Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An investigation into enterprise structure and ERP implementations:a contribution to praxis

This professional doctoral research reports on the relationship between Enterprise Systems, specifically Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, and enterprise structures. It offers insights and guidance to practitioners on factors for consideration in the implementation of ERP systems in organisations operating in modern enterprise structures. It reports on reflective ethnographic action research conducted in a number of companies from a diverse range of industries covering supply chains for both goods and services. The primary contribution is in highlighting areas in which clients, practitioners and ERP software vendors can bring a greater awareness of internet era enterprise structures and business requirements into the ERP arena. The concepts and insights have been explored in a focus group setting, comprised of practitioners from the enterprise systems implementation and consulting fraternity and revealed limitations and constraints in the implementation of enterprise systems. However, it also showed that current systems do not have the full capabilities required to support, in use, modern era enterprise structures, as required by practitioners and decision makers.
SIMULTANEOUS ROUTING AND LOADING METHOD FOR MILK-RUN USING HYBRID GENETIC SEARCH ALGORITHM

Milk-run methodology is proposed to manage the procurement of orders from suppliers. The heuristic solution methods in the literature generally apply stepwise approach to route and load the vehicles. In this study we propose a hybrid genetic local search algorithm which simultaneous solves vehicle routing and order loading problems. This is the main contribution of the study. We consider volume and weight capacities (multi capacitated) of different types of transportation vehicles (heterogeneous fleet). Because of high adaptability and easy utilization, genetic algorithms are the most preferred approach of meta-heuristics. The chromosome structure of the proposed genetic algorithm is constituted by random numbers to eliminate infeasibility. The best chromosome of each generation is improved using local search method during the algorithm runs. We applied the algorithm to a real manufacturing company that produces welding robots and other process automation equipment. The results showed the effectiveness of the algorithm.
A Link to New Product Preannouncement: Success Factors in Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a process where commercial or non-commercial projects are initiated in a public announcement by organizations or individuals to receive funding, assess the market potential, and build customer relationships. Crowdfunding is employed in a variety of different categories, ranging from technology to arts and even disaster relief. Even though crowd-funding has received widespread attention, not only in the media, literature on the subject is still sparse and lacks especially empirical research. In contrast, research in new product preannouncement is established and more mature, and, due to similarities in process and goals, yields entry points for crowdfunding research. This paper contributes by reducing the gap in crowdfunding research by drawing on insights from new product preannouncement literature. To this end, a common definition of crowdfunding, which is currently lacking in literature, is derived and used to characterize commonalities with new product preannouncement. This theoretical discussion is complemented by empirically testing the derived hypotheses about common success factors. Conclusions are drawn from the logistic-regression, using the technology category of a project dataset with 45,400 observations. Research shows that while timing and communication are key success factors, common to both new product preannouncement and crowdfunding, other success factors may already be standard and cannot separate the successful crowdfunding projects from the unsuccessful.
Foamed Asphalt Base Stabilization

This article explains what foamed asphalt is, how it was discovered, and lessons learned from its current use in California. The author explains that the benefits of foamed asphalt include low engineering and production costs, a high-quality product, and better environmental outcomes. He provides a recent history of California’s experience with foamed asphalt beginning in 1998 when several California counties volunteered to host demonstration projects. More than 18 foamed asphalt projects have been completed in California, and individuals involved are reportedly enthusiastic about the process. The article concludes with a section on lessons learned.
Efficacy of intranasal dexmedetomidine for removal of inhaled foreign bodies in children by flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Background: The traditional technique for foreign body removal is rigid bronchoscopy. However, fiberoptic bronchoscopy is becoming more popular for foreign body removal. Compared with rigid bronchoscopy, fiberoptic bronchoscopy is better suited for removing foreign bodies from the distal airways and upper lobe bronchi because of the smaller diameter and greater flexibility of the bronchoscope. Dexmedetomidine, a highly selective α2 adrenergic agonist, reduces preoperative anxiety, reduces the requirement for general anesthetics, and does not induce respiratory depression. The safety and efficacy of intravenous dexmedetomidine have been confirmed in patients undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Intranasal dexmedetomidine reportedly produce satisfactory sedation in children. We hypothesized that intranasal dexmedetomidine at 1 µg·kg−1 administered 25 minutes before anesthetic induction can reduce the incidence of adverse events during fiberoptic bronchoscopy under sevoflurane inhalation general anesthesia. Methods: Forty preschool-aged children (6–48 months) with an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status of I or II were randomly allocated to receive either intranasal dexmedetomidine at 1 µg·kg−1 or normal saline at 0.01 ml·kg−1 25 minutes before anesthetic induction. The primary outcome was the incidence of perioperative adverse events. The heart rate, respiratory rate, separation score, tolerance of the anesthetic mask, agitation score, anesthetic induction time, consumption of sevoflurane, and recovery time were also recorded. Results: The incidence of laryngospasm, breath-holding, and coughing were significantly lower in patients who received intranasal dexmedetomidine than saline (15% vs. 50%, P=0.018; 10% vs. 40%, P=0.028; and 5% vs. 30%, P=0.037, respectively). Patients who received intranasal dexmedetomidine had a lower separation score (P=0.017), more satisfactory tolerance of the anesthetic mask (P=0.027), a significantly shorter anesthetic induction time (5.75±1.4 vs. 7.75±2.5 min, P=0.004), and less consumption of sevoflurane (38.18±14.95 vs. 48.03±14.45 ml, P=0.041). The recovery time was similar in both groups, and the frequency of postoperative agitation was significantly lower in patients who received intranasal dexmedetomidine (P=0.004). Conclusions: Intranasal dexmedetomidine at 1 µg·kg−1 can reduce the incidence of laryngospasm, breath-holding, and coughing during fiberoptic bronchoscopy for foreign body removal via its sedative and analgesic effects. Moreover, intranasal dexmedetomidine can reduce postoperative agitation without a prolonged recovery time.
Traditional EDI and supply chain management

Summary In this paper we have looked at the origins of supply chain management, which took the form of Just -in-Time manufacturing, Quick Response and Efficient Consumer Response. We have also examined the eCommerce technologies which made these approaches possible – namely traditional EDI, and complementary technologies such as barcode scanning and eCommerce gateway systems. References Allen, R. (1990) Bar Codes and Beyond. Business Review Weekly: Cover Story. Anonymous (2001) Quick Response Processes, Last access 22 March 2001, URL: http://www.itworld. com/Tech/2429/CWSTO57756/ ANSI (1987) An Introduction to Electronic Data Intercha nge. Accredited Standards Committee, X12 Electronic Data Interchange: July. Back Office Systems (1999a) Supply Chain Mgt, Last access 22 March 2001, URL: http://backofficesystems.com/tips/edi/supplychain.htm Back Office Systems (1999b) EDI Networks, Last a ccess 22 March 2001, URL: http://backofficesystems.com/tips/edi/edi_netw. htm Back Office Systems (1999c) Open Buying on the Internet, Last access 22 March 2001, URL: http://backofficesystems.com/tips/edi/obi.htm Berge, J. (1990) EDIFACT - A Technical Introduction. In: EDI Technology. M. Gifkins (Ed.). Blenheim Online Publications: Pinner (Middlesex), pp. 63 -78. Bert, J.A. (1988) EDI Integration: Translation Software Options. Systems/3X World, October: 70 -76. Bhulai, S. (1997) Efficient Consumer Response, La st access 22 March 2001, URL: http://www.cs. vu.nl/~sbhulai/ecr/index.html Bidgood, A. (1988) VADS Interworking: a Cloud on the EDI Horizon. In: The EDI Handbook. M. Gifkins and D. Hitchcock (Eds.). Blenheim Online Publications: Pinner (Middlesex), pp. 211 -216. Boucher, C.M. (1989) The EDI Dilemma. Systems 3X/AS World, February. Brawn, D. (1989) EDI Developments Abroad and How They Impact on Australia. Proc. IDC Conf. EDI—The Key to Profitability in the 1990s, Sydney, Australia. Colberg, T.P. (1990) The Comp elling Case for EDI. The Financial Manager, January/February: 20 -26. Colberg, T.P., N.W. Gardner, K. Horan, et al. (1995) The Price Waterhouse EDI Handbook. John Wiley & Sons: New York. Dawkins, P. (1990) The Functions Required of Software Packages for EDI . In: EDI Technology. M. Gifkins (Ed.). Blenheim Online Publications: Pinner (Middlesex), pp. 15-26. deRoulet, D.G. (1993) ECR: Better Information Cuts Costs. Transportation & Distribution 34(10): 63. Dobbie, M. (1991) Stengthening the Supply Chain. Busine ss Review Weekly, Vol 8, March: 75-78. Dreyer, J.L. (1989) The 1990s: The Decade of EDI Expansion. Global Trade 109(11): 16 -17. Dutton, B. (1993) Grocery Manufacturers seen as Unready for Industry 'Revolution'. Manufacturing Systems 11(12): 10 -12. EAN (1998) The EAN Standard Numbering and Barcoding System, Last access 21 March 2002, URL: http://www.ean. com.au/APDF/std_numbar. pdf
SIMULATION OF THE RAILWAY COMPONENT OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION

In this report, the authors describe a detailed research model for the railway component of intermodal trucking operations, using discrete event system simulation. Emphasis is placed on strategic issues including railhead location analysis in multi-facility settings and product mix analysis (container versus trailer) by railhead within rail networks. The research models developed herein focus on the effects of railhead location and mix on drayage efficiency relative to shipment density profiles provided by BSNF Railway in the Chicago, Illinois area. The research advances the state of the art in intermodal simulation modeling through concurrent consideration of multiple-terminal network design and terminal activities such as hustling and train building.
LABORATORY EVALUATION OF RUTTING IN BASE COURSE MATERIALS

A method is presented for evaluating the relative performance of unstabilized base course materials with respect to rutting and is then used in the evaluation of a number of materials. A general method is also proposed for calcualting rut depth occurring in flexible pavements. The proposed methods make use of the plastic axial strains obtained from the repeated load triaxial test. Cylindrical specimens 6 in. in diameter and 12 in. in height of crushed stone and soil-aggregate mixtures were placed in a conventional triaxial cell and subjected to 100,000 load repetitions using a constant confining pressure and a triangular stress pulse. Stress-strain curves giving the relationship between deviator stress, confining pressure and plastic axial strain were constructed for each material studied using the repeated load test results. The concept of a rut index was proposed which can be calculated making use of the plastic stress-strain relationship, and is approximately proportional to the rut depth that will occur in the base after a desired number of load repetitions. The rut index appears to offer a practical laboratory method for evaluating the relative performance of base materials used in pavements having similar structural configurations. An evaluation of the test results using the rut index approach indicates that under good conditions of drainage and proper maintenance of the pavement surface, carefully selected blends of 20 percent soil and 80 percent stone should perform satisfactorily. Soil aggregate blends having properties similar to the materials tested should probably not be used at all under poor drainage conditions, and 40-60 blends should not be used even under good conditions of drainage. The results further indicate that only a sufficient amount of fines should be used in a crushed stone base to permit proper compaction if the amount of rutting in the base is to be minimized. Furthermore, even though the specified gradation and density may be the same, bases constructed from aggregates obtained from different sources may exhibit different rutting characteristics. A general engineering method for estimating the rut depth in a flexible pavement after a desired number of load repetitions was proposed which utilizes nonlinear layered theory, the plastic stress-strain response of the component materials, and a hyperbolic, plastic stress-strain law. Field verification is now needed of both the proposed rut index and the general method for predicting rut depth. /Author/
Signatures of High‐Latitude Waves in Observations of Geomagnetic Acceleration

Models for the second time‐derivative of the geomagnetic field reveal prominent activity at high latitudes. Alternating patches of positive and negative geomagnetic acceleration propagate to the west at speeds that exceed nominal fluid velocities in the core. We show that waves are a viable interpretation of these observations. Magnetic Rossby waves produce a high‐latitude response with suitable phase velocities. However, the spatial complexity of the prediction is not compatible with the observations. Our preferred interpretation involves zonal MAC waves. These waves can account for the observed geomagnetic field when a stratified layer exists at the top of the core. The required layer has a thickness in excess of 100 km and a buoyancy frequency comparable to the rotation frequency. We anticipate a gradual reduction in the phase velocity over time, leading to a future change in the propagation direction.
Analysis of Influence Factors on the Quality of International Collaboration Research in the Field of Social Sciences and Humanities: The Case of Chinese World Class Universities (2015–2019)

This article aims to reveal the factors that affecting the impact of international collaboration papers in the field of social sciences and humanities. Based on resource-based theory and transaction cost theory, we analyzed the articles from a sample of 13,331 listed research papers come from the 42 world class universities in China using descriptive statistics, ordinary least square (OLS) regression, and came to the following conclusions: First, it is the quality rather than the quantity of international collaborator that affect the academic influence of the research outputs. Second, researchers from different backgrounds are conducive to improve the impact of research papers and the collaboration leading by Chinese university perform better. Yet, too much collaborators coming from different institutions would have an adverse impact, which may due to the increase cost of cooperation. Finally, collaborating researchers from developed countries or top universities will significantly improve the research performance because of the abundant resources behind them. Findings from this research suggest that setting up international collaboration should pay more attention to the level of the collaborator and consider the cost behind the whole process.
Application and Uses of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Academic Libraries: An Overview

Information is considered as fifth need of human in ranking. In this paper the study has been done a research for application of Information communication Technology (ICT) and uses of ICT tools in Academic Libraries, to find out the application of ICT skills in LIS Professionals and to modernize the Libraries, the study has been done in Engineering Colleges and Arts & Science Colleges, and How ICT tools are applied to provide innovative services to the users. Conclusion and recommendation is stated below.
Potential Contribution of the Uterine Microbiome in Early Missed Abortion

BackgroundMissed abortion is a kind of pregnancy failure caused by various reasons. The etiology is complicated, and the incidence of miscarriage is increasing in recent years. Previous studies shown microbiota contributes to multi-systemic function, whereas the relationship between microbiota and early missed abortion remains unknown. This study aimed to explore the composition of uterine microbiota in missed abortion and the potential role.MethodsWe enrolled 19 patients diagnosed with missed abortion and 12 healthy pregnant who subsequently had 6-8th week pregnant. All samples were taken from the endometrial fluid by a special disposable endometrial sampler. After samples were collected, DNA was extracted and amplified. The high-throughput next-generation sequencing (MiSeq) of the 16S rDNA V3-V4 region was used to identify the present of microbiota. The α-diversity of microbiota data was used to reflect species richness and evenness within bacterial populations, β-diversity was used to reflect the shared diversity between bacterial populations, and Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling based on Weighted Unifrac distance. Statistical was determined by use of multiple testing, including the generalized mixed-effects model.ResultsThe microbiome sequencing (16S rDNA V3-V4 region) revealed that low abundance microbiome was detected in uterine cavity of patients with missed abortion and normal pregnancy. The diversity of intrauterine microflora in patients with missed abortion was higher than that in patients with induced abortion in normal pregnancy. There was no significant difference in alpha diversity between the two groups, but a significant difference was observed in beta diversity. PCoA moment array analysis did not show significant differences. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes in missed abortion patients were significantly more than those in normal pregnancy group.ConclusionThere are low abundance of microflora in uterine cavity of missed abortion patients, and the diversity of microflora is higher than that of normal pregnancy patients. Also, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes may be potential biological markers in missed abortion. New observations may prompt further investigations to understand the potential mechanism of microbiology on pathologic human pregnancy in the future.SubjectsMicrobiology, Molecular Biology, Gynecology and Obstetrics, missed abortion, Female Reproductive Tract,
PROBABILISTIC FATIGUE DESIGN FOR FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS --PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF ASPHALT PAVEMENTS HELD DEFLT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AUGUST 23-26 1982. VOL 1 AND 2. -- NETHERLANDS

A general framework for the probabilistic prediction of load associated fatigue distress mode is presented. Using this framework, a prediction model is developed for fatigue life treating traffic, material properties, and environmental effects as stochastic variables. The main steps in developing the model are (1) solution for structural response (using chev5l program) in terms of tensile strain at the bottom fibers of base, (2) prediction of fatigue life from structural response using an empirical relationship proposed by hwang and witczak (1979); (3) development of regression model relating fatigue life to such field variables as load, ambient air temperature, subgrade support value, and pavement geometry, (4) prediction of cumulative fatigue damage employing miner's rule, and (5) development of design equation specifying reliabilty. By virtue of the fact that the parameters affecting fatigue distress mode are random variables, cumulative distress delta is a random variable. The critical damage at failure, denoted as d, is not always close to one, as implied in miner's law, but in fact assumes a wide distribution; therefore, d is a random variable also. As both delta and d are random variables, fatigue life can be estimated with only a certain reliability (confidence level). Reliability, r, is the probability that serviceability will be maintained at adequate levels, from a user's point of view, throughout the design life of the facility. An expression relating mean value and coefficient of variation of delta and r is proposed, which, by virtue of its deterministic format, can be used in design. Pavement design using the above expression will require distribution functions (or frequency distributions) for wheel load, ambient air temperature and subgrade support value of the region under consideration; typical distributions of these random variables are presented. Respectively, load, air temperature, and subgrade support value conform to shifted exponential, weibull, and lognormal distributions. To assess the reasonableness of the proposed procedure, structural number selected for a specific traffic loading, environmental, and subgrade conditions has been compared with that of the conventional AASHOo interim guide design procedure and also with that of the zero-maintenance design procedure. (a) for the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 815640.
Sitting in the Pews: Theological Beliefs and Racial/Ethnic Identity Among African American Adolescents

Church attendance, prayer, and faith practices play a significant role in the life experiences among African Americans, especially youth. Few studies on religious behaviors among African American youth investigate the relationship between theological orientations and racial identity. These orientations include biblical principles, other-worldliness, and social legacy. A total of 187 African American adolescents (Mage = 15) attending 18 predominantly Black churches in two Midwestern cities participated in the study. Results provided support for two theological orientations that were associated with racial/ethnic identity in distinct ways. More specifically, other-worldliness was linked to more negative feelings about the appearance of African American adolescents and being more likely to endorse negative stereotypes about African Americans. Adolescents who perceived their church as communicating a theology based upon biblical principles reported rejecting negative stereotypes about African Americans. Study findings suggest theological orientations may be associated with shaping racial/ethnic identity attitudes among African American adolescents.