The mediating role of innovation in the relationship between market orientation and university performance in Pakistan

Universities globally are going through a paradigm shift with a need to become more innovatively market-oriented to handle the issue of growing competition for funding, as well as attracting/retaining the international/local competent students and academicians. However, there appears to be a dearth of research on how such state of affairs could be addressed, particularly in the emerging economies like Pakistan. In the light of resource-based theory (RBT), as well as organizational-learning theory (OLT), literature suggests that market-orientation (MO) and innovation are to be the desirable unique resources, as well as the guiding philosophies, to enable universities for a more competitive performance. Hence, this study investigated how resources like marketorientation (MO), and innovation, can influence university performance (UP). The study also tested empirically the potential mediating effect of innovation on the MOUP relationship. In addition, how the dimensions of MO influenced the innovation and university performance (UP) were also tested empirically in the universities of Pakistan. Results of the PLS path modelling (with 369 respondents from the target public-sector universities) firstly confirmed significant effect of the “universal construct of MO” and two of its dimensions “the advising and mentoring, as well as the intelligencegeneration and response” on UP. However, one dimension of MO, which is the administration-leadership, was not significantly supported to directly influence the UP. Secondly, the study confirmed that there were significant direct effects of the “universal construct of MO”, as well as all of its dimensions, on innovation. Thirdly, the study also found that there was a significant effect of innovation on UP. Furthermore, the bootstrapping results found significant mediation of innovation between the MO-UP relationship. Hence, the results show that UP can be directly enhanced through MO and innovation. Even the use of innovation as a mediator can further strengthen the MO-UP relationship. Based on the findings, the study offers theoretical and practical implications, followed by its limitations and directions, for future research

Sulphur hexaflouride: low energy (e,2e) experiments and molecular three-body distorted wave theory

Experimental and theoretical triple differential ionisation cross-sections (TDCS’s) are presented for the highest occupied molecular orbital of sulphur hexafluoride. These measurements were performed in the low energy regime, with outgoing electron energies ranging from 5 to 40 eV in a coplanar geometry, and with energies of 10 and 20 eV in a perpendicular geometry. Complementary theoretical predictions of the TDCS were calculated using the molecular three-body distorted wave formalism. Calculations were performed using a proper average over molecular orientations as well as the orientation-averaged molecular orbital approximation. This more sophisticated model was found to be in closer agreement with the experimental data, however neither model accurately predicts the TDCS over all geometries and energies

Diagnostic Accuracy of Frailty Screening Methods in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Frail patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased hospitalisation and mortality rate. However, many popular frailty screening methods have not been validated in patients with CKD. This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of several frailty screening methods in patients with CKD G4-5 and those established on haemodialysis (G5D). METHODS: Ninety participants with CKD G4-5D were recruited from Nephrology Outpatient Clinics and 2 Haemodialysis Units between December 2016 and December 2017. Frailty was diagnosed using the Fried Frailty Phenotype. The following frailty screening tests were evaluated: Clinical Frailty Scale, PRISMA-7, CKD Frailty Index, CKD FI-LAB, walking speed, hand grip strength and Short Physical Performance Battery. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 69 years (SD ±13). One-third of participants were dialysis-dependent. Nineteen (21%) patients were categorised as frail, 42 (47%) as pre-frail and 29 (32%) as robust. Overall, walking speed was the most discriminative measure (AUC 0.97 [95% CI 0.93-1.00], sensitivity 0.84 [95% CI 0.62-0.94], specificity 0.96 [95% CI 0.88-0.99]). The Clinical Frailty Scale had the best performance of the non-physical assessment frailty screening methods (AUC 0.90 [95% CI 0.84-0.97], sensitivity 0.79 [95% CI 0.57-0.91], specificity 0.87 [95% CI 0.78-0.93]). CONCLUSIONS: Walking speed can be used to accurately screen for frailty in CKD populations. If it is not practical to perform a physical assessment to screen for frailty, the Clinical Frailty Scale is a useful alternative

The EX-FRAIL CKD Trial: a study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial of a home-based EXercise programme for pre-FRAIL and FRAIL, older adults with Chronic Kidney Disease

Introduction Frailty is highly prevalent in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with adverse health outcomes including falls, poorer health-related quality of life (HRQOL), hospitalisation and mortality. Low physical activity and muscle wasting are important contributors to physical frailty in adults with CKD. Exercise training may improve physical function and frailty status leading to associated improvements in health outcomes, including HRQOL. The EX-FRAIL CKD trial aims to inform the design of a definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT) that investigates the effectiveness of a progressive, multi-component home-based exercise programme in pre-frail and frail older adults with CKD. Methods and Analysis The EX-FRAIL CKD trial is a two-arm parallel group pilot RCT. Participants categorised as pre-frail or frail, following Frailty Phenotype assessment, will be randomised to receive exercise or usual care. Participants randomised to the intervention arm will receive a tailored 12-week exercise programme, which includes weekly telephone calls to advise on exercise progression. Primary feasibility outcome measures include rate of recruitment, intervention adherence, outcome measure completion and participant attrition. Semi-structured interviews with a purposively selected group of participants will inform the feasibility of the randomisation procedures, outcome measures and intervention. Secondary outcome measures include physical function (walking speed and Short Physical Performance Battery), frailty status (Frailty Phenotype), fall concern (Falls Efficacy Scale-International tool), activities of daily living (Barthel Index), symptom-burden (Palliative Care Outcome Scale-Symptoms RENAL) and HRQOL (Short Form-12v2). Ethics and Dissemination Ethical approval was granted by a National Health Service (NHS) Regional Ethics Committee and the NHS Health Research Authority. The study team aim to publish findings in a peer-reviewed journal and present the results at relevant national and international conferences. A summary of findings will be provided to participants, a local kidney patient charity and the funding body

The initiator methionine tRNA drives secretion of type II collagen from stromal fibroblasts to promote tumor growth and angiogenesis

Summary: Expression of the initiator methionine tRNA (tRNAi Met) is deregulated in cancer. Despite this fact, it is not currently known how tRNAi Met expression levels influence tumor progression. We have found that tRNAi Met expression is increased in carcinoma-associated fibroblasts, implicating deregulated expression of tRNAi Met in the tumor stroma as a possible contributor to tumor progression. To investigate how elevated stromal tRNAi Met contributes to tumor progression, we generated a mouse expressing additional copies of the tRNAi Met gene (2+tRNAi Met mouse). Growth and vascularization of subcutaneous tumor allografts was enhanced in 2+tRNAi Met mice compared with wild-type littermate controls. Extracellular matrix (ECM) deposited by fibroblasts from 2+tRNAi Met mice supported enhanced endothelial cell and fibroblast migration. SILAC mass spectrometry indicated that elevated expression of tRNAi Met significantly increased synthesis and secretion of certain types of collagen, in particular type II collagen. Suppression of type II collagen opposed the ability of tRNAi Metoverexpressing fibroblasts to deposit pro-migratory ECM. We used the prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor ethyl- 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (DHB) to determine whether collagen synthesis contributes to the tRNAi Met-driven pro-tumorigenic stroma in vivo. DHB had no effect on the growth of syngeneic allografts in wild-type mice but opposed the ability of 2+tRNAi Met mice to support increased angiogenesis and tumor growth. Finally, collagen II expression predicts poor prognosis in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Taken together, these data indicate that increased tRNAi Met levels contribute to tumor progression by enhancing the ability of stromal fibroblasts to synthesize and secrete a type II collagen-rich ECM that supports endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis

Antenatal corticosteroids and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in adolescents born preterm

Antenatal corticosteroid (ANCS) treatment hastens fetal lung maturity and improves survival of premature infants, but the long-term effects of ANCS are not well-described. Animal models suggest ANCS increases the risk of cardiovascular disease through programmed changes in the renin-angiotensin (Ang)-aldosterone system (RAAS). We hypothesized that ANCS exposure alters the RAAS in adolescents born prematurely

The rapid development of a novel kidney-specific digital intervention for self-management of physical activity and emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: Kidney Beam

King's College Hospital; Kidney Research UK; Beam; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under (NIHR301893), (NIHR301593), and (ICA-CL-2017-03-020)

Loss of BCL9/9l suppresses Wnt driven tumourigenesis in models that recapitulate human cancer.

Different thresholds of Wnt signalling are thought to drive stem cell maintenance, regeneration, differentiation and cancer. However, the principle that oncogenic Wnt signalling could be specifically targeted remains controversial. Here we examine the requirement of BCL9/9l, constituents of the Wnt-enhanceosome, for intestinal transformation following loss of the tumour suppressor APC. Although required for Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells and regeneration, Bcl9/9l deletion has no impact upon normal intestinal homeostasis. Loss of BCL9/9l suppressed many features of acute APC loss and subsequent Wnt pathway deregulation in vivo. This resulted in a level of Wnt pathway activation that favoured tumour initiation in the proximal small intestine (SI) and blocked tumour growth in the colon. Furthermore, Bcl9/9l deletion completely abrogated β-catenin driven intestinal and hepatocellular transformation. We speculate these results support the just-right hypothesis of Wnt-driven tumour formation. Importantly, loss of BCL9/9l is particularly effective at blocking colonic tumourigenesis and mutations that most resemble those that occur in human cancer

Equatorial winds on Saturn and the stratospheric oscillation

The zonal jets on the giant planets have been thought to be stable in time. A decline in the velocity of Saturn’s equatorial jet has been identified, on the basis of a comparison of cloud-tracking data across two decades, but the differences in cloud speeds have since been suggested to stem from changes in cloud altitude in combination with vertical wind shear, rather than from temporal changes in wind strength at a given height. Here, we combine observations of cloud tracks and of atmospheric temperatures taken by two instruments on the Cassini spacecraft to reveal a significant temporal variation in the strength of the high-altitude equatorial jet on Saturn. Specifically, we find that wind speeds at atmospheric pressure levels of 60 mbar, corresponding to Saturn’s tropopause, increased by about 20 m s^(−1) between 2004 and 2008, whereas the wind speed has been essentially constant over time in the southern equatorial troposphere. The observations further reveal that the equatorial jet intensified by about 60 m s^(−1) between 2005 and 2008 in the stratosphere, that is, at pressure levels of 1–5 mbar. Because the wind acceleration is weaker near the tropopause than higher up, in the stratosphere, we conclude that the semi-annual equatorial oscillation of Saturn’s middle atmosphere is also damped as it propagates downwards

Metal-macrofauna interactions determine microbial community structure and function in copper contaminated sediments

Peer reviewedPublisher PD