On Measuring the Criticality of Various Variables and Processes in Organization Information Systems: Proposed Methodological Procedure

This paper proposes methodological procedures to be used by the accounting, organizational and managerial researchers and executives to ascertain the criticality of the variables and the processes in the measurement of management control system. We have restricted the validation of proposed methods to the extraction of critical success factors (CSF) in this study. We have also provided a numerical illustration and tested our methodological procedures using a dataset of an empirical study conducted for the purpose of ascertaining the CSFs. The proposed methods can be used by the researchers in accounting, organizational information systems, economics, and business and also in other relevant disciplines of organizational sciences. The main contribution of this paper is the extension of Rockart’s work [33] on critical success factors. We have extended the theory of CSF beyond the initially suggested domain of information into management control system decision making. The methodological procedures developed by us are expected to enrich the literature of analytical and empirical studies in accounting and organizational areas where it can prove helpful in understanding the criticality of individual variables, processes, methods or success factors.Success Factors, Criticality Analysis, Perceptual Criticality, Critical Success Factors

Preparation and characterization of Poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles loaded with linamarin for controlled drug release

Poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles loaded with linamarin as a model drug were successfully prepared using the double emulsion solvent evaporation technique. The physicochemical characterization of the formulated nanoparticles revealed that they were spherical, nonaggregated, and negatively charged, with good drug encapsulation efficiencies (>50%) and average particle sizes <200 nm. Interestingly, all the nanoparticles exhibited dibasic release profiles with a starting burst release within the first 8 h, followed by a controlled release phase lasting four days. Thus, linamarin-loaded nanoparticles indicate a promising candidate for controlled drug release applications

Prevalence and Characterization of Some Colibactin Genes in Clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates from Iraqi Patients

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; افراد العائلة المعوية تمتلك مجموعة من الجينات تدعى Polyketide synthase (pks). هذه المجموعة من الجينات تكون مسؤولة عن تصنيع الذيفان الذي يطلق عليه Colibactin والذي له دور مهم في استحثاث تكسر اشرطة الدنا المزدوجة DNA والذي يؤدي الى استحثاث ورم او ما يعرف بسرطان القولون، احد عشر من اصل ثمانية وثمانين عزلة &nbsp;بكتيرية وتمثل (12.5%) كانت قد توزعت 7(8%) عزلة تعود لبكتربا E. coli، 2(2.25%) عزلة تعود لبكتريا K. pneumonia و 2(2.25%) تعود لبكتريا E. aerogenes كانت حاملة لجينات الكولبكتين قيد الدراسة. تم اختبار لتأثير السمي الخلوي لعزلتين كانت موجبة للجينات قيد الدراسة وهي E. coli and E. aerogenes تجاه خط الخلايا السرطاني المعروف بـ HeLa &nbsp;بينت النائج انخفاض عدد الخلايا وحصول استطالة في انوية الخلايامقارنة بالخلايا الغير معاملة. اظهرت النتائج حصول تغيرات نسيجية في الخلايا بأستخدام صبغة AO/EBr تم ملاحظتها بأستخدام المجهر الفلورسيني: بعض هذه التغيرات تم ملاحظتها في لون كروماتين النواة ومصحوب بتكثف الدنا النووي وكذلك حصول تكسر في النوية، خلايا الـ HeLa التي ظهرت بلون اخضر ولم تحصل فيها اي تغيرات في لون المادة الكروماتينية هي خلايا حية ولم تتم معاملتها مع البكتريا الحاملة للجينات قيد الدراسة، بينما الخلايا المعاملة مع خلايا بكتيرية حاملة للجينات ظهرت انويتها بلون برتقالي داكن وهي خلايا ميتة. يستنتج من ذلك ان عزلات البكتريا المعوية المعزولة من مرضى عراقيين يمكنها ان تفرز مواد سامة (ذيفان الكولبكتين) يمكنها قتل قتل الخلايا السرطانية نوع HeLa وهذا ناتج عن تغيرات حصلت في انوية الخلايا المعرضة للبكتريا وكان واضح في كثافة وتكسر المادة الوراثية للخلايا قيد الدراسة.&nbsp;The members of the family of Eentrobacteriaceae harbour a gene cluster called polyketide synthase (pks) island. This cluster is responsible for the synthesis of the genotoxin colibactin that might have an important role in the induction of double-strand DNA breaks, leading to promote human colorectal cancer (CRC). Eleven out of the eighty eight isolates (12.5%) were pks+, distributed as 7 (8%) isolates of E. coli, 2 (2.25%) of K. pneumoniae and 2 (2.25%) of E. aerogenes. The cytotoxic effects of selected pks+ isolates (E. coli and E. aerogenes) on HeLa cells were represented by decreasing cell numbers and enlarged cell nuclei in comparison to the untreated cells. Cytological changes were observed when the infected HeLa cells cultures were stained with AO/EBr and visualized under fluorescent microscope. Some changes that happened in the color of the nuclear chromatin were accompanied by DNA condensation and degradation and fragmentation of nuclei. HeLa cells with green unchanged nuclear chromatin were alive while those with orange-dark and bright red nuclei were dead. It was concluded that a proportion of the Entreobacteriaceae isolates from Iraqi patients was pks+, which exerted cytotoxic effects upon using them to kill HeLa cells. In this study the microscopic observation of the cell morphology reveals the cellular response to the genotoxic insult, with reduced numbers, striking giant cells phenotype (megalocytosis) and fragmentation of nuclei due to the cell cycle arrest and cellular senescenc

Isolation and Identification of Bacterial Species from the Human Gallbladders Bile of Sudanese Patients

Background: Gallbladder infections are one of the most important problems that affect Sudanese patients.Objectives: To isolate bacterial species from infected human gallbladder's bile in Sudanese patients admitted for cholecystectomy due to calcoulus or acalcoulus cholecystitis.Materials and Methods: A total of 100 bile specimens from 100 patients (88 females and 12 males), were examined in this study. Bile specimens were collected from three different operating theatres including IbnSena Hospital, Sudan Private Clinic and Omdurman Teaching Hospital.Results: Six bacterial species were recognized in bile specimens, four of them are gramnegative and two are gram- positive species. In the present study, bacteria were isolated from 40 specimens out of the 100 bile specimens cultured with an overall incidence of 40%. It was noted that all positive bacterial bile cultures correlated with the presence of gallstones except three Salmonellae which were isolated from bile of acalculus gallbladders. The most prevalent bacteria isolated were E.coli which was isolated from 24 specimens out of the 100 bile specimens. On the other hand, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas spp. were less frequently isolated from bile specimens showing frequencies of 4 (4%) for each.Conclusion: The finding of this study indicated that Escherichia coli were the most prevalent bacteria which isolated from human bile. As well as, the study revealed that certain bacterial species such as Salmonellae possess characters which allow them to cause cholecystitis without need to gallstones formation.Key words: Gallbladder Bile, Bacterial isolates, Bile specimens, Cholecystectomy; Bacterial cholecystitis, Acalculus gallbladders

Physical-mechanical characteristics of cement-bonded kenaf bast fibres composite boards with different densities

This study was carried out to explore the potential of kenaf bast fibres (KBFs) for production of cement-bonded kenaf composite boards (CBKCBs). More than 70% of the KBFs were of size >3.35 mm and length of 31±0.4 mm, therefore, they were used for CBKCBs production. The CBKCBs with the dimensions of 450 × 450 × 12 mm were produced using cement (C): KBF with proportion of (2:1) and different board densities (BD) namely 1100, 1300 and 1500 kg/m3The CBKCBs were first cured in a tank saturated with moisture for 7days, and then kept at room temperature for 21 days. Mechanical and physical properties of the CBKCBs were characterized with regards to their modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), internal bond (IB), water absorption (WA), and thickness swelling (TS). Results of the tested CBKCBs revealed that the MOR increased while the MOE decreased due to uniform distribution of KBFs. It was found that loading of KBFs has a negative influence on the internal bond (IB) of the CBKCBs; the IB was reduced as KBFs tend to balling and making unmixed aggregates with the cement. These results showed that the CBKCB is a promising construction material that could potentially be used in different structural applications due to their good mechanical characteristics

Performance Based Time History Analysis of Five Story Shear Frame Building Using MATLAB and ETABS

This paper compares the time history analysis results for state space representation (SSR) method using MATLAB with the result conducted using ETABS. The equation of motion of the structure subjected to seismic excitation represented by second-order linear non-homogeneous differential equation. This equation reduced to two coupled first order differential equations and state space representation was formulated to represent the system in matrix form and MATLAB Simulink was used to determine response of the structure. The objectives of this study are i) to conduct a comparative study between the state space representation which is a powerful tool with results of ETABS. ii) to investigate the accuracy of SSR method. iii) to conduct a performance based dynamic analysis for shear frame structures and study outcome responses of the structure. This analysis was based on the assumptions, i) the total story mass is lumped at the center of story diaphragm. ii) No deflection occurs in beams; story beams are infinitely rigid in comparison to story columns. iii) no changes in the nature of the boundary conditions during and after the analysis iv) the system is elastic linear time-invariant (ELTI) and material nonlinearity is not considered. So that that structural degree of freedom decreased to be equivalent to the number of storys. The results showed a significant similarity in comparison with ETABS software. The maximum absolute difference of displacement and story drift ratio was 3.35mm and 0.0016 was obtained at the roof of third and fifth story respectively

Cancer in Children at El Obeid Hospital, Western Sudan.

Background: Cancers form one of the major causes of death in children. They differ markedly from adult cancers in their nature, distribution and prognosis. Objectives: To determine the pattern of childhood cancer at El Obeid Hospital, Western Sudan. Patients and Methods: The records of all patients admitted with cancer aged 15 years and below tothe wards of El Obeid Hospital, Western Sudan over two years were studied. The cancers were classified according to the organs affected and then ranked in their order of relative frequency. The mean age, age range, gender and the relative frequency rates were calculated. Results: There were 40 newly diagnosed childhood cancer patients during the study period. Males were 29 patients (72.5%). The age ranged three months to 14 years. Leukaemias were the most common malignancy in both sexes, followed by bone tumours and then nephroblastoma.Conclusions: Cancers in children were seen at Western Sudan, and cases admitted to hospital only reflect the tip of the iceberg as many cases were directly referred to Oncology Hospitals. Establishment of a local radiation and isotopes centre is needed in this part of the country to provide oncology services and to integrate preventive programs.Key words: Acute lymphocytic leukaemia, osteosarcoma, nephroblastoma, Western Sudan

Automated irrigation systems for wheat and tomato crops in arid regions

Automated irrigation systems (AISs) are critical for the sustainability of irrigated farming systems, considering the present water crisis in Saudi Arabia. This study investigated whether electronic controllers in irrigation systems effectively save water. The study also assessed the effect of these controllers on crop yield using drip and sprinkler irrigation systems in severely arid climate conditions. Evapotranspiration (ET) controllers were installed in experimental fields of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) crops for 2 successive seasons. The results revealed that the water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) were typically higher in the AIS than in the conventional irrigation control system (CIS). Under the AIS treatment, the WUE and IWUE values were 1.64 and 1.37 k·gm-3 for wheat, and 7.50 and 6.50 kg·m-3 for tomato crops; under the CIS treatment the values were 1.47 and 1.21 kg·m-3 for wheat and 5.72 and 4.70 kg·m-3 for tomatoes, respectively. Therefore, the AIS provided significant advantages in both water savings and crop yields by utilising up to 26% less water than the CIS, and simultaneously generating higher total yields. The automated irrigation system technique may be a valuable tool for conserving water and scheduling irrigation for wheat and tomato crops, and may be extendable to other similar agricultural crops.Keywords: autonomous control, evapotranspiration controller, water conservation, sprinkler and drip irrigation, water-use efficiency, arid region

First-trimester rupture of a scarred uterus after use of sublingual misoprostol: a case report

Uterine rupture is a disastrous obstetric complication, occurring mostly in the second and third trimesters. The risk of uterine rupture markedly increases with previous uterine surgeries. Termination of early pregnancy failure using misoprostol is common. However, its use in women with a scarred uterus is speculative and usually puts the obstetricians in a stressful situation. Here we present a case of rupture of a scarred uterus in the first trimester after sublingual misoprostol. A 35 years old multiparous woman presented with uterine rupture after administration of small doses of sublingual misoprostol for termination of early pregnancy failure. Immediate laparotomy was done and the defect was repaired. Termination of early pregnancy failure, in women with a scarred uterus, using sublingual misoprostol can lead to uterine rupture. Sublingual misoprostol should be used cautiously under close supervision or other routes (vaginal or oral) should be used instead

Modified Bianchi pyloromyotomy versus laparoscopic pyloromyotomy for patients with infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis: Intraoperative considerations and parents’ satisfaction

Introduction Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is a common cause of persistent nonbilious vomiting during infancy. Ramstedt pyloromyotomy through right upper quadrant transverse incision is the conventional treatment. The laparoscopic and Tan-Bianchi approaches were introduced to improve the cosmesis and decrease postoperative morbidity. In this study, we compared between laparoscopic and modified Bianchi approaches regarding intraoperative technical considerations and postoperative outcomes.Patients and methods The study included 40 patients with infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Overall, 20 patients underwent laparoscopic pyloromyotomy (LP) and the other 20 patients underwent modified Bianchi pyloromyotomy (MBP). Patients’ characteristics, including age, sex, gestational age, and associated  comorbidities, were documented. Intraoperative details and complications and postoperative outcomes were recorded.Results The operative time and intraoperative complications including mucosal perforation and bleeding did not significantly differ between both the groups. From the laparoscopic group, one (5%) case was complicated by mucosal perforation and converted to open and another case (5%) developed hypercapnia. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding time till full feed (P=0.648) and postoperative hospital stay (P=0.082). In addition, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding postoperative complications, with one (5%) case from the laparoscopic group underwent incomplete myotomy and required redo-operation and another case (5%) developed wound infection. MBP had a significantly more parent satisfaction regarding cosmesis than LP (P=0.016).Conclusion MBP is comparable to LP regarding intraoperative complications and postoperative outcomes; however, the modified Bianchi approach offered more parent satisfaction than laparoscopic approach.  Keywords: laparoscopic, modified Bianchi, pyloric stenosis, pyloromyotom