Objectives: Antibiotics are valuable therapeutics. However, the unwarranted and excessive use of these antimicrobials in food animals and the consequent contamination of the environment have been associated with the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Continuous surveillance and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance among E. coli isolates is recommended, not only for bovine health but also for public health. This study aims to assess the antimicrobial resistance profile, virulence potential, and genetic characterization of fecal E. coli isolates from healthy cows. Methodology: The in vitro, phenotypic antibiotic resistance of isolates was measured via the Kirby–Bauer disc-diffusion method against twenty-seven antibiotics. The β-lactamase enzymatic activities of the strains were also investigated. For the assessment of virulence potential, fecal E. coli isolates were subjected to several in vitro pathogenicity assays, including biofilm formation ability, blood hemolysis, complement resistance, and growth in human urine. Phylogroup determination and virulence-associated genes were detected via multiplex PCR. Results: In vitro antibiotic resistance profiling showed that 186/200 (93%) of the isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR), with the highest resistance against penicillin, tetracycline, fluoroquinolone, and macrolide classes of antibiotics. Of particular concern was the phenotypic resistance to colistin in 52/200 isolates (26%), though 16% of the total isolates harbored mcr1, the genetic determinant of colistin. Despite the scarce use of fluoroquinolone, cephalosporin, and carbapenem in the agricultural sector, resistance to these classes was evident due to the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) in 41% of E. coli isolates. The β-lactamase genotyping of E. coli isolates showed that 47% of isolates harbored either blaCTX or blaTEM. Approximately 32% of isolates were resistant to serum complement, and their growth in human urine was evident in 18% of isolates, indicating a possible infection of these isolates in high nitrogenous condition. Phylogrouping showed that the most prevalent phylogenetic group among fecal E. coli isolates was phylogroup B1 (57%), followed by phylogroups A (33%), D (6%), and B2 (4%). The most prevalent virulence-associated genes in fecal E. coli were fimH, iss and tatT. Results showed that ten isolates (5%) harbored the stx1 gene, the genetic marker of enterohemorrhagic E. coli. This study provides insights into the antibiotic resistance and virulence profiling of the fecal E. coli isolates from healthy cows. These results emphasize the need for imposing regulations on the proper use of antibiotics and growth promoters in food-producing animals.

This study attempts to explore the reasons behind students' dropouts from higher education business schools. For this purpose, data about 1200 students over a period of one year is collected and analyzed from a leading business school in Peshawar. Determinants of dropouts are extracted from the literature and are tested for their association with the dropout decision by the students. Findings of the study are partially aligned with the literature and prove a significant relationship between gender, the type of school attended, students' performance at the SSC and HSSC levels, and major subjects studied at the HSSC level with the incidence of students' dropout from the business school; whereas age, father income, and hometown has shown no relationship with the students' dropout from the business school.

This study examines the relationships between antecedents of psychological safety at the individual, group and organizational level. The data was collected from a sample of eighty-four employees (i.e. teachers and non-teachers) working in a higher education institute (HEI) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by using a structured questionnaire. The data is analyzed with the help of correlation and regression analyses. The findings indicate that the individual level antecedents had a positive relationship with psychological safety except for adherence to norms, whereas both the group and organizational level antecedents were positively related with psychological safety. The study also discusses implications, limitations and future directions.

Correction is needed to the original publication. The section "Annexture: Transfer of knowledge index-HEI-1 analysis" on page 14 should be captured as Supplementary material.The original article has been corrected.Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.