OBSTACLES TOWARDS TRANSLATING A KUWAITI PUBLIC SECTOR STRATEGY INTO ACTION: EVIDENCE FROM KUWAIT

Purpose–The aim of this study is to empirically investigate barriers towards successful strategy formulation and implementation in the public sector strategy of Kuwait. Design/methodology/approach – The article used a questionnaire survey to identify the barriers toward successful strategy formulation and implementation experienced by the public sector organizations. The questionnaires were distributed to 300 public sector employees, from which 200 were valid for analysis. Participants were requested to state the degree of agreement with the items listed in the questionnaire. Regression analysis employed to identify factors impact strategy formulation and implementation. Findings – The study showed that unsuccessful strategies formulation and implementation result from various aspects of government institutions (organization, policies and regulations, human resources and communications). The participants revealed that lack of consensus among decision makers, lack of effective role formulators and lack of choice of real strategy formulators represent major obstacle toward strategies formulation. Incompatible structure with the strategy and insufficient linkage between strategy and goals were the main variables that prevent successful strategies implementation. The regression analysis pointed to policies and regulations, communication and external factors as the most significant determinants of strategy formulation; whereas organizational and communication factors appeared to be the most significant determinant of strategy implementations. Research limitations – Specific governmental departments were targeted by the questionnaire survey employed in this study. This reflect the staff employed in these departments. To obtain a wide picture about strategy implementation, the Ministry of Planning and the Ministry of Finance should be surveyed since they are responsible of a significant part of the country\u27s strategic planning. Practical implications– This research offers valuable practical insights of decision maker. it might provide the route map for the firm and develop a good information system that help managers for obtaining the highest quality of knowledge through developing processes, systems and managerial mechanisms

Measuring the technical efficiency of cooperative societies in Kuwait

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This study employs bootstrap data envelopment analysis to measure the technical efficiencies of 48 Kuwaiti retail cooperative societies (coops) during the years 2012–2015. Average profit efficiency falls substantially from 84% to 70% after applying a bootstrap correction. The bias is larger for coops originally identified as being on the efficient frontier. The average coop is too small, but both profitability and efficiency are negatively related to the number of direct branches (mini-marts). Also, coops can increase profitability through greater equity capitalization, whereas better control of labor costs leads to higher profit efficiency

Dysmenorrhea Among High-School Students and It\u27s Associated Factors in Kuwait

Background Although dysmenorrhea is not a life-threatening condition, it can cause a substantial burden on individuals and communities. There is no data on the prevalence of dysmenorrhea in Kuwait. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among female public high-school students in Kuwait and investigate factors associated with dysmenorrhea. Methods A cross-sectional study using multistage cluster sampling with probability proportional to size method was conducted on 763 twelfth grade female public high-school students (aged 16–21 years). We used face-to-face interview with a structured questionnaire to collect data on dysmenorrhea and presumed risk factors. Weight and height of the students were measured using appropriate weight and height scales in a standardized manner. The association between dysmenorrhea and potential risk factors was assessed using multiple logistic regression. Results The one-year prevalence of dysmenorrhea was found to be 85.6% (95%CI: 83.1–88.1%). Of the participants with dysmenorrhea, 26% visited a public or a private clinic for their pain and 4.1% were hospitalized for their menstrual pain. Furthermore, 58.2% of students with dysmenorrhea missed at least one school day and 13.9% missed at least one exam. Age of menarche (p-value = 0.005), regularity and flow of the menstrual period (p-value = 0.025, p-value = 0.009; respectively), and drinking coffee (p-value = 0.004) were significantly associated with dysmenorrhea in multivariable analysis. Conclusion Dysmenorrhea seems to be highly prevalent among female high-school students in Kuwait, resembling that of high-income countries. Because of the scale of the problem, utilizing school nurses to reassure and manage students with primary dysmenorrhea and referring suspected cases of secondary dysmenorrhea is recommended

Morphofunctional ecology of 15 seedlings species from an Atlantic Rainforest of Sergipe, Brazil

Atlantic Rainforest of Sergipe State is now fragmented and reduced to only 9% of its original cover. The knowledge of seedlings’ morphofunctional ecology in this ecosystem is essential to taxonomic, forestry and ecological purposes, since the ability to recognize seedlings on field is required to understand the natural regeneration and plant succession dynamics. In this study, the germination and seedlings morphology of 15 species of aSergiperemanescentForestwere described and illustrated. Besides, relationship among seed biometry, seedling morphology and ecological traits were analyzed. From the total of species analyzed 40% was classified as phanerocotylar epigeal with foliaceous cotyledons, 26.7% as cryptocotylar hypogeal with reserve storage cotyledons, 26.7% as phanerocotylar epigeal with reserve storage cotyledons and 6.6% as phanerocotylar hypogeal with reserve storage cotyledons. The relationships among seed biometry, seedling morpho-functional type and species ecological attributes found in species analyzed are similar to those obtained in other tropical forests. This result suggests that the morphology of seedlings is strongly driven by species regeneration niche.Em Sergipe a Floresta Atlântica encontra-se hoje fragmentada e reduzida a apenas 9% da sua cobertura original. O estudo da ecologia morfofuncional de plântulas nesse ecossistema é importante para a taxonomia, silvicultura e ecologia, possibilitando a identificação das plântulas no campo, requisito necessário para o entendimento da regeneração e sucessão vegetal. Neste estudo, foram descritas a germinação e a morfologia de plântulas de 15 espécies de um remanescente florestal sergipano, sendo também analisadas as relações entre biometria das sementes, morfologia das plântulas e outros atributos ecológicos. Do total de espécies analisadas 40% foram classificadas como fanero-epígeo-foliáceas, 26,7%, como cripto-hipógeo-armazenadoras, 26,7% como fanero-epígeo-armazenadoras e 6,6% como fanero-hipógeo-armazenadoras. A existência de relações entre a biometria da semente, o tipo morfofuncional de plântula e os atributos ecológicos das espécies analisadas corroborou os resultados obtidos em outras florestas tropicais, indicando que a morfologia da plântula é fortemente direcionada pelas características do nicho de regeneração.São Cristóvão, S

Double inversion recovery in evaluation of multiple sclerosis: a narrative review

Double Inversion Recovery (DIR) is an accurate method used to evaluate the Multiple Sclerosis (MS). There are also other techniques suggested for this purpose, but those are not as accurate as DIR. It is important because it could be helpful to diagnose the patients with MS in early stages and it makes the therapists able to start the therapy process in right time. This fact is accepted, but there is a lack of researches about it and still there is a need to other researches with clear methodology. This narrative review aimed to have a look on previous studies done about DIR

Formulation, Optimization and Evaluation of Eudragit RL 100 nanoparticles loaded with Quercetin for its Hypolipidemic action by using Animal Model

Quercetin, a potent pharmacological active phytocompound, plays a crucial role in drug therapy. However, its essential role is limited due to poor water solubility and low bioavailability. To overcome these limitations and enhance oral bioavailability, Quercetin loaded Eudragit nanoparticles were prepared using a single emulsification solvent evaporation method and optimized by applying Box-Behnken design. This study aimed to investigate the anti-hyperlipidemic potential of Quercetin in Triton WR-1339 induced hyperlipidemic rats. Hyperlipidemia was induced in rats using Triton WR-1339, and the hypolipidemic potential of Quercetin was evaluated at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg. The results revealed that Quercetin significantly (p ≤ 0.005) altered the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, bringing them close to normal levels in Triton WR-1339 induced hyperlipidemic rats. Furthermore, both doses of Quercetin (50 and 100 mg/kg) showed significant reductions in TC and TG levels when compared to the standard atorvastatin treatment. The novel formulation of Quercetin loaded Eudragit polymeric nanoparticles displayed remarkable potential as a green antihyperlipidemic agent. These findings suggest that Quercetin loaded Eudragit nanoparticles can effectively mitigate hyperlipidemia and have the potential to be a promising therapeutic option for lipid disorders. The enhanced bioavailability and bioactivity of Quercetin delivered through this novel formulation open new possibilities for its clinical application in managing hyperlipidemia. Further research and clinical studies are warranted to explore its translational potential and wider applications in drug therap

Addition of Graphite Filler to Enhance Electrical, Morphological, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties in Poly (Ethylene Terephthalate): Experimental Characterization and Material Modeling

Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/graphite (PET/G) micro-composites were fabricated by the melt compounding method using a minilab extruder. The carbon fillers were found to act as nucleating agents for the PET matrix and hence accelerated crystallization and increased the degree of crystallinity. TGA showed that carbon fillers improved the resistance to thermal and thermo-oxidative degradation under both air and nitrogen atmospheres. However, a poor agreement was observed at higher loadings of the filler where the composites displayed reduced reinforcement efficiency. The results demonstrate that the addition of graphite at loading >14.5 wt.% made electrically conductive composites. It was calculated that the electric conductivities of PET/graphite micro-composites were enhanced, above the percolation threshold values by two orders of magnitudes compared to the PET matrix. The minimum value of conductivity required to avoid electrostatic charge application of an insulating polymer was achieved, just above the threshold values. The addition of graphite also improved thermal stability of PET, accelerated its crystallization process and increased the degree of crystallinity. Microscopic results exhibit no indication of aggregations at 2 wt.% graphite, whereas more agglomeration and rolling up could be seen as the graphite content was increased in the PET matrix (in particular, above the percolation threshold value). Furthermore, based on the mechanical experimental characterization of the PET/graphite micro-composites, a large deformation-based mathematical model is proposed for material behavior predictions. The model fits well the experimental data and predicts other mechanical data that are not included in the parameter identification