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Background & Objective: Selective high-risk screening of children suspected of having inherited metabolic disorders was conducted jointly by Chemical Pathology section and the Pediatric Department of Indus Hospital and Health Network- (IHHN) from October 2020-March 2022. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS) for newborn screening was recently introduced in a local laboratory. We did a selective high screening of children for metabolic disorders by using MS for neonates and other relevant tests for older children in our hospital. The present study was undertaken to get an estimate of the number of metabolic cases screened and identified after inclusion of an extended workup. Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of children who were selectively screened for IMDs. Patients' records with ages ranging from birth to fourteen years of age were retrieved from the electronic records department of IHHN from October 2020 to March 2022. Records were searched for demographic data, history, signs, symptoms, and lab investigations. All relevant information was recorded on a pre-designed questionnaire. Results: A total of 178 children were screened for inherited metabolic disorders. Majority of the children screened were less than one month of age 96 (54%). Consanguinity was noted in 74 (41.5%) children. Most common symptoms observed were failure to thrive in 77 children (43%), hypoglycemia in 45 children (25%), and feeding difficulty in 36 children (20%). Inherited metabolic disorders were confirmed in 12 children out of which five had congenital adrenal hyperplasia, four had cystic fibrosis and three children had congenital hypothyroidism. Conclusion: In the present study, we were able to screen several children after inclusion of an extended metabolic workup. However, confirmation of many disorders like fatty acid oxidation defects, disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, and sphingolipidosis could not be done due to lack of confirmatory tests. We recommend that confirmatory tests of these disorders be included in local labs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Objective of this study was to evaluate current BDS curriculum to identify the need for reviewing and updating the existing curriculum. Study Design: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: This Study was conducted in four private sector dental colleges of Islamabad from 5thJune to 25thDecember 2013. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and ninety six faculty members and students were included in the study based upon random sampling technique. Demonstrators and junior dental students were not included in the study. Faculty of different levels including professors, associate professors, assistant professors, senior registrars and final year BDS students were included in the study. A self-administered structured questionnaire based upon Stufflebeams' CIPP Model of program evaluation was used as data collection tool and principal author personally visited all four dental colleges to collect data. MS Excel was used for data entry, descriptive analysis and generation of graphs. Results: Results of the present study indicated that there are weaknesses in the current Dental curriculum. Conclusion: Integration according to latest trends and approaches are required to make it at par with international standards.

This present study aimed to investigate the experiences of married working women regarding the Work- Family life balance (WFLB) during the time of lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic. Three main objectives were explored in this research. Firstly, it explored the understanding of WFLB among married working women. Then, it explored the challenges faced by women in attaining WFLB during the lockdown period. Lastly, the coping strategies were explored and adopted by women to attain WFLB during the time of lockdown. The qualitative research methodology was used for the present research. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample of 12 married teachers from Government College University (GCU), Lahore. In-depth interviews were conducted as a method of data collection and an indepth interview guide was used as a data collection tool. Saturation was achieved during the tenth, eleventh and twelfth interviews. The research findings indicate various conflicting situations during work from home which are further categorized into three categories i.e. work-life challenges, family-life challenges and challenges related to mental wellbeing. However, findings also reveal that women were able to achieve WFLB by adopting coping strategies such as compromising in situations, time management, seeking help from family, seeking help from organizations and religiosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of the study are to investigate (i) the level of social support, social adjustment, and psychological adjustment; and (ii) the effects of social support (emotional, informational, and instrumental support) on social adjustment, psychological adjustment, and psychosocial adjustment among childless women. A total of 334 woman respondents were surveyed using a simple random sampling technique. Factor analysis, reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. In the overall model, emotional support, instrumental support, and informational support were significantly associated with social adjustment. In addition, emotional support and instrumental support were significant with psychological adjustment. Furthermore, emotional support, instrumental support, and informational support were the predictors of psychosocial adjustment among childless women. This study contributed to the broader avenues of understanding social support such as husband, in-laws, friends, and relatives, and the accumulation of social support among the childless women in the patriarchal society. The findings highlighted the efficacy and utility of the centuries-old social institution of family as a major predictor of psychosocial support to the childless woman. It subsidized to the limited body of research on provision of social support and psychosocial adjustment among childless women in the patriarchal society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]