A Framework for Analysis of B2B Electronic Contracting Support

Contracts are fundamental to all economic production and exchange processes. The fast introduction of IT into the business domain both facilitates and requires changes in core business processes and relations between business organizations. In the context of the latter, the use of IT in business-to-business contracting processes aims at optimisation and globalisation of these processes by improving their speed, efficiency and reach. Electronic contracting can thus be used on the one hand to improve existing business relationship paradigms and on the other hand to enable new forms of contractual relationships. In this paper, we propose a conceptual framework for business-to-business e-contracting support. The framework provides a complete view over the contracting field. It allows positioning research efforts in the e-contracting domain, placing their goals into perspective, and overseeing future research topics and issues. It is the basis for drawing conclusions about basic requirements to contracting systems and can be used for establishing a common terminology and improving mutual understanding among users and domain researchers

Web Services Support for Dynamic Business Process Outsourcing

Outsourcing of business processes is crucial for organizations to be effective, efficient and flexible. To meet fast-changing market conditions, dynamic outsourcing is required, in which business relationships are established and enacted on-the-fly in an adaptive, fine-grained way unrestricted by geographic distance. This requires automated means for both the establishment of outsourcing relationships and for the enactment of services performed in these relationships over electronic channels. Due to wide industry support and the underlying model of loose coupling of services, Web services increasingly become the mechanism of choice to connect organizations across organizational boundaries. This paper analyzes to which extent Web services support the dynamic process outsourcing paradigm. We discuss contract -based dynamic business process outsourcing to define requirements and then introduce the Web services framework. Based on this, we investigate the match between the two. We observe that the Web services framework requires further support for cross - organizational business processes and mechanisms for contracting, QoS management and process-based transaction support and suggest ways to fill those gaps

Intensifying the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia—the experience of a single center in Eastern Bulgaria

Introduction: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an established risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which determines early morbidity and mortality. Intensive reduction of the high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) reduces the incidence of CVD.Aim: The aim of this article is to analyze changes in lipid levels after intensification of the treatment of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.Participants and Methods: Lipid levels of 59 patients with familial hypercholestrolemia from Eastern Bulgaria were studied with the aim of optimizing the management at an FH treatment center at St. Marina University Hospital, Varna. The period covered was from October 2017 to July 2020. The diagnosis of FH was determined as probable or certain according to the Dutch Lipid Clinics Network (DLCN) with a score of ≥ 6 points. After evaluation of the inclusion criteria for initiating treatment with evolocumab, all patients were monitored every 6 months for their lipid status. Baseline demographic characteristics and changes in the levels of laboratory tests for total cholesterol, LDL-c, and HDL cholesterol (HDL-c) were analyzed. A t-test for grouped pairs was used to estimate the difference from the baseline.Results: Of all 59 who passed through the center, the majority were men (58%). The mean age was 57.66 ± 9.57 years, from 37 to 76 years. A total of 54% had ischemic heart disease, 30.5% had survived a myocardial infarction, and 12% had a previous stroke. The mean baseline of total cholesterol was 8.23 ± 3.65 mmol/L, that of LDL cholesterol was 5.31 ± 1.95 mmol/L, and that of HDL-c was 1.25 ± 0.4 mmol/L. After 6 months, LDL-c levels dropped down to an average of 2.46 ± 1.59 mmol/L (p <0.0001) and persisted for 2.5 years after onset. The same trend was observed for total cholesterol. Achieving different target levels of LDL-c was reached as early as the 6th month in 76% and 56% of the treated, respectively.Conclusion: The use of evolocumab in addition to statin therapy leads to a significant and lasting reduction in total and LDL cholesterol in patients with FH. A significant number of them achieve targeted levels of LDL-c, which reduces the risk of new cardiovascular events

Supporting the Diversity of B2B e-Contracting Processes

Contracts specify the rights and obligations of the contracting parties. Information technologies can make e-contracting more efficient and effective. A process model for flexible B2B e-contracting is proposed that separates concerns by distinguishing function and communication perspectives of e-contracting processes supplemented with activity constraints. The model supports the elaboration of fully detailed e-contracting process specifications, coherent communication between contracting parties, and seamless coupling between the internal and external activities of a company