Search

This research discusses that how international fast food chains use glocal strategies for promoting and localizing their brands in Pakistan. The major source, that these fast food chains use, is advertisements, and their focus is on the language of the target country. The purpose is to investigate the language of advertisements and how they use local language in special events of Pakistan, and thus promote their products through local language in advertisements. Qualitative research approach has been used for the analysis of advertisements and to answer the research questions. The concepts of universalizing and particularizing tendencies by Ronald (1980) and the theory of ‘Cultural Glocality’ by Fernandez (2009) with some modifications, have been used as a theoretical framework. For this purpose, top three international fast food chains such as, McDonald’s, KFC, and Pizza Hut have been selected. All the advertisements fromJanuary 2021 to June 2021 have been collected for this research. Findings reveal that international fast food chains are more popular in Pakistan because of the language they use in their advertisements to attract and convey their message to their customers. After analyzing the data, it is concluded that the main glocal strategies are the use of the local language(s), code switching, use of location, use of cultural and religious events and language features, which they exhibit through their advertisements. By using local language, they promote their products and at the same time localize themselves in Pakistan.

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric condition and is defined as mood swings that alternate between mania, hypomania, and depression. Studies have been conducted globally to assess lipid profile (High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), and Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL)) for BD with varying results. No such studies have been conducted in Pakistan. Therefore, current study was designed to assess lipid profile (HDL, LDL, VLDL) in clinically diagnosed bipolar BD. Materials and Methods: One hundred and twelve blood samples were collected of diagnosed BD patients visiting Sheikh Zayd Hospital (SZH) and Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) Lahore. HDL, LDL and VLDL were estimated using standard biochemical methods. Results: Results obtained were statistically analyzed using SPSS. A total of 112 BD patients, 48 (58.5%) were manic, 26 (31.7%) were depressive, 8 (9.8%) were euthymic. The mean HDL (41.26±12.57 mg/dl), LDL level (115.15±38.26 mg/dl) in bipolar group (manic, depressive and euthymic) as compared to control group were statistically significant with p-value 0.026. The mean VLDL level (33.17±18.43 mg/dl) level in bipolar and control groups was statistically insignificant with p-value 0.609. Conclusions: The present study suggests that HDL level is decreased in manic BD patients. The raised value of LDL-C is found in depressive and euthymic patients. VLDL level was same in BD and control groups. Keywords: Bipolar Disorder, Lipid Profile, High Density Lipoprotein, Low Density Lipoprotein, Very Low Density Lipoprotein

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of audit committee (AC) characteristics, such as AC size, AC independence and gender diversity on firm risk in the context of an emerging market. Design/methodology/approach The sample data includes 102 nonfinancial Pakistan Stock Exchange listed firms from 2004 to 2018. Firm risk is measured through three proxies, namely, idiosyncratic risk, total risk and capital expenditure. Along with this, profitability, leverage, market-to-book ratio, firm age, net property plant and equipment (NPPE) and surplus cash are used as control variables. The Housman test is used to select the best model from the fixed-effect model and the random effect model to conclude the findings. Findings According to the study's findings, AC characteristics have a negative and significant relationship with idiosyncratic risk. In addition, a gender-diverse AC has a significant negative relationship with capital expenditure. In connection with total risk, AC characteristics fail to shows any significant relationship. Among the control variables, the results show that profitability stand for return on asset (ROA) and NPPE have a significant negative relationship, whereas market-to-book value has a significant positive relationship with both idiosyncratic and total risk. Practical implications The study's findings offer policymakers, managers and investors guidance. This study will provide new insights to the Pakistani Government, stock market, companies and accounting and auditing regulators in terms of understanding the determinants influencing risk management activities. Furthermore, this study will assist financial institutions in making credit decisions. In addition, this study provides policymakers, such as the stand for Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), with guidelines for developing policies that strengthen the board governance mechanism. Originality/value This study investigates the impact of AC characteristics on corporate risk, which is rarely discussed in emerging economies.

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on financial constraints (FC). Furthermore, the authors investigate the moderating impact of two key ownership variables, insider and institutional ownership, separately and their interacting effect on the CSR-FC relationship. Design/methodology/approach The study sample consists of 137 nonfinancial Pakistan Stock Exchange listed firms from 2010 to 2019. Firms’ participation in socially responsible activities is measured using a multidimensional financial approach, whereas FC are determined using the WW index. The findings were observed using the dynamic generalized method of moments model. Findings According to the findings, CSR has a negative impact on FC. In terms of moderating impact, the interactive variable of CSR and insider ownership does not affect FC, implying that when an insider owns a majority of shares, the negative relationship between CSR and FC is weaker. The findings demonstrate the entrenchment effect of insider ownership. In terms of the moderating effect of institutional ownership, CSR and institutional ownership have a significant but positive relationship with FC, implying that when powerful institutional investors are present, the negative relationship between CSR and FC disappears, demonstrating that higher institutional ownership leads to shareholder conflicts. Finally, the interactive variable of insider and institutional ownership has no statistically significant effect on the CSR-FC relationship. This insignificant relationship does not support the substitution or complementarity effect of corporate governance. Research limitations/implications The authors measure CSR activities using a multidimensional financial approach; however, in the future, CSR should be measured using qualitative aspects such as content analysis to strengthen the findings. Because the research is limited to a single emerging economy, Pakistan, the generalizability of the findings is limited. In the future, this research could be replicated in other emerging economies in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Practical implications The findings of the study will assist regulatory authorities, investors, financial analysts and other stakeholders in better understanding CSR practices in Pakistani firms, as well as the role of CSR and two other important aspects of internal governance mechanisms, namely, insider ownership and institutional ownership, in the CSR-FC relationship. Originality/value Few studies in the literature investigate the impact of CSR on FC. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of its kind in an emerging market to empirically test this relationship and further investigate the role of insider and institutional ownership in this unexplored relationship.

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a mental disorder with mood swings that fluctuate between mania, hypomania, and depression. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in bipolar patients have been studied across the globe, but the results are variable. A very limited research has been conducted in this area in Pakistan. Therefore, the goal of the current investigation was to evaluate CRP in bipolar illness. Moreover any link between CRP and gender was also investigated. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 112 subjects (82 bipolar patients and 30 controls) were included. The patients were randomly selected from Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) and Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore. After the consent of the subjects, venous blood samples were collected. CRP levels were semi-quantitatively estimated by agglutination method. The data obtained was analyzed through SPSS. Results: The difference in the mean CRP level among bipolar and control groups was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Moreover, males had higher CRP levels than females but the difference was non-significant (p=0.134). Comparison of CRP levels among various stages of BD and control showed a significant difference between the groups (p=0.009). Increased CRP levels give an idea about the inflammation and severity of the disease. CRP levels could be of help in the diagnosis and prognosis of BD. Conclusions: The present study suggests a significant association of CRP with bipolar disorder. No significant relation of CRP and gender was depicted. Keywords: Bipolar Disorder, C-reactive protein, Gender

PurposeThe current study aims to investigate the impact of firm performance on chief executive officer (CEO) remuneration in the context of an emerging market, i.e. Pakistan. Further, the interactive effect of financial constraints is investigated in the pay–performance relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe study's sample includes 173 non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. This study covers the years 2010–2019. The CEO compensation of the sample firms is measured in terms of salary and bonuses, perquisites and stock options paid to the CEO, whereas firm profitability is measured by return on assets, return on equity, Tobin's Q (Q) and earnings per share. The KZ Index measures the degree of financial constraint. The fixed effect model (FEM) and system GMM estimation techniques were used to conclude the study's findings. In addition, to test the robustness of the results, the authors computed the level of financial constraints using the WW Index.FindingsThe findings show that firm performance has a significant positive impact on CEO compensation in all profitability measures except Tobin's Q. Further financial constraints have a significant negative impact on CEO compensation. The interactive variables of FC with all profitability measures have a significant negative impact on CEO compensation.Originality/valueThis study examines the relationship between firm performance and CEO compensation. Furthermore, the current study expanded the analysis by incorporating the role of financial constraints in the pay–performance relationship, which has not previously been tested, particularly in the context of an emerging market.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the financial distress (FD) of firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). Furthermore, the moderating effect of corporate governance (CG) on the CSR–distress relationship is investigated in this study. Design/methodology/approach The final sample of the study includes 117 companies from 2008 to 2021. The sample firms' CSR engagement is assessed using a multidimensional financial approach, and the likelihood of FD is determined using Altman's Z-score. The governance level is measured using the governance index, which includes 29 governance provisions. To achieve the research objectives, the system generalized method of moments estimator is used. Furthermore, several tests are performed to assess the robustness of the study's findings. The analysis was carried out using STATA software version 15. Findings The authors find that CSR is significantly inversely related to FD. The governance mechanism was discovered to be inversely related to FD. Furthermore, corporate governance strengthens the negative relationship between CSR and FD. In addition, the authors find that CSR is significantly inversely related to FD in firms with strong CG mechanisms but has no effect on FD in firms with weak CG mechanisms. Practical implications The findings of this study provide policymakers, business managers, regulators and investors with a better understanding of the relationship between the quality of CSR investments and the likelihood of FD in Pakistani firms, as well as the role of CG in this context. Originality/value This study contributes to our understanding of the role of CG in the CSR-distress relationship in an emerging market. This suggests that policymakers should prioritize CG quality while anticipating the impact of CSR on corporate FD.

The aim of the study is to analyze the ways women are empowered through information and communication technology (ICT) and fostering the process of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Women in developing countries are facing economic and social hardships and have limited access to ICT, which in turn translate into their lack of skills, lower literacy rate and restricted social engagement. Therefore, present study explores the role of ICT on women empowerment in 51 developing countries by conducting panel data modeling over the period of 2000-17. The study finds that ICT has significant and positive contribution on female labor force participation rate by Generalized Method of Moment (GMM). Control variables like GDP growth and government expenditure on education have positive and statistically significant role to enhance women empowerment. Findings of the study imply that the ICT has an impact on women empowerment and which helps in fostering the process of achieving SDGs 2030.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to look into the governance–performance relationship in the context of critical firm characteristics, such as firm size.Design/methodology/approachBased on total assets, sample firms were classified as small or large. The governance index, which is based on 29 governance provisions covering the audit committee, board committee, ownership and compensation structure of the respective firm, measures governance quality among sample firms. A higher governance index indicates a higher level of governance quality and vice versa. Accounting and market value measures are used to determine firm profitability. The authors used the two-stage least square (2SLS) method of estimation of the model to eliminate the simultaneous equation bias.FindingsCorporate governance (CG) appears to have a positive impact on accounting return and market indices (Tobin’s Q), but it has little impact on return on equity. In terms of firm size, larger companies profited more from better governance implementation than smaller firms that lacked these principles, thus improving CG. The findings indicate that small businesses should improve their governance mechanisms to reap the benefits of CG in terms of increased profitability.Research limitations/implicationsThere are certain drawbacks to this research. First, the authors omitted qualitative aspects of CG from the CG index, such as the board’s decision-making process, directors’ perceptions of the board’s position and directors’ age and qualifications. Such a qualitative component will improve the governance index in the future while building the governance index. Second, as the current study only looks at the nonfinancial sector, caution should be exercised before applying the findings to the entire population.Practical implicationsThe findings show that companies that follow good governance standards have better accounting and market efficiency than those that do not. As a result, good governance practices can help firms in developing countries improve their performance. Academic researchers, regulators, investors, lenders and practitioners can find the findings useful in establishing a true relationship between firm performance and CG practices in Pakistan.Originality/valueThe relationship between governance and profitability in the context of firm size is examined in this research. Firms with varying resources and ability to implement CG codes have varying effects on profitability. To the authors’ knowledge, there was a gap in the literature that addressed this topic in the local context.

The mutual fund flow–performance relationship remains the interest of academic researchers all the time. It is widely accepted that the flow performance relationship curve is convex in nature. Unfo...

PurposeThe present study aims to explore the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the likelihood of financial distress for a sample of 139 Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) listed firms throughout 2008–2019.Design/methodology/approachPanel logistic regression (PLR) and the dynamic generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator are used to examine the impact of CSR on financial distress. The investment in CSR measures through a multidimensional financial approach which comprises the sum of the contribution made by the company in the form of charitable donation, employees’ welfare and research and development, whereas the Altman Z-score and ZM-Score are used as an indicator of financial distress. The higher the Z-score lower will be the probability of financial distress, whereas the higher ZM score shows a greater probability of financial distress risk.FindingsThe authors find a significant negative impact of CSR on financial distress in both PLR and GMM models. This finding is consistent with the stakeholder view of CSR, as an investment in CSR not only aligns the interest between shareholders and stakeholders but also mitigates the risk of financial distress as well.Research limitations/implicationsLike other studies, the present study is not free from limitations. First, financial firms skipped from the sample, although literature witnesses a lot of studies highlight the financial firms' commitment to achieving CSR goals. Second, financial distress occurs in different stages, the authors fail to establish linkage CSR engagements at different stages of CSR. In the future, researchers can make a valuable addition by covering these missing links in present studies.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide more insight to corporate managers and investors about the association between the quality of investment in CSR and the degree of financial distress, concerning Pakistani firms. Furthermore, this study contributes to the existing literature by adding new evidence from developing countries such as Pakistan which are helpful for regulatory bodies and policymakers in the formulation of long-term CSR strategies to manage financial distress.Originality/valueThe study extends the body of existing literature on CSR and the likelihood of financial distress in Pakistan. The results suggest that policymakers may pay special attention to the quality of CSR while predicting corporate financial distress.

This study aims to determine the stock selection ability and market timing ability of mutual fund managers, focusing on conventional funds and Islamic funds in Pakistan. Although there has been significant growth in the number and assets of mutual funds in recent years, few studies measure the performance of mutual funds managers. The scarcity of existing literature motivates this study. In this study, two models are used to measure the stock selection and market timing on a sample of conventional mutual funds and Islamic mutual funds over 2010 and 2019 using annual returns. Overall, the results indicate that the performance study of conventional mutual funds and Islamic mutual funds indicates that manager performance is not superior in all three portfolios, i.e., conventional funds, Islamic funds, and overall funds in over sample period. This also indicates that both Conventional and Islamic fund managers do not outperform the market (KSE 100 index). Thus, there is a lack of market timing ability. Using Tranoy and mazuy and Jansen models found a lack of stock selection and market timing ability of mutual fund managers in Pakistani mutual funds. In this study, I have applied only two models to examine both the timing and selection ability of conventional and Islamic Pakistani equity funds. For future possibilities, the study suggests adopting several methods and approaches like the TMFF3 model and HM-FF3 model, making the study more comprehensive and accurate than this research.

Purpose This study aims to analyse 508 financially distressed firm-year observations for the period 2010–2018 of Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) listed firms to examine the magnitude of indirect financial distress costs (IFDC) and to investigate which firm-specific variable is relatively important in explaining these indirect costs. This will not only enrich empirical literature but also helpful in cross-country comparison. Design/methodology/approach Optimal model selection along with panel data analysis technique is used to select the most optimal model to observe the findings. Financial distress is measure through Altman’s Z-score and firm-specific variables cover leverage, level of intangible assets, investment policy, tangible assets, firm’s size, level of liquid assets and Tobin’s Q of sample firms. Findings The findings of this study show that the average size of IFDC for the sample observations is 6.70%. In addition to this, finding further suggest that leverage, the level of intangible assets and changes in investment policy have positive while the size of the firm and Tobin’s Q have a significant negative impact on IFDC. Further, this paper argues that the level of tangible assets and liquid assets are statistically unimportant in observing the IFDC for PSX financially distressed firm-year observations. Practical implications The findings of this study provide more insight to corporate managers and investors about the association between firm-specific financial characteristics and IFDC concerning Pakistani firms. Furthermore, this study contributes to the existing literature by adding new evidence from developing countries such as Pakistan which are helpful for regulatory bodies and policymakers in the formulation of long-term strategies to manage the financial distress costs. Originality/value The study extends the body of existing literature on IFDC regarding Pakistan. The results suggest that policymakers may pay special attention to the quality of a firm’s capital structure strategies while predicting corporate financial distress costs.

PurposeThis study aims to explore the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the likelihood of financial distress for a sample of 139 Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) listed firms throughout 2008–2019.Design/methodology/approachThe dynamic generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator is used to examine the impact of CSR on financial distress. The investment in CSR is measured through a multidimensional financial approach which comprises the sum of the contribution made by the company in the form of charitable donation, employees’ welfare and research and development, while the Altman Z-score is used as an indicator of financial distress. The higher the Z-score, the lower will be the probability of financial distress.FindingsThe authors find a significant positive impact of CSR on financial distress in GMM model. This finding is consistent with the shareholder view and over-investment hypothesis of CSR as management makes an investment in CSR to get personal benefits, which resultantly leads the firm toward financial distress state. Further, this positive relationship remains present for firms having strong involvement in foreign business through exports.Research limitations/implicationsLike other studies, the present study is not free from limitations. First, financial firms are skipped from the sample, although literature witnesses a lot of studies highlight the financial firms’ commitment to achieving CSR goals. Second, financial distress occurs in different stages, and this study fails to establish a linkage between CSR engagement at different stages of financial distress. In the future, researchers can make valuable addition by covering these missing links in present studies.Practical implicationsFindings suggest several practical implications. For policymakers, they should encourage firms to adopt more socially responsible behavior as it not only prevents them from distress but also comes with better investment behavior, minimize bankruptcies and make economies more strong and stable. Second, results suggest corporate managers emphasize socially responsible behavior as its benefits are beyond the “societal benefits” as it lessens financial distress through lower cost of debt, lesser financial constraints and reduced cost of information asymmetry, and it minimizes the cost of capital. Lastly, investors make risk premium assessments related to future earnings by determining the likelihood of financial distress in the future.Originality/valueThe study extends the body of existing literature on CSR and the likelihood of financial distress in Pakistan, which is according to the best knowledge of the authors, not yet studied before. The results suggest that policymakers may pay special attention to the quality of CSR while predicting corporate financial distress.

This paper examines the role of the social network hierarchy of financial advisory firms in a mergers and acquisitions (M&As) framework. Financial advisors are information intermediaries who play an information extraction and information dissemination role. The more central the advisory firm is within the network of advisory firms, the greater their access to information flows. Our findings indicate that more central advisors are associated with higher acquirer announcement abnormal returns, higher abnormal combined returns and higher operating long‐run performance for the new entity. Central advisors also mitigate information asymmetries, resulting in lower premium paid by bidders. In return, more central advisory firms demand higher advisory fees, engage in higher M&A activity and are more likely to advise large acquirers and acquisitions of large and public deals. Our results are robust to endogeneity and self‐selection concerns.

It has been believed that financial liberalization can stimulate industrial growth which may be translated into overall growth of the economy by efficient allocation of credit which generates investment opportunities by reducing the cost of investment, deregulations, privatizations and reduced capital controls. This paper aims to examine the impact of financial liberalization on industrial response in manufacturing industry measured as new firm entry. Moreover, moderating effect of external finance dependence on the relationship of financial liberalization and firm entry is estimated. We estimate the model using Generalized methods of moments and found that external finance dependence has a significant negative impact of new firm entry, while financial liberalization has a positive but insignificant impact on firm entry. Nevertheless, a statistically significant positive moderating impact of external finance dependence is documented which implies that the sectors which are more dependent on external finance gain disproportionate benefit from financial liberalization.

we use the novel sample of Pakistani mutual funds to examine the flow performance relationship. We apply linear regression model with fixed effect on unbalanced panel data for the period of 2012 to 2018. Consistence with the existence literature using sample of US and other developed countries ,we find positive flow- performance relationship , but the prior performance do not have larger impact on subsequent fund flows. Our results also exhibit that the shape of the relationship is not linear; it’s convex like other developed countries. In other words, the past high performing funds attracts larger inflow in the next periods whereas the past low performing fund suffer from minimal out flow in the next period.

This paper examines the effectiveness of Basel III framework by linking the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) with profitability and stability of Asian Islamic Banks. The formula for measuring NSFR was introduced in the Basel III accord. Data from 89 Islamic banks for the period of (2011-17), from 20 countries in the (southern, eastern and western) Asian regions where Islamic Banking System is applicable was collected. Two-step Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) model estimator is used in order to handle simultaneity bias and endogeniety problem. The result showed that the Islamic banks of Asian regions are stable. All the results validate Basel III NSFR as a significant safeguard regulatory step for stability and insignificant for profitability of the banks. It is proposed that Banking supervision committee must consider the different nature of Islamic banks and formulate a different criteria which will not affect their profitability as Islamic banks has one more layer of supervision in the form of Shariah Advisory board other than Central bank of any country.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to analyze the first hand data regarding intimacies between government entities and government audit institution of Pakistan, to see its impact on the quality. Design/Methodology/Approach: Qualitative research design is used to explore the concept base on theoretical saturation technique. Findings: The results revealed by default presence of social ties among interactive agents. It further explores indirect relationship between audit quality and social interactions in the presence of petty corruption due to familiarity, unwarranted mutual trust and favoritism however this relationship is shifted toward direct relationship in the presence of material corruption due to fear of losing good reputation, loss of job, fear of departmental inquiry, threat of floating your weaknesses before your rival clique. Implications/Originality/Value: The results presented in this paper should therefore be of great interest to government, regulators and standard-setters charged with developing accounting standards to improve the audit quality of reporting information related to existing government auditing setup.

The objective of this research is to discover the trends of work-related musculoskeletal disorders that are prevalent in the linemen population, as well as the occupational activities that put linemen at risk of developing WRMSDs. The study included 50 male linemen employed in FASCO, who performed various field tasks in Faisalabad city Pakistan. The age group included in the study was between 20 to 40 years. A Chi-square test was applied to check the association between daily life and the incidence of symptoms. There was nosignificantassociationsfound between age and tasks of linemen with a p-value of 0.431. There wassignificantassociation foundbetween comfort and their tasks with a p-value of 0.002. There is significantassociation was founded between the body region and their tasks with a p-value of 0.001. MSDs in body areas other than the back was found in our investigation, particularly in the shoulders and knees. We also identified high-risk tasks that would require more investigation and management.

This study aims to determine the stock selection ability and market timing ability of mutual fund managers, focusing on conventional funds and Islamic funds in Pakistan. Although there has been significant growth in the number and assets of mutual funds in recent years, few studies measure the performance of mutual funds managers. The scarcity of existing literature motivates this study. In this study, two models are used to measure the stock selection and market timing on a sample of conventional mutual funds and Islamic mutual funds over 2010 and 2019 using annual returns. Overall, the results indicate that the performance study of conventional mutual funds and Islamic mutual funds indicates that manager performance is not superior in all three portfolios, i.e., conventional funds, Islamic funds, and overall funds in over sample period. This also indicates that both Conventional and Islamic fund managers do not outperform the market (KSE 100 index). Thus, there is a lack of market timing ability. Using Tranoy and mazuy and Jansen models found a lack of stock selection and market timing ability of mutual fund managers in Pakistani mutual funds. In this study, I have applied only two models to examine both the timing and selection ability of conventional and Islamic Pakistani equity funds. For future possibilities, the study suggests adopting several methods and approaches like the TMFF3 model and HM-FF3 model, making the study more comprehensive and accurate than this research.

Background: University students are frequently recognizing as to have entitlement spot in society and more prone to illness and incapacity. There is multiple researches that large group of population experienced health issues which further affect their mental health and wellbeing with learning behaviours. Aim: This study will examine the physical and mental health issues in The University of Faisalabad students and their perception of burst to available health system in this crucial time period of pandemic COVID-19. ` Methods: Cross-sectional study design conducted for this project that is based on Holistic Health Score Sheet internationally recognized as content validity tool. Data collected through online generated form and sent to students of The University of Faisalabad randomly in which sample size was based on average value of multiple researches but we received response rate that were 75% in which 5% comes in category of exclusion criteria while others included in this study. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics through SPSS 25. Results: The mean age of participants was 21.61 (SD 1.905). 66.86% students comes in category of normal BMI. In holistic health scoring optimal grading is the best but no one comes in this category in physical health point but 5 student out of 350 comes in it in mental scoring. Thriving represent 1 student in physical and 22 in mental. Striving state include 19 students in physical but 66 in mental. After that nourishing state approached showing 73 out of 350 in physical and 108 in mental. In physical maintaining students were 119 and in mental 98 students and second last point is sustaining showing 91 in physical and 33 in mental. At the last surviving state is the modest in category and explained 47 in physical but 18 students in mental state. Mostly students report physical health issues and lie in lower category but student shows better mental health according to holistic health scoring. Except these two main points, students report multiple issues included mood swings and anxiety (66.0%) headache and frustration (57.43%) with relationship problems (29.14%). Conclusion: This project build-up the limited compositions of physical and mental health problems as well as there was a barrier in connecting with students. It provides ix beneficial baseline data for the evolution of individualised support at The University of Faisalabad. Future researches with large sample size and extensive data those meet criteria of multiple health issues are recommended to further understanding of student’s health issues. Key words: COVID-19, Quarantine, Physical Health, Mental Health, University students

Background: Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disorder of the joint that represents one of the most common diseases worldwide. Its prevalence and severity are increasing owing to aging of the population, but treatment options remain largely limited to painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, which only provide symptomatic relief. In the late stages of the disease, surgical interventions are often necessary to partial restore joint function. Although the focus of osteoarthritis research has been originally on the articular cartilage, novel findings are now pointing to osteoarthritis as a disease of the whole joint, in which failure of different joint components can occur. Objective: To check the effects of modified gait pattern with isometric exercises on risk of fall in knee OA patients. Methodology: A convenient estimated sample of 34 knee osteoarthritis patients with risk of fall was taken from “Allied Hospital” and “Irfan Medical City” Faisalabad,Punjab, Pakistan. This sample was divided in two treatment groups A and B through randomization. Treatment plan for group A included isometric exercises and group B included modified gait pattern along with isometric exercises. All participants received total 18 treatment sessions over a six -week period time, which consisted of 03 treatment sessions per week. One reading was taken on baseline as pre-treatment reading. After treatment on 1st, 2nd and 3rd week the patient completed a Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), goniometry measurements form filled by researches and Risk of fall (Desmond scale) after 3 weeks treatment and 9 sessions. Then after the 6 weeks treatment and total 18 sessions completion a Post-treatment reading was taken by NPRS, ROM and risk of fall measurement. Results: The final assessment of risk of fall in knee OA patients on Desmond scale in A and B groups had shown p values for risk of fall (p=.003), RHR (p=.000) respectively. These values show significant improvement in both groups but more in group B. Conclusion: This study showed that there were significant improvements in both groups but there were more improvements in reduction of risk of fall in knee OA patients in group B so, it is proved that gait modification along with isometrics is more beneficial than isolated isometrics in reducing risk of fall. Key terms: Modified gait pattern, Isometric Exercises, Knee Osteoarthritis.

Either corporate social responsibility (CSR) is paramount for the firms or not, is a matter of question since long. The present study analyzes this relationship in the context of moderating role of Institutional ownership (IO). Firm performance is measured through accounting and market value measures. Leverage, firm age, firm size, and log of sales revenue used as a control variables. Through applying panel data techniques, findings demonstrate insignificant positive association between CSR and firm performance. It shows that stakeholder could not assign value to firms spending as a CSR. This could be the reason that customers are not much aware about firms CSR activities hence, firms fail to capitalize their spending as an investment. Institutional Ownership (IO) reveals negative insignificant association with all profitability measures except Tobin’s Q where this relationship is significant. This significant negative relationship supports the agency theory and presence of strategic alliance hypotheses between influential institutional owners and internal management that leads to lower firm performance. The interaction variable of CSR and IO show positive but insignificant relationship with firm performance by all means.

Summary In late December 2019, a group of patients was observed with pneumonia‐like symptoms that were linked with a wet market in Wuhan, China. The patients were found to have a novel coronavirus genetically related to a bat coronavirus that was termed SARS‐CoV‐2. The virus gradually spread worldwide and was declared a pandemic by WHO. Scientists have started trials on potential preventive and treatment options. Currently, there is no specific approved treatment for SARS‐CoV‐2, and various clinical trials are underway to explore better treatments. Some previously approved antiviral and other drugs have shown some in vitro activity. Here we summarize the fight against this novel coronavirus with particular focus on the different treatment options and clinical trials exploring treatment as well as work done toward development of vaccines.

With the ongoing changes in the way buyer and seller communicate, organizations are concentrating on continuously improving their sales strategies. This study revolves around the basic concept of trust between buyer and seller. Much research is available on how the buyer-seller interaction can be improved but less research is available on how the past experiences of buyers or propensity to trust salespeople effect such relationship. Thus, this research mostly concentrates on these variables. The data for this research was collected in the form of questionnaires from both customers and salespeople. The data was tested through a Multi-Level Model in SPSS. The results from this research specify that the past experiences of customers and their propensity to trust salespeople has an extensive impact on the formation of trust between the buyer and seller. Furthermore, this study concludes that certain salespersons characteristics impact the relationship between the buyer and seller.

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the rate of occurrence and prognosticators of pulmonary Hypertension among patients suffering from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in our regions. Methodology: This research work was carried out at Rheumatology Department of Allied Hospital, Faisalabad from July 2019 to December 2019. A sum of ninety-seven patients who fulfilled the criteria of ACR (American College of Rheumatology) for systemic lupus erythematosus got recruitment for this research work. The measurement of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension was carried out with the calculation of the pulmonary arterial SBP (Systolic Blood Pressure) through ECG (Echocardiography) by cardiologist. We collected the characteristics of demography and disease in an organized Performa. We defined the pulmonary arterial hypertension as average pulmonary arterial pressure of 25.0 mmHg or more measured with the help of a formula. We used SPSS V.23 for the statistical analysis of the collected information. Results: Out of ninety-seven patients, 89.70% (n: 87) patients were females and 10.30% (n: 10) patients were from male gender, with an average age of 31.290 ±8.824 years. The average duration of the disease was 24.210 ±30.460 months. We found the pulmonary arterial hypertension in 23.30% (n: 23) patients, including four males and nineteen females. On further examination of the data, we assessed the Raynaud phenomenon, nephritis and rheumatoidfactor as prognosticators of the pulmonary arterial hypertension and all of these factors displayed significance statistically for the availability of the pulmonary arterial hypertension according to Chi square test (P Conclusion: In this study, 23.30% patients of systemic lupus erythematosus showed the presence of pulmonary arterial hypertension and we also found a strong statistical significance between prognosticators as Raynaud phenomenon, nephritis, rheumatoid factor, and availability of pulmonary arterial hypertension. So, it is much important to diagnose the presence of pulmonary arterial hypertension fast and start timely treatment to obtain the best Quality of Life. Keywords: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Hypertension, Systolic Blood Pressure, Prognosticators, Nephritis, Diagnose, Rheumatoid Factor.

Background Genetic variations in different loci and genes are important in asthma pathogenesis. There is much importance of various immunological pathways in the IgE secretion regulation. Alterations in any main part of these pathways can increase the risk of asthma development. Polymorphisms in these genetic markers can effect certain pathways which predict the asthma susceptibility. In the present study, SNPs directly or indirectly affecting the immunological process pathways are selected. Methods This study was conducted to determine association of 16 SNPs in 10 candidate genes with asthma in Pakistani population in 333 asthmatic cases and 220 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed using the Sequenom Mass ARRAY iPLEX platform (14 SNPs) and TaqMan assay (2 SNPs). Results The minor allele at two of the SNPs showed association with protection from asthma, rs1131882 in TBXA2R gene (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.52–1.01, P = 0.05) and rs2280091 in the ADAM33 gene (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50–0.97, P = 0.03). For FCER1B gene, rs2583476 the asthmatic male gender had higher TT genotype counts as compared to controls (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.09–3.17, p = 0.01). In rs11650680 of ORMDL3 gene the CT genotype is more prevalent in female asthma cases in comparison with female controls (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.02–3.89, p = 0.03). Conclusions This data suggests that variations at TBXA2R and ADAM33 genes are found to be associated with asthma susceptibility in Pakistan. FCER1B gene is associated with male and ORMDL3 in female asthmatics. These genetic markers can be important source of asthma risk in Pakistani population. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40733-018-0039-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Table S1. Association of Genotype and Allele Frequencies with Asthma Among Cases and Controls. (DOC 81Â kb)

This research employed the feminist stylistic framework of Sara Mills in determining the difference between Kamila Shamsie’s women and men characters in her novel “Broken Verses”. The selected novel was analyzed using the model provided by Sara Mills, which aims to investigate texts at the level of word, phrase/sentence. The research identified dominant and recurring features in the novel. Women characters differ from the men in that there are more descriptions given to them which pertain to their thoughts, emotions, experiences, vulnerability towards men, and their physical characteristics. Men are described according to their physical strength, personalities, attitudes, which dominate women. Overall, the research shows that at these levels of analysis, the novel consistently foregrounds the female consciousness and experience. At the same time, the novel also magnifies the pervading dominance of men over women in many circumstances.

From ancient to modern world stories are used to build meaning and to communicate. The use of new technology in education system has increased worldwide. Along with technology advancement children of this century have various mode of interaction for learning, listening, interpreting and thinking. Storytelling in class room has seen development by unifying ancient art of telling stories with multimedia and variety of tools. Information technology has positive effects in educational context. The educational policy of Pakistan has acknowledged the importance of information technology in schools learning and teaching process. This study describes the effectiveness of digital storytelling with comparison to traditional and digital learning process of students at primary schools. This study uses multiple qualitative research methods including interviews with teachers, class room observation and interviews with children. The finding of research suggest that digital storytelling has potential to be used successfully as meaning full approach with this cohort. Research findings have also explored the implications of implementation of digital storytelling in class rooms.

Background: To evaluate the prevalence of antibiotic self medication and to assess the knowledge and reasons for the misuse of antibiotics. Methods: In this cross sectional study 187 non medical employees of Rawalpindi Medical College were enrolled. Questionnaire was designed to assess reported purchase, name and use of antibiotic without prescription. Results: The most commonly named antibiotic purchased and used without a prescription was Co-amoxiclav(37%) followed by Amoxicillin(22%). There was a significant difference between the educational level and antibiotics at the probability level of