47 research outputs found
Peran Biaya Operasional Pendidikan terhadap Output Pendidikan
Operational Education Costs are one of the most important instrumental input components in the administration of education. The education process cannot run without the support of operational costs. Madrasah Aliyah is a formal education unit under the auspices of the Ministry of Religion which organizes general education with the distinctiveness of the Islamic religion at the secondary education level. Educational activities carried out by schools including Madrasah Aliyah must be based on the educational goals to be achieved. One of the achievement of educational goals can be seen from the results of learning or educational output. Parents of students dare to pay high education costs not to obtain low educational output, but they want high educational output. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of the operational costs of education on educational output in Madrasah Aliyah in Cimahi. This research uses descriptive study method, because the problem under study is an actual and factual so that the researcher is able to study intensively about the background of the present situation. In this study the authors used several data collection techniques, namely observation, interviews and documentation studies. In this study there are 2 Aliyah Madrasas which are used as sample objects for comparison so that researchers know the role of educational operational costs to educational output, namely Madrasah Aliyah Mutiteknik Asih Putera and Madrasah Aliyah Al-Farisy. While the educational output in this study is seen from the average value of NEM for the National Examination of students from each school. From various data obtained by the author about the object of research, the results of the study indicate that the role of operational operational costs in this research has an influence on educational output. This means that high operational costs of education on average result in better educational outputs
Preparation, characterization and antimicrobial assessment of selected ciprofloxacin salts
The formation of salts is considered a simple strategy to modify the physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients. In this study, seven novel binary and ternary organic salts of ciprofloxacin (CP) were prepared with benzoic acid (BA), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), p-coumaric acid (PCMA) and p-aminosalicylic acid (PASA). They were characterized by spectroscopic techniques and differential scanning calorimetry. Solubility and partition coefficients values were also measured. Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the organic salts against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis revealed that most of the new salts had higher antimicrobial activity than CP-HCl against both strains. The most active compounds against S. epidermidis and S. aureus were CP-PASA and CP-PCMA, resp., which were up to fourteen times more potent than parent CP-HCl. Our findings indicated a strong correlation between the lipophilicity of the formed salts and their antimicrobial activity and showed that an optimum value of lipophilicity (logP = 0.75) seemed to be necessary to maximize the antimicrobial activity. These findings highlighted the improved physical, thermal and antimicrobial properties of the new salts of CP that can aid in providing higher bioavailability than CP-HCl
Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of Behçet's disease quality of life questionnaire
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Currently, there is one Behçet's disease (BD) specific self reporting questionnaire developed and published in the literature, The Leeds BD-quality of life (QoL). We conducted a cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Arabic version of the Leeds BD-QoL</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 41 consecutive patients attending rheumatology clinics at the American University of Beirut Medical Center between June and December 2007. The BD-QoL questionnaire, the Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) questionnaires were co-administered during the same visit, and severity scores were calculated. Cross-cultural adaptation of BD-QoL was performed using forward and backward translations of the original questionnaire. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the final version were determined. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to assess the dimensionality of the scale items. External construct validity was examined by correlating Arabic BD-QoL with the severity score, ADL and IADL.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The 30 items of the adapted Arabic BD-QoL showed a high internal consistency (KR-20 coefficient 0.89) and test-retest reliability (Spearman's test 0.91). The convergence of all 30 items suggests that the 30-item adapted Arabic BD-QoL scale is unidimensional. BD-QoL did not correlate with any of the patients' demographics. Still, it was positively correlated with patient severity score (r 0.4, p 0.02), and IADL (but not ADL).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This cross-cultural adaptation has produced an Arabic BD-QoL questionnaire that is now available for use in clinical settings and in research studies, among Arabic speaking patients.</p
Studies on the interaction between ciprofloxacin hydrochloride and diclofenac sodium
Purpose: To study the interaction between ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (Cipro) and diclofenac sodium (DS) in the presence and absence of metal ions.Methods: Complexes were prepared in the aqueous phase at different molar ratios (r) of Cipro:DS (ranged from 0.2 â 2.0). The complexes were characterized by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Their properties, i.e., solubility, dissolution and partition coefficient (log P), were studied along with their permeability across Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of Cipro and its complexes was determined using standard broth dilution method and expressed as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).Results: Cipro formed an ion pair with DS. The product was confirmed to be a combination of the two drugs, DS and Cipro, but in a ratio that is dependent on the added amounts of each component (r = 1:1 or 1:2). The 1:1 product was more lipophilic than the individual components leading to a lower aqueous solubility and a higher octanol/water partition coefficient log P (6.7 vs. 0.77). The presence of DS within the dissolution medium appeared to modify the dissolution of Cipro depending on the concentration. Moreover, ternary complexes involving Cipro, DS and metal ions (iron and/or calcium) exhibited improved antimicrobial effect (MIC, 0.016 Îźg/ml compared to 0.258 Îźg/ml for Cipro). Caco-2 cell permeation data indicate that the presence of DS significantly improved the apparent permeability coefficient (Papp) of Cipro (20.6 Ă 10-6 cm/s) which was three times higher than that of free Cipro (p < 0.05). DS also appeared to counteract the well-known negative effect of metal ions on the bioavailability of Cipro.Conclusion: There is a clinically relevant interaction between DS and Cipro at the absorption level as a result of ion pair formation, which might even counteract the negative effect of metals on the absorption of Cipro. These findings should aid the design of new Cipro ion pairs that provide higher bioavailability than free Cipro.Keywords: Ciprofloxacin, Diclofenac, Interaction, Ion pair, Permeability coefficient, Bioavailability, Absorptio
Prevalence of Montelukast Use as an Add-On Therapy among Iraqi Asthmatics on Treatment Attending Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital and Al-Zahraa Center of Asthma and Allergy
BACKGROUND: Montelukast (Singulair) is a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist, used for the maintenance treatment of asthma and to relieve symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis and asthma, also used for exercise-induced bronchospasm.
AIM: This study was performed to determine the prevalence of Montelukast use as an add-on therapy among Iraqi asthmatic patients on treatment. Comparing the effectiveness of regimens with and without montelukast.
METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 73 Iraqi asthmatic patients on treatment of both sexes with age range (18-60) years old, attending Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital and Al-Zahraa Centre of Asthma and Allergy, Baghdad, for the period between February and March 2017. A questionnaire was specifically prepared to meet the objectives and was used to collect the data of the study.
RESULTS: There was a significant statistical reduction of frequency in asthmatic attacks after Montelukast treatment (p-value < 0.05). Out of 73 patients, 39 were males, and 34 were females, 46 were jobless, 37 were married, 63 were urban residents, 63 were educated. Prevalence of exacerbation factors was as following: infection was found in 60.3% of the patients, exercise in 57.5%, dust in 72.6%, smoking in 60.6%, food in 24.7%, others (stress, perfumes) in 20.5%. The prevalence of Montelukast use in this study was 46% (34 patients). Out of 34 patients using Montelukast, 28 were using inhaled salbutamol, 5 were using oral salbutamol, 15 were using inhaled corticosteroids, 9 were using systematic corticosteroids, 2 were using xanthines, and 6 were using ketotifen.
CONCLUSION: Montelukast was used as add-on therapy with the inhaled corticosteroids to reduce the required dose of inhaled corticosteroids also the use of Montelukast lead to reduced number of exacerbations which will be reflected on the use of inhaled salbutamol and systematic corticosteroids. Also, Montelukast was superior to xanthines and ketotifen as an add-on therapy
Comprehensive quantity discount model for dynamic green supplier selection and order allocation
We model and solve a deterministic multi-period single-product green supplier selection and order allocation problem in which the considered suppliersâ availability, cost, and green performance change from one period to another in the planning horizon. Moreover, the available suppliers may offer an all-unit or an incremental quantity discount (QD) scheme, resulting in three problem configurations. In one configuration, all suppliers offer all-unit QD. In the second, all suppliers offer incremental QD. In the third, some suppliers offer all-unit QD, and others offer incremental QD. The problem is modelled using a bi-objective integer linear programming formulation that maximizes the total green value of the purchased items from all the suppliers and minimizes their total corresponding cost, including the fixed cost, variable cost, inventory holding cost, and shortage cost. The proposed bi-objective model is scalarized and solved using the branch-and-cut algorithm and a population-based heuristic. A numerical analysis is conducted, which allows first to validate the heuristic approach using small-size instances by comparing its results with those of the exact approach. Moreover, an extensive comparison between the exact and heuristic solution approaches is carried out. The results reveal different findings. First, the economic and environmental solutions of an instance are different, and the environmental solution is independent of the suppliersâ pricing schemes. Second, the maximum difference between the heuristic approach and the exact approach in terms of the bi-objective function value is 4.72%, which makes the proposed heuristic recommended for large-size instances due to its short computation time and good accuracy. Third, there is no difference in terms of the heuristic performance between the combined model and the models with a single type of discount. Fourth, the all-unit discount scheme seems to be generally better in terms of the trade-off between the green value of purchasing and cost
Pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity of selected pharmaceutical agents
Twenty-five structurally diverse compounds have been tested in vitro for their pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibitory activity. Despite the diversity of tested compounds, the relationship comprising structural attributes of the compounds could be established to correlate with the observed inhibitory activity. Compounds that exerted inhibitory action through surface activity were of different profile from the rest of compounds. When co-incubated with orlistat (OsT), important synergistic effects for some compounds (orphenadrine, gliclazide, cefuroxime and sulfacetamide) were revealed, while antagonistic effects were demonstrated for others (camphor sulfonic acid and dinitro salicylic acid). Docking studies for the most active molecules were performed and molecular interaction forces with the PL active site were identified. The results suggested co-binding of OsT along with the other inhibitor in the binding site in cases of synergistic effect but not in the case of antagonistic effect. These results were additionally supported by affinity capillary electrophoresis. In conclusion, synergistic lipase inhibitory activity between OsT and some other pharmaceutical compounds was demonstrated for the first time, which might help improve the pharmacological effect of OsT
Evaluating the Effect of Organizational Justice on Turnover Intention in the Public Hospitals of Jordan: Mediated-Moderated Model of Employee Silence, Workplace Bullying, and Work Stress
Purpose: The goal of this study is to determine how organizational justice (OJ), employee silence (ES), and workplace bullying (WB) affect turnover intention (TI). ES and WB play mediating roles in this study, and work stress (WS) acts as a moderator between ES, WB, and IT.
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Design/methodology/approach: The study has selected for a quantitative method of analysis in order to meet its goal. 370 nurses from Jordan's public hospitals filled out questionnaires based on a random sample. Smart PLS 3.3.3 was used to evaluate the data.
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Findings: Results show that OJ is highly impacted by IT. OJ also has a close relationship with ES and WB. ES and WB hence have a substantial relationship with IT. More significantly, the study showed that the OJ and IT were mediated through the ES and WB. Additionally, WS acts as a mediator between WB and IT.
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Practical implications: This paper adds to the body of theoretical and applied research on turnover intention analysis. This study's theoretical framework should make it easier for individuals to understand the difficulties that come with the intention to turnover in Jordan's public hospitals. However, this study offers Jordanian decision-makers with useful guidance on how to encourage Jordanians to lessen their intentions to turnover by thoroughly examining the critical factors that influence turnover intention.
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Originality/value: It is important to take into account the rising rate of employee turnover at Jordan's public hospitals. Turnover has become a significant concern for management on a global scale
Microbiological quality of cooked meat products sold in Kelantan, Malaysia during Ramadhan month
The Ramadhan fast is a form of worship where Muslims spend the daylight hours in a complete fast. During the month of Ramadhan, a large number of people tend to purchase food from stalls or bazaars for breaking fast. It is crucial that the foods prepared and sold are handled in a clean and safe manner. Thus, this research focused on evaluating the microbiological quality of cooked meat products (beef and chicken) from food bazaars and street-vended foods in 10 districts throughout the state of Kelantan. A total of 100 samples were collected from all 10 districts in Kelantan and were tested for coliform, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus spp. Microbiological analysis of the meat samples showed unsatisfactory results where a total of 42% of the samples were found unsatisfactory for coliform. The overall prevalence for Staphylococcus spp. in beef and chicken were 19.6% and 12.9%. Escherichia coli were detected in 23.9% of beef and 12.9% of chicken. Non-compliances for Salmonella were found in 13% and 9.3% of beef and chicken samples. This study determined the presence of foodborne pathogen in cooked meat products and indicated the possibilities of cross
contamination and lack of hygiene during food handling
Central authority controlled air traffic flow management: An optimization approach.
Despite various planning efforts, airspace capacity can sometimes be exceeded, typically due to disruptive events. Air traffic flow management (ATFM) is the process of managing flights in this situation. In this paper, we present an ATFM model that accounts for different rerouting options (path rerouting and diversion) and pre-existing en-route flights. The model proposes having a central authority to control all decisions, which is then compared with current practice. We also consider inter-flight and inter-airline fairness measures in the network. We use an exact approach to solve small-to-medium-sized instances, and we propose a modified fix-and-relax heuristic to solve large-sized instances. Allowing a central authority to control all decisions increases network efficiency compared to the case where the ATFM authority and airlines control decisions independently. Our experiments show that including different rerouting options in ATFM can help reduce delays by up to 8% and cancellations by up to 23%. Moreover, ground delay cost has much more impact on network decisions than air delay cost, and network decisions are insensitive to changes in diversion cost.
Furthermore, the analysis of the trade-off between total network cost and overtaking cost shows that adding costs for overtaking can significantly improve fairness at only a small increase in total system cost. A balanced total cost per flight among airlines can be achieved at a small increase in the network cost (0.2 to 3.0%) when imposing airline fairness. In conclusion, the comprehensiveness of the model makes it useful for analyzing a wide range of alternatives for efficient ATF