Evaluation of haematological, serum biochemical and oxidative stress parameters in cattle naturally infected with lumpy skin disease virus.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a vector-borne viral transboundary disease of cattle caused by the LSD virus (LSDV). Despite investigations on clinical and outbreak features of LSDV, information on disease pathogenesis and alternative changes in blood parameters are scarce. Keeping this in view, the current study was designed to determine haematological, serum biochemical, and oxidative stress parameters in naturally infected cattle with LSDV during the recent surge of outbreaks in Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 35 blood samples was collected from polymerase chain reaction-confirmed LSDV-infected cattle for assessment of all parameters. The haematological examination of blood samples showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in different variables of erythrogram and leucogram. On the other hand, differences between levels of various serum biochemical parameters with the significant increase in levels of alkaline phosphatase, serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and blood urea nitrogen were observed in LSDV naturally infected cattle. Moreover, malondialdehyde levels for lipid peroxidation and nitrate concentration were markedly elevated whereas glutathione S-transferase fluorescent and serum superoxide dismutase enzymes showed a decrease in levels. The current study suggests that alternations in haematological and serum biochemical parameters following LSDV infection stimulate oxidative stress and such findings may be useful for early and rapid diagnosis and improvement in the treatment strategy of the disease.

Effects of Ferula asafetida, closantel, albendazole, oxfendazole, and ivermectin against Haemonchus contortus in goats and sheep.

BACKGROUND: Haemonchosis is a fatal disease of small ruminants caused by the parasite Haemonchus contortus (H. contortus). The most common drugs used in the treatment of H. contortus include albendazole, oxfendazole, and ivermectin. However, as previously reported in the treatment of haemonchosis, these medicines have acquired drug resistance problems over time. Interestingly, natural plant compounds have demonstrated promising effects in the treatment of H. contortus. Therefore, the current study evaluated the effects of plant extract, Ferula asafetida, against common drugs such as albendazole, oxfendazole, ivermectin, and closantel for the treatment of haemonchosis in small ruminants. METHODOLOGY: The current study was conducted on different small ruminant farms in Kasur District, Punjab, Pakistan. The positive animals (n = 720) after coprological examination were selected in this study and divided into two major groups (n = 360 goats and n = 360 sheep). Further, animals were divided into five treatment groups (A-E) and one control group with no treatment (F). Albendazole, oxfendazole, ivermectin, closantel, and Ferula asafetida were administered orally to groups A-E, respectively. The eggs per gram feces (EPG) were determined through the McMaster technique on days 0, 7th, and 14th of treatment. RESULTS: The results showed a significantly higher efficacy of closantel and Ferula asafetida against H. contortus in both goats (100% and 70%; p < 0.05) and sheep (99% and 87%; p < 0.05), respectively. No correlation was observed between EPG reduction with age and gender in both goats and sheep. CONCLUSION: Allopathic drug closantel and herbal drug, Ferula asafetida, have been proved an effective dewormer against H. contortus in small ruminants.

Molecular epidemiology of Coxiella Brunetii in small ruminants in Punjab, Pakistan: a novel reporting analytical cross sectional study.

Coxiella burnetii, an intracellular zoonotic bacterium, causes query (Q) fever in ruminants. Its role has never been elucidated in small ruminants from Pakistan. The current study is designed to (a) determine the prevalence of coxiellosis in small ruminants, (b) evaluate the association of various potential risk factors and biomarkers in the occurrence of Coxiella burnetii, (c) and determine phylogeny and genetic variability of its various isolates identified during the study. For this purpose, 320 blood samples from sheep (n = 160) and goats (n = 160) were collected from 9 Union Councils of district Kasur, Punjab, and processed for DNA extraction. C. burnetii was confirmed by amplification of IS1111 transposase gene with an amplicon size of 294 bp. The results showed that the overall positive percentage of C. burnetii is 36.87% (sheep: 46.9% and goats: 30%). The phylogenetic tree was also constructed which described the possible origin of this pathogen from environment. Besides, after translation into amino acid, the resultant alignment showed several unique changes at position numbers 18 and 27 in the isolates from goats and at 27 and 66 from those of sheep. These mutations can have major impact on the infectious characteristics of this pathogen. Furthermore, different potential risk factors and clinical biomarkers like age, tick infestation, abortion, mastitis, and infertility were also studied and found that these are significantly (p < 0.05) associated with the occurrence of coxiellosis. It is concluded from the study that C. burnetii is endemic in small ruminants in Punjab, Pakistan. The outcomes of this study are alarming for scientific community as well as for policy makers because coxiellosis is an emerging threat to both humans and animals in this region due to its interspecies transmission ability.

Concurrent validity of the Arabic version of General Medication Adherence Scale using two validated indirect adherences measures in Saudi patients with non-communicable diseases.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the concurrent validity of the Arabic version of the General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS) using two validated scales namely Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS) and Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS) in Saudi patients with non-communicable diseases. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted for 2 months in out-patient departments at a tertiary care hospital in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The study collected data from patients with chronic illnesses through convenience sampling. Pearson correlation (ρ) was conducted to report concurrent validity of GMAS. A correlation coefficient value ≥ 0.5 with p-value < 0.01 was considered threshold for establishing concurrent validity. The study was approved by an ethics committee (IRB-2019-05-002). RESULTS: A total of 406 patients responded to the study. The average age was 42.4 ± 5.94 years, and most patients were females (53.7%), married (70%), graduates (65.3%), employed (39.9%) and, had a monthly family income > SAR 10,000, i.e., USD 2666.2 (56.4%). The mean adherence scores obtained from MARS, ARMS and GMAS were 7.09, 19.9, and 27.4. The correlation (ρ) between GMAS and MARS scores was 0.65, and between GMAS and ARMS scores was -0.79, p < 0.01 for both comparisons. CONCLUSION: The concurrent validity of GMAS-AR was established in this study that would further substantiate psychometric properties of the scale in this population.

From luxury to necessity: Progress of touchless interaction technology.

Touchless Technology is facilitating the move to Zero User Interface(UI) propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic which has accelerated the use of this technology due to hygiene requirements. Zero UI can be defined as a controlled interface that enables user interaction with technology through voice, gestures, hand interaction, eye tracking, and biometrics such as facial recognition and contactless fingerprints. Smart devices, IoT sensors, smart appliances, smart TVs, smart assistants and consumer robotics are predominant examples of devices in which Zero UI is becoming increasingly adopted. These control interfaces include natural interaction modes such as voice or gestures. Touchscreens and shared devices such as kiosks, self-service counters and interactive displays are present in our everyday lives. Each of these interactions however is a concern for consumers in a post-COVID-19 world where hygiene is of utmost importance. The one-stop solution to hygienic interactions includes touchless technology such as voice control, remote mobile screen take over, biometric, and gesture control as Zero User interfaces. With the breakthroughs in image recognition and natural language processing, powered by advanced computer vision and machine learning, "Zero UI" is becoming a new normal. This paper is focusing on the progress of the touchless interaction technology during the COVID-19 pandemic, which actually accelerated development in this concept and moved it from being a luxury to a life necessity.

Assessing quality of life using WHOQOL-BREF: A cross-sectional insight among patients on warfarin in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The effect of anticoagulation control on overall Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in patients taking warfarin in Malaysia has not been explored yet. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate HRQoL among patients on warfarin in Malaysia. METHODS: HRQoL among patients on warfarin was measured using WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization Quality of life Assessment: Brief Version). Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. RESULTS: Out of 319 patients, more female patients were observed than the males (n = 221, 69.3%, and n = 98, 30.7% respectively). Mean scores for the physical (61.14 ± 15.96), psychological (68.58 ± 16.11), social (63.55 ± 27.06) and environmental domains (62.78 ± 17.58) were observed. Statistically, a significant association was found between the comorbidities other than CVDs with health satisfaction (p = 0.002), physical (p = 0.001), psychological (p < 0.001), social (p = 0.003) and environmental domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. A weak positive correlation between overall health satisfaction and the social domain (r = 0.153) and a moderate positive correlation between the physical and environmental domains (r = 0.628) of the WHOQOL-BREF were observed. CONCLUSION: Patients had overall better perceived HRQoL scores in the psychological domain as compared with the rest of the domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. Age, gender, employment status, education level, the indication of use and duration of warfarin therapy associated with overall perceived HRQoL.

Repurposing of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for combination therapies to combat multidrug-resistant S. aureus of bovine reproductive tract origin.

Multidrug-resistant bacteria have become the predominant etiology in bovine female reproductive tract infections and thus require effective treatment approaches. The main goal of this study was the molecular detection of mecA, blaZ, tetK, and aacA-aphD genes in Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) responsible for methicillin, beta-lactam, tetracycline, and aminoglycoside resistance respectively. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted to check the homology of staphylococcal genes with NCBI sequences. The in-vitro efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in combination therapies against MDR S. aureus was evaluated using well diffusion assay and checkerboard method. Vaginal swab samples (n = 384) collected from bovines suffering from endometritis, pyometra, and retained placenta were tested for S. aureus. Results showed a 17.96% overall prevalence. Both phenotypic and genotypic resistance was observed among S. aureus isolates with 50.72% and 37.68% isolates being confirmed as methicillin-resistant (MRSA), 36.23% and 18.84% isolates exhibiting beta-lactam, 40.58%, and 27.54% isolates showing tetracycline, and 33.33% and 36.23% isolates showing aminoglycosides resistance based on disc diffusion and gene confirmation, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated homology with previously reported Pakistani isolates suggesting the possibility of MDR S. aureus transmission within and between animals. Synergy testing indicated that combinations of ceftriaxone-ketoprofen (153.77%), ceftriaxone-meloxicam (149.55%), amoxiclav-flunixin meglumine (106.06%), and oxytetracycline-flunixin meglumine (104.47%) showed synergy on well diffusion assay. Based on the fractional inhibitory concentration index by checkerboard method, oxytetracycline-meloxicam and gentamicin-ketoprofen combinations exhibited synergistic interaction. In conclusion, MDR S. aureus resistance was mitigated in-vitro through the combination of antibiotics (oxytetracycline, gentamicin) with NSAIDs (meloxicam, ketoprofen) that could be used to create therapeutic strategies for bovine reproductive issues.

The influence of pharmacist-led collaborative care on clinical outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a multicenter randomized control trial.

Background: Health care providers are mandated to deliver specialized care for the treatment and control of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In Malaysia, Diabetes Medication Therapy Adherence Clinics (DMTAC) in tertiary hospitals have designated pharmacists to administer these services. Objective: To assess the effects of pharmacist-led interventions within DMTAC on the outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in two distinct hospitals in Kedah, Malaysia. Methods: Patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly selected from the two hospitals included in this study. The study population was divided into two equal groups. The control group consisted of 200 patients receiving routine care from the hospitals. On the other hand, the intervention group included those patients with type 2 diabetes (200), who received separate counseling sessions from pharmacists in the DMTAC departments along with the usual treatment. The study lasted 1 year, during which both study groups participated in two distinct visits. Results: Parametric data were analyzed by a paired t-test and one-way ANOVA, while non-parametric data were analyzed by a Chi-squared test using SPSS v24. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study presented the results of a greater reduction in HBA1c levels in the intervention group compared to the control group, i.e., 3.59 and 2.17% (p < 0.001). Moreover, the Systolic and Diastolic values of BP were also significantly reduced in the intervention group, i.e., 9.29 mmHg/7.58 mmHg (p < 0.005). Furthermore, cholesterol levels were significantly improved in patients in the intervention group, i.e., 0.87 mmol/L (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the findings of the current study it has been proven that the involvement of pharmacists leads to improved control of diabetes mellitus. Therefore, it is recommended that the government initiate DMTAC services in both private and government hospitals and clinics throughout Malaysia. Furthermore, future studies should assess the impact of pharmacist interventions on other chronic conditions, including but not limited to asthma, arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia.

An RP-HPLC-UV method with SPE for cefotaxime in all-in-one total parenteral nutritional admixtures: application to stability studies.

A simple and selective RP-HPLC-UV method with SPE was developed and validated for the quantification of cefotaxime in all-in-one total parenteral nutrition (AIO-TPN) admixtures. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a 5 pm particle size C18 DB column (250 x 4.6 mm id) using the mobile phase ammonium acetate (25 mM, pH 4.0)-50% acetonitrile in methanol (80 + 20, v/v). The flow rate was 0.9 mL/min and the detection wavelength was 254 nm. The analyte was extracted from AIO-TPN admixtures by means of an SPE method. The cefotaxime calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 100-1400 microg/mL with a correlation coefficient of > or = 0.9994. The intraday accuracy and precision for cefotaxime were < or = -3.15 and < or = 3.08%, respectively, whereas the interday accuracy and precision were < or = -2.48 and < or = 2.25%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to stability studies of cefotaxime in the presence of micronutrients together with low and high concentrations of macronutrients in AIO-TPN admixtures. Cefotaxime was degraded by 13.00 and 26.05% at room temperature (25 +/- 2 degrees C) after 72 h in low and high macronutrient concentration formulations of AIO-TPN admixtures, respectively. The values of cefotaxime degradation rates for low and high macronutrient concentration formulations of AIO-TPN admixtures were -0.164 and -0.353, respectively. These results indicated that there was a higher rate of degradation in the AIO-TPN admixture formulations containing high concentrations of macronutrients.

Semi Active Control of sinusoidal shock waveform on drop test machine (DTM) using non-linear dynamic model of hybrid wave generator (HWG) consisting of rubber and electroMagnet.

Sinusoidal shock waveforms are the classical type of waveforms generated in Drop Test Machines (DTMs) using Rubber Wave Generators (RWGs). For different specifications of pulse, different RWGs are used, leading to the laborious work of replacing RWGs in DTMs. In this study, a novel technique is developed to predict a shock pulse of variable height and time using a Hybrid Wave Generator (HWG) that yields variable stiffness. This variable stiffness is a combination of the fixed stiffness of rubber and the variable stiffness of magnet. A mathematical nonlinear model has developed, consisting of a polynomial model of RWG and an integral approach of magnetic force. The designed HWG is capable enough to produce a strong magnetic force as a result of a high magnetic field generated in the solenoid. This magnetic force combines with rubber to give a variable stiffness effect. This way, a semi-active control of the stiffness and pulse shape is achieved. Two sets of HWGs are tested to study the control over the shock pulse. An average hybrid stiffness from 32 to 74 kN/m is observed by varying voltage from 0 to 1000 VDC, resulting in a change of height of pulse from 18 to 56 g (net change 38 g) and a change of shock pulse width from 17 to 12 ms (net change 5 ms). From experimental results, it is concluded that the developed technique gives satisfactory results for the control/prediction of variable shape shock pulse.

Shock absorption capability of corrugated ring yield mount subjected to high impact loading.

Various types of mechanical energy-absorbing devices are known that operate by plastic deformation. The corrugated ring mount that is used in this study relates to a device that absorbs energy by plastic deformation. This energy-absorbing device has reduced volumetric proportions, simple in design, and therefore has small overall dimensions and can be mass-produced at low cost. This study aims to determine the shock absorption capability and efficiency of this mount against impact loading. For this, Finite Element Method Analysis (FEA) and experimentation are done. The FEA is done using the Explicit Dynamics (AutoDyn) module of ANSYS Workbench and for experimentation Drop Test Machine (DTM) is used. In this study impact load from low g up to 85 g is applied and a very close agreement is found between FEA and experimental results. There is just a 5-10% deviation between the findings. The results show that this mount is plastically deformed to absorb the impact energy with a maximum efficiency of 70%. It concludes that it is a reliable and safer shock energy device.

Knowledge, attitude, and perceptions about polycystic ovarian syndrome, and its determinants among Pakistani undergraduate students.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate knowledge, attitude, perception, and assess the determinants of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) among undergraduate students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among female undergraduate students in Pakistan using a survey. The questionnaire was formulated in English language by a review of literature and expert consensus. The sampling approach was convenient, and survey was available as electronic as well as hardcopy. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS v23. Descriptive statistics namely mean ([Formula: see text]), standard deviation (SD), or median ([Formula: see text]) and interquartile range (IQR) were used dependent upon data distribution. In addition, range (R) was also utilized to express the results. The logistic and linear regression analyses were also conducted. Study received ethical clearance from ethics committees. RESULTS: A total of 646 responses were analyzed. The average PCOS knowledge score was 11.58 ± 4.99 (overall), 12.02 ± 4.73 (medical students), 9.36 ± 5.65 (non-medical students) (α = 0.861). 68.6% participants did not feel embarrassed while discussing PCOS in the society, but 67.3% never discussed it with a doctor. Lack of self-knowledge (31.6%) and shyness/reluctance (21.4%) were identified as barriers by most students. Further, obesity, irregular menstrual periods, family history, hirsutism and contraceptive use were observed to be determinants for having PCOS (AOR > 2, p<0.05). The disease knowledge score was higher for participants studying in medical college (ß = 0.184), having menstrual periods < 5 days (ß = 0.125), and with a family history (ß = 0.121) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The disease knowledge among undergraduates was inadequate. However, there is greater acknowledgement of PCOS as a problem for Pakistani women and barriers have been identified in the study. Conducting awareness campaigns within academic institutions which include promoting disease education, arranging talks, distributing merchandise with disease awareness signage, would greatly help in raising awareness of the disease and lowering stigma and hesitancy.

Seroprevalence of Newcastle disease virus and avian influenza virus in poultry and captive wild birds in poultry-dense regions of Pakistan.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and avian influenza virus (AIV) are causing contagious diseases in chickens and wild birds worldwide; however, there is a paucity of information on the current status of seropositivity of Newcastle and avian influenza diseases in chickens and wild birds of Pakistan. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the serological evidence of both diseases in commercial poultry (broiler, layer chickens), backyard poultry, and captive wild birds in poultry­dense regions of Punjab, Pakistan. Enzyme­linked immunosorbent (ELISA) and haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays were performed for the determination of antibodies against NDV and AIV and their genotyping and subtyping, respectively. Overall, 47.5% and 67.4% seroprevalence of NDV and AIV, respectively, was observed in both poultry and wild birds. Based on bird's category, layer chickens had the highest seroprevalence of NDV (60.8%, 95% CI: 52.95­68.22, OR: 0.71) followed by backyard poultry (56.8%, 95% CI: 47.92­65.32, OR: 0.82), broilers (52.7%, 95% CI: 46.84­58.64), pigeons (41.3%, 95% CI: 30.53­52.81, OR: 1.59), peafowls (26.1%, 95% CI: 11.09­48.69, OR: 3.16), ducks (23.8%, 95% CI: 12.59­39.8, OR: 3.57), turkeys (16.7%, 95% CI: 4.41­42.27, OR: 5.58), parrots (14.3%, 95% CI: 2.52­43.85, OR: 6.70) and quails (2.3%, 95% CI: 0.2­13.51, OR: 4.8). Comparatively, backyard chickens had the highest seroprevalence of AIV (78.8%, 95% CI: 70.64­85.22, OR: 0.63) followed by ducks (73.8%, 95% CI: 57.68­85.6, OR: 0.83), layers (73.5%, 95% CI: 65.98­79.89, OR: 0.84), pigeons (72.5%, 95% CI: 61.2­81.61, OR: 0.89), broilers (70.1%, 95% CI: 64.44­75.29), turkeys (55.5%, 95% CI: 31.35­77.6, OR: 1.87), peafowls (47.8%, 95% CI: 27.42­68.9, OR: 2.56) and parrots (42.8%, 95% CI: 18.8­70.3, OR: 3.1). Overall, 40.1%, 34.2%, 31.3%, and 25.1% sera were positive for H9 AIV, G­VII NDV, H7 AIV, and G­VI NDV, respectively. The current study revealed a widespread exposure to NDV and AIV in poultry and captive wild birds. Therefore, it is crucial to include captive wild birds in NDV and AIV surveillance programs to further strengthen disease control measures, particularly in endemic regions.

Potential security and privacy issues in zero UI touchless technology.

Touchless technology often called Zero User Interface (UI) has begun to permeate every aspect of our lives as its use became necessary for hygiene measures in public places. The evolution of touchless technology replacing touchscreen interaction started as a luxury concept to give a fancier look to digital interactions, but now it has gained real value as a health-oriented interaction method. Switching to a touchless interface reduces common touchpoints, which help to safeguard against the spread of pathogens. Although the evolution of touchless technology is not new, its use massively increased due to its inherent hygienic nature during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this investment in a new form of digital interaction has several privacy and security issues that need attention, in order to allow for safe human-machine interaction to cope with security breaches and cyber-attacks to protect our credentials. This paper outlines the potential security and privacy issues concerning Zero UI adoption in various technologies that need to be considered if one wishes to adopt responsible technology practices with this technology.

Infection Dynamics of Clostridium perfringens Fingerprinting in Buffalo and Cattle of Punjab Province, Pakistan.

Clostridium perfringens produces core virulence factors that are responsible for causing hemorrhagic abomasitis and enterotoxemia making food, animals, and humans susceptible to its infection. In this study, C. perfringens was isolated from necropsied intestinal content of buffalo and cattle belonging to four major bovine-producing regions in the Punjab Province of Pakistan for the purpose offind out the genetic variation. Out of total 160 bovine samples (n: 160), thirty-three (n: 33) isolates of C. perfringens were obtained from buffalo (Bubales bubalis) and cattle (Bos indicus) that were further subjected to biochemical tests; 16S rRNA based identification and toxinotyping was done using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and PFGE (Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis) pulsotypesfor genetic diversity. Occurrence of C. perfringens was found to be maximum in zone-IV (Bhakkar and Dera Ghazi Khan) according to the heatmap. Correlation was found to be significant and positive among the toxinotypes (α-toxin, and ε-toxin). Response surface methodology (RSM) via central composite design (CCD) and Box-Behnken design (BBD) demonstrated substantial frequency of C. perfringens based toxinotypes in all sampling zones. PFGE distinguished all isolates into 26 different pulsotypes using SmaI subtyping. Co-clustering analysis based on PFGE further decoded a diversegenetic relationship among the collected isolates. This study could help us to advance toward disease array of C. perfringens and its probable transmission and control. This study demonstrates PFGE patterns from Pakistan, and typing of C. perfringens by PFGE helps illustrate and mitigate the incidence of running pulsotypes.

Workplace bullying and turnover intentions of nurses: the multi-theoretic perspective of underlying mechanisms in higher-order moderated-serial-mediation model.

PURPOSE: This study examines the relationship between workplace bullying (WPB) and the turnover intentions (TIs) of nurses, both directly and indirectly, i.e. through serial mediation of psychological contract violation (PCV) and poor employee wellbeing (EWB). And that with the moderating effect of servant leadership (SL) on its final path to TIs of nurses. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A total of 285 nurses voluntarily participated in the survey through convenient sampling from 13 different district hospitals. The authors performed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the study's measurement and structural models. FINDINGS: Overall, results indicated 62% prevalence rate of WPB and TIs of nurses had 67% variance explained by the exogenous factors. Workplace bullying was found to have direct as well as indirect relationship with TIs of nurses. For the latter, PCV and poor EWB were found to have partially mediated, both singly and serially. The moderating effect of SL on the serial mediation pathway was negative and significant. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Drawing on a tripartite theoretical perspective, this study illuminates the mechanism underlying WPB-TIs relationship with an advanced multivariate statistical technique in the nursing work setting in a developing country.

Evaluation and Optimization of Antibiotics Resistance Profile against Clostridium perfringens from Buffalo and Cattle in Pakistan.

Clostridium perfringens is a serious threat to successful bovine farming. It causes severe damage to the buffalo and cattle health causing a drastic reduction in milk and meat production. In Pakistan, C. perfringens is a constant threat, and for its management, antibiotics are mostly used. Most bovine farmers use a single antibiotic to suppress the bacterial infection which in turn, increases the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) against the particular antibiotic. To reduce the resistance, the administration of multiple antibiotics in their standard doses at different times can be a possible remedy to manage the AMR and reduce their viability. This study aims to evaluate the effect of 11 commonly used antibiotics at their standard concentrations for inhibiting 33 strains of C. perfringens from five districts of Punjab province in Pakistan. Based on the zone of inhibition, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, and cefotaxime (CAC) at their standard concentrations effectively inhibited the bacterium. These antibiotics showed appropriate significance statistically, i.e., correlation, Chi-square test, and cluster analysis. Optimization of these antibiotics using response surface methodology (RSM) revealed that the selected antibiotics from medium to high range not only reduce the bacterial propagation but also their population up to a considerable extent. Hence, the health of milk- and meat-producing large animals could be improved, which will be cost-effective and less harmful to the animal, human health, and the environment. Moreover, optimized administration of the selected antibiotics would reduce the impact of drug-resistant superbugs.

Getting Ratees to Accept Performance Feedback: A Relational Approach.

This paper seeks to understand the association between ratees' relational justice perceptions and their feedback acceptance, both directly and through leader-member exchange (LMX). The paper also examines the moderated mediation effect of supervisory trust. The paper presents the findings of two studies. Study 1 utilized two data sets collected through an online survey from 280 part-time students working full-time (Sample 1) and 292 working professionals (Sample 2) in Pakistan. Study 2 utilized data collected from N = 167 students recruited for a scenario-based experiment that manipulated whether a manager was fair or unfair. Results revealed that relational justice positively predicted feedback acceptance in Studies 1 and 2. LMX positively mediated the above-mentioned relationship in both studies. As expected, supervisory trust negatively moderated the relational justice-feedback acceptance relationship in Study 2. The present study contributes to performance management theory and practice by illuminating that raters can stimulate performance partnership by employing a relational justice approach that increases the likelihood that employees accept performance feedback.

Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Malaysia: A Knowledge and Practice Study among General Population toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Relation to Health and Quality of Life in Malaysia.

PURPOSE: There is a wide range of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which has increased drastically and affected treatments overall. The knowledge and practice of Chinese herbal medicine among the general population is considered as positive. Literature shows that the effectiveness and acceptance of alternative therapies is still debatable among the general population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study design was cross-sectional, in which sociodemographic data of respondents were collected through a validated questionnaire; results were analyzed by using validated data collection tool. The results were concluded on the basis of good, moderate, and poor response, which was evaluated through data analysis by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 20.0. A P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: Respondents were 182 (44.4%) males and 228 (55.6%) females; better knowledge was recognized among the females (P < 0.001) with mean knowledge of 15.55 ± 2.7. Chinese population had good knowledge with statistically strong correlation with mean knowledge of 15.63 (P = 0.006). Likewise, Buddhism was reported to have good knowledge among all the religions. Rural population was underlined with lesser family income and they showed good practice and understanding (P = 0.006). Comparatively positive attitude was noticed among the females (P < 0.001) with mean attitude of 15.55 ± 2.7. The highest level of education in this study was postgraduate, which showed 77.1% good attitude. Postgraduate participants were having varied results with standard deviation of ±6.23. Statistically highly significant association was seen between the religion and attitude of respondents with the P < 0.001. Chinese medicine is widely used, but religious difference was found among the races. Similar difference was found in knowledge and practice among the population of rural side and low family income compared to urban population with higher income and access to allopathic medicine. CONCLUSIONS: Despite having better practice among the Malaysian population, still the knowledge needs to be disseminated among the population for the overall use of traditional Chinese medicine with safety to improve health and quality of life in Malaysia.

Occurrence and Toxicogenetic Profiling of Clostridium perfringens in Buffalo and Cattle: An Update from Pakistan.

Clostridium perfringens is a Gram-positive bacterium that possess seven toxinotypes (A, B, C, D, E, F, and G) that are responsible for the production of six major toxins, i.e., α, ß, ε, ι, CPE, and NetB. The aim of this study is to find out the occurrence of toxinotypes in buffalo and cattle of Punjab province in Pakistan and their corresponding toxin-encoding genes from the isolated toxinotypes. To accomplish this aim, six districts in Punjab province were selected (i.e., Lahore, Sahiwal, Cheecha Watni, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Bahawalpur) and a total of 240 buffalo and 240 cattle were selected for the collection of samples. From isolation and molecular analysis (16S rRNA), it was observed that out of seven toxinotypes (A-G), two toxinotypes (A and D) were found at most, whereas other toxinotypes, i.e., B, C, E, F, and G, were not found. The most frequently occurring toxinotype was type A (buffalo: 149/240; cattle: 157/240) whereas type D (buffalo: 8/240 cattle: 7/240) was found to occur the least. Genes encoding toxinotypes A and D were cpa and etx, respectively, whereas genes encoding other toxinotypes were not observed. The occurrence of isolated toxinotypes was studied using response surface methodology, which suggested a considerable occurrence of the isolated toxinotypes (A and D) in both buffalo and cattle. Association between type A and type D was found to be significant among the isolated toxinotypes in both buffalo and cattle (p ≤ 0.05). Correlation was also found to be positive and significant between type A and type D. C. perfringens exhibits a range of toxinotypes that can be diagnosed via genotyping, which is more reliable than classical toxinotyping.