Information Systems and Quality Management in Healthcare Organization: An Empirical Study

The paper explores current status of information systems, identifies gaps in the current information systems and assessment in healthcare organization. This paper is based on Critical Analysis of literature and a questionnaire is administered on administrative level employees of South Indian healthcare organizations. It has been identified that healthcare organization should have specific strategy and must implement measures derived from strategy. Data and information systems should be seen as business resources. The knowledge base of medical field is large and it is growing rapidly. Hence information system must be integrated across the enterprise. The results of the study determined the relationship between measurement, analysis and knowledge Management on performance. The Information system is the newest dimension among the MBNQA (Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award) criteria. The Information system performance was assessed in terms of management relevant data and information. The outcomes suggest that there is a growing recognition of the administrators about the importance and use of information systems as a critical resource in healthcare organizations. From the study it is inferred that information system analysis continues to be a challenge. The higher utilization of technology, computerization and the Internet has resulted in dramatic change in the quality performance of the Healthcare Organizations. The paper provides an empirical evidence that information system has an impact on performance in the context of healthcare organizations. The information system is a key performance area of Quality management and it has received limited attention in improving quality performance including MBNQA. Finally, the study concludes that there is an immense scope for altering current information systems and it should be aligned with the quality management environment

Role du faisceau pyramidal dans la commande d'une reponse vegetative, la reponse electrodermale

SIGLECNRS T 56840 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

The impact of customer-based brand equity on the operational performance of FMCG companies in India

AbstractMeasurement of brand equity has posed a big challenge to the companies in the Indian fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. This paper investigates the impact of brand equity on the operational performance of businesses in the Indian FMCG industry. The research study adopts descriptive and exploratory approaches. The results indicate that there is correlation between brand equity and operational performance of business. The practical implications of the findings are that brand equity has to be effectively managed for improved operational performance of business

Effects of phenolic acid structures on meadow hay digestibility

The objectives were to evaluate effects of phenolic acid content and composition on the digestibility of six meadow hays from Northern Portugal. Digestibility was assessed by gas production, in vitro and in situ degradation methods. Four cows fed diets at energy maintenance were used for in situ incubations and to provide rumen fluid for in vitro incubations. There were no relationships between phenolic acid concentrations and other cell wall components. The dry matter (DM) potential degradation (a + b) was positively related to the etherified fractions of ferulic acid (FAeth, P=0.012) and p-coumaric acid (PCAeth,

Effect of levosimendan on the contractility of muscle fibers from nemaline myopathy patients with mutations in the nebulin gene

Background: Nemaline myopathy (NM), the most common non-dystrophic congenital myopathy, is characterized by generalized skeletal muscle weakness, often from birth. To date, no therapy exists that enhances the contractile strength of muscles of NM patients. Mutations in NEB, encoding the giant protein nebulin, are the most common cause of NM. The pathophysiology of muscle weakness in NM patients with NEB mutations (NEB-NM) includes a lower calcium-sensitivity of force generation. We propose that the lower calcium-sensitivity of force generation in NEB-NM offers a therapeutic target. Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizer that is approved for use in humans and has been developed to target cardiac muscle fibers. It exerts its effect through binding to slow skeletal/cardiac troponin C. As slow skeletal/cardiac troponin C is also the dominant troponin C isoform in slow-twitch skeletal muscle fibers, we hypothesized that levosimendan improves slow-twitch muscle fiber strength at submaximal levels of activation in patients with NEB-NM. Methods: To test whether levosimendan affects force production, permeabilized slow-twitch muscle fibers isolated from biopsies of NEB-NM patients and controls were exposed to levosimendan and the force response was measured. Results: No effect of levosimendan on muscle fiber force in NEB-NM and control skeletal muscle fibers was found, both at a submaximal calcium level using incremental levosimendan concentrations, and at incremental calcium concentrations in the presence of levosimendan. In contrast, levosimendan did significantly increase the calcium-sensitivity of force in human single cardiomyocytes. Protein analysis confirmed that the slow skeletal/cardiac troponin C isoform was present in the skeletal muscle fibers tested. Conclusions: These findings indicate that levosimendan does not improve the contractility in human skeletal muscle fibers, and do not provide rationale for using levosimendan as a therapeutic to restore muscle weakness in NEB-NM patients. We stress the importance of searching for compounds that improve the calcium-sensitivity of force generation of slow-twitch muscle fibers. Such compounds provide an appealing approach to restore muscle force in patients with NEB-NM, and also in patients with other neuromuscular disorders

Host selection and parasitism behavior of Lysiphlebus testaceipes: role of plant, aphid species and instar

The aphid parasitoid Lysiphlebus testaceipes is a potentially valuable biological control agent of Aphis gossypii a major worldwide pest of cotton. One means of increasing the abundance of a biological control agent is to provide an alternative host habitat adjacent to cropping, from which they can provide pest control services in the crop. Host selection and parasitism rate of an alternative host aphid, Aphis craccivora by L. testaceipes were studied in a series of experiments that tested its host suitability relative to A. gossypii on cotton, hibiscus and mungbean. Host acceptance, as measured by number of ovipositions was much greater in A. craccivora compared to A. gossypii, while more host aphids were accepted on mungbean than cotton. When given a choice L. testaceipes attacks more 4th instar and adult stages (63% and 70%, respectively) of both hosts than 2nd instar nymphs (47%). In a switching ( host choice) experiment, L. testaceipes preferentially attacked A. craccivora on mungbean over A. gossypii on cotton. Observations of parasitoid contact with A. gossypii cornicle secretion suggest it provides a useful deterrent against parasitoid attack. From these experiments it appears L. testaceipes has a preference for A. craccivora and mungbean compared to A. gossypii and cotton, in this respect using A. craccivora and mungbean as alternative habitat may not work as the parasitoid is unlikely to switch away from its preferred host. Crown Copyright (c) 2012 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved