Evaluating the effectiveness and utility of a novel culturally-adapted telemonitoring system in improving the glycaemic control of Asians with type-2 diabetes mellitus: a mixed method study protocol

Background Regular supervision of patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by healthcare providers is essential to optimise their glycaemic control but is challenging to achieve in current care models. Telemonitoring is postulated to bridge this gap by leveraging on internet-of-things and mobile-health technology. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of a novel telemonitoring system (OPTIMUM) in improving the glycaemic control of patients with T2DM compared with standard of care alone. Methods This mixed-method study comprises an initial randomised controlled trial involving 330 Asian adults with T2DM, aged 26–65 years old with an HbA1c of 7.5–10%, with 115 in the intervention and control arms each. Those in the intervention arm will use standardised Bluetooth-enabled devices to transmit their capillary glucose, blood pressure and weight measurements to the OPTIMUM system. Primary care physicians and nurses will remotely supervise them according to an embedded management algorithm for 6 months, including tele-education via weekly videos over 8 weeks and asynchronous tele-consultation if abnormal or absent parameters are detected. Patients in both arms will be assessed at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months post-recruitment. The primary outcome will be their HbA1c difference between both arms at baseline and 6 months. Blood pressure and weight control; quality of life, medication adherence, confidence in self-management, diabetic literacy and related distress and healthcare utilisation using validated questionnaires; and incident retinal, renal, cardiac and cerebrovascular complications will be compared between the two arms as secondary outcomes at stipulated time-points. Intervention arm patients will be interviewed using qualitative research methods to understand their experience, acceptance and perceived usefulness of the OPTIMUM system. Discussion Overall, this study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of cultural-adapted telemonitoring system in improving glycaemic control of Asians with type-2 diabetes mellitus compared to standard of care. The results of this trial will better inform policy makers in adopting telemedicine for population health management. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04306770. Registered on March 13, 2020.

Analysis of the Human Capital of Employees of Different Specialties Demanded by the Pharmaceutical Company

The article points to the relevance of the development of human capital of employees of the organization to maintain the growth of labor productivity at the enterprise. Theoretical approaches of various researchers to the concept of "human capital" and its structure are considered. The current situation and possible reasons for low labor productivity in the pharmaceutical industry are considered. The results of the study of human capital of the most popular representatives of four specialties in the pharmaceutical field: doctors, pharmacists, biotechnologists, chemists. Based on the characteristic features of the studied specialties concerning qualification requirements, the period of professional skills development, the timing of career development and the implementation of work projects, the author's model of human capital was proposed, which also includes elements that affect labor productivity. According to the study of the elements and parameters of human capital representatives from reporting professions were no significant differences in the parameters of the fields and the dominant elements of human capital that will allow further research to develop the optimum system of stimulation of labor productivity of employees of organizations.

The effects of abiotic factors on the productivity of converse growing of hemp

The rational use of agro-resources is determined by the optimal interplay of physico-chemical, biological processes in the soil, agrotechnical techniques of hemp growing and agrometeorological factors. The optimum system of nutrition at which high productivity of culture at change of agrometeorological conditions is determined.

Extraction of Phytosterol Concentration in Different Legume Pods by Using Microwave-Assisted Hydrodistillation

The traditional ways in the extraction of bioactive compounds using conventional methods are disadvantageous from both economic and environmental perspectives. In this, the potential of microwave-assisted hydrodistillation conditions for extraction of phytosterol from legume pods was investigated. Salkowski test performed on the legume pod has shown the reddish brown in all sample which confirmed the presence of phytosterol qualitatively. Liebermann-Burchard procedure and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) apparatus were used to study the concentration of phytosterol at different extraction parameters which are temperature (25–80 °C), solvent concentration (50–100% v/v), irradiation time (1–10 min) and microwave power (400–800 W). The optimal conditions for highest yield of extract (0.219 mg/L) were obtained at a microwave power of 600 W, the irradiation time of 6 min, and ethanol concentration of 75% v/v. Results obtained in this study have shown the capability of microwave-assisted hydrodistillation in the extraction of phytosterol from legume pod. Further works are nevertheless required to provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved to facilitate the development of an optimum system applicable to the industry.

When Compliance Checks are Just the Start of the Journey: an Aviation Case

Compliance with standards is assessed through internal and external audits, the findings of which are viewed as imperfections to be quickly repaired. A zero-findings mentality underlies companies that want to excel before the eyes of the authorities, customers, insurance companies and competitors. However, scholars and professionals over the last decades agree that compliance is a necessary but not sufficient condition for optimum system performance. The current study was initiated by a Ground Service Provider that in 2017 underwent an IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations and revealed several findings, especially in the documentation, such as missing parts, non-compliant material and lack of detail. Their goal was to pass the next audit without any findings within the documented procedures of six operational departments. To assess the audit documentation criteria, the researchers visited the operational departments, analysed 186 procedures, and conducted six semi-structured interviews with managers/supervisors and nine interviews with operational personnel. The analysis showed that all documents were properly controlled, but four departments had duplicated generic guidance material from 6% to 83% of the text checked. The interviewees claimed that understandability was not optimum due to language barriers and the non-tailoring of the content to their needs, leading to some staff disregarding manuals and consulting their supervisor instead. Other remarks included the long length of the documents, lack of knowledge of how to access online material, ignorance of the existence of documentation access points, and low technical accuracy. Overall, the results suggested room for improvement. Most importantly, through this research, the specific Ground Service Provider gained a better understanding behind non-compliance and had the opportunity to improve the quality and communication of its procedures. This study showed that even when compliance is the target, substantial improvement moves beyond box-ticking and engages employees in the revelation and mitigation of system imperfections.

Energy Demand Analysis and Design of a Hybrid Power System in Bawean Islands, Indonesia

Over 70 000 000 people in Indonesia have no access to electricity. This study was carried out in Bawean Islands which are located in the Java Sea about 150 km North of Surabaya, the headquarters of East Java. The study to determine the energy services available in the Bawean Island was done through interviewing a random sample of 72 households in two villages namely Komalasa and Lebak. Based on the average monthly electricity consumption of the sampled households connected to the grid, a hybrid renewable energy based electrical supply system was designed for Gili Timur Island, one of the satellite islands around Bawean Island. The system was designed with the aid of a time step simulation software used to design and analyze hybrid power systems. A sensitivity analysis was also carried out on the optimum system to study the effects of variation in some of the system variables. HOMER suggests that for the expected peak load of 131 kW, an optimum system will consist of 150 kW from PV array, two wind turbines each rated 10 kW, a 75 kW diesel generator and batteries for storage.