A Review and Assessment of Enterprise Resource Planning for Make-To-Order Companies

Many vendors of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems claim that their products are widely applicable - configurable to meet the needs of any business, whatever the product or service offering. However, producers of high-variety and bespoke products, such as Make-To-Order (MTO) companies, present particular challenges to implementation; it remains unclear whether ERP systems can cater for their needs.. This paper provides a state-of-the-art review of ERP systems and an assessment of the applicability of ERP to the MTO sector. While several comprehensive reviews of the ERP literature have previously been presented, these either do not focus on the MTO sector, or seek to assess the applicability of ERP systems, or give sufficient attention to recent developments in the fast moving ERP industry. In assessing applicability, this paper considers factors such as the planning and control stages of relevance to MTO companies, the typical size and supply chain positioning of MTO companies, and market-related features. The assessment concludes that there is a significant gap between the requirements of MTO companies and the functionality of ERP systems. One such gap is between the customer enquiry management and design & engineering processes of MTO companies and those supported by ERP systems. Eight key areas in need of further research are described. These include: providing effective decision support tools for customer enquiry management activities in the MTO sector, linking ERP systems with production planning and control concepts of relevance to MTO companies, and conducting an in-depth empirical study into existing applications of ERP systems in MTO companies and their impact on performance

Non-parametric comparison of histogrammed two-dimensional data distributions using the Energy Test

When monitoring complex experiments, comparison is often made between regularly acquired histograms of data and reference histograms which represent the ideal state of the equipment. With the larger HEP experiments now ramping up, there is a need for automation of this task since the volume of comparisons could overwhelm human operators. However, the two-dimensional histogram comparison tools available in ROOT have been noted in the past to exhibit shortcomings. We discuss a newer comparison test for two-dimensional histograms, based on the Energy Test of Aslan and Zech, which provides more conclusive discrimination between histograms of data coming from different distributions than methods provided in a recent ROOT release.The Science and Technology Facilities Council, U

A Research on the Association between Corporate Governance and Corporate Performance in Turkish Energy Sector

Today’s harsh market conditions prompt companiesto allocate the highest level of emphasis on corporateperformance. However, in some cases interests of managementand shareholders may clash. Subsequently providing investorswith timely, accurate and valid information in today’s everchanging economic environment is vital for transparency. Aim ofthis paper is to measure the association between corporategovernance and corporate performance within companies in theenergy sector listed at Borsa Istanbul (formerly known asIstanbul Stock Exchange)

Effect of management system and dietary yeast autolysate on the performance, slaughter and carcass characteristics of partridges (Alectoris chukar)

This study was conducted to determine the effects of management system (a floor housing (FH) versus a free-range housing (FRH) system) and dietary yeast autolysate (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (1% versus 2% dietary supplement) on the performance, slaughter and carcass characteristics of partridges (Alectoris chukar). A total of 480 (240 for each management system) one-day-old male partridge chicks were randomly allocated to a control group and the two dietary groups per production system, each containing 80 chicks. Each dietary group was then divided into five replicate groups of 16 chicks. The study lasted 112 days. In terms of growth performance, partridges reared under FRH management system had a lower average daily live weight gain (ADG), a significantly higher feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the control group. However, partridges fed diets with yeast autolysate had a significantly higher ADG, lower FI, and an improved FCR compared to the control group overall. The gizzard, leg, and wing percentages of the partridges reared in the FRH system were found to be significantly higher than those of partridges reared in the FH system, while the breast and abdominal fat percentages were found to be lower. Dietary supplementation with yeast autolysate significantly increased the cold carcass yield and breast percentage when compared to the control group, while wing and abdominal fat percentages were decreased. In general, best performance was observed in the dietary supplementation group of 1% yeast autolysate in terms of growth and carcass parameters. When considering the fact that partridges are gamebirds, that housing poultry in cage production systems has been prohibited in recent years and that there are positive effects associated with using yeast autolysate as a prebiotic, it is recommended that a free-range production system should be used for partridge breeding, with the addition of 1% yeast autolysate to the diet of the birds.Keywords: Carcass attributes, gamebird, growth, housing syste

A Study Seeking Historical Evidence for Bases of Classified Balance Sheets

This paper explores the historical evolution of balance sheet layout and the reasons behind the positioning of assets on the left or right side. It delves into two main questions: why the discrepancy in asset placement on balance sheets across countries, and why the shift from right to left in the UK during the 19th century. Using historical evidence spanning from the 15th century to the mid-20th century, the study investigates the development and changes in listing assets, liabilities, and stockholders' equity. It aims to uncover the factors influencing the classification and presentation of items on balance sheets, driven by the needs of information users over time. By examining secondary sources in English literature, the paper provides insights into the evolution of balance sheet layouts globally. Researchers may find this exploration of historical balance sheet variations intriguing, shedding light on how layout decisions have been shaped by user needs and expectations

Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity of chitosan-alginate nanoparticles: a targeted therapy for cutaneous pathogens.

Advances in nanotechnology have demonstrated potential application of nanoparticles (NPs) for effective and targeted drug delivery. Here we investigated the antimicrobial and immunological properties and the feasibility of using NPs to deliver antimicrobial agents to treat a cutaneous pathogen. NPs synthesized with chitosan and alginate demonstrated a direct antimicrobial activity in vitro against Propionibacterium acnes, the bacterium linked to the pathogenesis of acne. By electron microscopy (EM) imaging, chitosan-alginate NPs were found to induce the disruption of the P. acnes cell membrane, providing a mechanism for the bactericidal effect. The chitosan-alginate NPs also exhibited anti-inflammatory properties as they inhibited P. acnes-induced inflammatory cytokine production in human monocytes and keratinocytes. Furthermore, benzoyl peroxide (BP), a commonly used antiacne drug, was effectively encapsulated in the chitosan-alginate NPs and demonstrated superior antimicrobial activity against P. acnes compared with BP alone while demonstrating less toxicity to eukaryotic cells. Together, these data suggest the potential utility of topical delivery of chitosan-alginate NP-encapsulated drug therapy for the treatment of dermatologic conditions with infectious and inflammatory components

Basics of factorization in a scalar Yukawa field theory

The factorization theorems of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) apply equally well to most simple quantum field theories that require renormalization but where direct calculations are much more straightforward. Working with these simpler theories is convenient for stress-testing the limits of the factorization program and for examining general properties of the parton density functions (pdfs) or other correlation functions that might be necessary for a factorized description of a process. With this view in mind, we review the steps of factorization in a real scalar Yukawa field theory for both deep inelastic scattering (DIS) and semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) cross sections. In the case of SIDIS, we illustrate how to separate the small transverse momentum region, where transverse momentum dependent (TMD) pdfs are needed, from a purely collinear large transverse momentum region, and we examine the influence of subleading power corrections. We also review the steps for formulating TMD factorization in transverse coordinate space, and we study the effect of transforming to the well-known $b_*$-scheme. Within the Yukawa theory, we investigate the consequences of switching to a generalized parton model (GPM) approach, and compare with a fully factorized approach. Our results highlight the need to address similar or analogous issues in QCD.Comment: 39 pages, 46 figure

Pentameric PdAu and PdPt nanoparticles on the MgO(1 0 0) surface and their CO and O₂ adsorption properties

The surface mode of the Birmingham Cluster Genetic Algorithm (S-BCGA), which performs an unbiased global optimisation search for clusters adsorbed on a surface, has been employed for the global optimisation of noble metal pentamers on an MgO(1 0 0) substrate. The effect of element identity and alloying in surface-bound neutral subnanometre particles is calculated by energetic analysis of all compositions of supported 5-atom PdAu and PdPt clusters. Our results show that the binding strengths of the component elements to the surface are in the order Pt > Pd > Au. In addition, alloying Pd with Au and Pt is favorable for this size since excess energy calculations show a preference for bimetallic clusters for both cases. Furthermore, the electronic behaviour, which is intermediate between molecular systems and bulk metals allows tuning of the characteristics of particles in the subnanometre size range. The adsorption of CO and O2 probe molecules are also modelled and it is found that CO and O2 adsorption leads to a weakening of the cluster–surface interaction

Anionic cobalt-platinum-ethynyl (CoPt–C₂H) metal-organic subnanoparticles:a DFT modeling study

Anionic CoPt-ethynyl metal-organic clusters have been investigated comprehensively. The lowest energetic of anionic ConPtm(ethynyl) clusters have been generally found as 3D structure but with low symmetrical point groups. Our results indicate that the most preferred dissociation channel of the studied clusters is Co atom ejection and the favorable dissociation channel is independent of cluster size. The anionic Pt5C2H cluster shows the highest chemical stability according to the HOMO-LUMO Gap analysis. The C2H generally prefers to bind on a bridge site with a few exceptions. The Co4−5 nanoparticles have a lengthening effect on the C≡C bond of the ethynyl molecule, which may be valuable for C≡C bond activation. In addition, the lowest and the highest vibrational frequencies are reported to guide further experimental studies

The iridium double perovskite Sr2YIrO6 revisited: A combined structural and specific heat study

Recently, the iridate double perovskite Sr$_2$YIrO$_6$ has attracted considerable attention due to the report of unexpected magnetism in this Ir$^{5+}$ (5d$^4$) material, in which according to the J$_{eff}$ model, a non-magnetic ground state is expected. However, in recent works on polycrystalline samples of the series Ba$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$YIrO$_6$ no indication of magnetic transitions have been found. We present a structural, magnetic and thermodynamic characterization of Sr$_2$YIrO$_6$ single crystals, with emphasis on the temperature and magnetic field dependence of the specific heat. Here, we demonstrate the clue role of single crystal X-ray diffraction on the structural characterization of the Sr$_2$YIrO$_6$ double perovskite crystals by reporting the detection of a $\sqrt{2}a \times \sqrt{2}a \times 1c$ supercell, where $a$, $b$ and $c$ are the unit cell dimensions of the reported monoclinic subcell. In agreement with the expected non-magnetic ground state of Ir$^{5+}$ (5d$^4$) in Sr$_2$YIrO$_6$, no magnetic transition is observed down to 430~mK. Moreover, our results suggest that the low temperature anomaly observed in the specific heat is not related to the onset of long-range magnetic order. Instead, it is identified as a Schottky anomaly caused by paramagnetic impurities present in the sample, of the order of $n \sim 0.5(2)$ \%. These impurities lead to non-negligible spin correlations, which nonetheless, are not associated with long-range magnetic ordering.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figure