Interacting with digital contents: Understanding the on-screen reading behavior of young adults

In Pakistan, the use of electronic gadgets like Ipad, smartphones, laptops, etc. is on the rise. With the exponential growth and availability of digital reading contents, it is also a matter of concern that how readers interact with digital contents? And whether they are aware of features associated with electronic reading devices? The current study aims to examine the level of students’ digital information literacy skills and to understand the status of their interaction with digital contents. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire as a data collection tool. The data were collected from the students of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) recognized large and medium-sized universities of Lahore. Findings highlight the student’s self-perceived digital information literacy skills and the usage patterns of different techniques/functions associated with on-screen reading

Interacting with digital contents: Understanding the on-screen reading behavior of young adults

In Pakistan, the use of electronic gadgets like Ipad, smartphones, laptops, etc. is on the rise. With the exponential growth and availability of digital reading contents, it is also a matter of concern that how readers interact with digital contents? And whether they are aware of features associated with electronic reading devices? The current study aims to examine the level of students’ digital information literacy skills and to understand the status of their interaction with digital contents. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire as a data collection tool. The data were collected from the students of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) recognized large and medium-sized universities of Lahore. Findings highlight the student’s self-perceived digital information literacy skills and the usage patterns of different techniques/functions associated with on-screen reading

Scholarly Research on Serendipitous Retrieval of Information (Information Encountering): A Bibliometric Analysis of Literature Indexed in Scopus

The purpose of this paper was to map literature on accidental discovery (information encountering), and present its quantitative analysis. To achieve the purpose of the study, data from Scopus database was used. Productivity and quality of top authors, institutions and countries was investigated. Additionally, top journals and their selection by top authors was also investigated. Findings of the study indicated that the term, theory, and model of information encountering originated from the USA, and was later spilled across the world. The USA remained the most cited and most impactful country. American scholar Erdelez, who was affiliated with the University of Missouri, remained the most prolific author. Journal of Documentation is the top publication that accommodates studies related to the concept of information encountering. The study has implications for researchers, research organizations, and the countries interested in exploring the field of information encountering

Women Home Based Workers in Rural areas of Pakistan

Home-based work is a “general category of work within the informal or unorganized sector where workers carry out remunerative activities within their homes or in the surrounding areas but not at the premises of an employer”. The women Home-based workers defines as “The Women who work in their own dwelling or home stations. It is the moneymaking activity. The home based work includes the embroidery, handicrafts, stitching, weaving, shoe making, football making, garments, handmade jewelry and decoration piece making etc. The main purpose of this study was to explore awareness among women home based worker about their rights. The study was conducted in District Faisalabad. Multistage sampling technique was used in this study. At first stage, one Tehsil Faisalabad out of five Tehsils was selected by using simple random sampling technique. At second stage 4 union councils including UC-49, UC-157, and UC-274 were selected by using simple purposive sampling technique. At third stage four villages from each union council out of five villages (Chack No- 225 RB, Malkhawala), (Chack No-217 RB, Chakaira), (Chack No-218 RB, Pronkawala) and (Chack No-61 JB, Dharora) were selected purposively. The study was conducted in rural area of District Faisalabad. The sample size of one twenty women was selected by using simple random sampling.  Questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection and collected data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results of the study revealed that 61.7% of the respondents were illiterate, about 38.3% of the respondents earned 2501-5000 rupees, the significant majority 86.7% of the respondents belonged to lower class, about one third 40% of the respondents involved in stitching, more than half 51.7% of the respondents worked up to 6 hours per day, the majority 67.5% the of the respondents had muscular pain, and the significant majority 87.5% of the respondents had no awareness about their rights

Image Aesthetic Assessment: A Comparative Study of Hand-Crafted & Deep Learning Models

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Prevalence of Transfusion Transmitted Infection in Replacement and Voluntary Blood Donor

The aim of this study is to present the status of transfusion –transmitted infections among the apparently healthy donors so as to increase the awareness of complications of blood transfusion and make the clinicians more vigilant with regard to judicious use of blood. Screening of blood is mandatory for providing safe blood. The magnitude of transfusion transmitted infections (TTI) varies from country to country depending on TTI’s load in that particular population. Transfusion transmitted infections create significant burden on health care system. Donor selection is of paramount importance because infected individuals serve as an asymptomatic reservoir and a potential source of transmission. This retrospective study was carried out in healthy blood donors in the age group of 18-60 years; study was done on blood units collected from replacement and voluntary donors. The serum samples were screened for Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg); antibodies against HIV I and II, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) by Chemiluminescent microparticle immuno assay (CMIA) method. Screening for Syphilis was carried out by RPR Rapid plasma reagent. Seropositivity of transfusion transmitted disease in replacement donors was 1.93% in hepatitis B surface antigen, 2.41% in hepatitis C virus, 0.09% in HIV and 1.15% in syphilis. Voluntary donors had low infectivity rate as compare to replacement donor

Phenotypic characterization, genetic analysis and antibiotic sensitivity of Aeromonas hydrophila isolates causing dropsy in cultured Labeo rohita from Punjab, Pakistan

Motile Aeromonas septicemia (MAS) is a common freshwater fish disease and major threat to the aquaculture in Pakistan. The present study was carried out on suspected fish samples to isolate and characterize local strains of Aeromonas hydrophila, a key pathogen responsible for the said disease in aquacultured fishes. A total of ninety suspected fish specimens were collected from fish farms in Kasur, Okara and Gujranwala districts of Punjab, Pakistan from June 2018 to April 2019. The specimens were processed and A. hydrophila strains were isolated. The primary identification of sixty seven isolates were verified by colony morphology, microscopy and phenotypic characterization with ten biochemical reactions. The A. hydrophila strains of test samples were molecularly characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using 16S rRNA at desired size of 356bp. The PCR amplified product was subjected to DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed homology with related strains of Aeromonas spp. By antibiotic sensitivity test, the isolates were checked for nine antibiotics in which the pathogen was sensitive to four and resistant to five drugs. Results of genetic analysis confirmed strains as A. hydrophila which are useful to take preventive measures against the said disease

Multicenter research priorities in pediatric CMR: results of a collaborative wiki survey

Multicenter studies in pediatric cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) improve statistical power and generalizability. However, a structured process for identifying important research topics has not been developed. We aimed to (1) develop a list of high priority knowledge gaps, and (2) pilot the use of a wiki survey to collect a large group of responses. Knowledge gaps were defined as areas that have been either unexplored or under-explored in the research literature. High priority goals were: (1) feasible and answerable from a multicenter research study, and (2) had potential for high impact on the field of pediatric CMR. Seed ideas were contributed by a working group and imported into a pairwise wiki survey format which allows for new ideas to be uploaded and voted upon (https://allourideas.org). Knowledge gaps were classified into 2 categories: ‘Clinical CMR Practice’ (16 ideas) and ‘Disease Specific Research’ (22 ideas). Over a 2-month period, 3,658 votes were cast by 96 users, and 2 new ideas were introduced. The 3 highest scoring sub-topics were myocardial disorders (9 ideas), translating new technology & techniques into clinical practice (7 ideas), and normal reference values (5 ideas). The highest priority gaps reflected strengths of CMR (e.g., myocardial tissue characterization; implementation of technologic advances into clinical practice), and deficiencies in pediatrics (e.g., data on normal reference values). The wiki survey format was effective and easy to implement, and could be used for future surveys

Revamping of Chronic Respiratory Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) endure an asymmetrically high burden of worldwide disease and death caused by chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), i.e., asthma, emphysema, bronchiectasis, and post-tuberculosis lung disease (PTLD). CRDs are firmly related with indigence, infectious diseases, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and add to complex multi-disease with great impact on the lives and livelihood of those affected. The pertinence of CRDs to health and demographic wellbeing is relied upon to increment in the long time ahead, as expectations of life rise and the contending dangers of right on time youth mortality and irresistible infections level. The WHO has distinguished the counteraction and control of NCDs as an earnest improvement issue and crucial for the sustainable development goals (SDSs) by 2030. In this review, we center on CRDs in LMICs. We examine the early life roots of CRDs, challenges in their avoidance, identification and administration in LMICs, and the pathways to resolve for accomplish valid widespread wellbeing inclusion