Frequency and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Gram-Negative Bacilli Isolated From Urine Specimens at a Tertiary Care Setting

OBJECTIVES: To find out the frequency and pattern of conventional antibiotic susceptibility of gram-negative bacilli cultured from urine specimens of patients at a tertiary care setting. METHODOLOGY: This study was conducted at the Microbiology Department of Combined Military Hospital Multan from June 2016 to May 2017. The data in this retrospective descriptive study was collected from urine culture records of the Microbiology Department, CMH Multan. Only those urine specimens who revealed positive gram-negative bacilli cultures were included in the study. Drug susceptibility patterns of these isolates were recorded against routinely used antibiotics (e.g. Nitrofurantoin, Imipenem, Sulbactum-cefoperazone, Gentamicin and Ciprofloxacin) and evaluated accordingly. RESULTS: A total of 1703 urine specimens were submitted for culture and antibiotics susceptibility testing during the period of study. A total of 128 specimens showed growth of gram-negative rods. Imipenem (95% sensitivity), Sulbactam- Cefoperazone (88% sensitivity) and Nitrofurantoin (87% sensitivity) were highly effective antibiotics against the cultured gram-negative bacilli in the study. CONCLUSION: This study showed that E. coli is the commonest cause of urinary tract infection (UTIs), followed by Klebsiella and Enterobacter species among gram-negative bacilli in our set up. In-vitro efficacy of Imipenem, Sulbactam- Cefoperazone and Nitrofurantoin was found to be the highest against these gram-negative bacilli as compared to other antimicrobials. On the contrary, in-vitro efficacy of ciprofloxacin and gentamycin was found to be extremely low

IMPROVING PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND CONTROL IN THE SERVICES OPERATION ENVIRONMENT BY USING THE 6S TECHNIQUE

In today's business land-scape, more is needed for companies to have a solid organizational system and values; they must also continuously improve their quality management systems to ensure zero accidents and complete safety. With intense competition among organizations to produce quality products, creating a positive and productive workplace for employees is a common challenge. Modern technology and the latest methods must be utilized to achieve desired goals and overcome industry challenges. One of the most modern and latest techniques available to organizations is the 6S methodology, which can help achieve industry goals. This study targets to assess the current level of project management planning and control, determine the awareness and understanding of the 6S methodology, and evaluate its impact on project management planning and control. We have chosen a questionnaire methodology for this quantitative research to examine the relationship between familiarity with the 6S methodology and its implementation in a service operating environment. This study will provide insights and recommendations on incorporating the 6S methodology into project management planning and control in a service operating environment. To ensure the successful implementation of the 6S methodology, organizations should provide adequate training and resources to their project management teams and encourage collaboration and communication among team members

Stable Field Emitters for a Miniature X-ray Tube Using Carbon Nanotube Drop Drying on a Flat Metal Tip

Stable carbon nanotube (CNT) field emitters for a vacuum-sealed miniature X-ray tube have been fabricated. The field emitters with a uniform CNT coating are prepared by a simple drop drying of a CNT mixture solution that is composed of chemically modified multi-walled CNTs, silver nanoparticles, and isopropyl alcohol on flat tungsten tips. A highly thermal- and electrical-conductive silver layer strongly attaches CNTs to the tungsten tips. Consequently, the field emitters exhibit good electron emission stability: continuous electron emission of around 100 μA at 2.3 V/μm has stably lasted over 40 h even at non-high vacuum ambient (~10−3 Pa)