Erythromelalgia: An Uncommon Presentation Precipitated by Aspirin Withdrawal

Erythromelalgia is a rare disorder frequently associated with myeloproliferative disorders. We describe a case of elderly patient diagnosed with myeloproliferative disorder in remission. The patient was on aspirin for secondary prevention of stroke and was taken off aspirin and developed erythromelalgia within two weeks of withdrawal of aspirin. After restarting aspirin, patient’s symptoms improved within 2 weeks

Family Business Background, Motivation and Culture in Determining Women Entrepreneurial Success

Purpose-The main purpose of this study is to investigate the key success factors in determining the entrepreneurial success among women entrepreneurs in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The key success factors for this study include family business background, motivation and; two of hofstede’s cultural dimension which include femininity/masculinity and uncertainty avoidance. Design/methodology/approach- The respondents for this study were women entrepreneurs operating businesses for a period of three years, located around Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The total population for this study was 454. The total number of questionnaires distributed was 330 and the total number of usable questionnaires was 216. Findings-Based on the results and findings of this study, it was found that only family business background contributed significantly towards women entrepreneurial success. Motivation, femininity/masculinity and uncertainty avoidance were not among the predictors in determining women entrepreneurial success in this study. Originality/value- This study through its research and findings has contributed significantly to both theoretical and practical implications. This study can help to provide information related to women entrepreneurial success and can benefit the government in an effort to encourage and support the success of women in their entrepreneurial ventures. The study suggested that further research should include a comparative study among the various states in Malaysia as well as between genders in determining entrepreneurial success

Learning approaches and performance of medical students

Objective: To identify the best assessment method for medical students with different learning approaches.Methods: The cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted at Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi, from March 2010 to April 2011, and comprised first year medical students. The questionnaire was tailored from the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students on a five-point scale Deep approach, Surface apathetic approach and Strategic approach were assessed through relevant sub-scales. Response to questions was summed for the subscales and main scales for a learning approach. Mean scores for aggregate marks obtained by multiple choice questions, short answer questions, problem-based learning and objective structured physical examination were derived. Coefficient of variation was estimated to find the most reliable assessment method.Results: Of the 100 students enrolled, 98(98%) completed the study. Of them, 51(52%) were girls and 47(48%) were boys. Overall, 70(71.4%) students displayed Strategic approach, and 13(13.3%) showed Surface apathetic approach. Objective structured physical examination had the least variation (12.27) for all approaches whereas maximum variation (14.92) was observed by problem-based learning scores.Conclusions: Assessment by problem-based learning scores was able to demarcate deep learners whereas consistent scores were obtained by objective structured physical examination which failed to discriminate variance in performance by different learners

Frequency of Noise Induced Hearing Loss Among Traffic Wardens of Lahore

Background: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a major cause of disability throughout the world. It is the most common irreversible job-related hazard in the world with a higher burden in the developing regions of the world. Certain occupations are at high risk for NIHL. Traffic wardens could be considered highly vulnerable group as they are exposed to long hours of traffic noise. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of noise induced hearing loss among traffic wardens of Lahore city.Material and Methods: It was a cross-sectional, descriptive study, carried out from 1st December 2018 to 31st May 2019, in which 329 traffic wardens appointed in 34 beats/sectors of Lahore city were included. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire, followed by Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) of all the subjects.Results: A total of 329 traffic wardens were selected for this study. Mean age of the traffic wardens was 35.35 ± 1.21 years. NIHL was present in 174 (52.9%) traffic wardens, out of which, 138 (79.3%) had mild, 32 (18.4%) moderate, and 4 (2.3%) had moderately severe degree of hearing loss. Among the 329 traffic wardens, 165 (50.2%) had exposure to noise between 7am to 3pm (morning shift) and 42 (12.8%) had some problem with their hearing. Only 12 (3.6%) had ringing in the ears or tinnitus, 140 (42.6%) wore any hearing protection during duty hours and 42 (12.8%) said they had difficulty in hearing and frequently asked people to repeat themselves.Conclusion: In this study a high frequency of noise induced hearing loss was reported among traffic wardens of Lahore city with most of them having mild to moderate degree of hearing loss

The relationship between values and organisational politics

There has been a growing concern over the prevalence of organizational politics and by the differing understanding of the impact of organizational politics on the organization and the public at large. According to Ferns and Kachmar (1992), politics in organizations is a simple fact of life. Politics involve seeking power, exercising power, and achieving compromise when appropriate. Effective power is gained from serving other people’s self-interest.This research sets out to investigate factors affecting managers’ disposition towards organizational politics. In order to investigate this problem, managerial values with its six characteristics or dimensions namely external locus of control, independence, identification of power, need for achievement, concern with status and self-esteem; and attitude with four dimensions namely job satisfaction, life satisfaction, acceptance of others and anomie are hypothesised to affect managers’ disposition towards organizational politics. A total of 178 respondents were sampled from various backgrounds in both the public and the private sectors. Three variables namely power motive, ability to accept other people and need for achievement were found to be significant in determining managers’ disposition towards organizational politics. Thus, organizations run by managers with high power motive and high need for achievement will tend to display a higher level of organizational politics than those run by managers with low power motive and low need for achievement. The study also found that managers who are able to accept other individuals are less likely to indulge in organizational politics than those who are unable to interact well with others

Pituitary adenoma with calcifications: A case report

Pituitary adenomas and Rathke’s cleft cyst with calcification are rarely seen and craniopharyngioma still remains the common sellar suprasellar space occupying lesion with calcification. Presence of calcification is reported in pituitary adenoma in only 0.2% to 8% cases. The pituitary adenoma with calcification is a rare radiological finding and it must be distinguished from other lesions of the pituitary gland as the management and prognosis differs significantly. We report a case of a 29-year-old gentleman presented electively with the complaints of deterioration of vision for four months. CT-scan without contrast examination revealed pituitary adenoma with calcification. The patient underwent transsphenoidal resection and was discharged on third post-operative day. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of pituitary adenoma with calcification. Pituitary tumor presenting with evidence of calcification is an infrequent radiological finding and identification of pituitary adenomas with calcifications is essential as it guides towards medical and surgical management of the lesion

Patulin mycotoxin in mango and orange fruits, juices, pulps, and jams marketed in Pakistan

The objective of the study was to explore the incidence of patulin (PAT) mycotoxin in mango and orange fruits and derived products marketed in Pakistan. A total of 274 samples, including 70 mango fruits, 63 mango-based products (juices, pulp, and jam), 77 orange fruits, and 64 orange-based products, were collected. PAT was determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV-Vis detector (276 nm). Linear detector response was observed (R2 > 0.99), the limit of detection (LOD) was 5 µg/kg and recovery percentage was 97.4%. The incidence of PAT in mango samples was 61.7%, and the concentration ranged from <LOD to 6415 µg/kg with a mean of 110.9 µg/kg. Our results showed the high susceptibility of mango fruits to patulin, and it was observed that decayed mango fruits were most contaminated with PAT. Among the mango samples, PAT concentration was higher in fruits than in processed products such as mango juice, pulp, and jam. Toxin incidence in orange samples was 52.5% with concentrations from <LOD to 61 µg/kg and a mean of 6.3 µg/kg. As much as 29 samples of mango (21.8%) contained PAT concentration above the regulatory limit (50 µg/kg), whereas there was only one exceeding orange sample (0.7%). Our results show that PAT seems to be a problem in fruits, juices, and derived solid products, especially from mango, and needs surveillance on regular basis

The Effect of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Organisational Culture on Firm Performance: The Mediating Role of Innovation

This study is concerned with conceptual model development, which examines the innovation influence on the relationship of organisational culture, entrepreneurial orientation and performance of large manufacturing firms in Pakistan. A total of 399 questionnaires were distributed to large manufacturing firms in Pakistan to assess the relationships between organisational culture, entrepreneurial orientation, innovation, and firm performance. The findings reveal that entrepreneurial orientation significantly influences the performance of large manufacturing firms in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the results also indicated that other factors such as organisational culture do not significantly relate to the manufacturing firm’s performance. Interestingly, the results had shown that the factor of innovation significantly mediated the relationships between organisational culture, entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. Based on the results, it can be summarised that the mechanism used to enhance the innovative culture in the organisation will also contribute to the introduction, adoption and diffusion of innovations. Additionally, these factors would contribute to increased performance and achievement in the near future. Indeed, this statement is supported by numerous current and past studies conducted in Pakistan, where scholars found that innovation is the primary impetus of firm performance. However, there exists a very limited number of studies regarding the impact of innovation on organisational culture and entrepreneurial orientation in manufacturing firms in Pakistan. This study would lead to a significant contribution to the prevailing literature by empirically examining the relationship between organisational culture, entrepreneurial orientation, innovation and firm performance