Efficient Management of Sample Reception and Documentation at the Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zagreb, Croatia

Staff perceptions of barriers to self-harm care in the emergency department: A cross-sectional survey study

BackgroundTriage is the first point of contact when a person arrives at an Emergency Department (ED), and at this point, the urgency of their condition is determined. The need to...

Quality

This community service activity was motivated by the manual recording of transactions and inventory at the Koperasi Pemasaran Singosaren Maju Bersama, which lacked a cashier system and barcode scanner. The purpose of this activity is to improve the efficiency and accuracy of financial recording and inventory management through the implementation of a cashier application and barcode scanner, along with staff training. The method includes installing the cashier application, setting up the barcode scanner, and conducting technical training for the staff. The results show significant improvements in computerized recording and staff understanding. This simple yet appropriate technology proved effective in enhancing cooperative operations and can serve as replicable models for other cooperatives.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have an increasing impact on companies' digital transformation. On the one hand, it is expected that AI tools can support process automation and quality improvement, on the other hand, many professionals fear that AI systems will displace their roles. It is assumed that paperwork processes and workflow documentation are among the most tedious tasks for employees. However, proper workflow documentation is the backbone of effective company knowledge management (KM) and decision-making. In contrast with traditional documentation management systems (DMS) that struggle with retrieval, accessibility, and workflow automation, KM challenges hinder documenting and sharing insights gained during projects, with knowledge often hidden or lost post-project. Overcoming these barriers requires AI-driven systems to contextualize and structure unstructured knowledge for better inter-project collaboration and retention. By investigating KM approaches, the present research aims to identify and model the key features that will support job augmentation with intelligent document management processing. The study steps on the Automated Documentation Management System (ADMS) with an integrated ChatGPT-based assistant, which enables users to interact with documents through conversational queries, analysis, retrieval, and summarization requests. The first part of the paper explores KM approaches related to workflow documentation and project management. Next, a short overview presents the ADMS system functionalities for improving contextual understanding of the complex processes, data integration, and knowledge sharing. Based on this, a new application model is identified, supporting KM job augmentation. At the end, the discussion explores how advanced DMSs can support KM processes in companies to enhance quality, efficiency, and job augmentation, improving decision-making, collaboration in project management. By enabling seamless knowledge sharing, it preserves insights beyond project lifecycles, supporting future initiatives. As projects grow more complex and data-driven, AI integration in PM can transform how teams capture, share, and apply knowledge for sustained success.

Use of inert C&D materials for seawall foundation: Quality control measures

Quality control measures for lowering the seroconversion rate of hemodialysis patients with hepatitis B or C virus

Weaknesses within the maternal health continuum, including antenatal, delivery, and postnatal services, contribute to the high maternal mortality rate in Nigeria. The deficiencies in the health system primarily stem from a lack of skilled health workers, equipment, and health commodities, which prevent the delivery of quality services. Antenatal services, as the first point of contact for pregnant women with the health system, play an important role in improving maternal and child health outcomes and ultimately reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. Most public health facilities in Nigeria are unable to deliver quality ANC services due to an inadequate skilled health workforce, medicines, commodities, and infrastructure, which ultimately result in the unacceptably high maternal mortality rate. This study assessed the readiness of health facilities within AMAC, FCT, to provide antenatal services so as to gain insights into the level of service provision and identify bottlenecks that hinder the delivery of quality care. The research employed a cross-sectional study design, utilizing health facility assessments of general hospitals to determine readiness using the WHO Service Availability and Assessment framework (SARA). ANC service readiness was generally good, with all facilities showing 100% compliance for basic equipment and diagnostic capacity. This high level of readiness for ANC services encourages ANC visits, boosts facility deliveries, and ultimately improves maternal outcomes. Due to the lack of training on antenatal services observed in some hospitals during this study, it is recommended that a strong and well-trained monitoring and evaluation team be established for effective supervision of health facilities in areas such as staff training, capacity building, and the availability of work aids. Additionally, readiness assessments for ANC services should be conducted annually.

BackgroundGlobally, adolescent health remains a public health priority given that adolescents often face unique vulnerabilities to health issues like mental disorders, substance abuse, and sexual health risks. In developing countries like Ghana, primary healthcare facilities (PHCs) are often the first point of contact for addressing these issues. However, there is a lack of literature examining the capacity of PHCs to address adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) issues. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature by assessing the availability and readiness of ASRH services within Ghana’s PHCs.MethodsThe study utilized a multi-stage sampling approach to select 67 PHCs across four districts in the Greater Accra region, reflecting Ghana's broad demographic diversity. We employed the WHO's Services Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) tool to measure the availability and readiness of ASRH services. This framework focused on key domains including service availability and readiness, assessing aspects such as HIV testing, family planning, and availability of contraceptives and necessary staff training. Data analysis was conducted using Stata version 17.0, analysing frequencies and percentages to capture the extent of service provision across the selected facilities.ResultsThe study highlighted significant disparities in the availability and readiness of essential ASRH services (HIV services, family planning, contraceptive pills, IUCD provisions, and male condoms) across selected districts and facility types. In Shai Osudoku, 65% of facilities offered a full range of selected ASRH services, the highest among the districts, whereas Ningo Prampram had the lowest at just 16%. In terms of facility types, 57% of CHPS facilities, 59% of health centres, and 44% of clinics provided all the selected ASRH services. Urban areas reported a 51% provision rate of these services, slightly less than the 54% observed in rural areas. Additionally, readiness disparities were evident: only 21% of urban facilities had adequate service guidelines compared to 29% in rural areas, and a higher percentage of rural facilities (46%) had trained staff, compared to 23% in urban areas.ConclusionThis study examined the availability and readiness of ASRH services in PHCs across the Greater Accra region, revealing significant disparities by location and facility type. Particularly, rural and public facilities demonstrated a higher availability of ASRH services compared to urban and private facilities. These findings suggest an uneven distribution of resources and highlight a potential urban underutilization of public health services. Moreover, the study identified a critical lack of service guidelines and trained staff across many facilities, emphasizing the need for enhanced training and resource allocation to improve service readiness. Targeted interventions are necessary to elevate the quality and accessibility of ASRH services, ensuring equitable health care delivery across all regions. Future research should expand to other regions to validate these findings and inform nationwide health strategies.

The pursuit of excellent communication is a path not easily navigated. Challenges arise at every turn, and greatest obstacle of all is ensuring availability and accuracy of information. Help Desk representatives are first point of contact for customers placing technology requests and they must have a broad range of knowledge about services provided by department. A large amount of time is spent in training staff members to achieve desired level of expertise. At Valparaiso University these staff members are students, adding to complexity of information sharing as these staff members are only employed for a few years before graduating and entering the real world. Having a knowledge base is one way to reduce amount of time needed to train staff members, as information is easily accessible. The Valparaiso University IT Help Desk has been on an ongoing journey to find a knowledge base and after investigating different solutions we have settled on a wiki. At SIGUCCS'07 we described process of selecting our solution and our anticipated use of wiki. By October 2008 we will have had over one year of using wiki, including populating data, keeping it up-to-date, and training staff on its use. Come and look at journey we have traveled thus far and explore with us growing potential of this tool as map of terrain grows larger with each passing week.

In Brazil, the production of beneficial microorganisms by growers exclusively for their own use is a practice known as "on-farm production". Regarding on-farm bioinsecticides, they were initially deployed for pests of perennial and semi-perennial crops in the 1970s but, since 2013, their use has extended to pests of annual crops such as maize, cotton, and soybean. Millions of hectares are currently being treated with these on-farm preparations. Local production reduces costs, meets local needs, and reduces inputs of environmentally damaging chemical pesticides, facilitating establishment of more sustainable agroecosystems. Critics argue that without implementation of stringent quality control measures there is the risk that the on-farm preparations: (1) are contaminated with microbes which may include human pathogens or (2) contain very little active ingredient, impacting on field efficacy. The on-farm fermentation of bacterial insecticides predominates, especially that of Bacillus thuringiensis targeting lepidopteran pests. However, there has been a rapid growth in the past 5years in the production of entomopathogenic fungi, mostly for the control of sap-sucking insects such as whitefly (Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius)) and the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis (DeLong and Wolcott)). In contrast, on-farm production of insect viruses has seen limited growth. Most of the ca. 5 million rural producers in Brazil own small or medium size properties and, although the vast majority still do not practice on-farm production of biopesticides, the topic has aroused interest among them. Many growers who adopt this practice usually use non-sterile containers as fermenters, resulting in poor-quality preparations, and cases of failure have been reported. On the other hand, some informal reports suggest on-farm preparations may be efficacious even when contaminated, what could be explained, at least partially, by the insecticidal secondary metabolites secreted by the pool of microorganisms in the liquid culture media. Indeed, there is insufficient information on efficacy and mode of action of these microbial biopesticides. It is usually the large farms, some with > 20,000ha of continuouscultivated lands, that produce biopesticides with low levels of contamination, as many of them possess advanced production facilities and have access to specialized knowledge and trained staff. Uptake of on-farm biopesticides is expected to continue but the rate of adoption will depend on factors such as the selection of safe, virulent microbial strains and implementation of sound quality control measures (compliance with emerging Brazilian regulations and international standards). The challenges and opportunities of on-farm bioinsecticidesare presented and discussed.

Document management of infrastructure and assets is a crucial aspect in supporting operational and administrative efficiency at SMP Negeri XYZ Jakarta. However, the current practice still faces various obstacles, such as a manual recording system that is prone to errors, unorganized storage of physical documents, and limited human resource competency. These problems have an impact on inaccurate asset data, slow access to information, and obstacles in budget planning and auditing. This study aims to analyze the process of managing infrastructure and asset documents at SMP Negeri XYZ Jakarta, identify the obstacles faced, and formulate solutions for improvement. The research method uses a qualitative approach with data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation studies. The results of the study indicate three main problems: (1) lack of trained human resources in document management, (2) vulnerability of physical documents to damage or loss, and (3) data discrepancies between documents and the real condition of assets. As a solution, this study recommends strategic steps such as: (1) regular training for asset management staff, (2) digitalization of documents by utilizing the SIMPAN BMN application and cloud storage, and (3) implementation of a barcode system and routine inventory to ensure data accuracy. The implementation of this solution is expected to improve transparency, efficiency, and accountability of school asset management.

Artificial neural networks (NNs) have been extensively studied for their application to quality control (QC) to monitor the conformity of processes to quality specifications. However, the requirement of at least five QC measurements increases the associated costs. This study explores the potential of using NNs on samples of QC measurements of very small size. To achieve this, three one-dimensional (1-D) convolutional NNs (CNNs) were designed, trained, and tested on datasets of n-tuples of simulated, standardized, normally distributed QC measurements, where 2 ≤ n ≤ 4 {2\leq n\leq 4} . The performance of the designed CNNs was compared to that of statistical QC functions applied to samples of equal sizes, maintaining equal probabilities for false rejection. The results demonstrated that for n-tuples of QC measurements distributed as 𝒩 ⁢ ( 0 , s 2 ) \mathscr{N}(0,s^{2}) , where 1.2 < s ≤ 9.0 1.2<s\leq 9.0 , the designed CNNs outperformed their statistical QC functions counterparts. Therefore, the use of 1-D CNNs applied to samples of two to four QC measurements can effectively enhance the detection of nonconformity of a process to quality specifications. This approach has the potential to significantly reduce the costs of QC measurements and improve the overall efficiency of the QC process.

Basic Life Support (BLS) is a crucial emergency intervention that significantly improves survival rates in patients experiencing cardiac arrest or other life-threatening conditions. Primary healthcare facilities often serve as the first point of contact for emergency cases, making it essential for healthcare workers to possess adequate BLS skills. However, variations in training frequency and experience affect the proficiency of healthcare workers in performing BLS effectively. This study aims to analyze the impact of BLS training for healthcare workers in primary care settings on patient outcomes in emergency situations. A literature review and data analysis were conducted to assess the correlation between BLS training and patient outcomes, focusing on survival rates, response time, and procedural effectiveness. Data were collected from various studies, training programs, and case reports related to emergency response in primary healthcare settings. The findings indicate that healthcare workers who receive regular and structured BLS training demonstrate improved knowledge, faster response times, and higher success rates in emergency interventions. Patients treated by trained healthcare workers have better survival rates and reduced complications compared to those treated by untrained personnel. Additionally, the frequency of refresher courses and hands-on simulation training play a significant role in maintaining BLS competency.BLS training for healthcare workers in primary care settings significantly enhances emergency response efficiency and improves patient outcomes. Regular and systematic training programs should be implemented to ensure that healthcare professionals remain proficient in life-saving techniques. This study highlights the need for policy improvements in BLS education to optimize emergency medical care at the primary healthcare level.

In Germany, which is also faced with a scarcity of resources, the concept of central, interdisciplinary emergency rooms ("Zentrale Notfallaufnahme", ZNA) is being developed as an answer to the complex demands of modern emergency medicine with increasing numbers of patients and complexity of the medical conditions. This autonomous institution is the first point of contact for all emergency patients. The central tasks of the ZNA are triage and the interdisciplinary primary treatment of patients. The establishment of the ZNA includes specific facilities (treatment rooms, short stay units, resuscitation rooms, triage and management areas, integration of the premises on site) as well as specific processes (triage systems, specific standard operating procedures) and training for the staff (European Curriculum for Emergency Medicine). It could be shown that by establishing a ZNA along with all its structures the satisfaction of the patients (including shorter waiting times), resource management (intensive care capacity), and patient outcome could be significantly improved.