The Symptom Burden and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients in the Gaza Strip, Palestine: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, but there is an absence of evidence systematically assessing symptom burden and quality of life (QoL) using validated tools. Our objective was to assess associations between socio-demographic and disease-related characteristics, symptom burden and QoL in a sample of cancer patients accessing outpatient services in the Gaza Strip. Design A cross-sectional, descriptive survey using interviews and medical record review involving patients with cancer accessing oncology outpatient services at Al Rantisi Hospital and European Gaza Hospital (EGH) in the Gaza Strip was employed. Socio-demographic and disease-related data, the Lebanese version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS-Leb), and the Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) were collected. Multiple linear regression was used to judge the relative influence of determinants of QoL. Results Of 414 cancer patients approached, 385 patients consented to participation. The majority were women (64.7%) with a mean age of 52 years (SD = 16.7). Common cancer diagnoses were breast (32.2%), haematological (17.9%) and colorectal (9.1%). The median number of symptoms was 10 (IQR 1.5–18.5). Mean overall QoL was 70.5 (SD 19.9) with common physical and psychological symptoms identified. A higher burden of symptoms was associated with marital status, education and income. Limited access to both opioids and psychological support were reported. Conclusions A high symptom burden was identified in outpatients with cancer. Increasing provision and access to supportive care for physical and psychological symptoms should be prioritised alongside exploring routine assessment of symptom burden and QoL.

Evaluating the Performance of Using Balanced Scorecard Case Study: Al-Aqsa University

This study aimed to identify the concept and dimensions of the balanced scorecard, identifying the degree to apply Al-Aqsa University the dimensions of the balanced scorecard, and identifying the fifth dimension related to the environmental dimension and the extent of its application at Al-Aqsa University. Al-Aqsa University seeks to use the best modern methods and keep pace with the development taking place. The descriptive analytical approach was used, and this study relied on collecting secondary data from several sources beside the primary sources represented by the questionnaire. The study concluded that Al-Aqsa University maintains a high market of registered students among the universities of the Gaza Strip throughout the academic years, and also Al-Aqsa University fulfills the elements of customer dimension in its performance and is keen to treat students fairly and without discrimination, but it does not give much attention to complaints submitted by students, The university also fulfills the requirements of the internal operations dimension, as the university is characterized by the diversity of the faculties and specializations in it to suit the requirements of students and the labor market, but it is blamed for its inability to provide job opportunities for graduates, but this is due to the economic conditions that the Gaza sector suffers from. As for the dimension of learning and growth, it was found that the academic staff at Al-Aqsa University is distinguished in terms of academic degrees, and this is reflected positively on the educational services provided. In addition to the interest in publishing scientific research and conferences, the university also has a deanship of scientific research and a magazine for publishing scientific research, all of which confirms the university's interest in learning, and finally it turns out that the university is keenly interested in the environment and providing an appropriate environment for its students. In light of the results, the study recommended a set of recommendations, the most important of which is the necessity of applying the Balanced Scorecard as a planning, evaluation and measurement card.

Risk Management Strategies in Construction Organizations

Background: Construction projects are among the riskiest businesses due to the number of factors involved that are difficult to control; hence, the popularity of risk management as part of the decision-making process in construction organizations is increasing. Despite the advancements, there are various risks involved that lead to project failure. Aim: Thus, this study aims to assess the risk management strategies in construction organizations in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Methods: Seventy questionnaires were distributed after subjecting them to pretesting and pilot study that confirmed the validity and reliability of the questions. The target respondents included engineers and consultants from the construction organizations, Ministry of Works and Housing, and international agencies. The questionnaire was retrieved with a 65.71% response rate. Results: Results indicated that the most popular method of risk factor determination in the Gaza Strip is the “checklist” (RII=84%). For tools/methods of risk analysis, relying on experience in the direct assessment is the most prominent, with an RII of 78%. For the methods of avoiding risk before the project implementation, dependence on experience in the work for preparing and planning was ranked highest (having RII of 81.6%). Finally, follow-up on the implementation to avoid rework, with an RII of 77.6%, was ranked highest among other factors of avoiding risk during the construction projects implementation. Conclusion: This study highlights the key risk management strategies that will be beneficial for the construction industry stakeholders to resolve the unwanted risk failures in the construction industry.

Challenges Hindering the Resourcing for Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction in Gaza

Resourcing post-disaster housing reconstruction (PDHR) entails many drawbacks creating bottlenecks to reconstruction projects. Understanding these vulnerable issues is of utmost to identify the appropriate interventions to mitigate their effects. The devastating aggression in 2014 in Gaza Strip served as a typical example of resources hampers. Based on the quantitative approach, the research employed a self-administrated questionnaire survey to identify the most significant challenges hindering the resourcing for post-2014 aggression housing reconstruction. The questionnaire targeted 55 of the key people in the implementing agencies of post-2014 aggression housing reconstruction. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics, through frequency distribution and effect index (EI); and using inferential statistics through one sample Wilcoxon signed rank test. Findings indicated that the challenges related to political issues have the most significant effect on resourcing the PDHR. The main key challenges are: (1) Difficulties to obtain permits from the Israeli side to flow the reconstruction materials into the Gaza Strip, (2) Insufficient funds for reconstruction efforts and (3) Refusal of the international community to contact the local de facto government. This research fills the knowledge gap relating to Gaza and provides the basis for more research on resourcing problems. This research has also extended, updated and confirmed the current knowledge regarding challenges hindering the resourcing for PDHR. The results draw attention of the implementing agencies in Gaza to the factors that creating bottlenecks to resource the reconstruction projects in order to overcome them and to mitigate their negative effects.

The Reality of Education in Gaza: An Analysis of the Impacts of the Israeli Blockade and Identification of its Humanitarian Recovery Needs 2006-2018

This study aimed to examine the impact of the Israeli blockade on Palestinian education and to identify the humanitarian recovery needs necessary for the quality and continuity of education. The study used the descriptive analytical method which involved examining at the phenomenon under investigation. To answer the questions of the study, the Comprehensive Literature Review Meta-Framework of the Seven-step Model was employed to guide the methodology of this research to introduce profound inferences about the impacts of the Israeli blockade on education in the Gaza Strip as well as about the recovery needs necessary to ensure the quality and continuity of Palestinian education. The findings revealed that the Israeli blockade severely impacted Palestinian education in the Gaza Strip and hindered student access to quality and inclusive education in various ways. Students were the most affected by the 12-year blockade. They were repeatedly exposed to a huge loss of lives, severe psychological traumas, and worsening economic conditions. As well, teachers were not immune from the grave consequences of the blockade in terms of murder, denial of mobility and exchange, deprivation of professional development, psychological traumas, and chronic power-cut-offs. Also, the entire Palestinian educational system was impaired by the Israeli blockade in terms of direct school destruction, stuck school reconstruction, chronic power supply deficit, unprotected learning environment, and controlled educational curriculum. Targeting and controlling students, teachers, educational infrastructure, and curricula caused long-lasting impairment to the whole Palestinian educational system. The Israeli blockade was detrimental to the students’ right to quality education that would advance their competencies and responds to the compelling current and future development needs in the Gaza Strip. Therefore, the study identified some foremost humanitarian recovery needs to be addressed by Palestinian policy makers to redress the forbidding impacts of the Israeli blockade on Palestinian education. Keywords: Palestinian education, Israeli blockade.

أثر الإخلال الوظيفي على الأداء الوظيفي في الجامعات الفلسطينية الخاصة بقطاع غزة

ملخص: هدفت الدراسة التعرف إلى مستوى الإخلال الوظيفي وأثره على الأداء الوظيفي في الجامعات الفلسطينية الخاصة بقطاع غزة، وذلك من وجهة نظر الإدارة العليا، وباستخدام المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، وبالرجوع للأدبيات السابقة، تم بناء استبانة تكونت من (30) فقرة موزعة على (5) مجالات، وهي (الإخلالات التنظيمية، والإخلالات السلوكية، والإخلالات المالية، والإخلالات الجنائية، والأداء الوظيفي)، وبعد التأكد من صدقها وثباتها، تم تطبيقها على عينة مكونة من (102) موظف وموظفة، وقد توصلت الدارسة إلى أن مستوى الإخلال الوظيفي كان منخفضاً، وأن مستوى الأداء الوظيفي كان مرتفعاً، كذلك وُجِد أثر ذو دلالة إحصائية للإخلال الوظيفي في الأداء الوظيفي، وأظهرت النتائج عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية بين متوسطات درجات تقدير أفراد العينة لمستوى الإخلال الوظيفي والأداء الوظيفي تُعزى إلى متغيرات (الجنس، والمؤهل العلمي، والمسمى الوظيفي)، ووجود فروق تعزى لمتغير سنوات الخدمة لصالح ذوي الخبرة الأكثر من 10 سنوات، وفي ضوء تلك النتائج أوصت الدراسة بضرورة تنظيم ندوات إرشادية للعاملين حول اللوائح والأنظمة والقوانين المالية والإدارية التي يجب على الموظفين الالتزام بها، ووضع مدونات أخلاقية لضبط سلوك الموظفين عبر توضيح الإخلال الوظيفي والجزاءات التأديبية المناسبة. الكلمات المفتاحية: الإخلال الوظيفي، الأداء الوظيفي، الجامعات الفلسطينية الخاصة، قطاع غزة. Abstract The study aimed to identify the level of career deviation and its impact on job performance in the Palestinian universities of the Gaza Strip, from the senior management’s point of view, using the descriptive and analytical approach. Concerning the previous literature, a questionnaire was built, which consisted of (30) items distributed into (5) areas, namely (organizational breaches, behavioral breaches, financial breaches, criminal breaches, and job performance), and after making sure of their validity and consistency, it was applied to a sample It consists of (102) male and female employees. The study found that the level of job replacement was low, the level of job performance was high, and there was also a statistically significant effect of career deviation on job performance, and the results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the average scores of the sample members’ grade levels on the levels of career deviation and job performance to variables (gender, academic qualification, and job title), and the existence of differences attributable to the years of service variable in favor of those with more than ten years of experience. The study recommended the necessity of organizing guidance seminars for workers about the financial and administrative regulations, rules and laws that employees must abide by, and developing ethical codes to control employee behavior by clarifying breach of employment and appropriate disciplinary sanctions. Keywords: career deviation, job performance, private Palestinian universities, Gaza Strip

تقويم فاعلية برنامج التدريب الميداني في كلية فلسطين التقنية من وجهة نظر طلبتها

ملخص: هدفت الدراسة إلى معرفة دور أخلاقيات التسويق بأبعادها (الصدق والأمانة، المسؤولية، العدالة، المواطنة) في تعزيز الصورة الذهنية لمستخدمي شركة جوال بقطاع غزة، وقد استخدم الباحثان المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، وتكون مجتمع الدراسة من جميع مستخدمي شركة جوال، وكانت الاستبانة أداة جمع البيانات، وتم تطبيق أسلوب العينة العشوائية الطبقية، وبلغت عينة الدراسة 384 مبحوثاً وكانت نسبة الاسترداد 66.4% وحللت البيانات باستخدام برنامج SPSS الاحصائي، وكان من أهم النتائج أنه توجد علاقة ارتباطية قوية إيجابية بين أخلاقيات التسويق (الصدق والأمانة، المسؤولية، العدالة، المواطنة) وتعزيز الصورة الذهنية لمستخدمي شركة جوال، واتضح أن هناك درجة موافقة متوسطة بنسبة 59.90%، على أخلاقيات التسويق لدى شركة جوال، وأيضاً درجة موافقة متوسطة للصورة الذهنية لدى مستخدمي شركة جوال بنسبة 61.30%. الكلمات المفتاحية: أخلاقيات التسويق، الصورة الذهنية. Abstract The study aimed to know the role of marketing ethics with its dimensions (verity, honesty, responsibility, justice, citizenship), In enhancing the mental image of Jawwal users in the Gaza Strip, The researchers used the descriptive analytical method, The study population consists of all Jawwal users, questionnaire was the main tool for data collection, Stratified random sample method was applied , and the study sample was 384 ‎ respondents, The recovery rate was 66.4%, the data was analyzed using SPSS statistical program, one of the most important results was that there is a strong positive correlation between marketing ethics, (verity, honesty, responsibility, justice, citizenship), and enhance the mental image of Jawwal users, and an average approval level of 59.90% was found on Jawwal’s marketing ethics. Also, the average approval of the mental image of Jawwal users by 61.30%. Keywords: marketing ethics, mental image.