Epidemiology of Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Response to Different Hazardous Chewing Causes in Lahore, Pakistan-a Unicenter study epidemiology of oral carcinoma in Lahore, Pakistan

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)being the world’s most prevailing and frightening cancerous disorder lacks the sufficient data in Pakistan despite of its higher magnitude and prevalence. Objective: This study was specifically designed and conducted with the aim to identify the frequency of this disorder along with causative factors in past three years in a tertiary care hospital of Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: Epidemiological study was conducted using retrospective randomized method and all pre-requisites were filled. The clinical profiles of patients were collected from Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery Departmentof Pathology, Mayo Hospital Lahore. Patients who had undergone treatment for OSCC were contacted and interviewed for information about demographic regions, previous history of malignancy, disease onset, chewing habits, exposure to pesticides, industrial exposure to metals etc. And all particulars were not and compiled on questionnaire. Results: A total of 54 patients from different districts of Punjab participated in the study. Percentages for each possible causative chewing habit were calculated and 87.50 % of population was found addicted to different habits. Genetic factor might have contributed in remaining for development of OSCC. Conclusions: Informative data provided in this study will be helpful to be used by the government and private health agencies while designing and planning management of oral health problems and allocating health budgets in focusing this issue

Exploring issue of Ecological Affordance in an English Class with Special Relevance to Localized English Discursive Practices

Exploring issue of Ecological Affordance in an English Class with Special Relevance to Localized English Discursive Practices The present study aims to determine the significance of localized English discursive practices with respect to all the basic language skills in an ESL class of elementary students at the Boys Campus, OPF Girls College, where the researcher has been a teacher for the past nine years. The researcher used Action Research for a period of nine months i.e. three terms. Therefore, 60 students were her research participants. This Action Research was based on mixed methods approach underpinned by the theoretical framework of Johnson's (2004) localized language learning theory. The research tools used were of both qualitative and quantitative nature. Among the qualitative techniques, the researcher used text analysis, stimulated recall pictures, stimulated recall interview, speaking test and target learners' creative work along with some quantitative techniques as a localized board game, the target learners' written tests as well as their filled-in questionnaire. The research objectives were first to determine the target learners' social world, second to measure their receptive skills with respect to foreign and local contexts and third to evaluate their productive skills in a localized context. Likewise, one of the research questions was how to localize an ESL class; the other two aimed at finding such text, language skill or activity that could have a stronger impact on the target learners. Data analysis was carried out using Johnson's (2004) dialogical model of SLA which states that language learning is a localized phenomenon. As for the contribution of this research, this study highlights the place of Localized Language Teaching (LLT) approach promoting Pakistani cultural and social values in ESL classrooms of Pakistani schools. It is concluded that localized English teaching methodology can have the stronger impact on ELLs' language learning abilities than a traditional one due to ecological affordances provided by ELLs' prior knowledge, their socio-cultural background and their central position in an English class.