A survey on the determinants of entrepreneurial training effectiveness among micro finance institutions of Malaysia

The importance of the training is increasing day by day not only in corporate sector but also in entrepreneurial sector.This study aims to evaluate the influencing factors of entrepreneurial training effectiveness of Malaysian microfinance institutions (hereinafter MFIs).This study use survey research design and involve four listed MFIs of Malaysia that are selected on the base of engagement in entrepreneurship training during last five years.Questionnaires are used to collect data from selected respondents by using stratified random sampling.Results of the study reveal that deteriorating rate of small and micro enterprises is increasing rapidly due to inappropriate training and non-allocation of sufficient funds. Findings confirm the relationship between entrepreneurial training effectiveness and training need analysis. Training contents also found a critical and important factor for training effectiveness.Results also show that there is a need to undertake a comprehensive analysis by MFIs on individual entrepreneurs and the job tasks in order to estimate their training needs.In this way, the need of clients for appropriate and relevant training can be addressed in a better way

Pseudoephedrine Induced Ischemic Colitis: A Case Report and Review of Literature

A grant from the One-University Open Access Fund at the University of Kansas was used to defray the author's publication fees in this Open Access journal. The Open Access Fund, administered by librarians from the KU, KU Law, and KUMC libraries, is made possible by contributions from the offices of KU Provost, KU Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Studies, and KUMC Vice Chancellor for Research. For more information about the Open Access Fund, please see http://library.kumc.edu/authors-fund.xml.Ischemic colitis due to medications is common, and a number of cases have been described with pseudoephedrine as the culprit agent. We present here an interesting case of a healthy female with no risk factors who developed pseudoephedrine induced ischemic colitis. This case serves to remind the healthcare providers about the utmost importance of obtaining a comprehensive history to aid with the diagnosis

Impact of factors contributing to internal disorders of mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit—A systematic literature review

The expression of internal disorders is a complex phenomenon due to the interaction of genotype, environment, and management practices at the pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest stages. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of factors associated with, and have been investigated in relation to, the susceptibility and expression of internal disorders in mango. In this context, a systematic literature review was conducted to identify, extract, and analyse the most pertinent data. Six hundred and fifty-seven studies were sourced from three databases. Of these, 72 were relevant after screening based on exclusion-inclusion criteria. An additional nine relevant studies were identified through manual searches and included in the final data synthesis. From the 81 studies, the prevalent disorders were spongy tissue and jelly seed, followed by flesh browning and soft nose. ‘Alphonso’ expressed only spongy tissue disorder. By contrast, ‘Tommy Atkins’ simultaneously expressed multiple disorders, viz., soft nose, jelly seed, and stem-end cavity. Mineral composition of flesh and exposure to heat post-harvest (viz., sunlight, phytosanitary heat treatment, and elevated storage temperature) were prominent in association with IDs expression. Relatively high N, N/Ca, Mg/Ca, and K/Ca ratios and relatively low Ca and B were related to most disorders. With K and Mg, studies inconsistently suggested positive and inverse relationship with a particular disorder. While individual studies suggest casual relationships, there was a relative dearth of pre-harvest work on soil characteristics, growing conditions (e.g., temperature, rain, and VPD), crop physiology (e.g., age and biennial bearing) and management practices (e.g., fertilisation and irrigation) in the literature. This review provides a benchmark against which future research might adopt holistic approaches to contiguously ascertain predisposition of mango fruit to internal disorders across the pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest continuum

Playing First-Person Perspective Games with Deep Reinforcement Learning Using the State-of-the-Art Game-AI Research Platforms

Computer games have become one of the most interesting and dynamic research areas of artificial intelligence as computer games are the best testbeds to evaluate and test the theoretical ideas in artificial intelligence before applying them in real-world. The enhancement in computing power, advancement in machine learning particularly deep reinforcement learning, and the evolution of neural networks are allowing the autonomous game agents to perform substantially well that often leave behind human beings by using only the screen raw pixels for making their actions or decisions. In this chapter, we use Deep reinforcement learning in the form of Deep Q-learning under its two variants Deep Q-Network (DQN) and Deep Recurrent Q-Learning Network (DRQN) to control agents in playing the two famous computer games i.e. Doom and Minecraft. We present how to build an implementation of a testbed for such state-of-the-art methods using the ViZDoom, Gym-Minecraft and Microsoft\u27s Malmo platforms. Initially, we present our results on a simplified game scenario(s) from Doom in predicting the enemy positions (game features) with the difference in the performance of the DQN and DRQN in both fully observable Markovian decision process (FOMDP) and partially observable Markovian decision process (POMDP) and claim that the DQN performs better at predicting the enemy positions. Finally, we present results on another game scenario(s) from Minecraft to test and confirm the performance of DRQN in POMDP where unlike other existing works, our proposed architectures outperform the built-in AI agents and human players in predicting the game features with enhanced accuracy

Magnetic Structure and Interactions in the Quasi-1D Antiferromagnet CaV2_2O4_4

CaV$_2$O$_4$ is a spin-1 antiferromagnet, where the magnetic vanadium ions are arranged on quasi-one-dimensional (1D) zig-zag chains with potentially frustrated antiferromagnetic exchange interactions. High temperature susceptibility and single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements are used to deduce the non-collinear magnetic structure, dominant exchange interactions and orbital configurations. The results suggest that at high temperatures CaV$_2$O$_4$ behaves as a Haldane chain, but at low temperatures, orbital ordering lifts the frustration and it becomes a spin-1 ladder.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Role of human metapneumovirus, influenza a virus and respiratory syncytial virus in causing WHO-defined severe pneumonia in children in a developing country

Objective: The role of respiratory viruses in causing severe, life threatening pneumonia in children in developing countries is not well established. Our study aims to determine the role of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), influenza A virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children, aged 6 weeks to 2 years, hospitalized with WHO defined severe pneumonia (tachypnea plus any general danger sign or chest in-drawing) at a public sector hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.Methods: This study was conducted from November 2010 to September 2011 at Abbassi Shaheed Hospital, a large public tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Children admitted with WHO-defined severe pneumonia were enrolled and throat swabs were obtained to detect respiratory viruses using real time RT-PCR. Chest x-rays of all subjects were obtained and independently interpreted by two radiologists to diagnose radiologic pneumonia.Results: 169 children were enrolled. HMPV was detected in 24 (14.2%), influenza A virus in 9 (5.3%) and RSV in 30 (17.8%) children admitted with severe pneumonia. Of 9 patients with influenza A, 8 tested positive for H1N1. Viral etiology was found in 18% of radiologically confirmed pneumonia. HMPV infections peaked in February and April, influenza A was prevalent in January, June and November and RSV infections were most prevalent from June to September.Conclusion: HMPV, influenza A and RSV are common causes of WHO-defined severe pneumonia in hospitalized children in Karachi. Knowledge regarding the viral etiology of pediatric pneumonia and individual viral seasonality can help in the recommendation and implementation of appropriate management strategies

Outcome of cranial firearm injuries in civilian population based on a novel classification system

Background: Cranial firearm injuries (CFAIs) are expected to be frequent during warfare; however, it is becoming increasingly common among civilian population in our part of the world. These injuries are associated with significant morbidity and mortality in addition to financial loss. The objective of our study is to evaluate the pattern of gunshot injuries to cranium and their outcome.Methods: The study was conducted on 114 patients presenting with CFAIs to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan, between June 2015 and January 2019. Patients were evaluated with respect to age, gender, pattern of injury, Glasgow coma scale on arrival, radiological and clinical assessment, surgical intervention, and Glasgow outcome score measured at 6 months follow-up.Results: Among patients with cranial gunshot, injuries most were males (76.3%). More than 50% patients aged between 18 and 35 years. About 46.5% of patients presented with moderate traumatic brain injury commonly involving the temporal lobe (36.8%). Of total 114 patients, 84.2% were managed conservatively but wound debridement was done in all patients. At 6 months, the overall mortality in our patients was 33.3%. Patients with good outcome (GOS 4 and 5) were 30.7% and 35.9% patients had bad outcome (GOS 2 and 3). Complication rate was 14.9% and the most common complication was disseminated intravascular coagulation in 5.2%.Conclusion: Surgical intervention has no significant benefit over conservative management on long-term mortality and should be limited to patients with large intracranial hematomas and intraventricular hematomas causing hydrocephalus

Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guideline: achieving optimal asthma control in children aged 6-11 years

The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) 2021 guidelines for asthma have been set forth with some alterations in Step 3, for children from 6-11-year-old age group. The low dose LABA-ICS, very low dose formoterol-ICS, medium dose ICS and ICS-LTRA combination were recommended in the guideline. We organized this study to draw an effective comparison between these three combinations of controller therapies in pediatric population. A retrospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan which enrolled 114 children aged 6-11 years old, from July 2021 to December 2022. These children were admitted with asthma exacerbations and were discharged on controller medications as per GINA guidelines on step 3 for control of asthma for 3 months. They were then followed for re-admission within 30 days of discharge, number of ER visits with asthma exacerbations for 1 year, number of admissions with asthma including HDU and PICU admissions, length of stay per admission for all admissions in subsequent one year. The pulmonary function test was done at 1 week follow-up in clinic after discharge and at 3 months visit post discharge. A total of 114 pediatric patients from age 6-11-year-old, were enrolled in the study period out of which 36 (31.57%), 33(28.9%) and 34 (29.82%) patients were categorized into ICS-LABA, ICS and ICS-LTRA groups respectively. ER visits were significantly low in ICS-LABA group followed by ICS-LRTA group and then ICS group (1.75±0.96 vs 2.93±1.412 vs 3.11±1.21, p<0.001). Similar statistically significant results were observed on average number of admissions per year (1.52±1.02 vs 1.96±0.84 vs 2.06±1.07, p=0.047) and number of patients needing PICU (13.88% vs 26.47% vs 39.39%, p=0.034) in these groups respectively. ICS- LABA group patients had the best values of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio after pulmonary function tests at 3 months follow-up followed by ICS-LTRA and ICS group. Amongst the three options regimens for children managed at step 3 on GINA 2021 guidelines, ICS-LABA therapy helps attain optimal patient outcomes and lung functions in children with asthma followed by ICS-LTRA and ICS group respectively

Increment of High-Grade Gliomas Among Pediatric and Young Adult Population

Background/Objective:&nbsp;&nbsp;Glioblastomas are among the commonest primary brain cancers. This study aimed to assess the trend shift of high-grade glioma in our setting among the young and pediatric population. Materials and Methods:&nbsp;&nbsp;This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study; it was carried out at the Department of Neurosurgery, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, between duration. All cases with suspected brain tumors, irrespective of age or gender were assessed for glioblastoma. Once a solid tumor was identified on imaging with consistent features of glioblastoma, a provisional diagnosis was established. After that, the patient underwent a brain biopsy. Patients' gender, demographics, clinical presentation, radiologic records, etc. were collected in a predefined proforma. Results:&nbsp;&nbsp;22 patients were diagnosed with glioblastoma with a high frequency of patients between the age range of 20 to 30 years. The most common location of the tumor was subcortical near the midline. There was slight male predominance. 8 patients had levels of KPS at presentation &lt; 70 and among those two were infants, four were in a vegetative state, and two had a loss of consciousness secondary to increased intracranial pressure. The recurrence rate among those who came back for follow-ups was 27.2%. Conclusion:&nbsp;&nbsp;Though it is a short study with short follow-up results were astonishing due to perhaps trend shift among Glioblastoma patients, a further detailed workup is needed in different dimensions especially molecular level and genetics to know exactly about the disease and the national registry should be carried and alarmed to identify the problem at once, counter effectively and make a future strategy

Phytoremediation of potentially toxic elements from contaminated saline soils using Salvadora persica L.: seasonal evaluation

Plants in coastal ecosystems are primarily known as natural sinks of trace metals and their importance for phytoremediation is well established. Salvadora persica L., a medicinally important woody crop of marginal coasts, was evaluated for the accumulation of metal pollutants (viz. Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cr) from three coastal areas of Karachi on a seasonal basis. Korangi creek, being the most polluted site, had higher heavy metals (HM’s) in soil (Fe up to 17,389, Mn: 268, Zn: 105, Cu: 23, Pb: 64.7 and Cr up to 35.9 mg kg−1) and S. persica accumulated most of the metals with >1 TF (translocation factor), yet none of them exceeded standard permissible ranges except for Pb (up to 3.1 in roots and 3.37 mg kg−1 in leaves with TF = 11.7). Seasonal data suggested that higher salinity in Clifton and Korangi creeks during pre- and post-monsoon summers resulted in lower leaf water (ΨWo) and osmotic potential at full turgor (ΨSo) and bulk elasticity (ε), higher leaf Na+ and Pb but lower extractable concentrations of other toxic metals (Cr, Cu, and Zn) in S. persica. Variation in metal accumulation may be linked to metal speciation via specific transporters and leaf water relation dynamics. Our results suggested that S. persica could be grown on Zn, Cr and Cu polluted soils but not on Pb affected soils as its leaves accumulated higher concentrations than the proposed limits.Higher Education Commission, Islamabad | Ref. 6592/Sindh/NRPU/R&D/HEC/201