Effect of information technology services on hospital performance

and Objektive: The aim was to evaluate workersÂ’ skills in use of information technology at the hospitals of Public Hospitals Association of Amasya and their opinion about effects of information technologies on corporate performance. Material and Method:By this cross-sectional study, stratified sample has been selected (n=310) and 99% of the sample (n = 307) has been reached among workers of Merzifon Kara Mustafa Pasa State Hospital and Gumushacikoy State Hospital (n=618). Survey-under-observation method was utilized. Assessments about the impact of information technologies on corporate performance were collected with the Likert-type responses (5: the best impact, 1: minimum impact), the average was obtained from individual points. In the SPSS 11.0 software, it was analyzed with Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Student-t, Mann-Whitney-U, Kruskal-Wallis and X2 tests. The p≤0.05 was accepted as statistical significance level. Nearly half of those who participated in survey were female. The ages of men and women were similar. Findings and Conclusions: health workers see themselves more competent in use of the Office programs, operating systems and Internet programs. It has been revealed that the training of health workers in information systems programs is insufficient, and impacts of their ages, professions, institution worked at, graduation, position in the organization and information technologies on corporate performance have been revealed as well. According to health workers, use of information systems and technologies increases employees' working speed, success and the interest in the job.

Standardization and Optimization of Ultrasonographic Graf Method Used in Diagnosis of Developmental Hip Dysplasia

Design Rainfall Temporal Patterns for Upper Klang Catchment

Rainfall temporal patterns are needed as inputs for hydrologic models such as unit hydrograph or runoff routing method used in the derivation of flood hydrographs. The patterns adopted can have a major effect on the resulting flood computed. Short and long duration rainfall data are both required for different sizes of catchments to determine and locate the flood producing critical storms in flood estimation. Design temporal patterns with different durations are therefore also required for distributing the storm rainfall in flood calculations. Patterns for a large number of durations with reasonably short time intervals are needed by designers to reduce the need for interpolation and to maintain the accuracy in obtaining the peak of the hydrograph. In this study, pluviograph data for the Upper Klang Catchment with records of over 30 years are used to derive temporal patterns for 20 standard durations as per ARR87. Rainfall temporal patterns for the upper Klang were derived for rainfall durations from 10 minutes to 72 hours and for time intervals from 5 minutes to 4 hours. The patterns presented in this study demonstrate the use of Average Variability Method in deriving design rainfall temporal patterns for data of the Klang Catchment and the patterns derived can be used for design flood estimations for catchments in the same general region.

FLORISTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ARBUTUS UNEDO L. AND ARBUTUS ANDRACHNE L. AS MEDICINAL PLANTS

633.88:582.688.3(560) Arbutus unedo L. and Arbutus andrachne L., belonging to Ericaceae family and being evergreen, are two important species having economic values in natural flora of Turkey. These species spread as enclave in the Black Sea Region, while they are found naturally in the Mediterranean and Aegean Region of Turkey. Arbutus unedo, whose fruits contain a high amount of sugar (42% - 52%), is widely preferred in the subbranchs of the food industry such as jam, marmalade and sweetener, especially in the beverage industry in Europe. Arbutus andrachne is a species that has an effect on the circulatory system and besides it has antihemorrhagic and urinal antiseptic properties. In this study, floristic characteristics of Arbutus unedo and A. andrachne, spreading in places where the Mediterranean climate is predominant in Turkey, being characteristic elements of maquis formation in coastal areas of Black Sea Region, are investigated. Within the scope of the study, sample plots were taken in Bartın, Kastamonu, Sinop, Samsun, Ordu and Trabzon regions. It was determined that the most common native species accompanying these species (only woody plant taxa) are different. These species are frequently spread together with Castanea sativa in Bartın, Quercus sp. + Carpinus betulus in Kastamonu, Castanea sativa + Pinus sylvestris + Fagus orientalis in Sinop, Pinus brutia in Samsun, Quercus sp. in Ordu and Quercus sp. + Carpinus betulus in Trabzon. In addition, shrub species such as Erica arborea, Laurus nobilis, Ruscus aculeatus, Smilax excelsa, Rubus sp. and Cistus sp. accompany to these species in all of these sample plots.

DETERMINATION OF GERMINATION CHARACTERISTICS OF CALLIGONUM POLYGONOIDES AND KOELREUTERIA PANICULATA SEEDS

UDK: 631.547.1:582.665.11]:630*232(560) 631.547.1: 582.746.46]:630*232(560) The success of the afforestation works (ecological and biological compatibility, economic success, etc.) depends on the use of seeds of known origin or quality seedlings. For this reason, it is important to determine seed characteristics and to eliminate dormancy. In this study, it was aimed to determine the germination characteristics of seeds of Calligonumpolygonoides L. collected from Iğdır and KoelreuteriapaniculataLaxm. obtained from Trabzon. In order to eliminate the dormancy for Calligonumpolygonoides, 11 different pretreatments including control, cold water (1-2 days), hot water (10-15 min), gibberellic acid (GA3 1000 ppm, GA3 3000 ppm), sulfuric acid (H2SO4, 5-10 min), 5 min with H2SO4 + 20 min with GA3 1000 ppm and 10 min with H2SO4 + 20 min with GA3 3000 ppm were applied. The highest germination percentage was obtained as 50% in sulfuric acid (5 min) pretreatment, while the lowest germination percentage was obtained as 3.33% in control pretreatment. In hot water pretreatments, germination didn't occur. In order to eliminate the dormancy for Koelreuteriapaniculata, pretreatments including control, cold water (1 day), hot water (10 min), GA3 1000 ppm, GA3 3000 ppm, H2SO4 5-10 min, 5 min with H2SO4 + 20 min with GA3 1000 ppm and 10 min with H2SO4 + 20 min with GA3 3000 ppm were applied. While the lowest germination percentage occurred as 73.33% in H2SO4 (10 min) pretreatment, the highest germination percentage took place as 93.33% in 10 min with H2SO4 + 20 min with GA3 3000 ppm and cold water (1 day) pretreatments.

Grasses of Mali

A vegetative key, descriptions, and illustrations for the identification of 199 native and naturalized grasses that occur in Mali are presented. In addition, we provide a modern classification, glossary of terms, and indexes to scientific and common names. The key is based on vegetative characters to allow identification of specimens that do not have flowering structures (inflorescences and spikelets). Two new combinations are made, Urochloa orthostachys and  Urochloa stigmatisata , and we lectotypify Panicum orthostachys .  Smithsonian Contributions to Botany , Number 108 , x + 146 pages, 208 figures, 2018.

Transperitoneal laparoscopic heminephroureterectomy in the pediatric population: A single-centre experience using a sealing device

We sought to report the outcomes of transperitoneal laparoscopic heminephroureterectomy (LHNU) in pediatric population and to describe the technical details of this minimally invasive surgery.

DrillCutTM vs. VersaCutTM prostate tissue morcellation devices after holmium laser enucleation: A prospective, randomized controlled trial

We aimed to compare efficacy, safety, and cost of disposables of the DrillCutTM morcellator with the VersaCutTM morcellator after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP).Methods: After obtaining ethical approval, consecutive patients undergoing HoLEP for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia were randomized to have their enucleated prostates morcellated by either Karl Storz® DrillCutTM or Lumenis® VersaCutTM morcellators. All procedures were performed by two experienced urologists. Patients’ demographics and perioperative data were recorded. Both morcellators were compared for their safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness.Results: Eighty-two patients were included in the study (41 per each arm). Both groups were comparable in terms of age, preoperative prostate size (114 vs. 112 mL; p>0.05), enucleation time (95.3 vs. 91.7 minutes; p>0.05), and morcellation time (22.6 vs. 17.3 minutes; p>0.05). The DrillCutTM was associated with significantly lower morcellation rate when compared with the VersaCutTM(3.6 vs. 4.9 g/min; p= 0.03). In terms of safety, there was no significant difference between both morcellators in complication rates (2.4% vs. 7.3 %; p=0.1). However, there was one case of bladder perforation requiring exploration with the VersaCutTM. The DrillCutTM was associated with significantly higher cost of disposables when compared with the VersaCutTM ($247.5 vs. $160.9; p<0.01).Conclusions: Despite the small sample size, the DrillCutTM was associated with lower morcellation rate when compared with the VersaCutTM. However, this difference may not be clinically significant. Although both morcellators were comparable in their safety, the DrillCutTM was associated with higher cost of disposables when compared with the VersaCutTM.

Determination of some heavy metals in borehole and well water from selected industrial areas of Kaduna metropolis

Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Foreign Private Investment on Capital Formation in Nigeria

The study empirically determines and explores the economic impact of foreign private investment on the economic growth and development of Nigeria over the period under study which is between 1980 and 2015. Unit root test was conducted based on ADF and PP technique, and all the variables were found to be stationary at level. Johansen co integration test was also employed to check the long run relationship among the variables of study, the result reveal the existence of long run equilibrium. Short run relation was also examined using ECM technique, result confirm a short run relation among the variables. OLS method was employed to estimate the parameters of the model. Empirical result from revealed that, Foreign Private Investment (FPI) has a negative and significant effect on capital formation in Nigeria. Therefore we can reliably conclude that foreign private investment impacted negatively on the domestic capital formation in Nigeria within the period under study (1980-2015). We therefore recommend that; government should take good measures to control inflation. Additionally adequate efforts should be made to mobilize desired gross national savings which would be big enough to attract direct foreign private investment. And finally efforts should be made by government to reduce exchange rate distortions and or misalignment, increase export of locally manufactured goods and raw materials in a bid to raise value of the local currency, the naira; earn more foreign exchange and allow market forces to properly fix the exchange rate.