University Of Sargodha Research Articles

INFLUENCE OF EXOGENOUS IRON AND ZINC NANOPARTICLES ON SUGARCANE (SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM L.) BUD NODE GERMINATION AND GROWTH

Nanoparticles (NPs) are characterized by their unique shape, size, reactivity, and surface area, offering significant benefits to agriculture as nano-fertilizers, nano-insecticides, and nano-herbicides. This experiment investigated the potential of Iron and Zinc nanoparticles to promote the sprouting and growth of sugarcane budnodes. Conducted in March 2022 at the University of Sargodha's College of Agriculture, Pakistan, the study employed a completely randomized design with three replications. Sugarcane budnodes were treated with control, Iron NPs, and Zinc NPs at concentrations of 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg L⁻¹. Results indicated that the tallest shoots emerged at 100 mg L⁻¹ of Iron NPs and 50 mg L⁻¹ of Zinc NPs. Maximum plant height was observed first at 50 mg L⁻¹ of Iron NPs, then at 100 mg L⁻¹, and at 50 mg L⁻¹ of Zinc NPs. High Zinc concentrations (75 and 100 mg L⁻¹) in NPs were associated with minimum shoot length and plant height. Enhanced root fresh weight was noted with 75 mg L⁻¹ Iron NPs and 25 mg L⁻¹ Zinc NPs. Nanoparticle addition resulted in a heavier root system. Fresh and dry shoot weights were highest with 100 mg L⁻¹ of Iron NPs. However, increasing Zinc NP content to 100 mg L⁻¹ decreased both wet and dry weights of sugarcane buds and root length. The highest root-to-shoot ratio was achieved with 50 mg L⁻¹ Zinc NPs and the standard protocol. In conclusion, exogenous application of Zinc and Iron NPs at 50 to 100 mg L⁻¹ enhanced sugarcane budnode germination, growth, and development.

EXOGENOUS APPLICATION OF IRON ANDZINC NANOPARTICLES ON GERMINATION AND GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS OF SUGARCANE (SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM L.) BUDNODE

The applications of nano-particles (NPs) in agriculture, such as nano-fertilizers, nano-insecticides, and nano-herbicides, are significantly impacted by their specific structure. In an experiment conducted at the College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, the presence of Fe and Zn nano-particles at different concentrations was investigated to promote the appearance and growth of sugarcane buds. The experiment was conducted using a Randomize Complete Block Design (RCBD) method, with three replications of plant height at different concentrations of Fe NPs and Zn NPs. The results showed that high Zn concentrations, such as 75 and 100 mg L-1, significantly influenced germination-related characteristics, including minimum plant height. Sugarcane buds treated with Fe NPs at 50 mg L-1 and Zn NPs at 100 mg L-1 had the largest leaf area, while buds treated with Zn NPs at 50 mg L-1 had the minimum leaf-to-plant ratio. The topical application of Fe NPs and Zn NPs to sugarcane increased chlorophyll concentration and photosynthetic rate by 1.3 cm. The plant also showed the highest amount of zinc. At 100 mg L-1, the shoot Fe 6.9 concentration in Zn NPs was the highest. In conclusion, adding Zn and Fe nano-particles in amounts ranging from 100 mg L-1 to 50 mg L-1 significantly improved the growth and development of sugarcane bud nodes.

Body Image Dissatisfaction is the Predictor of Social Physique Anxiety and Self- Esteem

The objective of the current research was to explore the relationship among body image dissatisfaction, social physique anxiety, and self-esteem. The sample included 145 males and 145 females from The University of Lahore and University of Sargodha. The Sample was selected through stratified random sampling technique. In this study survey research design and co relational method were used. Body image state scale (Cash et all, 2002) Social Physique Anxiety Scale (Hart et a1, 1989) and Rosenberg self-esteem scale (1989) were used to collect data. Study was carried out in two parts. In part-I pilot study was conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the scales and correlation of variables on a selected sample of 72 university students. In part-II main study on sample of 290 was conducted to test the hypotheses. The findings indicated that body image dissatisfaction positively predicted social physique anxiety and negatively predicted self-esteem.

Analyzing the Generic Structure Potential of Admission Notifications of Universities of Pakistan

This paper investigates the generic structural potential of admission notifications of four Pakistani universities: University of Central Punjab, University of Gujrat, University of Sargodha, and University of Education Lahore. Total forty admission notifications are selected for the genre analysis in light of systemic functional linguistics. Halliday and Hasan (1989 concept of “Generic Structural Potential (GSP)” for genre analysis, served as the theoretical framework for this study. This study highlights that the admission notifications analyzed has six obligatory elements: Logo, University Name, Announcement, Respective Department, Programs Offered, and Call info and five Optional elements: Admission Schedule, Instructions, Information desk, Why Choose Us? and Scholarship and Discounts. The study posits that the GSP of advertisements of admission notifications of universities in Pakistan could be cataloged as [L^UN^]A^RD^PO^[(AS)^(I).(ID).(WCU).(S)]^CI

Enhancing Assessment Practices: A Critical Review of Examination Question Papers at University of Sargodha

The construction of the question paper is the key phase in examination system that leads towards the attainment of the goal of assessment which ultimately directs us to make better decision making. Thus, evaluation of the question paper plays an indispensable and prominent role in this regard. To find out the extent of content coverage of the question paper and to perform item analysis to estimate the quality of the questions, 10 question papers, and 489 answer scripts were selected through the Multistage Sampling technique. Question paper review format and focus group discussion were used as a tool. Quantitative analysis disclosed that question paper did not include 52% of the entire syllabus while approximately all items were in “good” or “acceptable” range regarding item analysis. The minimal strata of the question showed very weak discrimination. Variation was also found in attempting different questions ranging from 16% to 93%. Focus Group Discussion disclosed that a specific portion of the syllabus was not taught or ignored by the concerned teacher.

Impact of Assessment Procedure on Students' Learning in Semester System

This study aims to explore the attitudes of undergraduate students majoring in social sciences at the University of Sargodha towards assessment for learning. It recognizes the substantial impact that assessment methods have on students' study habits and academic performance. A cohort of 50 students from the Education and Psychology departments at the B.S. 8th level were involved in the research. The study investigated motivation and psychological factors associated with classroom management approaches using a self-designed questionnaire that required participants to provide binary (Yes or No) replies. Using SPSS version 20 for analysis, the findings demonstrated the significant influence of evaluation on learning outcomes. Significantly, there were no discernible gender-based disparities in students' perspectives on motivation and psychology. The study suggests that it is important to allocate sufficient time for teachers to engage in class planning, prepare lectures, evaluate students, and provide feedback. This will help improve the entire learning experience.

Comparative analysis of reflective thinking among final year students of Doctor of Physical Therapy from different universities

Aim: The purpose of this study was to measure the level of qualitative reflective thinking among the final year undergraduate students Physical Therapy from different universities. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conductedfrom July 2022 to January 2023 among the final year undergraduate students of Physical therapy from different universities such as Government College University of Faisalabad (GCUF), University of Sargodha (UOS) and University of Health Sciences (UHS) of Pakistan. The sample size n=216 collected through purposive sampling techniques. Qualitative Reflective Thinking was measured through Reflective Thinking Questionnaire (RTQ). It was subdivided in habitual action, understanding, reflection and critical reflection. Result:Descriptive analysis was used to measure the demographic data and Friedman's ANOVA was applied to compare the reflective thinking among students. P – Value was considered significant at 5%. At post hoc comparison the level of reflective thinking was UHS>GCUF>UOS. Conclusion:The students required more task specific practice to enhance the level reflective practice. The critical thoughts are the essential tools for successful careers of students of clinical profession.

Role of Generic Competence in Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement of University Students

This research aim was to analyze “Role of Generic Competence in Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement of University Students”. Quantitative survey research design was used for this research. All students at University of Sargodha, were the population of the study. Convenience sampling technique was used for data collection. 320 students from Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Department of English), Faculty of Social Sciences (Department of Social Work), Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (Sargodha Medical College) and Faculty of Agriculture (Department of Plant Pathology) were selected conveniently. Two adopted instruments were used in study. The online Google form was used for data collection. Mediation analysis techniques were used to assess the Role of Generic Competence in Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement of University Students. The findings of the study produced an insignificant mediating role of Generic Competence in Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement of University Students. It is recommended that universities need to provide guideline to curriculum developers to design such curriculum and evaluation system to fulfill the emerging needs of students and professionals.

Exploring the Effects of Parental Socioeconomic Status on Educational Attainment of Special Needs Students at University Level

The study titled as “exploring the effects of parental socioeconomic status on educational attainment of special needs students at university level”. This study was completed by using Survey research method. The main objective of this research was to explain socio-economic status of parents and its effects on the educational attainment of special needs students. In this research questionnaire was used as a tool of data collection. Research tool for collection of data was created by using Likert scale. The data regarding all special students in the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahauddin Zakriya University Multan, and University of Sargodha as (universe of study) under study was taken from universities’ website. In this research researcher used convenient sampling technique for data collection. Findings of this study show that majority of respondents agreed that student of high socio economic class get better facilities as compare to low class students.

Paternalistic Involvement in Career Choice Aspiration and its Impact on Self-Esteem

The major purpose of the study was to determine the paternalistic involvement of parents in students’ self-esteem and career aspirations. The quantitative research method was used to examine the paternalistic involvement of parents in self-esteem and career choice. The Social Context Questionnaire (Skinner, Regan, & Wellborn, 1986) was adopted as a measure of paternalistic involvement, whereas the Rosenburg (1965) self-esteem scale was adopted as a measure of self-esteem. Using a convenient sampling technique, responses were obtained from 379 students (male and female) studying at the University of Sargodha. It was found that paternalistic involvement and self-esteem were strongly negatively correlated. Moreover, paternalistic involvement and career choice had a strong negative correlation. The study demonstrated that girls face more paternalistic involvement from their parents, which leads to lower self-esteem among them as compared to boys. Moreover, paternalistic involvement creates dependency and weakens decision-making power among female children. Keeping in view the aforesaid findings, parents should adopt alternative ways to accomplish their own desires and understandings without restricting the liberty of adult children, even though it may involve inconvenience, expense, and apparently irrational acts. In addition, parents should respect their ideas so that children can abstain from deviant behaviour.

EXTENUATING THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OF SODIC WATER ON AGRONOMIC, IONIC, AND QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF FODDERS

Brackish water used for irrigation in shortage of appropriate soil-water-crop practices often constitutes salinity in the soil profile. Canal irrigation water is scarce to aid agriculture; thus, a supplementary water supply requires accessibility from drainage water. In Pakistan, groundwater is brackish because of elevated levels of electrical conductivity (EC), residual sodium carbonates (RSC), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). But these waters can benefit well for irrigation during the primary phase of saline-sodic soil’s reclamation, if employing appropriate management practices, such as, chemical and organic amendments. A pot trial procedure ran under environmental conditions at the research area of the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, to assess the effect of sodic water with various amendments on sorghum and berseem fodder crops. The pot experiment comprised seven treatments, including T1 = Control having canal water with SAR 0.1 and EC 0.2 dS m-1 ; T2 = Sodic water with SAR 15; T3 = Sodic water (SAR 15) + Gypsum; T4 = Sodic water (SAR 15) + H2SO4; T5 = Sodic water (SAR 15) + compost; T6 = Sodic water (SAR 15) + FYM; T7 = Sodic water (SAR 15) + poultry manure, with three replicates under complete randomized design (CRD) by sowing sorghum “JS-88” and berseem “Hisar Berseem 1” cultivars taken from the Fodder Research Institute (FRI), Sargodha. The agronomic and fodder quality attributes were maximum in T3 treatment in sorghum compared with other concentrations and berseem. In both crops, mineral nutrients were variable, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were maximum in T5, compared with others.

Effect of Higher Education in Fostering Civic Values among University Students

Education plays a pivotal role to shape students personality for the benefit of society. The objective of the study was to find out the existing and achieved level of civic values. The population was undergraduate students studying social sciences at the University of Sargodha. The intact classes of BS 1st and 8th semesters were the sample of the study. The data were collected through a questionnaire regarding higher education and civic value. The data were analyzed by applying an independent sample t-test to compare the existing and achieved level of civic values of the students. The result revealed that the achieved level of civic values was more prominent than the existing level. It is recommended that such research should be conducted in different universities in Pakistan to find out the effect of the philanthropist role of students in building peace, cooperation and tolerance in society.

DEVELOPMENT, STANDARDIZATION, PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS OF BISCUITS DEVELOPED WITH DIFFERENT REPLACEMENT LEVELS OF PUMPKIN FLESH POWDER

Present study was planned and conducted at Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha and Food Technology Section, AARI Faisalabad during 2020, to develop and analyze pumpkin flesh powder (PFP) and to prepare, standardize and evaluate biscuits with 0, 5, 10 and 15% replacement levels of PFP. Full ripened pumpkins were sliced, dried and grinded to obtain PFP. Straight grade flour (SGF) and PFP were analyzed for physico-chemical properties. PFP exhibited greater (6.15 ± 0.08) a* (redness) and (36.94 ± 0.19) b* (yellowness) values, significantly higher contents of moisture (14.29 ± 0.05%), ash (1.36 ± 0.03%), fat (1.24 ± 0.03%) and fiber (1.82 ± 0.01%), as compared to SGF. Upon analysis of physical characteristics of developed biscuits, as replacement level of PFP was increased to 15%, with SGF to develop biscuits, a* and b* values of biscuits were significantly increased to 5.06 ± 0.079 and 28.01 ± 0.14 respectively, thickness was also significantly increased to 48.50 ± 0.75 mm, while width was significantly decreased. Chemical analysis of biscuits revealed a significant increase in ash, fat fiber, Na, K and Fe contents of biscuits with increasing level of replacement of PFP. Whereas, non-significant results for moisture and protein contents were found. The contents of Ca, Mg and P were significantly decreased in added PFP biscuits. Sensory evaluation of biscuits proved that 5 to 10% replacement level of PFP got good scores close to the control so up to 10% replacement level of PFP with SGF was acceptable to develop good quality, nutritional biscuits. By keeping in view, the nutritional profile of pumpkin an effort was made to highlight the nutritional significance of pumpkin, pumpkin powder and biscuits developed with addition of pumpkin powder.

Estimation of the economic threshold of Leptochloa chinensis (Chinese sprangletop) in direct-seeded fine grain rice (Oryza sativa)

: Leptochloa chinensis (L.) Nees (Chinese sprangletop) is a weed that is becoming a serious threat in upland and lowland rice. A field study was conducted at the Agronomic Research Farm, University of Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan, during the summer seasons of 2018 and 2019 to evaluate the effect of L. chinensis density on the yield of direct-seeded fine rice. Treatments comprised of L. chinensis densities of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 plants m-2, and the experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications of each treatment. The results suggest that the presence of L. chinensis significantly hampered the grain yield of direct-seeded rice. Weed infestation caused 63% and 69% yield losses where 25 L. chinensis plants m-2 were sustained in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Yield reduction was due to the reduction in 1000-grain weight (22.9 and 29.1%), number of tillers m-2 (65.8 and 60.0%), and number of grains panicle-1 (53.3 and 60%) in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The highest weed infestation (25 plants m-2) produced the highest weed dry biomass (687 and 669 g m-2), N uptake (19.3 and 19.3 kg ha-1), P uptake (1.92 and 2.32 kg ha-1), and K uptake (20.53 and 20.27 kg ha-1) in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The lowest weed infestation (5 plants m-2) produced minimum weed dry biomass (47 and 85 g m-2), N uptake (1.6 and 2.9), P uptake (0.3 and 0.5), and K uptake (1.7 and 30 kg ha-1) in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The economic threshold of L. chinensis as estimated to cause 6.73% and 6.08% yield loss by the prediction model was 1.70 and 1.73 plants m-2 during 2018 and 2019, respectively. It can be concluded that L. chinensis is a serious weed in direct-seeded rice and it should be controlled when its density reaches 1.70-1.73 plants m-2 to avoid significant yield losses.

A Descriptive Analysis of Emotion Regulation in the ESL Classroom of University Students: A Vignette Study

Emotions tend to have a detrimental impact on students’ learning outcomes. This research project is an endeavor to investigate the emotions experienced by students in the ESL classroom and identify specific scenarios where both male and female participants experience positive and negative emotions. The aim is to investigate which Emotion-Regulation Strategies (ERS) both genders employ to quell unfavorable emotions. The instrument MYE (Manage Your Emotions) was administered to English majors (sophomores; N = 35) enrolled in the undergraduate program at the University of Sargodha and for this, the vignette methodology was employed where the primary data was collected using a scenario-based questionnaire designed by Oxford and Gkonou (2017). The students’ emotional responses were examined based on these scenario-based questions typical to Classroom Language learning. Participants explicitly specified the contexts where they experienced positive and negative emotions respectively. The findings revealed that feelings of interest and excitement were the most reported emotions amongst females. Whereas aggressive tendencies were observed in male participants rather than girls in similar scenarios. It was also established that male and female students employ different ERS to counter any negative emotions. Finally, future research directions and pedagogical applications are suggested for a better and more comprehensive understanding of ESL classrooms.

Effects of Poultry Manure on the Growth, Physiology, Yield, and Yield-Related Traits of Maize Varieties.

Industries play a significant role in the improvement of lifestyle and in the development of a country. However, the byproducts from these industries are a source of environmental pollution. The proper use of the byproducts of these industries can help to cope with environmental pollution. Some byproducts have high nutritional content and are good for crop plants. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of different rates of poultry manure on the soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of maize. A pot experiment was conducted in the botanical garden of the Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Pakistan to investigate the effect of various treatments of poultry manure (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 g/pot) on the morphological, physiological, and yield attributes of two maize varieties, Pearl and MMRI. Treatment T1 was a mixture of soil and 75 g/pot poultry manure, T2 was a mixture of soil and 50 g/pot poultry manure, T3 was a mixture of soil and 25 g/pot poultry manure, and T4 was 100 g/pot poultry manure. Soil without any industrial byproduct (100% soil only) was used as the control (T0). The results revealed that the use of poultry manure enhanced the physical properties of the soil. Available P and soil organic matter were improved in soil amended with poultry manure. It is evident from the results that the vegetative growth of both maize varieties was significantly enhanced by growing in soil amended with poultry manure as compared to their respective control. Similar responses were also recorded for the physiological attributes of leaf area, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency of both varieties. Yield and yield-contributing traits of both maize varieties were significantly improved by growing plants in soil amended with 50 and 75 g/pot of poultry manure. It is also inferred that the use of 50 g/pot poultry manure in soil amendment is an eco-friendly and economically effective option for maize growers of arid and semiarid regions to enhance the kernel yield and profit per annum. Poultry manure could be useful to ameliorate the adverse effects of salinity stress on all parameters, particularly the grain yield. Furthermore, this would be a useful and economical method for the safe disposal of byproducts.

Relationship between Academic Freedom and Academic Performance of Student Teachers

The study is conducted to examine the students' perceptions on academic freedom. The main objective of the study was to determine the relationship between academic freedom and academic performance of prospective teachers at university of Sargodha. The study was quantitative in nature. Target population of the present study was all student teachers enrolled in the department of education. University of Sargodha. Convenient sampling techniques was used to select a representative sample (n=236) of the population. Descriptive statistics (mean standard deviation percentage and frequencies) and inferential statistics (t-test and correlation test) were used for the analysis of the data collected. The major findings of the study were that there is no difference between academic freedom of male and female prospective teachers and there is weak positive relationship in academic performance and academic freedom of prospective teachers.so it is recommended that policies for academic freedom might be formulated by the institutes and an extensive study to explore academic freedom and its relationship with academic performance of students in academic institutes.

Impediments of Online Learning and Teaching During Covid Pandemic: A Case of University Students in Punjab, Pakistan

Due to COVID-19, online learning has become a major source of imparting knowledge around the world. But for developing countries, such as Pakistan, where only a small fraction have access to the Internet, this is quite challenging. The purpose of the study is, therefore, to examine vulnerabilities among university students across the province of Punjab, Pakistan, which emerged due to sudden changes in Pakistan's education system as a result of the coronavirus outbreak and the implementation of a nationwide lockdown. An online survey was conducted, and a sample of 379 students was selected from three different faculties at the University of Sargodha (Main Campus), which is one of the largest public sector universities in Punjab, Pakistan. The collected data were analyzed using statistical techniques such as percentage, cross tabulation, and multiple linear regression. The findings revealed that load-shedding, high technology costs, poor connectivity, a lack of institutional support, and a lack of face-to-face interaction are significant impediments to students, traditional learning and teaching pedagogy cannot simply apply to online learning and teaching, and that new ways of thinking and doing things are required to develop a new pedagogy that takes into account all of the variables that have been mentioned in the study.

Relationship between Academic Perfectionism and Depression: Role of Self Concealment among Students

The mediational role of self-concealment in relationship withAcademic Perfectionism and Depression is explored in the present study.A sample of students (N=200) was taken from various departments of the
 University of Sargodha using a purposive sampling technique. Self-concealment, academic perfectionism and depression were measured by
 using Urdu translated Self-Concealment Scale (SCS; Malik & Ghayas,2014) Academic Perfectionism Scale (APS; Malik & Ghayas, 2014) andUrdu translated depression subscale of DASS (Farooqi & Habib, 2010)respectively. Results indicated the academic perfectionism as asignificant positive predictor of self-concealment and depression.Furthermore, data analysis revealed that self-concealment was asignificant positive predictor of depression among university students.The results of this study also indicated that self-concealment also playsthe role of a mediator in the relationship between perfectionism anddepression. Non-significant gender differences were found in depressionamong university students. Moreover, the current study yielded that thelevel of self-concealment was higher among males than females, whereasthe level of academic perfectionism was higher among females ascompared to males.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITYAND SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF LAHORE DURING LOCKDOWN AT THE TIME OF COVID OF 19 PANDEMIC

Background: Coronaviruses are a group of infections that cause sicknesses going from the normal virus to more extreme illnesses like severe acute respiratory syndrome and middle east respiratory syndrome. These infections were initially from creatures to individuals with COVID-19 an irresistible infection brought about by the severe intense respiratory disorder. Objective: To assess the physical activity and sedentary behavior of undergraduate students of Lahore during the COVID-19 lockdown. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a non-convenient sampling technique from April to Sep 2021 among 195 undergraduate students. This study was conducted and evaluated the physical activity and sedentary behavior during lockdown among undergraduate students by using the international physical activity questionnaire. The Institutional Review Board committee of The University of Lahore, Pakistan, obtained ethical approval and participants were recruited after taking their written consent. The selected students in Lahore were undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Data were collected from undergraduate students of the University of Central Punjab, University of Sargodha, University of Lahore, University of Punjab and Riphah International University, Lahore. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 24.0. Frequency and percentages were calculated. Results: Out of 195 students 55.9% were males and 44.1% were females. The results found that 57.4% had low physical activity levels during lockdown, 30.8% had moderate and 11.8% had high physical activity levels. Conclusion: There is a significant reduction in physical activity in undergraduate students during the lockdown related to the COVID pandemic. Moreover, students spent 10 hours per day sitting on average. Keywords: COVID-19, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, undergraduate students