FROM KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT TO BUSINESS EXCELLENCE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Romanian Project Excellence Award competition has already four years as history. The paper presents the main results of this awards, the theoretical basis of the excellence model used for the assessement and the practicies in the model implementation in Romania.project excellence, project results, project management

Drug-Induced Hand-Foot Syndrome in Cancer Patients Receiving Capecitabine in A Tertiary Care Hospital

Objective: To determine the frequency of hand-foot syndrome and associated factors among patients receiving Capecitabine for the management of cancer in a tertiary care setting. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Oncology Department Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan from Dec 2020 to May2021. Methodology: One hundred patients with malignant conditions taking Capecitabine for more than two weeks were included in the study. A detailed relevant dermatological examination was carried out on all the patients to diagnose hand-foot syndrome based on the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0 Grading of Hand-Foot Syndrome. Results: Out of 100 cancer patients using Capecitabine for more than two weeks included in the study. Sixty-eight showed the presence of hand-foot syndrome, while 32 did not show any features of hand-foot syndrome. Combination treatment was statistically significantly associated with hand-foot syndrome among the patients included in our study (p-value<0.001). Conclusion: Hand-foot syndrome was a common side effect seen in patients managed with Capecitabine for their cancerous condition. Patients using other chemotherapeutic agents along with Capecitabine were more at risk of having hand-foot syndrome than those taking Capecitabine alone

Formulation and Evaluation of Sustained release tablets of Venlafaxine HCl

The aim of the present study was to develop a tablet formulation for sustained release of venlafaxine HCl. Control or sustained release formulations have great applications in improving the physicochemical properties and the pharmacokinetic profile of the drugs. Carbopol tablets containing venlafaxine HCl were developed successfully by wet granulation technique. The tablets were evaluated for matrix integrity and drug release in 0.1 N HCl using USP II dissolution apparatus maintained at optimum conditions. The developed tablets were robust and possessed excellent physicochemical properties. The tablets showed great matrix integrity and withstood the hydrodynamic environment of the dissolution medium for &gt; 12 hours. The hydration and swelling behaviour of the tablets was excellent. It was found that the swelling characteristics of the tablets depended on the amount of the polymer used in the tablets as well as the polymer/drug ratio. The tablets provided more than 90% drug release over a period of 12 hours. The drug release data was subjected to kinetic dissolution modelling. It was found that the drug release from the tablets followed Korsmeyer-Peppas model of drug release. This suggests that the mechanism of the drug release from the formulations may be both diffusion as well as polymer erosion. Keywords: Sustained release, Carbopol, Venlafaxine HC

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Wpływ zielonych praktyk zasobów ludzkich na zrównoważone środowisko

The present study focused on manufacturing firms of Bahrain to determine the influence of green human resource practices on employee engagement and environmental sustainability. Mediating role of employee engagement was observed as novelty of present study. The data was collected from manufacturing firms of Bahrain that strives for green practices from employees of firms including officers, staff members and clerical employees. The study found that green human resource practices have positive nexus with environmental sustainability and employee engagement mediates the nexus among the green human resource practices and environmental sustainability. Today’s business world focuses on green practices in order to be responsive towards environmental protection and environment friendly product and services.Prezentowany artykuł przedstawia badanie, które koncentrowało się na firmach produkcyjnych w Bahrajnie w celu ustalenia wpływu “zielonych praktyk” w zakresie zasobów ludzkich na zaangażowanie pracowników i zrównoważenie środowiskowe. Mediacyjną rolę zaangażowania pracowników zaobserwowano, jako nowość przedstawionego badania. Dane zostały zebrane od firm produkcyjnych Bahrajnu, które dążą do zielonych praktyk wśród pracowników firm, w tym urzędników, członków personelu i pracowników biurowych. Badanie wykazało, że praktyki zielonych zasobów ludzkich mają pozytywny związek ze zrównoważeniem środowiskowym, a zaangażowanie pracowników pośredniczy w związku między praktykami ekologicznych zasobów ludzkich i zrównoważenia środowiskowego. Dzisiejszy świat biznesu koncentruje się na zielonych praktykach, aby reagować na ochronę środowiska oraz przyjazne dla środowiska produkty i usługi

Predicting Video Game Addiction Through the Dimensions of Consumer Video Game Engagement: Quantitative and Cross-sectional Study

BackgroundVideo games are expanding exponentially with their increased popularity among users. However, this popularity has also led to an increase in reported video game addiction. There may be consumer engagement–related factors that may influence video game addiction. ObjectiveThis study aims to empirically examine the impact of the dimensions of consumer video game engagement on video game addiction. The dimensions are dedication, absorption, conscious attention, social connection, enthusiasm, and interaction. We utilize the uses and gratifications theory to study the video game engagement dimensions as potential factors through which gamers feel gratified and engaged in video game playing. Additionally, this study incorporates the cultivation theory to investigate how video game engagement factors trigger video game addiction. MethodsA two-step process was applied for data analysis on valid cases of 176 gamers aged 15-25 years: video game addiction was specified and validated as a reflective-formative construct, and hypothesis testing was later performed using the WarpPLS on valid respondents. ResultsThe analysis uncovered 2 dimensions of video game engagement: social connection with P=.08 and interaction with P=.49, which did not significantly contribute to video game addiction. ConclusionsThis study offers unique insights to a myriad of stakeholders, mostly psychologists and psychiatrists, who routinely prescribe behavior modification techniques to treat video game addiction

Going Intellectually Green: Exploring the Nexus between Green Intellectual Capital, Environmental Responsibility, and Environmental Concern towards Environmental Performance

In the workplace, green prospects are gaining much importance these days, although not much is known about the green intellectual capital and its contribution towards pro-environment behavior and outcomes. As the world experiences environmental concerns, it has become imperative for businesses to look into ways through which they can improve their environmental footprints. Hence, the current study examines the nexus between green intellectual capital (green human capital, green structural capital, and green relational capital) and environmental performance. The study also tested if environmental responsibility mediates the association and examined the role of environmental concern as a moderator. Data were gathered from the hotel sectors in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach via Smart PLS. The results show a significant association between green human and relational capital with environmental performance; a strong association was also found between environmental responsibility and environmental performance. The results also report a significant association between the three factors of green intellectual capital and environmental responsibility. The results found a mediating effect of environmental responsibility, whereas environmental concern only moderated the association between green human capital and environmental performance. The study presents prominent implications for theory and practice, followed by recommendations for future studies

Practice Nurses and Pharmacists: A Perspective on the Expectation and Experience of Nurses for Future Collaboration

Abstract Objectives: To explore the nurses’ expectations and experience about pharmacists in private sector hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to September 2012 in five private sector hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. A convenient sample of nurses (n=377) were enrolled in this study. Data was obtained through a previously validated questionnaire. Responses were statistically analyzed using SPSSv.17. Results: Questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 63.6% of which 20 were unusable (n=240). Out of the remaining 220, 24.1% (n=53) responded that they never or rarely interacted with a pharmacist. Respondents who expect pharmacists to collaborate with nurses to solve drug related problems were 45% (n=99). Nurses’ experience of pharmacists was not substantial as only 44.5% (n=98) respondents consider pharmacists as a reliable source of clinical drug information. Conclusion: The role of pharmacists is not well appreciated among nurses in Pakistan. Hence, pharmacists must bridge the observed gap and use a more strategic and consistent approach to build a more positive image in line with other healthcare professionals and in providing patient-centred pharmaceutical care. This research would impress upon the pharmacists the need to redefine their role in the healthcare settings