Performance Measurement: A Conceptual Framework for Supply Chain Practices

AbstractMe--asurement of Supply Chain (SC) performance with regards to key practices of SC paradigms is the area which is under research. Presently there are no guidance or set rules under which we can measure SC performance. The lack of clarity and comparability concerns in this area creates misunderstanding and makes it more difficult to formulate a clear strategy. The aim of this research is to identify antecedents of existing SC paradigm's practices, as well as antecedents for SC performance measurement to formulate a conceptual framework. Based on this research, new sustainable SC performance measurement conceptual framework is proposed for existing SC paradigms. The detailed analysis presented in this research paper offers a set of characteristics and structure that industry as well as academia could use it as a guidance framework to measure SC performance

Effect of Technological Evolution on Usage Pattern: A Study on Mobile Internet Subscribers in Bangladesh

As in most countries of the world, mobile internet has been playing a key role in the growth of internet subscriber-base in Bangladesh. While the country is at the verge of introducing advanced wireless internet connectivity via 4G technologies, this longitudinal study attempts to explore the effect (if any) of such technological evolution on subscribers’ internet usage pattern. Data has been collected in two phases- first, just before the onset of 3G services (when 2G was fully dominant) and second, at the period when 4G launching was imminent (i.e., 3G is fully dominant), from the secondary sources of a leading internet service provider (as well as the top mobile operator) of the country and using a consumer survey of that mobile operator in both phases. A comparative analysis of the collected data shows that evolution of technology (2G to 3G) has impact on certain consumption criteria while few of the patterns remain same even after the advancement. We identified few key issues (e.g., preference of devices, activities and website inclination, internet usage time, preferred area of service improvement etc.) that the mobile operators in Bangladesh should consider and show how those have practical and managerial implications for the maximum utilization of the future technological evolution (i.e., 4G deployment). Keywords: mobile internet, usage pattern, subscribers, Banglades

PRIMARY GASTROINTESTINAL STROMAL TUMOUR OF THE PROSTATE: A CASE REPORT OF A RARE TUMOUR

A 70-year-old gentleman underwent prostatectomy for bladder outlet obstruction due to enlarged prostate and was found to have primary extragastrointestinal stromal tumour (EGIST). He has been started on imatinib therapy and is presently on follow-up. Prostatic EGIST should be one of the differential diagnoses in patients with enlarged prostate with normal prostate-specific antigen levels.Key words: Prostate, gastrointestinal stromal tumour, PSA 

Stretching the boundaries of medical education: A case of medical college embracing humanities and social sciences in medical education

Objective: Aga Khan University, a private medical college, had a vision of producing physicians who are not only scientifically competent, but also socially sensitive, the latter by exposure of medical students to a broad-based curriculum. The objective of this study was to identify the genesis of broad-based education and its integration into the undergraduate medical education program as the Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) course. Methods: A qualitative methodology was used for this study. Sources of data included document review and in-depth key informant interviews. Nvivo software was utilized to extract themes. Results: The study revealed the process of operationalization of the institutional vision to produce competent and culturally sensitive physicians. The delay in the establishment of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, which was expected to take a lead role in the delivery of a broad-based education, led to the development of an innovative HASS course in the medical curriculum. The study also identified availability of faculty and resistance from students as challenges faced in the implementation and evolution of HASS. Conclusions: The description of the journey and viability of integration of HASS into the medical curriculum offers a model to medical colleges seeking ways to produce socially sensitive physicians

Impact of humanities and social sciences curriculum in an undergraduate medical education programme

Objective: To evaluate the impact of humanities and social sciences curriculum in an undergraduate medical education programme.Methods: The qualitative study was conducted from May 2016 to May 2017 at a private medical college in Karachi where humanities and social sciences subject is an art of the undergraduate curriculum as a 6-week module at the start of Year 1 of the five-year programme. Focus group discussions were held with students from all the five years as well as with faculty related to humanities and social sciences, basic sciences and their clinical counterparts. The views of alumni of the undergraduate programme who are now members of the faculty at the institution were also explored and semi-structured interviews were conducted with institutional academic leaders. MAXQDA software was used to identify the themes for analysis.Results: Of the 50 participants, 27(54%) were students, 21(42%) were faculty members and 2(4%) were academic leaders. From the 11 sub-themes, 5 themes were identified: Expectations, Strengths, Challenges, Way forward, and Institutional role and responsibility. Faculty members perceived humanities and social sciences as encouraging creative and critical thinking, boosting students\u27 confidence and positively impacting their behaviour. Student perception seemed to change as they progressed through the years and they appreciated its impact at different stages.Conclusions: The existing humanities and social sciences curriculum can be further strengthened by integrating contents throughout the five-year programme and continuing it as a longitudinal theme rather than limiting it to a one-time exposure at the start of the programme

DOES PATHOLOGICAL T3A UPSTAGING OF CLINICAL T1 STAGE HAS ANY DIFFERENCE ON LONG-TERM SURVIVAL WHEN COMPARED TO PATHOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL T1 STAGE RENAL CELL CARCINOMA

Background: A high number of clinical T1 (cT1) stage renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is upstaged to pathological T3a (pT3a) stage on histopathological findings. Several study results show that there is no survival difference among those cT1 stage who are upstaged on histopathological findings to those who remain pT1 stage RCC.Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess any survival difference for cT1 stage renal cell carcinoma (RCC) which is upstaged to pT3a stage as compared to those which remain pT1 stage RCC on histopathological findings.Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective cohort study looking at patient aged ≥18 years with cT1 RCC who underwent nephrectomy between January 2006 and December 2016. Patients were divided into two groups based on histopathological findings (pT1 vs. pT3a). Survival was analysed for the  two groups using Kaplan–Meier method, and the difference in survival was calculated using log-rank model.Results: The study included 187 patients. The mean age at presentation was 52.56 years, with 58.3% of the patients being male while 41.7% were female. The most common presentation was incidental diagnosis (50.3%). Overall5-year survival for cT1a and pT1a RCC was 68% while that for cT1a and pT3a RCC was 100%. There was no significant survival difference among the two groups (P = 0.316). The overall 5-year survival for cT1b and pT1b RCC was 81% while that for cT1b and pT3a was 65%. There was no significant survival difference among the two groups (P = 0.136).Conclusion: We found no survival difference in cT1 RCC who were upstaged to pT3a on histopathology as compared to cT1 RCC-staged pT1 on histopathology.Key words: Clinical T1 stage, pathological T3a stage, radical nephrectomy, renal cell carcinoma, surviva

Macrobenthic diversity and community composition in the Pahang Estuary, Malaysia

The Pahang estuary is known to be one of the most productive natural ecosystems in Malaysia and provides food for a variety of organisms. Unfortunately, many species are increasingly threatened there because of declining conditions in natural aquatic ecosystems. Macrobenthic community composition has been extensively used to determine the quality of the aquatic environment for a long time. The Pahang estuary is undergoing poor conditions in water quality and riverbank vegetation because of sand dredging and other human activities. These activities prove the greatest threats to habitat loss, degradation of water quality, and declining indigenous fish population. Based on the above perspectives, a study was conducted on microbenthic and community along with benthic organisms in the Pahang estuary,Malaysia. The study was divided into three zones. Zone 1 was identified as low in diversity of the microbenthic community in Pahang estuary with the diversity index (H0) of 0.35; only polychaete worms and bivalves were identified from this area. Polychaete represented by Neries sp. bivalve class was represented by Yoldia sp. in this zone. For Zone 2, the number and types of benthic communities were low because of human disturbance, but they still exist because of detritus that acts as food and habitat provided by the mangrove. This area was identified as a lowest diversity index of macrobenthos (polychaete, bivalves, and gastropods) with the value of 0.31. The diversity index for Zone 3 was highest among all three zones, with the diversity index of 0.38 along with three classes of macrobenthos, which were polychaete, bivalves, and gastropods. Polychaete was represented by Neries sp., bivalves by Yoldia sp., and gastropods by Nassarius sp., respectively. The lower diversity of the macrobenthic community reveals the alarming conditions of the Kuala Pahang because of massive human disturbances along the Pahang estuary. Long-term monitoring for species diversity is necessary for the sustainable development of aquatic resources in this fascinating tropical estuary

Sustainable green nanoadsorbents for remediation of pharmaceuticals from water and wastewater: A critical review

In the last three decades, pharmaceutical research has increased tremendously to offer safe and healthy life. However, the high consumption of these harmful drugs has risen devastating impact on ecosystems. Therefore, it is worldwide paramount concern to effectively clean pharmaceuticals contaminated water streams to ensure safer environment and healthier life. Nanotechnology enables to produce new, high-technical material, such as membranes, adsorbent, nano-catalysts, functional surfaces, coverages and reagents for more effective water and wastewater cleanup processes. Nevertheless, nano-sorbent materials are regarded the most appropriate treatment technology for water and wastewater because of their facile application and a large number of adsorbents. Several conventional techniques have been operational for domestic wastewater treatment but are inefficient for pharmaceuticals removal. Alternatively, adsorption techniques have played a pivotal role in water and wastewater treatment for a long, but their rise in attraction is proportional with the continuous emergence of new micropollutants in the aquatic environment and new discoveries of sustainable and low-cost adsorbents. Recently, advancements in adsorption technique for wastewater treatment through nanoadsorbents has greatly increased due to its low production cost, sustainability, better physicochemical properties and high removal performance for pharmaceuticals. Herein, this review critically evaluates the performance of sustainable green nanoadsorbent for the remediation of pharmaceutical pollutants from water. The influential sorption parameters and interaction mechanism are also discussed. Moreover, the future prospects of nanoadsorbents for the remediation of pharmaceuticals are also presented