QScience Connect - Current Issue

Introduction: Nowadays, many cardiac surgery teams are adopting the goal-directed perfusion (GDP) strategy in their practice to maintain optimal perfusion during cardiac surgeries and improve patient outcomes. Furthermore, it plays an indispensable role as a quality control tool to monitor both perfusionists’ practice and equipment (in addition to disposables used in the surgery.

Objectives: To identify the role and the elements of GDP that facilitate better surgical outcomes. In addition, to compare between GDP and the traditional conventional perfusion strategy (CP) in terms of perfusion adequacy and surgical outcomes. Finally, to recognize challenges that may prevent the effective application of GDP and finding possible applicable solutions.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted from three different databases PubMed, SpringerLink, and ScienceDirect. The selected studies were in English from the USA and Europe with a time frame starting from 2005.

Results: The findings highlight the crucial role of the GDP strategy in protecting and preserving end-organ function after on-bypass cardiac surgery procedures. Furthermore, a clear understanding of the GDP implementation component and criteria was obtained. Alternatively, a satisfactory GDP level can be achieved by the optimal utilization of available resources.

Discussion: Dismantling the GDP strategy into practically recognized components to ease the implementation at different levels of perfusion practice.

Conclusion: The GDP approach involves the intensive monitoring of respiratory-related parameters to enhance surgical outcomes. The process includes blood preservation, optimal flow and intraoperative parameters management. Monitoring is the key element of GDP, which can be applied by using the sophisticated technology or the proper use of existing resources to develop protocols within the international guidelines and recommendations. Achieving an optimal perfusion requires concerted efforts of organizational, safety, and practical measurements.

Corruption is a challenge that hinders countries’ development. The huge spending on public procurement, particularly on capital projects, makes it highly prone to corruption. The conventional paper-based procurement process has been linked to inefficiency and corruption in procurement practices. Given the expanding role of technology in an increasingly interconnected world, many leading experts suggest that technology can be a powerful tool to reduce opportunities for corruption in public procurement. In the past three decades, the use of technology, including electronic procurement (e-procurement) and artificial intelligence (AI), in public procurement has globally gained popularity. However, currently, technology in public procurement is not widely used in the African continent. This paper's main hypothesis is that technology can have an impact on reducing corruption in public procurement in Africa, with a particular emphasis on the prospects and challenges for technology adoption in Ghana and South Africa. The paper analyzes the types of initiatives that helped technology implementation in other countries and the utility of adopting such mechanisms in the context of the subject countries under review. The study investigates the critical success factors for adopting technology in public procurement activities in Ghana and South Africa using qualitative data analysis and mixed theories. This paper aims to assist public procurement practitioners, government entities, and funding organizations in a better understanding of the technology role, including public e-procurement and AI, in their efforts to minimize the scourge of corruption in public procurement.

الملخص

هدف الدراسة: سعى هذا البحث لدراسة مشاكل النظام الإلكتروني TADESS المصمم في جامعة قطر، لصالح طلبة الدراسات العليا؛ ليتم من خلاله تسليم الرسائل والأطروحات الجامعية، ومتابعة حالتها، ومدى سير إجراءات الموافقات فيها منذ اقتراح موضوع الرسالة إلى تسليمها مصححة بعد المناقشة. أهمية الدراسة: توفير خدمة للطلبة والأكاديميين والإداريين لتيسير متابعة إجراءات تسجيل الرسائل الجامعية إلى أن تصل إلى برِّ الأمان بمناقشة أصحابها والحصول على الدرجات العلمية المطلوبة، بناء قاعدة بيانات لبحوث طلبة الدراسات العليا، وتوثيق أعمالهم بشكل رسمي في علاقة محددة بين الباحث والمشرف الأكاديمي، مما يساعد على تحقيق جودة الإدارة. المنهج: اعتمدت الدراسة على المناهج الوصفية والتحليلية النوعية والإجرائية. تكونت العينة المدروسة من طلبة الدراسات العليا في السنة الأخيرة والمتوقع تخرجهم، وكذلك التقنيين مصممي النظام، والإداريين الذين يرشدون الطلبة إلى كيفية استخدامه ومتابعة مراحل سير رسائلهم، بالإضافة إلى الأكاديميين الذين لديهم صلاحية استخدمه. النتائج والتوصيات: استنادًا إلى نتائج المقابلات، توصلت الدراسة إلى تشخيص المشكلة الرئيسة التي تواجه النظام وجوهرها المشاكل التقنية، وأبرزت حاجتها لإجراء عمليات إصلاح للبرمجة من قبل الفريق التقني في المقام الأول. وأكدت أن ذلك سيعود بالفائدة على جميع المستخدمين، ويسهم في توثيق العمل وأرشفته بطريقة فاعلة. وبناءً على ذلك، ستتم عملية التكوين من خلال الورشات لكافة المتعاملين مع نظام TADESS لتيسير استخدامه. كما توصلت الدراسة إلى جملة من العوامل التي تعين على وضع الحلول المناسبة؛ من خلال إحصاء 13 مشكلة تقنية في النظام خلال سنة واحدة، واقترحت الحلول لكل منها، بالإضافة إلى الكشف عن أسباب عزوف بعض المستخدمين للنظام، والتي كانت عاملًا في عدم وصول الرسائل إلى المراحل المتقدمة عبره، مع وضع خطة مقترحة لإعادة تشغيله.

Objective: This research aimed to investigate the issues of the TADESS electronic system, designed at Qatar University for graduate students, to facilitate the submission, tracking, and approval process of theses and dissertations, from the proposal stage to final submission after defense and corrections. Significance of the study: The study seeks to provide a service for students, academics, and administrators to facilitate the tracking of university thesis and dissertation procedures from registration until they reach completion, with successful defense getting their appropriate academic degrees and to build a database of graduate students' research and officially document their work, establishing a structured relationship between the researcher and the academic supervisor, thereby contributing to effective management quality. Methodology: The study adopted descriptive, qualitative, and procedural analytical methods. The sample consisted of final-year graduate students expected to graduate, system designers, administrative staff guiding students in using the system and tracking their thesis progress, and academics authorized to use the system. Findings and Recommendations: Based on interview results, the study identified the core issue facing the system: technical problems, emphasizing the need for programming fixes by the technical team. It highlighted the potential benefits for all users and the importance of documenting and archiving work effectively. To address these challenges, training workshops will be conducted for all users of the TADESS system to facilitate its usage. Additionally, the study identified several factors contributing to the system’s shortcomings by recording 13 technical issues within a year and proposing solutions for each. It also uncovered reasons behind users' reluctance to engage with the system, which hindered thesis progress. The study concludes with a proposed plan to reactivate the system effectively.