Environment variables on IT adoption: a case of Nigerian construction organizations

Pirm’s external environment combines many attributes and plays a vital role in IT adoption. Technological innovations are adopted as organizational reactions to change and for influencing the business environment. This study examined the effect of external environment on IT adoption in construction organizations. Specifically, the study empirically explores the external variables, assessed their effects and determined how they can optimally be combined to enable IT acceptance. The data collected was analysed using structural equation modelling analytical approach. Results of the analysis revealed that external environment strongly influence firm’s IT adoption with a path coefficient of 0.70 and a z-value of 10.5. Furthermore, a confirmatory factor analysis conducted confirmed competitive pressure, government support and market uncertainty as the most significant variables of firm’s external environment in relation to IT implementation with a standardized parameter estimates of 0.75, 0.51 and -0.41 respectively. Precisely, competitive pressure and government support were strongly and positively related to IT adoption while market uncertainty exhibited a strong but negative relationship. It was recommended that managers of construction organizations should, strategically, overcome the pressures they exert from their competitors for improved market share and general organizational performance. Furthermore, government should strive to provide adequate IT infrastructures and enablers within its responsibilities such as adequate electricity, incentives and clear IT policy

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Numerical study of nano-biofilm stagnation flow from a nonlinear stretching/shrinking surface with variable nanofluid and bioconvection transport properties

A mathematical model is developed for stagnation point flow toward a stretching or shrinking sheet of liquid nano-biofilm containing spherical nano-particles and bioconvecting gyrotactic micro-organisms. Variable transport properties of the liquid (viscosity, thermal conductivity, nano-particle species diffusivity) and micro-organisms (species diffusivity) are considered. Buongiorno’s two-component nanoscale model is deployed and spherical nanoparticles in a dilute nanofluid considered. Using a similarity transformation, the nonlinear systems of partial differential equations is converted into nonlinear ordinary differential equations. These resulting equations are solved numerically using a central space finite difference method in the CodeBlocks Fortran platform. Graphical plots for the distribution of reduced skin friction coefficient, reduced Nusselt number, reduced Sherwood number and the reduced local density of the motile microorganisms as well as the velocity, temperature, nanoparticle volume fraction and the density of motile microorganisms are presented for the influence of wall velocity power-law index (m), viscosity parameter (c2), thermal conductivity parameter (c4), nano-particle mass diffusivity (c6), micro-organism species diffusivity (c8), thermophoresis parameter (Nt), Brownian motion parameter (Nb), Lewis number (Le), bioconvection Schmidt number (Sc), bioconvection constant (σ) and bioconvection Péclet number (Pe). Validation of the solutions via comparison related to previous simpler models is included. Further verification of the general model is conducted with the Adomian decomposition method (ADM). Extensive interpretation of the physics is included. Skin friction is elevated with viscosity parameter (c2) whereas it is suppressed with greater Lewis number and thermophoresis parameter. Temperatures are elevated with increasing thermal conductivity parameter (c4) whereas Nusselt numbers are reduced. Nano-particle volume fraction (concentration) is enhanced with increasing nano-particle mass diffusivity parameter (c6) whereas it is markedly reduced with greater Lewis number (Le) and Brownian motion parameter (Nb). With increasing stretching/shrinking velocity power-law exponent (m), skin friction is decreased whereas Nusselt number and Sherwood number are both elevated. Motile microorganism density is boosted strongly with increasing micro-organism diffusivity parameter (c8) and Brownian motion parameter (Nb) but reduced considerably with greater bioconvection Schmidt number (Sc) and bioconvection Péclet number (Pe). The simulations find applications in deposition processes in nano-bio-coating manufacturing processes

Preparation and characteristics of various rare earth nitrides

Active nanocrystalline nitrides of EuN and YbN with high surface areas were successfully prepared by the thermal decomposition of the rare earth amides (Eu(NH2)2, Yb(NH2)2 and Yb(NH2)3). For the preparation of CeN, PrN and NdN, the direct reaction of the rare earth metals with ammonia was extensively studied to determine optimal conditions. In the reaction of rare earth metals with ammonia, hydrides besides the nitrides were competitively formed. The reaction conditions such as temperatures and ratios of ammonia to rare earth metal were crucial in preferential formation of nitride. The nanocrystalline YbN and EuN readily absorbed large amounts of ammonia even at room temperature upon contact with ammonia (13.3 kPa). The absorbed ammonia existed in at least two forms on/in the nitride; the one was surface-adsorbed ammonia and the other ammonia absorbed in the nitride in a decomposed state. The properties of ammonia absorbed by the nitride were further evaluated by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), FT-IR and XRD techniques

Mesenteric Arterial Thrombosis Revealing Relapse of Nephrotic Syndrome in Young Women

Maryem Ferjani,1 Yosra Zaimi,2 Nouha Trad,2 Yousra Hammi,1 Myriam Ayari,2 Shema Ayadi,2 Taha Sayari,1 Tahar Gargah1 1Department of Pediatrics, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia; 2Department of Gastroenterology, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunis, TunisiaCorrespondence: Nouha Trad, Department of Gastroenterology, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Boulevard of April 9, 1938, Bab Saadoun, Tunis, 1007, Tunisia, Tel +216 50858104, Email [email protected]: Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is associated with a hypercoagulable state and may be complicated by thrombotic events. Venous thrombosis is well-acknowledged, while arterial thrombosis is rather unusual.Case Presentation: We present the case of a 20-year-old woman with a 12-year history of idiopathic NS revealed by extensive cerebral venous thrombosis with pulmonary embolism treated with anticoagulation therapy and oral corticosteroid therapy followed by mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). The thrombophilia assessment did not show any abnormalities. The evolution was marked by the occurrence of several NS relapses controlled by oral corticosteroid therapy until 2017. Subsequently, the patient had not presented a relapse of her disease. The anticoagulant treatment and the MMF were therefore stopped. One year later, the patient presented with severe diffuse acute abdominal pain associated with postprandial vomiting and bilateral lower limb edema. Laboratory results confirmed a NS relapse. An abdominal CT scan revealed acute thrombosis of the superior mesenteric artery with acute mesenteric ischemia. Intraoperative exploration showed mesenteric ischemia with extensive necrosis of the small intestine making their resections incompatible with life. The patient died after 48 hours.Conclusion: Mesenteric arterial thrombosis, which is a rare but life-threatening NS complication, should always be considered, especially in the case of acute non-specific digestive symptoms.Keywords: nephrotic syndrome, mesenteric ischemia, recurrenc