Assessment of asthma control using the asthma control test at a tertiary care centre in Karachi, Pakistan

The aim of our study was to assess asthma control among asthmatics at a tertiary care setting in Karachi using ACT questionnaire. The ACT questionnaire was filled by known asthmatics in January 2007. A total of 150 questionnaires were filled of which, 61 (40%) were males and 89 (60%) females. Mean ACT score was 17.71 +/- 4.41. Association between sex and asthma control was not statistically significant. Significant association was seen with asthma control and Ipratropium bromide inhaler. Asthma control among patients at a tertiary care centre is moderate. ACT can be used to follow patients in the hospital

Frequency of endometriosis among infertile women and association of clinical signs and symptoms with the laparoscopic staging of endometriosis

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the frequency of endometriosis in women who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy for evaluation of infertility and the association of clinical, ultrasonographic and laparoscopic findings of endometriosis with the laparoscopic stages of the disease.METHOD: It was a retrospective study of women presenting to gynaecologic clinics of the Aga Khan University Hospital from January 1999 to December 2005 with primary complaint of primary or secondary infertility and were diagnosed with endometriosis through laparoscopy. Relevant demographic and clinical information was entered and analyzed in SPSS version 14.0.RESULTS: The frequency of endometriosis in women with primary compliant of infertility was found to be 16.8%. Statistically significant associations was found between staging of the disease and thin built (p=0.007) and restricted uterine mobility on pelvic examination (p=0.035). The patients\u27 ultrasound and laparoscopic examination showed significant association with staging of the disease with the presence of cysts on ultrasound (p-value \u3c 0.0001) and adhesions on laparoscopy (p valu

A Measure of Robustness Against Multiple Kinds of Perturbations

Parallel and distributed heterogeneous computing systems may operate in an environment that undergoes unpredictable changes causing certain system performance features to degrade. Such systems need robustness to guarantee limited degradation despite fluctuations in the behavior of its component parts or environment. Our previous work in this area presented a method for generating a measure of robustness for a given system. However, the focus of that approach was on a scenario where all perturbations were of the same kind, e.g., all perturbations were in message sizes or computation times, but not both message sizes and computation times. This paper gives an extended discussion of the case where perturbations could be of different kinds, and presents some new insights

A Probabilistic Approach to Measuring Robustness in Computing Systems

System builders are becoming increasingly interested in robust design. We believe that a methodology for generating robustness metrics will help the robust design research efforts and, in general, is an important step in the efforts to create robust computing systems. the purpose of the research in this paper is to quantify the robustness of a resource allocation, with the eventual objective of setting a standard that could easily be instantiated for a particular computing system to generate a robustness metric. We present our theoretical foundation for a robustness metric and give its instantiation for a particular system. © 2007 IEEE

A Taxonomy of Network Computing Systems

Rapid advances in networking and microprocessor technologies have led to the emergence of Internet-wide distributed computing systems ranging from simple LAN-based clusters to planetary-scale networks. As these network computing systems evolve by combining the best features of existing systems, differences among NCs are blurring. To address this problem, researchers have proposed formal taxonomies of NC systems. We propose a new taxonomy that is both broad enough to encompass all NC systems and simple enough to be widely used

Development of stress-induced cardiomyopathy after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy

Pseudomyxoma Peritonei, a massive mucinous peritoneal collection due to a rare epithelial neoplasm, can be effectively treated with Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC). A 43-year-old female, previously treated for mucinous ovarian carcinoma with CRS-HIPEC, and total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, presented with new-onset abdominal distension and early satiety. She was diagnosed with Pseudomyxoma Peritonei. After 48 hours of treatment with CRS-HIPEC, she presented haemodynamically unstable with acute chest pain. Electrocardiogram showed broad complex tachycardia with ST depression in leads V3-6. Severe systolic dysfunction with Ejection Fraction (EF) of 20% along with severe pulmonary hypertension, visualized on Echocardiography. A diagnosis of Stress-induced Cardiomyopathy was established using InterTAK Diagnostic Score. Patients with CRS-HIPEC have presented with Stress-induced Cardiomyopathy. However, no specific relation between the two has been established. This case report discusses Stress-induced Cardiomyopathy as a complication of CRS-HIPEC

Language Shift: A Case of Punjabi Language in Sahiwal District, Pakistan.

This study inspects the Punjabi language speakers’ attitude which constitutes a threat towards their mother tongue Punjabi in the district of Sahiwal, Punjab where the native users are shifting from their mother tongue to the other language. Questionnaire and observation were used to trace out the trends of shift in this scenario. The results of the study demonstrate that Punjabi speakers are not so much faithful with their native language. This scenario poses a threat to Punjabi language and such speakers’ perceptions have brought the major language of the country at a point where new directions and accords are spreading very rapidly in the speech groups and within a few generations this language can die a disastrous death.Key words: language, shift, maintenance, loyalty.DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/71-06Publication date: September 30th 202

Attitudes Towards English at English Language Centers in Dadu District of Sindh Pakistan

The study aimed at gaining an insight into the attitudes of students towards English. It is tried in the paper to explore the mentality of the students and the people around them, towards English language through different questions related to English language and their point of view regarding those questions. The study further explores the current position of English in the context of interior Sindh through the views of the participants pursuing language courses. The study also explores the reasons behind the expansion and popularity of English language and language centers. The motives of the students to go to learn English also explored in the study along with the role of the elite class and the state in the spread of English and the agenda of past colonial powers. The study used five questions to analyze the attitudes of the learners. The results suggested that the state and the past colonial powers have succeeded in keeping our minds colonized Keywords: EFL, ESL, ATTITUDES, ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTERES DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/58-04 Publication date:July 31st 201

The role of mucin-educated platelet activation in tumor invasiveness: An unfolding concern in the realm of cancer biology

Metastasis is a complex and well-coordinated phenotypic transformation of cancer cells governed by aberrant genetic and molecular pathways. It has been approved as the most consistent cause of cancer death. With emerging insight into the genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics, progress has been made and reasonably large number of molecular pathways of metastasis has been forwarded, but our understanding of precise underlying molecular mechanisms remains largely scarce. It has been well-known for around a decade and more that platelets are intriguingly contributing to the cancer metastasis. However, it is only recently that cancer cells can activate platelets have started to become apparent. Surprisingly, platelets in response to cancer cell activation, supported by research observations, allow cancer cells to escape immune removal, prolong survival in vascular compartment, increased cellular adhesion and develop new cellular niches which eventually help to favor cancer metastasis. Although a widely acknowledged plausible explanation that cancer cells activate platelets to facilitate in their distant spread, the description of this remains to be confirmed. In recent years, mucins, heavily glycosylated peptide structure, have been introduced to be released by several types of cancer cells. They account for poor prognosis in wide array of malignancies, because of their significant ability to induce metastatic process. The mechanism responsible for their increased metastatic propensity remains uncharacterized, but recent work suggested the role of cancer expressed mucins in initiating platelet thrombus. The association of cancer yield mucins, platelets and metastasis therefore suggests a pressing need to explore novel molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets thereafter

The Practice of Code Mixing and Code Switching among Students of ELDC Muet Jamshoro

This research study is about the practice and influence of using English code mixing and switching among students of ELDC MUET Jamshoro. The students are Sindhi/Urdu speakers and mix these languages for communication. This study investigates the causes and effects of code mixing and switching. It reveals the factors which cause failure and success in exams and understand how to avoid this practice of code mixing in English language classrooms of ELDC.  In this study all the theories are mentioned which are used in theoretical framework such as the theory of grammar and its usage, language acquisition, imitation theory and inter-language theory. In this study, qualitative research method is applied; content analysis is used for data collection, its analysis and also presentation. The results and findings show that code mixing and switching has great influence on language performance of students, it causes failure and success in exams, and students feel shy to speak English in front of teachers and other students. This practice creates lack of confidence in students and they fail to master the skills of English language. This study also indicate that teachers are the main roles to avoid this practice of code mixing and switching, they are needed to avail trainings and strategies of pedagogy to apply in language classrooms. Keywords: code mixing; switching; students; classroom; language DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/77-03 Publication date:March 31st 202