International Journal of Hyperconnectivity and the Internet of Things, 2017
This article describes how Blockchain is a technology that has a great potential to change the wa... more This article describes how Blockchain is a technology that has a great potential to change the way business is done in the future, exactly like the internet did in the early nineties. Blockchain offers new opportunities to develop new types of digital services to overcome business problems, and improve business practices by making transaction information a public resource. While research on the topic is still emerging, it has mostly focused on crypto-currencies instead of taking advantage of this novel concept to create new advanced services. This article discusses blockchain and the technology behind it, some of its possible applications, as well as threats targeting the new poorly understood technology.
Background: Hydatid disease remains a serious health problem in Mediterranean countries. Complica... more Background: Hydatid disease remains a serious health problem in Mediterranean countries. Complicated forms are frequent and require a complex management with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Thoracic rupture of hydatid liver cyst is rare and may cause lifethreatening complications. Methods: It is a retrospective study extending over a period of 24 years from 1992 to December 31, 2016 and investigating cases with hydatid cysts of the liver with thoracic rupture, treatment modalities, and factors of morbidity and mortality analyzed by a multivariate analytical study. Results: There were 47 women and 39 men, the mean age was 48 years with the age ranging from 13 to 85 years. Nineteen patients (22. 1%) were admitted in emergency. The most common symptom was the chest pain which occurred in 58 cases (67.4%); the other findings were cough [n:25 (29.06%)], dyspnea [n:37 (43.02%)] and fever [n:47 (54.65%)]. The main procedure was cystectomy and capitonnage with thoracophrenotomy and ‘Lagrot’ on the liver in 50 cases. Two patients underwent segmentectomy, two bilobectomy and 12 underwent lobectomy. Twenty three patients had a decortication. The overall mortality rate was 3.48% while the overall morbidity rate was 23.5%. Predictors of morbidity included advanced age (p=0.03), cysts larger than 7 cm (p=0.04), cysts with bilious contents (p=0.03), type II, III and IV on ultrasound classification (p=0.02)and patients operated lately(p=0.04), patients who underwent decortication or lobectomy(p=0.01). Conclusion: The hepatic hydatid cyst with rupture into thorax is a major complication of the hydatid cyst with a high morbidity and mortality.
ABSTRACT This study examined the relationships among characteristics of short-term collective inc... more ABSTRACT This study examined the relationships among characteristics of short-term collective incentive plans (i.e., incentive plans that offer performance-based bonuses to employees), organizational justice, and organizational commitment. Based on a literature review, four characteristics of collective incentive plans were identified: 1) perceived instrumentality (perception of a link between performance and pay); 2) bonus paid (the amount paid to employees in the context of the plan); 3) the intensity of organizational communication (sources of information provided to employees); and 4) communication by the supervisor concerning the incentive plan. Our central hypothesis was that these characteristics would relate to employees’affective and continuance commitment through four dimensions of organizational justice, namely distributive, procedural, informational and interpersonal justice. Based on a sample of 313 members of three professional associations, structural equations model analyses revealed that the intensity of organizational communication about the incentive plan was indirectly related to continuance commitment through procedural justice and to affective commitment through informational justice. Similarly, communication by the supervisor about the incentive plan was indirectly related to affective commitment through informational justice and to continuance commitment through procedural justice. Finally, communication by the supervisor was also indirectly related to continuance commitment through interpersonal justice. This study shows that organizational and supervisory communication about the rules and workings of incentive plans plays a critical role in shaping employees’ perceptions of justice (namely procedural, informational and interpersonal justice), which indirectly influences affective and continuance commitment.
International Journal of Hyperconnectivity and the Internet of Things, 2017
This article describes how Blockchain is a technology that has a great potential to change the wa... more This article describes how Blockchain is a technology that has a great potential to change the way business is done in the future, exactly like the internet did in the early nineties. Blockchain offers new opportunities to develop new types of digital services to overcome business problems, and improve business practices by making transaction information a public resource. While research on the topic is still emerging, it has mostly focused on crypto-currencies instead of taking advantage of this novel concept to create new advanced services. This article discusses blockchain and the technology behind it, some of its possible applications, as well as threats targeting the new poorly understood technology.
Background: Hydatid disease remains a serious health problem in Mediterranean countries. Complica... more Background: Hydatid disease remains a serious health problem in Mediterranean countries. Complicated forms are frequent and require a complex management with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Thoracic rupture of hydatid liver cyst is rare and may cause lifethreatening complications. Methods: It is a retrospective study extending over a period of 24 years from 1992 to December 31, 2016 and investigating cases with hydatid cysts of the liver with thoracic rupture, treatment modalities, and factors of morbidity and mortality analyzed by a multivariate analytical study. Results: There were 47 women and 39 men, the mean age was 48 years with the age ranging from 13 to 85 years. Nineteen patients (22. 1%) were admitted in emergency. The most common symptom was the chest pain which occurred in 58 cases (67.4%); the other findings were cough [n:25 (29.06%)], dyspnea [n:37 (43.02%)] and fever [n:47 (54.65%)]. The main procedure was cystectomy and capitonnage with thoracophrenotomy and ‘Lagrot’ on the liver in 50 cases. Two patients underwent segmentectomy, two bilobectomy and 12 underwent lobectomy. Twenty three patients had a decortication. The overall mortality rate was 3.48% while the overall morbidity rate was 23.5%. Predictors of morbidity included advanced age (p=0.03), cysts larger than 7 cm (p=0.04), cysts with bilious contents (p=0.03), type II, III and IV on ultrasound classification (p=0.02)and patients operated lately(p=0.04), patients who underwent decortication or lobectomy(p=0.01). Conclusion: The hepatic hydatid cyst with rupture into thorax is a major complication of the hydatid cyst with a high morbidity and mortality.
ABSTRACT This study examined the relationships among characteristics of short-term collective inc... more ABSTRACT This study examined the relationships among characteristics of short-term collective incentive plans (i.e., incentive plans that offer performance-based bonuses to employees), organizational justice, and organizational commitment. Based on a literature review, four characteristics of collective incentive plans were identified: 1) perceived instrumentality (perception of a link between performance and pay); 2) bonus paid (the amount paid to employees in the context of the plan); 3) the intensity of organizational communication (sources of information provided to employees); and 4) communication by the supervisor concerning the incentive plan. Our central hypothesis was that these characteristics would relate to employees’affective and continuance commitment through four dimensions of organizational justice, namely distributive, procedural, informational and interpersonal justice. Based on a sample of 313 members of three professional associations, structural equations model analyses revealed that the intensity of organizational communication about the incentive plan was indirectly related to continuance commitment through procedural justice and to affective commitment through informational justice. Similarly, communication by the supervisor about the incentive plan was indirectly related to affective commitment through informational justice and to continuance commitment through procedural justice. Finally, communication by the supervisor was also indirectly related to continuance commitment through interpersonal justice. This study shows that organizational and supervisory communication about the rules and workings of incentive plans plays a critical role in shaping employees’ perceptions of justice (namely procedural, informational and interpersonal justice), which indirectly influences affective and continuance commitment.
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Papers by Ahmed Ayed