THE IMPACT OF UNIVERSITY INTERNAL FACTORS ON ACADEMIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP: EVIDENCE FROM UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

Academic entrepreneurship, as a practice and a field forscholarly investigation, provides an opportunity to challengequestions and rethink about the nature and scope of publication. This paper puts forward an aspect for the research universities of Pakistan that can result in new value generation and job creation. Academic entrepreneur is missing forms of entrepreneurship in the relatively higher priority given to promoting or capturing economic value. Current research aims to fill this gap by adapting the corporate entrepreneur as a construct for academic entrepreneurship and internalenvironment as a motivational factor in order to propose a model for this study. Findings support that university reward system; support, leadership, and organization structure are the key indicator of academic entrepreneur within these research universities. Results provide evidence that academic entrepreneurship has a positive influence on research commercialization and technology transfer for these higher education institutes

Impact of peak/mid luteal estradiol on pregnancy outcome after intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Abstract Objective: To compare peak to mid estradiol ratio with the probability of successful conception after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Method: The quasi-experimental study was conducted in an infertility clinic at Islamabad from June 2010 till August 2011, and comprised couples subjected to intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection. Down-regulation of ovaries was followed by calculated stimulation, ovulation induction, oocytes retrieval, intra cytoplasmic sperm injection, in vitro maturation of embryos and finally blastocysts transfer. Serum estradiol was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on ovulation induction day and the day of embryo transfer. Failure of procedure was detected by beta human chorionic gonadotropin5-25mIU/ml (Group I; non-pregnant).Females with beta human chorionic gonadotropin\u3e25mIU/ml and no cardiac activity after 4 weeks of transfer were placed in Group II (pre-clinical abortion), and confirmation of foetal heart in the latter comprised Group III (clinical pregnancy). Data was analysed using SPSS 15. Results: Of the 323 couples initially enrolled, embryo transfer was carried out in 282(87.3%) females. Clinical pregnancy was achieved in 101(36%) of the cases, while 61(21.63%) had pre-clinical abortion, and 120(42%) remained non-pregnant. The peak/mid-luteal estradiolratio was low (2.3) in patients who had high oocyte maturity (p=0.001) and fertilisation rate (p=0.003) compared to non-pregnant patients with high peak/mid-luteal estradiolratio (2.56). Conclusion: High peak estradiol with maintenance of optimal levels in mid-luteal phase is required for implantation of fertilised ovum and accomplishment of clinical pregnancy

Spectrum of Spinal Dysraphism in Pediatric Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Objectives:  To report the spectrum of spinal dysraphism presenting in pediatric patients admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery Lady reading hospital Peshawar. Material & Methods:  A descriptive case series was conducted and total of 89 patients (age between 2 months to 12 years) were included who underwent the surgical treatment. All patients were examined for clinical and radiological diagnosis of spinal dysraphism. Results:  The average age at treatment was 23 ± 39.77 months. The most recurring (52.8%) presenting symptom was the swelling on the back followed by lower limb weakness. Meningocele was reported in 11.2%, myelomeningocele in 47.2%, myelomeningocele & hydrocephalus in 12.4%, tethered cord syndrome in 25.8%, and diastematomyelia 3.4% of patients. Excision combined with the repair was done in 58.4%, release & repair done in 29.2% and endoscopic third ventriculostomy/ventriculoperitoneal shunts with the repair were done in 12.4% patients. Cerebrospinal fluid leak was reported in 3.7%, wound infection in 4.5% and mortality was reported in 3.4% patients. Conclusion:  Overall, a good outcome was reported in the majority of our patients. Surgical procedures like myelomeningocele’s excision & repair, tethered cord’s release & repair, and ETV/VP shunt in patients with hydrocephalus can lead to satisfactory clinical outcomes

CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells enumeration and mononuclear cell count: an experience from a tertiary care centre

Background: This study was conducted to assess the CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells enumeration by flow cytometry and the utility of performing mononuclear cell count before performing the Stem cell enumeration. Collection was done on two consecutive days with CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cell enumeration of both the samples. Mononuclear cell counts were done in all the patients. The purpose of the study was to do counts directly from the leukapheresis pack and see the reliability of this practice.Methods: Samples were collected from the leukapheresis pack and subjected to mononuclear cell count and CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells enumeration by flow cytometty before harvesting.Results: A total of 66 samples from 34 patients were taken up for the study. 76.47% of our cases were that of multiple myeloma and 17.64% of the cases were that of non Hodgkin lymphoma and 2.94% cases each of neuroblastoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. It was noted that the mononuclear cell counts correlated well with the CD34+ HPC in most of the cases with MNC being above 4 x 108 per pack per kg body weight in cases where CD34+ HPC counts were more than the desired lower limit of 2 x 106 per pack per kg body weight.Conclusions: It was observed that flow cytometric enumeration of CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells directly from the leukapheresis pack gave satisfactory results even without doing peripheral blood CD34+ HPCs enumeration before leukapheresis. Also, in our study we were able to set a limit of mononuclear Cell at 4 x 108 per pack/kg BW as counts beyond that always correlated with the more accurate flow cytometric method of CD34+ HPC count of more than 2 x106 per pack/kg body weight, therefore acting as a crude method for assessing the mobilization

Early psychosis symptoms

Objective: To determine the prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia in the pathways to help-seeking.STUDY Design: A cross-sectional study.PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Department of Psychiatry, the Aga Khan University, Karachi, from 2008 to 2009.METHODOLOGY: A total of 93 patients were interviewed in the pathways to care of schizophrenia. The diagnosis was based on ICD-10 criteria. The pathways to care were assessed through a semi-structured questionnaire. The onset, course and symptoms of psychosis were assessed through Interview for Retrospective Assessment at Age at Onset of Psychosis (IROAS).Results: Fifty five (59%) participants were male while 41% (n=38%) were female. Using IROAS, 108 symptoms were identified as concerning behaviour. Alternatively, 60 (55%) concerning behaviours were reported in the open-ended inquiry of the reasons for help seeking as assessed by the pathways to care questionnaire with a statistically significant difference between most symptoms category. The difference was most pronounced (p \u3c 0.001) for depressed mood (66%), worries (65%), tension (63%), withdrawal/mistrust (54%) and loss of self-confidence (53%). Thought withdrawal (22%) and passivity (15%) were elicited only through structured interview (IROAS). When symptoms were categorized together, about 83% of the subjects presented with affective and non-specific prodromal symptoms. Roughly, 10% of the subjects presented with positive symptoms and 3% presented with the negative symptoms of psychosis. The non-specific, affective symptoms appear to predominate the prodromal phase of the illness.CONCLUSION: Prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia include non-specific, affective symptoms. Attention needs to be paid on identifying the prodromal symptoms and change in social functioning in order to identify those who are at risk of longterm psychosis

The Role of Organizational Climate on Employee Performance: An Empirical Study of Government Hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan

The main intention of the study was to examine the effects of organizational climate on employee performance in hospitals.  The said sector was opted as population of the study. Different Govt. Hospitals of Lahore were selected as a sample by using simple random sampling methodology. 200 questionnaires were distributed to the hospital’s staff. 170 questionnaires were filled by employees and used for further interpretation. The response rate of overall study was 85%. Pearson’s correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis and reliability analysis were used for analysis on collected data. The results of Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that there is positive relationship between organizational climate, innovative climate, and cooperative climate with employee performance. The practical point of view gives clear clue to Hospitals administration must understand the significance of Climate i.e. innovative climate and cooperative climate to improve the employee performance. For future studies, data may be collected on same variables to other sectors like education zone, telecom industry, textile industry, services sector etc. for generalizing the results

Measurement of Knowledge and Performance of Pediatric ICU Nurses about Endotracheal Suctioning

Introduction: Safe and aseptic endotracheal suctioning has been a major health challenge in ICU setting, Endotracheal suction is a procedure to insert a suction catheter into the endotracheal tube to remove the secretion. Where endotracheal tube suctioning is essential for a patient with mechanical ventilation to keep their airway clean and infection free, it has also been associated with some adverse effect like hypoxia and ventilator associated pneumonia.in this regard ICU nurses knowledge and competences should be according to set criteria of ETT suctioning procedure. Methods: Target population of this study was ICU nurses of one of the children hospital, Lahore. Sample size was 98.Results: The findings of this research was beyond our expectation as nurses practices was good and their knowledge was fair. Conclusions: This study gives an overview of the ICU nurses knowledge and performance related to ETT suctioning and demonstrates that intensive care nurses' performance regarding endotracheal suctioning is good enough despite fair knowledge. With concerning to these finding there is a need for educational courses, especially theoretical education and motivational session to follow the standard protocol for ETT suction. Keywords: Pediatric, ICU, Knowledge, Performance DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/73-09 Publication date: April 30th 202