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Objectives. Current research aims to identify factors that affect the occupational safety climate in university laboratories despite their perception as low-risk areas compared to industrial environments. Methods. A safety climate survey was conducted in science laboratories across various engineering universities in Pakistan. The survey questionnaire was administered to 406 personnel, and a quantitative method for analysis was selected to examine the socio-demographic variables. A 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) was used to perceive responses from participants. Additionally, a scale reliability test was conducted, and multivariate analysis of variance was performed to determine the relationship between selected dependent and independent variables. Results. The study found an overall safety climate score of 3.16 ± 0.55, indicating a moderate to high perception of safety on a scale of 1–5. Parameters such as role in the laboratory, departments/disciplines, accident experience and safety training significantly affected the safety climate score, while gender, age group, duration in university and accident witnessing did not. Conclusion. Upper management involvement, safety communication and direct supervision are crucial for improving the safety climate of university laboratories. The study recommends the consideration of the identified significant safety climate dimensions in laboratory safety policy-making at academic institutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public–private partnership (PPP) based model for the execution of infrastructure projects originated from Anglo-Saxon countries and was initially used in 1977 by the United Kingdom (U.K). Since then, its popularity has increased worldwide. Earlier studies by researchers and many other professional sectors and departments have introduced PPP contracts into different execution modes like Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT); Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer (BOOT); and Build, Lease, and Transfer (BLT), etc. All definitions of PPP contracts are different but have a few common characteristics and risks. Previously, numerous pieces of literature were available on these common risks for various execution modes of PPP contracts. However, each PPP mode still has unique risks that must be identified to understand and successfully implement the PPP projects properly. This paper fills the gap mentioned above and aims to identify various commonly used PPP execution modes in infrastructure projects and their corresponding risks after placing the different PPP execution modes into four (04) different categories. Identified risks for the corresponding PPP categories were also divided into seven (07) stages of the PPP life cycle. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather information from thirty-four (34) PPP experts worldwide. Accordingly, interviews are transcribed and processed for thematic analysis in academic NVIVO software. These identified risks are further placed in the respective PPP category for the convenience and better understanding of the study's outcome to the users and for the subsequent prioritization and allocation of these identified risks accordingly to the PPP parties during the finalization of the PPP execution mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was aimed to investigate the comparative antidiabetic potential of Nigella sativa seed extract and oil in an in vivo trial using rat animal model. The levels of antioxidants analysed in this study included catalase, vitamin C and bilirubin. NS methanolic extract and its oil were tested for their hypoglycemic effect against alloxanized diabetic rabbits (120mg/kg). The crude methanolic extract and the oil (2.5ml/kg/day) were given orally for 24 days that resulted in a significant reduction in glycaemia, particularly during the first 12 days of treatment (reductions of 58.09% and 73.27%, respectively), whereas the oil treated group normalised the levels of catalase (-69.23%), vitamin C (27.30%), and bilirubin (-51.48%) and the extract treated group normalised the levels of catalase (-65.38), vitamin C (24.15%), and bilirubin (-26.19%) at the end of the trial. The results have shown that the seed oil more significantly normalized the levels of serum catalase, serum ascorbic acid, and total serum bilirubin as compared to the methanolic extract of Nigella sativa, so Nigella sativa seed oil (NSO) may be used as part of antidiabetic remedies against diabetes and utilized as a nutraceutical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The textile and clothing industry of Pakistan is the major manufacturing industry of the country that has great standing in the global businesses. It adds 57% to the country's exports. Work stress has become an area of extreme worry where the textile segment is not being exempted. Individuals involved in management, are expected to be more susceptible to stress for their acute part in the organizations and thereupon assurance of their physical and mental fitness is very vital. The objective of the present study was to identify the effect of demographic factors on the work-stress. Data were collected from 881 managers working in the textile and clothing organizations, using Sheldon Cohen's PSS-10. Besides, some descriptive analyses, independent sample t-tests and ANOVA-tests were performed to achieve the objective of the study. The study concluded 67% managers as stressful and the demographic factors as gender, marital status, experience, position, salary, family size, and qualification were found to have significant effect on their stress levels. There is a need to understand the complexity of stress phenomenon. Findings of this research will help the researchers in unfolding complexity of stress phenomenon and the results can be used as a job design guideline for more suitable and feasible stress management interventions in textile and clothing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]