Effect of Parental Attitude on the Relationship between Children’s Exposure to Advertising and Their Purchase Request

This study tries to measure the relationship between children’s exposure to advertising and its effects on their purchase requests in Pakistan. It also seeks to know how parental control affects this relationship. Parental control, for the purpose of this study, has been operationalized through the dimension parental attitude towards advertising. This paper endeavours to add to an existing pool of research on children as consumers while focussing specifically on the consumer market in Pakistan. Previous researches on the topic, though exhaustive, have concentrated mainly on the Western consumer as the focus of analysis. This study expands on the concept by concentrating on Pakistan, where the cultural dimensions are far removed from the West. Since culture shapes individual attitudes and behaviours, therefore changing the context of the research has brought about significantly different results. This is an empirical study that employed data collection through structured questionnaire survey method. Data was gathered from mothers of 208 school-going children. The respondents were categorized into two age groups; mothers of children aged 5-8 and mothers of children aged 9-12. Six schools were chosen as sampling frames from Rawalpindi and Islamabad area. The responses were analysed as multiple response sets in SPSS. Findings validate previous researches and most of the proposed hypotheses are proven. Keywords: Parental, Pakistan, SPSS, Chil

Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysm Coiling without Assisted Techniques – A Good Alternative, Single Venture Experience

Objective:  To evaluate the result of a coiling of middle cerebral artery aneurysms without auxiliary techniques. Material and Methods:  This study was conducted from June 2010 to September 2019 in the Department of Neuroradiology, Punjab Institute of Neurosciences, Lahore. There were a total of 500 patients with unilateral and bilateral cerebral aneurysms at the MCA level that have been included in this study which comprise of both sexes. Results:  There was a total of 500 patients, which comprised of 200 (40%) men and 300 (60%) women. Their ages ranged from 22 to 65 years. The majority number of patients was in their fifth 180 (30%) and sixth decade 150 (30%) of life. In our study, a successful coiling was performed in 490 (98%) patients with minimal re-canalization of MCA aneurysms. In 10 (2%) procedure was unsuccessful due to vasospasm. Conclusion:  The conventional coiling in middle cerebral artery aneurysms can be effective and safe without auxiliary techniques

Acute ischemic stroke treatment barriers in Pakistan

Worldwide stroke is the second most common cause of death and the third most common cause of disability (1). No large-scale epidemiological studies are available to determine the true incidence of stroke in Pakistan. There is only one published stroke prevalence study which was conducted in a community residing in Karachi, the prevalence was 4.8%, however the results of the study should be interpreted with caution as a non-validated questionnaire was used. (2). Another community-based survey suggested as estimated 21.8% prevalence of stroke in an urban slum of Karachi (3). These studies although published in local journals but do not highlight the aspects of stroke treatment and prevalence. While the incidence is decreasing in high-income countries, it is increasing in low-income countries such as Pakistan, where there is not even a single established comprehensive stroke center with fully equipped facilities to do endovascular treatment of AIS. Medical advances in stroke treatment have greatly improved survival rates and disability from stroke during the last decade, these advances include cerebral angiographic techniques to remove the blood clot from brain vessels called Mechanical Thrombectomy. The quality of care and equipment available to stroke victims makes a world of difference. That is why the public needs to have access to the stroke center. Neurointerventional Radiology training and practice in Pakistan is still in early phases, being practiced in few leading hospitals of the country but no separate accredited postgraduate training program still available

To study the procurement process and develop a conceptual framework model in the Pakistani construction industry

Procurement of equipment and materials in any construction project holds a tremendous significance for the project to be completed on time and within the budget. In this research, procurement in the Pakistan’s construction industry has been studied and a conceptual framework in terms of e-procurement portal has been suggested to smoothly execute the process of e-procurement by mitigating the barriers involved in the concerned process. A questionnaire survey form has been developed and 100 responses have been recorded to take the input from industry experts on the proposed procurement framework. A total of 84 respondents out of 100 thought that the proposed framework will be a better way to solve the problems that come up during the procurement process. Furthermore, it was also found that the main reason for procurement delays in construction projects is lack of communication and coordination among different departments within an organization, to which the suggested framework can be used as a potential tool to deal with

Clinical profile and outcomes of paediatric patients with diabetic ketoacidosis at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to present an experience in the management and clinical features of 88 children presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) from Pakistan. METHODS: A retrospective medical chart review of all patients, \u3c or = 15 years of age, who presented to the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan in the last ten years with a diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis was carried out. Severity of DKA was defined as mild (venous pH \u3c 7.30 or bicarbonate=15mEq/l), moderate (venous pH \u3c 7.2 or bicarbonate = 10 mEq/l) and severe (venous pH \u3c 7 or bicarbonate \u3c 5 mEq/l). These classes correspond to 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees of diabetic ketoacidosis severity respectively. Cases in which diabetic ketoacidosis had occurred at onset of diabetic diagnosis were not included in the study. RESULTS: Mean age was 7.5 +/- 3.6 years; 58 (66%) patients were male. Twenty six patients had mild diabetic ketoacidosis, 44 had moderate while 18 had severe diabetic ketoacidosis at the time of presentation. Severity of diabetic ketoacidosis was significantly associated with the presence of infection, history of omission of insulin, poor compliance, presence of shock at time of presentation, length of stay in the hospital, final outcome (p \u3c 0.01 for each of these associations) and Glasgow Coma Scale score (p = 0.02). Mortality in this series was 3.4%. CONCLUSION: Poor compliance was associated with the severity of diabetic ketoacidosis. Paediatric endocrinologists\u27 should ensure that patients and their parents understand the importance of the need for regular insulin injections and regular monitoring of blood glucose

Contract management and performance characteristics: An empirical and managerial implication for Indonesia

This study intends to cover the relationship between contract management and performance characteristics from the context of Indonesia. To address this objective, contract management is observed as the main independent variable while performance through nine items is considered as dependent variable. A questionnaire is developed through some selected factors and distributed among various respondents, dealing directly or indirectly with the projects. A sample of 70 respondents is finalized with no missing values. Empirical findings suggest that for the firm performance different variables such as nature of the solution, cost & benefit analysis are significantly associated with the contract length. While project delivery and project quality are negatively associated with the contract length. Findings of the study are highly recommended for the contract managers and similar individuals, responsible for the smooth business performance. However, future studies can be conducted with the addition of more explanatory factors for contract management with better sample size. Manage-rial implication of the study defines that Government and construction companies should reconsider the stated factors for the improved results through resolution of the conflict with the customers, cost benefit analysis and timely delivery of the project with budgetary compliance