Supplier qualification for high value goods and services in Nigeria: A comparison of qualified and non-qualified suppliers

This study set out to understand the capabilities of suppliers of high value products and services in Nigeria. Supplier capability data was collected from almost 500 potential suppliers across 28 product categories. The findings indicate that only a small minority of potential suppliers achieved the required levels of performance and that very few companies have suitable operational capabilities or corporate citizenship behaviour. Furthermore, significant differences were found between service suppliers and product suppliers with regard to performance. The findings suggest that the majority of suppliers of products and services in Nigeria need to improve their operational capabilities and corporate citizenship behaviours or else risk losing their ability to compete in a changing market place with new barriers to entry

Pituitary Society Delphi Survey : An international perspective on endocrine management of patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas

Purpose: In adults and children, transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) represents the cornerstone of management for most large or functioning sellar lesions with the exception of prolactinomas. Endocrine evaluation and management are an essential part of perioperative care. However, the details of endocrine assessment and care are not universally agreed upon. Methods: To build consensus on the endocrine evaluation and management of adults undergoing TSS, a Delphi process was used. Thirty-five statements were developed by the Pituitary Society's Education Committee. Fifty-five pituitary endocrinologists, all members of the Pituitary Society, were invited to participate in two Delphi rounds and rate their extent of agreement with statements pertaining to perioperative endocrine evaluation and management, using a Likert-type scale. Anonymized data on the proportion of panelists' agreeing with each item were summarized. A list of items that achieved consensus, based on predefined criteria, was tabulated. Results: Strong consensus (≥ 80% of panelists rating their agreement as 6-7 on a scale from 1 to 7) was achieved for 68.6% (24/35) items. If less strict agreement criteria were applied (ratings 5-7 on the Likert-type scale), consensus was achieved for 88% (31/35) items. Conclusions: We achieved consensus on a large majority of items pertaining to perioperative endocrine evaluation and management using a Delphi process. This provides an international real-world clinical perspective from an expert group and facilitates a framework for future guideline development. Some of the items for which consensus was not reached, including the assessment of immediate postoperative remission in acromegaly or Cushing's disease, represent areas where further research is needed

Criteria for the definition of Pituitary Tumor Centers of Excellence (PTCOE): A Pituitary Society Statement

Introduction With the goal of generate uniform criteria among centers dealing with pituitary tumors and to enhance patient care, the Pituitary Society decided to generate criteria for developing Pituitary Tumors Centers of Excellence (PTCOE). Methods To develop that task, a group of ten experts served as a Task Force and through two years of iterative work an initial draft was elaborated. This draft was discussed, modified and finally approved by the Board of Directors of the Pituitary Society. Such document was presented and debated at a specific session of the Congress of the Pituitary Society, Orlando 2017, and suggestions were incorporated. Finally the document was distributed to a large group of global experts that introduced further modifications with final endorsement. Results After five years of iterative work a document with the ideal criteria for a PTCOE is presented. Conclusions Acknowledging that very few centers in the world, if any, likely fulfill the requirements here presented, the document may be a tool to guide improvements of care delivery to patients with pituitary disorders. All these criteria must be accommodated to the regulations and organization of Health of a given country

Aptamers for pharmaceuticals and their application in environmental analytics

Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides, which are able to bind with high affinity and specificity to their target. This property is used for a multitude of applications, for instance as molecular recognition elements in biosensors and other assays. Biosensor application of aptamers offers the possibility for fast and easy detection of environmental relevant substances. Pharmaceutical residues, deriving from human or animal medical treatment, are found in surface, ground, and drinking water. At least the whole range of frequently administered drugs can be detected in noticeable concentrations. Biosensors and assays based on aptamers as specific recognition elements are very convenient for this application because aptamer development is possible for toxic targets. Commonly used biological receptors for biosensors like enzymes or antibodies are mostly unavailable for the detection of pharmaceuticals. This review describes the research activities of aptamer and sensor developments for pharmaceutical detection, with focus on environmental applications