Yes / This study seeks to investigate the effectiveness of Cloud Computing Utilization (CCU) in the mitigation of informational and marketing barriers for SMEs from the Emerging Market-Countries (EM-SMEs). A quantitative-research methodology was applied to collect data by using self-administered questionnaires from top managers of 227 SMEs based in Iran and Turkey. The study contributes theoretically to both small business and international business literature by developing a new classification of the internationalization barriers that EM-SMEs face, and proposing a series of cloud computing (CC) solutions for mitigating these barriers, resulting in the creation and testing of a new model. The empirical findings confirm that CCU can help EM-SMEs to mitigate a series of informational and marketing barriers. The key practical contributions of the study offer insights to both EM-SMEs and Cloud-Service-Providers (CSPs) on the extent to which CCU is effective in mitigating the internationalization barriers faced by EM-SMEs.

Yes / The chlor-alkali industries produce caustic soda (NaOH), chlorine (Cl2 ), and hydrogen (H2 ) as primary products. In 2021, the global chlor-alkali market was valued at $63.2 billion. The article evaluates the global aspects of chlor-alkali industries and prospects for Bangladesh. The current production capacity of NaOH from the chlor-alkali industries in Bangladesh is around 282,150 metric tons/year (MT/y). The by-products, chlorine (Cl2 ) of 250,470 MT/y and hydrogen (H2 ) of 7055 MT/y, are produced domestically. The local demand of Cl2 is 68,779 MT/y. However, there are no systematic utilizations of the residual Cl2 and vented H2 , which threatens the sustainability of the chlor-alkali industries. The article prefigures that a 150,000 MT/y PVC plant can utilize 45.2 % of residual Cl2 of chlor-alkali plants, which would be an economical and environmental milestone for Bangladesh. The residual Cl2 can earn revenue of 908 million USD/y, which can be utilized to import ethylene. For the sustainable utilization of vented H2 , production of H2O2 , fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) and H2 fuel-cell-based power plant are the feasible solutions. Thus, for the long-term growth of the chlor-alkali industry in Bangladesh and other developing countries, systematic utilization of Cl2 and H2 is the only feasible solution. / This research was funded by ‘BUET Chemical Engineering Forum (BCEF), 001-2020.

Four experiments were conducted to compare adipocyte dynamics and body composition among adult chickens from lines differing in growth rate and feed consumption. In Experiment I, forced caloric overconsumption increased weight gain and fat deposition, with concomitant increases in the total adipocyte DNA content of the assayed fat depots. Injections of DNA-specific [methyl³H] thymidine resulted in higher radioactivity levels in the fat depots of forced versus ad libitum or restricted-fed birds. Evidently, stimulation of fat deposition in adult chickens can be associated with adipocyte hyperplasia. A second experiment was conducted to histologically examine the effects of forced caloric overconsumption on adipocyte size, number, and distribution in the retroperitoneal fat depot of adult weight-line birds. Similarly to Experiment I, force feeding increased fat deposition, resulting in increases in the retroperitoneal fat depot total adipocyte DNA content. The lipid/adipocyte DNA ratio also decreased during rapid depot expansion. This resulted in an increase in the small adipocyte population of the force fed birds when adipocyte diameter was increasing. Subsequently, when the constraints of force feeding were removed, adipose depot reduction occurred, with the mobilization of lipid from small as well as large adipocytes. In a third experiment, the effects of estrogen administration and partial lipectomy were examined. In addition to the weight-line birds, a commercial broiler breeder stock was utilized. Estrogen administration depressed body weight gain and abdominal fat deposition when compared to placebo implanted birds. Partial lipectomy depressed body weight, fat deposition, and abdominal fat total adipocyte DNA content. Lipectomy modified several components of carcass composition without altering feed intake. No indication of a compensatory hyperplastic response to lipectomy was indicated. A final experiment was conducted examining the effects of forced body weight fluctuations on body composition of male and females from the weight-selected lines. Although numerous first-order interactions were detected, force-feeding resulted in transient modifications in carcass composition and fat deposition which were more apparent in the high than low weight line, in females than males. After release to ad Iibitum feeding, the differences resulting from force feeding were reduced. / Ph. D. / incomplete_metadata

Three balance experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dietary fiber on mineral balance and intestinal.morphology of growing pigs. Fiber sources were added to corn-soybean meal diets at levels which increased neutral-detergent fiber levels by 6 to 8%. In experiment 1, 10% oat hulls (OH) decreased Ca (P<.06) and Zn (P<.01) balances of pigs after a 7 d feeding period. Wheat bran (20%) increased Mg intake and balance (P<.02), but did not affect Ca and Zn balances. In experiment 2, pigs were fed diets (with or without supplements of Zn, Fe and Mg) containing 15% OH or soybean hulls (SH) for 5 d or 26 d. SH increased Fe intake and balance (P<.01) and ( Mg absorption (P<.01). Compared with balances at 5 d, Zn balance was similar, while Fe and Mg balances were higher at 26 d for pigs fed the basal (P<.05) or SH (P<.01) diets. However, Zn balance was lower (P<.05) at 26 d 1 but Fe balance did not change over time for pigs fed the OH diets. At each time period, Zn balance was not different between pigs fed the basal or high-fiber diets. In experiment 3, Ca, Zn and Mg absorption were not affected by 15% OH or SH or 20% alfalfa meal (AM) after 67 d or 39 d, although SH and AM increased Fe balance (P<.01). Intestinal surface morphology of 12 pigs fed in experiment 3 was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Villus morphology was variable in jejunum, ileum and colon, although evidence of villus blunting and folding accompanied by erosion of microvilli and loss of epithelial cells was observed in small intestine of some pigs fed the SH and AM diets. Damage was not consistent in all sites examined in individual pigs, and did not occur in all pigs fed any specific diets. Although Ca and Zn balances were decreased by OH in two of the balance trials, the inability of OH to consistently decrease mineral balance suggests that the ability of the pig to adapt to different diets may be sufficient to overcome the mild inhibitory effect on mineral absorption of some fiber sources. When viewed together, the results of the balance trials indicate that moderate amounts of dietary fiber have a minimal negative impact on mineral balance of pigs fed practical corn-soybean meal diets. However, the results also indicate that fiber sources such as SH and AM, are rich sources of some minerals for the pig, particularly Fe. Evidence of intestinal damage was evident in pigs fed the high-fiber diets. However, not all animals fed a particular diet were affected, which suggests that some pigs within a given population may be susceptible to detrimental effects of dietary fiber on intestinal structure or function. / Ph. D.

Determining the energy values of feed ingredients for poultry is of great concern, especially since production efficiency is associated with profit margins. Therefore, accurate, precise, and reproducible energy values for feed ingredients are of the utmost importance in formulating an economical diet. An important aspect in determining the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) of a feed ingredient is the procedure employed in the drying of excreta samples. During sample preparation, substantial grinding losses were incurred amounting to 3.5 to 5.2% of the dried sample weight. Also moisture uptake during sample grinding accounted for a 1.9 to 3.9% increase in sample weight. To properly account for such losses, freshly collected excreta samples should be weighed, oven-dried at 40 C, reweighed, allowed to equilibrate with atmospheric moisture, weighed, ground, reweighed, and stored in air-tight containers for subsequent analyses. From the oven-drying of feed and excreta samples at various temperatures, a linear decrease in sample weight occurred with increasing drying temperatures. When dried at 100 C or less, the energy content of feed and excreta samples remained unchanged, but increased significantly at higher temperatures. The nitrogen composition of feed and excreta samples exhibited a similar trend, but a significant loss of excreta nitrogen (2%) occurred at 100 C. The loss of excreta nitrogen at a temperature of 100 C is of relatively minor consequence in the determination of metabolizable dry matter, but is of major concern in nitrogen balance studies. Extraction of feed and excreta samples with N,N-dimethylformamide and titration with Karl Fischer reagent indicated that significant amounts of water were retained by samples dried at 40, 60, and 80 C. However, at temperatures of 100 C or greater, little water was retained but sample decomposition occurred. A drying temperature of 90 C or the Karl Fischer method may yield a more accurate value for the dry matter of feed or excreta. When seven roosters were subjected to a total collection method for five consecutive days, individual birds were better metabolizers of dry matter and energy than others. By either a voluntary intake method or by a total collection method, values for the nitrogen-corrected metabolizable energy of corn were similar. The total collection method proved to be more reliable since it provided the least amount of variation when <u>ad libitum</u> feed intake and total excreta output were measured over a period of several days. In past experiments, adding fats to a test diet at the expense of cerelose in amounts no greater than 20% of the diet to determine the metabolizable energy of the fat has been associated with a high degree of variability. From the force-feeding of fats at levels to 100%, the variation associated with the metabolizable energy value of a fat was greatly reduced. The methodology presented here provided reliable estimates and detected differences between the metabolizable energy of two feed-grade fats in comparison to previous methods. / Ph. D. / incomplete_metadata

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of E. coli and rotavirus as causative agents in producing infectious stunting syndrome of poults. The syndrome, as it occurs commercially, was characterized in two experiments to produce decreased digestible dry matter and nitrogen as well as increased excreta nitrogen and gross energy content of affected poults. The effects of E. coli and rotavirus on the nutritional performance of poults were compared to the commercial syndrome by digestibility trials and assay of intestinal mucosaI enzyme activities. The strain of E. coli used in these experiments was isolated from the yolk sac of stunted poults. Inoculation of day-old poults was done orally in one experiment and via the yolk sac in another series of experiments. Experiments were designed in a factorial arrangement of E. coli inoculation and dietary protein level (28 vs. 22%). Oral administration of the pathogenic E. coli at a low dose (.1 ml of a 10⁻² dilution of a 24-hr culture) to day-old poults produced a significant increase in feed efficiency by 21 days of age for birds fed either 28 or 22°0 protein diets. In this case, E. coli apparently was established as part of the normal intestinal microflora of the turkey without producing a toxic response. Similar concentrations of E. coli (10⁻³ and 10⁻² dilutions) inoculated into the yolk sac of day-old poults resulted in significant mortality and morbidity. The lower dilution (10⁻³) produced the desired response of stunted poults without substantial mortality. Body weight gain and feed consumption were severely decreased by E. coli inoculation at both levels of protein (28 or 22%). The 28% protein diet alleviated the reduction in feed consumption for birds infected with the lower concentration of E. coli. The 10⁻² dilution caused substantial mortality and similar responses on body weight at both levels of protein. A malabsorption of nutrients accompanied E. coli infection in spite of reduced feed consumption as indicated by increased excreta nitrogen and gross energy content for all infected poults. In three experiments, rotavirus was orally inoculated into poults over 21 days of age previously fed either 28 or 22% protein diets. The response of rotavirus was variable in the three experiments, however, the low protein diet (22%) increased the poults susceptibility to rotavirus infection. Serum antibodies to rotavirus were detected in all poults tested prior to inoculation. Ubiquitous in nature, rotavirus appears to produce clinical signs of infection in combination with stress on the poults. Effects of rotavirus on digestibility parameters were inconclusive. In experiments with either rotavirus or E. coli, activities of intestinal mucosal enzymes were found to vary more between poults within a treatment than by any effect of the various treatments. / Ph. D.

UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are examples of multifunctional landscapes recognized as sources of ecosystem services and laboratories for sustainable development. Participatory mapping of ecosystem services reveals where residents value ecosystem services in a landscape. This approach is expected to provide useful knowledge to inform land use decision-making. However, the knowledge about the spatial distribution of ecosystem service values in Biosphere Reserves and the usefulness of this knowledge for practitioners remains scarce. Through the application of Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) in the Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve located in Southern Sweden, this study identifies i) hotspots and ii) bundles of ecosystem service values, as well as iii) spatial patterns of ecosystem service values regarding the three Biosphere Reserve management zones. Complementary, this study assesses the potential usefulness of the PPGIS-derived knowledge by analyzing qualitative data from a workshop with practitioners of the Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve. My findings reveal distinct patterns of ecosystem service values across Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve that reflect the Biosphere Reserve zones’ management goals. The ecosystem service values were clustered around wetlands and the densest populated areas. Respondents mapped predominantly places for outdoor recreation, biodiversity, and places with existential value. The results highlight the importance of cultural and regulating ecosystem services to people in the Biosphere Reserve. Additionally, practitioners involved in Biosphere Reserve management emphasized the potential strategic usefulness of the PPGIS knowledge for their nature restoration work.

A large portion of college students have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder and that number is climbing. Most of these students are not receiving treatment, and university counseling centers are unable to meet the increasing demands. The purpose of this study is to fill gaps in this literature by doing an early analysis of a larger, multi-year quasi-experimental study to assess the impact of college mental wellness courses on self-health measures and mental health resource utilization rates. The validated instruments used for evaluating self-health measures and mental health resource utilization were the Physical Activity Vital Sign (PAVS) Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62 (CCAPS-62), and Client Service Receipt Inventory (CSRI). Surveys were administered at four-time points: pre-course, midcourse, post-course, and 3-month follow-up. Repeated measures ANOVA was used for within groups analysis for the longitudinal changes in the groups over time. Independent t-tests were used for between groups analyses between the control and WellCoR groups at each time point. Only one area of statistical significance was found in all the analyses: the within group longitudinal comparison for the CCAPS-62 subscale Academic Distress in the control group (F=3.569, p=0.019). The lack of findings contradicts some, but not all, of the research in this area. More research using larger samples with longer follow-up is needed to determine what, if any, effect college mental wellness courses have on self-health measures and mental health resource utilization.

知識管理是近年國內外公、私部門甚為流行的管理方法，無論在學術與實務界，對於知識管理已有相當豐富之研究與實務經驗，包括知識管理的導入、實施策略、知識分享、知識創新、知識管理系統的設計等。惟在當前知識管理的文獻中，鮮少針對公部門知識利用現況與影響知識利用因素進行深入探究。本研究認為，知識管理的最終目的在於將知識付諸實現，始能產生知識的價值，而非僅是知識的累積。基此，本研究以公部門知識利用作為深入探討的焦點，藉由文獻分析法及檢視個案知識利用現況，歸納影響知識利用之因素，試圖建構公部門知識利用之模式。同時，經由對個案成員進行之深度訪談，深入瞭解個案成員對知識利用的認知及實際應用知識的行為。希冀藉由本研究發現公部門利用內、外部知識可能存在的問題，並提出具體建議供個案或其他公部門參考，俾使知識管理得以務實、有效且永續地發展。 本研究經文獻檢閱，將影響公部門知識利用之因素分從組織文化、組織成員、知識內涵及知識利用技術等四大面向探討，並輔以深度訪談與個案分析後，有以下發現： 一、影響公部門成員知識利用的因素：1.組織文化面向，包括開放性、同儕與主管影響、合作信任氛圍、管理者的授權；2.組織成員面向，包括知識接受者的態度、判斷能力、人際關係、任務性質、時間、習慣、知識提供者的可近性；3.知識面向，包括相對優勢、相容性、複雜性、可觀察性、可試驗性；4.技術面向，包括知識系統的易用性、相容性、輸出品質（儲存、更新及呈現的形式）、知識庫存量及整合性、知識社群的效能、工作者整理知識的技術。 二、知識利用的現況：整體而言，利用組織內部的知識是成員必備的認知、能力與習慣，且透過機關提供之知識利用管道大致能找到日常工作需要的知識。另外，對於與業務有關的外部知識亦趨重視，惟不同單位對外部知識之重視程度則有不同。 本研究最後按所歸納之四大面向，分述個案在知識利用上存在的問題，並提出具體改進建議。 / Recent years, knowledge management (KM) is a very popular way of management in the public or private organization domestically and internationally. Whether in the academic field or practical area, there are abundant research and experience, including introduction of KM, implementing strategy, sharing and innovation of knowledge, design of knowledge management system and so on. Currently, public sectors do not have enough research to find out what are the factors influencing the knowledge utilization. My study acknowledges the ultimate purpose of KM is to put knowledge into practice, and to create the true value of the knowledge, instead of merely accumulation of that. My study focuses on the utilization of KM by public sector through document analysis and case study, induces factors for knowledge utilization, and attempts to build a model of knowledge utilization in government organization. In the meantime, by thorough interview with individuals in the case, we can understand the members’ acknowledgement and practical behavior of knowledge utilization. I hope my study would find out problems while exploiting internal or external knowledge in public sector and provide concrete advice to individual in the case study and different government authorities for reference resources in order to develop a more practical, effective and continual knowledge management. Through reviewing document, this study discusses factors that influence the knowledge utilization from four areas: organization culture, organization members, knowledge contents and modern technology. Through the thorough interview and case study, my study discovers the following conclusions. 1.The factors influencing the knowledge utilization: (1) organization culture: including openness, the influence of coworkers and managers, atmosphere of cooperation and trust, and empowerment of managers; (2) organization members: including the members’ attitude of accepting knowledge, good judgment, interpersonal relationships, the nature of the mandate, time, habits, accessibility of knowledge providers; (3) knowledge contents: including relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability, and trial ability; (4) modern technology: including ease of use, compatibility, the output quality (storage, update and displaying forms), a rich stock of knowledge base and integration of the knowledge systems, the effectiveness of the knowledge community, workers’ techniques of organizing knowledge. 2. The current condition of using knowledge: generally speaking, every member of the organization requires having the ability and habit to utilize the internal knowledge. The members are capable to use the information provided by the organization and develop the necessary knowledge to find the appropriate approaches to accomplish their daily work. In addition, job related external knowledge will get more emphasis, except the different departments look at the importance of external knowledge differently. Finally, according to this study, problems can be identified in the knowledge utilization of the case from the above-mentioned four areas that I have summed up, and offer suggestions for improvement.

As dimensões continentais de alguns países e a distribuição heterogênea da rede hospitalar dificultam o acesso ao atendimento inicial adequado ao trauma de face principalmente aos pacientes residentes em regiões mais remotas. Um modelo de atendimento por telemedicina pode ser uma opção ao atendimento especializado presencial. Os objetivos deste trabalho são apresentar um modelo de atendimento por especialistas à distância, por meio de videoconferência utilizando-se smartphone, e analisar a concordância deste atendimento por telemedicina com o atendimento presencial, considerado padrão ouro. Cinquenta pacientes com trauma de face e suspeita de fratura de face (n=50) foram atendidos, por duas equipes independentes, uma presencialmente e outra por telemedicina. A equipe presencial, que era formada pela equipe de plantão de cirurgia plástica na unidade de emergência, prestou o atendimento à beira do leito (história, exame físico e análise de imagens por tomografia computadorizada). A equipe telemedicina, composta por um médico generalista atendendo à beira do leito, prestou atendimento em conjunto com um cirurgião plástico à distância através de videoconferência com um smartphone. Após cada atendimento as duas equipes responderam a um questionário, com informações sobre dados epidemiológicos, dados do exame físico, sobre indicações de tomografia computadorizada, achados radiológicos da tomografia e conduta. Os dados foram analisados e comparados quanto à concordância das respostas através da análise estatística kappa, cálculo de acurácia, especificidade e sensibilidade. A amostra estudada foi representativa e concordante com a literatura, com predomínio de homens jovens. Acidentes de trânsito e violência interpessoal foram os principais mecanismos causadores do trauma. A concordância das respostas para os achados de exame físico foi considerada substancial (kappa=0,720), para a indicação da tomografia computadorizada foi quase perfeita (kappa=0,957), para os achados na tomografia foi quase perfeita (kappa=0,899) e para definir a conduta também foi quase perfeita (kappa=0,891). A alta concordância dos achados radiológicos nas tomografias computadorizadas de face também foi observada ao se calcular os valores preditivo positivo (VPP=89,9%), preditivo negativo (VPN=99,3%), sensibilidade (94,2%), especificidade (98,8%) e acurácia (98,3%). O estudo concluiu que o modelo de atendimento ao trauma de face à distância por videoconferência via smartphone é factível, encontrando altos índices de concordância quando comparados ao atendimento padrão ouro presencial, sendo uma opção ao atendimento para a triagem de pacientes vítimas de trauma de face em áreas remotas que não têm à disposição o atendimento especializado presencial / The continental size of some countries and heterogeneous distributed hospital network prevent many patients who live in remote areas from getting adequate initial assessment of facial trauma. The author presents a model for trauma assessment through telemedicine, which may be an alternative to face-to-face specialized attending. The goals of this study are presenting a model for non-attending specialized assessment through video conference via smartphones, and analyzing a comparison between telemedicine and face-to-face management, the latter currently being the gold standard. Fifty patients with either a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of facial trauma (n=50) were evaluated by two teams of physicians, one face-to-face and the other one telemedicine-based. The face-to-face team, which was made up by the attending plastic surgery team in the emergency unit, attended the patients at the bedside (physical examination and CT-scan analysis). The telemedicine team was made up by an in-house general practitioner working together with an on-call plastic surgeon through videoconference via smartphones. After each evaluation, both teams answered a similar questionnaire, which contained data concerning the patient\'s epidemiology, physical examination, CT-scan indications and findings, and the treatment option to be followed. The data were analyzed and compared regarding the similarity of answers, with the use of kappa statistics and analysis of data accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. The sample studied was representative and consistent with the literature, showing a predominance of young males. Traffic accidents and personal violence were the main causes of trauma. The agreement of answers for physical examination findings was considered substantial (kappa=0.720). For CT-scan indications, it was considered almost perfect (kappa=0.957); for CT-scan findings, it was almost perfect (kappa=0.899); and for defining the treatment option, it was also almost perfect (kappa=0.891). High concurrency of face CT-scan findings was also observed after we calculated the positive predictive value (PPV=89.9%), negative predictive value (NPV=99.3%), sensitivity (94.2%), specificity (98.8%) and accuracy (98.3%). The study concluded that the model for non-attending assessment of facial trauma through video conference via smartphones is feasible, showing high concurrence rates when compared to gold-standard in-house assessment, thus being an option for first assessment of facial trauma patients who live in remote areas, where specialized medical teams are not available