Clinical review: Can we predict which patients are at risk of complications following surgery?

There are a vast number of operations carried out every year, with a small proportion of patients being at highest risk of mortality and morbidity. There has been considerable work to try and identify these high-risk patients. In this paper, we look in detail at the commonly used perioperative risk prediction models. Finally, we will be looking at the evolution and evidence for functional assessment and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (in the USA), both topical and exciting areas of perioperative prediction

Examining employee attitudes and behaviours towards organisational change using supervisor and peer relations

This study focuses on employee workplace and demographic predictors to know the employee attitudes and behaviours regarding organisational change. Five hundered fifty six surveys out of one thousand were returned from full time academics working in public sector universities of Pakistan. The findings indicate significant relationships between readiness for change and workplace and demographic factors. First time supervisor and peer relations predictor has been examined to readiness for change. Results indicate positive and significant relationships between readiness for change and supervisor and peer relations. However, from demographic characteristics only two i.e. number of dependents and younger employees have positive and significant relationships to readiness for change. This study contribute in the literature on change management particularly for developing countries i.e. Pakistan and assist the management and practitioners of human resources management (HRM), organisational development (OD) and change agents in assessing, designing and evaluating new or existing programs for organisational change

Impact of employees psychological and financial predictors for readiness to organizational change

This study focuses on employees’ psychological and financial predictors to know the employees reaction regarding change. One hundred forty one surveys were returned from full time teaching staff working in public sector universities of Pakistan. The findings indicate significant relationships between readiness to change and psychological and financial predictors. First time job involvement, training and skills development, pays/wages/fringe benefits and promotions predictors have been examined for readiness to change. Results indicate no relationship between readiness to change and employees’ organizational commitment. However, employees’ job involvement, training and skills development pays/wages/fringe benefits, and promotions have positive impact on readiness to change. This study may contribute in the literature on change management particularly for developing countries and may assist the management and practitioners of Human Resources Management (HRM), Human Resources Development (HRD), and Organizational Behaviour (OB) in assessing, designing and evaluating new or existing programs for organisational change

STAR adaptation of QR algorithm

The QR algorithm used on a serial computer and executed on the Control Data Corporation 6000 Computer was adapted to execute efficiently on the Control Data STAR-100 computer. How the scalar program was adapted for the STAR-100 and why these adaptations yielded an efficient STAR program is described. Program listings of the old scalar version and the vectorized SL/1 version are presented in the appendices. Execution times for the two versions applied to the same system of linear equations, are compared

Impacts of plug-in hybrid vehicles and combined heat and power technologies on electric and gas distribution network losses

Distribution network operators (DNOs) require strategies that can offset the tradeoffs new embedded technologies have on their assets. This paper employs modelling to show that through control device manipulation, gas and electric (G&E) network operators can influence savings in energy losses under the presence of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and combined heat and power technologies (CHPs). An integrated gas and electric optimal power flow (OPF) tool is introduced to undertake various case studies. The OPF tool evaluates the technical impacts experienced in the networks when DNOs apply a "plug and forget" operation strategy and then compares the results against a "loss minimisation" strategy. Results show the benefits in applying different strategies are more considerable in electric networks than in gas networks. The study corroborates that an integrated G&E analysis offers a fresh perspective for stakeholders in evaluating energy service networks performance under different operation strategies

Stop Co-Annihilation in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model Revisited

We re-examine the stop co-annihilation scenario of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, wherein a bino-like lightest supersymmetric particle has a thermal relic density set by co-annihilations with a scalar partner of the top quark in the early universe. We concentrate on the case where only the top partner sector is relevant for the cosmology, and other particles are heavy. We discuss the cosmology with focus on low energy parameters and an emphasis on the implications of the measured Higgs boson mass and its properties. We find that the irreducible direct detection signal correlated with this cosmology is generically well below projected experimental sensitivity, and in most cases lies below the neutrino background. A larger, detectable, direct detection rate is possible, but is unrelated to the co-annihilation cosmology. LHC searches for compressed spectra are crucial for probing this scenario