Investigation on TQM implementation in medical sciences universities of Iran

Higher education institutes are undergoing fundamental changes and rapid development. Customers (faculty, staff, student)2 demand high quality services at reasonable and affordable costs. Customer dissatisfaction and a growing awareness of gaps between actual and ideal service have led to intensifying pressure to improve quality. Total Quality Management (TQM) is considered one of the most important methods adopted by managers in recent decades to make their organizations more sustainable, competitive and profitable. It has been admitted that TQM is not embraced by universities as much as industries and governments, particularly in developing countries. The present research is an important first exploratory empirical study of TQM implementation in Iran which assesses the extent to which the TQM approach is applied in Medical Sciences Universities (MSUs) and to propose a convenient model for effective implementation of TQM to promote the performance of the universities, increasing of customer satisfaction and to remain competitive in the region. The data were obtained from the field work at two major Iranian medical sciences universities as the representatives of MSUs through self administered questionnaires (adapted from an established Baldrige model) and also face to face semi structured interviews regarding the research objectives and research questions with a rage of stakeholders. The questionnaire aimed to investigate the implementation of TQM in MSUs, while, semi-structured interviews aimed to gain an understanding of themes which had emerged from the questionnaire as well as to validate the findings resulting from the questionnaire. Different statistical techniques (e.g. descriptive analysis, multiple regression, spearman‟s correlation, Kruskal-Wallis) were used to describe the respondents‟ characteristics and identify and explain findings of the data .The analysis of the data revealed that although the current state of the TQM practice in MSUs, in terms of seven Baldrige educational categories, is not satisfied, but it seems the universities have started improving in some areas. The results also indicated four new TQM implementation impediments: a) managers are multi jobs b) financial problems of the staff and lack of interest in participating in TQM training and programs, c) non accountability of the mangers to the ministry, and d) lack of time for TQM implementation. In addition the results showed that, there is a correlation amongst the seven categories. Also, it was found that the government (the ministry) policy acts as an encouraging factor to implement TQM successfully through the assessment of the senior leaders of the university. Moreover, the results showed that there is no difference in their levels of views on Baldrige TQM model by male and female respondents. The study has proposed a model which would be more helpful to the top managements of hifgher education institutions for providing the quality educational service to their customers as well as improvement in the delivery mechanisms. The research has identified some useful implications for Universities leadership and academic researchers. The study concludes by identifying recommendations of further research, considers the limitations of the research and discusses the researcher‟s personal learning

Solubility of Carvedilol in Ethanol + Propylene Glycol Mixtures at Various Temperatures

Article on the solubility of carvedilol in ethanol and propylene glycol mixtures at various temperatures

An investigation of the role of leadership in the implementation of TQM in Medical Universities of Iran

In the developing countries, management is one of the big challenges in the running of academic organisations. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management approach that aims for long term success. Since the mid 1980s “quality” has been a major issue in higher educational institutions. Universities are under a lot of pressure from a range of stakeholders. After successful implementation of TQM in higher educational institutes in developed countries it is now the right time for implementation of TQM in developing countries. This paper aims to discuss the role of top management (leadership) in the successful implementation of TQM in Iranian Medical Sciences Universities (MSUs). The Baldrige quality model was chosen as the framework for the research. Two MSUs were identified and a questionnaire was delivered to different groups within the Universities. The relationships between the leadership category and other categories were identified. The findings indicated that top management (leadership) is highly related to the other categories and hence by improving this category there will be a positive impact on other categories. The results also revealed that the employees' opinions on the senior leaders in terms of the commitment, participation, and adoption of the TQM were low and needs to be addressed

Development of a Microemulsion High Performance Liquid Chromatography (MELC) Method for Determination of Salbutamol in Metered-Dose Inhalers (MDIS)

NoA sensitive and rapid oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsion high performance liquid chromatography (MELC) method has been developed. The water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion was used as a mobile phase in the determination of salbutamol in aqueous solutions. In addition, the influence of operating parameters on the separation performance was examined. The samples were injected into C18, (250mmx4.6mm) analytical columns maintained at 25(o)C with a flow rate 1 ml/min. The mobile phase was 95.5% v/v aqueous orthophosphate buffer 20 mM (adjusted to pH 3 with orthophosphoric acid), 0.5% ethyl acetate, 1.5% Brij35, and 2.5% 1-butanol, all w/w. The salbutamol and internal standard peaks were detected by fluorescence detection at the excitation and emission wavelengths of 267 and 313 nm respectively. The method had an accuracy of > 97.78% and the calibration curve was linear (r2 = 0.99) over salbutamol concentrations ranging from 25 to 500 ng/mL. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (CV %) were <1.6 and <1.8, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 9.61ng/ml and 29.13ng/ml, respectively. The method reported is simple, precise and accurate, and has the capacity to be used for determination of salbutamol in the pharmaceutical preparation

Correlation of retention factor of analytes in quaternary solvent mobile phases using the Jouyban-Acree model

Article on the correlation of retention factor of analytes in quaternary solvent mobile phases using the Jouyban-Acree model

Injectable hydrogels for cartilage and bone tissue regeneration:A review

Annually, millions of patients suffer from irreversible injury owing to the loss or failure of an organ or tissue caused by accident, aging, or disease. The combination of injectable hydrogels and the science of stem cells have emerged to address this persistent issue in society by generating minimally invasive treatments to augment tissue function. Hydrogels are composed of a cross-linked network of polymers that exhibit a high-water retention capacity, thereby mimicking the wet environment of native cells. Due to their inherent mechanical softness, hydrogels can be used as needle-injectable stem cell carrier materials to mend tissue defects. Hydrogels are made of different natural or synthetic polymers, displaying a broad portfolio of eligible properties, which include biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, shear-thinning properties as well as tunable biological and physicochemical properties. Presently, novel ongoing developments and native-like hydrogels are increasingly being used broadly to improve the quality of life of those with disabling tissue-related diseases. The present review outlines various future and in-vitro applications of injectable hydrogel-based biomaterials, focusing on the newest ongoing developments of in-situ forming injectable hydrogels for bone and cartilage tissue engineering purposes.</p

Solubility of Carvedilol in Ethanol + Propylene Glycol Mixtures at Various Temperatures

Solubilities of carvedilol (CVD) in binary mixtures of (ethanol + propylene glycol (PG)) at 298.2, 303.2, 308.2, and 313.2 K are reported. The modified versions of the van’t Hoff and Gibbs equations were used to calculate the thermodynamic properties (enthalpy (Δ<i>H</i>°), entropy (Δ<i>S</i>°), and Gibbs energy (Δ<i>G</i>°) standard changes of solutions) for CVD dissolved in (ethanol (1) + PG (2)) mixtures from the solubility data. The solubility data of CVD in (ethanol (1) + PG (2)) at different temperatures were correlated using different mathematical models, i.e., the Jouyban–Acree model, a combination of the Jouyban–Acree model with the van’t Hoff model, and two modified versions of the Jouyban–Acree model. Solubility data of seven drugs in (ethanol (1) + PG (2)) at different temperatures were used to develop a quantitative structure–property relationship model for predicting solubility in solvent mixtures. In addition, enthalpy–entropy compensation using Δ<i>H</i>° vs Δ<i>G</i>° and Δ<i>H</i>° vs <i>T</i>ΔS° which explains the mechanism of cosolvency at different temperatures was discussed