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

An efficient deep learning technique for facial emotion recognition

Emotion recognition from facial images is considered as a challenging task due to the varying nature of facial expressions. The prior studies on emotion classification from facial images using deep learning models have focused on emotion recognition from facial images but face the issue of performance degradation due to poor selection of layers in the convolutional neural network model.To address this issue, we propose an efficient deep learning technique using a convolutional neural network model for classifying emotions from facial images and detecting age and gender from the facial expressions efficiently. Experimental results show that the proposed model outperformed baseline works by achieving an accuracy of 95.65% for emotion recognition, 98.5% for age recognition, and 99.14% for gender recognition

NEED OF 7S IN SERVICE OPERATION ENVIRONMENT AS COMPARED TO 5S AND 6S

Manufacturing companies distinguish themselves by their operational efficiency and the quality of their products. The 5S and 6S methodologies are commonly used in service operations to enhance efficiency and productivity. Although there are some similarities between these approaches and the 7S technique, there are also notable differences. The 7S technique can be applied in service operations to improve efficiency and productivity by focusing on the spirit element. This study analyzes the significance of the spirit element in the 7S technique and assesses the effectiveness of 5S, 6S, and 7S in service operations. Furthermore, it aims to identify the necessity of the 7S approach in organizations where 5S and 6S are already being used efficiently. The research employs a quantitative methodology and the results indicate that 60% to 79% of the respondents believe that spirit is a crucial aspect of the 7S technique and has positive outcomes. Encouraging a positive spirit can enhance teamwork, motivate and engage employees, and instill a sense of ownership among them. The 7S technique emphasizes an organization's shared values and culture, which can create a positive work environment, encourage employee engagement, improve communication, to lead to better performance

Dynamic analysis of closed die electromagnetic sheet metal forming to predict deformation and failure of AA6061-T6 alloy using a fully coupled finite element model.

This research presents a fully coupled 3D numerical model to analyse the dynamics of high-speed electromagnetic forming process for aluminium alloy AA6061-T6. The effect of Lorentz force distribution, velocity and kinetic energy on deformation, the bounce back effect and failure of the sheet has been investigated. Experiments were performed for AA6061-T6 alloy using an 18.750 KJ electromagnetic forming machine for varying the sheet thickness (0.5 mm, 1.02 mm and 1.63 mm) compared with the simulation results. The results showed that increasing the sheet thickness increases the Lorentz force due to a higher induced current. The inertial forces were more pronounced in thicker sheets (1.63 mm) as compared to the thinner sheets (0.5 mm and 1.02 mm), resulting in a higher bounce back effect for the thicker sheet. The numerical model accurately predicted the sheet failure for the 0.5-mm sheet, as also observed from the experimentation. The sheet deformation from simulations was found to be in good agreement with the experimental results

Graphene oxide incorporated polyether sulfone nanocomposite antifouling ultrafiltration membranes with enhanced hydrophilicity

In this study, the polyether sulfone (PES) based membranes containing various concentrations of graphene oxide (GO), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were synthesized via the phase immersion method. This study aims to evaluate the effect of GO addition on the structural properties and performance of the membranes. The membranes were analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The FTIR-ATR spectra indicated the presence of hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups on the surface of GO-incorporated membranes, which improved their dispersion in the polymeric matrix and hydrophilicity. The SEM analysis of the GO-containing PES membranes confirmed the formation of a well-defined finger-like porous structure presenting adequate water flux (95 l.m(-2).h(-1)) and salt rejection (72%) compared to the pristine PES membranes (46 l.m(-2).h(-1) and similar to 35%, respectively). In addition, the significantly large wettability and considerably improved antibacterial characteristic (against S. aureus and E. coli strains) of the GO-PES membranes are considered impressive features.National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Research Directorate; HEC; NRPU [6020]6020; Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, HEC; National University of Sciences and Technology, NUS

Infekcija vrstom Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale u crvenolikih vivaka (Vanellus indicus) u Pakistanu - prikaz slučaja

Respiratory infections are of major concern in the poultry industry in Pakistan. Previously, wild birds have been reported to transmit respiratory infections. The Red Wattled Lapwing (RWL) is a wild bird prevalent in the Indus basin and the wetlands of Punjab, Pakistan. Out of total of eighteen RWL birds housed at Lahore Zoo, Pakistan, three birds died after showing signs of respiratory distress and paralysis, in August, 2014. Postmortem examination revealed air sacculitis and pneumonia. Microbiological examination revealed Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) as the causative agent, which was later confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The isolate was found to be susceptible to amoxicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline and enrofloxacin, and resistant to gentamycin, neomycin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim. All the remaining birds were treated with long acting tetracycline, and diseased birds eventually recovered. No further mortality was declared. This is the first report of its kind which demonstrates ORT infection in RWL in Punjab, Pakistan.Dišne infekcije od velike su važnosti za peradarsku industriju u Pakistanu. Znano je da ih mogu prenositi divlje ptice. Crvenoliki vivak nastanjuje bazen Indus i močvarna područja Pendžaba u Pakistanu. Od ukupno 18 crvenolikih vivaka iz Zoološkog vrta Lahore, tri su uginula nakon pojave znakova dišnog poremećaja i paralize u kolovozu 2014. Razudbom je utvrđen sacculitis i pneumonija. Mikrobiološkom pretragom dokazan je Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale što je bilo potvrđeno lančanom reakcijom polimerazom. Izolat je bio osjetljiv na amoksicilin, eritromicin, tetraciklin i enrofloksacin, a otporan na gentamicin, neomicin i sulfametoksazol/trimetoprim. Sve preživjele ptice bile su liječene tetraciklinom s produženim djelovanjem i ozdravile. Novi slučajevi uginuća nisu bili primijećeni. Ovo je prvo izvješće o pojavi infekcije vrstom Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale u crvenolikog vivka u Pendžabu u Pakistan

Impedance Spectroscopy Analysis of PbSe Nanostructures Deposited by Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition Approach

From MDPI via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-08-21, pub-electronic 2021-10-23Publication status: PublishedFunder: Higher Education Commision, Pakistan; Grant(s): 7363This research endeavor aimed to synthesize the lead (II) diphenyldiselenophosphinate complex and its use to obtain lead selenide nanostructured depositions and further the impedance spectroscopic analysis of these obtained PbSe nanostructures, to determine their roles in the electronics industry. The aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique was used to provide lead selenide deposition by decomposition of the complex at different temperatures using the glass substrates. The obtained films were revealed to be a pure cubic phase PbSe, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. SEM and TEM micrographs demonstrated three-dimensionally grown interlocked or aggregated nanocubes of the obtained PbSe. Characteristic dielectric measurements and the impedance spectroscopy analysis at room temperature were executed to evaluate PbSe properties over the frequency range of 100 Hz–5 MHz. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss gave similar trends, along with altering frequency, which was well explained by the Koops theory and Maxwell–Wagner theory. The effective short-range translational carrier hopping gave rise to an overdue remarkable increase in ac conductivity (σac) on the frequency increase. Fitting of a complex impedance plot was carried out with an equivalent circuit model (Rg Cg) (Rgb Qgb Cgb), which proved that grains, as well as grain boundaries, are responsible for the relaxation processes. The asymmetric depressed semicircle with the center lower to the impedance real axis provided a clear explanation of non-Debye dielectric behavior

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Antifouling and Flux Enhancement of Reverse Osmosis Membrane by Grafting Poly (3-Sulfopropyl Methacrylate) Brushes

A commercial thin film composite (TFC) polyamide (PA) reverse osmosis membrane was grafted with 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium (SPMK) to produce PA-g-SPMK by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The grafting of PA was done at varied concentrations of SPMK, and its effect on the surface composition and morphology was studied by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), optical profilometry, and contact angle analysis. The grafting of hydrophilic ionically charged PSPMK polymer brushes having acrylate and sulfonate groups resulted in enhanced hydrophilicity rendering a reduction of contact angle from 58° of pristine membrane sample labeled as MH0 to 10° for a modified membrane sample labeled as MH3. Due to the increased hydrophilicity, the flux rate rises from 57.1 L m⁻² h⁻¹ to 71.2 L m⁻² h⁻¹, and 99% resistance against microbial adhesion (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) was obtained for MH3 after modificationApplied Science, Faculty ofNon UBCEngineering, School of (Okanagan)ReviewedFacult