Do not forget the strategic architecture of your manufacturing network while offshoring

Offshoring manufacturing to low labor cost countries has become trendy. Nearly everyday one sees an announcement in the business press of companies moving to China or India. Whilst production cost is an important consideration in choosing a location for the factory, we argue that one should not become victim of a herd effect and that other parameters e.g. quality, flexibility, transportation and energy costs, etc. need to be taken into consideration in the determination of the optimal manufacturing network. Relocating a factory is changing the strategic architecture of the company's manufacturing network and requires a long term view and a good model to design the architecture of the manufacturing network. Based on empirical survey research and a set of case studies we provide such a model to think about the roles of factories in the strategic manufacturing network of the firm. But we go beyond a classification and a descriptive model and we provide a set of six managerial issues that require senior management's attention in determining the optimal manufacturing network and its dynamic evolution. We argue for example that senior management needs to build a balanced portfolio of different types of factories, has to have a performance measurement system adapted to the type of factory, as well as the appropriate leadership for each of the different types of factories and needs to actively manage the dynamics and the flows of innovation in the factory network. Key words: international manufacturing, network management, outsourcin

A new message authentication code based on the non-associativity of quasigroups

A quasigroup is a set of elements with one binary operation whose multiplication table forms a Latin square. Because quasigroups are not required to be associative, multiplying a string of elements together in different orders can produce different results. A message authentication code, or a MAC, is a cryptographical tool used to verify the authenticity of a message. In this dissertation, we create a new message authentication code called QMAC whose security is based on this non-associativity. In order to obtain security against forgeries, a highly non-associative quasigroup of large order must be used. Methods for efficiently creating and representing such quasigroups are also discussed

Students\u27 Perceptions of Life Skill Development in Project-Based Learning Schools

This research aimed to examine students’ perceptions of their life skills while attending project-based learning (PBL) schools. The study focused on three questions including: 1) What are students’ perceptions of their development of life skills in project-based learning schools? 2) In what ways, if any, do students perceive an increase in their life skill development over a one-year period of time? 3) What relationship, if any, is there between grade level and students’ perceptions of their life skills? The subjects were 275 6-12 students from 2 project-based learning charter schools in Minnesota. One school was located in a rural location; the other in an urban location. The triangulating data collection methods included a Likert-scale survey, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. Quantitative analysis using SPSS were used to analyze the survey data. Qualitative analysis methods used were coding and identification of emergent themes. Qualitative results showed perceptions of most improved skills as time management, collaboration, communication, and self-directedness. Quantitative data results showed most improved skills within an academic year as responsibility, problem-solving, self-directedness, and work ethic. Self-directedness was the single skill that was evident in all data results. The results showed students’ perceptions of their life skills were positive and that project-based learning helped them develop multiple life skills including, but not limited to communication, collaboration, problem-solving, responsibility, and time management. Implications of this research suggest that project-based learning has a positive influence on students’ life skills development across 6-12 grade levels and helps prepare them to be successful in the 21st century global community and economy

Development and Validation of Implicit Measures of Organizational Climate

Organizational climate is the shared perceptions that employees hold about their experiences in the workplace. The current research on organizational climate relies upon explicit (self-report) measures, which can be contaminated by impression management and inaccurate self-knowledge artifacts. This research used Implicit Association Test (IAT) procedures to develop implicit measures of selected aspects of organizational climate. The study examined the relationships of the implicit organizational climate measures with theoretically related explicit measures according to a multitrait-multimethod design. A series of confirmatory factor analyses of latent trait models were used to assess convergent and discriminant validity evidence. While results provided some construct validity evidence for the implicit measures, future research might focus upon developing implicit measures with better psychometric properties and exploring the potential incremental predictive validity of these measures

Transitioning Teens with Diabetes to AdulT Healthcare

Adolescents must enter adult health care services at age 18, yet most are not ready and have not mastered daily self management of their type 1 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of a transition planning intervention, focused on educating adolescent/parent dyads about diabetes self management in preparation for the transition from pediatric to adult health care, using a newly developed transition plan and framework. The setting was a diabetes endocrinology clinic where 95% of young type 1 diabetics in the metropolitan area are seen. The intervention included supporting the parent in the relinquishing of diabetes management responsibilities to the adolescent. This study measured the transition readiness and self management practices of the adolescent as well as the parents’ ability to promote autonomy in their adolescents\u27 transition to self management. In addition, this study sought to gain information from the dyads on the usefulness of this intervention. The intervention consisted of four weekly sessions emphasizing a review of type 1 diabetes pathophysiology, daily living with type 1 diabetes, leaving the parental home, and reproductive health. A non-experimental, pre-post feasibility design was used and 11 adolescent/parent dyads consented to participate. Seven dyads completed the intervention. Using descriptive statistics, mean scores improved for transition readiness, diabetes care activities, problem solving, communication, and goals setting. Post intervention evaluations completed by participants were favorable. Most agreed or strongly agreed that the transition intervention was helpful in getting adolescents ready for transition and taking care of diabetes as a young adult. They would recommend this intervention to others. Based on the findings of this study and evidence found in the literature, the intervention will soon be packaged into brief 15-minute teaching sessions presented during quarterly clinic visits for all adolescents age 15-18 at the study site. If any adolescent remains in the clinic until age 19 or later, the intervention will continue quarterly until the adolescent transitions to adult health care. In addition, based on the responses given by the adolescent/parent dyads at completion of the sessions, this intervention contains useful information relevant to the adolescents’ transition to adult health care

Tumors Interrupt IRF8-Mediated Dendritic Cell Development to Overcome Immune Surveillance

Tumors employ multiple mechanisms to evade immune surveillance. One mechanism is tumor-induced myelopoiesis, which expands immune suppressive granulocytes and monocytes to create a protective tumor niche shielding even antigenic tumors. As myeloid cells and immune-stimulatory conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) are derived from the same progenitors, it is logical that tumor-induced myelopoiesis might also impact cDC development. The cDC subset cDC1 is marked by CD141 in humans and CD103 or CD8α in mice. cDC1s act by cross presenting antigen and activating CD8+ T cells. Given these functions, CD103+ cDC1s can support anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses. However, CD103+ cDC1 numbers are limited within the tumor microenvironment. To understand how CD103+ cDC1s are restricted in the tumor, we investigated their development in the bone marrow (BM). We found that the presence of localized primary tumors resulted in systemic decreases in CD141+ cDC1s in breast and pancreatic cancer patients and animal models. Mechanistically, tumor cell-produced granulocyte stimulating factor (GCSF) mediates the downregulation of the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) in BM progenitors, leading to reduced cellular potential for cDC1 development. Tumor-induced reductions in cDC1-development suppressed the ability of the host to mount anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses and control tumor growth. Further, BM and systemic decreases in CD141+ cDC1s and their progenitors correlate with patient outcome. Neutralizing GCSF restored cDC1 differentiation and recovered responsiveness to cDC-mediated immunotherapy. These data suggest a new mechanism of immune-escape whereby tumors downregulate cDC1 differentiation from BM progenitors to impair anti-tumor immunity

A comparative analysis of the value of intrinsic motivation in computer software on the math achievement, attitudes, attendance, and depth-of-involvement of underachieving students

It was the purpose of this study to determine what effect intrinsic motivation in software programs using graphics and non-graphics has on the achievement, attitudes, attendance and depth-of-involvement of 65 underachieving students. The study was conducted in the natural school setting over the period of a semester. Data was collected on three groups, the control group (n = 33), the alternate treatment group in which students were exposed to CAI without the use of graphics as a part of the instruction, and the experimental group in which students were exposed to CAI with graphics for at least 20 minutes three times per week. An ANCOVA was done on the pre and posttest Math Computation scores of the SAT and the pre and posttest weighted raw scores of the Motivation for Schooling subtest of the SAM. An ANOVA was done on attendance data and a measure of depth-of-involvement defined as time-on-task.;Results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in the academic achievement, attitudes or attendance among the three groups. However, gains in academic achievement did approach statistical significance. Results for the measure of time-on-task did achieve statistical significance indicating greater involvement with graphic programming.;It was concluded that the use of CAI with or without graphics does not substantially improve the achievement, attitudes or attendance of underachieving students significantly more than other intensive remedial instructional techniques