Tag: Study

  • Don’t miss this scholarship opportunity in the UK

    If you are planning to pursue further studies abroad, apply for this ongoing scholarship in the UK.

    In a recent post, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) announced Commonwealth Scholarships for masters and PhD programmes for the next cohort.

    The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) is a UK-based scholarship scheme led by international development objectives.

    The scholarship covers full tuition fees, airfare to and from the UK, and provides a living allowance to support you while you are there.

    Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) students are also eligible for the scholarships.

    The deadline to apply is October 17 (Tuesday) on the CSC portal.

    According to HEC’s website, 26 nominations are available for masters, 30 for PhD and 10 for teaching faculty PhD.

    For further details and understanding of the requirements, eligibility and more, visit their website:

    1. HEC
    2. British Council
    3. Commonwealth Scholarship
    4. Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC)
  • Study reveals higher risk of depression in new fathers

    Study reveals higher risk of depression in new fathers

    A study conducted by the University College London (UCL) has highlighted that men also have a high risk of depression during the transformative period of parenthood. The research, which analyzed medical records of 90,000 men who became fathers within the previous year, focused on the mental health of new fathers and its relation to postnatal depression.

    Led by Professor Irene Petersen, the study found that men with a history of depression who had previously used antidepressants were 30 times more likely to be prescribed them again in the first year after their child’s birth. It was emphasized that postnatal depression in fathers was not a risk for all men but rather more likely to affect those already prone to depression.

    This study brings attention to the mental well-being of new fathers, an area often overshadowed by the focus on mental health during pregnancy and postpartum for women. It suggests that fathers should consider having a mental health check-up in the first year after becoming a parent.

    According to Professor Petersen, some of the men in the study continued their existing treatment for depression, while others experienced a relapse of depression without a recent prescription. It’s possible that these individuals were more aware of the symptoms and sought treatment voluntarily. The study focused on the use of antidepressant treatment rather than making a formal diagnosis. The research showed that paternal post-natal depression is not a risk for all men but primarily affects those who are already prone to depression.

    “However, having a child might act as a trigger for depression in some men,” he concluded.

    Another researcher and PhD candidate involved in the study emphasized the intricacy of the connection between depression and fatherhood. They noted that previous antidepressant treatment played a significant role in determining whether antidepressants were used in the year after becoming a parent. This could be attributed to some men continuing the treatment they were on before becoming fathers, while others might be more susceptible to experiencing depressive feelings again, which may be exacerbated by the challenges of parenthood.

    The study also revealed that fathers living in the most deprived areas had an 18 percent higher risk of being prescribed antidepressants compared to fathers in the least deprived areas.

  • Birds outsmart humans, incorporate anti-bird spikes into nests

    Birds of the Corvidae type, including magpies and crows, have been observed incorporating anti-bird spikes into their nests in Scotland, Holland and Belgium, effectively repurposing the hostile architecture designed to prevent them from perching.

    A recent study published by Auke-Florian Hiemstra, the lead author of the study, highlights the remarkable behavior.

    The metal spikes provide structural support to the nests, creating dome-like roofs, and also serve as a defense mechanism against predators. Hiemstra’s study, featured in the online journal Deinsea, suggests that birds may be seeking evolutionary advantages by utilizing human-made objects for nest construction.

    The findings have astounded researchers and shed light on the cognitive abilities of the clever birds.

    While anti-bird spikes are commonly used in various urban settings to deter birds from perching, it appears that birds are turning the tables on humans and repurposing these materials to their advantage. Jim Reynolds, an ornithology and animal conservation expert, believes that this adaptive behavior is an effective strategy for birds that inhabit urban environments.

    Furthermore, the presence of shiny and spiky nest materials may serve as a signal to potential mates, indicating the quality of the nest and the suitability of the bird as a partner.

  • More than 50 per cent of candidates failed in Urdu CSS exam in last three years

    In a surprising statistic, in the three last years at least 54.53 per cent of candidates, who appeared for the Central Superior Services (CSS) Examination failed Pakistan’s national language Urdu subject.

    In 2019, 30 per cent of candidates failed in Urdu, while in 2020 and 2021, the rate of failure shot up to 59 per cent and 73 per cent.

    Regarding the success rate in English, 35,000 out of 49,500 candidates failed in the subject in 2019 with a rate of failure of 73 per cent, which got better in 2020 when only 39 per cent got failed. However, in 2021, 92 per cent failed the subject.

    The details of the candidates were presented in the National Assembly (NA) on Friday.

  • Women outperform men but 13% less likely to be promoted: Study

    Women outperform men but 13% less likely to be promoted: Study

    A study from MIT Sloan Associate Professor Danielle Li finds that female employees are less likely to be promoted than their male counterparts, despite outperforming them and being less likely to quit.

    In the paper, ’Potential’ and the Gender Promotion Gap, Li found that even though female employees received higher performance ratings than male employees, they still received 8.3 per cent lower ratings for potential than men. Results showed that women were 14 per cent less likely to be promoted than their male counterparts. The annual promotion rate is 1.64 percentage points lower for women, corresponding to a 13 per cent lower likelihood.

    Management-track of 30,000 employees at a large North American retail chain between February 2009 and October 2015 was studied. Women made up about 56 per cent of entry-level workers. Rising through the ranks, women made up 48 per cent of department managers, 35 per cent of store managers, and 14 per cent of district managers.

    The research found out that relative to men with the same scores for potential, women outperformed their previous year’s score. Yet they were still given lower potential ratings heading into the next year.

    “The result I found most depressing in the paper is the result in which women outperform their stated potential,” said Professor Danielle Li in an interview. “Women have to hit a higher threshold of future performance in order to justify the same potential score.”

  • Women drivers less likely to be involved in accidents than men: Study

    Women drivers less likely to be involved in accidents than men: Study

    A new study conducted by scientists at the Newcastle University in England shows that women are less likely to be involved in road accidents. Moreover, they are better at taking control of cars due their faster reaction time.

    The study says that women tend to avoid driving recklessly and have more control over their vehicles. They are better at taking back control of the vehicles because of relatively faster reaction time than men.

    For this study, 43 men and 33 women were chosen wherein they had to use driving simulator. It revealed that women took back control of the car faster than men. Additionally, relatively smaller proportion of women were recorded in hasty takeovers proving them more patient while driving.

    The test was run at two different speeds, 30 mph and 60 mph, in clear, rainy, snowy and foggy conditions, with visibilities of 3,280 feet, 1,312 feet, 656 feet and 328 feet respectively.

    Women exhibited more control of the steering wheel and relatively quicker reaction time to different situations. On average, women took 2.45 to react and gained back control while men took 2.63 seconds.

    This reaction time shows that women are less likely to be involved in road accidents as compared to their male counterparts.

  • Hijab-wearing Muslim women face discrimination during job hunting, reveals study

    Hijab-wearing Muslim women face discrimination during job hunting, reveals study

    According to a new study, female candidates who wear hijab (head scarf) received significantly less positive feedback from employers in the Netherlands and Germany. The discrimination against hijab-wearing Muslim women was highlighted in an academic article published by the European Sociological Review Journal.

    Discrimination was generally seen in jobs that required engaging with clients and consumers in person.

    Researchers discovered that in comparison to the Netherlands and Germany, Spain had less discrimination against veiled women.

    In the Netherlands, approximately 70 per cent of job applications that included a photograph of an unveiled woman received positive feedback for jobs that required high customer contact. But only 35 per cent of applicants who were wearing hijab in their photographs received positive feedback.

    “The high level of discrimination we found in the Netherlands, where the institutional context has traditionally been open to the accommodation of religious minority rights, is particularly surprising and points to the possibly stigmatising effect of recent policies geared towards the cultural assimilation of immigrants,” the research said.

    The results of the field experiment in Germany were similar. While 53 per cent of non-hijab-wearing Muslim women received a positive response from employers, only about 25 per cent of veiled women received positive feedback.

  • Covid-19: Confused sense of smell lasts much longer than virus

    Covid-19: Confused sense of smell lasts much longer than virus

    A new study has found that many people who lose their sense of smell due to coronavirus ultimately regain it, but some survivors have faced smell distortions and unexplained smells, Reuters has reported.

    Researchers examined survey responses from 1,468 individuals who had been infected with Covid-19 between April and September 2020 and had suffered loss of smell and taste at the start of their illness. Early on, about 10 percent also reported smell distortions also known as parosmia, and unexplained smells, known as phantosmia.

    Read More: NCOC launches app to verify Covid-19 certificates

    At an average of six to seven months after the infection and first reporting loss of smell, roughly 60% of women and 48% of men had regained less than 80% of their pre-illness smell ability, and rates of smell distortions and imaginary smells had increased, the researchers reported on Tuesday on medRxiv.

    Roughly 47% reported parosmia, saying, for example, “some things now smell like chemicals.” About 25% reported phantosmia.

    “Sometimes I can smell burning but no one else around me can,” one respondent reported. Persistent smell problems were seen more often in survivors with more symptoms overall, “suggesting it may be a key marker of long-COVID,” the authors said.

  • Antibodies from Sinovac’s Covid-19 shot fade after six months, booster helps: study

    Antibodies formed by Sinovac Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine drop below a key threshold from around six months after a second dose for most recipients, although a third shot could have a strong boosting impact, a lab study has revealed. 

    According to details, Chinese researchers reported the results from a study of blood samples from healthy adults aged between 18-59 in a paper published on Sunday, which has not been peer-reviewed, reports Reuters.

    For participants receiving two doses, two or four weeks apart, only 16.9% and 35.2% respectively still had a level of neutralising antibodies above the threshold six months after the second dose, the paper said.

    Read More: Covid vaccination certificate necessary for domestic air travel from August 1

    Those readings were based on data from two groups involving more than 50 participants each, while the study gave third doses to a total of 540 participants.

    When participants in some cohorts were given a third dose, about six months after the second, neutralising antibody levels after a further 28 days had increased around 3-5 fold from the levels seen four weeks after the second dose, the study showed.

    The study was conducted by researchers at disease control authorities in Jiangsu province, Sinovac, and other Chinese institutions.

    Researchers notified the study did not test the antibodies’ effect against more contagious variants, and that further research was required to assess antibody duration after a third shot.

  • WHO study shows long working hours are a killer

    WHO study shows long working hours are a killer

    Working long hours is killing hundreds of thousands of people a year in a worsening trend that may speed up further due to the current pandemic, the World Health Organisation said on Monday.

    In the first global study of the loss of life linked with longer working hours, the paper in the journal Environment International showed that 745,000 people died from a stroke and heart disease associated with long working hours in 2016. That was an increase of nearly 30% from 2000.

    “Working 55 hours or more per week is a serious health hazard,” said Maria Neira, director of the WHO’s Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health.

    “What we want to do with this information is promote more action [and] more protection of workers,” she said.

    According to details, the joint study done by the WHO and the International Labour Organisation showed that most victims (72%) were men and were middle-aged or older.

    Read more – People who use social media for news more susceptible to rumours: study

    It also showed that people living in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region, a WHO-defined region including China, Japan and Australia were the most affected.

    Overall, the study collecting data from 194 countries revealed that working 55 hours or more a week is associated with a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease compared with a 35-40 hour working week.

    The study covered the years from 2000 to 2016 so did not include the COVID-19 pandemic but WHO officials said the surge in remote working and the global economic slowdown resulting from the coronavirus emergency may have increased the risks.

    “The pandemic is accelerating developments that could feed the trend towards increased working time,” the WHO said, estimating that at least 9% of people work long hours.