Obor: One Belt, One Road Initiative, China Pakistan Economic Corridor, Challenges, and Impediments

The One Belt, One Road initiative not only proposes significant potentials in multifaceted realms including economic, political, strategic, and geographical dimensions, it also presents many uncertainties and possible apprehensions for the associated countries. The initiative broadly includes five areas of regional connectivity: policy reformation, infrastructure development, trade regimes and investment. The trade and investment facilitation are one of the main areas where the developing countries like Pakistan need to focus upon. The OBOR initiative paves regional connectivity paths between Pakistan, China, Central Asian Republics. Pakistan-China friendship is an incomparable phenomenon. The two states have nothing in common in terms of history, language, ethnicity, culture, or ideology, yet their nexus is being considered as deeply rooted and time-tested which has developed into a comprehensive strategic partnership. Pakistan-China partnership sustained and remained unaffected during changes of leaders, political system in the realm of regional and international politics. Both states have developed an ideal state-to-state relationship based on complete trust. They have been steadfast friends who have supported each other throughout thick and thin. On one hand, this initiative fosters new opportunities, but on the other it also unveils challenges. With the Chinese over production, the Asian markets will thus be loaded with the Chinese products, suppressing the Pakistan markets. This paper through secondary data investigation, takes a closer look at the One Belt, One Road initiative and its impact on Pakista

Mindfulness in the emergency department (MED): An asynchronous learning course to practise mindfulness and resilience in the emergency room of low resource setting

Owing to the fast-paced, stressful, and frequent crucial rapid decisions that trigger cognitive exhaustion, emergency physicians are especially vulnerable to burnout. Mindfulness practices have been defined in the literature and it focuses on the well-being and resilience. Mindfulness is characterised as the ability to use tools and expertise to mentally respond to environmental problems to fulfil psychological needs. To overcome burnout, a self-directed learning course was developed for emergency physicians that will include learning goals on mindfulness, peer group discussions and tasks, role playing and practising meditation exercises. It would concentrate on the foundations of mindfulness and resilience, learning and incorporating mindfulness, understanding the coping mechanisms and establishing a pathway to minimise anxiety and depression

ROLE OF SPORTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELECTED MOOD PROFILE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ATHLETES HAVING DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC ATTRIBUTES

Background: Role of sports in the development of mood states or association between sports participation and different mood state is a topic debate for decades (Vitale, La Torre, Baldassarre, Piacentini, & Bonato, 2017). The main purpose of the study was role of sports in the development of selected mood profile: a comparative study of athletes having different demographic attributes. The hypotheses of the study were there is significant gender wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile, there is significant coaching style wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile, there is significant playing environment wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile and there is significant individual vs. team sports difference in selected mood profile of athletes. Methods: Total 1430 elite athletes were entertained using available sampling technique. Modified version of profile of mood states (POMs) was used as an instrument. Results: The researcher found that female score significantly better than male athletes in tension, depression anger, fatigue and confusion but not in vigor as well as athletes having supportive coach score better in total mood disturbance than athletes having controlling coach. Conclusions: The researcher concluded that the athlete who practicing in hot environment score better in total mood disturbance than athletes who played in cool environment. As well as the athletes from individual sports score better in total mood disturbance than team sports participant. The researcher recommended that the athletes should get special attention from the coach with special reference to psychological management of the athletes. The athletes should participate in individual sports to avoid tension depression and other psychological problems.  Â

INFLUENCE OF RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL RESTRICTIONS UPON SPORTS PARTICIPATION

The main focus of the study is to examine the effect of religious and cultural restrictions upon sports participation among the secondary schools in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. In this particular study, the formulated research hypotheses were tested by using different appropriate statistical techniques such as “there is no significant effect of religious and cultural restrictions on sports participation among the students of secondary schools in  KP was tested through SIMPLE LINEAR REGRESSION. “There is no significant difference between the views of male and female respondents regarding the effect of religious and cultural restrictions upon students sports participation†was tested through t-test. There is no significant difference between the views of the respondent category-wise (teachers, parents and Head of the Institutions (HOIs) were tested through ANOVA. The population of this particular study comprised Teachers, HOIs, and parents in the province of KP, Pakistan. The researcher used multistage sampling techniques for the selection of sample. For the purpose of data collection, the researcher developed a Likert type questionnaire comprising 36 questions related to all aspects of the study. The result of this research study indicated that religious and cultural restrictions affect the participation of students in secondary schools of KP, Pakistan

ROLE OF SPORTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELECTED MOOD PROFILE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ATHLETES HAVING DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC ATTRIBUTES

Background: Role of sports in the development of mood states or association between sports participation and different mood state is a topic debate for decades (Vitale, La Torre, Baldassarre, Piacentini, & Bonato, 2017). The main purpose of the study was role of sports in the development of selected mood profile: a comparative study of athletes having different demographic attributes. The hypotheses of the study were there is significant gender wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile, there is significant coaching style wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile, there is significant playing environment wise difference of athletes in selected mood profile and there is significant individual vs. team sports difference in selected mood profile of athletes. Methods: Total 1430 elite athletes were entertained using available sampling technique. Modified version of profile of mood states (POMs) was used as an instrument. Results: The researcher found that female score significantly better than male athletes in tension, depression anger, fatigue and confusion but not in vigor as well as athletes having supportive coach score better in total mood disturbance than athletes having controlling coach. Conclusions: The researcher concluded that the athlete who practicing in hot environment score better in total mood disturbance than athletes who played in cool environment. As well as the athletes from individual sports score better in total mood disturbance than team sports participant. The researcher recommended that the athletes should get special attention from the coach with special reference to psychological management of the athletes. The athletes should participate in individual sports to avoid tension depression and other psychological problems.  

Male and Female Genitalial Characters in the Establishment of a New Subgenus of Cotton Stainer's Genus Dysdercus Guérin-Méneville (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae)*

Abstract.-Characters of male and female genitalia including those of pygophore, paramere and inflated aedeagus and ovipositor and spermatheca in the female provide beyond all doubt the reasons for the establishment of the new subgenus evolved from Ethiopian fauna but endemic to American subcontinent

Study of governmental barriers/hurdles affecting sports in Secondary schools of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

The study was initiated to know the effect of governmental barriers in secondary schools of K.P.K Pakistan. The main objectives of this particular study were to know about the governmental barriers and their effect on sports activities at school level. For this particular study 5 main hypothesis were made, and tested through statistical techniques i.e. REGRESSION was used to test hypothesis No.1, T Test was applied to check hypothesis No.2 and  ANOVA was used to test hypothesis No.3,4 and 5. The researcher selected Teachers, HOI (head of the institutions), and the parents in the province of KPK Pakistan as population. There were 25 districts in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The researcher selected 11 districts as sample through cluster random sampling technique. The researcher selected 4 schools from each district (2 male, 2 female) by applying convenient or available sampling technique. Similarly, five teachers, one head of the institution from each school and 20 parents from each district were selected through available sampling technique. So, the total number of the sample from one district was 44 and the total number of the sample from the whole province (11 districts) was 484.  For data collection the researcher used a likert type of questionnaire as tool. SPSS version 12 was used for the purpose of statistical analysis. The results show that there is a significant effect of governmental barriers on sports at secondary schools level

Knowledge and attitude towards identification and management of sepsis among resident physicians in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Pakistan

This study was conducted to determine the compliance and knowledge of sepsis guidelines among resident physicians in a tertiary care hospital of a developing country. A self-structured validated questionnaire was prepared to evaluate compliance and knowledge of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guidelines. A total of 76 resident physicians completed the questionnaire; out of these, 51 (67%) were from Internal Medicine department and 25 (33%) were from Emergency Medicine department of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. A total of 71 (93%) participants claimed to be aware of the SSC guidelines but only 20 (26%) considered themselves very knowledgeable on the subject. Thirty-five (46%) physicians claimed that they were using the guidelines regularly. We concluded that the overall knowledge and compliance of sepsis guidelines was suboptimal. This emphasises the need for increased awareness and teaching of sepsis and SSC guidelines to improve patient outcomes in developing countries

Vitamin D accelerates clinical recovery from tuberculosis: results of the SUCCINCT Study [Supplementary Cholecalciferol in recovery from tuberculosis]. A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of vitamin D supplementation in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis\u27.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D enhances host protective immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis by suppressing Interferon-gamma (IFN-g) and reducing disease associated inflammation in the host. The objectives of this study were to determine whether vitamin Dsupplementation to patients with tuberculosis (TB) could influence recovery. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty nine patients with pulmonary TB were randomized to receive either 600,000 IU of Intramuscular vitamin D3 or placebo for 2 doses. Assessments were performed at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Early secreted and T cell activated 6 kDa (ESAT6) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis sonicate (MTBs) antigen induced whole blood stimulated IFN-g responses were measured at 0 and 12 weeks. Statistical comparisons between outcome variables at 0 and 12 weeks were performed using Student\u27s t-test and Chi2 tests. RESULTS: After 12 weeks, the vitamin D supplemented arm demonstrated significantly greater mean weight gain (kg)+3.75, (3.16-4.34) versus+2.61 (95% CI 1.99-3.23) p 0.009 and lesser residual disease by chest radiograph; number of zones involved 1.35 v/s 1.82 p 0.004 (95% CI 0.15, 0.79) and 50% or greater reduction in cavity size 106 (89.8%) v/s 111 (94.8%), p 0.035. Vitamin D supplementation led to significant increase in MTBs-induced IFN-g secretion in patients with baseline \u27Deficient\u27 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels (p 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with high doses of vitamin D accelerated clinical, radiographic improvement in all TB patients and increased host immune activation in patients with baseline \u27Deficient\u27 serum vitamin D levels. These results suggest a therapeutic role for vitamin D in the treatment of TB