Organizational Justice and Employee Sustainability: The Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment

Purpose- The primary purpose of the study is to determine the impact of organizational justice (OJ) on employee sustainability. Along with that, it also describes how organizational commitment mediates this direct relationship. This study includes all dimensions of OJ which are distributive, procedural and interactional (interpersonal & informational) within the context of a developing country (Pakistan). Design/Methodology- This study has considered employees working in the banking sector of Pakistan. Two hundred ten questionnaires were received back from employees. Regression analysis was used to analyze direct relationships between variables, while smart partial least squares (PLS) were used for mediation analysis. Findings- Results demonstrated that all hypothesis were accepted and it was also confirmed that organizational commitment (OC) mediates the direct relationship between OJ and employee sustainability (ES). Originality/value- Multidimensional construct of organizational justice was tested in this study, in the context of a developing country (Pakistan), to address the research gap

Non-invasive prenatal determination of fetal RhD genotyping from maternal plasma: a preliminary study in Pakistan

Objectives: To determine the accuracy of the non-invasive pre-natal real-time polymerase chain reaction based fetal RhD genotyping from maternal plasma. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place And Duration Of Study: Juma Health Sciences Research Laboratory, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from July to December 2008. Methodology: Cell-free plasma DNA from 21 D-negative women with D-positive spouse between 20-39 weeks of gestation was tested for the presence of exon 5 region of RhD gene using real-time polymerase chain reaction. b-globin was employed as the house-keeping gene. Sensitivity and specificity of the real-time PCR-based non-invasive fetal RhD genotyping was obtained by calculating proportion of the D-positive fetuses that were D-positive at birth as well. Results: Of the 21 D-negative women 13 and 8 neonates were determined to be D-positive and D-negative, respectively, by serologic studies on cord blood samples at birth. RhD status was correctly determined in 17 of 21 cases. There were three false-positive and one false-negative results. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay was 92.3% (95% CI: 62.1, 99.6) and 62.5% (95% CI: 25.9, 89.8), respectively. The positive and negative predictive value of the assay was 80% (95% CI: 51.4, 94.7) and 83.3% (36.5, 99.1), respectively. Conclusion: These preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of non-invasive pre-natal diagnosis of fetal RhD status of D-negative mothers in Pakistan

Correlation of Maternal Anemia with Sonographic Placental Thickness

Anemia is a condition in which hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and/or red blood cell (RBC) numbers are lower than normal and insufficient to meet an individual’s physiological needs, it affects roughly one-third of the world’s population.Objective: To correlate the maternal anemia with placental thickness ultrasonographically.Methodology: Toshiba Nemio17 with Convex array transducer 3-5 MHz frequency was used. Patient were in spine position. Measurements of placental thickness were performed in the mid portion of the placenta, perpendicular to its long axis. The study was conducted at Gillani Ultrasound Centre and Mansoorah Teaching Hospital Lahore. Data of 110 patients was collected through cross-sectional, analytical study. Convenient Sampling Technique was used to analyze data. Statistical software for social sciences (SPSS version 22.0) is used for the analysis of data.Results: Out of 110 patients 44.5% patients were in 2nd trimester and 55.5% patients were in their 3rd trimester. In our study 26.4% patients had normal hemoglobin, 43.6% patients were diagnosed with moderate anemia and 30% patients were diagnosed with mild anemia. Hemoglobin rates varied between 7 g/dL to 15.40 g/dL. Placental thickness varied between 10.50mm and to 56.50mm. 9 patients had normal placental thickness, 89 had thick placenta and 12 had thin placenta. In 2nd trimester minimum placental thickness was noted 15.7 mm and maximum placental thickness was 47.2 mm. In 3rd trimester minimum placental thickness was noted as 10.5 mm and maximum thickness 56.5 mm. In normal placental thickness minimum hemoglobin was noted as 7 g/dL and maximum was 15.5 g/dL. In thick placenta minimum hemoglobin noted was; 7.8 g/dL and maximum hemoglobin was 15.4 g/dL. In thin placental thickness minimum hemoglobin was 8.9 g/dL and maximum was 11.2 g/dl. Majority patients came with hemoglobin rates between 8 to 11 (g/dL) and less than 5 patients came with hemoglobin 7 g/dL. In patients with mild anemia mean placental thickness was 30.57 mm. In patients with moderate anemia had mean placental thickness of 33.72 mm and in patients with normal anemia had mean placental thickness of 30.39 mm. Out of 110 patients, 29 had no anemia and from these 3 patients were found with normal placental thickness 4 with thick placenta and 2 were with thin. 81 patients who were diagnosed with anemia had normal placental thickness in 6 patients, 65 had thick placenta and 10 patients were found with thick placenta.Conclusion:We concluded that, maternal anemia has adverse effects on placental thickness and gestational age. In the present study we found that morphological and histological changes in placenta of anemic mother is undertaken, to study the effects of anemia on morphology of placenta and fetal outcomes. Keywords: Ultrasound (US), anemia, placenta, placental thickness DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/81-02 Publication date:October 31st 202

Sonographic Association of Cholelithiasis with Obstructive Jaundice in Adult Patients

Background: Cholelithiasis is the commonest cause of obstructive jaundice and for the investigation of cholelithiasis and obstructive jaundice ultrasound is a gold standard modality. Obstructive jaundice is generally due to biliary obstruction, which is a blockage of the common bile duct or any duct that carries bile from the liver to the gallbladder and then enters into the small intestine. Objective: To determine sonographic association of cholelithiasis with obstructive jaundice in adult patients. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted among 138 individuals. All were young adults within the age range of 18-35 years. Data was collected from Civil Hospital Gujranwala city, by using simple random sampling technique. The examination was done with Toshiba Xario 3.5-5MHz curvilinear transducer. Gallbladder scan was started with the patient in the supine position from both subcostal and intercostal approaches. It was analyzed through SPSS version 24.0 and presented through frequency and percentages. Results: Total 138 individuals were included in this study. Out of 138 subjects, 69 individuals with cholelithiasis out of 69, 24 individuals with obstructive jaundice. And other 69 individuals without cholelithiasis in which 26 subjects presented with jaundice. It was found that females (51.4%) were more commonly affected than males (48.6%).Conclusion: It was concluded that cholelithiasis is one of the main causes of obstructive jaundice and ultrasound can easily diagnose the cases of cholelithiasis. It was found that females were more commonly affected than males. Keywords: cholelithiasis, obstructive jaundice, jaundice, ultrasound. DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/72-04 Publication date:March 31st 202

Frequent hypomethylation of PTGS2 gene promoter in human term placenta

Background: Gene expression profiles of several tumor suppressor genes are regulated by the methylation and demethylation of their promoters. Here, we aim to identify and quantify the methylation status of four tumor suppressor genes from placentas at term and compare them with the maternal white-blood-cells. Methods: In order to achieve this objective, DNA enriched from twenty placentas at term and maternal white blood cells was bisulfite-converted and amplified using quantitative real-time methyl-light polymerase chain reaction for the four-genes studied (RASSF1A, APC, RAR-beta, and PTGS2). Results: Among the four genes examined, RASSF1A, APC and RAR-beta promoter regions were hypermethylated in all the placental samples compared with maternal WBCs. Strikingly, PTGS2 was found to be hypomethylated in the placentas compared to the maternal cells. Conclusion: Since placental DNA represents fetal methylation profile and it is an established fact that there is certain amount of cell free circulating DNA in human plasma/serum, these data strongly suggest that hypermethylation of RASSF1A, APC and RAR-beta can be used as gender independent biomarkers to distinctly identify placental DNA in maternal blood. In addition, this is the first report which demonstrates hypomethylation of PTGS2 locus which may have important clinical implications e.g. placental abnormalities

Attitude of overseas Pakistani students towards modular examination.

oai:mmcedupk_jmmcfinal.jmmc.mmc.edu.pk:article/8Introduction: Modularization an innovative initiative taken by educational institutes around the globe to increase the student’s productivity and efficiency.   Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitude regarding modularization in overseas Pakistani students. Methodology: A cross sectional survey was conducted at the International Medical College of one of the public sector university during December 2012 till February 2014. A total of 425 undergraduate students were approached through non-probability convenience sampling technique and requested to fill a semi structured questionnaire after taking written consent. Result: According to the outset of this paper a total of 425 students were questioned. Among the total 189 students were male (44.47%) and 236 were female (55.52%) out of which the majority belonged from North America/Canada (79.06%). A vast percentage (48.94) invested of about 2 hours of study daily. 63.06% of students believed modular examination to be a fair system and 32.94% of students thought it to be a failure to affect any educational standards. 36% of students blame stress/load for their poor result and 31.06% agrees with the lengthy syllabus being responsible for their down showing GPA’s. 43.06% of students face hardships because of irregular attendance. The major complaint of students (39%) was their teaching style. 46.12% of students prefer to study from lecture notes. Thus, this study completely clears all the aspects of student’s performance in modular system of examinations and its flow and shortcomings. It is important that more effort should be put into cater to student’s stress, loads and make it an effective system to improve a student’s capability and efficiency.  Conclusion: The findings of this study can guide us to revise and reshape the assessment system practiced at various medical colleges in Karachi

Data Migration in Cloud: A Systematic Review

Data migration needs to  securely transfer for maintaining confidentiality such that migration can strongly and effectively done with no data loss due to active attacks . Many techniques and methods have already been proposed by researchers around the world to secure data migration. This paper provides a critical overview of these problems and solutions and giving a proposed solution for data migration that is Attunity which can help to optimize data for replicating and transferring data thus providing a simple, faster and safer path to accelerate data by providing

Range for normal body temperature in the general population of Pakistan.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the range for normal body temperature in the general population of Pakistan and to determine if any age, sex and ambient temperature related variations exist in body temperature. Moreover, to compare how much axillary temperature differs from oral temperature measurements. METHODS: Oral as well as left and right axillary temperature recordings were made using an ordinary mercury-in-glass thermometer in 200 healthy individuals accompanying patients at various clinics at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) between mid-May to mid-June 2006. Data analysis was done using Epi Info version 3.3. RESULTS: The range for Normal Oral Temperatures fell between 97 degrees F to 99.8 degrees F (mean 98.4 degrees F). There were no significant age related (p=0.68) and ambient temperature related variations (p=0.51) in body temperature, but women had slightly higher normal temperatures than men (mean 98.5 degrees F vs. 98.3 degrees F; p=0.01). A wide variation existed in the difference between oral and axillary temperatures, with axillary temperatures ranging up to 2.6 degrees F lower or up to 1.1 degrees F higher than the oral temperatures (mean difference = 0.85 degrees F). The correlation between oral and axillary temperatures increased at higher oral temperatures (p=0.009). CONCLUSION: There is a range for Normal Body Temperature and any temperature above 98.6 degrees F/37 degrees C is not necessarily pathological. Women appear to have higher body temperatures. As there is no uniform oral equivalent of axillary temperature, the latter should be interpreted with caution

Security of Information in Cloud Computing: A Systematic Review

Data storage in cloud have become a great concern today. Many encryption and decryption methods have already been proposed to secure cloud data but everything comes with its pros and cons, this paper provides a critical overview of these cryptography techniques, issues and solutions regarding its security and availability