Journal articles on the topic 'Aga Khan University. Library'

The purpose of this paper is to report on an investigation of the service quality of the Aga Khan University library in Kenya. The total quality management philosophy which forms the basis of this report has been demonstrated by the use of SERVQUAL, a user-based assessment tool, in the evaluation of service quality. The research was conducted among 123 Aga Khan University library users – nursing and medical faculty and nursing and medical students – with an aim to investigate the quality of its services based on the satisfaction of library users with the services and as expressed by and based on users’ expectations and perceptions. The data was gathered through the SERVQUAL structured questionnaire and a 63% response rate was realized. The findings generally established that the expectations of Aga Khan University library users are higher than their perceptions. The results also show that there are service quality gaps in a number of services offered by the library. This research is deemed important as there is lack of information showing libraries in Kenya having involved library users in service quality evaluation through the use of objective and user-based tools. Thus this paper may lead to libraries in Kenya embracing objective measurement tools for the evaluation of library service quality. It is hoped that this article will contribute to a better understanding of philosophies such as total quality management in an academic library environment in developing countries, users’ expectations and perceptions of quality.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report the training of college librarians, academic and management staff, IT managers and students on how to organise, manage and use a user-friendly library. In Uganda, as in many countries, the problem is that school and/or college libraries are managed by librarians who may have good cataloguing and management skills, but who do not have the pedagogic skills and knowledge of the school curricula that are necessary for librarians to be able to guide and mentor both teachers and students or organise curriculum-related activities or facilitate research. The development of user-friendly libraries contributes in improving education quality through nurturing the interest of students and teachers in literacy activities and active search for knowledge. Under the stewardship of the Belgium Technical Cooperation and the Ministry of Education in Uganda, library stakeholders were trained on how to put users – rather than themselves – in the centre of the library’s operations and introduced to active teaching and learning methodologies and activities with emphasis on getting engaged in transforming spaces, services, outreach to users and collections. Several measures, short and long term were taken to address the gaps limiting the performance of the librarians. Given the disparities in the trainees’ education level and work experience, the training was delivered in seven modules divided into three units for over eight months in 2015. By the end of the training, trainees developed unique library strategic plan, library policies and procedures, capacity to use library systems, physical design and maintenance systems, partnerships, library structure and staff job descriptions. Design/methodology/approach To effectively engage the participants each topic was conducted using active teaching and learning (ATL) methodologies, including: lecture with slides and hands-on practice – each topic was introduced in a lecture form with slides and hands-on exercises. The main goal was to introduce the participants to the concepts discussed, offer opportunities to explore alternative approaches, as well define boundaries for discussion through brainstorming. The question-answer approach kept the participants alert and to start thinking critically on the topic discussed – brainstorming sessions allowed thinking beyond the presentation room, drawing from personal experiences to provide alternatives to anticipated challenges. The goal here was for the participants to provide individual choices and approaches for real life problems; group discussions: case study/ scenario and participant presentations – participants were provided with a scenario and asked to provide alternative approaches that could solve the problem based on their personal experience at their colleges. By the end of the group discussion, participants presented a draft of the deliverable as per the topic under discussion. More so, group discussions were an excellent approach to test participant’s teamwork skills and ability to compromise, as well as respecting team decisions. It was an opportunity to see how librarians will work with the library committees. Group discussions further initiated and cemented the much-needed librarian–academic staff – college management relationship. During the group discussion, librarians, teaching staff, ICT staff and college management staff, specifically the Principals and Deputy Principals interacted freely thus starting and cultivating a new era of work relationship between them. Individual presentation: prior to the workshop, participants were sent instructions to prepare a presentation on a topic. For example, participants were asked to provide their views of what a “user-friendly library” would look like or what would constitute a “user-friendly library”; the college library of HTC-Mulago was asked to talk about their experience working with book reserves, challenges faced and plans they have to address the challenges, while the college librarian from NTC-Kaliro was asked to describe a situation where they were able to assist a patron, the limitations they faced and how they addressed them. Doing so did not only assist to emotionally prepare the participants for the training but also helped to make them start thinking about the training in relation to their libraries and work. Take-home assignment: at the end of each session, participants were given home assignments to not only revise the training material but also prepare for the next day training. Further the take-home assignments provided time for the participants to discuss with their colleagues outside of the training room so as to have a common ground/ understanding on some of the very sensitive issues. Most interesting assignment was when participants were asked to review an article and to make a presentation in relation to their library experiences. Participant reports: participant reports resulted from the take-home assignments and participants were asked to make submission on a given topic. For example, participants were asked to review IFLA section on library management and write a two-page report on how such information provided supported their own work, as well as a participant report came from their own observation after a library visit. Invited talks with library expert: two invited talks by library experts from Consortium of Uganda University Libraries and Uganda Library and Information Science Association with the goal to share their experience, motivate the participants to strive higher and achieve great things for their libraries. Library visitation: there were two library visits conducted on three separate days – International Hospital Kampala (IHK) Library, Makerere University Library and Aga Khan University Hospital Library. Each of these library visits provided unique opportunities for the participants to explore best practices and implement similar practices in their libraries. Visual aids – videos, building plans and still photos: these were visual learning aids to supplement text during the lectures because they carried lot of information while initiating different thoughts best on the participants’ past experience and expertise. The training advocated for the use of ATL methodologies and likewise similar methodologies were used to encourage participants do so in their classrooms. Findings Addressing Key Concerns: Several measures, both long and short term, were taken to address the gaps limiting the performance of the librarians. The measures taken included: selected representative sample of participants including all college stakeholders as discussed above; active teaching and learning methodologies applied in the training and blended in the content of the training materials; initiated and formulated approaches to collaborations, networks and partnerships; visited different libraries to benchmark library practices and encourage future job shadowing opportunities; and encouraged participants to relate freely, understand and value each other’s work to change their mindsets. College librarians were encouraged to ensure library priorities remain on the agenda through advocacy campaigns. Short-term measures: The UFL training was designed as a practical and hands-on training blended with individual and group tasks, discussions, take-home assignments and presentations by participants. This allowed participates to engage with the material and take responsibility for their own work. Further, the training material was prepared with a view that librarians support the academic life of teaching staff and students. Participants were tasked to develop and later fine-tune materials designed to support their work. For example, developing a subject bibliography and posting it on the library website designed using open source tools such as Google website, Wikis, blogs. The developed library manual includes user-friendly policies and procedures referred to as “dos and don’ts in the library” that promote equitable open access to information; drafting book selection memos; new book arrivals lists; subscribing to open access journals; current awareness services and selective dissemination of information service displays and electronic bulletins. Based on their library needs and semester calendar, participants developed action points and timelines to implement tasks in their libraries at the end of each unit training. Librarians were encouraged to share their experiences through library websites, Facebook page, group e-mail/listserv and Instagram; however, they were challenged with intimate internet access. College libraries were rewarded for their extraordinary job. Given their pivotal role in the management and administration of financial and material resources, on top of librarians, the participants in this training were college administrators/ management, teaching and ICT staff, researchers and student leadership. Participants were selected to address the current and future needs of the college library. These are individuals that are perceived to have a great impact towards furthering the college library agenda. The practical nature of this training warranted conducting the workshops from developed but similar library spaces, for example, Aga Khan University Library and Kampala Capital City, Makerere University Library, International Hospital Kampala Library and Uganda Christian University Library. Participants observed orientation sessions, reference desk management and interviews, collection management practices, preservation and conservation, secretarial bureau management, etc. Long-term measures: Changing the mindset of librarians, college administrators and teaching staff is a long-term commitment which continues to demand for innovative interventions. For example: job shadowing allowed college librarian short-term attachments to Makerere University Library, Uganda Christian University Library, Aga Khan Hospital University Library and International Hospital Kampala Library – these libraries were selected because of their comparable practices and size. The mentorship programme lasted between two-three weeks; on-spot supervision and follow-up visits to assess progress with the action plan by the librarians and college administration and college library committee; ensuring that all library documents – library strategic plan, library manual, library organogram, etc are approved by the College Governing Council and are part of the college wide governing documents; and establishing the library committee with a job description for each member – this has strengthened the library most especially as an advocacy tool, planning and budgeting mechanism, awareness channel for library practices, while bringing the library to the agenda – reemphasizing the library’s agenda. To bridge the widened gap between librarians and the rest of the stakeholders, i.e. teaching staff, ICT staff, college administration and students, a college library committee structure and its mandate were established comprising: Library Committee Chairperson – member of the teaching staff; Library Committee Secretary – College Librarian; Student Representative – must be a member of the student Guild with library work experience; and Representative from each college academic department. A library consortium was formed involving all the four project supported colleges to participate in resource sharing practices, shared work practices like shared cataloguing, information literacy training, reference interview and referral services as well a platform for sharing experiences. A library consortium further demanded for automating library functions to facilitate collaboration and shared work. Plans are in place to install Koha integrated library system that will cultivate a strong working relationship between librarians and students, academic staff, college administration and IT managers. This was achieved by ensuring that librarians innovatively implement library practices and skills acquired from the workshop as well as show their relevance to the academic life of the academic staff. Cultivating relationships takes a great deal of time, thus college librarians were coached on: creating inclusive library committees, timely response to user needs, design library programmes that address user needs, keeping with changing technology to suite changing user needs, seeking customer feedback and collecting user statistics to support their requests, strengthening the library’s financial based by starting a secretarial bureau and conducting user surveys to understand users’ information-seeking behaviour. To improve the awareness of new developments in the library world, college librarians were introduced to library networks at national, regional and international levels, as a result they participated in conferences, workshops, seminars at local, regional and international level. For example, for the first time and with funding from Belgium Technical Cooperation, college librarians attended 81st IFLA World Library and Information Congress in South African in 2015. College libraries are now members of the Consortium of Uganda University Libraries and Uganda Library and Information Science Association and have attended meetings of these two very important library organisations in Uganda’s LIS profession. The college librarians have attended meetings and workshops organized by these two organisations. Originality/value At the end of the three units training, participants were able to develop: a strategic plan for their libraries; an organogram with staffing needs and job description matching staff functions; a Library Committee for each library and with a structure unifying all the four project-support Colleges; a library action plan with due dates including deliverables and responsibilities for implementation; workflow plan and organisation of key sections of the library such as reserved and public spaces; furniture and equipment inventory (assets); a library manual and collection development policy; partnerships with KCCA Library and Consortium of Uganda University Libraries; skills to use Koha ILMS for performing library functions including: cataloguing, circulation, acquisitions, serials management, reporting and statistics; skills in searching library databases and information literacy skills; skills in designing simple and intuitive websites using Google Sites tools; and improved working relationship between the stakeholders was visible. To further the user-friendly libraries principle of putting users in the centre of the library’s operations, support ATL methodologies and activities with emphasis on getting engaged in transforming spaces, services, outreach to users and collections the following initiatives are currently implemented in the colleges: getting approval of all library policy documents by College Governing Council, initiating job shadowing opportunities, conducting on-spot supervision, guide libraries to set up college library committees and their job description, design library websites, develop dissemination sessions for all library policies, incorporate user-friendly language in all library documents, initiate income generation activities for libraries, set terms of reference for library staff and staffing as per college organogram, procurement of library tools like DDC and library of congress subject headings (LCSH), encourage attendance to webinars and space planning for the new libraries.

Background: Hemorrhoidal disease is the commonest benign anal condition diagnosed in the outpatient setup. Interventional treatment options range widely, from office-based procedures to hemorrhoidectomy. Laser technology increasingly is in use in the field of proctology. We present our index clinical outcomes following laser haemorrhoidoplasty (LHP). Methodology: Retrospective cross-sectional study of 21 consecutive patients who underwent LHP between 2015 and 2018 under a single surgeon. Their outcomes were compared with a group of patients who underwent the standard open hemorrhoidectomy over the same period of time. Results: Postoperatively, 85.7% of patients post-LHP had a better pain score (mild) compared with 66.7% in the open hemorrhoidectomy group. The mean operative time in minutes was shorter for LHP, 29.67±17.50 versus 39.20±20.77 in the open group. Duration of hospital stay in days between the two groups were similar; LHP group median=1(1–3), open group median =1(1–3). Rates of infection, recurrence and urinary complications were however higher in the laser group, 4.8%, 9.5% and 9.5% respectively compared with the open hemorrhoidectomy group that were 0%, 6.7% and 6.7 % respectively. Both groups had no reported cases of stool or flatus incontinence. Conclusion: Laser haemorrhoidoplasty is associated with reduced pain scores and shorter operative time than open hemorrhoidectomy. Duration of hospital stay was similar in both groups. The rate of complications was high in the study group. Keywords: Laser haemorrhoidoplasty, Pain score, Complications, Open hemorrhoidectomy

An important initiative to develop higher education and physiology teaching was launched when recommendations were deliberated at the concluding session of a four-day international workshop, Physiology Teaching in the Developing World: Models for Quality Learning, held April 5-8, 1999, at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. The event was organized under the auspices of the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS), Pakistan Physiological Society, and Aga Khan University. Among other major sponsors, the Islamic Development Bank, Islamic Educational Science and Cultural Organization. Third World Academy of Sciences, and Pakistan Science Foundation were prominent.

Exhibition Schedule: The Block Museum, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, January 26–July 21, 2019; Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Canada, September 21, 2019–February 23, 2020; Smithsonian Museum of African Art, Washington, DC, TBD–TBD

This report briefly describes the Aga Khan University with particular reference to the Department of Community Health Sciences which was recently rehoused in the new Ibn Ridwan building. The building was named after Ibn Ridwan because of his significant contribution to community health, and some details of his life are given.

Objective: To determine the frequency of hyponatremia and itsassociation of with associated factors and its impact on in-hospital outcome in patients with acute ST elevated myocardial infarction. Study Design:AnalyticalStudy. Study Setting: Study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi (AKUH). Subjects and Methods: This is an analytical study conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi (AKUH) between the period of 2016 to 2017.Informed consent to enroll and use data of patients was obtained from all the 225 patients before commencing the study. All patients of age between 20 to 75 years of either gender diagnosed with ST elevation acute myocardial infarction in emergency or outpatient department were enrolled in the study.Hyponatremia was labelled as serum sodium level less than 135mEq/L (Normal is 135-145mEq/L).A detailed history was taken followed by complete examination at admission.In hospital outcomes were measured within 72 hours of admission. Report was collected and findings were noted in the Performa.Data was analyzed on SPSS Version 16. Results:A total of 225 patients admitted in Department of Cardiology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi were included in this study. Mean age in our study was 56.80±7.56 years.135 (60%) were male and 90 (40%) were female. Out of 225 patients, 43 (19.1%) had hyponatremia and 182 (80.9%) did not have hyponatremia. In-hospital mortality was 22 (100%) who had hyponatremia. Conclusion:The results showed that hyponatremia has very strongly association with in-hospital mortality. Cardiovascular mortality among patients with acute STElevationmyocardial infarction. Plasma sodium levels may serve as a simple marker to identify patients at risk. Key Words: Acute ST elevated myocardial infarction,Hyponatremia, in-hospital mortality, associated factors.

The purpose of this study was to describe “caring” in the Pakistani culture from patients’ and healthcare teams’ points of view. This descriptive and qualitative study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH). Caring encompassed the themes of efficiency, sensitivity to patient needs, and humanness according to responses of the combined sample.

The work/study programme for nurses and midwives at Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKU-SONAM) is a unique concept in East Africa. This study explored whether nursing and midwifery students undergoing a work-study programme at AKU-SONAM felt their education was underpinned by an adult education philosophy. A semi-structured questionnaire designed specifically for this study based on the Knowles’ (1980) ‘Principles of Adult Education’ was administered to 96 students who completed their programmes in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Our paper reports on both the positive aspects of students’ experiences in this work-study programme, including the improvement of critical thinking skills and the direct transfer of classroom learning to clinical practice, along with negative impacts related to a poor work/life balance. Despite challenges related to quality and delivery highlighted in studies involving nursing and midwifery education in Africa, the findings of our study seem to show a positive experience in addressing the needs of the majority of the participants, as well as in meeting the objectives of the programme. We conclude that understanding the benefits and challenges faced by students will help to ensure the appropriate teaching and learning approaches. Keywords: Work/study programme, Uganda, Nurses and midwives evaluation, Upskilling, Nursing and midwifery educationHow to cite this article:Kyakuwaire, H., Kirikumwino, A., Nabossa, J. & Edwards, G.A. 2020. Evaluating a work/study programme for Nurses and Midwives at Aga Khan University, Uganda. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South. 4(2): 63-79. https://doi.org/10.36615/sotls.v4i2.129.This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The history of triage started from the French battle field. In- hospital ED triage started in early 1960's from Baltimore. It is now an essential component of modern ED. Triage is not only to sort out patients as per their criticality, but it also serves the purpose of streamlining the patients so that the patient receives right treatment at the right time in the appropriate area. It helps to manage the ED overcrowding by better flow of patients. AKUH-ER experience of triage dates back to the year 2000, when triage was conducted by physicians and there used to be a manual documentation of patient's particulars such as complaints, vitals and BP. With the expansion of AKU-ED in 2008 responsibility of triage shifted to nursing services. Triage policy was drafted and implemented and for guidance and uniformity of care, triage protocols were developed. Another important development is replacement of register with triage data entry software. This help us to monitor some indicators like number of patients triaged, the time between triaging and actual bed assignment, triage categorization, length of stay, dispositions and return visits. The available information now helps us to make decisions based on evidence and also paves the way for future direction.

IntroductionContinuous physiological monitoring devices are often not available for monitoring high-risk neonates in low-resource settings. Easy-to-use, non-invasive, multiparameter, continuous physiological monitoring devices could be instrumental in providing appropriate care and improving outcomes for high-risk neonates in these low-resource settings.Methods and analysisThe purpose of this prospective, observational, facility-based evaluation is to provide evidence to establish whether two existing non-invasive, multiparameter, continuous physiological monitoring devices developed by device developers, EarlySense and Sibel, can accurately and reliably measure vital signs in neonates (when compared with verified reference devices). We will also assess the feasibility, usability and acceptability of these devices for use in neonates in low-resource settings in Africa. Up to 500 neonates are enrolled in two phases: (1) a verification and accuracy evaluation phase at Aga Khan University—Nairobi and (2) a clinical feasibility evaluation phase at Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. Both quantitative and qualitative data are collected and analysed. Agreement between the investigational and reference devices is determined using a priori-defined accuracy thresholds.Ethics and disseminationThis trial was approved by the Aga Khan University Nairobi Research Ethics Committee and the Western Institutional Review Board. We plan to disseminate research results in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences.Trial registration numberNCT03920761.

Organized by the Faculty of Engineering on February 15-18, 2004 at MisrInternational University, one of Egypt’s leading private universities, theDepartment of Architecture and Dean Salah Zaky Said targeted a diverseaudience of architects and professionals. The varied responses and interpretationsof the conference’s title proved that this provocative subjectallowed for multilayered discussions. The dialogue between academics,students, and professionals from different backgrounds identified meaningswith respect to the Mediterranean basin’s architecture. The followingthemes were discussed: the social impact on Mediterranean architecture,technology and crafts, urbanism and development, landscape and environment,trends in current architecture, and heritage conservation.The conference started with the keynote speech delivered by SuhaOzkan (secretary of the Aga Khan Award), who traced the landmark worksof contemporary architecture in the Mediterranean basin. The solutionspresented addressed issues not only of regional aesthetics, but also of climaticand cultural relevance. The second keynote speaker was Italian academicand architect Attilio Petruccioli (dean, School of Architecture,University of Bari, Italy), who brought up themes of typology and specificityin architecture. A rich discussion followed, with one of the sessionchairmen, Aga Khan Award recepient Abdel Halim Ibrahim (architect andprofessional, University of Cairo, Egypt), questioning and provoking theaudience with respect to the meaning of the built form and material in thisregion.The presentation of papers started with the theme of “Social Impact onMediterranean Architecture.” Papers explored ideas of cultural identity in ...

AbstractIntroductionEmergency medical care in Pakistan has not been a priority of medical education and training because of the country's need to address its lack of primary care. Resources and trained personnel are scarce. Despite these challenges, the value of emergency medical care is gaining attention. The objective of this study was to explore the breadth of Emergency Medicine training in Pakistan through an analysis of an Emergency Medicine residency in a teaching hospital. The Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi is a teaching institution with the only Emergency Medicine residency program in the region. It was started in 2000, led by US-trained physicians, and it laid the foundation for Emergency Medicine in the country.MethodsThe study was conducted over a four-week period in January of 2009. Data collection consisted of three components: (1) a survey of the Emergency Department and hospital services; (2) a survey of the Emergency Medicine training curriculum; and (3) a retrospective chart review of every tenth patient seen in the Aga Khan Emergency Department from December 1-14, 2008.ResultsThe training program is similar to that of the US models. Of the 153 patients selected for the chart review, the majority presented with GI complaints. Of these, 51 (33%) were admitted to the hospital; 20% (n = 15) left against medical advice; the remaining 57% (n = 87) were discharged.Discussion/ConclusionThe hospital admitted patients with complaints that were expected in the region. Although Aga Khan University Hospital is a pioneer in establishing Emergency Medicine as an official medical discipline in the region, the hospital's obstetrics and gynecology, trauma, toxicology and prehospital services training do not meet current curriculum standards set forth by the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine and the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors. Nevertheless, the review provides a snapshot of the development of Emergency Medical Services in a developing nation. This information may assist other nations that are interested in developing such programs.LinJY, AhmedS, BranderC. Breadth of emergency medical training in Pakistan. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(2):1-5.

Background: Hand hygiene is the precursor to improved health standards among healthcare workers and patients seeking outpatient services. Unhygienic hands may escalate the transmission of multi-drug resistance bacteria that poses serious pathological manifestation to the vulnerable and susceptible patients. The study aims at establishing the possible pathogen and susceptibility pattern of Staphylococcus aureus carried on hands of healthcare provider and their patients. Methods: Cross sectional study design and random sampling of patients and convenient sampling of healthcare workers was carried out between May to August 2020 at Aga Khan University hospital Nairobi satellites. The participant’s hands palm and finger tips imprints were made on Blood agar during sample collection. The antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Staphylococcus aureus was established using Vitek-2 automated system. Result: The study had 374 participants out of which 14% were colonized by possible pathogens. The overall Staphylococcus aureus hand carriage prevalence 6.9% (26/374) isolated from healthcare provider and patient at outpatient facility. The methicillin resistant staphylococcal in this study was 0.56% (2/374) showing resistance to both Oxacillin and Cefoxitin. Healthcare workers are prone to colonization with possible pathogens as compared to patient P-value .049. Staphylococcus aureus isolates were all resistant to penicillin. Conclusion: Hand hygiene mitigating measures in outpatient healthcare facilities should be sustained on the counts that 14% of possible pathogens in this study were isolated. Healthcare providers at the point of care in outpatient should strictly follow the hand hygiene protocols provided by WHO to curb the transmission of possible pathogenic bacteria.

e11586 Background: Eighty percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) in East Africa present with advanced disease; current literature suggests a preponderance of triple negative/basal like breast cancer in this subset of African women. These studies are limited by their retrospective nature, small numbers, and unclear quality of pathologic specimen reporting. The objective of this study is to provide external quality assurance (EQA), quality control, and validation of hormone receptor and Her2 status of breast cancer specimens from Kenya. Methods: 108 retrospectively identified BC tumour blocks from the Aga Khan University Hospital (Nairobi, Kenya) during 2006–2008 will undergo repeat pathologic assessment for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and Her2 status at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center (Toronto, Canada).Currently at the Aga Khan University Pathology Lab, ER,PR and Her2 testing is performed manually once every two weeks using Heat Induced Antigen Retrieval and Dako reagents including the ENVISION detection system. Parallel controls of known tissue reactivity are also run; however there is currently no formal EQA. Results: Results will be used to identify areas of improvement in specimen handling and pathology reporting. Conclusions: Standardized and accurate pathologic assessment of BC specimens in East Africa is essential for establishing centres of excellence in Kenya and the wider East African region for hormone receptor and Her2 neu analysis. Results would contribute to understanding the prevalence of triple negative disease in East Africa, lead to improved treatment recommendations and patient outcomes, and serve as a foundation for prospective studies in East Africa. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

This catalog accompanies a fascinating and innovative exhibition documenting the art in medieval Saharan Africa, first shown at the Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, from Jan. 26 to July 21, 2019, then at The Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, from Sept. 21 2019 to Feb. 23, 2020, and finally at the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, April 8 to Nov. 29, 2020. To bring all those very valuable objects together and to organize this exhibit, represents a major task involving many people. Here I want to concentrate only on the catalog itself, magisterially edited by Kathleen Bickford Berzock, Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs, Block Museum of Art.

Verrucous epidermal nevi (VEN) are benign congenital hamartomas consisting of keratinocytes. Histological examination mostly exhibits hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, papillomatosis and, rarely, the features of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis (EHK). We report a case of a 6-year-old boy who presented at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan with bilaterally symmetrical linear epidermal nevi following Blaschko’s lines and showing epidermolytic hyperkeratosis on histology. The patient was treated with topical keratolytics and emolients which led to considerable improvement. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of VEN from Pakistan. KEYWORDS Verrucous Epidermal Nevus; Mosaicism; Epidermolytic Hyperkeratoses; Hamartoma; Case Report; Pakistan.

The phenomenon of coping has received remarkable recognition and instruments have been developed to survey diverse coping strategies. This study was aimed to translate, adapt, and validate Brief Coping Orientation of Problems Experienced (Brief COPE) inventory (Carver, 1997) in Urdu language by focusing on dispositional coping. The study includes two phases: Phase I comprised of translation and adaptation of Brief COPE in Urdu while in Phase II, psychometric analyses were carried out. The sample of 400 students (men = 200, women = 200) with age range between 19 to 25 years was taken from universities of Islamabad. The Brief COPE (Urdu), World Health Organization - Quality of Life Scale-Brief (Khan, Akhter, Ayub, Alam, & Naeem, 2003), and Aga Khan University Anxiety and Depression Scale (Ali, Reza, Khan, & Jehan, 1998) were administered. Factor analysis of Brief COPE yielded three factors namely, Problem Focused Coping, Avoidance Coping and Emotion Focused Coping that explained 33.66% of variance. The subscales demonstrated acceptable alpha reliability. Psychological distress correlated with avoidance and emotion focused coping; whereas problem focused coping correlated with better life satisfaction. Brief COPE demonstrated good preliminary evidence of internal consistency, convergent, and divergent validity for coping strategies, therefore, could be used in research and clinical settings in future in our culture.

El proyecto KITAB dirigido desde Londres por la investigadora Sarah Bowen Savant en la Aga Khan University es un innovador e ilusionante proyecto en lo que respecta al libro en lengua árabe clásica en general, y en particular al manejo comparativo de las fuentes árabes desde los siglos VIII-XV. Sus principal objetivo es el análisis de lo que se llama en inglés reuse, es decir el grado y manera de reutilización que los autores árabes medievales hicieron en sus trabajos de las obras de los autores que les precedieron en el tiempo. Los primeros resultados han sido positivos por lo que todo indica que será una herramienta muy útil para el análisis intertextual de las obras.

Mammary analogue secretory carcinoma (MASC) is a recently described pathological entity in major salivary glands, which was first described by Skálová et al. in 2010. Since then only a limited number of case reports/series have been published describing this tumor with the majority of them discussing the genetic and cytoarchitectural aspect of this tumor. Keeping this in view with the lack of clinical correlation with regard to this tumor, we present our approach to management of two such cases which, according to the best of our knowledge, are the first 2 cases presenting in the South Asian continent. Both patients were diagnosed and managed at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

The Teaching and Learning Enhancement Workshop (TLEW) is an indigenous name for the Canadian-based Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW). TLEW is a teaching development workshop aimed at enhancing faculty members’ stances towards student-centred teaching and reflective practice at the higher education level. This short paper discusses the initiation, implementation and institutionalisation of the TLEW at Aga Khan University (AKU) across entities in Asia and Africa. In total, 77 faculty members drawn from different entities of AKU participated in the workshop in 2016-2017. Empirical evidence collected from TLEW graduates through a survey and interviews suggests that the intense episode of planning, teaching and receiving peer feedback during TLEW helped participants in sensitising them to effective planning for teaching in order to engage and enrich students’ learning. Furthermore, the repertoire of pedagogical strategies has permeated graduates’ classrooms. Nevertheless, for sustainability a mechanism needs to be in place for providing faculty with institutional support and recognition for their contribution in teaching and learning. A need is advocated for TLEW to evolve as a mandatory component for all teaching staff at the university to help serve as a fundamental base for initiating and sustaining change through ongoing professional development opportunities and establishing a community of practice. How to cite this reflective piece: RODRIGUES, Sherwin; BHUTTA, Sadia Muzaffar; SALIM, Zeenar; CHAUHAN, Sahreen; RIZVI, Naghma. Implementing a Teaching and Learning Enhancement Workshop at Aga Khan University: reflections on the implementation and outcomes of an Instructional Skills Workshop in the context of Pakistan. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South. v. 3, n. 1, p. 100-110, Apr. 2019. Available at: https://sotl-south-journal.net/?journal=sotls&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=78&path%5B%5D=42 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The aim of the teleglaucoma service at the University of Alberta is to improve access for people in northern Alberta who have early-stage glaucoma or who are at risk for glaucoma. Two types of teleglaucoma service are offered: remote and in-house. A standardized approach is used to capture patient information (structured histories, examinations and fundus photographs) which is then sent to a tertiary care centre for grading and recommendations. Only one grader reads and makes management recommendations for each case. Reports are sent electronically. A total of 195 cases have been graded through the remote service since 2008. A total of 62 cases have been graded through the in-house service since 2011. The average reporting time for consultations in the in-house service was 7 days, and it was also 7 days for the remote service. We believe that the use of teleglaucoma can improve the way that patients are diagnosed and managed, both in industrialized and developing countries. Teleglaucoma is currently being used as a screening tool at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi with mobile units equipped with a fundus camera and a visual field machine.

We are presenting a case of falsely elevated T3 levels in a patient due to interference from monoclonal immunoglobulins. A 56-year-old, clinically euthyroid man referred to the endocrinology clinic of the Aga Khan university, Karachi Pakistan, for possible T3 thyrotoxicosis after thyroid function tests revealed total T3 >12.32 nmol/L (reference range 0.6–2.79), normal TSH, and total T4 level. There was a mismatch in clinical and laboratory parameters and preliminary laboratory results were suggestive of thyroid binding globulin abnormalities. Further evaluation in this context unmasked multiple myeloma. The presence of monoclonal immunoglobulins can lead to assay interference and spurious results. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case defining the cause of falsely elevated T3 levels, due to assay interferences with binding of T3 only to monoclonal immunoglobulins.