasons for the discontinuation of the EOS. Resuming EPI outreach sessions and introducing a special catch-up program is essential to prevent future outbreaks and deaths due to vaccine-preventable diseases in Bangladesh and the countries where children missed their routine vaccination due to COVID-19. This health system failure should be considered a factor in all future pandemic preparedness plans.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.7386239pubpu

The future of artificial intelligence in neurosurgery: a narrative review

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms are on the tremendous rise for being incorporated into the field of neurosurgery. AI and ML algorithms are different from other technological advances as giving the capability for the computer to learn, reason, and problem-solving skills that a human inherits. This review summarizes the current use of AI in neurosurgery, the challenges that need to be addressed, and what the future holds. Methods: A literature review was carried out with a focus on the use of AI in the field of neurosurgery and its future implication in neurosurgical research. Results: The online literature on the use of AI in the field of neurosurgery shows the diversity of topics in terms of its current and future implications. The main areas that are being studied are diagnostic, outcomes, and treatment models. Conclusion: Wonders of AI in the field of medicine and neurosurgery hold true, yet there are a lot of challenges that need to be addressed before its implications can be seen in the field of neurosurgery from patient privacy, to access to high-quality data and overreliance on surgeons on AI. The future of AI in neurosurgery is pointed toward a patient-centric approach, managing clinical tasks, and helping in diagnosing and preoperative assessment of the patients

Testing a global standard for quantifying species recovery and assessing conservation impact.

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a "Green List of Species" (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species' progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 separate but interlinked components: a standardized method (i.e., measurement against benchmarks of species' viability, functionality, and preimpact distribution) to determine current species recovery status (herein species recovery score) and application of that method to estimate past and potential future impacts of conservation based on 4 metrics (conservation legacy, conservation dependence, conservation gain, and recovery potential). We tested the framework with 181 species representing diverse taxa, life histories, biomes, and IUCN Red List categories (extinction risk). Based on the observed distribution of species' recovery scores, we propose the following species recovery categories: fully recovered, slightly depleted, moderately depleted, largely depleted, critically depleted, extinct in the wild, and indeterminate. Fifty-nine percent of tested species were considered largely or critically depleted. Although there was a negative relationship between extinction risk and species recovery score, variation was considerable. Some species in lower risk categories were assessed as farther from recovery than those at higher risk. This emphasizes that species recovery is conceptually different from extinction risk and reinforces the utility of the IUCN Green Status of Species to more fully understand species conservation status. Although extinction risk did not predict conservation legacy, conservation dependence, or conservation gain, it was positively correlated with recovery potential. Only 1.7% of tested species were categorized as zero across all 4 of these conservation impact metrics, indicating that conservation has, or will, play a role in improving or maintaining species status for the vast majority of these species. Based on our results, we devised an updated assessment framework that introduces the option of using a dynamic baseline to assess future impacts of conservation over the short term to avoid misleading results which were generated in a small number of cases, and redefines short term as 10 years to better align with conservation planning. These changes are reflected in the IUCN Green Status of Species Standard

Arab in Diaspora and Exile: Reading Edward Said and Mahmoud Darwish Today

This research tries to investigate the intricate politics of diaspora, exile and recent refugee issue all over the world by looking at Edward Said and Mahmoud Darwish’s memoir. Representation of exile by writing memoir, therefore, is significant as it narrates the experience of displacement and homelessness which resonates others. This article examines how Edward Said and Mahmoud Darwish aesthetically respond to exile and displacement both within the borders of their own nation space and outside. I argue that the idea of home and homelessness, place or out of place “in setting without real connection” dominates the mind of every exile; every refugee and exile can be both physical and psychological. In today’s context, both Edward Said and Mahmoud Darwish’s works express the solidarity and legitimation towards the struggle of distinct temporalities. Every de-territorialized community seeks for an identity and their lost homeland is always t heart. This study shows how Edward Said and Mahmoud Darwish’s identity are blurred where they have been living in Exile and Diaspora. That is why; both of them develop a contrapuntal consciousness in understanding their split identity which represents millions of others. From that point of view, Mahmoud Darwish’s memoir Memory for forgetfulness, August, Beirut, 1982, and Edward Said’s Out of Place: A Memoir can be representation of all recent refugee and exile issue

ENHANCEMENT OF THE DISSOLUTION RATE OF NATEGLINIDE TABLETS USING LIQUISOLID COMPACT TECHNIQUE

  Objective: The main objective of this work is to develop new formulation to enhance the solubility of a highly permeable and a poorly soluble oral drug antihyperglycemic agent, nateglinide by liquisolid compacts.Methods: The liquisolid compact technique is based on dissolving the insoluble drug in propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol 400, tween-80 as non-volatile solvents in which drug is having high solubility and admixture of drug loaded solution with microcrystalline cellulose as carrier, aerosil as coating material, crospovidone as disintegrant, and magnesium stearate as lubricant to convert into acceptably flowing and compressible powder. The prepared liquisolid compacts were evaluated for their flowing properties such as bulk density, tapped density, angle of repose, Hausner's ratio, and Carr's index. Further tablets were evaluated for hardness, thickness, weight variation, friability, disintegration test, and in vitro release study.Result: Higher drug release profiles due to increased wetting property and surface area of the drug available for dissolution was obtained in case of liquisolid compacts. Among all formulations, liquisolid system prepared by propylene glycol was considered as best formulation which release drug up to 98% in 60 minutes and in comparison to marketed formulation, optimized formulation showed better dissolution profile.Conclusion: It can be concluded that liquisolid compact technique could be a promising strategy in improving the dissolution of poor water soluble drugs