bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heuristics to Solve a Real-world Asymmetric Vehicle Routing Problem with Side Constraints
Authors: Pham San , Gascon Viviane , Dinh Tien
Published: December 2019

To maintain patients at home as most as possible, healthcare services are nowadays quite diversified. We present the case of a public medical clinic offering activities, mostly to the elderly, at a daycare center. Users are brought into the daycare center by bus or by taxi. The global problem consists in defining routes to pick up users while assigning them to time slots in the week. At first sight this problem could be viewed as an asymmetric multiple vehicle routing problem. However many additional constraints must be considered. In this paper, we propose a metaheuristic including two phases to solve the problem. In the first phase, the initial solution is determined using one of two proposed constructed algorithms and is improved using tabu search in the second phase. These algorithms are tested on 10 problem instances. Experimental results are presented.
Translation from Multisingular Hybrid Petri Nets to Multisingular Hybrid Automata
Authors: Motallebi Hassan , Azgomi Mohammad Abdollahi
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we investigate some important aspects of a new formalism for modelling and verification of hybrid dynamic systems (HDS), which is called multisingular hybrid Petri nets (MSHPNs). This new hybrid formalism is aimed to bridge the gap between hybrid automata (HA) and hybrid Petri nets (HPNs) by equipping the HPN model with the capabilities of HA to control the execution and firing of timed transitions. Practically, MSHPNs can be considered as the counterpart with the same expressive power as multisingular hybrid automata (MSHA). In order to analyse MSHPN models, a speed-based partitioning technique has been introduced in which the variable space is partitioned based on the balance of continuous places. In this paper, we formalize the notions of conflicts and conflict resolution and the challenging issue of speed computation. Then, we focus on considering a translation from a bounded MSHPN to a multisingular hybrid automaton that preserves the behavioural semantics of the original MSHPN in terms of weak timed bisimulation. The translation algorithm uses the speed-based partitioning method and obtains a speed-based partitioning hybrid automaton for a given bounded MSHPN. Model checking a timed property for an MSHPN amounts to model checking its equivalent property on the obtained speed-based partitioning hybrid automaton, thus MSHPN models can be analysed using the existing tools. The advantages of the proposed method are twofold: (1) hybrid systems can be described more succinctly and therefore more readably as MSHPNs, and (2) one can use the existing tools (like HYTECH) to analyse MSHPN models.
A Lower Bound for the HBC Transversal Hypergraph Generation
Authors: Elbassioni Khaled , Hagen Matthias , Rauf Imran
Published: December 2019

The computation of transversal hypergraphs in output-polynomial time is a long standing open question. An Apriori-like level-wise approach (referred to as the HBC-algorithm or MTminer) was published in 2007 by Hébert, Bretto, and Crémilleux [A Data Mining Formalization to Improve Hypergraph Minimal Transversal Computation, Fundamenta Informaticae, 80(4), 2007, 415–433] and was experimentally demonstrated to have very good performance on hypergraphs with small transversals. In this short note extending the paper by Hagen [Lower bounds for three algorithms for transversal hypergraph generation, Discrete Applied Mathematics, 157(7), 2009, 1460–1469], we prove a superpolynomial lower bound for the HBC-algorithm. This lower bound also shows that the originally claimed upper bound on the HBC-algorithm's running time is wrong.
An Algorithm for Listing all Minimal Double Dominating Sets of a Tree
Authors: Krzywkowski Marcin
Published: December 2019

We provide an algorithm for listing all minimal double dominating sets of a tree of order n in time $\mathcal{O}$(1.3248n). This implies that every tree has at most 1.3248n minimal double dominating sets. We also show that this bound is tight.
Parameterized Complexity of Weighted Satisfiability Problems: Decision, Enumeration, Counting
Authors: Creignou Nadia , Vollmer Heribert
Published: December 2019

We consider the weighted satisfiability problem for Boolean circuits and propositional formulæ, where the weight of an assignment is the number of variables set to true. We study the parameterized complexity of these problems and initiate a systematic study of the complexity of its fragments. Only the monotone fragment has been considered so far and proven to be of same complexity as the unrestricted problems. Here, we consider all fragments obtained by semantically restricting circuits or formulæ to contain only gates (connectives) from a fixed set B of Boolean functions. We obtain a dichotomy result by showing that for each such B, the weighted satisfiability problems are either W[P]-complete (for circuits) or W[SAT]-complete (for formulæ) or efficiently solvable. We also consider the related enumeration and counting problems.
Consistency-based Revision of Structured Belief Bases
Authors: Korpusik Michał , Łukaszewicz Witold , Madalińska-Bugaj Ewa
Published: December 2019

In this paper we extend a consistency-based approach (originally introduced by Delgrande and Schaub) to belief revision for structured belief bases. We explicitly distinguish between observations, i.e., facts that an epistemic agent observes or is being told, and rules representing general knowledge about the considered world. When new information becomes available respective sets are being altered in a different way to preserve parts of knowledge during the revision process. Such an approach allows us to deal with difficult and complex scenarios, involving defeasible information and derivation filtering, with common-sense results.
Bases for AC0 and Other Complexity Classes
Authors: Mazzanti Stefano
Published: December 2019

Function complexity classes are defined as the substitution closure of finite function sets by improving a method of elimination of concatenation recursion from function algebras. Consequently, the set of AC0 functions and other canonical complexity classes are defined as the substitution closure of a finite function set.
Organizational e-learning evaluation: The development of a checklist model
Authors: Guidy-Oulai Anne-Marie , Tarn J. Michael
Published: December 2019

E-learning methods are increasingly used in organizations today for teaching, learning and training purposes. Identifying the effectiveness of e-learning methods is critical for any organization. Evaluation models and processes can be used to determine the impact of e-learning on organizations. This study reviews the major existing e-learning evaluation models and develops a checklist model for e-learning evaluation based on the findings. A two-stage validity study is conducted, including an expert panel review for model refinement and a web survey to ensure the reliability and usefulness of the instrument. The proposed E-Learning Evaluation Checklist has proven to be a useful and effective tool that can help guide professional evaluators as well as non-evaluators when conducting an e-learning evaluation.
Responsible social science in the age of economic crisis
Authors: Zsolnai Laszlo
Published: December 2019

The current economic crisis calls for a radical rethinking of the role of economics and other social sciences. It is a serious failure of social scientists when they solve the wrong problem precisely. This means that the problem formulation is inadequate, which may lead to disastrous consequences for the fate and well-being of the stakeholders. To avoid substantive failures in problem formulation social scientists should reconsider the basic assumptions of the system under study and include as many stakeholders' views as possible. Appropriate solutions should address all the important dimensions of the problem in question (the scientific/technical, the interpersonal/social, the systemic/ecological, and the existential/spiritual), and create an optimal balance among them. Social scientists should also investigate their developed solutions from a deontological point of view (i.e. which ethical norms are violated or satisfied by them?) as well as from a consequentialist point of view (i.e. what are the payoffs for different stakeholders?). The job of responsible social science is to contribute to long-term economic and social transformation by producing knowledge that is substantively relevant and ethically acceptable at the same time.
Value network competition and information technology
Authors: Katsamakas Evangelos
Published: December 2019

A defining feature of digital transformation (the digitization of business and economy) is that networks of firms, instead of individual firms, are competing with each other. While competition shifts from the level of firm to the level of networks, it is not well understood how value networks compete. This article makes a conceptual and analytical contribution to this gap in the literature. Introducing the concepts of overlapping and non-overlapping network competition, the article analyzes network competition in a setting where firms invest in intangibles or non-contractibles, such as knowledge sharing and innovation. One main finding is that as non-contractibles become more valuable to end-consumers the industry structure is more likely to shift to competition among non-overlapping value networks. The paper proposes that IT affects network competition through the reduction of cost of investment in non-contractibles and the evolution of consumer preferences.
Corporate culture, organizational change and meaning at work - linking human resources with business ethics
Authors: Busse Ronald
Published: December 2019

The world synchronizes. Utilitarian thinking has become the globally prevailing doctrine concerning firms' approaches to human resource issues. Corporate morality ideally forms a counterbalance, which effectively mitigates the disadvantageous impacts resulting from companies' mere pursuit of economic interests. This article deduces implications for firms and their employees from current debates in the field of business ethics. First, it challenges corporate culture pragmatists and the unquestioned managerial attempt to shape and create an organization's culture. Second, the article casts doubt on the paradigm of constant organizational change and reveals potential consequences for businesses. Third, it spotlights the significance of employees' perceived meaning at work and clarifies the role of value priorities for endowment with meaning.
Is culture driving innovation? A multi-national quantitative analysis
Authors: Busse Ronald
Published: December 2019

Hofstede's theory of cultural dimensions and his understanding to determine culture as a collective programming of the mind has inspired myriads of researchers, especially in the fields of (organizational and cross-cultural) psychology and management. This article extends his work and has two main concerns: First, the manuscript critically reviews and recapitulates Hofstede's work on culture in a concise but comprehensive way. Second, the article empirically investigates the correlations between cultural dimensions and several variables indicating innovation. The author emphasizes the significance of culture for businesses and searches for ideal cultural constellations to promote entrepreneurial innovativeness. Criticism is discussed and a potential remedy for Hofstede's main flaw - equaling cultures and nations - is presented and then qualified.
Perceived deception in online auctions: Antecedents and consequences
Authors: Fang Yu-Hui , Li Chia-Ying
Published: December 2019

Despite the explosive growth of electronic commerce, individuals hesitate to shop online due to acts of deception, a behavior which is especially exaggerated on auction websites. The study explores antecedents of perceived deception from a deceptive impression management (IM) perspective to understand the consumer purchase decision process in online auctions. This study proposes online deceptive IM as the antecedent of perceived deception, and trust and transaction intention as consequences of perceived deception in online auctions. The study discusses the moderating effects of involvement with the online channel in consumer decision making. Possible approaches to addressing online deception are provided.
Marketing strategy model: A conceptual framework for micro-enterprises
Authors: Liao Chin-Nung , Hung Ju-Yao , Kao Hsin , Wu Chang-Jen
Published: December 2019

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the technology innovation and economic development of most countries all over the world. This paper develops a marketing strategy model for MEs under resources and capabilities point of view. The contribution of this paper is to introduce conceptual of marketing strategy including cost-leadership, focus cost-leadership, cost-leadership and differentiation, differentiation, and focus differentiation can help the MEs' owners/managers to reach business goals. Recommendations are offered regarding the relevance of this research for MEs managements and suggestions are provided for future research in this area.
Measuring performance of management process: Efficiency, capability, cost and maturity
Authors: Wei Chiou-Shuei
Published: December 2019

One of the most important components in organizations is the management process, and unfortunately, there are almost no existing mechanisms that can be used to evaluate their performance. Management processes can connect all individual functions into an integrated organic network, which can then move toward the objective of the organization. The current researches mainly use interviews and questionnaires to qualitatively explore the suitability of the processes, nevertheless, their conclusions cannot be effective over a long period of time, nor be universally applicable. This study intends to develop a model that can quantitatively measure the performance of the management processes in manufacturing and service industries, and evaluate the maturity level of the process. Based on the model, enterprises are equipped to improve performances that are interrelated with these processes, and therefore, internal operational efficiency and effectiveness can largely be improved, leading to high competitiveness.
Member satisfaction, communication and role of leader in virtual self-managed teamwork: case studies in Asia-Pacific region
Authors: Collins Ngan , Chou Yu-Min , Warner Malcolm
Published: December 2019

Numerous researchers have focused on discussion of the relationship between information technology and virtual team performance. However, the relationship between the role of leader and member satisfaction at the individual level, such as individual attitudes and feelings on cross-national collaboration, has been rarely discussed. Our research addresses this gap by investigating how a virtual working environment influences team member's satisfaction for the interaction. Using a literature review, the influence of telecommunication and the lack of leader's role in self-managed virtual teamwork is discussed in order to develop research propositions. This research combines a case-study approach with a quasi-experimental design and collects different sources of evidence, such as observation, face-to-face interviews and surveys, in order to obtain a better understanding of such virtual team phenomena in the Asia-Pacific region. Our research results show that team members may not be willing to collaborate actively in teamwork if there is a lack of guidance from a leader and supportive technology. Based on these findings, recommendations are provided for helping organizations to manage virtual teams more effectively.
Management: an evolving technology
Authors: Magee John F.
Published: December 2019

Management is a relatively modern and distinctively American concept. Developed in response to the needs created by the growth of large corporations and institutions, management processes essentially deal with concepts of a hierarchy of authority and control over broad scale activities. The process is dependent on communications and information; its development reflects both increasing sophistication in establishing lines of communications and efforts to systematize the application of management techniques. Noting that the process concept of management articulated by Henri Fayol in 1916 remains an accepted element of management theory, the author describes developments in operations research – the use of scientific method to solve management problems – as major modern efforts to understand and articulate the conceptual basis of the management process. He questions, however, how far the management sciences can go toward making a science of management. Their usefulness has been greatest at the lower tactical levels of management. The higher levels of management issues, on the other hand, deal with a dynamic and open environment, rather than the type of closed stable system that can be defined and clarified through science. When dealing with strategic issues of an organization, management is a process of searching, groping and testing rather than of problem solving; it is an intuitive art rather than a systematic technique. While management as a profession must live with the limitations of management technology, it is essential that that technology change to keep pace with changes in other technology and changing social needs. Modern information and communications technology, for example, makes widespread organizations ‘smaller’ and also makes it possible to develop more flexible, less hierarchic, management systems. This will change organizational structure. Another issue is the positioning of a management system between a totally administered system – that is, one in which decisions products and services are made from above or within – and a market system, in which decisions tend to be made in response to perceived demand. The environment within which management operates is changing. Management must develop greater understanding in order to create an environment that encourages individual initiative in the framework of ethical policy guidelines and to meet the expectations of its markets and society. The challenges to modern management are becoming more difficult and complex. A new generation of elite will be required to meet those challenges. Opportunities to move into top positions must be open to all, but equality of opportunity should not be confused with equality of reward.
The role of self-study in improving managerial and institutional effectiveness
Authors: Torbert William R.
Published: December 2019

This paper reports the conceptual framework for, and the initial activities of, an institutional self-study at a school of management. The general claim is that any administrator optimally exercises and balances four kinds of leadership, of which one kind is encouraging a continuing institutional self-study process. The argument is that contining self-study is necessary if any institution is to become increasingly effective over the long run (7–21 years).
Dependence
Authors: Moravcsik Michael J.
Published: December 2019

The aim of this paper is to analyze the concept of dependence, particularly in the context of international scientific and technological interactions. It is argued that dependence is more than mere interaction or transaction, and it consists of a crippling loss of freedom of action on the part of the dependent because of his lack of skill and capacity, because of his feeling of indebtedness, and because of the limited opportunities for independent decision making. It is then pointed out that the actual onset of the feeling of dependence is due primarily to psychological factors. Such feeling of dependence creates frustration and hatred toward the country on which the dependent country depends. Dependence also creates a feeling of lethargy and pessimism. It is finally suggested that efforts to end dependence by legislation are futile, and that the only effective road toward lessening dependence is the evolution of an indigenous infrastructure in the dependent countries.
Designing Collateral Organizations
Authors: Kilmann Ralph H.
Published: December 2019

A number of different design alternatives are distinguished according to whether each is best for addressing a well-defined or an ill-defined problem. The latter is reserved for a collateral design, one that coexists with the formal, operational design but is structured as a flexibile, open, loose, “organic-adaptive” system of problem-solving groups. A number of key steps are presented for designing such a collateral organization so that the operational design and the collateral design will combine to sense problems, define problems, derive solutions, and implement solutions, effectively. The paper concludes with suggestions for researching some of the major ideas and principles that were offered.
Linking national-level and village-level energy planning in developing countries
Authors: Goldberg Murrey D.
Published: December 2019

The nature of current energy planning methods used in the developing countries of the world is examined. Such planning is usually carried out at two poorly coupled levels, the national level and the village level. The nature of the planning at both levels is explored, with particular reference to the role of renewable energy technologies. The problem of productive interaction between the two levels is posed, and a solution is examined in terms of a cadre of energy advisors.
The study of community-level nutrition interventions: an argument for reflection-in-action
Authors: Drake William D. , Miller Roy I. , Schon Donald A.
Published: December 2019

After analyzing longitudinal anthropometric data from eight community-level nutrition programs to determine their impact, it was concluded that conventional approaches to analysis do not eliminate indeterminacy because: (1) the data was inaccurate or inconsistent, (2) the measures or measurement methods produced misleading results, and, most importantly, (3) a lack of information about the local context of the interventions precluded the elimination of competing explanations of observed outcomes. In that analysis, as with most similar analyses, the traditional experimental approach (applying a predesigned experiment using controls in a presumably constant environment) failed because the experimental context was unstable, unpredictable, and unique in each case. Furthermore, the instability, unpredictability, and uniqueness of each case called for a flexible intervention strategy to cope with the changing context. As an alternative approach to both analysis and intervention, reflection-in-action is proposed. Six features of this model are: explicit specification of the framework underlying the intervention strategy; continuous monitoring of both data gathering procedures and intervention strategies; periodic redesign of those procedures and strategies; collaboration between researchers; practitioners, and subjects throughout; use of on-the-spot experimentation to test particular hypotheses: and explicit enumeration and accounting for potential factors confounding both the analysis and the intervention itself. By actively using the data for continuous monitoring, field practitioners, working with analytic specialists, are more likely to reduce or eliminate indeterminacy due to inaccurate data and/or contextual changes than would traditional researchers or evaluators who maintain distance between themselves and the intervention. Reflection-in-action, in part, is illustrated in the context of a recent evaluation conducted in Sri Lanka where a revisit to the field with preliminary quantitative results caused modification in the interpretation of those results. Problems remain, however, in achieving full implementation of this approach. Practitioners and scientists will have to change their attitudes and behavior to accomodate R-I-A, the role of quantitative analysis in program management and evaluation will have to be placed in proper perspective, and institutions supporting intervention activities will have to modify their approach to both funding and evaluation.
On human management of systems
Authors: Negoiţă Constantin Virgil
Published: December 2019

A discussion of knowledge bases versus data bases as a new paradigm in management sciences is presented.
The integration of expert systems in post-industrial organizations
Authors: Burbridge John J. , Friedman William H.
Published: December 2019

During the emerging information age, organizations will have to adopt improved decision-group technologies and structures. One such technology will be expert systems. The purpose of this paper is to present a framework to ascertain the applicability of an expert system to a particular decision area. Attributes such as quality of a decision, the structure of a problem and the necessary expertise and information influence this decision. Before this framework is presented, issues concerning the ability of an organization to assimilate such a technology and transfer that technology throughout are discussed.
Social and task-related impacts of office automation: An exploratory field study of a conceptual model of the office*
Authors: Safayeni Frank , MacGregor James , Lee Eric , Bavelas Alex
Published: December 2019

The paper presents a conceptual model of the office and describes a methodology derived from it. The method was applied in two offices, one at a very early and one at an advanced stage of automation. People in the more highly automated office were found to have relatively more task-dependent connections requiring mutual adjustment, to place more emphasis on social as opposed to standardization influences (rules and procedures) on task performance, to have a more positive view of others as sources of influence on performance, and to have fewer criticisms associated with automation.
The Corporate Concept: Redesigning a Successful System
Authors: Tricker R.I.
Published: December 2019

The joint stock, limited liability company has been one of the most pervasive and successful systems ever developed in the civilized world. But now there are signs that the basis of the company needs to be rethought; problems and limitations abound. Far from being an independent paradigm, the corporate concept is shown to be culturally derived. Consideration is given to systems adopted in Japanese and Overseas Chinese business practice, depicting alternatives to classical Western corporate systems.
The Learning Organization in a Turbulent Environment
Authors: Bahlmann Tineke
Published: December 2019

The notion that organizations can learn is not new [1]. But it will be more and more important to realize that organizations in a turbulent environment are more like systems in the chaos theory than like the ‘machine-like’ ones in the old theory, whose main topic was control. The new topic is increasing the organization's ability to learn. This article goes from chaos to images to the attributes of organizations in a turbulent environment. The ideas elaborated in this article are based on an extensive study of the strategic re-orientations of six major Dutch companies before, during and after a crisis.
Corporate Acquisitions: The Merging of Habitual Domains*
Authors: Datta Deepak K. , Yu Po L.
Published: December 2019

This paper illustrates how an understanding of the concepts and issues associated with organizational and individual habitual domains can significantly improve the analysis of acquisition alternatives. Specifically, we stress the importance of a more comprehensive analysis of acquisitions, one that goes beyond an examination of just financial and economic issues and recognizes the importance of the human side of acquisitions. Consideration of the human aspect is important not only in pre-acquisition analysis but also in how the acquisition is to be eventually implemented. This paper emphasizes issues related to the habitual domains of the two organizations, the fit therein, and the potential costs associated with their assimilation. Based on the same, we develop a framework which can be used for a more comprehensive and effective analysis of acquisition opportunities.
Japanese Management Education and Training: A Critical Review
Authors: Warner Malcolm
Published: December 2019

This paper attempts to describe management education and training in Japan, both inside and outside the enterprise. It particularly emphasises the latter as it is usually relatively neglected in the literature. It looks at undergraduate and postgraduate courses, selected business schools and post-experience training programmes. It concludes that convergence with Western-style management education and training is unlikely in the near future, at least.
Social responsibility standardization: Guidance or reinforcement through certification?
Authors: Castka Pavel , Balzarova Michaela A.
Published: December 2019

Increased debates and scrutiny over Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainable Development (SD) has resulted in a greater number of organizations subscribing to CSR and SD principles. To assist with the operationalization of CSR and SD, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed a set of standards – most recently a standard for social responsibility (ISO 26000). Some of these standards are intended for use as specification standards for certification, others establish guiding principles. The latter are not intended for certification purpose hence they rely on self-motivated implementation. Should ISO 26000 be a guidance standard or a certifiable standard? To answer this question, we firstly outline and discuss ISO standards for CSR and SD. Central to our discussion is whether and how certification impacts on the uptake of CSR and SD standards. We argue that for ISO 26000 a guidance standard not a certifiable standard is preferable.
A scoring method for prioritizing non-mutually-exclusive information technologies
Authors: Kim Jin S. , Wen H. Joseph , Rich John
Published: December 2019

Information technology (IT) prioritization is the subject of many research activities in both academia and industry. There has been little discussion, to date, of the potential impact of inter-related technologies on prioritization decisions. Most studies have assumed that all technologies are mutually exclusive and that there are no relationships among the technologies. It is likely, however, that some technologies are inter-related at least to some degree. For example, computer hardware and electronics or Internet and information security are considered to be closely related. The overall rankings of low-demand technologies may, therefore, be different when their relationships to high-demand technologies are considered. This paper presents a scoring method that incorporates the correlations of information technologies in its prioritization process. In a case study, this method enabled an Asian governmental agency to successfully prioritize and allocate resources.
Investigating the use of strategic human resource management in French small and medium-sized enterprises: Longitudinal study
Authors: Aït Razouk Abdelwahab , Bayad Mohamed
Published: December 2019

In the present study, we attempt to understand the position of strategic human resources management in the small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in France. The aim of this research is double. Firstly, to respond to the calls of several authors to multiply HRM studies in SME. Secondly, to enrich our knowledge about SHRM in another context than North America and large companies, most often studied. This research took the form of a dynamic analysis based on longitudinal data of 388 French SMEs. The results show a progression of strategic HRM practices and a regression of administrative HRM practices. This important result shows that SME can also adopt flexible HRM practices.
The study of multi-intelligence evaluation on the application of vocational aptitude – an example on manufacturing
Authors: Tao C.J. , Chen S.C. , Chen K.S.
Published: December 2019

“Multi-Intelligence Aptitude” includes linguistic, logical mathematics, space extensity, limbs mobility, musical sensitivity, public relation, introspection and nature observation. The 8 intelligence are complementary to each other, the strong intelligence could awake the weak intelligence and the relation between multi-intelligence aptitude and personal interest and working capability are so close that they could be used as an important reference index for selecting and culturing human resource. Based on the above viewpoint we will use the multi-intelligence aptitude to design the questionnaire and analyze the data by the 6-sigma methodology to develop a new talent selection model. Firstly we distributed the questionnaire to the qualified engineers and analyzed the interaction between the static and dynamic characteristics; and then survey the job applicant with the same questionnaire and draw out the “Radar chart” and “Performance Control chart” of qualified engineer and job applicant, respectively. Then after calculation we have the “similarity” and “differentiation” data of their multi-intelligence aptitude; and furthermore to find the job applicant that has higher similarity of multi-intelligence aptitude with the qualified engineer and have more relation of the intelligence needed for the job. The analysis model proposed in this article in addition to be used for selecting job applicant, it could provide to student as an important aptitude reference index of aptitude in job seeking.
The impacts of supply chain management systems on information sharing and integrated-performance
Authors: Hsu Li-Ling , Chiu Chao-Min , Chen Jason C.H. , Liu Chin-Cheng
Published: December 2019

As the business environment rapidly changes, closer connected activities have been involved in the buyer–supplier relationship. Among the four aspects of supply chain integration (cash flow, material flow, product flow and information flow), the integration of information flow is the most critical element in enabling coordinating activities and supply chain alliances. Yet, there are unanswered questions regarding the extent to which information exchanged is effective in the supply chain alliance. In this study, we adopted the ‘contingency theory’ as the theoretical foundation, and interviewed eight selected firms to investigate the impact of supply chain partners among organizations on information sharing quality, and the impact of inter-organizational information sharing quality on the supply chain integrated-performance. The results show that (1) supply chain partners within and between groups have a positive impact on inter-organizational information sharing quality, (2) inter-organizational information sharing quality has a positive impact on the supply chain integrated performance, and (3) information sharing quality should be multi-dimensional. We believe that the successful implementation of SCM systems among firms will produce significant synergy and be associated with the competitive advantages. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Process skeletons and functions
Authors: Mackenzie Kenneth D.
Published: December 2019

The advantages of process models are many. Behavior in groups and organizations is inherently processual in their nature. Group and organizational processes can be converted into process skeletons. Process skeletons can be converted into process functions. These process functions are amendable to more stringent empirical testing. They have advantages over the usual variant models which presume that the processes are independent of the path in a process framework. Conditions for a “hit” or a “miss” in validating a group and organizational theory favor the use of process skeletons.
The sinking of the unsinkable Titanic: Mental inertia and coordination failures
Authors: Yu Fu-Lai Tony
Published: December 2019

This study investigates the sinking of the Titanic from the theory of human agency derived from Austrian economics, interpretation sociology and organizational theories. Unlike most arguments in organizational and management sciences, this study offers a subjectivist perspective of mental inertia to understand the Titanic disaster. Specifically, this study will argue that the fall of the Titanic was mainly due to a series of coordination and judgment failures that occurred simultaneously. Such systematic failures were manifested in the misinterpretations of the incoming events, as a result of mental inertia, by all parties concerned in the fatal accident, including lookouts, telegram officers, the Captain, lifeboat crewmen, architects, engineers, senior management people and owners of the ship. This study concludes that no matter how successful the past is, we should not take experience for granted entirely. Given the uncertain future, high alertness to potential dangers and crises will allow us to avoid iceberg mines in the sea and arrived onshore safely.
There is an interrelationship between human resource management, training & knowledge management? Empirical evidence
Authors: Úbeda-García Mercedes
Published: December 2019

This paper examines the relationship between human resources management, training policy, knowledge management (KM) and business results. The purpose of our research is to extend the emerging empirical literature on the impact of training in KM and business performance. The results obtained using a sample of Spanish firms indicate that the training policy has a positive and significant effect on company performance and KM.
Molecular and Structural Basis of Drift in the Functions of	Closely-Related Homologous Enzyme Domains: Implications for Function Annotation	Based on Homology Searches and Structural Genomics
Authors: Roy Ambrish , Srinivasan Narayanaswamy , Gowri Venkatraman S.
Published: December 2019

Using a large database of protein domain families of known 3-D structure we present an analysis on the relationships among sequences, structures and functions of closely-related enzymes performed at the level of catalytic domains. Only in 38% of the pairs of homologous catalytic domains characterized by over about 60% of sequence identity the functions are almost completely identical. Nearly 43% of the pairs differ in their substrate specificity. Hence the most common variation of enzyme function among the closely-related homologues is the differences in the substrate specificity. For homologous pairs characterized by a sequence identity of 30–60%, if the structural difference metric is less than about 30, the functions are highly conserved. For clearly homologous protein domain pairs, usually sharing less than 40% sequence identity, we observe that often the chemical groups involved in the functions, and the cofactors differ. We also report of extremely unusual cases of closely-related homologues belonging to entirely different classes of enzymes. Such drastic shifts in the gross functions of homologues seem to be achieved by retooling of catalytic residues or by altering the stability of the intermediates in the biochemical reactions. Our work provides guidelines on the functional annotation based on homology searches and in structural genomics initiatives.
Mathematical Modeling of Regulation of Type III Secretion System	in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium by SirA
Authors: Ganesh Aparna B. , Rajasingh Hannah , Mande Sharmila S.
Published: December 2019

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium invades the intestinal epithelial cells using type three secretion system (TTSS) encoded on Salmonella pathogenicity island-1 (SPI-1). The key regulator of this secretion system is HilA, which is in turn regulated by HilD, HilC and RtsA. It is also known that SirA/BarA system, a two-component regulatory system plays a crucial role in regulating HilA.

There are two different mechanisms that have been proposed earlier for regulation of HilD-HilC-RtsA-HilA network by SirA. One considers SirA to be acting through HilA and HilC, whereas the other considers SirA to be acting through HilD. In this paper, we have built mathematical models corresponding to both these scenarios and carried out simulations under different gene knock-out conditions. Additionally, since the two proposed mechanisms based on the experimental data are equally likely, we also considered a mechanism which is a combination of the two proposed mechanisms. The simulations were carried out to check the levels of HilA, the factor regulating the virulence, as well as the levels of the intermediate components in the network, namely HilC and RtsA. The simulation results were used to check the consistency of various models and also to suggest the most probable mechanism of hilA regulation.

The results of our study show that while most of the mathematical models are able to predict the virulence data, the models considering SirA to regulate through HilA and HilC fail to predict the levels of intermediate components, HilC and RtsA. Nevertheless, one of the models considering regulation of virulence by SirA via HilD was able to predict results comparable to the experimental data. In addition, combination of this model (regulation by SirA via HilD) with the model considering regulation by SirA through HilA and HilC, also predicted results consistent with experimental observations. Our conclusions were further validated by testing the stability of the results against changes in parameter values, thus confirming the relative robustness of the proposed modeling system.
A Naive Bayes Classifier for Protein Function Prediction
Authors: Kohonen Jukka , Talikota Sarish , Corander Jukka , Auvinen Petri , Arjas Elja
Published: December 2019

A Naive Bayes classifier tool is presented for annotating proteins on the basis of amino acid motifs, cellular localization and protein-protein interactions. Annotations take the form of posterior probabilities within the Molecular Function hierarchy of the Gene Ontology (GO). Experiments with the data available for yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, show that our prediction method can yield a relatively high level of accuracy. Several apparent challenges and possibilities for future developments are also discussed.

A common approach to functional characterization is to use sequence similarities at varying levels, by utilizing several existing databases and local alignment/identification algorithms. Such an approach is typically quite labor-intensive when performed by an expert in a manual fashion. Integration of several sources of information is in this context generally considered as the only possibility to obtain valuable predictions with practical implications. However, some improvements in the prediction accuracy of the molecular functions, and thereby also savings in the computational effort, can be achieved by restricting attention to only those data sources that involve a higher degree of specificity. We employ here a Naive Bayes model in order to provide probabilistic predictions, and to enable a computationally efficient approach to data integration.
Temperature Influences Synonymous Codon and Amino Acid Usage	Biases in the Phages Infecting Extremely Thermophilic Prokaryotes
Authors: Sau Keya , Deb Arpan
Published: December 2019

To see the effect of temperature on the codon and amino acid usage in phages, codon and amino acid usage of 13 phages of extremely thermophilic prokaryotes were compared with that of 14 phages of mesophilic prokaryotes. Correspondence analysis on RSCU values of two groups of phage genomes clearly shows that phages are separated along the second major axis according to their growth temperature, whereas, they are separated along the first major axis according to their GC content. Correspondence analysis on RAAU values of two groups of phages clearly shows that protein encoding genes of the phages along the second major axis are highly correlated with the GRAVY, aromaticity and cysteine content. Moreover, correspondence analysis on the regular and irregular structures of proteins of phages infecting extremely thermophilic prokaryotes reveals that temperature is one of the factors responsible for most significant differentiation of codon and amino acid usages variation in these phages.
SubCellProt: Predicting Protein Subcellular Localization Using	Machine Learning Approaches
Authors: Garg Prabha , Sharma Virag , Chaudhari Pradeep , Roy Nilanjan
Published: December 2019

High-throughput genome sequencing projects continue to churn out enormous amounts of raw sequence data. However, most of this raw sequence data is unannotated and, hence, not very useful. Among the various approaches to decipher the function of a protein, one is to determine its localization. Experimental approaches for proteome annotation including determination of a protein's subcellular localizations are very costly and labor intensive. Besides the available experimental methods, in silico methods present alternative approaches to accomplish this task. Here, we present two machine learning approaches for prediction of the subcellular localization of a protein from the primary sequence information. Two machine learning algorithms, k Nearest Neighbor (k-NN) and Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) were used to classify an unknown protein into one of the 11 subcellular localizations. The final prediction is made on the basis of a consensus of the predictions made by two algorithms and a probability is assigned to it. The results indicate that the primary sequence derived features like amino acid composition, sequence order and physicochemical properties can be used to assign subcellular localization with a fair degree of accuracy. Moreover, with the enhanced accuracy of our approach and the definition of a prediction domain, this method can be used for proteome annotation in a high throughput manner.

SubCellProt is available at www.databases.niper.ac.in/SubCellProt.
Empowering Spot Detection in 2DE Images by Wavelet Denoising
Authors: Soggiu Alessio , Marullo Osvaldo , Roncada Paola , Capobianco Enrico
Published: December 2019

Typical high-abundant proteins, including albumin, IgG, IgA and others, are the target of depletion methods usually applied to two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) of human biological fluids like serum and plasma. Detection of low-abundant proteins is of interest with regard to biomarkers for disease when being studied by 2DE or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS). After depletion of very abundant proteins, serum samples consist of an enriched pool of low-abundant proteins that can be further studied without significant interferences, thus allowing for a full identification of the low abundant proteins, whose spots become now more visible.

We have employed wavelet-based techniques and their derived denoisers to explore 2DE from disease-control human samples. We have pursued the goal of mimicking in silico the spot detection performance experimentally obtained by depletion methods, thus hoping to read through the critical high-abundant protein regions. Our results suggest that an efficient and effective computational tool has been added to other ones performing 2DE image analysis, such as decomposition and segmentation, but with the advantage of being specifically targeted to the depletion task.