Suchergebnisse

The current energy scenario of Pakistan requires the adoption of a proper energy consumption framework to meet the demands of the Pakistani society. This paper compares the energy codes developed by ASHRAE (United States) and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (India) to suggest improvements in development of the energy conservation building codes for Pakistan. It has been realized that taking all relevant stakeholders on board is vital for the development, adoption and compliance of energy conservation building codes at provincial level. It is also evident that energy conservation culture has to be developed in all segments of the society to lessen energy consumption, reduce carbon emissions and create a sustainable future. The energy codes of Pakistan lack adoption mechanism and climatic zoning needed for building thermal performance. The comparative analysis shows that the thermal building code of Pakistan is the key instrument to reduce energy pressure while providing occupants comfortable living space. It has been concluded that the government should develop code adoption and compliance system for the reduction of energy demand in buildings.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the present Pre-service Elementary Teacher Education Programs (B. Ed & equivalents) of SAARC Countries to reveal innovative ideas, which may be adopted and adapted in other countries including Pakistan. Reference books, journals, research papers, Encyclopedias of education, yearbooks, national educational policies, internet and such other resources were consulted to have an insight of these nations, their system of education and to retrieve salient features of a good Pre-service Elementary Teacher education program. Questionnaire named as "Questionnaire for Elementary Teacher Education program evaluation" was prepared, preened after pilot study at provincial capitals of Pakistan and presented to a team of local and foreign experts. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted to increase the quality and quantity of responses. In the light of high majority opinions criterion component were finalized. These components in the form of question were sent to the SAARC countries through the relevant Embassies, graduate facilitators, who on my behalf collected data. Collected data was sorted out and matched with the already developed criteria. Result revealed that Indian system of Teacher Education matches the criteria most. Pakistan has many mismatches but Elementary Teacher Education Program offered by the University of Education, Lahore and its associated colleges is bridging this gap successfully. Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives are showing improvements. The experiments of Sri Lanka & Nepal have many lessons to learn.

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Sickle-cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited genetic disorder in sub-Saharan Africa, and it is associated with early mortality and lifelong morbidity. Early diagnosis is essential for instituting appropriate care and preventive therapy. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To compare parental knowledge or perception of their offspring's hemoglobin phenotype prior to testing and actual validated laboratory test results. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In a prospective community-based survey, we assessed parental knowledge of their children's hemoglobin phenotype and corroborated this with the results from a laboratory confirmatory test determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. <b><i>Results:</i></b> We screened 10,126 children aged less than 5 years. A total of 163 (1.6%) parents indicated that their offspring had been previously tested and had knowledge of the child's hemoglobin genotype. However, 51 (31.2%) of 163 parents of children who had been previously tested did not know the result of their offspring's test, and 18 (35.3%) of these 51 children were found to have SCD. Of those who claimed previous knowledge, 25 (15.3%) of 163 reported incorrect results. Overall, we identified 272 (2.76%) new cases from 9,963 children who had not been previously tested. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> There is the need to promote public awareness about SCD and the benefit of early diagnosis, quality assurance in laboratory diagnosis and institution of sustainable patient care pathways.