Relationship between Parental Bonding and Aggression among Medical College Students in Multan

This study aimed to explore the Relationship between Parental Bonding and Aggression among Medical college students. The study was based on correlational research design. The sample of 110 medical students was taken from Nishter Medical College, Multan, through simple random sampling technique. Survey method was used for data collection. The instruments used for data collection included Buss and Perry aggression scale (1992) (BPAQ),The Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI by Gordon Parker, Hilary Tupling, L.B. Brown , 1979 ).The collected data was analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 20).The results revealed a negative correlation between parental bonding and aggression among medical students. Significant gender differences were found in term of parental bonding and aggression. This study can be helpful for parents to identify their bonding with the child and develop new strategies for addressing significant problem. Area of this study was restricted to Multan Nishter College. Future researches can include a large number of participants and also cover large research area for generalizability

RL-OPRA: Reinforcement Learning for Online and Proactive Resource Allocation of crowdsourced live videos

© 2020 Elsevier B.V. With the advancement of rich media generating devices, the proliferation of live Content Providers (CP), and the availability of convenient internet access, crowdsourced live streaming services have witnessed unexpected growth. To ensure a better Quality of Experience (QoE), higher availability, and lower costs, large live streaming CPs are migrating their services to geo-distributed cloud infrastructure. However, because of the dynamics of live broadcasting and the wide geo-distribution of viewers and broadcasters, it is still challenging to satisfy all requests with reasonable resources. To overcome this challenge, we introduce in this paper a prediction driven approach that estimates the potential number of viewers near different cloud sites at the instant of broadcasting. This online and instant prediction of distributed popularity distinguishes our work from previous efforts that provision constant resources or alter their allocation as the popularity of the content changes. Based on the derived predictions, we formulate an Integer-Linear Program (ILP) to proactively and dynamically choose the right data center to allocate exact resources and serve potential viewers, while minimizing the perceived delays. As the optimization is not adequate for online serving, we propose a real-time approach based on Reinforcement Learning (RL), namely RL-OPRA, which adaptively learns to optimize the allocation and serving decisions by interacting with the network environment. Extensive simulation and comparison with the ILP have shown that our RL-based approach is able to present optimal results compared to heuristic-based approaches.This work was supported by the Qatar Foundation

Genotypic and computational sequence analysis of ALADIN gene causing Allgrove syndrome

Background: Allgrove syndrome is autosomal recessive disorder, the gene involved in this syndrome is known as ALADIN located close to type 2 keratin gene cluster on chromosome 12q13 whose function is to control the nucleocytoplasmic trafficking and also affects the nuclear pore complexes. Mutation in this gene cause triple A syndrome. The aim of research was to analyze the mutational changes in ALADIN gene, formation of 3D Structure of normal and mutated protein and differentiation of normal and mutated protein.Methods: Genotyping by using tetra arm PCR and Sequence analyses of coding region of ALADIN gene was done in two families having affected children with Allgrove’s syndrome.Results: Point mutation in exon 1 and alteration in 3D structure of protein was observed by using VMD (Visual molecular dynamics) that shows truncation, absence of few amino acid and structural modification of proteins which alters in transportation ability.Conclusion: It is concluded from the study that proper structure and function of NPC (nuclear pore complex) binding protein is necessary in normal body function and if any mutation is present in ALADIN gene it can cause symptoms of rare Allgrove’s syndrome.Keywords: ALADIN gene; 3D protein structure; Triple A syndrom

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Infections in Hostel Residents of Lahore, Pakistan

To maintain our good health, properly functioning gastrointestinal (GIT) track is always considered essential. Though in current era, living standards are much improved now but still gut infections are frequently reported around the globe. Because in third world countries, like Pakistan even in big cities people don’t have dietary sources of good quality. That’s why; a survey of randomly selected 10 hostels was conducted to estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal infections among them. The results showed that mostly sufferers fall in age group of 18-28years and among them, females are more than males. Important causative factors for transmission of enteric pathogens are intake of impure water (in 42% cases), unhygienic food (in 18% cases) and blend of these two (in 33% cases) with major symptoms of abdominal discomfort, acid reflux, nausea and vomiting. But still only 19% gastric patients of hostel take proper medication for cure and rest of other are left untreated either due to lack of awareness or financial constraints. So these issues should be seriously addressed by the authorities to control the frequency of GIT infections among hostilities of Lahore, Pakistan

The outcome of antibiotics as surgical prophylaxis in gynecological procedures - a retrospective study in a south Indian hospital

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcome of antibiotics as surgical prophylactic measure for gynecological procedures in a south Indian Hospital.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 150 women who underwent caesarean, hysterectomies, Dilation and Curettage, myomectomy, operative vaginal delivery and were prescribed antibiotics. The data regarding demographic details, presenting complaints, parity, obstetrics history, diagnosis and need for surgery was evaluated.Results: A total of 206 women admitted with surgical procedures performed were taken into consideration of which 150 were prescribed antibiotics alone but 26 patients did not respond to treatment and were given other antibiotics, 30 patients were shifted to other specialist departments or other hospital for better treatment due to economic status, hence 150 patients formed the study population. The mean age was years. Patients above years were mostly seen.Conclusions: In our study, cefuroxime appeared to be effective in prophylaxis against infections. Metronidazole appeared to be ineffective compared to Cefuroxime. Combination of Cefuroxime and metronidazole was less effective compared to Amoxicillin and potassium clavunate. Cefazolin was commonly prescribed for gynecological procedures

Fuzzy logic-based controller of the bidirectional direct current to direct current converter in microgrid

Microgrids are small-scale power networks that include renewable energy sources, load, energy storage systems, and energy management systems (EMS). Lithium-ion batteries are the most used battery for energy storage in microgrids due to their advantages over other types of batteries. However, to protect the battery from the explosion and to manage to charge and discharge based on state-of-charge (SoC) value, this type of battery requires the use of an energy management system. The main objective of this paper is to propose an intelligent control strategy for energy management in the microgrid to control the charge and discharge of Li-ion batteries to stabilize the system and reduce the cost of electricity due to the high cost of grid electricity. The proposed technique is based on a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) for voltage control. The FLC is based on the measured voltage of the direct current (DC) bus and the fixed reference voltage to generate buck/boost converter signal control. The proposed technique has been simulated and tested using MATLAB/Simulink software which illustrates the tracking of desired power and DC bus voltage regulation. The simulation results confirm that the proposed systems can diminish the deviations of the system's voltage

Evaluation of adenovirus capsid labeling versus transgene expression

Adenoviral vectors have been utilized for a variety of gene therapy applications. Our group has incorporated bioluminescent, fluorographic reporters, and/or suicide genes within the adenovirus genome for analytical and/or therapeutic purposes. These molecules have also been incorporated as capsid components. Recognizing that incorporations at either locale yield potential advantages and disadvantages, our report evaluates the benefits of transgene incorporation versus capsid incorporation. To this end, we have genetically incorporated firefly luciferase within the early region 3 or at minor capsid protein IX and compared vector functionality by means of reporter readout

Evaluation of vitamin D supplementation intake among children; cross-sectional observational study [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess  the vitamin D supplementation intake status among children from different nationalities in the UAE,  to determine vitamin D intake practices through diet and lifestyle, and the barriers that parents in the UAE  face with providing vitamin D supplementation to their children.   Methods: A cross-sectional observational questionnaire-based survey study design was used.. The study was conducted in the U.A.E and the study participants were parents of children from ages 4-15 years. The questionnaire used in this study was both self-administered and interviewer-administered while inquiring the questions from the parents. A convenience sampling technique was used to collect the data. The response rate of participants was expected to be 63%, the margin of error was 5% and the level of confidence was 95%.   Results: A total of 248 participants (203 mothers, 39 fathers and 6 caregivers) completed the study. Participants reported that the supplements used the most by children were vitamin D supplements (21.85%), followed by multivitamins (21.8%) and calcium supplements (5.6%) and 27.8% of participants in this study reported  to  no  supplementation at all. The rate of vitamin D supplementation among children was higher in those families with higher income levels, parents/caregivers who were more educated, those families who attained health insurance. However, there was no statistical significance between these correlations. Conclusion: The study concluded that challenges like the educational and financial background of parents, family-income level, and health insurance status could help aid in addressing the overall burden of vitamin D deficiency among young children in the UAE. Pediatricians and health care professionals could use our study and use it as an aid to provide screening on lifestyle, sun light exposure, and dietary modifications and also educate parents why and how vitamin D is crucial for their children

A cross-sectional survey among parents to report challenges and barriers in the administration of medicines to children in United Arab Emirates [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Background: Lack of knowledge among parents can result in inappropriate administration practices.  After analyzing different studies among children, there was no data on challenges and barriers in the administration of medicines among children in this region because of the diverse environmental issues and challenges in the UAE. The objective of this study was to determine the reported administration practices of parents and challenges and barriers in the administration of medicines among children in UAE. Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted. A convenience sampling technique was used to collect the data. An online Raosoft® sample size calculator was applied (n = 248). The inclusion criteria were parents who had a child under 10 years of age and gave consent to participate in this study. Children with vision problems, cognitive/physical disabilities, and caregivers other than parents were excluded from this study. Results: The study reported response rate of 73.2%. The mean ± S.D age of the parents in years was 35.5 ± 7.8, and the mean ± S.D of children aged years was 2.60 ± 1.54. 26.2% of parents reported treatment failure due to oral medicine administration. A total of 22.2% of parents reported that they gave medicines in doses higher than prescribed by the doctor to treat their children more quickly. Similarly, a total of 64.5% of the parents reported self-medication without consultation from a healthcare provider. Conclusions: The study concluded that there were inappropriate medicine administration practices among parents. Parents reported administration of higher doses to treat their children quickly