Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Marburg.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. W. Virgil Ping, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Oct. 06, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 123-125).

This paper explores the possibility of solving supply chain capacity allocation problems using internal markets among employees of the same company. Unlike earlier forms of transfer pricing, IT now makes it easier for such markets to involve many employees, finegrained transactions, and frequently varying prices. The paper develops a formal model of such markets, proves their optimality in a baseline condition, and then analyzes various potential market problems and solutions. Interestingly, these proposed solutions are not possible in a conventional market because they rely on the firm's ability to pay market participants based on factors other than just the profitability of their market transactions. For example, internal monopolies can be ameliorated by paying internal monopolists on the basis of corporate, not individual, profits. Incentives for collusion among peers can be reduced by paying participants based on their profits relative to peers. Profit-reducing competition among different sales channels can be reduced by imposing an internal sales tax. And problems caused by fixed costs can be avoided by combining conditional internal markets with a pivot mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Fat is stored in adipose tissue. In obesity, differentiation of preadipocytes to new adipocytes (fat cells) is required for energy storage. Otherwise fat accumulation in non-adipocytes contributes to fatty liver and diabetes. Our goal was to assess subject characteristics associated with poor in-vitro differentiation capacity of preadipocytes from omental (OM) and abdominal subcutaneous (SC) fat. APPROACH: A convenience sample of, 4 males and 20 females, age 39±2 (range 20-56) years, BMI 42 ± 2 (23-63) kg/m2 (i.e. from lean to obese), 7 Caucasian, 8 Hispanic, 1 other and 8 African Americans) undergoing elective surgery was studied. Fat samples collected during surgery were used for histology and preadipocyte isolation. Fat cell diameters and their distribution (normal or bimodal) were analyzed from histology. Preadipocyte differentiation capacity was measured in vitro. RESULTS: In the OM depot, no effect of ethnicity, sex or HbA1c was found. Unexpectedly, subjects with preadipocytes with poor differentiation capacity tended to be younger (poor differentiation group 36 ± 2 years versus high 43 ± 3 years, p=0.09) and to have lower fasting glucose (poor 97 ± 3.65 mg/dl versus high 111 ± 7.08 mg/dl, p=0.06). In SC, no differences were noted. Fat cell size was not associated with differentiation capacity in either depot. Bimodal distribution, which may show formation of new adipocytes, was seen mostly in Caucasian subjects (5 out of 7) compared to Hispanic (3 out of 8) and African Americans (2 out of 8). CONCLUSION: It is important to investigate the associations between age/ethnicity and OM preadipocyte differentiation/cell distribution in adequately powered cross-sectional studies.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2005-03-01Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:08:47Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 segura_msp_me_rcla.pdf: 747541 bytes, checksum: 300e76163a456426a105d5f635b63c1b (MD5) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar e comparar o padrão de andar hemiplégico no solo e na esteira com suporte parcial e total de peso. Participaram deste estudo dez pacientes hemiplégicos crônicos, com média de idade de 55,2 l 8,72 anos, com tempo de evolução de 2,8 l 2,69 anos após o AVC. Os participantes realizaram a tarefa experimental do andar em duas superfícies: no solo e em uma esteira motorizada e em quatro condições diferentes de suporte de peso: sem colete e com colete com apoio de 100% do peso corporal, suspensão de 15% e de 30% do peso corporal. Marcadores foram afixados nos centros articulares dos membros inferiores: quadril, joelho, tornozelo e quinto metatarso e o andar foi filmado no plano sagital, de forma alternada para ambos os lados. Inicialmente, andaram numa passarela na condição sem colete, depois com colete e, posteriormente, foi definida por sorteio a ordem das condições de suspensão de peso. Após um curto período de adaptação, os participantes realizaram o andar na esteira, com uma velocidade fixa de 0,33 m/s, primeiro com colete, depois na seqüência previamente definida para a suspensão de peso no solo e finalmente sem colete. Para cada condição de peso e para cada superfície foram digitalizadas três tentativas para a perna parética e três para a perna não parética utilizando o sistema APAS. O comportamento das passadas foi analisado por meio das variáveis descritivas: comprimento, duração, freqüência e velocidade. A organização temporal foi analisada por meio da duração das fases de suporte e de balanço e das subfases de suporte simples, primeiro e segundo duplo suporte. Adicionalmente foram obtidos os índices de simetria para as variáveis descritivas e temporais. A movimentação articular foi analisada utilizando os ângulos de flexão de quadril no TC, a extensão de quadril... . / The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the gait pattern of hemiparetic subjects walking in the overground and the treadmill with partial body weight support (BWS) and full weight bearing. Ten hemiparetic chronic patients, nine men and one woman, mean age 55,2 l 8,72 years and 2,8 l 2,69 years poststroke participated on the study. The task consisted of walking in two surfaces: overground and motor-driven treadmill and four conditions of weight support: without harness, with harness, with 15% and 30% BWS. Markers were placed on the joint centers in both lower extremities: hip, knee, ankle and five metatarsal. The walking performances were videotaped in the sagittal plane for both sides, alternately. First, hemiparetic subjects walking in a runway without harness, soon after with harness and subsequently the trial order with BWS were randomly defined. At the start of task in the treadmill, all subjects were habituated for the short time. The treadmill speed was kept constant during all trials in 0,33 m/s and sequence of BWS was 1) with harness, 2) order with BWS previously defined at the floor, 3) without harness. For each condition and surface, 3 trials of paretic limb and 3 trials non-paretic limb were collected and were digitized using the APAS system. The step walking organization was examined through the variables stride length, duration, cadence and velocity. In addition, the symmetry indexes for espacial and temporal variables were measured. The temporal walking organization was calculated through the variables duration of support and swing phases, single support, first and second double support period. The joint excursions was evaluated through hip flexion angle at heel strike, hip extension at single support, knee flexion at middle-swing, knee extension at single support, ankle dorsiflexion at heel strike and ankle... (Complete abstract, click electronic address below).

Abstract The carbonic anhydrases (CAs) participate in the maintenance of pH homeostasis in various tissues of the human body by catalyzing the reversible reaction CO2 + H2O ⇔ HCO3- + H+. Carbonic anhydrase isoenzyme VI (CA VI) is secreted into the human saliva by the serous acinar cells of the parotid and submandibular glands. The present work was undertaken in order to gain an understanding of the physiological role of CA VI in the oral cavity. CA VI concentrations were compared with other salivary characteristics and with the clinical dental status of the subjects. Saliva samples were collected under strictly controlled conditions from 209 young, healthy men and their CA VI concentrations determined by means of a specific time-resolved immunofluorometric assay. Salivary secretion rate, pH, buffering capacity, α-amylase activity level and counts of lactobacilli and mutans streptococci were also determined. Salivary CA VI concentrations showed positive correlations with salivary secretion rate (r = 0.20, p = 0.003) and amylase activity level (r = 0.46, p < 0.001), but not with pH, buffering capacity, or counts of mutans streptococci or lactobacilli. Salivary CA VI concentration, pH and buffering capacity correlated negatively with the number of decayed, missing or filled teeth (DMFT index). The correlation between salivary CA VI concentration and DMFT index was closest in the subjects with poor oral hygiene. No correlation was found between salivary secretion rate or amylase activity and the DMFT index. The location of CA VI in the enamel pellicle, a thin layer of proteins on dental surfaces providing a protective interface between the tooth surface and the external environment, was demonstrated in samples of extracted teeth using immunostaining with anti-CA VI antibody. Immunostaining for salivary α-amylase, which was used as a positive control, produced virtually the same staining patterns. The presence of CA VI in the natural enamel pellicle was confirmed by Western blotting of pellicle proteins. Histochemical staining of enamel pellicle formed in vitro showed that the bound enzyme retains its CA activity. To determine whether CA VI is transferred into the circulation, blood and saliva samples were collected from four healthy male volunteers at 3-h intervals throughout a 24-h period and assayed for CA VI concentration. CA VI was present in all the serum samples, although its concentration was about 22 times lower than in the saliva. The presence of CA VI in serum was confirmed using a sensitive Western blotting method. Western blotting also showed that serum CA VI is associated with IgG, which may protect the enzyme from proteolytic degradation or target it to sites that do not contain CA VI. The present results suggest that salivary CA VI is not involved in regulation of the actual pH or buffering capacity of the saliva, but it does seem to have a specific role in the oral cavity. High salivary concentrations of CA VI appear to be associated with low caries experience. Since active CA VI is located in the enamel pellicle, it may function locally in the microenvironment of the dental surfaces and accelerate the neutralization of the acid metabolic products of bacterial plaque.

No description available.

Many studies have highlighted that EMNEs are utilizing strategic asset-seeking (SAS) internationalization as a means to upgrade their capabilities and build up their competitive advantages (Lecraw, 1993; Makino et al., 2002; Child and Rodrigues, 2005). However, no research has specifically examined or directly studied how a firm's internal capability, with the particular focus on absorptive capacity, influences the outcome of EMNEs' SAS international activities. The overall aim of this research is to explore how absorptive capacity of EMNEs influences the outcome of their SAS internationalization, specifically focusing on two key dimensions of absorptive capacity, i.e. the ability to identify external assets, and the ability to acquire external assets. Given the exploratory nature of this research, a qualitative multiple case study method was adopted. Altogether, four Chinese MNEs were selected with a total of 10 SAS events conducted by them respectively. We clearly demonstrated the linkages between firms' absorptive capacity and SAS outcomes. We found that the outcome of case companies' SAS events were not effective in terms of gaining substantial assets, rather case companies can gain reputation and other benefits through the events. We found a new element comprising absorptive capacity, i.e. the ability to retain the acquired assets. We argued that it is a precondition for assimilation to happen. We demonstrated how firms' absorptive capacity in the dimensions of identification, acquisition and the new emerged dimension, i.e. retention ability, together influenced their SAS outcomes. We also explored the underpinning factors for each dimension of absorptive capacity. An integrated model was developed. Our study is the first to specifically explore the linkage between absorptive capacity and EMNEs' SAS internationalization. We made several contributions to international business literature on SAS events and literature on absorptive capacity respectively. Specifically, we attempted to gain understanding of why EMNEs' SAS strategies may or may not be fully effective, to enhance our understanding of absorptive capacity issues in emerging country contexts, and to achieve potential conceptual enrichment.

This thesis deals with the process of Capacity Management. The main objective of the process is to ensure sufficient capacity of existing infrastructure to support daily business operations and projections of future capacity based on the requirements of the business. In the first part the author focuses on the basic performance characteristics of the Capacity Management coming within the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). Also, the author analyzes the process of Capacity Management in an unnamed company and compares it with the best practices of ITIL. The second part is derived from the first, where the author discusses the Business Capacity Management and management of the capacity of IS/ICT. The last part of thesis is about Cloud Computing technologies from the Capacity Management point of view, as well as the introduction of such technologies in selected company. Each part consists of both theoretical backgrounds from diverse sources, as well as practical experience of the author.