Critical Success and Failure Factors in a Charitable Organization’s Systems Development and Adoption

In the current knowledge society, adoption of information technology (IT) innovation initiatives has become a necessity for the success of most organizations. The decision to adopt information technology solutions however must be made on welldefined user requirements, and not on mere high-expectations. In this paper we present a case study of an ambitious Saudi Arabian charitable organization that decided to start the development of its information system based on anticipated modes of operation and not actual operational and user requirements. Even after the deployment of the information system, the shape of organizational operations was still transforming. Once functional operations of the foundation were finally stabilized it was realized that the developed system, to a large extent, had failed to meet the actual user needs and its intended user adoption did not fully materialize

E-Commerce Skills Requirements in Online Job Advertisements

This paper presents an ongoing research to determine the most popular skills of the e-commerce workforce based on e-commerce skills requirements present in online job locator websites. A large number of online job ads for e-commerce related positions have been already identified representing different geographical areas of the United States. Data is being collected and analyzed regarding types of positions (IT vs. non-IT), salary offered for positions, required years of experience, educational background requirements, desirable nontechnical (personal traits and business) skills, and, technical skills (problem solving, technology, and tools)

Determining the Best Plan to Launch the Saudi Virtual University

This paper presents a project for the development of a virtual university in Saudi Arabia, associated challenges, and, remaining questions that need answering to ensure successful implementation and adoption of the university

Towards Developing A Framework for Managing an Information Security Policy in Healthcare Organizations

In today\u27s interconnected high-tech world, healthcare organizations are especially concerned with managing and securing health-related information. Threats exist from different sources, and breaches have undesirable impact on the healthcare organization. In order to enhance the organization\u27s security, a precise and clear information security policy must be introduced and enforced. This is an important area of concern that should be addressed properly to successfully manage health organizations‟ security. This is a research-in-progress that examines the need for the adoption of standardized policies and regulations when it comes to dealing with the issue of information security in healthcare organizations. As an outcome of this research we hope to develop a simplified framework that can assist healthcare organizations in the implementation and management of an effective information security policy (ISP). The intended framework is expected to be of great benefit to the smaller healthcare organizations that may be lacking the necessary information security expertise. A study will be conducted on the status of information security within Saudi Arabian healthcare organizations in an effort to strengthen the recommendations of the proposed framework

Utilization patterns of antihypertensive drugs in the management of hypertension among patients with chronic kidney disease at a tertiary hospital

Background: Objective of the current investigation was to identify the utilization patterns of antihypertensive drugs among hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease at Sultan Qaboos university hospital.Methods: This is a retrospective study of the utilization patterns of antihypertensive drugs that were prescribed to 181 hypertensive patients with CKD. Patients’ data and drugs’ data were collected from the hospital track care system and analysed.Results: The results show that diuretics were prescribed for 63.53% of the patients followed by β-blockers (61.3%). Drugs were prescribed orally to 90% of the patients. Furosemide was prescribed to 55.8% of patients followed by amlodipine (55.2%). The majority of the patients were on multiple antihypertensive medications (84%). There was no significant difference between drug utilization in patients with albuminuria and those without albuminuria. Among patients with CKD stages two and three, β-blockers were the most common antihypertensive drugs being utilized. Among patients with stage 4 and stage 5, calcium channel blockers and diuretics were the most common antihypertensive drugs being utilized. The prescription of angiotensin II receptor blockers and direct vasodilators showed a significant difference among different stages of CKD.Conclusions: This study showed that diuretics were the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drugs among the study cohort. The majority of the patients were on multiple antihypertensive medications

Strength properties and molecular composition of epoxy-modified mortars

Even without hardener, epoxy resin is able to harden in the presence of hydroxyl ions produced during cement hydration process. In this study commercially available Bisphenol A-type epoxy resin without hardener was used as a polymeric admixture to prepare epoxy-modified mortars, whose properties and chemical composition were then investigated. The mortars were prepared with a mass ratio of 1:3 (cement:fine aggregate), water-to-cement ratio (W/C) of 0.48, and epoxy content of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of cement. The specimens were subjected to dry and wet-dry curing. Workability, setting time, compressive strength, flexural strength, and tensile splitting strength tests were conducted. A Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy test was also administered to determine the molecular composition and structure of mortars. Results showed an inverse relationship between workability and setting time of mortars versus epoxy content. The compressive, flexural, and tensile splitting strengths of epoxy-modified mortars were noted to be the highest for mortars containing 10% epoxy in wet-dry curing. A significant improvement in strength development of mortars without hardener had been achieved through dry curing due to gradual hardening of epoxy resin with hydrated cement

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020