DEVELOPMENT, OPTIMIZATION AND EVALUATION OF PULSATILE DRUG DELIVERY CAPSULES LOADED WITH CARVEDILOL BY APPLYING QUALITY BY DESIGN

Objective: The purpose of this research is to find the best way for designing carvedilol pulsatile drug delivery system capsules. Methods: The research paves the way to improve the method of preparing carvedilol pulsatile drug delivery by adjusting critical material attributes (CMA) such as coating polymer concentration, critical process parameters (CPP) such as inlet temperature and atomizing air pressure, and their impact on critical quality attributes (CQA) like particle size (PS in nm), entrapment efficiency in percentage (% EE) and amount of drug delivered in percent (%ADR) at 12 h in the carvedilol pulsatile pellets filled capsules by applying the Box-Behnken design. By varying the polymer concentration and process parameters, nearly 15 formulations were created. Results: Based on the influence of CMA, CPP on CQA, the formulation CP13 was determined to be the most optimized formulation among the 15 formulations. The optimized levels of CMA were found to be-1 level of coating polymer concentration and CPP was found to be-1 level of inlet temperature, 0 level of atomizing air pressure and it optimized CQA like PS was found to be 1017.5±8.4 nm, % EE was found to be 96.8±2.8 %, % ADR at 12 h was found to be 88.4±3.4 %. Carvedilol Pulsatile drug delivery system was designed by using optimized fluidized bed coater in order to decrease the usage of attributes, decrease the productivity cost and enhance the usage of specific attributes at fixed concentration for further manufacturing scale. Conclusion: By the current results it was concluded that the optimized CMA and CPP that shown in the results are the suitable attributes for the best formulation of carvedilol pulsatile drug delivery system capsules.

RESULTS OF INDUSTRIAL TESTING OF CARBIDE CUTTING TOOLS BY PULSED MAGNETIC FIELD TREATMENT AND THE EFFECT ON THE INCREASE OF THE CUTTING PROCESS EFFICIENCY

The task of increasing the efficiency of machining parts on heavy machines was determined, scientifically substantiated and solved by hardening a carbide tool the pulsed magnetic field processing (PMFP). The efficiency of machining of parts is understood as an increase in its productivity, a reduction in the cost and costs of tool materials, and an increase in instrument reliability. The working conditions of cutting tools at heavy engineering enterprises are analyzed. The wear resistance of carbide cutting tools, which have been strengthened by the PMFP, was investigated using forced test methods and modeling of the cutting process. The mechanism of changing the properties of a hard alloy under the action of a pulsed magnetic field is established. The main factors affecting the change in the wear resistance of a hard alloy under the action of a pulsed magnetic field are identified. The effect of pulsed magnetic field processing on the performance of carbide cutting tools under production conditions is investigated. The effect of hardening on productivity, cost of operation and instrumental costs is established. The interrelation of the parameters of the PMFP, the parameters of the process of machining parts and production efficiency is investigated. A statistical model has been developed that allows determining the productivity of mechanical processing depending on the properties of the tool material and the processing parameters of a pulsed magnetic field.

Motives for Decreasing the Curing Time of HTPB-AP Composite Propellants

One of the standard conditions for solidifying composite propellants consist of hydroxyl terminated poly-butadiene as a binder and ammonium perchlorate as oxidizer, is the curing process for certain time in a certain temperature. On this paper, the motives and reasons for the decreasing of this curing time were studied and discussed. The study and discussion include the productivity, cost, delivery, manpower, and maintenance points of view. By experiments and questionnaire work, it was seen that, all the previous points of view were affected positively. Generally, the productivity of the propellant was increased by 100%, the cost of curing process was decreased by 25% of the previous cost, the man power needed for the process of waiting and recording the readings was decreased by 50%, customer delivery process was fasted by 50% of the previous delivery time, and finally the maintenance processes due to equipment depreciation were improved by 50% from the previous. From the whole point of view, it was seen that, the decreasing of the curing time is very useful for the production of the propellant. Finally, it is observed that the decreasing of the curing time to the half time brought the same properties of the standard curing time, and then it is concluded that the deceasing of the curing time can be applied safely and usefully in the casting production line.

The Impact of Hypoglycemia on Productivity Loss and Utility in Type 2 Diabetes Patients Treated with Insulin in Real-World Canadian Practice: Protocol for a Prospective Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) imposes a significant burden, with its increasing prevalence and life-threatening complications. In patients not achieving glycemic targets on oral antidiabetic drugs, initiation of insulin is recommended. However, a serious concern about insulin is drug-induced hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is known to affect quality of life and healthcare resource utilization. However, health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) data for economic modeling are limited, particularly in terms of utility values and productivity losses. OBJECTIVE The aim of this real-world prospective study is to assess the impact of hypoglycemia on productivity and utility in insulin-treated T2DM adults from Ontario and Quebec (Canada). METHODS This noninterventional, multicenter, 3-month prospective study will recruit patients from four medical clinics and two endocrinology/diabetes clinics. Patients will be identified using appointment lists, and enrolled through consecutive sampling during routinely scheduled consultations. To be eligible, patients must be ≥18 years of age, diagnosed with T2DM, and treated with insulin. Utility and productivity will be collected using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and the iMTA Productivity Cost Questionnaire (iPCQ), respectively. Questionnaires will be completed at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after recruitment. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) models will be used to investigate productivity losses and utility decrements associated with incident hypoglycemic events while controlling for individual patient characteristics. A total of 500 patients will be enrolled to ensure precision of HEOR estimates. RESULTS This study is designed to fill a gap in the Canadian evidence on the impact of hypoglycemia on HEOR outcomes. More specifically, it will generate productivity and utility inputs for economic modeling in T2DM. CONCLUSIONS Insulin therapies are expensive, and hypoglycemia is a significant component of economic evaluations. Robust HEOR data may help health technology assessment (HTA) agencies in future reimbursement decision making.

One-Stop Surgery: An Innovation to Limit Hospital Visits in Children

Introduction One-stop surgery (OSS) allows for same-day outpatient clinic visit, preoperative assessment, and surgical repair. This study aims to determine the efficiency, (cost-)effectiveness, and family satisfaction of one-stop inguinal hernia surgery compared with usual care. Material and Methods Children (≥ 3 months) with inguinal hernia and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grades I–II, scheduled for OSS (intervention) or regular treatment (control) between March 1, 2017, and December 1, 2018, were eligible for inclusion. Exclusion criteria consisted of age less than 3 months and ASA grades III–IV. The primary outcome measure was treatment efficiency (i.e., total number of hospital visits and waiting time [days] between referral and surgery). Secondary outcome measures were the effectiveness in terms of complication and recurrence rate, and parent-reported satisfaction and cost-effectiveness using the Dutch Pediatric Quality of Life Healthcare Satisfaction and Institute for Medical Technology Assessment Productivity Cost Questionnaire. Results Ninety-one (intervention: 54; control: 37) patients (56% boys) were included. Median (interquartile range) number of hospital visits was lower in the intervention group (1 vs 3; p < 0.001). All but one of the OSS patients (98%) were discharged home on the day of surgery. Postoperative complication (1.9% vs 2.7%; p = 0.787) and recurrence rates (0% vs 2.7%; p = 0.407) did not differ between the intervention and control patients. “General satisfaction,” “satisfaction with communication,” and “inclusion of family” were higher after OSS, while satisfaction about “information,” “technical skills,” and “emotional needs” were similar. Median (range) follow-up was 28 (15–36) months. Conclusions Pediatric one-stop inguinal hernia repair seems to be an effective treatment strategy that limits the number of hospital visits and provides enhanced family satisfaction without compromising the quality of care.

Value and motivation orientations nurses

The aim of the study is to determine the value-motivational orientations of nurses. Results. Assessment of the effectiveness of nursing staff motivation management includes two types of assessment: assessment of economic efficiency (productivity, cost, profitability, quality of personnel labor) and assessment of social performance (commitment of personnel to their company, attitude of employees to work with high returns in its interests, degree of satisfaction basic needs of workers). Conclusion. Nowadays, social efficiency, the commitment of nurses to the organization in which they work, is of particular importance. The proposed means of motivation will support the socio-psychological climate in the team and increase the commitment of employees to the organization.

The Impact of Weather and Slope Conditions on the Productivity, Cost, and GHG Emissions of a Ground-Based Harvesting Operation in Mountain Hardwoods

Mountainous hardwood mixed stands offer challenges to timber harvesting operations in practice, including a harsh climate, variable topography, steep terrain, and large-sized timbers. This paper aims to develop productivity and cost models for a mountain-ground-based harvesting operation across the terrain (e.g., slope conditions), stand (e.g., tree volume) environmental (e.g., weather), and yard (e.g., winching distance) variables and to assess GHG emissions related to the equipment in use. This development was implemented in a timber harvesting practice under single-tree selection in mountainous forests of Iran where a motor-manual chainsaw is used for felling and a rubber-tired cable skidder is used for log extraction. The average delay-free productivity was 4.55 m3 for felling and 14.73 m3 h−1for skidding. Lower production costs and higher productivity rates were observed over the gentle slopes and in sunny conditions. The average production costs ranged between USD 4.27m−3 for felling and USD 5.35m−3 for skidding. The average emissions ranged between 0.96 kg m−3 for felling and 7.06 kg m−3 for skidding in snowy conditions over steep slopes. The study’s results confirm avoiding harvesting operations on steep slopes (greater than 35%) and in extreme weather conditions to obtain higher work efficiency and to minimize adverse effects of machinery on forest ecosystems. The results should be of use to harvest managers and forest planners considering the application of ground-based harvesting operations using a semi-mechanized system on a range of operating conditions in mountain hardwood stands.

Productivity value chain analysis of cassava in the Philippines

This paper evaluates the value chain of cassava through crop accounting and financial analysis in Partido district, Camarines Sur, the Philippines. Cassava (Manihot esculenta), locally known as “kamoteng kahoy” is well-known for its ability to produce a reasonable yield in poor soil conditions with less or no farm inputs. This is the reason why cassava is often grown by resource-limited farmers and is regarded as a good source of food security. To analyze its productivity, this study was conducted in 2019. Data gathering was primarily done through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Results revealed that different gender roles exist where men are primarily responsible for farming while women are for marketing. It also discovered the reason why farmers, though provided with options, often choose the less profitable transaction path, due to perishability of crop. It also solved the mystery of low productivity in this locale as compared with the national and international production. Typhoons, government policies, and pricing mechanisms affect its overall productivity. Cost build-up, value-added, and cost and returns analyses are interesting. Farmers are less profitable yet have the highest opportunity for profitability when the constraints are addressed while sellers have a high degree of profitability due to fewer input costs. The existing entry barriers in each chain were also identified, along with the researcher’s recommendations on how to eliminate or mitigate them. The study can be useful to stakeholders of cassava in designing intervention mechanisms to tap its full potentials.

The lost productivity cost of absenteeism due to COVID-19 in health care workers in Iran: a case study in the hospitals of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

Background Human resources management plays an important role in social development and economic growth. Absence from work due to health problems can make obstacles to the growth of economy. This study conducted aimed to estimate the absenteeism costs of COVID-19 among the personnel of hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Mashhad, Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between February 19, 2020, and September 21, 2020. The absenteeism costs were calculated using the human capital approach. Finally, we applied the linear regression to assess the impact of variables on the lost productivity of absenteeism due to COVID-19 among the personnel of hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Results The results of this study showed that 1958 personnel had COVID-19. The total of absenteeism days in our study were 32,209 days, with an average of 16.44 absenteeism days. Total costs due to absenteeism were estimated to be nearly $1.3 million, with an average of $671.4 per patient. The results of regression model showed that gender (male), age (> 50 years), employment Type (non-permanent) and monthly income had a positive relationship with the absenteeism cost. Also, there are a negative significant relationship between absenteeism cost with job (physicians) and work experience. Conclusions Absenteeism costs of COVID-19 in the hospitals of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences represent a significant economic burden. The findings of our study emphasize the emergency strategies to prevent and control COVID-19 among the healthcare workers. It can decrease the economic impacts of COVID-19 and improve human resources management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

STUDY OF INFORMATION SECURITY OF THE INFORMATION SERVICES MARKET

The article is devoted to the study of information security of the information services market. The subject of the research is information security, and the goal of the paper is to study the information security of the information services market. Information security is considered a socio-economic challenge that can be addressed through the confident actions of the state. Data analysis confirmed the problem of information security at different levels. Information security is aimed at protecting information from unauthorized access. The development and transformation of the information services market depend on the quality metrics of the Internet. This paper deals with the issue of maintaining a sufficient level of information transparency, which is related to and interdependent on information security. The main risks and threats caused by the active introduction of information technologies and the advancement of the information services market are specified. The study found that in the day-to-day operations of each company, many risks can affect the information system due to information security breaches. Social engineering involves the use of psychological techniques to mislead users by providing information or access for attackers. In order for the company to cope with external risks in the information services market, it is necessary to build a strong risk management information system. The process of risk management is ongoing and iterative in nature, it must be repeated indefinitely as new threats and vulnerabilities emerge, especially external ones. The choice of countermeasures or controls used must strike a balance between productivity, cost, effectiveness, and the information value of the asset being protected. Conclusions: the research identified the basic principles of information security, namely confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Moreover, to increase the information security of the companies which are participants in the information services market, the author proposes implementing a range of measures within the company. Information security in the information services market is a marker of the crucial difference between the information society and the industrial society. The main hallmark of the information society is its openness. This means a significant reduction and thus a general lack of confidential information for society. The study established that the digitalization of the economy is modifying the information services market. The research findings may prove useful to businesses and governments to boost information security of the information services market. The research is based on the methods of theoretical generalization and comparison to define the concept of “information security” and its interrelations with other definitions of the relevant terminological framework. Analysis, synthesis, and scientific abstraction were used to identify factors affecting the risks and threats to information security of the information services market. There were used methods of analysis, comparison and generalization when summarizing research findings.