Introduction:Blood donation is necessary in order to maintain an adequate supply of blood to patients who are suffering from any kind of disease or trauma, which requires them to have blood transfusion. Female non-blood donors are generally low in number. Therefore, this research was carried out to assess the main reasons behind the lack of blood donations made by females, and their knowledge, attitude and perceptions towards voluntary blood donation.Methodology:A cross-sectional study was conducted on 664 female health professionals, who were selected by non-probability convenience sampling from two tertiary care hospitals. A pretested questionnaire was presented to the sample population, and the data was entered and analyzed on SPSS (V17).Results:94.6 % were aware with the fact that blood is screened for AIDS, Hepatitis B and C before transfusion. Moreover, 83.7% said that they will only donate blood if a family, relative or friend would need it and similarly 83.4% suggested that they would donate blood if blood donation camps are arranged in hospital premises. 81.8 % thought that blood donors can contract Hepatitis B after donation whereas only 29.5% did not blood due already blood loss in menstrual cycle.Conclusion:The participants had adequate knowledge about the benefits of blood donation. The most important reason identified for not donating blood is the lack of facilities within the workplace or lack of approach by responsible authorities. The results of the study may help in minimizing the misconceptions of the participants about blood transfusion, which would increase their contribution towards blood donation.

BackgroundGlobally, approximately 14.6% children are born with low birth weight (LBW) annually. In Pakistan, this figure however reaches approximately 16%. Low birth weight infants are vulnerable to develop early morbidities like hypothermia, hypoglycemia, respiratory distress syndrome and hypocalcemia. There is a scarcity of statistics which creates a gap in development of strategies for improving quality of care in developing countries. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of early morbidities such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), hypoglycemia, hypothermia and hypocalcemia in low birth weight neonates.MethodologyA prospective descriptive study was conducted via non-probability sampling technique from 1st April 2016 to 30th September 2016 at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. All low birth weight infants, i.e., those with birth weight < 2500 grams were included in this study and observed for early morbidities, including hypothermia, hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia and respiratory distress syndrome. Descriptive analysis was done using SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), mean and standard deviation were determined for quantitative variables, whereas frequency and percentages were calculated for qualitative variables.ResultsA total of 2082 neonates were born during the study period, of which 271 (13%) were born with low birth weight. One hundred and eighty-five (68.1%) of these LBW neonates were preterm babies while 86 (31.9%) were born at term. Among LBW neonates 137 (51.0%) were males and 134 (49.0%) females. In the study population, hypoglycemia was seen in 17.3%, hypocalcemia in 13.6%, respiratory distress syndrome in 11%, and hypothermia in 2.5%.ConclusionOur study highlighted major early morbidities of LBW neonates, and their association with birth weight, gestational age and gender. Significant association of birth weight was found with hypothermia and hypocalcemia, whereas hypocalcemia and RDS were significantly associated with gestational age. However, none of the early morbidities had significant association with gender. Keeping in perspective the early morbidities in this population we propose that priority be given to providing adequate attention to low birth weight neonates.

Background: Hereditary neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) result in progressive disability with no definitive disease modifying treatments. There is a delay in diagnosis, and lack of awareness among affected individuals about these disorders, which can affect quality of life of patients. Objective: The aim of this study is to identify gaps in patient knowledge, factors affecting attitudes toward the diagnoses, and specific practices to create better awareness among patients and healthcare providers to improve care and overall outcomes. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 130 patients diagnosed with an NMD, recruited from the outpatient neurology clinics at the Aga Khan University Hospital. After telephonic consent, a 28 item survey questionnaire was administered. Knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were measured. Results: One hundred and thirty of 198 study participants responded. The average age was 26.3 years; 75% were male. More than 38% (n = 50) had a middle grade or less education. The average knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 7.9, 2.7, and 3.8 respectively. There was a low but statistically significant correlation between knowledgeattitude and attitude-practice scores. Almost 80% of respon-dents believed that dystrophy or spinal muscular atrophy is curable, while a majority considered that physical activity should be avoided. Conclusions: Our study presents new insights into the role of clarifying misconceptions about NMD and to correct attitudes among patients, their families and communities. It underscores the need for early interventions with demonstrably positive effects on disease progression such as physical therapy, as well as emphasizes the provision of accessible and affordable centers for such services.

Non-functioning pituitary adenomas account for 30% of anterior pituitary tumours. Based on their inability to secrete hormones, these are often diagnosed incidentally or due to pressure symptoms. Understanding the pathogenesis of these adenomas can provide insight into factors leading to its progression and serving as biomarkers for early recognition. A literature search was performed in the current narrative review for articles published in PubMed for the last 10 years till January 2020 on micro-ribonucleic acid involved in the pathogenesis of non-functioning pituitary adenomas. Of the 478 articles found, 21(4.4%) were filtered. In total, 106 micro-ribonucleic acids were identified, 25(23.5%) of which appeared in more than one study. Among them, 7(28%)were up-regulated, 11(44%) down-regulated, and 7(28%) were either up- or down-regulated. Micro- ribonucleic acids allow the screening, diagnosis and treatment of diseases in a relatively easy and inexpensive manner. Continuous...

This article argues that industrial zones in Palestine do not effectively promote Palestinian economic development. The article rests on a historical, spatial, and economic analysis of the political economy of industrial zones in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. By examining the nature and functionality of these zones through different methodological lenses, it is clear that the industrial zones in Palestine fail on two levels. Firstly, as successful export-processing zones and employment generating programs, the zones are unable to deliver their intended results. On the other hand, even when they do succeed, their performance is limited and does not contribute to a holistic, democratic, and egalitarian notion of economic development. In fact, the benefits accrued are often channeled to Palestinian elites and foreign capital, at the expense of popular Palestinian economic needs such as viable employment, healthcare, housing, food security, and domestic investment. Moreover, the zones work well within the confines of the Israeli Occupation and seem to entrench aspects of its overarching architecture. Lastly, this article argues that industrial zones in Palestine are elements in a wider political and economic project that is being increasingly defined by political, economic, and spatial fragmentation. The emerging social topography is in fact a spatial effect produced by the convergence of Palestinian capitalist class power, international financial institutions (IFIs), the Israeli Occupation, and the expansion of foreign capital. The effect is a future Palestinian state that is highly undemocratic, corrupt, and rife with inequality.